Chapter One – Oops.

On a small planet somewhere in space...

"C'mon Whis, we haven't done any training today!" whined Goku. He pouted as Whis ignored him again. They would usually have been training for hours by now. He was starting to get impatient.

"What's so important that we can't train, huh?" he asked, expecting more silence.

"Listen well Goku, as I'll only say this once."

Goku snapped to attention. This was the first time Whis had spoken to him all day.

"My powers are acting up today, to put it simply, and I can't train at the moment. Even the slightest shift in focus could mean disaster." Whis explained, never taking his eyes off his staff, paying no attention to a rather upset looking Goku.

"What?! You mean you can't train me? It can't be that bad!" he exclaimed.

"If you wish to stay in this dimension, timeline, and perhaps even life, I suggest you either stay put and wait, or find someone else to train with for the day." said Whis calmly, as he was never one to panic, though Goku had a way of testing his patience.

"But Vegeta and Lord Beerus are training on Earth, and I can't get there without you! And there's no one to train with here!" said Goku, gesturing to the bright but empty landscape of the planet around them. A sly smile spread across the Sayians face as an idea came to him. It was a stupid idea, but then again, this is Goku we're dealing with. He crept up next to Whis as quietly as he could, stifling a giggle.

This was one of his greatest plans yet., but yet again, that's not saying much.

"If you can't bring me there yourself... then I'll just borrow your staff!" he said, reaching out for it. Whis broke his concentration for a half second, and as small as the break was, it was enough to cause a flux in his powers. As soon as Goku touched the staff, he vanished, with no indication that he had ever been there.

"Oh dear, that isn't good." Whis muttered to himself. He quickly located where Goku was , and with a sinking feeling in his chest, located when Goku was.

"The others aren't going to be happy about this." he sighed. The flux seemed to have leveled out his power back to usual, so he quickly contacted Beerus, taking the few moments needed to connect to Earth to sort out how he would explain things. Soon enough, the projection from his staff took form, revealing itself to be a rather grumpy looking God of Destruction.

"What is it Whis? I'm busy. The earthlings have a new dish for me to sample. Something called poutine, and so far it smells divine, so this had better be worth interrupting me." Beerus grumbled. His anger diminished slightly when he saw Whis was not his usual happy self. Whis, on the other end of the call, readied himself to deliver the news.

"My Lord, we have a problem."

On Earth, a few moments earlier...

"So.. this poutine... what is it made of?" inquired Beerus. He leaned in to sniff at the bowl.

"Well, Lord Beerus, it's mainly comprised of potato, cheese, and gravy." explained Bulma. She glanced over at Vegeta. She rarely saw her husband nervous, but whenever it came to the God of Destruction, he always seemed on edge. Well, on edge more than usual, considering his temper.

"So, you melt cheese curds on top of these "fries", and douse it all in the meat broth you call gravy. An interesting combination. It had better taste as good as it smells, or else I'm destroying this planet, you hear me?" said Beerus. Bulma nodded nervously. Beerus had never followed through on his threats so far, but she had seen first hand how serious he was about them, and was always hoping that whatever dish he ate, he would happen to like. Before Beerus could get in a single bite, however, he paused. One of his ears twitched slightly. He let out a sigh and stood up strait.

"Just a moment. Whis is calling." he grumbled, turning to face the green circle of energy that had materialized nearby, hovering a few feet above the ground. The image in the circle wavered for a few seconds, then calmed, revealing Whis on the other end of the call.

"What is it Whis? I'm busy. The earthlings have a new dish for me to sample. Something called poutine, and so far it smells divine, so this had better be worth interrupting me." he snapped. His anger lessened slightly when he noticed Whis wasn't smiling. His assistant had a happy demeanour by default, to the point it was almost annoying, so to see him this serious was a rare occurrence.

"My Lord, we have a problem." said Whis. "To put things rather bluntly, Son Goku has accidentally sent himself back in time."

"HE WHAT!?" The exclamation came from all three of the people in the area.

"What do you mean, he accidentally sent himself back in time?!" asked Beerus.

"My powers were fluctuating earlier today, and Goku thought it would be a good idea to grab my staff, probably to travel back to earth." replied Whis.

"Why didn't you stop him?!" said Bulma. Whis sighed.

"I was focused on keeping my powers in check. I didn't have enough time to react before it happened." he explained.

"Then go back in time yourself and bring him back before that idiot breaks history!" yelled Vegeta. Whis shot the prince a look that shut him up right away.

"It's not that simple. When Goku went back, he created a new timeline, one with his influence. The most I can do is create a connection between the two timelines so we can bring him back once he dies."

"ONCE HE WHAT!?"

"Let me explain. I can monitor Goku from here. Once he is about to perish in the timeline he's travelled to, I can snatch him from it just before it happens, therefore preventing a paradox in that timeline. He will be perfectly safe once I've brought him back. There is no need to worry." said Whis.

"Why don't we just use the Dragonballs?" asked Bulma.

"To use the Dragonballs for this task would still create a paradox, and unlike me, the dragons cannot rewind time." explained Whis. Beerus narrowed his eyes.

"We could just use the Super Dragon Balls or ask the Kai of time for help if things are this bad. Why is Whis lying?" he wondered. He was going to have a serious talk with Whis later.

"How long will Kakarot be stuck? The longer he's gone, the less time we have to train." grumbled Vegeta.

"The connection between the timelines acts very similarly to that of the Hyperbolic Time Chamber you know. One day in our timeline equates to around a year in the timeline Goku is trapped in. The only way we'll know when he comes back is when he, as I have stated, dies in that timeline." said Whis.

"So... who's going to tell Chi Chi?" said Bulma.

"I think it's best if I deliver the news myself." said Whis. "It is, in part, my fault."

"Good luck with that." sighed Bulma. "I, for one, would not like to deal with Chi Chi when she's angry."

"I shall take your warning in stride and proceed with my duties." said Whis. The call ended as the circle of energy faded away.

"Hopefully, she'll take the news well." thought Whis as he began traveling to Chi Chi's house. Sadly, for him, she did not.

On a distant planet in an alternate timeline...

Goku looked around, confused, at the building surrounding him.

"This isn't earth." he stated. He stared up at the curved ceiling. The building wasn't a kind he recognized. Everything seemed to be made out of a smooth, white material. It almost looked like the houses on Namek. He started to walk down the hallway. Many doors lead to smaller rooms, full of weapons, and armor. Goku realized that, while the weapons looked very low tech, the armor was very close to the stuff that Frieza's army had worn back on Namek, and in their recent invasion of earth. He quickly ducked into one of the rooms as he heard footsteps coming down the hall. To his surprise, two men walked past who seemed very similar to himself, with the exception of... tails?

"They're... Sayians?!" thought Goku. Things were getting very weird. With a sigh, he decided that the best way to learn more would be to blend in, and he changed into one of the nearby sets of armor. As important as going unnoticed was, he couldn't bring himself to get rid of his Gi completely, so he re-purposed his belt into a headband. With his disguise done, he took a second to look into the nearest reflective surface, and smile. Said smile faded as he noticed a small figure standing behind him who looked very familiar.

"You. Turn around."

Goku felt a shiver run down his spine. He knew that voice, even if it seemed to have changed slightly, and he slowly turned to confirm his suspicions. Standing behind him, much shorter than the last time they had met, was Cooler. Or at least, a version of Cooler, as he was very short.

"No tail, hmm?" stated Cooler. He smiled unexpectedly. "You're perfect for the job. Come with me."

Goku, too stunned to do much else, nodded and followed his old enemy out of the room.

"Why is Cooler here? And why does he look so different? None of this makes sense." thought Goku as they walked down the hall. They soon arrived at an opening in the wall leading out to the planets surface. Goku noted the pink and purple tinge to the rocks, the deep blue sky, and the many enormous crystals emerging from the ground.

"I assume you can fly?"

Goku snapped to attention. Cooler was hovering a few feet above the ground, looking expectantly at him, waiting for a response. Goku nodded again and floated up to match the princes height. Cooler smiled again, still not a sight Goku was used to, and began flying towards a rather large structure in the distance. Goku trailed a few feet behind him, still trying to sort things out, and having no luck. Cooler turned his head to look at the Sayian.

"I suppose I should explain why I've asked you to the main palace." he said. A blank look from Goku confirmed this.

"Well," Cooler continued, "My baby brother has always wanted to train against a Sayian. However, since the palace is in direct view of the moon at all times, out father thought it unwise to have any Sayians there, on account of the transformations your kind utilize whenever the moon is full."

"So you got me because I don't have a tail and can't transform!" exclaimed Goku, glad to have figured something out, at least. Cooler gave Goku an amused look.

"Yes, I did. You seem to be a little brighter than the rest of your race. Tell me, Sayian, what is your name?" asked Cooler. Goku felt a tinge of panic. He knew something odd was going on, and telling his name to Cooler probably wasn't a good idea, despite the unusual friendliness they Icejin was displaying.

"It's.. uh.. Leeku!" he exclaimed, saying the first name that came to mind.

"Well then, It's a pleasure to meet you, Leeku." said Cooler with another smile. Goku nervously smiled back. His plan, however weak it may be, seemed to be working. At least he hadn't been attacked yet. The two flew in silence for the next while. They passed over canyons and mountains, all studded with giant gemstones, and several small villages were visible.

"There's the palace. If you're lucky, it's where you'll be living from now on." said Cooler after a few minutes, pointing towards the building on the horizon. Goku looked at the palace, amazed not only at the sheer size of it, but of the fact that most of it seemed to be carved out of crystals. The building seemed to simply grow out of the side of a mountain. Sunlight reflected off the crystals at all angles, making it a magnificent sight to behold, albeit a slightly blinding one.

"I'll alert father to your arrival, but before that, I should introduce you to my brother. He's the one you'll be training if things work out." said Cooler as the landed at the doors. He lead Goku down the arched hallways with ease, though they all looked the same to the Sayian, and eventually they came to an open walled training area. Goku tried to remember who Coolers brother was, as he was sure he had heard him mention it during one of their fights, but his thought process was cut short as he noticed the much smaller Icejin flying in circles near the ceiling.

"Frieza! Get down here! I've got something for you." called Cooler. The small Icejin, whom Goku now recognized was indeed Frieza, floated down to head height.

"Who's this?" he asked. Goku was surprised to hear not the voice he knew the tyrant so well for, but the voice of a young child, explaining his appearance. This Frieza was just a kid. Around seven or eight, Goku guessed, though it was hard to tell. Little Friezas face lit up as he identified Gokus species.

"You brought me a Sayian?!" he exclaimed, smiling widely, his tail starting to wag in excitement.

"I did. This is Leeku, the tailless Sayian." said Cooler smugly, obviously proud of himself. Little Frieza gave his brother a quick hug before flying around Goku a few times to examine him.

"This is so awesome! No tail means no transforming, right?" he asked.

"Yep, we can grow them back, but I didn't want to." said Goku, caught up in Little Friezas enthusiasm, realizing a second too late that he probably shouldn't have spoke. Luckily for him, the small Icejin was too happy to notice, distracted by all the possibilities of training with a Sayian.

"Father is letting him stay, right?" he asked.

"I still have to convince him. Care to tag along?" said Cooler. Little Frieza gladly perched himself on his older brothers shoulders, tail still wagging, looking up at Goku.

"Don't worry, Leeku, I'll make sure you get to stay!" he exclaimed happily. Goku did his best to smile back, despite every memory of Frieza telling him this was a bad idea, and followed the brothers as they lead the way forwards. As they walked, Goku finally realized what had happened, to an extent.

"I'm in the past!" The thought hit him out of nowhere. Everything suddenly fell into place. The Sayians, the older weapons, how much younger Cooler and Frieza were. It all made sense, with the exception of how he got to what seemed to be the Icejins home planet, and how he was sent back in time in the first place. Though, if he had to guess, Goku figured it had something to do with Whis. Before he could put any more thought into it, they had arrived in the throne room, the halls lined with soldiers. Cooler walked in the front of the group, with Little Frieza still hitching a ride, and Goku fell into step a few feet behind them. He looked to the throne at the end of the room. Sitting there was an Icejin he didn't recognize, but judging by everything around him, this guy was the King Kold Trunks had told him about.

"Cooler, Frieza, why have you brought a Sayian into the palace?" he demanded. Little Frieza floated off his brothers shoulders and ran up to his father.

"Cooler found a tailless Sayian for me to train with!" he said happily. Kold leaned down and picked up his youngest son, placing him in his knee, smiling all the while.

"Oh my, he did, did he? That's quite the feat." he said. Little Frieza grinned up at his father.

"His name's Leeku! Can we keep him? Please? He doesn't have a tail, so he can't turn into a giant monkey, and he'll get stronger the more we train! He's the perfect sparring partner!" he explained excitedly. King Kold looked over at Cooler and Goku.

"A tailless Sayian? I'm surprised. Most Sayians take pride in their tails." he mused.

"Most do, indeed, but this one said he has no interest in growing his back." said Cooler.

"He did? How odd..." said Kold. Goku felt the need to speak up, despite the danger, because he could easily be killed anyways if Kold thought Goku was trying to trick them.

"It got in the way... Sir. It's easier to fight when you don't have to worry about an extra limb. Besides, last time I transformed, I... uh... accidentally killed my grandfather." said Goku. Kold raised an eyebrow, surprised that this Sayian spoke out of turn so easily, but the story intrigued him.

"You did? That's very unfortunate. But, in Sayian culture, are deaths in the family not commonplace?" he said.

"Well, I guess, but my grandpa was the only family I had. Plus, I was dropped on my head as a baby, so I was never as violent as the other kids." said Goku. The last part was only partly a lie, as he was dropped, though he never met any other Sayian kids to compare himself to.

"You say you were never as violent, and yet you mentioned your love of fighting, did you not?" said Kold. Goku felt himself starting to panic. Kold was spotting all the holes in his story quickly.

"Well... since I didn't have any family to look after me... I had to fend for myself. And it's in Sayian nature to want to fight, right?" he said, hoping the explanation satisfied Kolds curiosity.

" It is indeed. My word, you are quite the odd one, Leeku the tailless Sayian." said Kold with a small laugh. Goku sighed with relief. Hopefully he wouldn't have to tell the king anything else. He wasn't sure if he could keep this up for much longer. Even if it was the past, he was still surrounded by enemies, and he itched to fight someone.

"So Papa? Can we keep him? Please?" Little Frieza piped up, looking to his father hopefully. Kold laughed again and patted his son on the head.

"I suppose so. You can use him to train. Cooler will be in charge of everything else. Won't you?" he said. Cooler bowed.

"I will, Father. You have my word." he said.

"YES! Thank you thank you thank you!" exclaimed Little Frieza, hugging his dad the best he could, and flying over to Goku.

"You hear that Leeku? You're gonna train with me!" he said. Goku smiled nervously.

"How did I get myself into this?" he thought as Little Frieza lead him back to the training yard.