Sierra looked out across the landscape of the roof of the main building. "We better get leaving soon," she whispered to herself.
"Why?" Trunks asked. He flew up into her view, and looked at her. Her slightly red eyes made him frown. "And why do you look like you've been crying?" he asked.
She turned away from him. "I'm fine Trunks."
"No you aren't. You haven't been alright since the fight."
"Trunks, please," she said lowly. "You don't understand," she whispered. Sierra looked to her feet as she tried to find some way to tell him.
He knew she was reaching for something, anything to make it easier for her. He also knew that there was no easy way to tell someone you love that you would be leaving them. Trunks lowered his head, and sighed. "If it's about Dulcia, you don't have to worry. We'll get through this," he said stepping closer to her.
"That's not it." Sierra jumped slightly as his arms slid around her body. "I can't...."
"Sierra, please, tell me what's wrong?" he asked softly. His eyes widened as he felt a tear fall on his arm. "Why are you crying?"
She moved away from him and walked to the other side of the roof. "I.... I can't stay here," she said as her voice also filled with tears. "After we defeat Dulcia, I have to go to Shitari, and make things right."
He smiled slightly as she sat down with her back still turned to him. "Sierra, you don't have to cry. I understand," he said walking over to her. "You're the princess, and you need to go and handle things for yourself."
Sierra looked at him strangely as he sat next to her. "You... you understand?" she asked in disbelief. "I thought..."
"You thought I'd be mad? Why should I? You have your responsibilities, and I have my own. If I were upset with you, over something that I know you couldn't control, what kind of man would that make me?"
As she gazed into his beautifully blue eyes, she didn't know whether she was greatful for his understanding, or hated him for it. Sierra lowered her head, and gently bit her lip. "You can't come," she said silently.
This he was ready to fight over. Trunks instantly calmed himself, and touched her hair. "Sierra, I want to. You may need help there and I..."
"Will be seen as an enemy, and hated on sight. You're Saiya-jin..."
"So is Stevie. And Isa."
"Less than you." She felt his hand under her chin. "Can we please not talk about this now? I don't want to lose you like this."
Trunks nodded as he moved closer to her. "Alright, I'm sorry Sierra."
He wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly. He
smiled as she turned her body and face to his. "I didn't mean to get
you this upset. I really do lo..."
Before he could finish his sentence, Sierra kissed him deeply and passionately.
Bra laid with her head on Isamu's chest crying. Every time she went to move away from him, or tell him to stop his games, she found herself drawn to him even more. "I hate you," she whispered into his chest.
Isamu smiled to himself as he ran his hand through her hair. That
was the fourth time he'd seduced her in her mind. It was beginning to become
fun. "You don't really hate me Bra. If you did, would this have happened?"
he asked. Isamu lifted her head up and looked into her eyes. "And all of
this just because you killed me," he mused.
Bra sat up in her bed in a cold sweat. Without knowing what she was doing, she ran out of her room, to outside. She started to look around in a panic. Her eyes then widened as she saw a figure in the shadows. "Who's there?" she asked.
Cosse stepped out from behind a tree and looked at her. "Hi. You must be Stevie's sister," he said lightly.
"Yeah, I'm Bra. Who are you?" she asked.
He lowered his head. "I'm Cosse. I was fighting..."
"Please," she pleaded. "Don't mention what happened. All I want to do is just block it out."
Cosse looked at her and smiled to himself. "She's really cute," he thought. "But, if Isamu's in her mind, I gotta get her to get him out." He watched as Bra walked over to the tree he stood next to. "Okay, what do you want to talk about?" he asked.
Bra looked at him. "I just really want to be by myself Cosse," she sighed.
He nodded as she was about to climb the tree. "No problem. But if you want a ghost out of your head, it's best to talk about it," he said walking away.
"Wait," she called after him. "What do you mean?"
He looked at her. "You have to tell someone what's on your mind. Otherwise, what's already there's gonna stay."
Bra looked at him as she moved away from the tree. "I guess that makes sense," she said lowly.
Cosse shrugged. "I do that every now and then," he smirked. At her low laugh, he smiled even more. "You have a nice laugh Bra-san."
"It's just Bra. And thanks," she smiled.
"Bra, do you want to talk about what's been bothering you? I'm a good listener."
She lowered her head and sighed. "I don't know what's going on with me. All I know is that I killed a man, and now he keeps haunting me."
Cosse nodded as he moved closer to her. "How does he haunt you?"
Bra hugged herself as she shook her head. "That I really don't want to talk about," she said lowly.
"Okay. But you know, I couldn't get rid of Maridian by keeping it all bottled up."
She looked at him closely. "What?"
"That's how I got my weapon. I accidentally killed this woman I was fighting, and it used to be hers. I had to learn how to fight with it, and I also had to put up a resistance to her trying to haunt my dreams. After talking to Sayoka... I mean Stevie, about it, I was pretty okay."
Bra lowered her head. "So I'm gonna have to learn how to sword fight, huh?" she asked lowly.
Cosse slowly nodded as he leaned up against the tree. "Looks that way. I can help you if you don't want your brother to teach you."
Bra looked at him and smiled. "Thank you."
Kyoya woke up the next morning to find Lia watching him. "What are you up to?" he asked.
She shook her head as she laid next to him. "Nothing," she smiled. "I was just thinking about how we can now do this for the rest of our lives," she said lowly.
"Do what?"
Lia gently brushed his hair away from his eyes. "Wake up together, and not worry about getting back to our squads, or anyone besides Stevie finding out.... it's just you and me, and our little one." She saw Kyoya's gaze drift out toward the window and frowned. "What's wrong?" she asked.
"I was just thinking," he said lowly. "It looks like it's going to rain."
"So?"
"We all have to get to the Guardian's look-out soon. If it rains, you'll be soaked."
"I'll be fine," Lia sighed as she turned onto her back. "You worry too much."
Kyoya looked at her and smiled. He then leaned over and gently kissed
her. "And to think, you wanted this," he whispered
playfully into her ear.
"What I wanted was a family. A real family."
"And now you have one," he said as he gently touched her stomach.
As he was about to lean over and kiss her again, there was a knock on the door. "Lia, do you know where Sierra is?" Stevie asked through the door.
Lia looked at Kyoya and smiled. "No, I haven't seen her since yesterday. Did you try Trunks' room?"
"Yeah. He's not around either."
Lia got up and walked to the door. She opened it and looked at Stevie.
"I think I know were they are."
Trunks woke up to the smell of food. He sat up and looked at the fire place in the cabin of the vacation island. "Morning," he smiled as he saw Sierra trying to cook. "What are you doing?" he asked.
"Good morning to you too, and I trying to fix breakfast," she said as she tried to turn over a pancake. "Kuso, why can't they just turn right?" she said bitterly as it fell apart.
Trunks reached for his pants and got out of bed. As he put them on, he noticed that Sierra wore one of his shirts. "Why are you trying so hard to learn something you'll never need?" he asked.
She looked at him. "I'll have to be able to cook for you.... When I come back, and you and I are together," she said. "I'll never be a good wife if I can't cook," she said watching him walk over to her.
"Sierra, put the pan down," he said softly as he knelt next to her. "You don't need to cook," he said again.
She stared into his eyes and slightly blushed. "Why do you say that?" she asked.
"I'll cook. And if I don't feel like cooking, the robots can do it."
Sierra accidentally shifted the pan the wrong way, sending all of the pancakes in it, into the fire. She backed away and looked at the pan. "I'm one of the world's strongest fighters, I'm a princess of another planet, but I can't even cook a simple breakfast!" she shouted at herself.
Trunks quickly got up and walked over to her. "Sierra, it's okay. I'll fix..."
"I want to do it Trunks," she shouted. "I want to be able to do things for you, not always having you do them for me."
Trunks wrapped his arms around her and held her. "I'll make a deal with you," he said softly. "I'll teach you how to cook, okay?" he said lifting her face up to his.
Slowly she nodded and returned his embrace. "The end's coming too fast. I don't want to feel this helpless...." Her thoughts were cut off when Trunks wiped her face gently.
"Why are you crying?" he asked softly.
She shook her head. "I just thought of something that I didn't want to." Sierra wiped her eyes and turned back to the indoor grill/fire place/stove. "How about we start on breakfast again?" she asked.