Xena forces herself to endure the pain and agony of visting the ruins of Callisto's hometown of Cirra, which Xena's army destroyed, along with Callisto's parents, many years ago. While riding by one ruin in particular, Xena's mind flashes back to an image of a young Callisto in tears. Later on, Gabrielle is kidnapped by the barbaric Children of the Sun led by Sitacles. Xena (Lucy Lawless) attacks their primitive camp, quickly disabling many of the men. Waging a spectacular battle singlehandedly, she manages to free Gabrielle and a group of slave girls, who escape into the surrounding woods. Sitacles also flees into the woods where he is confronted by Xena. She charges him and lands several vicious blows before she is momentarily distracted by a gold lion-shaped medallion worn by one of the slave girls. Her stare fixed on the medallion, Xena is knocked unconscious when a huge log hidden in the trees is unleashed by Sitacles and slams into her. Sitacles is himself knocked out by Gabrielle after wounding her with his knife.
When Xena comes to, she asks Gabrielle to take her to Mount Nestos. Determined to save her gravely injured and delirious friend, Gabrielle agrees. Strapped to a litter dragged by Argo, Xena dreams about the time that she and her men took Julius Caesar (Karl Urban) captive and held him for ransom. Fascinated by his lack of fear, Xena is surprised when Caesar explains that he knows it's his destiny to rule the world. As she drifts in and out of consciousness, Xena next sees herself on the deck of a ship where Caesar is tied to the mast. Flicking aside a canvas cover, she reveals an unlikely stowaway -- a beautiful young girl who turns out to be a formidable warrior. The girl quickly incapacitates Xena and her lieutenants, Vicerius (Mark Perry) and Telos (Grant Boucher), by putting the "pinch" on them. In a spectacular flurry of kicks and blows, she manages to hold off the rest of Xena's men, but is ultimately overwhelmed by their sheer numbers. Xena commands Caesar, who speaks the girl's language, to let her know that her life will be spared if she teaches Xena the secret of the mysterious "pinch." The girl, who is wearing a gold lion-shaped medallion, agrees to show her.
Xena's memories focus next on her ensuing flirtation with Caesar and their discussions about joining forces to conquer the world before she releases him to Brutus in exchange for three hefty bags of gold. Over time, the mystery girl shares with Xena her knowledge of martial arts until the day that Caesar returns on a warship. Xena receives him as a friend, but the Roman ruler tricks her and takes command of her ship. Supremely arrogant and merciless, he crucifies Xena and her men before returning to Rome. As an exhausted Gabrielle continues her struggle to haul Xena through a snow-covered mountain pass, the delirious warrior princess dreams about her rescue from the cross by the mystery girl, who brought her to the healer called Nicklio (Nathaniel Lees), the same man to whom Gabrielle is bringing her now.
Nicklio tends to Gabrielle's wound, insisting that Xena is fighting his attempts at healing her. In her dreams, Xena relives the battle in which the mystery girl sacrificed her own life to save Xena when Roman soldiers invaded Nicklio's house. At that time, the girl's death triggered Xena's fury, unleashing in her all the hatred which caused her to do so much evil in her life. Now, as Nicklio pronounces Xena dead and Gabrielle weeps over her lifeless body, the spirit of Xena rises to some otherworldly place, where she again faces the mystery girl, whose name is M'Lila. M'Lila challenges Xena to stop feeling guilty about her past and to embrace her destiny. Convinced that the world still needs her, Xena resolves to return to her earthly body,
Guest Starring: Ebone Smith (M'Lila), Karl Urban (Julius Caesar), Nathaniel Lees (Nicklio), Grant Triplow (Brutus), Mark Perry (Vicerius), Grant Boucher (Telos), Slade Leef (Sitacles), Dan Ryan (Roman #1), Rebecca McKinnon (Slave Girl), Rebecca Kopacka (Young Callisto)
Starring: Lucy Lawless as Xena, Renee O'Connor as Gabrielle
Teleplay by R.J. Stewart & Steven L. Sears
Story by Robert Tapert
Directed by Robert Tapert