FADE IN

On the same scene. Xena and Gabrielle are staring at the centaur baby. The baby opens its eyes, smiles and gurgles at them happily. Lysippe quickly turns away and wraps the baby in the swaddling clothes.

GABRIELLE (bewildered):
     A baby centaur...how is that possible?

XENA (eyes widening slightly):
     Maybe this means there are other centaurs who are still alive... (She turns toward Lysippe and puts a hand on her shoulder) What's your name?

LYSIPPE (mumbles, staring down):
     Lysippe.

XENA:
     Lysippe, we want to help you but you have to tell us the truth. You say that man was your husband...

LYSIPPE (tearfully):
     Yes.

XENA (incredulous):
     And this is his child.

Lysippe stares grimly ahead of her as we dissolve to:

Lysippe is sitting by a tree, crying. Her baby lies at her feet. Xena and Gabrielle stand nearby, looking sympathetically at Lysippe.

LYSIPPE (wipes her eyes):
     I was going to take it to the woods and leave it there... I thought that maybe if I got rid of it he would take me back. But the midwife had already told all the villagers that I'd given birth to a freak--that I myself was a freak, a witch... (her voice breaks off)

GABRIELLE (puts a hand on her shoulder):
     It's all right...we know what happened next.

XENA (shakes her head):
     Your grandfather was a centaur--and you married an ordinary man and had a centaur child? I've never heard of such a thing...

LYSIPPE (angry and bitter):
     Then maybe I am a freak.

The camera pans away from her and to Xena and Gabrielle.

GABRIELLE:
     No, no. Maybe that's just the way it works sometimes. (reflectively) Centaur blood could lie dormant for a generation, and then show itself against in a centaur's grandchild, or great-grandchild.

XENA (dryly):
     Fascinating. But it's not going help Lysippe and her child. (turns) Lysippe-- (her eyes widen in shock)

The camera pulls back to show Lysippe running away.

GABRIELLE (yells):
     Lysippe, wait! Stop! Where are you going?

LYSIPPE (without turning back):
     Home!

Xena runs after Lysippe, easily catching up with her, and grabs her shoulders, turning her around.

XENA:
     You can't go back there!

LYSIPPE (her face tearful):
     If I can just talk to Phillamon--maybe if I try--

XENA:
     What about your baby?

LYSIPPE:
     That thing? It has ruined my life! You can have it for all I care!

XENA (reproachfully):
     Your own child. How can you?

Gabrielle approaches with the crying baby in her arms.

GABRIELLE:
     I think he wants to be fed.

LYSIPPE (turns away):
     Get it away from me!

The baby cries louder.

GABRIELLE (gently):
     Look, Lysippe. If you don't want to keep this baby, we know a couple that would take him. (quick pan to Xena, who gives her a puzzled look) A centaur and his wife. We can take the baby to them. But you have to feed him or he won't survive.

Lysippe hesitates, then takes the baby from Gabrielle's arms and sits down on a log, putting the baby down in her lap. She starts lifting her blouse.

Quick pan to show Lysippe from behind, sitting on the log and breastfeeding the baby. Gabrielle smiles uncertainly at Xena.

CUT TO

Xena and Gabrielle riding along a forest path, with Xena in front and Lysippe riding with Gabrielle, sitting behind her, holding the baby in her arms.

LYSIPPE:
     Are we going to them now? Your friend the centaur?

GABRIELLE:
     No, we're going to see--someone else first.

XENA (grimly):
     Look, Lysippe...we're going to another village. Maybe it's best if they don't know--

LYSIPPE (nods bitterly):
     I understand.

Xena glances back at her with a guilty expression.

CUT TO

The outside of a temple. We cut to the inside, where we see Ares lounging on his throne, one leg hanging over the armrest, his hand up by his chin, running his fingers along his goatee, looking very unimpressed. In front of him is the commander in black armor whom we saw on the battlefield in the teaser. He is visibly nervous.

COMMANDER (stammering):
     My lord--

Ares rolls his eyes and lets out a frustrated sigh, making the commander shrink back fearfully.

ARES:
     Let me guess. You've lost a battle. Make that--you've lost another battle. So what else is new.

COMMANDER (sheepishly):
     L-lord Ares--it wasn't my fault.

ARES (sarcastic):
     Oh--and that's new?

COMMANDER:
     Well--this time it's true. (Ares lifts his eyebrows wryly) We had no choice but to retreat because--the battlefield--just disappeared! (Ares perks up, looking at him with a mix of curiosity and disbelief) One moment we were charging toward the enemy--and the next thing-- (throws up his hands) --there was nothing but fog. Neither my men nor I could see anything. We shot at the fog with arrows, chopped at it with our swords, and it did no good. We couldn't even pass through it. It was like...like something inside this fog was pushing us back.

ARES (looks at him thoughtfully, then leans back, his face again assuming a sarcastic expression):
     Now that's a new one. A fog ate my battlefield.

COMMANDER:
     It's true, my lord! There was nothing more we could do.

Ares glares at him.

ARES:
     Well, just because I'm feeling generous today I'm going to let you keep your army...

COMMANDER (bows):
     Oh, thank you, my lord!

ARES:
     ...but I really should have some standards for those who want to serve me. Like, I don't know--they should be able to actually lead an army? Now, get out of my sight.

COMMANDER:
     Thank you, my lord!

The commander turns around and runs out of the temple. Ares looks after him with a bored expression. Then he gets up from his throne, stretches, and walks down the steps of the throne, disappearing in a flash of blue light as he walks.

CUT TO

The tent of the commander in red armor. The commander sits at a table, examining a map. In a flash of blue light, Ares appears. The commander jumps to his feet.

COMMANDER (nervous):
     My lord Ares! I--I wasn't sure--if we had your favor--

ARES (arms folded on his chest):
     I favor those who serve me well. So tell me--how did the battle go today?

COMMANDER (nervously):
     My lord--something very unusual happened...

ARES:
     Let me guess. You tried to fight but some spooky fog stopped you and then you ran away like little kids from a monster under the bed. That about the size and shape of it?

COMMANDER (shocked):
     How did you--

ARES:
     Hello. God, remember?

COMMANDER (agitated):
     My lord--was that a sign from you?

ARES:
     No--but it's something I'm going to look into. (pause) And by the way--I do expect more of my favored warriors than to get lost in a fog.

Ares disappears in a flash of blue light as the commander cowers.

DISSOLVE TO

A wide shot of Xena, Gabrielle and Lysippe ride into a village. It's the village we saw at the start of "The Bonds We Choose" --Darion's village. From a distance, as the camera starts to zoom in, we see Xena ask a question of a village woman who points them down the street. They ride on as the camera zooms closer, toward a shack that looks rather hastily cobbled together.

GABRIELLE (a little nervously):
     This must be it.

She dismounts, walks on the door and knocks. After a few moments steps are heard inside.

LYKIA (off-camera, sullenly):
     Who is it?

GABRIELLE:
     Lykia--it's me, Gabrielle.

DARION'S VOICE (inside the house):
     Gabrielle!

Close-up of Gabrielle's face; she has a look of nervous joy.

After a moment the door slowly opens. Lykia stands in the doorway. She is wearing a drab, greenish-gray peasant dress. Her face has a sullen expression.

LYKIA:
     Hello, Gabrielle.

There is a noise as Darion runs up to the door and pushes his way past Lykia and toward Gabrielle.

DARION (beaming):
     Gabrielle! (he hugs her waist, pressing his cheek to her stomach) I've missed you!

GABRIELLE (strokes his hair, obviously moved almost to tears):
     I've missed you too, sweetheart...

Xena gives her a slightly worried glance.

DARION (steps back, collecting himself, and looks at Xena):
     Hi, Xena.

XENA:
     Hi yourself.

DARION:
     You're here... (to Gabrielle) I wasn't sure I'd see you again.

GABRIELLE:
     You didn't think I would just leave you like that! We... (she frowns a little as bad memories come back to her) ...we didn't even have a chance to say a proper good-bye.

DARION (crestfallen):
     Good-bye? You mean you're just here to say good-bye and then you won't come back again?

GABRIELLE (nervously):
     No, no--of course not-- (glances anxiously at Xena) --we'll--I'll come back and visit you... (off Darion's pleading look) ...a lot.

DARION (beams):
     Great! Can I go on some more adventures with you?

GABRIELLE (slightly at a loss for words):
     Uh--we'll talk about that later, Darion, okay? (to Lykia) So--they've rebuilt your house.

LYKIA (listlessly):
     Yeah. The Amazons really helped. (sighs) Darion and I were just going to have lunch--do you want to join us?

XENA:
     Sure we do. Thanks.

DARION (notices Lysippe):
     Hey, who's she? A friend of yours?

GABRIELLE:
     Just someone we're helping out.

The baby stirs in Lysippe's arms and starts whimpering.

DARION (excited):
     A baby!

XENA:
     Come on, let's go inside.

Lykia goes back into the house. Darion tugs at Gabrielle's hand, pulling her inside. Xena takes Lysippe by the shoulders, steering her toward the door.

CUT TO

Inside the house, where everything looks poor and drab. There's only a single room with two cots against the walls in a corner, a stove in another corner, and a table with a couple of chairs. Gabrielle looks around and purses her lips worriedly.

DARION (excited):
     We can move the cots up to the table. That way, we can all--

The baby starts crying louder, squirming in Lysippe's arms.

GABRIELLE (to Lysippe):
     Maybe he needs to be changed.

Lysippe says nothing, hugging the baby tighter to her chest.

XENA (gently):
     Here--let me see. (She reaches out but Lysippe backs away. Darion looks on curiously, and Lykia seems mildly puzzled as well. Xena thinks a moment, then turns toward Lykia) Lykia...this baby is--unusual. We'll only be staying here a short time--so it's probably best if you don't tell any of the other villagers--

LYKIA (with a touch of bitterness):
     I don't talk to them much anyway.

DARION (excited):
     Unusual? What do you mean, unusual? Does he have, like, horns, or--

As he speaks, Lysippe clutches the baby even tighter, making it wail again.

GABRIELLE (puts a hand on his shoulder):
     Darion, hush!

XENA (to Lysippe):
     Come on--let me see.

She comes closer and holds out her hands. Reluctantly, Lysippe gives her the baby; Xena takes it over to one of the cots and unwraps it as the others look on. Lykia gives a gasp and lifts her hands to her mouth.

DARION (thrilled):
     Cool! It's one of those horse people you told me about!

Xena bends over the baby, looking at it.

XENA:
     Wait a minute...

GABRIELLE:
     What is it? Is he all right?

Xena stands up and turns around toward Gabrielle and the others, a strange expression on her face.

XENA:
      She is just fine.

Xena and Gabrielle look at each other in bewilderment as we:

FADE OUT

END OF ACT ONE