Tragic Keepsakes in Fan Works.
Crossovers
- The Bridge (MLP): Ki Seong kept the unused wedding garment she had sewn for her murdered fiance Cho Yon. While battling his murderer Jeog, Anguirus puts it on to fool Jeog into thinking he's Cho Yon's ghost and distract her. The garment gets destroyed by fire, but Ki Seong comforts herself by knowing it helped avenge Cho Yon's death and she's found her Second Love in Anguirus.
- A Chant of Blood and Light: Jeremiah, the Templar who found Sora, is killed when the Temple of Sacred Ashes explodes. Sora arms himself with Jeremiah's sword, using it as his main weapon until he gets his Spirit Blade, then keeping it as a sidearm in case his magic ever fails him, as well as a reminder of its original owner.
- Equestria Girls: Sonic the Hedgehog has Rainbow Dash holding on to a necklace, which was the last thing given to her by her beloved Uncle Rainbow Blaze, after he went M.I.A. during a mission against the tyrant known as the Storm King. The necklace serves as a reminder to Rainbow Dash oh her uncle and later served as a Chekhov's Gun to swap her geode when Robotnik threatened the Rainbooms to give their geodes unless he throws Cadence, her unborn child, and the CMC off a building.
- Fate Azure Destiny: Mashu Kyrielight died and unlike in canon, doesn't get revived. Ritsuka Fujimaru wields her shield, Lord Camelot, and values the shield because it is the only proof that Mashu existed.
- In Fate: Zero Sanity's sidestory, Fate: OSG, Shirou receives a cutlass from the leader of OSG that is eventually revealed to have belonged to his adoptive father Kiritsugu, which he left behind after abandoning the group. It's eventually revealed that it was also one to him as well: Kiritsugu's partner, Sayaka, gave it to him for his birthday before she went on a mission. She didn't come back... not in the right way, at least. Kiritsugu was one of the ones who had to kill her, and afterwards left the weapon behind because he couldn't stand the idea of keeping it after what happened.
- Fates Collide: After Diarmuid was killed, Kairi finds his broken weapons and uses their metal to create two rings, which Diarmuid's daughter Mordred wears to remember him.
- In Guardians, Wizards, and Kung-Fu Fighters, there's the bracelet which Tynar's son makes for him. In a variation, it doesn't become one to Tynar himself, but to Lothar when he finds it after Tynar's apparent death.
- In How the Light Gets In, Black Siren once escaped her cell in the Flash's Pipeline prison, but was caught when she tried to reclaim her suit. Upon hearing this, Dean immediately concludes she wasn't trying to get the suit, but something in the suit. He's right, she was after her wedding ring and a picture of her dead son. Laurel makes a point to return both items to her.
- I'm Nobody: Peter Pan and the Lost Boys have held onto the broken pieces of the wooden Keyblade that Terra made Ventus. In this case, Peter and his friends are completely unaware of what's happened to the pair since they left Neverland.
- Infinity Train: Blossoming Trail:
- Chloe Cerise's pink flower hair scrunchie is blown out from the Infinity Train making its entrance. This is all that Goh finds of her — since she had run away after a huge fight with him — and makes him realize that Chloe has disappeared completely and never to be found (when, ironically, Chloe is having the time of her life on the train away from him)
- After the events of the Fog Car, Hop carries Alex Shepherd's flashlight on him.
- Inter Nos: During the time that Natsuki is separated from Shizuru, Suou Himemiya takes care of Natsuki as a promise to her commander and friend. They find themselves under siege by the Mentuleans after Shizuru's replacement, Takeda, led them into a blatant trap. An offhand remark reminds Suou that it is Natsuki's birthday, and she gives Natsuki a family heirloom, a katana, as a gift. Suou is killed shortly thereafter. Natsuki considered her a dear friend, and the sword remains one of her most treasured possessions.
- A Knight's Tale as Inquisitor: Arturia's signature blue ribbon was a gift from her First Love Guinevere, and is the only thing she has left of her former wife/queen.
- Lost to Dust: Qrow Branwen reveals his flask was a gift from his deceased friend Summer Rose.
- The New Recruit: Matt has two: a Polaroid picture he took with Steve and Andrew on the day they learned to fly, and the Lego set of the Seattle Space Needle that Andrew built. Once he hands the video camera over to SHIELD, these are the only reminders he has of his friends.
- Pokémon Crossing: Deirdre wears a badge that belonged to her dead boyfriend, Leopold the former Fortree City Gym Leader.
- Shadows over Meridian: The black ribbon that Vera Bexley wears in her hair was part of the dress her grandfather intended to gift her with on the day he was killed.
- Vanishing Act: Every year, Joseph gave Shizuka a new pair of Cool Shades for her birthday. After he dies, the ones she has left serve as a memento to remember him by.
- Weiss Reacts: Cinder's sword-bow originally belonged to Summer, Ruby's mother and one of Cinder's good friends. It's implied she took it up when she died, before her Roaring Rampage of Revenge against Weiss' grandfather.
- Living in a Frog World: Frank's M65 jacket and combat knife both belonged to his late grandfather.
- Played darkly in Trade Us for the World: After Captain Grime gives Anne Marcy's hairclip as proof that he knows she's not the only human who's been stranded in Amphibia, Anne fears that said hairclip will become one of these once Grime gets his hands on her friend.
- Adventures in Solitude: Nagisa keeps and wears Korosensei's tie as a reminder of both what he lost and what he continues fighting for.
- Discussed in Cheating At Pai Sho when Zuko encourages Aang to keep Gyatso's necklace.Aang: We're not supposed to keep things after people die. It's... too permanent.
Zuko: He's already waited a hundred years. Just throw it away when you're ready. - Tinted Green: Bolin is left with his brother's signature red scarf after Mako disappeared. He believes that he died, unaware that he was actually forced to join the Equalists.
- In Winter War, Ikkaku is first introduced wearing the MIA Yumichika's scarf; a little later, Momo begins wearing Rangiku's necklace. Both examples are eventually subverted. Yumichika is alive, albeit Brainwashed and Crazy; and Rangiku's necklace becomes part of a scheme to manipulate Gin into thinking that she's still alive, which isn't quite in the spirit of this trope. They both fit well to begin with, though.
- Alternative Class Despair has a letter that Fuyuhiko wrote. During the events of Ultra Despair Girls, its recipient carries it with them, touching it while thinking of its author.
- Blackened Skies: Before being dragged off to their execution, the first culprit gives Kaede a memento to remember them by: a pack of playing cards.
- Throughout Danganronpa: Galactic Melancholy, Chihiro obtains a memento of each of the executed killers at the end of each chapter. One of these becomes a Chekhov's Gun: Nagito's switchknife helps Chihiro immobilize his father.
- In Despair's Last Resort, Takara gathers a collection of these from the dead students. There's also Shizuka's scarf, which Kazumi holds on to after her execution. She starts wearing it in Chapter 5 to remember her.
- In Fractured Fates, Kaneki's fedora becomes this for Asuna after she receives it from Akira following the end of the second trial.
- I'd Trade My Life For Yours: After Shuichi is executed for the first murder, Kaede keeps and wears his hat as a reminder of the detective. During the sixth trial, she reveals that she did this as an act of self-punishment, angry that she'd allowed two innocent people to die for her mistake.
- If Despair Never Ended: Early on, Makoto wins a kitten hairclip from the MonoMono Machine and gives it to Sayaka. Following Makoto's death, Sayaka wears it for the rest of the story.
- Sagittarius: Ikharos owns a Hunter Knife that originally belonged to his deceased partner Lennox-2. He always carries the knife everywhere he goes and considers it to be one of his most prized possessions.
- Three Months a Fox: Nick has several of these:
- His collection of ties all belonged to his late father.
- He keeps his old Ranger Scout neckerchief in his pocket as a reminder of his Cynicism Catalyst.
- Judy's recorder pen is the most recent addition to his collection, which he starts keeping alongside the neckerchief.
- Queen of All Oni: It's implied in story, and confirmed by Word of God, that Blankman's revolver is the same one his father committed suicide with.
- In Ambience: A Fleet Symphony, !Samidare keeps her ponytail tied with a red ribbon implied to belong to her generation's Shigure and Franklin Kevinson wears a tattered white scarf implied to be that of the first-generation Yuudachi.
- A bloodstained photo of a toddler Ryuuko and a passed on Soichiro playing in the snow from chapter 43 of The Outside is the most telling example from the fic, as it's the only tangible evidence that Ryuuko's dream was more than a dream.
- In The Ronless Factor, Rufus basically serves as one; after Ron dies in a car accident (later revealed to be a deliberate attempt to kill Kim), his parents decide to give Rufus to Kim, Ron's father observing that Rufus would get bored staying with them. Even when Rufus is depressed and silent compared to his usual attitude, Kim explicitly reflects that she feels less sad having a tangible reminder of Ron in her life.
- Kingdom Hearts: The Antipode: Xemnas has a few of these. As well as Aqua's discarded armor, he keeps his Wayfinder on his person at all times. He also scavanged and repaired his childhood wooden Keyblade.
- In The Vow, both Shen and his former fiancée Lianne retain the items they gave each other as gifts for the thirty years Shen is in exile due to his crimes. Lianne has her silver fan and wedding circlet, while Shen keeps the ornamental knife which has red pictures of a phoenix and a dragon etched into it.
- In Missing Piece, on the final chapter, Konata reveals to Miyuki that she got a keychain that her mother wanted to give to her when she was old enough and gave it to Miyuki as a gift, just a few moments before being unexpectedly reunited with her mother again.
- whose woods these are (I think I know.): Chloe loans Adrien some clothes that belonged to her late father, which are very dear to her (especially his ring).
- Abraxas: Empty Fullness: According to the non-canon "Come Little Monster, I'll Take Thee Away
", Vivienne Graham had a The Call of the Wild novel which previously belonged to her Disappeared Dad, and she read it during her childhood before giving it to the Russells at some point.
- Butterfly: Butterfly carries Inko's family album with them as a memento from their home dimension.
- In UA:LA, his All Might keychain is one of the last things Hero has from his mother.
My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic
- Bad Future Crusaders:
- Apple Bloom still has her sister's hat.
- Scootaloo has three — her old CMC bandana (now used as an eyepatch), her mother's scarf, and Rainbow Dash's flight goggles.
- Best Friends Forever: One of the mementos in Twilight's castle is a faded pink scarf with butterfly patterns on it. This serves as reminder to her of how Fluttershy passed away from old age before she figured out how to keep her friends with her forever...
- Bride of Discord reveals that the reason why Discord loves chocolate milk and cotton candy so much is because he associates them with his parents, who regularly gave him those to comfort him whenever he was sad or scared.
- Pony POV Series:
- Applejack's hat is from her deceased father.
- In the Dark World, after Tom is killed, Rarity keeps a fragment of him imbedded in her neck. This ends up saving her life during her fight with Fluttercruel, by stabbing her in the eye with it.
- sunflower:
- While attempting to get Kakashi to read The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi, Minato gave Kakashi his signed copy of the novel under the pretense that he wanted Kakashi to "keep it safe" until he could give it back. After the Nine-Tails' rampage, it was one of the few reminders of his teacher that Kakashi had left.
- Also Played With: Kakashi's copy of Icha Icha Paradise was an advance copy that Jiraiya originally meant for Minato; however, it didn't arrive until after Minato's death. Kakashi actually isn't a fan, but keeps reading the book in an effort to figure out just what his late teacher enjoyed so much about Jiraiya's work, as he can't bring himself to read The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi yet.
- Asuka & Shinji's Infinite Playlist: Shinji carries around her late mother's SDAT. Even though it is broken, he refuses to replace it or try to get it fixed out of fear that it might get broken further.
- Once More With Feeling (Crazy-88): Shinji somehow brought her deceased guardian Misato's cross-shaped pendant with him to the past as a reminder of his past mistakes. It becomes important later on when it's used to prove his time-travel story to Kaji and the military.
- The Second Try has an example that isn't even a physical object. Due to the fact that Shinji and Asuka were sent back in time, the only thing they have to prove that their daughter ever existed is the song that Shinji had written for her. Unfortunately, Shinji can't even bring himself to play since it was supposed to be for happy occasions. Fortunately, Asuka also finds what would later be her doll, and it turns out at the end that she was sent back in time with them (just to a later point after all the danger had passed).Asuka: I have nothing else from her! I don't have photos of her, I don't have one of her drawings, I don't have Kiko, I- I don't have... (sobs) Please. That song... that song is all there's left from her.
- Coby's Choice: After Ace's death, Luffy gets his brother's hat. Upon learning that he's a father, he bequeaths the hat to them in turn.
- This Bites!:
- While they aren't actually his, Robin wore cowboy hats to remember Jaguar D. Saul and used them as a source of strength.
- Trafalgar D. Water Law's distinctive spotted hat is a style unique to Flevance, his Doomed Hometown and the only thing he has left to remember his biological family and childhood friends.
- AAML: Diamond and Pearl Version: The entire 'verse is kicked off when Ash finds the handkerchief that Misty gave him back when they stopped traveling together, causing him to realize just how much he misses her and decides to get back in touch.
- An Uncommon Witness:
- Mytho saved up money to purchase a cameo pendant for Elsa; however, by the time he was able to afford it, she'd already passed away. He gave it to Duck as a way of putting those feelings behind him.
- This also applies to Elsa's garnet pendant, which was a present from her husband before he abandoned her. She kept it as a reminder of those happier times, eventually passing it down to Duck as well.
- The old detective novels in Fakir's room turn out to be birthday presents from his parents before they were murdered.
- In the pro wrestling fic, Hello Again, it's shown that Molly Holly keeps an Elroy Jetson doll in memory of her late cousin, Crash.
- In In the Kingdom's Service, Roman Torchwick's last name serves as one in honor of his team (Team Torch) after he exposed that the Council and Vale Secret Service were responsible for collapsing the tunnel to Mountain Glenn, killing thousands including two of his teammates.
- RWBY: Scars: After Coco is killed in the Fall of Beacon, her girlfriend Velvet begins wearing her iconic hat.
- A fanart of Jaune as an adult shows him wearing Pyrrha's shield. The artist's notes imply that Pyrrha is dead.
- Sailor Moon: Between the Lines: While picking through the ruins of her old home, Sailor Venus finds a CD belonging to one of her favorite singers, the idol Jinta Arai. Recalling how he'd already accepted that he'd be forgotten in the future, she tucks it into her photo album, resolving to ask Ami if she can rig up some way of playing it.
- In the Empath: The Luckiest Smurf story "Days Of Future Smurfed", Empath's wife Smurfette dies by reverting back to lifeless blue clay when the spell that changed her into a real Smurf ultimately fails. In one of the mini-stories following this event, Empath is seen carrying a jar of blue clay that Smurfette was made from as the last physical thing he would ever have of Smurfette to hold onto.
- A Destiny of Ice and Steel: Rodrik gives Edward a pendant that belonged to his mother. Later, it's revealed that the pendant is an heirloom of her house, which happens to be the same as... Syrio Forel.
- In Ghosts and Dreams, Balerion the Cat is the only tangible thing Jaehaerys aka Jon Snow has of his sister Rhaenys, which contributes in him being deaf to all complaints that the cat is a menace. A bit of mixed example since he can see ghosts and regularly interacts with his sister's ghost.
- In Robb Returns: Renly is revealed to carry his father's signet ring around his neck, a last tangible reminder of his father before he took his ill-fated journey to Essos before drowning in Shipbreaker Bay.
- In A Sword to Pass, Sabine carries Kanan's lightsaber in order to always have a part of him with her.
- Respawn of the Dead has one in the form of The Pyro's Star Of David, which seems to be the only thing he has left of his life before he became a mercenary. It later becomes one for The Medic, after the Pyro dies.
- All Alone: Taylor finds Emma's bedroom mostly untouched after the funeral, but a few things have been taken, including her prized Alexandria action figure, which Taylor figures has been placed in the coffin. It turns out instead that Emma's older sister saved it for Taylor, knowing that they both loved it and Emma would want her to have it.It was a part of everything that Emma had meant to me, the basis of a thousand happy memories. It was worth more than gold to me.
I even knew where I was going to put it when I got home.
Right next to Mom's flute.
- Mementos: An old cassette tape made by Saki's mother is found at an antique stall, and Saki buys it immediately upon seeing it. Her mother is revealed to have died when she was still a kid. She decides to stay up later that night listening to it, the memories that resurface bringing her to tears.
