A Saving Grace
Written by: Caina Q. Fuller©
Episode #6 In The Messenger Series
Fade In-bubbling brook, 26 years ago
The waters of a bubbling brook course
roughly over small stones made smooth by years of being submerged in the
brook. Suddenly a bucket is dropped
into the frame, held by porcelain white hands.
As we pull back, we see the arms of the woman dipping the bucket
are covered in bruises, some old and yellow, some dark and fresh. The woman is NAJARRA, and as we look into
her eyes we see her spirit has been broken in the short time she has been in
prison, cut off from Gabrielle.
As the bucket fills, Najarra’s eyes are drawn to an apparition of
a woman with flowing white gowns and luxurious black hair. She has warm brown eyes that smile at
Najarra as brightly as her lips.
Najarra looks away in fear, not certain if this woman is real or merely
a figment of her demented mind.
When the bucket is full, Najarra struggles with it over to a group
of women doing the prison cooking. No
sooner does she stop next to the cauldron do two nearby guards strike up a
conversation. In the gates behind them, new women inmates are being led into
the prison, making escape somewhat easier if given the right distraction.
Guard #1
You won’t believe what I
heard. Julius Caesar was
assassinated last week. Rumor
has it Brutus was responsible.
Guard #2
That’s nothin’. Xena and
Gabrielle were crucified that
same day. Rumor has it
they were tacked up on
Caesar’s order.
The men laugh, but Najarra is
horrified by this news. The prophecy had come true. Gabrielle was dead because
of Xena, and her own inability to save her.
Guard #1
I wouldn’t be surprised if
Xena had something to do
with Caesar’s assassination.
You know how much they
hated each other.
Guard #2
Oh yeah. Hey, what do
you say we head on over
to Aesop’s place later and-
Najarra
Excuse me.
Najarra has left her cooking
duties and interrupted the guard’s conversation, even though she knows it could
result in another beating. She can’t help herself. Gabrielle just couldn’t be
dead.
Guard #1
Get back to work!
Najarra
I
couldn’t help but hear
your
conversation. Are
you
sure about the rumors
you
heard? I mean, isn’t-
Guard #2
He
said get back to work!
You
should be cooking, not
eavesdroppin’
on people’s
conversations!
Guard #1
I know
you had a thing
for
Gabrielle, but she’s
dead. You’ll be joining her
if you
don’t get out of here!
The guard moves to strike
Najarra, but something in her snaps.
Now that Gabrielle is dead, there is no reason for her to remain on her
best behavior. She would never see the woman who’d won her heart again, so
there was no reason to stay and take beatings from these men.
Najarra blocks his hand, and
then head butts him, sending him falling back. She then pulls his sword from
his scabbard and runs him through.
Guard #2 tries his own clumsy attack, but Najarra quickly dispenses with
him by cutting off his head.
Guard after guard attacks, and
one right after another Najarra cuts them down. When most of the guards in the
yard are dead, Najarra makes a beeline for the door. She’s almost through when
a guard on the wall fires at her, planting an arrow in her chest. She falls to the ground, dead.
As the remaining guards work to
subdue the women trying to escape, some of the prisoners come to stand over
Najarra’s body. Unseen to their eyes is
the apparition from the waters edge earlier in the Teaser. She appears and
pulls Najarra’s soul from her body.
Shiriah
Najarra.
Najarra
Who are you?
Shiriah
I am
Shiriah. The Jinn. I’ve
come
to take you home.
They fade away, leaving
Najarra’s body in the prison yard.
Fade out. End of Teaser.
*********
Act One
Fade In-Potidaea Present Day
We fade in on the peaceful village of Potidaea. It’s market day, and every stall is stocked
full with the freshest catches and newest clothing material. As the villagers go about their day, Najarra
appears among them. She is wearing a traditional Greek toga, dark gray in
color.
She begins moving through the village, looking for a young
man who’d murdered his father in a drunken rage. Finally, she comes to the village tavern and finds two men
talking outside.
Man #1
Cephus is inside. Can you
believe they let that guy
go after he murdered his
own father in cold blood?
Man #2
Yeah I know. But they didn’t
have any hard evidence.
Man #1
How much evidence do you
need? He’s a loud-mouthed,
rude, drunken jerk. He’d
even threatened to kill his
father in public. What happened
to justice these days?
Najarra
I’m right here.
Najarra enters the tavern, unseen by human eyes. As soon as
she does she spots the man in question at the bar, drinking and laughing with a
friend of his. As Najarra nears him,
intending to kill him, she spots Hope in the room just behind the bar.
Something in her recognizes her, but her memories of her
past life were wiped clean by the Jinn when they took her to their realm to
spend eternity as an angel of justice. This seems unfair given Najarra’s
history, but we’ll get to that later.
Right now, an image of Gabrielle appears before her mind.
It’s of the first time she ever lay eyes on Gabrielle when she was fighting off
her men with Xena from Crusader. The flashback is brief, and Najarra
quickly shakes it off. She has a mission to do. A mission she hates, but is
powerless to refuse.
Najarra approaches Cephus, slowly and with hand
outstretched. She is just about to touch him, thereby pulling his soul from his
body and killing him, when Hope emerges from the rear room. She has taken a job
here to help her Aunt and cousin with the living expenses.
Hope isn’t showing yet, so she still wears Gabrielle’s
Season Three clothes and she looks exactly like the Gabrielle that Najarra met
in Crusader. Upon seeing her
again, Najarra has another flashback of placing the wreath on Gabrielle’s head
and accepting her into the light with a hug from Crusader.
Najarra isn’t the only one to notice Hope either. As she passes by him to refill the
customer’s empty mugs with fresh mead, Cephus wraps an arm around her and pulls
her to him. Hope struggles against him in disgust as he tries to kiss her.
Hope
Stop it! Let go of
me!
Cephus
Come on now sweet thing.
Be friendly now.
Hope
I said get off me!
Najarra has yet another flashback at the sound of Hope’s
voice. It is of Gabrielle sitting in the cave at the end of Crusader,
after Najarra has been taken her from Xena.
Gabrielle
You’re so close to being
this ultimate force of
goodness…
Suddenly Najarra remembers Gabrielle, but not before Hope
elbows Cephus in the nose. He loosens his grip on her, and she takes off out of
the tavern. Embarrassed by the
villager’s laughs, he takes off after her.
Najarra
Gabrielle!
Ext. Street
Hope rushes outside and almost smacks into Eve, who is
coming after Cephus. New evidence has
been found against him, and a new trial has been set to be held.
Eve
Hope! What’s the
matter?
Hope
It’s Cephus. He’s going to
hurt me.
Eve
No he’s not.
Cephus emerges from the tavern, murder for Hope in his
eyes. He tries to plow through Eve to
get to her, but Eve grabs him by the arm and twists him around. She plants her
foot on his butt and shoves him into the dirt, face down, where this draws even
more laughter from the townspeople, all of whom hate him.
Najarra exits the tavern, still invisible to mortal
eyes. She watches as Eve faces Cephus
down with a scroll in her hand.
Cephus
Who the hell are
you?
Eve
I’m Eve. The Magistrate has
sent me to tell you new
evidence has been brought to
light in your father’s murder
case. I’m here to take you
back to jail for a new trial.
Cephus
The jury wasn’t able to make
up their minds if I did it or
not. I’ve been set free. I’m
not going back for no new
trial.
As Najarra watches Eve draw her sword, she sees Xena do the
same thing in the first fight between them in the tavern in Crusader. Her face contorts with rage at the sight of
Xena, but she does nothing as she watches Eve handle Cephus.
Eve
I’ve been told to bring you
back, dead or alive. It’s
your choice.
Cephus
You’d cut down an unarmed
man? Figures.
Eve re-sheathes her sword, then tosses him a pair of handcuffs
that land on the dusty ground.
Eve
Put them on. You don’t
want me to do it, trust me.
Cephus kicks the manacles back at Eve, and she ducks, but
Hope catches them before they can fly into the trough the horses are drinking
from, and Cephus charges Eve with a cry of rage.
Eve jumps into the air, kicking Cephus hard in the face,
then lands. She follows through with a drop kick, but Cephus is prepared this
time and he ducks it. Now they’re
punching at each other with everything they’ve got. For awhile neither one is able to get the better of the other,
then Cephus lands a solid punch on Eve, sending her flying back.
He wastes no time in pouncing on her. While she’s on her back, he tries to drive
his foot into her gut, but Eve flips back, stoops and sweeps her feet beneath
him. He falls to his back now, but quickly jumps back to his feet. Eve kicks him in the chest, sending him
stumbling toward Hope, and when he’s close she holds up the manacles.
Hope
Hey!
Cephus turns around and Hope smacks him hard in the face
with the manacles. She then kicks him
hard in the groin, and he falls to his knees. Eve has her sword drawn and to
his throat in no time, and he decides it would be wiser to surrender now and
try to escape later.
Eve
We make a good team
Hope.
Would you like to
do the honors?
Hope
Yes I would.
As Hope cuffs him, Najarra frowns in confusion. She has no
concept of how much time has passed, and she has no idea of all the events that
have transpired since her death.
Najarra
Why are you calling yourself
Hope? Who is this woman
that looks like Xena?
A light appears next to Najarra, and solidifies into
Shiriah, an agent of the Jinn. She sees that Najarra is regaining her old
memories, and this she cannot allow.
Shiriah
Najarra darling. Justice still
has a chance to be served now
that Cephus is getting a new
trial. Your work in Potidaea is
complete. You’re needed in
Athens now.
Najarra nods in agreement, but motions at Hope.
Najarra
And what about them? I
know her from somewhere.
Shiriah
No you don’t. You just
have her confused with
an older case. Come now.
Athens awaits.
Najarra doesn’t look convinced at all, but she fades away,
leaving Shiriah in the town square.
After studying Hope and Eve leading Cephus off, she shakes her head in
worry and fades away. She’s done all she could to keep Najarra out of hell,
since it was the Jinn that corrupted her to begin with. But if Najarra returns
to her old ways…
Ext. Homestead
Hope and Eve lead Cephus, gagged and bound, toward the
homestead Gabrielle grew up in with Lila.
When they arrive Hopes aunt comes out to greet them with a smile. Her smile quickly fades upon site of Cephus
however.
Lila
Hope. I just received word
from your mother. She’s
returning from Egypt.
Hope
Really?
How long till she
gets here?
Lila
She says she should be
back in a few days.
Eve
Looks like she can’t bear
to be away from her baby for
very long.
Hope
And I can’t bear to be away
from her either. I love her
so much.
Hope touches her slightly swollen stomach, which contains
new life and Eli’s soul.
Hope
I have Eli to thank for
that. I wonder if he knows
how much I appreciate
what’s he’s done for me.
Eve
You gave him new life Hope.
He understands.
Cephus rolls his eyes and makes a disgusted noise,
prompting nasty looks from Eve and Hope.
Eve
Ah, shut up. I have to go
guys. I’m taking sunshine
here back to Pella to stand
trial.
This time the only
thing that’s going to be hung
is you, not the jury.
Lila
I’ve packed you some supplies
for your trip. I’ll get your horse.
Eve
Thank you Lila.
As Lila moves to disappear, Najarra appears next to the
house. She peers around the corner as if she is afraid of being caught. Perhaps
she is afraid Shiriah is still lurking around to make sure she’s gone.
Hope
Where’s Virgil?
Eve
He’s gone home to make
some repairs on his house.
At least that’s what he says.
Hope
Oh, Eve.
He’s not trying
to avoid you.
Eve
I don’t see why he wouldn’t.
Since he’s met me his father
was murdered, he was
kidnapped, nearly eaten by a
lion, run through with a sword,
and almost crucified.
Despite herself Hope begins to giggle, and even Eve’s lips
curl up in a small smile.
Hope
Well, when you say it like
that…I’m sure he sees life
with you as an adventure
that he wouldn’t give up for
anything. Besides, this will
give him good writing material.
You two make a good team
Eve. Don’t give up on it
just because he needs a break.
Eve
I won’t.
Lila arrives with her horse as well as another steed. Eve helps Cephus mount Braveheart, then she
climbs up on her own steed.
Hope
I don’t think you should go
alone with this guy Eve. Let
me come with you. I’m sure
I could get the time off at the
tavern.
Eve
Nonsense.
I was the champion
of Rome at one time. I can
handle one psychotic looser.
Hope
If you say so.
Eve rides out with Cephus, and Hope watches her go. As the camera pans around her we see Najarra
has taken up a position right behind and practically on top of Hope to look
down on her with eyes full of love.
Though she doesn’t know it yet, Hope is in some serious trouble.
Fade Out.
End of Act One.
*********
Act Two
Fade In-
Hope enters the windmill and spreads a mat out on the floor
to mediate. With that done, she takes
out a small scarf her mother had given her, and ties it around her right wrist.
As she is working, she notices a scar in a beam on the ceiling, made by Xena’s
Chakram. It forces her to remember the
time she and her son the first destroyer tried to kill Xena in this same room.
Hope shakes these images out of her mind and takes a seat
on the mat, then begins to meditate. As
she is doing this, Najarra appears before her.
Bad memories still haunt Hope. She can see her creature kill her in this room, and this time,
Najarra sees it as well. Slowly,
gently, Najarra reaches out and touches Hopes face. Hope smiles, thinking her mother has returned early, but instead
of finding Gabrielle, she finds Najarra.
Hope
(startled)
Who are you?
Najarra
My name is Najarra.
You’re name is Hope?
Hope
Yes.
Najarra
I can see your memories Hope.
Bad things happened to you
in this same room. Things
that happened because of
Xena.
Hope doesn’t know what to make of this woman. Who was she?
How could she know about any of her history? Then the name Najarra comes back
to her.
Hope
Najarra…I’ve read about you
in my mother’s scrolls. How
are you here?
Najarra
That’s a long
story.
Hope
Look, I have to be getting
back to my aunt. She needs
me.
Najarra
Wait. Don’t you want to talk?
We have so much in common.
Xena has hurt us both.
Hope
No, I don’t want to talk,
and Xena wasn’t responsible
for my actions. I was. Just
as you were. Look, I
want you to leave now.
Najarra looks genuinely hurt at Hope’s angry rejection, and
her face pinches up in anger.
Najarra
You’re just like your mother
aren’t you Hope? You’re taking
Xena’s side against me, and
all Xena ever did was try
to keep you separated from your
mother.
Not to mention kill you!
Hope gets up and looks to the door. She begins to ease away from Najarra, hoping
with all her heart that Gabrielle would come home now instead of a few days
from now as planned.
Najarra
I had hoped we could be
friends. Since you’re so
obviously against that, I
have no choice but to take
you by force.
Hope
What? What are you talking
about? Take me where?
Najarra
If I want Gabrielle to come
with me, she’s going to need
an incentive to do so.
Hope runs for the door, but when she pulls it open, Najarra
stands on the other side. She grabs
Hope by the arm, and they fade away, leaving nothing behind of Hope but the
scarf.
Ext. Road. Eve and
Cephus
Eve and Cephus continue to ride for Pella, and as they do
Eve’s captive struggles to free himself of his restraints. He also kicks
Braveheart mercilessly on his sides to encourage him to run, but as Argo was
trained only to run for Xena, so is Braveheart only trained to run for Eve.
Eve
Do you like the feel of
intense pain Cephus?
Cephus
(muffled from his
gag)
Hmmm?
Eve
Kick my horse again and
I’ll cut your left foot off.
Cephus immediately quits kicking and rides along
quietly.
Int. Realm of the Jinn
Members of the Jinn, Shiriah included, have gathered in
their realm to discuss the situation with Najarra as they watch Eve with
Cephus. The realm is gray, like a
stormy sky, and we get the feeling that the realm of the Jinn is some kind of
purgatory for souls. Not heaven, but not hell either.
Darcon
Shiriah.
Najarra has gone
renegade again. You know
what this means.
Shiriah
I know. I tried to pull her
away from Potidaea but…
Who’s idea was it in the
first place to send her there,
knowing her history with
Gabrielle?
Darcon
Don’t try to escape your
responsibilities by assigning
blame to us. Najarra was
your project and she went
horribly wrong. She hasn’t been
reformed. Her recent actions
prove this.
Shiriah
Well what do you want me
to do? I’ve tried everything I
can think of.
Darcon
That’s up to you. I have just
been informed by Michael that
she’s being given one last chance.
You have until sunset three days
from now turn her from this sick
obsession she has with Gabrielle
once and for all, or she spends her
eternity in hell for her crimes on
earth before she met Xena and
Gabrielle. She’s your mistake so
you fix her!
Darcon fades away, and Shiriah turns her attention back to
Eve and Cephus.
Shiriah
You’re my last
hope Eve.
Ext. Potidaea
Lila is carrying laundry to the backyard when she passes
the windmill. She looks inside for Hope
and sees the meditation mat, but Hope isn’t there. Where could she be?
Lila
Hope? Sweetie, are
you here?
A gust of wind kicks up, and the only response to Lila’s
question is Hope’s scarf as it blows in the wind toward her. Najarra appears
before her, scooping up the piece of material and smiling wickedly at her.
Lila
Who are you? What have
you done with my niece?
Najarra
My name is Najarra. All I
want is for us to be one
big happy family. What do
you say we start planning a
welcome home party for
Gabrielle?
Slowly Najarra advances on Lila and we-
Cut
to:
Ext. Eve and Cephus
The ride with Cephus is peaceful once again, until Shiriah
suddenly appears and both horses rear up in fright of her. Eve manages to hold on to her horse, but
Cephus’ hands are tied behind his back and he falls to the ground.
Eve
Whoa! Calm down boys!
Who are you?
Shiriah
My name is Shiriah. I’m
a member of the Jinn.
Eve
The who?
Shiriah
You haven’t read Gabrielle’s
scrolls?
Eve
Not all of them so why don’t
you cut me some slack and give
me a short sweet explanation?
Shiriah
Alright, but there isn’t much time.
Your friends, Hope, Lila and Gabrielle,
are in danger.
Eve
Talk to me.
Time
elapse:
Eve and Shiriah have pulled the horses up beneath some
trees, and currently are not watching Cephus.
As they talk, Najarra appears beside him and waves a hand over his
restraints. The cuffs fall from him,
and Cephus looks to her in confusion.
Cephus
(whispering)
Who are you?
Najarra
I’m a friend. I’ve come to
help you get your freedom,
if you’ll help me with something
in return. Deal?
Cephus
Alright. It’s a deal. What do
you want me to do?
Najarra
I need you to keep Eve busy
while I take what’s mine.
When we’re finished, you go
free.
Cephus
Count me in.
Ext. Grove-Eve and Shiriah
As Eve and Shiriah talk, Cephus slowly mounts the horse Eve
was riding, and walks him off, out of site of Eve’s peripheral vision. Eve is
so taken with Shiriah’s story of Najarra’s history with Gabrielle that she
doesn’t notice him leaving.
Shiriah
So you see? It was I who
put Najarra on the path of
the warrior.
Eve
This realm you exist in seems
like a bland version of hell. Isn’t
this punishment enough?
Shiriah
Not according to
Michael.
Eve
From what you’ve told me,
the Jinn can’t be held
responsible for Najarra’s actions.
Shiriah
Yes, we can. I knew she was
unstable when I began contact
with her as a child. I thought
I could reform her, but I was
wrong. That’s why I crossed
her path with Xena and Gabrielle.
To stop her.
Eve
Only it backfired and she
became obsessed with Gabrielle.
Shiriah
She only has three days before
she’s sent to hell forever.
Please Eve. Save her. I’ve tried
and failed.
Eve
What makes you
think I can?
Shiriah
Humans have been known
to do extraordinary things.
You may be able to get through
to her where I’ve failed. All
I’m asking is that you try.
Eve sighs, knowing that if she agrees to try to reform
Najarra and fails she will have to live with the knowledge that a soul who’d
been dependent upon her for salvation was suffering forever. However she was
the Messenger, and it was her duty to reform people on the wrong path.
Eve
I’ll do my best, but I’ll
need some help from you.
Shiriah
Anything.
Eve turns to check on Cephus and finds him gone. When she
runs out to Braveheart’s side, his tracks lead into the forest. There’s no telling where he has gone, or if
she’ll be able to find him again after dealing with Najarra. Eve shakes her head in frustration.
Eve
Great.
Shiriah
Your prisoner?
Eve
He’s gone. I’ll worry about
him later. Right now, here’s
what I need you to do.
Eve turns to hatch her plan with Shiriah, and Cephus
watches her from the trees, a diabolical chuckle breaking the silence of the
still, hot air.
Fade out.
End of Act Two.
***********
Act Three
Fade In-Potidaea
Int. Homestead
Hope and Lila sit at the table, eating a meal fit for a King that
Najarra had conjured up. However they only pick at the food, for right now they
have no appetite. At the window,
Najarra paces nervously.
Najarra
Oh, I can’t wait to see her
again! Gabrielle and I will
be so happy now that Xena’s
dead.
Hope and Lila share a disgusted
glance, and it is now that Najarra notices they’ve barely touched their food.
Najarra
Hope, eat up. A pregnant
woman must have her
nutrition you know? You do
want a healthy child don’t you?
Hope blurts out a sarcastic,
angry response to Najarra’s condescending questions.
Hope
No, I want him to be premature
and mentally retarded. What do
you think?
Najarra
Since you’re pregnant and you
can’t control your raging hormone’s
I’ll let that slide.
Hope
I’ll show you rage, you sick,
crazy bitch.
Lila grabs Hope’s arm and pulls
her back down into her seat.
Lila
Now,
now Hope. I know you’re
feeling
a little stressed, but now
is not
the time for an attitude.
Hope eases back into her chair
and takes the scarf given to her by her mother.
Najarra
What are you doing?
Hope
Nothing. I just wanted to
hold this. It was a gift from
my mother.
Najarra
You love her very much,
don’t you Hope?
Hope
Of course I do.
Najarra
I love her too.
As Najarra speaks with them,
something catches her attention outside the window. When she looks out, she finds Shiriah in the front yard.
Najarra
I’ll be right back. I have
the powers of a god you
know. If either of you try
to escape me, Lila dies,
then the baby.
Lila grabs Hopes hand at the threat
on the babies life. What kind of a being is she to threaten the life of an
innocent, unborn child? Only a demon
from hell as far as Hope and Lila are concerned.
Ext. Homestead
Najarra approaches Shiriah slowly, ready for a fight.