Chapter 13: A Darkling's Troubled Soul

3rd P.O.V.

Dark Cell didn't teleport directly to the cave hideaway. Instead, he teleported himself to an area just outside West City.

He scanned the area, finding nothing but wreckage, grown over from the years of forsaken time. No one had been here in years, by the look of it. West City stood proud in the distance, not like the one back home.

Mild pollution… bright lights… it seems to wrong compared to home, but it also seems so… right…?

Dark Cell looked down at the photo again.

Why does this image plague me so? That isn't me, or my mate… but they look happy. How can this be? What exactly is love?

Dark Cell walked around the area, examining the mess. The white tiles were scattered, and whole ones were few and far between. Tanks stood at one side, either flipped over or in pieces. An army helicopter was also in the debris.

One area was completely desolate. There was no grass or rubble. The area almost made a complete circle.

This is where my double fought this dimension's Gohan and nearly died. That can't be right… he would have had to die here. I couldn't have survived an attack like the one Katie described to us.

She lied to us.

Dark Cell walked to the center of the old arena, markers laid out still from when it was built.

Why do I care if she lied or not? What does it matter?

He looked up at the dark sky. In the distance, the sun was peeking over the horizon.

What does she hide? If my double died here, how can this picture be?

The small piece of plastic suddenly felt very heavy in his hand.

What do I feel…? What is this called? It's more than respect… but it's less than love. Katrin, my empress, my mate, is the closest thing to love I know. Katie is… Katie is… a friend?

No, it cannot be. She is the enemy.

He stared at the picture. The image of his double looked angry, but behind the pink eyes of his double he saw something hidden, deep inside.

If he loved Katie, does that mean I cannot love my empress? They can feel love… can we? Could we?

"Love is weak… yet… I cannot fight it. I couldn't kill her. What do I tell my Empress? How could something as weak as love stop me?"

I need time… time before we all meet on the battlefield again… but for now, I return to my… my family.

I will find my answers soon.

Dark Cell tucked the picture into his green armor and teleported back to the cave. Everyone was pacing, fed up with the captivity of the small, enclosed space. Codie still slept, oblivious to the situation.

"It's about time you returned. Catch." Kakorot tossed something at Cell. Cell caught it before looking at what it was. It was an apple. In anger, Cell threw the apple back at Kakorot.

"You idiot, you know I can't eat that. If we are to remain here much longer, I must go hunt." He growled.

"You'll get your chance, but lets focus on the now, shall we?" Katrin stepped out of the shadows and circled around Codie, staring at him in admiration, "Who was it?"

"…Your counterpart." He couldn't lie to her.

"Did you kill her?"

"No, I couldn't. She was too strong for me."

"Are you sure? Perhaps you were too weak."

"I beg your forgiveness, my empress."

"Of course, my pet. Did you at least find out anything we might be able to use?" Katrin purred to her mate.

Cell stood on edge, fearing what would happen if she knew of the kiss. Or perhaps it was his mate's sudden mood swings that frightened him. He wasn't sure which.

"They consider love a strength. Katie loved my counterpart like a big brother. It is the same with Piccolo and Goku."

"Hmm… maybe I can use that. I must meditate over this. Go on your hunt. Be back before the sun rises too high. If we're found out now it'll be too soon. And have fun." She purred.

"Yes, of course. Thank you, my Empress."

1st P.O.V.

Baba's words confuse me… Cell confuses me… he could have killed me… why didn't he? Does he see something in me, just like my old friend? They're opposites, it wouldn't be possible… but Cell has surprised me many times in the past.

Damn, I gotta get Codie back! I gotta focus on him, not the Cell darkling.

The rain had picked back up, darkening the sky once more. I sat under an old cherry-blossom tree, full bloom at this time of year, waiting for the rain to stop. Flying in the rain was not fun, and trying to sense Ki at the same time was even harder.

Cell was plaguing me now more than ever. I knew that the evil Cell in this dimension would have killed me, but this Cell didn't. Both were good, but that couldn't be. Something was deeper than Gero's programming and these parallel dimensions.

Our Cell started out bad and became good… this Cell started out good and became evil… yet both act true to their real nature. This Cell still has a good streak, as our Cell had an evil streak. They have balance.

Baba said light and darkness need to balance. The only missing factor I can see is why my darkling stole away Codie. Why didn't she just kill him?

I know… it was to get to me.

Light started to peek through the clouds once more, so I took my chance and took off once more, searching for the caves.

AS22: Will Cell join Katie and the good guys? Will the rain stop? Will the caves be found? R&R!