Snip-snip. Snip-snip.
A little pink tongue stuck out of Son Chiyo's mouth as she guided the scissors across her forehead. Chunks of dark hair fell to the floor, and she swept her hand across her now short fringe and smiled at herself in the mirror.
The last year and a half had been good for her. With her baby days behind her, Goku had begun to teach her how to fight for real - not just channelling chi. It was hard work, but Chiyo possessed both a child's enthusiasm and a good memory, so she soaked up all the training with ease, and then some. With Mama making her a gi 'kinda like Papa's' to wear, and her strength growing every day, she was set.
All that remained was her hair.
"Too long," Chiyo said in a singsong tone, thinking back to the conversation at dinner the previous night. Goku had mentioned that Chiyo's hair was getting in her eyes when they sparred.
"Nonsense!" Chi-Chi said. "I never needed to cut my hair when I fought in the Tenka'ichi Budokai."
"That was in a tournament where that kinda thing wasn't allowed," Goku said patiently. "Chiyo won't be in a tournament. Long hair will get in her eyes and if she needs to fight, her opponent might pull on it."
But Chi-Chi wouldn't relent, so the next morning Chiyo dug out her mother's sewing scissors and did it herself.
The bathroom door creaked open but Chiyo, preoccupied with her hair, didn't notice.
"Chiyo, what on Earth are you doing?"
Chiyo turned around, hiding the scissors behind her back. Nothing could conceal the hair on the floor though, and the guilty look told her mother everything she needed to know.
Chi-Chi screamed.
As always, the sound brought Goku, who was chopping wood outside. He opened the door fully, glanced inside and said, "What's wrong? Why are you screaming?"
"B-because of that!" Chi-Chi said, pointing at her daughter. "Oh Chiyo, what did you do to your hair?!"
"I cut it!" Chiyo said sunnily. "Can't fight th' Androids wif long hair!"
Goku hid a smile behind his hand.
"But why?" Chi-Chi cried, her shoulders drooping. "Your beautiful hair…it's ruined!"
"I ain't done yet!" the little girl said defensively. "I wanna be a fighter like Papa! 'Sides Mama, long hair gets in your eyes, Papa said so!"
"Oh he did, did he?" Chi-Chi turned on Goku. "Did you put her up to this?!"
"No!" Goku said, raising his hands defensively. "I didn't tell her to cut her hair!"
"But you were going to, weren't you?"
"Well…"
"I thought so." Chi-Chi turned back to her daughter and held her hand out. "Give me those scissors, Chiyo."
"But Mama!" Chiyo protested. "I ain't finished! I needa do the back!"
"I'll do it. Give them to me."
Chiyo handed over the scissors reluctantly, and stood as Chi-Chi began to cut her hair.
"You're a stubborn kid," Chi-Chi said as she worked. "I don't know where you get it from."
"I do," Goku said and grinned at his wife.
Ten minutes later and Chiyo's hair was cropped as short as a boy's. It stood up in wild black spikes and made her look very much like Gohan when he was younger.
Chi-Chi began to sweep the dark hair off the floor as Chiyo ran to her father.
"Do you like it, Papa?"
"Yeah!"
Goku tossed his daughter in the air, prompting a squeal of laughter, then tucked her in the crook of one arm.
"Don't worry Mama," Chiyo piped up, seeing Chi-Chi's disappointed face. "Gohan's hair's longer'n mine, so you still 'ave him!"
Despite herself Chi-Chi snorted.
"Go on, you," she said. "Go play. I'll clean up."
But while she cleaned up the bathroom to the sounds of childish laughter, Chi-Chi couldn't help thinking this wouldn't be the last time Chiyo wanted to be like her father.