Daddy Dearest

"I'm sorry," said Sierra, "But I don't think we've had the pleasure of meeting before. So how in the name of the Guardians do you know my name? And the name of my Wind Mouse companion. Just who are you anyway?" She was dangerously close to bringing up her ARM, and probably would do it too if the man stated it was because he had been spying. Sierra didn't quite appreciate stalkers.

"It's me, Sierra. You were just a babe when I last saw you, that explains why you can't recognize me. But I just want you to understand my motives, I never intended to hurt you. I wanted to plant the seeds to help you find yourself, as I knew I'd never be able to tell you the truth of your origins by myself. This town was perfect for the operation, as it was so close to your birthplace," he stated.

Kyoku inquired, "And just what is that supposed to mean? You're not making any sense old man. Where do you know Sierra and me from, and why are you helping us out. I don't think you came to save us out of charity. If you don't tell, why I'll bite your finger right off!" That caused a laugh to erupt throughout the group, they all knew that a Wind Mouse wasn't capable of inflicting that much damage.

Maverick smiled. "There now, my daughter. You have sure grown up a powerful little creature. This big dufus often forgets to mention the details, but he's got a good heart. It was Domanick who found Sierra in the old ruins to the north, Domanick who brought her to this village so she could grow up safely, and Domanick who provided her with the necessary tools to complete her journey. I found it much harder than him to say goodbye, as you are the only child of mine that survived the fire in the northern village seventeen years ago, and my wife was killed as well. But I knew Sierra'd need your help."

"Father!" exclaimed Sierra, "Is it really you?! But why in the heck did that diary say that you found me in the ruins of a caravan. Couldn't you just say that you'd found me in the lab, that would have made my life much easier. I could have gone up their easily, found the truth, and returned to living a normal life."

"No, it would not work. If I came out and told you that you were a Holmcross, you would just think the diary was misleading, and throw it away. Besides, you are a gunner by birth, you need to be out her with me on a journey across Filgaia. But you were just too small, so I decided to leave you here, hoping that circumstance would bring you out here with me. Luckily, it did, and now your powers are needed to slay the last of the Demons before all is lost," Domanick replied, looking into her red eyes.

Lyle was about to go into a speech about how bad it is to hurt a lady, when Sierra shushed him. She knew he only wanted to defend her honor, but it didn't bother her at all. Domanick's explanations seemed to justify his actions a little, he was worried about her the whole time she had been gone.

Domanick asked, "Can you ever forgive me, Sierra? I just wanted what was best, I was afraid that if I told you, you'd shy away from me. It would hurt the both of us much more than if you'd grown up hating me for what I had done for you. Especially since I would never have known you as my child. It hurts too much when the people you love leave your life. Do you want to hear my story?"

Sierra shrugged. "Not like I've gotten anything better to do with my time. There's no new leads on Demon hideouts, and I think my rival is still a little bit incapacitated." She gestured towards Selene, who was still trying to fix her shotgun with the super glue and Dragon Fossile scraps. Robert was glaring at Jacob, who had begun to giggle at the sight of it, but was then smashed over the head with Sasha's wand. Lyle was just looking at the sight, and smiling. Sierra sighed, her friends were all a bunch of wackos.

"I was married before I became a Silver Wolf," Domanick admitted, "I found you on my first mission. You see, I was living in Sarian with my wife and our infant daughter. But just then, fire swept through the whole town, destroying it. My wife and our baby girl died. I then heard rumors about a factory to the north, and decided to see if we could salvage building materials from it. With me, I took my best friend Maverick, and his daughter Kyoku. At the factory, though, I found you. You were just sleeping there, a tiny babe wrapped in a dirty blanket. I thought you a sort of miracle, I could bring you home and raise you myself. But just then, I saw an ancient book that told of your origins. The writer was a frantic young woman who was begging any explorer to save her child and give her a home. Instantly, I was torn, you deserved a home, but how was someone like me supposed to explain what you really were. Then, I made the decision to write a fake journal, making it seem like I'd been traveling much longer than I really had, and talk of how I found you and Kyoku. Maverick had decided you might need a companion, so he and I ended up sending Kyoku with you. Hoping that I was doing what was right, I left the two of you along with the diary and ARM in the Vensnia saloon. I knew you'd be curious, and eventually find your identity on your own."

"I forgive you, Daddy. Just, why did you call me Sierra. When I talked to Dan Darium, he said that neither my brother nor I were named. So what gave you the idea to call me Sierra?" she asked.

Domanick replied, "Sierra was the name of my daughter. I was hoping to begin anew, with you as my child. Of course, that wasn't meant to be, I had to leave you in the town."

Sierra walked up to him, and gave him a hug. "I understand, and I love you dearly. You cared enough about me to let me go when you felt you wouldn't be able to provide for me. Even though you wanted to bring a daughter into your life once more. Don't worry, I am going to go and defeat these Demons, and fulfill my destiny. And I'm not going to go crazy either, because I know that there are people in this world who love me and want me to return with them when this is all over."

- - - -

Teefa's Last Words…

Cheezy and dorky, I know. I wanted to explain Domanick's motives, and not make him sound like a total creep. He didn't want to hurt her, just like when Werner never returned to even tell his wife what had happened, (WA3 spoiler for those who only played the first one and or two) he probably thought that her not knowing would hurt less than realizing that all that was left of her husband was a memory that came back as a hologram.