XENA
Rise and shine. Raise and shine. Blah, blah, blah.
The door to the stable opened, and Joxer was nearly run over as Xena rushed outside. Having already awoken earlier, she left the man to stare in the direction she had gone.
JOXER
Oka-a-ay?
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Later that day, as Xena found a little while to rest, the warrior stood in the city with Gabrielle and Joxer to explain things yet again, hoping that, like everything else happening that day, she'd be doing that for the last time, too.
GABRIELLE
We've repeated the day that many times?
XENA
Yes.
GABRIELLE
But-
Knowing everything that was about to be asked, the warrior decided to speed the process up by answering every question before they could even be spoken.
XENA
No, no, yes, no. I tried that. Yes, both ways. No, I don't know. No, again. Are there any more questions?
Gabrielle and Joxer gave the woman a look of pure confusion as they sat there, not knowing what to say, and Xena continued before walking away.
XENA
Good. Moving on.
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Moving quickly, Xena made it to the pair of feuding men and their supporters and got to work on stopping the fight before it could truly begin.
XENA
Put your swords down! It is time to talk peace.
The men scowled at the warrior for a moment as they told her to mind her own business, and then began to go after each other, before being grabbed and shoved apart once again, as Xena tried a more diplomatic approach to solve this particular problem.
XENA
They say that the man who kills his own flesh and blood is cursed forever.
The warrior looked at one of the men as she continued.
XENA
Is that what you want? To kill your own brother?
Both men first looked at Xena, then at each other in shock before the woman got them to agree to put aside their differences at least for the time being, and to try to settle their dispute peacefully. But even with one problem solved, there would be no easy solution to fixing the deep hatred between the others involved in the feud. A fact made clear when another man stepped forward with an accusation of his father nearly being run down by a cart, whom Xena had saved that day already and explained as such, along with the fact that the old man was almost run down due to him being hard of hearing, and not because of any ill will from the cart driver.
XENA
And Lycost…
Next, the warrior turned her focus to the two leaders of the warring houses.
XENA
Didn't you nearly lose your wife and son in childbirth?
LORD LYCOST
The midwife was sure they'd both die. But thank the gods she ended up being wrong.
XENA
Actually, it's not the gods you should be thanking here. It's your enemy. Or more specifically his wife. While you were away at war, it was Lady Menos that came to your house and ended up saving your wife and son. She hated this feud more than anyone.
LORD MENOS
(Somber tone) She did.
Menos looked at the other man.
LORD MENOS
Maybe, she's right. Perhaps it's time we laid down our weapons and talked.
LORD LYCOST
Perhaps it is.
The house leaders looked back at Xena and thanked her for her help, before one asked how the woman seemed to know so much, and why she would bother to intervene in something that didn't involve her, and stood to gain nothing from going out of her way to help.
Xena smiled.
XENA
No thanks necessary. Let's just say I have far too much time on my hands not to help.
With that, the two leaders clasped arms in friendship and the crowd cheered as Gabrielle and Joxer walked over to Xena.
GABRIELLE
Congratulations, Xena.
JOXER
Yeah.
GABRIELLE
You saved two lives, stopped three duels, and made peace between lifelong enemies. That's gotta be everything that needs changing, I bet this'll stop the day from repeating.
XENA
Here's hoping.
JOXER
Well, you did great. Why don't we just go and relax, and have a little party?
GABRIELLE
Yeah.
The warrior smiled.
XENA
Sure. Why not?
The trio left the square and made their way to the city's tavern to celebrate long into the night, before Joxer finally retired to his room and the warrior and bard got a newly open room and went to bed themselves, this time with Xena completely convinced that she had at last fixed everything she needed to, and that the day would no longer repeat.
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A loud angry yell rang out after the sound of a rooster's crowing woke Xena, who sprung up to a sitting position back in the stable yet again. She let out a series of profanities as she threw around the hay that woke Gabrielle, who didn't even get to say anything before the warrior got up in a huff and stormed away muttering to herself.
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XENA
The first day, everything seems normal…
Xena spoke as she laid in a pile of hay, going over the events that had taken place since her and Gabarielle's arrival to the city, as she tried desperately to find what she must have been missing.
XENA
Well, except that Joxer gets killed. Then the day resets and I fix that, but then Argo gets killed. The third time I fail to stop the feud and the day repeats. So I find out all about the old man getting hit by the cart, and I save him. But doing that wasn't enough and the fighting still breaks out anyway, which that time, gets Gabrielle gets killed.
Xena continued to think as she looked up at the ceiling.
XENA
So somehow, I'm supposed to save the old man, stop everyone else from getting killed, and make peace between the two houses. But that still doesn't work. So then, I decide I'm gonna find out every single, little, damn thing there is to know about these people, Because of that I save the old man, stop the fighting and then use the information I've got to make peace
between the houses.
(Irritated tone) But it still isn't enough.
Suddenly, the warrior sat up as an idea came to her.
XENA
I'm missing something. Something small. And I think I know what it is. Thanks.
Xena stood.
XEAN
I think I just needed to go over everything out loud.
Without another word, the warrior turned and hurried out of the stable, leaving Gabrielle and Joxer sitting on the floor with a blank stare on their faces as they both tried to process Xena's very strange behavior. Unaware of the puzzling loop they had been stuck in. Or that the warrior may have finally solved it. But even believing that she now knew what she had to do to end the cycle once and for all, Xena would soon learn that actually being able to stop it would be a virtually impossible task.
TO BE CONTINUED…