Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ The Beast and the Beauty ❯ Roses and moonlight dreams ( Chapter 3 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

The Beast and the Beauty
Part Three
By Maria Cline

Days passed by as Goku and Chi Chi adjusted to their situation. Eventually, the servants became used to Goku's appearance and realized how kind and considerate he was. He was even nicer than many of the humans they knew. Chi Chi founded herself more interested in her beast every day. Every day, she looked at Goku and wonder about him. Goku spent his time running around the woods that stood next to the castle and fixing things. Many times, he would watch Chi Chi train and even give hints to help her out.

Chi Chi was working on her wedding dress when she glanced up to see Goku walking down the hallway with a bag of fertilizer in his giant arms. The princess shook her head and went back to work.

One hour later, Chi Chi noticed Goku walking down the hall again with a bunch of shovels, hoes, and picks. "What is he doing?" Chi Chi wondered as she put down the dress and followed the beast quietly.

Goku went down the stairs and through the more deserted parts of the castle. Chi Chi's heart jumped as she remembered some of its more forbidden places of the castle. Ever since that day, those monsters attacked the castle and her mother's death, her heart had frozen within her chest. She and no one else wanted to go down there.

Goku went out of a large hole. Curious, Chi Chi followed him out of the hole and an amazing sight beheld her.

It was a large garden, or at least a beginning of one. Rose bushes lined the outside. There was a newly rebuilt path along the rose bushes and in the middle was a dried up fountain. "The garden..." Chi Chi remembered. Her mother had worked on this garden before she died. After her mother died, the garden died as well.

"Huh?" Goku looked up as he was planting some daisys. "Oh... hi, Chi Chi... I hope you don't mind me working on this garden."

Chi Chi's words were frozen in her throat. She had all but forgotten about the garden. It was too painful to see it so destroyed but this man or beast had brought life back to it. "No... that's okay... we nearly forgot about this place." Chi Chi choked out. "What were you doing here?"

"I was wandering around when I came to this place." Goku explained as he took a rose and gently caressed it. "It was strange seeing a garden like this so close to the palace. I thought I should try to bring it back. Most of the flowers died, but a few survived like these roses. So... well... I want to save this place."

Chi Chi's heart pounded as she knelt down next to him. "I see..." She whispered as she stared at the rose. "I... didn't know that you like flowers."

Goku chuckled as he pulled out more weeds. "Well... flowers are nice... they are beautiful and can survive anything..." **And they don't make comments about me looking like a beast.** Goku thought as he inhaled the sweet scent. One of the few things that are good about him being a beast was that his sense of smell had increased. The flowers smelled sweeter than before and it was nice.

"I know... my mother and I used to work on the garden all the time." Chi Chi said as she stared at the flowers. "She always worked on the garden and spread the flowers around the castle." Chi Chi wiped her eyes to stop the tears from forming.

Goku tilted his head and rose his hand to hold the woman but put it back down. "I'm sorry... what happened to her?"

"She was working in this garden when... they... came." Chi Chi shuttered, "Monsters, they were monsters... one of them was a short pink man with spikes... the other was a tall blue man with long green hair... I tried to stop them... but... I WAS TOO WEAK!!!" Chi Chi screamed as tears streamed down her cheeks and landed on the ground.

"What about the bodyguards?" Goku asked as he tried to comfort the woman. He hesitantly put his paw on Chi Chi's back and patted it gently. The beast was afraid that the princess would flinch away. Instead, she snuggled up to him.

"They were beaten down badly. In fact, Bodyguards Seventeen and Eighteen had to be enchanted to be fused with armor just to survive..." Chi Chi explained, "My father was out of town at the time... he was heartbroken when he found out! He blamed himself all the time for what happened. But, it was my fault! I should've protected Mother!" Chi Chi screamed as she held Goku tightly like a teddy bear.

"How old were you?" Goku asked as he stroked her back.

"Eight. I was eight..." Chi Chi answered.

"You were just a kid... it's not your fault..." Goku whispered comfortably. "It was those two who killed your mother, not you."

"I loved her... and she still left me." Chi Chi said as she opened her eyes and realized that she was snuggling up to the beast. She jumped up and dusted off her outfit. "I didn't mean to do that..." Chi Chi said as her mask of coldness slipped on.

"That's okay..." Goku said as he got up, "you have a right to cry... I'm sorry for bringing you here. I didn't mean to hurt you."

"No... no... my mother loved this garden. She wouldn't want it to fall apart." Chi Chi said as she got out. "I must go and prepare my wedding dress. Don't tell anyone about what I did."

"Why not? It's okay to cry." Goku comforted as he put his paw on Chi Chi's shoulder only to watch her move away.

"Because, it shows that I am weak. Strong warriors don't cry."

Goku shrugged slightly and said, "Even the strongest of all warriors cry once in a while..."

"I must go." Chi Chi said as her cheeks reddened and she ran off. **Damn it!!! Why did I cry in front of him about my mother?! He means nothing to me! Warriors don't fall in love! They can't!** Chi Chi thought as she ran down the hall, leaving Goku behind surrounded by growing roses.

*****

Chi Chi watched the fire burn as she sat in her room. Despite the warmth pouring out of the fire, she felt so cold. "What's... what's wrong with me?" She wondered as she thought about Goku. Despite his beastial appearance, he was so kind and gentle. Ever since she met him, she thought about him night and day. Of course, she avoided it. Goku was just a way for her to get married but not be inhibited by something called love or commitment.

She hugged her knees and wrapped herself in her blanket. "I can't fall in love... I just can't." She whispered as she closed her eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep.

*****

She woke up in a middle of the woods. She was dressed in her royal battle armor with her helmet on. "Where am I?" She wondered as she slowly walked down the path. In the middle of the path, under the light of a full moon, was a man in full armor trying to pull off his helmet.

"Let me out..." He whispered as he stopped and looked up at her. Chi Chi couldn't see his face but just his dark eyes. There was something hauntingly familiar about his eyes that she couldn't understand. "Please... get this off of me..." He pleaded as he went to his knees. "I want to see my face..."

"What do you mean?" Chi Chi asked as she reached up and tried to pull it off. The man screamed as he stepped back.

"You can't take it off that way..." He said as he looked down. "You have to unlock it."

"Unlock the helmet?" Chi Chi guessed as she looked at the helmet to see no locks. "I don't see any locks there..."

"No... the lock is there." The man pointed to Chi Chi's chest and a golden heart with a keyhole appeared on the armor.

"How? What kind of dream is this?!" Chi Chi demanded as the man faded away.

"Help me..." He whispered, "I need to see my face. I need to be me..."

*****

"NO!!!" Chi Chi screamed as she snapped up and looked around. Sweat poured down her face as she breathed heavilly. "Who was that man?" She wondered. Was the man real? Or was he some figment of her imagination? He seemed so sad and full of pain. It tugged at her heart. She rushed up to her closet and looked at her battle armor. There was no gold heart on the chest. After checking the armor again, she went back to her bed and went to sleep.

*****

From the garden, Goku sat up from the ground. He looked around and then at himself. He had the strangest dream. He was in the woods and he was human again but there was a mask on his head and he couldn't get it off.

Then, a strange woman in armor came forward and tried to help him. She felt familiar somehow and a part of him knew that she was the key to freeing him. "Who is she?" He wondered as he stared up into the stars. Was she the key to freeing him from his curse? He wished he knew for certain. While he had adjusted to being a beast, he still hated it. He longed to walk down the street without little kids running away scared. He longed to be with his fellow Kame Knights, who he was sure was looking for him. Most of all, he longed to tell Chi Chi the truth about himself. He wanted so much to tell her about his knighthood and his past. He wanted her to know Kakarot as well as Goku. Goku held himself as he went back to sleep as tears came down his face.

*****

Chi Chi was doing her daily business when Ox-King rushed up. "Hey, Chi Chi! Guess what!" He asked excited as he held up a parchment. "Lord Seru is hosting a tournament!"

"A tournament?" Chi Chi repeated as she picked up the parchment and read, "All fighters and warriors, test your skills against the best and most powerful. All weapons are allowed, as well as sorcery... no limit! Fight to the death!" She grinned evilly. "I haven't had a battle to the death in years!"

"Well... I don't really like the 'fight to the death' part but I thought you and Goku might like to join up." Ox-King suggested.

"Goku?! I don't know..." Chi Chi muttered as her cheeks turned red. "I... might have to fight him... and he might not want to fight."

"Fight what?" Goku asked as he came up.

"There's a tournament coming up that Lord Seru is hosting." Ox-King said as he gave Goku the parchment. "I was thinking that maybe you and Chi Chi and a few others can fight in it..."

"A tournament! Cool!" Goku gushed as he grinned ferally. "I haven't had a good fight in ages!" His heart pounded at the thought. A fighter's tournament was something that could lift his spirits and even let him practice some of his sorcery.

"You fight?" Chi Chi asked almost surprised. She had known Goku for many days and was engaged to him. He seemed so peaceful that despite his feral appearance, he didn't seem like the fighting type.

"Oh yeah... I fight." Goku said as he shrugged, "I haven't had much time to practice my techniques but I love to fight!"

"Good! Then, you two can go there and get to know each other better!" Ox-King said, "I can't go because of business but your bodyguards might like to go..."

"When's the tournament, Father?" Chi Chi asked as she looked at the parchment.

"It's in... three months." Ox-King said as he read further. "You two better train hard."

"I will... but... my usual trainers went off with Bulma to escort her to the sleeping prince." Chi Chi said as she looked down.

"I can train you!" Goku suggested, "I mean... I am pretty strong... if you want me to..." He looked down.

"Well... I trust you..." Chi Chi said with complete confidence.

Goku gazed into Chi Chi's eyes and nodded. "Okay."

Ox-King looked between the two. Ever since Chi Chi declared Goku to be her fiance, she changed somehow. She had grown softer somehow, more open to her feelings. Of course, she wasn't the same sweet little girl she was before her mother died, but she was getting there. Goku could be the best thing that happened to her. "Good." Ox-King said as he bowed and walked away.

*****

Chi Chi and Goku stared at each other as they prepared for their first training match. Goku was dressed in a loose pair of orange pants, an orange vest, and a dark blue shirt under it. Chi Chi was dressed in her tank top and shorts.

"Ready?" Goku growled softly.

"Let's do it!" Chi Chi said as she got out her twin wooden blades.

The two parried and attacked each other. Goku used only his claws and his brute strength and Chi Chi used her speed and weapons. Minutes turned into hours as they two fought on. The other servants and bodyguards watched with great interest. The way these two fought, wasn't like they were fighting, more like some sort of ballet. They jumped and slashed at each other only to miss and land. Chi Chi and Goku looked at each other with fire in their eyes. Their warrior blood boiled but yet it was controlled. They attacked again, each anticipating the other's move perfectly and missing every time.

"Whoa... those two... are some couple." Krillian admitted to his new wife, Bodyguard Eighteen.

"If I didn't know any better... I could've sworn my lady Chi Chi is having fun." Eighteen admitted.

Chi Chi and Goku rushed up again and Goku slashed at Chi Chi. Chi Chi leapt up over Goku's head and landed on the other side. "Nice try." Chi Chi whispered as her heart pounded.

The two was about to attack again when a loud rumble filled the room. The watchers looked around in shock and Goku rubbed his stomach. "I think we better stop. I'm starving!"

"Always think of your stomach, Goku?" Chi Chi asked exasperated when another quieter rumble came from her stomach.

Goku snickered and pointed out. "Looks like you're hungry too..."

Chi Chi turned red as she held her stomach. "Shut up." She grumbled as she walked away. She and Goku looked up to see the spectators all of a sudden. "GET OUT!!!"

"Oh look... that plant needs watering..." A servant said as she and everyone else found a good reason to leave.

"Looks like they were interested in our training..." Goku almost laughed.

"What training? We keep on missing each other." Chi Chi said as she turned red again. "But, it was kinda fun."

"It was at that..." Goku admitted. It was the best fun he had in a long time.

*****

Days passed and then weeks, Goku and the others trained daily. Of course, Goku still tended the rose garden every day. The garden grew and bloomed with many flowers. Chi Chi come by almost daily to help out and the garden became stronger.

Finally, the group was ready. Chi Chi was dressed in her favorite black and purple royal armor. Goku was dressed in his training outfit. Krillian was dressed in his monk's garb and Eighteen was dressed in her armor.

"Are you sure you don't want to fight in the Tournament?" Goku asked Krillian as he packed his things.

"I'm sure... I'm no match for any of you guys." Krillian insisted, "Besides, I don't know if I can handle fighting one of you to the death, especially my own wife. I may know how to fight but I'm not as strong as any of you. I'm just watching... okay?"

"Okay..." Goku said slightly disapointed. Krillian had shown a great deal of potential within himself. He was strong and fast, despite his size. But he just didn't believe in himself and that was his main weakness. "Let's go."

To Be Continued...