From: daviderl31@yahoo.com   
      
                                   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 and 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. She 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 has 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. Roman soldiers   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
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