From: davideml@bellsouth.net   
      
   6-18    When Fates Collide   
      
      
      
   First aired on May 7, 2001.   
      
   The episode starts out with Xena being hoisted on a cross on a beach. Caesar   
   says to break her   
   legs. Suddenly Caesar says to stop right there and back it up. He is in the   
   Temple of the Fates.   
   They are chained up and he is looking at the thread of the Loom where he   
   betrayed Xena. The time   
   line backs up to when Xena in a sexy red dress tries to convince Caesar to   
   join forces with her. He   
   says to the Fates if he hadn't betrayed her he'd be ruling Rome. He tells them   
   he was able to get   
   to them because since Hades died the security in the under world is lax. He   
   cuts the particular   
   thread then places it into the Loom where it weaves itself back into realty.   
   The Fates say it will   
   not only alter his history but that of everyone. He says he's counting on it.   
      
             Caesar is in Rome talking to someone about grain for the people.   
   Brutus comes up and says   
   the Chinese emissaries from Lao Ma have arrived. Just then the city gates open   
   up and a rider   
   wearing black rides hard toward them, knocking down guards. He takes out a bow   
   and arrow and shoots   
   two arrows at the same time. They hit on either side of Brutus. The horse   
   stops and the rider flips   
   off with Xena's war cry. She walks up to Caesar taking off her helmet. She   
   says "My Emperor." He   
   responds with "My Empress." She smiles at him.   
      
             Caesar and Xena are inside. He tells her he has procured a play from   
   Greece, that she   
   might appreciate a taste of her own culture. She's not impressed. Brutus   
   presents the Chinese   
   emissaries. Xena says she has to go. The Senate is voting on new weaponry for   
   her men and wants to   
   be there. Caesar tells Brutus to go with her.   
      
             Caesar is given a piece of parchment with alliance terms from Lao   
   Ma. He seems agreeable.   
   Just then both emissaries are lifted off their feet by their necks. Caesar   
   introduces Rome's High   
   Priestess -- Alti. She makes the emissaries experience images of violence that   
   kills them. Caesar   
   says Xena is right, Alti is ambitious.   
      
             That night at the play, titled 'Fallen Angel', Xena loves it, but   
   Caesar and Alti are   
   bored.  When the playwright, Gabrielle, is introduced, she and Xena lock eyes   
   for a few moments.   
   Gabrielle is shaken, but Xena is fascinated by her. Later at a party Xena asks   
   Gabrielle if she   
   believes love is worth dying for. Gabrielle asks isn't that what we all dream   
   about? Caesar comes   
   up and compliments Gabrielle on the play.   
      
             Brutus pulls Caesar aside and asks if he had the Chinese emissaries   
   killed. He says Alti   
   advised it. Brutus says they will send assassins. Caesar isn't worried.   
      
             In their bedroom, Xena makes it clear to Caesar she has no romantic   
   feelings - it had   
   been a long day. Caesar leaves and Xena walks out on the balcony. Across the   
   way she sees Gabrielle   
   on another balcony. They lock eyes again, then Gabrielle, still unnerved,   
   drops her eyes and goes   
   back inside.   
      
             Alti tells Xena she saw how Xena and Gabrielle looked at each other.   
   She says Xena is in   
   her way and they fight. Alti grabs Xena by the neck and Xena sees images of   
   herself being killed or   
   wounded. Caesar pulls Alti off Xena and Brutus holds her firm. Xena wants to   
   kill Alti in the forum   
   the next day. Caesar tells Brutus to interrogate her and put her in the   
   dungeon. When he holds Xena   
   for comfort, Gabrielle comes out on the balcony again and sees it. She and   
   Caesar lock eyes for a   
   brief moment.   
      
             The next day Caesar had Gabrielle arrested because Alti named her as   
   an accomplice - they   
   were both working with Chinese Assassins. As Gabrielle is being taken away she   
   protests she's   
   committed no crime against  Caesar. One of the guards is Joxer.   
      
             Xena has Joxer take her to see Gabrielle. She is wearing crucifixion   
   rags and her hair is   
   being cut short. Xena sends everyone away. She asks Gabrielle if she is an   
   assassin. Gabrielle says   
   she has never harmed anyone in her life, but why should Xena believe her? Xena   
   says because   
   Gabrielle thinks life is worth dying for. That's not the path of an assassin.   
   Gabrielle hears them   
   building crosses. Xena says you can't have a crucifixion without crosses.   
      
             Xena goes to see Alti. Alti laughs at the insinuation Gabrielle was   
   her accomplice. Xena   
   wants her to put her hands on her again. She wants more knowledge. Alti says   
   she will if Xena will   
   free her. Xena agrees. Alti takes her neck and Xena sees images of Caesar   
   having her legs broken;   
   scenes of Xena and Gabrielle; and when Caesar changed the timeline. Alti says   
   those images weren't   
   from this life. Joxer tells Xena they've taken Gabrielle away.   
      
             Gabrielle is dragged out and tied to a cross. Just as spikes are to   
   be driven into her   
   palms, Xena comes out and yells for the soldiers to stop. She tells Caesar she   
   knows about him   
   betraying her. He says he regretted it and wanted to give them a second   
   chance. She says tampering   
   with the Fates is madness. He says his troops are preparing to conquer Lao   
   Ma's kingdom and   
   together they can rule the world, not just Rome.   
      
             Xena tells him she will agree if he frees Gabrielle. He says okay.   
   Xena goes to Gabrielle   
   and helps her up and puts her wrap around Gabrielle's shoulders. Gabrielle   
   express her gratitude   
   and calls her Empress. Xena says she's not her Empress but her friend. She   
   tells her to go back to   
   Greece and write all the plays inside her. Gabrielle tells her that even   
   though she writes about   
   love, her life is empty. Xena again tells her to leave, she isn't safe in Rome.   
      
             Alti is in Caesar's bedroom. She says Xena will never be the empress   
   Caesar needs. But   
   she (Alti) will. Caesar says he doesn't trust her, but to prove her loyalty to   
   him, she has to kill   
   Gabrielle.   
      
             Gabrielle is riding hard away from Rome, but Alti finds her and   
   using an   
   at-a-distance-force knocks her off her horse. Then runs up at super speed and   
   grabs her by the   
   neck. She shows Gabrielle images of her past life - Gabrielle meeting Xena,   
   and other scenes of   
   them together, both bad and good. Xena rides up, back in her black outfit from   
   the beginning and   
   yells out to Alti. She shoots an arrow but Alti runs away.   
      
             Xena goes to Gabrielle, but she's in some kind of trance. Xena yells   
   to Alti. Alti is at   
   the top of a hill, then flies toward Xena. Xena jumps up in the air and kicks   
   Alti in the belly.   
   When they land, Xena begins punching Alti in the face. Gabrielle collapses and   
   kind of comes to.   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)