Thanks for joining in, sifer!

Chapter Eight (I can't believe I've made it this far!!)

Cid, Vincent, and Nanaki stood on the deck discussing sleeping arrangements.

"So, where're we gonna put Nanaki?" Cid wondered, standing akimbo.

"He can have my room," Vincent said quietly.

Nanaki shook his head. "I won't take your room. I'll share it with you or something."

"No, it's much too small to share," Vincent said. "I'll take that little storage room near… near Mae-- uhm, near the stable."

Near Maena's room, Nanaki thought, smiling to himself.

Cid scratched his head. "Well, I guess you're used to living in dark, small spaces," he said. He shrugged. "I guess I can let you do that. Nanaki, head on up to Vincent's room. Vincent…" He sighed, studying his tall, thin friend. "Go ahead and set up that storage room like a cabin. I can help you set up a bed if you like…"

Vincent shook his head. "I can do it alone."

The day passed uneventfully as the Highwind skillfully followed the enemy airship without being detected.

Shera and Nanaki came up with a plan. At the next stop, they would ask around about the masked man and see what they could find out. It was the only way to find out anything.

Maena sat in her room until sundown, waiting. For what she was not sure. Maybe she was waiting for another vision that would tell her about the masked man and Thorn. Whatever she was waiting for didn't come.

At sundown, Maena changed into a nightgown that Shera had given her, a long, flowy, silky white thing. It was a little chilly, so Maena grabbed the long white coat and slid it over her nightgown, pulling it together in the front. She decided to go for a walk.

The sky was beautiful outside her cabin, alive with splashes of blue and red and pink and purple, and even spots that looked green. Maena breathed in the fresh air deeply as she walked up the steps to the very top deck. She immediately went to the railing and leaned on it, looking down at the sea. She had always loved the sea.

Suddenly, a dolphin jumped, then another. Maena gave a cry of delight.

It was a beautiful evening. Maena stayed there until the stars began to appear. Then, yawning, she decided to return to her cabin. She went quickly down the steps and across the deck to her room, but just before she entered the door, a noise stopped her.

It was a voice, coming from the storage room right beside her room. The voice was muffled so that she couldn't recognize it. It sounded frantic, distressed. Maena frowned. Who in the world was in the storage room? Quietly, she tiptoed to the storage room door and leaned her head against its cold metal surface.

"Help me! Help me!" came the voice.

It was Vincent!

Maena quickly opened the door and peered into the darkness.

Vincent laid on a small mattress set on top of boxes on the far side of the tiny room. He was asleep, but he was having no sweet dreams. Instead, he was tossing and turning and muttering. He was having a nightmare.

"Poor thing," Maena said quietly. She rushed to his bedside and gently touched his shoulder. "Vincent! Vincent! It's all right!" she called.

"Help me! I can't stop them!" Vincent moaned, his eyes squeezed tightly shut.

"Vincent, you're dreaming! It's all right! I'm here!" Maena gently brushed a strand of his long, dark hair from his face.

"Lucretia!" Vincent suddenly called out, frantic.

Maena suddenly felt sick to her stomach. He didn't want her. He didn't need her comfort. It was Lucretia that he wanted, Lucretia that he needed. She started to pull back from him.

Vincent smiled in his sleep, then reached out and grabbed her hand. "Lucretia, you've come. You would. You always stopped my nightmares, Lucretia…"

Maena could see his body relax, the nightmare gone for him. But not for her. For some reason, his calling out for Lucretia had hurt her badly. Gently, she pried his fingers from hers and began backing out of the room, her slender figure, dressed in white, silhouetted by the light spilling into the small room.

"Lucretia…" Vincent's eyes slowly opened and he sat up, looking towards the door. He saw a ghostly-looking form, a woman, dressed in white. He rubbed his eyes and stared. Was it really…? "Lucretia!?" he cried.

The woman in the doorway shook her head, crying, "no! No!" and then she ran, her coat and nightgown billowing around her.

Maena?

Vincent groaned. What have I done? He wondered. How badly have I hurt her?

Maena, running back to her room, felt her throat tighten. She ran through the door, slamming it and locking it behind her. She backed onto her bed and curled up on it, holding a hand to her mouth. What had she thought? That she could win Vincent's heart by soothing him in the night and relieving his nightmares? Did she even want his heart? What was going on with her?

She was crying now. That seemed to be all she ever did lately. But now… did she not have a reason?

She was falling in love, falling hard, she knew. And the man she loved would cling to the past, would always cling… to Lucretia. Maena knew that she could never compete with this woman from Vincent's past.

There was a knock at the door.

Maena sniffed and cleared her throat, then quickly wiped her eyes. "Come--come in."

There was a sudden banging sound, then a grunt.

Maena winced. The lock. She quickly stood. "Hang on, I'll get it!" She rushed to the door and unlocked it, hesitating a moment. Then she opened it.

There stood Vincent, with a look on his face that she could not read.

Maena tried desperately to control her emotions. Otherwise, fire would be falling from heaven towards Vincent. "Yes?" she said, smiling tightly.

"Were--were you just in my room?" Vincent asked. At her silence, he continued. "I thought for a moment…"

"You thought I was Lucretia," Maena said smoothly, no hint of feeling behind her words. Control yourself, girl. You can't go and kill him on accident, can you? "Well, I'm not. I'm Maena." She started to close the door, but Vincent shoved it opened so hard that she lost her grip on it and stumbled backwards.

Vincent winced. "Sorry…"

Maena regained her balance, biting her lip till it bled. She HAD to control her emotions, because right now, she was VERY angry with him. "Uhm… can you move aside, please, Mr. Valentine? I'm going to take a walk on the deck…" She shoved past him and began stalking towards the metal steps that led to top deck.

"Hey, Maena, wait!" He was coming after her.

"Vincent! Stay back!" Maena called as she practically leaped onto the stairs. "I don't want to hurt you! You should be afraid of me!"

"Well I'm not!" Vincent called back, struggling to keep up with her.

Maena rushed to the railing, not sure whether to laugh, cry, or murder.

Then Vincent was behind her.

I warned you, Vincent. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Maena closed her eyes tightly, not wanting to see his destruction at her hands.

"Maena…"

Destruction didn't come.

Maena opened her eyes. "Oh my gosh! What is happening to me!?" she cried. For all around her, all around Vincent, tiny fireworks were going off, spinning around them in a dance of light and color.

"It's… beautiful…" Vincent said. "How do you do it?"

"I don't know." Maena turned from him, pulling the coat close. She felt as if she needed to guard herself. From what she did not know.

Vincent's hands were suddenly on her shoulders and he was standing very close behind her.

Maena froze for a moment, then suddenly, relaxed, leaning against him, her hands reaching up to settle lightly on top of his. "Vincent…"

"Hush," Vincent said. "I know I hurt you, and I know how. I should have known it was you who came to me, not Lucretia. Lucretia is gone, a thing of the past, but you… you're here."

Maena nodded slowly.

"Do you know what I was dreaming about?"

"No. But I know it was bad." Maena watched a tiny blue firework weave its sparkle with that of a tiny green one.

"I was dreaming about you." His voice broke off and all that could be heard was the waves and the tiny explosions.

"It--it was a terrible dream. First I saw Aeris… kneeling on that platform in the City of the Ancients. And then, instead of Sephiroth coming up behind her, it was Thorn, and he aimed his pistol at her. And then… then, Aeris became you. And Thorn became Sephiroth. And Sephiroth killed you." Vincent's voice trembled and he suddenly wrapped his arms around Maena's waist, pulling her around to face him.

Maena almost gasped in surprise. His eyes were filled with tears!

"Maena… I don't want to lose you," Vincent said. "I love you. Not Lucretia. You."

Maena was quiet. The fireworks suddenly went crazy, blossoming into full-sized fireworks, surrounding the Highwind.

"Maena?" Vincent peered down at her intently, his reddish eyes anxious. "Maena… I love you."

Maena looked up at him, drowning in his eyes. She was lost in them, so lost in his eyes that she found herself. "I love you, too." Her voice was quiet, but steady and sure.

Vincent smiled. And his eyes changed. What once had been dark and cloudy suddenly became bright and shining. Vincent leaned forward.

He's going to kiss me! Maena thought joyously. I've never had a kiss before! She closed her eyes and parted her lips slightly.

BANG!

The airship gave a sudden lurch.

Maena stumbled backwards, tumbling over the railing. Quick as lightning, Vincent leaned over the rail and grabbed her arm.

"Maena! Hang on!" he cried.

What had just happened?