Subject: [FANFIC] Together Again: 2937 Chapter (ACT FIVE, PART THREE) (FINAL , VERSION)
From: Chris Davies
Date: 7/3/1997, 2:30 AM
To: fanfic@fanfic.com

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 hand> 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
                   <stunned> How?

SERENITY shakes her head, sadly.

                                   PRISS
                   Okay.  <beat> 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 heavily> 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?

Chris Davies, Advocate for Darkness, Part-Time Champion of Light.
"Damn it all, how am I supposed to sit here and wallow in self-pity and
disgust with all this racket going on?" -- Yuusaku Godai, Maison Ikkoku.
http://www.ualberta.ca/~cdavies/hmpage.html














[BET YOU THOUGHT I'D FORGOT THE ANNOTATIONS, DIDN'T YOU?]

ANNOTATIONS FOR ACT V

AETHAN DEGALES:  An original character, whose history of interaction with
the Sailor Senshi has been partially told in "The Road We Walk" and
"Apotheosis".  These scenes are mostly from "Together Again:  1996
Chapter".

"Minovski field":  This ultimate form of Electronic Countermeasure was
created by Tomino Yoshiyuki, as a rationale for the close combat employed
by Mobile Suits.  Essentially, it is a perfect cloaking device.  The
version used by Tsunami also causes the sensor disruption to appear to be
a natural phenomena.

"a single stationary Mobile Suit ... noteworthy not for its arnament ...
but for its exclusively gray color and for a large red gem mounted in the
center of the torso.":  This MS is meant to be both an homage to E.E.
Smith's "Lensman" stories and to the Japanese "sentai robot" tradition,
especially Ultraman.

NAGISA: This is yet another incarnation of the Nagisa of the ICZER stories
... whose title character, I'm convinced, was one of the sources for
Ryouko's design.

Du Sho: In accordance with the traditions of giving Joketsuzoku names that
sound like bathroom products, she can also be known as Douche.
 
"When I can no longer stand by myself will be my time to fall.": This is
the "hillman's code" of Robert E. Howard's Conan stories ...

"'I miss you.  <beat; singsong> I wish you were he-ere.":  A quote from
the song "It Can't Rain All the Time" by Jane Sibbery.

"a red-haired woman in a slinky red dress": Kisaragi Ayaka, from "Yuugen
Kaisya", or a reasonable facsimile therof.

"a rather androgynous younger dark-haired woman in a bizarre description-
defying outfit": Sumeragi Hokuto, from "Tokyo Babylon", or a reasonable
facsimile therof.

"a pair of swordsmen ... one with flowing blonde hair and cleanshaven,
the other with dark black hair and a full beard and moustache":  Alen
Schezerl, from "Tenkuu no Escaflowne", and Inigo Montoya, from "The
Princess Bride", or reasonable facsimiles therof, respectively.

JOHNNY RAIDEN: From The Gundam Project FAQ:  "Though he's never appeared
on-screen, Johnny Raiden is nonetheless one of the most famous Zeon ace
pilots. He was created from whole cloth for the Mobile Suit Variation
(MSV) line of model kits, and you'll find kits of the MS-06R-2 High
Mobility Zaku and the MS-14B Gelgoog in Raiden's red-and-black color
scheme. Raiden and his fellow mystery aces serve to add some spice to the
MSV line, providing some back story and a variety of personalized 
markings. Raiden himself is said to have been an affable young man, and
one of Zeon's top test pilots. Though often spelled as "Ridden", his name
is most likely an homage to the thunder god Raiden, and indeed this Zeon
ace bears the nickname "Red Lightning". His whereabouts after the end of
the One Year War are unknown, and a favorite subject for speculation by
fans."

RITSUKO URAWA: Original character, daughter of Amy Mizuno and Greg
Urawa.  A visionary scientist, though of a more mechanical bent than her
mother, and responsible for many of the Crystal Realm's advances in mecha
technology.  She is patient, kind, and generally rather shy.  Visually,
she is a combination of her mother, Akagi Ritsuko of Neon Genesis 
Evangelion, Dr. Maria von Braun of Kishin Heidan, and Fuu of Magical
Knights Rayearth.

"psychcommu": Term used for thought control systems in Mobile Suit Gundam.

Venus:  Venus was colonized in the 2060s, and terraforming began almost
immediately after planetfall.  The planet is effectively a corporate
confederacy, with several megacorporations -- many of them formerly part
of Genom -- sharing power in an uneasy truce.  For most of its history,
Venus has pursued an antagonistic course against Mercury's corporate
state, which flared up into war in the 29th century.  The Crystal Realm
has been requested to act as a peacekeeping agent since the end of the
war.

USHIO:  From "Ushio To Tora".  He is speaking to Tora, his demonic ally /
best friend / nemesis, who is perched on his shoulders, invisible.

"Admiral Tailor":  The commanding officer of the First Fleet of the Royal
Space Force of the Crystal Realm of Earth, Justy Ueki Tailor.

SAKI: Saki Asamiya, from Sukeban Deka, or a reasonable facsimile therof.

HONEY:  Honey Kisaragi, from Cutey Honey, or a reasonable facsimile
therof.

"'That's what your wings were made for.'":  A quote from "Cruel Angel's
Thesis", opening music of Neon Genesis Evangelion.

"'Am I supposed to transform to Great Saotomeman and fly using my immense
chi?'":  A Dragonball GT reference.

"little arrows":  A Fifth Element reference.

RHEANNION:  Serenity's opposite number.

"'kathilicide'":  That should be pronounced, "kath-ee-lee-side".  Feel
free to kill me for that pun.