An Inevitable Outcome Feature
Written and Directed
by C. Richard Davies
TOGETHER AGAIN
1996 Chapter
Based on the works of
Naoko Takeuchi, Rumiko Takahashi,
Kosuke Fujishima, Matsumoto Izumi,
Masaki Kajishima,
and various interpretations therof.
Incorporating
original characters created
by C. Richard Davies
Dedicated to John Biles, Fred Herriot,
and Larry Mann.
ACT THREE
Establishing Shot: The still burning remnants of the Nerima train station,
late at night. Our view pans across the rubble slowly, occasionally
catching a glimpse of fabric or flesh scattered by the explosion. We
finally come to see AKANE, stunned, her dress in tatters, sitting on her
rump.
AKANE (V.O.)
In a way, it made no sense at all.
I had been through so much. I had
been in battle before this. I had
been *dead*, technically, once. But
the sudden shock of watching the
the destruction of the train station
-- seeing so much sudden and
apparently *pointless* death -- it
shocked me to my core. <beat> And
even now, it still does. Not as
much as what came after, but -- I'll
let that speak for itself.
KUNOU (O.S.)
Tendou Akane-san?
AKANE blinks. KUNOU comes slowly up behind her, his clothes also slightly
torn up and the bouquet of flowers he was carrying scorched.
KUNOU
Tendou-san, are you injured?
KUNOU starts to lower a hand to her shoulder. AKANE blinks again, and
twists away, suddenly producing her mallet and swinging it at KUNOU.
Something under the ruins of the train station *shifts*.
AKANE manages to stop the mallet just before it smacks into KUNOU's
impassive face. She lets out a long shuddering breath.
KUNOU
I am pleased to see that you are
well, Tendou-san, and indeed that
your firey spirit remains unquenched
by these --
AKANE
Kunou, do yourself a favor: Don't
make me regret holding back.
She pulls her mallet back and puts it away.
AKANE
What happened?
KUNOU
An explosion, originating within yon
train station, did pummel all about
with great tumult. I fear that many
have not escaped grievous harm as a
result, as you and I have.
AKANE
Oh God. H-how long was I out?
KUNOU
I cannot say with any degree of
certitude, Tendou-san, but I believe
that the incident ocurred perhaps
ten or twenty minutes ago.
AKANE
<muttered> I don't remember anything
after the damn explosion and --
<beat; aloud> Wait a minute. Twenty
minutes and there's no ambulance
here yet? No police? Something's
wrong here.
The voice, very reptillian, emanates from the rubble.
VIMOGORGE (O.S.)
How true, daughter of man. How true
your words.
AKANE stares dumbfoundedly at the pile of rubble, while KUNOU stares
impassively.
KUNOU
Alas, it is, as I feared, the work
of sorcerers.
VIMOGORGE (O.S.)
<laughter> How truly these children
speak! How truly!
AKANE starts to come to her feet.
AKANE
Kunou ... I think we should get out
of --
AKANE starts to put weight on her left ankle ... which doesn't seem to be
up to the task.
AKANE
-- OW!
She collapses and looks down at her ankle -- and then, seeing the very
large, purple bruise covering it, really wishes that she hadn't.
AKANE
<whisper> Oh, no. Not again.
VIMOGORGE (O.S.)
Oh dear? Can the daughter of man
not run? This won't be any fun at
all if the prey can't run ...
The rubble begins to shift again ... something is starting to move.
AKANE
<disbelieving> What ... what *are*
you ...
And then it breaks free. The VIMOGORGE has a long, snake like body with
an enormous, lion-like head and four legs with talons on paw-like
hands. Bat-like wing membranes are attached to the creature's first pair
of limbs. Heavy plating on the tail end of the creature turns it into a
spike. Slime covers it, dripping to the ground where it sizzles.
Moustache-like tentacles come out of the snout of the beast. Its eyes are
black, with tiny pinpricks of light, and they are fixed on AKANE.
VIMOGORGE
I AM *DEATH*.
AKANE stares up at it, genuinely terrified ... and KUNOU steps forward, a
strange light in his eye.
KUNOU
<whispered> At last ... a worthy
opponent ...
He pulls forth his bokken, and begins to walk a slow and measured pace
towards the VIMOGORGE. AKANE stares at him in complete shock.
AKANE
KUNOU! WHAT IN HELL ARE YOU DOING?
KUNOU looks back at her with a serene expression.
KUNOU
<sincere> What I was born to do,
Tendou Akane-san. Fear not, I shall
put an end to this rude beast 'ere
it should cause you any further
injury.
He turns to stare up into the eyes of the VIMOGORGE, which stares down at
him as a man might look down at a particularly interesting bug.
VIMOGORGE
WHAT IS THIS DOG MEAT THAT COMES
BEFORE ME?
KUNOU
Who am I? I am Kunou Tatewaki.
Graduate of Furinkan High School.
Undefeated Captain of the Kendo
Club. <beat> But my peers call me
-- the Blue Thunder of Nerima
District, Tokyo. Age: Twenty-Two!
And he attacks the VIMOGORGE. AKANE watches, appalled.
AKANE (V.O.)
For the rest of my life, I know, I
will wonder. Had he been training
so much over the last year that he
had finally begun to reach a level
of mastery that put him among the
rest of the great martial artists of
Nerima? Or had I told Ranma a
greater truth than I'd realized
three years ago; that when Kunou
fought a woman he viewed as capable,
he was somewhat effective, when he
fought a man he viewed as capable,
he was very effective, and when he
confronted a menace that he chose to
regard as worthy of his respect ...
that he always was one of the
greats? <beat> I don't know. I
never will.
KUNOU is moving very fast as he attacks the VIMOGORGE, and is able to get
in several blows before the creature even realizes what's happening.
(However, the sheer surprise of being attacked by such an apparently
insignificant threat may have a part of this.) The hypersonic blows of
the katana bruise but don't seem to break the VIMOGORGE's skin, and it is
moving fast enough that KUNOU finds it difficult to strike more than once
in a temporarily weakened spot. The VIMOGORGE lashes out with its
tentacles, and wraps several of them around his sword arm, dragging KUNOU
up towards its mouth. KUNOU manages to swing himself such that he gets a
leg grip on the creature's neck, and resist the pull of the tentacles. A
period of strain ensues ... and the tentacles give before KUNOU's shoulder
does. Ichor drips down from the stubs, and the VIMOGORGE lets out a howl
of pain. KUNOU immediately dashes up the length of the beast's neck, and
slices his bokken into the base of the creature's throat. Ichor erupts,
covering him, and KUNOU is blinded by the spray. The VIMOGORGE twists and
rolls in a panicked effort to get rid of the irritant. KUNOU drives his
blade into the wound -- and the VIMOGORGE slams its underbody into the
ground.
There is the sound of a wooden blade snapping.
The VIMOGORGE convulses further, twisting in evident agony, for several
minutes ... until it finally lets out a strange howl, and the pinpricks of
light in its eyes fade.
A moment later, it explodes in a burst of purple light.
AKANE is even more stunned than she was earlier. She slowly, painfully
forces herself to her feet, and hobbles to where the VIMOGORGE had lain.
KUNOU is lying there, flat on the ground. His face is bruised and covered
with ichor. One of his eyes is swollen shut. His legs bend in the wrong
direction. His breath is slow and irregular. Blood is running from his
mouth.
AKANE
KUNOU!
She half-runs half-stumbles to where he is, and slowly, gently lifts his
head into her lap.
KUNOU
<weak> Tendou Akane-san?
AKANE
It's gone. Whatever it was, it's
gone.
KUNOU
<weak> Doubtless one of the servitor
demons of the sorceror Saotome come
to drag you back to your servitude.
<beat> But it is gone?
AKANE nods, unable to speak.
KUNOU
<weak> Then my struggle was not in
vain. <beat> I have but one regret
then ... that I was unable to free
osage-no-onna from his foul clutches
'ere I --
RANMA (O.S.)
But Kunou-sama, you did ...
AKANE slowly turns to look up with a horrified expression. RANMA (female
form) is standing a few feet away, wearing a red Chinese dress and staring
down at KUNOU with a soft, loving expression as she walks slowly close to
them.
KUNOU
<weak> My goddess in pigtails! Can
it be true? Are you indeed freed
from the bondage of the sorceror?
RANMA kneels down beside him, and brings her face close to his.
RANMA
Could a woman whose heart was in
bondage give this to her liberator?
And she kisses him full on the lips, passionately. After a moment, she
releases him. He is smiling, peacefully.
KUNOU
<murmured> A man, being chased by a
ferocious lion, came to the edge of
a ravine, over which hung a cherry
tree. He climbed up onto the tree,
and moved out onto one of the
branches, in hope of leaping to the
other side of the ravine. Suddenly,
he saw on the other side of the
ravine a lion, equally ferocious.
Then the branch began to crack.
<beat> The man ... plucked a cherry
from ... the tree and ... said ...
"How ... sweet ... this ... is ..."
And he dies. RANMA gently reaches out to close his eyes. AKANE stares at
her at her in shock.
AKANE
Ranma, *why* --?
RANMA looks up at her. Her lips move, but it is not her voice.
NINIANE (V.O.)
Was that her name? Ranma?
AKANE is shocked. The illusion around NINIANE begins to fade, revealing
her true features.
NINIANE
I was able to discern her appearance
and voice from his memories, but he
did not know her name.
AKANE
Wh-wh-who are you?
NINIANE
My name is Niniane. I mean you no
harm, Tendou Akane. I have just now
come from your father's home, in
order to protect you on your journey
back there ... unfortunately, I could
not arrive before that creature made
itself known. <beat> Are you well
enough to travel? I think that you
would wish to avoid the attention of
the authorities.
AKANE
What ... but ... but Kunou ...
NINIANE
He will be found by the police, and
there will be another unexplained
death in the Nerima district. There
have been many already, one more
will not change matters.
AKANE looks as though she wants to protest, but the calm, unyielding
expression on NINIANE's face forestalls her. She gently lowers KUNOU's
head out of her lap, and NINIANE helps her to her feet, supporting her.
AKANE
Goodbye ... Kunou-sempai.
NINIANE leads AKANE away from the wreckage. A gust of wind blows cherry
leaves across KUNOU's body.
AKANE (V.O.)
Meanwhile, back at my home ...
Cut to the dining room of the Tendou home, just as a bright light flashes
in through the window. We see KENT look up, at first startled, then
chagrined. He stands, walks to the sliding door, and slides it open. He
looks up into the sky.
The bulk of the Helifortress fills up the sky above the Tendou dojo. A
spotlight mounted under the body shines down.
KENT looks up with an annoyed expression. RANMA, UKYOU, and RYOUGA join
him at the door.
RYOUGA
What the *hell*?
KENT
Some ... associates of mine. <beat>
Sensei, would you mind very much if
an aerial battleship landed in your
yard?
SOUUN's head is resting on his left shoulder, his eyes vague. KASUMI is
making sure he doesn't fall over and hurt himself.
KENT
That's what I thought.
He waves for the ship to "come forward".
In the cockpit of the Helifortress, ANDREW watches KENT wave on a monitor.
He grins, and presses a pair of controls on the console while pressing
forward on the steering mechanism.
The Helifortress tips forward so that its body is at an angle of about 30
degrees from the ground. Two pairs of landing gear start to descend from
the body, with the two that are further back from the front of the
battleship being longer. When the skids have reached the ground, the
rotors of the ship slow and stop. A portion of the hull, located roughly
at the center of the square formed by the four landing gear, rotates out
to be parallel to the ground, and starts to descend as a shaft towards the
pond in the backyard. When it reaches the bottom, the shaft -- which is
an elevator, obviously -- opens its doors. MCGOVERN steps out --
MCGOVERN
Hey, Kent! Great to see YAAAA--
-- and falls into the pond. STENGOVITCH and RAVEN come to the edge of the
elevator and look down as MCGOVERN surfaces with a mortified expression on
his face. RANMA seems nonplussed.
RANMA
These friends of yours ... really
know how to make an entrance, don't
they?
KENT
<shocked> McGovern?!
MCGOVERN
Um ... hi.
Just then, NINIANE appears to hop over the wall of the dojo, carrying
AKANE in her arms. RANMA's head twists in her direction, almost as though
it's involuntary. He is clearly shocked at her condition.
RANMA
Akane?!
AKANE looks up, weary.
AKANE
Ranma?
RANMA dashes over to where NINIANE is walking with AKANE. RYOUGA starts
to head after him, but stops a few seconds later with a morose look on his
face. NINIANE gratefully hands her over, and RANMA and AKANE spend a few
moments staring at each other.
RANMA
So ... what happened to you?
AKANE
I ... I really don't want to talk
about it.
RANMA looks down at her leg, and sees the bruise.
RANMA
Lemme guess, you tripped walking
here and --
AKANE
Excuse me? I am *not* that clumsy.
RANMA
Then what happened?!
AKANE
I don't wanna talk about it! <beat>
And where you when I was at the ...
the train station, anyway?
RANMA
Hey, all I knew was that you were
s'posed to be home this afternoon,
not this late in the evening!
AKANE
And whose fault is that?
RANMA
You didn't call!
AKANE
You weren't *home* when I did!
RANMA
Oh so now I'm supposed to sit around
waiting on phone calls from an
uncute tomboy like --
AKANE mallets him. As a result, they both fall to the ground.
AKANE (V.O.)
It was our first meeting in months.
<beat> Of course it turned into a
fight.
RYOUGA
<irate> How *dare* Ranma treat
Akane-san like that when she's
injured!
He starts heading towards them again, only to be slammed into the ground
with a spatula.
UKYOU
<almost in tears> It's wonderful to
see them getting along that well ...
just wonderful.
KENT watches these antics from near the pond as he pulls a dripping
MCGOVERN out.
KENT
<muttered> Children. Children with
more power than some gods I've had
to deal with ...
NINIANE approaches him.
NINIANE
And another one of them slew a
vimogorge earlier tonight.
KENT
Vimogorge?!
NINIANE nods, soberly.
NINIANE
He died in the accomplishment,
however. I made sure that there
were no ... unfortunate side effects
from the deed.
NABIKI, who has approached them while looking up at the Helifortress with
a covetous expression.
NABIKI
Excuse me? Who died?
KENT
<warning> Nin--
NINIANE
<brusque> Some boy named Kunou
Tatewaki. Why?
NABIKI is silent for a very long moment.
NABIKI
<unmoved> Kunou-chan? He's dead?
NINIANE nods. NABIKI stares momentarily at KENT, who finds himself unable
to meet her gaze.
NABIKI
<very controlled> Who exactly are
you people? And what is going on?
Cut to a shot of the Tendou Dojo, with the Helifortress parked in the
yard, in early morning sunlight.
AKANE (V.O.)
My older sister wouldn't get an
answer to that question for a few
hours. <beat> I still wonder why
none of the neighbors came by to ask
why there was a giant -- whatever
you want to call it -- in our yard.
Maybe they were just used to the
weirdness by that point. <beat>
I finally got put to bed by my older
sister, and spent the rest of the
night trying to not have nightmares
about what had happened to Kunou.
I didn't get a chance to talk to
Ranma ... as usual. But it seemed
that Ranma took Kent's advice about
keeping his friends -- in this case,
Ryouga and Ukyou -- close, even
though I would probably have phrased
it as keeping his enemies closer.
As for Kent himself, he went up into
the vehicle and spent that night
consulting with his friends about
what to tell us and how much. He
came down, in the early hours of the
morning, to see just what had been
done at the site of the explosion.
Cut to the grim sight of many white sheets spread over the ground of the
shattered train station, covering the bodies and parts of bodies that have
been recovered. KENT moves through them, his face emotionless, his eyes
completely hidden by his glasses. Ambulance and rescue workers are still
trying to free some victims from the rubble.
We see a uniformed police officer leading KUNOU KODACHI towards one of the
sheets. Her face is even more emotionless than KENT's. Two other police
officers lift the sheet. KODACHI looks down. She blinks once. She nods,
and turns and walks away. KENT follows her with his eyes as she does. He
starts to walk again.
He examines the wreckage of the station itself, and nods once.
URD (O.S.)
Pretty awful, isn't it?
KENT looks up to see URD and SKULD looking at him, still in their
trenchcoats and glasses. KENT blinks.
KENT
It is indeed. <beat> And you are?
SKULD
Special agents Tana Skuldey and --
URD
-- Urd Megami. We're with the --
SKULD
-- a special group of undercover
agents of justice. Who are you?
KENT produces his badge. The gold trim glistens in the early morning
sunlight.
KENT
Kent Masefield. Planetary Defense
Forces. Commanding officer. <beat>
*Which* special group of undercover
agents of justice, young lady?
There are *so* many, as I'm sure
you're aware.
URD and SKULD look non-plussed. URD opens her mouth for a moment, then
closes it and blinks in shock.
KENT's face has Divinity tattoos. Or rather, he has black-scabbed wounds
on his face where a god would have them, in patterns that echo but are
subtly different from the tattoos on URD's, SKULD's, and BELLDANDY's
faces.
URD shakes her head. KENT's face is normal, with no scabbing anywhere.
He is staring at her oddly.
KENT
Is something wrong?
URD
Um, no! No, not at all. Um, okay,
truth? We're not agents from some
do-gooder organization.
SKULD stares up at her older sister in shock, while URD swiftly clamps a
hand over SKULD's mouth.
KENT
<dry> Do tell?
URD
Yep, me and my sweet lil' sister
here were just playing a little
practical joke on the Japanese, you
see, we're tourists and we thought
it might be a good idea to pretend
to be secret agents and --
KENT holds up a hand.
KENT
Look, word to the wise. It's a bad
idea to pretend to be an agent of
any government, from a cop on the
beat up to the head of state. It
can really get you in a lot of bad
trouble. Just ... cut it out.
URD
Right, sure, anything you say, come
on, Tana dear!
She wrestles SKULD away, SKULD protesting angrily under URD's hand. KENT
shakes his head and returns to his examination of the ruins.
AKANE (V.O.)
Meanwhile, in Juuban ...
Cut to the living room of the Hikawa Jinja's "manse". A loud snoring can
be heard. RAYE comes into the living room, looking rather dishevelled in
her robes. She homes in on the couch as the source of the snoring noise,
and looks over the back to see RYOUKO curled up there. RAYE's face twists
in irritation, and she heads over to the door leading outside.
RAYE
Bakemono ...
She exits. RYOUKO's eyes don't open.
RYOUKO
Twit ...
Cut to the deck just outside the house, where AYEKA is kneeling and
enjoying the sunrise. RAYE enters the scene from within the house, and
notices AYEKA.
RAYE
Oh, good morning, Ayeka-san.
AYEKA
Good morning, Raye-san ...
RAYE
Did you sleep well?
AYEKA
Yes. Thank you again for letting us
stay here in the wake of our current
difficulties.
There is a long and uncomfortable pause.
RAYE
It's different, now, isn't it?
AYEKA nods, sadly. RAYE kneels down a foot or so away from her.
RAYE
I ... where ... where did you come
from? <beat> I mean ... you *look*
just like a human.
AYEKA
It is best never to put too much
stock in appearances.
RAYE
True enough, but --
AYEKA
I have no more idea as to why our
two peoples are so similar than you,
Raye-san. Perhaps you are a lost
colony of ours. It's happened
before. <beat> My world is located
... um ...
She looks up at the early morning sky, and points at the approximate
location of the Pleiades.
AYEKA
... there. Our world and our sun
are both named Jurai. <beat> I
have not seen either in roughly
seven hundred of your years --
RAYE
<shocked> SEVEN HUNDRED?
AYEKA
<quick> I spent the vast majority of
that interval in coldsleep. We are
a long lived people, but I am still
a youth. On my world, I would be
considered to be on the threshold of
adulthood.
RAYE
Me too. I turn eighteen in a few
weeks.
AYEKA
I see. <beat> I came to this
world ... for a number of reasons
that don't really matter now. Here
I found my love -- Tenchi -- scion
of a line of my people who had come
to this world many years earlier.
TENCHI, looking slightly bushed, appears in doorway, unnoticed by either of
them. He hangs back, not wanting to eavesdrop, but unable to back away
either.
RAYE
Then, he's the one you were telling
me about ... the one whose feelings
you aren't sure about?
AYEKA
<nods> Yes. At times he seems so
dedicated to me ... but sometimes I
honestly worry that he cares more
about that ... horrible woman than
he does about me!
TENCHI looks stricken, as though he'd rather be anywhere else.
RAYE
"That horrible woman" meaning the
demoness currently sleeping in my
living room?
AYEKA nods vigorously. TENCHI braces himself.
AYEKA
<spits> Ryouko. That ... bakemono
has caused me more pain and anguish
than anyone else in the universe.
She ravaged my world, broke up my
family, came close to killing my
little sister, and ... OOOH! She
does so many things simply to annoy
and anger me!
TENCHI relaxes, with a disturbed expression on his face.
RAYE
If he knows all this, why does he
let her hang around with him?
TENCHI opens his mouth to answer.
AYEKA
<grudgingly> Because ... in spite of
herself, I believe, she has been
something of a comfort to Tenchi at
times. And she did ... <VERY
grudgingly> aid in saving my life at
one point. <beat> I'm convinced
that she did so only because she
knew that Tenchi would never forgive
her if I came to harm by her action
*or* inaction, but the fact remains
that she did act to protect me. And
one of Tenchi-sama's best, noblest
qualities is that he is so loving
and generous ... that he extends an
open heart to everyone he knows.
TENCHI is blushing like crazy.
RAYE
This all seems so fantastic ...
AYEKA
More unbelievable than pretty sailor
suited soldiers of love and justice?
RAYE
<smiling> You have a point.
AYEKA
In truth, your life seems far more
incredible than mine. And not just
to me either. Sasami-chan was up
half the night talking about how
"totally cool" it would be to be a
magical girl like you Soldiers.
RAYE
<smiles sadly> Well, it's fun once
in a while ... but it's an awful
burden, too. Feeling like you're
the only line of defense between
darkness and light ... knowing that
you can be called to give up your
life for the cause ...
AYEKA
And would you give it up?
RAYE
Never.
AYEKA
Tell me how it began.
RAYE looks up at the moon, still visible in the sky.
RAYE
<soft> Thousands of years ago, our
moon was inhabited by a great
civilization ... the Moon Kingdom,
ruled over by the wise and kind
Queen Serenity. <beat> But the
evil Queen Beryl, envious of the
power of the Moon Kingdom, led an
army of monsters against it, killing
its defenders and the Queen's only
daughter, the Princess Serenity.
With her last strength, the Queen
banished Beryl and her army to the
dark Negaverse ... and sent all the
souls of those who had died in the
battle to Earth, to be reborn there.
<beat> We are the defenders of the
Moon Kingdom, reborn. And our
Princess ... is Serena.
AYEKA's eyes bulge.
AYEKA
Serena. <beat> The ... um, rather
enthusiastic young lady with the
unusual hair style?
RAYE
<smiles wryly> It was something of a
shock to *me* at the time, too.
<beat> But after all, you shouldn't
put too much stock in appearances.
AYEKA blinks at that, and then sees the smile hovering around RAYE's lips.
She smiles herself, then, and they both have a hearty laugh. TENCHI,
standing back, smiles too.
AYEKA
So in your own way, you're an alien
too.
RAYE
<sad smile> Kami knows I always felt
like one when I was growing up.
<beat> So ... since you weren't here
on a school trip like you said, why
did you come to Tokyo on your own?
TENCHI
I'd like to know that myself, Ayeka-
san.
RAYE and AYEKA both whirl as the realize that TENCHI is standing behind
them, rather embarrassed.
AYEKA
Oh! Uh ... Tenchi-sama ... how long
have you been there?
TENCHI
Not very long.
RAYE stands, still very embarrassed.
RAYE
Well, I'll leave you two to discuss
... things. I wouldn't want to
listen in on private conversations,
that's unbelievably --
She realizes what she's saying, and flushes. RAYE bows, and heads back
into the house. TENCHI comes and kneels down where she was kneeling.
AYEKA gazes at him nervously.
AYEKA
<anxious> Tenchi-sama, I --
TENCHI
I'm not angry with you Ayeka. <beat>
Well, not much. <beat> *Why* did
you trick Mihoshi like that? You
know that she's easily tricked, but
you still ...
AYEKA
<weakly> It was the only way I could
think of to get to the Okayama train
station.
TENCHI
So that you could come to Tokyo.
<beat> Why did you need to go to
Tokyo?
AYEKA lets out a long sigh, and produces the battered copy of the X-Files
tankoubon which she bought yesterday, and holds it out towards TENCHI.
AYEKA
This is why.
He stares at it in confusion.
Cut to the breakfast table of the Tendou home. On one side are lined up
(in this order) UKYOU, NABIKI, RANMA, AKANE, KASUMI, and RYOUGA. On the
other side (in this order) are PATRICIA, ANDREW, MCGOVERN, NINIANE, and
KENT. PATRICIA is wearing a grey jogging suit with a crest identical to
the symbol on KENT's badge -- a pyramid with an eye.
KENT
Kasumi-san, won't your father be
joining us?
KASUMI
No ... he has elected to not get out
of bed this morning.
NABIKI
No great loss there.
KASUMI
<sharp> Nabiki.
NABIKI
Neechan, I don't care any more. I
just want to know what the hell
we've gotten into, and how I can get
*out* of it.
KENT
All right. That's an understandable
reaction. <beat> The problem is
not explaining what's going on ...
the problem is where to start.
<beat> It's possible that there has
always been an organization like
ours. I know of at least one group
that was active during the war which
did much the same sort of thing we
do, and which has definite ties to
us. But our story, for all intents
and purposes, begins on a certain
specific day:
Cut to TENCHI and AYEKA. TENCHI is reading aloud from the manga.
TENCHI
June 21, 1947. An American business
man named Kenneth Arnold is flying
in his private plane over Washington
state, and sees nine objects flying
at speeds of about 2000 to 3000
kilometers per hour. When he
reports the sighting to the media,
they are immediately dubbed flying
saucers. <beat> According to UFO
scholars, less than two weeks later
the wreckage of one such flying
saucer was discovered in a farm near
Corona, New Mexico ... a town less
than nine miles from Roswell. The
official report is that it was a
weather balloon.
Cut back to the Tendou home.
ANDREW
It wasn't a weather balloon. It
wasn't a flying saucer, either. It
was something much worse. <beat> A
flying classroom.
RANMA
Huh?
ANDREW
All the technology in that thing was
specifically designed by whoever
dropped it to be easily reverse
engineered by whoever got their
grubby lil' hands on it. It was
probably damn near magic for people
whose concept of a user friendly
computer was a cute girl trained in
the use of a slide rule, but it's
not that far from where we are now;
probably about thirty to forty years
in advance of current technology.
It was intended as a cheap bribe to
whoever found it -- "See what we can
give you? Isn't it worth letting us
mess with a few of your species?"
Cut back to TENCHI and AYEKA.
TENCHI
Also recovered from the crashed
spacecraft were a number of corpses
of apparently alien beings. <beat>
Ayeka-san ... I really don't see
what the point of all this is. Were
... were these aliens Jurains?
AYEKA
<firm> No. Very much not. Consider
the picture, Tenchi-sama ...
TENCHI looks down at the artist's conception drawing of the alien -- a
stereotypical "Gray" -- large head, small body, pasty skin, huge slitted
eyes.
AYEKA
We know them as the Alephae.
Cut to the TENDOU home.
KENT
Whoever they are, they don't seem to
have designs of "conquest" on us as
such. At least, not yet. And the
reports of them abducting humans and
performing medical experiments on
them are by and large a screen for
their real aims.
Cut to AYEKA and TENCHI
AYEKA
They are masters of psychological
warfare. When they happen on a
species which they deem to be
"worthy" of their attentions, they
begin efforts to determine the
species' gravest mental or emotional
liability ... and the best way to
exploit it.
Cut to the TENDOU home.
MCGOVERN
Their actions seem to be predicated
on a desire to convince humanity
that all extraterrestrial life is
utterly hostile towards our species.
They're trying to increase our level
of xenophobia, which was already
high to begin with.
Cut to TENCHI and AYEKA.
AYEKA
Often, when the Imperial Navy has
found and liberated worlds which
have been dominated by the Alephae,
the worlds have proven to be almost
psychotic in their paranoid fear of
alien contact -- and many have even
disintegrated so far that they view
other branches of their species --
different ethnic groups, different
philosophies or religions, or even
different *genders* -- as the aliens
to be feared and hated.
TENCHI
Ayeka-san ... this is incredible.
But I don't see why you had to come
to Tokyo to learn more about it.
AYEKA
Tenchi-sama, I have lived on this
world for just about a year. <beat>
Yoshou-oniisama has lived here for
more than seven hundred. <beat>
Even if the article is right, and
the Alephae have been here for only
forty-nine years ... *why* *hasn't*
*he* *done* *anything*?
Cut to the Tendou home.
KENT
The problem with conducting these
sorts of terror tactics is that
someone will eventually find out,
and probably start taking steps to
fight back. <beat> Within a few
months after Arnold's sighting, an
agency had been created by the U.N.
to investigate what was going on.
<beat> By 1953 they knew they were
at war. That's when their agency
changed into the Planetary Defense
Force. <beat> That's us.
RANMA
<half-joking> What happened to "I
could tell you but I'd have to kill
you"?
ANDREW
Kent! What have you been telling
these people? <beat> We don't kill
people who find out, we recruit 'em.
It just makes sense.
KENT gives ANDREW a very annoyed look, which the older man receives with
equanimity.
AKANE
Excuse me ... how are the things
that you fight connected to what
happened last night? If that was an
alien, then --
KENT
Not exactly, Akane-san. While we
*began* fighting against the aliens,
since then we've discovered a host
of other entities that seem to have
been born entirely on Earth or ...
in other places.
NINIANE
Other places which frequently cannot
exist in the scientific world view.
What you and that young man faced
last night, Tendou Akane, was one
such. The technical name for it is
vimogorge -- which means, power
eater, approximately.
RANMA looks at AKANE, startled by the reference to "that young man".
AKANE does not meet his gaze.
NABIKI
<realization> Like what you were
saying last night -- it wants the
souls of martial artists? Ones that
have advanced their training to the
point where they're practically
magic-users?
KENT nods.
NINIANE
Correct. They also seek the souls
of actual magic-users and psychics.
They are also quite willing to feed
on ordinary human souls when their
favored prey is unavailable.
UKYOU
Isn't there anything they *won't*
eat?
NINIANE
Gods. Have you one at hand?
Cut to URD and SKULD, wandering the streets of NERIMA. SKULD seems rather
angry, while URD just looks tired.
AKANE (V.O.)
As a matter of fact, we did. We
just didn't know it yet.
SKULD
I demand an explanation!
URD comes to an abrupt stop.
URD
Okay. I'm tired, I'm hungry, and my
feet hurt. This whole plan has
definitely entered the realm we call
"not fun".
SKULD
<snaps> That isn't what I was talk--
URD
<heavy> Fine. But before I give you
one, Skuld, you know what the
Almighty always says: "Breakfast is
the most important meal of the day!"
Positive treasure trove of sage
advice, our dad.
She looks around, and her gaze settles on the Nekohanten. She shrugs.
URD
Come on, this place looks pretty
good. Cute name. I wonder if they
actually serve ... nah.
SKULD glowers at URD as she marches away.
SKULD
<muttered> Sure. Show the world
how you have no control over your
physical urges. Well, I'll show
*you* how a goddess --
SKULD's belly rumbles, and her expression becomes tragic.
SKULD
I wish oneesan were here ...
She sadly follows URD to the door.
Cut to a train station in Nekomi. BELLDANDY is looking perplexedly at the
ticket agent.
BELLDANDY
But I don't understand. Why are
there no trains to Nerima today?
AGENT
Apparently there was some sort of
accident at Nerima station. It's
probably one of those crazy martial
artists that they've got there, you
know?
BELLDANDY obviously has no idea what the AGENT is talking about, but she
smiles sweetly and nods all the same. She turns and heads out of the
station. Outside, KEIICHI is standing nervously behind Banpei, which is
glaring at MARA, standing a few feet away with an annoyed, bored
expression.
BELLDANDY
Unfortunately, there seems to have
been some sort of accident at the
train station in Nerima.
KEIICHI
Could it be the work of this ...
Adversary?
MARA
Uh-huh. Sure. An entity that
desires the immediate death of all
material life, everywhere, is going
to start by disrupting train
schedules across Japan. <beat> You
seriously intend to *unite* with
this walking *turnip*, Bell--
MARA drops off as BELLDANDY gives her The Look. It is a look that just
hints at the incredible amount of anger that BELLDANDY is holding at bay.
BELLDANDY
<cool, calm> Mara, please do not
insult Keiichi-san in such a way.
MARA
<tiny> Right.
BELLDANDY
It seems, then that we needs must
take a bus to Nerima, if we wish to
rendezvous with my sisters.
KEIICHI
Belldandy ... wouldn't it be simpler
for you and Mara to just ... you
know ... *go*? I mean, without me?
I mean ... I'd probably just get in
the way.
MARA has recovered from her intimidation enough to nod vigorously.
BELLDANDY
No, Keiichi-san! You could *never*
be in the way. I need you to be
with me ... always ...
KEIICHI
Belldandy ...
BELLDANDY
Keiichi ...
MARA
<muttered> Gag me ...
A few moments later, KEIICHI, BELLDANDY, and MARA are all seated in that
order on a large bus. KEIICHI looks very tired -- he's been running on
all cylinders since last night, and hasn't had a chance to sleep. So, as
the bus pulls out of the depot, he slowly slips into unconsciousness.
BELLDANDY watches over him as he does. MARA watches her as she does so,
her face a mixture of irritation, confusion, and envy (perhaps with a bit
of regret admixed in? Who can say?)
MARA
You really do mean to do it, don't
you? <beat> You intend to unite
with ... him.
BELLDANDY nods, not looking at MARA.
MARA
*Why*? I do *not* understand *why*
you ... <struggles> the most, the
greatest, the *brightest* of all
your office would throw *everything*
away for ... *him*?
BELLDANDY's explanation is given in a quiet tone, as if she is stating the
most obvious thing in the world.
BELLDANDY
Because I love him. I love him more
than springtime. I love him more
than sunlight. I love him more than
anything in the world. <beat> I
love him more than God.
MARA looks horribly stricken for a moment, then turns her head away,
trying to seem as though she's annoyed.
Cut to the interior of the Nekohanten, with a small early lunch clientele.
SHAMPOO is waiting tables, and turns to look at the two new customers --
URD and SKULD -- as they enter.
SHAMPOO
<cheery> Aiya! Welcome to Neko-
hanten! Please have seat and --
URD
<Mandarin, tired> Do you serve any
kinda booze in this joint?
SHAMPOO blinks. SKULD looks momentarily confused, then smacks her head in
irritation.
SHAMPOO
Uh ... yes. Yes, we do.
URD
Fine, start sending servings to our
table and I'll tell you when to
stop.
SKULD
URRRD!
URD walks, obviously ignoring SKULD's distress, to one of the tables, and
slumps down.
URD
I'm beat.
SKULD sits down across from her, and glares at her.
SKULD
<Mandarin> Urd, what language are we
speaking.
URD
Does it matter?
SKULD
We're *not* supposed to go switching
languages on the spur of the moment
like this! It's not a good way to
blend in!
URD
<Japanese> Better?
SKULD
<Japanese> Yes! Now, you said that
you'd explain why you freaked out
when you saw that guy!
URD
I'll be able to explain it better
when I get some alcohol into my
system.
SKULD
You liar! You're planning to drink
yourself into oblivion so that you
don't *have* to explain it to me!
SHAMPOO arrives then, carrying a pair of sake jugs. She sets one in front
of each of them, then gets a lacerating glare from SKULD. Embarrassed, she
picks up SKULD's jug.
URD
I'll take hers.
SKULD
<Mandarin> Oh no you don't! You're
going to tell me what happened, and
*then* you can booze 'til your eyes
turn black!
URD
<Hakka> Oh yeah?
She starts to chug the first jug. SHAMPOO begins to back away from the
table, looking very nervous.
SHAMPOO
Ummmm ...
SKULD
<Basque> Darnit, Urd, you cannot
just douse your sorrows like this!
We have work to do!
SHAMPOO drops the menus in front of them.
SHAMPOO
<Mandarin; rapid-fire> I'll let you
take a look at our menus and be back
to get your orders shortly thank you
and have a nice day.
She dashes off.
Cut to the rear of the Nekohanten, where COLOGNE is reading a dogeared
copy of the Sangokushi. SHAMPOO enters at a dash.
SHAMPOO
<Mandarin> Great-grandmother, there
are --
COLOGNE doesn't look up.
COLOGNE
Practice your Japanese, girl.
SHAMPOO
<sigh; Japanese> Great-grandmother,
there strange people in restaurant.
COLOGNE
<bored> Of course there are. This
*is* Japan, after all.
SHAMPOO
But --
COLOGNE
Very well, what exactly is *so* odd
about these particular people?
Describe them.
Cut back to the dining room. URD and SKULD are still arguing.
URD
-- and I'm telling you what I saw!
He had two marks HERE --
She points to the marks just under the corners of her eyes.
URD
-- and one HERE --
She points to the mark between her eyebrows.
URD
-- and you know what that means!
SKULD
*I* think it means you're going
crazy on me. <beat> Okay, now for
the moment, let's assume that you
saw what you say you saw.
URD
<sarcastic> Gee, thanks.
SKULD
A divinity *cannot* hide the marks
of his or her presence, so it's a
good thing that most mortals don't
notice them or know what they mean.
COLOGNE (O.S.)
WHAT?
Silence falls in the dining room. COLOGNE abruptly hops out from the
back, and surveys the crowd. Her eyes light on SKULD and URD (who stare
back). She closes her eyes, and lets out a long-suffering sigh.
COLOGNE (V.O.)
Ancestors, what have I ever done to
deserve this? <beat> Don't answer
that.
She coughs.
COLOGNE
Due to a recent family tragedy, I am
forced to close the Nekohanten for
the remainder of the day. I deeply
regret the inconvenience. <beat;
Tibetan> Would the two deities be so
kind as to remain, however?
Everyone begins to get up and file out, except for URD and SKULD, who
share an exasperated expression.
URD
<English> Busted.
SKULD
<Aesir> Yep.
Finally, everybody but them has left. SHAMPOO comes out of the back of
the room with a confused expression.
COLOGNE
<Mandarin> I wish no trouble with
you or your kind.
SHAMPOO
<Mandarin> Great-grandmother?
COLOGNE
Not now, child.
URD
Neither do we. <beat> What we want
is -- <checks menu> some ramen would
go nicely with --
SKULD
<very formal> Nor do we seek to
cause you great distress. We are
engaged in an investigation into a
nexus of improbability which has
recently increased several times in
size. Do you know anything with
regards to this?
COLOGNE
Improbability, eh? <beat> My son-
in-law. It's bound to be him.
SHAMPOO
What?
COLOGNE
Great-granddaughter, have you not
noticed that *everything* strange
which happens in this district
either has its origins with or
draws in your husband?
SHAMPOO
Well ... sort of ...
SKULD
Tell me more about this son-in-law
of yours ...
SHAMPOO suddenly notices the mallet slung across SKULD's back. A series
of images run through her mind, and is reproduced in SD-form above her
head. SD-AKANE hitting SD-RANMA over the head with a mallet. SD-AKANE in
a wedding dress beside SD-RANMA in a tuxedo. SD-SKULD hitting SD-RANMA
with her mallet. SD-SKULD in a wedding dress ...
SHAMPOO
<very slow> Excuse me. You wouldn't
happen to be some strange girl who
has a delusional belief that she has
any rights at all to my husband for
the simple reason that you were at
one point a long time ago engaged,
would you?
SKULD
<blinks> ME? Marry? A *mortal*?
Are you *crazy* or just plain --
COLOGNE interposes herself between SKULD and SHAMPOO.
COLOGNE
I apologize for the ignorance of my
great-granddaughter. <to SHAMPOO>
Behave! These are our honored
guests!
URD
Speaking of which, a little more
sake would be nice?
Cut to a posh dining room. Our point of view pans around it over AKANE's
voice.
AKANE (V.O.)
As it happens, they weren't the only
ones having dinner at that time.
There was a rather important, if
somewhat more confrontational dinner
happening in Nerima, between two
cousins ... and their fiancees.
Our point of view pans onto KYOUSUKE, MADOKA, SHIKEN, and KASUGA AKANE.
(She is now very grown up, but her red hair is still cropped fairly
short.) Everyone is smiling and having a good time.
SHIKEN
... I was shocked! No, no, I was
amazed! I mean, I had only started
dating Akane a little while before
your ... incident in Bosnia,
Kasuga-san, and I had no idea that
she was related to you! I never
even thought to ask!
KASUGA AKANE
I didn't want to seem like I was
bragging about your misfortune.
KYOUSUKE
It wasn't that bad, really; I hardly
remember anything from when I got
knocked out to when I woke up in the
U.N. Hospital.
SHIKEN
But it must have been hard for you,
Ayukawa-san.
MADOKA
<smiles mysteriously> It was ... a
somewhat confusing experience. But
I had friends to help me through it.
KASUGA AKANE
Oh, really? Hikaru?
MADOKA
<nods> Yes, she was in town then.
<beat> Um, excuse me. I think I
need to visit the washroom.
She looks at AKANE, who smiles and waves. MADOKA blinks, and heads off.
As she steps out of sight, SHIKEN's beeper goes off.
SHIKEN
Oh! Please excuse me, this could be
important.
He stands and leaves. AKANE and KYOUSUKE watch him go.
KYOUSUKE
Well ... he seems like a nice guy.
A little --
KASUGA AKANE
<still smiling> -- silly?
KYOUSUKE
Well, I wouldn't say that ...
KASUGA AKANE
<still smiling> I would. <beat>
God I hate my life.
KYOUSUKE blinks. AKANE's smile flows off her face, and she turns to look
directly at KYOUSUKE. She looks old before her time, tired, and sick.
KASUGA AKANE
<hissed> I'm supposed to *marry*
that human turnip! I don't believe
it!
KYOUSUKE
A-akane?
KASUGA AKANE
What was I *thinking*? <beat> *Was*
I thinking, or was someone else
doing my thinking for me? <beat>
That's one of the reasons I wanted
to talk to you ...
KYOUSUKE
Wait a minute. What are you saying?
You mean, you don't love Koyama-san?
KASUGA AKANE
No! I don't! <beat> We met on an
omiai arranged by *my* parents,
Kyousuke. Does that suggest that
something less than ethical might
be going on?
KYOUSUKE
<horrified whisper> You think that
your parents might have used the
power on your mind to make you fall
in love with him? <beat> Akane,
that's crazy!
KASUGA AKANE
I'm not sure it was my parents.
KYOUSUKE
Well, that's a relief --
KASUGA AKANE
I think it was ojiisan.
KYOUSUKE
<winces> Akane! This is paranoid!
KASUGA AKANE
Oh really. Let's consider the facts
shall we? When I was a teenager,
did I show *any* interest in boys?
KYOUSUKE
You mean, other than that time you
were bombed out of your skull and
invited me up to your room?
KASUGA AKANE
You see, you just proved my point!
KYOUSUKE
Which was what?
KASUGA AKANE
Only when I am without control over
my actions -- drunk or mind-
controlled, take your pick -- have
I shown any interest in a hetero-
sexual relationship. <beat> I'm
*GAY*, Kyousuke!
KYOUSUKE
<deep sigh> I can somehow tell where
this is leading.
KASUGA AKANE
<ignores him> I've come up with a
great plan. I'll use the power to
make myself look like you. Then you
can go to New York and look up
Hikaru-chan while --
KYOUSUKE
-- while you seduce Madoka?
KASUGA AKANE
<enthused> Right! Oh, she'll be
upset at first, but --
KYOUSUKE
Akane, where in the world do you
come up with this stuff?
KASUGA AKANE
<defensive> This way, everyone's
happy! I'm happy, Madoka-chan is
happy, you're happy --
KYOUSUKE
Oh yeah?
KASUGA AKANE
-- and Hikaru isn't lonely in New
York like you sometimes worry that
she might be, so she's happy!
KYOUSUKE
And your fiance?
KASUGA AKANE
He can go be happy kissing ass at
his company for all I care. <beat>
Kyousuke --
KYOUSUKE
<firm> NO. <beat> I don't know how
you found out about my worrying
about Hikaru, Akane, but that was
*very* low. Even if I was inclined
to go along with that stupid plan,
*that* would have killed me on it.
There is a long pause in the conversation.
KASUGA AKANE
I just don't want to live a lie
anymore.
KYOUSUKE
Then get out of the engagement the
old-fashioned way, Akane. You're
an adult now, you can --
KASUGA AKANE
You seriously think they'll *let*
me do that?
KYOUSUKE
Oh, come on!
KASUGA AKANE
Kyousuke, think about it. Consider
if you will my family and yours.
Your mother married a non-esper,
and mine married a distant cousin
who *was* one. Which of our family
lines produced more powerful espers?
<beat> And ask yourself this. Why,
when ojiisan put up so much of a
fuss when your father and your
mother fell in love, is he so happy
to see you marrying Madoka-chan?
KYOUSUKE blinks. He opens his mouth ... and can't find anything to say.
Cut to MINAKO's bedroom. MINAKO is lying in bed with a contented look on
her face.
AKANE (V.O.)
Questions about love and the reasons
why we love someone were on more
than one mind that day. Speaking
for myself, I was busily avoiding
dealing with Ranma. <beat> In the
months that I'd been at Nekomi, he
hadn't once sent me any letters, he
hadn't called, he hadn't visited.
<beat> But I hadn't written or
called him either. <beat> In any
event ...
Cut to the kitchen. AETHAN is standing by the phone, wearing a bathrobe
entirely too small for him and a non-plussed expression. The phone is
ringing.
MICHAEL (TEL.)
Hello?
AETHAN
Hello, Michael.
MICHAEL (TEL.)
Hey! What happened to you? You
didn't come back to the hotel last
ni--
AETHAN
I'm aware of that. What happened
was ... a story too long to tell at
this point. Suffice it to say that
I am not in any danger. Thus far.
<beat> However, I ran into one of
our more worldly associates.
MICHAEL (TEL.)
Uh-*huh*.
AETHAN
You may recall him from the Mexican
conference. He hinted that there
was a large deal brewing here, as
well. You may wish to examine the
relevant sections of the news, see
if you can discern any trends.
MICHAEL (TEL.)
Gotcha. Just give me a call when
you think something's about to pop.
AETHAN
I shall. Be seeing you.
He hangs up, and looks down at his robe.
AETHAN
How do things like this *happen*?
ARTEMIS comes wandering in through the kitty hole in the door of the
house, looking rather tired. He stops dead when he sees AETHAN. They
stare at each other for several moment.
ARTEMIS
<very slow and calm> That's it, I'm
going to *kill* you.
He leaps at AETHAN's face, claws out and snarling. AETHAN is knocked to
the floor, more from surprise than anything else. He struggles with the
outraged cat, trying desperately to keep him from clawing his eyes.
AETHAN
Artemis! Calm down, dammit! You're
over-reacting! Nothing happened!
MINAKO comes wandering into the kitchen, wearing little more than the
beatific smile on her face.
MINAKO
What a beautiful, sunshiney day ...
ARTEMIS
You *liar*! <attacks>
MINAKO realizes what's going on, and grabs ARTEMIS, wrestling him off of
AETHAN.
MINAKO
Artemis! That's no way to treat a
guest!
ARTEMIS
Lemme at him! Seducing your host is
no way for a guest to behave!
MINAKO
Oh for Pete's sake, Artemis! He
*didn't* seduce me!
ARTEMIS
<very dubious> Oh, really?
MINAKO
No! <beat; proud> I seduced him.
ARTEMIS looks profoundly shocked. He stares at AETHAN, who is too
mortified to meet his gaze. ARTEMIS hangs his head.
ARTEMIS
<despairing> Where did I go wrong?
MINAKO
I think it was when you explained
condoms to me. Ever since then, the
cat was out of the bush, and into
the hand.
AETHAN
<muffled> That's out of the bag,
Minako.
MINAKO
That's another way of putting it,
yes.
ARTEMIS
You really ... you actually went and
... you ...
MINAKO
<nods> Three times! <beat> Wanna
see us do it again?
AETHAN & ARTEMIS (sim)
NO!
MINAKO
Okay. I'm gonna go have a shower,
then. <shakes finger> No peeking!
She sets ARTEMIS down on the floor, peeking under AETHAN's robe -- which
causes her to smile broadly -- as she does, and then skips off. ARTEMIS
stumbles over to collapse against AETHAN's side. They are both silent as
they hear the shower begin to run.
AETHAN
It wasn't what I intended to happen.
ARTEMIS
I've said the exact same thing about
a thousand times in connection with
her. <beat> Did I cut you badly?
AETHAN
They've healed.
ARTEMIS
Oh good. <beat> Welcome to the
family.
AETHAN starts to stand, gently lifting ARTEMIS up with him.
AETHAN
Thank you, Artemis. I hope that
your endorsement will stop Mr. Aino
from shooting me ...
He walks towards the bedroom.
ARTEMIS
This is Japan. Where's he going to
get a gun? <beat> And besides,
haven't you noticed that they're
never around? Her parents, I mean.
*I'm* more of a father to her than
he is.
AETHAN
I'd noticed the last part, at least.
Cut to KASUMI in the kitchen, washing dishes. PATRICIA walks into the
room with a strained expression on her face.
PATRICIA
Ahh ... excuse?
KASUMI
Ah! Hello, Ms. ... Delafontaine,
right?
PATRICIA
Yes. I --
KASUMI
How can I help you?
PATRICIA
<deep breath> I no speak good Japan.
Please, where bathroom?
KASUMI quickly dries her hands, and leads her to the bathroom. They pass
KENT and ANDREW in the hallway. PATRICIA pauses to look at KENT, who does
not meet her gaze. She sighs and proceeds. KASUMI looks at her with
sympathy. We follow KENT and ANDREW.
KENT
I can't *believe* that you brought
her with you ...
ANDREW
We might need what she has. 'Sides
that, it wouldn't be right to just
leave her on the base.
KENT
She's *seventeen*, Andrew. She's
too young to be --
ANDREW
And what about you? And what about
these martial arts demigods that
you've stumbled onto?
KENT
It's *not* the same thing.
ANDREW
Look, she's here, there ain't no
point in arguing about it now.
KENT
<sigh> Fine. But she is our *last*
resort, you understand. If every
thing else that we have fails to
play out, *then* we launch. <beat>
She doesn't even have any --
ANDREW
<lazy> Two hundred hours of sim.
KENT
-- *real* experience!
ANDREW
And how's she gonna get any if you
don't let her go in?
KENT gives ANDREW a withering glare.
ANDREW
Kent, she's like *you*. *You* were
born for what you do, *she* was born
for --
KENT's glare gets even more intent, and ANDREW cuts off and looks away.
Cut to RANMA, sitting on the porch, staring up at the Helifortress with a
disgruntled expression. KENT and ANDREW come around the corner. KENT
notices RANMA.
KENT
Hey, Ranma.
RANMA
Yo.
KENT
You said something about having a
few more allies that you hadn't
called in yet. You talked to them
yet.
RANMA
No ... I've been trying to avoid
dealing with them ... but I guess
there's no putting it off any
longer.
He stands, and heads into the dining room. He picks up the phone and
dials a number, visibly bracing himself as he does.
Cut to the Nekohanten. SHAMPOO and URD are still talking.
SHAMPOO
This is incredible. *You* gave my
ancestors their first love potion?
URD
<sipping sake> If I remember right.
It was a while ago, y'understand ...
Joketsuzoku was a lot less milit--
The phone rings.
COLOGNE (O.S.)
Shampoo, answer the phone.
SHAMPOO
Yes! <to URD> Excuse me, please.
She heads over to the phone, and picks it up, reverting to her Japanese.
SHAMPOO
Hello, this Nekohanten! You want
what?
Go to a split screen, RANMA on the left, SHAMPOO on the right.
RANMA
Hey, Shampoo. It's --
SHAMPOO
<overjoyed> RANMA! You call ask
Shampoo on date!
RANMA
No, I didn't. Shampoo, I think you
and your great-grandmother should
come over to the house and --
SHAMPOO
<MORE overjoyed> At last! You ask
Shampoo to join in silly no-needed
Japanese wedding!
RANMA looks up at the ceiling with a "why do I even *bother*?"
expression.
RANMA
<snarled> NO! Shampoo, would you
pipe down and let me finish a
sentence?
SHAMPOO
<restrained> Okay.
RANMA
Look, there's some kind of demon
running around town, and the people
who've come to fight it told me that
there's safety in numbers, or
something like that, and it's going
after martial artists. So maybe you
and your great-grandmother could get
up here so that we can make some
kinda plan?
SHAMPOO
<blinks> Demon?
RANMA
<patronizing> Yes, Shampoo, demon.
Maybe you've heard about all the
murders in town these last couple
days?
SHAMPOO
<slow> Yes ... <beat> Shampoo tell
great-grandmother, and we come.
<beat> Ranma think it would be good
if Shampoo bring goddesses visiting
her restaurant as back up?
RANMA stares at the phone, perplexed, for a moment.
RANMA
You're having a few of the Fukano-
kami-ryu martial artists over for
drinks or something?
SHAMPOO
No no, different goddesses. Nice
ones.
RANMA
Whatever, Shampoo, just get over
here as soon as possible. Seeya.
He hangs up and takes up the full screen.
RANMA
<snort> Goddesses. Right. <beat>
Well, that's one hurdle curled. Now
all I gotta do is make sure Akane
doesn't find out I invited her over.
A blue battle aura glows immediately behind him.
RANMA
<same tone> Y'know, one of these
days, I'm gonna learn to keep my
mouth shut.
He turns to see AKANE glaring balefully at him.
AKANE
<growl> RANNNMAAAA. <bitten> What
did you call her and tell her to
come over for?
RANMA
It wasn't my idea! Do you think I'd
call that crazy chick over here --
AKANE
YES! You've probably been running
all over Nerima with her while I've
been gone!
RANMA
<angry> Well excuse me for not
following you around like some
lovesick piggy all the --
AKANE hits RANMA, sending him flying through the dining room out across
the porch -- just as PATRICIA and KASUMI walk around the corner -- and
into the pond in the back yard. AKANE storms limpingly through the dining
room to stand on the porch, just as RANMA (now female) crawls out of the
pond, stomps up onto the deck, and poises to yell at her. She stands like
that for a full second, then finally swivels and starts to walk away.
RANMA
Hell with this.
AKANE blinks, not fully comprehending what has just transpired.
AKANE
RANMA! Where do you think you're
going!
RANMA
<not looking back> My room.
AKANE storms after him. PATRICIA and KASUMI have been watching this.
PATRICIA turns to KASUMI with a quizzical expression.
PATRICIA
Love?
KASUMI
I hope so, dear.
PATRICIA follows KASUMI as she heads into the kitchen.
KASUMI
So, I meant to ask -- what exactly
do you do in Kent-san's Planetary
Defense Forces?
PATRICIA takes a moment to puzzle out the question, then nods.
PATRICIA
I ultimate weapon.
KASUMI pauses, and turns to look at the short, almost scrawny girl.
KASUMI
You ... own the ultimate weapon?
PATRICIA blinks, thinks about it, and then smiles, embarrassed.
PATRICIA
Sorry. Mistake. <beat> I *am*
ultimate weapon.
KASUMI
Oh my.
Cut to AKANE pounding on the door to RANMA's room.
AKANE
Ranma! Open this door right now!
RANMA (O.S.)
Or what?
AKANE
Or ... or ...
AKANE (V.O.)
"Or I'll break it down." <beat> The
thing is, I couldn't. Living in a
dormitory with a dozen other girls
had taught me a few things about
the need for privacy. A long time
ago, it felt like, I could have just
slammed the sliding door open and
burst in. I *had*, a couple times.
But ... now I wanted him to ask me
to come in. I wanted him to let me
come in. <beat> Does that make any
sense at all?
AKANE
Ranma ... <struggles> can I <mutter>
plz <normal> come in?
There is a long silence.
RANMA (O.S.)
What?
AKANE
Can I ... please ... come in?
There is another silence.
RANMA (O.S.)
Sure. Whatever.
AKANE braces herself and slides the door open.
RANMA is sitting on her futon, glaring at the window (thus looking away
from the doorway).
AKANE
Ranma, I --
RANMA
I didn't go running around with her
at all. I went out of my way to
*avoid* dealing with her.
AKANE
<angry> Oh really. I recall a
certain incident with a reversal
jewel --
RANMA
Y'know, I don't know why, when
Cologne zapped you with that thing,
you didn't just start killing me.
AKANE reacts as if slapped.
RANMA
I mean, when you put it on right
side up, it's supposed to make you
feel even more of what you actually
feel for a person, so --
AKANE
Ranma! I *don't* want you *dead*!
AKANE (V.O.)
Much.
RANMA
Sure. <beat> No, you're right. If
that thing was working properly, you
would've just transferred to another
high school like *that*. <snaps
fingers>
AKANE
Ranma ... <beat; angry> This is
about my going off to college, isn't
it! You're just upset that --
RANMA
-- I got in less fights? Yeah, a
little. <beat> But you know what
kills me, Akane? You know what
really, really kills me? <beat>
For all I know, you were running
around with some college guys while
I was here. And then you come back
and --
AKANE
RANMA! I didn't have time to do
anything like that, and unlike a few
people I know, *I'm* faithful.
<beat> How could you think something
like that? Do you seriously think
that I could change that much from
one year away from --
RANMA turns to look at AKANE angrily.
RANMA
As a matter of fact, YES. I *know*
you can change how you feel and act
completely!
AKANE
What are you talking --
RANMA
"Wanna be friends?"
She looks away again, and AKANE blinks. And remembers. And is upset.
AKANE
That's *different*!
RANMA
In one lousy second you went from
the only person who'd treated me
like a human being in years to --
all because I *wasn't* --
AKANE
I was upset! You ... you didn't
even try to explain!
RANMA
'Cause I knew that you'd start
hating me if I did! Just like you
*did*!
AKANE
Ranma! How I feel about you does
*not* change when *you* do!
RANMA
Oh yeah?!
AKANE (V.O.)
No matter how much I try, I can't
explain to myself why I did what I
did then.
AKANE grabs RANMA, spins her around, and kisses her soundly on the lips.
RANMA's eyes bulge, and she starts to push AKANE away. They stare at each
other.
And then they do it again, and begin to fall onto the futon. Our point of
view starts to look at the shaded window. Appropriate noises are heard.
AKANE (V.O.)
I had *no* idea what I was doing.
<beat> Okay, that's not quite true.
While I was at college, I'd ...
accidentally wandered into the
showers while two of my floormates
were ... anyway, I'd run out after
a few minutes, because I'd been too
embarrassed, but ... I remembered a
few things. <beat> I knew, at
least, more than he did. She did.
Whatever. <beat> A lot of ... it
was due to the sheer insanity, the
chance we were taking, of getting
caught by my father, my sisters, or
by Ukyou. <beat> I wonder if it
would have been even sweeter if we'd
known we were endangering our lives?
Close in on the window, through which we can see two angry eyes glaring.
Cut to the other side of the window. SHAMPOO is staring through. Her
face is white with fury.
SHAMPOO
I. KILLLLL!
She reaches back, her bonbori in hand ... and her arm is caught. She
looks back to see URD glaring at her.
URD
Okay, what's going --
SHAMPOO points at the window in incoherent fury. URD takes a look.
URD
Well ... not a lot of technique, but
quite a bit of --
SHAMPOO
That Shampoo's husband!
URD
Oh. <beat> Um, so you're --
SHAMPOO
NO.
URD
Then -- oh! Jyusenkyo. Cool.
SHAMPOO
Not cool! Not cool at all! Vile!
Disgusting!
URD
What's *your* problem?
SHAMPOO draws in a deep breath ... and starts ranting in rapid-fire
Mandarin. URD's face goes from vague confusion to shock to as close as
she gets to horror. SHAMPOO is in tears at the end of it.
URD
Oh, geez.
AKANE (V.O.)
I never found out what she'd told
the goddess. <beat> It can't have
been anything too important, though
-- probably just some biased story
of her life up until that point, and
how I was stealing her husband from
her by foul enchantments. Typical
Shampoo lies, in other words. <beat>
Anyway, nothing came of it. While
downstairs, Kent Masefield was
explaining the situation to Cologne.
Cut to the living room of the Tendou home. COLOGNE is seated on the
couch, her staff close at hand, while KENT kneels before her. NABIKI is
watching the discussion with a neutral expression.
COLOGNE
"Those who eat the souls of the
mighty," eh?
KENT inclines his head.
NABIKI
I take it you've heard of this kind
of thing before?
COLOGNE
You take it correctly, Tendou Nabiki
-- but in the history of the Joke-
tsuzoku, there are not many things
in the myriad hells that we have
*not* heard of. <to KENT> You know
then, the ways to kill them?
KENT
One of the local warriors --
NABIKI
<interrupt> His name was Kunou.
KENT continues as though NABIKI hadn't interrupted, earning him a harsh
glare from NABIKI.
KENT
-- was able to dispatch one of them
with the assistance of one of my
associates. To slay the vimogorge
requires both a magical and physical
assault.
NABIKI
Or else what happens?
COLOGNE
Slay the soul and not the body, and
it can continue to wreak havoc.
<beat> Slay the body, and the soul
dies -- but its death spasms tear
open a gate to the Hell That Is Best
Not Described.
NABIKI
<blinks> The what?
KENT
Chinese Hells usually have very
descriptive names. So one which is
"best not described" is ... well,
you can imagine.
COLOGNE
I doubt that. <beat> In any event,
Mr. Masefield, you were wise to ask
for my presence. And fortunate, as
well.
KENT
<blink> Oh? Were you planning on
taking some sort of trip, that we
couldn't get in contact with --
COLOGNE
<smile> No. But your invitation
came at a remarkably fortuitous
point in time --
SKULD (O.S.)
It's *beautiful*! Oh WOW!
Cut to the porch, where SKULD is standing -- actually, all but floating --
as she stares up at the Helifortress with a rapturous expression.
COLOGNE, NABIKI, and KENT (in ascending vertical order) stick their heads
out to see what's going on.
SKULD
All my life I've waited to see
something like this ... something
that showed true engineering --
KENT
Ex-cuse me.
SKULD whirls around.
SKULD
<breathless> Did you build that?
Did you -- <realizes who he is> Oh
no!
KENT
You again?
SKULD
Uh ...
URD, supporting a still teary SHAMPOO, wanders around the corner, talking
to her.
URD
... but the thing is, you *can't*
let something like that ruin you.
You've got to be --
KENT
<suspicious> You're both here?
URD looks up, startled, and stares at KENT for a moment, half-expecting to
see the marks appear on his face again. Nothing happens.
KENT
All right, what's going on here?
Did you tell these people that you
were secret agents --
URD
Nope. We told 'em the truth. Urd,
Goddess Second Class, Limited, and
well met.
SKULD's eyes boggle. NABIKI nods, and turns to head into the house.
SKULD
*URD*!
KENT
I see. <beat; Aesir, stilted> You
are those who weave fate?
URD
It's actually more like programming,
but yeah.
KENT
Isn't there supposed to be another
one --
URD
She's busy, right now. You're
taking this rather well.
KENT
<shrug> Superhuman martial artists,
espers, demons, aliens ... after a
while, one stops being surprised by
anything.
NABIKI returns, carrying a jug, and still nodding calmly.
NABIKI
<deadpan> I'll drink to that ...
SHAMPOO
<quiet> Sound like good idea.
Cut to a shot of RANMA and AKANE, curled up together under the covers.
AKANE (V.O.)
Meanwhile ...
Cut to a shot of KYOUSUKE and MADOKA, sitting on a couch. KYOUSUKE is
talking.
KYOUSUKE
... and then she has the nerve to
talk to *me* about taking care of
Hikaru! *Akane*! Ms. "I'll Pretend
To Be You So Hikaru Doesn't Get In
The Way of My Attempt to Impress my
Peer Group!"
MADOKA nods.
KYOUSUKE
Doesn't what she was suggesting
*bother* you?
MADOKA
Not as much as what Akane was
saying about your grandfather
bothers you.
He stares at her, aghast. She gives him The Look. KYOUSUKE slumps
KYOUSUKE
What if she's right?
MADOKA
What if she is?
KYOUSUKE
Then ... you and I are ...
MADOKA
<firm> You and I are in love. It
took me a hell of a time to find you
after you left me that first time,
and I am *not* going to let you go
just because you're worrying about
the reasons that I decided to love
you.
KYOUSUKE
But --
MADOKA
But what? I *know* why I love you.
If we were brought together by some
psychic manipulators, I choose to
believe that they were acting in
accordance with what was meant to
be. Because this is *right*. <beat>
Kyousuke, do you *seriously* think
that I would feel the way I do about
you if it had been imposed on me
like Akane thinks her feelings for
Shiken were? If she can tell the
difference, don't you think *I*
could?
KYOUSUKE
Shiken can't.
MADOKA gives him another dose of The Look.
MADOKA
That's because he's an idiot. Do
you think *I'm* an idiot, *Kasuga-
kun*?
KYOUSUKE
<flinch> A-A-A-Ayukawa ...
They look at each other for a moment, then break up into laughter.
KYOUSUKE
No, you're not an idiot. I am,
though.
MADOKA nods calmly. KYOUSUKE glowers for a moment, then smiles. The
phone (located on the table behind them) rings. KYOUSUKE picks it up.
KYOUSUKE
Kasuga res--
OJIISAN (PHONE)
In answer to your question, no, I
didn't do anything to make Akane-
chan fall for that young man, and
neither did her parents. She's just
being paranoid.
KYOUSUKE
Ojiisan?!
OJIISAN
Yes, now ... in a few minutes,
you're going to receive a phone call
from an old friend of our family.
Don't be intimidated, no matter what
he says.
KYOUSUKE
What?
OJIISAN
The honor of our family, and the
safety of the world depend on you,
Kyousuke!
KYOUSUKE
Excuse me?
OJIISAN
Say hello to Madoka-san for me!
KYOUSUKE
Ojiisan!
OJIISAN
Yes?
KYOUSUKE
<long breath> You mean that you
didn't try to get me matched up with
Madoka?
Dead silence.
OJIISAN
Say hello to Madoka-san for me! Ja!
Click.
KYOUSUKE stares at the phone in his hand with an appalled expression,
before setting it down. Moments later, it rings again. He lets it ring
twice, before MADOKA irritatedly picks it up.
MADOKA
Moshi moshi? <beat> It's for you.
She hands him the phone, which he reluctantly accepts.
KYOUSUKE
Hello?
KENT (PHONE)
Kasuga Kyousuke?
KYOUSUKE
Yes.
KENT (PHONE)
My name is Kent Masefield. I need
you to come to the Tendou Dojo in
Nerima as soon as possible --
KYOUSUKE
Hold it! Why should I just get up
and go somewhere on your say-so?
KENT (PHONE)
I'm sorry, I can't explain it in
greater detail over the phone.
KYOUSUKE
Well, then I can't come --
KENT (PHONE)
<very cold> Kasuga-san. Get your
butt down here or you and your
family are on CNN.
Click.
Cut to KENT dropping a cell phone in the pocket of his trenchcoat. His
expression is annoyed as he walks through the living room to the porch.
He stares out at the horizon, standing silently.
OJIISAN (V.O.)
Was that really necessary?
KENT flinches.
KENT (V.O.)
Probably not. It *was*, I stress,
a bluff.
OJIISAN (V.O.)
All right.
KENT (V.O.)
You're sure that he can handle it?
OJIISAN (V.O.)
He's the most powerful of his
generation, Kent. If he *can't* do
what you need him to do, none of us
can. <beat> And it's worth a shot,
right?
KENT smiles, painfully.
KENT (V.O.)
He would be, wouldn't he?
There is a long silence.
OJIISAN (V.O.)
Regrets?
KENT (V.O.)
Many. But ... he was the one she
wanted, and who was I to argue?
<beat> There is one thing I wonder,
though.
OJIISAN (V.O.)
What?
KENT (V.O.)
"Kyousuke"? She told me that she
wanted to name her first child
Akira.
OJIISAN (V.O.)
She changed her mind, I suppose.
<beat> Are you going to tell him?
KENT (V.O.)
I don't know yet. <beat> Should
I, Fa-- Sensei?
OJIISAN (V.O.)
I'm sure you'll do the right thing.
<beat> And you could call me the
other, if you felt inclined.
KENT shakes his head.
OJIISAN (V.O.)
All right. I'll leave you to it,
Kent. Good luck.
KENT stands, still staring at the horizon for a few minutes.
>From the kitchen, PATRICIA is staring at him through the window with a sad
expression. KASUMI watches her with one just as sad.
Cut to the parking lot of the shopping mall from last time, in early
evening. It is deserted except for the Masaki van. RYOUKO materializes
beside the van, looking around cautiously. When satisfied, she beckons
offscreen. SASAMI, MIHOSHI, AYEKA, and AMY all come running quickly,
followed a few moments later by TENCHI, DARIEN, LITA, and AETHAN -- each
carrying a tire. SERENA and MINAKO (both carrying their respective cats,
LUNA and ARTEMIS) are "helping" DARIEN and AETHAN. RAYE is bringing up
the rear, and keeping a close eye on AETHAN. A few moments later, the
exploded tires on the van have been replaced. DARIEN is lowering the jack
on the last one.
DARIEN
Well, that should be good enough to
get you back to ... Okayama?
TENCHI
Right. I really am sorry to put you
out like this ...
SERENA
Oh, it's no big deal!
RAYE
<muttered> Says the one who nearly
had a heart attack trying to lift
one of the tires.
SERENA
RAAAAAYEEEEE! Why are you always so
*mean* to me!
A tongue war immediately commences, with the Senshi and associates sighing
and not watching. The Tenchi family, on the other hand, watch in
confusion and/or apprehension. RYOUKO and AYEKA, standing a little ways
away, watch with confused interest.
RYOUKO
... is it just me or do they --
AYEKA
Don't be ridiculous, Ryouko. While
Raye-san is almost as refined and
polite as am I, Tsukino-san is much
more kind and *decent* than you
are.
MIHOSHI is in tears.
MIHOSHI
Oh, it's *so* sad to see such good
friends fighting!
RYOUKO and AYEKA have suddenly ill expressions. Little bubbles appear
over their heads -- super-deformed versions of themselves dressed in
sailor fuku.
SD-RYOUKO
My Tenchi-chan!
SD-AYEKA
My Tenchi-chan!
In the middle, between the two bubbles, appears a third -- an SD-MIHOSHI
(sailor fuku) hugging an SD-TENCHI (tuxedo).
SD-MIHOSHI
Wai! My Tenchi-chan!
SD-TENCHI
Mihoko ...
They kiss. Our focus changes to RYOUKO and AYEKA's stricken faces.
SD-MIHOSHI & SD-TENCHI (O.S.)
Mmmm ... rapture ...
RAYE (O.S.)
Ummm ... Ayeka-san?
AYEKA blinks, and comes back to reality. RAYE is looking at her with a
puzzled expression.
RAYE
Something wrong?
AYEKA
No! No, nothing's wrong. Ahem.
Thank you once again for inviting us
into your home while we were looking
for the spare parts for our vehicle.
RAYE
Oh, it was nothing.
AYEKA
Not nothing, but a great deal. If
you should ever visit Okayama --
RYOUKO
<heavy sarcasm> -- be *sure* to come
and see us.
RAYE and RYOUKO exchange an angry glare. AETHAN, who is standing beside
MINAKO, lets out a long sigh.
AETHAN
<muttered> At least it's not just
directed at me ...
Suddenly AETHAN flinches.
KENT (V.O.)
Aethan. I need you to come to these
coordinates, as soon as possible.
MINAKO
Aethan? Are you all right?
AETHAN
<muttered> I'll be there. <aloud>
I'm fine, Minako, but ...
MINAKO
You'll be where? <beat> Aethan,
where are you going?
AETHAN tries to step back from her, but she presses close to him.
AETHAN
Minako, I have to ... leave you, for
a while.
MINAKO
What?! Why?!
AETHAN
I --
Cut to WASHUU's laboratory. WASHUU and MADELINE are watching the screen
intently.
WASHUU
Geez ... these two are almost as
good as the soaps Mihoshi watches.
MADELINE
They are rather melodramatic. But
are you ready to implement the
second phase?
WASHUU
Yeah. <beat> If Ryouko finds out
that I did this, she'll never --
MADELINE
I do not care.
WASHUU glares at MADELINE, whose expression is cool and implacable.
MADELINE
If you do not do this, there is a
good chance that your daughter will
not be alive to forgive you for the
mistakes you have made over the last
sixty hours, which put her in this
jeopardy in the first place. Given
that --
WASHUU
Tell me, are all innately telepathic
species as lacking in *tact* as
yours is?
MADELINE
Yes.
WASHUU
Explains a few things ... anyway,
the second phase has already begun.
Cut back to AETHAN and MINAKO arguing, with the others watching. ARTEMIS
has climbed onto LITA's shoulder instead.
SERENA
Shouldn't we ... try to stop them?
RAYE
No, the sooner they break up, the
*safer* --
LITA
Raye, put a sock in it.
AETHAN
Look, I am sorry, but I cannot tell
you where I'm going, because you'd
try to follow me!
MINAKO
Of *course* I would!
AETHAN
And it's too *dangerous* --
>From his expression, AETHAN immediately realizes what kind of a mistake
that statement was.
MINAKO
<angry> Dangerous?! I *live* for
dangerous! <shout> VENUS COSMIC
POWER!
While the transformation sequence begins, AETHAN steps back.
AETHAN (V.O.)
Michael, I need you to do a very
quick two-stage teleport to my
location and then to a certain set
of coordinates. Up for it?
MICHAEL (V.O.)
I'm on it.
MINAKO's change completed, she takes another step forward.
MINAKO
Now, the Sailor Suited Soldier of
Love wants some explanations, or
I'll punish you in the name of --
AETHAN
Goodbye.
MINAKO
-- no, Venus -- what do you mean,
`goodbye' --
MICHAEL materializes behind AETHAN, and grabs him by the shoulder. RYOUKO
suddenly clutches her stomach, in sudden pain. Her face is confused.
MINAKO realizes what's about to happen.
MINAKO
No!
She leaps forward, grabbing ahold of AETHAN's coat, just as MICHAEL
teleports them, inadvertantly dragging her with them. RYOUKO's stomach
pains again manifest.
SERENA and ARTEMIS (sim)
MINA!!
AMY is busily typing her computer.
AMY
I *think* I have a lock on their
destination!
SERENA
Right! Everybody, transform!
The transformation sequence goes off. TENCHI stares, blinkingly at them,
blushing deeply as he does so. Of course, RYOUKO and AYEKA notice this.
Meanwhile, DARIEN does his quiet, subtle transformation to Tuxedo Mask.
SASAMI
<quietly overawed> I definitely want
to be a magical girl ...
SERENA
Luna! If Darien helps us, can we
do a Sailor Teleport without Mina?
LUNA
I'm not sure, but I think that
ought to work!
SERENA
All right! <to TENCHI> Masaki-san,
I'm *really* sorry we're ducking on
you like this ...
TENCHI
<dazed> That's okay ... I know how
these things happen.
SERENA flashes him a quick grin, then grabs Tuxedo Mask's hand in one hand
and Sailor Mars' in the other. AMY and LITA complete the circle, and the
power begins to develop.
RYOUKO is bent over now, and AYEKA notices quickly.
AYEKA
Ryouko? What's wrong?
RYOUKO
I ...
LUNA
Sailor ...
ARTEMIS
TELEPORT!
RYOUKO
AGGGH!!!
The Sailors vanish in a flash of light. RYOUKO is curled up in a ball on
the ground.
TENCHI
RYOUKO! What's wrong?!
RYOUKO
<crying> I don't *KNOW*! I --
RYOUKO begins to emit blue sparks, startling everyone, and attracting LUNA
and ARTEMIS' attention.
LUNA
What --
The lightning flashes, and everyone vanishes, including the two cats. A
moment later, SAILOR PLUTO materializes, and stares where they were a
moment before.
She's pissed.
PLUTO
<like a curse> Washuu ...
Cut back to WASHUU's laboratory. WASHUU is leaning back, a smug
expression on her face.
TSUNAMI (O.S.)
<extremely angry> WASHUU! What have
you *done*?!
WASHUU, startled, whips around. TSUNAMI (or possibly a hologram of her)
is standing immediately behind her, with an extremely angry expression on
her face. MADELINE is nowhere to be seen.
TSUNAMI
You are going to explain to me what
you have done to Sasami, *now*, and
then you and I are going to have
words, *sister*.
Cut to the porch of the Tendou Dojo, where KENT is still standing. AETHAN
and MICHAEL materialize a short distance away. AETHAN blinks.
AETHAN
<quiet> Minako? <beat> Michael,
*where's* Minako?
MICHAEL
She the girl with the interesting
outfit that was grabbing onto you?
AETHAN
*Yes*.
MICHAEL
Ummm ... maybe she let go before the
teleportation took effect, or I
couldn't carry her so she got left
behind --
AETHAN
<angry/scared> Michael, what usually
happens when you try to teleport
too much mass?
MICHAEL
Well ... nothing. <beat> I mean, I
don't go anywhere, so ... so she
probably let go --
AETHAN
MICHAEL! She's lost in the *VOID*!
MICHAEL
-- or that could have happened, too.
AETHAN is on the verge of hysterics as KENT walks towards him.
KENT
Aethan. Something the matter?
AETHAN
Kent! Have you someone who can
teleport handy? Someone dear to me
has been --
KENT
Not at the moment, no. What --
There is a flash of intense light above the pond. KENT whirls around just
in time to see the Sailors (*minus* MINAKO) and the Tenchi family drop out
of nowhere into the pond. There is a large splash.
In the kitchen, KASUMI is preparing some food, and looks out the window.
KASUMI
Oh my! More guests!
SERENA crawls out of the pond first, followed quickly by LUNA, who is
*very* annoyed to be wet.
LUNA
<muttered> The *one* time I get
dragged along on one of those
teleports is the time I get plopped
into the nearest body of water --
SERENA
Luna? <beat> I ... feel funny ...
Cut to RANMA's room, where RANMA has gotten out of bed and is staring out
the window. AKANE is pulling on her clothes.
AKANE
What? What is it?
RANMA
You're never going to believe me.
AKANE shakes her head and limps over to look out the window herself.
Cut to the porch, where NABIKI wanders past, and looks out at the pond ...
Just as SERENA abruptly detransforms.
NABIKI is silent for a long moment, then shrugs.
NABIKI
Aliens, demons, godesses, espers,
and wizards ... of course the Sailor
Senshi *would* show up.
Cut to the kitchen. KASUMI looks out at SERENA and LUNA. For a moment, a
full moon symbol glows on her forehead.
KASUMI
Oh, *no*.
Cut to the pond, where RAYE, AMY, and LITA also detransform after they
crawl out.
LITA
<frightened> Amy? Please tell me
you know what's going on?
AMY shakes her head, bewhilderedly. RAYE looks around anxiously ... and
her gaze settles on AETHAN. Before AETHAN can react, she is in his face.
RAYE
*YOU*! WHAT DID YOU DO?!
AETHAN
Ms. Hino, now is not --
RAYE
AND WHERE'S MINA?
AETHAN
<beat; quiet> I'm not sure. She may
have been lost in the teleportation,
because she foolishly grabbed --
RAYE slaps him with every bit of power she has in her arm.
RAYE
You son-of-a-bitch! You've gone
and gotten my friend *killed*!
AETHAN's face goes absolutely cold.
AETHAN
And?
RAYE
<startled> What do you mean, and?
AETHAN
<very quiet, barely controlled> I
am a monster, am I not? I am only
using her to satisfy my vile lusts,
am I not? Thus, my grief at her
loss should be minimal, should it
not? I can find an equally capable
blood-toy anywhere, can I not?
AETHAN has been slowly moving his head towards RAYE so that instead of her
being in his face, he now looms over her.
AETHAN
<the same> Ms. Hino, if you would
kindly exhibit a greater degree of
consistency in your bloody-minded
prejudice, it would be greatly
appreciated.
He turns away and glares at MICHAEL.
AETHAN
<short> FIND HER.
He turns and stalks away from them.
Meanwhile, TENCHI has hauled a stricken-looking RYOUKO up onto dry land.
SASAMI (who looks extremely disoriented), MIHOSHI, and AYEKA are all
standing nearby.
TENCHI
Ryouko?! Are you all right?
RYOUKO
<very weak> Tenchi ...
TENCHI
Ryouko, what's --
RYOUKO
Tenchi ... I don't have very long to
... be with you ...
TENCHI
<panicking> Ryouko, what are you
saying?
RYOUKO
The darkness, Tenchi, the darkness
is falling ... it won't be long now
... but ...
MIHOSHI is beginning to tear up, while AYEKA has a look that hovers
somewhere between skepticism and concern.
TENCHI
Ryouko, there's *got* to be some way
to --
RYOUKO
No ... you can only comfort me as I
go into the darkness ... Tenchi ...
one little kiss is all I ask --
AYEKA closes her eyes, and nods decisively.
AYEKA
<brisk> Ryouko, I'm so sad to hear
that you're dying. No, no, I'm a
liar ... after all, when you're gone
I *will* have Tenchi all to myself,
so --
RYOUKO bolts up.
RYOUKO
Oh yeah?! Is that what you think?
TENCHI
<angry> Ryouko.
RYOUKO realizes her mistake.
RYOUKO
I'm saved! Tenchi, you saved my
life with your deep feelings for me!
TENCHI
<flat> Great.
Cut to RANMA's room. RANMA and AKANE are still at the window, watching
RYOUKO and AYEKA squabbling while TENCHI tries to stay out of the way.
RANMA
<muttered> Why does that seem oddly
familiar?
AKANE
Do you think we should go down and
say ... hello?
RANMA
Um. Yeah. And I want some hot
water, too.
He turns away. AKANE is still standing at the window with an apprehensive
expression. There is an odd tension in the air.
AKANE
Ranma?
RANMA
Yeah?
AKANE
... it was nice but I don't want it
to happen again for a while.
There is a long silence. RANMA finishes pulling on her pants, and walks
out of the room with a stony expression on her face.
AKANE (V.O.)
The implications of what I'd just
done had *finally* caught up to me.
For three years I had dance-stepped
around the issue of what I felt
about him ... and about *her*. Now
it was out in the open ... and he
still hadn't said the words. <beat>
And neither had I.
Cut to the staircase. As RANMA descends, SHAMPOO steps into view, heading
upstairs. Her expression, if possible, is even more stony than RANMA's.
RANMA flinches as he meets her gaze.
RANMA
Um. Hi, Shampoo.
SHAMPOO walks up the stairs very slowly, until she is standing in RANMA's
face.
SHAMPOO
<slow, angry> Nihao, *husband*.
RANMA
<swallows> Uh ... has Kent already
told you about the situation?
SHAMPOO
Shampoo understands situation very
well.
RANMA
Okay ... sorry I wasn't there to
greet you when you came by, but --
SHAMPOO
Shampoo understands. <beat> Excuse?
Shampoo need have bath. No feel
*clean* right now.
She cuts around RANMA, leaving her with a confused look on her face.
SHAMPOO continues up the stairs. She pauses at AKANE's door. She stares
at it with revulsion and loathing.
SHAMPOO
<hissed> How? *Why*?
She continues on.
Cut to an exterior view of the Helicarrier's control cockpit. Through the
windows, we can see that ANDREW is trying to ignore a very persistent
SKULD.
Cut to inside the cockpit. ANDREW is examining sensor readings while
SKULD bugs him.
SKULD
<English> Come on? *Please* tell me
a little bit about how this thing
was built? It flies, right? You're
not supposed to be building flying
objects this big for a few centuries
yet ... I mean, what does it use to
power the rotors? I didn't see any
fissionables when I went poking in
the engine room, so --
ANDREW
<Scots Gaelic> Whoever sang "Thank
Heaven for Little Girls" should be
dragged out into the street and shot.
SKULD mallets ANDREW.
SKULD
<Scots Gaelic> *Meanie*!
BRAN steps down into the cockpit, and sees SKULD glaring at ANDREW's
unconscious form. He nervously turns to go, but SKULD spots him before he
can.
SKULD
<English> Hey! Hey, do you know how
this ship was built? Do you know
where I can find the one who built
it?
BRAN
Uh ... well, that would be me, miss.
SKULD is *very* excited. Her whole face lights up.
SKULD
Reeeallly?!?
Cut to the front gate of the Tendou dojo. We see KENT slip out the door,
and let out a weary sigh.
KENT
<mumbled> Join the Planetary Defense
Force. Travel to strange, exotic
places. Meet interesting people --
KYOUSUKE (O.S.)
-- and threaten them?
KENT looks up. KYOUSUKE is standing nearby with an angry expression.
There is a long silence as the two men consider each other. KENT finally
nods.
KENT
You look like them.
KYOUSUKE
<blinks> Excuse me?
KENT
Your parents. You look like them.
KYOUSUKE
You knew my mother and father?
KENT
I only met your father once, very
briefly. <beat> But I did know
your mother. I met her when your
grandfather was training me.
KYOUSUKE
Oh. <beat> Wait ... then, you're an
esper too?
KENT
Yep. Telepath. I'm pretty good,
but not as good as your mother was.
<beat> Of course, she couldn't
communicate with anything *sapient*,
but ...
KYOUSUKE
Then why would you threaten to
expose my --
KENT
Oh. That. <beat> Sorry. A number
of things had put me in a bad mood
when I called.
KYOUSUKE stares at him, then shakes his head in disbelief.
KYOUSUKE
All right, you've got me here now.
What do you need me for?
KENT
You're part of my back-up plan,
Kasuga-san. If all goes well, we
should be able to dispose of the
demons that have begun to infest the
city before they can tear open a
gate to bring more of their kind
here.
KYOUSUKE's mouth begins to hang open when KENT mentions demons.
KENT
If we don't, we're going to have to
perform a major banishing ritual
that requires complete coordination
between the participants, which can
only be achieved by placing them in
a psychic link. I'm going to show
you how to do it, in the event that
I'm killed in battle and can't do it
myself. <beat> The important thing
is that we have to defeat the demons
before they get the bright idea to
try and awaken something that's
sleeping beneath the Pacific, not
too far from here.
KYOUSUKE
What? Gojiira?
KENT
Yes.
KENT gently guides a stunned KYOUSUKE into the dojo as we start to pull
away.
AKANE (V.O.)
I think I pity Kasuga Kyousuke more
than anyone else who became involved
in this. Aside from the fact that
he had his esper abilities, his life
*had* really been fairly normal. He
wasn't a warrior, and now he was
being asked to become involved in a
fight against opponents he'd never
dreamed existed. <beat> In any
event, all the players had finally
been drawn together ... with a few
key exceptions.
Cut to a shot of BELLDANDY, MARA, and KEIICHI stepping off a bus.
Cut to a shot of a deserted street. Suddenly, a hole begins to tear in
the air, and MINAKO pushes herself through it before it seals behind her.
She gulps air like a woman rescued from drowning, and looks around
confusedly.
MINAKO
Where *am* I?
Cut to black.
AKANE (V.O.)
And the Adversary began to make its
moves.
TO BE CONTINUED