4-15 Between The Lines

First air date Feb. 15, 1999.

The episode starts out with Indian music and a quote from the Xena "Blue" Scroll, "What
we sow in this life / We reap in our future lives / This is our karma."

Xena and Gabrielle are wearing Indian clothes. They see a procession and check it out. A
wrapped body is thrown onto a funeral pyre, then the living wife of her dead husband is to be
thrown onto it also. Xena and Gabrielle interfere, they fight then take the woman and run away. The
go into a temple with only one door and no way out. They bar the door.

Xena and the woman, Naiyima, are in one room alone. She tells Xena she has to send her
into the future to save her karmic circle. She forms a blue ball between her hands, something that
looks like the sky with galaxies circling appears, then Xena is hit with it and disappears.

In the future, a woman warrior named Khindin is talking to an old, partially crippled
Indian woman named Arminestra, who is reincarnated Xena, about killing the men of the village and
capturing the women and children. Xena recognizes a spear she stuck in a stone urn years ago during
the fight to save Naiyima. When they face off, Khindin becomes Alti, who recognizes Arminestra as
Xena. A man named Shakti rescues Xena but is shot with a crossbow by Alti.

Back in the past Gabrielle realizes Xena is gone. Naiyima seems to pick things from the
air, then causes colored lights with tails to fly around Gabrielle. Naiyima sees that Gabrielle
and Xena are meant to be together and tells Gabrielle she will send her forward in time to be with
Xena, but first must give her a weapon she didn't have time to give Xena. She will teach her the
mendhi (magical body painting).

Future -- Xena takes the crossbow arrow out of Shakti's shoulder. She tells him his
people must fight because she knows the woman warrior.

Past -- Naiyima tells Gabrielle the mendhi will be waiting for her in the future hidden
in the wall. She creates the blue ball and sends Gabrielle into the future just as the men break
through the door.

Future -- Gabrielle is reincarnated in the body of Shakti. She and Xena recognize each
other even though when looking into a mirror they only see Arminestra and Shakti. Xena tells
Gabrielle about Alti. Alti is about to use a young girl as a sacrifice to find out who the enemy in
the past was that sent Xena there.

Hiding and watching, Gabrielle tells Xena if they don't succeed, their souls end there.
Xena mentions that in this lifetime Gabrielle is the warrior and hero and she is the mother of
peace. Gabrielle says to her the mother of peace is a goddess.

Gabrielle and the other men go somewhere. Xena sends a man to retrieve the mendhi, then
she walks out to Alti and the little girl and tells her she will answer the question of who sent
her there if she releases the girl. Gabrielle and the men attack.

Xena sees Alti aiming her crossbow at Gabrielle, and picks up a dagger to kill Alti. The
man who got the box yells at her not to kill. Alti turns around and shoots the man. He gives the
box to Xena and dies. Gabrielle is watching and is knocked out from behind. They are captured.

Alti tells Xena they are going to die slowly and leaves. Xena tells Gabrielle she had
better start painting the symbols on their bodies like Naiyima's before Alti returns.

Past -- Naiyima is again to be thrown onto the funeral pyre.

Future -- Alti returns and Gabrielle and Xena using the power of the mendhi capture Alti
and they all disappear.

Past -- Naiyima is thrown onto the pyre, then she, Xena and Gabrielle run out of it.
Gabrielle takes Naiyima to safety. Alti appears and tells Xena that now that she is back her powers
are also back. As Xena tries to fight her, Alti uses the old trick of using Xena's past beatings to
affect her now.

Gabrielle attacks with her staff, but Alti breaks it into two pieces and beats her with
it. She then shows her the vision of her and Xena being nailed to the crosses. As Gabrielle's hands
and feet are pierced with the nails, she feels the pain and her hands and feet bleed. She is
holding Gabrielle up by her hair and Xena throws her Chakram and it cuts Gabrielle's hair and she
falls to the ground.

She throws it again but Alti makes it fly back and it slices Xena's throat.

Naiyima comes out and uses her magic on Alti. Then the drawings on all three of them glow
and they hold Alti fast. Xena produces magic Chakrams and throws them at Alti. She deflects the
first two. Xena makes two of them appear, throws them together and Alti is no more.

Naiyima tells Xena Alti's soul is not destroyed but will return many times. She tells
Gabrielle she and Xena are forever connected. Then she turns into a ball of light and disappears
into the sky.

Later, Gabrielle walks up to Xena and her hair is cut very short. She tells Xena it's
like it was in the vision. But since Alti was evil why should they believe anything she showed
them?

They talk about their souls being intertwined. Xena paints a cross on the top of one foot
as a sign they will recognize each other in future lives.

......

I actually liked this one more than I remembered. I seem to have this memory about not
liking the India episodes. Maybe it will come to pass in future eps.

VERY curious about the "Blue" Scroll ! !! !!!

Both Gabrielle and Xena were gorgeous in the new clothes. I just wish Rene