Dragon Ball: Mori's tales

The wind blew softly as Mori, Piccolo, and Tien soared through the sky, heading toward the Lookout. The tension from the recent battles still hung over them, but for now, they had a moment of peace. The battle with the androids had left them all feeling uneasy, and with Goku still recovering, they knew they had to bide their time carefully.

As they approached the Lookout, Trunks and Krillin exchanged a glance.

"I think we should check on Goku at Kame House," Trunks suggested. "He should be ready to move by now, and it'll be safer at home."

Krillin nodded in agreement. "Yeah, good call. Chi-Chi would probably prefer to have him closer anyway."

With a quick farewell, the two peeled off from the group, heading in the direction of Kame House while Mori, Piccolo, and Tien continued toward the Lookout. It wasn't long before they touched down on the floating sanctuary, the peaceful atmosphere of the Lookout calming their nerves.

Piccolo glanced around, his arms crossed as he took in the familiar surroundings. "We can't sense the androids," he stated, his voice low and thoughtful. "We'll have to wait until they start drawing attention to themselves."

Mori agreed with a nod. "Yeah, no point in chasing them down blindly. They'll show themselves eventually." His voice was calm, but there was an undertone of determination.

With nothing left to do but wait, the trio settled in at the Lookout, spending their days in quiet reflection and meditation. Days passed without incident until, one afternoon, all three of them felt a sudden shift—a disturbance in the energy around them.

"Do you feel that?" Tien asked, his eyes narrowing as he focused on the sensation. "The town population...it's dropping rapidly."

Piccolo's face hardened. "It's them."

Mori, who was already deep in concentration, closed his eyes and reached out further with his ki sense. His energy sensing abilities were more refined than the others, allowing him to delve deeper into the chaotic energy signatures. He scanned the area beyond the Lookout, searching for the source of the disturbance.

Suddenly, something slammed into his mind—an overwhelming mental attack that sent him flying backward, crashing hard into a wall. The impact shook the Lookout, and Mori slumped against the stone surface, dazed and struggling to regain his senses.

"Mori!" Piccolo shouted as he, Tien, Kami, and Mr. Popo rushed to his side.

Mori groaned as he climbed out of the rubble, shaking his head to clear the haze. His breathing was labored, but he quickly composed himself, brushing off the dust.

"What happened?" Tien asked, eyes wide with concern.

Mori rubbed the back of his neck, wincing slightly. "Whatever's destroying the city is more powerful than we thought. It's... It caught me off guard. Sent a mental ki wave strong enough to knock me back. We can't underestimate this thing."

Kami's expression darkened, his ancient face etched with worry. "A mental attack that strong... It's dangerous."

Mori sighed and stretched, trying to shake off the lingering discomfort. "We need to do something. This enemy isn't going to give us time to prepare. Piccolo," he turned to the Namekian, his voice steady, "I need you to do what you did on Namek with Nail."

Piccolo's eyes flickered with understanding. Mori was asking him to fuse with Kami. It was a bold move, one that could significantly increase Piccolo's power, but it wasn't a decision to be taken lightly. Piccolo looked toward Kami, who had remained silent, his gaze fixed on the horizon.

After a long pause, Piccolo stepped forward. "Kami," he began, his voice firm but respectful, "we need to fuse. We don't have a choice if we want to stand a chance against what's out there."

Kami's eyes narrowed, and he turned to face Piccolo fully. "Fuse with you?" He seemed to be weighing the consequences, the gravity of the situation heavy in his gaze. "Do you realize what that means? If we fuse, there will be no turning back."

The tension between the two Namekians was palpable as they stared each other down. Piccolo's expression hardened, his patience thinning. "I know what it means, but we don't have time to argue. The people down there are dying, Kami."

Kami's gaze softened slightly, but his resolve was clear. "Give me a few days to think about it."

Piccolo clenched his fists in frustration, but he didn't push the issue further. He turned away, his cape billowing behind him as he walked to the edge of the Lookout. Mori and Tien, witnessing the argument, exchanged a nervous chuckle, unsure of what else to do.

"Well, at least it's not a complete 'no' yet," Tien said quietly.

Mori grinned, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Yeah, let's hope Kami makes the right call."

Two days passed, and the group waited anxiously, the weight of the decision looming over them. During that time, yet another town was completely wiped out, the population disappearing in a matter of hours. Sensing the destruction, Kami finally made his choice.

Standing at the edge of the Lookout, his back to the others, Kami's voice was steady as he spoke. "It's time. We need to fuse, Piccolo."

Piccolo nodded, stepping forward as the two Namekians prepared for the fusion. The moment was heavy with anticipation, and as their energies merged, a brilliant flash of light surrounded them. When the light faded, Piccolo stood taller, his power surging dramatically.

Mori let out a low whistle, clearly impressed. "Wow... You're stronger than the prince now." His voice carried a hint of teasing, but the awe was genuine.

Piccolo grunted, flexing his hands as he got used to the newfound power coursing through him. Without a word, he leapt off the Lookout, flying toward the town that was currently being destroyed, intent on confronting the unknown threat.

While Piccolo handled the situation below, more time passed, and eventually, Goku finally awoke from his virus-induced slumber. Rested and rejuvenated, he wasted no time in gathering everyone together, explaining the plan to utilize the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. Vegeta and Trunks were first in line to enter, eager to increase their strength as quickly as possible.

As Vegeta and Trunks prepared to enter the chamber, Mori pulled Vegeta aside, his expression unusually serious. "Listen, Vegeta," Mori began, keeping his voice low so only the prince could hear, "I know you're focused on getting stronger, but you have to spend some time with your son. You can't just train him and leave it at that. He needs his father, not just a teacher."

Vegeta scoffed, brushing off Mori's words with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Don't lecture me, human. I know what I'm doing."

Mori shook his head but didn't press further. "Just think about it."

Vegeta's face remained unreadable as he turned and walked into the chamber with Trunks, the heavy doors closing behind them. But as he entered, Mori's words lingered in the back of his mind, a nagging thought that wouldn't go away.

The group watched as the door sealed shut, and Mori crossed his arms, staring after them with a mix of hope and uncertainty. "I hope the prince takes it to heart," he muttered under his breath.

As the others prepared for the coming battles, Mori found himself lost in thought, wondering what the future held. The androids were still out there, and now, with Piccolo's new power and Vegeta training in the time chamber, the stakes had never been higher.

But as Mori looked toward the horizon, a part of him couldn't shake the feeling that something even darker was waiting just beyond the horizon.

And they would have to be ready.