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 thereof.
                                 Incorporating
                       original characters created by
                            by C. Richard Davies
                     Dedicated to John Biles, Fred Herriot,
                               and Larry Mann.
                                   ACT FOUR

Opening Shot:  MADOKA asleep in bed, alone.  The room is flooded with sunlight,
and she slowly awakes.  She yawns, and then gets out of bed.  She pulls a
dressing gown on over her pyjamas, and wanders out of the bedroom.  She heads
into the bathroom, closing the door behind her.  We hear the sound of vomiting.

                                 MADOKA (O.S.)
                    MUFFLED Oh, *great* ...

There is the sound of teeth being brushed.

                                 AKANE (V.O.)
                    That's the other reason that I feel
                    sorry for Kasuga Kyousuke.  To have
                    something as important as that on
                    the line, and not know it ... BEAT
                    In any event, it didn't happen for a
                    few hours after Kyousuke arrived.

Cut to a shot of the dojo at night, with the Helifortress still perched in the
backyard.

                                 AKANE (V.O.)
                    Kent had taken Aethan DeGales and
                     his "friend", that Gideon fellow I
                    never got to know very well, up into
                    the flying fortress, along with
                    Kasuga.  Aethan probably told him
                    about the Sailor Senshi -- or rather
                    Sailor *Scouts*, as they preferred
                    to be called -- while they were up
                    there.

Cut to the interior of the dojo hall.  It is divided in two parts by a curtain.
On one side, SERENA, RAYE, AMY, LITA, MIHOSHI, AYEKA, and SASAMI are bedded down
on the floor, in sleeping bags.  SERENA is snoring, of course.  MIHOSHI is
making mumbling noises in her sleep.  LITA, AMY, and SASAMI are asleep more
sedately.  RAYE and AYEKA are speaking with each other in low and quiet tones.

                                 AKANE (V.O.)
                    I think Aethan talked Kent into
                    talking Kasumi into letting this new
                    group of visitors camp out in the
                    dojo.  Of course, nobody had even
                     thought of asking Dad about it.  It
                     hurt to see him reverting to the way
                    he'd been just before I'd left home,
                    when Kasumi had told me that he was
                    starting to get better.  But I think
                    it was mostly an act.

On the other side of the curtain, DARIEN is also fast asleep.  There is another,
empty sleeping bag.  Cut to one of the hallways.  TENCHI is walking down it,
looking around with an anxious expression.  He finally passes a door through
which we hear a flushing noise.  RANMA steps out.

                                    TENCHI
                    Oh, there it is!

                                     RANMA
                    The toilet?  Yep.

TENCHI ducks into the door.  RANMA turns to head off, then pauses and waits.  A
few moments later, we hear a flush.  TENCHI steps out of the door with a
relieved expression on his face.

                                     RANMA
                    You're ... Tenchi, right?  I heard
                    a couple of the girls you came in
                    with calling you that.

                                    TENCHI
                    NOD Right.  And you are?

                                     RANMA
                    Saotome Ranma.  BEAT  So, just out
                    of curiousity -- are you engaged to
                    any of those girls?

                                    TENCHI
                    BLINK Uh ... no.  BEAT  Not for
                    lack of effort on their part, but --

RANMA nods knowingly.

                                    TENCHI
                    DISBELIEVING Uh, I take it then
                    that you have relationship troubles,
                    yourself?

                                     RANMA
                    DEADPAN Two fiancees, one crazy
                    Chinese chick who thinks we're
                    already married, and assorted other
                    loonies of either sex after me.

TENCHI considers this briefly, then nods.

                                    TENCHI
                    You win.

                                     RANMA
                    SHRUGS I usually do.  BEAT  You
                    do martial arts?

                                    TENCHI
                    MODEST A bit of kendo.

                                     RANMA
                    CONSIDERS Kendo, huh?  BEAT I've
                    probably picked up a bit of that,
                    what with all my go-arounds with --
                    anyway, wanna spar?

                                    TENCHI
                    SHRUGS Sure, I guess.  I'm having
                    trouble sleeping, anyway.

RANMA gestures with his head.  Cut to the lawn outside the dojo, a few moments
later.  TENCHI and RANMA are equipped with wooden practice swords.  TENCHI
salutes slowly in the Jurain manner.

                                     RANMA
                    BLINKS What was that?

                                    TENCHI
                    My style's opening salute.

                                     RANMA
                    Oh.  BEAT; SHRUG Wherefore art
                    thou, Ushiko-san?  Wherefore art
                    thou, Umao-san?

                                    TENCHI
                    Excuse me?

                                     RANMA
                    *My* style's opening salute.  BEAT
                    That was Shakespeare, right?  Well,
                    let's go!

We pull away, lifting above them as they begin to spar.  The sound of wood
striking wood awakens RYOUKO, who has found a place to sleep on the roof of the
dojo.  She looks down from the roof with an irritated and sleepy expression ...
which fades as she realizes that TENCHI is the one making the noise.  She
watches with interest.  Cut to the other side of the Tendou home.  LUNA and
ARTEMIS are prowling around.

                                     LUNA
                    Artemis, are you sensing anything
                    ... unusual about this place?

                                    ARTEMIS
                    DEADPAN No, but I'm focusing all
                    my energy on finding Minako, so that
                    *might* possibly be affecting my
                    perceptions.

LUNA gives him a disgusted look.

                                    ARTEMIS
                    UPSET What?  Like you'd do any
                    different if it was Serena, lost in
                    the void?

LUNA turns away.

                                     LUNA
                    Well, I *am* getting a funny feeling
                    about the people in this house.

                                    ARTEMIS
                    What kind of a funny feeling?

                                     LUNA
                    The same sort of thing I got when I
                    was finding the Scouts ...

                                    ARTEMIS
                    DISMISSIVE You're probably picking
                    up on whatever energy those aliens
                    use, that's all.

                                     LUNA
                    SHAKES HEAD No.  It's not the same
                    at all.

                                    ARTEMIS
                    Luna, come on.  There's only nine
                    planets, and we have nine senshi.
                    What, do you think that we're going
                    to suddenly find a Sailor Sun?  A
                    Sailor Earth?  A Sailor Comet Belt?
                    If they didn't exist in the Silver
                    Millenium, why --

                                     LUNA
                    ANNOYED Fine.  You stay here and
                    keep probing the void without any
                    idea of what you're going to do if
                    you *find* Minako, and I'll go do
                    something productive.  Bye.

She darts off.  ARTEMIS glares, and starts to imitate her British accent.

                     "And OI'LL goh dew somefing PRO-
                    duktif!"  Sheesh.

Cut to KASUMI's bedroom.  She is lying in her bed, with her covers up to her
neck, but not asleep.  She lets out a long sigh and closes her eyes.  Slowly,
the window slides open, and LUNA, her eyes glowing, makes her appearance.  She
pads into the room, and up onto the bed.  KASUMI doesn't open her eyes.

                                    KASUMI
                    VERY CALM Hello, Luna.

LUNA is shocked enough to jump back, while KASUMI pulls herself into a kneeling
position on the bed.  KASUMI looks down at the cat with a vaguely melancholy
expression.

                                     LUNA
                    You know who I am?!

                                    KASUMI
                    Yes.

                                     LUNA
                    ... then you know who and what you
                    are!

                                    KASUMI
                    Yes, Luna, I've known for almost
                    four years.

                                     LUNA
                    But how --

                                    KASUMI
                    One night, the moon went out. BEAT
                    And I heard the sound of a cat
                    screaming.  BEAT  And I knew who
                    I had been, once.

                                     LUNA
                    Who -- VESTA!  KASUMI nods.

                                     LUNA
                    But how ... you weren't even *on*
                    the moon when your mother sent the
                    spirits of the Moon Kingdom to Earth
                    ... you'd been *dead* for ...

                                    KASUMI
                    I don't know, Luna.  I remember ...
                    I remember how I died, and parts of
                    my past life ... not much, though,
                    nine hundred years is much to take
                    in.

                                     LUNA
                    Well, it doesn't matter, now.  I've
                    found you, and that's what counts.
                    Now --

LUNA produces a locket from nowhere, setting it down in front of KASUMI, who
picks it up and examines it.

                                     LUNA
                    -- that's a focus, it will allow you
                    to use your energies to take on a
                    senshi form, just like Serena did
                    when she was starting as Sailor Moon
                    -- I imagine that we'll call you --

KASUMI sets the locket down on the bed.

                                    KASUMI
                    No.

                                     LUNA
                    -- Sailor Vesta and ... BEAT What
                    do you mean, no?

                                    KASUMI
                    I'm not going to be a Sailor Senshi,
                    Luna.

                                     LUNA
                    But ... but, Vesta, it's --

                                    KASUMI
                    FIRM My name is Tendou Kasumi.  Do
                    you call Serenity by *that* name,
                     when you're with her?

                                     LUNA
                    No, but ... but Ve-- Kasumi, it's
                    your --

                                    KASUMI
                    My destiny?  SHAKES HEAD No, Luna.
                    The only destiny I ever had was to
                    be my mother's heir and my father's
                    pawn ... and I gave that destiny up.
                    BEAT Would you have me usurp
                    Serenity's place?

                                     LUNA
                    I ... I hadn't really thought about
                    it.

KASUMI reaches out a hand, and pets LUNA, gently.

                                    KASUMI
                    I leave it to your discretion to
                    decide how much to tell her, Luna.
                    BEAT What is she like?

LUNA gives the impression of one who doesn't really want to answer a question.
KASUMI gazes down at her with a calm, curious expression.

                                     LUNA
                    SIGH She is, when she has to be,
                    the bravest, kindest ... most human
                    human I have ever known.  BEAT She
                    will be a better queen than Serenity
                    ever was, and her realm will be more
                    just.  KASUMI smiles.

                                     LUNA
                    DESPERATE You're sure that you
                    won't --

                                    KASUMI
                    GENTLY FIRM Yes.  BEAT  Good
                    night, Luna.

LUNA hops off the bed and heads for the window while KASUMI begins to lie down.
LUNA pauses at the window, and looks back.

                                     LUNA
                    It was never clear how you died.
                    BEAT It was said that Beryl had
                    killed you, herself.

KASUMI does not look at LUNA.

                                    KASUMI
                    She did.

                                     LUNA
                    Then you should know that Serena
                    avenged you --

                                    KASUMI
                    I know.  BEAT; TEARS IN HER VOICE
                    May the Light be more merciful to
                     Beryl than this world ever was.

LUNA jerks back ... clearly that was NOT the response she was expecting.  She
silently heads out the window, leaving KASUMI alone in the silence.

                                 AKANE (V.O.)
                    As I write this, I'm starting to
                    understand why Kasumi felt the way
                    that she did, even if I don't
                    understand all the specifics. BEAT
                    I remember her looking at me with
                    anxious eyes, when I was a child and
                    hurt myself fighting ... and one day
                    I realized that she wasn't only
                    scared that I'd get hurt fighting,
                    but that I'd start liking it. BEAT
                    Liking hurting people.  BEAT  What
                    must it be like for someone to know
                    that she has a sister she's never
                    met engaged in mortal combat at any
                    given time?

Cut to the cockpit of the Helifortress.  We see KENT easing himself into the
pilot's seat, and looking down at the dojo.  Just outside the building, he can
see TENCHI and RANMA sparring.  He looks down, and a wistful expression develops
on his face.  Cut to the inside of the dojo hall, and close in on SASAMI,
sleeping.  Her face twitches.  Cut to WASHUU's laboratory, where TSUNAMI is
suspiciously watching WASHUU at work.  TSUNAMI's face twitches in the same way
that SASAMI's did.

                                    WASHUU
                    So just how close to full synchro
                    are the two of you, anyway?

                                    TSUNAMI
                    IRRITATED I don't see that that's
                    any of your business, Washuu.  And
                    stop trying to change the subject,
                    it has been nearly a third of this
                    planet's rotation and you still have
                    not explained what you did to Sasami
                    to momentarily cut her off from me.

                                    WASHUU
                    Pushy, pushy ... BEAT Okay, what
                    I did was pretty simple.  You know
                    how a convoy of ships moves together
                    through hyperspace?

                                    TSUNAMI
                    BLINK What?

                                    WASHUU
                    All the navigation computers of the
                    convoy get slaved to the one in the
                    "point" ship, which does the jump
                    calculations for every ship, so that
                    they all emerge in the same form--

                                    TSUNAMI
                    INTERRUPTS What does any of this
                     have to do with --

                                    WASHUU
                    INTERRUPTS BACK --ation, instead
                    of possibly trying to simultaneously
                    occupy the same space at the same
                    time.  BEAT  Ryouko can do the
                    same thing.  Her teleportation --
                    as well as both of the 'porters who
                    were in that area with her -- is
                    functionally the same as a starship
                    jump drive, with her brain as a
                    computer.  When I was designing her,
                    I gave her the ability to slave
                    herself into any other jump computer
                    in her vicinity, so that she could
                    track starships and ... other things
                    through hyperspace.  BEAT And just
                    now I activated it involuntarily,
                    and made her space fold a little
                    larger than it normally is.  You
                    lost track of Sasami because she was
                    in hyperspace for a while, that's
                    all.

                                    TSUNAMI
                    SARCASM "That's all."  BEAT Very
                    well, that was `What'.  Now, in
                    regards to `Why'?

                                    WASHUU
                    BLAND Would you believe me if I
                    told you that a manipulative mind-
                    reading space alien told me to do
                    it?

                                    TSUNAMI
                    Of course not!

                                    WASHUU
                    That's what I thought.

                                    TSUNAMI
                    Let me guess, this is all part of
                    some plan of yours, isn't it?

                                    WASHUU
                    Well, yes.

                                    TSUNAMI
                    ANGRY Don't you ever get tired of
                    these inane little --

WASHUU stands up and morphs to adult form so that she can stare TSUNAMI in the
eye.

                                    WASHUU
                    ANGRY Don't talk to *me* about
                     *plans*, Ms. "Send the Coward Crown
                     Prince to His Mom's Home Pond To
                    Bring Fresh Blood Into The Royal
                     Line"!  You've got no room to be
                    yelling at --

                                    TSUNAMI
                    FIERCE RAMIA.

A stab of guilt flashes across WASHUU's face, covered by stubbornness.

                                    WASHUU
                    That was twelve thousand years ago!
                    You should have --

                                    TSUNAMI
                    If I'd had any sense at all, then,
                    I *should* have blown you out my
                     airlock. BEAT; ALMOST BREAKING I
                     had just watched my *sister* KILL
                    HERSELF, and there you were, pulling
                    me away from the only person who had
                    ever treated me as something other
                    than a useful object, to go fight
                    some more.  Do you have *any* idea
                    how much that hurt?

                                    WASHUU
                    BEAT; QUIET Yes.

She abruptly collapses back into her childlike form, and sits back down at her
terminal.

                                    WASHUU
                    We do things we're not proud of,
                    because they're necessary.  That's
                     part of what being a grown up is.
                    BEAT  It's one part that I haven't
                    been able to get away from, no
                     matter how much I've tried.

TSUNAMI stares at her, then shakes her head.

                                    TSUNAMI
                    I want your assurances that you
                    won't try to interfere with Sasami
                    again.

                                    WASHUU
                    BORED Sure.

                                    TSUNAMI
                    Your *assurances*, Washuu.

                                    WASHUU
                    Here's a thought:  Go to her, keep
                    an eye on her, and if it looks like
                    I'm trying anything, zap me.

TSUNAMI nods.

                                    TSUNAMI
                    I think I shall do just that.  Good
                    day, `Sister'.

She vanishes.  WASHUU briefly smiles a "Sometimes it's so easy, I'm ashamed of
myself" grin, then goes back to her work.

                                    WASHUU
                    MUSING Sister.  Mother.  BEAT
                    Why do people only call me those
                    things when they're angry with me?

                                 PLUTO (O.S.)
                    I've no idea.

WASHUU throws her hands up in the air.

                                    WASHUU
                    PUT UPON You know, if people just
                    keep barging in here, I'm gonna stop
                    putting up the warning signs that
                    say I'm engaged in risky research,
                    and someone will come in and get
                    blasted, and it'll be TURNS AROUND
                    all your fault!

PLUTO is staring at her angrily.

                                     PLUTO
                    SHORT I don't care.  You.  Me.
                    Outside.  NOW.

Cut to an empty street, at dawn.  The "point" of an energy blade appears in mid
air, and slices open a circular gate, through which MINAKO tumbles, taking big
gulps of air.

                                    MINAKO
                    Where *am* I?  LOOKS AROUND Tokyo.
                    Or some other metropolitan Japanese
                    city.  BEAT Unless it's Vancouver,
                    or some other city with a Japanese
                    town inside it ... gee, I could be
                    *really* lost ...

There is the sound of an explosion in the distance.

                                    MINAKO
                    CHEERFUL Not that it matters!

She dashes off in the direction of the explosion.  Cut to a broken up city
street.  A large monster which could be best described as a yellow slug with a
head shaped like that of a deformed, cyclopean bull is smashing into cars and
buildings.  Fortunately, the street is mostly empty.

                                 YOHKO (O.S.)
                    I bear no ill-will to those made
                    victims of demons; but --

The monster smashes into a building, and a pair of forms are briefly seen
leaping for cover.

                                 YOHKO (O.S.)
                    -- but, to those who dwell in dark-
                    ness, since the --

The monster smashes into the car behind which the forms dodged.  They dodge
again, behind trash cans.

                                     YOHKO
                    -- since the time of the ancient
                    gods, we have been --

The monster draws back and lets out a belch of brownish-yellow gas at the trash
cans.  YOHKO and AZUSA run for cover behind a nearby car.  YOHKO looks to be
somewhere between annoyance and panic.

                                     YOHKO
                    Azusa-chan, I know that you really
                    want me to do the whole spiel before
                    we attack, but are you *sure* there
                    aren't precedents for doing it the
                    other way around?

AZUSA looks uncertain.

                                 MINAKO (O.S.)
                    If not, let's make one!

She bounds over YOHKO and AZUSA's heads, grinning as she leaps towards the
monster.

                                  YOHKO (sim)
                    Mina!

                                  AZUSA (sim)
                    Minako-san!

                                    MINAKO
                    VENUS ... LOVELY ... BLADE!

Just as MINAKO is about to smack into the side of the monster's head, the sword
forms between her hands and she slices downwards.  The monster howls.

                                     YOHKO
                    -- sincethetimeoftheancientgodswe
                    havebeenyourdestroyersthe106th
                    generationofdevilhunterandapprentice
                    arehere! TO AZUSA Happy?

AZUSA nods, and produces her spear as she charges towards the monster.  YOHKO's
soul sword is out as she does the same.  The fighting style of the Devil Hunters
and Sailor Venus in this scene could best be described as exuberant.  The
monster, while powerful, is very stupid, and they are outmaneuvering it from the
very beginning.  Thus, they feel free to show off, doing acrobatic attacks and
the like, trading quips while striking blows.  Finally, AZUSA delivers a thrust
to the base of the monster's neck, while MINAKO and YOHKO give simultaneous
sword strikes through its eye.  The monster convulses, then collapses, with the
fighters jumping away from the carcass as it does.

                                    MINAKO
                    PLEASED SIGH Nice work out. BEAT
                    Hello, Yohko.  This is Tokyo, right?

                                     YOHKO
                    Uh ... yes.  Nerima district.  It's
                    good to see you again, Mina.

                                    MINAKO
                    Likewise!  BEAT Hello, Azusa-chan!
                    Worked out that little problem yet?

                                     AZUSA
                    SHAKES HEAD No, Minako-san ...
                    still working on it.

AZUSA looks sadly at YOHKO who is staring confusedly at MINAKO.

                                     YOHKO
                    "Little problem"?

                                    MINAKO
                    Nothing to worry about.  BEAT
                    Nerima?  Isn't this a little off
                    the beaten path for you two?

                                     YOHKO
                    For you, too.  Grandmother was
                    contacted by an old client of hers
                    who lives in this area, something
                    about a bunch of murders, and she
                    sent us in to investigate, as usual.

The side of the monster's carcass begins to bulge.  AZUSA notices.

                                    MINAKO
                    Neat.  I got sent here by a botched
                    teleportation.

                                     AZUSA
                    Umm ... Yohko-san?

                                     YOHKO
                    "Botched tele--"

                                     AZUSA
                    Minako-san?

                                    MINAKO
                    At least I hope that's what happened
                    ... I don't want to think that my
                    GLOATING *boyfriend* dropped me
                    off here deliberately --

                                     AZUSA
                    Ummmmm ...

                                     YOHKO
                    SHOCKED No!  You didn't!  You did
                    *not* get a boyfriend before I did,
                    no way!

                                    MINAKO
                    SWEET Waaaaay.

                                     AZUSA
                    DESPERATE Guys?

                                     YOHKO
                    Oh ... life is so, *so* unfair ...

                                     AZUSA
                    PANICS YOU GUYS?!?

They turn to look at her.

                                     AZUSA
                    I don't think that the monster is
                    dead yet!

YOHKO and MINAKO stare at the bulges in the side of the monster, and immediately
get ready for more fighting -- just as a human arm bursts out of the side of the
carcass.  It remains rigid for a moment, then collapses in exhaustion.

                                     YOHKO
                    Oh, GOD!

They all dash over to the monster, and start to widen the hole torn by the arm
in the monster's skin, until KASUGA AKANE tumbles out, limp, covered in the
monster's digestive juices, and gasping for breath.

                                 KASUGA AKANE
                    GASPING Wha ... wha ... wha ...

                                    MINAKO
                    SOOTHING It's all right, we killed
                    the demon.

AKANE stares groggily at MINAKO, then nods vaguely.

                                 KASUGA AKANE
                    Okay ...

She lets out a long sigh, and starts to close her eyes.  A moment later, they
burst open.

                                 KASUGA AKANE
                    Shiken!

                                    MINAKO
                    What?
                                 KASUGA AKANE
                    Shiken, my ... my fiance, he ... we
                    were in a car, we were arguing, and
                    that ... that thing smashed through
                    the windshield and sucked us both
                    up like some sort of vacuumn cleaner
                    from hell --

MINAKO, YOHKO, and AZUSA look at the hole in the monster's side, and wince.

                                     YOHKO
                    VERY RELUCTANT I'll do it.

Taking a deep breath, she puts her hands on either side of the slash, and pulls
it open wide enough to stick her head in, which she promptly does.  The inside
of the monster's body cavities are dimly lit.  YOHKO looks around quickly,
obviously trying to hold her breath.  Her gaze finally stops on the remains of
SHIKEN ... a sight which, judging by her reaction, we are lucky to not see.  She
pulls her head back out.  Outside, YOHKO takes another deep breath, and shudders
a bit.

                                 KASUGA AKANE
                    Did you see him?

YOHKO doesn't look at her.

                                     YOHKO
                    No.  BEAT  I couldn't see ...
                    anything that looked like another
                    human being.

The implications of that sink in for AKANE, and she begins to cry.

                                 KASUGA AKANE
                    I ... I don't get it ... what's
                    with me?  I didn't want to marry
                    him ... I didn't even like him ...
                    much ... so I should be happy that
                    he's --

Her words are cut off by a sudden spasm of pain.  MINAKO, on her knees beside
AKANE, reaches out to steady her by placing a hand on her stomach ... and
recoils.  After a second, she slowly puts her hand back.  Something throbs in
AKANE's stomach, vibrating up MINAKO's arm.  YOHKO and AZUSA watch in horror.

                                     YOHKO
                    QUIET Azusa-chan, do you have that
                    Devil Hunter's guide of yours, with
                    you?

AZUSA nods rapidly, and produces a large tome from her backpack.

                                     AZUSA
                    Look for the monster's picture?

                                     YOHKO
                    Yes.

AZUSA starts flipping through the book.

                                 KASUGA AKANE
                    DREADING Something's wrong, isn't
                     it?  Something's wrong with me.

                                    MINAKO
                    REASSURING We don't know that, not
                    for sure, so don't go and --

AZUSA's jaw drops.

                                     AZUSA
                    Amida-sama ...

YOHKO looks at her expectantly.  AZUSA just shakes her head, and hands the book
to YOHKO.  YOHKO stares down at the page, and becomes very pale.

                                 KASUGA AKANE
                    FRIGHTENED What?  BEAT  WHAT?

                                     YOHKO
                    Miss ... what's your name?  You
                    never did say.

                                 KASUGA AKANE
                    Akane.  What --

                                     YOHKO
                    Akane-san ... this particular kind
                    of monster has two uses for human
                    prey.  BEAT  Males, it uses as
                    ... as a food supply.  BEAT  And
                    STRUGGLING females ... it uses to
                    ... reproduce ...

AKANE stares up at YOHKO, who can't meet her gaze.  She turns her head to stare
at MINAKO, who is gazing back at her in horror.

                                 KASUGA AKANE
                    VERY QUIET It's inside of me.
                    Isn't it?

MINAKO can't stand that gaze for more than a few seconds, so she looks up at
YOHKO.

                                     YOHKO
                    TRYING TO HOLD ON The book says
                    that there's about ten minutes from
                    conception to ... birth, and that
                    the spawn achieves ... it's able to
                    continue the cycle under a year.
                    BEAT  And the spawn can't be
                    banished from the Earth dimension,
                    like the parent.

MINAKO starts to shake her head, then freezes, with a wild look on her face.

                                    MINAKO
                    SAILOR MOON!  She can purify her,
                    heal her, she can --

AZUSA and YOHKO look hopeful.

                                    MINAKO
                    FADING -- she can do a lot of
                    things ... but I don't know where
                    she is ...

AKANE suddenly grabs MINAKO's hand, and jerks it up her body, to her collarbone.
MINAKO looks back, and is obviously frightened by what she sees in AKANE's eyes.

                                 KASUGA AKANE
                    KILL ME.

                                    MINAKO
                    I --
                                 KASUGA AKANE
                    I never wanted to be a mother, and
                    definitely not like this, KILL ME!

                                    MINAKO
                    I cccccc-- I caaaa -- I --

                                 KASUGA AKANE
                    TEARS PLEASE.

MINAKO looks at YOHKO and AZUSA, who stare back helplessly.  MINAKO turns back
to AKANE and stares into her eyes for a second.  She has a hard time speaking.

                                    MINAKO
                    Where can I get in touch with your
                    fam--

                                 KASUGA AKANE
                    They won't care.  BEAT  Nobody's
                    going to miss me.  BEAT  The only
                    person I ever loved never even knew.
                    When I'm gone, no one will remember
                    ... it'll be like I never existed.

MINAKO nods, and slowly moves her hand, covered by AKANE's hand, to AKANE's left
breast.

                                    MINAKO
                    I'll remember.  BEAT I will always
                    remember you.

                                 KASUGA AKANE
                    SMILES DESPITE FEAR AND PAIN Thank
                    you.

                                    MINAKO
                    FAINT Please close your eyes.

AKANE does so.

                                 KASUGA AKANE
                    Will it hurt?

                                    MINAKO
                    I don't know.  BEAT  But if it
                    does ... it only hurts for a little
                    while.  I promise.  I won't do it
                    until --

There's a surge in AKANE's stomach.

                                 KASUGA AKANE
                    Now.

                                    MINAKO
                    WHISPERED Crescent Beam.

Beneath their gripped hands, there is a flash of golden light.  AKANE's eyes
flash open in shock.  MINAKO stares at them, as if expecting to see the shock to
fade, for her face to show peace at the end.  It doesn't.  Cut to a bathroom.
MADOKA, brushing her teeth, jerks up.  She looks over her shoulder, an odd
expression on her face.  Slowly, she starts to brush her teeth again.  Cut back
to MINAKO and AKANE.  MINAKO's hand is still resting on AKANE's breast.  MINAKO
doesn't seem to be breathing.  YOHKO slowly approaches, and touches MINAKO's
shoulder.

                                    MINAKO
                    QUIET Don't touch me, please.

YOHKO backs off a short distance.  MINAKO slowly releases AKANE's death grip on
her hand, and rests AKANE's hand over the cauterized hole in her chest.  She
starts to move back, and remove her gloves.

                                    MINAKO
                    CALM My, these are dirty.  BEAT
                    Very dirty.  I'm never going to be
                    able to get these clean.  Even with
                    bleach ...

She turns to stare at YOHKO.  Her eyes are full of tears.

                                     YOHKO
                    Mina ...

                                    MINAKO
                    Yohko, do you have a lighter?  Or
                    something else that bbburns?  I need
                    to get rid of these gloves.  They're
                    dirty.  Very, very ddddddd--

She breaks down.  YOHKO quickly holds her as she sobs, and AZUSA joins a moment
later.  A few minutes pass.

                                 WOMAN (O.S.)
                    How sad.  YOHKO looks up sharply.

Standing nearby is a WOMAN (apparently in her early thirties), with
short-cropped gray hair, dressed in a long black coat.  She is staring at the
decaying carcass of the monster, her hands in her coat pockets.

                                     YOHKO
                    Who --  The WOMAN turns to look at YOHKO.

We see that she has grey eyes with flecks of gold.

                                     WOMAN
                    Who am I?  BEAT  I'm the bad guy.

                                     YOHKO
                    What?

                                     WOMAN
                    Well, not *THE* bad guy, not yet.
                    But I'm working on it.

YOHKO slowly disengages MINAKO from her embrace, and starts to stand up.

                                     YOHKO
                    You're the one responsible for
                    freeing this monster?

The WOMAN thinks about that for a moment.

                                     WOMAN
                    ... in the long run, yes.  I stopped
                    someone from stopping the opening of
                    the gate that brought it here, so --

YOHKO flourishes her soul sword.  The WOMAN does not seem unduly impressed.

                                     YOHKO
                    Why?

                                     WOMAN
                    SHRUG I wanted to make a deal with
                    the one that was actually being
                    called here.  This thing was just
                    the daemonic equivalent of a fly on
                    a rat coming ashore --

                                     YOHKO
                    Okay.  That's IT!  She charges.

The WOMAN regards her with mild interest right up until the last possible
moment, when she sidesteps with superhuman speed, brushing a hand across YOHKO's
swordarm as she does.  YOHKO goes past, then whirls around to try again.

                                     WOMAN
                    Nuh-uh-*uh* ...

YOHKO's sword arm stretches out to the side.  She looks at it, startled.

                                     YOHKO
                    W-what's happening --

                                     WOMAN
                    GRINNING THIS.

YOHKO's arm begins to bend backwards at the elbow.  She struggles, in obvious
pain, trying to fight the force which is holding her arm captive.

                                     AZUSA
                    YOHKO-SAN!

AZUSA rises and throws her spear at the WOMAN's back.  The WOMAN's eyes narrow.
YOHKO's arm snaps back, and she lets out a shriek of agony.  The WOMAN whirls
and catches the spear just before it hits her chest.  AZUSA starts to visibly
panic.

                                     WOMAN
                    Cute.  Very cute.

She discards the spear casually, and starts to walk towards MINAKO, who slowly
pushes herself off the floor, frightened and still in shock.

                                     WOMAN
                    SOOTHING Relax.  I don't intend to
                    kill you.  BEAT  I overheard you
                    mention someone called Sailor Moon.
                    BEAT  I think that I know where
                    she is.  If she's in this district
                    at all, she'll be at the Tendou dojo
                    ... just a little ways from here.
                    BEAT  Also there will be a man,
                    named Kent.  I want you to give him
                    a message.

                                    MINAKO
                    Message?  What --

                                     WOMAN
                    Tell him that Jessica is here, and
                    that I'm waiting.

The WOMAN (hereafter referred to as JESSICA) looks down at AKANE's body for a
moment.

                                    JESSICA
                    It's a shame so many people have to
                    die for one man's mistake ... but
                    that's life, I guess. BEAT Funny
                    how the police never showed up,
                    isn't it?  Oh well.  I don't think
                    you and I will ever meet again.
                    BEAT If I we do, I'll probably
                    have to kill you or something.
                      Bye.

She leaps into the air ... and starts flying away, fairly slowly.  MINAKO
watches, stunned.  AZUSA is trying to help YOHKO, who is obviously in extreme
pain.

                                     AZUSA
                    Yohko-san, are you all right?

                                     YOHKO
                    STRAINED Well, other the little
                    thing about my arm being broken,
                    yes ...

MINAKO turns back to them.

                                    MINAKO
                    Yohko ... you'd better get to a
                    hospital.

YOHKO looks like she wants to protest, but then she slowly seems to collapse in
on herself.

                                     YOHKO
                    You're right ... I hate it, but ...
                    give my regards to the other Sailors,
                    okay?

AZUSA begins to help her up, shouldering her.  MINAKO nods, and turns to go.

                                     YOHKO
                    Mina ... don't blame yourself.

MINAKO doesn't look back.

                                    MINAKO
                    QUIET  "Who is to be blamed for
                    my failure to do my best?". BEAT
                    See you.

She runs off.

                                     AZUSA
                    Is she going to be all right?

                                     YOHKO
                    She got the quote right.  BEAT I
                    don't think she is, no.

Cut to the TENDOU kitchen.  KASUMI is preparing breakfast, assisted by PATRICIA.
LITA, dressed in the same clothes as yesterday (now slightly wrinkled) wanders
into the kitchen.

                                    KASUMI
                    Good morning.

                                     LITA
                    Um ... good morning.  BEAT  Uh ...
                    we haven't really been introduced.
                    I'm Hippolyta Kino.  Everyone calls
                    me Lita.

                                    KASUMI
                    Yes, I overheard.  Tendou Kasumi.

                                   PATRICIA
                    I Patricia Delafontaine am.

                                    KASUMI
                    Patricia, where do we always put the
                    verb?

                                   PATRICIA
                    BLINKS, SHEEPISH I *am* Patricia
                    Delafontaine.  I ... don't ... speak
                    Japanese very well.

                                     LITA
                    It's okay, it's somewhere close to
                    being a second language for me too.
                    BEAT Um ...

                                    KASUMI
                    Yes, we do remember the fact that
                    you're a Sailor ... Scout.

                                     LITA
                    BLINK Uh ... thanks.  BEAT But
                    I was wondering whether or not I
                    could help out with the cooking?  I
                    don't want to be taking too much
                    advantage of your hospitality.

                                    KASUMI
                    Of course!

KASUMI and PATRICIA open a space for her at the counter, and LITA starts cutting
carrots.  Suddenly, KENT opens the door to the kitchen.

                                     KENT
                    Patricia, I --

He stares for a moment at KASUMI, PATRICIA, and LITA who are staring back.  LITA
has her heart in her eyes.

                                     KENT
                    SHORT Never mind.

He shuts the door.

                                    KASUMI
                    Oh my.  I wonder --

                                     LITA
                    DREAMILY He's dreamy ... who is
                    he?

PATRICIA and KASUMI exchange looks of sympathetic pain.  Cut to the hallway.
KENT walks down the hallway, a disturbed look on his face.

                                     KENT
                    There are days I truly hate being a
                    telepath.  BEAT  Women ...

NINIANE appears from nowhere and falls into step beside him.

                                    NINIANE
                    DRY Aren't we wonderful?

                                     KENT
                    BRUSQUE Niniane.  I'd assumed you
                    would still be celebrating your
                    reunion with McGovern.

                                    NINIANE
                    Oh no.  Got that out of the way a
                    while ago, so I'd have plenty of
                    time to remind you --

                                     KENT
                    "Three will go in, and two will come
                     out."

NINIANE looks momentarily startled, but recovers.

                                    NINIANE
                    *I'd* assumed you would be true to
                    your word and forget that.

KENT pauses and turns to look directly at NINIANE.

                                     KENT
                    CASUAL I probably would have, but
                    Aethan said the same thing two days
                    ago.

                                    NINIANE
                    STARTLED, ANRGY Oh.  So you give
                    the vampyre who ran a competing
                    agency to ours for nearly a year --

                                     KENT
                    This isn't a competition, Niniane.

                                    NINIANE
                    -- more credence than my prophecies.
                    Thank you ever so much.

                                     KENT
                    Finished?

                                    NINIANE
                    I believe so.

                                     KENT
                    Good. BEAT I'm trying to set up a
                    meeting to discuss strategies in a
                    few hours.  I'd appreciate it if
                    you would spread the word.

                                    NINIANE
                    BLINK Aren't you going to give me
                    backtalk about --

                                     KENT
                    Niniane, I realize that Modern
                    English isn't your first language,
                    but I thought that you understood
                    enough of its idioms to know that
                    "backtalk" is something you give a
                    superior.  BEAT  Which means that
                    I *can't* give you backtalk.

He smiles pleasantly at her startled expression, then turns to go.

                                    NINIANE
                    QUIET You could at least *thank*
                    me.

KENT turns to look back at NINIANE with a disbelieving expression.  RANMA,
looking annoyed, appears at the far end of the corridor.

                                     KENT
                    You want me to thank you for telling
                    me, in effect, that someone's going
                    to die and there's not a damn thing
                    I can do to stop it.  BEAT Thanks
                    so much for your gift, Niniane.

                                     RANMA
                    Excuse me?  Die?

                                     KENT
                    Ranma.  Good morning.  How'd your
                    sparring session with that Tenchi
                    fellow go?  I couldn't watch the
                    whole --

                                     RANMA
                    I don't wanna talk about it.  What's
                    this about someone's going to die?

                                     KENT
                    Niniane, here, is a seer, among her
                    other talents.  She has foreseen that
                    ... well, it was strangely put, but
                    amounted to the idea that in any
                    group of three that I see in the
                    next few days, one of the people
                    may not survive these events. BEAT
                    In which case, you might want to
                    avoid the kitchen.

                                     RANMA
                    Is Akane cooking or something?

                                 AKANE (V.O.)
                    I'm going to find him and hit him
                    just as soon as I get this written
                    down.

                                     KENT
                    No.  Kasumi, Patricia, and one of
                    the Sailor Scouts are.  This may be
                    your last chance to get to know any
                    of them.

He walks off, leaving NINIANE fuming, and RANMA confused.  He turns to look at
her.

                                     RANMA
                    Um ...

                                    NINIANE
                    DANGEROUS Yes ...?

                                     RANMA
                    So ... is what he said true?

                                    NINIANE
                    CLIPPED Essentially.

                                     RANMA
                    And ... there's no way out of it?

                                    NINIANE
                    What is, is.

                                     RANMA
                    BLINK That's a real hopeless
                    attitude you've got there, y'know?

                                    NINIANE
                    UPSET Excuse me, it's not my fault
                    that everything I foresee happens!

                                     RANMA
                    Even when you try to prevent it?

                                    NINIANE
                    I --

                                     RANMA
                    Wait a minute ... you've *tried* to
                    stop things from coming true, right?

                                    NINIANE
                    I -- I have informed people of what
                    I saw, and it changed nothing.

                                     RANMA
                    UPSET But you didn't do anything,
                    or *try* anything yourself to change
                    things.  BEAT  Lady, that's not
                    hopeless, that's *stupid*.

NINIANE reacts as though slapped.

                                    NINIANE
                    How *dare* you, you miserable little
                    *boy*?  I am over fifteen hundred
                    years old!  I have seen things that
                    made my soul scream in anguish!
                    I have done things that you can't
                    even imagine --

RANMA takes a step back.

                                     RANMA
                    And in all that, you never tried to
                    change one thing you saw in a
                    vision.  BEAT Lady, I take it all
                    back.  You're not hopeless, *or*
                    stupid.  You're just a coward.

He turns his back on her, and starts walking away.  NINIANE is beyond shocked.

                                    NINIANE
                    WHISPERED That's *NOT* true!

Cut to SHAMPOO, standing outside the dojo, staring up at the Helifortress
without really looking at it.

                                    SHAMPOO
                    CHINESE What am I going to do?  I
                    have to marry him ... gods, I *want*
                    to marry him, still, no matter how
                    far into perversion she's dragged
                    him --

COLOGNE pogo sticks beside her.

                                    COLOGNE
                    BRUSQUE Practice your Japanese,
                    girl.

                                    SHAMPOO
                    CHINESE Great grandmother, I have
                    to --

                                    COLOGNE
                    I said, in Japanese --

                                    SHAMPOO
                    ANGRY No!

COLOGNE is shocked.  For a second, she stares at her protege in dead silence.

                                    COLOGNE
                    So.  Are you at last going to
                    challenge me, Shan Pu?

                                    SHAMPOO
                    STARTLED I ... no, no of course
                    not!

                                    COLOGNE
                    Not *yet*, you mean.

                                    SHAMPOO
                    I ... SHAKES HEAD Great grand--
                    mother, I do not wish to challenge
                    you today.  I wish to speak in our
                    language with you about a problem.

                                    COLOGNE
                    What problem have you found that
                    you cannot speak of it in --

SHAMPOO's frustration is clearly visible on her face.

                                    SHAMPOO
                    -- in a language in which you've
                    given me no instruction?  That I'm
                    expected to learn as some sort of
                    punishment for dragging you out of
                    your retirement?  BEAT Great-
                     grandmother, I don't have the words
                    to talk about this problem in
                    Japanese.  It's not the sort of
                    thing that phrasebooks cover.

                                    COLOGNE
                    QUIET Very well.  Speak.

Cut to a hallway in the TENDOU dojo.  AYEKA and RAYE wander around, talking.

                                     RAYE
                    Frankly, Ayeka-san, *something* goes
                    wrong every time we try using that
                    ... what did you call it again?

                                     AYEKA
                    Psychoportative gestalt.

                                     RAYE
                    ... so I'm not seriously surprised
                     by all this.  BEAT  Annoyed as all
                    hell, but -- anyway, I'm stressed
                    out.  Maybe I ought to go take a
                    shower --

They pass a window through which we can see SHAMPOO speaking with COLOGNE.
AYEKA pauses, startled.

                                     AYEKA
                    Shan Pu?

                                     RAYE
                    Huh?  Well, if you have some, we
                    won't have to take any from the
                    Tendou --

                                     AYEKA
                    CONFUSED Excuse me?  BEAT No, a
                    friend of mine named Shan Pu ...
                    she's outside.

RAYE comes over to the window with AYEKA.  They listen to SHAMPOO talking with
COLOGNE in Mandarin Chinese.  SHAMPOO says something that causes both COLOGNE
and AYEKA to react with shock.

                                     AYEKA
                    Aiyaah!

                                     RAYE
                    Huh?  What?

                                     AYEKA
                    STARTLED Didn't you hear?  She saw
                    her husband having ... intercourse
                    with --

                                     RAYE
                    You speak Chinese?

AYEKA stares at RAYE for a moment.

                                     AYEKA
                    You mean ... there's a difference
                    between the language that she's
                    using and the one that we're using
                    now?

                                     RAYE
                    Uh ... yeah.  They're not related,
                    at all.

                                     AYEKA
                    Oh ... oh dear.  No wonder she
                    thought I was a foreigner when we
                    spoke.

                                      RAYE
                    I don't get it ... how can you --

AYEKA touches the wood-carved headband that she wears.

                                     AYEKA
                    All the members of Jurai's royal
                    family are given training in what
                    we call telelinguistics -- the
                    ability to mentally translate
                    languages, and to project thoughts
                    that convey the meaning of what we
                    say in the listener's native
                    language.  I can actually only speak
                    a bit of Japanese on my own.

                                     RAYE
                    Seriously?  That's amazing ...

                                     AYEKA
                    MODEST Well, it's not really as
                    incredible a thing as all that.
                    After all, it's the only telepathic
                    ability I have, and it only works
                    because my headband is a psychic
                    amplifier.  BEAT  Sometimes, it
                    works so well that I don't even
                    realize that I'm listening to a
                    translation ...

She turns back to the window ... and sees SHAMPOO glaring in.  AYEKA is
startled.

                                     AYEKA
                    MANDARIN Eek!

                                    SHAMPOO
                    MANDARIN; *VERY* ANGRY What.  Did.
                    You.  Hear?

                                     AYEKA
                    I ... I regret your husband's folly.

SHAMPOO's face gets even more frosty ... and she turns and stomps away.  RAYE
has been watching with a confused expression.

                                     RAYE
                    What'd you say to her?

                                     AYEKA
                    I ... all I said was that I was
                    sorry for what her husband had done,
                    and she --

                                     RAYE
                    UPSET And she didn't give you a
                    chance to explain or -- why, that --

RAYE angrily opens the window, and climbs through it.

                                     RAYE
                    Hey, you! HEADING AFTER SHAMPOO
                    You with the cheesebuns on your
                    head!

AYEKA intends to follow RAYE out through the window, but is hindered by her
dress' large skirt.

                                     AYEKA
                    DREADING Oh, dear.

She dashes down the hallway.  URD, who has been standing in the shadows,
unnoticed until now, steps forward to watch her go.  She smiles, a quiet smile
totally at odds with her usual vampish persona.

                                      URD
                    ... the most unlikely of friends ...

Outside the house, RAYE chases after SHAMPOO who is walking away angrily.

                                     RAYE
                    Hey, you!  Stop, I said!

SHAMPOO abruptly stops, and whips around so that she is in RAYE's face.

                                    SHAMPOO
                    What want, Annoying No-Know Girl?

                                     RAYE
                    UNDAUNTED I wanna know why the
                    heck you didn't give Ayeka-san the
                    chance to explain --

                                    SHAMPOO
                    -- explain *more* Shampoo's shame?

                                     RAYE
                    No!  *Why* she didn't tell you that
                    she was an alien!

There is a long pause.

                                    SHAMPOO
                    Alien is foreigner, yes?

                                     RAYE
                    No, this time, alien is person from
                    another planet.

Another long pause.

                                    SHAMPOO
                    You think Shampoo *really* stupid.

                                     RAYE
                    SARCASM That's not the issue here.

                                    SHAMPOO
                    IGNORING She one of saucer people.
                    *Sure*.  She look and talk like
                    human being, but she really a saucer
                    people.  Explain everything.

                                     RAYE
                    You don't think so?  Then how do you
                    explain her translation trick?

SHAMPOO stares at RAYE as though in doubt as to her sanity.

                                    SHAMPOO
                    Magic!

                                     RAYE
                    DEEP SIGH Okay, whatEVER.  I don't
                    see why you got so mad at --

                                    SHAMPOO
                    She let me think she from other than
                    Japan --

                                     RAYE
                    And she is!  Even if you aren't
                    willing to believe that she's from
                    another planet, she *is* from
                    outside Japan.

                                    SHAMPOO
                    SNORT Sure.  She have Annoying
                    Not-Know Girl as friend, but she
                    not from Japan --

                                     RAYE
                    ANGRY And what's that supposed
                    to mean?

                                    SHAMPOO
                    Shampoo know how Japanese people are
                    to foreigners.  Shampoo know *very*
                    well how Japanese people --

                                     RAYE
                    *VERY* ANGRY Oh YEAH?  You know
                    the opinion of each and every one
                    of the Japanese, huh?

                                    SHAMPOO
                    I --

                                     RAYE
                    You even call me "Not-Know Girl",
                    and then have the nerve to say you
                    know how I feel or think?  BEAT
                    Yeah, there's a lot of racism in
                    Japan.  I'm not going to try and
                    justify it, or apologize for it.
                    All I can do is try and live my life
                    without embracing it.

RAYE turns away.

                                     RAYE
                    And for what it's worth, if I were
                    as bad as you're making me out to
                     be, I wouldn't have my best friends
                    in this world.  BEAT  Because all
                    four of them are `only' part-
                    Japanese.  Later, Cheesebun Head.

She stalks away, leaving SHAMPOO with a very confused expression.  From the roof
of the dojo, AETHAN is watching with an oddly amused look on his face.  He
shakes his head, and then suddenly looks towards the gates of the dojo.  MINAKO
approaches the gate of the dojo at a dead run, gasping for breath.  She pauses
momentarily.

                                    MINAKO
                    ... six minutes ...

She closes her eyes, and shakes her head violently.  She returns to her normal
appearance, and opens the gate.  AETHAN is standing just inside.  Their eyes
meet.  A long silence ensues.

                                    MINAKO
                    I'm not clean anymore.  Will you let
                    me love you, now?

AETHAN's face gives no indication if he's confused by her words or not.

                                    AETHAN
                    I should have explained to you what
                    was happening.  I should not have
                    just left you there.  BEAT  You
                    should not have interfered when the
                    teleportation took effect.  You
                    placed yourself in serious danger.
                    BEAT I think we're even.  Don't
                    you?

MINAKO nods, trembling.

                                    AETHAN
                    Very well.  BEAT  Do you want me
                    to take you to your friends or --

                                    MINAKO
                    PANICS NO!  BEAT; GASP No.

                                    AETHAN
                    All right.  BEAT  You're going to
                    have to face them sooner or later,
                    though.

                                    MINAKO
                    ALMOST ACCUSING You know.

Close in on AETHAN's eye.  We see a surreal image of MINAKO -- a line drawing in
pale chalk on a shifting polychromatic background.  On the drawing, blobs of
colour are dabbed -- red on the hands, black on the heart, green in the stomach,
and white interspersed clots of the shifting background in the mind.  Her eyes
are still blue.

                                 AETHAN (V.O.)
                    Yes.  I know.

Close in on one of the eyes.  We draw back from MINAKO's actual eye.

                                    MINAKO
                    They can't.  Not *ever*.

There is another long silence.

                                    AETHAN
                    All right.  Then they won't.  BEAT
                    Come.  You need a shower.

He clutches his arm around her shoulders, and she nestles into his side.  They
begin to walk in the direction of the Helifortress.

                                    MINAKO
                    It won't work.  BEAT  But I'll do
                    it, anyway.  BEAT  Does it ever
                    get easier?

                                    AETHAN
                    Yes.  Every time.  It gets easier,
                    and easier, and easier ... and then
                    it gets hard to stop. BEAT  It is
                    ... *very* hard for me to stop.

                                    MINAKO
                    But you do.

                                    AETHAN
                    Yes.

                                    MINAKO
                    Will you teach me to stop?

                                    AETHAN
                    If I can.  Fade to black.

                                 AKANE (V.O.)
                    Aino Minako frightens me.  BEAT
                    It's something I've never dealt with
                    before -- I've been afraid of what
                    someone's going to do to me or to
                     people I care about ... but I've
                    never been scared of what someone
                    might do to herself.  BEAT When I
                    visited her, in preparation for
                    writing this, I was prepared to deal
                    with a grieving woman.  And she
                    wasn't.  She was very cheerful when
                    we spoke, and it wasn't until I
                    *looked* that I saw the anguish and
                    turmoil that she was suffering from.
                    BEAT  She gave me *everything*
                     about these days, from beginning to
                    end.  Even beyond all the minutiae I
                    had to cut, I've left out the candid
                    depictions of her "encounters" with
                    DeGales, among other things. BEAT
                    Anyway, it was around eleven that
                    morning that the meeting finally
                    got going.

Fade in on the kitchen.  LITA and PATRICIA are watching KASUMI prepare a dish of
some sort, and listening to her instructions, as UKYOU enters.

                                    KASUMI
                    Ara!  Hello, Kuonji-san.

                                     UKYOU
                    Hello, Kasumi.  Uh ... Sailor ...
                    Jupiter, right?

                                     LITA
                    Yep.

                                     UKYOU
                    BEAT Never *dreamed* I'd be ...
                    anyway, your leader asked me to tell
                    you that the meeting's starting.

KASUMI watches this exchange intently.

                                     LITA
                    Okay, thanks.  BEAT Raye and Amy
                    are already there, though ... and
                    it's not like she's going to need me
                    to do anything they can't ... so ...

                                     UKYOU
                    Tell me about it.  I feel like I'm
                    only here because Ranchan invited me
                    over two nights ago, and hasn't
                    figured out how to ask me to leave.
                    BEAT; QUICK But that's not true,
                    of course.

KASUMI diplomatically finishes off the katsudon she's making without comment.

                                    KASUMI
                    Well, then, Kuonji-san, would you
                    like to help us cook?

                                     UKYOU
                    Sure!  BEAT  How about some --

                                    KASUMI
                    I'm sorry, but we're all out of the
                    ingredients for okonomiyaki --

                                     UKYOU
                    That's okay, I brought a bunch with
                    me.  I'll go get my gear!

She dashes off.  KASUMI looks stricken.

                                     LITA
                    Ummm ... don't you like okonomiyaki?

                                    KASUMI
                    Not ... three days ... in a row, no.

LITA appears fairly ill at the thought.  There is a sudden doorbell.  KASUMI
quickly heads out to answer it.  The door slides open, revealing BELLDANDY,
MARA, and KEIICHI.  KASUMI's face freezes, as does BELLDANDY's face.  The
tension in the room increases several times over.

                                    KASUMI
                    CLIPPED What do *you* want here?

                                   BELLDANDY
                    I am Goddess First Class, Unlimited
                    License, Belldandy.  My sisters are
                    within.  I *will* enter.

KEIICHI is looking at BELLDANDY in shock at the coldness in her words.  MARA
appears to be panicking.

                                     MARA
                    ... she finally develops some back-
                    bone, and it has to happen *now*?

Both of them are ignored.

                                    KASUMI
                    You are not welcome here.

Their eyes lock.  Yellow lightning flashes between them.

                                    KEIICHI
                    DISBELIEVING Belldandy ...?

BELLDANDY abruptly breaks the eyelock, and turns to look at KEIICHI uncertainly.
KASUMI follows her gaze, and quickly makes a decision.

                                    KASUMI
                    Young sir.  What is your name?

                                    KEIICHI
                    Me?

                                    KASUMI
                    Yes, had I referred to the daemon
                    accompanying you, I should have said
                    "young madam".

                                    KEIICHI
                    Uh ... Morisato Keiichi.  Nice to --

                                    KASUMI
                    Morisato Keiichi-san, can you vouch
                    for this person's lack of hostile
                    intent?

                                    KEIICHI
                    VERY CONFUSED Uh ... you mean Mara,
                    right?

MARA glares at him.

                                    KASUMI
                    No.  I refer to this "Goddess".

                                    KEIICHI
                    Right.  Sorry.  MIND CATCHES UP
                    Hostile intent?!  *Belldandy's* --

                                    KASUMI
                    Correct.

                                    KEIICHI
                    Uh ... y-yes, of course!  She'd
                    never even hurt a fly!

KASUMI gazes at KEIICHI for a long moment ... then nods, decisively.

                                    KASUMI
                    VERY FORMAL The Goddess First
                    Class Belldandy, the Demon First
                     Class Mara, and the mortal Morisato
                    Keiichi may enter the Tendou home.
                     BEAT Should any harm come to any
                    here by your actions, I shall
                    forthwith insist on your departure.

                                   BELLDANDY
                    I shall finish my business here,
                    and depart immediately thereafter.

KASUMI steps aside.  As BELLDANDY steps past her, she whispers.

                                    KASUMI
                    WHISPER If you harm any of my
                    sisters, I shall kill you.

BELLDANDY gives no indication of hearing, but walks past, cooly serene.  MARA
evidently did hear, and gives KASUMI an incredulous look as she walks past.
KASUMI ignores her, and instead glomps onto KEIICHI as he passes.

                                    KASUMI
                    This way, Morisato-san.

                                    KEIICHI
                    Uh, excuse me?

KASUMI smiles apologetically.

                                    KASUMI
                    I am sorry, Mr. Morisato, but as you
                    are a hostage, I have to keep an eye
                    on you.  Please come this way.

She politely guides the shocked KEIICHI down the hall.  Suddenly, BELLDANDY's
"angel", Hollybell, appears before KASUMI's face, and speaks in an
incomprehensible language.

                                   SUBTITLE
                    Thus saith Belldandy:  Should any
                    harm come to Keiichi-san, I shall
                    not rest until the line of the Moon
                    Kingdom is no more.

The "angel" vanishes.

                                    KEIICHI
                    BLINKS Uh ... what was that all
                    about?

                                    KASUMI
                    Nothing very important.  BEAT Do
                    you like okonomiyaki, Morisato-san?

                                    KEIICHI
                    Well, yeah, it's okay.

                                    KASUMI
                    Oh, good.

SASAMI is standing at the door to the kitchen, staring down the hallway with a
forlorn expression, as KASUMI and KEIICHI approach from behind her.

                                    KASUMI
                    Ara?

SASAMI turns around, and bows quickly.

                                    SASAMI
                    Hello.  My big sister said that they
                    were going to be talking about grown
                    up things, so I should go help in the
                    kitchen.  Can I?

                                    KASUMI
                    MURMURED I wonder when we approach
                    the point of "too many"?  ALOUD Of
                    course.  You are Sasami-chan, if I
                    remember rightly?

                                    SASAMI
                    CHEERFUL AND ENTHUSIASTIC Yes!

                                    KASUMI
                    And this is Morisato Keiichi-san.

KEIICHI smiles despite his confusion.

                                    KEIICHI
                    Pleased to meet you.

SASAMI is *very* startled, and stares at KEIICHI without responding.

                                    KEIICHI
                    Uh ... something wrong?

SASAMI snaps out of it, and shakes her head quickly, not trusting her voice.

                                    KEIICHI
                    Ooookay.

Cut to the inside of the dojo, the only room in the house large enough to hold
this meeting.  All the cast except those who have been shown to be elsewhere or
who enter during the scene are present.  RYOUKO is smiling malevolently in
RANMA's direction. causing him to become very nervous.  AKANE notices, and is
building up to "jealousy".  AMY is quietly working with her computer.  KENT is
addressing the assembly.

                                     KENT
                    ... and that's the situation.  A
                    group of demons have been summoned
                    to this world by persons unknown --
                    although we have suspicions --

                                     RANMA
                    The old freak.

                                     KENT
                    NODS -- and I am asking for your
                    collective assistance in dealing
                    with them.  BEAT  Any questions?

SERENA's hand shoots straight up.

                                     KENT
                    Yes, Ms. Tsukino?

                                    SERENA
                    What about Mina?  What are you
                    doing to --

                                     KENT
                    As I told Mr. DeGales, there's not
                    much we can do except --

The door slides open.  MINAKO, looking refreshed and cheerful, wanders in,
followed closely by AETHAN.

                                    MINAKO
                    -- except what's going to work!

                                    SERENA
                    MINA!  RAYE half-rises.

                                     RAYE
                    God, Mina, are you all --

                                    MINAKO
                    VERY SINCERE Yes!  I'm completely
                    all right.  Why wouldn't I be?

                                    GIDEON
                    You got lost in the Void, girl,
                    that's not --

                                    MINAKO
                    I coped!  BEAT  You're ... Michael
                    Gideon, right?  Aethan's told me a
                    lot about you!

                                    GIDEON
                    Really.  BEAT  Huh.  He hasn't
                    told me anything about you.

                                    MINAKO
                    Of course not.  BEAT  So, what'd
                    I miss?

                                     KENT
                    Well, to summarize, demons are
                     invading, will you help us fight
                    them?

                                    MINAKO
                    Oh.  BEAT  Yeah, that'd explain
                    it.  You're Kent Masefield, right?

                                     KENT
                    Correct.  Aethan told --

                                    MINAKO
                    No, not much.  But this woman named
                    Jessica told me that you'd be here,
                    and --

KENT moves from a position a few feet away from MINAKO to where he's looming
over her.  His face is blanch white.

                                     KENT
                    NOT MUCH OVER A WHISPER WHAT?

MINAKO stares up at him without concern.

                                    MINAKO
                    Don't crowd me, please.

KENT opens his mouth to snap a retort ... and something in MINAKO's eyes makes
him back down.

                                    MINAKO
                    I worked my way out of -- the
                    Void? -- quite a ways from here.
                    There was a demon ... and I fought
                    it, with some help from some of my
                    other friends.  BEAT  Anyway,
                    after we'd finished, this woman
                    came out of nowhere, beat the heck
                    out of my friends, and told me to
                    deliver a message to a guy named
                    Kent Masefield, here.  BEAT
                    She said to tell you that Jessica
                    was here, and that she was waiting.
                    And then she flew away.

ANDREW is getting to his feet, looking alarmed.

                                    ANDREW
                    Flew, as in, ran away fast, right?

                                    MINAKO
                    SLOWLY; AS THOUGH TO AN IDIOT No,
                    she *flew*.  NINIANE nods, fatalistically.

                                    MINAKO
                    So -- does it make any sense to
                    you?

                                     KENT
                    QUIET Yes.  BEAT  That woman
                    was Jessica --

                                    MINAKO
                    I *think* I'd figured out that part.

                                     KENT
                    Her full name is Jessica Drummond.
                    She's an international terrorist and
                    criminal, wanted on every continent
                    except Antarctica, for offenses
                    punishable by death.  BEAT  She is
                    also my half-sister.

Silence greets this revelation.

                                     KENT
                    My father ... was a great and heroic
                    man.  BEAT  He made a number of
                    terrible mistakes in his life.
                      BEAT  I ... it seems, at times,
                    that it is the responsibility of
                    children to either continue the work
                    that their parents left undone ...
                    or to make amends for the mistakes
                    of their parents' lives ... or as
                    often as not, both.

He seems to be looking at RANMA as he says this.

                                     KENT
                    She's waiting?  That's not a
                    surprise ... she's been waiting for
                    a chance to kill me since we were
                    about eight years old.  BEAT Did
                    she say anything else?

                                    MINAKO
                    Uh ... I think she said something
                    about it being a shame that a lot of
                    people had to die for someone's
                    mistake --

                                     KENT
                    IMPATIENT And?

                                    MINAKO
                    Would you back off, please?  Geez,
                    I wasn't expecting the Span--

                                     KENT
                    ODD SMILE Don't.  The way things
                    are going, they'd show up.

MINAKO is completely shocked.

                                     KENT
                    Ahem.

                                    MINAKO
                    Uh ... THINKS something about it
                    being strange that ... the police
                    hadn't shown up --

AKANE is suddenly on her feet.

                                     AKANE
                    Wait a minute -- I remember thinking
                    the same thing the other night, when
                    that demon blew up the train station
                    and -- that it was ridiculous for
                    the police to have not shown up
                    after something that ... *big* had
                    happened.

                                     KENT
                    SLOWLY The police did show up, but
                    not until --

                                      URD
                    Until after I called them.

KENT turns to look at her, a bit surprised.

                                     KENT
                    You did?

                                      URD
                    What?  You think all I do is walk
                    around and look good?

                                     SKULD
                    MUTTERED Could fool me sometimes.
                    ALOUD We saw the explosion, and
                    figured that since we were inside
                    the nexus of improbability, we
                    shouldn't use our powers to fix
                    things, because we didn't know how
                    it'd come out --

URD glowers at SKULD as a brief SD image of what actually happened appears over
her head:  the explosion, then SD-URD cackling as she flexes her fingers, and
begins to make magical gestures, followed by SD-SKULD whopping her with the
mallet, and lecturing in an incoherent, tinny voice.

                                    DARIEN
                    You'll excuse me for saying so, but
                    it seems that everything seems to be
                    pointing towards the police as "part
                    of the problem".

                                     KENT
                    NOD Or at least, something's
                    happening there that Jessica --

                                    MINAKO
                    -- or her boss.

                                     KENT
                    Her boss?

                                    MINAKO
                    Yeah ... she said something about
                    how she'd stopped someone from
                    stopping the gate from opening, so
                    that she could make a deal with --

                                  MARA (O.S.)
                    She's *MINE*.

URD and SKULD's heads whip around to the door as it slams open, revealing a
*very* pissed off MARA.  SKULD's mallet is instantly at hand, and URD begins to
summon up a thunderbolt -- Just as BELLDANDY steps into view.

                                   BELLDANDY
                    Oh, *there* you are!  I've been
                    looking all over for the two of you.

URD and SKULD facefault.

                                   BELLDANDY
                    Please allow me to introduce myself.
                    I am the Goddess First Class,
                    Unlimited License, Belldandy.  I
                    take it that you've met my sisters.

BELLDANDY turns to KENT, and blinks at him for a moment.

                                   BELLDANDY
                    Oh my.  BEAT  Aren't you --

NINIANE begins to move her hand behind her back, tracing an arcane pattern in
the air, as she stares with horror at BELLDANDY.  BELLDANDY pauses, then shakes
her head.

                                   BELLDANDY
                    I'm sorry.  I mistook you for some-
                    one else.

NINIANE lets out a sigh of relief, and drops her hand.  KENT is plainly
confused, but covers it by turning to look at MARA.

                                     KENT
                    Excuse me ... but aren't you a
                    demon?  Everyone reacts to that.

RAYE gets out an ofuda, RYOUKO looks at MARA with interest, etc.

                                     MARA
                    Yeah.  What's yer point?

                                     KENT
                    VERY CASUAL Why shouldn't we blast
                    you off the face of the earth?

                                     MARA
                    Maybe because you don't have the
                    cojones.  BEAT  Or maybe because,
                    miracul of miraculs, I'm on your
                    side?

                                     KENT
                    What side's that?

                                     MARA
                    The "get-rid-of-the-Adversary" side?

NINIANE, URD, SKULD, AETHAN, and COLOGNE all react with varying degrees of
shock.  MCGOVERN has a strange little smile.

                                 AKANE (V.O.)
                    It was the first time most of those
                    in the room had heard the name ...
                    at least in connection with our
                    current situation ...

KENT has a strange expression on his face.

                                     KENT
                    The Adversary?

                                     MARA
                    Yeah.  A few days back some idiot
                    mortal attracted its attention
                    and drew it to this plane.  I tried
                    to stop the stupid ritual, but your
                    little sister stopped me before I
                    could.

                                    TENCHI
                    Uh ... excuse me, but what exactly
                    is the ... Adversary?

MARA opens her mouth to explain.

                                    NINIANE
                    Evil.  BEAT  It is the enemy of
                    all who live.

                                    TENCHI
                    Oh.  BEAT  So ... why not just
                    call it the Enemy, then?

NINIANE opens her mouth to reply, then steals a quick look at KENT.  She shrugs.

                                    NINIANE
                    Tradition.

KENT turns back to MARA.

                                     KENT
                    In any event ... why did you try to
                    prevent the Adversary's coming?

                                     MARA
                    SHRUG I'm not done with this world
                    yet.  And when the Adversary is,
                    there won't be anything left of it
                    but a barren cinder orbiting a burnt
                    out star.  Where's the fun in that?

KENT nods once, then turns back to NINIANE.

                                     KENT
                    You know about this thing?

                                    NINIANE
                    Legends, only.

                                     KENT
                    How can it be beaten?

MARA has a brief fit of laughter, which earns her hostile looks from all three
goddesses.

                                    NINIANE
                    According to the legends -- boredom.
                    BEAT In several accounts, when the
                    Adversary wasn't able to achieve a
                    sufficiently swift victory, it lost
                    interest in the conflict, and quit
                    the field.

                                    COLOGNE
                    The accounts of my people also tell
                    of such things.

A series of Chinese paintings illustrate the following tale.  Ku-Len Sing
resembles has long, greenish-black hair, with earlocks.

                                COLOGNE (V.O.)
                    It is said that Ku-Len Sing, the
                     daughter of an Amazon matriarch and
                    the God of War, was able to cause
                    the Adversary -- whose name in our
                    tongue I will not pronounce -- to
                     lose interest in Earth during the
                     First Emperor's reign by defeating a
                    horde of goblinkind, singlehandedly.
                    The battle is said to have lasted
                    five days and five nights.

                                 RANMA (V.O.)
                    So what happened to her after that?

                                COLOGNE (V.O.)
                    Most of the parts of her body were
                    recovered, eventually.

Cut back to reality.  Most of the more ... sensitive souls in the room are
rather disturbed by COLOGNE's story, and SERENA in particular seems green around
the gills.

                                     KENT
                    I'm not going to ask what happens
                    to the heroes in your stories, all
                    right, Niniane?

                                    NINIANE
                    Probably a wise move.

                                     KENT
                    Okay ... what exactly does this
                    thing want?  Power?  Souls?  A
                    blue gem with an attitude problem?

NINIANE has a guarded expression, and is relieved when BELLDANDY speaks up.

                                   BELLDANDY
                    According to the stories of *my*
                    people ... it craves the destruction
                    of the material universe.

                                     KENT
                    MUTTERED ... next time, definitely
                    take the fishing trip.

                                   BELLDANDY
                    Excuse me?

                                     KENT
                    Never mind.  BEAT  All right.  One
                    thing at a time -- I think that we
                    should examine the question of why
                    the local police are being so slow
                    on the draw.  BEAT  Come to think
                    of it ... it took a rather long time
                    for them to get there after Shujin's
                    murder, too ...

                                    NABIKI
                    SUDDENLY INTERESTED Yeah.  I mean,
                    it's *normal* for them to stay the
                    heck away from martial arts duels in
                    this town, but after a murder -- they
                    took something like a half hour to
                    get there.

                                     KENT
                    I take it that you know about how
                    the police operate under normal
                    circumstances?

                                    NABIKI
                    MODEST I keep my eyes open.

                                     KENT
                    NODS Okay.  TO EVERYONE What I'm
                    going to suggest may surprise some
                    of you, but I think that the best
                    way that we can operate is to divide
                    into groups of three --

NINIANE and RANMA look startled.  A confused murmur begins to develop.

                                     KENT
                    -- but not necessarily three people
                    from the same ... *team*, as you
                    might call them.

                                     RANMA
                    Uh ... why *three*?

                                     KENT
                    BLASE It's my lucky number. BEAT
                    Also, there are exactly twenty-seven
                    people here, now, which gives us
                    nine of these groups.

AMY suddenly looks up from her computer.

                                      AMY
                    There are only twenty-six here.
                    BEAT  Ah ... Lita.

                                     KENT
                    NODS I included Sailor Jupiter,
                    yes.  BEAT  What are you doing, if
                    you don't mind my asking?

                                      AMY
                    UNLFLUSTERED I'm taking minutes.
                    That *is* proper meeting procedure,
                    isn't it?

                                     KENT
                    Yes it is.  I'm glad you thought of
                    it.  Thank you.

                                    COLOGNE
                    Ahem.  Excuse me, but I think you
                    would be better served if Ms. Kuonji
                    -- who is also in the kitchen --
                    went in my place.

KENT looks at COLOGNE for a moment, then nods slowly.

                                     KENT
                    Yes.  I see your point. MANDARIN
                    Thank you, Honored Grandmother, for
                    forgoing the glory of the field to
                    defend this place.

COLOGNE accepts the thanks with good grace, turns to SHAMPOO and gives her a
meaningful look, and starts to hop out of the room.

                                    COLOGNE
                    I will send Ms. Kuonji and the Sailor
                    Senshi back when I meet them.

She slides the door shut behind her.

                                     KENT
                    Now, I'd like to give you the chance
                    to make your own groups, but --

Chaos.  RYOUKO and AYEKA grab either side of TENCHI, with MIHOSHI looking
anxiously down at him from behind.  AKANE does not go so far as to grab RANMA,
but she *does* give SHAMPOO a warning glare -- which is returned, with interest.
RYOUGA glowers in RANMA's direction.  RAYE, AMY, and MINA exchange a quick look
of anxiety, before looking at DARIEN and SERENA, sitting together holding hands
peacefully.  MARA grins at BELLDANDY, which look is not lost on URD and SKULD.
KYOUSUKE looks lost.

                                     KENT
                    MUTTERED -- but that probably
                    wouldn't work.  BEAT  I wonder
                    why.

AMY suddenly waves her hand in the air, and the arguments slow as she does.

                                      AMY
                    Excuse me!  I think I can come up
                    with a fair way of choosing the
                    groups.

                                     KENT
                    Go on.

                                      AMY
                    My computer will randomly pick
                    three names from the list of people
                    present, and set them up as a group.
                    Would everyone view that as fair?

RYOUKO and AYEKA look as though they want to protest the arbitrary nature of the
possibility that they won't either of them get TENCHI.

                                    TENCHI
                    *VERY* FAST Yes!  Very fair!

                                     KENT
                    I have one request, however.  BEAT
                    Nabiki-san, you mentioned that you
                    were familiar with the police.  I'd
                    appreciate it if you'd accompany me
                    when I went down to the station.

NABIKI seems to be about to ask "What's it worth to you", but something in
KENT's expresssion stops her.

                                    NABIKI
                    GRUDGING Okay.

                                     KENT
                    And if ...

KENT surveys the assembled group, and his gaze settles on the TENCHI bunch.

                                     KENT
                    ... you'd also come with me, Mr.
                    Masaki, I'd appreciate it.

Shock dominates RYOUKO and AYEKA's features.  They suddenly glare at NABIKI, as
if non-verbally warning her off.  NABIKI seems unphased.

                                    TENCHI
                    Certainly, if you think I can help.

                                     KENT
                    Right.  If you could remove their
                    names and mine from the process, we
                    can get started.

                                      AMY
                    It's done.

A piece of paper shoots out from the back of the computer, and falls to the
floor.  Cut to a place of endless grey mist.  PLUTO and WASHUU appear to be
studying a large, incandescent globe.  WASHUU is laughing her head off, much to
PLUTO's obvious annoyance.

                                    WASHUU
                    "Random selection".  Right.  Sure.
                    So how long ago did you set these
                    teams up, anyway?  Before or after
                    the Silver Millenium?

                                     PLUTO
                    My, aren't we cynical.  I did not.

                                    WASHUU
                    STILL AMUSED Sure.

                                     PLUTO
                    VERY ANNOYED Washuu, if it were my
                    intention to *interfere* in these
                    events, Uranus and Neptune would be
                    there.  BEAT  As it is, you are
                    correct -- given the intersecting
                    probability fields in the Tendou
                    dojo, the results are not in any way
                    random.

                                    WASHUU
                    AMUSED If you say so, I guess --

                                     PLUTO
                    Washuu, shut up.

                                    WASHUU
                    Gonna make me?

A long, EXTREMELY hostile look is exchanged.

                                    WASHUU
                    Don't bother trying to intimidate
                    me, Pluto.  I know exactly what
                    you're capable of doing, and I know
                    that the last time we went 'round,
                    it was a draw.  I might not remember
                    much else about it, but I *do* know
                    that I've progressed since then.

                                     PLUTO
                    QUIET And I have not?

                                    WASHUU
                    I doubt it.  You wouldn't need me if
                    you had.  A long silence ensues.

                                     PLUTO
                    It would not be appropriate for
                    beings of our stature to be fighting
                    one another at this time.  Reality
                    itself is imperiled --

                                    WASHUU
                    -- or it's closer than ever before
                    to perfection.  BEAT  I know what
                    happens in the Gathering, Pluto.
                    I've observed it millions of times,
                    in places far removed from this
                    little mudball.  BEAT  And all I
                    care about is that my daughter and
                    her friends come out of this alive
                    and sane.  The rest of you can go
                    hang, for all I care.

                                     PLUTO
                    For one who claims to have grown,
                    *Callistra*, you don't seem to
                    have changed a great deal.

WASHUU glares at PLUTO with real anger now.  Cut to RYOUGA plodding along with a
depressed look on his face.

                                    RYOUGA
                    Why do random selections always end
                    up with me *not* being with --

AMY, transformed to SAILOR MERCURY, walking beside him, smiles apologetically.

                                      AMY
                    I programmed the selector to not
                    pair up associates unless there
                    was no one else available.  It
                    seemed the best solution to the
                    problem of what to do about the
                    ladies from Okayama.

                                    RYOUGA
                    DEPRESSED Oh.  That makes sense.
                    I guess.  Kind of.

ANDREW, walking a little ways behind the two of them, is looking around at his
surroundings with the air of one constantly alert for danger.

                                    ANDREW
                    So are there any more?

                                    RYOUGA
                    Excuse me?

                                    ANDREW
                    Any more quote godlike martial
                    artists unquote in this district?

                                    RYOUGA
                    Oh.  Well, there's Mousse, but he's
                    on a training trip.  Uh ... Konatsu,
                    the ninja who works in Ucchans --

                                    ANDREW
                    MUTTERED There *would* be a ninja
                    in it, eventually ...

                                    RYOUGA
                    -- I suppose Kodachi might count,
                    but she's probably out of it.  That
                    combat cheerleader -- whatsername,
                    Mariko ... but she moved out a
                    while back.  That guy who does the
                    Martial Arts Tea Ceremony --

                                    ANDREW
                    Okay, okay, okay!  MUTTERED Why
                    did I ask?  Oh, why did I ask?

RYOUGA is caught up his telling.

                                    RYOUGA
                    -- and then there are the occasional
                    weirdos who wander through, like
                    Pantyhose Tarou.

                                 TAROU (O.S.)
                    Gee, thanks, pig boy.

RYOUGA, with something akin to genuine fear on his face, whirls to see that the
effeminate looking martial artist is leaning against the wall of a nearby
building.

                                     TAROU
                    HEAVY SARCASM It's nice to know
                    you think I'm in the same league as
                    the Tea Ceremony guy.

                                    RYOUGA
                    WARY What do you want?

TAROU gets off the wall.

                                     TAROU
                    The usual.  Where's the old freak?

                                    RYOUGA
                    I don't know.

TAROU considers this.

                                     TAROU
                    Okay.  That didn't strain your
                    brain, did it?

                                      AMY
                    ANNOYED Excuse me --

TAROU doesn't even bother looking at her.

                                     TAROU
                    Shut up, slit.  I'm gonna go to the
                    the Dojo of Stupid People and ask
                    fem boy --

AMY is too shocked to say anything.

                                    RYOUGA
                    OUTRAGED Hey!  Take that back.

                                     TAROU
                    What?

                                    RYOUGA
                    What you just called her!  Why --

                                     TAROU
                    Look, piggy wiggy, I'll call whoever
                    I want, whatever I want -- unless
                    you'd care to do something about my
                    mouth?

RYOUGA unlimbers his umbrella with an angry expression.

                                      AMY
                    Mr. Hibiki -- you don't have to do
                    this!

                                    RYOUGA
                    I am *not* going to just stand here
                    and let --

                                      AMY
                    It's all right, it's just a word.
                    I'm not --

                                     TAROU
                    Come on, P-chan ... unless your li'l
                    girl is holding your weenie --

AMY, outraged at the implication, whirls.

                                      AMY
                    MERCURY BUBBLES FREEZE!

A storm of bubbles shoot towards TAROU, who, not expecting to be beset by magic,
is caught by them.  An icy statue forms around him.  RYOUGA stares at AMY in
shock.

                                      AMY
                    A BIT EMBARRASSED My boyfriend's
                    honor was at stake.  I --

TAROU shatters the ice, and smiles evilly.

                                     TAROU
                    How refreshing.  Now, *pig-boy*,
                    where were we?  Oh yeah.  The scene
                    where I beat your head in.  Well,
                    let's GO.

Close up of TAROU's snarling face -- Just as two shots ring out.  TAROU's face
freezes ... as he slowly crumples to the ground.  Blood is flowing from his
knees, and he is obviously in great pain.  ANDREW, holding his Colt "Peacemaker"
Revolver, has no more expression on his face than he would if he'd just swatted
a fly.  TAROU is shocked beyond anger.

                                     TAROU
                    You son of a bitch.  You've crippled
                    me.

                                    ANDREW
                    Probably.  But try anything, and the
                    next one'll go right between your
                    eyebrows.  *I* don't have time for
                    your stupid little games, and I'm
                    fairly sure that Mr. Hibiki wasn't
                    really spoiling for a fight.  TO
                    RYOUGA Am I wrong?

                                    RYOUGA
                    A *BIT* SCARED Uh ... no.  Not
                    ... much.  With him.

                                    ANDREW
                    Okay, then.  If I don't forget, I'll
                    be sure and call an ambulance and
                    tell them where to find you.  See
                    ya.

He starts off in the direction they were headed before.  After a moment, RYOUGA
follows.  AMY almost starts to bend down and try and treat the wounds, but TAROU
snarls at her, causing her to back off, and head after them.  AMY catches up to
ANDREW, *very* angry.

                                      AMY
                    Was that *necessary*?

ANDREW returns her glare evenly for a moment, then nods subtly.

                                    ANDREW
                    No.  I could have blown his head off
                    first thing.

                                      AMY
                    Or you could have tried talking --

                                    ANDREW
                    Isn't that what Mr. Hibiki *did*,
                    Ms. Mizuno?  TO RYOUGA What's
                    that guy's beef, anyway?

                                    RYOUGA
                    Well ... as near as I understand it,
                    he wants to find Happosai -- the one
                    Ranma calls the `old freak' and make
                    him give him a new name.  He doesn't
                    like his name, you see.

                                    ANDREW
                    What's so bad about Tarou?  I mean,
                    I wouldn't want to be named after a
                    cat either, but --

                                    RYOUGA
                    No, the other part.  Pantyhose.

ANDREW comes to a dead stop, and gives RYOUGA the Look.  Ryouga has never gotten
the Look from another man, so it makes him rather nervous.

                                    ANDREW
                    It's not *nice* to tell dumb jokes
                    to your elders, kid.

                                    RYOUGA
                    No, *seriously*!  Happosai named him,
                    and --

                                    ANDREW
                    Okay, is this some Japanese custom I
                    don't know about?  That only the one
                    who named you can change it?

                                    RYOUGA
                    EXPLAINING THE OBVIOUS He's not
                    Japanese.  He's Chinese.

ANDREW rolls his eyes.

                                    ANDREW
                    Okay.  Anyway, Ms. Mizuno, given
                    this information, how would you have
                    talked him out of fighting?

                                      AMY
                    I didn't *have* this information.
                    If I'd talked, I could have drawn it
                    out of him, empathized, and --

                                    ANDREW
                    PUZZLED Now, why would he have
                    empathized with you, when he'd just
                    called you a -- ahem, what he called
                    you?

                                      AMY
                    I ... BEAT I just think that it
                    didn't have to be so violent.
                    Violence doesn't solve anything.

                                    ANDREW
                    Tell that to the Carthaginians.

                                      AMY
                    ANGRY I've read Starship Troopers,
                    thank you.

                                    ANDREW
                    Really?  Huh.  I'm impressed.  I
                    shouldn't be, you seemed like a
                    smart kid from the start ... okay,
                    you're not wrong.  Me kneecapping
                    that screwed-up kid hasn't solved the
                    problem someone else is going to
                    have to deal with when it comes to
                    him, eventually.  But his problem
                    doesn't relate to the problem you,
                    me, and Hibiki are dealing with
                    right now.  It's too big, for one
                    thing.  Our job is to keep an eye
                    out for signs that the demons are
                    moving in the open.  BEAT  Do you
                    understand where I'm coming from?

                                      AMY
                    GRUDGING Yes.  I think so.  I
                     don't know if I can agree with it,
                    but --

                                    ANDREW
                    That's not the point.  Are you
                    willing to put it behind you?

AMY eventually nods.

                                    ANDREW
                    Okay.  LOOKS UP  Now -- where the
                    hell did Hibiki go?

They are the only people on the street.  Cut to rooftops.  SKULD drops down on
one of them, and looks backwards.

                                     SKULD
                    Well, at least Keiichi didn't try to
                    fool around with my big sister while
                    I was out.  AKANE drops down beside her.

                                     AKANE
                    He didn't seem like such a lecher
                    back there, Skuld-san.

                                     SKULD
                    Call me Skuld, please, honorifics
                    don't really apply.  And of course
                    he's a lecher.  All boys are. BEAT
                    Are you coming over or not?!?

Cut to a row of buildings across an alley -- perhaps eight or nine feet wide --
from AKANE and SKULD.  KYOUSUKE is looking down at the gulf with an anxious
expression.

                                   KYOUSUKE
                    I'm really sorry ... I'm just not
                    used to --

                                     AKANE
                    Look, nobody will give you a second
                    look in this town, unless you do
                    something *really* flashy.  Jumping
                    across a gulf isn't going to make
                    waves.

KYOUSUKE nods uncertainly, then closes his eyes, glows momentarily, and jumps
across the alleyway.

                                     AKANE
                    Okay.  Now get used to doing that
                    *without* pausing, and we'll be all
                    set.  BEAT  Now, what do you mean,
                    all boys are lechers?

                                     SKULD
                    Well they are.  BEAT; TO KYOUSUKE
                    When you were a teenager, were you a
                    lech, Mr. Kasuga?

                                   KYOUSUKE
                    No.  BEAT  Some of my -- what
                    constitutes being a lech, exactly?

                                     SKULD
                    Thinking of things that you'd like
                    to do to girls if you got a chance,
                    chasing after them --

                                     AKANE
                    MUTTERED, PERHAPS UNCONSCIOUSLY
                    ... letting more than one girl think
                    you're interested at a time ...

                                     SKULD
                    Oh, that's *sick*!  Nobody but a
                    complete lech would do that!

There is a long, uncomfortable pause.

                                   KYOUSUKE
                    Right.

                                     AKANE
                    I guess ...

                                     SKULD
                    Anyway, let's get going.

She dashes off.  AKANE gives KYOUSUKE a speculative glance that he pretends to
ignore, as they follow.

                                 AKANE (V.O.)
                    For the record ... no, I don't think
                    Kasuga-san is a lech.

Cut to KENT, NABIKI, and TENCHI, walking down the street slowly.

                                    TENCHI
                    Um ... Mr. Masefield, do you mind if
                    I ask you something?

                                     KENT
                    Ask, and I'll let you know if I mind
                    or not.

                                    TENCHI
                    Well, Mr. DeGales has told you about
                    ... well --

                                     KENT
                    He's told me what you *said*.  I
                    should tell you, he doesn't believe
                    in aliens.

                                    TENCHI
                    Well, I -- wait a minute!

                                    NABIKI
                    Oh, this should be interesting.

                                     KENT
                    Everyone has a different threshold
                    of disbelief.  BEAT  Anyway?

                                    TENCHI
                    Well, I was wondering whether or not
                    I'm going to be in trouble -- since
                    it's my fault that Princess Ayeka, and
                    Ryouko, and Mihoshi, and --

                                     KENT
                    No.  It's only when there are large
                    numbers of a species, interfering in
                    human affairs, that the PDF gets
                    involved.  BEAT  Although I think
                    may have to have some words with
                    our Japanese office.  You're from
                    Okayama?

TENCHI nods.

                                     KENT
                    DISTURBED That's very strange.
                    One of the PDF's senior members
                    lives there.

TENCHI develops a sick expression.

                                     KENT
                    He's retired, now, but if he were to
                    observe anything odd going on in the
                    vicinity, it wouldn't be hard for
                    him to call in an investigation
                    team.  I --

                                    TENCHI
                    WEAK Would his name be Masaki
                    Katsuhito?

                                     KENT
                    Why, yes.  BEAT  A relative of
                   yours, I take it?

TENCHI nods weakly.  NABIKI stares ... and a slow, *dangerous* smile grows on
her face.

                                    NABIKI
                    SOFTLY I seeeee ...

Cut to the kitchen of the Masaki home, where YOSHOU (aka Masaki Katsuhito) is
enjoying a quiet tea.

                                    YOSHOU
                    Ahhh.  An excellent blend.

KASUGA-OJIICHAN is sitting across from him.

                                   OJIICHAN
                    I'm glad you approve.  Now, about
                    the matter I came here to discuss.

                                    YOSHOU
                    Hmm.  As it happens, my grandson
                    doesn't have a fiancee, as such.
                    But do you really think that it's a
                    good idea to engage him to one of
                    your grand-daughters without telling
                    him?

                                   OJIICHAN
                    Well, at the rate those two are
                    going, they're never going to settle
                    down.  I'm just glad they quit
                    dating those two leches ... in any
                    case, we need to act in their best
                    interests.  BEAT  And besides,
                    it might produce something ... very
                    interesting?

YOSHOU sips his tea, inscrutably.  Cut to UKYOU, approaching the door of
UCCHAN's.  She looks over her shoulder.

                                     UKYOU
                    If you don't mind, I'd like to check
                    out my okonomiyaki-ya before we go
                    any further.

LITA (as Sailor Jupiter) nods.  MICHAEL GIDEON, clearly a bit uncomfortable in
the presence of these two, is standing a ways behind.

                                     LITA
                    Go right ahead ... sing out if you
                    need any help, though.

UKYOU flashes a friendly smile, and heads in.  LITA turns to look at MICHAEL.

                                     LITA
                    You know ... we still haven't been
                    formally introduced.

                                    MICHAEL
                    No ... no we haven't.  Michael
                    Gideon, atcherservice.  Everyone
                    calls me Gideon but --

Cut to UKYOU moving through the empty store with a cautious air.  Back outside.

                                     LITA
                    So how do you know Aethan?

                                    MICHAEL
                    GUARDED Pretty well.

Cut to UKYOU checking behind the grill.  She starts to examine the grill,
establishing that it's rather warm.  Back outside.

                                     LITA
                    No, not how well do you know --

                                    MICHAEL
                    Oh.  Uh, we used to work pretty
                    closely together.  When the Shadows
                    were still a going concern.  But if
                    you know him, I guess you know all
                    about that.

Cut to UKYOU reacting to a faint noise, swiftly unlimbering her battle spatula.
She starts heading for the storage room.  Back outside.

                                     LITA
                    Uh ... maybe I don't know him as
                    well as that.  What are the Shadows?

MICHAEL flinches.  Cut to UKYOU standing beside the door, and slowly reaching
for the handle.  Back outside.

                                    MICHAEL
                    Well, a few years ago, he talked
                    me and a few other people into doing
                    charity work -- of the `saving the
                     world' variety, if you know -- yeah,
                    you know what I mean.  We called
                    ourselves the Shadows.

Cut to UKYOU closing her hand around the handle.  Her arm tenses.  Back outside.

                                     LITA
                    So where are these Shadows now?
                    Aside from you and him, I mean?

Cut to inside as UKYOU jerks back the handle, and jumps around the door to see
what's inside the storage room.  Her eyes bulge in shock.  Back outside.

                                    MICHAEL
                    Most of 'em are dead.

Cut to UKYOU letting out a short, hollow scream.  Back outside.  LITA turns and
dashes into the restaurant with her hands already beginning to make the gestures
of an attack.  MICHAEL is not far behind.  Inside, LITA dashes towards where
UKYOU is standing, her eyes tightly closed.

                                     LITA
                    What?  WHAT?

                                     UKYOU
                    I --

LITA looks in the supply closet.  KONATSU is standing there, beet red, holding a
pile of clothes in front of hir "privates".

                                    KONATSU
                    I ... I was about to start cleaning
                     up, and so I was changing into my --
                    TEARS FORGIVE ME, UKYOU-SAMA!

LITA slowly turns to look at UKYOU, whose eyes are still closed.

                                     LITA
                    Ummm ... friend of yours?

                                     UKYOU
                    TIGHT Employee.  Is s/he dressed
                    yet?

                                     LITA
                    Nooo.  BEAT  She?

                                     UKYOU
                    S/he.  Long story.

Cut to a little while later.  UKYOU is working behind the grill with a mortified
expression, while LITA and MICHAEL eat okonomiyaki.

                                     LITA
                    I still don't see what the big deal
                    is.  I mean -- BEAT Wait.  Don't
                    tell me you've never seen a --

                                     UKYOU
                    Of course I haven't! BEAT At
                    least, not since I was very small,
                    and I was playing with --

MICHAEL begins to look embarrased.

                                     LITA
                    Okay, but it's *still* not such a
                    big deal.  I mean, I didn't see
                    it, but would you say that it was --

                                     UKYOU
                    I don't want to *think* about it,
                    thanks!

                                     LITA
                    Come on!  I mean, judging by his
                    chest, he's --

                                     UKYOU
                    -- a guy who thinks that part was a
                    mistake on the assembly line!  It's
                    bad enough my fiancee turns into a
                    girl, I don't want to put up with a
                    guy who *wants* to be a girl!

                                 AKANE (V.O.)
                    -- said Nerima's most famous female-
                    to-male transvestite.

                                    MICHAEL
                    Um, do you think we could get --

                                     LITA
                    I don't see what the big deal about
                    *that* is.  I mean, it'd be really
                    useful, I think.

                                     UKYOU
                    APPALLED Excuse me?

                                     LITA
                    Well think about it.

                                     UKYOU
                    DELIBERATE No.  I'm not *like*
                    that --

                                     LITA
                    Neither am *I*!  BEAT  But think
                    about it -- if he spends a lot of
                    time as a girl, he'll know what
                    girls *like*, right?

                                 AKANE (V.O.)
                    Well, no.

MICHAEL stands up and starts waving his arms.

                                    MICHAEL
                    VERY EMBARRASSED That's it!  I
                    quit!

He starts to head for the door, with UKYOU and LITA staring at him, startled to
be reminded of his presence.  AETHAN appears in the doorway, staring quizzically
at MICHAEL.

                                    AETHAN
                    "Quit?"

                                    MICHAEL
                    Uh ... I meant, for a smoke.

                                    AETHAN
                    Filthy habit.

He looks at UKYOU.

                                    AETHAN
                    May I come in?

                                     UKYOU
                    Uh ... sure.

AETHAN steps across the threshold, followed closely by MINAKO.

                                    MINAKO
                    Find anything?

                                     LITA
                    Not a thing.  You?

                                    MINAKO
                    Nope.  It's just as well, I guess.

                                     LITA
                    Huh?  Mina ... are you okay?  You're
                    usually more enthusiastic than --

                                    MINAKO
                    I meant that we've had enough
                    trouble with the third member of our
                    "team".

There is a low rumble, as of a building collapsing.

                                MIHOSHI (O.S.)
                    AAAACCK!

                                     LITA
                    Was that --

                                    AETHAN
                    WEARY If not, there is another
                    just like her, in which case total
                    surrender to the enemy seems like a
                    reasonable idea.

                                    MINAKO
                    Imagine Serena, only worse, without
                    any of her good qualities.

LITA shudders, then turns to look at AETHAN.

                                     LITA
                    So you used to run an operation
                    called the Shadows, huh?

AETHAN gives MICHAEL the Look.

                                    MICHAEL
                    She wormed it out of me with her
                    feminine wiles.

                                     LITA
                    MUTTERED You jerk.

                                    AETHAN
                    Ahem.  That's correct, yes.

                                     LITA
                    Is that where you met that Masefield
                    guy?

AETHAN blinks -- clearly he was not expecting a question along those lines.

                                    AETHAN
                    In a way.  BEAT  It was ... my,
                    close to two years ago.  Our agents
                    were running into frequent ... shall
                    we say, encounters? ... with PDF
                    personnel.

                                    MICHAEL
                    Shall we say, slugfests?

                                    AETHAN
                    It was, it turned out, a plot by a
                    third party -- actually, an alliance
                    of a few third parties -- to force
                    our organizations to expend their
                    strength fighting with each other,
                    rather than them.  Almost worked,
                    but for one thing.

                                    MICHAEL
                    We're in pitched battle with the
                    "Alpha" Team these guys send out --
                    the same people here now, basically
                    -- when all of a sudden the lights
                    go out, and when they come back,
                    Aethan and their chief are standing
                    face to face, smiling like Cheshire
                    cats who've just eaten canaries.

MINAKO mouths the words "smiling like Cheshire cats who've just eaten canaries"
silently.

                                    AETHAN
                    FAINT SMILE What our adversaries
                    failed to take into consideration
                    was that while my path had never
                    before crossed Mr. Masefield's, I
                    was not unaware of his existence and
                    reputation -- nor vice versa.  It
                    was child's play to arrange matters
                    so that we could make an alliance of
                    our own.

                                     UKYOU
                    He's good with strategy?

                                    AETHAN
                    Very.

                                     UKYOU
                    DUBIOUS If you say so.

The image freezes.

                                 AKANE (V.O.)
                    I should probably explain something
                    here -- Mr. DeGales, unlike Mr.
                    Gideon, actually spoke Japanese.
                    But he didn't think in it, he
                    translated in his head.  Which is
                    why his lack of familiarity with
                    all the names of everyone in my
                    household paid off.

Image resumes.

                                     UKYOU
                    If I were a genius of strategy, I
                    sure wouldn't leave someone as
                    untrustworthy as Cologne guarding
                    the house when Misty Cloud was
                    there.

Long silence.

                                    AETHAN
                    BLINK Excuse me?

                                     UKYOU
                    Kasumi.  The oldest Tendou sister?
                    The one who wanders around in --

                                    AETHAN
                    Yes, but her name means Misty
                    Cloud?

                                     UKYOU
                    Huh?  BEAT Yeah.  Huh.  Never
                    noticed that --

AETHAN whips around to stare at MICHAEL in horror, who returns the gaze in the
same way.

                                    MICHAEL
                    SHRIEK GO, MAN, GO!

AETHAN goes.  He is out the door and out of sight before MICHAEL finishes
speaking.

                                    MINAKO
                    Huh?  What?  AETHAN!

                                     LITA
                    TO MICHAEL What's going on?

                                    MICHAEL
                    A while ago, Aethan got a warning
                    that he was supposed to protect a
                    misty cloud.

                                     LITA
                    You mean, Kasumi-san?

                                    MICHAEL
                    Right.

Cut to KASUMI, carrying a basket of clean laundry out into the garden to hang.

                                MICHAEL (V.O.)
                    So in other words, regardless of
                    Masefield's strategy, everyone at
                    the house is in a hell of a lot of
                    trouble!

KASUMI begins to hang the laundry, humming a soft, gentle tune as she does.
From behind her, a shadow creeps across the lawn, until it covers KASUMI's back
entirely.  KASUMI pauses, and with no expression on her face at all, turns to
look behind her.  This particular demon (hereafter called a Sagu) is a hulking
humanoid dark purple shape roughly eight feet tall, with a massive,
cyclopean-eyed head which is slightly out of proportion to the size of its body.
It is gazing down at KASUMI without moving.  There is a long silence.

                                    KASUMI
                    Oh my.

The Sagu lifts its right arm high, a magical blade of force appearing from it --
then starts to swing it down towards KASUMI's horrified face.  It is met in
midstroke by an ogham-engraved katana.  KASUMI looks down the sword's length to
see AETHAN, his face clenched, his fangs obvious, his eyes slits.

                                    AETHAN
                    RUN.

KASUMI ducks under the hanging laundry and dashes for the house as the fight
between AETHAN and the Sagu begins.  It is a dangerously equal battle, with
neither fighter able to hold the advantage for very long.  Initially, the Sagu
seems to be toying with the vampyre, but a few close misses end playtime.  The
skin of AETHAN's face seems to be pulling very tightly against his skull.  Quite
suddenly, AETHAN mistimes a step and falls over the laundry basket.  The sword
of the SAGU descends, and the laundry is stained with blood.  On the porch,
KASUMI appears, half-dragging a protesting PATRICIA.  KASUMI lets out a shriek
at the sight of her laundry, then turns to stare frantically at PATRICIA.

                                    KASUMI
                    Ultimate weapon?

PATRICIA blinks, startled -- and then her jaw sets.  She nods once, then stands
in a wide stance on the porch, her arms at her side -- and then she opens her
mouth to yell.  There is a flash of light.  The flash prompts the Sagu-demon to
look up from whatever it is doing to AETHAN in time for a massive dark green
fist to slam into its face, knocking it back.  The Sagu rolls up to get a look
at the new attacker.  The Mark II MARCHER Powered Armor is roughly eight feet
tall, without a distinct head servo -- there is an obvious head, but it is
recessed into the body and doesn't turn.  Its eyes glow blue.  It is important
to note that the MARCHER is disturbingly *biological* in its appearance --
instead of clean mechanical limbs, its arms and legs are muscled much like a
human being's limbs.  In fact, the MARCHER and the Sagu resemble each other, in
a way.  The MARCHER points its fist towards the Sagu, and a pair of missile bays
open up on its wrist.  Two grenade like projectiles are shot towards the Sagu,
with only one hitting to explode against its carcass.  The Sagu howls in pain,
and then bolts up to slam into the MARCHER, knocking both to the ground.
Pinning the MARCHER's arms with its knees, the Sagu begins to slam its fists
into the head and shoulders of the Powered Armor.  Cut to inside the Powered
Armor.  We can only see PATRICIA's head and shoulders.  She is being shaken by
each impact, and appears to be in pain as well.  She lets out a hollow cry.  A
shinai hits the back of the Sagu's head, doing absolutely no damage, but causing
it to stop, and slowly turn around to see who has just assaulted it.  It stares
for a few seconds at the frightened face of STENGOVITCH.

                                  STENGOVITCH
                    MUTTERED, PANICKED What on Earth
                    am I doing?  I --

The Sagu lifts a fist -- Just as the MARCHER exerts itself to the utmost,
throwing the Sagu off of it.  A haymaker punch sends the demon flying into the
pond.  An arm reaches out of the pond, then convulses and falls back.  The
MARCHER whirls to look at STENGOVITCH.  Its eyes glow *very* brightly.  There is
another flash of light.  PATRICIA stands where the MARCHER was, looking *very*
angry.

                                   PATRICIA
                    What are you *doing*, you fricking
                    *moron*, trying to get yourself
                    killed or --

                                  STENGOVITCH
                    Well, I --

                                   PATRICIA
                    And don't go handing me some "but
                    I saved your life" schtick, I had
                    it under control!  I may have to
                    defer to Kent, I may have to defer
                    to my Uncle, but there's no way on
                    God's green earth that I'm going to
                    defer to --

The Sagu explodes out of the pond, rocketing towards the two of them.  PATRICIA
opens her mouth -- Flash of light.  -- the MARCHER turns to fight the demon
again, and the demon generates its sword and brings it down in a sweeping
motion.  The left arm of the MARCHER goes flying.  Inside the Powered Armor, all
the blood rushes out of PATRICIA's face.  Outside, STENGOVITCH stares.

                                  STENGOVITCH
                    DISBELIEVING WHISPER My God.

The Sagu lifts its sword again, to finish the job.  The katana bursts from its
chest, and ignites with a green flame.  The Sagu convulses, and the sword is
withdrawn.  It turns.  AETHAN's face is the mask of death -- skin pulled so
tightly over his skull as to seem almost transparent.  His eyes are almost
completely pupil, with only a faint red lining around the outside.  His fangs
are very visible.  His left hand is clawed, and it darts up to grab the eye of
the Sagu's head.  His right arm parries the demon's sword as he clutches hold of
the eye -- then crushes it.  His hand goes into the skull of the demon.  A sword
stroke forces it to its knees.  Then his left arm is in the demon's head up to
his elbow, and his teeth clench even further.  And the demon suddenly
disintegrates, leaving only ichor splattered on AETHAN's torn clothes.  AETHAN
shudders in the sudden wind.  KASUMI steps gingerly off the porch, and
approaches AETHAN from behind.

                                    KASUMI
                    Is it ... gone?

AETHAN does not turn to look at her; his voice is strange because of the fangs.

                                    AETHAN
                    Yeth.

                                    KASUMI
                    Are you all right?

                                    AETHAN
                    Fine.

She reaches out to touch him on the shoulder.

                                    AETHAN
                    Don't.

She does anyway.  He jerks away, allowing her to catch a glimpse of his fangs.
There is a long, silent moment.

                                    KASUMI
                    You're ... a vampire, aren't you?

                                    AETHAN
                    More or leth.

                                    KASUMI
                    Is it true that ... vampires, when
                    they exert themselves, need --

                                    AETHAN
                    BLUNT Doeth'nt matter.

KASUMI very slowly begins to open the top button of her dress.

                                    AETHAN
                    Thtop it.

                                    KASUMI
                    You risked your life for me.  I have
                    to --

                                    AETHAN
                    You don't *have* to do *anything*!

                                    KASUMI
                    Very well, I want to --

AETHAN turns.  There is naked desire in his eyes.

                                    AETHAN
                    You don't know what you're thaying.
                    It'th not like the thtories, it
                    *hurtth*!

                                    KASUMI
                    I know you won't hurt me.

AETHAN begins to slowly draw closer to her.

                                    AETHAN
                    I don't know if I will be able to
                    thtop ...

He is standing *extremely* close to her.  Her eyes are closed.

                                    KASUMI
                    I know you won't hurt me.

AETHAN opens his mouth, and bends down towards the exposed flesh of KASUMI's
neck.  For a moment, nothing happens.  KASUMI's eyes jerk open.  AETHAN jolts
back, his face rigid with horror and self-contempt.

                                    AETHAN
                    NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

He convulses once, and then collapses, his face strangely peaceful.  KASUMI
looks down at him with a shaken expression on her face.

                                    KASUMI
                    Oh my. TEARS Oh ... my.

Cut to KENT, looking around a corner at the police station.

                                     KENT
                    Everything seems normal to me.  You?

NABIKI looks around the corner.

                                    NABIKI
                    I hate cliche phrases, so I won't
                    say what I think.

They duck back, rejoining TENCHI

                                     KENT
                    Too quiet.

                                    NABIKI
                    A bit.

                                     KENT
                    Right.  Okay, I'll --

There is the beeping of a portable phone.  KENT and NABIKI both check; it turns
out to be KENT's, which makes him scowl as he turns it on.

                                     KENT
                    What.  BEAT WHAT?  BEAT Shit.

Hangs up.

                                    TENCHI
                    What --

                                     KENT
                    Attack on the dojo.  Repulsed, with
                    ... injuries. VERY QUICK Your
                    sister not among them.  I've got to
                    get back there -- but we still need
                    to find out what's going on here.
                    BEAT Can you handle it?

                                    NABIKI
                    I ... COCKY Sure.

                                     KENT
                    I was speaking to Mr. Masaki.

                                    TENCHI
                    Well ... I think so.  I --

KENT pulls off his watch.

                                     KENT
                    If there's too many of them, break
                    the face.  That'll bring everyone
                    a-running.

                                    TENCHI
                    STILL DUBIOUS Okay.  I just hope
                    that I --

                                     KENT
                    I saw you fighting Ranma last night.
                    You will.  Don't worry about that.

He runs off.  NABIKI stares at TENCHI with an acquisitive air.

                                    NABIKI
                    Sooo ... you're an alien prince,
                    huh?

                                    TENCHI
                    Well, yes.  BEAT  I hope you don't
                    find that --

                                    NABIKI
                    In line for the throne?

                                    TENCHI
                    I ... guess so.  I don't really think
                    about it.

                                    NABIKI
                    GRINS We will talk about this more,
                    later.  Right now ...

Cut to KENT jogging down the street.  He pulls out his cell phone and taps out a
short code, then lifts it to his ear.

                                     KENT
                    Niniane, I --

Cut to SERENA (as Sailor Moon) holding another cell phone just like KENT's.

                                    SERENA
                    Mr. Masefield?

                                  KENT (TEL)
                    Ms. Tsukino?!  Where did you get --

Cut back to reveal that SERENA is standing on a rooftop with DARIEN (as Tuxedo
Mask) hovering nearby.

                                    SERENA
                    I don't know what's going on!  Ms.
                    Niniane just disappeared after she
                    gave me her phone-thingy.  I ... we
                    looked away for a few seconds, and
                    she was gone.  What's --

                                  KENT (TEL)
                    Dammit!

                                    SERENA
                    I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry --

                                  KENT (TEL)
                    Not *you*.  *Her*.  I don't know
                    what she's trying to pull -- look,
                    drop what you're doing, and start
                    heading back to the dojo.  The
                    situation has changed.  If Niniane
                    shows up, don't *listen* to her,
                    just tell her to get back to the
                    dojo, ASAP.

                                    SERENA
                    Ummm ... one question?

                                  KENT (TEL)
                    ANNOYED It means as soon as
                    possible, Ms. Tsukino.  I'll see you
                    soon.

SERENA takes the phone away from her ear.

                                    SERENA
                    We're supposed to go back to the
                    dojo.  BEAT  Muffin, you know how
                    to get back to the dojo, right?  I
                    don't remember the route we took to
                    get here --

                                    DARIEN
                    I ... oh, boy.  I wasn't really
                    paying attention either.

                                    SERENA
                    TINY You mean we're lost?

Down in the alley beside the building they stand on, RYOUGA looks around
frantically.

                                    RYOUGA
                    Mr. Delafontaine?  Ms. Mizuno?
                    Aaaagh.  Where am I now?

NINIANE is watching them from nearby.  Her face is troubled.

                                    NINIANE
                    I don't understand ... I step away
                    from them, but someone else comes
                    to take my place ... making three
                    again.  BEAT  Is this what Kent
                    meant?  That my prophecy made him
                    feel ... helpless?  She shakes her head.

                                    NINIANE
                    No.  I know better than that.  I
                    know that the three will include
                    him, at least.  BEAT  And if
                    Jessica is here ... then that's
                    the other.  BEAT  So who is
                    the third?

Cut to KENT arriving at the doors of the dojo, where STENGOVITCH is waiting on
the border of panic.  KENT takes a moment to stare at him, then sighs.

                                     KENT
                    So now you know.  BEAT  Come on.

KENT leads STENGOVITCH into the dojo grounds.  AETHAN has been moved inside the
house, but the MARCHER armor is still laying on its back, its arm torn cleanly
off.  They approach it.

                                     KENT
                    SOFTLY Patricia?  Are you still
                    with us?

                              PATRICIA (DISTORT)
                    TINY I can't feel my arm.

KENT looks over at where the arm would be, and sighs.

                                     KENT
                    I'm not surprised.  You should be
                    grateful.

STENGOVITCH looks at him dumbfoundedly.

                                     KENT
                    Try moving it.  Of course, nothing happens.

                              PATRICIA (DISTORT)
                    PANIC No feedback.

                                     KENT
                    QUICK That's okay!  Whatever you
                    were fighting tore open a pretty
                    huge gash in your arm -- it wouldn't
                    surprise me if the armor was pumping
                    enough painkillers into your system
                    to knock you right the hell out.

                              PATRICIA (DISTORT)
                    But it's going to be okay?

                                     KENT
                    You're gonna have a pretty bad scar,
                    there, but you should be okay.
                    Comes with the territory.  BEAT
                    But don't deactivate the armor.  You
                    need the autodoc.  I want you to set
                    this thing up to put you into sleep
                    mode until the autodoc computer says
                    you're okay.  You know how to do
                    that, right?

                              PATRICIA (DISTORT)
                    Uh ... yeah.

                                     KENT
                    Okay.  Do it now.  SEVERAL BEATS
                    Is it done?

                              PATRICIA (DISTORT)
                    TIRED Almost ...

                                     KENT
                    Good.  SEVERAL BEATS Patricia?  No answer.

KENT sighs, and turns to STENGOVITCH.

                                     KENT
                    DEAD Get the arm.

                                  STENGOVITCH
                    I ... I don't understand.

                                     KENT
                    I'll explain, as we do it.  Go get
                    the arm.

STENGOVITCH runs over to where the arm fell, and carries it -- with difficulty
-- to KENT.  KENT shows no problem in hefting the arm.  He calmly sets it down
beside the shoulder.

                                     KENT
                    When Andrew told me what he'd done
                    ... I wanted to kill him.  Maybe I
                    should have.  BEAT  How did you
                    think that the MARCHER appeared
                    around Patricia, Stengovitch?

                                  STENGOVITCH
                    Well ... I figured that the amulet
                    she wore all the time was some sort
                    of device to summon the armor from
                    subspace, or something like that.

                                     KENT
                    Subspace.  Good idea.  Don't you
                    think that if the PDF had that kind
                    of technology we'd use it for
                    something a lot less flashy than a
                    summoned suit of powered armor?
                    Backpacks that could contain every
                    device an operative could possibly
                    need?  Vehicles with different
                    interior and exterior dimensions?

                                  STENGOVITCH
                    I guess ... I didn't really --

                                     KENT
                    No.  It works on a much simpler, and
                    more horrifying level. BEAT There
                    is no MARCHER Powered Armor, son.
                    What you see before you is her body.
                    BEAT  The first suit -- the *real*
                    MARCHER -- was the armor his younger
                    brother wore during that mess in
                    Afghanistan.  That was ... God,
                    almost seventeen years ago, now.
                    Longer than you've been alive.
                    BEAT  Anyway, Andrew went a little
                    crazy when that happened. He went
                    and hid out in a cave for a few
                    years.  Down there, something ...
                    crystallized, in his mind.  He made
                    several breakthroughs in biotech and
                    nanomechanics.  And naturally, the
                    first thing he thought of "building"
                    was a better MARCHER.

KENT looks down at the arm and the shoulder.

                                     KENT
                    Take a look.  You'll see what I'm
                    talking about.

STENGOVITCH looks down at the joint -- then jerks back.

                                  STENGOVITCH
                    It's --!

                                     KENT
                    Don't look so shocked.  You've seen
                    the self-repair system in operation
                    before.

                                  STENGOVITCH
                    But ... I mean ... that was when I
                    thought it wasn't *alive* ...

                                     KENT
                    Matter's matter, isn't it?

                                  STENGOVITCH
                    I ... I don't know.  This ... this
                    doesn't feel *right*.

                                     KENT
                    NODS Every time she activates the
                    armor, a nanotechnological virus
                    rewrites her DNA to make her into
                    this.  And then speeds up the
                    growth process a few million times.
                    The burst of light is to cover the
                    growth.  If you want to be disgusted
                    sometime, watch her with anti-flare
                    goggles on.

STENGOVITCH's expression suggests that he won't be doing that anytime soon.

                                     KENT
                    When she orders it to deactivate,
                    a second nano-virus rewrites her to
                    her original structure.  The armor,
                    the extra muscles, the other stuff
                    ... it all becomes like dead hair or
                    skin.  And decomposes even faster.
                    BEAT  I don't know what would
                    happen, though, if she tried to
                    return to normal with her arm cut
                    off like that, though.  Probably
                    she'd grow another one.  But I don't
                    want to take the chance.

                                  STENGOVITCH
                    Sir ... what you said earlier, about
                    subspace technology having more uses
                    than just making a single suit of
                    armor work ... you could say the
                    same about this kind of nano--

                                     KENT
                    Yes, probably.  BEAT  If a certain
                    arrogant telepath hadn't, when he
                    learned what the last man on earth
                    he trusted had done with it, burned
                    the details of how to create it out
                    of his friend's mind, we'd have all
                    sorts of neat gadgets, I'd imagine.

                                  STENGOVITCH
                    You ... I don't ... BEAT  Okay,
                    she doesn't know what's been done to
                    her, and that's terrible, but ... is
                    it really that --

                                     KENT
                    The problem with this kind of thing
                    is that the effects are impossible
                    to completely predict.  Errors creep
                    into the programming, no matter how
                    careful you think you are.  BEAT
                    Her "armored" form has evolved,
                    since he first used the processes on
                    her when she was fourteen.  So has
                    her "normal" form.  I'll give you a
                    list of the side-effects we've
                    discovered.

KENT stares intently at STENGOVITCH, who seems to be rocked by the revelations.

                                  STENGOVITCH
                    No ... no way.  BEAT  This is ...
                    this is terrible.  How could someone
                    do this to his niece?!  How --

                                     KENT
                    -- could someone do this to his
                    daughter?

STENGOVITCH's face goes completely pale.

                                  STENGOVITCH
                    No ...

                                     KENT
                    She was born five months after her
                    "father" -- Andrew's brother -- died
                    in Afghanistan.  He'd been there for
                    about three months.  All very above
                    board.  BEAT  Except that she was
                    born three weeks premature ... and
                    Andrew was three weeks late in
                    joining the team.

                                  STENGOVITCH
                    He didn't --

                                     KENT
                    No.  *That*, he didn't do.  He might
                    have, but a Belyorussian telekinetic
                    did the job for him.

                                  STENGOVITCH
                    He knows, then?  KENT nods.

                                  STENGOVITCH
                    And he still did it.

                                     KENT
                    He needed someone with a strong set
                    of psychic defenses.  Most people
                    have fairly weak ones.  Patricia ...
                    has one of the strongest I have ever
                    encountered.  BEAT  Not one person
                    in a billion has a wall of mind that
                    strong.  It was just lucky that one
                    of those who did was his daughter.

                                  STENGOVITCH
                    How can you *let* someone like that
                    walk free -- be part of the PDF?

                                     KENT
                    Because I know exactly what he's
                    capable of.  I *know* what evil
                    lurks in his heart -- and I know I
                    can check it if I have to.  BEAT
                    No one is without sin, Katsuhito
                    Stengovitch.  No one.

His eyes seem to almost burn as he says this, and STENGOVITCH takes a step back.

                                  STENGOVITCH
                    I thought we were the good guys.

                                     KENT
                    We are.  BEAT  Andrew's actions
                    are a stain on our record.  But to
                    throw him out wouldn't make the
                    stain go away.  BEAT  The only
                    way we can do that is to hope that
                    some good does come of this ...
                    wrong, that was done to Patricia.
                    BEAT It's almost done.

He stands.

                                     KENT
                    When Sailor Moon and her boyfriend
                    get here, explain what happened, and
                    ask them to start guarding this
                    place.  Bran's up in the Fortress,
                    right?

STENGOVITCH nods, not meeting KENT's gaze.

                                     KENT
                    Katsuhito ... don't let this make
                    you feel ashamed to be PDF.  BEAT
                    Your grandfather taught me what it
                    meant to be a hero, as much as my
                    father did.  Don't let this make you
                    ashamed of Takamura Taishi and the
                    Kishin Corps.

Cut to inside the powered armor.  PATRICIA's face is absolutely still, though
her eyes hang open without expression.

                              STENGOVITCH (V.O.)
                    Will you ever tell her?

                                  KENT (V.O.)
                    Not until we can undo it.  Maybe not
                    then.

PATRICIA's face moves in a silent scream.

                                  KENT (V.O.)
                    Who knows what knowing about this
                    would do to her?

Cut to black.

                                 AKANE (V.O.)
                    She'd lied when she said she knew
                    how to set the autodoc.  BEAT
                    She heard everything.

Cut to a communications center, where BRAN is seated in front of a wall of
monitors.  KENT stands behind him.

                                     KENT
                    And nobody went near it?

                                     BRAN
                    If they did, they were invisible ...
                    and they should have shown up on the
                    K-cameras even so.

                                     KENT
                    There's no way that a demon like --

He points at a video image of the Sagu.

                                     KENT
                    -- that should have been able to
                    cross the wards I set up without my
                    knowing about it.

He fumes for a moment, then snaps his fingers.

                                     KENT
                    Did we have a camera on the location
                    of any of the wards?

                                     BRAN
                    CHECKS Uh ... yes.  The one right
                    near the main entrance.

                                     KENT
                    Okay, I want a time lapse sequence
                    -- five shots every hour -- of that
                    area, filtered through a K-lens.

                                     BRAN
                    Starting as soon as we arrived?

                                     KENT
                    Right.

BRAN makes the adjustments.  The monitor in front of his head shows a shot of
the inside of the Tendou front gates; on the ground there is a circle of grey
light.  A clock in the lower right hand corner tells what time it is in the
image being shown.  At around noon of the second day, the circle vanishes.

                                     KENT
                    Shit!  Check the log of entrances,
                    who came in around then?

                                     BRAN
                    According to this ... someone has a
                    really weird sense of --

                                     KENT
                    Just read it, don't editorialize.

                                     BRAN
                    Yes, *sir*.  The Goddess Belldandy,
                    the Demoness Mara, and --

                                     KENT
                    WEARY Of course.  The goddess
                    probably did something to make it
                    safe for her "friend" to enter.

KENT turns to leave.

                                     KENT
                    Okay, I'm going to go reset the
                    wards.  If either of those two
                    report back here, I want you to call
                    me *immediately*.

BRAN nods, and KENT steps out of the room, into a hallway.  He turns to see
COLOGNE, standing some distance away.  For a very long moment.

                                     KENT
                    I ought to ask why you did nothing
                    to help when the demon attacked.

                                    COLOGNE
                    Would you believe me if I told you
                    that I recognized the being's powers
                    as being vastly superior to my own?

                                     KENT
                    I'd believe that that was probably
                    part of it.

                                    COLOGNE
                    And you'd be right.  BEAT  It is
                    always good strategy to know the
                     capabilities of one's ... allies,
                     is it not, Mr. Masefield?

KENT nods slowly.

                                     KENT
                    Naturally.  I'd probably have done
                    the same thing.  He turns to go.

COLOGNE in turn, turns to head in the opposite direction, with a satisfied
expression on her face.

                                  KENT (O.S.)
                    If I am ever convinced that you did
                    so because of a grudge against the
                    Tendou household, however, I ...

KENT's voice blends with the next voice, fading out slowly.

                                 WOMAN (O.S.)
                    MANDARIN ... however, I will not
                    rest until the Joketsuzoku are torn
                    from this Earth.  I expect that you
                    would do the same, correct, Khu
                    Luong?

COLOGNE whirls.  KENT is walking away at an even pace.

                                    COLOGNE
                    What did you just say?

KENT turns back to look at her, calmly.

                                     KENT
                    I think you heard me.

KENT turns a corner and is gone from sight.  COLOGNE stares at where he was for
a moment.

                                    COLOGNE
                    Well.  BEAT  How remarkable.

Cut to outside, the path leading from the Tendou gate.  KENT stands, tracing
something in the air.

                                 AKANE (V.O.)
                    I couldn't make Cologne reveal whose
                    voice she thought she'd heard.  I
                    have my suspicions, however.

KENT steps back, then nods.

                                     KENT
                    Not the best ... but it'll have to
                    do.  BEAT Niniane has a lot to
                    answer for.

Cut to somewhere dark.  Something watches through a "ball" of light as KENT
turns to walk towards the gate.  A breath quickens in anticipation.  Cut to just
outside the Tendou gate.  KENT steps through.  He turns to his left and sees a
tall, dark-haired young man (TAKA) being led down the street by a short
auburn-haired girl (MIAKA).  He opens his mouth to call out to them.  Cut back
to somewhere dark.

                              HAPPOSAI (DISTORT)
                    NOW.

A series of short shots showing *everyone* that was sent out into the city being
suddenly and surprisingly attacked by a variety of demons.  TENCHI and NABIKI,
for example, open the door to the police station only to find that everyone
inside has been transformed into a zombie-like creature.  TENCHI immediately
manifests the Wings of the Light Hawk, and begins slaying, while NABIKI falls
back out of the building.  Cut to just outside the TENDOU gate.  Something slams
into KENT from behind, knocking his glasses off his face and sending him flying.
He hits the ground hard and awkwardly.  Down the street, MIAKA lets out a short
shriek.  KENT is rolling up to face his attackers when a bolt of lightning
crashes into him from above.  While still reeling from that, the demon attacking
him -- which resembles nothing so much as a van with short, stubby arms and a
pair of horns -- rolls up and starts to pound him with its clenched fists.  Down
the street, TAKA reacts to this sight.

                                     TAKA
                    Shit!  That guy!

He assumes an aggressive stance.

                                     MIAKA
                    NO!  You still aren't up to it, TA--

Cut to KENT's point of view, just as another lightning strike slams into him.
His head lolls to stare at TAKA and MIAKA, at first blurry and indistinct
figures, then (in a moment of lacerating clarity) he sees them as through he
were only a few feet away.  Then another bolt slams into him.  KENT's eyes
close.  Cut to black.

                                 AKANE (V.O.)
                    And at the very last moment, just as
                    Kent's heart stopped, he realized
                    where he had seen that young man's
                    eyes before.  BEAT  In the mirror
                    reflection of his own face.

There is a long silence.

                                  KENT (V.O.)
                    Oh well.

Light floods the screen, and as it clears we see the world from KENT's
perspective.  He is moving through the air over the demon, and everything is
utterly silent.  Over the next sequence, the only sound to be heard is a rapid
rhythmic drumbeat ... one beat every 1.8 seconds.  His foot slams into the
demon's backside, and shockwaves ripple out from the point of contact, and up
his leg.  The demon roars, as KENT runs up the back of the demon to its "face",
grabs one of the horns in either hand, then flips over in front of it, pulling
the horns down with him.  He pivots then, slamming the heel of his foot (the
same foot that hit the demon's back) into the "face".  KENT then jerks back,
pulling the entire bulk of the demon up to a ninety degree angle with the ground
-- supporting it with his other leg.  For exactly nine seconds, it rests there,
the several million tiny feet of the demon flailing in the air -- and then KENT
draws his leg back, and yanks the horns down hard, PULLING the demon's head into
the ground.  There is an enormous impact, and the demon convulses.  KENT
releases the grip of his right hand on the horns, then pulls it back, and
*slams* it into the top of the demon's body.  Reddish ichor sprays as he does.
The demon dissolves.  Sound finally returns ... the sound of KENT breathing,
heavily.  He slowly turns to stare at TAKA and MIAKA, who are staring right
back.

                                     KENT
                    VERY QUIET Leave this place.  Get
                    out of this district.  Get out of
                    this city.  Get out of this country,
                    if you can.  But leave this place.

They start to back away.  KENT turns ... then pauses, and looks back.

                                     KENT
                    Boy.  TAKA stiffens.

                                     KENT
                    Don't *ever* ... give her cause to
                    mourn you.  BEAT  Understand?

TAKA nods, mutely.  KENT starts to walk away, noticeably limping with the leg
with which he did both kicks.

                                     MIAKA
                    Taka?  Did you know that man?

                                     TAKA
                    No ... I don't think so.  BEAT  I
                    wonder how he knew me.

Unnoticed by them, a shaky hand reaches down to pick up KENT's glasses.  Cut to
RAYE (as SAILOR MARS) performing the Mars Flame Sniper on a demon, which is
completely incinerated.

                                     RAYE
                    RELIEVED That's the last of them,
                    I think.

SHAMPOO looks at her with an evaluatory expression.

                                     RAYE
                    SUSPICIOUS What?

                                    SHAMPOO
                    Potential.  BEAT  Short skirt not
                    help in fight with this demon,
                    though.  Not distract.

                                     RAYE
                    Excuse me?  That is *not* why we --

AYEKA, who has switched to her battle costume, watches the encounter with
interest.

                                 TENCHI (O.S.)
                    NABIKI-SAN?!

AYEKA whips around to see TENCHI, with the sword out and ready, running down the
street with an anxious, even frightened expression.

                                     AYEKA
                    Tenchi-sama?

                                    TENCHI
                    Ayeka-san!  Was there a fight here,
                    too?

                                     AYEKA
                    Yes, QUICK but I'm all ri--

                                    TENCHI
                    Oh god ... I don't know where she
                    got to ...

                                     AYEKA
                    Who?

                                    TENCHI
                    Tendou Nabiki-san!  She was with me,
                    and -- and ... DEEP BREATH we got
                    separated.  In the fight.  And I --

AYEKA is hovering somewhere between concern for TENCHI's mental well-being and
irritation.

                                     AYEKA
                    SOOTHING It's all right, Tenchi ...
                    she wouldn't have volunteered to go
                    out if she didn't think she could
                    take care of herself.

                                    SHAMPOO
                    HELPFUL Actually, Mercenary Girl
                    rely on kindness of strangers.

TENCHI looks like he's about to freak out.  AYEKA directs an angry glare in
SHAMPOO's direction.

                                     AYEKA
                    FORCED Thank you, Shan Pu.

SHAMPOO appears dumbfounded.  RAYE storms in to stand right beside her.

                                     RAYE
                    HISSED You *jerk*!  What are you
                    doing?  Can't you see he's worried
                    about her?

                                    SHAMPOO
                    Why?  He not part of her tribe.

RAYE stares at her for a very long moment, before turning away.

                                     RAYE
                    Maybe his tribe is bigger than you
                    can understand.

Cut to NABIKI, edging along a wall.  She peers around it, to see RYOUKO, RANMA,
and MCGOVERN surveying several dozen demon corpses -- of a different type than
the other demons.

                                     RANMA
                    DISGUSTED Five.  Who knows how
                    many attack, and I beat five.

                                    RYOUKO
                    TEASING Oh what's the matter?
                    Jealous?

                                     RANMA
                    No, I am *not* --

                                    RYOUKO
                    Worried that *everyone* from Okayama
                    is tougher than you are, instead of
                    just SINGS Tenchi?

                                     RANMA
                    IRRITATED Leave me alone.

                                   MCGOVERN
                    Excuse me ... I take it you watched
                    the sparring match between Saotome-
                    san and Masaki-san?

                                    RYOUKO
                    Why yes, I *did* watch him get his
                    rear end handed to him by --

MCGOVERN turns to look at RANMA, and lets out a sigh.

                                   MCGOVERN
                    Oh, for Pete's sake.  Look, it's one
                    lost *fake* fight among *millions*
                    of real --

                                     RANMA
                    Millions?

                                   MCGOVERN
                    I meant thousands.  I not speak good
                    Japa--

                                     RANMA
                    Thousands?

                                   MCGOVERN
                    Hundreds.  I got the terms confused,
                    is all.  Anyway --

NABIKI makes a mental note, then runs off.  She pauses as she sees KENT limping
into an empty bath-house.  For a second, she wonders ... then dashes forward.
Cut to inside the bath-house.  KENT slowly pulls off his brown jacket, which has
become covered in red ichor, and then takes a step towards the showers -- before
collapsing, in obvious pain.  He lies still for a moment.  There is the sound of
footsteps.  KENT looks up ... then settles back down again.

                                     KENT
                    Oh.  You.  NABIKI stares at him.

                                    NABIKI
                    Don't sound so thrilled. BEAT  It
                    seems that a few days ago, a demon
                    parked in the basement of the police
                    station, and started turning the
                    officers into zombies.  That's
                    probably why it took so long for
                    them to respond.

                                     KENT
                    Makes sense.  Good work.  BEAT
                    Where is Masaki-san?

                                    NABIKI
                    Dunno.  We got separated.  BEAT
                    Are you all right?

                                     KENT
                    Assorted minor injuries.

                                    NABIKI
                    Riiight.  That's why your leg looks
                    broken.

                                     KENT
                    As I said.  Assorted minor injuries.

He suddenly straightens the leg in question, producing a sharp, cracking noise,
startling NABIKI.

                                    NABIKI
                    Okay, very cute, very macho, cut it
                    ou--

KENT moves the leg normally, though a bit stiffly.  NABIKI stares.

                                    NABIKI
                    What the *hell* are you?

                                     KENT
                    Isn't it obvious?  I'm Superman.

He rolls into a seated position for a moment, then lies back down.

                                     KENT
                    And I'm tired.

NABIKI slowly settles down to watch him.  Nearby, a slim hand reaches out to
pick up the jacket, and pull it away.  Cut to the outside.  High on a rooftop
overlooking the public bath, JESSICA stares down.

                                    JESSICA
                    Hm.  I wouldn't have expected this.
                    I figured the witness would be that
                    little twit in the armor, or the
                    mage.  Not that it matters, really.

She prepares to leap down -- as KENT walks out of the public bath, alone.
JESSICA blinks.

                                    JESSICA
                    Now what the hell is he doing?  Even
                    for him, that's a fast recovery ...
                    and why's he leaving the witness?
                    SHAKES HEAD Who cares?  The time
                    has come ...

She leaps into the air, and floats after KENT.  Cut back to the bath house.
KENT is seated, now.

                                     KENT
                    Nabiki ... when you were at the
                    bank, did you see anyone there who
                    looked like the description I gave
                    you of Jessica?

                                    NABIKI
                    No ... of course, I probably
                    wouldn't have noticed my sisters
                    under those circumstances.  BEAT
                    Could you tell me something?

                                     KENT
                    Yes, many things.  What do you want
                    in particular?

                                    NABIKI
                    What's so fearsome about this woman?

KENT takes a long breath.

                                     KENT
                    Easy to explain, hard to understand.
                    I'm a telepath.

                                    NABIKI
                    I *thought* so.

                                     KENT
                    My half-sister is a telekinetic.
                    She also has a doctorate in human
                    physiology.  BEAT  Can you imagine
                    what someone could do to the inside
                    of your body, if they had the skill
                    of a surgeon, and didn't need to
                    touch you?

NABIKI shudders.

                                     KENT
                    Fortunately, she has -- we suspect
                    psychosomatic -- limitations on her
                    power.  She needs to touch an object
                    before she can use her power on it,
                    and she can only use her power on
                    objects she has touched within the
                    last minute. BEAT  So she'd need
                    to touch a human being before she
                    could start messing with his or her
                    internal organs, and could only do
                    so for a minute before she'd need to
                    touch him or her again.  Sadly,
                    a minute is about all she needs.

                                    NABIKI
                    Scary.  And she wants you dead?

                                     KENT
                    So she's been saying.  I don't have
                    any reason to doubt her.  BEAT If
                    she wasn't at the police station,
                    she probably followed you back, to
                    get to where I was.

They both pause, and look towards the entrance to the public baths.  There is a
long, tense moment.

                                     KENT
                    Or not.  BEAT  Wait a minute.
                    Where the *hell* is my jacket?

Cut to KENT, standing at a corner, looking around it cautiously.  JESSICA glides
up silently, then alights behind him.  She holds her fingers over his shoulder,
for a moment.

                                    JESSICA
                    Tap tap.  Hello, oniisama!

KENT whirls ... and changes as he does so, revealing that it is actually
NINIANE, wearing KENT's jacket and glasses.  JESSICA is startled.

                                    JESSICA
                    You?!  What the fuck are you doing?

                                    NINIANE
                    GIDDY Changing fate.  It's rather
                    exhilarating when you get right down
                    to it.

                                    JESSICA
                    He's still at the baths, isn't he?
                    That ... *asshole*!

She turns to head back to the baths, and a jet of flame courses past her ear.
She slowly turns back to stare at NINIANE, who has suddenly become quite
serious, and is pulling off the glasses.

                                    NINIANE
                    You're not going anywhere.  *I'm*
                    going to stop you, right here.

                                    JESSICA
                    Don't be an idiot.  I've got no
                    quarrel with you, so stay the --

                                    NINIANE
                    I can't do that.  BEAT Don't you
                    understand?  I have acted, I am
                    changing the pattern ... already,
                    three went in, and very soon, the
                    other two will come out!  You can't
                    go back.

JESSICA stares at her, clearly believing her to be a lunatic.

                                    JESSICA
                    All right ... if that's how you want
                    it, I'll be glad to oblige.

And she attacks.  It is a duel of dodging, with JESSICA trying to land a single
touch on NINIANE, who is in turn trying to send a variety of magical spells at
JESSICA.  JESSICA is *much* faster than NINIANE, however, and sometimes seems to
be half-toying with her.  Suddenly, she twists and grabs an arms-length
neck-lock on NINIANE.

                                    JESSICA
                    Say hi to whatever weirdo god you
                    follow -- and if it's the big guy
                     ... tell him from me that he sucks.

There is no outward sign as JESSICA begins to use her power to twist and
mutilate NINIANE's organs, only the scream of pain that erupts from the
sorceress' throat.  Cut to a hazy image of NABIKI helping KENT limp out of the
baths.  NINIANE suddenly twists her right arm to jab at the midpoint of
JESSICA's forehead.  A red mystic symbol suddenly blooms there, and NINIANE
abruptly stops jerking in JESSICA's grip.  Clenching hold of her wrist, the
sorceress pulls herself free, and collapses a few feet away.

                                    JESSICA
                    What.  Have.  You.  Done?!

NINIANE takes a moment to cough up some blood.

                                    NINIANE
                    WEARY, BUT HAPPY Beaten you.
                    Spell of holding.  You can't move
                    ... it's a wonder you can even
                    speak.  And Kent is out of the
                    bath now, so I beat you.

                                    JESSICA
                    Oh?  BEAT  Know.  My.  Minute.
                    Limit?

                                    NINIANE
                    What about it?

                                    JESSICA
                    It's.  *FIVE*!

And NINIANE begins to convulse and scream once more, while a murderous light
dances in JESSICA's eyes.

                                  KENT (O.S.)
                    STOP!  NINIANE stops.

                                    JESSICA
                    ALMOST LOVING Kent ...

KENT dashes forward, half-dragging NABIKI with him.  He drops to NINIANE's side.
She is bleeding profusely from the nostrils and mouth.

                                    NINIANE
                    Beat ...

                                     KENT
                    Hang on!  We'll get a doctor here,
                    you'll --

                                    NINIANE
                    No.  Dying.  SHUDDER  Sorry.  But
                    I changed fate, Kent.  I'm not a
                    coward.

                                     KENT
                    Niniane, now is not the time to be
                    talking about that --

NINIANE grabs his shoulder.

                                    NINIANE
                    Now is all I have!  BEAT  Too much
                    ... too much to tell you.  BEAT
                    You're going to have to face him,
                    Kent ... you're going to face him,
                    and I won't see it.

                                     KENT
                    Face ... you mean the Adversary?

NINIANE nods weakly.

                                     KENT
                    But you said it'd be suicide to
                    face -- you said no one had ever
                    battled that thing head on and --

                                    NINIANE
                    Because you always get distracted.
                    BEAT  You face one of its powerful
                    proxies ... and no matter what
                    happens, you're never in any shape
                    to fight it afterwards.  BEAT  You
                    weren't supposed to die there, in
                    the mud of Camlann ... you were born
                    for greater things.

                                     KENT
                    Niniane, stop it.  You're not making
                    sense.  NINIANE smiles up at him.

                                    NINIANE
                    First time I've tried to make sense
                    since I've awoke.  BEAT  It will
                    be okay ... you can end it, Kent.  I
                    believe in you.  BEAT  I still see
                    you as you.  I loved Emrys more than
                    I could stand, but *everyone* loved
                    you.  Even the Morrigan loved you as
                    she hated you.  I love you still.
                    BEAT; WELSH Yield not, Pendragon.

She pulls him down into full-mouthed kiss.  And explodes.  Her body converts
completely into living flame -- half of it running into KENT through his mouth,
nose, and eyes, the rest of it running into JESSICA's forehead -- causing her to
shriek piercingly.  A moment later, it is gone.  KENT remains bent over where
her body was for a long moment, then slowly lifts himself up.  His eyes are
shining with the light of a sun.

                                     KENT
                    DREADFUL Oh my God.  Cut to black.

                                     AKANE
                    And the Defender awoke.

To Be Continued.  


Together Again: 1996 Chapter, 04/28/98