Prologue: Baby Sparrow
Riemi's cries pierced the night air as Nathan and Thomas held her hands. Between her legs, Christopher, her husband and the ship's doctor, was trying not to panic. There was so much blood… No! She was fine! Suddenly, he saw something poking out. "I can see the head!" Christopher exclaimed excitedly. "Just a little longer, sweetheart! Russ, go get some more cloths! Get Ed and Capt. while you're out there!"
Beside him, Russ nodded and bolted out the sick bay door. "You're so close, Riemi," Christopher said to his wife. "Just a little longer, okay? Now, give a big push!" His wife complied, and suddenly, in his arms, was a small, brown, wailing, wriggling thing. "Oh my God, it's a girl!"
Riemi let out a long breath, tears in her eyes. "A girl?"
"She's beautiful. Oh God, she looks just like you, but with my skin and hair. Her eyes look just like the sea…" He trailed off, looking lovingly at his daughter. "Someone get me the scissors so I can cut the cord." Nate hurriedly handed him them, eyes wondrous, and both he and Thom watched as he snipped the umbilical cord. He then wiped the blood off the newborn, swaddled her in a blanket, and brought her to his wife.
"Christopher," she said. "She's beautiful…"
Just then, Captain Morgan strode into the room. "Where's our newest member?" he asked loudly. Russ was behind him and Eduardo, and every single member of the Sirius gathered around the new parents. "Why, listen to that wail!" Morgan exclaimed. "It certainly sounds healthy."
"Just look at 'er!" said Thom excitedly. "Isn't she the most beautiful thing?"
Even Ed looked doe-eyed for a moment. "What's her name?"
Christopher and Riemi's eyes met for an instant, and they both knew. "We'll call her Suzume," said Riemi. "It means 'sparrow' in Yamato."
From that point forwards, they all called her Sparrow.
So, here's the prologue. I called her Riemi because that's what I called her when I played through the game, and I'm assuming that Yamato is a lot like Japan, so Suzume means sparrow in Japanese.
