Power, Deception, Lies

Part XI

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The Waterville Princess watched silently, her eyes narrowing heartlessly as Garlic brought forward a clay flask and poured water unhurriedly over Marty's stone body. In the dawn of the morning a venomous smile expanded across her face as Marty's grey form began to return to normal flesh and blood with the antidote of liquid; a choked gasp escaped from the young Prince as his immaculate magnificence was reincarnated, making him clumsily fall to the ground in bewilderment.

Cell and Frieza stood on either side of Cleo, and Pilaf stood next to Frieza, as their eyes glinted with an evil so immeasurable that their gaze was almost poison to any who met it at that very instant. Marty coughed and weakly tried to stand, his thoughts filled with astonishment as he tried to recollect everything that had happened the past few days, and seeing five pairs of feet firm on the ground before him immediately stood up, slightly embarrassed at the way he was dripping from the water that was streaming down his clothes.

Marty's eyes narrowed furiously, although still maintaining his faultless splendor, as soon as he realized to whom the feet belonged; the memory he'd lost when he was half-drugged was immediately regained as he recalled what the Dark Foes had done to him.

"You… serpent," Marty almost spat, his gaze locked with Cell's. "How dare you push me off the ship and into the monsoon flood. I could've drowned, you half-witted FOOLS! If I wanted to destroy the Z warriors myself I could've done so without the help of you simpletons! I have embarrassed myself and my kin by turning up soiled at the door of one who is potentially lower and less powerful than I! I am the Prince of Waterville, and who are you, Cell? NOBODY!!"

Cell just grinned, understanding the anger of the youth. "You must forgive me, my Lord Martius. I did not mean to destroy the Z warriors before torturing them anyway. But look on the bright side; we still have almost all the Z warriors in our grip, all made of stone. In a matter of days if they do not come into contact with any liquid they will be permanently adamantine."

Marty resisted the urge to dash forward and whack Cell hard in the face; besides, it was against his standards, and as a Prince he solely refused to betray them. He took one look at the stupid grins that the four oafs were presenting and threw his arms up in utter frustration; and was about to storm away when his eyes caught the sinister glance of the charming blond girl standing with the ignoramus dolts. He froze as he remembered the visions he'd had before the cave of Dragon Fields; the stunning, blond girl who seemed to have owned his respect and love in these visions stood before him, he realized, as memories of his distant, forgotten past flooded back to him. Although she looked a lot more corrupted than in his visions, he mused.

"Cleanthe," Marty uttered, turning his face solemnly to the ground. Cleo grimaced instantly, sympathetically walking forward to her drenched brother, encircling a slim and tender arm around him lovingly.

"Aren't we for the better?" she smiled reflectively at him, caressing his smooth cheek affectionately. "Remember that time when we were afraid of Evil and would hasten our flights and approaches with fear whenever Evil reared its ugly head? Well, look at us now, Brother. We are the incarnate corruption, and we can look at other Evils in the face and they would cower in fear."

Marty turned a grave expression back at his sister, ignoring everything she'd just said. "…So," he stated neutrally. "What have you been accomplishing whilst I was gone?"

Cleo flushed, immediately releasing her brother from her embrace, the physical soothing sympathy. "Well… I have been out to scrutinize the Z warriors, and I believe I have earned the respect for one of them…"

"Who is that?" Marty asked interestedly.

"Gohan," Cleo smirked. "To be perfectly honest I am not actually using his friendship just to the advantage of our malice."

Cleo walked away to get a towel, trying to avoid her brother's responsive gaze. He did as he thought his sister wanted, remaining silent, although breaking it as soon as Cleo returned, draping the obtained towel over his saturated shoulders.

"What do you mean?" Marty questioned once more, narrowing his eyes at what he suspected she might be about to say.

Cleo eyed Marty once more, although afterwards immediately averting the gaze. "I… I've fallen for him."

Marty exploded with a forceful, sarcastic roar of laughter, from it deriving a hidden urge to shake his sister's shoulders and make her realize what a fool she was.

"My sweet sister," he feigned repose, telling himself over and over in his mind to resist the impulse to slap her into sense. "May I remind you that he has a girlfriend, a teenage brat at that, but still a sweetheart nonetheless. May I also remind you that five minutes ago you were telling me what bliss we can achieve from malevolence, rancor and wrongdoings, and now YOU, one of the 'Evil' ones, dares to declare straightforwardly in my very presence that you have fallen for one of the worthless GOOD!!! I hope you perceive that the only thing that is keeping me from slaughtering you here and now is that you are my undeserving, nauseating, LOVESICK NUISANCE OF A SISTER!!!"

The four Dark Foes sneered, low laughter becoming audible from them, making Cleo flinch slightly at her brother's harsh words. However, she turned a calm gaze back at him, understanding how and why he was so furious, and turned to leave the ship.

"The rest do not matter," She tried not to look at the four goons who were making fun of her, her heart filling with shame. "I only want one youth, and one youth would not affect all our plans. You can have the rest of the warriors. But if you will let me keep one, for myself, I can take him to wherever he will not make me betray the side of Evil."

"Yes, you do that," Marty stated sarcastically, storming off much to the humor of the other four, who continued jeering and ridiculing the Princess. Cleo sighed, nodded to herself with understanding of her brother who did not understand her, and promptly left the spaceship without any facial expression of guilt or regret visible.

* * * * *

"May the heavens protect him always," Goku murmured, as he tied a white satin ribbon around the tree in front of him. "…Marty, Prince of Waterville."

He, along with Eighteen, Videl and Gohan, bowed their heads prayerfully as they released their bottled grief. After a minute of silence they left the river one by one, each trying to conceal the bitter tears that were released.

Videl placed a hand on Gohan's arm in understanding, as she watched him trying to fight back his tears. Gohan smiled, traces of sorrow almost completely vanishing, and squeezed the hand on his arm as a gesture of gratitude, watching silently as Videl instantly left, leaving him alone.

Gohan remained in silence for a moment, gazing at the white ribbon that was raised from where it hung in the breeze. A gentle hand landed on his shoulder, and he turned around in surprise to see Cleo's great worry, her slim eyebrows slanted anxiously.

"I thought you said that it was not a life to lament for eternity," she said softly, deeply piercing his fogged, sorrowful gaze.

"I know," Gohan replied. "But until I mourn, I believe I will not live my life the same way just yet."

"This friend of yours must be very close to you…" Cleo's face was overshadowed suddenly as she thought of Marty. "I'm sure the two of you cared for each other very much."

"To be honest, I hardly knew him," Gohan feigned laughter, although it sounded fake and weak nevertheless.

They stayed in silence for a few minutes, each thinking of Marty. Gohan imagined his smile, his innocence… and his eyes instantly fogged again with grief. Cleo thought of his weakness and his savagery, his care and hate towards her… and she immediately walked away from the scene, although not meaning to leave Gohan alone.

"Wait!" he said, hastening after her. "Where are you going?"

"Away from anything that will remind me of the turmoil that I have gone through in the past," she said gravely, looking into his eyes that gazed back deeply. Such anguish was shining in her eyes, Gohan perceived… she must have experienced a pain more terrible than he had. Although he could not imagine anything more painful than losing a friend… maybe she lost her parents, or an actual friend who had stood by her for more than a mere day. He cursed himself for considering his pain over others', and immediately embraced her, desiring more than anything that she would forget her remorse.

"Would you like to talk about it?" Gohan asked gently, wiping the tears away with his soft hand. Cleo shook her head and smiled, walking away from the embrace, as much as she enjoyed it.

"Nay," she replied. "You are right, it is not a life to lament for eternity. I am better here and now than I will ever be back in the past. But let us speak no more of this, for I can see that it only brings us both grief. Will you spend some time with me?"

Gohan nodded, and they both sat down on the grass, speaking of things that had happened in the past. Cleo seemed to radiate with glowing happiness the more they conversed, which pleased Gohan greatly. Taking her mind off whatever had caused her so much anguish in the past was also helping Gohan take his mind of Marty's loss; although he forgot that the Dark Foes could easily have had an antidote and used it to restore him.

Gohan laughed as Cleo described to him what had happened a long time ago, when she and her brother and cousins were out playing, and her mother had come out to look for them. As a result it turned into a game of race and hide-and-seek, and her mother ended up getting her hair caught on a branch of a magnolia tree. It was a mischievous joke as a child, but now it was simply something to look back to, a memory to cherish.

"…Why do you never desire to speak of your parents?" Gohan finally asked what had been plaguing his mind for some time.

Cleo smiled at him. "It is because it was from what happened with them that I have lost my trust for other people. I now trust you a lot more, Gohan. I can say almost everything now without hesitation- I am eighteen years old."

Gohan's face lit up with a large grin, as he squeezed the shoulder of the girl seated in front of him. Again a little voice in his mind chorused that he was to remember Videl, and not betray the promises they'd exchanged. But again the other half of his mind sang that there was no harm in mere friendship, and although the blond goddess before him was remarkably appealing, Gohan was not that devious in his relationships… or so he hoped.

"I must go now, Cleo," he grinned, happy with their conversation. "My family is waiting for me, and besides, there are some things that we must discuss for at the moment there is a family situation that is yet to be resolved. But I'm happy, and I should like to see you again."

Cleo beamed instantly to hear that, and joy sang in her soul to hear that claim. "How about tonight, at sundown? As you know I'm always free, but are you?"

"Indeed," Gohan said immediately, although unsure as to if the other three would actually approve of him going off after sundown to meet some girl, particularly Videl. "By the way, let me tell you something that I've been meaning to say, but did not even when the time was presented to me the first time we met. I like you."

"Thanks," Cleo laughed, mocking Gohan's words. "Not many people like me."

"I very much doubt that," Gohan shook an accusing finger, and they both laughed merrily. For the first time in the past two days they were both genuinely happy, and Cleo rose to gently kiss Gohan on the cheek, before leaving the scene to climb one of the trees. As Gohan walked away, still slightly dazed by the kiss, there was only one thing on both their minds: their agreement and promise to meet that night.

To be continued…

Author's note:

To all that love Gohan and Videl couplings, worry not! Nothing drastic is going to happen… *cough*yet*cough*

I'm not really that cruel of an author [I hope…] and if anything serious happens that will make any of you readers want to strangle me, I promise I can make amends.

Keep up the reviews! Please? *Innocent face*

Luv always… Fëaruin