HAPPOSAI
Piff! I'm a bit tired, after my
exertions, but a little bout with
formless horrors couldn't hope to
afflict *my* mind!
RANMA (O.S.)
'Cause everything that's there is
even worse.
KENT
But --
HAPPOSAI
But I am grateful that you saved me,
so I'll ignore my contempt for you
to offer my help. What were you
saying about some kind of ritual?
KENT
<horrified> You mean to tell me,
that while you were inside the
vimogorge, you retained your full
sanity?
RANMA (O.S.)
Which ain't sayin' much --
HAPPOSAI
Just you wait, Ranma! Just you --
KENT
<angry> You were fully aware while
you were inside that thing and you
didn't try to stop it?
HAPPOSAI
Why should I? Didn't make any
difference to me.
KENT turns away, his face rich with loathing.
KENT
<sick> God, someone get this thing
out of my sight!
AETHAN (O.S.)
<very quiet> Don't mind if I do.
HAPPOSAI (O.S.)
Say, what do you think you're --
KENT
<realization> AE--
There is a snapping noise. KENT turns to look, but we are spared the
sight -- which makes AKANE gasp.
We see AETHAN wrapping something limp in the blanket.
KENT
Was that necessary?
AETHAN
Yes.
Helen [as females of Nerima Ward]: <cheers!> YaY! And
so ends the
realpolitiker
attitude of _this_
Happosai.
He stands up, carrying the bundle under one arm, and walks to where
MICHAEL's body rests. He easily picks it up under the other arm.
AETHAN
<cold> Ms. Hino. I'm calling in
that favor, now.
He heads off.
RAYE
<shocked> ... same way he killed the
demonling. Exactly the same way.
MINAKO
<trembling> Raye? What favor is he
talking about?
RAYE
He saved my life. Kind of. <beat>
Don't follow me.
She starts off.
MINAKO
Don't follow you? Are you nuts? Do
you think I'm gonna leave you alone
with Aethan for five seconds? You'd
k--
RAYE
Lita, could you do me a big favor?
LITA looks from RAYE to MINAKO for several moments, then sighs.
LITA
Ooo-kay.
She grabs LITA, and holds her tightly, feet off the ground.
Helen: Hmmmmm...something's wrong with the stage
instructions here. LITA should be holding
MINAKO...and not LITA herself -- that would
get a lil awkward...
LITA
Get going, Raye ...
...
SASAMI
Um, Mr. Masefield?
KENT
Yes, Sasami-chan?
SASAMI
<hesitant> Um ... you need one more
person to do this ritual thing,
right?
KENT
That's right. Are you --
SASAMI
<quick> Oh no! No, I ... I don't
know anything about that, but ...
<beat> Belldandy-san is a goddess,
right?
Helen: ...We are but the clay upon the potter's
wheel...or is the vessel ?
KENT
She says she is, and I'm inclined to
agree.
SASAMI
So ... would another goddess be able
to help?
KENT
I suppose so. <beat> Know any?
SASAMI
<nods> Kind of, yeah. Just a min--
AYEKA has been moving up behind SASAMI, and slowly rests a hand on her
shoulder.
AYEKA
Sasami ... you don't have to do this.
SASAMI turns around and looks at her older sister with a pleading
expression.
SASAMI
Yes I do. Oneesan ... everyone is
giving their all. And this is all I
have to give.
KENT slowly kneels down until he's at eye-level with SASAMI.
KENT
Sasami-chan ... is what you can do
dangerous? Will doing it hurt you?
SASAMI
No. Not exactly. I ... it's just
*hard*.
KENT
I think I understand.
AYEKA gives KENT a nervous look. He looks back at her, and for a moment
his facial features shift -- not much, but just enough to give him a
slightly Jurain cast to his face, and to add two streaks of dried blood
where warrior marks would be on a Jurain warrior's face. AYEKA blinks,
and his face is back to normal. She leads SASAMI away, giving an
occasional glance back.
KYOUSUKE approaches KENT with a mildly disturbed expression on his face.
KYOUSUKE
Um ... am *I* the psychic you intend
to have coordinate this ritual?
KENT
Well, I'm planning on heading into
the gate to face the Adversary, and
the other fellow who might have is
dead now. So, yeah. I've given you
the program, right?
KYOUSUKE
<nods> It ... feels okay, but ...
I'm not a very good telepath. I've
never had much talent for that sort
of thing.
KENT
You should be okay. You've got a
*lot* of latent ability ... this is
going to be a strain on those
muscles, but unless things get
totally out of hand, they shouldn't
break under the strain. If they
do ... well, odds are that things
were already so far out of control
anyway that no one will be left to
fault you blowing it.
Helen: Hmmmmm...that last sentence was missing a
'for.' It should have been: ...that no one
will be left to fault you *for* blowing it.
KYOUSUKE
Gee. Thanks.
Cut to AETHAN, who has built a small cairn out of rubble from a damaged
building, and is in the process of placing MICHAEL's body on it.
MICHAEL's features are oddly composed in death, and the jacket hides the
worst of his wounds on his body. AETHAN touches his cheek once more,
then
steps down from the cairn, casually dumping the bundle at MICHAEL's
feet.
RAYE watches, suspiciously.
RAYE
What are you doing, exactly?
AETHAN
Michael believed in the old gods of
the Norsemen. I'm trying to give
him a Viking funeral. <beat> It
was the custom to place a dog at a
warrior's feet, you see. But there
is a paucity of dogs in the area.
Helen: But not of cats... ^_^;
...
RYOUKO
To hell with your lucky number, if
you think I'm gonna let you take
Tenchi into some *hell* without me,
you've got another think --
KENT
Ms. Ryouko, I'm not taking you with
me because I don't want to get on
your mother's bad side.
Helen: <nods> Uhhhuhhh! Washuu-chan's liable to take
you for some experiments...or else, simply
make you stay with Mihoshi for a while...^_^
...
Cut to the empty dining room of the Nekohanten. COLOGNE hops ahead to
the
kitchen.
Helen: I thought she only 'shuffled' and did not
pogostick herself around...
...
Back to outside the portal. SERENA looks even worse now. DARIEN is
standing close to her.
DARIEN
Please, meatball head ... you don't
have to do this by yourself ...
SERENA
<weak> But ...
DARIEN
<whispered> Serena, I *know* that
you don't want to risk your friends,
but we're all worried! Please let
us help.
SERENA
<weak> I ...
RAYE is standing on the other side of her.
RAYE
<blunt> Serena. Let us help you, or
I'll *never* speak to you again.
Helen [Serena]: Pbbbbt!
beta-fish [Raye]: <Blubbbbbb!> <Pbbbbbbt!>
SERENA slowly turns to look at RAYE. RAYE's stern expression doesn't
reach her eyes.
The look that they exchange is beyond words.
SERENA
<faint> Help.
RAYE
<brusque> Right! Okay, form up for
the usual routine, Scouts.
DARIEN quickly embraces SERENA, careful not to disturb her arms holding
the Crystal. The Sailor Scouts join hands behind them -- MINAKO
standing
between AMY and LITA, who takes RAYE's hand -- and start to glow.
SERENA
suddenly stands a little straighter, looks a little less exhausted.
...
Cut to grey space. PLUTO is holding very firmly to the real Garnet
Staff,
and smiling without humour.
PLUTO
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me
twice, die in agony.
Helen [meek]: Vindictive, isn't she ?
...
SHAMPOO sits, and they gently move SASAMI's head to her lap. Then AYEKA
rises, and confidently walks over to take TENCHI's right side as RYOUKO
took his left.
TENCHI
<confused> Ayeka-san? What are you
do--
AYEKA responds by closing her hand over TENCHI's hand, on the
Tenchi-Ken.
Which means, however, that she winds up touching RYOUKO's hand, much to
their mutual disgust. They shoot each other a quick, hostile look, then
"Hmph" forward. For his part, TENCHI seems rather frightened.
WASHUU is very startled to see the graph of the power output shoot up
dramatically.
WASHUU
Wait a minute, that means --
Helen: cf. Ayeka Muyou! released January 6th, 1998
The graph enters a red zone, and an insistent beeping begins. WASHUU
tries to pull back from the computer --
Just as it blows up, sending her flying backwards.
A few seconds later, a mildly toasted WASHUU rolls up into a seated
position.
WASHUU
Well. That was unexpected.
RANMA blinks at this, then sees SHAMPOO and SASAMI.
RANMA
Shampoo? What --
SHAMPOO
<quiet> Shampoo know what it like to
see loved one in trouble and not be
able to help. <beat> Shampoo know
*that* well.
RANMA stares at her ... and comprehension slowly starts to dawn. He
opens
his mouth.
AKANE
Something's coming through!
And a hand has already stuck part of the way out of the portal.
SERENA's
face twists in agony as it comes further. RANMA looks around, and then
shrugs.
RANMA
Ah, hell.
He dashes over to the gate, grabs hold of the hand, and *yanks* KENT all
the way through -- KENT, who is wearing the vest and pants he was
wearing
when he went in (now somewhat torn up) and his glasses.
KENT
<hoarse> Shut it!
SERENA nods, and closes her hands around the crystal, pulling it back to
her. She almost faints, and DARIEN is only just able to hold her up.
TENCHI lowers the Tenchiken, and almost seems to sway when he does. The
Sailors look exhausted.
The portal trembles for a second longer ... then swiftly irises shut.
KENT
<sigh> Mission accomplished. <to
RANMA> Thanks.
RANMA glares at him, as they get to their feet.
RANMA
Listen, I'm still pissed about the
thing with the nerve pinch, so don't
go thankin' me just yet, 'cause --
KENT
<faint smile> I'll let you beat me
up later. Okay?
RANMA seems somewhat mollified.
TENCHI
What happened to the prophecy?
KENT
<shrug> As near as I can figure it,
what it meant was, "three will go
*together* into the gate at one time
and two will come out *together* at
another." It doesn't actually say
anything about the one who doesn't
come out. I jumped to a conclusion.
Sorry.
TENCHI
<sigh> Okay. So what happened with
the fight?
Behind them, PATRICIA rounds the corner to catch sight of KENT. She
takes
a deep breath --
And then she sees something.
KENT
Well ... it's a long story, but it's
probably enough to say that the
Adversary won't be causing any more
problems.
AKANE
Really? How --
KENT
I gave him some things to think
about. It was a hell of a fight,
but --
PATRICIA
Stop it.
KENT turns to look at PATRICIA, as does everyone else. She is staring
at
him with heartbreak in her eyes.
KENT
<confused> Patricia? Is something
the matter?
PATRICIA
<angry> Stop it. <beat> I don't
know who you are ... and I don't
really care, but stop pretending to
be Kent.
KENT
Patricia ... I *am* Kent, what are
you --
She holds up his glasses.
The ones he left with her.
The ones he seems to be wearing right now.
Everyone tenses. KENT slowly reaches up to take off his glasses, and
let
them fall to the ground. His eyes are closed.
KENT
It's the details. The details mess
up every great con ever pulled.
He opens his eyes.
They are jet black. No cornea, no iris. And they don't shine like a
fully dilated pupil would.
PATRICIA
W-who are you?
KENT
I am sorry, Patricia. Kent is dead.
I know all that he knew ... I feel
all that he felt ... but he lives no
longer.
Everyone reacts to the sight of KENT's eyes with shock and dread --
there
is also an undercurrent of despair that the battle still isn't over.
PATRICIA
<nervous> Are you the Adversary?
KENT
<shakes head> That much was true.
He is gone, as well.
PATRICIA
<understanding> You're the Defender,
then.
KENT
The Defender no longer, but yes. I
... have been given new duties, as
penance for my rebellion.
PATRICIA
And those are?
KENT
Unimportant.
He briefly looks over the Gathered, and seems to almost despair at the
way
they are looking at him.
AKANE (V.O.)
We were all of us, even those who
hadn't had to support the portal,
bone-tired. Maybe that, and the
sheer ... strangeness of what had
just happened, was why none of us
did much of anything but stare.
<beat> I do know one thing ... if
I hadn't heard Aethan's final
words, I know that *his* next ones
would have been the ones that I'd
never forget.
KENT
Why do you look at me with such fear
in your eyes? None of you have the
least idea who you are. For aeons I
believed that I was surrounding my
proxies with capable warriors to aid
in their battles. I fooled myself.
<beat> You did not know, in truth,
what the stakes were ... yet you
gave freely of yourselves. Your
courage is magnificent. It has been
an honor that I shall remember
forever to have known each of you.
He draws in a deep breath.
KENT
But I must go. This world cannot
bear me for very long. <beat> We
shall meet again, though. At the
end. There will be a moment of
blinding light, and then you will
see me ... your old friend. Until
then, goodbye. Goodbye, Patricia.
Once again, I am leaving you.
PATRICIA
Like. Hell. You. Are.
He turns to look at her, shocked, and sees that she is burning with a
grey
light.
PATRICIA
You're taking me with you.
KENT
<shocked> I can't. You would not be
able to survive where I am going.
PATRICIA
<sincere> I won't be able to survive
*here* if you're not here. Take me
with you.
KENT
You don't know what you're asking.
PATRICIA
Who's asking? <beat> You know, I
did some thinking. I don't do that
very often, but I've had to lately.
And I sez to myself, self, I sez,
if I can make the whole suit of
"armor" appear around me, why not
just parts of it? Like, the jump
jets?
ANDREW looks *very* alarmed, and starts heading towards her, slowly.
KENT
Patricia, this is irresponsible of
you. It's --
PATRICIA
-- the sort of crazy, adolescent
stunt that only a seventeen year old
girl would do? Guess what? <beat>
Take me with you, or I'll fire the
jump jets. Assuming I don't fry
instantly, the stress will probably
snap my back like a twig.
KENT starts walking towards her, shaking his head slowly. He is
standing
right before her.
KENT
Why? Why are you --
PATRICIA
Because I love you you dumb *fuck*!
<crying> I want to be with you ...
always ... I've never gotten that.
*Never.*
He embraces her.
KENT
I *can't*.
PATRICIA closes her eyes.
PATRICIA
Then I can't either.
There is a click, and a sudden hissing noise. With a roar, they are
both
enveloped in flame.
ANDREW
NO!
He starts dashing towards them, only to trip over an inconveniently
placed
foot. He looks up, while WASHUU does her best to look innocent.
Only a few seconds after the fire begins, they have both vanished. Not
even ashes remain.
RAYE
<quiet> Oh my god she killed them
both.
There is a very long moment of silence.
And then PATRICIA, seeming none the worse for the wear, dressed in a
plain
white gown, and carrying a bundle, appears where she was before. She
has
a chagrined look on her face.
PATRICIA
Um ... sorry about the hysterics,
you guys.
ANDREW pushes himself to his feet over her next words.
PATRICIA
I really hope that I haven't given
any of you ideas about how it's ...
glamourous to kill yourselves if you
can't be with one you love, because
it's --
ANDREW starts running towards her, she breaks off, cocks back a fist and
*slams* it into his face knocking him back.
PATRICIA
<angry> Don't. You. Come near me.
ANDREW, shocked, rolls up into a seated position. He checks his nose,
and
sure enough, it's broken.
PATRICIA
Do you have any idea how much your
viruses changed my body? Do you
know how hard Kent had to work to
fix them?
ANDREW swallows, and opens his mouth.
PATRICIA
And don't say you're sorry, because
you're not. You're sorry you got
caught. You're sorry I found out.
Well here's something else for you
to be sorry for: you're sorry that
until you make *serious* amends,
you're not coming near your only
granddaughter.
The bundle that she's carrying begins to shift, revealing it to be a
tiny
infant, perhaps a few days old, wrapped in warm blankets.
RANMA
A baby? Where the hell did you get
a baby --
PATRICIA
If you have to be *told* that at
*your* age --
AKANE
How did you -- why did you --
PATRICIA
Oh. <beat> Well ... Kent showed
me a little of where he was going.
And he was right ... I couldn't have
survived there. So after he put me
back together ... I asked him to
give me something to remember him.
I know, I know ... cliche ... but it
felt right. <beat; looks at ANDREW>
Especially since he'd fixed me so
that I *could* have children, I
mean.
She looks down at her daughter's face, and the bitterness fades.
PATRICIA
We named her Patience. <beat> Or
Shinobu. <beat> It's appropriate.
Helen: Hmmmmm....and wasn't Nene Romanova's mother a
certain Shinobu ?
She looks up, again.
PATRICIA
*Now*, it's over.
Fade to black.
AKANE (V.O.)
It wasn't, of course. Nothing ever
ends that simply.
...
Flash. Cut to the site of the gate. WASHUU is quietly staring at where
it was.
WASHUU
Time for our reckoning?
She turns to look at PLUTO, who is looking at her without expression.
PLUTO
I have one question. <beat> Why
did you interfere?
WASHUU
With them? <beat> Because like he
said ... he leaves her, every time.
And I couldn't stand to see him
leave her again ... after having
watched him leave her when she was
my mother, and he was my father.
PLUTO
When was this?
WASHUU
A long time ago. <beat> In a
galaxy far, far away. <beat>
Well?
Helen and beta-fish: URK!
...
MCGOVERN
Command codes, passwords, locations
of secret bank accounts ... just the
stuff that someone who wanted to run
the Planetary Defense Forces would
need to do it.
SERENA
Excuse me?
Helen: Hmmmm...is this a prelude to the Crystal
Tokyo Society ? or is it just another guise
that the PDF has assumed ?
...
THE END
Helen: I could post more remarks...but I know for a
fact that the epilogue (and trailer) for TA:
1996 was posted on Friday May 22,
1998...meaning, I'll get hooked into reading
TA: Silver Millennium really soon ^_^; All
in all, this chapter certainly answered
some questions, while raising half a dozen
others...Ah well, I look forward (or
backwards) for the beginning of the TA:
Silver Millennium chapter -- I don't suppose
that it too, will start release on September
15th, 1998 ?
EOL// end C&C [semi-MST]