Disclaimer- I do not own Dragon ball Z insert standard disclaimer here. I have only borrowed the setting and characters, for my own entertainment.

Author's notes: This fic is so rated due to a fair amount of violence and some bad language. All right, after much editing here is the Revised Version of my first fan fic. Please Read and Review.

"Double quotation marks indicate words spoken out loud or in a conversation."

'Single quotation marks indicate thoughts'

Glossary:

Ohayo Good morning.

Seven years ago.

Fingers found no purchase, on the cold, slick ground.

'Slick!' One eye cautiously opened, uncertain, expecting a blow. None came. White tile ran off to the everlasting blue.

'Tiles! What the hell!' Surprise forced open both soft, liquid brown eyes. Instinct, abrupt, bullying drove her on to greater effort. Lean muscular arms rocked upwards. Hands scrambled at the hard surface slick with her slowly drying blood. Long, honey gold hair stiff and gritty fell around her face. Desperation defying soul destroying pain hanging in limbo. Only the undying will to live carried her upwards. Life bright and strong flowed through her erasing fear.

The middle aged woman sat on the tile trying to reorganise her memories in to a more logical less chaotic order. The last thing she remembered was lying on broken concrete unable to move waiting for the killing blow. How she got here and exactly where here was remained a mystery. The only conclusion she could come to was that she had lost consciousness at some point. The rest…

"Ohayo." Stated a soft voice behind her. Startled, adrenalin charged through her veins, lending the strength she needed to stand and face the voice. He was very tall to her tiny self who stood only five-foot at a stretch. He seemed to be a muddle of flowing cloth and green skin, on the front his robe was a red symbol. At first, her mind could understand neither the spoken nor the written words. Confused and more than a little tired comprehension dawned slowly in her normally agile mind.

"Ohayo" slowly spoken giving her a chance to assimilate 'ahh Japanese'

"Ohayo ah Kami-sama?" The large man smiled revealing two worn fangs.

"So you understand us?" Hesitant she gazed up at him, his skin was green and deeply wrinkled but in spite of this, his eyes were very kind.

"A little." After a short conversation followed. At the conclusion of which she was left in the care of Popo-san a short fellow with dark skin and bright eyes, who reminded her of a genie. Popo-san showed her to a comfortable bedroom and bathroom.

Standing under the hot water away from distractions, she came to the conclusion that Kami-sama had given her more questions than he had answered. 'Oh well, I can't stay here anyway.' She pushed all worries aside and enjoyed the first hotshower she had in years. It was great she was so sick of cold water.

An hour later, she emerged clean and refreshed though her over stressed body was still sore. Popo-san had left her some clothes, a pair of soft trousers and a soft shirt but no under wear. Walking silently on her small bare feet, she followed their voices out into the sunlight. Kami-sama and Popo-san were standing amongst the plants with a large white cat that stood on its' hind legs, and carried a wooden crutch just as Kami-sama did. As she approached, the three stopped talking and turned to look at her. Grinding to a halt, glancing about nervously half expecting some sort of trap her eyes lit upon two men both with black hair, eating. There the similarity ended one, the shorter of the two was only a little taller than she. His expression was morose and had left deep groves on his chubby face. He apparently liked his food, judging by the way he that shovelled it into his mouth. He was certainly not thin, being rather on the ample side. The other man was about five foot seven. Broad and well built with a lot of muscle. His eyes did not fit the rest of him they were wide and bright, as enthusiastic, as a child's. His table manners were dreadful more food ended up on the floor and on his face than in his mouth.

While she was watching the two young men, Kami-sama and Popo-san had walked over to stand near her. The large white cat toddled over to the two dark haired men and waved his arms around a bit. Neither looked up but continued to shovel food into their mouths at an alarming rate. After several minutes during which time Popo-san's eyes widened in growing disbelief the dark haired men finally finished their large meal and approached. The two men and the large white cat stood about her in a small cluster.

"This," said Kami in mildly amused fashion, " is Korin, Yajarobe and…"

"Hi! I'm Son Gokou" the tallest addressed her grinning his eyes closed in a style she would later learn was typical. Anxious her eyes narrowed into gleaming slits unimpressed, her jaw tightened, arms folded.

After a moment or two, his smile faded a look of confusion and irritation followed. She simply did not want to get involved 'I am going home! As for that Gokou character he's either up to something or a bit simple surely nobody's that cheery.' She did not suffer fools gladly so the stalemate continued. Feeling vulnerable, she put her shoulders back and stood up as straight as she could. She was accustomed to fighting; holding your ground won more fights than punches. At lest when it came to men, who were often intimidated by a woman who could look after herself. In her experience, at least this held true, she was a live after all was she not.

"What's your name anyway?" Son Gokou asked starting to smile again. Well that did it. She'd been called many things in her live most of them were definitely not complimentary. As for the name her mother had given her, no one had used that for years. The name or the phrase used to refer to her most recently was just that a descriptive phrase.

"My.."

"Maya?" Son Gokou cut her off. That wasn't right she had been about to say 'my name is . . .', only it had come out in her native tongue which did she supposed sound like May or maya. A few moments of confusion followed. In the end she gave in Maya would do at least it didn't sound too bad. 'At any rate it will not be for long'

"I am going home, I am going home right now!" They looked at her as if she were mildly neurotic. Frustration made her shiver 'damn them damn them all to hell I am going back whatever the cost!'

"How are you going to get back? You don't know how." Kami smiled 'bastard'

"You, you brought me here you can take me back!" anger gave her voice resonance.

"It's not as easy as that." His voice still kind wanting her to understand yet trying to see it from her side. It wasn't easy.

"Don't give me that just try or I'll find some other way." She was still angry but in control of herself.

"Why do you want to go back so badly you nearly got killed last time." Her heart ached it was true of course desperation and loneliness had driven her to it, she could not promise that it would not happen again but she could not stay.

"I have responsibilities. Besides it is my home." ' They can't argue with that!'

"Are their others like you there?"

"No." 'They have all died and their blood has feed the earth when no rain has fallen.'

"Then what responsibilities could you possible have?" Kami watched her sensing it was better not to ask about the fate of the rest of her race.

"I have animals there, they have no food but that which I have saved for them."

"I will send you back, but you will return, you will return and live amongst us. Gokou will go with you. Bring back what ever you wish. You will leave tomorrow morning." And that was the end of the conversation. Perhaps he was foolish to let her go but he sensed that nothing would make her stay and this way Gokou would keep her out of trouble.

(2002)