Well, this didn't take long - only about a month and a half. Hopefully,
the next few chapters will be similarly quick, since it's a matter of
rewriting what I've already got rather than working from scratch. And
I'll get the chapter guide done any day now, for quick full-story
recaps. In the meantime, the story so far is at
http://nidoking.anifics.com/Paradox.html


SO FAR: Queen Beryl's new general, Chronite, has traveled to other
dimensions to hire additional fighters to replace her once-grand army.
Those fighters still remaining are Ranma Saotome, Lina Inverse, Ryoko
the Space Pirate, and Sailor Saturn. Each is fighting for the life of
the one they love most, who is trapped in a crystal that will shatter at
the slightest touch - except for Ryoko, whose objective is the Master
Key. Ranma is a bit worse off, as Akane's crystal is already decaying,
but she will be spared if he can kill one of the Sailor Scouts. The
Scouts, however, are recovering from their recent battle against Mewtwo
as well as the discovery that there are, in fact, two more Sailor Scouts
on their side....

A General Time Paradox
Chapter 17:

    "... So they're not really bad people," finished Mina, ending her
brief summary to the Study Buddies of what she'd learned from Lina
before the battle. "They're fighting to save the people they love from
Queen Beryl, just like we are."
    "Do you think we can trust them?" asked Lita. "After all, they ARE
working for Beryl."
    "We can trust them," affirmed Serena. "They had a perfect
opportunity to kill me and Sailor Venus, and they didn't."
    "Maybe they wanted to let you two lead them to the rest of us,"
suggested Lita.
    "That wouldn't make much sense," Amy pointed out. "We've shown that
we can stand up to them quite well when we fight together. Their best
tactic would be to split us up and fight us separately, as they did
today."
    "They wanted to kill us," added Serena. "But I guess they felt
indebted to us because I healed Lina when she was about to die."
    "You did WHAT?" asked Lita. "Why are you helping them?"
    "Just because they're trying to kill us doesn't give us the right to
do the same," countered Serena. "No matter how bad the situation is,
nobody has to die to make it right."
    "Well, with an attitude like that, we're the only ones who are going
to die," said Lita.
    "I think Serena has a point," observed Amy. "As I've said before,
everyone we've fought is much more powerful than we are. I think that if
they really were trying to kill us, we would already be dead. However,
if they don't really want to fight us, then they might be allowing us to
live, no matter how much stronger they are."
    Lita nodded. "That all makes sense, but...." She paused. "Wait,
that's exactly what I feel! Why am I arguing? That's Raye's job!" She
turned to Raye, who was sitting at a corner of the table with her arms
crossed, pointedly avoiding looking at anyone else. "Raye? Is something
wrong?"
    "You're unusually quiet today," said Amy. "Ever since your
grandfather pointed out how strange it was to see you up and about, you
haven't said a word."
    "It's not just that," added Mina. "Ever since I mentioned Lina,
you've been really dark and broody."
    "Yeah," put in Serena. "What's up with you tonight?"
    "I didn't want to burst you guys' bubble," Raye said at last, "but
you're wrong."
    "About what?" asked Serena.
    "About our enemies," replied Raye. "They're evil."
    Mina's jaw dropped in shock. "What? No way! I know Lina was telling
the truth!"
    "No offense, but you were friends with her before that," Raye
pointed out. "You probably just aren't willing to accept that she's your
enemy now. But I felt the evil within her even when we first met."
    "Are you absolutely sure about that?" asked Amy. "You seem to be the
dissenting opinion here."
    Raye nodded firmly. "I know what I felt. Mina may be in tune with
people's emotions, but I can sense their spirits. And Lina's spirit is
wrapped in a cloak of darkness. She may not be evil herself, but evil
controls her. And that control is a lot more direct than holding someone
hostage."
    "Is that true of the others, then?" asked Serena.
    Raye shook her head. "I didn't sense the same thing about the
others. Not even the one we fought today. It was just Lina. But
considering that she's the one who made up that story, I doubt we can
trust any of them."
    "No!" shouted Mina. "She was telling the truth! I know it! And I'm
not just hoping, either!"
    "Keep your voice down!" warned Raye. "Do you want my grandpa to hear
you?"
    Mina meekly sagged. "Sorry. But I would know if Lina was lying to
me."
    "Maybe you're both right," suggested Lita. "Maybe she is trying to
save someone, but she's still being controlled by that dark power Raye
mentioned."
    Mina rubbed her neck. "I guess so. I can't feel people's spirits
like Raye can. All I know is what's in their hearts."
    Raye shook her head. "No, that's not it either. The darkness has a
complete hold on Lina's spirit - a hold that's far too strong to have
been imposed by force. Whatever is controlling her, she gave herself to
it willingly. That much, I can tell you without question."
    "Geez, lighten up, Raye!" said Serena. "You're so moody!"
    "I just don't want to see any of you hurt because you trust our
enemies too much," said Raye. "They're dangerous people, all of them."
    "Well, whether they're evil or just victims isn't what's important,"
Amy pointed out. "We have to figure out what to do next in either case.
We need to defeat our enemies without killing them, if we can."
    "That's easy for you to say," returned Serena. "It's hard enough not
getting killed ourselves!"
    "But we have a new technique that may prove effective," Amy reminded
her.
    "If we can get our opponents to stand still long enough," added
Raye. "That combination attack you taught us takes a long time to
perform."
    Amy sighed. "That is one disadvantage. It also requires all five of
us to work properly, so we wouldn't be able to split up. But the
stopping power is worth the preparation it requires. The Combined Tiara
Magic should be able to penetrate any enemy barrier, no matter how
effective it is otherwise."
    "Well, that is handy," agreed Lita. "We'd even be able to stop Ryoko
with an attack like that."
    "Like she'd wait for us to pull it off," said Raye darkly.
    Amy scratched her chin. "Hmmm.... I suppose there are a few problems
left to be worked out." She glanced at her watch. "Unfortunately, I
don't really have time to work on them right now. I promised to meet
Ranko at the library to study tonight."
    The other girls' eyes narrowed. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"
asked Mina. "You said she was a new girl who arrived at the same time as
Amelia, right? That means she could be... on the other side." She'd had
to catch herself before the word 'enemy' could slip out. She would NOT
think of them as enemies, no matter what Raye said!
    Amy shook her head. "I don't think so. I have a good feeling about
Ranko."
    "No offense," said Mina, "but I had a good feeling about Amelia too.
And my good feelings are alw- usually right," she corrected herself,
glancing at Raye.
    "You haven't met Ranko," Amy pointed out. "Three of us have, and I
don't think any of us would suspect her of anything."
    "Well..." Lita began. "She WAS there last night, right before Ranma
attacked me."
    Mina scoffed. "You can't be serious! Ranma's a boy! He couldn't
possibly disguise himself as Ranko!"
    "But she might have told Ranma where I would be," explained Lita.
    "Did Ranko know that you're a Sailor Scout?" asked Amy.
    "I don't know. She might have. I mean, Lina figured out that Mina is
Sailor Venus, didn't she? Maybe they've got some sort of Planet Power
detecting gizmo."
    Amy shook her head. "Even in the days of the Silver Millennium,
human science wasn't capable of creating a machine that could detect the
presence of Planet Power. And in those days, the Sailor Scouts were in
their Scout forms all the time. We were born into these disguises for
our protection, so it only makes sense that our Planet Power should be
even more difficult to detect while we're in our normal identities."
    "But hasn't science advanced a lot since then?" asked Lita.
    "And our enemies are from another world," Mina added, belatedly
biting down on the word she'd been trying to avoid using. "They might
have access to technology that we don't."
    "There is that," Amy agreed. "Perhaps some extra caution is in
order."
    "I'll go with you to the library," said Mina. "I'll be able to tell
if Ranko is on their side or not."
    "I don't know whether we can trust your people sense any more," said
Raye. "After all, you were wrong about Lina."
    Mina chewed on her lip to stifle her reply.
    "Why don't we all go?" suggested Serena. "That way, if Amy gets
attacked -"
    "We'll all be marked as Sailor Scouts by association," finished
Raye. "That's no good. We can't let them know who we are - at least,
those of us who haven't already been found out. If we show up, we'll
have to already be in our Sailor Scout outfits."
    "But we can't go with Amy in our sailor fuku!" protested Serena.
    "We'll have to keep our distance and wait to see what happens,"
assessed Mina. "If Ranko turns out to be one of them, then we'll step in
to stop her. And if everything goes well, we can just leave the two of
you alone."
    "You'll have to hold your own until we can get there," said Lita,
"but we'll be there a lot sooner."
    Amy nodded. "I'll feel much safer with you guys nearby."
    "Right," agreed Raye. "We won't be caught off guard this time."
    The sound of Raye's grandfather clearing his throat in the doorway
caught their attention. "How is the studying coming along, girls?" he
asked.
    Raye scowled. "Grandpa, I thought I asked you not to interrupt us
while we're studying!"
    "Well, yes," he acknowledged apologetically, "but these two young
ladies were quite insistent that you'd asked them to tutor your group
today." He stepped aside to let the two high school-age girls enter the
room. "You never mentioned you had such attractive friends."
    "Hands off, buster," said the dirty blonde in a husky voice as she
double-stepped to keep her rump out of reach of his grope. "I'm not your
type."
    The aqua-haired woman gasped audibly and jumped, not having been
quite fast enough to avoid the pinch.
    Raye slammed her fists on the table. "Grandpa! What do you think
you're doing?"
    Raye's grandfather bowed his head in shame. "I apologize. I don't
know what came over me. Please enjoy our hospitality, honored guests."
He shuffled backwards out of the room, muttering something barely
coherent about lost youth and natural urges.
    Amy waited until he was out of earshot before speaking. "I presume
you two are Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune?" she asked.
    "That's right," replied the girl who doubled as Sailor Neptune. "But
you'd probably better call me Michelle for now. My partner is Amarah."
    The girls sitting around the table nodded in unison. "Nice to meet
you," said Mina. "I'm Mina, and these are -"
    "Skip the introductions," said Amarah as she familiarly took a place
at the table. "We know who you are."
    This time, Amy was the only one who nodded, while her friends merely
looked very confused. "I think I understand," she announced. "You
mentioned a paradox during the fight against Mewtwo, which would only
make sense if you had come from the future."
    Amarah recoiled at this revelation, but Michelle smiled. "That's
right. You don't miss much, do you?"
    "Watch what you say to them!" hissed Amarah. "We can't let them know
too much!"
    "So you guys are really from the future?" asked Raye. "How far in
the future?"
    "We can't say," Amarah said quickly. "We can't tell you anything
about the future, except that it depends on all of you staying alive, at
least until we can get this whole thing with people from other
dimensions sorted out."
    "The future's always depended on us," replied Lita. "We're the only
ones who can fight Beryl and her army. At least, until you two showed
up."
    Michelle shook her head. "I'm afraid we won't be able to help you in
that battle," she said. "But the problem is that, in the future we came
from, the enemies you're fighting now never existed. But our past is
being rewritten, and we have to make it merge with the past that we
know."
    "But that's not possible!" protested Amy. "You can't change the
past!"
    "I guess we're not really CHANGING the past," Amarah conceded. "More
like adding a new chapter to it. The stuff that happens before and after
doesn't change, but this new stuff is happening in between. Sort of like
freeze-framing existence, fighting a few battles in the meantime, then
putting everything back where it was so that when you hit PLAY again, no
one notices that anything happened."
    "But even the tiniest changes will cause ripples that will
unavoidably alter the future," Amy pointed out.
    "Well, we can't let that happen," replied Amarah. "If it does, those
cracks you saw today will tear the universe apart."
    "So you mean what we've been seeing are potential paradoxes?" asked
Raye.
    "That's right," said Michelle. "So far, we've been able to avert the
paradoxes before they become irrevocable. But if any of you were to die,
it would be the end. And there may be other, possibly very subtle
changes that would be equally terminal."
    "Yipes!" shrieked Serena. "That's serious!"
    "Yes it is," agreed Michelle, schooling her expression. "But Chaucer
also displays quite an admirable wit. Consider chapter nine...."
    The other girls merely stared at her blankly. However, before any of
them could express their confusion verbally, Raye's grandfather set a
tray down on the table. "Sorry to bother you again," he apologized, "but
I thought our lovely young guests might like some tea and cookies." He
winked slyly.
    "Aren't they a little young for you?" grumbled Raye.
    Amarah cleared her throat. "Thanks for the snacks, old man. But
before you get too comfortable with us, we're engaged."
    "Oh, really?" asked Raye's grandfather, hopefully interested. "To
whom?"
    "Each other."
    He stared at the two of them in disbelief for a few seconds, then
shook his head sadly and left the room. "It figures," he muttered. "It's
always the cute ones...."
    Raye nodded, impressed. "That's one way to get rid of him."
    "You WERE just joking, right?" asked Mina.
    "Do I look like I joke?" retorted Amarah.
    Mina blinked. "Ooooooooooooookay. Let's talk about something else."
    "There's nothing else to say," said Amarah, abruptly standing up.
"We've told you what we came here to say. Watch what you do and keep
yourselves alive."
    "But what about our questions?" asked Raye. "Who are these people
we're fighting? Why are they attacking us? Are they evil, or are they
being forced to do it?"
    "They all have their own reasons," replied Michelle. "We don't claim
to know them all personally."
    "Oh," said Mina, crestfallen. "But that means that some of them
could just be innocent victims!"
    "I suppose that could be true," conceded Michelle, sensing the
motive behind Mina's statement. "But it is difficult to call those who
are trying to kill you innocent."
    "My thoughts exactly," said Raye.
    Amarah cleared her throat meaningfully. "Look, the point is, don't
get too close to anybody. We don't know who you can trust and who you
can't, but it's better to make the safe mistake and not trust someone
who's really not your enemy, rather than opening yourself up for an
attack."
    "I know that," agreed Mina. "But it's hard to turn away a friend,
even if you know they might try to kill you if you don't."
    "It's hard to believe the warriors who keep this planet safe have
such pitiful survival instincts," said Amarah. "Sometimes I wonder if
it's even worth saving you guys. We could probably just replace you with
Sailor Scouts who know what they're doing...."
    "Don't be so hard on them, Amarah," urged Michelle. "They still
haven't had much time to settle into their roles. They'll become
stronger emotionally as their power grows."
    Amy took her cue from that statement. "If you're from the future,
you know about our future powers, don't you? Please, tell us how we can
achieve them!"
    Amarah shook her head firmly. "No. Forget about it. That's one of
the things that could cause a paradox. And it's probably best if you
don't use that combined attack anymore either."
    "Why not?" asked Raye. "Nothing happened when we used it earlier."
    "Right now, we're at a more liberal point in the timeline," offered
Michelle. "The rules for what constitutes a paradox are much looser than
they will be later. But when this period ends - and we have no idea when
that will be - using your combined attack will be forbidden."
    Mina sighed. "And that was going to be our ace in the hole, too."
    "Why is it forbidden, exactly?" asked Amy.
    "We can't tell you," replied Amarah. "But it would interfere with
what has to happen in the future."
    "What has to happen?" repeated Raye.
    "We've said too much," Michelle quickly put in. "I think Amarah's
right. We should leave before we say something we shouldn't." She stood
up and followed Amarah to the door.
    "Wait!" called Lita. "What about our next battle?"
    Amarah turned back and smiled. "We'll be there. And from now on,
we'll be right there with you guys. No point hiding anymore, now that
you know about us."
    "But don't get any ideas about trying to reach our power level,"
advised Michelle. "Your bodies, and the universe, can't handle it yet."
    Amy grudgingly nodded. "We understand."
    "Good. We'll see you soon." The Outer Scouts waved and left the
room.
    Raye crossed her arms. "Well, they couldn't have been any less
helpful."
    "They're right, you know," said Amy. "It's not wise to know too much
about our future."
    "This isn't some kind of moralistic movie," Raye pointed out. "We're
talking about our lives and the fate of the world here! Every bit of
information we get could mean the difference between life and death!"
    "But not in the order you might think," countered Amy. "If you knew
that something bad was going to happen in the future, you might try to
change it. That's where paradoxes come from."
    "That's also why I made it to Mewtwo in time to save you guys,"
retorted Raye.
    "Visions of things that haven't happened yet are one thing," replied
Amy. "News from time travelers is something else entirely. That would be
a certainty, and probably not one you'd want to face."
    "Guys?" interjected Lita. "Maybe this isn't the best time to argue."
    Amy and Raye blushed.
    "You know, we forgot to tell them about tonight's plan," said Mina.
    Raye gave a start. "Shoot, you're right! We could really use their
help!"
    "But we don't know how to contact them," said Amy. "I suppose we'll
just have to trust them to find us when the time comes."
    Raye groaned. "I hate depending on chance."
    "They'll be there," asserted Serena. "I know we can trust them."
    "Didn't they just say we're not supposed to trust ANYONE?" Raye
noted sarcastically. Nobody bothered to laugh or glare at her.
    Amy stood up. "Excuse me, everyone. It's time for me to go meet
Ranko."
    "We'll transform once we get outside and follow you at a safe
distance," said Serena.
    Amy smiled. "Thanks, guys."
    "Hey, we know what it's like to show up expecting to see a friend
and find an enemy instead," said Mina. "We're behind you all the way."
    With a warm feeling in her heart, Amy turned to the door, only to
bump into Raye's grandfather as he strolled into the room. "Sorry, my
dear," he apologized. "I was just coming to check on our gue- they're
gone!" He gasped and ran to the table, peering behind it as if expecting
to find someone hiding there. "Where'd they go?"
    "They left already," said Raye. "It was just a five-minute session."
    Raye's grandfather's shoulders slumped. "They didn't even say
goodbye... such ungrateful girls. I tell you, the youth of today...."
    "They really weren't your type," Raye reminded him bluntly. "They're
lesbians."
    "I tell you, the youth of today..." he repeated as he left the room.
    Amy couldn't dispel the goofy expression from her face. "Tell me
again why we always meet here?"
*************************************************
    Amy rounded the corner of the school building, emerging into the
wide courtyard where lunchtime and after-school sports generally took
place. Of course, it was devoid of activity at this late hour. Not many
students took advantage of the library's after-school hours, and it was
generally left to the honor system after five o'clock, when even the
librarian went home, leaving the building open to any student with an
honor pass. Amy quickly crossed the courtyard, trying to stay in the
light from the street lamps as much as possible. It gave her pause to
think that she'd walked alone at night in her old neighborhood without
fear many times, and had felt even safer since discovering that she was
a Sailor Scout. However, she was more nervous than ever, and for the
first time, she wished that she were just an ordinary girl visiting the
library for an innocent study meeting.
    That sentiment doubled as she heard the male voice from the darkness
ahead. "You look cold."
    Indeed, she was trembling from head to toe, but she forced herself
to stand firm. The other Sailor Scouts would be there any second. "Ranma
Saotome!" she squeaked. Well, her voice had cracked, but it had
certainly been loud enough to carry to the others.
    Ranma stepped into the light, blinking in surprise. "You know, for a
second there, I was beginning to think maybe you weren't Sailor Mercury.
But only a Sailor Scout would know me by that name."
    Amy gasped as she realized her mistake. But it didn't matter
anymore. She pulled out her wand and prepared to transform.
    Ranma knocked the wand out of her hand before she could even open
her mouth. "Sorry, Amy, but I can't let you do that. You'll be a lot
harder to kill if I let you turn into Sailor Mercury."
    Amy slowly backed away, no longer able to hide her nervousness. "You
wouldn't..." she stalled. Where WERE the others? They should have been
at her side as soon as Ranma had appeared!
    Ranma lunged forward, grabbing her arm even though she'd thought she
was well outside his reach. "I have to tell you, I really don't want to
do this. But I don't have a choice anymore. My time's running out." He
pulled her in close, twisting her arm until it felt like it would break.
    Amy cried out as she lost her balance, causing her arm to twist even
further as she fell to her knees. Ranma spun her around, pulling both
arms up behind her back, and wrapped his arm around her neck, choking
her. "Just give up," he advised her. "It's just going to hurt more if
you fight."
    Amy shifted her weight suddenly, hoping to throw him off balance,
but his grip was stronger than what little force she could apply. She
kicked at him, but without leverage, she couldn't hit him hard enough to
dislodge him. She was helpless, just as she had been when Mewtwo had
caught up with her, but this time her captor was determined to kill her
as quickly as possible. Why hadn't the others shown up yet?
    Suddenly, the sky above the library burst into flame with a loud
boom. She heard Ranma chuckle softly. "Sounds like your friends have
come to the rescue. I kind of figured you'd have bodyguards tonight. So
we set up a little ambush for them." He squeezed just a bit harder,
drawing a weak gurgle from her throat. "They're not going to make it in
time to save you."
    Amy strained to breathe, but it only made her throat burn even more.
Her heartbeat pounded in her ears as she began to feel the familiar
sensation of suffocation - her lungs ached, her muscles were limp, and
her mind was racing, focusing on everything other than her impending
death. Her friends - they had to still be alive, but there was no way
they'd reach her in time. She was going to die that way, alone and
useless.
    No! She couldn't just die! She had to think of something! She tugged
at her arms, trying to free at least one of them, but Ranma's left hand
held both of her wrists firmly. "W-why?" she croaked weakly.
    His grip relaxed slightly, just enough for her to take in a quick
gasp of air before he restored his chokehold. "One of you has to die
tonight," he whispered. "I don't really care which one it is, but since
you're the one I've got my hands on, the choice is pretty easy."
    That didn't sound like the innocent Ranma Mina had been advocating
at the meeting earlier! Then again, he'd said at the beginning that he
didn't want to kill her.... What did it all mean? How did the pieces fit
together? What was the truth that the Outer Scouts couldn't tell her?
    She hoped Ranko was all right. The last thing she needed was for
Ranko to show up and get involved in this fight.
    Where had that come from?
    Another explosion shook the earth.
    She wasn't thinking straight. Her mind was wandering. She had to
stay focused!
    What was her mother going to say when she turned up late for dinner?
She should have called before leaving Raye's house.
    Focus!
    Black....
    FOCUS! Fo....
    ....
    ....
    There was an intense wave of heat, and something hard hit her in the
face, slamming against the entire front of her body. Her lungs heaved,
and she took in far too much air at once. She felt herself wobbling on
her feet, but she didn't realize that she was already lying flat on the
ground until a pair of hands grabbed her shoulders and pulled her up.
Before she could thank her rescuer, she was spun around and slammed into
a brick wall face first. "I tried to make it quick and painless," said
Ranma, "but it looks like I have to do it the hard way."
    "Amy, hang on!" shouted an indistinct voice. "We'll save you!"
    "Don't worry, Ranma!" returned a much more strained voice. "We'll
hold them off until you finish her!"
    No, she begged silently. Save me....
    She was spun around again, and the wall pounded her left side. Her
arm went numb, but she could still feel a tiny trickle of warm moisture
running down its length. Then there was a sharp blow to the side of her
head, and stars danced in the darkness that passed for her vision.
    Suddenly, Ranma was pulled bodily away, and a different hand grabbed
her good arm, helping her stand upright. "Amy! Are you okay?" asked
Sailor Venus.
    Amy tried to nod, but her head felt like it was full of water. She
must have hit the bricks harder than she'd thought. Maybe a nod wasn't
the appropriate response at all.
    "VENUS CRESCENT BEAM SMASH!" shouted Venus, producing a bright flash
in front of Amy's eyes. "Hey, hurry up and transform! I don't know how
much longer we can hold them off!"
    "I can't," admitted Amy. "I've lost my wand. I don't know where it
is, and I can barely see to find it."
    "Don't worry," Venus assured her. "We'll find it. Is it somewhere
around here?"
    "I think so," replied Amy. "Ranma knocked it out of my hand."
    Shadows passed in front of Amy's vision, and she heard something hit
Venus hard, knocking her to the ground. "Here's the one that can't fight
back!" said Ryoko, drawing her sword. "Doesn't really matter who kills
you, as long as the job gets done!"
    Amy ducked in anticipation of the sword's swing, but something large
plowed into Ryoko and shoved her aside. "Come on, you guys!" shouted
Jupiter. "We have to protect Amy! Everyone gather close!"
    "No, we need to keep them AWAY from her!" Mars shouted back from
somewhere across the courtyard. "Split up and draw them away!"
    "Someone try to find Mercury's wand!" added Venus. "Hurry!"
    Amy reeled, leaning against the wall for support. Her vision was
starting to clear, but the barrage of sounds from all directions was
giving her a headache; of course, the fact that her head had been rammed
into a few walls didn't help much. She felt bad leaving the other Scouts
to fight for themselves, especially when they had to protect her at the
same time, but it was all she could do to stand up, let alone do
something to help her friends. If she could become Sailor Mercury, there
might be a chance, but that was becoming more unlikely by the second.
    With one final blink, Amy managed to clear her eyes enough that she
could see Jupiter and Venus standing in front of her, facing down Lina
and Ryoko. "Just concentrate on the one who can't transform," advised
Lina. "Once we finish her, Ranma's fiancee will be safe, and we can get
out of here."
    "I've gotta admit, these girls can put up a fight," said Ryoko. "But
it's over now!" She swung her sword, forcing both Jupiter and Venus to
leap out of the way. "Now!"
    Lina took aim at Amy through the newly created gap. "BURST RONDO!"
    Amy watched the hundreds of bursts of light approach with fear in
her eyes, too weak to move out of the way. Thinking quickly, she used
that weakness to her advantage, letting herself fall to the ground as
the Burst Rondo shattered the wall she'd just been standing in front of.
Unfortunately, that left her prone and unable to move as Lina adjusted
her aim and fired a second salvo. Amy closed her eyes and waited for the
impact that would surely kill her.
    It never came. An arm wrapped around her waist, and she was picked
up. She heard Sailor Jupiter groan in pain as the first few shots hit
her before she could jump clear of the blast zone. But they managed to
make it to safety, and Amy grabbed Jupiter's waist tightly as the Scout
sped up to stay a step ahead of Ryoko. The energy blade slashed at the
air behind them, scraping Amy's legs on several passes and drawing blood
twice. The wounds stung, but the pain wasn't nearly enough to make her
cry out.
    Suddenly, a beam lanced from the sky, exploding on contact with
Ryoko's shield. Ryoko spun off to the side, allowing Jupiter to gain
some distance. She stopped and spun around to see who had saved her, but
the sight was such a shock that she dropped Amy onto the ground. The
creature that descended from the sky was even taller than Mewtwo, but
its skin was lime green, with triangular olive speckles from head to
toe. It had two arms and legs, but there the similarities to the human
form ended. Its waist seemed to be a mere orange band connecting its
upper half to its lower, and a long tail protruded from the center of
its back, beneath what appeared to be a pair of immobile black wings.
The tail curled like a snake all the way to the hypodermic-like spike at
its end. Its head appeared to have a large boomerang protruding from the
forehead, and its face was like that of a mantis, complete with a set of
slits where its mouth should have been. It landed lightly on its feet in
the center of the courtyard and crossed its arms, facing Ryoko. "I do
apologize for my attack," it said in a raspy voice. "But these girls are
of no use to me dead."
    "I don't get it," whispered Jupiter. "Is he on our side or not?"
    "Who do you think you are, pal?" Ryoko asked accusingly.
    "My name is Cell," he announced. "I'm told that these girls have a
great deal of power, and I want to have it for myself. For that, I'll
need them alive until I kill them myself."
    "Guess that answers my question," mumbled Jupiter.
    Amy quickly stood up, wobbling slightly. "Quick, someone find my
wand! I have to help!"
    Cell bent down and picked up an object at his feet. "This wand is
what gives you your power?" he asked, staring at it. "It doesn't look
very special."
    Sailor Mars gasped. "Oh no! He's got Mercury's wand!"
    Cell snorted and tossed it to Amy. "Here. Do whatever you do with it
quickly, so I can get on with killing you."
    "Are you crazy?" asked Ryoko. "Once she transforms, she can fight
back!"
    "That's the idea," replied Cell. "I can't absorb power she doesn't
have."
    Amy clutched the wand in both hands uncertainly as the other four
Scouts gathered around her. "It sounds like he wants me to transform...
what should I do?"
    "Do it," said Mars. "We'll need all the power we can get to beat
him."
    Venus nodded. "I can't feel any emotions from him at all, but I'm
sure he's not being coerced into fighting us. He WANTS to fight us, and
he wants us to be at full power."
    "Well, we're going to be!" said Jupiter. "And we're going to win!"
    Cell yawned pretentiously. "You might want to hurry this up," he
advised. "And everyone who's not a Sailor Scout might want to find a
safe place to hide. We wouldn't want any... unexpected casualties."
    Ranma sighed with relief as he leapt to the library roof. Lina and
Ryoko landed to either side of him. "Man, that was close," he breathed.
"I almost had to kill her."
    "Weren't you going to?" asked Lina.
    Ranma nodded. "Yeah, I would have. I can't let Akane die, no matter
what. But if this Cell can kill them for me, then at least my hands are
clean."
    Ryoko snorted. "What a wuss."
    "I notice you're up here with us, Ryoko," Lina pointed out.
    "I'm gonna give Cell his fair chance," said Ryoko. "And when he
messes up, then I'm gonna finish the job."
    Ranma's eyes widened as he returned them to the scene below. "I
don't know about that," he declared. "I've never seen an aura as big as
his... and I have a feeling he's holding back a lot."
    The girls fell silent and turned their attention to what was
happening below.
    Amy finally finished catching her breath. "I'm ready," she
announced, holding her wand over her head. "MERCURY POWER!"
    Cell watched in amazement as Amy transformed into Sailor Mercury.
"Excellent," he whispered with an evil gleam in his eye. "This power
will indeed serve me well."
    "I don't like the way he's looking at us," whispered Mars. "It feels
like there's a hungry tiger staring at me."
    "Just make sure he doesn't try anything before she finishes
transforming," returned Venus.
    Despite the Sailor Scouts' caution, Cell seemed perfectly content to
watch the transformation to its conclusion.
    Ryoko placed a foot on the edge of the roof and rolled up an
invisible sleeve. "One shot! That's all it'd take to finish her off
right now!"
    "Better not," warned Ranma. "I think Cell wants them at full
strength for a reason."
    "Idiot," said Ryoko. "He's going to be dealing with more than he
bargains for."
    "Maybe not," countered Lina. "Mewtwo was pretty strong, and I have a
feeling Cell's even stronger."
    The light faded, and Sailor Mercury stepped to the front of the
group, showing no sign of her injuries. "Thanks for waiting. I'm ready
to fight!" She pointed boldly at Cell. "I'm Sailor Mercury, and we're
the Sailor Scouts! Together, we will put an end to your evil!"
    Cell hummed and rubbed his chin. "How deliciously heroic. I'm going
to enjoy absorbing you."
    "'Absorbing?'" repeated Lina. "What's that supposed to mean?"
    Ranma shrugged. "Maybe in his own world, it's another word for
fighting."
    Sailor Venus clenched a fist. "All right, Scouts!" she shouted.
"Let's get down and dirty! VENUS CRESCENT BEAM SMASH!" She pointed her
finger and fired her beam at Cell, who didn't flinch as the beam struck
his body. When the smoke cleared, there wasn't even a mark.
    Sailor Moon gasped. "No effect?"
    Mars growled. "Don't tell me we're fighting another one of these
invincible enemies!" She held her index fingers together and aimed them
at Cell. "MARS FIRE IGNITE!"
    Cell stood firm as the flames engulfed him. They seemed to take hold
at first, but quickly flickered and died, leaving no sign of damage.
    "Where does Queen Beryl find these guys?" asked Jupiter.
    "Don't give up!" shouted Mercury. "He must have a weakness!"
    Sailor Moon pulled her tiara off and held it over her head. "Guys,
try the combined attack!"
    "But the Outer Scouts said we weren't supposed to use it!" Venus
protested.
    "I don't think we have a choice," replied Sailor Moon. The others
nodded and began to concentrate on their powers.
    "By the power of Mercury!" shouted Mercury, sending a stream of blue
energy into the discus.
    "By the power of Jupiter!" shouted Jupiter, blasting the discus with
electricity.
    "By the power of Mars!" shouted Mars, adding her fire to the mix.
    "By the power of Venus!" shouted Venus, finishing the combination
with her love energy.
    "And by the power of the Moon," finished Sailor Moon, "let our
combined power strike down our enemies! SAILOR SCOUTS COMBINED TIARA
MAGIC!" She wound up and hurled the powered-up projectile at Cell. His
mouth curled upward in a smile as the attack closed the distance - and
then he was no longer in its path. Before the Sailor Scouts could react,
Cell had jabbed an elbow into Mercury's back and a foot into the side of
Venus' head, sending both girls flying.
    "He's behind us!" Jupiter shouted unnecessarily. She spun around,
aiming a kick at Cell, but he was behind her even before she'd completed
the motion. He swiftly brought his fists down on her head, knocking her
to the ground... and several feet INTO the ground. Sailor Mars gaped at
the Jupiter-shaped indentation, then took a defensive stance, shaking
like a leaf.
    Cell snorted. "Is this the power that can hold the world in its
grip? What a joke. I'm already tired of this ridiculous game." He
reached into the hole and pulled Jupiter out by her neck, her body
dangling limply from his hand. He raised his tail above his head, and
the needlelike tip gleamed in the dim light from the streetlamps.
    "One down," declared Ryoko.
    Before Cell could impale Sailor Jupiter, a rose stem embedded itself
in his tail. Cell turned to face his new adversary and sneered. "Passing
through on your way to a cocktail party?" he taunted. "Do yourself a
favor and leave now. You're not the one I'm here to kill."
    "Not a chance, you evil creature!" shouted Tuxedo Mask. "If you want
to harm the Sailor Scouts, you'll have to fight me first!" He drew his
cane and brandished it boldly.
    Cell let Jupiter fall from his fingers to collapse in an
unceremonious heap on the ground. "Very well," he said slowly. "I doubt
you'll be much of a challenge, but you'll do for a warm-up."
    Tuxedo Mask charged across the courtyard and swung his cane hard at
Cell's head. It broke in half on impact, leaving Cell undamaged.
    "Tuxedo Mask, get away from him!" shouted Sailor Moon. "He's too
powerful!"
    Cell smiled evilly. "Now it's my turn." He slammed a fist into
Tuxedo Mask's stomach, then followed it with an elbow to the back of
Tuxedo Mask's head as he doubled over in pain. Cell's knee found its
mark in his opponent's face, sending the caped crusader flying into the
sky. Cell launched himself after Tuxedo Mask and overtook him quickly,
then swung his arms and knocked him straight down. Tuxedo Mask was
unconscious long before he hit the ground.
    "Did you see that?" Ranma asked his partners rhetorically. "I don't
think even I could beat that!"
    "Just be glad he's on OUR side," said Ryoko.
    Cell landed lightly beside the still body of his foe. "Have I proven
myself worthy of a fight with the Sailor Scouts now?" he mocked the
fallen one. "Well, no matter. I can use the extra energy." He raised his
tail and jabbed the tip into Tuxedo Mask's back.
    "Tuxedo Mask! No!" screamed Sailor Moon.
    As the spectators watched helplessly, a bulge formed at the tip of
Cell's tail and moved along the length of the long tube, into Cell's
body. Another bulge appeared, then another, as if large chunks of Tuxedo
Mask's body were being sucked through a straw. The body began to shrink
and wither as Cell continued to absorb it.
    Sailor Mars' fingers tensed. "MARS FIRE IGNITE!" she shouted,
sending a jet of flame at Cell.
    As before, Cell ignored the attack, sucking Tuxedo Mask's body
patiently through his tail until it was gone. His task finished, Cell
pulled his tail free of the empty pile of clothes and turned toward the
Sailor Scouts who were still standing. "Refreshing," he announced as
casually as if he'd just finished drinking a can of soda. "So, which one
of you will be next?"

------------------------------------------------------------------------
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