Chapter 34

Main Timeline

It were now 17 years that had passed since the Cell Games.

For the Z-fighters and the people around them it was a important year, for several reasons.

It was the year in that the now 28th Tenkaichi Budokai was taking place. The same Tournament where Son Goku would be meeting his new student Uub. The boy who was the reincarnation of the evil half of the Demon Buu and a possible successor of Goku as defender of the planet Earth.

Coincidently it was also the year from that Future Trunks had first travelled back into the past all these years ago. To save Goku from the heart-virus and defeat the evil versions of Seventeen and Eighteen from his own time.

But what was most important to them right now, it was this year in that the time-travelling Goten and Marron had prophesied the coming war against Demigra.

In that other timeline, where they were not aware about the threat out there, the Z-fighters and the people around them would consider this a peaceful time. But here they knew about Demigra´s return, thanks to Future Goten and Marron.

They were aware that the counterparts of Goku, Vegeta, Gohan, Piccolo, Seventeen and Eighteen from that timeline never returned when they went to fight Demigra. Something that would have happened in a few months from now on and that it meant that they had most likely all died.

But they were also even much stronger than their counterparts would have been. Otherwise things were happening were pretty much the same as in the other timeline... mostly.

For one there was the fact that Goku would be taking part in the coming tournament. He was however not the only one. His granddaughter Pan would take part as well. Just like a few others.

xxx

At Mount Paozu, in front of the Son Familie´s home, Goten and Pan were just having a light sparring-match.

Despite being a cute little girl, as the daughter of Gohan and Videl, Pan was also incredible strong, literally since her birth. And during the last years, she had also begann to train.

Of course she was no real match for her uncle Goten, who had already learned how to use God Ki and reached Super Saiyan Blue. (Something else that would have been different in another timeline.) Of course he would never come to the idea to actually use either of that for a sparring match with his little niece.

Goku was standing by and watching their little fight. But he was not the only one.

Vegeta, Bulma and Trunks were there as well. Trunks had been here to visit Goten and his parents had come to see Goku.

All in all it was a scene very similar to the timeline were Future Goten and Marron had not visited four years ago.

Goku had just told them about himself taking part in the Tounament and about the powerful fighter who would be there - the reincarnation of the Evil Majin Buu.

Vegeta had shortly considered taking part as well as he heard of Goku going. But ultimately he decided against it. In the other timeline he would have been bored and got interested at hearing Goku talk about this `strong guy´ who would be participating.

Here however he saw no real gain in it and decided to just watch the Tournament as part of the audience with Bulma and Bra.

For the same reasons Trunks and Goten would not fight in it either. Since in this timeline Vegeta and Goku were not pushing them to go.

Who would take part however, were Marron and her cousins Jade and Kai. Their sister Rin would not take part, but be watching the Tournament.

Still, just like in this other timeline, their families and most of the other Z-fighters would be in the audience and watching the Tournament.

The sparring between Goten and Pan finally ended... without a clear winner.

Goten just smiled and complimented Pan.

"You are really strong," he told her. "In a few years I will probably have to look out when we fight." He grinned.

"Really?" Pan said.

"Yes - you have gotten much better," Goku told her as well with an even wider smile.

Soon he would have to leave, Goku knew. So he was trying to enjoy this time with his family as much as he could.

It was nothing new. Going to fight one powerful enemy or he other. Then return to your friends and family. Nearly his entire life had been like this.

Normally he barely felt real fear then being faced with a new enemy - a new challenge. This time however Goku just could not shake off the bad feeling he had in the back of his mind. Maybe because he knew that another version of him had already gone to the same fight and never returned.

xxxxxxx

Seventeen´s Island

Currently, in opposite to most of the time, Seventeen was not alone on his island.

With him were both the Ranger Chief and Android Sixteen and Twenty One.

"I see the new colleague you recommended does not disappoint Seventeen," the Chief stated. "I guess Sixteen´s abilities are similar to your own?"

"Of course," Seventeen responded, "He and Twenty One are my `cousins´ after all." His voice was dispassionate like most time, but had an ironic undertone.

Both, he and the Ranger Chief knew that 16 and 21 were actually Androids like Number 17 himself.

Calling them his cousins was actually only for outsiders.

While the existance of the Red Ribbon Android programm and the fact Cell had been one of them had been revealed to the public a few years ago, only few people realized that Seventeen and Eighteen were in fact two of them.

"Well - you are much stronger now of course," Twenty One stated towards Seventeen, "even after the upgrades I gave Sixteen. Even if originally it had been the other way around. But it seems your and your sister´s potential is practically endless. Just like Son Goku´s and the other saiyans."

"And you want him to be your replacement here for some time?" the Ranger Chief said.

"Yes."

"I am not dumb Seventeen. Neither are our other colleagues. There is something coming, isn´t it? Just like four years ago with Doctor Gero and that other Androids who looked exactly like you and your sister."

Seventeen and the others looked at him silently for a few moments.

"I just want to know, just how dangerous will it be?" the Chief asked.

"I wish I could even say for sure," Seventeen replied. "You are right. There is an incredible dangerous threat coming," he admitted. "In fact, it might be that I never return."

"I see," the Chief said a bit insecure.

"We are not really sure if our planet will even be directly targeted though," Seventeen continued. "But it might be." And even if not, he thought - they were not even sure how far Demigra´s exact plans for the entire Multiverse were going. So if he threw it all into chaos, would Earth not be affected automatically as well sooner or later?

"That is why some of us will stay behind to look out for the planet," Twenty One stated. "I promise I will do my best should something happen. I owe you at least that after all, after all after the trouble I caused back then," she told him regretfully for her past actions.

xxxxxxx

Budokai Arena - a few days later

The Tournament was now taking place.

Another difference to the timeline that could have been to this one was that Mister Satan, while still acting as the sponsor of the Tournament, had retired four years ago during the second Android Crisis and not longer taking part himself.

The current Champion was his `Student´ and official successor Mister Buu - actually the good half of the Demon Buu.

The Preliminaries were, like in the last few Tournaments, decided by a challenge with a punching machine. Which of course Goku, Pan, Mister Buu and Marron and her cousins all passed easily.

xxx

Mister Satan himself was currently, together with his daughter Videl and her husband Gohan and the rest of the Z-fighters and families, sitting in the private lounge that belonged to him.

All in all their group consisted of him, Videl and Gohan, Chichi, Vegeta, Bulma and Bra, Eighteen and Krillin, Yamsha, Muten Roshi and Oolong, Seventeen´s wife Ruby and their daughter Rin and also Twenty One.

The only ones missing were Seventeen himself - who was still instructing Sixeen as his temporally replacement and currently, along with him, dealing with some kind of invasions on the island by an international crime syndicate that wanted to get it´s hands on the animals, as Seventeen had told Ruby over her phone - and Tienshinhan and Chaozu, who were also too busy with other things.

Seventeen had however of course told them that he and Sixteen were dealing with the situation without any problems and that they should just continue watching he Tournament. Of course they didn´t.

They all were just abou to watch Pan´s fight, that was also the first fight in the whole Tournament.

Mister Satan could not help to be a bit worried about his granddaughter, but they all knew that Pan could deal with a normal opponent easily.

xxx

The first fight was between Pan and ironically a very large muscular man in an open coat and with a long ponytail, calling himself Wild Tiger, who she defeated with only a single `very light´ punch.

That meant the man was, to the shock of the audience, send flying out of the ring and crashed into the walls of the spectator-ranks with enough force to leave a human sized imprint in the bricks. The man however was alive and without serious injuries and Pan was declared the victor.

xxx

The second fight was between two of the `regular´ competitors, who were not related to the Z-fighters. One of then was a young man in street clothes with long brown hair and an bandana on his head named Noc and the other a man with reddish hair in a while hero costume with a red mask and yellow cape, that somehow ressembled a large chicken. Fittingly he was calling himself Captain Chicken, obviously one of the self-declared super-heroes, following the example of the Great Saiyaman.

After a short struggle Captain Chicken won the fight by ringing out his opponent.

xxx

The third fight was then finally Son Goku versus Uub.

The spectators were excited to see the legendary Goku fight. A few however doubted that he was still as strong as he used to be. He should after all be at least as old now as Mister Satan had been when he declared his retirement. Even if for some reason he didn´t show it at all.

So some cheered for his young opponent instead. Who however only grew more nervous as an result.

At first the young boy had been even too shy and intimidated to actually put up a fight. After a few intentionally provoking words from Goku however, to both rile him up enough to fight and draw out Uub´s latent power, he finally got angry and attacked him.

During the next minutes Uub adapted in incredible speed and draw out more and more of his potential.

The stadium was shaking under the clash of their powers. Uub was now at the limit of what he could currently do.

Goku however was still barely trying.

If this continued for much longer, Uub would for sure collapse from exhaustion.

"I am sorry about what I said before," Goku said to Uub. "I was just trying to get you to let out your power. You have to admit, it worked."

"I-..." Uub just calmed down realized what exactly he had been doing for the last couple minutes. He could not really believe it.

"I guess you are right," he admitted.

In the next moment however Uub bent over and started to gasp for air.

"Calm down and relax," Goku told him. "You have incredible power, but your body is not ready for this and you don´t know any real fighting technique. If you train, you will be one of the best in the world."

"Really?" Uub asked him.

"Yes. Do you want me to train you?" Goku asked him.

"You would do that?" Uub was now sitting down, right in the middle of the fighting stage. "I in first line want to help my village. We are poor, you know?"

The Announcer was looking at him expectingly. It was clear to him that this match was decided.

"I am sure you will. But for now we can just ask Mister Satan. He is a friend of me and I am sure he will help out. So we can start with the training right now if you want to."

"Ahm excuse me," the Announcer said, "but your match is technically still going on."

"Oh Sorry," Goku said.

"I give up," Uub declared. "It is clear that I have no chance."

"Okay. Son Goku is the winner," the Announcer declared.

The next moment Goku flew up to his friends in the audience and told them about his intention to train Uub.

"Now?" Gohan asked him. "What about Demigra?"

"Just tell Dende and Lord Beerus and Whis to call me when he appears. I hope one of you can continue Uub´s training when we have to leave," Goku said to the others.

He knew he might not have much time, but he would at least try to bring Uub on the way to be the fighter he was meant to be.

"Count on us Dad," Goten said.

"Don´t stay away for too long," Chichi told him. "And just come around home from time to time or when you need something."

"I will," Goku replied, before he and Uub flew away.

xxxxxxx

Meanwhile in another timeline

In another world, Demigra and his army had continued their work.

In opposite to the now erased timeline that he had first reappeared in however, where he and his followers had gone all out from the beginning, they had here decided to take a slower and more subtle approach.

After all, the main targets for now were the higher Gods and the few mortal who actually were a challenge to them.

Or were at least close to be one.

At first, he also had the motivation to increase his army as quickly as possible and to strenghten his own power, that was being nourished by chaos, hate and destruction.

Here however they had first set up a base of operation on an unpopulated planet at the edge of the known worlds of Universe 7 of this timeline, before turning to the gods and the different universes.

xxx

Demigra remembered the last moments of the last timeline, the one where he had first reappeared in afer this eaons of exile from reality.

When he had finally been confronted by nobody else than his brother. Their fight had wiped out galaxies and shred the fabric of time and space itself, before Zeno had even thought about finally erasing that timeline.

But still their fight had been without a clear winner. He had believed he had become even more powerful than his brother. But it seemed he had increased his abilities as a fighter even more than he thought.

Actually Demigra had hoped that the cosmic influence he had gained along with this powers would be able to keep the Grand Priest from fighting against him in the first place. But it seemed this presumpion was wrong as well.

He knew there was a chance that the High Priest might challenge him here directly as well in the end, if they moved too far too quickly.

Not that he feared him, he feared nobody anymore. But he was really not in the mood to get into a one on one with his brother in every single timeline they entered. Neither was there actually a point in it.

No, he thought. In truth, there was only one thing in the Multiverse - in all timelines - that could make his true goal become reality. Only one set of objects could fullfil his one true wish.

But these objects existed in this timeline here, like in every other one. So there was no actual reason to move to another one once again. Instead they had made themselves a home here and formed this offside planet into the center of his new domain, at least temporally.

Demigra had however also created a number of Agents across the timelines and universes. Beings with ambitions and also some power. Not really needed to join his actual army, but more fit for another purpose.

He had offered them all more power and in exchange only asked for one thing, to spread out over their respective universes and cause chaos and mayhem - something they were all bend to do anyway - so many accepted gladly.

He even admitted the reason he gave them all this power for free. Because their actions would draw the attention of the Kais and the other Gods and distract them from what he and his followers were doing here.

xxx

Right at the moment however, he was dealing with another matter.

Lying on the ground before him was none other than Son Goku. He was still trying to stand up despite his heavy injuries and exhaustion.

It was the Son Goku of this timeline.

Not far away from him were the Vegeta and Seventeen of this reality lying in a similar state. Well technically Android Seventeen´s energy-level, being who he was, was at the same point like it had at the beginning of the fight, it just didn´t made a difference since nearly every single bone in his body was broken.

They, along with a number of their comrades, including Beerus and Whis and a few fighters from Universes Six and Eleven, had come here to confront him and his followers. But ultimately they had been defeated.

This three however were the ones who had fought him in person, while the rest of them had been facing his army.

"You have fought well," he said to them. "You have truly earned my respect. Both your power and will are beyond what I had ever expected, from Mortals or from Gods. I wished you had made another choice and joined me instead. But in the end you still lost."

He was not being sarcastic. All three of them showed a power that surpassed a God of Destruction.

Demigra knew this was the point that had put certain events into motion. He had already watched the events playing out from afar. With them gone the Android called Twenty One and the cloned brain of Doctor Gero would take advantage of the situation and take over their planet.

Which would in turn cause two of their allies to travel back in time and create the timeline he had been especially watching for some time. The one that had brought up even more powerful version of these three here and their comrades.

For a moment the idea crossed his mind to just spare these three and let them return to their home-planet. Which would in return cause an even greater cosmic chaos.

But it would also create at least one other timeline and multiplied the number of his potential enemies. So no.

He formed a ki-blade on his hand and stabbed it through the chest of the already half-dead Goku.

"I would like to say this is the end, but I am sure I will see you three again soon," Demigra said. "Because there are other timelines," he clarified as he saw the confused looks on the faces of Vegeta, Seventeen and the dieing Goku.

With another move of the blade he cleanly cut off Vegeta´s head and then burried it into Seventeen´s heart.

Here is the new chapter with the beginning of the next story-arc.

The next one will probably have the beginning of the final battle and for sure some details about this version of Demigra´s background.

xxxc

Author´s Note: One thing about the final of the original Dragon Ball that never made sense to me.

Goku is training Uub, so he leaves his family for a few years. Why exactly?

The man had been training right in the neighborhood of his own house for years. Even when he had trained with Gohan and Piccolo for the arrival of the Androids for three years, it had never required Goku to leave home.

So why is everyone including Goku acting as if training Uub means he had to completely leave them for a long time?

Even if Uub wanted to stay living in his village, with Instant Transmission Goku can just get there in a second every morning and return for lunch and evening.