7.24 Divided We Stand II

TEASER

FADE IN

[MONTAGE OF PREVIOUS EPISODE]

ANNOUNCER:
     Previously on Xena...

GABRIELLE:
     Megara has been invaded? By who?

HAIMON:
     Take a guess.

CUT TO

An overhead shot of a vast army on the move through a valley: ranks of foot soldiers and cavalry. The camera slowly pans down to the warrior riding at the head of the army. It's Sabina, with her lieutenant Peneios at her side.

CUT TO

PENEIOS:
     I still think it would have been better to wait before taking on Corinth.

CUT TO

XENA:
     Hard to believe that after only a few months, she'd have an army large enough to be a threat to a city that size. Then again--it wouldn't surprise me if she was ambitious enough to want to succeed where... (she trails off)

GABRIELLE (softly):
     Where you failed?

CUT TO

Eve standing inside a military tent, talking to Sabina.

EVE:
     The only interest the Amazon nation has in Corinth is protecting the women and children inside.

CUT TO

Gabrielle and Haimon kissing. Xena watching in shock.

CUT TO

XENA:
     Come on, Gabrielle. Do you really think you could ever--?

GABRIELLE (throws up her hands):
     Okay, here we go! I knew if I waited long enough, sooner or later you'd start rattling off all the reasons why he's wrong for me! So let me have it. He's too short? Too tall? Or maybe you think I should spend my life waiting around for you to get tired of playing with Ares? Why don't we start a list comparing the faults of both our boyfriends, Xena? Believe me, I don't think you or Ares would appreciate that.

CUT TO

Sabina's soldiers streaming over the walls. The defenders of Corinth, led by Xena, Gabrielle, and Haimon, charge at them and start beating them back. From the top of the wall, about a dozen of Sabina's archers fire flaming arrows at the Corinthians.

XENA (shakes her head):
     Sabina can't expect to take the city this way. There's something else going on.

CUT TO

XENA (sneers):
     Last time I went up against Sabina, she wasn't that difficult to stop.

WARRIOR:
     That was before Sabina had the favor of the God of War.

CUT TO

Xena standing, talking to Ares, looking hurt and angry.

XENA (looks at him probingly):
     Then tell me you've never spoken to Sabina. (Ares stares at her silently) Tell me you didn't come to see her after I fought her. (off his silent stare, bitterly) I thought so.

CUT TO

GABRIELLE:
     Xena, he gave up everything for you--twice. He wouldn't put his ambitions for some second-rate warrior queen ahead of you.

XENA (shakes her head bitterly):
     Ares hasn't changed, Gabrielle. I wanted to believe that he could--that he had. Yes, he has some compassion in him, and... (her voice drops as she looks away slightly) ...love. And sometimes, he can act on it and do something completely selfless. But eventually, it's back to normal. Ares can never be good. Not really.

CUT TO

Xena, Gabrielle, Eve, and Haimon walking out of the Corinth, surrendering the city to Sabina.

XENA:
     The city is yours.

CUT TO

Xena rides along a road, standing in front of her. She stops, looks at him and reaches into her breastplate, taking out the medallion and the pearl and dropping them to the ground. She urges Argo on without looking back. A long shot of Ares standing in the road with his back to the viewer, and Xena ahead of him, riding slowly away in the dusk.

[END OF MONTAGE]

Sunset in the Amazon village. Argo, saddled and ready for travel, waits. Xena steps up to her, giving her halter a perfunctory check.

CUT TO

Ares, perched on the heavy limb of a tree, watching Xena from afar. His jaw is tightly clenched and the look in his eyes is troubled, almost pained. He swallows and folds his arms across his chest.

CUT TO

Xena, who gathers Argo's reins in her hand and climbs into the saddle. She settles herself and then looks down, an unreadable expression on her face.

GABRIELLE (looks off into the distance):
     I guess things didn't exactly turn out the way we expected.

XENA:
     Sometimes they don't.

A quick burst of white light flashes across the screen and dissolves to:

[FLASHBACK]

A battle rages in an open field. Amazons are battling soldiers. A tight shot of an Amazon being pierced by an arrow and crumbling to the ground with a gasp. The camera pans closer for a close-up of her face, her eyes open and frozen in death, a thin trickle of blood dripping from the corner of her mouth. Then the camera pulls back and up, for an overhead shot of the battle.

CUT TO

Buildings on fire. Piercing, desperate screams are heard.

CUT TO

A large building with columns, enveloped in flames, crumbles in slow motion.

CUT TO

A wide shot of the raging battle. A close-up of two swords, one in a man's hand, the other in a woman's. As the two swords clash, a burst of white light flashes across the screen and fades to:

[END OF FLASHBACK]

XENA (nods towards Eve):
     Make sure she stays out of trouble.

Gabrielle glances over her shoulder at Eve. Eve's side is heavily bandaged and she is looking on mournfully from where she is seated outside of Gabrielle's hut. Gabrielle turns back and gives a weak, sad smile to Xena.

Gabrielle

GABRIELLE:
     That's one thing you won't ever have to worry about again.

XENA (nods crisply, as if trying to keep a tight rein on her emotions):
     I know.

Xena glances over at Eve then at Gabrielle.

XENA:
     I'll see you.

She flicks the reins and Argo begins to head away. After only a few steps, Xena stops her and turns back.

XENA:
     Gabrielle? (she looks away, her emotions threatening to get the best of her) I'm sorry about Haimon.

GABRIELLE (nods and smiles sadly):
     I know.

Xena nods in farewell to Gabrielle, then turns Argo around again. She flicks the reins sharply and Argo takes off at a well-paced gallop.

CUT TO

Gabrielle. As she watches Xena ride away, the camera draws in tighter and tighter on Gabrielle's face until the tears welling in her eyes can clearly be seen.

A quick burst of white light flashes across the screen and dissolves to:

[FLASHBACK]

Gabrielle and Eve are walking closely together as they lead their horses down a narrow, heavily wooded road. They walk in somber silence. Eve's head is bent, she is deep in thought. Finally, she speaks.

EVE:
     Gabrielle? Are you sure about this?

GABRIELLE (looks away, as if afraid to look at Eve):
     Yes. I wish it didn't have to come to this. But Sabina's made it clear that she's no friend of the Amazon Nation. I'm afraid that if we don't hit her first she'll--

EVE (quietly):
     Come after us.

GABRIELLE (stops and faces Eve):
     I'm asking you for your opinion, Eve. (she lays a hand on Eve's shoulder) Not as a warrior or the Messenger of Eli. You need to put all that aside and think about your people first.

EVE (speaking almost to herself):
     An Amazon Princess can't be afraid to lead her people into battle...or away from it. And she must have the wisdom to know which one to choose.

Gabrielle turns and they resume walking.

GABRIELLE (frowns guiltily):
     I know it's not an easy decision for you to make.

EVE (she murmurs a non-committal answer):
     Have you talked to my mother about this?

Gabrielle glances over her shoulder. Xena rides well behind them, pointedly not looking in their direction.

GABRIELLE (shakes her head):
     Not yet.

EVE:
     But you will, won't you?

Gabrielle ducks her head, saying nothing.

EVE (grasping Gabrielle by the arm):
     Gabrielle, if you're going to lead the Amazons into battle against Sabina, my mother deserves to hear that from you--not from some decision made by a War Council.

GABRIELLE (shakes her head with a bitter laugh):
     There was a time when I felt like I could talk about anything with Xena.

EVE (arches her eyebrows):
     And now?

GABRIELLE (frowns and looks over her shoulder again):
     Now I'm not so sure.

A quick burst of light flashes across the screen:

[END OF FLASHBACK]

Gabrielle is standing in the same spot she was before the flashback began, staring after Xena's figure retreating against the setting sun. Eve is at her side.

GABRIELLE (shakes her head sadly):
     Xena and I have been apart before. But this time it feels so...permanent.

FADE OUT

END OF TEASER