Looking Death In The Eye

First air date was April 24, 2000.

The story starts out in a tavern where a man offers a scroll for sale. He says it is the last known
scroll of the Bard of Poteidaia. A man at the bar turns around and it is Joxer, who is now old. He
says he knew her and Xena. He looks at the scroll and it's Gabrielle's handwriting. He buys the
scroll for 65 dinars and goes home where we hear, but don't see, Meg complaining about money
spent - HER nest egg. He says it's Gabrielle's last scroll. She asks when is he going to accept the
fact that they are gone?

Then he goes out to the barn and is joined by his two kids, a girl and a boy. He asks if they want
to hear the tale of a beautiful warrior princess. Then he begins to read to them.

"Her, uh -- her celebrations at Thebes, in Egypt, were cut short because Xena, the mighty Warrior
Princess fought both night and day for the life of her newborn child. As she continued to sing the
rage of her Olympian foes, their ceaseless battles finally drove her to the Fates in search of
answers."

The Fates tells Xena it is the time of the twilight. Xena wants a precise date, but they say it
will occur in time. But Xena must die, for only in the essence of death will Eve fulfill her
prophecy. The sooner she dies, the faster Eve will bring about the fall of the gods. Gabrielle
comes in, and tells Xena she doesn't want to hear any of this, that they make their own Fate. But
Xena says she still believes that, and so do the Fates and it's the only way - she has to die.