"The Ring" Episode 120/608
[TEASER]
Narrator: "Previously, on Xena." Beowulf [Beo]: "My name is
Beowulf." G: "He had this-this lock. It had two ravens on it."
X: "It's something I did a long time before I met you." G:
"She wants to correct some great wrong she did-- in the past.
Her trail has taken me north-- due north-- farther north than
I've ever been." G: "Does your tapestry have a story behind
it?" Old Man: "They're called Valkyries." G: "She looks
different from the rest." Brunhilda [Bru]: "Xena." G: "Do you
know about this Valkyrie, Xena?" Bru: "Xena brought Odin out of
his depair by sharing with him her lust for life. He, in turn,
made her a Valkyrie." X: "Tell me about the Rheingold." Odin
[Odi]: "First thing you should know-- the Rheingold is very
dangerous to someone who hasn't forsaken their love." Bru: "I
just hope we don't run into Grindl along the way." G: "Who's
Grindl?" Bru: "`What's Grindl?''s a better question."]]]]]]
Beo: "We're deep in Grindl territory."
Bru: "The chances of finding her are getting less and less."
G: "Then we pick up the pace."
Bru: "What I'm trying to say is, don't get your hopes up,
Gabrielle."
G: "I'm not relying on hope. Xena's tough to kill."
Beo: "Xena's blood. This is where it ended."
G: "It's where she got away-- not long ago."
Beo: "Gabrielle-- are you being totally honest with yourself? I
mean, all of the evidence points to the fact that Xena-- "
G [Interrupts]: "She got away. She waited for her chance and
she escaped."
Bru: "Where are her tracks?"
G: "Xena is alive. If we split up, we can cover more ground."
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G's Voice: "Xena?"
G: [Muffled cry] "Xena-- "
X [Whispers]: "Sh-h. There."
Beo's Voice: "Gabrie-e-e-elle!"
G: "Oh-h-h-h-h-- don't ever leave me again. Look at you."
X: "Yeah, I know. It's all right. Don't fuss, OK?"
Beo: "Gabrielle!"
Bru: "Gabrielle! Are you all right?!"
G: "I'm fine. Xena needs water."
Bru: "Xena."
Beo: "Yeah. Clean yourself up. You look awful."
X: "Thanks."
Beo: "I'm gonna go check on our friend."
X: "Be careful."
Bru: "Xena, I have waited my entire life to meet you."
X: "If I knew I had a fan coming, I would have combed my hair."
Bru: "I never should have doubted that you'd be alive. Only the
legendary Xena could survive against Grindl and the power of the
ring."
X: "I would have thought the legendary Xena wouldn't be too
welcome up here."
Bru: "Weaklings don't like you. I have nothing but the utmost
respect for you and your philosophy. From the very first story I
ever heard I knew I wanted to be a warrior like you-- to live for
battle-- die with valor-- "
X: "Well, I've gotten a lot smarter since then. I've learned to
respect life, love, and peace."
Bru: "Why? What happened?"
X: "Lots of reasons."
Beo: "It seems to be gone."
X: "Yeah, she's out there somewhere."
Bru: "When it heard us looking for Gabrielle, it doubled back
behind us. With the cliffs behind us, it cut off our path of
retreat."
X: "That's right."
G: "Let's get you outta here."
X: "No, Gabrielle, I can't do that. Grindl and I have a date
with destiny. Gabrielle, I know better than to try to talk you
into leaving, but you two should go. Live to fight another day.
This is my battle."
G: "_Our_ battle."
Bru: "I won't leave Gabrielle."
Beo: "Neither will I."
X: "Well, I guess we're in this together, then. This way."
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[ACT I]
X: "This is it. This is its lair."
G: "Are you sure about thus?"
X: "I'm sure."
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Beo: "So, what's your plan?"
X: "I'm going to lure Grindl in here. When she's in position, I
want you bring the mountain down on her head."
G: "Her? What is this Grindl?"
X: "A mistake-- from a very long time ago. I defeated the Rhine
maidens to steal their gold-- not for the wealth it could have
brought me-- but for the power foretold by Odin's rune stones."
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[Flashback]
X's Voice [Narrates]: "I melted down the Rheingold-- harnessing
all its power into a single ring-- a ring that could give a
mortal the power of a god."
X: "Give me that ring. I've thrashed you before, Grinhilda! I
can do it again."
Grinhilda [Gri]: "I won't let the power of the Rheingold fall
into the hands of a _monster_ like you."
X: "It's no _use_ to you. You know what the runes say-- unless
you have forsaken love the power of the ring will destroy what
you value most."
Gri: "The runes also say that anyone who puts on the ring has a
surge of godlike strength before the destructive power kicks in."
X: "You'd gamble that you can beat me before the ring destroys
your essence."
Gri: "I'll take that chance to destroy you. The Valkyrie had
honor once-- before they learned to prize the thirst of blood.
You taught us that, Xena."
X: "Let's see if you took notes."
[Fight]
Gri: [Screams, then morphs into Grindl]
X: "It's a whole new you, Grinhilda. Now we see what you prize
the most, Grinhilda. You've lost what you hold dearest in your
heart-- your humanity-- your beauty."
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[The Present]
Beo: "You mean, this monster that's been killing my people is
actually Grinhilda-- the Valkyrie?"
Bru: "Then why didn't you just use the ring to kill her?"
X: "Killing her would have been kind compared to what I had in
mind for her. As fearsome as she was in her new form-- she knew
that she was no match for me with the ring. She fled."
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[Flashback]
X's Voice [Narrates]: "Using chains I stole from Odin and
Grinhilda's own necklace as a lock-- I transformed this mine into
her prison-- then I drove Grinhilda towards her fate. I knew
being trapped in that hideous form would be the ultimate torture
for Grinhilda. I wanted her to suffer with her own ugliness
forever."
X: "Don't think you've won anything! These chains will hold you
for eternity, and you will _never_ use the power of the ring--
never!"
X's Voice [Narrates]: "I wasn't going in that cage without the
ring and Grinhilda wasn't about to give it to me. It was a
stalemate."
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[The Present]
X: "I knew that the power of the ring wouldbe useless to her
unless-- "
G: "-- she learned to forsake love."
X: "That's right. 35 years of imprisonment is enough to drive
love out of anyone's heart. And once that happened-- the power
of the ring was hers. She broke free. Now nothing would stop
her murderous rampage. You ready for this?"
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X: "Come and get some. Come on. Come on. What are you waiting
for, huh? Come on. Ha-ha! That's it. Come on."
Beo: "Here they come."
G: "Wait for Xena's signal."
X: "You know you want it. You remember me, don'tcha? Huh?
Come on. Come on. Stay here!"
G: "Xena, no! Xena!"
X: "I thought I told you not to come in here!"
G: "I never listen!"
[Fight]
Bru: "No!"
X: "Beowulf, get to the other side!"
Beo: "What about you?!"
X: "Don't worry about me. Go."
Beo: "Gabrielle! Look out! Gabrielle-- are you hurt?"
Bru: "Are you all right?"
G: "Xena-a-a-a-a! Xena-a-a!"
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[ACT II]
G: "Xena?!"
Beo: "She's right behind here!"
Beo: "Xena-a-a-a-a-a!"
G: "Xena-a-a-a!"
G: "Watch out! Help me!"
X: "Yah!"
G: "Xena-a-a-a!"
Bru: "W-wait! Gabrielle, wait! Wait!"
G [Whispers]: "Xena."
Beo: "Gabrielle!"
Bru: "Ah-h-h-h-h."
X [Whispers]: "Gabrielle. [Normal Voice] Forgive me,
Grinhilda."
G: "Are you all right?"
X: "Yeah-- I'm all right."
G: "What is it?"
X: "Let's get out of here."
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G: "Xena, you killed it. It's over."
X: "No, that monster that I locked in the mine long ago, I cut
off one of its fingers. What I killed just now-- it had all of
its fingers."
G: "If then wasn't Grinhilda, then what was it?"
X: "That's Grinhilda-- and whatever it was I killed, she's not
happy about it. We gotta get to the Rhine maidens. I got
somethin' that belongs to them."
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Bru: "She really is giving up the power of the ring. She is not
the Xena of the legends."
G: "She fights for good now."
Bru: "I don't know. I mean, in battle she's everything that I
imagined, yes."
G: "There's more to being a warrior than skill. There's
fighting for what you believe in-- for people that you love."
Bru: "You know, before I met you, I never thought of a warrior
as having any love but the love of battle."
X: "I'm gonna tend to this. Brunhilda, could you scout up
ahead? See what's over that ridge? Thank you. I don't like
her."
G: "Why do you say that?"
X: "I don't know. She's just not who she says she is, that's
all."
G: "Xena, she's searching. She doesn't know what she believes
in."
X: "No, she believes in exactly what _I_ used to believe in. I
don't trust her."
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Odi: "You don't like my friends, Brunhilda. They're my eyes and
ears in the field. So-- what went wrong, Brunhilda? The plan
was-- once Xena had the ring-- you were to attack her in a
wakened state and take it!"
Bru: "Yes, but there were complications."
Odi: "Complications. My ravens-- they tell me you've fallen in
love with her partner. Is it possible you thought that killing
Xena would kill any chance you had with Gabrielle?"
Bru: "Those mangy stool pidgeons. Odin-- I had to play up to
Gabrielle so she wouldn't suspect my true motives."
Odi: "You failed to bring the ring to me."
Bru: "But I j-- "
Odi: "Silence! I`ll deal with you later. Xena-- has the power
to till gods. She's also capable of taking out her share of
Valkyrie. But she has a weakness-- her partner-- Gabrielle.
Capture her-- and the ring-- is ours."
Valkyrie [Val]: "And if she won't trade?"
Odi: "Oh, she'll trade-- or Gabrielle will be killed."
Val's: "Yah! Yah! Hah! Yah!"
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Beo: "What's keeping Brunhilda?"
X: "Somethin's going on."
Val: "That one! Get the blonde!"
[Fight]
Bru: "Yah-h-h-h! Yah!"
G: "Xena!"
X: "Brunhilda, stop!"
G: "Xena!"
X: "Gabrie-e-e-e-elle!"
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[ACT III]
G: "Xena!"
Beo: "Gabrie-e-e-e-elle!"
[Fight]
X: "Beowulf! See if you can find where they're headed!"
Odi: "Enough! Let's talk about this-- alone. [Sighs] 35
years-- you look amazing, Xena-- for a mortal."
X: "You've come for the ring."
Odi: "And you want your friend. May I suggest a trade?"
X: "A trade."
Odi's Voice: "Hm-m."
X: "No, I saw your faces when Brunhilda carried Gabrielle off.
You were as surprised as I am. She's acting alone."
Odi: "Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha. You killed Grinhilda's son."
X: "Her son?"
Odi: "Yes-- she was with child when you caged her. She'll be
most upset when she finds out it was you killed him. If I enlist
her help as an ally-- together, we would be formidable. Why
don't you give me the ring, Xena? Go back to Greece-- where you
belong."
X: "Odin-- I'm taking the ring back to the Rhine maidens. I owe
them that much. Trust me-- I won't let it fall into the hands of
one who's forsaken love."
Odi: "_Don't_ make me kill you."
X: "You want that ring for yourself."
Odi: "Yes-- it ensures my power against other gods-- and
god-slayers like you."
X: "Have you forsaken love?"
Odi: "After you-- it wasn't very hard."
X: "Then I'd be a fool to give it to you."
Odi: "Then you leave me no choice. You remember-- your ability
to forsake love is long gone! I'll give Grinhilda your regards."
Beo: "She's taking Gabrielle to the Eastwyn Bog."
X: "Take me there."
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G: "What are you doing?"
Bru: "Odin and the others were gonna kill _you_ for the ring."
G: "We left Xena to fight them all."
Bru: "Is Xena all you think about?"
G: "Sh-- Xena is my family. She's the most important thing in
my life."
Bru: "All right, Gabrielle, listen to me. I bring to Valhalla
the bravest warriors slain in battle-- heroes. But your heart--
has more truth and courage than _any_ that I've seen. The beauty
inside you burns like a star, Gabrielle. I was supposed to
betray you and Xena-- but I couldn't-- not now. You've changed
me. You've opened my eyes and you've change me the way you
changed Xena."
G: "I don't know what to say. I'm sorry."
Bru: "I defied my god for you, Gabrielle!"
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Odi: "Grinhilda-- you're looking well. I know who killed your
son-- the same woman who robbed you of your beauty-- Xena! Yes--
come. I'll take you to her. Fighting together-- just like old
times. You want your revenge, don't you?"
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G: "Xena and I have a connection. It's stronger than either one
of us. We're soul mates."
Bru: "My love is strong. I can feel it!"
G: "I am trying to tell you that Xena and I are meant to be
together. We didn't-- we didn't _make- it that way. It just
is."
X's Voice: "Gabrie-e-e-e-e-elle!"
G: "Xena!"
Bru: "I can see your heart lies with Xena-- but I'll prove to
you which one of us deserves your love."
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X: "You _do_ know your way around this place, don't you?"
Beo: "I never had a reason to come into this foul pit. But for
Gabrielle-- I would go through the fires of Hell."
G's Voice: "Xena"!
X: "That's her."
Beo: "Over here."
Odi: "Give me the ring, Xena."
X: "Step aside, or join the Olympians."
Odi: "Very well. I like the odds."
X: "So do I."
[Fight]
G's Voice: "Xena!"
Odi: "Find her friend-- and at _my_ order-- kill her. [Laughs]
X: "Beowulf!"
Odi: "Give me the ring, Xena-- and I won't kill your friend.
Look-- you can't defeat us all. You must forsake love to gain
the ring's power. Your feelings for Gabrielle guarantee that it
won't work for you."
X: "The ring works for everyone at first. Ask her."
Odi: "Yes-- but eventually-- it kills the essence of one that
has not forsaken love. What do you hold dearest in your heart,
Xena? Are you ready to lose it?"
X: "I'm out of options, Odin."
Odi [Sighs]: "Kill her! And kill Gabrielle!"
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[ACT IV]
[Fight]
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G: "Brunhilda-- you can't win. Listen to me. This is wrong.
Can we just-- let's just talk about this!"
Bru: "Get back."
[Fight]
G: "Xena."
Bru: "They're gonna kill her before I get a chance to prove my
love for you."
G: "What are you fighting for? You want to win my love? You're
going to shed blood for what? For me? You call that love?
You're sick."
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[Fight] G's Voice: "Xena!"
Odi: "Let her go!"
Val: "But she has the ring!"
Odi: "But right now-- it's killing what she values the most."
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Bru: "Xena. Odin will bring all of his forces upon Gabrielle
until you give up that ring. You have to trust me. It's the--
you've put the ring on your finger. But Xena, you haven't
forsaken love. Take it off!"
X: "I don't know what you're talking about."
Bru: "The curse is already working."
X: "I don't know how I got here. What's my name? What's my
name?"
Bru: "You've lost your memory, your sense or self. What about
Gabrielle?"
X: "I don't know her."
Bru: "Xena, give me the ring."
X: "Why does everybody want my ring?"
Bru: "Xena, give me the ring and everybody will leave you alone.
Thank you."
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G's Voice: "Xena!"
Bru: "Gabrielle."
G: "Brunhilda, I am going to find Xena."
Bru: "Xena won't know you."
G: "Won't know-- won't know me? [Snickers] What are you
talking about?"
Bru: "She put on the ring."
G: "No."
Bru: "And she lost what she values most-- you-- the memories of
you and the woman that you helped her to become."
G: "No."
Bru: "Here. This ring is too powerful to fall into undeserving
hands-- and so are you. But I can't protect in this form-- not
from Odin-- and he and Grinhilda will stop at nothing. They'll
kill everthing associated with Xena."
G: "In this form?"
Bru: "I'll become an eternal flame for you. Only your true
soulmate will be able to pass through the fire. You'll be safe.
[Chants in a foreign tongue] See, Gabrielle? You _have_ changed
me."
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Beo: "Oh-h-h-- Xena! Xena!"
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X: "I can hear you-- laughin' at me. Who am I? Please tell me.
Who am I?!"
X's Voice: "Who am I?!"
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