Mind Games - Prologue

Sequel to "Sharing the Dream"

A Dragonball Z fanfic

By Hana Noir

Dende led them all inside to await Korin's explanation. Mr. Popo had gone in ahead to prepare some tea and snacks, not that anyone besides Yajirobe would have an appetite. They settled around the table, except for Piccolo, who leaned against the wall next to the door. Arms folded across his chest, he surveyed the odd little gathering, feeling more than a fair share of worry for them.

Korin accepted a cup of hot tea from Popo, cradling the cup between his paws. "I don't see any reason to beat around the bush here, folks." He sighed gustily, then continued. "First off, a bit of a history lesson. About 750 years ago, an asteroid came near the earth on its' orbit around the solar system. There was a lot of shooting stars and a few odd meteors but nothing too dangerous. Or so we thought." He paused to take a sip of his tea, then spoke again. "There was an… entity, for lack of a better term, that was somehow on the asteroid. It managed to ride in on a meteor to land on the earth. The current Kami didn't notice it until it began to decimate the population."

"What was it, Korin?" Dende asked anxiously.

Korin grimaced wryly. "No-one really knew what it was. It got dubbed Kurukon for lack of a better term. The problem was, the kurukon was a being of pure psychic energy. It would possess a host, then devour the poor sucker's mind and soul. When it was finished, it would have all of that person's memories, knowledge and skills. It would move on, leaving behind the body still alive, but without a mind." He took another sip of tea, then went on, ignoring their horrified expressions. "It wasn't very intelligent to start with, but the more hosts it went through, the more it learned and the smarter and more powerful it became."

"So, since it has no physical body, brute strength would be no use against it," Piccolo stated. Kyrie glanced over her shoulder at him. He looked relaxed, but she could tell he was wound as tightly as a metal spring.

"The Kami of that time managed to find a group of powerful espers to fight the thing on its' own terms, but by that time, it was so damn strong, that it was almost impossible to destroy. They finally managed to kill it on the astral plane, but most of the espers were lost in the process," Korin said, finishing off his tea and reaching for one of the little sandwiches on the plate in the middle of the table. "And therein lies our problem. Where are we going to find espers in this day and age?" He smirked over at Piccolo. "You're probably the most powerful one on the planet right now."

Kyrie swallowed down the lump in her throat. She didn't want Piccolo to put himself forward, but at the same time, she knew that his sense of honor would allow no less. She waited in agony for his response. "That's true," he said, eyes hooded and inscrutable. "There are a few others I can think of, but they need training. How much time do we have?"

"A month, give or take a few days," Korin replied, smoothing his whiskers idly. "Then, the asteroid will cross earth's orbit."

"Wait a minute," Kyrie said, finally able to speak. "What if nothing happens? What if there isn't a… kurukon on the asteroid this time?"

"Well," Korin said with a faint grin. "Then I stirred us up for no good reason. But better safe then sorry." She nodded, conceding the point.

Don't worry about it, kid, came Piccolo's voice. I was planning on teaching you all this stuff anyway. Our training schedule just got accelerated, that's all.

"Who did you have in mind, Piccolo?" Dende asked, interrupting their mental exchange.

"Chao-tsu," he answered. "And of course Tienshinhan will come with him. Vegeta and Gohan, as the Saiyajin seem to have natural esper abilities anyway. Vegeta's got mental shields tighter than a medieval chastity belt." Yajirobe couldn't help but to laugh, and Korin grinned as well. Piccolo hesitated slightly, then added one last name. "And Kyrie. She's got the strongest esper abilities I've ever seen in a human." He couldn't help but to notice her face had gone ghostly white.

"Will we have enough time?" Mr. Popo asked, placing a plate of cookies on the table. Yajirobe wasted no time diving in. It seemed that not even the threat of world disaster could blunt his appetite.

"If we use the Room of Space and Time, yes," Piccolo answered. "I'll go and speak to the others while you get it ready. Kyrie and I will go in first. Then I'll go in with Chao-tsu and Tien, and finish with Vegeta and Gohan. Once the basics are out of the way, we'll all go back in together."

"Four days?" Dende asked, seeming a little concerned. "Won't that be too much?"

Piccolo shook his head. "No, it's never seemed to bother me as much as it has anyone else, and besides, I'll take a few days in between sessions. How long will it take to get it ready?"

Dende glanced over at Popo, who answered. "I can have it ready by tomorrow evening."

"I'll go and talk to the others then." He pushed away from the wall, sparing a short glance for Kyrie. "I'll be back later. Thanks for the warning, Korin." Without another word, he strode out the door and was gone.

"Dende-sama," Kyrie asked, trying to hide her concern. "What is this Room? And why is it dangerous?"

"The Room of Space and Time is a training area," Dende began, trying to find the words to explain. "Time passes faster in there then in the outside world. For us, you will have been gone only a day, but for anyone in the Room, a year will have passed. Inside the Room is… infinite space. It goes on farther than the mind can comprehend. A lot of beings find it a bit overwhelming."

"I sure don't envy you," Yajirobe snickered. "Man, a whole year shut up with no-one but Piccolo!" He leaned a bit closer to her, grinning lecherously. "What's say me and you go party hardy, celebrate your last day of freedom, huh?" The look she gave him could have scorched cast iron. Everyone at the table held their breath, waiting for the explosion. Instead, she shoved her chair back from the table, fists and jaw clenched tightly as she stormed out of the room. "What'd I say?" he asked, puzzled by her reaction.

Dende rolled his eyes at the human's behavior, then rose as well. "We'd all best start preparing then. Korin, will senzu beans be of any use?"

The large white cat rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "They could. Replace lost energy at any rate. C'mon, Romeo," he quipped, poking at Yajirobe with his staff. "Let's go check the plants. The least we can do is make sure there's some senzu beans for them to take into the Room."

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(Author's Notes: This is the third story in what, to my immense surprise, has become a series. ^_^; I wasn't expecting this, but hey, I'm not knocking it, either! I had intended for this to be only one story, but upon closer examination I realized that that I had WAY too much going on for just one story. That is, unless I wanted to end up the size of a novel. So, I split it. "Mind Games" will cover Piccolo and Kyrie's experiences in the Room of Space and Time. The fourth story, as yet untitled, will chronicle the battle with the Kurukon. Got it? Good, cause it's giving me a headache . Enjoy!!)