What Do We Have But Peace?

Years. It was years we lived in constant fear, as if in a nightmare we could not wake from. I spent much of that time working on what might be considered my greatest invention to date. A time machine. I knew that it would do no good for our world, but it would provide hope for another dimension that would be created when my son traveled to the past to change the course of history. Even if we were still trapped in a living hell, we could save our friends from the same fate in another time.

That was why I persisted in building the time machine, though it took many years. Finding supplies was a challenge. What was left of the human population of Earth had been reduced to little more than uncivilized animals as they fought for survival. Their very humanity had been ripped away from them by Dr. Gero's androids. Going into the city was a danger; I never knew if I would return. If the androids didn't kill me, a group of frightened and desperate people might.

It was in this nightmarish world that I had to raise my only son. I did my best, but there were times I think I failed to be a good mother to him. I was distracted, trying to find a way to escape our tormentors. He trained with Gohan, but it never seemed to be enough. It wasn't until Gohan died that my son was able to ascend to super saiyan. I was proud of my son for his accomplishment, but the memory is tainted with the bitterness of loss. Gohan was the last warrior to be murdered by the androids. It was then up to my son to put an end to their reign of terror. But try as he might, he could never gain the advantage. They were just too strong. And so, with my own hope dwindling, I threw myself wholeheartedly into my work, thereby creating a new reality where the androids would never destroy the beautiful Earth.

I remember the day he returned to the past to help defeat the androids of the other time. It was a day filled with anxiety for me, yet a small flame of hope burned brightly in my heart. I somehow knew that he would come back to me safe and sound. Of course I never dreamed that he would die and be wished back before making that safe return, but even the best plans rarely go through perfectly. I was just grateful to have him back when he returned. He told me about how Vegeta defended him in battle, and I could hardly believe it. To think, that selfish, arrogant man was capable of such a noble act, fruitless though it was. I was amazed. And proud. I was so very proud of the man I loved, even if he would never know it.

The same day my son returned from the past we heard a report on the radio that the androids were attacking another city. He assured me that all nightmares end, and with that he left the compound to go wake the world from its horrible dream. Unfortunately, it wasn't a dream. Even with the passing of the androids, the planet was scarred. The human population was only a few million, the major cities were all destroyed, government had long since turned to anarchy, and communication between pockets of survivors was practically nonexistent. We knew, then, that it would take years for Earth to recover, but we were determined to see that it did.

I used my influence through Capsule Corporation to begin rebuilding our world. The first thing to be rebuilt was our manufacturing building so that we could produce supplies necessary for global recovery from years of devastation. We distributed hundreds of thousands of capsule houses to provide shelter to the android survivors. I, personally, created and directed a program to reestablish farming across the planet so the population's need for food would be provided for.

Trunks, meanwhile, set out to rebuild the cities. Even a super saiyan would have been unable to construct so many destroyed buildings, so he was also in charge of setting up construction crews and supervising them. Our goal was to get a new economy started as soon as possible because we knew that would restore the hope of humanity and help people regain their sense of humanness. There was not a single person who didn't have a job to perform as we picked up the remains of our lost world and grew a new one out of its ashes.

It was so good to see peace once more. It had been far too long – almost twenty years – since we knew what peace meant. I thought it was fulfilling to lead the way to a new society, but I could see it was not so for my son. Trunks tried his best to hide it, but I could see that he was bored and depressed. He continued his work, but I knew that it wasn't enough for him. He was raised in a post-apocalyptic world where peace was a fading dream, always just out of reach. Now he lived in a world where there were no challenges, no threats. He was raised to be a warrior, and now there was nothing to fight.

Sometimes it was easy to forget he wasn't fully human. Aside from his superhuman strength and speed, he fit in with the rest of us. But deep down he was also a saiyan, the son of a proud and fierce warrior who lived for battle. At his very core he needed a challenge. It was the only way he would ever find satisfaction in life, if he was pushing himself to overcome a powerful opponent. Dealing with the squabbles between his workers didn't qualify as a challenge. Sure, they would frustrate him, but they were simple enough to work through. No, my son was tired of peace. After only two years of it, I could tell it was tearing him apart inside.

There was no one left on the planet for him to train with. Gohan had been gone for a few years now, along with all the other warriors. All of them were gone: Goku, Krillin, Yamcha, Tien, Chaotzu, Vegeta, Piccolo, even Yajirobe. They were all gone by the time Trunks was two years old. He never knew them until he went back in time and fought alongside them. He always trained to defeat the androids, but I don't think his love of fighting was ignited until he met them. And after that saiyan need for battle was realized, there was no going back.

I tried to ignore it for a long time, but after another year there was just no denying it. Trunks was horribly depressed. There were days he could hardly drag himself out of bed. He didn't care to complete his work anymore. What good would it do? So what if all the cities were rebuilt? So what if we had a stable government and economy? It meant nothing to him. I suggested he train, but it wasn't a good enough outlet for him. He needed a real opponent, but the Earth wasn't offering him any. Crime rates were low since almost everyone was involved in the reconstruction efforts, so he couldn't even fight lowly criminals.

What do we have but peace? There are no battles to be won, no opponents to defeat, no challenges to overcome. Earth is no longer a place for a saiyan. Sometimes I can see Trunks' human side fighting with his saiyan side. He wants so desperately to be content with his new life, but he cannot deny the need for something he can't find anymore. There is a growing emptiness I can see in his eyes. Their light has long been extinguished as he has been forced into a mediocre life of civility. What can I do for my saiyan son? I've tried reaching out to him, but he refuses to acknowledge having a problem.

Where can my son find what he needs? I am afraid that someday he will lose control of innate desire for battle and slip into madness and go on a killing rampage. Saiyans were never meant to live in peace. Even Goku, the most peaceful man I ever knew, himself avoided a peaceful life. He sought out challenges from the first day I met him until he died of the heart virus. He never backed down from King Piccolo, Raditz, Vegeta and Nappa, the Ginyu Force, or Frieza. He fought to gain peace, but if there hadn't been so many threats to it, he probably would have become just as depressed as Trunks. He couldn't stand living without another fight to win.

Peace. It sickens him. I've craved it my whole life, but I am human. I cannot understand my son's need for battle. I know he hated living in fear of the androids, but I can't help but think he hates living without them more. He had something to strive for when they were around. He had the challenge of gaining enough power to destroy them. Now he spends his days building cities and teaching others to do the same. He lives in comfort and resents it. When will the next threat to humanity come?

Please, gods above, bring an end to this era of peace for the sake of my son.