For the Love of ChiChi

Part Four

ChiChi sat behind Goku on Nimbus and placed her hands on his back as they flew over the ocean. Oh, she could fly Nimbus without a worry of falling off, but she was worried about the wind knocking her off since they were flying very fast.

"Thank you for helping me, Goku," ChiChi said appreciatively.

"It's no problem."

"Can this Baba really tell us where the Jeras flower is?"

"Yeah. Baba knows everything. Of course we will have to fight the five fighters at her place or pay ten million zeni to get her to tell us."

"I don't have the money on me but I'll fight anyone to save my father," ChiChi said bravely.

Goku smiled impressed with ChiChi's bravery. He never met a brave girl before. Bulma would always send him to do the fighting and Launch would fire her guns and she didn't have much skills in fighting. He remembered knocking her out with one kick as a kid when she shot at him. ChiChi was different. In their fight, she proved to be a master in Master Roshi skills, except the Kamehameha Wave. If they fought as kids at the 21st tournament, she would've been a challenged then.

"Don't worry, ChiChi. I'll fight them for you."

"I don't want you to do it all by yourself, Goku. I want to fight. I can and it's my father who was hurt," ChiChi explained. "Besides, you were in all those fights in the tournament."

"I'm fine. I've fought these guys before but you haven't. Leave it up to me," Goku said positively.

ChiChi started to argue but decided against it. She wasn't used to being told what to do. She was a princess after all, but Goku was going to be her husband and a good wife listens to her husband ChiChi was told and he has fought these people before. "You're right. I should listen to what my future husband tells me."

It was another ten minutes before Goku and ChiChi arrived at Baba's place.

"Here we are," Goku said and Nimbus took a dive to land. When the cloud did, Goku jumped off the cloud and ran to the entrance while ChiChi was left to get off on her own. "Hey, Baba!!"

Baba floated out of her castle on her ball. She smiled recognizing the young man she met as a boy. "Goku, is that you? You've certainly grown over the years." The old fortune teller noticed a young woman walking up beside Goku. "Who is this?"

Goku laughed. "I thought you'd know, Baba. This is ChiChi, the Ox King's daughter and my fiancée."

Baba eyes nearly bugged out. "You're getting married?!" 'The saying is right. There is someone for everyone.'

"I thought you'd know that Baba, but I don't have time to explain. The Ox King has been poisoned and the only way to cure him is to find this Jeras flower, but we don't know where it is. We don't have any money, but I'm willing to fight your fighters," Goku offered in exchanged.

"Are you kidding?!" Baba shrieked. "No one is going to fight the man who defeated King Piccolo and his son! This is on the house. Besides, I know the Ox King. He was a former student under my brother and has certainly changed his ways from his evil days." Baba got off her ball and waved her hands around it as she used her powers to conger up an image of a Jeras flower.

Goku and ChiChi watched as an image of a flower appear in the ball. It resembled a morning glory flower with the petals of red and yellow intertwining together.

"Is that it?" ChiChi asked hopefully.

"Yes," Baba answered.

"Where is it?"

"Let's see." The image of the flower faded and a castle appeared. It was a tall, majestic castle that resembled the castles normally found in fairytales. Inside the castle was an old woman sitting alone by the window looking at the Jeras flower in a protective glass case. "I remember this place. I heard of a young, beautiful queen with a magical gift of reading people's heart living there ages ago with her king, who was her true love. This old woman must be her descendent. It's not anywhere near here but on the other side of the world."

"Okay. Let's go." Goku jumped on Nimbus grabbed ChiChi suddenly and took off.

Baba watch as Goku and ChiChi fly away. She noticed that ChiChi was barely hanging on to Goku as she was dangling the air. Baba shook her head and frowned at Goku's behavior. "Someone needs to teach that boy some manners."

With the trip being a long one, Goku talked to ChiChi about what happened at the tournament after ChiChi left. ChiChi was horrified at what she learned what happened to Goku in the final match with Piccolo.

"Oh, Goku, that was horrible for you. I can't believe that monster Piccolo is back and he wants to come after you even after you beat him."

"I'm okay, and I'll beat Piccolo again if he comes after me. Don't worry."

"But still that was so dangerous for you and getting that whole in you chest…" Tears spilled from ChiChi's eyes. She recovered by wiping them away. "I'm glad you're all right now," ChiChi said and hugged him.

The hug was making Goku blush. He was feeling so uncomfortable now. "ChiChi, why do you do this so much?"

"Because I want to. I'm showing my affection for you. This is what couples and even friends do," ChiChi explained. "Haven't you ever hug someone before?"

"I hugged my grandpa before but it was never like this. He was never close up on me like you are."

"That's your grandpa. I'm going to be your wife. That's different."

"Is marriage really that big of a difference? I thought we were just gonna live together."

ChiChi looked up at Goku. "Goku, being in a marriage is more than just living together. We're going to create a life together. We're going to create a family. I hear it's not easy but with hard work, I know we can do it."

"I don't see what's so hard about that, although I didn't understand it all."

ChiChi laughed and cupped the side of his face. "Don't worry. I'll be there to teach you everything." ChiChi leaned forward to kiss Goku but Goku leaned back puzzled.

"What are you doing, ChiChi?"

"I was trying to kiss you, Goku."

"Oh, you mean like you did back at the tournament?" Goku asked. "I guess that would be okay, but why don't you ask first?"

"Goku, you don't ask for a kiss. You give a kiss if the moment feels right to you." She saw Goku still looking puzzled. ChiChi took her hand off his cheek and pulled back from him, resting her hands on her lap. "Am I…am I rushing things for you?"

Goku scratched his head. "I don't know. As long as you tell me what to expect, I'll be okay."

"But that won't be as romantic," ChiChi said. "If you do something on the spur of the moment like grabbing me in my arms suddenly and kissing me, then that's more romantic that you telling me you're going to kiss me."

"Romantic? What's that?"

ChiChi wasn't surprised by that. From what maids told her, men knew nothing about romance. "Being romantic, is doing something nice for someone you like."

"So, when I revived my friends when King Piccolo killed them, that was being romantic?" Goku asked trying to get a meaning of this new word.

ChiChi shook her head. She would have to go about it another way. "No. Um, when you really like or love someone and you do something for them like proposing in a really sweet or unexpected way that's romantic. Romance can take thought and work into it or it could be really simple." She saw the baffled look on Goku's face. "Oh, no, I made it even worse, haven't I? You don't learn this overnight, Goku. It takes time."

"Okay then. Um, ChiChi, do you mind if we stop off somewhere to get something to it eat?" Goku rubbed his stomach to show how hungry he was. "I know you want to find this flower to save your Dad but if I don't get something in my stomach, I won't have the energy to do anything."

"It's okay. I'm hungry myself, but Goku when we land, could you help me off the cloud?" ChiChi requested. "As my husband, you're suppose to do these things for me."

"What things?"

ChiChi was amazed at how little Goku knew about relationships. "In any couple, the man is suppose to open doors for his lady and help her off things like a cloud, a boat or out of a car."

"Why can't the woman do this on her own? I have to."

"Because it's being courteous and respectful to your lady. Any good man should do this for his lady and with me being your wife, you definitely should do it," ChiChi explained.

"Oh," Goku said. "Grandpa told me that if I ever get a wife, I should treat her really nice. Is this what he was talking about?"

"Yes, for starters," ChiChi agreed. "But you will learn more later."

"Wow. I didn't know I had to do all this to be a husband. Oh, well," Goku through on his happy grin and ChiChi smiled knowing this wasn't bothering Goku.

Nimbus landed in a forest and Goku held his hand out for ChiChi. ChiChi placed her hand in his and they jumped off Nimbus together. "Like that?" Goku asked if he was right.

"Yes, Goku. You can do it anyway you like as long as you help me off and on Nimbus."

"Gotcha."

Goku and ChiChi found lots of fruit for them to eat in the forest. ChiChi had Goku removed his red shirt so they would carry all the food. When they were finished getting their food, the two headed back to Nimbus who was waiting patiently. Goku got on the cloud first with his shirt and took ChiChi's hand, helping her on Nimbus. Afterwards, they zoomed back in the sky once more.

ChiChi bit into her apple and smiled at Goku. "Remember when we were kids and you met me at my father's castle? You gave me an apple then."

Goku thought back to when they were kids. He remembered being a child, eating some apples in a tree, when he heard someone singing. The voice was sweet and memorable. He sat up in the tree and peek through the leaves looking for the owner of the voice. He saw a girl at the lake picking flowers. She looked familiar. Goku called out asking if the girl was ChiChi. The girl turned around and Goku jumped out of the tree running to her. It was ChiChi and she was going on at how happy she was to see him and how she was amazed that he came all this way to see her.

Goku didn't know what ChiChi was talking about so he asked her what she was doing and ChiChi told him that she was picking flowers for their wedding. Goku, clueless asked what a wedding was. He really didn't know and ChiChi giggled and smacked Goku telling him to stop teasing her. Goku slammed into the tree hard hurting his head and tail. He never thought such a delicate looking girl was so strong.

Goku found himself staring at ChiChi now as an adult. As he watch her eat her apple, he stared at her features from her wide innocent eyes, her smile, he still saw that same delicate looking girl as a child.

ChiChi smiled at him thoughtfully. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I'm just seeing that you're still that delicate looking girl I remember as a kid."

ChiChi's smile widen even more making Goku wondered what he said to get her to smile like that. "Thank you. When you gave me that apple, I thought it was romantic."

"Really?"

"Mm-hmm."

With their food eaten, Goku put his shirt back on. ChiChi pulled out a clothe she had and wiped Goku's face. "You're kind of a messy eater, Goku. You got food all over mouth."

The gesture was simple enough but with ChiChi holding one hand on his face and using the other to clean his face, it was making Goku feel warm. He also felt he was being tickled. "Ah, stop that, ChiChi. That tickles." He grabbed her hands and pulled it away from his, surprising ChiChi.

"I have to clean your face," ChiChi insisted. "It's dirty."

"But you tickle."

"That's not a bad thing," ChiChi said and returned to wiped the rest of the crumbs from his face. "See? All clean."

Goku quietly nodded but he still felt his face was warm by the gesture. That never happened before.

A few hours later, it was nighttime and Goku was wondering how he and ChiChi going to sleep were. "We will be flying all night. If we stop anywhere to sleep, we would waste time."

"Why should we have to stop?" ChiChi asked. "We can stay here on Nimbus. It's big enough for both of us…if we sleep close." ChiChi felt a blush on her cheeks when she said that.

Goku was a bit nervous by that idea. "Um, I guess that's all right. We don't have a choice anyway."

"We're going to be married anyway and we will be sleeping much closer, so I guess it's okay," ChiChi added as her blush deepened.

"What do you mean sleeping much closer?" Goku asked.

"It's just that we're going to do some things that only married people do. I'll tell you about it later. We should sleep now."

"Okay." Goku laid down on Nimbus. ChiChi laid down beside Goku, cuddling close to Goku, intertwining her legs with his, pressing her body against his from his thighs to his chest. Goku jerked surprised. "I didn't think we would be this close, ChiChi."

"If I don't sleep close to you, I may roll over off Nimbus. I tend to move in my sleep," ChiChi explained.

"Oh, okay," Goku said slowly still not sure about sleeping so close to ChiChi. "Well, good night then."

ChiChi surprised Goku once more by kissing him on the lips. Goku blushed and his eyes widened. He wondered if he would ever get used to this. "Goodnight, Goku." She laid down and closed her eyes.

Goku wasn't sure about this. Lying with ChiChi made him a bit uncomfortable. He never was this close to anyone before, not even his grandpa.

'This is going to be strange when we marry,' Goku thought before falling asleep.

Goku was the first to awaken that morning. He yawned and tried to stretch but ChiChi still held onto him tightly as she slept. Goku gently pried ChiChi arms from around one of his and sat up. He was able to stretch his upper body but his legs, which were still entwined with ChiChi's would have to wait.

Goku's movements awakened ChiChi. She opened her eyes a little daze and half asleep. When she recognized Goku, she smiled. "Morning." She sat up and stretched her upper body. When she realized her legs were tangled with Goku's she unraveled them. "I wonder how much farther."

"I don't know, but it shouldn't be much longer."

ChiChi leaned on Goku. "I hope my father can hold out until we find the flower. By the time we get it, it'll be another day before we get back home." She sighed. "I still don't know who did it, either. I must find the person who poisoned my father."

"Maybe we could ask Baba that after your father is well again," Goku suggested.

"Maybe," ChiChi said and noticed something in the distance. "Goku, look!"

Goku looked to where ChiChi was pointing. They saw the castle Baba showed them in her crystal ball. "It's the castle."

The castle was naturally much larger than what Goku and ChiChi saw in the crystal ball. It held several towers not made of bricks as traditional castles were but of glass and iron. The land was beautiful with perfect green grass, rolling hills, variety of flowers surrounding the castle and a lake behind it as Goku and ChiChi flew above it. Although the land looked pretty, Goku was getting the feeling something wasn't right. Nimbus landed in front of the castle. Goku got off first and helped ChiChi off. They walked up to the double doors which were twice their height. Goku started to knock but the doors opened before he could.

"That's strange," Goku said.

"I don't think it's a good sign," ChiChi said.

"No, it probably isn't."

Goku and ChiChi stepped inside anyway. They looked around the foyer they were in. The walls were decorated with paintings of people Goku and ChiChi never knew. They could only guess it were the previous residents of the castle. A chandelier hung above them and it had so many lights it sparkled like diamonds. The marble floors were spotless and decorated in tiles with colors of red and black. In front of them was a tall staircase and as Goku and ChiChi's eyes went up the steps, they saw woman at the top--the same old woman in Baba's crystal ball.

As the old woman descended down the stairs, Goku and ChiChi got a better look at her. She was a very old woman with long silver hair. The wrinkles on her face indicated she was near her eighties and her dull green eyes were lost of life. She wore a ballroom gown with fabric of silk shimmering in the softest lavender and lilac ChiChi has ever seen. The old woman's neck was decorated in a diamond necklace with matching ears. Her hands weren't left either as her right held gold and diamond bracelet and lavender rings on both hands. Her attire and her posture indicated she was a woman of high class. When the old woman reached the bottom of the steps, she looked at Goku and ChiChi displeased.

"Who are you and what do you want?" she asked bitterly.

Goku stepped forward to introduce himself. "My name is Goku and we're looking for the Jeras flower."

At the mention of the flower, she scowled at them. "Why do you want it?"

This time ChiChi spoke. "My father was poisoned by those flowers and it's the only thing that can cure him. Could we please have it to save my father?" she begged.

"What would you give me in return?"

Goku and ChiChi were stumped. They didn't know they had to barter anything. "I don't have it with me now, but if you give me the flower, I would give you any treasure in my father's kingdom."

The old woman laughed, loudly and arrogantly. "Look at my home. There is nothing your father can give that I don't have. Besides, I wouldn't want his treasure anyway." She looked at Goku. "What is he to you?"

ChiChi wrapped her arms around Goku, not liking this old woman was looking at him. "He's my fiancé."

"Fiancé?" the old woman scoffed. "He doesn't even love you and neither do you to he."

"How dare you say that!" ChiChi said angrily and insulted.

"I say it because it's true. I am, Mara and I have the power to see into the hearts of people. I see their desires, their true loves." She points at Goku. "He doesn't love you. He doesn't even know what love means!"

"So?" ChiChi argued. "He was never exposed to it but I can and will teach him."

Mara laughed again. "You're only setting yourself up for heartbreak. Men are like leopards--you can never change their spots. You think you love him but you love the thought of being in love. You never been courted by him. You never experienced pain. You don't even know him!"

ChiChi hated to admit it, but Mara was right. She didn't know everything about Goku but it didn't change her feelings for him. The stories she heard about a little boy defeating the Red Ribbon Army and King Piccolo, ChiChi knew it to be Goku and the fact he did those things made her feelings grow for him. "I may not know much about Goku, but it doesn't change the fact I love him."

"Goku patting your crotch isn't a sign of love, nor was it his way of letting you know he wanted to marry you. It was his way of finding out if you were a boy or girl." She smirked seeing the look of shock on ChiChi's face. "I told you I have the power to see in one's heart and in doing so I can see your past."

"Maybe not, but it doesn't change how I feel. I care deeply for him and my feelings for Goku would only grow over time."

"Maybe there's a chance for you, but what about him?" Mara questioned pointing at Goku. "I highly doubt it."

Goku wasn't sure what to say. So what if he didn't know much about ChiChi or love, he knew he could love her. She loved him. It couldn't be that hard, could it? "I may not understand this love thing but I'm sure I can learn it from ChiChi," Goku said.

"You're not even comfortable with her when she touches you and you claim you can love her?" Mara scoffed but laughed. She snapped her finger and the ceiling above Goku and ChiChi began to shake.

Goku and ChiChi looked up to see the chandelier coming down on ChiChi. Goku tackled ChiChi to the ground and covered his body with hers. After the chandelier crash to the ground, Goku looked at ChiChi who was startled at what happened.

"Are you okay?" Goku asked ChiChi.

"Yes."

Goku looked back at Mara upset. "What did you do that for?"

Mara stared into Goku's angry eyes looking for something. To her surprise, she didn't find it. "I see it's in your nature to protect people, Goku, but protecting ChiChi is different than protecting your friends."

"What do you mean by that?" Goku asked.

ChiChi stood by Goku's side on her own and was a bit disappointed at Goku's confusion. Mara saw the look in ChiChi's eyes. "You even disappoint your fiancée with your confusion, Goku. I'll let you humor me and put you two to the test."

"Test?" ChiChi questioned.

Mara's eyes sparked green and the floor beneath Goku and ChiChi gave away and the two fall in screaming. "I'll see for myself the feelings that lie in you two."

To Be Continued