I awoke in this interesting room. It was filled with books, shelves lined up full of them. I looked around to a desk as I stood up. My movements were not under my control, as my legs just stood me up and walked me to the desk. I looked on the wall to see many pictures of people. People I'd seen before. They were all so familiar. Then I came to one in particular. It was me, but I looked so strange. And next to me, was the boy. The boy I'd been seeing, the boy who walked with me to the beach. But he had no face. Not Xeros' face, like he usually did, just a blank face. I looked closer to it as the blankness turned to darkness and yellow eyes appeared. I jumped back and fell.
I sat up abruptly as I woke from my dream. I looked around to see the all too familiar surroundings of my room in the castle. Another dream, but like most of them, it did not provide me with much towards piecing together my past. But something was certain. I am getting closer to finally remembering, as the boy in my dreams no longer appeared to me as Xeros. He was no longer my placeholder, so I must be slowly remembering him. And somehow, he seemed like an important piece of my past. I got out of my bed with vigor as I then proceeded to the hallway.
I walked down the hallway and towards the Grey Area. I looked in as I saw Axel talking with that spiky-haired, blond boy. I then continued to walk and then I bumped into something. I fell back and landed on my rear end, quite painfully. I looked up to see that girl I had encountered once around here. She was still wearing her hood, as she rubbed her head and then looked towards me.
"I am so sorry." I apologized as I stood up and walked over. I held out my hand and she took it. I lifted her up and then she wiped off her coat.
"It's fine." She then began to look at me and I just stood there. An awkward silence filled the air for a moment until she spoke again. "I haven't seen you around here much. What's your name?"
"I am Xaik."
"Nice to meet you, Xaik." She said with a dull, yet somewhat cheery tone.
"What is your name?"
"My name is Xion." Xion. Another member of the Organization that I actually learned the name of. I then knew eight of our Organization members. Out of eighteen. Not really that bad, that was almost half. But then again, it didn't much matter, because I wasn't really going to interact with anyone else, really. "Sorry, I have to go. I hope we can meet again soon, and not fall on our rears." I giggled and so did she.
"Of course." She then walked around me and headed into the Grey Area. She seemed very nice. Although it was odd, her having her hood up at all times. I know when I first started I kept my hood on, but she's been wearing her hood since then. I remember she was wearing it around the time I started with the Organization. I didn't really think too much about it, though. It's not like its any of my business whether she chooses to wear her hood or not. So, I moved on, heading to find Xeros for my mission today.
I continued on but the castle was pretty empty. Not many members seemed to be around. Not even Scyrux or Xeros. Varijex I wouldn't mind so much not seeing. Of course, though, it was just my luck when I was just passing out of the Hall of Empty Melodies that I heard someone walking behind me. I then turned to see Varijex was walking in my direction. I put some speed into my walk, as to avoid interaction with him. I wasn't too excited about being around him. But he caught up to me.
"Hey, squirt."
"Varijex." I said under my breath as he then sped up and passed me by. He started chuckling manically as he walked ahead of me.
"You know, you're such a push over."
"And you aren't very nice..." I whispered to myself. He then turned to me with a curious and slightly devilish expression.
"What was that?"
"Nothing. I am just walking." He then turned forward and kept walking but then shifted his glance towards me for a quick second. We continued to walk through the castle and before I knew it we were walking out to Nothing's Call and crossing the Brink of Despair. We walked through the alleys of the Dark City as we approached Memory Skyscraper. Xeros and Scyrux were conversing at the front as we approached them. Scyrux turned to us and then Xeros turned around.
"Ah, there you two are."
"Good morning, Xeros. And to you, Scyrux."
"Good morning, Xaik." Xeros responded.
"Good morning! Hope you slept well!" Scyrux exclaimed as Varijex then rolled his eyes.
"Alright, let's get this show on the road..." Varijex muttered as Xeros looked at him with a saucy expression.
"Impatient, Jexy? How surprising." Varijex sneered at Xeros and then crossed his arms.
"Can we get a move on? I want to continue the investigation I had started in Port Royal."
"Still looking for that treasure?" Scyrux asked as Varijex turned to him.
"Yes. Of course, Saïx insists I give all the intel up to another member, I think it was Luxord...doesn't matter. I need to get that intel, or Saïx will throw a fit!"
"Like you usually do, Jexy." Varijex then growled as Xeros smiled slightly. He then turned to me.
"Alright, your mission is simple. Head into the Deep Jungle and search for any remaining Heartless. Though it should be clear, we have reason to believe that there are still Heartless roaming there."
"Why does it matter if there are Heartless there?" Varijex scoffed as Xeros then walked up to him. Xeros got in Varijex's face and then spoke.
"Because Saïx said so. And you wouldn't want him to 'throw a fit', would you?" Varijex then just exhaled sharply through his nose and turned away. Xeros then looked to me and then away as he held out his hand. A portal appeared and Varijex began to walk through it. I followed him as I waved to Xeros and Scyrux. Scyrux waved enthusiastically while Xeros waved with a slight gesture. I then entered and the darkness closed as we appeared in the Deep Jungle.
I looked around as we appeared in a new area of the Deep Jungle. As I was looking, Varijex started to walk forward, his sword in hand. He walked through the trees and sliced through the shrubs and bushes. I followed him as he cut through them, the crunching of the leaves and the branches under our feet as we walked. We traversed the jungle, for quite a while in silence. Just cutting through and wandering, searching for any sign of Heartless. Not really much was around that tipped us to any Heartless activity, though. But we had to scour the jungle until we had proof whether or not there was Heartless here. Until we did, we couldn't RTC. And I know Varijex was very eager to leave and go to Port Royal.
It was probably an hour after we arrived that things started to seem like there was nothing. No signs of Heartless anywhere in the jungle. Varijex groaned as he stopped walking.
"I can't take this anymore! We've been here for a long time and still nothing! I say we RTC and leave this mission behind."
"Are you sure? I feel like there may still be more we haven't explored." As I questioned him, he turned to me with an expression that made me nervous. It was a far more intense expression than I had ever seen him make. And that was saying something.
"Really? You 'feel' like there is more to explore here?"
"Well, not really 'feel', but I-" He then cut me off.
"Excuse me, miss small-fry, pink hair squirt has a 'feeling' that we haven't done all we can. Well, if you are 'feeling' that we haven't done our mission, why do it at all? I mean, heck, you seem to be 'feeling', so why do what the Organization wants, since you already can 'feel'?"
"That's not what I meant at all." He then began to chuckle, which made me feel even more awful.
"Then what did you mean, hm? If you got something to say squirt, then say it!"
"Enough!" I yelled out as Varijex seemed to be shocked. "I've had enough of you putting me down and treating me like I'm less than you! If you want to RTC and get on with your selfish mission to please Saïx and not be on the receiving end of his wrath, then fine! But I am going to continue this mission, with or without you!" I then turned and stormed off. I was so upset by this, I just couldn't be around him anymore. But it was good. This new sensation came over me, and it seemed like I was really proud of myself for what I did. And so, I went off and I decided to continue the mission on my own.
I continued to traverse the jungle, hearing nothing but the birds and other animals as they all were calling out. I looked towards some sort of clearing as I heard the sounds of the ocean. I walked through the trees to see that there was this cliff. It was huge. I looked over the edge to see the water below and then I turned to my left and I was shocked to see this massive structure in one of the trees. It was a house, it seemed. Built in the tree. Quite well, actually, because it seemed structurally sound, yet somewhat old. I noticed a bridge leading to the large tree house and I decided I should investigate. This could be a useful piece of information to have about the world.
I walked across the bridge, cautiously because I didn't know how quite stable it was. I walked towards the large house it just seemed even bigger than when I was just looking at it. I entered the house and looked around as it was somewhat destroyed. Everything was a mess, things where scattered and thrown around. Seemed like it was some sort of struggle, but I had no idea of guessing what could have caused it. It seemed like this place was abandoned for sometime, so this could have happened long ago. I continued to look through as I then heard a yell coming from the jungle.
"Xaik! Come out, you runt! Let's RTC already!" Seemed Varijex was looking for me. I figured he couldn't leave without me, or Saïx, and probably Xeros would have his head for that. But I did not want to return just yet. However, letting him know about what I found could be useful I suppose. So I peered through a broken window and looked out to see him looking at the house. I then walked over to the door of the house and exited and began to walk towards the bridge. He saw me and then rolled his eyes. "Quit playing around in there and let's go!" I walked over to share the information I gathered when I noticed something moving in the trees. I stopped and Varijex looked at me funny. His expression then turned serious as I stood there. "Would you hurry up? I don't have all day!"
"Varijex! I think there's something in the jungle!" I called out as he turned. I then noticed a pair of glowing yellow eyes and suddenly, he froze. He fell over, but he fell over still frozen. I then saw as from the trees a large snake-like creature appeared from the trees. It was huge, black and blue with some red. It began to hiss at me and I saw as it had the Heartless emblem on its head. I then heard Varijex yell out to me.
"Don't look into its eyes!" I then noticed its eyes began to glow again. I looked away quickly and started running for the house. I heard it hissing as it slithered closer to me. But I did not look back, for fear I might get petrified like Varijex. I summoned my hammer to me before I reached the house and shut my eyes. I then turned back and threw my hammer, but I couldn't tell if I hit it or not. I then felt a large shock as I was lifted off the ground. I opened my eyes to see the Heartless had struck the ground with its tail and sent me flying. I then looked down as I was headed straight for the roof of the house. I aimed my hammer down as I collided with the roof and broke right through. I landed and rolled as I looked around. I then noticed the Heartless coming in through the hole I made in the roof. Its eyes began to glow again and I quickly shut my eyes, a large mass struck me right in the chest. I slammed against the wall, which really hurt. I knelt in pain as the Heartless continued to hiss at me. I looked up as it reared its head and tried to bite me. I dodged the bite but it then wrapped its tail around me. It squeezed me really tight and I couldn't breathe. It just hissed at me, its tongue flicking as it grew close to my head. I was close to passing out, and I couldn't do anything.
Suddenly, from out of nowhere, I heard a scream as a man jumped atop the Heartless' head. It was Tarzan, the man I saw when I last came here. He grabbed onto the Heartless as it began to thrash and tried to knock him off. But he maintained his grip as he raised his spear. He jabbed the Heartless in the eye as it then screeched. It loosened its grip on me, so I started to vibrate myself and get loose. I dropped down as it just hissed and screeched in pain. Tarzan then yelled once more as he jabbed the other eye. The Heartless then threw its head back, hitting Tarzan against the wall. He grunted in pain as he landed on the ground. The Heartless then stopped for a moment, turning its head slightly. Since it was now blind, it had to focus on its other senses to find me. I walked very quietly away from it towards Tarzan. I continued and then I heard a crack. I looked down to my feet and there was a picture frame on the ground. I looked back to the Heartless as it quickly turned its head towards me. It then lunged and tried to bite me as I rolled out of the way. I ran over to Tarzan and shook him. He then got up and looked at me.
Just as he did, he grabbed me and jumped. I noticed the Heartless once again tried to bite us as we were in the air over it. We landed and headed for the door. The Heartless was not too far behind, as I heard it slithering towards us. We exited the tree house and I noticed Varijex was still paralyzed. I looked to Tarzan and he looked to me.
"I need to reach my friend!" Just as I said that, the Heartless came bursting out of the door and knocked me back. Tarzan jabbed at its head with his spear as it then turned to him. It attacked him as he began to climb the tree house. I figured that this would be the best chance to go to Varijex and help him. I ran across the bridge to get to him. But as I ran, I suddenly felt myself falling as I heard a loud snap. The plank I stood on broke and I almost fell, but I grabbed the bridge at the last second. I held on with one hand as I looked down to see the long fall below me. Panicked, I tried to climb back up. I was almost back up when I turned to see that Tarzan was holding off the Heartless as it was slithering up the tree house. I got back up onto the bridge and continued to run to Varijex. I put my hammer down and knelt to his side as he remained frozen.
"Well?! Are you just gonna stand there and look stupid?!"
"What do I do?" I asked as I turned back to see Tarzan reaching the roof of the tree house and the Heartless was shortly behind him.
"There's a Panacea in my pocket! Give it to me!" I reached in his pocket as I pulled out this vile. I handed it to him but I forgot he couldn't move. "Are you really that stupid?! Help me drink it!" I then knelt closer as I poured the Panacea in his mouth. He then dropped from his frozen position and shook himself as he got up. I stood up with him as he then summoned his sword. "Payback time!" He then ran across the bridge and I followed him. We ran up the tree that the house was stationed on and headed for the roof. We then saw as Tarzan was still being attacked by the Heartless. It started to rear its head and then it spat this dark blue liquid at him. Tarzan avoided it and the liquid then melted through the roof. Varijex rushed in and slashed at the Heartless' tail as it screeched. It then whipped him and knocked him back. I ran over to it as it turned and then spat more acid towards me. I dodged the acid but then the Heartless slammed its tail in front of me, causing me to fly back. I fell and rolled as it the slithered towards me. I looked up as it raised its tail to crush me. But then Varijex came in and sliced the tail off, causing the Heartless to screech even louder.
As he landed, he looked to me and I stood up. I then ran towards the Heartless, as it then turned to me. It reared its head as it then tried to bite me once more. But right before it did, I slammed my hammer into the ground and propelled myself into the air right above it. The strike caused the roof to weaken and the Heartless hit the exact spot, causing its head to go through the roof and got itself stuck. As I was in the air, I then raised my hammer and I felt myself begin to fall. With the force of my fall, I then slammed my hammer down, right as the Heartless took its head out of the hole. I struck it right on the crown of its head and I landed as the Heartless then began to dizzily move its head. It then fell as it slid right off the roof of the tree house and fell into the jungle below. I looked over the edge to see where the Heartless had landed. I then noticed some rustling in the trees as I readied my hammer for another attack. But then a large glowing object appeared from the trees. I watched the heart fly up and then I turned around to see Varijex and Tarzan standing idle. I walked over to Tarzan as he then tilting his head in curiosity.
"Thank you for helping us." Tarzan nodded but didn't say anything. I then turned to Varijex and he had this expression. It was hard to place. It was probably the closest thing to a look of respect as I'll ever get from him. He then began to walk as he held out his hand.
"Let's go." He then walked through the portal as I turned back to Tarzan. I waved as he then waved and ran off the roof and jumped into the jungle below. I then turned and walked through the portal as I reappeared in front of memory Skyscraper. Varijex stood, waiting for me, surprisingly. Usually he was eager to just leave and go about his business, but he was just standing there. The portal closed behind me and I stood confused.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" I asked, slightly nervous for his response.
"Although it kills me to admit it, you did good work." I think he didn't want to admit that I was right earlier. He was too prideful, but I knew he knew. And even if he wouldn't say it, I appreciated the fact that he somewhat made an attempt to apologize.
"Thank you, Varijex." He then rolled his eyes and exhaled sharply as he then walked past me and opened another portal. I then turned to him as he was about to head to Port Royal. "Varijex?" He then turned to me.
"What? I've got things to do, squirt."
"You don't have any memories from before, do you?" He then turned and looked to me confused.
"What's it to you?"
"I'm just wondering." He then squinted at me as he then turned back around.
"My memories are about as empty as your head sometimes." He then walked through before I had the chance to retort. Not that it mattered though. I was pretty sure I understood why he was like this. Like Xeros, he was probably upset at the lack of memories of his past. And because of that, he would behave aggressively. More-so than Xeros, though. Which puzzled me. I would like to understand better, but Varijex seems like the type that no matter what, you could never get close to him. Not because he would not be comfortable, but because he wouldn't really care. Not that we can care in the first place.