BACK IN THE BOTTLE

Xena is concentrating, trying to achieve absolute stillness, while Gabrielle holds up a dead rabbit that she'd apparently rather cook the old-fashioned way.  Something goes wrong...again...and the rabbit is turned to stone.  Joxer shows up and is frustrated (and hungry!) that this has happened yet again.  They decide to go into town for food, so Joxer pulls out his bag of coins...only to realize it's leftover black powder that has yet to be destroyed.  Xena grabs it from him and has a vision of death.  "We've got to go back there."  We then see The Green Dragon summoned and his newly deceased sister appear to give her old servant, Khan, the formula for the black powder.  On their way back to Lao Ma's temple, the gang spy thousands of refugees.  Then they see K'ao Hsin and she tells them about Khan's new army...and powder.  The refugees are redirected into hiding.  They figure Pao Ssu has told the secret formula somehow from beyond the grave.  Back in the palace, Gabrielle meets Lin Qi and their argument over how to handle to refugees gets interrupted by a blast and an enemy intrusion.  A quick fight later and Lin Qi seems convinced that he should listen to Gabrielle.  Elsewhere, Khan's army is growing and getting branded with the symbol of the green dragon.  In the tunnels beneath the palace, where the refugees are going into hiding, K'ao Hsin tells Xena that the vision (which they shared) told of the future.  And, as that vision involved the death of Joxer, Gabrielle, and the newly befriended Lin Qi, Xena is not comforted by this news.  Xena confesses her doubt that, although she was able to channel the power to defeat one woman, she doesn't know what she'll be able to do against an army!  There is the sound of another blast and Xena heads above ground to find Joxer and some refugees standing still amongst what they now know to be black powder land-mines.  Xena takes the initiative and walks the land to meet them and show them a safe passageway with her footprints.  But a wind suddenly blows them away and Khan appears with some of his men.  The two-faced Ming Tien and his sister, Pao Ssu, appear to Xena as well.  They attempt to throw bombs at Xena, but she blocks them by channeling Lao Ma's power into a sort of force-field bubble shield.  But what can such power do against 100,000 men with the black powder??  She then throws her chakram and it clears a path on the ground for escape.  As they make a run for it, Gabby and Lin Qi run into battle.  It is then that Xena remembers her vision and calls them to run to safety, too.  Back inside, Xena sits with the book of wisdom and manages to shatter a vase.  K'ao Hsin shares with Xena that every time they use the power, they make Ming Tien and Pao Ssu stronger, too.  Later, Lin Qi shares with Gabrielle that they heard Xena travels with a storyteller of sorts.  Gabby says she used to but it's been a while....  But he argues that "someone who's willing to die for a cause greater than herself has a merciful heart -and that's where all great stories come from."  Later still, Xena suggests that she and Gabrielle go blow up the powder.  But, for the safety of Xena's baby, Gabrielle and Lin Qi take on the task.  But they get caught in a net and Khan sets fire to a trail of black powder leading straight to them.  Xena senses this from afar and summons the winds to deprive the flame of oxygen until it goes out.  They blow up the powder as they escape.  Back with Xena, the women argue over whether or not the power of love can win a war.  Joxer feeds the refugees, Gabby and Lin Qi talk some more, and Khan has taken hostages.  Xena walks into a field a little later to meet her enemies.  Ming Tien claims she is simply "facing her death like a true warrior."  They attack her, but she repels every bomb.  Joxer frees the captives and Lin Qi fights alongside Gabby.  After she seemed to grow weak, Xena focuses and causes everyone with the mark of the green dragon to turn to stone...and Ming Tien and Pao Ssu explode.  After the battle, Gabrielle finds Joxer grossly exaggerating his battle deeds, as usual.  She says her farewells to Lin Qi with a kiss on his cheek following his sweet words.  Xena tells K'ao Hsin that she doesn't feel Lao Ma's power anymore, but she had felt a compassion like she'd never felt before.  "I have seen love end a war."