A/N: Thank you again for the reviews, faves and follows. I just want to point out that 18 can sense energy, having learnt how while she was in the HTC. Secondly, I have no idea what I was doing with this chapter. Honestly. I think it shows...

The time had come.

He had languished in his prison for too long.

He still didn't have enough energy to breach his cage, but he was stronger now and he could detect two dark beings, one strong and the other magical, planning their own uprising. He didn't need to control them; their plan was not too dissimilar to his own and he knew he could use them for his own gain. It wouldn't be too hard to hijack her magic and have her think it was her own.

All he needed was the right opportunity and he could be free once again, free to pursue his revenge on not just the one who had imprisoned him, but also the one who kept hampering his plans.

"It's only a matter of time," Demigra thought to himself. "Soon, Chronoa and Trunks, you'll both bow to me."

-X-

"Lazuli is pregnant."

WHAM!

"What the hell was that for?!"

"Apologies, my hand slipped," Ocarin said, despite not sounding sincere. "Did you just say the Android is pregnant?"

Trunks dodged a kick and flew back to get some space. Training always helped with his thought process and upon waking this morning, he decided to have a sparring match with the Namekian to clear his mind so he could focus on his new role in life.

"I did and we are planning to keep it."

Ocarin sniffed derisively. "You trust her to carry your child? You trust that she won't use this child against you?"

"Still hate her, huh?"

The Namekian deflected Trunks' fist and neatly elbowed him in the ribs. "I acknowledge her strength and abilities, but I do not trust her still. Perhaps it's to do with her personality."

"I thought you would be used to it by now," the half-Saiyan said as he weaved around Ocarin's fists.

"It rubs me the wrong way and puts me on edge around her."

"You do know she does that on purpose?"

"I do," Ocarin said as he caught Trunks' fist and hurled him into the wall. "It doesn't mean I should trust her by any means. I cannot see her as nurturing or caring, especially towards a child."

"It'll be different," Trunks said after returning to the fight, unable to help but feel protective towards the Android. "It's her kid as well, so she probably would be like that. I don't know, we can only wait and see."

"And you're not concerned about the safety of your child?"

"Of course I am, but Lazuli will be fine. Anything could happen between now and then, so I can only hope that nothing bad happens."

"Hmph…if you say so."

Trunks sighed. "Let's just call it quits for now."

He shut down the gravity chamber and left towards the kitchen. Lazuli was still asleep in his bed, or at least she was when he last saw her, and he hadn't the heart to wake her. She may have infinite energy, but he felt that she would need all the rest that she could get before it became uncomfortable for her. After preparing a post-training breakfast (which covered half the table), Trunks settled himself down, his thoughts preoccupied with the Android and their unborn child. He'd never envisioned a scenario quite like this and he had a daunting task in front of him, one that he could prepare for and still come up short. He was scared of failing this child; scared he wouldn't measure up and be good enough.

"Hey," Bulma interrupted his thoughts, surprising him. "A zeni for your thoughts?"

"Sorry. Just got a lot to think about."

"I have no doubt," his mother agreed, sitting across from him. "You want to talk instead?"

"How did Father react when you told him you were pregnant?" Trunks asked.

Bulma's eyes widened fleetingly as she visited that bitter memory. "Oh honey, I know you love your father, but…he had his flaws."

"That's one way of putting it. He had no interest, didn't he?"

His mother pursed her lips. "I don't want to make him out like a bad guy, but yes, he wasn't interested. He was virtually non-existent the whole time I was pregnant. Please don't be like that, assuming that Lazuli is planning to go through with it."

"She is," Trunks said. "Congratulations, you're going to be a grandmother."

Bulma's eyes welled up with tears of joy and before he knew it, she had left her seat to pull him into a loving hug. "Oh. Oh my. Trunks, that is wonderful news. I'm going to be a grandmother!"

"And I promise I'll be there for every step of the way. I know Father cared about me, but I don't wish to follow his example. Do you think he'd be happy about this?"

The scientist drew back from her son as she thought about his question. "I don't know, Trunks. He wasn't too happy to hear about my pregnancy, so I'd imagine he'd be less impressed about Lazuli's. He wasn't keen on being a father, but then again, he never really got the chance, so it's hard to say."

"Yeah, I guess. So, uh, perhaps we need to start looking at buying baby stuff and prepare a nursery."

A delighted look overcame Bulma as she thought about the prospect of decorating her grandchild's room. "Oh, I can have that covered in no time. You and Lazuli work it out and I'll get it for you. Oh, I can't wait. Seven months is too long; can we put Lazuli into the Time Chamber?"

"Um…I don't think she'd like that too much."

Their conversation was cut short by a loud knock at the front door. Mother and son exchanged puzzled looks, confused at who could be here; Videl and Pan usually just walked straight in without a need to announce their presence. Curious, Trunks decided to answer, not expecting to see anyone he knew and definitely not expecting the person who had knocked.

She was small, about the height of a child, petite and pretty. Her skin was a mixture of pink and purple, her hair pinkish-red and her eyes dark. However, it was her clothes that caught Trunks' attention and a sweat-drop appeared on his forehead as he remembered what they meant.

"Hi, I'm looking for Trunks," she pleasantly greeted. "I'm guessing you're him. Silly question. I know you're him. Hi, I'm-"

"A Supreme Kai," Trunks stammered. "Oh no, a Supreme Kai, here at my home. This can't be good. Something bad is about to happen."

The Supreme Kai's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh, so you know about my kind already? Well, that makes this easier. I'm Chronoa, pleased to meet you."

"Trunks," the half-Saiyan blurted, then mentally chastised himself for his blunder. "Uh, would you like to come in?"

She smiled widely. "Sure, I would love that."

-X-

Lazuli woke up feeling content and even though she was alone in the bed, she wanted to remain – until her stomach decided to ruin things for her and she had to make a mad dash to the bathroom, emptying her guts into the toilet.

"You better be damn well worth it, kid," she thought as the bitterly aftertaste filled her mouth while she clung to the toilet bowl for dear life. "I haven't eaten in at least a day and I'm throwing up anyway. Oh how the mighty have fallen."

She showered and brushed her teeth and decided to see where Trunks was. She sensed him in the kitchen with his mother, but there was another presence there, one she had never felt before. Curious and apprehensive, Lazuli headed into the kitchen, her eyes narrowed suspiciously at the newcomer, who had taken a seat at the dinner table across from a nervous Trunks.

"Lazuli, you're awake," the half-Saiyan cried, perhaps a touch too loudly, which confirmed his nervousness to her. "We have a guest."

"So this is the Android you broke the law to stop?" the Supreme Kai questioned. "And who also has a connection to Demigra."

"Uh, what?" Lazuli asked. "Who the hell are you and what do you know about Demigra?"

Trunks grimaced, but the Supreme Kai didn't seem to hold the Android's snappiness against her. "I'm Chronoa. I'm the Supreme Kai of Time and I'm here about Demigra."

"What, you're best buddies or something?"

"Lazuli," Trunks cut in. "Supreme Kais are powerful beings and deserve some respect."

"I take it this is not the first Supreme Kai you've dealt with?"

"No. The last one died helping me stop Majin Buu from awakening?"

"Who's Majin Buu?"

"He was a dangerous threat to the Kais a few million years ago," Chronoa explained before Trunks could. "He was sealed away and sent here by my colleague, Shin. Someone tried to revive him and that's when Shin recruited Trunks to help him."

"When was this?"

"About a year after I killed you and 17," Trunks admitted. "I never thought I'd see another Supreme Kai again."

"You thought wrong, buddy," Chronoa turned to him. "After all, you did break the law by changing the timeline and since I'm the Supreme Kai of Time, well, I had to do something about it."

"Hey come on now," Bulma interjected angrily. "If you were struggling to survive under the constant threat of death every single day, you'd try anything to change that, even going back in time, so how about you cut us some slack? I don't care how powerful you Supreme Kai guys are, I don't regret building the time machine."

A wave of nausea rose up in Lazuli and she wasn't sure if it was due to guilt, an aftermath of her morning sickness or a combination of both, but she managed to swallow down the urge to vomit.

"Normally I would punish you, but there is a pressing matter at hand and I think Trunks is the best answer for it," Chronoa said. "Obviously you know about Demigra?"

"We do. He's been a thorn in our side for a while now. Has he gotten free?"

"No, not yet, but I know it's only a matter of time and that's why I need you. You help me stop Demigra for good and I will forgive your transgression of changing the timeline. Do we have a deal?"

Trunks reflected back to his last encounter with a Supreme Kai. He had been approached by Shin and his assistant and requested to help them stop Majin Buu from being revived. It had been an ugly battle against Babidi and Dabura, but they had prevailed, even though Shin and Kibito lost their lives in the struggle. The incident left a mark on Trunks, spurring him to continue his training even further as he hadn't been strong enough to face Dabura and only killed him thanks to a final distraction from Shin which ultimately cost him his life. Since then, Trunks never thought he would meet another Supreme Kai again, but now a second one had appeared on his doorstep and not only that, but one that governed time and was displeased with him for changing the past.

He glanced at Lazuli and then at her stomach. He had more reason than ever to protect his world and the universe; he had to be there for the birth of his child and if Demigra was being a threat once more, then he needed to do all he could to stop the Demon Wizard.

"Wait," Lazuli said before Trunks could say anything. "Why now? Demigra has been a problem for a while and it's only now that you're coming to us for help. Why?"

"Every incident you've had with him has helped him grow stronger in his prison and weaken the seal I placed upon it," Chronoa explained. "After your fight with Cell, the seal has grown considerably weaker."

"If you were the one to seal him away, why don't you fix it? Why do you need us for that?"

Chronoa winced slightly. "To be honest, I'm not strong enough for him now. I could try, but I'll only be delaying the inevitable."

"So all we have to do is go to where his prison is and stop him there," Trunks suggested.

"Sounds like a great plan, but that's not where the problem lies," the Supreme Kai stated. "While the seal is weakening thanks to Demigra, he's not the only influence on it. That's why I need your help."

"I'm in." Everyone turned as Ocarin stepped into the kitchen and folded his arms across his chest, a stoic look on his face. "I will help you stop Demigra at any cost."

"Are you sure about this?" Trunks asked.

"Yes, I am. It beats sitting around waiting for him to make a move, so let's take the fight to him."

Lazuli folded her hands over her stomach. If it hadn't been for Demigra, the life she felt under her skin wouldn't be possible, but she had felt his magic, felt the evil and she knew he couldn't be allowed to escape from the Crack. But as much as she wanted to help, she knew she couldn't risk the life of her baby and it frustrated her.

"Alright, well, I'm in," the half-Saiyan said and he levelled a look at Chronoa. "But after this, I'm done with Supreme Kais."

"Let's not get too hasty," Chronoa said. "I'm sure there are some benefits we could work out. It doesn't have to be entirely business. Maybe some training with a Supreme Kai could interest you?"

"I'll consider it, but for now, let's focus on Demigra."

The Supreme Kai grinned widely. "Of course! Shall we?"

Bulma and Lazuli barely had time to react before Trunks, Ocarin and Chronoa suddenly vanished.

-X-

He hungered for release, but his patience was infinite. After all, he waited seventy-five million years; a few extra days wouldn't hurt. The two beings, he had identified them now; demons from the long forgotten Demon Realm, creatures like himself, although nowhere near as powerful. Their plan was simple and had no purpose in the long run; they could wait while his plan came to fruition and perhaps then, if they pledged servitude to him, he might honour their ambitions as a reward.

All he needed was time and then time would bow to him.

-X-

"What is this place?" Trunks asked.

"This is the Time Nest," Chronoa proudly announced as she led them inside a large, dome-shaped building. "And this is the Time Vault, where every single piece of history is recorded and kept. My job is making sure that history remains intact and flows as it should." A large, owl-like bird with long feathers suddenly swooped down and landed on Chronoa's outstretched arm, which caused her to smile. "And this is Tokitoki, the Divine Bird of Time."

"This is all well and good, but what are we planning to do about Demigra?" Ocarin questioned.

She grimaced with a flush. "Um, yeah, about that. See, he's not the only reason why I brought you here."

"Supreme Kai or not, if you are deceiving us," the Namekian growled threateningly.

She quickly threw up her hands in surrender. "I promise you, I'm not. Let me explain: when Trunks used the time machine for the first time, it created a few alternate timelines as a result, one of which where Cell came from. I was lucky to stop a second time machine from being used before another timeline could be created."

"Hey, Trunks."

The half-Saiyan's eyes widened in surprise as someone stepped out from among the scrolls.

"My, how you've grown," Tapion said as he joined the small group, a small grin on his face. "You've gotten so much stronger; it's good to see."

"T-Tapion?" Trunks stammered in disbelief.

It had to be Tapion from another timeline. In his world, the Konatsian had appeared on Earth when Trunks was a pre-teen, requesting help to stop the behemoth Hirudegarn. Even with the threat of the Androids at the time, Gohan and Trunks accepted and in the battle, Tapion trapped the monster within his own body. In order to finally destroy the beast, Tapion had given his sword to Trunks and as a result, the young half-Saiyan had no choice but to slay his second friend to stop the threat. The incident had scarred the boy and he decided to use Tapion's sword out of honour of the sacrificial hero. So to see the Konatsian alive and well before him brought a measure of alleviation to the guilt Trunks had been carrying in the years since that terrible day.

"You're alive," Trunks continued. "How-?"

"Chronoa told me you had to kill me in your timeline. That was very brave of you," Tapion said. "As for me, such an act was avoided. Your friends, especially Goku, helped stop Hirudegarn."

"Wait, Goku's alive?" the half-Saiyan said in surprise, clearly thinking of heroic Saiyan's death at the Cell Games.

"He eventually returned to life to help stop Majin Buu," Chronoa explained. "He even has the same transformation that you showed against Super 17 and Cell."

"Of course he does. It's Goku. I wouldn't expect anything less from him."

Ocarin cleared his throat. "This reunion is nice and all, but do we not have a problem to deal with?"

"Oh, right," Chronoa explained. "So, as I was saying, Trunks created alternate timelines when he changed the past; as a result, someone is trying to alter them even further and we need to stop them and fix the changes."

"And this is connected to Demigra?"

"I believe so. Are you ready?"

"Yes," Trunks announced.

"Oh and one more thing," Chronoa stated and she snapped her fingers. Trunks' clothes instantly changed into an outfit that consisted of a black trench coat with a fur-lined collar, an olive green sweater underneath, olive green pants with lighter-colored bandages around his shins and brown colored laced boots. A brand new sword similar to his own appeared on his back, completing his new appearance. "Alright, now we're ready to go."

She handed him a scroll that was glowing with dark magic and an instant later, the trio vanished.

-X-

Age 762.

"Where are we?" Tapion asked.

"Home," Ocarin replied, gazing fondly at Planet Namek.

Trunks was about to make a comment, but several energy signatures caught his attention and he realised when they were: the struggle against Frieza. He sensed the tyrant's energy easily, but quickly realised that it appeared stronger than what it should be.

"Hey," came Chronoa's voice. "So, as you've no doubt realised, you're on Planet Namek during the battle against Frieza. Do you sense that dark magic on him, making him stronger? If that remains, history will be changed. He won't fight Goku; he'll destroy him and there'll be no Super Saiyan."

"So what do you want us to do, Supreme Kai?" Tapion asked.

"Find a way to remove the magic from Frieza so history can continue as it should."

Trunks grimaced. "Supreme Kai, how are we going to do that? My father will see me long before he should; won't that change time?"

"You're protected by my magic," Chronoa explained. "When the alteration has been fixed and history flows properly again, their memory of this encounter will be erased; they won't remember you."

The half-Saiyan relaxed. "Understood. Let's move out."

It didn't take long for the trio to reach the battlefield and Trunks gasped in horror when he saw his badly-beaten father at the mercy of Frieza. Not only that, but the galactic tyrant's body was surrounded by an evil purple aura, his eyes completely red as he prepared to finish off the Saiyan Prince and the half-Saiyan felt the massive increase in Frieza's power. Immediately, he charged into the fight and slammed Frieza with a powerful, knocking him away from Vegeta.

"Who…the hell…are you?" the Saiyan Prince weakly demanded.

"Yes, a question I would like answered as well," Frieza sneered, unfazed by Trunks' attack. "You're interrupting a disciplinary action. Be gone or else suffer the same fate."

Trunks launched at the tyrant, who easily blocked his fist. "No way. This power increase is intense! All the more reason we have to free him."

Frieza's tail whipped around and batted Trunks aside, as Ocarin and Tapion joined the fight. Frieza fired a Death Beam at the latter, who narrowly dodged it and struck the former with a Death Wave. Ocarin blocked the attack in time, surprised at the tyrant's power. Frieza smirked, the dark power increase inflating his ego and egging him on as he unleashed several rapid Death Beams at the trio. Trunks transformed into a Super Saiyan, as Ocarin took on his Red- Eyed Form and together, they drove their fists into Frieza at the same time with such force that the tyrant was sent flying. He corrected himself and snarled, the aura flickering.

"I think it's working," Tapion noted. "Keep at it."

"You worms," Frieza snarled. "I'll destroy you and this miserable planet."

"No, you will not," Ocarin cried as he slammed a kick onto the tyrant's neck. "You will not harm Namek any further."

Frieza lashed out and missed, as Trunks hit him with a Burning Attack. The aura flickered again and as the half-Saiyan and Namekian continued their assault, Tapion flew into position, charging energy in his palms. He made sure to pour just the right amount to avoid killing Frieza, tempting as it was to end the tyrant right here and now, but Chronoa had warned him about changing time. When the time was right and Trunks smashed Frieza into the ground, Tapion unleashed his Energy Wave and it crashed into Frieza, washing the dark magic from his body and restoring him to normal.

"Wha – what just happened?" the tyrant grumbled in a daze. He saw no-one around and remembered what he was doing: punishing Vegeta. With a gleeful smirk upon noticing the Prince's prone body, he returned to his delicate work.

-X-

"Great work, guys," Chronoa cheered. "Get ready to come back – oh no, wait."

"Is something wrong, Supreme Kai?" Trunks questioned.

"You have visitors."

Two beings appeared before the trio. One was a beautiful, blue-skinned woman in a red and black form-fitting suit, a staff in her hand and the other a stoic, and menacing blue-skinned man. Both had white hair and pointed ears, the woman wearing an annoyed look.

"Who are you people?" she demanded. "What right do you have to interfere?"

"Who are you?" Trunks shot back. "Are you ones behind this aberration?"

"What does it matter to you?"

"Whoever you are, witch, you will not get away with changing history," Tapion said, reaching for his sword.

She sniffed dismissively at him. "Friends of Chronoa, I presume? Perhaps she should have chosen better friends. Or stayed out of our business. Mira, please take care of them."

Mira sneered and made his move – Tapion smashed into the side of a mountain. Immediately, Trunks and Ocarin transformed, the former going immediately into his Super Saiyan 2 form and once again, Mira sneered.

"Unimpressive."

She hung back to watch with a smile of satisfaction as Mira traded blows with Trunks and Ocarin, holding up to them quite well. Tapion returned to the fight, his sword free of its scabbard and he swung hard – Mira blocked the blow with his forearm. He shoved Tapion aside and traded blows with Ocarin as Trunks charged a Galick Gun, unleashing it when Ocarin was batted aside. Towa frowned when Mira was struck by the energy beam, but her fears were abated when he emerged unscathed and he stared at the half-Saiyan with curiosity.

"You. You have a great deal of power, but you're holding back. Show it to me."

"Are you sure about that?" Trunks asked. "Do you not value your life?"

Mira sneered. "I am the strongest being in the universe. No matter your power, you cannot beat me."

The half-Saiyan contemplated transforming, but he knew if he did, it would disrupt the flow of history, as everyone involved in the battle against Frieza would sense him and he couldn't risk letting them know about his strength. Even now, he was risking the change in his Super Saiyan 2 form, but this Mira was intent on knowing his power.

"The way I see it is that you're outnumbered," Ocarin pointed out. "You either have the option to run away or you could surrender."

"None of you scare me," Mira sneered. "None of you are a threat to me."

Trunks decided to go for it. If nothing else, perhaps he could intimidate the Demon Android. He began powering up, his aura flashing wildly and the once-calm ocean began crashing against the shores, cracks appearing in the surrounding area. He tried to control his output of his power to prevent anyone else knowing about their presence, while at the same time, he had to show Mira that he was a serious threat to him. Sure enough, he noticed Mira's eyes widen slightly in surprise and the half-Saiyan hadn't even transformed yet.

"You still want me to go further?" Trunks asked cockily. "You still want to see my full power?"

"Show it to me," Mira demanded.

Towa grimaced, noting Trunks' strength. "Perhaps we should do this another day, Mira. We've wasted enough time here dallying with them. We have other business to attend to."

The Android growled in irritation. "Fine. But this isn't over between us."

The pair disappeared from sight and Trunks relaxed his powers, returning to his normal form. "Count on it."

"Phew," came Chronoa's voice. "Come back home, guys."

-X-

Night had fallen, but Capsule Corps was still alight when Trunks and Ocarin returned. Tapion elected to remain at the Time Vault with Chronoa, wishing to peruse history and since the Supreme Kai was satisfied with their work, she allowed the other two to return home. Ocarin bade Trunks goodnight and headed for the gardens, as Trunks made his way inside and headed to his room. There, he found Lazuli asleep in his bed, but she immediately woke up when he entered.

"Got yourself some new threads, huh?" she commented. "That's what you get for changing time. So, how is the Supreme Kai?"

"She's alright," Trunks replied as he shucked his clothes down to his underwear. "We got sent back in time to prevent history from being changed. Met the ones responsible; seem like a troublesome pair. How's the baby?"

"Oh, I'm fine, thanks for asking," Lazuli snarked. "Wait, you didn't mean me, right? Baby's fine. Nothing's changed in the hours that you've been gone."

He gave her a small smile. "I know, but…I've never done this before. I'm anxious."

"You're not the only one. At least you don't have to worry about morning sickness. So, does the Supreme Kai still want you to work for her?"

He nodded. "Yeah, my debt to her isn't finished already. These two…they're going to be a problem, so I guess until we finally stop them, I won't be around much."

Lazuli grumbled. "Well, you're here now, so come to bed."

He smiled enthusiastically and climbed into the bed beside her. Meanwhile, out in the gardens, Ocarin was preparing himself for sleep when he suddenly seized, the entirety of his eyes flashing red. He snarled, trying to fight against the evil that attacked his mind and he roared as a purple aura surrounded him. However, he was no match for Demigra's magic and in the end, the Namekian succumbed to the might of the Demon Wizard with a sadistic grin.