Time to head into the fight that everyone is apparently excited to see. The showdown between old friends (and also the fight between Vexen and Xion and Roxas).

Gritting her teeth, Kairi leapt up and launched herself at the tall Nobody with a spiraling strike. She hit hard with Destiny's Embrace before flinging herself away again. Speed and agility were her ally. Saïx was bigger, stronger, and tougher than her.

Real fights aren't fair.

And Kairi didn't intend to fight fair. Not when she knew she was outmatched and not when she knew what was at stake. If she made a mistake, Saïx would kill someone.

Maybe her. Or maybe Lea.

He was trying to keep some distance between him and Saïx, relying on Fire spells and throwing his Keyblade at the Nobody. But it didn't always work. Sometimes Saïx came in close and forced Lea to twist and dodge the claymore. And Kairi could see how Lea would wince or stumble as the fighting continued, a little slow or too clumsy. Maybe because of his still healing injuries or maybe because it was a fight that he never wanted to face.

What would it have been like if she was forced to fight Sora or Riku like this? Would she be able to do it? Kairi didn't know.

Kairi cast Curaga on Lea once again. The higher-level spell was definitely helpful. Then she ran towards Saïx, sliding behind him just in time to pull off an aggressive combo against his back. Kairi hit him repeatedly, stringing together a longer and longer combo as she managed to keep him stunned. She couldn't let him recover. As long as she kept it up, she could keep Saïx off balanced and unable to retaliate.

Real fights aren't fair.

Then she pushed her luck too far. Kairi was too close when Saïx spun around, a duller section of his catching her in the middle and flinging her away. Crashing to the ground, Kairi rolled back to her feet even as she struggled to catch her breath. She raised her Keyblade to defend against the next blow.

But that strike never came. Lea was suddenly between her and Saïx. He threw his left arm up defensively, Kairi having a split second to realize that he was mistakenly trying to block with his absent chakram like so many times during training. But a loud clang rang out rather than a snarl of pain.

Kairi blinked in surprise when she realized that his Keyblade had been replaced by twin chakrams. Not his old ones, but a pair forged of fire and magic. Lea looked equally stunned by the transformation.

"Guess I figured out Sora's Keyblade form changing trick then," he said as he shoved Saïx back. "Helpful."

"Nice timing for it," said Kairi, trying not to wince from the forming bruise across her stomach. "You did the thing again. He could have broken your arm."

Grinning as he spun his burning chakrams in his hands in a comfortable manner, Lea said, "Let's see you break a decade-old habit. At least something good came out of it."

Then he threw the burning weapons, forcing Saïx further back as he dodged the attack. Spinning and burning chakrams that twisted and flew through the air in what seemed chaotic, but Lea could clearly predict because he snagged them upon their return while barely looking. When he held them both again, light flared and Lea had his Keyblade back.

"I can work with this," he said.

Roxas never had the chance to see Vexen in a proper fight. Not really. He only went on one mission with the Nobody before Vexen left for Castle Oblivion and they spent that time trying to teach Roxas about reconnaissance. The handful of Heartless that day fell to his Keyblade while Vexen stood back to observe. Roxas only knew what he'd heard from the others.

Vexen was a scientist, not a fighter. He studied and investigated. Unlike Demyx, he could and would fight if necessary. But he would apparently claim that combat was a waste of his skills. And Roxas knew that he specialized in ice magic the same way that Lea threw around fire.

Roxas might not know much about his strategies or fighting abilities, but he knew enough to realize it was best to stick with Fire spells.

Both Roxas and Xion were fast and agile, but they were limited by Vexen's abilities. They kept finding ice under their feet. Slipping and sliding made it more difficult to dodge properly, let alone launch an effective attack. But the tricky footing never seemed to hinder Vexen's movements and his shield blocked most of their Firaga spells. Not all of them and the hits that connected knocked him down hard, but Roxas knew that they should have been doing better.

He had a few different strategies. Vexen sent chunks of ice towards them, temporarily freezing them in place whenever they made contact. Other times, he would summon up a line of icicles to stab out of the ground like spears. The icicles would follow after his target and force them to dodge. But mostly he kept his distance, using his shield to keep them at bay as he observed them. As if trying to force them to demonstrate everything that they were capable of doing.

"Stop toying with us," snarled Roxas.

"I would not refer to my actions as 'toying.' I am merely attempting to collect data in order to make a fair assessment of your abilities and skills." Vexen grinned coldly and said, "A proper study of you both is long overdue."

Glaring, Xion asked, "And what have you learned?"

"This."

Vexen gestured and two icicles rose from the ground. The ice smoothed, shifted, and reshaped into a pair of sculptures. Familiar figures, complete with transparent versions of the black coats and ice Keyblades. Perfect copies of Roxas and Xion made of ice.

Then the copies moved, running towards them with weapons raised.

"Why," yelled Roxas, blocking a replica of one of his Keyblades, "do they keep finding other versions of me?"

Ice-Roxas didn't make a sound. It simply unleashed a very familiar combo, forcing him to block several hits before launching a Firaga right in its face. Which unfortunately didn't melt the entity. Roxas gritted his teeth and pushed forward. Between Sora and Ventus, he was frustrated by the whole mess and it was almost a relief to have someone wearing his face that he could actually fight.

The copies were equally fast as them. They could also mimic the same moves that Roxas and Xion had been using for the entire battle. Roxas felt like he was fighting his reflection, rather like he did once in the data version of Twilight Town. And Vexen didn't stop blasting ice from his hand or calling forth large chunks of ice from the ground to freeze them. The fight had definitely grown more difficult.

"Roxas," called Xion, grabbing his attention as she slid across the ice towards him. "Switch."

Realization hit fast. Fighting against himself would be hard. Two perfectly matched opponents? They were equals in every way. But fighting Ice-Xion would be different enough from him to be possible.

Other than the reminder of his guilt.

They dashed past each other, switching opponents smoothly. Roxas rapidly struck at Ice-Xion. Driving it back while avoiding Vexen's freezing-cold magic.

It wasn't really Xion. He clung to that knowledge as he attacked something with her face. It wasn't her. He wouldn't hurt Xion. Not again.

Saïx fought.

His claymore swung, metal ringing out when it connected with the other weapons. His claymore slammed, blue and flickering energy erupting out in a shockwave across the ground. His claymore crashed down, summoning and launching several claymores at once, creating omnidirectional shockwaves as they all slammed back down. His claymore moved, seeking out the opponents who twisted and dodged.

Saïx fought against them.

He fought without thought or awareness. Aggression personified. Violence guided by a powerful compulsion. His opponents were faceless, nameless obstacles to be destroyed. Nothing more.

Saïx fought, unable to do anything else.

But some small, weak, and buried part cried out against what he was doing.

Lea…

Xion shouted as she leapt and swung her Keyblade down, finally shattering Ice-Roxas into frozen chunks. The echoing crash told her that Roxas managed to crush her copy as well. She would have grinned, but they still had to deal with Vexen.

"Fire," she shouted, flames shooting out of her Keyblade in the Nobody's direction.

It was so much easier channeling her magic through a weapon. She'd used magic without that help before, back in the days when her use of the Keyblade was unreliable. But that method was harder. Xion definitely preferred having a Keyblade to channel her spells through.

When her first Firaga made Vexen stagger back, Xion sent another in his direction. This time, he twisted around to block the flames with his shield. But the shift in position left his back to Roxas. And Roxas took advantage of the opening to unleash a quick combo against Vexen, knocking him stumbling.

"Look at that," said Vexen as he regained his footing. "Excellent technique and strategy, especially when cooperating together. Decent, if limited reasoning skills. Plenty of room for improvement, yes. But then, even someone of my intellect cannot be expected to create perfection on the first attempt. Even with a new body, you are still a rough draft, No. i."

"She's not a rough draft and she's not yours. She's Xion," snarled Roxas.

He darted around like a flash of light, dashing around the Nobody to attack at a variety of angles. But just before Roxas called down powerful beams of light, Vexen raised his shield above his head to block them.

If nothing else, Vexen was good at defense.

As Roxas landed lightly on the ground, Vexen froze ice onto the shield into the shape of a sword. And with his improvised weapon, he wildly slashed at both of them. But his ice sword wasn't his preferred weapon and the lack of finesse or technique showed that fact. Roxas and Xion blocked and deflected every swing. The two of them spent their entire existences using Keyblades. He couldn't match them at swordplay.

One of Vexen's larger swings met all three raised Keyblades at once, allowing Roxas and Xion to shove him back together. Vexen slid across the dirt and ice until he came to a stop a short distance away.

"Roxas! Xion!"

She turned her head sharply. Running onto the battlefield was Sora, already summoning his Keyblade to his hand.

"Sora," shouted Roxas.

Jerking her head in the direction of the ice wall, Xion said, "Kairi and Axel are on the other side fighting Saïx."

Sora's eyes narrowed, but he gave a short nod. They knew what to do. They needed to finish the fight as fast as possible and get their friends. All three of them were very aware of the time limit hanging over them.

They were getting tired.

Lea knew that he was slowing down, his movements growing sloppy and clumsy. He was panting heavily. His chest ached sharply with every move and he could barely block the impacts of the claymore when they met his Keyblade. Saïx was a dangerous and formidable opponent who was pushing Lea to his limits.

And his limits weren't as far as they normally were.

He'd gone through multiple ethers, trying to fuel his fire magic. It was easier to keep Saïx at a distance with spells. It was the same reason that Kairi kept casting Light. Lea did try form changing Flame Liberator a few more times into chakrams. And he definitely liked that trick. But throwing any weapon pulled at his sore muscles and made his still-healing ribs hurt. Fire spells were easier on his weary body.

Saïx was too strong and too tough. Especially in his berserker state. He was hard to fight on a good day and this wasn't anywhere close to a good day. Lea didn't know if he could beat him, even with Kairi's help.

He wasn't certain that he wanted to beat him. He knew it was the only way to get Isa back, but Lea didn't want to be the one to destroy him. They were friends once. They were best friends once. He didn't want to execute Saïx the way he did Vexen at Castle Oblivion. But Lea knew that he had to do it if he wanted Isa back. As good as Kairi might be, she wasn't ready and didn't have the experience to beat Saïx herself.

Saïx slammed his claymore to the ground. Which created several copies of his weapon that launched into the air before slamming rapidly to the ground. Large shockwaves radiated out from the impacts in all directions, forcing Lea and Kairi to scramble backwards. Unfortunately, Lea realized too late that he was right against the ice wall with nowhere to escape. Cornered. The shockwaves hit hard, slamming Lea against the ice wall.

Pain exploded across his back and crashed against his chest. The impact drove the breath from him and Lea stumbled to his knees.

"Lea!" shouted Kairi, a Curaga washing over him to dull the pain and combat the forming bruises.

Then she was on Saïx, a fast and aggressive bundle of combative energy. Several different combos, both in the air and on the ground. She didn't stay in one place for more than a second. Kairi fought hard and gave Lea a chance to stumble back to his feet.

But she had enough sense to jump back and out of the way when Saïx tried to take her head off. Lea almost expected to see a grimace of annoyance from Saïx. He would have shown at least a sign of that if the two of them were sparring and Lea refused to stay still or in range. But his expression and glowing eyes revealed absolutely nothing beyond berserker aggression. Nothing like Isa.

Lea tightened his grip on his Keyblade, fighting the urge to press his hand to his aching ribs. The Cure spells could only do so much to ease the pain. But it would be fine. They could handle this. Help free Isa from Xehanort, then get back to Roxas and Xion. They could do this.

Vexen didn't create any more ice copies, but he continued sending icicles at the three Keyblade wielders. And a short-lived and localized blizzard. And he tried the ice sword trick again, ending the assault by smashing it down in a shockwave that sent the frozen fragments flying everywhere in a form of deadly shrapnel. He was certainly creative.

But it was always hard to defend against three different opponents at the same time. Especially when they could come from multiple directions. Vexen's shield might be sturdy and it might protect him, but it could only cover one direction at a time.

Though it wasn't fun to get too close to it either. Vexen could attack with it as effectively as Goofy apparently could with his own shield. And Vexen's shield had sharp spikes along the edges.

Regardless, Roxas was starting to enjoy beating Vexen's face in. Not as satisfying as hitting Saïx with his Keyblades. But the way that he kept describing Xion like she was an experiment reminded him too much about the times that people called her a puppet or "it." Fighting back properly against someone who treated his best friend like that? It was something that Roxas wished that he could have done more often while he was in Organization XIII.

Vexen couldn't keep up. He could do some damage and he could certainly slow them down with the unsteady footing. But they outnumbered him and his combative skills couldn't match theirs.

And when they had Vexen staggering, Sora seemed to sense his moment.

Sora ran towards the ice wall. Then he was running up the ice wall, ignoring the pull of gravity. Roxas wasn't certain if the stunt was more or less annoying than him riding on a storm of Keyblades earlier. But once Sora reached the top of his ascent, he kicked off the frozen surface. He twisted around until he was diving headfirst. His Keyblade held at the ready as he fell. Sora struck like a meteor, crashing down to smash into Vexen hard enough that the shield offered almost no protection. The impact tossed up dust and broken chunks of ice.

And something gave way.

A pillar of darkness shot up from the Nobody. A darkness that reminded Roxas a little of what it felt like around Xemnas. He could make the connection to Master Xehanort from that.

When it began to dissipate, Vexen stumbled. His shield fell to the ground with a loud clang before disappearing. He coughed as he clutched his right arm. Vexen managed another step before collapsing to his knees.

"Impressive," coughed Vexen, trying to regain his breath. "Sora has certainly improved. And after seeing you two go through your paces, it is clear that I truly outdid myself with the latest models of the replicas. They shall serve you well. Truly impressive, yes."

Letting his Keyblades disappear, Roxas said, "You seem—"

"Calmer," suggested Xion.

"—than you did before," he finished.

Smiling weakly, Vexen said, "Scientific investigation may be my forte, but I've developed a talent for acting recently. As mentioned before, fighting was not my choice, but it was unavoidable. And idealistic children with a protective streak and a tendency for heroics often find executions more palatable if you must first battle against an obviously 'evil' opponent. Proper motivation was required. I gave you a reason not to hold back, yes."

Vexen closed his eyes and winced. Scraps of nothingness flaked off. Roxas felt like something twisted sharply inside him at the sight. A Nobody reduced to the nothingness that he was made of. It reminded him too much of what happened in Betwixt and Between, only it had been Axel fading away. Roxas didn't want to dwell on those memories.

"You really didn't want to fight?" asked Xion quietly.

"From my understanding of events after my previous destruction, you are also quite familiar with being manipulated and used to fight against your will." Vexen opened his eyes again, staring firmly at Xion. "I am uncertain if being recompleted a second time will involve new difficulties or issues compared to my initial completion, but I am thankful that I got to properly meet you this time. You were always my favorite creation and I was proud of your potential, but you've exceeded all of my expectations. I don't regret how this turned out. It was worth us sending the replica bodies with Demyx. The risk was worth it."

"Us?" asked Sora. "Did… someone else help?"

Shaking his head tiredly, Vexen said, "The last person that Master Xehanort and the others would suspect to work against them. It was all Saïx's idea."

"Saïx? He helped bring us back?" asked Roxas, unable to wrap his head around the idea.

"Believe me or not, that is your choice." Vexen somehow managed to give them a withering look even as the fragments of nothingness increased. "It won't change the truth. Farewell, Thirteen and Fourteen. You have survived and overcome much in your short existences. Don't disappoint me by being dying from stupid decisions now."

And with those final words, the Nobody dissolved away. A few seconds later, the ice wall shattered explosively. The chunks tumbled to the ground like a miniature avalanche. When everything stopped falling, Roxas could see Lea, Kairi, and Saïx on the other half of the battlefield.

Lea flinched at the explosion of shattering ice, not enjoying the sting of frozen splinters hitting his face. None of them were prepared for the sudden noise and chunks of ice flying towards them. At least none of the frozen shrapnel tore through his black coat to slice at him. The material was proving to be surprisingly durable and resistant that day. Which was at least one good thing since he didn't need to be stabbed again.

All three of them ducked their heads at the destruction of the ice wall, but Saïx recovered first. Lea barely straightened up before he caught a glimpse of blue flashing towards him. He tried to throw himself aside, but he was too tired and too slow. Pain exploded as the claymore caught him in the middle, driving the wind out of him and knocking Lea to the ground.

Lea struggled to breathe. The blade didn't slice into him this time somehow, but the pain almost felt like it. Any progress his ribs made towards healing felt undone. He couldn't manage to move. He was stuck on his back, gasping for air.

Move. He had to move. That thought made it through the pain, but his body refused to respond. Not fast enough. Saïx stood over him and swung down hard, claymore whistling through the air.

But the agony and death never came. Lea could only stare. The glowing eyes had vanished, leaving a cloudy and unfocused expression behind. As if Saïx didn't realize or know why he dismissed his own weapon mid-swing. But Lea did.

Isa. Not the berserker state. Isa.

Then Saïx disappeared from view, slammed away by the colorful blur that was Sora practically tackling him. Hitting low while the Nobody was off-balanced from the swing. Then the pair continued the fight somewhere out of sight across the dust. Lea could hear them even if he couldn't see them from his position.

"Axel." Kairi scrambled next to him, a flare of green as Curaga pushed back the pain of his battered ribs. "How badly are you hurt?"

As she helped him sit up, Roxas and Xion scrambling to take up protective positions, Lea grimaced and said, "I'll live. He missed that last swing."

On purpose. He missed Lea on purpose. It wasn't much of a rebellion, but it was still a sign that Isa was in there. Trying to help.

They pulled him unsteadily to his feet, one arm cradling his ribs protectively. The worry was palpable. Xion kept trying to press a hi-potion into his hands. Lea quietly accepted it for her sake, though he slipped it into his pocket for the moment.

Then a stream of darkness shot up, signaling that Sora had finished the fight for them. The kid was proving his reputation of being unstoppable. When it cleared, Saïx staggered. He tried to catch himself using his claymore, but the weapon dissolved into blue flame-like energy and he fell to his hands and knees with a tired grunt.

Lea staggered a little closer as Saïx panted wearily. Neither of them was in ideal condition, but one of them was worse off than the other. And it was clear which one it was. Flecks of nothingness drifted off the Nobody. There was no escaping or denying the obvious. Lea stopped a short distance away, staring regretfully at Saïx as something in him ached deeply. A pain that had nothing to do with his ribs or bruises.

In a strained, but light tone, Saïx asked, "Why… so sad?"

His eyes were burning and his chest felt tight. Even after a decade with no heart, Lea recognized the sensation. He took a shaking breath and closed his eyes for a moment. He hated the entire horrible situation and everything about it. The whole thing was wrong.

Gesturing towards Saïx and trying to channel the hurt into less-painful anger, Lea snarled, "You let them reduce you to this?"

Xemnas, Master Xehanort, and the others used Saïx as a puppet. A weapon. A tool for their own ends. They used his friend and Lea couldn't protect him from that. They used Saïx, but it was because Lea failed him.

And yet even when they used him, Saïx fought back enough not to kill Lea when he had the chance.

"I thought… you outgrew the marks under your eyes," said Saïx calmly.

Lea instinctively touched his face where the purple marks used to be. Where they'd been for years. A physical reminder of a childhood memory. A supposed magic charm to ward off tears.

Voice a little rough and defensive, Lea asked, "So?"

"You look… like you need them…," he said, still panting tiredly.

Lea could sense the others edging a little closer, but he couldn't bring himself to look away. He just kept staring at his oldest friend and the fraying fragments of nothingness.

"Stop it," said Lea firmly. "The whole act."

Stop acting like you don't care. Like this doesn't matter. Just act like Lea's friend again.

Quieter, Lea said, "I thought this was all for her."

The girl in the cell. The nameless girl hidden down in the darkness, below the secret lab and down the spiraling staircase, before she disappeared without a trace. The reason that they kept breaking into the castle, became apprentices for Ansem the Wise, and worked their way up Organization XIII. They did it for that girl from long ago. Because both of them would do almost anything for a friend.

Surprising to realize that remained true even after everything.

Weariness coating every word, Saïx said, "At first. I sacrificed everything to try and track her down. You're the one who went off and made other friends. Left her and me both in the dust."

Guilt washed over Lea even though he knew it was irrational. Guilt and regret. Lea couldn't help glancing back at those words. Kairi and Sora both seemed sympathetic as they stayed at a distance, offering at least the illusion of privacy. Roxas looked quietly angry and Xion seemed a little sad for Saïx.

"It infuriated me," continued Saïx, causing Lea to turn towards him again, "how you just exited our lives. Not that I knew that's what I felt at the time..."

Saïx gasped and winced, one hand moving to clutch his chest in obvious pain. His breathing grew shakier. Lea moved closer instinctively, as if his unsteady steps were caused by another. Lea was practically pulled by an intangible force until he was standing directly in front of Saïx.

In a pained voice, Saïx said, "I lost… all sense of purpose… And I… I… Lea? Roxas?" He looked past Lea toward the others behind him. "Xion? I'm… I'm sorry."

Lea slowly kneeled beside his old friend, moving carefully not to aggravate his own injuries. He reached over and placed a hand on Saïx's back. Silently reassuring him that he wasn't alone.

"I'm sorry too," apologized Lea. "But I didn't forget you."

"Yes… I know," he said softly. "You wouldn't do that."

Saïx managed to raise his head a little and Lea followed his gaze, placing his other hand on the Nobody's shoulder. Roxas and Xion had edged around. Not too close, but at a better angle to watch what was unfolding. Both looked sorry for Saïx's deteriorating state. Xion's hands were clasped in front of her chest, one of her more obvious signs of distress.

"But…," said Saïx, almost whispering, "I was jealous."

Lea stiffened slightly and his eyes widened, stunned by the words. He wasn't certain if the admission or the apology addressed to all three of them was more unexpected.

Lea said gently, "You admit it."

Saïx made a sound that might be generously described as a broken chuckle. He was still clutching his side with his right hand, but he glanced back towards Lea.

"Well, if I make it back…," he said as he tried to straighten up, a hint of snark beneath the exhaustion and pain, "you won't get it out of me a second time."

The fading worsened, the nothingness peeling away in thicker streams. Saïx collapsed sideways with a gasp. Lea caught him, wincing at the pain from the sudden motion. But he managed to keep a hold of his old friend.

Not if. When. It was a matter of when, not if. Because he would make it back. Saïx shouldn't have suggested otherwise because Lea refused to allow this to end any other way. He held Saïx in his arms, refusing to leave him alone.

Lea remembered not wanting to be alone when he was fading away. He remembered being grateful to Sora for staying while wishing that Roxas was there. He could make certain that Saïx wasn't alone. Even if it made his throat tighten and his eyes burn, Lea would be with him until the end.

Quiet, gentle, and hopeful, Lea whispered, "See you, Isa."

"See you, Lea," he said, the words tired and accepting.

Saïx closed his eyes. A moment later, Lea nearly lost his balance as the weight in his arms abruptly vanished. The last few fragments of nothingness faded from sight. Gone. Saïx was gone. Lea fought to swallow past the thick knot in his throat.

Lea slowly raised his eyes from the empty spot where Saïx used to be. All four of the younger Keyblade wielders looked upset by what happened. Roxas and Xion seemed rather shaken by it. Watching a Nobody fade, even one that they had a difficult relationship with, must have dragged up some uncomfortable memories.

"He'll be all right," said Lea quietly. "He'll reform like everyone else did and then Isa will be fine."

He wasn't completely certain who he was trying to reassure: the kids or himself.

Lea tried to stand up, but immediately stumbled as his ribs sent a new stab of pain. That was definitely not his best fight. But it wasn't as bad as it could have been. He didn't get stabbed and he didn't die.

His definition of what counted as "not as bad as it could have been" might require some readjusting.

He grimaced as Kairi, Roxas, and Xion closed in on him. His trio of overprotective guardians. The only reason why Sora probably wasn't joining them was a lack of space.

"I'm fine," he reassured. "Calm down. I'm just a little tired and sore. Don't worry about it."

"Sit down," said Xion, pulling on his arm. "You need to sit down before you fall down."

Kairi was tugging at the hand that he kept pressing to his battered ribs. She was staring hard, as if she could somehow see through him to the injuries beneath his black coat if she concentrated hard enough. Any minute now and she would be using another Curaga.

"It's not that bad," he said, though Lea had serious doubts if any of them believed him.

Sora scratched the back of his head and said, "Maybe. But you've had a rough few days. You should rest while you can, Axel."

"You got Saïx away from the real Organization," said Roxas. "That's what you wanted to do, right? That's why you told us you had to come. Well, it's done now. You did it. And there's enough people to handle everything else. You can stop now."

"You guys can rest." Sora smiled encouragingly at them, still somehow bright and energetic despite fighting all day and the shadows growing deep around them. "You three stay with him and rest while I go ahead. You can catch up later."

"Are you sure?" asked Xion, a strange tone to her words that Lea couldn't quite place.

Roxas took a step forward and asked, "What if you need more help, Sora?"

"You've already helped plenty. Axel needs your help now."

And somehow that decided the matter. Lea found himself half-forced into sitting back down and actually using the hi-potion that Xion gave him. A short distance away, Kairi said something quietly to Sora. Then she tackled him in a tight hug that both of them were reluctant to end.

But eventually Sora took off running further into the stone maze and Kairi came back to join their little group. Lea tried to give her an encouraging look and she did eventually smile. But there was something off. She looked a little uncertain as she kept glancing back in the direction of where Sora vanished. Not overly worried, but uncertain. And for reasons that Lea couldn't understand, Roxas and Xion seemed faintly resigned.

Made it through a few more battles. All we have left are Ansem SOD, Young Xehanort, Xemnas, and Master Xehanort himself. And look! Kairi wasn't snatched up by Xemnas during this fight. That's always a plus.

Thanks for reading and continuing to support this story. I'm glad that so many people seem to enjoy it.