Dragonball Chronos

[Author's note: This fanfiction borrows from Dragonball Xenoverse, Dragonball Multiverse, and the original MMORPG Dragonball Online. It's a rather old one that Cale017 and I first came up with a few years ago while skimming over the proposed storyline for DB Online. As such, This story resembles both DBO and DBX while differing greatly from them both.

I look forward to reading all your reviews :) Remember to favourite and subscribe!]

Age 795
West City
Earth

A small smile played at the corners of Trunks' mouth as he gazed down from his high vantage point, watching from afar as the people of Earth went about their day to day lives. Such a simple thing, really; women chatting and shopping in the morning sun, businessmen hurrying to make appointments, construction workers shouting jovial taunts at one another from across the work site...

The beauty of the scenery was in the fact that a few years ago, the human race stood on the brink of destruction.

Two genocidal androids, built by the malice and the genius of Dr Gero, attacked with dire ferocity, decimating the Earth's best defenders almost overnight. The only members of the Z Fighters to survive the purge were the 8 year old Son Gohan and the infant Trunks. Over the course of the next seventeen years, the two young men fought with everything they had to defeat the destroyers and return harmony and balance to the world, but ultimately, their best efforts were in vain. Even the power of a Super Saiyan paled in comparison to the might of the androids.

As he sat on the cliff face, looking down over the swiftly rebuilding metropolis, Trunks reflected on his journey to the past and his efforts to become strong enough to defeat the cyborg war machines. He thought about his training with his father, the near disastrous fight with Cell, and his timely return to save the future. His newfound strength, however, wasn't the only beneficial effect of his trip to the past.

A year after his defeat of Imperfect Cell, Trunks found himself searching the mountain laboratory of Dr Gero. This time, though, he wasn't here to find a way to defeat the androids. This time, he was here to find help. The violet haired youth found, just as he expected, the giant Android 16 in his stasis pod. It took him only a moment to correctly activate the mountainous cyborg, and upon its awakening, informed 16 of Son Goku's death. With no true purpose anymore, Android 16 took on the peaceful and stoic persona shown by his past counterpart, and together, he and Trunks began rebuilding the world.

Without 16's help, Trunks mused, they would never have gotten so far so swiftly. Trunks was indeed a Super Saiyan, but he was flesh and bone like everyone else on the planet. His stamina outclassed the standard human a thousandfold, but he did tire. And he did sleep. The android, however, did not. In truth, Android 16 had done more for the world in the sense of rehabilitation than even Trunks and Bulma had. He knew that down there, somewhere, the big red head was at work once again, allowing Trunks this moment of brief respite to reflect and just take it all in – a rarity in these busy times.

The Demi-saiyan rose to his feet, pulling his leather trenchcoat over his shoulder in lieu of a sudden cool breeze whistling across the hilltops, and scooped up his sword by its strap. He held the scabbard near its top and gripped the hilt with a gloved hand, pulling the blade partially free and glancing down at the gleam of steel. It had taken Trunks several weeks to track down a blacksmith with the skill to repair such a fine and ornate weapon, but now, after half a year in a tiny hut on the border of the Great Desert, the sword seemed even more perfect than before. The corner of his mouth lifted in a grin as he pulled the legendary blade from its sheath, holding it vertically before his eyes. The blacksmith had truly been a master of his trade; the metal gleamed like freshly forged and highly polished steel, its weight was magnificent, its edge flawless.

As he admired the handiwork, his eyes found a figure in the mirror-like sheen of the blade, standing several feet behind him in the shade of a tall oak tree.

"You must be Trunks. I am very pleased to make your acquaintance."

Trunks glanced over his shoulder, his eyes falling on one of the strangest people he'd ever seen. The intruder was short, shorter than Vegeta by half a head at least. He had deep purple skin and wore his white hair in a mohawk, and his slanted eyes and slender mouth were touched by a small smile. Trunks didn't much like the look of the smirk – it was cool and calculating and oddly superior – but could detect no evil in this bizarre stranger. Ever cautious, however, Trunks kept his blade by his side, his eyes slightly narrowed. "You have me at a disadvantage, friend," he said passively, turning to face the newcomer.

The stranger's smiled broadened, and he closed his eyes as he bowed. "How very rude of me," he chuckled, "Please forgive me. It is not often that I hold palaver with mortals from this plane of existence. I often forget that your kind do not know me by sight," He raised his features to look Trunks full in the face, and opened his eyes. "You may call me Shin. I am the Supreme Kai."

Trunks eyes widened. The Supreme Kai?! Trunks had heard of King Kai from Gohan, but a Supreme Kai? Was this some form of trick? The son of Vegeta could sense a strange form of Ki radiating from this diminutive being, so that ruled out the possibility that this was an Android playing possum. He could detect no trace of a lie in this Kai's face, though, and decided to treat him with caution until he was certain of the little man's intent. He inclined his head in his own bow, allowing his sword to drop back into its scabbard. "It's an honour, Shin. But I'm curious," he slowly arched a brow, "What brings a God to planet Earth?"

The Kai grinned again. "I'm glad you asked," Shin clasped his hands behind his back, and his smile faded to be replaced by an emotionless facade. "A very dear friend of mine is in need of help. She is the Kai of Time, and it is her duty to oversee the flow of history. There have been recent attacks on multiple timelines, and the Kai of Time lacks the power to meet this assailant on the field."

Trunks blinked rapidly in his confusion as he tried to process this slew of information. Kai of Time? Multiple timelines? Attacks on the flow of history? "I'm... not sure what you mean," he said slowly and uncertainly. "What do you mean by multiple timelines? And how does someone attack time?"

"You are aware of the multiverse theory?" Shin shot back.

"Yes, of course. The theory that there are an infinite number of parallel universes containing every possible outcome. Are you saying that's true?"

Shin nodded. "A time travelling demon has been distorting the flow of time to his whim. Around 100 years from now, this demon will attack and destroy New Namek and Planet Yardrat, forcing the inhabitants of those planets to find a new home on Planet Earth. We are unsure of his intentions, but the Time Kai has been tracking his movements and he keeps visiting sections of the past seemingly at random. This demon must be stopped at all costs, as we fear that he plans to take control of the universe."

The revelation was causing Trunks' head to spin. The Briefs was almost as intelligent as his mother, but he was struggling to come to terms with Shin's words. Processing it as best he could, he began formulating a plan. "So you want me to use my Time Machine to travel 100 years into the future and kill this demon before he destroys Namek and Yardrat?"

"Time does not work that way, Trunks," the Kai said with a slow shake of the head. "You should know yourself that time cannot be changed or altered. When you travelled back to find a way to defeat your androids, you did not alter your own past or present. You simply created a new timeline, different from your own. The future is much the same. In a sense, Miira has already destroyed Namek and Yardrat. If you faced and defeated him, you would be creating a separate series of events, and a new universe."

Trunks frowned. "Then what can I do? I'm just a half saiyan with a time machine. I don't know how to chase demons across parallel universes."

"Not yet, you don't. But you will. With the help of the new inhabitants of Earth and the Kai of Time, you will."

Trunks lowered his gaze to the ground, mulling the situation over. He still wasn't sure precisely what the Supreme Kai wanted from him, but if the universe was at stake, he supposed he didn't have much of a choice. It wasn't an entirely new concept for the young warrior either. When you broke it down to its basics, it was the same situation as the Androids; all powerful monster attacks world, hero stands up and rallies the defence. "Am I to fight this battle alone?" he asked suddenly, locking eyes with the Kai. "Or can I get help from Goku, my Father, and the others?"

"You do not need to fight alone, but your companions cannot join you."

"But how-"

"It will be easier if I show you."

The Kai stepped over to the Saiyan, reaching up and pressing his two forefingers to Trunks' forehead. Almost instantly, the world fell away all around them, and in its passing, revealed a whole new landscape. The two were standing on the same hill, but instead of overlooking the slowly rebuilding West City, they gazed onto a super city that stretched almost as far as the eye could see in all directions. As Trunks' bewildered eyes roamed the city, he held his breath, stunned by what he was seeing.

"West City, 200 years in the future," said Shin, quietly. "Well, 200 years into the future of the timeline you yourself created."

"We've... travelled through time? Into another dimension? How did you do that?!" asked Trunks, staring blankly.

"This is merely an illusion," Shin replied. "A rather good one, yes, but an illusion all the same. Does it feel real to you, Trunks?"

Trunks nodded once, closing his mouth. "I can feel... hundreds of high powerlevels down there! It's unreal!"

Shin smiled coolly and gestured towards the city. "Let's take a closer look, shall we?" He clicked his fingers, and now they hovered amidst the towering skyscrapers, looking down on the city from directly above. To his astonishment, there were several people flying casually through the air, and directly below him, a huge brute of a man was hovering upwards, his arms laden with massive steel girders for a nearby building site. Down the street, a caped Namekian sat on a park bench reading a newspaper, and a bizarre looking, pudgy, pink creature sold ice cream cones from his roadside cart. A hovering bus, driven by an insectoid Yardratian pulled up to the pavement and picked up a trio of martial artists before rejoining the queue of floating vehicles. Trunks spun rapidly on the spot and gaped at the Kai, eyes round and shining with excited curiousity. "Is this real? Is this truly what the earth will be like in two centuries time? How is this even possible?"

With another click of the fingers, Shin ended the illusion and once more, they stood overlooking Trunks' home. "The human race, as you know, are not a combative species. Your Earthling friends – Krillin, Tien Shinhan, Yamcha and Master Roshi for example – however, have shown that mankind, with the right training, can be capable of extraordinary feats in the martial arts world. It is just that the average human does not have access to the knowledge required to break through to the next level. That was, of course, until Gohan wrote his book."

Trunks' eyes narrowed briefly. "Gohan from the other universe, correct? The one who defeated Cell?"

Shin nodded. "The very same. Around 30 years after you last saw him, Gohan began researching the theory behind the practice of superior fighting. He spent time with Piccolo and Master Roshi, two of the greatest senseis to ever live, and at the culmination of his study, he published a book called Ki Manipulation and Advanced Martial Arts. Fighting had already grown in popularity by then thanks to Krillin and Yamcha reopening the Turtle School and Tien Shinhan starting the Shinhan Crane School, and thanks to Gohan's book, the human race took a keener interest in martial arts than it ever had before. Soon afterwards, your counterpart and Gohan's younger brother Goten formed the Kikoukenjutsu School, training their students to fight by manipulating their energy through swords or bladed staffs, and 200 years later, the powerful human warrior is the now common, not the rarity," He paused for a moment, and another smile graced his slender features. "Interbreeding with the might of the Saiyans may have helped them along slightly, of course," he added slyly.

Trunks lowered his gaze again and turned way from the Kai. As amazing as this revelation was, he knew exactly what Shin was trying to convey with this little past-and-future history lesson. He didn't need to fight alone, but his companions could not join him? Well, luckily, there was a whole planet full of strong fighters 200 years in the future who could fight beside him. And, if it was true that the blood of the Saiyans was now mingled with that of mankind, each and every one of them would be eager to meet a powerful foe in the field. He knew he had his duty to defend the universe, but this would mean leaving everything behind. He was all his mother had now, and the people of Earth looked up to him as a saviour. Android 16 could handle the rebuilding duties without a problem, but saying goodbye to his friends, his mother...

"I take it I'll be living in the future world you showed me?" asked Trunks, glancing furtively over his shoulder.

Shin gave a short nod.

"Do I have time to say goodbye?"

The wind whistled across the mountain tops, ruffling the pointed garb of the god, and Shin's lips parted in another of his mischievous smiles. "Take all the time you need, Trunks. You'll be working to save it soon."