The Nexus
Series Finale
By: Caina Q. Fuller
Teaser
Fade In-Underworld-Yodoshi’s prison
Yodoshi, naked and covered in sweat, kneels before the bars of his
prison cell. A chain holds the door’s
closed, with a lock fashioned in he Yin-Yang symbol. His hands are glowing, as
is the lock. He strains to force it open, but to no avail.
He screams in frustration and sits back, panting from his
efforts. He looks out into the endless
black void that surrounds him, and all he can hear is the whistle of cold,
empty wind.
Suddenly Xena and Akemi appear before him, their beautiful faces
lit up with smiles. They look to one
another, then back to Yodoshi.
Yodoshi
What do you want? Why are you here?
Answer me!
The women do not answer however. Instead they turn and float away.
He calls out to them, reaching through the bars and trying to catch hold of the
material of their red and pink kimono’s as they recede from sight.
Yodoshi
I will not stay here. I am Yodoshi. I am the
eater of souls. I will not be defeated by a
couple of women.
Once again Yodoshi holds his hands over the lock. Once again it
begins to glow. Fat beads of sweat glisten on his brow from his efforts.
Cut
to:
Ext. Paradise-Akemi
Akemi walks along a perfectly smooth path in a beautiful garden.
As she walks she takes in the sound of birds happily chirping around her.
She stoops to breathe in the sweet scent of an orchid, but her
eyes widen suddenly in alarm and she straightens.
Cut
to:
Ext. Yodoshi’s Prison
The lock on Yodoshi’s bars glows hotter and hotter until finally
they begin to melt.
Cut
to:
Ext. Garden-Akemi
Akeimi takes off running. Where she is running to we have no
idea. Her face is twisted in fear as
she pumps her legs, moving faster and faster through the garden.
Cut
to:
Ext. Yodoshi’s Prison
The lock on Yodoshi’s cell continues to melt. He takes hold of the
weakening lock and begins to pull. The metal elongates, getting thinner and
thinner. Weaker and weaker.
Cut
to:
Ext. Garden-Akemi
Akemi jumps into the air and takes off flying. She rises higher
and higher into the air until she explodes in a burst of brilliant white light.
Cut
to:
Ext. Yodoshi’s Prison
Yodoshi lets go of the lock and stands back just as Akemi appears
before him. She takes a look at the weakened lock and shakes her head no, her
face betraying her disbelief.
Yodoshi grins.
Yodoshi
Hello daughter.
Yodoshi kicks the door and the lock breaks. It falls into the
eternal abyss below the cage Yodoshi was placed in. He emerges, fully dressed.
Akemi
This can’t be happening.
Yodoshi
It is happening. Come here. Daddy’s
hungry.
Akemi explodes once again in a burst of blinding white light,
Yodoshi laughing all the while.
Dissolve
to:
Ext. Garden
As the glare from Akemi’s flight fades away we enter another
garden. This time we are at a magnificent lake, which is fed by a waterfall.
(It is the same lake seen in The Road To Megara).
Xena stands beside the lake. Before her is a portal in which she
can see an Indian man taking his pregnant wife, who is in labor, to a midwife
to deliver her baby. On the screen the woman speaks.
Woman
If it’s a girl I want to name her Arminestra,
after my mother.
Her husband nods and helps her lie down on a cot.
Man
That sounds wonderful darling. Right now,
let’s just deliver the baby.
Xena closes her eyes and sees herself from “Between The Lines”.
She is an old woman in the memory. Another image flashes before Gabrielle’s
eyes as well. This one of Shakti.
Xena
Gabrielle. We will be together again, soon.
I promise…
Xena shed’s her kimono and prepares to travel through the portal.
When she does, her soul will be placed inside the body of the baby Arminestra.
Xena’s toe is almost inside the portal when Akemi suddenly
appears, surprising Xena.
Akemi
Xena, don’t!
Xena
Akemi!
Akemi takes Xena by the arm and pulls her away from the
portal.
Xena
Akemi. What are you doing? This is my
destiny.
Akemi
You’re going to have to put that on hold
Xena.
Xena
Why?
Akemi
Yodoshi has escaped his prison. He’s free,
and he’s going straight for the Nexus.
Close up on Xena’s stunned face.
Fade Out.
End of Teaser.
Act One
Fade In
Japanese forest. The camera
closes in on the soft floor of the forest, when a pair of booted feet move into
the frame. We move up the body of the obviously female warrior, and we find it
is Xena. She is dressed as she was in
“A Friend In Need”. The only difference
is she doesn’t have the Chakram.
Xena walks forward, facing a set of doors in the forest. When she looks behind the doors the path
continues on uninterrupted. Akemi
appears next to her.
Xena
Akemi, what is this?
Akemi
This is the entrance into the Nexus.
It is here that Yodoshi escaped.
Xena
There’s nothing but a set of doors here.
What did he do with the rest of it?
Akemi
Xena, be serious. I will come with you. If we
are to control Yodoshi, we must have the
help of a powerful god.
Xena
Listen, when we get in there, I want you
to take a message to Gabrielle for me.
Akemi
What? What about Yodoshi? I think we
should-
Xena cuts her off, anger in her voice. She’s had a lot of time to think
as well as listen to Gabrielle’s thoughts. She’s homesick and now she cannot deny
that it’s partly Akemi’s fault that she and Gabrielle have been separated too.
Xena
It’s always about you and what you think,
isn’t it Akemi? I’ll take care of Yodoshi, but
right now I want you to find Gabrielle and
give her a message for me.
Akemi is surprised by Xena’s anger, and though she knows Xena is
justified she had begun to believe her lies that the forty thousand souls that
died in Higuchi had not been her fault. It is this lie that Akemi has been
telling herself that keeps guilt at bay while Xena suffers in her place.
Akemi
Alright Xena.
Xena
Good. Tell Gabrielle she has my blessing
on her relationship with Benjamin. Tell
her that I’m happy she’s found love.
Akemi
That’s it?
Xena
That’s it. Now let’s go.
Xena pulls the doors open and instead of seeing more forest before her,
there is a vast, ornately decorated circular room. The walls are lined with
doors that have the names of different countries written on them in their
native language. Xena sees Japa written
on the doors she has just opened.
What’s worse is inside stands Yodoshi with an evil grin on his ugly
face.
Yodoshi
Xena!
I’ve been expecting you.
Off Xena’s face
Cut
to:
Ext. Mt. Olympus-outside.
Int. Main Hall
Gabrielle, Eve and Sarah are gathered in the main hall of Mt.
Olympus. Gabrielle and Eve hold up a
tapestry along one wall, while Sarah stands back, directing them on how to hang
it. As she does this, Aphrodite appears beside Sarah, holding up a new pant
outfit.
Sarah
A little to my left.
Down…down…ok, back
up a little. No up more. back down just a
notch…
Gabrielle
Oh, for crying out loud Sarah! Make up
your mind. Up or down?
Eve
Left or right?
Sarah
Well excuse me for wanting it to be just
right for the coronation!
Aphrodite
Allow me.
The new Queen of the gods waves her hand over the wall and the tapestry
hangs itself on the wall.
Sarah
Yeah. See, now that…no wait. It’s still not
right.
Aphrodite wraps an arm around her personal interior decorator.
Aphrodite
It is right. Ok?
Sarah
Ok.
Aphrodite
Gabrielle, I’ve been re-thinking my wardrobe.
I like the warrior look I’ve got now, but I
feel funny doin’ kicks in a skirt. Not that I
care if somebody sees my underwear, but I
do have my brother around now and, you
know how it is.
Gabrilele chuckles and examines the outfit Aphrodite is holding
up. Its made of a shiny gold material.
Gabrielle
I’ve seen that outfit somewhere before, but
I can’t place it.
Aphrodite
Nebula.
Gabrielle
What?
Aphrodite
You remember Nebula. Iolous’ wife?
From
way back when? I just made it gold. It’s the
same design.
Gabrielle
Oh, right! Yeah, it would look good on you.
Go for it.
Aphrodite’s clothes melt off and the women look away, embarrassed.
Eve
You have no shame.
Aphrodite
Honey, with a body like this, I have nothing
to be ashamed of. Ok, you can look.
Aphrodite now has Nebula’s outfit on, and it does indeed look good on
her.
Aphrodite
I do wear it well, if I do say so myself.
Gabrielle
You need to take up the bust a little
though.
Sarah and Eve burst into laughter as Aphrodite’s mouth drops open. The
laughs don’t last long however, before Akemi appears right next to Gabrielle,
making her jump. When she recognizes who it is, Gabrielle becomes concerned.
Gabrielle
Akemi! What are you doing here? Is Xena
alright?
Akemi
She is for now. We’ve got trouble.
Aphrodite suddenly begins searching the area around her, sensing
something wrong.
Aphrodite
I’ll say.
I can fee it.
Gabrielle
What’s wrong?
Akemi
Yodoshi has escaped his prison. He’s in the
Nexus.
Eve
The what?
Aphrodite
I need you to tell me everything.
Eve
Aphrodite, what’s going on with my mother?
What’s this Nexus?
Aphrodite
You’ll find out soon enough.
Off Aphrodite’s face
Cut
to:
Int. The Nexus
Xena draws her sword and faces Yodoshi down. The two souls begin to circle one another, preparing for battle.
Yodoshi
You are not powerful enough to stop me this
time Xena.
Xena
In the spirit world we are on equal footing
Yodoshi. So yeah, I am powerful enough to
stop you.
Yodoshi
Prove it!
Yodoshi and Xena meet in a heated sword fight, and Xena quickly disarms
him. She tries to run him through, but
he dodges her and holds up his hand for another sword. Once again he is armed.
Xena
Nice trick. Considering I’m better than you,
you’ll have to be using that one quite a few
times.
Yodoshi
Shut up and fight!
Int. Corridor in Mt.
Olympus
Aphrodite leads Gabrielle, Eve, Sarah and Akemi down a hall in Mt. Olympus. Finally they come to a door that seems to
melt open to allow them access. Beyond the door is a massive and beautiful
garden with flowers hanging in mid air, giving off a powerful but not cloying
scent.
Sarah
By the gods! This place is unbelievable!
Aphrodite
(ignoring their
amazement)
From what you’ve told me this Yodoshi is
quite a guy. Fortunately for you I’m a
worthy opponent.
Though Gabrielle knows Aphrodite’s powers have increased since she was
shot with Zeus’ arrow, she is still having a hard time reconciling this new
woman with the goddess she has always known, and loved.
Gabrielle
I’m sorry Aphrodite. I’m still
trying to get
used to you as a warrior. Are you sure you
can handle Yodoshi?
Aphrodite
I can, if I can corner him in here.
Sarah
What’s so special about this place? It’s only
a garden.
Akemi can sense that this place is more than a garden, so she answers
for Aphrodite.
Akemi
Gods use the Nexus to travel from one realm
to the next. This is the exit to Greece for our
gods.
Eve
I’m still not sure I understand.
Aphrodite
I’ll explain. If I wanted to
visit the gods of
India, I would come here, and travel through
the Nexus into their realm. It was designed
as a connection for all gods. But if a soul
were to escape their underworld and exit
the Nexus into the land of the living, he
would emerge a powerful god. The only
problem is-
Akemi
He would have to trade places with someone
here. A mortal or a god it doesn’t matter.
Aphrodite
Right. If a ghost came out of
the Nexus
without trading places with someone here,
the natural balance would be disturbed
and within a few days the entire world
would be destroyed. Where is
Yodoshi
heading?
Akemi
I don’t know.
Aphrodite
Have Xena divert him here, to Greece. Have
her force him through the door so I can
surprise him with this.
Aphrodite holds up a five foot chain with a wrist cuff on each end. The
chain is thin and weak looking, but appearances can be deceiving.
Gabrielle
You expect to hold Yodoshi here with that?
Aphrodite
Hephie made it for me when Eve returned
him home. Don’t ask why.
Aphrodite winks at Gabrielle and goes to a door on the far wall of the
room.
Aphrodite
I have to tether him to me long enough to
escort him back to his prison in the afterlife.
Akemi, tell Xena to divert Yodoshi to me.
We can have this over with by lunch.
Akemi
Alright.
Akemi fades away and Aphrodite turns to Eve, Gabrielle and Sarah.
Aphrodite
Sarah, I’m sending you home until this is
over.