As she sat in her dark cell, with the only light coming from the hall and the only signs of company being the disembodied voices she heard outside the door, she thought back to her life and her role in how it had turned out. There was no disputing that she wasn't a good person. She had emotionally abused her own sister, turning her insecurities into a weapon with which she stymied her growth. She did it because she was afraid that Sarada was going to eventually surpass her. At the time, strength was all that mattered to Parsley, despite all they had been through.
In hindsight, she wished she hadn't done that. Not just because it was a waste of time, but because it soured the relationship she had with her sister to the point where now, they were basically two people with a professional relationship. There was no closeness, no affection, no laughter to be enjoyed between the two of them. That Sarada would rather spend more time with those humans and that Oni than her own flesh and blood... it hurt.
It hurt, and that hurt only increased because she knew that it was her own fault. If...no, when she got out of this, when she was rescued or escaped and returned to Vocado, she was going to make it right. No matter what it took, she was going to rebuild the broken relationships between herself and her two younger siblings.
As time crawled by, Parsley found herself talking to herself more. At first, it was more idle mumbling, but then gradually transitioned into full blown conversations. The latter was few and far between, but it happened frequently enough for her captors to take notice.
“Figured you'd find a friend who can stomach you,” Appel sneered as she stepped inside. The light coming in from the hall was blinding, painful. “Blech! You reek. I guess I have to wash filthy beasts.” She gestured, then stepped to the side to allow a man to walk in with a hose. He pulled down the lever and unleashed a powerful stream of water that nearly drowned Parsley whenever it hit her in the face.
She coughed raggedly and spit up water. Her throat was ragged and sour from screaming, vomiting, and going days without water. The only benefit of that hose was that she managed to catch some water in her mouth.
For a long while, after the man disappeared, Appel just stared down at Parsley. The only sound in the room was the sporadic coughing from Parsley trying to clear her lungs of water. Wordlessly, she pulled a syringe out of her pocket.
At seeing it, Parsley did what she could to inch away from her. Desperately, she yanked and tugged at the restraints binding her to the wall. It felt like her hands were about to be ripped from her wrists; the metal bonds cut into her skin, drawing blood that ran down her arm, but still she persisted.
Appel stalked toward her like a predator, a hungry glint in her eye as she bent down. The feeble kicks at her feet did nothing as she grabbed hold of the Saiyan's tail and plunged the needle into it, then pushed down on the syringe.
Without a word, she stood and left.
More time passed. Instead of talking, Parsley passed it by writhing in pain. An intense tingling sensation shot through her tail into the base of her spine, causing her immense discomfort. It felt like whatever she was injected with was eating away at her tail. The more time passed, the less she could feel it.
This was confirmed when Appel appeared and smirked. “So, that serum worked. That little tail of yours is all gone.”
“...what?!”
It was the loudest she had spoken in days. Or was it weeks?
“Now we have a way to keep you freaks from transforming. Without that, our weapons will make quick work of you.”
She couldn't respond. What strength she had left was wasted when she spoke just previously. Her body had been wasting away, her Saiyan metabolism was killing her. Her eyes were bugging out of her skull, her face looked gaunt, her body thin and gangling. Breathing made her ribs rub against her raw skin. Moving made pain of vary intensity shoot through her body. There was a steady, pulsating headache wreaking havoc on her skull.
“You should be proud. Thanks to you, we are now ready to wipe the Saiyan race from existence,” Appel sneered. “I'm somewhat surprised. You've been here for two weeks and four days, and you've only had two meals. Impressive for a chimp. I suspect your metabolism is now turning your own body against itself, cannibalizing itself for what nutrients is can muster. What a terrible way to die, I imagine.” Her laugh was haughty, self-satisfied. “What's worse, I found out you're the Monkey Queen's older sister. Guess that proves how much she cares about you.”
'Guess that proves how much she cares about you.'
Three weeks. Two days. That was how long Parsley had been chained to this wall, unable to eat, sleep, use the restroom, bathe, walk outside for fresh air and exercise. It was how long she had been missing. It was how long the Saiyans had gone without sending a team to find her, to save her.
'Guess that proves how much she cares about you.'
Why haven't you come for me?
Her body shook as she tried to sob. Nothing came out of her tear ducts. She supposed she was all cried out.
Why didn't you save me?
Parsley thought back to when she found Sarada in that small apartment in the Meat Market, about to be further abused by that monster. With no hesitation, she leaped on him and beat him within an inch of his life. Hearing what he did to the children after Sarada made her wish she hadn't stopped and had killed him outright that day, but she didn't. Her only concern was the safety of her little sister.
She saved Sarada that day. There was no doubt that, if that bastard had done what he intended to, he would have killed her.
Why? Why didn't Sarada save Parsley? Why didn't her sister come find her? Was it because of the psychological abuse from when they were younger? Was that it? Was this some kind of payback? Some kind of retribution?
Was her sister that petty?
No, she couldn't have been.
Then, why? Where was she? Where was any Saiyan? Did they all care that little for her? Did they all really consider her a monster because of what she said?
Where was Maiz? Where were her parents?
Where was anyone?
'Guess that proves how much she cares about you.'
'Guess that proves how much they care about you.'
She was alone. Her body was without strength. She couldn't even lift her head anymore, much less struggle against the bonds holding her to that wall. Even if she did somehow break free, there was little doubt that doing such would sap what strength she gathered for the feat, leaving her powerless and outnumbered.
Her throat was so dry. She hadn't had a sip since that “bath” she was given who-knew how long ago.
It was so hard to keep her eyes open. Being in that dark cell for so long made it so hard to keep her sleep schedule in order. Even still, she was so tired. It felt like she had ten-ton weights attached to each eyelid.
Appel left without another word. She witnessed what she had wanted to see for weeks.
Parsley's pride was killed during the tournament.
Her spirit, her will to live, had died just then.
'Guess that proves how much she cares about you.'