- Xena arrives home in Amphipolis with Gabrielle and Eve, only to find her home town deserted...and haunted.
- TEASER
In heaven, Michael (Charles Mesure) and Raphael (Tamati Rice) watch Xena, Gabrielle and Eve riding and discuss what awaits Xena in Amphipolis.
Xena (Lucy Lawless) hums "Glade Ma Glade" as she, Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor) and Eve (Adrienne Wilkinson) ride into Amphipolis. Xena looks around to see that Amphipolis is cold, dark and empty.
The three arrive at Cyrene's tavern. It's as run down as the rest of Amphipolis.
The inside of the tavern looks as bad as the outside. It's been abandoned for years. Xena is horrified. Xena goes to look upstairs as Gabrielle goes to check out back.
Xena moves through a hall upstairs. It's covered in leaves and cobwebs and a wind blows through it. Xena hears Cyrene (Darien Takle) scream and sees a shadow on the wall of someone being pulled along. Xena runs down the hall, but when she turns the corner, nothing is there.
Eve carries a candle and has lit most of the others in the room. She moves to a torch and Mephistopheles (Anthony Ray Parker) whispers her Roman name. Eve turns, looking for the source of the voice, but sees no one. She shakes her head and turns back to light the torch. Once it is lit, she turns, and suddenly she sees villagers pulling Cyrene down the stairs. Cyrene is pulled straight through Eve, then the ghosts vanish. Xena and Gabrielle enter. Xena sees that Eve is spooked and asks her if she's all right. Eve tells Xena that Cyrene is dead.
ACT ONE
Gabrielle asks Eve how she knows and Eve replies that she could feel her and that Cyrene is trapped in the house with other souls, because the house is a spiritual crossroad. She also says that Heaven and Hell are taking up sides. Xena leaves to head to the mausoleum.
Inside the mausoleum, Xena moves to Cyrene's sarcophagus to see Cyrene's bones thrown on top and covered in leaves, sticks and rubble. Xena moves to the sarcophagus and begins to remove the rubble and toss aside the sticks in anger. She picks up one of Cyrene's bones which has been charred black. She puts Cyrene's bones into the sarcophagus as she speaks to her mother, promising she will find her and make things right.
In the tavern, Eve and Gabrielle are sitting at a table, a bowl of fruit in front of them, talking about Cyrene. Gabrielle takes a bit from her fruit. Eve looks at the bowl to see the fruit covered in maggots. Eve brings it to her attention. Gabrielle looks at the fruit she just took a bite from to see maggots crawling on it. She drops it and runs out of the room.
Eve carries the bowl of fruit outside and tosses it onto the ground. Lightning flashes and every time it does, the maggots double.
Gabrielle walks to a bowl of water and uses her hands to cup some and drink. She puts the wet hands to her face.
Eve walks over to the maggots and kneels in front of them. She begins to chant, "In the name of Eli and all the powers of Heaven, I command this evil presence to be cast out."
Gabrielle looks at her hands to see maggots crawling out of her skin. She starts tearing into her skin trying to pull them all out. Her hands are bloody as she tears off her skin. Gabrielle holds her hands up to see they are nothing but bone. She has torn off all the skin.
Eve slams her hands to the ground and the maggots vanish.
Gabrielle looks at her hands to see they are back to normal. She shakes her body, repulsed.
Eve looks about, amazed. She then looks at her hands and slowly holds them to her.
At the mausoleum, Xena promised Cyrene she will find out what happened to her. Xena grabs a beggar who had entered the mausoleum. Xena asks him what happened to Cyrene and the beggar informs her that Mephistopheles sent evil spirits to Cyrene's a long time ago and that they drove her insane. The villagers blamed Cyrene for the evil that had affected Amphipolis and burned her at the stake as a witch. He also warns Xena that the evil spirits are still in the tavern.
In the tavern, Gabrielle walls through a hall. She sees a strange symbol on the floor of a screaming face.
Outside, Eve watches in disgust as the stone where the maggots were begins to smoke. When the smoke clears, the same symbol of the screaming face is on the rock.
Xena tries to open the door to the tavern, but it will not open.
Gabrielle hears voices coming from the symbol. She lies down and puts her ear against it. Hands reach out and grab her. She screams.
Xena pounds on the door with a fist.
More hands reach out and grab Gabrielle who screams. The hands pull her into the symbol. Gabrielle lands in green, brackish water, where ghouls (who are rotting corpses) grab at her. She screams.
Xena pounds on the door and Eve opens it. When Eve doesn't know where Gabrielle is, Xena heads off to look for her.
The ghouls pull at Gabrielle. She breaks free long enough to the get to the surface for air. The ghouls grab at her again, trying to pull her back under.
Xena and Eve enter the hall where Gabrielle was pulled into the symbol.
The ghouls try to pull Gabrielle under. Gabrielle calls for Xena. Xena hears Gabrielle. Eve looks about, worried. She moves past Xena and continues down the hall. Xena looks about, determined and then follows Eve. Wind blows the leaves off of the symbol. Gabrielle can be heard yelling from behind it very faintly.
ACT TWO
The ghouls grab at Gabrielle, and say that she is not the messenger. They warn her that she will live all the horrors of hell until the blood of the messenger (Eve) is spilled.
Xena sees the symbol on the floor and kneels down in front of it. Xena can hear Gabrielle yelling from behind it very faintly. Xena slams her hand into the symbol and it passes through to where Gabrielle is. Gabrielle reaches up her hand. Xena reaches farther for Gabrielle. Eve holds onto Xena so she is not pulled in. The ghouls try to grab Gabrielle and pull her under, but Xena has her hand and will not let her go. Gabrielle is pulled up, out of the water. Eve grabs Gabrielle's other hand and she and Xena pull her up. Gabrielle convulses, screaming that it burns. Xena grabs her and leads her away.
Gabrielle is standing under running water and Xena is helping her scrub off the slime. Eve stands off to the side. Xena tells Eve and Gabrielle what the beggar told her. Eve moves to Xena's side and Xena holds her. Gabrielle asks why hes attacking Xena's family and Eve understands that it's about her and moves off. Gabrielle tells Xena that the ghouls want Eve's blood and that this is her battle. Xena replies, "No, if he picks a battle, he's picked it with me. I won't lose my daughter the way I lost my mother."
Xena enters another room in the tavern. Suddenly the body of Lyceus (her brother) is lying on the table, with a vision of Xena from the past standing over him, in her old armour, holding a sword. Cyrene's ghost appears at the head of the table and blames Xena for his death before all three disappear. Xena apologizes.
Eve is kneeling outside. Blood pools in the cracks of the stone walkway. The blood gathers and then begins to drip upward in the air.
Gabrielle showers. She runs her fingers through her hair, but her hands are covered in blood and leave streaks over her head. She can feel the blood and looks at her hands in horror to see them covered in blood. The blood is oozing from small holes in her hand.
Eve watches the blood in horror and sees the symbol of the screaming face in the stone. She watches the blood dripping upward in the air. She is disgusted.
Gabrielle's feet are now bleeding. She has the wounds of being crucified. Gabrielle stumbles, gagging.
Eve repeats her chant from earlier. The blood flow faster, then move towards her like a small river. It fills the symbol full of blood and then a wave of blood crashes over it and heads towards Eve. Eve screams.
Gabrielle has fallen down, hands dripping blood. She raises her head, her eyes golden yellow. Mephistopheles has possessed her.
Eve holds her head in her hands as the blood moves towards her. She is near tears. She continues to chant.
Gabrielle stands, wind blowing through her hair. She licks the blood from her hand.
Xena enters a room in the tavern. Gabrielle/Mephistopheles is crawling naked on the ceiling. She/he laughs and then yells as she/he jumps and lands on Xena. Xena grabs a cloth and rolls on the floor with Gabrielle/Mephistopheles, wrapping the cloth around her/his naked body, while tying her/his hands behind her/his back.
The river of blood moves towards Eve. She slams her hands into the river of blood and it vanishes.
Xena looks at Gabrielle/Mephistopheles who laughs and tells her, "She's with me, Xena." She/he speaks with a double voice, both Mephistopheles and Gabrielles.
Eve stands and runs into the tavern. The ground cracks and a portal to Hell opens.
Gabrielle/Mephistopheles tries to lick Xena's hand, but Xena pulls it away. Xena asks what he wants and he informs her that he wants Eve. Eve enters and kneels next to Xena. Eve touches Gabrielle and begins to force out Mephistopheles. Mephistopheles says thats it's his time to inherit the Earth, and that when Eves blood is spilled, he'll be made fresh. Mephistopheles makes a vision of Cyrene's burning play out before them. The ghost of Cyrene is tied to a stake and burned. Cyrene calls out for Xena as she dies. The vision disappears. Mephistopheles informs Xena that Cyrene will spend eternity in agony if Xena does not spill Eve's blood and bring him into the world.
ACT THREE
Gabrielle/Mephistopheles struggles against Xena and Eve. Eve forces Mephistopheles out of Gabrielle. Xena holds Gabrielle up and Eve unties her. Eve remains kneeling, too tired to stand as Xena picks up Gabrielle and hugs her. Xena orders Gabrielle to leave, but Gabrielle won't go. Eve promises Xena that Mephistopheles can't take Gabrielle again because shes been cleansed. Gabrielle observes that Mephistopheles is afraid of Eve. Eve nods, but she is tired and looks sick.
Eve steps outside, still looking ill. She can hear screams coming from the portal. She shakes her head. She moves to the portal, kneels in front of it and begins to chant again.
Inside. Xena walks along and Gabrielle follows her. Xena is still trying to encourage Gabrielle to leave. She grabs Gabrielle's arm, and suddenly their arms are joined together. They can't pull free. They try again, but are pulled back together and then their legs join. A table comes shooting across the floor at them. They jump over it and then a chandelier falls, which they jump away from. They start to leave, heading for Eve, when a chain wraps around Gabrielle's leg and neck. A dagger comes flying at her, but Xena catches it. Xena draws her sword, cuts Gabrielle free and they run out of the tavern.
Eve is kneeling before the portal, chanting. Xena and Gabrielle enter, still joined together. Eve stumbles over to them and touches their shoulders, chanting. They are freed from each other. Eve falls and Xena and Gabrielle catch her and lower her to the ground. Eve moans and crawls back towards the portal. Eve starts to pray again and Xena stands and moves over to the portal. She stands in front of Eve on the other side of the portal. Eve looks at her, but keeps praying. Mephistopheles speaks to Xena, telling her that Eve is dying, that she can't win this battle. Eve cries out as the skin from her arms crack and chip off. Xena draws her chakram. Mephistopheles tells Xena that he doesn't want Eves life, just a single drop of her blood. Xena moves to Gabrielle and tells her that she's going to take the fight to Mephistopheles. She plans to put the Pinch on herself, but she'll need Gabrielle to take it off in order to bring her back. Xena takes Gabrielle's hand and presses it to her neck, showing her how to undo the Pinch. Xena uses Gabrielle's hand to put the Pinch on herself, then falls into Gabrielle's arms. Wind blows the leaves. Gabrielle lays Xena down and Xena's eyes close.
In Hell, Cyrene moans and enters, covered in blood and holding a bloody ax, crying her for husband. She does not hear or see Xena. Cyrene walks off, crying, then vanishes. Mephistopheles appears behind Xena and they fight.
Eve joins Gabrielle. Gabrielle is worried. Eve leaves to find water, thinking it might help.
In Hell, Xena and Mephistopheles continue to fight. Mephistopheles informs Xena that he can't hurt her in the spirit world because her power to kill gods is on Earth. They keep fighting. Xena promises to kill him if he steps on Earth. Mephistopheles informs her that whoever kills the ruler of Hell must take his place and reign over it. Xena nose starts to bleed. Mephistopheles laughs. Xena refuses to spill Eve's blood. Mephistopheles says that he will try pressuring Eve to do it herself. He laughs and disappears. Xena collapses.
Mephistopheles' face appears, then disappears in a bucket of water. Eve enters. She grabs a smaller bucket and fills it with water from the larger one. She then empties the smaller bucket onto a plate. A severed head falls out. Eve is disgusted. The eyes on the head open and Eve backs up, even more disgusted. The body picks up his head. He recognizes Eve, and informs her that she was the one who cut off his head that she did it for fun. The room starts to fill with Livia's victims, chanting her name.
Outside, Gabrielle tries to take off the Pinch. It doesn't work. She tries again Xena still doesn't wake up.
Eve looks at her victims. She tries to tell them that she isn't Livia. One points to a mirror and Eve's reflection is Livia. Livia steps out of the mirror and all the victims are terrified of her. Livia talks to Eve, telling her they are the same cunning mind, same dark soul, and that they have the same love for power. She tells Eve that they didn't just kill their victims, but also trapped them forever in limbo. Eve says she can't undo that. Livia challenges her to prove it by spilling her blood; that bringing forth Mephistopheles will release them. Eve refuses, insisting she's not Livia. Livia challenges her by asking her why she gets a tingle then when Livia starts to beat up one of the victims. Eve shouts for Livia to stop. Eve jumps into Livia's body. The victims vanish. Eve moans, pulling at the bloody cape as she falls to her knees. She draws the sword to find it covered in blood. Eve is both disgusted and horrified. She tosses it aside. The winds pick up and blow leaves around Eve (still dressed as Livia). Eve begins to sob.
Gabrielle is still trying to undo the Pinch. Gabrielle touches her fingers to her lips and then hits the side of Xena's neck and Xena awakens. Gabrielle hugs her. Xena asks where Eve is.
Eve is curled up on her haunches, slowly rocking back and forth. The vision created by Mephistopheles is over, and she is back in her clothes, not Livia's. Xena and Gabrielle run to her. Xena pulls her to her feet and holds her. Eve says shes going to stop Mephistopheles. Xena picks up a dagger and tells Eve that he already has Cyrenes soul and hes not getting Eve's too. Eve asks how they are supposed to stop him. Xena replies that they will give him exactly what he wants and then walks out with Eve.
ACT FOUR
Xena supports Eve as they walk along. Eve is hardly able to stand. Gabrielle grabs Xena's arm and Xena and Eve stop, while Gabrielle moves in front of them. Gabrielle tells Xena that she cant release Mephistopheles. Xena says she's going to face Mephistopheles and it's the only way to do it. She says that Mephistopheles will not expect her to kill him since it means shell have to take his throne. Gabrielle and Eve are worried, but Xena says they will cross that bridge later, because she will not let Mephistopheles keep tormenting her family. Gabrielle tries to get Eve to take her side in the argument. Eve sides with Xena, saying she'll deliver Mephistopheles into the hands of the only person who can stop him - Xena. She asks Gabrielle to help her. Gabrielle moves to Eve's side. Xena draws her sword. They all step out, Gabrielle supporting Eve.
Voices scream from the portal. The three move to the portal. Eve cuts her hand and a drop of her blood hits the earth. The earth shakes. Gabrielle and Eve step back. Mephistopheles rises from the portal and the blood flows red hot through his veins. Xena and Mephistopheles fight. Mephistopheles taunts Xena, thinking she won't kill him as they fight. Xena stabs him. He screams and explodes. Gabrielle moves to join Xena. Gabrielle points over to Eve. Eve is standing with Cyrene's spirit. Eve and Cyrene share a moment, and then Xena and Gabrielle say good-bye to Cyrene before she disappears.
Gabrielle, Eve and Xena stand at the portal to Hell. Gabrielle wonders what happens now that Xena killed the King of Hell. Xena replies, "I've got a feeling it's not over yet."
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