Story Summary: Axel wakes up in an unknown place, after what should've been certain death. With few memories to lead him, he searches for a new ambition. Realizing that the Organization has been disposed of and the worlds are at peace, Axel has few options but to wander through the dark planet in which he had awaken upon.

A/N: This story is rated T and no lemon is planned. However if I change my mind, it will be posted up elsewhere and I will let you know. This is my second AxelxTifa fic and it may be slightly AU because most of this story will take place in Edje. (The city in FF VII Advent Children) Worry not for the KH's elements will stay the same and traveling between worlds will still take place. There may be appearances by other KH characters and various pairings. For a small prologue of how FFVII and KH2 could possibly make sense, please refer to the prologue in my first story, A Nobody and A Somebody.

This takes place after KH2 and after Axel's 'death'. Enjoy.

Chapter 1

The air was moist and the rain was merciless. Only the darkness appeased with familiarity.

His cheeks were cold, numb and stinging. Joints were sore and beckoning for warmth. An earthy smell accompanied the soggy residue that served as his bed. His eyes focused on the gloved fingers in front of him. Memory tugged at his perplexed mind, but to no avail.

What happened? Where am I?

These were questions he could not answer. Last he remembered, he was in the swirling vortex between worlds, sacrificing the last of his life in repent for the sin of taking Kairi from Sora. All he remembered was sharing a few last words before everything turned to dust. He felt as if something might've happened in between, but nothing pinched his recollection. Mulling over it too hard only added to the throb in his head.

Axel couldn't find the motivation to move from his spot in the mud. Although lacking emotions, his body protested with the only feelings it could express. Shivering, convulsing, slowly surrendering its hue to the cold.

He couldn't understand. When Roxas had left the Organization to pursue his own path, Axel had only but one purpose. To convince Roxas to return to the empty world, in which for some reason, only he could shed some light upon.

Roxas' influence forever stained him, pressing a wet mark that would never fade. It was as if he possessed some mystical power, the power to make a Nobody feel. But once he was gone, everyone in the Organization could no longer feel. That was why Roxas was such an important asset, not just because he could wield the keyblade, but because he spread warmth that even made empty shells draw into him.

They all felt a bit human, they all felt a bit alive. When the mysterious and cheerful Nobody left, all chaos set loose.

Axel put his all into manipulating the Organization, trailing Sora and trying to bring back Roxas. In the end, he realized this was what Roxas would've wanted all along. What they all wanted, but none were fortunate enough to receive. A place to belong. The feeling of being whole again.

Roxas had found that when he found Sora. Even the blond witch had found her place in Kairi. Axel had no choice but to let it all go. It was over. He wasn't even really supposed to exist in the first place so what right did he have in tampering with the safety of the worlds for his own selfish benefit? To make his shallow existence gain some worth, he'd took taken his own life so that Sora, the dwelling of Roxas, could continue on and defeat Xemnas.

He had been okay with letting go. His body was exhausted from the running and the hiding. There was no more Roxas. There was no more Namine. He couldn't picture living in a world where'd he'd always be shunned for being a leftover of someone else, and where there was no one around to make living like that worthwhile.

And yet now here he was. Lifting his eyelids and setting his gaze on a place he had never seen before. He could feel the darkness sifting from the ground from a painful past. It was as if the planet itself was wounded, slowly healing and weeping from the pain. Wherever he was, it reeked of darkness.

He could hear them - sense them. Broken hearts, unstrung friendships, lost family members, decayed buildings and homes that could never be rebuilt.

It cried out from a past of horror, lives that could never be reclaimed. The weather was a perfect fit, matching its murky skies to the mood he was receiving.

With a painful groan, he made an attempt to move his arms and lift himself up. Surprisingly, he found his arms weaker than he last remembered. His upper torso shook with the strength it took to sit up. A cringe pulled on his upper lip as he wiped the mud from his cheek.

"Man, this sucks," Axel mumbled, reaching behind his neck to drape his hood over his fiery locks. Of course it did no good to keep him dry.

How long had his body been lying there? Was he dreaming? Nobodies didn't have dreams - or at least he never did. Were the events that took place only a figment of his imagination?

Thunder clapped, causing the lonesome Nobody to jump. With another muttered curse, he used the rest of his feeble strength to stand. Usually a little fire would put some warmth in his bones, but in weather such as this, fire was impossible.

With his palm to his head, he finally began staggering toward a random direction. With the intention of finding dry land, or at least some shelter, he looked up to make out a broken city, dark but livable.

"Guess that'll have to do," he shrugged and kept walking to this unknown place – a place in which he'd later discover was called Edje.

"C-cold. Close the window," the brunette bartender ordered the young girl beside her.

"Got it, Tifa," Marlene agreed with a chilled voice of her own.

Tifa's teeth chattered with every word, although she tried to keep her smile steady for the customers. It wasn't such a bother since the weather prevented her from getting too many customers anyway. It had been raining for days and the sun refused to show itself. She watched as the gray skies twisted, bent within the clouds, and electricity cut through the air. During nights such as these, it only felt worse. The wind was bitter and the skies screeched.

She often found herself waking up at night, shaking off the feeling that the sky was trying to tell everyone something. Maybe something – something was coming.

Well, it wouldn't have felt so bad if she had something – or rather - someone strong to hold onto and scold her for being afraid of a silly storm. Unfortunately, that someone went against her protests and still went about his 'delivery service', even through all sorts of hours at night. She couldn't understand how the heck he could even ride his motorcycle in weather like this.

She slammed the shot glass on the counter out of pure frustration. She hadn't noticed the customer in front of her, jump with her sudden outburst.

"Oh! I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to- here, it's on the house," she apologized profusely and poured the man a shot of whiskey.

Marlene ran back up beside Tifa, her small fingers clamping her arms for warmth. Seeing the girl shiver, Tifa gave her a gentle smile.

"It's okay, Marlene. You can go upstairs for a while if you like".

Her lips pursed with disapproval. "But I wanna be here for when Cloud comes home with Denzel. I wanna yell at him too".

Tifa laughed. She whispered between them, "Alright, but you have to make sure you give 'em a real good scolding. I bet Denzel's cold has gotten worse."

"Aye aye, will do. I will make sure Denzel regrets ever tagging along with Cloud and Cloud regrets taking him," her devious smile was wide and so was Tifa's.

Tifa leaned in to ruffle her hair. "Okay, let's do it together".

A black figure roamed through the streets. The city was mostly deserted, except the people who were working and traveling despite the rain. You would think that people would stop their deliveries and close their shops because of the terrible weather, but they continued bustling about as if the sun were still out.

He stopped in front of a monument in the center of the city. People were hammering and drilling, reconstructing what seemed to be ripped out of the ground at one point. Axel arched a brow at the scene. They were working so hard to restore this- this statue thing, even in this weather. It had to be something special.

Axel shook his head and curled his lip with disgust. "This city sucks. The weather sucks. This whole place sucks".

"It would be a lot nicer if people or natural disasters would stop trying to destroy it all the time," a feisty young voice shot back behind him.

Axel turned to see a young girl with short brown hair and big cute eyes. She was wearing shorts, which he couldn't quite understand how in this weather.

He pulled down his hood to reveal his trademark smirk. "Now there's something that might brighten up my mood," his green eyes scrutinized the young girls' boyish figure, glazed in gooseflesh and she frowned. "Have we met before?" He could swear he had seen her in Radiant Garden hanging out with that brunette guy all the time.

"Sorry, but that pickup line won't work on me. And don't you have anything better to do than to stand here and nitpick on the hard workers of this city?"

His finger stroked his chin thoughtfully, "Mmm, actually I don't - but you can change that if you like?" He winked at her and she gasped with the hidden meaning behind his words.

Sure, he didn't have a heart to actually feel for the girl, but since he was bored, toying with her at the moment sounded like good entertainment. By the look on her face though, it didn't look like it would happen.

"Listen here, either you get up there and help out or you move on. Do something with your life instead of just standing here and wasting my time".

Ooh, ouch. She was a tough one.

He leaned in to poke one of the metal tools hanging from her belt, "And what about you - er ninja girl? Why don't you ninjutsu someone instead of bothering me".

Possessively, her hand slapped his away from her tools. "Because I, Yuffie Kisaragi, have a duty as a member of the WRO to help restore this planet to its natural beauty, that's why".

There was a strange pause between them and Yuffie was beginning to grin, hoping that she had stressed some importance in her identity. Just as she began to glow and merit Axel for his speechlessness, he poked her head.

"Wha- what are you-"

"Poofy Kisaragi, huh?" implying that her short hair had caught quite a frizz due to the rain.

She grabbed her head in defense, attempting to flatten her hair. "You know, you're beginning to piss me- hey…" She lifted a brow, her eyes observing his black robes. Was she experiencing the same feeling of de ja vu that he was?

"Do you know-" The moment the idea came to her, it dispersed just as quickly with a screwed and baffled expression. "Nah, you wouldn't. Not with that kind of personality. He'd hate you".

"Hate me? Why?"

"Because you're a jerk," she deadpanned.

"A jerk? No. Amusing? Yes," he smiled at her again and it only seemed to add to her anger.

"I'm leaving now. You'd better not be here when I come back," Yuffie warned before she stormed off in another direction.

Axel laughed to himself, "Cute when she's angry, but not my type".

His expression returned solemn as it swung back to the monument. In a way, he envied them, you know, in a non-emotional kind of way. There they were, working hard, waking up with a purpose in mind and a warm home to return to when they were done.

Right now, he had no purpose. Why was he here? Why was he alive? What was he supposed to do now?

With a discontent sigh, he turned away with a new thought in mind. The last person he had contact with was Sora. Sora was known for having all these strange and special powers because he was the keyblade wielder, right? Maybe, he had something to do with this. Maybe, he knew what was going on.

Finally deciding on reuniting with the boy, he'd have to travel through the realm to find him. He knew where his home was because that was where he had taken Kairi. He just needed to find a place away from people.

As Axel walked away, Yuffie peeked from behind the construction, relieved that he had decided to go away. Judging from the way he acted towards her and just the strange vibe she got off of him, she was certain that she didn't like him, for reasons more than one.

Something about him was off. Something about him was dark. Something told her she'd better keep an eye out for that guy.

"Cloud!" Tifa's voice echoed across the bar, alerting all left over customers to leave their payments on their tables and retreat. There would be no more drinks tonight.

The blond lifted his attention to the woman, standing firmly in front of him, fists perched on her waist. Marlene was next to her, mirroring her exact position and expression.

Without another word, she walked up to Denzel, standing beside his father-like idol. Gently, she pressed her palm on his forehead. Tifa sighed, her eyes narrowing down at Denzel in a 'you should know better' way.

"Denzel, you're fever's beginning to rise. I think it's time for you to go upstairs and change out of those wet clothes. I'll be up in a minute".

"But mom, I feel fine. Really." Denzel began to protest until she flashed him another look and, begrudgingly he obeyed.

"Marlene, lead him upstairs, would you?"

Marlene nodded, "Yes ma'am, come here you. You should really know better than to go out with that cold of yours…" Her young voice lecturing Denzel trailed off as they left the bar.

Tifa watched them disappear into the stairway before she fixed her eyes back on Cloud, who seemed oblivious to her anger. With a sigh, he walked past her, out of the puddle of water he was standing in. His hair was stuck to his face, drops of water trickling down his cheeks and dripping off his jaw.

The bar had emptied so she went to lock the door. Cloud took it upon himself to sit in one of the stools as Tifa began collecting the money left on the tables.

"Why did you take him, Cloud? You knew he was sick."

He wasn't facing her when he spoke. Pouring himself a small glass of whiskey, he responded, "I didn't take him, Tifa. He insisted. You know how Denzel is. He said he was better but I didn't realize…I'm sorry. I turned around once he started coughing again".

Tifa shook her head, "Cloud…You need to put your foot down with him. You know he'll jump off the roof if it's to spend some time with you".

"I know, I know. That's why I took him. I couldn't say no," he met her gaze once she returned behind the counter to open the cash register.

Counting the bills and ignoring his eyes on her, she whispered, almost timidly, "Well you know, Cloud- if you were here more often, especially during weather like this, we wouldn't have to worry about him venturing outside with you and catching a cold".

Cloud didn't answer. The bar grew quiet until Tifa sighed. She grabbed a towel on the shelves and rubbed it on Cloud's head. "I'm sorry, it's just- I realize you're here a lot more than you used to and maybe I'm being a bit selfish by asking for more. I shouldn't. I'm just glad you're home," she apologized with a mild smile.

He took the towel gratefully, brushing his fingers against hers momentarily and her touch lingered. Pulling away, she joked, "Well if you don't dry up, then we'll have two sick men here. You're giving me a lot of work," she winked and he nodded.

Tifa continued to count the bills, trying not to pursue the subject any longer. She really shouldn't have said that. She really shouldn't have asked for more. It was what she felt, but she was beginning to learn that some things were better left unsaid.

The last thing she wanted was to inhibit the growth of what she had with Cloud, especially since he had shown some improvement after everyone's Geostigma was gone and they returned from Radiant Garden. It was just that she was worried, that he'd go chasing his darkness again, leaving her there to fend for herself and then she'd have to search him out again.

It was too hard to sit there and cross her fingers in hopes that he would be okay, but she wasn't sure if next time she'd go search him out like she did before. That was why she wanted to keep him where she could see him as much as possible.

After counting all her profit, she locked the register and began cleaning the glassware. Cloud just sat there in silence, with the towel draped over his shoulders in front of his drink. His face was serious and deep in thought. Then again, his face was always like that and that's why sometimes she didn't know whether or not to question it. Why couldn't he just enjoy life without always thinking too much about everything?

What the hell, she thought. She decided to take a shot and ask.

"What's wrong?"

He hesitated before answering, "I feel like something's coming. It's a feeling like when I knew Sephiroth was coming or when Kadaj and his gang showed up, but it's different. Like there's something here that isn't supposed to be".

Tifa eyed the murky skies through the faraway window, "Well with this kind of weather, its easy to assume something's not right. The sun hasn't come out in days and if there was something, I just can't be surprised anymore". She attempted to console him and he almost smiled.

"Yeah, well whatever I'm feeling, I hope it's just a feeling…"

Tifa took the opportunity to wring her fingers through his hair, his worried expression softening at her touch. She didn't want to say it, but his hopes might not have been far fetched since she, too, had the same bad feeling settling into the pit of her stomach.

"Aww, now this really blows!"

Axel continued to snap his fingers, wave his palms, and move his hands in every gesture possible to open the darkness between worlds and realms. But with every flick of his fingers, nothing came. At the most, he was able to warp himself short distances like from the sidewalk to a roof. As far as traveling to another world, he couldn't muster up the strength to keep the realm open long enough. The last thing he wanted was to get stuck in it. Still, he needed to get to Sora and this was the only way.

"Come on, come on…" he continued to try. He even took off his gloves in hopes that it would make a difference. Of course he knew it wouldn't but he was short on options.

"Now I really wish Sora had left someone alive from the Organization," Axel kicked a nearby can out of frustration. There was nothing else to do. Nowhere else to go. He was bored. And from boredom, came mischief.

He didn't know if it was coincidence, or maybe some higher act of power answering his calls. Whatever it was, it came just in the nick of time. Just as his eyes watched the metal can roll into an alleyway, a very familiar black figure in the shadows caught his eye.

"Hey! Hey you!" Axel reached out. Maybe, just maybe it was someone just like him.

The figure looked up, reacting to his voice. Just as Axel grinned and was about to approach the figure, he ran with a cowardly yelp.

"What the hell?" Axel ran after him, finding it very familiar the way the figure squealed.

He chased him, down alleyways, up walls and across roofs. He warped himself across buildings and Axel did the same. Whoever it was, it had to be a Nobody.

The rain made it harder to catch up. The ground was slippery and whatever his hands reached for, had no grip. Axel growled, now losing patience.

Whoever this guy is, he's a pain in the-

"What?" Axel blinked, now baffled. The figure somehow managed to trip, unmasking his identity in the process. The black hood fell back, revealing a dirty blond with strands of hair over his cobalt eyes.

A look of relief swept over Axel. The figure was someone he knew, someone he knew all too well. But the moment he was relieved, a devilish smirk crossed his features.

Axel folded his arms before the man, now sitting up and raising his white flag. "It figures it would be you, running away like some sissy".

He said nothing. Instead he sank his head into his arms. He looked like a mouse, caught between the cat and a corner, submitting to death unwillingly.

"Hey! Demyx! You're alive, man!" He gave him a reassuring wet slap across his shoulder, but he quickly brushed him off.

"What's your problem?" Axel kicked a puddle in his direction, but Demyx didn't flinch. After all, water was in his comfort zone.

His young blue eyes flared at the pyro, "You're my problem, Axel. You're supposed to be gone along with the rest of 'em".

"Aww, come on, Demmie, aren't you glad to see me?" Axel already knew the answer but he enjoyed plucking Demyx's strings.

This was a side of Demyx he had never seen before. Sure, Demyx never really fit into the Organization and was a free spirit who was always bullied into someone else's orders, so it was no surprise that he held a grudge against them. All he ever wanted to do was play his Sitar.

He was against fighting and he disagreed with the way Namine was used, the only other one he considered 'creative' and could understand him. He didn't have the same resent as all the other Nobodies, griping about their lack of hearts and wanting to create chaos for a new world all their own. He just stood with them because he had nowhere else to go. Axel was sure that since they were gone, Demyx was relieved, and free to live whatever life came at him. But then again, wasn't he supposed to be dead, too?

"Hey! How'd you get here?"

Axel sat beside Demyx, resting his elbows in his knees. Demyx shrugged. "I dunno. I just woke up here about two months ago.

"Two months ago? And what have you been doing all this time?"

With a wave of his hand, Demyx's Sitar summoned into his arms. He began to play a soft melody, softer than Axel had ever heard from him.

"Nothing much," Demyx muttered, not paying much mind to the red head next to him. Axel sighed. Really. He was being stubborn.

"Well, I'll tell ya one thing. You've gotten tougher since I last saw you, even though you ran," He gave Demyx another friendly slap and Demyx tried to hide his flinch of pain. He saw his fingers shake as he plucked his strings, as if something was bothering him. Perhaps it was Axel's presence.

"I'm leaving now," his Sitar disappeared into a cloud of smoke and Demyx attempted to get up. Axel's hand on his shoulder stopped him. Demyx didn't like the devious look brewing on Axel's face.

"Actually- I have other plans. What do you think about starting a new Organization?"

"What?"

"You heard me, a new Organization, starting with us two. After all, you seem to have a lot of free time on your hands and I have nothing better to do until I can fully recover my powers so-"

"W-what? No way! You're nuts!" Demyx yelled, betraying the tough exterior he had displayed moments ago. With the nervous stutters and cracks in his voice, now he was starting to sound like the Demyx he knew.

Axel's grin only grew wider. "Come on Demmie. Think about it. You and me, leaders of a whole new Organization, our rules and our terms".

"Ya know, I know you're trying to manipulate me. I won't fall for it," Demyx pouted and once again tried to scramble away. Axel's hold on his shoulder tightened and he winced.

"Me? Manipulate? Never. I just convince people".

Demyx raised a suspicious brow at him. "And what is the goal of this so-called Organization?"

Axel tapped his chin, "Actually- I hadn't quite thought that out yet. For now, I'm thinking about taking this crappy planet as our own, but we need a few good fighters".

Within a second, Demyx managed to swivel his way out of Axel's grasp. He waved his hands as he stepped back. "Fighters? Oh no, I won't have anything to do with any more fights. Last one I had, I should've been wiped out of existence because you guys wanted your stupid Kingdom Hearts".

"It's not stupid!" Axel yelled in defense, catching Demyx by surprise. Wide eyes glared at one another until Axel spoke again.

"What's so wrong about wanting a place to belong? About wanting to feel a bit more human? What's so wrong about having a place where we can all gather together where no one is discriminated against because they don't have hearts? What's so stupid about that? I mean, maybe they all went about it the wrong way, but the idea of making a haven for ourselves isn't such a bad idea."

Demyx shook in his boots, but maintained a firm face. He had gotten stronger. "Axel, I want a heart too, but I don't want to fight to get it. It's not their fault that we exist, so why should we take their hearts and use them? You think by destroying other worlds it proves to them that we're worthy of having hearts. Sounds pretty heart-less if you ask me. Besides…"

Axel tilted his head, amazed at Demyx being able to defend himself. Usually he'd whine and complain, pleading Xemnas not to send him out any more. It always resulted in him being scolded and Demyx unwillingly doing whatever was asked of him. But now, as much as Demyx was arguing about not fighting, that's what he was doing, fighting for his own rights.

"As long as I have my Sitar, and a pair of ears to hear it. That's all I need. I dunno why we're here, Axel, but I'm not risking my hide and turning to dust again".

Axel wasn't sure what to say. Sure, he understood what he meant. He didn't want to risk being wiped out of existence either, especially since they were here now, breathing fresh air by some thread of luck. But, without his powers, without Roxas here to give him reason to goof off, what else was there?

Axel turned to face the sky, his back toward Demyx. "I'll do it alone then, but I wouldn't think of it as stealing hearts and using people. I'm not like them," Axel stated, a hint of anger laced around his words from being compared to the others. He cleared his throat and his pleas softened, "But I'd like your help. The planet seems to be dying anyway, so maybe we can revive it, but you know, our way. You won't have to fight".

"I won't?" Demyx sounded surprised.

"I just need you to travel around. My powers haven't recovered and I need to find people, people who are strong, but have a darkness that can make them breakable. They need a weakness, and with that weakness, I can bring them over to our side, giving us their Nobodies".

"So you want me to find these people for you, victims on a silver platter…"

"I don't wanna call them victims per say. I'd call them, people looking for my help. I can free them from their darkness; separate them from their weakness. Emotion, my friend, is a weakness".

Demyx shook his head, "If I had a heart, I'd hate myself right now". With that, he jumped off the roof, Axel following behind. As soon as their feet hit the concrete, a new presence greeted them. Axel grinned and Demyx squealed, finally revealing his cowardice completely.

"Aww, I knew it. I knew I should've kept running!"

"Who are you?" The voice demanded, the spiky blond stepping out from the shadows.

Axel shoved the shivering Nobody aside, approaching the human that had his hand tight on his sword.

"Now, would you look at that. You just saved me a lot of trouble".

Cloud looked suspicious, but kept himself alert. He knew these beings were familiar, and the last he saw of them, were in Radiant Garden. What were they doing here? They should've been disposed of.

"I said, who are you? And what are you doing here?" Cloud demanded again, now unsheathing his sword from his back. A slick smile spread across the Nobody's face as two round weapons appeared in his hands. The other Nobody was hiding in a corner so it seemed this one was the leader.

"Who am I? Oh, nobody really. You on the other hand, are perfect".

"Perfect?" Cloud questioned and it only made Axel's grin grow wider.

Cloud blinked and somehow the Nobody had gotten behind him. He turned around to meet his Chakram in a clash of sparks.

Axel inhaled deeply around him, "You, are full of darkness. And as for your weakness-" He sniffed again with his trademark grin beginning to form. "I can sense her from you. She may even have a darkness darker than your own…"

Of course, Axel was no dog. He couldn't really tell by smelling anything. But he knew, by the fire in his opponent's eyes and how they lit ablaze when he mentioned a 'her', he had hit the jackpot.

"Hmm, so what is she to you? Sister? Cousin? Girlfriend, perhaps? Whoever she is, I bet she's really hot".

Cloud snarled, lifting his sword again the meet Axel's weapons. "That doesn't concern you".

With a mocking laugh, he grinded his weapon against Cloud's sword, the friction causing the other to bounce back with each hit. He was strong, verystrong. But with every strongpoint, there is a weakness. Just like wherever there is light, there is darkness. There could not be one without the other.

He was sure this guy was full of weaknesses. His strange hued eyes revealed it all. Regret, pain, a past he couldn't escape and the people around him who he probably dragged down. Just as he was pondering this, a female voice yelled behind them. Footsteps splashed on the concrete, hurrying toward the scene.

"Cloud!"

Both men stopped, mid-fight. "Tifa, get back!" Cloud yelled, keeping his focus on the redhead in front of him.

"No, I can help you," she responded stubbornly.

Axel tilted his head, observing the woman who had just arrived. This must've been the weakness in his opponent that he had predicted.

The rain was letting up. Moonlight breaking through a clear sky. Drops of water trickled

down the curves of her long legs and the edges of her dark hair. Her black attire, wet and sticking to her goose fleshed skin, made her almost invisible in the shadows. Into her sepia eyes was a determination that no one could go up against.

Axel nodded with approval. Cloud's eyes widened when he realized what Axel was up to.

"Tifa!" Cloud warned, but it was too late.

"I was right. She's real hot!"

Before Tifa could react and raise her fists in defense, all she saw was a flash of red and black rush past her. It was only a second until she felt heat on her back and a smooth voice, whispering over her shoulder.

"Tifa, huh? Well, you'll be coming with me".

Axel's intention was to grab her into his arms and get Demyx to warp them elsewhere. Then she'd scream like a damsel in distress for her blond hero to come and save her. He hadn't expected that she'd fight back, and not only that, but that her hits would actually hurt. This was no ordinary woman.

With a swift round kick aimed to his head, Axel managed to skid away in the nick of time. Axel hissed, "So you fight too, huh?"

Tifa smiled, glad that he was impressed as she ran toward him at full speed. The wet concrete only seemed to aid her movement and quicken her pace. Fists tightened and up, she shot forward, punch by punch and Axel caught her fists or avoided them each time.

She was strong. A lot stronger than he had anticipated. Not only that, but he still had blondy there with a really big sword ready to strike when necessary. With Demyx shrinking in the corner, and him not being at full power, things weren't looking good.

"Demyx, help me out here, will ya?"

Demyx blinked in awe at the feline martial artist attacking Axel furiously. "Help? Do you see how she's swinging those arms and legs of hers? No way! I might get hit with one of those!"

Axel snarled in frustration. His forearms were beginning to sting from the impact of her hits on his Chakram. It wouldn't take long before Tifa and the other guy overpowered them.

With full force, he pushed her off of him. Tifa went skidding back, fingertips clawing the concrete to maintain her balance. Wet, dark hair, sticking to her face.

Axel glared at her, his eyes glowing impishly and Tifa caught it. He was having fun with her, and not only that, he wasn't taking her seriously. This wasn't his full strength.

"I like you, Tifa. I think coming back for your blond hero here will be worth the effort," Axel snapped his fingers, and the darkness opened behind him.

Cloud ran toward him, past Tifa in attempt to stop Axel from sinking into the realm but it had already closed by the time his sword came crashing down into the earth.

A jester like laugh caught their attention from the rooftops. There he was, standing beside his Nobody companion.

"It's been fun guys, but I'm afraid the party's over," Axel saluted before he vanished from sight along with Demyx.

Tifa shook her head as she stared up into the sky, marveled by what had just happened. The rain had finally stopped. The skies were breaking, revealing clearer clouds. Were these Nobodies the reason why the weather had been so haywire? What did they want? Why were they here?

Fear seized her heart as she looked on over to Cloud. He stared up with her, now finding purpose in another battle. It was a battle she'd rather not have him persist. Why couldn't they just live normally? Why is it that when peaceful times came, these things came to find him? All she ever wanted, was to be by him, basking his darkness into her light and protecting him from any pain. All she ever got was the darkness trying to pull him back away, and half the time, he gave in willingly, proving her efforts pointless.

If Cloud had noticed her concerned expression, it didn't show as he turned away from her toward the direction of the orphanage about two miles down. She was sure he must've been angry with her. Once again, he had ventured out to follow a darkness that beckoned for him and once again she followed after him.

He had warned her time after time, especially when he disappeared after Sephiroth into Radiant Garden. Yet she could never listen. How could she? Ever since he hid away when he was sick, she vowed to herself to make sure she knew everything about him, even if he didn't want her to know. It was her sworn duty to make sure he didn't hide himself from her again. They were family and families didn't bear burdens alone.

Tifa reached forward, "Cloud, I-"

His hand in the air silenced her mid sentence. He turned to her, "You walked here?"

Cloud had taken off on his motorcycle and she had no choice but to pursue him on foot. Thankfully, he hadn't run into trouble until she was close enough to join in. With a quick nod, she answered him.

Tifa followed him into a corner where he had parked and watched as he swung his leg over and sat down. The engines rumbled and roared, smoke gearing from the wheels.

She felt awkward about riding behind him now since he might've been upset, but the tilt of his head invited her. Fitting snuggly behind him, she wrapped her arms around his waist. The feeling prickled her skin and caused her arms to squeeze. He was so warm... she had almost forgotten. It was difficult to keep herself from leaning into him while she rode with him down the concrete roads.

As they headed into the streets, wind brushed past her bare arms and guided by only the streetlights, Cloud turned to speak to her. "I'm not upset, Tifa".

She blinked, "You're not?"

Cloud shook his head, possibly a small smile forming on his face. "I think from this point on, I'd rather have you by me than stay behind".

Tifa's brows creased in confusion. Was he just saying that because he didn't want the Nobodies to use her against him? Was that the only reason he wanted her there? Of course, she shouldn't have been that angry because he was still caring for her one way or another, but still, she couldn't help but feel disappointed.

It was as if he wanted her there because it was more convenient to look after her that way. If the day had progressed normally or if the Nobodies weren't interested in using her, would he still have asked her to stay nearby? With a defeated sigh, she leaned her cheek on his firm back. Cloud didn't question nor did he object it.

Right now, she was too busy struggling with what she should and should not be feeling than to be concerned for the flush on her cheeks from their close and rare contact.

Maybe it was easier for the Nobodies. After all, they had no feelings to struggle with.

"This time, I'm leaving," Demyx announced as soon as they arrived at a safer destination.

Axel was already dampened by his sour mood so he didn't bother to object. As Demyx eagerly scurried away, relieved to be freed from Axel's grasp for the time being he was almost tempted to tug the instrumentalist back.

Where was he rushing off to as if he had somewhere he needed to be? With a shrug, he decided there would be other times when he could pester Demyx.

He was weak from the fight and he could feel it in the tightness of his shoulders. Axel rotated his joints with cracks and clicks as he sat at a rooftop's ledge. Until his powers were completely replenished and he could last through the realm enough to travel farther distances, he could only work out his strategies from afar with his wits.

Now there was no doubt in his mind. If he wanted to orchestrate this plan well, these fighters would have be strong. He'd have to be prepared for them. He couldn't afford to let himself slip like he had done with that Tifa girl. He shouldn't have underestimated her. She could've had him, adam's apple buried under her heel if he had let himself grow exhausted.

Fingers held his throbbing temples. Memories were still coming back, piecing together like a sewing needle with thread. Slowly the loops were coming together to make one big picture. Maybe it was more like a dream than a memory. Could've been a little bit of both.

All he could manage to this puzzle in his head was Roxas. He saw him. He clearly remembered saying goodbye to Sora before everything went black. The image was still fuzzy afterwards, but he could almost grasp something that might've been important. He wished he remembered.

Upon the memory of his friend's face fluttering around in his mind, Axel shuddered. There was something he couldn't shake off. It was stuck to him, eating at him and it was something he had never experienced before.

Now freely shaking his head and standing up to rid himself of this thing, he found that nothing could get it away.

What is this? It was uncomfortable. It made his senses go haywire.

His eyes burned and he had almost gone crazy trying to stop this throbbing beginning to ache inside of his empty rib cage.

It was when his vision blurred that Axel stopped suddenly, eyes beginning to widen as he stared onto his gloved fingers. He caught the glossy shine off of his black fingertips.

Rain? No- it couldn't be.

Wiping his face with his drier hand, the same liquid appeared. Now here he was staring at his hands, identically marked with this wet substance.

It was passing through his mind, but he dare not say it. His tongue nailed itself to the roof of his mouth and he felt his lungs grow heavy.

Could this be…

Tears?

So it begins. Hope it was to your liking. My first chaps never start off that great but I try.

This chap was first posted without beta, but it's been revised so there's a few tid bits of differences, nothing too big.