Disclaimer: None of the characters in this story belong to me, if they did I'd be very happy and successful, which alas, I'm not!
A/N: This episode takes place some time after 'Some Things Are Meant To Be' and shortly after 'Family Matters', and doesn't involve Demyx a lot, well at all, really!
The Hermit
Axel was monumentally bored. He had an incredibly low boredom threshold anyway, but this was driving him insane. Axel needed people around him; people to banter with, people to tease, people to insult, and people to kiss. Axel just did not do solo at all well, and he was completely alone, thousands of miles from anywhere, and monumentally bored! He had to wonder what had possessed him to accept this mission, solo, to the back edge of beyond. The answer was simple – the king had asked him - not ordered him, as he had the right to do, but asked him, and after what His Majesty had done for Axel, there was no way he could refuse. Well, that, plus the fact that Demyx had been driving him mental over every last detail of their wedding preparations! Also, to be honest, the mission had him just a little bit intrigued. His Majesty had been somewhat evasive, giving him the barest details to go on.
The king had apparently received a request for assistance which had come by a very circuitous route. Cloud had been the penultimate relay, giving it to Herc at a recent tournament, who had passed it on to the king. His Mouseship was not sure who had given it to Cloud, only that, the person was already the fourth or fifth in the chain! He had no idea of the identity of the original sender, or exactly how many months the message had been in transit, and to be honest, because it had been passed on orally, as with Chinese whispers, he wasn't sure how accurate the final message was!
Normally, assistance would have been rendered by Roxas' and Sora's Security Forces, but Mickey felt an Intelligence reconnoitre first, would be appropriate under the circumstances, but a very low key one. Therefore, he thought that Axel should go alone in his new two-man craft, (an early wedding present from Lux, for him and Demyx), and take a look at the situation, in an undercover role.
So here he was on the furthest edge of known space, out of direct contact with any base, looking for a world that should be here, if the message was accurate. Of course, he could be light years away, if not! Mickey had said to give it a week, and if nothing turned up, to head back. The ship was now on autopilot in an increasing spiral from the location they had been given, looking for a homing beacon the message had said would act as a guide.
Axel still hadn't made up his mind what role he was going to play when and if he made contact, but one which had served him well before was, the drunk with the new boy toy who had punched in the wrong co-ordinates. After five days out of verbal communication, three days of circling, and a whole week of having to cook for himself, and playing solitaire, he was missing Demyx, and his interminable wedding preparations more than he would have ever thought possible! He made a mental vow to listen and give an opinion on everything Demyx asked from now on, however trivial. I mean, did it really matter if arches were entwined with honeysuckle or jasmine, or if the stems on the champagne flutes were ridged or plain? Well, to Dem it did, and from now on, to Axel, too! He would have given anything to hear Dem moan at him, or even IM him but here there was nothing.... except the console had suddenly lit up. The beacon.
Axel was suddenly galvanized into action. He pressed buttons and flicked switches, trying to get a lock on the signal, which was still incredibly faint, but close. He realised it must have been signalling longer than they thought as it was actually failing; even as he got closer the signal was gradually fading. Finally, he got a lock and put the co-ordinates into the autopilot. He had no idea what he was about to find, so he started to prepare his disguise.
He changed into one of Dem's favourite outfits, and felt guilty about how he was about to mess it up! The sea-green shot silk suit and mint silk collarless pleated shirt had been an engagement present from Olette, and now he doused them enough to smell a bit and leave stains, he knew he'd never get out, in whisky. Then he gargled with the stuff a few times. He rubbed his eyes until they began to look bloodshot, and then washed his face with Kairi's favourite exfoliator, to give him a flush he found impossible to achieve naturally. Last but not least he messed up his carefully gelled spiky hair, now somewhat shorter than it used to be, but still lovingly looked after. Then he strapped in for landing.
The world was a forest, with the odd clearing here and there, one of which the beacon had been placed in. He was glad his vessel was no bigger, as it was a tight squeeze. The only sign of life, apart from the indigenous fauna, was a small cottage to his left which had wisps of smoke spiralling out of the chimney. It looked like his best shot, so he went over and knocked on the door, lolling slightly to one side, like the drunk he was supposed to be.
Had he actually been drunk, he would probably have keeled over in shock when the door opened, as it was, his jaw dropped, and for once, Axel was speechless. He tried opening his mouth, but with the shock, no noise came out, he looked like a human goldfish.
"You want something?" asked an irate voice.
Again Axel found himself doing an amazing impression of a goldfish.
"Well, spit it out, you pissed bastard! You stare at me like that anymore and I'll shoot you right there! I don't like folks staring, not that there are any here, but see, I'm a bit touchy about my face!"
"Xig!" Axel finally managed.
"Zag!" said the tall, dark man in the doorway. "I suggest you do it if you want to avoid these babies," he added, suddenly producing two nasty looking blast guns.
Axel swung round and flattened himself against the wall at the side of the doorway.
"No! Xig is your name. Xigbar! I know you! I'm Axel! Don't shoot yet, we need to talk!"
"My what? My name's Garib, smartboy. I don't know any fancy gits like you, so if that's your ship, get your drunken arse back in it and piss off, if you know what's good for you!"
"No, Xig! You saved my life once! Without you I would not be getting married in a couple of months! You sent to King Mickey for help, he sent me. I'm not drunk, it was my cover! Now, let me in, please, without shooting me!"
"Who the hell's King Nicky and why would I have sent for help? Do I look like I need help? What bullshit are you talking?" demanded the tall man with the jet black hair and eyepatch.
"I can explain, but only if you put down those goddamn blasters, 'cos I'm not doing it squished against your wall like a fly! Or I can leave, if that's what you really want, but please drop your weapons and allow me to reach my ship! I'm unarmed!" shouted Axel out of the corner of his mouth, holding his hands open over his head, as if to prove he had no weapons, but completely out of the other man's line of sight! It was bullshit anyway since Axel could have set the house and forest on fire in an instant, and in another split second could be armed as well.
The other man appeared to be thinking since he didn't answer immediately. Axel risked peaking round a tiny bit, since he was on the guy's blind side anyway. He couldn't see his face but he could see that whilst the weapons were still powered up they were only set to stun.
After what seemed like an age but was only a couple of minutes, he heard the fizz of the blasters powering down, and a voice he knew well said, "I'll give you a couple of minutes. This had better be good, 'cos I don't like my privacy being disturbed. Come in!"
Axel breathed a sigh of relief. There was no way he had been going to leave without getting to the bottom of this, but fire in the middle of a forest was never a good thing, and might have left him without transport! He swung round, brushed himself down, and followed the tall guy into a small, quaint but cozy room, with a log fire burning in one corner.
The gun was suddenly back up.
"Sit! There!" said the cottage's owner in staccato tones, indicating one of the chairs at the small dining table. "And put your hands out in front where I can see them!"
Axel did as he was asked.
"Now, talk!"
"My name is Axel, Axel O'Mara, and I represent King Mickey of Disney Castle and Allied Worlds. His Majesty received a distress message from this world, which has taken many months to arrive, and sent me here to investigate, and help if I can!"
"But you said you knew me! That's the bit I want to hear!"
"I do know you, but that will take a lot more than two minutes to explain, and you might not like parts of the story – but – if you're willing to hear me out, I will show you something first that will prove to you how good my intentions are."
"You will, will you? What makes you think my intentions are good, hey?" the man bored a hole in him with his one good eye.
"I don't, but I'm getting the feeling you do want to hear the story!" Axel said, more confident now.
"Maybe I do. So, you share, I'll get us a drink, and then we'll see! It's not as if I get any company out here, could be interesting!" He went over and poured them both drinks from a very dusty old bottle, never once taking his eye off Axel. "It's an eighty year old malt, the bottle's dusty 'cos I've been saving it, arsehole!" he said as he handed a sparklingly clean glass of amber fluid to a dubious Axel.
Axel began. "First off, proof of my good intentions! I could have killed you on sight – watch!" and Axel made the fire in the corner surge, and lit up every burner on the hob with a wave of his hand. Then he let a small flame emerge from the end of his index finger. "Got a preference?" Axel queried the older man. "Curtains? Sideboard?"
"I've got your point – good intentions. Now, carry on, and leave the rest of my home as it is thanks!" and he sat down facing Axel.
"When I first met you, you belonged to a group called Organization XIII, which I had just joined, and I have to be honest, I don't know much about your life before that. You were some kind of a physicist, you'd done some forensic work, and your name was Braig...."
"...you called me something else!" butted in the dark guy, looking a little sceptical.
"Yeah, when you joined the Organization you changed your name to Xigbar, Xig, and that's the name I always knew you by. Everyone reformed their name with an X added..."
"...so which were you?" chuckled the listener, "Lea or Eal?"
"I was already called Axel," explained Axel, in an even tone, incredibly patiently for Axel. (Must be the velvet-like whisky, he reasoned).
"I won't lie to you, we didn't hit it off straight away..."
"No change there then!"
"...but things changed," said Axel, in a slightly firmer voice, trying to put the damper on any more interruptions.
"The Organization was involved in some pretty shady stuff, some of us with good intentions and some not so good, but our methods were, to say the least, questionable. OK, they were downright bad for the most part, but we were not entirely to blame. It's complicated but at that time we didn't have hearts, didn't feel emotions like guilt, or love, or hate, or anything, we didn't have consciences, couldn't empathize with the pain and suffering we were causing. Don't you remember?"
The tall dark man had rested his head in his hands, and was staring down at his drink.
"That's why I let you in. I remember nothing before I woke up in the clearing out there one morning. Nothing! I've spent years here, I think. I've been all over this world, people lived here once, but no-one since I've been here, no-one to ask. There was a ship stop by once, but I wasn't too friendly," he smiled ruefully, "thought they might have been after me for something, judging by the way they looked!"
"How come you remembered your name was Garib then?" asked a curious Axel.
"I didn't. When I woke up, I was wearing a black hooded robe, my guns were at my side and next to them a broken identity bracelet." He held out his wrist to show Axel a heavy silver linked chain with the name GARIB in block carved and linked individual letters in the centre. "It took me a while to put it together, but the only way all the letters fit was GARIB, so I presumed it had been my name."
"No, X?" queried Axel.
"No. I scoured that clearing for any other pieces, well for anything at all that would help really."
"Interesting! I remember you getting that bracelet, and the name on it was XIGBAR! If the X was missing it might explain why you couldn't fit the letters together properly, but it doesn't explain why not IGBAR!"
"Simple, the 'I' wouldn't connect to chain properly at the front! Look!" he said, showing Axel what the problem had been.
"Anyway," Axel continued, "we're digressing a bit - for the right reasons," he interjected, forestalling Xigbar who was about to butt in, "but me just telling you your story isn't going to help. I know someone who can though, if you're willing to come with me!"
"Maybe, if you finish telling me the story. Or maybe I'll just be better off here!" replied Xig noncommittally.
"OK. I'll finish, but we may need refills, this could take a while!"
They settled down with fresh drinks, more relaxed in each other's company now, and over the next few hours, Axel brought Xigbar right up to date. He didn't interrupt many times, but did have a look of incredulous horror on his face by the end.
"That, my friend, is one hell of a story," admitted Xig, as Axel finally finished.
"Don't I know! Two things are still puzzling me though, the beacon and the message."
"Can't help you there. I'm as much in the dark as you, unless..."
"...unless?" asked Axel, his interest piqued.
"A ship came by, must be a couple of years ago, and like I said I wasn't too friendly, but the guy from it looked like he knew me too. Different to you though, scared and angry looking at the same time. I found him in the clearing here when I came back from a hunt, looking for something in those trees next to the woodpile. When I started shooting, he stopped looking, and hightailed it back out of here. Could be something, or not!"
"Let's go and check out that spot!" said Axel, nearly pushing the chair over in his eagerness to be doing a bit of investigation.
"Well, that explains a lot!" Axel observed some half an hour later, when their search finally yielded the now defunct beacon.
"How so?"
"See that logo on the side? It's the company mark of someone we know. Not a friend precisely, but someone who would want us to know you were here, and deal with it. Someone devious enough to send a disguised message through strange channels, and make sure he was back on home ground before any shit hit any fans. Personally I'd like to know what Seifer was doing out here alone and planting beacons anyway, but he won't admit to anything, he never does! I'm presuming the guy that was here was about your height, blond, blue eyes, and with a scar running across here," said Axel drawing a line diagonally down from his forehead with his finger.
"Couldn't have described him better myself!"
"Well, mystery solved! Now, what about you? I have to tell you Xig, you are a long way out from anywhere here. Our communications network stops hundreds of thousands of miles back, and trust me, knowing what you know now, you will have questions, lots of them. Maybe the knowledge will trigger bits of your memory, and you may need counselling. You looked horrified by some of what I told you, it could give you nightmares, or send you insane, without help. I really think you should come back with me. As long as you take up the king's cause, and Lux or I would gladly have you to work with either of us once you are settled, your slate is wiped clean – a fresh start as a Somebody. What do you say?"
"Truthfully, I don't know, Axel! Every part of me wants to say yes, but if what you said is true, I really don't deserve it. Unlike the rest of you, I didn't materialise in the Hall of the Cornerstone, I wound up here. Maybe this is my punishment and where I am meant to stay."
"You're wrong, Xig. I have come to realise that everything in the universe happens for a reason. Events are chained to each other by forces we cannot understand, and people are the facilitators in those chains. Seifer came here, miles from anywhere for a reason, he didn't know it, but there was a bigger reason - to find you. He set in motion a series of events which led to this moment. Maybe you were sent here as a punishment, but I was sent here to tell you you've served your time and can now come back home! Got it memorized?"
Xig's face suddenly lit up.
"Axel, say that again!"
"What, the whole damn spiel? Sorry, don't do repeats!"
"No, that last sentence!" said Xig, now looking extremely animated.
"Got it memorized?" said Axel in his unique tone.
"That I remember!" said Xig. "No face, nothing else, but that phrase, in your voice, I remember it! OK, I've decided, I'll come, for now. I'm not sure how it will work out but I'll give it a shot!" and he laughed, at his own play on words. "We can leave straight away, there's nothing I can't come back for if I really want it, none of the stuff is mine anyway, I just found it all there."
"OK, then, but Xig, just one thing, do you think you could go and get that bottle of single malt for the trip!"
As he went off to get it, Axel couldn't help wondering if there were any more of the Organization still out there, or even, perish the thought, all of them, stuck on strange and inaccessible worlds. He could feel a long debrief and some major missions in the offing, but as long as the missions could wait until after his honeymoon, he really didn't mind. As his mind turned to Dem, he suddenly couldn't wait to be home. The thought of the welcome he would get was making his trousers very uncomfortable, and he yelled at the cottage, "Get a move on! I have a boyfriend in need of my services, and not even my prick will stretch that far!"
Feel free to review if you feel the urge, I hope you enjoyed this piece!