Chapter 5: Preparations

Chi-Chi looked in front of her, unable to move or speak. Looking directly at her with a wide grin was a tall, muscular woman. The woman had back-length spiky black hair, fierce black eyes, and a very long tail—twice as long as Chi-Chi's—covered in jet black fur. She was dressed in a primitive-looking armor that was both wild and regal at the same time: a metal breastplate with Royal Blue leather flaps running around it was all she wore on her chest, leaving her midriff bare. Leather pauldrons covered her shoulders, while a pair of fingerless gloves were worn on her hands. A pair of blue shorts and knee-high boots adorned her lower body. She was covered in jewelry—all ten of her fingers had at least one ring on it, there were several bracelets on her wrists, and her tail was weighed down by ten bands of different kinds of metals. A long, furry cape made from the hide of some kind of beast was draped over her shoulders, held in place by the pauldrons. She possessed a natural, wild beauty that was also regal. She stood up straight, with her arms folded over her surprisingly large breasts, but tilted her head to the side slightly.

"Well, well, well," the woman said in an aggressive tone. "Looks like you can finally see me! Took you long enough—I was only around for about four years!"

Chi-Chi's eyes narrowed. Four years? She asked herself. Wait, I made the wish to Shenron four years ago! Does that mean she...

"That's right!" The woman said, probably noticing Chi-Chi's eyes widen. "When you made that wish, you didn't just become any mere Saiyan. Shenron merged you with me, the mighty _!"

Chi-Chi narrowed her eyes again. She couldn't hear the woman's name, as if something was blocking her ears when she said it.

"Oh," the woman sighed, both disappointed and annoyed. "So you can't even hear my name yet? Alright then. Listen up! You don't know me, but I know you perfectly well! I watched you train and fight with your husband, Kakarot! I felt your frustrations when you kept losing! I felt the pain in your body as Raditz ripped you apart! I know what went through your mind as Kakarot died! And I felt your helplessness as Piccolo flew away with your son! The truth is that it wasn't Piccolo's fault for killing Raditz with Kakarot's help, and it wasn't Kakarot's fault for making that choice! It was your fault for being too weak to crush Raditz yourself!"

Chi-Chi's eyes narrowed further. She was angry now.

"That's right!" The woman shouted. "It makes you angry, doesn't it? But you can't do anything about it—you can't move in this world, and you can't leave your bed in the real world! Now listen up!" She walked up until their faces were only inches apart. "The other Saiyans are on their way! You barely defeated one, and he was the weakest of them! You need to get stronger than you ever thought possible! You need to push yourself past your limits until you find new ones, then push past those! Get strong enough to crush both of those Saiyans yourself! Get strong enough to humiliate the disgusting fool Vegeta, who dares to call himself a 'prince!' Get strong enough to move and speak in this world, and maybe then you can hear my name!"

Chi-Chi's eyes widened. This mysterious woman knew who one of the Saiyans was! And she was right: Chi-Chi needed to be even stronger than she ever dreamed she could be. If she could get strong enough to defeat both of the Saiyans herself, then Gohan wouldn't have to fight them! Looking back at the woman, she looked down and back up—the closest she could get to a nod.

The woman smiled from ear to ear. "Good," she said. "You've got the fire of a Saiyan, that's for sure! Looks like that dragon made the right choice after all..."

"I see..." Kami said, deep in thought. "So you believe that Chi-Chi has the potential to be even stronger than you?"

"Yeah!" Goku replied. "She was able to last a long time against Raditz on her own, even though Piccolo and I could barely hit him! I think she just needs the right training, that's all."

The two of them were at the entrance to Snake Way, with Goku preparing to make the journey to the residence of King Kai. Goku had pulled Kami aside to explain Chi-Chi's incredible strength and potential, and how she might be able to help defeat the Saiyans.

"Very well," Kami said. "I was already planning on summoning her to the Lookout with your other friends, but she may require a unique form of training to unlock her full potential. I believe I have something that would work, but I fear that she will learn to hate me for it."

"Oh don't worry, Kami!" Goku said. "Chi-Chi won't hate you. She'll probably be mad for a bit, but she'll get over it if it helps her get stronger!"

"Then I will see what I can do," Kami promised. "In the meantime, you should focus on reaching King Kai. Remember, don't let Snake Way wear on your mind. If you fail, then I fear we all may be receiving judgment from King Yemma."

"Got it," Goku said. "Welp, wish me luck!"

And with that, Goku jumped onto the giant snake-like road and began flying as fast as he could.

Good luck, Goku, Kami said to himself. You will need it more than the rest of us.

As he returned to the Lookout, Kami thought about what Goku had said. He already knew that Chi-Chi had wished herself to be more like Goku—as a selfless act of love, which Kami certainly admired—so it was likely that she could handle fairly harsh training methods. Perhaps if it was truly necessary, she could even handle the intensity of the Time Chamber.

He was also aware that Piccolo had taken Gohan to train him, much to his and Goku's surprise. Gohan's incredible potential must be linked to his emotions, but Piccolo clearly believed that he could fully unlock it in time to fight the Saiyans.

Perhaps that could serve Chi-Chi's training as well, Kami considered. True power comes from a need, and the thought of her son having to fight these monsters would certainly facilitate that need. It would wear on her emotionally, but it might just accelerate her growth.

Upon reaching the lookout, Kami contacted Korin telepathically.

Korin, can you hear me?

Yeah, I can hear ya, Korin replied. How'd it go with Goku?

Goku has started on Snake Way, Kami explained. But we need to be prepared for the chance that he doesn't return in time. Summon all of Goku's friends, as well as his wife Chi-Chi. I intend to train them to the fullest extent of my abilities.

Sure thing, Kami, Korin said. I'll have Yajirobe let them know.

Good, Kami said. While you are at it, ensure that Chi-Chi gets a Senzu Bean. From what Goku told me, she needs it desperately.

Yeah yeah, sure thing. Korin repliedmentally, and then the feline deity addressed Yajirobe aloud. "Hey, Yajirobe! I gotta job for ya!"

Yajirobe, the large round Ronin, ran up to Korin. "Yeah, what is it?"

"Go find Goku's pals and tell 'em to get their butts over here. And tell 'em not to resurrect Goku until right before the Saiyans arrive." Korin told him. He then handed the Ronin a Senzu bean that he picked fresh from the plant. "And give that to Goku's wife. From what I heard, she could use one. After that, get yer behind back here, 'cause yer going to train with Kami."

"Huh!?" Yajirobe yelped. "No way! I'm not fighting anyone from space!"

"Oh, yes ya is!" Korin growled. "Goku's yer friend too, right? Then ya'd better be in fight'n shape when they show up! Now get yer bubble butt down there!"

"Okay, okay," Yajirobe relented. Pulling out a small capsule, he pressed a button atop it and threw it on the ground. A few seconds later, a hovercar appeared where the capsule was. "So, where should I look for Chi-Chi? I barely know who she is."

"Try Fire Mountain," Korin suggested. "If she's injured and alone, then her old man's gonna keep her in his castle."

"Right." Climbing into the hovercar, Yajirobe sped off in search of the others.

You must really be somthin, Chi-Chi, Korin thought. Goku's not really the marryin type.

Gohan sniffed a patch of mushrooms, making sure they weren't poisonous. He was fairly certain already that these were called "Chicken of the Woods," but he wanted to make sure. The smell told him that he was right, so he pulled the large mass of fungus from the tree to prepare something to eat.

It's already been a couple days since Piccolo dropped him off in this place, and left him to survive on his own. He was definitely scared at first, but he managed to figure things out fairly quickly. His mom had always told him that he was a lot stronger than he thought, and he always wanted to be able to spar with his parents, so he started practicing martial arts on his own when they weren't looking. He also learned a lot about survival in his books, and his mom personally taught him what was tasty and what was poisonous. Overall, this wasn't too hard for him, and he had all the motivation to train.

Mom... Dad... Gohan remembered how they looked the last time he saw them: both were on the ground, his dad in serious pain, and his mom's leg sticking out the wrong way. He got angry at his "uncle," so angry that he managed to hurt him pretty badly. Piccolo told him that he was possibly the strongest living thing on Earth, and he definitely showed him that when he threw Gohan at a nearby rock formation.

Gohan still couldn't believe what he did. He managed to vaporize the entire rock formation like it was nothing—he wasn't even tired from that! When he saw what he could do, and learned that others like Raditz were on the way, he decided to agree to be Piccolo's mentee and train to unlock his full potential.

Up above, Piccolo watched Gohan, surprised by the boy's survival skills. He was convinced that Chi-Chi had pampered him, but she apparently had taught him some important things. If he can survive out there, then he should be able to survive Piccolo's training. Still, he wanted to be sure that Gohan wasn't going to die if left on his own.

Chi-Chi opened her eyes, finding herself back in the real world.

Who was that woman? She thought. And how did she know who this Vegeta was? I need to figure out how to talk to her, and soon.

With that decided, she did her best to get comfortable in her bed. Her father had brought her back to the castle on Fire Mountain, knowing she shouldn't be alone in the house she and Goku shared. Her broken leg was in a thick cast, while her right arm was kept in a sling to keep it from dislocating again. She was sore all over, especially in her midriff, back, and the left side of her mouth. The doctor told her that she was lucky to still be alive.

But she didn't feel very lucky. Her husband died right in front of her, only for his body to vanish into thin air. Piccolo figured it was Kami, who wanted to protect his friend and pupil. While Chi-Chi was trying to comprehend what was happening, Piccolo then took her son, saying that he was going to train him to fight the incoming Saiyans. Most of the Dragon Team was prepared to fight him, and Chi-Chi was channeling the last of her energy into a ki blast when Piccolo told her to search his feelings and find out if he was lying. Chi-Chi could barely focus, but Piccolo wasn't hiding anything from her—he was being honest.

In the end, Chi-Chi couldn't do anything to stop him, and watched helplessly as he flew off with Gohan under his arm.

A knock on her door startled her out of her thoughts.

"Come in," she called.

The door opened, and the Ox King stepped in.

"Uh, Chi-Chi," he said gingerly. "There's someone here to see you."

"Tell them I'm not in the mood for visitors right now," Chi-Chi sighed.

"Yeah well, I wasn't in the mood for visiting, but we don't always get what we want, do we?" A voice said. Craning her neck up, she could see the large frame of Yajirobe push past her father and walk up to her.

"Man," the fat Ronin said, looking at her injured body. "Korin wasn't kidding! You look like you were hit by a truck!"

"Thanks, Yajirobe," Chi-Chi replied sarcastically. "What do you want?"

"I don't want to be here, that's for sure," Yajirobe said. "This castle's too stuffy for me. But Korin wanted to tell you that he wants you to go to his tower."

"Korin?" Chi-Chi asked. "You mean the cat god that trained Goku when he was younger?"

"Yeah, that's him." Yajirobe said. "I already told the rest of Goku's pals the same thing, and you were my last stop. Oh, yeah! Before I forget..." he reached into his pocket and pulled out a large green bean. "Here. Eat this."

"Wait, what is it?" Chi-Chi asked, staring suspiciously at the strange bean.

"What, don't you remember the tournament?" Yajirobe asked. "It's a Senzu bean! It's what Goku ate to heal himself after fighting Piccolo!"

Chi-Chi's eyes widened. She did remember Yajirobe giving Goku something to heal him from his injuries. If it worked for injuries that severe, then it should help heal her.

Taking the bean from Yajirobe with her left hand, she stuffed it in her mouth and started chewing. It was very strange: the texture was crossed between a unripe bean and a celery stalk, and it had an odd, fishy taste. But as soon as she swallowed, she fully understood why Goku kept talking about them. All of her injuries were gone in an instant—the bones and ligaments in her arm and leg knitted themselves together, and the burns and bruises all over her body vanished and were replaced with healthy skin. Even her teeth that Raditz had punched out grew back immediately. She felt full, energized, and even stronger than ever.

Sitting up, she slipped her arm out of its sling and began breaking the hard cast that was encasing her leg.

"Wow," she said as she removed the bits of fiberglass. "Those things work wonders."

"You're welcome," Yajirobe grumbled, and started making his way out of the room. He then stopped at the doorway. "Oh by the way, Bulma, Krillin and Master Roshi said they were heading over to your house to collect the three Dragon Balls that Goku found. They should be there tonight."

Chi-Chi looked over at Yajirobe. She figured that they'd show up soon, but not that soon. She needed to get the Dragon Balls ready.

"Thanks for the heads-up, Yajirobe," she said. "I guess I'll see you at Korin's?"

"Yeah," Yajirobe grunted, then left the room.

"Are you going to be okay, Chi-Chi?" The Ox King asked his daughter.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," Chi-Chi replied. "Thanks, Father."

With that, the Ox King left her room and closed the door, leaving Chi-Chi alone again.

Undoing the bandages around her body, Chi-Chi looked at herself in the full-length mirror. Her body had healed completely without scarring, and was fit as ever. She smiled to herself as she looked herself over. She was often referred to as not only the strongest woman in the world, but also one of the most beautiful. Her body was very shapely, with incredible natural curves combined with a toned abdomen. Her arms and legs were lean and muscular, without being overly thick, and she managed to live a fairly rough early life without getting a single scar on her entire body. Her beauty was often compared to Bulma's, but she was more fit and warrior-like.

Her eyes eventually turned to her head, and she froze at the look of her hair: it was a mess! She had unnaturally smooth hair—almost silk-like—and she never suffered from bed head, but now her hair was messy and unruly, with her himecut bangs and her back-length hair all over the place. Worse, no matter how much she tried to brush it, her hair wouldn't straighten out.

Eventually, she gave up on her hair and went to shower and get dressed. As she pulled her tail through the slit of her cheongsam, she did a double take. She could have sworn that her tail was now slightly longer than before. And as she put on her training weights, she realized that they felt much lighter than before. What was going on with her?

Maybe Korin can explain, Chi-Chi thought to herself. Maybe he might be able to tell me about that woman, too.

Her mind kept going back to the woman in her dream. She had never seen her before, but the woman seemed to know everything about her. Chi-Chi needed to know more about her, and getting stronger might be the only way to do it.

Chi-Chi didn't doubt that the mysterious woman existed. Something told her that she was real, she just didn't know why.

Upon looking out her window, she realized that the sun was setting.

"Oh, crap!" She yelped aloud. "I have to get going!"

Chi-Chi quickly put on her shoes, and grabbed the Four-Star Dragon Ball from her nightstand. Running outside, she reached the castle's highest balcony and jumped off.

"Nimbus!" She called out, and a few seconds later, the Flying Nimbus Cloud flew under her feet and caught her. Urging it forward, she headed straight to the house that she and Goku owned.

Night had fallen by the time she had reached her house. Quickly rushing inside, she started looking for the two other Dragon Balls Goku had collected. She was surprised that he only found three of them, considering they were able to grab all seven in less than a month the last time. Then she stumbled on the old Dragon Radar Bulma had left them as a souvenir. She tried turning it on, but nothing happened.

Chi-Chi sighed. It was broken. It didn't really matter, though—Goku only hunted for those things for fun. He wasn't planning on making any wishes.

Getting back to work, she found the Three-Star Ball on a shelf in the sitting room shelf—right where she put it—and the Six-Star Ball was in Gohan's toy chest. She smiled as she remembered how Gohan would use it as a bowling ball, knocking over small wooden pins.

Don't worry, Gohan, Chi-Chi thought. You won't have to fight those monsters. I'll get stronger than them. I'll get stronger than Goku ever could. And then, I'll break every bone in the Saiyans' bodies and send them back to wherever they came from!

With her resolve found, she went over to her personal closet and grabbed two boxes. Opening the smaller box that was made of mahogany, she looked at the velvet interior. There were seven semicircular indentations in the bottom of the box—one for each Dragon Ball. She had the box made when Goku started collecting them, but they never used it because Goku had given the Four-Star Ball to Gohan. Chi-Chi placed the three Dragon Balls in order inside the box, then closed the lid and turned to the other box. This one was larger and more ornate, and was a gift from Goku for their fifth anniversary.

Chi-Chi giggled to herself when she remembered. Goku had completely forgotten about the anniversary of their wedding, and she was absolutely furious. To make up for it—and to stop her from pouting at him—he had this made for her as a late anniversary gift. She absolutely loved it, but she never had a reason to use it.

Until now.

She was about to open the box when a noise outside got her attention. Heading outside, she saw a yellow hovercar land outside her house. Inside were Bulma, Krillin and Roshi. Chi-Chi waved to them as they left the hovercar, then paused. It was the middle of the night, but she could see everyone's shadows.

Maybe it was her memories that distracted her, or maybe she had just forgotten with everything that happened.

Whatever the reason, in a moment of weakness, Chi-Chi turned and looked up. There, high in the sky, was large, rough white orb, casting light on the ground.

The moon was full.

"NOOOOO, CHI-CHI!!!" She heard Roshi scream. "DON'T LOOK AT THE MOON!!"

But it was too late.

A red veil descended over Chi-Chi's eyes, as pure hatred filled her mind. She hated Roshi for screaming at her. She hated Krillin for not coming to help fight Raditz. She hated Raditz for making her life miserable. She hated Piccolo for stealing her son. She hated Goku for dying and leaving her alone.

She hated everything!

Her muscles expanded, tearing her clothes to shreds. Dark brown fur covered her body as it morphed and grew, becoming an enormous Ape. Less than thirty seconds later, she was several stories tall and unrecognizable.

Opening its glowing red eyes, the Giant Ape raised its massive arms and roared at the sky.

"RRRRROOOOAAAARRRRGHHHHH!!!!"