Part 5

Hours passed like minutes as the fighters danced and ate merrily. Finally, it was midnight and everyone was tired.

Goku yawned, which sounded like a low roar, and said, "We better get to bed... I'm beat."

"Yeah... busy day tomarrow... or is it today?" Krillian asked as Bulma rubbed her eyes.

"Who cares? *yawn* Let's just sleep." Bulma insisted, "We could sleep in pairs. Me and Vegita... Krillian and Eighteen... Goku and Chi Chi..."

Chi Chi blushed and said, "I'm a powerful warrior. I don't need protection."

"Chi Chi... Lord Seru..." Eighteen hesitated and finally admitted, "Lord Seru scares me. He makes me nervous. I don't know why..." She said as she crossed her arms fearfully. "It's like... he wanted to... eat me...."

Krillian gently patted his wife on the arm. He knew how fearless his wife was, and if she was nervous about some lord she must have a good reason. "It's okay... everyone gets scared, it's normal."

"I know..." Eighteen smiled faintly at her husband, "But, I am concerned about all of our safety."

"Why don't we just sleep in pairs like Bulma said?" Goku asked, "We will need to protect each other."

Chi Chi blushed at the thought of actually sleeping in the same room as her beast. They often slept in separate rooms in the castle, far apart from each other. Of course, she would occasionally catch him asleep in the garden. "Okay..." She muttered.

"Let's go!" Bulma said as she led Vegita by the hand out of the room.

*****

They all took rooms next to each other just in case someone tried to attack them in their sleep. Goku and Chi Chi stared at the plush room they got. It was obvious that there was only one giant bed for them since they were engaged. "Looks like I'm sleeping on the ground." Goku offered as he took off his boots and curled up on the rug.

Chi Chi glanced at the bed and then at her beast. "Are you sure?" Chi Chi asked concerned about him.

"Sure... I've slept on the ground lots of times..." Goku muttered as he closed his eyes. "No biggie."

"We can..." Chi Chi blushed brightly, as she thought, **Sleep in the same bed...** "Well... you can take the bed."

"It's not right for a guy to sleep on the bed while his fiance sleeps on the floor." Goku said as he put his arm under his head.

Chi Chi went to the walk-in closet and removed the hard part of her armor to leave the skin-tight black and purple shirt and short skirt on. She got out and saw that the beast had already fallen asleep. Chi Chi crept up to the sleeping beast. She sat on her bed and watched his chest rose up and down gently. He twitched as he rolled around like a kitten. She almost wondered how the beast could look so cute when he was asleep.

Of course, it wasn't his appearance that made him cute but the way he look so innocent at times. She sighed as she stared at the soft bed and then at the ground. For some reason, the bed didn't look all that tempting.

*****

Goku woke up in a strange room surrounded by mirrors, of all things. "Where am I?!" Goku roared as he looked around frantically for his fiance, Chi Chi. "Chi Chi!!!"

"Relax... she is safe..." A smooth voice said as all of the mirrors vanished except for a small silver one. Lord Seru appeared in front of Goku and said, "I am not here to hurt you."

"Lord Seru..." Goku growled, "what's the deal here?!"

"Relax... I am a friend." Lord Seru said as he held up his hand. "In fact, I am also your salvation... Kakarot."

Goku tensed at the name. It was the name he haven't heard for what it seems like a lifetime. Right now, it felt strange and yet wonderful to hear his own true name.

"That is your true name, is it not?" Lord Seru asked as he glided to him.

"How did you know my name?" Goku demanded astounded by this mysterious man's knowledge.

"I know many things..." Lord Seru said as he turned around. "I also know about that curse of yours. I can turn you back to normal. I can make you human again."

Goku stared at the man in front of him. A part of him jumped in joy at the thought of finally being human again, to become the man he was before this nightmare happened. But, another part of him glared at Lord Seru. Lord Seru didn't seem all that trustworthy. Even Bodyguard Eighteen was frightened of him and she was rarely afraid. "How so?"

"I... am a master of the mystical arts." Lord Seru said as he gestured at his armor. "I can break that curse of yours if you do something for me."

"If it involves Bodyguard Eighteen or any of my friends, forget it!" Goku snarled as he turned his back.

"Oh no... I wouldn't dream of hurting anyone... especially Eighteen. Actually, it involves the one who cursed you in the first place." Lord Seru explained.

"Piccolo." Goku said as his body tensed.

"Yes... all you have to do is kill him. It's not that hard... I've slipped a sleeping potion in his drink and he's out like a light." Lord Seru said as he showed Goku an image of Piccolo sleeping while sitting up. "Just chop off his head and give it to me and I will make you human again."

Goku's stomach turned at the thought of murdering someone in his sleep. It wasn't right for a warrior to take out someone, even a powerful sorcerer, in his sleep. "How do I know that you can keep your promise if I do as you say?" Goku asked suspiciously.

Lord Seru grabbed Goku's paw and a bright blast shot out of his hand and into Goku's. The beast screamed in pain as he held his hand. The familiar pain of bones shifting appeared and Goku opened his eyes. The hand he was holding was human. "My hand..." He whispered as he wiggled his fingers. Then he glared at Lord Seru. "But this is just a dream!"

"Maybe... but look at this." Lord Seru said as he held up the silver mirror. Goku looked on to see himself lying on the bedroom floor with his human hand resting on his chest.

"Oh man..." Goku muttered as he felt his human hand again. It was strange and somewhat smaller than his bestial paw.

"And that is only a taste of what you can truly be. Just kill Piccolo and you will be fully human once more!" Lord Seru said as he smiled at the man. "Well?"

Goku stared at the hand, and then at the mirror. His heart ached as he thought about being human once more for Chi Chi and everyone else. He would no longer be a beast, but a knight like he was supposed to be.

**You are a defender, not a murderer.** A voice whispered in his mind and heart. **Don't turn into the monster to be human.**

Goku's human hand trembled as he remembered the kind old voice. "Gr-grandpa?"

**Kaka... my grandson, you were never a monster. You had always been a defender, even in your darkest hour.** Grandpa Gohan's voice echoed. **Don't throw it away for mere appearances...**

At that moment, Goku almost felt ashamed. It was tempting to kill a man who ruined his life to restore his former body. But to do that would cost him his soul and he would become a true monster even if his body was human.

"I'm a knight of the Kame Kingdom... defender of justice... fiance to Chi Chi..." Goku said as his human hand changed to a fist. He marched up to Lord Seru and growled, "I won't give up my soul just to look human!!! I'LL NEVER SERVE YOU!!!" He lashed out at Lord Seru and the mirror shattered.

*****

Goku snapped up from the ground. "GAH!!!" He screamed as he looked at his paws. The one that had been changed was bloody and reverted to look like the other. "Chi Chi?" Goku asked as looked up to see the bed empty. "Chi Chi!!!"

"Goku?" Chi Chi yawned as she sat up from the floor on the other side of the bed. "Are you okay?"

Goku gave the bed a double-take and then at the woman and asked, "Why are you sleeping on the floor?"

Chi Chi glanced at the beast and then the bed. "It's too soft." The princess replied, "Not my type." She turned red as she thought of the true reason. The bed was nice, but the thought of her fiance sleeping on the floor was too much.

"Oh..." Goku said as he looked at his paw.

Chi Chi went around the bed and sat next to her fiance then noticed the bloody paw. "What happened to your hand?" She asked as she grabbed the lower part of her skirt, ripped it off and wrapped it around Goku's bloody paw.

"Ummm... it's hard to explain." Goku said as he glanced at Chi Chi. "Lord Seru came to me in a dream and offered me to make me human if I kill that sorcerer who put Vegita to sleep."

"Why would you want to be human?" Chi Chi asked, stunned at Goku's answer.

Goku opened his mouth to tell her about the curse when all that came out was some garbled growls. "I... I can't say." He finally said defeated. The curse somehow stopped him from talking about it. "I guess... I just didn't want to scare any more people."

Chi Chi couldn't help but feel sympathetic to the beast. "Goku... you don't scare me... or my father or Krillian or even Bulma, and she's a nervous woman! You are the sweetest and most gentlest person I know, man or beast. If you did kill that sorcerer, then... that would ruin what made you special, your heart." Chi Chi held his injured paw and said, "And then you would've been a monster and I don't know if I could handle that."

"I know... I didn't accept." Goku said as he smiled at the nice words. "But... it still hurts a little."

"I know..." Chi Chi gently pet the side of Goku's head. "I'm sorry..."

"Don't be... I'm glad I didn't take Lord Seru's offer but still... if he can do what he did..." He frowned seriously. "then, he must be a threat." He got up and said, "I have to check on the sorcerer... maybe Lord Seru asked another warrior and he or she accepted. Piccolo's helpless right now and he might need my help."

"I'm coming too." Chi Chi said as she got up and started putting on her armor. "I'm not letting my fiance going around in the middle of the night alone with some mad sorcerer out there!"

Goku sighed as he put on his boots. If there's one thing he had learned about Chi Chi, it's that there's nothing that could sway her once she made up her mind. "Okay... just stay close to me."

*****

Goku and Chi Chi slowly made their way down the hall. Chi Chi held a lightstone in her hand. "Maybe, we should get the others." Chi Chi whispered.

"I don't think so... they may be... occupied." Goku said as he blushed. "I think Piccolo is near..." He said as he sniffed around for the sorcerer. At night, the hallways looked like a giant maze and were so easy to get lost in.

*****

"I think we should call the others." Krillian whispered as he and his wife Eighteen tiptoed down the hall.

"No way! Lord Seru promised me that he would leave me alone if we bring him Piccolo's head, and I want to do it alone." Eighteen said as she held her sword. "Besides, I don't want to ruin any chance of Ms. Chi Chi and Goku bonding."

"Oh yeah." Krillian muttered as he turned red, "And Bulma and Vegita sounded like they would be busy tonight."

They turned a different corner than Goku and Chi Chi and continued.

*****

"Woman! I still think that you should stay at the room." Vegita argued as he and Bulma went down the hall with lightstone in hand. "Piccolo's deadly... he was the one who put me in that stupid sleep!"

"And leave me alone in this creepy castle? Forget it! Besides, I want to see Piccolo up close." Bulma said as she slapped her prince, "And quiet down! You don't want to wake anyone up!"

"Hmph!" Vegita grumbled as they went down the hall and turned a different corner than the others.

*****

So, the three groups wandered the halls, and by pure accident they kept on missing each other. Finally, Goku and Chi Chi came across a lone green man sitting on the floor in a meditating position with a turban over his eyes. "Piccolo?" Goku asked cautiously as he poked at the sleeping man. He slumped over and the beast quickly picked him up. "I guess he's still asleep." Suddenly, his ears perked up as he looked around. "Shhh..." Chi Chi stood still as Goku turned his head. "I think someone's coming." He whispered. "Can't tell who..." Goku quickly picked up Piccolo and slung it over his shoulder. "Let's go!"

The two ran off and managed to avoid being seen by the others.

*****

"What do we do with him?" Goku wondered as he and Chi Chi went back to their room with Piccolo still sleeping over his shoulder.

"Just put him on the bed." Chi Chi advised as she pulled away at the covers, "Neither of us wanted to sleep there anyway."

"Right." Goku gently lay the sorcerer down onto the bed and pulled the covers over his body. **I can't believe I am tucking in one of the people I hate the most.** Goku thought in bewilderment as he stepped back.

"I wonder how long he will sleep like that?" Chi Chi wondered as she stared at him.

"Don't know..." Goku grumbled as he yawned. "We better get to sleep..." he glanced at Piccolo and asked, "Want to sleep somewhere else? I mean... I don't know if I can trust Piccolo with you..."

"I'll be fine... I'll just sleep close to you." Chi Chi said as she lay down on the carpet.

Goku blushed slightly as he lay down as well. "Okay... we can do that..."

"Just in case Piccolo attacks..." Chi Chi said as she crossed her arms.

"Yeah..." Goku put his arm around Chi Chi's shoulders. Chi Chi felt the warm fur on her skin and sighed.

The two lie on the floor staring up at the ceiling and finally Chi Chi asked, "Goku? What happened with Lord Seru? Why did you reject his offer?"

Goku leaned his head back and answered, "Well... Lord Seru showed me that he could turn me into a human. He even changed my hand... it was so tempting..." He breathed deeply and continued, "but, I would have to kill a man to do so... I... don't like killing. It's not right, even enemies. I was so tempted though... then, my dead grandfather talked to me." Tears came to Goku's eyes and he wiped them away. "He reminded me about who I am and what I would lose if I become human thanks to Lord Seru. I can't lose who I am..."

"Your grandfather sounds wise."

"He was the best." Goku sighed as he looked up.

"How did he die?"

"He... he was fighting a monster and the monster won. It was a giant ape... I managed to kill it but it was too late..." Goku whispered as he remembered that fateful day.

"I'm sorry... I didn't know." Chi Chi said, stunned by that revelation.

"That's okay... he lived a long full life..." Goku said, then he grinned, "We better sleep..."

"Yeah." Chi Chi leaned closer to Goku and closed her eyes.

Goku stared down at the woman. He noticed how peaceful she seemed asleep. Years poured off her and she looked more like a little girl. Goku purred as he smelled Chi Chi's soft scent. "Sweet dreams." Goku whispered as leaned for a kiss and then went back to sleep.

Unknown to either of them, Piccolo smirked in his bed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Part 6

The sun rose as Goku opened his eyes and stared down at the beauty in his arms. The sunlight hit her dark hair enough for it to shine. Slowly, she opened her eyes and looked up. "Goku?!" She screamed and Goku let go of her.

"Sorry... I was just watching you sleep..." Goku confessed and he looked down.

"No... that's okay... I was just stunned that you were holding me like that." Chi Chi confessed as her cheeks turned red.

"Glad to see that you two are finally awake." A figure grunted as Goku and Chi Chi glanced at the bed to see Piccolo lying on his side.

"Piccolo." Goku growled as he and Chi Chi stood up. "I see you are awake now."

"Yeah... I am." Piccolo commented as he rolled out of bed and put on his cape and turban. "I better get going."

Goku glared at him and asked, "Will you at least tell me why Lord Seru wanted your head?"

"None of your business." Piccolo argued, "All I can say is that you two better leave while you can." He went to the door and then Chi Chi ran in front of him.

"Hold it! We did not sneak around, bring you back here, and let you sleep in our bed for nothing!" Chi Chi ordered as she looked up, "Tell me... why does Lord Seru want to kill you?"

"Revenge?" Goku guessed, "Or are you two after something that one of the fighters have?"

"No!!!" Piccolo boomed, "It's nothing like that!!! Lord Seru is evil... he's worse than the Saiyans!" He clenched his fists and added, "And far more powerful..."

There was a knock at the door.

"Who's there?" Goku asked as Chi Chi went out to change back into her armor.

"It's us!" Krillian said, "Are you two decent?"

"Come in, we have company." Goku admitted as he glared at Piccolo. "You won't hurt Vegita again, will you?"

"Nah... I want to conserve my power for Lord Seru." Piccolo admitted.

Krillian, Eighteen, Vegita, and Bulma entered the room and facefaulted to see Goku, Chi Chi, and Piccolo there.

"PICCOLO!!!" Vegita boomed as a bright aura flared around him. "I'LL KILL YOU!!!"

"Hold it!!!" Goku insisted as he went in front of the sorcerer. "Piccolo knows about Lord Seru and he might be our common enemy."

"I won't use my power against you right now or against your friends." Piccolo promised, "I have bigger fish to fry."

"Lord Seru." Eighteen said, "Why is he so dangerous?"

"More dangerous than the Saiyans?" Vegita asked almost disgusted, "No way!"

"Unfortunately, yes." Piccolo said as he frowned, "Okay... I might as well tell you. Lord Seru has a dangerous power. He can absorb living things and gain their abilties. He is called 'The Cell' because of all the people he imprisoned in his armor." He glanced at Eighteen and said, "That mystical armor you're bonded to is similiar to his. He will be much stronger if he absorbed you. He will be much stronger when he absorbs all of you." He warned as he pointed at all of them.

"If Lord Seru is so interested in getting us, why not just ambush us in our sleep?" Bulma asked as she crossed her arms.

"He is picky. Lord Seru wanted to absorb only those who have the greatest strength or the greatest minds or the greatest magic... so he's holding this Tournament to weed out the weak from the strong." Piccolo explained as the group just stared.

"We have to warn the others." Chi Chi muttered, "We have to get everyone out of here."

"No! Lord Seru has this place surrounded and if anyone tries to get out, he or she will die." Piccolo warned.

Goku glanced at Piccolo. There was still something that the sorcerer didn't reveal. "Why are you after Lord Seru? How do you know so much?"

"You won't let me leave if I don't tell you, right?" Piccolo guessed.

"Yes." Goku answered as he growled slightly.

"Well..." Piccolo looked down and said, "Do you know Lord Seru is green?"

"Not really..." Krillian admitted.

"One of Lord Seru's first victims was my son, Dende." Piccolo said as he clenched his fists. "He ambushed us and I did my best to stop him... I nearly suceeded but I lost Dende anyway... he's a sorcerer like me but specializes in healing... he's a healer and one of the few Namekian sorcerers left! He was only a boy! And Lord Seru took him body and soul." Piccolo trembled as he turned away and crossed his arms. "I tried to stop him many times... but I keep on failing... this Tournament could be my last chance to destroy the armor and free Dende's soul! Okay, I've bared my soul to you, now let me out!!!"

Goku and the group stared at the sorcerer. Piccolo seemed sincere in his explaination. Was he telling the truth? Somehow, it made sense. Lord Seru did seem powerful and have that odd seductive feeling about him. "You can stay with us." Goku said as he stepped aside.

"I'm a loner. I'd rather do it myself." Piccolo said as he went past the group. "You better watch yourselves and don't touch Lord Seru... you'll regret it."

With that, Piccolo rushed out of the door and vanished. Krillian was the first one to speak. "Okay... that guy gives me the creeps."

"But, it could very well be true." Eighteen figured, "Lord Seru seems very powerful and he would want to absorb me and my mystical armor."

"What should we do? We can't run." Bulma moaned, "And we can't call for help."

"There's only one thing we can do." Goku said as he crossed his arms. "Fight."

"I fully agree with you, Goku." Vegita said as he smirked, "Lord Seru is a powerful being and I am itching for a fight."

Bulma and Krillian shook their heads as the fighters started preparing for battle. They both know that their chances of survival were little to none but they will stand by their friends.

*****

Hours rolled by and the group arrived at the Tournament grounds. It was large with many towers. "Oh man... all these fighters..." Krillian gulped, "Can you imagine that guy taking all these people?"

"We will have to find a way to defeat Lord Seru." Goku said as he looked around and saw the registration booth. "There's the booth." Goku pointed out.

The group went up to the registration booth and a pair of monks stared at them. "Are you fighters?" One of them asked blankly.

"All of us are fighting, except for her and him." Goku pointed to Krillian and Bulma.

Krillian gritted his teeth and said, "I'm fighting too."

"Huh?" Everyone asked.

"But... I thought you didn't want to fight." Eighteen said, concerned as she knelt down to her husband.

"Ohhh... I can't let you fight by your own." Krillian explained, "I know that I'm just a mere monk and not a great warrior like you guys but... well... I won't stand by and let Lord Seru take you, Eighteen. You... well... it's just not nice."

Eighteen gasped as she looked down. "I... I don't know what to say..." She gently kissed the monk on the head and whispered, "Thank you."

"You'll do great, Krillian." Goku said as he did a thumbs up. "Okay... Krillian's fighting too!"

"Just sign your name right here." The monk at the booth said as he held out a paper.

One-by-one, Chi Chi, Krillian, and Eighteen signed their names.

"Is that your real name?" The monk asked the bodyguard when he noticed that all she wrote as a number.

"I have twenty brothers and sisters." Eighteen explained, "My parents couldn't think up any more names after Sixteen was born."

"So, that explains it." Krillian muttered.

Vegita signed his name. It was a strange symbol involving a giant dragon around a circle. "That's your name?" Bulma asked as she looked over his shoulder.

"We Saiyans use symbols instead of letters." Vegita replied. "That is my name."

"But what should we call him?" The monk asked, "We can't read these symbols!"

"How about Vegita, the warrior formerly known as the Saiyan Prince?" Bulma smarted off. Vegita glared at her. He may be one of the last Saiyans alive, but he's no 'former'. The title sounded ridiculous.

"Okay." The monk said not noticing Vegita's rising anger.

"Hey!!!" Vegita screamed as the monk wrote down the title to be used for announcements.

"It's not that bad." Bulma giggled slightly as Vegita turned bright red.

"My turn..." Goku said as he picked up the pen and it fumbled in his massive paws. "Hey! Hold still!!! I hate doing this!" Goku growled as he tried to hold the tiny object to write. The others glanced at him and Goku held up his giant hands. "Heh heh... I can't write."

"Here... let me..." Chi Chi said as she picked up the pen and wrote clearly 'Goku'. "There you go..."

Goku sadly stared at his hands. He still couldn't help but feel helpless. A simple task like writing was impossible for him now as a beast but he rarely had to write so it was no big deal. To rely on his fiance to write for him was hard for his pride. "Thanks." He said softly as he smiled at her.

"No problem." Chi Chi said as she turned red and wonder why she did such as task for her beast.

"Just go this way... except for her, she has to be in the audience." The registration monk said as he pointed to Bulma.

"What?! Why not?!" Bulma screamed, "I don't want to be left alone!"

"Lord Seru is only interested in fighters..." Goku reminded gently, "Don't worry, just stay to the side and don't do anything dumb."

"I don't do anything dumb." Bulma pouted when she glanced at Goku again. **Wait... why does that sound so familiar?**

She remembered back to when she was younger and had a Kame knight bodyguard named 'Kakarot'. It was the last time she saw him and they were surrounded by a band called the 'Red Ribbon Army', due to the red sashes on their arms.

The knight was exhausted and wounded and Bulma was scared. It was her fault that they were in this mess. She was out looking for a group of mystical artifacts that could grant a wish. She wanted to use the wish to get her boyfriend and the army attacked them for the artifacts. "What should we do?!" Bulma screamed.

Kakarot smiled at her despite his injuries and said, "Don't worry, just stay too the side and don't do anything dumb." He turned away to fight the army face on and then he looked back and flashed a peace sign. At that moment, she knew that everything will be fine.

**End Flashback**

"How does he... nah..." Bulma shook her head and watched the group walk away. Goku turned around, flashed a peace sign and left.

"He... no... can't be..." Bulma stuttered as she remembered that Kakarot was a saiyan by birth and Piccolo could've had his revenge. "Oh my god... that beast... those eyes..." Goku was so nice and noble like Kakarot. The two loved food and Kakarot had vanished several months ago. Surrounded by strangers, a flash of brilliance radiated in her mind. "KAKAROT!!!" She screamed at the top of her lungs.