Last time:

"Poor Trunks!" Krillin voiced.

"He can never go home." Tien's face was full of pity. He glanced in the direction of the room where the young man was currently laying down.

"That's not all either," Shin held up his hand. "I had my suspicions but what happened this afternoon confirmed it. Because they come from the past, they were not meant to travel forward. This is due to their future being unpredictable, this time is unstable for them because it is only one of many possibilities. Because of that, being here is unnatural for them and nature has a way of dealing with things that shouldn't be there…."

Nature's Timetable

"I swore to them I would help them get home. But that it would have to wait until I'd dealt with Buu. Incredibly enough, they offered to help me. That Gohan… is special." He shook his head, his eyes filled with awe. "However, it seems I have to try and find a solution sooner than I thought. I think this is only going to get worse."

"I'm confused sir. You said help them get home? But how would that be possible if they changed the future?" Tien spoke.

"Oh dear, well here we go again! Pay close attention. Trunks traveled back to your time yes? He did this without difficulty and did not suffer these seizures. That is because the past was stable for him, because for him, it had already happened. One can always travel backwards safely, but forward is unstable. Each timeline exists outside one another. One cannot simply make one disappear because they people within that time experienced it, making it real. But you can be closed off from one. This is what happened in Trunk's case, his mother and all the people he knew from his own parallel world still exist and live, but it has been closed off to him because he changed the future's outcome in the dimension he was currently in. Returning Gohan to his present time, your past, is easy because he'll be traveling back from here. Trunks is a more difficult manner all together. He must not travel forward or backward here, but rather jump from one dimension to another."

"Can you do that?!"

"Well I am the Supreme Kai." Shin sounded smug. (But if you were the supreme Kai, I'd guess you would be too!)

"Once they leave this time, it will split off from Gohan's and become its own time parallel. This is due to that he will undoubtedly make decisions that will change his future from this one." Shin concluded.

"Fascinating!" Gohan was much calmer.

'It seems seeing a logical side to this has helped Gohan Supreme Kai.' Obito thought.

'As I knew it would, someone as studious as he, needs order and rules.'

'Yes we were right before in thinking that this would balance him.' Obito replied knowingly, finishing their interlude.

"My head aches…." Krillin complained.

Gohan and Trunks had slipped into the room, unnoticed during the engaging dialogue. "I think we've got you beat," said an adolescent voice. It was if a gun had been shot off, so wild were the reactions.

Vegeta and Piccolo gave the two emerging time travelers an intense look. Mirai Gohan had tensed a little, his and Videl's expression marked with amazement and surprise. Torn between affection and concern, Goku beheld his son. As they faced Krillin, he slipped off the elbow he'd rested against, mouth hanging agape.

It was Yamcha that came to the rescue, "Hi guys!" he gushed with exuberance.

Gohan gave him a shy smile, and Trunks gave a light chuckle. That seemed to settle it; abruptly the atmosphere relaxed and everyone gave a relaxing sigh.

"How're you two feeling?" The Kai asked with concern.

"Like I've got one helluva hangover," Rueful, Trunks still gave a large grin.

Vegeta was about to snap out, but abruptly closed his mouth. He still seemed to be internally ranting though. Much to everyone else's amusement he developed a tick in his eyebrow. 'Gah stupid offspring. Talking about hangovers, shouldn't even know what one is…. Kids… not supposed to have alcohol….'

Shin couldn't control his guffaw after hearing Vegeta's thought.

"I'm much better, but still feeling the after affects sir." Gohan replied with respect. "Just what happened anyway?"

"Well, now that you're here, I can tell everyone that. I believe what you had was an intense seizure." His pause prompted Trunks,

"Seizure?!"

"Did you catch what I told the others about you being in a time that was 'unstable' for you?"

The half saiyans nodded.

"Well, it is unstable because it's only one of many possible futures for you. Well not anymore, seeing as you being here has changed that. It won't ever be quite like this one, but you get the idea. Because of this instability, you two do not belong here. In fact, your presence is so unnatural, time itself is rejecting you."

There was profound silence. That his statement was portentous, there was no doubt, but what exactly it could mean was a mystery.

"Rejecting?" Videl said softly, startling everyone. Her sudden interest was surprising.

"Their presence goes against the grains of this dimension, and is warping the time space fabric around them. In an effort to fix the anomaly, Nature is trying to remove them."

"What's gonna happen?" Krillin asked anxious.

Obito took up the strain, "As each day passes, they will commence farther into the hypothetical. Hypothetical for them that is, the undetermined future. Their auras will only warp things worse, causing Nature's efforts of expulsion to increase."

"So the seizures?" Worry etched Piccolo's features, even Vegeta's cold eyes were expressive.

"Yes, not only will they continue, but intensify. So much so, that if they do not leave here, they will die." His words rang, solitary like the keening death knell.

"They're gonna die?" Goku cried, sounding more than a little panicked.

"Can't we do anything?" Krillin shouted.

"There must be a possibility!" Mirai Gohan gushed, Videl's face was filled with painful shock for the two.

"We've got to do something!" Yamcha roared, and Tien chimed in agreement.

Surprisingly, Gohan and Trunks sat still in the uproar. It was sad news, a grim addition to their tale. 'Perhaps it hasn't sunk in yet,' Gohan fleetingly thought. 'Don't think I'm comin home mom.' He felt detached, as if it had all happened to someone else. Trunks met his gaze, fierce eyes brought Gohan back. 'Been through too much for this to be the end!' Gohan responded to him with a nod, they were in this together.

"Stay Calm!" Shin cut through the furor. "I do have an idea."

Sound parted like the red sea, so quickly had they ceased. Relief

"I have only the barest of ideas, but I think it could be possible. However," he held up a finger warning, "it would be very complicated and risky."

"If it's all they got-" Gohan tried cutting in.

"Now I didn't say that." Shin covered smoothly. He was met with barely masked hope. Everyone was wishing for the best, but afraid to be disappointed. "As a celestial being, of course I am a tool for the higher powers. Surely you know there are those above me? Of course they are THE powers. They will not abandon me, and nor will they abandon your friends." His conviction was strong; it flowed out wrapping the group in its warm embrace. "I will beseech the Gods for guidance. Often times when I am in need of advice, I meditate and they send me visions. Of course during this I must fast and it may take many days or a few weeks."

"What if they don't have that long?" Vegeta interrupted.

"What choice do we have?!" Shin snapped annoyed, "I'm doing my best. I want them to live just as much as you do."

"Why?" Everyone stopped and stared. Shrugging off their attention, Piccolo repeated, "Why should you care as much for them as we do? You are also a God, surely we do not command all your attention."

He had asked a simple enough question, yet it did beg for an answer. Gohan knew the reason, seeing as it was his intervention that was helping change Shin.

"Ask Gohan." Shin said easily passing the burden on. Gohan gave him an indignant glare. "He is the reason. You should know he is far more than you give him credit for."

Goku was thoughtful, but the Namekian's eyes held a strange knowing. Gohan squirmed under their piercing curiosity, "Talk about it later." He promised, embarrassed.

Feeling pity, Obito brought their discourse back to light. "The Supreme Kai and I have communicated, he says Trunks and Gohan will be in no danger of dying for at least 3 months."

"Just how would he know that?" Vegeta spat.

Obito went on unruffled, "He is the Supreme Kai." Simple and matter of fact, he said it as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Geez Vegeta, so pessimistic. One would think you'd want them to fail!" Mirai Gohan said boldly, surprising everyone.

"That's my dad alright," Trunks said quietly to Gohan, between Vegeta's angry splutters. "He's just over cautious, hides the fact that he really cares."

Gohan laughed head turning towards Vegeta when his eyes locked with Piccolo's. Gohan froze, unable to look away. Something he had not done in 7 years, Piccolo opened the connection between him and his alternate student. 'You and I will speak after this.' He thought still holding his gaze; Gohan gave a gulp across the room with a slight head shake.

'He even sounds gruff mentally! It's never good when Mr. Piccolo makes demands.'

Piccolo still watched his form, eyes softening. It was his same student, from all those years ago again.

Mirai Gohan was ignorant to this exchange. Perhaps he should have felt some part of their old connection shift; even if it was to his younger self. Through years of disuse and distance, teacher and student had grown apart.

Energetic, Shin spoke up, "Well I haven't a minute to lose! We still have the threat of Buu-."

"Don't worry, we'll train and you'll meditate. All of us together will be able to defeat Buu. When you've come out of the trance, we'll have a solution and fight Buu!" Krillin was enthusiastic.

It was an easy and positive action. Satisfied, the assembled broke up the conference. Vegeta was grumbling when Goku walked up clamping an arm forcefully around the Prince's shoulders, "Think on the bright side Vegeta, we get a whole month of training together!"

That made Vegeta lighten up considerably, his face adopting a decidedly sinister grin.

"Wait a second Goku, how're you gonna train with us if you've only got leave on Earth for a day?" Yamcha pointed out.

"My gosh that's right!" Tien said slapping his head.

"Uh…" Goku was without words, "Wait! You're a Kai, can't you uh do something?"

Eyes turned toward the two other-worldly beings.

"Heh, no worries I can do something. Being the Supreme has its perks. You were granted one day because that was all that was within their power. I can grant 100 times that!"

"So great is the Supreme Kai sama's power," Obito murmured.

"Heh heh, awesome! Lets get goin!" The saiyan rushed out the room practically dragging Vegeta behind him.

Drifting off in various directions, the group split. Gohan and Trunks hovered unsure of where to go. Gohan's bashful shyness caught hold of Videl, "Aw he really is cute!" She told Mirai Gohan quite forgetting that moment that it was him from the past. Mirai Gohan turned a cute shade of pink, unnoticed by Videl. Soon it was just them, left alone with the two time travelers. The adolescents gazed at one another with interest.

Breaking the stillness, the older Gohan spoke, "So you're me huh?"

The younger teen gazed at his older form pondering the question. "No, I don't think so."

Trunks looked at him with interest, and Gohan continued, "All ready the experiences we had in common have differed. No matter how time passes, I will never be like you." With that, he abruptly walked away, Trunks following, contemplative.

'You've grown weak. I chose to protect the world. You chose to forget it."

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