Cosmic Crisis 3 - A New Enemy

Chapter 36 - It Gets Worse

Trunks looked over from his seat and noticed that Natalie had her head rested against the back of the chair with her eyes closed. He couldn't tell whether she was asleep or not, but he did see that her cheeks were still red and her forehead was slightly damp. Her tail, which hung off the side of the chair, twitched slightly and subconsciously. Trunks also noted that Goten's and Sirius' did the same. In fact, they all did it, when they had their minds on something, or deep in thought.

His stomach rumbled, reminding him that he hadn't eaten anything as of yet. He looked toward the cockpit and expected to see his grandmother walking out with a cart full of food, but there was no sign of preparation as of yet. That made sense, though, since the jet hadn't even taken off.

Just then, he heard the engines scream to life and grow in intensity until they remained at a constant humming sound. Again, he looked at Natalie, who shifted positions and moaned slightly. She was sleeping.

Reena, who was sitting next to her, was looking out the window at the bright blue sky. She watched as the jet slowly built speed as it raced down the runway. She was pressed lightly against the back of her chair, and then it took off, causing her stomach to feel uneasy for a fleeting moment before her body readjusted to its environment and her sense of balance returned to normal.

Natalie opened her eyes and whined softly as her head ached dully. She looked around and reacquainted herself with her surroundings. Trunks was sitting across the aisle from her, and she reached her hand over to him, not extending far enough to touch his shoulder.

"Hey Trunks." She said, her voice barely audible.

Trunks turned from his friend to see Natalie with her arm extended toward him. She looked terrible. Her eyelids were heavy and she struggled to keep them open while her entire body seemed flushed, with a thin layer of sweat blanketing her face.

"Natalie what on Earth..." Trunks broke off. "You're getting worse by the minute."

"I'm fine." She said. "Just tired. I was wondering if you had anything to eat, I'm starving."

Trunks looked at her, not sure of just how to reply to her question.

"Well, we do. But are you sure you should be eating right now?" he asked. "You look really sick."

"I'm not nauseas..." she said. "Please? Just something small, like crackers or something. That's all I need."

Reena listened to Natalie talk pitifully to the Saiya-jin across the aisle. She wondered if the sickness was actually a virus or if it was a side-effect of pregnancy. However, she couldn't assume anything since they didn't know whether Natalie was definitely pregnant or not. Hermes could have been bluffing, after all.

"When we get home, the first thing you're gonna do is eat a senzu bean." Trunks said, sounding just like a parent.

Natalie just nodded slowly.

"That's fine with me." She said. "Any food sounds good right now, even a senzu."

Trunks cleared his throat nervously. First there was the morning sickness, and now the food cravings. Trunks was familiar with this from when his mom was pregnant with Bra.

"Nat...let me ask you something." Trunks began. Natalie raised her head a bit and looked at him questionably. "Do you know how long you were...well, imprisoned?" he asked.

Natalie looked at him for a few moments.

"No I don't." she said. "I've already explained this to you, I don't remember anything after-"

"After killing Hermes, I know." Trunks interrupted. "I was just asking."

"Why?" Natalie asked, somewhat taken aback.

"No reason." Trunks answered quickly. "You look tired, you should get some sleep."

"I'll be just fine." Natalie said defensively. "I'm not tired."

<And there are the mood swings...> Trunks thought to himself. With every growing minute he felt the dread increase in the pit of his stomach. Sure, he had promised to help Natalie raise a child, but the prospect of it didn't appeal much. And if she did have the baby, what would happen to Kira? Would this change time? Trunks groaned softly and ran his hand through his hair. He was frustrated.

"Trunks are you ok?" Goten asked, looking over at his friend. Trunks just shook his head.

"No, not really Goten." He said. "You?"

"I'm hungry." He complained. "When are we gonna be served?"

"Probably not until we reach a steady position in the air." Trunks said. "You can wait twenty minutes."

"Well okay." Goten said, and pulled on his headphones. Trunks cursed to himself and wondered why he hadn't brought his own. He was going to die of boredom before they were halfway there. If only Natalie weren't sick, maybe they could have another food fight. But since she was, and she also had three friends traveling with her, he didn't think it would be a good idea.

Natalie shifted positions yet again, the snaps on her overalls making metallic clanking sounds as she moved. One of her sandals fell off, and the other was barely holding on. Her tank top was twisted from all of the stirring. She felt the dull agitation of boredom and frustration. She wanted to move. Run, fly, swim, anything. She felt like she was growing up too fast. Childhood was a time of innocence and freedom, and she didn't even remember hers. Now, just barely sixteen, possibly pregnant, and sick, she sat in her seat aboard the capsule jet and felt sorrow take over her body. It was the bittersweet pain you feel when part of you is missing. She used to be so happy. Or so she thought.

Her agitation grew to anger, and she longed to find the truth in the series of events that had taken place. Things everyone would normally take for granted were the same things Natalie wished for. Whenever she saw children with their mothers, a smile painted on their faces, she was hit with a warm, tickling sensation deep in her chest, and then it turned to despondency and feelings of regret that she could never quite explain. She was deeply furious with herself for all of her inadequacies and faults.

"Hey..." Reena said, interrupting her thoughts. Natalie, now alert, looked to her right and gazed at her friend. As she looked at the girl, her mind wandered. Reena, quiet, somewhat shy, reserved, had a special air about her. She was classy, almost regal. Hell, Reena made a better princess than she did.

"Natalie are you listening to me?" Reena interrupted Natalie's thought process once again. Natalie blinked and sat back in her seat to see someone out of the corner of her eye. She turned to see Mrs. Briefs standing next to her with the food cart.

"Hello sweetie, what would you like to eat?" the woman asked, her sugary voice, high in pitch, ringing in Natalie's ears.

"I don't mind." She answered. She was too tired to make any major decisions right now, food choice being one of them.

"I'll just give you the same thing as Trunks over here." Mrs. Briefs offered. Natalie shook her head.

"No thank you." She said politely. "I'll just have a sandwich then."

"Alright here you go." Mrs. Briefs said, handing Natalie a plate wrapped in a thin, plastic seal. She punctured the covering with her fingernail and tore it open. There was a ham and cheese sandwich, and apple, and a bag of chips. She looked at Trunks' tray and saw three helpings of some kind of red meat. She knew better than to trust her appetite with that of his own.

Reena ordered the same as her, and they ate their food quietly. It wasn't very good...too dry. Mrs. Briefs had forgotten to give them drinks. No matter, Natalie extended her hand in the air like a student in class. On her trip back, she finally stopped.

"Do you need something?" she asked kindly.

Natalie nodded. "Can I have something to drink?" she asked.

"Oh I'm terribly sorry, hun." Mrs. Briefs said, digging in her container of capsules. "Here you go. And here's one for your friend too."

Natalie took the capsules from Mrs. Briefs and handed one to Reena as she decompressed her own. When she saw the label on her can, she slumped in her seat. She had gotten root beer again.

Trunks looked over at Natalie and saw her staring at a can of root bear in disgust. He looked back at his own: orange soda. He looked back at Natalie. He picked up his own can, studied it, and then held it out to her. She looked back at him with a startled expression, and then saw his offering.

"What, is that for me?" she asked. Trunks nodded. "You're going to trade?" Trunks nodded again. Natalie grasped her own can and held it out to him, and they exchanged. Just as they did this, there was laughter from the back of the cabin. Natalie and Trunks both turned their heads to see Pan and Bra, giggling with their hands over their mouths. Natalie rolled her eyes and sat back in her seat, while Trunks shot them a glare and turned forward again. Stupid kids.

Five hours later,

Natalie was asleep again, and this time she was dreaming. She was at Capsule Corp. and she was pregnant. She was talking to Trunks about something, and then suddenly, it switched scenes. She was back to normal, but she was holding a baby in her arms. Suddenly, Trunks' facial expression changed and he had a wicked scowl on his face. She tried to step closer to him, but she realized he wasn't Trunks anymore. His eyes changed, became blue, and his hair, blonde. It was Ceres. She was mouthing something at her, but Natalie couldn't make it out. She took a step backward and held the baby to her chest, but she accidentally dropped the bundle, and it fell to the ground. Natalie tried to catch it, but she was frozen in place...paralyzed. Ceres started laughing and looked at Natalie with a look of disdain and a cruel smirk on her face. Natalie swore she looked like Orion just then. She finally broke free and ran to the baby, but the room stretched and warped, forming a long, endless hallway. She heard crying coming from down the corridor, and she started running. Her feet were heavy and her body was sluggish, but she continued running. Finally, she reached the end, and the crying stopped. Natalie looked around, the only sound she heard was her own breathing.

"Momma?" came a voice. Natalie looked and saw a little girl in the corner. Purple hair. Green eyes. Clothes...just like hers. Natalie ran toward her, but something stepped in the way and shoved her back. When she regained her balance, she stood and looked at the form. It was a person. She didn't have to see the face to know who it was. That same person who had haunted her dreams so many times before. Natalie saw her frightened girl in the corner, and lunged for her. However, she was not quick enough. Kira was picked up by the figure and suspended into the air, a look of fear frozen on her face. Natalie tried to cry out but her voice was gone.

"Momma!" she cried, struggling to get free. Natalie tried again, but she was knocked back and pinned to the ground. Kira continued to cry for help as her body dissolved into thin air. Natalie, not able to move, and not able to look away, watched in horror. Finally, Kira faded from existence, and Natalie, who was still pinned to the ground, opened her mouth to scream.

Suddenly, Natalie was shoved back into reality. She sat straight up in her seat, breathing so heavily she thought she was going to choke, strands of hair matted to her forehead, and her eyes wide open. She still continued to convulse as she tried to catch her breath. She felt the weight of everyone's stares as she struggled to calm down. She wiped her forehead and sat back in her seat.

She didn't sleep for the rest of the flight. In fact, she was too afraid to close her eyes. She stared at the ceiling of the plane, her senses dulled, her body worn, and her mind on the verge of collapsing. Nobody asked about her dream. She didn't know whether it was because they didn't want to mention it, or because they didn't care enough. She didn't want to know.

They reached Japan after a couple more hours. The jet touched down on the runway, jerking everyone out of their sleep, trance, or just plain stupor. The whine of the engines lowered and dissipated as the jet came to a stop. Everyone shifted in their seats, unbuckling themselves and standing to stretch. Natalie shakily reached for her seatbelt and heard the clicking sound, meaning she was free. Her energy was drained. Her face remained flushed, and looked as if she had just finished a long distance run or a training session. She reached down and pulled her bag out from under her seat and promptly headed for the front of the jet. She felt a hand on her shoulder, and turned around, expecting to see Trunks, but she saw Goku.

"N...nani?" she asked, stepping away. "Your hand is cold."

"Natalie...are you okay? You have a lot of people worried." He said. Natalie smiled and sighed as she hung her head.

"I wish people wouldn't worry about me." She said. "I'm fine. Just a little sick." She then turned and headed out the front of the jet, walking down the steps and planting her feet on the concrete. They were still stopped on the runway in the private airport that belonged to Capsule Corp. She sighed in relief. The house was within eyeshot. That meant it would take no time to reach home. She turned around to wait for the others and saw Goku step off, followed by Chi-Chi. Next came Gohan and a very tired Videl. Pan and Bra bounced down the stairs, full of energy. Next came Trunks, Goten, and Reena. There was a short break in between, and then came Ceres, and then Sirius. Bulma and a disgruntled Vegeta exited, and finally, Mrs. Briefs. Dr. Briefs stood in the doorway and cupped his hands to his mouth to amplify his voice.

"I'm gonna park the jet in the hangar. You all head back." He said. Bulma looked up at her father and nodded, waved, and turned back to the group of people. She offered the son family a stay at Capsule Corp. for the day, but Gohan gestured to his wife, who looked sick herself, and said something about having to get home. Goku said he would teleport them instead of using the capsule car, which ruled out Goku and Chi-Chi. Goten was given a choice, and he chose to stay. With that settled, the remaining Briefs family walked back to Capsule Corp.

Natalie was the first to enter, as she had walked slightly ahead of the group. She walked upstairs so fast she almost ran, threw her bags onto the floor, and jumped onto her bed, taking in the scent of her room and her home. If she looked at it logically, she had only been away from this place for a few days. But she felt like it had been an eternity. When she laid on her back, her overalls flat against her stomach, she noticed something. Something she hadn't noticed before...

"Hey Nat." Trunks said, walking in, still holding his bags. "You got here in a hurry. Something the matter?"

Natalie, her thoughts interrupted yet again by an outsider, looked up at him.

"No, not really." She said, obviously lying. She shifted uncomfortably so that her legs rested against her chest, her arms wrapped around her knees.

"Why won't you talk to me?" Trunks asked. "I'm worried about you."

"Trunks do you notice anything about me that you never noticed before?" she asked, her voice slightly off pitch as she swallowed the lump in her throat.

"No...besides the fact that you look sick." He answered. He walked further into the room and stood a few feet from her. "Why, is something wrong?" he asked.

"Look at me. Very carefully." She said, standing up so that he could see her better. "What do you notice?"

"For starters, I notice that you are very cute." Trunks said, smiling. Natalie's expression remained.

"Trunks, you know what I mean." She said. She reached behind her and pulled on the back of her overalls so that they hugged her in the front. "Look at me."

"I am Natalie." He said. "All I see is you."

"You're not looking hard enough." Natalie said, pulling harder on her overalls so that they were almost skin-tight. Trunks still looked confused.

Natalie, her frustration building, let go of her overalls and brought her hands up to the clasps, preparing to unhook then.

"Uh Nat...can I put my bags away first?" he said nervously. Natalie ignored him and snapped the buttons loose, causing the straps and the stop part to fall. She held on to the waist to make sure they didn't go down to her ankles.

"Look." She said sternly. Trunks was looking, but obviously in the wrong place, which caused Neko's anger to increase. "Not there." She hissed. Trunks blushed and looked back at her face.

"Natalie, just tell me. I honestly don't see anything." He said.

"You have to be lying." Natalie said. "How can you miss it?"

Trunks grew impatient. "Natalie, just tell me!" he said.

"Trunks..." Natalie began. She held her overalls up with her right hand, while her left released its grip on the fabric and brushed over her stomach, her palm lying flat just over her belly button.

Trunks swallowed hard. He felt a lump building in his throat.

"Now...do you see it?" she asked.