Mori and Elec sat in silence after their deep conversation, the void of space engulfing them. The stars glittered distantly, but both father and son were lost in their own thoughts. After a while, Mori shifted his gaze toward Elec, the lingering weight of his emotions evident in his eyes.
"Boy," Mori finally said, his voice soft but steady. "How about you go find your own way? Go carve your path, and within that path, *you* decide if you want to take the title of StarScourge. *You* have the right to choose your destiny. No one else can decide that for you—not me, not the universe. Only you."
Elec listened, his heart pounding in his chest as Mori spoke. The words sunk in, each one filled with a deep, almost paternal love that was rare from his father. Mori wasn't just giving him permission to live his life—he was entrusting him with the legacy that had defined Mori's existence.
"But remember this, Elec, my boy," Mori continued, his voice growing softer, "if you ever need help, even if it's something as small as needing dinner or wanting to talk, just flare your ki. I'll be there. I'll teleport to you no matter what I'm doing. Nothing is more important to me than being there for you. You're like the child that Lisa and I couldn't have."
As the name "Lisa" left Mori's lips, a flicker of emotion passed through his face. Elec, hearing it, felt tears start to well up in his eyes. He hadn't known how deeply his father still carried the memory of his lost love. The thought that Mori saw him as a child he could never have had with Lisa struck Elec to the core. His father had always been strong, always distant when it came to feelings, but now, hearing this, Elec understood how much he truly meant to Mori.
Elec opened his mouth to speak, but Mori stood up abruptly, cutting him off.
"Now with that, son," Mori said, his voice regaining some of its familiar confidence, "I need time alone. I'll see you later. Remember to carve your own path. And when the time comes, let me know what it is." He paused, the seriousness in his expression betraying a flood of emotions he was trying to contain. "But for now, son, I'm leaving for some time. The memories of Lisa are resurfacing, and it's... it's not good for me. So, I'll see you later, Elec. Love ya, kid."
Before Elec could reply, Mori shot off into space with a burst of speed, disappearing into the dark, endless void. Elec stood there, watching his father vanish from sight. He felt the weight of Mori's words pressing on his chest, a mixture of pride and sadness swirling within him. His whispered words barely escaped his lips.
"Thank you, Dad... I will carve my own path, and it will be greater than yours, I promise. Love you too."
Elec lingered for a moment longer, staring into the stars where Mori had flown off, before he turned and began his own journey. He knew now that he had his father's blessing to shape his own destiny, but what that would be—he still needed time to decide.
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Meanwhile, Mori flew aimlessly through the emptiness of space, his speed tearing through the cosmic winds. The silence of space was soothing at first, giving him the solitude he needed to let the painful memories of Lisa fade. His mind kept going back to her—the way she laughed, the way she smiled. It was a bitter ache he hadn't expected to feel so strongly today, especially after all these years.
He kept flying, putting distance between himself and Elec, hoping that the motion would ease the turmoil in his mind. But after about ten minutes, he slowed down, realizing he had no clue where he was. He stopped and looked around, the stars around him unfamiliar. A drifting asteroid floated by, and Mori decided to land on it.
As he touched down, he looked at the state of his torn and battered clothes. With a sigh, he pulled out a capsule from his pocket, releasing it with a soft *click*. Out popped some fresh clothes, which he quickly changed into. Feeling a bit better with his appearance now less ragged, he lay down on the asteroid, deciding to take a nap.
The vastness of space was peaceful, and soon, Mori drifted off to sleep. However, unbeknownst to him, a strange phenomenon was brewing nearby. A wormhole began to form, swirling and warping the space around it. Slowly, it began inching closer toward the asteroid Mori was sleeping on, its gravitational pull distorting the area.
As the wormhole approached, Mori's instincts kicked in. He snapped awake, his eyes wide as he immediately noticed the anomaly heading straight for him. Leaping into action, he tried to fly away, but the pull of the wormhole was too strong. Despite his strength, he found himself being dragged toward it, the force battering him with chunks of debris and cosmic winds.
"Dammit!" Mori grunted as he fought against the pull. He flew harder, but the closer he got to the wormhole, the more chaotic the space around him became. Rocks smashed into him, cuts and bruises forming as he struggled to resist the wormhole's power. He was battered relentlessly for five long minutes, his body straining against the immense gravitational force.
Just as he was about to give in, a light appeared within the wormhole. For a brief second, Mori felt a sense of hope. But that hope quickly faded as he realized he was losing consciousness. The relentless beating, the gravitational pull—it was too much, even for him.
The light grew brighter, and Mori could feel his body being pulled toward it. With his vision blurring, he reached out toward the light, his consciousness fading with each passing second. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he crash-landed onto something soft, though he couldn't make out what it was.
His body collapsed onto the surface, unable to move. The last thing he saw before passing out completely was a figure standing over him—a man, or at least something that resembled one.
Mori's vision went dark, and everything around him faded away.
(Yall let me know if yall want the backstory of Mori and Lisa. It was during the 5 years before the start of Z.)