FADE IN

Xena, Gabrielle and Darion are still standing in front of the Atlantian men.

ATLANTIAN MAN #1:
     Get up, you scum! You're going to the dungeon.

He and another Atlantian roughly grab the triton's arms and haul him up as he groans.

GABRIELLE (steps closer):
     Hey, let up. As far as I can see, he's pretty helpless here. He's no threat to you. You don't need to be so--

ATLANTIAN MAN #2 (glares at Gabrielle):
     Lady, don't tell us what to do. I know you're guests down here. But if you want to be welcome--stay out of this.

XENA (glares back):
     You know, my friend and I were never very good at staying out of things. I don't think that's about to change.

ATLANTIAN MAN #2:
     So much the worse for you.

They walk away, dragging the triton with them. Xena stares after them. Darion looks upset.

XENA (to Gabrielle):
      Go talk to Calypso and Cassandra. I'm going to the king to ask some questions.

DARION:
     Are they going to hurt that fish man?

XENA:
     Not if I can help it.

They walk off in different directions.

DISSOLVE TO

The vast, blue ocean, sun shinning from above. A school of fish swim across the camera as it moves through the water toward a cliff in the distance.

The camera zooms in on the cliff, then moves down to below water level.

Two tritons swim into view, swishing their tails about. The camera follows them into an underwater cave. Beautiful and luminous, it looks more like a palace than a cave, with carvings in the walls and decorations of seashells and corals.

A fish-tailed naiad (mermaid), wearing a crown of seashells on her blond hair and a gorgeous seashell necklace, comes swimming toward the camera.

TRITON #1:
     Queen Nautica--it's the Atlantians!

NAUTICA:
     What happened?

TRITON #2:
     They're a menace--just like I always said! We have to do something about them!

NAUTICA:
     Calm down, Glacus. What have they done?

GLACUS:
     They have captured Agenor.

NAUTICA (gasps):
     My son?

GLACUS:
     This means war!

NAUTICA:
     Maybe not. Let's see if we can save him some other way.

GLACUS (angry):
     We must do something!

NAUTICA (holds up her hands in a gesture to calm Glacus down):
     You know how superior their weapons are.

GLACUS:
     All we have to do is find a weapon strong enough to shatter their dome. Their greed will destroy us all!

NAUTICA:
     Poseidon has protected them in the past. If we move against them, it could anger him.

GLACUS:
     Then ask Poseidon!

They stare at each other.

CUT TO

The palace in Atlantis. Xena walks into a hall. Panthius comes toward her.

PANTHIUS (cheerful):
     Xena. I was told you were here. How's your stay in Atlantis?

XENA:
     Interesting. (narrows her eyes at him) I need to talk to you.

PANTHIUS:
     Good. I would very much like to talk to you--about how you got here.

XENA:
     First, you're going to tell me about that triton your men captured and took to the dungeons.

PANTHIUS:
     Oh, yes. (smiles rather nastily) My men did say that you tried to interfere. He was caught trespassing on our coral reef.

XENA:
     Really. (sarcastic) You own the coral reefs around here?

PANTHIUS:
     Yes, we cultivate them for our use. You see, Xena-- (he continues to talk as they walk down a hallway together) we have great plans for expanding our domain. With our crystal technology, we're about to find a way to build other glass domes ourselves and purify the air supply inside. We will take over new fishing grounds--harvest new coral reefs. The entire undersea world will be ours.

XENA:
     No wonder the tritons don't like you.

PANTHIUS:
     Those slimy animals--surely you're not taking their side?

Xena looks at him silently.

PANTHIUS (continues):
      We have great plans, Xena. And you can be a part of them.

XENA (puzzled):
     How's that?

PANTHIUS:
     It can't be an accident that you arrived from topside. You know about a passage here from land. You can help us establish a link to the world up there. A link that can help enhance our power.

XENA:
     Well, at the moment I'm not sure I want to do that.

PANTHIUS (with a subtle threat in his tone):
     If you knew me better, Xena, you'd know I'll end up getting the information I want--one way or another.

XENA (sneers):
     If you knew me better, Panthius, you'd know that I don't respond well to threats.

PANTHIUS:
     Oh, it's not a threat. Merely--a statement of fact.

Xena thinks a moment, then looks at him thoughtfully.

XENA:
     I'll tell you what, Panthius. I'll show you the passage that leads outside. You take me to the jail to see the captive.

PANTHIUS (gives her an appraising look):
     All right. Come with me.

They walk away, their backs to the camera.

CUT TO

A dark, watery pit in a dungeon. The dark form of the triton is splashing about in the water, a few feet below the floor.

CUT TO

Xena, escorted by a jailer carrying a lantern, is walking down the corridor of a dungeon.

CUT TO

Xena and the jailer appear over the edge of the watery pit. The triton looks up, his face now lit up by the torch.

XENA (to the jailer):
     Leave us.

The jailer gives her an unfriendly look, hands over the lantern and leaves.

AGENOR (the triton):
     Who are you?

XENA:
     Someone who's here to help.

AGENOR (bitterly):
     You're one of the Atlantians; why would you want to help me?

XENA:
     I'm not. I come from the land.

AGENOR (disbelieving):
     No one ever comes here from the land.

XENA:
     Until now.

AGENOR (angry):
     Well, even if you are--you're still human. What do you care about us?

XENA:
     I care about stopping a war that's going to happen unless someone intervenes.

AGENOR:
     You may be too late.

XENA:
     What are you talking about?

AGENOR:
     The people of the sea have been talking about war for months--they're not too happy about the way the people of Atlantis have been plundering the seas. By capturing me, the Atlantians have thrown down the gauntlet. I am the son of Queen Nautica. And trust me, our people will not stand by and let them get away with this.

XENA:
     Well, I'm not going to stand by, either.

CUT TO

Xena walks briskly into a palace hallway. Panthius is waiting for her. As he steps forward, she stops abruptly.

XENA:
     You have to release the triton.

PANTHIUS:
     Impossible. You were going to tell me--

XENA:
     Do you know that he's the son of their queen? This means war.

PANTHIUS:
     Well, then let there be war. I assure you, it will only benefit our people. We'll be rid of the half-breeds and have the bottom of the sea all to ourselves, with no one getting in the way.

XENA:
     And how many of your people are you willing to lose?

PANTHIUS:
     However many it is--we are sure to win. You've seen our machinery. Surely you know these--half-fish cannot possibly be a match for us.

XENA:
     I'm going to stop this war from happening.

PANTHIUS:
      Good luck with that. (chuckles) Now, you were going to tell me how you got here.

XENA:
     There's a passage under Poseidon's temple--I'll show you. But first, there's someone you need to talk to.

PANTHIUS (skeptical):
     Don't tell me you want me to have a chat with the half-breed.

XENA (contemptuous):
     No, I mean Cassandra.

CUT TO

A close-up of Cassandra's face. She seems to be in a trance, her eyes closed, her face twitching slightly.

The camera pulls back to show Gabrielle, Darion, Calypso and Keyana standing around her.

GABRIELLE:
     What's wrong with her?

KEYANA:
     She's having one of her visions. I remember that she used to be like this when I was a child. It scared me--but I got used to it eventually.

Cassandra opens her eyes, dazed.

CALYPSO:
     What did you see?

CASSANDRA:
     Death. (she is quiet for a moment) There were men with these-- (looks for words) glass bowls on their heads--

CALYPSO (nods):
     The helmets the Atlantians wear when they venture outside the dome.

CASSANDRA:
     They were being attacked--by others who were half-man, half-fish--

DISSOLVE TO

Underwater. An Atlantian in a glass helmet is spreading out a fish net. He convulses suddenly, his mouth opening in a cry. The camera pulls back to show him being speared in the chest by a triton, wielding a spear made out of whalebone.

The camera pulls further back to see several Atlantians being attacked by tritons.

CUT TO

Xena and Panthius walking down a palace hallway.

PANTHIUS (reluctantly):
     All right, I'll listen to your Cassandra. But--

XENA:
     Listen to me, Panthius. Your father didn't listen to Cassandra forty years ago and her visions came true. The city only survived thanks to a miracle--

She suddenly stops abruptly in her tracks and whips around to face Panthius.

PANTHIUS (puzzled):
     What?

XENA:
     There was something I meant to ask you before. You told me the Atlantians built a temple to Poseidon because he saved them.

PANTHIUS:
     That's right.

XENA:
     When we saw the temple, it looked neglected. Is Poseidon still worshipped here?

PANTHIUS:
     A few years ago, Poseidon stopped appearing to our high priest. (Xena's face hardens in understanding) At the time, we still had negotiations with the half-breeds. It was from them we heard that Poseidon was dead--slain with the rest of the gods by a great warrior up on land--a mere mortal.

Xena lowers her eyes for a moment.

PANTHIUS (continues):
     And we survived just fine, without his help or protection. You see, our people had thought all along that the gods were merely creations of human fantasy. They had been wrong about that, but they were right about something else: humanity does not need the gods. The topsiders just took longer to figure that out.

XENA:
     The gods are back, Panthius. I just hope you don't get to find out the hard way.

Panthius gives her a puzzled look.

A commotion is heard off-camera and Panthius turns.

Two palace guards are running toward them.

GUARD #1:
     Your majesty--the tritons are on the move!

PANTHIUS:
     What?

GUARD #2:
     They've killed several of our fishermen near the sea bass breeding grounds--and now they're attacking the Western coral reef!

PANTHIUS:
     Send out a squadron! (to Xena) I told you, there's no stopping this war now.

XENA:
     Send me out with your soldiers, Panthius.

PANTHIUS (shocked):
     You!

XENA:
     Trust me, you want me on your side.

CUT TO

An area by the glass dome. Xena getting suited up along with a group of Atlantian soldiers. She's now wearing a body-fitting green suit. One of the Atlantians hands her a glass helmet and an air canister.

ATLANTIAN:
     This will allow you to breathe underwater--for as long as two hours.

Xena puts on the helmet and the Atlantian helps strap the canister to her back. She then straps on her sword.

One of the men, without a diving outfit on, pushes a crystal in the side of the dome. The glass opens up; the Atlantian soldiers and Xena swim outside, even as the water starts to rush in, and after the last soldier leaves the man pushes the crystal again, closing the opening.

CUT TO

The Atlantian soldiers and Xena swimming through the deep waters.

DISSOLVE TO

A long shot of a coral reef, with a group of tritons collecting corals.

DISSOLVE TO

The Atlantian soldiers are approaching, Xena along with them.

CUT TO

The tritons draw whalebone swords and spears and face the Atlantians. The two groups clash.

A montage of battle scenes:

* A triton and an Atlantian fighting, the Atlantian's metal sword clashing against the triton's whalebone sword.

* A triton's spear is shattered.

* An Atlantian soldier is stabbed with a triton's sword.

* A triton is stabbed by an Atlantian soldier.

* Xena battles two tritons, beating them off with kicks.

* Several tritons attack Xena but she manages to dodge their blows and dive out of the way.

* Three tritons surround an Atlantian and while he fights off two of them, the third manages to smash his helmet. He gasps for air, his eyes filled with horror as he sinks.

* A triton tries to smash Xena's helmet but she manages to push back his blade with the flat of her palm, then kick him away.

* A wide shot of the underwater battle.

* Xena grabs two tritons and knocks their heads into each other. While they are disoriented, she yanks the sword from one and a spear from the other and then pushes the weapons away, watching them sink.

* An Atlantian is about to kill a triton but Xena grabs his arm, stopping him. He gives her an angry look. Before the triton can react, Xena disarms him and breaks his sword in half, then kicks him away.

* The tritons start to flee. The Atlantians try to pursue them but Xena gets in their way, gesturing to point the way back to the city. The leader of the Atlantian soldiers tries to push her out of the way. She grapples with him and finally punches him hard in the chest. As he doubles over in pain, she grabs him and starts to swim in the other direction.

CUT TO

Inside the dome. The soldiers are getting out of their swimming gear.

ATLANTIAN SOLDIER #1 (to Xena, angrily):
     You stopped us from finishing off the slimy bastards! The king will know about this!

Xena gives him a sneering look as she holds the helmet in her hand, her damp hair streaming over her shoulders.

XENA:
     Well, if your king knows what's good for the city, I think he just might see my side.

CUT TO

Close-up on a very nervous-looking Panthius. The camera pulls back to show him in a palace room, facing Cassandra and Keyana. Gabrielle and Darion stand nearby.

CASSANDRA:
     It's Poseidon. He wants to destroy you.

FADE OUT

END OF ACT THREE