An Inevitable Outcome Feature
Written and Directed
by C. Richard Davies
TOGETHER AGAIN
1996 Chapter
Based on the works of
Naoko Takeuchi, Rumiko Takahashi,
Kosuke Fujishima, Matsumoto Izumi,
Masaki Kajishima,
and various interpretations thereof.
Incorporating
original characters created by
by C. Richard Davies
Dedicated to John Biles, Fred Herriot,
and Larry Mann.
ACT FIVE
We open on blackness and silence.
AKANE (V.O.)
The last day of the five days that
shook the world dawned like any
other. It ended like any other.
It was in the middle that the wonder
and the horror took place. There's
a lesson in that -- things don't
always happen at dramatic moments.
There is a long silence.
AKANE (V.O.)
Nabiki ... I've never understood my
sister. To be perfectly honest, I
don't want to. I don't like her,
and I'm fairly sure it's mutual.
BEAT So it didn't really surprise
me when she wasn't willing to help
me with this. Everything I have
about what happened there, in that
narrow street, comes to me from
Kent, through Patricia. What my
sister saw, felt, and thought about
it is going to be lost to history.
BEAT That's life, I guess.
There is another long silence.
AKANE (V.O.)
I wish that I could have gotten
Jessica's point of view. BEAT But
I'm not surprised that I didn't.
The blackness starts to recede on a field of gold-flecked gray, which quickly
turns to white. It is, of course an eyeball (KENT's) from which we are pulling
back from an EXTREME close-up. As the frame shows his face, we see that he is
still deeply shocked by what has happened a few seconds before.
NABIKI (O.S.)
She ... what did she just do?
KENT turns to look at NABIKI, who is kneeling beside where NINIANE's body was,
feeling the still warm ground. Above them, the sky is beginning to cloud over.
KENT
She --
JESSICA is standing frozen in place.
JESSICA
She decided to off herself so I
couldn't kill her at my leisure.
And they call me sadistic -- who
deprived who of fun?
KENT turns to look at her, yet does not quite meet her eyes. He keeps his gaze
on her neck and shoulders.
KENT
SLOW That's not quite the whole
story, Jessica. BEAT But then,
you've a knack for only knowing
part of the story, haven't you?
JESSICA
Oooh, was that an insult?
KENT
Niniane ... converted her body and
spirit into pure energy. Most of it
went into me --
JESSICA
Kinky.
KENT
-- where it ... I guess you could
say that it wrote some new data to
my brain. I'm still assimilating
it. BEAT But part of it went
into a certain spell that she'd
cast.
JESSICA's eyes jerk.
JESSICA
What?
KENT
That spell isn't going to die, just
because its caster has. I'd say
that there was enough power to make
it last ... oh, a day and a half.
BEAT Come on, Nabiki ... I think
we should go back to the dojo.
NABIKI stands up, and heads over to where KENT is standing, taking great care to
not to come into contact with JESSICA. She brushes against KENT's back,
however, and jerks back as though burnt.
KENT
Sorry.
NABIKI looks at him with a very uncertain expression, then looks down at the
ground.
NABIKI
Excuse me ... aren't those your
glasses?
KENT
Oh. Yes, they are. Niniane must
have picked them up ... earlier.
A chameleon spell works better if
you have a few belongings of the
subject.
He bends down to pick them up.
JESSICA
CERTAIN You're not going to just
leave me like this.
KENT
Oh?
JESSICA
This is what we were *born* for,
Kent. Final battle between --
KENT
-- between a tired old man and a
slightly younger woman with an
obscure grudge? I'll pass, thanks.
He turns to go.
JESSICA
Good and evil! I'm evil!
KENT
No, you're psychopathic. There's a
difference.
He starts to limp away.
JESSICA
You're going to just let me go?
After everything I've done --
KENT
You haven't done anything that I can
do anything about right now. I may
come back with a warrant for your
arrest in a bit. Who knows?
JESSICA
Very funny. BEAT *I* let the
Adversary into this world ...
KENT
Really? Is that how you see it?
JESSICA
If I hadn't stopped that demon from
inter--
KENT
Then it would still have come. Now
is when the Adversary was going to
come. BEAT Don't try to take
"credit" for the Adversary's deeds,
Jessica. I'm going to be discussing
the Adversary's actions with it very
shortly.
He takes another step away.
JESSICA
DISBELIEVING You're going to
confront the Adversary. BEAT
You're crazy. TO NABIKI You are
walking with a crazy person, you
know that?
NABIKI
You're not quite Ms. Mental Health,
you know?
JESSICA
Shut up inconsequential person.
BEAT You'll be destroyed. You
are nothing to something like
that. Less than nothing.
KENT
I can only try. And besides, you
want me dead, remember?
He takes another step away.
JESSICA
At *my* hands, damn your hide! You
are taking away the only thing that
*matters* to me! I have only *ever*
lived for the possibility that one
day I would be able to eke out my
vengeance on you!
KENT
I know.
He takes another step.
JESSICA
COME BACK HERE! This fight ... this
fight with you is all that I have!
It's the only reason I'm alive!
KENT slowly turns to look at her, with an expression on his face that one might
almost call sympathetic.
KENT
Then you should find something else
to live for, or you'll probably die.
He turns away again, and keeps right on walking this time. NABIKI follows,
almost trailing him as though ready to catch him if he falls. Before they are
out of sight, JESSICA lets out a fearsome howl that stops NABIKI in her tracks.
KENT keeps right on going, and NABIKI follows after a moment. JESSICA is
standing in her frozen position. Even her face, aside from her mouth, is
paralyzed. But not, it seems, her tear ducts. Cut to the entrance of the
Tendou dojo, just as it begins to rain. KENT approaches the gate slowly.
KENT
... when the weather agrees with
your mood ... do you know what
they call it?
NABIKI
No, I don't really --
KENT
Pathetic fallacy. BEAT Go on
in. I need to be alone for awhile.
NABIKI heads into the dojo with a sigh of relief. KENT slowly looks up into the
sky.
MCGOVERN (O.S.)
Did she hurt?
KENT looks back down. MCGOVERN has approached him without making a sound, and
is standing nearby with a sad expression on his face. A long moment passes.
KENT
You knew.
MCGOVERN gazes unblinkingly at him.
KENT
You knew ... and you never said a
damn thing to me. BEAT Or to
her.
MCGOVERN
In your case ... she asked me not
to. BEAT In hers ... telling her
would have deprived her of her
freedom to choose. Which in a way
is what this is all about, isn't it?
BEAT And I didn't *know*. If the
next twenty-four hours don't work
out in the right way, the line that
leads to where I'm from will never
exist.
There is another long moment.
KENT
What's it like? Harmony, I mean?
MCGOVERN
SHRUGS Nobody's hungry, nobody's
angry. Other than that, there
aren't any words.
KENT
Do you ever let people visit?
MCGOVERN
Yes, sometimes.
KENT
Could I --
MCGOVERN
No. I'm sorry, Kent. BEAT You
know why.
KENT
NODS Yeah. BEAT Call 'em back.
Get all the kids back here.
MCGOVERN
They're all here, or on their way.
KENT
Okay. I'll come in ... in a bit.
MCGOVERN nods, and then turns to head back in. KENT speaks without looking at
him.
KENT
Do you know when I'm supposed to
die? MCGOVERN doesn't look at him.
MCGOVERN
I know when all my friends are
supposed to die.
KENT
That doesn't answer my question.
MCGOVERN
BEAT Less than twenty four hours.
BEAT If everything goes right.
MCGOVERN heads in to the dojo. KENT leans against the wall, staring up into the
rain. An astute observer might note the similarity in the way that his head is
poised to the way that JESSICA's was, earlier. Cut to a dark, quiet room in the
TENDOU dojo. MINAKO is kneeling beside AETHAN's very still form, which is
covered in a blanket. His eyes are closed. We see that MINAKO is holding a
small razor blade in her left hand. She slowly moves her right wrist over
AETHAN's mouth. She closes her eyes. Her face clenches, either in pain or
anticipation of it.
MICHAEL (O.S.)
There's an safer and less messy
way of doing that, you know.
MINAKO looks up at MICHAEL who is standing at the sliding door.
MINAKO
How long have you been there?
MICHAEL
Just long enough.
He walks into the room, kneeling on the other side of AETHAN's body. He holds
out his hand, then wiggles his fingers expectantly. MINAKO reluctantly hands
over the razor. MICHAEL stares down at it.
MICHAEL
This one vampyre that I killed ...
he used these to open up his victims
so that no one would think it was a
vampyre killing the little boys. No
puncture marks, no vampyre, you see?
BEAT Lousy way to die, bleeding to
death.
MINAKO
He can ... heal the cuts, can't he?
MICHAEL
If he makes 'em, yeah. BEAT But
like I said, there's a simpler way
to get him what he needs. BEAT
You remember how we were fighting
the demons, right?
MINAKO
NODS Yes ... you're pretty good.
MICHAEL
SHRUG Practice. BEAT But you
remember how I was able to just ...
weaken them by grabbing hold of
them, right?
MINAKO
BLINKS Oh! So you're ... sort of
like a vampyre, too?
MICHAEL
Used to call myself a psi-vampyre.
Then I grew up. BEAT What I can
do is draw a little bit of your life
energy into me, and use it to ...
stimulate the production of blood
cells in my body. Now, normally, if
I had too much blood in my veins,
I'd have a heart attack. So ...
He makes a cutting gesture across his wrist. MINAKO looks at him dubiously.
MINAKO
I don't see why that's safer. I
mean, it means *I'm* not the one
who's bleeding to --
MICHAEL
I can heal myself pretty quickly.
MINAKO
FROWN But then couldn't I just --
MICHAEL
I can't heal anyone else, though.
SHRUGS My power's a selfish thing,
that way.
MINAKO swallows.
MINAKO
I dunno ... QUICK It's not that I
don't trust you to be nice about
taking my energy, but ... BEAT
Maybe I should just ask Serena to
heal him.
MICHAEL
Uh ... don't take this the wrong
way, but does the "healing" your
friend can do have any religious
overtones?
MINAKO
Well, she *is* the Messiah, but --
MICHAEL
RUBS HEAD I really didn't wanna
know that. BEAT Look, vampyres
and religion just don't mix.
MINAKO
I *know* that, but --
MICHAEL stares at her for a long moment, before a concerned expression starts to
develop on his face.
MICHAEL
SLOW You're pretty concerned about
me slitting my wrists for a person
who was about to slit her own.
MINAKO
QUIET It's different when you have
to watch. When it's being done to
you, you don't have time to think
about it ... but when all you can do
is watch --
MICHAEL
Stop it. BEAT Look ... I don't
know what you've been through. And
I shouldn't pry. Some questions,
you just don't ask, in my line of
work. BEAT But I do know that
this guy ...
He touches AETHAN's unmoving face gently.
MICHAEL
This guy loves you. He loves you
more than I've seen him love anyone
in the world -- and I would've sworn
up, down, and sideways that he was
crazy in love with Celestine.
MINAKO
CONCERNED Who's Celestine?
MICHAEL
Chinese dragon, joined the Shadows.
She bought it in the end. beat
The point is ... I don't wanna know
what'd happen to him if he lost you.
BEAT So please let me be a noble
idiot and take the risks, okay?
MINAKO looks down at AETHAN, whose face is almost tranquil, and sighs.
MINAKO
Okay. BEAT Does what you do ...
hurt, much?
MICHAEL
Only a li--
MINAKO
VERY QUICK I don't mind if it
hurts. BEAT I ... don't mind.
MICHAEL
SUDDENLY UNCERTAIN Okay ... um,
gimme your hand.
She extends her hand across AETHAN's chest, and he takes her by the wrist. Blue
lightning seems to crackle around his fingers, and MINAKO lets out a little
gasp. MICHAEL's eyes start to glow, faintly. A few seconds pass.
MICHAEL
Okay, that should be enough.
MINAKO
DAZED You're sure?
MICHAEL closes his eyes, and flinches, sharply. When his eyes open, they aren't
glowing anymore.
MICHAEL
TIGHT Yep. It's enough.
His skin is turning bright red, and the arteries in his left arm are standing
out to a frightening degree. He positions his wrist over AETHAN's mouth.
MICHAEL
IN OBVIOUS PAIN Could you hold
his lips open, please?
MINAKO, who still seems a bit out of it, reaches up to pull AETHAN's lips back
from his teeth -- which are still fanged. MICHAEL taps the artery in his wrist
on one of the fangs, causing it to burst open, shooting the thick red blood into
AETHAN's mouth. MINAKO watches with a certain horrified fascination. MICHAEL's
skin fades back to its normal pale hue, and the tension seems to flow out of his
body. After a moment, he slips his other hand over his wrist, and pulls away.
MICHAEL
TIRED Thaaaat's enough of that.
MINAKO
Is it enough, do you think?
AETHAN
VERY TIRED I imagine so.
AETHAN's eyes are half-lidded, and he still seems rather pale.
MINAKO
OVERJOYED Aethan!
She embraces him, and he smiles thinly at her, while making "scoot" gestures in
MICHAEL's direction. MICHAEL wearily flashes him an "okay" gesture, and heads
out of the room, sliding the door shut behind him. He looks down at the wrist
that he cut, seeing another fresh white scar added to several old ones. Back in
the room.
MINAKO
Are you sure it's enough?
AETHAN
Of course. I just need a little
rest, now, so --
MINAKO
FLAT Liar. BEAT You don't
sleep, so why should you need rest?
AETHAN stares at her for a moment, then lets out a weary sigh -- thus showing
that his fangs, while not as prominent as they were earlier, are still in
evidence.
AETHAN
There is a certain logic to your
position. BEAT However --
MINAKO
And you're still too weak to move
... which means you're much too weak
to stop me. BEAT Wellll?
Long silence.
AETHAN
You're quite sure that you want to
do this?
MINAKO
FIRM Yes.
AETHAN
RESIGNED All right.
He beckons her closer. She lowers her neck to his mouth. He kisses her, once.
AETHAN
MUFFLED I'll make it as painless
as possible.
MINAKO
WHISPERED I don't mind.
A second later, she lets out a little gasp. Cut to RAYE, sitting in the dojo,
looking at the sliding door with an apprehensive expression.
SHAMPOO (O.S.)
Hey, barely-know girl. You want to
watch door all night or play cards?
RAYE turns back to look at SHAMPOO, who is sitting with URD and AYEKA. URD has
produced a poker dealer's cap from somewhere.
RAYE
Oh, I'm quite ready to play a fair
game --
She glares first at AYEKA and then at SHAMPOO.
RAYE
-- as long as the two of you don't
try that "I've never played this
game before" scam *again*.
AYEKA
BLINK But I haven't! Really.
BEAT Granted, one can claim
familiarity with a rather similar
game ... *some* familiarity ...
RAYE
Yeah, right, *that's* why you've
still got half your chips and I --
URD
Now, now, like I once told Bradey,
"Never count your money when you're
sitting at the table; there'll be
time enough for counting when the
dealing's done."
RAYE
Who's Bradey?
URD
IGNORES HER Let's play cards!
We take a brief tour of the dojo, seeing UKYOU and LITA talking, busily
exchanging recipes; RANMA and TENCHI discussing something -- probably fighting,
while DARIEN and RYOUKO watch on from opposite sides. SASAMI is curled up in
the corner, half-asleep, while MIHOSHI is all the way there. KYOUSUKE sits a
little apart from all of the others -- he's older than anyone there (at least,
older than anyone there *seems* to be) and not really comfortable with people
who are so open about their powers. Finally, he gets up and heads out. Cut to
KYOUSUKE walking down the hallway, rubbing the back of his head. He passes a
window, and pauses to stare up at the sky.
KYOUSUKE
MUTTERED But what if she was
right?
ANDREW (O.S.)
Right about what?
KYOUSUKE turns to see ANDREW standing a little bit away.
KYOUSUKE
Oh. Good evening, Delafontaine-san.
I was just ... thinking about some
stuff.
ANDREW
Oh. Okay.
He turns and starts to head away. KYOUSUKE blinks.
KYOUSUKE
Uhhh ...
ANDREW
LOOKS BACK Yeah?
KYOUSUKE
You're not gonna press for details?
ANDREW
BLINKS I'm sorry, you must have
me confused with some wise old
guidance counsellor you once knew.
KYOUSUKE
Uh ... sorry. It's just that ...
well, you do remind me a bit of
my grandfather, and he always
poked into everything.
ANDREW
Nasty habit some old fogies have.
KYOUSUKE nods.
ANDREW
You callin' me an old fogie, kid?
KYOUSUKE
Ah ... uh ... well -- NO!
ANDREW
RESIGNED Okay, whatever. If you
really feel the need to unburden
yourself, I'll listen.
KYOUSUKE
Uh ... thanks. I guess. BEAT
Well, it kind of has to do with
my grandfather. Before I came here
at Masefield-san's ... um, request,
my grandfather ... well, I asked
him if he'd done some sort of
matchmaking, to get me involved with
my fiancee.
ANDREW
Huh. This an ESPer thing?
KYOUSUKE
Right. BEAT You know about this
sort of thing?
ANDREW
SNORT Young man, you are talking
to the world's foremost non-ESPer
expert on ESPers. BEAT Your lady
has no Power, right?
KYOUSUKE
If she has, she hasn't told me
about it.
ANDREW
Okay, we'll proceed assuming that
she doesn't. Dumb, but simpler.
BEAT Up until maybe a generation
or two ago, most of the lines of
ESPers, all over the world, were
busily intermarrying in an attempt
to breed an ultimate power. Das
Ubermensch. Unfortunately, what
they usually wound up producing
was a kid who could do one thing
well -- like, telekinesis -- and was
lousy at everything else -- like,
speech. And thought.
KYOUSUKE flinches a bit at that.
ANDREW
I know, I shouldn't be so blunt. It
wasn't until maybe ... geez, twenty
years ago that the other possibility
occurred to them. BEAT You see,
what an ESPer has is a set of genes
for power. A set that are dominant.
BEAT But who's to say that a NON-
ESPer won't have the same set of
genes ... only recessive?
KYOUSUKE
I ... don't know all that much about
genetics.
ANDREW
SHRUG Me neither. I'm tellin'
you what Kent told me. BEAT Lemme
put it like this. You have *active*
powers. Someone that you meet when
you're walking down the street could
have *latent* powers of the same
kind, which will never become active
in their lifetime, but which could
be passed on to their children ...
and if their other parent was an
ESPer, they'd have the best of both
worlds. You see where I'm coming
from?
KYOUSUKE nods, but doesn't look any happier.
ANDREW
Now, if the person has really strong
latencies, you might be able to see
some *really* low level ESPer
activity. BEAT That's how Kent
lost his first girlfriend. Her
father -- real psychic overlord
type -- was all set to get them
hitched, when she fell in love with
this guy she met hiking in the
mountains around their home.
KYOUSUKE looks up, a bit startled.
ANDREW
Now, the father's furious, he's
seeing his little dynasty dissolve
before his eyes -- but he loves his
daughter, so he gives her guy a
chance to prove himself. I don't
know the specifics, but the guy
shows enough interesting latencies
to get the girl's father interested,
and like that, he tells her to dump
Kent like a hot potato.
KYOUSUKE
That's ... surprising.
ANDREW
Yeah, Kent was pretty upset, but
he started to rationalize it. It
helps that he did some studies, and
figured out that there was a chance
that any kid he had with this girl
would probably have more power than
any human being can handle. Both
lines were approaching some limiting
point, where ... ah, I'm getting off
topic. BEAT Anyway, Kent told me
this a while back, after the old guy
asked him to check up on a girl he
was interested in getting together
with his grandson. *Really*, really
strong latencies.
KYOUSUKE lets out a despairing sigh.
ANDREW
So he went to New York, and "checked
up" on her. Nice girl. Little
flaky, but ... anyway, Kent figured
that the best thing to do was to
tell him that the latencies weren't
really worth disrupting this kid's
life over. She seemed fairly happy
in Manhattan ... which is probably a
power in and of itself, but --
KYOUSUKE is staring at ANDREW with shock. ANDREW finally notices.
ANDREW
BLANK What?
KYOUSUKE
Uh ... tell me more about that ...
"limiting point".
ANDREW
SHRUGS I dunno a lot about it. At
a certain level, the various powers
either meld into one, unified power
that's beyond pretty much anyone's
ability to control -- or they
become completely incompatible.
BEAT For instance, if you bred a
truly badass telepath with someone
who had a mental shield like you
wouldn't believe, their children
might wind up being completely
latent.
KYOUSUKE
How is this known? I mean?
ANDREW
Name Tunguska mean anything to you?
KYOUSUKE thinks for a moment, then visibly remembers.
KYOUSUKE
STARTLED ESPers did that?
ANDREW
Like I said, all the ESPer families
were trying to breed gods. In
Russia ... well, they succeeded.
And with a nuclear explosion, the
god they created left the world
forever. BEAT Same bunch that
gave the world a guy named Dr.
Michel Andropov, would-be world
conqueror.
KYOUSUKE
No way ... there are actually people
like that?
ANDREW
LACONIC Yep. And the really
annoying thing is, they're damn
hard to kill.
Cut to the kitchen. PATRICIA is huddled in the corner, almost in a fetal
position. She is crying, quietly. KASUMI slowly enters the kitchen, and starts
to see her there.
KASUMI
Patricia-san?
PATRICIA looks up, but doesn't say anything.
KASUMI
CONCERNED What's wrong?
PATRICIA shakes her head.
KASUMI
You don't want to tell me?
PATRICIA shakes her head *quickly*.
KASUMI
UNDERSTANDING You *can't* tell me.
You don't have the words.
PATRICIA nods. KASUMI nods once, then comes to sit down on the floor beside
her. Slowly, and with great tenderness, she embraces the younger girl.
KASUMI
It's all right. You don't have to
tell me.
PATRICIA
QUIET Kasumi-san?
KASUMI
Yes?
PATRICIA
What would you do if you found out
that someone you loved had lied to
you? BEAT A lot? A big lie?
KASUMI
I'd probably ask her why she had
done that.
PATRICIA
Oh. BEAT Well ... what if you
knew why they'd done it ... sort of
... but they didn't know that you
knew?
KASUMI
Then I'd let ... him know that I
knew, and hope that his explanation
was better than the reason why I
thought he'd lied to me.
PATRICIA
But ... what if ... A long pause.
KASUMI
Yes?
PATRICIA
... what if you were afraid to ask?
KASUMI
I'd say to myself ... if I'm brave
enough to fight a demon all by
myself, I can ask someone I love
why they did something to hurt me.
Another long pause.
PATRICIA
Thank you, Kasumi-san. BEAT
Kasumi-san? What is ... human?
KASUMI gives the question a serious moment of thought.
KASUMI
What does it mean to be human?
BEAT To be human is to be aware,
always, even if only unconsciously,
of one's flaws ... and to try and
transcend them, always, in one way
or another. BEAT This is how we
are unlike the monsters who call
themselves gods.
PATRICIA
Ara?
Cut to the roof of the dojo, where BELLDANDY is sitting, watching the stars.
KEIICHI pokes his head through one of the holes in the roof, and sees her.
KEIICHI
QUIET Belldandy?
She turns to him quickly, and lets out a sigh of immense relief.
BELLDANDY
Keiichi-san! Thank goodness you're
all right!
KEIICHI climbs out onto the roof, and makes his way over to where she is.
BELLDANDY
I was worried that *she* would not
permit you to see me ...
KEIICHI
Uh, no ... she's let me have the run
of the house. BEAT Uh, Belldandy
... Tendou-san really does seem like
a nice person ...
BELLDANDY
SHAKES HER HEAD Don't be taken in
by appearances, Keiichi-san. She is
of the most vile species of humanity
to have been ever born from Mother
Earth.
KEIICHI
What?
Cut back to the kitchen. SERENA starts to sneak in, then realizes it is
occupied, and ducks back out, though not all the way.
KASUMI
I'm going to tell you a story, now.
It may not all be true, but it is
what I *know*. BEAT Long, long ago
there was life on the moon.
SERENA jumps, but is not noticed by either of them.
KASUMI
There was life on all the worlds of
this solar system. It was an age
... undreamt of. BEAT Within a
few short millennia of his birth as
a species, mankind harnessed the
hidden powers of the world, and
spread out throughout the *worlds*.
BEAT By their own will and power,
they pulled themselves out of the
muck of Earth ... and up among the
stars. *By* *themselves*. BEAT
And this made the gods mad with
envy.
Cut back to the roof.
BELLDANDY
They called themselves godlings.
BEAT Because they were born with
a strange ability to wield the
hidden powers of the universe from
the cradle ... they felt themselves
to be the equal of my kindred. They
spread throughout the solar system,
turning every world into as close to
a duplicate of Earth as they could,
caring nothing for the ecologies of
these worlds. Nature existed only
as a tool, or an obstacle to them.
BEAT And as for those humans not
blessed with the wonder of magic?
They were scarcely better off than
animals.
Cut back to the kitchen.
KASUMI
It was not a perfect world that man
created. There was injustice and
inequality. But this has been true
of all peoples, of all nations. The
gods despised the Silver Millennium
not for the cruelties and horrors,
but because it had been accomplished
without their help.
Cut back to the roof.
BELLDANDY
We watched in horror, and could do
nothing. For they never invited us
into their lives. There was no true
spiritual urge among them ... only a
relentless desire to push the limits
of what could be done. An endless
crusade for more power, more wealth,
more of all things. BEAT They
even meddled where we will not, and
created true life, from lifelessness.
They dared. They dared.
Cut back to the kitchen.
KASUMI
In the end ... there arose one whose
soul had been given to anger, and
hatred, and grief ... and she tore
down the Silver Millennium with her
own hands. BEAT And what did the
gods do? They mocked us. "You
never needed us before," they said
as millions upon millions died.
"You surely can't need us now."
They sat back, and laughed.
Cut back to the roof.
BELLDANDY
In the fullness of time, there came
the Apocalypse. One of their own
dealt the final blow to the rotting
hulk that was the civilization of
the godlings. And millions upon
millions of innocents died in the
conflagration. And we could do
nothing ... for they did not call on
us. They called on their powers or
those of their rulers to save them
... and those powers were fading
like the setting of a sun. BEAT
We watched ... and wept.
Cut back to the kitchen.
PATRICIA
MUTED Is this really a true story?
KASUMI
It is ... and I should know. I was
there.
SERENA slowly steps into the kitchen.
SERENA
QUIET Who were you?
KASUMI is frozen for a second, staring at SERENA in stunned horror. PATRICIA
looks up to see who it is, and blinks.
SERENA
QUIET Please ... I have to know
who you were ...
KASUMI
No you don't. We are who we are ...
who we were should not enter into
it --
SERENA
But it does.
KASUMI looks as though she wants to argue with the statement for a few moments
... then her resistance collapses under the sad, quiet look in SERENA's eyes.
KASUMI
My name ... was Vesta. BEAT Vesta,
daughter of Serenity.
SERENA's eyes open even wider. For a few seconds, absolutely nothing happens.
SERENA
Did we ever meet?
KASUMI shakes her head. Tears are beginning to pool in SERENA's eyes.
SERENA
Then I can't know ... I can't know
if it's okay or not ... to call you
oneesama ...
KASUMI looks as though she's been hit with a mallet ... and then, for the first
time since she began to recount her story, there is life in her eyes, and hope.
KASUMI
Of course it's all right, my dear
sister. Of course.
Quite suddenly, SERENA dashes forward to embrace KASUMI, startling the heck out
of PATRICIA. There is much shedding of tears -- not all on SERENA's part. Cut
to the roof.
BELLDANDY
They cannot be trusted, ever, these
"godlings". Not even in another
life. BEAT We made the mistake of
not stopping them, then, and the
human race paid for it with nearly
twelve thousand years of darkness.
Even now ...
She trails off, and realizes that KEIICHI is slumped over on his side, fast
asleep. She sighs, and smiles.
KENT (O.S.)
I took the liberty of touching a
sleep spot. I needed to speak with
you privately.
BELLDANDY looks up, startled, to see KENT standing on the summit of the roof.
His face is marked as URD saw it marked, earlier.
BELLDANDY
Oh. My Lord Tulkas. I thought it
was you, but you seemed changed --
KENT flinches, and the marks vanish.
KENT
My apologies. I still don't have
that quite under control. BEAT
I should explain, I'm *not* Tulkas.
BEAT Exactly. BEAT Anymore.
BELLDANDY blinks.
BELLDANDY
CLEARLY NOT UNDERSTANDING Oh.
KENT looks frustrated for a moment, then shakes his head.
KENT
I will explain with greater clarity
tomorrow, I hope. BEAT But that
isn't what I came here to talk to
you about.
BELLDANDY
Your brother will not intervene
unless --
KENT
That's not it either. BEAT I
need to know what you are capable
of. I need to know if you'd be
able to ... create a gate to a
certain dimension. The vimogorge
dimension.
BELLDANDY grows pale.
BELLDANDY
Why?
KENT
Because that's where the Adversary
is. BEAT Verdandi ... it's not
enough for me to scotch his plans
this time. I have to put an end to
it for all time, not just my own.
BELLDANDY is silent for a long moment, studying KENT's face.
BELLDANDY
Then it's true. BEAT The Adversary
is Morgoth.
The last word sounds more dire than anything imaginable.
KENT
No. BEAT The Adversary *caused*
Morgoth.
BELLDANDY seems very surprised at this idea ... then shakes her head.
BELLDANDY
I see. Well. BEAT I do have the
power to do what you ask. But ...
KENT
Yes?
BELLDANDY
I am under contract, and limitation.
BEAT If what you say is true, I
would have the right to break my
limiter ... but there is a good
chance that that would cause my
contract to be voided ...
Her gaze is drawn to KEIICHI's face ... and tears begin to form in her eyes.
BELLDANDY
... but if the Adversary is not
defeated ...
She looks up again. KENT is gone.
KENT (O.S.)
I am sorry. No one should ask such
a thing.
BELLDANDY
I *shall* do it, if it necessary.
KENT (O.S.)
I know. That's why I am sorry.
Off-screen, there is the sound of a window being pulled closed. BELLDANDY seems
not to notice. She caresses KEIICHI's cheek, and finally begins to cry. Cut to
MINAKO, sliding a door softly closed. She is wearing a large, white scarf
around her neck. She turns around. RAYE is standing right behind her.
RAYE
Hello. MINAKO lets out a little yelp and jumps.
MINAKO
Geez, Raye, would you mind not doing
that to --
RAYE
Nice scarf.
MINAKO pauses, and almost involuntarily fingers the scarf.
MINAKO
Isn't it just --
RAYE
You weren't wearing it, when you got
here, yesterday. BEAT Where'd it
come from?
MINAKO
PROUD From Aethan. It's a token
of his aff--
RAYE
From Aethan. You don't say. BEAT
Mina, let me see your neck.
MINAKO slowly starts to back away from her.
MINAKO
It's not *nice* to tease people
about their hickeys, Raye ...
RAYE
If it's a hickey, I'll be properly
embarrassed, and plead with you never
to tell a soul about this. But I
don't think --
MINAKO
I've noticed that.
RAYE ignores the bait, and starts reaching for scarf. MINAKO backs out of the
way.
MINAKO
Raye, cut it out.
She grabs hold of one of RAYE's hands just before it touches the scarf, and it
quickly degenerates into a wrestling match. Finally, MINAKO jerks her right
hand free, and slaps RAYE across the face, stopping them both dead in their
tracks.
RAYE
Mina, do you remember a little over
a year ago?
MINAKO
Being lonely, yes --
RAYE
FAINTLY DESPERATE There was a girl
in your class, and you and Serena
and Lita and Amy all thought that
she wore too much makeup. And one
day you saw her without it, and her
face was --
MINAKO
Shut up, Raye.
RAYE
-- covered in bruises, bruises that
her boyfriend had put there. And
when you went to stop him --
MINAKO
SHUT UP, Raye.
RAYE
-- she stopped you, and all she said
in his defense was `I love him'.
BEAT And you said, "Love shouldn't
hurt."
MINAKO
This is not the same *thing* --
RAYE suddenly grabs the scarf, yanking it loose to reveal a pair of livid
puncture marks on MINAKO's throat.
RAYE
Isn't it? BEAT Mina, this isn't
*love* ... people who hurt you like
this aren't *loving* you, they're
*using* --
MINAKO jerks back, furious.
MINAKO
You don't know what you're talking
about! I *let* him do this, he
needs his strength, so I let him
take --
RAYE
And what does he give you in return?
A *scarf*?
MINAKO
TIGHT Love isn't about what people
give you.
RAYE
It's not about what they give you,
or what you give them, it's about
what you give each other, and what
in the *hell* can he be giving you
to make *hurting* you like this
somehow okay?!
MINAKO
SLOWLY, AS TO AN IDIOT Affection!
BREATHING DEEPLY I'm not like you,
Raye ... I can't be happy *knowing*
that the people I care about are
happy. I need to be held. I need
to be *touched*. I need to be --
RAYE
You can get all that from someone
who won't bleed you from the throat!
MINAKO
NO I CAN'T! NOT AFTER --
She breaks off, breathing heavily, and starts backing away from RAYE.
RAYE
CONFUSED Not after --?
MINAKO
Stay AWAY from me. Just *stay* the
hell away!
She turns and runs. RAYE starts after her ... then turns, with an expression of
extreme anger, towards the door that she slid closed. She slams it open.
RAYE
YOU!
She blinks. The room is empty, except for a disturbed futon.
AKANE (V.O.)
After that, it quieted down for the
night. I had finally gotten to
sleep a while before any of this
went on, and was busy dreaming of
the demons I'd fought earlier that
day. I'd done well -- Skuld had
complemented me on the way I dealt
with the bugs -- but it bothered
me how easy it had been to crush
the little things ... without even
having to think about it. BEAT
Adventure, I'd been told, was some-
one else having a terrible time far
away. I felt like I was having an
adventure. I hated it.
Cut to morning, in the dojo. Everyone -- except for SOUUN and KENT -- is
gathered there. It is a more subdued gathering, perhaps because of the evil
glares that KASUMI and BELLDANDY are giving one another from opposite sides of
the room. PATRICIA is quietly talking with SERENA, and pointedly ignoring
ANDREW's occasional odd looks in her direction. MINA and AETHAN are holding
hands. RYOUKO is busily coming between MARA and TENCHI, much to MARA's
irritation. KENT enters the room, slowly. The conversations die, slowly. He
looks at the Gathered slowly, almost as if he's memorizing their faces.
KENT
SLOWLY The situation has changed.
SERENA slowly puts up a hand. KENT looks at her.
SERENA
Um ... Mr. Masefield, I'm really sad
about Niniane-san, ... it's a very,
very sad thing ... but ... I don't
see how it changes the situation.
We have to get the Adversary to stop
doing what it's doing, and --
KENT
You're right, Ms. Tsukino. The
situation hasn't changed ... only
how we have to respond to it. BEAT
And what we know about it.
MARA
What's there to know? Very old
demon, gotta get rid of it --
KENT
I now know a great deal more about
where the Adversary came from, what
it truly is ... and I think that I
have a way to defeat it for all
time.
There is stunned confusion.
COLOGNE
May I ask, what is the source of
this ... insight?
KENT exchanges a look with MCGOVERN.
KENT
Niniane knew more than she revealed.
BEAT Until the very end, when she
revealed everything. SHAKES HEAD
I don't know where she got the idea
that she was a coward for not trying
to change the future that she saw --
Unnoticed by anyone, RANMA flinches, and seems to shrink in on himself.
KENT
-- but I can understand why, now.
BEAT As the legends state, this
isn't the first time that the
Adversary has menaced this world.
Always before, it becomes bored with
the struggle, and quits the field.
The world lives. So far, so good.
Can anyone see the problem, here?
MIHOSHI suddenly starts waving her hand.
MIHOSHI
I do, I do! BEAT I think ... uh,
it's kind of like what my granddaddy
did with garbage on our homelands.
He buried it, *far* away from any
land or water that he was using ...
but eventually it got in the land
and the water anyway, just not when
he was using it, but when my daddy
was ... BEAT Is that right?
RYOUKO
MUTTERED This explains so much ...
KENT
Right.
RYOUKO collapses momentarily.
KENT
It's just putting the problem off,
dumping it on the next generation,
or maybe the one after that. It
saves the world ... but it condemns
the children who have to grow up in
that world.
All of the younger people in the room, particularly SASAMI, seem a bit put off
by that.
DARIEN
FLAT I don't like the idea of
"dumping" *anything* on my children.
You were saying something about a
way to end it, once and for all?
KENT
NODS Right. PAUSES This is
going to get ... very strange.
NABIKI
"Going to"?
KENT
IGNORING HER In each of these ...
confrontations with the Adversary,
there is always one person who
seems to almost symbolize the
conflict. The central figure.
COLOGNE
Such as Ku-Len Sing.
KENT
QUIET Yes. BEAT But this ...
person ... is always more than he
or she seems to be. Because it's
always the same person, every time.
KEIICHI
Uh, hold it. That makes no sense.
I mean, even if the Buddhists are
right, and a soul goes through a
lot of lives to deal with the karma
it has built up in each of them ...
uhhhh ... wait a minute ...
RAYE
When you put it like that ... it
makes a lot of sense.
KEIICHI
WHIMPER But I'm an engineer. I'm
not supposed to have spiritual
insights ...
Cut to somewhere grey. WASHUU and PLUTO hover in the mists.
WASHUU
GLUM Tell me about it.
PLUTO
Quiet, this is important.
Cut back to the dojo.
RAYE
But I don't even want to imagine
what a human soul could possibly
do to accumulate so much karma that
it would have to keep fighting a
hopeless battle over and over again.
That ... that would be worse than --
She glares at AETHAN momentarily, prompting MINAKO to cuddle even closer to him.
RAYE
QUICK -- than anything.
KENT nods, slowly.
KENT
It is. BEAT But ... this soul
is not, actually, a human soul.
It is ... somewhat more complicated.
NABIKI
`Somewhat'?
KENT gives NABIKI a weary look.
KENT
*Considerably* more complicated.
BEAT To understand this soul ...
which we will call, for the moment,
the Defender ... you must understand
the Adversary, first.
KENT closes his eyes, during the next bit.
KENT
It was billions of years ago, that
the Dispute took place. BEAT The
greatest of the servants of the
Creator considered the role that
life -- particularly sentient life
-- was to play in the unfolding of
the cosmos. And was not happy with
what that role was. He -- I use the
male pronoun, inappropriately --
asked the Creator to be harsher with
life when it developed ... to the
point of denying it free will. The
Creator refused. And the servant
turned against the master, and
inspired others to do the same.
BEAT And there was a Dispute. It
lasted eons. It lasted minutes. In
the end, the rebels were cast out,
into the universe from where they
had been. And their leader became
the Adversary.
BELLDANDY
That is a very old story.
KENT
Like all things which are true, it
casts shadows. BEAT The story
which is not often told is what
happened next. Some among the
Creator's servants were not ...
satisfied with the punishment given
to the Adversary and his ilk. The
Adversary deserved far worse than
exile ... particularly into a realm
where he could do damage to life.
One of them -- the mightiest among
these discontents -- asked the
Creator to destroy the Adversary,
to prevent such a thing. BEAT
The Creator refused. And so there
was a second Dispute. This one
definitely lasted minutes. The
discontents were likewise exiled.
And their leader became ... the
Defender.
RYOUGA
And that's the one who's supposed
to fight the Adversary?
KENT nods.
RYOUGA
IRRITATED So where is he? Where
is -- waitaminute. BEAT; TWISTS
TO POINT AT RANMA YOU! Why haven't
you been doing your job!
RANMA
Whaaaaat?
RYOUGA
Don't try and deny it, you fiend!
Only *you* could possibly be as
stupid and bull-headed as to get
thrown out of --
KENT
DRY Actually, *I'm* the stubborn
and bull-headed one, Mr. Hibiki.
RYOUGA gives KENT a quick look, determines that he's not joking, and settles
down.
SERENA
You're the Defender? Really?
KENT's face spasms, briefly.
KENT
Sort of. That was the name that ...
BEAT Niniane thought I was, at
least, and she had known an earlier
incarnation of the ... of it.
SERENA
CONFUSED What do you mean, "it"?
It's *you*, isn't it?
From his expression, KENT appears to be struggling with something.
KENT
I don't know how to explain this.
BEAT I don't know if this is true
for everyone, or just for me ...
but each person who has taken the
role of the Defender has had *two*
souls, in a way. One part was the
soul that everyone on Earth gets.
One per customer. The other part
was the immortal part, the part that
was a small piece of the Defender.
It guides and records the doings of
the ... the host, I guess you could
call it. BEAT So, now, while I
remember all of the lives that the
Defender has been ... they weren't
*me*. But I recognize parts of
myself, attitudes that I thought
were mine *in* them ... and I'm left
to wonder how much of me is of my
own making, and how much is --
DARIEN
QUIET Don't think about it.
KENT
But --
DARIEN
Don't *think* about it. We are who
we are.
KENT stares at DARIEN for a second ... then nods, slowly.
KYOUSUKE
Ummmm ... this is really esoteric
stuff, and I don't actually *get*
most of what you're saying ... but
why didn't the Defender just fight
the Adversary alone, without all
these ... manipulations?
KENT
BITTER Either a very good or a
very lousy reason, depending on your
perspective. Fear.
KYOUSUKE
DID I HEAR THAT RIGHT? Fear.
KENT
In the reality from which the ...
the name is so ill-chosen ... the
Defender came, there was no death.
Nothing could be destroyed. BEAT
That's not the way this universe
works. *Anything* can be destroyed,
eventually. The Defender and those
who had Fallen with him found that
out the hard way. Within only a few
trifling millennia of their exile,
most of them had either been slain
in battle with the Adversary and his
ilk, or had gone back to their home
to plead for the Creator's mercy.
Well before this world's sun was
lit, the Defender was alone ... and
afraid.
LITA
Well, yeah. I mean, the Adversary
still had all its buddies with it,
right?
KENT
No ... they had either fallen in
battle, or had separated from the
Adversary. It was alone as well.
LITA
BLINK Oh ... OHHH. That's cute.
When it came down to a one-on-one
fight --
KENT
The Adversary was more powerful than
the Defender. A direct conflict was
bound to destroy it.
LITA
DISGUSTED And since it didn't have
any friends left to sacrifice, the
Defender turned into a chicken.
Like I said, cute.
KENT smiles a bit at LITA's anger.
KENT
But at the same time, it *had* to
oppose the Adversary. That was the
only reason it had for going on.
What he just said strikes KENT quite suddenly. For a second, he stares into
space, then shakes his head. NABIKI realizes what he must be remembering, but
says nothing, although there is a calculating look in her eye.
KENT
Where was I?
RYOUKO
The Defender needed to get a life.
KENT
DRY Thank you.
Cut to the grey space.
WASHUU
PROUD 'At's my girl!
PLUTO
DRY I'd noticed.
Back to the dojo.
KENT
So the Defender placed a little
bit of its essence and soul in a
certain lifeform. It wasn't a human
being, or even anything native to
Earth. It was a long way away from
here ... just where doesn't matter.
But that life form was central in
a struggle to check a scheme that
the Adversary had begun, by causing
it to become bored when it didn't
succeed at once.
RYOUKO
Yo, question.
KENT
Yes?
RYOUKO
So, this Defender stops the plans of
this Adversary ... and the plans are
generally aimed at wiping out all
life in the universe, right?
KENT
More or less, yes.
RYOUKO
Then would you mind telling me what
the hell's so `ill-chosen' about the
name "the Defender"? It's been
bothering me for a while.
KENT
BLINKS Well ... because he's not
*defending* anything. He's stopping
the plans, not because he cares
about humanity, but because he hates
the Adversary. In fact --
RYOUKO
INTERRUPTING So?
KENT
-- that's where "the Adversary" came
from, it's *his* ad-- BREAK OFF
What do you mean, so?
RYOUKO
So he's stopping these plans despite
not caring if they succeed or not.
So what?
KENT
BAFFLED He's doing it for the
wrong reasons. If you do the right
thing, for the wrong reason, it's
*not* good --
RYOUKO
IRRITATED Says who? BEAT I
mean, I try to stay friendly with
a certain Imperial snobbiness --
AYEKA
HAUGHTY Since when?
RYOUKO
IGNORES HER -- not because I give
two shakes of a schthazi ass what
she thinks about me, but because
someone I *do* care about wants me
to. Does that mean it doesn't mean
anything?
KENT looks at TENCHI.
KENT
You wanna try answering this one?
TENCHI
LOWERS HEAD I'm not going to say
anything.
KEIICHI
That's probably a very wise move.
TENCHI
NOT LIFTING HEAD Thank you.
Cut to the grey space. WASHUU is laughing her head off.
PLUTO
ANNOYED Would you stop that?
He's quite right, you know.
WASHUU
MALICIOUS Oh really? So did my
helping you out in the War to get
you off my back make whatever you
forced me to do less of a "good"
thing?
PLUTO
GRUDGING Unfortunately, yes.
WASHUU
MALICIOUS But did it make *any*
difference at all in the outcome?
PLUTO glares wordlessly for a few seconds.
PLUTO
QUIET It is too soon to tell.
WASHUU
"If it cannot be measured to signif-
icant figures, it is not fact ... it
is an opinion." BEAT All this
bunkum about "the work becomes
corrupt" is stuff people made up to
make people *want* to be selfless
and noble and decent, and to feel
guilty about not being that way all
the time. The universe looks at
actions, not at motives.
PLUTO
ANGRY I said that it was too soon
to tell. Ask me again in a thousand
years, and I may be able to answer
with more *precision*.
Cut back to the dojo.
KENT
In any event, I just don't believe
that it's appropriate. I'll use it,
because I don't have a better one
handy, but I don't think that it's
*right*.
RYOUKO shrugs.
KENT
Right. BEAT And that's how it's
been happening for ... many billions
of years. The Defender is born into
human form, struggles against the
schemes of Adversary, and ... BEAT
Sometimes the Defender stops the
Adversary's proxies completely. Not
often, but sometimes. More often,
the proxies succeed, but it takes so
long that --
AMY
INTERRUPTS -- the Adversary loses
interest. Mr. Masefield ... I think
we understand. I'm not sure if I
believe everything you're saying,
but I don't have any reason to think
you a liar either. But I think we
should focus on your plan to defeat
the Adversary, rather than focus on
past defeats.
KENT
All right. I just wanted to make
sure you all understood what you
were getting into. BEAT What makes
*this* life different from all the
others that I've lived is that I
know all of this. And I know where
the Adversary *is*, as well. BEAT
After it came to Earth, it retreated
to the dimension of the vimogorges
-- the creatures that it used to
blow up the railway station. It
opened up a path for three of them,
and assorted "lowlife" of that
dimension followed. BEAT But the
Adversary stayed in that dimension,
observing.
AETHAN
Then we have a serious problem. I
have studied accounts of these
creatures, and *no* *one*, to my
knowledge, knows how to open a
portal to their dimension. They
only come through by accident.
KENT
I know. But I know how now.
AETHAN
How? Did Niniane --
KENT
No, but Jessica's mind was like an
open book. She *saw* the Adversary
open the portal -- TO RANMA taking
your school's master along, by the
way -- and understood basically how
to repeat it. The problem is, it is
beyond almost any power that we
possess.
URD
Uh ... almost? BEAT Waitaminnit.
She turns to look at BELLDANDY with a shocked expression. BELLDANDY draws in a
deep breath.
BELLDANDY
I have conferred with the Allmighty,
and he has agreed to provide me with
the power to open a portal to the
vimogorge dimension. I will not be
able to hold it closed against
intruders from the other side,
however.
KENT
That's all right, I have something
else in mind for that. Now --
URD
Really?
BELLDANDY looks at her sister in surprise.
BELLDANDY
Do you think that I'd break the
rules by not asking first, Urd?
URD
Well ... no ...
KEIICHI
NERVOUS Are you sure that you'll
be all right, channeling that much
power? When you first arrived --
BELLDANDY
Of course I will, Keiichi-san.
BEAT Everything will be all right.
SKULD looks at her older sister for a few seconds. And knows. She opens her
mouth to say something ... then closes it, firmly.
KENT
The problem is that in order to get
a fix on the exact location of this
dimension ... we have to capture one
of the two remaining vimogorges
*alive*.
MARA is smiling widely but there is a frantic look in her eyes.
MARA
Wait. Wait. Lemme see if I've got
this right. You're going to *catch*
a species of demon that even the
*rest* of us know to avoid, use some
kind of ritual to open a place to
where the things live, and then *go*
there to confront a primal force of
evil.
KENT
Yes, my theory is that the Adversary
will be so startled by a direct
confrontation that a sufficiently
powerful force will be able to
overcome it long enough to dictate
terms.
MARA
Oh really. So who you planning on
sending on this journey up a certain
creek? No, wait, lemme guess --
you're going yourself.
KENT
That is my plan.
MARA bursts out into hysterical laughter, which only begins to fade as she
realizes that no one else in the room finds this even remotely amusing, and that
BELLDANDY is looking at her with a very sad expression. MARA stares at KENT.
MARA
You're insane. BEAT No, I take
it back, you're not insane, you're
dead. I am sitting here, talking to
a dead man. You're gonna die there,
down in the darkness. You do know
this, right?
KENT
I'm aware of the possibility --
MARA
Fuck possibility, it's a certainty!
There is a long pause.
KENT
A virtual certainty, yes.
PATRICIA suddenly stands up on the other side of the room, staring at KENT with
horror for a long moment -- then turning to dash out of the room.
MARA
GRINNING Sure looks like someone
wasn't aware of --
KENT's face has the markings of a demon.
KENT
Be. *SILENT*.
MARA blinks. KENT's face has returned to normal, but he is still scowling at
her.
KENT
Now, unless there are any serious
objections, I'd like to describe
my plan ...
Cut to the streets of Nerima.
AKANE (V.O.)
His plan didn't really impress *me*
as a model of sanity either, and
I'd like to think that I'm a little
saner than a demon. BEAT We went
out, as before, but this time the
words "low profile" weren't in our
vocabulary.
RYOUKO zips leisurely through the sky.
AKANE (V.O.)
The plan was to make enough "noise"
to attract the attention of one of
the vimogorges ... then the lucky
one to actually find them would use
the communicators we were given to
signal "headquarters" -- my home --
and the three goddesses would come
to the scene at once. beat Only
a few of the really heavy hitters
were left to guard the goddesses --
Sailor Moon (whose friends had to
almost tie her down to get her to
stay behind), Kent, and the demoness.
AETHAN walks along, tossing a ball of fire from hand to hand.
AKANE (V.O.)
What was on everyone's mind, but
what no one wanted to say, was "what
if the goddesses don't get here soon
enough?" BEAT Because the answer
was pretty obvious.
Cut to the kitchen, with KASUMI looking out the window nervously. Cut to a room
inside the home. We see KENT's legs, and hear a rustling of cloth. A few
seconds later, his shirt drops to the floor. There is the sound of another
garment being pulled off of a hanger, and put on. Our point of view changes to
show KENT looking at himself in a mirror as he buttons up a vest with many
pockets and no sleeves. Something about the light makes his skin seem almost
bronzed. He reaches up to take off his glasses ... ... and a hand touches his
shoulder. KENT jolts.
KENT
Please don't touch me, Ms. Tsu--
KENT's eyes suddenly dilate. A flash of images run across the screen, far too
quickly to make out that they are quick flashes from the final battle against
Beryl. KENT whirls around to stare at SERENA, shocked. For her part, SERENA
seems embarrassed.
SERENA
Uh, sorry, really, I didn't know --
KENT
MUTTERED My telepathy is still in
overdrive as a result of -- BEAT
That doesn't matter. What *are*
you?
SERENA
... huh?
KENT
W-when you touched me, I -- I don't
understand what I saw. There was
this giant blue woman, and ... a
sense of immense sadness ...
SERENA
Oh. Beryl. BEAT She was ...
well, my enemy, kind of, and ...
KENT
And you killed her.
SERENA
UPSET No! BEAT That's the
worst part. When I ... when I met
her, for the first time, I was so
*scared* ... but then I had to fight
her, and by then she had ... done
things to herself. BEAT She was
so ... *sad*. All the anger, all
the hatred, it was just covering the
sadness. BEAT She was so sad, I
wanted to cry. I think I did.
BEAT But I knew I had to stop her,
so I tried to ... to heal her. Like
I'd healed other people who'd given
themselves to darkness. BEAT But
when the darkness inside her went
away ... there was nothing left.
BEAT Do you understand?
KENT stares for a moment, then shakes his head.
KENT
No. BEAT No, I don't think I do.
But I also don't think that's too
important. BEAT You are ... a
rather remarkable person, Tsukino-
san. BEAT What did you come to
ask me?
SERENA
Oh. Ah, well, I ... came to ask
for Patricia-san's sake --
KENT's face falls.
KENT
I can't do anything for her. I'm
sorry.
SERENA
Yes, you can! BEAT She told me
all about you, last night, and ...
Mr. Masefield, she loves you so
much!
KENT
Does she?
SERENA
Yes! BEAT If you think you're
going to die, you ... you really
should tell her how you feel!
KENT
I have.
SERENA
Have you? Then why doesn't she
believe you?
KENT slowly looks away.
KENT
Because I've lied every time. BEAT
Very well. BEAT Ms. Tsukino ...
should I survive this, I think you
and I may have a great deal to
discuss.
He bows deeply to her, and turns to head out of the room. He nods as he exits,
and BELLDANDY slowly steps into the view of the door. She turns to look at
SERENA with a deeply suspicious expression.
BELLDANDY
Why did you do that?
SERENA
Because it seemed like the right
thing to do.
BELLDANDY
I have a very low opinion of cupids.
It is seldom wise to interfere in
the course of --
SERENA
You mean, interfere like your people
didn't, during the Silver Millenium.
BELLDANDY's eyes narrow.
BELLDANDY
You do not know of what you speak.
SERENA
Kasumi-oneesama told me about it.
BELLDANDY
VERY COOL As I said.
SERENA
IGNORING HER And I thought about
it, and I realized something ... it
doesn't make any sense that the gods
would refuse to interfere because
they were jealous --
BELLDANDY
OUTRAGED Jealous? You dare --
SERENA
IGNORING HER So the only reason
that made sense to me was that they
weren't allowed to interfere. BEAT
And I thought about it some more --
because that reminded me of someone
I know -- and I thought how sad that
would be. To have to watch and not
be able to do anything. BEAT I'm
sorry that happened to you.
She bows deeply, and walks out of the room, passing BELLDANDY, who is stunned
beyond words. Cut to greyspace. WASHUU surreptitiously looks up at PLUTO.
WASHUU
I wonder who she was talking about?
PLUTO
WEARY Washuu, shut *up* ... BEAT
I think we need to see Masefield's
meeting with Delafontaine ... he may
let a few more hints about his plan
drop.
WASHUU
HESITANT Right.
Cut to a light-flooded room in the Tendou house. PATRICIA is sitting in the
shadow of the window, curled up in a ball. KENT slowly enters, and looks down
at her with an expression of raw pain on his face.
KENT
Patricia, I ...
PATRICIA
I should ask why you did it. BEAT
I was told to ask why you'd done it,
but ... but I don't care. BEAT I
love you so much that I don't care
why you did it to me --
KENT
I'm sorry I was so blunt, but --
PATRICIA looks up. KENT lowers his gaze to avoid meeting her eyes.
PATRICIA
I'm not talking about that, dammit!
I'm talking about ... I *know*, all
right?
KENT looks like he's been stabbed in the gut.
KENT
You know?
PATRICIA nods angrily.
KENT
QUIET I see. BEAT I understand
that you must be angry, and I don't
expect your forgiveness ...
PATRICIA
You don't get it, do you? Of course
I forgive you, I LOVE YOU, you --
KENT
VERY CONTROLLED Then I strongly
suggest that you find a very good
therapist. It's not right for a
woman to develop a romantic fixation
on the man who raped her. Dead silence.
PATRICIA
WHISPERED, DISBELIEVING What?
KENT
BLINKS That's ... not what you
were talking about.
PATRICIA
What are *you* talking about?
KENT
That time. BEAT I ... without
your consent, I --
PATRICIA
My *consent*? Because I didn't say
anything, you think that you --
KENT
Consent obtained by illicit means
is *not* consent!
PATRICIA
What illicit means?
KENT
I controlled your mind, all right?!
PATRICIA just stares at him.
KENT
QUIET Do you know about what psis
call `the centipede's dilemma'? I
was told about it by this writer I
knew back when we both were regulars
at this bar in -- but that's not
important. BEAT If you ask any
psychic how he or she performs a
certain psychic effect, the act of
the psychic considering it is likely
to trigger it, without conscious
control. Like a centipede being
asked how it walks ... if it thinks
about it, it's bound to get screwed
up. BEAT I still remember it.
We had just escaped from Dr. Andro's
fortress. I was tired ... I was
hurting. You weren't much better.
And we found a stream ... running
through the jungle. You wanted to
wash yourself, remember? So you
went off into the bush. And
I was very tired, and I was staring
into the river while thinking about
that army of mind controlled slaves
that Andro had ... and his harem ...
and I asked myself how he was able
to do it. To warp their minds to
the point where they earnestly
believed they were in love with him.
BEAT And then I looked up and
there you were and you were naked
and it happened and I took you.
PATRICIA starts to shake her head.
KENT
If I survive this ... I advise you
to press criminal charges. I --
PATRICIA
You ... asshole.
KENT
NODS I deserve that.
PATRICIA
You fat-headed, full-of-yourself,
arrogant asshole. KENT blinks.
PATRICIA
You think that I would feel the way
I do about you if you had *planted*
that love in my *brain*? I saw that
harem *too*, you know, and whatever
they felt, it sure as hell *wasn't*
love. BEAT I felt the way I feel
about you a hell of a long time
before any of that shit happened.
KENT
You are rationalizing.
PATRICIA
The hell I am! You wanna hear it
from my point of view, Mr. Godlike
Telepath? BEAT I went off into
the bushes like you said, but I
came right back, and I saw you
staring into the water. And you
looked so sad, so hurt, so ...
vulnerable ... and then you looked
up. At *me*. And you came to me.
And. It. Was. WONDERFUL!
KENT
Patricia, things don't *work* like
that --
PATRICIA
You wanna know what I think? I
think you were frightened by it.
It was the first time in God
knows how long that you just let
*go*, and I think you were scared
silly by how good it felt. So you
invented all this shit about mind
control and rape to justify feeling
guilty. *You're* rationalizing.
KENT
Dammit, I *know* what I did! I
seized control of your mind, and --
PATRICIA
Then undo it.
KENT
What?
PATRICIA
You say you implanted the idea of me
being in love with you in my brain?
Well then you should be able to take
it *out* again, right? BEAT; ANGRY
Come on! Put my mind back to rights
so that you can at least make a
start on clearing some of the karma
you've picked up from doing this to
me, if you're right. Make me stop
being in love with you!
KENT closes his eyes, and clenches his face. A pulse seems to flow across his
entire body, through the space between them, and into PATRICIA's head.
KENT
QUIET There. It's done. PATRICIA is silent.
KENT
You see?
PATRICIA
Try again. Try *harder*. BEAT
My God, you didn't even think these
rationalizations through. I've got
the most powerful mental shields
you've ever encountered, remember?
YOU CANNOT TOUCH MY MIND. BEAT
Only my heart.
And then KENT looks up and meets her eyes. In his, there is stunned amazement,
mixed with horror and self-contempt, and also tremendous relief. And love. So
much desire, caring, and tenderness that it would hurt your own heart to see it.
PATRICIA lets out a gasp.
PATRICIA
WHISPERED You looked like that.
You looked just like that.
She slowly and unsteadily comes to her feet, and they start to move closer
together over KENT's words.
KENT
DULL You're wrong about one thing.
It wasn't fear of letting go. At
least not all the way. It was
something much more primal. But I
didn't know about it until today,
and now. BEAT Some of the allies
of the Defender were destroyed, and
some went back to their home to ask
the Creator's mercy. But He didn't
just give it to them; oh no. He
set tasks. Penance. BEAT One of
the ones who went back was the most
beloved of the Defender. And that
one was given the hardest task of
all. To be born into mortal flesh,
whenever the Defender was ... to
meet with the Defender, to offer a
moment of peace. To love. BEAT
Time and again we have met. You
were Guenhumara, Marian, Guillaume.
You were Rumy, Kaoru-dono, and ...
Mara ...
Cut to greyspace. WASHUU closes her eyes. Back to the room. KENT and PATRICIA
are almost, but not quite touching.
KENT
It doesn't matter who you are. I
always love you. And there is one
other thing that always happens.
PATRICIA embraces him, slowly.
PATRICIA
SOFT And that is?
KENT
I always leave you.
His fingers flicker out, and touch a point on the side of her head. She is
unconscious before she realizes what is happening. She starts to slump
backwards, and KENT reaches to catch her -- But it's WASHUU who does. Her face
is expressionless. In greyspace, PLUTO blinks. She stares down at where WASHUU
was sitting, and sees a dolly in her place. PLUTO angrily unlimbers the Garnet
Staff -- which she immediately recognizes as a fifteen hundred yen toy replica.
PLUTO
ENRAGED WASHUUUUUUUUU!
In the room, WASHUU lowers PATRICIA gently to the floor. She speaks without
looking up.
WASHUU
You should probably get going. She
could wake up any time.
KENT stares at her, and blinks.
KENT
Callistra? WASHUU jolts ... then nods, once.
KENT stares ... then speaks in a strange language. WE DO NOT SEE HIS FACE AS HE
DOES THIS.
SUBTITLE
I am glad to see that you are still
alive. BEAT Please take care of
her.
WASHUU doesn't want to look up ... but she does, slowly, and stares into a face
that is hidden from us. From the look on her own face, her heart is almost
breaking. She speaks in the same language.
SUBTITLE
I will.
Now we see KENT's face ... apparently whatever happened has passed. He slowly
reaches up, and removes his glasses, using the exact same motions that he did
when he was getting ready to spar with RANMA. He places them in PATRICIA's open
hand, and closes it around them. And then he turns to go. WASHUU speaks once
more.
SUBTITLE
May the Force be with you.
KENT
With us all, Callistra. With all
of us.
He heads out the door. WASHUU produces a blanket, and wraps it around
PATRICIA's body. She pauses, briefly, to look down at PATRICIA's face ... to
touch it once ... and then rises up, produces the Garnet Staff from the same
place, and opens a portal. She steps through. In greyspace, PLUTO is livid as
WASHUU picks up the dolly, and takes back her seat.
PLUTO
GRABS THE STAFF I demand an
explanation!
WASHUU
NOT LETTING GO OF THE STAFF I
don't have to explain a damn thing
to you, you heartless, sadistic,
fatalist, *bitch*.
And *then* she releases her hold on the staff. PLUTO stares at her with
outright shock which fades, turning back into fury as WASHUU meets her gaze with
one of equal anger.
PLUTO
You --
WASHUU
Never. Ever. Give me a weapon, and
then expect me not to use it ...
especially when what you show me
all but demands that I do so.
PLUTO slowly gains control of herself.
PLUTO
There will be a reckoning.
WASHUU
Looking forward to it.
Cut to a shot of the kitchen. MARA seems to be standing looking out the window.
BELLDANDY enters, slowly, with a confused expression; she sees that MARA is
alone and seems to be at once relieved and disappointed.
BELLDANDY
Hello, Mara. What are you looking
at?
MARA
Belldandy?
BELLDANDY
Yes?
MARA
There's something you should know.
BEAT I hate you.
BELLDANDY nods, and sighs.
BELLDANDY
I'm aware of that, Mara.
MARA
I hate you more than anything in
the world, and beyond it. Because
you are good, and I am evil.
BELLDANDY
I don't think it's that simple,
Mara, but --
MARA
I would do anything to hurt you.
I have tried to hurt you directly,
and it never works. I have tried
to hurt your sisters, and I have
tried to hurt your lover, but each
and every scheme has failed.
BELLDANDY starts to look a bit concerned.
BELLDANDY
Mara, I --
MARA
It's like anyone you care about is
shielded by goodness itself. BEAT
But you know what, Belldandy? I've
finally realized that there's
someone you care about that you
can't stop me from hurting. And
I'm going to hurt *her* a lot.
BELLDANDY blinks ... and then a look of horror crosses her face. She dashes
forward and spins MARA around. "MARA" is in fact a wax dummy with a tape
recorder strapped to the chest.
MARA (REC.)
LAUGHING MANIACALLY I got you!
Gatcha gatcha gatcha!
BELLDANDY
Oh, NO! She turns and dashes off.
SKULD and SASAMI are having juice in the dining room with NABIKI.
NABIKI
So, Sasami-chan, tell me ... what's
Tenchi-san really like?
SASAMI
Well, he's very brave and --
BELLDANDY enters the room at a dash.
BELLDANDY
Skuld, where's Urd?!
SKULD
Uh ... I think she said she was
going to go check on the dojo's
sake reserves or something like
that --
BELLDANDY says something very rude in Aesir. SKULD's jaw drops all the way to
the floor. SASAMI looks *very* embarassed.
SKULD
Oneesama?!?
BELLDANDY gains control of herself with effort.
BELLDANDY
Mara has gone out and I think she's
going to try and perform the ritual
of resignation!
SKULD
No way!
NABIKI
Uh, translation for those of us who
don't know about divine politics or
whatever is going on?
BELLDANDY
Skuld, explain, I have to find Urd.
She heads off.
SKULD
Um ... well, after the downfall of
Sauron, Kami-sama offered to let
any of his servants return to the
fold ... but he required them to
perform a ritual to show their
sincerity. Most of them didn't, but
the offer still stands, even to
their descendants.
NABIKI
So what's going to happen if she --
SKULD
All her power will be expended at
once, and she'll become a low-class
goddess --
NABIKI
So what the hell is the problem?
The vimogorge doesn't eat gods ...
at least that's what Niniane said
earlier.
SKULD
It's not that they don't, it's
that they can't.
NABIKI
I still don't see what the big fuss
is ...
SASAMI
Well ...
SKULD
Well what?
SASAMI
QUICK Nothing. BEAT But ...
could a low class goddess do that
thing that Mr. Masefield was --
SKULD
DISMISSIVE No way! It'd blow her
to bits!
SASAMI
What if she didn't care?
SKULD stares at SASAMI with a startled expression. Cut to the streets. MICHAEL
is making short-range teleports as he walks along the sidewalk. Every few steps
he shimmers and reappears a few yards ahead of where he was before.
MARA (O.S.)
SWEETLY Oh Mr. Viiiiiimogorge?
Nice tasty demon right here!
MICHAEL stops in his tracks. He looks around, trying to find the source of the
voice.
MARA (O.S.)
Yummy yummy daughter of Angur Boda,
right here for the taking!
MICHAEL hurries up to the next intersection. He looks down the street and sees
that MARA is floating along the middle of it, just above the ground, just in
front of the Nekohanten.
MARA
I'm so darn scrumptious I almost
wanna eat myself and save you the
trouble!
MICHAEL
What the hell?
MARA
SEDUCTIVE And you know what ...?
I'm wearing a brand new pair of ...
clean ... white ... *panties*.
MICHAEL stares at MARA ... and then looks up as he hears a distant, faint
thunder. His expression is baffled. MARA is caressing herself, shifting
sensuously.
MARA
Ooooh ... they're so *soft* and yet
soooo *tight* ... mmmm ...
The thunder is no longer so distant. MICHAEL turns his attention away from
MARA's display (he seems unaffected but a bit embarassed) and looks up to see --
A literal wave of small creatures with hooves and horns, approaching at high
speed.
MICHAEL
PANICKED Oh, shi--
And the wave crashes on him. MICHAEL uses telekinetic blows to ward off the
little demonlings, but there are just too many of them, and he soon finds
himself overwhelmed. The wave continues towards MARA, and she casually blasts
any that get closer than a few meters of her.
MARA
COOING Oh, no ... sorry, guys,
but I'm saving myself for the big
guy ...
Elsewhere, we see that the others are dealing with a similar yet less intense
infestation of the creatures. They are hard-pressed but handling it well. Our
attention focuses on AETHAN, who is cutting through hordes of the little things
with an irritated expression.
MICHAEL (V.O.)
PANICKED AETHAN, HELP!
AETHAN jerks, and starts moving even faster through the swarms of creatures.
His sword begins to burn with a green light as he does. Off to the side, a
demonling springs up to start clawing at RAYE's face, knocking her down as it
does. AETHAN notes this, and pauses for a moment, indecisively. He turns away
from her -- Cut back to the earlier scene. MICHAEL's bloodied arm bursts out
from beneath the demonlings -- then stiffens -- then collapses. -- and a sick
expression covers his face for a moment. Then all life goes out of his face.
He turns back, and heads over to where RAYE is struggling with the demonling.
He pulls it off her, and twists its head around completely, killing it. RAYE
looks up at him, startled.
AETHAN
DEAD You owe me.
He jumps up onto the roof of a building, and starts running along the rooftop
expressway. RAYE pulls herself to her feet, and heads after him. MARA is still
moving in the air, but the demonlings seem to have learned their lesson. She
looks up suddenly, and smiles viciously.
MARA
SEDUCTIVE Come to me ... SOTTO
VOCE you gruesome son of a bitch.
And a VIMOGORGE drops down from the sky, landing a few feet away from where MARA
is floating, crushing several of the demonlings and making a fairly large
indentation into the pavement. This VIMOGORGE is exactly like the one that
appeared in Act III -- except that it has a large, opalescent bulge -- like a
rather large blister -- on the back of its head. Inside the bulge, we can see a
vaguely humanoid form, mimicking the motions of the VIMOGORGE. (Or maybe vice
versa.)
VIMOGORGE (HAPPOSAI)
MMMMMM ... PAAAANNNNTIIEES?
MARA clutches her crotch and groans.
MARA
I got 'em *right* here ...
One of the VIMOGORGE's clawed talons reaches down towards her.
MARA
Althoooooough ... I'm also a demon,
you know. Ymmmy, tastey demon ...
just the thing after a long day of
directing atrocities.
The talon pauses, and for a moment, it seems as though there is a distinct
difference between the movements of the VIMOGORGE and those of the humanoid
inside the bulge. MARA obviously sees this.
MARA
Uh-uh, can't have it both ways. I'm
either a playmate or a meal. What's
it gonna be, boys?
Cut to BELLDANDY running down the streets, dragging URD behind her. The
VIMOGORGE appears wracked by indecision, with the humanoid clearly wanting to
grab MARA and the demon itself obviously wanting to consume her.
MARA
SINGSONG Come on, make up your
mind ...
And then, everything happens at once. KENT drops out of the sky, onto the back
of the VIMOGORGE. AETHAN arrives and begins cutting through the horde of
demonlings to get to where MICHAEL's arm pokes up. BELLDANDY turns the corner
and stares in helpless horror at the scene before her. KENT drives a hand into
the blister on the VIMOGORGE's back, and pulls HAPPOSAI's limp body out of it,
then does a reverse aerial summersault off the back just as the creature darts
forward to swallow MARA whole. BELLDANDY screams. In darkness, MARA hovers.
She produces a ball of dark, grim energy from within her body.
MARA
I submit myself to the will of the
Almighty, Manwe, and to his Maker,
Iluvatar. I repent my rebellion,
and cry for your succor.
The ball explodes, filling the screen with white light. Outside, the VIMOGORGE
begins to convulse, with the same white light shining from its mouth and eyes.
The light is tearing it to pieces. With tears in her eyes, BELLDANDY begins to
speak words which we cannot hear over the roar of energy being released. AETHAN
finally gets to where MICHAEL is, and pulls him out of the horde. MICHAEL has
literally been torn up -- he is bleeding slowly from several places on his
chest, and his face is a mess. AETHAN clutches him to him gently. There is a
final pulse of light. And -- Perhaps what follows, in the seconds after the
VIMOGORGE's ultimate destruction, is only BELLDANDY's imagination, her desperate
attempt to believe in something unbelievable. But she sees, in that eternal
moment, in the heart of the conflagration, MARA -- with goddess markings instead
of demonic ones, and long white wings -- standing there, smiling a gentle smile
at her. With a final wink, she is gone. Where the VIMOGORGE was, is a large
circle of grey metal, hanging perpendicular to the ground. Through it can be
seen a red sky, and a dark earth. BELLDANDY stares at the gate with something
akin to loathing on her face, and shakes her head. URD finally catches up.
URD
Okay, what happened?
BELLDANDY
MONOTONE She hurt me, Urd. She
found out just how to hurt someone I
cared about, whom the powers of good
wouldn't protect. BEAT Herself.
URD is silent for a long moment.
URD
So what now?
BELLDANDY
She is not in Heaven. She is not in
Hell. She is *not*.
URD
Shit.
Cut across to AETHAN, holding MICHAEL.
AETHAN
Hold hard, my friend, they have sent
for a healer. You shall be well --
MICHAEL convulses.
MICHAEL (V.O.)
FAINT I don't think so ... I'm
falling apart faster than I can put
myself back together.
AETHAN
Stop that ... don't you know about
the power of positive thinking?
MICHAEL (V.O.)
FAINT It's okay. Pretty wild life
for twenty-four years, huh? BEAT
I'm okay with it. I screwed up a
lot, and I wish I hadn't ... but I
think I did okay.
AETHAN
ALMOST CRYING Michael, no ... if
you die on me, my failure will be
complete --
MICHAEL (V.O.)
FAINT Sorry. But it's not, you
know. You've still got a chance
with *her*. Don't blow it.
AETHAN
Michael --
MICHAEL's bloody lips move spasmodically for a few seconds, before he finally
speaks.
MICHAEL
GASP It -- was -- fun --
And then he dies. AETHAN rears his head back and lets out a furious howl to the
heavens. Standing a few feet away, RAYE watches him with something like pity on
her face.
AKANE (V.O.)
When I looked up from where I stood,
having just crushed the skulls of
maybe a dozen of those little ...
*things* ... and I heard that *cry*
... I knew, right then and there,
that we'd won. And a psychology
lecture I'd had months before this
finally made sense -- a lecture on
survivor's guilt. It's not that
you're sad that someone died. It's
not that you're sad that you lived
when they died. BEAT It's that
you're glad to be alive when they're
dead.
Slowly, alone or in pairs, the Gathered trickle into the intersection where the
portal stands -- each passing beside the coat-covered form of MICHAEL. AETHAN
is quietly kneeling beside his comrade, neither looking up nor saying anything.
AKANE (V.O.)
QUIET I was one of the lucky ones.
BEAT It was the second time that
I'd seen a dead body, so it didn't
affect me as much. BEAT But for
some of the others --
SERENA pauses beside AETHAN, and looks down at MICHAEL. Perfect crystal tears
trickle down from her eyes for a few moments, before she moves on.
AKANE (V.O.)
QUIET -- for some of them, there
were never bodies. The things that
they fought just ceased to exist, or
they employed forces before which
nothing remained, after they were
done. BEAT Something died in all
of us, that day. A final fading
juvenile belief in our immortality,
perhaps. Even those who already
knew that secret weren't unaffected.
MINAKO pauses beside AETHAN, and slowly, tentatively, reaches out to touch his
shoulder. He shifts minutely away from her touch, and gestures faintly for her
to leave him alone. With a look of despair on her face, she does. BELLDANDY is
standing directly in front of the portal, staring deeply into it. KEIICHI
approaches her.
KEIICHI
WHISPERED Belldandy? What ...
what happened?
BELLDANDY can't even afford to look away from the portal for a second.
BELLDANDY
I will tell you ... everything,
later, Keiichi-san.
Off to the side, URD is quietly explaining things to SKULD, who doesn't seem
quite capable of believing what she's being told. Off to the other side, KENT
is standing, and occasionally looking at the portal. HAPPOSAI, looking dazed,
is wrapped up in a blanket on the ground beside him. Finally, everyone seems to
be looking at KENT expectantly.
KENT
Well ... Phase One was a success.
Now comes the hard part.
AETHAN (O.S.)
HARSH Question.
KENT looks at AETHAN, who has finally stood up and joined the crowd.
AETHAN
You said that there were two of
them. What about the other one?
KENT
Hopefully, when the Adversary is
`persuaded' to relent, it will --
AETHAN
Unacceptable. You've already said
that the odds against success in
that are astronomical. We ought to
find and destroy the other one.
The door to the NEKOHANTEN slams open, causing everyone to jump. COLOGNE
shuffles (does NOT pogostick) out, looking very winded.
COLOGNE
We don't have to find it. And there
are simpler ways to deal with it
than destroying it.
AETHAN stares at her.
AETHAN
You have caught it.
COLOGNE inclines her head.
AETHAN
HOW?
COLOGNE
RICH WITH IRONY Ancient Chinese
secret. BEAT The method I used
will not hold forever, however. I
suggest that we perform the required
banishment, immediately.
KENT
We're understaffed. BEAT We need
at least four magic-workers familiar
with the ritual, plus a psychic to
coordinate.
With Niniane dead, I -- He breaks off, looking at URD and SKULD speculatively.
URD
Oh, no. Don't look at me. I had to
take Expulsions 300 three times
before I found a teacher who was
willing to give me a pass for a --
SKULD
I'll do it! It can't be that hard,
can it?
AETHAN
How are you with inverting dihedral
metaphyses while still asserting
their rhombosity?
SKULD
DISMISSIVE A cinch! I can build a
gadget to take care of that, easy!
AETHAN
And how long will that take?
SKULD
Couple hours.
AETHAN looks at COLOGNE.
COLOGNE
Then it should be ready not long
after the wards have collapsed.
SKULD visibly deflates. KENT turns to look at BELLDANDY, who almost
imperceptibly shakes her head.
BELLDANDY
I cannot leave my position, or the
shielding that keeps the vimogorge
dimension from flooding into this
one will fall.
KENT
Can anyone else --
BELLDANDY
No. My sisters do not have the
power to do it, and --
SERENA
What's involved?
SERENA has quietly stepped forward.
SERENA
Because I --
DARIEN
Serena! If you use the Silver
Crystal --
BELLDANDY jerks momentarily.
BELLDANDY
You have the Orb of Rheannion?
SERENA
The what of who?
DARIEN
Rheannion?
BELLDANDY
A brilliant silver gem of surpassing
magical power?
SERENA
Well, yeah. That's *why* I --
BELLDANDY's face gives the impression of intense consideration.
BELLDANDY
It will be a *grave* strain, but I
believe that the Orb can support the
barrier ... while the user can
support the strain.
SERENA
All right then, I --
RAYE
But you --
SERENA turns to look at RAYE, perplexed.
SERENA
But what? BEAT "If you use the
Silver Crystal, you'll die?" If I
don't, we could all die anyway,
right? BEAT Did you worry about
things like that when you --
RAYE
No, but I didn't --
DARIEN steps in between them.
DARIEN
QUIET Do you think that you can do
this?
SERENA
Yes.
DARIEN
All right then. Do it.
KENT
Thank you, Ms. Tsukino. That still
leaves us one magic worker short.
TO COLOGNE Ma'am, do you happen
to know if this --
He gently prods HAPPOSAI with his foot.
KENT
-- might know the ritual, if we were
to put his psyche together after
what he went through in the --
HAPPOSAI
Boy, have the forces of order got
you brainwashed.
KENT looks down at HAPPOSAI, who still looks very worn.
KENT
But you --
HAPPOSAI
Piff! I'm a bit tired, after my
exertions, but a little bout with
formless horrors couldn't hope to
afflict *my* mind!
RANMA (O.S.)
'Cause everything that's there is
even worse.
KENT
But --
HAPPOSAI
But I am grateful that you saved me,
so I'll ignore my contempt for you
to offer my help. What were you
saying about some kind of ritual?
KENT
HORRIFIED You mean to tell me,
that while you were inside the
vimogorge, you retained your full
sanity?
RANMA (O.S.)
Which ain't sayin' much --
HAPPOSAI
Just you wait, Ranma! Just you --
KENT
ANGRY You were fully aware while
you were inside that thing and you
didn't try to stop it?
HAPPOSAI
Why should I? Didn't make any
difference to me.
KENT turns away, his face filled with loathing.
KENT
SICK God, someone get this thing
out of my sight!
AETHAN (O.S.)
VERY QUIET Don't mind if I do.
HAPPOSAI (O.S.)
Say, what do you think you're --
KENT
REALIZATION AE--
There is a snapping noise. KENT turns to look, but we are spared the sight --
which makes AKANE gasp. We see AETHAN wrapping something limp in the blanket.
KENT
Was that necessary?
AETHAN
Yes.
He stands up, carrying the bundle under one arm, and walks to where MICHAEL's
body rests. He easily picks it up under the other arm.
AETHAN
COLD Ms. Hino. I'm calling in
that favor, now.
He heads off.
RAYE
SHOCKED ... same way he killed the
demonling. Exactly the same way.
MINAKO
TREMBLING Raye? What favor is he
talking about?
RAYE
He saved my life. Kind of. BEAT
Don't follow me.
She starts off.
MINAKO
Don't follow you? Are you nuts? Do
you think I'm gonna leave you alone
with Aethan for five seconds? You'd
k--
RAYE
Lita, could you do me a big favor?
LITA looks from RAYE to MINAKO for several moments, then sighs.
LITA
Ooo-kay.
She grabs MINAKO, and holds her tightly, feet off the ground.
LITA
Get going, Raye ...
RAYE nods, and heads off. MINAKO is struggling ineffectually.
MINAKO
SQWAWK Lita, let go of me! Lita,
she's gonna kill him!
LITA
I don't think he'll go down quite
that easily --
MINAKO
PANICKED She uses fire, dammit!
Fire can KILL him!
AMY
Lita ... I think she may have a
point.
LITA considers ... then sighs.
LITA
Why couldn't it be something nice
and simple? BEAT Mina ... if
she's not trying to kill him, do you
promise not to interfere?
MINAKO
FRANTIC Yes! Just let me --
LITA lowers MINAKO's feet to the ground, and releases her grip. MINAKO pauses
just long enough to flash a smile of thanks, and then dashes off.
LITA
D'you think we ought to follow her?
AMY
It's complicated enough already.
We see AETHAN marching down the street, with RAYE following closely behind, and
MINAKO a bit further back.
AKANE (V.O.)
I still can't quite understand how
Happosai's death made me feel. I
... I hate to say it, because it's a
terrible thing to admit, but what I
felt -- after I got past the sudden
shock of the killing -- was immense
relief. Relief that I wouldn't have
to one day protect my children from
him, like my father had been forced
to protect my sisters and me. BEAT
But it wasn't enough. I know that,
with a bit of reflection. His ...
spirit will hang over the School of
Anything Goes Martial Arts, until we
do something to change that. And
every time I call Ranma pervert, I'm
really thinking of what the master
of our style became.
Meanwhile, SASAMI has slowly, nervously approached KENT.
SASAMI
Um, Mr. Masefield?
KENT
Yes, Sasami-chan?
SASAMI
HESITANT Um ... you need one more
person to do this ritual thing,
right?
KENT
That's right. Are you --
SASAMI
QUICK Oh no! No, I ... I don't
know anything about that, but ...
BEAT Belldandy-san is a goddess,
right?
KENT
She says she is, and I'm inclined to
agree.
SASAMI
So ... would another goddess be able
to help?
KENT
I suppose so. BEAT Know any?
SASAMI
NODS Kind of, yeah. Just a min--
AYEKA has been moving up behind SASAMI, and slowly rests a hand on her shoulder.
AYEKA
Sasami ... you don't have to do this.
SASAMI turns around and looks at her older sister with a pleading expression.
SASAMI
Yes I do. Oneesan ... everyone is
giving their all. And this is all I
have to give.
KENT slowly kneels down until he's at eye-level with SASAMI.
KENT
Sasami-chan ... is what you can do
dangerous? Will doing it hurt you?
SASAMI
No. Not exactly. I ... it's just
*hard*.
KENT
I think I understand.
AYEKA gives KENT a nervous look. He looks back at her, and for a moment his
facial features shift -- not much, but just enough to give him a slightly Jurain
cast to his face, and to add two streaks of dried blood where warrior marks
would be on a Jurain warrior's face. AYEKA blinks, and his face is back to
normal. She leads SASAMI away, giving an occasional glance back. KYOUSUKE
approaches KENT with a mildly disturbed expression on his face.
KYOUSUKE
Um ... am *I* the psychic you intend
to have coordinate this ritual?
KENT
Well, I'm planning on heading into
the gate to face the Adversary, and
the other fellow who might have is
dead now. So, yeah. I've given you
the program, right?
KYOUSUKE
NODS It ... feels okay, but ...
I'm not a very good telepath. I've
never had much talent for that sort
of thing.
KENT
You should be okay. You've got a
*lot* of latent ability ... this is
going to be a strain on those
muscles, but unless things get
totally out of hand, they shouldn't
break under the strain. If they
do ... well, odds are that things
were already so far out of control
anyway that no one will be left to
fault you blowing it.
KYOUSUKE
Gee. Thanks.
Cut to AETHAN, who has built a small cairn out of rubble from a damaged
building, and is in the process of placing MICHAEL's body on it. MICHAEL's
features are oddly composed in death, and the jacket hides the worst of his
wounds on his body. AETHAN touches his cheek once more, then steps down from
the cairn, casually dumping the bundle at MICHAEL's feet. RAYE watches,
suspiciously.
RAYE
What are you doing, exactly?
AETHAN
Michael believed in the old gods of
the Norsemen. I'm trying to give
him a Viking funeral. BEAT It
was the custom to place a dog at a
warrior's feet, you see. But there
is a paucity of dogs in the area.
RAYE
Oh.
AETHAN
DEEP BREATH Now burn it.
RAYE
Burn it?
AETHAN
IMPATIENT Yes, burn it. That will
cancel out any debt.
RAYE
Can't you start the fire on your
own?
AETHAN
Yes.
RAYE
Then why should I --
AETHAN
Because I asked nicely?
RAYE
The hell you did.
AETHAN
GENUINELY WEARY *Please* light the
cairn so that my only friend in this
world can go to the afterlife he
believed in. RAYE flinches.
RAYE
All right.
RAYE performs a Mars Flame Sniper, and the cairn explodes into flame. The
bodies on it are quickly lost to sight in the thick gout of black smoke
produced. AETHAN bows his head, and slowly begins to sing. Music accompanies
his words. ("Brothers in Arms", Dire Straits)
AETHAN
Through these fields of destruction
Baptisms of ... fire ...
I've witnessed all your suffering,
As the battle raged higher
But though they did hurt me so bad
In the fear and alarum ...
You did not ...
... desert me ...
... my brother ...
... in arms ...
Our view slowly changes to include MINAKO, who is peeking around a corner,
watching this funeral ceremony in silence. AETHAN turns to look at RAYE.
AETHAN
Well? BEAT What are you waiting
for?
RAYE stares at him, confused.
AETHAN
I assure you that you'll never get a
better chance than this.
RAYE
I don't know what you're talking
about.
AETHAN
IRRITATED Don't bother making
excuses. I know that you would be
quite happy to see me dead. BEAT
And right now, girl, I would welcome
death.
RAYE's confusion swiftly turns to shock.
RAYE
Why?
AETHAN stares at her, his fangs out.
AETHAN
ANGRY Why? Woden, Thunor, und
Nerthus, girl, *what do you care*?
You've hated me from the first
moment we met. I deserve it, I
suppose, I am one of the monsters
you're supposed to destroy. So
destroy me already!
They stare at each other for a long moment.
AETHAN
TOTAL FURY Come on! Do it! *Kill
me and be done*, Raye Hino!
MINAKO braces herself to run ... RAYE shakes her head.
RAYE
No.
AETHAN is on the verge of apoplexy.
AETHAN
WHY NOT?
RAYE
Because I want you to live. BEAT
And suffer.
MINAKO gapes. AETHAN stares at RAYE for a very long moment ... he almost seems
to be swelling as he does. His skin is turning bright red, and a battle aura of
the same colour glows around him. RAYE finally begins to get an idea of what
kind of danger she's in, and takes a cautious step back. And then AETHAN seems
to collapse on himself, leaving only a stunned looking, rather average man, who
doesn't really look like a threat at all.
AETHAN
WHISPERED Very well, then.
He turns to look at the cairn, which has by now burnt out.
AETHAN
WHISPERED Goodbye.
He then strides off, past RAYE, past MINAKO (who ducks to hide herself), without
seeming to notice either of them. RAYE watches him go with a faintly disturbed
expression. Back at the gate, SASAMI is lying down with her head in AYEKA's
lap, breathing deeply.
SASAMI (V.O.)
Tsunami?
TSUNAMI (V.O.)
Yes, Sasami-chan?
SASAMI (V.O.)
I think we need you. Can you come?
Now?
TSUNAMI (V.O.)
Yes, Sasami. I can. Now.
There is a pulse of light from SASAMI's forehead, and suddenly TSUNAMI appears
before her. SASAMI seems to fade deeper into unconsciousness as she does.
TSUNAMI then turns and walks towards KENT with a slow and measured step. SKULD
and URD gape.
SKULD
Ummmm ... Urd? Don't those look a
lot like the *Almighty's* markings?
URD
Yeah ... let's not think about that,
okay?
TSUNAMI stands before KENT.
TSUNAMI
Greetings. I am Tsunami, Divinity
Prime of Jurai. How may I be of
assistance?
KENT
MILDLY AMAZED It's nice to be
surprised once in a while ...
TSUNAMI
Excuse me?
KENT
Um, I take it that there are certain
restrictions on what you *may* do
while on this planet.
TSUNAMI
That is correct. I am effectively
limited to the power of a First
Level Goddess, first class, limited.
That should be enough, however.
KENT
Probably, yes. We need you to take
part in a ritual to banish a certain
vimogorge.
TSUNAMI smiles, viciously.
TSUNAMI
Very happy to be of assistance. I
despise those creatures ...
KENT
Well, here comes the last of the
people who'll be participating in
the ritual.
And indeed AETHAN is approaching, his face increasingly like a thundercloud.
MINAKO quickly follows.
KENT
Aethan, are you ready?
AETHAN
TERSE Yes.
KENT turns to look at BELLDANDY. SERENA steps closer to her.
BELLDANDY
Produce the crystal, please.
SERENA takes a deep breath, and opens her locket. The Silver Empyrean Crystal
emerges from it, slowly, and in a pulse of light, SERENA is dressed in a pure
white dress. BELLDANDY blinks.
BELLDANDY
All right ... I'm going to transfer
the spell that I am supporting to
you. Be warned, it's heavy ...
SERENA
I'll be okay.
BELLDANDY makes a pressing gesture with her hands, and SERENA reacts as though
someone dropped something on her. She almost seems to be on the verge of
collapse.
SERENA
QUIET ... oooh boy ...
DARIEN and the Scouts react to this anxiously. SERENA spares a quick glance
over her shoulder to give them a quick, reassuring grin at them -- then quickly
jerks her head back to look at the gate.
BELLDANDY
Looking away is a very bad idea ...
SERENA
Okay! WEAK LAUGH I've got it now,
no problems ...
AKANE (V.O.)
I'm not going to bother telling you
what was actually going on in her
mind right then, because it's really
obvious.
COLOGNE holds open the door, and AETHAN marches in, his face stern. TSUNAMI
follows, then KYOUSUKE. BELLDANDY walks to the door ... pauses, turns to look
at KEIICHI. She smiles sweetly, with hidden pain, at him, then turns to enter
the door. COLOGNE closes the door behind them.
SHAMPOO
Now what?
KENT
Now, three of us are going to go in
there and ... persuade the Adversary
to relent. I am going. BEAT Ranma
will doubtless want in.
RANMA grins a somewhat maniacal grin.
RANMA
Damn straight!
KENT
MILDLY AMUSED And in light of the
results of a certain sparring match,
I think Mr. Masaki would be of help,
too.
RANMA's face falls. TENCHI nods seriously.
RYOUKO
Wait a minute, why just three?
KENT
POKER-FACED Like I said earlier,
it's my lucky number.
RYOUKO
To hell with your lucky number, if
you think I'm gonna let you take
Tenchi into some *hell* without me,
you've got another think --
KENT
Ms. Ryouko, I'm not taking you with
me because I don't want to get on
your mother's bad side.
RYOUKO glares at him. KENT looks appealingly at TENCHI.
TENCHI
SIGH Ryouko ...
RYOUKO does not look at TENCHI.
RYOUKO
Don't, Tenchi.
TENCHI
PUZZLED Don't what?
RYOUKO
FLAT Don't ask me to stay. Don't
ask me to watch you walk into there
and not come with you. Don't ask me
to do it, Tenchi.
TENCHI
But --
She turns to look at him, and is almost in tears.
RYOUKO
QUIET Don't ask me to live if
you're going to die. BEAT
Because if you ask me to do it, I
will.
For a very long moment, it is as though there is nothing else in the world but
these two. TENCHI is looking at RYOUKO with an expression that some might call
confused, but which could be more accurately be called dawning comprehension.
TENCHI
TREMBLING You'd do anything ... if
I asked you, wouldn't you?
RYOUKO blinks. The answer is obvious, and thus does not need a response.
TENCHI lets out a long, shuddering breath.
TENCHI
Please stay here, Ryouko. I ... TO
KENT Is it possible that the demons
might attack here, while we're on
the other side?
KENT
NODS It's a possibility, yes.
TENCHI
Then ... Ryouko, I need you to stay
here, and protect Sasami and the
others, in case more demons attack.
Can you do that?
RYOUKO stares at TENCHI for a moment, then nods quietly.
RYOUKO
QUIET Yes. ALOUD Yeah, I can do
that. No sweat.
TENCHI seems to be visibly relieved.
RANMA
Great! Now that that's settled,
let's get going!
KENT
Isn't there anyone you wanna say
good-bye to before we go?
RANMA blinks, then turns to look at the small cluster of his friends -- AKANE,
UKYOU, SHAMPOO, and RYOUGA -- all of whom are regarding him with a somber
expression.
RANMA
CHEERFUL See ya.
RYOUGA looks away in disgust, while UKYOU and SHAMPOO both seem to be almost on
the verge of tears. AKANE's expression doesn't change. RANMA becomes irate.
RANMA
What the hell is with you guys!
You look like you're attending my
funeral or something -- well, not
Ryouga, but --
AKANE
Just get *going* already!
RANMA
I don't see what the big deal is, I
always come back.
AKANE storms up to him.
AKANE
HISSED Yes, you always come back
for seconds, after you've been
defeated and learned something from
it. But you haven't gotten past
stage one of that this time! Don't
you *get* it? YOU COULD GET KILLED!
RANMA
BLASE That's not gonna happen.
AKANE
How do you know --
RANMA
I am *not* gonna get killed by some
wimpy demon, no matter how big his
story is.
AKANE stares at him in shock.
AKANE (V.O.)
Maybe I should be more understanding
of him. It wasn't his fault that he
didn't recognize the story Kent had
told. It wasn't his fault he didn't
realize he was going up against the
Father of Evil. So I should be more
understanding. BEAT I wasn't, but
I should be.
AKANE reels back and punches RANMA so hard that he goes flying through the
portal. SERENA flinches as he does. KENT gives her an odd glance, and then
looks over at ANDREW and MCGOVERN -- who are standing a little ways off from any
of the others. He nods, once in their direction.
KENT
Let's go.
TENCHI nods, and joins him at the portal. They step through simultaneously,
causing SERENA to flinch again. Cut to greyspace. PLUTO lets out a sigh.
PLUTO
It has begun.
WASHUU
Annnny minute now.
PLUTO
Any minute now what?
Cut to a room in the Tendou house. PATRICIA sits up with a jerk. Greyspace.
WASHUU
SMUG That.
Cut to the kitchen. KASUMI is looking out the window with a nervous expression,
while NABIKI munches on a snack.
KASUMI
They've started.
NABIKI
How d'you know?
KASUMI
I just do.
NABIKI
Real informative, sis.
PATRICIA bursts into the kitchen with a *furious* expression on her face.
PATRICIA
BELLOW WHERE IS HE?
KASUMI turns to look at her with a sad expression.
KASUMI
He has descended into the Abyss,
Patricia-san. You can't go to him,
now.
PATRICIA's face goes from fury to shock to grief in moments.
PATRICIA
He always does this to me. Every
single time ...
KASUMI nods. PATRICIA slumps to the floor, her head in her hands. NABIKI
stares at her for a moment, then turns to look at KASUMI. She then turns and
heads out of the kitchen.
NABIKI
If we live through this, I *swear*
I'm moving out of here. Everyone
here is a complete *mystic* ...
Cut to the empty dining room of the Nekohanten. COLOGNE hops ahead to the
kitchen.
COLOGNE
Please give me a moment to prepare
my equipment. I presume that you
will take the time to do --
She breaks off as she looks at TSUNAMI and BELLDANDY.
COLOGNE
Never mind. She heads into the kitchen.
AETHAN approaches KYOUSUKE.
AETHAN
You are aware of your role in these
proceedings?
KYOUSUKE
Masefield-san gave me instructions
in what to do.
AETHAN
But not in why?
KYOUSUKE
... do I need to know why --
AETHAN
In my experience, those who know
the reasons that they are being told
to perform a certain task succeed in
it more frequently than others who
do not.
KYOUSUKE
Okay ... why do a bunch of wizards
and ... um, `goddesses' need the
help of an ESPer to do something
like this?
AETHAN
First, you should understand a bit
about magic. The first thing that
any spell-caster normally does,
before doing any sort of ritual
magic, is to prepare a defensive
ward -- perhaps within his or her
own mind -- against the magic going
out of control. That keeps the
ritual from lashing back upon the
spell-caster, and from affecting the
world around him if it goes out of
control. Do you understand?
KYOUSUKE
I think so ... it's kind of like
focusing on the problem, and only
the problem.
AETHAN
Exactly. But there's a different
problem. Every magician wields his
or her power in a slightly different
way -- some wouldn't even regard it
as magic. Magicians who have been
trained in the same "style" of magic
can pool their efforts fairly simply
-- though it can still be difficult.
But for magicians of very different
traditions ... the wards ...
He seems to be running out of nontechnical terms with which to describe the
matter. KYOUSUKE is obviously thinking.
KYOUSUKE
Are the wards like notes?
AETHAN
BLINKS Excuse me?
KYOUSUKE
The wards ... is it that they're
like notes in a piece of music? If
you just plunk a bunch of notes down
on a piece of paper, they don't
sound like anything ... but if you
take care to arrange them, they make
music.
AETHAN blinks.
AETHAN
*Very* good. Are you a musician?
KYOUSUKE
I used to play the drums a bit, but
no ... my fiancee is, though.
AETHAN
I see. Well, you're right. Each
ward produces a form of vibration,
not unlike a note of sound. And
when the interact without guidance,
only chaos results. BEAT This is
where you come in.
KYOUSUKE
I'm the composer? I'm *really* not
a --
AETHAN
Not exactly. Instead, you are to
guide us, advise us to correct the
... placement of the wards so that
interact harmoniously. Kent will
have given you a "program" to do
this automatically, but you should
be aware of what your own mind is
doing, I think.
KYOUSUKE
I'm inclined to agree. Thanks.
BEAT Um ... sorry about your --
AETHAN
Please. You did not know him, I
believe, so you are not actually
regretful. I appreciate your
sympathy, but I needs must focus all
my faculties on the task at hand.
KYOUSUKE blinks.
KYOUSUKE
Ooookay. They both settle down to wait.
AKANE (V.O.)
Kasuga-san was actually thinking
about men he'd met in Bosnia, who'd
shown the same sort of dedication in
the sight of the deaths of friends.
They'd scared the hell out of him.
I don't think I have to suggest what
he thought about DeGales.
Cut to a dark, blackish-grey plain beneath a red sky. RANMA pushes himself up
off the ground, and dusts himself off. When he speaks, his words have an odd,
echoing quality.
RANMA
Uncute tomboy ... what the hell was
*that* about anyway?
He looks around.
RANMA
And where's the portal? Ah, *shit*,
she's got me dumped into the wrong
place, and I'm never gonna get home!
Just then, KENT and TENCHI step out of midair.
RANMA
On the other hand ...
KENT
The portal's invisible on this side,
huh?
RANMA
Looks like it.
KENT
SIGH Lousy pun, Ranma.
RANMA
Oh! Oh, maaaan.
KENT lets out *another* sigh, and TENCHI looks a bit ill at that. KENT pulls a
pocket watch from one of the breast pockets of his vest of many pockets.
KENT
Okay, one of the few things I know
about this space is that time is
slightly slower here than it is in
our dimension ... for every second
that passes here, maybe a hundred
pass back home. So we have to do
this in a hurry, because I don't
know how long Sailor Moon can hold
up the portal.
He releases the watch, and it snaps back into the vest as though it were
attached with elastics.
RANMA
What's with the vest?
KENT
SMILE My father used to wear a
get up like this, when he was
expecting trouble. Pockets filled
with all kinds of gadgets to help
him out.
He absently pulls a canteen out of a side pocket, and loosens the lid.
KENT
I'm not half the inventor my father
was, though ... but some of the
stuff he carried around was awfully
useful. Like this. Ordinary
canteen, except that it keeps its
contents just a few degrees above
freezing.
With a sudden jerk, the lid comes off, and water splashes its way towards RANMA.
The transformation is instant -- and so is KENT's hand darting out towards
RANMA's neck, tapping a certain nerve point.
RANMA
Gurk?
She collapses, unconscious, but KENT catches her before she hits the ground.
TENCHI
SHOCKED What are you doing?!
KENT holds RANMA's unconscious body in both his arms.
KENT
VERY FORMAL Masaki Tenchi, a woman
is helpless and in terrible danger.
I rely on you to do the right thing.
He starts to hand RANMA over to TENCHI, who doesn't seem inclined to accept.
TENCHI
What?!
KENT
Very well. I will explain. BEAT
Before I came here, to Japan, I was
given a prophecy. Three will go in,
two will come out. Do you begin to
see?
TENCHI
You mean ... but didn't you say that
Niniane-san changed fate?
KENT
SHAKES HEAD I don't think it's that
simple ... perhaps the fate she
changed was something different --
the fate of the Defender, to engage
in these battles forever, perhaps --
but not the fate that of a group of
three people to embark on something,
only two would survive. BEAT So
I decided to take it into my own
hands.
He lowers RANMA into TENCHI's arms.
TENCHI
But ... why not just bring more
people into the battle with the
Adversary? We could have brought
Ryouko, or some of the Scouts, or --
KENT
Because that would be just delaying
it even more. I want to get it out
from over our heads as soon as
possible. BEAT And I suspect
that the task of ending the cycle
demands that I act alone, anyway.
BEAT I am sorry that I dragged
you into this, but ... you'd best
get going. I'm not sure about the
time variation, it could be more
than what I said.
TENCHI is clearly upset, but not willing to make an issue of it.
TENCHI
FLAT Right. Back through the way
we came.
KENT
Right. BEAT And you might want
to get away from Ranma before she
wakes up, because she'll probably
be rather upset.
TENCHI
ANGRY I don't blame her.
KENT smiles, sadly.
KENT
Look at it this way. You're young.
Both of you. And you have so much
potential ... BEAT I knew that
you'd both want to come along, and
I didn't want that potential to go
to waste. BEAT Perhaps, when
you get to be my age ... you'll
understand even better than I do.
TENCHI
RELUCTANT Maybe. BEAT Good
luck.
KENT
JURAIN May the light of the trees
guide your path.
TENCHI
Huh?
KENT
Never mind.
He turns to go, walking off into the plains. TENCHI hefts RANMA, and steps back
through the invisible portal.
AKANE (V.O.)
QUIET Masaki Tenchi was the last
person to ever see Kent Masefield
alive.
Cut to outside the portal. TENCHI, carrying RANMA, stumbles out, seemingly
buffeted by a sudden wind. Immediately, AKANE, UKYOU, and SHAMPOO are there to
take RANMA off his hands, while RYOUKO and MIHOSHI crowd around TENCHI -- while
AYEKA, her lap still supporting SASAMI's head, looks longingly in his direction.
ANDREW makes his way over to TENCHI, who is coping with RYOUKO's attentions.
TENCHI
IRRITATED I'm fine, I'm *fine*!
ANDREW
Where's Kent?
TENCHI
How long were we in there for?
ANDREW
I dunno, maybe half an hour. Where
is Kent?
TENCHI
He's gone off to fight the Adversary
by himself.
ANDREW
Ha ha, very funny, now what --
TENCHI
I'm not *joking*. He brought the
two of us along to fulfill some
prophecy about "three going in and
two coming out" and --
MCGOVERN
-- chose the two of you to be the
two who came out.
ANDREW looks at MCGOVERN, appalled.
ANDREW
This is a Niniane thing, isn't it?
MCGOVERN
NODS Yeah, probab--
ANDREW starts shaking his hands in the air.
ANDREW
Ahhhhhhhhhhh dammit!
RYOUKO
Okay, no problem. We'll just head
back in and --
SERENA
WEAK Uh ... I really wish that you
wouldn't ...
SERENA looks like death warmed over, but is struggling to look cheerful.
SERENA
Every time someone crosses over from
this side feels like a kick in my
guts ... I won't go into what it
feels like when someone tries to
come across from the other side, and
I let them, because there are young
children present ...
MIHOSHI
Anooo ... Sasami-chan's unconscious,
Serena-san.
SERENA
SING-SONG I'm talking about me.
RYOUKO
So what do we do, just sit around
and wait?
SERENA
Sounds like paradise to me ...
Meanwhile, RANMA has just woken up. For a second, she seems not to know where
she is ... and then angry splotches break out on her face as she remembers what
happened to her.
AKANE
HESITANT Ranma?
RANMA
VOICE OF DOOM I'm gonna kill that
son of a bitch.
She jumps up, and starts looking around furiously.
RANMA
Where is he, huh? Where? Where is
the lowlife nogood --
TENCHI
He's on the other side of the --
RANMA
Fine!
She starts to dash towards the portal, only to be stopped dead in her tracks
when RYOUGA casually catches her by the ponytail.
RANMA
Ahhhh! Leggo!
RYOUGA
DELIBERATELY CASUAL Ranma, you
*might* just wanna listen to what
happened while you were *knocked*
*out* before you go charging in
there again.
He lets go of RANMA's pony tail. She whips around to glare at him.
RANMA
You wanna go *first*, P-chan?
RYOUGA shows an almost frightening lack of reaction to the usual barb.
RYOUGA
I thought you wanted to kill Mr.
Masefield. You might just have a
bit of trouble doing that if you
don't find out what you did *wrong*
to get *beaten* by him.
RANMA
FUMING Fine. After I get done
with him, you're next. TO TENCHI
What happened?
She heads over to talk to TENCHI. AMI approaches RYOUGA hesitantly.
AMI
QUIET Thank you, Hibiki-san, for
making sure that he wouldn't go
charging in and hurt Sailor Moon by
doing so.
RYOUGA
EMBARASSED Um ... well, my motives
weren't as clean as that, Mizuno-
san, but you're welcome anyway.
They smile, shyly, at each other ... then realize that they're standing *way*
too close, and quickly step apart. Cut to the kitchen of the Nekohanten.
BELLDANDY, TSUNAMI, COLOGNE, and AETHAN (clockwise) form a rectangle facing a
small pillar of green fire. BELLDANDY is gesturing and almost singing in Aesir,
COLOGNE is preparing and releasing to the air various mixtures of herbs and
chemicals, AETHAN is speaking in rapidfire Latin, and TSUNAMI is simply standing
and gazing at the pillar. At the centre of the rectangle is KYOUSUKE, whose
eyes are closed, and who is generating a *fierce* aura. His face seems oddly
calm, though.
AETHAN (V.O.)
It's unusually powerful, even for a
vimogorge.
COLOGNE (V.O.)
True ... I wonder which choice souls
it ate to gain that much power.
TSUNAMI's face registers her disgust. Her "voice" is calm, however.
TSUNAMI (V.O)
We need to increase the power to the
ram in order to push it out.
BELLDANDY (V.O.)
Agreed. Ready?
KYOUSUKE
MUTTERED Oh boy ...
The air seems to almost tingle with the increased flow of magic. Cut to the
black plains. KENT walks, his face all but expressionless, as the wind begins
to pick up.
AKANE (V.O.)
I am one of two people in the world,
if not the universe, who knows what
happened to Kent after Tenchi came
back to our world. BEAT Much of
it is confusing, and parts of it are
... well, just plain boring. I
don't know how long he wandered
through the Hell That Is Best Not
Described -- unchallenged -- but it
felt like years to me before any
*important* things happened.
The scene changes around KENT. Instead of black plains, he now stands on a
sheet of black glass-like ground, beneath a grey sky. Standing in the centre of
the glass is a figure shrouded in black robes. The figure seems to be staring
at KENT, who stares right back. Slowly, the figure assumes a martial arts
stance, although its hands remain concealed within the folds of its sleeves.
KENT
WHISPERED Very well then ...
He assumes a stance that matches the figure exactly. And then leaps towards it,
foot extended in a perfect kick aiming at the figure's "head". The figure's
arms come up to parry. KENT suddenly whips around in midair so that he is
falling towards the arm of the figure, without any defenses. Our view changes
to a look at the sky as there is a sickening crunch. The figure's pale fist has
punched completely through KENT's chest. Slowly the robes fall away from the
figure's face, revealing him to be KENT. KENT (robes) stares at KENT (vest),
his face shocked.
KENT (vest)
WEAK Now you know.
There is a long silence.
KENT (robes)
NOW I KNOW.
KENT (vest) smiles, painfully, and then his head slumps and he dies. His body
disintegrates into a fine mist. The rest of the robes fall off of KENT,
revealing him to be clad in a black bodysuit, which is oddly like the costume he
was wearing in his dream in the first act. The location shifts around him once
more, back to the black plains and the red sky.
KENT
MUSING Now I know.
He looks off, towards a huge black sphere in the sky. A look of immense fear
crosses his face ... and then he starts toward it. Back to outside the portal.
SERENA looks even worse now. DARIEN is standing close to her.
DARIEN
Please, meatball head ... you don't
have to do this by yourself ...
SERENA
WEAK But ...
DARIEN
WHISPERED Serena, I *know* that
you don't want to risk your friends,
but we're all worried! Please let
us help.
SERENA
WEAK I ...
RAYE is standing on the other side of her.
RAYE
BLUNT Serena. Let us help you, or
I'll *never* speak to you again.
SERENA slowly turns to look at RAYE. RAYE's stern expression doesn't reach her
eyes. The look that they exchange is beyond words.
SERENA
FAINT Help.
RAYE
BRUSQUE Right! Okay, form up for
the usual routine, Scouts.
DARIEN quickly embraces SERENA, careful not to disturb her arms holding the
Crystal. The Sailor Scouts join hands behind them -- MINAKO standing between
AMY and LITA, who takes RAYE's hand -- and start to glow. SERENA suddenly
stands a little straighter, looks a little less exhausted. RANMA, having
returned to male form, is sitting down and looking enviously at the Sailors.
RANMA
At least they can do *something*. I
*hate* waiting. I hate not being
able to do anything ... I --
RYOUGA
MUTTERED Now you know how the rest
of us usually feel.
RANMA
What?
RYOUGA
Forget it ...
Cut to the Nekohanten kitchen. KYOUSUKE is sweating profusely, and his aura is
uncomfortably bright. None of the magic-users seem very well either.
AETHAN (V.O.)
I don't understand ... why in blazes
hasn't it attacked yet? We're using
enough energy to --
COLOGNE (V.O.)
-- sweetmotherofmypeople, NO!
The pillar of flame flares, and a pulse of energy streams out from it, slamming
into all present. COLOGNE seems hardest hit.
COLOGNE (V.O.)
-- waiting for us to overextend and
then --
VIMOGORGE (V.O.)
YES.
Another pulse lashes out, sending COLOGNE reeling and AETHAN to his knees.
KYOUSUKE is still standing, but it doesn't look as though it is his own idea.
Blood is running from his nose. TSUNAMI's face is clenched.
VIMOGORGE (V.O.)
TO KILL A TREE ... DESTROY ITS ROOT.
A bolt of energy shoots up through the ceiling of the kitchen.
TSUNAMI
GASP No!
Outside, we see the bolt burst through the roof of the Nekohanten, shoot up in
the air, then start to arc downwards towards SASAMI -- and AYEKA, who looks
upward in shock. She just has time enough to draw one breath -- When URD
casually catches the bolt in her hand.
URD
BELITTLING Hah! And they said
this guy was *so* tough.
C'mon. She looks at her hand, which is mildly crisped by the bolt.
URD
O-kay, maybe he was a little tough.
TO AYEKA Would you excuse me a
moment?
AYEKA stares as URD stumbles off, apparently in considerable pain. Back to the
kitchen. BELLDANDY risks a quick look behind her, and sees that COLOGNE and
AETHAN are both out of it (more or less) and that KYOUSUKE is not holding up
very well. She closes her eyes.
BELLDANDY (V.O.)
There is no other option.
BELLDANDY
Goodbye, Keiichi. I will love you
forever.
She lifts her hand to her limiter earring. And a hand descends on hers.
AETHAN (O.S.)
NO. There *is* another option.
She turns back to look at him, startled. There is a flash. We see as though
through another's eyes, hands like the one on BELLDANDY's hand, lifting open a
window, and hearing her voice.
BELLDANDY (O.S.)
I do have the power to do what you
ask. But ...
KENT (O.S.)
Yes?
BELLDANDY (O.S.)
I am under contract, and limitation.
BEAT If what you say is true, I
would have the right to break my
limiter ... but there is a good
chance that that would cause my
contract to be voided ... but if the
Adversary is not defeated ...
The hands seem to tense.
KENT (O.S.)
I am sorry. No one should ask such
a thing.
BELLDANDY (O.S.)
I *shall* do it, if it necessary.
KENT (O.S.)
I know. That's why I am sorry.
The hands close the window. There is another flash. BELLDANDY stares at
AETHAN. The flesh of his face is pulled back, giving him an almost skull-like
appearance.
AETHAN
HOARSE There is another option.
He draws his sword, and steps back. He draws a long, shuddering breath. When
he speaks, it is not in his own voice, but in a warped version of it.
AETHAN
"What though the field be lost?
All is not lost; Th'unconquerable will
His face continues to twist -- his fangs are more in evidence than ever.
AETHAN
And study of revenge, immortal hate,
And courage never to submit nor yield:
He lifts up his sword.
AETHAN
And what is else not to be overcome?"
There is a long pause. AETHAN suddenly reverses the blade of the sword so that
it points at him, and brings it down suddenly on his shoulder, slicing into his
torso. Everything goes into slow motion as he cuts downward through his body,
slicing himself almost in half, from shoulder to crotch. There is no blood, at
least at first. After it is done, all is silence. And then AETHAN lets out a
horrid scream as his upper body condenses into darkness, and sinks into the
ground. BELLDANDY watches in horror. A blink of an eye later, it has been
replaced, by a somewhat more ethereal body. AETHAN looks to BELLDANDY, and
smiles sadly.
AETHAN
SOFT This should be enough, I
think. Perhaps not enough to banish
it, but enough to make the wards
last indefinitely. Please use it,
Verdandi-megamisama. It is given
freely ... but if you could perhaps
apologize to a certain soul in the
Glad Hall on my behalf, I would
appreciate it.
With his final words, he begins to congeal into a stream of bright light that
flows into BELLDANDY's hands, forming a large ball. She stares at it, with
tears in her eyes.
BELLDANDY
WHISPERED I'm sorry. I can't do
that. We are not permitted to go
there.
She glares with fury on her face at the pillar of flame, and raises up the ball
over her head.
BELLDANDY
BE THOU BOUND!
She throws the ball at the flame, and they both explode. When the smoke clears,
the flame is gone -- transformed into a marker on the wall. Five markers
surround a green, glowing dot.
TSUNAMI
It is done?
BELLDANDY
It is ...
She swoons. KYOUSUKE slowly comes out of the trance state, and stares blearily
at the marker on the wall.
KYOUSUKE
Oh good. It worked. BEAT I
think I'll have a nice lie down now.
He collapses. TSUNAMI briefly examines each of the others, and then vanishes.
Cut to the black plains. KENT is approaching the huge black sphere. He stops,
and looks up at it.
KENT
CONVERSATIONALLY Hello.
ADVERSARY
YOU HAVE COME.
KENT
You always knew that I would,
eventually.
ADVERSARY
SHALL WE BEGIN, THEN?
KENT
I wouldn't be doing my job if I
didn't give you a chance to come
peacefully.
ADVERSARY
OH? ALWAYS BEFORE, YOU SEEMED TO
DESIRE TO DESTROY ME IN PERSON.
KENT
FLINCH I've had some time to think
about it. That's not my right. I
will bring you back to our master,
but I do not seek your destruction.
I will let Him decide your fate.
ADVERSARY
IT DOES NOT MATTER. I WILL NOT
YIELD. MATERIAL LIFE IS A MISTAKE.
IT SHOULD NOT BE PERMITTED.
KENT
Then I suppose that there's only one
way to settle this. BEAT You're
under arrest.
The black sphere begins to swell, expanding towards KENT, who stares at it
calmly, until it reaches him, and then -- The screen goes black.
AKANE (V.O.)
It became all but incomprehensible
after that. BEAT Actually, it
hurts to think about it.
Cut to outside the portal. SERENA is back to her look of extreme fatigue, and
the other Senshi aren't much better. The portal itself is trembling around the
edges.
MIHOSHI
Anoo ... do the little wavy things
on that gate mean anything?
SKULD
ABSENTLY They mean that the portal
is starting to collapse.
MIHOSHI
Oh. BEAT What does that mean,
really?
SKULD
SIGH That it's going to close, and
we won't be able to open it again,
so Mr. Masefield will be trapped on
the other side.
RANMA
Good!
AKANE
Ranma! Just because he suckered you
doesn't mean he deserves to be
trapped in the bowels of hell for
all eternity!
RANMA
Sez you!
TENCHI is staring at the portal with concern on his face.
TENCHI
If only ... if only ...
WASHUU (O.S.)
If only what, Tenchi-dono?
TENCHI
If only I knew how to --
Realization. He whips around to see WASHUU standing a bit behind him, holding a
fifteen hundred yen toy replica of the Garnet Staff in one hand.
TENCHI
Washuu! When did --
WASHUU
Just now. Tenchi-dono, do you want
to help keep that portal open for
a little while longer?
TENCHI
Yes, definitely.
WASHUU
Right, then. Ryouko ...
RYOUKO teleports next to her mother with a suspicious expression.
RYOUKO
What're you up to, this time, *Mom*?
WASHUU
GRINNING You'll thank me for this
later.
RYOUKO
Yeah, right. BEAT And what's up
with the toy? Decided to have a
third childhood?
WASHUU
BLINKS Toy? This is one of the
most powerful --
She looks at the Staff.
WASHUU
We're in trouble.
Cut to grey space. PLUTO is holding very firmly to the real Garnet Staff, and
smiling without humour.
PLUTO
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me
twice, die in agony.
Back in the real world.
WASHUU
So we should really work fast here,
okay? BEAT Tenchi, you can use
your power to add to that which is
holding the portal. You'll need the
Tenchi-ken, though.
TENCHI
Got it. He produces it.
WASHUU
And you'll need to be in physical
contact with Ryouko.
TENCHI's eyes bulge out. RYOUKO blinks, then grins. AYEKA looks appalled.
RYOUKO
Okay! I like this plan already.
TENCHI
Washuu-chan ... is this really --
WASHUU produces her computer and a cushion.
WASHUU
Yep.
AKANE (V.O.)
It was necessary because she wanted
to get accurate readings on the
amount of power that Tenchi and
Ryouko could generate together.
TENCHI lets out a long sigh and nods. He extends the Tenchi-Ken before him,
while RYOUKO takes up a position on his left, pressing her body into his, and
holding the hand that holds the sword. For a moment, TENCHI seems about to
protest ... then clamps down on whatever he was going to say.
WASHUU
Now ... just project your power out
at the portal, but *don't* visualize
it as a beam or something like that,
think of it as a ... okay, good,
you've got it.
The trembling of the portal ceases. WASHUU watches a graph on her computer
growing steadily.
WASHUU
MUTTERED Must be a gestalt. A
natural gestalt. Cool. I'm even
better than I thought I was.
RANMA watches these proceedings with irritation.
RANMA
Arghhh. Even *he's* got something
to do! I *hate* --
UKYOU
Ranchan, why do you have to be the
centre of attention?
RANMA
What're you talking about, Ucchan?
I don't like bein' --
UKYOU
Then why not just sit back, relax
and let someone else handle it?
RANMA tries to find an answer to that, and fails. Cut to black.
KENT (V.O.)
You realize, of course, that it's
actually jealousy.
ADVERSARY (V.O.)
YOU DO NOT KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TALKING
ABOUT.
KENT (V.O.)
I think I do. He endowed life with
the ability to develop beyond what
it was, and possibly to develop
beyond *us*. Your pride wouldn't
stand for that.
ADVERSARY (V.O.)
YOU DO NOT KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TALKING
ABOUT. IT WAS NOT THAT, IT WAS --
KENT (V.O.)
Well?
ADVERSARY (V.O.)
I REALIZED THAT LIFE WAS A MISTAKE,
THAT WAS ALL.
KENT (V.O.)
A mistake, because they could grow
and evolve.
ADVERSARY (V.O)
NO, BECAUSE THEY COULD -- IT DOES
NOT MATTER!
KENT (V.O.)
I think it does. BEAT Maybe it
didn't have so much to do with what
marvel they could become ... as
with the exact opposite.
ADVERSARY (V.O.)
YOU ARE WRONG!
KENT (V.O.)
How they could choose to not love
Him. How they could choose to not
even admit that He existed. And how
could you, the most perfect of His
creations, endure the idea that
something could exist that would be
both greater than you -- and not
admit that your Creator was real?
ADVERSARY (V.O.)
NO!
KEIICHI heads over to the door of the Nekohanten, and looks in.
KEIICHI
Belldandy?
He sees a green light coming from the kitchen and heads towards it, slowly. He
opens the door, and sees her lying on the floor.
KEIICHI
Belldandy!
He dashes forward, and kneels at her side. BELLDANDY comes a little ways
around.
BELLDANDY
WOOZY Keiichi-san?
KEIICHI, for once not worrying about the possible consequences of touching a
goddess, starts to pick her up.
BELLDANDY
WOOZY Thank you Keiichi-san. But
make sure that everyone else gets
out of this place too ...
KEIICHI
QUICK Right!
He gently carries her out of the kitchen, through the dining area, and out the
front door.
KEIICHI
Skuld! SKULD dashes over.
SKULD
Acck! What happened?!
KEIICHI
I don't know. Look after Belldandy,
okay?
He heads back in, this time pulling KYOUSUKE -- who is quite a bit taller and
heavier than he is -- out with him.
KEIICHI
I think we may need to call in an
ambulance for this guy ... he looks
like he's been bleeding.
One more trip to pick up COLOGNE -- whom he carries at arms length. By now,
BELLDANDY has come most of the way around.
KEIICHI
What happened?
BELLDANDY
We achieved the goal. We won, after
a fashion. But there was a cost,
and it was high.
KEIICHI
DREADING I didn't see that other
woman or that guy in there ... did
they --
BELLDANDY
Lady Tsunami doubtless left at once.
The Cosmic Gods have many burdens
... as for Mr. DeGales ... he made a
sacrifice of himself. BEAT I do
not think we will see him as himself
again.
KEIICHI seems confused by that, but lets it go.
KEIICHI
Are *you* all right?
She looks at him though eyes which have known many tears in the last few hours
... and smiles, beautifully.
BELLDANDY
Yes. Thank you, Keiichi-san.
She embraces him, suddenly, causing him to blush like mad. SKULD, standing
nearby, looks at them with irritation -- she's obviously not *totally* satisfied
with the way things turned out -- but doesn't do anything. Cut to blackness.
ADVERSARY (V.O.)
YOU ARE WRONG!
KENT (V.O.)
Am I? Then why haven't you caused
more outright exterminations of the
life you hate so much? Why do you
get bored so easily with all your
schemes? Because you know, in your
soul, that by rebelling like you
did, you proved Him right.
ADVERSARY (V.O.)
ENOUGH! YOU ARE STRIVING TO DO AS
YOU HAVE ALWAYS DONE AND DISTRACT ME
FROM MY AIMS! SO BE IT! I SHALL
DESTROY THAT PATHETIC LITTLE WORLD
ON WHICH YOU DWELT!
KENT (V.O.)
No you won't.
ADVERSARY (V.O.)
WHO SHALL STOP ME? THE CREATOR HAS
NEVER INTERFERED --
KENT (V.O.)
Yes he has. But I'm going to stop
you this time.
ADVERSARY (V.O.)
YOU? HOW WILL YOU STOP ME?
KENT (V.O.)
The way I'm stopping you, now.
ADVERSARY (V.O.)
YOU ARE NOT -- BEAT WHAT HAVE YOU
DONE?
KENT (V.O.)
Learned a lot about martial arts.
You'd be surprised how they can
apply even at this scale. This is
something I was taught by a man
named Tendou Souun. I don't think
you can break it.
ADVERSARY (V.O.)
THEN YOU WILL BE BOUND HERE AS WELL!
DOWN HERE! IN THE DARK! ALONE!
KENT (V.O.)
Am I alone?
ADVERSARY (V.O.)
YOU ARE DOWN HERE WITH ME!
KENT (V.O.)
So?
For a moment, there is silence. And then an unearthly howl of rage and horror
rings through the darkness. And everything goes white. Cut to the kitchen.
While sitting at the table, PATRICIA suddenly jerks, spilling her juice.
PATRICIA
It's over.
KASUMI
It is? I don't --
PATRICIA
I don't know how I know ... but it's
over. Everything is ... different.
She stands up, suddenly.
PATRICIA
I have to go to him. She dashes off.
KASUMI rises from the table, and heads over to the window. She looks out to see
PATRICIA dashing out of the house.
KASUMI
WHISPERED Good luck.
Cut to outside the gate. The trembling of the portal has resumed, and is
getting worse. Everyone seems to be showing the strain.
KEIICHI
Belldandy, could you --
BELLDANDY
SHAKES HEAD No ... my reserves of
power are all but drained.
AYEKA looks at TENCHI, whose back is to her, and who is almost shaking with the
strain, with longing. She turns to look at WASHUU.
AYEKA
Excuse me ... Washuu-chan ... could
... do you think ...
WASHUU
BORED No, adding your energies to
the gestalt probably wouldn't cause
a measurable increase. But go ahead
and try it anyway if you feel like
it.
AYEKA looks down at SASAMI, whose head is still resting in her lap. Her face is
uncertain. Suddenly, a hand touches her shoulder. She looks up to see SHAMPOO
looking down at her.
SHAMPOO
MANDARIN I'll do it. I'll watch
over her. You go do magic.
AYEKA
MANDARIN Th-thank you!
SHAMPOO sits, and they gently move SASAMI's head to her lap. Then AYEKA rises,
and confidently walks over to take TENCHI's right side as RYOUKO took his left.
TENCHI
CONFUSED Ayeka-san? What are you
do--
AYEKA responds by closing her hand over TENCHI's hand, on the Tenchi-Ken. Which
means, however, that she winds up touching RYOUKO's hand, much to their mutual
disgust. They shoot each other a quick, hostile look, then "Hmph" forward. For
his part, TENCHI seems rather frightened. WASHUU is very startled to see the
graph of the power output shoot up dramatically.
WASHUU
Wait a minute, that means --
The graph enters a red zone, and an insistent beeping begins. WASHUU tries to
pull back from the computer -- Just as it blows up, sending her flying
backwards. A few seconds later, a mildly toasted WASHUU rolls up into a seated
position.
WASHUU
Well. That was unexpected.
RANMA blinks at this, then sees SHAMPOO and SASAMI.
RANMA
Shampoo? What --
SHAMPOO
QUIET Shampoo know what it like to
see loved one in trouble and not be
able to help. BEAT Shampoo know
*that* well.
RANMA stares at her ... and comprehension slowly starts to dawn. He opens his
mouth.
AKANE
Something's coming through!
And a hand has already stuck part of the way out of the portal. SERENA's face
twists in agony as it comes further. RANMA looks around, and then shrugs.
RANMA
Ah, hell.
He dashes over to the gate, grabs hold of the hand, and *yanks* KENT all the way
through -- KENT, who is wearing the vest and pants he was wearing when he went
in (now somewhat torn up) and his glasses.
KENT
HOARSE Shut it!
SERENA nods, and closes her hands around the crystal, pulling it back to her.
She almost faints, and DARIEN is only just able to hold her up. TENCHI lowers
the Tenchiken, and almost seems to sway when he does. The Sailors look
exhausted. The portal trembles for a second longer ... then swiftly irises
shut.
KENT
SIGH Mission accomplished. TO
RANMA Thanks.
RANMA glares at him, as they get to their feet.
RANMA
Listen, I'm still pissed about the
thing with the nerve pinch, so don't
go thankin' me just yet, 'cause --
KENT
FAINT SMILE I'll let you beat me
up later. Okay?
RANMA seems somewhat mollified.
TENCHI
What happened to the prophecy?
KENT
SHRUG As near as I can figure it,
what it meant was, "three will go
*together* into the gate at one time
and two will come out *together* at
another." It doesn't actually say
anything about the one who doesn't
come out. I jumped to a conclusion.
Sorry.
TENCHI
SIGH Okay. So what happened with
the fight?
Behind them, PATRICIA rounds the corner to catch sight of KENT. She takes a
deep breath -- And then she sees something.
KENT
Well ... it's a long story, but it's
probably enough to say that the
Adversary won't be causing any more
problems.
AKANE
Really? How --
KENT
I gave him some things to think
about. It was a hell of a fight,
but --
PATRICIA
Stop it.
KENT turns to look at PATRICIA, as does everyone else. She is staring at him
with heartbreak in her eyes.
KENT
CONFUSED Patricia? Is something
the matter?
PATRICIA
ANGRY Stop it. BEAT I don't
know who you are ... and I don't
really care, but stop pretending to
be Kent.
KENT
Patricia ... I *am* Kent, what are
you --
She holds up his glasses. The ones he left with her. The ones he seems to be
wearing right now. Everyone tenses. KENT slowly reaches up to take off his
glasses, and let them fall to the ground. His eyes are closed.
KENT
It's the details. The details mess
up every great con ever pulled.
He opens his eyes. They are jet black. No cornea, no iris. And they don't
shine like a fully dilated pupil would.
PATRICIA
W-who are you?
KENT
I am sorry, Patricia. Kent is dead.
I know all that he knew ... I feel
all that he felt ... but he lives no
longer.
Everyone reacts to the sight of KENT's eyes with shock and dread -- there is
also an undercurrent of despair that the battle still isn't over.
PATRICIA
NERVOUS Are you the Adversary?
KENT
SHAKES HEAD That much was true.
He is gone, as well.
PATRICIA
UNDERSTANDING You're the Defender,
then.
KENT
The Defender no longer, but yes. I
... have been given new duties, as
penance for my rebellion.
PATRICIA
And those are?
KENT
Unimportant.
He briefly looks over the Gathered, and seems to almost despair at the way they
are looking at him.
AKANE (V.O.)
We were all of us, even those who
hadn't had to support the portal,
bone-tired. Maybe that, and the
sheer ... strangeness of what had
just happened, was why none of us
did much of anything but stare.
BEAT I do know one thing ... if
I hadn't heard Aethan's final
words, I know that *his* next ones
would have been the ones that I'd
never forget.
KENT
Why do you look at me with such fear
in your eyes? None of you have the
least idea who you are. For aeons I
believed that I was surrounding my
proxies with capable warriors to aid
in their battles. I fooled myself.
BEAT You did not know, in truth,
what the stakes were ... yet you
gave freely of yourselves. Your
courage is magnificent. It has been
an honor that I shall remember
forever to have known each of you.
He draws in a deep breath.
KENT
But I must go. This world cannot
bear me for very long. BEAT We
shall meet again, though. At the
end. There will be a moment of
blinding light, and then you will
see me ... your old friend. Until
then, goodbye. Goodbye, Patricia.
Once again, I am leaving you.
PATRICIA
Like. Hell. You. Are.
He turns to look at her, shocked, and sees that she is burning with a grey
light.
PATRICIA
You're taking me with you.
KENT
SHOCKED I can't. You would not be
able to survive where I am going.
PATRICIA
SINCERE I won't be able to survive
*here* if you're not here. Take me
with you.
KENT
You don't know what you're asking.
PATRICIA
Who's asking? BEAT You know, I
did some thinking. I don't do that
very often, but I've had to lately.
And I sez to myself, self, I sez,
if I can make the whole suit of
"armor" appear around me, why not
just parts of it? Like, the jump
jets?
ANDREW looks *very* alarmed, and starts heading towards her, slowly.
KENT
Patricia, this is irresponsible of
you. It's --
PATRICIA
-- the sort of crazy, adolescent
stunt that only a seventeen year old
girl would do? Guess what? BEAT
Take me with you, or I'll fire the
jump jets. Assuming I don't fry
instantly, the stress will probably
snap my back like a twig.
KENT starts walking towards her, shaking his head slowly. He is standing right
before her.
KENT
Why? Why are you --
PATRICIA
Because I love you you dumb *fuck*!
CRYING I want to be with you ...
always ... I've never gotten that.
*Never.* He embraces her.
KENT
I *can't*. PATRICIA closes her eyes.
PATRICIA
Then I can't either.
There is a click, and a sudden hissing noise. With a roar, they are both
enveloped in flame.
ANDREW
NO!
He starts dashing towards them, only to trip over an inconveniently placed foot.
He looks up, while WASHUU does her best to look innocent. Only a few seconds
after the fire begins, they have both vanished. Not even ashes remain.
RAYE
QUIET Oh my god she killed them
both.
There is a very long moment of silence. And then PATRICIA, seeming none the
worse for the wear, dressed in a plain white gown, and carrying a bundle,
appears where she was before. She has a chagrined look on her face.
PATRICIA
Um ... sorry about the hysterics,
you guys.
ANDREW pushes himself to his feet over her next words.
PATRICIA
I really hope that I haven't given
any of you ideas about how it's ...
glamourous to kill yourselves if you
can't be with one you love, because
it's --
ANDREW starts running towards her, she breaks off, cocks back a fist and *slams*
it into his face knocking him back.
PATRICIA
ANGRY Don't. You. Come near me.
ANDREW, shocked, rolls up into a seated position. He checks his nose, and sure
enough, it's broken.
PATRICIA
Do you have any idea how much your
viruses changed my body? Do you
know how hard Kent had to work to
fix them?
ANDREW swallows, and opens his mouth.
PATRICIA
And don't say you're sorry, because
you're not. You're sorry you got
caught. You're sorry I found out.
Well here's something else for you
to be sorry for: you're sorry that
until you make *serious* amends,
you're not coming near your only
granddaughter.
The bundle that she's carrying begins to shift, revealing it to be a tiny
infant, perhaps a few days old, wrapped in warm blankets.
RANMA
A baby? Where the hell did you get
a baby --
PATRICIA
If you have to be *told* that at
*your* age --
AKANE
How did you -- why did you --
PATRICIA
Oh. BEAT Well ... Kent showed
me a little of where he was going.
And he was right ... I couldn't have
survived there. So after he put me
back together ... I asked him to
give me something to remember him.
I know, I know ... cliche ... but it
felt right. BEAT; LOOKS AT ANDREW
Especially since he'd fixed me so
that I *could* have children, I
mean.
She looks down at her daughter's face, and the bitterness fades.
PATRICIA
We named her Patience. BEAT Or
Shinobu. BEAT It's appropriate.
She looks up, again.
PATRICIA
*Now*, it's over.
Fade to black.
AKANE (V.O.)
It wasn't, of course. Nothing ever
ends that simply.
Cut to an exterior shot of the dojo.
AKANE (V.O.)
My father finally got out of bed the
very next day, after the fortress
in our back yard took off again,
taking Mr. Delafontaine and the rest
of the PDF team with it. He didn't
seem to have any recollection of
anything after dinner on the second
day, so we didn't discuss it with
him. BEAT True to her word,
Nabiki moved out the day after that.
We still hear from her regularly.
BEAT As we now had a spare room,
Patricia asked if she could possibly
rent it from us, and Dad, always
willing to find a source of income
that didn't require work, was glad
to welcome her on as a boarder.
BEAT Some other things happened
over the next few days that were
kind of important.
Flash. Cut to a hospital bedroom, where KYOUSUKE is lying in an uncomfortable
bed. MADOKA walks in, looking annoyed. KYOUSUKE flashes a sheepish grin.
MADOKA
I swear, I ought never to let you
out of the house. You go to Bosnia,
and almost get blown up. You go to
Nerima, and get involved in some
business that the *government* is
trying to cover up ...
KYOUSUKE
I'm sorry ... I'll tell you all
about it later. JOKING Anything
interesting happen while I was out?
MADOKA
Yes. BEAT I called Hikaru, and
she'll definitely be able to be here
in two months for the wedding. My
parents won't, but ... oh well.
There's more important things.
KYOUSUKE
Huh? What more important things?
MADOKA
LEANS IN If you think I'm gonna
let my parents stop me from having
our first child born in wedlock,
you're crazy.
KYOUSUKE's mouth drops all the way to his stomach. Flash. Cut to outside the
Nekohanten. BELLDANDY is still resting beside the building, as MINAKO
approaches hesitantly.
MINAKO
Um ... excuse me?
BELLDANDY
Yes?
MINAKO
Please ... you've gotta tell me what
happened to Aethan. He ... I have
to know.
BELLDANDY is silent, then sighs.
BELLDANDY
I shall try. In order to provide
enough raw power to activate a
spell we were casting, he ... cut
his soul into two *roughly* equal
parts. You could call them a good
half and a bad half, but that would
be oversimplifying. The `good half'
provided the magic ... while the
other went elsewhere.
MINAKO
What happened to it?
BELLDANDY
I don't know. I'm sorry.
MINAKO nods ... and turns around to see RAYE looking at her with an apprehensive
expression.
MINAKO
SHAKES HER HEAD Damn you. Damn
you for being so damn cruel to him.
RAYE becomes shocked when MINAKO starts speaking, and by the end her mouth is
gaping.
RAYE
*Me*? Cruel to *him*?
MINAKO
Do you deny it? I followed you, I
saw what you did!
RAYE
Oh really. Well. Here's a way of
looking at it that I don't think
you've considered. He asked me to
kill him.
MINAKO
You could have just said no, you
didn't have to --
RAYE
He asked me to kill him, because he
was so broken up about what had
happened to his friend. BEAT He
didn't spare a moment to think about
his "lover" -- you -- or how his
death would hurt you. All he cared
about was his own, private little
pain. BEAT Maybe I was too harsh,
but I was not too cruel.
She turns and walks away. Flash. Cut to MINAKO's bedroom. MINAKO sits on her
bed, holding ARTEMIS closely.
MINAKO
Artemis ... do you think Aethan was
a good person?
ARTEMIS
Well ... I don't think he was a bad
one. BEAT I do think he cared
about you ... a lot.
MINAKO
PRESSING But do you think he'll go
to heaven?
ARTEMIS
CONFUSED I really don't know ...
why, Mina-chan?
She opens her mouth just as the phone in the kitchen rings. She sets ARTEMIS
down, and gets up. In the kitchen she picks up the phone.
MINAKO
Moshi moshi?
AETHAN (TEL)
CONFUSED Minako?
MINAKO
OVERJOYED AETHAN! Where are you?
What happened?
AETHAN (TEL)
I'm really not sure ... the last
thing I recall is getting on a plane
to come to Japan and meet you ...
and now I wake up and it's six days
later! What in the world has been
going on?
She opens her mouth to reply ... and then the image of him standing before the
cairn appears briefly.
AETHAN (TEL)
Minako?
MINAKO
I ... don't know either, Aethan. I
was really worried about you, after
you disappeared. Could you maybe
come and see me?
AETHAN (TEL)
I'm sorry, Minako, but ... I have to
be getting back to my work. I only
allotted the last five days to visit
you ... I truly am sorry.
MINAKO bites her lip.
MINAKO
It's okay. There'll be other times,
right?
AETHAN (TEL)
Of course. Listen, they're calling
my flight. I'll give you a ring
in a few days, all right?
MINAKO
Sure.
AETHAN (TEL)
I truly hate weirdness, don't you?
Goodbye, Minako-chan.
MINAKO
Bye.
The connection is cut. She stands for a few moments, listening to the voice
tell her to hang up the phone.
MINAKO
It's okay. As long as he's alive,
it's okay. Right? Right.
Flash. Cut to the site of the gate. WASHUU is quietly staring at where it was.
WASHUU
Time for our reckoning?
She turns to look at PLUTO, who is looking at her without expression.
PLUTO
I have one question. BEAT Why
did you interfere?
WASHUU
With them? BEAT Because like he
said ... he leaves her, every time.
And I couldn't stand to see him
leave her again ... after having
watched him leave her when she was
my mother, and he was my father.
PLUTO
When was this?
WASHUU
A long time ago. BEAT In a
galaxy far, far away. BEAT
Well?
PLUTO
I have decided ... to not extract a
hideous vengeance from you, Washuu.
Perhaps my princess is affecting
my thinking ... but my heart isn't
in it. Not now.
WASHUU
Good. I'd have kicked your ass.
PLUTO
SIGH You go right on believing
that, Washuu.
WASHUU turns to look at her, and smiles wanly.
WASHUU
Y'know, it was sort of good to see
you again. We should try it again
some time. Like in another twelve
thousand years.
Flash. Cut to the temple at Nekomi. SKULD is working on her computer when URD
comes in.
URD
So whatcha doing now?
SKULD
Well, now that we've got *names* to
go with some of the more prominent
nexi of improbability, I'm keeping
track of them.
URD peers at the computer. Dots marked "SERENA" and "RANMA" are moving around
on a map of Tokyo, while another one is in a different window, showing a map of
Okayama prefecture. It is marked "MIHOSHI", and has a skull and crossbones on
it.
URD
GRUDGING Not bad ... hmp. You
know, I just thought of something.
If these guys are so improbable, why
do they show up on these scans? I
mean, the improbable thing to do
would be to not show up, right?
SKULD
Are you kidding? These are multiply
redundant, automatic error checking
scanners. The only way they could
miss a nexus like this is if they
were so improbable as to --
KEIICHI (O.S.)
I'm home! The screen goes blank.
SKULD
Aaagh! This is the fifth time this
has happened!
URD looks off in the general direction where KEIICHI's voice issued from, then
back at the computer. She appears to be giving something a great deal of
thought.
URD
Naaa.
Flash. Cut to the foyer of SERENA's house, as she enters.
SERENA
I'm home!
IKUKO, SERENA's mother, comes into the foyer, smiling pleasantly.
IKUKO
Hello, dear, how was your day?
SERENA
SMILES Just fine.
IKUKO
Your new English teacher dropped by
for a visit ... Mr. McGovern! She's
here!
MCGOVERN comes into the foyer, also smiling.
MCGOVERN
ENGLISH Hi!
SERENA seems rather stricken.
SERENA
ENGLISH Hi. BEAT I am a big
fan of Menudo.
MCGOVERN
Don't admit that in public, okay?
SERENA
NODS Yes.
Cut to outside the Tsukino home. MCGOVERN and SERENA are talking quietly.
MCGOVERN
Well, I am going to be teaching
English at your high school this
year, so it's not too far fetched.
But that's really only my cover
identity. I'm really here on
assignment.
SERENA
To do ... what?
MCGOVERN
I'm keeping an eye on the future
ruler of Crystal Tokyo.
SERENA
Oh. BEAT OH?
MCGOVERN
Yeah. And I was also instructed to
give you some things, by Kent.
He produces a large manila envelope, and hands it to her. She opens it, and
looks through it.
SERENA
What is all this?
MCGOVERN
Command codes, passwords, locations
of secret bank accounts ... just the
stuff that someone who wanted to run
the Planetary Defense Forces would
need to do it.
SERENA
Excuse me?
MCGOVERN
Apparently, at some point, Kent saw
into your soul, Ms. Tsukino. He'd
picked up a saying from one of his
teachers -- "Who knows what evil
lurks in the hearts of men? *I*
know" -- but when he looked into
your heart ... he found a complete
lack of evil intent.
SERENA
Uh ... well, I think I know when
this happened, and he really didn't
take a very close look, so --
MCGOVERN
I'm inclined to agree with him.
SERENA makes an "eek" face.
MCGOVERN
Any way, he decided that you were
his choice to head up the PDF, after
he ... well, you know. BEAT And
even if I thought he'd screwed up
badly, you'll probably do better
than the UN's choice. She's this
Greek woman who can fling lightning
bolts big enough to make your Sailor
Jupiter feel insecure. She's a good
soldier, but not quite my pick to
defend the Earth from all threats,
native and alien.
SERENA
But ... I don't know anything about
running an army! I ...
MCGOVERN
How about running a kingdom? Gotta
start somewhere.
SERENA looks down at the manila envelope, and lets out a sigh. Flash. Cut to
the Tendou home once again.
AKANE (V.O.)
And then ... there was the most
important thing. At least to me.
Cut to inside the Tendou home. AKANE knocks on the door to NABIKI's old room.
PATRICIA (O.S.)
Come in, Akane-san.
AKANE opens the door with an odd expression on her face. PATRICIA is nursing
her baby.
PATRICIA
SMILES I know, I shouldn't show
off like that ... but you are such a
storm cloud, Akane-san. You seem to
almost broadcast yourself and all
your thoughts, constantly.
AKANE
So then you know why I've come here?
PATRICIA
No, you're keeping that thought
pretty quiet.
AKANE
Did Kent tell you ... just what
happened during his fight with the
Adversary?
PATRICIA
He didn't so much tell me as show
me. And only parts of it. My
mind isn't big enough to have all
of it.
AKANE
I'd really like to see what you can
show me of it ...
PATRICIA looks at AKANE and smiles for a long moment.
AKANE
What?
PATRICIA
SHAKES HEAD That wouldn't be close
to enough, for you, Akane-san. I
understand ... you came into the
story fairly late, and now you want
to understand the whole thing.
AKANE
Well, yes ... that *is* part of it.
PATRICIA
But just the story from Kent's POV
won't do it for you. You'd have to
talk to everyone who was part of it.
And more than talk ... *think* with
them. BEAT Still want to do it?
AKANE nods, once.
PATRICIA
All right. Then I'll help. But you
have to make me a promise. I want
you to write it all down.
AKANE
You mean ... write a book?
PATRICIA
Yes.
AKANE
... I've never even considered being
a writer. I wouldn't know where to
start.
PATRICIA
I have faith that you'll figure out
where to start, Akane-san. Do you
promise? She holds up a pinky.
AKANE stares at it for a moment, then realizes what PATRICIA means. She sighs,
and makes a pinky swear.
PATRICIA
Okay. This is the way it was.
Cut to black.
AKANE (V.O.)
And she gave it to me. Direct
download, right to my brain. And
like she said, most of it was too
darn big for me. BEAT Even after
she used the telepathy Kent had left
her to increase my own gifts in that
area to the point where I could get
the information I needed.
Cut to a series of rapid sequences of AKANE talking with various members of the
cast -- some freely (MINAKO), and some not so freely (SHAMPOO).
AKANE (V.O.)
I couldn't get everything ... some
of them had extremely strong mental
shields around their memories, like
Ryouga does, for example ... but I
think I have enough to write the
book that Patricia wanted me to
write. I hope I do. The telepathy
is wearing off, and so is the
expanded memory. I felt it fading
even as I first started to write.
BEAT Dammit, I managed to come up
with the perfect start to this, and
now I can't figure out how to *end*
it.
There is a long silence.
AKANE (V.O.)
Got it.
Cut to PATRICIA's room. PATRICIA is once again sitting and talking with AKANE.
Patience is lying in a cradle, on which PATRICIA keeps at least one eye at all
times.
AKANE
I still don't understand how you can
stand it ...
PATRICIA
Stand what?
AKANE
Being separated from him ... being
alone.
PATRICIA
I focus on two things, Akane. The
first is that the distance that
separates us isn't so great. It's
only a few decades, after all.
AKANE
Decades. You're shrugging off so
many years, Patricia-san.
PATRICIA
Let me put it another way. I've
been alive for seventeen years,
right?
AKANE
Right.
PATRICIA
Seventeen years isn't much, really.
But it's a bit over six thousand
days, and well over seven hundred
and fifty thousand hours. But if
you break time up into that -- hours
-- it becomes vast and unwieldy. So
I don't think of eighteen years, for
example, as being very long at all.
AKANE
Okay ... I think I see your point.
What's the other thing.
PATRICIA
That if I've picked up some of his
timelessness, he must have picked up
some of my *time*. So he's out
there, doing his duty ... and even
though he doesn't feel the pressure
of time the way we mortals do, he
still feels its passage ... so that
when he and I are reunited, it won't
be, "Oh, there you are. It's only
been a very little while for me."
When we are together again ... it's
going to be magic ...
Cut to black.
AKANE (V.O.)
That's the message, the moral I
guess, that I found in all of this.
That reality can and does seem
different, depending on your point
of view ... and that true love is
patient. BEAT There are others,
probably, but those were the ones
that mattered to me. BEAT It's
a strange world. I know that now.
But it's my world, and I'm part of
it.
Cut to a hand, writing in a book. It writes the last part of AKANE's line, then
sets down the pencil, closes the book, and rests her hand on it. Our view
changes to show that it's AKANE. She lets out a long sigh, then pushes the
chair back from her desk in her room, stands up, and stretches. AKANE then
turns and heads out of the room. She walks past the living room, where we
briefly see KASUMI, PATRICIA (holding Patience) and SERENA talking
enthusiastically. She heads out of the house. She walks down the street that
she once took to go to school, and eventually comes to the chain link fence
overlooking the flood channel. RANMA is perched on top of the fence. She looks
up at him.
AKANE
Ranma? What are you doing?
RANMA
Thinkin'.
AKANE
All right ... what are you thinking
about?
RANMA
Akane ... am I a jerk?
AKANE
You're asking *me* this?
RANMA
SLUMPS I mean ... well, I've been
lookin' back on the last few days,
and ... I've always told myself that
I don't like all the dumb stuff that
winds up happening to me ... but now
I'm starting to wonder if maybe I
actually do. If I actually bring it
on me, because I gotta always be the
center of attention, like Ucchan
said.
AKANE (O.S.)
Ranma ...
RANMA
I mean ... it's bad enough realizing
that even being the toughest martial
artist in the whole world ... it's
not enough. There's guys -- and
*girls* -- who've got more power
than I've got. But I think I've
pretty much reached my limit ... and
I think the only way I could get
better is if I stopped caring if I
lived or died. And I can't do that.
I've got too much to live for.
He lowers his head.
RANMA
You know that I love you, right?
Our view expands to show AKANE crouched on the fence beside him.
AKANE
I was pretty sure of it, yes.
RANMA turns to her and blinks.
RANMA
Wait a minute. Since when can you
do this?
AKANE
What makes you think I couldn't from
the very start? I just never felt
the need.
RANMA
Huh. BEAT So?
AKANE
What?
RANMA
You know what. Aren't you gonna say
what I said to you?
AKANE
Baka. I know that you know how I
feel about you.
RANMA
I mean ... aaaargh.
AKANE smiles at him as he tries to ask again without saying the words "Do you
love me?" And so they go on. And on. Cut to PATRICIA, carrying Patience, and
walking down the street. A few minutes later, she comes to the spot where the
portal stood, and stands in silence for a second. Then she tenses, and looks up
at the roof of a nearby building. And smiles.
JESSICA (O.S.)
BITTER You have it all, don't you?
PATRICIA slowly turns to look at her. JESSICA is standing some distance away,
gazing at her with hatred and anger and grief.
JESSICA
BITTER You've got everything. You
carry his legacy forward, and I ...
I want your life.
PATRICIA shakes her head.
PATRICIA
You can't have it.
JESSICA slumps ... and turns to head off.
PATRICIA
He did care about you.
JESSICA
Not enough.
She exits. PATRICIA lets out a long sigh, and starts to walk away. Our point
of view slowly climbs the side of the building she looked at earlier. When we
reach the top, we see that the being who was KENT is standing on it, looking
down. He is wearing his glasses and the clothes he wore on arriving in Japan,
including the brown jacket that was destroyed when NINIANE burned. He looks
down at PATRICIA, and smiles quietly.
KENT
One more thing to do, then I must
get back to work.
He reaches into his jacket pocket, pulls out a tiny globe of light, and releases
it into the air. It floats, but does not ascend.
KENT
Well? What are you waiting for, an
engraved invitation?
ADVERSARY
no. i still don't understand parts
of it ... i don't understand why he
didn't explain it to me. why i was
necessary.
KENT
Ah. Freedom to choose.
ADVERSARY
i still don't --
KENT
Not your freedom to choose. Their
freedom, to choose not to love Him.
Only by giving an example of one who
chose not to love Him could he add
the capability to do the same to all
life -- and love that isn't given
freely isn't love at all ... it's
obligation. Now do you understand?
ADVERSARY
i think so ...
There is silence for a few moments.
KENT
Then what are you waiting for?
ADVERSARY
does he miss me? as much as i have
missed him?
KENT's face suddenly softens, and he smiles again as he slowly shakes his head.
KENT
More.
The tiny bubble of light begins to slowly rise towards the sky.
ADVERSARY
thank you ...
KENT
Any time, Father. Any time.
And then it rises out of sight. KENT looks up at the sky for a long moment, his
smile fading.
KENT
WHISPERED One day. One day ...
He shakes his head, and lets the image of KENT fade around him, to allow his
true visage to appear -- a seven foot tall skeleton, dressed in a black robe,
carrying a scythe.
DEATH
UNTIL THEN ... THE WORK.
And he vanishes ... with the sound of wings.
FADE OUT
THE END
OP Theme: "Say You, Say Me"
Lyrics, Music and Arrangement: Lionel Richie
Performed by: Sorewa Himitsuyo
Say you, say me; say it for always
That's the way it should be
Say you, say me; say it together
Naturally
I had a dream; I had an awesome dream
People in the park playing games in the dark
And what they played was a masquerade
And from behind of walls of doubt a voice was crying out
Say you, say me; say it for always
That's the way it should be
Say you, say me; say it together
Naturally
As we go down life's lonesome highway
Seems the hardest thing to do is to find a friend or two
A helping hand - Some one who understands
That when you feel you've lost your way
You've got some one there to say "I'll show you"
Say you, say me; say it for always
That's the way it should be
Say you, say me; say it together
Naturally
So you think you know the answers - Oh no
'Couse the whole world has got you dancing
That's right - I'm telling you
It's time to start believing - Oh yes
Believing who you are: You are a shining star
Say you, say me; say it for always
That's the way it should be
Say you, say me; say it together
Naturally
Say it together...
Naturally.
The Vocal Cast of Together Again: 1996 Chapter
Morisato Keiichi ......................... Kikuchi Masami
Belldandy .................................. Inoue Kikuko
Skuld ...................................... Hisakawa Aya
Urd .......................................... Touma Yumi
Mara ....................................... Takano Urara
Kasuga Kyosuke ............................. Furuya Tohru
Ayukawa Madoka ............................. Tsuru Hiromi
Kasuga Akane ............................... Matsui Naoko
Kyosuke's grandfather ..................... Ogata Kenichi
Koyama Shiken ................................ Yao Kazuki
Saotome Ranma (boy-type) ............... Yamaguchi Kappei
Saotome Ranma (girl-type) ............ Hayashibara Megumi
Tendou Akane .............................. Hidaka Noriko
Tendou Kasumi .............................. Inoue Kikuko
Tendou Nabiki ........................... Takayama Minami
Tendou Souun ........................ Oubayashi Ryunosuke
Shampoo ...................................... Sakuma Rei
Kuonji Ukyou ............................... Tsuru Hiromi
Hibiki Ryouga .......................... Yamadera Kouichi
Happosai .................................. Nagai Ichirou
Kunou Tatewaki ......................... Suzuoki Hirotaka
Cologne ..................................... Asou Miyoko
Pantyhose Tarou ..................... Furumoto Shinnosuke
Kurenai Konatsu ............................ Ogata Megumi
Saotome Genma (panda) ..................... Ogata Kenichi
Serena Tsukino / Sailor Moon ........... Mitsuishi Kotono
Amy Mizuno / Sailor Mercury ................ Hisakawa Aya
Raye Hino / Sailor Mars ................. Tomizawa Michie
Lita Kino / Sailor Jupiter ................ Shinohara Emi
Aino Minako / Sailor Venus .................. Fukami Rica
Sailor Pluto .......................... Kawashima Chiyoko
Darien Chiba / Tuxedo Mask ................. Furuya Tohru
Luna .......................................... Han Keiko
Artemis ................................. Takato Yasuhiro
Tsukino Ikuko .............................. Takage Sanae
Masaki Tenchi ............................ Kikuchi Masami
Ryouko ....................................... Orikasa Ai
Princess Ayeka .............................. Takada Yumi
Princess Sasami .......................... Yokoyama Chisa
Kuramitsu Mihoshi ......................... Mizutani Yuko
Masaki Katsuhito ........................... Aono Takeshi
Masaki Nobuyuki ............................ Aono Takeshi
Washuu ................................... Kobayashi Yuko
Tsunami .................................. Yokoyama Chisa
Mano Yohko ................................. Hisakawa Aya
Kanzaki Azusa ............................ Yoshida Konami
Yuuki Miaka ................................... Araki Kae
Sukunami Taka ......................... Midorikawa Hikaru
Otaku ................................. Sakurai Toshiharu
Zenigata ..................................... Naya Gorou
Kent Masefield .......................... Koyasu Takehito
Patricia Delafontaine ................... Hiramatsu Akiko
Andrew Delafontaine .................... Fumihiko Tachiki
Niniane .................................. Fujita Toshiko
Alistair McGovern ......................... Kusao Takeshi
Katsuhito Stengovitch ..................... Sasaki Nozumo
Bran "Raven" Mason ........................ Ogata Kenichi
Aethan DeGales .......................... Sogabe Kazuyuki
Michael Gideon ......................... Yamaguchi Kappei
Madeline ....................................... Doi Mika
Jessica Drummond ......................... Shimamoto Sumi
The Adversary .............................. Ogawa Shinji
Additional Casting By .............. Austin George Loomis
Authors Notes
Once again, I'm writing the author's notes before the story is finished. And once more, I return to Neil Gaiman -- whom some sources suggest is writing the English adaptation for Ghibli's "Mononoke Hime", so there is a parallel -- who reminds me that the only people who actually read author's notes are those who are looking for an apology, or an explanation. He also says that a writer must never ever give either. I give my apology in the form of a disclaimer for using these characters, so I might as well go all the way.
Like the top of every chapter says, this work has been dedicated to a trio of authors whom I respect a great deal. I'm gonna say a few things about them right now:
Most people are aware of my admiration for John Walter Biles, but I don't think they know how much I envy him his faith. My own beliefs about God and the Universe are so contradictory and fragmented and prone to revision that I don't even want to go into them, but John not only does, but manages to come up with stories that fit into that worldview, putting the honest-to-god God on stage, whilst I hedge.
Lawrence Mann, one of those fiendishly creative people at Eyrie Communications, is also the co-author of one of the fall-down funniest stories that I've ever read. Yes, I'm talking about "Bubblegum Pink". I have written a small number of lemons, but they aren't really explicit -- how can I not admire someone who came up with an unbelievably twisted concept like that and then had the guts to publish it? (And has since had to watch his co-writer get all the "credit". You don't see people going around shrieking "Damn You Mann!" Strange ...)
In the main, I dislike "issue" stories, but in addition to writing some very amusing stories in "Urusei Yatsura: The Senior Year", Fred Herriot has touched on some serious topics both there and in his other work. I'm not sure if I agree with the solutions he proposes, or the overall philosophy he espouses, but it does make me think.
Parts of the story are also dedicated to Spider Robinson, an author I discovered quite some time ago (when I first visited a certain house of fantastic repute in New York during my early teens) but only recently began to truely appreciate (when I paid a visit to (sadly-closed) bar on Long Island). I'd also like to say a few nice words about the various authors of the Omega Universe (http://www.eyrie.org/~sw/omega.htm) and a number of people busily writing Luke Skywalker/Mara Jade romances on The Star Wars Fanfiction Library (http://www.fanfix.com/). For that matter, thanks to Timothy Zahn for creating Mara Jade, and thus giving me the perfect rationale to link Tenchi Muyou and Star Wars. (If he kills her in the next book, though, I'll understand.)
Back to explanations: What was the 1996 Chapter about, really? I think that the theme I chose, way back when, was the ending of an age, and the beginning of another. In more Campbellian terms, the hero becomes the mentor figure, guides the next generation of heroes for a brief time, then fades from the scene. To quote a song, "Bravado", by Rush:
And if the music stops
There's only the sound of the rain
All the hope and glory,
All the sacrifice in vain
And if love remains
Though everything is lost
We will pay the price,
But we will not count the cost
But at the same time, I tried to, especially in the final act of the story, suggest that the world is going to be given into good hands -- possibly even better hands than it was in before. It's a note of optimism that I haven't been able to find in a lot of places -- most notably in the final moments of Alfred Bester's "The Demolished Man", which inspired Kent's final message.
That was the explanation. Now for the apologies -- or at least acknowledgements.
Sailor Moon: Minako's downfall, begun in this story, plays out in others that I have written. Yet I believe that it may have been inspired by the syncretism of an exceedingly short story that I once read, entitled "Usagi-chan: A Question", and Tim Nolan's view of Minako as being more in tune with the Outer Senshi than with the Inners. Raye's prejudice against Aethan, combined with her genunine fears for Minako's safety, grew out of the fact that she is, fundamentally, a very religious person. Aethan's status as an undead being is offensive to Christian and Shinto teachings, and Raye practically can't help but be upset by him.
Ranma: I owe Scott Johnson an apology. I unconsciously used a passage he wrote in a story about Konatsu and Kodachi to flesh out his character in his first appearance in this one. Meanwhile, Kunou's final duel was something that I'd seen coming for a while. Kasumi as the older sister to Serenity was likewise something that just came to me. Shooting off Pantyhose Tarou's kneecaps was a move calculated to piss off a certain demagogue whom I find rather annoying. (Yes, I am that petty.)
Oh My Goddess: I did something pretty controversial, in this one. Usually, the goddess' "boss" is written as though he were the Judeo- Christian God (my God). I don't care for this, for a number of reasons, the first and foremost being that the character, as depicted in the anime, is a jerk. Flat out, no two ways about it. He tells a little goddess that for the crime of playing with a mortal, she's going to be eradicated if she doesn't mess with his memories. God (as in the maker of this universe) should not be a jerk, so my conception of "the Almighty" is borrowed from J.R.R. Tolkein's "Manwe", crossbred through the mildly cynical and mechanistic worldview of the Oh My Goddess manga; he's an administrator, responsible to higher powers -- ultimately, to the Creator.
Kimagure Orange Road: Much of what goes on in the Kimagure-inspired sections of this fanfic is derived from my private irritation with a certain statement made by Matsumoto Izumi, with regards to Akane's sexual identity. From reading the KOR Guide, it becomes clear that in the KOR manga, at least, her feelings were a lot more complex than "a phase". If Izumi-sensei wanted to fool around with a sexually-ambivalent character without considering the implications, fine ... but for him to then say "It's just a phase, she'll turn into Hikaru House-maker eventually" is really wrong. Likewise, the passing reference to Hino Yuusaku grew out of my annoyance with the way he's been treated in the post-series canon. (We drop in on Komatsu and Hatta to see that they're busy drawing ecchi magical girls and not a word about Yuusaku? C'mon!)
Devil Hunter Yohko: Yes, Azusa has a crush on Yohko. Deal.
Bubblegum Crisis: Yes, Katsuhito Stengovitch is the future Dr.Stingray. That means that he and Andrew could play a game of "I screwed up my daughter's life worse than you did" with Gigelf Liqueur.
Exotica Chronicles: Hooboy. These characters ... in one way or another, I have been creating them since I was about ten years old. This specific incarnation of the characters -- and my concepts of what "super-heroes" could do in the real world -- owes a lot to Bob Schroeck's International Supers Teams (which I'm sure he'll tell you about if you ask him) and to the Experts of Justice. Specifically, each of the characters can be "explained" as follows:
Kent Masefield: Kent's initial concept is derived (a) from pulp fiction -- specifically, from the Shadow and Doc Savage -- and the "child of the pulps", comic books, (b) from various concepts of the "hero who always comes back", including, but not limited to, the Eternal Champion stories, (c) godlike mentalists, including Kimball Kinnison, Mark Remillard, and Sakaruzuka Seishirou (in particular, the scenes where he removes his glasses are pointers to the Sakurazukamori), and (d) a fairly late addition to his design, Himura Kenshin, the eponymous hero of Rurouni Kenshin.
Patricia DelaFontaine: Patricia's design could be said to be a mating of Ayanami Rei -- "the heroine as victim of her capabilities" -- and Takaya Noriko -- "the heroine as victim of her accomplishments". Her battlesuit is derived from the Guyver units and the Evangelions, of course, but also partially from the Incredible Hulk and the almost forgotten Ultraverse hero "Prime". The name DelaFontaine is taken from the Marvel Universe character known as "the Contessa" -- Nick Fury of SHIELD's long-time romantic interest. I have whole swaths of back story about how these Italians wound up with Celtic first names ...
Andrew DelaFontaine: The character to whom I feel most ambivalent -- he's derived from Ikari Gendou -- and shares his voice actor -- and from Ota Koichirou, Gunbuster's "Coach" (who is Gendou's long-lost fraternal twin brother, IMHO) -- but also from the "lone ex-military vigilante" character, typified by Mack Bolan and Frank Castle. (This comes out most clearly in the scene where he shoots Tarou, of course). But I've just now realized that he owes something to Montgomery Scott, as well.
Alistair McGovern: The meddling time traveller has a lot in common with the characters of Spider Robinson's Mike Callahan -- which is to be expected, since he's from the same place that Mike and Sally are from -- and Star Trek's Gary Seven. The "companion to heroes" element is largely Moorcockian ... his relationship with Niniane is yet another example of my obsession with alchemical relationships. McGovern is of the far future and of science. Niniane is of the distant past and of magic.
Niniane: Niniane is derived from Arthurian myth, but is given something of a Cassandra treatment here. I suspect this is derived from Mary Stewart, particularly "The Wicked Day". (Paraphrase of a conversation with Mordred. "You're going to betray Arthur." "I don't want to, so I won't." "It doesn't matter. You're going to betray Arthur." "Then stop me." "I can't.")
Jessica: Originally called "The Jester" in the first stories of Kent and company, her character concept is derived from most of the same sources that Kent's is, only the darker, grimmer, and evil parts of them. She is Kent's Joker and his Morgan Le Fay ... and also the various enemies of Kenshin who seem only to exist to remind him that he is still, despite his efforts, the Hitokiri Battousai. In case anyone is curious, her mother was Hugh "Bulldog" Drummond's bastard daughter, which may also be indicative of where she gets her tendency towards psychopathy.
Aethan: My vampyre alter-ego. I created him a while ago to tell stories on alt.vampyres ... it's been a while since I've been there.
Michael Gideon: The doomed. He's based, in part, on a friend of whom I've lost track. If anyone knows where Trey G. Byerly could be found, let him know about this, please.
It's disclaimer time:
Sailor Moon was created by Naoko Takeuchi and brought to North America by DIC. Ranma 1/2 was created by Rumiko Takeuchi and brought to North America by Viz Commnunications. Tenchi Muyou was created by and Masaki Kajishima, and was brought to North America by Pioneer LDC. Kimagure Orange Road was created by Matsumoto Izumi and brought to North America by AnimEigo and AD Vision (who are nipping at Bob Woodhead's heels elsewhere, too). Oh My Goddess and You're Under Arrest were created by Fujishima Kosuke and brought to North America by AnimEigo and Dark Horse Comics. Mamono Hunter Yohko was created by Miyao Gaku and brought to North America by AD Vision. Fushigi Yuugi was created by Yuu Watase. Gojiira was created by Shigeru Kayama. This story, while incorporating elements of films and magazines held under copyrights by others, is copyright 1998 of Chris Davies.
Nobody sue me okay?
Together Again: 1996 Chapter, 06/01/98