A/N: It's been a busy week and I didn't have time to update, but here's an extra long chapter! Enjoy!

Chapter 25: Beginning of the End

Kameko recoiled from the purple deity when he tried to brush her face.

"Oh no, you don't! You're not wiping my memory again!" she exclaimed. "Keep your hands off me, you little weasel!"

"Kameko, that is no way to speak to the Supreme Kai!" Piccolo warned, but the girl did not listen.

"I had my suspicions about this guy earlier, but he did something to make me lose my train of thought. Yeah, it's all coming back to me now."

"Kameko, what are you saying?" Goku asked.

"I'm saying Shin is the Supreme Kai, but not the one we think. He and his kid are from the future!"

"He's what? Come on, Kameko, that's ridiculous!" Yamcha laughed. "Screwing around with the timeline is for mortals, not for the gods themselves. Why would Shin even bother to…"

The desert bandit trailed off, his smile fading rapidly when he saw the expression on the Supreme Kai's face.

"I'm afraid it's true. Nessuno and I are not of this time. I wish we could have kept it hidden longer than this."

"I saw it in your eyes," Kameko said. "It's the same look I saw in aunt Bulma's eyes when she was working on my time machine. Then later I saw it in Trunks' eyes as well, when I met him in this time."

And in my own, every time I look in the mirror…

"Do you live in Trunks' timeline? Or the one Cell and Kameko came from?" Krillin asked, but Shin shook his head.

"We are from a timeline that no longer exists. We were the last souls in Existence; with our departure, nothing was left behind."

("Nothing except Buu,") Nessuno said sadly. ("I could say I want him to rot in the HFIL, but even that place has been destroyed.")

"Like I said, the Kais normally don't interfere with the mortal plane, and they certainly don't play around with the timeline. The consequences could be catastrophic! But when there is not even a mortal plane nor an Otherworld left, when the fabric of time itself begins to destabilize and unravel…"

("There was nothing left to lose,") Nessuno sighed, her eyes glazing over. ("Nothing…")

"Why didn't you tell us?" Kameko asked.

"Because it would only lead to more confusion, more questions, more doubt… all things that could be fatal in a fight with Majin Buu, should the worst come to past," Shin said bitterly. "I understand it is hard, but please try to forget about all of this, at least for now. We must press on and stay focused on the task ahead."

"We'll play twenty questions later," Cell said. "Even if you wanted to, it would not be wise to tell your story here."

"What do you mean by that?" Kameko asked and the android sighed, rolling his eyes.

"I realize you are all inferior, but am I truly the only one here with an IQ above room temperature? That Pui Pui character requested a change of scenery and his wish was immediately granted. I did not see him wearing a scouter or other kind of communication device, so that can only mean the wizard is listening in on every word we speak."

"Then what are we loafing around for?!" Yamcha protested. "Babidi knows we're here and he knows we defeated one of his henchmen! While we're standing here doing nothing, that talking rat can assemble more of his minions! One of them is no match for us, but what about a thousand? A million even? We don't know how big this vessel is!"

Suddenly the lights went out, plunging the warriors into complete darkness.

"I don't have room for that big an army," Babidi's amused voice sounded through the speakers. "But then again, it's not like I need to. Farewell!"

With one last maniacal cackle, the wizard left them alone to wonder.

"That little fucker is really getting on my nerves," Kameko growled. "Let's get out of here and kick his ass! Eh… assuming we can… find the exit…"

"Don't worry, I got this one," Chiaotzu said, forming a ki-ball in his hand. The room was briefly illuminated, but suddenly the sphere vanished into darkness.

"What the…?" the small emperor blinked, trying to form another ki-ball. However, that one too quickly dissolved.

"It seems like something in here is absorbing all the light," Trunks said.

"Great," Tien muttered grimly. "Now what?!"

"Activating infrared vision…" they heard Sixteen say. "Loading… loading… system activated. Infrared camera's online."

"Alright, Sixteen! Nice thinking!" Krillin cheered. "Okay everyone, form a chain and we'll be out of here in no time."

There was a bit of shuffling and the occasional yelp when someone's foot was stepped on. But eventually, they were all ready and in position.

"One last check before we leave; I'm holding Sixteen," Krillin announced. "Who's holding me?"

"I'm holding you," Yamcha said.

"I'm holding Yamcha," Tien followed.

"I'm holding Tien," Chiaotzu continued.

"I'm holding Chiaotzu."

"I'm holding Gohan."

"I'm holding Goku."

"I'm holding Vegeta."

"I'm holding Piccolo."

("I'm holding my father.")

"I'm holding Nessuno."

"I'm holding Trunks," Kameko concluded. "I guess you're holding me then, Cell?"

"I'm not holding anyone; I have my own infrared vision."

It became so silent you could almost hear crickets chirping in the background. Then:

"Well if you're not touching me, then who the hell just put their hand on my shoulder?!"

Before anyone could answer, Kameko screamed as she was hoisted up by her arm and flung through the room like a ragdoll.

"Something's attacking us!" Krillin yelled.

"No shit, Captain Obvious!" Kameko snapped as she got back to her feet. "Cell! Sixteen! Why didn't you warn me?!"

"We can't see it either!" the giant said, worry in his voice. "Whatever this creature is, it does not show up on infrared!"

"Negative on heat vision and X-ray too," Cell growled. "This… this thing seems imperative to all sorts of radiation. Fortunately, I'm not out of options yet. Namek, not that I care, but this might hurt a little."

"What are you… AAAAAAAARRGH!!!" Piccolo shrieked in pain before he could finish his sentence. His scream was quickly followed by an agonized howl as the android landed a vicious blow on their attacker.

"You're invisible to radiation," Cell grinned. "But you're not invisible to sound. Ultrasound, to be exact."

"Piccolo, are you alright?" Gohan asked worried.

"My head…" the Namek groaned. "Ultrasound… is even worse… than whistling…"

"Cell, you have to stop this!" the demi-Saiyan protested.

"No Gohan… it's the only way… I'll be alright."

("Let me ease your pain,") Nessuno said, putting her hands on his ears. There was no glow, since all light was immediately eaten by the creature, but Kameko could feel Piccolo's distressed ki return to normal.

"The Namek might survive," she heard Cell chuckle to the startled monster, "but I promise… you won't."

The horrifying sounds that followed would haunt Kameko in her nightmares forever. Cell's almost demonic laughing, panicked shrieks, breaking of bones, snapping of tendons, helpless gurgling as the wounded creature began to drown in its own blood…

Stop it! Kameko wanted to scream. No more!!! Just kill him already and get it over with!!!

"Enough, Cell! End his suffering, or I will!" Shin yelled.

"Fine then. Spoil my fun," the android muttered, firing a ball of ki at the battered monster. It didn't even make an attempt to absorb the blast, grateful for the release that death would bring.

The second it passed away, the lights turned back on again and a hatch to the third and final floor opened. Kameko caught a glimpse of the creature's mangled corps, the image so horrible it felt like it was burning a hole in her brain.

Dear Kami… she shivered, hugging herself. Is this how I'll die at his hands once our alliance ends? Bloodied, broken and praying I won't survive whatever Cell will throw at me next?

("It doesn't have to end like that.")

"Who's there?" her eyes widened in alarm.

("Think of it, Kameko. I could make you stronger! Faster! Invincible! Cell will never be able to hurt you again!")

"SHIN!!! NESSUNO!!!" Kameko panicked, grasping her head.

("They can't save you! Only I can! How else will you get the power needed to defend yourself against the android? You saw what he did to my Yakon… or what's left of him. Join me, Kameko! Join me!!!")

"GET! OUT! OF! MY! HEAD!!!"

She could feel the wizard pry in her memories, infiltrating and staining every last corner of her mind. Still, Kameko fought with all her might to save her soul from the threatening corruption.

("Cell doesn't love you! He will never love you! He will only hurt you again, unless you hurt him first! Kill him, Kameko! Kill them all!!!")

"NO!!! I WON'T GIVE IN!!!" she screamed, pulling at her hair. "NO!!! NO!!! NO!!!"

"Kameko, don't listen to him!" Shin yelled, grabbing her head and looking straight in her eyes. "Focus, Kameko! Focus on my voice and my voice alone!"

("We will be your lifeline,") Nessuno joined, her hands covering her fathers. ("Your light in the darkness. Hold on to us, Kameko. Hold on to us.")

Kameko only saw black, and endless void. A feeling of utter hopelessness and despair crept in her mind and threatened to overwhelm her soul. Then suddenly she saw it; a star. A beautiful, bright star that was shining only for her. The shadows demanded from her soul that it stayed, but a newfound strength stirred inside her, refusing to obey. She ran from the void, from the greedy black tentacles that tried to ensnare her. Too much evil! Too much darkness! Wrong!!!

"You can't escape," Babidi's voice soothed. "You're under my control now, child. Why struggle? Isn't it better this way? Out there only waits more cruelty, more pain at the android's hands! Only I can protect you from that monster."

Her soul slowed down, looked over her shoulder, hesitated. Cell… she loved him, but he only caused her suffering. Maybe it was indeed better to stay here, to let go, to sleep…

Her eyes began to close, but suddenly the star began to shine even brighter, the light taking on the naked shapes of Shin and Nessuno's souls. She vaguely realized her own form was not clothed as well, but it didn't matter. There was no embarrassment, no shame, no knee-jerk reactions programmed by mortal life. Warmth… love… safety!

"Come back, Kameko," they smiled warmly. "Don't stay in this dark and desolate place. Come with us, reclaim your body and mind. We'll lead the way."

"But what if Babidi's right?" Kameko's soul asked meekly. "I don't want my body anymore. The physical world offers nothing but fear, suffering and regret! Why torture ourselves? Why not stay like this, free from attachment to the mortal plane?"

"The freedom you feel now is false. If you leave your body now, you will be ensnared by Babidi's web," Nessuno's soul warned, no longer hindered by whatever took her ability to speak.

"And when you surrender your body to the wizard, you will give up more than pain," Shin reasoned. "You will also give up the smell of flowers, the sound of music, the feel of a lover's caress… Experiences, Kameko! Experiences!"

"Cell…"

"Is not beyond redemption."

"You sure?"

"Yes."

"You promise?"

"No."

"Is it worth the risk?"

"Absolutely."

Kameko's soul seemed to hesitate, then smiled.

"Alright then. I'll try life again."

An angry, disappointed shriek from Babidi was the last she heard before four hands, one pair male, one pair female, reached out and pulled her spirit away from the darkness.

"Kameko… Kameko… Hey, snap out of it!" Goku shook her shoulders.

"Ugh… wha…what?!" she blinked, her brain feeling like someone had hit it with a sledgehammer.

"Are you alright?" Shin asked.

"Y…Yeah, I think so," she put her head in her hands, groaning. "Babidi tried to pull a fast one on me, but I think he's gone now. How long was I out?"

"Out?" Yamcha asked. "You closed your eyes for three seconds and opened them instantly when Shin and Nessuno touched you."

"Strange… it feels like so much longer. But I can't remember anything… like there's a gap in my memory. I can't really explain it."

"Your mind does not recall, but your soul won't forget," Shin said. "When the day comes for you to leave your body behind, the memories will come back."

"Yeah, well let's not rush things, okay?" she sweatdropped, then narrowed her eyes and gritted her teeth. "I know someone who will die soon though. Babidi, you're road kill! Do you hear me?! Road kill!!! I'll teach you to screw around with people's minds!"

Like an enraged bull, Kameko stormed through the hatch, dropping down on the final level of the vessel.

"Okay, you wrinkly little troll! Payback time!" she growled when she finally came face to face with the wizard. However, he just looked smugly at her, motioning to the giant sphere behind him.

"Ah, ah, ah! Don't do anything hasty now," he smirked. "If you fire and miss, you might hit Buu's ball. And we wouldn't want that now, would we?"

"Oh, I don't need ki-blasts to take you out. If you think Yakon had it bad, just wait until I get my hands on you!"

"Is that so?" he chuckled. "I think you're going to have your hands full on your spiky haired companion."

"What do you mean by…"

Kameko was interrupted by the startled cries of her friends on the level above.

"I tried taking over Cell first, but he is already well aware and in control of his own evil. No struggle, no conflict, no crack to wriggle through. I doubt he even felt my presence before his soul repelled me. Then I tried you and almost succeeded, but that meddlesome kai had to interfere again. Fortunately, I found a third, even stronger victim. And even better: this soul was willing! Ahahaha!!!"

Almost immediately, Trunks' earlier words echoed through her head: "I can almost sense the struggle he's having within. One side of him deeply loves my mother and perhaps even cares for me, but the other side believes sympathy is only for the weak and should be banned from his heart. He understands both love and pride, but he hasn't yet grasped that the two can coexist without conflict. He might not show it, but I know it's tearing him apart. And I'm afraid that, in the end, it will be his downfall."

"Oh no… Vegeta!!!"

Shooting one last venomous glare at the wizard, Kameko turned around and bolted back through the hatch. Without Shin and Nessuno around, the risk was too great he would try something funny again. Also, if the Saiyan prince had indeed gone off the deep end, her friends would need all the help they could get!

"Vegeta! What's the matter with you?!" Goku yelled. "Why are you attacking me?!"

"Dad, that mark on his forehead!" Gohan pointed. "I think Babidi's controlling him! He must've struck when we were occupied with Kameko!"

"Hey! I'm more than just a lame decoy!" the Turtle Hermit's daughter protested. "He really was after me first, but then a certain someone decided he would join that creepy dwarf willingly!"

"Vegeta… is that true?" Goku asked grimly.

"Yes, it is," Vegeta grinned evilly, almost insane. "It was the only way I could gain enough power to beat you!"

"Oh, this is rich," Cell snickered. "All this trouble to free Kameko from the wizard's grasp, and then our dear prince walks into his trap willingly behind the Supreme Kai's back. All to settle his little feud with Goku. Hahaha!!! I knew you were a fool, Vegeta, but now you've really reached a whole new level of stupidity!"

"Shut up, android!" the Prince barked. "Don't think I forgot what you did to me! I'll kill Kakarot first and then I'll deal with you!"

"Vegeta's powerlevel has gone up dramatically, and it's still rising," Sixteen warned. "Rising… rising… oh!"

There was a small explosion on the side of giant's head as his internal sensor overloaded.

"Oh man! Not good!!!" Krillin yelped. "Trunks, you better do something before your father goes bonkers and fries us all!!!"

"Father, stop this!" the youth from the future yelled. "We have more important things to worry about!"

"More important?!" Vegeta roared. "More important than my honor? My pride?!"

"Vegeta, what's wrong with you?! This is no time for old rivalry! You wear the Majin seal! If you fight now, any damage you inflict will convert into energy that will be directly send to Majin Buu!" Shin yelled.

"Did this happen in your timeline too?" Tien asked, and the kai shook his head.

"No, Kameko was the one who got possessed, just like in this one, but I didn't expect Babidi to go after a second target so soon!"

"How long did he wait in your time?" Kameko asked.

"He did not. There was no need for a second try; we didn't get to you in time to stop him from taking you over."

"But I'm sure you managed free me from the Majin seal eventually, right?"

"In a way."

"How?"

"You don't want to know, Kameko. Trust me."

"Let's go, Kakarot! Right here! You and me!" Vegeta barked, balling his fists.

"No, Vegeta! You heard what Shin said! We can't afford to give any energy to Majin Buu! Not even a drop!" Goku argued.

"You don't want to fight?! How… how DARE you deny me my revenge!!! Don't you realize what you have done to me?" The prince hissed, murder in his eyes. "You humiliated me when I first came to Earth! You! A third class weakling! And as if that wasn't enough, you took my revenge by killing Frieza and becoming a Super Saiyan before I did! My honor, my pride, my birthright!!! YOU TOOK EVERYTHING FROM ME!!! That's why I had to sell my soul to Babidi! You and your friends made me grow soft and weak! Compassionate even! I needed to become who I was before!!!"

"A dick?" Kameko scoffed, then suddenly felt a hand like a bench-vice wrap itself around her throat.

"If you won't fight me, Kakarot, then I suppose I'll have to find another sparring partner to vent my anger on. I'm sure this insolent harpy will do just fine!"

"Oh, real princelike, Vegeta! Using a chick as a hostage! And they say chivalry is dead!" Kameko gasped, fruitlessly kicking the Saiyan's legs and trying to pry open his fingers. Unfortunately, he was far stronger than her and absolutely refused to budge.

"Soon you won't be so talkative, if Kakarot doesn't change his mind fast."

"Father, let her go!" Trunks ordered as Vegeta's fingers tightened and spots began to dance before Kameko's eyes.

"Or else what? You'll attack me? One wrong move boy… just one wrong move and I'll pop this girl's head like a grape!"

"Alright, fine! I'll fight you Vegeta!" Goku said grimly. "Just don't hurt her!"

"I knew you'd see things my way," the Prince smirked, shoving Kameko in the Saiyan's arms.

"That prick…" she muttered, rubbing her sore neck. "Goku, do me a favor and blast his face off, okay?"

"I'll try to keep him busy," he nodded. "In the mean time, you guys go after Babidi and Dabura. Destroying the wizard will destroy the Majin seal. I don't think Vegeta truly has given all of himself to Babidi yet, we might still be able to save him."

"Kakarot, that's enough senseless babbling! Do not try my patience!"

"Alright, Vegeta, I'm coming. But let's take this outside; if we fight here, our friends can get hurt."

"Hah, I couldn't care less about this pathetic Earthlings!" the Prince scoffed. "But I know you won't go all out with those weaklings caught in the crossfire. Lead the way, Kakarot."

"Don't worry, I know just the place," Goku grinned. "Hey Cell, do you mind if we borrow your ring for a moment? Thanks!"

"What? My Cell Games arena?! Now wait a minute…!" the android protested, but the two Saiyans had already instant-transmissioned away.

"Is he always like this?" Cell sweatdropped.

"Oh yes… yes he is," Gohan laughed.

"Well, I guess that leaves us to take out the trash," Kameko said. "Babidi and Dabura are below, together with Buu's ball. Goku said he'd try to keep Vegeta occupied, but if their fight drags on too long, their energy will release the monster."

"Hey, Sixteen, maybe you should get out of here and return to the lookout to have Bulma take a look at your head," Krillin suggested.

"Only my sensors have overloaded, other systems were not damaged."

"Yeah, but without your sensors, you won't see Dabura coming," Yamcha said.

"Besides that, you are the only one of us who can fly and fight freely without a detectable powerlevel. Should the worst come to pass and Buu is freed, you are too valuable a weapon to waste on Babidi's lesser henchmen," Piccolo agreed grimly. "No doubt that wizard has an ace up his sleeve, so we need one as well."

The silent giant nodded, then blasted off through the hole in the roof.

"Alright, let's finish this quickly before I no longer have an arena left to return to," Cell ordered, jumping through the hatch. The other quickly followed, joining the bio-android on the lower level.

"I hope father will be alright," Trunks sighed. "Maybe I should have followed them…"

"No Trunks, this is between your dad and Goku. They need to settle this as warriors," Krillin said. "Besides that, we need your help here. If you really want to save Vegeta, then destroy Babidi and break the spell."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Welcome, welcome!" the wizard cackled, emerging from behind Buu's ball. "I couldn't help but overhear your little assassination scheme."

"Then you know you're done for," Kameko balled her fists. "There is no way to can take on all of us!"

"And risk breaking Buu's ball?"

"Yes," Shin said grimly, getting into a fighting stance. "I realize now that it is probably impossible to prevent Buu's resurrection. Vegeta and Goku will fight and each blow they deal to each other, will give the monster more power. However, if we free Buu now, he won't have reached his full strength yet. It may still be possible to beat him."

"Very cunning, Supreme Kai, I must admit. Too bad you won't get the chance. Oh, Dabura?"

"Yes, master Babidi?"

"Deal with these pests, will you?"

"As you wish," the king of demons bowed. "But may I suggest transporting everyone outside, including Buu's ball? I need room to fight and if Buu hatches, he might become… upset… in these cramped conditions."

"Good thinking, Dabura. Don't do it again; I give the orders here."

"Y… Yes, my lord."

"Paparapapaa!!!" Babidi chanted, and suddenly they were standing outside again.

"Hey… if you can do that, what do you need a spaceship for?" Kameko blinked. "You're not very bright, are you?"

"Why you… DABURA! KILL HER!!! KILL THEM ALL!!!" Babidi shrieked, jumping up and down and flailing his tiny, wrinkly arms. Kameko would have laughed at the ridiculous sight, but she was too busy dodging the demon king's sword. He was slashing away and the girl was barely able to stay out of reach. Yamcha and Tien came to her aid and rushed at Dabura, who quickly jumped up and cause the two warriors to crash into each other.

"What the… he's fast! Faster than he was before!" Tien growled, rubbing his head.

"Do you think he was holding back on us earlier?" Yamcha asked, warily eyeing the smug looking demon king.

"While you were playing around with Pui Pui and Yakon, I meditated and tapped into my full power," Dabura explained. "I didn't believe I needed it earlier, but unfortunately I underestimated you. However, I never make the same mistake twice. I am now at full strength and you have absolutely no hope of beating me."

"We'll see about that!" Krillin yelled, charging at the demon king. "DESTRUCTO DISK!!!"

"A game of Frisbee?" he snickered. "Sure, I'll play…"

The king of demons smirked and reached out to catch the disk, when suddenly…

"DABURA! DON'T TOUCH IT!!!" Babidi shouted. The demon obeyed his master and quickly moved the side, the attack slicing a mountain chain behind him in half.

"It's not that I care much about him, but a good right-hand is so hard to find these days," the wizard shrugged.

"I don't have time for this nonsense," Cell glared and fired Frieza's Deathbeam straight at Dabura's heart. However, to his visible surprise, the demon king evaded it with ease.

"Hahaha! Just give up, foolish mortals! It's hopeless!" he laughed. "You couldn't hit me if your lives depended on it. Oh, wait a minute… they do!"

"What the… are you kidding me?!" Krillin exclaimed wide-eyed. "I didn't even see that attack and that creep still dodged it!? How is that even possible?!"

"He's nimble alright, but what he has in agility, he lacks in defense and firepower," Cell stated.

"You hope," Kameko corrected.

"Sense his power, my dear. It's actually a bit lower than yours, but every last scrap of it has been directed to the speed department. I'm willing to guess his strategy is to wear out his opponents first, then attack them with his spit when they are too weak to dodge."

"So we have to find a way to take his agility advantage," she nodded. "We'll need to get close for that, but then we're back at the spit problem again."

There was a startled cry when Yamcha forgot about said problem. The king of demons spat on his chest, which rapidly began to turn into stone. The desert bandit quickly took off his armor, tossing it away before the spell could spread to his body.

"You know, maybe this Saiyan getup isn't so bad after all," he said shakily, nervously eyeing the stoned vest.

"Armor…" Kameko mumbled to herself.

"You have an idea, my dear?" Cell cocked an eyebrow.

"Maybe," she mused. "We've been trying to avoid his attacks, but what if we find a way to deflect them? My Turtle Shell Barrier might be able to block his spit and allow me to come close enough to blast him point blank. I'd like to see Captain Limber dodge that!"

"But judging by your lack of childish gloating over your self-proclaimed genius, I assume there's a problem."

"First of all, I don't gloat; that's your department, mister perfect. And second, I can't move and keep the shield up. Sustaining the barrier costs me too much energy to do both at the same time."

"And even if you could move, you wouldn't be fast enough to catch him," Cell nodded, then suddenly a sly, evil grin spread across his face.

"Uh, Cell? Why are you looking at me like that?" Kameko sweatdropped nervously.

"Tell me, my dear… how do you feel about a game of pinball?"

They looked at each other. Evil and good, android and human, predator and prey. However, even if it was only temporary, none of that mattered now. Only hours earlier, Kameko would have run in terror at the though of playing any kind of 'game' with the android. Now she smirked back at him, her eyes not filled with fear, but understanding.

"I see what you're getting at. It might work, but we'll need everyone to cooperate. Saiyans are telepathic, aren't they? Can you…"

"I have enough of their DNA to make a few calls," Cell nodded, closing his eyes. Suddenly all the Z-fighters stopped in their tracks, eyeing Kameko and the android. Mischievous smiles appeared on their faces and as subtly as possible, they flew towards their assigned positions.

"What…" Dabura blinked. "What are you up to? What are you all suddenly so cheerful about?"

"NOW!!!" Kameko shouted ad she grabbed Cell's hands. The android started spinning around as fast as he could, flinging her straight at the demon king.

"TURTLE… SHELL… BARRIER!!!" Kameko yelled, a glowing energy field in the shape of a tortoise casing appearing around her. Dabura tried to spit on her, but the spell only worked on solid matter, not a shield of pure ki. With a startled yell, he quickly move out of the way, grinning smugly as the girl whizzed by. However, Kameko's assault was far from over.

"Yamcha! Get ready!" she yelled at the desert bandit, who was now right in front of her.

"Batter up!" he smirked, stretching out his arms. Kameko waited until she was close enough, then briefly disabled the barrier. Yamcha caught her hands midflight, then spun around and hurled her back at the demon king with added momentum.

"Round two, demon boy!" Kameko laughed as she reactivated the shield. Dabura dodged her again, but this time with significantly more difficulty.

"Gohan, you're up!" she shouted as she prepared to grab the boy's hands. As if they were doing a trapeze act, he caught her and flung her at the demon king once more, again with added speed.

"Dabura, what are you doing?! Blast that wench out of the sky!" Babidi yelled, but Kameko was already moving way too fast and he had more and more trouble evading the human cannonball.

They kept up this game of pinball for a long time; Kameko disabled the barrier, was swung back at the demon king by one of the Z-fighters, then quickly enabled the shield again to prevent getting spit on. Dabura obviously had a hidden talent for dodge ball, but with every warrior that flung her back at him, she gained more and more speed. However, the constant disabling and enabling of the barrier drained her energy at an alarming rate. She would have to find an opening soon, or there would not be any left to blast him with!

Kameko had build up so much momentum that she was barely visibly, even to a trained eye. Dabura feverishly looked left and right, but she was simply moving too fast to track. Piccolo caught her and with all his might, hurled her at the demon's back.

"NOW KAMEKO!!!" the Namek roared and the girl grinned almost evilly.

"Looks like I get to use my new finishing move after all," she smirked as the white barrier around her began to glow yellow, orange and finally a scarlet red that crackled with energy. Dabura turned around and tried to get out of the way, but this time, his reflexes finally failed him.

"SHELL SHOCKER!!!" Kameko yelled, closing her eyes and curling up onto a ball. With insane speed, she finally collided with the startled Dabura, the barrier exploding on impact. A short, panicked shriek was all they heard before the king of demons was send to Otherworld, his body reduced to ashes. From the dust cloud, a small figure came plummeting towards the Earth.

"Kameko!" Trunks called out, racing to catch her before she could crash into the ground.

"Hey, are you okay? That was some attack!"

"Yeah, just a bit roughed up," she grinned weakly, getting out of his arms and wobbling a bit before she found her balance. "I never really tested the Shell Shocker at high speed… or any speed for that matter. I sort of made it up on our way to the Cell Games."

"Speaking of my Games," Cell grinned. "It looks like we'll be able to continue with the tournament soon. Oh, wizard? Now that your pathetic henchmen have been dealt with, I would like to have a word with you."

The grin on Cell's face was nothing short of devilish, and anyone with at least half a brain cell would have panicked, fainted and wet him or herself in no particular order. However, Babidi did nothing like that. Instead he was laughing madly, jumping up and down excitedly.

"Full power! Full power!!!" he kept cackling, doing something that almost looked like a victory dance.

"What's he talking about?" Piccolo frowned, then suddenly his face turned ashen as realization hit him. "No… Oh no! No! No! No!!!"

"Full power! Majin Buu is at full power!!!" Babidi cackled dancing around the ball that was now glowing and throbbing with energy.

"But he couldn't have gotten that much energy from Goku and Vegeta alone!" Cell protested. "My data indicates that it is impossible for them to free so much ki in so little time!"

"How old is that data of yours?" Gohan asked.

"My files are automatically updated after each direct encounter," the android said, narrowing his eyes at the demi-Saiyan. "Why do you ask?"

"Because, Cell, your last 'direct encounter' with Vegeta and my father was over ten days ago," Gohan answered grimly. "And we've been doing a bit of training since then."

"In only ten days?" Cell scoffed.

"No… two years."

Before the android could ask what the boy meant by that, the earth began to quake beneath their feet.

"Ahahaha! He's hatching! Buu's finally hatching!" the wizard cackled with glee. "Run or stay, it doesn't matter! You're all going to die!!!"

"No, we must stop him!" Shin cried out. "We cannot allow Majin Buu's resurrection!!!"

"It's too late…" Kameko heard Nessuno whisper, a whisper so quiet it could almost have passed as a figment of her imagination.

"Nessuno… you can talk?"

"It's too late," she whispered again, looking at Kameko with fear filled eyes. "The whole world will be plunged into darkness… and no one will be spared…"

A/N: For all of you who were hoping to see a Majin Kameko; well… never say never ;)