A/N: It's been a couple of years since I last wrote a fic, so I'm trying to get back into the groove of things by launching this baby. Serendipity will be a collection of 25 stories, all revolving around something in the KH universe. I'm not planning on incorporating any AU chapters, but we'll have to see. I'm also a little biased to some pairings, so there may be a couple of hints here and there. Updates will depend on my schedule.

I also highly suggest that you don't read this if you're not caught up with the series. I don't wanna be the one to spoil anything for you! :(

I don't own anything, by the way. If I did, Terra and Aqua would totes be married by now.


l Episode 01 - Oath l

"...Your face is all serious again. What are you thinking about?"

A pair of aquamarine eyes narrowed at the brunet, whose face was adorned with a curious frown. While it had been a month since they saved the worlds from Xemnas (or "Mansex", as Sora often joked), Riku found himself feeling lethargic throughout the day. He even tried to take periodic naps to alleviate his fatigue, only to be disappointed when his body continued to protest against the slightest twitch of a muscle. How his spiky-haired companion managed to retain his energy would forever remain a mystery to him.

Of course, he'd never tell Sora that he was tired. The mere thought of the never-ending taunts made the keyblade wielder want to wince.

Suppressing a dramatic groan, Riku stretched his taut arms and rose from the sand, shooting a playful glare at his best friend. Sora simply grinned in response before plopping down beside him. While Riku could sense that he wanted to continue the conversation, Sora remained silent as his gaze wandered towards the setting sun. When they were younger, observing the sky's preparation for rest wasn't interesting in the slightest - they much preferred sparring or looking for beetles. Funny how it took several near-death experiences to finalize their true affinity for the swirls of tangerine and crimson. Small talk could always be conducted later, but watching the sunset was an event that both boys had missed terribly. It was something they had learned to appreciate after being gone for so long.

After a few minutes of peace, Riku's soft sigh permeated the salty air. "It's funny how we- ...no, I tried so hard to escape this place," the silver-haired teen muttered under his breath, barely loud enough for Sora to hear. "And in the end, here we are again."

Even though Sora seemed fixated on the shimmering sea, he hummed in agreement. "But you're happy, right?"

Chuckling dryly, the taller of the two reached over to the brunet and mussed his gravity-defying hairdo, much to said brunet's chagrin. "As happy as I can be, despite being stuck here with you."

"H-Hey!" Sora flailed and recoiled against his friend's touch, but his cobalt eyes revealed nothing but mirth. His pout of disapproval only amused Riku even further. With a hearty laugh, he retracted his arm, laying it to rest on the pearly white sand.

Truth be told, returning to his friends – returning to their home – had been one of the most emotional moments of his life. After landing in the Islands' famed sparkling ocean, the familiar sensation of cool saltwater almost drew tears to his eyes. However, he was able to compose himself quickly, converting the overwhelming sense of relief into pure euphoria.

Unfortunately, the past had a habit of catching up with him. The days following their arrival were dulled with regret. While Riku attempted to put on a brave front for Sora and Kairi, the two were able to notice that their friend was slowly withering from the inside. A million questions shot through his head daily, all centered around the same theme: Why did he ever want to leave?

Realizing that the other boy had gone quiet, Sora shook off Riku's hand and punched him lightly. "Lighten up a little," he chided, crossing his lanky arms afterwards. "You were curious! We were young, and it happens-"

"You don't get it," the older teen interrupted. "I was being selfish and impulsive. The only reason why I wanted to explore other worlds was because I wanted to get stronger." His fingers curled into the palm of his hand. In his quest for power and supremacy, he had fallen to the darkness and risked the lives of those who mattered most. 'I can't be forgiven for that.' "I failed to keep my word. I don't deserve a keyblade."

Confused, Sora's eyebrows scrunched together in thought as he processed the information. "Did you make a promise or something?" The whole scenario felt downright foreign to the young hero. He couldn't recall a time he was forced to swear anything, besides his loyalty to his friends.

Riku's frown deepened as he turned to face the brunet. "It... was a long time ago," he began, running a hand through his platinum tresses. "Your dad brought us to the play island, as usual. We raced to the paopu fruit tree and watched the sunset..."

The sky was emitting an ethereal glow as robust oranges mixed with reds and pinks. Both boys were relaxing at their favorite spot, recovering from the nonstop races that Riku had a knack for winning. Sora's sporadic panting was nearly inaudible against the constant crashing of the waves, but it was obvious that the running had took its toll on the small child.

"...I see your dad," Riku said, pointing at the humble rowboat that was slowly rocking against the pier. The slight frown on his face disappeared as a smug smirk took its place. "If you're that tired, we should go-"

"I'm not tired," the brunet boy whined as he launched himself away from the curved tree trunk. "I'll prove to you that I'm faster! Race 'ya to the dock!" Without another word, Sora took off in a blur as he sprinted towards the boat. Noticing that the older boy was lagging, he released a jovial laugh. "C'mon," Sora called out mockingly. "You call that running?!"

Rolling his eyes, Riku jumped off of the tree and began his walk to the pier. Competition was fun and all, but letting his friend win wasn't a big deal. After all, the silver-haired boy knew that he could take back his record tomorrow.

As he approached his destination, the eldest couldn't help but notice the tall figure standing by the shoreline. Squinting his eyes against the sun, Riku stared at the stranger's broad back. The first thing he managed to notice was that his pants were weirdly shaped. The ridiculous style made the boy want to snicker, but he remained silent to avoid attracting their attention. Upon closer inspection, however, the man's form-fitting shirt showed off his toned figure. Judging by this person's physique, they must be pretty strong. That was enough to score a few cool points in Riku's book.

Furthermore, he'd be lying if he wasn't intrigued by his presence. After all, no one lived on the play island, and Riku would've known if the man lived on the mainland. There was something about his guy that made him want to come closer...

Without a second thought, the boy cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled, "Hey!" As the stranger turned to face him, Riku swallowed the apprehension that bubbled in his stomach. Even from this distance, it was obvious that the guy was huge! If he wasn't careful, he could end up on the bottom of his shoe... Inhaling deeply, Riku headed towards the man calmly, giving a shy smile once they stood side by side.

The mysterious man's face appeared to be strict at a first glance, but his eyes were full of kindness and... curiosity? Riku's breathing stilled as the giant kneeled down, presumably to make proper eye contact. Fists tightening at his side, the young islander continued to stand his ground. There was no way he was gonna let this guy scare him!

"Hey," the stranger replied in return. His voice was a deep baritone, but it didn't sound like the bad guy from the movie Riku watched last week. This calmed his nerves considerably.

Tilting his head, the silver-haired youth crossed his arms and tapped his right foot. "You're... you're from another world, aren't you?"

Pride swelled in his chest as the man's features were overtaken with surprise. It seemed as if he was at a loss for words, but he shook his head. "How do you know about that," he asked. His posture screamed concern, but the interested tone said otherwise.

"I heard that there was a kid who left this place. For good," Riku recalled absentmindedly as he kicked at the sand underneath his feet. "I wanna be like that kid. I wanna become strong, and I know that somewhere out there, I can find the strength that I need."

"And what would you need that strength for?"

The young boy paused for a second to ponder his answer. With a curt smile, Riku looked up at man with newfound confidence. "To protect the things that matter. You know, like my friends."

Sora's face lit up with remembrance as his friend finished his story. "I remember that guy," he exclaimed, allowing his body to fall backwards and land on the beach. "Although, I didn't stop to say hi... do you think he got mad?"

Shaking his head, Riku smirked. "Nah, I don't think he cared."

Cobalt eyes rolled in annoyance. "Yeah, yeah! But I still don't get why you're so depressed!"

Sighing for the umpteenth time, Riku thrust his hand forward. A brilliant beam of light erupted from his palm, only to reveal a keyblade that had appeared after the flash. Grasping the handle tightly, the older teen raised Way to the Dawn towards the sky. His aquamarine irises, while tantalizing most of the time, were currently dimmed with guilt. Sora continued to watch curiously, but before he could comment, Riku began to speak.

"In your hand, take this key." Riku's words were cautious – he was trying to remember something. "So long as you have the makings, then through this simple act of taking, its wielder you shall one day be."

"...Riku, I don't-"

He paid no mind to Sora's interruption. Riku's gaze now seemed distant, as it was directed towards the sea. "And you will find me, friend... no ocean will contain you then."

Sora immediately clamped his mouth shut. Leaning on his wrist for support, he twisted his body to face the keyblade wielder.

"...No more borders around, or below, or above, so long as you champion the ones you love."

The island was blanketed with a sheet of silence. The seagulls had quieted their calls, but the waves refused to cease their assault on the beach. Cold seawater managed to sneak up to the tips of their feet before retreating to the ocean. Sora wasn't exactly sure how, but those words had struck a cord inside the depths of his very being. It was almost as if the entire world had paused its activities to reflect upon the oath. In no way did Riku's speech seemed familiar, but it was impossible to dismiss the feeling that he should have known the pledge by heart.

"Riku, that guy," the spiky-haired brunet breathed, sitting up to pull his knees to his chest. "Was he the one who told you this?"

"Yeah." Now standing up, Riku crossed his arms and looked down at his companion. At this point, Sora wouldn't be surprised if he was doing that to comfort himself. "I was blinded by the power I could have gained," he growled, nails digging into his well-built arms. "I didn't realize that I already had all the power I needed."

As he began to direct his gaze to the darkening sky, Riku failed to notice Sora's movements. Feeling a warm hand on his shoulder, aquamarine met cobalt as the two friends made eye contact. "You'll always have us by your side," Sora piped reassuringly. Pulling his hand back, the young hero released a goofy grin. "You can't worry about that stuff all the time. Kairi, King Mickey, and everyone else already forgave you when we crossed paths in that creepy castle."

Riku's eyes narrowed dangerously, but Sora still didn't waver. "I don't understand why you're so quick to forgive and forget," he hissed. A part of him regretted using such a vile tone, but he couldn't help it! Mistakes were made, and while he just wanted to rest, it would be impossible to do so until he was able to set things straight.

Unexpectedly, Sora's face hardened considerably; he was putting on his serious face. "You're our friend, Riku," he asserted, jabbing a finger at Riku's chest. "Sure, you made some mistakes, but we all do! It's our job to help you fix them, right?"

"But... I put you guys in danger..."

"You didn't put us in danger," he retorted with a smile. "We wanted to go look for you! We could have just stayed home, but we didn't 'cause our friend needed some help!" His hard stare softened to its normal, carefree state before he drew his finger away from Riku. "Even after everything, you did your best to wake me up. You did your best to make sure that Kairi was safe.

You were living up to that promise this whole time, Riku! Can't you see that?"

To say that the taller boy was bewildered would be a major understatement. His normally cool and collected demeanor was now ridden with surprise. Riku couldn't help but lower his head to avoid Sora's gaze while he sorted out his thoughts. 'Maybe...' the platinum-haired teen pondered, 'maybe I'm just overreacting. If I was unworthy, the keyblade would've left me a long time ago...'

Now raising his head, he was met with a sheepish Sora, who was currently scratching the back of his head. "Too much?"

"Almost, but you're good," Riku replied, willing away his weapon to capture the other in a tight headlock. Laughing at Sora's fruitless protests, the teen promptly let go, allowing the other to lose his balance and fall into the sand with a muffled thud.

Looking upwards from the ground, Sora eyed Riku expectantly. "Do you regret meeting him?"

Startled from the question, he pursed his eyebrows in thought before shaking his head. "Nah. He may have inspired me to leave, but I know that he had good intentions. I mean, he looked like a freaking giant, but there was something in his eyes that made me trust him. Like... a big brother, or something."

Humming in acknowledgment, Sora kicked at the sand. Glancing up at the sky, the oranges and pinks and reds began to dissolve into the darkening corners of night. The two listened to the symphony of insects that signaled the end of the day. They'd have to get going soon, or else they'd have to face Kairi's wrath. She never did like it when she was left behind...

"...crying?"

"Huh?" Baffled, the spiky-haired teen touched his sun-kissed cheeks with his fingertips, only to be greeted by moistness. "...What?"

"Why are you crying," Riku repeated, peering at his friend with genuine concern. The sympathetic look didn't last long, however, as it was quickly overshadowed with a taunting grin. "I know that I can say some pretty deep stuff, but don't take it to heart."

"Haha, very funny," Sora grumbled as he rose to his feet to brush the sand off of his body. There was an inexplicable feeling in his chest, but the strangest part was that it wasn't coming from him. His heart had always felt a little 'heavy', but the teen could sense some sort of... longing coming from it. It tugged at his being and infiltrated his senses.

Wincing, he patted his upper body with his hand. "...Someone's hurting."

Scoffing, Riku was already trekking to the pier while Sora idled behind him. "We're gonna be hurting if we don't get back to Kairi's for dinner. You better hurry it up, or I'm leaving without you!"

"Argh, Riku! Don't!" The younger of the two sprinted after his friend, whose legs were still, unfortunately, longer. As they jumped onto the small and worn rowboat, Sora stretched out his limbs, relaxing his head on his crossed arms. It wasn't like he wanted to ignore the nagging feeling in his gut, but what other choice did he have? All the boy could do was hum an old song to alleviate his discomfort.

That night, he dreamt of star-shaped trinkets and meteor showers.


A/N: Oh, and I forgot to mention: I'm totally open to requests. If there's anything specific you wanna see, feel free to drop it in a review or PM. ...Reviews would be appreciated, though. *coughs*