"I'm curious..." Chaya's voice flitted through the cell, causing Renso to look up. "What kind of information do you hold? It's obviously something important if my Lady has imprisoned you here."
Renso blinked in surprise. This is her new strategy? Asking straight up to my face? He'd expected her to go unto a route with multiple twists and turns designed to make him slip up. He certainly wasn't expecting... This.
"You could just tell me... And put us both out of our miseries. I don't like being here anymore than you do." She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "You must be the only prisoner in an prison ship to be assigned a guard. Do you like feeling special or something?"
"Special?" Renso echoed. "Not at all. If anything, this is even more degrading."
"Oh? How so?"
"Your Lady is playing a game with me. I don't know what. And believe me when I say that I do not enjoy information being withheld from me."
"And there, ladies and gentleman, is the perfect example of hypocrisy in a male," Chaya remarked dryly. "The sooner you give me the information my Lady needs, the sooner you get out of this joint." ... Into the jaws of death.
"I don't want to," Renso replied, grinning to himself. Luckily, Chaya's back was turned and she could not see it. Oh, he was really enjoying this. Whatever cards this guard held were nothing to his own. Not to mention it would likely keep him alive longer. "You're a saiyan, aren't you?" he asked, swiftly changing the subject.
It was apparent to him that Chaya was quickly losing her patience and her wits with this tedious task. Perhaps enough to answer his own questions...?
"Obviously."
Renso couldn't help but bare his teeth in a toothy smile again. "I figured. After all, I'm one too. But you already know that, don't you?" When she didn't answer he continued, "Do you come from the Sadala Defence Forces?"
"Tch, of course not. I don't have any time for that shit."
The retired captain did not appreciate her calling his pride and joy 'shit' but let it slide. Lashing out would only lead her to raise her guard once more.
"Then where do you come from? Are you nobility?"
There was no reply.
"Middle class?" Renso pressed.
His question was left hanging in the air.
Chaya's rough voice slashed through the thick silence. "Where I come from is none of your business. You'll do well to remember that, prisoner." Just like that, she had retreated back into her shell. Not that she had come out too far from it anyway.
Renso sighed. It had been worth a try. It was unlikely that the guard would ever free him just because they became acquainted; so instead he had focused on trying to know more about her. Spending the entire day in a cell with nothing to do was tedious at the least. But wait... Isn't this the same as what I do at home? He straightened, suddenly seeing the reality of the situation as clear as day.
Out of the corner of her eye, Chaya caught his sudden movement. That saiyan... He's a strange one alright. Not that she knew many saiyans anyway. Lady Kafara almost never assigned her to any missions on Planet Sadala. Secretly, Chaya was glad of that - Planet Sadala and its inhabitants meant nothing to her... But it would be strange to walk among her people after so long.
I was rescued, Chaya reminded herself. I have a purpose in this world. Whatever it is though, it definitely has nothing to do with that godforsaken planet.
It was a cold morning.
Caulifla had decided that it was a strange sensation to be sharing a bed with Son Goku. A futon was one thing, but this... Sharing a bed felt more intimate. She wanted to tell herself that yesterday was a day wasted - for she had done nothing but spar and screw with her lover - but she knew that it wasn't the case. Goku had certainly lived up his promise - if she were to throw the blankets off now and go for a walk she was certain that she'd be aching all the way.
From what she was sensing, Caulifla determined that the rest of her gang were not awake. Tch... Lazy fucks. Then again, who am I to judge? Yawning widely, she snuggled into Goku's chest.
Kale had spent the night in the bedroom she normally shared with Caulifla. Usually, without the presence of the older saiyan female, Kale find it relatively difficult to sleep. But last night had been different - she had slept soundly by herself for the first time in many years. Is it because of what happened the night before? She blushed just thinking about her kiss with Cabba. It had been her first and, she hoped, her last. She could not imagine succumbing to the act with anyone else. Her body had burned when his lips had touched hers. It had just felt so... Right.
Something dinged and Kale looked over to where her communicator sat. Lord Beeticus The Third - Beet, Kale corrected in her head - had given it to her the night before, claiming that he had many sitting around collecting dust. She had actually sat in her bed most of the night, fretting over all the keys and buttons that it had. Luckily, it had only taken her about an hour to figure things out; settings, buttons, whatever. Now, a new message from Cabba was displayed on the tiny screen.
I'm sorry, but I can't spend anytime with you today. There's an important appointment I have to attend, the text read.
Kale tapped on the many buttons, backspacing and groaning whenever she made a spelling mistake because of her fingers pressing two buttons at once. She sighed in small relief when she completed the message and forwarded it to Cabba. Whatever appointment he had, it was sure to be extremely important, as he had stated. Kale resolved not to bother him; he obviously needed to do this himself.
It was a cold morning.
Cabba was now regretting spending the night with his parents. Aside from the part where they had grilled him with questions about the status of his relationship with Kale, he had awoken to the most awful sound that morning. It was similar to the noises that he had heard last night as well. Staring at the posters that he had stuck on his old bedroom walls as a teenager did little to help him ignore the keening cries of his mother.
Never before had he seen his mother break down so heavily, especially after displaying such a cheerful persona in front of Kale. He was not surprised that it had all been a ruse and she had simply worn a mask for that night. Cabba did not know whether to be grateful or upset.
Contrary to her wild personality, Fennel's heart was truly spun with sugar and fairy floss when it came to those who she cared about.
Fennel displayed her crying in many different ways.
There would be times where she would wander down the hallways in a dignified posture and Cabba would hardly notice the wet trails on her cheeks. But they were still there.
And then there would be times where he would hear a staccato of hiccups coming from the bathroom, where she sobbed heavily and wailed to her heart's content, unaware that the rushing water that the shower produced did little to hide the noise.
Finally, there would be the sniffles that she tried to hide in the bedroom, oblivious to the fact that both Beet and Cabba knew that she cried herself to sleep. Beet, of course, would know, as they shared the same bed, but Cabba was also aware, having heard it more than once while heading to the kitchen for a glass of hot water.
Today, she would get closure.
Cabba was silent as he got dressed in his mourning clothes and met his parents in the drawing room, where they proceeded to take a hearse (that functioned on electromagnetic technology) to the cemetery. His mother wore black with a veil over her face while his father wore the traditional mourning robes of the Beeticus House.
At an intersection, their vehicle was joined by another black hearse. As the other hearse drove past, Cabba briefly caught a glimpse of his aunt and uncle, Lady Amara and Lord Maize.
A low rumble sounded and the first drop of rain landed on the window Cabba was near. He did his best to glance upward, pressing his face against the double-glazed glass.
Beside him, his parents had started muttering. Cabba saw Carago, the one driving, tilt his head slightly and adjust the rear-view mirror. The namekian was worried about them, though he didn't outwardly project his concerns.
There was a loud honk and Carago cursed quite colorfully under his breath as another car cut them off in the jam. Cabba shook his head. Honestly; if those saiyans just learned how to fly without relying on these primitive vehicles. The Beeticus House was only putting up with this as it was a funeral tradition. Suddenly, Cabba was glad that Vegeta had never visited Planet Sadala. The Universe 7 saiyan would not be happy to know that a percentage of the counterparts of his race acted more like docile humans than warriors.
The murmurs between Beet and Fennel ceased. The only noise that could be heard now was the loud beeping of the vehicles and the pitter-patter of the rain. Cabba grimaced. He decided that he hated this town; hated what it was called. Hated it because Parsley Town did not reflect at all the person who he missed most at this point.
"We're nearly there," Cabba heard Beet say quietly.
A soft rustle caught Cabba's attention. Though the namekian driving the car had not so much as blinked, he had used telekinesis to remove two umbrellas from the boot. The umbrellas were set down in different places; one in the front seat and the other in front of Beet, who sat at the back with the rest of his family. The Lord wrapped his hand around it tightly until Cabba thought his father's knuckles were going to pop.
The rest of the trip was a vague blur to Cabba. He was shook out of a dream-like stupor when the car glided to a stop. Slow as a sloth, he opened the door and stepped outside. The rain poured heavily but each drop bounced off his gravity-defying hair. A few raindrops slid down his cowlick and landed on his lips but he hardly noticed. Then a shadow moved over him and the rain stopped.
Cabba glanced upward.
"Thought you might need this," Carago said. He was holding the umbrella, sheltering both of them.
"Thank you," Cabba said, his voice hardly heard over the rain.
There was a loud fwoosh! and a new umbrella opened up as Beet got out of the car, helping his mate out. The hem of her sweeping mourning gown grew darker with wet as she stepped onto the slick cobblestone path.
In front of them, a great wall loomed.
Parsley Town Memorial Park. Ivy grew around the rusted gates. A pile of bricks were strewn promiscuously across the entrance. No wall remained untouched by crude graffiti. Cabba's solemn expression twisted into a fierce scowl. This... This is where she will rest for eternity? It was an absolute disgrace. Anger rolled off him in waves and he felt a hand clasp his shoulder. Carago was looking down at him, his face devoid of all emotion.
"Not now. There's plenty of time for that later."
Cabba relaxed slightly. The namekian was right - there would be time later to take out his fury. How he did not know.
The Beeticus family walked into the cemetery with stiff backs and tense shoulders, grey blurs against the blinding rain. Ahead of them were Lady Amara and Lord Maize, looking equally tense even from a distance.
A muffled sob. Cabba did not glance backward, stoically looking forward.
Cabba did not know how long it took for them to walk all the way to Parsley's burial site. Everything looked the same - trees, shrubbery and more trees - all as grey as the sky. When they arrived, others were already gathered there, including Amara and Maize.
Closed casket, Cabba noted, sighing with relief. Like many other things, he did not know if he would have been able to handle an open casket.
Someone began speaking in a low, sorrowful voice but Cabba wasn't listening; he didn't need anyone to tell him how wonderful and full of life his cousin had been - how that life had been cut short. He was completely tuned out, staring with hollow eyes at the double-glazed glass casket that lay at the bottom of the grave. How expensive it must have been. Outside of nobility, rarely any saiyan buried the dead. It was cheaper and more efficient to burn the bodies.
There was a small grunt from Carago when the speaker wistfully mentioned Parsley's almost comedic obsession with alcohol despite being lighter than a feather. Suddenly, Cabba found himself wondering how Carago must have felt when he was separated from his remaining family and stranded on an alien planet. Then the voice grew louder and an irate Cabba glared stonily at a saiyan who was standing atop a small mound, looking like he was preaching to his audience from a distance rather than reminiscing about Parsley's short life.
Words. Words, words, words. Words that will never bring her back.
More voices joined in.
Words. What's the point?
The voices grew almost painfully discordant and Cabba hissed and brought a hand up to massage his temple.
"... she will be missed," the original speaker finished. "May our ancestors bless her."
"May our ancestors bless her," the entire group chorused in unison, Cabba included, though his chant sounded more robotic than anything else.
Just like that, they disbanded. Cabba stared after their retreating backs, surprised that Amara, Maize and his parents were part of the departing, leaving him by himself. He shifted uncomfortably in his suit and found something poking his left breast. He reached his hand up, his fingers brushing against the soft purple-white petals of Sadala's national flower: the Gemalia.
Slowly, he pulled out the boutonnière, twirling the single flower in his hand.
Then he forced his feet to bring him closer to the open grave, where the damp casket lay forgotten, yet to be covered by layers of earth. A muscle twinged in his arm as he lowered the boutonnière before dropping in the tomb. The gemalia flopped pathetically onto the tempered glass, the drop having forced its petals to spread like a halo.
"You deserved better," Cabba ground out bitterly, bowing his head.
"She certainly did," a new voice agreed, making Cabba whip around in alarm. He relaxed when he saw it was just Amara, her delicate hands resting on the front of her black dress. She must have parted from her entourage to return.
"Aunt Amara," Cabba acknowledged, inclining his head slightly. "It's... It's good to see you again."
"You too, my dear nephew... Though I wish it was not under these circumstances." Amara moved her hand into a hidden pocket, fishing out a small parcel wrapped with brown paper and tied with string. She outstretched her hand. "Here. This belonged to Parsley before..." Cabba noted how she had avoided saying 'her death' or 'she died'. Amara's eyes glinted. "She is not truly dead, Cabba, not when we still speak of her."
Cabba took the parcel, looking impassively at it. "What is it?"
"That's for you to find out. It was my daughter's wish to have this passed onto you. I don't know why."
The brown paper packaging was already starting to darken, the umbrella having been taken away from Cabba when Carago walked off with the rest. "Thank... Thank you."
Amara nodded before heading back down the winding trail.
All the way back to the rusted gates of Parsley Town Memorial Park.
Hey, Kale. How was your day?
A ding. Cabba glanced at his communicator, halfway through ripping through the package. He had sent that text only seconds ago.
Hello.
Ack
this Is hard to use
sorry
A smile found its way onto Cabba's face. She even sounds like herself when she texts. It was nice to smile again, especially after doing nothing but scowl all day. He typed back a message.
Don't worry about it. You'll get used to it soon.
Ding.
hopefully
hoW was your day, cabba?
Cabba's smile faltered as he replied back, keeping his message short and sweet.
Honestly? Not great.
There was no immediate reply. Shrugging, Cabba turned back to shredding the paper packaging apart. A few seconds later, a leather-bound book sat on the table, stuffed fat with notes. He ran his fingers down the bumpy texture of the book, inspecting it at all angles.
Ding.
Cabba looked over at his communicator.
im sorry
He shook his head.
Ding.
It's not your fault, Kale.
Ding.
maybe... but i feel bad
loosing a family member is always hard
your father told me about Parsley
Cabba occupied himself by exploring the book as he pondered on an answer. Lost in thought, he did not noticed that he had opened Parsley's parting gift to the first page. A handwritten maxim was scrawled across the rough paper.
A gift that you can open again and again, Parsley had written. P.S. Don't laugh. If you're reading this, it means I'm dead as a doorknob and that'd be disrespectful. Laugh and I'll smite you.
He did not realize that he was crying until dark spots started appearing on the page.
Ding.
Ding.
Ding.
He sobbed even harder, letting out a heart-wrenching, keening cry.
Ding.
Ding.
Ding.
Ding.
Ding.
Through hot tears, he glimpsed Kale's messages.
Cabba?
cabba are ou there
are you okay?
cabba?
please reply
if you need to talk
im here
ill always be herre
Ding.
cabba
Ding.
i guess your asleep now
Ding.
goodnight
Ding.
i love you
With that, Cabba laughed harshly, swiping everything on the table onto the floor, scattering papers and other utensils everywhere. How could she possibly love someone like me? There are better men out there. He glared at his communicator, which was lying upside-down on the ground, as if the object could give him the answer he needed. Of course, it simply lay there without a peep. Not even a tale-telling ding sounding.
Sighing deeply, he began to rearrange everything, feeling drained. Parsley's book - a diary, he assumed - was the last thing he picked up. A sudden burst of energy filled him and he set the book on the table and began reading.
Entry 1
JOINED THE ELITE TECH SQUAD TODAY!
Under Frost's orders of course. The guy won't give me a break. Do this, do that. Espionage this, espionage that. My purpose... My purpose? To report back to him everything that Kafara is doing.
She's just a weirdo.
What is there to know?
The ship is cold and empty.
I want to go home.
HAHA JUST KIDDING! This place is great. Aside from the soldiers, I really like the staff they hire around here. The cooks in the kitchen give me free food and shit. I'm not the only saiyan on board, they said. So they're used to saiyan appetites, which is a plus. REMINDER: LEARN THEIR NAMES. GOTTA LEARN THEIR NAMES.
Niifa (she's the Head Technician) showed me around the lab today. It's sooo cool! It's like a scene out of a sci-fi movie. The others are really nice too. Muto's an Octopodian, Benzert's an Arlokian and Moblit... I don't know what he is. As for Niifa herself, she's Zoorian. That planet with all the really cute animals. REMINDER: Don't call her cute though. I did it today and she just about bit my head off. Everyone was laughing.
There's a really spiffy tavern on Planet Arlok. It's where we're docked at right now. Benzert's enjoying the time he has with his family. As for me? TIME TO GET SMASHED! I challenged Niifa to a drinking contest earlier tonight and got drunk after seventh shot. The Head Technician can seriously hold her alcohol. She drank three times as much as me and still managed to stand! What the fuck? Is everyone on this ship a weirdo? Hehe, then again, I am a member of Kafara's fleet... Look's like it's too late for me.
Entry 55
SADALA! HOME SWEET HOME!
Saw Cabba today. Kept asking me questions. Luckily, I avoided all of them. Frost would have been pretty pissed if he got in the way. Had to tell him to call me Yvonne. Didn't want my cover to be blown. Kafara has eyes and ears everywhere, I'm told.
And I can't help but wonder...
How am I going to die?
It's not like I can keep this up forever. One day, I'll slip up, and no one will care, not even Frost because we both know I'm just a puppet to him.
I'll ask again.
How am I going to die?
Curious and curiouser...
Oops, that isn't a word.
Time to add that in my dictionary!
Entry 107
WAHHH!
GAMMY DENIED ME FOOD FOR THE FIRST TIME TODAY.
HOW.
WHY.
WHYYYYY!
Aside from THAT little spectacle, I realized that Archer and Harper are homosexual. They're pretty good at hiding it. I only realized when Archer marched straight up to Harper and kissed him. I got the rest for River later - apparently Harper's kind of scared of showing their relationship. Archer finally cracked after a week of no lip-locking, River said. Emmett and Gammy swore me to secrecy. It's supposed to be taboo in some of the soldiers' culture or something and they don't want to be hanged.
Look's like I got more secrets to keep.
Whoop-de-doo.
Entry 201
Interuniversal travel... Whoa... I never thought technology would be capable of that. Niifa thinks that with the right adjustment we'll be able to achieve it in about two months. AWESOME!
But Frost won't be happy that Kafara has all... This at her disposal. I'll need to find out more about it.
Things will only get more dangerous from here.
Sorry.
Entry 212
Power. It's all about power. That's what Kafara wants. To be ruler of the universe and all other universe. But she has to get stronger first. I've included a diagram of her physiology, including her abilities. It's mostly guesswork and assumptions but it'll have to do.
I want to die.
This job makes me want to kill myself. I hate it.
My time is soon. I can feel it in my bones... A hollow, empty feeling.
So, so empty.
Or is it my empty chest cavity?
I don't know.
But you know what's reassuring?
The fact that I know.
That it will soon be over.
Entry 214
I'm going to die today.
A/N: The time has come... for exams. That's right. Exams. And you know what that means...
Mental breakdown.
Hah, jk.
I just probably won't be able to update until it's over. Gotta use the weekend for studying and whatnot.
Cabba's smart enough to put all the pieces of the puzzle together.
And now... it's time for some shameless self promotion. Yay!
I have a new fic in the Super category called Trials and Tribulations. Please go check it out! (3 Fair warning though, it's an AU.
Pro of TaT: There will probably be little to none OC characters.
Wish me luck on my test? I'll certainly need it. Failure (below 70 percent in the eyes of my parents) equals punishment in my household.
Thank you so much for 200 reviews. Special shoutout to MLPSTEVENUNIVERSELPS for being my 200th reviewer! Go check out her stories!