"Last week, on Xena:" "The Green Dragon has become too large." "Is the Green Dragon a person?" "Yes-- the one I'm gonna kill." "At least, tell me why?" "Many years ago, as you know," "Caesar left his mark on me." "I went east to lose myself in vengeance." "I didn't care if I lived or died." "But she did." "Come with me if you wish your freedom." "You owe someone so much-- that you would just throw away these last few years" "Yes." "I'm sorry, Xena" " I couldn't let you do this." "Lock her up." "I want to see Xena." "That would be impossible." "Why?" "Our laws say a prisoner charged with a capital offense cannot receive visitors." "And I'm a man of the law." "Your Highness-- you said you would let Xena go." "Gabrielle" " I owe you my life." "Anything in this kingdom you wish is yours." "But if you think banishing Xena-- will keep her from returning to kill me" "you don't know her as well as you think." "Hey, Xena" " I hear you were betrayed by a friend." "No, not by a friend." "Throw her in!" "This one's mine." "If you had her promise-- then you would let her go-- right?" "It would take more than that." "Xena would never go back on her promise." "Of course, she would." "I want to see her." "Out of the question." "You said that I could have anything in your kingdom." "Except that." "You don't understand-- I need to talk to her." "I have to explain to her why I did what I did." "I'm terrified of what she might be thinking of me." "You betrayed her-- therefore, you're her enemy." "She'll kill you now, as soon as look at you." "You're wrong." "You don't know her." "I know her." "Tell me-- why did you do it if you love her so?" "I felt that she was betraying herself-- if she went back to the way of murder." "Murder is in her blood, Gabrielle-- her soul." "It is more natural to her than love." "Look" " I know what Xena did to you is a terrible thing." "No-- you are wrong." "It wasn't terrible." "It changed my life--gave it a meaning and a direction." "She taught me how to rule." "I'm the scourge that your gods sent to punish your people." "Scary,huh?" "What do you want?" "It's Borias-- he's riding this way." "How many men?" "He's alone." "Come on." "Get up!" "She understood how to send fear flooding into your very soul." "And when that kind of terror lives deep inside people" "they're yours forever." "My father didn't understand this." "He was too soft." "The boy?" "He's on the third packhorse out there under some skins." "When he ransomed me that night, he held me to him like a foolish woman" "tears in his eyes." "You can't blame your father for being emotional at a time like that." "He was a fraud-- just like Xena said." "He cared about me only because a king needs an heir." "Where is he now?" "Dead-- but we're alive, Gabrielle-- so let's quit living in the past and celebrate your heroic deed." "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be emperor of Ch'in." "I would be another of Xena's victims." "What do you want?" "Just giving you this shirt." "I don't want your clothes." "What-- what are they doing?" "Clothing you-- it's their way of paying you tribute." "For what?" "They heard what you did-- or tried to do your attempt at trying to kill the emperor." "They like that, huh?" "There's not a man here that hasn't lost many of of his loved ones at the hands of that monster." "Where are you from?" "From the kingdom of Lao." "Lao?" "Then you know Lao Ma." "Lao Ma?" "Of course." "She's the wife of our king-- beautiful woman." "When was the last time you saw her?" "What?" "Like you--many of us had heard-- of her great powers-- and thought she would use them to escape." "Perhaps-- they were all a lie." "No." "No-- her powers were real." "Would you kill a mosquito with an ax?" "This is very beautiful." "That's good." "It could be a very usable weapon-- if thrown at the right body part." "You could kill someone, using a hair brooch." "If necessary." "I don't like to kill, however." "Everyone has their preferences." "I happen to like a good kill." "You're so full of anger and hate." "Everyone's gotta be full of something." "Put up another bottle." "Teach me to do that." "Well-- try it." "I'm sorry, Xena-- but you're trying to attack the bottle with your will." "What else is there?" "Exactly." "What?" "The entire world is driven by a will-- blind and ruthless." "In order to transcend the limitations of that world, you need to stop willing-- stop desiring-- stop hating." "How do I do that?" "Heaven endures-- and the Earth lasts a long time, because they do not live for themselves." "Therefore, she would live a long time-- should live for others-- serve others." "I could serve you, if that's what you mean." "Of course, you can." "It's easy to serve someone you love." "You feel it will make them love you more." "It's like a good business investment." "That's not what I'm talking about." "You mean that-- I should serve someone who hates me." "More than that-- you need to serve someone you hate" "Ming Tzu." "Ming Tzu." "Yes-- the man who had you hunted like an animal." "He comes here tomorrow with his son." "Serve Ming." "I'd rather die." "You've been a dead woman for a long time now, Xena." "I'm offering you the chance to live." "Welcome to my home." "I wish only that it were worthy of your presence." "Welcome, Ming Tien." "Dinner awaits, Ming Tzu." "So, Borias is still a problem?" "Yes-- the gold and the horses we gave him for double-crossing that whore have made him too powerful." "Be careful, you idiot!" "Borias is very dangerous." "He's more dangerous than that witch, Xena." "He's very clever." "She was a stupid thug." "Something the matter, son?" "Goodbye, Lao Ma." "All right, Lao Ma." "I did the whole servant bit, and it accomplished nothing." "You're wrong, for a few hours, you actually silenced your will." "It's a beginning." "A beginning to what-- huh?" "I should've just sliced that pig's throat." "To conquer others is to have power;" "to conquer yourself-- is to know the way." "Come with me, Xena." "My husband." "I heard that you keep him in a coma." "I didn't believe it, but it's true." "Oh, yes.If he were actually dead, word would get out-- and his imbecile cousin would become king." "No, I make sure he stays alive but in this-- half-conscious state." "You understand pressure points, don't you?" "I make sure he's seen every once in a while,in the garden." "It helps to convince doubters." "So you rule in his name." "The only way a woman could rule in the kingdom of Ch'in." "It's my gift to him." "He was a vicious tyrant." "I'm going to make him the most loved of rulers." "Don't you get sick of him getting the credit for everything that you do?" "Not at all." "As long as good is done." "You write down all that wisdom stuff-- huh?" "Yes-- in his book." "You give him credit for that, too?" "This wisdom comes from Heaven." "What difference does it make who gets credit for it" "Lao Ma or Lao Tzu?" "Yeah, nothing seems to phase you-- except that boy I kidnapped." "Everytime he ignores you, that cuts deep." "I know, it's foolish of me." "Just because we give birth to them doesn't mean we own them." "He's your son?" "Say it!" "Say it!" "Xena, promise them that you will never attempt to kill Ming Tien again." "Promise him!" "Xena-- if you promise them, they will banish you." "Please-- we can ride away from this." "Come to me, Xena-- now." "So, you have nothing to say in your defense, Xena." "Xena" "So be it." "Tomorrow at dawn, you'll experience this life for the last time." "The sentence-- is death." "Don't feel like you failed." "I would've executed her no matter what she said." "It's amazing, really." "She did all of this out of some fool gratitude to Lao Ma for saving her life." "I suppose even wild beasts have a sense of loyalty,sometimes." "Can I see her?" "Oh, yes.Now that she's condemned you can visit her." "I'm not a monster, you know." "Move it along!" "Can we talk?" "Of course not." "I betrayed you." "The pathetic thing is" "I thought I was saving you." "My reverence for life kept a brutal tyrant in power, and led to my best friend's execution." "I know you hate me Xena-- no more than I hate myself." "Scratch my nose, will you?" "Come on." "I know you only did what you thought was right." "I was angry with you but I didn't hate you." "I never could." "I think I understand why you thought you had to kill Ming Tien." "It was Lao Ma's last request-- and she saved your life." "Not just my life." "She saved my soul-- my spirit, my entire being." "Xena, stop.Control yourself." "He's here, because I sent for him." "Stop Xena, just stop." "Stop willing;" "stop desiring; stop hating." "That was the moment." "I could've done it right there." "I could've just-- let go and buried all my hatred forever." "That was my chance." "You always were a leg man." "All right." "We'll do this a different way." "What's he doing here?" "We're going to have peace in this land, and the two of you are going to help bring it about." "You've gotta be kidding!" "Tomorrow, Ming Tzu comes here to talk with Borias and me." "We're going to include him in a three-way alliance." "If you think that I am playing servant-girl to these two, then you've got another thing" "Quiet, Xena." "I plan to inform Ming Tzu of your presence." "He has to accept that." "You're going to help me run the kingdom of Lao." "You'll be my Warrior Princess." "Tomorrow, you'll ask for Ming's forgiveness." "Today,you're going to learn how to deal with Borias." "Xena's capable of profound loyalty, Borias." "She just doesn't know it yet." "I'm gonna leave the two of you alone." "It serves both your interests to get along." "If you kill each other-- so be it." "So you and Borias made up." "Oh, yeah, we made up." "I also asked Ming Tzu for his forgiveness." "You expect me to forgive the woman that kidnapped my son." "Then permit me to point out the detail that perhaps you missed." "Xena belongs to me." "She's my property." "Ming Tzu" "I know a man of your wisdom wouldn't endanger an important treaty by holding a grudge." "To have the treaty, I must forgive her?" "Then I apologize for wasting your time." "Ming Tien-- let us go." "Lao Ma, if I may make a suggestion." "Ming Tzu is a man of great courage." "I say you should put me up as the stakes in a game of chance-- and see who wins." "Excuse me-- but I do not have to play such a game." "You belong to me, now!" "I have a claim on Xena." "I discovered her-- so to speak." "And I was fortunate enough to save her." "And I should say I belong to myself." "It should be an interesting game." "This is ridiculous!" "Gambling over this worthless whore." "Why don't we throw something of value into the pot?" "All right." "Let's say the winner gets me-- and a body part from each of the losers." "What do you mean?" "A body part." "Minimum bet is a hand." "I'm in." "I don't want anyone's body part." "Then I'm sure we all pray that you win." "What about you,Ming Tzu?" "You got the jewels for this one?" "Fine-- all in one throw." "I win." "Pay up." "This is ridiculous." "I want a piece of him." "You're crazy!" "Then you're not gonna pay up?" "Are you?" "Yes" " I give you my heart." "I accept." "I'll settle for that from you too, Ming Tzu--your heart." "This is nonsense!" "I'm getting out of here!" "Ming Tien!" "We're leaving this madhouse!" "Not till I collect my winnings." "Xena!" "Now for the kid." "What are you doing?" "Now, we can wipe out the entire line." "Then it'll just be the house of Lao." "We can rule the whole kingdom of Ch'in together." "You can do all your noble stuff,and Borias and I'll keep the peace." "We'll have some laughs along the way." "She had such dreams of peace for her land-- and for my soul." "I ruined them all." "It was years before I understood finally what she wanted from me." "Not long before I met you," "I was at the end of my rope." "I-- was ready to give up." "And then I thought of her and what she taught me, and-- and I was reborn." "That's the debt." "It's time." "The entire world is driven by a will-- blind and ruthless." "In order to transcend the limitations of that world-- you need to stop willing." "Stop desiring." "Stop hating." "To conquer others is to have power;" "to conquer yourself is to know the way." "Stop her!" "Come on!" "Let's go!" "Be careful." "Let's go." "Xena!" "I have something to tell you." "Gabrielle, make sure everyone gets clear of the building." "It'll collapse at any moment." "Are you-- ?" "I'm fine." "Don't worry, as far as I'm concerned,this is all over." "Say it." "You made me, Xena." "You taught me to be the monster I am." "I know." "It's part of the reason I'm here." "I've learned to clean up after myself." "Is that all?" "One other thing." "You probably heard that I had Lao Ma executed." "Yes." "But, I just wanted you to know- it's not true." "Really?" "No." "I did it myself." "I have something to tell you, Ming Tien." "What's that?" "Lao Ma was your mother." "I knew that the whole time!" "What?" "That was why I did the execution." "I knew she wouldn't use her powers to hurt-- her little boy." "I think this belongs to you." "Her last request was that it was returned to you." "It turns out that she was just a sentimental fool." "Remember this?" "Mother's book of wisdom?" "It failed her in the end." "That philosophical sense of peace fell apart!" "She cried like a baby." "She even cried on after I had torn her heart from her body!" "You're powerless now." "You've lost face in front of your people." "They won't follow you, anymore." "You were right." "I didn't have to resolve this with murder." "I finally understood Lao Ma's message-- and I made him small again." "Xena-- your not killing him made you exactly what Lao Ma wanted you to be." "A memento of Lao Ma." "We'll take good care of this." "I love you, Xena." "Love you too, Gabrielle." "Captioned by Grantman Brown"