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Fanfiction ► [KH] "Where the Pieces Lie" | KH3 Countdown, Complete (Happy Release Day~)



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Audo

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- where the pieces lie -​

DATETITLEFOCUSLINK
01/01"The Past"Young Xehanort[x]
01/02"Ut Sit Magna, Tamen Certe Lenta Ira Deorum Est"Yen Sid[x]
01/03"Along the Waves"Aqua[x]
01/04"Consider the Witch"Naminé[x]
01/05"A Flower Grows In The Wasteland"Marluxia/Lauriam[x]
01/06"Where the Heart Goes"Riku-Replica[x]
01/07"Consolation Prize"Lea (& Riku)[x]
01/08"A Heart, Divided"Ventus & Vanitas[x]
01/09"Appendix IV"Vexen/Even[x]
01/10"Ille Qui Nos Omnes Servabit"Sora[x]
01/11"A New Chapter"Jiminy Cricket[x]
01/12"Something Important"Donald & Goofy[x]
01/13"What Lies Ahead"Kairi & Lea[x]
01/14"Forgotten Homes"Xehanort[x]
01/15"Tempus Edax Rerum"YMX[x]
01/16"Digital Hauntings of Mistakes Past"Ienzo[x]
01/17"Two Who Were Always Meant to Meet"Riku & Mickey[x]
01/18"Remembrance of Data PassedData-Naminé
& Data-Roxas
[x]
01/19"Reverberations of Another You"Hayner[x]
01/20"Credo Nos In Fluctu Eodem Esse"DiZ[x]
01/21"Conversations in the Dark"Naminé &
Lingering Will
[x]
01/22"Echoes of Who We Were"Isa & Lea[x]
01/23"Cogito Ergo Doleo"Xigbar/Braig[x]
01/24"Letters to an Absent King"Minnie[x]
01/25"Adventures We Never Had"Sora & Riku & Kairi[x]
01/26"The Gathering (Sursum Corda)"VII Lights[x]
01/27"Aegri Somnia"XIII Darknesses[x]
01/28"The Future"Young Eraqus[x]
01/29"Ellipsis"Tetsuya Nomura[x]

[AO3]

Just a little countdown of sorts, a collection of 29 129-word drabbles leading up to KH3's release on 1/29 (get it?).

Each drabble is 129 words long (this includes the title!)

They are all already written and planned so there won't be any delay or issue in that sense. I hope people find them interesting. The first one sets up the framing device, but each one after focuses on a character or pairing and their role in the story leading into KH3. Virtually all the mini-stories are set between DDD and KH3.

My hope is that the story will feel like a cohesive thing that gets people excited for KH3's release. I debated whether or not to reveal the full list of titles and characters focused on ahead of time, but I think I'll keep it a surprise until they're posted. But rest assured, nearly all major characters get at least one drabble by the end. Hope you like them!

As a note, the last KH3 trailer I saw was the Winnie-the-Pooh trailer. I consider everything after that to be spoilers. I'm trying to go into KH3 as blind as possible so please don't comment with any spoilers or anything like that. Thank you!

the past.
FOCUS: YOUNG XEHANORT

“On that fated land, a great war shall transpire.
Darkness will prevail and the light expire.”​

Xehanort and Eraqus sat with a chessboard between them. They’d only just begun when Xehanort brought up their Master’s favourite story: the Keyblade War and the foretold prophecy of the Worlds’ End. He peered up at the ancient Keyblade mounted on the ornate display. One day, it’d belong to him—he’d make certain of that.

He stared at the blue eye at its center, seemingly watching over every move they made.

“The future, it’s already written.” Xehanort claimed one of Eraqus’ pieces.

“But who’s to say I can’t change it?” Eraqus replied. “You might be surprised.”

They both looked down at all the pieces where they lay.

“Oh, I hope so.”​
 
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Oracle Spockanort

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Re: [KH] "Where the Pieces Lie" | KH3 Countdown, New Drabble Posted Every Day

I'm excited to read the rest. Your writing is so artful and full of emotion.
 

Audo

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Re: [KH] "Where the Pieces Lie" | KH3 Countdown, New Drabble Posted Every Day

Aww thank you! ;-; I hope there end up being some you really like :3

ut sit magna, tamen certe lenta ira deorum est.
FOCUS: YEN SID

Yen Sid sat in his usual chair. The lit skull-candle on his desk flickered. Moments ago, Xehanort revealed hidden truths—a clash between seven lights, thirteen darknesses. The child, Sora, nearly fell into his grasp. Yen Sid couldn't shake it: he was to blame.

Not only had he pushed them into Xehanort's clutches, but he allowed his plans to succeed thus far. Through many a guise Xehanort attempted his reign, but they all could have been halted had he done more. How long had it been since they were boyhood apprentices? How often had he told himself Xehanort wouldn't go astray? How many children would he make bear the weight of the world?

He extinguished the candle, smoke curling.
 

Audo

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Re: [KH] "Where the Pieces Lie" | KH3 Countdown, New Drabble Posted Every Day


along the waves.
FOCUS: AQUA

All her life Aqua kept her sight forward, always pushing, always moving towards her goal. It kept her going in the Realm of Darkness: the belief somewhere at the end of the long road, at the end of the endless hours, there would be salvation. Rescue. Something.

But here she was, sitting along the beach with a stranger, nowhere else to go.

She watched the waves of the dark sea by her feet, finally resting, finally stopping. End of the road. It was hard for her—harder than she ever thought it would be—to allow herself to stop. To give up? No. But to accept she couldn't do this alone.

There was still hope however. Even now the name brought solace to her heart.

Sora.​
 

Audo

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Re: [KH] "Where the Pieces Lie" | KH3 Countdown, New Drabble Posted Every Day


consider the witch.
FOCUS: NAMIN
É

Naminé took home in Kairi's heart.

She sat in the middle of her station, drawings spilling out on the floor all around her—the entire stained glass platform covered by forgotten drawings and sketches and pencil-crayon memories. Every single one of them a memory belonging to someone connected to Sora, to Kairi, to their hearts. Not a single one depicted herself. She was nowhere to be found in the pages, in their memories.

Holding the sketchbook tight to her chest, she laid down on all the drawings. Her body pushed them away, letting them slip off the edge. The drawings swished and floated into the abyss surrounding the station.

Would she ever find herself depicted within them?

Or was it her destiny to be forgotten?
 

Audo

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Re: [KH] "Where the Pieces Lie" | KH3 Countdown, New Drabble Posted Every Day


a flower grows in the wasteland.
FOCUS: MARLUXIA/LAURIAM

Marluxia coughed dust and sand. He opened his eyes with a jolt as he gasped for breath. He stumbled onto his feet only to find himself in a crossroads of fallen Keyblades—hundreds, thousands, everywhere he looked. The sight of it made his heart race. Wait— his heart? He looked down at his chest bewildered. He was human again.

He searched his surroundings. It was all so familiar and yet unfamiliar at once. All around him a barren wasteland, a graveyard, until something caught his eye. Growing in the shadow of a clusters of blades stood a single flower with three brilliant orange sepals and three bright blue petals. He reached down, plucked it free—

And held the strelitzia close to his heart.
 

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Re: [KH] "Where the Pieces Lie" | KH3 Countdown, New Drabble Posted Every Day


where the heart goes.
FOCUS: RIKU-REPLICA

"What happens when a fake dies—one like me? Where will my heart go? Does it disappear?"

"It'll go somewhere. Maybe the same place as mine."


Riku-Replica stumbled to the ground. All around him an endless darkness and a single pale road. Is this the afterworld, he thought. His body began to shimmer, to fade. He clenched his fists. No. I'm not ready. There has to be more than this. I have to be more than this. Riku-Replica got to his feet. The shimmering stopped. There was still a chance for him. There was still so much unsolved in his heart. There needed to be a way through this.

And so, he stepped forward.


"A faithful replica until the very end. That's... okay."
 

Audo

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Re: [KH] "Where the Pieces Lie" | KH3 Countdown, New Drabble Posted Every Day


consolation prize.
FOCUS: LEA (& RIKU)

Lea dangled his feet over the edge of the Mysterious Tower's balcony and looked out at the swatches of orange and blue along the horizon and the blaze of stars above. Beside him, Riku stared out at the same horizon, doubtlessly looking for signs of Sora. Lea reached into his pocket and pulled out a worn envelope. The edges had become torn with repetition, the paper crinkled and rough. Lea flipped it over in his hands, inspecting these marks. He ran his fingers along the shape of its contents slowly, feeling it through through the paper.

"What's that about?" Riku asked.

Lea opened the envelope and pulled out a single popsicle stick. He held it against the horizon, and swore he saw red.

â™›
W I N N E R​

"A reminder," he replied.
 

Audo

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Re: [KH] "Where the Pieces Lie" | KH3 Countdown, New Drabble Posted Every Day


a heart, divided.
FOCUS: VENTUS & VANITAS

Ventus and Vanitas sat on opposite sides of the fracture in Ven's heart. His heart healed a lot over the years, slowly, within Sora, and soon it would be fully healed—the last crack sealed.

"It's funny, y'know," Vanitas began. "You and I used to be one. But ever since we separated... it's like I don't really belong here. We're still separate even when I'm in your heart."

"I guess some things just aren't reversible," Ven said.

"You're way too calm about that old bastard f*cking your heart."

"All I can do is be strong for the people that need me. One day, I'll wake up and I'll have to protect them."

"Hmph. Whatever. Until then, I'm your only company."

Ventus smiled softly. "Looks that way."
 

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Re: [KH] "Where the Pieces Lie" | KH3 Countdown, New Drabble Posted Every Day


appendix iv.
FOCUS: VEXEN/EVEN

Even stirred. He had been unstable and resting since being recompleted, but now something was rousing him from his slumber, tickling his cheek. He opened his eyes to find a single golden eye looking down on him from above.

"Wakey, wakey, blondie."

Xigbar hung upside down in the air, half-emerged from a portal. His long ponytail swayed back and forth, grazing Even's face sporadically. He smirked.

"What is the meaning of this?" Even exclaimed, backing up in his bed, trying to put as much distance between them.

Xigbar reached down and grabbed Even by the collar, tight. He bared his teeth in a wide grin and pulled him up out of the bed and through the portal into the great unknown.

"You've got work to do."​
 

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Re: [KH] "Where the Pieces Lie" | KH3 Countdown, New Drabble Posted Every Day


ille qui nos omnes servabit.
FOCUS: SORA

Sora stared intently at the emblem on Mickey's Letter. He had kept it with him ever since he read it back on the islands. Now, having returned from the Realm of Sleep, they were heading off on their next adventure to save everyone. He held the letter tight. Sora couldn't deny the pressure weighing on him. He knew so many were connected to him, needed him. The end imminent. And he wanted to help, but, what if he couldn't?

"Sora, did you forget?" Donald said behind him in the Gummi Ship.

"Yeah, Sora, don't you remember? This boat runs on happy faces," Goofy added.

"No frowning. No sad face. Okay?"

Sora tucked the letter away. He took a deep breath before grinning wide.

"CHEEESE."​
 

Oracle Spockanort

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Re: [KH] "Where the Pieces Lie" | KH3 Countdown, New Drabble Posted Every Day

Finally caught up on these and every single one is wonderful. They leave me with questions in a good way, and also leave me wanting KH3 to just have even a small level of the care you've put into these drabbles.

My favorites so far are "ut sit magna, tamen certe lenta ira deorum est.", "a flower grows in the wasteland.", "consolation prize.", and "appendix iv."

It definitely seems like you were having fun with "appendix iv."
 

Audo

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Re: [KH] "Where the Pieces Lie" | KH3 Countdown, New Drabble Posted Every Day

aww thank you so much ;-; those are really kind words and i really appreciate them. i was worried no one was really reading these so it's nice to know you like them! i loved hearing about your favs so far, it's always interesting to see which ones people gravitate towards.

and yeah appendix iv, lol. it's probably the silliest of all the drabbles, but i thought a little humour was alright :p

most of my favourites are in the drabbles to come so i look forward to hearing what you think about them. i don't know if it's super obvious, but i tried to give the drabbles a sort of sense of forward progression across them. yen sid's begins right after ddd, and each one after, with just a few exceptions, are meant to be thought of as taking place sequentially as the stories get closer and closer to KH3's climax.

one of my personal favourites will be coming out a week from now, coincidentally on the release of face your fears. :3


a new chapter.
FOCUS: JIMINY CRICKET

Jiminy dusted off the past two journals chronicling their adventures. One journey to stop the darkness from spreading, and the other to put all the lost hearts back where they belong. He opened the first journal and flipped to the back.

Their hurting will be mended
When you return to end it.​

They had discovered the meaning behind this mysterious message. It took some time, but they were ready now—they were going to do everything they could to set this right. Jiminy went and retrieved a brand new journal and held it tight in his little hands, both grateful to be chronicler and nervous for the trials ahead.

Soon, Sora, Donald and Goofy would arrive to retrieve him, and a new chapter would finally begin.
 

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Re: [KH] "Where the Pieces Lie" | KH3 Countdown, New Drabble Posted Every Day



something important.
FOCUS: DONALD & GOOFY

Donald and Goofy missed this. It felt like so long since they were last on a real adventure. They were always on the outside, watching, never getting to be involved, never getting to do anything important. But now they were back with Sora. And yeah, they missed doing important things, but more than that, they missed him. They missed getting dragged into his messes, missed joking around with him, missed growing with him. Finally reunited again, Donald and Goofy knew this was where they belonged. Together they could face anything.

As the three of them headed off to the next world, getting ever closer to the great clash that awaited them, they kept one thought in their hearts through it all:

"All for one, one for all!"​
 

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Re: [KH] "Where the Pieces Lie" | KH3 Countdown, New Drabble Posted Every Day


what lies ahead.
FOCUS: KAIRI & LEA

Growing up on the islands, Kairi was never quite included. The others played with swords, fought, got bruised, bloody. She was always composed, outside. It felt expected of her—the role she was meant to play.

"You'll just get in the way."

But no more. She and Lea were training to use the Keyblade. Sparring. Toughening up. Pluto watched as they battled, as she fought to break free from the forced role.

Lea hit her with his Keyblade, splitting her lip. He apologized but told her not to give up: they needed to be prepared for what was coming.

She wiped the blood away with the side of her fist before readying her Keyblade, a fire growing within her—an endless determination.

"Don't hold back, Axel."​
 

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Re: [KH] "Where the Pieces Lie" | KH3 Countdown, New Drabble Posted Every Day


forgotten homes.
FOCUS: XEHANORT

"You won't need a home anymore where you're going!"

Darkness cracked in the sky pulling everything into its depths. Xehanort watched as the world he spent so many years living with Eraqus was devoured. Then, he disappeared
.

Xehanort stepped onto the sandy beaches of his boyhood home. All around the smaller island everything felt all too familiar. Such a small world. And yet, inexplicably, he found his heart guiding him home. With nary a second thought, the corridor opened up and he found himself here. So much happened since he last stepped foot on these shores. He knew in his heart this would be the final time he'd see these waves, the sand, the paopu.

The End would soon arrive, and with it—the World he sought.
 
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Re: [KH] "Where the Pieces Lie" | KH3 Countdown, New Drabble Posted Every Day


tempus edax rerum.
FOCUS: YMX

Young Xehanort sat on the cliff's edge in Symphony of Sorcery, countless petals drifting along the wind. It truly was a beautiful world, the kind he dreamed of seeing back on his tiny island, the kind that pushed him to want to escape so desperately. And now, here he was. He had seen the life and death of his various forms many times, visiting all the moments in between. Where did he fall among them?

If memory shapes who you are, then who was he? He had memories, experiences, none of his selves had by being able to see his entire life stretch out in front of him. What would become of him now? He'd lose his memories, his self, eventually.

Destined to only be temporary.
 

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Re: [KH] "Where the Pieces Lie" | KH3 Countdown, New Drabble Posted Every Day


digital hauntings of mistakes past.
FOCUS: IENZO

Ienzo fiddled with the Radiant Garden computer. He had never quite gotten the handle on working it when growing up as a young apprentice and while he was certainly more adept now, he couldn't help but admit that his grasp of the system still left a fair bit to be desired. He was trying to find information on the intentions of the True Organization but kept coming up short. It was in this frustration that he hit his fists against the keys. A portrait of an older man with blond hair appeared on the screen. Ansem the Wise. The closest thing to a father he ever knew. Ienzo reached out and touched the image gently with his fingertips—

And bowed his head in shame.
 

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Re: [KH] "Where the Pieces Lie" | KH3 Countdown, New Drabble Posted Every Day


two who were always meant to meet.
FOCUS: RIKU & MICKEY

Riku and Mickey walked through the Realm of Darkness, hoping to recover something important. Riku was struck by the familiarity of it all. He'd been here before, in the dark, but now he wasn't alone.

"Mickey," he began.

"What is it, Riku?"

"A long time ago I fell to darkness and found myself here. I was so scared. I thought I was going to lose... everything. But I heard a voice cut through the darkness." He stopped. "Your voice. If it weren't for you, I don't think I'd be here. I just... thank you."

"Gosh, Riku. You don't have to thank me or anything. We're pals, remember?" Mickey held out his hand.

Riku smiled and took Mickey's hand in his. "Fair enough."
 

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Re: [KH] "Where the Pieces Lie" | KH3 Countdown, New Drabble Posted Every Day


remembrance of data passed.
FOCUS: DATA-NAMINÉ & DATA-ROXAS

Residual Data. That's how Naminé explained it. When someone deletes a file or partition, remnant data can sometimes linger. That was the case Roxas and Naminé were in. The bugs in Jiminy's Journal had been destroyed, the message imparted, memories revealed. Everything returned to how it was. The data of Roxas and Naminé was never meant to be in the journal, and so, they were deleted.

And yet, they survived. Remnants left behind.

It was something Naminé was learning about the world: nothing's so easily reversible. Once made, can something ever truly be unmade? She didn't know, but for now, she was grateful. Their original forms never quite knew where they belonged, but together they would build themselves a home, hidden in ones and zeroes.
 
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