Mark's POV:
Space is freaking cold. Like, way colder than I expected. But I don't really feel it. Not like I should, anyway.
I'm flying faster than I ever thought possible, shooting through the darkness between stars like some kind of human comet.
The stars streak by in blurs of light, and I can't help but laugh out loud even though there's no one to hear me in the emptiness of space.
This Ki stuff is insane. Totally bonkers. When Goku first started teaching me about it, I thought it was just some meditation thing to help control my Viltrumite strength. Boy, was I wrong.
It's been four days since Goku disappeared.
Not like, disappeared-disappeared.
He left a note saying he needed some time alone, which is fair after what happened with Scarecrow.
The earthquake thing freaked him out pretty bad.
But he's been gone longer than he said, and Lelouch is getting all focus about his new country idea, and Mikasa's been extra quiet, so I figured someone should check on the guy.
Only problem was figuring out where in the universe he went.
That's where the Ki sensing comes in. Goku's been teaching me how to feel energy signatures, and his is... well, it's like trying to ignore the sun.
Even when he's suppressing it, there's this pressure - not the Ki itself, because I can't sense that, for some reason I don't really understand, but there is this weight to his presence that's impossible to miss once you know what to look for.
Right now, I'm following that pressure. It's faint – like, super faint – but it's there, pulling me forward like some kind of cosmic fishing line.
I push more energy into my flight, accelerating even faster. The stars blur into streaks of light around me, and I have to remind myself to breathe. Not that I need to breathe out here, apparently. Another weird Ki thing Goku taught me.
"Your body is sustained by your energy," he'd explained during one of our training sessions. "With enough Ki control, you can survive in environments that would kill an ordinary human. Even the vacuum of space."
At the time, I thought he was exaggerating.
Now I'm hundreds of light years from Earth, moving faster than light itself, and breathing just fine(well not exactly breathing, breathing, its this weird thing, that he says that even people from his world didn't know.)
So yeah, point to Goku on that one.
I still can't wrap my head around how strong this Ki stuff has made me. As a Viltrumite, I was already super strong – like, punch-through-moons strong. But with Ki? It's like someone took that strength and multiplied it by a thousand. Maybe more.
Goku explained it to me once. He said Ki comes from three things: your body's natural strength, your spirit energy, and your courage. And apparently, I hit the jackpot on all three.
My Viltrumite heritage gave me a crazy strong body to start with. Being a "reincarnator" (still weird to think about) gave me some kind of special soul energy. And courage? I mean, I died fighting my own dad to protect Earth in my last life, so I guess I've got that covered too.
Put it all together, and boom – I'm flying through space like it's nothing, following the energy signature of a guy who can make earthquakes by getting angry.
My life is so weird now.
The pressure of Goku's energy gets stronger, and I adjust my course slightly. I'm getting close. The stars ahead of me are brighter, more defined, and I realize I'm approaching a solar system.
A young one, from the look of it – the star at its center is bright and vibrant, with swirling gases and solar flares erupting from its surface.
And there, floating in front of that star like it's the most natural thing in the world, is Goku.
Even from this distance, there's something... different about him. He's not wearing his usual clothes – just loose white pants, bare-chested, floating cross-legged in front of the star.
His eyes are closed, and there's this weird glow around him, like he's absorbing the star's light or something.
I slow down as I approach, not wanting to interrupt whatever space meditation thing he's doing. But as I get closer, I notice something else – the star itself seems to be reacting to him.
The solar flares are reaching out toward him, like they're being drawn to his presence. It's the weirdest, most beautiful thing I've ever seen.
"Goku?" I call out, my voice carrying through the vacuum thanks to some Ki trick he taught me about manipulating air particles(Yeah, I'm some kind of Ki genius apparently.)
His eyes open slowly, and he turns to look at me. For a split second – just a tiny moment – his eyes don't look human.
They're glowing with the same light as the star, filled with something ancient and powerful. Then he blinks, and he's just Goku again, looking surprised to see me.
"Mark? What are you doing all the way out here?"
"Looking for you," I reply, floating closer. "You've been gone two days. We were getting worried."
He looks genuinely surprised. "Two days? It felt like..." He trails off, glancing back at the star. "Time moves differently when you're communing."
"Communing? With what, the star?"
He nods, a small smile on his face. "All things have energy. All things have consciousness and presence. Even stars." He reaches out toward the star, his hand extended like he's going to touch it. "Especially stars."
As his fingers stretch toward the burning surface, something impossible happens. The star's surface seems to reach back, a tendril of flame extending toward his hand. It's like the star is alive, responding to him.
"Watch," he says softly.
His fingers make contact with the solar flare, and everything just... stops. The star's surface freezes in place, the constant roiling motion of its plasma suddenly still.
Then, slowly, it begins to collapse in on itself, the outer layers being pulled toward the core in a beautiful, terrifying implosion.
"Goku!" I shout, instinctively throwing up a Ki barrier around myself as the star begins to go supernova. "What are you doing?!"
He doesn't answer, doesn't even look concerned. He just watches with that same gentle, almost sad expression as the star collapses and then explodes outward in a blinding flash of light and energy.
The shockwave hits my barrier like a physical blow, pushing me back thousands of miles in an instant. I pour more Ki into the shield, reinforcing it against the stellar explosion, my heart pounding in my chest.
Did Goku just destroy a star? Like, an entire freaking star?
When the initial blast subsides, I look for him, half-expecting him to be gone. But no – there he is, floating in the same spot, completely unaffected by the explosion.
The remnants of the star swirl around him in beautiful waves of color and light, like he's the center of some cosmic painting.
I fly back to him, my mind racing with questions.
"What... how... why did you do that?" I finally manage to ask.
Goku turns to me, and there's something in his eyes I can't quite place. Not sadness, exactly, but a kind of ancient understanding.
"It was dying," he says simply. "Its time had come. I just... helped it along."
"You knew it was going to explode?"
He nods. "I could feel it. The core was unstable, burning too hot. In another century or so, it would have collapsed anyway, probably taking any developing life in this system with it."
He gestures to the beautiful nebula now forming around us. "This way, the energy is released cleanly. It can become something new."
I stare at him, trying to process what I'm seeing and hearing. This is the same guy who makes us breakfast every morning.
The same guy who helps me with my math homework and worries about my grades. And he just... guided a star through its death throes like it was the most natural thing in the world.
"How did you know to come here?" he asks, changing the subject. "This system is hundreds of light years from Earth."
"I followed your Ki pressure," I explain, still a bit dazed. "You said I was a natural at sensing energy, remember?"
A proud smile crosses his face. "You are. To track me this far without truly being able to sense my Ki, but its mere pressure that's... impressive, Mark. Very impressive."
Coming from him, that actually means something. Goku doesn't give out praise easily when it comes to Ki training.
"So... what are you doing out here?" I ask. "Besides, you know, star stuff."
He sighs, looking out at the swirling gases of the newborn nebula. "Processing. Thinking. After what happened with Scarecrow, I needed... perspective."
"The earthquake," I say, understanding. "It wasn't that bad, you know. Some property damage, a few minor injuries. No deaths."
"This time," he says, his voice uncharacteristically somber. "But my control slipped, Mark. For just a moment, my anger got the better of me, and look what happened." He gestures around us. "Out here, I can... let go a little. No one gets hurt."
I float closer to him, trying to understand. "Is that why you destroyed the star? To let off steam?"
He shakes his head. "No. That was... something else. Something I can't really explain." He looks at me, his eyes searching mine. "When you understand Ki deeply enough, you begin to feel the connections between all living things. The energy that flows through everything."
"Like the Force in Star Wars?" I joke, trying to lighten the mood.
He actually chuckles at that. "Sort of, yes. But more... intimate. More real." He looks back at the nebula. "That star had a life cycle, just like any living thing. I simply helped it transition from one state to another."
The way he says it, so matter-of-factly, sends a shiver down my spine. Just how powerful is he? What else can he do that he hasn't shown us?
"We should head back," I suggest. "Lelouch is getting all intense about some new project, and Mikasa's worried about you, though she'd never admit it."
Goku nods, his expression shifting back to the more familiar, caring one I'm used to. "You're right. I've been out here long enough." He stretches, rolling his shoulders. "Race you home?"
Before I can answer, he's gone – a streak of light shooting through the cosmos faster than my eyes can track. I laugh and pour Ki into my flight, accelerating after him.
Even pushing myself to the limit, I can barely keep him in sight. His control over Ki is just on another level entirely. It's like comparing a kid riding a bike to a Formula 1 driver.
As we race through space, stars and galaxies blurring around us, I can't help but feel a mix of awe and unease.
Goku just casually guided a star through its death and rebirth like he was helping a friend through a tough time. What does that make him? Not human, that's for sure. Maybe not even mortal.
Whatever he is, he's chosen to be our guardian. To be my mentor. And despite the scary parts – or maybe because of them – I'm grateful for that.
Because if there's one thing I've learned from both my lives, it's that the universe is a whole lot bigger and scarier than most people realize.
And having someone like Goku in your corner? That's worth more than all the powers in the world.
Even if he does occasionally make the eastern seaboard shake when he gets mad.
-----------------------
(Author note: Hello everyone! I hope you all liked the chapter!
Do tell me how you found Mark's pov here. He's more comfortable right now so I made him speak more like in the show, less formal, eloquent (cause this Mark in this life to understand Goku has studied the dictionary.)
So yeah, do tell me how you found this chapter, and I hope to see you all later,
Bye!)