1Stella paused before knocking on the door. In her arms was Kingdom Hearts II, and her thoughts were solely focused on that. For some reason, she felt this time would be different than the last, something would make it that way. She pondered whether or not she should just turn around, but she and her friends had been waiting for this for months, and it would be ridiculous to turn around for a simple 'bad feeling.' They had promised themselves that they would see this through to the end, and face any obstacles head on. But the game had become like a drug, and they had waited two years for it to come out again. Even Avalon, who had seen the death of the only person she had on her first time, still wanted to come. It was unique, and only they had this opportunity. It would be a waste to simply let a chance like that pass by.
Their first time through was the hardest. With Amanda gone, and no idea what was in store for them, they had spend half of their time feeling like they had gone through the wash cycle in a washing machine. Nevertheless, they had managed to survive several fights with Alex, find Amanda, defeat Ansem, and save the world without a minute passing in real time. Their second time went better, and they could appreciate and absorb what went on around them. Nobody had an easy time on that trip, for Avalon was reliant on a 'Nobody' who showed her many things and was killed by Axel, Amanda had to come to terms with the fact that she was in love with someone who didn't have a heart but still loved her while doing her best to stay alive, Kristen had to help Riku through his bouts of depression and fight against the raging darkness inside of him even though it put her life at risk, Melissa had to knock some sense into Sora while doing her best to be there for Stella, and Stella had to try not to fall apart while the doubt of her reality to Sora began to cloud her heart. Still they fought on.
Stella closed her eyes. She wanted to see Sora again, and to fight by his side. If a few risks came with doing that, she was well prepared for it. She knocked lightly on the door, and Avalon opened it eagerly.
"We're having snacks this time before we go, so there's some on a plate for you." Avalon greeted, grabbing the bag and putting it next to her Playstation 2.
"Because, unlike two people we know, some of us had to survive on potions last time." Melissa yelled form the kitchen.
"And they're barely filling at all." Kristen complained, opening a hot oven as Stella walked in. She pulled away rapidly. "Ow!"
Melissa looked over her shoulder. "Burn yourself again?"
"The towel missed the tray." Kristen complained, moving the tray out of the oven, closing it, and tossing the towel so she could put her burnt finger under running water.
"You've had worse." Amanda grinned, pulling a piece of pizza from the tray and biting into it. "You told us that plenty of times."
"Strangulation is so not worse than a burn." Kristen grumbled.
"And I assume a paper cut is worse than that?" Stella laughed, grabbing a piece of pizza and eating it.
"Definitely." Melissa laughed, grabbing a piece. Everyone began to ate, each silent in their own thoughts.
"You know . . ." Kristen said, picking off a piece of pepperoni and eating it, "we're probably going to be separated like last time."
"Not like you care." Avalon teased. "You'll just be with Riku again." Kristen gave Avalon a dirty look.
"I think she's serious." Amanda said, surprised.
"Of course we'll be separated again." Melissa said, smiling. "But we know that we'll support and help each other to the best of our abilities."
"Exactly." Stella agreed. "It's odd, but it's like we were told . . . friends are bonded by chains that interlink and so our paths will cross because our fates are linked."
Kristen looked over at the tray. "Looks like the pizza's gone . . ."
Without saying everything, everyone stood and moved hurriedly to the living room, Melissa and Stella sitting on the couch while Amanda and Kristen sat on the floor and Avalon set up her Playstation. The normal symbol turned on, then a screen with Sora standing before the waves with a blue ice cream in his hand. Two options appeared on the screen: New Game and Continue.
Kristen sighed sadly. "I guess . . . it's not gonna work."
Avalon took the controller and sat beside Amanda. "Doesn't mean we can't play." She said, clicking on the New Game button.
Waves moved on the screen, and it zoomed across them quickly, showing Destiny Islands. The screen changed focus to Sora and RIku sitting on a paopu tree, looking out at the ocean. Slowly the scene around them turned to sand, and they jumped off the tree before the sand hit them, both wiping out a couple of shadows. They stopped quickly, seeing three girls, Stella, Melissa, and Kristen wipe out Heartless. They all looked at eachother, smiling, and jump into a crevice left by a defeated Heartless, landing on the platforms leading to Hollow Bastion. They jumped up the platforms, defeating Heartless all the way up, and end up in a large hall, with Amanda lying on the floor unconscious. Kristen ran up to her, holding her sister in her arms, trying to wake her up. She looks up at Alex, who holds out his hand. A large wave comes behind him, and the group winds up on Destiny Islands. The group runs toward Alex, Sora in the lead, and their swords clash, turning the scene back into the Hall of Hallow Bastion. They continue to fight, and Alex jumped back, pieces of him falling off as he transformed into Ansem. The group striked at him, and Sora finally struck at him, revealing the doorway to Kingdom Hearts while light pours out. Riku steps into the door, and he and Kristen make a promise as the door shuts. The screen faded into darkness, revealing Namine drawing in Castle Oblivion. The stairs in her drawing become reality as Sora, Stella, Melissa, Donald, and Goofy run up the stairs, fighting Heartless while Riku and Kristen run down them, neither looking back. Sora looked up, seeing DiZ and a cloaked figure through blue smoke, and looked around as white halls surround them. Marluxia stands at the end, and the group ran toward him, weapons drawn as they attack them. Marluxia swipes with his scythe, and while the others jump back, Sora flies forward, dodging another swing from the scythe. Riku leaps backwards, away from a blast from Ansem, catching himself and running forward as Ansem blocked his face form the light emitted from Kristen's Thunder spell. Sora and Riku exchange blocks and blows with Marluxia and Ansem. Sora throws his Keyblade at Marluxia, who stops it with his scythe. Namine continued to draw, even as Sora and the others walk in. On Naminé's pad is a drawing of Sora inside a capsule. Sora looked down and a capsule blasts up and envelops him, Donald, and Goofy. He looked, helpless, at a sad Naminé. Sora starts to fall. He soars across the water to Destiny Islands. Naminé closed her sketchbook on a picture of a sleeping Sora.
As Namine closed her book, the room became enveloped in light. The girls looked at each other, each with a wide grin on her face. Together, they stepped toward the screen, touching it, disappearing into the light.
