102Dragon Ball Z: New Future
Chapter 1: Beginning Anew
A/N: Alright so this story is based on when Future Trunks and Future Mai decide to travel back to a new timeline in Super, except instead of returning to just before Goku Black appears, they choose to be sent to before mecha Frieza and King Cold arrive, so that they can prevent the destruction that was caused by the Androids as well.
As such, the story will start at the beginning of the Android saga but will diverge somewhat from the other timelines, keeping things familiar whilst also creating several changes for our two time travelers and those they interact with.
Anyway good reading, and let me know what you think of the first chapter, thanks Literal.
The night sky was bright and full of stars, the brilliant sparks of light twinkling overhead as a warm breeze gently swept through West City.
However things were not so content with a certain individual, as despite the beautiful sight of the universe above, all he could do was think about what he had lost instead.
Standing alone on the balcony of a large oval building, a young man in ragged clothing was looking downwards over the railing, his head hung low so that his blue hair was obscuring his features.
It is soon clear why as several teardrops fall from behind his meagre cover from the world, plummeting down to splash unceremoniously on the ground below.
Trunks couldn't help the intense hurt and sadness that was rocking his entire core, the loss of his timeline still raw as the events of the previous day finally took its toll on him.
"I failed them... Haru... Maki... all of the others! They were counting on me to save them and I just let them all die!" Trunks thought miserably to himself, the faces of his friends flashing through his mind as he keeps his eyes shut in anguish.
More tears trickle down his face before the sound of wrenching metal hits his senses, and Trunks opens his eyes to see that the railing he'd been bracing himself against was now slightly bent from his tight grip.
Letting go of the misshaped bar, he desperately wipes away the tears as he then looks up at the sky, finding no comfort in the sight as the many stars only serve to remind him of the universe he had once called home.
"I remember looking up at the night sky with Gohan when I was younger. Somehow it always used to fill me with hope that things would get better someday," Trunks thought before shaking his head at the memory.
"I fought so hard for that better future, that eventually I would rid my time of the monsters that plagued it," he continued with a heavy sigh, "I guess that was just wishful thinking after everything that's happened."
He is pulled from his inner monologue by the movement of the sliding door, and he glances over to see a young woman in a trench coat step out onto the balcony before shutting the door behind her.
"I see you needed some time to yourself as well," Mai said with a small smile, the redness in hers eyes making it clear that she had been battling with the same emotions he was currently.
Trunks nods half-heartedly as he lets his gaze hit the ground, knowing that as much as he was feeling distraught that Mai was likely feeling just as sad, being the only other survivor from his timeline.
Mai walks over to stand next to him, glancing at the indents in the railing before seeing that Trunks was doing his best to avoid looking her in the eyes.
She lets out a sigh before stepping closer to Trunks, placing a hand on his shoulder and causing him to finally look up.
"Please don't blame yourself Trunks, you did everything you could to save our timeline," she said reassuringly, "You didn't let anyone down because you tried your best okay?"
Trunks just remains silent for a few moments, seeing the sincerity in her eyes and feeling a little bit better from her efforts to comfort him.
"Thanks Mai, I think I needed to hear that from someone who understands," Trunks said with a weary smile of his own, grateful for his friend's presence.
Mai looks at him for a moment before she unexpectedly pulls Trunks into a hug, catching him off guard as he returns the gesture with a slight blush.
"We'll make it through this Trunks, as long as we're together I know that we will be okay!" Mai said determinedly before slowly pulling back, a similar colouring of red on her cheeks that mirrored his own.
They then stare into each other's eyes for several more seconds, seemingly mesmerized by one another before they jump at the sound of the door opening again, both of them looking over to see Bulma walking out.
"Sorry, did I interrupt something between you guys?" Bulma asked curiously as she nodded to the space between them, causing the young adults to look down in confusion before their eyes widen.
They realize that they had been holding hands since their hug, causing both of them to hastily let go in embarrassment as they turn away from each other whilst blushing furiously.
"Nope! We were just... talking that's all!" Trunks said hurriedly, clearly being uncomfortable with what his mother had just seen.
Bulma glances between the two as she adopts a knowing grin, feeling happy that her son from the future had a budding relationship with Mai.
"Oh I'm sure you were! So if you'd prefer that I'd leave you two alone..." Bulma said with a mischievous wink, to which Trunks and Mai pale considerably.
"No that's not necessary! We just finished our conversation actually!" Trunks said with an awkward chuckle, waving his hands in front of him for emphasis.
"Well in that case I was hoping that the two of you would join us for dinner. It'd be nice to have all of us eating at the table together," Bulma said with a cheerful grin, hoping to take their minds off their troubles for at least a little while.
Trunks and Mai share mutual looks of relief as they then follow Bulma through to the main dining area.
Upon entering they see that Vegeta is already scoffing down all the food that he could get his hands on, whilst everyone else in the room is giving him looks of shock at the unsightly display.
"Does your dad always eat like that?" a younger version of Mai asked cautiously, speaking to a similarly aged Trunks who was also staring at the adult Saiyan eating like it was his last meal.
"Um... kind of yeah," young Trunks said with a sheepish expression, as despite being half-saiyan himself even he couldn't keep up with the insane rate of his father.
"These Saiyans need to learn some etiquette! Even in the presence of deities they act like savage barbarians!" commented a purple cat creature in an Egyptian-like garb, speaking to the pale skinned man with a staff seated next to him.
"It's hardly surprising Lord Beerus, they exhibited this uncouth behavior when they were training on our planet as well," Whis said with an amused smirk, finding the Saiyan race fascinating with all its many quirks.
The two time travelers take in the lively sight for a moment before they then take their seats, opting to sit next to the angel and destroyer god.
Trunks quickly starts digging into the food himself, looking to be more than capable of matching his father and causing his younger counterpart's jaw to drop.
Mai approaches her food in a much more subdued fashion however, and her younger version picks up on her down demeanor despite now being surrounded by the others.
"Hey uh... older me, are you feeling alright?" the younger Mai asked, showing concern for her counterpart who looks up in slight surprise.
"Oh I'm fine, just feeling a little drained after today that's all," Mai said with a smile, trying to put on a positive face for her younger self.
Young Mai is not overly convinced by this, but before she could speak further Beerus interrupts her on the matter.
"Now look here future girl, there's no point in being miserable over your timeline. It's gone for good and there's nothing you can do about it!" Beerus said firmly, earning him a few harsh glares from some of the others at the table for his insensitivity.
Trunks adopts a particularly furious expression as he closes his eyes in anger, but before he could do anything rash he feels a hand on his clenched fist, and he glances over to see Mai shaking her head.
"It's okay, I know that we can't get our timeline back," Mai said with an assured look, "I just need some time to accept it, that's all."
Trunks marvels at his friend's sentiment as he then allows himself to calm down, knowing that he should be more careful around the likes of Beerus and Whis anyway.
"Oh that reminds me, I have some news about that which might be of interest to the two of you!" Whis exclaims suddenly, the time travellers quickly perking up at his statement.
"There actually might be a way for you to return to a timeline of your own! One that would be similar to your previous reality!" he continues, causing everyone in the room to stare incredulously at his statement.
"Are you serious? Can you really take us back to a timeline like the one we lost?" Trunks said in disbelief, feeling like it sounded too good to be true.
"Now let's not get ahead of ourselves Whis! If you plan on creating a whole new timeline then it's out of the question!" Beerus said sternly, "We've already created enough time rings from all of this time travel nonsense!"
"Not to worry Lord Beerus, the timeline I'm thinking of already exists. In fact it was created by accident from the actions of Grand Zeno himself!" Whis said with a smile, causing Beerus to tense up at the mention of the Supreme Deities name.
"You see when he attempted to destroy Trunks and Mai's timeline, his actions inadvertently created another reality, akin to Lord Beerus's actions when he destroyed Zamasu of this timeline," Whis explained to a shocked audience, as he then summoned a box to reveal seven time rings inside.
"These are all the realities in existence, and before this business with Zamasu there were only five, so taking into account the one Lord Beerus created, this seventh timeline must have been created by future Zeno," he said as he pulled the last time ring out, holding it up for all to see.
Trunks and Mai are dumbstruck at this revelation, feeling hope filling their hearts at knowing that all was not lost for them.
"This is incredible, I can't believe we have another shot at saving all of our friends!" Trunks said excitedly, looking over at Mai with a wide smile as they both feel elated at the good news.
"There are a few conditions however, and you might want to hear them first before you get too carried away," Whis said with a cautioning look, to which everyone quickly halts their celebrations.
"Firstly you will be making a one way trip, as once you arrive you are to stop any more disruptions by destroying the time machine," he said firmly whilst holding up a finger, "likewise you will have to arrive at a point prior to the activation of the other time machines, so that you can prevent their usage of them as well."
Trunks and Mai think on that information for a bit, knowing this meant that they wouldn't be able to reunite with their friends from their battle with Goku Black.
"Another thing to note is that you will most likely encounter other versions of yourselves, similar to the situation you find yourself in here," Whis added as he gestured to the younger versions of them from this timeline.
The two time travelers remain deep in thought, both contemplating the decision presented to them before Vegeta suddenly speaks up.
"So what would be the point in travelling to this new timeline then? They could easily stay here and there would be hardly any difference!" Vegeta stated with a frown, not seeing the point if the eventual outcome was the same.
"You are correct Vegeta, however the fact still remains that this is a timeline quite like their original, and should it be left to its own devices it will continue on a course that could end much like the first one!" Whis said with a concerned look, contemplating the many possibilities and problems that could arise from that.
"Wait, so you're saying that Goku Black and Zamasu will attack this new timeline as well!" Trunks said with a shocked look, feeling his anger rising up once again at the thought of those monsters.
"It is highly likely, and from that scenario several more time rings will be created, causing a real headache for us deities I might add!" Whis exclaimed with a sigh as he placed a hand on his forehead dramatically.
"If that's the case then you two are going to that timeline pronto! You can make up for your previous transgressions by preventing this time warping before it gets out of hand!" Beerus declared loudly as he stood up and pointed at Trunks and Mai from the future.
Both of them stare back at the god for a few moments, feeling slightly taken aback before they turn to see what each other was feeling about the situation.
"What do you say Mai? I know it's not our actual timeline, but I believe we should save it all the same don't you think?" Trunks asked with a hopeful look, though not wanting to give a proper answer without his close friend's input.
"You're right, we can't let everyone in this new timeline suffer the same fate we did!" Mai said in agreement, "And even if we don't get to see our friends the way we knew them, we can still save them regardless!"
The two of them then nod in unison as they then turn to face Whis, their determined looks showing that they were ready for the task ahead.
"Well I guess that's decided then, I suppose the only question now is at what point would you like to return to?" Whis asked curiously, to which Trunks quickly stands up in response.
"I know exactly where we should start!" he said with a look of certainty, the memories of mecha Frieza and King Cold coming to mind.
The next morning everyone who was present last night was now standing on the grass lawn outside of Capsule Corp, with several other additions having come to bid farewell to the time travelling duo as well.
"I think it's really awesome that you're heading to a new timeline Trunks! I just know you and Mai are going to do awesome over there!" Goku said with a wide grin, shaking Trunk's hand as the rest of the Son family stood alongside.
"Thank you Goku, I really appreciate everything you've done for me in the time I've known you, and I wish you the best of luck!" Trunks said with a smile of his own, feeling confident that with the power Goku and his father now wielded, this timeline would be safe without his assistance.
"I'm really happy for you too Trunks! You deserve this after everything you've been through!" Gohan said as he stepped up to the other half-saiyan, and Trunks doesn't hesitate to pull his friend into a hug.
"Thanks Gohan, I won't let you down this time I promise!" Trunks said as he pulled back, a slightly saddened expression on his face that earns him a concerned frown from Gohan.
"Is this about the me from your original timeline? Trunks you didn't let me... him down okay?" Gohan said firmly as he placed his hands on Trunk's shoulders.
Trunks stares into the eyes of the person who looked practically identical to the man he knew growing up, and even if it wasn't the Gohan who had been his mentor, hearing those words from him finally set his mind at ease.
"Sorry, I know I shouldn't beat myself up about that anymore, so I appreciate you saying that," Trunks said with a renewed smile, feeling immense relief as the guilt of Gohan's death finally released it's grip on his soul.
Trunks then notices his younger self standing there awkwardly, and he takes a knee to look him in the eyes.
"Hey how are you doing Trunks? What's with the long face?" Trunks said cheerfully, though finding it a little odd talking to a kid version of himself.
"Err, well it's just I really liked having you around. You're like a big brother… and I don't like that you're leaving," young Trunks said quietly as he looked at his older self, feeling sad at the thought that he was never going to see him again.
"Yeah I get what you mean, but even though I won't be around you have everyone else here for you, and that's just as good!" Trunks said reassuringly, knowing how special it was that this version of him could actually grow up with all of his family and friends.
Young Trunks cheers up considerably at those words, and the counterparts share a smile as they then shake hands.
A short distance away Mai was surrounded by the Pilaf Gang, as well as Android Eighteen and Krillin along with their daughter Marron.
"I'm glad that you liked the new clothes I picked out, I think they look really good on you," Eighteen said warmly as she looked over Mai's new outfit, the olive colored coat seeming to really suit the other woman.
"Thanks for helping me choose it, I never would have guessed that you were one for fashion!" Mai said with a smile, before frowning as she noticed Eighteen's expression falter somewhat at that comment.
"Mai, can you make me a promise?" Eighteen said looking suddenly serious, to which Mai nods, "If you come across the version of me in this new timeline, can you please help her?"
Mai is caught a bit off guard by this and doesn't immediately respond, Eighteen however continues on regardless as the emotion in her voice rises slightly.
"Just ensure that she doesn't make the same mistakes like the one from your timeline," Eighteen said shakily as she then glanced down at her husband and daughter, "I don't want her to destroy everything again, because she and everyone else deserves better than that!"
Mai can feel the emotional impact of those words as she then watches Eighteen take her husband's hand, clearly displaying the love that she had for her family.
"I promise if I find her then I will do my absolute best to help her out!" Mai said determinedly, earning her a grateful nod from both Eighteen and Krillin.
Mai then turns to her younger self and the rest of the Pilaf Gang, putting on a smile she takes a knee before her counterpart as well.
"I trust that you'll look after yourself little me?" Mai said in a playful tone to her counterpart.
"I'll be fine, it's you that should be careful with where you're going," young Mai replied with a grin of her own as she crossed her arms.
"Well aren't you acting responsible for such a young kid!" Mai said jokingly, knowing full well that both of them had a gift for not appearing their age.
"Not that young really, and you should know!" young Mai responded cheekily as she then walked up to give her older counterpart a hug, the two women enjoying their last interaction with each other.
"Trunks! Mai! Come over here, I have some supplies for you!" Bulma cried out as she walked over to the group of people, and the two in question break off their conversations to meet with the blue haired woman.
"Alright so I've packed all the essentials, a capsule house, food, vehicles and appliances that you'll need!" Bulma lists off as she opens a case full of multi-colored capsules.
"Oh and this one here!" she said holding up a purple one, "This is a dosage of heart virus medicine, so that you can save Goku in the new timeline!"
"Wow, you really managed to create the cure for the heart virus in this time?" Trunks commented in amazement, to which his mother nods proudly.
"Yep, so you don't have to worry about that causing problems for you!" Bulma said with a smile, as she placed the capsule back and handed the case over to her son.
"I'm really proud of you Trunks, and you too Mai! I wish you all the best in your new timeline!" she finished by hugging them both, which they happily return.
Trunks and Mai then say their goodbyes to the rest of the people gathered, before eventually making their way over to the time machine.
As Trunks comes up to the vehicle Vegeta suddenly steps out from the side, and in the blink of an eye throws a punch at Trunks who quickly blocks it by grabbing it with one hand.
Father and son share grins of acknowledgement as Trunks then lets go as he and Mai climb up into the time machine.
As the vehicle's canopy comes over the two occupants, Trunks looks down at everyone who has gathered, before his eyes cross those of Lord Beerus and Whis.
The destroyer god is wearing a serious expression as he narrows his eyes at Trunks, causing the Saiyan to gulp a bit as he gets the message quite clearly.
"I will destroy the time machine Lord Beerus, I promise," he thought to himself as he nods back at the deity who responds in kind.
As the time machine begins hovering up into the air, Trunks and Mai wave at all of their friends, knowing that this was the last time they would see these versions of them.
The vision of all of the happy waving faces slowly fades from view as the time machine initiates it's warp sequence, but just before it begins it's final trip Trunks catches a view that brings him to tears.
Gohan had shot up into the air just next to the where they were hovering, and the sight of him holding his fist up with a determined expression on his face was the last thing Trunks and Mai see before they are soon hurtling through the strange void of time space.
Year 764 of the Seventh Timeline...
An older man with a bushy moustache was drinking his coffee in the shade of his outdoor patio, a newspaper held in his other hand whilst he scrolled through the pages.
A sudden flash of light causes him to sit up in surprise as the small black cat on his shoulder starts meowing at the disturbance.
"Hmm, what's the matter scratch? That strange light giving you a bad feeling?" Dr. Briefs said as he squinted in the direction he had seen it from.
Unable to spot anything through the trees nearby he stands up and begins walking casually over to the location, taking his coffee with him as he comes round the cluster of foliage to get a better view.
"Well, seems like there's nothing here after all! Probably some silly kids playing around on my lawn again!" Dr. Briefs said with a sigh as he then turned around to head back towards his seat.
Hidden in the treeline however, Trunks and Mai let loose the breaths they had been holding as they then glance at one another in relief.
"Whew, that was a close one!" Trunks said as he wiped the back of his arm over his forehead.
"I suppose, though don't you want to speak to your grandfather about all of this?" Mai asked curiously.
"Not yet, I'd like to avoid creating any changes to this timeline unless we really need to," Trunks said before adopting a smile, "And besides we have a few months until Frieza arrives, so why don't we focus on getting settled in first!"
Mai smiles at that thought as well before she looks down at the time machine capsule in Trunk's hand, quickly drawing his gaze to it as well.
"So are we really going to destroy that? I mean it is our only chance of trying again if things go wrong for us," she said with a frown, to which Trunks just shakes his head firmly.
"I made a promise to Whis and Beerus, so I have no choice but to destroy it," Trunks said with a determined look, "And we won't need it either because I won't let things go wrong for us again!"
Trunks then clenches the capsule tightly in his fist with a crunch, and he then lets the shattered pieces of the capsule fall to the ground as he stares at what he had just done.
Mai watches his reaction carefully, and despite his determination she could tell that it had been a difficult thing for him to do nonetheless.
Trunks stays in place for a few more moments before he then looks back up at Mai, a weary expression on his face as he motions for her to follow, both of them quickly making their way off of the Capsule Corp grounds.
A/N: Hey guys thanks for reading the first chapter, and I'll just be going over some chapter notes here for clarification.
So I made an adjustment to the lore by having future Zeno unintentionally create the seventh timeline when he tried to destroy the second, because creating another one just for Trunks and Mai specifically seemed really stupid to me, and I believe that Whis and Beerus would want to avoid something like that at all costs.
Also I needed a reason for Trunks and Mai to actually want to travel to another time, as their previous logic made no sense to me at all and I always wondered why they didn't just stay in the first timeline, so making it an already existing timeline means that they would want to go there and stop all of the horrible events from happening.
And if you were wondering why they didn't create an eighth timeline by travelling to the seventh, it's because Whis linked them and their travel to the seventh time ring to avoid that problem. Also he's a magic space wizard so he can get away with it.
Seriously the Dragon Ball timeline gives me a headache, so thankfully that's out of the way now and I can write the story without any more of that stuff!