PlayEphe

PlayEphe is the non-binary ship between Player and Ephemer from the Kingdom Hearts fandom.

Canon
The Player meets Ephemer while he's fighting an Invisible. They help him and the two of them quickly become friends, despite not being in the same Union. Ephemer tells them that he wants to investigate the Clock Tower. Unfortunetly, they don't reach the top.

Ephemer promises the Player that they'll go back the next day. However, he goes on his own that very night, and dissapears. The Player, unaware of that, waits the entire day for him at the Fountain Plaza. Chirithy cheers them up.

Time passed, and one day, the Player goes back to the tower with another of Ephemer's friend, a girl named Skuld who was in the same Union as him. At the top, one of the Foreteller tells that Ephemer is dead. The Player makes a speech and challenges the leader of their own Union. After defeating them, the Foreteller reveals themselves to be Ava. She tells them that they are worthy to be a Dandelion, just like Ephemer.

After learning the truth about the tensions, the Player decides to not join the Dandelions. After fighting for their life, the Player, severely wounded, finally got to see Ephemer again. He and Skuld invinte them to come with them. They accept and now, they'll "go together" into the new world.

After two years, Ephemer and the Player are reunited. But it is cut short by glitches. After meeting the others Union leaders, the two friends go investigate and end up in the Game Central Station. They split up, and the Player goes to Niceland. After chasing Ralph, they are reunited with his friend in Cy-Bug Sector. But they have to get separated again. Before he leaves, he tells the Player that he trust them to find the source of the corruption.

After defeating the corrupted Turbo, Player jumps from a portal to help the Union Leaders. After confronting Darkness, the group discovers that the data-world might have data versions of people they knew (and themselves). They decide to go to the outside world. Unfortunately, there aren't enough lifeboats to escape, so Ephemer, Skuld and Player stay, as the latter says they're not a Dandelion but a friend. Ephemer asks if Player is sure about their decision to stay behind with him and Skuld, to which they respond that they're right where they want to be, with Ephemer.

Unfortunately, four more Darknesses arrive and try to force the trio to open a portal for them. Player then attacks Ephemer and Skuld, pretending to be possessed by the Darkness that they had previously fought, to force Ephemer to open a portal as part of their plan to trap themself in a Portal Cable along with the four Darknesses. Player did this knowing that Ephemer and Skuld wouldn't go along with Player's plan if they told them due to it involving Player sacrificing themself. When it looks like the seemingly possessed Player is about to kill Skuld, Ephemer opens the portal, unintentionally fatally wounding Player in the process. Ephemer is forced to locking one side of the Portal and send Player's body into the Portal Cable. Upon realising what he had just done to his best friend, Ephemer breaks into tears and apologises to Player, knowing they won't hear him. After getting trapped in the Portal Cable, Player finally drops their façade and locks the other side of the Portal Cable to trap the four Darknesses. Player then eventually succumbs to the wound they received from Ephemer and melts into a brand new heart. When entering his pod, Ephemer cries when he remembers the moments he spent with Player, before the pod closes on him.

Fanon
PlayEphe is a rare ship in the KH fandom. However, it started strong when Ephemer was introduced and then mysteriously vanished. But then, as in Kingdom Hearts Union X, it was overshadowed by EpheVen for Ephemer and PlayStreli for Player. As they didn't interact very much in the later updates of the games.

On AO3, the ship has 14 gen fanfics. These fanfics explore the events between Kingdom Hearts X [chi] and Kingdom Hearts Unchained X, as Player didn't become a Union Leader. They tend to be canon divergent, and some about the trauma that Player had during the Keyblade War.

Fandom
FAN FICTION

Trivia

 * The Player didn't speak prior to their meeting with Ephemer. Ephemer is the first of the few people the Player talks directly to, the second being Skuld.
 * Before going to the Tower, Ephemer talks about the Player to Ava, referring to them as "not much of a talker, maybe just shy".
 * In Kingdom Hearts χ[chi], after the disappeareance of Ephemer, the Player has dreams of him dissapearing in dandelions, hinting at his true state.

Variations

 * Daybreak Trio refers to the ship between Player, Ephemer and Skuld.