Flying Nimbus

The Present Timeline.

Three days had passed since Cell escaped to the Future Timeline.

At the Lookout.

"Mr. Popo, come eat with us!" Mo Yuan called warmly.

He had practically made the Lookout his home.

The long dining table was laden with food. Mo Yuan, Lazuli, and Lapis were gathered around it, ready to eat.

Android 16 was a robot and didn't need to eat. Besides, he never stayed at the Lookout during the day, often wandering down to the woods below to stare into space.

After Mr. Popo woke from his second faint, Mo Yuan and the others didn't knock him out again.

Instead, they showed him goodwill, explaining that they had no intention of destroying Earth or wiping out humanity.

Mr. Popo was a little skeptical, but there wasn't much he could do. Their fists were stronger, after all.

So Mo Yuan and the others settled in at the Lookout for the time being.

These past few days, whenever Mo Yuan cooked, he invited Mr. Popo to join them, but Mr. Popo had always declined.

At first, he didn't want to get too close to them, and he wasn't an ordinary person anyway. He didn't need food to survive.

But after spending these past few days with them, Mr. Popo had begun to waver.

He realized that these people didn't seem like bad people at all.

And the food they made smelled absolutely delicious...

He wasn't hungry, but he really wanted to try it.

In just a few days, he'd swallowed more times than he had in the past hundred years.

So this time, Mr. Popo hesitated.

Mo Yuan noticed that Mr. Popo was wavering.

He hurried over and pulled him to the table.

Anyone who had watched Dragon Ball might not necessarily like Mr. Popo, but at the very least, they wouldn't hate him.

Mo Yuan was no exception.

He genuinely wanted to be friends with Mr. Popo.

Although Mo Yuan had dragged him over, Mr. Popo still felt his face grow hot, and he was a little embarrassed.

But his skin was so dark that nobody could tell.

Mo Yuan always set out four sets of dishes and chopsticks when he cooked, so Mr. Popo could sit down and eat without anyone having to fetch another set.

Mr. Popo was touched, no matter how firmly he'd turned them down before.

Mo Yuan had prepared a place for him every time. That showed he truly wanted to invite him to eat with them, rather than just making polite conversation.

Besides, after living for so many years, Mr. Popo could tell sincerity from pretense.

The meal was wonderfully harmonious, and their relationship with Mr. Popo grew closer without anyone quite realizing it.

After craving the food for days, Mr. Popo ate several bowls of rice. His already round belly grew even rounder.

After the meal, Lapis took care of the dishes.

Not wanting to freeload, Mr. Popo went to help him wash up.

Mo Yuan and Lazuli sat together at the edge of the Lookout, their legs dangling over the side, gazing at the vast sea of white clouds below.

Suddenly, Mo Yuan spotted something golden among the clouds below.

The Flying Nimbus!!

Mo Yuan's eyes lit up, like a child who'd just spotted a new toy.

He could fly himself, and much faster than the Flying Nimbus, by who knew how much.

But still.

Come on, this was the Flying Nimbus! Riding on a cloud was just too cool!

What boy hadn't dreamed of riding on a cloud?

Mo Yuan took Lazuli's hand and said excitedly, "Sis, come with me!"

Lazuli was a little confused, but she didn't resist.

She let Mo Yuan lead her along.

The two of them flew above the Flying Nimbus.

"What is this?" Lazuli tilted her head, puzzled.

"It's called the Flying Nimbus. They say only those with pure hearts can ride it."

Even Mo Yuan wasn't sure if he could ride it. After all, in his previous life, he'd watched some educational material.

But he'd watched it with the intention of learning.

At most, he'd rewarded himself after picking up some new knowledge... and techniques.

"A pure heart?"

Hearing those words, Lazuli began to doubt herself too.

What if she couldn't ride it?

Wouldn't that prove she wasn't pure-hearted?

The air fell suddenly silent.

"..."

In the end, Mo Yuan couldn't hold back any longer.

Whatever. He'd take his chances.

Then he stopped using the Flight Technique and dropped from the sky.

If the Flying Nimbus didn't accept him, he'd pass right through it and keep falling.

"Boing!"

Mo Yuan felt as if he'd landed on an air mattress. He sank deep into it, then sprang back up, like a trampoline launching him high into the air.

"Woohoo! Hahahaha!!"

Mo Yuan was thrilled.

He'd never imagined that an old hand who'd spent years diligently studying could ride the Flying Nimbus.

So deep down, I really am pure-hearted, huh? ≖‿≖✧

Mo Yuan shamelessly thought to himself.

"Come on, Sis, give it a try too."

Mo Yuan waved Lazuli down to join him.

Seeing how much fun he was having on the Flying Nimbus, Lazuli wanted to try it too.

But she was afraid she wouldn't be able to ride it.

She was torn.

ε(┬┬_┬┬)3 She didn't want to die of embarrassment!!

While Lazuli was agonizing over it, Mo Yuan gave a powerful leap on the Flying Nimbus.

He jumped over beside Lazuli, wrapped his arms around her, and sent them both tumbling down.

Caught completely off guard, Lazuli even forgot she could fly, letting Mo Yuan hold her as they fell.

((유∀유|||)) I'm dead, I'm dead...

Mo Yuan had no idea Lazuli was having so many thoughts.

He just figured that if even he could ride it, Lazuli definitely could too.

Just as Lazuli was about to burst into tears, Mo Yuan landed on the Flying Nimbus with her in his arms.

She was nestled in Mo Yuan's arms and wasn't in contact with the Flying Nimbus all over.

But her hand touched the Flying Nimbus.

And her hand didn't pass through it. She felt it solidly beneath her fingers.

It was soft and springy, a little like cotton, but even nicer to the touch.

The wonderful sensation instantly won Lazuli over.

Lazuli wriggled free of Mo Yuan's arms.

She bounced and hopped around on the Flying Nimbus.

Like a little girl.

After a while.

The two of them lay on the Flying Nimbus, turned toward each other.

Mo Yuan said, "Sis, I'll tell you a secret. I honestly didn't think I'd be able to ride the Flying Nimbus. I thought I was going to fall all the way through."

"Huh? ∑(´△｀)?! I saw you jump straight down and thought you were really confident."

"Hehe~" Mo Yuan rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed. "At the time, I just thought, 'Whatever happens, happens.' The worst you'd do is laugh at me."

"Mhm~" Lazuli raised an eyebrow and teased him. "So why did you think you wouldn't be able to ride the Flying Nimbus? Were you having impure thoughts?"

"Ah... that's your fault."

Mo Yuan sighed and looked at Lazuli reproachfully.

Lazuli [・_・?]: "My fault? Why?"

"If you weren't so irresistible, Sis, how could I help having impure thoughts?"

Mo Yuan's utterly shameless, blatant remark made Lazuli's pretty face turn bright red in an instant.

But even though the tsundere Lazuli was embarrassed, she still stubbornly denied it, her voice as faint as a mosquito's. "What kind of impure thoughts?"

Mo Yuan didn't answer. He just gazed at Lazuli silently, his eyes full of affection.

His gaze made Lazuli's face burn. She lightly punched him with a small fist and pouted, "Tell me!"

"I thought... about eating you."

"Huh? What... mmm~~~"

At that moment, time stood still, and the whole world fell quiet.

Even the sun blushed and hid behind the clouds, too shy to look.