Chapter 27: Utopia

"Ha… haha."

I chuckled as I laid on the ground under copious amounts of rubble. I just couldn't help myself. The fight… It brought me more joy than I imagined.

When my and my dad's fist clashed for the final time, we flew past each other like an old samurai movie after a cinematic slice of a sword.

The excitement I felt when I felt like I was on the verge of clasping… When I looked behind me, I could tell that the feeling was mutual.

In that instant, I tried to keep my composure, but I barely could because I felt like my legs were turning into jelly. In truth, I didn't know if it was the adrenaline getting to me, or if it was just my body giving out on me. Either way, it was something that I didn't know I needed.

And in our last moments… I was the one to stand tall while Dad fell unconscious.

'I did it… I just beat one of my not-so-fictional idols.'

I smirked, struggling to push myself up. Beating up Goku was one thing, but beating up my dad was something entirely different.

My mother had hyped him up to be one of the strongest people in not just the world, but the entirety of the universe when I was a kid. Beating a Super Saiyan at his level was a testament to how much I improved.

In my current condition, I felt my ki rapidly returning to me as if I was a cell phone that had gotten hooked up to a fast charger. Even though I was pretty beat right now, I felt like I could go for at least 4 more rounds… but that was probably the weird Saiyan mechanism talking. I did have chest pain every time I took a deep breath after all.

Porunga playing with my genetic code probably played a factor, but that was neither here nor there.

"Alright."

With a push-up, I lived a few thousand pounds off my back getting to my feet. And when I got to my feet, I realized just how much damage I caused.

The entire facility was in ruins. There were electrical fires that were actively getting smothered by fire extinguishers that came from strange ports in the walls.

Wires were hanging from the ceiling… or what remained of it.

'Damn. I'm honestly surprised that this place held up for so long. These walls gotta be made out of vibranium or something.' I thought.

Then, I suddenly heard footsteps from the staircase that Gohan and Trunks went up.

"*step-step-step*"

"Vegeta, I swear to god, if you broke the indestructible battle zone that I made again, I'm leaving you for Yamcha when he gets revived!"

For the first time in a while, I heard my mother's voice. Frankly, I missed it. I couldn't help but smile.

"*step-step-step*"

"I know you hear me! I hope you know that you woke up the damn baby! How the hell do you even do that when literally, just for you and your stupid training, I advanced soundproofing technology by 1000 years? I shouldn't even be able to hear a rocket exploding down here and yet-!"

Once she got downstairs, her jaw dropped at the sheer amount of destruction she saw. And from a distance, I saw her.

She had on pink and black bunny pajama tops and bottoms with no makeup up and with a towel on top of her head.

'Looks like she's taking motherhood seriously.'

I thought with a smile.

"How… just… how?"

As she voiced those words, that was when she locked her eyes on the only one conscious in the room. Me.

Without saying another word, she took a deep breath and walked to a nearby wall, and began pressing numbers on a holographic panel.

After she entered her passcode, the walls split down the middle revealing a… broom closet?

She then grabbed a bucket and began filling it with water from a faucet and began to mumble curses under her breath… just like the hee from my timeline whenever I broke something by accident. It was kinda throwing me off.

Yeah, I understood that they were the same people, but the mother I knew was dead. Yet, now, here she was. Living and breathing, acting in the exact same way.

After a while, she made her way to me with a red bucket in hand, standing face to face.

"You're back." She said with slight hostility.

"Y-yeah." I stuttered.

"You're taller now. Your eyes are yellow, and now, you have a weird-looking tall."

"I do."

"…"

"…"

"Well? Did you do it?" She asked, raising a brow.

"Uh.. Do what, exactly?"

"Don't "uh, what exactly?" me. Did you kill Bojack or not!?"

"*pinch*"

"Ouch? What the hell? Let go of my cheek!" I let out in a panic.

"Then answer the damn question, you little bastard. And watch that mouth of yours!"

"Y-yes! I killed him a few hours ago! Let go of my cheek."

"Then apologize for being a screw-up like your father and almost blowing up the planet! Afterward, apologize for cursing in front of your mother." She demanded, pulling my cheek even harder. She was dead serious about every word too. I could see it on her face.

The pinch didn't really hurt, I was only complaining because I was nervous in the situation.

"I'm sorry, for almost blowing up the planet and I'm sorry for cursing. Can you let go of my face now, please?"

With a frown of reluctance, she let me go, crossing her arms.

"You damn well better be… also, I'm guessing you were partially responsible for this place being a wreck, right? You better not lie to me either. You may not have any scratches on you, but judging from your clothes, you were definitely a culprit."

"Uh… yeah. Sorry about that. We were sparring and it got a little out of control."

"No shit!" She verbalized, gesturing to all of the property damage that I caused.

"You just told me to stop cursing. Don't you think that's a little bit hypocritical?" I asked.

"I can be as hypocritical as I want to be. I'm your mom. Who's the parent? Hmmm?"

This was weird. I was way bigger and taller than her. I could move faster than the speed of light. I could blow up stars… yet, I was being intimidated by this 5'5 woman.

"I guess… you technically are."

"You're goddamn right. If I jump off a cliff, are you jumping off too?"

"I mean… if you factor in the fact that I can fly-"

"Oh, we got ourselves a comedian, huh? Well, Mr. Comedian, have fun switching careers, because you and your dad will be janitors today. I want all this rubble in one pile before the day is over! Understood?"

"*sigh*"

"Yes ma'am."

"Good… speaking of your father, where is the little prince? I'm gonna nag his ear off too."

She spat.

"Uh… I sense his energy underneath that pile over there. I knocked him out." I pointed.

"*sigh*"

"You guys sure know how to grind my gears." She mumbled.

"Anyway, since Bojack's gone, you know what to do next, right?"

"Well, yeah. I was gonna go to Namek so that I could wish everyone back."

"Annnnnnd?" She asked.

"Uh… I'll be honest, I'm kinda lost. Was there something else?"

"Yeah. There was. You're gonna come back and clean up. After that, you're grounded." She said, matter of factly

"W-what? You can't be serious right now. I'm a grown man! On top of that, you're not even that much older than me." I exclaimed in disbelief.

"You think I care? I'm still your mother, no matter what timeline this is." She spat, walking over to Dad with her bucket leaving me in a state of confusion and shock.

'I should have just teleported away when I saw her.' I thought, washing my hand over my face.

"*splash*"

"Wake up you unemployed bum of a husband!"

"*gargle*"

Almost drowning in his sleep, Dad woke up in a state of shock.

"What the hell is wrong with you, you blasted woman?! You could have killed me!"

"Oh, you shut it! You broke your promise and destroyed my training room. Not only that, you woke up little Trunks!"

Sitting up, Dad looked around in a daze, but then crossed his arms and averted his eye contact.

"*tsk*"

"I… apologize."

Mom then shook her head then smiled softly.

"It's fine… just clean up half and leave the other to Trunks. The tall one who just beat you up, of course. Also, get in the shower. You stink. And your armor's broken."

That was when Dad's eyes landed on me which caused him to grit his teeth.

Picking himself up, he walked over to me with Mom following behind.

"Scar… this isn't over. I hope you recognize that the only reason you managed to defeat me was because I'm lacking a few parts. If I was at my full potential, you'd be the one drenched right now."

"Ha… whatever gets you through the day," I commented.

Smacking his tongue against his teeth, he got closer.

"I'm being serious, you hear me? When I master more grades of Super Saiyan, be prepared for our rematch."

"Of course… always. I look forward to it." I nodded.

"Good." He smirked, walking off, but before he made his way upstairs to change, I stopped him.

"Hey!"

Turning around, he gave me a side eye, signifying that he was listening.

"Today was fun. I just want you to know that I appreciated this… a lot."

"I suppose that the feeling is somewhat mutual."

"Also, before you go, I made a promise to Goku a bit ago involving the Namekian Dragon. I thought you might be a little interested in what it was about."

"Really? And just why do you think that I would be intrigued with any pledge you made with that imbecile? Secondly, you should know by now that the very idea of obtaining something without prior accomplishment sickens me." He said with ridicule all over his face.

"Well, the answer to your question is because I know that you're a narcissist prick who's enthralled with the concept of growth. As for a reply to your comment, I was gonna ask you whether or not you wanted me to bring your tail back when I wish to restore your body."

"Why would I have a need for it? I've achieved Super Saiyan which multiplies my power many times beyond that of an Oozaru transformation." He spat.

"Because jackass-"

"Trunks! Language!"

Mom interrupted, putting her index finger to her lips.

"*sigh*" I shook my head in defeat.

"Because it's a gateway to new power levels. Think about it for a second and let it click into that hard head of yours. You already have Super Saiyan… What if you could become a great up on top of that once you get to Super Saiyan grade 4? Or should I say, "Super Duper Vegeta?"

"Well, that's a stupid name," Mom uttered while Dad started to do the calculations in his mind. As he did, the corners of his mouth began to curl.

"You know… That in theory doesn't sound half bad. Which is why I'll let that sly remark of yours go unacknowledged. If I think about it, it would be a power that I would obtain with my own hard work. I'd be foolish to allow that numbskull to obtain a leg up on me." he then put his hand on his chin, continuing to grin.

"So… What do you say?" I asked.

"I say, after your return from the Namekian homeworld, I'll be able to show how a true Saiyan Warrior uses his tail in combat." With that final statement, Dad and Mom went upstairs leaving me alone in the battle area.

'Alright… Let's see what's going on on Namek. Hopefully, they haven't used the Dragon Balls recently.'

Envisioning the physical form of the new Namekian elder, Moori, I began to manifest my presence.

*pop*

(Namek)

Instantaneously, I arrived on planet Namek. To be more specific, I popped up right in front of Moori in a large room surrounded by 13 Namekins to whom all jumped in surprise at my arrival.

Jumping to the defense of Guru, 4 warrior clan members rushed at me with their elongated nails pointed at my throat surrounding me on all sides while 2 others levitated in the air, ready to fire Ki blast from their palms.

"Children… It is okay. The person you see before you is the hero Trunks. The same one who dealt with the bane of our people, the menacing Frieza." Moori announced, de-escalating the open hostility that irradiated all around the room.

"Greetings, Trunks. What brings you to visit our homeworld?" He asked with a gracious smile as he sat on his throne-like seat.

"Hey, Moori. Sorry to-"

"How dare you address Lord Guru so informally!"

Shouted a slender Namekian with a blue cloth ring around his neck, yellow pants, and brown shoes.

"Maīma. That is unnecessary. I understand your need to protect my honor but recognize that Trunks is a friend of our people. Without him or his Friends, we would have all been eradicated along with our old planet." Moori lectured while raising his hand.

"I… apologize for my ignorance, Lord Guru. As to you, visitor, my intentions were not to disrespect. This is no excuse for my behavior, but our people are going through a difficult time as of the current moment." He slightly bowed his head.

"It's fine… I guess." I said, returning his gesture, confused.

"Moori? This true? Are your people going through something right now? If so, is there anything that I can do?" I asked a little concerned.

"Unfortunately, we are. If it doesn't inconvenience you too much, there is something I would like to request of you regarding the capture of one of our people. But first, I'm certain that you've arrived today for a reason, yes? Allow us to aid you so that you may be able to aid us in good conscience."

For a moment, I began to wonder how exactly this situation came about. Who could have managed to capture a Namekian? What was the reason? Judging by the number of people gathered in this room, I understood that the situation at hand was serious. At least to them, anyway.

I didn't mind helping them. They helped me a year ago, so it was time to pay them back. On top of that, I needed their help again with the current earth situation.

"Uh, yeah. I can definitely help you guys out. But before that, I came here today because I needed to use your Dragon Balls again."

"Our Dragon Balls?" For some reason, I sensed a slight bit of reluctance in his voice. It wasn't just him that looked apprehensive, but everyone else as well, making my situation feel a bit more awkward.

"I know I used them a little while back, but I really need them for a situation that's going down on Earth."

"Your homeworld? Do you think that you can give me a bit more information on the nature of your needs?"

"No problem." I nodded.

"You see, not too long ago, a guy more powerful than Frieza showed up there. He ended up killing a lot of my friends and a lot of innocent people who were just casually living their lives. Family, children, and the elderly were murdered. Others were enslaved. Our entire societal foundation was destroyed."

"Oh, my… that sounds like a story we relate to far too well. I'm sorry that your people have suffered such loss, my friend. Truly… What has come of this evil being?" He asked.

"Well now, he's probably getting his soul purged in Otherworld. I made sure of that. But as of the moment, my planet's still going through it. I've seen something that I don't think any other person should. There are gonna be people who are scarred for the rest of their lives when I wish them back, so I've been contemplating on whether or not I should have their memories of the past year erased."

"Hmm… Though I am glad you managed to rid your world of said evil, the paths you have before are difficult ones to navigate."

"Yeah…"

For a moment, I couldn't help but to reflect on the images that I saw just a few hours ago of the slaves that Bojack kept. Of all the dead bodies of innocent people I saw. Frankly, it nauseated me. Maybe, erasing people's memories of what happened would be for the best. Maybe, things would be better that way.

"I understand your moral dilemma… I truly do. Which is why I accept your request. But, would you allow me to bestow a bit of my wisdom before you make your final decision with the dragon?"

"Yeah… Honestly, I need it right about now."

"Mmm." He nodded.

"Hero Trunks, if the people of your planet have truly suffered the amount of suffrage that your body language is indicating, then I think that the best course of action would be to allow them the right to grieve. That is the greatest gift one can receive from pain."

"I'm sorry… But if I may, why? And how is pain a gift when all it does is hurt people?"

At my question, Moori gave a disheartened smile.

"Because, You warrior. To rob an individual of pain is the same as robbing an individual of growth. To rob them of growth is to rob them of free will."

"..."

"I understand that my words may appear cryptic, but if one does not know the negatives that come along with their experiences, then how will they ever appreciate the positive aspects that the universe has to offer?"

"No… I understand what you're saying. I do. I can't just bandage everything with the Dragon Balls and act like nothing ever happened. I don't think that'd be good for the people, or good for me on a psychological level."

"Mmm."

Wishing all of Earth's trauma away was easy. And not doing so would cause a lot of chaos. People would probably start to freak out once they witnessed their dead loved ones coming back to life, but in all reality, that was better than a person waking up and realizing that they now had newborn babies that popped up from seemingly nowhere.

What if there were random people on earth scuba diving on earth, then all of a sudden, they lost all of their memories from the past year and forgot how to swim?

Getting in touch with the softer side of my heart, what if two people found love and promised to live the rest of their lives together once they escaped one of Bojack's concentration camps, then, they'd end up forgetting where they are and who their significant other was.

It was a tough decision to make, but when I looked at it objectively, the answer was obvious.

Getting up from his seat, Moori patted his elderly and heavy-set assistant on the shoulder who was wearing purple and white robes.

"Tusūno, can you go ask the other clan elders for their Dragon Balls, Brother?"

"Yes, lord Guru."

He nodded, taking his leave.

"Moori, I also needed to ask another favor."

"Yes, Hero Trunks? How may I be of service?"

"Well, you see, we no longer have a guardian for Earth. The previous one merged with his other half who you knew as an amalgamation of piccolo of my planet and Nail. Seeing as was a member of the warrior clan, we don't currently have a keeper of our Dragon. Nail told me that there was a young Namekin named Dende here that would be a good fit for the role. I understand that he should probably still be in training, but we have a person named Mr.Popo on my planet that I think is capable of teaching him all he needs to know. Would you allow him to come with me?"

"Nail told you this?"

To his question, I nodded my head.

"It is true that Dende would make a good fit as a guardian. In fact, the young lad is already finished with his training… The problem is, I don't know if he's emotionally stable enough."

"What do you mean by that?"

"*sigh*"

"You see… the person that was abducted from our home world was someone close to the child. It was his younger brother and the 109th child of Guru, Cargo. A member of the Dragon clan." With his announcement, I could sense all the anger and dread in the atmosphere.

"Do… Do you know who could have taken the kid?"

"Unfortunately, I do."

"And who was it?"

"An Evil and long-forgotten member of our race who was banished from this land long ago. It was he who 3 months ago landed on this planet along with thousands of his powerful soldiers." I felt an eerie sense of familiarity in his words as he spoke.

"When he arrived, all of our people were fearful of his intentions, for they were alien to us. Although we understood that we stood no chance against such a powerful being, we stood strong and protected the Dragon Balls with our lives."

"We're there any casualties? The planet is still standing. And the fact that you still have the Dragon Balls tells me that everything seems to be virtually in order. At least on the surface, anyway." I said optimistically.

"That's just it. Surprisingly, he didn't come for the Dragon Balls. For the most part, they avoided confrontation. Contrary to his evil presence, all he and his people seemed upon arrival at this Village was my permission to take Ajisa saplings back to their planet."

"*sigh*"

'Okay… maybe, it's not who I think it is.'

"What happened next? Did you give them the saplings?"

"Mmm." He nodded.

"We did. The Ajisa has cultural meaning to our people, yes, but I understood that my people's lives were far more valuable than the floral aspect of our world. I expected them to ravage all of the vegetation on our planet. Fortunately, he and his people stayed true to their word and took saplings exclusively. But upon their departure, Cargo disappeared, putting our people in a great state of panic. There is only one place he could have gone…"

"And that's with them."

"Indeed." He replied.

"I see…"

"Hero Trunks, if you can find Cargo, not only will our people greatly appreciate your kindness, but so will Dende when he reunites with his brother. Before you arrived, a few warriors were going to go off planet in search of the child, but seeing as you have the ability to transport yourself to this location, perhaps you can rescue him all alone using the indomitable gifts that you have."

"I Don't have a problem helping you guys out. I mean, you're helping me and my planet out for a second time, so there's no issue. It's just, for my teleportation ability, for it to work, I have to envision a person's face, a specific place, or a particular planet for it to work. I never met Cargo, so it'll be kinda hard. But not impossible."

My words soothed the hearts of everyone in the room including Moori's.

"Thank you. Thank you so much, Hero Trunks."

"It's nothing. In my eyes, this benefits the both of us." I added.

"Yes. I suppose it does."

"Now, Before I go looking for the people who abducted Cargo, what's the Name of the person who kidnapped the kid."

"Right. I reckon I should have stated his name sooner. The Evil Namekian goes by the name of Slug."

"*smack*"

"Um… Hero Trunks? Why did you slap your own face?"

'Oh, you gotta be fucking shitting me!? It was him. I should have trusted my gut earlier.' I thought as I slowly slid my hand down my face.

"*Sigh*"

"It's nothing. I can get him back before the end of the day."

"R-really? Is that a guarantee?"

He asked with excitement.

"Yeah. Guaranteed."

I uttered.

"Then, that's perfect! We tried to wish him back to life, but failed. The dragon said he was still in the realm of the living. That means that he should be held captive still." Guru stated enthusiastically.

That was when his assistant/brother came back with a few others holding all 7 of the huge Dragon Balls.

"I'm back, Elder Guru."

"Great news, Tusūno. Our friend here says that he will be able to find Cargo." Moori smiled.

"What? That's amazing news! Absolutely splendid!"

He said with a jolly smile.

While everyone preemptively celebrated, my blood pressure was rising.

'I'm gonna rip his arms off when I see him.'

I thought, grinding my teeth in frustration.

We then walked outside and gathered all 7 of the Dragon Balls in a neat circle.

Stepping up, Moori put his hands over them and began to chant the password to awaken the sleeping Dragon.

"Takkaraput pop porunga pupiritt paro!"

Then, the magical scene that I watched a year and a half ago played all over again with the huge Dragon shooting into the sky.

"YOU HAVE COLLECTED ALL 7 DRAGON BALLS. AND NOW, AS IT IS WRITTEN, THINK WISELY, AND I SHALL GRANT YOU 3 WISHES."

"Alright Moori, for my first wish, I wish that every person on earth who died within the last year and a half came back to life." Nodding his head, Moori Translated.

After a few seconds, the dragon announced that my wish was granted.

"For my second wish, I wish that the individuals

known as Goku and Vegeta were cured of all handicaps, including missing appendages or diseases." Like before, my wishes were granted.

"And for my final wish, I wish that planet Earth was restored to exactly how it looked a year and a half ago, excluding any technical or architectural advancements that benefit the planet."

"GRANTED… NOW LEAVE ME ALONE. I HOPE THAT I DON'T SEE YOU SOON."

With his final words, he disappeared back inside the dragon balls that fell to the ground in stone form.

A few Namekian elders picked up the stone orbs and made their way to their respective villages, leaving Moori and me alone.

"I respect the fact that you allowed your people to keep their memories. Now, they have the opportunity to learn from their past which is a great reward for their troubles. It might not appear that way immediately, but only time will show.

"Yeah…"

"So… Now that your wishes have been granted, can you aid me with my request, Hero Trunks?" He asked rather concernedly.

"Yeah. I can do that. I know exactly where Slug is… Rather, I can get to him."

"Excellent… Then, I guess this is our temporary goodbye."

"Yeah. At least until I bring Cargo back." I uttered.

With that, he walked back inside of his home leaving me to my own devices.

"This butterfly effect BS is starting to piss me off," I mumbled.

***

***

***

[Meanwhile, at the Trunks Kingdom]

Slug stood on top of the highest peak of Castle Trunks looking over his hundreds of thousands of followers which now consisted of a majority of devout earthlings who looked up at him and the people next to him in reverence.

Slug had built an entire futuristic city-state dedicated to his Lord.

Civilians who lived within the walls of the Trunks Kingdom recognized it as a utopia. Within the Trunks Kingdom, Civilians never went hungry, never went poor, and most importantly, never committed crimes. All civilians had jobs, all civilians had houses with access to the internet, and all Civilians were devout believers of their God.

Slug, with the aid of his people, built a virtually perfect society with a beautiful atmosphere.

The flying cars in the Trunks kingdom were more advanced than the ones outside, the medicine was more advanced, and even the symbiosis between industrialization and plant life were advanced.

Proof of this was the fact that within the city-state, there were beautiful and healthy plants everywhere from different plants.

Beautiful-looking vines with flowers attached to them wrapped around buildings, as if their purpose was to strengthen a building's foundation, rather than cursing it into ruins.

Due to the alien nature of the insects which pollinated the greenery within the Trunks Kingdom, the majority of the streets were illuminated at night by plant life rather than street lights. Slug was proud of his creation.

On his right stood none other than second in command, General Paragus. On his left stood a green little boy of the same species with excitement in his eyes.

"Woah… I can never get used to this." The boy voiced with astonishment.

"Glorious, isn't it, Cargo?" Slug smiled, placing his hand on the boy's head.

"Heck yeah, it is. It's nothing like Namek. Each day I'm here, it kinda makes me glad that I snuck away from Namek on your ship!" Crago exclaimed, resisting his urge to jump up and down with excitement.

"Of course, dear boy. Initially, I was angry when I found out that you were a little stowaway on my ship. But when I saw that glimmer of curiosity in your eyes when you heard me talking about Lord Trunks, it was then that I knew that perhaps, one day… You could be my successor. I see a lot of myself in you." The boy nodded with joy.

Slug then looked to the Crowd below once more, ready for his announcement.

"The day has finally come! Lord Trunks has arrived!"

The crowd below began to cheer loudly.

"Yes, ladies and gentlemen. I have seen it with my own eyes. He has killed the tyrant, Bojack, that many of you were fearful of. And now, when he decides it, he will make his presence known to the rest of the world!"

Slug shouted which made the crowd go even wilder.

"*pop*"

Trunks, popping up instantly behind Slug and the two individuals beside him.

But sensing all the energies around slightly confused him. What confused him, even more, was the fact that his name was being chanted by a large crowd.

That was when he realized that the boy he was looking for seemed to be safe… Not only that, he was excited for some reason.

'What the hell is going on right now?' At that thought, Trunks began to fly upwards and realized there was a countless amount of people below… There were statues of him!

No… This entire society was based around him.

He then looked at Slug. Before he could interrupt, he began to panic recognizing the person beside him from his past life.

"Oh, you have to be shitting me!?" He couldn't help himself. The words just slipped out of his mouth. If his mother were present, she would have lodged a bar of soap down his throat.

'Out of all people, Why him?! Why couldn't it just be Turles?!'

Paragus. Wherever he went, another followed. And judging from the relatively high Ki signatures in the crowd, he knew that it was an individual he did not want to meet among them.