Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ. I wish I did. I own Celestia and Sherman City. I also own Travis and his mom. Let's put it this way, if you haven't seen it/him/her in another TV show etc. then it's probably mine. Don't sue me. ^-^

Dialogue key:

Speech= "…."

Thought= thought

Telepathy=….

Author's note (a/n) = (…)

Translations to English= -…-

                                              

Chapter Five: Of Mates and Secrets Revealed

            The next day was pleasant to say the least. There was no feel for revenge against Vegeta anymore, Celestia felt very much at peace. She was sunbathing, wondering about what she would have to do to prepare for her merging. She knew it would decide the next emperor of her long dead solar system. She had to be careful with the person she chose, she had to make sure he could lead.

            And who better than the blood brethren of the great Prince of Saiyans. If he lived long enough to achieve this "perfection" that everyone spoke of.

            She smiled. This would prove very interesting, wouldn't it?

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She met all of the Z-fighters a day after Yamcha told her exactly who Cell was. Today was as normal as it could get. No one knew she was an alien except Vegeta, who would most certainly keep THAT hushed up, and she would soon fulfill her goal of earning her crown and place in the royal family. She was the last who had not left in her own interests.

Presently, it had been three days since the meeting with Vegeta and she was practicing hovering inches over the tiles. Yamcha had been amazed that she had caught on so fast. She had easily replied it was most likely because she wasn't afraid of heights. Yet she hadn't yet been able to stop herself from falling if she jumped of the side, and the male half of the Son family agreed it wasn't safe for her to be at the Lookout as first thought because she would probably kill herself when she jumped and no one was around.

After she had given Goku the proper bashing of his non-existent pride, she informed them that they could try moving her, but they'd be risking their own lives doing so. She was just fine where she was and if she died then Heaven had decreed she didn't deserve to live and that was that. Vegeta had snickered at this. After Tien suggested Capsule Corporation or the Kame house, Piccolo firmly disagreed, saying Cell knew where both locations were and was probably looking there right now. Yes, they'd concluded, it would be better off for her AND their ears if they let her be. 

            All she needed was practice, she had said to herself. She woke from her daydreams and rose from the ground. As of yet, Gohan and Goku were talking about strategies.

            "Hey, guys" she called from next to a palm tree she had grown quite fond of. "Just letting you know I'm gonna jump, kay? If I'm not back in ten minutes…" she paused as a sudden thought occurred to her, and then said, "Just wait longer." And then, before they could object she ran straight off the edge of the Lookout with a loud cry as if jumping into a swimming pool.

            "She really is a daredevil, isn't she, dad?"

            "Yeah" Goku replied.

"I hope she doesn't get hurt." Gohan said dazed by the fact that she had just run clear off a ledge with no known flying expertise.

"Me too, Gohan. Me too."

Celestia fell quite fast. But the overall feeling of freedom that came with gliding across the sky like this was too heavenly to ignore. It usually distracted her too long and the others would come to her supposed rescue. But not today.  Today was the day she'd fly. She felt the presence of another and decided to pay it no heed. She had assumed it was Goku, so she gasped as she was abruptly stopped in mid-fall and turned to face a sickeningly evil looking smirk.  Cell's smirk widened at the sudden inhalation and he bent forward slightly and hissed, "Hello."

"Hi. Well," she said, regaining her composure, "seeing as you're here, I can only guess you've come to take care of some unfinished business."

"That is correct, my dear, and if I can't find out what you are with your consent, I'll have to drag it out of you by force." Celestia saw his tail waver greedily.

"Oh? And how do you propose to do that?" he squeezed her shoulder and his tail seemed to suddenly gain its own mind and slithered forward to greet her face. It hovered mere millimeters from her nose.

"With this." He stated. He looked to the left and saw the bottom of Kami's Lookout. "But not here. Perhaps you should use that "alternate" way of flight you spoke of."

"I can fly just as well as you can in the same way you do!" she yelped as he clapped a hand over her mouth.

"Not so loud, fool!" he whispered in a furious tone. "Or I'll kill you before they see me." She calmed herself before the idea of biting him became a fact. "That's better. Now follow me… if you can fly."  He felt her ki slowly rise and she became lighter. He slowly let go and she only said one thing before allowing herself to be led away.

"It's fine with me that you try to figure out who I am but you might regret it when you find yourself trapped between your pride and your opportunities."

The two were ten miles away from their starting position when Cell stopped her and they broke the silence.

"You must be perfectly still or else my instincts will cause me to lose control of what I'm doing."

"You're being very much a gentleman for someone whose murders innocent humans." It was partially a complement. She held out her arm without complaint. The tail moved toward her with increasing speed, but it stopped itself an inch away from her shoulder. It slowed and crept closer. It touched the skin. Cell looked up at Celestia to see amusement and impatience. The tail pierced her skin and she winced.  The pain increased as Celestia closed her eyes. She concentrated on what she was doing. The bonding blood in her veins flowed toward the foreign object that was removing a part of her muscle.

GULP!!

The blood and flesh traveled up through Cell's tail and strange warmth spread through his body. Then it softened to a small glowing feeling in his heart cavity. This surprised him and he removed his tail so quickly from Celestia's shoulder that there was horrid burning and aching through her arm and up her neck. Her shoulder looked a bit deflated.

"What have you done?!" Cell cried. He closed he eyes trying to chase away the warm sensation. When he opened them, Celestia was cradling her arm and trying to stop the blood flow. She looked different now. It was so strange… he felt slightly more drawn toward her. Perhaps to comfort her pain. What the hell was he thinking?! Cell closed his eyes tightly again and this time it was very different when he opened them.

Explosions of color beat on his face, the likes of which he had never seen. It gave him a headache. Celestia smiled through the agony of her arm, which had stained the nice white blouse she had on. He could see colors like she could. And they frightened him to no end. He covered it up as quickly as possible.

"I-I must go. I will return soon." He said. Then he fled with a passing cloud.

"I will count on it." She murmured, and it was then she realized her position. "Oh s--t (jinkies for all you young people)! I don't know how to get back to the Lookout!!"

After three hours of searching, Goku and Gohan failed to find Celestia. Piccolo showed up as well, wondering why her ki had suddenly left the area, and when informed of the situation he went ballistic. So one would guess that there were mixed emotions when Celestia suddenly hovered down to the tiles like nothing was pouring out of her arm and giving her blouse a new colouring.

"Oh, my Kami!" Goku cried. "What happened?!"

"I learned how to fly under pressure the hard way and a radio tower helped break my fall. And I swear I'll never listen to 98.7 as long as I live." She lied. She'd been preparing it as she searched for the Lookout. Piccolo looked at her skeptically. Gohan was confused and Goku was panicking about what to do.

Piccolo answered calmly. "Goku, go get a sensu bean from Corin."

Goku settled down. "Right."

"It's not necessary. Really. I'm fine." She tried weakly. The blood begged to differ. It began gushing again and she clasped her good hand over the wound with an obvious grunt.

"Yeah right." Piccolo received a growl for the comment. Then he said, "When tigers fly. And Cell turns into a bird."

Oh how very little you know, green bean. How very little indeed. " Hm hm hm hm hm." she chuckled.

Celestia closed her eyes in concentration. Her other selves were trying to close the gash. Hey, what's going on in there? Why isn't anything working?

It will take some time. There is no longer a power source as strong as what is needed for an instant healing. Besides that we can't provide enough energy alone until we are fully merged. Tora said.

            Why can't you draw off Cell's energy? The bond might not be finished, but we could still pirate some off him, couldn't we?

            Celestia, we have already tried reaching out to him. As of now he's 324 miles away, in a forest, clutching his head in a traumatized fashion. Though I tried to calm him he didn't recognize me as part of you. He panicked, and since all I can get from him is his scrambled emotions because the bond isn't complete, I couldn't answer anything he may have asked.

            In other words, he's scared, pitiful, and can't understand what's happening? Celestia asked.

            Bingo! Cried Mitsu.

            Perfect! She said sarcastically.

            Actually, no, he isn't perfect yet. Mitsu answered. She may have been the most immature of the group, but she was also the most good natured.

            What if I tried talking to him?

It might work. Tora replied thoughtfully.

Let's try it. Nothing ta lose. chirped Mitsu.

"CELESTIA!!!" came a sharp voice. Celestia opened her eyes and found herself staring at Piccolo and Goku. She noted she was swaying.

"What?!" She yelled to his face the best she could.

"Goku brought you a sensu bean." Goku handed her the tiny bean and she sniffed it gingerly. She held it with two fingers and tasted the tip of it as if testing for poison.

"You know, I don't think it'll kill you to trust me." Piccolo said.

"Whatever." Celestia mumbled. "I think I'll eat it later. Something tells me it won't have the desired effects I need."

            "It's supposed to heal you. If you don't take it now, you won't heal."

            "Fine. Fine." She ate it and walked shakily over to her favorite palm tree where she then sat down.

            "I seriously doubt this thing will work." She muttered. Time to make a phone call!

            She reached out for Cell's life force. Then she focused on it and soon found herself in spirit form in front of him.

            Cell. All around her was black except Cell's emotional energy. The energy rippled outward from an unknown source in colors that displayed his current feelings. Right now it was mixes of browns and sharp yellows and other indescribable colors that meant fear. At the sound of her voices the colors exploded with reds, yellows, blues, and a small amount of green. He was shocked, confused, scared, and relieved. The colors vibrated with his muted speech. You are confused. Not yet used to color? She felt bile rise in her throat. I'll make this fast. Your little test left me wounded and I won't survive if you don't fork a bit of your energy over. All I need is your permission. She was met with distrusting purples. Pleeeeeeeaase? Now she saw more reds. Anger. She felt slightly sick. In the center of the waves and washes of color was a small area of concern. The concern took form in dark magentas, but remained forced into the corner of Cell's aura. He must have felt her weakening. Dark blue surrounded the magenta meaning determination. He was either trying to hide his feelings from himself or her… or both. She felt energy spreading to her wound. I thank you.

            She withdrew from his mind just in time to get up and run shakily to the edge of Kami's Lookout and allow herself to vomit up the sensu. I pity who ever is under that. commented Mitsu.

            She was rewarded with Shut up! from both her counterparts. Apparently, Trians couldn't eat sensu beans. It didn't even work.

End Chapter 5

BONUS

Next time: Dance of the Empress

Quote of the Chapter:

'It was just something in your eyes,

That made me realize,

And now I hear voices deep inside,

Telling me,

Telling me it's you.'

- ? (I don't own it)

Dedicated to Cell's Queen because she said she liked my fics.

R/R please. See ya'll. Sorry 'bout the wait.

ALL HAIL THE MIGHTY CELL!

}:=8)  This is Pen Dragon signing off.