Kingdom Hearts fic: AUgust 2020 (31 fics in a series)

[mistressofmuses]

The prompt list for the AUgust challenge in 2020

My AUgust 2020 fics on AO3
Fandom: Kingdom Hearts
Rating: G through T
Pairing: Sora/Riku/Kairi (some fics are pre-ship, but on a long enough timeline, it's intended that they'd wind up together.)
Total length: 59,162 words
[Originally posted between August 1st and August 31st 2020, but I wanted to link them on DW.]

AUgust was a fic writing challenge started last year, with a list of daily prompts focusing on different Alternate Universe types. And I managed to do it! I wrote 31 fics in 31 days! It was a really fun challenge, and it forced me to work quickly, and to do one-shots for a change. (Usually my stuff spirals into long novel-length stuff.)

There was a prompt list for this year as well, but with three ongoing fics I'm still working on, I didn't feel like I had the energy, time, or brain space to do it again. (And I'm not sure I have 31 more AUs for the same ship in me, yet don't have another fandom/ship that's grabbed my interest to write.)
I'd hoped to maybe pick one prompt per week, but then wound up basically not writing at all this month, so... welp.

But, before the month is out, I figured I can share it to my Dreamwidth for posterity!


Day 1 - Fantasy AU - The Curse: Sora is cursed by an evil sorcerer to be forgotten by everyone who knows him, so he seeks out the help of a different sorcerer in hopes of lifting the curse.
(This one DID spiral into a novel-length fic. I haven't posted it yet, but I have a full Howl's Moving Castle AU now, ha.)

Day 2 - College AU - Reinvention: Riku chooses to go to Island U, which promises to be everything the more prestigious Bastion University is not.

Day 3 - Soulmate AU - The Fated Thought of You: It's expected, that once you're in a sufficiently serious romantic relationship, you'll share a paopu and reveal your soulmarks, to find out if you're truly soulmates. Riku, Sora, and Kairi have been reluctant to share one, despite pressure from friends and family to find out which of the two "really" belong together.
(I was actually pretty happy with this one.)

Day 4 - Angels & Demons AU - Falling: Riku and Kairi are sent to play guardian angels to a man named Sora, who also may have a demon looking to sway him to some infernal purpose.
(This is a tiny bit of a longer fic that I doubt I'll ever write, for various reasons. Though part of me still wants to, ha.)

Day 5 - Post-Apocalyptic AU - To Keep Us All From Dying: The stars begin to vanish, and there's one last evacuation planned. Riku, Sora, and Kairi promise each other "We'll go together."

Day 6 - Hospital AU - Shared Dreams: Sora is in a coma, with very few visitors. Riku is one of them. Slowly he strikes up a friendship with one of Sora's caretakers, Kairi. Then he reveals something else: he thinks he's found a way to share Sora's dreams.
(This one has some fairy tale vibes, and I actually became pretty fond of it.)

Day 7 - Childhood Friends AU - A Broken Chain Can Be Repaired: Children with the potential to wield the Keyblades are cultivated when they're young. But once the potential is secured, the bonds of friendship they've formed are severed, to ensure they have no conflicts of interest when it comes to the war they're fighting. But just because a connection is broken doesn't mean it can't be renewed.
(This one wound up with a very sci-fi vibe, and surprisingly became one of my favorites out of the whole month.)

Day 8 - Superhero AU - Clarifying Statements: After the dramatic end to the Event that nearly ended the entire hero team, Kairi (codename: Radiance), Sora (codename: Keyblade), and Riku (codename: Corridor) settle in to what being a Hero means now. But the media is already ready to return to tabloid gossip.
(A sequel/epilogue to the first ongoing fic that brought me back to fandom the year before. I haven't posted it to my DW yet either, but will sometime, ha.)

Day 9 - Royalty AU - And Destiny Tied: Queen Kairi and her future consorts elope.

Day 10 - Pirate AU - The Untamed Coast: Tired of life in a town run by smugglers, Kairi wishes to become a pirate. Then she vanishes, presumably kidnapped by one. Sora's never been the vengeful type, but if she needs rescuing, he'll do it.
(This one would be fun to explore in more detail.)

Day 11 - Farm/Ranch AU - A Sophisticated Palate: Riku makes breakfast, and Sora suggests taking some to their new tenant.

Day 12 - Crime AU - All the Necessities: Kairi, the mayor's daughter, and Riku, scion of the island's most prominent organized crime family, are the perfect match to cement a corrupt alliance. Too bad they have no desire to play along.
(This was a chance to write a short version of an AU that had been kicking around in my head for more than FIFTEEN YEARS. Part of me would still love to see the long version come to pass, though it's extremely unlikely.)

Day 13 - Rock Star AU - One Final Show: It's been years since Riku left to start his career under his stage name "Heartless." Years since his best friends quit speaking to him, and he tried to throw himself into his new life. When he discovers his best friends never tried to cut ties, that that was a lie from his manager, his career begins to falter. It may be too late for forgiveness, but he's going home, to perform one last show for them.
(Another that would have been fun to flesh out, but that I enjoyed writing.)

Day 14 - Vampire AU Homecoming: Islands aren't the best hunting grounds—the populations are too small and stable—which is part of why relatively young vampire Riku winds up with it as his territory. Secretly, he's glad for the chance for some distance, where he has an excuse not to take too much human prey. But something is lurking in the shadows of this peaceful place...
(This one started a series, of sorts. One I still plan to return to!)

Day 15 - Role Reversal AU - All That You Are Heir To: Kairi is promised the ability to save her world if she embraces the darkness. Riku finds a new team to try and save more worlds from falling. Sora's heart is locked away.

Day 16 - Treasure Hunter AU - Priorities: The trio goes on an expedition to find rare books, stolen from the Radiant Garden libraries.

Day 17 - Firefighters Modern AU - Third Wheel: Riku appreciates the effort Sora and Kairi go to in order to include them in their lives, even now that they're a couple. But he knows at some point he'll have to quite being the third wheel.
(I used one of the "Joker" prompts to substitute for the original prompt. Just a fairly basic get-together fic, but one I actually really enjoyed.)

Day 18 - Bodyguard AU - Professional Interest: Kairi hires Riku as a bodyguard for a gala she and her partner, Sora, are attending. She promises it'll be interesting, a claim he easily dismisses. When a threat on her life seems to be legitimate, and Sora turns out to have a fairly unorthodox skill set of his own, Riku is forced to admit it may be far more interesting than he'd imagined.
(Another one that started a short series, which I also intend to continue at some point!)

Day 19 - 19th Century Steampunk AU - A Lock For Every Secret: Kairi, Riku, and Sora run a shop, selling locks and keys for every kind of secret. But they have a project of their own, growing close to fruition.
(Another substitution prompt.)

Day 20 - Single Parent Coffee Shop AU - The Love(s) of His Life: Sora is the kind of hopeless romantic who falls in love with everyone who crosses his path. But something feels different about the woman who ordered the iced caramel white mocha. And the man who ordered the cinnamon latte. Now if only he could stop tripping over his own words long enough to have an actual conversation with them.
(My final substitution prompt. The quintessential AU, right? This was very fun to write, actually.)

Day 21 - Professional Rivals - Keeping Score: Riku, Sora, and Kairi are each sent to retrieve powerful magical artifacts, hidden away on different worlds. But as each approaches their target, they find only a note... someone has beaten them to it.

Day 22 - Futuristic AU - Use of Resources: No one really understands the key masters, and how they do what they can do. They have the ability to create and alter virtual reality builds using nothing but the power of their own minds. Kairi agrees to answer a researcher's questions about her and her partners' abilities. But they are not interested in being anyone's experiment.
(The opening chapter to an otherwise unwritten cyberpunk AU that I may still someday write.)

Day 23 - Arranged Marriage AU - A Show of Good Faith: The alliance between Radiant Garden and Destiny Islands is new, and still tenuous. To try and strengthen those ties, as a "show of good faith", it has been promised that Kairi, princess of Radiant Garden, will marry someone from Destiny Islands. Since the islands don't have a royal family, they have instead sent five eligible suitors, in the hopes that one of them will make for a peaceful match.
(Kind of more of a fantasy The Bachelorette. This is another one that I started to write a longer version of, but don't know that I'll ever complete.)

Day 24 - Private Detectives AU - Long-Term Contract: After Riku successfully protected Kairi (and Sora) from the assassination attempt at a political gala, Kairi wants to hire him for ongoing protection. Clearly, there's more going on than a simple political grudge.
(Sequel to Day 18. Probably needs another fic to wrap up the whole plotline.)

Day 25 - Circus AU - The Celestial Mystic: Working in the circus, Kairi the Celestial Mystic tells the future using elaborate star charts. It appears someone has taken her abilities a bit too seriously, and is set on forcing her to work for them, whether she wants to or not. But she has faith that she won't be left in their hands for very long.

Day 26 - Monster Hunter AU - The Wrong Kind of Interesting: A pair of monster hunters notices the new vampire on the island. They're always willing to give the so-called monsters a chance. If they aren't going to cause problems for everyone else, then Sora and Kairi won't cause problems for them.
(Sequel to Day 14. Still have to finish this series!)

Day 27 Flower Shop AU - Orchids: Kairi runs a small flower shop and plant nursery called Radiant Garden. Sora, a regular customer working his way toward friend, comes in to find the perfect gift for someone.

Day 28 Fashion and Models AU The Contest: Amateur fashion designer Sora can't quite get up the courage to enter a contest to have his designs produced. For better or worse, his best friend and partner Kairi enters it for him. And if he wins, not only will the design be produced, it will also be modeled by Riku, one of the most famous models in the fashion world.
(For something I know nothing about, I had a ton of fun with this one, and it's another one that would be fun to continue, though I doubt I will.)

Day 29 - Tattoo Parlor AU - Carnations: At a local small-business fair, Kairi sets up a booth for her flower shop, Radiant Garden. Tattoo artist Riku also has a table at the fair, advertising his newly opened studio. He gets up to browse through the other booths, where he meets a charming florist... Sora wants a chance to get them to meet each other, but perhaps he shouldn't have been so vague on the details.
(Sequel to Day 27.)

Day 30 - Magic AU - Strangeness: Everyone knows there's something strange about Kairi, and they shun her as a witch even as they want the magic she creates for them. Sora and Riku appoint themselves as friends and protectors.
(Another that I was surprisingly happy with.)

Day 31 - Combine any two previous prompts: Soulmate + Magic - Multiverse: Sora wakes up and Riku and Kairi have vanished, pulled away from the world entirely. He goes to petition the goddess of destiny to help him find them. Riku wakes in an endless hall of stained glass, and Kairi in a field of infinite stars. But they always find each other.