Chapter 11:: Sierra's Decision
"Oh, Billy." Karina murmured and sat down on a chair next to Billy's bed. He was hooked up to a few different machines, and the rather incessant beeeeeep beeeep beeeep of the heart monitor filled the silent air. "I'm so sorry." His breathing sounded irregular with all of the machines hooked up to help his breathing. Karina took his hand, which had a few bruises on it, and squeezed it gently. "I just want you to open your eyes." She murmured.
".What did you want to talk about, Era?" Sigurd paused and looked back at Sierra.
"Uh. well. you see, uh." Sierra fidgeted with her sleeves, looking past Sigurd at the wall as she pulled her gloves on and off her hands repeatedly.
"What is it, Sierra?" Sigurd repeated. "I don't think I've seen you this nervous since. before the Elemental Trial."
Sierra winced and her dark green eyes flashed. "You gonna bring that up every chance you get? You beat me, so what, but I'm stronger now, Sigurd, so much stronger."
"I. I know that," Sigurd's single azure eye blinked, obscured by only a few gleaming silver strands of hair. "I saw your strength earlier, when you."
"Tried to take Karina, yeah, yeah, yeah." She waved her hand in his face, a little bit of her haughty nature returning. "Seriously, though, Sigsipoo. I, uh. wantyoutoleavetheYggdrasil."
"What?!" Sigurd exclaimed, stepping back a little. "Don't be silly, Era, you know there's no way I can do that!"
"Look, Sigurd, this ain't a slam on your manhood or your studliness or the size of your balls or anything, it's just. things are a lot more serious now than you guys comprehend." Sierra shook her head. "It's just. What happened to Billy could happen to any of you."
".Era."
"Come with me, Sigurd! We would be an unstoppable team!" Sierra interrupted. "A-and. we could look out for each other."
".You don't need me to look out for you, Sierra."
"This isn't about me, it's about you! If you stay here you could die! I don't want that to happen!" Sierra seemed to be struggling to keep a lid on her temper, as this last comment came out rather waspish.
Sigurd bristled a little. "I haven't seen you in nearly 15 years, Sierra, then your first official act when I DO see you again is to kidnap Miss Rinsuchii, fight the Young Master, and wreck the Yggdrasil!"
"Ah, your crummy old ship is fine, you got the girl back, and what's with this 'Young Master' stuff anyway? You follow that brat around like he's your puppy." Sierra folded her arms. "Don't make me say it again. no fooling this time, Sigurd. please. please come with me." She stood stiffly, arms crossed, refusing to break eye contact, though it looked like she would desire nothing better than to look away. "If not for your safety, think of the opportunity. you could make more money than you ever dreamed. more than you could at this pirating game."
"No amount of money could persuade me to leave my brother, my friends, or this ship, Sierra. nothing could." Sigurd said, slowly, and evenly.
"I thought you'd say that," Sierra said softly, turning away from him, trying to hide the tears appearing in her eyes. "Your brother, huh. so that's it. I thought there was a resemblance. He's obnoxious, but he's got your determined spirit. I shouldn't be surprised that you love him. more than. more than." She trailed off. "It doesn't matter. I was but a child when I ran away after our fight. I should be happy you even remembered me. like I care."
".Sierra." Sigurd slowly laid a hand on her shoulder, gingerly, as if he expected her to jerk away. She did not, and he went on. "Why don't you stay?"
"Yeah, right, Sig. what would I do on this ship? Be a scullery maid?" She shook her head, her sarcastic laugh sounding rather insincere. "I've gotten to used to flying on the wings of thunderstorms. not even your mighty Yggdrasil is fast enough for me."
"I used to be fast enough for you," Sigurd said, his hand tightening on her shoulder.
".You're admitting you've gotten old and slow?" She laughed again, this time sounding a little less bitter.
"Only as slow as I need to be for you to justify leaving me again."
"Don't turn this around, Harcourt, I'm asking you to come WITH me."
"And I'm asking you to stay."
Sierra chuckled a little and clenched her fist so that her fingernails left marks in her hand. "Sigurd, poor Sigurd." She looked up at him and sighed. "Why would you want me to stay?"
".I'm not saying that what we had back then was a relationship at all. But if you had stayed it could've been. And I was thinking that if you stuck around, then I could really find out if we were really meant to have a relationship."
"Now that sounds nothing like the Sigurd I knew back then." She rolled her eyes and stepped back, jerking away from his hand. "Back then you might not even know the girl's name and you'd try to get into her pants."
Sierra laughed again and turned away. "Sorry, Sig, but I gave you your chance. I'm leaving tomorrow morning. If you want to come, then come. If you don't. Then you can just stay here and be Bart's Nanny for the rest of your life."
"Era-" Sigurd snapped and stepped forward to grab her arm before she could pull away again.
"What?" Sierra's eyes flashed as Sigurd pulled a little closer than before. "Sigu-" She began, but was rudely cut off by Sigurd pressing his lips over hers. "Mmmf?!"
Sigurd swayed a little to get at the right angle to wrap his arms around Sierra. His lips fumbled a little as if her didn't know what he was doing, as if her weren't sure.
~ Stop acting like you're enjoying this, Sigurd. ~ Sierra though before pushing his away.
Sigurd opened his eye slowly and looked down.
"I." Sierra shook her head and felt her face begin to burn. She looked up at him, her eyes questioning before she turned and ran out of the room.
Sigurd began to follow her, but decided against it. He turned away and looked out the window and the bright full moon. ".Era."
Sierra ran down the main hall, just barely running into Jessie and Citan.
"Whoa! Hey, Sierra." She heard Jessie shout, but didn't listen to the rest of his comment.
She then paused next to the medical bay and looked in at Karina sitting by Billy's bed, holding his bruised hand. Karina turned and looked at Sierra for a moment before smiled briefly and looking back at Billy. Sierra stayed just long enough to tell that Billy began to stir.
"Billy." Karina said softly as Sierra continued down the hall toward the Gear Dock.
She rushed to the bay where Blitzkrieg was being held. "Good old Gear o' Mine." She whispered and walked up to it slowly. "We don't belong here, you know." She hissed before she clambered onto the Gear's shoulder. "It's too slow, and Ziggy is annoying. And I can't stand Karina's goody goody nature. It makes my head hurt." She shook her head and tapped Blitzkrieg's shoulder. Their GEARS are even yuppie looking. I mean LOOK at Billy's gear. it looks like a dragonfly. Pssh."
Sierra rested her chin on her hands and smiled a little. "Still, they're pretty good kids."
She smiled and began to climb back down when a long droning, yet scarcely audible tone came from the inner cockpit of her Gear. "What the." She blinked and turned to the Gear. She pulled the lever to open the door and stepped into the gear slowly. Sierra sat down in the seat of the cockpit and looked into the console. "An audio message." She blinked.
A long buzzing sound began the message.
*LeRage. You never brought the girl.* A familiar voice hummed.
"Oh, it's you." Sierra sniffed and looked away. "So, loyal lap dog of your nerdy little master, what do you want?"
*Heh, I see that you haven't lost your tongue. Sharper than a rattler's.* The voice chuckled.
"Like I said, what do you want?"
*.You know what I want. What I sent you to fetch. The girl.*
"Maybe I don't feel like bringing her. Maybe I just don't want to." Sierra growled. "It's my choice whether or not to do that job."
*You're being feisty. There must be someone there keeping you down, eh? Well, think of this, if you don't bring her soon, you little friends will be dead, and so will you.*
".You wouldn't dare." Sierra hissed.
*Ah, hit a soft spot, eh? Well, as an extra reward, if you bring her back then we'll triple your reward money.*
".And.?"
* And we won't kill them all. We'll even return the girl when we're finished with her. It's a pretty sweet deal, LeRage, one you can't deny.*
".You have to solemnly swear you won't hurt any single one of them. If you do, I'll be on your ass so fast it won't be funny." Sierra snapped.
*We're men of our word. And besides, a young man here is very eager to see the girl again.*
".Not him. You can't do it." Sierra shook her head.
*Just bring her Sierra, tell me you'll do this little favor. You're getting the sweetest part of the deal.*
"."
*Do we have a deal?*
"."
*Don't hold out. They'll all die-*
Sierra took a sharp breath in and looked down. "Fine. You win. I'll do it." She said before she even realized she had.
*Very good, Sierra, very good.* The voice said, sounding pleased before it cut out.
Sierra slammed her fist onto the control panel. ".Damn." She hissed. "What did I just do?"
"Oh, Billy." Karina murmured and sat down on a chair next to Billy's bed. He was hooked up to a few different machines, and the rather incessant beeeeeep beeeep beeeep of the heart monitor filled the silent air. "I'm so sorry." His breathing sounded irregular with all of the machines hooked up to help his breathing. Karina took his hand, which had a few bruises on it, and squeezed it gently. "I just want you to open your eyes." She murmured.
".What did you want to talk about, Era?" Sigurd paused and looked back at Sierra.
"Uh. well. you see, uh." Sierra fidgeted with her sleeves, looking past Sigurd at the wall as she pulled her gloves on and off her hands repeatedly.
"What is it, Sierra?" Sigurd repeated. "I don't think I've seen you this nervous since. before the Elemental Trial."
Sierra winced and her dark green eyes flashed. "You gonna bring that up every chance you get? You beat me, so what, but I'm stronger now, Sigurd, so much stronger."
"I. I know that," Sigurd's single azure eye blinked, obscured by only a few gleaming silver strands of hair. "I saw your strength earlier, when you."
"Tried to take Karina, yeah, yeah, yeah." She waved her hand in his face, a little bit of her haughty nature returning. "Seriously, though, Sigsipoo. I, uh. wantyoutoleavetheYggdrasil."
"What?!" Sigurd exclaimed, stepping back a little. "Don't be silly, Era, you know there's no way I can do that!"
"Look, Sigurd, this ain't a slam on your manhood or your studliness or the size of your balls or anything, it's just. things are a lot more serious now than you guys comprehend." Sierra shook her head. "It's just. What happened to Billy could happen to any of you."
".Era."
"Come with me, Sigurd! We would be an unstoppable team!" Sierra interrupted. "A-and. we could look out for each other."
".You don't need me to look out for you, Sierra."
"This isn't about me, it's about you! If you stay here you could die! I don't want that to happen!" Sierra seemed to be struggling to keep a lid on her temper, as this last comment came out rather waspish.
Sigurd bristled a little. "I haven't seen you in nearly 15 years, Sierra, then your first official act when I DO see you again is to kidnap Miss Rinsuchii, fight the Young Master, and wreck the Yggdrasil!"
"Ah, your crummy old ship is fine, you got the girl back, and what's with this 'Young Master' stuff anyway? You follow that brat around like he's your puppy." Sierra folded her arms. "Don't make me say it again. no fooling this time, Sigurd. please. please come with me." She stood stiffly, arms crossed, refusing to break eye contact, though it looked like she would desire nothing better than to look away. "If not for your safety, think of the opportunity. you could make more money than you ever dreamed. more than you could at this pirating game."
"No amount of money could persuade me to leave my brother, my friends, or this ship, Sierra. nothing could." Sigurd said, slowly, and evenly.
"I thought you'd say that," Sierra said softly, turning away from him, trying to hide the tears appearing in her eyes. "Your brother, huh. so that's it. I thought there was a resemblance. He's obnoxious, but he's got your determined spirit. I shouldn't be surprised that you love him. more than. more than." She trailed off. "It doesn't matter. I was but a child when I ran away after our fight. I should be happy you even remembered me. like I care."
".Sierra." Sigurd slowly laid a hand on her shoulder, gingerly, as if he expected her to jerk away. She did not, and he went on. "Why don't you stay?"
"Yeah, right, Sig. what would I do on this ship? Be a scullery maid?" She shook her head, her sarcastic laugh sounding rather insincere. "I've gotten to used to flying on the wings of thunderstorms. not even your mighty Yggdrasil is fast enough for me."
"I used to be fast enough for you," Sigurd said, his hand tightening on her shoulder.
".You're admitting you've gotten old and slow?" She laughed again, this time sounding a little less bitter.
"Only as slow as I need to be for you to justify leaving me again."
"Don't turn this around, Harcourt, I'm asking you to come WITH me."
"And I'm asking you to stay."
Sierra chuckled a little and clenched her fist so that her fingernails left marks in her hand. "Sigurd, poor Sigurd." She looked up at him and sighed. "Why would you want me to stay?"
".I'm not saying that what we had back then was a relationship at all. But if you had stayed it could've been. And I was thinking that if you stuck around, then I could really find out if we were really meant to have a relationship."
"Now that sounds nothing like the Sigurd I knew back then." She rolled her eyes and stepped back, jerking away from his hand. "Back then you might not even know the girl's name and you'd try to get into her pants."
Sierra laughed again and turned away. "Sorry, Sig, but I gave you your chance. I'm leaving tomorrow morning. If you want to come, then come. If you don't. Then you can just stay here and be Bart's Nanny for the rest of your life."
"Era-" Sigurd snapped and stepped forward to grab her arm before she could pull away again.
"What?" Sierra's eyes flashed as Sigurd pulled a little closer than before. "Sigu-" She began, but was rudely cut off by Sigurd pressing his lips over hers. "Mmmf?!"
Sigurd swayed a little to get at the right angle to wrap his arms around Sierra. His lips fumbled a little as if her didn't know what he was doing, as if her weren't sure.
~ Stop acting like you're enjoying this, Sigurd. ~ Sierra though before pushing his away.
Sigurd opened his eye slowly and looked down.
"I." Sierra shook her head and felt her face begin to burn. She looked up at him, her eyes questioning before she turned and ran out of the room.
Sigurd began to follow her, but decided against it. He turned away and looked out the window and the bright full moon. ".Era."
Sierra ran down the main hall, just barely running into Jessie and Citan.
"Whoa! Hey, Sierra." She heard Jessie shout, but didn't listen to the rest of his comment.
She then paused next to the medical bay and looked in at Karina sitting by Billy's bed, holding his bruised hand. Karina turned and looked at Sierra for a moment before smiled briefly and looking back at Billy. Sierra stayed just long enough to tell that Billy began to stir.
"Billy." Karina said softly as Sierra continued down the hall toward the Gear Dock.
She rushed to the bay where Blitzkrieg was being held. "Good old Gear o' Mine." She whispered and walked up to it slowly. "We don't belong here, you know." She hissed before she clambered onto the Gear's shoulder. "It's too slow, and Ziggy is annoying. And I can't stand Karina's goody goody nature. It makes my head hurt." She shook her head and tapped Blitzkrieg's shoulder. Their GEARS are even yuppie looking. I mean LOOK at Billy's gear. it looks like a dragonfly. Pssh."
Sierra rested her chin on her hands and smiled a little. "Still, they're pretty good kids."
She smiled and began to climb back down when a long droning, yet scarcely audible tone came from the inner cockpit of her Gear. "What the." She blinked and turned to the Gear. She pulled the lever to open the door and stepped into the gear slowly. Sierra sat down in the seat of the cockpit and looked into the console. "An audio message." She blinked.
A long buzzing sound began the message.
*LeRage. You never brought the girl.* A familiar voice hummed.
"Oh, it's you." Sierra sniffed and looked away. "So, loyal lap dog of your nerdy little master, what do you want?"
*Heh, I see that you haven't lost your tongue. Sharper than a rattler's.* The voice chuckled.
"Like I said, what do you want?"
*.You know what I want. What I sent you to fetch. The girl.*
"Maybe I don't feel like bringing her. Maybe I just don't want to." Sierra growled. "It's my choice whether or not to do that job."
*You're being feisty. There must be someone there keeping you down, eh? Well, think of this, if you don't bring her soon, you little friends will be dead, and so will you.*
".You wouldn't dare." Sierra hissed.
*Ah, hit a soft spot, eh? Well, as an extra reward, if you bring her back then we'll triple your reward money.*
".And.?"
* And we won't kill them all. We'll even return the girl when we're finished with her. It's a pretty sweet deal, LeRage, one you can't deny.*
".You have to solemnly swear you won't hurt any single one of them. If you do, I'll be on your ass so fast it won't be funny." Sierra snapped.
*We're men of our word. And besides, a young man here is very eager to see the girl again.*
".Not him. You can't do it." Sierra shook her head.
*Just bring her Sierra, tell me you'll do this little favor. You're getting the sweetest part of the deal.*
"."
*Do we have a deal?*
"."
*Don't hold out. They'll all die-*
Sierra took a sharp breath in and looked down. "Fine. You win. I'll do it." She said before she even realized she had.
*Very good, Sierra, very good.* The voice said, sounding pleased before it cut out.
Sierra slammed her fist onto the control panel. ".Damn." She hissed. "What did I just do?"