Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ just my own characters.

Wherever You Will Go by Shelly

CHAPTER TEN


Shira stirred from her deep slumber, sweat gluing strands of her hair to her face. It was unbelievably hot in the cabin, and she glanced at the fireplace, where the fire had burned down. Puzzled, she looked around and finally caught a familiar crackling sound, looking at the roof above her. She smelled smoke and saw it coming from underneath the door.

Fully awake now, she reached over and shook Trunks awake, leaping over him to grab their clothes. "What's going on?" he mumbled, sitting up on the edge of the bed.

Shira threw his clothes at him. "The cabin's on fire! Hurry and get dressed!" The smoke poured in thicker and the flames could be seen burning through the roof. She struggled in her hurry to get dressed, Trunks doing the same. A flaming missile shattered the window behind them, and he shielded her with his body.

Smoke filtered into their lungs as the table erupted into flames, choking them as they scrambled for the door. She tried the doorknob and cried out in pain as it seared her palm. Trunks tried kicking it but something on the other side prevented the door from falling. "Get behind me!" he shouted to her, who barely escaped from a falling ceiling beam. He held his hand out and let loose an enormous blast that reduced the door to splinters. He pulled her to him and they stumbled from the inferno just as the whole cabin went up in flames.

Seized with a sudden fit of coughing, Trunks didn't sense the sudden explosion of energy nearby. Shira sensed the attack and saw it heading for him. "No!" she cried, launching herself towards him.

He felt something crash into him, knocking him to the ground, and a huge explosion knocked him further. Struggling to his feet, he tried to locate their attacker with his senses, but found nothing. He staggered around in the smoke and dust, looking for Shira. She wasn't too far away, and he dropped to his knees beside her, feeling for a pulse. He could barely sense her energy, and he hoped that she was only unconscious. Finding nothing else wrong except a few torn spots on her uniform, he gathered her in his arms and blasted off towards Goku's house.

Apparently Goku and Gohan had sensed the explosion also as they were waiting for him outside. He carried her inside and laid her on the couch.

"How is she?" Goku asked behind him.

"I think she's just unconscious," he replied then related what had happened. They sensed another energy approaching and stepped outside to see who it was.

A figure materialized from the forest, his white cape billowing out behind him. He appeared to be dragging something behind him.

"Piccolo!" Gohan cried.

The Namek dropped his package in front of Trunks. "He's the one responsible for this."

A small humanoid in saiyan armor lay unconscious on the ground, the various cuts and bruises evidence that he had tried to resist. "He wouldn't talk so I couldn't get any information from him. I thought that maybe Shira might be able to identify him."

"I know who he is," a voice spoke from the doorway. It was Shira, yet it was not. A pale blue aura surrounded her, and her eyes glowed the same color. Her voice was cold, unemotional as he stepped over to the unconscious form at their feet. She crouched down and placed her hands on both sides of his head. "Wake up, you piece of shit," she growled. "I need to talk to you."

The others felt a peculiar surge of her energy, and the man's eyes opened. He looked wildly around him, his gaze stopping on Shira. Crying out in fear, he struggled to his feet, Shira's hold broken, and ran off, sobbing hysterically.

"He's running away!" Gohan shouted.

"I don't think so," she replied, holding her hand out, fingers splayed. A blue ring shot out from her hand and quickly enveloped the terrified man. She clenched her palm shut, and the man jerked, still struggling uncontrollably. The aura around her flared suddenly as did her eyes. "You'll make this easier on yourself if you stop struggling," she hissed, jerking her hand back to her. The man was lifted off the ground and thrown at her feet.

"Torin, how nice to see you again," she purred, drawing her sword from it's sheath. "I've got a few questions I want to ask you. How long you live depends on whether you answer them or not."

"Shira stop this!" Goku shouted.

She glared at Goku, her eyes flaring once more, making her prisoner cry out in pain. "You stay out of this!" She turned her attention back to Torin. "Now, why did you try to kill Trunks? Why not just kill me?"

"Because he wants you alive. He's coming for you, and what Karik wants, he gets."

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This is a new side of Shira that we haven't seen before. Next chapter: Shira's past is revealed and how does Vegeta know her?