FADE IN

Forest. Xena, Gabrielle, and Darion are walking through the forest, pulling Argo and Klio behind them.

DARION (to Xena):
      But what about the goddess?

GABRIELLE:
      Right now the only thing you should be worried about is your birthday.

Darion nods, though he doesn't look too sure.

XENA (confidently):
      Besides, Ares can handle her.

ENYO (off-camera):
      Oh, he handled me all right.

Enyo materializes in the middle of their path, startling the horses. She has a wicked grin on her face. Xena quickly grabs her chakram and steps in front of Gabrielle and Darion.

ENYO (grinning):
      You must be Xena. They've told me all about you. (glancing at Gabrielle) And I take it you're the annoying little blonde that tags along behind her.

GABRIELLE (angrily):
      Most people just call me Gabrielle.

Gabrielle has a tight hold on Darion's arm.

XENA (fiercely):
     What do you want, Enyo?

ENYO (coolly):
      Revenge.

Enyo screams as she pulls back her arm and launches a fireball towards Xena. Xena quickly pulls back her chakram and lets it fly towards Enyo. The chakram strikes the fireball in midair, causing the fireball to dissolve and the chakram to fly back towards Xena.

ENYO (as Xena catches the chakram):
     Now I can see why Ares likes you so much.

Enyo holds out her hand and a sword materializes. She grips it tightly.

The camera pulls on Xena.

XENA (whispering to Gabrielle):
      Get Darion and get out of here.

Gabrielle nods and begins to head back into the forest with Darion as Xena begins to advance on Enyo.

The camera pulls in on Enyo as Xena draws her sword and charges towards her. Enyo quickly dematerializes. Xena darts her head back to see Enyo reappear in front of Gabrielle and Darion.

ENYO (angrily):
     You're not going anywhere.

Gabrielle quickly draws her sais as Enyo makes a swift cut down with her sword. Gabrielle blocks the blow and with all of her strength, pushes the goddess back. Darion stays close behind Gabrielle. Before Gabrielle can make another move, Enyo leaps back up to her feet and in one quick step launches a front kick right to Gabrielle's chest. Gabrielle falls to the ground hard, dropping her sais.

DARION (shouting):
      Gabrielle!

XENA (off-camera):
     ALALALALA--SHEEYA!

Xena flips forward, landing right in front of Gabrielle and Darion. She brings her sword up and blocks Enyo's cut. Enyo swings her sword around, trying to strike Xena, but Xena reads through her move and blocks the slash.

ENYO:
     You know, for a mortal, you're not that bad.

XENA (whipping her sword around):
      Oh yeah? Well, for a goddess, you're not that good.

With a snarl, Enyo charges forward once again and her and Xena parry. Both seem equally matched.

CUT TO

Ares' temple. Ares stands over the bodies of the dead priest and priestess. He looks very grim.

PRIEST #2 (gasping):
     My Lord...she's going after your son.

ARES (confused):
      My son?

PRIEST (barely holding on):
      She said she wanted to get your attention.

Zoom in on Ares' face as understanding dawns. He quickly dematerializes.

CUT TO

Xena and Enyo continue to spar. The camera pulls over to Darion as he runs to Gabrielle's side. Gabrielle gets to her feet, grabbing her sais.

GABRIELLE (softly):
      Come on, we have to get you out of here.

DARION (worried):
     What about Xena...

GABRIELLE (grabbing his hand):
      She'll be okay.

The camera pulls back in on Enyo and Xena fighting. Finally Enyo gains the upper hand and knocks Xena down. Enyo raises a sword above Xena, but before Xena can make a move a fireball strikes Enyo's side, knocking her down.

The camera pulls back to show Ares. Enyo quickly gets up off the ground, vengeance boiling within her eyes. Meanwhile, Xena has already gotten back to her feet, and makes her way towards Ares.

ENYO (sarcastically):
     How sweet. Must be nice to have a God of War wrapped around your little finger.

Enyo looks around, looking for Gabrielle and Darion, but they are nowhere in sight. She snarls with rage. She launches another fireball towards Xena, who easily ducks out of the way. The fireball strikes the tree behind her.

Enyo laughs, obviously calculating the move. The impact of the fireball causes the tree to crack and start toppling. She then fires another fireball towards Ares, to keep him occupied, but being a god, he deflects it easily.

Xena hears the tree behind her start to crack and flips hastily out of the way, dropping her sword in the process. As Xena lands on her feet Enyo sends another fireball at her. Xena manages to dodge it but the next bolt of energy strikes Xena in the breastplate and knocks her onto her back. Enyo laughs, throwing her head back, and quickly vanishes.

ARES (shouts):
      Xena!

As Ares rushes toward Xena, Enyo reappears right in front of him and slams into him, full-body, taking him down and landing on top of him. She pulls him into a forceful kiss, and before Ares can resist Enyo has him in a passionate power-draining lip lock. Ares begins to grow visibly weak as a surge of power starts to fill Enyo's body with a red glow.

Pan over to Xena, who rises to her feet, still shaken. As she sees what's happening, she grabs her chakram and launches it towards Enyo. As the chakram whooshes through the air, Enyo breaks the kiss and looks up; the chakram hits her in the head, causing no real damage but causing her head to snap back.

Xena catches the chakram. Enyo gets up, grinning in triumph. Ares scrambles to his knees; Enyo looks at him and then backhands him across the face, sending him to the ground.

ENYO (satisfied):
      Payback's a bitch, Ares.

She then turns to Xena and laughs.

ENYO:
      See you around, Warrior Princess. Maybe next time you'll be more impressed.

Enyo vanishes before Xena can do anything. Xena rushes up to the fallen Ares. He begins to regain some of his strength. She helps him back up to his feet.

XENA:
     You all right?

Ares looks himself over.

ARES (dazed):
     My powers. She took my powers.

Xena looks at him in shock.

XENA (trying to remain confident):
      Don't worry, we'll get them back. We'll stop her.

ARES:
      Wait--there's something else you need to know...

XENA:
     What?

ARES (regaining his senses):
     She's after Darion.

XENA (confused):
      What? Why?

ARES:
      She thinks he's my son.

XENA (forcefully):
      Come on, we have to go.

Xena whistles and Argo gallops into the area.

CUT TO

Gabrielle and Darion walk through the forest. They stop by a small stream and Darion cups some of the water into his hands and takes a drink.

GABRIELLE:
     We should be safe now. We'll wait here for Xena and Ares.

Darion manages a nod, although he looks pretty depressed. Gabrielle quickly takes notice. She thinks for a moment, then comes up with an idea.

GABRIELLE (trying to cheer him up):
     Did I ever tell you the story about the Titans?

DARION:
      My grandma used to tell me stories about the Titans. She said they were giants that the gods imprisoned years ago. They were really mean.

GABRIELLE:
     Well, did I ever tell you about the time that I freed the Titans?

Darion looks at her in awe.

CUT TO

Enyo walking through the woods. She stops. From her point of view, we see Gabrielle and Darion from a distance. Gabrielle is talking to Darion, obviously telling him the story; he looks curious and excited.

ENYO (with an evil smirk):
      Well, well, Ares. I'm so glad I didn't kill you. Now you'll get to watch your little boy die at my hands.

She starts coming closer.

CUT TO

Darion and Gabrielle.

DARION (thinks for a moment):
     Wow. At least I only freed one goddess!

Gabrielle smiles--obviously this was what she wanted.

DARION (thinks some more):
      Besides, Xena can stop her--right? Just like she did with the Titans?

GABRIELLE (smiles and ruffles his hair):
      Of course she can. She's Xena.

ENYO (off-camera):
      Lets not give her too much credit.

Enyo appears out of the forest, walking towards Gabrielle and Darion. Gabrielle draws her sais, holding them in a defensive position.

ENYO (to Gabrielle):
     You're either very brave or very stupid.

GABRIELLE:
     Enyo, your war is with Ares--not with us.

ENYO:
      That's right. With Ares--and everyone he cares about. (short pause) Give me the boy and maybe I'll let you live.

GABRIELLE (forcefully):
     Stay away from him! He's not a part of this!

Enyo laughs and forms a fireball in her hand. She pulls back, ready to launch it towards Gabrielle. Gabrielle quickly pulls back her hand and throws her sai straight towards Enyo. The sharp hand wedges itself into her shoulder and she drops the fireball on the ground, setting the grass on fire. Enyo looks at the sai lodged into her shoulder and gives Gabrielle a sarcastic look.

ENYO (raises and eyebrow):
     Not bad...

She removes the sai, pulls back her hand and whips it forward; the sai flies fast through the air straight towards Darion. Gabrielle quickly extends her hand, catching the sai by the blade.

ENYO:
     ...for a sidekick. But I'm through playing games.

Her eyes begin to glow red and she shouts in a terrifying voice.

ENYO:
      Give me the boy!

Gabrielle shields Darion with her body.

GABRIELLE (shouts):
      Ares!

ENYO (with a nasty laugh):
      Oh no. Ares can't help you anymore. In fact, he can't even hear you.

Enyo slowly approaches Gabrielle. Gabrielle manages to kick her in the stomach, slowing her down for a moment. Enyo snarls, her eyes glowing again, and grabs Gabrielle by the neck, throwing her aside. Gabrielle rolls on the ground, dropping the sais as she falls. Enyo laughs and grabs Darion.

ENYO:
     You're coming with me, kid.

DARION (struggling):
      Let me go!

The camera pulls over to Gabrielle as she begins to get up off the ground.

ENYO (to Gabrielle, with a tight hold on Darion):
      Tell Ares I'll expect to see him later.

Gabrielle charges forward just as Enyo begins to vanish with a struggling, screaming Darion in her arms. Gabrielle grabs Enyo's shoulder just as she vanishes, and in a flash of light Gabrielle vanishes with them.

The camera pulls around to show the now-empty clearing. Dark smoke rises from the burning grass.

CUT TO

Xena galloping through the woods. Ares is close behind on Gabrielle's horse.

CUT TO

Xena and Ares ride into the clearing.

XENA (shouting):
      Gabrielle! Darion!

She notices the smoke from the burning grass.

XENA (anxious):
      Enyo--she was here.

ARES:
      Over there--look!

Xena turns around to see Ares pointing at something on the ground. It's Gabrielle's sais. Xena dismounts quickly, looking around desperately.

XENA (shouting louder):
      Gabrielle!! Darion!!

Ares dismounts as well. Xena scans the ground, noticing the footprints. She crouches low to the ground.

XENA (examining the footprint):
     Gabrielle...she was running.

She follows the footprints until they stop. Another set of footprints is seen, and then a smaller set (obviously from Darion).

XENA (whispering):
      They end here.

Ares walks up behind her.

ARES (softly):
      She vanished.

XENA (determined, hiding her fear):
      We'll find them.

Xena and Ares stand side by side, looking at the burnt grass and the tracks on the ground, as we:

FADE OUT

END OF ACT THREE