1 Chapter 1: Time Displacement

*Note: This is a new version of the old Chapter 1 I originally wrote on June 14th, 2019. From now on, this is the version I'll be sticking with for this crossover. Just thought I'd let you guys know in case anyone gets confused later on.

Somewhere in another dimension…

Ever since the beginning of existence, time has continued to pass indefinitely from one point to the next. Some say it has no true beginning or ending, and it will continue to progress indefinitely until further notice. While somewhat true, the confines of time and space are from being that simple in terms of general mechanics. In truth, time's reach has grasped entire fabrics of reality or more specifically, one large multiverse. Said multiverse, while believed to contain a total of 12 whole universes, might contain even more than that. And each universe, surprisingly enough, has an infinite amount of timelines contained within. These timelines, on rare occasions, may become linked together to form one entire universe on top of another. This bizarre, almost illogical phenomenon can be applied to one particular universe: the 7th.

While seemingly identical to its remaining brethren, Universe 7 is home to a multitude of dangerous, extraterrestrial monsters, and even mystical artifacts capable of granting any wish. However, the most peculiar quality of Universe 7 is its Other World. While each dimension has its own sort of afterlife, the Other World seemingly transcends dimensional barriers, seeping into Heaven, Hell, the Demon Realm, and other worlds entirely. One such domain is simply known as the Spirit World.

The Spirit World, from a certain point of view, isn't much different from the Other World, but they are from being identical. For one, the Spirit World is connected with an Earth, or physical world, separate from Universe 7's native one. This is where the mystery behind interconnecting timelines comes into play. Due to changes in the space-time continuum, certain timelines in Universe 7 have been altered considerably from their original counterpart. Although every Earth is physically similar, their people, cultures, and histories evolve to a degree that make them completely alien in nature. This potentially includes the omission of certain species and deities that one or many Earths might not even have. In spite of this, timelines continue to interact with one another and even retain features that the original Earth is known for. In fact, certain people have obtained the ability to view events taking place on other Earths. One such person was the Avatar.

The Avatar is a mystical bridge between the physical and Spirit Worlds. He or she is a human being tasked with bringing peace between their Earth's four central civilizations: The Fire Nation, Water Tribes, Earth Kingdom, and Air Nation. As indicated by their names, each nation is categorized by a specific element of chi, or energy that all life in the multiverse is composed of. Unlike those who can only bend a single element or none, the Avatar is capable of bending all four elements together. This power is the key to bringing balance to the entire world. However, achieving true balance is far from an easy task. Some Avatars have died fighting for what they stand for and unfortunately, not all of them manage to succeed. This happened to the preceding Avatar, a firebender named Roku.

Hovering above the Spirit World's billowing cloud formations, Roku was an elderly man far past his prime. Possessing a white beard and long hair to match, he wore an unusual crown atop his head. This crown was designed in the likeness of fire, being tightly secured with a thin needle. He also wore red shoulder pads, and an extensive robe of the same tinge that completely covered both his legs and arms.

Roku tirelessly stared into space, observing the yellow Nimbus Clouds as they flowed onward. A sense of unease could be spotted within his amber brown eyes, gradually darkening with each passing second. The previous Avatar closed his eyes and blew out a forlorn sigh.

"I know you're up to something, Sozin. I should have stopped you when I had the chance…" Roku thought in dismay.

He tightly balled his fists, thinking back to the moment 12 years ago when Sozin, his closest friend, left him to die. While there was no way to truly survive that immense consumption of volcanic gas, Roku was well aware that he failed to prevent Sozin's tyrannical reign as the Fire Lord. Now, it was only a matter of time until Sozin began his conquest of the entire world and created a society dominated by firebenders. As the Avatar, the mere prospect of fire being used as a tool for destruction and chaos greatly disheartened him. What's worse is that his reincarnation, Aang, was no older than 12 at this point.

Even if Aang did receive guidance from himself and the other past Avatars, there is no possible way a child could challenge the Fire Nation's armed forces. It was simply too early, especially since Aang wasn't even aware of his title as the Avatar to begin with. An innocent, pacifistic young boy like him would never even dream of standing a chance against Sozin's unbridled wrath. And, in Roku's eyes, it was all his fault.

Roku pinched the bridge of his nose, attempting to remain calm for Aang's sake. He turned around, projecting an image of the living world. Within this materialized projection, Aang was sporting a wide, toothy grin. He was a young boy with gray eyes standing about 4 foot, 10 inches or shorter. He wore an orange tunic with a yellow undershirt and brown, thigh-length boots to match as well. Most noticeable of all, however, was the blue arrow tattoos stretching from his head to his arms. Roku slightly grinned at this successor's happy-go-lucky attitude, but still held concern for his wellbeing. There was so much Aang had yet to learn in such little time.

He glanced to the side, spotting an elderly monk nearby. Seemingly around Roku's age, the old airbender wore long, orange robes that concealed his arms and legs. He also had a white handlebar mustache above his upper lip. This was Monk Gyatso, one of the airbenders who trained with Roku at the Southern Air Temple. Recalling better days, Roku shook his head before dissolving the materialized vision with a wave of his hand.

"I appreciate your help watching over Aang, old friend. But…I'm afraid it just isn't enough." Roku sighed regretfully. He knew it was only a matter of time until the Council of Elders identified Aang as the Avatar. Normally, they would wait until Aang was around the age of 16, but due to the prospect of Fire Lord Sozin starting a war, desperate measures would need to be taken. That's where Roku would need to help make Aang face his destiny in the most manageable way possible. The question was: how? How would Roku be able to help Aang if he hasn't recognized any of his past lives in the first place? A potential solution lied in another world; not the Spirit World, exactly, but another version of Earth entirely.

This Earth wasn't home to benders per say, but it did have martial artists capable of accomplishing superhuman feats. Whether it be pushing entire mountains or breaking the sound barrier on foot alone, these hand-to-hand combatants were much stronger than the average human, including benders and non-benders alike. This was mainly a result of one key factor: their mastery of chi, or ki as some people called it. Rather than being separated into single basic elements, the strongest of martial artists could harness their chi to a point of enhancing their own physical attacks and, in most extreme cases, being able to project beams of pure, destructive energy. However, amongst these highly talented martial artists, one particularly caught Roku's eye. He was a young boy around Aang's age, sporting a unique head of black, spiky hair that stood out in several directions. He wore an orange martial arts gi that was accentuated by a blue sash and a matching pair of wristbands. On his chest, there was a white-black symbol representing the Turtle School of Martial Arts as well. The combat-loving child also had a brown, bushy tail growing from his backside, strangely enough. Even the people of his world didn't know understand where that feature came from.

Roku, thinking of the boy's fighting prowess, materialized past events which took place in that alternate world. "Son Goku…you may be just what I'm looking for."

The former Avatar closely examined Goku's adventures thus far. In one moment, he viewed Goku's discovery of the Kamehameha at Fire Mountain while in another, he saw his fight and eventual defeat against Jackie Chun. Most impressive to Roku, however, was Goku's swift destruction of the Red Ribbon Army. Since they were almost equal in size and authority to the Fire Nation, Goku defeating them singlehandedly was more than just impressive; it was absolutely astounding. Him being 13 at the time made such an occurrence even more unbelievable to Roku.

"E-Even after watching over him so many times, I still can't believe it. How can one boy hold so much mastery over chi? Is he even human?" Roku stammered in surprise. The fact Goku was able to grow stronger after each defeat and near-death experience was even more baffling, especially against a supposed Demon King like Piccolo. If a monster who could level entire cities wasn't enough to stop Goku, Roku knew, for a fact, he was the right person to help Aang. Their similar personalities proved that suggestion to be true.

"That settles it. A warrior of Goku's caliber is what Aang needs right now." Roku affirmed resolutely. "But, that begs the question as to how I'll bring him here…hmm…"

Dealing with interdimensional travel was not a task Roku particularly excelled in. Truth be told, he wasn't entirely sure if past Avatars even tried to interact with any neighboring world or timeline. However, for the sake of Aang's success, Roku would attempt to beat the odds. The firebender squinted his eyes, attempting to intently focus on each image of the Dragon World. The projection quickly shifted from location to location, tracking Goku's current residence in a way. From Papaya Island to the Sacred Land of Korin, the ethereal image eventually stopped on Kami's Lookout. There, Goku could be seen sparring with some type of Djinn-like creature with black skin. This was the very moment Roku needed to act.

"Fang!" Roku cried out. Upon hearing his name, a red Chinese Dragon flew from beneath the clouds. He had sharp, white fins lined along the top of his serpentine body and a pair of matching horns. Most distinguishable of all was his pair of gigantic bat-like wings that continuously flapped in an up-and-down motion.

"Grrraaaghh!" Fang roared, patiently waiting for Roku's instructions. Roku, acknowledging Fang's presence, took a closer look at the Lookout. He needed to find some type of transport between this world and Goku's. Based on inference alone, he assumed this otherworldly structure would house such a facility. At least, that's what he hoped.

Breathing out his nostrils, Roku brought both hands together and began to focus his chi. Since bending was impossible within the Spirit World, pure energy projection was his most useful option at the moment.

He closed his eyes, honing in as much as energy as possible into the projected "mirror" of Goku's home dimension. Steady streams of aura began to build around Roku's body, harnessing all the power he had as an Avatar. In response, the aforementioned image shook and broke apart into small particles of energy.

"Let's see if this will work…" Roku mused. Suddenly, Roku opened his eyes to reveal glowing white orbs. He was now in the Avatar State, a powerful form that brings an Avatar's peak strength and bending prowess to full fruition. With this newfound power in hand, Roku took another look at the Lookout. He was now able to view the alternate dimension as if he was actually there, navigating from room to room in search of an energy source. Practically being spirited away in a sense, Roku used every last bit of his chi to examine the Lookout's interior. Then, after a few seconds passed, Roku spotted something…peculiar in nature. It was a single room that was seemingly connected to hundreds of different time periods, timelines, and entire dimensions much like his own. Each of its walls were surrounded by clocks of different shapes and sizes, representing, from what he presumed, gateways to the alternate realities. He had no idea how such a room could possibly exist, but that was the least of his concerns. Roku knew that this was the only reasonable way he could contact Goku, after all. Now, it was time for him to take action.

Roku grimaced at the Time Room's likeness in determination. "I'll need to use this room as a portal for Fang to travel through. It seems that time passes much differently in Goku's version of Earth, so I assume he'll be here in only a matter of seconds."

Roku couldn't help, but be intrigued by this aforementioned time anomaly. If his and Goku's worlds were so similar, why did a minute in Goku's world equate to approximately a year here? Did something cause the passage of time to be unbalanced between both Earths? Even as the Avatar, he wasn't knowledgeable enough about the Spirit World or other planes of existence to fully understand it. Maybe Goku's eventual appearance would shed some light on that predicament.

Roku, his eyes still void of any pupils, beckoned Fang toward him. "Listen up, Fang! I'm going to temporarily grant you access to Goku's world. In spirit form, you'll need to grab Goku's body and use that Time Room as a portal back here. Understood?"

Fang couldn't entirely comprehend what Roku was going on about in terms of interdimensional portals and "Time Rooms", but the dragon nodded his head, regardless.

"Graagh!" Fang growled in agreement. Nodding back, Roku stretched out his hands in order to open the projected portal as wide as possible. Beginning to feel the strain of chi consumption, Roku gave his animal companion the signal to start flying.

"Now, Fang!" Roku ordered. Not wasting anytime, Fang's whiskers extended towards the portal, transmitting his consciousness into the alternate Earth in a flash of glowing, blue light. Then, he powerfully flapped his wings and speedily snaked his way through the portal. Fang's entire body was now completely gone.

Afterwards, Roku expelled all of his remaining energy, and officially left the Avatar State. With his eyes back to their normal amber brown, Roku looked down upon Goku as he continued to train on the Lookout.

"I just hope Goku isn't displeased with being parted from his own world so soon."

The Dragon World, Age 753

Time has since passed since the recent defeat of Demon King Piccolo. Through the valiant efforts of a young boy named Son Goku, the terror Piccolo's presence once purged on the Earth was swiftly put to an end. However, such a defeat had not come without its consequences. Unbeknownst to many, the Demon King managed to reincarnate himself in the form of a son; a final offspring that would eventually seek vengeance on both Goku and the entire planet. To prepare for this predetermined plot of revenge, Kami, Earth's current Guardian, agreed to prepare Goku for the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament in 3 years.

This training would take place on the Lookout, a semi-spherical platform that seemingly floated above the clouds surrounding the Sacred Land of Korin. It primarily housed a massive palace containing mystical elements such as the yet-to-be-seen Room of Spirit and Time. Kami spent most of his time in said palace while his immortal attendant, Mr. Popo, partook in Goku's physical exercises. These exercises typically consisted of daily sparring matches, much like the one taking place right now.

"Hyaaah!" shouted Goku as he let loose a powerful punch. His black, spiky hair flowed backward, moving in tandem with the gust of wind that permeated from his high-speed charge.

His eyes were narrowed dangerously, surging with sheer lust for the thrill of combat. Wearing his trademark orange dogi marked with the symbol of Master Roshi, the Turtle Hermit, small scuffs and bruises surrounded his entire body, most likely a result of previous spars. Whether these small intrusions hurt or not, that exactly matter didn't matter to the youthful martial artist. As long as he had a good fight, pain was secondary to growing stronger. Goku's small, yet powerful fist continued to press onward, but this time, it was swiftly blocked by an open palm tinged with pitch black skin.

"Too slow, young one. Try again." scolded Goku's opponent in a calm, almost monotone voice.

He was a short, rotund individual wearing a maroon vest with two golden bands surrounding both of his arms, and a crimson sash wrapped completely around his torso. The mysterious being also wore white pants that were accentuated by a pair of red and white Middle Eastern slippers. On top of his head, a white turban was firmly wrapped above his forehead with a blue diamond positioned in its center. As previously described, the creature's skin was completely pitch black, contrasting nicely with the deep red of his ever-smiling lips. This eccentric character was none other than the aforementioned Mr. Popo, the Lookout's eternal caretaker.

Goku lightly glared at Mr. Popo's counterattack. "Take this!"

Goku spun his body around, releasing a swift kick at Mr. Popo's exposed leg area. His leg managed to make physical contact with Popo's shin, almost knocking the charcoal-skinned genie off balance. Gasping at the speed of his pupil, Popo quickly retaliated by leaning back with his more secure leg, and sending a downward haymaker straight into the porcupine-haired boy's face.

Unable to defend himself, Goku was sent flying towards the Lookout's outermost edge. He remained in a state of freefall for a few seconds before regaining his composure and executing a backwards somersault. Thankfully, this action allowed him to land his feet on the last strip of tiled flooring. Any further movement would have resulted in him falling off the entire Lookout.

Goku looked over his shoulder, blowing out a tense sigh of relief. "Phew. That was a close one."

He took a few steps forward and then suddenly, succumbed to the fatigue of Mr. Popo's finishing blow. Goku tiredly slumped down on his butt, wiping the sweat off his forehead with one arm. Hearing the sound of Goku's ragged breath, Mr. Popo could tell it was the right moment to take a break.

"That's good enough for today, Goku. You may rest now." announced Mr. Popo with a smile on his face.

At the mere implication of a break, Goku's exhausted panting was replaced with a wide, toothy grin. He happily jumped onto his feet and brushed some remaining dust particles off of him. Simultaneously, his brown, bushy tail couldn't help, but twirl around in excitement for the one thing Goku loved more than fighting: food.

"You really got me good there, Mr. Popo. I didn't see that last attack coming!" beamed Goku as he sheepishly scratched the back of his head.

Mr. Popo pulled up his pant leg to inspect the damage of Goku's latest kick, noticing a purple, oval-shaped bruise near his shin area. Pleased with the results, Mr. Popo closed his eyes and grinned happily at Goku.

"Don't sell yourself short, Goku. That kick was most impressive. I would say you're getting closer to surpassing me than you think." revealed Mr. Popo. Not expecting this amount of praise, Goku tightly clenched his fists in excitement.

"Wait, really?! That's awesome! Does that m-" Goku's exuberance was suddenly interrupted by what sounded like the roar of a dying Velociraptor. It continued to permeate through the air until Goku noticed the source of the noise: his empty stomach. It had been 6 hours since his last meal, after all.

Sighing, Mr. Popo motioned for Goku to follow him. "Come along, Goku. We'll be eating with Kami today."

At the mere mention of eating, Goku followed after Mr. Popo, thoughts of rich delicacies circling inside of his dense mindscape.

In Kami's personal quarters, a complete polar opposite of what used to be King Piccolo's domain lied in waiting. In contrast with the skull décor of the Demon King's throne, Kami had a white seat tipped with strips of gold plating similar to the palace roof. Instead of spikes, gold domes extended outward from left to right. Positioned squarely in the center of this large chair was the Guardian of Earth himself, a green, slug-like organism with pointed ears. Around his neck, a blue cloak was adorned, extending backward as a sort of cape from the shoulders down.

Wearing a white garment with the Japanese kanji for "God" written on it in red lettering, Kami impatiently drummed his fingers on a wooden staff. Constant slurping, gulping, and chomping sounds invaded his eardrums, causing one of Kami's eyes to twitch from instinctive disbelief. His black pupils constantly darted from left to right, spotting Mr. Popo hurriedly bringing more and more dishes to Goku. He lightly propped up one of his arms and facepalmed.

"It's times like this where I'm grateful that I don't need food to survive…" thought Kami as he continued to inspect the monstrous eating habits of Earth's so-called "strongest fighter". Originally, he had something important to tell Goku, but Kami came to realize that any sort of information shared to the boy would come in one end and out the other. So, he decided that waiting would fit best for this type of situation. However, what Kami didn't anticipate was that satisfying the hunger of an energetic boy like Goku would take THREE WHOLE HOURS!

"It's funny how I'm Guardian of the Earth, yet have no idea what time it is now. Maybe I should have Mr. Popo get a normal clock instead of relying on the Hypersonic…Hydrochloric? Hyper…Ah, Room of Spirit and Time that was it. Sometimes these complicated names can-" Kami's mundane thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a bowl being placed on the large dining table set up for Goku. Rubbing his now bulging belly, Goku burped and swallowed the remaining noodles from his last meal.

"Ahhhh! That was delicious! Thanks, Mr. Popo!" shouted Goku in glee. Mr. Popo, at the sight of Goku's satisfied appetite, gave a shaky thumbs up to the monkey boy before collapsing from exhaustion. Ironically, it appeared that Mr. Popo got more of a workout cooking for Goku than actually fighting him.

Completely full, Goku turned around to address Kami, a sentiment the deity thanked God (or himself?) for taking place.

"So, Kami. What's the special occasion for, anyway? You never asked to eat with me before." Goku asked curiously. He was rarely visited by Kami in general, so whatever this meal was set up for had to be a fairly big deal.

Kami slowly ascended from his throne, towering over Goku exponentially. He firmly grasped his staff and began to march closer to the boy.

"Well, it's quite simple, Goku." Kami stated with a slight smile on his face. "Over these past few months, I've been fairly pleased with the progress of your training. You're definitely much stronger than when you first fought Piccolo."

"Aw, it's nothing. I wouldn't have gotten this far without your and Mr. Popo's help." Goku grinned back in appreciation.

Kami couldn't help, but admire Goku's ever-present modesty. Here was a boy who achieved feats of strength no one around his age range could even dream of accomplishing. His fighting abilities far exceeded those of peak human condition by a large margin, yet no matter how strong Goku became, his childlike innocence never seemed to falter. It was a characteristic that made him worthy of being called Earth's greatest protector, even if Goku himself didn't necessarily intend to become that. However, even with this fact in mind, there was still so much Goku needed to learn. And Kami knew that Mr. Popo's guidance was only a single part of a greater process.

"That's precisely what I wanted to bring up. I've decided it's the right time for you to learn more advanced forms of strength enhancement. Forms which you can't acquire from either me or Mr. Popo alone." Kami advised.

Goku grew somewhat puzzled by this statement. During his time on the Lookout, he logically assumed that Kami and Mr. Popo would be his final mentors. They've both been around for hundreds of years, after all.

"But, how would I do that? I thought you knew everything there is to know about martial arts?" Goku asked confusedly. Since the boy didn't really know much about his past, Kami had a feeling this assumption would come up sooner or later. He cleared his throat and tried to elaborate in terms Goku would understand.

"I suppose that may be true, Goku, but contrary to what people may believe, I haven't lived on this Earth forever. There are techniques and disciplines that have long proceeded my own tenure as Guardian. And the only way to truly understand those disciplines is to travel back to the very eras they first originated from." Kami further explained his new proposition for Goku.

What he said, by all accounts, was the truth. While he indeed was quite old by Earth's standards, Kami only became Guardian three to four centuries ago. Before him, there were countless individuals who watched over the planet since it was first created. Although, it could be argued that he was far stronger than his predecessors, but admittedly, he wasn't entirely certain. There was only so much of Earth's history he could really grasp.

Goku, on the other hand, grew puzzled by the mere mention of past eras. "Travel back? Like going to the past? Can that even happen?"

"Yes." Kami nodded. "It can be done through the Lookout's Time Room."

"Time Room?" asked Goku with a slight tilt of his head.

Expecting this level of cluelessness from the boy, Kami departed from his throne and began to walk towards the entrance. Mr. Popo, awakened from his energy-deprived stupor, quickly followed behind the current Guardian and concealed his past fatigue with an ominous blank stare.

"Follow me." Kami called from behind his shoulder.

Curious to see what this new location was, Goku set aside his immense tower of dishes and ran in their direction. His footsteps echoed within the hollow exterior of the palace as they departed.

Located deep within the Lookout, the eponymous Time Room was a facility composed of various clocks distinct from one another in both size and shape. Each clock ticked in cacophonous harmony, some moving faster or slower depending on the exact time they were depicting. Goku darted his head from left to right in absolute awe, his mouth agape with childish wonder. Kami closely inspected the Time Room's main components.

"The Time Room, as its name implies, will be able to send you to any past time period the user wishes to explore. These clocks represent an almost infinite number of parallel timelines and famous points in the world's history. Some might even be alternate versions of the Earth itself from what I could gather." explained Kami. Goku cupped his chin in deep puzzlement whilst looking down at the floor.

"Timelines, huh? Did some guy build this place?" Goku asked. Time travel was a concept his innocent mind couldn't even begin to comprehend, so an entire room filled with gateways to different points in history was extremely hard to process.

Mr. Popo blankly stared at him. "It's not quite that simple, Goku. The Time Room, or Pendulum Room as it was alternatively called, has existed since the Lookout was first constructed thousands of years ago. The first Guardian of the Earth used some type of powerful magic or precognitive abilities to design it, but as his attendant, even I'm not entirely certain."

"Wow. That's pretty weird." Goku muttered in awe. He tilted his head upward, spotting hundreds more clocks atop the ceiling and walls.

"Indeed, Goku." Kami nodded. "But, the Time Room's strange nature is just what your training requires."

Intrigued, Goku raised an eyebrow at Kami. "Does it have something to do with one of these clocks?"

Mr. Popo clasped one of Goku's shoulders and smiled in confirmation.

"Correct, Goku. Kami and I will be sending you to an era where the greatest of martial artists were still at their peak strength, including your former master, Roshi the Turtle Hermit. There, your skills in chi control will hopefully be enhanced to a much greater level of power." explained the black-skinned genie. Goku, at the mere mention of Master Roshi, took a swift 180 in terms of attitude and began to grin excitedly.

"A younger version of gramps?! That's so cool! I can't wait to see what he was like!" Goku whooped in delight.

"Settle down, Goku. Roshi isn't the only person we want you to meet there." Kami stated.

"You'll actually learn the most about chi manipulation from Roshi's own instructor, Master Mutaito. He was the first one to seal away King Piccolo using the Evil Containment Wave." Mr. Popo added informingly.

Knowing of the sacrifice Master Roshi endured to use such a technique, Goku did as he was told and calmed down. Whoever this Mutaito person was, he definitely wanted to meet him firsthand. After all, who would pass up the chance to spar with such a skilled martial artist?

"So…uh…how does this work?" Goku sheepishly pondered. Pleased to see that Goku was already prepared, Kami pointed toward the Time Room's center.

"Just walk toward the center and I'll guide you through the rest." Kami instructed. Not wasting a second, Goku positioned himself in the center of the room.

"Listen carefully, Goku. To use the Time Room properly, you must focus your thoughts on the time period you wish to travel to. I repeat: keep your thoughts focused! If you set your mind on one timeline and sporadically change it to another, the Time Room will lose track of where you are and you will be lost. Understand?" Kami warned in a deadly serious tone.

Getting the gist of how serious this situation truly was, Goku gulped and slowly nodded his head. He stood completely still in the Time Room's center, waiting for further instruction.

"Good. So-" Kami's inquiry was interrupted by the sudden rumbling of the entire Lookout. With each passing second, the rumbling grew more erratic and out-of-control. Mr. Popo lost his balance and tumbled all over the place whilst Kami, luckily, propped himself up with his staff.

"G-Guys. What's going on?!" Goku cried out in nervousness. All around him, the hands of each clock began to spin at breakneck speeds and their ticks accelerated in close conjunction. As if the situation couldn't get any weirder, every single clock glowed a bright, translucent blue. This continuous glowing of blue light shined even brighter until a giant portal emerged from the Time Room's shadowy ceiling.

From within this portal, a blue, serpentine dragon speedily snaked through. His large wings flapped in rhythmic tandem, beating more frequently as it moved closer toward Goku.

"Graaaaagh!" The dragon roared. Confused, Goku looked up at the mythical beast with squinted eyes. All he could really think in that moment was the creature's uncanny resemblance to a certain Eternal Dragon he knew.

"Shenron?" Goku whispered. Before he could say anymore, the dragon became intangible and phased into Goku's body. As a result, a blue aura encompassed Goku's form and seemingly took control of his subconscious mind. This odd phenomenon caused Goku, without proper consent, to close his eyes and imagine a place in time he had absolutely no recollection of. As Kami stated, the emergence of this thought spirited Goku away as if he was some sort of ghostly apparition.

Dissolving in a massive flash of light, the semi-finalist of the 21st and 22nd World Martial Arts Tournaments was now gone. The Lookout stopped shaking immediately afterwards, transitioning into a pseudo-state of normality. However, what wasn't normal was the fact that each clock unanimously stopped ticking. There was no noise to speak of, just abnormal silence.

Startled by this, Mr. Popo shakily picked himself off the floor. He turned towards Kami, both eyes practically popping out of their sockets in response to the anomaly that just took place.

"W-What was that dragon, Kami? And where did it send, Goku?!" a concerned Mr. Popo spluttered incoherently. Beads of cold sweat poured down his forehead as he waited for a response.

Kami closed his eyes remorsefully and ground his teeth, a sigh of frustration being let out in the process. This was exactly the outcome he didn't wish to transpire. And yet, due to some being from another timeline, it did.

"I'm afraid, Mr. Popo, that Goku was just sent to another dimension…" revealed Kami as he narrowed his two yellow pupils in growing anger.

Mr. Popo simply looked upon his master in abject horror, thinking of the terrible situation Earth has suddenly been placed in.

He gaped in disbelief. "You mean one of these alternate versions of Earth we discussed? But, what sort of being could gain access to the Time Room? It doesn't seem logical."

"Logical or not, it happened. And now, all we can do is hope that Goku will be back in time for Piccolo Jr.'s arrival." Kami whispered in dismay. Taking one last look at the area Goku once resided, Kami bowed his head and walked out of the Time Room. For now, it seemed as if the Earth would need to last without its stronger fighter. The question was: how long?

Back in another dimension…

Goku…

Goku…

Goku's eyes fluttered open in response to the strange, disembodied voice calling his name. He had no idea who it was, so the boy just rubbed the sleep out of his eyes while surveying the surrounding area. What caught the young boy's gaze was a gigantic sea of puffy clouds floating across an orange tinged sky.

He sat up, sporting a look of extreme confusion. For one, the giant, white sun further contributed to his feelings of agitation and dysphoria. It almost felt like he was in some sort of lucid dream that he had no recollection of having. The fact that he didn't remember falling asleep proved that to be true.

"Wasn't I in Kami's Lookout just now? Why am I floating in-" Goku's cluttered thoughts were interrupted by the sight of him riding on top of the same blue dragon that flew towards him just seconds before. His eyes widened ever so slightly at both the appearance of said reptilian creature and how immensely smaller it was compared to the eternal dragon, Shenron. It also had four horns instead of the deer antlers said aforementioned creature was known to have.

"SON GOKU!" shouted a powerful raspy voice to the extremely lost martial artist. Goku flinched hard at the third utterance of his name, almost falling off the glowing dragon if it weren't for the fact that he was really inside some sort of illusion keeping him in place. Hesitantly, Goku peered over to the eyes of his current mode of transportation.

"Was that you, Mr. Dragon? How do you know my name?" inquired Goku as he peered into the slit pupils of the foreign mythological being. The dragon simply gave a deadpanned look to the boy and pointed to the north with his right whisker, growling silently.

Goku blinked twice and looked into the direction of the actual speaker, witnessing an elderly man with a flowing white beard and long hair to match. On top of the individual's head was a crown designed in the likeness of fire with a needle tightly securing it to a short bun. He also wore red shoulder pads and an extensive robe of the same tinge that completely covered both his legs and arms.

"Oooh, you're the one who was talking to me. That makes more sense. So, wassup?" asked the gleeful Goku without a care in the world. Roku simply sweat dropped at the immense innocence of such a powerful being. He honestly had no idea what to think at the moment. The fact that Goku had no sort of reaction to him floating in mid-air was bad enough, but his response was at an even higher level of baffling. Wassup? What does that even mean?

Roku just took a deep breath and focused on what was most important in this situation. This was for Aang and he would do anything to make sure the next Avatar in the cycle fulfilled his destiny no matter what.

"What's up, Goku, is that I am in need of your abilities. More specifically, your mastery of chi, or ki, as your world typically calls it." Roku calmly expressed. Goku, putting two and two together, narrowed his eyes at the strange old man standing…erm…levitating right in front of him. His brown tail fluffed up in apprehension.

"My world? Does that mean I'm somewhere else?" Goku reluctantly pronounced to the former Avatar. Roku grimaced and closed his wrinkled eyes, peering at Goku in a sympathetic light.

"I'm afraid to admit that you are, my boy," murmured Roku remorsefully as his eyes glowed a pure white, much to the monkey boy's amazement. Suddenly, before Goku's very eyes, the clouded sky transformed into a map of the countryside down below, showcasing four continents of varying sizes and colors. "Unlike your home, this world has four nations based on four basic elemental properties. First, there are the Northern and Southern Water Tribes, glaciated environments where the inhabitants can manipulate all forms of water. Second, there is the largest of the four, the Earth Kingdom. As implied by the name, many of its citizens can control the earth beneath their feet for combat or transportation purposes. Third, there are the Northern, Southern, Western, and Eastern Air Temples, mountainous locals inhabited by nomadic monks who have power over the very air they breathe. Then, there is my home…"

Roku paused for a moment, scowling in disgust at the mere thought of what used to be his birthplace. Goku was too wrapped up in trying to comprehend the information Roku just shared with him to notice the change in behavior.

"The Fire Nation…", growled Roku as the scenery changed once more to display towers of raging fire, paired with a vast army of marching foot soldiers. Each of the men wore masks similar in appearance to human skulls, aligned with red crests that curved upward. "…is an island country tasked with global domination over all four nations. They plan to do this by utilizing the most deadly and destructive element there is: fire. Unlike the other nations, people living there can bend at any point in time. As long as the sun is still shining and there is breath still in their bodies, they have a limitless supply of fire to utilize to their heart's content. That is what makes the Fire Lord's plans for worldwide conquest a true force to be reckoned with."

"Fire Lord? Sounds like a bad dude, but how would I help stop him? I already have Piccolo to deal with at the next tournament!" Goku whined childishly while crossing his arms in frustration. Roku, undeterred by Goku's concerns, pointed to the boy with an air of respect.

"Your triumph over the Demon King is exactly why I called you here, Goku! I have observed all of the feats you have accomplished in the past three years and some of them would be comparable to even the greatest of Avatars, myself included. From fighting Jackie Chun in the 21st World Martial Arts Tournament to destroying the Red Ribbon Army singlehandedly, I know for a fact you will be helpful in fulfilling Aang's destiny to master all four elements. That is, if you agree to train him in chi manipulation when the time is right." Roku praised Goku in a quite decent act of persuasion. Said martial artist was unsure of the proposition, but witnessing the pain and suffering being caused by this so-called "Fire Nation" caused his blood to boil in rage. Plus, the prospect of having a decent fight with the Fire Lord didn't hurt either.

"So, if I help this U-ung…Ong?" presumed Goku as he struggled to recall the name of the kid he was being asked to help out.

"Aang, yes." Roku calmly acknowledged, patiently waiting for Goku to mentally catch up.

"Will I be able to go back to Kami's place after this Fire Lord guy is over and done with?" pleaded Goku. Roku looked down on the boy with a tight smile laced with an underlying sense of uncertainty. He briskly stroked his beard and thought of the best way to put Goku's conundrum into words.

"Well, time works differently in this specific version of Earth when compared to yours. Since I'm no longer alive, I was fortunate enough to transport myself and Fang here from the Spirit World to Kami's Lookout at just the right moment. However, I was only able to pick you up because of the Time Room's activation. If that specific location is not used again, I won't be able to pair my abilities with that location to bring you back." Roku exclaimed to the already homesick monkey boy.

"YOU'RE DEAD?!" shrieked Goku in absolute shock as he pointed towards the old firebender, causing him to fall backwards in mid-air…somehow. Fang also let out an audible groan in response to the Saiyan kid's sudden stupidity, but continued flying anyways.

"You've resurrected friends of yours with those Dragon Balls, yet the fact that I'm a spirit surprises you? Why do you think Fang is glowing?!" Roku practically yelped whilst clawing at the sides of his hair.

"Oh, I thought he just looked like that. Shenron glowed, so I assumed all dragons did too. Whoops!" Goku shamefully admitted while crossing his arms behind his head and smiling.

"Of course you did. Why wouldn't you?" sighed Roku in defeat with slumped shoulders.

"But…" Goku's wide smile disappeared, replaced with a noticeable frown and narrowed eyes. "If I am stuck here and time won't progress that much in my own dimension, I might as well do what you want me to do." Goku closed his eyelids, thinking about the friends he would have to leave behind in the process of fulfilling this difficult request, especially those recently slain by Piccolo a few months beforehand.

"Krillin…Master Roshi…Bulma…I promise to comeback somehow. I won't let Piccolo do anything to hurt you guys ever again." Goku mentally vowed to the people he cared for the most.

Roku, grateful for the boy's acceptance, slowly nodded at his animal companion. Understanding the request of his master, Fang elongated one of his whiskers to touch Goku's forehead. The sensation of this touch caused a white aura to surround Goku, projecting a gallery of images for the boy to decipher. One was of the Southern Air Temple bustling with various bald denizens that wore matching orange and yellow garments.

The display of the landscape then zoomed in on one specific monk in particular gliding around on a brown staff with orange wings. He had gray eyes and the typical blue arrowhead shared by all airbending masters. This was the potential pupil Roku requested Goku to teach: Avatar Aang, or the boy who would hopefully bring peace to all four nations someday.

"Fang will directly transport you to Aang's home, which is the series of temples you just saw." Roku informed Goku as the ghostly apparition of his once living body steadily flickered away in a surge of clouds. He smiled down once more upon the Saiyan prodigy and gave the traditional Fire Nation bow of respect: a fist placed against an open palm in the form of a warm flame as he leaned his chest downward.

"Good luck, Son Goku. I know you and Aang will both help each other realize your full potentials." Roku regarded the boy with the utmost optimism.

Before Goku could say another word, Fang teleported him and Goku away in a spiritual blue ball of glowing energy. Roku stood in place, his eyes suddenly widening in recognition of something he important he forgot to mention.

"Oh. I probably should have told Fang to drop Goku off at a specific location near the temple grounds." murmured the past Avatar in slight worry for Goku's safety. Once again, he stroked his beard a few times, but ultimately shrugged off any potential concern.

"Eh, he should be fine." Roku stated, knowing that Goku's been through far worse situations. With that last thought, he faded away in a plume of smoke, waiting for the moment Aang or even Goku himself, would need to call upon him for guidance. After all, it was inevitable that the two boys would have many adventures together.

Above the Avatar World, 0 AG, approximately 3 weeks before the Air Nomad Genocide

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!" screamed Goku in bloody murder after Fang transported him almost 50 feet above the Southern Air Temple's main pavilion. His loud wailing caught the immediate attention of the air nomads present below. They all moved their heads around to find the source of that ear-splitting screech.

"W-what on earth was that?" asked a frightened young monk without any tattoos.

"Is that a child? Where did he come from?" yelled out a much older airbending master with long orange and yellow robes. He squinted his eyes to get a better look at the person in question.

Goku started to run out of options, picking up more and more speed the closer he got to reaching his destination. He thought of spinning his tail like a helicopter, but that was just a spur of the moment decision during his fight with Jackie Chun at the 21st World Martial Arts Tournament. Nimbus also wasn't a guaranteed lifesaver since he left it in his home dimension alongside the Power Pole. That left one last option.

"Kaa…" Goku cupped both of his hands together and placed them on the right edge of his body. He glared daggers at the descending location, his black, spiny hair slicked backwards in response to the flowing gust of wind. Nearby, Aang was gliding in the air without a care in the world when he suddenly spotted a weird kid with a monkey tail falling down to the surface at concerning speeds.

"What's he doing with his hands?" Aang pondered. Not wanting the kid to hurt himself, the peace-loving monk adjusted the position of his glider and followed a current of wind leading to Goku's compromising position.

"Mee…" A ball of white and blue energy formed from within Goku's open palms, growing ever so slightly in size. The glow of the expansive blast surrounded the entire Southern Air Temple, leaving Aang and the other air nomads completely entranced by this unknown combination of power.

"Haa…Mee…" Pillars of white light shot out of the condensed orb of chi, starting to spin around in a hyperactive rhythm of motion. Goku, now halfway towards falling face first into the tiled into the temple's gathering area, clenched his teeth and made preparations to shoot downward.

"…HAAAA!" shouted Goku as a cylindrical stream of blue and white rocketed down, crashing into the paved center of the Southern Air Temple. A small explosion was created from the trademark "Turtle Destruction Wave", sending out a gust of wind that blew away Aang and the other airbenders.

Pieces of broken pavement flew all over the place as Goku utilized his signature technique to make a safe landing. He stood up on his two feet and perused the foreign environment Roku gave him information about. Aang, after adjusting his glider a bit, gazed upon the boy in awe, never even hearing of such abilities in his entire 12-year-old life. He jumped near Goku from above, spinning his staff around in order to put away its orange wings.

"W-who are you? And how did you do that?!" questioned a slightly terrified, yet amazed Aang. This combination of admiration and terror was a sentiment shared by his fellow monks of the Southern Air Temple. Goku, recognizing the face of the next Avatar, simply closed his eyes and gave out a peace sign.

"Yo, I'm Son Goku. You got any food around here?" snickered Goku, only thinking of food as usual.

Aang simply gave the boy a look reminiscent of smelling a bad fart. "This kid just shot light out of his hands…now, he's asking about food?!"

The fact he almost died raised further questions in Aang's head. He really needed to find out more about him and what his exact intentions were.

"Well, yeah, we do, but…" Aang suddenly got up in Goku's personal space, flailing his arms around like a mad man in amazement. ""WHAT THE HECK TYPE OF BENDING WAS THAT?! IT WAS INCREDIBLE!" The usually wise monk had theoretical stars in his eyes, absolutely thunderstruck by the unique spectacle that just took place.

Not sure what the boy was talking about, Goku blinked a few times and raised one of his eyebrows. The other airbenders were huddled together, far too unnerved by Goku's presence to say anything. It wasn't common for an uninvited guest to fall out of the sky like this, after all.

"Bending? But, there was nothing for me to bend…" asked Goku as he imitated the motion of breaking a metal bar with his hands. Aang and the other airbenders glanced at each other, stupefied by how far Goku missed the point of his question.

Aang shook his head, starting to get a bit antsy. "No, not that kind of bending. I meant the elemental bending. You know water, earth, fire, and air? All of the four elements? Like what you just did!" clarified Aang while doing his best to copy the Kamehameha Wave's signature hand position.

Recalling what Roku recently told him about this world, Goku snapped his fingers in understanding.

"Oh, gotcha. To be honest with you, that wasn't any of those elewhatchamacallits. That blast was all a result of my ki…or chi if you prefer." corrected Goku, changing his description to fit the alternate terminology this world possessed.

Such information began to disturb the Southern Air Temple's eldest members. This boy began to seem more suspicious by the second. Not only did he resemble an everyday Fire Nation youth, but he also described his "attack" as chi. Chi, of course, was the very essence each bender used to connect both spiritually and mentally with their respective element.

It was difficult enough mastering one single element as a whole, so they knew for a fact that not even the most sophisticated of bending masters could produce a stream of chi that devastating. It was simply unthinkable, especially for a young, teenage boy like this "Son Goku" here. He had a lot of explaining to do and the guardians of the Southern Air Temple could not afford to take no for an answer.

Aang himself looked equally confused by this response. All bending was made up of chi, so Goku's answer felt a bit vague. Was it possible to "bend" energy itself? He'd never heard of such a thing beforehand, at least not from what Gyatso taught him during his lessons.

"Chi? You mean was made from your own energy? How is—"

Before he could ask another question, Aang was interrupted by a gentle hand being placed on his shoulder. This was the aforementioned Monk Gyatso, the prepubescent monk's airbending master and personal caretaker. He was distinguishable from the others based on an upside down, U-shaped moustache that concealed his upper lip.

Gyatso gave a look that silently instructed Aang to stop talking and the Avatar-in-training did so without hesitation. He then shared a polite smile to Goku and bowed.

"Greetings, Goku. I am Monk Gyatso." The airbending master kindly introduced himself. Reminding him a bit of Master Roshi, Goku reciprocated the benevolent gesture and clasped both of his hands together as if he were praying.

"Hello. Nice to meet you, Gyatso." The crowd looked somewhat impressed by the goofy boy's sudden change in behavior. It was almost as if he were a different person altogether.

Gyatso lightly chuckled. "You have fine manners, lad. I can tell you hold some level of respect for your elders."

"Well, I've had a lot of old martial arts teachers who taught me how to fight, so I think it's a nice thing to do." Goku said, fondly remembering all of the masters who helped make him a stronger fighter. He then pointed up at Gyatso with a wide grin on his face. "I can tell you're a master just by looking at you."

Aang looked back at Goku in surprise. If that was a guess, his assumption turned out pretty accurate, all things considered.

"Hmm, quite perceptive of you to assume that, Goku. What gave it away?"

"Your bushy mustache. My master and grandpa both had one. Hehe." Goku chuckled absentmindedly. A drop of sweat dropped down Gyatso's head in slight embarrassment. That's the not the type of answer he was expecting, but in a way, Goku wasn't entirely wrong. Facial hair did, at times, equate to maturity and experience.

"Oh, is that right?" Gyatso muttered. He then coughed a few times to bring the conversation back on track.

"Anyway, Goku. Would it be alright if the Council of Elders asked you some questions? You won't be harmed at all, I assure you." requested Monk Gyatso as he gestured to four important looking individuals situated near the entrance of the Southern Air Temple's tallest building.

One, Monk Tashi, glared at Goku as if he were a major threat to the sanctity of the temple. He had pronounced bushy eyebrows and a long white goatee to match, narrowing his brown eyes dangerously. Another, Monk Pasang, the distinguished leader of the Southern Air Temple, seemed to be analyzing Goku's every individual movement and characteristic. He had a black unibrow and a type of moustache reminiscent of Fu Manchu's style.

A slight chill went down Goku's spine in response to the judgmental looks they were giving him, but it dissipated once he looked back at Gyatso's fatherly guise.

"Sure! Can I eat afterward, though? I'm starving!" Goku happily accepted Gyatso's offer. Monk Gyatso chuckled nervously as he escorted the innocent martial artist to the council room.

The other airbenders went back to what they were doing beforehand, awaiting a direct response from High Monk Pasang after the present interrogation was dismissed.

Aang, however, could not wait to know more about this "interloper" from the skies above and decided to take matters into his own hands. Looking to make sure the coast was clear, he projected himself upwards using airbending and landed on the council's ceiling. He then sneakily made his way to a nearby window, hoping to spy on Gyatso and the other elders without getting caught.