THE WAY

Xena and Gabrielle are walking along, discussing spiritual things, when Xena suddenly spears a river creature and throws it onto shore.  This masked creature declares, "We were ordered to stop you from reaching the avatar."  (The avatar is a deity in human form.)  He blows some bugs off his hand which then turn into other masked creatures.  Fight!  The new enemy is Indrajit, king of demons.  Later, spurred by her recent revelation as a future peacemaker, Xena wonders if she's not supposed to be a warrior anymore.  Soon enough, they discover that the avatar is Eli!  They find him healing the sick and learn that he is living a terrified life.  Indrajit is after him!  Xena and Gabrielle talk their way into traveling with Eli for a time.  At night, a monkey creature named Hanuman sneaks into their camp.  He advises that Eli seek refuge in a temple and seek Krishna's help.  (Krishna is the supreme personality of the godhood.)  We learn about Hanuman and about "THE truth" as Eli proclaims it -a reverence for life and nonviolence.  Finally, the gang reaches the temple where Hanuman discusses Eli's words with Gabrielle.  "Eli's way is the ultimate way."  A fight with demons!  Indrajit himself shows up on his magic carpet and captures both Eli and Gabrielle!  At this, Hanuman suggests that Xena pray to Krishna to get the god's attention.  As she prays, Indrajit threatens Eli.  "How passive and serene will you remain while she's being tortured?"  Suddenly, Xena finds herself in the presence of Krishna.  He encourages her to embrace the way of the warrior.  "You must not be hesitant to fight in a just cause."  Acting, in combat, without attachment.  He vanishes and Xena leaves with Hanuman to rescue Eli and Gabrielle.  The latter are meditating when Xena suddenly appears in their midst, chained and bleeding!  Eli warns Gabrielle to be careful, but she uses violence to try and free Xena -only to uncover that it is actually Indrajit creating an illusion.  He then grabs Gabby by the throat and declares that she will die now that Eli refuses to join him.  Suddenly, Xena's chakram cuts off Indrajit's hand!  But he grows arms until he has 6 of them!  A fight!  He manages to gruesomely cut off both Xena's arms!  But Xena calls on Krishna and grows 4 arms of her own.  Rematch!  She beheads the king of demons and is returned to her healed state.  Later, Eli encourages Gabrielle and informs her that he's headed home where he believes his message will be most received.  Later still, Xena witnesses Gabrielle throw her staff into the river.  They stay together, despite their different "ways."  "All rivers run to the sea," explains Gabrielle.

BETWEEN THE LINES

"What we sow in this life, we reap in our future lives.  This is our karma."  -From the Xena "Blue" Scroll, Author Unknown.  Xena and Gabby are trying on some Indian attire when they see some sort of procession coming through the market.  They check it out only to discover that an Indian woman (Naiyima) is about to be thrown alive into a burning funeral pyre (following her dead husband)!  Xena flips into action to break this outrageous law.  A fight!  They escape with Naiyima into a room where she suddenly (and supernaturally) sends Xena on a journey into her future.  There, Xena is reincarnated as a peacemaker called Arminestra and she finds herself in the middle of a negotiation.  Incoming fireballs!  The villain is the soul of none other than Alti!  Suddenly, an Indian man (Shakti) runs onto the scene and rescues the crippled Arminestra and has her taken away.  Alti shoots him with her crossbow but he escapes.  Back in present day, Gabby discovers that Xena is gone and she is alone with Naiyima, whose henna tattoos suddenly light up and zoom around the room!  (We learn that Alti's planning to capture Xena and make her power her own.)  Naiyima informs Gabrielle that "there is a great evil in the future that is hunting Xena's soul; it has found her.  If it succeeds, Xena's karmic cycle will end -along with all the good of her future lives."  Before Naiyima sends Gabrielle there, she declares that she will need a weapon.  "You must learn the mehndi."  (Arminestra heals Shakti.)  Gabrielle and Xena must use this mehndi to trap the evil and bring it back to be destroyed.  Gabby is then sent into the future where she finds herself reincarnated as the leader Shakti!  Shakti says something that Arminestra recognizes as Gabrielle and they discuss Alti as Gabrielle and Xena.  Alti wants to know who sent them.  Fight!  Shakti (Gabby) is the one fighting with a sword here while Arminestra (Xena) is sending people to safety.  Just when Xena is in a position to kill Alti, however, a man protests to protect her karma.  He is fatally shot by Alti.  Shakti gets knocked unconscious while the dying man delivers the mehndi paint to Arminestra.  Later, Alti discovers that Xena has found Gabrielle and now she plans to take her power, too!  But she won't kill them in private.  No, that is to be a public spectacle.  When Alti leaves, Gabrielle returns to consciousness and gets to painting the henna tattoos of the mehndi.  (Back in present day, Naiyima has been brought again to the pyre!)  When Alti returns, they strike a few poses and, by the power of the mehndi, bring Alti back to their present day -saving Naiyima in the process!  Unfortunately, they brought back Alti's powers, too.  A fight ensues in which Xena is beaten with past blows.  Alti grabs Gabrielle by the hair and shows her the crucifixion vision.  "That's your future.  She's responsible for your death."  "You BIIIITCH!!!!" shouts Xena, who, despite her injuries, manages to throw her chakram to cut Gabrielle's hair and release her from Alti's grasp.  But the weapon comes back and slices Xena's neck!  Just then, Naiyima steps in and the three of them use this mehndi to defeat Alti.  Her soul will return "but you will always be there to meet it."  Naiyima tells them to consider themselves as lines in the mehndi.  They walk a path together, "separated but forever connected."  With that, she supernaturally transforms into an ascending ball of light, leaving Xena and Gabrielle healed!  They later decide that they will recognize each other in future lives using the symbol for woman.

DEVI

Upon their arrival in India, Gabrielle is chatting about the exotic sights when she and Xena spot a magician who is calling all to witness his work.  Gabrielle volunteers Xena as a "skeptic."  She fails to uncover his work as false and lets him proceed.  Soon, this magician sends his assistant, Maya, into another realm.  She returns in gory pieces!  He puts these pieces in a box and says some magic words.  She returns...only now she's possessed!  (NOT part of his show, people!)  Xena fights her while the magician prays to Abba.  Gabby, however, places her hands on Maya's shoulders (who is now writhing and screaming on the floor) and tells her to stop and that it's okay.  With that, the demon leaves!  Soon, the whole town believes that Gabrielle has "the higher power" and is a healing deity called a Devi.  A priest from the town suddenly begins blaming the magician so Xena magically escapes with the man as the town begins to worship their new Devi.  We learn that the magician's name is Eli.  Xena attempts to leave him with a warning about getting out of town, but he hypnotizes her with the intent of finding out if Gabrielle is a Devi.  Elsewhere, even as she is arguing with the chanting crowd, Gabrielle's touch heals a man's sight!  Well, Xena was only pretending to be hypnotized and the conversation continues.  Eli tells of a time when he was 13 and he had the power to heal a convulsing man.  Suddenly, he hides as the aforementioned priest walks into his temple.  Xena leaves him, commenting that "some people see evil everywhere."  Later, we learn that Gabby is beginning to think that she is a Devi after all.  "I healed someone!"  Soon, both Xena and Gabrielle are under the impression that she has a spirit inside of her.  Xena warns her that some spirits are good and some are bad -but they're smart and sometimes you can't tell them apart.  Later still, many people have gathered outside to chant "Devi."  Gabby seems to really be enjoying the praises.  Xena runs off into the temple to find that the priest has been hung!  Later, Eli spies this new Devi and makes a run for it.  He is chased by angry dogs.  Xena steps in and helps him out, but it is the Devi (who was busy being given pearls) who ultimately frees him.  After levitating, Eli shouts to the crowd to praise her.  "Xena, I didn't heal anything," says Gabrielle.  Eli vanishes into the crowd and is found gathering sacred water in the temple.  Xena meets him and spies a painting of one blonde demon wearing pearls!  "Her name's Tataka."  She deceives with good works!  Xena approaches Gabby later and she seems innocent enough.  We learn that the holy water only burns someone in the hands of a priest or exorcist.  Finally, after upsetting Gabrielle with her doubts, Xena apologizes.  Later, Xena fights a guard in the temple and Eli squirts some holy water on his face and it burns him!  "Tataka figured it out....  Gabrielle's not the Devi, Eli.  You are."  And the demon was cast out...straight into Gabrielle!  Later still, Xena calls Gabrielle Tataka and she certainly doesn't deny it.  Xena runs to find Eli escaping town.  He instructs her on how to perform an exorcism (since he doesn't believe he can do it).  Xena is mocked by Tataka when she appears for the exorcism.  "You want me out?  You're gonna have to kill this sweet little body to do it.  And I don't think you can."  "Watch me."  Fight!  Just when Xena is in position to kill, Eli shows up.  "Let me try and save her!"  Tataka discourages him but Xena is persistent.  "Abba, help me," he prays.  The exorcism is a success...to Eli's amazement.  They later part ways with him, concluding that this power is stronger than evil.

PARADISE FOUND

"Gabrielle, I'm all for your spiritual quest -and India is a fine place to go...."  Gabby is stitching up a nasty wound on Xena's leg while Xena complains about the thugs they met on Gabby's "scenic route."  Gabrielle begins to wonder if Xena's fighting for good has more to do with the fighting part than the good part.  "You think my fighting for good is a cover for something darker?"  Suddenly, as Gabby talks about looking inward for answers, we see images of Xena's crucifixion vision!  Xena snaps out of it to find Gabrielle closer by her side.  "Was it that vision again?  ...You always say that we control our own destiny, right?"  Then, a noise!  Gabby goes to check it out to keep Xena from breaking her new stitches.  But when Gabrielle doesn't respond to Xena's calls, Xena goes after her...only to discover that she's fallen into a deep pit in the earth.  (There doesn't seem to be any lava in this one!)  Xena jumps in after her!  Chirp, chirp, chirp!  Both find themselves in the lush surroundings of a garden, wondering what happened.  Xena discovers that her wound is completely healed!  They also discover a stuttering, twitching man (Garr) who informs them (at the end of Xena's sword) that someone named Aiden owns the whole estate and everything in it -except him.  He directs them to Aiden's house.  When they meet him, he seems a spiritual guru who babbles about inner peace.  (Xena immediately knows it's something she can't seem to achieve.)  With the prospect of a warm bath, he convinces them to stay the night.  In the bath, we begin to notice Gabby's ability to take in all of the bliss juxtaposed with Xena's impatience.  "Would you relax?"  With that, Gabrielle begins to massage Xena's shoulders until Xena goes to open the door for Garr -who has brought clothes.  (He calls Xena "sir!")  Next, Gabby gets breathing lessons from Aiden.  He warns her that these techniques can stir up unpleasant thoughts and feelings.  Sure enough, the memory of Hope soon springs up.  Nevertheless, he encourages her that the mind has power enough to envision and create a healed world.  This is a place where your core self, the "real you," will be drawn out.  Elsewhere, Xena is practicing fight moves and is beginning to look a bit mad and dingy.  She heads up to where Gabby and Aiden are meditating and witnesses Gabrielle weeping at a memory of Hope and, as we find out, her failure as a mother.  Xena is very concerned and moved by this but leaves with disgust as soon as Aiden spies her.  Later, Gabrielle is reclined on the light side of a yin-yang bed while Xena anxiously does sit-ups.  Gabby talks of peace and convinces her that they should stay one more day.  "I haven't felt this clean since before Hope was born."  Yet, Xena compares Aiden to Loa Ma and concludes that his way seems so "numbing."  Later still, Xena uses her mind to make her wound reappear.  (But it only lasts for a moment.  Clearly, Aiden is powerful.)  After another meditation session with Aiden, Gabrielle expresses concern for Xena.  Aiden explains the unpleasant warning signs of the emergence of a dark inner self, but believes that Xena can beat it -like he did.  She finds Xena in a bath, explains to her that she feels so light and "I know I could show you how to get there if you want."  At first, Xena gets tender with Gabrielle.  "Know what I want?"  But this turns violent as she squeezes Gabby's hand (which was resting on her shoulder) until it causes her much pain.  "I'll show you what I want, little girl."  But wait.  That was only in Xena's mind.  Fearing herself, Xena pats Gabby's hand and simply says, "Some other time, huh?"  Xena then confronts Aiden about these delusions.  He advises her to leave lest she act them out!  So, Xena begins to compose a note -but begins to get a nosebleed (one of the symptoms).  Gabrielle walks in just then, complaining of a knot in her back.  So Xena massages it out (being sure to hide her bleeding and the fact that she's having delusions of crucifying Gabrielle) until her friend is at rest....  Then she leaves....  Only to discover from Garr that Aiden leeches people's goodness.  "Goodness in a perfect place going to waste without evil to keep it alive and fighting."  (Gabrielle!)  The plan?  Xena will allow herself to go completely evil so as to give Aiden nothing.  Evil rat-like Xena confronts Aiden and they fight.  Xena might go after Gabrielle?  What's to stop her from killing?  Garr steps in (as planned) and Xena nearly kills him.  This snaps Gabrielle out of her statue-like peaceful state.  "Xena!  No!"  At this, Xena kicks her sword so that it plunges into Aiden instead!  All is returned to its former state.  Gabrielle has learned that without Xena's darkness, neither one of them would be there.