Morning comes after that battle last night, and Axel awoke before anyone else. He would step outside for some fresh air. He needed it. He had that haunting dream again, only this time, Gemma, his mother and friends were laid dead...

He remembered that monster's exact words, "You did this...not me." He'd chuckle, "You and I, We're both halves of each other, like how that meek Serena and that brat Veronica are two halves of each other...!"

"No...! You're wrong. I'm nothing like you!!" Axel shouts back, "You are nothing but an illusion!"

The Doppelgänger now levitates toward him. "Keep telling yourself that... I'll come around sooner or later... However, I may just sidetrack and...cause some collateral damage..."

"Y-You BASTAAARRR-"

He'd flashback to reality. Veronica was in front of him, a concerned look on her face. His mind must off been elsewhere...

"Are you alright, Axel? I heard you mumbling in your sleep." She'd ask in a surprisingly calm tone, she stood in between his knees as she'd stand face to face. She did this to look into his eyes and could clearly see something was bothering him.

"N-No..." He'd say as he'd hold her close, "No I'm not...the nightmare just gets worse..."

Veronica switched to her adult form, she only used her child form to trick opponents anyway, and to not hog up space. She wasn't in a fight, nor in the tent, so... Now she'd sit down and leant against him, her back on his front. "So it's getting worse...have you told anyone yet?"

"Not this particular one... it's, like... it's starting to taunt me, how the gruesome scenes were done by my hand. A-And what if it's right? What if I will end up letting darkness consume me and-"

Suddenly, Veronica turns to gaze into his eyes, he shuts up almost instantly.

"Listen here, Axel. You're not the one doing those horrible things in your nightmares, it's not like you. You are a very good person and you love everyone here...even though you love me a lot more... But still, I cannot imagine you turning bad."

Axel looks down in sadness, only for Veronica to turn his head back at her, "Look at my lips. And repeat what I say." He looks at her plush lips, a blush on his face slowly appears.

"I..."

"I...?"

"Am not..."

"A-Am not..."

"A bad person."

"A bad p-person?"

Her mouth curls into a smile. A rather cute one at that. "Ok, you can stop staring." She'd turn back round, "Honestly, you'll blush at anything that's part of me."

He blushed deeper. "I-I do not...!"

She'd turn around again and hugs him. "Oh, you do~!" She'd suddenly wraps her legs around his head.

"W-Wha...?" Veronica sticks her tongue out, giggling at his reaction.

Due to her long legs, he was able to see in her dress. "You need something to put you off these nightmares... Allow me to help..."

With a smile, she move her legs from his head to his waist, her behind coming into contact with his front.

"Here's my version of Puff-Pu- HM!?"

Jade comes out and with a sudden quick movement, Veronica was seated on Axel's left leg in her child form, both she and Axel were red like tomatoes. "Axel? Veroni- Oh, there you are. Are you feeling ok, Axel?"

Axel nods slowly, "Jade, you guys want to go to Puerto Valor? We need the stress relief."

Jade thought about it. With a frown as she had unfortunately remembered, "Actually...me and Hendrik have to return to Heliodor to see father. But you go, you need the relaxation."

Axel nods, as Hendrik leaves the tent. "We'll cross paths again, Honoured Luminary. Stay safe until then. If you don't mind, I will tell his majesty about the mysterious attacker."

Axel looks to Hendrik, "Do that, the sooner he knows, he can prepare for anything. Take care of yourselfY, Hendrik. Farewell. Jade, stay safe as well. Don't get Jinxed and turn evil."

Jade smirked, then winks, "I'll make sure Henny-Wenny doesn't bust a vein."

He'd itch his head from that nickname. The two ride off afterwards, leaving Axel and Erik with the twins.

Veronica exhales, "T-That was close...S-So, to Puerto Valor?"

Axel clears his throat, "Y-Yeah..." He'd peek inside to see Serena waking up. She'd give a small wave.

After ushering Erik to reality and Serena changing to her green dress, the four head to Puerto Valor for some RR and hopefully to see Sylvando.

During the walk, there weren't many monsters roaming around. It was actually much safer than before.

Serena and Veronica walked beside one another, Veronica was in her adult form, and the resemblance of the two was indistinguishable.

Axel looks at the two, despite Veronica's pigtails and the outfits. He would of confused Veronica to be Serena and vice versa. Erik would obviously be confused about who was who if that happened.

"Hey, Axel. What do you think about Serena?" Erik asked.

"What do you mean?" He replied, looking to his Step-Brother-In-Crime.

Erik smirked, "I mean... physically, what do you think about her? You know, her 'assets'."

Axel clicks in, "Ohh...Well... I think if things go well, you'll get yourself a rather attractive lady."

Erik shrugged, "I've been excellent with girls. But ladies? I mean, Me with Serena?... it's possible, but do you think she'd like me?"

Axel smirked, "I seen the way she looks at you. I am the opposite, Veronica wants to see how far she could push me before I let my lovey side out."

Erik chuckled at that, "It's like we're going out with polar opposites of ourselves."

Silence. "I...made it awkward, right?"

Axel nods, "Yeeep..."

The twins overheard the conversation and exchange glances. "Boys." Veronica simply says, "Mhm." Serena responds just after. They ladies of course, check out the men in front of them.

Axel was not in his Dundrasilian armour, so his frame was a little meek, if not very intimidating.

Erik was the opposite, he was clearly built for two things, stealing and fighting. Serena ahd Veronica had to fan themselves upon thinking about seeing Erik and Axel in bathing trunks, doing flamboyant posing.

The group now makes it to the port town of Puerto Valor and Veronica walks beside Axel.

Erik walks beside Serena, hand in hand. She'd exchange looks with him as they blush, Erik didn't know what to say.

Axel looks around. That damned feeling was around him again, why? Why now? He'd look at Veronica, a frown on his face.

Veronica looks around, nothing in sight, but she understands why he's feeling like this, he could of seen something only he could of seen. Erik, of course taps on her shoulder.

"Why do you alternate between your kid and adult forms anyway?" He asked

Veronica shrugs, "Magic takes less time to channel in my kid state. My body is taller in my adult form, so it takes longer to channel the magic. It's mostly power versus speed. Why do you switch between your swords and knives?"

Erik was about to answer, but then realized it was a good example. "Good point."

Unfortunately, Sylvando's parade was away, meaning he was not in town. But could you blame him? He has indeed made the world a better place, by filling it with joy, smiles and laughter.

Axel was glad he had brought smiles to the world in...that timeline, in fact, Axel gave Sylvando the idea from that timeline, and it worked wonders.

It was also how Veronica learned of her death, and also started a relationship between Axel and her, after she found out he rewound time just to save her and Yggdrasil.

Upon recalling that, she smiles, looking to Axel. "It's fine, Axel..." She takes his hand and he smiles.

Erik puts his hands on the back of his head. "So...we going to relax or not?"

Serena nods, "We could go to the beach!" Veronica nods, "I brought swimwear for this occasion!"

Erik shrugged, "We could do that. What about you, partner?"

Axel smiled, "Beach sounds fun." It would be nice, but the thought of Veronica and Serena in bikinis did stir some alluringly lewd thoughts in his head.

Erik turns on his heel, "Alright, what are we waiting for? Let's gooooo..." Suddenly he collapses.

Axel immediately kneels beside him. "Erik!?"

Serena kneels at his side as well, "Erik!? What's wrong?!" She'd began to use healing magic, searching for any cause.

Veronica stands beside Axel, a look of concern on her face. "Was it because of last night?"

"It's the power he used that night...He used it up too quickly!" She said, "He's overexerted himself!"

Erik breathed heavily, "N-No... I'm fine... just...tired..."

Serena shook her head, "You're going to have to lie down...! I don't know when you'll be better, but..." She'd look to Axel to help him.

He'd pick up Erik, who groans in pain, "Easy...! It's not like it hurt when I collapsed...!

After helping Erik to the Inn, he sighed. It was just Veronica and him. He'd take her to the changing house for the beachfront.

Suddenly he'd burst out in black trunks, landing on one knee, before flexing. "How do I look?" He'd ask Veronica...if she was there.

"Veronica?" Axel asks again as he'd look about. No sign of her, excluding a crowd of swimsuit clad ladies ogling him.

Soon the lady in question arrived and a rather nice swimsuit. "You look attractive, Axy."

"G-guh...!" He was utterly flabbergasted.

She'd take him to a sun recliner, before she sat herself in it, she'd move over and basically force him on it. "Much better."

The girls still reside. But after receiving a stare that would frighten The Almighty himself, the girls immediately stop staring and resume their activities.

"Axel, Why are we here? This isn't just for R n R, is it?" She'd ask him, "And it certainly is not just to see me in a revealing bikini."

He'd shake his head, "It is for some time to relax...but it's also for some time alone, I feel like I wasn't there for you, in that timeline, not that dreaded day, or before that. I just..want to make you happy.

"Soooo...You thought because I died before you changed the past, you were beating yourself up because of it?" She asked, and he'd nod. "But you shouldn't... Being here with you already brings me happiness.

"That thing in my dream was using my mistakes against me." He'd pull her close, their sides touch. "I don't want to lose you again...even if it didn't happen, the sight of you dying..."

Veronica sighs, "Pfft! Please! Me, die? I probably died there because I wasn't expecting it. But you seen me how I handled myself when Jasper challenged us!"

Axel thought about it. Veronica gets on him, legs at the side of his hips, "And now look at me. I'm as strong as Serenica...in terms of magical might."

Axel looks around. "You...want to go somewhere private?"

Veronica raises an eyebrow, a few mothers had given an awkward glance, while their husbands alternate their glances between them and the budding couple.

"Ohhhh..." She'd look down at him, the woman grabs the Luminary and hides away from the beach-goers. "We can 'talk' more here...!"

"What?"

Serena smiles, Erik was making good progress of recovery. "Are you alright, Erik?"

Erik nods, "I've been better. I feel like a Golem just punched me headfirst into a wall...then onto a bed of roses, tended by an angel..."

Serena blushed, "Well, I am good at caring for the wounded."

Erik smiles, "You're not good, you're brilliant. You've made us last through a lot. Heck, I'd go as far to say that without you and Veronica, we would of never have gotten to Gallopolis and carried on with our journey."

Serena blushes deeper. "You should thank Serena for that..."

Erik raises an eyebrow, before attempting to sit up, with slight discomfort. "That knight from last night, however... Something was off about it. It said Axel was marked for death."

Serena frowns, "I also felt something off about that night."

He'd sit up, Serena immediately tries to decline, "Wait! Don't!"

Erik stops. "Ok..." He sighs as he'd lean back. "Hendrik said he was gonna talk to the king of Helidor. Hopefully it was just one monster after Axel..." He'd put his hands below his head as he reclines, "Shouldn't he be here with us?"

Serena nods, "Well... Let's just let them two relax. T

We all deserve it after the fight with Mordegan." Suddenly, a small shake rumbles through the Inn, following by terrifying screams.

Veronica and Axel were away from prying eyes as they exchange kisses.

She pulls away, "So, Luminary...shall we go check up on Erik?"

Axel nods, "Yeah, hopefully he's doing fine."

She stands up first. Allowing him to see her curvy frame, she'd take his hand, helping him up.

As the two walk to the beachfront changing rooms, and come out fully clothed, they feel rumbling and soon hear screaming. It was a crowd, and it wasn't of joy or excitement...

It was fear. And Axel had a massive fang of anxiety hit his heart hard...

So what becomes a day with the twins and his best friend slowly turns into a small relaxing date with Veronica turns very sour after Axel hears screaming followed by a fang of fear and anxiety.

Will he be able to handle with what comes around the corner?

Will Hendrik get to the bottom of that mystery Knight's identity?

And what of Axel's nightmares slowly getting more and more darker and sinister? Find out next time on Dragon Quest XI: The Evil Within!