Hana,
OR
Why I shouldn't be Trusted with Characters
Chapter 1 – OR – Oh Kami I Hope she isn't a Mary Sue
Hana wasn't dropped on her head when she was born. It was a near thing, though – Goku hadn't expected for his child to be so slippery. She slid through his fingers, and Goku juggled the babe for several seconds before he landed on his back with a thump. Hana fell lightly into her father's arms, all scrunchy and red. Goku held tiny Hana aloft, and smiled a dopey grin at his beautiful baby girl.
Chichi sighed. Now she had two children to raise.
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"Is that a tail?" Chichi questioned Goku, as if the extra appendage was his fault.
"Hmm," Goku considered, adopting a quizzical expression. "You know, I think it is a tail."
"And why does our baby have a tail, Goku?" Chichi demanded.
"I had tail, once!" Goku beamed. "But then I lost it." He frowned.
"I suppose you'll just have to live vicariously through Hana's tail, Goku," Chichi allowed herself a small grin. It was just like Goku to lose an appendage.
"Yay!"
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The first time Hana escaped from her crib to explore the isolated Son cabin, Chichi thought it was a fluke, or that Goku, bless the man, had let the baby out to play.
The second time Hana escaped from her crib, Goku found her first. He taught her how to throw a punch. Hana socked him in the nose.
The third time Hana escaped from her crib, she climbed a bookshelf. ChiChi found the monkey-tailed tot reading the dictionary. Chichi put a gate up around the crib. (Goku hid the dictionary under Hana's pillow. A conspiratorial wink was shared.)
The fourth time Hana escaped from her crib, she tottered over to where Goku was training. He showed Hana the moves of an early kata. Hana gleefully socked him in the nose.
The fifth time Hana escaped from her crib, she made a stack of pancakes. They were doughy, and a little burnt. Goku stole one of the pancakes, so Hana moodily kicked him in the shin.
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"Bilda Nonma manm?" Hana asked Goku, perched on a tree.
"Chichi is usually mad about something," shrugged Goku. "But that's how she shows her love for us, I think."
"Nonma manm den nonma wubn?" Hana curled into her Dad's side.
"Exactly!" Goku exclaimed. "Sometimes you need to get a bit angry to protect the people you love most – even if its from themselves. Chichi protects us by keeping us healthy with good food and being super smart and kicking the bad people!"
"Un bu?" Hana looked into Goku's eyes.
"I protect my family by always helping and trusting them," Goku held Hana close. "And by laughing with them," he tickled Hana. "And sometimes by kicking butt."
Hana giggled
….
A week later, Chichi found Hana outside, practicing her kicks. "Hana, what are you doing out here!" Chichi exclaimed, not really expecting an answer.
"Protect," Hana kicked the air again. "Protect Nonma un Da!"
Chichi nearly cried, then showed Hana a back kick.
…
"Hana said her first word today!" Chichi gushed, cooking a steak. Goku was inexpertly chopping (decimating) some carrots. "It was absolutely precious!"
"Really?" Goku looked up from his pile of orange mush. "You only noticed now? She's been talking to me for weeks!"
"She's just been babbling until now, Goku," Chichi responded. "Not speaking any real words."
"Really? I could understand Hana just fine!" Goku stuffed a handful of carrot mush into his mouth. "Just the other day we had this fantastic talk about whether Santa Claus could ever deliver millions of presents in a single night. Hana and I agreed that he could, but only if he borrowed nimbus. There's no way reindeer could fly that quickly!"
Chichi blinked. Goku didn't usually make things up like that. He was far too literal. Shrugging, Chichi returned to her cooking.
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When Hana potty trained herself at the age of one-and-a-half, Chichi forgave her daughter of any past or future wrongdoings.
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"What's that glowing orange thing, Dad?" Hana asked, perched on Goku's shoulders.
Goku, for his part, was settled on Nimbus. The cloud had taken a liking to the silly toddler. (And Hana too.) Goku looked into the trees, and saw a faint glow from the base of an oak. "I don't know, Hana," he smiled. "Let's check it out!"
"Maybe it's a Dragonball, like in you and Mom's stories!" Hana scrambled on top of Goku's head.
Nimbus zoomed toward the oak tree, weaving between the thickly grown trees. "Wow, Hana," smiled Goku. "I think it might really be a Dragonball!"
Hana's tail twitched back and forth in excitement as the toddler chirped happily. Nimbus landed at the base of the tree, and Hana jumped from Goku's head to the little orb. "Dad! Dad!" Hana cheered. "It's the four star Dragonball!"
Goku crouched next to Hana, lifting the Dragonball between their faces. "It sure is, Hana!" He smiled. "And you know what the rule is with Dragonballs…"
"Finders keepers!" Hana jumped up and down with excitement. "Unless people are dead!"
"That's right, kiddo!" Goku lifted the toddler up, and stepped onto Nimbus casually. "Maybe Chichi can make you a hat!"
…
Hana loved her hat.
…
"Chichi, I think Hana's ready to begin some real martial arts training," Goku turned to his wife, scraping the skin off of a potato.
"She's barely two years old, Goku," Chichi stirred some vegetables. "Isn't that a little early?"
"Not for Hana," Goku retaliated, almost dropping his potato.
"Huh," Chichi considered. "I suppose not. And a girl does need to know how to fight in this world…"
"Yay!" Goku dropped the potato.
"I'll teach her warm ups in the morning, and you can teach her ki control after her nap," Chichi planned. "She can study with me after dinner."
Goku's grin almost split his face in two.
"Oh, stop your smiling, Goku," Chichi chuckled.
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By the time Hana was three, she was put in charge of the Son family taxes. The employees at the IRS office pinned it on the wall as an example of the perfect tax form.