Plot summary
Gabrielle is taking Xena's body home when Ephiny brings her to an Amazon village. Queen Melosa has been killed by her adopted daughter Velasca, but Gabrielle's inherited right of caste gives her a stronger claim to the throne. Ephiny urges her to accept and prevent Velasca from starting a war against the Centaurs.
Xena's spirit meanwhile possesses Autolycus. She persuades the thief to retrieve her body and seek ambrosia, using a stolen map and the Dagger of Helios. His attempt to stop the Amazons from burning Xena's coffin initially looks like another theft. When he fights with Xena's movements and chakram, Gabrielle realizes that her friend is acting through him.
They escape with the coffin. Through Autolycus, Xena explains that guilt over her past had weakened her will to live, but she now understands that she must continue doing good. Gabrielle and Autolycus hide the body and search for the ambrosia while Velasca imprisons Ephiny and pursues them.
At Ambrosia Hall, Velasca captures the group and takes the dagger, recognizing its value. Autolycus escapes and frees the others. Ephiny retrieves Xena's coffin while Gabrielle, now aided directly by Xena's spirit, fights Velasca among the vines hanging over a lava pit.
Velasca reaches the lock and opens the ambrosia chamber. During the struggle she loses her grip, and the food falls toward the lava, scattering some onto Gabrielle's chest. Gabrielle defeats Velasca, sending her onto the spikes below, then uses the remaining residue on Xena's lips.
Xena awakens in her own body. Gabrielle's grief gives way to relief, and Xena promises Autolycus a favor in gratitude for helping restore her life.
Credits
Adapted from Legendary Journeys Wiki contributors, The Quest. Complete episode narrative, rewritten and condensed for clarity; causal developments and the episode's ending retained. Illustrations, dialogue quotations and non-story metadata omitted.