Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ A Time Mixup! ❯ Confessions and oddities: Goku’s trip through the ages! ( Chapter 8 )

Chapter 8

Confessions and oddities:

Goku's trip through the ages!

Goku paused on the edge of the cliff, looking down, puzzled. Something about this place just seemed wrong. The city below him seemed very… Odd.

It was full of tall buildings, but they were filled with odd people… And the weirdest he had already seen-a guy in a blue cape. Goku wasn't a judge on universes, but it didn't seem right.

He moaned, but then felt that powerful presence coming towards him again. The guy in the red cape was coming towards him, a determined look on his face. Goku noticed that, in reaching out with his ki, he might have spooked this flying caped man into visiting him. The man landed in front of Goku, his face annoyed.

"What business do you have on Earth?"

Goku blinked, first at the odd "S" on his chest, then at the square face of this strange man.

"This is Earth? Whoa." He blinked around him, thinking. No capsules, no anything… These universes are really different… He straightened up, trying to sound more serious. "I'm looking for my son and his friend. Have you seen them? My son looks a lot like me, and his friend has short… At least I think it's short… Oh man, King Kai could have at least given me a picture… You see, I've never actually met them. I've been dead for the last seven years. I come from another Universe, and if I don't find them, and they die, their eternal souls will be destroyed. So you see… It's kinda important."

"Another Universe?" The caped man seemed intrigued. Goku smiled.

"Yeah. Uh-huh. And another Earth, like this one. I'm a Saiyan, though. I landed on Earth as a baby and grew up there. I was a fighter for the Earth before I died."

"Really?" The man smiled a bit. He held out his hand. "Well… I'm Superman, if you didn't already know…"

"Oh. I'm Goku." He shook Superman's hand, then smiled a bit. "Do you fight for the Earth here, in this Universe?"

Superman nodded.

"Me, along with a few others. We protect it."

Goku laughed softly.

"It must be pretty safe. You're ki's really weak."

"My what?"

Goku winked, then looked at the sky.

"Well, I've gotta get going. I don't sense any energy here that's strong enough to be Goten, or Trunks, so… I'll try the next universe! Bye!"

Superman blinked.

"Hey-wait a second!"

But Goku vanished before he could even get his words out. Superman shook his head.

"The guys that show up in Metropolis…"

*******

"Oh my…" Yuna blinked down at her young friend, her eyes confused. "A… Saiyan?"

Trunks nodded.

"Yeah. I… I don't wanna lie anymore. I'm not like you-I'm not from Spira. I'm from Earth, and on Earth, well… Machina isn't forbidden. That's how I got here. I took my mom's time machine, but something happened… It wasn't complete, and it exploded. I survived, but… But Goten…" He bowed his head, his face pale and sad. His eyes filled with tears, but he held it in. "Goten wasn't anywhere to be found. I looked and looked, but I couldn't find him, and I can't feel his energy. I… It's all my fault. If I hadn't… Oh…" He bowed his head and dropped to his knees, his face pale. "I thought that… If Goten and I could maybe travel to some far off time… And save the people there… Maybe we would be heroes, and our parents-no…" He shook his head, realizing the truth for the first time. "No… Goten didn't need to be a hero… I did. I wanted my Papa to love me, and I thought that if I could maybe… I was just afraid to go alone. I just needed Goten there to make me feel important-like I was in charge. And now…" He laughed bitterly, grinning up at them with a smile that didn't match the tears streaming down his face. "Look at me. Some hero, huh…? I destroyed my mother's newest invention-the pinnacle of her career, stranded myself alone in a foreign time and place… And I killed my best friend. I…"

Yuna shook her head. She hugged Trunks, who gasped in surprise.

"Don't worry…" She said softly. "Don't worry, and don't be afraid…" Yuna smiled a bit, wiping the tears from Trunks's young face. "Little Trunks, I want to welcome you, on behalf of all of Spira. Welcome, to our world…"

Trunks blinked at her, then looked to the others. They were all smiling at him. Trunks stood up, then looked at them all.

"You… You aren't mad at me? For being… Different?"

Wakka laughed.

"Why would we be? Anyone who wastes a Sinspawn like that and wins the Tournament for the Aurochs is alright by me!"

Tidus grinned.

"Now I don't feel so lonely, Trunks. I'm not the only one lost in this place."

Lulu was next.

"We are all different, in some way or another. You should have told us in the beginning… We could have been more understanding."

The mysterious man who had stood quietly behind the others now spoke up, his voice solemn.

"We all fight Sin-that is our common purpose. And you… You are Yuna's Guardian, are you not?"

Trunks nodded, and the man continued.

"Then… Your being here, is not for a dark purpose. Perhaps fate drew you here to protect her. To help save our world."

"But Goten…" Trunks shook his head. "I… I killed him. He must have died in the explosion…"

"Maybe not…" Yuna said, her voice soft. "Maybe he's out there, waiting for you."

Trunks looked at her, then looked off towards the sea. He looked at the cloud-scarred sky, then looked back down at his hand.

"Waiting for me… And Mama and Papa…" He looked up, then smiled back at the others, his eyes shimmering once more-this time with tears of realization. "They're all waiting for me. Even if… They die before I find them in this life…" He turned back towards the sea, the wind blowing his lilac hair about his face. "I'll find them in the next." He looked up again, blinking in the salty wind. "Goten, if you have really died… If you're gone… Then you're with Goku, in the sky." Trunks grinned, then stuck his tongue out at the sky. "And I'll be up there someday too, so sit tight! Just for now… Get to know your Papa… I'm sure he's missed you…" Then he clenched his fist, looking down at his skin, which was by now tanned by the sun. "And if you're not dead…" He flew into the air, with outstretched arms. "Then I'll find you! I'll find you, Goten, my best friend! 'Cause you'd find me, if I was lost! So just hang on, okay?" He nodded, then set back down, grinning at his friends. Yuna smiled, her eyes shining. Trunks grinned back. "In the future of my time, I saved them all." He said, softly. "I went back in time with my mother's time machine, and I stopped my friends from dying in a horrible attack. That's why my mom kept working on the time machine in our own time… In case I was still meant for that greater purpose." He hovered up, so he was eyelevel with Yuna. "And she was right. My purpose now, now that Earth is safe, is to help save Spira! I'll train, Yuna, just you wait and see-and I'll surpass even my father! I'll beat Sin back; I'll send him away with my power! I won't let him hurt your world anymore!"

The group applauded, and Yuna hugged Trunks. She smiled at him.

"Thank you… I know that you must hurt, inside… You must miss your home…"

"I do." Trunks said truthfully. "But… My father once told me… That it's foolish…" He turned towards the sea again, his hair moving slightly in the wind. "…to miss what you can't possibly have back…"

******

Goku stared at the girl in the Sailor Suit, his brown eyes wide with surprise. They were both frozen, locked in a bit of a staring contest. She had been in the middle of some powerful attack when he had suddenly appeared before her, and now she seemed to be holding it in check, as if she was undecided on his allegiance. An extremely strange creature cackled at her from behind him, and he turned, quite aware that whatever that girl had stored in that little wand of hers could leave him with a very nasty wound. He spoke to her slowly.

"I'm not your enemy… I'm just gonna take care of that guy back there, then we'll talk, okay…? Hold that attack." He turned, trusting her not to panic. He carefully brought his hands forward, and then sprung like a panther towards the creature. He easily overcame its weak power, beating it until it fell out of being. A small little bead fell to the ground, cracking in half before disappearing. Goku blinked, bewildered, then he turned back towards the girl. She was now looking at him in confusion. An angry shout to his left caught him off guard, and he whirled about.

"Who are you?! Look what you've done!!!"

The voice belonged to a very disgruntled looking woman. Goku immediately sensed her evil intentions, and he glared at her.

"Get out of here." He said lowly. "There's no reason for us to fight. I'll let you go today, and maybe you'll think twice before attacking people with your little pets!"

The woman backed up a few steps, turned and ran, shouting threats and profanities over her shoulder. Goku spat, then turned towards the girl, who was now looking at him with wide blue eyes.

"Wh-wh-what do you want?!"

Goku smiled a bit, and walked up to her. Her ki was pure, kind and gentle like his was. He sensed immediately that this had to be one of his counterparts.

"Don't worry…" He said softly. "I'm on your side. I'm looking for my son and his friend."

"Oh…" The girl let out a bit of a sigh, then turned around, looking about her. "Is everyone okay?"

Several girls emerged from a building behind them; a building which looked like it had had better days. They looked at Goku, puzzled, and Goku smiled.

"I'm just passing through." Goku said, holding up a hand. "I'm looking for my son, and his friend. Their names are Goten and Trunks, and Trunks has lilac colored hair…"

The girl with the pigtails shook her head.

"I'm sorry… I haven't seen them."

Goku smiled a bit, but he felt the pressure on him growing stronger.

"That's okay. I sense that they're not here… So… I'd better get going. I don't have much time you see-I'm not from this Universe, and well, I really need to find them. Bye!" He placed two of his fingers to his forehead, and flickered like a bad transmission. He waved, and was gone.

The girl, Sailor Moon, watched him in surprise as he went. But as he vanished, she realized that she hadn't feared him for one odd reason.

She had felt like she knew him…

*******

Trunks yawned and leaned against the fence post, his eyes drooping. He was really tired, unusually tired. He felt achy too, as if he had just worked out in the gravity room for too long. The odd feeling that something about him was changing was constant now-the fact of it was made material from the way he had to constantly push his bangs out of his face to see. His hair had grown nearly an inch in less than a day, and he was beginning to fear that maybe the time machine had done something to him, altering him somehow. He was a little scared, but he had to fight that down. After all, so far it wasn't so bad. His hair would get longer, and he'd just cut it. He was a little tired and achy, so what? He'd just relax more. He sighed, but then straightened up as the new comer-Auron, he believed-passed in front of him without so much as a nod. Tidus passed by a few moments later, looking pale as a ghost. Trunks fell into step with his older friend, and he looked up at him inquisitively.

"What's the matter?"

Tidus sighed heavily, and spoke, his voice thick.

"Nothing."

"It doesn't sound like nothing." Trunks folded his arms in a stubborn gesture, his eyes narrowed, and he pouted. "Why won't you tell me? I confessed to the guys that I was an alien for Kamissake. The very least you could do…"

Tidus sighed again, and spoke.

"It's about my old man…"

"Oh. Your Papa? What about him? Some Blitzball record you can't break?"

"Not exactly…" Tidus stopped for a moment, and then he remarked, a little more to himself than to Trunks, "They are going to hate me…"

"Why?" Trunks asked, his curiosity bubbling. "I mean, if it's that bad, I'll whip out some forbidden Machina to keep them busy. They'll forget about whatever you told them in no time."

Tidus moaned, and spoke sharply.

"Just don't worry about it! It's none of your business!"

Trunks stopped in his tracks as though he'd been slapped. Tidus stopped, and then sighed.

"Look… Trunks, I'm sorry. I'm just… A little stressed. Could I tell you later?"

"Okay…" Trunks looked at him sadly, feeling a little pity for his wild-haired friend. Something had happened, and Trunks was positive it had to do with Auron.

*******

"Aaaaaah!!!" Goku flipped out of the way of the barrage of household items that now flew at him. He stumbled out of the house, his face beet red. Of all the places to pop up… He was soaking, and he was embarrassed. He'd caught the poor girl in the shower of all places! He looked about wildly, and then heard a piercing cry.

"I'm gonna kill that PERVERT!!!!!" Goku whirled about, left eye twitching. The red-haired girl was after him, shouting threats at the top of her lungs. She was extremely powerful, that Goku could tell. But he couldn't feel Trunks or Goten.

"It was an accident!" Goku exclaimed, his brown eyes wide. "I… I didn't know you were in the shower!!!"

The girl glared at him, her eyes hateful.

"You damn PERVERT! How dare you bust in here like that!!!"

"A-ko… What's with the racket…?" Another girl came outside, dressed in pajamas. She rubbed her eyes sleepily, then noticed Goku. "Oh, my… A-ko, you didn't tell me that you were having a guy over…"

"I didn't invite him, B-ko!!!" A-ko was indignant, her eyes fiery pools. "I was in the shower-and then alluva sudden, POOF!!!" She brought her arms out in an accentuated motion, nearly losing her towel. "There he was, taking me in with those huge eyes of his!"

"I wouldn't have minded." B-ko smiled coyly at Goku, walking up to him. "Well hello there…" She said softly. She looked him over, and smiled a bit. "Wow! A-ko, did you see his muscles?!"

Goku blinked at the girl, then rubbed the back of his head.

"I'm sorry about just appearing like that… I'm not from this Universe, you see… I'm looking for my son, Goten, and his friend, Trunks. Trunks should have lilac hair, and they're both really strong…"

A-ko shook her head.

"We never see anyone around here. You're the first person we've seen in weeks, other than the hunters."

"But you could stay…" B-ko grinned at Goku, her eyes sparkling. Goku shook his head.

"Sorry, but I've gotta keep looking! I'm off again! Bye!" And with that, he vanished. B-ko let out a cry.

"Oh no! He's gone!!"

A-ko smirked.

"Good riddance. Damn pervert… I can't believe you, B-ko. You'll flirt with anyone…"

******

Trunks slept fitfully that night, the night before the rest of his journey began. He dreamt of many things that night… Of Goten, and his family mostly, but then he heard a voice… A voice beckoning to him…

"Help me… You're the only one… Please…" The voice paused, and wavered, as if it were traveling through water. "You must grow, warrior… You must grow, and free me! Your world depends on it…!"

Trunks tried to run towards the sound, but could not move. He felt his body burning, aching as if he was being stretched. He screamed, but no one could hear…

And then he woke up.

He winced, choking. His pajamas… They were tight around his neck and arms. He sat up and the shirt all but disintegrated. He looked about him in shock, and then realized something that horrified him.

His hair…

It was a full three inches longer. His bangs were brushing his chest. He parted his hair and got up, dashing to the next room.

"Yuna!!! Tidus!!!!" He shouted their names in a voice racked with cold panic, his blue eyes filled with horror. "Help me! Help me!!!" They both dashed to him then, and Yuna looked at him in surprise. The rest of the group soon joined them, as Yuna brushed his hair back.

"What happened?!"

Trunks shook his head.

"I… I dunno!!! I went to sleep, and when I woke up, my pajama top was too small, and my hair was long! I… I don't know what's wrong with me!!"

"You grew." Tidus was looking at him, studying his features. "You grew a little, that's all."

"A little?!" Wakka seemed as shocked as Trunks. "His hair's in his face!!!"

Trunks nodded.

"It isn't normal. Something… Something must have happened to me. When the Time Machine exploded. I…" He grinned nervously. "I'm a little scared." He admitted. Yuna placed her hand on Trunks's shoulder.

"Don't worry, Trunks. We'll find out what's wrong, and we'll fix it."

Tidus nodded.

"That's right! Just don't worry-I'm sure you won't grow much more. At least you're an inch taller."

Trunks nodded, but he didn't feel better. On the contrary… He felt… Older.

********

Now what am I doing here…? Goku blinked confusedly at the green-gray walls of the room he was standing in, and was suddenly spooked by a cry behind him.

"Who DARES infiltrate my un-infiltratable fortress?! Grr!!! Get in here NOW!"

Goku blinked, then turned towards the voice. A very small, green child was standing about ten feet away, his eyes narrowed. What appeared to be a stuffed dog bounced around behind him. The boy pointed at Goku, and spoke in a crazed voice.

"YOU! Earth-scum! What business do you have here?! How did you get in here?! TELL ME!!!"

Goku blinked, then smiled.

"Oh. I used my Instantaneous Movement technique. It allows me to go anywhere I want, as long as I can sense ki…" Goku peered down at the boy. "I came here, since I felt a small ki. I thought that maybe my son or his friend Trunks my be repressing their ki…"

"You…" The boy gave him a fearful look. "You can go anywhere?!"

Goku nodded.

"Yeah."

"And… There is NO WAY to STOP you?!"

"No, at least… I don't think so…"

The boy leapt back, his eyes wide. He grabbed the dog.

"Grr!!! Do you have ANY IDEA what this means?! The HUMANS! They could be mounting their attack right NOW!!! Why didn't I anticipate that they might have Tele-port-thingies?! WHY?! No matter…" The boy looked down, dropping the dog. He rubbed his hands together, his eyes burning. "NO matter… I'll take care of this one. I'll just have to be on TOTAL guard from NOW on!" The dog, Grr, smiled at him.

"I think he's nice. Can he come to my room?"

"NO GRR! You idiot! Ready the MACHINES!!!" Grr shook his head.

"Naw, I'm gonna sing the Doom Song for him. Wanna see?" He grinned at Goku, and began to roll around on the floor. "Doom doom doom doom…"

"GRRR!" Shouted the boy, angrily.

Goku grinned a bit, holding up his hands.

"I'd like to stay and play around, but I've really gotta be going. Bye!" He disappeared instantly, and the green boy let out a scream.

"Dear GOD! He's gone again! He's gone to tell the other human-scum about our fortress!!! Oh… NOOOO!"

Grr held up a paw towards where Goku had been.

"Come back soon!" He smiled at the boy. "I'nt he nice?"

******

Trunks walked stiffly, feeling uncomfortable in his small clothes. He'd only grown an inch or so, so why did it make such a difference?! Yuna had tied his hair back in a ponytail for the time being, promising to cut it as soon as they got to the next temple. The road that they were on was well traveled; in fact, they ran into many people who were traveling to Luca. Trunks felt hot now that he was away from the sea breeze, but it was good to finally be dry. He talked to Yuna, trying to get more information on Sin.

"So… Lemme get this straight… You've had a monster dwelling in the oceans for 1000 years and you STILL build on the coast?!"

Yuna shrugged.

"People don't want to flee their homes, and besides… Tales have told us that Sin can fly, if he wishes it. If we had moved inland, he would have followed us, and there would have been no escape. Even the Ronso Tribe on Mt. Gagazet have had run-ins with Sin, and its Sinspawn…" Trunks looked at the ground.

"Oh. And… No one has defeated it?"

Yuna shook her head.

"Many people have defeated Sin… It's just that… Sin comes back. A Summoner brings the Calm, and when the Calm passes, Sin is reborn."

"That's stupid." Trunks pouted, his eyes narrowed. "There must be a way to kill it."

Yuna shook her head.

"The only way to bring the Calm, the Hope of Spira, is to summon the Final Aeon to defeat Sin." Trunks grinned.

"You know, with some training, we could all be stronger than any old Aeon. I'll kill Sin, don't worry."

Yuna smiled at him, but there was sadness in that smile. Trunks felt a little uncomfortable, so he fell into step with Tidus. He looked up at Tidus, and spoke quietly.

"What's wrong with Yuna…? She seems really down alluva sudden…"

Tidus shrugged.

"I don't know. She really pities you, Trunks… That might be it."

Trunks scowled.

"She pities me. Great."

"Why is that a bad thing?" Tidus smiled a bit, ruffling Trunks's long hair. "When you get pitied, you get loved. Don't you want that?"

"I don't want pity. I don't wanna be treated like a kid. I wanna be a grown up!"

"It isn't all good, you know…" Tidus gestured towards the others. "Look how uptight everyone is. Even Wakka. Being an adult isn't easy, you know, Trunks. You should be careful what you wish for."

Trunks sighed.

"I suppose you're right…" He stuck his hands in his pockets, and then looked down at his feet. He felt so odd… What's wrong with me…? He wondered silently. He looked up towards the blue and white streaked sky, his worries building. He was scared, and though he had many friends, he was alone. No one here could understand what he was going through…

*******

Goku found himself in a dark, damp hallway. He looked around wildly, wondering what, exactly, had happened to the ki that had drawn him to that place. It had been so great… He looked up, feeling a ki draining above him. That soul was pained, and dying a horrible death at that moment. Goku could tell from the nature of the ki that it belonged to a young man, a young man who had just experience a crushing loss. Goku shivered. It was the first time he had felt a pain like that. He heard a weak cough to his left, and he looked over, his eyes widening when he saw what had made the pitiful sound. A young boy, no older than three, lay on his back next to a wall. He wore ornate clothing, but it was dirty and ripped, the bright colors faded. His shirt had ripped away revealing a horrible wound on the boy's chest. Goku felt a pang of pity, and he knelt next to the child, his eyes pained. He felt the soul above him again, and realized what had happened. The man that had just perished above him was related to this boy, this small child who lay dying before Goku. Goku searched the child's thoughts, and he heard the child's cries.

Daddy… Mommy… Jade… No… I'm… I'm scared… Don't leave me alone…!

Goku winced, tears coming to his eyes. He knelt next to the boy, and spoke softly.

"I can't let you die, little guy… …" He gave a bit of his ki to the child, and watched as the child's breathing normalized. The wound sealed, and stopped bleeding, and the child stopped shivering. Goku smiled, his heart breaking. "There you go… … You're going to be fine." Goku looked up, feeling a force of ultimate darkness above him suddenly. Goku shivered, and looked back to the child. He could feel that the country he was now in was under siege, and he stood up slowly, looking at the boy. "Here." He said, softly. He gave the child some more of his ki, enough to allow him to move and run very fast. The boy's eyes opened weakly, and he looked up at Goku in a daze. Goku smiled a bit, and he spoke. "I've gotta go, kiddo… Listen. You've gotta run, okay? You've gotta run from this place. Run, and train. And remember… Despite whatever happened to you, you've got to keep your innocence. Okay?"

The boy nodded, and then spoke softly.

"Are you… Are you an angel?"

Goku smiled a bit, looking down at the little red-haired boy. Tears filled his eyes as he was reminded of Gohan. He wondered if Goten looked like this… He looked up again, but could not feel the ki of his son. He sighed, and looked at the boy, reluctant to leave him.

"I guess you could say that… But I can't stay with you… I've got to go back up to Heaven. Your mom and sister… They are already there. Your mom is a very beautiful angel."

The boy's face brightened.

"Mommy and June… Are angels?"

Goku nodded. He felt terrible lying, but he couldn't be blunt with such a young child.

"Yeah…"

"Where's daddy?" The boy looked up at him with big blue eyes, his face hopeful. Goku felt a lump in his throat. His father… It had to be that man who had died only a moment after he had arrived… The boy shared a similar ki… Goku bowed his head, then placed his hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Listen…" He said, his voice soft. "No matter… No matter what happens, your dad will be watching you. Don't worry… You won't be alone."

The boy bowed his head, his face filling with recognition.

"Daddy's… Daddy is dead, isn't he…?"

Goku bowed his head, then placed his hand on the boy's head.

"It'll be okay… I promise."

The boy bowed his head, his eyes filling with tears.

"I'll… I'll never forgive Lynx!!!"

"No!" Goku shook his head. "You can't function off of revenge-you've got to stay innocent. It's the only way."

The boy looked at him with confused, teary eyes, but the realization flashed across them.

"Okay… But…" He bowed his head, searching for words. Goku placed his hand on the boy's shoulder, his eyes serene.

"You'll get back at the darkness… Don't worry. But remember-anyone can change… You can't let yourself sink to their level."

The boy nodded, his eyes sad. Goku spoke again.

"I've gotta go… Will you be okay?"

"Why do you need to go?" The boy sounded fearful.

"My son…" Goku said softly. "He's a little boy, older than you, but just as important… He's lost, and I've got to find him. If I don't, I'll lose him forever."

The boy nodded.

"Okay then… It's important that you go. Thank you, Mr. Angel… I won't forget…"

Goku looked at him sadly.

"Grow up strong…" And then he was gone, leaving the boy, Prince Aaron, son of Chrono, the champion of Time alone in the hall. Goku had no idea as he left him that the boy would play an important role in the flow of the Universes, and that by saving Aaron; Goku did much more than save a boy… He had saved a future hero-or a future villain-a boy that would grow into a man who was filled with quiet rage, who would have to fight the restraints of darkness to battle on the side of the light.