The Ox-King was startled to see what was in his room. The box...the box was opened! He picked up the Metal Charm that was inside, worried. Who did this? It had to be Chi-Chi. None of the servants would dare touch anything he held precious! Did she take the original inside the box, was the one he holding his daughter's true Metal Charm or his dead wife's? He wished the alien metals could get worn out or dirty, they always looked pristine and perfect. No matter what, this damn things always looked like new. He wondered who the owner of the charm in his hand was, looking out the window. He sighed as he watched his daughter and Goku fly away on a golden cloud. No doubt about it now. He'd run out of time, the next time he saw Chi-Chi would be the time for him to tell her. He had to tell her the truth.

Chi-Chi had expected for herself to fall right through the cloud. She was amazed and so thankful that she was riding on it. That meant that her heart was in fact still pure! But how? She was tricking Goku, potentially taking away something that could make his life so wonderful. She lied to her father, she lied to an entire arena full of people! Chi-Chi felt so dirty and so guilty no matter what the cloud said. She felt her heart was no longer pure.

"So why do you want me to put my Metal Charm on Chi-Chi?" Goku asked.

"I just want to...sync up is all!" She replied.

She shuffled closer to Goku and leaned on him, just in case the cloud decided she wasn't pure and dropped her. He glanced over his shoulder at her. She was acting really strange. Goku almost wondered why he felt such a pull to her. She was nice but so was Bulma. She was scary and loud, but then again Launch could be scary especially when her hair was blonde after she sneezed. He knew a bunch of people that shared similarities with Chi-Chi, but none of them were her. He decided that such things weren't important. She was here and he was with her, that's all that mattered to him.

"Goku. If someone lied to you about something really big, like really important, what would you do?" She asked nervously.

"Hm? Probably get mad at them. But if I could understand why they'd lie, I'd probably forgive them and just ask them not to do it again."

"But what if it was super important? Like they...hm. They lied about a fight, what then?"

"Well I'd be really mad and probably have trouble believing what they say to me for awhile. But I've never really been too much of a grudge holder. Why're you asking?"

"Well if I'm going to marry you I need to know how you feel about certain things." She forced a smile and winked at him.

"Oh in that case I eat a lot. I really like eating and can pretty much eat about seven servings in one sitting. I like all kinds of food, but meat's great. I hate just sitting around too. Don't get me wrong, I love to lay down and relax but I can't really cope with being cooped up somewhere for too long without moving around a bit."

"I've been practicing my cooking. I'll make you some really good food Goku, and I'll be sure to make a lot. And we can take walks together, go fishing and just look at the world around us."

She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and leaned her chin on his head. She couldn't seem to stop. She didn't want to place too much hope that his Metal Charm could possibly get hot for her, when her own was ice cold. Yet she was feeling oddly at peace. Maybe it was because they were together, or she knew she'd reveal the truth to him soon. She closed her eyes and some of Goku's hair danced on her face. Goku didn't seem to mind that Chi-Chi was leaning on him, he even brought a hand up to hold onto one of her's. The couple was coming up on a clearing and she knew that this would all be settled soon.

Chi-Chi wandered in the hut, trying to imagine little Goku growing up here. It wasn't messy but it wasn't exactly clean. Still she was pleasantly surprised considering how Goku was. She almost expected piles of mess and some trash. She sat gently down on the bed and watched as Goku changed his shirt. His back was smooth, a few cuts from fights but still very smooth. It looked strong too, she could see his muscles ripple under his skin with each movement. Chi-chi leaned forward a bit in a daze as she gazed at him. She felt the heat rising in her face, snapping out of it and quickly adverted her eyes. She noticed the four star orange sphere tenderly placed on a pillow on top of a dresser. Goku finished changing and noticed Chi-Chi staring at it, he smiled.

"I used to think that Grandpa's spirit was in there."

He approached Chi-Chi and took a knee in front of her, looking at the ball.

"So that's a dragon ball? Never really got a good look at one before..." She mused.

"Yep. He gave it to me when I was little. I was lucky to catch it after we gathered all seven of them before."

"You mean you almost lost this?" She asked him, surprised.

"Yeah, almost. The dragon balls scatter when the dragon goes away. This one's a bit too precious to me to let go."

Chi-Chi jumped a bit when she felt Goku's hand rest on her knee. She looked down at him. He was still looking at the gift Grandpa Gohan had given him, probably recalling really fond memories. She almost felt sick at what she was about to do, but seeing his face and how calm he looked, she couldn't put it off any longer. She leaned forward and gently grabbed Goku's face in her hands. She turned him to face her and looked at him with determination. He only stared back at her clearly confused and probably worried. She didn't mean too do it but in her stress she was squishing his cheeks in her palms.

"Goku, listen to me. The real reason I want you to put your Metal Charm on is...because..."

She looked away frustrated. The words were getting stuck in her throat and she couldn't seem to make them come out. She sighed in defeat. No matter what she was going to tell him the truth. She let go of his face but continued to look away from him, trying to figure out what to do. Goku inched forward a bit, both hands now holding onto her waist as if she were about to take off. He was staring at her, wondering what was wrong with her now. This whole time ever since their fight at the tournament, she'd been spacey and often lost in thought. Goku was getting tired of it to say the least. He just wanted her to be ok, and this was screaming that something was wrong.

"You can tell me anything Chi-Chi, I promise." He tried to assure her.

With that she came back a little. She was now looking at him though her eyes looked glazed over and her mouth was slightly open. She nodded and sighed. Chi-Chi grabbed his left hand, removing it from her waist and held her Metal Charm up with her free hand. She gently placed the Metal Charm into his open palm. Goku blinked and stared, utterly confused about everything right now.

"How does it feel, Goku?" She asked him.

"It's cold." He replied.

"I know..." She hung her head.

"Well, why do you want me to put mine on?" He asked her.

"Because! If your's is hot for me, then it's ok right? I mean, what if mine is defective?" Chi-Chi was grasping at straws, she knew what she was saying couldn't be true.

"Well, if that's what you want." Goku said as he rose.

"No, that's not right either. I know. I know that your's can't be hot for me and that mine isn't defective. These things, they're never wrong. Sure sometimes the people can break their bond and make them go cold, but that doesn't apply here does it Goku? I mean, how could we even have a bond like that? And if we did, how'd we manage to sever it?"

Goku listened to Chi-Chi but slipped his Metal Charm over his head anyways. He poked the little charm that was hanging around his neck. It was cold. He shrugged and took it off again.

"Maybe it's because I haven't worn this since, hm since probably about the time Grandpa Gohan died."

"Goku I lied to you. The charm was never hot!" She cried, the tears pouring out.

This man was either more of an idiot then she thought or he just had an enormous heart. He was ignoring the giant lie Chi-Chi told him and everyone else and now here he was trying to justify why her Metal Charm may not be hot for him. Goku took a deep breath and sat next to Chi-Chi on the bed. He wasn't good at these kinds of things but he wanted to help her. He needed to.

"Actually, I know you did. When you were sleeping I touched your Metal Charm." He told her gently.

"Wait. You did? Why didn't you say anything?"

"Aw come on now Chi-Chi, please stop crying? I didn't say anything because, honestly, this thing may not be hot but my heart gets warm for you."

Chi-Chi sobbed loud and hard. Had she been worrying for nothing? Was she not worthy of this sort of man? Was she ever worthy of him? How come he wasn't angry at her? Why was it ok with him that she'd done this? And most of all, how could he say a thing like that? No matter how much she wanted to stay, she felt as if she couldn't.

"I...I lied though! Goku! We're not soul-mates." She blubbered.

"If we didn't wear these things how could you be sure? What if you'd never been given a Metal Charm?" He placed an arm over her shoulders for comfort.

"That doesn't matter at all! It's because of these things Goku! I know someone out there will love you more than I do. Someone out there that's the perfect fit for you." She said in tears.

"I'm sure that someone is you. I know you meant no harm in what you've done, in fact it's the opposite I think." He tried to assure her.

Chi-Chi wasn't having it though. She fiercely wiped at her face, despite the fact she was still bawling. She gently removed his hand from her shoulder and slid his arm off of her back. She inched herself away from him a bit on the bed. She wasn't sure what to do, but she couldn't stop talking.

"Please Goku. I need to find the man this Metal Charm will get hot for. You need to find the girl meant for you. If she were me, this wouldn't be happening right now. It's all just one giant mess that could've been avoided. I'm so sorry Goku, so sorry."

"But Chi-Chi, what about the food you were going to cook for me? What about your mother's wedding dress? I know we haven't been together for very long but these days were fun and something I'd never had before. It's something I'd like to keep forever." He kneeled in front of her again, trying to make her look at him.

Goku wasn't happy. He wasn't angry about Chi-Chi lying. Since she could ride the Flying Nimbus, that meant her heart was pure. Her intentions weren't malicious or wrong. That meant that Chi-Chi's love for Goku was strong enough that even if it was revealed in a lie, it was the bold faced truth. Despite their short time, the bond was strong enough between them that Goku actually wondered what he would do or how he'd go about his days without her there. Even thought she questioned it, they did have a bond. And a life without Chi-Chi didn't sound like as good of a life like it could be with her there beside him. He didn't know how to convince her though. He felt a bit cold inside now.

"I'm not interested in looking for that one that gets a hot Metal Charm Chi-Chi. I found you, I've decided that it's you. I'm going to spend the rest of my life, you. If you'd let me..."

Chi-Chi continued to sob as she looked at his face full of hope and kindness. Those eyes again, full of happiness. She wanted to do flips of joy and cheer at the sky. Goku just declared she was the one he wanted to be with. Yet, Chi-Chi wanted to leave. She wanted to find her soul-mate. She wanted to find someone that would make her Metal Charm hot. She loved Goku, she really did. It hurt so much that she was asking him to leave her alone now, to go find another girl. To find his soul-mate. It just hurt so badly. Yet maybe Chi-Chi was in love with finding her soul-mate more than she was with Goku. She shook her head. To love an idea more than someone, it made her feel so small. She wanted to stay, but feeling that made her want to flee and never look back.

"Chi-Chi." Goku said, one more time.

Again she shook her head. Goku knew that even though he'd much prefer to stay together, he couldn't keep Chi-Chi against her will. She had to want to be with him, and she didn't or rather, she was fighting against it. He tried, he gave it what he had. Now all he could do was respect whatever Chi-Chi was willing to do. He stood and slowly turned his back to her, angry that their situation had changed like this. She wiped her face and got up as well.

"I'll call the Nimbus, to fly you back."

"I'll wal-...no, that sounds nice. Thank you." She replied.

She looked the floor as Goku brushed past her and went out the door. There was a lump in her throat again as she slowly followed him out. He was sitting on the cloud waiting, not looking at her. There was no hand offered this time as she pulled herself onto the cloud. She almost wished she could fall through it. She sat with her back to his, not touching him. The tears rolled again as they took off for her home. She watched the little hut grow smaller as they flew. She almost felt like that hut were her dreams and hopes, everything she'd wanted with Goku. The hut was getting smaller and smaller, soon it would vanish from sight.

"Do you feel better now that you've gotten that off of your chest?" Goku asked her.

"No."

He smirked sadly and thought to himself, at least she didn't lie this time.

Goku and Chi-Chi rode in an agonizing silence. Goku wanted to keep trying to persuade Chi-Chi to ignore the Metal Charm, follow what it is she wanted. But wouldn't that be wrong? What she wanted to follow was the idea of a soul-mate, someone that would make the Metal Charm grow hot. Chi-Chi wanted to say she was sorry and how much she wished it were Goku, but she felt that she had said more than enough. She didn't want to open her mouth again and only make things worse. She closed her eyes as they passed over the landscape, feeling a bit of motion sickness from riding backwards.

"Ah a fire!" Goku exclaimed.

Chi-Chi turned to see what he was talking about. Her mouth dropped and her sadness was quickly replaced with annoyance. The castle was on fire, again! How could this happen again? Now they'd have to go get Master Roshi to put it out but that means that she and her father would be homeless for awhile until they could rebuild, again. Chi-Chi also worried about the villagers. After they'd built the castle, her father stopped his reign of terror and was now a much more gentle ruler. The people even moved closer to the castle to be near the Ox-King in their time of need.

"Goku! I don't see my father!" she cried.

Goku scanned the ground. He couldn't find him either. Determined and worried he guided the cloud down to a villager.

"Excuse me? Where's the Ox-King?" He asked him.

"Our King's still trapped in the castle!" The villager cried.

"Goku!" Chi-Chi yelled, pushing on his shoulders.

Knowing what she meant, he quickly took off and over the flames, reaching behind himself to push her head down under his arm in protection. He didn't see or hear the Ox-King and the two began to cry out for him, even though Chi-Chi couldn't see much besides the Nimbus. Eventually he emerged at a window, waving at them.

"Papa!" She cried again upon hearing his voice.

"Ox-King hang on, I'll get you out of there!" Goku yelled to him.

The flames were hot and growing higher. They didn't have much time it seemed. How would they get the large man to safety!?

"No don't bother I won't fit through the window! You have to find the Bansho Fan! It's the only way to save the kingdom!" He called out.

"Papa! just hang on!" She yelled to her father, slightly desperate.

"Chi-Chi! Wait one minute! I need to tell you something! That Metal Charm you're wearing isn't your own! It's from your mother, I have the one that's truly your Charm! I'm sorry Chi-Chi! I hope one day you can understand why I did it. I didn't want you to be controlled by a piece of alien technology. I wanted you to have the freedom to find your own love!"

Chi-Chi screamed as a giant flame jumped in front of the window and caused the Ox-King to vanish from sight. Goku rushed the cloud to the the tower the Ox-King had been in, but gasped when it crumbled. He felt Chi-Chi clutching onto his shoulders and began to panic a bit. There was no way he was gone, right?

"Over here Goku! I'm ok! Just find the Bansho fan, hurry!"

"Papa! We'll be as fast as we can!"

"Chi-Chi! I just had to tell you the truth in case-"

"Papa! We'll discuss it when we get you out of there! Until then, be safe!" She shrieked, cutting him off.

If she hadn't been terrified that her father was going to die, she would've been so angry with him for having kept her true Metal Charm from her. She grabbed onto the Metal Charm she wore, the one that was her Mama's. Goku was worried the heat was no good for Chi-Chi so he flew away quickly. Besides they had to come up with a plan. They jumped to the ground near some of the villagers to collect themselves for a brief second.

"Master Roshi threw the fan out years ago. What do we do now Goku?" She worried.

"We have to go see Fortune Teller Baba. She's the only one who can help us like this."

"Why didn't he get out!? Why's he still in there!" Chi-Chi cried to no one in particular.

"He was out but he ran back in to get a dress. He said it was important to you Chi-Chi." A small villager approached her.

Chi-Chi looked at the villagers. She knew exactly what dress it was. She felt a bit of guilt. If she hadn't lied to him, would he still run in for the dress?

"Goku this is my fault. He think we're still getting married so he ran in to get the wedding dress! We have to help him Goku!"

"This isn't your fault Chi-Chi and we will for sure. Come on!"

He summoned his cloud again and grabbed Chi-Chi's arm, pulling her with him as he jumped on to go and find Baba. Some of the villagers waved to her, their Princess, as she and Goku departed. A few more continued a pitiful attempt to get rid of the flames and save their King. Chi-Chi stared numbly. Her lie. Goku said this wasn't her fault, but why'd it feel like it was? She wished so badly that she could go back to the day of their fight and walked away after being defeated. There'd have been so much less pain involved.

"Please be safe Papa. Just wait for us. Please, just hang in there!"