Once a long, long time ago, all people had four legs and two heads. The Gods threw down thunderbolts and split everyone in two. Each half then had two legs and one head, but the separation left both sides with a desperate yearning to be reunited, because they each shared the same soul. Ever since then all people spend their lives searching for the other half of their soul.

Cutting between a man being chased by wolves and Xena talking to someone about local village girls disappearing. Then Xena and Gabrielle travel into the woods; Gabrielle tells a story about the Bacchae and how they become soul-less followers of Bacchus and can take any form.

Suddenly the running man crosses their path, and he climbs a rock, and Xena and Gabrielle face the wolves. Gabrielle gets behind Xena, and Xena pulls out her whip and cracks it until the wolves go away.

The man is Joxer. He has a message for Xena, and Xena pulls out ... the head of Orpheus from a bag. Bacchus has taken Orpheus' body, because Orpheus' singing and playing puts his Bacchae followers to sleep.

Xena has encountered Orpheus before; apparently he blames her for the death of his wife. However, he enlists Xena's help to stop Bacchus. They go to a village to get Orpheus' lyre so he can sing, but the lyre-keeper has been killed by Bacchae and the lyre stolen.

Xena goes after the lyre, telling Gabrielle to watch Joxer and Orpheus. However, Gabrielle is lured outside to where strange rap music and dancing is taking place, and Gabrielle ends up dancing between two women in black, as if she is under some kind of spell. Joxer goes down and drags Gabrielle away, claiming the two women are Bacchae.

Xena, meanwhile, has found the two Bacchae (and these are the vampire-like creatures/women) with the lyre and fought them, but they managed to get away.

Xena has blood on her neck, though, and Joxer thinks she has been bitten.

They all go to find Bacchus in his hidden chambers, but first they must go to a graveyard to get bones of Dryads to put into the hearts of the Bacchae, for this is the only way to kill them. The Dryads attack -- they look like skeltons of harpies -- and Xena kills a few and gets their bones.

But, Gabrielle turns around and she's a Bacchae! Xena tries to talk to her but Gabrielle is under Bacchus' spell now; Xena follows Gabrielle into the caverns, and Orpheus, who is still just a "head" that Joxer is carrying around, tells Joxer that he may have to kill Xena, because Xena's friendship with Gabrielle has blinded her to the purpose of killing Bacchus.

Xena gets to the heart of the chamber, and stops Gabrielle from drinking blood; Joxer gets the lyre and plays something and Orpheus sings, which puts the Bacchae to sleep for a minute; Xena climbs up, fights Bacchus, stabs him with a Dryad bone. However, he doesn't die. He tells Xena that only a Bacchae can kill him, and he orders Gabrielle to turn Xena into one of them.

And Gabrielle flies up to where Xena is, and Xena says, "Go on Gabrielle, do it" and then Gabrielle bites Xena in the neck, and Xena becomes a Bacchae too; however, she manages to stab Bacchus in the heart with a Dryad bone and then Xena, Gabrielle, and the other women turn back to normal, and Orpheus gets his body back. At the end, Joxer wants to go with Xena and Gabrielle, but Gabrielle says they are going after Medusa, with the hair of snakes, and Joxer bows out. Gabrielle tells Xena that "You almost died for me. I'd like to do something to repay you" and Xena looks at the retreating Joxer and says, "I think you just did." Bacchus, the god of the Bacchae. In the "Lusiad", Bacchus is an evil demon or antagonist of Jupiter, Lord of Destiny. Bacchus was an evil, blood-drinking monster, who preyed on young women, turning them into his blood-sucking followers, the Bacchae.

Then there's Poseidon. The God of the sea who has supreme power over the weather and waves. He is also the uncle of Ares.

Xena and Gabrielle help Ulysses return to his kingdom and reclaim his throne, even though this means going up against the god Poseidon and the deadly Sirens. On arriving home, Ulysses finds that Penelope is very much alive and has managed to stave off all suitors by telling them that only the one who can string Ulysses' bow will be her king. Disguised, Ulysses takes the bow but he has grown weak so Xena secretly helps him and then insists that he stay with Penelope rather than leave Ithaca to be with her. Xena and Gabrielle become trapped on the ship of Cecrops, the Lost Mariner, who is doomed to sail the seas for eternity. Cecrops has been told by Athena that only love can redeem him but Cecrops misunderstands, believing that this means someone must fall in love with him. When he realises that it is selfless love for another, the curse is broken. Poseidon, who was responsible for the curse is enraged but cannot kill Cecrops because he is immortal. Cecrops' ship is destroyed in Poseidon's whirlpool and he and his men are washed ashore, along with Xena and Gabrielle. It was Poseidon who cursed Cecrops and created Charybdis, the whirlpool, which prevented Cecrops from returning to Tarae's village.

And lest we forget... Bliss steals Cupid's bow and arrows with disastrous results. Xena falls for Draco, causing her to become a bit distracted from her task of saving a group of Hestian virgins from slavery. Meanwhile, Gabrielle falls for Joxer, but when Draco is struck by an arrow and falls for Gabrielle, things get a bit messy. Once Xena has figured out what is going on, she calls on Cupid to put things right but discovers that Joxer is actually in love with Gabrielle! Draco is left in love with Gabrielle to try and persuade him to do good in order to win her love.

and... Joxer is put under a spell which turns him into a dashing hero every time a bell rings. Gabrielle must find a way to break the spell before war breaks out between two kingdoms. Aphrodite is the mother of Cupid (Gr. Eros) and sometimes interferes in his match-making ventures, which infuriates him no end. Although she seems indifferent to mortals, she has mellowed somewhat and appears to care for them more than she is prepared to admit. Perhaps this soft side of her is the result of Hercules' influence and her love for Hephaestus, the smith god.

So, with the Gods having a less than life affirming effect on our duo’s lives they have learned that most of them were untrustworthy and certainly not deserving of worship. Although Ares’ influence on Xena and Gabrielle’s lives is well known, He also unwittingly began the beginning of the end of his own family. In ‘Seeds of Faith’ Ares confronts Eli – a gifted healer who preaches to people the point that mortals don’t need the Gods…. Several people stand speaking against the gods. Other people argue with them, saying the gods will get them and stuff like that. The people talking against the gods say they don't need the gods anymore, and that love conquers all. They are starting to argue when Xena slides her chakram through the crowd to get their attention.

Ares shows up. He looks at Xena's big belly and says she's been busy; who's the father. Xena says Gabrielle got the job as father. Xena says Ares is scared because it is "The Twilight", a time of legend when mankind no longer needs the gods, and thus they lose their power. Angel Callisto looks down, watching the verbal exchange. Ares gets upset with Xena and threatens her and her child.

Xena and Gabrielle find Eli. Xena says the people think Eli is going to lead them in a war against the gods. Eli says that love will win.

Eli and Gabrielle talk. Gabrielle says she thinks she has disappointed Eli. Her heart says Eli is right, but her head says to fight. Gabrielle says Xena is afraid she is becoming numb to the violence, but Gabrielle says she isn't.

Ares appears. Eli wants to know why Ares hasn't killed him yet; does Ares have compassion? Ares tells Eli to walk away or he'll die.

Eli prays. Angel Callisto appears to him. Eli says his place has been among the people. He asks if there is some other way. Callisto says the New World is being built on the foundation of the Old World.

The Gods must fall. Eli is the hammer. He has the strongest faith. He has been chosen. Callisto kisses Eli on the cheek and tells him "We are always with you."

Gabrielle meets Xena as she returns, and they go to Eli. Xena says Ares has an army coming. She can get Eli and his followers out on the southern pass. Eli says he isn't going any where. "Sometimes you have to lose a few to win the war," he says. Xena asks Gabrielle to stay with Eli and make sure nothing happens to him before she gets back.

The army approaches. They have to cross a bridge over a river gorge to get to the town, and Xena blocks the way. On the bridge, she takes on the fighters one at a time, knocking them off the bridge.

Eli preaches his way of love to the masses. Ares appears. Ares talks to the people. Xena keeps fighting on the bridge. Eli says he is leading the people to the truth. Ares pulls a sword. Xena fights. Gabrielle asks Eli to back down. Ares waves his sword and Gabrielle intercepts with her sais; she does this about three times.

Eli tells Gabrielle she can't save his life with violence. He says what is happening is for the greater good. Gabrielle stops Ares one last time. Eli hugs Gabrielle. She turns her back to Eli. Xena keeps fighting men on the bridge. Xena breaks the bridge, flips backward, lands on the town side, trapping the remaining army on the other side of the gorge. Ares stabs Eli in the heart. Eli dies in Gabrielle's arms. Angel Callisto looks on. Gabrielle holds Eli and sobs and screams. Other followers flock around and lament.

Xena comes in and finds the death scene. She goes to Gabrielle. Some woman says that Gabrielle let Ares kill Eli. Xena says Eli wouldn't want a scapegoat. Gabrielle says she believed Eli. Xena asks Gabrielle if she defended Eli.

Gabrielle says "Don't blame me". Xena pushes the "Did you defend Eli?" point. Gabrielle screams "Don't blame me" again. "So Ares is right, the whole future is shaped by warriors!" Gabrielle yells, and rushes off. Alone, she throws her sais against a tree.

Ares appears to Gabrielle. She throws her sais at Ares, who catches them. She yells at Ares. She says she didn't do what she had to do. Ares says it was selfish of Eli to put Gabrielle in that position. Ares says Gabrielle knows that might is right even when it is wrong. He says he can show Gabrielle what it feels like to have power. He makes her glow and shimmer. He says he feels like that all the time. He says Gabrielle could change the world with such power. He leaves. Gabrielle leans against the tree. Xena lights a funeral pyre for Eli. She sings. Gabrielle shows up and watches. Xena sings and cries. Gabrelle, with the smoke from the pyre swirling around her, turns and walks off alone. The pyre burns.

Angel Callisto appears to Xena. She tells Xena to keep Eli's message in her heart. Callisto says Eli will be reincarnated in a new body. Callisto says Ares will cause Gabrielle the real harm, not Eli's message. Xena asks Callisto to take her to the deck of Helios.

Gabrielle, in darkness, talks to Eli's ashes. She says she is standing with Ares for the greater good. Gabrielle asks Eli to have faith in her. She turns and walks off. Xena has to choose her path, Callisto says. Angel Callisto says she has remained in "this realm" to help Xena. Callisto asks if getting the dagger, which kills gods, will honor Eli's memory. Callisto says we are all born of good and evil, and the side we nurture is who we are. She says Eli was sacrificed so people can follow the path of peace. Xena kind of says yeah right, and then tells Callisto to come along and watch, because it's not every day you get to see the Twilight of the Gods.

Ares appears to Eli's followers, and tells them hey, Eli is dead. The people start changing Eli's name. Ares pulls a sword and says he's glad they have strong faith; they will die for it. Gabrielle jumps forward and pulls out her sais. She says peace is worth fighting for, and she decides to fight Ares. They go at it.

Gabrielle disarms Ares, and the sword flies to the ground. Ares starts to beat up people. Gabrielle gets Ares sword. She tries to stab Ares and instead stabs his priest. Ares raises the sword to chop up Gabrielle. The chakram flies in and cuts Ares' sword in half. Gabrielle gets up and runs behind Xena. Xena grabs Ares and holds the dagger to his head. She goes to kill him, but sees Eli's reflection in the knife. She remembers all his preaching and the words of Callisto. She tells Ares she is going to do worse than kill him; she is going to spare his life. She drops the dagger. Ares picks it up and grabs Xena. Xena says if he kills her, it'll make Eli's message that more stronger. She says the twilight is coming and there isn't anything Ares can do. Ares throws the dagger away. He tells Gabrielle he could have given her the world. Gabrielle says he never had it to give away. Xena and Gabrielle hug. Xena apologies to Gabrielle. Xena and Gabrielle hug again.

Angel Eli appears. He says Gabrielle and Xena's faith in each other is the greatest miracle of all. Callisto appears. Eli thanks Gabrielle for listening to her heart. Callisto says it is time for her to be reincarnated. Callisto says Xena will make a great Mom to her. Xena and Callisto exchange pleasantries about forgiving each other and making amends. Callisto is going to be reborn as Xena's child. Callisto touches Xena's belly, and goes on in there. "Love is the way," Eli says.