Cosmic Crisis 2 - The Return of Orion
Written by Erin Miller

Cosmic Crisis 2 - The Return of Orion
Written by Erin Miller - Scarlet14@aol.com

Chapter 4 - Night Out

    Natalie sat on the warm sand, looking out towards the horizon. Trunks and Goten sat near her, carrying on a conversation about school.
    "So do you have a better schedule this semester?" Goten asked Trunks, who was lying on his back with his hands folded behind his head.
    "Yeah, pretty much. That whole school is easy. I'm glad I convinced my parents to transfer me. And just my luck! They changed the dress code this year. No more uniforms." He replied, staring at the sky. Trunks had switched schools that year after giving his mother a lecture on why it would be good for him (i.e. he wanted to go to the same school as Natalie). He always had to do that with Bulma. Since it was a private school, there was a monthly fee of 500 dollars. Since Natalie had no more family in the area, and her father had left before she was born, Capsule Corp. paid for her fees as well. Trunks knew that she had a hard time dealing with her mother's death. She tended to bury things within herself, instead of accepting them and moving on. He glanced over to where she was sitting. She was facing the ocean, her arms wrapped around her knees, bringing them to her chest. The sun was starting to set, causing an array of brilliant pinks and purples to be displayed in the cloudless sky. There was a slight warm breeze, just the perfect temperature for a day like this. He watched her as the breeze caressed her hair, causing it to brush her soft skin.
    "Hey, what's up with you?" Goten said, snapping Trunks back to reality.
    "Huh? Oh, heh. Um, Goten...what were you saying?" Trunks said, obviously embarrassed with the situation. Goten smirked at his friend. He knew how Trunks felt about her. Natalie looked over at the two boys and caught Goten's eye.
    "She isn't bad." He thought to himself. "I can see why Trunks has a thing for her." Trunks flipped over on his stomach and then got onto his knees.
    "Hey let's go somewhere." Trunks said, getting up and brushing the sand off his body.
    "Where...?" Goten asked, cocking a brow. They couldn't go far, since dinner would be cooked in thirty minutes or so.
    "I don't know. What about you Natalie?" Trunks asked, looking down at the girl. She looked up at Trunks with a content expression on her face.
    "Right here is fine." She said, and looked back at the sunset.
    "Oh, come on Natalie. You have always liked adventure...don't you want to go?" Trunks said, reaching a hand down to help her up. She accepted it and stood up, followed by Goten. They all headed back to the cabin. When they got there they discovered Vegita and Goku trying to grill steaks while frying themselves in the process.
    "No, Kakarott! Don't press that button!" A loud explosion was heard, followed by Vegita's shouts of frustration and anger. The three teenagers exploded into fits of laughter when they saw the singed saiyan prince holding a spatula.
    "Dinner's ready!" Bulma cried, and set a plate of steaks at the table.
    "Already?" Goten asked, walking towards the cabin.
    "Vegita lost his patience and ki blasted the things." She said, sampling a bite. "But he did cook them pretty good." Goten, Trunks, and Natalie all sat down in their respective places. Soon, everyone joined them, all still wearing nothing but swim suits. Natalie observed the mile-high pile of meat and produced a sweat drop. No sooner had everyone sat down that the saiyans filled their plates with food. Bra and Pan did the same, since they too were saiyans, and just because they were female didn't mean they ate any less. When everyone had served his or herself, they began to eat.
    "Hey Vegita, these are great. What did you use?" Krillin said, biting into a piece of meat.
    "If you don't shutup I'll use it one you, short man!" Vegita grumbled. Krillin muttered something under his breath and continued to eat his food.
    After everyone had stuffed themselves to the point of satisfaction, they cleaned up the plates and cups and thanked the "chefs" for dinner.
    "Everyone meet back here at ten." Bulma said. Apparently, they were all going to spend the night at the cabin. Trunks, Goten, and Natalie all walked towards the beach, filled with food. They sat on the sand again, this time closer to the water.
    "Well I guess there's nothing better to do, huh?" Trunks sighed, plopping down onto the warm sand. The sun was halfway down the horizon.
    "We have the whole weekend ahead of us. Just enjoy the sunset, Trunks." Natalie said, lying down next to him. Goten took a spot next to Trunks and they all lay under the pink and purple sky.
    Meanwhile, the rest of the group was inside talking amongst themselves while the fire roared in the fireplace.
    "Yeah, and then he knocked the jar off the counter and made ME pick up the broken pieces!" Bulma said rather loudly to the group of laughing people.
    "Stop talking about me, woman!" Vegita shouted to his mate. She had learned to ignore his outbursts, as they were of his nature. In face, everyone pretty much had learned to disregard most of his flamboyant comments. That was merely his true disposition showing through, although he had improved greatly since Namek. Goku made a comment that caused most of the group to erupt into laughter. Vegita, however, was as red as a tomato and looked as if he were about to explode.
    "Calm down Vegita!" Bulma cried, putting her arm around his back. He gritted his teeth and forced his blood pressure to lower.
    "Stay calm...don't destroy Kakarott..." Vegita thought to himself. When that episode was over, everyone returned to his or her conversations.
    Natalie shifted positions in the warm sand. The sun was getting lower and lower in the sky. She loved the way the sky looked right before the sun would set over the horizon. She looked over and saw Goten leaning to one side with his eyes almost completely closed.
    "Goten if you're so tired why don't you go to bed?" Natalie said, breaking the silence and causing the two boys to jump in surprise.
    "Nah, I don't want to seem rude." He replied. Natalie was actually HOPING for him to leave so she could spend some time with Trunks, alone.
    "It's okay, Goten. We'll understand if you want to leave." Trunks said. "Go on. We'll see you tomorrow."
    "Well...okay. I'll see you guys in the morning." Goten said, forcing himself onto his legs. His body was worn out and just thinking about lying in bed caused him to yawn. He trudged back to the cabin and up the stairs to one of the guestrooms that Bulma had laid out for him. Before he could even change out of his suit, he was out like a light. Back outside, Natalie and Trunks were enjoying the scenery.
    "Pretty, huh?" Natalie said, leaning against Trunks' warm body. His muscles were firm and his skin was warm and smooth. He leaned his head on hers and they sat, looking out over the ocean on the warm, summer night.
    Inside, Chi-Chi went upstairs to check on her son while the rest of the group sat in the living room.
    "Man I'm spent. Thanks for having us over, Bulma." Krillin said. Bulma nodded while Vegita sat next to her, looking dazed.
    "Hey, what's wrong with him?" Yamcha said out loud. At hearing this, Vegita's eyes opened and his head snapped up.
    "What was that Yamcha?" he said angrily.
    "Vegita control your temper. I don't know what happened, but you've been on the edge lately." She said, running her hand down his back soothingly. Vegita couldn't yell at her, so he just slumped into the sofa. He wasn't used to letting his guard down easily but he figured there was always a first for something.
    "Yeah. Sorry." He muttered. Bulma smiled and continued talking. Pretty soon, everyone was on the brink of falling asleep.
    "Well I guess we should head upstairs for bed." Bulma announced to the half-awake group. "Yamcha, Tien, Krillin, and Chaozu are in a room. Master Roshi, you are with Oolong. Gohan, you're with your family, and Bra can sleep with Pan if she wants. Goku, you are with Chi-Chi, and Trunks, Goten, and Natalie are together." She said, directing everyone to his or her designated rooms. When everyone had had their turn in the bathroom, the group turned in for the night. Suddenly, Vegita remembered that Trunks and Natalie hadn't come in.
    "Where are the other kids? I didn't see them come in." he said, looking out the window at the dark sky.
    "They must still be out. They'll come in soon...I know Trunks." Bulma said, slipping under the covers of the king sized bed. Vegita grumbled at the thought of them alone, but chose to keep his mouth shut for then. Soon, all of the lights were out in the cabin and everyone was asleep.
    Back on the beach, Natalie and Trunks had fallen asleep under the stars. There was a cool breeze blowing off the water, causing them to huddle together subconsciously in their sleep. Suddenly, something caused Trunks to awaken. He opened his eyes slowly, forgetting where he was at first. Then he looked down and saw Natalie leaning on him, fast asleep. He gently shook her awake.
    "Huh? What?" she said groggily, rubbing her eyes. "Oh man, did we fall asleep? What time is it?" she asked, looking at the night sky. "The stars are out tonight. They are so pretty to look at without the lights of the city interfering."
    "Come on. Let's head back inside." Trunks said. They walked up the shore and over the sand dunes, reaching the cabin after a few minutes. The saw that all of the lights were out, so they entered as quietly as possible. They searched for their room and found Goten, sprawled out on his bed. He was taking up all of the room, and his feet were even hanging off the end. Seeing that there was only one bed left, Trunks offered it to Natalie.
    "Thanks. You can sleep here too, just as long as you don't kick me in your sleep!" she said, elbowing him in the side playfully.
    "A-are you sure? I can sleep on the floor." He said considerately.
    "Of course I'm sure. Come on." She said. She had slipped on a pair of Trunks' boxers over her suit and curled up under the covers. Trunks approached with caution, sleeping so close to the edge that he would surely fall off if he breathed the wrong way. "Trunks will you turn off the light?" Natalie mumbled from under the covers. He rolled out of bed and flipped the switch on the far wall. On his way back, he tripped on the foot of the bed and landed on the unsuspecting Natalie.
    "What the!?" she cried, sitting straight up.
    "Shhh!" Trunks said, putting his hand over her mouth. He rolled back to his side of the bed and threw the covers over his body. Within minutes, they were asleep.

Cosmic Crisis 2 - The Return of Orion
Written by Erin Miller - Scarlet14@aol.com

Chapter 5 - Natalie's Injury   

Goten opened his eyes and looked around the room. Not remembering where he was at first, he sat up, startled.
    "Oh man...talk about surprises..." he said groggily and ran his hand through his hair. He glanced over to the bed where Natalie and Trunks were lying. They had both kicked the covers off of themselves and Natalie was lying on her back with her arm draped over Trunks' chest while one of his legs rested on her back, the other hanging off the side. Goten snickered. Suddenly, Trunks awakened as well. He looked around confusedly with a bewildered expression on his face. He then realized the position that they were both in and his face became flushed. Goten laughed at his friend, almost falling off the bed. His laughter awoke Natalie. As soon as she realized what she was doing, she turned red as well and looked at Goten with surprise on her face. The two just sat in their positions, frozen in shock, with embarrassed looks on their faces. Soon, everyone else had awaked throughout the cabin on the bright, sunny morning. Vegita busted through the door, startling the three teenagers. He glanced at Trunks and Natalie and grunted in disapproval. They immediately jumped away from each other.
    "I should have known." He said, looking at Natalie with narrowed eyes.
    "Relax, Vegita. Trunks was sleeping with me last night. He accidentally tripped on his way to the bathroom." Goten lied, trying to get them out of this one.
    "Well maybe you should be more careful about where you land next time!" Vegita said, glaring at his son, and then at Natalie. They both shrugged it off and got up from the floor. They could smell breakfast being started downstairs. The three of them took turns in the bathroom, brushing their hair and washing their faces. They were STILL in their bathing suits from the night before, but so was everyone else, so they didn't mind. Natalie discreetly threw a pair of denim shorts on with a white tank top to cover her torso. When they were finished freshening up, they went downstairs. Pretty much everyone was sitting in the main room, with the exception of Master Roshi and Oolong, who were apparently still asleep. Gohan and Videl were asleep on the loveseat, leaning against each other for support. Pan and Bra were in the corner of the room, comparing Goten and Gohan's hair. Tien, Yamcha, Krillin and Chaozu were sitting on the sofas, trying to awaken. Goku was watching Saturday morning cartoons on the big screen, while Bulma and Chi-Chi cooked in the kitchen. Vegita was scouring the fridge in hope of a snack.
    "Vegita! You can wait for breakfast!" Bulma cried, smacking him on the back of the head. He grumbled and walked into the main living area, plopping down onto a chair near Gohan.
    "Whoo! That was great. Did you see that Vegita?" Goku bellowed as another roadrunner cartoon ended with the coyote being squished by an anvil...again.
    "Shut up, Kakarott." Vegita mumbled. He was determined to make this day as...pleasant...as possible. He wasn't going to let that third class fool get in his way.
    "Hey Vegita! Did you see the one where the train coming out of the fake tunnel hit the coyote? Now THAT was a classic!" Goku said while laughing. Vegita took on the appearance of a chili pepper.
    "How can this...this FREAK be the strongest warrior in the universe!? Come on, he watches cartoons!" Vegita said, his anger exploding. Everyone sat up in shock, looking at Vegita with annoyed looks on their faces. Feeling cornered, he let it all out. In the midst of all of his ranting and raving, Natalie, Trunks, and Goten managed to slip out the front door.
    "Man if we had stayed any longer we would've been fried!" Goten said, rubbing his tired arms briskly to get the blood flowing. They walked along the shoreline, up to their ankles in cool, salt water. Seagulls shrieked overhead and a breeze rustled their hair. They heard a high pitched scream coming from the cabin. "Bulma." Goten thought to himself.
    The three of them walked along the beach, enjoying the warm, sea air. After about 20 minutes, they cautiously returned to the cabin, not knowing what to expect as they pried the door open and peeked their heads inside. They observed everyone, draped over the chairs and sofas, fast asleep. All with the exception of Vegita. He looked up at the kids with a startled expression on his face.
    "What?" he muttered. Bulma was asleep, her head resting on his shoulder. Natalie and Goten tried not to laugh, while Trunks looked around the rest of the room, observing Goku lying on the sofa, snoring louder than a lawn mower.
    "Man what happened here?" he asked.
    "What does it look like?" Vegita said sarcastically. He was trying to pry Bulma off of him while attempting not to wake her. "What are you three doing?"
    "Nothing really. We came back to see if there was anything planned." Natalie replied. She squeezed in between Yamcha and Goku on one of the sofas and sat down, sinking into the fluffy cushions. Goku mumbled something in his sleep while Yamcha made grunting noises.
    "Sure...Bulma. I'll go out with you." Yamcha blubbered in his sleep. "Don't worry, Vegita won't find out..." he continued. Vegita's eyes snapped open and he looked at the sleeping Yamcha in rage.
"Why that -" Vegita started. Natalie, annoyed, got up and sat on the floor to avoid being smacked by Goku in his sleep.
"Come on, let's wake these guys up! We haven't even eaten breakfast yet." Goten said, shaking Krillin's sleeping body. Everyone promptly agreed, walking around the room to awaken the whole group. Vegita shook Bulma off of him and walked over to where Bra was lying. He grabbed her wrist and lifted her up, carrying her over to the sofa where her mother was resting. When everyone had been torn from their sleep, Kamesennin suddenly came bounding down the stairs, seemingly full of energy.
    "It's...about time you woke up." Krillin said, so tired that he looked as if he were drunk. Oolong came behind Master Roshi, and together they went outside and headed for the aircar.
    "Hey! Where are you going?" Vegita shouted, running after the old man. Before he could reach them, the couple zoomed off, leaving a trail of vapors behind. Vegita slammed his foot into the ground with frustration and went back inside, slamming the door behind him. "Damn fool." He said, falling onto the chair near Natalie. She looked over at him and then slowly inched away. "Have a problem, earth girl?" he said to her with a voice full of hatred.
    "Daddieee!" Bra cried, waking up from her sleep. She clung to his shirt and looked up at him with her innocent blue eyes.
    "What?" he replied.
    "I'm hungry!" she whined. She knew that this was just the way to get whatever she wanted from him.
    "What do you want?" he asked.
    "Pancakes!"
    "I don't think we have any -"
    "I want PANCAKES!" she said sternly, folding her arms. Natalie looked down at the girl, hey eyes wide. Vegita grumbled and slipped on his sandals.
    "But didn't Master Roshi take the aircar?" Natalie asked.
    "Yeah. So?" he said, and shuffled out the door.
    "You're not going to walk...?" she said, the three of them following after him.
    "You underestimate me, girl." He said, and took off into the sky. Natalie got a sweat drop and hung her head.
    "I can't believe he's going to FLY to the store..."


    Vegita landed in an alley. Making sure that nobody saw him, he walked out onto the busy sidewalk. A stocky guy in his mid thirties bumped into him.
    "Watch where you're going!" the man said, preparing to push Vegita out of the way.
    "Why you pathetic little -" Vegita said, grabbing him by the collar with one hand and charging a blast in the other. People were screaming and panicking, running around the area like maniacs. The guy shook with fear and closed his eyes, preparing to take the beating. Just as Vegita was about to deliver the blow, someone grabbed his arm and stopped him. Vegita spun around and discovered Trunks, Goten, and Natalie standing behind him. Vegita loosened his grip on the earthling and the guy ran off faster than the cars that were traveling down the road.
    "What are you doing here?" Vegita asked. He was obviously angry. Natalie brushed by him and turned the corner.
    "Dad, you know you can't make a scene in public like that!" Trunks said.
    "You should have seen him! He tried to lay his dirty hands on me!" Vegita said, outraged.
    "Well that happens all the time in the city!" Trunks bickered. While the two of them argued, Goten followed Natalie. She had gone into the "International Shack of Pancakes" to get food. Natalie stepped up to the counter, getting the attention of the cashier immediately.
    "Uh...yes. M-may I help you?" the teenage boy said, clearing his throat and loosening his collar.
    "Yeah. I need fifteen dozen pancakes and four gallons of syrup." She said casually. The guy behind the counter fell over with surprise, immediately regaining his composure.
    "C-can you repeat that!?" he said, grabbing his notepad.
    "Fifteen dozen pancakes and four gallons of syrup." Natalie repeated. Goten stepped up next to her and shot a reassuring look at the guy.
"C-coming right up." His voice squeaked. A few minutes later, five people on the staff delivered nine boxes, each holding 20 pancakes, and four, one-gallon containers of syrup.
    "Uh...that will b-be two hundred and sixteen dollars please." He requested. Natalie pulled a wad of bills out of her pocket and threw it to the counter. She then grabbed a couple of boxes and a gallon of syrup and headed out the door. Goten grabbed the rest of the boxes, and Trunks walked in, grabbing the remaining containers of syrup. When they all got outside, they came upon Vegita.
    "I could have handled that myself." He grumbled.
    "Relax, we're here to help." Natalie said, and slapped him on the back, harder than usual. He grunted in annoyance and took off into the sky. The three teens followed, reaching the Briefs cabin in less than ten minutes. They made their way through the door and plopped the food onto the table.
    "Whew..." Natalie said, wiping her forehead with relief. Everyone rushed over to the table, looks of hunger on their faces. They all grabbed plates and helped themselves to the feast. Goku piled 25 of the cakes onto his plate and poured half a gallon of syrup on top. Vegita and Gohan were next, getting a total of 47 pancakes and using the rest of the gallon of syrup. Everyone else joined in, filling his or her plates to the brim. In the midst of all the eating, Trunks noticed that the aircar was still gone. He dismissed the thought and took a bite of his breakfast. Soon, everyone was full and only a few pancakes remained. Goku let out a humongus burp, startling Natalie and causing her to fall out of her chair. Everyone else burst into laughter, as they all were used to it. Natalie got back onto her chair and sat, annoyed.
    Suddenly, Kamesennin burst through the door, his arms full of shopping bags.
    "Whoo! What a ride!" he exclaimed. Vegita stood up and approached him.
    "Don't ever touch it again, old man!" he shouted.
    "Relax Vegita! I brought gifts for everyone." He said, and sat his bags down, pulling out presents for all. He handed Goku a radio for the shower (he likes to sing, ok!?), which he accepted thankfully.
    "Alright! Now I'll have something to sing to!" he exclaimed, and made a beeline for the bathroom. Chi-Chi just hung her head in annoyance. Next was Gohan's gift. Roshi gave him a narrated audiotape on how to increase his social life.
    "Wow! Thanks Master Roshi!" Gohan said, and grasped his precious gift. Roshi continued to hand out presents. Chi-Chi got a book titled "How to Lead a Less Stressful Life". Bulma got a gift certificate to a day spa and a spare package of chocolates. Vegita got some stress relieving aromatherapy bubble bath. Yamcha got a Pamela Anderson wall calendar. Tien got an inflatable friend, and Chaozu got some more makeup.
    "Just what I needed!" he shouted in his annoyingly high pitched voice. Everyone rolled their eyes as the gift giving continued. Krillin received some pajamas with little ducklings printed on them. Roshi handed Videl a fashion magazine (to help with her tacky taste in clothing). Goten got a CD player to drown out Chi-Chi's constant high-pitched screams. Trunks got several shirts that lacked the Capsule Corp. insignia (to his relief). Natalie received a stuffed animal and Bra and Pan got dolls.
    "Wow. What's the special occasion Master Roshi?" Goku asked, returning from the bathroom.
    "Nothing, really. I just felt like spending some money!" he joked, causing everyone to fall over. "Was it something I said?"
   

    Later that morning, as people were leaving to return to their homes to continue their daily routines, Bulma exclaimed that they would all have to get together again soon.
    Yamcha, Tien, and Chaozu made their way out the front door after saying their good-byes. Yamcha almost ran into a tree while staring at his gift in awe.
    "Hey guys! Wait up!" Krillin called, chasing after the three. Soon, only the Briefs and Son families were left.
    "It sure was good to see everyone again." Chi-Chi commented, tossing out a bag of trash.
    "Yeah. It was nice of Master Roshi to spend his money on us. I'm surprised he didn't waste it all on -" Goten was interrupted as Trunks smacked his hand over his mouth.
    "Need I remind you that there are little kids in our presence?" he whispered to his friend.
    "Oh. Yeah..." Goten said sheepishly, and cleared his throat. "Well I guess I'll be leaving now..." he continued, stepping outside where Natalie had already gone. Trunks followed and the two friends flew into the air, looking down at the cabin. Carelessly, Trunks smacked into Natalie, who was also in mid-air, causing her to be knocked off balance and fall to the ground. She slammed into the aircar, which was hovering a few feet off the ground. Her inertia caused the car to hit the ground as well. She was lying in the back seat in a twisted position with a look of surprise still on her face.
    "Hey! Look where you're going next time!" She yelled up at them. They laughed nervously and hovered away from the scene. Natalie growled with frustration and tried to remove herself from the aircar, failing. She tried to reach up and grab onto the back of the seat for support, but her arm would fail to respond. She tried with all her determination, causing pain to shoot through her arm. She cried out, causing her ki to flare involuntarily, propelling her into the air with amazing speed. She stopped abruptly, realizing that she couldn't move her right arm.
    "What the hell?" She shouted, looking around for Trunks and Goten. Failing to locate them, she flew towards the cabin. She stumbled inside, seeing nobody except Vegita in the main room. He noticed her off-center position and eyed her suspiciously.
    "What did you do?" he asked.
    "I-I don't know! I can't move my arm!" she cried, attempting the impossible once again. Seeing this to be useless, she gave in and fell to the floor in frustration. Vegita walked over and felt her shoulder, searching for breaks or fractures. He pressed a certain spot on her shoulder, causing pain to lurch through her body. She cried out in response.
    "I think you fractured your shoulder." He said. "What were you doing to cause that?" Natalie thought for a moment, remembering her "encounter" with the boys.
    "I got knocked out of the air by Trunks." She grumbled. She would have folded her arms, but obviously this couldn't be done. The pain increased, causing her to flinch. Vegita called out for Bulma. A few minutes later, the energetic blue-haired woman came into the room.
    "Yes?" she answered sweetly.
    "Take a look at her." Vegita said, gesturing to the girl. Bulma walked over curiously and inspected Natalie's shoulder. Once again, she pressed "the spot", causing Natalie to jump back in pain.
    "Oh, no. That's a definite fracture. What did you do!?" she asked worriedly. Natalie repeated the story to her, causing Bulma to fold her arms in annoyance. "Those boys are so careless!" she cried angrily. She ushered Natalie up the stairs while Vegita flew after Trunks. By the time Bulma got her upstairs, Natalie was on the verge of tears. The pain was almost unbearable. She concentrated her energy away from the shoulder area, trying to minimize it.
    "Goku, do you have any more senzu beans?" Bulma called down the hall. Goku popped his head out and observed the staggering Natalie.
    "No...why?" he asked, looking at the girl with concern. He walked out of the room and over to where Bulma was standing. "What happened?"
    "She fractured her shoulder. Well, Trunks did." Bulma replied.
    "Trunks!? How?" Goku asked, surprised. Bulma explained the story to Goku. Suddenly, Trunks and Goten blurred up the stairs to where Natalie was sitting.
    "Trunks! What the hell happened here?" Bulma asked with a dangerous tone.
    "I don't know! I knocked her out of the air by accident! I didn't mean anything, I swear!" He cried, breathing heavily. Vegita came up the stairs soon after, an angry expression on his face. He had obviously delivered a harsh tongue lashing to his son.
    "Well I think you owe Natalie here an apology!" Bulma said, placing her hands on her hips.
    "I'm sorry, Natalie! I didn't mean you any harm. You know I wouldn't hurt you on purpose!" he said, reaching out to her. She looked up at him, wincing in pain. "Do you have any senzu beans, Goku?" he asked. Goku shook his head sorrowfully.
    "Well unless you want Natalie to sit here and suffer any longer, I suggest YOU go to Korrin Tower and get some!" Bulma said to Trunks.
    "I can go." Natalie spoke up. Everyone turned and looked at her with surprised expressions.
    "No, no. You stay here while Trunks goes. You just need to rest your arm." Bulma said to the girl.
    "I can fly without using my arm! Besides, if I go, I can get a senzu bean quicker because I won't have to wait for Trunks to return." She insisted.
    "Well..." Bulma said, looking over at Vegita. "What do you think?" she asked him.
    "Let her go." Vegita said plainly. "If she injures her arm any further, it'll be her own fault." Natalie shot him a glare. He never had any faith in her.
    "I'll see YOU later then." She snapped at him and walked down the stairs, followed by Trunks.
    "Natalie I'm sorry." Trunks said as they headed out the door.
    "Whatever. Which way?" she said, hovering a couple of inches off the ground. Trunks stepped back in response to her plain remark. Trunks pointed his index finger in a northeast direction, looking at her with an astounded expression on his face. She took off before he could say any more and he watched her figure disappear from sight.
    "Looks like she's mad at you." Goten said, stepping up to where Trunks was standing.
    "No kidding. Should we follow?" Trunks asked.
    "Yeah. Just stay out of her way ok?" Goten replied to his friend.
    "You're coming too, aren't you?" Trunks asked, turning to face Goten.
    "I can't. We're leaving in a few minutes. I'll see you later." He said, and walked back inside the cabin. Trunks let out a heavy sign and took off into the air. He sat in the air for a second, locking onto Natalie's ki. Suddenly, a golden aura appeared around his body and he flashed across the sky.
   

Cosmic Crisis 2 - The Return of Orion
Written by Erin Miller - Scarlet14@aol.com

Chapter 6 - Visitor

    Natalie raced through the cloudless sky, looking down as the ground raced below her. Her shoulder throbbed with pain, but she tried to ignore it as she pressed onward. It wasn't the fact that Trunks hurt her that angered her, but that he just left her when it happened. She knew he hadn't meant it, but she was bad about bearing grudges.
    Suddenly, she detected a presence close behind her. Her heart raced and she stopped abruptly, looking around for any sign of someone. She saw something twinkle in the distance, coming from the same direction that she had traveled from. She squinted her eyes to try and make out a figure. She soon discovered that it was Trunks following her. She rolled her eyes and folded her arms, waiting for him. When he came within 50 feet of her, he slowed down, and stopped when he was within ten feet. He noticed her glaring at him critically with her green eyes.
    "So now you decide to see if I'm okay? Nice timing." She said rudely. His eyes widened from her comment.
    "I-I was just going to follow you to make sure you went the right way." He lied.
    "You think I'm THAT stupid, huh?" she replied, narrowing her eyes.
    <What's her problem?> Trunks thought to himself. <I made a mistake, that's all...>
    "Yes. I mean, no! No, I don't think you're stupid at all!" he answered. Natalie signed and turned away from him.
    "Okay. I'll be going now." She said, and took off again. Trunks raced after her, flying parallel to the girl.
    "Natalie don't be angry at me!" he pleaded with her. She ignored him and pressed on. Trunks kept up the pace, making sure that she didn't get ahead. "Natalie?" he said, reaching his hand out to her.
    <Why AM I so mad at him?> she thought. His words echoed through her mind. Trunks' hand touched her shoulder softly. She looked over at him and saw the sincerity in his blue eyes.
    "Oh, fine. I forgive you, okay?" she said, stopping suddenly.
    "Really?" Trunks said, his eyes beaming. "I mean, thanks."
    "Yeah. Come on." She said. Her ki flared it's brilliant blue fire and she sped towards Korrin tower, fast enough to baffle the mind, but slow enough to keep her arm from becoming an obstacle for the air rushing by her. After about 30 minutes, Natalie could make out the tower in the distance. Seeing this, she sped up. Trunks followed, and they reached their destination in less than five minutes.
    Natalie landed softly on the ledge that led to Korrin's lair. Trunks landed next to her and walked inward. Suddenly, a white cat-like animal holding a wooden staff poked his head from around a corner.
    "Trunks! What can I do for you today?" he said, looking over at Natalie. "And who is this lovely lady? Your girlfriend?" he joked. Natalie's face became flushed in an instant. Seeing this, Korrin exploded into laughter. Natalie smirked and spoke up.
    "Are you Korrin?" she asked.
    "Why yes I am. What have you come all the way out here for?" he asked.
    "We need a senzu bean." Trunks interjected. "Natalie fractured her shoulder."
    "You mean YOU fractured it." She interrupted.
    "Oh, come on. Don't start that again!" Trunks cried in protest. Korrin looked on at the arguing couple with a sweat drop.
    "Come now. You two sound like Bulma and Yamcha!" Korrin blurted out.
    "What? Bulma and who!?" Natalie said, stunned.
    "Heh heh...did I say Yamcha? I meant Vegita!" Korrin said, placing his hand on the back of his head and producing a ridiculous grin.
    "You know what you said! What ABOUT Bulma and Yamcha?" Natalie pressed.
    "They used to date." Trunks said. Natalie spun around to face him, her eyes wide.
    "They what!?" she said, and erupted into laughter. Trunks rolled his eyes and looked over at Korrin with a desperate expression.
    "Anyway, Korrin, do you have a senzu bean or not?" Trunks asked.
    "I do." Korrin said, and pulled out a small brown bag from the unseen regions of his fur coat. "Here ya are. That will be 200 dollars." Korrin said, handing the bag to Trunks.
    "What!?" Trunks cried. "But I didn't bring any money!"
    "Just kidding!" Korrin said, laughing at the baffled Saiyan.
    "Man, Korrin. You're as bad as Kaio-sama." Trunks said, and walked over to Natalie, who was still laughing. "Here." He said, handing her a senzu bean. She stopped laughing and accepted the gift, inspecting it with her large, green eyes.
    "Just eat it." Korrin said. "It tastes like candy."
    "Oh no it doesn't! I've had these things before!" she said, looking up at the cat. "Oh well. It's for a good cause." She said, popping it onto her mouth and chewing it. Suddenly, her shoulder healed itself and was back to normal. "Wow, these things are great!" she exclaimed, finishing off the remains of the seed.
    "Glad I could be of service." Korrin said.
    "Thanks Korrin. We really have to be going." Trunks said.
    "No, I insist you two stay. I just made some of my Yederan Stew." Korrin said.
    "Yederan stew!? We're outta here!" Trunks said, grabbing Natalie by the arm and rocketing out of the tower.
    "Gullible little Saiyan." Korrin laughed to himself.


    Trunks and Natalie sped across the sky, away from Korrin Tower. Natalie was still being dragged along by Trunks.
    "Whoa! Where's the fire?" she cried. Trunks looked back at her, preparing to slow down.
    "Oh, sorry." He said, letting go of her arm.
    "Hey, no problem. Saves me the energy." She said, and then joined Trunks on the journey back. Her shoulder felt better than it had before she fractured it. Those senzu seeds were really impressive.
    They reached the cabin in half an hour, landing on the warm sand simultaneously. The walked inside and saw that nobody was on the main floor.
    "Mom? Dad?" Trunks called throughout the house. Seeing that nobody answered, they walked upstairs to search for someone.
    "Hello?" Natalie called down the hall while looking in all the rooms. "That's weird. You think they would have at least left a note or something." She commented.
    "No, they're not really like that. They tend to be 'spur of the moment' type." Trunks said to her.
    "Oh?" she asked, turning to him. "Well nobody is here, obviously. What are we going to do now?"
    "Just sit and wait I guess..." Trunks trailed off.
    "Yeah right, Trunks! If there's one thing you'll never see me doing it's gotta be sitting around boring myself to death." She said, crossing her arms. She walked into her room and slipped out of her shorts and tank top (she has a swimsuit underneath, people!), then ran back downstairs and out the door. Trunks sighed and took off his shirt and shoes, leaving him in his swimming shorts. He followed the girl outside, where she was already heading for the water.
    "Come on!" She shouted back at him. Before he could reply, she dove into the water. She came to the surface and floated on her back, looking up at the sky. "Ah, this is the good life. Nothing on your mind but sand and sea." She said, letting out a sigh. Suddenly, something grabbed her from underneath. Before she had a chance to scream for help, she was submerged in water. She swung her arm around, impacting it with something hard. She returned to the surface and took in a huge breath of air.
    "Trunks!" she cried, looking around for him. "Trunks!?" she called frantically. She noticed air bubbles rising to the surface. "Oh shit!" she cried and dove underwater, grabbing onto the limp body and pulling it about the water. "Trunks! Don't tell me I knocked you out!" she cried, dragging him to shore. "Oh I can't believe I was so careless!" she said, putting her head on his chest to check for breathing. "What the-" she said, looking down at him. "He's breathing...but -"
    "SURPRISE!" Trunks shouted, sitting straight up. He frightened the girl so much that she fell backward.
    "Damnit Trunks don't ever scare me like that again!" She shouted, hitting him in the chest.
    "Sorry!" he said sheepishly. "I was...just checking to see if you knew CPR." He said.
    "Why...?" she asked wryly.
    "Um...in case I REALLY needed it." He replied with a cheesy grin on his face.
    "Yeah right. Well you can sit here on the shore while I go have fun then." She said, and ran back into the water. She swam near the floor of the ocean, causing the sand to occasionally brush up against her body. Trunks swam up beside her, pushing her aside mockingly as he sped up, passing her.
    <He thinks he's so great> Natalie thought to herself. <Just because he can swim faster than I can. Well I'll show him.> and with that, she used her ki to propel her though the water, just as she did when she would fly. <Wow, this is so cool!> she thought as the water surged past her. She caught up with Trunks, surprising him. They both returned to the surface for air.
    "Hey, you got the hang of that quickly." Trunks said, filling his lungs with air.
    "And that surprises you?" she said, smirking at the saiyan boy.
    "Well actually...' he said, teasing her.
    "Hey!" she cried, pushing his head underwater. He retaliated by grabbing her leg and jerking her under. She floated to the surface where Trunks was laughing at her and spit out a mouthful of water in his face.
    "You're too easy." Trunks said, still laughing. This annoyed Natalie, who punched him in the arm in response. She then dove under and shot back towards the shore. She pierced though a school of fish, causing the fish to spread out in all different directions to avoid her. Unfortunately, some of them weren't fast enough and went down her suit. Natalie shrieked under the water and shot above the surface and into the air on reflex. She looked down and saw fish wriggling about in her swimsuit, trying to get free. She screamed and jumped about frantically, trying to remove the fish from her swimsuit, while Trunks watched on and laughed hysterically. When all the fish had slipped back into the ocean, Natalie turned and glared at Trunks.
    "So you think that's funny, huh?" he shouted at him. Trunks just backed away like a frightened child while Natalie charged a ki blast and hurled it towards him, hitting the target dead on.
    "Bulls eye!" She cried victoriously. Trunks looked up at her, his hair singed and his face scorched. He appeared to have been baked in an oven. She took one glance at him and laughed so hard that she fell back into the water by accident. When she returned to the surface, she noticed that Trunks was nowhere in sight. "Oh crap!" she cried and shot out of the water faster than they human eye could see. She looked back and saw Trunks shoot out of the water after her. She squealed and fled so fast that she was afraid her suit would be peeled off her body. She flipped in the air and did several loops for fun. When she looked back to see if Trunks was following her, she slammed into a brick wall and fell into the water, dazed. She came to the surface, choking on water and gasping for air. She looked around and saw that the brick wall was actually Trunks. He floated in the air with a surprised expression on his face. Natalie hovered into the air rather slowly, trying to catch her breath. She flew to the shore and slumped onto the sand, still trying to cough up seawater. Trunks flew over and joined her.
    "Sorry." He said.
    "That's twice you've done something like this to me today." She said. When she finally caught her breath and stopped coughing, she sat on the sand and looked out over the horizon.
    "Tired of swimming?" Trunks asked, sitting down next to her.
    "I guess you could say that. Let's go back." She said, getting up and heading into shore. Trunks followed her and they went inside, running up the stairs and towards their separate rooms. "I call shower first!" Natalie cried, running into her bathroom. Trunks grumbled and went into his room, slumping onto the floor to wait. He tried to lock on to his dad's ki to locate his whereabouts, but he had obviously pushed it down to keep it concealed.
    Natalie finished, 20 minutes later, and stepped out of the steam-filled bathroom.
    "Man that feels better." She said, taking a deep breath and falling onto her bed. She had a towel wrapped around her hair to soak up the extra water. She lied back and closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth of her bed. Suddenly, the door to her room swung open, letting in a draft of colder air. She sat up in annoyance. "Don't you know how to knock?" she asked, looking up at Trunks.
    "Oh, come on Natalie. It's not like you were in a towel." Trunks said, leaning against the wall and folding his arms, just like Vegita always did.
    "Well you didn't know that until you came in!" she replied, sitting up.
    "Man, I'm sorry then." Trunks said, shutting the door behind him on his way out.
    <Oh man, I did it again!> Natalie thought to herself as she fell back onto her back. She looked up at the ceiling, thinking about her reaction, when something hit her like a ton of bricks. She sat up, wide eyed, and looked around the room frantically. Her stomach churned and her head pounded tremendously. "Ow, ow, ow..." she said softly, placing her hand over her forehead. "It's that stupid headache again!" she said. She willed it to go away, but nothing happened. She sat on her bed, holding her head in her hands, her face twisted in pain. "This feels just like the pain I got from -" she broke off. "It couldn't be...Orion is dead..." she said, her eyes wide with fear. "Oh I'm just imagining it. Orion couldn't possible be causing this." She said aloud and dismissed the thought immediately. A few minutes later, when the pain had subsided, she got up from the bed and went into the bathroom to dry her hair. As she ran a brush through it, she remembered her encounter with the Trunks and Goten clones the previous day.
    <It doesn't make any sense. They came out of nowhere!> she thought, trying to figure out the source of all the confusion. <What did they want?> she wondered. When she was done with that, she walked out onto her balcony and looked around, still seeing no sign of Bulma or Vegita. Bra was also gone, but Natalie figured she was with Pan anyway. She went back inside and put on a pair of jeans and a white tank top, and went downstairs to throw the towels in the laundry room. When she spun around to return to the second floor, she smacked straight into Trunks.
    "What the -!" she cried, jumping back in surprise. She looked up and saw an equally surprised expression his face.
    "Man Natalie. You sure know how to scare yourself." Trunks said jokingly. Natalie didn't see the humor in the remark and continued to look horrified. "What?" Trunks asked with a questionable tone. He followed her glance and turned around, seeing his father standing over him.
    "What are you doing boy?" Vegita asked with a scowl on his face.
    "Nothing. I'll be going now. Trunks said sheepishly and retreated up the stairs. Vegita glanced over at Natalie. "And you?" he repeated.
    "Why do YOU care?" she said, crossing her arms. Vegita was taken aback.
    "Excuse me?" he said, almost shocked at her remark. "How dare you talk back to me!" he shouted and slapped her across the face with incredible force. She regained her composure and looked up at him with such an expression on her face that she burst into tears. He had never hit her before.
    "W-why?" she said, her voice quivering. She had a knot in her throat and found it incredibly difficult to speak.
    "You deserved it, girl." He said and shoved her backwards.
    "Stop!" she cried, becoming enraged. Instead of fighting back, she shot into the air and raced towards the door. Vegita appeared in front of her and caused her to slam into his chest. Intending to get out, she pulled her hand back and snapped it forward, sending her fist flying into Vegita's chest.
    "Don't ever touch me again!" she cried and fell to the ground, running out the door and shooting back into the air outside. She looked back to see if he was following, and indeed he was. <This isn't like him at all! Sure, he can be a jerk at times, but he would never hit me.> she thought. Vegita pursued as Natalie's heart beat faster and faster. Suddenly, it came to her. <Of course! This must be some kind of clone, just like Goten and Trunks at the beach. I could tell that his demeanor was a bit off.>
    Natalie whizzed around and thrusted herself into Vegita, causing him to fly backwards.
    "Who are you!?" she shouted to him, or whoever he was.
    "You know who I am stupid girl." He replied, flying toward her, intent on hitting her again. This time, she counter-attacked, sending a ki blast into his chest, knocking him back even more. Before he could level himself again, she was flying towards him, sending her foot straight into his stomach. He cried out in pain, grabbing her by the ankle and hurling her towards the ground below. She stopped herself in mid-air and came back, attempting to punch him in the chest, but he blocked it and hit her in the jaw instead, sending a wave of pain through her. She forced herself to go in for more, continually beating on his body until he began to tire. Seeing the weakness, she erupted into a mass of energy and fired rapid blasts at him. She managed to get a couple of hits in, but he had blocked most of the others. She continued to power up even more, raising her ki drastically. She couldn't sense a ki in him, so she assumed that he was hiding it. She performed an Akiyah-meh on him, managing to hurt him substantially. Right as she was about to go in for the kill, the REAL Vegita showed up.
    "What the hell is this!?" he shouted, looking at his clone with a lethal glare. Vegita 2 glanced back, looking fearfully at Vegita 1. He grabbed Natalie's wrist and took off, leaving a trail of vapors behind him. "Why that little..." Vegita 1 trailed off and rocketed after the two. He caught up quite quickly and observed Natalie desperately trying to escape his grip. He merely sat back and watched as she used her energy in attempt to free herself. She screamed and fought like a trapped animal, still unable to budge. Vegita 1 soon realized that sitting back wasn't helping and charged Vegita 2, knocking him backwards. Unfortunately, he was still holding on to the girl and she flew back with him. Vegita 2 turned around in surprise and then flew away from the area so fast that Vegita had a hard time sensing it. He could still feel Natalie's ki and followed it, traveling quite fast himself. He caught up again, but didn't use energy in fear that he would hit Natalie. He shouted obscenities at the clone, having no effect, however. Natalie was still struggling as the clone carried her away from the city. With no way out, Vegita powered up and sent a blast flying towards Vegita 2, narrowly missing him. Cursing at his failure, he tried again, this time catching his arm. Vegita 2 cried out and gripped Natalie's wrists tighter, causing her to cry in pain as well. Natalie managed to get one hand free and began to beat him with it. She punched him dead in the face, causing him to lose his grip on her other wrist. Natalie jumped away from the clone and powered up immediately, going in for the kill. She used both hand-to-hand attacks as well as ki attacks. Vegita 1 caught up and joined in, kicking Vegita 2 in the back of the head. They both fought the replica, managing to get some good hits in. Then, to deliver the final blow, Natalie and Vegita 1 sent a twin ki blast attack at their attacker, sending him into oblivion. His ashy remains floated to the ground as Natalie bent over to catch her breath. She had a few bruises on her body and her lip was split, but otherwise she was okay.
    "T-thanks..." she said, breathing heavily. She looked up to where Vegita stood, arms folded and dirt on his face from the battle.
    "You okay?" he asked. She was surprised that he even bothered to ask.
    "Yeah. I'll be fine." She replied, and looked over to where the clone had once sat, attacking the two. "There's something going on." She said, referring to the recent incidents. "We need to find out."
    "Come on." Vegita said, and headed back to Capsule Corp., not even bothering to look back. Natalie hastily followed, and they both reached their destination in five minutes. When they walked in the door, Trunks was waiting with a dumbfounded look on his face.
    "What the -?" he said, looking at the two battle-worn fighters. Vegita grunted and headed for his room to clean up. Trunks immediately ran to Natalie, putting his arm on her shoulder. "Are you okay!?" he asked worriedly. She brushed some blood off her lip and looked up at him, smiling.
    "Fine. We need to do some investigating." Natalie said simply. Before Trunks could answer, she was up the stairs.
    "Wait! What did you mean by -" he broke off. Natalie spun around and looked him in the eye.
    "There's something after me, Trunks." She said fearfully. "And I'm scared to death." Trunks longed to reach out and comfort her, but he was confused about what to do. He saw the frightened look in her eyes and felt sorry for her. She had been through more than he could even begin to imagine. What did everyone want from her?
    "Look, Trunks. Don't worry about me, okay?" she said and brought her lips to his, kissing him softly while Vegita stood on the balcony, watching them with an angry look on his face.