When You're Not Strong Enough (Kingdom Hearts III)

Hope

One by one Sora's friends were ripped away from him. The first to go was Donald. He stood defiantly before Xehanort, his staff held high in the air. All of his magic power seeped into the vessel. As the darkness drew closer Donald released all the pent up energy in one final blast. A flurry of blinding beams shot from the magician's rod colliding directly with the coiling dark energy. The beams then twisted into a barrier, winding around to encase the group in a faintly glowing bubble. Wind kicks up dirt around them obscuring their view of the outside. It is only when the dust settles that Donald ceases his attack. The staff he held slips from his fingers clattering to the ground. In the blink on an eye the duck collapses as well. His face collides with the ground, body unmoving.

King Mickey and Goofy rush to aid their friend and comrade. The heartless continue to swarm the keyblade wielders. Creeping closer as second after agonizing second ticks by. As Goofy keeps watch over Donald, the king strengthens his resolve. Keyblade in hand Mickey rushes to intercept one of the various cloaked figures. They could not afford to lose hope. Not on this battlefield. The warriors break apart, each forced into separate battles.

Lea is the next to fall. His body is barraged with red plasma bullets. They sear through his clothes colliding directly into his flesh. Agonizing screams fill the air. Xemnas has a maniacal gleam in his eye as he watches the ex-assassin suffer. Standing loyally by his side is Isa. A menacing glow surrounds his form as unfocused yellow eyes watch the show. Lea wasn't sure what hurt the most. The bullets slamming into his body or the fact that his old friend merely watched as if he was part of a show.

"Isa...why..?" The betrayal Lea felt only furthered his despair. An invisible knife dug further into his heart twisting and turning.

Finally, after what seems like an eternity the attacks stop. Lea's half-conscious body crumples to the ground. It takes all his strength to keep his eyes open only a small fraction. His gaze does not settle on Isa standing before him. Nor does it stop on Xemnas who took no pity on the traitor. No. They scan across the battlefield in search of one soul. The one he had the most confidence in. A boy who would finish everything for those who have fallen. It is just a glimpse but Lea sees him running across the dust covered earth, keyblade in hand. The expression upon his face was an exact match to the redhead's sea-salt loving best friend.

A ghost of a smile escapes Lea's lips. His eyes close fully cutting off his view of the teen. Exhaustion begins to fully consume him dragging him further into slumber. "Stay strong....Sora."

Kairi is a hero up until the very end. Although still new at being a keyblade wielder she held her own on the battlefield. Her weapon sliced through heartless and unversed alike. Previously she heard the cries of her training partner amidst the fighting. Now they have died out and Kairi made it her sole duty to locate Lea.

"Get out of my way!" Bringing her keyblade down like a hammer it tears through the skin of a shadow turning it to mist. Cerulean eyes quickly shift onto their next target. That's when she spots him.

"Axel!"

The flame-wielder's black cloak had a few tears in the fabric. His body remained still even as Kairi slide across the ground to his side. She called out to him, shaking his shoulders and touching his face to stir him into consciousness. Sadly all her efforts were futile. Lea was no closer to waking and they were still in danger.

"Don't worry Axel, I'll protect you." Kairi allows her keyblade to disappear and grabs the older man underneath his arms. The obvious height and weight ratio between the two of them proved to be more than she bargained for. Regardless Kairi pressed on, dragging Lea away from the fighting and toward a boulder not too far off. At the moment they were both in the clear. The enemies seemed to more focused on her remaining friends. At least, for the time being.