The sound off of a rooster roused Xena from her slumber, as she yet again found herself back in the same barn she'd woken up in for an unknown number of times now. As she fully came to her senses, Xena's mind flashed back to the prior repeating day and how Gabrielle had been killed. So actually hoping that she was in fact reliving the same day once more, the warrior cautiously pushed a hand into the pile of hay where she knew Gabrielle had awoken from in all of the looping days prior. The warrior began to feel around for a moment, until she felt something, and heard a small yawning giggle.
GABRIELLE
(Half asleep/ giggling) Xena, it's too early for that.
XENA
Gabrielle!
Incredibly relieved to hear the bard's voice, Xena pulled a now startled Gabrielle out of the mountain of hay.
GABRIELLE
Xena?!
The bard looked around completely puzzled as to what the other woman was thinking, as she swiftly found herself wrapped in the warrior's arms.
XENA
You're okay. I was so worried I might've lost you. I don't think I'd ever be so glad to wake up in this damned stable again.
GABRIELLE
Xena, what are…
The confused blonde was interrupted as the barn door opened.
JOXER
Rise and shine. Rise and…
Suddenly Joxer paused as he saw Gabrielle and Xena in what most would have seen as an intimate or possibly compromising position. But the man being at times a bit too oblivious to some things for his own good, just smiled and hurried over to the women.
JOXER
Awww. Group hug!
Both the bard and warrior groaned slightly as Joxer wiggled his way between them, throwing his arms around the pair and pulling them into a somewhat uncomfortable embrace.
GABRIELLE
(Slightly annoyed tone) Joxer. Get, off.
XENA
(Slightly annoyed tone) Okay, that's enough, Damn it, Joxer. Get off!
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A few minutes later the group had made their way out of the stable as Gabrielle and Joxer watched the raven-haired woman pace back and forth after she had gone over informing them of the vicious cycle they all were stuck in.
XENA
Every day, the rooster crows, Joxer walks in, the horseshoe falls, I save the old man, stop a duel and then the whole thing starts all over again no matter what else I do.
Joxer thought for a moment before getting an idea.
JOXER
Maybe it's the rooster.
The warrior was about to comment on how ridiculous the suggestion sounded, but then stopped to think that given how crazy the fact that she was reliving the same day over and over already was, the rooster did have the possibility of somehow being the problem. A problem that Xena knew exactly how to fix.
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It was early when Xena awoke the next repeating morning and grabbed her chakram before moving to the barn window. Then looking outside, she spotted the rooster that had given the town its wake up call. The animal stood fluttering its way onto a fence and geared up to let out its cry. The sound was just about to leave the rooster's throat, when it was suddenly hit with a sharp, round, flying object, causing it to make a very different cry as a flurry of feathers were scattered around and Xena caught her chakram as it came back to her.
XENA
(Muttering to herself) Stupid bird.
Xena laid back down and went back to sleep for a bit, before spending the rest of the day making sure that nothing happened to Gabrielle or Joxer, and then going to bed after sun down with the hopes that she had finally solved her problem.
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With the sunrise came the sound of the rooster and the warrior pulled the blanket over her head over her head, letting out a loud, frustrated yell as a result of knowing that her attempt to escape this day had failed yet again. Again, she made her way through the day, trying another idea to end the cycle. And again, she went to sleep, hoping that she'd finally wake to a new day. Then the sun rose, the rooster crowed, and Joxer opened the barn door with the same happy "rise and shine" line. Tired, frustrated and just done dealing with all of it, Xena sat up with an angry yell as she grabbed her chakram and sent it flying into Joxer's chest, who was killed on impact and dropped to the ground as Gabrielle looked on in horror and disbelief.
GABRIELLE
You just… You killed him!?
The bard looked at Xena as the warrior laid back down to go to sleep.
GABRIELLE
Xena! Why? He was our friend and you just…
XENA
Don't worry, tomorrow he'll be just fine and you'll forget this ever happened.
GABRIELLE
What are you talking about?!
(Angry tone) Joxer is dead! You just killed him for no reason! I don't even know what to say to you right now!
The bard watched as the seemingly remorseless Xena just rolled over to get comfortable, and let out a yawn as she closed her eyes.
XENA
I'm not worried about it. When I wake up tomorrow, it'll be today again, and none of this will have mattered at all.
Gabrielle looked at the warrior, certain that she had completely lost it before moving over to see if there was anything she could do for Joxer before leaving, unsure of what could have driven Xena to commit such a heinous act after having been so intent on making up for this sort of senseless evil like she had done in the past.
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Xena finished tying her boot as the day began again, and she ignored the muffled sounds within the barn before grabbing her chakram that was sitting on the hay bale beside her and hooked it on her waist.
XENA
Okay, all set.
The warrior looked over toward where the muffled noise was coming from to see Gabrielle and Joxer, who she had tied up and gagged to prevent either from getting into any potentially dangerous situations while she continued her mission to end the seemingly endless cycle.
XENA
Now, you two stay out of trouble while I figure out a way out of this.
With that, the warrior left the pair tied up in the stable as she headed into town with the mission to gather as much information as she possibly could. In the hopes that someone would give her at least some kind of clue as to why this was happening or how to stop it.
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The warrior spent the day asking various locals if anything seemed odd about the town, with nothing being particularly helpful. She sighed to herself as she walked through the streets, trying to think of where to go next, until the warrior found herself at the local apothecary and decided to go in to question the owner.
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XENA
I see. So, you've treated both houses?
APOTHECARY
Treated, cured, buried. I'm the closest thing to a doctor they have. What was it you needed again?
XENA
Night's bane.
APOTHECARY
Night's bane, hm?
The man turned to look through the various small bottles on his shelves for what the dark-haired woman requested.
APOTHECARY
Huh. That's odd.
XENA
What?
APOTHECARY
My Night's bane seems to be missing.
XENA
Could you have sold it?
The man returned his attention to the warrior.
APOTHECARY
Oh no. I would definitely remember selling something like that. Night's bane is deadly. Just one sip of that stuff, and the next day you're on a one-way trip to Tartarus.
Finding this new information rather interesting, Xena continued the line of questioning.
XENA
So, anyone drop dead lately?
APOTHECARY
No.
Xena continued her mission and after a long day of investigating, went to bed fully prepared to wake up to the same day, but with a good plan of how to make this time the last.
TO BE CONTINUED…