FADE IN

Eve sits up, gasping for air. Her hair is shorter and she is wearing a black leather outfit. She begins looking around in panic.

EVE:
     Where am I?

BLONDE WOMAN (softly, touching her shoulder):
     Eve, it's me, Klymene.

Eve looks confused, as she looks over the much older Klymene.

KLYMENE (motioning to Darion):
     Darion, get me some water.

EVE (glancing at the older Darion):
     I'm in the future.

Darion grabs the water canteen and hands it to Klymene.

DARION (sighing):
     Must be delirious.

EVE (to Klymene):
     Do you remember when Scyleia's baby was born? (Klymene nods) How long ago was that?

KLYMENE (frowns, baffled by the question):
     About seven years ago.

EVE (whispering):
     Seven years...

DARION (whispering to Klymene):
     Sounds like some kind of memory loss.

KLYMENE (looking at Eve):
     Her wound has completely healed.

DARION (smiling):
     It's a miracle from God.

KLYMENE (rolling her eyes):
     Don't talk about that Eli garbage in front of me.

DARION:
     Do you have a better explanation?

Eve stands up, looking a little dazed.

EVE (to Darion and Klymene):
     Whether you believe me or not, I need some answers.

KLYMENE (nodding):
     We'll have to head out through the river. Artemis' scum will be scouting the area.

CUT TO

Montage of shots:

-- Three people running through the shallow river.
-- Klymene scouting ahead.
-- The sun rising over the hills.

DISSOLVE TO

Morning. A small cave. Darion and Klymene are sitting on one side, and Eve is kneeling down on the other.

KLYMENE:
     So the Fates sent you into the future?

EVE (confused):
     I'm not sure. It felt like something...stronger.

KLYMENE (sarcastically):
     Like Eli's god?

Darion ignores the insult.

EVE (softly):
     Maybe.

DARION (confused):
     So you don't remember anything of the last seven years?

EVE (shaking her head):
     No. When I left the Amazon village, it had only been a month or so since Virgil arrived--

Darion and Klymene share a worried glance. Eve picks up on it.

EVE (concerned):
     What is it?

Darion looks away, and Klymene looks saddened.

KLYMENE (softly):
     Eve... (Eve shakes her head) Virgil's dead. He was killed about six years ago.

EVE (holding back):
     How did it happen?

KLYMENE (eyes filling with tears):
     The war against Artemis. It has taken so much from us.

EVE (holding back tears):
     I...I'll be back.

She rises abruptly and stalks out. Klymene sighs and wipes away tears.

DARION (whispering, looking down sadly):
     What I wouldn't give to go back seven years.

Klymene puts a comforting arm around Darion.

CUT TO

Eve wanders through the forest, tears streaming down her face. She comes to the edge of a hill, overlooking the area. Below she notices a village in the distance, with an army of soldiers stationed outside.

EVE (whispering):
     Artemis.

She reaches and finds the katana on her back, and then she races down the hill.

CUT TO

Darion and Klymene wandering through the forest.

DARION (shouting):
     Eve!

Klymene reaches the edge of the hill and notices Eve running towards the village.

KLYMENE (confused):
     What is she doing?

CUT TO

An army of rag-tag soldiers roams the streets of a now abandoned village. One of the men, who appears to be a general, approaches a group of soldiers.

GENERAL:
     Get some oil and torches. Set fire to the temple.

CUT TO

Eve sneaks her way between two buildings. She peeks her head out to see the groups of villagers shackled together in chains. In the distance she sees the back of a woman wearing a black cape, giving orders to a group of soldiers.

Eve reaches down and grabs a small dagger by her side; she then makes her way back down the alley.

CUT TO

An old man in shackles is holding a small figurine in his hands, with his eyes closed. He is muttering a prayer. Suddenly we see the back of the woman wearing the black cape step in front of him. She knocks the statue out of his hands. It falls to the ground and shatters.

OLD MAN (shouting at the woman):
     We will never join you.

CUT TO

Eve makes her way through the village and sees the woman standing in front of the old man as she draws her sword.

CUT TO

OLD MAN (shouting):
     We won't abandon our faith!

The camera pulls around the man to show the woman's face. It's Xena.

XENA (sinisterly):
     Then you can continue your worship of Artemis. In Hell.

Xena raises her sword as a whipping sound is heard, she quickly turns around and deflects the dagger that was flying straight towards her.

The camera pulls around to show Eve, with a startled look on her face as she lowers her hand.

EVE (shocked):
     Mother?

Xena has a puzzled look on her face. Suddenly Eve is charged by a group of soldiers. She stands there in shock as one of them throws her to the ground.

XENA (shouting):
     Back off!

The soldiers step back. Xena steps forward. She is wearing dark silver armor and chainmail, with a black cape and her sword on her back. Her chakram still rests at her side.

XENA (kneels down, sincere):
     Eve...what's going on?

EVE (disbelief):
     What are you doing to these people?

Xena looks confused.

XENA:
     This was part of the plan. We were going to meet up with you at the rendezvous point.

Eve looks troubled, as she glances over to see the villagers in shackles. She makes eye contact with the old, the women, the children.

Suddenly a black horse gallops into the village square. The rider is wearing dark black armor and chainmail, his long, black curly hair resting on his shoulders. It's Ares. He jumps off the horse and walks over to Xena who is getting up off the ground.

ARES (glancing at Eve):
     What is she doing here?

Xena turns to Ares.

XENA:
     Order them to take the prisoners outside the village gates. I'm gonna take Eve back to our tent, and I'll meet up with you there.

Ares nods. Xena looks down at Eve, who is still lying on the ground trying to comprehend what is going on. Xena extends her hand. Eve looks up at it for a moment, and then grabs onto her hand as Xena pulls her to her feet.

CUT TO

Tent. A wooden table sits in the center with a series of maps sprawled out on it. Xena walks around the table.

XENA:
     So I haven't seen you in a month, and then I have a dagger hurled at me for a hello.

The camera pulls around to show Eve, who has just entered the tent.

EVE (lost for words):
     I...I didn't know it was you.

Xena chuckles as she unfastens her breastplate.

EVE:
     What are you doing with those villagers?

XENA (shrugs):
     What we always do. They have a choice--to join our rebellion against Artemis, or be killed.

EVE (stares in shock):
     That's a choice?!

Xena quickly draws her sword and points it at Eve.

XENA:
     What the hell is going on?

Close-up on Eve. She swallows, her mother's sword at her neck.

XENA:
     We've been doing this for years. What's gotten into you?

Eve searches for words.

EVE (finally blurts out):
     I don't know anything about the last seven years. (off Xena's shocked and baffled look) I--I come from the past.

Close-up on Xena, who frowns suspiciously at Eve.

XENA:
     Have you been taking those herbs again?

Eve shakes her head.

EVE (vehemently):
     Mother--I know this sounds incredible, but you've got to believe me. The Fates sent me into the future. The last thing I know is that you and Gabrielle got safely back from Jerusalem.

Xena begins to lower her sword.

XENA (in a near-whisper):
     Back from Jerusalem... (pauses) You wouldn't make up such a story...not about this. (speaks up) If you are telling me the truth, then maybe there is hope.

Eve watches as her mother paces back and forth, thinking to herself.

EVE (softly):
     Where is Gabrielle?

Xena stops and turns her head towards Eve. There is a pained look on her face; she struggles to get out the words.

XENA (finally speaks):
     Eve... Gabrielle has been dead for almost seven years.

Eve stares at her in shock.

XENA (continues):
     Artemis killed her. Soon after we returned from Jerusalem.

Eve shakes her head, too overcome to speak.

KLYMENE (off-camera):
     There you are.

Klymene and Darion enter the tent. Eve turns to see them.

KLYMENE (in a motherly way, to Eve):
     You can't just run off like that.

DARION (smiling):
     Hello, Xena.

A slight hint of happiness shows through in Xena's sorrowful expression.

XENA:
     It's good to see you, Darion.

Klymene quickly breaks the reunion, and walks over to the wooden table. She points to an area on the map.

KLYMENE (to Xena):
     Artemis has got a group of soldiers stationed here.

XENA:
     How many?

KLYMENE:
     Fifty, tops. (pointing to another area) A small group of us were scouting over in this area when they ambushed us.

XENA:
     We ran into a group of her warriors back in Athens. She knows we're about to make a move against her.

Eve watches as Klymene, the young Amazon she adopted as her own, makes battle arrangements with her mother.

The camera then spins around as Ares enters the tent.

ARES:
     Only twenty. Twenty people of the entire village were willing to pledge their loyalty to the rebellion.

XENA (disbelief):
     Twenty?

ARES:
     The rest would rather die. (mockingly) "May the goddess protect our souls."

Xena pounds her fist on the table.

KLYMENE:
     The further north you go, the more devoted they become.

XENA (to Ares):
     If any of the new soldiers are even heard muttering the name Artemis--kill ‘em.

Ares nods. He then turns to see Darion standing in the corner. He pats him on the back.

ARES (smiling, almost like his normal self):
     It's good to see you, kid.

DARION (with mock indignation but grinning a little):
     Don't call me a kid, Ares! I'm almost eighteen.

ARES (chuckling):
     Yeah, yeah. Let's see some hair on your chest, then we'll talk.

Darion looks down, blushing a little. The camera pans to Eve, as she approaches Xena and Klymene.

EVE:
     So, you and Ares are leading the rebellion against Artemis.

XENA:
     One of the three rebel armies. We're all that stands between Artemis and total domination.

EVE:
     What about the other gods?

XENA:
     All dead. Some died in the Twilight. Others, Artemis killed and gathered their powers into herself. Zeus, Hera, Athena--Athena was the only one that tried to fight her.

EVE:
     She could rule the world forever.

XENA:
     Yes. Which is why we all need to stop reliving the past and find a way to stop her from controlling the future.

KLYMENE (nodding):
     That's right. The past, whether you lived it or not, is behind us.

EVE (shakes her head):
     If I understand the past, maybe I'll be able to understand the future as well.

DISSOLVE TO

Outside the village. Xena and Ares' soldiers are packing up, preparing to leave the village. The camera pulls to show Eve, Darion, and Klymene off to the side, each now with their own horse. They are all wearing dark brown travel cloaks. Xena (also cloaked) and Ares stand in the distance, overlooking the entire scene.

ARES (to Xena):
     You honestly believe that the Fates sent her from the past?

XENA (watching Eve):
     In the past seven years I've lost a lot of things. Faith was one of them. (softly) Maybe I just want to believe it, but if there is even the slightest chance that we can go back to the way things were--I gotta do something.

ARES:
     So what if she goes back in time, changes the past, and nothing changes for us?

Xena doesn't say anything.

ARES:
     Xena, we've been fighting Artemis for years. We are finally at the point where we might have the opportunity to take her down. (getting frustrated) I would hate to lose it all because you chose to pursue your daughter's delusions.

Xena pauses, before changing the subject.

XENA:
     The plan is still the same. We'll meet up with you and the others at the rendezvous point. From there, we will fight Artemis. (reassuring Ares) I've come too far and I've gone through too much to let it all end here.

He looks at her, still unsure if it's a good idea or not.

XENA:
     I'll see you soon.

She begins to walk away.

ARES:
     Hey. (she turns around) I love you.

She walks up to him and embraces him with a kiss.

XENA (softly):
     I love you, too.

She begins walking towards Eve, Klymene, and Darion.

ARES (shouting):
     Be careful!

The camera follows Xena as she approaches Eve, Klymene, and Darion, leading her own brown horse behind her. Darion and Klymene are mounted; Eve holds the reins of a grey mottled horse.

KLYMENE (curious):
     Why aren't we going with the army?

XENA:
     We're going to make a quick stop, and then we'll meet up with them before we head to Rome.

Xena and Eve mount their horses as they speak.

EVE:
     Rome? Why Rome?

XENA:
     Rome is where Artemis resides. From there she controls the entire Roman Empire.

DISSOLVE TO

Overview shot of the city of Rome.

DISSOLVE TO

The arena. It's packed full of people shouting and screaming at the battle going down below. The camera pulls down to show a strong, shirtless man covered in blood. He slowly raises his head, and we recognize the man as Hercules, with shaggy hair and a beard. He groans in pain as he begins to pick himself off the ground.

The camera pulls around to show Artemis, her red hair hanging over her Hera-esque dark dress. She spins around and side smacks him across the face, and the godly force sends him to the ground. Artemis' red hair flows in the wind as she pulls back her foot and kicks him in the side, causing him to scream out in pain.

The crowd cheers. She picks up a spiked club off the ground.

ARTEMIS (softly):
     It's sad to see one of the world's greatest demigods reduced to a worthless, pathetic mortal.

Hercules looks up at her and groans, unable to move . She kneels down next to him, the spiked club still in her hand. She softly caresses his hair.

ARTEMIS (whispering):
      Say hello to the family for me, will you, brother?

She lifts up the spiked club in the air, and then glances over. The camera pulls up to show the balcony and a fist extended out towards the crowd. The crowd chants "Kill! Kill! Kill!"

The camera focuses on a purple robe and an extended fist, as the thumb goes up into the air.

The camera pulls back on Artemis as she raises the club in the air and gives a loud battle cry as she strikes it down. The crowd shouts in triumph.

The camera then pulls back to the balcony as the thumb is lowered. The camera pulls around to show a woman dressed in purple and blue robes as she sits down in a throne overlooking the stadium. We quickly recognize the woman wearing the laurel crown. It's Valeria Sabina.

FADE OUT

END OF ACT ONE