(We all know the deal for these things. A youngish man with green hair
raises an eyebrow, and says)

?: Well, you really didn't expect me to let _this_ one go, now did you? 
   Anyway, until more of I'm Here to Help comes out, I'm free to do these,
   so then... I am your host of the evening, just your average immortal
   Neo-Queen hating rebel-leading energy vampire from the future. It's a
   hobby. And today's token anime person is... (pales) oh no.

Mercury: Hello.

?: It's going to be one of those, isn't it?  The fic is The Price of Heaven, 
   the author is Richard Lawson, and onwards, ever onwards we go:

At 08:05 PM 16/11/97 -0600, Richard Lawson wrote:

A couple of notes:  this takes place not in the dub continuity.  Not the 
manga, not the anime, but the North American dub, which has a different 
plot line from all of the others.  So that's why I use the North American 
names instead of the Japanese ones.  Don't go changing the names or you'll 
be changing the story (this means you, Sean).  I *do* use "Ami" for "Amy" 
and "Rei" for "Raye" since they're close enough to make no difference.

SM Otaku: But Ami does not equal Amy!

?: (boots Otaku out of this C&C) Oh do be quiet. Very well, I'll try to
   keep to dub usage for this C&C then. 

Lots of extrapolation here.  It's what I like to do.  :)

?: That's the handy thing about ill-defined futures. You can get away with
   a lot of making up things.

Mercury: (thinks) No kidding.

He walked down the street, feeling happy.  Indeed, he seldom felt 
otherwise.

He passed a fellow citizen.  He nodded and smiled to her.  She smiled back 
at him, and they shared their happiness.  It was always such, but no less 
wonderful for its frequency.

?: I think I'm going to be sick.

He had to turn a corner, but stopped to admire the structure rising in the 
distance.  It was beautiful.  Well, *everything* was beautiful, but this 
was even more so.  He allowed the sight to fill him; then he moved on.

As it happened, he was alone on the street.  This happened sometimes; 
eventually he would meet someone else.  Until then, he let his joy carry 
him along.

?: I know I'm going to be sick.

A shadow passed over him.  His smile dimmed slightly; if he recalled the 
weather plan, today was supposed to be sunny and bright all morning.

He looked up, and as he did the shadow deepened.  Became black.  And the 
blackness was filled with... something.  Something that roiled and moved 
and hated.  It hated everything, but at this moment it hated him in 
particular.

?: I can't blame it. Go shadow go!

Ranma studied them closely, and as they approached he realized he was being 
rude.  He tried to smile in apology.  They smiled back at him, and spoke in 
strangely accented Japanese.  "Greetings, citizen," they said in almost 
perfect unison.

?: Baa, baa, Crystal Tokyo sheep. Have you any soul?

Mercury: I don't think you really gave the society a chance, you know.

?: Hah, I've spat things with more original will than a CT citizen.

A rustling from the back of the crowd got his attention.  "Warrior."  The 
word passed through the crowd, spoken in an awed hush.  "Warrior."  And 
another phrase:  "One of the Warriors has come."

?: If the Neo-Queen is supposed to be 'Love', what does it say when she
   is surrounded by warriors?

Mercury: We are not just warriors. Besides, in order to prepare for peace,
         you have to--

?: No cliches thank you. Even though warrior is, of course, the literal 
   translation of senshi, I have to wonder if it works as a description
   for the society you describe. 

Mercury: Protector, for instance, or guardian would be nice words.

?: But even so, warrior is correct. Just doesn't sound right for the place.

"Crystal Tokyo is ruled by Neo-Queen Serenity and her consort, King 
Endymion, from the Crystal Palace."  Her voice took on a reverential tone 
when speaking their names.

?: Reverential? Oh yes, I'm definitely feeling ill again.

Mercury: (hands him so antacid) Here.

?: Uh... Not that kind of ill, actually...

She finished up and looked at him.  Years had melted from her.  Now she 
looked no older than sixteen.  Yet it was still her, still the woman who 
had called herself Ami.  Ranma wondered briefly which was the secret 
identity and which was the real person.

?: Perhaps neither. Why would she need a secret identity in 'friendly town',
   anyway? Shows a bit of distrust of the citizens there...

Mercury: Hmm, or perhaps both are the secret identity, both are the real 
         person.

?: And people wonder why you scare me.

Ranma glanced back at Sailor Mercury, who gave him a reassuring nod.  He 
sighed. "Well, it's kinda complicated.  I come from Tokyo, actually.  Tokyo 
of the past, I'll bet.  It was 2007 when I left.  What year is it now?"

"We are asking the questions here, Ranma."  Sailor Venus' voice was harsh.

?: "Please don't be so mean." quailled Ranma. "I'll tell! I'll tell!"

Mercury: Ok, so our interrogation methods leave something to be desired. It's
         not as if we got much practice in Crystal Tokyo.

Sailor Mercury, on the other hand, spoke in a soft voice.  "It is 
thirty-seven years since the founding of Crystal Tokyo, which is how we 
measure time.  And that date is, indeed, far in the future from where you 
come from."

"From where he *claims* to be from."  Sailor Venus folded her arms.  "And 
how did you accomplish this time travel of yours?"

?: Ranma cleared his throat. "Well, I met this chick with green hair. Next 
   thing ya know, just like it always happens, she's latched onto me as my 
   latest iinazuke. And to think I'd finally managed to get rid of the last 
   lot. Anyway, instead of okonomiyaki or ramen as gifts, she gives me one-way
   trips into the future. Why are you looking at me that way?"

Sailor Venus reached over and squeezed Sailor Mercury's forearm.  "Don't 
be. It's always good to know that you're always looking out for my 
well-being."

?: (Turns to Mercury) Well, I never knew you two were like that.

Mercury: (blushing) It's not like that! We're friends. Friends! Can't friends
         do something friendly without sex getting in the way?

Ranma watched them smile at each other, sharing something deep and special. 
He knew what it was like; he had very much the same thing with Akane. 
These Warriors were obviously more than mere compatriots; they were 
special friends.

?: Ah. _Special_ friends.

Mercury: I just said it wasn't like that!

"You are our best lead so far."  Sailor Mercury was eyeing him quite 
frankly. "Ranma, *no one* lives outside of Crystal Tokyo.  No one good, 
that is.  

?: What a thoroughly blinkered view. 'We are the only good in the world'? 
   
Mercury: And what if it's true?

?: Easier to say 'And what if it is not?' Nephrite, Alan and Ann, Galaxia
   (who shouldn't have been mentioned if you're using the dub, you naughty
   boy), and so on, and so forth. All of them were not evil incarnate, and 
   they were some of your greatest foes, Mercury.

Most of the world was destroyed a millenium ago - very close to 
the time you claim to come from, in fact."

"Wow."  This from Sailor Mars.  "We almost died.  Again."  

Mercury: That would have been the third time that week.

?: My, my, Mercury made a joke.

Mercury: No I didn't.

?: Oh.

She held her 
hand against her ribs.  Her eyes widened and she looked at Ranma.  "You. 
You protected the Queen while she attacked."

Sailor Mars exploded from behind him.  "You will say 'Your Majesty' or 'My 
Queen'!"

?: Don't require obescience, eh? They certainly require all the other 
   entrapments of monarchy.

"But," Ranma said despite himself, "she had alternatives, didn't she?  If 
she was that powerful, she didn't have to wait until it was almost too late 
to do something, did she?"

?: Take, for instance, a certain Senshi with the power to destroy a planet.
   Just lob her into the Negaverse, and watch things go boom.

Sailor Mars brought clasped her hands together, her forefingers extended. 
A small ball of fire formed at the tip.  "You were not there, Ranma.  You 
have no right to judge the Queen.  She did all she could.  Say one more 
thing, and I'll fry you where you stand."

?: Nothing like a free society where you can speak your mind, eh? And this is
   nothing like a...

The Queen spoke from the throne.  "It is because of My spells, Ranma. 
After thousands of years of strife and suffering, My subjects deserve 
peace.  I help maintain that peace."

?: o/ And we'll wash that brain right out of your head o/
   I've seen cruel fascist dictators with more regard for their people than
   this. The utter disregard for free will is frightening.

The King rose from his throne and put his hand on his sword.  "Get to the 
point quickly, Ranma, before I have to call you out."

Mercury: Is it too late to join the other side? I'm not sure I want to be
         on this one anymore.

Ranma faced the Queen again.  Her head was flung back as she screamed, her 
hands flung forward as the lightning poured from her.  Ranma tried one last 
time. "Serena!  Remember when we went to go face the evil in that pocket 
universe or wherever we were?  We went side by side.  When we were 
attacked, we stood together and beat that crystal thingy.  Well, I'm here 
now.  Together we can face the fight again.  Let me help!"

"Serena, I love you!  Let me help!"  This from the King.

?: Ooo, ooo, let me help! Let me help!

Mercury: (sighs and buries head in hands)

The King was kneeling on the ground, the Queen cradled in his arms.  Her 
face was quiet and peaceful, but her eyes were closed.  Ranma swallowed, 
fighting off another sense of déjà vu.  He'd been in this situation 
himself.

This time, however, there were no dramatic speeches.  The Queen simply 
opened her eyes and looked up at the King.  "Oh Darien, what have I done?" 
She began to weep.  "The evil's loose.  It's out there again, and it's 
hunting My - the citizens of Crystal Tokyo.  I failed, I couldn't keep the 
evil contained, and now everyone's going to suffer again."

?: Evil as a conscious entity? Something that can hunt? What a disservice to
   humanity that is. We all have... had free wills. We all could choose our
   life's path. Right, wrong, good, evil, they're all up to us. 

The Queen only began to weep harder.  "I didn't want it to be that way.  I 
wanted everyone to be happy all the time.  Is that so terrible?"

"No."  Sailor Mars spoke gently.  "But the human race made a choice a long 
time ago.  Rather than being content with what we had, we decided to strive 
for more. To try and reach perfection.  But we'll never reach it, because 
it's impossible. But we can't ever stop trying; it's the effort that 
defines us.  And, unfortunately, the struggle comes at a cost.  We must be 
prepared to pay the price of heaven, or we will find ourselves cast down."

?: Er... Yes. Well. It all seems a little overblown, to tell the truth. 
   (turns to Mercury) What's with you, you didn't say much during this.

Mercury: I found this vision of the future very disturbing. I was actually
         finding myself disliking this particular Crystal Tokyo.

?: Disliking hey? I don't think that even begins to describe what I felt about
   this version of CT. And I thought the one in my universe was bad! Gods,
   I really, really didn't like the place, or the people, especially the 
   Sailors. Hidebound, unopen to suggestions... the society would not be able
   to mantain itself, evil or no evil, in such an atmosphere. Burn the place,
   and start again, I think.

Mercury: With comments about the setting and people out of the way, let's
         talk about this concept of evil.

?: Let's not. Don't agree, water under the bridge.

Mercury: Alright. You seem to be using an overblown style for your Sailor Moon 
         stories, Richard. I'm not really sure this works, it has a certain...

?: Groan factor?

Mercury: I guess. Still, maybe that's the style that people like in these 
         things.

?: That's the negative things out of the way. Okay, interesting idea no 
   matter just how philosophically opposed I happen to be to it. 

Mercury: It certainly evokes an effective image of Crystal Tokyo. How else
         could it cause dislike like this?

?: I never thought of it that way. Well, short and bitter, just the way I like
   them. This C&C may be a little harsher than normal, but what the hey. I'm
   just acting in character. ^_^ Anyway, she's the social misfit who once
   thought that someone beating her in class made them an agent of evil.

Mercury: And he's the guy who hasn't figured out who Serenity is even
         after over six hundred years.

?: What's that supposed to mean?

Mercury: Oh, nothing.

?: Hmph. Time to say goodbye. Goodbye.

Mercury: Goodbye.


************  
Mark Doherty  -  mdoherty@mailbox.uq.edu.au
My spam/fanfics are at - 
http://www.tass.org/~mdoherty/index.html

"Time grows short, but I remain tall."