Chapter 5

"NO!" shouted Lina both out loud and through her link to Serena. "We will never give up!" She could feel the crystal on her head began to grow warm. A strange sensation came over her as warmth coursed through her body. "We will defeat you! We have the power to do so!" On instinct she threw one hand over her head and shouted the words that came readily to her lips. "Moon Magic Transformation, Ignite!"

White fire obliterated the world.

Lina had no idea what was going on. The Silver Imperium Crystal suddenly seemed to seer her flesh, but the rest of her body seemed ice cold even though she was immersed in white fire. Power unlike anything she had ever felt before permeated her entire body. She could feel shock coming through the link from Serena. Shock, and a sense of wonderment along with a little bit of fear. All this took only seconds to comprehend and then it was all over and the white fire was gone.

She felt different.

Looking down at herself was enough to tell why she felt different. It was also almost enough to send her into a dead faint. Shock was the only thing that described what she felt upon seeing that she was dressed as Serena. Or more precisely, as Sailor Moon.

There were differences between her costume and Serena’s. The reds and blues that had made up the costume were gone, replaced by pure white trimmed in gold. There was no brooch on her bow, but instead there was a small diamond. The tiara was gone as well, replaced by the Silver Imperium Crystal with a small crescent moon imbedded in its depths. The frills on the shoulders were gone, replaced by slightly oversized shoulder guards trimmed in gold. A white cape was attached to them with small gold crescents. On its back was a golden crescent cupping a golden star.

Once she had gotten over the shock of her transformation, Lina immediately turned to Serena. The girl was sitting on the ground with a face totally devoid of emotion. A sense of loss emanated from her, as well as bitter hopelessness. Lina wanted to comfort her, to tell her that she would find a way to return the powers, but she had no idea what exactly had happened and no idea of how to fix it.

In fact, she was as unhappy about this whole thing as Serena was. "What the hell happened to me!?" she demanded of no one in particular. "I am not a defender of justice! I’m a beautiful sorcery genius! Get this stupid costume off of me!"

Gourry, standing a few yards away, studied Lina and scratched his chin. "Gee Lina, that bow covers your entire chest. It doesn’t look like you have any breasts at all."

Lina’s face contorted into a look of pure rage. A deep rumbling laugh cut off the tirade she was about to unleash on the not too bright swordsman though. "My, my Lina Inverse," began Kolgar, "I must say you look quite stupid in your new costume… costume." The large Monster continued to laugh uproariously.

Lina whirled to face Kolgar, the veins on her forehead clearly visible in her current state of rage. Those who knew her well immediately looked around for cover from the storm that was about to break upon all those who were within range of the sorceress’s wrath. Kolgar, laughing wildly, didn’t seem to notice the danger he was in and this provided her with a wonderful opening.

"Fire…" she began. A ball of flame almost as big as a horse appeared in her hand where she had been expecting something a little smaller. She felt the crystal on her forehead flare brightly and she smiled. Let’s see him deflect this! "…ball!"

The ball of fire sped across the ground, burning a large furrow as it went. Kolgar, his laughter cut short by the fiery attack, brought the Sword of Night up over his head and swung it down on top of the fireball. There was a flash of light and an explosion that sent shock waves ripping through the town with enough force to shatter windows and tear doors off their hinges. It was all Lina could do to remain standing.

When the dust from the explosion had cleared, the twisted form of Kolgar could be seen standing with his sword held before him. The strain of stopping the attack was plain on his faces, but he was still standing unhurt. The new Sailor Moon blanched. The only thing she had that could possibly be more powerful than that was her Dragon Slave. In the pit of her stomach she knew even that wouldn’t be enough if she couldn’t get around that damn sword.

"Ha ha ha ha!" laughed Kolgar. "Even your best isn’t good enough Lina Inverse, or whoever you are…are. That fancy new costume will avail you little when I run my sword through your gut…gut." He began to advance on the sorceress turned Scout when a shout brought him up short.

"I must say I’m impressed demon." Everyone turned to the source of the voice and found Sailor Sol standing several yards to Kolgar’s right. The same changes that were apparent in Sailor Moon’s costume were also present in hers, save that she had retained the tiara and the colors that marked her. The white cape that rippled slightly in a breeze was emblazoned with a golden sunburst. "I would not have expected you to live through that blast."

Kolgar looked puzzled as he glanced from the frozen Ranma to Sailor Sol. "What happens here…here? How is it that this changeling is in two places at once…once?"

Sol smiled. "Magic perhaps? But that is not the issue now. Your defeat is the only thing that is of any concern at this moment."

Kolgar began laughing again. "You think you can succeed where such a powerful sorceress as Lina Inverse has failed…failed? I think you are a fool, but feel free to try anyway…anyway. See if you can pass the Sword of Night…Night."

"That sword is the only real problem here. So, I’ll just have to circumvent that obstacle." Sol extended her hand towards the demon and it began to glow with a bright, golden light. It suddenly flared violently and she smiled. "Sun Burst!" A dozen rays of golden light shot out from her hand to arc towards their target, each one coming in on a different angle. Kolgar could not hope to deflect twelve different attacks, but he tried anyway. Three did he manage to turn aside before the other nine slammed into him.

A scream rent the night as the white-hot blasts burrowed into the demon’s hide, forcing him to one knee. The smell of burnt flesh filled the air as smoke issued off of Kolgar’s skin. He was hurt badly, but it was obvious that he was still alive.

"Now Sailor Moon!" shouted Sailor Sol. "Use your final attack!"

"Huh?" The new Sailor Moon was rather confused. She wondered if Sol meant the Dragon Slave.

No, said Serena’s voice in her head. As Sailor Moon you should have some type of special attack capable of defeating an opponent such as this. Search for it with your soul and you will find it.

Thank you, replied Sailor Moon. I’m sor-

Sailor Moon looked and saw that Kolgar was starting to rise again. She didn’t have much time. She dug deep into her soul as Serena had told her to, and found a new power waiting for her. A grin spread across her face.

The Silver Imperium Crystal began to glow as she extended her hand and called for her new weapon against evil. In a flash of light, an ornately worked staff of ivory appeared in her hand. At the tip was a golden crescent cupping a crystal ball from which issued both golden and white glows. Directly beneath the ball were engraved the symbols of the sun and the moon. There were spaces for eight more symbols beneath the first two.

Without hesitation, Sailor Moon leveled the staff at the demon. He was severely hurt from Sol’s attack and was currently in the process of trying to open up a warp gate through which to escape. She wasn’t about to give him that chance. "Planet Staff Destruction!" A blast of white and golden light intertwined together shot forward with a roar.

"Not this day Lina Inverse…Inverse!" called Kolgar as he stepped into the portal he had created. The blast from her staff streaked through the space the demon had been occupying and slammed into the building on the other side. Since the building had not been the intended target, and was not evil, the blast simply dispersed without causing any damage.

Sailor Moon stared at the spot where Kolgar had been standing for a few moments before she slid down the staff and into a kneeling position. Her entire body ached from the demon’s initial attack and her mind was reeling with what had just happened. How was it that she was now Sailor Moon? Did it have something to do with the Silver Imperium Crystal? What was going to happen to her now? To Serena?

All these questions and more spun in her head. Intermixed in there were the waves of emotions she was feeling from Serena. Fear, sadness, hopelessness, and betrayal. So caught up in these thoughts and feelings was she that she didn’t realize Gourry was talking to her until he repeated his question for the third time. "Huh? What did you say?"

"I asked if you were okay."

"No. No, I’m not okay." She looked around and saw Sailor Sol studying the frozen Ranma. As she watched, the Sun Scout placed her hands on the martial artist and steam began to rise into the air as the ice melted. Soon, a very cold, very wet Ranma-chan was standing in the middle of the street shivering and demanding an explanation of what had happened. Sailor Sol shrugged and began to relate what she understood of the battle.

Sailor Moon turned her head to look at Serena. The girl was staring at her, but it was obvious she wasn’t seeing anything, her vision turned inward. Amelia was hovering over her, making sure she was okay. Sailor Moon could have told her she wasn’t, but that the wounds suffered were internal and no amount of magic could heal them.

Serena? she probed tentatively towards the girl. Will you be all right?

Serena’s eyes seemed to come back into focus. "Why?" she asked softly. "Why were my powers taken from me? Did I do something wrong? Did I not use them properly? I tried. I tried to use them to defend the innocent. How did I fail?"

"You did not fail Serena," said Sailor Moon out loud. The sound of a voice was more comforting than a thought in your head. "It was simply a twist of fate that your powers were given to me. The wild magic must have done it. We’ll find a way to return them to you."

Serena just continued to stare at her, pain and loss etched in her face. The others had all gathered around the two, studying them silently. A soft golden glow surrounded Sailor Sol and she returned to Riana. She would have to get instructions on exactly how to do that.

"Come on Serena," continued Sailor Moon. "I look terrible in this outfit. I’m not a warrior of justice, I’m a sorcery genius. This is not the outfit of a sorceress." She tried to put as much mirth into her statement as she could, but it wasn’t much. Serena didn’t laugh.

Finally Serena rose from her sitting position. "I’m going for a walk," she said flatly. That was all she said before turning to walk into the dark forest.

"Wait!" called Sailor Moon, but Serena didn’t stop walking. Wait! Still no reply. Damn it Serena, stop! The girl ignored her. "She’s blocking me!" she spat when Serena had disappeared into the tree line. "Tell me how to get out of this damn costume!" Riana told her and moments later Lina was back in her normal outfit and making for the forest.

"Where are you going?" called Zel.

"After her! She’s bound to do something stupid if I don’t find her first." Lina heard various comments concerning her and this statement, but she chose to ignore them.

Serena could block Lina from her thoughts, but the link gave the sorceress the exact location of her friend at all times. She stomped through the dark forest cursing softly as branches slapped her in the face and roots snagged her feet. Finally the trees opened up revealing a small pond. The light of the full moon reflected off of the smooth surface and she could see Serena sitting on the edge staring at the pond as if all of her answers lay in it’s depths.

Lina walked over to her and put a hand on her shoulder. Neither one said anything for a time, content to stare into the void before them. "It will all work out," ventured Lina. "You’ll see."

"I just don’t understand," mumbled Serena on the verge of tears. "I don’t understand what happened. I have nothing now. Nothing at all."

"You’ve gotta have something. Half of this stupid crystal is stuck in your forehead too. That has to give you some kind of power."

Serena wiped away a trail of tears with her sleeve and heaved sadly. "You don’t understand. My Scout powers were the only link I had to home. To Darien. As long as I had them I had faith that I’d return home someday. Now I have nothing. For all I know I’ll never get home."

"Don’t talk like that. Of course you’ll get home. I think that maybe you lost your powers because destiny has something else in mind for you. That something more than likely includes you going home."

"My destiny involved me marrying Darien and living happily ever after with him and all my friends. Not traveling across some unknown world in search of a book no one’s even sure exists. What will they think of me if I return powerless. Darien probably won’t even want to talk to me."

This whole cheering up thing wasn’t going quite as Lina had planned. "What about your powers as the Moon Princess? Maybe you still have those."

Serena gave a despairing chuckle. "Maybe, but I only have access to them under extreme duress. Being almost killed in order to use my powers doesn’t really appeal to me."

"What about your abilities as the Phoenix."

"Same as the Moon Princess." She picked up a rock and hurled it into the pond, sending ripples across the glass like surface. "It’s all so frustrating, you know? I thought I was useless before, but now what am I? I’ll just get in the way of anymore fights we get into. If Kolgar shows up again all I can do is hide. I’m worse then useless."

There was anger in that last statement as well as self-pity. Lina felt this was a good thing since it meant that Serena might talk herself out of this funk. Self-generated resolve was much better than anything someone else could supply. She said nothing, allowing the girl to continue her ranting.

"I don’t want to be useless! I want to help. I want to return home with the knowledge that I can contribute something to the Scouts." Lina smiled as she felt the anger in Serena rise. "I…I…Argh!" Serena threw one hand out towards a nearby boulder. "Explosion Array!" Both girls threw themselves flat against the ground as the large rock exploded, sending chunks of stone everywhere.

"H-How did you do that?" asked Lina when it had stopped raining stone.

Serena stared at what she had done in amazement. "I don’t know. It’s like what happened when I woke up. The spell was just there and I used it."

"Do you think you could do it again?"

"I-I’m not sure." Tentatively, Serena pointed at a tree. "Elmikia Lance!" Green energy exploded from her fingertips, blowing the tree apart.

Lina regarded Serena for a moment, wondering how she had suddenly come up with magic that should have taken years to learn. "Well," she finally said, "I don’t know how it happened, but it seems this is what has replaced your old powers. Your not half bad at flinging it either."

Serena was staring at her hands with wide eyes. She looked at Lina and smiled. Something that had been missing in the girl returned with the knowledge that she still had something to contribute. "I think I’d rather have my Scout powers, but this will do for now."

Lina snorted. "Do for now huh? That’s all you can say after suddenly being blessed with years of magical know how? I’ll show you some of the finer points of magic and then you’ll see exactly what you have there. But in all honesty I think I’d like it better if you had your Scout powers too."

"Why?"

"Because if any of the other sorcerers on this world ever found out I was running around wearing that outfit I’d become a laughing stock in no time. I can think of one sorceress in particular who would have a grand time with the idea."

"Oh? Who’s that?"

Lina gestured back towards town. "She calls herself Nahga the Serpent. I’ll tell you about her on the way back." Serena nodded and fell in next to the sorceress as they began the long walk back to the inn.

Ranma stared at the runes before him in incomprehension. He turned the scroll this way and that, but they were still meaningless scribbles to him. Finally he tossed the piece of parchment to the ground with a sigh. "It makes no sense. None of it does."

Riana looked up from where she was studying a similar scroll. "Sure it does. See." She held out her hand and a look of concentration crossed her face. Moments later a small ball of light appeared hovering over her palm. She smiled and began making the glowing sphere dance over her hand in intricate patterns.

"Whatever." The martial artist stood up and stretched, working out the kinks that had formed from hours of staring at funny writing.

"Where are you going?"

"To practice something useful. I don’t think I’m cut out for magic."

"I think you’re probably right." Ranma turned to see Lina and Serena approaching from where they had been discussing something a few yards away. "You’ve been at this for three weeks now without showing any sign of understanding what I’m trying to teach. Some people just can’t do magic. I think it has something to do with the fact that you’re too grounded in the physical arts."

"Yeah? Well, those physical arts work just fine for me. They work so well I think I’m gonna go practice some now. Anyone want to join me?

He had been hoping Riana would join him, but she shook her head. Ranma had continued his teachings of martial arts since they’re departure from Pesh and all of them had been coming along well. Serena and Lina had been learning at an incredible rate thanks in part to the link they shared. The two worked in harmony to learn as fast as possible. Riana already had a firm knowledge of the martial arts and while she couldn’t match him normally, as a Scout she was a formidable opponent. She was almost as good as Ryoga and he enjoyed the challenge.

"I think I’ll continue to study here for a while. Maybe I’ll join you later."

Amelia had gone with Gourry and Zel to buy supplies in a nearby town since they had decided that, given their current track record, it was better if only a few of them entered a town at any one time. That left only Lina and Serena as practice partners and he looked at the two girls with a raised eyebrow.

Lina shook her head. "I think I’ll stay here and help Riana."

"I’ll come," said Serena. "I need some more practice on that kata you showed us yesterday."

Ranma began walking towards the middle of the clearing they were camped in. Serena fell in next to him and when they reached the spot he had chosen for practice, he instructed her to perform the kata so he could see how she was coming along. She did and he was surprised at how agile she had become over the last couple months. No longer was she a clumsy girl who tripped over her feet on a regular basis. With more practice he knew that she could become as graceful as Shampoo.

Serena did the kata well, with only a few errors, but more than once he saw her cock her head while her eyes seemed to look inward for a moment. "No outside instructing!" he shouted. "Stick to magic Lina!"

The blonde girl had the grace to blush even though she wasn’t the one at fault. "She says she’s sorry. She was just trying to help."

"Tell her she can help when she can do the form perfectly. Until then she can keep her nose in her own business. Now do it again and remember to keep your head up the entire time. You have a tendency to stare at the ground during certain parts."

The day wore on with Ranma continuing to help Serena with her karate. About two hours till sunset, Amelia and the others showed up and the over exuberant sorceress joined them while Gourry and Zel took over another section of the clearing and practiced with their swords. The sun was halfway behind the mountains when Riana came over. The other two took this as a sign that their time was done and moved off to find a place to watch.

"Sparing," was all Ranma said and Riana nodded. She moved to stand about four feet from Ranma and changed into Sailor Sol. "Anything goes." The Scout nodded again.

The two combatants studied each other for several minutes before either made a move. Ranma was the first to initiate combat. He shifted his weight slightly and then moved with incredible speed to strike at his opponent. Sol’s biggest advantage was her speed and she used it to nimbly sidestep the blow. She always did this though, and Ranma’s punch had only been a feint. His foot connected with her gut and she sailed through the air to land several feet away. The two had agreed long ago not to hold back. They learned more this way.

"You’re becoming predictable," said Ranma as Sailor Sol pushed herself off of the ground. "Vary your defenses and you won’t get hit." Sol only nodded and resumed a fighting stance.

They squared off again and Ranma started things the same way. This time instead of stepping to the side, Sol stepped in, blocking his punch as she came. He had expected something different, but not a direct counter. Caught off guard he did his best to defend against her rapid blows, but was struck several times before he could jump away.

"Better," he said when he landed. "But coming straight in like that is risky. I wouldn’t recommend it."

"It worked on you didn’t it?"

"This time. Next time you could end up with my elbow up your nose." He held up Sol’s tiara and smiled. "Or worse."

A shocked Sailor Sol patted at her forehead with her mouth hanging open. "H-How?"

Ranma tossed the tiara back to her. "You’re fast, but my chestnut fist is still faster. I have a longer reach as well. Remember that when you attack."

Grumbling under her breath, Sailor Sol replaced the tiara and the two squared off once again. The sparring match continued for the next hour with an occasional pause in which Ranma gave Sol tips. Despite the agreement to go all out, he held back for the most part, content to simply jab with fingers and toes. He only unleashed the majority of his strength when she did something really careless. Sol, however, did not hold back and by the end of the sparring session Ranma had several bruises to tend to.

"Your getting better all the time," complimented Ranma when they were done. "You all are," he said raising his voice so the others could hear. "I’ll make martial arts masters out of you guys yet."

Sol chuckled and he gave her a questioning look. "I was just thinking about what it will be like to have a bunch of magic wielding martial artists running around."

Ranma considered this for a moment and then frowned. "Maybe we should end these lessons." The others laughed as they walked over to where Lina, Zel, and Gourry had prepared dinner.

After dinner, Ranma went back out to the middle of the clearing and ran himself through his own practice regime. It was past full dark, but the moon provided enough light for him practice by. He didn’t require much, relying on other senses than sight to correct his few mistakes. When he had finished, he sat down to cool off before returning to camp. Staring up into the night sky, he sensed someone approaching. A few moments later Serena came over and sat down next to him.

The two stared at the stars for several minutes before Serena spoke. "Do you think one of those stars up there is our sun?"

Ranma shrugged. "I don’t know. I doubt it though. Our world doesn’t exist in this universe I think."

Serena nodded slowly. "Do you think we’ll ever return to our world?"

"Of course we will. Lina says the dessert of Shlak is only another few weeks away. After that all we have to do is find the tower with the book in it and then we’re home free. No sweat."

The girl next to him nodded again. "Thank you," was all she said before standing up and returning to the others. Ranma watched her go and wondered what that had been all about. Shaking his head he sighed. He’d never understand girls.

Ranma spit out a mouthful of sand and cursed whoever had thought to invent deserts. Vast stretches of sand with no point other than to confound people trying to cross them. And for the last two weeks he’d been in the middle of one of the biggest, searching for a legendary tower that might or might not be there. He was definitely not a very happy martial artist.

"What’s that over there?" asked Riana, pointing off into the distance.

Ranma shifted the large pack he was carrying so that it sat more comfortably on his shoulders and stared off in the direction indicated. In the distance he saw a dark shape framed against the horizon. "Probably just another mirage. What’s the map say Lina?"

"Absolutely nothing," answered the sorceress testily. "This desert is completely devoid of landmarks making any map either worthless or fake."

"I told you," said Zel, "but the shady looking map seller was having a sale so you just had to buy one. Most legendary towers don’t have five gold piece maps pointing out their location."

"Shut up! When I find that stupid map seller, I’m gonna rip his empty head off of his scrawny shoulders."

"Now, now Ms. Lina," said Amelia, "violence never solves anything."

"He was a criminal."

Amelia’s eyes grew large at the hated word. "A criminal! I bet he was part of a gang. Some kind of map forging syndicate. They’re probably into map smuggling as well. He should be thrown into a cell and tortured until he reveals the identity of his accomplices!"

Ranma hung his head. Maybe a desert wasn’t such a bad place after all. Providing of course he was in it alone. "So are we gonna check out the latest sighting or what?"

Everyone exchanged glances and then Serena shrugged. "I don’t see why not. It’s not like we have a lot of other things to do." And so they started on their way up and down the many dunes between them and the unknown object.

At first it appeared to be nothing but a large rock. As they got closer though, they could all see that it was too square to be a natural formation. Even with the wind and sand constantly beating at it, nothing natural could make a rock look like this one. Their pace increased upon making this discovery and soon they were half running, half falling, down the last dune. Ranma stared up at the construction before him as he emptied the sand from his shoes.

It didn’t look much like a tower, being only about twenty feet high and very box like. The building was of gray stone and seemed to be made of all one piece even though such a feat should have been impossible. A stout wooden door was imbedded into the stone and engraved above it was a sign reading: ‘Tower of Zot. Tours given between the hours of 10 and 5. Ring bell for service.’ There was a rope attached to a bell hanging next to the door.

"It’s not exactly what I expected," commented Serena.

Amelia nodded in agreement. "So what do we do now?"

In answer, Gourry stepped forward and, before anyone could stop him, boldly rang the bell. One note, so clear as to be almost perfect, was sounded. Everyone stood stock still for a few moments while the note hung in the air and then the door swung slowly open. A small green head topped with a patch of gray hair poked its way out and two beady black eyes studied the group.

"Are you here for the tour?" asked the creature in a scratchy voice.

Everyone exchanged glances and finally Lina shrugged. "Yes."

The door swung the rest of the way open and they all saw that the green head was attached to a green body about four feet high. The creature was dressed like a butler and held a tray upon which sat several glasses of water and some damp towels. He held the tray out to Lina and she looked to the others before accepting the proffered refreshments. The others followed her lead and soon they all felt a little better about being in the middle of nowhere.

"It will be one silver a piece each to take the tour." Lina handed over the money and the creature bowed. "I am Githis, and I will be your guide. It has been several years since I have had customers. The last person here was a man dressed all in red that asked a lot of questions about many things I did not understand. I felt bad that I could not answer his questions, but he seemed content with what he found here even though he was blind. I hope you will be as well. Now follow me and make sure not to pass beyond the red ropes that mark our path."

Githis stepped back through the doorway and the others followed in stunned silence. Beyond the door was a long, musty corridor made from the same stone as the outside. At the end of the corridor was another door that opened up into a large, well-lit room. The floor was carpeted and several padded chairs and a couch sat in various places around the room. A few potted plants added to the atmosphere and another large door stood at the other end of the room.

"Umm…Githis," began Lina, "I thought this was the tower of Zot. The outside of this place doesn’t look much like a tower."

"That is because the tower is built upside down. Instead of stretching up this one burrows down." Githis led them to the far door and turned to face them before opening it. "Now remember what I said. Do no stray beyond the designated path. This is for your own safety." With his warning given for the second time, he opened the door to reveal a small box like room. He stepped in and gestured for the others to follow.

Looking at each other confusedly, they all crammed themselves into the tight space. As they did so, they could here soft, annoying music coming from an unknown source. Once they had all entered, Githis pulled a lever and the room lurched. It suddenly seemed as if they were falling.

"An elevator," snorted Ranma. "We’re in an elevator."

Serena nodded in agreement, but the others all looked at them in confusion. "What’s an elevator?" asked Amelia.

"This is an elevator," answered Ranma. For the rest of the ride they all stood in silence. It seemed as if speaking would break some kind of rule, and soon the silence became oppressive. Finally they stopped and the doors opened revealing a room about fifty feet square. Scattered around the room on tables, chairs and even the floor were books, scrolls, vials of liquid and various contraptions of unknown use. A red rope kept them from going more than a few feet into the room.

"This is where the great sorcerer Zot did most of his research and performed most of his experiments." Githis went on to talk about some of what was researched and about various experiments. Ranma became bored about two minutes into the lecture. Finally it was over and they were all hurried back into the elevator to continue the tour.

The next stop was a huge library filled with books and scrolls. Githis began talking about various works contained within the library, but Ranma ignored him. The book they needed to get home was probably out there somewhere. There was a red rope blocking passage into the library, but it wasn’t much of a barrier and he simply stepped over it. He had taken about three steps when a shout from behind stopped him. "What?" he demanded turning around.

Lina was pointing behind him. "Wraith!" she shouted.

Ranma turned back around and found himself confronted by a translucent woman floating about two feet off the ground. Her face was twisted in a mask of rage and she pulled one clawed hand back to strike at the martial artist. He easily avoided the blow and countered with a punch. He was genuinely surprised when the blow passed right through her.

The wraith swung again, this time catching a piece of his shirt. Even though she gave the appearance of being non-corporeal, her blow ripped through the silk shirt easily. Ranma made a hasty retreat and dove over the red rope. Looking back over his shoulder he saw the wraith disappear in a puff of smoke.

"The librarian does not like her books to be disturbed," said Githis in a dry voice.

"But I need to get in there," protested Ranma. "We need to find the Book of Zot."

"That book is not within the library, sir. You will get to see it on the last stop of the tour. Now let us continue and remember, do not cross the red ropes."

Everyone filed into the elevator once again and they descended deeper into the tower. This time the elevator opened up into a huge room filled to brimming with gold, silver, and gems of all shapes and colors. A sign indicated this was the treasury.

Ranma watched as Lina’s eyes grew large and she started to drool at the sight of all the treasure. She began to shuffle forward, eyes locked on the mounds of gold before her. The sorceress was about to cross the rope separating her from the treasure, when Zelgadiss reached out and pulled her back. "What are you doing?" she demanded. "Let me go! I saw it first! It’s all mine!"

Zel calmly pointed at something and everyone looked at the indicated spot. There was nothing there that Ranma could see and he was about to say so when a giant foot print suddenly materialized in a pile of gold. Zel pointed at the floor in front of them and they all looked down and saw various runes inscribed in the stone.

"Wards," said the chimera, "to keep whatever that thing is in there. If you go in there you might get rich, but you’ll get dead first."

"Very perceptive chimera," commented Githis. "Most people do not notice the demon until it is too late. Shall we continue the tour?" Everyone, including a slightly shaken Lina, nodded. No one protested as the elevator door closed, but Lina gave one last longing look at the room full of treasure.

They reached the next stop and the doors opened revealing a large, empty room. At the other end of the room was a large set of double doors ornately worked with carvings of fanciful beasts. There were no red ropes here, but Ranma couldn’t see anything worth sectioning off besides the doors.

"This is the last stop," said Githis as he stepped out of the elevator. "Beyond those doors is the Book of Zot."

"All right," exclaimed Ranma. "At last we can go home!" Everyone made a break for the doors, but a shout from Githis brought them up short.

"I have been instructed to give this warning to any who wish the book. Only those who have need of the knowledge contained within may try and retrieve it, but they are warned. Beyond those doors lies the most challenging opponent any one has ever faced. Enter at your own risk."

Ranma exchanged glances with Serena. "If only people with great need can go after it, that means…"

"Only me and Ranma can go through those doors. We’re the only ones here who have real need of the book."

Amelia stepped forward with a worried look on her face. "But you can’t go alone. You might need our help."

"The only help they will need is the help they can provide for themselves," said Githis. "Your going with them will not affect the outcome."

"It’s settled then," said Ranma. "Just me and Serena will go through the doors. The rest of you stay out here."

Reluctantly, everyone nodded. "Be careful," said Riana.

Ranma put on a cocky grin. "Aren’t I always?" Then both he and Serena were crossing the room. They stopped before the double doors and exchanged worried glances. Both of them removed the large packs they had been carrying and Ranma took a water skin from his. He was feeling a bit parched and he took a long drink. Serena shook her head when he offered her some. Then, taking a deep breath, Ranma opened the doors and they stepped through.

Instead of seeing the pit of Hell like they expected, they instead found themselves in a room that was one big mirror. Walls, floor, and even the ceiling hurled their reflection back at them. In the middle of the room stood a pedestal upon which rested a large book. There was no sign of any danger.

Behind them the doors suddenly slammed shut causing both to jump. They waited unmoving for a few moments waiting for something to happen, but nothing did. Serena looked up at him and he shrugged. Then he took another step into the room and Serena, the doors, and the book disappeared. He looked around frantically trying to find his companion, but she was nowhere in sight. "Serena!" he called.

"Serena can’t hear you now." Ranma whirled at the sound of the voice, but only his reflection greeted his eyes. Then he realized his reflection was stepping out of the mirror. Looking around he realized all other reflections were gone giving him the sense of being trapped in infinity as the empty mirrors threw their own reflections back at one another.

"Who are you?" he demanded of the copy before him.

His twin snorted. "That’s a stupid question, even from you. Who do I look like?"

"Like me, but that’s not possible."

The mirror Ranma smirked. "Oh, but I am you. In every way shape and form we are alike. The only difference is that I know what’s going on and you don’t." Suddenly the reflection dashed forward and struck Ranma in the face with a fist. The water skin he had been carrying fell from his hand and skittered across the room. Neither combatant took any notice of it.

Ranma was sent reeling from the blow, but quickly countered with a kick to the midsection. It connected and he felt fire burst in his gut. Doubling over in pain he looked up at his reflection and found him in the same position. Blood was running from the mouth of his twin even though his face had been untouched. Ranma licked his lips and was surprised to find blood running from his own mouth.

Suddenly his reflection was attacking again. Ranma dodged a kick and tried to land a punch to the kidneys. This was blocked and he brought his other fist around with the intent of busting some teeth. The punch was blocked as well and then he was forced to block his twin’s counter attack. The fight went this way for some time and it soon became obvious to Ranma that they were exact equals in the fighting department.

Finally an opening presented itself and he back fisted his double in the side of the head. His own head suddenly exploded in pain and he stumbled back. When his head stopped ringing he turned to find his twin clutching his own head while smiling wickedly. "What the hell is going on?"

"You just don’t get it do you? Whatever damage you may inflict upon me is visited upon yourself as well. You can’t destroy me without destroying yourself."

"At least I’ll take you with me!" Ranma launched himself at his duplicate with a flurry of punches, several of which had the misfortune of hitting vital areas. When he had regained his senses, he found himself on his back staring up into infinite. Slowly he got to his feet and found his double doing the same.

"Fool. You would destroy yourself just to defeat me? What is the purpose in that? Is your pride so great that you cannot admit you are beaten? Give up and go home."

Ranma ground his teeth together. Think, he ordered himself. There has to be a way to win. There’s always a way to win. His eyes roamed around the room in search of something to aid his fight. The only thing in the room other than his double was the water skin though, and he dismissed that as useless. Then a thought entered his mind and he thought better of that assessment.

The martial artist feinted towards his twin and then made a dash for the water skin lying in the corner. He reached it only two steps before his double and was forced to dodge and block while he tried to maneuver himself away. Finally he managed to put several feet between himself and his attacker and he pulled the top from the water skin and dumped the contents over his head.

The water was only slightly cool, but it was enough to affect the change he was looking for. Ranma-chan watched happily as the eyes of the still male reflection grew large with shock. "What trickery is this?!" demanded the reflection.

"Well, well, well. It seems that you’re not me after all." Using the speed inherent to her girl form, Ranma-chan attacked with a devastating array of punches and kicks. Her opponent slammed against a wall and she was pleased to note that she felt nothing.

The fake Ranma slumped to the ground, but immediately picked himself up again. A red glow encompassed him and all signs of damage disappeared. "This is unexpected, but no matter. Now you will face my true power changeling, and know that you held no chance of victory."

The speed of the attack took Ranma-chan completely by surprise. Her male half should have been slower, but the persona before her moved with a speed that defied anything she had seen before. Blows from almost unseen sources slammed into her repeatedly, driving the air from her lungs and forcing her to her knees. Then a powerful kick to her head sent her flying over the ground to slam into a wall. The force of the impact should have shattered the mirror, but it remained solid as Ranma-chan collapsed face first to the ground.

Dazed, hurt, and on the verge of passing out, she stared down into the void of infinite that spread out before her. She could hear her double speaking, but she could make out none of what he said. Ranma-chan was about to push herself back up, to try one more time to defeat her opponent, when a single figure appeared in the void beneath her.

Riana stood below her in the void looking up at her with a desperate look on her face. She screamed something unheard and pounded on an invisible barrier between them. Suddenly another girl joined her and tears came unbidden to the martial artist’s face. Akane stood next to Riana, shouting and pounding on the unseen barrier. Then others came. Ryoga, Lina, Serena, everyone she had ever known in her life appeared before her. And behind them all stood a man dressed in blue armor emblazoned with silver dragons.

The Dragon opened his mouth and Ranma-chan heard the words spoken as clearly as if they had been whispered into her ear. "Be strong."

In that instant Ranma-chan knew what she had to do in order to win. She had to swallow her pride one last time. "Help me," she said to the those standing before her. "Please help me." The words were forced from her lips, but they were said in earnest. She knew that she couldn’t win this battle alone. Her friends stopped pounding on the invisible barrier and they smiled. One by one they disappeared until only the Dragon was left.

"At last you understand that you cannot face every problem by yourself," he said before he too vanished.

Energy and strength flooded through Ranma-chan and she jumped to her feet. Her double had been advancing on her, but now he fell back unsure of what was happening. The true martial artist held a fist out before herself and it began to glow with a white light. The fake Ranma watched in confusion as the glow around the fist intensified until it seemed as if the sun itself were contained within those clenched fingers.

"This ends now," said Ranma-chan as she brought her fist back to strike. "Taiyoo Ken!" The fist shot forward with unimaginable speed to strike the reflection firmly in the head. With an inhuman scream the double shattered like glass and the mirrors surrounding Ranma-chan exploded inward, showering her with glass.

Then she was standing alone in a gray void.

Ranma stared down at himself, chin resting on his chest. He sat on the ground, his hands laying in his lap clutching a sword drenched in black blood. Not his own he knew, but a good portion of that coated the rest of him. His back rested firmly against something and he knew it was the back of another. The smell of death and decay filled his nostrils, but when he tired to raise his head to study his surroundings, he found he didn’t have the strength.

Ranma was very confused as to what exactly had happened to him.

Suddenly he felt a presence before him and strength seemed to return to his weary limbs. Slowly he raised his head, feeling dried blood flake away as he did. His eyes widened in surprise as he saw the large dragon with blue scales tipped with silver staring down at him. He was even more surprised when his gaze swept the surrounding area and he found it littered with the bent and broken bodies of demons. As strange as all this seemed though, it also seemed familiar.

"YOU ARE WORTHY," said the dragon in a voice like an avalanche.

"Worthy of what?" he asked not understanding what was happening.

"WORTHY OF THE POWERS SLEEPING INSIDE OF YOU." The dragon held out one clawed hand and a magnificent silver sword appeared within its grasp. "TAKE THIS BLADE MORTAL AND KNOW POWER, BUT KNOW ALSO THAT THIS IS BUT A SYMBOL OF YOUR TRUE STRENGTH."

Ranma forced one tired arm, the other didn’t seem to work, to reach out and grasp the weapon presented to him. As his fingers closed around the hilt, the world around him exploded in a blue light. Then he was standing in the room of mirrors holding the sword, and the pedestal holding the book was right in front of him.

"Ranma!" called Serena as she looked around for the martial artist. He had been standing there a second ago and then he had just disappeared. The pedestal with the book had gone moments later and now she was alone. "Ranma!" There was still no answer so she tried something else. Lina? She reached for the sorceress, but a wall was suddenly there, blocking her way.

"You cannot use such powers here," said a voice from behind her.

Serena whirled around to face whoever had spoken, but confronted only her reflection. Looking around she realized that all the other reflections had vanished, leaving only the one before her. She turned back to the lone reflection and jumped in surprise as she saw it stride out of the mirror.

"What’s going on?" she asked as she slowly backed away.

"Didn’t the gate keeper warn you? I am the opponent you must face and you will have no help in this battle."

Serena’s back hit a wall and she stopped. She felt blindly with her hands, but only felt the smooth surface of a mirror where the doors out should have been. Her double was right, she was alone in this battle. Not a problem, she thought. I’ve been alone before. I can do this.

"Fireball!" she shouted as she threw her hand up before her. A small flicker of flame appeared and then vanished in a puff of smoke. "What the…?"

"Oh, did I forget to tell you that magic doesn’t function here? Too bad." The reflection crossed the space separating the two in a heartbeat and dealt Serena a massive blow to the head with her fist. Her head rebounded off of the wall and then a blow to her gut doubled her over. Sharp pain lanced through her back all of a sudden and she was sent to her knees.

"W-why? Why are you doing this?" Blood fell from Serena’s mouth as she spoke, marring the illusion of infinity before her.

"Consider it a test." Her double grabbed a handful of hair and yanked Serena’s head up to look her in the eyes. "You’ve failed." A knee slammed into Serena’s stomach and a cry of pain escaped her lips. Then she was flying into the air to slam into a wall and crash back to the floor staring up at the ceiling.

"Look how weak you are," scoffed the reflection. "Even being your reflection makes me feel weak and pathetic. Without your friends you are nothing. How you’ve managed to survive this long is beyond me."

Serena stared up into infinite as the words of her double washed over her. Her vision began to go dim and she found herself agreeing with the taunts of her reflection. I am weak. Without the powers and abilities of my friend I have nothing. I deserve to die. She started to close her eyes, to give up, but something stopped her.

She forced her eyes all the way open and her vision began to clear. Above her, hanging in the vast void of infinite, images began to appear. Visions of the days and nights spent training with Ranma. Images of her performing moves that would have seemed impossible a year ago. Then those faded away and a woman dressed in long red robes was looking down at her.

The Phoenix opened her mouth and the words came to Serena as if carried on a breeze. "Be strong."

Be strong. The words repeated themselves over and over in her head. Yes, she thought, I will be strong! I can do this! I will win! With the increased confidence came a surge of power from deep within her being. Serena pushed herself off of the ground and faced her reflection.

Surprise was evident in her doubles face, but it was quickly replaced by mirth. "So you have a little strength left huh? It won’t be enough. You’ve already lost." The punch was thrown without warning, but Serena still managed to block it. Her opponent had been careless in her over confidence and paid for it with a kick to the midsection. Shock was plain on her face as she staggered backwards.

"You will not beat me," said Serena as she advanced. "You cannot beat me." The double lashed out with another punch and she easily avoided the wild blow. Her own fist slammed into the reflection’s kidney. She struck with a round kick as her opponent tried to get away and connected firmly with the double’s head. Her opponent crashed to the ground with a cry of pain.

"You have lost," intoned Serena. "Give this up and let me go and you will be left in peace."

The reflection got to her feet and wiped blood from her mouth. "I’ll never lose to the likes of you! It is you who should give up!" Suddenly she charged forward with a wordless roar.

"Golden Crescent Strike!" Serena’s right leg ignited in golden fire as she swept it around in an inside crescent kick. A path of gold followed the blow as it struck the head of her reflection. With a scream of pain and rage the double shattered like glass.

Serena looked up and saw the smiling face of the Phoenix looking down at her. "Now you know that you can stand alone if you have to." Then she was gone and the room of mirrors shattered, leaving Serena in a gray void.

Suddenly Serena found herself standing in a long corridor. To her back was a solid stone wall and before her was a pile of blackened bodies. Flames licked around the corpses, and as she watched the flames rose higher and higher until they had formed a raging bonfire. Then the fire coalesced into the form of a giant bird.

"You are worthy," said the phoenix in a voice like the tinkling of silver bells.

"Huh? I don’t understand."

"I have judged you worthy of using the powers sleeping within your soul." Flame suddenly erupted from the ground in front of Serena and then it disappeared, leaving a naginata floating in the air before her. "Here is your weapon, but remember that your true power does not exist within wood and steel. It exists within you."

Serena reached for the weapon hesitantly. When her hand closed about the red wood shaft, the world was obliterated in fire. And then she was standing in the room of mirrors holding the naginata, and the pedestal holding the book was before her. At her side stood Ranma holding a large sword. They looked at each other, smiled, and then moved forward to claim what had brought them all this way.

"Next stop Earth."