For the Love of ChiChi

Part One

With a loud karate yell, ChiChi sent a sharp karate kick to a tall oak tree. The tree spilt in half and fell to the ground with a large thud. ChiChi was impressed with her handy work. She looked to her father who watched proudly. "How was that, Dad?"

"Excellent work, ChiChi," Ox King said proudly to his daughter. "You've become a great fighter. You're even stronger than me."

ChiChi smiled at the compliment. "Thanks, Dad. I think I'm strong enough to enter the Martial Arts Tournament. I'm sure I'm equal if not stronger than Goku. I know he will be there."

Ox King laughed joyfully. "Goku's a very strong boy indeed. He's probably even stronger now since it had to have been him who had beaten King Piccolo. However," Ox King said cautiously, "I don't want you to enter the tournament."

ChiChi frowned. "Why can't I, Dad?"

"You're strong, dear, but there will be a lot of people there and I don't want you to get hurt. I trained you so you can protect your family, not fight in a tournament."

"I can take on anyone at the tournament," ChiChi said confidently. "Besides, my family is at the tournament, Dad. Goku's gonna be there. I have to find and tell him that it's time we marry."

"But, ChiChi, Goku said he will come back."

"Dad, that was six years ago. Who knows how long it will be before he decides to come back. I just want to remind him of his promise."

"You think he has forgotten?" Ox King asked.

"Of course not," ChiChi said defiantly. "Goku loves me. He wants to marry me. He just might not know when the right time is."

Ox King frowned at his daughter. She was making excuses for Goku that didn't make any sense. "ChiChi, you know I want the best for you, but do you think it's possible Goku has forgotten about you? Otherwise, wouldn't he have showed up by now? You are of age to marry." He saw his daughter glare at him angrily, not liking what he was implying. "I know you love Goku, sweetheart, but before I allow any man to marry you, I want to know that he does love you and that he will take care of you. You're my little girl. I want the best for you."

ChiChi sighed sadly but smiled thoughtfully at her father. "I know, Dad, but Goku does love me. He will take care of me."

"Then where is he?" a new voice spoke as he approached father and daughter.

ChiChi frowned seeing Takashi appear. He was a young, prominent man in the village, only five years older than ChiChi. He was very strong and handsome according to all the single women in the village, and for a while ChiChi noticed he had taken an interest in her. Several times, Takashi came to her home to court her, but ChiChi always turned him down, telling him she was taken by Goku.

"Takashi!" Ox King smiled at the young man. "What brings you here?"

"I've come to see how our king and his daughter are doing." He approached ChiChi, took her hand and bowed courteously before planting a soft kiss on her hand. "My lady."

ChiChi smoothly pulled her hand away. "Hello, Takashi."

"My daughter and I were having a conversation about the Martial Arts Tournament that's coming up."

Takashi stared at ChiChi with a friendly surprised expression. "Oh? Is our princess participating?"

"Yes, I am," ChiChi spoke confidently even though her father was not for this. "I'm going to remind Goku that it's time for our wedding."

Takashi grimaced at the thought. The last thing he wanted was ChiChi to marry the man she had a childish crush on all those years ago. "Will he remember you?" he asked mockingly. "It's been a long time. He might have forgotten about you, Princess."

ChiChi did not approve of how Takashi spoke of Goku. "Goku hasn't forgotten about me!" ChiChi yelled. "And I will prove it by going to the tournament!"

"You will not compete in the tournament, ChiChi" Ox King ordered.

"But, Dad--" ChiChi was silenced when her father raised his hand.

"There is another reason I do not want you going to the tournament. King Piccolo hired minions to kill off anyone who was a martial artist. Don't you remember they were after me?"

ChiChi remembered all right. She ran with her father to safety from his assassins. They fought the killers off as best they could, but it wasn't enough. ChiChi thought she would lose her father that day, but then Goku, her sweet angel, came to save him. "I remember, Dad, and I also remember Goku coming to your rescue."

"He did, and what if another maniac imitates King Piccolo and goes after the martial artists again?" Ox King asked. He was serious about this topic and wasn't going to risk losing his daughter due to martial arts. "If you go to the tournament to fight, you will expose yourself to that threat. I will not allow my only daughter to compete."

"How else will I see Goku unless I compete?" ChiChi argued. "The tournament committee won't let anyone who isn't a fighter in the fighting area and the tournaments are always crowded. Competing is my only chance of seeing Goku again."

"I'm sorry, ChiChi, but if Goku loves you and really wants to marry you, then he will come for you. Just be patient." Ox King was stern with his words and his final word was law and ChiChi would have to obey.

ChiChi was aghast by her father's actions. How could he do such a thing to her? "This isn't fair!!" ChiChi yelled.

"Fair or not, it is my decree upon you." Ox King wasn't changing his on the topic.

ChiChi let out an aggravated growl and stormed off into the castle.

"That girl certainly has a temper," Ox King remarked, watching his daughter march off. "She gets it from her mother."

Takashi nodded in agreement. "I'm sure she does." He looked to the giant man. "But it doesn't change how I feel for her," he spoke sincerely. "She's very beautiful, caring and will make me a great wife. I've come to ask for her hand again. I was hoping ChiChi would reconsider."

"That's very noble and kind of you to come to me, Takashi, but ChiChi has made it very clear she wants to marry Goku."

"But he may never come for her," Takashi said. "ChiChi's living a hopeless dream of being with this Goku. I already have a home and I make a good living. I can take very good care of ChiChi."

"ChiChi also wants a strong husband and if memory serves me right, she defeated you quite easily."

Takashi kept himself from rolling his eyes. ChiChi was a tough and strong fighter. For crying out loud, she was the daughter of the great Ox King--one of the few men who received training from the great Master Roshi--a legend in martial arts. Of course his daughter going under the same training as her father would be stronger.

"It doesn't matter. I can provide for her," Takashi countered. "I can ensure her protection."

With money Ox king thought. "True, but I want my daughter to be happy and I'll allow her to marry the man she wants if he loves her, provides and takes good care of her. That's all I want for ChiChi."

Ox King looked in the direction of his daughter's room in one of the towers. He hated to admit to himself but his daughter was growing up and wasn't depending on him as much as she was when she was a little girl. It was time for him to let his daughter go and marry but he wanted it to be with the right man. He wanted the best for his precious daughter even if she may not know it. "But it doesn't seem as if Goku will ever return and prove he is worthy of ChiChi and my daughter has high hopes he will."

Takashi folded his arms disapprovingly. 'Not if I have anything to do with it.'

Ox King sighed heavily making Takashi take noticed of the king's visage. He looked very unhappy. "But I have been fearing what you are thinking, Takashi--that Goku has forgotten about ChiChi and I don't want her heart broken. If she goes to this tournament, she might be setting herself up for disappointment."

Ox King turned his attention to Takashi. "You are a good man…patient, too and I believe you will take good care of my daughter if Goku can't."

Takashi smiled hopefully. "Does this mean I have her hand?"

"If Goku doesn't live up to the expectations I want for a son-in-law, then yes."

One evening, ChiChi was up late in the night packing clothes in a small backpack. On her bed was a flyer of the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament. ChiChi didn't want anyone to know what she was doing, especially after hearing her father's disapproval of her entering the tournament. She had to do this alone and quietly. When she was done packing, ChiChi stealthily left her home without anyone noticing. She made the twenty mile walk to the nearest city to the small airport that would transport her to a larger airport and take her to Papaya Island and eventually Goku.

The whole trip took half a day since ChiChi had to change planes at the airport since Papaya Island was on the other side of the world and the flight was long. It was raining when the plane landed at Papaya Island. She hailed a taxi that took her to the tournament sign up area. ChiChi opened her umbrella after stepping out of the taxi and noticed the long line of competitors. She got in the line with them and waited. Occasionally, she looked around in hopes of seeing Goku, but there was no sign of him.

"Are you actually going to participate in the tournament?" a gruff voice said from behind her.

ChiChi looked behind her and saw a tall tiger man behind her. "Yes I am."

The tiger smiled down at her wickedly. "Hmm. I never had a pretty opponent before." He licked his lips. "Especially not one that looks so tasty. I'm not sure I'd want to hurt you."

"Hmmp," ChiChi said and turned her back on him. The best thing to do was ignore him.

The tiger man didn't want to stop taunting ChiChi so he touched her rear and ChiChi responded with roundhouse kick to the tiger man's stomach and a sharp hit of her elbow on his neck. The tiger crumpled to the ground unconscious.

ChiChi turned her back on him again and moved up in the line. The people behind her stepped over the tiger man. When it was her turned, she gave the man her name and decided to ask about Goku. "Excuse me, but has a young man name Son Goku signed in yet?"

The man at the table looked over his long list, turned another page and looked up at ChiChi. "No, he hasn't."

"Thank you." ChiChi stepped away and decide to wait for Goku. Thirty minutes passed and ChiChi scolded herself. "What am I doing? I could get pneumonia waiting for him out here in the rain and I have to check in a hotel before all the rooms fill up. I'll look for him tomorrow."

ChiChi crossed the street to the hotel a block away. It was then that another taxi pulled up in front of the tournament sign up area and Master Roshi and Launch stepped out.

Ten minutes after Master Roshi and Launch arrived, Takashi stepped out of a taxi. He opened his umbrella so he wouldn't get wet. He looked around not seeing ChiChi anywhere. This was getting annoying. "I know she's here."

A wicked gleam was in Takashi eyes as he thought over his plan. He walked over to the sign in area and asked if ChiChi and Son Goku has checked in to which the man said yes about ChiChi but no about Goku. It was good that Goku hadn't arrived yet so ChiChi couldn't be looking for him now. Takashi knew he couldn't find ChiChi now either so he decided to find her tomorrow at the tournament.

To Be Continued

AN: This is an A/U fic so don't expect it to follow the exact pattern as the events of the tournament did in Dragonball. I don't reply to reviews because I don't have the time. I don't update weekly, but on my own time so please don't ask me to update soon or complain that I'm not updating fast enough for you. I don't answer questions because it's going to be answered in the next chapters and you all should have enough patience to wait and see what happens. It would be best to read my bio before reviewing. It's all explained there.