MARA is smiling widely but there is a frantic look in her eyes.
MARA
Wait. Wait. Lemme see if I've got
this right. You're going to *catch*
a species of demon that even the
*rest* of us know to avoid, use some
kind of ritual to open a place to
where the things live, and then *go*
there to confront a primal force of
evil.
Helen [wry]: Succinct and neatly put. In other words,
a classic anime plan to go to the
Mountain instead of waiting for the
Mountain to move...which might take a
while...
...
AKANE (V.O.)
The plan was to make enough "noise"
to attract the attention of one of
the vimogorges ... then the lucky
one to actually find them would use
the communicators we were given to
signal "headquarters" -- my home --
and the three goddesses would come
to the scene at once. <beat> Only
a few of the really heavy hitters
were left to guard the goddesses --
Sailor Moon (whose friends had to
almost tie down to get her to stay
behind), Kent, and the demoness.
Helen: Hmmm...I think that you're missing a 'her' in
the last sentence: ...Sailor Moon (whose
friends had to almost tie 'her' down to get
her to stay...)
AETHAN walks along, tossing a ball of fire from hand to hand.
AKANE (V.O.)
What was on everyone's mind, but
what no one wanted to say, was "what
if the goddesses don't get here soon
enough?" <beat> Because the answer
was pretty obvious.
Cut to the kitchen, with KASUMI looking out the window nervously.
Cut to a room inside the home. We see KENT's legs, and hear a rustling
of
cloth. A few seconds later, his shirt drops to the floor. There is the
sound of another garment being pulled off of a hanger, and put on. Our
point of view changes to show KENT looking at himself in a mirror as he
buttons up a vest with many pockets and no sleeves. Something about the
light makes his skin seem almost bronzed. He reaches up to take off his
glasses ...
... and a hand touches his shoulder. KENT jolts.
KENT
Please don't touch me, Ms. Tsu--
KENT's eyes suddenly dilate.
A flash of images run across the screen, far too quickly to make out
that
they are quick flashes from the final battle against Beryl.
KENT whirls around to stare at SERENA, shocked. For her part, SERENA
seems embarrassed.
SERENA
Uh, sorry, really, I didn't know --
KENT
<muttered> My telepathy is still in
overdrive as a result of -- <beat>
That doesn't matter. What *are*
you?
SERENA
... huh?
KENT
W-when you touched me, I -- I don't
understand what I saw. There was
this giant blue woman, and ... a
sense of immense sadness ...
SERENA
Oh. Beryl. <beat> She was ...
well, my enemy, kind of, and ...
KENT
And you killed her.
SERENA
<upset> No! <beat> That's the
worst part. When I ... when I met
her, for the first time, I was so
*scared* ... but then I had to fight
her, and by then she had ... done
things to herself. <beat> She was
so ... *sad*. All the anger, all
the hatred, it was just covering the
sadness. <beat> She was so sad, I
wanted to cry. I think I did.
<beat> But I knew I had to stop her,
so I tried to ... to heal her. Like
I'd healed other people who'd given
themselves to darkness. <beat> But
when the darkness inside her went
away ... there was nothing left.
<beat> Do you understand?
KENT stares for a moment, then shakes his head.
KENT
No. <beat> No, I don't think I do.
But I also don't think that's too
important. <beat> You are ... a
rather remarkable person, Tsukino-
san. <beat> What did you come to
ask me?
SERENA
Oh. Ah, well, I ... came to ask
for Patricia-san's sake --
KENT's face falls.
KENT
I can't do anything for her. I'm
sorry.
SERENA
Yes, you can! <beat> She told me
all about you, last night, and ...
Mr. Masefield, she loves you so
much!
KENT
Does she?
SERENA
Yes! <beat> If you think you're
going to die, you ... you really
should tell her how you feel!
KENT
I have.
SERENA
Have you? Then why doesn't she
believe you?
KENT slowly looks away.
KENT
Because I've lied every time. <beat>
Very well. <beat> Ms. Tsukino ...
should I survive this, I think you
and I may have a great deal to
discuss.
He bows deeply to her, and turns to head out of the room. He nods as he
exits, and BELLDANDY slowly steps into the view of the door. She turns
to
look at SERENA with a deeply suspicious expression.
BELLDANDY
Why did you do that?
SERENA
Because it seemed like the right
thing to do.
BELLDANDY
I have a very low opinion of cupids.
It is seldom wise to interfere in
the course of --
SERENA
You mean, interfere like your people
didn't, during the Silver Millenium.
BELLDANDY's eyes narrow.
BELLDANDY
You do not know of what you speak.
SERENA
Kasumi-oneesama told me about it.
BELLDANDY
<very cool> As I said.
SERENA
<ignoring her> And I thought about
it, and I realized something ... it
doesn't make any sense that the gods
would refuse to interfere because
they were jealous --
BELLDANDY
<outraged> Jealous? You dare --
SERENA
<ignoring her> So the only reason
that made sense to me was that they
weren't allowed to interfere. <beat>
And I thought about it some more --
because that reminded me of someone
I know -- and I thought how sad that
would be. To have to watch and not
be able to do anything. <beat> I'm
sorry that happened to you.
She bows deeply, and walks out of the room, passing BELLDANDY, who is
stunned beyond words.
Cut to greyspace. WASHUU surreptitiously looks up at PLUTO.
WASHUU
I wonder who she was talking about?
PLUTO
<weary> Washuu, shut *up* ... <beat>
I think we need to see Masefield's
meeting with Delafontaine ... he may
let a few more hints about his plan
drop.
WASHUU
<hesitant> Right.
...
PATRICIA
Then undo it.
KENT
What?
PATRICIA
You say you implanted the idea of me
being in love with you in my brain?
Well then you should be able to take
it *out* again, right? <beat; angry>
Come on! Put my mind back to rights
so that you can at least make a
start on clearing some of the karma
you've picked up from doing this to
me, if you're right. Make me stop
being in love with you!
KENT closes his eyes, and clenches his face. A pulse seems to flow
across
his entire body, through the space between them, and into PATRICIA's
head.
KENT
<quiet> There. It's done.
PATRICIA is silent.
KENT
You see?
PATRICIA
Try again. Try *harder*. <beat>
My God, you didn't even think these
rationalizations through. I've got
the most powerful mental shields
you've ever encountered, remember?
YOU CANNOT TOUCH MY MIND. <beat>
Only my heart.
Helen: Love is _not_ like a switch. There is no
ON/OFF button.
And then KENT looks up and meets her eyes. In his, there is stunned
amazement, mixed with horror and self-contempt, and also tremendous
relief.
And love. So much desire, caring, and tenderness that it would hurt
your
own heart to see it. PATRICIA lets out a gasp.
PATRICIA
<whispered> You looked like that.
You looked just like that.
She slowly and unsteadily comes to her feet, and they start to move
closer
together over KENT's words.
KENT
<dull> You're wrong about one thing.
It wasn't fear of letting go. At
least not all the way. It was
something much more primal. But I
didn't know about it until today,
and now. <beat> Some of the allies
of the Defender were destroyed, and
some went back to their home to ask
the Creator's mercy. But He didn't
just give it to them; oh no. He
set tasks. Penance. <beat> One of
the ones who went back was the most
beloved of the Defender. And that
one was given the hardest task of
all. To be born into mortal flesh,
whenever the Defender was ... to
meet with the Defender, to offer a
moment of peace. To love. <beat>
Time and again we have met. You
were Guenhumara, Marian, Guillaume.
You were Rumy, Kaoru-dono, and ...
Mara ...
Cut to greyspace. WASHUU closes her eyes.
Back to the room. KENT and PATRICIA are almost, but not quite touching.
KENT
It doesn't matter who you are. I
always love you. And there is one
other thing that always happens.
PATRICIA embraces him, slowly.
PATRICIA
<soft> And that is?
KENT
I always leave you.
His fingers flicker out, and touch a point on the side of her head. She
is unconscious before she realizes what is happening. She starts to
slump
backwards, and KENT reaches to catch her --
But it's WASHUU who does. Her face is expressionless.
In greyspace, PLUTO blinks. She stares down at where WASHUU was
sitting,
and sees a dolly in her place. PLUTO angrily unlimbers the Garnet Staff
-- which she immediately recognizes as a fifteen hundred yen toy
replica.
Helen: And at which convention did Washuu-chan attend
to pick this toy up?
PLUTO
<enraged> WASHUUUUUUUUU!
In the room, WASHUU lowers PATRICIA gently to the floor. She speaks
without looking up.
WASHUU
You should probably get going. She
could wake up any time.
KENT stares at her, and blinks.
KENT
Callistra?
WASHUU jolts ... then nods, once. KENT stares ... then speaks in a
strange language. WE DO NOT SEE HIS FACE AS HE DOES THIS.
SUBTITLES
I am glad to see that you are still
alive. <beat> Please take care of
her.
WASHUU doesn't want to look up ... but she does, slowly, and stares into
a
face that is hidden from us. From the look on her own face, her heart
is
almost breaking. She speaks in the same language.
SUBTITLES
I will.
Now we see KENT's face ... apparently whatever happened has passed. He
slowly reaches up, and removes his glasses, using the exact same motions
that he did when he was getting ready to spar with RANMA. He places
them
in PATRICIA's open hand, and closes it around them.
And then he turns to go. WASHUU speaks once more.
SUBTITLES
May the Force be with you.
KENT
With us all, Callistra. With all
of us.
Helen: <bwahahahahahahahaha...*gasp* *gasp*>
Ooooooooh.... Star Wars.... a reference to
Gall Force that I recognized only because I
had already read TA: 2937...
Sean Gaffney and Hotaru made a mention in his
C&C/MST/Rant on the previous act: IV about
his feelings for backwards writings...as
snipped below:
[FFML] [C&C] [MST] [RANT] Together Again 1996: Act IV
:
:
HOTARU: But if Sean has a problem with John's happy endings
eventually being undermined, you can imagine how he
feels about Mr. Davies' universe. For one thing, these
stories are being written backwards. If I'd come to
this story cold, and read the scene with Minako and
Kasuga Akane, it would have been incredibly sad. I
would have suspected that it would take Minako months
to work it out.
[SEAN begins sobbing again in the background.]
HOTARU: But thanks to Chris releasing 2937, I know that Minako
will live in unhappy guilt and torment for almost a
thousand years, until Mr. Davies finally mercifully
allows her to die! That's *much* better, of course!
[HOTARU sits up in her chair and tries to get serious.]
HOTARU: We review these fics because Chris is a friend, and
one of the best writers we've seen. However, I think
Chris is going to have to face a cold, hard fact: his
universe depresses the FUCK out of us. If Biles' is
'they lived happily ever after until they died', then
Davies' is 'they suffered mental torment and anguish
for a thousand years and then MAYBE, if they're LUCKY,
they might get a glimpse of happiness. However, more
depression is always around the corner.' Even the
other depressing fics that we've read aren't as bad.
I mean, Bitter End is incredibly depressing, but it's
over in two years. These people are unhappy FOREVER.
:
:
Helen: I could argue that TA:2937 never even placed
Minako's torment into its eventual
conclusion. I point to the earlier release
of One Moment Longer as the finale of the
Raye Trilogy as a 'true' ending for the
Together Again continuum (at least in terms
of the Senshi/Scouts that are/were present at
the events of both 1996 as well as 2937).
However, Gaffney-san and Hotaru did make a
valid point about the suffering that the many
characters go through. It is the journey
that the pilgrim goes through that shapes
character. Striving towards that 'glimpse'
of happiness (ever after or not) certainly
motivates many of us to do things that we
might not have done otherwise; Priss
Asagiri's adventures are a fairly good
example of many attempts towards 'achieving'
happiness.
...
In greyspace, PLUTO is livid as WASHUU picks up the dolly, and takes
back
her seat.
PLUTO
<grabs the staff> I demand an
explanation!
WASHUU
<not letting go of the staff> I
don't have to explain a damn thing
to you, you heartless, sadistic,
fatalist, *bitch*.
And *then* she releases her hold on the staff. PLUTO stares at her with
outright shock which fades, turning back into fury as WASHUU meets her
gaze with one of equal anger.
PLUTO
You --
WASHUU
Never. Ever. Give me a weapon, and
then expect me not to use it ...
especially when what you show me
all but demands that I do so.
PLUTO slowly gains control of herself.
Helen [as Urawa Ryo a.k.a. Greg]: <sigh> Who am I to
deny fate ? ^^;
PLUTO
There will be a reckoning.
WASHUU
Looking forward to it.
Cut to a shot of the kitchen. MARA seems to be standing looking out the
window. BELLDANDY enters, slowly, with a confused expression; she sees
that MARA is alone and seems to be at once relieved and disappointed.
BELLDANDY
Hello, Mara. What are you looking
at?
MARA
Belldandy?
BELLDANDY
Yes?
MARA
There's something you should know.
<beat> I hate you.
BELLDANDY nods, and sighs.
BELLDANDY
I'm aware of that, Mara.
MARA
I hate you more than anything in
the world, and beyond it. Because
you are good, and I am evil.
BELLDANDY
I don't think it's that simple,
Mara, but --
MARA
I would do anything to hurt you.
I have tried to hurt you directly,
and it never works. I have tried
to hurt your sisters, and I have
tried to hurt your lover, but each
and every scheme has failed.
BELLDANDY starts to look a bit concerned.
BELLDANDY
Mara, I --
MARA
It's like anyone you care about is
shielded by goodness itself. <beat>
But you know what, Belldandy? I've
finally realized that there's
someone you care about that you
can't stop me from hurting. And
I'm going to hurt *her* a lot.
BELLDANDY blinks ... and then a look of horror crosses her face. She
dashes forward and spins MARA around.
"MARA" is in fact a wax dummy with a tape recorder strapped to the
chest.
MARA (REC.)
<laughing maniacally> I got you!
Gatcha gatcha gatcha!
Helen: More help from Washuu-chan?
beta-fish: <blub!> <Hai!>
BELLDANDY
Oh, NO!
She turns and dashes off.
SKULD and SASAMI are having juice in the dining room with NABIKI.
NABIKI
So, Sasami-chan, tell me ... what's
Tenchi-san really like?
SASAMI
Well, he's very brave and --
BELLDANDY enters the room at a dash.
BELLDANDY
Skuld, where's Urd?!
SKULD
Uh ... I think she said she was
going to go check on the dojo's
sake reserves or something like
that --
BELLDANDY says something very rude in Aesir. SKULD's jaw drops all the
way to the floor. SASAMI looks *very* embarassed.
SKULD
Oneesama?!?
BELLDANDY gains control of herself with effort.
BELLDANDY
Mara has gone out and I think she's
going to try and perform the ritual
of resignation!
SKULD
No way!
NABIKI
Uh, translation for those of us who
don't know about divine politics or
whatever is going on?
BELLDANDY
Skuld, explain, I have to find Urd.
She heads off.
SKULD
Um ... well, after the downfall of
Sauron, Kami-sama offered to let
any of his servants return to the
fold ... but he required them to
perform a ritual to show their
sincerity. Most of them didn't, but
the offer still stands, even to
their descendants.
Helen: Sauron eh? Hmmmmm....is there a One Ring or
did Mount Doom swallow that too ?
...
MARA
I'm so darn scrumptious I almost
wanna eat myself and save you the
trouble!
MICHAEL
What the hell?
MARA
<seductive> And you know what ...?
I'm wearing a brand new pair of ...
clean ... white ... *panties*.
Helen [behind covered eyes]: I hope that the lechers
of Nerima are nowhere
nearby...
Ataru [pops in]: Did I just hear 'panties'?
Helen: <sigh> Yes.
[*ZAP!*]
Ataru: URK!
Lum (O.S.): Gatcha! Dahhhling!
...
AKANE (V.O.)
When I looked up from where I stood,
having just crushed the skulls of
maybe a dozen of those little ...
*things* ... and I heard that *cry*
... I knew, right then and there,
that we'd won. And a psychology
lecture I'd had months before this
finally made sense -- a lecture on
survivor's guilt. It's not that
you're sad that someone died. It's
not that you're sad that you lived
when they died. <beat> It's that
you're glad to be alive when they're
dead.
Slowly, alone or in pairs, the Gathered trickle into the intersection
where the portal stands -- each passing beside the coat-covered form of
MICHAEL. AETHAN is quietly kneeling beside his comrade, neither looking
up nor saying anything.
AKANE (V.O.)
<quiet> I was one of the lucky ones.
<beat> It was the second time that
I'd seen a dead body, so it didn't
affect me as much. <beat> But for
some of the others --
SERENA pauses beside AETHAN, and looks down at MICHAEL. Perfect crystal
tears trickle down from her eyes for a few moments, before she moves on.
AKANE (V.O.)
<quiet> -- for some of them, there
were never bodies. The things that
they fought just ceased to exist, or
they employed forces before which
nothing remained, after they were
done. <beat> Something died in all
of us, that day. A final fading
juvenile belief in our immortality,
perhaps. Even those who already
knew that secret weren't unaffected.
Helen: <sing-song> Who wannnnnnts to liiiivvve
forever...?
...
The door to the NEKOHANTEN slams open, causing everyone to jump.
COLOGNE
shuffles (does NOT pogostick) out, looking very winded.
COLOGNE
We don't have to find it. And there
are simpler ways to deal with it
than destroying it.
AETHAN stares at her.
AETHAN
You have caught it.
COLOGNE inclines her head.
AETHAN
HOW?
COLOGNE
<rich with irony> Ancient Chinese
secret. <beat> The method I used
will not hold forever, however. I
suggest that we perform the required
banishment, immediately.
Helen: With a verrrry big mousetrap...
...
KENT
Can anyone else --
BELLDANDY
No. My sisters do not have the
power to do it, and --
SERENA
What's involved?
SERENA has quietly stepped forward.
SERENA
Because I --
DARIEN
Serena! If you use the Silver
Crystal --
BELLDANDY jerks momentarily.
BELLDANDY
You have the Orb of Rheannion?
SERENA
The what of who?
DARIEN
Rheannion?
BELLDANDY
A brilliant silver gem of surpassing
magical power?
SERENA
Well, yeah. That's *why* I --
Helen: Another beautiful link to both the past and
the future: the Orb of Rheannion as mentioned
in A Most Complete Vengeance and then the
appearance of Rheannion within TA: 2937. Of
course, Rheannion makes a cameo in another
story...but I like the consistent linking of
stories...
BELLDANDY's face gives the impression of intense consideration.
BELLDANDY
It will be a *grave* strain, but I
believe that the Orb can support the
barrier ... while the user can
support the strain.
SERENA
All right then, I --