In the aftermath of Callisto's agonizing death in a pit of quicksand, Xena's dreams are invaded by the evil woman warrior and by Ares. Both prey upon her deep-seated guilt at having let Callisto die, no matter how wicked she was. Xena's deeply disturbing visions awaken her every night as she and Gabrielle continue to pursue Callisto's evil lieutenant Theodorus. Determined to bring him and his men to justice, the two track Theodorus to a deserted village, where they arrive just in time to save the hapless Joxer from certain execution. That night, an exhausted Xena is again visited in her dreams by Callisto, who beckons the warrior princess to follow her into the Underworld. There, she and Ares manipulate Xena into confessing that she is, in fact, guilty of Callisto's murder since she did nothing to save her. Xena's admission gives Callisto the split-second opening she needs to invade and inhabit Xena's body, banishing Xena's spirit to her own body imprisoned in Underworld. Callisto -- now looking and sounding like Xena -- returns to the land of the living, prepared to wreak revenge on the warrior princess. She tells Gabrielle that Callisto, with Ares' help, has somehow come back and is on her way to Amphipolas, where she plans to kill Xena's mother, Cyrene. Callisto's ultimate goal is to have Gabrielle kill Xena, believing her to be Callisto.
Xena manages to persuade Hades of her real identity after telling him that only she would know that she stabbed Marcus in the heart because she loved him. Wanting to set things right, the god of the Underworld releases Xena for one day so she can attempt to send Callisto back to Tartarus where she belongs. Meanwhile, Callisto, disguised as Xena, taunts Gabrielle into learning some deadly fighting techniques using her staff as a pike. As the two set off for Amphipolas, Callisto lags behind and secretly wounds Argo so that Xena will have to put the horse down when she finds her. Xena, however, arrives on the scene just in time to save her beloved animal. Joxer arrives and warns who he thinks is Callisto that if she warms Argo, he will stab her in the back. Xena convinces Joxer she is herself in Callisto's body by using pressure points. At the same time, Callisto reaches the temporary cave headquarters of Theodorus and his men. Posing as Xena, she slits Theodorus' neck and commands his warriors to capture Amphipolis and bring all of its inhabitants to her.
Xena and Callisto finally come face to face and the battle is on! Swords flash as the evenly matched opponents pull out all the stops. Eventually, Xena gets Callisto in a scissors lock and wrests a dagger from the evil one's hand. As she raises it over her head, however, Gabrielle suddenly appears and points her deadly pike at Xena, whom she believes to be Callisto. After a tense moment, Xena convinces Gabrielle of her real identity by asking Callisto what Gabrielle dreamt about after Perdicas died. Callisto says Gabrielle dreamt about killing her. Xena answers rightfully, that Gabrielle has not dreamt since. Callisto manages to get away. With time running out, Xena, Gabrielle, and Joxer race to the cave where Callisto and her men are holding the villagers of Amphipolas captive. Xena realizes that Callisto intends to set her prisoners on fire, insuring that Xena's mother and the rest of the townspeople die like Callisto's family did. Using home made explosives that they created, Gabrielle and Joxer ward off Callisto's men while another epic battle ensues between the two women warriors. In the midst of the battle, Xena's image starts to fade. With her last ounce of strength, Xena manages to hurl a dart into Callisto's neck, much like she once did to her. The two warriors meet again in the dream world where Xena forces Callisto to face the many people she has slaughtered as well as her mother, Arleia, who begs her daughter to except her death filled fate. In the end, Callisto is dragged back to the Underworld and Xena is free to return to her life above...but she's still trapped in Callisto's body.
Guest Starring: Hudson Leick (Callisto/Xena), Ted Raimi (Joxer), Kevin Smith (Ares), David Te Rare (Theodorus), Erik Thompson (Hades), Darien Takle (Cyrene), Lee-Jane Foreman (Arleia), Michael Cooper (Gressius)
Starring: Lucy Lawless as Xena/Callisto, Renee O'Connor as Gabrielle
Written by Steven L. Sears
Directed by Gary Jones