"Today's the day!" Chi-Chi cheered, pumping her fists.

Today they would finally be facing Baihu and completing the journey, she just knew it! Sure they still had to reach Mahaan Baagh but she was sure that they were close. Then all they'd have to do is get Niulang off their backs and then they could get married!

Chi-Chi pressed her hands to her cheeks, going starry eyed as she imagined herself in her mother's wedding dress and Goku standing beside her in a white tux.

Goodness he would look so handsome! Could life get any better?

Well there was one thing that could make it so…

Chi-Chi blushed, remembering Goku's naked body hovering over her as they brought each other to completion. His fingers were so thick…but they were nothing compared to that giant snake between his legs. How would that feel when it was finally inside her? Would she really be able to handle it?

She wasn't sure but she did know one thing, if they somehow survived this last challenge, then she was sure as heck gonna find out. Once the journey was complete, there would be no reason to hold back, or at least, not any that she cared about.

She knew her heart and his. That was enough for her.

Chi-Chi adjusted her ponytail—happy she no longer needed to hide any horns on her head—and beamed at Goku who couldn't help but smile widely back. Chi-Chi's good mood was contagious, though he supposed it could also be the solid night's sleep he'd had or the feast those animal villagers had made the night before. The food had been surprisingly filling considering there'd been no meat on their plates, and Chi-Chi had even asked for a few recipes that he had favored, which always made him eager for her next home cooked meal.

Unfortunately Chi-Chi was eager to get on their way, so he had to settle for some fruit and the rest of the leftovers from the night before, but that was okay. Food was food.

"Do ya wanna conserve our energy today?" he asked, mentally trying to calculate how much he should keep on a backburner in case they were attacked again. He'd already checked his magic pouch to see if he could procure some more senzu beans but either Korin hadn't grown any yet or Yajirobe ate them all.

Either way they were out of luck.

Chi-Chi hummed as she considered his question, and wrapped her arms around his waist. Given how many times they'd been attacked, it would be wise to conserve what energy that they could, especially if they were to face Baihu today, buuuuut…she was just too excited. How could she just casually stroll along when everything in her was screaming to seize the day?

"Let's run," she begged, looking up at him with large pleading eyes. "The sooner we get there, the sooner we can finish this!"

Goku blushed, unable to help himself when Chi-Chi looked at him so cute, but agreed, thinking it would also give them time to indulge in a little fun…but before he could capture her lips with his she slipped away to start packing up camp.

"Aw rats." He snapped his fingers, disappointed.

"What was that?"

"Nothing!"

Chi-Chi stared, clearly not believing him, so he quickly got to work assisting her with clean up.

Once they'd gotten the rest of their things put away, they took off at a run, flying through the forest with an ease Goku had rarely enjoyed with anyone else, especially not since his training with Kami. He launched himself into the trees and Chi-Chi was quick to follow, leaping from limb to limb alongside him before sliding down a length of bamboo and catapulting off of it with a single flip.

Goku hummed, tapping his chin and held up three fingers on each hand. "Six points!"

"Six?!" she cried in mock outrage.

"Your movements are good." More than good really. She was fluid and strong…but she could still do much better. "Just lackin' that 'WOW' factor."

"Wow factor?" Chi-Chi grumbled, crossing her arms in a way that made Goku grin.

"Just watch."

He shot her a wink and dashed ahead, mimicking her movements with another length of bamboo before launching himself into a quadruple somersault with a half twist that landed with him facing Chi-Chi as he took a bow.

"Show off."

Chi-Chi marched past him with her nose held high, forcing Goku to scramble to catch up if he didn't wanna be left behind.

"Aw c'mon Cheech," he said, leaning in close. "Ain't ya impressed just a little?"

Chi-Chi shrugged, "It was adequate I suppose."

"Adeqwa?"

"It means acceptable. A barely passing grade. Average."

"AVERAGE?!"

No one had called him average in anything in his whole life! That didn't necessarily mean he was always the best, at least not in regards to his intelligence according to his friends, but he had never been average. Something about that word was a real blow to his pride. Not even Chi-Chi's giggles, clearly showing she didn't mean it, could soften the affects to his spirit.

He pouted and sunk to the ground with his arms crossed, and Chi-Chi couldn't help but melt a little at his display. He was just so adorable!

She knelt down beside him and kissed his cheek as an apology. "I'm sorry, sweetheart, I didn't mean it. I was just mad cause ya gave me six points. You know you're the most impressive man I've ever met."

"Yeah?" Goku looked to her shyly. He remembered Chi-Chi had said that before. It still felt good to hear though. "I guess I was showin' off just a little."

Chi-Chi smiled. "You were but I liked it. Will ya show off for me some more?"

"Sure!"

Chi-Chi giggled and then they were off again, with Goku leading the way performing various stunts and flips that Chi-Chi did her best to copy. They went on like this for the better part of an hour before they finally decided that they should probably conserve some of their strength and dropped down to a jog until around late mid morning when they decided to have an early lunch. It was as they were packing up that they first noticed signs of civilization.

"Goku look, a road," Chi-Chi pointed out. Aside from that race to the Southern Islands and that time they'd escorted that caravan through Dino Pass, they hadn't really come across any roads or highways, so it was strange seeing one now. She lifted her necklace, keeping their destination in mind, and noticed it lit up in the direction of the road. "Hmm, I wonder if this would take us straight to Mahaan Baagh?"

Goku locked his hands behind his head and looked to the road she was pointing at. It sure looked like a straight shot but there was no way to tell if it curved off at any point past the horizon and the necklace thingy wasn't able to calculate distance like his dragon radar could.

He shrugged. "Dunno."

"Well…do ya wanna ride on our airbikes for a bit? It'll give us a little break before we find Baihu," she reasoned.

"Sure!" But he didn't plan on driving. "I'll ride with you."

Chi-Chi blinked. "Huh? Are you sure? I thought ya liked ridin'?"

"Not today!"

He grinned, even though he was sure it made him suspicious, but Goku couldn't help it. Sure he liked riding—racing Chi-Chi was always fun—but so was letting someone else do the work while he took in the sights. Plus it came with the bonus of getting to snuggle up to Chi-Chi.

It was a win-win.

Chi-Chi didn't mind either way so she just opened the capsule organizer, selected her airbike and popped it open, smiling as the smoke cleared.

"Catch!"

She tossed him his goggles and secured her helmet over her head before throwing a leg over her bike and starting it up. It was only when Goku settled in a little too closely behind her, his thumbs grazing just beneath her breasts, that Chi-Chi realized what he was up to. She giggled and leaned into his touch, feeling him give her a loving squeeze in return.

She should have known that was what he was after.

"Hold tight!" she warned before revving the throttle and gunning it, causing the front of her bike to rear up and surge forward with a blast.

Goku's excited whoops could be heard following in their wake.

As much as Chi-Chi loved riding though, it didn't take long for her to become frustrated with how slow they were going. She checked the speedometer but it was clocking her usual speed and yet somehow she still felt like she could run faster than this. Maybe the speedometer was broken? She hadn't had a chance to use her bike since it was destroyed that day she'd blown up the mountain but Ms. Torque should have been able to easily fix that along with everything else and—

They crested a hill and Chi-Chi perked up, noting the road was heading into a tunnel of a long stretch of tall mountains. Given the lack of light, it was a good indication that the tunnel ran deep, so she flipped on her headlight and drove in, slowing a little as the pitch darkness consumed them completely.

Goku, of course, was quick to take advantage, his hands moving up and down her body to play with her while she worked to keep them on the road. She smacked his hand away once but quickly gave up on the effort, too busy concentrating on not running into any walls, so it was with more than a little relief when she finally spotted the exiting light.

However that relief turned out to be short lived when she had to swerve as soon as they left the tunnel or risk riding right off the road and over a cliff.

"What the hell?!" Chi-Chi demanded, clutching her chest. She threw her bike in park and ripped off her helmet. "Whose bright idea was it to put a dropoff like that right in a blind spot?!"

She stomped to the edge of the cliff to see how far they would have fallen, only to gasp at the sight below.

"Oh my goodness!"

There was an entire city nestled in the narrow but deep valley, with multiple clear platforms making up man made levels that stretched across the expanse like some sort of giant outdoor mall. Chi-Chi had assumed with such steep slopes that no village could thrive between the skinny peaks of the mountain range but here was a city larger than she had ever seen! They even had what she assumed were skyscrapers, though it was her first time seeing such a thing, because the tall, thin buildings disappeared into the depths of the city, so she could only imagine the lowest point of the city must be very, very low. Probably too low for her to even spot.

Could sunlight even reach the very base?

Goku came to stand beside her and whistled at the sight. "And I thought where Bulma lived was bad."

"This is my first time seeing a place like this," Chi-Chi murmured, nervously pressing a closed fist to her mouth. Her kingdom was made up of towns and villages, and the largest place they'd visited while on the road had been Mechanic City but that place was designed to be wide and spread out, to support the various race tracks the city was known for.

It had been nothing like this.

"It's weird, huh?" Goku said, patting her on the shoulder. It was nice to know he wasn't the only one unaccustomed to such things. "So is this the place?"

Chi-Chi looked for a sign and spotted one a little down the path that said 'Welcome to Mahaan Baagh'. She pointed it out to Goku. "Looks like it, let's see if we can find someone who can tell us anything about Baihu."

And she knew just how to do it.

She pulled out the necklace from under her collar and considered what to focus on. They needed to find the most knowledgeable person, who could tell them exactly where Baihu's home was and if there was anything they might need to know to get in it. With this in mind, she focused her thoughts and pointed the pendant in various directions, but when it didn't light up right away Chi-Chi started to worry.

Maybe they were chasing a dead end and there wasn't anyone who could actually help them? Thankfully the pendant lit up the very next second before she could spiral into a full blown panic. Chi-Chi breathed a sigh of relief and then shoved her anxiety aside so she could focus on the next task at hand.

How to get there.

"I hope this works more like GPS," she muttered, eyeing the many roads that seemed to bridge the gaps between buildings and platforms. It would be difficult to work their way through the maze that was this city if it didn't. She tapped Goku's arm and nodded for him to follow her before slipping back onto the airbike and making room for him up front. "You drive, I need to navigate."

Goku gave her a thumbs up and did a back handspring into the seat prompting Chi-Chi to pinched his side.

"Ow!"

"Show off," she teased, sticking out her tongue and then quickly popping her helmet back in place before Goku could grab it.

She blew him a kiss as he started up the engine and then began directing him where to go while Goku did his best to navigate through all the traffic they soon encountered once they moved lower into the city.

It was strange. Even though they had a road leading in and out from the city, no one else seemed to be coming or going from that direction. In fact, the traffic only seemed to get worse the farther down they went and the sunlight seemed to vanish all together, leaving them reliant on streetlights to see where they were going. Unfortunately even those seemed to fail the farther down they went, as if the darkness was absorbing the light for itself, but despite all this, they somehow managed to arrive at their destination, coming to a stop in front of a worn, tired looking building covered in moss and vines that seemed to cover every building on the lower level.

Pruning issues aside, the place looked otherwise tidy and had a light in the window that said 'Open', so Chi-Chi and Goku stepped inside only to be greeted with a long hallway filled with doors.

"What is this place?" Chi-Chi wondered.

She wanted to open a door and find out but the fear that she could be accidentally breaking into someone's home or walking in on someone using a bathroom stilled her hand. She decided not to risk it until absolutely necessary, and so they continued down the hall until her pendant finally lit up in front of a door with the nameplate 'Professor Jonesu'.

Was this a school then?

Chi-Chi looked to Goku, who shrugged, and then knocked on the door.

"Come in!" grunted a deep voice.

They did as they were told and Chi-Chi was pleased to see the inside was some sort of office, though she could see some things in the background more suited to a laboratory, as well as the palest man she had ever seen.

Goku leaned in close to her. "He's paler than you, Chi!"

"I'm not that pale!" Chi-Chi argued, offended. Why this man had to be as white as a ghost! Or at least a sheet of paper.

But Goku couldn't agree. As much as he loved the similarities between him and Chi-Chi, he also loved their differences and one of the biggest ones were their skin tones.

Chi-Chi's milky skin fascinated him. Compared to his own tanned skin, he felt like hers made her look more delicate, like his grandpa's favorite tea set. The contrast then that she was as tough as nails just spurred all kinds of emotions—mainly desire—but he couldn't think about those things now.

This guy though was weird.

He was too white, more like a toilet or those awful hospital rooms where they tortured folks, and his eyes were real buggy. Goku thought he looked like an alien.

"Are you just going to stand there all day or are you going to tell me why you're here already?" demanded the freaky looking man.

Chi-Chi swallowed, naturally timid when it came to instructors or authority figures, but pushed the feeling aside to ask, "Professor Jonesu?"

"Who else would I be?"

"Right." Chi-Chi blushed, reminded of her tutor, Ms. Groedi, who had always chided her for foolish questions. However, this man wasn't her tutor and she was no longer a child.

She straightened and donned her most professional expression, the one she used when dealing with her father's advisors on the rare occasion her presence was necessary.

"We were hoping you could tell us about Baihu's temple."

"Baihu, huh?"

Professor Jonesu stood and made his way over to them, looking them up and down as he did so.

"You look like those rich folk from the upper levels but you sure don't dress like them," he frowned, waving a hand at their clothing.

Chi-Chi felt her patience quickly wearing thin. There was nothing wrong with their training clothes. Hadn't the man ever seen a martial artist uniform before? "We were informed you could tell us about Baihu. Can you, yes or no?"

Professor Jonesu shrugged and sat back down, stretching a leg out to rest his foot on his desk.

"What do you wanna know?"

"Everything!" she blurted before realizing she needed to reel in her excitement. "I mean, can you tell us where it is and how we can get inside? We'd like to study it for ourselves an—"

Professor Jonesu snorted. "Ha! You really aren't from these parts. Everyone knows 'Baihu's Temple' is the local makeout spot for teens. Can't seem to beat them away, they just come scuttling back again."

"Makeout spot!" Chi-Chi gasped, while Goku frowned and tugged on her sleeve needing an explanation. "He means kissing," she told him, before redirecting her attention back to Professor Jonesu. "I don't understand, I thought you needed to be pure of heart to enter Baihu's domain."

"That's what the legends claims. Something about needing to face three other trials, but we've searched all over that temple and there's been no signs of these so called trials and what they might have been. Most likely it was just a holy ground for the civilization that came before us and these trials they speak of were rituals or fables tied in with their religious deities."

"So…we can just walk right in?" Goku asked, honing in on the only thing he needed to know.

The professor nodded. "That's right."

"Great, thanks! C'mon Chi, lets go."

He snatched her hand up and lead her out the door before she could process what was happening.

"Wait but what if—"

The door slammed on their way out but Chi-Chi was too focused on the issue at hand. "What if something bad happens, like with Qinglong? Don't ya think we shoulda asked more questions?"

"Nah." Goku didn't see the problem. "No one's ever made it this far before, yeah? Finishing the other three places is probably all we need and we've already done that, so let's go!"

Chi-Chi couldn't deny Goku had a point—a really good point if she was being honest and she did try to be—but this was also uncharted territory. On the off chance things went sideways, she wanted to send one last letter to her father—just in case. So before heading to Baihu, she hastily wrote out a note and then tracked down the one lone post office in the entire city, which was manned by another odd looking man who stared at them like they were the strange ones when he noted the destination address. It didn't matter, as long as her father knew she loved him, she could suffer a few strange looks.

Task finished, there was nothing left to hold them back.

It was time to finally meet Baihu.

Once again Chi-Chi navigated while Goku drove, but this time instead of returning to the dark underbelly like she expected, they ended up on one of the mid levels, on the opposite side of the city from where they first drove in. The road took them all the way to a wooded entrance, with a clearly marked path, but it was one they would have to travel on foot as the ground was carpeted in a tangle of roots and vines, making the forest feel more like a miniature jungle. Why the local citizens hadn't trimmed some of it back was anyone's guess, but given the way the vines seemed to creep and disappear into the lower levels, it was possible it had all started with this small park and had grown out of control with years of neglect.

Either way, with the little bit of sun being swallowed up by the trees, and no artificial lighting of any kind to guide them, Chi-Chi and Goku were forced to hold small balls of ki in their hands to light their way through the tangle of dark masses until they came across a large stone structure nearly obscured amidst the vines.

"Goku, look! Light!" Chi-Chi pointed, noting the small flickering source coming from beyond a doorway.

Goku nodded and sniffed the air. "Somethin's burnin."

"I wonder what it could be."

They didn't have to wonder for long, as soon as they stepped through the entrance they were immediately accosted with the sight of a half dozen teens drinking and goofing off. The 'light source' was just a large barrel filled with whatever would burn, and there was trash and broken bottles everywhere, as well as graffiti on the walls.

Chi-Chi was appalled.

"What the hell do ya think your doin'?!" she snapped, gaining the teens attention. "Don't ya know this is a sacred space? Clean this mess up right now you punks!"

The teens snickered and traded incredulous looks, while one particularly cocky looking punk dared to give her a long once over before adding, "I'd like to see you make u—"

He felt a whoosh of air brush against his face as a bottle went flying past and shattered against the wall behind him, shutting him up real quick.

"Wanna try that again?" Chi-Chi asked, tossing another bottle around in one hand.

"N-No ma'am!"

"Good. Now clean this place up! All of y'all!"

Fear appropriately instilled, all six teens began scrambling. They hastily swept and bagged all the trash, even going so far as to sort the glass from the rest, and made sure to scrub the walls free of paint with magically procured cleaning products courtesy of the scary lady who frightened them. When they were done, Chi-Chi gave them each a muffin she had made to snack on later, leaving them confused but also happy despite the odd circumstances.

Goku laughed as he watched them go, unable to help himself from admiring his tough little wife as these kids twice her size bowed and waved goodbye respectfully before disappearing off into the darkness. Leave it to Chi-Chi to teach some naughty kids manners.

He wasn't the only one impressed.

Professor Jonesu stared bug-eyed at the sight.

Despite the attitude he had first displayed when the odd couple had walked into his office, he wasn't as apathetic to the study of Baihu as he pretended to be. However it was hard to maintain his passion when time and time again the local teens trashed the temple grounds, treating it more like their bedrooms instead of the respected space it should have been. With no funding or law enforcement to back him, his lectures had fallen on deaf ears but these two…these two had done what he couldn't.

He couldn't help but wonder what else they might be able to do.

Within his career as an archaeologist and as the current leading expert on Baihu, new discoveries were rare, people actually interested even rarer. So naturally his intrigue had been piqued after the odd couple had randomly appeared in his office and just as abruptly left after a mere five minute conversation.

It just didn't make any damn sense. Why come all that way without even waiting to get answers for all of their questions?

Fortunately he had always loved a mystery.

So instead of grading shoddy papers from students, who had clearly never paid attention a damn day in his class, Professor Jonesu had snatched up his hat and satchel and stormed out the door. He wasn't surprised he'd managed to beat the pair there, seeing as how they hadn't waited long enough for him to tell them its location, but if he had thought they would be ran off by the brats using the sacred temple as sex den, he'd been pleasantly surprised when they had whipped the kids into shape instead.

Now though, he could only wonder at their next move. The temple looked large from the outside, but he had spent hundreds of hours canvassing every inch of the temple grounds, and despite the external dimensions, this single chamber was all that there was. Why these two thought they could just swoop in and discover what he could not baffled him but also compelled him to remain hidden behind two large boulders he was currently spying from.

Now if he could just see what they were doing!

Professor Jonesu squinted, trying to make out their actions, but it was difficult from his vantage point. He watched as they scanned the room before the girl untucked something from beneath the neckline of her dress.

"Now what does she have there?" he muttered, watching as she pointed it in different directions like some sort of compass…or was it some sort of detector? Something capable of detecting things that others couldn't see? Like radiation or weak spo—

"Hey what's this?" Goku questioned pointing to a stone with the words 'press here' etched into it.

Chi-Chi stepped up beside him and shrugged. "I guess there's only one way to find out."

Professor Jonesu stiffened, his eyes bulging with fear.

Didn't they know an obvious boobytrap when they saw one?!

"Wait! Don't!"

But it was too late. Together the young couple pressed the stone, hitting a switch that swung a section of wall around like some crappy cartoon mechanism, spiriting them away.

"Mother of god," Professor Jonesu gasped, a bundle of shock, nerves and excitement. Had he been missing out on a discovery of a lifetime because he'd feared that sign was too obvious?!

He hurried over to where the two had disappeared and quickly found the stone in question.

Finally! He would finally learn something new after all these years. Maybe he could even get new funding to continue his resea—

Professor Jonesu pressed the stone but nothing happened. He frowned and pressed the stone again.

Again nothing.

"What the…"

He smacked the rock repeatedly a dozen more times but when he remained in the original chamber he chucked his hat on the ground and cursed.

"Damn it to hell!"

o0o

Somewhere further inside the temple, Chi-Chi jumped.

"Did you hear that?" she whispered, looking back down the way they'd come and seeing only the same eerie darkness that encompassed everything. She sure was getting tired of that.

"It's probably just those troublemakers," Goku grinned. "You were real scary."

"I was not!"

"Ya had me shaking in my boots!" He teased, earning a playful punch in the arm and a roll of her eyes.

"Like I could scare you."

She stepped on ahead, shaking her head even as she wondered how much further this tunnel went on but at least the walls seemed to give off enough light that she no longer needed to create a light source of her own just to see, though how they were doing so was a mystery.

"I don't know, Chi, I think ya can be truly terrifying…or is that terrified?" he snickered and Chi-Chi froze at his suddenly menacing tone.

She turned to him, confused. "What are ya talkin' about, Goku?"

"Just pointin' out how much trouble ya are. Always panicking over every little thing." He stepped closer, a sneer on his face, and backed her up against the damp wall. "It's exhausting."

Exhausting? Since when did Goku consider her so much trouble? She pushed at his chest, wanting space, but he didn't budge.

"Stop it, this isn't funny right now."

"Everything always has to be on your terms, doesn't it princess? Didn't ya pops ever tell ya? The world doesn't revolve around you."

He leaned in close, playing with the tendrils of her hair, but Chi-Chi slapped his hand away, having had enough.

"Don't touch me! Didn't anyone ever tell you not to touch people without their permission?"

"I thought ya liked me touchin' you."

"I like Son Goku, not some creep wearin' his face!"

The imposter grinned, a sinister smile twisting his expression in a way she had never before seen.

"Took ya long enough."

o0o

Goku continued down the dark, damp path, really wishing he was anywhere but here. It smelled terrible! And they had been walking in this endless tunnel for nearly ten minutes with nothing to show for it.

He was getting bored.

And hungry, but then it was rare when he wasn't.

"Hey Chi-Chi," Goku called over his shoulder. "Ya think there's any interesting things to eat around here that we can get once we're done?"

"Do you ever think of anything besides your stomach?"

"Well sure, but I'm saving you for dessert," he grinned, shooting her a wink. When Chi-Chi didn't blush or smile back though he frowned. "Chi-Chi? You okay?"

"Disgusting. How can you act so foolish at a time like this?"

Goku flinched back, hurt, but also a little confused. He knew sometimes he stressed Chi-Chi out but that was always when it came to things like chores or their lack of supplies. When it came to their adventures though, she always trusted him to keep them safe.

So why was she acting like this now?

Unless…

Goku sniffed the air discretely, expecting her familiar scent of smoke and wildflowers mixed with the damp material of the earth, but stiffened when all he caught was something almost otherworldly.

He growled and swung around to face the imposter head on. "Who are you and what have you done with Chi-Chi?"

o0o

Did they really think they could fool her? Chi-Chi crossed her arms and huffed. Her Goku would never say such things. "Baihu, I presume?"

"Sorry but it ain't that easy to meet the old man," the false Goku sneered.

Chi-Chi glared. This imposter was clearly playing games. "Fine! Then who are ya already?"

"The better question is who are you?"

o0o

Who am I?

What did it matter who he was? He wasn't the one wearing someone else's face!

"I'm Son Goku!" Goku shouted, raising a fist. "Now what have ya done with Chi-Chi?"

"But are you really?" The false Chi-Chi questioned, stepping into the shadows. The darkness seemed to twist and morph and when the imposter stepped back into the light, their features were now identical to his own, right down to the furry tail standing on edge.

What was truly unsettling though, was that Goku could now feel a power level similar to his own coming off the imposter.

He raised his fists and growled. "And what's that supposed to mean?"

"It means, who is the real Son Goku? Abandoned as babe, orphaned as a child, your friends think you're an idiot but you and I know there's more to you than that."

The imposter stalked forward, his tail swaying tauntingly.

"You're ambitious. You strive to strengthen yourself, to gain power."

Goku frowned. The imposter wasn't wrong but the way he said it didn't feel right. He made it sound like a bad thing.

"Isn't it though? Your precious little woman was lucky to survive her last near brush with death but will she be so lucky the next time?"

"There won't be a next time!" Goku growled, shoving his fist up in the air but that didn't phase the imposter, no. In fact it made him downright amused.

He stepped close enough to lean into Goku's face and grinned. "Can you guarantee that?"

o0o

"I asked you first," Chi-Chi insisted, feeling wary the longer this person continued to impersonate Goku.

Was she wrong? Was this really Goku being controlled by Baihu? And if so, was there anything she could do to break him free?

"There ya go again," the impersonator tsked. "Always needin' to control everything. Should we ask why that is? Why you're so afraid to let go of control?"

"You don't know what you're talking about," she hissed.

"Don't I?"

The false Goku grinned, wearing the same expression she'd seen a million times before, but then he stepped into the darkness, and his figure shrunk in on itself, transforming into a smaller figure and when he stepped back into the light, she came face to face with herself.

Chi-Chi stared, unable to help herself as the fake Chi-Chi stepped forward and lifted her chin with a single finger.

"I know everything about you little girl. All your dreams and fears. Your strengths and weaknesses." The imposter pinched Chi-Chi's chin between their fingers. "I know how weak you felt as a child, how powerless. How even now that fear drives you. I know your future and how you'll break."

The fake leaned in further, whispering directly into Chi-Chi's ear as they dug their nails into her face.

"I know you."

o0o

"What happens next time? When you get a little bit careless? Will your woman stay by your side when she realizes how selfish you truly are?"

"Shut up!"

He was tired of hearing this guy talk!

Goku swung at the imposter but he dodged it with ease, infuriating Goku all the more which only made his double grin.

"Will she stay by your side when you forget about her as you strive to grow stronger?"

"You don't know what you're talking about!" Goku growled, wishing he'd just shut up! but the imposter continued.

"Like you forget your friends?"

Goku took another swing and a kick but the imposter disappeared and reappeared behind him.

"Like you even forget on occasion your beloved grandpa?"

"I'll never forget Chi-Chi!"

Goku threw a dozen punches and kicks but the imposter dodged every blow with an ease that left him frustrated. He tried to move even faster, to move without thinking like Korin and Mr. Popo had taught him, but the fake Goku did several backflips out of reach that was too similar to his own moves, leaving him unsettled.

Could this guy really be him?

"I've told you, I am you. I know all your thoughts, all your ambitions." The fake Goku smirked. "I know every fantasy you've had of that woman…"

"KEEP HER OUTTA THIS!"

Goku swung his fist again but this time instead of just dodging the fake grabbed his throat and pinned him to the wall, leaving his feet dangling off the ground.

"Just admit it. Just admit you'll do anything for power!"

"No! I won't!"

He'd never! Not if it meant hurting Chi-Chi.

But don't I still hurt Chi-Chi sometimes on accident?

Goku hesitated.

He wanted to get stronger. He couldn't deny this. But was that really so wrong? To wanna be the best that he could be? Was that really so selfish? But what else was he supposed to do? How else was he supposed to protect Chi-Chi and all his friends if he never grew stronger?

A memory came to him then. One he had forgotten from a long time ago, when his grandpa had still been alive. Grandpa had just started teaching him martial arts, the stances and how to move his body. Goku had taken to it eagerly but had been frustrated when his grandpa had called it quits for the day after just an hour of lessons.

"But Grandpa! I ain't tired yet! Teach me more!"

"Now Goku," his grandpa had scolded kindly. "These things take time, your body is new to this and besides, we need to tend to our crops."

"Do we hafta? Can't we just skip today?"

"No, my boy, crops are a lot like people, you need to give them proper care and attention in order for them to thrive. Missing one day would be fine but soon that one day will turn into two, then a week, then a month, and eventually they'll wither and die. It's good that you want to get stronger, but you need to remember to tend and strengthen all aspects of your life, like our crops, or one day when you need it you'll find it's no longer there and you'll only have yourself to blame for your neglect."

Goku had said he understood and hadn't complained again, but it was clear after the full moon monster had killed his grandpa that he hadn't understood the lesson. Instead he had thrown himself into his training, only remembering to do the bare necessities that it took to survive, like gather firewood or foresting in the woods for berries and mushrooms. Anything that took time though, like tilling soil, planting, watering, etc. was ignored for tasks with more immediate results.

The patch of land Grandpa had carefully set aside and tended to every day to grow their crops had withered away and been overrun with weeds due to his neglect. Goku had felt slightly guilty about it at the time but not enough to change.

But now this guy was saying the same thing could happen with Chi-Chi?

Goku's shoulders slumped and he lowered himself to the damp ground, not even realizing that his fake had released him as he took a meditative pose. "What else?"

o0o

"I said don't touch me!" Chi-Chi cried, slapping the imposter's hand from her face. She ran her fingers over the marks and glared. "These better not scar!"

The fake Chi-Chi rolled her eyes, clearly not intimidated in the least. "Always so bossy! Your people feared your father, but it's clear why they also fear you."

"Fear me? Since when do they fear me?" Chi-Chi huffed. Maybe they were a little intimidated but—

"And so judgy! Always thinking you're above everyone else."

"That is not true!"

"Shall we ask Son Goku's friends whether they agree?"

Chi-Chi narrowed her eyes. "I barely know them and they certainly don't know me."

Of course! You're just misunderstood!" The imposter smirked, pressing her hands to her cheeks and batting her eyes innocently. "Poor little Chi-Chi, always so sure of herself, always knows what's best for others, but are you willing to step aside and let them decide for themselves?"

"I-I…" Chi-Chi hesitated.

Let them decide for themselves? Didn't she always? It wasn't her fault that citizens came to her for help. She was a princess and had been raised to take charge and find solutions to the people's problems…but it wasn't just her. She had advisors and aides, there were dozens of people who helped work on the issues, she just had the final say…but were any of them capable of changing her mind once she was set on a course of action?

Chi-Chi tried to think back to a particular instance, an example she could use, where her mind was changed after being set, but came up blank. But…but that didn't mean there wasn't one, just that she couldn't think of it at that moment.

She was sure though…there had to be at least once.

Right?

"So stubborn, so full of yourself," the fake whispered, slipping a hand behind the real Chi-Chi's head before yanking her ponytail back.

Hard.

"So unwilling to listen to anything you don't agree with."

"Let go!" Chi-Chi growled, trying to break the imposter's grip, but she could feel her energy draining slowly out of her, causing her to crumble to her knees. She gritted her teeth, struggling anyways.

"It's not…true…"

"No? Isn't that why you refuse to acknowledge what you are? Why you still can't efficiently control your ki?"

Chi-Chi collapsed to the ground, growing dizzy, even as the fake's words triggered a memory in her mind. Goku had told her during a lesson one morning after she had almost died trying to fly, that everyone had strengths and weaknesses, things that came naturally to them and things that didn't.

"Controllin' ki efficiently is your weakness," Goku told her. "In fact, you're really, really bad at it."

She crossed her arms with a huff and looked away.

"Thanks," she muttered sarcastically.

"Hey don't pout. Like I said, everyone has weaknesses, mine used to be my tail, but I worked on strengthening it so that it wouldn't be. It was tough, and didn't come to me naturally, but eventually I got better with it, and so will you as long as you keep practicin'."

She knew ki control was one of her weaknesses but was it because she didn't listen? She hadn't thought that was the case, just that she didn't understand…but maybe listening was another weakness for her. In fact…hadn't that been what the fake Chi-Chi was trying tell her all along?

Well she was listening now.

And she was also slowly becoming aware of the fact that though this fake had drained some of her ki, she wasn't depleting her to dangerous levels.

Which meant this too was a lesson.

Chi-Chi bowed her head, acknowledging the imposter's words. Controlling, unwilling to listen, stubborn, fearful. These were things she would need to work if she hoped to get stronger.

"Giving up?" The fake questioned, eyeing her carefully but Chi-Chi just shook her head.

"I'd forgotten after everything we've faced, but I started this journey to learn and grow stronger. Thank you for reminding me and teaching me something I hadn't considered. I'll do my best to overcome my failings."

Only silence greeted her response, and it stretched on for so long that Chi-Chi eventually dared to peek up only to find that she was alone again in the tunnel.

"What the…" she muttered, looking around. Where'd they go?

But before she could even start to think about a new plan of action, the dark space lit up and soon everything including the floor and ceiling started shaking violently. Chi-Chi scrambled to hold on to something but then the walls slid open, and the shaking stopped, revealing a startled Goku sitting on the other side.

Chi-Chi jumped to her feet, ready to run to him, but also wary that this was another fake, but it seemed Goku had no doubts though, because he was by her side in an instance, pulling her into his arms and breathing in her sweet scent.

"Chi-Chi you're okay!"

"Goku? Is it really you?"

"You know someone else this handsome?" he asked, pulling back just enough to grin cheekily at her.

Chi-Chi giggled and punched his arm. "I never shoulda told you that. It's gonna give you a big head."

"I've already got a big he—"

"Careful now," came an ancient sounding voice. "You're in a sacred temple after all."

Chi-Chi and Goku spun, coming face to face with an old man.

"Welcome to my home."