Ascending | ✔

Farewell

One month.

It had been one month since Cabba had started training and though he enjoyed his time with his teacher, he was ready to go home, just like Caulifla and Kale.

Caulifla had already voiced her concerns about staying for too long. She passed the time by sparring with Kale, the androids or practising by herself.

While Kale and Cabba had been expecting a movie date, Vegeta's stubborn head kept them from it - either Cabba would train every day or said training would cease.

Now Caulifla sat by herself in Capsule Corp.'s large backyard, observing koi fish from her wooden seat. She had long since vacated her temporary home in the mountains, choosing instead to stay at Capsule Corp. with her companions. It was a more luxurious living than she was used to but it wasn't a bad change.

For one, there was no Son Goku around to bother her. From what she heard, he had gone off with Beerus and Whis for one of his training trips. She had not spoken to him since the incident at Herculopolis Mall. She only wondered how Chi Chi was coping with this.

The calming ripple of the water was interrupted when the grass crunched and Cabba appeared next to her, dressed in his black gi with a towel hanging around his neck.

"Can I join you?"

Caulifla shifted to the right and patted the bench. "Go ahead. It's not like I own the place."

The male saiyan sat down, the cool feel of the wood welcoming to his hot and sweaty body - he had just come out of a rough training session with Vegeta. Underneath his gi, he was sure that his chest and abdomen were speckled with bruises and lacerations but they were only superficial.

"You've been distant," Caulifla commented offhandedly. "So what's up?"

"You've been distant too," Cabba countered, wincing slightly when a bruise at the back of his thigh throbbed. "I already know that you are no longer training with Goku. Is that why?"

"Tch. That's not the only thing."

"Then what? Tell me, Caulifla."

Instead of answering, she asked, "Do you miss your old life?"

"Old life?" Cabba echoed. "Well, yes. It's been my lifelong dream to become a member of the Sadala Defence Force. Add to the fact that I'm also an elite."

Why does this sound familiar? Caulifla thought wryly, memories of Renso saluting at the dinner coming back to her. Why is it that every male I know is a righteous fool?

"Being an elite sounds lonely," she remarked. "Especially since Frost practically ruled over the Sadala Defence Force. You must spend a lot of time with his underlings. From what I hear, they're a bad lot. Not your type."

"Only the soldiers," Cabba told her. "They're all brutes one way or another. But the rest are mostly fine. Mother and father are acquainted with a few of them actually."

There was a sting that accompanied his last sentence to Caulifla. She hadn't known that both of his parents were still alive. He had mentioned that they were highborn before but she hadn't connected any dots to their status as alive or dead. Both she and Kale had been orphaned at a young age. For the longest time, she had thought that Cabba was in the same boat as them - hoped that he was just like them, however cruel that sounded.

"Oh yeah, who? Bet they must be pretty important."

Cabba gave her a wonky sort of smile. "Not really. You see, mother and father always took pity on the less fortunate. Any acquaintances they had there were all working class members of Frost's ship."