Thunder crashed as rain poured hard and mercilessly onto Sadala, a contrast to the droplets that were gently caressing Caulifla's bedroom window. Caulifla rolled onto her side to stare at the blackness outside. Though she would never admit it to anyone, her heart ached for Renso's return. She hadn't seen her brother since dinner and was already missing him; testimony to their close relationship.
He's probably waiting out the storm, Caulifla thought as she restlessly shifted in her bed, her limbs tangled in a sea of blankets. That's all. He'll be back tomorrow before you know it. Stop being a coward! You can survive one night without him. She sadly glanced at the empty bed on the other side of the room. He'll be back, she told herself, he will.
An hour later, it was nearing midnight and Caulifla still couldn't sleep. Her eyes blinked owlishly in the darkness. It's so dark and cold... Where are you Renso? She couldn't explain it with words but there was a certain warmth Renso brought whenever he was inside a room. It was a warmth that Caulifla was far too adjusted to. I am a proud saiyan. I need to stop this nonsense and go to sleep! Caulifla growled in frustration and slammed the pillow over her head in an attempt to fall into sleep's embrace. It didn't work. The only result she got from it was that, if someone were to be able to see through the pitch black darkness, they would completely miss her and see only bedsheets and quilts.
When two hours had passed, Caulifla sighed and sat up on the bed. This isn't going to work... But I'm so tired. Numbly, she slid off the side of the bed, the feel of the cool wooden floor against her feet making her shiver as she left the welcoming warmth of her mattress. Half-asleep and completely exhausted from a long day of training and no rest, she shuffled like a sloth down the hallway, instinctively following a familiar pattern of twists and turns.
She arrived at the closed door of her parents room. She knocked once. Then twice. There was no response. So Caulifla simply yawned tiredly and opened the door herself. Like her own room, the bedroom of Lotuce and Garlik was totally pitch black. Occasionally, a flash of lightning would dimly illuminate the room for a brief moment, allowing Caulifla to blearily peer through hooded lids to catch sight of two lumps on the bed. Mother... Father...
As she neared them, alarm bells started going off in her head, but she was far too fatigued to pay her instincts any heed. She had only one goal in that moment and that was to climb into bed with her beloved parents and finally get a good night's sleep.
She sniffed, her mouth moving upward in a slight scowl. Dammit, my cold is back... Her mouth gaped in a huge yawn. Whatever... It'll be gone by tomorrow.
Caulifla glided her hands over the bedsheets as she climbed upon the mattress, pausing slightly when she felt something warm and slick on the fabric. A leak in the roof? Father will fix it tomorrow. With a small grunt, she crawled over Garlik's unmoving form to settle between her father and mother, pushing her face into Lotuce's back. Her mother was warm but the heat was slowly creeping away. Caulifla did not have the energy to wonder why. Instead, she yawned once more and snuggled against the small of her mother's back. Goodnight, Father. Goodnight, Mother.
Caulifla sat up in her cot, sweating hard. She clutched her head in what seemed to be agony. Shit... I thought I was over this.
"Sis?" Kale said sotto voce. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes groggily. "Is something wrong?" She lowered her voice. "Was it a nightmare?"
"No," Caulifla lied immediately. "Nothing's wrong, Kale. I just... I just can't shake the feeling that something's about to happen." Well, that wasn't a complete lie. That sinking feeling had been gnawing at her gut all day long.
"You don't have to hide it from me," Kale said pleadingly. "I-I'm here for you. I'll always be here for you, sis."
"I know that. But seriously, there's nothing wrong," Caulifla continued to deny. "Go back to sleep, Kale. We have a lot of things to do tomorrow. For one, we're going to find out why those elite snobs wouldn't let you see Cabba." How dare they treat Kale like trash!
When Kale had returned to Caulifla that evening, the latter had spent most of the night comforting the former, showing patience to the emotionally frail girl. Stupid males, Caulifla had thought as she tucked Kale into bed. All of them are useless...
"O-okay," Kale said with a resigned sigh. "I'll see in the morning then."
Caulifla nodded, though she knew Kale would not be able to see the movement in the near pitch black darkness.
Half an hour later, Caulifla felt déjà vu overcome her as she tossed and turn in her cot. From the light snores she was hearing, Kale was already fast asleep. Though most saiyans slept like a rock - Caulifla included - Kale was an exception, being a light sleeper. Caulifla glared into the never ending blackness. There was no way she was waking Kale up again; at least one of them deserved some sleep.
Another hour had passed when Caulifla felt herself get drowsy. She smiled slightly. Finally... But she was wide awake once again when someone started shouting downstairs, followed by a resonating clang! Forgetting all about being silent for the sake of Kale getting some shut-eye, she snarled in frustration and threw the covers off, storming downstairs. Whoever's making those infernal noises at this hour will pay!
"What the hell is going on here?!" Caulifla demanded, trying not to sound completely sleep-deprived. "Who's making all that noise?" Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that Kale had followed her down the stairs, clinging to the barrister.
One of her gang members, a short, stubby fat one, was standing in a sloppy fighting stance, obviously well on the way of being completely sloshed. An empty bottle of moonshine sat in one corner of the warehouse.
"An intruder," her subordinate slurred. "I-I was about to challenge him to a fight...!"
"You are clearly in no condition to fight," Caulifla told him. "You're dismissed." She narrowed her eyes and the intruder, who was shrouded in the darkness. "Come out of there."
The figure moved menacingly through the shadow and Caulifla tensed, preparing for a fight. Then he emerged into the dim lighting, a huge lopsided grin on his face.
"Hey, Cauli!"
Caulifla's fist landed right between his eyes. She sweatdropped when the shape of Son Goku flew into the wall. "What the?! Goku?!"
"Yowch..." Goku whined, rubbing the back of his head where it had hit the wall. "What was that for?"
"You come in here in the middle of the night and ask me 'what was that for'?" She crossed her arms. "Explain yourself, Goku. I am not in the mood for bullshit tonight. Why did you come here?"
Goku sighed and sat down on a heavy box. "Something came up and I need you to come back to Universe 7 with me."
Caulifla glared. "No deal. I just got home and there's a lot of shit to be done around this place. Ayote screwed up massively and I have to clean up his mess."
"Will you at least let me explain why?"
"Hrgghh..." Caulifla grumbled. Though she would have loved to know why Goku had come, she felt as if she were going to keel over anytime. "... Maybe tomorrow."
Goku cursed under his breath. I told Chi Chi I'd be home quick... Things aren't just going my way, are they? "Fine. But trust me, you'll want to hear what I have to say."
"There's a spare room upstairs," Caulifla told him. "Find it and do whatever you want. I'm going to bed." She glared at him frostily one last time before marching up the stairs with Kale in tow. What's so important that he needs to come all the way here for? She groaned quietly and pinched the bridge of her nose. Dammit. Things just keep getting messier and messier.
"Oh, aren't they wonderful?" gushed a female saiyan to her mate. "Look, Beet - Garlik and Lotuce are campaigning for a refugee camp to be set up in Sadala!"
"That's old news, Fennel," Beet replied, hardly giving her a second glance. "We all know that already." He grunted. "Can't say for sure I agree with their ideas though. As if Sadala needs any more foreigners."
Along with many other saiyans, the two mates were sitting in a tavern, Beet drinking a watery ale while Fennel rhapsodized Garlik and Lotuce. Most of them were talking amongst themselves until a newscast suddenly popped on the television.
The news anchorman was looking particularly grim as he announced a new story. Everyone's attention was on his frowning visage.
"A horrendous murder last night has left neighbors shaken and the Defence Squad stumped..."
Fennel's jaw gaped in horror as the television showed a scene depicting a house covered in what could be considered police tape. She recognized that place. Everybody did - for Garlik and Lotuce were well-respected members of the community.
"Damn," Beet swore as the newscast continued.
"I-it can't be," choked Fennel, her eyes wide. "It just can't! Where's the justice in this?" She clenched her hand around her glass of beer until it shattered. "WHERE IS IT?!"
Fennel wasn't the only one to react in such a way; others were showcasing similar sentiments to the murder.
"What will happen to the kids?" one saiyan asked.
"Dunno," said his companion, taking a swig. "The government will probably take care of that. Social services and whatnot."
"Who cares?" added a third saiyan, more apathetic than the rest. "Bad things happen all the time."
Fennel was about to up and pound the guy but Beet stopped her, grabbing her arm and shaking his head sternly. It wasn't worth the trouble. Fennel sat down and sighed, pushing away her beer, no longer thirsty.
"I... I think we should be grateful that it was not us, but them," Fennel said, tearing up at the sight of Caulifla's gaunt face as the authorities took her away in the backdrop. "Oh my god... I can't believe I'm saying this." Her eyes followed Caulifla until she disappeared outside the frame.
Beet sighed and hugged his mate. "You are right. We should be grateful." He pulled a locket out from underneath his shirt and clicked it open. An image of him, Fennel, and their five year old child, Cabba, grinned back, the latter having lost his front teeth the time it was taken. "We should always be grateful."
"Another tragedy," a saiyan elite said, clicking his tongue as he walked down the hallway with his comrade. "That family can't catch any breaks, can they?"
"Right. And if Renso really is dead... That girl will be the last one. But no one knows where she is now."
They did not notice Cabba walking in the opposite direction as them, having overheard every word they had uttered. He glared stonily at the pair. "Watch what you say. Captain Renso is not dead."
Cabba had brought the matter of Renso's disappearance to the Sadala Defence Force as soon as he discovered him missing and most of the patrols going out now were dedicated to searching for Renso, the Commander having a deep respect for the missing saiyan. Renso's house had now been turned into a police zone; officers worked hours on end to search for new evidence. All they had so far were some remnants of a fire; about a handful of ashes. Nothing they could connect to anyone.
"Right," the saiyan elite said reluctantly, not wanting to start any fights with Cabba. He walked away with his friend, leaving Cabba standing in the hallway by himself.
With a frustrated yell, Cabba slammed his fist into the wall, making a resounding noise. "Have I done the right thing by handing this over to the Sadala Defence Force? They've been getting nowhere...!" He pushed his forehead against the wall, the cool metal calming him. "Of course I have... Who else could I have turned to?" Caulifla, a nagging voice in his head answered. If the Sadala Defence Forces aren't pulling out the big guns, why should you stick around just to wait for them to give up?
Cabba removed himself from the wall, breathing deeply. "Caulifla can fix this... She always does."
Ever since the tournament, he had been slowly losing faith in Sadala's military police. He had quickly learned that there were threats in the universe that they couldn't solve. The saiyans were strong but they were not invincible. It was a hard lesson for Cabba to take in, especially since he had dedicated his life to serving Sadala. So why did all his vows and promises suddenly feel so empty?
He wandered aimlessly down the hall as he pondered. Why? So many unanswered questions...
"Cabba!"
The saiyan in question turned around to see a chubby saiyan sauntering up to him. The saiyan - one called Groot - panted and wiped sweat off his temple. "Your mother's waiting for you in the lobby. She says she needs to see you about something important."
"Alright, thanks, Groot." At this hour? Mother hates waking up early. The sun rose only two hours ago.
When he arrived at the lobby, he saw his mother sitting down and donned in black. She stared blankly ahead, obviously far away. Cabba observed her silently for a few moments before approaching her, clearing his throat slightly as he did so. "Mother. You came to see me?"
Fennel snapped out of her spacing out and smiled weakly at her son. "Y-yes, that's right, I did." She stood up and took her son by the shoulder. "Something happened while you were away."
"Is it important?" inquired Cabba. "No disrespect, but we're currently in the middle of an investigation and it's getting pretty swamped around here." That and I need to tell Caulifla about this before she finds out from anyone else.
"Yes, it is important," Fennel said, sounding strained. "Your cousin, Parsley..."
"Parsley?" Cabba echoed. "I haven't heard from her in a while. I didn't get a single letter from her this month."
"That's just it!" Fennel said and she seemed to wilt. "Cabba... Parsley's dead." She buried her face in her hands. "She was murdered."
"What?!" exclaimed Cabba, shocked by the news. "H-how?! When did this happen?!"
"According to the letter your aunt got, last month."
"No..." Cabba started pacing. "It can't be! There's got to be some sort of mistake." Parsley...! Never again would he see her smiling face as she ran from him through the fields and hid underneath the weeping willow tree. You can't be dead...
"There's no mistake. The letter they got had Kafara's seal on it. It's genuine." Fennel wiped a few tears away before reaching into her shirt pocket and pulling out a crumpled letter. "I have it right here."
"Kafara?" Cabba muttered as he examined the letter, each cold, formal word striking a blow to his heart. He glanced up from the correspondence. "Who's Kafara?"
Fennel's eyes, red from crying, widened slightly before she relaxed. "Oh. I'd forgotten that you didn't know. After Frost was dethroned, she took over his place as Empress. She's been keeping herself private so not much is known about her. Speaking of Frost... He's also dead. They found this... this husk resembling him on Planet Virkulian. No one knows for certain how he died but it must have been very painful."
Good! A cruel part of Cabba screamed. The bastard deserved it! "Hopefully she proves to be a better leader than Frost." Her name sounds oddly familiar...
"I suppose." Fennel tried smiling at her son but it looked more like a grimace. "I'm so proud of you Cabba." She pulled him into a hug. "You've grown up so fast; fighting alongside the gods even...!" Fennel took a moment to inhale his familiar scent before kissing his forehead. "But you'll always be my little boy to me."
"Mother," Cabba murmured, embracing her. "I... I missed you. Father as well."
"We missed you too, love." Fennel drew back, looking considerably more content than she did before. "Anyway, I just came to tell you that the funeral for Parsley is tomorrow. Be there, okay?"
"I wouldn't miss it for the world," Cabba promised. "Parsley... Tch, Parsley was too good for this world."
Fennel nodded and headed toward the exit. "Come over for dinner, tonight, okay?"
"Right. I'll see you there, mother."
She might as well be an insomniac now, Caulifla decided as she walked down a winding trail to the marketplace. She was dressed in a hooded cloak, not wanting to be seen for fear of being recognized as an outlaw. Not that she couldn't silence them, but she'd rather not have any trouble.
Caulifla had awoken before anyone else, even Goku, who was a known early riser when he could be bothered. She had even managed to get by Kale without any complications. Maybe Kale was more saiyan than she thought when it came to sleeping or maybe she had just been particularly careful.
Expertly waving through the dirt roads of the bazaar, she snatched up a few loaves of bread, dried meats and even whole roasts without the vendors, half-asleep or distracted, noticing. She had made her way through the entire market and was about to leave when a hand grabbed her shoulder. Instinctively, she turned around and flipped the saiyan on the ground, making him yell in surprise.
"W-wait!" the saiyan cried when Caulifla was about to give him a finishing blow. He held up a piece of bread. "I was just going to tell you that you dropped this."
Caulifla instantly relaxed, but not so much as to completely lower her guard. "Right. My apologies." She helped him up and took the loaf, brushing dirt off the carbohydrate.
"It's alright," said the saiyan. "We're all on edge around these parts, especially with the Sadala Defence Forces running around."
Caulifla's interest pricked up. "Oh? How come?"
"We~ell, you know most of us sell opium here occasionally -"
"That's not what I meant. Why are the Sadala Defence Forces roaming here? And don't tell me that they're actually bothering to shut down your secret drug stores. Some of the officers are known buyers themselves."
"Oh! Right. I'm not too certain on the details myself, but a former Captain living around these woods suddenly disappeared and they believe him to be dead. The crime scene is not very far from here, which is why we're all on edge. Can't have the do-gooders discovering our opium stash."
"Former Captain?" Caulifla muttered, having stopped paying attention to the saiyan. Cold dread filled her. Renso? She walked away from the other saiyan, ignoring the sweet, underlying stench of opium hidden beneath stacks of spices. The food that she had stashed in her saddlebag suddenly seemed heavier than normal. She tried to ignore that sinking feeling in her gut. So what if he's gone? Good riddance.
He's your brother, another part of her argued. Yes, he has wronged you, but you are family. You know that he's not dead. The old bastard's too stubborn for death. You ought to do something about it.
Caulifla released a low growl and lifted off the ground, choosing to fly all the way home. Cabba must know about this. So why hasn't he come to see me yet? I thought we were fri- She cut her own thoughts off before resuming where she left off. Friends? She blinked against the wind in her face. Friends... What a strange concept. Though she was held in high esteem by her subordinates, there weren't many she called friends if there were any at all. Kale? No, Kale was more like family to Caulifla. More like family than Renso ever was anyway. And of course, there was the curious case of Son Goku. After what he'd done to her and everything they had shared together before that, she wasn't quite sure what she considered him. The lines between lover, friend, and enemy were all completely blurred.
She sighed through her nose. No use thinking about this now. That feeling was back again - the sinking one that told her something big and bad was on the way. It was like a sort of sixth sense she and many saiyans shared. Perhaps it was because of their natural hunger for battle that had them on alert or the time.
Cabba better have a good explanation for all his screw-ups. Or else he can forget having any Cabba juniors running around. And I don't want to deprive Kale of future children. She snickered darkly to herself. That male better treat her right.
A/N: I don't know if anyone remembers Parsley but a cookie for you if you do~