From: daviderl31@yahoo.com   
      
               5.19        Looking Death In The Eye   
      
   First air date was April 24, 2000.   
      
   The story starts out in a tavern where a man offers a scroll for sale. He   
   says it is the last known scroll of the Bard of Poteidaia. A man at the bar   
   turns around and it is Joxer, who is now old. He says he knew her and Xena.   
   He looks at the scroll and it's Gabrielle's handwriting. He buys the scroll   
   for 65 dinars and goes home where we hear, but don't see, Meg complaining   
   about money spent – HER nest egg. He says it's Gabrielle's last scroll. She   
   asks when is he going to accept the fact that they are gone?   
      
   Then he goes out to the barn and is joined by his two kids, a girl and a   
   boy. He asks if they want to hear the tale of a beautiful warrior princess.   
   Then he begins to read to them.   
      
   "Her, uh -- her celebrations at Thebes, in Egypt, were cut short because   
   Xena, the mighty Warrior Princess fought both night and day for the life of   
   her newborn child. As she continued to sing the rage of her Olympian foes,   
   their ceaseless battles finally drove her to the Fates in search of   
   answers."   
      
   The Fates tells Xena it is the time of the twilight. Xena wants a precise   
   date, but they say it will occur in time. But Xena must die, for only in the   
   essence of death will Eve fulfill her prophecy. The sooner she dies, the   
   faster Eve will bring about the fall of the gods. Gabrielle comes in, and   
   tells Xena she doesn't want to hear any of this, that they make their own   
   Fate. But Xena says she still believes that, and so do the Fates and it's   
   the only way – she has to die.   
      
   Xena, Gabrielle, and Eve skulk their way through the woods. Two green energy   
   orbs from the sky blast through the trees. Xena throws her Chakram and   
   knocks an invisible Hades to the ground, making him lose his Helmet of   
   Invisibility. Athena and her warriors arrive. Athena tells Xena to hand over   
   the baby. Xena throws her Chakram and Gabrielle fights the warriors. Xena   
   gets cut on the upper arm and Gabrielle gets a cut on her face.   
      
   Gabrielle yells for Xena to throw Eve to her, but Xena doesn't, and Athena   
   makes a remark about Xena not trusting Gabrielle. Eve is strapped to Xena's   
   back. Gabrielle throws the Helmet of Invisibility in the air, Xena hits it   
   with her Chakram, and sparks fall all over the two gods. Xena and Gabrielle   
   take Eve and make their escape.   
      
   Old Joxer continues to read: "After narrowly escaping with our lives, we   
   took shelter for the night in the company of Octavius,  the new leader of   
   the Roman army and a new ally -- unknown to the gods."   
      
   Xena treats Gabrielle's wounds with medicine she says is poison when   
   swallowed. She treats her own wound as well. Gabrielle asks Xena about   
   Athena's comment about not trusting Eve with her. Xena explains that it   
   doesn't matter whose arms are around the child, her life is in constant   
   danger.   
      
   The gods hold a meeting. Ares shows up and presents Celesta -- Death. Athena   
   asks why she hasn't just taken Xena. Celesta says she will always be needed,   
   and the Athena surmise that Death/Celesta is immune to the prophecy. Celesta   
   says it is forbidden for a mortal to be taken before her rightful time.   
      
   Xena finds Hephaestus in his cave and she fights him, but he beats her up   
   pretty badly. She throws her Chakram against his chest but it only backs him   
   up a few steps and he attacks again. He throws her against a column that   
   collapses. She is bleeding from a cut on the right arm and from her mouth.   
   Celesta appears. Hephaestus asks Xena how it feels to be in the presence of   
   Death herself. Xena asks, "What took you so long?"   
      
   Hephaestus goes to deliver the killing blow, but Gabrielle stops his arm   
   with Xena' whip. Xena grabs some chains of Hephaestus, and wraps them around   
   Celesta while Gabrielle fights Hephaestus.   
      
   Xena stops him from killing Gabrielle, and together they kick him backwards   
   until he falls into a deep lava pit. Both Gabrielle and Xena are limping a   
   little. Gabrielle takes Celesta away. Xena limps behind, and picks up   
   Celesta's candle. Outside the cave, Octavius hands Eve to Gabrielle.   
   Celesta, Eve, and Gabrielle are all loaded into a wagon.   
      
   Athena reminds Ares that he fought at Xena's side in Amphipolis. They talk   
   about Eli, that Ares killed him, and how his death has only fueled the   
   people against the gods. Hephaestus and Hades arrive and tell them that Xena   
   has captured Celesta.   
      
   Gabrielle sings to Eve while Xena talks to Celesta. Xena reminds Celesta   
   that when the candle burns down, Death will die then she and Eve will live   
   forever. Celesta reminds Xena of all the suffering souls who need to die,   
   and says that Xena's actions aren't in her character. Xena has more   
   compassion, more morals, than to want to live forever.   
      
   Celesta and Xena discuss who decides when it is someone's rightful time to   
   die. Xena mentions Solan, and how his life was taken from him. She also   
   mentions Marcus and Lyceus. Gabrielle tells Xena to stop, Celesta is   
   immortal and she will never know loss, or understand the pain of losing   
   someone.   
      
   Celesta says losing Hades, her only brother, the only one who understands   
   her, would be unthinkable. She cries and Xena wipes away her tears.   
      
   Xena asks Celesta what Hades will think, when his sister is dead. Will he   
   care? Xena says she can't lose what is left of her family and she won't lose   
   another child. Gabrielle tells Xena that even if she can't die, the gods   
   will inflict pain and suffering on everyone they care about.   
      
   Gabrielle goes into a tavern looking for Joxer. Athena's warriors come in   
   and they grab him. Athena hits Gabrielle. Hades starts to kill her, but   
   Athena says she's no use to them dead.   
      
   And they can't kill the child until Celesta is freed. Athena chokes Joxer,   
   and Gabrielle tells Athena that Xena is headed for the ocean. Two of   
   Athena's warriors take Gabrielle and another one punches Joxer out.   
      
   Celesta suffers with the flame burning low. Athena appears. Her warriors   
   have Gabrielle. Gabrielle apologizes to Xena. Athena says even if Eve lives   
   forever, she may never know death, but she'll never know peace. Xena nods,   
   and Gabrielle is released. Xena unchains Celesta, who picks up her candle   
   and it grows tall again.   
      
   Ares appears in the driver's seat of the wagon and asks Athena for a head   
   start. Other gods begin to show up. Gabrielle gets in the back of the wagon.   
   Ares hands Xena the reins. They ride away. Athena says when they clear the   
   forest, kill them.   
      
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)