Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ A Time Mixup! ❯ Into the mists of time... The real adventure begins! ( Chapter 14 )

Chapter 14

Into the Mists of Time:

The Real Adventure Begins!

((For the best effect here, download the Vandread opening, "Trust". It's what I wrote this too! ^^ Listen to it when I put in the ^__^ face!))

Trunks stood on the roof of Capsule Corp., studying the city around him. He felt odd-tired almost. The child that Trunks had once been was still within him, but for some reason, there was something else there too. He felt wrong acting as he once had. He wondered if it was because he was becoming an adult. It felt almost as odd as the changes he was going through physically. His mother had analyzed his cells and calculated that physically, he was nearly sixteen years old. Mentally, he'd begun to age as well, but his inexperience was allowing some bit of his persona to survive. His heart was heavy with sorrow and regret-regret for what he had done to Goten. Chichi would no longer speak to him because of what he'd done to Goten… Trunks winced at the thought of his little friend… Even in this time of crisis the stars remained in Goten's eyes. Trunks's stars had long since gone out. The combined stress of his own changes, Goten's, and the coming journey had successfully transformed him almost overnight. He had to be serious. For Goten, and everyone. Now as he stood in his hometown for perhaps the last time he realized the gravity of what he was setting out to do, and the extent of the consequences if he failed. If they failed to find a way to undo the effects of the Time Machine, he would die. Trunks knew that for a fact that he would wither away until he died. Goten's future was still cloudy-he definitely had more time than Trunks, but Trunks was unsure of how serious Goten's condition would become. He narrowed his eyes, feeling anger building in his heart. Since he'd decided to leave, a sick feeling in his stomach had been robbing him of sleep. His mind subconsciously placed the blame for his current state on his parents-after all… If they had paid more attention to him, he'd never had taken the time machine. He had decided that he would never again allow anyone to get close to him-because he feared what he may do. Only the voyage mattered now, though he was unsure of where to go. He sat down, looking at his hand. Even though it was bigger, it was the same old hand. Suddenly, he heard a voice calling for him.

"Trunks! Trunks!" It was his mother. Trunks could hear the sadness in her voice. He turned slowly, and started to fly down to her, but stopped. Flying meant powering up. That meant death. He bowed his head.

I'll never even fly again… Frustrated, Trunks leapt from the roof, landing hard in front of Bulma, who cried out and hopped back. Trunks looked at her, sweeping his long hair back. Bulma sighed, and then gave him a sad smile.

"It's just about time, Trunks…"

Trunks nodded.

"Yeah… I know, Mama…" It felt odd calling her that, but it didn't matter-she would always be "Mama". Without another word, the two headed inside. Through the sliding glass door, past the living room and kitchen, past the countless labs and bedrooms, until they stood inside of Bulma's lab. Everyone was there. Chichi stood holding Goten, sobbing wildly. Gohan was looking at them with a far away look; as though he were so deeply wounded he couldn't even react as he wished he could. Vegeta stood next to the time machine, looking it over. He turned and regarded Trunks for a moment, his eyes distant. Bulma sighed, and spoke softly.

"It's time, everyone… Time for the boys to go… Time for them to begin their journey."

Chichi glared at Bulma, and she let out a cry.

"How do you know that this will solve anything?! Why do you want to send our babies out again?!"

Bulma shook her head, and gestured to the time machine.

"This is the only solution! If we don't act, if we just keep holding back… The boys will die!"

Chichi looked as though she'd been slapped, for she knew it was true. It was her heart that refused to accept it. Gohan looked to Goten, and spoke in a soft voice.

"Time to go, little guy…" He said softly. Goten looked at Gohan, and spoke softly.

"Gohan… I'm a little scared. Can you go too…?"

Trunks shook his head.

"That's dangerous. We don't want Gohan to get messed up too." Goten pouted.

"Aww… But c'mon…"

"It's true." Gohan agreed.

Goten bowed his head in defeat. Trunks sighed, and then turned to the time machine. He remembered Goku's words about leaving the universe, but he'd decided not to tell anyone. After all, they'd be worried enough as it was. He turned to his mother.

"So… How will we know where to go?"

"I installed an energy seeking instrument. It'll lock onto any energy that is similar to the energy released when you two left here. There's no telling where you're end up… Just please be careful when you get there…"

Trunks nodded.

"Don't worry, mama… I'll be careful." He glanced back at Goten, and smiled a bit. "Goten, you ready?"

Goten nodded.

"Uh-huh. Let's go, okay?"

Trunks noticed for the first time that his little friend had been crying. Goten gave his mother one more rather tight hug, then ran to Gohan, hugging him as well. After looking at his family for a moment, Goten dashed to Trunks, wiping at his face. Trunks's mother also seemed to be having trouble containing her tears. Her eyes glinted with them when she looked at him next.

"Here, Trunks…" She held out a suitcase with the company insignia on it. "These are your supplies."

Trunks took the suitcase with a smile.

"Thanks mama. Maybe I'll get a chance to actually use this, unlike last time." For a moment, Trunks remembered Wakka freaking out about machina. Trunks had to suppress a laugh. His mother was looking at him sadly, and then suddenly she threw her arms around him, sobbing. Trunks stumbled backwards in surprise. "Mama!!! You know you can't touch me! If you get in my field-"

"I don't care." Bulma sobbed weakly. "You're my son… And at least this time I can say goodbye…" She hugged him tighter. "I don't care what happens to me-if I age, who cares? My little boy is going to be out there alone, where I can't protect him… Scared and left to deal with a problem he can barely understand…"

Trunks sighed.

"I'll be fine, mama… As long as I don't have to fight, the aging should slow down a little." Bulma nodded.

"I'm working on a field stabilizer… If you can't find anything out there, come back, alright, honey? Then I can try to stop the aging. Don't forget… That if you ever feel alone, or if you feel scared… You have a home, and a mother and father who love you."

Trunks nodded.

"I won't forget." He looked to Vegeta, who had turned away. "Papa…"

Vegeta scoffed, not turning around.

"Are you scared, boy?"

Trunks approached his father, shaking his head.

"No, sir."

Vegeta turned a bit, his eyes sad. He spoke softly.

"My father once told me that if I were ever to feel sad… That I always could turn to him for support." Vegeta turned completely around, facing his son. He placed a hand on Trunks's shoulder, smirking. "If you ever should need help, don't be afraid to ask, alright? I won't turn you away. And… I'm proud of you, son. You survived something that… Even I probably would have not."

Trunks smiled, a lump rising in his throat. A cold feeling had begun to run through him, and his eyes began to water. He smiled at his father, and spoke in a tight voice.

"Thanks… Papa…"

Vegeta nodded, and the smirk faded. Trunks took that as his cue to leave. He turned slowly, looking at everyone in the room one last time. Chichi was sobbing, and Gohan was comforting her. Trunks noticed that his grandparents were not there. He wondered why. Bulma stood next to the time machine, her eyes sad.

"It's time." She said softly. She held a remote control in her hands, and gently tapped one of the buttons. A part of the outside wall folded away, revealing a small take off ramp. Trunks moved back to the time machine, and looked at Bulma, who looked back at him sadly. The two stood there for a moment, as the wind gently blew past them. Mother and Son, sharing what may have been their last moments together. Bulma then nodded to the time machine, and Trunks understood. He started to float, but then remembered the damage that could be done to his field. Frustrated, he climbed into the time machine, dropping the suitcase in.

"Come on, Goten. And don't fly."

Goten nodded, clambering up the side of the time machine. Bulma spoke up softly.

"Alright Trunks, listen. The computer on the right side of the controls is what you use to select where you'd like to go. The time machine will automatically program places you visit in it into the memory, so you can pull them up there. Right now, only this time and place should be there. Oh, and when I reconfigured the time machine, I decided that "Time Machine" isn't a good name for it. It's a Universal Traveler. It can and will take you to different dimensions, following the energy signatures that resemble the ones that were given off when you disappeared. If you want to U.T. to search for that energy, it the blue button next to the steering wheel. That'll automatically launch you off to your next destination. Be careful, Trunks…"

Trunks nodded. ((^___^))

"I will be, mama… Goodbye, everyone!!" He turned to Goten and smiled. "Ready?" Goten nodded.

"Yeah." Goten smiled. "This'll be lots of fun compared to last time!"

Trunks nodded.

"Yeah." He reached forward and pushed the blue button, his eyes glinting. "Then lets go!"

Light wrapped around the U.T., and wind blasted the group that was gathered around it. Bulma looked up as the tears fell from her eyes, and Vegeta moved closer to her. He slowly took her hand as the two stood watching the U.T. begin to flash. Chichi stood up, her hair blowing lose of its bun. She wiped her tears away and let out a loud shout.

"Goten!!! Good luck!!!"

From within the U.T., Goten nodded, tears flowing from his eyes. Trunks gripped the wheel as the machine began to fly forward. He saw his grandparents as the machine flew out of the open hatch. They stood with signs that read "Good luck, Trunks and Goten." Trunks smiled as tears came to his own eyes. Then suddenly, the entire world plunged into darkness as though someone had flipped a switch. Goten let out a cry, but Trunks understood immediately that they were safe. Light began to shoot about the U.T. as they flew through space-time, and Trunks looked at the dials to make sure nothing was in the red. Goten blinked.

"It's different than before. It doesn't hurt."

"That's because my Mama fixed it." Trunks said with a grin. Goten smiled innocently.

"Oh really? You mean the other one was broken?"

Trunks sighed, shaking his head.

"You're hopeless, Goten…"

They continued to fly forward, and Trunks noticed that the computer had switched on. The words "LOCKED ON ENERGY" were displayed on the screen. His blue eyes widened as the looked up. Suddenly, the time stream seemed to slow, and he could see light at the end of the tunnel. The time stream folded away, revealing a beautiful land covered in greenery. Trunks smiled a bit.

"So this is it."

Goten blinked, his eyes surprised.

"Um, it's all green."

Trunks looked at him, surprised.

"What color did you think it would be?"

Goten shrugged.

"I just thought it would be different. Another dimension-you know."

Trunks sighed.

"I keep forgetting that you didn't see much of Spira. Even there the plants were green, Goten."

"Really?" Goten asked. "That's no fun…"

Trunks laughed softly, shaking his head.

"You're hopeless."