INTERLUDE Establishing Shot: Night. The edge of a futon. The camera slowly moves upward. SHEILA (O.S.) ... and then, after they've all been blown up ... we're running low on fuel, and, when you get right down to it, there's nowhere left for us to go, anyway. BEAT Over the comm, I hear her mutter, "And so it all ends." Then static. She's either decided to cut out on me and run into the lava, or she took too many hits, or ... anyway, I don't know how I should feel. I hold the broken medal close ... and then ... The camera has moved up enough to show two pairs of bare feet and ankles on the futon. Over the next bit, it moves up to show two female bodies covered by a blanket and sheets. PRISS (O.S.) And then what? SHEILA (O.S.) And then I see it. BEAT All of it. All the wonder, all the horror, everything that's going to happen ... I see it all stretching out before me. Like an endless stream of images. And I really wish that she was still there, so I could say "No ... it's all just beginning." BEAT Because it is. By now, we can see the faces -- it is PRISS and SHEILA -- and their bare shoulders. SHEILA pauses for a long moment, looking up at the ceiling, while PRISS looks at her. SHEILA turns to meet her gaze ... then smiles mischievously. SHEILA So, do you ever dream about past lives? PRISS THINKS Yeahhhh ... when I was just out of the orphanage, I dreamed about something not too different. BEAT I'm walking out of this cave, feeling depressed and resigned to something ... and I'm about to climb up into the ship, when I hear someone ask me what I'm doing. And I turn around, and there's this gorgeous woman with long, black hair who's -- YOW! SHEILA is glowering at PRISS. PRISS You've got *really* cold feet ... BEAT Anyway, we have this short conversation: I'm going up to fight; she's staying. And then we're just staring at each other, and I'm thinking, `I'd like to kiss her. I'd *really* like to kiss her. But that would be dumb, so I won't.' And then I say something weird: "We'll meet again." And she's like, what? "Since time is a cycle ... sooner or later ... this'll all happen again." `And we'll be together again, then', I think. Long pause. SHEILA And you leave? PRISS Yep. SHEILA Good. PRISS glowers at SHEILA, who smiles unapologetically. PRISS yanks the pillow that their heads are resting on out from under SHEILA's head. SHEILA fumes for a moment, before she starts to tickle PRISS, leading to a brief tickle war that leaves both of them laughing -- healthy, vibrant, soul-restoring laughter. PRISS Crazy dreams, huh? SHEILA I don't know ... the Senshi know, or think that they know, that they've lived before, thousands of years ago. Why not us? PRISS SHRUGS It's the problem I've always had with karma ... I don't wanna think that I'm doomed to keep doing the same stuff over and over until I get it right. SHEILA Even ... BEAT Even the good things? PRISS Well, yeah. I mean, you can have too much of a good thing, not that I've ever -- SHEILA SMILING SEXILY Oh, reeealllly? She starts to kiss PRISS' shoulder, moving slowly to her collarbone, up her neck, onto her cheek, and just as she's about to kiss her on the lips -- there is the sound of a phone ringing. SHEILA's face twists in an almost comic expression of rage, and she reaches out to snatch up the cellular on the phone. PRISS seems unsurprised by the interruption. SHEILA People In The Process of Really Enjoying Themselves, please leave a message at the tone. FAKE MOAN MERCURY (TEL) Very cute, Sheila. SHEILA gasps a bit, and rolls into a sitting position, hogging the bedsheets as she does so. PRISS lets out a squawk. SHEILA Amy? What's happening? MERCURY (TEL) There's a hostage situation in progress, and we need all the Palladins to gather at the Temple of Serenity -- SHEILA Whoa, back up. Why would the Palladins be needed to deal with a hos-- MERCURY (TEL) Serenity is the hostage. SHEILA is stunned silent for a very long moment. PRISS rests her head on SHEILA's right shoulder (the phone is at her left ear), and looks at her confusedly. SHEILA I'm on my way. I'll bring Priss. MERCURY (TEL) Oh good, she's with you. BEAT Oh my. You mean -- SHEILA raises her right hand to rub the back of her head, but PRISS' head is in the way. SHEILA lets her hand drop. SHEILA Uh, right, we'll be there real soon, bye! MERCURY (TEL) Shei-- SHEILA turns the phone off, and turns to look at PRISS. SHEILA Serenity has been kidnapped somehow, and Lady Mercury wants all the Palladins to gather -- PRISS Serenity? As in, the Queen? SHEILA nods with a stunned expression. PRISS Boy, whoever's in charge of the Secret Service is gonna be up against the wall after this ... PRISS gets out of bed, and offscreen starts to pull on her underclothes. SHEILA I hope not ... Mom's got enough problems. PRISS is attaching her bra. PRISS Oh yeah ... your mom is her chief bodyguard. SHEILA has begun to pull on her knee-length boots. SHEILA Well, that and the head of all civilian intelligence operations and the international police organization. PRISS buttons up her blouse. PRISS Seriously? SHEILA is adjusting her belt. SHEILA Yep. BEAT Made my late teenage years interesting ... I was always wondering whether she sent people to spy on my dates or -- PRISS STANDS UP Look, I gotta know -- is she gonna try to do something about this? SHEILA Not ... consciously. BEAT She's always said that she won't interfere in my life, even if she thinks I'm making a mistake, unless she thinks I'm going to get hurt, as in injured or killed. But ... she could try to make life difficult for you. PRISS When you say the word `difficult', what *exactly* do you mean? Are we talking assassination -- SHEILA Priss! PRISS I just wanna know what the odds are! SHEILA *You* wanna know the odds? BEAT Okay, here's the way it's set up -- on the one hand, we have my mother, a figure of superhuman power and influence, who has to obey the laws in both their word and spirit in her dealings with you. On the other hand there's you, the picture of normal humanity with no influence, but you have one great advantage that my mom doesn't -- I'm in love with you. BEAT I think it's a level playing field, don't you? PRISS doesn't look as certain as SHEILA sounds. An Inevitable Outcome Feature Written and Directed by C. Richard Davies TOGETHER AGAIN 2937 Chapter Based on the works of Naoko Takeuchi, Rumiko Takahashi, Suzuki Toshimichi, Haruka Takachiho, Hiroki Hayashi, Yuuki Masami, and various interpretations thereof. Dedicated to Gryphon, MegaZone, and ReRob. ACT V CAPTION SEVERAL HOURS EARLIER Establishing shot: The frigid red deserts of Mars, under an orange sky that is filled with black clouds. In the distance is an irregular formation of rocks, towards which, every few seconds, a bolt of black lightning shoots. We close in on a trio of figures running towards the rock formation -- RAYE, SHAMPOO, and RANMA. RANMA So what's going to happen if she *has* managed to call Ucchan's spirit back? RAYE Nothing good. The Black Crystal will grant any wish, but twist the wisher's intent so as to produce a horrific effect. RANMA For instance? RAYE is silent for a long moment. RAYE The first known user of the thing used it to try and find the greatest power in the universe. RANMA And? RAYE He died saving the life of a girl he'd come to love, to whom the crystal had led him. RANMA BLINKS *Love* is the greatest power in the universe? SHAMPOO How you can doubt this, husband? RANMA ignores her. RANMA That's so corny! BEAT So what's going to happen -- RAYE There is no way of knowing, beyond saying that the more innocent the wish, the more horribly it will be corrupted. At that moment, a hideous scream echoes across the landscape. RANMA blanches. RANMA Gennosuke! He dashes off, easily outpacing RAYE, who from her expression is running full out. She trades exasperated looks with SHAMPOO. SHAMPOO Be careful what you wish for ... Cut to a barren rock wall, just before GENNOSUKE is flung at it, making a crunching noise as she hits. GENNOSUKE slumps to the ground, looking upwards in fear and confusion. GENNOSUKE Mommy ... mommy, don't ... Each of the following sentences is punctuated by a tiny "spatula shuriken" being flung at GENNOSUKE's cowering form. Each misses by only a few inches. UKYOU (O.S.) You know, you should stop calling me that. SPAT After all, I'm *not* your mother. SPAT And you're definitely *not* my daughter. SPAT *My* daughter would *never* be a loathsome, bloodsucking monster like you. SPAT So I think you'll thank me, in a way, for relieving you of the burden of your worthless life. We see the spatula in a woman's hand. In slow motion, we see it flung at GENNOSUKE, slowly spinning towards her head. GENNOSUKE closes her eyes ... and a tiny rock, thrown from above, deflects the spat so that it only slices open a small cut on her cheek. Our point of view angles upward, and we can see RANMA looking down with a troubled expression. The view rotates to his POV ... and we see UKYOU KUONJI. She is exactly the same as she was in the Twentieth century, and staring up at RANMA with a joyous expression. UKYOU BUBBLY RANCHAN! I knew it, I knew you weren't dead! I knew that you didn't die in that stupid tournament on Earth, I knew it! RANMA U-- BEAT Ukyou. UKYOU I knew all along that you'd come back to me and to your daughter -- GENNOSUKE (O.S.) WHIMPER Mommy ... UKYOU's face becomes a hideous mask of hatred. UKYOU Shut up you little whatever-you-are! She goes back to being cute and sweet. UKYOU -- and she's such a pretty baby! You'll love her, I know ... RANMA Ukyou. UKYOU Yes, Ranchan? BEAT Why aren't you calling me Ucchan? RANMA Ukyou ... that girl is our daughter. UKYOU BLINKS No she's not. RANMA Yes, she is. UKYOU SMILES Ranchan, our daughter is only a month or so old! And what would any daughter of ours be doing being a SAVAGE filthy depraved vampire monster?! RANMA Ukyou, you have to understand ... it's been nearly nine hundred years since -- SHAMPOO (O.S.) -- since you went to whatever hell you belonged in. UKYOU slowly turns to see SHAMPOO, a bonbori in each hand, standing a few yards away. SHAMPOO's face is rigid. UKYOU's expression grows darker and darker as the seconds pass. UKYOU You *told* him, didn't you? SHAMPOO does not reply. UKYOU turns to look up at RANMA, appearing angry and hurt. UKYOU She told you! Didn't she?! RANMA She ... she said some things, but -- UKYOU whirls to look back at SHAMPOO. UKYOU How dare you tell him?! I told you that in confidence! SHAMPOO Confidence? UKYOU Of course! The only reason I told you was that I was *confident* that you'd never tell anyone else. After all, who'd believe it coming from *you*? BEAT Especially since you wanted to do it as much as I did. SHAMPOO's eyes narrow. SHAMPOO So you admit it. UKYOU To you? Of *course*. SHAMPOO Ranma can hear you, you know. UKYOU Oh, but I'm not talking to Ranchan right now, am I? SHAMPOO looks confused for a few moments by this statement ... then a look of sudden, horrid understanding blossoms on her face, and she assumes a combat stance. SHAMPOO Ranma, get your daughter out of here right now! UKYOU produces her huge battle spatula from nowhere, and holds it in a ready stance. She pauses to smile up at RANMA. UKYOU Ranchan, maybe you should get out of the way ... somebody definitely has to teach this Amazon bimbo a lesson, and it could get messy ... and you've had enough of that sort of thing, right? BEAT So *I'll* be the one to hand this filthy Chinese whore her head ... UKYOU's expression grows steadily more malevolent during her final statement, until she no longer looks quite *human* at the end. RANMA stares at her in outright horror. She smiles again, and turns to face SHAMPOO. The edge of her spatula ignites in a black flame. RANMA leaps down to the floor, picks up GENNOSUKE, and leaps up again, just as UKYOU charges towards SHAMPOO. We see SHAMPOO from UKYOU's point-of-view, rapidly moving towards her. She is holding her bonbori vertically at shoulder length distance. SHAMPOO [APOCALYPSE STRIKE OF THE HELL THAT IS BEST LEFT UNDESCRIBED]!!! She smashes the heads of the bonbori together. As RANMA clears the mouth of the crevice, a *huge* burst of flame surges up. RANMA slides down the rock facing, holding GENNOSUKE (who is completely terrified) in his arms. He lands on a ledge a few seconds later, and looks up to see that the flame is still burning. RANMA Damn ... RAYE is standing against the wall, looking up with an annoyed expression. RAYE This could get very ugly. RANMA turns at the sound of her voice, and GENNOSUKE sees her and lets out a brief shriek of panic. RAYE DISGUSTED Oh, cut that out. GENNOSUKE You're going to kill me! RAYE Don't be an idiot, girl, I'm -- GENNOSUKE I'm a vampyre, Senshi, I know what you do to my kind! RAYE's expression grows troubled, and we close in on her eye. MUSIC VIDEO FLASHBACK #2 We see several images as the third verse of Dire Strait's "Brothers in Arms" play. We see a young man with blonde-brown hair and shiny green eyes (AETHAN DEGALES) smiling at the camera. SONG Through these fields of destruction We see a trenchcoated AETHAN being knocked down in an airport by Serena. SONG Baptisms of fire We see AETHAN talking to Mina while seated on a porch swing, when suddenly an ofuda is thrown at him, striking him between the eyebrows. He stands, pulling the ofuda off to reveal a very angry expression, and mouths the words "Do you *mind*?" at the camera. SONG I've witnessed all your suffering We see AETHAN in very bad shape, bleeding from several wounds, slumped on the ground, holding the limp, broken body of a young man dressed in t-shirt and jeans -- and sobbing. SONG As the battle raged higher We see AETHAN battling through hordes of stereotypical devils -- tiny red men with horns and hooves -- with a blazing katana. His face is expressionless, but there is a strange light in his eyes. SONG But though they did hurt me so bad, In the fear and alarm, A devil is clawing at the camera's POV, laughing maniacally. SONG You did not desert me, My brother in arms AETHAN's gloved hand reaches out, grabs the devil by the head, twists it 360 degrees, and tosses the body over his shoulder. His expression does not change as he does so. He looks down at the camera's POV, and mouths the words, "You owe me." Cut to a shot of an enormous funeral pyre igniting spontaneously, with AETHAN standing before it with head bowed. He lifts his head, and turns to look at the camera. AETHAN Well? BEAT What are you waiting for? BEAT I assure you that you'll never get a better chance than this. BEAT 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. There is a long pause, and then AETHAN turns to the camera full on, his face furious, his fangs definitely in evidence. AETHAN "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! BEAT; UTTER FURY COME ON! DO IT! *KILL ME AND BE DONE*, RAYE HINO! Flames fill the image. END MUSIC VIDEO FLASHBACK #2 RAYE shakes her head, and then looks at GENNOSUKE with a stern but sad expression. RAYE No. We don't judge people for the things that they *are*, only for the things that they've *done*. BEAT And nothing you've done so far calls for the death penalty, girl. BEAT Not even the utterly *stupid* act of using the Dark Crystal! GENNOSUKE flinches. RAYE Didn't you realize that it wouldn't call your mother back? Just a demon to wear her form? RANMA STARTLED Hold it! That's not really Ucchan? RAYE It is and it isn't. BEAT Amy's *so* much better at this sort of thing ... it's a demon that borrows a bit of your Ukyou's spirit, and uses that to shape its form based on the memories and expectations -- both conscious and otherwise -- that you had of her. In a sense, it acts according to your conceptions of what Ukyou was like. RANMA blinks, and then looks at GENNOSUKE ... who does her best to avoid meeting his gaze. RANMA But then ... RAYE What? RANMA SHAKES HEAD Nothing. BEAT So what do we do now? RAYE We wait. And we pray that Shampoo lives up to her reputation. RANMA Shouldn't we -- RAYE No. That's the other side of this sort of demon. It ... reflects the powers of whoever fights it. BEAT No, reflect isn't the right word. More like imitates. Once something has been used against it -- RANMA So it's got all Shampoo's techniques now? RAYE All that she's used. But if you or I were to go in there, its powers would increase to include ours. BEAT I think that would fit the definition of "bad", right? RANMA nods, but he's clearly not happy. RANMA I hate waiting. RAYE INTONED Patience, grasshopper. RANMA GLARES You've been waiting nine hundred years for an excuse to use that line, haven't you? RAYE nods smugly. Cut to a shot of the Crystal Palace, just before dawn. Cut to a large chamber inside the palace, with a couch and an entertainment system, along with table and chairs. TENCHI, WASHUU, and TSUNAMI are seated on the couch, while RYOUKO is hovering beside the door leading outwards. The door opens, and everyone looks up to see AYEKA leading a fatigued looking ENDYMION in to the room. TENCHI gets up to greet him. ENDYMION Your Imperial Majesty. TENCHI Your Highness. BEAT It's true, then? ENDYMION NODS She was abducted a few minutes before midnight. RYOUKO How'd this happen? ENDYMION Apparently, the kidnapper threatened to detonate a small nuclear weapon if Serenity didn't go -- RYOUKO Wait a minute. How'd he even get *in* through the security around this place? ENDYMION Ms. Fujiko is generally acknowledged as the second greatest thief who's ever lived. RYOUKO Huh. Well, that's different. TENCHI In any event, if there's any way that we can be of assistance in this matter -- ENDYMION NODS There is. Approximately twenty-four hours ago, Lady Mars was given the assignment of pursuing a criminal to Mars. TENCHI I'm aware of that. ENDYMION There hasn't been any word from her since her arrival, about eight hours ago. BEAT In the event of the Queen's incapacitation, control of the Realm's forces descends to Lady Jupiter -- who is, unfortunately, on a temporary suspension -- and then to Lady Mars. AYEKA Out of curiosity, Prince Endymion, where are *you* in the chain of command? ENDYMION SHAKES HEAD I'm not. BEAT I have absolutely no authority whatsoever, Lady Ayeka. That's the way I wanted it when we made plans for our system. AYEKA Why? ENDYMION When Darien and Serena were younger, he was always the one who arrived at the last moment to give her victory. BEAT It made him feel needed, but it caused problems in their home life ... because he didn't realize that she *allowed* him to be her savior of the last moment; that she was quite capable of dispatching the monsters without being told, "Now, Sailor Moon!" BEAT Did you know that they almost broke up, less than a year after their marriage, because of that? Fortunately ... ENDYMION pauses, then smiles sadly, with remembered warmth. ENDYMION Fortunately, a couple, older and *somewhat* wiser than they, helped them back together. It took time and counseling, but gradually he came to accept that Serena loved him even though she didn't *need* him. BEAT In any event, when we began to make plans for the division of power in Crystal Tokyo, I made very certain that I was given no special office, so that my ego wouldn't become fixated on the idea that Serenity *needed* me to do this task or that job. Because she doesn't -- I am quite convinced that the only reason she doesn't run the whole show by herself is that she wants to give her Senshi something to do. As for myself, I have only one duty -- love her. Just love her. That's all. There is a long silence in the room. TENCHI almost, but not quite, looks over his shoulder at his wives. TENCHI I see. Yes, I can definitely see your point. ENDYMION WRY SMILE I thought you might. BEAT In any event, I'm not in the chain of command ... however, with Mars gone, Jupiter on her suspension, and Venus ... absent, command over our forces descends to Mercury, and she's never been comfortable taking command of anything. BEAT What I came to ask was whether or not you would be willing to use the starship you brought here to travel to Mars and assist Lady Mars in returning home, swifter than we can? TENCHI winces. TENCHI Unfortunately, as a gesture of good faith when the call for the referendum came, we had the Throneship power down and land in Alaska. It'll take several hours to get it space ready, and you could have a regular ship on Mars by then. TSUNAMI and WASHUU exchange a look, as do AYEKA and RYOUKO. Neither TENCHI nor ENDYMION notice. TENCHI I'm sorry, your Highness ... if we had another ship, I would be glad to personally -- TSUNAMI Excuse me. TENCHI turns to look at TSUNAMI, who is looking down and rotating her index fingers around a central point. TENCHI Yes, Tsunami? TSUNAMI Ummmmm. There ... well ... TENCHI Tsunami? TSUNAMI looks up, turns to look at WASHUU ... who is also looking down and rotating her fingers. WASHUU We ... sort of ... TSUNAMI There *IS* another ship available. TENCHI BLINKS There is? TSUNAMI NODS Us. TENCHI Tsunami, I appreciate the offer, but aren't You currently holding orbit near Pluto? It would -- TSUNAMI No, We're not. There is a long silence. TENCHI VERY CALM Where are You? TSUNAMI We are currently maintaining geosynchronous orbit over Hokkaido, cloaked and generating a Minovski field to prevent the rather large fleet assembling over Crystal Tokyo from detecting Us. There have been several incidents of near collisions between Us and Space Force vessels, but they have as yet not discovered Our presence. TENCHI DEEP BREATH *Why* are you orbiting Earth? TSUNAMI We decided to ensure that you would have a means of leaving the planet swiftly in the event that the vote turned against the Jurai-Earth alliance, and hostility broke out. TENCHI *You* decided this by *Yourselves*? TSUNAMI No. BEAT It was suggested to Us. TENCHI slowly turns to look at WASHUU, who is still rotating her fingers. Her rotation slows down, and finally stops, just as she looks up with an embarrassed expression. WASHUU Oops. TENCHI RUBBING HEAD Please explain ... WASHUU I knew that you'd do something like make that good faith gesture, so I decided to make sure that your gesture didn't backfire on -- TENCHI SNAPS Washuu, you DO understand the concept of a "gesture of good faith", right? I had the Throneship grounded because it's the second most powerful starship in known space, and I didn't want the Terrans to have to make their choice with it hovering over their heads. And now, I find out that *the* most powerful starship has been ... BEAT How could you *do* something so -- WASHUU Stupid? BEAT I was blinded by love. It's happened before, and it will probably happen again. That's life. TENCHI stares at her for a few seconds, before he turns away, rubbing the side of his head. TENCHI I cannot afford to get angry right now, because if I get as angry as I want to be over this, I won't be able to think clearly, and I need to be able to think clearly. BEAT But when this is over ... WASHUU sighs, and nods once. TENCHI Tsunami, are You ready to set course for Mars? TSUNAMI's eyes are distant. TSUNAMI There is a problem. TENCHI What's the matter? TSUNAMI We have just become aware that the fleet is using gravitic distortion sensors. If We change Our orbit, they will certainly become aware of Our presence. TENCHI In other words, you're stuck where you are. TSUNAMI No, those are very good words -- TENCHI *Great.* Please keep up your cloak, and do whatever you can to minimize the chances of discovery. Prince Endymion, I apologize for these developments, but I hope that you will -- ENDYMION I realize that your wives were only acting to protect what they saw as your best interests, Your Majesty. You have my assurances that I won't reveal a word of this, except to my wife, if she asks. TENCHI Thank you. I'm sorry that you got dragged into our little domestic dispute when you came asking for help, and that we couldn't give -- AYEKA Wait, what about Ryo-oh-ki? TENCHI slowly turns to look at her. TENCHI Ayeka, did you know about this too? AYEKA lowers her head and begins to rotate her index fingers around a central point. TENCHI SIGH Is there some sign on my back that says, "Don't tell me about it"? BEAT Where is Ryo-oh-ki? TSUNAMI We had her wait for Us on the far side of the Moon. Presumably, she's still there, probably poking around the craters. TENCHI All right. Ryouko, if you could go up to Ryo-oh-ki and head over to Mars -- RYOUKO Yeah ... that'd work. It'll take a few hours, plus however long it takes to get authorization. AYEKA touches her hairpiece. AYEKA Embassy, please file a flight plan for a Moon-bound vessel. Size: humanoid. Classification ... BEAT occasionally non-belligerent. RYOUKO gives AYEKA the hairy eyeball. AYEKA Full diplomatic authorizations, of course. PAUSE, LISTENS Good. TO RYOUKO They want you to avoid the fleet build up over Crystal Tokyo, but you're cleared for immediate departure. RYOUKO Right, thanks. BEAT Full diplomatic authorization, huh? SMILES WICKEDLY AYEKA WEARY Please *try* to avoid embarrassing Jurai ... RYOUKO is obviously ignoring her, as she walks over to stand before TENCHI. She peers over his shoulder at WASHUU, who has a downcast expression. RYOUKO Hey, "Mom"? Could you turn around for a second? WASHUU SIGH Daughter, I've told you that I don't mind you expressing your feelings for Tenchi several times. RYOUKO Great. I *do* mind you *watching* me when I do. Turn around. WASHUU rolls her eyes, and turns her back on them. RYOUKO slowly presses her lips to TENCHI's, then pulls back, smiling gently. RYOUKO Just in case ... She turns to walk out the door, and notices that AYEKA is staring at her with mixed disapproval and envy on her face. RYOUKO You owe me that one, after a certain ... conversation. BEAT Or lack thereof. AYEKA blushes beet red for a moment. RYOUKO heads out the door, pausing to wave as she exits. TENCHI stares at AYEKA for a moment, then smiles suddenly. Cut to Earth orbit. Several large spaceships are maintaining their positions over a cluster of lights on the planet that resembles the pentagram of Crystal Tokyo. In between the ships, Mobile Suits -- large, humanoid mecha of various designs -- dart swiftly about, or hold positions of their own. Our view closes on a single stationary Mobile Suit. It is noteworthy not for its armament (a large rifle in its right hand and a large shield mounted on its left arm) but for its exclusively gray color and for a large red gem mounted in the center of the torso. (For those curious and knowledgeable, aside from its coloration and accessory, this mecha resembles the Mark II Gundam almost exactly). Inside the cockpit, the pilot -- a young seeming female whose turquoise hair extends out of her helmet -- is looking rather bored. Suddenly, one of the sensors in the cockpit begins to beep, and the pilot looks up at her main screen ... and her jaw drops, for it is showing RYOUKO, standing placidly in the void of space, apparently examining the Mobile Suit. Finally, RYOUKO mouths the word "cute", and zooms upwards off the screen. NAGISA BLINKS I didn't see that ... Cut to Mars. RAYE and RANMA are still standing on the ledge with their backs to the wall, listening to the sounds of the fight. GENNOSUKE is now standing, although she still looks beaten up. RANMA It's been about an hour, hasn't it? RAYE About that long, maybe longer. BEAT What's with the face, Saotome? You almost look upset at the thought of Shampoo fighting an opponent that can match anything she can try. RANMA Hey! I don't like her, but I don't wanna see her -- RAYE Could've fooled me. RANMA STUNG Looks like I did. BEAT I want her to live, and suffer. RAYE reacts as though she's been slapped. RAYE ANGRY Of *course* she's suffering, she's in love with *you*. RANMA Oh yeah? RAYE Yeah! And every woman who's loved you has suffered in one way or another! RANMA clenches a fist, and his battle aura starts to glow. RAYE's eyes narrow. GENNOSUKE looks nervously at them. RAYE That's why we're all *here*, isn't it? GENNOSUKE Uh ... father? RANMA Oh yeah? Well I've heard a few things about your love life, too, *Lady*! RAYE What -- RANMA You think stories don't get told about poor Lady Mars and her tragic doomed love for her Queen? RAYE Don't you *dare* drag her into this. GENNOSUKE Excuse me ... RANMA Oh, I've heard 'em all. "Waah, I love her but we've never done anything --" SNORT "-- and now I'm going to lose her forever." But you never do, do ya? You talk about losing your loves -- Lady, as far as I'm concerned, you've never known *any* real loss. RAYE You *bastard*. GENNOSUKE Hey! RANMA & RAYE (sim) FURIOUS WHAT?! GENNOSUKE Listen to the fight. They pause, and realize that there is no noise coming from the fight. There is a brief role of thunder. RAYE scrambles up the wall, followed a second later. GENNOSUKE watches them go ... and starts to inch away. RAYE and RANMA peer over the edge, and see that UKYOU -- who is now radiating Dark Power -- is holding SHAMPOO a foot off the ground, with her left hand tightly grasping her throat, while ramming the handle of her battle spatula into her lower chest, causing her to jerk in pain. RANMA looks like he's about to call out, but RAYE violently gestures for him to keep quiet. UKYOU laughs shortly, and tosses SHAMPOO aside. SHAMPOO starts to pull herself to her feet, coughing up blood. UKYOU You really are too dumb to quit, aren't you, bitch? SHAMPOO is on her feet, but unsteady. SHAMPOO When I'm fighting ... for something as important as this ... I guess I am ... UKYOU As important as *what*? Even if you defeat me, it won't prove anything. Ranchan will still hate you like poison. You're *never* going to win his heart. SHAMPOO I know ... UKYOU Then you really are an idiot to keep fighting like this. Just lie down and die, like a good little moron. SHAMPOO So a monster like you can go on? Never. UKYOU SNORTS So now, after plotting and scheming and the occasional indirect murder, you hope to redeem your soul by battling demons? In a flash, she is standing in front of SHAMPOO, and with a swing of her spat, knocks her face first into the crevice wall. UKYOU It makes no difference. Your soul is black like the night, and you're going straight to Hell when you die. THERE IS NO HOPE. SHAMPOO is still against the wall for a long moment. SHAMPOO MUFFLED No hope? UKYOU None. SHAMPOO slowly pushes herself out of the small impression that she's made in the crevice wall, and stands very still, her head bowed, and her back to our view. Slowly she lifts her head. SHAMPOO Then there's no point in holding back, is there? UKYOU is startled, but before she can react, SHAMPOO spins around. Her eyes have become catslits, and she opens her mouth to reveal several broken teeth -- and to let out a low, cat-like growl. Holding her hands over her face, her fingernails grow over an inch in length, becoming long claws. Her face a picture of savagery, she leaps towards UKYOU, roaring like a lioness. We cut to the horrified faces of RANMA and RAYE as the sounds of violence begin again -- including the sound of tearing flesh. RANMA The Neko-Ken?! RAYE This is bad. RANMA Where the hell did she learn the Cat-Fist? RAYE Saotome, now is not the time. This is *very* bad. RANMA What's so bad about it? She's killing the demon, right? RAYE Gods, it's a miracle you survived a century. When she destroys the demon's physical form, its essence will naturally seek a new vessel. And demons -- RANMA -- have a preference for vessels which already aren't in control of themselves. BEAT Like she's not. BEAT This is bad. What do we do? RAYE There's not a hell of a lot that we *can* do, unless you'd care to try and coax her out of the Cat-Fist, which will allow the demon to regenerate and kill us all. RANMA Which it's going to do anyway if it takes hold of Shampoo in Cat Fist mode. The only thing that would stop it would be *me* in that state, and I still can't turn that on and off at will ... RAYE closes her eyes, and concentrates for a second. RAYE There might be one way. RANMA What is it? RAYE In the first few seconds of the demonic possession, its binding is usually fairly loose. If I could do a sufficiently powerful exorcism on it -- RANMA It'd go back where it came from? RAYE opens her eyes, and they're troubled. RAYE Maybe even destroy it utterly. BEAT There's just one problem. By myself, I don't have enough power to do the job. RANMA Then why the hell'd you bring it -- RAYE Emphasis on "by myself", Saotome. BEAT I'd need one of the other Senshi ... or someone of comparable power. BEAT I'd need your fire. RANMA stares at her silently for a moment. RANMA You'll need to do a link? RAYE Yes. BEAT A deep link. We would ... know each other as well as we know ourselves. RANMA NODS Right. Do it. He closes his eyes. RAYE stares at him with her misgivings written all over her face, then slowly reaches out to press her finger tips to his forehead. Cut to black. RANMA floats in the blackness. Suddenly, a speck of light appears in the distance, and rapidly expands to fill everything with the image of the Temple that RAYE grew up in. RANMA is suddenly in black and white, contrasting with the vivid colours of the image. He hears voices, but can't make out what they're saying. He turns to see a tall man in a three-piece suit and black sunglasses speaking to a much smaller, wrinkled man in the robes of a Shinto priest (RAYE'S GRANDFATHER). Finally, the tall man nods, and turns to walk away. Suddenly, there is the sound of slapping sandals, as a much younger RAYE (perhaps five or six) comes running up, her mouth forming the word "Daddy" over and over again. RAYE'S GRANDFATHER catches her, and holds her back, but she keeps calling for her Daddy ... who never looks back as he walks out of her life. RAYE floats in the blackness. Suddenly, a speck of light appears in the distance, and rapidly expands to fill everything with the image of a bit of Japanese countryside. RAYE is suddenly in black and white, contrasting with the vivid colours of the image. She hears something, and turns to look at a rather large man (GENMA) running and pulling a cart, on top of which a much younger RANMA (six years old) is sitting and waving at a much younger UKYOU (ditto), who is running some distance behind them, waving her arms and shouting. Quite suddenly, RAYE is seated beside young RANMA, and sees, in his eye, a small tear start to trickle down. He quickly wipes it away, and looks angry at himself for losing even that much self-control. The area around RANMA blurs, and he sees RAYE (now fourteen), sweeping the grounds of the temple. Quite suddenly, another girl (SERENA) comes running up to her and starts babbling. RAYE is startled by this. Then SERENA says something that rubs RAYE the wrong way, and she starts shouting at her. A strange, rapid thumping noise can be heard, but RANMA can't seem to identify the source. SERENA starts to back away, but then she says something that comes through loud and clear. SERENA I want to be your friend. She then heads away, followed by a black cat which casts a look back at RAYE. RAYE stares, confused, and then notices something on the ground ... a pen. As she picks it up, the thumping noise slows down. The area around RAYE blurs, depositing her in a room in the Tendou home, and she sees RANMA, in her female form, seated beside the prone form of TENDOU SOUUN, in between NABIKI and AKANE -- and RAYE reacts oddly to the sight of AKANE with long hair, touching her own hair. KASUMI kneeling at her father's head, says something that can't be made out. NABIKI reacts to this, yelling at her father. Her father's response provokes her to start prodding at RANMA's breasts -- which causes RANMA's face to flush in embarrassment and humiliation. RANMA turns to look at AKANE in response to something that she said, and sees that she's smiling at her. AKANE I'm Akane. Want to be friends? RANMA smiles, hesitantly, and there's a faint look of panic in her eyes. The area around RANMA twists, and he finds himself in a ruined city district, and he can hear the sounds of battle all around him. RANMA looks up, just as the body of a young woman with short-cropped blonde hair in a blue and yellow sailor fuku comes flying through his insubstantial form. RANMA turns to look at her with a horrified expression, and sees that she is quite definitely dead -- her upper chest is basically gone. RANMA looks away, and sees, in the distance, Sailor Moon with a trident sticking in her stomach. Sailor Mars is crawling towards her ... but Moon expires before she can touch her hand. For a moment, everything is still. Then Sailor Moon's body begins to swell, expanding as though some gas were filling it -- and then it explodes, leaving only tattered rags of flesh behind, as SERENITY is unleashed. Mars and RANMA stare at this with mixed horror and wonder. The area around RAYE twists, and she finds herself in what looks like a deserted airport terminal. RANMA walks irritatedly towards a row of phones, picks one up, and talks into it. He stares at it for a moment with a confused expression, and then his face goes white with sudden panic. He turns to look out the large picture window at a spaceplane on the other side ... just as it explodes in a huge fireball that shatters the window and roars towards him. As the blast front reaches him, knocking him back, there is only time for him to say one word. RANMA Akane -- Then he is knocked through a wall, and fire encompasses everything. RAYE floats in the fire, with a horrified expression. The area around RANMA twists, and he watches as Mars, still wearing her tattered fuku, stumbles into her home, looks up, and sees that a large crystal in the center of the living room has shattered. She sighs with relief ... and then she sees the tattered rags of flesh across the crystal's wreckage, and turns to see ENDYMION standing near the window. He turns to look at her with a smile on his face. Mars' eyes roll up into her skull, and she faints. The area around RAYE twists, and she finds herself watching RANMA erect the stone structure that will serve as UKYOU's tomb, and realizes that he's crying. Dozens of other moments of loss and pain for both of them flash across the screen ... but mixed in with them are a small handful of moments of joy and perfect beauty. Finally, the two of them stand before each other, all illusion stripped, and reach towards one another, slowly merging into a single being. RAYE's eyes jerk open, as do RANMA's. Silently, without an expression on her face, RAYE produces an ofuda, which she holds before her face, charging it with her fire, making it stand upright. Equally expressionless, RANMA reaches out to grasp the top of the ofuda, transferring his battle aura to it ... making the flames burn even more intensely. RAYE nods, rises, and looks down on the chasm. SHAMPOO is standing over the remains of UKYOU, and clearly fighting an inner struggle, which can be seen on her face. She looks up, and sees RAYE standing there, holding the blazing ofuda, and lets out a hideous, demonic howl. RAYE AKURYOU! TAISAN! She throws the ofuda at her. It slams into her forehead, and explodes in flames, knocking SHAMPOO back, but holding *something* -- some twisted, horned creature -- in its place. The creature writhes, shrieks, and ultimately disintegrates ... and the human remains do so as well. RAYE closes her eyes, and lets out a sigh of relief. UKYOU (O.S.) Excuse me, what's going on here? RAYE opens her eyes in disbelief, and stares down at the chasm floor. UKYOU, dressed in bleached white versions of her usual outfit, is standing where the creature was standing, looking around confusedly. SHAMPOO (O.S.) HOARSE Your basic battle against the forces of darkness -- namely you. UKYOU turns in the direction of SHAMPOO's voice, and lets out a startled gasp. UKYOU Shampoo? Damn, what happened to you? SHAMPOO slowly pulls herself to her feet ... and we see that her left arm seems to be broken, that she's bleeding from wounds all over her body ... and that her face is covered with wrinkles, and her hair has gone white. She looks like a woman in her mid-seventies. SHAMPOO Fortunes of war. BEAT Go back to whatever hell you came from, Kuonji Ukyou. UKYOU What?! What would I be doing in hell? BEAT The last thing I remember is fighting Cologne -- SHAMPOO What would you be doing in hell? Isn't that where murderers go? UKYOU I guess. But ... who'd I kill? SHAMPOO BEAT You had Akane killed! You admitted it -- UKYOU Oh, that. SHRUG I lied. There is a long silence. SHAMPOO You what? UKYOU I realized that you were upset that you thought I'd gotten to her before you could, so I decided to mess with your mind. It was pretty easy, actually. SHAMPOO But -- but -- you went after Cologne when you found out that she -- UKYOU Was that what that was about? Damn, I thought she'd found out that I'd joined Free Mars. SHAMPOO's face is wide with horror. SHAMPOO Then -- you -- didn't -- UKYOU Of course not. I thought *you* did, until you came in accusing me. BEAT I guess we'll never know ... oh, well, no great loss, anyway. BEAT Wait a minute, what *did* happen at the end of my fight with Cologne? I can't -- Above, RAYE, who looks almost ill, turns to look at RANMA, who is sitting and looking away from this spectacle. RAYE Saotome. She doesn't realize that she's dead. BEAT You're going to have to tell her. RANMA You do it. RAYE It has to be someone she'll believe. RANMA slowly gets up, and turns to look down at UKYOU, who is talking to herself, trying to remember what happened. RANMA Ukyou. UKYOU looks up startled, and a huge grin blossoms on her face. UKYOU BUBBLY RANCHAN! I knew it, I knew you weren't dead! I knew that you didn't die in that stupid tournament on Earth, I knew it! RANMA U-- BEAT Ukyou. UKYOU I knew all along that you'd come back to me and to your daughter -- RANMA Ucchan. BEAT Goodbye. UKYOU Goodbye? W-where are you going? RANMA Nowhere. But you're dead, Ucchan. UKYOU I'm dead? RANMA nods. UKYOU experimentally passes one of her hands through her arm. UKYOU Damn. UKYOU's ghost-body disintegrates instantly. SHAMPOO slowly slumps to the ground with a devastated expression. RAYE closes her eyes. RAYE It's over. Cut to the base of the stone monument. SHAMPOO is seated on a rock with her head in her hands and a blanket from the car wrapped around her. RANMA and RAYE meet a few yards behind her, coming from opposite directions. RAYE I've searched everywhere. Your daughter got clean away. RANMA I checked the tomb ... and Ukyou's actual grave hasn't been entered. BEAT So that body was a creation of the Dark Crystal -- RAYE Wherever it is. BEAT Dammit. If something went right on this mission, now, I'd be so thrilled I might just keel over. RAYE casts a look in SHAMPOO's direction. RAYE I'm going to go get the car started. With the disruption of the crystal gone, it should work. BEAT Do me a favor and talk with her, Saotome. RAYE walks away. RANMA turns to look at SHAMPOO, and slowly walks towards her, approaching her from the rear. SHAMPOO doesn't look up. SHAMPOO If you're going to kill me do it quickly. I deserve that much. RANMA just looks at her. SHAMPOO lifts her head, resting her chin on her knuckles and staring off towards the horizon. SHAMPOO She was right. BEAT Even after all that I'd realized, I was still jealous of Akane. And it's quite possible that if I'd been given a chance to eliminate her so that no one would know about it ... I'd have taken it. BEAT Even though I'd already given up on ever winning your heart. RANMA What? SHAMPOO It's true. When I learned that you had no intention of ever allowing yourself to be cured of your curse, I immediately stopped thinking of you like that. BEAT At most, I wanted your friendship ... RANMA Whoa. Whoa whoa whoa. What does my curse have to do with anything? SHAMPOO turns to RANMA, and smiles a very sweet, sad smile. SHAMPOO Picture it. Joketsuzoku, 1991. A young woman warrior seeks to prove herself in her tribe's annual martial arts competition, two years before she is supposed to be allowed in. Because of her family's prominence -- and despite the fact that her father is an outsider -- the Elders permit it. BEAT Her training and natural talent carry her to victory in every battle that she fights -- with one major exception. The last fight, in which she is tired from her exertions, against a red-haired warrior who has been adopted into the tribe under the name of Du Sho. Du Sho has been the village champion for three years running. The young girl loses to the champion. It is sad, but even to have competed against such a one is an honour. BEAT However, the victor of the final match is permitted to ask a boon of the family of the woman she has defeated. BEAT And Du Sho, who is a woman of ... unusual desires, wishes only one thing of the vanquished warrior's family -- the young woman herself. BEAT As a student, Du Sho says. BEAT To preserve the family honor, the young woman's grandmother acquiesces. RANMA Shampoo ... SHAMPOO Please do not interrupt. BEAT Every day, for a year, Du Sho trains the young woman in the arts. She learns much. BEAT And every night, for a year, Du Sho trains the young woman in ... other things. Horrible things. Every night, when it is done, Du Sho whispers in her "pupil's" ear, "No man shall ever love you." BEAT Perhaps Du Sho means that no man shall ever love her as much as Du Sho does, and perhaps Du Sho believes that what she feels for her pupil is love. Perhaps. BEAT And then the year has passed, and the time for the martial arts competition comes again. Once more, the young woman petitions to be allowed to compete, and once again her petition is accepted, and once again, she overcomes all those who fight her. BEAT And once again, she faces Du Sho on the log. And as she meets her teacher in the first exchange of blows, Du Sho whispers in the ear of her pupil, "Another year, my sweet?" SHAMPOO is silent. RANMA is staring at her in horror. SHAMPOO The next thing that the young woman remembers is looking at Du Sho's body as it is taken away for burial. BEAT It is a disgrace, of course. The competition is meant to hone the skills of the Joketsuzoku, not to eliminate one who is one of their finest fighters ... no matter how unusual her tastes. The young woman warriors "victory" is ruled invalid, and the championship is given to the fighter that she bested just before the fatal match. BEAT It is a disgrace, but it attracts the notice of the young woman's great-grand- mother ... who takes her under her wing, so that next year, she can win the championship. BEAT Unhappily for all, however ... but I think you know the rest of the story, because it is your own, as well. RANMA I ... I didn't know. SHAMPOO Would you have believed me if I told you, under any other circumstances, Ranma? BEAT Would you have even cared? RANMA Yes! My god, *nobody* deserves to have that happen to them! SHAMPOO Would it have made a difference? SHAMPOO slowly pulls herself to her feet, her joints creaking as she does so. RANMA moves as if to aid her, but she wards him off. SHAMPOO When I can no longer stand by myself will be my time to fall. BEAT And I tell you the story now ... because I want you to understand me, before the end comes. RANMA "The end"? What're you talking about? You're gonna be okay -- SHAMPOO I have lost my sense of the Tao, Saotome Ranma. Soon, the old age which has been denied shall come on me with a vengeance. In a few days, I shall be as my great-grandmother was. And then an old friend will come calling. RANMA TRYING TO JOKE Mousse? SHAMPOO No. BEAT All this is because I have learned that I have harbored for centuries a lie at my heart. BEAT Which leads me to my last request of you, Saotome Ranma. I do not wish for you to suffer this fate. So I ask you this: What, in the fullness of time, has Hibiki Ryouga truly done to you? Cut to RAYE driving the car up to the monument. She sees RANMA standing alone beside the rock. She stares for a moment, then steps out of the car. RAYE Where is she? RANMA She's gone. She said to tell you that she's resigning her commission, effective immediately. RAYE I see. Well. It's going to be hard to return this car without the one who rented it with us, isn't it? RANMA Raye -- RAYE No! You don't get to call me that! BEAT Stay the hell away from me, Saotome. Don't talk to me, don't look at me, and don't even think that you ... RAYE trails off as she notices a large shadow growing around them. Both she and RANMA look up to see Ryo-oh-ki descending from the sky. RYOUKO teleports a few feet above them. RYOUKO Hello, you two. How's tricks? RAYE Ryouko? What are *you* doing here? RYOUKO Tenchi and Endymion asked me nicely to come and pick you up from your mission if you were done. So here I am. RAYE SIGH Why'd they do that? RYOUKO Little matter of your queen being kidnapped. RAYE stares up at RYOUKO with a shocked and horrified expression. RAYE That's not fucking *funny*, Demon. RYOUKO SHRUGS Fine, don't believe me. RAYE You're *serious*?! RYOUKO Yep. RAYE HOW DID -- BEAT No. Just get me to Earth as fast as you can. RYOUKO and RAYE exchange an EXTREMELY unfriendly glare. RYOUKO All right ... She lands, and holds out her hands for RAYE and RANMA to take. A few seconds pass. RYOUKO Come on, I can't teleport you two without some sort of contact. RAYE reluctantly takes RYOUKO's left hand, while RANMA (who seems even more reluctant) takes her right hand. RYOUKO fixes him with a strange glare. RYOUKO HEAVY SCORN You still haven't gotten over that yet? RANMA Never mind my problems ... RYOUKO shakes her head, and teleports. Cut to the control center of Ryo-oh-ki, as RYOUKO, RANMA, and RAYE materialize. Ryo-oh-ki lets out a friendly "Myah!" which instantly sets RANMA on edge. RYOUKO sits down in her chair, and braces herself. RYOUKO Okay, I think I may have tripped a few Martian defense systems in my way in, so we don't have time to be gentle getting out. Ryo-oh-ki, anything coming our way? One of the floating crystals (which is inconveniently located right over RANMA's shoulder) develops into a crystal version of RYO-OH-KI's "cabbit" face. RYO-OH-KI NEGATIVE Myah. This spooks RANMA. RYOUKO So far, so good. Anyway, both of you should get down, 'cause I'm not gonna spare the thrusters getting us out of here. RANMA immediately drops to the floor, and spreads out as much as possible. RAYE does so as well, but less promptly. RYOUKO Okay, let's take her up ... RYO-OH-KI PANICKED Myah! RYOUKO jerks her head up to look at one of the screens, a radar display which shows several "bogies" approaching Ryo-oh-ki's position. RYOUKO SHIT! Ryo-oh-ki, PUNCH IT! From the outside, we see Ryo-oh-ki go from a full stop to about Mach 10 in the blink of an eye, easily evading the interceptor aircraft that have been sent after her. We see SHAMPOO looking up at the retreating space craft from atop a hill. SHAMPOO WHISPERED Bie liao, ai ren. Inside Ryo-oh-ki, inertial dampers take care of much of the stress of acceleration, but everyone is pressed flat against the floor, even the floating crystals and RYOUKO's chair. Finally, after a few seconds of this, the thrusters level off, just as Ryo-oh-ki arrives in Martian orbit. RAYE picks herself up off the floor. RAYE Ryouko, how soon can we get there? RYOUKO All things being equal, two hours. RAYE Can you make it any faster? RYOUKO Not without alerting every listener from the Solar Confederation on Mercury to the Brethren of Saint Teilhard on Pluto that there's a transwarp-capable ship insystem, and that the Jurains are up to something they probably shouldn't be, no. RAYE A yes or a no *would* have satisfied me, you know. RYOUKO Well, you rarely get satisfaction, do you? RAYE looks like she's about to spontaneously combust. RYOUKO is amused. RYOUKO Boy, no wonder you and Ayeka get along so well ... you react *just* the same ... RAYE smiles wintrily. RAYE Strange, I hear that you and Ayeka get along *much* better than she and I do ... RYOUKO glares at her. RANMA 'Scuse me. RYOUKO and RAYE turn to look at him. He is still lying on the floor, and RYO-OH-KI is buzzing around his head inquisitively. RANMA Could you get this thing to leave me alone? Cut to the Temple of Serenity, which resembles the Parthenon of Greece -- it is a large white building on a hill with lots of columns. Currently it is surrounded on all sides by several dozen Patrol Labors, a few tanks, and an extensive fleet of hovercars. Nearby is a huge tank-like mecha. There is an air of barely held-in panic. Cut to a corridor inside the temple. KEI and YURI walk briskly down the corridor. YURI What'd they say that this place was again? KEI Some temple of some weird religion. They cleared it out last night, just before they made the snatch. YURI So are we gonna go through with this thing? KEI I dunno, Yuri, I really ... let's go along with it until we get a clearer idea of what's *really* going on here. YURI And then? KEI We punt. They arrive at a door, and open it. Inside is FUJIKO, still holding onto her thermal detonator and standing beside SERENITY, who is seated in a chair, her hands in her lap. The room is otherwise undecorated. FUJIKO Well it's about time. Where's the Chief? YURI You mean Mr. -- FUJIKO No names. KEI I dunno, it was Sm-- uh, his aide who had us transported over here. BEAT Lot of spectators, aren't there? FUJIKO Dammit, I want to get this thing disarmed ... YURI starts towards her. YURI I know a bit about explosives, let me -- FUJIKO steps back quickly. FUJIKO No, thanks all the same, but I'd really rather not be -- uh, I mean, only the Chief can disarm it, it's based on his fingerprints. YURI isn't fooled for an instant, and her expression shows it. YURI Ah. That would make it difficult to disarm, wouldn't it. KEI is staring at SERENITY, who turns to gaze back at her unblinkingly. KEI So you're Queen Serenity, huh? SERENITY bows her head in acknowledgment. KEI I'm Kei, she's Yuri. We're 3WA Trouble Consultant Team -- SERENITY The Lovely Angels. BEAT We are aware of your reputation, although we believed that you had lost your lives some centuries ago. KEI Well, rumors of our deaths were greatly exaggerated. BEAT Anyway, we're going to escort you to your trial. SERENITY Our trial? KEI Yeah, your trial. SERENITY For crimes against humanity? KEI Uh ... SERENITY And where will this alleged trial transpire? KEI Well ... FUJIKO Hey! You don't need to know any of that! TO KEI And you shouldn't talk to the prisoner! KEI Hey, I know my job, okay? FUJIKO snorts and rolls her eyes. KEI and YURI glower at her, and then stop quickly as they realize that SERENITY is watching everything that they do with a patient expression. SERENITY Well, in any event, we are glad that our captors are concerned with true justice, and that they have provided us with such very capable bodyguards as yourselves. SMILES KEI and YURI stare at SERENITY for a moment. KEI Yuri, may I have a word with you outside? YURI Sure. They file out of the room, under FUJIKO's suspicious look. Outside, KEI turns to look at YURI. They both speak in a rushed tone of voice. KEI She's not scared of us. YURI Maybe she doesn't know who we are, really. KEI She knows. She knows and it doesn't faze her. YURI Okay ... so she's nuts. I mean, that royal we thing that she's got going, can you *get* any more megalomaniac than that? KEI She doesn't sound like a nutcase megalomaniac and you know it. YURI Okay, what does she sound like? KEI I don't know what she sounds like, but she sounds nothing like any of the power freaks that we've ever run up against. YURI Then what is she? CHIEF (O.S.) Convinced of the rightness of her position, of course, as are all dictators of the human spirit. KEI and YURI turn to see the CHIEF approaching, wearing white robes and a headband with a moon insignia. For a moment, they are baffled by his apparel ... and then they start giggling. The CHIEF is unamused. YURI What (hee hee!) is with *that* (ho ho ho!) get up, Deacon? CHIEF As part of our seizure of the temple earlier this morning, I was forced to take on the guise of one of the priests, and I have not had the opportunity to change yet. KEI AMUSED Whatever ... anyway, you'd better defuse that circuit on the thermal detonator that -- CHIEF What circuit? KEI and YURI exchange a disgusted, *weary* glance. CHIEF What are you talking about? KEI It's not important ... anyway, when do we smuggle Serenity out of here to the moon shuttle, or whatever you've got worked out to fly her to the moon? CHIEF SMILES We don't. Cut to the huge tank-like mecha -- the Mobile Armored Command Center -- which has a set of stairs leading up to a door in the side (about where the second floor would be on a building). SHEILA's car arrives some distance from the MACC, and she and PRISS step out and head for the stairs. Midway up, PRISS turns to look around at the assembled labors, and sees something off to one side that gives her pause. PRISS Huh ... hey! SHEILA looks down. SHEILA What? PRISS gestures towards something offscreen. PRISS What's that? SHEILA looks where PRISS gesture. We see a small, unremarkable looking building not too far from the temple, with a sign out in front advertising the "Museum of the Knight Sabres". SHEILA Nobody told you about that? I thought Raye might have ... it's really just a tourist trap. BEAT I haven't been there in a while ... they've got a few displays about your more famous cases, like the boomer uprising that led to an attack on the MegaTokyo fusion plant in -- PRISS The WHAT? SHEILA SMILE Maybe we should have kept on reading the journal instead of ... um ... PRISS gives SHEILA a suffering look. SHEILA chuckles, and starts heading up the ladder again. PRISS shakes her head in mixed annoyance and amusement, and heads after her. Cut to the bridge of the MACC. It is set up as a circle, with various crew stations around the circumference -- weapons control and steering face forward towards a large monitor screen -- and a large command chair in the center. All stations are currently occupied by various uniformed men and women, but the command chair is unoccupied. MERCURY (in fuku) and JUPITER (in street clothes) are considering the command chair. MERCURY Let's review the situation again. JUPITER SIGH Sure. MERCURY On the one hand, I am temperamentally unsuited for command. I lack many of the aggressive personality traits that you, Raye, and Mina possess -- or at the least, they are not as obvious in my decision making process as they would be in yours. JUPITER Okay, granted. MERCURY I would prefer to completely analyze a situation, working up to the last possible moment to achieve an optimal strategy. JUPITER Like now. MERCURY NOD And this is a liability in a crisis situation, just as much as an overly aggressive personality would be. JUPITER I agree completely. MERCURY On the other hand, I am the only Sailor Soldier present, as you are still suspended from active duty. Therefore, I have the obligation to take command, even though I believe that my command will be disastrous. JUPITER Disagree on several points. BEAT Look, here's what you should do. Take command just long enough to bring me back to active status, and then step down. This is a totally unprecedented situation, Amy! None of us have ever been on suspension during a crisis! I don't think the normal rules should apply! MERCURY Lita, I'm unwilling to ignore her orders when I agree with them. And I have noticed a certain degree of erratic behavior ... but doubtless you think the same of me. JUPITER is clutching her hair. The next shot is taken up by a two-shot of MERCURY and JUPITER's heads and shoulders, not showing the command chair. JUPITER No, Amy, I don't. BEAT Look, we don't have time to dance around this -- either take command -- VENUS (O.S.) Hello? JUPITER -- find some loophole in your ethics to justify turning it over to me -- VENUS (O.S.) What a nice chair! JUPITER -- or -- or ... JUPITER and MERCURY slowly turn to look at LADY VENUS, who is wearing casual clothes in her colors -- orange, yellow and blue -- and examining all the neat features of the command chair, like being able to put one's legs up. VENUS Cooool. Hi there! MERCURY Mina. BEAT Mina, when did you get here? VENUS Oh, about an hour or so ago ... one of my buddies in the Service got in touch with me. At first I was *really* cheesed off at having my vacation interrupted, but I figured I should come out here and give you the benefit of my expertise in handling hostage situations. You know what they say -- those who can, do unto others as they'd have done unto them, while those who can't, teach to educate themselves. VENUS abruptly causes the chair to begin a slow 360. When she's out of sight, MERCURY and JUPITER exchange a look of raw panic, which they hide as she comes back into sight, smiling still. VENUS That was fun, but can it get faster? MERCURY Ah ... no, I don't think so. BEAT Mina, do you want to be in command of this operation? VENUS YIKES! No way! BEAT But you don't want to be either, Amy ... and you're on suspension right now, Lita (I'm sorry to hear that, by the by) and since Raye is on Mars, and Serenity is the person who's been kidnapped, I'm the only one who's qualified. BEAT Well, we could ask Pluto, but does anyone know when she is? Suddenly inspired, VENUS stands up. VENUS LOUD Can I please have your attention? Everyone on the bridge turns to look at VENUS. VENUS I have an important question for all of you. Does anyone present know when Sailor Pluto is? Heads are shaken, hands are spread, and there is a general consensus that the answer is no. VENUS GLUM Daaaamn. She's never around when you think you need her, only when she thinks you need her. And the worst part is, she's usually right. TO JUPITER Isn't that annoying of her? JUPITER nods rapidly, clearly not trusting herself to speak. VENUS slumps into the chair. VENUS GLUM Well, I don't want the job, but I'll take it since Amy doesn't want it either. ALL BUSINESS Our first priority should be to open communications with the kidnappers, find out what they want, and delay long enough to be able to move our people into position to extract Serenity without endangering her. PLEADING Could somebody send out for some doughnuts? The door to the bridge slides open to admit SHEILA and PRISS. JUPITER immediately tenses up and scowls. VENUS, facing away from the door, blinks at this. VENUS Would you prefer bagels? SHEILA SURPRISED Mina! VENUS whirls around, a big grin on her face. VENUS Sheila-chan! SHEILA When did you -- VENUS No, we've done that one already. Ask me if I brought you anything. SHEILA BEAT Did you bring me anything, Aunt Mina? VENUS' grin gets naughty. VENUS Oh, yeah, I think you and a special someone will get a lot of use out of the -- JUPITER SNAP Mina! VENUS looks back at JUPITER with a cross expression, then turns back to SHEILA. VENUS On second thought, I'll tell you about it when there are fewer puritans about. BEAT Who's your friend? All eyes focus on PRISS, who has been observing this conversation silently with a confused expression. SHEILA Um, this is Priscilla S. Asagiri, of the Knight Sabres. Priss, this is Lady Venus. PRISS WAVES Yo. VENUS A-sa-gi-ri. BEAT Did you sing at one point? PRISS Uh ... yeah ... VENUS Ah! That's where I remember the name from! I never ... just a moment. VENUS rifles through her clothing, producing a pen and a small pad of paper, and smiling triumphantly. VENUS Can I have your autograph? PRISS stares at VENUS for a long moment in disbelief, and then opens her mouth to tell her off. But something in VENUS' expression -- perhaps the pleading look in her eyes -- stops her. With a very strange look on her face, PRISS takes the pen and paper, and signs her name quickly. VENUS looks at the paper for a moment after it's handed back to her ... and then places it in one of her pockets with a sad expression. She quickly cheers up though, when she realizes that everyone is watching her. VENUS So, what do you do now? PRISS I ... I guess I'm a Palladin, now. VENUS Oooookay. Ummmm ... where are the Palladins supposed to go, Amy? MERCURY We're planning to address them in the Strat-Com center, so perhaps you two should head there. SHEILA Right. TO VENUS It's nice to see you again, Aunt Mina! VENUS You too! PRISS, still giving VENUS an odd look, and SHEILA turn to go. Just as they're at the door, VENUS starts talking again. VENUS Remind me not to forget to give you your you-know-what. BEAT The two of you will have a lot of fun with it! PRISS and SHEILA stop dead in their tracks. PRISS risks a look. VENUS is smiling benevolently and waving the fingers of her hand, MERCURY is terribly embarrassed, and JUPITER resembles an embodiment of the wrath of God. SHEILA SMALL VOICE Thank you Aunt Mina. They head out the door. MINA turns back to the front of the bridge. VENUS Now, about those doughnuts ... There is a sudden buzzing from one side of the bridge. A blue-haired woman in a gray special forces uniform (Ryouga and Amy's daughter, hereafter referred to as LIEUTENANT RYOUKO) seated at one of the stations, examines her control panel. LIEUTENANT RYOUKO Lady Venus, we're receiving a transmission from the temple. VENUS I'm not gonna get any donuts, am I? SIGH Okay, put it on screen. The forward screen resolves into an image of a featureless room, with a man standing at the center. His features are obscured by a distortion effect which leaves the rest of him -- specifically his pinstripe suit, worn by the CHIEF -- and the room clearly visible. CHIEF (DISTORT) Have I the honor of addressing one of the Sailor Senshi? VENUS Yep! CHIEF (DISTORT) Lady Venus, I think? I have to guess, after all, we can't see you. VENUS Actually, we can't see you very well either. Do you suppose you could turn off that distort field -- CHIEF (DISTORT) LAUGHTER Oh, no, Lady Venus -- I'm sure that it's you, no one else has quite your sense of humour. VENUS BLUSH Flatterer. JUPITER WHISPERED ANGRILY Mina! VENUS Ahem! I take it that you represent the organization that has taken Her Majesty hostage? CHIEF (DISTORT) Correct. VENUS And that you have done so to advance or publicize a cause? CHIEF (DISTORT) Correct. VENUS Very well, then. BEAT Which cause? CHIEF (DISTORT) Liberty! Equality! Fr -- VENUS -- ee beer? Well, that's a lot to ask for ... just what does kidnapping her Majesty have to do with this? CHIEF (DISTORT) It is our intention to transport her to the neutral lunar colony for a trial for her terrible crimes against hum -- VENUS presses a finger to her lips in a shushing gesture, and the audio of the transmission is cut. VENUS "Neutral lunar colony"? BEAT The last I heard was that the lunars had pledged allegiance. MERCURY Delusional. VENUS No, really, I remember hearing about it -- MERCURY CONTROLLED Not you, Mina, him. JUPITER Just a typical deluded nutcase? VENUS I've never met one of those ... bring up the volume. CHIEF (DISTORT) -- and in short, her failure to bring the benefits of a free and democratic society to -- YURI stumbles into the shot suddenly. YURI Ooops ... uh, scuse me ... CHIEF (DISTORT) ... In any event, those are our intentions, and any attack on us will result in the immediate execution of our hostages. YURI & VENUS (SIM) HostagES? As in more than one? YURI and VENUS stare at each other for a brief moment. CHIEF (DISTORT) RAPID We will contact you with further demands in an hour. The screen goes blank rapidly. LT. RYOUKO They've cut the signal ... I've got a pretty clear idea of where they were transmitting from inside the temple. BEAT Was that ... really ... her? As in ... VENUS SUBDUED Did you record? LT. RYOUKO nods. VENUS SUBDUED Run a match. LT. RYOUKO bends over the computer for a few seconds ... then looks up with a sick expression. LT. RYOUKO 99.999% match with the archive photos of her, Lady Venus. That's either her or a clone, and -- VENUS So ... our adversaries include the legendary -- perhaps *infamous* is a better word, though infamous on a legendary scale -- troubleshooters known as ... the Dirty Pair. The tension on the bridge is extremely high, as if everyone is expecting all hell to break loose after those fatal words are spoken. Even JUPITER looks stunned by this revelation. MERCURY QUICK We don't know that they're both -- VENUS Of course we do. Some things *are* indestructible. SUDDENLY HAPPY And isn't that nice to consider? VENUS suddenly stands up and claps her hands together. VENUS Yeah! Yeah, I think this is a good thing for us! I mean, so what if the Dirty Pair never failed in their mission objectives? Well, except in the last one, and it was ultimately a success anyway ... but I mean ... ADDRESSING MERCURY AND JUPITER Think about it like this: they're a symbol, darnit! A team that was never broken up! Just like us! We won't get broken up, either! We should draw inspiration from this! BEAT Why don't we all take a little break and think about that for a while? I think I'm going to go take a walk while I think ... can I get anyone anything? She turns around, looking for requests from the bridge crew, of which there are none. VENUS Okay! While you're thinking, if someone could get in touch with Luna and Artemis -- they're running things for us on the moon, right? MERCURY nods slowly. VENUS -- get in touch with Luna and Artemis, find out what might be going on there ... oh, and see if you can contact Raye, too, while we're on the subject. Well, I'm off, back in a little bit! VENUS strolls out the bridge doors, flashing the bridge a "V-for-Victory" as they close behind her. There is dead silence on the bridge. MERCURY Did she -- LT. RYOUKO We have a teleportation reading just outside the bridge, Ma'am. BEAT She -- MERCURY SIGH I know where she went, dear. Believe me, I know. Cut to the entrance of the memorial park. VENUS appears in a shower of golden light, trembling and covering her face. After a moment, she looks up at the statue of Sailor Saturn that guards the entrance. She stands there for a short while. VENUS It would be so ... easy. We see her hand reaching towards the small plaque that decorates the statue -- on which we can see the following written. "Ask not for whom the bell tolls, It tolls for thee." VENUS' hand is almost touching the plaque -- but at the last moment, she flinches away, bringing her hand back up to her collar. She shakes her head. VENUS *Too* easy. With her free hand, she smacks the hand that was reaching, and smiles as the hand droops as though it is pouting. She slowly walks into the memorial park. VENUS passes the holographic memorial to Sailor Moon, looking up at it with something very akin to envy on her face as she walks past. Finally, she comes to the end of her path, standing before a larger-than-life statue of a young man, dressed in a trenchcoat and trousers, his head bowed and shadowed in such a way that we cannot see his face. VENUS sits down, facing away from the statue and blocking our view of a plaque attached to the base of the statue. VENUS I miss you. BEAT; SINGSONG I wish you were he-ere. BEAT It really would have been easy. Kill 'em all, let whoever sort it out. Just ... give it to someone else. And we'd be together. BEAT Right? Am I right? BEAT No. Of course not. A monster like you wouldn't want anything to do with a monster like me. BEAT I took a bullet to my chest last week. If my trauma damper hadn't kicked in, I wouldn't be talking to you -- hey wait a minute! BEAT So I had to get my heart fixed. But you know what? I think I got ripped off. Because it still hurts. I-i-i-ttt st-st-st-- VENUS clonks herself on the side of the head, making a dull thud. VENUS MUTTER Gotta get that looked at. BEAT How'm I gonna do this? I mean, we're dealing with the two deadliest human beings -- well, we don't count as human any more -- ever created by an intelligence whose ultimate goals we still don't understand. BEAT And they've got her. And since we only exist to defend and protect her, they've got *us* right where they want us. Not that I've ever done a very good job of that ... have I? BEAT If I could just -- VENUS suddenly stands up, with an excited expression on her face. She turns to face the statue, which is still hidden from us. VENUS Got it! I get Artemis to send me down a spare disguise pen, turn myself into her, and go up to the temple, saying "Hah-hah! Stupid kidnappers, you grabbed the wrong Queen!" They snatch me, let her go, and then I have the whole fleet turn the temple into so much glow-in-the- dark clay! BEAT What do you mean it wouldn't work? BEAT Okay, so they probably wouldn't let her go, but I'd be in the *zone* to get her out, right? BEAT Of course they wouldn't stop me from blowing up the temple around me. What matters more -- her safety or me? BEAT Well, if they won't do it, then I'll tell them what I did! After that, they should be glad to -- VENUS' face suddenly crumples. Slowly, she lies down on the plaque, curled up in a fetal position. VENUS SOFT They all know that I'm -- but they still expect me to be -- and I can't. It would hurt too much if I were -- BEAT BUT IT HURTS ANYWAY! HOW IS THAT FAIR? VENUS picks herself up off the ground, dusts herself off, and looks up at the statue. VENUS Anyway. I gotta go. Thanks for listening. You're really good at that, but I wish you'd talk back a little more. BEAT Be seeing you. VENUS turns and walks away, at last allowing us a clear view of the inscription on the memorial. AETHAN DEGALES 529 - 545 545 - 1996 1996 - 2034 You walk a road that's thorny, through no fault of your own. But, as rain enters the earth, and the river flows to the sea, So, too, do tears fall to their predestined end. Your suffering is over. Find peace for Eternity Cut to PRISS and SHEILA, walking through a corridor of the MACC, side by side. PRISS So, in other words, she's nuts. SHEILA WEARY No, she's not nuts. She's a little bit ... erratic, and she's done some things that have caused people to question her judgment. But according to Aunt Amy, she's not insane in the sense that she *is* responsible for her actions, even if they are bizarre. PRISS Y'know, your aunts are a real fun bunch. SHEILA stops abruptly and turns to glare at PRISS. SHEILA They've been alive for nearly a thousand years, and they've seen things that would probably leave ordinary people screaming as blood flowed out their eyes. As far as I'm concerned, they've all earned as much eccentricity as they want! PRISS stares at SHEILA, a little startled at her vehemence. SHEILA visibly calms down, and sighs. SHEILA Priss, they're my *family*. PRISS stares for a moment, nods, and starts walking. PRISS And I'm not. SHEILA I didn't *say* that. PRISS You didn't have to. SHEILA's fists clench at her side. SHEILA Priss, if someone had asked you why you were hanging around with a crazy Shaolin stockbroker like Linna Yamazaki, what would you have told them? PRISS halts, and speaks without looking back. PRISS I would have told them to fuck off and die. Nobody slams my -- SHEILA -- family. PRISS looks angrily over her shoulder at her. PRISS SMOOTH -- *friends*. SHEILA SIGH Okay. And what if this someone was someone that you cared a lot about; that you thought you were in love with; that you might even want to spend the rest of your life with? They stare at each other for a moment, both with unreadable expressions on their faces. PRISS turns away first, and continues walking down the hall. PRISS NONCHALANT I'm gonna die alone, anyway. SHEILA reacts as though she's been slapped. She watches PRISS head down the corridor for a second, then hurries to catch up to her. They arrive at the STRATegic-COMmand Center, an area-like room with several rows of seats and a holoprojector in the center. It is filled with somewhere between thirty and fifty people of tremendously varied dress and description -- the Palladins of Crystal Tokyo. They are clustered in small groups, discussing various things. In our first pass through the room, we catch sight of a red-haired woman in a slinky red dress enthusing about a lipstick that a rather androgynous younger dark-haired woman in a bizarre description-defying outfit is staring at with a disbelieving expression; a pair of swordsmen (blades peacebonded), one with flowing blonde hair and cleanshaven, the other with dark black hair and a full beard and mustache, talking placidly; and a tall, lanky man holding a hand-held hologram display that shows a humanoid cyclopean mecha, discussing it with a young woman with short brown hair, large glasses, and a green outfit under her white lab coat. We see SHEILA react to seeing these two, and she heads down towards them, beckoning PRISS to follow her. PRISS shrugs and follows. The man (JOHNNY RAIDEN) looks up as they approach, and smiles. He speaks in an odd Australian accent that has a vaguely German feel to it. JOHNNY Hey, Sheila! Got you out of the stacks, did they? SHEILA SMILE Somebody's got to write down the specifics of whatever crazy plans you guys come up with. The young woman (RITSUKO URAWA) speaks in a gentle, patient, and very formal tone. RITSUKO "Crazy plans" are hardly our stock- in-trade, Ms. Tenkai. SHEILA Hello to you too, Ritsuko. Whatcha got there? JOHNNY An ever-so-slightly radical upgrade proposal for our Zakus, to take full advantage of the psychcommu. SHEILA and RITSUKO stare at him. JOHNNY Sorry, thought control system. Old habits die hard. RITSUKO Essentially, the TC system allows the creation of an empathic overload booster. Affected systems would be supercharged based on the pilot's emotional state -- a sufficiently angry pilot could easily increase his or her available motive power by over fifty percent. SHEILA With just a standard interface? RITSUKO No, and standard neural training won't be enough either. The actual systems involved are fairly similar to psychic amplifiers, but not quite as sophisticated. RITSUKO notices that PRISS is following the conversation with an expression torn between interest and confusion. RITSUKO But we're being rude. Who's your friend, Ms. Tenkai? SHEILA Oh, sorry. Priscilla Asagiri, this is Dr. Ritsuko Urawa, Chief Mecha Engineer of the First Fleet, and -- JOHNNY comes to his feet, and we realize that he's just over seven feet tall. JOHNNY Leftenant Commander Johnny Raiden, Heroic and Suicidal Test Pilot. He extends a hand in greeting. PRISS, looking up at him, slowly takes it. PRISS I'm gonna say something stupid and obvious in a second. JOHNNY Don't worry, most people do. PRISS Boy, you're tall. JOHNNY nods, grinning. He pauses as something comes to him. JOHNNY Half a minute. Priss *Asagiri*? You're -- PRISS Her great-great-great-great-and- several-more-greats-grand-daughter, namesake, and lookalike. JOHNNY looks puzzled ... and then understanding dawns on his face, and he smiles broadly. JOHNNY Riiiiight. He sits again, and SHEILA and PRISS also sit down. SHEILA So has the Second Fleet been called home for this situation? JOHNNY Nah, Yamato and m'boys are still minding Venus to make sure they don't get ideas. But me and the Doc got called in with the rest of the Palladins, on a fast shuttle. JOHNNY adjusts the hologram to erase the image of the mecha, replacing it with a detail of the Crystal Tokyo area from orbit. (The fact that the city is clearly planned around a RIGHT-SIDE UP pentagram should be made clear. Several lights with tags -- SKYLARK, DAUNTLESS, SMITH, KINNISON, DUQUESNE, among others -- appear on the display. JOHNNY They've called in the Fifth Fleet from the Outer Darkness Region, and spread the Fourth out to cover -- SHEILA Wait a minute ... She points at the light marked SMITH. SHEILA Isn't that one of Psyche Company's carriers? JOHNNY nods once in silence. SHEILA HUSHED They brought the Lensmen? BEAT Whewwwwww ... PRISS Uh, 'scuse? Lensmen? Wasn't that a really bad movie made in 2012? SHEILA WRY LOOK Don't remind me, please. There is a connection, but ... anyway, "Lensmen" is the nickname of the 148th, 149th, and 150th Mobile Suit Squadrons of the Royal Space Force, unofficially known as Psyche Company. All the pilots are magicians, psychics, or possess other exotic talents. SMILES AT RITSUKO A while ago, someone came up with a way to amplify talents like that, using certain specially designed crystals that look a lot like huge lenses. Inevitably, the pilots were called Lensmen ... PRISS So do the Senshi use these things? RITSUKO shakes her head firmly. RITSUKO The level of power that a Senshi possesses would easily overload the largest amplifier we can build. BEAT And as one's natural power increases, the amount of enhancement that one can gain from artificial sources decreases. If we were able to construct an amplifier that would measurably magnify Lady Mercury's power, for example, it would be about the size of the moon and improve her power by ... BEAT I'm sorry, I'm lecturing, aren't I? PRISS shrugs, a small smile playing about her lips. PRISS Yeah, but when you do, you sorta sound like someone I knew ... a long time ago. RITSUKO blinks, startled. RITSUKO *I* sound like Dr. Stingray? BEAT Thank you very much, Ms. Asagiri, that is a considerable compliment. PRISS It is? RITSUKO NODS In my opinion, her visionary mecha designs are without equal. Even now, we don't understand all the secrets of the hardsuits -- LT. RYOUKO (O.S.) And couldn't use one even if we did. Everyone looks in LT. RYOUKO's direction as we see her approach casually, still in her uniform. RITSUKO That's hardly true any more, Sister. LT. RYOUKO fixes PRISS with a faintly predatory look, which PRISS returns calmly. LT. RYOUKO Hmm. You have a point, Ritsuko. BEAT Hello, Johnny. BEAT; TOSHEILA Hello, You. SHEILA gives LT. RYOUKO a look of mixed amusement and disdain, but she is back to talking to PRISS. LT. RYOUKO Lieutenant Ryouko Mizuno, Battlesuit Pilot Temporarily Drafted as Bridge Crew. Pleased to meet you. PRISS Right. BEAT You're one of her sisters? LT. RYOUKO *Half*-sisters. Very different fathers. RITSUKO SOFT Not as different as you'd like to believe, Sister. RYOUKO glares at RITSUKO, who meets her look evenly. LT. RYOUKO I *believe* that I made it clear how tired I was of this particular line of conversation *quite* some time ago. SHEILA steps between them, none-too-subtly heading off a conflict. SHEILA Ahem. So anyways, Ryouko, what's the word on the bridge? LT. RYOUKO "Panic." BEAT We received a message from the kidnappers just a little while ago that has everyone on the edge. SHEILA What happened? LT. RYOUKO SHAKES HEAD Not yet. Wouldn't do anyone here any good to know it just yet. It'd just set us even further on edge than we already are ... JOHNNY DISMISSIVE Aw, cut the crap, Ryouko. What's the worst that it could be, the Dirty Pair? Dead silence descends on the room, and everyone in the room is suddenly staring at JOHNNY. Well, except for PRISS (who seems confused) and RYOUKO (who is rubbing her head as though she has a terrible headache). JOHNNY It was a *joke*, people. Get a grip, already. SHEILA PATIENT Yes, but Johnny ... it wasn't FUNNY. Cut to a harsh-featured man carrying a long, broad-edged spear, sitting some distance away, hunched as though he carries a heavy burden on his shoulders. He looks upwards with a foul expression. USHIO Well, *somebody* found it amusing. Cut back to the group as conversation slowly begins again. A beeping noise issues from RYOUKO's wrist. She holds it up to her mouth. LT. RYOUKO Mizuno, go. VOICE She's back, hurry. LT. RYOUKO I'm on my way. She nods in farewell, and heads up the stairs to the exit at a run. PRISS So ... what's a Dirty Pair? We follow RYOUKO running through the corridor, until she reaches the main access passage leading to the outside of the MACC, through which VENUS is entering at a brisk pace. RYOUKO slows, but continues to run in place. VENUS Ah, hello, Ryouko-chan ... or should I call you Lieutenant Mizuno, now? LT. RYOUKO As you wish, Lady Venus. VENUS All right. BEAT Keeping in shape, are we? LT. RYOUKO Yes, Lady Venus. VENUS I think I'll join you. She begins running in place too. LT. RYOUKO An excellent idea, Lady Venus. RYOUKO starts running up the corridor to the bridge. VENUS stays running in place for a few moments. VENUS I wonder if this is a race ... She nods once, and then takes off at a dash. We see her running from her POV, swiftly catching up to LT. RYOUKO, passing her, and arriving at the bridge smiling sunnily. VENUS Hello! MERCURY is running calculations on one of the terminals, while JUPITER leans against the wall with an expression with elements of rage, guilt, and extreme annoyance on her face. MERCURY speaks without looking up. MERCURY Welcome back, Mina. Did you enjoy your walk? VENUS heads for the command chair. VENUS Yes. Yes I did. I think that I've got a better idea of how to handle this situation now. JUPITER Good. VENUS begins to sit down in the command chair. RAYE (O.S.) Yes, Mina, that's very good. I'd like to hear about your ideas, but don't even think about sitting in my chair. VENUS looks upwards, mouths "Thank you", and turns to look at RAYE, who is standing at the entrance, followed by RANMA and RYOUKO. MERCURY turns around. VENUS Raye! I'm so glad -- RAYE Yes, I am too. She takes her seat in the center, which VENUS quickly vacates. RAYE All right, I want a full situational report, STAT. What are we up against this time? JUPITER A bunch of terrorists, backed up by the -- RAYE Lita, why are you out of uniform? JUPITER DEEP BREATH I'm on suspension. Go ahead; ask me why. I've got an answer ready. RAYE's mouth quirks up in a half-smile. RAYE & JUPITER (sim) None of your business. RAYE Right. Backed up by ...? JUPITER The Lovely Angels. RAYE STARES You're making a try at a joke, right? JUPITER No. The kidnappers sent a video transmission out, and a young woman with bluish-black hair stumbled into the shot. She's an exact physical match for ... what's her name again? VENUS Yuri. She's the cool one. BEAT I got her autograph, once ... LT. RYOUKO finally arrives at the bridge at this point, with a frustrated and embarrassed expression on her face. Before going to her station, she does a double take as she passes RANMA, and stares at him in a very hostile manner for a moment. RAYE Amy, could it have been a clone? MERCURY Anything's possible, but I've been reviewing the footage ... and her behavior is an almost exact match for virtually all the documentation we have on her -- slightly ditzy, but at the same time very capable. And since braintaping in the United Galactica period was only in its infancy, and it's believed that all possible backups of Kei and Yuri were destroyed with the Central Computer ... a very good actor could have pulled a performance like that off, but considering the physical match, I really do think she was the genuine article, Raye. RAYE Great. BEAT Other than Serenity, are they holding any other hostages? Temple personnel, maybe? JUPITER We interviewed everyone who fled when the temple was taken over early this morning. About ten of the senior members of the Cult are unaccounted for, including the Arch Deacon. RAYE Have we done a scan for lifesigns? LT. RYOUKO Repeatedly, with no effect. There's some sort of jamming ... but it only affects bioscanners. RAYE Damn. Okay, what about -- RYOUKO Hold it ... this sounds familiar. RAYE turns to look at RYOUKO, who is walking over to the scanner console at which Lieutenant Ryouko is sitting. RYOUKO Do you get a "too many lifesigns" message? LT. RYOUKO Uh ... yes. RYOUKO NODS Okay, what you wanna do is configure it to ignore any life signs of human beings. LT. RYOUKO Excuse me? RYOUKO Homo sapiens, dominant species on Earth? LT. RYOUKO But -- RYOUKO Just do it. LT. RYOUKO adjusts the scanner, clearly not understanding what RYOUKO is aiming at. She starts another scan. RYOUKO Interrupt it. Now! The scan is interrupted. RYOUKO Okay, now configure it to ignore all the life signs that you just got, but find human lifesigns. Seven human lifesigns are indicated on the screen, one of which, flagged, is definitely SERENITY's lifesign. RAYE How? RYOUKO There's a certain species of plant life growing on a planet around what you call Barnard's Star that possesses a more complicated biological signature than you'd expect from a non-sentient, such that it shows up on any bioscan for "higher lifeforms". The problem is, there's more variance in a bioscan of two members of a typical sentient species than there is between two members of this shrub ... heck, more variance between an individual and a clone. Anyway, this trick's been used by space pirates to confuse scanners for about a thousand years. One famous space pirate worked alone in an oversized ship with a bunch of this stuff, to make the marks think the ship had a huge crew. LT. RYOUKO Who was this? RYOUKO Me. RAYE Excellent job, Ryouko. RYOUKO and LT. RYOUKO speak simultaneously. RYOUKO Woo, a compliment! LT. RYOUKO Thank you, Lady Mars. There is a short pause. RAYE I was, in fact, speaking to the Lieutenant. BEAT But Ryouko, you are ... useful to have around. RYOUKO looks down at LT. RYOUKO, who meets her gaze steadily. RYOUKO Your name's Ryouko, huh? LT. RYOUKO Lieutenant Mizuno Ryouko. RYOUKO Mizuno, huh? LOOKS AT MERCURY Your mom has *great* taste in names, then ... MERCURY holds her head as though she has suddenly developed a migraine headache. LT. RYOUKO VERY COOL Yes, I was named after my father. RYOUKO Oh. RAYE Ahem. Lieutenant, run a comparison of each of those "prints" against our files, see what you can come up with. LT. RYOUKO Aye. A few seconds later, one of the other patterns has been identified as belonging to "FUJIKO". JUPITER She's *mine*. VENUS Aren't you on suspension? JUPITER GLARES AT VENUS As soon as I'm *off* suspension, she's mine. VENUS Okay. RAYE None of the others match anyone in the files? LT. RYOUKO Negative. Could be hostages, or could be other kidnappers. RAYE Alright. I want every bit of data we have on the Temple -- blueprints, especially -- packaged up to give a briefing to the Palladins in ten minutes. BRIDGE CREW Aye! They spring into action. RANMA takes advantage of the distraction to approach LADY MERCURY. RANMA 'Scuse me. MERCURY Yes, Mr. Saotome? RANMA I need to talk to you about something. Cut to outside the MACC. PRISS is sitting on the steps leading to the main access, alternately watching the Patrol Labors guard the perimeter of the Temple and staring at the Knight Sabres Museum in the distance. Finally, she nods, stands up, and starts down the stairs. As she reaches the bottom, she notices that NOA is standing nearby, looking up at her Labor (SHINJI), which is standing at ease in the shadow of the MACC. PRISS waves at her, and NOA returns the wave, just as SHINJI's chestplate opens up, revealing CATTY at the controls. PRISS looks up at the Labor with distrust written all over her face, and continues walking. CATTY drops down from the cockpit, and looks up at the head of the Labor with a concerned expression. CATTY You were right ... his emotional and psychological development *has* stabilized at the level of an early adolescent -- roughly 13 to 15 years of age. NOA And that's definitely not normal. CATTY SIGH Psychology's not an exact science, AI Psychology even less so. It's definitely not *typical*, but it's no more abnormal than an AI that catapulted herself into early senility within a few seconds of her awakening, or the gender confused AI I dealt with a few years ago. BEAT Most new sentiences "prefer" to advance to the same level of maturity exhibited by the other entities that they come into contact with -- and since Shinji's contacts have been more or less limited to yourself and ... NOA HEAVY SARCASM His "daddy". CATTY WRY GRIN -- along with a few of your associates -- and I compliment you on letting Mr. Yamazaki pay a visit, he seems to have made a much better "father" figure than the one which he was "born" to. In any case, based on his contacts, he *should* have developed to a mature persona, roughly 25 to 30. But he hasn't. And he probably won't for several years. NOA When is he going to start "talking"? CATTY I've made the connection between his neural net and the loudspeaker, and uploaded the sounds database -- so he has the capability, he just has to teach himself to use it. I had him shut off his audio pickup so he could do it in peace. It *will* probably be baby-talk the first few times that he tries -- NOA But that's normal. Did you talk in baby talk when you were awakened? A few yards away, PRISS halts in midstep. CATTY Ahhhh ... NOA I mean, I know that you're unique in that respect, but ... uh, is something wrong? CATTY has covered her eyes with her right hand. CATTY No. No, no. Yes, but ... it's not your fault, Chief Izumi. NOA looks over her shoulder to see PRISS staring in their direction with an extremely wrathful expression. NOA Oh! BEAT Ohhhh. BEAT Uh ... would you like police protection? CATTY No, thank you. I believe that I can handle the situation without too much difficulty. NOA nods, and warily looking in PRISS direction once more, heads over to SHINJI, and clambers up inside the cockpit. CATTY walks slowly but deliberately towards PRISS. When she is within arms reach, she speaks. CATTY CALM Is there something that you'd like to say? PRISS FURIOUS You're a boomer. CATTY I prefer the term cyberdroid. PRISS You're a fucking *boomer*. CATTY In fact, I *am* capable of a wide variety of sexual acts, which is not surprising, considering that one of the models that my design is based upon is the Bu-33s. PRISS STARTLED Sexaroid? CATTY Yes. Which means, I suppose that you will view me as "human in every way that counts". BEAT Even though I have no desire to be human, any more than your friend -- PRISS The hell she didn't! Sylvie *did* want to be human! She said -- CATTY "I wanted to be free. Like you." PRISS STUNNED How did -- CATTY First words of the song "I Want to Be Free", written and performed by Priss Asagiri, 2035, liner notes "Dedicated to Sylvie and Anri." BEAT She wanted to be free of the prejudice and bigotry that the human race felt, and I am often distressed but rarely surprised to find, still feels towards us. Cyberdroids. BEAT Boomers. Angrily, CATTY walks away towards SHINJI, but pauses to look back over her shoulder at PRISS. CATTY It seems that the writer of that song is dead. A pity. She was a remarkable being ... for a human. CATTY approaches SHINJI, now looking more hurt than angry. SHINJI's voice is that of a boy just on the edge of adolescence -- it cracks a lot. SHINJI Is something wrong, Catty-oneesama? CATTY looks up at the Labor's "head", startled and amazed. Slowly, a smile spreads across her features. CATTY No. No, everything's all right. SHINJI's chest opens up, and NOA is revealed, smiling broadly. NOA He's a smart kid, isn't he? CATTY NOD Yes. He is indeed. PRISS stares in their direction for a moment, then visibly "gives up" and turns to walk towards the Museum of the Knight Sabres again ... just as a beeping noise issues from her hip carried cellular. PRISS snatches it up, and flips it open. PRISS Yeah. SHEILA Priss, you'd better get back here, there's going to be a briefing in a few minutes. PRISS Great. She shuts down the cellular, and heads back to the stairs. There's a faint rumble of thunder, and the first drops of rain begin to fall. Cut to the inside of the entrance of the MACC. PRISS comes in out of the rain, and shakes out her hair, just as RAYE comes down the corridor. RAYE Priss! PRISS Hey. What happened to you? RAYE What do you mean? PRISS I called you last night and -- RAYE You didn't get the message I sent to you yesterday morning? PRISS No ... RAYE ANNOYED AT SELF And I forgot to change my answering machine, too ... damn. BEAT I had to go to Mars on business yesterday ... I just got back a little while ago. PRISS You *went* to Mars? ODD SMILE I thought that you *were* -- RAYE Ahem. Heard it. A few times. BEAT So what happened? PRISS Took care of the thing with the labors. And then I finally got 'round to reading Sylia's journal. RAYE Okay. Did it bring back anything? PRISS Nope. BEAT Not exactly. BEAT I found out a couple things ... Anyway ... uh ... something did happen that -- RAYE Sheila. PRISS BLINKS Have you been reading my mind or something? RAYE I can't do that except under certain conditions, so no. BEAT Mina has a big mouth, and she told me about Sheila's "cute new girlfriend" when she thought Lita wasn't listening. PRISS GAG "Cute new girlfriend"? RAYE She has a slightly romantic view of some things. BEAT Priss, it's okay with me. I'm happy for you. They start to walk down the corridor at a slow pace. PRISS Unfortunately, it'll be over in a week. RAYE Oh come on! PRISS It won't work ... she's too -- And I'm too -- GESTURES WEARILY RAYE Give it a chance! BEAT And give *yourself* a chance! "We were born to be happy", remember? Even if you did choose to enter coldsleep as a way of escaping from the world, we all want this to be a happy ending for you. PRISS Even Jupiter? RAYE looks away, upset. PRISS And you still think that I've got a chance with Sheila? RAYE Priss, I'm absolutely the last one to be saying that "True love can stand against any force," because I know that's not true. BEAT But I believe that love can survive in the face of overwhelming odds. BEAT And I thought you never gave up. PRISS QUIRKY SMILE Only when I think I don't have anything left to fight for. RAYE SOLEMN Love is always worth it, Priss. BEAT It's why I keep on going. Some days, it's the only reason I have. PRISS TEASING For the look in Her Majesty's eye? RAYE ANNOYED Kami-sama, is it that obvious? PRISS SNORT Only to folks who *aren't* looking at you when you talk about her. RAYE Marvelous ... PRISS So this is rough on you? RAYE NODS I can't remember the last time I was so ... scared. BEAT At least I'm not the only one -- PRISS STARTLED Scared? I'd have thought you'd be angry, or -- RAYE Oh, I am. I want to tear the miserable wretches who've done this to pieces ... but I'm more afraid of what might happen to her if I *fail* ... if I lose her again, I -- BEAT I don't know what I'll do. PRISS WHISPERED It must be nice ... RAYE Hm? PRISS It must be nice ... to be able to admit when you're scared. RAYE smiles sadly. RAYE Yeah. BEAT Anyway ... She motions her head towards a door marked SHOWER. RAYE I've got to grab a quick shower before I give this briefing. I'll see you there. RAYE ducks into the room. PRISS turns to go, then pauses. PRISS "Again"? And then slowly, a look of utter and complete shock spreads across her face as she understands. PRISS No. No way ... PRISS turns and heads back down the corridor, the way that she came. She darts out the exit, just as RANMA steps around the corner, in time to see her leave. He pauses. RANMA Now where've I seen ... Sudden recognition in his features, RANMA darts to the door ... then pauses as he realizes that the rain has begun to pour. He stares up with a greatly put-upon expression. RANMA Typical ... RANMA heads out the door into the rain. Cut to RAYE stepping out of the shower with a towel wrapped around her. A beeping noise comes from the ceiling. RAYE Yes. LT. RYOUKO I've got Luna and Artemis on the line, sir. Should I put them through or -- RAYE Yes, connect them here. She starts to brush her hair, as LUNA and ARTEMIS appear on a screen in the bathroom. RAYE Luna. Artemis. What've you got for us? LUNA We've been investigating. Mars, if ANYONE up here is expecting to take custody of Serenity, they're playing it very close to their chests ... so close that our network hasn't been able to get ANYTHING. ARTEMIS And that's as damn well close to impossible as you can get. I don't think you can let a pin drop on the Moon without one of us finding out about it. LUNA Flatterer. ARTEMIS ANNOYED I meant "one of the *two* of us". RAYE She knows that, Artemis, she's just teasing you. LUNA HURT Do *I* spoil *your* jokes on Serenity or Endymion? RAYE Sorry, Luna. I'm a little ... LUNA SOFT We know. So are we. ARTEMIS Do you have a plan yet? RAYE A few ideas, and I'm hoping that the Palladins will come up with a few more. No strategy, yet. ARTEMIS Right. BEAT Oh, Admiral Tailor wanted us to let whoever was in charge know that the Mihoshi is almost finished its repairs. RAYE That's nice. BEAT Is he telling the truth? LUNA According to our information, she still has a few more days to peak function. She could go out, but ... RAYE Right. Have Justy on standby for a signal from me. Ideally ... but if this were an ideal universe, this wouldn't be happening, would it? LUNA CONCERNED Are you alright? RAYE I'll be fine. BEAT I have to be fine. BEAT Artemis ... Mina's here. Do you want to talk to her? ARTEMIS looks very upset -- more hurt and ashamed than angry. ARTEMIS SOFT No. BEAT No, Mars ... I don't think ... talking didn't make a difference before ... why should it now? RAYE Artemis, what she's done to herself isn't your fault. ARTEMIS Yes it is ... I should have been there to tell her not to take those damn implants when I had the chance, and now -- RAYE So she would have died? BEAT I don't like her cybernetics either, but when she started, she didn't have a choice. BEAT I think that you should talk to her, Artemis. ARTEMIS shakes his head in silence. RAYE sighs. RAYE Whatever, Artemis. Stay where we can reach you two, okay? LUNA & ARTEMIS (sim) Right. The screen goes blank, and RAYE shakes her head wordlessly. Cut to a desk in an office that overlooks a huge drydock in which a starship that bears a vague resemblance to a combination of an Imperial Star Destroyer and a Rebel Blockade Runner is undergoing repairs. LUNA and ARTEMIS are standing on the desk, looking up at a blank screen. LUNA turns to ARTEMIS. LUNA You *should* have talked to her. It's not your fault, love. LUNA hops of the desk and drops to the ground in 1/6th gravity, and walks away on landing. ARTEMIS WHISPERED Yes it is. More than you would understand, and in ways that you can never know ... it is. Cut back to the bathroom. RAYE has dressed in her Senshi uniform. She briefly frowns, and it shifts into a set of fatigues ... then shakes her head, going back to the modified fuku. She picks up something, and lowers her head to take off her eyepatch, holding her hand to her face as she does. A beeping ensues. LT. RYOUKO Sir, we're receiving a transmission from the Palace ... it's the Prince. RAYE lifts her head. She has inserted a very natural looking cybereye into her eye socket. RAYE Onscreen. ENDYMION appears. ENDYMION Raye. Ryouko let Tenchi know that you were back, so I thought I'd check on you. RAYE WEARY SMILE Well, I could have picked a better chauffeur, but ... thank you. ENDYMION I knew that you'd want to be here to handle this job. RAYE nods. A long awkward pause ensues. ENDYMION Bring her back. RAYE I always have. ENDYMION Yes. However ... uh, I also have some instructions from her, that I was supposed to give you if this ever happened. BEAT She said that if you come up with a plan to get her out of a situation that will certainly succeed, but will probably cost you your life ... you're supposed to find another plan. RAYE What?! ENDYMION She knows that you wouldn't risk a plan that would probably lose anyone *else's* life, so -- RAYE Dammit! ENDYMION Raye, she loves you ... and she wants to be able to come back to both of us. RAYE holds a hand over her artificial eye for a moment, muttering ... the word "baka" is often heard. She finally runs her hand through her hair, and looks up. RAYE All right. I ... I won't. ENDYMION Good. BEAT Take care of things. The screen goes blank, and RAYE sighs exasperatedly once more, before heading out of the shower room. In the corridor, she meets VENUS, heading down the way that she had been heading earlier. VENUS Hi. EXCITED Hey, I was wondering about that! RAYE gestures to her eye. RAYE This? BEAT I got a few upgrades. VENUS Peaches! We'll have to compare in a bit. RAYE Yeah. *After* we get Serenity back. VENUS' smile flickers a bit. VENUS Right. Cut to the Strat-Com center, which is even more tightly packed than it was earlier. SHEILA, JOHNNY, RITSUKO and LT. RYOUKO are sitting in a small cluster at the lower level of the chamber. SHEILA keeps looking over her shoulder at the entrance. RYOUKO is hovering with her legs crossed up at the top row, watching the proceedings with vague interest. Just then, the Senshi -- MARS, MERCURY, and VENUS -- enter through the doors at the top, and walk down the aisles to stand in the center of the chamber. JUPITER enters a few seconds later, and closes the door behind her, remaining on the uppermost level after she does so. All conversation in the room has been stilled by the arrival of the Senshi. RAYE takes a deep breath -- then notices that there's an empty seat beside SHEILA. She gives SHEILA an inquisitive look, to which SHEILA gestures helplessly in response. RAYE looks up at the doors ... and sees that JUPITER has a faint, angry smile on her face. The doors have been locked. RAYE SIGHS We'll start now. Cut to the inside of a darkened building. Suddenly, lights come on. The camera's POV is looking at a large chamber, and a young male GUIDE dashes past the camera's POV to stand in front of it. GUIDE Actually, we're supposed to be shut down right now, because of the, uh, *crisis*, if you'll pardon the joke, that's going on right now, but, I mean, since it's *you* ... DEEP BREATH I'll skip the usual spiel on how and why the Knight Sabres were founded, and get right to the exhibits. The GUIDE walks into the chamber, and the camera's POV follows, jumping as though it were walking. The guide pauses at the first exhibit -- what looks like a shrine to Nene Romanova. The centerpiece is a large, blown up photograph of Nene in her ADP dress uniform, smiling broadly, looking a few years older than she did in the series. GUIDE These are some of the handful of surviving photographs of Nene ... many of these were preserved only because of her association with the Senshi, as one of their main agents in MegaTokyo ... like this one, for example. The GUIDE points at a photograph of Nene dressed in a strange and arcane costume including a skirt that is slit high up on both hips. She is standing beside JUPITER -- who towers over her and looks down at her with a confused yet smiling expression. NENE is trying, unsuccessfully, to put rabbit ears on JUPITER, but can't quite reach. PRISS (O.S.) So ... Jupiter was close to her? GUIDE Oh yes. Lady Jupiter was Ms. Romanova's primary contact among the Senshi. PRISS nods. PRISS Thought so. Cut to the STRATCOM chamber. The large hologram projector in the center of the room is displaying an image of the Temple. RAYE slowly circles the center of the room as she speaks. RAYE As you are all aware ... Neo-Queen Serenity has been kidnapped -- or it seems somewhat more accurate to view her as taken hostage -- by forces that have taken control of the headquarters of this fringe religion as a base. BEAT Our objective is simple. Get her safely out of there with a bare minimum of loss of life and property damage. BEAT Unfortunately, both parts of that goal are hindered by two of these terrorists' suspected allies. LADY MERCURY makes an adjustment to the hologram projector, such that it turns to file photos of KEI and YURI. Gasps of sheer horror are heard throughout the room. JOHNNY turns a shocked gaze on LT. RYOUKO. JOHNNY You bleeding liar. LT. RYOUKO I didn't lie. I just didn't admit that you were right. JOHNNY What's the bleeding difference?! RAYE AHEM. The panicked whispering slowly dies down. RAYE These two need no introduction, it seems. BEAT Their presence means that we have to step carefully, but that would be true no matter what the opposition had in their hand. The Lovely Angels *can* be defeated. They *were* defeated in their final mission, no matter how historians go on about how their loss finally got the Planet Pirates broken up once and for all. THEY -- WERE -- BEATEN -- by an force of a few dozen scum of the galaxy equipped with some ultratech. BEAT We're better than that, Ladies and Gentlemen. This isn't going to be a repeat of a Dirty Pair casefile. They're going down. Cut to the inside of a hallway in the Temple. KEI and YURI march on either side of SERENITY, their blasters out and ready. KEI We're moving *up* in the world, Yuri. No more more dangerous under- cover assignments for you and me, no sir. Now we march people around. From room to room! From floor to floor! Yes, even up to the topmost level of the Temple of Whoever The Heck These Weirdos Worship! SERENITY I *am* enjoying the tour. YURI tries half-heartedly to suppress a giggle at that comment. KEI glowers. KEI I'm glad *somebody's* happy. BEAT Yuri, this is stupid. Anybody could do this sort of thing, he doesn't need a pair of "galactic legends" to escort a helpless prisoner around a deserted temple! YURI It is a bit strange ... KEI Hell, he could do it himself! Have the satisfaction of shoving a queen around to his heart's content! SERENITY Now, I doubt that I would enjoy *that*. KEI Would you *please* -- SERENITY Perhaps he does not want to see me. BEAT Or does not want me to see him. KEI and YURI come to a complete stop. SERENITY, her arms held behind her back with the neutralizer bracelet clasping her left wrist, continues forward for a few paces, before turning to look over her shoulder with a quizzical expression at the Pair. YURI What do you mean ... doesn't want you to see him? BEAT Kei, what if this isn't a rebellion, what if it's some sort of coup? KEI In that case ... YURI Does the name Deacon mean anything to you? SERENITY Deacon? BEAT Deacon. Deekon. Deakon. Daikon. BEAT I believe that that was the anime convention which gave the animators later known as Gainax their first major exposure ... was it not? A long silence ensues. YURI *WHAT?* SERENITY Perhaps that was before your time. KEI Yuri, you idiot! Why in the world would he tell us his real name?! SERENITY It is always sad to see distrust in the ranks of an organization ... KEI Oh yeah? I suppose you blindly trust everyone in your pack. SERENITY SHAKES HEAD No. Not blindly. I know beyond any shadow of a doubt that the people whom I trust are trustworthy. YURI UNEASY How? SERENITY They have all proven themselves. Many times over. To me, and just as importantly, to themselves. They *know* how much I trust them. KEI But are there any people in your pack that you don't trust? SERENITY HESITANT Perhaps ... one or two who I am uncertain about. KEI Okay. That established, does this guy sound like anyone you know -- he's about -- SERENITY I am sorry, Miss, but I have a terrible memory for faces. KEI Great. BEAT Wait a minute, he's got you right where he wants you -- *why* wouldn't he want you to see him in his moment of triumph? SERENITY Perhaps he does not believe that this *is* his moment of triumph ... perhaps he believes that it is I who has him right where I want him. YURI That's crazy. SERENITY Perhaps. Or he believes that if he were to face me, he would be unable to resist doing something that he would regret. KEI You mean ... he'd try and kill you out of hand. SERENITY As you say. KEI and YURI exchange a glimpse. YURI We won't let him do that. SERENITY I know. KEI Huh? SERENITY After all, if you did permit him to kill me ... then my death would be your fault. BEAT And it is never your fault, is it? She smiles sweetly at the stunned Pair. SERENITY Shall we go? It would be rude to keep Mr. Deacon waiting. KEI and YURI exchange a look ... then shrug, and walk swiftly to catch up and walk beside SERENITY. Cut to PRISS being led by the GUIDE to a display around a familiar yet somehow different looking blue hardsuit. GUIDE And this is something with which you are already well-acquainted ... or would be, if not for your ... um, little problem. PRISS You know about that, huh? GUIDE NOD Dr. Bairessey mentioned it when he came for his daily visit a few days ago. BEAT In any event, this is the Mark 11 Stingray Exo- Skeletal Battlesuit, "Morning Mist" model. Constructed 2041, it had not yet been field tested before the end of the Knight Sabres. PRISS But it works? GUIDE Theoretically. Mackinnison Stingray left clear instructions for its maintenance with us, and generations of archivists have followed them to the letter. Assuming the best, all you'd need to do is ... well, um ... PRISS Slap on a softsuit and go? GUIDE BLINK Oh. Right. No, the Mark 8 Hardsuit eliminated the need for the innerwear of previous designs, and all of the later versions followed in its path. PRISS is suddenly *very* interested and aware. PRISS So ... if I wanted to, I could just slip this thing on over my regular clothes and -- The GUIDE is rather embarrassed. GUIDE Well, no. BEAT Nudity is -- PRISS DISBELIEVING What? GUIDE All the versions after the Mark 8 required that the operator be naked under the suit. We're not sure why Dr. Stingray constructed it along those lines, but ... PRISS So if I activate the explosive release I'm giving everyone a free show?! GUIDE UPSET That feature was replaced in the Mark 4 ... with a real self- destruct system ... PRISS Oh, this gets better and better. BEAT Okay, whatever. Do you suppose I could try it on? GUIDE Well, considering the situation, I don't think it'd be a good idea to let you go *out*, but as long as you didn't leave the building, I'm sure it would be all right. PRISS Great. When they ask you about it, remember to tell them that you asked if I'd lost touch with reality, and I pulled a gun on you and told you that this was fantasy, before I knocked you out. GUIDE Huh? PRISS gives the GUIDE a right cross to jaw, knocking him out at once. PRISS No respect for history. She vaults into the display area, and examines the advanced hard suit. The helmet comes off easily, revealing a tiny switch on inside of the suit's neck. PRISS Nice to see some things don't change. She taps the switch, and the chest area bends forward from the waist, while the rear of the legs angle backwards, bending at the knees. PRISS examines the interior, and sees that it has been lined with the material that made up the innerwear. PRISS Mackie *must* have suggested it to Sylia at a weak moment for her. She sighs, and begins to pull off her clothes. Cut back to the STRATCOM center. The holographic display is showing three dimensional blueprints of the Temple grounds. RAYE And that, ladies and gentlemen, is everything that we've been able to dig up on the Temple's structure. Let me stress again that all scans confirm that the building has been wired to self-destruct at any time. BEAT You've all been recruited, over the centuries, because of your various skills, but more importantly because you've all shown an ability to think non-linearly ... to make intuitive leaps and apply them to strategy and tactics. That's what we need of you today -- a plan to get her Majesty out of there, safely. BEAT I should also note that plans that hinge on daring solo raids into the Temple are *not* acceptable. There is a sudden babble from the crowd. A young looking woman with pink hair and hard eyes stands up. SAKI With all due respect, Lady Mars ... that sort of thing is what most of us tend to specialize in. RAYE CLIPPED I'm aware of that. SAKI Then -- RAYE But I'm not willing to accept suggestions for a plan that I've been personally ordered not to attempt under any circumstances. If I'm not allowed to do it, then neither is anyone else. SAKI sits down with an annoyed expression. Simultaneously, a young woman with honey blond hair stands up not far away from her. HONEY Lady Mars, you mentioned that there were a number of additional people in the complex. RAYE That's correct, Major Kisaragi. HONEY Would it be possible to slip a small group of operatives into the temple, covering them with a brief attack by ... a battlesuit equipped soldier, which we would officially claim as a renegade action -- in any event, the agents would neutralize and disguise themselves as enemy personnel, and rescue the Queen that way? LT. RYOUKO STANDS I'd be willing to volunteer for the attack ... although I wonder why the Major immediately thought of a battlesuit pilot to perform an "unauthorized" action. SHEILA MUTTERED Maybe because 'suiters tend to crack up more often than any other unit? LT. RYOUKO TURNS AND GLARES Would you provide statistics for that virulent piece of slander? SHEILA I'm looking at one. LT. RYOUKO looks as though she's about to physically attack SHEILA, when MERCURY coughs deliberately. RYOUKO pauses, visibly calms down, and sits. RAYE I appreciate the offer, Lieutenant. BEAT Unfortunately, there's a problem. Mercury, if you could bring up the lifescans? MERCURY adjusts the console. Several flagged lights appear on the three dimensional diagram of the temple -- one is tagged SERENITY, and is accompanied by two UNKNOWN lights as it moves up through a series of staircases. Two other UNKNOWN lights are located in a lower level room, near where a light marked FUJIKO is moving slowly. Near the top of the complex is a final UNKNOWN. RAYE ASIDE They're moving her. ALOUD We think that these -- She points to the two accompanying Serenity. RAYE -- are the Dirty Pair, but we're not one hundred percent sure. However, we're fairly sure that these -- She gestures at the two in the lower level room. RAYE -- *must* be the other hostages that the terrorist leader mentioned in passing. The presence of Fujiko, on the same level, argues for that. In other words, the only group of people that you could impersonate would need an incredible excuse to be wandering around unhindered. BEAT A good idea, but not for this situation. RAYE looks up at the dots indicating Serenity and the Dirty Pair. They have reached the uppermost level of the complex. The Unknown is moving towards their location. Cut to a shot of the highest point of the temple, a broad tower that extends a few feet above the roof of the "Parthenon" structure. Its most notable exterior feature is a large picture window that displays SERENITY, seated quietly in a high-backed chair. Inside, KEI and YURI peer in through the door leading to the chamber in which she sits. Footsteps are heard, and they look up to see the CHIEF climbing up the staircase. He has changed into his usual pinstripe suit. CHIEF WHISPERED Did she give you any trouble? KEI LOW No. None. YURI She sat down in that chair in there as soon as we got here and hasn't moved or spoken since. See for yourself. She gestures for him to come take a look, but he shakes his head violently. CHIEF No. I fear that if I lay eyes on that, that ... *thing*, I may be driven to do something ... His hands are clawing the air in front of him, and KEI and YURI are looking at him with wary looks. Suddenly, he clasps his hands together in a prayerful fashion. CHIEF ... something which is not for me to decide. Something which belongs to another. KEI and YURI exchange a look which screams, "Nutcase." YURI turns back to him and smiles calmly. YURI So ... what's next, Chief? Where do we go from here? CHIEF SOBER Now I will make my final attempt at a peaceful settlement with the government ... and after it is rejected ... He trails off, making a dramatic pause. KEI Then what? CHIEF We go up. Cut to the display of PRISS' hardsuit. PRISS is now completely suited up, and within her helmet is examining the modifications that have been made between this suit and the ones that she is familiar with, as information scrolls across her Heads-Up Display. PRISS Railgun ... modified ammo loads, huh? Should be interesting ... Slight increase in laser output. Improved knucklebomber employing ... Gack! How much TNT? I bet I had fun with that. BEAT Got rid of the rocket kicks, huh? Well, they were fun, but ... too much stress on the drivetrain. Whatever. BEAT I don't get it ... what's the big improvement that this thing has over the suit I was using when everything went -- (FEMALE) RANMA (O.S.) Flight. PRISS whirls, and instinctively raises her right arm to fire her railgun at the target. We see the strip of metal streak towards a figure in the shadows ... who at the last minute lifts her hand to catch the bolt between two fingers, an inch from her face. (FEMALE) RANMA Nice to meet you, too. Inside her hardsuit, PRISS is beyond stunned. PRISS SHEILA? RANMA steps into clearer view, and we can see the reason for PRISS' confusion ... her "pig-tail" has grown even longer, until it reaches her waist. Aside from that, she looks just like she did in the Twentieth Century, but her eyes (like Male RANMA's) give a clearer idea of her true age. RANMA Nope. I can understand your confusion, though. PRISS Who the hell are you and how the fuck did you do that? RANMA Saotome Ranma. And practice. Lots of practice. BEAT I see that you managed to get it up and running. PRISS Uh ... am I supposed to know you from somewhere? BEAT Wait, let me guess. You're Nene's remote descendant, come to beat me up for all those times I made fun of her. RANMA Not even close, and no, we've never met. However, we do have a couple friends in common. PRISS Raye? RANMA Actually, I was thinking more of Linna Yamazaki. A long silence ensues. PRISS You knew Linna? RANMA That's what I said. I met her in China, a little under nine hundred years ago. PRISS You're immortal, then. RANMA Sure seems that way, sometimes. She was ... somewhat helpful in a little situation that I found myself in, and when she found out that I was going to be around for a long time, she described you to me ... asked me to look you up when you got out of coldsleep. BEAT Anyway, I saw you running out of the MACC, and decided to see what you were up to. BEAT So what do you think you're doing? PRISS I thought I might pop over to the Temple, look up Serenity, have a few drinks ... RANMA In other words, a suicidal rescue attempt, rushing in where angels say "I'm not getting paid enough to do this?" PRISS It's what I do best. RANMA SHRUGS You won't get any argument from me. It's probably as good a plan as they're coming up with in there. BEAT But what I want to know is, why? PRISS What? RANMA No, why. BEAT I know about you, Asagiri. I know that the Senshi dragged you out of coldsleep, mucked with your memories, and turned you into a carrier pigeon ... aside from a mild rejuvenation job, you don't owe them a thing. So I wanna know why you're doing a crazy stunt like this. PRISS raises her visor. PRISS Why the hell do you care? RANMA idly snaps the railgun bolt in two. RANMA Satisfy a frail old woman's curious nature. PRISS closes her eyes for a long moment, then opens them again. PRISS Because Serenity means more to Raye than anything in this world, and she's the only friend I've got left. BEAT Because she lost her once, when Serena died, and I don't want her to lose her again. BEAT And because ... because only one person ever loved me like that, and she never told me, and now she's gone. BEAT And nobody should ever lose a love like that twice. RANMA is silent for a long moment ... and then, slowly, she nods. RANMA You're right. BEAT As I said ... the major improvement to the Mark 11 Hardsuits was the addition, to all five of them, of a fully functional flight system. PRISS is visibly startled. PRISS Wait a minute, this thing doesn't have any more thrusters than my old suit -- RANMA SHAKES HEAD Doesn't need them. PRISS Then how -- BEAT Did Sylia figure out how to mess with *gravity*? RANMA Yes, but that's not what's involved here. BEAT When I saw it, on Linna's suit ... I thought Stingray must have been listening to too much Wagner. BEAT Anyway, there's not enough room to use it in here ... c'mon outside. PRISS Is this gonna attract attention? RANMA Yeah, but so will a suicidal assault on the temple, and this'll give you an edge on the bad guys. PRISS Works for me. RANMA turns and heads out of the room, with PRISS following a few feet behind. Cut to the StratCom center. RAYE No, Captain Montoya, we don't have an apocalypse cloak, and I don't think that would work this time. The brown-haired bearded swordsman sits down with an annoyed look on his face. A beeping noise comes from the terminal where MERCURY is sitting. MERCURY We're receiving a signal from the temple. RAYE Put it up. Several holographic view screens appear in the center of the room, broadcasting the image in all directions. The CHIEF, with the distortion field up is standing in a featureless room. CHIEF I assume I am speaking to Lady Venus once more? RAYE You assume incorrectly. Lady Venus has transferred command to myself, Lady Mars. CHIEF Oh dear. RAYE We will not under any circumstances negotiate with terrorists. Release Neo-Queen Serenity AT ONCE. CHIEF I see. Well. There's nothing much to say, then. Good day. The screen dissolves to static. MERCURY Transmission lost. Cut to the room shown in the transmission. The CHIEF slowly reaches inside his suit, producing a small penlike device ... and with an almost ecstatic expression, he presses a button on the end. Cut to a shot of several large turbines, beginning to move swiftly. Cut back to the StratCom center. There is a sudden, ominous rumbling. RAYE What was that? MERCURY Small scale seismic disturbance ... Raye! Several *extremely* large gravitational disruptions, centered under the Temple. RAYE But ... WHISPERED Son of a bitch. ALOUD Give me an exterior view! The holodisplay shows the Temple hill slowly but surely coming apart ... with the temple and much of the top of the hill slowly ascending. Cut to an exterior view of the same, as the Patrol Labors gathered at the foot of the hill back away to avoid several sudden avalanches. One grav car comes too close to the floating structure, and its engines suddenly fail, causing it to crash to the ground. NOA (LOUD SPEAKER) All units, fall back! Fall back! Cut to the exterior of the Knight Sabres museum, just as RANMA and PRISS exit at a dash. RANMA looks up with an expression which can be summed up in her words. RANMA Huh! Never seen anything like that before ... PRISS HOW THE HELL --? RANMA Big contragrav turbines, big as a house ... and nothing with a smaller set will be able to get close. This is where you come in, of course ... PRISS I can get close to that thing? RANMA Yep. BEAT; AS IF QUOTING "That's what your wings were made for." PRISS Huh? RANMA Never mind. Just say `Flight Mode'. PRISS DISBELIEVING Come on. RANMA What? PRISS Do I gotta shout "Saber Beam" if I wanna use my laser? RANMA ANNOYED No. But the flight system *is* voice activated. You don't have to *shout*, just *speak*. PRISS Running around naked under a hard suit, sentai voice command ... Sylia must really have had a few too many when she came up with this stuff ... RANMA is clutching the sides of her head and gritting her teeth. RANMA Will you hurry up and do it, you uncute -- PRISS SIGH Flight Mode. Immediately, two small bulges on the hard suit's rear shoulders begin to glow a bright blue-white colour ... and a few seconds later, they expand and explode outwards, forming two long blue-white energy constructs that look for all the world like large, feathered bird wings. Inside the helmet, PRISS reacts in shocked astonishment. PRISS WHISPERED Shit. RANMA nods with a satisfied smile. RANMA Still works after all this time. That's pretty damn impressive ... She nods her head towards the slowly ascending Temple. RANMA Well? Go get 'em. PRISS Uh, newsflash, lady, I've never done this sort of thing before ... RANMA Just give yourself a short running distance, a couple meters should do it, and jump. The computer should handle the rest. Just point your nose the way that you wanna go. PRISS pauses, then nods once ... then pauses again. PRISS Aren't you coming? RANMA How, praytell? Am I supposed to transform to Great Saotomeman and fly using my immense chi? BEAT You're on your own, Asagiri ... PRISS Right. BEAT Thanks. She visibly braces herself, then runs forward a few steps, and takes a leap ... and then the wings take over, flapping several times a second. PRISS WHOAHOAHOAHOAHOAHOAHOAHOAHOAHOA! After a few seconds of panicked shrieking, PRISS appears to have gotten a handle on it, and starts flying in the general direction of the rising temple. RANMA looks up at her with a nonplussed expression. RANMA I guess Linna had had a few practice runs after all ... BEAT Fly with my chi? Never actually tried that ... maybe some other time. BEAT I wonder where I could get a kettle of hot water around here? Cut to the bridge of the MACC as RAYE, VENUS, MERCURY, JUPITER, LT. RYOUKO, and SHEILA enter at a run. RAYE immediately takes the captain's chair, while RYOUKO drops into the sensor control post. MERCURY heads for another console. RAYE Put it onscreen. The main display shows the temple rising higher into the air. None of the gravitic vehicles are able to approach it without losing power, and so are maintaining a safe distance. RAYE Shitshitshitshit! BEAT Amy! Contragrav turbines that powerful are huge, right? MERCURY Extremely. And the engineering required so that they won't tear loose from whatever structure you're trying to lift is also extensive. RAYE In other words, this has been a long time in the planning. MERCURY NODS They must have infiltrated the Cult some time ago and -- RAYE No. BEAT I want you to examine the Archdeacon of the Cult of Serenity's transaction records for the last year. MERCURY blinks, startled, and then bends to her task. A few moments later, she looks up, now even more startled. MERCURY How? RAYE Intuition. BEAT He bought the raw materials to build the turbines over an extended period, right? If he'd bought them in a lump, or preassembled, our agents would have taken notice ... nobody builds CG equipment that large without a good reason. A good reason in their world view, at least. JUPITER But ... but Raye! It doesn't make any sense! I've *met* the man! He *literally* worships the ground Serenity walks on! He's opposed to the treaty with Jurai on the basis that we don't need *any* alliances since we're ruled by a GODDESS! Why would he *do* something like this? RAYE When we catch him, Lita, be sure and ask him, okay? JUPITER visibly snaps. JUPITER And how the *hell* are we going to do *that*?! We can't threaten to shoot the damn thing, or it'll blow up, or worse crash! We can't get near it with any kind of contragrav! If it gets out to orbit, we won't won't be able to have the fleet move in for the exact same reasons! And because of you and your reckless behavior -- RAYE snaps to look angrily in her direction. JUPITER -- we can't even teleport up there ourselves and go in shooting, 'cause that'd be a suicidal mission, and Gods forbid that any of *us* get to risk *our* lives to save hers, since you've bloody well cornered the market on -- RAYE FURIOUS Hippolita Kino, get the hell off this bridge! JUPITER suddenly seems to realize exactly what she's been saying. JUPITER Raye, I -- RAYE No! Not one more word out of you! You're on suspension, and the only reason I've let you be present for this was out of consideration for your feelings, but since you've shown that you don't give a fig for anyone else's feelings -- JUPITER NO! That's not -- RAYE -- you can just go back to your quarters and watch what happens on TV like the *rest* of the civilians! BEAT I said, get off my bridge, or I'll call security and -- VENUS SHUT UP! BEAT Both of you, shut up! BEAT My lack of god, I don't believe what I'm hearing. BEAT Serenity's in the worst place that she's been in since ... since the final battles of the War, and all the two of you can do is stand there and yell at each other for not being able to do more to help her! BEAT We're *all* helpless! We're *all* scared! And everyone is relying on *us* to make the right decisions, and we don't know what they are! BEAT; CRYING What the hell went wrong? We were supposed to always be together, getting on each other's nerves, and laughing our way through the hard times -- not turning into THIS! BEAT We were meant to get a happy ending! We were supposed to be happy! I was supposed to be ... to be ... WHISPERED ... what would Serena say if she saw us like this? VENUS is holding her face in her hands, shuddering. JUPITER and RAYE gaze at her for a few seconds, then meet each other's gaze. For a moment, RAYE tries to hold onto her angry expression ... and then it collapses, and there's a look of sheer terror in her eyes. RAYE I don't *know* what we're going to do, Lita. I don't know *how* we're going to save her this time, or what we're going to do if we *don't*. BEAT But I do know that I *can't* find a way to save her *and* deal with you at the same time, so if you can't handle it, *please* leave. I won't think any less of you if you do. JUPITER momentarily lets the fear that she's feeling show, but then clamps it down again. JUPITER I'm ... I'm sorry. I'm sc-- I'm *worried* about the same things that you are ... and I'm not good with feelings. BEAT I can handle it. I have to. I couldn't ... *stand* not being at the heart of it ... a second time. RAYE nods ... and a brief silence descends on the bridge, broken by a beep from the sensor station, where LT. RYOUKO (like everyone else on the bridge) has been watching the confrontation. She turns back to her radar display. LT. RYOUKO Lady Mars, we've got an unidentified airborne object moving towards the Temple. RAYE Let's see it. A long distance shot of the winged hardsuit is displayed as it flies towards the Temple. RAYE Increase magnification ... no, it can't be ... The hardsuit is clearly visible in all its detail now. RAYE & SHEILA (sim) STRANGLED Priss! JUPITER What the hell is she doing?! How'd she get that thing up and running? RAYE If she gets out, I'll ask her that myself. BEAT Open a channel to her ... The communications officer -- a young woman of African heritage and light-blue-purple hair -- tries for a few seconds. PENDA No response on any frequency. JUPITER Raye, do something! RAYE Like what? JUPITER Stop her! If she goes in there, guns blazing, they're going to kill Serenity! RAYE Then we'll just have to hope that she's more subtle than that, because I don't have any idea how to stop her. LT. RYOUKO stands up quickly. LT. RYOUKO Milady! If I take a small group of battlesuits up after her, I'm very confident of our ability to bring her in. SHEILA stares at her with mingled terror and outrage. SHEILA THE HELL YOU WILL! RAYE shoots a glare in SHEILA's direction, but speaks as though she were looking at LT. RYOUKO. RAYE No, Ryouko, our strike suits aren't equal to -- LT. RYOUKO With all due respect, Lady Mars, I think that you both underestimate us and overestimate the Stingray technology! SHEILA Raye, she just wants to go out there and fight Priss so she can `prove' herself -- LT. RYOUKO Keep your delusions to yourself, dyke. SHEILA whirls, utterly furious, and directs a punch at RYOUKO's face. She dodges, but SHEILA's fist slams into the metal wall of her workstation, leaving a clear impression. RAYE ENOUGH! Sheila, you shouldn't even be on the bridge, so unless you want to spend the next few days in jail, get ahold of yourself. Lieutenant, I warn you that your remarks verge on conduct unbecoming an officer ... apologize AT ONCE. LT. RYOUKO STIFF I apologize, *Ms.* Tenkai. BEAT I was unaware that you took offense at that particular term used as self-description by individuals of your -- MERCURY ANGRY RYOUKO. RYOUKO glowers at LADY MERCURY, then bows in her direction and is silent. RAYE DEEP SIGH Request denied. Her armor can get inside the Temple's contragrav field, which would prevent any of our battlesuits from getting close. BEAT We'll just have to rely on her discretion. JUPITER What discretion? RAYE Not now, Lita ... JUPITER God's names, Raye, how can you trust someone like that? She -- RAYE The *same* way that I trust *you*, who also quote *wimped* *out*, unquote. BEAT Don't you realize just how much you sound like a hypocrite when you talk like that? BEAT She lost herself when Nene was killed, and when she found out that Sylia had taken Genom tower with her like that. Just like you lost yourself when Serena died. You two are the *same*. JUPITER Yes! AND LOOK WHAT *I* DID *AFTER* THAT! RAYE is confused ... and then suddenly understanding dawns on her face. RAYE You think she's going to crack up, and ... do the same sort of thing that you did when you killed Kunou. BEAT Lita, that's crazy. Just because you've suffered the same sort of things -- JUPITER -- doesn't mean that she'll also go postal eventually? Maybe. All I know is that I can't trust her to do the right thing. TO SHEILA EVER. SHEILA stares at her mother for a very long moment, her anger and shock clear in her eyes ... then turns and storms off the bridge. RAYE and JUPITER follow her with their eyes. RAYE Isn't it fortunate, then, for all concerned, that you don't *have* to trust her? BEAT Because I *can*, and I *do*. RAYE turns her back on JUPITER, and looks at the screen. PRISS is within a short distance of the tower, closer than any grav cars have been able to get. RAYE WHISPERED Godspeed. A whistled version of "Flight of the Valkyries" slowly draws RAYE's attention ... and she turns to stare at VENUS, who is whistling the tune with a faraway expression on her face. Cut to the courtyard of the temple, as PRISS moves gracefully towards the building at its far end. She comes to a stop and lands beside the glasshouse. SERENITY is sitting in her chair with a blank expression on her face. PRISS holds up her right hand to blast one of the windows ... then pauses. PRISS Wait a minute ... She punches the window instead. It shatters inward, and little bits of glass streak by SERENITY's face. (Some of them seem to be deflected by an invisible barrier just before they touch her.) PRISS steps into the hole in the wall, and approaches SERENITY, lifting her visor. PRISS Yo. BEAT Hey. Are you okay? Seren-- Serena? SERENITY turns to look at PRISS calmly. SERENITY I am no longer that person. Hello, Ms. Asagiri. PRISS Huh? SHAKES HEAD Whatever. I've come to get you out of here. SERENITY Yes, I thought you might. PRISS DUBIOUS *Are* you okay? SERENITY Quite all right, thank you. Well, except for this. She holds up her right arm, with the negation band firmly clamped around it. PRISS That's the same sort of thing that that boomer had Raye put on ... Shit. You've got nothing, do you? SERENITY I would not go so far as to say *that* ... PRISS Right, right, faster and stronger than any mortal, just hold on tight when we get out of here -- Cut to the hallway just outside the room, as KEI and YURI come tearing up the stairs, followed closely by SMITHERS. KEI I thought you said nobody could get near us with that field up! SMITHERS TERRIFIED Nobody *ought* to be able to -- YURI quickly peeks in the door to the glassroom, and lets out a short, quiet squawk before ducking back to safety. YURI We're screwed. KEI What?! YURI MORTAL FEAR Knight Sabres. KEI Oh yeah, right. Next you'll be talking about the Sailor Soldiers ... YURI motions for KEI to take a look for herself. She does so, and gulps before backing away. KEI Okay ... so they dusted off an old battlesuit. Big deal ... it's not like its one of the actual Sabres is running that thing ... and even then they did get beaten. Couple times. I think. YURI Quit trying to rationalize and panic like I have! KEI nods silently to herself. KEI Okay, there's only one way to do this. YURI I'm listening. KEI Rush in and hope whoever's in there is as scared of us as we are of her ... suit. YURI Sounds like a plan. KEI silently counts to three, and then the Pair turn and throw open the doors. KEI has a very large, almost Kirbyesque gun in a shooter's grip, while YURI is holding a blaster and the Bloody Card in either hand. KEI & YURI (sim) FREEZE! PRISS slams down her visor as she whirls to look at them ... and blinks. Repeatedly. Close shots of the Pair's battle bikinis. PRISS You have *got* to be kidding. KEI and YURI are mortified. PRISS Who the hell are -- SERENITY They are the most famous team of Trouble Consultants ever employed by the Worlds Work Welfare Association -- the Lovely Angels. PRISS The ... LOOKS AGAIN Come on. Are you serious? BEAT These are the ones that everyone was so scared of back at the meeting? KEI's eyes close, and her jaw clenches. PRISS *These* are the ones they were calling the twin goddesses of death and destruction? KEI shows her teeth. PRISS *This* is the Dirty Pair? KEI's eyes flash open, and she starts firing her BFG at its maximum firing rate. Bullets, tiny bursts of energy, and little arrows shoot out of it. YURI stares at her with a startled expression but wisely doesn't try to stop her. KEI SCREAMING DIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIE DIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIE! After a few seconds, she stops both her firing and her screaming, and takes several long gasps of air. She stares at PRISS ... whose armor is dented and scorched, and there are arrows sticking out at odd angles. But she's still standing. SERENITY pops her head out from behind PRISS, and smiles apologetically. PRISS Was that supposed to accomplish something? KEI throws the gun away, and runs at PRISS with the clear intention of engaging her in hand to hand. PRISS raises her right arm, and the doors of her railgun open up -- and everything goes into slow motion as YURI sees this, and throws the Bloody Card, and it loops around KEI to smash into the weapon arm just as the bolt is emerging from the railgun. Sparks fly, making PRISS yelp in surprise more than pain. The arm's weapons are disabled. The Card loops back to YURI, who is disturbed to see that it is dented and slightly melted. Then KEI closes with PRISS. While somewhat less fundamentally indescribable than RANMA and RYOUGA's grudge match, this is still a fight which can only be imagined. PRISS' *slight* advantages of strength and damage resistance are set off by KEI's greater experience and skill ... and by the fact that she fights EXTREMELY dirty. (So does PRISS, but KEI knows more dirty tricks.) Put simply, it's an even match, and its going to come down to who lasts longest. YURI is watching the fight worriedly, her gun ready. SMITHERS approaches her, with a very nervous expression. SMITHERS Why aren't you -- YURI I'm trying to find a way to avoid hitting her. SMITHERS For God's sake, don't shoot if you think that you can't avoid hitting the Queen! YURI glares at him. YURI I'll try to avoid hitting your cute hostage. She's a nice person. But if I can't avoid hitting Kei any other way -- She turns back to the fight. SMITHERS I see. BEAT I understand completely. Really I do. He silently lifts a small, holdout weapon of some sort, which he points at the base of YURI's skull. Back in the fight, PRISS has maneuvered KEI around so that KEI can't see what's going on at the doorway, but PRISS can and does. For a moment, she freezes ... PRISS Hey! Look out! KEI Oh come on, do you think I'm dumb enough to fall for -- YURI *is* "dumb" enough to "fall for" it, and turns to see SMITHERS pointing the weapon at her, and shrieks. The weapon discharges, searing a bolt of energy across the bottom of YURI's cheek, which makes her shriek a second time. YURI lashes out, slamming a high kick into SMITHERS' jaw, knocking him back before he can get a second shot off, and then firing her own gun at his chest. Repeatedly. He goes flying backward, down the staircase. KEI pauses, and turns to see YURI collapse to her knees. KEI YURIIII! PRISS lets out a sigh of relief ... and is thus off guard for KEI's furious pounding of her chest and visor. KEI MESS WITH *MY* MIND, WILL YOU?! KEI lets up after a few seconds, letting PRISS collapse limply to the floor, and runs over to YURI. KEI Yuri! YURI is clutching her cheek with her right hand. YURI Owowowowowow. KEI Let me see it. YURI shakes her head. YURI Ow! Ow! KEI Yuri, does it hurt when you talk or move your head? YURI NODS OW. KEI Then shut up and sit still you ditz! YURI looks at her reproachfully, but obeys. KEI stands, grabs YURI's gun, and marches back into the room. Unnoticed by either of them, the CHIEF pokes his head up the staircase. YURI strides over to where PRISS is lying, slams her heel into PRISS' stomach (eliciting a grunt of pain) wrenches her visor upward, and points the gun at PRISS' face. KEI Don't call us that. Okay? PRISS Huh? KEI That name. PRISS The Dirty -- KEI shoots just to the side of PRISS' head. KEI Darn my itchy trigger finger. PRISS O-kay. KEI turns to look at SERENITY, who is sitting peacefully, smiling and humming. KEI Allright. Enough already. What's going on here? SERENITY Why are you asking me? I am the one being -- KEI And we're the ones being led to believe that you're a megalomaniac. Are you? SERENITY gives the question serious thought. SERENITY A megalomaniac is an individual who believes that he or she is a super- being chosen for a certain task? KEI Works for me. SERENITY In that case ... yes. BEAT However, I have certain very good reasons to believe that I am that which I believe I am. KEI ANGRY Dammit could you *please* give me a straight answer?! YURI Kei ... KEI No! Dammit, Yuri, I *have* to have an answer to this! I'm tired of not finding out things until it's too late to do anything! I'm tired of things going wrong because we didn't realize something important! I'm *tired* of feeling like a *shit* every time the Central Computer says "It's not their fault" and having to see the faces of people who got hurt in our mix-ups on the news *every* *bloody* *night*! BEAT I'm tired. TO SERENITY So talk, you! Since we woke up it's been nothing but "Serenity rules with an iron fist! She crushes all opposition! She forces her will on the populace!" Now it's your turn! I wanna hear your side of the story! Talk! SERENITY is still for a long moment ... and then she shakes her head. SERENITY No. KEI BLINKS WHAT? SERENITY Kei, maturity involves both taking responsibility for your actions ... and accepting that you are *not* responsible for everything in the world. I understand how you feel, I have felt the pain of wishing that there was something that I could have done to make matters right when there wasn't. BEAT But consider ... if I persuade you that I am on the side of good, and lie to you ... when you realize your error, you will be able to deny responsibility for your choice by claiming that you were tricked. BEAT And you will have learned nothing. KEI I ... I just want ... SERENITY PITYING You just want someone to take you in her arms, cradle you to sleep, and whisper softly, "It is not your fault, Kei-chan." BEAT I am sorry, Kei. I will not do that. I could. BEAT If I wanted to, I could make you love me as a daughter loves a mother, or as a sister loves a sister, or as some women love each other. I could make anyone do that. Everyone. "All would look on me and despair". BEAT I will not do that. I have chosen otherwise. She stands, and walks calmly and gracefully to where KEI is standing and staring at her with a confused expression. SERENITY Choice is an important thing, Kei. But it must be a Choice made with full awareness of what will happen if the Choice is made. BEAT Down both paths, you will survive this day. But if you choose to act in anger and confusion, an innocent will die -- and it *will* be your fault. While if you choose to act in love and hope, you may always wonder whether you did the right thing, for there is no Central Computer to absolve you, now -- and I have seen what madness can come from knowing that something could have gone another way. BEAT But the Choice must be made -- SERENITY quickly stomps on PRISS' hand as it reaches up to grab KEI's ankle. PRISS HEY! SERENITY -- and made *without* interference. KEI I don't understand. What -- CHIEF (O.S.) EX-cuse me. KEI whirls around to stare at the CHIEF, who is standing in the doorway, holding YURI in a headlock with one arm, while the other clutches a detonator switch of some sort. CHIEF You aren't living up to your part of the deal, Kei. BEAT Kill the one in the hardsuit. Now. Or I'll be forced to use *this*. KEI Oh yeah? And what's *that*? CHIEF Rest assured, that if you don't kill her, this will do it for you ... but that it will take you, me, SHOVES YURI her, and Serenity with her. BEAT Come now. You wouldn't want the death of an innocent like Yuri on your hands, now would you? He caresses the developing scar on YURI's cheek, causing her face to twist in pain. KEI's eyes go to slits, and everything goes into slow motion as she swings the gun around, so that it points at SERENITY, the chair, the wall, and finally at the CHIEF ... and then we see KEI's eyes widen in surprise ... and the gun continues its swing, as KEI releases it from her hand and lets it go flying into the opposite wall. KEI Do it yourself, you bastard. BEAT I don't do wetwork. The CHIEF seems completely shocked by this development. He stares at KEI for a few seconds, and then SERENITY steps between them, and looks at him quizzically. SERENITY Well? The CHIEF lets go of YURI and tries to stumble back out of SERENITY's view, and accidentally (or perhaps not) stabs down on the trigger mechanism of the device in his hand. Below, the turbines pause for an instant ... and then begin to spin at an almost unbelievable pace, making them glow white hot. Outside, the mass of the Temple and hill has slowed down to a stop ... and suddenly it shoots skyward faster than a speeding bullet. In the MACC, everything is in chaos. The display shows a mass and gravity distortion field heading upward towards the fleet of spaceships over Crystal Tokyo at an extreme velocity. RAYE SHOUTING I don't *care* how they do it, just get those damn ships OUT OF THE WAY! MERCURY Dear God it's pulling *TEN* GEES! VENUS QUIZZICAL Isn't that her lucky number? JUPITER SHUT UP, MINA! Inside the Temple, KEI has been crushed to the floor beside PRISS, while YURI is crumpled to the ground in the corridor, some distance from where the CHIEF is lying. PRISS struggles, even as she bleeds from her nose, to look up ... ... and sees that while SERENITY is bent, even bowed, she's still standing. And she's pissed. When she speaks, although she speaks in a normal volume and tone, it is as though *billions* of other voices are combined with hers, complimenting her voice and each other, so that her voice becomes a thing of incredible beauty and power. SERENITY *ENOUGH*. In a view from space, we see several space ships moving out of the way of the swiftly approaching mass of the Temple ... and we see it slow down, gradually stopping at about the same orbital "level" that most of the ships occupy. Cut to the command center of the MACC. Everything is quiet as all eyes are on the image of the temple on the display. PENDA is listening to an earpiece microphone. PENDA The Skylark's scanners indicate that ... a magical construct is holding in atmosphere, and gravity is being generated by the structure's CG turbines. BEAT All other scans are being jammed. RAYE BEAT She's loose. In the temple, SERENITY bends down to check KEI, and assures herself that she's unconscious but otherwise fine. She turns to PRISS, and is startled to see that she's somehow holding onto consciousness. SERENITY Rest, Priss. BEAT I am going to make it all right. BEAT I promised you that, a long time ago, and you know that I do not lie. PRISS STRANGLED It ... *was* ... SERENITY nods, and PRISS relaxes. She looks up at the glass roof of the building. PRISS Stars ... SERENITY Yes, Priss. You made it to the heavens after all. PRISS ODD But ... I thhhhh ... think I've ... seen ... this ... before. PRISS' eyes close, and SERENITY looks at her with a confused expression ... then gently passes her hand through the glass of her vizor to caress her cheek. SERENITY moves slowly to where YURI is unconscious, and she makes sure that she's no more than that. A tiny glow surrounds her fingers as she touches the scar on YURI's cheek, and when she pulls her hand away, it is gone. And finally, she comes to the CHIEF. She looks down at him with an unreadable expression. SERENITY Awaken, Archdeacon of the Cult of Serenity. The CHIEF is instantly awake, and stares up at SERENITY with an expression of rapturous devotion. She meets his look with a stern face. SERENITY Why. CHIEF To glorify you, Goddess! I knew that if I were to bring you to the moon, your true power would be revealed to all, and that all the worlds would bow down before you and -- SERENITY You did not do this to glorify me, Archdeacon. CHIEF I -- I did not do these things for my own aggrandizement! SERENITY SHAKES HEAD No. Your failing is far more terrible than that. CHIEF How have I -- SERENITY What you call piety, Archdeacon, and wish to believe is a chaste and just love for one you view as a goddess -- is nothing more than purest lust. CHIEF NO! I have mortified myself so that I no longer feel such physical -- SERENITY What you feel is not physical. It is far more abhorrent. BEAT You desire to possess me ... my body, my heart, and my soul. And my power. You would not use it for your own aggrandizement, true. Instead, you would make all who live bow down before me -- make a love gift of the universe to me. BEAT I do not want the universe, Archdeacon. CHIEF You are a GODDESS! It is yours by *right*! SERENITY ANGRY You speak of things that you do not understand. You -- CHIEF YOU ARE A GODDESS! SERENITY ANGRY YES! I AM! AND YOU DO NOT KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS! BEAT But I will *show* you. CHIEF What? SERENITY For a moment -- only a moment -- you will see through the eyes of a god, feel what a god would feel, know what a god can know. BEAT Is this your desire? CHIEF WEEPING Yes oh yes oh yes oh y-- SERENITY It is done. The CHIEF's litany is suddenly interrupted. His pupils dilate until there is no iris left. And he Sees. PRISS' eyes jerk open as a hideous and terrible scream erupts near her, and she looks up as the CHIEF runs past her, screaming and clawing at his face, smashing through the window, running through the courtyard, and leaping off the edge of the hill ... and passing through the force field into the vacuum beyond. Unlike DAL CASSIO, earlier, the CHIEF is fortunate enough to have a wide open mouth and be in the process of expelling all the oxygen from his lungs, so that he will not explosively decompress. Instead, he will probably maintain a stable orbit for as long as it takes him to die -- a few minutes -- and a little while after that. PRISS closes her eyes to slits, as SERENITY comes out of the hallway with a sad but determined expression. SERENITY I am sorry. Even to such as you, I am sorry. BEAT Time to go home. From space, we see the mass begin to descend ... then stop abruptly. We see SERENITY's bowed head jerk up as the sudden stop shakes everything around. There is an awful, sudden silence. SERENITY DREADING WHISPER Oh no. The voice that speaks is the voice from the final moments of the first act, the voice that spoke in KEI and YURI's vision. WOMAN'S VOICE OH YES, SERENITY. SERENITY draws a deep breath, and we close in on her eye. SERENITY stands, muted, in blackness. WOMAN'S VOICE YOU LEFT THE EARTH BEHIND, LITTLE QUEEN, OF YOUR OWN FREE WILL AND VOLITION. NO ONE FORCED YOU, THIS TIME. BEAT AND THE CRYSTAL IS NOT WITH YOU. BEAT AND I NEED NOT LET YOU RETURN. SERENITY If I do not return, those with me will slowly die. They are already hurt gravely -- WOMAN'S VOICE WHAT IS THAT TO ME? THEY ARE NOT *MY* CHILDREN. ALIENS! FREAKS, AND ALIENS! KEI's image appears in the darkness. WOMAN'S VOICE MISCEGENATION. YURI's image is beside it. WOMAN'S VOICE THE TAINT IS FAINTER HERE, AND DIFFERENT, BUT STILL PRESENT. FUJIKO's image is beside it. WOMAN'S VOICE THIS ONE ... It blanks out. WOMAN'S VOICE THAT ONE SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN MORE WILY THAN YOU THOUGHT. SHE HAS MADE HER *OWN* ESCAPE. The images of two women in nun-like attire appear. WOMAN'S VOICE AND THESE TWO WORSHIP *YOU*, AND CAME TO WITNESS A MIRACLE INVOLVING YOU. WHY SHOULD I LET SUCH AS THEY RETURN? SERENITY And what of the other? WOMAN'S VOICE UNDOUBTABLY LIKE THE OTHERS -- SERENITY She is nothing like the others. I demand that you look closely. WOMAN'S VOICE YOU MAY DEMAND NOTHING OF ME -- SERENITY I DEMAND THIS OF YOU. I, SERENITY, DAUGHTER OF SERENITY, DEMAND THIS OF YOU, RHEANNION. There is a long silence in the Kami Plane. WOMAN'S VOICE SHE IS ... SHE IS HUMAN. SHE IS ALMOST UNTOUCHED BY YOU. BEAT YOU BROUGHT HER WITH YOU FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF TRAPPING ME INTO LETTING YOU RETURN. DID YOU NOT?! SERENITY Believe what you wish, Rheannion. I know that I cannot change your will about me or mine ... now. WOMAN'S VOICE EVER! SERENITY Perhaps. In any event, stand aside, and let me return, that I might save this collection of miscegenations and humans. WOMAN'S VOICE THERE WILL BE A RECKONING. SERENITY BORED Of course. The blackness slowly fades away, leaving an empty gray void behind. SERENITY remains standing for a moment, then collapses to her knees. Her face is exhausted. Then a figure is kneeling on her right side. SERENITY turns to look, and it is BELLDANDY, who is looking at her with a concerned expression. BELLDANDY Are you able to continue? If not, we are willing to help. SERENITY nods. SERENITY I have to be able to continue. If I do not, who will? Another figure is kneeling on her left side. SERENITY turns to look, and it is TENDOU KASUMI, with a full moon symbol on her forehead. KASUMI Are you sure? SERENITY nods again. SERENITY I am sure ... oneesama. BELLDANDY and KASUMI smile at each other, bow at the waist, and then vanish. SERENITY starts to push herself up ... but it seems to be harder than it ought to be. She tries a few times, and seems very frustrated. An white-gloved hand attached to a blue-sleeved arm reaches down towards her. SERENITY looks up, and is clearly shocked by what she sees. The hand gestures to her as if to say, come on, take my hand, I'll guide you. SERENITY reaches out and, not without trepidation, takes the hand. SERENITY's eyes open, and she is standing where she stood before. SERENITY I learn something new everyday. From space, we see the mass of the Temple begin to descend to Earth once more. Time elapses, and we see the mass of the temple settle uneasily into the ground from whence it had been ripped earlier. (This is a noisy affair.) A few minutes pass, and SERENITY appears at the entrance to the temple, waving at the MACC. In a pulse of fire, mist, and golden light, the Sailor Senshi appear around her. RAYE is on the verge of a conniption fit. SERENITY Hello, did you miss me? BEAT Is something -- RAYE DON'T YOU EVER DO THAT TO US AGAIN, DO YOU HEAR ME?! SWEET GODDESS HAVE MERCY, DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT THE PAST FEW HOURS HAVE BEEN LIKE FOR ME AND THE REST OF -- SERENITY goes up on tiptoes and kisses RAYE on the mouth, effectively stopping her rant. After about half-a-minute, she settles down, and smiles sunnily. SERENITY I missed you, too. BEAT Maybe I *should* do this more often. RAYE No. Don't. Do. THAT. Or -- SERENITY Or you will punish me in the name of the moon? BEAT How kinky of you, Raye. RAYE covers her face with her hands and makes "Gah" noises. SERENITY smiles at MERCURY, who sighs with mixed embarrassment and relief and smiles back. SERENITY then turns to look at JUPITER. JUPITER is looking at her with mixed fear and love ... and SERENITY smiles again. SERENITY I changed my mind. Your suspension is off, effective immediately. JUPITER Really? SERENITY Yes. BEAT Now you know what it is to *really* be helpless in a moment of crisis, Lita. Never forget it. JUPITER nods humbly, and concentrates. Lightning flares around her, and she stands revealed in her Senshi uniform. JUPITER Now, where's Fujiko? SERENITY SHAKES HEAD Escaped. She either teleported or *was* teleported away around the time that we began to descend. BEAT There will be future chances, Jupiter. JUPITER Yeah. But I'd like to get her, anyway. SERENITY You could enlist the assistance of her old associate -- JUPITER GLOWER Not in *this* life. BEAT What about -- SERENITY Ms. Asagiri is unconscious in the temple, as are the Lovely Angels. The latter have surrendered and are to be considered non-belligerent ... give them full medical treatment, at my expense, please. MERCURY I'll get right on it ... She activates her visor, and heads into the Temple. SERENITY turns to speak to VENUS ... and blinks to realize that she's gone. SERENITY Where did Mina -- VENUS is standing behind a pillar some distance away, trembling. She bows her head, and teleports in a shower of golden light. SERENITY notices the burst of light, and her face falls. SERENITY WHISPERED Oh Mina ... she would have forgiven you anything ... why can't you forgive yourself? She shakes her head in sorrow, and looks down the hill ... to see ENDYMION standing at the base, looking up. Letting out a happy shriek, she dashes down the hill, rushing to throw herself into his arms. Above, RAYE and JUPITER look down at the reunion. JUPITER looks at RAYE with a strange expression. RAYE notices, and lifts an eyebrow inquiringly. JUPITER shakes her head. JUPITER I will never understand you as long as I live, will I? RAYE SMILE I hope not. She starts down the hill to join them. JUPITER watches for a moment, and shakes her head again. Fade to black. CAPTION SOME HOURS LATER Fade up on KEI and YURI in a pair of hospital beds in a bleached white hospital room. In the distance, we can hear the faint sound of announcements being made over the PA system. YURI Nice of them to fix my cheek, wasn't it? KEI Yep. BEAT If you consider making sure we look our best for a public execution to be `nice'. YURI Oh come on, Kei -- KEI Conspiracy to commit kidnapping of the ruler of a planet. And they can probably make a case for attempted kathilicide -- YURI That's "regicide". KEI Whatever you want to call it, they can make it stick! We're *doomed*! BEAT And the only question left is, how do they execute people here? TENCHI (O.S.) They don't. At least, not in the way that you think. KEI and YURI turn to see TENCHI, wearing his robes, standing at the door. He smiles politely. YURI (V.O.) LOVESTRUCK Mine! KEI (V.O.) DITTO Mine! YURI Uh ... good day, sir ... uh, you seem kinda familiar, but -- TENCHI comes into the room and walks towards the area between their beds. TENCHI Well, I wasn't in the news very much in your era, but it's not impossible that you learned about me ... in one way or another. BEAT My name is Tenchi. YURI BOGGLES The Imperial Crown Prince of Jurai?! TENCHI Not anymore ... now I'm sort of the Emperor. KEI and YURI exchange a quick panicked glance. KEI Uh ... about that little incident with the space elevator on your homeworld -- TENCHI SHAKES HEAD Ancient history. Besides. It wasn't *your* fault. KEI Oh yeah? TENCHI FIRM Yes. BEAT The WWWA Central Computer was charting a path for galactic humanity that neither I nor most of those who also discovered it approved of, but it was not, legends to the contrary, "insane". BEAT It kept clearing you of the blame for those incidents because you weren't responsible for them, and that's that. YURI But what about now? TENCHI Now, you have been absolved of any improper conduct during this recent crisis by Serenity, due to your ignorance of the circumstances. BEAT But ... KEI Here it comes ... TENCHI Within a few minutes after the revelation of your presence here on Earth ... a petition was started to ask Serenity to have you deported at once. BEAT At last count it had over sixty million signatures. KEI Oh. TENCHI You sound almost disappointed. KEI I'm wondering when the other shoe is going to drop. TENCHI rubs the back of his head. YURI FLAT Let's hear it. TENCHI DEEP BREATH Every other nation in the Solar sytem has declared you persona non grata. BEAT And word has come from the Centauri that any attempt to foist you two off on them -- and since they are the closest former member of United Galactica, they *would* be the logical first choice -- as an act of war ... and we're expecting similar statements from other nearby powers, shortly. KEI has covered her eyes with her hand, and bent downward. YURI looks ill. KEI Then where are we going to go? What are we going to do? TENCHI We come now to the good news! YURI You've decided to shoot us and put us out of our misery? TENCHI No. BEAT I am inviting you to Jurai. KEI looks up, startled. KEI Whaaat? TENCHI I'm fairly sure that I can arrange your naturalization, since I have some amount of influence over the government. YURI But ... why? TENCHI There are a couple reasons. One: I'm of the opinion that the Jurain Intelligence Service needs a new command staff ... and you two would be able to do the job nicely. Two: I think that the two of you have gotten a harder deal in all of this than you deserve. BEAT As one who knows very well what it's like to have to live down one's own legend ... I definitely sympathize. And three ... BEAT Yuri, one of your grandfathers was named Wataru Kasuga, a psychic investigator? YURI Uh ... yeah, how'd you -- TENCHI And Kei ... your grandmother was a Kizarkan native named Aeshka Kuramitsu, wasn't she? KEI DEFENSIVE Yeah? So? TENCHI SMILES Her mother ... was a very, very dear friend of mine. BEAT And the line of Kasuga has been friendly to the house of Jurai for a long time, as well. BEAT That was my Great-Grandmother's family name, you see. TENCHI turns to go out, but pauses at the door. TENCHI We won't be leaving for Jurai for a few days, so you'll have time to relax ... and you can stop worrying about anyone trying to lynch you. BEAT I think you'll like Jurai ... it's sometimes a little too calm for my liking ... but I think you'll find ways to change that. He smiles, bows, and exits the room. KEI and YURI follow him with "the dreamy-eyed look". KEI & YURI (sim) What a hunk ... TENCHI pops his head back into the room with a nervous expression. TENCHI I'm married. I'm very, very, very married. So married ... it's scary sometimes how married I am ... TENCHI steps back out of the room, bowing repeatedly. He turns to walk up the corridor. YURI (O.S.) I saw him first! TENCHI flinches, and continues walking, past a room in which we can see PRISS laid up in a hospital bed with SHEILA sitting on the far side of the bed from the door. PRISS So this Ryouko really wants to beat my nose in, huh? SHEILA NOD She's so competitive, she'll do damn near anything to prove that she's the best at whatever she chooses to do -- and as it stands, you seem like a possible challenger to her status as "best battlesuit pilot in the realm." BEAT The fact that she's also so homophobic that I think she keeps her eyes closed when she goes to a public bath doesn't help, either, or that you and I are -- PRISS Great. SHEILA APOLOGETIC We've had a feud going on for a long while now ... PRISS So now I gotta deal with a crazy archenemy of yours *and* your mom, too? Cheeeee ... SHEILA studies her hands intently. SHEILA QUIET I found out why my mom hates you so -- PRISS IRRITATED She thinks I'm gonna go postal like she did when you were kidnapped, right? SHEILA looks up, startled. SHEILA How the hell -- PRISS Look, I'm not Sylia, I'm not even Nene, but I'm not a complete idiot either. When she started talking about "failing in the crunch", I thought she meant when I ... BEAT but that wasn't it. At least, not completely. Your story last night was the clincher, though. SHEILA looks like she doesn't know quite how to deal with that. PRISS looks around. PRISS I hate hospitals. I can't wait to get out of here -- SHEILA Oh! Right. Um ... listen, I've been thinking. I've been living in an appartment that's just a little too large for one person for a while now, and -- PRISS holds up a hand. PRISS Look, right now, the only thing I'm thinking about are a few questions I wanna ask the Queen as soon as I'm up. But ... I don't wanna move in with you yet. SHEILA But ... why not? PRISS Well for starters, I like my digs now. SHEILA APPALLED You *like* that spirit- cursed relic? PRISS I like having neighbors I can pull a gun on with impunity, okay? BEAT And I like my -- SHEILA But Priss! PRISS Listen, has it occured to you that we might be moving -- JUPITER Excuse me. SHEILA and PRISS break off their argument, and look to the door. JUPITER, in her full regalia, the Space Sword at her side, is standing there, filling up much of the frame. SHEILA WARNINGLY Mother -- JUPITER I have not come here to fight. She steps into the room, and slowly approaches PRISS' bed. PRISS looks up at her with the expression of a cornered wolf. JUPITER's expression is hard to understand ... it is as though she wants to be anywhere else, but at the same time clearly wants to be where she is. JUPITER It ... it has been ... BEAT I have come to the conclusion ... that I ... may ... owe you ... an apology. PRISS BLINKS And? JUPITER DEEP BREATH I am sorry that I have treated you so poorly as I have since your awakening, Priscilla Asagiri. You have done nothing to deserve it. PRISS And? JUPITER That's all I came to say. She bows stiffly, then turns to leave. PRISS Riiiiight. JUPITER pauses. JUPITER Excuse me? PRISS SUDDENLY VERY ANGRY Look, I don't *want* your friendship and I don't *need* your apology, okay? What the hell did you think you were going to accomplish, coming here all `I'm *so* sorry' like that? JUPITER is silent for a long moment. JUPITER I was trying to do the right thing. PRISS INTENSE SARCASM I'm so sure -- JUPITER turns, and there are tears glistening in her eyes. JUPITER And I was hoping that you and I ... would be able to talk to each other about Nene. BEAT She was a very, very ... good person. BEAT But the good tend to die young. BEAT So it's up to the evil people like me to protect them, I guess. And I did a lousy job. With both Nene. And with Serena. BEAT Such is life. She turns and walks swiftly out the door. PRISS watches her go with a troubled, uncertain expression on her face. SHEILA How could you? PRISS turns to look at SHEILA, who has stood up and is moving slowly around the bed. SHEILA She came here, all but on her hands and knees to apologize to you -- and you tossed it in her face like a piece of garbage. BEAT How could you *do* that to her? PRISS I ... I didn't think she was -- SHEILA is at the door, and she looks nervously out it, before turning back to look at PRISS with an angry expression. SHEILA You know what? You are absolutely right. We *were* moving too fast. PRISS I -- I'm s-- Too late. SHEILA runs out the door. SHEILA MOM! PRISS stares at the door for a few moments. PRISS Alone again. BEAT Naturally. She starts to pull herself out of bed, moving slowly. We see SHEILA go rushing past a closed door in the hallway. SHEILA Mom! Wait up! Our attention focuses on the closed door. We draw towards it. Cut to a shot of RYOUGA's peaceful sleeping face. MERCURY (O.S.) Ryouga. BEAT Wake up, Ryouga. RYOUGA's eyes flutter open, and he smiles sleepily up at MERCURY, whose face is calm. RYOUGA Good morning, Amy-chan ... He trails off, and a confused expression flashes across his face. RYOUGA Something ... something is different. MERCURY You're not dreaming anymore, Ryouga. That's one difference. RYOUGA That was ... a dream. MERCURY Yes. We placed you in cyrogenic suspension until we could find a way to deal with your condition. BEAT And we have. RYOUGA SCARED You mean I'm not immortal any m-- MERCURY Yes, you are *still* immortal. BEAT I'm sorry, Ryouga, I should have thought of this sooner. To eliminate the supernatural corruption of the mermaid's liver formula, all that was needed was to replace the mermaid liver with that of another long-lived, magical being. RYOUGA What -- RANMA (F) (O.S.) Hi dere. RYOUGA turns with glacial slowness to look at RANMA, leaning on her side on an operating table, topless and with a large, swiftly healing scar over her stomach, approximately where the liver is located, and a very naughty grin. RANMA How's it going, old buddy old pal? RYOUGA RRRRRAAAAAANNNNNNNNNMMMMMMMAAAAAA! MERCURY SIGH Restraints. Metal fasteners loop up around RYOUGA before he can leap to start beating the stuffing out of RANMA. RYOUGA AMY! GET ME OUT OF THESE THINGS! MERCURY Well, if you're too weak to break them by yourself, then you're *much* too weak to be fighting, don't you think? RANMA I certainly like him tied up like this. RYOUGA RANMA! WHEN I AM FREED, I WILL TAKE A VENGEANCE ON YOU THAT WILL MAKE SATAN WEEP AT YOUR TORMENT! RANMA Vengeance for saving your life? RYOUGA VENGEANCE FOR MAKING ME *OWE* YOU OF ALL BEINGS MY LIFE! RANMA You've got a warped sense of values, P-Chan. RYOUGA STOP CALLING ME P-CHAN!!! MERCURY CONFUSED Saotome-san, why *do* you call Ryouga by the name of a pet pig I had a long time ago? RYOUGA stops in mid-rant. RANMA looks confusedly at MERCURY for a moment ... then turns to look at RYOUGA with an expression that hovers between disgust and amazement. RANMA You're incredible. RYOUGA is audibly grinding his teeth together. RANMA It's an old joke, Mizuno-sensei. An old joke between old friends. RYOUGA YOU WERE NEVER MY FRIEND! RANMA IGNORES HIM It'd take too long to explain. MERCURY SIGH Very well. Now, your liver should regrow in a few days, and the artificial substitute will have to be taken out some time before that. Are you sure that you don't want to rest here until -- RANMA Nope. BEAT I've got ... other things to do. MERCURY Very well. In that case -- She moves very swiftly, picking up RANMA's black silk shirt, dropping it in her arms, and marching her out the door. MERCURY -- be sure to come back in a day or so, but not for the next few hours, because I'm going to busy. Very very busy. MERCURY gently shoves RANMA out the door, closes it behind her, and there is the sound of locks being fastened. RANMA looks back, a bit startled, but then shrugs and pulls on her shirt. She fastens it and turns to go, walking down the corridor, to a balcony. She pauses at the balcony, and looks up at the evening sky ... to where Mars is in the heavens. RANMA WHISPERED I'll try, Shampoo. I'll try to be his friend. BEAT But it'll never work. He shakes his head, and walks away, down the corridor, past another closed door, which we focus in on. In TENCHI's quarter's lounge area, SERENITY, ENDYMION, TENCHI, WASHUU, and TSUNAMI are sitting around the blazing fireplace, drinking hot cocoa. TENCHI Well, it's certainly been an interesting visit. SERENITY Yes ... yes it has. BEAT I am glad that you are going to find a place for Kei and Yuri. TENCHI It's no big deal. I'd do the same for any of our friend' descendants. WASHUU It's true. He has. Often. To an annoying degree. Everyone but TENCHI snickers, while TENCHI gives WASHUU a level glare. WASHUU But it's a good idea in this case. I'll finally get a chance to observe two Agents of Chaos at close range. ENDYMION They're Agents of Chaos? Literally? WASHUU CONSIDERS Well, once you get away from the idea of Chaos as an entity, and more like a concept ... and understand that they aren't aware of their own nature in this respect, any more than Mihoshi was -- yes, their function in the Universal All is to act as a disruption in certain nexi that have grown too rigid or "dark". BEAT This language isn't ready for this kind of discussion, though, so "Agent of Chaos" is as close as we're going to get. BEAT And I'm really looking forward to seeing a little applied chaos in the pattern of Jurai ... TSUNAMI lets out a deep sigh, causing everyone else to chuckle. SERENITY sets down her cup. SERENITY Well, your Imperial Majesty, it has been a pleasure to share this cocoa with you, but now is the time for all good freed kidnapping victims to hie themselves to bed. She and ENDYMION rise, accompanied by TENCHI, who escorts them to the door. SERENITY and TENCHI bow to each other just as SERENITY steps out. SERENITY It's always nice to see you, Tenchi. BEAT But perhaps we should hold the next reunion on your planet ... in another two hundred years. TENCHI Sounds like a plan. SERENITY and ENDYMION exit, and TENCHI closes the door with a smile on his face that disintegrates into a fierce frown the minute that he turns to look at his wives. TSUNAMI Now, Tenchi ... We realize that you are upset with the two of us, but -- WASHUU -- we were only doing it because we love you more than you love honor, and -- TENCHI In the name of Jurai, I will punish you. TSUNAMI & WASHUU (sim) What? TENCHI HARD In my bedroom. Now. TSUNAMI and WASHUU stand up and start walking slowly towards the door leading to TENCHI's bedchamber, with him following close behind. TSUNAMI (V.O.) Sister, what is he going to do? WASHUU (V.O.) I don't know. I've never seen him like this. He could do anything. *Any*thing! They step through the door, and TENCHI shuts it firmly behind him with the sound of the closing of a tomb. All is in silence for a few minutes. And then the giggles and laughter start, followed soon by moans and cries. TSUNAMI (V.O.) Oh my! OOOOHHHH MY! SISTER! I didn't think you meant THIS kind of anything! WASHUU (V.O.) Uh! Huhhuhhuh! I ... I didn't! TENCHI (V.O) You should have ... TSUNAMI & WASHUU (sim) (V.O.) Oh, TENCHI! Cut to RAYE's house, late evening. She enters, still dressed in her fuku and high heels, which she changes to a kimono and slippers the moment that the door closes. She stretches, and yawns. RAYE Any messages? COMPUTER VOICE You have recieved a total of sixty new messages since your last update, bringing your total to one hundred and forty-five unanswered messages. RAYE visibly winces. RAYE Five most recent. COMPUTER VOICE Message from Ayeka Masaki, 1830; Message from Admiral Justy Tailor, 1825; Message from Amy Mizuno, 1543; Message from Shan Pu, 12-- RAYE ALERT Play message from Shan Pu, immediately. A wall on the side of the entrance hallway turns into a screen, which displays SHAMPOO's face as a young woman. SHAMPOO Hello, Raye. Don't let my looks fool you, I still *feel* like I'm turning into a crone ... but if I'm right, that should pass when I get my connection to the Tao back in order. That should take a few days. BEAT I'm planning on spending those days here, on Mars ... in meditation, mostly. BEAT I made a terrible mistake, Raye. Quite honestly, I don't know how I'm ever going to make this up to Ranma ... or even if it's *possible* to do so. BEAT When I'm back up to max, I'm probably going to start tracking Gennosuke. I have things to make up to her, as well. BEAT I'm going to send a message like this to Ayeka, too, so you don't have to tell her. SMILE Our game is going to be a little more irregular than usual, I guess. BEAT; FROWN There was something else ... OH! Yeah ... to mess with Ranma's head a bit, I sort of implied that I was going to crawl off and die somewhere. EVIL GRIN Don't let him know that's not the case ... She flashes a 'V for victory', and the screen goes blank. COMPUTER VOICE Message ends. Delete or save? RAYE is staring at the screen with irritation, amazement, and laughter on her face. Finally, she starts to giggle, and moves on to laughter shortly after that. After a few moments, she regains control of herself. RAYE Save. Definitely save. BEAT Play most recent message from Ayeka. AYEKA appears on the screen with a greatly put-upon expression. She silently shakes her head, and looks up at the ceiling. AYEKA Typical. Exactly what I'd expect from her ... BEAT Which means, of course, that she knows me better than I think ... hmmmmm. The screen goes blank again, and RAYE smilingly shakes her head, and walks into her home. Cut to a corridor. SERENITY and ENDYMION stroll casually, holding hands. As they come to a junction, SERENITY pauses, looking down one of the corridors. SERENITY Dear, it seems that my evening's tasks are not yet finished. Would you be willing to wait a few minutes more? ENDYMION Of course. He raises her hand to his lips, and heads down the other corridor. She smiles as she watches him go, and walks patiently down the opposite corridor. PRISS steps out of an alcove, wearing her usual leathers and an angry expression. SERENITY Good evening, Ms. -- PRISS Save it. I just want some answers, and then I'm outta here. SERENITY is silent for a moment, then sighs. SERENITY Why did you push her away? PRISS Stay *out* of my mind. SERENITY As you wish. PRISS MOCKING I suppose she was my "one true destined love" ... SERENITY No, just a chance at happiness. PRISS Yeah, right. BEAT I want to know ... about my dream. SERENITY It is based, in part, on events that occured in your twelfth year ... and yes, I was there. SERENITY's eyes are far away. SERENITY I told you that I was in Tokyo on the day of Second Kanto, and in the wake of its passage as well. I walked through the devastation, and I wept for those who had lost their lives. That is how it came to pass that I discovered a young girl, twelve years old, with eyes ... that reminded me of another scared little girl. BEAT I destroyed a boomer that might have maimed you or given you a serious injury, gathered you up, and took you to a survivor camp that was run by competent workers. BEAT And as I carried you, I told you that ... PRISS "It's going to be all right." A big fat fucking lie. SERENITY BLINKS No. I said "I will make it all right." BEAT I believed that taking you to the shelter would accomplish this. BEAT I was mistaken. And that is why you are here, now, Priss. Because I will keep my promise to you, no matter what. PRISS Why don't I remember any of this? SERENITY I placed a mild forgetfulness effect on you, to make you forget my face and features. BEAT I did not judge correctly the depth of your trauma. An electrical accident a few weeks later only compounded the damage. These are the origins of the near- total amnesia about your childhood that plagues you -- PRISS And the later mindmessing only made it worse, I know all th-- SERENITY No. BEAT I stated that the later memory-editing "seemed" to parallel the damage, causing it to be lost forever. And indeed, it does appear that way without closer examination. And I have had a chance to examine your mind more completely -- PRISS Stay OUT. SERENITY -- several hours ago. BEAT Priss, the reason that you do not remember the years between 2034 and 2041 is that you do not *want* to remember them, subconsciously. PRISS What? Why? SERENITY shakes her head, sadly. SERENITY I can only guess. BEAT When you were brought out of coldsleep, you were given a mild rejuvenation, shaving perhaps seven or eight years off your age. You may be unready to have certain memories that you have associated with being a certain age. But I do not know, beyond the fact that the only one who can set your mind free is you yourself. PRISS STUNNNED How? SERENITY shakes her head, sadly. PRISS What are you? SERENITY turns away. SERENITY A long time ago ... there was a very small girl named Serena, who had two spirits, living in symbiosis. BEAT One day ... in a horrible battle ... Serena was killed. BEAT One of her spirits went on to whatever fate awaits those who have died. The other ... became a goddess. BEAT But perhaps you do not understand. The gods and goddesses of this cosm are not its masters. We are only tools for its maintenance, employed by ... greater powers. SERENITY turns back, and her eyes are glowing a gleaming silver. SERENITY What am I, Priscilla Serena Asagiri? I am the moon. I am a reflected light, guiding mankind through this dark night ... a night that now, at last, approaches its end, with the coming of morning. BEAT And of morning mist. PRISS stares ... and then gapes. PRISS "Morning mist?" But ... but that's my -- SERENITY A coincidence. Perhaps. BEAT If you wish to go, Priss, you may do so. If you believe that you will be happier elsewhere, I urge you to leave. PRISS I don't ... SHAKES HEAD I don't know what I am or what I want, anymore ... I was born to be a fighter, but -- SERENITY No. BEAT You were not. You *became* a warrior through unkind twists of fate ... you were born to be one of the greatest poets and musicians of your age. Bear that in mind when you make your decisions. BEAT I also urge you to forgive Lady Jupiter. She is correct in one respect, at least -- you and she have a great deal in common. BEAT And Nene Romanova would not enjoy seeing two of her friends fight, even after she was gone, I think. She turns to go, then pauses. SERENITY And thank you for saving the world. PRISS gapes. PRISS WHAT? SERENITY "Who saves one life in time saves all the world." BEAT Had you decided *not* to warn Yuri of the danger that she faced, the man who called himself Smithers would have killed her to prevent her from possibly killing me. With her partner dead, there would have been nothing for Kei to live for, and she would quite probably have gone berserk, and so killed me, you, the Deacon ... and everyone else in the temple. It was wired to explode, but you didn't know that ... PRISS looks a bit ill. SERENITY And then Raye -- in grief and rage at my death -- would have set loose the Senshi of Destruction before her time. BEAT And the world would have died. And the darkness would last forever. SERENITY pauses, and seems to be looking over PRISS' shoulder. SERENITY So I would say that she saved the world, wouldn't you? PLUTO (O.S.) So it would seem. PRISS whirls, and sees PLUTO, a tall, tanned woman with long greenish- black hair and dark red eyes, in a Sailor Senshi uniform, carrying a long staff with a heart set atop it. PRISS Oh, great. Another one. What are you, Lady Asteroid Belt? PLUTO No. My name is Pluto. SERENITY SMILING I will leave you two to your discussion ... SERENITY walks out of sight as PRISS watches her go. PLUTO If you would please give me your hand, we can begin. PRISS turns to look at her. PRISS Begin what? Unconsciously, she reaches out her left hand towards PLUTO, who takes it in her own. PLUTO The process of giving you your reward. Grasping her staff tightly, PLUTO slams its butt into the floor. They disappear. Cut to a balcony. AYEKA leans against the railing, looking at the setting sun. RYOUKO walks up to the railing, and stands beside her. They speak without looking at each other. AYEKA I thought that you were sleeping. RYOUKO Who can sleep with *that* going on next door? AYEKA nods. RYOUKO So ... we're gonna start powering up the Throneship tomorrow morning ... so that we can leave the day after. AYEKA I see. RYOUKO I take it that you won't be coming back with us? AYEKA No ... I still have work to do here. RYOUKO Someone else could do it. AYEKA Would you trust someone else to guard Tenchi from harm? RYOUKO is silent. AYEKA Then it would seem that we're at an impasse. She turns and begins to walk, slowly, to the exit. RYOUKO You want me to say it, don't you? AYEKA pauses. RYOUKO Fine. You dragged it out of me. I. Miss. You. BEAT It's been over two hundred years since I've seen you face to face and I missed you almost all of that time. AYEKA Ryouko ... RYOUKO Okay! You win. Here it is -- I l-- AYEKA very fast When I supposed to meet you I slipped into Tenchi's bed to sleep with him. RYOUKO is stunned. AYEKA I tricked you. Ho ho! Aren't I evil? BEAT Well, off I go. She starts lightly running for the exit. RYOUKO stares after her, her jaw down as far as it can go. Then understanding dawns in her eyes. RYOUKO GROWL AYEKA!!!! She dashes off after her. Cut to a misty void, but a different misty void than SERENITY was in earlier. PRISS and PLUTO appear, and PRISS immediately releases her grip on PLUTO's hand when she realizes what's happened. PRISS Where the hell am I now? PLUTO Any answer I could give you to that question would be meaningless to y-- PRISS Try. Please? PLUTO glares at her, and then begins speaking quickly and fluidly in a language that sounds like it might be the common ancestor of all human linguistic families. She comes to a conclusion, and pauses. PLUTO Satisfied? PRISS What *was* that -- PLUTO The language which my mother's race spoke. It was known as Solenoid. BEAT But that is neither here nor there. BEAT Some say virtue is its own reward. I have rarely found that to be the case ... as often as not, people who do the right thing come out of it feeling lousy. BEAT You have done the right thing quite a bit of late, Priscilla Asagiri. Ask anything, and it can be granted -- PRISS Even -- PLUTO -- so long as it does not violate the integrity of the timeline. PRISS' face falls. PRISS Lemme guess, bringing back the dead falls under that heading. PLUTO Yes. Nene Romanova has met her end, just as Linna Yamazaki also did, many years after that. PRISS And Sylia blew herself up when she nuked Genom tower. PRISS sighs, and looks down at her feet. PLUTO Did she? PRISS looks up with a startled expression on her face, as PLUTO swirls her staff around in a circle several times, then brings it to a halt, holding it out along her arm, and then giving it a half twist, as though to turn a key. A glowing portal appears at the end of the staff. PLUTO Beyond this gate of time lies the city of Megatokyo, in the year 2041. BEAT Two days have passed since the final mission of the Knight Sabres, and Sylia Stingray has made her suicidal choice. You shall have a single chance to save her life, and shall face grave risks without -- Before PLUTO can say another word, PRISS *flings* herself through the portal, disappearing. PLUTO blinks. PLUTO Why do they *never* listen to the complete explanation? PLUTO sighs, and turns away ... And PRISS' hand streaks out of the portal to blindly grab the end of her staff. Startled, PLUTO watches as PRISS drags herself, and SYLIA STINGRAY -- who is unconscious and dressed in the tattered remnants of a business suit -- through the portal, pausing only long enough to let out a short scream. PRISS CLOSE IT!!!!! PRISS lands, cradling SYLIA's body against her, a few feet away from the gate. PLUTO stares at her, oddly. An unbelievably bright light flashes from the portal, and PLUTO dispels it. PLUTO Ah. That. BEAT The portal was sealed against dangerous radiation. You needn't have worried. PRISS BREATHING HEAVIL Oh. BEAT That's good ... PLUTO stares at them, shakes her head. PLUTO HEAVY Heroes. But then, unexpectedly, she smiles at them with a surprisingly soft expression, and says a few words in that language again. This time, subtitles are provided. SUBTITLE AND SO THE ETERNAL STORY ENDS. WELL DONE ... SOLENOIDS. She taps the butt of her staff against the surface beneath her feet, and it dissolves, leaving PRISS holding SYLIA, lying on the ground before the Knight Sabres memorial. PRISS looks around for a moment, then finally gets a good look at SYLIA. Her face has a few more worry lines around the eyes and mouth. SYLIA's eyes slowly open. Her expression is initially one of bleak acceptance, changing swiftly to shock as she sees PRISS looking down at her. SYLIA Priss? BEAT What are you doing in hell? PRISS SHAKES HEAD This ain't hell, Sylia. SYLIA looks around, with confusion on her face. SYLIA Has some momentous mistake happened, to let me into heaven? PRISS is right on the verge of tears as she shakes her head again. PRISS This isn't heaven *or* hell ... SYLIA Then where are we? And then PRISS can't hold back anymore, and grabs SYLIA, pulling her into a tight hug, as the tears begin to flow freely. PRISS We're at the end Sylia. This is our happy ending. SYLIA We are? It is? BEAT Are you sure? PRISS leans back, still holding onto SYLIA, to look into her eyes. PRISS Yeah. BEAT It's going to be all right. I promise ... And then PRISS realizes where she's heard those words before, and whose voice she was hearing in her dream. Her own. PRISS It's got to be okay, right? BEAT We're together again. And then she gently, firmly, and passionately kisses SYLIA full on the lips. SYLIA's eyes widen ... then slowly close. We start to pull back from them, leaving them together in the full moonlight. WASHUU (V.O.) Admit it, you're a softy. PLUTO (V.O.) In certain cases, yes. WASHUU (V.O.) Just certain cases, huh? NENE (V.O.) Oh, give it a rest! Does it matter why she brought them together? They are, and they make a cute couple, so that's what counts. PLUTO & WASHUU (sim) (V.O.) Bug off, youth. There is the clear and unmistakable noise of a raspberry being blown. KASUMI & BELLDANDY (sim) (V.O.) Oh dear ... Cut to a shot of SERENITY walking to her bedroom. She opens the door, turns to look directly at the camera ... and winks. Then she goes in and closes the door. THE END OP Theme: "Sugao no Spytachi" (Spies Uncovered) Lyrics: Okada Fumiko * Music and Arrangement: Seo Ichizoo Performed by: Priss Asagiri, 2937 Monochrome no hitomi Monochrome eyes... Ai no deai wa deja vu. love's first meeting is deja vu. Umareru mae no kioku Memories from before birth high-speed de playback. play back at high speed. Yozora ni klaxon no In the night sky, the klaxon hanabi ga chitta. fireworks have broken up. Fushigi tomaru toiki It's strange... my sigh stops... heart no bell ga naru yo my heart's bell rings. Spy no yoo ni cool ni Like a spy, cooly, hold me tight. Hold me tight Karadagoto yume o rock shite. Rock my dreams together with my body Futari dake no gravia. A photo of just us two Sugao no roman. A romance with no lies. Tricolor no egao A tricolor smile... mirror ni utsuru deja vu. deja vu reflected in the mirror. Tokimeku senaka awase Quivering backs together jumon no yoo ni I need you. Like a spell I need you Accel fumitsuzukete Standing on the accelerator, doko made iku no. where are you going? Yokan mawaru binetsu A premonition... a swirling fever... suhada ga natsu o yobu yo. my bare skin calls to Summer. Spy no yoo ni hot ni Like a spy, hotly hold me tight. hold me tight Tsuyogatteita wa kinoo made. I'd been pretending until yesterday. Odoridashita scenario. A scenario that danced out. Sugao no roman. A romance with no lies. I know a place we can go to get love. I know a place we can go to get love. Spy no yoo ni cool ni Like a spy, cooly, hold me tight. Hold me tight Karadagoto yume o rock shite. Rock my dreams together with my body Futari dake no gravia. A photo of just us two Sugao no roman. A romance with no lies. Spy no yoo ni hot ni Like a spy, hotly hold me tight. hold me tight Tsuyogatteita wa kinoo made. I'd been pretending until yesterday. Odoridashita scenario. A scenario that danced out. Sugao no roman. A romance with no lies. The Vocal Cast of Together Again: 2937 Chapter Neo-Queen Serenity .......... Terri Hawkes Lady Mars / Raye ............ Katie Griffin Lady Jupiter / Lita ......... Susan Roman Lady Mercury / Amy .......... Karen Bernstein Lady Venus / Mina ........... Stephanie Morgenstern Ranma Saotome(male) ......... Sarah Strange Ranma Saotome(female) ....... Venus Terzo Akane Tendou ................ Myriam Sirois Shampoo ..................... Cathy Weseluck Ukyou Kuonji ................ Kelly Sheridan Gennosuke Kuonji ............ Kelly Sheridan Ryouga Hibiki ............... Mike Donovan Prince Endymion ............. Toby Proctor Luna ........................ Jill Frappier Artemis ..................... Ron Ruben Sailor Pluto ................ Sabrina Grdevich Priss Asagiri ............... Alannah Myles Sylia Stingray .............. Sean Young Nene Romanova ............... Renee O'Connor Tenchi Masaki ............... M. "Kermit" Miller Ryouko Masaki ............... Petrea Burchard Ayeka Masaki ................ Jennifer Darling Washuu Masaki ............... K.T. Vogt Tsunami Masaki .............. Sherry Lynn Mihoshi Kuramitsu ........... Ellen Gerstell Kei ......................... Lara Cody Yuri ........................ Wendee Lee Noa Izumi ................... [Miina Tominaga] Shinji ...................... [Megumi Ogata] Kiichi Goto ................. [Ryunosuke Ohbayashi] Asuma Shinohara ............. [Toshio Furukawa] Sheila Tenkai ............... Nikki Purvis Trakal ...................... Ed Wasser Matisse dal Cassio .......... Marco de la Cruz Dean Bairessey .............. Ben Cantrick Chief / Archdeacon .......... Harry Shearer Smithers .................... Harry Shearer Michael Ordene .............. Harry Shearer Catty ....................... [Naoko Watanabe] Nuriko ...................... Rachel Herndon Dzartenkin .................. William Forward Megumi Morisato ............. Amanda Spivey Johnny Raiden ............... Mel Gibson Ryouko Mizuno ............... Venus Terzo Ritsuko Urawa ............... Karen Bernstein Belldandy ................... Juliet Cesario Kasumi Tendou ............... Willow Johnson Aethan DeGales .............. Michael Crawford ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Author's Notes (or "It's Done! AHAHHAHAHA!") If it is a mistake to put the cart before the horse, it is an even bigger one to write the author's notes before the story is done. While I can, at this point (0830, 10 June 1997) see the light at the end of the tunnel, it remains to be seen whether it is the exit or an oncoming train. However, if I am tired now, how will I feel when the story *is* done, and it would be time to do the author's notes? Hell with it. As the credits for each of the five acts have indicated, this story is dedicated to Ben "Gryphon" Hutchins, Megazone, and Rob "ReRob" Mandeville, the initial creators of the Ur-Megacrossover, "Undocumented Features". Astute readers will have noted a handful of tongue-in-cheek references to this ultimate Megacrossover/Self-Insertion fic ... it was an effort to avoid naming one of the RSF Supercarriers "Wandering Son" (and yes, by the way, we *will* see more of the Crystal Kingdom Royal Space Force ... there's a sidestory planned to illustrate its workings, which will also be my Gainax tribute story.) I'd also like to thank Kris "Redneck" Overstreet, Eyrie Productions' major representative on the FFML, for not lambasting me for writing a work of this magnitude in script format, and Martin "PCHammer" Rose, for *almost* bringing a certain odango atama into the Undocumented Features universe ... and for writing *damn* fine stories in the process. Inspirations Divided By Section: Sailor Moon: Credit for giving me the idea of writing about what Crystal Tokyo will be like goes to Alexander "Andy" Combs, who is also "my" RAAC moderator ... I think I may have that backwards, and I'm one of "his" writers. Ah well. He wrote one of the first *really* good SM fanfics I read, "Rabbit Test", which was probably the first story to try and deal with the Crystal Tokyo setting from a less than "Everything is idyllic" standpoint. Ranma 1/2: It's not obvious here, probably, but I have drawn on all of my favorite "Ranma and Akane's future life together" stories to create my vision of the future of the cast. In particular, "Thy Inward Love" by Richard Lawson, "Bitter End" by James Bateman aka Zen, and "Ranma 2096" by Chris Willmore and co. Read 'em. They're good. Bubble Gum Crisis: Priss and Sylia's relationship troubles come out of a misinterpretation I made of a comment by Jeanne Hedge, so it's all her fault. (Joke! Joke!) Dirty Pair: I became fascinated with Kei and Yuri not through animation or "Amerimanga", but through Ryan Mathews' and Larry Mann's fanfic, especially "Reunions" and "The Ballad of Lord Robin". As with Mr. Mathews', I have shamelessly stolen from both of the sources of Dirty Pair lore -- the anime and Adam Warrens -- to create their part of the story. Mobile Police Patlabor: This is awkward to admit. After I wrote Noa's flashback, I realized what I was doing ... in at least two stories that I've seen, "Angel of Light" and "Dance of Shiva", the 2nd Unit comes out of retirement in the BGC period to save the day (or help, at least). My problem with this is one of realism ... they'll be pushing *60* in the 2030s, and unless sneaky and underhanded ways are developed to give them an additional edge (which is sort of in genre) that's no good for people going into combat. I realized that I was responding to this and to a comic book trend, very popular in the seventies and early eighties, and beginning to come back into use now, of bringing back "Golden Age" characters (characters that were around, either in their respective "universes" or in reality, during the 1930s and 40s) and ignoring or downplaying the effects of aging on them. Sure, Noa will always be young at heart ... but her reflexes aren't going to be as sharp as they were when she was 21! Unless, of course, the rumors are true and she really is a proto-NewType ... Tenchi Muyou: My ideas about who Tenchi'll marry eventually are more or less unique ... (no, Sean, you didn't inspire me to do it when you implied that having him marry Washuu if Ryouko and Ayeka went skipping off together hand in hand would be a bad idea ...) Ryan Mathews has kindly given me permission to use the name he invented for Mihoshi's species, the Kizarkans, in "Tenchi Muyou: Star of Jurai". (And making Mihoshi related to Kei is something of a nod in Mr. Mathews' direction as well ...) Gall Force: I liked Rhea Gall Force. It was a very pretty film. It didn't have any continuity with the events of the third OAV, aside from the line about "the cycle of prosperity and destruction". So, while I have combined the Gorm uprising with Adam Warren's "Nanoclysm" with David Pulver's "Reign of Steel" game world, I have basically ignored Rhea Gall Force and everything that followed it. So yes, Sheila *is* Rabby and Priss *is* Lufy. Sylia *is* Shildy. Mackie *was* Patty. :) Hmm ... what else to talk about. I know! Let's discuss -- Ten Ways to Tell that You've Spent Too Much Time Writing A Fanfic and Not Enough Time Sleeping 1. You write a list like this one. 2. You realize that you are unable to resist the temptation to wander around with an insane grin on your face, and that you don't really *want* to resist the temptation ... 3. Someone makes a joke about having done so much research for your story that you must be having lots of dreams about the characters ... and you wonder what a dream is. 4. When taking a break, you accidentally discover a web page about a series that you haven't incorporated into the megacrossover that you're writing, and spend the next several hours looking up everything there is on the series. 5. You start to view people as characters in a story ... and are strongly tempted to reveal yourself as an otaku avatar and start solving their problems with your omnipotent might. 6. Who is Number 1? 2. You are Number 6. 7. You make really obscure jokes in the story that nobody gets. And if you're really making sleep into a foreign country, you make really obscure jokes in the List afterwards. 8. You realize that you look like a composite of the main characters of "Otaku no Video" ... and remembering what happens to them at the end, the thought is strangely pleasing. 9. You start going through Usenet looking for sigs you don't like. 10. On learning that a distant associate of yours is a very capable anime-style artist, your first impulse is to ask if she's interested in doing a dojinshi based on your story. Something else ... Oh yes ... one of my readers commented that it was "strange to think of all this mecha in Crystal Tokyo". Well there's a pair of simple reasons for the mecha in this time period. One: I really like mecha. Two: I really hate spacefighters. So, since the dominant naval combat paradigm right now, which will probably also be the dominant spacial combat paradigm, seems to be carrier-based operations -- fighters launching from ships that don't have a lot of heavy arnament of their own, although some *fictional* carriers have a Really Big Gun (the Superdimensional Fortress Macross, for instance) -- instead of battleship-based ones (think of the Enterprise ... it's got a lot of VERY powerful weaponry for an exploration vessel), I needed fighter craft. And I hate spacefighters. Well, ones that look like any kind of *aircraft*, anyway. So instead, fighter combat in the Crystal Tokyo era, and most of this part of the galaxy at this time, is based on combat between humanoid robotic war machines. (Patiently ignores complaints by his rational brain that mecha are *less* realistic than aerospace fighters.) Take a deep breath, ladies and gents ... here comes the disclaimer. Sailor Moon was created by Naoko Takeuchi and brought to North America by DiC. Ranma 1/2 was created by Rumiko Takahashi and brought to North America by Viz Entertainment. Tenchi Muyou was created by Hiroki Hayashi and Masaki Kajishima and brought to North America by Pioneer LDC. The Dirty Pair was created by Haruka Takachiro and brought to North America by Streamline Entertainment. Mobile Police Patlabor was created by Yuuki Masami and brought to North America by U.S. Manga Corps and Manga Entertainment. Bubblegum Crisis was created by Suzuki Toshimichi and brought to North America by AnimEigo. Gall Force was created by Hideki Kakinuma and brought to North America by U.S. Manga Corps. Oh My Goddess was created by Kosuke Fujishima and brought to North America by AnimEigo. Fushigi Yuugi was created by Yuu Watase. Mobile Suit Gundam was created by Tomino Yoshiyuki. This story, while incorporating elements from the aforementioned films and magazines and probably others as well, which are held under copyright by others, is copyright 1997 by Chris Davies. Nobody Sue Me Okay? Together Again: 2937 Chapter, 06/26/97