Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ.
Author's notes: I'm not very prolific this week. I'm far too tired for my own good. Please keep in mind that I haven't seen the first 50 odd episodes of Dbz. Multiple parts again for this chapter. Please read and review.
"Double quotations indicate conversations."
'Single quotations in italics indicate thoughts.'
Glossary :
Ohayo: Good morning
Baka: Idiot
Kuso: (Generally) damn or shit.
Two years ago
The plain appeared to stretch on forever. The dry, baked clay hid nothing but also gave nothing away. It was as desolate a place as any to fight for the sake of the world. 'So familiar, yet it's not the same.' Maya could almost hear the approaching hoof beats that now only existed in her memory. She was startled to find that it was only the frantic thud of her heart. For a year, they had trained unheeded to the personal cost. Until Maya felt as if every particle in her being had been stretched to breaking point. The occasional gusts of wind sent fine crushed dust swirling about. It obscured their vision, stung their eyes. Only added to Maya's frustration and fear that grew unchecked.
She was peeved already; Piccolo had turned up with Gohan. A taller Gohan but thinner with something hard to define in his eyes. A vaguely stunned appearance that only became noticeable if you watched him for some time, it bothered her; after all he was still a very small boy. 'Strength does not matter, surely? A child should be free to be a child. Piccolo has a lot to answer for.' Maya thought, she controlled her irritation with difficulty. She held it; she might need it. As a trigger for her anger, her strength to over come her growing fear.
Each member of the z senshi had trained with Kami for part of the year. It had paid off they had become hardened battle ready warriors. Strong and robust with greatly improved stamina. They were fitter than they had ever been. Even so, Maya doubted that it would be enough.
She stood on a rock ledge a little above and behind the Kuririn, Piccolo and Gohan. Her plait coiled in the fold of her crossed arms. Each of the adults seemed outwardly calm, if a little quiet. Tensed, focused ready to fight, some amongst them doubted their own ability. Only Piccolo seemed confident, he was quiet, stoical in short his usual self. The only sign of anything else was occasional covert glances at Gohan.
Kuririn for his part was worried about how the son of his oldest friend would fair. 'He shouldn't be here. I don't know what that Piccolo was thinking bringing Gohan. I don't like the look of this, maybe Maya's right. I thought she was being over cautious but now I'm not so sure.' He watched the two Saiya-jin warriors and began realise that Maya's earlier comments about the fight turning into a bloodbath were more pragmatic than pessimistic.
Immersed in her thoughts, her worries and doubt, Maya remained silent. For several nights, she had not slept, but lain on the bed fully clothed and armed. Sleep had been illusive and difficult at best. Too many oppressive memories filled her. 'This is not my earth the same rules do not apply.' But they could, things could change for the worse all too easily. And now at the worst possible time, she was tired. Maya had trained and waited with tense doubtful anticipation for a year. She had no confidence. 'Ironic, really I never use to get so worked up, I never cared before. At least not about my own safety.' Maya sighed.
Her fears, it seemed were well founded the Saiya-jin proved to be even more powerful that anyone had anticipated. There were only two of them. A large muscular man, who looked like an escapee from a Conan film. He was formidable enough but the other a short compact man with hair that stuck straight up like a troll's bothered Maya more. There was something about him, he reminded her of a staving tiger. Something predatory about him, a killing machine in static. An immense amount of latent strength lay just out of sight, and waited for the right opportunity. A cold prophetic chill ran down Maya's spine and settled in her abdomen. 'This isn't going to be pretty.'
They were facing death and it walked. The wind whispered doom, death and destruction. The end. 'Now you're being melodramatic.' The taller of the two seemed eager to fight the other hung back. 'Crafty, he's waiting to see how we handle the situation. Doesn't want to get his hands dirty if he doesn't have to.' Maya gritted her teeth, a war that's what they had on their hands. 'Damn just what we need.' Gokou was on his way back Kuririn had said adamant, but Maya just didn't believe it. She hadn't seen Shenlong and could not believe in his existence. She rarely believed in anything she didn't know of first hand. Ignorance was dangerous but false knowledge was lethal. At least that was the way these things always appeared. As they watched the larger of the Saiya-jin, a tall, hulking, monstrosity devoid of hair planted six seeds into the ground and watered them with a strange solution. A dull cold fear rose, and clawed at her insides doubt pervaded every thought. 'What just what are they up to? Nothing good I'll bet.' The plants sprouted and became small unattractive plant like fighters. Each one unfailingly savage and pitiless, weapons in the Saiya-jin's armoury.
As they prepared to fight what the Saiya-jin called Saibaimen, Tien, Chaozu and Yamcha appeared, unheralded and unexpected. They were greeted with quiet smiles and relief. Reinforcements were more than welcome. Tien was eager to fight, lit up with either courage or bravado. No one was sure which; he stepped in to the fray, almost gleefully. His punches were clean, well aimed and timed. His whole fighting style was efficient, confident, and calm. It was obvious as the man and the Saibaiman circled each other, that the training had paid off. It took Tien only a matter of minutes to defeat one of the Saibaimen. 'Too easy,' Maya grew more suspicious with each moment, she was sure that the Saiya-jin where up to something. It seemed even more obvious when the short, spiky haired Saiya-jin prodded Yamcha's pride just enough for him to fight.
Which he did very well. Yet all the while Maya felt that something was a miss, why did you coerce an enemy into fighting when you knew it was likely that they'd win. 'To watch fighting style? Unlikely, they're so much stronger it wouldn't matter much. So what, are they playing with us? Is that it?' Yamcha fought with far more skill and agility than Maya would have given him credit for. The training, it seemed had done him a lot of good too. She watched silent and unmoved knowing that each moment it grew more dangerous. They were playing a game, a dangerous game and they didn't know the rules of. Everyone watched. Kuririn's heart lifted 'maybe we can hold them off until Gokou gets here.' For a while it seemed possible, at least it did from where he stood between Tien and Gohan.
Maya stood apart half hopeful mostly waiting for the storm to break. Yamcha won, and lost, it was a loss without honour. Served only to in site anger and grief. The wind picked up and swirled dust about. It was quiet except for Yamcha's steady breathing and the Saibaiman's strange scratchy growling. The defeated Saibaiman waited until Yamcha turned to leave. Then it flung itself on to Yamcha's back no amount of struggling could remove it. When Yamcha paused the Saibaiman self destructed. Suddenly thick, grey, smoke filled the air. Its acidic smell and thick pall contaminated the senses. It was impossible to see, but perhaps better. Only a single ravaged scream filled the air. Yamcha mercifully was dead before he hit the ground. There was nothing, absolutely nothing anyone could do. For a moment, the senshi froze as each, took everything in. Anger quickened Maya's heart beat. While Kuririn, Chaozu and Tien stood frozen in stunned, angry silence and Gohan began quietly to cry.
Kuririn sprinted to Yamcha's side, face aghast. His whole body trembled with outrage as he placed his ear against Yamcha's burnt back. 'Doesn't he realise that Yamcha's all ready dead.' Maya wondered as she watched in complete disbelief. She did not understand Kuririn's actions; she was familiar with death, recognised it instantly.Kuririn's face twisted into an angry and grief stricken shell, his pain was palpable.
In a heady combination of fury and grief, Kuririn unleashed a tremendous blast. It moved unfailingly towards the remaining Saibaimen. A trembling enraged yell accompanied by a pale luminous light of pure energy destroyed three of the four remaining Saibaimen in heavy blinding explosion. Maya blinked rapidly expecting an ambush, through the churned up dust she could just make out the large crater where Yamcha's earthly remains lay. Beyond she could see the last solitary Saibaiman.
Maya dug her heels in a little; her fingers closed round the sword hilt. Gohan stayed near Maya his eyes wide and frightened as Piccolo moved away. Tien trembled, and dropped into a defensive crouch, with Chaozu hovering beside him. Many eyes tracked Piccolo as he approached and killed the last Saibaiman.
Maya looked up the two Saiya-jin hovered above. The smaller Saiya-jin's eyes gleamed, with smug blood thirsty violence. Maya's clenched fists tightened. She watched the Saiya-jin furious, her strange, wise eyes flashed. Faint gold lights became visible for a moment and died. 'That fucked up bastard.' The Saiya-jin stared back confident. He spoke to his companion, all Maya could here where their names, they reverberated at the back of her skull. 'Nappa and Prince Vegeta, bloody hell.'
Nappa approached Tien fully intent on the kill. Maya agitated refocussed her energy and concentration onto Nappa. Mindful of Gohan who was half behind her as he watched Piccolo. Uncertain Maya unleashed a blast, with the intention of distracting Nappa. 'It sure as hell won't do any damage.' For a second, hardly a heartbeat everyone glanced at her startled and surprised. Piccolo frowned in annoyance 'since when has she been able to do that?' Still confused he called Gohan.
Sweat ran down Maya's spine, cold fear induced sweat. The fear grew with in her shook the fragile hope that some how they might win. Nappa launched himself at Tien. 'He doesn't have a hope,' the out come was inevitable. Nappa severed Tien's fore arm. All Maya's doubt and fear evaporated, 'brutal bastard'. Blood spurted from the severed artery, flowed unchecked from several veins. Filled an ever expanding pool beneath Tien's convulsing body and all the while his agonised screams filled the air. Flooded every ear. Gohan's terrorised; gasping tears joined the general hubbub along with Kuririn and Chaozu's angry roaring screams. Vegeta smirked, 'that utter pricks enjoying this no end.' Maya's chaotic thoughts crystallised along with her anger. Chaos an apt description, for what rapidly disintegrated into a bloodbath. Then Chaozu latched onto Nappa. Maya saw his lips move in some final inaudible words before he self destructed. Some how the titanic Saiya-jin emerged from the blast completely unharmed. 'How can Chaozu's sacrifice be completely in vain?' Words failed. Tien attacked driven by a muddle of raw emotion, grief, anger, frustration, and despair. Uselessly, without thinking, without hope.
Gohan's small fist clutched at Maya's leg; tears streamed down his face. May felt his fear as surely as she felt her own. A sudden calm, a reinforcement of the ways of old. She brushed the top of his head, gently, as a reassurance.
"Gohan go to Piccolo." The small boy stared up dumbfounded, eyes very wide.
"Go on." Maya said gently, and gave him a little push to send him on his way. Gohan ran his small feet drummed on the clay. Maya watched him waited until he was safely out of reach. The sword rang and gleamed beneath the sun, slid smoothly from the scabbard into the open air. Maya moved off followed Gohan's movement, tense, lit up. When she joined them, Piccolo stated his plan to attack Nappa as a combined force.
Suddenly they were in the midst of a full blown battle. The heady mix of adrenalin, fear, and anger filled her. Maya prepared for her part in the attack. Lifted the heavy bright blade into a defensive position. Her nerves jangled but fear no longer ripped at her insides. Nappa kept coming, frighteningly unstoppable, rapid, and ugly with Tien's blood covering his clothes and face. Angry and desperate Kuririn and Piccolo powered up their pale purplish auras flickered outwards. In final frantic desperation, Maya followed suit and powered up, half against her will. The Saiya-jin watched her with mild curiosity as her energy grew. It swirled outwards with a bright steady glow.
(2002)