A/N: Hey guys!
Soo this is my second attempt at a 100-theme challenge and I'm determined to do it well this time. My previous attempt is another KH fic called "100 Feelings of an Undefined Heart" and it's kind of crap (I wrote it five years ago so of course it's sort of garbage) but if you want to take a look be my guest. This particular challenge was by ohsosqueamish off of wordpress and is variation 3 of said challenge.
There will be pairings in this fic (namely SoKai, TerQua and possibly RikuShi) but they won't be the main focus. I prefer to branch out a bit. These drabbles will be focusing on KH-original characters – there won't be any from a Disney or Final Fantasy character's point of view (except for maybe Mickey, Yen Sid and/or Maleficent) but you can probably expect a few from several Org XIII members besides just the Sea Salt trio. I'm going to try to give all the "main" characters (by which I mean the three trios plus Naminé) close to equal screentime. We'll see how well I do.
There will be five drabbles per chapter, and each chapter will open up with content warnings for each of the drabbles. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoyed writing them. And, as always, I don't own Kingdom Hearts.
Content Warnings: 1 goes into a brief description of a woman giving birth and 5 mentions physical injury.
1. Introduction
It was the height of storm season when a new life was introduced into the world
The room barely fit the bed the mother was sprawled on. The woman screamed at the pain tearing her abdomen, silver hair plastered to her forehead and her wails drowned by the thunder.
A cry pierced the din, and the midwife smiled.
"It's a boy."
The mother looked away. The midwife sighed.
"You can still change your mind, you know," she whispered.
"No. He's better off without me."
The midwife nodded, turning away…
"…wait." She glanced back. The mother sighed. "His name… it's Xehanort."
2. Love
Contrary to what most people thought, love wasn't always fireworks.
Not to Aqua, at least.
To her, love wasn't dramatic. It was the simple things; Eraqus kneeling beside her to heal a skinned knee, Ventus getting up early to bake her a special cake for her birthday, Terra giving her a cup of coffee to help her through the numerous all-nighters she's had to pull over the years. Nothing flashy or swoon-inducing. Just a thoughtful gesture from a friend was good enough.
Not everyone understood her perception of love, which was fine. It worked for her; that was good enough.
3. Light
Thoughts of his friends were the only thing that kept him moving.
Riku wandered alone on the rocky path, unable to suppress a shudder at the foul stench in the air. This place stank of darkness; the odor seeped into his pores and clung to his clothing. The atmosphere was cold and there wasn't a soul in sight. Try as he might, he couldn't stop shivering.
When it became too much to bear, Riku thought of his friends, of Sora's goofy grin and Kairi's gentle steadiness. Their light chased away the shadows, and he found the means to go on.
4. Dark
Purple smoke twirled around his hands, making the Replica grin. He flexed his fingers, watching the tendrils snake around the tips.
He didn't know why the "real thing" feared it – the darkness was intoxicating, pure ecstasy. Why would someone ever reject it?
"Having fun, kid?"
His head jerked up. Dark coat, red hair, sly smirk… it was Axel.
"Yes," he replied cautiously.
Axel crossed his arms. "Don't go overboard," he cautioned. "I'd rather not scrape you off the wall."
The Replica scowled. "Who asked you?"
Axel raised his hands. "Just sayin'. Can't be too careful with darkness. It bites back."
5. Rot
Xion couldn't move. Everything ached. Bruises and cuts riddled her body (courtesy of the imposter), the pain so intense that she couldn't even stand.
As badly as her body hurt though, it was nothing compared to the ache in her soul.
A sham. That's what he'd called her. He'd thrashed her within an inch of her life, called her a sham, and left her to rot like she wasn't even worth finishing off.
Tears stung her eyes, but she blinked them back. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction. He was wrong. She'd prove it.
She wasn't a sham. She wasn't.
