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, Frank Herriot,
                               and Larry Mann.

                                    ACT ONE  

Establishing Shot:  Nerima at high noon.  The sun is shining brightly, and 
the whole neighborhood seems almost polarized into light and darkness, as 
if to create a black and white image.  As we move closer, we see little 
bits of colour, but until we approach the Tendou dojo, with its walls and 
garden, it still seems fairly bleached.  As we draw even nearer, we hear 
voices uttering low battle cries.  Finally, we enter the doors of the 
Tendou home, moving slowly, listening to the battle cries grow louder as 
we approach the training hall proper.  

Inside the training hall, TENDOU SOUUN is watching as his latest class of 
pupils works through the beginning exercises of the Musabetsu Kakuto 
style.  The students are a mixed lot, as one might expect -- they range 
from teenagers to men in their early middle ages.  Most seem to be in 
better than average shape, though not remarkably so.  They are all dressed 
in white gi.  

From the rear, we see a young man, also dressed in white gi, with a 
pony-tail, advising a number of the students on their exercises.  He 
gestures cleanly and forcefully as he does so.  

In the distance, the phone rings.  SOUUN looks up as he hears the noise. 
He starts to count on his fingers.  He starts out with seven, drops two 
immediately, slowly lowers two others, and then stares at the three 
fingers he has left.  He looks at the young man, looks down at his hand 
again ... and then a look of great realization crosses his face.

                                     SOUUN
                    Ah!  Kasumi has gone shopping!  

SOUUN pushes himself to his feet, and starts to rush off out of the dojo. 
We see the young man -- who is beyond any doubt, SAOTOME RANMA, though 
slightly more mature than he was at the end of his story -- look over his 
shoulder and roll his eyes.  

We see SOUUN arrive at the telephone, which has been ringing constantly 
over this, place his hand over the reciever, cough into his fist, and pick 
up the phone.

                                     SOUUN
                    Moshi moshi.  Tendou no dojou.  

SOUUN seems startled to hear whatever he hears on the other end of the 
line, and his mouth spreads in a large smile as he does.

                                 AKANE (V.O.)
                    It all started when my father got
                    a phone call from -- no, wait a
                    minute.  

The scene freezes in the middle of SOUUN's exclamation.

                                 AKANE (V.O.)
                    Strictly speaking, it didn't begin
                    there.  I could say that it began
                    nearly two decades before that, when
                    the man my father had been speaking
                    to had first met our family.  Or a
                    decade before *that*, when he first
                    came to Japan; or three decades
                    before that, when ... and so on,
                    back to the very first moment.
                    BEAT But to be even a little bit
                    accurate, it had begun a few hours
                    before that.  

Cut to a city street in chaos.  Fires are burning, sirens are screaming, 
so are people.  The side of a building explodes, and a man -- shaved bald, 
wearing bulky black armor, with an eyepatch targeting device over one eye, 
carrying a huge bazooka-like device -- laughs madly at the carnage he's 
causing, as do his several colleagues, each cast from a similar mold.  The 
man looks for another target ... and then freezes, visibly paling as he 
looks down the street.  He anxiously gestures for his colleagues to look 
where he's looking, and they all react with intense fear.  

Down the street, a man (early thirties?) is standing against the rising 
sun.  His hair is a dark black, his skin tanned.  He stands above average 
height, and his black trenchcoat hides the details of his slender yet 
muscular build.  He wears glasses.  We close in on his eyes for a moment 
-- they are gray, with strange flecks off gold in the iris.  He reaches up 
with his gloved left hand to remove the glasses, flicking the frame shut 
as he pulls them away.  He deliberately assumes a martial arts stance.

                                     KENT
                    You're under arrest.  

For a second, nothing happens ... then, roaring, the criminals charge 
towards him ...  

And KENT wakes up.  He blinks as he lies in bed, staring at the clock on 
his bedside table, the red numbers "0628" illuminating his glasses.  KENT 
sits up in bed, his shirt and boxers showing off both his *very* muscular 
arms and legs, and the large number of scars from old injuries on his 
limbs and chest.   He picks up his glasses, puts them on, and gets out of 
bed.  

We see him, wearing a red robe and slippers, wandering down a darkened 
corridor towards a lit room, which has the look of a kitchenette -- a 
sink, stove, refrierator and cupboards.  A man (ANDREW DELAFONTAINE, early 
fifties?), with a bushy moustache, mostly bald with wisps of hair on the 
sides of his head, wearing blue mechanic's coveralls, is sitting at a 
table in the room.  He does a crossword puzzle in pen while taking 
occasional drinks from a cup of coffee.  He looks up at KENT as he enters 
the room.  ANDREW speaks in a New Yorker accent that screams "fake".

                                    ANDREW
                    Mornin'.  Coffee?  

KENT shakes his head, and walks to the refrigerator, opening it up to take 
out a carton of orange juice, and getting a glass out of one of the 
cupboards at the same time.  ANDREW shakes his head, and tsks.

                                    ANDREW
                    That stuff'll kill you.  

KENT pauses, sets down the cup, opens the carton, and drinks directly from 
the carton.  ANDREW watches.  KENT finishes the carton, sets it down, and 
comes to sit/slump at the table.  ANDREW folds up his copy of the New York 
Times.

                                    ANDREW
                    That bad, huh?  What was it, Sheila?  

KENT shakes his head.

                                    ANDREW
                    Theresa?  

KENT shakes his head.

                                     KENT
                    The one where I'm a supercop.

                                    ANDREW
                    SNORTS An' I still say that ain't
                    that different from what we do.

                                     KENT
                    And I still say it is.  BEAT  So
                    what's on the agenda for today?

                                    ANDREW
                    Nothin' planned, but the Austrians
                    been askin' us to do somethin' about
                    the dragons in their --

                                     KENT
                    Unless they produce some evidence
                    the the tatzelwurmen are of xeno-
                    or magical origin, we do nothing.
                    Same with the kraken in the Baltic
                    ... on the other hand, it might do
                    to examine that a little more
                    closely, if there seems to be an
                    increase in cult business there.  

KENT falls silent, and ANDREW just stares at him.

                                    ANDREW
                    Nobody should remember all that.
                    You need a vacation.

                                     KENT
                    Secret Masters of the World don't
                    take vacations. BEAT  I'd like a
                    few days off, but --

                                    ANDREW
                    Who's gonna tell you no?

                                     KENT
                    What if something happens and I'm --

                                    ANDREW
                    Welcome to the era of global
                    communications!  If you are on the
                    planet Earth, there's nowhere we
                    can't get in touch with you!

                                     KENT
                    And how long will it take to --

                                    ANDREW
                    Welcome to the era of having more
                    cutting edge vehicles than the US
                    Air Force!  

KENT appears to consider the idea for a moment, lost in thought. ANDREW 
drinks the last of his coffee.

                                     KENT
                    All right.

                                    ANDREW
                    BLINKS Seriously?

                                     KENT
                    If I recall correctly, there's
                    nothing coming up in the next few
                    days --

                                    ANDREW
                    Great!  We can head up to Alaska,
                    get some fishing done --  

KENT continues as though he hadn't been interrupted.

                                     KENT
                    -- that my duly designated second
                    in command can't handle.  

ANDREW gapes.  KENT smiles thinly.

                                    ANDREW
                    Dirty pool!

                                     KENT
                    It was your idea.  And until -- and
                    unless -- McGovern comes back,
                    you're the only operator on staff
                    with the experience to handle it
                    all.

                                    ANDREW
                    Awww, shit.  

KENT stands up, and stretches, seeming somehow more vital and energetic 
now that he's made his decision.

                                     KENT
                    Guess I'd better get packed.

                                    ANDREW
                    So where you goin'?

                                     KENT
                    Back to Japan, I think.  Maybe I'll
                    pop in on my old teacher.  I think
                    a week should be enough, and we have
                    to address the UN Security Council
                    Monday after next anyway, so ...

                                    ANDREW
                    Right.  I'll keep things on an even
                    keel here.  

KENT starts to walk out of the room.

                                    ANDREW
                    Give my regards to Lum.

                                     KENT
                    SARCASM Ha ha.  If I meet *any*
                    aliens over there, they had best
                    keep the hell out of my way.  

KENT exits.  He walks down the hallway, with decidedly more spring in his 
step.

                                NINIANE (O.S.)
                    FLAT Running away?  

KENT pauses, and turns to look back the way he came.  NINIANE is a tall 
woman (late twenties?) with very light (almost white) blonde hair to her 
waist and deep blue eyes.  Her expression is hard and unfriendly.  She 
wears a white shawl over a grey sweater, a tan skirt that extends to her 
ankles, and red shoes.  Her face is noticeably barren of makeup and 
jewelry.

                                     KENT
                    I don't see why taking a vacation is
                    considering running away.

                                    NINIANE
                    You are once more trying to avoid
                    your destiny --

                                     KENT
                    -- which you refuse to tell me
                    anything about, Niniane.

                                    NINIANE
                    Why should I explain that which you
                    seek so avidly to avoid?

                                     KENT
                    Got me there.  He starts walking away.

                                    NINIANE
                    I did a divination about you.  

KENT pauses.

                                     KENT
                     And?

                                    NINIANE
                    Do you want to know the results?

                                     KENT
                    I can tell that you're just burning
                    to tell me, so yes.

                                    NINIANE
                    "Three will go in.  Two will come
                    out."  

KENT turns to look at her.

                                     KENT
                    I see.  BEAT  You realize, of
                    course, that this is one of those
                    prophecies that is doomed to be
                    remembered only after it's too
                    late to do anything about it?

                                    NINIANE
                    Yes.  But I felt obligated to
                    report it all the same, even if you
                    will ignore it.

                                     KENT
                    Ah yes.  BEAT  Doubtless it's your
                    destiny to report useless prophecies
                    to those who won't listen -- in
                    which case, of course, you mustn't
                    run from it.  After all CLAPS it's
                    fate.  

KENT turns and walks down the corridor, turning a corner as he does. 
NINIANE follows him with an impassive expression.

                                    NINIANE
                    I daresay he thinks he won that
                    little exchange.  How cute.  

NINIANE turns and walks down the corridor to the kitchenette.  A young 
woman (PATRICIA DELAFONTAINE, late teens?) steps out of one of the other 
rooms (which we can distantly see is a bathroom).  She has short 
red-auburn hair and amber eyes, and is wearing a short bathrobe over 
pyjamas.  She nervously looks down the corridor the way KENT went.

                                   PATRICIA
                    Running away?  

She starts down the corridor after him.  

KENT, now dressed in casual clothes -- a black vest over a white shirt and 
blue jeans -- and carrying a suitcase in one hand and a brown leather 
jacket slung over his shoulder, walks up a staircase.  PATRICIA appears at 
the bottom.

                                   PATRICIA
                    Kent?  

A look of annoyance mixed with something else -- longing, perhaps? -- 
crosses KENT's face.  He doesn't stop.  PATRICIA continues to follow him.

                                   PATRICIA
                    Kent, I need to talk to you.

                                     KENT
                    So talk.

                                   PATRICIA
                    Look, I know that you're upset about
                    my practice scores, but --

                                     KENT
                    Then you know more than I do.  

PATRICIA pauses.

                                   PATRICIA
                    You're not upset about my practice
                    scores?

                                     KENT
                    I didn't say that.

                                   PATRICIA
                    Then --

                                     KENT
                    Right now, Patricia, I don't *care*
                    about your practice scores.  I am on
                    vacation.  

They arrive at the top of the staircase, and KENT taps in a security code 
at the door.  It opens into a huge parking garage/hangar bay -- filled 
with various high tech vehicles:  cars that look like they belong in a 
science fiction movie, black helicopters, a flying saucer (a closer look 
will reveal it to be the Avro Arrow), vehicles from Supermarionation shows 
G.I. Joe gear; and not far away, a Chrysler Cordoba.  A young man (perhaps 
13) with purply-black hair and a bored expression is dusting the 
windshield.  He looks up as KENT and PATRICIA approach.

                                   PATRICIA
                    Vacation?  Where are you going?

                                     KENT
                    Japan.  I'll be back in a few days.  

He takes a look at the Cordoba.

                                     KENT
                    Looks good, Mr. Stengovitch.

                                  STENGOVITCH
                    Thank you sir.  

KENT pops open the trunk, and goes to slide his suitcase in.

                                   PATRICIA
                    Um, so you'll be back in a week?

                                     KENT
                    That *is* what I said.

                                   PATRICIA
                    Right.  Uh, there's something we
                    need to talk about.

                                     KENT
                    Go ahead.  Talk.  

KENT closes the trunk.

                                   PATRICIA
                    Well, it's kind of hard to talk
                    abo-- uh, to you when you won't
                    stand still.  

KENT comes to a dead stop and turns to look at PATRICIA with an incurious 
expression.

                                     KENT
                    I'm waiting.

                                   PATRICIA
                    Uh ... well ... we haven't had a lot
                    of time to talk about what happened
                    on --

                                     KENT
                    I should not have had sex with you
                    when we were on Dr. Michel Andro's
                    island headquarters three weeks ago.  

STENGOVITCH stops pretending to pack up his vehicle cleaning kit while 
eavesdropping on their conversation and just plain listens in.  PATRICIA 
blinks, a shocked expression on her face.

                                   PATRICIA
                    ... had ... sex?

                                     KENT
                    That is what you were trying to
                    avoid talking about directly, is it
                    not?

                                   PATRICIA
                    Uh.  Well.  I ... wouldn't have put
                    like ... that.  I would have said
                    when we ...

                                     KENT
                    Boinked?  

PATRICIA is blushing ferociously.

                                   PATRICIA
                    Um, no ...

                                     KENT
                    Screwed?  BEAT F--

                                   PATRICIA
                    Made love!  

KENT's face is expressionless as he tosses his jacket in the car.

                                     KENT
                    We didn't do that.

                                   PATRICIA
                    Kent, I really want to talk about
                    our relationship, but you're --

                                     KENT
                    Our relationship is extraordinarily
                    simple.  I am the Commanding Officer
                    of the Planetary Defense Force; you
                    are one of my agents.  The fact that
                    we have had sexual intercourse
                    complicates matters.  I am doing my
                    best to pretend it never happened; I
                    suggest that you do the same.  

KENT slides into the car's driver seat.

                                   PATRICIA
                    I can't pretend it never happened!
                    I *wanted* --  

KENT turns to look at her with an annoyed, disdainful expression.

                                     KENT
                    Don't be ridiculous.  You aren't in
                    love with me, and I'm certainly not
                    in love with you.  So just give up
                    on those silly, pointless romantic
                    dreams you've been having about me
                    since you got here; they aren't
                    going to happen.  Stop being such a
                    child, for God's sake.  

PATRICIA reacts as if she's been slapped a few dozen times.  KENT stares 
up at her with a disgusted look on his face, then slams the car door shut, 
and starts the engine.  He drives towards an upward leading ramp as 
PATRICIA stands at watches, her mouth half open.  As he disappears out of 
sight, she appears to find her voice.

                                   PATRICIA
                    OH YEAH?!  OH YEAH?!  KENT, YOU ...
                    ... YOU ... BIG MEANIE!  

PATRICIA abruptly notices that STENGOVITCH is staring up at her with a 
fascinated expression, and realizes that she's still in her pyjamas.  She 
flushes.

                                   PATRICIA
                    So I don't have a snappy comeback.
                    Sue me.  

She marches off towards the exit.  STENGOVITCH smiles, and keeps packing 
his gear.  

We see KENT driving up a steep inclined tunnel, a look of intense 
self-loathing on his face.  He presses a button on the dashboard.  

We see a flat, deserted landscape, late at night.  A section of the ground 
pulls away to reveal the end of the tunnel, just as the Cordoba emerges 
from the darkness.  The Cordoba drives onto a public right of way, and 
heads down the road.  It approaches a chain fence with a single gate, 
patroled on both sides by armed security guards, one of whom waves it to a 
stop.  KENT slows down to a crawl, holding up to the window an unusual 
badge whose principal element is a pyramid with an eye at the top.  The 
security guard blanches, almost saluting, and waves KENT through the gate. 
KENT drives past a sign which reads

                                    WARNING
                               RESTRICTED AREA

                              USE OF DEADLY FORCE
                                IS AUTHORIZED  

KENT drives.

                                 AKANE (V.O.)
                    It's strange to think about Kent
                    Masefield, because in a way I feel
                    that I know him as well as I know
                    myself, but in another way I realize
                    that I never knew him at all, and
                    that I never will. BEAT He drove
                    all night through the desert of
                    Nevada, until he came at last to
                    Las Vegas.  Making arrangements for
                    his trip to Japan took a few hours,
                    but he was finally booked for a
                    flight that would arrive in Tokyo
                    International around eleven A.M.
                    When the rising sun finally dawned
                    over Japan, he was on his way.
                    BEAT That morning, I was getting
                    packed to head home for a brief
                    visit with my family.  I was looking
                    forward to seeing my sisters and ...
                    well, I wanted to see Ranma again,
                    too. BEAT But the way that I
                    started my day was fairly boring.  

Cut to a shot of KASUGA KYOUSUKE brushing his teeth while looking in the 
mirror.  He bends down and (out of shot) spits out the toothpaste.  

In the bedroom of their hotel room, AYUKAWA MADOKA is buttoning up her 
shirt and looking at herself in the mirror.

                                    MADOKA
                    So what was the dream about, anyway?  

KYOUSUKE starts to shave with an electric razor.

                                   KYOUSUKE
                    Well, I'm never really know what my
                    dreams are about until after they've
                    come true ... and every time I make
                    a guess, I wind up getting egg all
                    over my face ... like that time I
                    saw you acting submissive in a bunny
                    suit.  

MADOKA pauses as she brushes some lint off her short skirt.  She directs 
an *extremely* unpleasant look towards the open washroom door.  KYOUSUKE 
comes out of the door, still shaving, and stares at her uncomprehendingly.

                                   KYOUSUKE
                    Is something wr--  

He pauses, and the hand that moves the razor is momentarily stilled.

                                   KYOUSUKE
                    I never told you about that, did I?

                                    MADOKA
                    FLAT Good guess.

                                   KYOUSUKE
                    I intended to.  Really I did.  I had
                    this marvellous image in my head of
                    us laughing our heads off over it.
                    BEAT Of course, we were both into
                    our twilight years in my image --  

MADOKA's lips turn up in a smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes.

                                    MADOKA
                    FLAT Cute.  SIGH  Now, what did
                    you see in your dream, *this* time?  

KYOUSUKE relaxes.

                                   KYOUSUKE
                    I saw a little man dancing around
                    on a hill.  He reminded me of that
                    one character on that show -- uh,
                    "Many Mountains"?

                                    MADOKA
                    Twin Peaks?

                                   KYOUSUKE
                    SHRUG And then I heard a great
                    booming female voice say "Three will
                    go in, two will come out."

                                    MADOKA
                    INTERESTED Did it sound like my
                    voice?

                                   KYOUSUKE
                    Nooo ... not like any woman that
                    I've ever met.  BEAT  But then
                    the darkness above the dancing
                    man grew very dark, and a great
                    male voice cried out.  

KYOUSUKE is silent.

                                    MADOKA
                    Cried out what?

                                   KYOUSUKE
                    "Get your butt down here or you and
                    your family are on CNN."

                                    MADOKA
                    CNN?

                                   KYOUSUKE
                    I just have them, I don't make them
                    up.  

MADOKA looks dubious.  

Cut to a shot of the Masaki household, looking peaceful.  There is a 
sudden crashing noise from the kitchen.  

Cut to a shot of SASAMI sitting on the floor of the kitchen, quietly 
crying into her hands, as she sits in front of a pile of shattered 
dishes.  TENCHI enters the kitchen at a run, and blinks in shock at what 
he sees.

                                    TENCHI
                    Sasami-chan?!?  

SASAMI looks up with a humiliated and exhausted expression.

                                    SASAMI
                    I'm sorry, Tenchi-niichan.  I broke
                    the dishes.  

TENCHI bends down to speak to her eye to eye, a gentle, worried expression 
on his face.

                                    TENCHI
                    Hey, it's all right.  It was an
                    accident, right?  It's not your
                    fault.  

SASAMI nods, not looking directly at TENCHI.

                                    TENCHI
                    Sasami-chan, is something wrong?
                    You've been looking awfully tired
                    recently.

                                    SASAMI
                    Well ...  

AYEKA comes into the kitchen, looking curious.  She's startled to see 
SASAMI on the floor.

                                     AYEKA
                    Sasami-chan?  What happened?  

SASAMI doesn't look at her older sister.

                                    SASAMI
                    Oneechan, I ... I broke all of
                    Nobuyuki-ojichan's dishes ...

                                    TENCHI
                    Sasami-chan, it's not that bad,
                    we've still got plenty of other
                    dishes.

                                     AYEKA
                    Were you hurt?  

SASAMI shakes her head.

                                    TENCHI
                    I'll clean this up, Sasami-chan,
                    you go take a rest.

                                    SASAMI
                    But I made the mess, and --

                                    TENCHI
                    It's okay!  It's not such a big
                    mess.  

SASAMI nods sadly, and gets up.  She walks to the door, followed closely 
by AYEKA, who pauses to look over her shoulder as TENCHI starts to pick up 
the pieces of the dishes.  He notices.

                                    TENCHI
                    Ayeka-san, could you look after
                    Sasami-chan?  She seems a little
                    tired today ...

                                     AYEKA
                    Certainly, Tenchi-sama.  

He smiles at her, and goes back to work.  AYEKA spends a few more seconds 
looking longingly at him, then turns to follow SASAMI into the living 
room.  

In the living room, SASAMI has plopped down on the couch, looking 
depressed.  Above, RYOUKO has curled up in her usual spot to take a 
catnap.  AYEKA comes into the room with a serious expression.

                                     AYEKA
                    All right, Sasami, what happened?

                                    SASAMI
                    Oneechan, I --

                                     AYEKA
                    I've seen you carry larger loads of
                    dishes than that without trouble.
                    But you look terribly exhausted.
                    Tenchi said --  

RYOUKO's right eye pops open.  SASAMI looks shocked.

                                    SASAMI
                    Oh no!  I ... Oneechan, promise!

                                     AYEKA
                    Promise what?

                                    SASAMI
                    I don't want to worry Tenchi-niichan
                    with my problems ... promise me that
                    you won't tell him about them!

                                     AYEKA
                    Well ...

                                    SASAMI
                    Promise!

                                     AYEKA
                    All right, I promise that I won't
                    tell him ...  

SASAMI holds up the little finger of her right hand.

                                    SASAMI
                    Pinky swear!  

AYEKA stares at her, baffled.

                                     AYEKA
                    Whaaat?

                                    SASAMI
                    I read about this in Nobuyuki-
                    ojichan's manga -- people who swear
                    an oath by linking their pinkies
                    have to keep it, or else.

                                     AYEKA
                    Or else what?

                                    SASAMI
                    The one who didn't break the oath
                    can stick red hot needles in the
                    oathbreaker's eyes.

                                     AYEKA
                    APPALLED Sasami!  

SASAMI lowers her hand.

                                    SASAMI
                    All right.  BEAT  I've been having
                    trouble sleeping.

                                     AYEKA
                    Why?

                                    SASAMI
                    Well ... I've been reading one of
                    Noboyuki-ojichan's manga.

                                     AYEKA
                    The one with the red hot needles?

                                    SASAMI
                    Oh, no.  That's a nice one. BEAT
                    This is one about these two secret
                    agents who go around finding out
                    monsters.  It's kind of ... creepy.

                                     AYEKA
                    What is this manga?

                                    SASAMI
                    It's called, "The X-Files".  And ...
                    well, I've been ... having night-
                    mares about it ... I wake up in the
                    middle of the night, and I'm too
                    scared to go back to sleep.

                                     AYEKA
                    COMPASSIONATELY Oh, Sasami ... why
                    didn't you wake me up?  I would have
                    helped you ...

                                    SASAMI
                    EMBARRASSED Well, you were kind of
                    ... um ... you always sounded like
                    you were having *really* nice dreams
                    about --  

AYEKA colours.  Above, RYOUKO controls her amusement with effort, grinning 
evilly.

                                     AYEKA
                    I see.  Well, Sasami, you should
                    still have woken me up ... and after
                    all, I never remember my dreams if
                    I don't wake up in the middle of
                    them.  So, if you had woken me up,
                    I would have been able to comfort
                    you, and you would have helped me
                    have a wonderful memory.

                                    SASAMI
                    Really?

                                     AYEKA
                    Yes.  Now, why don't you go get this
                    manga that's been causing you night-
                    mares?  I want to have a look at it.

                                    SASAMI
                    Okay!  

SASAMI hops off the couch, seeming a little more invigorated.  AYEKA 
watches her dash away with a small, quiet smile.

                                     AYEKA
                    FLAT Well?  

RYOUKO abruptly materializes just behind her.

                                    RYOUKO
                    So how long did you know I was here?

                                     AYEKA
                    Long enough.  BEAT  You realize,
                    of course, that she extracted no
                    promise from you to not tell Tenchi
                    about her problems?  

RYOUKO blinks, and then a slow, ironic smile crosses her features.

                                    RYOUKO
                    Verrrry sly, brat princess.

                                     AYEKA
                    I'm learning from you, withered
                    mummy.  

They pause, turn to look at one another, and smile large, insincere smiles 
that don't even begin to reach their eyes.  Then revert to normal.

                                     AYEKA
                    Only if this doesn't get better in
                    the next few days.

                                    RYOUKO
                    Sure.  BEAT  Believe me or don't,
                    Ayeka, but I do like your little
                    sister, and I don't want to see her
                    in pain like that.

                                     AYEKA
                    I don't, of course.

                                    RYOUKO
                    Of course.  BEAT  So, what *are*
                    YOUR dreams about MY Tenchi like?  

AYEKA is visibly shocked.

                                     AYEKA
                    You *must* be joking.

                                    RYOUKO
                    You owe me one --

                                     AYEKA
                    Even if I were to *lie* to my little
                    sister when I said that I couldn't
                    remember my dreams, do you seriously
                    imagine that I would under any
                    circumstances confide their content
                    to you, you ... you ... BANE OF MY
                    EXISTANCE?  

RYOUKO is silent for a moment.

                                    RYOUKO
                    I'll tell you about mine.

                                     AYEKA
                    LEAVE!  

RYOUKO gives AYEKA the hairy eyeball, and dematerializes.  AYEKA looks up 
to check her usual perch, and sighs in relief that RYOUKO's not there. 
SASAMI comes into the room, holding the manga tankoubon in her hands.

                                    SASAMI
                    Here it is, oneechan.  This isn't
                    one of the really scary ones ...  

AYEKA takes the tankoubon, and begins to leaf through it.  She pauses.

                                     AYEKA
                    Aha.  I think I know why you like
                    reading this, Sasami-chan.  

SASAMI blushes, and giggles.

                                     AYEKA
                    He *is* a very handsome hero. BEAT
                    Hum ... "alien abduction".  Oh, how
                    silly.  We have this system under
                    a complete quarantine.

                                    SASAMI
                    Then it's just made up?  The text at
                    the back says that people say these
                    things really happened to them.  

AYEKA begins to flip to the back of the tankoubon.

                                     AYEKA
                    Well then they are *lying*, Sasami-
                    chan.  There are no civilized races
                    in this part of the galaxy who would
                    do such things, and --  

AYEKA stops abruptly as she looks down at the tankoubon.  Everything is 
very still for a moment.  Then the tankoubon slips out of her fingers.

                                    SASAMI
                    SHOCKED Oneechan!  

AYEKA turns to look at SASAMI with a calm expression.

                                     AYEKA
                    UNRUFFLED Yes?

                                    SASAMI
                    Uh ... a-are you all right?

                                     AYEKA
                    Perfectly fine.  SERIOUS Sasami-
                    chan, I don't think you should
                    read anymore of this manga, if it's
                    giving you nightmares.

                                    SASAMI
                    But --

                                     AYEKA
                    No buts.  Mother Funaho and our
                    Mother would be *furious* with me if
                    they knew that I was letting you
                    read things which caused you to have
                    nightmares.  RISES UP; PICKS UP THE
                    MANGA Now, I think you should rest
                    for the rest of the day, like Tenchi
                    asked you to.  

AYEKA heads off.

                                    SASAMI
                    But ... I'm supposed to do the
                    shopping today, with Mihoshi.  

AYEKA's face goes horribly panic-stricken, and then calms down as she 
turns to look at SASAMI.

                                     AYEKA
                    I'll do it.  I have some things I
                    want to do in town today anyway.

                                    SASAMI
                    Really?  

AYEKA nods, and turns to go away, with a look of mortal terror on her 
face.  She walks into the foyer of the house just as NOBOYUKI is coming 
down the stairs.

                                   NOBOYUKI
                    Ah, Ayeka-san, come to see me off
                    to work?  How kind and --

                                     AYEKA
                    Ahem.  Ojisan, I was hoping that you
                    could tell me about this manga.  

She hands him the tankoubon.  He peers at it.

                                   NOBOYUKI
                    Ah, yes ... this is the one that's
                    based on that American TV show ...
                    very popular.  BEAT  Oh, this is
                    the one with the text piece about
                    the aliens ...  

NOBOYUKI suddenly blinks, and realizes exactly to whom he is speaking. 
AYEKA gazes at him wordlessly.

                                   NOBOYUKI
                    But of course, real aliens are
                    nothing like that ...

                                     AYEKA
                    I was wondering, ojisan, do you have
                    any of the other tankoubon in this
                    series?

                                   NOBOYUKI
                    CONSIDERS, SHAKES HEADNo, the
                    store in town doesn't carry this
                    publisher.  I bought it the last
                    time I was in Tokyo.  I didn't
                    really like it, so --

                                     AYEKA
                    STARTLED Tokyo?  Oh dear.

                                   NOBOYUKI
                    Uh, is something --

                                     AYEKA
                    Oh no.  No, but ojisan, Sasami found
                    this manga, and the things she saw
                    in it caused her to have nightmares.
                    When you get back from work this
                    evening, could you do something to
                    ... um, *organize* your collection
                    so that anything that a ... tender
                    impressionable young girl might not
                    be ready for is out of the way?  

NOBOYUKI immediately strikes a dramatic pose.

                                   NOBOYUKI
                    Never fear, Ayeka-san ... I shall
                    strive with every breath in my body
                    to guard the fragile and delicate
                    dreams of your dear, sweet, cute
                    little sister.  So swears Masaki
                    Noboyuki!  

AYEKA has her hands clasped together.

                                     AYEKA
                    BREATHILY Ojisan!  

NOBOYUKI drops the pose.

                                   NOBOYUKI
                    Well, I'm off.  

He heads out the door.  AYEKA, still holding her hands clasped together, 
visibly gags.  

We watch, from high above, as NOBOYUKI walks down the path leading to the 
gates of the Masaki shrine.

                                 AKANE (V.O.)
                    From the descriptions of him that
                    I've been given, Tenchi's father
                    seems a lot like my own -- they
                    both like to project the image that
                    they've been dropped into a strange
                    and unfathomable situation, but the
                    truth of the matter is that they're
                    enjoying every second of it. BEAT
                    But in any event, my story now turns
                    to someone who reminds me of me.  

Cut to a shot of a pair of feet in red high-heels, one of which is tapping 
impatiently against a floor.  Between the legs, beyond a ventilator, we 
can see the tarmack of an airport.

                                 AKANE (V.O.)
                    In fact, when I first met her, I
                    wondered if that was what I'd look
                    like if I kept my hair long ...  

We see RAYE HINO turn to look over her shoulder, her face locked in a 
frown.  She is dressed in a red jacket over a pale pink shirt, and tight 
black pants.

                                     RAYE
                    It's bad enough he's coming at all,
                    can't he be on *time*?  

Our view changes to show MINAKO AINO (jean jacket, yellow blouse, denim 
skirt) and LITA KINO (white overalls over a green blouse) standing a few 
steps behind RAYE.

                                    MINAKO
                    Raye, don't you think you're being
                    just a little too concerned?

                                     RAYE
                    No.  I don't think I'm being
                    "concerned" enough.  BEAT  I can't
                    believe that you invited him to come
                    *visit* ...

                                     LITA
                    Well, he did kind of take me and
                    Mina in out of the kindness of his
                    heart --

                                     RAYE
                    Ha!

                                     LITA
                    -- when we went to Canada a couple
                    months ago.  Don't you think we
                    ought to return the favor?

                                     RAYE
                    Oh, yes, what a brilliant idea.
                    Having escaped his snares --

                                    MINAKO
                    He was never even *around*.

                                     RAYE
                    -- let's invite the monster to come
                    try again on our home ground.  God.  

MINAKO and LITA lower their heads in an exasperated sigh.  MINA lifts her 
head first.

                                    MINAKO
                    Raye ... what is *with* you?

                                     RAYE
                    Gee, one of my friends is dating a
                    vampire --

                                    MINAKO
                    SCHOOLTEACHER VampYre.  And it's
                    not really *dating* -- we've talked
                    on the phone a few times ... he's a
                    *really* NICE guy, Raye, if you'd
                    just give him half a chance --

                                     RAYE
                    He'll use whatever hypnosis trick
                    he's used on you to bend me to his
                    will.

                                     MINA
                    GROWL Raye ...!

                                     LITA
                    Raye, come on.  So you sensed evil
                    from Aethan when you met him three
                    years ago ... he's probably done
                    a lot of things he's not proud of
                    in his life, and he's lived an
                    awful long time.

                                     RAYE
                    Correction:  I didn't *just* sense
                    evil from him, I sensed *incredible*
                    amounts of it!

                                     MINA
                    Fourteen *hundred* years, Raye.
                    Don't judge a man until you've
                    hatched!

                                     LITA
                    WINCES That's "until you've
                    walked a mile in his shoes", Mina.

                                     MINA
                    Yeah!  That too!

                                     RAYE
                    What I don't get is why *you're*
                    standing up for him, Lita.  You've
                    never met him, and --

                                     LITA
                    But I *have* spoken to him on the
                    phone.  He seemed like a nice,
                    friendly guy, Raye, and --

                                     RAYE
                    SARCASM He reminded you of your
                    old boyfriend?  

LITA's face goes very still, and very cold.  She turns abruptly, and walks 
away from where RAYE and MINA are standing.

                                     MINA
                    ANGRY Way to go, Raye.  Are you so
                    pissed off about Aethan coming to
                    visit that you forgot that the
                    reason we went to Canada in the
                    *first* place was for Lita to be
                    with her sempai as he died? SHOUTS
                    LITA!  

She dashes off in the direction that LITA went.  From RAYE's stricken 
expression, she clearly *did* forget that.

                                     RAYE
                    Dammit.  

Behind RAYE, outside the window, we see a plane descending to land.  

Cut to the inside of WASHUU's workshop.  She is busily typing on her 
terminal.  

We see a close up of the plane.  KENT is in one of the window seats, 
looking out.  

We see WASHUU typing.  

The plane lowers its landing gear.  

WASHUU types.  

The plane lands.  

WASHUU jerks at her seat, standing stock still for a moment.

                                    WASHUU
                    No.  Not here.  Not this country.
                    DESPAIRING Not this *planet* ...
                    Not while *I'm* here ...  

She taps out a certain code on her keyboard.  A holographic sign with the 
word "SEALED" on it appears.  

Cut to the outside of WASHUU's laboratory in the Masaki household.  AYEKA 
approaches the distinctively crab-marked door ... just as it vanishes. 
AYEKA blinks, and taps the wall where the door used to be.  Nothing. 
AYEKA slowly turns and walks around to the staircase, looking very 
uncertain.  

Cut to the exterior of the Masaki home.  MIHOSHI, dressed in casual 
clothes, walks towards the van parked in the driveway, followed closely by 
SASAMI.

                                    SASAMI
                    Mihoshi-neechan, please make sure
                    that my sister doesn't get into
                    trouble in town?

                                    MIHOSHI
                    Of course, Sasami!  As a Galaxy
                    Police Inspector, I must defend and
                    support the innocent whenever --  

SASAMI holds up her small hands.

                                    SASAMI
                    But ... try and stay out of trouble
                    yourself, too, okay?  I don't think
                    oneechan would like being involved
                    in a high speed chase like the last
                    time we went for groceries.

                                    MIHOSHI
                    B-but Sasami -- I'm a Galaxy Police
                    Inspector ... I *have* to --

                                    SASAMI
                    I know, I know ... but ... THINKS
                    FAST ... isn't there something in
                    the Galactic Legal Code about how
                    Inspectors are supposed to make a
                    formal offer of assistance to local
                    authorities before you start helping
                    out?

                                    MIHOSHI
                    EYES WIDE Uh ... well ... I'll
                    have to check.  BEAT  But ...
                    Sasami, if I make a formal offer of
                    assistance to the police in town,
                    won't that break the quarantine?

                                    SASAMI
                    SHOCKED You're right, Mihoshi!  Oh
                    dear!  Do you realize what this
                    means?

                                    MIHOSHI
                    Yes!  BEAT  I'll have to ask
                    Tenchi for permission before I make
                    the offer.  

SASAMI lowers her head and lets out a deep sigh.  

Inside the house, TENCHI is heading for the front door.  He opens it to 
see SASAMI standing beside the van, while MIHOSHI is in the driver's seat.

                                    SASAMI
                    CALL Tenchi-niichan!  Have you
                    seen oneechan?

                                    TENCHI
                    CALL No ... shouldn't ...  

He hears the sound of someone coming down the stairs behind him.  TENCHI 
turns to look over his shoulder ... and boggles.  He turns completely 
around.  

AYEKA is wearing a black school uniform (if perchance the viewer has seen 
Tenchi Muyo:  In Love, the viewer will recognize the style at once as that 
worn by Tenchi's mother, Achika) as she descends the stairs.  She smiles 
demurely at TENCHI, who is beyond shocked.

                                    TENCHI
                    A-a-a-yeka-san ...

                                     AYEKA
                    I hope that you don't mind my
                    borrowing one of your mother's old
                    school uniforms, Tenchi-sama ... I
                    know how precious her things are to
                    you ...

                                    TENCHI
                    Uh.  Uh.  Uh, w-why?

                                     AYEKA
                    Well, my usual kimono is all right
                    for here -- even if any guests of
                    your father or grandfather should
                    come, I can explain it as the
                    vestments of a shrine maiden for
                    this shrine ... but if I'm going
                    into town, it's hardly appropriate,
                    is it?  BEAT Achika-sama and I
                    were almost the same size ...

                                    TENCHI
                    BLURT It looks very good on you,
                    Ayeka-san!  

AYEKA blushes.  There is the sound of a honking horn.

                                MIHOSHI (O.S.)
                    Ayeka-saaaan!

                                     AYEKA
                    COUGHS Well, I must be off.  

She starts towards the door.  TENCHI follows her with his eyes, and just 
as she crosses the threshold, he visibly gathers his courage.

                                    TENCHI
                    Ayeka-san.  

AYEKA turns with a hopeful look on her face.

                                     AYEKA
                    Yes, Tenchi-sama?

                                    TENCHI
                    DEEP BREATH Please try very hard
                    to not damage my mother's dress.  

AYEKA's face collapses for a moment, and then she smile strainedly.

                                     AYEKA
                    I will try ...  

And then she walks out the door.  TENCHI continues to follow her with his 
eyes.  RYOUKO materializes behind him, her face twisted into a mask of 
jealousy and anger.  Her teeth are clenched, and her fangs prominent. 
TENCHI sighs, and turns in the direction where she happens to be standing.

                                    TENCHI
                    YAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!  

Outside, AYEKA sits in the passenger seat of the van, and smiles politely 
at MIHOSHI.  MIHOSHI smiles back sunnily.  They sit still for several 
moments.

                                     AYEKA
                    Mihoshi?  Shall we go?

                                    MIHOSHI
                    Uh-huh!  BEAT As soon as you do up
                    your seatbelt.  

AYEKA blinks, and then nods.

                                     AYEKA
                    Yes.  Yes, of course.  

She clumsily gets the seatbelt to work, encountering a fair amount of 
difficulty as she does so.  Finally, she is all buckled up, and MIHOSHI 
starts the engine.  

Outside the car, SASAMI waves at her older sister, who waves back.  The 
car takes off with a jump forward, driving off the screen.  There is a 
brief squeal of brakes, and then the van begins to back up.  AYEKA is 
wearing a look of utter terror.

                                    MIHOSHI
                    Sorry, sorry!  I *always* forget to
                    put it in reverse, sorry!  

From high above, we see the van eventually get turned around and start 
heading for the open road.

                                 AKANE (V.O.)
                    By the eleventh hour on that first
                    day, things had begun to start
                    moving ... which brings us back to
                    the beginning ...  

In the airport, we see KENT approach a bank of phones, carrying his 
luggage in his left hand and wearing the jacket.  He picks up the phone, 
inserts a phone card, and dials a number.  

Cut to the Tendou Dojo, where SOUUN is watching RANMA teach the class.  In 
the distance, the phone rings.  SOUUN looks up as he hears the noise.  He 
starts to count on his fingers.  He starts out with seven, drops two 
immediately, slowly lowers two others, and then stares at the three 
fingers he has left.  He looks at RANMA, looks down at his hand again ... 
and then a look of great realization crosses his face.

                                     SOUUN
                    Ah!  Kasumi has gone shopping!  

SOUUN pushes himself to his feet, and starts to rush off out of the dojo. 
We see the RANMA look over his shoulder and roll his eyes.  

We see SOUUN arrive at the telephone, which has been ringing constantly 
over this, place his hand over the reciever, cough into his fist, and pick 
up the phone.

                                     SOUUN
                    Moshi moshi.  Tendou no dojou.

                                 KENT (PHONE)
                    Tendou-san.  I hope I find you well.  

SOUUN seems startled to hear KENT's voice, and his mouth spreads in a 
large smile as he does.  He speaks in badly accented English.

                                     SOUUN
                    Mister Masefield!  It is a good day
                    indeed!

                                 KENT (PHONE)
                    I am very glad to hear that.  I'm
                    visiting Japan for a few weeks, and
                    I hope that I'll be able to stop by
                    for a visit.  

Cut to the airport.

                                 SOUUN (PHONE)
                    Visit?  No, no!  I insist that you
                    stay here!

                                     KENT
                    Tendou-san, I couldn't impose on you
                    like --

                                 SOUUN (PHONE)
                    Impose?!  Never!  It is the least
                    that I can do for an old student!

                                     KENT
                    WEARY If I don't, you're going to
                    that demon head technique on me when
                    I visit, aren't you?

                                 SOUUN (PHONE)
                    I am wounded!  Wounded by your lack
                    of regard for my hospitality!  

KENT holds the phone a ways away from his face as the sound of SOUUN 
sobbing his heart out explodes forth from it.  His face is that of a man 
who has been through this several times before.  After a few moments, the 
sobbing dies down to a bearable level, and KENT brings the phone back to 
his face.

                                     KENT
                    Gomen nasai, Tendou-sensei.  I will
                    be honored if you would permit me
                    to rest beneath your roof.

                                 SOUUN (PHONE)
                    Ah, but I am honored even more by
                    your presence!  

Cut to the Tendou home, where SOUUN is grinning like a maniac.

                                 KENT (PHONE)
                    If you insist, Tendou-sensei.

                                     SOUUN
                    When will you arrive?

                                 KENT (PHONE)
                    Ano ... maybe an hour, if traffic
                    is as heavy as the last time I
                    was in Tokyo.

                                     SOUUN
                    We shall all be waiting!

                                 KENT (PHONE)
                    I am looking forward to seeing you
                    and Rumiko-san again ... until
                    then.

                                     SOUUN
                    NODS Until th--  Ru--
                    Kent-san!  

There is an audible click, and a beeping noise ensues.  SOUUN looks 
aghast.

                                     SOUUN
                    Oh dear ...  

KASUMI (who at 22 looks even more lovely than she did at 19) walks into 
the kitchen, carrying a large bag of groceries which she begins to 
unpack.  SOUUN comes into the kitchen, looking by turns anxious and 
exuberant.

                                     SOUUN
                    Kasumi.

                                    KASUMI
                    Yes, father?

                                     SOUUN
                    Do you know where Nabiki is?

                                    KASUMI
                    THINKS She told me that she would
                    be dealing with several of the local
                    businessmen today ... something to
                    do with tomorrow's tegasajutsu
                    tournament.

                                     SOUUN
                    Did she tell you whether or not she
                    would come home for lunch?

                                    KASUMI
                    No, she didn't ...  

NABIKI is standing behind SOUUN.  She looks tired, and is dressed in 
fashionable clothes -- a pair of pants, a beige blouse, and a red tie.

                                    NABIKI
                    But I decided to anyway.  

SOUUN jumps, his fingers in the "shock" position.

                                     SOUUN
                    Ah!  Nabiki, please don't startle
                    your poor old father like that!

                                    NABIKI 
                    NOT SORRY Sorry.

                                     SOUUN
                    I need to speak to the two of you,
                    and also to Ranma.

                                    NABIKI
                    About ... ?  

SOUUN grins in response.  NABIKI stares blankly at him for a moment ... 
then a look of raw panic suffuses her features.

                                    NABIKI
                    Oh god.  No.  Don't tell me that you
                    agreed to marry one of your *other*
                    daughters to another one of your old
                    friends' sons and he just showed up
                    today ...

                                     SOUUN
                    VERGE OF TEARS Nabiki!  How can
                    you say such a thing?!  

KASUMI comes over and consoles her father.  NABIKI rolls her eyes.  SOUUN 
straightens.

                                     SOUUN
                    No, no prospective fiancee has come
                    calling.  But I would rather wait
                    until Ranma is done with the lesson.  

RANMA strolls into the room, having changed out of his gi, taken a quick 
bath, and changed into his usual red chinese shirt and black trousers.

                                     RANMA
                    Well, I am.

                                     SOUUN
                    Ah!  Ranma --

                                     RANMA
                    IGNORES HIM Pretty good class, I
                    think.  Most of them are getting
                    something out of it.

                                     SOUUN
                    Ranma --

                                     RANMA
                    Only a couple are really good,
                    though.

                                     SOUUN
                    Ranma --

                                     RANMA
                    And I think that Yuusaku guy is
                    crazy.

                                     SOUUN
                    Ranma!

                                     RANMA
                    "I have to be the strongest man in
                    New York?"  What's up with *that*?  

SOUUN's head swells up to several times its normal size, his skin turns 
green, and his tongue vibrates in the wake of his yell.

                                     SOUUN
                    RANNNNMAAA!  

RANMA looks up at the demon head with vague interest.

                                     RANMA
                    Yo?  

SOUUN reverts to normal, and just looks annoyed.

                                     SOUUN
                    I need to speak to the three of you.  

A moment later, KASUMI, NABIKI, and RANMA (in that order) are sitting on 
the opposite side of the breakfast table from SOUUN.

                                     SOUUN
                    Ahem.  An old student of the Tendou
                    Ryuu of Musabetsu Kakutou is coming
                    to stay at the dojo for a week.

                                    KASUMI
                    An old student of yours, father?

                                     SOUUN
                    Yes, from America.

                                    NABIKI
                    America?  Wow.

                                     RANMA
                    Just 'cause he's from America
                    doesn't mean he's great or nothing.  

NABIKI and KASUMI slowly turn to stare at RANMA.  Then they exchange a 
look.

                                    NABIKI
                    Scary, isn't it?

                                    KASUMI
                    I think it's *sweet*.

                                     RANMA
                    CONFUSED Huh?

                                    NABIKI
                    Private joke, Ranma.

                                     SOUUN
                    AHEM.  This student's name is
                    Kenneth Masefield.

                                    KASUMI
                    STARTLED Mr. Masefield?

                                     SOUUN
                    PLEASED You remember him, Kasumi?

                                    KASUMI
                    Oh yes!  TO NABIKI AND RANMA He
                    lived here when I was four, and you
                    were only two years old, Nabiki.
                    I didn't know that he was one of
                    Father's students, but I suppose
                    it's not surprising -- he was so
                    kind, and gentle, and brave, and
                    handsome, and --

                                    NABIKI
                    This explains *so* much ...

                                     SOUUN
                    Yes, he was a good friend to both
                    me and to ... TRAILS OFF, HEAD
                    BOWED  

RANMA starts to roll his eyes in disgust.  SOUUN looks up, holding back 
the tears.

                                     SOUUN
                    ... to my beloved wife and our
                    children.  

RANMA is visibly startled.

                                     SOUUN
                    And that is why I have gathered you
                    here.  After Mr. Masefield left the
                    dojo, I lost track of him, and so he
                    does not yet know of ... our loss.
                    I believe that he will be shaken by
                    this event, and not wish to intrude
                    on our grief.  But he has been too
                    good a friend to the Tendou family
                    -- of which you *will* one day be a
                    part, Ranma --  

RANMA looks as though he is going to momentarily protest, but finally 
settles down.

                                     SOUUN
                    -- to let him go elsewhere for
                    lodging.  So, I would ask the three
                    of you to spare no effort to make
                    him feel welcome in our home.

                                     RANMA
                    SARCASTIC Excuse me, honored
                    father, but this *isn't* my home ...
                    so what --

                                     SOUUN
                    Ranma, I ask only that you make him
                    feel welcome in the dojo.  If he
                    should wish to spar, you should spar
                    with him.  EVIL GRIN I think that
                    you will find the experience to be
                    one of great interest to one of your
                    skills.

                                     RANMA
                    NOT SURE WHAT TO MAKE OF THAT Uh,
                    right.  So when does he get here?

                                     SOUUN
                    Very shortly ...  

Cut to the airport waiting lounge.  RAYE has been joined again by MINA, 
LITA (who is standing as far from RAYE as she can), AMY (wearing a blue 
jacket over a white shirt and blue skirt), DARIEN (wearing his trademark 
green jacket, black shirt, and grey trousers) and SERENA (wearing her 
black and white high school uniform).

                                     RAYE
                    So when does he get here?

                                     MINA
                    Very shortly ... I saw that his
                    plane had just arrived.

                                    SERENA
                    Do I have time to get another ice
                    cream?  

DARIEN looks embarrassed, while RAYE glowers at her.

                                     RAYE
                    Sure.  Fatten yourself up for the
                    monster --

                                    SERENA
                    RAAAAYE!  Why are you being so mean
                    to Mina's boyfriend?!  

RAYE gets in SERENA's face.

                                     RAYE
                    WHISPER Because her boyfriend is a
                    VAMPIRE, you *idiot*!  

SERENA promptly sticks her tongue out at RAYE, who retaliates in the same 
way, signalling the start of yet another one of RAYE and SERENA's tongue 
wars.  The others watch with an almost jaded attitude.

                                      AMY
                    I asked Reenie once if they were
                    still doing that in Crystal Tokyo.
                    She told me that I didn't really
                    want to know the answer to that
                    question ...

                                     MINA
                    In other words, yes?

                                      AMY
                    She seemed to be implying that, yes.

                                     LITA
                    Depressing thought ...  

SERENA finally breaks off the war.

                                    SERENA
                    Well, I don't care if he is a ...
                    one of those things.  If Mina likes
                    him, that's good enough for me.
                    And it ought to be good enough for
                    *other* people, even perpetual
                    grouchin' machines.  

RAYE snorts and looks away.

                                    SERENA
                    And now, I feel proud of myself for
                    having stood up for my friend's
                    boyfriend, so I shall reward myself.
                    BEAT A nice hot fudge sundae will
                    do nicely.  

She dashes off, not watching where she's going -- and slams into AETHAN 
DEGALES, who is wearing his usual gray trenchcoat.  They are both knocked 
down.  AETHAN recovers first.

                                    AETHAN
                    Ms. Tsukino.  We *must* stop meeting
                    like this ...  

MINA rushes over to help AETHAN to his feet, while DARIEN does the same 
for SERENA, and the others gather around.  RAYE stares hostilely at AETHAN 
as MINA gives him a big hug.

                                     MINA
                    You're here!  You're really here!

                                    AETHAN
                    Well, yes.  BEAT Did you think I
                    would be elsewhere?

                                     MINA
                    GRINS WRYLY Smart ass.

                                    AETHAN
                    Ladies ... and gentle*man*.  Most of
                    you I know by reputation, at least.
                    TO LITA Ms. Kino and I *almost*
                    met in Vancouver ...

                                     LITA
                    And I'm sorry we didn't.  That would
                    really have made that trip more
                    interesting.

                                    AETHAN
                    SYMPATHETIC Yes ... um, my much
                    belated condolences, by the way.

                                     LITA
                    SAD SMILE Thanks.

                                    AETHAN
                    TO AMY And you are Ms. Mizuno, if
                    I'm not mistaken.

                                      AMY
                    Correct.  I'm glad to make your
                    aquaintance, Mr. DeGales.

                                    AETHAN
                    Ms. Tsukino and I met briefly the
                    last time I visited Japan --

                                     RAYE
                    SHOCKED What?

                                    AETHAN
                    She was shopping with Minako-chan
                    and they ran into me.  BEAT Well,
                    *she* did ...

                                    SERENA
                    Okay, okay, okay, no need to drag
                    things like that up ...

                                    AETHAN
                    And you are ... Ms. Hino, correct.

                                     RAYE
                    SHORT Yes.  

AETHAN stares at RAYE with a confused expression, which she returns as an 
almost angry glare.

                                    AETHAN
                    SHRUGS Very nice to meet you.

                                     RAYE
                    HEAVY SARCASM Likewise, I'm sure.  

AETHAN blinks before turning to look at DARIEN who is standing behind 
SERENA.

                                    AETHAN
                    HESITANT And ... you ... you are
                    ... um ...

                                    DARIEN
                    I'm Darien Chiba.

                                    AETHAN
                    Ah yes!  Cape Boy!  

DARIEN flinches, MINA blushes heavily, while everyone else stares.

                                    AETHAN
                    CONFUSED What?  BEAT Mina, when
                    you said that you all called him
                    that --

                                     MINA
                    *Kind* of a joke ...

                                    AETHAN
                    Oh.  Uh ... my apologies ...

                                    DARIEN
                    Never mind, no big deal. BEAT Um,
                    I take it that you *know* ...

                                    AETHAN
                    Yes.  BEAT; GLOBAL You need not
                    worry, however; I've much practice
                    in keeping secrets.  Yours are
                    safe with me.

                                     LITA
                    Of course they are!  We trust you,
                    *don't* *we*, *Raye*?  

RAYE is idly fiddling with one of her ofuda behind her back.

                                     RAYE
                    FLAT Sure.  

Cut to the parking lot of a supermarket, as AYEKA and MIHOSHI walk out, 
carrying large bags of groceries as they walk to the van.

                                     AYEKA
                    Are you sure that we got everything,
                    Mihoshi?

                                    MIHOSHI
                    Yep!  I wish we hadn't forgotten the
                    list, but I'm pretty sure that I
                    remember everything that was on it.  

They put the groceries in the back of the van, and MIHOSHI hops into the 
driver's seat.  AYEKA appears to be thinking very intently as she walks 
around to the passenger's side.  Just as MIHOSHI starts the van --

                                     AYEKA
                    Mihoshi!  I just remembered!

                                    MIHOSHI
                    Huh?  What?

                                     AYEKA
                    FAST Sasami told me to pick up
                    something that she had forgotten to
                    put on the list that she gave you.

                                    MIHOSHI
                    She did?  What was it?

                                     AYEKA
                    STUMPED Uh ... well ... INSPIRED
                    Haggis!

                                    MIHOSHI
                    Oh, wow!  I've never even heard of
                    that ... is it any good?

                                     AYEKA
                    Well, I've never had it either ...
                    and we won't unless I go get it!

                                    MIHOSHI
                    I can --

                                     AYEKA
                    No, no, Mihoshi, I should have
                    remembered, so I'll go get it.  You
                    just stay right here until I come
                    back.  

AYEKA smiles sunnily at MIHOSHI, who smiles right back.  Then AYEKA hops 
out of the car, and heads off towards the market.

                                    MIHOSHI
                    Gee ... she's so nice to help me out
                    like this.  

MIHOSHI does not notice AYEKA stealthily heading out of the market almost 
immediately after she went in.  

We cut to the ticket window of a train station, and watch as AYEKA buys a 
ticket for Tokyo, and boards the train a few moments later.  She watches 
the country side flit past as she sits in her seat, a nervous expression 
on her face.

                                 AKANE (V.O.)
                    I can only imagine what that train
                    ride -- the first that she'd ever
                    taken, according to her -- was like
                    for Princess Ayeka.  BEAT  By this
                    point, I was almost finished packing
                    my luggage for my own trip home.
                    I still had no idea what was going
                    on there -- for some reason, my
                    father completely forgot that I
                    would be coming back the next day,
                    and so hadn't called me to tell me
                    about our guest.  

A taxi cab pulls up to the gates of the Tendou home, and KENT steps out, 
his suitcase in his hand.  He approaches the gates, and ****.  The door 
flies open, and SOUUN stands there, beaming, with tears flowing down his 
face.

                                     SOUUN
                    AH!  KENT MASEFIELD HAS AT LAST
                    RETURNED TO MY HUMBLE DOJO!  

KENT doesn't even blink at SOUUN's rampant overemotionalism.  He bows, 
politely.

                                     KENT
                    Konbonwa, sensei.  You are well, I
                    hope.

                                     SOUUN
                    Indeed, yes!  Come in, come in!  

KENT follows SOUUN into the house, admiring the garden.

                                     KENT
                    Nothing's changed ...

                                     SOUUN
                    NERVOUS I wouldn't say that.

                                     KENT
                    Well, everything looks more or less
                    as I remember it --  

Off to the side, there is a sudden splash.

                                     KENT
                    What was that?  

RANMA (now female and drenched) and NABIKI come around the side of the 
house.

                                     RANMA
                    IRRITATED I can't believe you
                    *did* that!

                                    NABIKI
                    Your fiancee paid for quite a few
                    dunkings.  Just business, nothing
                    personal.

                                     KENT
                    Ah, this must be Nabiki.  

SOUUN nods enthusiastically, while NABIKI is brought up short by the 
comment.  RANMA snorts, unsurprised.

                                    NABIKI
                    Uh ... Mr. Masefield?

                                     KENT
                    Yes, Nabiki-san.

                                    NABIKI
                    How ... how did you recognize me?
                    I mean, I was only two years old
                    when you were here ...

                                     KENT
                    Yes ... the "terrible twos".
                    REMINISCENT Most children go
                    Go through a period where all they
                    say is "NO!" when anyone says
                    anything to them.  You were going
                    through that stage when I was here.
                    BEAT Except all you said was,
                    "Pay me!"  NABIKI looks horrified.  

RANMA looks nonplussed.

                                    NABIKI
                    WEAK That was an attempt at humour
                    ... right?

                                     KENT
                    Well, you did it a small number of
                    times.  

NABIKI sighs with relief.

                                     KENT
                    When I was present, at least.  

NABIKI looks faintly ill.  KENT turns to look at RANMA.

                                     KENT
                    And ... you're ... Akane?

                                     RANMA
                    SNORT OF LAUGHTER Uh ... no.  No.
                    I'm Ranma, Akane's fiancee.  

Dead silence descends on the area.  SOUUN looks up at the sky in a 
mournful manner.  KENT turns slowly to look at him.

                                     KENT
                    I had no idea you were so broad-
                    minded, Sensei.

                                    NABIKI
                    SWEETLY Oh, Ranma-chan ...  

RANMA remembers, and face faults.

                                     KENT
                    Well, it's not that big a deal, if
                    your daughter is --

                                     SOUUN
                    Nonono!  You see, Ranma is cursed!

                                 KASUMI (O.S.)
                    Just a moment.  

KASUMI, wearing a *spotless* apron, her best slippers, and a small amount 
of make-up (MUCH more than she usually wears) comes out of the house 
carrying a kettle, which she promptly splashes on RANMA.  The well-known 
transformation takes place.  KENT blinks.

                                     KENT
                    Well, well ... very interesting.

                                    KASUMI
                    Konbonwa, Masefield-san.  

KENT turns his attention to KASUMI, and smiles politely.

                                     KENT
                    Konbonwa, Kasumi-ch-- No, I should
                    call you "Kasumi-san", now.

                                    KASUMI
                    RAPID No, no, if you would rather
                    call me Kasumi-chan, please do so,
                    for are you not our guest?

                                     KENT
                    CONFUSED All right ... but then
                    you should call me by my personal
                    name as well.  

KASUMI takes a deep breath.

                                    KASUMI
                    K-k-k-k-kent.  

RANMA and NABIKI are staring at this, slightly apalled.

                                     RANMA
                    WHISPER She's acting like Tofu did
                    whenever she was around.

                                    NABIKI
                    WHISPER Has he been released from
                    that sanitorium yet?  

KENT turns back to SOUUN.

                                     KENT
                    So, Sensei, where is --

                                     SOUUN
                    BOISTEROUS Well, don't stand out
                    here in the garden, come in, come
                    in!  

KASUMI takes another deep breath.

                                    KASUMI
                    GENTLY REMONSTRATIVE Father.  

SOUUN pauses in his attempts to push KENT into the house as he stares 
confusedly over his shoulder at him.  SOUUN coughs into his hand.

                                     SOUUN
                    Masefield-san ... I must admit
                    something.

                                     KENT
                    What?

                                     SOUUN
                    My wife ... my dear, dear wife ...  

Tears are flowing down SOUUN's face, and KENT looks at him in shock.

                                     KENT
                    Sensei ... can it be that Rumiko-san
                    has ...  

SOUNN nods once, and KASUMI and NABIKI solemnly bow their heads.

                                     KENT
                    ... has left you?  

SOUUN nods again, while NABIKI looks up with the sick expression of one 
who can see a train wreck about to happen.

                                     KENT
                    I know that your arguments were at
                    times intense, but --  

SOUUN looks up, horrified.

                                     KENT
                    -- I never in my life dreamed that
                    Rumiko-san would *divorce* you,
                    or --  

NABIKI and RANMA both lower their heads, making disgusted noises.

                                     SOUUN
                    NO!!! Not that kind of leavetaking!  

KENT suddenly understands.

                                     KENT
                    She is ... oh, Sensei, forgive me!
                    Had I known, I --

                                     SOUUN
                    NODS I regret that you did not
                    give us an address where you could
                    be reached, Kent-san ...

                                     KENT
                    But ... Sensei, I did.  BEAT  I
                    remembered, on my last day in
                    Japan, that I hadn't given you a
                    way to stay in touch, so I tried
                    to reach you, but ... you were
                    out.  So I got in touch with your
                    friend, Mr. Saotome, and gave him
                    a paper with my address on it,
                    and --

                                     SOUUN
                    AGGGGH!  

Cut to a brief shot of the Tokyo Zoo Panda Enclosure.  A rather large 
panda appears to sneeze.  

Cut to RANMA leading KENT (who has hung up his jacket) into the dojo. 
KENT looks around, with a fond expression on his face.

                                     RANMA
                    So what do you do, anyway?

                                     KENT
                    Hm?

                                     RANMA
                    In America.  What do you do?  

KENT appears to give the question a great deal of thought.

                                     KENT
                    I ... I work for the government.

                                     RANMA
                    Doing what?  BEAT No, wait, lemme
                    guess ... you could tell me but then
                    you'd hafta kill me.

                                     KENT
                    SINCERE Yes.  BEAT So you're
                    going to inherit this dojo?

                                     RANMA
                    Yep.  BEAT  What do you practice?

                                     KENT
                    Oh, a little bit of a lot of things.
                    A bit of kickboxing, some capoeira.
                    I got started learning Jun Fan Kung
                    Fu ...

                                     RANMA
                    Jun Fan?  THINKS  Hey, wasn't that
                    the one that --

                                     KENT
                    Yep.  That's why I got interested in
                    "Anything Goes".

                                     RANMA
                    Huh.  BEAT Wanna spar?  

KENT gives the question some thought, then shrugs.

                                     KENT
                    All right.  I'm a bit out of
                    practice, though.  

RANMA assumes a ready stance.  KENT slowly, and with the same movements as 
in his dream, removes his glasses, setting them down on the floor 
alongside the wall.

                                     RANMA
                    SEMI-MOCKING You can see all right
                    without those, right?

                                     KENT
                    VERY CALM Yes.  Whenever you're
                    ready.  

And the sparring match begins.  Initially, RANMA is holding back quite a 
bit, out of overconfidence -- after all, his opponent is older, has bad 
sight, and has described himself as being out of practice.  A few minutes 
into the fight RANMA begins to re-assess the situation; KENT hasn't laid a 
blow on him, but he hasn't been able to score a significant hit either. 
RANMA frowns, and ups the intensity of his assault just a bit.  KENT is 
blocking or dodging everything RANMA throws at him.  His style is a bit 
less flamboyant than RANMA's usual means of fighting, but considering that 
they're indoors, RANMA isn't doing most of his usual acrobatics.  

Cut to the dining room, where SOUUN is listening with a pleased air to the 
sounds of the fight in the distance.  NABIKI is munching at an apple.

                                    NABIKI
                    So this Kent guy is good?

                                     SOUUN
                    Oh yes.  Ranma will get quite an
                    education out of this.  The boy
                    needs a lesson in humility.

                                    NABIKI
                    He's that good?  Seriously?

                                     SOUUN
                    The best student I ever taught.

                                    NABIKI
                    Huh.  BEAT  So, you think he
                    can win, even if Ranma pulls out
                    his special maneuvers?  Like, say,
                    his ... what's it called again?
                    Hiryuu Shoten Ha?  

SOUUN starts.  The kiai noises from the dojo are getting even louder, as 
if the fight is growing more and more intense ...

                                    NABIKI
                    Be a shame if the dojo was blown up
                    as part of a lesson in humility.  

SOUUN grows very pale, and stands.

                                 RANMA (O.S.)
                    KACHUU TENSHIN AMURIGAKEN!  

SOUUN starts running out of the room.  NABIKI watches with vague interest.

                                    NABIKI
                    BORED On the other hand, when you
                    think about the insurance we have on
                    that part of the house --

                                  KENT (O.S.)
                    [SECOND HAND OF THE PHOENIX!!!]  

NABIKI starts at the words shouted in Cantonese.  

Cut back to the dojo.  RANMA is performing the Tenshin Amaurigaken, and 
staring in shock as KENT's hands move just as fast, blocking every punch. 
RANMA finally disengages and steps back to start something else, and KENT 
does a fairly spectacular jumping spin kick that comes within a milimeter 
of RANMA's nose.  RANMA jumps back, now *very* wary, his red battle aura 
much in evidence.  KENT's aura is also glowing, but less intensely.  It is 
gray.  

Outside the doors to the Dojo, SOUUN arrives at a run.

                                 RANMA (O.S.)
                    Okay.  No more foolin' around.
                    MOUKO --  

SOUUN flings open the door.

                                     SOUUN
                    RANMAAAAA!

                                     RANMA
                    TAKIBASHA!  

The bolt of Ranma's ki leaps forth from his hands.  KENT's eyes grow wide 
in shock as it comes toward him.  He holds out his hands ...  

... and the "Roaring Lion Bullet" slams into those hands, forcing KENT's 
elbows to bend under the pressure.  His teeth clench, and sweat runs down 
his forehead as he struggles to keep his arms steady against the force of 
the shrinking ball of vital energy -- and slowly but surely loses the 
struggle.  The "Bullet" is no larger than a ping-pong ball when his arms 
finally press into his chest, throwing him backwards into the wall of the 
dojo.  There is a loud crunch, and KENT slowly slides to the floor, his 
head slumped.  

RANMA has been watching this with an amazed expression.  For a moment, he 
and SOUUN stand in shock at what has just transpired.  

Then KENT lifts his head, and makes a vague sigh/gasp of relief/pain.  His 
eyes are very blurry.

                                     SOUUN
                    KENT!

                                     KENT
                    DAZED Dit shomeone git the number
                    of dat freight drain?  

SOUUN and RANMA both rush forward.  KENT's eyes start to clear.

                                     SOUUN
                    OUTRAGED RANMA!  THAT WAS THE MOST
                    IRRESPONSIBLE --

                                     KENT
                    Sensei?

                                     SOUUN
                    -- FOOLISH ACT OF PETTY --

                                     KENT
                    Tendou-san.  

SOUUN is distracted from his harangue of RANMA.

                                     KENT
                    I'm okay.  I was a little out of it
                    for a while, but I'm okay now.  

KENT slowly pushes himself to his feet, his slow and delicate movements 
giving his words the lie -- he's obviously in some amount of pain.

                                     KENT
                    That was probably the best work-out
                    I've had in ages ...

                                     SOUUN
                    Are you sure you're all right?

                                     KENT
                    WEARY Sensei, you *know* that I'm
                    a fast healer.  I didn't break
                    anything, so I should be completely
                    fine in a few hours, assuming I get
                    some rest.

                                     SOUUN
                    Very well. ABRUPTLY BURSTS INTO
                    TEARS Ah, Masefield-kun, the shame
                    I would have known had you perished
                    within my home, on the first day of
                    your visit to Japan, no less!  

KENT gives RANMA a bemused look.  RANMA looks back at KENT in shock.  

Cut to the inside of the baths.  RANMA is already seated in the tub, 
casting occasional glances over his shoulder.  The faint sound of 
scrubbing can be heard, followed by a splash.  Then a pair of feet walk 
over to the tub, and KENT steps in, giving the obligatory buttshot.  He 
settles down into the tub with an *immense* sigh of pleasure.

                                     RANMA
                    Ummm ...

                                     KENT
                    EYES CLOSED Yes?

                                     RANMA
                    Those ... little round scars on your
                    chest.  Are those from bullets?

                                     KENT
                    I think so.  It was a long time ago.

                                     RANMA
                    Man ... what kind of --

                                     KENT
                    You had it right the first time,
                    Saotome-san.  

RANMA blinks, and then screws up his face to think.  Then he realizes.

                                     RANMA
                    "You could tell me, but then you'd
                    have to kill me?"

                                     KENT
                    Or make sure that you wouldn't tell
                    anyone else in some other way.

                                     RANMA
                    But if that's the kind of life that
                    you've been leading, then --

                                     KENT
                    OPENS EYES; ANNOYED Then what?

                                     RANMA
                    Then you should've been able to wipe
                    up the floor with me!  I mean --

                                     KENT
                    Kid, you're better'n me.  It's just
                    that simple.  I'm good, but you're
                    tougher, faster, you know more wild
                    stuff than I do, and you're younger.
                    BEAT Hell, if I'd been as good as
                    you are when I was your age ... on
                    second thought, let's not talk about
                    that.

                                     RANMA
                    But you shoulda been able to pick up
                    more stuff, if you've been leading
                    that kind of a life for --

                                     KENT
                    Let me guess, your life has been one
                    long martial arts duel, right?

                                     RANMA
                    Uh, pretty much.  I've been training
                    since I was about three --

                                     KENT
                    RUBS FOREHEAD Hoo boy.

                                     RANMA
                    COCKY -- and I've been pretty much
                    the best around here for the last
                    three years.   Well, except
                    for the Old Ghoul and the Old Lech.

                                     KENT
                    BLINKS I refuse to say "Huh?".
                    BEAT Well, anyway, while I *have*
                    been at this for longer than you've
                    been alive, I didn't start as early
                    as you, and not everyone that I've
                    run up against has been a martial
                    artist.  Some have had other ways of
                    doing things that were just as
                    deadly.

                                     RANMA
                    SNORT Yeah, right.  A true martial
                    artist can take anybody --  

KENT slaps the side of his chest where RANMA was gazing earlier.

                                     KENT
                    These say you're wrong, Ranma.  The
                    arts are invaluable, but they can't
                    win every fight.  BEAT  Suppose
                    that someone sent a ninja after you.

                                     RANMA
                    I'd fight 'em.

                                     KENT
                    But ninjas don't engage in standup
                    fights.  They use stealth and
                    trickery to get close to their
                    victim and strike a lethal blow.

                                     RANMA
                    But you learn to anticipate attack
                    when you're a martial artist.

                                     KENT
                    Yes, but that doesn't always work.
                    I mean, you didn't notice that there
                    was a ninja over there until I said
                    so, right?  

RANMA spins around to look where KENT indicated, obviously startled.  From 
behind a convenient cloud of steam steps KONATSU, carrying a steamer such 
as beekeepers use.

                                    KONATSU
                    ICILY POLITE Good day, Saotome
                    Ranma.

                                     RANMA
                    RELIEVED Oh.  It's just you,
                    Konatsu.  

KENT mouths the words "it's just you" with a confused expression.

                                    KONATSU
                    Indeed.  BEAT  Just me.

                                     RANMA
                    Haven't seen you in a long while.
                    Whatcha been --  

KONATSU produces a scroll from somewhere in hir blouse.

                                    KONATSU
                    I am bid to give you this message,
                    Saotome Ranma, written by the hand
                    of your fiancee, Kuonji Ukyou.

                                     RANMA
                    VERY STARTLED Ucch--  Ukyou?

                                    KONATSU
                    Indeed.  Ukyou-sama.  TEARS  Take
                    the scroll, Saotome Ranma, take it
                    that I might leave your presence
                    and return to bathe in hers as I
                    tell her of its arrival in your
                    hands, and recieve the greatest
                    gift in all the world -- the words
                    "Good work," from Ukyou-sama's lips.  

RANMA, who snatched the scroll somewhere around "Take the scroll" and 
started to read it, ignoring KONATSU, looks up suddenly.

                                     RANMA
                    Uh, I really don't think Ukyou wrote
                    this, Konatsu.

                                    KONATSU
                    STARTLED Wh-wh-at?

                                     RANMA
                    Well, for starters, Ukyou would
                    never start a letter off with "I
                    love you, I love you, Ukyou-sama,
                    I know that it's wrong, but --"  

KONATSU lets out a girlish cry of shock, and grabs the scroll from RANMA's 
hand, colouring as s/he quickly ascertains its contents, then grabbing 
another scroll from hir blouse.  A quick check, and then it is handed to 
RANMA, who reads it.  KENT is watching this exchange with a confused yet 
amused expression.

                                     RANMA
                    So Ukyou wants to meet with me,
                    huh?

                                    KONATSU
                    COOL If that is what she wrote,
                    that must be what she wishes.  

RANMA is silent for a long moment.

                                     RANMA
                    So how's she doing?

                                    KONATSU
                    GUARDED Never better.

                                     RANMA
                    ANNOYED Come on, Konatsu, the last
                    time I saw her was over a year ago
                    at the wedding.  Where's she been?
                    The Ucch-- her restaurant was closed
                    last time I checked there, but now
                    she's back?  What's been going --

                                    KONATSU
                    It is not for me to say, Saotome
                    Ranma.  If you would know, come and
                    speak with her.  

RANMA stares at KONATSU's unmoving face.

                                     RANMA
                    Okay.  Tell her I'll come down
                    tomorrow, after the tournament.

                                    KONATSU
                    I shall.

                                     RANMA
                    EVIL GRIN Unless you'd like me to
                    write it on a scroll so there'd be
                    a chance you'd screw up and give
                    your declaration to her?  

KONATSU gazes at RANMA with something akin to hatred in hir eyes.

                                     RANMA
                    So why didn't she send it by way of
                    okonomiyaki, anyway?

                                    KONATSU
                    CONTROLLED She was concerned that
                    you would be upset in rememberance
                    of the okonomiyaki which she brought
                    to your aborted wedding.

                                     RANMA
                    Huh.  Makes sense ... anyway, see
                    you around, Konatsu.

                                    KONATSU
                    Not if I see you first, Saotome
                    Ranma.  

KONATSU releases another burst of steam from the can, and when it 
disperses s/he is gone.

                                     KENT
                    What an interesting young man.  

RANMA nods, and then does a double take.

                                     RANMA
                    Wait a minute.  Young *man*?  How --

                                     KENT
                    Well, it's kind of obvious from the
                    ... you know -- and the ... well,
                    you know ...

                                     RANMA
                    No.  I *don't* know.  I never knew
                    until after I found out that he was
                    a guy.  How do you *know*?

                                     KENT
                    I ... I thought it was obvious,
                    really.

                                     RANMA
                    Just a minute.  

RANMA stands up, and steps out of the shot.  There is a sudden splash. 
KENT's eyes bulge.

                              RANMA (FEM) (O.S.)
                    Okay, male or --

                                     KENT
                    MORTIFIED Please put some clothes
                    on.  

Cut to the interior of a manga shop in Jyuuban.  It is the Japanese 
equivalent of a "hole-in-the-wall" comic book store run by a fan -- in 
this case, an overweight, sweaty otaku who is busily reading "I *Will* 
Forgive You", an *extremely* ecchi parody of the magical girls fighting 
team genre.  He doesn't even look up as the bell rings announcing the 
arrival of a customer, nor when the customer's shadow falls across him.

                                 AYEKA (O.S.)
                    Excuse me.  

The OTAKU looks up with a bored expression, which quickly turns into a 
leer as he sees AYEKA's face and figure.

                                     OTAKU
                    Yeeeeeesss?

                                     AYEKA
                    NERVOUS Um ... I was wondering if
                    you have any tankoubon of the
                    "X-Files"?

                                     OTAKU
                    "X-Files".  Ah yes, we do.  It's an
                    okay book --

                                     AYEKA
                    POLITELY Thank you.  

She heads off to look in the stacks for it, but the OTAKU keeps talking.

                                     OTAKU
                    -- but that's not what aliens are
                    really like.

                                     AYEKA
                    UNINTERESTED Oh really.  

She starts to search the titles.

                                     OTAKU
                    No, they'll probably be more like
                    the Angels.  Or maybe like the
                    Demon Beasts!

                                     AYEKA
                    I'm sure that I wouldn't know.

                                     OTAKU
                    SHOCKED Hast thou never seen
                    "Demon Beast Invasion"?

                                     AYEKA
                    SEMI-DESPERATE Can't say that I
                    have.  Why don't you --

                                     OTAKU
                    WARM TO TOPIC The Demon Beasts are
                    the original inhabitants of this
                    world, but it long ago ceased to be
                    suitable for them to live on, so
                    they left.  But in this age, they
                    have returned with a way to make
                    this world fit for them.  

AYEKA is suddenly interested ... this sounds somewhat familiar.

                                     AYEKA
                    And that way is?

                                     OTAKU
                    EYES GLOWING By taking human women
                    and RA--

                                  RAYE (O.S.)
                    AHEM.  

AYEKA and the OTAKU look over at RAYE, who is standing in the doorway with 
a disgusted expression.

                                     OTAKU
                    COWED Hi-hino-san.

                                     RAYE
                    Otsuka-san.  I believe that I told
                    you that recounting the storyline
                    of "Demon Beast Invasion" was not
                    nice, nor a good way to keep your
                    customer base intact.

                                     OTAKU
                    TERRIFIED Uh ... well, she asked
                    for it.

                                     RAYE
                    BLINKS; TO AYEKA You *asked* for
                    a description of one of the most
                    perverted anime ever made?

                                     AYEKA
                    UPSET CERTAINLY NOT!  I was only
                    trying to ... ahem, I have no
                    interest in that sort of thing at
                    all.  I will leave at once.

                                     OTAKU
                    But -- but -- but, miss, what about
                    the manga you *were* aft--

                                     AYEKA
                    SCORNFUL I've no doubt that I can
                    acquire a copy of the X-Files in a
                    different store, which store will
                    have a proprietor who treats his
                    customers with *respect*.  

She storms out the door, leaving RAYE behind.  RAYE waves "bye-bye" with a 
cold, satisfied smile, and heads out after her.

                                     OTAKU
                    DESPAIRING Out of all the manga
                    shops in all the world, why does she
                    have to *keep* coming into mine?  

He doesn't notice the ofuda pasted to his shop door.  

Outside, AYEKA is walking away with an embarassed expression on her face. 
RAYE catches up with her.

                                     RAYE
                    Listen, there's a *much* better
                    store not too far from here.  I'm
                    pretty sure that you'll be able to
                    find whatever it is that you're
                    after there.

                                     AYEKA
                    *SLIGHTLY* SUSPICIOUS Ah.  Thank
                    you.

                                     RAYE
                    No problem.  I really hate that
                    jerk back there ... he's such a pig.
                    He used to go out of his way to
                    scare his female customers by coming
                    onto them ... until he tried it with
                    me. EVIL GRIN

                                     AYEKA
                    Why would he be so foolish as to
                    try and drive away half of his
                    customers?

                                     RAYE
                    Like I said, he's a chauvinist pig.
                    He'd probably prefer it if girls
                    were barefoot and illiterate, and
                    the only reason he doesn't complete
                    the triangle is that he's a wuss in
                    that department.  

A fair amount of that goes over AYEKA's head.  She smiles confusedly and 
nods.  RAYE stares at her a bit oddly, then notices her uniform.

                                     RAYE
                    I don't recognize your colours.
                    What school do you go to?

                                     AYEKA
                    PANICKED I ... I am here in Tokyo
                    on a field trip.

                                     RAYE
                    Oh, cool!  My class went to Osaka
                    for our trip.  MOCK YAWN; BEAT So
                    you want me to show you this store?
                    It's right by this place where I'm
                    headed anyway.

                                     AYEKA
                    That would be very nice.  BOW
                    Masaki Ayeka.

                                     RAYE
                    BOW Hino Raye.  Pleased to meet
                    you.  Come on.  

RAYE indicates the direction that they should go with a nod of her head, 
and starts off.  AYEKA follows, with a surprised expression on her face. 
We change to a view of them from above.

                                 AKANE (V.O.)
                    It's important to realize that
                    Princess Ayeka's exposure to people
                    from Earth up until this point had
                    been more or less limited to Tenchi,
                    whom she preferred to see as a
                    Jurain, and his father, whom she
                    basically viewed as a nuisance.  The
                    handful of visitors to the secluded
                    Masaki shrine hadn't really given
                    her any idea what ordinary people
                    were like.  BEAT  Raye Hino is an
                    incredible contradiction at times --
                    she likes to present the image of
                    being haughty and even mean-hearted,
                    but she is actually very kind and
                    friendly. BEAT If she reminds me
                    of me, sometimes, she reminds me of
                    Ranma a lot too.  BEAT Speaking of
                    whom --  

Cut to a shot of RANMA taking *great* pains to eat slowly, almost as 
though he's pacing himself ... which isn't too surprising when one 
considers the huge banquet that is set on the Tendou table.  NABIKI is 
seated beside him, staring at the huge outlay with small eyes.  SOUUN is 
eating with dignity and decorum and drinking a lot of sake.  KASUMI is 
staring at KENT with an anxious expression as he chews a bit of sukiyaki. 
He swallows, and turns to meet KASUMI's gaze.  A long silent moment 
passes.

                                     KENT
                    Delicious.  Beyond any doubt, some
                    of the finest sukiyaki that I've ever
                    tasted.

                                    KASUMI
                    THRILLED Really?  

NABIKI and RANMA are watching this exchange with faintly ill expressions.

                                     KENT
                    VERY SOLEMN Kasumi-san, in all my
                    years, I have tasted better sukiyaki
                    than this once.  BEAT And do you
                    know who made *that* sukiyaki,
                    Kasumi-san?

                                    KASUMI
                    Mother ...  

KENT lowers his head ... in embarassment, we realize a moment later, as 
SOUUN has begun to bawl once more across the table.  He recovers fairly 
quickly.

                                     RANMA
                    So, anyway, what exactly was Mrs.
                    Tendou like?  

SOUUN begins to tear up again.

                                     RANMA
                    I can't get a straight answer from
                    anyone here, you see.

                                     KENT
                    Rumiko-san ... well, as I've just
                    said, she was one of the best cooks
                    I've ever known.  She could make
                    anything taste good.  

He smiles at NABIKI.

                                     KENT
                    Most Japanese housewives handle the
                    family finances --  

Everyone looks at SOUUN who is sobbing.

                                     KENT
                    -- for ... lots of reasons.  But
                    Rumiko-san was even better than
                    normal at it.  She was also one of
                    the best *accountants* I've ever
                    known.  

NABIKI looks a strange combination of startled and pleased at this 
knowledge.

                                     KENT
                    She wasn't really interested in
                    martial arts.  

RANMA nods decisively.  A tiny crayon drawing appears over his head.  A 
little figure marked MRS. TENDOU -- who looks frighteningly like AKANE -- 
is dressed up in a gi and tries to break a playing card with a chop.  Her 
hand rebounds and is very swollen and red.

                                  MRS. TENDOU
                    TINNY OWIEOWIEOWIEOWIEOWIE!

                                 AKANE (V.O.)
                    Baka.  

KENT's next words shatter RANMA's dream.

                                     KENT
                    Which was probably for the best.  I
                    hate to admit it, but Rumiko-san
                    had a *terrible* temper.  

RANMA looks shocked.

                                     KENT
                    If she *had* had training in the
                    arts ... she would have been an
                    unstoppable elemental force!  

RANMA has another vision of a crayon version of the dojo in ruins, and 
MRS. TENDOU chasing SOUUN around with a huge mallet.

                                  MRS. TENDOU
                    TINNY SOUUN NO BAKA!

                                 AKANE (V.O.)
                    If I'd been there, listening to this
                    and watching Ranma's expression, I
                    probably would have followed my
                    mother's example at this point.

                                     KENT
                    But she was usually justified in her
                    outbursts -- forgive me, Sensei, but
                    you tended to do a lot of things to
                    irritate Rumiko-san very easily.  

SOUUN looks up with a tearful expression.

                                     SOUUN
                    SOLEMN Yes.  You need not ask for
                    forgiveness, Kent-san, what you say
                    is far too true.  SOB Oh, I would
                    give anything to hear her yelling
                    at me for a fool once more!

                                    KASUMI
                    CRYING Oh father!  Oh mother!

                                    NABIKI
                    DEADPAN Oh God I'm never getting
                    married, *ever*.

                                     RANMA
                    MUTTER Great, I hadda get the one
                    who got the temper.  BEAT Could
                    things get any worse?  

The sliding door to the dining room slams open, revealing a VERY angry 
HAPPOSAI.

                                     RANMA
                    MUTTER I just HAD to ask.

                                   HAPPOSAI
                    SOUUN!

                                     SOUUN
                    Ah!  Master!  What a pleasant --

                                   HAPPOSAI
                    You have insulted and dishonored
                    your master!  Moreso than I have
                    ever been dishonored before!

                                     RANMA
                    Hey, jiji.  What're you talking
                    about?

                                   HAPPOSAI
                    A year ago it was!  Then did I
                    seek to slake my thirst on a
                    jug of water which had been set
                    aside for me, as befits my status
                    and reputation.

                                  KENT (O.S.)
                    Kasumi-san, who is this person?

                                   HAPPOSAI
                    And what was done to me after I had
                    slaked my thirst?  Foul hands were
                    placed upon my person, and I was
                    cruelly prodded to force me to
                    regurgitate my drink.  I took an
                    appropriate vengeance -- and for
                    that was I punished further.  

HAPPOSAI points at SOUUN, doing a mediocre job of impersonating the wrath 
of God.  This next sequence is dominated by HAPPOSAI's face and upper 
body.  He either ignores or pretends to ignore the comments interspersed 
with his rant.

                                   HAPPOSAI
                    And then did *this* *one* set upon
                    me in a moment of weakness --

                                 RANMA (O.S.)
                    How come nobody told me about this?

                                   HAPPOSAI
                    -- beguiling me with a faded but
                    still great beauty --

                                 SOUUN (O.S.)
                    Your mother asked me not to.

                                   HAPPOSAI
                    -- and seized me and bound me in
                    chains I dared not break, for fear
                    of destroying something of precious
                    value!

                                 NABIKI (O.S.)
                    So that's what happened to all our
                    underwear.

                                   HAPPOSAI
                    I was then placed in a shipping box,
                    and sent on a slow boat to China!

                                 NABIKI (O.S.)
                    Why not airmail?

                                   HAPPOSAI
                    And thence to Jyusenkyou!

                                 NABIKI (O.S.)
                    Oh, right.  "Thrift."

                                   HAPPOSAI
                    Condemning me to the foulest of foul
                    fates!

                                  KENT (O.S.)
                    Jyusenkyou is where Ranma was cursed,
                    right?

                                   HAPPOSAI
                    For in the letter attached to the
                    crate was addressed to the Guardians
                    of Jyusenkyou!

                                  KENT (O.S.)
                    I think I can guess where this is
                    going now.

                                   HAPPOSAI
                    And it read "When the springs settle
                    down, please drop this crate in --"
                    I shudder to even think it!

                                 RANMA (O.S.)
                    Oh, man, couldn't you think of
                    something better to do than give him
                    my curse so that he'd be occupied
                    with groping himself all the time?

                                   HAPPOSAI
                    "-- in the spring of the drowned
                    EUNUCH!"  

Dead silence.

                                 RANMA (O.S.)
                    O-kay, forget I said anything.

                                   HAPPOSAI
                    Fortunately, you reckoned without
                    the naivete of the younger Guardian
                    of those Cursed Springs.

                                 RANMA (O.S.)
                    Oh, man, he went after Plum?  That's
                    just sick.

                                   HAPPOSAI
                    Believing me to be a confused and
                    senile fool --

                                 NABIKI (O.S.)
                    My what a stretch.

                                   HAPPOSAI
                    -- she freed me from my chains, and
                    I rewarded her with a gentle pat on
                    the head, and was off to seek my
                    revenge!  You will bow down before
                    me, Souun!  Bow!  

SOUUN whips around, the devil's head in full swing.

                                     SOUUN
                    Never!  

HAPPOSAI is startled by this sudden display of spine.  SOUUN returns to 
normal, and stands to stare HAPPOSAI down.

                                     SOUUN
                    For a year you lived here, engaging
                    in your perversions, terrorizing my
                    daughters, intimidating me, and
                    freeloading on our home!  No more,
                    Happosai!  No more!  Hencefore, YOU
                    SHALL PAY RENT!  

Dead silence descends as RANMA, NABIKI, KENT, and (yes, even) KASUMI stare 
at SOUUN with odd expressions on their faces.

                                    NABIKI
                    Dad, he has no income.  

Neither SOUUN nor HAPPOSAI give any sign of having heard.

                                   HAPPOSAI
                    So?  And how will you enforce this
                    new law upon me, *student*?

                                     SOUUN
                    I have with me now the two greatest
                    students of the Musabetsu Kakutou
                    whom I have ever trained!  Alone
                    each is your equal!  Together, they
                    will bring you to heel!

                                   HAPPOSAI
                    Ha!  You are drunk, *student*!  So
                    you see double, for there is only
                    Ranma here, and --

                                     SOUUN
                    In fact no, master, I have not
                    touched sake all evening!

                                    NABIKI
                    Now that's a lie.

                                     SOUUN
                    Behold the other greatest student
                    of Anything Goes Martial Arts --
                    POINTS KENT MASEFIELD!  

KENT finishes chewing something, and swallows.

                                     KENT
                    Hi, pleased to meet you.  

HAPPOSAI stares at KENT with saucer wide eyes.  He looks up at SOUUN.

                                   HAPPOSAI
                    VERY QUIET Souun ... my boy ...
                    you joke with your poor master,
                    right?  In hope of averting my
                    terrible wrath upon you and your
                    house by teaching me to laugh once
                    more?

                                     SOUUN
                    No, *master*, I --

                                   HAPPOSAI
                    FURIOUS YOU TAUGHT THE SECRETS OF
                    THE ARTS TO ONE OF *THEM*?  

Everyone blinks.

                                   HAPPOSAI
                    FURIOUS TO AN AMERICAN?  

KENT sets down his chopsticks, and starts to clean himself up.

                                   HAPPOSAI
                    It cannot be ... that we have
                    forgotten this much.  That we have
                    forgotten what they did!

                                     SOUUN
                    GENUINELY UNCOMFORTABLE Master,
                    that was so long ago ...  

KENT begins to stand.

                                     KENT
                    I cannot blame him for his anger,
                    Sensei.  Perhaps I should l--

                                   HAPPOSAI
                    We cannot have forgotten how they
                    LET THEIR WOMEN *BURN* THEIR *BRAS*!  

Dead silence once more.  KENT sits.

                                     KENT
                    Then again, maybe I can.

                                   HAPPOSAI
                    If we had not known that they were
                    uncultured barbarians, that would
                    have proven it!  

RANMA stands up.

                                     RANMA
                    Oh, for pity's sake --

                                   HAPPOSAI
                    Ah, Ranma m'boy!  You will eject
                    this boorish outsider, won't you?

                                     RANMA
                    "Boorish outsider" meaning you?  

RANMA cracks his knuckles.

                                   HAPPOSAI
                    SHOCKED Ranma ... you cannot mean
                    to take the part of this gaijin
                    against your master?

                                     RANMA
                    First, you ain't my master.  Second,
                    I don't need to be taking anybody's
                    part to have a reason to kick your
                    butt.  Third, nobody here cares
                    about underwear war crimes but you!
                    And as for the "gaijin" bunk, jiji,
                    I've fought this guy.  He's good,
                    not as good as me, but it's got
                    nothing to do with where he's from.
                    BEAT  I have one hell of a lot
                    more respect for him than I do for
                    you, master or no!  

HAPPOSAI looks genuinely shocked.

                                   HAPPOSAI
                    I was wrong.  I was wrong when I
                    said that I had never been so
                    insulted as when I was punished
                    in that way.  *NOW* I have never
                    been so insulted and dishonored.  

HAPPOSAI leaps up into the air.

                                   HAPPOSAI
                    HAPPODARIAKIN!  

The bomb flies out of his hand towards the table --  

And everything freezes, turning a cold shade of blue.

                                 AKANE (V.O.)
                    Even now, after I know how Kent
                    Masefield was able to do what he
                    did then, it stuns me.  

The only things in the room that are not the same cold blue are KENT's 
eyes.  They flicker up to the Happodariakin that is hovering beneath 
Happosai's arm.

                                  KENT (V.O.)
                    Bomb.  

His eyes flicker to the left.  Something catches his attention, and he 
blinks.

                                  KENT (V.O.)
                    Yes.  

He blinks again.  

Everything begins to move again, in VERY slow motion.  KENT begins to jump 
to the left the instant motion begins, as the bomb drops with mercurial 
slowness.  We see the shock on NABIKI's face, the disappointment of 
KASUMI, the horror on RANMA and SOUUN's faces, and the savage exultation 
that HAPPOSAI is clearly feeling.  

And then KENT slowly stands up, holding a broom, which he swings, as 
though he were moving through thick water, towards the bomb as it falls. 
The combs of the broom smack into the Happodariakin, sending it looping 
back out of the dining room, through the still open sliding door that 
leads to the garden.  

Everything speeds up to normal.  The Happodariakin explodes harmlessly in 
the garden.  HAPPOSAI lands on the table, startled.  He looks around.

                                   HAPPOSAI
                    Boom?  Where boom?  

RANMA grabs him, his face a mask of rage.

                                     RANMA
                    SHOUTED BOOOM!  

HAPPOSAI blinks.

                                     RANMA
                    You sick, twisted, evil little man!
                    Do you have any idea what you almost
                    *did*?  SHOUTED The CODE!  WE DO
                    *NOT* USE SPECIAL TECHNIQUES ON
                    THOSE WHO CAN'T FIGHT BACK!

                                    KASUMI
                    BLINKS Oh.  I'm sorry, ojiisan,
                    Nabiki and I should have left when
                    you began shouting.  BEAT I think
                    that I will faint now.  

And she does.

                                     RANMA
                    God, Plum was right, you *are* a
                    senile idiot!

                                   HAPPOSAI
                    WARNINGLY Ranma ...  

RANMA walks out into the early evening air.

                                     RANMA
                    Get the hell away from here, and
                    never come back, you *freak*!

                                   HAPPOSAI
                    FURIOUS Ranma, you will take that
                    back, or I will wreak a terrible --  

RANMA dropkicks HAPPOSAI into the air.  HAPPOSAI goes sailing off into the 
sky.

                                HAPPOSAI (O.S.)
                    -- VEEEEEANNNNGEAAAANCE!

                                     RANMA
                    SNORT Yeah, right.  

NABIKI is still seated stock-still at the table.  Her eyes resemble 
saucers.

                                    NABIKI
                    He tried to --

                                     KENT
                    CALMING But he didn't, and he's
                    gone now, Nabiki-san.  It's all
                    right, isn't it, Sensei?  

KENT turns to look at SOUUN ... who fainted some time ago.  KENT quite 
visibly bites something back.  NABIKI comes unsteadily to her feet.

                                    NABIKI
                    I think I'm gonna go make like
                    'neechan and dad ... but up in my
                    room ...  

RANMA comes back in and plops himself down to finish his dinner.

                                     RANMA
                    Okay.  If you're not gonna finish
                    your sukiyaki, can I --  

KENT stares at RANMA, appalled.

                                    NABIKI
                    DAZED Sure, Ranma ...

                                     RANMA
                    No charge?

                                    NABIKI
                    EXPLODES No *shit* there's no
                    charge you goddamn insensitive
                    baka hentai *bastard*!  

RANMA is a bit startled by NABIKI's vehemence.  She slowly walks away as 
he and KENT stare.

                                     RANMA
                    Geez ...

                                     KENT
                    mild Ranma, out of curiousity, do
                    your encounters with that person
                    usually end with you kicking him
                    away as he screams vengeance?

                                     RANMA
                    RUEFUL Yeah, pretty much.

                                     KENT
                    EDGE CREEPING IN And he usually
                    comes back?  

RANMA pauses before the food gets to his mouth.

                                     RANMA
                    Uh ... yeah.  Every time.

                                     KENT
                    So, in other words, there's a fairly
                    good chance that he'll come back
                    this time too?  

KENT glares at RANMA for a few moments, then stands and heads out after 
NABIKI.  RANMA is still for a bit after that.

                                     RANMA
                    Shit.  

KENT catches up with NABIKI as she's going up the stairs.

                                     KENT
                    Are you going to be all right?

                                    NABIKI
                    AGHAST Of *course* I'm not.  A
                    deadly master of ancient martial
                    arts has just sworn vengeance on
                    my father's house, and that includes
                    me.  BEAT  I have *got* to get
                    out of this place.

                                     KENT
                    You're an adult.  Why are you still
                    living here?

                                    NABIKI
                    DEEP SIGH Whenever I thought about
                    the future, I always saw myself as
                    a financial bigshot.  BEAT  But
                    it's a hell of a long way from being
                    the school gossip monger and selling
                    photos to per-- people, to being on
                    Fortune's Five Hundred.  I'm making
                    money, but not enough to live on my
                    own *and* finance my education.
                    BEAT Can I ask you something?

                                     KENT
                    It seems a fair exchange.

                                    NABIKI
                    BLINKS Uh ... anyway, what was
                    the code that Ranma was yelling at
                    the old freak about?

                                     KENT
                    It's a discipline that most of the
                    really powerful martial artists of
                    the world subscribe to.  It's more
                    of a code of proper conduct than
                    any sort of moral code ... one of
                    its tenets is that it's improper
                    to use special fighting techniques
                    against someone who can't use
                    something roughly equal. BEAT I
                    don't know when it started, but
                    it's the reason that a lot of
                    martial artists train in remote
                    places -- so non-martial artists
                    won't get hit by a stray hadouken
                    or something like that.

                                    NABIKI
                    So what happens to people who
                    break this code?

                                     KENT
                    Nobody who follows it will train or
                    spar with them.  

NABIKI looks at him expectantly.  He looks back with an expressionless 
face.

                                    NABIKI
                    FLAT That's it?  

KENT nods.

                                    NABIKI
                    FLAT They don't attempt to punish
                    the violator?

                                     KENT
                    Being excluded from honorable
                    competition is thought to be --

                                    NABIKI
                    That is a *dumb* code.

                                     KENT
                    SHRUGS It's the only one we've
                    got.

                                    NABIKI
                    SNORTS Well, I'm going to go
                    try and not have a nightmare filled
                    sleep now.  You can go back and be
                    all solicitous to Kasumi, now.

                                     KENT
                    Solicitous?  

NABIKI gives him a weary, disgusted look.

                                    NABIKI
                    MINCING "The best sukiyaki I've
                    ever tasted"?  What, like you're
                    some conoisseur of sukiyaki?

                                     KENT
                    I don't claim to be a conoisseur,
                    but --

                                    NABIKI
                    Unless they've got kickass sukiyaki
                    restaurants in ... where are you
                    from again?

                                     KENT
                    I was born in Kansas, but I moved to
                    New York when I was a few years old.
                    These days I live in --

                                    NABIKI
                    I don't *care*.  BEAT  You're
                    trying to pull something on my
                    sister ... how many times can you
                    have had sukiyaki, anyway?  

KENT slowly steps up closer to NABIKI.

                                     KENT
                    For the first, I'm not.  Your older
                    sister has a crush on me, and I'm
                    trying to deal with it as best as I
                    can.  But her cooking is marvelous.
                    And as for the second ... I think I
                    had sukiyaki for the first time when
                    your father was only about four
                    years old.

                                    NABIKI
                    Oh, come on ... you're only, what,
                    thirty, thirty-five?

                                     KENT
                    SHAKES HEAD I'll be fifty on July
                    first of this year. BEAT I age
                    very well, but my family's just like
                    that.  

NABIKI is startled.

                                    NABIKI
                    No way.  You can't be -- you've got
                    to be lying.

                                     KENT
                    I don't lie.

                                    NABIKI
                    You and every politician in the --

                                     KENT
                    Nabiki.  I don't lie.  

NABIKI stares at him, scared a bit.

                                    NABIKI
                    WHISPERED What are you?

                                     KENT
                    WHISPERED Just a traveller, that's
                    all.  I've been other things, but
                    all that I am now is a traveller.  

NABIKI swallows and starts to head up the stairs.

                                     KENT
                    You don't have to worry about the
                    old man, Nabiki.  He only wants
                    revenge on Ranma and me.  You can
                    sleep peacefully.  BEAT  But if
                    you have any dreams about this
                    Kunou fellow, try and work out of
                    them, he doesn't seem like a
                    healthy person to be attracted to.  

NABIKI halts in midstep, and turns back to look ... but KENT has already 
walked away silently.  

Cut to a shot of an outdoor cafe, with AYEKA and RAYE sitting and enjoying 
some nice iced tea, and laughing their heads off.  An X-FILES tankoubon is 
held in AYEKA's hand.

                                     AYEKA
                    ... but the good part was watching
                    her doing the dishes for a month!
                    HAHAHA!

                                     RAYE
                    Heheeh!  Oh, wow, that's funny!  I
                    wish life at our temple was anywhere
                    nearly as interesting.

                                     AYEKA
                    Oh, don't sell yourself so short.
                    That account of the young man there
                    and how he became so maniacally
                    jealous when he saw you with that
                    ... very *handsome* woman was
                    just as amusing.  BEAT; WICKED
                    And he sounds *very* ardent, too.

                                     RAYE
                    Oh yeah.  BEAT  But ... he's just
                    not my type.  A BIT SAD  I'm still
                    looking for my type.

                                     AYEKA
                    SOMBER Well, I've found him.  Now
                    if we could just find time to be
                    together without interruptions.

                                     RAYE
                    Yeah.  It's terrible when people just
                    ... won't leave you in peace to be
                    with the one you really care about.

                                     AYEKA
                    HEATED And then try to monopolize
                    him and steal him away!  

RAYE nods, solemnly.  AYEKA looks for a moment like she's about to start 
ranting ... then collapses.

                                     AYEKA
                    If I could only be *sure* of how he
                    felt.

                                     RAYE
                    Let me guess, he keeps everything
                    under a tight lock and doesn't even
                    hint at how he feels?

                                     AYEKA
                    Nnnno ... not really.  BEAT  It's
                    just that he's so different from
                    what I was expecting.  I thought
                    that love, when if finally came to
                    me, would be a great, mighty, proud
                    hero. BEAT And what I got was an
                    ordinary, gentle, humble, sweet
                    man. BEAT But brave.  Very, very
                    brave ... just as brave as the hero
                    of my dreams.  BEAT Maybe braver.  

RAYE's eyes are far away.

                                     RAYE
                    Love always surprises ... you think
                    that someone is the last person on
                    Earth that you'd ever want to be
                    with ... and one day you'd realize
                    that you'd give anything to be able
                    to say how you really feel.  And it
                    scares you to think how much you
                    love ...

                                     AYEKA
                    Yes.  BEAT  But I can't be forceful
                    about it, or he'll think I'm just as
                    bad as *she* is ...  

There's a sudden beeping noise.  AYEKA starts.

                                     RAYE
                    Oh!  CHECKS WRIST Sorry, my watch
                    is set to go off every night at
                    seven, to remind me that I have to
                    do a ceremony.  But Chad said he'd
                    do it for me, tonight, so I'll let
                    him --

                                     AYEKA
                    SHARP Seven o'clock?  

RAYE nods.

                                     AYEKA
                    Oh dear.  

Cut back to the street by the supermarket.  MIHOSHI has started to eat the 
groceries as she stares nervously at the doors of the supermarket.  A man 
comes out lock the doors, and then walks away.

                                    MIHOSHI
                    TEARFUL I think something's wrong.  

Cut back to the cafe as AYEKA stands quickly, startling RAYE.  She drops a 
few coins on the table.

                                     AYEKA
                    I'm very sorry, Hino-san, but I have
                    to hurry, or I'll get in trouble
                    with ... my tour group.

                                     RAYE
                    Yeah, I understand.  Ayeka-san?

                                     AYEKA
                    Yes?

                                     RAYE
                    Um ... well, I sometimes do fire
                    readings for romance ... if you
                    could come by the temple while
                    you're in Tokyo, I'd be glad to
                    find out if this Tenchi guy
                    really does love you.

                                     AYEKA
                    Oh.  Uh ... well, I'll try, but I
                    have such a busy schedule!  So,
                    I can't really say.  I will try,
                    though.  Thank you for all your
                    help, Hino-san.

                                     RAYE
                    No problem.

                                     AYEKA
                    DASHING OFF Good bye!

                                     RAYE
                    Bye ...  

RAYE smiles suddenly.

                                     RAYE
                    Nice girl.  Really ... a little
                    *stiff*, but...  

AYEKA dashes through the streets of Tokyo, coming at last to the ticket 
window of a train station.  She gasps for air.

                                     AYEKA
                    Huh ... hwh ... hwhen does the next
                    train for ******** leave?

                                 TICKET CLERK
                    Last train already left.  Doesn't
                    start again til tomorrow morning,
                    around 5.

                                     AYEKA
                    WHAAAAAAAAAAT?  

Cut to the TENCHI household, with TENCHI standing in the doorway looking 
anxious.

                                    TENCHI
                    Dammit ... Mihoshi-san and Ayeka-san
                    should have been back by now ...  

There's the sound of a phone ringing in the house.  TENCHI turns and runs 
back into the house, but SASAMI gets to the phone before he does.

                                    SASAMI
                    CONCERNED Moshi moshi? BEAT
                    Mihoshi-neechan!  Where are you?
                    BEAT What?  Mihoshi ... Mihoshi,
                    I can't understand you ... please,
                    Mihoshi, stop crying!  

She stares at the phone for a moment, then looks up at TENCHI with a 
pained expression.

                                    SASAMI
                    Tenchi-niichan, could you ...?  

TENCHI smiles wearily, and takes the phone.

                                    TENCHI
                    Mihoshi-san?  

The *wail* that comes from the phone at that point is so intense that 
TENCHI holds the phone away from his ear and looks rather dazed for a 
moment.  He brings it back up as the wail subsides.

                                    TENCHI
                    Mihoshi-san, what's wrong?  BEAT
                    No, Mihoshi, I'm not ... No!  I
                    promise that I won't yell at you.
                    BEAT I *promise*.  BEAT No, I
                    won't pinky swear, because we can't
                    link our pinkies over the *phone*,
                    Mihoshi.  Please, just tell me what
                    has happened, so that I can --  

TENCHI is silent for a long time as he listens.

                                    TENCHI
                    What?!  No, Mihoshi, I'm not yelling
                    at you.  BEAT  Really!  BEAT
                    Mihoshi, just come home.  BEAT No,
                    nobody here is mad at you.  Just
                    come home, so we can figure out what
                    happened together, okay?  BEAT
                    Yes, see you soon.  

He hangs up, avoiding looking at SASAMI.

                                    SASAMI
                    HESITANT Tenchi-niichan?

                                    TENCHI
                    SLOWLY Sasami-chan, your sister
                    went into the supermarket to get
                    some food that they'd forgotten to
                    get the first time they went in ...
                    and she never came out.  BEAT  And
                    the store is closed now, and Mihoshi
                    is in a panic.

                                    SASAMI
                    SHOCKED Oneechan?

                                    TENCHI
                    Don't worry, Sasami ... I promise you
                    that nothing is going to happen to
                    your sister --  

Cut to WASHUU's laboratory.  She is working furiously at her console, a 
terrified expression on her face.  A monitor displays what is going on 
with TENCHI and SASAMI.

                               TENCHI (MONITOR)
                    -- is going to happen to your sister
                    because ... because she doesn't have
                    anything to be afraid of --

                                    WASHUU
                    MANIC Boy are *you* wrong. DEEP
                    breath Okay.  Okay.  For once,
                    Mihoshi's dumb luck is working on my
                    side, blocking Ayeka's call home
                    like that, too bad for her but hey
                    can't play koshi without killing a
                    few storns.  And a simple button
                    will mangle her phone card when --  

She idly casts a look at the monitor, and sees TENCHI holding onto SASAMI, 
who is crying freely.  TENCHI is only barely holding back his own tears of 
fear.

                                    WASHUU
                    CONVINCING SELF I have to do it.
                    BEAT We can't get involved, I'm
                    just trying to protect you all,
                    Ayeka has made her own bed --  

Her hand is hovering over a button, but she doesn't look at it, staring at 
the monitor instead.  RYOUKO materializes on the scene.

                               RYOUKO (MONITOR)
                    Hey, what's wrong?

                               TENCHI (MONITOR)
                    Ayeka has ... vanished, Ryouko.  

There is a brief silence.

                               RYOUKO (MONITOR)
                    And?

                               SASAMI (MONITOR)
                    FURIOUS RYOUKO!  

RYOUKO holds up her hands.

                               RYOUKO (MONITOR)
                    Hey, hey, calm down, I'm joking!

                               SASAMI (MONITOR)
                    FURIOUS IT'S *NOT* FUNNY!  

The phone rings.  WASHUU realizes that she still hasn't pressed the 
button.  On the monitor, RYOUKO picks up the phone.

                               RYOUKO (MONITOR)
                    Mo-- BEAT AYEKA?

                                    WASHUU
                    No ...

                               RYOUKO (MONITOR)
                    Where *are* you?

                                    WASHUU
                    NO!  

WASHUU stabs down the button.

                               RYOUKO (MONITOR)
                    Tokyo?! BEAT Hello?  Ayeka?

                               TENCHI (MONITOR)
                    Ryouko, what --

                               RYOUKO (MONITOR)
                    It got disconnected!

                                    WASHUU
                    I'm sorry, I'm sorry, daughter, but
                    you don't know what you're getting
                    into if you go to Tokyo right now.
                    The price is too high ...  

Cut to a gray, formless place.  TSUNAMI stands before a portal, watching 
WASHUU.

                                    TSUNAMI
                    WHISPERED Oh, Sister, you know not
                    what you do ... this makes it all
                    inevitable.

                                 AKANE (V.O.)
                    If it was hard to write calmly about
                    what happened with my family the
                    night before I came home, it is
                    harder yet to write about what
                    Washuu-chan calmly admitted to doing
                    to Ayeka-san, or what Sasami-chan
                    told me about Tsunami.  I don't
                    think I'll ever understand how these
                    godlike beings can find themselves
                    so helpless ... but in any event ...  

Cut to a park bench in Tokyo, later on in the evening.  AETHAN and MINAKO 
are sitting close together, looking up at the sky.

                                    MINAKO
                    I wish we were out in the country.
                    Then we'd be looking up at the stars
                    instead of all this light pollution.

                                    AETHAN
                    Truely.

                                    MINAKO
                    You know ... my parents are out of
                    town again ... so you could stay at
                    my place, instead of that hotel.

                                    AETHAN
                    GRINING I doubt that the guardian
                    of your virtue would approve.

                                    MINAKO
                    BLUSH Artemis can go take a hike
                    on a short pier.  I mean, just
                    because you're at my house doesn't
                    mean anything would happen ...

                                    AETHAN
                    Minako, I appreciate the offer, but
                    I've already booked the hotel room
                    for a week, and it would be terribly
                    rude to cancel now.  BEAT Besides,
                    I'd rather not have to share a
                    bathroom with you ...

                                    MINAKO
                    Well, how are you gonna cope when
                    we're living together?  

AETHAN gives MINAKO a slightly shocked look.

                                    AETHAN
                    When was *this* decision made?

                                    MINAKO
                    Well, I mean ... look, I think that
                    I love you --

                                    AETHAN
                    I love you too, but --  

He is suddenly crushed by MINAKO's wild embrace, and she kisses him with 
passion.  AETHAN's eyes are wide.  This goes on for several minutes before 
she releases him.

                                    AETHAN
                    TRYING TO REGAIN COMPOSURE -- but
                    don't you think that you're moving
                    just a little too fast?  QUICK
                    Evidently not.

                                    MINAKO
                    Aethan, I've told you about Crystal
                    Tokyo, right?  How I'm going to be
                    alive a thousand years from now?

                                    AETHAN
                    SLOWLY Yessss?

                                    MINAKO
                    Well, ever since we met, I've been
                    giving it a lot of thought.  I don't
                    want to fall in love with someone
                    who's going to die hundreds of years
                    before I do ... and you don't age.
                    I want a man who will always be with
                    me and our chil--

                                    AETHAN
                    GENTLE I'm sterile.  

MINAKO blinks a few dozen times.

                                    MINAKO
                    CONFUSED What?

                                    AETHAN
                    Minako, I cannot father children.

                                    MINAKO
                    Are you sure?

                                    AETHAN
                    Very sure.  I spent the better part
                    of twenty years trying without
                    success, several hundred years ago.

                                    MINAKO
                    Really?

                                    AETHAN
                    IMPATIENT Would you like details?

                                    MINAKO
                    No!  No.  BEAT  Well ... that's
                    not such a big deal.  You're still
                    the only person I want to spend
                    eternity with --

                                    AETHAN
                    Yes.  *Now.*

                                    MINAKO
                    What?  What do you mean?

                                    AETHAN
                    SIGH Minako, I'm over fourteen
                    hundred years old, and in those
                    centuries I've changed more than I
                    would have thought possible.  At
                    *this* point, now, you love me.  Can
                    you be sure that you still will in
                    a thousand years time?  BEAT I've
                    never seen anyone whose love lasted
                    that long.

                                    MINAKO
                    But I *have*!  And yes, I *do*
                    believe that in Crystal Tokyo I will
                    still want to wake up and have you
                    be the first thing that I see.  

AETHAN reaches out and takes her hand in his.

                                    AETHAN
                    And I want to believe that, too, but
                    the point is --  

The point is in fact lost to history as an ofuda streaks out of the 
darkness and slams into AETHAN's face, right between the eyebrows.  MINAKO 
stares at it, confused.  AETHAN slowly reaches up to tear the scroll 
off of his face, and stands, his fangs clearly in evidence.

                                    AETHAN
                    Do you *mind*?  

RAYE is standing a few feet away.

                                     RAYE
                    Stopping you from putting the moves
                    on my friend?  Not at all, gaki.

                                    AETHAN
                    Oh, gods' sakes ...  

MINAKO also stands, her face very angry.

                                    MINAKO
                    Raye!  You promised that you weren't
                    going to do this sort of thing!

                                     RAYE
                    I said I wouldn't do it unless he
                    showed signs of getting out of
                    control.  He was --

                                    MINAKO
                    He was *holding* *my* *hand*.

                                     RAYE
                    Sure, first he holds your hand, then
                    he's clasping your shoulder, then
                    it's down your shirt --

                                    MINAKO
                    SHOCKED RAYE!

                                    AETHAN
                    FED UP Good night, Minako.  

He starts to walk away.

                                    MINAKO
                    Good n-- wait a minute!

                                    AETHAN
                    No, Minako-chan, I've had a very
                    long day, and I need my rest.  I'll
                    give you a call tomorrow morning,
                    say sevenish, all right?

                                    MINAKO
                    But --

                                    AETHAN
                    Ja ne.  

AETHAN suddenly turns to mist, which flows away.

                                     RAYE
                    He even *runs* like a Negasleeze --  

MINAKO looms over RAYE.

                                    MINAKO
                    RRRRAAAAYE!

                                     RAYE
                    Hey, I'm just looking out for you --

                                    MINAKO
                    The hell you are!  Do you think it's
                    not as obvious as a fiddler on the
                    roof what you're doing?

                                     RAYE
                    Obvious as a what?

                                    MINAKO
                    Are you so *jealous* that you can't
                    stand the thought of me finding
                    someone to be with?

                                     RAYE
                    PERPLEXED Jealous?!

                                    MINAKO
                    Yes!  Jealous!  Serena has Darien!
                    Amy has Greg!  Lita has ... anyway,
                    this is the only relationship I've
                    had with a guy other than my *cat*
                    for over four years, and you're
                    trying to ruin it because *you*
                    don't have anyone!  

RAYE stares at MINAKO with a shocked look.

                                     RAYE
                    Girl, you are *so* far out of it
                    that it's not even funny.

                                    MINAKO
                    Oh, am I?  Oh, *am* I?

                                     RAYE
                    Yes, you are!

                                    MINAKO
                    Fine.  Then stay the hell away from
                    my lover!  Who he is or what he is
                    are none of your business!  

She storms away.  RAYE stands alone for a moment.

                                     RAYE
                    STRANGLED Lover?!  

The scene begins to shift to an aerial view of the city.

                                 AKANE (V.O.)
                    And so, almost all the players were
                    on the field, though only a small
                    handful knew that the field existed.
                    There remained only two final events
                    of relevance to this story on that
                    first night, each tied intimately
                    to the other.  They began in the
                    vicinity of a certain temple in
                    Nekomi.  

Cut to the front of the temple in question, then to the garage.  MORISATO 
KEIICHI heads towards his motorcycle, zipping up his jacket as he does 
so.  He climbs on.

                                    KEIICHI
                    CALL Belldandy?

                               BELLDANDY (O.S.)
                    Coming, Keiichi-san!  

She walks out, wearing a fashionable skirt and blazer, and slides easily 
into the sidecar.  KEIICHI and BELLDANDY share a quiet smile before he 
guns the motor, and heads out towards the temple's main doors, which URD 
-- wearing a microminiskirt and halter --- is holding open.  KEIICHI pulls 
to a stop just before heading out to speak to her.

                                    KEIICHI
                    Um, Urd ... I don't want you to
                    think that I don't trust you to not
                    fight with Skuld --

                                      URD
                    Fight?  Me?  Would I do that?  

KEIICHI's long-suffering expression gives all the answer anyone could ever 
need for that particular question.

                                    KEIICHI
                    -- well, anyway, I'd like to see the
                    temple in one piece when we get back
                    from our date.

                                      URD
                    Of course!  Don't worry about a
                    thing, K-1.  You two just have fun!  

KEIICHI still looks nervous, but BELLDANDY is smiling sunnily as they 
drive off.  URD waves.

                                      URD
                    WHISPER And have wild kinky sex
                    while you're having fun ... ah, if
                    only Urdesiac Number 98 was ready
                    to go.  

URD wanders back into the temple, and spies SKULD working hard on 
KEIICHI's scratchbuilt computer.  The monitor displays what looks like a 
map of Tokyo with a number of blinking dots on it.  URD heads over.

                                      URD
                    AFFECTIONATE Hey, brat, whatcha
                    doin'?

                                     SKULD
                    My *job*.  You remember, what we
                    *should* be doing instead of wasting
                    time with Keiichi -- and in your
                    case, aiding and abetting his
                    efforts to get his hentai hands on
                    Belldandy?  

URD is interested despite herself.

                                      URD
                    So those are concentrations of bugs?

                                     SKULD
                    SHAKES HEAD Uh uh.  Worse.  Even a
                    concentration of bugs with about the
                    same density as a planet wouldn't
                    produce these kinds of readings --
                    these are nexi of improbability.

                                      URD
                    Ooh baby baby!  I remember those ...
                    aren't they supposed to be little
                    pockets of chaos left over from the
                    time of the Elder Gods?

                                     SKULD
                    Supposedly.  BEAT  If you're dumb
                    and superstitious enough to believe
                    in the Elder Gods, at least.  

URD and SKULD trade hairy eyeballs.

                                     SKULD
                    Anyway, what's *really* odd about
                    the particular nexi that I'm
                    tracking is that they seem to be
                    mobile, although they have ...
                    places that they "like" to be.
                    Take this one in Jyuban, for
                    instance -- it moves around a lot
                    during the day, but during the
                    evenings it seems to stay at *this*
                    location. POINTS  But the even
                    *scarier* one is this one in Nerima
                    -- it wasn't there when I checked
                    yesterday, but there was a *smaller*
                    one in that same location, and it
                    seems to be combining with that one.

                                      URD
                    How do you know that it's not just
                    the same one that got bigger for
                    some reason?

                                     SKULD
                    Because if a nexus of improbability
                    started growing at an exponential
                    rate -- which it would *have* to in
                    order to become that big -- every
                    divinity in Heaven would be down
                    here trying to contain it, and I'm
                    *pretty* sure that we would have
                    been ordered back home by now.  So
                    no such luck ...

                                      URD
                    So now what?  You gonna just boot
                    this information upstairs?

                                     SKULD
                    Well, only First Class Divinities
                    are supposed to do investigations of
                    nexi of improbability.

                                      URD
                    In other words we should get
                    Belldandy to do it.

                                     SKULD
                    Right.

                                      URD
                    Yawn.  Boring.  The two of us can
                    handle it --

                                     SKULD
                    Oh no you don't, Urd!  If you wanna
                    get yourself in more trouble with
                    the Almighty than you already are,
                    go right ahead, but include me out!

                                      URD
                    SLY Welllll, when you put it like
                    that ...

                                     SKULD
                    SUSPICIOUS What?

                                      URD
                    I guess we'll just have to tell
                    Belldandy all about it when she gets
                    home from her date tonight ... who
                    knows, maybe we'll even be able to
                    check it out this very night ...

                                     SKULD
                    *VERY* SUSPICIOUS Uh-huh ...

                                      URD
                    Keiichi will probably insist on
                    coming along though.  BEAT You
                    know, if I recall correctly, my
                    first major discipline violation
                    involved a small nexus ... yeah!
                    It was in a nexus of improbability
                    that I first met that hunk Sobekh
                    and lost my --  

SKULD plugs her ears.

                                     SKULD
                    I do not want to *hear* this story!

                                      URD
                    GOES FOR THE KILL Wouldn't it be
                    great if Keiichi and Belldandy wound
                    up in a nexus together and got
                    inspired to --

                                     SKULD
                    Okay!  Okay!  OKAY!  I'll help you
                    out, just quit putting disgusting
                    images in my head!

                                      URD
                    MUTTERED Game, set, and match.
                    ALOUD Okay, let's go out to Nerima
                    tomorrow then.  

Cut to high above the Temple.  MARA -- a pale-skinned woman with a 
symetrical tatoos on her brow and cheeks, dressed in clothing that is even 
more outrageously exploitative than URD's -- is floating and looking down.

                                     MARA
                    Ah-ha!  So, going to check out a
                    nexus, are they?  Well, they will
                    learn the hard way that such things
                    can be easily used to grant me my
                    vengeance on those rotten godesses!
                    So says Mara!  Demon First Cla--
                    Huh?  

MARA's gaze is suddenly drawn in the direction of Mount Fuji.  She stands 
stock still for a moment, then slowly begins to shake her head, clearly 
shocked by something.

                                     MARA
                    No way ... NO WAY!  

Immediately, she is flying at top speed towards Mount Fuji.

                                     MARA
                    I don't believe this!  How could
                    anyone, even a *mortal*, be so
                    stupid as to try *that* summons?
                    Not even the Queen of Hel is that
                    crazy, and --  

A small pebble hurtles up from the city to strike MARA between the 
eyeballs, stunning her in mid monologue, and causing her to drop like a 
rock.  She crash lands in an alley, coming to rest on a pile of garbage. 
We see her from the perspective of someone standing on the roof of a 
building overlooking the alley.

                              FEMALE VOICE (O.S.)
                    How appropriate.  

The point of view shifts to look at the gathering clouds over Mount Fuji.  

Cut to the someplace high on Mount Fuji, a barren rocky clearing.  A crude 
*inverted* pentagram has been drawn in the ground, with a fire in the 
middle.  HAPPOSAI is dancing around the pentagram, chanting in Old 
Tibetan.  His chanting grows fervent, until at last he stands before the 
apex of the pyramid.

                                   HAPPOSAI
                    QUIET And now ... the sacrifice.  

Tears begin to flow down his face.

                                   HAPPOSAI
                    Forgive me this, my darling one!  

From within his shirt he draws a *huge* bra, and *tries* to fling it into 
the fire.  But he can't bring himself to do it.  He tries several times, 
and he cannot do it.  He clutches the bra to himself.

                                   HAPPOSAI
                    If there were any other way ... I
                    would take it!  But I know of no
                    other way to accomplish my -- no,
                    *our* vengeance!  So I *MUST*!  

And with a horrid cry, he flings the bra into the fire at the centre of 
the pentagram.  It turns black and begins to crumble quickly.

                                   HAPPOSAI
                    COME FORTH OH LORD OF DARKNESS!  

The fire blazes up suddenly, burning so brightly that HAPPOSAI has to look 
away.  Our point of view is from a position somewhere along the midpoint 
between him and the centre of the pentagram.  The fire dies down swiftly, 
but an immense shadow grows up from the shadow of the flames.  HAPPOSAI 
turns to look at the source of the shadow ... and pales.

                                   HAPPOSAI
                    Um ... gee.  I was expecting someone
                    ... smaller.

                                 THE ADVERSARY
                    WHO CALLS?  

HAPPOSAI straightens.

                                   HAPPOSAI
                    I, Happosai, Master of the School of
                    Musabetsu Kakuto, have called you
                    here!

                                 THE ADVERSARY
                    WHY?

                                   HAPPOSAI
                    You will give me the power I need to
                    avenge myself on my disobedient
                    student, Saotome Ranma, and on one
                    who has aided him, an American
                    named --

                                 THE ADVERSARY
                    MASEFIELD.  

HAPPOSAI seems ... shaken by that.

                                   HAPPOSAI
                    Uh -- I ... I take it that you've
                    heard of him?

                                 THE ADVERSARY
                    YES.

                                   HAPPOSAI
                    ENTHUSED So much the better, for
                    you will be avenging yourself on
                    your enemy as well as mine!  Such
                    a good deed ... ahem.  I offer as
                    payment for your services the souls
                    of all who stand with our enemies
                    and against us!

                                 THE ADVERSARY
                    INTERESTING.

                                   HAPPOSAI
                    Then you agree?

                                 THE ADVERSARY
                    I SPOKE OF THE WAY IN WHICH YOU
                    SOUGHT TO SUMMON ME.  THE SACRIFICE
                    OF A VIRGIN IS MEANT TO BE SYMBOLIC
                    NOT ONLY OF LOSS OF PURITY, BUT ALSO
                    OF THE EXTREME DANGER WHICH AWAITS
                    ANYONE WHO TRAFFICKS WITH DEMONKIND.
                    AS REDUCING THE NUMBER OF POTENTIAL
                    BREEDING FEMALES THREATENS THE
                    FUTURE OF YOUR SPECIES, SO DOES THIS
                    RITUAL.  BEAT  BUT INSTEAD YOU
                    GAVE UP THAT WHICH YOUR DISEASED
                    MIND VIEWS AS THE MOST PRECIOUS
                    THING IN THE UNIVERSE ... WHICH IS
                    ALSO THE SOURCE OF YOUR POWER,
                    PLACING YOURSELF IN JEOPARDY.

                                   HAPPOSAI
                    Uh ... yeah!  MUTTERED I thought
                    the book meant a virgin white --  

The shadow moves up higher, almost touching HAPPOSAI as he looks away for 
a moment.  When HAPPOSAI realizes what has happened, his eyes get wide as 
saucers again.

                                   HAPPOSAI
                    Hey!  How -- you're not supposed to
                    be able to leave the pentagram
                    without my permission!!

                                 THE ADVERSARY
                    YES.  THE BINDING SPELL YOU USED WAS
                    WELL DONE ... IT WOULD INDEED HAVE
                    KEPT ME IN THE PENTAGRAM INTO WHICH
                    YOU SUMMONED ME.  BEAT  IF YOU HAD
                    SUMMONED ME.  BEAT AS I SAID ...
                    INTERESTING.  

And the shadow rushes even higher as our point of view comes into an 
extreme close up on HAPPOSAI's shocked face.

                                   HAPPOSAI
                    Oh my.  Everything goes black.

                                 AKANE (V.O.)
                    And that was the beginning of the
                    War against the Adversary.

                             TO BE CONTINUED


Together Again: 1996 Chapter, 04/20/98