Xerisa returned that night, as promised, and for the next 4 days, was paired with different members of the Organization until she had worked with everyone except Saïx and Xemnas himself.
Something was different about that day, the 12th day since Xerisa joined. It even started out different as Axel was up early and already heading into the Gray Area. There were just as few Nobodies as he was used to seeing in there in the morning, but this time it was because most of them were asleep, not that most of them had left already.
"Woa, not usual we see you in the AM," Xigbar said as Axel came in.
"I'm as surprised as you are," Axel answered with a wave.
"Eager to get started?" Larxene asked.
"Might as well," Axel said. "Sooner I get done, the sooner I can sleep. What am I doing today, Saïx?"
"You'll be paired with Xerisa today," Saïx replied.
Shoulda seen that coming, Axel thought. He looked around and noticed the lack of hooded Nobodies in the room. "So, where is she?"
"Not awake yet, it would seem," Saïx said. "You'll have to wait."
"This is definitely a first," Axel said, plopping down on the couch.
"Figures they'd try and get you to control the little fireball," Xigbar said, leaning over the back of the couch that Axel was sitting in.
"Take it you've worked with her," Axel said.
"We all have," Larxene said, "she's gained a reputation fast."
I woulda liked to see what happened when she and Larxene clashed, Axel thought grinning as he envisioned the verbal carnage, and possibly some actual carnage. "So, is that her nickname?" he looked up at Xigbar, "fireball?"
"Hard to pick one when we don't know what she can do," Xigbar said. "Although Vexen says she has a spiked staff."
"It's more like a mace, really," Vexen said as he entered the room. "She's rather skilled with it, I was surprised. I wonder how long she's been a Nobody."
"We all wonder about her," Xigbar said, "she's a mystery. Hey, that's a good one, Mystery."
"Huh?" Axel didn't understand what the Freeshooter was getting at.
"She's a mystery, so that's her nickname, Mystery," Xigbar said.
Axel looked up at him and raised an eyebrow, but he had learned that there was no hope of arguing with Number II.
"And here comes the mystery now," Larxene said, pointing to the entrance to the Gray Area.
Axel got up from the couch and headed over to meet her. "Yo!" he waved is hand once in a salute-like greeting.
Xerisa walked on past him without even taking notice.
"Ouch," Axel said, "that hurt."
"Hurt what?" Xerisa snapped, "you don't have feelings, do you?"
"Ow that was a low blow," Axel said, flinching. He turned and followed her as she crossed the room. "Hey, I was just trying to be nice, since we're partners today."
Xerisa still paid him no mind and approached Saïx. "So, where are we going then?"
"A new world," Saïx said. "Simple recon mission."
"How boring," Axel moaned. "We've been doing mostly recon for almost two weeks now!"
"This is one of the last worlds we need to re-evaluate," Saïx assured him. "Then we can decide what to do from there."
"Great," Axel said with mock enjoyment. "Xerisa, you all set?"
Xerisa nodded.
"Back to the silent treatment are we?" Axel asked, lifting his right hand to create a dark corridor.
Xerisa shoved him aside and walked past into the portal.
"I'm tellin' ya, you got the wrong guy for the job," Axel muttered to Saïx.
"Only time will tell," Saïx replied.
Axel frowned and followed Xerisa into the dark corridor. They emerged in a thick forest near the sea shore. They immediately took cover in the undergrowth and behind a tree. On the shore was a large group of men spread out over the coast. Some were cutting down trees, others unloaded things from their boat just offshore while the rest were digging holes in the ground.
"Wonder what this is all about," Axel said as he watched from the cover of the forest. "They're really wrecking the place little by little."
"It's greed I know that much," Xerisa said. "Whatever they're doing, it benefits them in some way, so they'll keep doing it."
"I take it you've never been here," Axel said.
"I actually have," Xerisa replied, "these people are new. I wonder how the…" she froze and stopped in mid-sentence. "Get down!" She pushed Axel low until he nearly fell flat on the ground, then she crouched beside him.
"What is-"
"Shhhh!" Xerisa hissed. "We're not alone."
Axel looked around hastily, now worried. He saw no one else in the forest and the people on the shore did not seem to notice them. "What's your problem?" he whispered.
"You wanna die again, be my guest," Xerisa spat, "otherwise shut it!"
Axel decided to "shut it." He rolled over onto his back and put his hands behind his head. Might as well rest up if we're not moving for a while. He looked up at the tree above them and was shocked at what he saw. Crouched in the tree was a tan Indian man. He was looking down at the men on the shore. Axel flailed around, trying to scramble to his feet. He began to panic as he felt a weight on his chest pinning him down. After he stopped struggling, he saw Xerisa pinning him down.
"Now do you get it!?" Xerisa hissed.
Axel only nodded, shock and a bit of fear kept him silent. Xerisa let him up and he rolled over. He shifted his eyes back and forth from tree to tree and through the brush. They could be anywhere. Did they know about the two Nobodies?
"I don't think they've spotted us," Xerisa whispered.
Axel nodded. He couldn't shake the feeling that they were major-ly outnumbered. A fight with these guys would not be a good move.
"That's it men, keep digging," a rather large man walked among the holes along the shore. He wore a purple suit and a matching hat with a teal feather in it. He carried himself with an air of importance and commanded the others as if he were above them, "it's got to be here somewhere." He took a bite from a drumstick as he walked.
"There's thirty more of them down by the ridge," the voice was so close, it made Axel jump.
"That makes more than a hundred," another voice said from the nearby bushes.
So these two groups must be enemies, Axel said. I get the feeling this is not a good place to be…. He raised his hands to summon his Chakrams, but his left wrist was snatched by Xerisa.
"Have you lost it?!" she hissed. "First off the light of the flames will give us away. Second, are you really gonna use fire in a forest?!"
"Sorry," Axel muttered.
"Anything yet?" The fat man asked into a hole.
"Nothing but rocks and dirt, sir," a young man in the hole replied.
"Um, how long are we gonna keep digging like this, sir?" another man asked, leaning against a shovel.
"We're slavin' away," another man with a Scottish accent climbed out of a hole and threw his shovel on the ground, "bustin' our backs day and night-"
"For king and country, I know," the fat man interrupted, "I know, and I share your fatigue." He took another bite from the drumstick. He called for a scrawny and more or less happy man and handed him the half-eaten drumstick. "Dispose of this."
The man crouched down beside a little white pug and what he said could not be made out. After a short while of him waving the drumstick at the dog, he hurled it into the bushes just in front and slightly to the right of where the two Nobodies hid.
Axel watched where it landed, although he wasn't quite sure why. From where it landed, an Indian poked his head up. Frantic yapping tore Axel's attention from the Indian to the panicked pug, who had apparently seen the Indian.
"Savages!" the fan man cried out. "It's an ambush! Arm yourselves!"
The Indian ran back past Axel to where Axel had heard the voices in the undergrowth. Below, the men scrambled from their holes and made way towards their guns.
"I think we should get outta here!" Axel exclaimed, starting to rise.
"Get down!" Xerisa shoved him into the dirt. "It's too late for that now! If we run we'll be spotted and shot by one of the opposing sides!"
"So what do we do?!" Axel cried, "hang here and hope that we don't get shot?!"
Xerisa didn't say anything, but turned her attention back to the scrambling men on the shore.
"Shoot!" the fat man gave the order and the men lined up behind logs with their muskets sticking out and opened fire. Axel and Xerisa took cover behind a tree as bullets and arrows whizzed by.
"This is not good!" Axel exclaimed.
"No shit Sherlock!" Xerisa snapped.
An Indian dropped out of a tree nearby, holding his leg. Two others came to his aide as one of the white men came in to hit the fallen man with the back of his gun. One of the Indians caught the gun and fought him off. Then picked up his fallen comrade and made the command "back to the village!" The Indians retreated and the men on the shore let out cheers of victory.
"Shut up!" the fat man said, "shut up, you fools! They'll be back! Everyone back to camp! Get the rest of the cannons ashore and finish building the fort!"
"Aye, gov'nor," the Scotsman said with a salute.
Axel peeked out from around the tree, checking to make sure it was safe. "Alright, I think we got enough info, this place is dangerous, let's RTC!"
"There's more I want to see," Xerisa insisted. "Let's follow the Indians to their village. At least they don't have guns."
"Good point," Axel agreed. "I think they're all gone, or at least have their backs turned."
"Then let's go," Xerisa said. "Quick and quiet."
The two of them began to slip through the undergrowth, hunched over, but still standing tall and relatively exposed. A young man on the shore who was sitting against a log stood up. Movement caught his eye, and he turned to see the two Nobodies running off. Shakily, he raised his gun. He took a deep breath and fired.
The shot echoed through the forest, and birds fled. Axel and Xerisa both froze, almost out of instinct, although it was the dumbest thing to do. Somehow, in that split second when Axel turned, he could see the bullet coming straight at him. He had no time to duck or summon his Chakrams to block, nor was he thinking clearly enough to do anything at the moment. He held up his arms to his face, bracing himself for the impact, and squeezed his eyes shut, not expecting to open them again.
Moments crept by that seemed like ages. Axel was surprised to still be alive and not in any pain. He slowly opened his eyes and lowered his hands. He gasped as he saw the bullet just barely touching his nose. For a quick second, he thought this was it, but then realized the bullet wasn't moving. It was suspended in mid-air, surrounded by a wavy purple glow. Axel looked around frantically and saw Xerisa, standing there with her hand held out to him. Her hand was also surrounded by the same glow.
Xerisa sighed, and let her hand fall, and the bullet fell too. Without a word, she turned and headed into the forest.
Axel stood stunned for a minute and tried to make sense of what had just happened. The startled cry of the man on the shore brought him back to reality. He quickly ducked into the forest before anyone else could see them.
"Hey, hey, what was all that about?!" Axel asked as he caught up with Xerisa. "Was that your power? Stopping things? Wow, is that useful! You're like your own shield, huh? Why won't you tell-"
Xerisa whirled around, cutting him off in mid-sentence. She leaned towards him and held up her finger accusingly. "Don't ever tell anyone about this!" And with that, she turned back around and continued on her way.
"Hey wai-ow!" Axel reached out to stop her, but got a sharp pain in his head. He put his hand to it, but the pain was gone as quickly as it had come, and there was no evidence of what had caused it. "Xerisa wait!"
Xerisa went on, ignoring him completely. When Axel caught up again, he decided not to bother trying to talk to her. They arrived at the Indian village, deep in the forest. The wounded warrior was taken into a tent and others gathered around.
Xerisa went right up to the back of the tent, where no one was and put the side of her hood to the wall. Axel followed suit, not having much of a choice. The animal-skin walls did little to block out the sound, and Axel could hear a voice chanting inside.
"These beasts invade our shores," said a different voice, "and now this."
"This wound is strange to me," the chanting voice said after it had stopped chanting.
A gasping moan was heard, probably from the wounded, Axel guessed.
"We will fight this enemy!" the first voice said, "but we cannot do it alone. Koccoum, send messengers to every village in our nation. We will call on our brothers to help us fight."
So there's more, Axel thought.
Xerisa got away from the wall and headed around towards the front, being sure to keep out of sight of all the gathered Indians. Axel too followed, although he didn't see the point.
"These white men are dangerous!" the announcement came from the front of the tent now, which means the speaker must've exited. "No one is to go near them."
"Well, I think that settles it," Xerisa said. "We've got a decent idea of what's going on. Bit of a shame that guy's probably not gonna make it."
"Woa, you got a sensitive side too?!" Axel asked. "What else have you been keeping from us?"
"None of your business," Xerisa spat, turning around. "C'mon, let's RTC, as you call it."
"Yea, return to the castle," Axel said. He created a dark corridor beside them. "Ladies first," he stepped aside and motioned for Xerisa to enter.
"I'm gonna RTC," Xerisa said, "but not to the Gray Area. I'll be in my room, and you can tell Saïx that." A dark corridor appeared around her as she spoke and she vanished just as she finished.
"Hmf, fine," Axel grunted. "That's right, Saïx. It's better this way anyway, since I don't want her hearing what I'm gonna tell him." He turned and went into the dark corridor, appearing again in the Gray Area just beside Saïx.
"Axel?" Saïx asked. "You're alone. Don't tell me you lost her too."
"No no, she RTR-ed," Axel said, "that is 'returned to her room.'"
"What did you find out?" Saïx asked.
"Not much," Axel said. "There's these Indians and some invaders with guns and they're just beginning a war. We almost got shot."
"I mean about her," Saïx said
"Patience, Saïx, I was getting to that," Axel said with a grin. "You don't know Xerisa's powers, right?"
"Why?" Saïx asked, "did she use them?"
Yep! Stopped a bullet in mid- Axel stopped abruptly when he realized the words he wanted were not coming out of his mouth.
"Well?" Saïx asked.
"I…she…" Axel tried to speak, but the words would not form together into a sentence. "See, we were in the forest, and the fight started, and…" he couldn't go on from there.
"Axel, enough fooling around!" Saïx snapped. "Tell me what you know!"
What is going on?! Axel thought. Why can't I spit it out!? I've got it memorized: Xerisa saved my butt. This is bad….but it's good for her. She has to know something! "Heh heh, I did, Saïx," Axel said, "told you all I knew. Sorry to get your hopes up, but she's shut tight as a clam, won't even say a word."
"Don't think that get's you 'off the hook,'" Saïx grumbled. "She's said more to you than to any of us combined. Even if you found out nothing, she's still with you until she opens up to someone else. Info or lack thereof will not change that. Now, is there something you'd like to tell me?"
Yes, but I can't, Axel knew better than to say that. Why bother explaining to Saïx what he didn't understand himself? And what else can I not say? If I let this continue, this won't end well for me. "Nope, that's all I got. C'mon, would I lie to you?"
"I think we both know the answer to that," Saïx said, his eyes brimming with scorn and his mouth pulled back in a snarl.
"Glad we're on the same page then," Axel said, trying not to sound intimidated. He turned and walked out of the Gray Area. It took all his strength to not tear out of there as fast as that bullet had come at him before. As soon as he rounded a corner, he put the pedal to the metal, and raced to the room he knew had to belong to the newest member.
"What did you do to me!?" he demanded, flinging the door open with a forced that even surprised himself, though he was too ticked off to really notice.
"I have no idea what you mean," Xerisa way laying on the bed with her back to the door. Her hood was pulled up and resting on her cheek so it still hid her face. Her arms were outstretched and she seemed to be holding something, although Axel could not see around her, not that he cared at the moment what she had.
"Don't play dumb with me!" Axel snapped. "You know damn well what you did! Back on the mission you….you…THAT!! See!? I can't even say it!"
"You may wanna be more specific," Xerisa said in a nonchalant tone that irked Axel even more. He knew she knew what he meant and was only toying with him, since he could not make himself clear.
"You know!" Axel snapped. "Back there! The fighting started, and then…..and you ran off, and I caught up and you…." It all clicked into place. What had happened suddenly began to make sense. "You told me never to tell anyone! And now I can't! It was you!"
"Shut the door," Xerisa said, barely phased.
"Tell me!" Axel demanded. "Tell me what you did! You put some kind of spell on me, didn't you?! What was it? Take it back!"
"SHUT THE DAMN DOOR!" Xerisa shouted, sitting upright and turning to face him all in the same motion. As she did, her hood fell back onto her shoulders. Her long, wavy purple hair followed her twirling motion and then bounced back and hung limply. Her skin tone was not as pale as most of the members, but not as dark as Xemnas's, just somewhere in the middle. Her eyes, the same light purple tone as her hair, glared defiantly at Axel, unblinking, until he complied with her request. "Holy shit, you want the whole castle to know?! Goddamn, you've got a big mouth."
"I'll tell them!" Axel snapped, panting heavily with furry, "I'll tell them all! Then you'll have to talk!"
"You think if I can keep you quiet on one thing, I can't shut your mouth for good?" Xerisa asked, suddenly calm again. She closed the hinged top of the rectangular pink object in her hands and placed it on the nightstand beside the bed.
Axel said nothing to her threat. Was that a death threat!? He thought. Ha, I'll bed I can take her! But what if she meant whatever it is she did to me? She probably can do it again. Well, this is a fine predicament, Saïx wanted information, but it would seem he may never get it. "Tell me what you did!"
Xerisa got up and walked towards Axel, looking up at him, although she wasn't that much shorter than he was. Their eyes met and Axel found it almost impossible to look away or even blink. Her pupils seemed to glow with a brighter purple, then her entire eye became cloaked in a purple glow. Everything else seemed to vanish, even her face around her eyes. Any sounds Axel could hear slowly faded into oblivion. All his senses went blank and he even forgot how to move. It was almost as if he was asleep, yet he still stood there, staring at her glowing eyes that would not go away. He felt something click in his head, and thought that it hurt a bit, but after no time at all, he couldn't tell anymore. He couldn't even hold onto a single thought for more than a second.
"That should do it," Xerisa's voice shattered the silence, and Axel's senses came flooding back to him with a force that made him stagger. Almost involuntarily, he held his head and flailed his arms to steady himself.
"What the hell was that?!" Axel demanded.
"Just a safeguard," Xerisa said, sitting down again. Her eyes had gone back to normal. "Now I don't have to worry about anything, at least with you. Sorry about the whole losing touch with reality thing, it was necessary."
"Alright, I think I disserve some explanations!" Axel said.
"You disserve a knock on the head," Xerisa said, "but I'm willing to forgive."
"You're screwing with my head!" Axel snapped. "I should at least be informed!!"
Xerisa sighed and rolled her eyes. "Fine, I guess I do owe you that much," she said. "I just put a sort of lock on your brain so that way I can shut you up without going through the trouble of hypnotizing you again."
"'Hypnotizing'!?" Axel exclaimed. "You can-"
"Yep, just about," Xerisa said, "of course if the victim is aware of it, it becomes much harder, even impossible. That was the case with you, you knew something was going on, so it wasn't as easy as it was in New England, the name of the world we were just at. So I had to nix your awareness of everything so that way I could get in, do a little ground control, and get out."
"S…so wait…" Axel said, "is that your power? You can hypnotize? What about….you know."
"That was telekinesis," Xerisa said. "It's all part of the same psychic package. Although I can't predict the future, gotta work on that."
"So…you're a psychic?" Axel asked, "is that it?"
"Ding ding ding!" Xerisa exclaimed. "We have a winner!"
"Why won't you tell anyone?" Axel asked.
"Think about it," Xerisa said, "what do they want most?"
"Kingdom Hearts," Axel answered.
"And how can they get it?" Xerisa asked.
"With the keyblade," Axel replied, still not getting the connection.
"You're hopeless," Xerisa groaned. "Sora is the keyblade's chosen wielder, and he's not going to help you guys. But my power…"
"Would change that!" Axel exclaimed. "You would be one of the greatest assets to the Organization next to a keyblade itself!"
"Again, give the man a prize," Xerisa joked. "Making sense now?"
"But don't you want a heart too?" Axel asked, "don't you have the same goals?"
"I think you got more than enough free info for today," Xerisa said. "Now get out of my room before people start making all the wrong assumptions."
Axel opened his mouth to protest, but thought better of it and turned to leave.
"Oh, and by the way," Xerisa said, "this sorta goes without saying, but I have to say it anyway to activate the lock, you tell no one."
Again Axel got a quick pain in his head, making him wince. "You know, some people might consider that rude."
"You know, some people don't care," Xerisa sassed, putting her hood back up. "Now beat it!"
Axel grimaced at her, but continued on his way out the door, being sure to shut it behind him.