Dragon Ball: Mori's tales

Mori sat on the asteroid, his breathing steady as he concentrated. Space was quiet—deceptively peaceful—but the unease in his chest wouldn't go away. His time training in the cosmos had been grueling, and though it had made him stronger, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong back on Earth. His connection to his friends was faint from this distance, but he could still feel them, their ki signatures a comforting reminder of home.

Then it happened.

Mori's eyes snapped open, his senses lighting up like fire. He felt a surge in power from Earth, and not the kind that came from training. This was violent, chaotic. His heart thudded in his chest as he focused on the ki signatures of his friends. They were all in battle, and their power levels were fluctuating wildly. His pulse quickened.

"Something's wrong."

Without another thought, Mori blasted off the asteroid, leaving the floating rock in a spray of dust and debris. His ki flared to its maximum, and he tore through the void of space, the stars around him stretching into lines as he accelerated. He felt the minutes tick by, each one agonizingly slow as he raced back to Earth.

Five minutes into his flight, Mori felt a disturbance—Yamcha's ki flickered, then disappeared entirely.

"No... no!" Mori gritted his teeth, a mix of frustration and helplessness burning inside him.

The loss of his friend hit him like a hammer, but he couldn't afford to dwell on it. He had to move faster. His aura exploded around him, pushing his speed to the brink of what his body could handle. His muscles strained, his breath sharp and shallow.

Ten minutes in, it got worse. The familiar energies of Tenshinhan and Chiaotzu vanished in rapid succession, like candles being snuffed out. Each loss was a blow to Mori's spirit, but he pressed on, his eyes narrowing in determination. They were dying, and he wasn't there to help.

"Hold on… just a little longer," Mori muttered under his breath, willing his friends to survive.

At the fifteen-minute mark, just as Earth's atmosphere engulfed him in a fiery descent, Mori felt Piccolo's ki falter. His heart sank, and when he finally touched down on the battlefield, he saw the green warrior lying on the ground, barely alive. Gohan knelt beside him, his small hands clutching Piccolo's arm. Piccolo's mouth moved, his voice too quiet for Mori to hear, but he knew it was a farewell. 

Piccolo's ki faded, and then it was gone.

Mori's eyes hardened as he strode forward, his jaw clenched so tight it hurt. He reached Gohan, who was frozen in shock and grief, his face streaked with dirt and tears. Mori's voice was calm but firm as he knelt beside the boy.

"Come on, kid. Let's get you out of here," Mori said, lifting Gohan gently.

Gohan didn't resist, but his eyes stayed fixed on Piccolo's lifeless body, the tears coming faster now. Mori carried him over to Krillin, who was staring at the scene, his face pale and tight with barely restrained emotion.

"Watch over him, Krillin," Mori said quietly. The look in his eyes said everything—this wasn't over.

Krillin nodded shakily, glancing from Gohan to the bodies of his fallen comrades. He looked like he wanted to say something, but the words wouldn't come.

Mori turned back toward the battlefield, his aura crackling around him. He could feel Goku's presence now, rapidly approaching. But Mori wasn't focused on that. His eyes locked onto Nappa, the massive Saiyan who stood grinning arrogantly, towering over the wreckage of his friends. The sight of Nappa, standing there so confidently after everything, ignited a fire in Mori's chest. 

The bald Saiyan let out a deep, cruel laugh, oblivious to the storm building within Mori. "You think you—"

Nappa didn't get to finish his sentence.

In an instant, Mori's figure blurred, and before Nappa could react, Mori's boot slammed into the side of his head with a bone-cracking force. The sound of the impact echoed across the battlefield as Nappa's massive body was sent hurtling through the air, crashing into the ground with a thunderous impact that shook the earth.

Nappa groaned, barely able to comprehend what had just happened. He was no stranger to pain, but the sheer speed and power behind that kick had caught him off guard. He struggled to push himself up, but Mori was already upon him.

"Get up," Mori spat, his voice low and dangerous. He grabbed Nappa by the collar of his armor, lifting him to his feet like he weighed nothing.

Nappa swung a fist wildly, but Mori caught it effortlessly, his grip tightening. "You killed them," Mori said, his eyes burning with fury. "You killed my friends!"

With a roar, Mori drove his fist into Nappa's stomach with enough force to crater the ground beneath them. Nappa's eyes bulged, and a strangled gasp escaped his lips as the air was knocked out of him. He staggered back, clutching his abdomen in pain, but Mori wasn't done. 

He moved with blinding speed, appearing behind Nappa and delivering a devastating elbow to his spine. Nappa crumpled to the ground, writhing in agony, his confidence shattered.

Mori's eyes narrowed in disgust as he raised his hand, energy crackling at his fingertips. "You're dead."

A beam of concentrated ki shot from Mori's palm, striking Nappa square in the chest. The blast engulfed the Saiyan in a blinding flash of light and heat, vaporizing him where he lay. When the light faded, nothing remained but a smoking crater.

Mori stood over the wreckage, his chest heaving with adrenaline, the rage still simmering in his veins. He turned his gaze to Goku, who had landed just moments before the final blow. Goku stared, wide-eyed, at what had just transpired. Mori had taken down Nappa with brutal efficiency—something Goku hadn't expected to see.

Vegeta, who had been observing from a distance, was equally stunned. The proud Saiyan prince's expression was one of disbelief, his mouth slightly open in shock at how quickly and ruthlessly his partner had been destroyed.

For a moment, the battlefield was silent. Mori's anger simmered, but his composure was slowly returning. He turned toward Goku, their eyes meeting.

Goku gave Mori a slight nod of understanding. The battle wasn't over. Mori, still breathing heavily from the anger, stared at Vegeta. The real fight was about to begin, and Mori knew it.