The mechanical breathing echoed in Goku's mind as he walked through the imperial palace corridors, a sound that had become both comfort and haunting reminder.
In his arms, baby Megumi giggled, tiny hands reaching for the small ball of ki that Goku had created for him - a sphere of golden light that bobbed and weaved just beyond his grasp.
"Almost got it!" Goku encouraged, his voice warm as the infant's fingers brushed the energy construct. "You're getting faster every day."
Guards in obsidian armor snapped to attention as they passed, fists crossing over their chests in the imperial salute. "Sir Goku," they murmured reverently, heads bowed. "Golden Knight."
The formality still made Goku uncomfortable. Less than three months ago, he had been simply Goku - farmer, martial artist, father.
Now he walked the corridors of the Imperial Capital as the Golden Knight of the Cold Empire, his traditional orange gi replaced by ceremonial armor that gleamed in the blue starlight streaming through the crystal windows.
"It's just Goku," he reminded them with a sheepish smile, but the guards maintained their rigid posture until he passed.
As he turned a corner, hushed voices reached his ears.
"They say Lord Duskborn has already conquered three circles of Hell," a servant whispered, unaware of Goku's approach. "The Arbiters themselves flee at the sound of his breathing."
"Impossible," another replied. "No one escapes Hell, much less conquers it."
"He's the Boundary-Breaker," the first insisted. "The chains of Heaven can't truly hold him. What makes you think Hell's flames could burn him?"
Goku paused, listening. These rumors had been spreading throughout the palace for weeks - tales of Toji's exploits in the afterlife, each more fantastical than the last.
He had no idea where they originated, but they seemed to bring comfort to those who believed them.
He continued walking, passing a courtyard where a group of warriors trained. Their movements halted immediately when they spotted him, all dropping to one knee except for a young recruit who looked confused.
"Bow, you fool," an older warrior hissed. "That's the Golden Knight - Lord Duskborn's most trusted warrior and the official guardian of the Heir."
"But he looks so... simple," the recruit whispered back, earning him a cuff to the head.
"That 'simple' Saiyan killed Lord Cooler and is the only Super Saiyan in a thousand years. Show respect!"
Goku pretended not to hear, focusing instead on Megumi, who had finally managed to catch the ki ball. The infant's violet eyes widened with delight as the energy danced between his fingers, changing colors from gold to purple to white.
"Good job, little guy!" Goku praised, genuinely impressed by the Megumi's dexterity and ki control. At just over two months old, the boy was developing at a rate that defied all normal parameters - walking, talking, and manipulating energy in ways that should have been normally impossible.
Goku shifted the weight of the golden armor Freeza had insisted he wear for official duties. The breastplate bore the emblem of the Cold Dynasty on one side and Lord Duskborn's stylized helmet on the other - symbols of his dual loyalty to the Empire and to Toji personally.
It felt strange against his skin, restrictive in ways his lightweight gi never was. But he had agreed to the role and all it entailed.
For Toji.
For Megumi.
For the promise he had made to himself.
As they approached the palace's eastern wing, Goku's destination came into view - the massive ceremonial doors that led to the Ascending Path.
Two members of the Duskborn Legion - elite guards handpicked by Freeza herself - stood sentinel, their armor a perfect match to their fallen lord's.
"Sir Goku," they acknowledged in unison, stepping aside. "The path awaits."
Beyond the doors stretched the beginning of the 1,777 steps that led to Toji's tomb.
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"Ready to visit your dad?" Goku asked softly as they began their ascent.
Megumi looked up at him with those unnervingly intelligent eyes, so like his mother's in color but with his father's intensity. "Dada sleep," he said, pointing upward with a tiny finger.
Goku nodded, "That's right. Your dad is sleeping."
The steps stretched before them, carved from the sacred mountain itself. Each step was wider and more shallow than the last, creating a grand processional path that made all who climbed feel increasingly insignificant as they neared the summit.
As they ascended, Goku noticed they weren't alone. Pilgrims from across the empire had gathered on the steps, many leaving small tokens or lighting ceremonial flames in holders carved into the mountainside. Some knelt in prayer, others simply stood in silent contemplation.
"For the Cold Messiah," an elderly alien with blue purple skin murmured as Goku passed, offering a small crystal that glowed with inner light. "That he might find his way back to us."
Goku accepted the token with a respectful nod, tucking it into a pouch at his waist alongside dozens of others he had collected on previous visits.
He wasn't sure what Toji would make of being called a "messiah," but the sentiment behind the offerings touched him.
Higher up, imperial scholars with digital tablets documented the various offerings, recording the growing mythology around Lord Duskborn.
Goku had read some of their reports - how Toji had supposedly "erased an army of demons with a thought" and "made the gods themselves tremble."
"They say he walks through Hell with Heaven's chains dragging behind him like broken promises," one scholar was telling another as Goku passed. "Each link represents a cosmic law he's shattered."
"I heard he challenged the King of Hell to single combat," another added. "And the King fled rather than face him."
Megumi seemed to perk up at these stories, his eyes following the speakers with uncanny focus. Sometimes Goku wondered how much the child actually understood.
'I wish these things were true... But the truth it, Toji is locked up, sealed they say. S- Suffering...'
By the time they reached the halfway point, Goku's legs were beginning to feel the strain - not from physical exertion, but from the subtle ki-dampening field that surrounded the sacred mountain.
It was designed to ensure that only those with genuine devotion could reach the summit, preventing casual visitors from simply flying to the top.
"Almost there, little guy," Goku assured Megumi, who had begun to imitate the mechanical breathing sound that Toji's helmet once made - a habit the child had developed shortly after his father's death.
Inhale.
Exhale.
A perfect imitation that sent chills down Goku's spine.
-----------------------
Upon reaching the summit, Goku was greeted by the Duskborn Legion guards who bowed and granted him immediate access to the tomb.
The massive structure dominated the mountain peak - a pyramidal edifice of obsidian and crystal that caught and reflected the blue star's light in mesmerizing patterns.
At its apex sat a massive sculpture of the Vader helmet, 30 feet tall, carved from a single piece of black star diamond.
It was positioned to cast its shadow over the imperial city at precisely the same time each day - a reminder of the Empire's absent lord.
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Inside, the tomb was cool and quiet, the air perfectly still. The preservation chamber - a perfect sphere suspended in the center of the pyramid by invisible force fields - dominated the space.
Within this sphere, Toji's body floated in a transparent liquid.
He remained in his Vader suit, exactly as he had been when he died, the only modification being a small pendant placed in his hand - a matching piece to the one Freeza wore, fashioned from fragments of her armor.
Megumi reached toward his father, making the mechanical breathing sound again. "Dada," he said softly, his tiny face solemn.
Goku sat cross-legged before the chamber, placing Megumi in his lap. For a long moment, he simply gazed at his friend's suspended form, gathering his thoughts.
"Hey, Toji," he finally said, his voice echoing slightly in the vast chamber. "We're back. Sorry it's been a few days. Things have been... busy."
He always felt a little foolish talking to Toji like this, but something told him his friend could hear him - or at least, that he would want to know what was happening in his absence.
"Gohan's training with Freeza and King Cold now," Goku continued, a note of pride entering his voice. "They're testing him, seeing if he can become a Super Saiyan in a year. It's a tough challenge, but... I think he might do it."
Megumi played with the ki ball, seemingly content to listen to Goku's voice.
"Chi-Chi's here now too. She moved to the Imperial Capital last week. Said she couldn't stand having both me and Gohan so far away for so long."
Goku chuckled softly. "She's already redecorated our quarters and started cooking for the palace staff. I think they're a little scared of her."
He shifted slightly, adjusting his armor. "Vegeta's training harder than ever. I don't think he'd admit it, but your death hit him hard. He wants to become a Super Saiyan too. I think... I think he wants you back as much as the rest of us do."
Megumi looked up at the mention of Vegeta's name, making a small sound that might have been recognition.
"Nappa's appointed himself Megumi's secondary guardian," Goku continued, smiling down at the child. "He follows him everywhere when I'm not around. Says he's going to help us avenge Planet Vegeta against 'the purple cat' when you return. I think he means Lord Beerus."
The name caused a slight tremor in the preservation fluid, so subtle Goku wasn't sure if he'd imagined it.
"I still feel out of place here," he admitted, gesturing to his golden armor. "All these titles and protocols... it's not really me. But I keep doing it because you trusted me with what matters most to you." He looked down at Megumi, who had fallen silent, staring at his father's suspended form.
Goku himself remembering how Toji out of everyone, when Slug attacked earth brought Megumi to him- trusting him above everyone to protect his son.
That action meaning so much more now, after seeing Toji die with his own eyes, knowing he would go to Hell for eternity all for his son.
"We spar sometimes - me and Vegeta. But it's not the same. No one really understands... the joy of fighting, of pushing limits, like you did. Vegeta likes it too of course, but he is more obsessed with what power eventually leads to."
"I always wanted to fight and grow stronger, because it brought me well... Peace. Like Grandpa Gohan always taught me. How training is the mastery of oneself." Goku's voice grew softer. "I miss that. Having someone who kind of got it."
He fell silent, lost in memories of their training sessions - the exhilaration of facing someone who enjoyed the pure challenge of combat as much as he did, without malice or ulterior motives.
"Sir Goku," a soft voice interrupted his thoughts.
Goku turned sharply, surprised he hadn't sensed anyone approach. Standing at the entrance to the inner chamber was a hunched figure he recognized immediately - Lady Moirai, the ancient royal seer of the Cold Dynasty.
Her three milky eyes - one centered on her forehead - fixed on Megumi with an intensity that made Goku instinctively tighten his hold on the child.
"This old one apologizes for the intrusion," she said, her voice carrying that strange musical quality that somehow conveyed both extreme age and childlike wonder. "The Boundary-Breaker's son calls to this old one's senses."
She moved with surprising grace for her bent form, her seven-fingered hands trembling slightly as she approached.
Her midnight blue robes, embroidered with silver symbols that seemed to shift position when Goku wasn't looking directly at them, whispered against the polished floor.
"Lady Moirai," Goku acknowledged, inclining his head respectfully. "I didn't hear you come in."
"Few do, Golden Knight," she replied with a soft click of her tongue. "Few do. This old one walks between moments when necessary."
She gazed reverently at Toji's suspended form. "He Who Makes Gods Uneasy," she murmured. "The Boundary-Breaker. Even in sleep, his presence bends reality around him."
Goku had grown accustomed to the various titles people had given Toji since his death, but hearing them from Lady Moirai - a being rumored to be older than King Cold himself - lent them new weight.
"May this old one approach the young heir?" she asked, her three eyes now fixed on Megumi, who stared back with unusual stillness.
Goku hesitated only briefly before nodding. "Of course."
Lady Moirai knelt before them. She extended one seven-fingered hand toward Megumi, pausing just short of touching him.
"This old one requests permission," she said directly to the infant, as if addressing an equal.
To Goku's surprise, Megumi reached out and placed his tiny hand against her palm. The contact seemed to send a shiver through Lady Moirai, her three eyes widening momentarily.
"His father's blood sings songs the universe has never heard," she whispered, her voice taking on a reverent quality. "Power flows through him like rivers through ancient valleys, carving new paths where none existed before."
She studied Megumi for a long moment, her milky eyes somehow seeing far more than their appearance suggested.
"He will be magnificent," she declared finally. "More than emperor, more than conqueror. The heir to powers that dwarf ones that predate the cosmos itself."
She withdrew her hand and turned her attention to Goku, studying him with equal intensity.
"And you, Golden Knight. Others may appear to have more visible potential - the Heir, the Boy Beast, the Empress - but your soul contains unique possibilities that even this old one struggles to comprehend."
"Me?" Goku asked, genuinely confused.
"You are the Heir to the Crimson God," Lady Moirai stated matter-of-factly. "An ancient soul follows you, waiting for the moment that only you will recognize."
She made that soft clicking sound again. "A warrior of legend whose power flows through your veins, dormant but stirring."
Goku frowned, not understanding. "An ancient soul? You mean like... a ghost?"
Lady Moirai smiled enigmatically. "More than ghost, more than memory. The essence of the first to achieve what you have achieved, watching, waiting for you to need his guidance."
Before Goku could ask for clarification, her speech became increasingly mysterious.
"Five crowns await claimants," she continued. "Five thrones shall be contested. And through it all, the mechanical breathing will echo across realms, a reminder that what has been sundered can be rejoined."
Megumi made the breathing sound again, as if on cue.
Inhale. Exhale.
Lady Moirai suddenly stiffened, her three eyes glowing with light. Her body trembled, and when she spoke again, her voice had changed - deeper, resonant, as if multiple voices were speaking through her.
"He shall break the chains," she intoned, her gaze fixed on something beyond the physical realm. "Link by link, the golden bindings shall shatter beneath his will. Beings thought unchallengeable flee before his advance."
Goku leaned forward, captivated despite his confusion. "Who? Toji?"
"The Boundary-Breaker forges a path where none existed," Lady Moirai continued, ignoring his question.
"A black throne formed from golden chains rises from the crimson depths. Soon there will be a battle between gods- two old and one new. One sung as the right hand of the Emerald God of War. He who the Life of Evil flows through his veins- black and red."
"Another who wears the crown of punishment. And finally the new, one that will bring upon a new age. He who carves creation out of destruction."
Her body convulsed once, violently, and she collapsed forward. Goku caught her with one arm while holding Megumi securely with the other.
"Lady Moirai?" he asked, concerned.
For a moment, she remained limp in his grasp. Then, with a deep, shuddering breath, she straightened, her eyes returning to their milky state.
"This old one apologizes," she murmured, her voice once again her own. "The visions come unbidden when in his presence. Mine and many Seers' souls have screamed from them- allowing many to dream of them."
She gestured toward Toji's suspended form. Before Goku could respond, Lady Moirai rose to her feet and approached the preservation chamber.
To his astonishment, she prostrated herself fully before it - a gesture Goku had never seen her perform, even for King Cold.
She whispered something to Toji's body that Goku couldn't hear, then rose and moved toward the exit without explanation.
At the doorway, she paused, turning back to deliver a final cryptic warning: "When the mechanical breathing returns, be prepared to choose between the black crown and the crimson path. Or form your own. New can always break the old." she finished with a small smile.
With that, she was gone, leaving Goku alone with Megumi and more questions than answers.
Left in silence once more, Goku contemplated Lady Moirai's strange words while Megumi dozed peacefully in his arms. The infant's breathing had slowed, his tiny chest rising and falling in perfect rhythm.
Goku looked up at Toji's suspended form, studying the mask that had become synonymous with his friend's identity in the minds of so many.
"I don't understand half of what she said," Goku admitted with a small smile. "But I think she was trying to tell me you're fighting your way back somehow."
He shifted Megumi gently in his arms, careful not to wake him.
"I don't know if that's possible. I don't know if anyone can escape... wherever you are. But if anyone could do it, it would be you."
His voice softened as he made a simple, heartfelt promise: "I'll keep him safe until you come back. And you will come back - I'm sure of it."
As Goku prepared to leave, something caught his eye - a single drop of condensation forming on the inside of Toji's preservation chamber, directly over his mask's breathing apparatus.
The scientists had assured everyone that the stasis field prevented any change whatsoever to the environment within the sphere.
Yet there it was - a single droplet, trembling as if affected by some unseen force.
Goku watched, transfixed, as the drop finally fell, coinciding perfectly with Megumi suddenly awakening and making the mechanical breathing sound once more.
Inhale. Exhale.
The timing sent a chill down Goku's spine - not of fear, but of something like anticipation. He stared at this anomaly for a long moment before a smile slowly spread across his face.
"See you soon, Toji," he whispered, turning to leave.
As they descended the steps, Megumi looked back at the tomb and waved his tiny hand. "Bye-bye, Dada," he said.
Above them, the massive Vader helmet sculpture atop the tomb cast its shadow across the imperial city as the blue star began to set, a silent sentinel watching over the empire until its lord returned.
And somewhere in the depths of Hell, chains continued to clink.
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(Author note: Hello everyone! I hope you all enjoyed the chapter!
Do tell me how you found it.
Tell me, do you have any idea what the old Seer was speaking of? (I based her existence on the oracle fish, and Baba and the like.)
Well, I hope to see you all later,
Bye!)