Welcome to my version of the TUp origin story. It shall be epic. Story, meet reader, reader meet my story. :) I have some Spanish laced through here, and you can find all the translations down at the bottom. Enjoy!

edit: (10/14/12) fixed some spelling errors.:)

Chapter One: The name is Taz.

All around her were the fronds of the banana trees. Lush green filtered out the midday sun, which she was trying to avoid. If only she could avoid everything. The small girl leaned back against the leaves stems, and closed her eyes while inhaling the smell of home. If ony she could put the world on pause, then she could avoid the worlds' happenings.

The biggest of all was the Galactic Space War going on. The robots that humanity, as well as a few other races, had created turned against their masters about ten years ago, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake. The girl brushed a strand of curly black hair away from her forehead. Her Papa had been enlisted into the Galactic League of Extra-terrestrial Exploration. He was a Starship Ranger. Fighting the bad guys, and kicking metal toaster butt for five years now. She was proud of her Papa. Her oldest brother Carlos had been enlisted as well, a year after Papa. She hadn't heard word from either of them since.

But a more pressing matter at hand was weighing on her. She groaned at the the thought. "Estupido quinceañera." She muttered. She didn't want to turn fifteen! It would mean wearing a frilly dress, and makeup, shoving her feet into dangerous high heels, and dancing with all the adolescent boys in her village. Her Mama was forcing her youngest daughter to go through with it in three days time. "All your hermanas have done it, and are happily married now and with children. You must go through with this. It's the only way to insure your future in this village!"

She, up in the tree, only had three days of freedom left, If she counted today. Her peace ruined by unhappy thoughts, she sat up and shifted positions to reach into her pocket. Might as well do what she came here to do originally. Her fingers wrapped around the switch knife her Papa had given to her the morning he left. She flicked it open and carved another tick mark in the trees' bark behind her. She counted how many there were currently. Three-hundred-and-sixy-two. The very first one made on her fourteenth birthday. She pocketed the blade, and then made her way up, climbing the tree. She was in the mood to eat a banana.

" Taciana! Mi hermana menor! Mama wants you back home! It's time for your dress fitting!"

Taciana Antonella Carlotta Lopez sighed, and started to slide out of her hiding place to meet her elder brother who was munching on one of their bananas too. She dropped the peel on his head. " How many times have I told you idiota, my name is Taz!"

"And how many times have I told you, no one's going to call you Taz!"

"All my amigos do!"

"Todo lo que. Hurry up, Mama's going loco."

Taz sighed, jumped out of the tree, and brushed dirt off of the G.L.E.E. issued sweat pants she had snatched from a friend. They were easier to climb trees in than the colorful skirts and dresses her Mama expected her to wear. "Ok, Pedro. I'm coming. Don't get your pantolones in a twist." He rolled his eyes at his sister, and in return she smacked him upside the head, standing on her toes to do so.

Pedro and Taz scrambled out of the small banana grove and started to walk down the muddy path towards their village. They past one of Carlos' friends, and a couple of kids running around their mothers. Taz slowed down slightly as she passed the G.L.E.E. headquarters that had been set up in their region. Some said it was the first base to have been set up in Guatemala. That didn't matter to her. What was important were the poker games and stories that she would sneak out of home at night to participate in. Even though she was a tiny thing, the extranjeros soon learned to respect her and her poker face. She hadn't lost a poker game since she was a little niña. Almost all her friends were there.

"Taciana, come on. Mama has lots of dresses for you to try on." Taz grimaced. Oh, the horror! No doubt they were all going to be bright pink and sparkly. Ick. " Don't worry, I thought I saw some azul in the pile somewhere." That didn't help much. She flicked her hair out of her face when their home came into view. Her curls were always getting in the way. As soon as her Mama couldn't dictate her life anymore, she was cutting her hair short. Way short.

"Taciana!"

"It's Taz..." She growled underneath her breath. The short woman Taz called mother stepped out of the doorway of the house and grabbed Taz by the arm and dragged her inside. " You are going to try on all of these quinceañera dresses, por favour. All the women in town gathered these up for you, so be careful with them."

Taz groaned, but grabbed a couple of dresses and obediently stalked off to her room. "Do you want me to come out and do a twirl in each one too?" She voiced sarcastically from inside her room. the sound of unzipping could be heard through the door.

"That would be great my angelita." Mrs. Lopez settled herself on the family's' sofa, waiting for Taciana to make her appearance. It was going to he heartbreaking to see her youngest child go through her quinceañera and into adulthood. But beautiful too. If only her husband was here at home to watch his little angelita grow up.

Taz made her way out of her room, and did a practiced turn for her mama. This was the sixth dress to make an appearance. "It's magnifico! Twirl again!"

" Mama, it looks like a unicorn barfed rainbows and decided to make it into some clothing."

"Aw shush. Go try on another." This process continued well into the late afternoon. Finally after much arguing Taz chose a dark green dress, sleeveless, and knee length. Slightly puffy skirt, but it was simpler than all the other monstrosities she had been forced to wear. When asked why she chose to wear it, her reply was "It reminds me of the banana trees." Her Mama decided to find a yellow flower and stick it behind her ear in three days time... to complete the look. Her daughter was going to be so beautiful.

Taz took the dress off, and hung it up in her closet. Mama wouldn't take to well to it being flung into a messy corner of her room... the dress would be lost forever! Afterwards, her, Mama, and Pedro gathered around their dining table and ate a dinner of tortillas, tomatoes, and beans. She waited impatiently throughout the meal, itching to crawl out her bedroom window and into the night beyond. Her friends at the G.L.E.E. base were expecting her to be there for another game in half an hour!

Spanish guide: (Please forgive me if I get any translation wrong, and correct me right away! I'm using a translator currently for these. *sheepish* It's no fun feeling like you're butchering a language.)

-"Estupido quinceañera": stupid quinceañera
- hermanas: sisters
-"Mi hermana menor!" My little sister!
- idiota: idiot
-"Todo lo que.": Whatever
- loco: crazy
- pantolones: pants
- extranjeros
- azure: blue
- por favour: please
- angelita: angel
- magnifico: magnificent

How did I do? Terrible? Brilliant? I have no clue, but reviewing and giving some critic would help quite a bit and help me improve to make your reading experience all the better. So if you're reading this, please do! :P Happy 2012!