A/N: Your eyes do NOT deceive you!

Chapter 28: The Hyperbolic Time Chamber

The door to the Time Chamber shut with a lighter click than Trunks remembered, leaving himself and Lynn the only two in the pocket dimension. The woman looked around, eyes wide in marvel.

"First time here?" Trunks asked this as he made his way over to the eating area, ensuring that the food stock was full. Of course, it was.

"Y-Yes. It's….kinda of pretty, yet eerie."

"You get use to it." Trunks said simply before he turned to her. "So...about Orion...I've been wondering how were you able to stop his attack without turning Super Saiyan?"

"That's because I'm not a Saiyan." Said flatly as she looked around.

"...Android? No, I can sense your ki...you're...human?"

Lynn turned to him offering a sympathetic smile. "Why is that such a shock?"

"W-well...humans are traditionally...not as strong as Saiyans."

"Your humans, yes. There are many different universes, and within those universes multiple timelines exist. In my particular universe humans are one of the strongest races in the galaxy."

Trunks blinked. The sheer magnitude of it all was a bit overwhelming, but he supposed it made sense. Still, humans being able to generate power that passed Super Saiyan boggled him. "Your universe doesn't have Saiyans? Or other aliens?"

Lynn turned to him, shifting her weight and pulling her arms across her stomach. "We don't have Saiyans...not anymore. In this universe, and many others, Saiyans originated in a far off planet—but they took an evolution that was similar to humans. In my universe which is, sometimes, refered to as the original blueprint for all of the other universes...Saiyans come from Earth—that's why we look so similar. Evolution branched, humans came from one ape, and Saiyans another—though some have tried to provide evidence that we share a common ancestor there's not enough scientific evidence to back that up."

"So…..what, the humans killed the Saiyans?" Trunks laughed at this.

Lynn's brows furrowed. "Saiyans of this universe, and some others—like Orion—are very aggressive. Violent. The Saiyans of our universe were...not that way. They were kind, peaceful people—very passive. We humans...enslaved them. And they didn't fight back. Sometimes there would be inter specie relations, but for the most part Saiyans were looked at as inferior. Lower beings simply for being born different—despite our anatomy being so similar that the only way to tell us apart is a tail."

Trunks shifted his weight. "So, racism."

"Yes. And it is what destroyed the Saiyan race. It's easy for humans, who are so prone to prejudice, to band together against a common enemy when that enemy is different."

"I thought you said the Saiyans were passive?"

"They were...but you can only beat a person so much before they fight back. By the time the Saiyans chose to rise up, they had been enslaved for so long that their economic and technological status paled to ours. The Saiyan War lasted a week before the last Saiyan fell. They even rounded up half-Saiyan and executed them too, claiming that it was a precautionary measure. People who hadn't fought at all were killed in the streets, simply because they were born with a tail. Some escaped, by cutting off their tails...denying their heritage. So, I guess it is possible for me to have Saiyan blood, but it would be so far removed that it makes little difference. Some say that the mixing of the races is why Humans of our universe are so strong...nobody really knows for sure."

Trunks was taken aback. While he knew humans were capable of great evil—Gero was proof of this—he hadn't imagined they could hate something, and someone, so much just because they looked different. "You said it may be far removed, so you never had any slaves?"

Lynn laughed at this, a bubbly light hearted sound despite the topic. "This was thousands of years ago, Trunks. I'm not responsible for those things, nor would I like for you to associate me with them. There has been talk of time travel...to fix what is now regarded as one of the biggest mistakes in our history, but...we now know that changing one past doesn't change them all." She gave a small smile to Trunks at this, knowing that the demi-Saiyan would understand.

Trunks reached up and ran a hand through his lavender locks. "I...guess that makes sense, it's just...it's a lot to take in, you know? A human stronger than a Saiyan."

Lynn closed her eyes, allowing herself a small, prideful smile. "You said that the first time I told the other you, but it's best to assume everyone you meet isn't helpless simply for being human—that's a form of racism too, is it not?"

Trunks mulled the idea over and gave a conceding nod. "You're right, sorry, it's just-"

"You only have the examples you know, to follow. Humans in your universe are weak, so you assume that all of them in other universes are. That's natural, but so long as you understand that that's a dangerous and toxic way of thinking, you can move forward."

Trunks nodded, walking out into the white nothingness that composed the chamber. "Did you know the other me well?"

Lynn shifted her weight, away from the Saiyan and allowed her arms to fall to her side, though the right one hugged the left to her side. "Yes...but I don't see how that matters, you're not the same person."

"You're right, I'm not" He turned towards her, his blue eyes a firm look, "but we share similarities. I'm not stupid, Lynn. The way you looked at me when you saved me, the side glances….just who was I to you?"

Lynn felt her emerald eyes widen and she looked away. "...a close friend. We weren't...a 'thing' or anything of the sort. Fraternization is against Time Patroller protocol."

"Something tells me that the other me wasn't one for rules." Trunks said firmly and he faced her fully. "Don't lie to me, Lynn. If we're going to work together, I need to know why you came here. If you're the strongest of the Time Patrollers, and really that powerful, it seems a bit overkill to have you here ensuring that one of the Supreme Kai of Time's flunkies don't show up."

Lynn bristled slightly and turned to him, her usual meek attitude melting as a fire lit behind her emerald eyes. "Fine, Trunks, yes...we...had relations, but you aren't him—I know that. I came because" she deflated somewhat, "it's...personal, to me. I have a stake in this, I'll admit..but I'm not here to destroy your timeline, I would rather you live happily, than forcefully brought back—especially when you're not the same person."

Trunks was silent for a long moment as the two shared a stare. "Show me."

"I-I'm sorry…?" Lynn felt her cheeks redden and Trunks' quickly did too.

"Not—I mean how strong you are. If you're...if this other me is important to you, I need to know you're gonna be able to protect him. This Trunks we're going to get isn't a fighter."

Lynn blinked and then shifted her weight again. "I was strong enough to beat Orion, doesn't that qualify?"

Trunks nodded. "Yeah, but..."

Lynn couldn't fight the smile rising on her lips. "You're curious because you're Saiyan."

Trunks couldn't deny this and instead simply nodded.

"I don't see how this will help, but...very well, Trunks. But please, bare in mind that I was stronger than the other you as well—and so are you, currently. But...if we're going to train, perhaps it is best to not keep secrets."

Trunks would admit, that was something. He was at a level that was better than this other him that she was close to, and with her help—so long as they were open with each other—he could get even stronger. "Alright, deal. But just so you know, I'm already taken—I love 18."

Lynn gave a laugh, though Trunks caught the pain in her eyes. "Believe me, I've no designs to interfere in your personal life Trunks."

"Sorry...I know it's hard hearing that from someone who looks identical..."

Lynn gave a small smile and a nod. "Thank you, for being considerate—in your doofus way. Now, step back—farther back. That's good."

Trunks watched as the woman spread her feet shoulder width apart, a glance given to Trunks before her emerald eyes went straight forward. Her voice came in a low roar, at first, and Trunks felt her power, a meek kind feeling thing swell into what he could only describe as a 'mother bear' type of feeling. Kind, warm, but fierce and maternal. The strength of it caused him to take a step back—she had already surpassed everything he could generate and it was still rising. His blue eyes widened as it took a sharp leap, a brilliant, vibrant white aura exploding to life around her just as she gave a final shout. Her features remained the same, chestnut hair and emerald eyes, her power having finally peaked as she looked to Trunks. The white aura flicked and faded as she spoke. "The Elder Kai performed a ritual that unlocked my potential after I was killed. Human bodies, despite us being strong, can only take so much. If I was alive, and tried to use this technique, my heart would explode—it's only possible for those who have passed, or have a body hardy enough to take it, such as Saiyans. And no, Trunks, I cannot teach you how to do it—this is the Elder Kai's technique."

Trunks reached up and wiped a bead of sweat from his brow. "That's….kind of incredible...but if you're this strong, how did you die to begin with? I know you couldn't unlock your potential, but I get the feeling you've always been strong and that you're omitting something important."

Lynn folded her arms across her chest. "I've been forthcoming, Trunks, but if you want to know...you're going to have to earn it. We're here to train, and if you beat me….I'll tell you."

Trunks grit his teeth. He couldn't beat her. With his level of power, he'd wager he'd have a hard time landing a hit. But, the fire in his blood wouldn't ignore a challenge, and the grin Lynn was now sporting knew that. Perhaps she wasn't making it all up—she knew exactly how to get under his skin. That damn smirk, like his fathers, that superior stance. He didn't hate his father, of course, far from it—but he was an asshole, and knew how to rub people just the right way to set them off. Lynn, he could see, had that talent as well—when she wanted to.

The golden aura of an ascended Super Saiyan exploded to life around Trunks. "Fine! If you want me to beat the answers out of you, I will!"

Lynn's response was a mere shrug. "You can try, but you haven't beaten me in any timeline yet, Trunks. Not with that level of power, not with the reason your fighting."

"I'm fighting because I keep being forced to!" Trunks shot back, fists balled.

"Exactly. A Saiyan that's forced to fight? Isn't that an insult to the Saiyan race of this universe?"

"I'm only half Saiyan...I don't enjoy fighting...I do it because I have to."

"And you'll always lose if you're only fighting because you feel like you have to." Lynn was upon Trunks before he could react, a heavy right sending him careening towards the limitless horizon. "You'll never be strong if that is why you're fighting. Weaklings fight because they have to, weakling fight for themselves. If you want to be strong" she appeared and caught Trunks, who had been knocked out completely from the single blow, "unless you fight for the future you're trying to build with those you love, Trunks."

Lynn released her power, and placed it so that Trunks' head was upon her lap, wiping his lavender locks from his face. "You're not the same Trunks, I know that...not because of 18, or this timeline...but because my Trunks had a reason to fight."