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Alti: "You see, things aren't exactly the same as they are in your realm. Here, the strongest mind wins." |
Xena: (in the Physical Realm) "You have the dagger, use it ... Alti! ... Alright, Gabrielle, that's enough. Come back now. Alright, that's enough!"
Alti: "I'm going to count to ten, and during this you will feel your body shutting down. Your heart will stop. You will cease to breathe, and at the count of ten you will die."
Xena: (in the Physical Realm) "I want you back here, Gabrielle! You can do no more good."
Alti: "One ..."
Xena: "... Can you hear me? ..."
Alti: "... two ... three ... four ... sharp pains in your arms as your blood pressure lowers ... six ... your brain is screaming ... seven ..."
Xena: "... Gabrielle ..."
Alti: "... eight ..."
Xena: "... Alti is not going to defeat us this time. Come on, Gabrielle ..."
Alti: "... nine ... one more count you will be dead ..."
Xena: "... Gabrielle, this not your Destiny. Come on!"
Alti: "... ten."
Xena: "Come on, Gabrielle! ... Come on ... NO! ... Come on! ... Oh, I got you. I got you now. Don't you ever do that again. Never do that again."
Gabrielle: "I failed."
Xena:You made it back in one piece, didn't you? Believe it or not, I feel a whole lot better now."
Yakut: "You managed to buy us some time."
Gabrielle: "There's something else. Alti doesn't want to hurt your baby. She wants it to be born."
Amarise: "What does that mean?"
Xena: "Alti wants to steal my baby's soul. She wants to replace it with her own."
Gabrielle: "I'll try again."
Xena: "No. You barely made it back the last time ... Yakut, do you remember the burial ritual for lost souls?"
Yakut: "That ritual never worked, Xena."
Xena: "Unless you've got a better idea, we've got no choice."
Xena: "The Tree of Amber grows in the temple of Chi'ah. If we can get our hands on some of it, we can use it to cover Alti's remains."
Gabrielle: "How will that stop her."
Xena: "When the amber hardens, it will trap Alti's soul."
Amarise: "Sounds easy enough."
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Xena: "Alright, we're going to split up. Yakut, you come with me. We're going to dig up Alti's grave. Gabrielle, I want you and Amarise to go to the temple. Bring back some of the amber." |
Yakut: "We're close. She knows we're coming."
Xena: "Is something wrong?"
Yakut: "No. It's you I'm worried about, Xena. There aren't many women in the world who can carry child and weapon with equal grace. And yet, I sense that your heart is not yet fully committed to motherhood."
Xena: "Part of me wants this child so bad that I'm counting the days until I have it. And another part of me wonders if bringing a child into this world is the right thing to do. It's not even born yet and already it's suffering."
Yakut: "And you blame yourself?"
Xena: "Of course. It's my child. It's my responsibility."
Yakut: "Do you remember the story of the World Tree?"
Xena: "The Shaman Elders believe that at the golden navel of the earth there is a tree that has more branches than even the gods can count. And on these branches perch the souls of unborn children."
Yakut: "The part I didn't tell you is when a mother accepts what she is about to become, the child will send her a message in the form of a dove."
Xena: "And what does it say?"
Yakut: " ‘Thank you'."
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Xena: "You've come a long way since I first met you." |
Xena: "The skull is missing. Who'd come all this way to rob a ... grave?"
Yakut: "This is all my fault. I wanted to harness Alti's power to use it for Good. I needed her skull for my ritual. But all I did was unleash her soul. And now, you and your baby are paying the price. I'm so ashamed. I didn't want to disappoint you."
Xena: "Disappoint? You didn't want to disappoint me? Yakut, my friend almost died yesterday."
Yakut: "I know. That's why I want to finish what you two started. Let me face Alti myself."
Xena: "No! We stick to the plan."
*** In the Spiritual Realm ...
Xena: "Yakut, what do you think your doing? I thought you were hurt!"
Yakut: "I'm okay. I wanted to defeat Alti myself. I need your forgiveness." -- Yakut then morphs into Alti.
Alti: "I've always wanted to be inside of you, Xena." -- Alti plucks the soul of Xena's baby from its womb.
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