Usual warnings apply. Careful, this tale is turning a bit dark.

I'm sorry for the terribly long delay. I want to feel this when I write it or I just can't and I guess the feeling is coming and going a lot. Lately I've been having serious doubts about my writing abilities when I compare myself to other writers in the DBZ fandom. It's scary. I'll always love Piccolo though and I'll do everything I can to finish this story. Even if that means it takes years, I'll work on it!

If you want to see what I've been up to, check out my profile. I don't just write DBZ now, I write Inuyasha, Power Rangers and Godzilla fanfiction as well, and lately plot bunnies for Godzilla have been chewing my brain to bits. Been working on a HUGE Godzilla collaboration fic with an author on this site whose alias is cii. I highly recommend her work. She writes in Godzilla, American Dragon: Jake Long and Halo.

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Believe Again
Part Fifteen

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Energy surged out of me like Niagara falls and lit the place up like a tiny sun. My muscles were turning into balls of iron that crushed my internal organs. I probably gained ten pounds of sheer muscle. The mist swirled around me, from above I probably appeared to be standing in the center of a miniature hurricane. My golden hair kept blowing into my eyes. I pushed against my power until I thought I'd crap in my pants.

"It's not right!" I screamed at Piccolo, "I can't move!"

"Doesn't matter." Piccolo replied. He put a hand up to shield his eyes against the wind coming off me. "You made it to the second level."

The strain wore on me. If I didn't stop soon, I was going to crap my pants. "Can I stop?"

"Yeah, go ahead."

I released my ki and fell over backwards. The white fog surged back in to cover me completely. It also shrouded Piccolo from view. I shut my eyes while wiping the sweat off my face. Over the past few days I stopped feeling uncomfortable around him. I wasn't constantly afraid he'd hit me again, but I hadn't fully forgiven him yet either.

"My endurance sucks."

"Actually," Piccolo reached down to help me up like a good green prince Charming should, "that was pretty good for your first try."

"Wish I knew how Gohan did it. It didn't seem any different than going super one, except he just went...well...went super while super." I touched my hair. Great, it was a mess again. "He made it look easy. I have no idea how Goku made it to three."

"Worry not about it."

I stared at him. That was awfully weird wording. "Eh?"

He raised a brow. "I said don't worry about it."

"No...you said 'worry not'." I said, crossing my arms.

"I said don't worry about it." Piccolo said evenly. Then he turned with a swish of his white cape and settled into the lotus position. "Go get some sleep. You've been awake for over twenty four hours."

"Um, okay." I eyed him when he sat down. For the past couple of days Piccolo seemed to switch into this weirdly formal speech, only to reply as he normally would when I asked him to repeat himself. He always insisted he hadn't used the formal talk. Didn't he remember doing it?

It bothered the hell out of me, yet the stubborn Namek insisted he was fine.

Piccolo also seemed way more withdrawn than normal. It took way more effort than normal to get even a grunt from him. My attempts to flirt with him were met with icy, red-rimmed glares that even I, who can't read eyes well, understood as 'get lost'.

"Are you coming to bed, too?"

He growled, "Not now! I want to meditate."

Cold shoulder yet again. I sighed, gave him his good night peck on the cheek and made my way to my bedchambers alone. Took a shower, ate and moped.

Honestly, I missed the old, somewhat talkative Piccolo. He made me feel as though we just met, only this time I knew nothing about him. When did we become such strangers to each other?

I spent an hour writing. Moped. Wrote for another hour. Moped some more. Went to bed. Woke up and moped even more than the most emo person on Earth. Quick, somebody cry me a river!

I found myself crushed under a terrifying thought. What if Piccolo was trying to distance himself from me because we'd never see each other again after this? What if he was trying to fix it so I'd never want to see him once we parted ways? I shook my head violently. No way! He parted with Gohan on good terms.

Could the room be making him crazy? Was something else affecting him?

Someone knocked on the door. I picked my head up off the table where I'd been resting it between bites of soggy Cheerios. "Yeah?"

"Hey." Paikuhan stuck his head in. "Piccolo didn't come in last night. I thought I'd make sure you were up in case he wanted you on the floor."

"Mm." I let my head thud back onto the table. I started wiggling my fingers to imaginary music. "Is it me, or has he gotten colder since he came in here? I've known him for awhile and he's never been this bad."

"Well..." he glanced over his shoulder and slid his narrow body all the way through the door, pushing it shut. "I've noticed he's become quieter and more reclusive since Void stabbed him. He spends much of his time meditating. A lot more than when we first entered this place."

"Has he talked weird to you?"

"Yes, I've noticed a change in his speech patterns. One moment he speaks like royalty and the next he's back to his old patterns. He doesn't seem aware of it when he does it."

"That's what I was afraid of." I said. "Something's wrong."

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Something's wrong all right.

Paikuhan and I got back out onto the floor to find Piccolo still sitting where I left him the night before. He seemed...twitchy. No, really, he looked like he was crawling in his own skin. The mist swirled around him, disturbed, restless. The green of his flesh seemed paler and his veins stood out. He looked like a sculpture. I made a move towards him. Paikuhan blocked my path with his arm.

"Be careful. This doesn't feel right."

"I got it." I said. Then I walked around in front of Piccolo and put a hand on his shoulder. "Piccolo?"

"What?" Piccolo snapped. He was covered in sweat. I could see it dripping down his temples. The dusty scent of his perspiration nearly overpowered my Saiyajin nose. Despite this his skin was cold.

"Are you okay? You've been out here for almost twelve hours."

He growled at me.

"What's going on with you? You're...changing. I'm worried!"

"Cyndi, t-take your concerns somewhere else." Piccolo's voice was like ice and the muscles in his jaws were rigid. As if he clenched his teeth so they wouldn't chatter. "I'm fine."

"You don't look fine. You look like hell."

"Mind your own business."

I snarled at him. "No! Not until you pull that stick outta your ass!"

"You are taking your fate into your hands with this behavior." Suddenly, Piccolo opened his eyes to look at me. They were fiery red, but gradually cooled to black like molten, untempered metal being dipped in water. Equally red blood vessels stood out on the whites of his eyes. He looked like he hadn't slept in a year. I'm serious, he actually had bags under his eyes. His skin was definitely pale, especially his face.

"Piccolo..."

Piccolo jumped to his feet. "You know my past. You know how I was born. You know my fate."

"So?" I craned my neck to look up at him. "What's that supposed to mean? Quit talking like a damn Vorlon!"

But he didn't reply. Not even to question my Babylon 5 reference. He turned with a swish of his white cape and walked away. The darkness and mist seemed to swallow him whole. I was so intent on Piccolo that I barely noticed Paikuhan's thin form moving to stand beside me.

"He was born evil," I said. "He's...a reincarnation of his evil sire. He turned good. He turned good. He gave up that evil...he," I felt my throat clutch up and the inside of my nose itched like it always does when I'm close to crying, "he gave it up when he became Gohan's teacher." Then I sniffed, I didn't want to cry! I refused to be a crybaby!

Paikuhan drummed his fingers on his bicep. He looked at me through the corner of his eye. "Piccolo is reverting. He's fighting it...but it's happening."

"Reverting?"

The next words from his lips turned my blood cold. "To his old self. His past self."

I grabbed my hair and pulled it to stop myself from crying. Behind me, my tail lashed angrily and the jewelry I'd wrapped around it jangled loudly in the silence. "No!"

"Control your anger." Paikuhan said calmly, making me want to punch him. "We might have to fight him. I know you love him, Cyndi, but you may have to put those feelings aside if it comes down to a battle."

"Dammit! No, I won't do that!"

Paikuhan remained frustratingly calm. "I don't think you can stop what Void has started. You said she nearly took his soul into her stinger. It's highly possible that she sucked away most of the good in him. The evil energies that have laid dormant in him are moving to fill the space." he moved his hand through the mist, causing it to part and billow back into the rift, "Just like the mist billows back when you part it."

"So that means what?"

"He's being poisoned."

I swear to God, that Emak's poker face was starting to piss me off. "No way! No freaking way! Discord and I...we saved him! Di gave Piccolo his own energy, I saw it. I saw it, dammit! And Di ain't evil!"

"You bought him time, that's all. Think of the goodness in him as a scab over a wound, keeping it from bleeding. Void pulled the scab off when she attacked him. The healing Discord performed is like a bandage. If the wound is deep, the bandages eventually leak." Paikuhan said, "And this is a deep wound we're dealing with. It's as deep as his life is long."

I kinda liked how Paikuhan explained things in a way I could understand...even if he was a little patronizing at times. At the same time the explanation also scared the piss out of me. Was Piccolo turning back into Daimaou? My eyes watered just thinking about it. Piccolo...my Piccolo...I could lose him.

Damn! And we still had to go down to Hell and deal with Void after training! I really wasn't looking forward to that.

Another errant thought made me start laughing. It was a bitter, painful laugh that swirled past a huge lump in my throat.

"God, this happens every time. It's like the repeating plots of the show." I guffawed while Paikuhan stared down at me like I just pulled a monkey out of my butt. "Every damn time...haha...something screws up the training and I have to deal with it before I go after Void. Ever damn time...it's so funny and so BAD."

I went from laughing to crying in a span of five seconds. Poor Paikuhan just kept staring at me. He looked like a fish. I almost burst out laughing again, but I was crying too hard. The thought of fighting Piccolo killed me inside. He could break me in half easily. I was afraid that he wouldn't even know me the next time I saw him. I didn't want our love to die.

"Cyndi, come on. Control yourself." Paikuhan knelt down. Despite his firm words, he spoke gently. "This is what Void likes to see. She thrives on causing mental anguish and tension. She's toying with you."

"Someone tell her to audition for a soap opera so she'll leave me alone!" I sobbed. "Let her terrorize Luke and Laura instead of me and Piccolo!"

He grabbed my hands and pulled me to my feet. The gesture shocked me. Then, he got in my face, "Cyndi! Pull yourself together! Acting like this isn't going to help the situation. I understand that you're upset, but shedding tears won't change anything!"

I looked away.

"Don't let your fear win," Paikuhan hissed, giving me a shake. "The only way to stop Void is to face her and beat her. And if you have to go through Piccolo to do it, then that's how it has to be. There is a universe at stake here." He shook me again when I tried to pull away. "Piccolo would want you to destroy him if that's the only way."

"SHUT UP!"

"No!" he snapped, the sudden raise in his voice slapping into me like a hand.

I wasn't hearing this! I began to squirm in earnest and Paikuhan wrenched me against his chest, pinning me so I couldn't squirm. My cheek was pressed into the soft folds of his blue shirt. Behind it, his chest was like a rock. I fell into shocked silence. This was so unlike him. Usually Paikuhan maintained at least an arm's length between himself and whoever he spoke to. Being held tightly actually felt comforting. I always did prefer a firm embrace over a light one.

"Hear me," he said quietly, "Piccolo loves you. He may not show it well, but I see it in the way he looks at you when you aren't looking at him. He—often feels like he doesn't deserve your love."

That certainly made me stop squirming. "W-what? Why?"

"Because of what's taking place right now."

I sniffed and wound up swallowing a waterfall of my own snot in the process. Gross.

"That idiot." I growled. "How could he doubt me like that?"

Paikuhan shrugged and I felt the movement of his pectorals against my cheek. For a second I forgot that it wasn't Piccolo, but the wiry hands that grasped my shoulders to scoot me back were a harsh reminder. I wiped my hair back and forced myself to look up at Paikuhan's face.

"I think I'm gonna go sleep for awhile."

"All right." he nodded his head. "Should I wake you later?"

I answered a bit dully, "No, the only things I'll want to wake up for are Armageddon or Piccolo's head between my legs."

Paikuhan's face turned bright red. I didn't have the energy to laugh, so I just waved a little and staggered into the living area. I flopped down on "my" bed and curled up in a ball. Sleep eluded me for a long time. I just laid there, listening to the silence. It's amazing how quiet a room is when you don't breathe or have a heartbeat.

"WHY are you here?" Tambourine's sibilant hiss came back to haunt me. I jumped a little, startled to have that sentence pop into my mind. That creepy Namek! He was like a serpent lurking in the back of my mind.

Why am I here? I wondered. Is it to save Piccolo? What if I have to destroy him to save...everything? I balled my fists up against the pillowcase. This isn't fair! I HATE THIS!

I berated myself until I fell asleep.

o

The light in this dim room never changed. I had no idea if it was morning or night. For all I know my sleep schedule is screwed up beyond repair. My first thought was Piccolo. He wasn't in the room with me. I bolted from my bed and out onto the Quantum floor. Honestly, I don't even know how I crossed that distance so fast. Paikuhan wasn't there anymore...he probably went to bed himself.

I could hear noises. Distant sounds of heavy breathing. I thought I heard Piccolo. I definitely heard Void, her voice is unmistakable. A guttural rasp.

Was Piccolo in trouble? I bolted off the steps and tore through the mist. It had risen higher and all I saw was swirling white all around me. The fog muffled everything. I couldn't call for Piccolo! He could be hurt somewhere! Desperate, I raised my ki and blasted a ten foot wide hole in the mist.

I found Piccolo and Void. Void was on top of Piccolo, holding him down. No...wait...he had ahold of her sides.

They were having sex!

"PICCOLO!"

I jerked upright in the darkness of the bedroom, my throat raw from screaming. Sweat slicked my bangs to my forehead. Rolling over, I sat on the edge of the bed with my head in my hands. I was shaking. It was a dream. Just a bad dream. Piccolo wouldn't do that to me...I don't think he even likes making love that much. Then again, neither do I. It feels great and all...but not as earth-shattering as people make it sound.

Piccolo...you wouldn't—

Somebody tapped my shoulder. I jumped and glanced over.

"Peekaboo!" Void's stinger rushed towards me.

"GAH!" I bolted off the bed(didn't I just do that?) and smacked into the far wall. There was no hole in my forehead. Void wasn't there.

The door burst open. Paikuhan rushed in, powered up, wild-eyed and wearing his blue sleeping robe. "What's going on?"

"Nightmare within a nightmare," I whimpered. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up. I-I'm okay now. Did Piccolo come back at all?"

Paikuhan powered down. "Yes. He retired in the room next door-"

"He's back?" I leapt up, the nightmare forgotten. Piccolo was back. I had to see him!

Paikuhan moved to grab me, but I dodged under his arm. "Wait, Cyndi—"

Too late - I burst through the other door and saw Piccolo sitting in the lotus position directly across from me. The top of his turban and gi seemed almost black in the dark room. His face looked eerie in the shadows. He sat still as a stone statue with his hands folded in his lap. Sometimes he meditated like that. I thought nothing of it.

"Piccolo?"

Piccolo quirked his lip without opening his eyes. That's when I noticed something was very, very wrong. I could see the tips of his fangs. His mouth was CLOSED...so that means they grew over an inch. The skin on his cheeks had sunk against his cheekbones, it wasn't the light like I previously thought. I glanced at his hands, those beautiful, slender hands. They looked strangely bony and his claws were a half inch longer. Exactly the length they'd been when he struck me a few days ago. Finally, he opened his eyes. They were bright crimson. Evil. Cold. Filled with madness.

"Piccolo Daimaou," he whispered. The wonderful voice I knew was gone, replaced by a steely rasp.

"P-Piccolo..." hot tears rushed to my eyes. I barely noticed Paikuhan coming up behind me. "No! Fight it, Piccolo! You're not your father!"

"Cyndi...come on." Paikuhan tried to goad me into leaving the room. But I wasn't going anywhere but into Piccolo's arms.

"Back off, Paikuhan!" I ran straight at Piccolo and threw myself into his lap, grabbing the front of his cape. Our faces were inches apart. I searched those unfamiliar red eyes for the big green Namek I knew and loved. All I saw were gleaming red irises. I touched his lips with my fingertips and for a moment, a split second, his eyes softened. Just as quickly they hardened again. Piccolo was still there, faintly. That gave me hope.

"Foolish little girl. Your silly notions of love and light have no effect," Piccolo whispered, still smirking. "You and those Believers should give up. The game is over."

"No! It's not over! I'll find a way to help you," I began to sob as I clutched at his gi. You'd think I was crying over him dying...in a way he did die again. "I know you can still hear me...I'm going to help you! I don't know how. I love you, Piccolo."

Then I kissed him.

Piccolo's hand snapped up like a rattlesnake strike. Grabbing a fist-full of my hair, he yanked my head back and slowly licked the tears off my cheeks. Those long fangs came millimeters from my eyes. I stiffened and waited for him to bite down and do something sick like eat my face.

"I love the taste of misery," he purred. Then he shoved me clear off his lap. "Your presence sickens me. Go."

I landed on my back against Paikuhan's bare feet. The next thing I knew was Paikuhan pulling me off the ground. I totally ignored him.

"You don't mean that!" I shouted at Piccolo, who only smirked back. Paikuhan dragged me from the room. I kept yelling, "You don't mean that!"

The door slammed, cutting me off from those scary red eyes.

"Let me go! I have to-"

"STOP IT!" Paikuhan roared. This time he was even louder than he was on the Quantum floor. And it worked, I was shocked into silence. He put me down, took his hands away and straightened up. "I'm sorry...I hate to yell, but," he softened. "I tried to warn you. He...won't be training with us anymore. Not while he's like this."

I flailed my arms, "He's still there. I touched his lips and the Piccolo I love tried to respond. He's still there, Paikuhan!"

His eye ridges went up at this. He crossed his arms and his dark red eyes glanced at the door. Then he twisted his big lips to the side and said, "Then there is still hope."

"Still hope?" I leapt up and practically got in Paikuhan's face. "Tell me! I need to know!"

Paikuhan gestured to the hall with his left hand. "We'll discuss it in my quarters."