Stars glittered like distant jewels across the infinite blackness of space, visible through the open ceiling of the Imperial Observatory.
The massive chamber - large enough to house a small battleship - served as Freeza's private throne room, a place where she could contemplate the empire that stretched across seventy percent of the known universe.
Her throne, carved from a material resembling obsidian but far more ancient and valuable, sat upon a raised dais in the center of the room.
Surrounding her, holographic displays flickered with real-time information from various sectors of her dominion - resource reports, military movements, scientific breakthroughs, all flowing like tributaries into the river of her awareness.
Freeza sat perfectly still, her white hair cascading down her shoulders, violet eyes fixed on the stars above.
She absently touched the side of her neck where Toji had choked her during their final encounter, the memory bringing both fury and something else - something she refused to name.
The conflicting emotions that had plagued her since leaving the jungle planet seemed to intensify with each passing day.
"How could I let this happen?" she murmured to the empty chamber, her voice echoing softly. "I am Freeza, Empress of the Universe. I do not feel... this."
Yet she did feel it. She felt rage at her own weakness. She felt confusion at the strange emptiness that had followed her departure from Toji and their child.
She felt... longing.
The admission, even to herself, was almost physically painful.
The stars above seemed to mock her indecision, their eternal constancy highlighting her recent emotional chaos.
They had witnessed her conquests across countless worlds, had illuminated the destruction of entire civilizations at her command.
Now they watched as she struggled with something as primitive as attachment.
"Pathetic," she hissed, her tail lashing against the throne's side.
"What is pathetic, daughter?"
The deep, cultured voice startled her, though she allowed no visible reaction to show.
King Cold had entered silently, his massive form somehow moving with perfect grace despite his imposing stature. At nearly nine feet tall, he dominated even the spacious observatory, his polished bio-armor gleaming in the starlight.
"Father," Freeza acknowledged, straightening in her throne. "I didn't hear you enter."
Cold moved forward, his footsteps deliberately audible now. "You were deep in thought. The observatory has always been your refuge when troubled, even when you were a child."
A child in age that is.
He joined her, standing beside the throne and looking up at the stars. His presence filled the massive room, somehow making it feel smaller than it is.
"Do you remember," he continued, his voice softer than one might expect from such an imposing figure, "how you used to name the constellations? You created entire mythologies for them - tales of conquest and glory."
"Childish fancies," Freeza dismissed, though the memory stirred something within her.
"Perhaps," Cold conceded. "Yet even then, your imagination surpassed your brother's. Cooler saw only strategic positions and resource opportunities. You saw... possibilities."
A moment of silence passed between them, not uncomfortable but filled with unspoken words and thoughts. Cold broke it by asking, "Are the preparations for Toji Fushiguro's arrival complete?"
Freeza's tail twitched - a subtle tell that didn't escape her father's notice. "The palace staff has been instructed. Quarters have been prepared in the royal wing, as you requested."
"And the heir's accommodations?"
"A nursery has been established adjacent to the father's quarters," Freeza replied tersely. "Tutors and attendants have been selected from our most loyal subjects."
Cold nodded, satisfied. "Excellent. And what of your own preparations, daughter? How will you greet the father of your child?"
"I have nothing to say to him," Freeza stated coldly.
"No?" Cold raised an eyebrow. "After sharing a month on a distant world? After creating life together? After abandoning them both?"
Freeza rose from her throne, moving to the edge of the observatory where the floor met the open air. "I did not abandon anyone. I simply returned to my rightful place."
"And left them to die?"
"He is perfectly capable of survival," Freeza snapped. "As you well know, given your insistence on bringing him here."
Cold studied his daughter's rigid posture, noting the tension in her shoulders. "Why did you flee, Freeza? It isn't like you to run from anything."
"I did not flee," she insisted, her voice dangerously low. "I made a strategic withdrawal to reassess the situation."
"Is that what we're calling it now?" Cold's lips curved in a small smile. "Very well. Have you completed your... strategic reassessment?"
Freeza turned sharply, changing the subject. "The Arcturian rebellion has been suppressed. Their leadership has been publicly executed as you ordered. The Eastern Quadrant reports a twelve percent increase in resource extraction this cycle."
Cold allowed the deflection, moving to examine one of the holographic displays. "Impressive. And what of the new hyperspace corridor through the Cygnus Sector? Has construction begun?"
"The slave labor force arrived three days ago. Work proceeds on schedule."
They continued discussing administrative matters for several minutes, Cold subtly steering the conversation back toward personal matters. "The child - Megumi, I believe his name is from Salza's reports, right?"
At this question Freeza's eyes narrowed for a but an instant- she didn't know if she liked the name.
'Blessing' it seems Toji has called their son, she found out from the data base of Earth's languages.
Cold broke her thoughts as he continued speaking. "The boy represents something unprecedented in our history."
Freeza tensed, . "What do you mean?"
"A hybrid of our species has never before existed," Cold explained, his scientific curiosity evident. "The genetic implications are fascinating. Will he manifest transformation abilities? Will he inherit your natural power level or develop more gradually like a human? Will he-"
"He is not an experiment," Freeza interrupted, surprising herself with the vehemence in her voice.
Cold's eyes narrowed slightly, though his expression remained pleasant. "Of course not. He is family. Cold Dynasty blood flows through his veins, regardless of his hybrid nature."
Freeza studied her father, noting the genuine interest in his voice when speaking of Megumi. It unsettled her, this apparent concern for family that seemed so at odds with other aspects of his character.
"Why don't you seem to care about Cooler's death?" she asked suddenly, her tone accusatory.
The question hung in the air between them, bold and dangerous. Cold's expression didn't change, but the temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees.
"What makes you think I don't care?" he asked quietly.
"You haven't mentioned him once since I returned," Freeza pressed, emboldened by her father's calm reaction.
"Your eldest son is dead, killed by a monkey, and you act as if nothing has happened. Not that I myself cared much for Cooler, but all this- all your talk of 'family above all' - it rings hollow when you show no grief for your own child."
Cold moved to stand directly before the starscape, his silhouette massive against the backdrop of space. For a long moment, he said nothing, his tail moving in slow behind him.
"Death," he finally said, his voice contemplative, "is not what most beings believe it to be."
Freeza frowned. "What do you mean?"
"In my long life," Cold continued, "I have studied many things. Ancient texts from civilizations long extinct. Religious practices of species we've conquered. Scientific principles beyond what our own researchers dare explore."
He turned to face her, his expression serious. "Death is not an end, daughter. It is merely a transition to another state of existence."
Freeza stared at him, genuinely surprised. "You believe in an afterlife? In souls?"
"I don't merely believe," Cold replied with absolute certainty. "I know. The soul continues. The body is but a vessel, temporary and replaceable."
Freeza had never heard her father speak this way.
Though she herself believed in some form of afterlife - having heard enough consistent accounts from conquered worlds to accept its probability, especially with the existence of the Dragon Balls - she hadn't expected such philosophical views from him.
"Is that why you don't mourn Cooler?" she asked, "Because you believe he still exists somewhere?"
"Cooler's death was..." Cold paused, choosing his words carefully, "...a necessary lesson. One he needed to experience."
Freeza's eyes widened. "You speak as if you planned it."
"Not planned," Cold corrected. "Anticipated. Your brother's arrogance had grown unchecked for too long. He needed to understand the consequences of underestimating his opponents."
"So you just let him die?" Freeza's voice rose slightly. "For a lesson?"
"I let him face the natural consequences of his choices," Cold replied calmly. "As I would for you, should you make similar mistakes."
The casual way he discussed Cooler's death disturbed Freeza deeply. It was cold, detached - even by her standards.
Cooler and her had planned to kill each other eventually, both not hiding this fact, but it was still driven with respect, and passion.
Her father spoke as if Cooler was inconsequential, an insect that needed to learn its place.
"Just admit it," she said, her voice hardening. "You don't truly care about either of us. We're just extensions of yourself, tools for your dynasty."
She took a step closer, emboldened by her rising anger. "If either of us had ever truly threatened your power, you would have eliminated us without hesitation. All this talk of family is merely convenient rhetoric to maintain control."
Cold turned from the stars to face her directly, his expression unreadable. When he spoke, his voice was calm.
"If power were my only concern, daughter, neither you nor your brother would have lived past your first breath."
Freeza blinked, confused. "What do you mean?"
"You were born with a power level of 120 million," Cold stated matter-of-factly. "Cooler with 90 million.. Do you know what my birth power level was?"
When Freeza didn't respond, he continued: "Seventy million. Both of my children were born stronger than I was."
The revelation stunned Freeza. She had always assumed her father's natural strength exceeded her own or was at least equal to hers - that his position at the top of their hierarchy was the natural order.
"But your power level-" she began.
"Is 120 million according to official records," Cold finished for her. "The same as yours at birth."
Freeza's mind raced. If Cold had been born weaker than both his children, how had he maintained dominance?
The answer was obvious, yet so contrary to their species' normal behavior that she had never considered it.
"You've trained," she whispered, the concept almost foreign to her. Their kind relied on natural power, not developed strength. Training was for lesser beings who needed to compensate for innate weakness.
That's why she looked down upon Cooler so much before.
Cold didn't confirm or deny this, but his slight smile told her everything. A chill ran down her spine. If her father had trained enough to match her birth power level, what was his true strength after centuries of existence? How much had he hidden from everyone, including his own children?
"Let me tell you a story," Cold said, moving to sit in a chair that materialized from the floor at his silent command. "About my encounter with Lord Beerus."
Freeza's eyes widened. She had met the God of Destruction once, briefly, and the memory of his mere presence still haunted her.
"I was young," Cold began, his eyes distant with memory. "Perhaps a century into my conquests. I had already established dominion over several galaxies and believed myself invincible."
The scene shifted in Freeza's mind as her father's words painted the picture - a younger King Cold, arrogant and powerful, standing before the feline deity on a now-forgotten world.
"I challenged him," Cold continued, a hint of self-deprecation in his tone. "Can you imagine? I actually believed I could defeat a God of Destruction."
"What happened?" Freeza asked, despite herself.
"He didn't even stand up," Cold replied, his voice hollow with the memory. "He remained seated, eating some delicacy from that world, and with a single finger-" Cold raised his own index finger in demonstration, "-he brought me to my knees. I couldn't breathe, couldn't move. My power meant nothing."
Freeza had never heard this story before. She had assumed her father's deference to Beerus was simply intellectual understanding of strength and nothing more.
Not that he truly experienced the consequences of facing it.
"When he finally released me," Cold continued, "he said something I've never forgotten: 'Power without knowledge is like a ship without a rudder - impressive but ultimately directionless.'"
Cold's expression grew more intense. "That day changed everything for me. I realized there were beings in this universe that could threaten even our family - forces beyond our comprehension."
"My pursuit of strength, of knowledge, of expansion - it all serves one purpose: ensuring the Cold Dynasty survives whatever comes."
"Is that why you want Toji?" Freeza asked. "Another powerful piece for your collection?"
"He is the father of my grandson," Cold replied simply. "And possesses potential equal to yours. Such strength should be part of our family, not opposed to it."
"And if I don't want him?" Freeza challenged.
"Then that is your will, but he will still be here. You will still marry him." Cold said with a shrug. "The child also will be raised here, as befits his heritage. Whether you participate in that raising is up to you."
Freeza turned away, unwilling to confront him over his words- knowing doing such to be futile.
After a moment, she asked the question that had been forming in her mind since the beginning of their conversation.
"If death is merely a transition, as you claim, why does it matter if the Cold Dynasty survives at all? Why build an empire spanning galaxies if we're all just... temporary?"
Cold's smile deepened, as if she had finally asked the right question. "Because, my daughter, with sufficient power and knowledge, the barriers between life and death become meaningless."
Freeza stared at him, not comprehending.
"There are texts," Cold explained, "ancient beyond measure, that speak of beings who could traverse the realms of living and dead at will. Who could restore life or take it with equal ease."
"You believe such beings existed?" Freeza asked skeptically.
"I believe such beings can exist again," Cold replied with absolute conviction. "That is the ultimate destiny of the Cold Dynasty - to transcend the very concept of mortality."
"Is that what you meant by a 'necessary lesson'?" Freeza asked, beginning to understand. "Because you see his death as... temporary?"
"Precisely," Cold nodded. "I intend to let him remain in Hell for a time - to gain perspective, to learn humility. Eventually, when the moment is right, he will return to us."
"You speak of resurrection as if it's a certainty," Freeza said, both disturbed and intrigued by her father's casual discussion of such powers.
Is this why he cared not for the Dragon Balls and didn't mention them even once? Did he see himself above them in capability?
"With enough power, daughter, anything is possible," Cold replied. "Even the gods must follow certain rules. But those who transcend godhood make the rules."
Freeza realized her father's ambitions extended far beyond mere galactic conquest. The Cold Empire wasn't the end goal - it was merely a step toward something far greater.
"Now," Cold said, his tone shifting to one of unexpected gentleness, "tell me what you truly fear about your feelings for Toji and your son."
The question caught Freeza completely off-guard. "I don't - I'm not afraid of anything," she stammered, cursing herself for the momentary weakness.
Cold studied her, his gaze penetrating. "Throughout your life, Freeza, you have destroyed what you couldn't control. Planets, species, individuals - if they represented uncertainty or resistance, you eliminated them."
He rose from his seat, moving closer. "Your feelings for Toji and the child represent something you cannot dominate or understand. Rather than face this uncertainty, you fled."
"That's absurd," Freeza snapped, but the words lacked conviction.
"Is it?" Cold asked softly. "You, who have never run from any battle, who have faced down fools considered gods by others without flinching - you fled from your husband and an infant. Not because they threatened your life, but because they threatened your understanding of yourself."
Freeza wanted to deny it but found she couldn't. The truth in her father's words struck too deeply.
Cold placed a massive hand on her shoulder - a rare physical gesture between them. "Love is not weakness, daughter. It is a different kind of strength when properly channeled."
Freeza recoiled at the word 'love,' shaking her head vehemently. "I do not-"
"I have never forbidden you to love your own child," Cold continued as if she hadn't spoken.
"Nor a husband worthy of you. My warnings against sentiment were always about the weak - those who would drain you, use you, hold you back. Parasites. But family - true family, with power comparable to our own - that is different."
Before Freeza could respond, the chamber doors slid open. A palace attendant entered, bowing deeply before speaking.
"Your Majesties! The ship carrying Lord Toji has entered the system. They request landing clearance at the palace docking bay."
Cold nodded, seemingly pleased. "Prepare the formal reception hall. Notify the Imperial Guard and the royal attendants."
As the attendant departed, Cold turned back to his daughter. "Whatever you choose, remember this: the child is Cold Dynasty blood and will be raised accordingly. He will know his heritage, his power, his destiny. And your husband will be your husband."
He moved toward the exit, his massive frame silhouetted against the starlight. "I intend to welcome Toji properly as the father of my grandson. You have until their arrival to decide if you will, willingly play your role in their future."
With that, he departed, leaving Freeza alone with the stars and her thoughts.
She remained in the observatory after her father left, moving to the very edge of the open ceiling.
From this vantage point, she could see the approaching ship - a sleek vessel bearing the insignia of the former Cooler Force.
Somewhere on that ship was Toji, and with him, their son. The thought sent a surge of conflicting emotions through her - pride, fear, anger, longing.
She shook her head, returning to her seat.
She closed her eyes.
Wanting to escape all of this through the bliss of sleep.
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(Author note: Hello everyone! I hope you all enjoyed the chapter!
Do tell me how you found King Cold this chapter. I have been thinking quite a bit how I want to write him.
I hope you all liked him and Freeza's conversation.
Well, see you all hopefully later,
Bye!)