FADE IN

[MONTAGE OF PREVIOUS EPISODE]

ANNOUNCER:
     Previously on Xena...

MICHAEL:
     We are very close to our goal. The power of the Olympians belongs to our Lord...

CUT TO

MICHAEL (claps his hands on the tabletop):
     It's time we finalized our dealings with Olympus and moved on. Xena has served us well, but she was always too stubborn. Her daughter's devotion is far more to my taste. Eve will be perfect--

CUT TO

GABRIELLE (surprised):
     They wanted to kill Eve! You were protecting your daughter. There was no choice.

XENA:
     That's the worst kind of situation, Gabrielle. When there's no choice.

CUT TO

EVE (glares at Michael):
     Forget it. I'm not your puppet, Michael. I won't do your dirty work, not anymore.

CUT TO

EVE:
     And what if I don't want to be the Messenger anymore?

CUT TO

XENA:
     The gods are in Hell?!

CUT TO

A dark, leaden river becomes visible. Translucent gray shadows are milling about on the far bank. A ferry moves noiselessly through the water without disturbing it.

CUT TO

XENA (uncomfortably):
     Ares, about your family...

ARES (shrugs):
     It's over now.

XENA:
     That's just it. It's not.

CUT TO

ARES (sighs):
     Look, Xena--I know that we had our faults. But each of us had only our own slice of power. This God is gathering it all up--to himself.

XENA:
     That's right... (thoughtfully) No one should control all the power of creation. There's no room in this world for one god.

CUT TO

Raphael approaches Androcleia's frozen form and lays his hands on her. White light begins to form around his fingers.

MICHAEL:
     Stop! What do you think you're doing?

RAPHAEL:
     You spoke to the darkness in this girl's soul. I speak to the light. She is free to choose as she wills.

CUT TO

Michael opens a shining portal and thrusts Raphael through it, then follows. Uriel snaps his fingers at the frozen people, then follows Michael. The portal irises shut.

CUT TO

XENA (looks at Eve, then back to Gabrielle):
     We missed so much of her life...

GABRIELLE:
     But we've gained more.

They are silent, looking out at the rocky headlands in the distance, their base lost in the evening mist and sea spray.

[END OF MONTAGE]

Xena and Gabrielle are sitting on the stairs of the temple; to the side of them is the image of steep, rocky cliffs a short distance away. Eve is leaning against a column, writing something into a scroll.

GABRIELLE (looks around for a moment, then fixes on Xena, who is watching Eve):
     You know, Xena. I don't think we've seen the last of Michael.

XENA (sighs):
     I know we haven't. Gabrielle, I've been thinking. I know we thought that killing the gods was the right thing to do, for Eve, and for the rest of the world, but does that justify executing them?

GABRIELLE (looks at Xena thoughtfully):
     Are you implying that we should help the gods?

XENA (uncertain):
     I don't know. They tormented mankind for centuries--who's to say they won't carry on?

GABRIELLE:
     So, they weren't perfect. But who is? Do they deserve the punishment of being sent to Hell?

Xena looks almost regretful. The camera turns to Eve who is looking around curiously, no longer writing.

EVE:
     What was Eli like? I used to be his Messenger--I have a right to know what I was teaching, don't I?

GABRIELLE:
     Of course you do, Eve. Eli was very...he's hard to describe. He always knew what was right and even though he never spilled a drop of blood his whole life, he was such a strong person. He believed totally in what he taught. He had faith in people, above all.

EVE (wistful):
     I wish I'd known him.

XENA:
     You and he would've gotten along well.

EVE:
     I hope so.

XENA:
     He certainly wouldn't be a part of whatever it is that Michael has cooking--his convictions are too strong for that.

Eve nods then walks to the edge of the water. Then, she perks up looking around.

EVE:
     What was that?

XENA:
     What?

There is a distant rumbling from the direction of the rocky cliffs.

EVE:
     That.

They all stand there looking at each other, hearing the rumbling again.

GABRIELLE:
     Let's go check it out.

Xena turns in the direction of the sound and starts to walk toward the rocky cliffs. Eve and Gabrielle follow, but Xena motions to them to stay back, so they do. There is a large, dark cave next to the cliff. There is a flash of silver blue light and Ares appears. He walks up to them. He and Xena look at each other.

ARES:
     You know what this is, don't you?

XENA:
     The entrance to Tartarus and beyond that...Hell.

ARES:
     The gods are down there--my family.

Xena looks away regretfully.

ARES:
     All my life they had treated me as if I was a disease. I had become the pariah of Olympus; they didn't care about me and I didn't care about them. But now that they're gone...

Looks at the cave then back at Xena.

ARES:
     ...I guess I do miss them, a little.

Xena looks at Ares with understanding. Then she looks at Gabrielle and Eve next to her.

XENA:
     Come on.

Beckons Eve and Gabrielle over; they come.

GABRIELLE:
     Where are we going?

XENA (stops, looks back):
     We're going to free the gods.

ARES (almost surprised):
     Whoa. I thought we didn't like the gods. You know, the whole killing Eve thing? Or did I just dream all that?

XENA (grimly):
     Michael's not getting away with this little number, not if I can help it. (off Ares' look) And they don't deserve this fate.

There is another rumble from inside the cave before Gabrielle, Xena, Eve, and Ares head down into the dark depths of the cave leading the way to Tartarus as we:

FADE OUT

END OF TEASER

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