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.