"I love you" I repeated, unable to understand everything that it meant. It meant we had wasted our time fighting with each other, we had wasted our time pretending we were only friends. It meant that my life had lost its sense at this moment. I had lost him forever. I had lost my love.

"She won't come for dinner..." Doubar said sadly.

"But she has to eat something! She hasn't eaten since Sinbad got injured! And it's been three days!" Firouz exclaimed.

"I know that... But she fell asleep, holding his hand, and I didn't want to wake her up... She needs to sleep."

"Oh, yes, you're right, Doubar, that's a good thing that she gets some rest."

I woke up suddenly, breathing heavily. A dream. It was just a dream. I smiled as I saw his chest moving up and down. He was breathing. He was living. I reached out a hand to touch his face.

"Hey... Sinbad... Can you hear me, captain'?"

I remembered the fight. All those soldiers aroud us. And this tall man, his merciless eyes. I was busy sending fireballs everywhere and kicking soldiers as I did so. I didn't see him falling on his knees. I heard someone yelling. It was Doubar's voice.

"NO!!!"

I took my sword and killed the man in front of me. I ran. Doubar and Firouz were already there. My captain was lying on the ground, he had tears in his eyes. I saw the wound with horror. Blood, his blood everywhere.

"Firouz, will he be alright?" I asked, terrified.

"I don't know, we have to take him back to the ship." He seemed as afraid as Doubar and I were.

I looked at Sinbad's face, he was smiling at me.

"Don't worry, Maeve, I'll still be there tomorrow... We have poker to play, remember?"

I smiled faintly at his attempt of humor, but his eyes made me shiver. I saw pure fear inside them for the first time.

I stroke his hair slowly.

"You know, I never thought it was possible to see you like this... I wish you would wake up and look at me with your beautiful blue eyes... I need you to look at me, Sinbad, I need you to talk to me, to yell after me, to tell me not to burn your ship with my stupid magic, I just need you..."

I suddenly felt his hand holding mine. I couldn't believe it. He slowly opened his eyes.

"Hey... How are you feeling?" I couldn't hold my tears back.

"Maeve..." he murmured, smiling. "You're here, I'm feeling alright."

I smiled and I felt my body relaxing. I stroke his cheek, and he captured my hand in his. He entertwined the fingers of both our hands and looked into my eyes, through my soul. I knew that he knew. I was sure that my love for him was shining in my eyes.

"Thanks for watching over me."

"Well, I had nothing better to do..." I said, causing him to chuckle.

"Maeve... I... feel the need to talk to you. I have to tell you something."

"No, hush.... You're tired, you're injured, and you need to rest. Sleep now, I'll still be here when you wake up." I said.

He smiled again.

"Alright. But I want you to sleep too... You look so tired!"

"Yeah, I am... Mind if I sleep here?" I dared to ask.

"You know that I don't. Come here."

I slowly got up from the chair to lay on the bed with him. I heard him moan softly as he moved to give me some space.

"Hey, you okay?" I was worried, I didn't want him to be uncomfortable because of me.

"Yeah, and I'll be even more if you relax and if you lay closer..." he whispered.

I closed my eyes, feeling safe. My head rested on his chest, my hand in his neck. I felt his hand on my back and I smiled. I was exhausted. Slumber took advantage of it and I dove in the warmth of his embrace. I think I had never slept more peacefully in my whole life. And I'll never get that feeling again.

If I'm gone when you wake up

Please don't cry

And if I'm gone when you wake up

It's not goodbye

Don't look back at this time as a time of heartbreak and distress

Remember me, remember me

'Cause I'll be with you in your dreams

Oh, I'll be with you

I woke up with a strange feeling this morning. I had had a wonderful dream. Sinbad and I, laughing on a beach, having fun in the sea, kissing on the sand. Telling each other our true feelings. I remembered he wanted to talk to me. I knew what he wanted to say. The same thing that I'd been wanting to tell him for months. But this feeling, as the sun forced me to open my eyes, this sensation scared me. I wondered why I was feeling different from the night before. And suddenly I realized. I was cold.

I opened my eyes suddenly, to see his sleeping face. I sighed, relieved. Then I tried to move a bit, but something as hard and as cold as stone made me shiver. It was his hand, which still rested on my back. I gasped. I touched the skin of his face, he was so pale.

"No... It can't be..."

I felt tears in my throat, I was panicked.

"Sinbad! Sinbad!" I cried.

He was so cold. There was nothing left inside him, no fire, no life. He was nothing anymore, nothing but a body.

"NO!!!" I yelled.

I don't remember clearly what happened after this. I know Doubar, Firouz and Rongar ran into the room as they heard me yell, I know Firouz's face turned white as he checked his pulse. There was none. I know I cried and yelled uncontrolably. I know I said I wanted to die, to die with him. I blamed myself. I couldn't understand. He seemed so well a few hours before. He was smiling. He was breathing, his body was so warm. And now it had turned into stone.

If I'm gone when you wake up

Please don't cry

And if I'm gone when you wake up

Don't ask why

Don't look back at this time as a time of heartbreak and distress

Remember me, remember me

'Cause I'll be with you in your dreams

I finally gave up when my body couldn't hold on anymore, and I fell unconscious. Firouz told me, one day, that they had been dreadfully concerned about my health. When I woke up, I found Doubar sat on a chair near me. He was asleep. He had been watching me like my brother would have. Dermott was there too, perched on my bed.

*Sister, how are you feeling?*

I didn't answer him, nor anyone else. I didn't talk for days. Then came this moment. Doubar entered my room.

"Maeve, I... We have to bury him, you know... Please, come up on deck with us."

I just nodded and got dressed. I followed him on deck. The sun pierced my skin, my eyes, my heart. How could it shine and light ths sky in such a day? How could it ever shine again? His body was there. Everyone said something, something sad, touching, everyone was crying. But I wasn't. I had no more tears in me. I yelled.

"Stop it! Stop crying! Stop talking about him like this! Sinbad was life, Sinbad was everything but sadness! It was pure joy to be with him everyday, to talk to him, to laugh with him... So please just stop..."

They all stared at me and nodded. I couldn't take that pity they had for me. I finally got quiet and I ran to the wheel. They thought I wanted to jump. In fact, I wanted to see it, to see the colour of his eyes. But the thought of being reunited with him was strong. 'If I could die in this colour... It would be like dying in his arms,' I thought.

'Oh, no, there is no way you're going to do this, Sister! A lot of people here care for you, a lot of people needs you alive! Have you thought of me? Of Doubar?'

Doubar. Firouz, Rongar, and my brother, my dear brother. He was right, I couldn't leave them too.

I turned around. Everyone was still staring at me.

"Maeve..." Firouz began, "Maeve, please don't abandon us too..."

I nodded.

His body sank into the sea. I knew this was right because he belonged there. But he also belonged on the Nomad, with his family, with his crew, with me.

Don't cry, I'm with you, don't cry, I'm by your side

Don't cry, I'm with you, don't cry, I'm by your side

The night that came after the funeral was a true relief for me. I was so exhausted that I gave myself to slumber. And then he came.

"Maeve... it's me..."

I saw him standing near me, he extended his hand to touch my face.

"I thought you were dead... Was it just a nightmare?" I asked, my eyes full of hope.

"No, it wasn't. I'm only here for you. I'll always be there for you, because I'm part of you, now."

And though my flesh is gone

I'll still be with you at all times

And though my body's gone

I'll be there to comfort you at all times

My will to die and to join him became less strong, day after day. Two weeks after he had left, I accepted to go for a walk with Rongar. It was the first time I left the ship since the day this sword had pierced his body. Rongar was the only one, with Dermott, who heard me talk about my feelings. I told him how guilty I was feeling, not for letting him tell me what he wanted to say that night. I told him how guilty I felt for not telling him that I loved him. Rongar signed me that Sinbad knew for sure. Talking did me good. But I didn't say anything about my dreams. I wanted to keep them for me, to protect them, as they were the only I had left from him. But I soon understood that these dreams were more than memories of him. They were the key.

I don't want you to cry and weep

I want you to go on livin' your life

I'm not sleepin' an endless sleep

'Cause in your heart you have all our good times

All of your good times

"No, it's not the way things work, miss Magic!" he said, laughing, as I smacked his arm. I had just cheated at poker.

"Alright, alright, but how can I win? You've always been the best player the world had ever known."

"Well, maybe someone's better now, how could I know, I'm not there to defeat anyone anymore..." he said with a smile.

A shadow of sadness filled my eyes briefly. He saw it and stroke my cheek.

"Never cry for me, remember?" he said.

"Yeah... But I wish..." My voice broke.

He took me in his arms. I could feel his warmth again, it felt so good to be close to him.

"So you knew that I love you?" I whispered. "That's what Rongar thinks."

"Well... I knew there was something... But I didn't dare to dream that you felt this way... What about you? Did you know?"

I laughed a bit. "I understood it when you said you needed to talk to me that night."

"See? Just like all the time, miss I-order-and-you-do-what-I-tell-you-to-do didn't let me do what I wanted before it was too late. Hopefully, it's never too late..."

I smiled.

If I'm gone when you wake up

Please don't cry

And if I'm gone when you wake up

It's not goodbye

Don't look back at this time as a time of heartbreak and distress

Remember me, remember me

'Cause I'll be with you in your dreams

Life went on. I never thought this was possible before these dreams. I realized life had gone on for the others too. Firouz had found back an old friend, Velda, and now they were about to marry. Years passed by, and the Nomad had its first baby born on board. Doubar always kept a wrinkle of worry on his forehead, as if he was still waiting for something awful to happen again. I knew he hurt every day, evrey minute, every second of his life. He too had, in a way, lost his reason for living. He had given his life to watch over his little brother, and he hadn't been able to protect him from death. No one can fight it anyway. I know that by now. Rongar smiled less than before, but he was still the same, still this wonderful fighter, this silent shadow who saw everything, heard everything, and protected us from everything.

We finally found Dim-Dim back. I remember my emotion when I held my father figure in my arms. He recreated the isle of Dawn, and asked me if I wanted to go back there, to continue my training. I looked at each member of the crew, and my eyes fell on Dermott.

"I still have a promise to fulfill..." I said, smiling.

But I was never able to keep my promise. I died at thirty years old, during a storm. I fell overboard and sank in the cold waters. I know the crew killed Rumina for me : my brother became human again. Does heaven exist? I can't tell you. I've always believed in it, as I believed in magic and in everything. But I don't feel anything anymore, I haven't joined Sinbad, everything's over. I'm just dead. Sinbad never really contacted me through my dreams, I guess. He was just still living in my heart as I'm still living, I hope, in the hearts of the people I cared about and who cared for me. Death is not the end. The end is when you are forgotten.

If I'm gone when you wake up

Please don't cry

And if I'm gone when you wake up

It's not goodbye

Don't look back at this time as a time of heartbreak and distress

Remember me, remember me

'Cause I'll be with you in your dreams

so this is not the end... as long as you don't forget...