FADE IN

End of previous act. Night in Caleb's house. Xena picks up her sword, its blade gleaming in the moonlight, and turns to the door.

She walks out of the room and toward the front door of the house, pushing it open. A figure steps out of the darkness. As moonlight illuminates the figure, we see that it's Klymene.

KLYMENE (overjoyed):
     Xena! I'm so glad I found you.

XENA (surprised):
     Klymene. What are you doing here?

KLYMENE:
     Cyane sent me. Artemis is going to attack the village by morning.

Xena stares at her, shocked.

CUT TO

Inside Caleb's house. The main room, lit by a few candles.

Caleb and his mother stand on one side of the room, looking worried. Eve is sitting on a chair while Klymene sits at her feet, her head resting on Eve's knees while Eve strokes her hair. Xena is standing by the wall while Gabrielle paces around the room.

GABRIELLE:
     There has to be something we can do to stop her from controlling the tribe.

EVE (staring straight ahead):
     I know now why she's after the Amazons.

Everyone turns to look at her.

EVE:
     Eli appeared to me in a dream. He said the time has come when the gods derive their powers only from their worshipers. When mortals turn their backs on them, the gods will fall.

XENA (whispers):
     That must be why Demeter is dying.

KLYMENE:
     Yeah, but how do we get the Amazons to stop worshiping Artemis?

XENA:
     I have an idea.

CUT TO

The sun begins to rise over the Amazon village. Inside the village gates an army of Amazon warriors is assembling. Artemis is standing up on a podium giving a speech to the Amazons. Morai stands at her side.

ARTEMIS (shouting):
     This war will ensure our survival as a culture. It's about time we changed the world! Let them all know the power of the Amazons.

The camera pans across the Amazon warriors. Some look proud, others unsure, others worried.

ARTEMIS (continues):
     Morai, you will lead the Amazons in battle.

Morai descends from the platform and stands in front of the troops. She salutes Artemis.

MORAI:
     We will defeat them in your name, my goddess.

Artemis smiles.

CUT TO

A long shot of the Amazons marching out of the village.

DISSOLVE TO

A medium shot of the Amazons, led by Morai, marching through a field. Suddenly, a familiar battle cry is heard. Morai stops and signals her warriors to do likewise.

MORAI (through clenched teeth):
     Xena!

Pan to Xena galloping toward them on Argo II. She pulls to a halt, dismounts in a leap, and then flips toward the Amazons, leaps upward, drawing her sword in mid-air, and lands in front of them, a dangerous grin on her face.

MORAI:
     Stay out of this, Xena! Eve isn't an Amazon anymore. Take her and go where you want. You have no business here.

XENA:
     Neither does Artemis. She's corrupting the tribe for her own personal gain. Follow her and go to your deaths.

Artemis appears in a flash of green light. She grins evilly.

ARTEMIS:
     You first. (to the Amazon warriors) Kill her!

Many of the Amazons look reluctant, but six of the warriors charge Xena, wielding swords. Xena kicks one in the shin and side smacks another. She parries with another, and then drives her elbow into the stomach of one attacking from behind.

She knocks down the Amazon she is parrying with, and then smacks the other with the hilt of her sword. She then leaps forward and front kicks the last warrior trying to attack her.

Xena glances up at Artemis with a sneer, breathing hard. Artemis looks enraged.

XENA:
     Oh, by the way, Artemis--I think you have a problem at your temple.

Artemis shrieks in fury and vanishes.

CUT TO

As Artemis materializes in front of the still-unfinished temple, she sees Gabrielle and Eve in the entryway, spilling some sort of fluid from jars. Eve has a torch in her hand.

EVE (glances at Artemis, then to Gabrielle):
     What do you think, Gabrielle? Is this paint flammable?

Artemis' eyes go wide.

CUT TO

XENA (smiling):
     So now it's just you and me, Morai.

MORAI (points to the Amazons):
     And them.

XENA:
     Oh, I wouldn't count on them if I were you.

Morai charges Xena with a furious cry. They spar briefly and Xena manages to down Morai with a powerful kick.

XENA:
     Give up, Morai.

MORAI:
     Never!

Morai leaps up and charges at Xena, who parries the thrust of her sword and evades another thrust. Morai manages to nick Xena's arm but Xena spins around and runs her sword through Morai's stomach. With a cry, Morai falls to the ground.

Xena looks regretful as she sheathes her bloody sword. She looks at the other Amazons, steadying her breath. Cyane steps forward and nods tersely.

XENA:
     Let's finish this.

CUT TO

In front of the temple.

ARTEMIS (hissing):
     You think destroying a temple is going to defeat me? I have control of your entire tribe!

The young and old Amazons who have been working on the temple exchange uncertain looks.

CUT TO

Xena and the Amazons running through the woods.

CUT TO

The temple. The camera pulls on Eve as she extends the torch out, ready to drop it.

Artemis' eyes widen.

Eve begins to loosen her grip on the torch.

Artemis in anger shoots a fireball at Eve. Gabrielle grabs hold of Eve and tucks and rolls out of the way. The fireball strikes the side of the temple, causing a spark to hit the oil spilled on the ground. The flames erupt, leading into the temple and then causing an explosion. The entire temple begins to cave in as the flames engulf it.

Artemis screams.

Gabrielle and Eve scramble to their feet.

ARTEMIS:
     You fools! All I want is to make the Amazons stronger--make sure they won't be wiped off the face of the Earth.

XENA'S VOICE (off-camera):
     No.

Pan to Xena, who stands with Cyane, Antiope and the other Amazons.

XENA:
     You want to ensure that you won't be wiped off the face of the Earth. You don't want to end up on your deathbed like Demeter.

Artemis screams and throws a fireball at Xena, who jumps out of the way and lands hard on the ground.

XENA:
     Tell them, Eve!

EVE (raises her voice):
     Listen to me! You know I was the messenger of Eli before I was your queen.

Artemis launches a fireball at Eve but Xena, still on her back, throws her chakram, deflecting the fireball so that it strikes the burning wreckage of the temple.

EVE (continues):
     Last night, Eli appeared to me in a dream. He said that the end of the Olympian gods is near...

Pan to Xena for a medium close-up as she catches the chakram, glaring at Artemis. Off-camera, Eve continues.

EVE'S VOICE:
     ...and that the gods still have powers only because mortals continue to worship them. When the gods lose their followers--they will fall.

Artemis screams at the Amazons.

ARTEMIS (pointing at Xena, Gabrielle, and Eve):
     Kill them!

The Amazons don't move.

XENA:
     Looks like you're losing your worshippers, Artemis.

Fear fills Artemis' eyes.

EVE:
     The Twilight is upon you.

Artemis turns toward the Amazons. Cyane and Antiope are standing in front of the tribe defiantly.

ARTEMIS (shouting):
     Kill them!

The temple continues to erupt in flames behind her.

The Amazons don't move.

Artemis screams and fires a fireball straight towards the Amazons, but it dissolves in midair.

The Amazons look shocked.

XENA (with grim satisfaction):
     She's losing her powers.

Pan to Artemis, who is looking down at her hands, horrified. She begins to tremble and then disappears in a feeble burst of green light.

The arch of the temple collapses as the fire roars.

The camera pulls back as Cyane rushes over to Xena and Gabrielle, and Klymene comes running toward Eve. They embrace.

Wideshot of the burning temple and the Amazons.

CUT TO

Mount Olympus.

Demeter's chambers. Persephone is kneeling by her mother's bedside. Demeter's hand is wrapped around Persephone's. Suddenly Demeter's grip loosens, and Persephone looks worried.

PERSEPHONE (worried):
     Mother...

Persephone begins to shake Demeter. She isn't breathing.

PERSEPHONE (screaming):
     Mother!

Her body begins to slowly dematerialize, becoming a gray cloud of smoke and a flickering light. Persephone screams. Zeus, Athena, and Ares appear in the chamber as Olympus begins to shake.

CUT TO

Amazon Council chambers. The circle of the twelve council members is in the center of the chambers. Eve's seat is left vacant. The rest of the tribe has gathered in the council chambers.

Eve is standing in the middle of the circle. Xena and Gabrielle are standing off to the side with the others.

NARI:
     By Amazon law, you have been banished from this tribe by Artemis. We have to uphold the law, Eve.

CYANE (sarcastically):
     Well, according to Amazon law Artemis is still our Queen. So we should probably get back to working on that temple.

OTHILA:
     Artemis is no longer our Queen, I think we can all agree on that. But only the next queen can lift Eve's banishment--that's the law. And for that, we need a queen.

NARI:
     The Council will select a new Queen as Eve's replacement.

EVE:
     Very well.

She turns and leaves the chamber, followed by Xena and Gabrielle.

OTHILA:
     I can think of no better queen than Cyane.

Close-up on Cyane's face. She looks like she has an idea.

CUT TO

Amazon village.

Xena and Gabrielle are tending to their horses, Eve is next to them.

EVE (hiding her emotions):
     So where to next?

GABRIELLE:
     Stop by Corinth, and pick up Darion and Lykia.

Cyane walks up next to them.

EVE (smiling):
     Cyane...

CYANE:
     Sorry to keep you waiting so long... (looking at Eve) my Queen.

EVE (startled):
     Queen? But the council--

CYANE:
     The Council chose me as the new queen. I abdicated in your favor.

EVE:
     But the laws! The law says that once a queen has been deposed, she can't--

CYANE (smiles):
     We remembered that laws are made by people. And people can change the laws.

Xena smiles.

CUT TO

Exterior shot of Mount Olympus.

DISSOLVE TO

Main hall. Persephone is sitting in the corner, looking out the window. The camera pulls out to show Zeus and Ares standing in the distance.

ZEUS:
     What is on your mind, my son?

ARES:
     How much longer until we all end up like Demeter.

ZEUS:
     You know, for thousands of years, I watched mortals do unthinkable things when threatened with death. I never quite understood it until I was faced with my own. (He takes a deep sigh.) I was willing to kill an innocent child to ensure my survival, and that is something I'll always regret. But--

ARES:
     But what?

ZEUS (vehemently):
     But I never want to go back to that place ever again. I won't let my family go back to that netherworld. And if I have to do unthinkable things to keep that from happening--

ARES (softly):
     I understand.

A brief pause.

ZEUS:
     There is something else you need to know. (Off Ares' guarded look) I went to speak to the Fates again--to ask them about that choice they said we'll have.

ARES (chuckles bitterly):
     I bet they cleared it up.

ZEUS:
     They said that one woman is the key--

CROSS-FADE TO

The three Fates, in medium close-up, superimposed over Zeus and Ares talking.

CLOTHO (her voice fading into Zeus'):
     One woman--

LACHESIS:
     --with three faces--

ATROPOS:
     -- Roman warrior--

CLOTHO:
     --Messenger of Peace--

LACHESIS:
     --Amazon Queen.

CROSS-FADE TO

Zeus staring at Ares.

ARES (quietly):
     Eve.

The camera pans over and zooms in on Persephone, as a ghostly figure appears by her side. It's Demeter, who gently reaches out and touches her daughter's face.

PERSEPHONE (raises her head):
     Mother?

They share a warm smile. Pan to Zeus and Ares, who look at them in amazement.

CUT TO

Xena and Gabrielle sitting in a hut in an Amazon village.

GABRIELLE (quietly):
     Can't sleep.

XENA (sighs):
     Me either.

Xena continues to polish her chakram. Gabrielle sits next to her.

GABRIELLE:
     Reminds me of the old days. You'd stay up all night watching over Eve.

XENA (whispers):
     Protecting her from gods.

GABRIELLE:
     Funny how history tends to repeat itself.

XENA (whispers):
     Yeah, it does.

Xena polishes her chakram and then looks up at Gabrielle.

XENA (softly):
     Gabrielle, when I was pregnant with Eve... (searching for words) how did it make you feel?

Gabrielle looks taken aback.

GABRIELLE:
     What are you talking about?

XENA:
     Did it...hurt you? It was so much like...what you went through--and I never thought about how you might be feeling. I just--told you that I knew she was good, and that was good enough for me. But you--

GABRIELLE (tears filling her eyes):
     Xena, I-- (shakes her head) Hope was evil. I know that now.

There is a brief silence.

XENA:
     I handled it all wrong. I'm sorry. (a pause) If I had another chance, I'd do things differently.

GABRIELLE (softly):
     Thank you.

Gabrielle puts her hand on Xena's and they share a tender look as we:

FADE OUT

THE END

[The temple of Artemis was not covered by fire insurance during the production of this motion picture.]

Xena: Warrior Princess Shipper Seasons Season 9 Episode 11 Twilight Eve Story By: Ryan Written By: Ryan Collage By: Aurora Edited By: LadyKate Images Gathered By: Aurora Cast Xena Lucy Lawless Gabrielle Renee O'Connor Ares Kevin Smith Darion Alexander Gandar Eve Adrienne Wilkenson Artemis Josephine Davison Zeus Charles Keating Athena Paris Jefferson Demeter Sarah Wilson Persephone Andrea Croton Lykia Katrinia Brownie Morai Catherine Hates Othila Claudia Octa Nari Theresa Thrace Cyane Morgan Reese Fairhead Klymene Hilary Duff Clotho Rebecca Kpacka Lachesis Micaela Daniel Atropos Elizabeth Pendergrast Caleb Dean O'Gorman Eli Tim Omundson Original Airdate March 28, 2006 The temple of Artemis was not covered by fire insurance during the production of this motion picture. DEDICATED TO KEVIN SMITH All characters and storylines that have appeared in the syndicated series Xena: Warrior Princess are a copyright and trademark of Universal and Renaissance Pictures. No infringement was intended during the writing of this script. All original characters and storylines are a copyright of the respective authors and of the Shipper Seasons. No script may be reproduced on a website elsewhere without the author's consent. © Shipper Seasons www.shipperseasons.com

This script is provided by GDev Resources.