Morning on a great ship, Gabrielle, awakens and heads up to watch the sunrise. Having spent a few weeks in The Land of the Pharaohs, Gabrielle felt a rush of relief as she saw the familiar shores. On this ship ride back to Greece, Gabrielle had had much time to think and reflect. Not to say that despite what she had dealt with in Egypt, The Land of the Pharaohs was not a great, fulfilling, and enriching adventure. Gabrielle finally got time to fully let everything that happened the past few years marinate in her head…as well as her scrolls. Reliving every moment from the time that she and Xena were released from the ice cave, 25 years into the future, she had finally gotten the inspiration to finally write about it.
"And so, to sum it up, through waking up in the future and finding nothing the way it was; learning the lessons of forsaken love…and true love…" Gabrielle stopped her quill as if her muse had abruptly left her, and like as if it was on cue…
"A case of writer's block?"
Gabrielle looked beside her and saw the face of her soul mate, Xena. In times of crisis, as well as these simple cases of dwindling inspiration, Gabrielle could count on Xena, in spirit, to come to her aid.
"Nothing this sunrise won't cure," Gabrielle said in a whisper.
"And why exactly are you whispering?" Xena asked, inquisitively.
Gabrielle responded with a sharp look at the Warrior Princess, "Xena, don't you remember what happened back in Egypt when the Pharaoh's attendant assumed that I was talking to myself in the pyramids? Well I don't want that to happen, again."
"Oh Gabrielle, let people think what they want. They're gonna talk bad about you anyway," Xena says, "So you say that this sunrise will cure your writer's block…how about a nice trip home?" Xena asks.
"Like you said, Xena, getting away from Greece was the ticket, there's so much good to do in this huge world and I'm not done yet, the Land of the Pharaohs was just the beginning" Gabrielle says confidently as she gets an immediate rush of inspiration and puts quill to parchment.
"Your dream was to change the world," Xena says as she lovingly watches the bard at work.
"I know that, and I'm going to make sure that I finally confront that dream…that slowly became a nightmare," Gabrielle says as she continues to rapidly write.
"Meaning?" Xena asks.
"Xena, from everything that's happened for so long…especially your death, I've finally found my way. You found yours all those years ago in India; the Way of the Warrior which took you into every direction you were supposed to go. But I've been trying to find MY way for a very long time. I gave up the Way of Peace that Eli taught me for something greater…the Way of Friendship, and love, and I know that no matter which way I'm going, the path will always be with you. But, I've finally been able to reconcile that way, the Way of Love, with the warrior that I've been shaped into for the past few years."
"I'm glad. For a while there, I thought you were trying to walk in my footsteps," Xena says, concerningly.
"No, Xena. Your footsteps are your own…and might I add too big for me to fit in." Gabrielle says as she attempts to nudge Xena humorously, only for her hand to phase right through her.
"So what's your plan, now, oh enlightened one?" Xena says.
"Well, I do what needs to be done," Gabrielle says, looking Xena in her face.
Xena responds with, "Eve."
"You heard what the emissaries in Egypt said, 'the Messenger of peace travelled back to her homeland on urgent business.' I tried many times to send word to Eve, to tell her about you, but she travels around so much that it's hard to keep track of her."
"Like mother, like daughter, huh? I just want to know what this urgent business of hers is," Xena says.
"I wouldn't worry about it. Eve has gathered quite a following recently. She was right to go out on her own and spread Eli's message…I'm proud of her," Gabrielle says.
"So am I. So am I." The two women look off of the ship into the sun which has finally reached high into the sky.
Elsewhere, in a city, in Greece, beings that are dressed in what appears to be ceremonial robes are formatting around a certain are. A tall, muscular man with flowing golden hair senses this.
"Who's there?" Hercules says as he's preparing himself for whatever.
"Your time has passed," says a voice in the shadows.
"Says who?" Hercules says, humorously.
"The Way must be brought in…sooner rather than later."
"Okay, and that has to do with me, how…?" Hercules questions.
"You are unnatural. You and your kind no longer hold dominion over this world."
"I think you have me confused," says the hero.
"I don't think so," says a robed man who comes closer to Hercules with a torch. "Your services are no longer needed," the man says as his comrades surround Hercules with torches of their own.
"Oh boy," says Hercules.