Chapter Forty
Mnemosyne of Perses
Planet Tartarus, Sacred Domain.
"Oh ye still here," Hephaestus griped as soon as he spotted him headed towards the hut, "Come to bring me the coin you owe me, 'ave ye?"
"I need to talk to you," Gohan uttered, ignoring the noise of disapproval that escaped the old Blacksmith.
Try as he might, he couldn't sleep for the rest of the night. He was far too restless, the images that had manifested before him in the middle of the dark woodland played in his mind on repeat. So instead, he had waited. He had waited until the deep red Tartarian suns peeped over the horizon, before he packed away his camp and set out to find some answers.
"Wha' abou' exactly, kid? I'm a busy man you know."
"Oh, yeah," he said dubiously, "I suppose that these villagers are always after the odd sword or shield to help them win their next epic battle. Sorry."
"Shove it!" Hephaestus growled, "Wha' is it ye want?"
Gohan lowered his voice, "I've been seeing things."
"I ain't no therapist, kid - you're better off findin' a quack -."
"No, that's not what I meant," he said, pointing to the pendent around his neck, "It's the Diamas, it's doing something… weird."
"Is tha' righ'?" He sniffed, intrigued, "Well, ye had better come roun' the back."
The Blacksmith's hut was small, yet Hephaestus had utilised the space well. Bolts and brackets lined every inch of the wall, filled with rows upon rows of impressive-looking armour, shields, swords, axes and other ancient weapons that Gohan would definitely have to look up to remember the names of.
He gestured Gohan to sit on a wooden stool near the roaring furnace, its heat much more oppressive at this distance.
"Shame ain't it," Hephaestus grunted, following his gaze, "Ye weren't wrong, not got much use for 'em nowadays but I still like to keep 'em. Should be in a museum really, but no one wants to look at this sorta junk. So I've been told."
Gohan couldn't help but feel a little saddened by that, he had certainly grown to appreciate swords at the very least. He had to admit that he did feel rather lost not having Z around.
"You've got some nice pieces here," he found himself saying.
"Nice?!" Hephaestus chortled, "Some of this armour is nearly as old as the planet itself! And I should know, I've got a bit of Tartarian blood in me on me mum's side. Well diluted o'course now, not one pure-bloodied speck of 'em left."
He whistled, admiring a bronze shield emblazoned with a fire-breathing bird, "Beautiful craftsmanship they 'ad. And I'm not just talkin' abou' the Diamas, ye ever 'ear of the legend of the Z-Sword?"
He tried to look innocent enough, as the Blacksmith sat down in the chair opposite.
"Oh yeah, I have actually - I mean, a little bit."
"Me grandaddy used ta say that the ancient Gods commissioned the Tartarian 'smithies to make a hilt for that very sword - out of Diamas crystals would you believe! Melted 'em down and everythin'!" He spouted, leaning back in his seat and picking at his teeth, "Could be bollocks o'course, myths and legends mostly are."
Gohan said nothing, slowly digesting the tale. Whis had never told him that, all he knew was that the blade was forged at the heart of some dying star - he had imagined the hilt had been too.
"So about yer Diamas, it givin' you nightmares or summit?"
"Not exactly," he admitted, "I'm not really sure how, but I think I'm seeing the memories trapped within it, but they aren't in any kind of order or anything - that's impossible right?"
"Maybe not so," Hephaestus said thoughtfully, "Do ye know if the person's whose memories ye 'ave had Tartarian blood?"
"I-I think so," Gohan said tentatively, careful not to reveal too much.
"Well then, there's yer answer!" He clapped his large hands together loudly, "Maybe that's how ye can see 'em, if yer fella had family or whatever from Tartarus it makes sense!"
"It does?"
"O' course! It sounds like the key to unlockin' it don't 'ave to be the person's actual livin' blood, but the blood of their kin," said Hephaestus, "I'm sure there's some old burial sites aroun' 'ere somewhere, maybe if ye get closer to it then the Diamas migh' pick up on someone yer fella's related to. Migh' make the memories a bit easier to navigate an' all."
It made sense, a lot of sense actually. Especially in regards to the legend he spoke of. In fact, a hilt made out of Diamas crystal would explain how the Z-Sword could only be wielded by him. Since Gohan had managed to pull the relic out of its rocky prison all those years ago, he had forged a bond with it that had become unrivalled.
He had thought that their bond may have been caused by some celestial force, but it now appeared that the truth ran much deeper, more personal than that.
And if the crystal bonded to a person's blood, then it might mean that the longer he stayed on this planet, then the more of Perses' memories he could bring forth.
That stupid broken Gateway may have been a blessing in disguise after all.
"Any idea where I might find one of these burial sites?" Gohan asked, as Hephaestus frowned in thought.
"Dionysus is ye best bet," he told him, "Bin 'ere years 'e has, knows the planet like the back of 'is hand. Ye find 'im, yer'll find one o' those places."
Gohan could have wrapped Hephaestus in an enormous bear hug, but instead settled on two large bags of coin for which the old Blacksmith was extremely grateful for.
He even sent him off with a new sword, longer and much lighter than his trusty Z-Sword - but he reasoned that it could serve as some sort of decoy should he need it later. That, and he really missed fighting with a sword, solely relying on Ki-blades felt a little unnatural.
With the Tartarian blade strapped to his back in a handmade leather sheathe, he decided to follow Hephaestus' instructions and headed for the old tavern suited on the other side of the village. Apparently Dionysus had a bit of a drinking problem, but Hephaestus assured him that it was only morning and therefore he might not be too inebriated to speak with him.
A little apprehensive, but by no means undeterred, Gohan pushed open the rickety doors of the pub and surprisingly found it fairly busy. He reasoned that there probably wasn't much else to do on this miserable world.
The tavern was dark and dingy, with several rounded steel tables dotted about the place. Ragged pieces of cloth covered broken windows, the odd splotch of sunlight dappled over the murky coloured walls. His boots were sticky against the hard wood floor as he stepped inside, noticing how the soft murmur of voices stopped abruptly and all eyes looked towards him.
So much for being inconspicuous, he thought.
Gohan kept the hood of his cloak over his head, ignoring the stares and whispers that followed him, and headed for the bar at the back of the room.
The red-skinned bartender was busy polishing a glass behind the long steel bar, as he slid onto the stool in front of him.
"What will it be, traveller?" He asked, not even bothering to look at him.
Gohan's eyes ran the length of the various labelled bottles on the wall above the man's head. Picking one at random and praying it wasn't too potent, he inclined his head towards a tall slim bottle at his eye level.
"Ouza."
The barman raised his eyebrow, "Oh the hard stuff eh? You must have had a rough morning, kid."
He grimaced, as the luminous blue liquid was poured into a small shot glass in front of him. He stared at it apprehensively as the barman continue to eye him. Not wishing to raise suspicion, he relented - and downed it in one.
He shuddered, the strong taste of pure alcohol lingering on his tongue. Seemingly satisfied, the barman poured him another.
"I'm looking for a man called Dionysus, have you seen him?"
"Dionysus?" He frowned, "What's your business with him? He owe you money?"
"Something like that," said Gohan, as the barman let out a heavy sigh.
"Daft ol' geezer, he never learns," he said, before pointing to a darkened table in the corner, "He's over there, just try not to make too much of a mess."
Placing a few coins on the bar, Gohan grabbed his drink and made his way towards the slumped figure. The repugnant smell of stale mead hit his nostrils as he sat down, pushing away the collection of empty glasses so that he could rest his own glass on the cool steel surface.
Dionysus didn't move. He was so still that he could have been mistaken for a corpse. Yet Gohan could feel his life energy, so swiftly gave him a hard poke in the arm.
The man grunted, but didn't wake. He tried again, a little harder this time so that his whole body shook - but nothing.
"Damned drunk," He griped.
"Who you's callin' a drunk?" A mumble came from beneath the heap of mottled hair and clothes. "Cheek of it."
"Oh so you are awake?" Gohan quirked, as the man began to move.
"Wasn't sleepin', jus' restin' me eyessss," Dionysus slurred, glassy eyed as he lifted his head, "What d'ya want? Do I owe ye money?"
"No," he replied.
"Then piss off."
Gohan didn't, and roughy prodded him again, "I need to speak with you, Hephaestus sent me."
"'E can get fucked an' all," he grumbled, "Pokin' 'is nose in where 'e shouldn't."
He sighed, sitting back in his chair. He didn't have the patience for this. He could wait for Dionysus to sober up, but he could really do without babysitting - the amount of times he'd spend nursing Makhai's hangovers were enough for an afterlife.
He might have to throw his weight around to get him to talk, but it could be too risky. Someone might recognise him and alert Perses and his entourage to his presence.
His eyes scanned the patrons as he absentmindedly took another sip of his drink, forgetting how potent it was until he swallowed it.
As he attempted to bare the fire that nearly burnt through his oesophagus, whispered mutterings broke out amongst a group of aliens on the next table over.
"… didn't you hear?"
"Terrible, terrible."
"Bad luck is what it is, didn't Frieza blow up their planet once before? And now this -."
"Hang on, you talkin' about what happened to Namek - ?"
"Yes, awful."
Gohan's ears pricked, tearing himself away from a now snoring Dionysus and towards the four aliens that were closely huddled together.
"Excuse me, did you say Namek?" He asked.
The horned one looked him up and down, "Why yes lad, Namek. You didn't hear?"
"Hear what?"
"It was attacked again, wasn't it?" They said, nudging the smaller woman in the ribs so that she could get a better look at him, "Poor peaceful people as well, such a shame."
"It was attacked?!" Gohan gaped, panicked, "By who?"
"Don't know," another haggard woman shook her head, "Galactic Patrol has been all over it, apparently some sort of fight broke out -."
"Weren't no fight from what I heard," a short man told them, "An outright battle is what it was - Namekians didn't stand a chance."
"No one survived to tell the tale, s'far as we know," the woman said, shaking her head, "Whoever did it massacred the lot of them. Been a bit of that about lately - more than the usual if you know what I mean."
The first woman nodded, "I heard it was one of them."
The man scoffed, lowering his voice to a whisper, "How can you be so sure? The Destroyers wouldn't have a reason -."
"I'm just saying," she pressed, sipping her drink, "I heard that the planet is completely gone. Nothing left. Not even space dust. You tell me who else is capable of that?!"
Gohan's blood ran cold, feeling sick to his stomach. They Destroyed them? He could reason a guess as to who was responsible - and why.
A damning thought came to mind, filling him with dread. Had Perses and Zamasu made a wish on the Namekian Dragonballs instead? Was it that mysterious girl with the wicked energy who had ended them all? Had his father and the others gotten mixed up in it? This battle they were on about? Is that why he hadn't heard from them?
Were they all…?
He held onto his empty glass, careful not to smash it completely to pieces. He wished he could contact his father, Whis, anyone so that he could figure out just what the hell was going on.
Frustrated, Gohan kicked Dionysus under the table.
"Oi! Wake up!"
The man yelped in both pain and surprise. He sat to full height, wrinkled eyes wide as Gohan leered towards him.
"Listen Dionysus, I need to know where the ancient Tartarian burial grounds are so you'd better sober the hell up - and fast."
"W-Wha'?" He spluttered, swaying a little on his stool, "An' why should I tell ye -?"
"Because I'm a very busy man with an incredibly short fuse," he glowered, grabbing him by the scruff of his neck if not to hold him steady, "Trust me, you do not want to test me today."
Dionysus gulped, as those dark eyes penetrated his very soul, "T-There's one left, c-close I fink. Deep in the ol' hills, ye g-gotta go right inside the v-valley."
"Which way?"
"Erm, I-I can't quite r-rememb -."
"Which way?"
"T-THAT WAY!" He cried, gaining the attention of the entire pub as he threw his arm out to his right.
"Thank you," said Gohan, swiftly releasing him so that his head nearly smacked off of the table.
He left the establishment with one swoop of his cloak, exiting the doors and ignoring the shocked crowd that stared wearily after him.
"Blimey Dionysus, what did you do this time? You owe him money or summit?"
"I dunno," he shrugged, settling back to his original slumped position, "Probably."
Gohan ran a hand through his hair out of frustration, leaving the tavern far behind him. He hoped he had scared Dionysus sober enough for his directions to be correct.
He wasn't exactly certain what he was looking for. Perses himself had perished nearly fifteen-hundred years ago, so searching for any of his family members' remains hidden amongst the deep valley of cliffs and hills could prove to be futile.
Rolling hills boldly hugged the horizon in a dusky silhouette, the path towards it lay barren and uninviting. The outskirts of the village were far behind him, mere specks in the distance. The sky had darkened considerably, owing to the dark purplish clouds that had begun to creep banefully across the horizon. There was something dark and twisted about them, causing the hairs to stand upright on the back of his neck. Something cried out to him beyond the atmosphere, as a deep rumble of thunder rolled through the clouds.
It was unsettling.
His thoughts drifted to Planet Namek, but he would have to find out what had happened when he finally managed to pass through the gate.
"Again. You will not master Ultra Instinct simply just by powering up. Your body and mind need to come together in harmony. Your muscles should react before you've had time to think."
Whis' voice suddenly smacked him in the senses as a vulture-like bird squawked from somewhere high above. Oddly, it was the only life he had seen around for miles. Still, he reasoned that if the Diamas was already speaking to him, then he must be on the right path.
The air became even more bitter, and Gohan pulled his long cloak further up to his chin in a vain attempt to ward off the chill, but alas it only got worse as soon as he reached the vast valley where even the sunlight dared to tread.
"Who are you?" Came a voice, echoing over the rocky crevices.
"Dear boy, my name is Whis. And this is the Destroyers world."
A whisper of silver particles drifted into his line of sight, breezing past him and disappearing further into the valley. He followed on instinct, the walls of rock and dust rose higher and higher the deeper he followed, a culmination of voices twittered just on the edge of hearing, but he couldn't make out what all of them were saying.
"You can do this, Perses. I believe in you."
"FATHER! COME BACK!"
The sudden shout startled him as the light grew brighter. He could see something glowing up ahead, but every time he got near, it would move further away - just out of reach.
"You hold the power of life and death in your hands."
Gohan stilled - that voice.
A ghostly figure revealed itself, stepping out of the shadows. A sense of foreboding rose within him, twisting at his insides and prompting a sickening sense of anger to rise within him as soon as he got a good look at their face.
"This power of yours is a gift, my friend," said Zamasu, "It matters not how it came to be. The power of Destruction and rebirth - the perfect balance. You are more than the path laid out for you. I can see that, Lord Perses, and the rest of them cannot because they have an infantile perception of how the cosmos should be."
He reached a hand towards him in solidarity, "You have my unwavering devotion."
Zamasu's form disintegrated all too suddenly, as a throng of teenagers ran right through him. A white glow hummed around them, leaving clouds of silver dust in their wake.
"Come on, Perses! What are you waiting for?" A boy called back over his shoulder, dressed in similar battle armour to the others. "Metis is going to MURDER us if we're late!"
"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Perses trudged behind them, rolling his eyes in annoyance.
His wavy dark hair bounced about his shoulders, he looked around fifteen or sixteen - not quite a young man just yet.
"If you keep rushing me then it won't just be Metis' wrath you'll be dealing with."
"Ooooh!" The teens cackled.
"Sorry Major General," the first boy teased, "Want me to shine your boots for you? After all, we all know what bootlicking does for your career in the army, don't we? Helps if your Daddy's the one who pulls the strings though doesn't it?"
The others laughed and jeered as Perses' cheeks tinged pink with anger. "That's not - !"
They were gone before he could protest any further, running off and leaving Perses and another boy behind.
"He didn't mean it like that…," the boy started, he had long hair like Perses only his was straighter and pulled into a neat bun atop his head.
"Then how did he mean it?" Perses spat, "No one takes me seriously because of my father."
His friend, Gohan guessed, sighed and rested a reassuring hand on his shoulder, "They will, one day. Just give them time. You're more than your father's name Perses, and once you prove your strength they will soon eat their words."
Perses said nothing, he didn't seem sure.
"C'mon, when have I ever led you wrongly?" He teased.
Perses smirked at that, "Frequently, in fact. And if last night was any indication -."
"Get your mind out of the gutter," he scorned, although he was smirking too, "If your father should hear of such things -."
"Then he'll demote me back to where I belong? Here's hoping."
"No," the boy said sternly, he was serious this time, "You're going to suck it up and prove yourself to all of those idiots out there. You can do this, I believe in you."
"You do?"
"Always," he winked, his hand smoothed down his bicep and over his forearm, only stopping when he interlaced their fingers together, "You just have to believe in yourself."
"Thanks, Astrel," Perses said genuinely, leaning forwards.
"By the Kais, none of that!" Astrel squawked, turning on his heel and dragging Perses by the hand, "You won't be proving anythingif Metis skins you alive - me included! Now let's go - !"
Their laugher reverberated around him in a joyful sound that seemed alien to hear coming from Perses' lips. As their wispy forms retreated around a cavernous corner, Gohan was left momentarily stunned.
He felt a little strange, having witnessed something so playful and… private. Perses was certainly not the type of being he had imagined as having mortal qualities, even though he knew that he was once just that - well, half of one at least.
Yet just like Gohan, Perses had a life before Whis had plucked his soul from its journey to the Otherworld. He had friends, family, someone he liked. He had goals and expectations, and all the uncertainties and insecurities that came along with it.
He had only ever imagined Perses as he was now. Dangerous and unhinged. Evil. It was beyond strange to see him as anything but that.
His boots shifted on the cold hard earth as he continued forwards towards the soft light. He could barely see the suns now, and a misty wet fog had started to inch its way past his ankles, coming up just above his knees.
It intermingled with another apparition up ahead. Mist had become debris, the cluster of damp rock surrounding him became the backdrop of space that encompassed three familiar spectres.
"Not bad," Lord Beerus nodded in approval, surveying the empty blackness, "I didn't even have to lift a finger to clean up any stragglers."
"Thank you, Lord Beerus," Perses grinned, his garb pristine this time around, "I actually found it rather satisfying."
"A great utilisation of Destruction energy," Whis complimented in kind, "You have come a long way indeed. You managed to eradicate the galaxy in one, I daresay its people would not have noticed the peril they were in until they saw the Hakai flash - an excellent way to ensure minimal suffering. Well done."
The mist grew denser and Gohan nearly stumbled. It was getting more and more difficult to see.
Whis and Lord Beerus melted away, and Perses stood still and alone.
"Perses," came another grating voice that sounded not unlike his mentor's, "What is it that fuels the Hakai within you?"
"BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!"
A shriek like no other tore from the fog. It was like a thousand nails had raked across his skull. Head spinning, Gohan pressed himself against the wall, as a small grotesque figure flung itself wildly through the air and towards the beaten and bloodied figures on the ground.
They screamed and howled, as the monster savagely ripped them apart. They tried to run, to hide, to fight back - but it was no use. The Sacred Realm of the Kais was laid to ruin, and soon the Kais were too. Rampant Ki blasts soon died out, and the sound of explosions were quelled as the beast Gohan recognised as Majin Buu's original form obediently came to rest at its master's side.
His chest tightened, as he recognised the Supreme Kai crawling along the ground towards Perses' feet.
"W-Why?" Shin coughed, blood dripping down his chin, "L-Lord P-Perses, I-I don't u-understand - !"
"I won't indulge your primitive mind Shin," Perses spoke with venom, "Now where is the Grand Supreme Kai? It would be a better use of my time to eliminate him and Beerus in one sitting."
"I-I won't l-let you -."
"You wish to stop me?" He laughed darkly, "You are the weakest of them all. Even more so than the Kai I Destroyed in those other petulant universes."
Shin's eyes widened in horror, "I-It was y-you? YouDestroyed e-everyone in universes thirteen to e-eighteen?!"
"Oh please, it can't be that difficult to believe when I'm standing over your corpses, can it?"
Tears escaped his eyes, mourning for his fellow Kai. Slowly, he opened his mouth to speak, but Perses was already upon him.
He cried out, as the Junior Destroyer grabbed him roughly by the mohawk and yanked his head up to meet his deadly gaze.
"Spare me the truth, for I know what I am," Perses scorned, "It is the blood of the Kai that has allowed me to create this creature of justice that is so desperately needed. A FAR better use of my power, wouldn't you agree Supreme Kai?"
"I- I -!"
"Was this the Gods plan all along? Was this how you wished to useme?!" He roared, head-butting Shin in the face and causing more blood to spew forth.
Shin all but whimpered, and Perses discarded him like a sack of potatoes. He was alive, but barely.
He spat to the floor, "As pathetic as you are, you do not deserve salvation. I will make it so that you watch this universe fall to ruin. Pity that my dear mother could not live long enough to see it."
"G-Gaia…," Shin wept, "I-I'm sorry."
"Save your prayers," Perses snapped, kicking him so hard in the stomach that he fell silent, "Once I'm through with rewriting the cosmos, there will be no Gods left to save you."
As the Supreme Kai fell unconscious, Perses looked around, spotting a winding cliff that stood tall at the centre of a glistening lake in the distance.
Something a top the structure caught in the sunlight, and glinted.
"There you are," he grinned to himself, stepping over Shin's crumpled form, "And I believe that's where the Grand Supreme Kai will be waiting. GO, MAJIN BUU!"
The monster's subsequent screech faded into the darkness along with the Kais scared realm.
Nothing but inky blackness greeted him. His eyes struggled to adjust after so much exposure to flashing light. His skin crawled unexpectedly, even though he knew that Shin had indeed survived Perses' attack on the Kai, it still made him feel uncomfortable.
Golden Ki warmed his finger tips, his energy chasing away the darkness and sending it retreating to the shadows. He followed the curvature of the stone through a tight passageway in the depths of the hills, the air growing colder and wetter by the second.
"Daddy…"
A small voice called out, a childish giggle followed.
"Daddy! Come and play!"
A little boy of around four or five stepped into the light, gazing directly at Gohan. For a moment, he could have sworn that he was addressing him.
"Come on, Dad!"
He took off at a run, and Gohan had no choice but to sprint after him. He ducked out of the way of rocky spikes and boulders that protruded out of the walls, squeezing tightly through several crevices that the little boy certainly had no problem fitting through.
He coughed, a spiders web batting him in the face as he forced his wide shoulders through another gap.
"Hey! Wait!" Gohan shouted after him, unsure as to why as the child was clearly nothing more than a memory.
"This way!" He giggled, crouching under a mass of rocks and into an even smaller cave.
Gohan skidded on his hands and knees in an effort to try and fit - when the ground underneath him gave way.
He yelped, unprepared for the sudden fall. He pushed his Ki under him just in time to stop himself from falling several hundred metres into darkness.
He blew out a breath of relief, hovering himself carefully downwards - his energy still glowing brightly. When his feet touched the ground again, it took him several moments to realise where he was.
Gohan looked up at the large hole in the ceiling he had created, the Ki in his hand lapped at the shadows and over what was left of the stone roof. What was once a beautiful mosaic had now pretty much crumbled to dust.
Cracked white pillars stood in a hexagon formation surrounding him, decorated tombstones and pieces of art and armour lined the dark, damp walls.
He whipped around, realising he had landed in some sort of ancient mausoleum.
"Daddy, where are you?"
The boy darted past him, no longer laughing. His soft sobs penetrated the eerie calmness, but Gohan could no longer see him.
"Come back!"
Another shout forced its way past his ears, startling him. It was still as desperate, but older - and sounded more like Perses.
Light had inched its way forwards as Gohan flinched, settling on a dust laden tomb in the centre of the mausoleum, just a few feet away from where he stood.
He read the inscription on the side, and was only able to make out one word:
Aether
He tried to ignore the goosebumps that erupted all over his skin, and instead made to uncover the copious amounts of moss that had tarnished the stone -
KA-ZIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!
The Diamas around his neck surged with such light and force that it dazzled him. He could not prise his hands away from Aether's tomb, momentarily glued to the spot as brilliant silver particles exploded outwards and destroyed every inch of darkness in the nearest vicinity.
Garish white and silver ghosts sprang up all around him, each one depicting a different memory. From the small child running past his feet to the two young teens sharing a kiss in the forest. He saw Aether, tall and strong face off against an older Perses in a sparring match, and a ways off - that same Perses commanding a fleet of soldiers.
Ki blasts flew through the air in rapid succession, a clash of swords, a splatter of blood - depicting battles that were now ingrained in history books. On the other side of the mausoleum, he spotted Whis and Lord Beerus standing over a bewildered looking Perses, complete with halo, who had no doubt just landed on the Destroyer's world.
Everything moved and came to life, one after the other, in rapid succession. It was so bright, each memory burned painfully onto his retinas, but Gohan could not tear his gaze away.
"Do you think my father has found peace in the Otherworld?"
"My boy," said Whis curiously, "What makes you say such a thing?"
Perses sighed, sat near the lake on Lord Beerus' planet - Gohan knew it well.
"You have many regrets," Whis said, when he received no reply, "It does not do well to dwell on them, Perses. Your duty to the cosmos demands it so."
"You've fought well - stay back -."
"Please, don't - !"
"Grand Zeno is not fit to rule over the cosmos, surely you see that?"
Another scene appeared right in front of him, Perses and Zamasu were taking tea and talking in hushed tones.
"Of course I see it," said Zamasu carefully, "But this level of blasphemy…"
"Call it blasphemy if you will," Perses scoffed, slamming his cup back on the saucer. It cracked. "You haven't seen what I have seen - the way the Gods snivel to that petulant little child! It doesn't make sense! The Divine Law, the Council - even the Grand Priest - NONE of it matters if the Omni-King decides he is bored of us and decides to make a new multiverse - so why not beat him to it?"
Zamasu paused, "I gave you my loyalty. But this…"
"Just imagine it, Zamasu," he pressed, "A cosmos teeming with life, no Destruction, no corrupted Gods -."
"We would have to obliterate everything firstly, how do you think - ?"
"They would only know what they have been given once we start anew, not what they have lost," he said. "A beautiful utopia will rise from the ashes."
"That does sound glorious," said Zamasu, a sadistic grin forming on his lips, "But how do you propose we achieve such a thing -?"
"We will need the Divine wishing orbs," said Perses, "And the Z-Sword."
"The Z-Sword?" He blinked in confusion, "The ancient relic that resides in your universes sacred realm? But why - ?"
Just as Perses opened his mouth to divulge the information, a magnificent blast of light swept the pair away. A bone-quaking roar nearly shook the mausoleum apart, and bolts of silvery lightening snapped and crackled overhead.
A gargle of strange words floated towards him over the storm, and when Gohan was able to think straight he realised that it was Divine language. The roar of the dragon deafened him again, as Perses' unmistakable shout intermingled with the quaking shock of thunder.
"Divine dragon! Rid me of this mortal stain and grant me the life of a true God - my body a vessel to withstand the greatest power in the cosmos!"
"IT SHALL BE DONE."
The Dragon's snarl intermingled with another booming shout, the light continued to swell until it settled on another memory.
"Is there a problem?" Metis asked.
Gohan surveyed the ghostly figures that manifested before him. Perses and Metis were stood in a makeshift hospital, rows upon rows of injured soldiers lay haphazardly upon stone cots surrounding them.
Perses turned away, as a nurse pulled a white sheet over another soldiers face, shielding his dead eyes from view.
"We lost so many," he said quietly, his own armour battered and bloodied.
Metis surveyed him for a moment, "There is always a price to be payed."
"It was my fault," said Perses, eyes downcast, "They were following my orders."
His mentors stoic expressed faltered for but a moment, clasping a strong hand on his shoulder, "Perses, this is war. As Tartarians, it is our job to lead - it is in our blood."
Perses angrily shrugged him off, "Clearly, not mine! You said it yourself Metis - I'm not cut out for this - !"
"I am trying to teach you!" Metis glowered, "I am trying to teach you how to lead, how to survive! Not just for your father's sake but for yoursake too! And to do that you are going to have to fight!"
"But what if I don't want - !"
"Then you'll DIE!"
"You need to make a choice! END IT NOW!"
"FATHER - NO!"
"HA! Lord Beerus did you see that - I got you!" Another Perses teased, smiling cheekily at the Destroyer stood across from him.
"You got lucky, boy!"
"That's great Perses, good job!" Aether knelt down to a boy of around eight or nine years and grinned. "You're getting stronger."
"Thanks Dad," Perses smiled bashfully, as the man affectionally ruffled his hair.
"Don't forget, Perses," Whis said gently, "You may have power, but it is our choiceswho show who we really are, far more than are abilities."
"Don't leave me…"
"… if you want to be the next God of Destruction."
"I can't do this anymore, Astrel -."
"I love you - can't you see that! Why do you have to do this alone?!"
"You owe to it your father."
"Hakai!"
A cacophony of voices flung at him, thick and fast. He couldn't keep up. His brain was burning. It was too much, way too much - he felt, sick, dizzy. He couldn't let go of the tomb. He couldn't scream or yell. He was suffocating.
The light kept flashing so violently he thought he might start to seizure - until it stopped.
Gohan collapsed sidewards onto Aether's tomb, struggling to stay upright as a single memory drifted into focus.
Perses emerged from the silvery shadows, bowing respectfully to the Oracle Fish who hovered before him.
"Lord Perses," the Seer observed with glowing aqua eyes, "You have sought me out again, I see."
"Seer," he replied, keeping his head bowed for a moment too long, "I only seek your guidance."
"I have already told you what will come to pass, young Lord," she stated, her voice stern, "Your insistence is bordering on obsessive - I should not have revealed the path that lies ahead."
"The Divine make mistakes, do they not?" As the words unfolded on his tongue, his tone became more sinister, "Surely you do not think yourself so highly as to be exempt from that fact?"
The Oracle remained silent.
"Answer me, Seer," he said, anger rising, "And so it will come to pass, you will incur this mortals wrath - was this not the prophecy that YOU foretold?!"
"I advise you go back to your training with Whis, Lord Perses. He will start to wonder where you have gone -."
"From the ashes of destruction a beast shall be re-awoken, the light to cast out the shadows you'll bring!" He cried, relaying the rest of the prophecy back to her, "Renewed shall be the blade that was broken, the blade made for the Almighty King!"
"My Lord -."
"Two damned souls bound for one another, they bare the sin of both father and mother," Perses continued to chant, the stark light in his eyes grew so intensely that they almost burned white, "Into the darkest river shall they descend… and THEN what?! What comes next?"
"The ripple of the river is unpredictable, the current ever changing," The Seer sighed almost sadly, "The flow is still uncertain, my Lord. All I know is that my prediction remains the same. You will face off against this mortal and then I'm afraid -."
"That isn't what I'm asking, and you know it," Perses glowered, gritting his teeth. The calm, respectful demeanour had long gone, he was no longer pretending.
She hesitated. "I do not know of this mortals name, nor if they even exist quite yet. It is like I said before, my Lord. The most important time is now, you may still have time to change this path, your Destiny -."
"I know my Destiny!" He bellowed, wispy flames tore from his throat, "And it is notgoing to end with my destruction, much less by a nameless lowly mortal conjured up by a ridiculous goldfish!"
"Lord Perses!" She gasped, hurt by his venomous words. "You are still a young Destroyer, and understandably upset, so I will pretend that I didn't hear that."
"Upset?!" Perses laughed, but it was borderline sadistic, "I'm not upset, Seer, not by any means. No, it just gives me drive to ensure that my Destiny changes."
"W-Well, I'm glad you see it my way -."
"I will ensure that your little fortune never comes to pass," He smirked, madly, "For you see, Whis told me something very interesting last night. Something that you yourself have kept close to your little black heart ever since we first met all those centuries ago. Tell me, you see all do you not? What do you think it might be?"
The little fish closed her eyes, breathing out a regretful breath of air, "I-It was not for me to tell you. Your mother -."
"My mother, the Supreme Kai of the Western quadrant of our universe," he stated lowly, venom dripping from his tongue, "I did wonder why my father never told me what I truly am, nor Whis or Lord Beerus after three-hundred years of living on this pestilent world. But their purpose for keeping that wretchedsecret from me is irrelevant, for I now see the path paved out before me so much more clearly."
"Y-You do?"
"I am two sides of the same coin," said Perses, grinning widely from ear to ear, "A perfect culmination of both Creation and Destruction, two opposing halves made whole! An Almighty being no God nor mortal could stand against. I have seen the truth Seer, I am the only being in the entire multiverse capable of saving this miserable existence from itself!"
Tears sprang into her eyes, "Young Lord, what you speak of - i-it's madness! I implore you, please do not allow yourself to be consumed by hate! If you continue down this path then you will meet your end -!"
"ENOUGH!"
White flames erupted, unfurling outwards like a shockwave and crashing against the walls. The silvery image of the Oracle Fish was flung backwards against something hard, and she crashed to the ground in a heap.
Broken shards of glass spewed out all over the ground as her fishbowl shattered, and she was left defenceless - flapping and gasping for breath.
Perses approached, the heal of his boot breaking her staff in two with an ear-grating snap.
"How pathetic you look, Seer," he observed, enjoying the sound of her rattling breath, "So full of wisdom yet it is sorely misplaced. Don't worry your little fish brain, I will keep you alive - for now. You have done me a great service in revealing the future. Just one more thing before I leave you half-dead - gasp twice if the blade in your fortune relates to the legendary Z-Sword upon the Kais world."
She gasped and gasped, her gills beginning to lose light.
Perses smirked, watching her writhe, "I see."
He conjured a small drinking glass full of what Gohan presumed to be water and plopped her inside by her fin. She was still struggling to stay conscious, trying and failing to form words as Perses' image began to merge with the rest of the furnace.
"I would save your breath, if I were you," he told her, not once looking back, "No doubt Whis and Lord Beerus will come searching for me soon, but I will be long gone by the time they find you here."
The blaze intensified into a magnificent crescendo, the inferno reaching the high ceiling in another dazzling explosion of silver fire and light. Gohan struggled to hold on, the winds were so powerful that he had to dig his fingers into the grooves in the tomb. His hair blew back off his face, attacking his eyeballs and causing them to dry out.
He gritted his teeth as the imagine morphed, and the Oracle's voice thrummed over the mausoleum in an eerie dissonant chant.
"And so it will come to pass, he will incur this mortals wrath,
From the ashes of destruction a beast shall be re-awoken…"
Fire and smoke continued to smoulder, depicted by the light. A battlefield spread keen and sharply over the mausoleum floor, and corpses appeared in various states of slaughter. Two red suns hung low in the sky above the battlefield - this was Tartarus.
He spotted the body of Metis a few feet away, a spear penetrated right through his heart. An older Astrel lay beaten and bloodied on the ground, calling out for the lone figure standing in front of him - but the roar of the Oracle's prophecy was so loud Gohan couldn't hear what he was saying.
" The light to cast out the shadows he'll bring…"
Perses stood in the centre of a mass of Tartarian bodies, his armoured chest plate broken completely from his right shoulder. He was in much the same sorry state as his comrades, but at least he was still standing.
His face was laced with fury. A dark impregnable aura surrounded his muscular frame - a ferocious scream penetrating the air as he charged towards his foe.
"You can do this, Perses. I believe in you," Aether said from somewhere on the battlefield, but his image faltered as quickly as it had come.
" Renewed shall be the blade that was broken…"
There was a deafening sound that blasted overhead, along with a bloodcurdling scream.
"What are you doing, Perses?! Finish this, son! End it NOW!"
"I'm not finished!" Perses bellowed, coming back into view, blood that was not his own slashed wetly to his exposed torso, "They need to pay for what they have done!"
"And you need to make a choice!" Aether cried with a mixture of frustration and bewilderment, "END IT NOW!"
"The blade made for the Almighty King…"
A cataclysmic explosion, a burst of vibrant silver and Perses was indisposed. He trembled, collapsed onto his hands and knees and unable to stand.
"You have failed oh 'mighty' Perses!" Came a spiteful, snarling voice, "Say goodbye to your precious planet!"
Perses lifted his head towards his foe, and in that moment, Gohan could see and feel every emotion that flashed through his eyes. Guilt, fear, rage, frustration.
Hopelessness.
And then, as the old story goes, a strong saviour appeared beside him in the blink of an eye. The spoils and torture of battle raged around them in a series of calamitous glowing winds, the Oracle's chants whispering over the torturous moment that passed between father and son.
" Two damned souls bound for one another…"
Perses looked in shock towards his father, who all but clapped him on the shoulder and smiled.
"F-Father?"
"You've fought well, Perses," said Aether, conjuring a long jagged sword in his grasp as he beheld him with an air of sadness and determination, "You have proven yourself beyond measure."
"What are you -?" He blundered, "N-No, you can't! I should have stopped - I still CAN - !"
"Rest now, stay back."
Perses' cry was hoarse, "Father - ! Please, don't! W-Wait, don't do this!"
But Aether was already gone.
"FATHER - NO!"
" They bare the sin of both father and mother…"
"FATHER - !"
"Into the darkest river shall they descend…"
"COME BACK!"
Perses' scream was unlike anything he had ever heard before. Hoarse and otherworldly. It drummed through his chest and caused his bones to tremble. It was as though the rage and sadness ate away at his body as the light intensified and he melted away completely.
Then everything happened all at once.
Silver lightening ripped across the mausoleum and sent stray bolts flying. One squarely hit Aether's tomb, obliterating the stone with one loud CRACK.
Dust and bone spewed forth and over Gohan as it fell to pieces underneath him. Aether's tortured dying cries exploded into his mind and pain tore at every inch of his body. The light blinded him, leaving him scrambling in a heap of dirt and decay.
He was vaguely aware of his own screams, but couldn't tell where his ended and Perses and his father's began. He grasped the Diamas with both hands, trying to snatch it from his neck - but it wouldn't budge. It was so hot that it had melded to the flesh on his chest, burning a hole straight through his skin.
It glowed fiercely, brighter than looking directly into a solar flare. He closed his eyes tightly shut but even still the light fought its way into his vision.
Flames danced and gathered into rampaging twister that span the length of the mausoleum and enveloped both him and Aether's remains. His hair and cloak whipped sharply about him from the gale force, fighting to catch his breath.
It swept him off his feet and further into the unknown. An ocean of impenetrable light encompassed him, he couldn't see a thing! His power - he couldn't grasp it! He couldn't get out, he was trapped.
A voice called out to him.
"You put up a good fight Gohan, I'm so proud of you."
No. Not this.
"Tell your mother that I'm sorry. Tell her that I had to do this, Gohan."
He felt the hopelessness. The sorrow, the fear, the rage the guilt all over again. He couldn't think straight.
"Goodbye, my son."
"Dad… don't go!" The strangled cry wrenched from his throat before he was able to process the words that came forth.
And then, strong arms wrapped around him. Catching him as he fell. The winds had died out, chased away by something familiar and warm. As though he had heard.
The chest he collided with rumbled with a nervous chuckle. He smelled like earth and grit and a soft sweetness that reminded him of the same washing powder his mother had used for years.
"Woah! It worked!"
Dad…
He had made it to the Gateway. He had no idea how but right now it didn't matter.
The twister of blinding light was no more, replaced only by a dimmer whiteish glow from the now open gate. His father was shocked, unprepared for Gohan collapsing into his arms as soon as he had set foot on Tartarus.
Gohan couldn't catch his breath, his gasps were coming up short as he desperately tried to force air into his lungs. He could feel the wetness on his cheeks, his eyes stung and his throat burned as he tried and failed to get his words out.
"Hey Gohan, hey!" Goku started, bewildered, "What - ? A-Are you -? Oh my god -."
The Diamas fell loosely from his neck as his knees crashed to the ground, a fresh circular burn left sizzling on his chest. A pathetic rasping sob fell from his lips as he clutched desperately to his father's gi. He knew the others must be looking on dumbfounded by his reaction. But he couldn't help it.
Goku, as always, didn't care what anyone thought. He knelt down and clutched Gohan tightly to him - as though he was eleven years old on that terrible battlefield all over again.
Except.
"It'll be okay, Gohan."
This time…
"I'm here."
AN: Okay, this was a ride.
Thanks for all the love and comments - we're in the home stretch!
I really like how this chapter turned out, Perses is a character that needed some spotlight, and what better way to show his rise and fall but through memories with the revelation of the long awaited prophecy that was mentioned in the teen chapters?
I really hoped you got a kick out of this. Gohan collapsing into his Dad's arms at the end feels bittersweet. And did you notice the parallels between Gohan and Perses? Way to kick poor G when he's down.
This was a nice calm before the storm chapter for me. The next few are gonna be BIG and full of action. So please bare with me over the xmas period as I may not be able to post as regularly!
Really hope you enjoyed this chapter! Until next time!