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The Light to my Darkness	By : SaiyanPrince541 Category: Dragon Ball Z > AU - Alternate Universe Views: 4707 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN DRAGON BALL Z, OR ANY OF THE PRIMARY CHARACTERS IN THIS STORY!! THOSE ARE ALL TORIYAMA'S!! THIS IS A NON-PROFIT, FAN-MADE STORY!!!

Chapter List
- 1-Chapter 1
- 2-2
- 3-3
- 4-4
- 5-5
- 6-6
- 7-7
- 8-8
- 9-9
- 10-10
- 11-11
- 12-12
- 13-13
- 14-14
- 15-15
- 16-16
- 17-17
- 18-18
- 19-19
- 20-20
- 21-21
- 22-22
- 23-23
- 24-24
- 25-25
- 26-26
- 27-27
- 28-28
- 29-29
- 30-30
- 31-31
- 32-32
- 33-33
- 34-34
- 35-35
- 36-36
- 37-37
- 38-38
- 39-39
- 40-40
- 41-41
- 42-42
- 43-43
- 44-44
- 45-45
- 46-46
- 47-47
- 48-48
- 49-49
- 50-50
- 44
- 45
- 46
A/N: Sorry for the longest delay ever! It's been nearly two months and I didn't update! My deepest apologies to everyone, but here it is, at last!

I guess juggling three stories at once, along with work, wasn't my smartest idea hehe. But still, be sure to check out my other stuff too, especially "Crimson Roses", for those into DBZ and "The White Wolf Rises", for "Game of Thrones" fans (the latter is on my FFN account).

That being said, let us move on!

Chapter 45: Back to the future

As Trunks sat in his time machine, high above the ground, observing the inquisitive faces of the past, he felt a pang of longing bud inside him, knowing that he hadn't the chance to look upon his father one last time, the father he never had. Goku explained that he'd simply teleported him far away and as they conversed, he sensed the flame-haired Saiyan, rapidly closing in on their location. As tempted as he was to await his return, he knew that doing so, entailed far too much risk. After the stunt Goku pulled, Vegeta would be a ticking time bomb and Trunks didn't want to be around for the inevitable explosion, nor did he think he had what it took to deny his surly, short-tempered old man any answers, especially since he had a myriad of his own questions, himself.

It left a huge hole in his heart that all his curiosities would remain hanging in the air, for now. However, he couldn't gamble with his own existence, after having made this fate-altering journey. When he returned to this timeline again, he would properly get to know the father he'd come to revere, in this short trip to the past.

'Man, I can't wait to tell mom.' He grinned at the thought. 'Won't she be surprised?'

Giving a farewell wave to the Earthlings, with a warm smile specifically aimed towards his beautiful mother, the half-Saiyan prodigy vanished into a time vortex, along with his machine, returning to the apocalyptic world, whence he came.

XXXX

Goku frowned, facing the dirt below, as he contemplated the best way to warn everyone of the impending doom. They had to know, but he couldn't blow Trunks' cover. Darn it, this was tougher than he thought. Just then, his friends made their way over, eagerly jumping over one-another, asking what all the secrecy was about and what he'd been discussing with the lavender-haired stranger.

"Well- uh- I can't really say." He laughed uneasily, scratching the back of his head.

"That's too bad, then." Piccolo deadpanned. "I guess I'll have to tell 'em myself."

"Wh-Wh-What?! You heard?!"

"We Namekians have sharp ears, in case you didn't know."

"I know right?!" Yamcha suddenly laughed like an idiot. "Just look at 'em! You could probably skewer a guinea-pig with those things!"

"Shut up!" Piccolo snarled peevishly.

"Come on, you left yourself open for that one, big guy!" Krillin joined in, gaily.

"What I'm about to say could end up saving your meaningless lives, but if you'd prefer acting like a bunch of clowns, then I guess I'll just leave you idiots to die!" The Namekian threatened, whirling around and preparing to take off.

"Wait, wait, I'm sorry!" Yamcha insisted. "I was just kidding, I swear!"

"Hmph, fine." The giant alien snorted in disgust.

"Piccolo, wait!" Goku pressed. "You know it's important that-"

"Don't worry Goku." The Namek interjected, reassuringly. "I won't say anything that'll jeopardize your friend's identity, but keep in mind that while he did exclusively speak with you, he came here for every single one of us."

The Saiyan sighed and nodded, understandingly.

"Wh-What?" A puzzled Tien asked. "I- I don't get it. What do you mean?"

"It's like this." Piccolo chose his words, very carefully. "That boy isn't from this world, but he's seen the future and came here to warn us about a sinister threat that's destined to wipe us all out in three years time."

"A threat?" Yamcha asked, quirking a sceptical brow.

"That's exactly right." Piccolo explained how Dr. Gero of the Red Ribbon Army was building a pair of crazed killing machines that would leave death and destruction in their wake and whose powers were dreadful, even by Super Saiyan standards. He went on saying that a short while before the Androids would make their diabolical debut, Goku was to meet his inevitable demise, as a result of a new heart virus and that the boy had left him an antidote, in order to neutralize that menacing obstacle.

"Wait, so who is that boy?" An intrigued Bulma asked. "Vegeta was convinced that only four Saiyans survived after Frieza destroyed his home planet, so-"

"What Vegeta believes is irrelevant!" Piccolo answered sternly. "That boy's a warner that was sent here for us, that's all you need to know! Who he is and how he came here, should be of no concern to you! What matters is that every single one of us is in danger, along with all living beings on this planet. We need to use these three years to prepare, so that we're ready to confront the challenge that awaits us!"

"But how could he see the future?" Chiaotzu asked, curiously. "Is he clairvoyant, like Fortuneteller Baba?"

"I've said all I needed to say!" Piccolo rejoined, dismissively. "The rest will be explained with time, should we survive. What you do with this information is entirely up to you. Believe it or don't believe it, it hardly matters to me. I, for one, plan to live and that means I'm going to train harder than ever before!"

"Piccolo's right, guys!" Gohan argued, fervently. "Think about it. What would anyone have to gain by spreading such misinformation? If we do train and nothing happens, there's no loss on our end. But if something does happen, at least we'll be prepared for it, as much as possible. We've nothing to lose, by training, but we've everything to lose, by being idle."

"Well, I'm not really sure about Androids and prophecies or whatever, but I'm not about to be left in the dust, anymore than I already am!" Tien declared, clenching his fists, resolvedly. "I'm in!"

"So am I!" Chiaotzu gave his vote of approval.

"Well, I suppose it's best not to take any chances, just like Gohan said." Krillin cracked his fingers and turned towards his scar-faced friend. "What do you say, Yamcha?"

"Sure." The ex-bandit nodded.

"You're all idiots!" Bulma reproved, folding her arms haughtily. "Honestly, all those muscles and not a single brain cell! There's a much simpler solution that you seem to be overlooking!"

"And that is?" Piccolo frowned, indignantly.

"We can gather the dragon balls and wish Dr. Gero right here in front of us, so we can take him out, before he can even build those nasty bots." She said, rolling her eyes at the exclamatory looks of her friends. "It's as easy as that. Why gamble with our lives, for no reason?"

"No, I don't think it's right." Goku shook his head. "Gero hasn't done anything wrong yet, so-"

"Didn't do anything wrong?!" An infuriated Bulma yelled at her outrageously tender-hearted, best friend. "He was the brains of the Red Ribbon Army, don't you remember?! They killed your friend Bora and god knows how many other civilians! Now he's planning to conquer the freaking planet and you say he hasn't done anything wrong?! I mean seriously, how thickheaded can you be?!"

"Come on Bulma, cut me some slack." He light-heartedly replied.

"No, I won't cut you any slack!" She growled, moving forward and prodding his hardened chest with her index finger. "This is the fate of planet, we're talking about, so stop treating it so lightly! We need to collect the dragon balls immediately and stop Gero, before he sicks his monsters on Earth, or else everything we know, is gonna be finished! You heard that boy! They're too strong, even for a Super Saiyan!"

"Is that right?!" Vegeta suddenly made his appearance, giving his rival a scathing look, whereby the other Saiyan winced. The Prince heard the latter half of Bulma's tirade and luckily for Goku, his curiosity got the better of his anger. "You're saying there're forces out there that possess more power than a Super Saiyan?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying and we need to stop them, before it's too late!" The heiress groaned inwardly, cursing her luck at the fact that Vegeta had arrived at the worst possible time. She knew what his stance would be, without even having to ask, thus she turned towards her fellow humans. "Come on guys, you agree with me, don't you?!"

"Well, I think Bulma makes a good case, so perhaps-"

"Perhaps, nothing!" Vegeta cut off the bald midget. "I want a detailed explanation of everything I missed. After that," He gave Goku a hard, ominous glare. "I'll decide just how badly I'm going to beat the living crap out of you."

The younger Saiyan cringed at his dangerously, low voice and suddenly began regretting his earlier move. Once again, Piccolo went over Trunks' recount, careful enough to omit details that would threaten the boy's existence.

"Interesting." The Prince faced Goku once again. "From what I gather, you want to battle these Androids, but these pathetic humans would rather take the safe route, like the weaklings they are!"

"Hey don't speak for me, you jerk!" Tien fired back, with impassioned fervor. "I wanna test my strength, as well! I'm not conceding to a bunch of robots!"

"Dammit, what is wrong with you morons?!" A vexed Bulma objected. "This is the whole world we're talking about."

"I say fight." The royal Saiyan made his opinion clear. "Anyone disagree?" He gave the other humans a menacing glare that could char an entire galaxy.

"Uh- on second thoughts, maybe Vegeta's- um- right?" Krillin gulped, judiciously siding with the crazy, loose-canon of a Saiyan.

"I agree." The big Namek stated. "I didn't train all my life, just to give up now!"

"I'm with you Piccolo!" Gohan agreed. "And you, dad!"

"I'm afraid I'll have to stick with Bulma on this one." Yamcha decided. "I'm not a coward or anything-"

"Yes you are." Vegeta interposed.

"-but this is about self-preservation." The ex-bandit continued, purposefully disregarding the rude Saiyan. "I mean, what if we all train like crazy, but it still isn't enough?! Then we'll die for nothing and leave the planet defenseless, in the hands of those two psychos! On the other hand, if we eliminate Gero now, there's no threat period!"

"Well, I guess you're right Yamcha." Chiaotzu conceded, not liking the fact that he was siding against Tien, yet seeing the obvious wisdom in Bulma's proposal.

"I- uh- can't really decide, c-cause-"

"Cause you're scared of Vegeta?" Gohan finished Krillin's sentence for him, after an awkward pause.

"Hey, I never said that!"

"Don't be such a wimp Krillin!" Bulma grimaced. "You have a right to your opinion, so just say it!"

"Um- well-" The bald man avoided Vegeta's death stare and gulped, before finding his voice once again. "I'm with Bulma." He slurred.

"Well, it's still 5 against 4." Goku grinned. "Guess we're doing this the good old fashioned way, then!"

"This is complete garbage!" The blue-haired woman protested, getting more and more ticked off, by the second. "Earth's welfare is more important than your stupid, respective egos!" She looked imploringly at Gohan and Tien. "Come on, you gotta see reason here, guys."

"I understand your plight Bulma, I really do." The three-eyed fighter stated. "But, as a warrior, I've learned to better myself with each new battle, both mentally and physically. If these Androids really do exist, then I see them as an opportunity for us to test and further our abilities. I mean, what if we take the easy way out now, but later on, we have to face enemies that are just as strong or even stronger? Given our track record, that's more than a little likely. We can't always run from our problems, so it's better to face them like men."

Bulma was rendered speechless, by Tien's poignant words. She couldn't think of anything to counter that claim, thus she just gave a resentful humph.

"Fine do what you want!" The heiress whirled around and folded her arms, more sullen than ever. "I'll probably be the one to bury all of you, so I might as well start building tombstones!"

"You're better off upgrading the gravity chamber and building me some training bots, like you said you would!" Vegeta ordered more than advised, earning him an angry scowl. He ignored it and turned his undivided attention to Goku. "I'm feeling a little generous right about now, so I'm going to let you walk away from this, Kakarot! But mark my words!" He clenched his fist tight and brought it over, next to his face. "I will surpass you, in every way! I, Vegeta, last of my name, Prince of all Saiyans, will be the greatest warrior that ever lived! Bear witness, as I crush those Androids, with my bare fists!"

"Alright, alright, cut the theatrics already." Bulma pushed past him and appraised the giant Cold spaceship. A golden opportunity was ready to be seized, right there and then. "Well, since you guys are gonna train, I'll bet I can salvage a whole lot of parts from this ship, so I might as well get my team ready. I hope there're some regeneration tanks in there. We'll definitely need those. And I can probably bolster the capsule ship and up the velocity on it, as well."

XXXX

Trunks sighed desolately, as he returned to the despotic future he knew. The teen wished more than anything to simply remain amongst the great heroes of the past, but he had a responsibility to this world and especially, to the blessed mother that raised him. A smile lit his face, as he opened the hatch of the time machine and exited, before decapsulizing the inter-dimensional vehicle and carefully tucking it back into his capsule case. He then made his way towards the underground bunker, wherein he and his mother resided, for the last three years, ever since- He shut his eyes a moment and exhaled, not wanting to revisit the devastating demise of his chivalrous mentor, Gohan.

Taking a deep breath, the handsome young lad punched in the four-digit code, 4673, which unlocked the door. The password was chosen after the word 'Hope', which was the only thing that spurred the family of two, in their struggle against cruelty. Trunks entered, before closing the door behind him and proceeding downstairs.

"Mom, you here?"

The middle-aged Bulma's eyes shot up and she instantly bolted towards the source of the voice. Her aquamarine hair was tied back in its usual ponytail, her powder pink, half-sleeve, buttoned top, concealing the white undershirt beneath, for the most part. A pair of violet slacks and matching sneakers, completed the set below her waistline. She appeared worn, disheartened and sombre, yet that only ever strengthened her resolve. She worked tirelessly to save her world and made Trunks' seemingly impossible trip to the past, a reality. Nearing the age of 50, the Bulma of this time, looked at least ten or fifteen years younger than she was and resonated with a strikingly powerful aura of motherly love and benevolence.

"Trunks, you're back!" She darted forward and crushed her boy, in a tight, heartfelt embrace. "Thank God!"

"It's good to be back, mom." The young warrior held her around the waist. "Well- I mean, it's good to see you again. Honestly, I wish I could've hung out more with Goku and the others, but like you said, messing with the past, can cause problems." He pulled back and gave her a wide grin, firmly clutching her shoulders. "Still, you'll never believe the things I saw!"

"Well, I wouldn't say that." Bulma smiled a little, blossoming from the inside at seeing her son this way. He hadn't been this exuberant, since he was a little child. It truly warmed her heart. "I mean, I did live in that time after all."

"You're wrong, mom." Trunks shook his head. "I don't know how, but the timeline I visited is quite different from this one!"

"Different?" Bulma asked, lifting a curious eyebrow. "How?"

"There's so much I have tell you!" The adolescent gushed. "How about some coffee?"

"Sure thing, Trunks."

As they sat down and drank, the lavender-haired boy eagerly went over his remarkable experiences of the past, from the very beginning.

"At first I thought that you and Gohan got it wrong or something, but when Goku explained how father defeated him in battle, but that you offered yourself up to him in exchange for everyone's lives, how you fell in love with him on Namek and how your death at the hands of Frieza, made him transform into a Super Saiyan, I knew that it had to be a different timeline altogether." Trunks recounted. "There was no other explanation."

Bulma gaped at him, wide-eyed, jaw hung open in blatant disbelief. She'd never been more speechless, in her entire life!

"Dad was a lot like you said, hard, proud and with a strong, commanding presence, but deep down, very noble." The adolescent laughed a little, as he continued. "Though that still didn't stop you from sticking it to him. Oh and when Frieza almost killed you again, dad went completely berserk on him." He cringed at the memory of Frieza's grisly death. "Goku had me convinced that despite being a little cruel sometimes, dad was a good person. He seemed to respect him a lot, both as a man and as a fellow warrior. Uh- mom?" The teenager waved his hand in front of her incredulous face, as she rubbernecked him.

"Cut it out!" She chided, slapping his hand away, with a peevish frown, upon gathering her bearings.

"S-Sorry." He mumbled tremulously.

"Um- Trunks, are you sure you're not imagining all of this?" She asked, softly. "Cause that does not sound like your father, I can assure you."

"Mom, I know what I heard!" He pressed, emphatically. "You did say that he was really cold-hearted in this timeline, but it's different in the world I visited, I promise you! Even your younger version said that dad was well-meaning, despite being rough around the edges. Of course, dad didn't agree, but-"

"Wait a minute, you spoke with my counterpart?!" Bulma frowned, in askance. "Trunks, I specifically warned you not to meet with anyone but Goku!"

"It's not my fault, mom!" The young demi-Saiyan replied, defensively. "Frieza's soldiers were about to go on a killing spree! I couldn't let that happen!"

Bulma stayed silent a moment, before her stern expression dulled.

"I guess you can't help being a hero." She sighed, rolling her eyes. "You are Gohan's student, after all. I just hope your little trip didn't muddle up the timeline, too much."

"I'm sorry mom, I wanted to stay clear of all the action, I really did, but-"

"It's alright, don't worry about it." She waved the matter aside. "The timeline's already different from this one, so there's not much you could've done anyway. That aside though, tell me about that other Vegeta. Are he and I already-"

"Yes."

"But what about Yamcha?"

"I'm not completely sure." The boy replied. "I just know that you and dad are together."

Bulma paused a moment, eyes glistening a little, as anguish pricked at her torn heart. What her son described to her, sounded like a fairy tail, a romantic fantasy that she could only ever dream of. Did that mean that there was hope for her and Vegeta, in this timeline? The heiress' mind revisited the past.

May 12th 767, 10:12am

Earth's defenders were gathered together, six months after Goku's demise, watching in horror, as two unidentified forces began butchering their way through a string of peaceful towns. According to the report, the attack had begun at around 10 am, on an island nine miles south west of South City. Bulma had summoned her friends, as soon as she heard the devastating news. Around ten minutes passed, by the time they all arrived.

"We need to act now!" Piccolo growled, clenching his fists. "They can't get away with this!"

"Your damn right!" Tien concurred, irately.

"Then let's move!" Yamcha said.

"None of you will do a thing!" Vegeta snarled. "You're all weaklings compared to me! I could annihilate everyone of you myself, so you better listen to what I say! I'll be the one to crush these things and no one else, got it?!"

"Hold on a minute tough guy, we don't even know what we're up against." Bulma frowned.

"To me, they just look like a couple of delinquents, who know how to use Ki." Krillin remarked. "But they can't possibly be a match for any of us, can they? Especially Vegeta! He's a Super Saiyan now!"

"Spare me your flattery, little human!" Vegeta barked, before turning towards the mother of his purple-haired, half-breed. "Listen here, woman! I don't care one bit about this planet or the vermin residing in it! However, I will be the one to pulverize these two little upstarts! Anyone that dares to stand in my way, asks for death!"

He instantly took off and headed towards the hot-zone, with murderous abandon. Ever since Goku's untimely end, there was a gaping void within him. Anyone could see that, especially Bulma. He'd wanted nothing more to slay the younger Saiyan with his own two hands, but his primary ambition had been stolen by a damned heart virus of all things. He'd been more aloof and temperamental than usual and whenever she'd approach him, he'd give her the cold shoulder. As far as Trunks went, he wouldn't even so much as look at the infant child, for more than a second or two. In any case, commitment was the last thing she expected from a man as stubborn, cold and proud as Vegeta.

She hardly knew why she cared about that nasty Saiyan. Some crazy part of her insisted that there was good in him, somewhere deep down. It would just take time to bring it out.

The heiress sighed, hoping with all her heart that her friends would nip this problem in the bud, however, she couldn't help the ominous feeling that they were all about to fall into a trap, completely unprepared.

Of course, two hours later her inner fears were confirmed, by a bereaved Gohan. After Vegeta fell, the others followed on, like dominoes. The demi-Saiyan only managed to escape, due to Piccolo's bravery. After only the two of them remained, the Namekian furtively knife-handed Gohan on the back of the neck, before temporarily blinding the two Androids, using Tien's solar flare-technique. With the few seconds he'd bought, he tossed his unconscious little pupil as far away as possible, before quickly meeting his end, at the hands of the deadly pair. After waking up, a sorrow-ridden Gohan headed towards the battlefield, only to find his mentor dead, along with all the rest of Earth's defenders. It was a sight more excruciating than any other. The burden fell on him now, to build himself up as a warrior, to follow in his father's footsteps and crush the menacing duo, once and for all!

Bulma cried hard for every single one of them, but mostly for Vegeta, because she knew, without a spec of doubt that he was in hell now, with no dragon balls around to save him. In the coming years, the human population was reduced to almost nothing and the heiress would often find herself wondering, whether or not Vegeta could've redeemed his malevolent ways, were he not taken away from her, so soon. The mere thought of him suffering, after having lived such an agonizing life of unending hardship, pained her far more deeply than she'd imagined. While there was no denying that he deserved every bit of it, there was still the question of what could've been.

With time, Bulma had managed to subdue her griefs and misgivings, convincing herself that there was no possible way Vegeta could've changed, but now, after Trunks' visit to a past so unlike her own, she felt the wounds in her heart, reopen. She envisioned this other Vegeta and the profound affection he must've felt towards her counterpart, to transform into a legendary being, after her demise. She wondered if, deep down, her own Vegeta felt the same way. Tears stung her sapphire eyes and slowly cascaded down both cheeks, as the beautiful heiress imagined his last moments. Were his final thoughts about her and Trunks? She always liked to think so, though she'd seriously doubted it, but after her son's tale, the possibility couldn't be ruled out entirely.

"Mom, are you okay?" Trunks asked, clasping her shoulder.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She forced herself to smile and wiped her tears away, before placing her hand atop his and giving it a squeeze. "I just- have a lot on my mind, you know."

"I understand." He nodded, before standing up and cracking his neck. "Well, I can tell you one thing, mom. Visiting the past, has really given me a lot of hope. If anyone can beat those Androids, it's Goku and my father! I just know it!" He went on. "As for me, I'm gonna train as hard as I can, till you refuel the time machine."

Bulma's smile slowly receded, at the mention of this Vegeta that her son venerated so greatly, as to place his name alongside Goku's. She wondered what he was really like, with her past self. Trunks' story seemed to suggest that they felt very strongly for one-another and that she was the only one among the crew that dared stand up to him. The smile that fell, graced her lips once again, as she imagined the other her bantering with the alternate Vegeta and how she'd had her fair share of arguments, with her own Vegeta. It may not have seemed like it, but the two of them did have their moments. It was nearly impossible to see through his perpetually stoic exterior, but there was something warm buried deep within him, surrounded by a cold, hardened shell. She decided that she would one day like to meet the other Vegeta, if possible. His Bulma was definitely much luckier than she was and she hoped, with everything she had, that it remained that way. At any rate, they had to take one step at a time, to make that possible.

"Alright Trunks, but not today." The blue-haired mother replied, at last. "Take a break and let things settle in. You've gotta wait at least a month, before I get the time machine recharged."

"Sure thing, mom!" The adolescent heartily agreed.

And so, mother and son spent the day together, spirits soaring higher than they ever had, since Gohan's tragic departure from this world. Things were finally starting to look up. The flames of hope kindled stronger than ever now. They would win this fight, no matter what it took!

Bulma prayed every night that the alternate world would never have to face the terror that her's did and that she and Vegeta would have a bright, lustrous future together, filled with joy and happiness.

A/N: So that's it for the future timeline, till I reach the Androids saga! What did you think folks?

The three year gap, now begins! I promise not to make it dull or repetitive, if any of you felt that way, with the post-Namek plot! And it's going to end with a really big bang that none of you will see coming, that I can guarantee! Just you wait! Till then, be sure to review and share your thoughts!

Oh and I'll do my very best to update more frequently this time! No two-month waiting period again, that's highly unlikely! Also remember that I'm updating more than one story, so I'd encourage y'all to take a look at the other ones as well hehehe!
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The Light to my Darkness