"Xena: Warrior Princess" is a Registered Trademark of Renaissance Pictures Corporation in association with MCA/UA Television. Original Xena material Copyright by Renaissance Pictures Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Used without permission. Any use of Renaissance Pictures Corporation's copyrighted material or trademarks in this document should not be viewed as a challenge to those copyrights or trademarks.

A feasible and realistic plot concerning the simultaneous removal of Valasca, disposal of a marauding warlord, and return of an ever-changing Callisto. A new warlord has arrived to the area. In an attempt to solidify his position of favor with Ares, he is sent to destroy his old master: Callisto. Freeing and killing Valasca by accident, he endeavors to trap Callisto by using an unknowing Xena as bait. Xena and Callisto team up to dispose of the warlord, resulting in a near-total loss of Callisto’s new powers. This story also prominently features Gabrielle and Joxer in supporting roles.

CORPORAL 1 (pointing to the direction he ran from): We’ve found her as ordered sir!

KEKKAR: Excellent, bring her and the arrowstone with us, the Lieutenant will be most pleased with our

performance.

Xechon’s short expositional speech

Congrats of the hunt for Callisto

Xechon wants to kill Callisto for 3 reasons

1) By killing his teacher, he becomes the master.

2) He removes any rivalry for his new position of Undisputed Warlord of Greece

3) He gains extra favors from Ares (whom she betrayed)

Acquire Godkiller Arrow

Crack open the stone that Herc left it in (preserved it by accident)

Place the arrowhead on a new shaft

An arrow for the soon-to-be-ex-Goddess of Obsession.

Kekkar picks up the old shaft and pockets it (just in case)

Crack open the lava encasement

Valasca rears out of the lava encasement.

Knowing that she’s a god (and pissed) Xechon reluctantly gives the order to fire

This kills Valasca

This also destroys the arrowhead.

Where is Callisto? Need to find her.

CUT TO close up shot of CALLISTO’s hand breaking out of Lava rubble and into the blood-red twilight.

Xena and Gabby walking into THRACE

Discussing how it is good to be home, they can finally rest

Find burned outpost city.

Everyone is dead, but no dead attackers (they carry their dead and wounded back with them)

Former barracks of some Athenian Infantry (so whoever they are they’re good)

Find crossed swords (Ares)

See smoke, start that way (next raid in progress)

KEKKAR (to Xechon): Will this work?

XECHON: Yes, we have a chance. If we can find Callisto and get close enough to her to use this.

KEKKER: If she tracks us down, she’ll kill us all. How will you find her before she finds us?

XECHON: We must first get her off our tail, by putting her onto Xena’s.

KEKKAR: I see, Callisto will go after Xena--but how do we find Xena?

XECHON (grinning, ambitious): We won’t need to find Xena my friend--Xena will find us as we burn a scar

across THRACE to AMPHIPOLIS.

Callisto finds a Guide

Joxer vs. the ruffians.

They are scared off when Callisto moves out of bushes behind Joxer.

Joxer thinks he is all hot until he turns around.

JOXER: [frightened, with sword to her stomach or chest] "Callisto!...stay back...I’m warning you."

She convinces Joxer that she’s Xena

"Ares did it to me again"

She needs to find Gabrielle.

He leads her towards Amphipolis (feeling all important).

XECHON (to villager): Tell Hades that there are more where you came from.

XECHON (shouting to troops): Burn it! Kill all those that resist! I want Ares to be able to see the smoke from

Olympus! (softly) This should get Xena’s attention. When she comes for us, Callisto will be sure to

follow. Then I will have her, and my revenge will be complete. (shouting to the air) I will be the

undisputed warlord of Greece!

Xechon fights TORIS (Xena’s older brother)

Xechon has him on his knees quickly.

About to execute Toris, close-up on Xechon’s face, but he hears something and flinches.

Xechon raises left sword to block Chakram aimed at his neck (Xena going for kill?)

As Xena YIYIYI’s her way into the scene (catch chakram on the landing), Xechon slides around Toris--putting right sword under his chin, left one up in defense against Xena

Xena confronts him

XENA: "Let him go."

XECHON: [pleased] "Xena, I thought that you’d be showing up sooner or later."

XENA: [confused] "Who are you, what do you want?"

XECHON: [smiles, looking past Xena] "That ... is what I want."

GABRIELLE: [looking at Callisto] "Oh Gods, no.. not her..."

Enter Callisto

All notice her

JOXER: [stammering] "Your...your... Callisto."

CALLISTO: [to Joxer, running hand under his trembling chin] "Finally catching on are we? Now, be a good little Hercules and run away..."

Xechon makes decision to pull back to the trap.

XECHON: [dragging Toris] "Squads Alpha and Beta engage! Gamma, Delta, fall back with the prisoners and cover us!"

Two groups of 5 attack. 5 to Xena/Gabby, 5 to Callisto/Joxer.

Xena starts her usual outnumbered fight as she tries to get to Toris and the prisoners.

Callisto tries her powers, then sends in Joxer.

(First fight with XECHON’s ARMY. Callisto is about to enter the battle with Xechon when she is rushed by his troops. Swatting them with her GODDESS powers she is surprised to find that they don’t work on XECHON’s troops. They to are a little surprised. CALLISTO bites her lip, annoyed but not really worried.)

CALLISTO: [to JOXER] You, BEAT. take care of them.

JOXER: Me? Looks worried until he hears a sword being pulled.

JOXER: Take that you heathens! Oh, trying to sneak up in Joxer the Mighty are you? Aha!

Callisto heads towards Xena to fight her, but ends up catching Kekkar’s arrow headed for Xena’s head--she wants the kill.

Recognizing him, Callisto ignores Xena’s fight and heads on towards Kekkar.

CALLISTO: "I know you, oh yes, I do. I know you all. Think you can all just come back and take over humm? If there’s one thing I can’t stand, it’s insubordinate troops. You know what I do to traitors don’t you?"

KEKKAR [cocky, w/ crossbow]: "Ariacus follows Ares now Callisto. He’s still a little miffed after your....change of allegiances. You may be a God, but you’re nothing compared to Ares. You’ll never beat us."

End of fight, Xena Gabby approach Callisto and Kekkar as Callisto lowers her sword at him.

XENA: "Don’t do it Callisto."

CALLISTO: "That’s my Xena, always ruining my fun."

GABRIELLE: "Look out!" Xena shoots her a "What are you saying?" look.

Crossbow Kill

As he falls he fires crossbow, it hits a woman lost in the chaos.

Gabby gasps, Xena mouths "oh no"

Joxer runs up as Callisto follows the path of the shot with her eyes (the JtM spell obviously worn off)

The woman collapses, standing behind her is a blonde child.

Callisto goes pale, her eyes reverting to normal momentarily as she drops her dagger.

The girl asks "Why?" Callisto turns, staking off into the woods.

Gabby collects her Dagger and the shaft. Giving them to Xena.

JOXER: "Now what do we do?"

XENA: [emotional, looking over the city] "There is nothing we can do here."

XENA: "We have to free the prisoners."

Confusion

GABRIELLE: "Who was that? Who would dare attack your home?"

XENA "I don’t know."

Drop the bomb

CALLISTO [making Joxer jump] "His name is Xechon Ariachus, and he was one of mine."

Learn of the Expeditionary force

Gabby and Joxer "What?"

Xena getting pissed now, Gabby will worry about her becoming more Callisto-like again during the course of all of this.

This army is lead by Lieutenant Xechon Ariacus

Send out to wreck havoc and to defile Xena’s name.

Lost contact as they went across the Bogazi and past the Hellespont into Amazon country.

What to do?

GABRIELLE: "How do we stop them?"

CALLISTO: "Like any other living thing, we kill the head."

XENA: "And the body dies."

GABRIELLE: Ariacus?

JOXER: [sad, yet trying to sound brave] "So what do we do about her" [indicating Callisto.]

XENA: [to Callisto] "Yes, what do we do about you?"

CALLISTO: "You can’t stop me from going after Ariacus, Xena."

XENA: I can try.

CALLISTO: You can’t keep trapping me forever--I’m an unstoppable force.

XENA: Yeah, and I’m the immovable wall you keep running into.

CALLISTO: Oh, very good Xena--pity you’re not immortal. I’d love to continue this little spat for eternity. But someday you’ll grow old Xena. Old and slow. And I’ll be there. Me, alive, in a world that you can no-longer defend. How about that for a last sight humm?

JOXER: *ahem* [to break them up]

GABRIELLE: [getting the hint] It will be dark soon, we should find a camp site.

Gabby discussion

Ask the real questions about the girl, Callisto changing, and what Gabby would have done if she was younger when Perdicas was killed or if Xena hadn’t saved her village from Draco. Gabby’s warrior spirit. Not many bards would fight side-by-side with Xena.

Callisto: "Would she have ended up like us?"

Xena: "Us? I’m not like you anymore Callisto."

Callisto: [softly, serious] "I’m not like me anymore either Xena."

??? I’ve had time to think while in Lava, it was much better than that chair or the temple... it was so, confining. *whatever... edit here*.

Sleeping with the enemy

Callisto gets up and stands near Joxer, he picks up his mat and sits on the other side of Gabby, putting her between them.

CALLISTO: [amused ] "Don’t worry my courageous simpleton, I don’t sleep."

JOXER: [quietly] "That’s what I’m afraid of."

CALLISTO: I guess I’ll take watch then.

XENA: We both will. You two, [indicating Joxer/Gabby] get some sleep. [Looking at Callisto] It’s going to be a long day tomorrow.

On the Road

Following path of prisoner trail

They are going slow, making it easy to follow them

Begin discussing Joxer’s new abilities as the delaying attack occurs

(walking down path after fight with Xechon but before final fight. Joxer bragging about his fight to Gabby. Callisto and Xena discussing Joxer the Mighty))

XENA: [To Callisto] So, what sound sets him off?

CUT TO close-up of SWORD being pulled from a SHEATH (with obvious sound). They all hear it except for GABREILLE. JOXER straightens visibly.

CALLISTO: That.

JOXER: [to Gabrielle] Stand back m’lady. Pulling sword.

GABRIELLE: What?

JOXER: AHA! Charges into battle.

CALLISTO: [to XENA, VO of GABREILLE and JOXER fighting the troops] He’s kinda cute sometimes.

XENA:[annoyed] C’mon.

JOXER: They were no match for Joxer and his amazing sidekick Gabby. Putting arm around her.

XENA: No, they were just trying to delay us. Why?

CALLISTO: They probably have another city to raze and don’t want us interfering yet. How terribly boring of them.

JOXER: What else is around here for them to attack?

Gabrielle pales, has to lean of STAFF. Xena looks at her, worried.

GABRIELLE: [panicked] Poteideia...

XENA: [VO as she pursues] Gabrielle! Wait!

JOXER: [to Callisto] What? Where are they going?

CALLISTO: [looking interested] Oh, this should be interesting, the little brat’s running home.

JOXER: A little obsessive aren’t we?

CALLISTO: What of it? I’m a God now.

JOXER: [to himself] Great, we’re about to attack Xechon’s warriors of Ares and I’m stuck with the Goddess of Obsession here.

CALLISTO: Goddess of Obsession, I think I like the sound of that. What do you think Xena?

XENA: Wonderful....

GABRIELLE: [to Xena] What’s going to happen to her?

XENA: What do you mean?

GABRIELLE: When this is all over. I know that she’s chilled-out a lot, but she’s still so.. so...

XENA: Yeah, I know.

GABRIELLE: I’m worried about her Xena.

XENA: Listen, she’s a God now, she can take care of herself.

GABRIELLE: She could take care of us too if she wanted.

XENA: That’s what has me worried, why she hasn’t done it yet.

CALLISTO: [to Xena and Gabrielle] Come now you two, no time to gab. [snarling] We have things to do, people to kill, obsessions to fulfill...

GABRIELLE: [to Xena as Callisto turns away] I’m scared Xena.

XENA: So am I.

JOXER: I think I found the camp.

XENA: Good work, let’s go see what were up against.

GABRIELLE: What are we looking at?

XENA: [to Callisto] Did you see that?

CALLISTO: [Bored]Of course.

JOXER: [shuffling around loudly] I still can’t see.

GABRIELLE: [to Joxer] Shhhh...

XENA: [Admiration] These guys are good.

GABRIELLE: Why do you say that?

XENA: Look at the overlapping patrols, the squads moving together in unison, [at military-like arm motions] the efficient communications... whoever trained these guys was a master warlord.

CALLISTO: Why thank you Xena, I feel almost...honored. Of course I learned everything I know from studying your army. When it rolled into Cirra, destroying everything before it...

XENA: [stern] That’s enough.

CALLISTO: Oh no Xena, it will never be enough. Never... [Joxer turns away, avoiding the fight]

GABRIELLE: [taking a stand] We don’t have time for this. [Callisto leans back in the grass on her elbows, impressed with "the brat"]

XENA: Gabrielle’s right. It’s time to get into that camp.

JOXER: [jeering] And how do you propose we do that?

XENA: [smirk] We ask permission.

Enter the camp

Final fight

Girl fight

When approaching him they call him out

CALLISTO: Xechon...

XENA: Ariacus.

XECHON: So good of the two of you to come.

Callisto screams, Xena yiyiyi’s, Xechon bellows.

Xechon fighting both at same time with his two swords. The first man to be able to do so.

Joxer (not the Mighty, but he thinks he is XENA: I thought I told you to take that off. CALLISTO: I did.) and Gabby fight to the prisoners and free them.

PRISONER: Who are you?

JOXER: [proudly] I’m Joxer the Magnificent!

PRISONER: Never heard of ya’

Crossbows galore

Having beaten back Xechon slightly, he sends in a crossbow unit.

The quarrels fly (5). Fast, cutting camera work as Xena and Callisto catch 4 bolts

During the catching they sometimes protect the other person

The 5th lands in Callisto’s gut. She "Urks," and it only gets her pissed.

(During Final Fight, lull-in-fighting banter)To beat Ariacus, Callisto must drain herself as much as possible to cancel out Ares’ protection. Xena can then take him down...or kill Callisto. Callisto has to trust Xena.

XENA: "Can you trust me?"

CALLISTO: "To not stab me in the back? Oh, I can trust you Xena--I know you so well, don’t I? You do-gooders are all alike, you can’t go back on promise can you? You are like a tome Xena, and I have memorized all the pages..."

Denouement

Callisto’s fall from glory

In the end, Callisto burns herself out. Losing her Goddess powers--she’s effectively a just an immortal now (the power of the fruit of life didn’t get dissipated). Xena planned on that and Callisto knew it.

XENA: Are you alright?

CALLISTO: [nicely, shocking Xena] Yes, thank you.

She is not fully evil anymore, but is far from good.

CALLISTO: Aren’t you going to try to stop me Xena?

XENA: No, I’m not playing your games any more.

CALLISTO: Fine, have it your way. But remember Xena, you’ll be seeing a lot more of me--better get used to it.

XENA: [to Gabrielle] Hercules can take care of himself, [looking at Callisto’s body] it’s Iolaus I’m worried about.

The changing Callisto

Gabby rattles off something about Callisto possibly changing.

XENA: [calling to Joxer] Be careful.

He’s cocky, but thankful underneath. He bows with a fumbling flourish and wanders off after Callisto singing "Joxer the Mighty".

XENA: Well, at least Callisto did one good thing for us.

GABRIELLE: What’s that?

XENA: [smiling] She took Joxer with her.

Gabby laughs reservedly, looking down road (past camera) towards Joxer with a worried look.

GABRIELLE: [quietly] Please be careful Joxer.

XENA: What was that?

Xena knows what she said, but won’t say anything about it.

GABRIELLE: Oh, nothing.

They head into Amphipolis to help rebuild, joining up with the prisoners (Toris and mother specifically).

Ending Sequence