I think I had to write this before I work on Unbreakable Promises, for you see… I try make these stories like the games, full of riddles and mystery. so this story is a side story but still very important to the Radiant Garden saga, you will know the storyline if you have watched the movie Final Fantasy Advent Children.

Edit: this is a pretty old story of mine and I haven´t got time to rewrite it so bear with me it has some grammar mistakes

"You both now knows about Xehanorts return but I most ask you; Riku, Sora. Please do not go to Radiant Garden jet, there´s a certain world I ask you visit first"

"What world?"

"It´s very similar to Radiant Garden and Twilight Town. I ask you go there and try getting some allies"

"Okay your majesty, but why this world? I mean, there are so many others"

"I know Sora, but this world once a time cooperated with Ansem the Wise. I know it sound weird but I´m sure you will know when we get there"

"You´re going with us Mickey?"

"Of course!"

The gummiship set its passage off and the two recent graduate keyblade masters landed on the asphalt in the city of Midgar, Mickey landed beside them and turn his eyes to Sora and Riku
"We need to be careful of who we pick fights with, the Darkness make people very unsure and dangerous"

Riku nodded slowly "We got it, but what shall we do?"

Mickey smiled cheerful "You two find this bar, I try find Ansem´s old friend" and before Sora and Riku could stop the King he was on his way.

Sora laughed "Let´s find this bar and see what we can do"

Riku nodded and they walked the other way.

They stopped with the bar King Mickey had leaded them to and they both walked inside after small hesitation, the room was empty and a little bit dark; probably because it was close. Riku walked to the desk where he first looked around, he turned his bright blue eyes down and saw at someone had been washing cutlery "Seems like there´s someone here" he said to Sora

Sora turned and called; "Hello! Someone home?" they heard someone upstairs and a young woman came, she stopped when she saw the two keyblade wielders and smiled happy "Hello Sora"

Sora waved happy "Hey Tifa, long time no see!" Riku smiled but he just nodded more calmly then his friend.

Tifa nodded back to the silver haired boy "I guess you´re Riku"

"Yeah"

They all sat down on one of the tables and Tifa told Riku and Sora about what had happen in hers and Clouds home world. The two children was there too and the little girl sat on Soras lap while the boy stood a bit away from them "After Cloud and Sephiroth battle in Radiant Garden, they came here and it succeed Cloud defeating him after a long battle"

"Great! So is he finally free from the Darkness?" asked Sora smiling but it faded when Tifa didn´t smile back but instead looking sad away "I´m not sure… Cloud don´t show up anymore, he´s not even answering the phone"

The boy sighted "Not to mentions he don´t comes home"

Riku there had been silent spoke "So he don´t want everyone near? How comes?"

"You could ask him if you ever found him, if he got my last message he probably on his way to Healen Lodge. Reno told him he got work to him"

Sora and Riku nodded "Thanks Tifa, we be on our way" Sora took the girl down from his lap and he and Riku went. Tifa smiled and sat hers hand on the boys shoulder "Good luck, you need it"

"So do you think he´s in there?" asked the brown haired boy his friend there just shrugged "Only one way to find out"
they walked toward the building but stopped when someone else arrive, it was Cloud

"Cloud!" exclaimed Sora both surprised and happy "we´re been looking for you!"

Cloud face showed no emotions of seen them, he walked towards them "What are you doing here?"

"Tifa told us we could find you here, mind we gives you a hand?" replied Riku.

Cloud turned his eyes away but he said nothing and walked up to the building, closely followed by the keyblade wielders. Cloud open the door with his right hand on his sword and just like he knew this was going to happen he draw the sword and blocked someone else's attack, Sora and Riku didn´t call their weapons because of the shook of the man Cloud had blocked. This man had spiked red hair tangled up in a ponytail and two red tattoos on his cheekbones. He wears goggles, pushed up on his forehead, a suit jacked there wasn´t properly button.
The redheaded man backed away but attacked again, kinda half hearted so Cloud just blocked it again and their weapons was locked.

"Axel?" exclaimed Sora, the red haired man turned to him
"Excuse me?" he asked, Cloud stayed silent still holding their weapons lock but even he seems a little surprised over the name.

Riku and Sora turned when another man arrive, he wore the same outfit like the red haired even his was more proper. The red headed smirked even he got Clouds blade against his throat "Yeah Rude, looking sharp" he laughed.

This man the red haired called Rude was black and he had sunglasses so you couldn´t see his eyes, he took his weapon but was quickly disarmed by the keyblade bearers.

The redheaded smirked "So you´re good, right" and draw his weapon back as the third arrive but this guy was in wheelchair "Good I see you still fight the solider you claim to be" ´

Cloud turned to the man "Rufus"

Riku, Sora and Cloud disarmed their weapons and turned to the man in the wheelchair, Rude and his partner walked to their place; beside this man. The man; Rufus was almost completely hidden under a white sheet "You haven´t lost your touch"

"I´m leaving" said Cloud curt and turned to leave but the redheaded stopped him with his staff "Just listen to the boss yo"

"We need your assistance" said Rufus with his hand holding the sheets over his face, revealing a dark mark on his hand. Riku saw it and then turned to Cloud there said hard "Not interesting-"

Rufus cut him "I knowledge Shinra, owes a lot to this world. It´s sad to say at my company and I was the ones who put the world in its suffering, therefore it´s our responsibility to set things right again"

Sora eyes wide of what this man said 'Is this world suffering? And why do I get the feeling he almost did the same as Ansem?'

"It´s almost has been a year since the defeat of Sephiroth, and the world is on its feet again. What is now the greatest treat?" he smiled ironic and lifted his black spotted hand "That´s one´s easy; Geostigma"

Sora titled his head, confused "Geostigma, what´s that?" the redheaded glanced weird towards them as his leader said, completely ignoring Sora

"We believe at Sephiroth is responsible, his Darkness."

Cloud frowned "Sephiroth is death"

"Yes but has his mind died?"

Cloud stayed silent but more of horror of his nemesis was still alive

"What if he joined the Darkness? I know it only my thinking but we have to know the true before we can heal the stigma. So we took action, we tried find trace of Sephiroth. We started…." He trailed off my purpose and smiled asking to Cloud "do you know where?"

Before Cloud could answer replied the red haired grinning like it was him Rufus asked "Yup! By the Northern Cave"
Rude turned to him and the red haired turns his head away but didn´t seems like he regretted speaking up.

"What do you think we found?" asked Rufus Cloud who seems more worried "Relax, we didn´t find anything"

Riku took a step toward the man, somehow it caused the red haired grasp around his weapon and glare there told 'One step more and I attack' but Riku stayed cool "Then why do you tell us this if you didn´t find anything?"

Rufus smiled "You catch up quickly, I telling you this because… not everything went as planned. We were… interrupted"

Sora looked at the man there look a bit too much like a death Nobody, the red haired looked at his partner a little worried, something bad most had happen.

"Kadaj and his gang stopped our work and they will be after you as well. They awaits for the moment"

"Moment?" asked Sora confused. Rufus nodded "Sephiroth reborn"

"Are you done talking?" asked Cloud impatient and went to leave, the red haired man laughed "Easy there and just listen to the man"

Cloud stopped

"We need assistance against Kadaj and his gang, will you help us? Cloud, former soldier"

Cloud turned and open the door "In my head" however he stopped and turned to Rufus "what´s all this stuff about 'mother?'"

"Why did Kadaj mention something?"

Cloud turned to him when Rufus sudden change the subject "You most lean all you can about the Geostigma, mostly for the sake of the orphans you live with. Surely you long to see the smile on their faces again. All we wants again, are to rebuild our world" he said and took his hand to Cloud as an invitation of joining him, of course hesitated Cloud "But I…"

"Come one Cloud, think about it" said the redheaded and walked beside him "together we can rebuild Shinra"

Cloud pushed the red haired away with "Not interest!" and leaved. Sora and Riku followed.

They walked after Cloud for a while but suddenly stopped Sora and Riku did too but just because his friend did "I need to ask this Rufus about something"

Cloud stopped and half looked at him "About what?"

"About the worlds and the Nobodies"

Riku shook slowly his head "Sora, I don´t think thinking about the Nobodies wi-" "The King said we need allies and somehow this red haired guy remain me about Axel!" cut Sora him, Cloud stood calm but turned away from them and began walk again

"Whoever this Axel is, it´s not this guy" "Why´s that?" asked Riku still standing by his friends side

"Because I know this guy" was Clouds reply "Do whatever you want Sora, but I´m leaving"

Sora smiled "Okay, then see you later" the two wielders turned on their heels and ran back to the building; Cloud looked after them before he again began walk away.

"Now we just need find Elena and the Director" said the red haired and threw himself on the coach "the other employs gives any lead?" he asked his partner there walked calmly around

"No, nothing jet"

"Who could had guessed, a lots of Shinra people actually goes to work" the red haired sat up and smiled to Rude "I`m telling ya, this could be a fresh start!"

They both turned their heads to the door when Sora and Riku came in; Rude stood calm but surprising jumped the red haired up and stood almost in battle stage. Rude stared surprised over his a bit lazy and cocky partners sudden change of persona"

What are you doing here?" asked the red haired. Sora walked calmly toward them but stopped for be sure he didn´t cross the red haired line "We came to speak to you…um"

"Reno" said the red haired kinda surprised over someone wants talk to him "My name is Reno, yo"

Sora smiled "I´m Sora and this is Riku"

Rude nodded as they go their name but Reno seems to not interesting "Now we got your names could you so tell what you want" said Reno pretty rude "I don´t think you just want chat with me"

Rude turn to the red haired but said nothing

"Um sure… do you know a guy name Axel?" asked Sora a bit off guarded.

Reno shrugged "Never heard about him, why, does he look like me?"

"Yeah, same red hair and attitude" replied Riku smirking of that made Reno stop his grinning, the red haired turned his green- no blue eyes to them "Someone looking like me?" he asked with hope in his voice

Both keyblade wielders nodded, Reno open his mouth to ask but stopped himself and turned his back to them "Why should I trust you? He always told me at you can´t trust a keyblade bearer"

"Huh, how do you know to the keyblade?" exclaimed Sora shocked and received a glare from Reno

"That doesn´t matter where I know, what matters I don´t trust you and you´re NOT welcome here!" he turned to them, ready to fight.

Sora and Riku took a step back "Hang on, we don´t want to fight you!"

"Well that´s too bad" smirked Reno, almost the same way as Axel did when he was ready to kill. He would had attacked if not Rude punched him in his stomach, Reno felt on the floor groaning in pain and Rude turned to the wielders "Leave, now"

Sora and Riku looked a single time at Reno there glared with such hatred before they leaved. Rude closed the door and turned his eyes to Reno there asked still in pain from the punch "Why the hell did you-" "You would had attacked them, against our boss orders" Reno sat up "I don´t care"

"It´s not you being like this"

Reno rose with a sight "You have no idea…." His eyes reflected in Rude´s glasses "Do you remember how I was when I joined the Turks?"

Rude shifted weight on his foot "Moody and full of… you were broken"

Reno laughed "Because of my past, I forgot it; thanks to all this works but now… when those two arrived… everything returns, everything" Reno clenched his fits because he was angry but also because of something else, something he couldn´t show to the Turks.

Outside the city stood Cloud and looked at his old sword "Darkness is so easy to find, while the light… is so easy to lose. My word to her is probably already gone as well…" suddenly he fall on the ground in great pain, he clenched gasping his left arm in trying to stop the pain. Cloud eyes changed shifted between his bright blue into cat icky blue

'Don´t pretend you´re sad' sound a cold and emotionless voice inside the blonds head.
'Why trembler with anger there not even there'

Cloud fall into the Darkness, not able to see at this was real or not

'Face it Cloud. All you are, is an empty poppet'

Meanwhile in the city, inside an old broken church sat the little girl Marlene and strokes gentle a flower with Tifa watching her with a faint smile. They both waited for Cloud to return and Tifa could see he lived here for some of his stuff was there. The door opened and Marlene turned happy around and ran against the man but Tifa stopped her for this wasn´t Cloud.

The man was strong build, he had white hair and black bodysuit, on his left arm was some kind of weapon. The man smiled to them and took his hand out in an invitation "You want to play?" he asked Marlene there quickly hide behind Tifa who stood ready to anything. The man snorted kinda disappointed "I guess that´s a no" he took another step towards them "Where´s mother?" he asked, Tifa glared silent at him, the man asked more impatient "Hey where is-" "There´s no one here" she cut him and pushed Marlene away, the man smirked "Fine play with me"

Marlene hide behind a pillar as Tifa stood ready for battle, the man laughed "This going to be fun" he said as if he didn´t believe she could beat him but that was Tifa needed and attack. She hit him hard with a raid of powerful punches; the man was completely taken off guarded and landed few feet away from her. He titled his head in a grin and now he attacked, he hit her with his weapon and Tifa landed in a wall from his punch plus the power his weapon had; however she recovered quickly and attacked again by a kick there sent him flying through the entire room. Tifa landed again and smiled when it didn´t seems like he was going to stand again, Marlene ran happy towards Tifa but stopped when a phone rang and the white haired man rose like the hit he just got was nothing, he sighted turn on the phone and said to the other line

"She not here… alright I get the girl" he turned it off and stood again ready to battle and so did Tifa. But this time she didn´t even see him come and before she could reach Tifa landed into the wall and before she landed on the ground the man got her again and punched her once again with his weapon. This time he let her land but took her around the throat and made himself ready to finish her off

"No you don´t!"

He turned surprised his head and something silver and gold ram right in his face, the man dropped Tifa and now it was HIS turn to say hi to the wall. The blade fly through the room and a hand grab Kingdom Key, Marlene there had followed it exclaimed relieved "Sora! Riku!"

The two keyblade masters nodded and Riku said to the girl "You alright?"
the girl nodded happy but turned worried hers eyes to Tifa, Sora smiled "Don´t worry about her, she´s strong" the man there at last recovered from Soras attack asked "Who are you?"

Riku smirked and called his keyblade: Way to Dawn "On the same side as Cloud, you could call us the heroes"
the man titled his head confused "You know big brother?"

Sora and Riku glanced to each other and then back to the man "And what if we do?" asked Sora cheeky.

The man smirked and made himself ready "Then you know where mother is"

"Who?" asked Riku but as reply he almost got hit by the man's weapon and they jumped quickly away "Be careful Sora, this one is fast"

Sora nodded and together they attacked, as one. The fight was quickly over and the man was force to draw back but it succeed him to hit Sora hard with his weapon before he took Marlene and ran away, Riku ran after them, however he was force to stop when the man overthrow a pillar in between them, Riku stared after him before he turned to Sora there got on his feet again "I´m okay" moaned Sora and rubbed his side "this guy know how to make punches" he looked after the place the man vanish "What about?..."

"When we´re sure Tifa is alright we go after him" said Riku and went over to Tifa, he called again his keyblade "Lucky the wounds aren´t deep" muttered the silver haired boy and cured her, Sora stood few step away from them but turned when he heard at someone else had sat his foot inside the church.

He was ready to call the keyblade again, however his sneer turned into a smile when he saw who the new arrival were "Cloud!"

Cloud hesitated of seeing so many here, he nodded a single time to Sora before he went to Riku there said "Don´t worry, she isn´t badly wounded"
Cloud knelt beside her. There arrived an embarrassing silence but lucky broke Cloud it with: "Thank you"

Sora smiled and took his hands behind his head "No sweat! You would had done the same"

Cloud nodded slowly to him but suddenly he crimped like he was hit by the lighting and clenched his hand to the arm, Sora called terrified his name while Riku stared horrified at the arm where black substance flow out, but it wasn´t only that… it smelled like Darkness

'He´s poisoned by the Darkness'

Cloud felt unconscious down, beside Tifa. Sora ran to him and wanted to him the older man "What´s happed?"
he asked Riku but the older boy shook his head still shocked over what he just had seen. They sat beside Cloud and waited to one of them would wake up; they turned when there sound footstep and a voice asked

"Well that´s a pretty sight huh?"

Sora rose and turned to Rude and Reno "Can you help us?" the two Turks looked at each other before they again turned to Sora and nodded "We´re ordered to help you" replied Rude to the brown haired boy.

The story will probably only be in two chapters but I guess it have to do, tell me what you think about this story and please let me know if there is something you don´t get.