Chapter 8: Need
Chi-Chi stood to attention with the other fighters as they waited for Kami to arrive. They had all seen him at least once before, but never actually spoken to him. Each and every one of them was practically shaking in anticipation of whatever training Goku went through, and looking forward to catching up to their old rival/friend/family. Tien and Yamcha wanted desperately to reach Goku's level, and possibly surpass it. Krillin wanted to be able to fight side by side with his best friend like he used to. Chiaotzu wanted to see how strong he could get so he could keep up with Tien. And Chi-Chi wanted to surpass Goku in every way, so that way she would never be a spectator again.
Yajirobe just wanted to get it over with. He cared about Goku, since he was Yajirobe's only friend, but he wasn't interested in risking his life for him.
Eventually, as the tension reached its boiling point, Mr. Popo came out from the main entrance of the Lookout's palace-like building.
"Kami will see you all now," Mr. Popo said calmly. "But please, do not move from your spot, and answer any questions he has truthfully."
Everyone nodded. As they looked towards the entrance, the shriveled green figure of Kami came into view.
Chi-Chi suppressed a shudder. Kami looked like an older version of Piccolo: the same green skin, antennae, sharp claws and teeth. But while he looked stern, he lacked the malice of his other half. One by one, his gaze drifted to each of the fighters in front of him, stopping at Chi-Chi. She could feel his eyes burning into hers, as if he was looking for something hidden inside them.
At last, the aged Guardian of Earth spoke.
"Yamcha, the Lone Wolf. Tien Shinhan, the Three-Eyed warrior. Chiaotzu, student of Shen. Yajirobe, the Wandering Ronin. Krillin, student of Roshi. And Son Chi-Chi, Princess of Fire Mountain. Tell me: why did you come here?"
"I came here because I want to be the strongest!" Yamcha said.
"The same goes for me." Tien agreed. "I don't want Goku to leave me behind."
"Yeah!" Chiaotzu said. "Tien and I can't keep falling behind!"
"I want to be strong enough to fight side by side with Goku again!" Krillin said.
"I just want to get this over with and get back to Korin," Yajirobe grumbled.
"I want to be strong enough to defeat both of the Saiyans on my own," Chi-Chi said.
Kami cast a scathing eye over each and every one of them. Chi-Chi felt a hint of disappointment from him, but she couldn't understand why.
"Very well," Kami said calmly. "With those goals in mind, I will train you to the best of my abilities. Prepare yourselves, for we begin tomorrow."
"Yes, Master Kami!" The group said in unison. Kami turned to leave, then turned back to look at Chi-Chi.
"Mr. Popo will show you where you will be staying for the duration of your time here," he said. "But I would like to speak with you alone, Son Chi-Chi."
Chi-Chi blinked, surprised, but nodded and followed Kami as he entered the palace.
The inside of the Lookout was just as impressive as the outside. The entire palace was made of shiny metallic tiles, and it was even more spacious than the castle of Fire Mountain. Chi-Chi remained silent as she followed Kami to the highest balcony. Once there, Kami turned to her.
"Come closer, Chi-Chi," he said, his voice calm but firm. Chi-Chi advanced nervously, unsure of what he wanted. Once the two were within arms length, Kami reached out and carefully caressed her hair.
"ACK!" Chi-Chi yelped. "What are you doing!?"
"Hold still," Kami said firmly. "I need to get a good look at you."
Chi-Chi fidgeted uncomfortably as Kami examined her hair.
"Hmmm..." Kami hummed, deep in thought. "Tell me, have you noticed any changes to your body since you fought Raditz?"
"Huh?" Chi-Chi said, surprised. "Yes, actually. For some reason, my hair won't straighten out, and my tail has gotten longer."
"I see," Kami said, still examining her. "With those slight changes, combined with that woman you keep seeing..."
"Wait, you know about the Saiyan Woman?" Chi-Chi asked.
"Yes," Kami answered. "Korin explained that to me while you were ascending to the Lookout."
"What does it all mean?" Chi-Chi asked. "Why is this happening to me?"
"The answer is quite simple," Kami explained. "Shenron's power is quite limited. He cannot simply turn someone into someone else, and he cannot bring the ancient dead back to life. He can, however, reincarnate the ancient dead into someone else's body and mind, therefore turning that individual into a new being."
Chi-Chi blinked, confused. None of that made much sense, but she guessed that Shenron used the woman to turn her into a Saiyan.
"Of course, he couldn't complete the process instantaneously," Kami continued. "It is very stressful for both sides of the reincarnation. It took time for your body and mind to prepare, but it seems that your battle with Raditz has accelerated the process. You are now in a state of transition, where your spirit is beginning to merge with that of the other woman. Your hair and tail are a sign of that."
Kami stepped back, and conjured a large mirror out of nothing. Looking into it, Chi-Chi got the first good look at herself in nearly a month. Her hair was even messier than before, and her tail had grown again.
No, wait, she thought, looking closer at her hair. It's not messy. It's... spiky?
Chi-Chi blinked several times to make sure her eyes weren't playing tricks on her, but nothing changed. Her jet black hair was starting to change, with the many locks beginning to coalesce into downward-pointing spikes. Her eyes widened as she realized: she was becoming a full fledged Saiyan!
"As you can see," Kami said. "Your body is now transitioning into the form of a Saiyan. Once the process is complete, even Shenron will be unable to return you to your human form. This is your crossroad, Chi-Chi. You chose to become a Saiyan out of love for Goku, but are you truly willing to give up your existence as an earthling forever?"
Chi-Chi's eyes widened, then she steadied herself. "I am," she said. "When I made that wish, I didn't want power or strength. I didn't want to become the reincarnation of another person. All I wanted was to be more like Goku, so I could understand him. But I don't regret my wish, and I don't mind becoming a Saiyan, because I'll always be an earthling. And I need the power that comes with being a Saiyan to defeat the other Saiyans." She took a deep breath, and made her decision. "I'm staying on this path, because I have to."
Kami smiled for the first time since she arrived. "Very good," he said. "You have already learned the first lesson that I taught Goku: true power comes from a need, not a desire. You could spend your entire life wanting greater strength, and never achieve it. But when you need it most, your true strength will come to you. Now I can truly train you based on your need."
Chi-Chi smiled widely. She wondered why Kami seemed upset when they answered his question, but now she knew: they all told him what they wanted, not what they needed.
"Alright," she said. "I'm ready!"
"Good," Kami replied. "The others will begin training tomorrow, but since you have already learned the first lesson, you will start now."
He pointed a finger at Chi-Chi and fired multiple beams of energy. All at once, Chi-Chi felt a massive change in weight and fell to her hands and knees, hard.
"What the-" she struggled to lift her body up enough to look down at herself. Her outfit had been wiped clean of scorch marks and her cape was repaired, but there were other additions to it as well. Her arms now had vambraces and rerebraces in addition to her gauntlets, and her thighs were now covered with several plates of metal. A metallic belt now circled her waist, and her stomach and back were now covered with large, segmented plates. All of these new additions were extremely heavy, and the rest of her old outfit felt much heavier as well. Her cape was also weighted now, with the heavy cloth trying to drag her down. Even her tail had several heavy bands wrapped around it.
"What… is this?" She asked, straining to even speak.
Kami chuckled. "That is your new training armor. It weighs nine hundred and fifty kilograms in total. You will spend every moment of your time in that armor, and aside from necessary bodily functions, you are forbidden to shed it."
"What!?" Chi-Chi shrieked, losing her balance and falling hard on her back. "That's ridiculous! I can't even stand up!"
"Well, you had better learn to stand up again soon," Kami said, grinning. "Because you only have twenty more hours before you run out of nutrients from the Senzu bean. Once you become strong enough to move freely in that armor, we will double the weight, then double it again when you get used to that. I promised your husband that I will train you to the best of my abilities, and I intend to keep my word."
And with that, Kami walked out of the room, leaving Chi-Chi to struggle with her new weights. Every movement she made felt like there was an elephant sitting on her. Lifting her arms and legs, moving her fingers, even breathing was difficult. But there was something in the back of her mind that told her Goku was going through something even more difficult, and that thought gave her strength.
Forcing herself to ignore her screaming muscles, Chi-Chi rolled over onto her stomach. Just that small movement took an immense amount of effort, but she could move. Placing her hands on the hard floor, she began pushing herself up until she could get her legs under her. It took several tries, but she eventually managed to get her knees under her body. After a short break to catch her breath, she then got her feet under her, and with a massive roar of effort, finally managed to stand up straight.
Chi-Chi stood there, panting. She felt like she was being crushed under the weight of her armor, but if she could train hard enough to get used to it, then she would be far stronger than she is right now. Maybe with her new ideas in mind, she could easily surpass Goku.
Fueled by the thought of being stronger than her husband, Chi-Chi took her first step towards the door out of the balcony area. Each step felt like a giant leap, but she was moving. Once she made it through the doorway, she found Mr. Popo waiting in the hallway outside.
"Excellent," Mr. Popo said as she forced her way through the doorway. "It seems that Kami was satisfied with your answer. Your chamber is nearby. Please allow me to show you."
Chi-Chi followed Mr. Popo down the hallway, each and every step wearing her singed and sore body down. By the time they reached a room at the end of the hall, she was completely drained and gasping for air.
"This is where you will be staying for the duration of your time here," Mr. Popo said, gesturing to the doorway.
"Thank goodness," Chi-Chi wheezed. "I don't think I can handle stairs yet."
"Before you head inside, there is something I need to ask of you," Mr. Popo said. "Kami had permanently removed Goku's tail while he was here. I was wondering if you would consent to something similar?"
NOT A CHANCE!!!
Chi-Chi recoiled as the Saiyan Woman's voice suddenly screamed in her head. Suddenly off balance, she could do nothing but fall on her back again with a loud THUD, knocking the air out of her lungs.
"I think… I'll keep… my tail," she gasped.
"If you insist," Mr. Popo relented, and he left her to struggle back to her feet.
That was the first time Chi-Chi heard the Saiyan Woman speak outside of the dream world they met in. Could it be another sign of her transition? She thought of telling Kami, but he was likely already below her, and she was in no condition to climb down the stairs. In the end, she decided she would tell him once she saw him again. Once again forcing herself back to her feet, she walked into her new sleeping quarters.
The room was very spacious and sparsely decorated, with only a large bed and dresser drawer in it. Looking around, she saw another door, and opened it to reveal a full bathroom, complete with a bath and shower. She decided to bathe later, because she was afraid of falling asleep in the tub. Instead she slinked her way to her new bed and fell down on it. The bed was harder than she was used to, but after spending nearly a month sleeping on cold hard ground, it felt as soft as a marshmallow. Before she fell asleep, Chi-Chi thought about the Saiyan Woman, wondering if she could enter that other world on her own. As she drifted off, she imagined herself in the other world…
And opened her eyes to find the Saiyan Woman standing in front of her, grinning wildly, sharp teeth on full display.
"Well, well, well," the Saiyan Woman said. "You're making progress! You can enter this world of your own volition, now! Why don't you try moving or speaking?"
Chi-Chi tried to speak, but no words came out. When she tried to move, however, her body responded. It felt like she was moving underwater, but she could finally move!
"Look at that!" The Saiyan woman said. "You're getting better and better! Now, I heard what those two... creatures said about us—about our reincarnation. This couldn't be more perfect! I can't wait to see the look of horror on Vegeta's face when he comes face to face with the newly revived _!"
Once again, Chi-Chi couldn't hear her name. The woman looked at Chi-Chi expectantly, but she just shook her head.
The Saiyan Woman sighed. "Very well, let's see if you can at least hear one of my titles. Listen up! I was known by many different titles in my seventy four year reign, but the one title that I held most dear to me was the Queen of the Ancients!"
Chi-Chi nodded immediately—she heard that!
"Finally!" The Saiyan Woman shouted. "I was getting so tired of being called 'the Saiyan Woman!' I'm too important for that!" The Queen took a breath and calmed herself. "Now, since you're able to move in this world, I suppose I should tell you more about myself."
Chi-Chi nodded again, gesturing to the Queen's long black tail, then back at her own.
"Ah, I see. You want to know why our tails are so different. That's simple. I am no ordinary Saiyan: I am an Ancient Saiyan—the very last of my kind! You see, there were originally three different types of Saiyans on my home planet: the Modern Saiyans, which you currently are; the Godkin Saiyans, which went extinct long before my time; and the Ancient Saiyans, which is what I am and what you will be. The Ancient Saiyans were less evolved than the Modern Saiyans, and were closer to the Oozaru as a result. Our tails are much longer and stronger than the Modern Saiyans', and our Oozaru forms are twice as powerful. When a modern Saiyan becomes an Oozaru, their might increases tenfold, but an Ancient Oozaru is twice as powerful as that."
Chi-Chi listened closely. This was what she was going to become. She was planning on trying to tap into the Oozaru's power without transforming, and now she learned that she could be twenty times stronger if she succeeded!
"The Oozaru's power was far more important to the Ancient Saiyans than the Modern Saiyans," the Queen continued. "We worshipped the form, believing that it was our true selves freed from the confines of a curse. Every full moon, we would hold festivals and bask in its light, celebrating our one night of true freedom. But the Modern Saiyans saw it as nothing but a weapon, and used it to destroy my people! In an effort to reign in the Modern Saiyans, I clawed my way to the top, seizing the throne of my home planet through the Right of Might!"
A confused look crossed Chi-Chi's face. What was the Right of Might?
"The Right of Might was a law put in place on my home planet," the Queen explained, sensing Chi-Chi's confusion. "It allowed the strongest to stand on top, and prevented the weak from seizing power they didn't deserve. Anyone could challenge the Monarch through the Right of Might, and I did just that." The Queen smiled sadistically. "He looked so shocked when I ripped his heart out. He thought he was the strongest of the strong, but he was so slow."
Chi-Chi's eyes narrowed. She didn't like how the Queen seemed to enjoy the thought of killing others. It seemed that she was still just as violent as the other Saiyans.
"After I took the throne," she continued, "I established a new system to complement the Right of Might: the Grand Crucible, an enormous tournament where warriors would be able to seize control, and provinces were able to settle differences without wars. I was the biggest attraction of the Grand Crucible—hundreds of Saiyans challenged me for my position, and they all failed. It turned out that the tournament did more than just settle disputes—the mere act of watching fights was enough to curb the appetites of most bloodthirsty Saiyans. For sixty long years, my kingdom thrived and my people were content." Her face then contorted into an expression of pure hatred. "Until that disgusting wretch Vegeta came along."
Chi-Chi leaned forward, eager to learn more, but the Queen of the Ancients shook her head.
"Not now," she said. "I've spoken more tonight than I have in over a century. Focus on getting stronger, and I'll tell you more."
Chi-Chi was disappointed, but she nodded. Learning more about the Queen of the Ancients was important. Maybe Chi-Chi could achieve greater strength with that knowledge, and know what to expect from Vegeta when he arrives.
Just you wait, Prince Vegeta, Chi-Chi thought. The Queen of the Ancients is coming for you!