Amazon High - Page 4
Amazon High
Friends In Low Places
page 4
ACT THREE
FADE IN:
INT CHIEFTESS' OFFICE
Xena stands before the chieftess, hesione. Morine enters the room.
MORINE
Chieftess Hesione, I thank you for inviting me here- What's she doing here?
HESIONE
I need to speak with you both.
MORINE
I have nothing to say to her.
XENA
Nor I her.
HESIONE
You both fight very well. Morine, your skill in the Amazon style is matched by none. Xena, your fighting style is a bit...unorthodox. You are both to be praised for your abilities. However, we cannot have you two always at each other's throats.
XENA
Are you kicking me out of Amazon High?
HESIONE
Far from it. You two are to be paired off as training partners.
XENA
What?
MORINE
No. I will not be partners with this...peasant.
A voice from behind them, hippolyta, surprises both girls.
HIPPOLYTA (O.S.)
You will do as you are told.
Hippolyta moves beside hesione.
MORINE
Princess Hippolyta, forgive me. I was only-
HIPPOLYTA
You are Amazon royalty, Morine. I will not have you looking down on other Amazons.
MORINE
But she's not-
HIPPOLYTA
If she is here, you will treat her as an Amazon.
HESIONE
Xena, what have you to say?
XENA
I want to learn to fight.
HIPPOLYTA
Already, you fight well. What more do you want?
XENA
I want to learn to catch arrows, like she did.
HESIONE
That skill is a difficult one, Xena. Do you have the dedication?
XENA
I'll do it.
HIPPOLYTA
The two of you have superior abilities, compared to the rest of the students. I expect that both of you could ascend the ranks to become captains, or even generals, in the Amazon army. You must learn to control the fires raging within. Only then will you be able to see each other for what you truly are.
Xena and morine grudgingly look at each other.
HESIONE
So, do you accept your calling as training partners?
XENA
Yes.
Morine defiantly looks hippolyta in the eye.
HIPPOLYTA
I could kick you out now, Morine. The only chance you will ever have for leadership is to become better than your superiors. That won't happen out there.
MORINE
I'll do it. I won't like it, though.
HESIONE
I didn't expect that you would. Get to class, both of you.
CUT TO:
INT GYMNASIUM
Ariadne and an asian woman, solymaia, stand before the class. xena sits with her friends, and morine sits with hers.
ARIADNE
Amazons, this is Solymaia. She will instruct you in battle trust.
SOLYMAIA
Battle trust is the relationship you have with the person who is guarding your back. You have to trust them completely. They hold your life in their hands.
Megaera leans over to xena and whispers.
MEGAERA
I heard you got paired with Morine.
XENA
Yeah.
MEGAERA
I can get her for you.
Xena looks interested.
MEGAERA
When we do the back to back fighting, I'll fight with you. I swing, you duck, and I hit her in the head. Easy.
XENA
I don't know.
MEGAERA
Come on, Xena. She deserves it.
XENA
I know she does, but-
MEGAERA
Good.
SOLYMAIA
Amazons, pair off!
Everyone gets with their partner. Megaera is partnered with lyra. Larissa is partnered with thestius. Xena and morine stand back to back.
SOLYMAIA
Begin sparring.
Xena and megaera spar. Xena and megaera shuffle back and forth, each anticipating each other's moves.
MEGAERA
(To xena)
By the gods, you're good.
XENA
I can be better.
Solymaia watches xena and megaera closely. She sees what is going on.
MEGAERA
Ready?
Megaera nods. She swings high. Xena ducks. The blow whistles toward morine's head. Morine senses the coming blow. She turns slightly. She winces in anticipation of the blow.
At the last instant, xena throws her weapon up, deflecting the blow.
XENA
No.
Megaera drops her weapon, stunned. Morine turns to face xena.
MORINE
How dare you?
XENA
I didn't let it hit you.
Morine punches xena. Xena goes down.
MORINE
Where is the honor in that? Hitting me in the back.
XENA
My honor is in here. I couldn't do it.
MORINE
You are a coward.
XENA
You've done nothing but treat me like dirt since I got here. I know I'm not an Amazon, but I'm just as good as you.
MORINE
You will never be as good as me. No outsider has ever matched skills with an Amazon. No one.
Xena gets up slowly. Tears fill her eyes. She rushes from the room.
MEGAERA
Xena.
MORINE
Let her go. She realizes the truth now. No outsiders will ever be good enough.
A chakram whistles through the air. It knocks morine's weapon from her hand. Solymaia catches the chakram.
SOLYMAIA
Are you so certain, Morine? Look at me. I am not an Amazon by birth.
MORINE
Yeah, but you...
SOLYMAIA
I what? I was captured when Amazons invaded the lands of the east. I was a prisoner until I proved myself to them.
MORINE
But that's different.
SOLYMAIA
It is no different. If you ever expect to be a fair ruler, you must let others challenge you. You cannot honorably defend your postion if you do not allow challenges.
MORINE
But Xena isn't even an Amazon.
SOLYMAIA
Are you afraid of her?
MORINE
No. I am better than her.
SOLYMAIA
How much better? Are you afraid to let her challenge you?
MORINE
Yes! I hate her. She hurt me. No one has hurt me before.
SOLYMAIA
And is that a good thing? You will be better the next time you fight Xena.
The entire class has stopped sparring. They all listen to solymaia.
SOLYMAIA
Everyone listen. When you fight an enemy that is weaker, you do not improve. Only by pushing yourself do you become better. Remember that, Morine.
Morine stalks off.
SOLYMAIA
The rest of you, get back to your exercises.
CUT TO:
INT BARRACKS
Xena lies on her bed. She reads a scroll. It is a letter from home, written by her brother, lyceus.
LYCEUS (V.O.)
Xena, we miss you. Toris is a big bully. He's trying to get the kids to follow him, just like they followed you. He picks on me a lot. I don't like it. Mother misses you, too. She cries every night. I wish you were here, Xena. You could teach Toris a lesson. Also, fishing just isn't the same without you. Come back soon, even if you're only visiting. Your brother, Lyceus.
Megaera and larissa enter. They look for xena. Xena quickly wipes tears from her eyes.
LARISSA
Xena, are you okay?
MEGAERA
It was wrong for Morine to do that.
XENA
No, she was right. I can't be as good as her.
MEGAERA
No. You are as good as her.
LARISSA
What have you got there?
XENA
It's a letter from home. From my brother, Lyceus.
MEGAERA
What does it say?
XENA
They miss me. I miss them, too. I thought I could just walk away from them and start my own life. I was wrong again.
MEGAERA
No, you just made a mistake. We all do. It's part of life.
XENA
I'm not supposed to make mistakes. I'm the one that always got the right answers. I was always the best.
LARISSA
Sometimes you have to face your mistakes. Try to learn from them.
XENA
I can't stay here. I can't be an Amazon. Morine's right.
MEGAERA
If you leave, she wins.
XENA
I don't care.
Xena gets up to leave.
LARISSA
Where are you going?
XENA
It doesn't matter.
Xena exits.
Megaera and Larissa look at each other worriedly.
FADE OUT:
END ACT THREE