Bulla hobbled through the door, her suitcase rolling behind her. After she got off the plane, she was instructed to return her hero costume to UA, and returned home promptly. So before anything else, she collapsed onto the bed in front of her. Of course she knew that it wasn't hers, but she figured Pan wouldn't mind. Although the hotel beds were nice, she felt that the familiarity of her own home could not be competed against.
As she glanced down at her phone, she saw a text from Izuku Midoriya. 'Hey! Where are you? Everyone's here!' He sent. With her face still buried in Pan's pillow, she did her best to text out her response.
'I'm sorry, just got back from the trip, I'm exhausted!' She typed, pushing send. Following up her message, she added a sticker of a head with several Z's.
'Are you sure?' Ashido followed up, reminding Bulla that this was a group chat. 'Kirishima managed to drag Bakugo here!' Her response included an emoji of a pair of eyes.
Honestly, if Bakugo was there, having been on the same flight, there was no reason for her not to show. But regardless, she decided against it. The memories of the night before began to wash over.
"This is my story… My past." Bulla began. Taking Bakugo's hands into her own, she looked up the length of his body, noting the torn and shredded bits of the suit that she, or rather Yaoyorozu, had gotten him. The crumbled chunks of the tower sat around them as those members of Class 1A took the time to rest for a moment, the threat now vanquished. "I'm not…" Even though she had been dreading this moment, even though she struggled beyond belief to get the words out, despite her mental preparations all night, this moment under the rising sun felt calm. Peaceful. Right, even.
"Out with it, then." He said, his usual serious eyes gazing down at her.
Unable to find the strength to say it, she squeezed his big hand and took a deep breath, allowing herself to say the first thing that came to mind. In an instant, she shut her eyes and let it out. "I'm not from this world."
"Come on, don't give me-"
"It's true!" She said, cutting off his words of disbelief. "You've seen it! My powers aren't normal!"
"So you're expecting me to believe that you're an alien? Do I look like an idiot?" He asked her, gritting her teeth. "First Deku… And now you…"
She couldn't bear to look up at him. She knew just how stupid she sounded, but she owed him an explanation. She promised him she'd tell him everything. "Technically, yes, I'm an alien, but at the same time I'm not! I know it's confusing, but Pan and I were attacked on Earth last year. Our Earth!"
"Enough! Would you just quit it alre-" Before he could finish, Bulla lost control, and with no time to think, she swung her arm, striking her palm against his face.
"Listen to me, dammit! I promised you I'd tell you everything, and now you don't want to listen!? I don't accept that! I am going to fulfill my promise, so you're going to sit there and hear me out!" A moment of silence pass as Bakugo stared. Slowly, his hand reached up and lightly touched where Bulla had struck him. A slight sting, but of course nothing worse than what he'd already been through. And yet, somehow, it hurt just as bad all the same. Bulla's eyes widened and she covered her mouth. "Bakugo, I'm so sorry! I don't know what came over-" Reaching out, Bakugo softly held her hand.
"Alright, I'll listen." He told her. "You're obviously really passionate about this. And if this is your truth, then I'll at least let you explain first." His words were sincere, and his gaze softened.
With another deep breath, Bulla calmed herself. "A long time ago, there was a planet out in the stars. It's name was Vegeta, and the people that thrived were a race of warriors called the Saiyans. With their strength, they were feared throughout the galaxy. It wasn't long before their might were met by another, though."
"An invasion?" Bakugo asked her, crossing his arms.
"Sort of. Not like you would see in movies, however. There was a being, Frieza, and he held the Saiyans under his feet." She continued. "For years, he would terrorize the the galaxy, with the Saiyans under his control. Until finally, he decided to blow it all to hell, and he himself destroyed the planet."
"And where does a destroyed planet lead to?" Bakugo asked.
"Only a few Saiyans were off-world. The planet's Prince Vegeta, with his advisor, Nappa, the older brother of a Saiyan warrior, Raditz, and the second prince, Tarble. Paragus and his son, Broly, were also exiled shortly before this all happened. Just before the planet's destruction, another Saiyan, Bardock, sent his son off to a distant planet, in hopes of keeping him safe from the tyrant forever."
"So only six Sands survived in total?" Bakugo asked. "And why are they all named after vegetables?"
"Yes, six Saiyans in total survived the genocide." She said, ignoring his second question. "The one sent away landed on Earth. Named Kakarrot by the Saiyans, and Goku by the humans, he lived in peace, studying martial arts and the ancient art of Ki Manipulation from a young age. More than two decades had passed after the destruction of Vegeta. And Goku was living in a time of peace, until his older brother, Raditz arrived."
"Were the leftover Saiyans invading Earth?"
"Yeah, only Raditz arrived, hoping to claim the mystic power of the Dragon Balls, seven balls that could summon a dragon when brought together. The dragon, Shenron, could grant any wish you desired. It could even bring back the dead. These existed because of the guardian over Earth, a Namekian, whose people had created their own set of Dragon Balls on their own world. Since Namek was more known throughout the galaxy, that's where the remaining Saiyans had learned of them." She told him. "Back to invading, under Frieza's rule, Saiyans conquered worlds and auctioned them off. So what they were doing were merely their way of preserving what culture they had left of their planet."
"And when they arrived?" Bakugo asked her, taking a seat on some rubble.
"Hey! Are you guys coming?!" Midoriya called out to them. The two hadn't noticed that everyone else had already cleared the roof.
"Yeah! We'll be down in a bit, we wanted to hang back for a little bit! The view is great up here!" Bulla called out, prompting Midoriya to go on ahead. He waved goodbye and left with Melissa, now leaving them alone on the roof. "You know, someone will probably be up here before long to start clearing the roof."
"Whatever. Go ahead and let them." He told her. "You have a story to finish."
With a chuckle, Bulla smiled. Now that she was getting it all out, she began to feel much more comfortable in her story. She sat down on the ground and leaned against a chunk of rubble behind her, carrying on with her story. "So, Raditz made an attempt to kidnap his nephew, the son of Goku, Gohan."
"Well that's original." Bakugo retorted.
"Yeah. Well, Raditz had his efforts thwarted, and he and his brother lost their lives that day. Although, on my world there was an afterlife, and because Goku dedicated his life to doing good, he kept his body, and trained for a year in preparation for the Saiyan invasion. So, a year came, and he was wished back to life. And although his friends met the same fate, he fought to defeat Prince Vegeta. And that's exactly what he did."
"I think you missed a detail!" Bakugo told her.
"Right, Nappa lost his life at the hands of Vegeta. So, Vegeta's life was spared and he retreated, living on to fight another day. Some time passed, and the guardian's aid informed Goku about the Namekian Dragon Balls, which could bring his friends back from the dead." She explained.
"Why wouldn't they just use their own damn Dragon Balls?"
"Right, I didn't tell you. The guardian was split into two beings, Kami, and Piccolo. When Piccolo died against the Saiyans, while protecting Gohan, Kami perished as well, and with their created gone, the Dragon Balls turned to stone." She answered.
"Stop leaving out important details!" He demanded.
"It's hard! There's so much that I'd only heard from stories!" She told him apologetically before continuing the story. "So, they made their way to Namek, where Frieza's forces were already scrounging for the Dragon Balls. At the same time, Vegeta had also been searching for the Dragon Balls, in an attempt to achieve immortality. And over the course of what I think was a week, their final standoff with the galactic overlord unfolded. With no options, Vegeta teamed up with Piccolo, Gohan, and Goku's childhood friend, Krillin."
"And where was Goku during this?"
"Don't worry, I wasn't forgetting that detail. He was in the process of recovering from an earlier battle. Because of their biology, Saiyans would recover stronger than before if they're brought to the brink of death. It made the Saiyans a near-impossible force to defeat." She told him. "So, in the midst of the battle, Vegeta lost his life as Goku took the field. And through a hard-fought conflict, Krillin lost his life, causing Goku to awaken into the legendary raging warrior called a 'Super Saiyan'. Meanwhile, The Dragon Balls on Earth and Namek were used in tandem to bring back everyone who died at the hands of Frieza's forces, and bring them to Earth. With the battlefield cleared, Goku used his newfound power to defeat Frieza."
"Isn't Super Saiyan a bit much?" Bakugo asked her.
"Don't ask me. It was some space legend that only four people I know ever achieved."
"Okay, and how does all this tie into you?" He asked her impatiently.
"We're getting there!" She told him, raising a hand in front of her. "Frieza was defeated, but not dead. Goku had returned to Earth, followed by a now half-mechanical Frieza. They lost their lives, and peace only returned for three short years. However, with a warning from a warrior from the future, Earth's warrior trained tirelessly. The rise of the androids came, and the future bio-warrior known as 'Cell', brought forth the awakening of Gohan, who achieved a level beyond a Super Saiyan."
"Don't tell me, Super Saiyan 2?" Bakugo asked her rhetorically. After a moment of silence, Bakugo smacked a palm against his face.
"Again, I wasn't even born again by this point. But, with the death of Cell, and the sacrifice of Goku, peace had returned to the Earth for seven years. The baby that had been born just before the androids woke had now been able to grow up happy and healthy." Bulla told him, a soft smile spreading across her face as she rested her hand on her chest.
"And that baby was you." Bakugo told her.
"No, it was my brother. Another universal threat rose, another level of power had awoken within the Saiyans, and peace returned following their demise. I was trying to say that the baby that had grown up during this period was the son of Vegeta and Bulma, the childhood friend of Goku that had started their adventure so many years ago." She revealed. "Vegeta had always lost to Goku, and began to believe that his strength came from those that he called friends, and family. He began to believe that Goku's strength had erupted from those bonds that he carried, and thought that if he could have a family to protect, then it would form new strength within himself."
"And did he?"
"Yes. But not strength as you know it, not yet at least. He found the strength to change, the strength to care about something, someone other than himself. And from that, his true strength began to grow. This cycle of conflict and peace continued, until I was born." She told him. "Although, 13 years later, the cycle was broken, but not for the better. That was when it happened. We convinced our parents to let us go along with them to gather the Super Dragon Balls, massive Dragon Balls created by a god long ago. The powers of Super Shenron are said to far exceed any imitation throughout the multiverse." She explained.
"But what happened when you searched for them?"
"Pan and I went into a cave on a distant planet during a repair stop, and there was a sword in a pedestal. Real fairy-tale type stuff, I thought I was going to become the princess of some ancient alien civilization, so I drew it. And from it erupted what I can only describe as destruction incarnate. Some creature, very similar in appearance to the Nomu, crawled out of the ground. We got out of there, and kept the whole situation to ourselves. The Super Dragon Balls were gathered, and Super Shenron was summoned. But nobody could wish for anything before that thing arrived, killing Pan's father, Gohan, immediately." Bakugo no longer had any words, simply watching as he listened. "Everyone perished. Not a single person was left, and the worst part was nobody had any recollection of the thing. Just an untold evil out of the depths of oblivion, and it killed everyone." At this point, Bulla had tucked her knees into her chest, and kept her arms wrapped around. "My father told the God of Destruction's attendant, not the creature destroying everything, the actual god of my universe, to use the wish to send us somewhere out of reach. Six months later, we were sitting on the sidewalk during a rainstorm in Mustafa. And nine months later, give or take, here we are."
With her story finished, Bakugo picked himself up and extended a hand. The silence was killing her, understanding how stupid she must have sounded. She remembered this feeling when she had told Recovery Girl and Ms. Iwase. Taking Bakugo's hand, she was pulled onto her feet, her eyes never breaking away from Bakugo's. "How do I know any of this is the truth?"
"Is my word not good enough for you?" Bulla asked him jokingly. "Just think about how I knew where everyone was. Harnessing Ki, the life force within all living beings, gave the warriors of my universe the ability to fly, heal others, enhance their fighting capabilities, sense others, move objects, form shields, and create physical attacks." She raised her palm, and slowly, a ball of Ki formed, adding a purple tint to the gold sunlight that washed over Bakugo's face. "Doesn't that sound familiar at all?"
Suddenly, Bulla woke up to the sound of a group of people calling her name. She shot up and turned around, and before her was her whole class, joined by Pan, Hanamura, and Takado. "What the- What are you all doing here?!" Bulla asked in shock.
"I let your class in, Brief!" Ms. Iwase called out as soon as she heard Bulla's voice. "I hope you don't mind!"
"What's going on?" Bulla asked again as she got up.
"Midoriya told us you weren't feeling well!" Ashido was first to say.
"Yeah, and did you think we were really all gonna have fun at the pool and just leave our Class Representative to wallow in her room?" Jiro told her, spinning her earphone jack.
"Sato and I made some sandwiches." Shoji told her. "I hope you like peanut butter and jelly. The sugar in the jelly will give you an energy boost now, while the protein in the peanut butter will give you a boost later."
"We were hoping to have a picnic with you instead, give you the opportunity to sprawl out in the sun." Yaoyorozu told her.
"We figured it wouldn't be right to just leave you alone, Bulla." Uraraka chimed in.
"And being the loving best friend that I am, I led them straight to you!" Pan said confidently, holding her fists on her hips with her chin up.
"Can we come with you, Bulla?" Takado asked her.
"We heard that you were the Class Rep! That means you're in charge, right?" Hanamura followed.
"Yeah… That's absolutely right. So if you want to come along, go ask Ms. Iwase and get ready!"
"Okay!" The two said together as they ran out into the hall.
"We were kind of worried that you wouldn't be up for company." Todoroki told her.
"No, it's fine. I'm feeling better, and I'm happy that you all care for me enough. Thank you, Izuku." She told her Class Historian.
"Actually…" After a pause, Midoriya pointed behind himself with his thumb.
All of a sudden, Kirishima emerged from the crowd, pushing Bakugo in front of him. "Who you've gotta thank is right here! It really shocked everyone when Bakugo here said that we should come visit you!"
"SHUT UP, YA IDIOT!" Bakugo yelled. "AND STOP PUSHING ME!"
"Bakugo, thank you." Bulla's smile was warm, and her eyes sincerely met Bakugo's.
He quickly turned away, a hand in his pocket and his other scratching the back of his head. "Yeah, well, it wouldn't be fair for all of us to be training at the pool without you. So I told these idiots that we were going to come drag you out of bed."
"Well, consider me dragged out of bed, then." Bulla told them as Class 1A, accompanied by Pan, Hanamura, and Takado, left the orphanage for a day of fun in the Sun. That's right. Although I've lost them, their lessons will always be with me. And because of this amazing class, I don't have to feel alone ever again. Because I can go on, knowing that my new family is right here.