Chapter 14
Maena ran to stand beside Vincent. "This is it, isn't it?"
Vincent crossed his arms and nodded silently.
The enemy airship loomed ahead. It was of the exact same design as the blue one that had become a robot, but this one was black. And it was bigger--much bigger.
"Vincent…"
"Maena! Vincent!" Cid's gruff voice boomed across the deck. "Get over here!"
Vincent took Maena's hand and they ran to join Cid at the wheel. "What is it?" Maena asked. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Yuffie, Shera, and Nanaki rushing to join them.
"My pilot here says he thinks he can ram those suckers. So I want you all to brace yourselves. We have some rope, so I figure we can make some safety lines or something…" His rugged features were lined with worry. "I don't want any of us lost in this move."
"We're ramming that thing? It's three times our ship's size!" Yuffie cried.
"Which means we have basically no chance if we try to engage it in the air. We have to board the ship and fight the enemy man to man," Shera explained.
"Cid… they're landing." Vincent's voice was quiet, but the words caused panic.
"Follow them! Follow them! Land beside them!" Cid ordered his crew.
"I guess we don't have to worry about ramming them now," Nanaki spoke up.
"What now, cap?" Yuffie asked.
"Prepare for the landing," Cid replied, crossing his arms. "In other words, get your weapons and say your prayers."
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The Highwind spiraled down over the meadow, gracefully settling in the grass fifty yards away from the black airship. Maena closed her eyes as the ship touched land. The sound of the doors opening and the ladder being lowered were like the sound of death bells in her mind. She remembered how the bells would ring in Nibelheim when someone died. She could hear it now in her head, as if the bells were right beside her. Was it a vision?
"Do you hear those bells?" Yuffie asked, coming to stand beside her friend.
"I'm not imagining them?" Maena frowned.
"No. They're ringing some sort of bells on Caridoth's ship."
The two girls were silent for a moment, listening to the mournful calls of the bells.
"Death bells," Maena whispered finally.
"Yeah, for Thorn and Caridoth." Yuffie's voice was fierce, her face grim. Her characteristic cheerfulness had left her, replaced by a serious, vicious determination. "We have to beat them, Maena. And we will."
Maena nodded. Somehow, she could feel it in her bones that they would win. But… at what price? At what cost of life? Could she bear it if one of her newfound friends should die? What if she herself perished in battle?
"Come on, you two!" Cid called from where he stood on the ladder. "We've got some $$($ to kick!"
The girls looked at each other, smiled briefly, sadly, then ran to join the others at the ladder. Cid already stood on the rungs, looking up at the others. "Once again, it's time to save the world. There's no one else who can. It's just us. So let's get out there and give it our best shot."
They all nodded, and Cid led the way in descending the ladder, while Shera lowered Nanaki in the basket.
When they were all on the ground, Cid gathered them together. "Everyone got their weapons?"
They all nodded.
"Good. Let's go."
"Wait. No plan?" Vincent spoke up.
Cid shook his head. "Nope. Not at all. To heck with plans. The enemy won't be suspecting an attack like this. And anyway, we don't have time. They're going to do something down there in those ruins, and I don't want to know what it is. So… let's go."
"Cid… it's a trap," Maena spoke up.
"We know. And armed with that knowledge and the element of surprise, we have the advantage."
"And they have the numbers," Vincent pointed out.
"That's Vincent. Cheerful, as usual." Yuffie rolled her eyes.