Xena: Warrior Princess s03e13 Episode Script

Terrific.
Now can we head for Thessaly before you hurt yourself? No, no, no.
No, wait.
You see, I've worked out the mechanics.
The speed, trajectory, and finally, the arc of the spin.
Good.
What's the point? Your flip.
Basically, I've broken it down into it's relatively simple steps.
What foot do I start on? Don't confuse me.
This time no staff.
Watch.
Gabrielle.
Before I tried the flip without the staff, I made 300 attempts with it.
Slow learner, huh, Xena? I had that problem with basket weaving.
It's the right foot, but I'd rather you didn't.
It's not like it's gonna kill me.
Let me try it one time.
Okay? That's all I need.
One time.
Wrong foot.
I'm telling you, my ankle is fine.
Come on.
Let me take a look at it.
Don't let pride get in the way.
You tried something and you failed.
It happens.
It's nothing serious, Xena.
[ Yells .]
Good thing it's nothing serious.
[ Groaning, Gasping .]
That doesn't hurt.
Already too swollen, huh? I'll walk it off.
I'm not gonna tell you that you shouldn't have tried that flip.
You'll work it in.
Gabrielle, look out! Hit the deck! - Why did you do that? - A new theory I'm testing for sprains.
Elevation and ice-cold water.
Yeah, well, I'm not very thirsty.
Sit down.
Now you owe me a nice pair of boots.
Yeah.
You, there.
Run for your lives.
Why? What's going on? A huge army.
It landed two nights ago.
And a fleet of tall ships, foreign.
Laid waste to our troops in Marathon.
They're headed this way.
On a forced march for Athens.
Tall ships? Three masts? Yes.
A double row of oarsmen.
That's right.
Persians.
Have you fought these guys before? Gabrielle, over that mountain is the most ruthless army ever to take up weapons.
If they reach Athens, Greece is lost.
What are we going to do? Stop them.
[ Man Narrating .]
In a time of ancient gods -- [ Xena Yells .]
warlords and kings, a land in turmoil cried out for a hero.
She was Xena, a mighty princess forged in the heat of battle.
The power.
The passion.
-The danger.
- [ Kiaiing .]
Her courage will change the world.
The Spartans were fighting at Marathon alongside the Greeks? - That's a first.
- Unfortunately, they were slaughtered.
They fought bravely, but they were so outnumbered they never had a chance.
Persians will swarm through this land like man-eating locusts.
We'd better move quickly.
I've never seen such an attack.
The sky was so thick with arrows, you couldn't see the sun.
Someone had better warn the Athenians.
Phidippides, can you run on to Athens and tell them about Marathon? - Yes.
- Good.
Pace yourself.
In this heat, a run like that could kill you.
We'll try to slow them up.
Stopping an army.
Is that something you try about 300 times before you actually do it? Keep that foot elevated.
Go on, say it.
We'd move a lot faster if I hadn't tried that.
- Tried what? - The flip.
- [ Sighs .]
The pass.
- The pass? - The pass at Thermopylae, that's the answer.
- What's the question? That's the shortest route from Marathon.
The Persians have to go through there.
- So it's the best place to stop them.
- Two against an army? No, an army against a landslide that we cause, thereby sealing it off.
Of course.
Look, Xena.
I'm slowing you down.
Why don't you go ahead, create the landslide? I'll wait here.
No.
Persian advance scouts travel ahead of the infantry.
They would find you.
Stupid ankle.
If only I hadn't tried that.
Well, if that is the worst thing that happens today, I'll be thrilled.
Xena, what about that thing that you did in China? You know? That power that you had that could destroy an entire army.
I wish I could still call it up, but that took a purity of essence that -- Well, it's gone now.
Has it occurred to you that, well, maybe the landslide will only delay them? I mean, what if the Persians just go around the mountain and continue on to Athens? - Then we'll have them exactly where we want them.
- Where? Tripolis.
I used to keep a secret armory in the area.
If we're lucky, the weapons will still be there.
We'll be ready for them.
We? As in you and me? The two of us? As in you, me and the Tripolis militia.
Oh, that we.
[ Yells .]
Give up the horse.
Or the last thing you see will be your heart in my hand.
I don't give up my heart to just anyone.
You've been following us for the last half an hour.
All that time for this move? Help her down or I will.
All right.
I can see you're obviously pressed for time.
- [ Kiaiing .]
- Right foot first.
He's a Spartan from his clothes.
At least he stole them from some real warrior.
I am a Spartan.
I fought at Marathon.
When my commander saw we were losing, he sent me to find a fall-back position.
Unfortunately, my horse came up lame and I had to kill him.
Don't get any ideas.
I wanted your horse to finish my mission and get this treated.
It's pretty bad.
It's only a flesh wound.
I can dress it.
Did you get that running from battle? Spartans don't run.
Oh, I know.
They fight to the death.
Not a nick on it.
You're a deserter, aren't you? N-N-No.
I swear on my father's life.
Oh, a coward and a liar.
Your father must be proud.
All right, all right.
I admit it.
I ran.
I abandoned my people to slaughter.
I'm a disgrace to my homeland.
Everybody feels fear.
But we don't all run.
If we did, there'd be no home left to run to.
I'm offering you a chance to redeem yourself.
Join us.
Join you? [ Chuckles .]
Against that army? What good can the three of us possibly do? Xena has a plan to stop them.
You do? Yeah.
And you'll fit into it nicely.
What village in Sparta are you from, Dorian? Mizoa, the most beautiful village in the Peloponnese.
Oh, yeah.
That's famous for that waterfall.
Seventy feet high.
Yes.
And I pray that I one day see that waterfall again.
And my wife and son Zacheris.
I wonder what he'll think of me when he discovers his father is a coward.
You can change.
He doesn't have to know about the one time you failed.
What if I fail again? Quickly, the enemy.
Xena, you still haven't told me your plans to stop the Persians.
Oh, haven't I? Hey.
I want you to take Gabrielle into the woods and keep her there, all right? What is it? Did you see something? Sunlight glinting on steel up ahead.
It's the advance party I've been expecting.
I can still fight.
Don't argue with me.
I'll explain later.
Go on.
Get out of here.
Get ready for a fight, Spartan.
[ Men Yelling .]
[ Yells .]
[ Kiaiing .]
[ Man .]
Get her! Dorian.
Dorian, snap out of it! Dorian, fight or take refuge.
Come on.
Come on.
- Gabrielle! - Gabrielle.
This is my fault, my fault.
Go and do something useful.
Make a fire.
[ Gabrielle Groans .]
It's not -- It's not that bad.
Gabrielle, this is going to be painful.
[ Shouts .]
[ Groans .]
That's enough.
Not nearly.
[ Screams .]
I hardly felt a thing.
[ Sniffing .]
What is it? Poison.
Ready? [ Screams .]
[ Groans .]
Will it get the poison out? No.
It's already moving through her system.
Why did you come back for me? I wanted you to see that waterfall.
And your son Zacheris.
I'm sorry I froze.
I guess I came up short again, huh? Can we still execute your plan? Don't you worry about my plan.
Dorian's right to be concerned, Xena.
Why don't you leave me and go on ahead? The advance scouts travel a day ahead of the main force, so we still have time.
Be honest with me, Xena.
How bad is this poison? It didn't hit a main artery.
This poultice will delay the effect until we can get to Tripolis and treat it with a serum.
By tomorrow you'll be trying those flips again with a staff.
If she dies-- She won't.
If she dies, I'm sure you'll hate me for freezing up like that.
You'll blame me for the rest of your life.
How I feel doesn't matter.
You're the one who has to live with yourself.
After today, I'll never see you again one way or the other.
But with Gabrielle hurt, doesn't this change your plans? Yes! Yes, it does.
Look.
I need you to come through for me now more than ever.
With Gabrielle injured, we're moving too slowly.
- I need you to run ahead to Tripolis.
- Anything, anything at all.
I need you to tell the head of the militia to get his men ready to meet me.
There's been a landslide at the pass at Thermopylae -- The pass is blocked? Then there's hope.
You didn't tell me that.
Well, you'd better get moving.
It's risky.
There may be more Persian scouts ahead.
Thanks for giving me another chance.
I'll see you later with help.
This time no amount of fear will stop me from doing my duty.
Make your son proud.
Be careful.
Okay.
I think you might have changed him.
I don't understand.
There's no landslide at the pass.
And there's no waterfall at Mizoa.
- [ Sighs .]
What? - Spartans from the age of eight carry around a wooden stick.
They're constantly squeezing it between their hands to harden them.
When I helped him up this morning, I noticed there were only a few calluses on his sword hand.
- He's no Spartan.
- Then where is he from? - Persia.
He's a spy.
- But he has a wound.
One of his fellow Persians gave him that to make his story more convincing.
Right now he's rushing back to tell them there's been a landslide.
So that we don't have to do it.
- The army will be diverted anyway.
- Right into us and the militia.
Now let's get you to Tripolis and get you treated.
What is this place? Tripolis, or what's left of it.
[ Coughs .]
Everybody's fled.
The militia razed their own town.
They didn't want to leave anything behind for the Persians.
There.
It's the physician's hut.
Stay here.
The serum.
No militia.
You know, Xena, they say that bad things come in threes.
How about that armory, huh? We're not staying here.
We're moving on to Thessaly after all.
- They'll have medicine there.
- Now just wait.
We can take the back roads.
But your plan-- Dorian would have told the Persians about Thermopylae.
[ Coughs .]
That means that they'll be heading here.
And you've promised the people that you'll slow them down.
So let's take care of that first.
No.
First the serum.
We can get back in time-- Xena, we can't make it back in time to slow down the Persians.
And if we can't stop them while the Athenians are moving up, then Athens is going to fall.
How long do I have? Well, we'll just have to stand and fight now, won't we? Tomorrow we'll go to Thessaly.
It's a chance that we have to take.
[ Horses Galloping .]
Horses.
Persian cavalry.
It's the advance party.
Come on.
Here.
Sit down.
Xena, aren't we going to the armory? Yep.
We just got there.
We bought ourselves some time with that shortcut.
Not too shabby for three years.
I hid these here in case I ever had another army.
I didn't think I would need them again.
I didn't know that I qualified as an army.
Okay.
Xena.
In case this poison starts spreading faster, -I do have a last request.
-You can tell me about it later, years from now, when we're old and gray.
Oh, that's funny.
Really, after you've slowed down the Persians, if I can't make it, I want you to save yourself.
I don't want to be a burden to you.
I can't promise that.
We're all gonna die eventually.
Not today.
Look, Gabrielle.
I know it's bad, but we've survived worse, right? Right? [ Gabrielle Coughing .]
Are you all right? What are you doing sitting up? [ Continues Coughing .]
I was just uncomfortable on my back.
The Persians are out there, aren't they? Yes.
How many campfires? Thirty or forty.
Ten men or so per fire.
That's good.
For a minute there, I thought we were in trouble.
[ Coughing .]
At least we have the element of surprise in our favor.
It's the main cavalry.
Their best warriors.
Well, we only have to delay them, right? Just bloody their noses.
You just let me worry about their noses.
I'm gonna find someplace to hide you until after the battle.
[ Coughs .]
I guess I'm gonna miss out on all the fun, huh? It's occurred to me that this is just a clever diversion to make me forget about my boots.
[ Coughing .]
[ Coughing .]
My chest feels so h-heavy.
- What? - Blood.
The arrow must've grazed your lung.
The poison-- I just ran out of time, didn't I? That doesn't look like a weapon.
It's not.
It's a litter.
I'm putting you on it and getting you out of here.
Why? Did the Persians pull back? Xena, you can't do this.
You can't leave, not if they're still out there.
You're the only one.
Gabrielle, quiet.
Look.
I know what you're doing.
You can't.
If you don't hold them up -- I am not going to let you die.
[ Coughs .]
I can still get you to Thessaly and the antidote.
And then what? What happens to Athens? What's my life worth then? - First things first.
- The first thing is the greater good.
You taught me that.
You taught me that there are things in life worth dying for.
Things that hold a higher meaning than our own existence.
Not your existence.
- Why? 'Cause I'm your friend? - Yes.
Well, then, honor my memory.
We both know that I'm right.
This is right.
Xena, promise me.
Promise me that you will not leave this battle because of me.
[ Man Chanting .]
Help me.
Hey, hey.
I'm here.
Xena.
Yes? You've gotta take me with you.
Teach me everything you know.
You can't leave me here in Poteidaia.
I want to go with you.
I've studied the stars, spoken with philosophers, and I have the gift of prophecy.
I can be very valuable to you.
Take me with you.
I want so much to be like you.
I want to be like you.
[ Whooshing .]
[ Men Yelling .]
[ Yelling .]
[ Man .]
Kill her! Xena! Xena.
We're leaving.
I thought that we agreed.
I changed my mind.
There's no other way.
There's got to be another way.
I'm going to get us out of this.
It's too late for me.
I don't accept defeat.
There are always choices.
I'm done paying for my past mistakes.
- My responsibility now is you.
- Don't.
- Don't argue with me now.
-Don't you argue with me.
[ Sighs .]
I know that I am going to die.
I accept that.
Why can't you? A long time ago, I accepted the consequences of our life together, that it might one day come to this.
It has.
I'm not afraid.
You've always said that I was the brave one.
Look at you now.
If this is to be our destiny, let's see it out together.
Even in death, Gabrielle, I will never leave you.
Hey.
I want you to run away from here.
You run as far as you can.
Don't you stop for any stallions.
[ Whinnies .]
[ Whinnies .]
Go on! You do as I say! Go! Gabrielle.
I'm still here.
I think-- Strange.
I seem to have moved beyond the pain.
Here.
I have a poultice ready for you.
No, please, don't.
Don't bother with that.
I can't fight.
I can't be of any help to you, so please.
I'm just distracting you.
But you're my source, Gabrielle.
When I reach down inside myself and do things that I'm not capable of, it's because of you.
Don't you know that by now? Let's just see this one through together, all right? Here we go.
[ Groans, Coughing .]
Okay, here we go.
- Now I have a better view.
- I'm gonna put the boiling oil over by the ladder.
The minute they start up, you tip it.
Just push it on them.
You'll be down there.
If they're coming up the ladder, then it means they got past me.
If they got past me, well-- - Watch out for a man with a double-edged sword.
- What? I had a dream.
And he came through the roof.
Just be careful.
Always looking out for me, huh? Always.
Xena.
About China, I hope you know I never meant to hurt you.
I only did what I thought was right.
Gabrielle, that's all in the past.
All I want is to be with you right now.
You're my best friend, my family.
I love you, Gabrielle.
I love you, Xena.
Until the other side then.
We'll be together.
Until then.
[ Horse Whinnies .]
They're coming.
[ Horses Galloping, Whinnying .]
[ Yelling .]
[ Kiaiing .]
[ Man .]
Archers, fire! [ Yelling .]
[ Screaming .]
[ Yelling .]
Xe-- [ Kiaiing .]
[ Cracking .]
[ Xena .]
Gabrielle, do it! [ Xena .]
Gabrielle, now! [ Screaming .]
[ Both Yelling .]
[ Yells .]
Told you I'd be back with help.
[ All Groaning .]
- [ Kiaiing .]
- [ All Grunting .]
[ Sniffs .]
[ Screaming .]
Poison, just like Gabrielle.
I'm going to let you die quicker, but with much more pain.
That's right.
Crawl.
Crawl for your stinking life! [ Xena .]
Down! Down! [ Yells .]
You feeling better now that you found your medicine? [ Exhales .]
Go home.
There are thousands more like me.
- [ Murmuring .]
-[ Man .]
Come on, back to the horses.
Gabrielle, I have the antidote.
[ Man Yelling .]
Hey, Gabrielle.
Hey.
Hey, can you hear me? - Are we dead? - No.
No.
Here, drink this.
[ Coughs .]
I thought you said those guys were tough.
Must have caught them on an off day.
You're hurt.
No, I'm all right.
You just get some sleep.
We'll be heading out in a few hours.
Xena.
When we get to Thessaly, you still owe me a new pair of boots.