Summary: A/U. Takes place in the Mirai Timeline when the androids are still around... Mina, a young, female Saiyan, who lives with her grandmother and younger sister, soon finds out just how painful and cruel life can be. Can she handle it, or will she change and become someone she never thought she could become?

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

A/N: 16th fic. I'll try to get this story finished, but I have to warn you...I'm going to be extremely busy, but that doesn't mean that I will abandon this story.

Power Levels:

Mina: 3,000,000

Trunks: 3,300,000 SSJ: (not yet reached) 165,000,000

Gohan: 5,000,000 SSJ: 250,000,000

Ava: 3,000,000

Mya: 1,200

Android 17: 230,000,000

Android 18: 200,000,000

[Please note, that Trunks power level will change as well as Mina's. But be warned, power levels are not my cup of tea; however, the power levels that you see up above, for Trunks, Gohan, and the Androids, are accurate. I got those from a very reliable source.]

Current Ages: Trunks-14, Gohan-23, Mina-14, Mya-9( she'll be ten by the end of the chapter), Ava-58

"%%%"- means a short amount of time has passed

"###"-means that it's another character's perspective

Physical Appearance:

Mina- She has her mother's eye color, purple. She has long, black, mid-back length hair, which is pulled into a high ponytail. She obviously has a tail and she's average height.

Ava (The Grandmother of Mina and Mya)- Her eyes are black, she has a brown tail. She's about 5'5. She has black, mid-back length hair as well, which is in pulled back into a loose braid.

Mya- She has black eyes, and shoulder length hair, which she lets hang down. She does not have a tail. Her grandmother cut it off for safety reasons, due to Mya not having any training experience at all when it comes to the Oozaru form.

In order to find out more, you have to continue reading (more information will be revealed concerning Mina, Ava, and Mya.)

Now then, since all of that is out of the way, please proceed and review. Reviews determine the speed of updates.

Mina allowed a light smile to cross her features as she watched her younger sister, Mya, play in a nearby clearing. The clearing they where stationed at wasn't too far off from where they lived, and had yet to be destroyed by the destructive duo known as the Androids. Mina's jaw clenched slightly at the thought of them, resulting in the fourteen-year old releasing a silent sigh as she closed her eyes, her smile now completely gone. The Androids. They were the cause of so many casualties and the result of so many people no longer having a place to call home or a family to go to. Because of them, children were too familiar with the word 'loss' and were too familiar with seeing things a child should never have to witness at a young age...

It was getting harder and harder to stay optimistic, she mused. It was something she rather not state or admit, but she always made sure to be honest with herself, and sometimes there, whether you liked it or not, were just some things you had no choice but to accept. With everything going on now and everything she and her family - what was left of her family - had been through, she honestly felt as if she was one step away from her breaking point. It was as if she was one step away from falling off the edge of an cliff, and anything - whether it be big or small - could be that last thing to send her plummeting to her breaking point.

She usually wasn't one to complain - that never was an issue for her. She was usually merely the person always looking forward, never once looking back or lingering in the past. Whenever something came up that seemed as if it could never be overcome or something that seemed as if it was just best to lose hope altogether, she was always looking ahead, searching for a way to get past it. From what she could remember, she has always been optimistic, even as a child. Perhaps, she was a little too optimistic, but nevertheless, in her opinion, it was better than having no faith or nothing to cling to at all.

But now, she noted, her optimism was slowly fading, along with the hope she was desperately trying to keep within her grasp.

She honestly didn't know if everything was just finally catching up to her. It has been stated on numerous occasions, that your past would always catch up with you, or that your past was something you could never escape. But was that it? Was that the reason, she could feel a piece of herself chip off everyday? Even so, she couldn't afford to fall apart. Not with Mya around. Mya looked up to her and sought comfort from her. She had to be considerate of her feelings, and had to keep in mind that the girl was probably going through even more than she was, if possible. For that reason in particular, she had to remain strong for her.

Mina released another sigh, opening her eyes and sparring a glance over in Mya's direction to make sure she was fine. Seeing and satisfied that she was, she continued her thoughts, this time making sure to keep her gaze fixed on Mya, a thoughtful expression across her face.

It often confused and frustrated her how someone so sweet and innocent, could be surrounded by such impurity and things a girl her age should never have to see, witness or even have to experience. The girl had been through just as much as she had, and if anything, she wished she could do something more than give her temporary happiness. Maybe, just maybe, Mya's eyes wouldn't appear so dull, and maybe, Mya's laughs wouldn't have to be so forced. And hopefully, Mya wouldn't have to be paranoid and so afraid of the dark, always jumping at even the slightest of noises. No child should have to be on the edge. No. Children like Mya, should be laughing happily, and swinging on the swings of the local parks, and happily rambling on about what the things that excited them so easily.

If only she was stronger. Just maybe she could make a difference.

A sudden gust of wind, knocked her out of her thoughts, causing her hair to sway in the direction of the wind and also resulting in her blinking a few times, effectively regaining her awareness. Shortly after, she stood up, immediately realizing that it was getting late. The sun beginning to set was a major indicator, along with the fact that the temperature was starting to drop as well.

Deeming it best to head home now, not wanting to worry their grandmother, whom tended to to over-worry, she began heading towards her younger sibling, stopping short of an foot in front of her when she reached her. "Mya," Mina called gently, so as to not startle her. "Let's go. It's getting pretty late."

Mya looked up at her older sister, her black eyes gazing into her sister's purple ones, "Can't we stay a little longer?" she asked pleadingly, not quite as ready to go as her older sister was.

Mina nodded reluctantly as she offered Mya her hand, not quite having the heart to cease the small amount fun Mya was having, "I'm afraid not, kid." Catching how downcast her answer made her, she hastily added, "You wouldn't want grandmother to be worried, now would you?"

Mya shook her head 'no' as she stood up sadly and took her sister's hand, reluctantly trailing beside her. The two then began walking, at an even pace, back to their home. The small cabin they were housing wasn't anything fancy. It had two bedrooms, a small kitchen, a small living room and half a bathroom - bathing was done outside in the river behind the cabin - and it was merely a small cabin located in a forest that wasn't too far off from the clearing they were departing. Even if the cabin was small in size, it did happen to hold some importance. After all, after her mother died when she was five - due to dying right after giving birth to Mya - and her father followed shortly after a year later - due to heart failure (most likely the result of stress and depression) - this was the first place they could actually call home.

"Mina," Mya called out hesitantly, as if she wasn't certain if she was prepared for the answer she would receive, "when are things suppose to get better again?"

Mina looked down at Mya and stopped walking, her purple eyes studying her carefully, causing Mya to fidget under her gaze. Where had that come from? Sure, she was aware that Mya would question things sooner or later - it was a child's nature to be curious - but she wasn't quite expecting any questions to pop up this soon. Ceasing her thoughts, she squatted, so that she was at eye level with her before placing her hand on Mya's shoulder as she hesitated to answer, mentally pondering on what would be the correct thing to say. Mya was too smart to be lied too, and lying just wasn't something she has been able to do. "I honestly couldn't tell you."

Mya looked at her older sister with watery eyes, and Mina could have sworn she felt her heart tug at the sight.

"Hey, don't cry, kid." Mina scooped her up in her arms and stood up, mentally debating on what to say in order to cheer her up. The corners of her lips quirked when something in particular came to mind. "Have you forgotten what tomorrow is?"

Mya shook her head 'no' as a light smile formed across her face, her black eyes brightening at what exactly tomorrow was.

"Oh? You haven't?," Mina questioned playfully, happy to see a genuine smile on her face, "Then what is tomorrow supposed to be?"

"My birthday."

She feigned surprise. "And just how old are you supposed to turn?"

Mya raised up her small hands, all ten of her tiny fingers showing, barely able to conceal her excitement. "Ten."

Mina smiled, "Yep. And tomorrow I have a special surprise for you."

"Really?"

Mina nodded, her smile still in place.

Mya smiled happily, tightening her hold around her older sister as they continued their trek.

%%%

Mina laid Mya down on the small bed they shared, before scanning their small room for anything suspicious and then leaving, cracking the door behind her. Shortly after they made it back to the cabin, they both washed up in the river behind the cabin, before settling down at the table for dinner. Not even half an hour later, Mya had fell asleep on the small chair in the living room, resulting in Mina carrying the small girl to their room.

"She finally fell asleep, eh?," her grandmother questioned as soon as she entered the small living room.

Mina nodded as she plopped down on the small chair beside her Grandmother. The dark, brown chair barely had enough room for two people to sit on it together. It was a complete enigma on to how they could somehow manage to make it work.

Ava released a pained sigh, interrupting the comfortable silence they fell into, as she turned to look at her oldest granddaughter, her black orbs searching hers for a moment before shaking her head. "I never thought we'd be stuck in a despairing situation such as this." She admitted. "It reminds me too much of the days my family and I were under Frieza's command." Her face contorted into a look of disgust at the mention of Frieza name, but her features quickly relaxed as she continued, "I never thought my children's children would have to go through a similar situation." She paused for a moment, as if something suddenly came to mind, "Now that I think about it, your mother was around the same age as Mya when she learned just how cruel things could be in life."

Mina sighed, not really willing to let her thoughts shift to just how cruel things could truly be, so instead, she replied-mostly in an effort to distract her thoughts, "But in the end, you showed her that life doesn't always have to be cruel. That's better than not seeing that at all."

"I suppose you're right, " Ava replied. "I just wish your mother was still around. She was so kind, just like Mya. It's a pity Mya never got to know her. They would have gotten along so well."

"She would have loved her."

Ava nodded in agreement, before she continued, " You remind me of your mother as well. You have her eyes, you know. And your father was just as kind your mother. They were so happy together."

Mina smiled, the memory of both her parents dancing around in her head. Even though both of her parents were dead, she somewhat felt at peace that they experienced a somewhat happy and peaceful life. In all honesty, she rather them have died when they did, as opposed to still being alive and suffering through, yet another horrible ordeal. Being under a tyrant's command such as Frieza was indeed horrible. But being on the run, fearing for your life, and watching as the population gradually decreased around you, in her opinion, was far worse than being under the command of a tyrant.

"You know, " her grandmother started, interrupting her thoughts, a sly smile forming across her profile in the process, "It's a shame we're the only Saiyans left. You'll be of age soon and you're well-developed just like your mother was."

Mina blushed faintly, as she turned her head away, her eyebrows slightly twitching at the audacity of her grandmother. "We were talking about my parents, not me 'becoming of age'." Honestly? How was it possible for someone to get so side-tracked so easily?

Ava let out a feminine chuckle, enjoying the visible faint blush that was painted on Mina's cheeks. "Is someone embarrassed? It's only natural-"

"Mina?," Mya called out softly, unknowingly interrupting the conversation her grandmother and older sister were having, "when were you coming to bed?"

Mina turned to face her grandmother, mentally gratefully for the interruption Mya unknowingly provided. "That sounds like my cue. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Mina."

Ava watched as Mina held out her arms for Mya and then scooped her up once Mya came to her, a small smile forming across her face. It relieved her a great deal to know that Mina and Mya were so close. If anything was to happen to her, then they'd at least have each other. But hopefully, nothing would happen to her, at least not until the threat of the Androids wasn't lingering around any longer.

*The Next Day-Early Morning*

"You're improving, Mina." stated Ava, as she dodged a series of punches, a hint of pride leaking through her voice. Physically wise, Mina was on par with her, but brute strength was not all it took to win a battle. And even though, she wouldn't have much more to teach her soon-seeing as she had been training the child since she was five- she had the feeling that she'd have to re-drill some of the basics back into her.

Mina smirked as she dodged a roundhouse kick, "I was hoping you'd say that."

Like now.

Ava's black eyes hardened as she drove a strong punch in her granddaughter's stomach, "Don't be so cocky. You can't allow yourself to be blinded by arrogance, nor anger."

Mina coughed before doing several back flips and charging at Ava again, releasing a short, battle cry in the process.

"You must always be aware of your surroundings and be sure to keep your emotions in check. Your emotions can be your downfall." Ava barked. "Remember that, Mina."

Mina nodded as she threw multiple punches and then followed up with a leg sweep. Ava dodged the punches, though with not much ease as she use to be able to, and narrowly managed to avoid the Mina's leg sweep, "Your speed is increasing along with your strength, but you're not strong nor fast enough. How do you expect to protect Mya with inferior strength and speed such as this?" She baited.

Mina growled at the thought of not being able to protect her younger sister. Couldn't she see that she was trying? She was putting just amount of effort as she always did, which was her all. As long as she was around, no one would hurt Mya. They'd have to get through her-

A hard knee to the stomach ceased her thoughts, roughly jerking her out of her thoughts. "Pay attention, Mina!" Ava scolded harshly, cupping her hands together and then slamming said hands down over Mina's back. Ignoring Mina's pained grunt, she continued her assault, "You should know better then to zone out in the middle of a fight!"

%%%

Mina panted heavily as she tried to regain her breath, her eyes shut together as her chest rose and fell, in sync with her breathing. Her body ached all over. It was as if her grandmother purposely sought to make sure she wouldn't be able to get up for a while. If so, then she was painfully succeeding. Mina opened her eyes once she finally caught her breath and carefully - slowly - sat up, grimacing ever-so-slightly.

Her grandmother came and stood beside her, her black eyes softening a bit. "I know I seem harsh when it comes to training you, but understand that my intentions are right."

Mina nodded, "I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Good. Now wash up and get ready for breakfast. Mya will be up shortly." She turned to head back inside the cabin, but stopped mid-stride and added, "Be up an hour later than usual, tomorrow."

Mina said nothing, mentally noting that she left no room for protests, but watched as her Grandmother entered the house before plopping back down on the ground as she took in a deep breath. Mya. It was her birthday today; she was officially ten years old now. Sooner or later, she wouldn't want to be babied anymore. Sooner or later, she'd start to lose the innocence that made her who she was. And sooner or later - Mina suddenly stood up, not wanting her train of thoughts to travel any further, and headed into the house to grab a change of clothes. Mya would be up soon. So she probably should heed her grandmother's advice and wash up.

As soon as she entered the house, the smell of breakfast in the process of being cooked immediately hit her sensitive nose, almost making her halt her movements. She hadn't realize how hungry she was until now. She'd been training with her grandmother non-stop since two in the morning, and it was probably somewhere around six in the morning right now, which was-in her opinion way too long to go with out food. Deciding it was best to go ahead and wash up, and not waste anymore time, instead of standing in the middle of the living room like a lost animal, she hurriedly headed for her room, making sure not to disturb Mya too much once she entered.

After finally getting ahold of her clothes, she quietly headed back outside, stripping as she made her to the river in the back, before inching into the flowing, cold river and washing herself off, releasing a sigh as she closed her eyes. Everything that has happened so far has been life changing for both, her and Mya, along with their grandmother. She couldn't imagine how hard it must have been for her grandmother to leave Planet Vegeta - having to look after her life, the son of her best friend and the life of her five-year old daughter at that.

While she never really had the opportunity to live on Planet Vegeta, since it was destroyed when her mother was five, she couldn't help but feel disappointed that she, nor her sister never received the opportunity to get the experience of being around other Saiyans. Even with the company of her younger sister and grandmother, she still found herself longing of the company of other Saiyans...

Perhaps, it was for the best anyway.

She sunk her body lower into the river, half of her black, mid-back length hair now touching the water. She suddenly stilled and opened her eyes, narrowing her eyes when she thought she heard something. Was that the-

"Mina? Are you out here?," a small, feminine voice called.

The sound of her sister's voice caused her to release the breath of air she hadn't realized she was holding. "I'm over here, kid."

Mya ran up to her older sister with a smile, "Grandma, told me you were washing up in the river."

"Oh? Well, you're up 're usually still asleep until after grandmother is finished with breakfast." She raised an eyebrow, a slow smile forming on her features as an idea as why her sister was up earlier than usual came to mind. "I take it you're ready for your gift."

Mya nodded and sat down on the grass near Mina.

"Okay, kiddo, give me a minute to get dressed."

Once Mina was finished getting dressed, she squatted and ruffled her younger sibling's hair, "Today I was planning on teaching you some basic self-defense moves incase you ever need to buy some time to get away. And I planned on teaching you how to fly as well. I know it isn't the best birthday gift, but you understand right? "

Mya smiled as she hugged her sister, "It's okay. I like all of your gifts."

Mina returned her sister's embrace with a smile, "We'll start after breakfast."