"Cell!" Piccolo cried, pulling to a stop a few dozen feet away, Senator Vegeta right beside him.
Cell turned from scowling at the mess currently stuck to his foot to scowling at the Namek and Sai-jin who'd just arrived. "I am sorry to inform you that you are too late to save anyone." he said, smiling. "But just in time for me to kill you."
Piccolo growled as he looked at the two dead women he and Senator Vegeta had rushed back to try and save. He couldn't figure out how Cell was still alive. Both Bardock and Hotaru's attacks should have destroyed him, and yet here he was still. Weaker than he'd started, yes, but still way too powerful for them to handle. Especially with him and Vegeta so much weaker than normal. He wasn't sure what to do about Cell, either.
His eyes widened a second later as a blast of purple energy zipped by him so fast he only realized it after it was already by him. He turned quickly and saw Senator Vegeta toppling over onto his back, a hole pierced through his heart. He turned to fire a blast of energy at Cell, despite knowing it was futile, but before he could even get all the way around a stream of orange energy engulfed him and he was dead before he even realized it was happening.
As Cell lowered his arm, smirking, he started to look around the area as he worked out his next objective. His job was to break down all the defenses on the planet, along with the others who'd come through, so that the world could be established as the primary base for the forces of Makai.
There were other tears into other worlds, all left ungaurded on the afterlife side, and some capable of offering decent resistance to the weakling fighters, but Planet Vegeta was the chosen world to take because it offered the greatest resistance. Great enough it's defenders had apparently beat back everyone else and gone on the offensive. A wholly unforseen circumstance. But not a problem, as far as Cell was concerned. The Sai-jins would soon learn that there were beings out there that even they couldn't defeat.
And his job was practically over now. The strongest defenders on the planet, in the entire Northern Galaxy and, as far as he knew, the mortal plane as a whole, were already dead. All that remained were the riff-raff who would, he knew, be presistant in their interference. All he needed to do was sense out where they were hiding and blast them, and then he could relax, take in a few sights, and enjoy being alive again.
His smirk turned into a grin as he felt a few powers in the distance that were vaguely fimiliar. The last of the best the planet had to offer, all gathered in one place. It was time to go say hello. He turned in that direction and flew off at a lesiurely pace. No reason not to enjoy the view on his way to them.
XXX
Otherworld, Grand Kai's Planet
Goten and Trunks pulled to a stop as soon as they emerged from the tear. There had clearly been a lot of fighting here, too. There were people unconcious all over the place and people tending to them here and there. And some people staring up at them in a mix of surprise and confusion. But none of them looked like anyone they knew. No signs of Vegeta or the big Gotens that Cheri was sure were Goten's father and grandfather.
"Now what, Trunks?" Goten asked, looking over to his friend. "They're not here anymore!"
"I don't know... maybe we should ask someone?" he suggested, looking around. As he did he saw a green man flying over his way that sort of reminded him of Piccolo, but not. "He's as good as any, I guess." he said, pointing him out to Goten. "Hey mister, do you know where my dad is?"
"Your dad?" he asked, as he stopped a few feet away from them. His eyes glanced up and noticed the lack of halo over Trunks's head. "You boys shouldn't be here." he said. "This is not a place for the living."
"But we need help!" Goten cried. "Cell keeps coming back!"
He turned toward Goten and his eyes widened. "Goku?"
"Huh? My name's Goten." Goten replied. "Goku was my dad. Do you know him?"
The man nodded. "My name is Pikkon. Your father, grandfather, and I have fought each other a few times."
"Oh, cool! You must be re..."
"Not now, Goten!" Trunks cried, smacking his friend in the back of the head. "We've got a job to do." He turned back to the green man. "Do you know were my dad and the others are? We need them to come back and take care of Cell! Everyone else is dead!"
Pikkon shook his head. "They've already left for Hell." he said. He turned his gaze toward where the golden clouds should have been. "Goku and Bardock are currently helping the Supreme Kai with a problem in the H.F.I.L. and I can't sense the others through the powers of those four."
"Huh?" Trunks wondered, turning his gaze the same direction and stretching out his senses. "N-no way!" he cried, a moment later. "That's... they're all way stronger than my dad!"
Suddenly the tear flared up behind them again and they looked back in time to see Sakura and Akemi emerge. "Cheri's still on her way." she said, pulling to a stop beside them. "Piccolo and Senator Vegeta died just before I came through."
"Grandpa...?" Trunks asked. "Oh man... dad and the others are already gone! We're too late!"
"Hmm, what's all this commotion?" a new voice asked. Pikkon and the kids turned to see a man with long white hair and a white beard floating toward them.
"Grand Kai." Pikkon said with a nod. "These kids have come seeking Goku, Bardock, and the others. Apparently their world is still threatened."
"Everyone's dying!" Akemi cried, eyes tearing up.
"It's Cell." said Sakura. "He keeps surviving somehow, he's killed nearly everyone who stayed behind after the others came through to here."
The Grand Kai frowned and raised a hand before him, palm up, and an orb of light suddenly formed. It wasn't ki, the kids couldn't sense any power from it, but they were't sure what it was. Then the center of the blue light shimmered and a view of Planet Vegeta took shape. It shifted through the sky for a moment and then locked onto Cell who was flying over Saiya City at a decent pace.
"Ah, yes, I thought I recognized the name from seven years ago." he said. "He caused quite a stir here back then. Hmm, let's see what we've got..." He raised the ball of light a little higher and peered more closely at it. Suddenly his eyes widened and the ball vanished. "That is not good. Not good at all."
"What? What is it?" asked Sakura worriedly.
"It would seem that Cell's regeneration ability is part of the problem. I say part because it is a two part issue. The other part of the problem is the closed doors. Normally, when a person dies, their soul crosses into Otherworld instantly. With the doors closed the soul remains bound to any physical remains in the Mortal Plane upon their death. This is a problem in and of itself but it is compounded with Cell.
"It would seem that, so long as Cell's soul remains attatched to a piece of his being, he can continue to regenerate. In other words, with the doors closed, Cell is effectively immortal. He can not be killed until the doors are re-opened and we have no means with which to do that." the Grand Kai explained. He then turned to the green alien beside him. "Pikkon, I am leaving you in charge until I return."
"Sir?"
"Cell is a threat to the Mortal Plane that requires my intervention and abilities." he said. "I will see to stopping him myself."
"Really!" asked Goten, grinning. "Yay!"
"Now, all of you, back to the living world where you belong." Zenryou ordered. "And we shall deal with this problem." They all nodded happily and flew back through the tear, the Grand Kai right behind them.
The tear flashed and grew back on Planet Vegeta as Cheri neared it and she saw Trunks, Goten, Sakura, and Akemi emerge along with someone else she didn't know. "Did you find them?" she asked as she pulled up in front of Sakura.
"Dad and the others were gone." Trunks said. "But the Grand Kai said he'd stop Cell."
Cheri turned her gaze to the man who'd come through with her friends. "You're the Grand Kai?"
Zenryou smiled and nodded. "I am. Now, let's go deal with Cell. Everyone, grab on to me or someone else touching me."
The kids glanced at each oter for a moment and then did as asked. Suddenly the world around them went white for a split second and then, just as suddenly, came back into focus. But now they weren't floating just a few feet from the tear but over the edge of Saiya City. Cell was still a few moments away from where they'd appeared. Zenryou knew they'd feel better seeing for themselves that Cell was truly stopped but at the same time he didn't want to chance them getting hurt before he had Cell contained.
"Alright, move back some." he told them. "We'll wait here for Cell." The kids nodded and moved back from the Grand Kai to wait for Cell.
XXX
Planet Namek, Moray's Village
Moray opened his eyes and sighed. He could not remember a more turbulent or troubled time for the galaxy than these last few decades. First tension with the Changelings and Sai-jins which culminated in the destruction of the very world upon which he currently stood, then threat of killer androids, and now this chaos. He found it hard to believe that there wasn't some thread of connection to at least some of it.
Even if all of this was releated, and was leading to something bigger, there was little he could do about that. The future was in the future and only those in the future could do anything about it. All he could do was help here and now and make sure that there was a future to continue to worry about. So he turned his gaze toward the gathered Dragonballs and cleared his throat.
"Arise, Porunga, and grant my wishes!" he called.
As the balls began to glow and the sky to darken the other Nameks in the village stopped what they were doing and turned to watch. Moray had informed them all both of Azura's fears of a pending disaster and then of what was occuring through out the galaxy. They were, fortunately, untouched by the current troubles. No Zombies rising from the dead or Demons invading from Otherworld. But they knew that this threat was bigger than anything they'd ever witnessed just by how worried Azura was. They'd never seen her concerned, even when she was warning them that Freeza would be coming to their world.
When Azura had contacted Moray earlier to ask him to gather the Dragonballs they knew things were dire indeed. And now that he was being summoned things could have only gotten worse and they were all interested to know what was occuring. If the greatest fighters of the Sennari couldn't stop this then they were all doomed.
Lightning flashed as energy surged up from the Dragonballs and began snaking through the sky, looping around itself. A moment later the looming form of Porunga hovered over the village and the Nameks all swallowed as they gazed up at him. Even for them the sight of the Dragon was an imposing one. Even those who knew nothing about the origins of the Dragons recognized the power they posessed.
"Why have you summoned me to this plane?" Porunga's voice boomed. "Tell me your wishes and they shall be granted."
"Porunga, revive all of those killed today by Cell!" Moray called.
The Dragon growled and its eyes began to glow for a moment. "There is one that cannot be revived." Porunga rumbled. "For he has been revived by me before."
Moray nodded. "Understood."
"Then your wish shall be granted." Porunga's eyes began to glow again, brighter and brighter. It lasted for several seconds this time and then faded again. "Your first wish has been granted to the fullest of my power. You have two wishes remaining, what is your next wish?"
/That is a very good question./ Moray thought. Closing his eyes he mentally contacted Namek's guardian. -Azura, do you hear me? Your wish is granted, what next?-
-Thank-you Moray.- Azura replied. -I don't think there is anything more Porunga can do at this time. Dende is already having the Earth's Dragonballs gathered. If a future wish is needed Shenron can grant it.-
-Alright, I'll release Porunga.- he said. He opened his eyes again and gazed up at Porunga once more. "I have no further wishes." he said. "You may go."
"Very well." Porunga replied, and with that Porunga began to flash, brighter and brighter, until exploding into a shower of sparks. The Dragonballs lifted into the sky and then scattered as the clouds vanished and light returned to the village.
XXX
Makai, Mazoku Plane
The Mazoku Plane of Makai seldom saw actual visitors. It played home to the four Supreme Mazoku and the Mazoku King. Occasionally the Grand Mazoku would come by, if there was some matter that needed discussing. Even more rarely some of the champion fighters from the Grand Mazoku's world in Limbo would come to the Mazoku Plane to hold a tournament and display to the five inhabitants of the plane the power of their Realm.
But these days that was not the case. The Mazoku King was not present in the Mazoku plane, a great rarity in and of itself. It was made even more rare by the fact that none of the Supreme Mazoku were present either. Under normal conditions this would mean the plane was empty. Without its five inhabitants, the five who were supposed to live there, there would be no one. But that wasn't the way of things anymore.
Now the plane was seeing untold amounts of activity. There were more people present in the Mazoku Plane currently than had been there in the last thousand years all together. Thousands of Demons swarmed around in the fields going about various tasks for their new leader, the self-proclaimed new Mazoku King, Quietus. Quietus himself had taken up residence in the Mazoku palace, the home of the four Supreme Mazoku and the Mazoku King.
The Mazoku palace was a towering black structure, more spire than palace. Unlike a normal palace that had wings and parapets and was wider than tall the Mazoku palce was shaped like a tall cone. It stood five times taller than its base was wide and it was made of solid, glistening, metal that looked like obsidian but was ten thousand times stronger than steel. There were only five ways into the palace. Four entrances at the base, one facing in each cardinal direction, and a northwest facing blacony door at the top floor. The fifth entrance lead directly into the bedroom of the Mazoku King.
A single figure about six foot tall stood on that balcony, back to that fifth entrance, looking out over the activity all around him. The self-proclaimed ruller of Makai had on a black cloak that hid his body from view, from the shoulders down to his ankles, and had green trim around its collar. The short and spikey hair on his head and above his eyes was dark blue, his skin a dull gray color, and his eyes red. All that could be seen below the cloak were his feet which bore only two large toes.
From his vantage point atop the palace he could see all activity within the entirety of Makai, if he chose. But he was still getting the hang of that. During his first bid for control of the twin Realms he had spent little time actually running Makai, little time getting used to doing the things that needed to be done. Instead he'd fought the Kais himself for conquest of Shinkai and suffered for it.
This time he was being more tactical with his approach. Before he'd only let those who had allied with him deal with issues in Makai. He had felt it best to deal with the Kais personally, so that no mistakes would be made, without realizing that that itself was a mistake. He had not realized how far they would be willing to go to stop him. His other mistake had been in underestimating Dabura.
But this time he was prepared. He had assembled an army of unparalelled power. True, Dabura had escaped his grasp once more, but that had been no fault of his. It had ocurred prior to his restoration when the other three Supreme Mazoku had tried to bring Nefaria in on the plan of his return. It turned out that the Supreme Mazoku of the Mazoku plane was entirely loyal to Dabura. She had informed him of the scheme and the two had attempted to thwart it.
They had failed, obviously, and expectedly. His Shinkai allies had been clever in their work and had kept the Blood Crystal hidden allowing the needed energies to be syphoned off from the other planes of Shinkai without interference. And they had brought him interesting news of Shinkai. Of warriors of a level at least near that of the Grand Kai. News he would have dismissed as the ramblings of those who'd been killed by them, if not for the powers of the messengers.
It appeared much had changed in the two thousand or so years that he had been sealed, but he had changed as well. Time had not been suspended for him during his imprisonment. He had existed, in some form, some state, the entire time. Concious the entire time. And so he had honed his own abilities, where possible, to greater heights than before. And he had set-up his plan for revenge.
These pathetic fools. Demons, Mazoku, Kai, they were all the same. They all believed he strove for something as petty, as trivial, as control of the twin Realms. Originally, that had been his ultimate goal. He had been content with the idea of being the supreme lord of both Realms. But no longer was that good enough. No, now he sought not to become the ruller of the Realms, but to become the Realms themselves.
/But before I can do that I must destroy the balance. Even with the power I have gained I do not have the strength to near it without being destroyed, not while the balance exists. And so all the Kais must die. And then, then all of the Mazoku shall follow them. And from their sacrifice I shall be reborn as a true god, and the master of all things./ he thought, smirking.
As these thoughts floated through his mind he felt something nipping at the edge of his conciousness. It took a moment for it to break through into his thoughts, it wasn't a very strong feeling so he nearly missed it. At first he thought maybe one of his men were trying to reach him. He didn't have any sort of telepathic link with them but they could send a sensation to him to get his attention.
But no. This wasn't the same as one of those. The sensation wasn't right for it. It wasn't a power twinging at the edge of his focus, either, it was too far away for that. Knowing what it wasn't got him interested in knowing what it was, so he closed his eyes and focused on it. The more he focused the more the sensation pulled at him and the more familiar it became. And then he saw a flash of green and a pair of red eyes.
The image faded away as quickly as it came to him and yet it remained burned into his mind. A towering green creature with glowing red eyes which exuded power beyond measure. Power that he knew intimitely. "Kokoro..." he whispered softly, reverently. He focused harder on the sensation he was feeling, trying to pin down its source, but he couldn't find its origins.
Which could mean only one thing, it was coming from Shinkai. The only reason he could even sense it at all was because of his connection to it. Whatever that massive green figure with red eyes was, he and it were brothers, at least of a sort. And as it had bloomed into being he had felt that 'birth'. And he also felt the ripples of its powers changing the realm of Shinkai before it vanished and the sensation left with it.
/Someone in Shinkai has a link with Kokoro?/ he wondered. /No one in Makai even knows of Kokoro, I only learned by accident... maybe that's how they learned. I find it interesting that they can invoke Kokoro's power to such extent. Those ripples I felt were no small action. Whatever just happened in Shinkai it was something beyond even what the Kais could have done. This is something I must investigate.../
But not personally. As much as this mystery intrigued him he knew it was unwise to enter Shinkai until he knew that the Kais were all dead. Once they were gone another Blood Crystal could not be created to contain him. Then it would be safe to enter Shinkai himself because without the Blood Crystal there was no hope for Shinkai to stop him. He turned and strode back into his room at the top of the palace.
"Daikirai." he said as he entered the room, his voice soft and smooth. "I have an assignment for you."
Suddenly there was a shimmering in the middle of the room and then one of the Supreme Mazoku appeared. "What do you need of me?" he asked in a deep voice.
"Travel to Shinkai." Quietus said. "Something important has just occured there, though I do not know what. Search out any information of something abnormal happening in the Realm. Most likely in the Mortal Plane of Shinkai. It is tied to a large green creature with red eyes, that is all I know for certain."
Daikirai nodded. He was the Supreme Mazoku of Purgatory, the closest plane to the Dead Zone and the access path to Shinkai, and the only one not busy at the moment. Aku was hunting for Dabura in Shinkai. Neikan was in wait in the Dead Zone, near the path between Realms, awaiting word that the Supreme Kai had surfaced. He was the one in charge of fighting and killing her. And Nefaria had sided with the weakling Dabura.
As Daikirai teleported back to his own plane he snorted at that. Nefaria was young, yet. Only a Supreme Mazoku for five hundred years. She had a lot to learn about how things worked. Power was a Mazoku's only alliegence. The strong were the only ones who deserved loyalty. Dabura was weak.
The Lord of Kais had fallen long ago, along with two of the Supreme Kais, and he had refused to invade Shinkai and sieze that chance. Then he and the last two Supreme Kais had worked together to defeat Quietus and, afterwards, Dabura had not taken his chance to kill the last Supreme Kai then and there and sieze the Realm. Instead he had returned and continued to insist that Shinkai was to be left alone.
Pah! Weakness! Daikirai had no qualms about serving Quietus. He had power. Not just the power to defeat even Dabura, but the power to take this golden opportunity to sieze Shinkai. The power to not cower at the mere mention of the word Kai. To fight them and claim both Realms so that the Mazoku could rule over everything, as was their right. He smirked as he flew through the long winding tunnel down to the Dead Zone.
A glorious new age was dawning and he couldn't wait to see it.
XXX
Mortal Plane, Planet Vegeta, Saiya City
Hotaru's eyes snapped open and she gasped, sucking air deep into her lungs, as she blinked away the bright light glaring in her eyes. /What just happened?/ she wondered, slowly pushing herself up into a sitting position. She remembered being cornered by Cell, she remembered the pressure on her head...
Then there had been a sharp pain, a bright flash of light, and then... She couldn't remember after that. She felt fine, now, though. No pain anywhere and she no longer felt exhausted like she had earlier. And then she heard a gasp behind her and turned to find Nova rolling onto her stomach and pushing herself up onto her hands and knees.
Beyond the Changeling she saw the fingers on Mijima's right hand twitch. And then a blue light to the left inside of which Raditz took shape, and another to the right where Piccolo began to appear.
"What happened?" Nova asked, staring at her hands. "I... I remember... I remember seeing my body falling. I... don't think my head was attatched anymore... but..." she reached up and felt her neck.
"We must have been revived." Hotaru said, climbing to her feet.
"Does that mean we won?" asked Gainin as he pushed himself into a sitting position.
"I don't think so." said Piccolo, turning to look into the distance. "I still feel Cell out there. He's flying toward the palace."
"Dende must have realized things were bad here and had us revived." Hotaru reasoned. "Or someone did, anyway." She shook her head. "I don't get how he's still alive. And he's still stronger than I am. Still, it shouldn't be quite so hard to kill him this ti..." she stopped as a power suddenly appeared behind her. Turning her eyes widened. "Sango! Yamcha!"
"Yo!" Yamcha said, grinning and giving a wave. "We, or rather Sango with her Terepo, have already got everyone else back at the palace. From what Tangerie said, Sango's quick on her feet. She was teleporting Bulma and everyone back to the palace before they were even fully aware they were alive again."
Sango shrugged. "So, who wants a lift to Cell?" she asked. "I'm looking forward to seeing him get his ass kicked."
"Payback's a bitch." Gainin said, smirking. "I'll tag along, but just to watch this time, unless Hotaru gets into trouble." The others all agreed so they gathered around Sango.
"Ummm..." Mijima began as she joined the group. "Was... was everyone..."
Yamcha shook his head. "No." he said softly, knowing she was asking if Krillin had been revived as well.
She sighed as she laid a hand on her brother's shoulder. And then the world vanished around them. An instant later they were standing on a tall building near the edge of the city.
"Mom!"
Hotaru turned at the voice, one that sounded distinctly like her older daughter, and saw Sakura standing with Akemi, Cheri, Goten, and Trunks on a building across the street. "What... what are you doing here?" she asked.
"We brought help!" Goten said, happily.
Sakura, however, didn't waste time on words and simply, happily, charged across the street and tackled her mother. "I couldn't sense you anymore! I thought you were dead!"
"What is this!" Cell cried as he pulled to a stop not more than fifty feet away. He'd felt the sudden power spike of Sango teleporting in with everyone but hadn't belived his senses until he saw them with his own eyes.