This may not be entirely cannon, as I grew up watching DBZ and the History Of Trunks was my favorite DBZ movie. I began to watch super and am currently watching the episodes with Goku Black. I personally prefer DBZ over this, but watching the interactions between Future Trunks and current timeline Gohan had me wondering how much Gohan actually knew about what happened in the alternate timeline.
This is my first DBZ fanfic in forever, I hope you enjoy. That being said I obviously don't own DBZ.
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The house was silent, as the sun had barely crept over the horizon, yet he was awake. The thought lingered in his mind for weeks now, as he began to wonder how to approach the subject. He knew the future had changed, but to what extent? No one had ever really asked, but Gohan wanted to know. His glasses falling off the brim of his nose as he looked down and examined his chest. Not as chiseled as it once had been. His arms, lacking tone. Even his shoulders, once had been rifling with power, now seemed as those of any other earthling. Almost as if he had outgrown being a saiyan. As ridiculous as it sounded, Gohan knew he wasn't the warrior he once was. A scholar now, as he dreamt, but in a way he had felt like it had let Trunks down. He removed his glasses and gazed at himself in the mirror, hardly recognizing who he was anymore. Ever since Trunks had returned from the future, everything was becoming less clear for him. Had his alternate timeline self found happiness the way he had? What would that Gohan have succeeded in becoming? Questions he knew would never be answered, but he was aware of the changes he could make to his current future if he had wanted.
As he lifted his head, his view returning to the mirror, his raven eyes were met with the fierce gaze of familiar sapphire ones. The moment held silent for the pair, unsure of what to say. Almost as if they were both aware of what the other had been thinking, connected in a way neither could describe.
"Errr...Excuse me. Didn't mean to intrude. I didn't think anyone was up at this hour." Trunks began, breaking the silence.
"No, no. Don't worry." Gohan's torso shifting quickly towards him. "I'm usually up this early. Getting ready for work." The dark haired Saiyan quickly brought his glasses back upon his face, trying to not erase any suspicion.
"I see." The blue haired half Saiyan responded. "I'm glad everything worked out for you, Gohan. I really am glad."
Gohan looked back into the mirror, the blue eyes of a distant friend drifting to a foreign place.
Trunks had been aware that the future had been changed, and for that he was relieved, but seeing his master so completely different from what he had known was still shocking to him. He didn't want his once best friend to know how disappointed he had been. He kept the thought alive in his heart that Gohan would once more be the brave Saiyan he had known in his past, even if all these years had gone by. That his spirit would still be lingering in an alternate body. To him, Gohan felt like a total stranger. He was so different than the boy he knew who defeated Cell. The man who fought endlessly in a battle he knew he'd never win, but something about the presence of him was still comforting. The blue haired Saiyan was glad to be invited to spend the night, to see the one person who had made a real difference in his life. At one point, the only one who could understand what he was going through. How Gohan was there when he needed him, until he wasn't.
"Say...Trunks? I never really asked you. What was I like in your timeline?"
Trunks blinked several times, unprepared for a question like this. His breath caught in his throat, his heart pounding as it struggled to pump fast enough. The only one who had ever really asked about their future had been Goku, and that was all those years ago. Trunks bit his lip, reliving the memories of the times he had with his master and best friend. The fear they both had shared as their futures had been so uncertain, but Gohan never let it show. He never let his guard down, or showed weakness to his pupil. How he had been the one to train the younger half saiyan, and had to be strong, there was no alternative. The weight of the world on his shoulders alone, and how the gravity of the situation had taken over. How Gohan had lost his fight against the androids, ganged up on and murdered in the cold rain and darkness, alone. The shock and anger of finding him, his body empty, leaving Trunks more hollow than before, but finally giving him the push he had needed.
A small tear welled up in his eyes, he turned his body away from his master. Ashamed to show weakness around someone who had been so powerful, yet here he was, so gentle. Trunks knew all along Gohan had a side to him that was just like Goku, calm, nurturing, though more powerful than any foe. His hands covered his face as the tears steadily streamed down his cheeks.
"In my timeline…" He choked out, knots in his stomach, his sentences caught in his throat.
"In my timeline...You were my master. You had been the only survivor of the Android attack. When 17 and 18 were still evil….I...you…" He grinded his teeth in frustration.
Gohan listened intently, approaching the younger Saiyan. Offering a comforting hand upon the shoulder of the shivering Trunks.
"You were incredibly powerful...you took me on as your pupil. You taught me everything I know. Had it not been for you...I wouldn't have ever achieved Super Saiyan…"
His voice cracking, tears falling endlessly.
"But at what cost?! It just wasn't fair! You were murdered in cold blood by two heartless Androids! And...I was left alone. I was alone, Gohan!" He began to shout, his hands clenched into fists. His heaving began to subside as his throat was finally clearing.
"And I couldn't save you…" He whispered, falling to his knees. The shame of all that had happened clearly displayed on a face now soaked with tears. Trunks never thought he'd be able to have this conversation, he kept this struggle locked away. Never wanting to burden Gohan with the truth, or letting him know too much of what was supposed to be his own destiny.
The older Saiyan crouched down beside his blue haired friend, looking towards the dimly lit room of his daughter Pan.
"But...you did save me. By coming here...by saving my dad, you saved all of us. You were able to give me this extraordinary life, and you didn't even know it. You gave every single one of us a chance, Trunks. You have no idea how grateful we all are…" Gohan began, his grip upon Trunks shoulder becoming stronger.
Trunks stared at his former master's counterpart, the words shaking him to his core.
"Because of you...I have Videl, Pan...my mother, father...Goten...I am eternally grateful that you were brave enough to come save us, even if that meant your timeline didn't change. Truly, thank you, Trunks."
And for a brief moment, the blue eyes connected with the black. The small glimmer of Gohan's counterpart shined through this universe's body, and brought Trunks back to a familiar safe place. The tears left behind a trail that felt like burning scars, ones similar to the blistering tears he had after discovering Gohan's body all those years ago. In that moment, his master had been resurrected. Trunks finally found what he had been looking for. Forgiveness. Forgiveness for never being strong enough, forgiveness for always needing to be saved, and most of all, forgiveness for being the one who survived when it should have been Gohan. He should have lived. Now the void that had plagued Trunks heart all this time at last seemed to close, and for the first time, The blue haired Saiyan understood why Gohan was willing to sacrifice it all to make sure that everyone around him would be saved. It now made sense, Trunks was destined to go back in time to save Gohan to give him the future he was meant to have. Even if it meant they had to go their separate ways again.
Trunks exhaled loudly, and stood up beside his former friend. He was able to muster a smile and a nod, one of both relief, and gratitude. With that, he turned away from the young father and walked back down the hall towards his room for the night. He closed the door behind him, resting against it before falling to the floor. His last night in the alternate timeline was giving him the closure he didn't know he needed.
Gohan's smile finally returned as he took his glasses off, a step closer to feeling like his old self.
'You have no idea how much that meant, Gohan...to know in the end it did matter...That hope was the right choice, and it always will be. " Trunks knew he was finally able to move on with his life, and he could let Gohan go.