Princess Mononoke Fan Fiction / Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ The Silent Prince, Perfect Collection 1 ❯ Chapter 13 ( Chapter 13 )

Chapter 13

They were still in the jungle when night fell. And since no villagers or settlements were nearby, they set up camp by a long river. Ryu started a fire to keep them warm, and Genji laid the saddle blanket on the ground to make a comfortable place to sleep. All Yume did was lie on her stomach and rest her tired feet.

All three of them ate from Genji's supply of spiced meat, and drank water from the river. When darkness completely enveloped the land, everyone decided to get their sleep. Ryu snored loudly on his side of the saddle blanket, keeping Genji wide-awake and in annoyance. After tossing and turning to try and sleep, the boy wrapped himself tightly in his black fur shroud and sat up. He noticed the fire was dying, so he got up and tried poking it back to life with a nearby stick.

<Hey, if you can't sleep because of Cat Man over there, just poke him until he shuts up.>

Genji scowled at the idea.

<What? It works! Try it!>

Guardian, I don't want to wake him up!

<You getting sleep is more important than him getting sleep. You're the one with the demon.>

You don't like Ryu, do you?

<Not really.>

Genji tried to change the subject as the fire perked back to life.

Speaking of my demon, did Dr. Cid's potion work for you at all?

<Oh man, it's working wonders, Genji! There's this membrane over your inner burns, and the demon won't even touch them. It hurts itself as it tries to grow. I think it'll behave itself, but I'm still on my guard. Every medicine has a drawback.>

Then, I'll be on my guard too. Genji nodded, putting the stick down as the fire crackled in its bed of firewood. So, is it safe to talk about my father now?

<Well…>

"Genji?"

Genji turned around to see Yume looking at him through sleepy eyes. He smiled at her.

**Shouldn't you be asleep, Yume?**

"Who are you talking to?"

Genji blinked in surprise. What did she mean?

**No one. Why?**

"I heard you talking to someone, but no one was talking back. Are you okay, Genji? Are you sick?"

**Yes!** Genji quickly suggested. **Uh…I mean, no…uh, yes…um… Look, I'm fine! Let's get some sleep, okay?**

"Okay…" Yume agreed, yawning widely. Genji sat on his side of the saddle blanket, and wrapped his shroud around him tighter. He stared at the fire, watching it bathe the scene a soft orange. He wanted to ask his guardian spirit about his father, but if Yume could hear them…

"You were saying something about a father?" the wolf asked suddenly. Genji looked at her.

**Yeah. My father. I want to know who he was.**

"Why?"

**"Why?" Because no one will tell me about him! All because he dumped my mother!**

"Your mom?" Yume yipped slightly. Then, she lowered her head to the ground. "I can hardly remember her…"

Genji was surprised by that sentence.

**You knew my mother?!**

"Knew her? I used to live with her. I was just a little puppy back then. I can't really remember what she looked like…I know she had your color hair!"

Genji jumped at the chance! Maybe Yume could remember his father! He leaned foreword on his hands and knees anxiously.

**Can you remember the man who lived with her? Huh? Can you?!**

"Yeah, sure." She yipped. "I can remember that they would always be hugging and kissing. They were so in love…but she was so sad when he left…"

**Who was he?** Genji demanded, crawling closer to her. He could feel his heart pounding in his throat. **Tell me his name! Yume!** He could feel the demon struggling to kill him, but Dr. Cid's potion was holding it off. Nothing was going to stop Genji from learning about his father now.

His name…all I need to work with is his name…

He didn't know how right he was about that.

When Yume said the name, it felt like someone had shot Genji. It was so sudden, and shocking…Genji almost gave himself a heart attack when Yume said the name of his father:

"Cell."

**WHAT?!**

<Oh no! It's breaking free! Genji, watch out!>

The attack was so brutal, his heart was making loud squishing sounds. Genji instantly fell to his shoulder, hugging his chest, mouth stretching open in silent scream. Yume instantly sprang to her feet and started barking loudly.

"Demon! Demon! Demon!" she shouted. Ryu awoke moaning, and sat up with his eyes half open.

"Wha izzit?" he groaned sleepily, then he saw Genji and snapped awake. "Oh my gods! Genji!" He scrambled through the saddle blanket pockets for the Shinto scrolls. "Post-it note power, post-it note power, post-it note power…where the hell are those pieces of crap?!"

/|\

To Genji, the world seemed to go black, and he was surrounded by nothingness. He could hear the monstrous growling of the demon rumble in his ears. It was trying to fight through Dr. Cid's formula, and it was in great pain. It was a long shot, but Genji tried to reason with the beast within his heart.

**Stop! Stop it! You'll kill yourself trying to kill me!**

>>Let it happen then.<<

Genji almost froze. It was the voice of the demon trying to kill him. It felt like the most horrible sound he ever heard!

**Is that you? Are you the demon within me?**

>>I am. So let me die, boy, I don't care. I am inside your soul, and my death will bring your death. I have nothing to lose. I will see my precious Coral-chan again in the land of the dead.<<

**Stop! Please! You can't break through Dr. Cid's formula!**

>>Ha! Idiot child! I am pure evil! I am death, darkness, and destruction! I am the most powerful force in life, and I will not be held under such pitiful binds! I will not be contained and I will not be destroyed! Turn back and go home, boy, for the further you travel the more painful your death will be!<<

**Please stop this! I'm begging you, stop!**

>>Beg all you want. I will not stop until you are dead.<<

**Why?! Why do you want me dead?! Why do you want my mother?!**

>>Damn you, boy! She is mine! No other being will possess her except for me! Only my children will be born from her! Any other bastard whelps will suffer my wrath! Prepare to die, bastard son of Cell!<<

**NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! PLEASE! STOOOOOOOP!**

The pain was becoming more and more unbearable, and Genji couldn't feel himself breathe! He was going to die! He refused to let that monster live with this!

Suddenly…

"Leave him alone, you son of a bitch!"

Ryu's voice! He could hear Ryu's voice as though the faithful friend was calling from Heaven!

Reality slammed back into place, and the pain was instantly gone. Genji opened his eyes to see Ryu hovering over him and smiling. A Shinto scroll was pressed over Genji's heart.

"You okay, kid?"

Genji nodded weakly, thankful to be breathing again.

Suddenly, Ryu yelped in pain, quickly taking his hand off Genji's chest and flicking it in the air quickly.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch! Hot, hot, hot…"

The scroll had burst into flame! Genji quickly rolled in the dirt to put out the fire. After the small flame was put out, Genji yanked off his shirt to extinguish any remaining embers. His shirt was just singed, and there was a small hole he could fit his finger through. No problem, he could sew it together. He mended clothes before.

"Blind eyes of Okkotonushi!" Ryu cried out in alarm. "Genji, your back!" Unable to see behind him, Genji felt his back for the burn. He could feel the rough and bumpy skin easily along his spine, and he traced it around his side, and…

…to the middle of his chest…

He looked down his front to see that the burn had spread around him in a ring. He couldn't believe it! It grew bigger! But how…?!

Genji felt like crying. The potion didn't work! The demon was going to keep growing inside him and soon kill him! What was he going to do?! He was going to die!

And what more! Cell…and San Masquerade…they…together…and Genji was…

Prepare to die, bastard son of Cell…

It can't be…I refuse to believe it…Cell is…the Cell is…dear God, no!

"I don't get it." Ryu scratched his head, unaware of what Genji might be thinking. "All the old man's potions work, it's guaranteed. Why shouldn't it work for Genji?" Yume leaned her head towards Genji and carefully sniffed at the burn.

"It smells rotten." She observed. "A yucky smell, like that city…"

Genji took a whiff. He smelled just like Dr. Cid's formula!

"Wait a minute…" Ryu brainstormed, "if the demon is too strong for Shinto scrolls…is it too strong for potions?"

Genji didn't want to hear that.

He shook his head slowly at the possibility. Then he shook his head harder, then held his head in his hands, and then started shivering for no apparent reason. Yume leaned her head towards Genji's face, and nuzzled him with a frightened whimper. Genji hugged her furry neck, pressing his face into her soft flank. Then, he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"C'mon." Ryu gently urged. "Let's get that washed, and then we can go back to sleep."

Genji let himself be led to the river and his scar washed in the cold water. Then he let himself be dried off, and he let Ryu wrap the scar with linen straps to bandage it. Finally, he was laid down in the saddle blanket and covered in his shroud. The whole time, Genji was repeated his thoughts over and over in his head.

Cell…and my mother…Did they… Am I… Is he…?

Who am I?