Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within

Authors Note: Chapter eight. I changed the dream where Aki realizes she had the spirit all along.

Disclaimer: Still don't own Final Fantasy.

A Flame On The Wind

Neil watched Jane as she walked past. Jane glanced to the side and their eyes locked briefly, then Jane looked straight ahead. Neil sighed and sadly turned back to the repairs. Suddenly, Dr. Sid came onto the comm. "The cannon is heating up. They're preparing to fire again!" "Captain, do you copy that?" Nothing. "Captain?" Then it hit him. The others didn't have their comms. Neil dropped what he was working on and raced in the direction that the Deep Eye's had gone. "Jane!"

Jane turned at the sound of his voice. "Neil?" "They're firing again! Get down!" Ryan, Aki and Grey dropped to the ground. Jane looked up and saw a large beam coming toward them. Before she could move Neil tackled her to the ground, shielding her with his body. Jane could feel his hot breath on her neck and his lips brushed her ear. Her heart skipped a beat. Then, the beam hit. Jane dug her fingernails into the dirt as if it would hold her down. Suddenly, Neil was flung off her. "Neil!" Finally, the dust settled. Jane looked up and her jaw dropped. "Oh, shit." A huge red phantom towered over the ground. "Aki!" Jane looked over at Grey. He was gently cradling her unconscious form. Jane pushed herself up onto her knees and looked around, finally resting her gaze on Neil's body. She rushed to his side. His shirt was torn open and his chest was covered in crimson blood where part of the iron shield had broken off. He was deathly pale. "Ryan! Captain! Someone help!"

Neil stood on a desolate wasteland. All around him where bodies of strange creatures. The sun glared uncomfortably overhead. He turned away from the light. "Doc?" Aki walked up to him. "Finally, someone else to share the dream with." Suddenly, a phantom tentacle appeared in the center of her body. He tried to move, to help her, but he couldn't. He looked down. There was a tentacle in his own body. As he stared, horrified, a blue light spread over the spirit, destroying it. He looked up at Aki and saw that the same thing had happened to her. Their eyes locked. They understood.