Kingdom Hearts 3 Countdown Challenge

The Kingdom Hearts 3 Countdown Challenge is exactly what it sounds like - a countdown to the release of Kingdom Hearts 3! Starting on December 25th, 2018 and going till January 25th, 2019, there will be a new prompt every day centered around the series. Anyone is welcome to participate.

[phoenix-downer]

Destinies Intertwined

For the KH3 Countdown Challenge.

Bonus Prompt - Destiny

Alone together for the first time in who knows how long, and Sora didn’t know what to say.

But that was okay. Some things went without saying. And some things were just way beyond words.

Sharing a paopu with Kairi was definitely one of them.

He’d never forget this moment as long as he lived. The sunlight reflecting off her red hair, the huge smile on her face, the sparkle dancing in her eyes, the flush to her cheeks. The piece of paopu in her fingers dripping juice as she gently lifted it to his mouth. The sour-sweet taste of the fruit followed up with her soft lips pressing against his and making everything else melt away.

Then it was her turn. He gave her a piece of the paopu and his heart and soul along with it. As she chewed and swallowed the fruit, he couldn’t help but smile at her.

Their destinies were intertwined now. He’d bound himself to her for as long as they lived. Nothing would keep them apart anymore.

He sealed their oath with another kiss, this one slow, lingering. There was no rush; no more enemies to fight, no more battles to be won, no more separations to endure. Just the two of them fulfilling their vow to each other at long last.

When they finally broke apart, Sora couldn’t help but think he was the luckiest guy in the universe.

And when Kairi kissed him one last time, this time with so much passion it took his breath away and made his heart feel like it was gonna burst?

He knew he was.

This is my final prompt for the challenge! A big, big thank you to everyone who liked, reblogged, and commented on my fics for the challenge. Your support means a lot to me!

No spoilers in the comments, please, but I can’t wait till I’ve finished the game and can share my thoughts and read everyone else’s thoughts, too!

KH3 here we come! :)

[phoenix-downer]

Blast Off!

For the KH3 Countdown Challenge. I have not watched the leaked cutscenes or any Japanese playthroughs, so no spoilers, please!

Day 32 - Blast Off!

“Riku?” Mickey asked as he started up the engines of the Gummi Ship.

“Everyone’s inside, right?” Riku called as he turned around to do a quick head count.

Lea gave him a thumbs up. Roxas and Xion and Naminé were strapped into their seats next to him, and Donald and Goofy were buckling up, too.

Xehanort may have been defeated, but there were still people out there who needed their help. Still people who were lost and hurting, who needed their lives restored.

“Everyone’s here, Mickey,” Riku said. “We’re good to go.”

“Great. Hang tight to your seats, everybody!”

The Gummi Ship took off, and with that, they began their new adventure.

I’m sure these ficlets are well into AU territory at this point, but it’s been a fun ride! Thank you so much for all the support! This is technically the last prompt of the challenge, but I did one more bonus prompt that I will share with you all here soon :)

[phoenix-downer]

Land of Departure

For the KH3 Countdown Challenge. I have not watched the leaked cutscenes or any Japanese playthroughs, so no spoilers whatsoever, please!

I’m sure these ficlets are well into AU territory at this point, but it’s been a fun ride! Just think, we’re almost there :)

Day 31 - Home

Terra looked up at the great stained glass window. Even though the Land of Departure had been restored, it was still cracked. There was dust on the paintings and furniture, too, and the floors needed scrubbing and the windows needed washing. The gardens were overgrown and the training equipment was rusty, too.

They had their work cut out for them, that was for sure. Even with the help of magic this was going to take a while.

But that was okay. With Aqua and Ven by his side, he knew they could handle it.

Aqua smiled and handed him and Ven brooms. “Ready?”

Ven grinned at her. “Ready.”

Time to make this castle truly a home again.

[angel-with-a-pipette]

Title: Same Stance

Summary: “Speaking of the fight, I finally solved the mystery.”

Donald eyed Lea critically.

“What mystery?”

“The mystery of why Kairi’s fighting stance seemed so familiar to me! Come on, don’t tell me you haven’t realized?” Lea’s grin widened. “Our Princess here is totally copying her Prince!”

Rating: Teen and up audiences

Genre: Romance

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Disney/Square Enix. This fanfic is for @phoenix-downer . She helped me come up with the idea and was so supportive of this and I can’t thank her enough that she’s been keeping my sane during my KH3-trailer hiatus. Without her, I would have caved in and watched all the footage, so once again thank you so much ♥ I hope you like it!

I took some creative liberty in naming Lea’s Keyblade “Flurry of Flames”. At this point in time, I am not aware of his Keyblade’s official name and if I don’t forget it, I’ll edit the name once it’s been revealed in Kingdom Hearts 3!

This was also written for the @kh3countdownchallenge , prompt 17: Discovery

Also available on: ao3 

Please enjoy!

Rougher than usual, the gummi ship finally touched down on Radiant Garden’s brickwork and Sora barely turned off the engine before he stormed out of the ship.

“Sora, wait!”

But he didn’t even think about waiting.

“Come on,” he yelled in response, skipping backwards to look at Donald before turning around again, “hurry up!”

“‘Hurry up’?!” Donald imitated him incredulously, quickly flicking his staff in the direction of the gummi ship to hide it before he took off after Sora, “I’ll show you ‘hurry up’! Get back here now!”

“Gawrsh, Donald, don’t be so hard on Sora. He’s just excited to finally see Kairi again!”

Heat rose into Sora’s face and he managed to stumble over his right foot, resulting in him flailing his arms around desperately to regain his balance. Donald’s following snicker didn’t make it better and now with a beet-red face, Sora ran off even faster, ignoring the indignant quacks behind him.

Keep reading

[phoenix-downer]

This Is Real

For the KH3 Countdown Challenge. I have not watched the leaked cutscenes or any Japanese playthroughs, so no spoilers whatsoever, please!

I’m sure these ficlets are well into AU territory at this point, but it’s been a fun ride! Just think, we’re almost there :) 

Day 30 - Reunion

Kairi couldn’t remember much about what had just happened. Together they’d all dealt the finishing blow, there was a blast of light, and then—

Her eyes fluttered open. The sun peeked out over the horizon, warming the sand around her as cold water from the gentle crash of the waves against the shore licked at her feet.

“Kairi?” a very familiar, very dear voice asked.

“Riku!” she cried, smiling so big she thought her face might split open. She threw her arms around him and held him tight. It was so good to be finally be home again.

He laughed, and there was no trace of sadness in his voice or in his eyes or in his smile. “We’re home.”  

“Yes, at long last,” a voice from behind her said.

Keep reading

[kh3countdownchallenge]

Day 32 - Blast Off!

[kh3countdownchallenge]

Day 31 - Home

[phoenix-downer]

We’re Gonna Win

For the KH3 Countdown Challenge. I have not watched the leaked cutscenes, so no spoilers whatsoever, please!

I’m sure these ficlets are well into AU territory at this point, but I am determined to see this challenge through to the end :) A big thank you to everyone who’s been along for the ride, I really appreciate the support! 

Now, without further ado:

Day 29 - Victory

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’.

Keep reading

[kh3countdownchallenge]

Day 30 - Reunion

[kh3countdownchallenge]

Day 29 - Victory

[phoenix-downer]

Line The Pieces Up

For the KH3 Countdown Challenge.

Day 28 - Healing

“Where… am I?”

His eyes fluttered open. Sky. Blue sky. All around him was blue sky and white clouds.

Huh. This place seemed… calm. Peaceful. Not at all like—

He winced and clutched his heart.

His heart. Why… why did it hurt so bad?

Oh yeah. His heart was in pieces. His soul had been torn from his body. He was dead.

Then how… how had he ended up here?

He stumbled to his feet. All around him were these stone columns and platforms that kinda looked liked clouds and—

Hundreds and hundreds of flickering images of him.

Huh?

He peered closer. One of them was waving his empty hand like it had a Keyblade in it. Another one had his hands behind his neck. A third one was twirling around like—

Like that time he’d danced with—

He couldn’t remember the name. It was gone.

These were… pieces of him? Pieces of his heart, scattered all around? Fragments of his memory?

His hand went to his chest again. It still felt hollow, empty. It ached.

He had to get the pieces back.

Keep reading

[phoenix-downer]

Too Much

For the KH3 Countdown Challenge. 

Day 27 - Loss

Contains distressing content. Check the warning tags and read at your own risk. 

Keep reading

[kh3countdownchallenge]

Day 28 - Healing

[kh3countdownchallenge]

Day 27 - Loss

[phoenix-downer]

To The Very End

For the KH3 Countdown Challenge.

Day 26 - Darkness

Don’t give in to the darkness. That was the one rule he’d set for himself in all of this. Because if he did, it was all over. Xehanort was still after his heart. He and Roxas were both candidates for the last position on Xehanort’s list. And if there was one thing Sora had learned in all this, it was that Xehanort did not fight fair.

Which meant he was doing everything he could to make the darkness in Sora’s heart take over. Encounter after encounter with his “vessels” had really driven that point home.

And the thing was… a small part of Sora wanted to give in to the darkness. He wanted to rescue Roxas. He wanted to make Xehanort pay for all the hurt he’d caused. He wanted to give in to the shadowy creature that lived inside his heart, the one that only came out during a fight and unleashed his rage on his enemies till Donald and Goofy snapped him back to his senses.

But he couldn’t. He just couldn’t. His heart had to resist. There was no other option.

Until Xehanort targeted Kairi.

Keep reading

[kh3countdownchallenge]

Day 26 - Darkness

[phoenix-downer]

Light

For the KH3 Countdown Challenge.

Day 25 - Light

Where were all these Heartless even coming from?

Sora had never seen them falling from the sky like this before. The whole world was turning dark, too, as the darkness spread further and further and swallowed everything in its path.

Would the light really expire, just like the prophecy said?

No. No way was he gonna let that happen. He summoned his Keyblade. No matter how bad things got, he would keep on fighting. He had to protect the worlds. He had to protect the light. He had to protect his friends.

He thought of them now as he charged into battle with Donald and Goofy right as his heels. Their faces all flickered through his head as he dove headlong into the fight.

The people he’d met on his travels. His friends back home.

The Heartless just wouldn’t stop coming, wave after wave after wave of them lunged at him and clawed at his legs and back and tried to tear out his heart—

Terra. Aqua and Ven.

There were Unversed here, too, so many of them, choking up the air, choking out the light, draining all hope along with them—

Roxas and Axel and Xion.

And Nobodies, lots of Nobodies, trying to catch him off guard, trying to get him to fall—

Naminé.

The Seekers were the ones behind this, weren’t they, this had their dirty fingerprints written all over it—

Mickey, Donald, and Goofy.

Xehanort really was making good on his promise, he really did want the worlds collapse into darkness, didn’t he—

Riku.

He had to keep fighting, he had to, Riku would tell him not to give up, but maybe it really was useless to resist, maybe fighting was pointless, maybe he should just—

Kairi.

He stared at the horizon. Was that… light?

Yeah, it was. A huge wave of light pushed back the darkness, pushed back the Unversed and Heartless and Nobodies. Sora almost had to cover his eyes, it was so bright.

When the light had faded, a good chunk of their enemies were gone. And in their place, standing a little ways away, was—

No. It couldn’t be.

“Kairi!”

Wow, she looked great. She was even prettier than before, if that was even possible. Her hair was shorter and she was wearing a new outfit, pink and black with a nice skirt that—

Sora watched, stunned, as she kicked a nearby Heartless into the air for Axel to do what he did best— set it on fire. Then she used a smaller burst of light to target one of the bigger Unversed as he caught a group of Nobodies in his flames.

When the smoke had cleared, she finally turned Sora’s way. She flipped her hair and gave him a teasing smile, and he knew he was a goner.

“Sora, pay attention!” Donald scolded, zapping a stray Heartless that had gotten too close.

“They’re comin’ back, Sora,” Goofy shouted,  “you gotta keep fightin’!”

Sora hardly noticed. “Kairi! Kairi’s here!”

“Yes, she’s here!” came Donald’s exasperated voice. “Fight now, talk later!”

Oh, he would fight, all right. He would fight his way to her side until nothing stood in their way anymore.

Because at long last, they could finally be together.

Something tells me that however Sora and Kairi’s reunion goes down in KH3, it’s going to be special. Nomura carefully avoided letting them see each other in 0.2, which is very telling - he wanted to save their big onscreen reunion for KH3, which means he’s got something special planned.

Then I got to thinking about how that reunion might go, exactly, and I thought Kairi swooping into battle to show just how far she’s come during her training would be an awesome way to do that. And thus the idea for this fic was born. I’ve been meaning to write it for a while, actually, and now I finally had the chance :)

Hope you enjoyed!