Cinderella
Based on the French fairytale (and Disney) and DBZ-ified.
Starring: Goku, Chichi, Raditz, Turles, Mercenary Tao (before the robot parts), Ox King, Piccolo, Krillin,

A funny-ish, romantic Goku/Chichi fic because I can't think of anything funnier right now than Piccolo being a fairy.

A/N: You know, Goku and Chichi and the Ox king could be swapped for Gohan and Videl and Hercule in this story. It'd be practically the same thing. _
Requested by H.R. Animate. Hope you like it!

Once upon a time there was a beautiful woman and her only son. They lived in a mansion in a faraway kingdom and were very lonesome. They had been bereft of husband and father ever since his death in the Great War. So she decided to re-marry to ease the loneliness and give her son a father figure. Unfortunately she didn't make a very good choice.

You see, her second husband was a bad guy. He kept up the illusion of an honorable warrior, but in reality cared little for family and even less for honor. Rude, cruel, and cold, he was a cheater, liar, and all around evil man. Nevertheless, for the sake of his marriage, he treated his new family with respect.

In addition, the heartless husband had two sons from a previous marriage that were just as bad as he was. They followed their father in every regard. The woman's son, on the other hand, was as sweet and naïve as a dove in springtime. He was also ridiculously strong and practiced martial arts day in and day out.

Unfortunately, some time after the noble woman remarried, she was struck with a grave heart condition and sadly passed away. The youngest son, her blood son, was stricken with grief and for days mourned her passing. His step-father and step-brothers, not so much. If anything, the pretenses of familial love were dropped and their true natures were revealed.

Things became harsh for the youngest. His step-father and step-brothers made life absolutely miserable for him. All his belongings were divided between his step-brothers. He had nothing to call his own but the dirty smock he worked in.

All the meanest tasks of the house were thrust upon him. They kept him working from dawn till dusk, giving him hardly any time for anything else. When the work was finished, he slept in a tiny attic at the top of the house. They mocked him constantly as being slow witted and filthy. It got to the point where they started calling him Cinderella because he was always so dirty.

Naturally he protested this because it was a girl's name, but that just made it stick.

Cinderella endured this treatment for years, but it never wore his spirits down. Eventually, when they had grown, Cinderella was very strong. The hard work he was forced to do daily made him even stronger than his older step-brothers. All the other servants admired him. They knew that under the dirt and rags he wore, he was far more than his step-brothers thought he was. Yet, despite his great strength of body and character and true position as a son of the household, he was still treated worse than a slave.

Even in the midst of this harsh treatment, Cinderella was still kind and patient with his cruel step-father and step-brothers as ever. He believed that everyone deserved a second chance. Even if that someone was a total jerkbag.

One day the mansion was turned on its head as the eldest son rushed home bearing exciting news.

"Father! Raditz!" Turles burst through the front door, shouting wildly. "I have exciting news!" He dashed into the sitting room and smacked the snoozing Raditz upside the head. "Wake up!"

"Awwh!" Raditz sat up, clutching his head. "What was that for?!"

"Shut up and listen!" Turles whirled around. "FATHER! I have news!" He called into the house.

Moments later, Mercenary Tao strolled slowly into the room. His thin mustache twitched in amusement as he watched Raditz cradle his aching head. "And what is the emergency today?"

"There's to be a tournament at the palace!"

Across the room, a pair of ears perked up.

"What?" Raditz rubbed the bump on his noggin. "A tournament?"

"Yes a tournament!" Turles scowled at his brother. "The princess has returned to the kingdom from finishing school! The Ox King is holding a tournament in celebration! Every eligible fighter is to attend." He turned to his father with a smirk. "Rumor has it that the King is looking for a man to marry the princess. How much you wanna bet this tournament has something to do with it?"

Tao put a hand to his chin in thought. "The winner of the tournament would win the Princess's hand in marriage, eh?" A cold smile parted his thin lips as he thought. "What better way to take over the kingdom than that?"

"I know right?"

Tao nodded. "Both of you will compete. It doesn't matter who wins as long as we get a foothold in the monarchy. Those royal morons wouldn't know how to run a proper country even if you beat them with the instruction manual. "

On the other side of the room, dark eyes turned to the conversation. A feather duster stilled it's fluttering as its wielder listened.

"But isn't the whole kingdom participating?" Raditz interjected. "There'll be fighters from everywhere! How are we supposed to make it in the top positions?"

"Easy." Tao smirked at his sons. "We'll just play the game to our advantage."

Raditz hesitated. "You mean cheat?"

Turles rolled his eyes. "Of course he means cheat. Idiot."

"But it's the King's tournament. Won't he…"

"He won't catch you." Tao waved away his younger son's protests. "He's too focused on his daughter to notice anything amiss." He looked to Turles. "When will it start?"

"Tomorrow night is the sign up and preliminaries. The following day is the semi finals, finals and awards ceremony."

"Then we haven't much time to prepare." Tao smirked. He was a conniving man. Plotting to cheat was one of his specialties.

"Uh, excuse me?"

Slightly startled at the interruption, the three turned. A man wearing a worn and dirty smock, complete with frock apron and feather duster stood before them. Dark spikes of hair matted together in knots stuck up from his head willy-nilly. His face was smeared with dirt and he was rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

Tao looked down his nose to his step-son. "Yes Goku?"

The young man cleared his throat. "Could I enter the tournament?"

There was a moment of silence. Then the trio burst out laughing.

"You? Enter the King's tournament?" Turles mocked. "Are you kidding? You wouldn't make it past the prelims! Leave the fighting to us."

Raditz made a little shooing motion. "Go back to scrubbing the floors, little Cinderella. That's all you're good for!"

Goku stoically ignored his step-brothers. He turned his eyes to his step-father. "Please step-father? May I compete?"

Tao sneered in contempt at his step-son. "No Goku. You may not."

"But I've never fought in a tournament before. Why can't I?"

"There are many reasons. First and foremost, you have too much work to finish. You would never make it in time. Second, there is no way the king would let you into the palace. Just look at yourself!"

Goku looked down. "What's wrong with the way I look?"

His step-brothers guffawed. Tao sighed patronizingly. "You're filthy. No self respecting fighter shows up to the palace like that. Third, you'd have to fight your elder brothers. Clearly an impossible task. You can't expect to win." He smiled condescendingly. "It would be far better if you stayed home."

Goku frowned. "That's not fair."

"Life's not fair." Tao made a dismissive gesture. "Now finish cleaning this room. You still have to chop wood for the fire and prepare dinner before drawing the baths for the boys."

Tao made to leave the room, but Goku darted in front of him, spreading his arms wide. "Wait!"

His step-father scowled in annoyance. "What is it now?"

"If I get all the work done and clean up presentably, would you allow me to compete?"

Tao raised an eyebrow. "All the work?"

Goku nodded furiously. "I'll even help Turles and Raditz to train before they leave. Please step-father?"

Turles glared at his father. "You can't seriously be considering this!"

"Shut up Turles." Tao snapped. He looked at Goku appraisingly. "I suppose if you get all the work done and if you can find something suitable for visiting royalty, you may be allowed to compete."

Goku broke into a wide grin. "Alright!"

"But don't expect to win." Tao chided him as he dashed away to finish cleaning. The cruel step-father turned and left the room, Raditz and Turles following close behind. As soon as they were out of earshot, Raditz asked the question they were all thinking.

"Are you seriously going to let him compete?"

Tao scoffed. "Of course not."

Raditz frowned. "But you said…"

"I said IF."

"Oooooh." Turles smirked maliciously. "IF."

That day, Cinderella worked harder than he had ever worked before. Scrubbing, polishing, dusting, hauling, chopping, cleaning, tending, and all that stuff. For hours he toiled, working hard into the night until finally, everything that his step-father set before him was finished. Bone weary, Cinderella dragged himself to the attic and instantly fell asleep on his thin pallet.

Early the next morning, before the sun rose in the sky, Cinderella got up from his bed and prepared for his brothers' training. He cleaned the back garden, making a spot where they could train. While he waited for his step-brothers to wake, he hurried off to find something presentable to fight in before the king.

Goku crept silently through the halls. Most everyone was asleep at this hour, so hopefully no one would be around to see him find what he was looking for. Nevertheless, he tiptoed forward as silently as he could.

Finally he found the old storage closet. Slowly, for the doors were known to squeak on their hinges, he opened the doors and slipped inside. He made his way to the very back of the closet where he found a very old trunk that belonged to his father.

Goku smiled and lifted the lid. He carefully rummaged through the memories and bric-a-brac till he found a stretch of dark blue fabric. He dug a little deeper and pulled out shorter lengths of red cloth and boots. He reached deeper still and pulled out a long stretch of red shimmery fabric. He grinned in triumph. This was perfect! His mother kept his father's old gi! With a little help, it was sure to be presentable for the king!

With his treasures in hand, he headed back to his room. He was startled when a soft voice came from behind him.

"Goku, what are you doing?"

Goku whirled around. "Krillin!" He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. He grinned. "It's a little early for you to be up."

"Well, I figured on getting a head start on the day, what with the tournament this evening and all." The servant Krillin was Goku's best friend ever since he was sent to work in the kitchens. Goku was notoriously bad at cooking and Krillin was assigned to help him. When trouble came, he helped Goku fight off his step-brothers even though it resulted in both of them being punished. They'd been best pals ever since.

Krillin looked to the fabric in Goku's hands. "Whatcha got there?"

"My dad's old gi." Goku looked at Krillin with a beaming smile. "Tao is going to let me fight in the tournament if I get all the work done. I figure this is the best thing to wear in front of a king."

Krillin nodded. "That's a great idea. Though I really doubt Tao is going to let you go. Your step-dad is one nasty guy."

They'd had this conversation before. Tao was his step-father, so what could Goku really do? He just gave his best friend a sheepish grin and shrugged. He promised to see him before the tournament began and headed up to his room. There, armed with what little sewing knowledge he had, Goku set to fixing the gi up as best he could.

After a few hours, Goku heard the little bells his step-father had set up for him ringing.

"Aww man." He looked down at the supple material in his hands. He still had a bit of sewing to do. He sighed. Hopefully he'd have time to do it after the day's bout of training and cleaning. The tournament didn't officially begin until sundown, so he had a little more time.

After an hour of helping his brothers to train, which wasn't long by any standard in his opinion, Goku rushed about to get the house in pristine condition. With his speed and strength, it didn't take too long. Soon, he was back in the attic, hard at work on his father's gi.

It was an hour before sunset when he finally finished. He looked over his handiwork and nodded, pleased with his efforts. Grinning, he tossed the gi onto his straw pallet and rushed outside to the brook to clean himself up. He wasn't allowed to use the bathrooms in the manor. Just another one of the ways his step-father tried to beat his spirits down. But Goku didn't mind. He loved the outdoors.

Finally, skin clean and hair untangled, he raced back to his room to get ready for the tournament. He pulled his father's gi on, marveling at the quality of the fabric and the fact that it fit him perfectly. He fingered the royal blue cloth and smiled softly. His mother always said that he looked just like his father. He took the red bracers and pulled them on his forearms. A red sash went around his waist and a similar one went around his forehead. The iridescent fabric glittered with a rich golden shimmer in the fading light. He slipped his feet into the boots and grinned when he found them super comfortable and well broken in.

Fully dressed and in high spirits, he trotted down the stairs. He caught a glimpse of his reflection in one of the hall mirrors and his grin widened. There was no way his step-father could turn him down now!

The step-brothers had donned their finest clothes for the tournament. Hoping to catch the eye of the princess. But as they saw Cinderella trotting towards them in his father's battle finery, jealousy began eating away at their hearts. Even his step-father sneered in distain for the way his step-son upheld his end of the bargain. They were dead set on keeping Cinderella from attending the tournament.

"Well well. Look who cleans up nice." Raditz said as Goku trotted up to the trio. "Not bad Cindy."

Goku grimaced. "I told you to quit calling me that."

"Whatever, Cinderella. A turd covered in gold is still a turd." Turles scoffed.

"Now boys. Do try to be civil." Mercenary Tao said. "Remember, we are going to visit royalty to eventually become royalty." He laid haughty eyes on his step-son. "Goku, have you finished all the chores?"

"Yes step-father." Goku beamed at his step-dad. "I got it all done!"

"I see." Tao reached out and felt the gi Goku was wearing. "And where did you get this fine gi?"

"It used to be my dad's."

"A marvelous gi. Really fine quality." Tao gave Goku a mock pitying look. "It's such a shame that there's a hole in it."

Goku looked at his step-father, bewildered. "A hole? Where?"

"Right here." Tao poked his finger suddenly into Goku's side, tearing a hole clean through the fabric.

"Hey!" Goku stumbled back, away from Tao. "What are you doing?!"

Turles snickered, catching on. "Oh no Cinderella! There's another hole in your gi!" He phased behind Goku and ripped the short sleeve off his gi top.

"Cut it out!"

Raditz snickered. "Oh! There's one on his other side too!"

"You mean this one?" Turles smirked and ripped a gaping hole in the other side of the gi.

"Stop it!" Goku shoved Turles away.

"No, YOU stop!" Turles retaliated with a kick. Goku blocked it. Sneering, Turles kicked Goku hard again, sending him reeling back into Raditz who caught him in a hold from behind. Turles proceeded to rain hurt down on Goku, tearing his gi further in the process.

"No! Stop it Turles!" He struggled against his step-brothers. "Let me go Raditz!"

But Raditz only laughed and held tighter. They knew Goku wouldn't fight them. It was something they used against him time and time again. His mother made him swear to never fight with his brothers before she died.

Gok's gi was in tatters when suddenly a blur knocked into Turles, sending him sprawling. Goku was surprised to see Krillin get to his feet and shout at the fallen man.

"You leave Goku alone!"

Turles was up in a flash. Goku watched, horrified as he laid Krillin out flat with a single blow. The eldest step-brother stormed over and viciously kicked the short man in the ribs. "Stay out of this you filthy servant."

Krillin struggled to stand, but was laid low once again as another blow landed on his ribcage.

"NO!" Goku broke free of Raditz and dashed over to Krillin. "Leave Krillin alone!"

"Stop!"

Goku froze as Mercenary Tao barked the order. He turned to see a cruel smile on the face of his step-father.

"The servant has interfered. He must learn his lesson." Tao nodded to Turles and Raditz. Together they started beating on Krillin mercilessly.

"STOP IT!" Goku bulldozed into his step-brothers, knocking them away. He faced them down, baring his teeth. "I won't let you hurt him anymore!"

"Why you little…!" Raditz and Turles rushed their step-brother. He didn't dodge them. Nor did he shy away from the blows as they came hard and heavy. He stood steadfast in front of Krillin, keeping their ire directed away from the short man. Blood dripped from a cut on his forehead. His lip split and blood ran down his chin. Things in his vision were starting to look funny, but still he didn't move from protecting his friend.

"ENOUGH!" At the shout, all movement ceased. Tao walked forward. He glared coldly at the boys. "That is quite enough. We are running late for the tournament." The two younger men glared balefully at Goku before straightening their clothes and walking towards the door.

Tao looked scornfully at his injured step-son. "I see that you are in no shape to accompany us to the king's tournament. We will be leaving without you." Tao looked down at the prone form of Krillin. "Clean this up before we get back."

And without another word, he left.

Cinderella was incensed. So angry was he at the mistreatment of his friend that he could barely get him to hospital. On his way back to the mansion, anger slowly gave way to grief. He was beaten, his best friend was in hospital, and his gi, his father's gi, was ruined beyond repair. He couldn't go to the tournament. Worse, he was stuck under his step-father's thumb. He promised his mother not to fight with his family. There was nothing he could do.

His normally bright spirit heavy with despair, he trudged into the garden. He slumped down on a bench near the vegetable patch and rested his head in his hands. Things seemed hopeless.

Of course, it is only when things seem the most hopeless that hope reappears.

A deep voice broke the silence. "What's the matter Goku?"

Goku sighed. "Nothing."

"Oh?"

"Well… my stepfather won't let me go to the tournament." Goku shook his head. "Even worse, they beat Krillin really bad. I promised mom that I wouldn't fight with them but… but I don't want…" The dark eyed man heaved a shuddering sigh. He was starting to choke up with emotion. "It's not right and I can't…" He stopped, not trusting himself to speak lest he break down into tears.

"Pull yourself together Goku."

Goku sniffled, wiping his nose with the back of his hand. "But what am I supposed to do?"

"Go to the tournament anyway. Fight your step-brothers and defeat them in combat."

"Really?" Goku looked up. His eyes went wide and he reared back. He fell backwards off the bench with a squawk of surprise.

Before him stood a tall green man. A white cape billowed behind him, matching the white turban perched on his head. The purple gi he wore nearly glowed with the power he had.

"Who're you?" Goku got up from falling off the bench.

"My name is Piccolo." The tall green man said. "And I'm your…" He looked uncomfortable and let his voice trail off into mumbles.

"What?"

"I said I'm your… ... ... ... fairy godmother."

"You're my fairy what now?"

"Doesn't matter!" Piccolo said, blushing a slight purple. "I am here to help you. Kami saw your awful plight and sent me to give you a chance to go to this tournament."

"Wow! Really?" Goku practically glowed with excitement. It was a complete turnaround from his previous mood. "Thank you fairy friend!"

Piccolo bristled. "Not a fairy!"

"But you just said…"

"Look, do you want to go to this stupid thing or not?" Piccolo growled.

Goku nodded furiously. Then he looked up at the taller man questioningly. "But how am I supposed to get there? The palace is miles away and while I could run, I wouldn't get there in time for the sign up."

Piccolo smirked knowingly. He turned his eyes to the sky and gave a great shout.

"FLYING NIMBUS!"

Not two seconds later, a fluffy golden cloud sped down from the heavens and screeched to a stop in front of the pair.

"Woah." Goku's eyes went wide. "What is that?"

"This is the flying nimbus." Piccolo said. "If you are pure of heart, you may ride it to the tournament."

He watched as Goku leapt onto the cloud and laughed with excitement. "This is so cool!" He exclaimed. "Thank you so much!" He was about to shoot off into the sky with the cloud when his fairy god-friend grabbed his shoulder.

"Not so fast. You're forgetting something."

"Forgetting something?"

"Yes."

There was an awkward pause. Then Goku looked down at what he was wearing and sighed. "Oh. Yeah. I guess I can't go looking like this."

"Indeed." He pointed two fingers at Goku and shouted. "CLOTHES BEAM!"

Instantly, the torn and ruined gi he wore was replaced by new fighting gear. Dark blue body suit underneath, bright orange gi overtop, blue wristbands, blue belt, blue boots, Goku was the perfect image of a fighter.

Goku looked down at himself in awe. "Wow. Even my injuries are gone." He looked up at Piccolo. "It's like a dream."

"And like a dream it'll end." Piccolo looked gravely into the shorter man's eyes. "You must return here before midnight. On the stroke of twelve, my spell will be broken and you will return to the way you were before."

The young saiyan nodded. "I understand. I'll be back before midnight." He grinned joyfully at Piccolo. "Thank you fairy friend Piccolo."

As he flew away, he heard Piccolo call out angrily behind him. "I'M NOT A FAIRY!"

So Cinderella flew as fast as he could to the palace for the tournament. As he drew nearer, the bright lights and festivities were made all the more clearer. It seemed as though the whole world had attended the event. The closer he got, the more excited he became. He was going to be able to fight against other martial artists? It was almost too much to bear.

At last he arrived at the sign up booth. He was oblivious to the gasps around him as he dropped in effortlessly from the sky.

"Hi there!" He cheerfully greeted the people gawking at him from behind the desk. "I'd like to fight in the tournament please!"

"Wh-wh-what?"

"The tournament." He tilted his head at the official. "I'd like to enter."

"O-oh! Right!" The official blushed in embarrassment. The man was handsome, well dressed, and polite. And he rode a cloud to get here? It was so opposite of the norm that it threw him for a loop. "What's your name?"

"Son Goku."

"Son what?"

"Son Goku."

"Don Wuku?"

"No, Son Goku."

"Mr. Anonymous it is!" The official slapped an anonymous fighter sticker on the board for the preliminaries. "You'll be number 14 fighting in block D. Please head to the building on your left."

Goku walked away from the booth and sighed. Forget about the name. At least he was fighting in the tournament now. He lifted his head and sniffed the air. Something delicious was wafting towards his sensitive nose. His stomach rumbled and he grinned. Time for a pre-fight snack.

Meanwhile, on a raised platform overlooking the festivities, the Ox princess and her father sat watching the fighters. Had they been watching the sky, they would've seen the mysterious youth fly in on a cloud, but neither saw the wondrous sight. Both were too busy being unimpressed.

Chichi and her father watched the fights from the royal viewing platform. There were hundreds of fighters. All of which instantly puffed themselves up to look good for the princess. Chichi rolled her eyes. Prideful meatheads, the lot of them. All of them preening prouder than peacocks decked with as much finery as they could get away with in the ring.

"Why couldn't we have had a ball instead?" Princess Chichi complained. "I could've been waltzing at a fancy party right now."

"Chichi, you know you love martial arts as much as I do." The Ox king tried reasoning with his daughter. "I don't understand what the problem is."

"Don't try that with me mister." She shot him a dirty look. "I know you just want to marry me off."

The Ox king sighed. "I never hid my desires from you Chichi. You know I've always wished for your happiness." He looked out over the crowd of people preparing for the tournament. "I'm getting older Chichi. I want to see you married and happy before I get too old to play with my grandchildren."

"Yeah well, I'm not going to fall in love just like that." Chichi reached over bopped him on the arm. "You aren't even old yet! I bet you'd be down there in a heartbeat to fight too!"

The Ox king chuckled. "I admit that seeing all these young fighters makes me with I was just as young and robust." He leaned over to look his daughter in the eye. "Please Chichi? Give it a chance? If you don't see someone you like, we'll just give the winner a cash prize and all go home happy."

Chichi met her father's eyes and sighed. "Okay Dad. I'll give it a chance."

"Wonderful!" The Ox king beamed at his daughter. "I can hear the wedding bells now!"

The dark haired princess rolled her eyes, smiling gently. Her father could be such a romantic. Well, so could she, but that was beside the point. She really didn't think some karate bum would be proper husband material.

Chichi watched in utter boredom as another fighter was knocked out of the ring. Her gaze wandered along the blocks, suddenly stopping at block D. A lone fighter in bright orange caught her eye. He bounced with barely contained excitement as he waited for his turn. He wasn't covered in pricey ornaments, nor was he boasting to impress her like the other fighters. Instead, he stretched and warmed his body up in clear anticipation of the fight.

Chichi nudged her father. "Dad, what do you think of that orange fighter in block D?"

Ox looked over at her, surprised. "Someone has caught your eye already?"

"Daddy." She elbowed him. "Just tell me what you think."

Together they watched as his number was called. He bounded into the ring, grinning broadly. He bowed to his opponent and got into his stance. The bell rang out and his opponent rushed him. There was a blur of motion.

WHAM.

His opponent's body hit the mat. The young orange warrior pumped his fist in the air. Then he helped his opponent from the mat with a kind smile.

The Ox king whistled. "He's got skill, that's for sure."

Chichi giggled. The fighter was rather cute. "I hope he makes it to the finals."

Ox raised his eyebrows. "Fancy him, do you?"

Chichi blushed. "Well he's not as bad as those other guys."

"Indeed." Ox chuckled. "Why don't you go talk to him?"

Chichi hesitated. Could she just walk up to him and talk? He'd probably get flustered and start bowing and scraping like all the others once he saw her. She watched the young man in orange make his way to the refreshment booths. Better now than never. She slipped quietly from the platform and managed to get to the refreshment booths. Anywhere the princess went, people noticed. So naturally there was a bit of a stir as she made her way to the booth.

She approached the young man and was surprised to see that he was stuffing his face with food. "You know," she said, "you really shouldn't eat in the middle of a competition."

The young man turned to look at her. He swallowed his mouthful of food and grinned. His eyes and his smile sent butterflies fluttering around in her stomach.

"But food gives me energy. I want to be at my best for the next round."

Chichi blushed and giggled. "You didn't have any trouble with that last match."

He shook his head. "Nope. It was easy. But I can't underestimate my opponent. That would give them the edge."

Chichi nodded. "So… why are you fighting? Hoping to win the hand of the princess?"

The young man shook his head. "I'm not here for the princess. I mean, I've never met a princess before and I'd love to meet her, but I'm here to compete." He smiled happily. "It's what I love to do."

This was new. Did he not recognize her? Chichi giggled again. He really was very cute. "I hope you make it to the finals."

"Thanks." He looked at her curiously. "You seem pretty strong. Are you going to compete too?"

"Oh!" Chichi blushed. "I don't think my father would allow it."

"Huh." Goku tilted his head. "I can understand that." He looked from side to side, then leaned in close. "Promise you won't tell anyone?"

Chichi felt her face burn at his proximity, but nodded.

He cupped a hand to her ear and whispered, "I'm not really supposed to be here. My step-father wasn't going to let me fight in the tournament."

"Really?"

"Yeah." The young man nodded solemnly. "He's not nice to me. But you know what? My fairy friend told me to come anyway."

Chichi looked at him skeptically. "Your fairy friend?" Did she really just pick the crazy one?

"Yup. He gave me the coolest gift to get here too!" He stepped back from Chichi with a smile. He turned to the sky and with a loud voice shouted, "FLYING NIMBUUUUUUUUS!"

Chichi stared at him in shock. Was this guy insane? She let out a squeak as a sudden rush of wind hit her from behind. She spun around to see a fluffy golden cloud floating before her.

"Nimbus!" The young man came around her. "There you are! Where ya been buddy?" The cloud circled him like a puppy would and he laughed. He looked to Chichi and smiled. "My fairy friend Piccolo gave Nimbus to me."

"Wow!" Chichi's eyes sparkled with amazement. Guess he wasn't crazy after all. "He's amazing! You rode him to the palace?"

"Yep!" He said. "Piccolo said that if you're pure of heart you can ride him." Suddenly, he looked up at the clock in the square. He gasped. "Oh no! It's a quarter to midnight! I've got to go!" He hopped up on Nimbus. Chichi watched, amazed again as the cloud held his weight firmly. He turned to her with a slightly panicked look. "It was nice meeting you, but I really have to get going!"

"Wait!" She reached out to him as he lifted into the air on the little golden cloud. "You made it through the preliminaries right? Will you come back tomorrow?"

He smiled and Chichi felt her heart flutter. "I wouldn't miss it for the world!" He said. Then he zipped off into the night, his cloud leaving a golden trail behind him.

The princess was absolutely enchanted with the mysterious fighter she'd met on the first day of the tournament. Her father was overjoyed. He had observed them together and was pleased by the young man's conduct. However, he was still a wise king and decided to see how the tournament would progress. See who this young man really was.

Meanwhile Cinderella made it back to the mansion before the clock struck midnight. At the final stroke of twelve, the golden cloud returned to the heavens and his magic orange gi faded from his body. The scraps of his father's gi hung listlessly from his frame as before. Minutes later, he heard his step-father and step-brothers returning. Quickly he donned himself in his own servant's clothes. He rolled around in the ashes for good measure, so his step-family would suspect nothing out of the ordinary.

Goku just finished rubbing ash on his face to fake a black eye, when the front door slammed open. He quickly straightened from the fireplace and made like he was sweeping the room. He carefully eavesdropped on their conversation as they stormed across the threshold.

"…and then she laughed! Laughed! Like he was funny or something!" Raditz was saying.

Turles sneered. "Did you see what he was wearing? Bright orange!" Goku flinched. "Who wears bright orange to a fight anyway?"

"Feh." Mercenary Tao scoffed. "He is nothing but an amusement to the princess. Focus on winning the tournament first! That idiot princess can wait until after we've secured victory." He caught Goku's eyes and scowled. "What are you looking at, boy?!"

Goku met his step-father's eyes unabashedly. "I was just wondering how the fights went."

"Everything went fine." Turles grinned maliciously. "We both made it past the preliminaries."

"We didn't even need to cheat." Raditz added with his own grin. "It was ridiculously easy."

"Now boys, we are going up against the top spots next." Tao said. "We need to re-assess our strategy for the next rounds." He looked at Goku, observing how dirty he was. "Make sure that you prepare the baths. We need my boys in top shape for tomorrow's fights." Snootily, he and his sons left for their rooms.

Goku was relieved. They didn't recognize him. That was good. He'd probably be in serious trouble when they found out. But he didn't care about that. He closed his eyes and leaned against the broom. It was so much fun. And he was going to go again tomorrow. What could be any better than that?

Goku smiled to himself, seeing the girl he'd met in his mind's eye. He wondered if he'd see her again. He could tell she was a fighter. She was really pretty too. Hopefully her father would change his mind and let her compete. She'd probably do really well.

A harsh shout brought him out of his revelry and into reality. Goku sighed heavily and moved to prepare the baths. Tomorrow couldn't come fast enough.

The night passed all too slowly for Cinderella. He found himself grinning absently at the ceiling, imagining the fights and tactics that the other fighters would have. Then he thought of the girl and was lulled finally to sleep by her sweet smile.

The next morning, Cinderella awoke to the demands of his step-brothers. He was rushed about, doing all the chores as fast as he could. Finally, his step-family left for the tournament. He heaved a great sigh and rushed out to the garden.

"Piccolo!" Goku called out. "Fairy friend Piccolo!"

"I told you, I'm NOT a fairy!"

Goku whirled around. He grinned brightly at the tall green man. "Piccolo! There you are!" He dashed up to him. "I need your help. I made it through the preliminaries, but today is the day for the finals. Please, can you help me out again tonight?"

Piccolo scowled at him. "Only if you swear never to call me a fairy again." The young man nodded. "Alright. Remember Goku, you can't stay out past midnight. You cut it close last time."

"I know, but I made it back in time didn't I?"

"Yes. You did." Piccolo zapped him with his patented clothes beam and once more Goku was clothed in a brilliant orange. The dirt covering him and the tiredness he felt was washed away instantly. He looked even better than he did the first time. Piccolo lowered his hand. "This is the last time I can help you Goku."

Goku looked up at him in gratitude. "Thank you Piccolo. You've made my dream come true."

"You're welcome." Piccolo smiled. He snapped his fingers and Nimbus came spiraling out of the sky, stopping in front of them. "Now go show them what you're made of."

Once more, Cinderella flew out to the palace to participate in the tournament. This time, the princess was fervently scanning the skies to see the young man riding on the golden cloud. When she perceived him flying through the air, she ran out to meet him, nearly bubbling over with happiness. The princess had been so distressed over not knowing the name of this mysterious youth. To see him again brought her such levels of happiness she didn't know she could feel. The Ox king watched all this with an air of amusement, thinking she'd found a proper suitor.

Chichi ran through the crowds, people parting before her and bowing respectfully. She paid them no mind and instead called up at the sky. "Hello up there!"

With a gust of wind, the familiar golden cloud came spiraling down from the sky. Even before it stopped, the familiar young man in orange jumped down. He smiled brightly at her.

"Hello again!"

Chichi beamed at him. "You came back!"

"I said I would, didn't I?" He chuckled. He leaned closer, lowering his voice to a whisper. "Did you get a chance to talk to your dad about letting you compete?"

"Oh!" She blushed. "I did. He said he'd consider it."

"That's great!" He straightened and looked around. "Well, I guess I'd better head over to the ring. I have to see who I'm fighting first!" He waved to her cheerily before jogging away. "See you around!"

"I'll be cheering for you!" She called after him. He was soon lost to view in the crowd. Chichi sighed dreamily. He was just the most handsome, adorable, thoughtful guy. Though he really didn't recognize her as the princess. She giggled. It just made him cuter.

So the tournament progressed. Cinderella did better than anyone could've imagined, progressing straight into the semifinals. His step-brothers didn't do as well.

"Sir, you are under arrest for cheating."

"Curses!" Raditz struggled under the grip of the king's guard. "I was told it was foolproof!"

Tao watched his son get thrown out of the ring with cold detachment. He turned to Turles. "We need to be more careful. That blasted princess caught him out. She is either more astute than I thought or Raditz is a complete idiot."

"Raditz is a complete idiot, but don't worry father." Turles eyed his next opponent with gritted teeth. "I'll make sure this orange fool goes down hard."

Said orange fool stepped into the ring and grinned at Turles openly. Turles clenched his fists and entered the ring to meet him. He was going to enjoy beating down the man who got so cozy with his princess.

The fight began at the ringing of the gong. Turles rushed him, but for some reason couldn't seem to land a solid hit. They danced around each other. Feinting, jabbing, dodging. The skill of this other fighter was astounding. Turles knew he was going to have to rely on fighting dirty.

Outside the ring, Tao watched the fight with increased curiosity. Why did the orange fighter suddenly seem so familiar? Raditz came up beside him and watched the fight.

"Turles is gonna lose." Raditz muttered, amazed. "He keeps trying to fight dirty, but he can't even lay a finger on him!"

"It's like he knows he's trying to cheat." Tao murmured. He put a hand to his chin. "Raditz, does that orange fool seem familiar to you?"

"I don't know." Raditz's eyes tracked the young fighter in orange. "I recognize his fighting style… but I can't place where I've seen it before."

"Hmmmm…" Tao watched the fight suspiciously.

Suddenly, Turles was hit with a surprise kick and flew from the ring. Tao grit his teeth in anger. That boy was really going to get it when they got home. As he went to go retrieve his son, he watched the young man in orange exit the ring. Tao narrowed his eyes at the individual.

Something about him felt too familiar for comfort.

Finally, as the moon began rising into the sky, the finals began. Cinderella had made it to the top bracket of the tournament. There was a general commotion as he waited for the event to begin. He wrote it off as the crowd's excitement and eagerly stepped out into the ring to face an opponent he did not anticipate.

Goku's jaw dropped. Facing him down in the ring with a confident smile was the very girl he'd been thinking about the night before.

"It's you!" His face broke into a grin. "Your father finally let you fight? That's great!" He scratched his head in confusion. "But aren't you supposed to start on a lower bracket? This is the finals."

"You're right. It is the finals." She sank into her stance. "And I'm here to fight you."

Goku was surprised. "But that's not how this is supposed to work, right?" He crossed his arms over his chest and frowned at the mat. "I know I'm new to this, but still…"

He had no more time to think as the gong rang. He lifted his eyes just in time to see the girl charge him with fists raised. He ducked beneath her blow only to be met with a kick. Smoothly he dodged all her swings and flipped out of range.

"Hold still and let me hit you!" She cried, rushing him again with surprising speed.

"Wait a second!" Goku dodged again. "I can see you're very talented, but you skipped the regular lineup! Who are you?"

"You idiot!" She shouted, getting angry with her lack of hitting him. She swung her fist in a sudden hook. "I'm the princess!"

Goku was so caught off guard that her blow actually landed. He staggered back. "The princess?!"

The girl hissed in pain and clutched her hand to her chest. Hitting him was like hitting a brick wall. She shook out her fist and looked at him with her dark, beautiful eyes. "Yes. The crown princess Chichi."

"Oh wow!" Goku put a hand to his cheek, where her fist struck him. "No kidding!" He grinned at her. "You're really good! I can't believe your father wasn't going to let you fight!"

Chichi sighed. "He wasn't going to let me fight because I'm supposed to be the prize."

"The prize?"

"Yes." Chichi blushed and looked away. "The winner would receive my hand in marriage."

Goku blinked. "The winner would have to marry you?"

"Not have to." She was still blushing. "Only if he wanted to." She looked up at him through her dark eyelashes. "Do you want to?"

Goku looked left. Goku looked right. Goku looked back at Chichi and pointed to himself. She giggled lightly and nodded.

A wide grin stretched across Goku's face. He rubbed the back of his neck. "Wow. I don't know what to say."

Chichi's face fell. "You don't want to?"

Her expression sent pangs through Goku's heart. He knew exactly what he wanted to do. "Sure I do." He walked up close to her with a soft smile. "Chichi, will you marry me?"

Chichi smiled beatifically. "Yes."

There was a loud cheer from the surrounding crowd. Goku laughed aloud and Chichi giggled. She swept forward, catching Goku in a hug. He grinned and hugged her back, lifting her up and swinging her around happily.

He set her down and she looked back up at him, suddenly bashful.

"I'm sorry, I don't even know your name."

The young man grinned. "That's okay. My name is G-"

Goku was interrupted by the loud booming sound of the clock striking the first stroke of midnight.

"It's midnight already?!" He gasped. The clock struck again and he released his grip on Chichi.

Chichi was bewildered. "Yes, it is, but-"

The clock struck a third time and Goku panicked. "I've got to go!" He turned to the sky and shouted. "NIMBUS!"

The look on Chichi's face nearly broke his resolve to leave. "You're leaving? Now?"

The clock struck its fourth tone as the little golden cloud raced down to Goku. "I have to." Goku felt guilt build in his chest.

Chichi's eyes welled up with tears. She reached over and pulled on his arm. "But why? You just asked me to marry you!"

Goku flinched as the clock struck again. "I know, but I have no choice." His sorrowful face filled with pain. "I' m sorry."

Chichi shook her head and gripped him tighter. "No! I won't let you go! I don't even know your name, how would I ever find you again?"

He shrugged off her hand and hopped onto nimbus just as the clock struck for the seventh time. "Goodbye princess."

"Wait!" She caught hold of Nimbus just as he was about to fly off. Surprisingly, the little cloud was jerked back. Goku was flung off at the sudden stop. He landed flat on his face in the ring. He looked back at Chichi in surprise, but the eighth tolling of the clock had him scrambling to his feet.

He ran towards the edge of the ring and gave a mighty leap. He easily cleared the crowd of spectators and landed on the path leading out of the palace. He sprinted for the gates just as the clock tolled for the ninth time. Above its ringing, king's mighty voice bellowed behind him.

"Stop! Wait a moment!" Goku ignored him. "Stop that man! Close the gates!" Goku pumped more speed into his steps. He was still a good ways off from the exit. Suddenly, guards from either side of the lane rushed him. He was hard pressed to dodge their grasping hands and still run.

The clock rang out with the tenth chime. Goku grit his teeth and knocked out some of the guards. "Sorry!" He called behind him as he rushed to the gates. To his increasing panic, the servants there already started closing them. Panting, he watched as the heavy doors got closer and closer together. He ran faster as the eleventh tolling rang through his ears.

In a last ditch effort, he threw himself into a dive and barely made it through the closing doors. He fell to the ground on the other side of the gate, tensing up as the iron portcullis slammed into the dirt behind him. He heard the ruckus coming from the other side of the gate, just where he'd been, and scrambled into the bushes.

Immediately, the clock tolled out midnight. Goku's bright orange gi vanished with a twinkling of stardust. His servant's rags replaced them. The spell was broken. In the moment that followed, the adrenaline flooded out of his body like water from a bucket. He slumped in sudden exhaustion. However, it was short lived as the gates reopened and guards rushed out, searching for the mysterious man who won the princess.

Goku silently crept through the forest. When he was far enough away from the palace he stopped and looked up at the night sky.

"I'm sorry." He said softly to the sky above. "It was so much fun that I… I guess I forgot about everything. Even the time." He smiled up at the stars. "But it was so wonderful. And she was so pretty." He laughed softly. "I didn't even know she was the princess."

He sighed. "I didn't want to leave her like that. Especially after I promised to marry her. But what was I supposed to do? Bet I won't even see her again." There was a pause as he sadly thought about her. Then he gasped. "Oh no! Nimbus!" He whirled around and started back to the palace.

He was nearly there when his footsteps slowed. "Well… Nimbus is a cloud, so he can leave whenever he wants I guess. Plus he's with the princess now." He smiled again. "This way she has something to remember me by. That's not so bad I guess." He looked back up at the twinkling stars. "Thank you Piccolo. Thank you so much for everything."

Cinderella made his way back to the mansion. Once home, he went straight to bed, not caring that the trek through the woods left him dirty and hungry. Luckily his step-family was caught up in the kerfuffle that took place in the palace to the point where they didn't get home until the wee hours of the morning. He slept through their return, dreaming of fighting, eating and laughing with the princess.

The princess, on the other hand, was so distraught over the young man's sudden disappearance that she neither slept nor ate. All she had of his was the strange golden cloud. It stayed with her even as the night turned into day. She wondered at this, but did not question it for fear that the cloud might leave her bereft of any hope of seeing the young man again.

Chichi lie on her bed in her royal pajamas, snuggled up with the golden cloud. She held it close to her, taking comfort in its fluffy softness.

There was a knock at her door and she hugged the cloud tighter. Slowly, the door opened to reveal the Ox King.

"Chichi honey? How are you doing?" There was a sniffle in response. The Ox king sighed. "Come on Chichi. Cheer up. We'll find him."

"How?" The muffled voice came from the bed. "How will we find him? We don't know where he's from, what he does, or even who he is. He was labeled anonymous in the tournament. We don't even know his name!" Her voice hitched and she stopped talking.

The Ox king's face fell. "I'm sorry honey. I don't know what to do either."

She sobbed quietly. "Why did I have to fall in love with someone I didn't really know?"

"Oh Chichi." Filled with compassion for his daughter, the Ox king walked over and sat on the edge of her bed. "At least you still have this cloud of his. Perhaps he will return for it."

There was a moment of silence.

Suddenly Chichi shot straight up in bed. "That's it!"

The Ox king was startled into motion. He jumped from the bed. "What's it?"

"Nimbus!" She held the cloud at arm's length. "We'll use Nimbus to find him!"

The Ox king was bewildered. "The cloud?"

"Yes the cloud!" Chichi scrubbed the tears from her eyes and grinned with vibrant hope. "He said that only the pure of heart could ride nimbus! I bet that if we go around and use Nimbus as a test, we'll be sure to find him!"

"But what about other people who are pure of heart?"

"That's okay. Apart from children, not a great many people are pure of heart." Chichi reasoned as she released Nimbus. "Plus I'll know him as soon as I see him." She got off the bed and dashed to her desk. She snagged some parchment paper and a quill and started writing a proclamation.

And so, a few days after the debacle of the tournament, the royal decree went out. The princess would take for a husband the man that could sit upon the golden cloud. News of the proclamation traveled quickly, as news often does, and soon reached the mansion where Cinderella lived.

"FATHER! FATHER I HAVE NEWS!"

Raditz groaned from his position on the couch. "More news Turles? You seriously can't keep anything to yourself can you?"

"Shut up Raditz!" Turles spat at his brother. "This is more important than your pathetic insults!"

Mercenary Tao strolled into the room. His face was the perfect picture of disdain. "Stop your whining. After your immensely shameful defeat at the hands of that orange fool, you have no room to fight any of your brother's insults."

Raditz snickered as Turles glowered darkly at him. "Whatever."

"Indeed." Tao's lip curled in a cruel sneer. "And what is so important that you had to disrupt the peaceful air of my home?"

"The King is coming!"

Raditz sat up straight. "Say what?"

"The princess issued a proclamation that whoever could ride that golden cloud would be her husband and prince of the realm." Turles said.

Raditz frowned. "I bet they're trying to find that stupid orange fighter. What a bunch of idiots." He scoffed. "Ride a cloud. Puh-leeze."

"Shut up and listen." Mercenary Tao scowled. "This is a perfect opportunity to regain what you two idiots almost lost. That idiot princess is about to give the kingdom to us on a silver platter."

"But a cloud? Are you kidding me?" Raditz continued. He was silenced by a smack to the back of the head.

"It's no doubt a trick of some sort." Tao snapped. "I'll be the one to figure it out since you two have little to no intelligence to call your own." He turned to Turles. "When will they arrive?"

"This afternoon I bet. They've already hit the north side of town. It's only a matter of time before they come this way."

"Then we haven't much time." Tao signaled the boys to get up. "Go and prepare for their arrival."

Raditz and Turles left the room, inadvertently bumping into Goku on the way out.

"Hey! Watch it Cinderella!" Turles snapped at him.

Goku didn't respond. Raditz and Turles swapped a look. That was odd. Usually Goku would shoot them an angry glare or something. Right now he was staring blankly into space.

"Oi! Cindy!" Raditz got in his face. "We're talking to you!"

Instead of addressing Raditz, a slow grin spread across Goku's face. "The princess is coming here?"

That wasn't the response Raditz expected. So he got angry. "Quit ignoring me!" He swung a punch directly at Goku's face.

Goku deftly swayed around the blow and grabbed Raditz's arm. Using the force of his own punch against him, Goku performed a perfect judo throw over his left shoulder. Radtiz was sent flying into the opposite wall with a loud WHAM.

There was a moment of silence. That had never happened before. So stunned were the two step-brothers that they remained motionless as Goku left the room. The spiky headed man was muttering something along the lines of, "better go get ready... she might want to spar".

"Well. Now I know why that orange fool was so familiar." Tao's dry voice had Turles spinning around in.

Turles's jaw dropped. "That was GOKU?"

"It would seem so." Tao walked over and unceremoniously hauled Raditz to his feet. "Get up you idiot! Both of you come with me. We need to have a little chat with your step-brother."

Soon the time came when the King, the Princess, and their entourage arrived at the mansion.

The herald knocked on the door. Mercenary Tao opened the door with his best pleasing smile on. Unfortunately for the man, it made him looked as though he smelled something stinky. Chichi instantly decided that she disliked the man.

"Your majesties. Welcome to my humble home." Tao bowed out of the way, allowing the royals inside. They were ushered to the sitting room where his two sons greeted them with deep bows.

Chichi whispered to her father under her breath. "Aren't those the guys who cheated? Pretty sure he isn't either of them."

The Ox king grimaced. "Perhaps there are others living here." He tried to encourage her. To Tao he spoke commandingly. "Are these all the eligible men in the house?"

"All of noble blood, your highness." Tao said smoothly. "There are a few servants about, but they surely didn't attend the tournament."

"Nevertheless, we shall see them too."

"All in due time your highness." Tao tried to hide a sneer. It didn't really work. "Perhaps you would allow my sons to try the test first?"

Chichi nodded reluctantly. "Very well." She looked to the cloud floating serenely behind her. "Alright Nimbus. Ready for another go?" Even the little cloud seemed reluctant as it floated towards Turles and Raditz.

Raditz was the first to try. He circled the cloud warily. He reached out to poke the cloud. It sprung back lightly from under his touch. Shrugging, he lifted a leg and slowly got up on the cloud.

It held his weight for all of two seconds before he fell through the cloud like a ton of bricks.

"AUGH!" Raditz yelped. He scrambled to his feet. "Stupid cloud!" He cursed the fluffy golden puff.

Turles laughed at his unfortunate brother. "Sucks to be you!" Without waiting for an invitation, he himself jumped up on the cloud. Surprisingly he seemed to ride comfortably on its surface.

"Ha!" Turles cried triumphantly. "Take that you blue bloods! I beat your stupid test!"

The Ox king blinked in surprise. He hadn't expected either of them to be pure of heart. His face fell as he perceived his daughter's despair. Looks like she had no other choice. Sighing he spoke to her.

"Alright. Call nimbus to you that we may take this young man home."

Chichi felt tears prick her eyes, but she nevertheless beckoned nimbus to her side. The fluffy cloud came to her, but to everyone's surprise Turles stayed in the same place. Hovering in the air like he was still sitting on the cloud.

"What the…" The Ox king unsheathed his great sword and swung it through the air above Turles's head.

The strings holding Turles were cut and he tumbled gracelessly to the floor.

"YOU sir, are a cheat!" He proclaimed.

"A cheater? My son a cheater?" Mercenary Tao exclaimed much too loudly. "I had NO idea! I am so ashamed!"

Chichi glared at him. "Both your sons are cheaters. Neither of them had the honor to fight fairly in the tournament. And from the looks of it, you tried to condone such behavior!"

"Certainly not!" Tao blustered. "I would never…"

"Regardless," the Ox king cut him off mid-protest, "is there not someone else among your staff that may try our test."

Tao had the audacity to smirk at the royals. "No! There is no one! All the servants have gone home for the day! There is no one to…"

"HOLD EVERYTHING!"

Tao's face went white as the company turned to look as one short bald man in a cast and on crutches.

Chichi looked at the small man curiously. "And you are?"

"My name is Krillin, your majesty." Krillin awkwardly bowed to the royals.

"What are you doing here Krillin? Looks like you should still be in hospital."

"I know, but I have to make sure Goku is okay!" He stared hatefully at Tao and Turles. "That jerk and his two sons were the ones who put me in hospital in the first place. Goku protected me and I have to make sure he's not hurt worse than I was!" He looked to the shocked royal pair. "I was unconscious for the Tournament, but as soon as I was able I hightailed it over here to make sure he wasn't almost dead again."

"Shut up you filthy slave!" Tao sneered. "There is no such man living…"

"No! I'm not done!" Krillin shouted angrily. "Goku is the rightful heir of this estate and your step-son, but he's treated worse than a servant. I should know! I am one! I put up with all your crap day in and day out because I get paid, but Goku never got an ounce of kindness from you. You are an evil man for treating your own family that way! Well guess what? I QUIT! I quit and am taking Goku to hospital!"

"You are doing no such thing!" Tao raved. "I forbid it! As Goku's step-father I have every right to…"

"So there is another eligible man in this house?" The Ox king scowled at the man. Deigning not to speak to him again, he gestured to his entourage. "Search the house. Find Goku and get him the help he needs." As his servants charged through the house, his personal guard grabbed Mercenary Tao and his sons in strong grips.

"As for you three, I'm sure you know of the rule about one man treating another so terribly." The Ox king's voice grew fearsome. "If this man is beaten as badly as Krillin suggests, I believe your new home will be in my dungeons."

The three men's faces grew red with fury. Though grins stretched their mouths as the servants returned with empty hands.

"There's no one else in the house m'lord."

"What?" Krillin hobbled towards them. "He's not here?" His face crumpled with anxiety. Then he looked up. "Did you check the root cellar? It's beneath the rug in the kitchen."

The servants looked from one to another. "We had not known." They all ran to the kitchen. The rug was whipped away from the small hatch and the door thrown open. The crowd gasped at the prone form lying on the cellar floor.

"Goku!" Krillin cried. Together, the king's servants lifted the poor young man from the dirt. Chichi gasped in compassion for the young man. Blood oozed from cuts all over his body. Bruises turning a number of impressive shades tinted his skin. She was no doctor, but even she could tell that bones had been broken. He groaned with pain and her heart clenched within her.

He looked familiar.

"Kami Goku! Are you alright?" Krillin rushed to Goku's side as they lifted him out of the cellar to lean against the stove.

"K-krillin?" Goku looked up with his one good eye and managed a half smile. "Oh. Hey Krillin." He looked at Krillin's casts and frowned. "How you doin'?"

Krillin let a smile of relief cross his face. "I'm doing just fine. How are you?"

"I've had better days." Goku replied. "I'm really hungry."

"Hungry?" Krillin laughed shakily. "You were in the root cellar! There was food all around you!" He reached out to clasp Goku's hand. "C'mon man. Let's get you to hospital."

"Krillin, You know I don't do hospitals." Goku huffed. He felt horrible, but this wasn't the worst he'd ever had. "I just need to…" He looked around blearily at all the people, tilting his head in confusion. "Wait, we have guests? Why didn't anyone tell me?" His eyes landed on Chichi and the broadest grin lit up his face. "Chichi! You really came!"

The Ox king looked at the young man curiously. "You know the Princess?"

Goku tried getting to his feet. He wobbled a lot, refusing all help from the servants around him, but made it upright. "Yeah. We met at the Tournament." He beamed happily at her. "I finally learned your name in the final round."

Chichi's eyes went wide. "Your name is Goku?"

Goku smiled more gently at her. "Yep."

Chichi put a hand to her mouth as tears filled her eyes. She knew this poor beaten man looked painfully familiar. It was him! How could such a thing happen to the man she loved? It was almost unbearable. She was about to speak when a gust of air whooshed around her from behind.

"Nimbus!" Goku exclaimed happily. He toppled forward and landed full force on the fluffy golden cloud. He hugged the cloud as best he was able. "It's good to see you buddy!"

Nimbus carried him around the room in a joyous circle. Goku laughed, filling the air with a golden sound. Those in the room watched the sight in amazement. The man, hardly able to stand, was being carried around by the mysterious golden cloud.

Krillin's jaw was almost on the floor. "How?!"

Chichi burst into tears and threw herself at Goku. "OH GOKU!" She landed on the cloud and held the beaten man close to her chest. "I'm so sorry I didn't find you sooner." She sobbed.

"Aww. Don't cry Chi." Goku sat up as best he could. "It's not your fault."

Chichi wiped her eyes on her sleeve. "You're so strong, how did this happen?"

"I promised my mom I wouldn't fight them." Goku said solemnly. "There was nothing I could do." Chichi started crying again and Goku sighed. "Chichi, I understand if you don't want to…"

"Let's get married!"

Krillin was gobsmacked. "WHAT?!"

Goku fumbled over his words. "You still want to? After seeing me like…"

Chichi interrupted him by gripping his face and pulled him in close. She smashed her lips against his without another word. Goku's eyes widened. Krillin's eyes nearly popped out of his head. The Ox King laughed and the servants politely looked away. In the other room, the step-father and step-brothers raged.

Chichi broke the kiss, blushing furiously. Goku stared at her, wide eyed and red faced. Gravity tilted him backward until he fell off nimbus with a loud thud. Chichi gasped and moved to look down at him.

He was grinning at nothing again, mind turned to mush. Eventually, his eyes focused on her face and he said, "Okay."

Suddenly, a commotion from the other room drew everyone's attention. One of the three men had broken from their restraints and was dashing to the kitchen.

Mercenary Tao looked furious as he entered the room, disheveled as he was. He pointed viciously at Chichi."YOU! You've ruined everything!! This is all your fault! I'll take you down MYSELF!" Tao hurled himself at the cloud, fists flying. Everyone was too shocked to respond. There was nothing they could do as Tao reached the princess.

Instantly, Goku was there. He threw a punch with his remaining good arm. Tao had no time to dodge, but neither did Goku. The punches hit simultaneously.

Tao was sent flying from Goku's punch to the head. He hit the wall with a loud crack and slumped to the floor, out cold.

Goku, however, crumpled to the floor with a gasp. Tao had hit him right in the broken ribs. A stabbing pain shot through his chest and he struggled for breath.

"GOKU!" The crowd rushed forward to help him as the anguished cry rose from those around him.

"Stop!"

The crowd stopped at the single command. It wasn't spoken very loud, but the word carried power. The people in the room stepped aside to allow a very tall green man to enter.

"Pic-" Goku wheezed. He hadn't the breath to say his name. The world around him was starting to turn dark

Fairy Friend Piccolo knelt down and placed a hand flat on Goku's chest. "Why did you punch your step-father?"

Goku's fading vision snapped to Chichi. He gurgled at her tear filled eyes.

Piccolo grunted. "Good answer." A glow spread out from under Piccolo's hand. Within seconds the glow became a blinding light, making those in the room cover their eyes. Minutes later, when the light had faded, those who removed their hands gasped aloud.

Goku had been healed. Gone were the broken bones, bruises, and blood. The dirt that covered him was gone and his hair shone in the light of the kitchen. He stood before them, clothed in a beautiful robe of royal blue and orange, like that of a king. Chichi had to put a hand to her heart to stop it from pounding through her chest from the rush of emotions.

The young man looked at himself in wonder. He smiled up gratefully at his benefactor. "Thank you fairy godmother."

Piccolo blushed purple and smacked Goku upside the head. "I'M NOT YOUR FAIRY GODMOTHER!"

In the end, Cinderella and the princess were married. Never had there been a happier occasion at the palace. Together, they lived happily for the rest of their days.

As for Cinderella's cruel step-family, they were thrown in the dungeons immediately upon returning to the castle. There was no way the king would let them go after witnessing their terrible treatment of Cinderella. Later before their trial, the three's records were re-assessed. Apparently they had a reputation in the next kingdom over. They were sent away to the kingdom to pay for their crimes, never to be heard from again.

And Piccolo? Despite being called a fairy, he stuck around to care for Cinderella's son. Truly he was the best fairy god-mother ever.

THE END.