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.