FADE IN

The same scene as before. Gabrielle stares at Xena in shock.

GABRIELLE:
     A girl? Is that even possible? I thought the centaurs were all male--

XENA:
     Until now.

LYSIPPE (mutters):
     A freak...

XENA (brusquely):
     Don't say that.

LYSIPPE (bitterly):
     You have no idea, do you?

GABRIELLE:
     No idea about what?

LYSIPPE:
     What it's like--always to know that you're--different. (Quick pan to Lykia--she gives Lysippe a thoughtful, sympathetic look. Lysippe continues vehemently) When I was five years old, my mother took me to visit my centaur grandfather--he was ill and she wanted him to see his grandchild before he died. My father got suspicious...see, she had told him that all of her family was dead, and when she said she wanted to visit an old friend, he--he decided to follow. I guess maybe he thought there was-- (she blushes) --another man or something. So he followed us to the centaur village and found out the truth. When we got back, he shouted at us--called her a filthy half-breed and me a mongrel--and then he walked out--we never saw him again. He told everyone else in the village too... I still remember how the kids made fun of me--the names they called me....

DARION:
     I would have trashed them.

Lysippe chuckles bitterly.

GABRIELLE:
     Lysippe--maybe all this has happened for a reason.

LYSIPPE:
     And that's supposed to make me feel better?

XENA:
     Probably not. But if we find out what the reason is--it might make things better for your little girl.

LYSIPPE (shivers):
     Little girl...

GABRIELLE (gently):
     I think you should name her.

Lysippe gives her a strange look and says nothing.

XENA (businesslike):
     All right. After lunch, we're going to rest a little and then we're off to find Xenan and Nika.

GABRIELLE (impulsively):
     So soon? But I've barely had time to-- (trails off, looking uncomfortably at Darion)

DARION (crushed):
     You're leaving already?

GABRIELLE (looks pleadingly at Xena):
     Maybe we can stay until tomorrow?

XENA (looks sympathetically from her to Darion, then at the grim-faced Lysippe):
     Gabrielle...do we really want to run the risk of the people in this village finding out that we brought a centaur child here?

Gabrielle sighs and lowers her eyes.

DARION (in a sudden outburst):
     Can I come with you?

GABRIELLE (shakes her head):
     Darion--you've got your sister now...we can't just take you away from her and--

DARION (passionately):
      Please? I'll be good, I promise...you told me I could go on some more adventures with you guys--

GABRIELLE (uncertainly):
     I did?

DARION (not too sure of himself):
     Yeah...

Gabrielle looks at Xena, who shakes her head; close-up on Gabrielle as she lowers her eyes, biting her lip.

LYKIA (off-camera):
     You can take him.

The camera pulls back to show Xena and Gabrielle looking at Lykia in shock; there is a flash of joy on Darion's face.

GABRIELLE:
     Lykia, are you sure?

LYKIA:
     Yeah, I'm sure. (She looks away, obviously struggling with what she's going to say next, then looks up at Gabrielle and Xena) Can I come with you too?

Xena and Gabrielle look at her in shock.

CUT TO

A long shot of Xena, Gabrielle, Lykia, Darion, and Lysippe and her baby riding along a road in the countryside. Lykia and Darion are riding with Gabrielle (Lykia sitting behind her, Darion in front of her holding the reins); Xena rides slightly ahead, Lysippe sitting behind her holding the baby who is now sleeping comfortably. It's early evening and the sun is starting to set.

LYSIPPE (hesitantly):
     Xena...

XENA:
     Yeah?

LYSIPPE:
     You know a lot about centaurs, don't you.

XENA:
     I do.

LYSIPPE:
     Can you tell me about them? I--I've never really known any centaurs except that time when I was in the centaur village... I've heard some really bad things about them from people, but... (sighs) ...my mother always told me how good my grandfather was. I want to know?

XENA (sighs):
     I can tell you something about centaurs.

LYSIPPE (glances at Xena, surprised):
     So the centaurs raised your son?

XENA (struggling to keep her emotions under control):
     Kaleipus was the finest parent Solan could have had.

LYSIPPE:
     And this centaur friend of yours that we're going to see now--

XENA:
     Xenan. He was the Centaur baby I helped deliver. (her voice softens) His mother named him after me. (she clenches her jaw) You want to know something else, Lysippe? The rest of his tribe was murdered--by a misguided man who thought they were freaks. The father of Xenan's wife.

Lysippe gives Xena a shocked look.

Pan back to Gabrielle, riding with Darion and Lykia.

DARION:
     Wow--I can't believe I'm going to meet real--what do you call them? --centaurs! (pauses to think) It must be really cool to be part human and part horse--right, Gabrielle? It's like--you can be your own transportation!

GABRIELLE (chuckles affectionately):
     Well, that's one way to look at it...

DARION:
     How come people don't like them?

GABRIELLE (sighs):
     Not all people, sweetie...just some of them. There are people who just don't like anyone who's--different.

LYKIA (brusquely):
     That's for sure.

Gabrielle glances back at her quickly and uneasily.

DARION:
     But you and Xena--you're friends with the centaurs, right?

GABRIELLE (smiles slightly):
     Right.

DARION:
     Are there a lot of centaurs where we're going?

Gabrielle shakes her head, sadness coming over her face.

GABRIELLE:
     Just one centaur...and his son.

As she speaks, the shot of her, Darion and Lykia cross-fades into one of a curly-haired, grinning centaur child grinning as he gallops across a yard.

VOICE (off-camera):
     Catch!

A multicolored ball flies toward the centaur boy, who catches it, laughing. The camera pulls back to show a smiling Xenan, in front of a house. Nika sits on the porch breastfeeding a baby.

XENAN:
     Come on, Borias--throw it back to me!

The boy throws the ball back to Xenan; the two centaurs, father and son, race each other around the yard. Then Xenan throws the ball back to Borias but tosses it too high; Borias misses and the ball flies off-camera.

XENA (off-camera):
     Hello, Xenan.

The camera pans back to Xena holding the ball. She smiles and tosses it to Xenan, who catches it, looking at Xena curiously.

XENAN (smiles):
     Xena! Gabrielle!

NIKA (looks up, smiling):
     Xena! It's so good to see you.

Xenan trots up to Xena and holds out his hand, which she clasps, smiling. Borias follows him.

DARION (gapes at Xenan and Borias):
     Wow...

XENA (warmly):
     Borias has grown.

XENAN:
     He keeps us busy--doesn't he, Nika?

NIKA (comes up to them, smiling):
     He certainly does. And now he has a baby sister, Ephiny.

XENA (smiles warmly):
     Congratulations. (she notices Belach's necklace on Nika and frowns a little) Your father--

NIKA (nods sadly):
     He died a few months after-- (turns away) --after what happened. He never really forgave himself for what he did to the centaurs...he was always a broken man after that.

XENAN (obviously trying to change the subject, looks at Lykia and Darion, then at Lysippe):
     You have new friends.

GABRIELLE:
     This is Darion. And Lykia, his sister.

XENAN:
     You're all welcome in our home.

LYSIPPE (brusquely):
     I don't want to stay here. (off Xenan's startled look) I just want you to take my child. (She thrusts the baby at him)

XENAN:
     Your child? Why?

LYSIPPE:
     I can't raise her. Maybe you can. (pauses) She's--she's--like you.

The baby opens her eyes and starts whimpering.

XENAN (shocked):
     A centaur? She?

XENA:
     It's true, Xenan. Lysippe's baby is a centaur--a girl centaur.

Xenan looks from her to Lysippe to the still-whimpering baby, an awed look on his face.

XENAN (mutters, almost as if to himself):
     Then it's started...

XENA:
     What's started?

XENAN:
     The prophecy.

Xena, Gabrielle and Lysippe stare at him, with a mixture of bewilderment and curiosity, as we:

FADE OUT

END OF ACT TWO