Don't Close Your Eyes
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Chapter Five




'Quit walking so fast!' Leah shouted at Nanaki who was quite a bit ahead of herself and Rick.

'If you can't keep up then you're welcome to turn back at any time,' he replied calmly.

'Hmmh,' she grunted.

'Relax Leah, this is gonna be a walk in the park. I mean ''fuzzy lights''? What could happen?'

'Your right I suppose. I better get my materia ready.' She said groping in her small backpack. 'You wanna borrow some of mine?'

'You bet,' Rick replied 'I mean these pistols are good but even they need some kind of back up.' He said un-holstering his silver handguns.

'Ok, lets see...I have a Restore materia that I can give you but its only level one...I have a level two but thats mine. Here, its better than nothing.' She handed him a small emerald orb which he proceeded to slot into one of the three spaces on his right handgun.

'Hmm...what else,' she said still buried in her bag. 'Oh here, I've got some high leveled Protect materia I never use.' She handed it to him and he slotted it into the alternate gun.

'Haven't you got anything a little more ''dangerous''?' He asked carefully.

'Hey don't be so picky, you're getting these for free.'

'Sorry.'

'Ok here, its my pride and joy, my favourite materia. The Esper Valour. It'll summon Valour, the Guardian of Hope. It's only level two but its powerful enough.'

'I can't take this,' he said handing it back to her. 'It's your favourite, keep it. I'll make do.' She was making that little frown on her face. He loved that frown. She was so cute. As if to challenge his opinion of her, she grabbed one of his pistols and slotted the glowing crimson orb into the gun.

'I just got something else. I don't need it anymore, besides, you don't have any materia of your own.'

I hate being poor, Rick thought as they strolled on silently. Ever since his mother had died his father had struggled to keep the family going. He'd lost his job soon after and Rick had to take a job in the local bar, which he hated. His father could never afford to give him anything except food on the table. The two pistols were the only thing he owned in the world. They were passed down in his family. Rick had got them for his twelfth birthday present. He used to practice with Leah shooting rocks she tossed into the air. He wished he could have those days back. When they were both twelve. Those days were the best of his life, he hated change. Leah was moving on, slowly forgetting him, soon she'd go off with this overgrown cat and forget all about him. He couldn't bear the thought of it. He grumbled miserably.

'What was that?' She asked cheerfully.

'Umm...so what does it do anyway? Valour I mean.'

'It was a present off my grandfather before he passed away. He told me to always hold it close to my heart and I'd never forget him. It would keep me safe. At first I was too afraid to use it but after a few years I began to try it out. I searched the libary for a few weeks and finally found out its true meaning. The esper Valour has the power to grant hope to the caster and her allies, it sounds wierd I know but after trying it you'll understand.'

'Go on,' Rick said hopefully.

'I'll give you an example. When I was fifteen I tried to climb the Nibelhiem mountains, of course I didn't get very far, I was attacked by a pack of Salamander Dragons. I cut my leg, I couldn't stand. I couldn't find the energy to get up and keep fighting. They were closing in fast, I don't know what happened but I found myself reaching for this materia. I held it high above my head as they approached. A huge white light flashed, out of nowhere a person appeared. It was a young woman, she looked just the same as me except different somehow. I could almost see through her, like a ghost. The figure turned and smiled at me. I don't know how but I just stood up. I knew I could beat them, I was bursting with confidence. It seemed like I cold destroy them with a whisper. It was weird. Still it didn't seem strange or unfamiliar to me. The figure turned away and started fighting the Salamanders. Kicking, punching with expert speed. I'd never seen anyone clear a pack of monsters that fast. I stood there amazed. When she had finished she turned and smiled at me and I saw that she wasn't me but my grandmother. My grandma when she had been younger, a memeber of Avalanche. Then she disappeared. I ran home thinking I had seen a ghost. I told no one, but then slowly I realised it was the materia. Valour had taken her form and had saved me. It seems as though he takes a form unique to that person. A symbol of inspiration I suppose. I don't know. It's yours now.'


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They had been travelling for almost an hour and ha just reached a long narrow ropeway bridge. Not one monster attack, I suppose she couldn't complain but it would have been nice to see the infamous Nanaki in action.

Still they wore on, the cold wind biting into their numbed skin. Leah was suddenly regreting wearing shorts. Her hands were dug deeply into her pockets. She kept adjusting her backpack straps as it was pulling hard on her already numb back.

'Can't we stop for one second?' She asked collapsing on the nearest rock

'Yeah, I am getting kind of tired. Just for a few minutes?' Rick agreed.

'Very well.' Nanaki said lying down and curling his fiery tale up to his face for heat. Leah grew jealous of the sight.

'It sure is alot colder up here than I remember,' she began 'and where are all the monsters? It wouldn't be so bad if we had something to warm up on.'

Rick mumbled his agreement. Nanaki began to speak.

'Up there it would seem,' he pointed at the looming figure of the abandoned Mako reactor.

'How can you tell?' Rick asked puzzled.

'A mastered sense materia. Simple, yet useful. This entire mountain is deserted apart from the reactor. I'm afraid we wont get much action until we reach that reactor.' He stopped for a second as if puzzled. 'That's strange, I can sense humans too. Three maybe four distinct lifeforms. Lets continue, the sooner we solve this mystery the sooner we can all go home.'

'Oh...but...' Rick grabbed her by the arm and dragged her along after Nanaki.

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The reactor was huge, much bigger than Leah had ever imagined it to be. The metal was rusted now and the structure was far from stable but it seemed sfae enough as long as no fireworks were set off inside.

'Wait!' Nanaki said holding them back 'two guards, but why? What possible use could they have?'

He was right, Leah thought, the reactor was still a good bit far off but two figures clad in black armour with strange looking helmets were standing at the entrance to the Reactor. They seemed to be holding ebony staffs, a favourite among powerful casters these days.

'What are they doing there?' Rick asked squinting his eyes to get a better look.

'Let's go ask,' Nanaki replied. With that he began marching quickly in their direction. Rick and Leah followed behind bewildered.


'Halt!' the guards said in strange unison 'who goes there?' They were strange, something was definitly weird about these two Leah thought as they bore their ebony staffs at Nanaki.

'Excuse us, sirs,' Nanaki began politely 'I am Nanaki and these two are my companions. Might I enquire as to what you're doing in a long abandoned Mako reactor?'

'What is this? Some kind of joke?' They looked at each other chuckling. 'Look kids, get the hell outta here now before we pound your faces in. This ain't none of your business.'

'I'm sorry gentlemen but I'm afraid it is. Step aside please.'

The first man went to strike Nanaki with his staff but he swiftly dodged behind his back and struck him in the back of the guards neck He collapsed on the ground dead, his staff rolled forgottenly away. The second guard was swifter and more battle worn.

'Tornado!' He screamed at the top of his lungs, waving his long staff over his dark metal helmet.

Nanaki was swept back in a gust of terrific wind. He landed at the feet of Leah and Rick. The gust quickly subsided. Rick reached over Nanaki to help him up. He screeched almost tiger like. Leah had been quick to react, she unsheathed her katana ferouciously and charged furiously at the guard.

'You think you can take me girl?' he taunted as he parried her first blow with his staff. Aiming for her mid-section, he struck the side of her stomach. She howled in pain as she fell back clutching her side. Seemingling out of nowhere, she struck back enraged. Her blade cut a small tear in his shoulder. Dark red blood oozed out drenching his pitch black cloak. Leah jumped back smiling. He screamed in anger. 'Fire 2!' He shouted raising his staff once again. Engulfed in a strange green light for a split second, three bright fireballs erupted from the end of his ebony staff. Leah had no time to react, she could see the three masses of energy rip through the air before-

'Reflect!' She heard Rick's voice screaming from behind. A flash of green materialised before her eyes and she fell over in a daze of blindness. The fireballs had reflected, however, and struck their once master square in the chest. He collapsed to the dusty ground, smoke plumes billowing from his flesh ripped chest.

'That was easy,' Rick taunted, picking Leah up from the ground.

'Follow me,' Nanaki whispered 'quietly!'

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After creeping silently through some bare metal corridors they came to what appeared to be the main chamber of the reactor. Metal pods were alligned neatly on each side. Huge red valves were placed under the window of each pod. Orange floodlights barely illuminated the dark room. A set of steps led up to a large door at the top of the room. It was tightly shut and bore the letters J-E-N-O-V-A above it.

Suddenly a narrow metal door slid open with a swish and a figure stepped out. Apparently a scientist he was pouring over a clip pad he held in his hands. His thick brown hair was short but untidy and he wore a pair of large thick glasses below his forehead. His labcoat was long and dirty with pens and scraps of paper filling each pocket. He seemed rather short with small balck leather shoes. Suddenly he noticed them. He looked up smiling.

'And you are?' He asked sarcastically.

'I am Nanaki,' he began. 'We-'

'I know full well who you are,' the scientist began cutting Nanaki off, 'Hojo's escaped experiment specimen number 26453, codenamed Red XIII. Unique to your species. Displays superior intelligence and life span to humans. However I wasn't talking to you.'

'Rick,' he said stepping forward.

'Leah,' she said unsheathing her katana 'and who might you be?'

'Professor Grieve, at your service young lady. Might I ask what you're doing here? Marching in uninvited and slaughtering my men?'

'I doubt you're here for the benifit of mankind. This reactor has been long abandoned and its mako draining facilities have been destroyed. What possible use could it be to you?'

The Professor moved to the top most pod and went to start turning the valve.

'Well you...SEE,' he said straining to move the ruby valve 'A slight amount of Mako still remains and I thought well, it would be a shame to waste it. You see I am the heir to Hojo's flawed research. Its simply my duty to conduct his unfinished experiments. This one was one of his latest before his untimely demise. I'm sure he told you of his efforts to produce the perfect Soldier by showering them with Mako?'

'In some way or another,' Nanaki replied softly.

'Flawed, like most of Hojo's theories. I've simply corrected it. He took the top four Soldiers, First Class, of course and cryogenically suspeneded them in these isolation chambers. He meant to shower them with mako as usual. I have improved his incorrect theory. Instead of showering them with crude mako, I have condesed each form of the elemental materia and placed each pod in an abandoned reactor. I have spent years purging each materia of its potential flaws and...the result? The perfect mako with which to shower these soldiers. My first experiment was here. I purified as much Earth materia as I could manage and have showered it upon this specimen here,' he said tapping the pod. 'He will be the first of my Titans, beings that possess true contol over the elements. The Titan of Earth, Golem.'

'You're as mad as Hojo was, with one fatal flaw, you don't have the backing of an empire-like corporation.' Nanaki said amused.

'Really? You think so? It matters not, you will be the first test for my grand experiment. He's ready now, can you feel it?'

He spun the valve one last time and the door of the pod swung open, strange blue liquid spilt out into the nearby drains. Steam rose high into the air. A creature stepped out.

Leah screamed.





Author's note:

Finally finished this chapter. I really couldn't be bother to read over it so I'm sorry in advance for any mistakes. Please review! I'm high matinence and need lots of feedback. Any ideas for the next chapter?


Thank Yous:





Ann: Rick has absolutely nothing to do with Cloud, sorry! I just like spikey hair! I hope you liked this chapter too, it means alot when you get regular reviewers, thanx again!


GG Crono 4: Thanks for the two reviews, I hope you enjoyed this one too. It was easy to right so maybe it won't be as good, but anyway thanks for your reviews!


Aes Sedai: Where have I heard that name before? Wheel of Time or something isn't it? Anyway thanks for both your positive reviews. I hope you rveiew this chapter too. Thanks again! Appreaciate it!