Second in Line (Saiyan OC's)

Past issues (2)

Half an hour later, the door to Bana's room creaked and he went out while arching his back, both fists in the air.

"...Oh? Still here, are you, Mom?"

I turned off the TV, having watched the afternoon news. It was ending anyway. "Do I sense trouble?"

"Not on my part. Gosh, that was so brain-racking, the homework..." he placed himself beside me. "So Mom, today as we were leaving school, I greeted a friend. She spoke of other aliens before us that had tried rocking this planet apart. Mind telling me, what 'other' aliens could there be save from us Saiyans... and Frieza, of whom you talked so much about?"

"First off--do you happen to understand just what an 'alien' is, Bana?"

"Unwelcome freaks to one's domain."

"There you go; and answering the question, how would I know? It's not our fault this verdant planet's got its own set of foreign comers in the past."

"Bingo. But surely you've noticed at least some of them when we came here?"

"Oh, now, don't pretend that you didn't. You were old enough when we got here; how could you so easily forget about Majin Buu--as in, his evil self? There's one example."

"...Oh yeah, got a hard time subduing that pink blob--and the period when he's no longer a blob was much tougher. That must be what Alba meant that an alien killed her grandparents..."

"Well, Buu did kill everyone on the lands, did he not? That's why we were on Kami's Lookout..." I straightened up. "Seriously, Bana, did you not manage to recall any of these? It was not so long ago, see..."

"Well... guess I'm a little fuzzy about that. I only remembered that we got to defeat Buu, but... good thing I asked, huh?"

"Yes and no. For you to lose memories when still so young..."

I stood and looked down on him closely, almost scrutinizing.

"Mom, please--"

"--Wait. Yes, I remember now; you were among those killed!! Then you had not attained your Super Saiyan form, and... and I only got to join the others on the Lookout after we lost you... Oh..."

"Mom, come on... you look really ill now."

"No, no," I shook my head several times, then held my son's shoulders with trembling hands, "again, no, Bana, it was all not a dream. Real, it was... you were dead, but then revived by Kakarot's wish when he realized he needed the power of everyone on Earth for his Spirit Ball coup de grace; and you remembered that part right up to Kid Buu's defeat. Yes... ohh, how I forgot that part myself until now! Bana, my dear Bana, welcome back!!"

"Hmph--?!"

I felt like I could crush him with that hug alone, so tight that it was.

"Mmm--"

When I looked at him again, Bana was clamoring for air. I immediately released him.

"*Gasp!!* ...For a moment there... thought gonna die again... *pant...*"

It took two minutes before he was sensible enough to resume the talk.

"...So it wasn't any lag of memory on my part, eh?"

"No. You couldn't help it. I see, so your friend did lose some of her relatives... My sympathies for them."

"Thought the same."

"Then again, was that the thing you wanted to talk about?"

"Sort-of. So after Buu became what he is, there's not anyone with the will and power to threaten us again... is that right?"

"Well, Beerus still does, if you ask me. He's gonna get all the pudding he might want by this time, however. I've also heard his attendant Whis is quite captivated by what cuisine Earth has to offer--so on balance, we're quite safe."

"More like, Aunt Bulma is pampering him on that."

"Could you for one minute quit being a snitch, son? That's our family you're talking about. If she chose not to, you might not get any spars at all, see."

"'Kay... and it's been a really nice talk, Mom. Not so often we get to be like this outside of training; speaking of which, I'm visiting Gohan's house tomorrow. Hugs, again?"

I did--much less forceful this time, but still more compassionate than I could ever remember doing.

Deep down at heart, I could perceive him smile.

"Take care, my dear Bana."

***

Any new thoughts about Bana's present relationship with his mother? :D