For Day 29 of the Kingdom Hearts 3 Countdown Challenge - Victory.

Please don't put spoilers for the game in your reviews, as I have not played it yet nor will I be watching any of the leaked cutscenes.

Goofy carefully set Sora's limp body on the ground. He deserved a proper burial, but somehow Goofy didn't have the heart in him to do it.

Buryin' Sora would be like admittin' defeat. And they still had to face Xehanort, anyway. They were the only ones left who could still do it. Their mournin' would just hafta wait for now.

Donald crossed Sora's arms over his heart, then Goofy laid Sora's jacket over his face. A makeshift burial shroud till they could come back to him.

"We'll be back soon, Sora," Goofy said, sniffin' and wipin' his eyes. At least like this he could pretend Sora was just takin' another one of his naps.

"We promise," Donald added, casting one last Cure spell over him to heal his broken body. The green light glowed bright against the darkness that was coverin' the land, then it faded.

Their heads drooped and their feet dragged as they walked away, leavin' Sora behind when both of them wanted nothin' more than to stay with him.

"We don't stand a chance," Donald said. "Not when Xehanort has the χ-Blade."

"Now don't say that, Donald. So long as we've got each other, there's still hope," Goofy said, but the words sounded sorta hollow, even to him.

They needed Sora now more than ever. They needed their other friends, too. But Sora was dead and everyone else was stuck inside the χ-Blade. It was up to them to make things right again.

They paused when they'd reached the portal to wherever it was Xehanort had disappeared to. A big black swirling darkness was before them, and Goofy winced at the thought of jumpin' into that. Some places you just knew were bad news.

But they had to keep goin'. For their friends. For Sora.

Donald wasn't a white mage the way the King was, but he knew some white magic spells all the same. He lifted his staff and cast some sort of light magic that pushed back the darkness a little, and Goofy braced himself.

This was it. There was no goin' back.

"Ready?" Donald asked. "On the count of three."

"One—" Goofy said.

"Two—"

Goofy's heart about stopped. Someone's hand had just landed on his back, and—

"Three!" came a very familiar voice, so full of life and joy that for a second Goofy thought he must be dreamin'.

But then Donald shouted Sora's name, and Goofy knew it wasn't a dream. Sora laughed and shoved him and Donald into the portal before jumping in after them with the biggest grin on his face.

"Sora!" Goofy cried as some force picked them up off the ground and flung them higher and higher into the air. He reached for Sora's hand and grabbed it, and Sora found Donald's hand, too. Soon they were all linked up together as they kept goin' higher and higher and higher.

Sora grinned as the wind rushed through his hair and clothes. "You weren't really gonna go off and fight Xehanort without me, were you?" he shouted.

Donald was having none of Sora's teasing. "Don't you dare scare us like that again!" he scolded.

"Hey, it's not like I wanted to die!" Sora shot back.

Goofy had to choke back more tears. Happy ones this time. Sora and Donald were arguin', just like old times, and the world felt a little brighter again.

When they had finally landed wherever this new place was, he and Donald both tackled Sora in a hug and didn't let go for a very long time. Huggin' him was the only way to ease the hurt of losin' him. And he hugged them back, sayin' all sorts of comfortin' things to them about how he was really alive and really here and really with them.

When their hearts all felt better, he sat back and explained what had happened.

"I was in this mysterious place I'd never been before. It was all just blue sky and clouds and columns everywhere. My memories were scattered all around, and I had to get them back. My heart was aching, and I knew it wouldn't stop hurting till I was whole again."

A lump built in Goofy's throat. Hearing Sora talk about his pain still hurt him, too.

"But even after I'd collected a whole bunch of memories and was feeling like myself again, I still wasn't whole. Something, no, someone was missing. And that's when Kairi found me. Her lucky charm really worked. She found me and—"

He blushed, and Goofy had the feelin' he knew why. But now wasn't the time for teasin'.

"I couldn't stay dead," Sora finished. "I had to come back to you guys. I promised her I would. And… I promised I'd come for her, too."

Donald pulled out his staff and smiled. "Well? What're we waiting for? You have a princess to save."

"You guys are with me, right?" Sora said. "You'll help me rescue her and the rest of our friends from the χ-Blade, won't you?"

Goofy nodded as he got out his shield. "We're with you to the very end, Sora."

Sora's eyes got a little watery at that. "Thanks, guys. With you by my side, I know we're gonna win."

He summoned his Keyblade. Donald and Goofy gasped because as he did, there was a bright flash of light. His clothes changed and the Kingdom Key transformed into a new form Goofy had never seen before. He had a crown on his head, too. A sign of things to come?

He grinned when he noticed them gawkin' at him. "What? I told you before: my friends are my power."

Donald and Goofy couldn't help but smile back. And with that, they were all ready to fight Xehanort for the last time.