Death is no obstacle for our girls when trying to be with one another.
With help from their friends and their enemies, both women know what numerous afterlives are like.
Our story opens with Gabrielle waking from a nightmare.
Gabrielle: "Every night I see it happen. Every morning I wish it were a dream."
She has a sarcophagus with Xena's body in it attached to Argo (on a litter). She is taking Xena's body to Amphipolis.
Gabrielle is attacked by some thugs; she beats most of them up and then suddenly Iolaus appears and helps her finish them up. He does not know Xena is dead, and Gabrielle cries.
Iolaus: "I can't believe it."
Gabrielle: "She's gone. She just left me. How could she do that? She just left. I really want to hate her for it."
Iolaus: "No, no you don't."
Gabrielle: "But, I miss her. There are so many things that I wish I could tell her."
Iolaus: "What would you have told her?"
Gabrielle: "I would have told her how empty my life was before she came, and all the lessons I've learned, and that I love her."
Iolaus: "Gabrielle, you just did."
Gabrielle continues her travel; she hears noises and then Amazons falls from the trees. Gabrielle puts her hands up in the Amazon sign for peace, and the Amazons all salute Xena's coffin. Ephiny pulls up her mask and hugs Gabrielle. She tells Gabrielle that Xena should have an Amazon funeral, on a pyre, and that Gabrielle should take her rightful place as Queen of the Amazons.
Queen Melosa is dead, having been challenged and killed by the current ruler, Velasca, who of course must turn the title over to Gabrielle as soon as Gabrielle accepts it. Gabrielle agrees to go to the Amazon camp to at least think things over.
Autolycus: (to bar keep) "Choose the one drink you wouldn't give to your worse enemy and give me a double."
Xena: "Autolycus, settle down. It's Xena. I'm here with you in your body."
Autolycus: "Oh that's ridiculous. Xena's ... dead. What would a dead woman want with me?"
Xena: "I need a favor from the King of Thieves. I want you to steal my dead body from the Amazons."
Autolycus: "Alright, now here are the rules: no messing with my limbs or bodily functions unless I say so, agreed?"
Xena: "Agreed."
Autolycus: "Okay."
Xena: "Now what?"
Autolycus: "Well, Nature's calling. How do you want to handle that?"
He goes to the Amazon village, where Gabrielle has decided to allow the Amazons to give Xena a funeral (with a pyre) and then she will take Xena's ashes to Amphipolis -- and return to rule the Amazons, because Velasca does not like the centaurs and she is a bit power hungry (think Callisto with brown hair).
Gabrielle: "Xena, I'll always love you, but I know I have to let you go. I always thought of you as my home and when you left I ... I felt so lost. Maybe my new home is here."
Gabrielle: (to Ephiny) "Prepare the ceremonial pyre. Xena will have an Amazon funeral. I'll take her ashes to Amphipolis and I'll return ... to rule as Queen."
The Amazons prepare for the funeral, and then Autolycus is caught. He tries to explain to Gabrielle that Xena's spirit is inside him.
At first Gabrielle does not believe him, but when the fire is set, Autolycus suddenly "becomes" Xena, complete with the ability to use the chakram and whistle for Argo. Gabrielle realizes that Xena IS somehow in Autolycus, and climbs on the coffin as they ride away.
Seeing this, Velasca is enraged and rallies the amazons to make her their Queen as Gabrielle has sided with the enemy. Upon ordering Ephiny to send troops out to capture the duo, the regent refuses and the amazons take sides.
Autolycus and Gabrielle stop; they have to go to a specific place (a Helios temple) to find ambrosia so Xena can get her body back. Xena asks Autolycus to let her speak through him; she tells Gabrielle to close her eyes and think of her (Xena).
Gabrielle does, and Xena appears before her. Gabrielle begins to cry; Xena says she's not back completely but she will be.
Gabrielle: "Why? Why did you leave? There are so many things I want to say to you."
Xena: "Gabrielle, you don't have to say a word."
Gabrielle: "Xena, I can't lose you again."
Xena: "Gabrielle, I'll always be here."
Suddenly, Gabrielle is back in the forest clearing with Autolycus. Xena tells the pair to get rid of the casket, Gabrielle and Autolycus send the coffin floating down stream to retrieve later while they go to retrieve the ambrosia.
Unfortunately, they are stopped by Velasca, who throws them in jail and then goes after the ambrosia herself.
Velasca: "You're only alive because of the Ambrosia, you know that."
Autolycus: "I was hoping it was my witty repartee ... (whap!) ... maybe not."
Velasca: "It's not whether you die, it's how you die. Let me tell you something about myself, I like pain. I like what it does to people. I like what it makes people do. And, I'm not bragging, I'm just explaining."
Velasca: "What is that?"
Autolycus: "Oh ... that must be my ... toe nail clippers or ..."
Velasca: "The Dagger of Helios."
Autolycus: "... the Dagger of Helios, one or the other."
Velasca: "I wasn't meant to be Queen, I was meant to be a god!"
As Velasca goes to find the food of the gods, Gabrielle, Autolycus and the rebel Amazons are thrown into jail. Autolycus' are is broken but that doesn't stop the King of Thieves from finding a way out of captivity.
Autolycus and Gabrielle break away from the Amazons holding them.
Ephiny goes to retrieve Xena's body, and Xena takes over Gabrielle's body.
She fights Velasca up on some ropes above a fire and lots of spikes; the ambrosia falls from a hole onto Gabrielle (well, Xena in Gabrielle's body), and then Velasca falls onto the spikes and seemingly dies.
Fearing the Ambrosia has been destroyed Autolycus looks on despondent. However, Gabrielle finds that a bit of ambrosia has fallen into her cleavage, and she puts it into Xena's mouth. After a few seconds Xena "wakes" and Gabrielle pulls her up.
In the forest Xena and Gabrielle with the now-rogue band of Amazons and Autolycus take in all that has transpired this day.
Xena: "Yes?"
Autolycus: "Well, I'm just giving you your chance ... to thank me."
Xena: "I thought I already did, but if you need to hear it again, then thank you for helping to bring me back. If you ever need a favor, it's your's."
Autolycus: "Bringing you back? Oh no no no, I let you experience what it's like to be Autolycus. You were in there. You were controlling my bodily functions. That's not something I do for everyone."
Gabrielle: "Xena, promise me that you'll never die on me again."
Xena: "Oh, I promise."
Gabrielle: "You know, for a few moments I knew what it was like to be you."
Xena: "And?"
Gabrielle: "It was warm, friendly, loving ..."
Xena: "Gabrielle, it was a fight!"
Gabrielle: "I felt protected. The world needs people like that, right?"
Xena: "Right."
After such an emotional journey back from the dead, one has to ask whether they have ever known of a friendship like Xena & Gabrielle’s.
This return to the living for Xena was not for a past love or to conquer a ruthless warlord, but simply and explicitly for the Love of her Gabrielle. From M’Lila’s own words “You have a destiny, Xena. But you have to choose it.” Hearing Gabrielle’s anguished words from beyond the mortal world, the Warrior Princess made a decision to come back for the storyteller who needed her, her best friend, her bard.
By entrusting Autolycus to help her on her quest back to her bard, Xena shows how much she has grown to rely on people again. Gabrielle’s influences on Xena are many but the one that may be the most important is the fact that Xena has learned to love once more. Without this restoration in her heart Xena would have accepted her death and never truly know the depth of her best friends love for her, and in turn would never have realised how deep her own feelings were either.
And as much as she dislikes the Gods, they do come in handy sometimes. Without the Ambrosia, Xena would have remained dead and without the spirit realm – controlled by Hades – there would have been no communication between the land of the living and herself.
But as we know by now, Hades doesn't always have all the answers when it comes to the realm of the dead...
After seeing Gabrielle seemingly fall to her death with her daughter Hope into a lava pit, Xena seeks out Hades once again to attempt to say goodbye to her dear friend. The problem is, although Hades does control the afterlives of all Greeks, if a person becomes a part of a tribe or spiritual group during their life then the final spiritual resting-place is changed.
The Spiritual Realm is the transitive plane of the Amazon culture. Though bleak, it isn’t evil in itself. Rather, it is surprisingly comfortable considering it lies on the edge of the worlds.
Spiritual Realm Inhabitants
The souls of the dead pass through here via the Land of the Dead, and for various reasons some of these remain in the Spiritual Realm for shorter or longer periods. A few seek to return to the Known World in order to fulfil some important task, others are contained by evil forces. Then there are travellers, the spirit forms of shamanesses and their companions.
One thing you don’t find here is gods. Conceivably, a god might travel here for personal reasons, but this is a primeval realm, shaped by the naked forces of life and death, untouched by the ambitions of gods.
As mentioned above, there is no indigenous life, no fauna, no flora, no nutrition in what counts as soil.
Movement And Combat
With subjective directional gravity, visitors can effectively fly. Another aspect is that most visitors are unarmed. The ritual of crossing over doesn’t allow non-magical weapons to be transported. Shamanesses usually rely on their magic in any event.
As noted in the Player’s Handbook, a soul departs the body when it reaches -10 hp. The time difference is of importance here. In effect, a dying person has 9 rounds to act in the Spiritual Realm before she dies. This can be a factor if you are fighting an enemy with access to the Spiritual Realm.
Instant death through massive damage doesn’t allow these 9 rounds.
Features Of The Spiritual Realm
Land of the Dead
This mountainous area has normal gravity. The dead of the Amazon culture come here, but usually don’t stay long. Next to this area, and clearly visible, is the Gate to Eternity. But in order to cross the border to the volcano, the dead must speak a holy word of power. If the word is forgotten, or somehow bereft of its strength, the dead souls must wait in the Land of the Dead until someone can tell them the word they need.
Gate to Eternity
Here too is the gravity normal. This is a white volcano that can only be entered by someone speaking a holy word of power. In its heart is the gate to Heaven. Those who successfully traverse the gate ends up in the Golden Mountain in Heaven.
Amazon Burial Grounds
This place is so charged with spiritual power that it exists both in the Known World and in the Spiritual Realm. A change in the environment of one plane causes a like change in the other. If you fell a tree in one place, it falls in the other as well.
Here birches and other trees grow high and the grass is green. Those Amazons who have been properly buried on these burial grounds in the Known World comes to its counterpart here first. Signs have been placed here on stones and poles to show the recent dead the way to the Land of the Dead, and remind them of the holy word.
As it turned out, Gabrielle didn't die from her fall into the lavapit thanks to the efforts of the God of War. Unfortunately for the bard and warrior though, Alti the evil shamaness showed Xena a vision of their future. For most of the year Xena tried to shelter her companion from the vision but another conflict with Alti left Gabrielle knowing her fate and with a new haircut to boot!
Refusing to believe the glimpse into the future was written in stone, Gabrielle began her life anew by living the Way of Love and Xena continued her Way of the Warrior.
"We make our own destiny"
By choosing to ignore the vision and live their lives as close to normal as they can, the duo head closer and closer toward said destiny and once again toward an enemy who knows all about destiny....
Callisto exists in oblivion, a very hellish place full of insanity and visions.
Gabrielle: "Who's suffering now, Callisto?"
Xena: "You thought you were getting Oblivion. This place makes Tartarus look like a day at the beach. How long ya in for? Eternity?
That's gotta smart."
Dead Weirdo: "I'm doomed to be obsessed for an Eternity with a woman who despises me. What a nightmare."
Callisto: "No kidding."
Dead Weirdo: "You'd think that after what I told Him about you that you would give me more respect."
Callisto: "Him? ... you mean Him."
Dead Weirdo: "He's come to trust me. I have His ear from time to time. I told Him your desire."
Callisto: "You mean He's going to let me go back?"
Dead Weirdo: "Well, He shares with you an interest in Xena. She's someone He thought He had in His grasp, but now He's not so sure."
Callisto: "You mean to tell me those stupid, meddling missions she goes on are going to end her up in Paradise?!"
Dead Weirdo: "Probably not Paradise. Most likely she'll be born higher up the Karmic ladder."
Callisto: "You tell Him if He wants her here, I'm the woman for that job."
Dead Weirdo: "You know the man they call Caesar ..."
Cut to Caesar in bed, having a wild fuck with Xena, who pulls a knife on him, and then Caesar wakes up in a sweat.
Callisto: "That Xena can really mess up a dream, can't she?"
Callisto: "I know everything about your life, Caesar. What it's been. What it can be. I'm here to help you get everything you desire. It's through me that you finally fulfill your Destiny. I can give you ultimate power and free you from your greatest torment."
Caesar: "Xena."
Callisto: "Yes, Xena. I can't tell you how much we have in common that way."
Xena, Gabrielle and Amarice are at a dock, seeking passage to Athens so Gabrielle can find Eli the peace man.
Amarice isn't very happy about this...
Amarice: "Let me guess, this Eli guy , he's the one that taught you all this love-your-enemy-stuff."
Xena: "That's right."
Amarice: "Xena, why do we have to go see a preacher when there are battles to fight and butts to kick?"
Xena: "Because, whatever Gabrielle wants, Gabrielle gets."
Suddenly a spear hurls at Xena. She catches it, and she and Amarice do lots of fighting. Amarice is about to die when Gabrielle throws a rope around the thug's legs, throwing him down and saving the amazon girl. Xena learns, via the Xena Touch, that Caesar has put 6 million dinars on her head.
Xena: "So, it's come to this. Caesar wants me out of the way so bad he's willing to deplete his fortune to do it. I think it's time I put an end to this feud between Caesar and me."
Amarice: "You're not gonna try to make peace with that slime, are you?"
Xena: "No, I'm going to kill him."
Xena: "Gabrielle, I can't take you, not after the ‘vision'."
Amarice: "What ‘vision'?"
Xena: "I had a vision once that Gabrielle and I would die at the hands of Romans. It's bad enough that we can run into Romans anywhere, but if you and I were to go to Rome ..."
Gabrielle: "Okay ... Well, what if I ask you not to do this?"
Xena: "Gabrielle, he's an Evil man and he's trying to kill me. I have to take him out, or die trying. It's the Way of the Warrior."
Amarice: "Was I in the ‘vision'?"
Xena: "No."
Amarice: "Then I should go with you."
Xena: "Amarice, you're staying here with Gabrielle."
Amarice: "As her bodyguard?"
Xena: "As her friend. You could learn something if you listen to her once in a while."
Xena: "Promise me you wont follow me."
Gabrielle: "I promise ... Xena, be careful."
Meanwhile in Rome, several men have tried to claim the bounty on Xena’s head with one man even presenting a head in a bad to Caesar. Unfortunately for the man it is the head of a man and Caesar promptly throws him out.
Caesar: "I did as you said. So far, I've had eight imposters try to claim the award. Xena will defeat any mercenary who attacks her."
Callisto: "Of course, the reward was just to get her attention. She will come to you. You will need to be ready."
Callisto: "I suggest you just have one more card to play."
Back in Greece, Gabrielle and Amarice find Eli. A man is pleading Eli to heal his son. Slowly Eli musters his courage to try, and amazingly another miracle happens as the former street magician heals the boy. Looking up from the adoring crowd he spots Gabrielle. Making his way over, he greets Gabrielle.
Eli: "Where's Xena?"
Gabrielle: "She ... um ... had some work to do."
Gabrielle: "This is my friend, Amarice."
Eli: "Hello, Amarice."
Amarice: "If someone threatened your mother, would you fight to defend her?"
Gabrielle: "Amarice and I have some philosophical differences."
A short while later, sitting amongst Eli’s followers, Gabrielle asks Eli to teach her to heal. Eli tells her she must be filled
with love to do that.
Eli: "All I can do is try and teach you how to love. But, if you love with all your heart and soul, if you become Love itself,
then you can heal."
Eli: "Selfless, pure Love is the only divine perfection we have in this world. It is the greatest power one can possess."
Amarice: "Oh C'mon, the only real power is at the end of a sword ... (enter a few dozen Roman swords) ..."
Eli: "... and if the other side has more swords?"
Amarice: "If you can love your way out of this one, be my guest."
While they talk, Amarice hears something and gets up to investigate. Suddenly they are surrounded by Roman soldiers.
Gabrielle: "Brutus."
Brutus: "Hello, Gabrielle."
Gabrielle: "You're doing Caesar's bidding again?"
Brutus: "Caesar believes Xena is trying to kill him. He has to protect himself."
Gabrielle: "With me."
Brutus: "You'll be taken as hostages against Xena killing Caesar. Caesar's promised me no one will be hurt."
Gabrielle: "And you believe him?"
Brutus: "Our friends are at war Gabrielle. I'm sorry that this brings us into conflict, but it's inevitable."
Gabrielle: "Of course it is."
With that, Brutus leads the group - as hostages - to Rome.
In Rome, Caesar walks into his quarters as he does he passes two guards. One is unconscious and the other is Xena dressed as a Roman soldier, and she can see Caesar at his desk.
Xena: "Let's make this short and sweet."
She watches a while, then throws the chakram at Caesar's throat.
Much to Xena’s surprise and chagrin, Callisto catches it and keeps it.
Callisto: "Brings back memories, doesn't it, Xena?"
Making a hasty retreat Xena fights the guards and jumps out the window.
Outside Callisto appears to Xena.
Callisto: "My, that was a shocker now, wasn't it?"
Running at her foe, Xena attacks wildly with some of her best moves and most vicious sword swipes. Callisto however, stands calmly and deflects the sword with her finger.
Callisto: "Don't bother, you've already done all the damage you can to me. Thanks, by the way."
Xena: "For what?"
Callisto: "I wanted to leave this existence and you did your best to help. But, as you can see, it didn't take. They wouldn't let me off the hook that easy."
Xena: "Who's They?"
Callisto: "I don't know, whoever it is who does the final judging. They sent me to a place that makes Tartarus look like the Elysian Fields. They call it Hell."
Xena: "Couldn't have happened to a nicer gal."
Callisto: "The one who runs things down where I'm from is very interested in what happens in this life. He figures Caesar will be useful to Him, and of course, He also figures you might be an obstacle."
Xena: "Then He figures right, and I won't be the only one. Plenty of people will oppose Caesar becoming emperor."
Xena: "I'm guessing that he'll announce it when the Senate reconvenes on the Ides of March."
Callisto: "Oh my, aren't you the clever girl."
Callisto: "But, it's you, my darling, it's you that I'm worried about. I'm here to make you an offer."
Xena: "Forget it."
Callisto: "Afraid you'll be tempted?"
Xena: "Yeah, that's right."
Callisto: "I'll give you a little hint, Gabrielle's in Roman hands as we speak."
Callisto: "My Lord gave me a thorough briefing on what has happened to you and Gabrielle since the last time we met. I know everything about India and Eli. Ah, so you're not the only clever girl now, Xena, are you? Gabrielle is on her way to a Roman prison in the Apennines as we speak. So, about my offer ..."
Xena: "Get lost."
Callisto: "Oh, but I'm not going anywhere, Xena."
Xena rides like the wind.
Amarice tries to fight her way out of the prison, but she gets conked in the head. Gabrielle flings herself over her prostrate body, and Brutus stops the soldiers from killing Gabrielle and Amarice. Gabrielle and Brutus discuss the crosses.
Brutus: "Get up."
Gabrielle: "Not until you pardon her (Amarice) for what she did."
Brutus: "She attacked one of my men."
Gabrielle: "And I remember a time when mercy was shown to you."
Brutus: "... (to guards) put down your swords."
Gabrielle: "You don't really think those crosses are for a boat load of pirates, do you?"
Brutus: "Caesar's never lied to me."
Gabrielle: "There's a first time for everything."
Xena rides like the wind.
Away from the prison, Brutus steps away from his men to pee. Xena steps out and talks to him.
Xena: "I have a deal for you. You tell me where my friend Gabrielle is and I will give you some information that will save your stinking life."
Xena: "Beware the Ides of March."
Brutus: "Why the Ides of March?"
Xena: "Because on that day Caesar will declare himself Emperor."
Brutus: "I don't believe you. Why would he do that?"
Xena: "Greed. A lust for power. An ego the size of the Aegean. Of course, he plans to rid himself of anyone who would stand in his way."
Brutus: "What are you saying?"
Xena: "He's too smart to kill you in Rome. You have much too much support there. But, I have first hand knowledge that he has been talking to assassins in Gaul. So, your turn ... C'mon, Brutus, Gabrielle saved your life once, give me a chance to save hers."
Brutus: "... I put her in a prison compound at the foot of Mt. Amaro."
Brutus: "I don't believe what you said about Caesar."
Xena: "It's your funeral."
Xena: "Brutus, was it snowing on Mt. Amaro?"
Brutus: "Yes, it was snowing when I left."
Xena rides like the wind.
Gabrielle: "I did it."
Amarice: "Did what? You two are sitting there a couple of bumps on a log. What could you have done?"
Eli: "She did nothing."
Gabrielle: "That's right, I did nothing."
Amarice: "We're going to be nailed to crosses in the morning and you two are bragging about doing nothing?"
Eli: "You do not understand, Amarice. In order to become a perfect vessel for Love one has to cease all activity, not only physical, but mental as well. It's only when you have reached that state of emptiness that you are ready at last to be filled with Love."
Amarice: "Just in time, too. You'll be ready to love the people who crucify us."
Callisto: "I just keep coming back. In that way, I'm more dependable than your chakram. My Lord sees everything, Xena, and you don't have to go through with this. I can arrange it for you and Gabrielle and all her peaceful little friends to just walk out of here, and no one gets hurt ... and you and Gabrielle can live happily ever after."
Xena: "What's the catch?"
Callisto: "Well, there is one little thing. You have to drop your sword and join Gabrielle in fulfilling a life of loving kindness."
Xena: "I'm still not interested."
Callisto: "I'm offering you complete serenity."
Xena: "Go on."
Callisto: "There's a reason you can't allow you and your partner peace ... it's your guilt. It motivates everything you do. It torments you. Invite me into your soul and I can purge you of that guilt. I can cleanse you of that shame that drives you. I can give you peace if you let me. What's it going to be, Xena? Serenity and happiness, or another ride in that (‘meat') wagon your friend, Gabrielle?
Think of your ‘vision'."
Xena: "You're trying to tempt me from my Way by offering me Peace."
Callisto: "In a nutshell."
Xena: "That guilt you're depending on, I put it all behind me. You see, I know now what I have to do. I have to be the best warrior that I can be. To redeem myself, I have to fight Evil with a sword, and that's what I'm going to do ... no matter what the consequences."
Caesar: "You deposited our little friend in a safe place, I trust."
Brutus: "Yes."
Caesar: "Perfect."
Brutus: "Caesar, they were building crosses when I was there."
Caesar: "Of course, you can't have a crucifixion without crosses, Brutus."
Brutus: "You're crucifying Gabrielle?"
Caesar: "All of them."
Brutus: "You told me she would be safe. You were only going to use her as a distraction."
Caesar: "Well, what would distract Xena more than her best friend's execution, hm?"
Caesar: "Tomorrow on the Ides of March, the very day when I need Xena distracted most ..."
Brutus: "What happens on the Ides of March?"
Caesar: "I'm going to make an announcement, Brutus, an announcement that will change history."
Caesar: "In a few days, I want you to take command of one of those legions, the 13th if you like, and march them to Gaul."
Brutus: "Why Gaul?"
Caesar: "I can't tell you that right now, Brutus, but ... trust me."
Callisto tries to talk to Xena again while the Warrior Princess sneaks into the prison.
Callisto: "Alright, let's keep it simple. I keep the ‘vision' from coming true and you leave Caesar alone ...
(Xena pretty much ignores her.)
okay, Xena, you had your chance."
Callisto lets out a Xena yell, alerting the soldiers. Xena opens the jail door and hugs Gabrielle.
Xena: "Listen, that ‘vision' is not going to happen, alright?"
Everyone runs away. Xena and Amarice fight soldiers while Gabrielle ushers the people out of the prison. Callisto watches. It looks like Xena's mopped everyone up when Callisto throws Xena's chakram. The chakram hits Xena in the back and breaks in two. Xena falls to the ground as Gabrielle watches.
A soldier moves to attack the fallen warrior. Gabrielle grabs a spear and throws it through the soldier, killing him. She grabs a sword and starts whacking away, and she kills a lot of soldiers defending Xena.
Gabrielle: "C'mon, let's go! ... Get up!"
Xena: "I can't, Gabrielle ... it's my spine ... I can't move ..."
She keeps calling for Xena to go, but Xena is paralyzed from where the chakram apparently severed her spine. She cries out for Gabrielle to stop. Gabrielle puts a dagger in somebody and pauses when she sees the knife in her own hand, dripping blood, and other soldiers come and surround the two women.
Later... Xena, her face battered, awakes and looks up at Gabrielle, who holds her, and tells Gabrielle not to cry. Gabrielle kisses Xena.
Eli and the others run. Amarice looks back. Brutus talks to his friends.
Xena: "I made you leave the Way of Love. That was my fault."
Gabrielle: "I had a choice to do nothing, or to save my friend. I chose the way of Friendship."
Xena: "I'm sorry for all the times I didn't treat you right."
Gabrielle: "Xena, you brought out the best in me. Before I met you, no one saw me for who I was. I felt invisible. But, you saw all the things that I could be. You saved me, Xena."
Xena: "I wish ..."
Gabrielle: "... what?"
Xena: "... that I had read your scrolls just once."
Gabrielle: "You would have liked them."
Xena: "I know."
Meanwhile, Caesar prepares to make a historic announcement as Brutus rallies his allies.
Xena, being dragged, and Gabrielle are taken to the crosses. Callisto watches. As Xena and Gabrielle are being tied to the crosses, we see scenes with Caesar announcing his new title and a change in government.
Callisto: "Don't give me that confident look. You're about to die like a slave and drag your friend with you, and it's alright by me."
Xena: "Your Lord might not feel the same way. He sent you on a mission, didn't He?"
Callisto: "Making Caesar dictator was His main concern, and while he's ruling, making him an agent of my Lord will easy. So, while you lie here helpless, he's declaring himself Emperor."
Caesar: "Good Senators, true patriots of Rome, your attention, please. I have as important announcement to make ... To quell civil unrest I have decided to make an important change to our government ..."
Xena: "Gabrielle, you are the best thing in my life."
Gabrielle: "I love you, Xena."
The nails are pounded into their bodies.
Caesar: "... and I supply the leadership so desperately needed ... On this day, the 15th of March, I declare myself ...
The men by Caesar all take knives from their togas and stab him repeatedly.
... and you, Brutus?!"
Brutus goes to Caesar and makes the final, fatal stab wound.
Xena and Gabrielle hang on their crosses, side by side, in the snow. Xena's spirit leaves her body. She calls for Gabrielle, and her spirit comes out. They clutch hands and both are absorbed by a brilliant white light.
