//------------------------------//
// Interlude: Dealing with Demons 
// Story: Dragon Ball Z: Magic's New Life 
// by Blackdrag-rose 
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"Twilight, is there anything we can do to help?" Goku asked, because after Towa told her daughter the news that she and the other Demons had discovered, something important by the looks of it, everyone in Twilight's group had burst into action to gather whatever they needed for the plan she had put together.

"Sadly, this is something only we can do... the point in time we're traveling to will have foes that will snap you like twigs, so it's best if you stay here." Twilight replied, because Aeos and Chronoa had confirmed Towa's statement on the point in time that Mechikabura's forces were currently gathering in, an Age that was far into the future, so the Demon Gods and Goddesses would be far stronger than what they had seen so far, especially since they would be fighting in the Demon Realm, "I know that excites you, Goku, but I'm being serious: they'll kill you, Vegeta, and anyone else if you show up, so it's best if all of you leave this to me and the others... we'll be fine."

"You talk as if they'll be far more powerful than the last time we fought, and to be honest they didn't seem very strong back during the Cell Games." Vegeta remarked, because he and the others had been able to hold their own during that point, so the Demons weren't too impressive in his mind, though he also knew that the ones from this timeline, the ones who were on Twilight's side, were definitely stronger due to all the training they did.

"That's because they will be, especially with Mechikabura having granted them access to their true powers and forms, not to mention that our foes are waiting in the Demon Realm," Chronoa said, though the mere thought of what the Dark King could do with his great and terrible power made her shudder, because he had the power to literally consume everything in the universe, all of time itself, if he so desired, making her remember the terrible gamble they were taking, "Twilight's right, his forces will kill you before you even get close to him... but that's why Aeos and I have been busy getting ready for this event, as we have allies of our own that can help us out."

Twilight said nothing to that, because if her plan worked out they wouldn't have to fight the Dark Imperial Army or any of the Demon Gods and Goddesses that served the Dark King, but there was a fair chance that she would have to use Plan B if the first failed, hence why she glanced at what Aeos handed her. The older Supreme Kai of Time had spent some time with everyone else and formed a familiar sword, complete with a scabbard to hold it, as Twilight was going to use it and her staff as her demonic weapons, like she had gotten stronger over time, which was true. With that in mind she held out her other hand and called her staff back to her, though it was mostly something to do while the others focused on keeping an eye on their enemies, because the moment they started to assemble for the ceremony she wanted to be there to play her cards. Everything depended on how Mechikabura reacted to her arrival, not to mention the arrival of her group, but she was hoping that he took an interest in her and listened to what she had to say, even if all of it would be a lie to get what she wanted, something that caused her to sigh for a moment.

This was Mechikabura she was thinking about, a Demon whose true power was beyond anything she had experienced so far, a being who terrified even the Supreme Kais of Time and worried her own demonic allies, though Twilight steeled herself for what was about to happen next.

"Damn, they're moving faster than we thought... they just claimed the last Dark Dragon Ball." Demigra stated, where Goku and the others found that he was staring at the top of his staff, at the red orb that allowed him to peer through time itself, just in time to see the Seven Star Dark Dragon Ball before the image went dark, "Lady Twilight, if we're going to do this we need to do it now... if we get there any later the plan might not work."

"Alright. Everyone, take your positions and get ready." Twilight said, something that was followed by everyone else in her group getting up and moving around for a moment, showing everyone that they had truly been preparing for this since the day the Demon Gods and Goddesses interrupted the Cell Games and tried to end her life, causing her to turn towards the open space that was near them, "Mother, if you and the others would be so kind?"

Towa nodded her head for a moment as she and the other assembled Demons, joined by the two Supreme Kais of Time, gathered their power and started to manipulate time once more, creating a portal to a point of time that was far into the future and had a crimson outline around it. Once the path was stabilized, and Aeos confirmed that fact, Twilight took a few seconds to brace herself, and to make sure the Saiyans didn't do anything stupid, before stepping through the portal that had been opened, as it was time to put her plan into motion. As she emerged from the portal she discovered that the sky of the Demon Realm was filled with dark clouds and had a red color to them, before focusing on the tall tower like structure in front of her, one that looked more like a twisted tree of life, especially with the skull in the lower half of it. Based on what she could tell there were a number of platforms resting on the upper branches of the tower, like the legend of Yggdrasil, but only one of them held her interest right now, the central one that happened to be where the Dark Dragon Balls had been placed to make Mechikabura's wish.

As she studied the surrounding area, taking in the twisted feeling of the realm, Twilight felt the arrival of the rest of her team in an area behind her, a cliff to be exact, though as she turned her head she found that they weren't alone, as there were a few warriors and Future Chronoa behind them. One warrior looked a lot like Gotenks, in fact, given their adult form, she was sure it was the adult form of the two children merged into a single warrior, though even now he seemed immature like the one from her timeline, which was a disappointment. Standing near him was the Future Chronoa, who had a bandage that was wrapped around her head, and Chamel, who seemed surprised to see her floating there, especially when the rest of her own group appeared nearby, since he clearly wasn't expecting this to happen. The warrior that held her attention looked a lot like Goku, save for the fact that he had his Saiyan tail again, he was as muscular as the one from her timeline, though his body had fur on his chest and he had longer hair, not to the extent of Super Saiyan 3, meaning this had to be a brand new transformation for her to study later.

Twilight ignored Xeno Gohan, who was wearing some odd attire and glasses, and Xeno Vegeta, who stood nearby, as she turned her focus on the tower and rushed up to the highest peak, where she found that the Demon Gods and Goddesses, including a new Putline, who had to be from another timeline, were assembled and at the ready as she landed on the edge of an arena.

"Well, well, we have an unexpected guest." a voice said, where she found that it came from a very aged Demon who stood with a hunch, displaying his old age to her and the rest of his kind, and he was using a cane with a green orb at the top as his walking device, though he had black eyes, red irises, and short white hair, all while wearing a black robe with a red center, plus a white design, "Twilight Sparkle, might I see your true power?"

While this was a surprise, since she had expected Mechikabura to ask why she was here first, Twiight shifted into her final form without delay, allowing him and his forces to take in her Demon Goddess form and the power it commanded, though for the time being she kept her guard up in case someone tried to attack her.

"Interesting. You have my respect, for gaining this level of power on your own, in such a short period of time... unlike the rest of my forces." Mechikabura said, almost as if he was disappointed in the fact that his servants were unable to match her in terms of power, where Twilight found that they turned away in shame, no doubt silently pledging to do better before each one glanced out at the group that had assembled nearby, "Now tell me: why are you here?"

"I wish to observe the resurrection of the Dark King, Lord Mechikabura." Twilight replied, which was partly true, she was eager to see the revival of what had to be the most feared individual in the entire universe, other than Beerus and Buu at least, so she was betting on him and the others buying her ploy as she set her pieces in place, "I know the others came to my timeline and made an attempt on my life, but that's all water under the bridge... also, don't mind those from my Age, as they know not to mess with me."

"Good, a Demon Goddess who instills fear into the hearts of her enemies, which means we can start the ceremony at long last!" Mechikabura stated, where he turned and walked down into the sunken platform that the Dark Dragon Balls were currently resting in, allowing Twilight to see that an adult version of Dende was standing over them, only he had a device over his forehead that seemed to be controlling his mind.

"As you wish, Lord Mechikabura." Xeno Towa said, where she tapped her staff on the ground and focused her mind for a few seconds as Xeno Dende started to move according to her will, something that caused the Dark Dragon Balls to glow as their power was awakened, darkening the sky like the normal Dragon Balls did when they were used.

Twilight glanced around for a moment, seeing that the Demon Gods and Goddesses were weary about her, which was understandable since most of them had come to kill her before she targeted Mechikabura, something that actually used this to happen in the first place, before moving down to where the others were waiting. Sure enough she found that most of the Time Patrollers were curious as to whether or not she was an enemy or an ally, despite the fact that she told her mother to only tell them what they needed to know, just enough to stop them from attacking her. In addition to that she found four newcomers as well, all dressed in black robes with hoods over their heads, but she knew them thanks to some of the time she spent with Aeos before this point, as one was Xeno Bardock, Goku's father, another was the version of Gohan from Future Trunks' timeline, the third was Xeno Piccolo Jr., and the last was a lone survivor of her race's extinction by Chilled's hands. Chilled was her father's ancestor, a space pirate who eventually became the creator of the empire that ruled most of the known universe, something that caused her to realize that she would have to get a sample from the lone survivor and make an attempt to bring her race back as well.

While she did that, however, Twilight was glad that no one had noticed that she was draining their energy, bit by bit, as it was important for the final stage of her plan, something not even the Dark Imperial Army had noticed despite knowing about her powers, causing her to focus on the individuals in front of her for the time being.

"What are you planning?" Xeno Goku asked, though at the same time he made sure his Gohan let go of him so he could walk up to where she was standing, despite the fact that Xeno Vegeta decided to blow his own armor up as he took on the same form that his rival was currently in, just in case she told them that she was an enemy.

"That's for me to know and for you to never find out... not until it's time, anyway." Twilight remarked, where she tapped his shoulder for a moment, finding that the red fur was real and not fake, along with the fact that it spread to his tail and he even had red trip around his eyes, making him look tougher than she expected, before she withdrew a sample from him, sealing the blood in a capsule that she linked to her tablet, "Sorry, I can't help it... this form doesn't exist in my time and I'm interested in studying it before I do anything else. You simply must tell me how you unlocked this... let me guess, Super Saiyan 4?"

"One must transform into a Golden Great Ape and regain consciousness over their rage." Xeno Vegeta stated, where she could tell that he was only telling her because there was nothing she could do with this information, but that was where he was wrong, as her mind was the greatest tool in her arsenal and, if she put her mind to it, there was nothing she couldn't do with her knowledge and power.

"Fascinating. I'll have to observe the transformation later." Twilight said, because if her plan worked the timelines, not to mention the rest of the universe, would be safe from Mechikabura's dark plans, though as she said that she found that the program she was running on her tablet confirmed her suspicions regarding her own group of Saiyans, causing her to let a smirk appear on her face for a moment.

In that instant a surge of dark power awakened at the top of the tower and she turned her head to look at it, finding a new figure resting above them all, a dragon who had been created and fueled by dark energy, with a slender but muscular body that looked like a union of Shenron and Porunga, while having a long blue tongue and a long crimson mane.

"You who have gathered the seven Dark Dragon Balls, state your wish." the Dark Shenron stated, loud enough for all of them to hear what he had to say, alarming those that were near Twilight, or at least the Xeno group since her group just stood there and watched, "Whatever your wish may be, I shall grant a single one."

Sure enough Mechikabura wished to have 'all the power of his youth' restored to him, putting him back in his prime and giving him all of the power he had commanded before he was sealed away many ages ago, and while Dark Shenron told him he could complete this wish he also told him that it would take some time. As the Dark King confirmed that fact, as it was better than being told it was impossible to do so, Twilight held her hand out and glanced at the Time Patrol, silently telling them not to do anything while conveying that this was all part of her plan. Aeos and Chronoa made sure that Xeno Chronoa stood down, as Twilight didn't need her doing anything stupid, like trying to lock Mechikabura inside the Time Labyrinth, a power designed to seal targets outside the flow of time itself, something she determined would be a failure if she tried to use it. Her timing had to be spot on, because if the Dark King was allowed to leave this place there was only one thing he'd do with his power, he'd head to the Time Nest, devour the being that holds more power over time than the two Supreme Kais of Time, and gain the power to rend the universe asunder.

In the following moment she felt a massive surge of pure dark power, the true power of the Dark King, and flashed back up to where Mechikabura was standing, just in time to hear Dark Shenron announce that his wish was complete before he disappeared into the Dark Dragon Balls and scattered across the timelines once more. As she suspected he was no longer an old man who needed a staff to walk, rather during the process of regaining his power he had, like all Demons, used it as a catalyst to assume his own Demon God form, allowing him to stand straight once more, all while his new form held far more power than one possessed at the start of their demonic forms. Mechikabura was in what she could only assume was his Dark King form, as his white hair was now spiky and smooth, while growing down to his chest, though in addition to that he had a golden crown of sorts that looked like two bull horns. His attire had changed to a black coat with golden inlay, a grayish-black long-sleeved shirt, slim black baggy pants, a dark blue sash, and maroon boots with a gold trim, all while having bracers on his wrists and shins, also black colored with a golden trim, and a crimson cape that was connected to a red scarf around his neck.

He almost looked like a Kaioshin, in fact he could have been at one point since he had green Potara earrings, making her wonder if he had been in the running for Chronoa's position in the past, and his power was staggering, a fact that caused most to step back for a few seconds.

"It feels good to have my full power again. Twilight, I understand that you are incredibly resilient... do you mind if I test out my power?" Mechikabura stated, showing everyone that he wanted to make sure it was everything he had possessed in the past, causing her to stand still for a moment as he held his hand out before releasing a barrage of dark arrows that hit her in the chest and knocked her into the wall behind her, blowing everything apart in the process, "Good, everything is in order. My power has been restored, and that means I can move forward with the next stage of my plans... come, Demon Gods and Goddesses, join my power... your usefulness is at an end."

As Twilight pushed herself out of the rubble, wincing over the pain since Mechikabura's power was nothing to sneeze at, she watched as the Xeno Demon Gods, all of them, were seized by the Dark King's grasp, condensed into a small orb that was made of pure darkness, before absorbing it without wasting time. Such a thing caused his attire to morph into armor, ebony black with golden trim like his previous attire, with a pulsing dark orb in the center of his chest that almost looked like a Dark Dragon Ball, while gaining pauldrons on his shoulders, armor on the side of his legs, and the bull horns actually became horns. In addition to that he gained clawed gauntlets, his cape turned ebony black while losing the scarf, though at the same time it became tattered at the edges, and the sides of his face, near his ears, plus his ears turned black, while his hair took on an appearance that matched the Super Saiyan 3 transformation. In that moment Twilight understood the warnings that Aeos and Chronoa had given her, as this power was far more than anything she had felt so far, meaning if he escaped the universe was doomed, in fact all of creation would be doomed, causing her to make her move before the Dark King departed.

In that instant she withdrew the blade she had prepared for this moment, silently activating the enchantment she and the others had placed on it, before appearing in front of Mechikabura as she drove the blade straight into his heart, much to the surprise of the Time Patrol.

"Well played. You made it look like you were going to become an ally, at least to fend off the Time Patrol, but in reality you were really an enemy, just to reach this point." Mechikabura remarked, where he actually sounded impressed by her plan, rather that being annoyed that she had come to betray him and seal him away with the sword, causing her to focus on the next stage of her plan, causing Ki blades to burst out of his body as Twilight raised her left hand towards his chest as she called forth her power once more, "What are you...?"

Twilight had investigated Moro's power thoroughly after realizing that the Dark Imperial Army intended to bring back the power of the Dark King, learning the ins and outs of the aspects she didn't know and even carefully used the Room of Time to observe the Planet-Eater in action, allowing her to replicate his most dangerous power. She was going to drag out Mechikabura's power, every single drop of it, a fact that would leave a normal warrior in a state of near death, since Moro ate the life energies of those he used his powers on, but she wasn't interested in that and refined it so she could focus on her foe's power. Of course the Dark King growled as Twilight started to pull out an orb of black energy that had a crimson aura around it, as he knew what she was planning and was using all his might to stop her, but as he started to move both of his hands everyone else made their move, as the group that had followed Twilight to this Age landed behind the Dark King as chains burst out of the Ki blades, which they latched onto. The plan was to hold him down, force him to divide his attention between the Time Patrol, and their allies, and herself, because the Ki chains were designed to mess with him in some manner, her mother had added that in to ensure their victory and kept it to herself since Twilight trusted her, and the openings allowed her to keep tugging on his power.

It was essentially tug of war without the second player being able to do anything, because when Mechikabura tried to stop them one of the others would disrupt his focus, allowing Twilight to focus on tearing out the orb of energy, and when she did so, much to the surprise of the Demon in front of her, she sprung the rest of her trap. As the powerless Dark King took a step back, finding that his armor dulled to a gray color, representing his lack of power, which was when Chronoa and Aeos activated the seal, causing Mechikabura to be drawn inside the blade, just like what happened to Buulight when she was bound. In the following seconds Twilight tossed the scabbard to them and they returned the sword to it, though Towa made her move after that as she added a few more seals to the container, just to be sure their foe didn't escape before it was time, which was when Dabura stepped up and spat on it. Just as Twilight planned the entire scabbard, with the blade that was inside it, turned to stone before their eyes, and once it was fully stone Aeos nodded to Xeno Bardock, who picked it up, without the petrification latching onto him, before crushing it with his might, ending the threat of the Dark King in a matter of seconds.

As the others turned towards her Twilight enforced her magic on the orb and shrunk it down to the size of a marble, one that she swallowed without wasting time, where she stood there for a moment as her Ki swelled and her attire shifted as she assimilated the power of the Dark King into her own power. Her gown, which was a sign of her Demon Goddess form, changed to match the black attire with golden trim that Mechikabura had worn before he captured his servants, though she didn't have the greyish-black shirt or the fluffy shoulders, rather she had the black bracers on her wrists and shins, in addition to the dark blue sash. There were slits in the back of her new attire that her wings fit through, so she didn't have the cape or scarf, while she still bore the horn that came with her Demon Goddess form, but in addition to that she also had two more horns, more like rams that were on the left and right side of her main horn. Other than that Twilight found that there were no other changes to her attire, nor were there any changes to her face when she considered the fallen Demon's final form, though while her Ki had settled down she knew that it would take some time for her to master her new power.

Towa, however, smiled as they celebrated the defeat of the Dark King, totally and completely, and the rise of the new Dark Queen, someone who deserved the power without going mad with the desire to unmake the rest of their universe, and she found herself looking forward to whatever might happen next.