While travelling through India, Xena & Gabrielle's souls are sent into the future through the power of Mehndi to protect their good karma from the reincarnated Alti.

Xena and Gabrielle are in the marketplace in India whilst Xena tries on new clothes. Dressed in saris,the pair walk through a village in India and come across a large crowd gathered around a burning pyre.

They stop to watch a procession go by. A woman in red is being carried on a bier, towards a funeral pyre.

When it becomes obvious that she is to be thrown on the pyre too, Xena intervenes. She, Gabrielle and the woman escape and barricade themselves into a house. As Xena searches for an escape route, Naiyima removes her cloak, revealing her arms, neck and legs covered with Mehndi - intricate tattoo-like lines and designs. She rhythmically moves her arms and the lines come to life and spin off of her arms, attacking Xena and slicing her into a million fragments. The Mehndi lines and fragments of Xena rush back to a bare spot on Naiyima and Xena enters a Karmic tunnel.

When she reaches the end of the tunnel, Xena finds herself surrounded by peasants and warriors armed with swords in a ruined village. She becomes even more confused when Khindin, the leader of the warriors, addresses her as Arminestra, the great Peacemaker. Xena looks into a shiny shield and finds her reflection to be that of an old woman.

Xena attempts to mediate when it becomes clear that Khindin wants to take over the village. Suddenly, Shakti, the ruler of the land, and his warriors storm in to defend the peasants. A battle ensues and when Khindin grabs Arminestra a spiritual connection is made. Khindin realizes that Xena's soul is in Arminestra's body and Xena sees Alti's soul in Khindin. Alti/Khindin retreats and Shakti takes Xena/Arminestra to his tent.

Meanwhile, Gabrielle learns from Naiyima that Xena was sent into the future to defend her soul and Karmic cycle from a great evil.

Naiyima teaches Gabrielle the Mehndi, which contain the truth and the path back home for Xena. She tells Gabrielle that Xena can only defeat evil if Xena is fighting it in the present. She then sends Gabrielle through the Karmic tunnel to warn Xena.

When Gabrielle arrives in the future, her soul inhabits the body of Shakti. Xena/Arminestra makes a spiritual connection and sees Gabrielle's reincarnated soul in the great leader. Xena realizes that Alti's evil soul has moved on and found the spiritual power it had in the past in the Karmic Cycle.

They leave to confront Alti/Khindin, Xena/Arminestra and Shakti/Gabrielle make a plan to trick Alti into coming back into their time so that they can fight her there.

They allow themselves to get captured by her and then, whilst she gloats at their helplessness, Xena/Arminestra and Gabrielle/Shakti paint the intricate designs of the Mehndi on their bodies. The following morning Alti/Khindin enters the house to hand them their fate. Xena/Arminestra and Gabrielle/Shakti rhythmically move their arms and the lines jump from their bodies and envelop Alti/Khindin. The souls of Xena, Gabrielle and Alti disappear in a flash of light.

Meanwhile in the present, Naiyima, who has since been captured, is about to be thrown back onto the burning pyre. Suddenly, Xena, Gabrielle and Alti burst through the raging fire and the battle begins.

Alti now has her shamanic powers back and she appears even more powerful than before. She and Xena fight but Xena is easily defeated. Gabrielle tries to protect Xena and is captured by Alti. She shows Gabrielle the vision of her being crucified and Gabrielle feels the pain of her legs being broken and the nails being driven into her hands and legs. Alti holds Gabrielle up by her hair and appears about to kill her.

Naiyima starts to dance and lifts her cloak to reveal a bare spot on her stomach that is glowing. The light reaches for Alti and pulls her towards Naiyima. This allows Xena to focus the Mendhi into flaming chakrams, which she fires again and again at Alti. In a flash, Alti disappears and an intricate design is left on Naiyima's stomach.

Naiyima: You both walk a path together. Think of yourselves as lines in the Mendi - separated but forever connected.

No other episode in the fourth season more clearly established the bond between Xena and Gabrielle than BETWEEN THE LINES. At the end of the episode, Naimi, a woman of mystery, coveys two messages. The first, to Xena, speaks about Xena's future battles with Alti. The warrior will continue to fight evil in future lives. In the second, to Gabrielle, Naimi speaks of relationship - Gabrielle's and Xena's. The role of each cannot be any clearer. Xena's is to battle evil. Gabrielle's is to be a moral compass.

"Between The Lines" continued to carry the fourth season's themes forward. All the damage done by the rift will never destroy the bond between Gabrielle and Xena. They are soul mates, and as they struggle to come to terms with themselves, they will grow together and not apart. Their personal growth has not been easy. Mistakes were and will continue to be made, but the duo will continue, and they will learn and grow stronger and wiser in this on-going process. Alti forced Gabrielle to live her crucifixion. In the battle with Alti, Gabrielle's hair is cropped, and by the end of the episode Gabrielle has had her hair cut to mirror how she looked upon the cross. Both Gabrielle and Xena acknowledge the presage. The force of the vision is now equally shared.