Disclaimer: All Suikoden elements belong to Konami.
Note: This chapter takes place quite a long time after Sierra left Nash in the last chapter. A VERY LONG TIME, IN FACT. Just wanted to make it clear…I read it over and realized that it might be confusing…
Rebirth
Chapter 12: Discovery
by ArchFaith
She opened her eyes.
Memories…distant and fleeting.
All of this—all I've done for you, everything I've shared with you…our daughter…does it mean nothing to you?
She had been dreaming again. Of times long past, an age far removed from the one she presently found herself entombed within. Days long gone, much different from now…
You'll leave me…you'll leave us?
Everything in her memory had been just as it had been during that long-ago era; the sun shining upon Caleria, with its bustling markets and vibrant atmosphere; the earth-colored walls of the small house with its simple furniture and decorations; the distant memory of being awake early in the morning, long before the boy himself had arisen…smoothing the wavy blonde hair out of his closed eyes, which were sure to be the deepest azure when he opened them…
Damn you, Sierra!
"You have received your wish, my boy," she whispered to herself, the thinness and exhaustion plain in her dark tones. "I am indeed damned."
The moon was just beginning to rise; she had to move on. One more instant thinking about the past and she would break down once again.
Wandering, ruby red eyes momentarily gazed up at the large white sphere hanging in the heavens. The moon—once her nighttime companion, the only source of light that had eased her pain and sorrow through all those years, living along with the Rune in that accursed cabin, waiting and watching for any signs of life; the same moon whose light she treasured so when she looked out of the window of the small house in Caleria, sighing and wondering when her pregnancy would end. A source of guidance…a beacon…
…no more.
She picked herself up off the soft, foamy earth, quickly dusting off her shawl and skirt before she straightened up, smoothing her silvery hair against her head as she surveyed her surroundings.
The forest. A deep, endless sea of green, ethereally beautiful in the moon's soft light. Massive trunks stood high in every direction, each tree crowned with branch upon branch of large, green leaves; dense, crowded treetops stretched out over the vast sky, threatening to almost obscure the moonlight as the trees gracefully arched their branches against the heavens. The atmosphere was still and quiet, the only sounds to be heard the occasional lapping noises of a distant waterfall, the droplets pooling around rocks and pebbles as they made their way down a steep ravine.
Surely any mortal would have been frightened to be in such a still, surreal place at night. Or impressed, at least, with its eerie beauty.
Sierra was neither.
Sighing, she willed herself to place one foot in front of the other. It was not an easy task, to begin traveling after she had stopped and mused for a few hours. She often found herself drifting back to the same old memories—and that was not a good thing. For why did she continue to do it when it had been the right decision to make?
Folding her arms in front of her, she shifted her eyes to the forest ahead.
-
She did not know how long it had been since that day, the day so many things had happened; it had been her birthday, and the boy had given her the first present she had received in a long, long time; she had gone into labor, and a doctor and nurse were summoned to help; waking up in mortal fear, believing the child to be dead; watching the boy cradle the little bundle in his arms, sweetness and innocence personified…
Surely it had been many days.
She had counted the sunrises since that time. One hundred…two hundred…seven hundred…a thousand. Each day she would ponder the meanings of her departure from Nash, from the child…the motives, the background…the outcome. For she herself did not remember why it was that she had left; and try as she might to convince herself that it had been the right thing to do, there was always a little nagging thought in the back of her head which always seemed to whisper, You fool.
Years had passed, that was certain; what had become of them, then? What of Nash? Was he still in Caleria, working on his dangerous missions with that infernal Bishop? Perhaps he had been reassigned to a more pleasant locale, and had long since moved away. Maybe he had made amends with his aunt and sister, and returned to his beloved Crystal Valley. Perhaps he had even married now...surely she was a gracious, kind woman…
And the child? What of her? So many possibilities; she might not even be alive anymore. It was not an uncommon thing for a perfectly healthy baby to suddenly fall ill and die; maybe she had been buried a long while ago. Or perhaps, having determined that fatherhood was not for him, Nash had given her to an orphanage; she might have been adopted by a nice, loving family. But in all likelihood, the baby was alive and still with her father; the vampire clearly remembered the gentle, loving expressions Nash had given the child. Of course he loved her; she was his, after all.
And the mark on her hand? Had it really been a True Rune? But that was absurd…True Runes did not just show up burned into newborns' hands. But then again, there was still no explanation for the extraordinary circumstances of the child's birth; still no reason why an eight hundred year old vampire could conceive a child with a mortal man. The mark on the baby's hand and the almost miraculous mess which had caused her birth had to be related somehow….
But then again…who was Sierra to think of these things? She had relinquished her right to the child the moment she informed Nash of her departure…if he ever did find out why the markings were on the baby's hand, she would never know.
And she could never hope to know.
-
She turned her eyes upwards, to the narrow path formed by the trees and bushes as she pushed her way deeper into the forest, smoothing aside stray branches and stepping over piles of dead leaves. It was pitch dark, and yet no problem for the old vampire; she could see as plainly as if it were day, and this she used to her advantage as she made her way through the dense foliage.
For years she had been wandering; hiking through the misty mountains, crossing endless plains of windswept grass, walking through the cobbled streets of immense cities. She had seen and witnessed many things; the shimmering, clear waters of the southern oceans, the mammoth caves deep within the earth, crowds of gigantic proportions swarming through the marketplaces and plazas of the great cities. All fine and beautiful things, indeed—and yet, none gave her any real pleasure. In all her miserable days spent traveling, nothing could ever truly bring a smile to her face. Nothing could move her, nothing could touch her—it was if she were floating in a thick bubble, immune to the outside atmosphere, witnessing yet not responding.
I will never find his eyes.
She had stopped by a small village a few days past; the locals had informed her of a famously dangerous waterfall about a week's hike away from the town. There was an inn near the waterfall, and travelers would swarm to take a glimpse at the supposedly breath-taking vista. Worth a look, she had decided without thinking. Nothing was really worth a look anymore.
And so she set out, miserable and world-weary. But then…what else could she have—
"Help!"
A sudden cry pierced through the night, like the shattering of glass. Surprised, the vampire looked up, glancing into the darkness; someone had called for help…someone was in danger…
"Help! Can anyone hear me!"
A foolish villager in the forest alone, no doubt. Sighing, she focused her sensitive hearing, trying to hone in on the frightened cry—it was coming from the northeast...already she could pick up the quickened steps of feet hurtling through the dark woods, cloaks rustling as the person furiously gasped for breath…
"Help me, please…somebody!"
The vampire wasted no time; for, as horrible and heartless as she had been in the past, she was not the kind of person who would let an innocent die before her eyes. She rapidly plunged into the undergrowth, becoming a ghostly blur as she zoomed through the forest, casting her eyes about for any sign of intelligent life as again focused her hearing.
She could still hear the sounds of human feet running, of quick breaths of air…but now there were other noises to be dealt with as well. These sounds were not mortal; raw and animal-like…padded feet galloping through the brush…a pair of jaws curling in anticipation…
She had to find this person, quickly. She was sure that whoever it may be, judging from their frightened cries and hasty retreat, they did not have enough experience to deal with this animal correctly.
For minutes she ran through the forest, searching high and low for any sign of the lost traveler. The trees seemed to block her every path; it was as though they were trying to prevent her from reaching her goal, trying to tell her to forget about this unfortunate incident, to move on with her travels. Undaunted, she streaked past them; she had lived too long in the forest to be frightened of anything they might hold.
The white blur moved swiftly through the forest, streaking between shadows, here and now flashing glistening ruby eyes. The traveler in danger had stopped screaming; no doubt they were trying to hide somewhere, trying to conceal themselves until danger passed. Clearly they underestimated the natural powers of a hungry predator…
At last she detected some sign of life; strangely triumphant, she slowed to a brisk walk, and pushed aside several bushes to make her way into a small clearing, a little area where the thick trees had been felled for lumber. Looking around, she quickly detected the source of the previous screams; a small figure lay huddled near one of the tree stumps, a tiny creature clothed in a thick traveling cloak, the hood tucked up to his or her eyes.
The figure jumped at the sudden sight of the silvery girl; emitting a squeaky gasp, the traveler drew its hands to its face, eyes filling with absolute terror. "Oh!" it exclaimed in a high voice, leading Sierra to conclude that this traveler was female. "Please…please, don't hurt me…I don't have any money…"
Frowning, the vampire quickly crossed the clearing, her hand on her hip as she came closer to the trembling girl. This girl was young; surely she was not older than eight. She had a slender build that was slightly disguised by her sky blue traveling cloak, and wore knit grey leggings over a thick white vest and tunic. Her face however, was still hidden by the hood.
It had been a long time since the vampiress had dealt with a child before. What to do? she mused as she looked the little girl over. The girl looked high strung; it would be best to calm her down a bit before asking where her companions were…
"Look, little girl, I am not a common thief," she said, frowning down at the shaking figure on the forest floor. "I came because I heard you—"
"Look out!" the girl suddenly screamed, covering her face with her hands. Knowing when she needed to heed warnings, Sierra spun about.
There, slowly emerging from a small gap in the bushes, was a large, grey wolf. Blood dripping from its massive jaws, its beady eyes narrowed as it entered the clearing. It was an ugly beast; silvery, matted fur clung in clumps to its back, and it had several scars along its head and stomach. One ear looked like it had been bitten off; the wolf was clearly ravenous, this much was certain. It was looking for an easy meal.
The vampire immediately stepped in front of the child, holding her arms out instinctively as the wolf came nearer, bearing its dirty jaws in an attempt to frighten and weaken its prey. Its taunts seemed to work on the girl; she immediately burst into tears, hugging herself as the wolf approached, snarling and growling as it prepared to mow down the silver-haired woman who was trying to keep it from its prey—
"Stay back!" the vampire ordered, immediately placing herself between the cowering little girl and her hunter. Stretching her arms out, she scowled as she eyed the wolf, who looked about ready to strike. "Cover your eyes!" she commanded; the little girl, apparently too frightened to think twice, drew her trembling hands over her face. Yes, it would not do to have the girl see what would become of the rather unfortunate animal…
The wolf barked, its snarling mouth vicious as it made ready to pounce. The vampire almost smiled; it had been weeks since she had had to battle any sort of pest such as this…she would surely be out of practice. If only she could communicate to the creature that it did not have any chance of surviving this encounter…
"Thunderstrike," she said calmly, raising her hand into the air just as the wolf drew back and jumped.
As soon as its feet left the ground a blinding streak of light seemed to pierce through its body, sending the surprised animal into gasps of pain. The bolts multiplied, accompanied now by loud peals of nonexistent thunder; it was as though there were a thousand little shafts of light penetrating into the attacking animal, sending it into loud, painful convulsions as it writhed in agony on the forest floor.
Unimpressed, the vampire snapped her fingers. The bolts immediately disintegrated, leaving behind a smoldering, gasping huddle of fur, panting in pain on the smoking grass. She did not have the heart to kill the wolf in front of the child; most likely the little girl had never witnessed death in her life, and the last thing she wanted to do was destroy the child's innocence.
She turned back to the child, who had uncovered her eyes and was now looking at the burned wolf with an awestruck expression. "I told you to cover your eyes, girl," Sierra said, her tone coming out more sharply than she had intended.
"I—I'm sorry," the girl replied, her shadowed, teary eyes still focusing in on the unconscious animal lying nearby. "Is…is it…?"
The vampire sighed. "No…it is only comatose for now. It will wake in a few hours' time; it is greatly weakened, but still alive." The girl was still staring, wide-eyed, at the ungainly beast, absently rubbing her hands together in the chilly night air.
"Well then…are you hurt?" the vampire asked awkwardly, kneeling down next to the small girl. "Were you bitten by the wolf?"
The girl tore her eyes away from the wolf's still body to look up at Sierra's face.
Azure…deep, sky blue…shining spheres of blue light set into a sweet, innocent face…
"No," the girl answered, sitting up. She brought her hands to her face, in an attempt to wipe away the tears that had formed on her cheek. "It didn't bite me…I'm fine." The girl turned her eyes down, in apparent embarrassment. "Thank you so much for saving me, Miss…"
The shock of seeing the familiar yet long-lost color of the girl's eyes dealt a surprised blow to Sierra's depressed soul. So blue, so bright…just like the color of…no, it couldn't be…
She quickly shook any thoughts of anything other than the child out of her head. "Now, now…no need to cry anymore," she said uneasily, placing her hand on the girl's shoulder, hoping to bring some comfort into the girl's heart. "Well, you were lucky, then. What would a child like you be doing out in the middle of a forest all by herself? And alone, for that matter…"
"Oh…I wasn't alone." the girl replied, gingerly testing out her legs as she sat up and slowly got to her feet. She wasn't very tall at all; even when standing she only barely came up to Sierra's waist. As the vampire rose, the girl continued on.
"I was with my dad…we were traveling in the woods, and we had just set up camp when a bunch of wolves came out of the forest…Dad told me to hide in the tent, but one of the wolves came after me…I had to run away…"
"I see," the vampire solemnly replied, still looking straight into the girl's grateful azure eyes. "So you were separated…hmm." The only ethical thing to do would be to take this child with her until her father could be located; it would certainly not do to leave her alone in the forest. "And your father? Do you suppose he is safe as well?"
"Oh, I bet he is!" the girl answered, giving the vampire a quiet smile. "He's really good at fighting, so I think he's just fine. But he's probably really worried about me now…"
"Well, come along then," the vampire said, motioning to the girl. "The villagers have told me there is an inn near the waterfall up ahead; most likely your father will go there after searching in the forest for a bit. I am sure he will be there sooner or later."
"Okay," the girl nodded, looking up at the ruby-eyed maiden as they began to walk through the dark arches of the mighty trees. "Dad told me not to go with strangers, but I think it's okay this time, because you saved me and everything…"
The vampire could not help but crack a knowing smile. "Do not worry, child, I am not in the business of kidnapping children. Let us go then…you are not frightened, are you?"
"Nope," the girl answered. "Not anymore...I don't think any more wolves will come after me when they see what you did to the one that was chasing me!"
"Flattery will get you no where, my dear," the vampire replied, a sudden lightness suddenly springing up in her heart. How long had it been since she had spoken more than few, vague words to someone? How many days since someone had walked next to her, instead of ahead of her, or behind her? How long since she had rescued someone, had someone be grateful to her…?
And her eyes…surely it could be no coincidence…her beautiful eyes…perhaps…?
"Yes…well, before we go any further, I suppose I should tell you my name," she said at length, looking down at the curious child who was walking next to her. "I am Sierra Mikain."
"Oh!" the girl gasped as she broke out into a smile. "Your name sounds kind of like mine."
"Does it? Well, what is your name, child?"
A large grin slowly spread over the girl's face as she shyly folded her hands together. "Sylvia…my name's Sylvia."
To be continued…
End notes: Bleh, that took me a long time to write…I wasn't sure how to transition between the two different time periods, and exactly how to characterize the little girl. Normally I hate original characters, but this is no Mary Sue, trust me!
Alrighty…I'm sure you can all see where this is going. I won't say anything else though, cause if I did I'd give away the entire next chapter, teehee. THIS is the plotbunny…yes, it took me like forever to reach it. Now, I've revised my chapter scheme…this story will have three more chapters. Yuppers, that should do it. Oh, and please review! Encouragement and constructive criticism are always appreciated!
Virtue: Well, Nash had the baby and all…hehe, Sierra really is suffering…
PsychoLeopard: Yeah, she's confuzzled. I mean, after being alive for 800 years and all…
thundersenshi: Ooooh I know exactly which wallpaper you're talking about! I have quite a bit of Nash/Sierra pics too, as well as my beautiful Nash action figure :huggles him:
by.ur.side: Thanks very much! I always try to write from the heart (corny I know)!
Utuu: Aww, hehe…I'm really glad you like my work! I've got both Nash's and Sierra's personalities permanently ingrained within me…I just love these two so much! Ah, and thanks for clearing up about Nash's eyes…I remember reading that somewhere, a long time ago.
Eni Li'Nave: Hehehe, thanks! Yes, even though it's clearly impossible for vampires to have babies…in the world of fanfiction, anything's possible!
Next chapter: So what exactly were Sylvia and her father doing in the forest, anyway? And why does Sylvia have such familiar eyes? Sierra needs a breakthrough…maybe one is in store. Stay tuned!