Author's Notes: Again, I don't own anything or anyone except Ryo. Ryo is not actually me, just to set things straight. I was running out of names on made-up characters so I just decided to use my own.yeeeaaaahhhh.Ok, on with the story. *(*)*(*)*(*)*(*)*(*)*(*)*(*)*(*)*(*)*(*)*(*)*(*)*(*)*(*)*(*)*(*)*( *)*(*)*(*)*(*)*(*)*(*)*(*)*(*)*(*)*(*)*(*

Chapter 3: In the Belly of the Beast and the Annoying Chambers

When Ryo woke up the next morning she stretched her arms above her head and looked out the window. She smiled seeing the rising sun but her face twisted into one of bedazzlement as the sky was unusually darker then she had remembered. The girl got dressed and looked around the room and then to the finger she had cut the night before and rubbed the edge of her thumbnail against the some-what healed cut and sighed as the pain was rekindled in her finger. Her stomach started growling and she instinctively new she was hungry even though she didn't need to hear the rumbling to be reminded of that.
Just as she was about to open the door she stopped and thought back to last night and tried to open the door. Locked. Ryo sighed realizing there wasn't much hope for leaving until she heard the clicking of the gears announcing the chance for her to leave. But as soon as she reached for the handle there was a knock at the door so Ryo automatically opened the door and looked up seeing Maleficent standing before her. The girl gulped giving a nervous smile and said, "Uh, good morning."
"No need to be nervous around me, Ryo. I only came to see if you wanted breakfast," said Maleficent.
"Oh, well, I'm glad you came. After all, if you didn't come then I may have never been able to leave heh heh," replied Ryo trying hard not to sound nervous even though it stuck out like a school's most popular preppy like person at a party of the school's losers and their fellow loser friends. (I am a loser so I am aloud to say these things *sees ::ahem:: NON loser friends ready to kill author* Ummm, I never said I had loser friends so you can't be mad at me, besides, some of you have admitted it so don't blame me! * hides in back of author's school's band room to continue since it's one her last sanctuaries* On with the fic!)
"I only locked it so as to make sure you wouldn't run away," replied Maleficent with an eerily calm and not offended tone of voice.
Ryo's face quickly turned a scarlet shade as her stomach let out a loud roar of hunger. The girl looked up at the evil fairy's amused expression. "Uh, breakfast really sounds good now. What is there anyway?" she asked. The girl wasn't sure what most Disney villains ate and she was hoping that it wasn't anything too disturbing. Then again this "world" was mostly thought up from Disney so it could either be something so amazingly good she could just die, or something so revolting just tasting it could kill her.
"I will take you to your meal as soon as you answer my question from the previous night," the sorceress said while looking down upon the girl.
"Oh, well I've been thinking about that. Knowing how my situation is now I suppose that if you insist in my need for training so much I don't really see why not, or why at all," Ryo said sounding more confused at the end still trying to think of how and why all of this was happening, especially to her.
"My dear, you say it in such a way it makes one think you are being pressured, I only want what's best for you," replied an unusually shocked Maleficent. She looked at Ryo and was given a skeptical look mixed with suspicion. "I can understand that we have only met and such kindness would not be expected from one such as myself, but you will see in do time I am telling the truth," she added.
"Well, alright, but may I ask why?" requested the girl.
"In order to win trust one must give to show that that particular person can be trustworthy doesn't she?"
"It does make some sense, but knowing you, this is a bit much and."
"And?"
"Well, I heard that you do indeed know everything, except for a few things, one of them being kindness."
The evil fairy pondered for a brief moment about this statement and recalled that the girl said that the life of the princess whom she had cursed was turned into a movie, therefore Ryo would without a doubt know about those pathetic good fairies. The fact that was a complement and an insult at the same time could only mean that Fauna was the one who made the remark. Maleficent took this into consideration and let out a small chuckle.
"Ryo, when you heard that information it was a part of me that is now changed, besides, I do indeed knew of such a sign of 'affection,' I just chose not to show it. Besides, when people refuse to accept my kindness it makes it seem as though I don't give it to them."
"You mean Riku? I can understand him, but-" Ryo stopped mid sentence as her face turned red again due to another loud roar from her stomach. Maleficent looked at her annoyed at the interruption at first but lightened up a bit as she placed her hand on the girl's back and started walking with her.
As Maleficent guided the young girl to the dining hall which surprised her since she never remembered it from the game, she saw Riku sitting at a rectangular shaped table with candles to light up the dark room even though the sun was completely out by now. But since the room had no windows like many of the other rooms the candles were desperately needed. Unless of course the people eating either had a high tolerance to pain, had no feeling in their arms and hands, were masochists, or didn't mind constantly cutting and stabbing themselves with their utensils then the light wasn't that badly needed.
Ryo was nudged to the seat next to Riku where like before him, there was a plate filled with eggs, ham, pancakes with syrup, and a glass of milk on the side along with toast, butter, and various jams. The girl looked in awe at what was displayed before her but quickly remembered her manners and looked over to Riku who was trying to hide the fact that he had been watching her.
"Good morning, Riku," greeted Ryo with a warm smile.
"Hey," he said giving a half-hearted wave before he picked up his fork and started to eat his food.
She just shrugged and immediately absorbed herself in eating the food. It was so delicious to her dancing taste buds. Everything was cooked just to her liking as her mind wandered to the ends of her imagination as to how such wonderful food could be in a video game, of course this did make the girl stop to think for a moment. One thing was that she was dining with the forces of evil and evil usually did have the best of some things because, well, because they were evil. Another possibility was that the amazing taste could have been there to distract her from the possibility of the food being poisoned.
When this came across her mind she looked around to see how much she ate hoping there wouldn't have been that much of the deadly substance running through her system. Ryo had eaten five helpings of everything and unconsciously almost ate things off of Riku's plate if he hadn't have scooted his chair away from her to the other end of the table. Another thing she noticed was that not only was he away from her but he was starring at her; but not like before. He was staring at her in a scared type of amazement from the fact that she had eaten so much, so fast, and without a moment's hesitation because of the thought that was now plaguing her mind.
Maleficent was also giving her a similar stare. The room was filled with that usual awkward silence as the two people just stared at the girl who was frozen in her seat looking down at her plate. Ryo looked up as she heard Maleficent chuckling. Ryo looked over to her right and saw Riku trying to hide his snickering with his hand. The girl thought for a second and started laughing as well. Then she stopped suddenly recalling a similar situation and looked over at Maleficent who stopped after awhile and looked at the young girl questionably as to why she became quiet all of the sudden.
Ryo, who saw this look, cleared her throat and simply said "Well, to put it in one way.cradle," was all that she said. Maleficent's eyes just widened as she heard that cursed word that caused her so much anger after sixteen years then started to cackle. Ryo who was still a little scared just chuckled lightly to herself as the boy just stared at them as if they were two unexplainable psychotic things. This in some ways was true. Riku was always suspicious of Maleficent's psychological capabilities but since he didn't know the girl for awhile and was still in the midst of judging her character he was debating if this partnership was going to be a good thing.
All of these thoughts were erased when Ryo leaned into his side and whispered in to his ear: "Another thing I will explain later."
"Now that we are done we shall prepare for your first mission together," said the now calm Maleficent.
"Together?" questioned Riku. "But we haven't even begun her training. What good will she be in a fight?" said Riku who was without a doubt annoyed at this as Ryo was annoyed at the lack of confidence he had in her.
"Do not worry, Riku, there will not be much need of a fight. After all, the boy Sora still thinks you are his friend and so you will not need to fight him," replied the evil fairy.
"But we will have to fight that heartless there won't we?" asked Ryo. Riku was now confused but looked back to Maleficent for an answer.
"That is correct. Though it is not that strong and you will not have to fight it for long. I trust you should at least be able to handle it Ryo?"
"Of course I can. I've done it before and I can do it again."
"But the first time was only from a controller, this is the real thing," said Riku.
Without any notice Maleficent stood and swung her staff around opening a black portal. "It is best that the two of you leave now. I will come by later to see how you are handling things together," she said.
Riku looked over to Ryo as he stood up. He walked over to her later and grabbed her by the wrist and started guiding the struggling girl to the portal.

In the dim-lighted mouth of Monstro, Pinocchio was wandering around near the entrance to the chambers. He took a peek inside and went in. On the other side of the chambers Ryo was sitting on a barrel and Riku was pacing back and forth.
"Why are you so nervous?" she asked.
"I'm not nervous, just a little anxious; that's all," he exclaimed. "I want to get this done soon and go save Kairi."
"Could you at least stop pacing around like that? It's driving me insane," she said.
"Sorry," replied the boy as he took a deep breathe and sat on the barrel next to her's. "You said you were going to explain some things to me?" he asked.
"Hm? Ah, those things, alright. What was the first one again?"
"You mentioned it was interesting to meet me, but I don't think I need you to explain that one. After all, we're two people from two completely different worlds, and I'm just some character in a game."
"I wouldn't put it that way. We're partners now, I can't do that with 'just some character,' so we're like friends now, right?"
"Yeah, I guess so, but you need to be careful on whom you want your friends to be, they could stab you in the back."
"Sora didn't ditch you for Donald and Goofy, besides weren't you the one who left him when he was talking to you?" she asked. Riku just looked at her a bit annoyed but took a deep breathe and stared at the ground and responded by saying: "It doesn't matter."
He looked up at her after a few seconds to ask his next question. "So what was that whole demented laughter thing back there? What does a cradle have to do with anything?"
"That, well you see back in Maleficent's world she had cursed the Princess Aurora when she was a baby with this whole prophecy thing that she would prick her finger before she turned 16 and die. Maleficent had set out her minions to look for the baby after she had mysteriously disappeared and when she asked her goons why they hadn't found her after the 16 years were almost up they said they couldn't find her after searching all the cradles.for the whole time," Ryo explained sounding a bit annoyed just from mentioning such stupidity.
"Man, she must be glad she has control over the heartless now, but that doesn't explain the laughing part," he mentioned.
"Well, to quote: 'You mean to tell me you've been searching sixteen years for a baby?'" Ryo then started to laugh just like Maleficent did almost perfectly, of course her voice was a little higher than the fairy's but the accuracy was still scary. "Fools!" she continued, "IDIOTS! IMBOSILES!" she exclaimed while pretending to smite all the minions with a pretend staff in her hand.
Riku started laughing at her imitation, not because it sucked, but because the event itself was humorous. When Ryo looked over to him she smiled feeling glad she was able to ease him from his previous edginess. He stopped a little while later and noticed she was watching him. This caused her to blush and look away quickly feeling embarrassed until he said something.
"By the way, thanks for being my friend," said Riku with a gentle smile. The way his words had come out soft and sincere were comforting to her and made her smile when she looked at him again. Ryo noticed that both of them were leaning slightly towards each other which had made her heart start racing. Before she could lean towards him even more hoping her wonderful dream would come true something could be heard from a few chambers away. Ryo sighed in aggravation and looked around. She stared out the exit of the chamber they were in to one it was connected to.
"I think I hear something-"
"It's him!" Riku took off to the exit and started going through the other chambers.
"Wait!" shouted Ryo as she jumped off from her seat and ran after him. She stopped when she saw Riku towering over the small puppet who was just looking up at him with a big smile.
"You," started Riku, "will come with me."
"Are you going to play a game with me?" asked Pinocchio.
The boy just smirked and took him by the wrist like he had done with Ryo earlier. His grip was overpowering and it was twisting the wooden wrist so hard it was actually hurting Pinocchio as he started dragging the resisting puppet towards Ryo.
"No! Stop that! You're hurting me let go!" shouted the puppet but his protest was to no avail.
"Riku, stop that," said Ryo. "Can't you see he's in pain? You need to be gentler." Without warning the puppet bit the boy on the wrist and ran of as Riku clutched it in his other hand and practically snarled at the pain and watched the puppet run off. "See what I mean?" said the girl as she folded her arms over her chest with the typical "I told you so" look.
"Then maybe you would like to go after him?" Riku replied while trying to hold back his anger.
"All right then, I will," said Ryo, but just as she had started walking towards the chamber's exit everything around them shifted causing them to fall over. Riku dug his fingers in the soft but firm wall of the chamber and grabbed Ryo's hand as she fell past him. This grip was different from before; it was gentle and reassuring to the girl who at first feared for her life but was now just a little nervous hanging there with only Riku to keep her from falling.
"What was that?" gasped Ryo.
"Something tells me our guests have arrived," Riku replied as he looked back down at the girl. The whale shifted again and with the center of gravity changing this caused Riku to lose his grip in the wall and he fell along with her. After both had let out there shouts of surprise and pain Riku had been trying to get up but couldn't. When his vision cleared up he saw Ryo lying diagonally on top of him with her head next to the side of his. She started to come to after her slight stage of shock and looked around stopping when she saw him. Their gazes were locked for only a few seconds that seemed like a few hours until she got off of him with much haste and looked away in an attempt to hide her blushing while he sat up and looked away also.
"I'm sorry," she started, "I hit my head and so I, what I mean is I.Thank you for grabbing me back there," after saying that she was mentally cursing herself out for sounding so stupid and acting like the type of girls she resented.
"That's okay, I just wanted to make you sure you didn't get hurt before we even started our mission. You aren't though, right? Hurt I mean," he glanced over to her but didn't want to fully face her since he personally thought he sounded like the biggest idiot in all that existed, at least compared to how he normally acts.
"No I'm fine, thanks for asking," she said while rising to her feet. After brushing herself off she turned around and held her hand out to Riku with a warm smile. He looked at her deep blue eyes that reminded him of the twilight sky but lightly knocked her hand aside as he got up and rested his hands on his hips looking at the ground away from her. "I don't need you're help," he said, "I just need you to go and get 'it'."
She huffed before glaring at him even if he couldn't see it. As she started walking to the exit she stopped and turned her head towards him and said, "If you don't allow people to help you out of the darkness, then you will never find your light," with that said and done she continued to walk to the mouth. He turned around to make a retort to what she said but she was long gone.
Pinocchio was hanging around Sora and his friends as they talked with Gheppeto. He could hear a whisper from behind him and when he turned around he saw a figure hiding in the shadows of the chamber entrance. The young puppet was scared at first thinking it was Riku but when he heard a young girl's voice instead he was curious and started to waddle over to it.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"Shhh, I'll play with you if you promise to come with me," said the kind voice.
"I don't know, I got hurt last time I tried to play with some one."
"I'm sorry for the way he treated you, I promise he'll be good and even apologize. My name is Ryo, what's yours?"
"I'm Pinocchio. Will you really play with me?"
"Of course I will, I promise."
"Goody!" he shouted as he ran into the shadows to play with his new friend.
After a few minutes Sora and everyone noticed Pinocchio was missing. Sora was worried for the young puppet and promised to find him after its father had asked him to. The trio fought many heartless as they made their way through the many twisting and mesmerizing chambers. But as the group got closer, so did Pinocchio's friendship and trust get close to Ryo.
"Tag, you're it!" shouted Pinocchio as he ran and hid behind Ryo. Riku, who was now the one proclaimed as "it" rolled his ice blue orbs in annoyance but stiffened a smile and chased after the wooden puppet. "No tag backs," he exclaimed.
"Oh really?" replied Riku as he gave a sly smile over to Ryo. The girl smirked and jumped onto one of the ledges that stuck out from the higher parts of the walls and said, "You'll have to catch me first," the moment she ended her sentence Riku had joined her on the ledge and soon started chasing her as she hopped around the chamber laughing in delight. Pinocchio watched and giggled as he saw Riku bouncing on crates and barrels to try to catch up to Ryo. The girl had to stop for a moment and regain her breathe. When she tried to move again she was stopped by a force behind her. She turned around and saw Riku holding onto her hand. "Gotcha," he said with a triumphant smirk. Ryo looked at him in shock at first then let out a short chuckle and smiled shaking her head from side to side.
"Guess I lost," she said while looking at the ground.
"For now, we'll see how good you do in a fight, and then we'll see if you really lost," he replied while giving her one of his rare warm smiles. She looked up then blushed as she saw he was still holding her hand. Riku was starting to blush as he let go not realizing he had held it for so long; neither one had said anything until the awkward silence was broken by another voice.
"Can we play a different game now? I'm bored," said Pinocchio.
"I have an idea, how about we play hide-and-go-seek?" suggested Riku.

"I give up!" squawked Donald. "There is no way of finding him with all these different chambers and all of these doors," said the angered duck as he looked at his two friends to see what their feelings were.
"Now Donald, you just need to be patient. I'm sure we'll find him if we just keep looking, isn't that right Sora?" asked Goofy.
"Of course, besides I have a feeling about this next chamber. Are you ready Donald?" asked Sora.
"Aw phooey," exclaimed the mage as he walked along with his friends into the next and hopefully last chamber. As they entered they found Pinocchio in the chamber who was hiding behind a barrel.
"What are you doing there Pinocchio?" asked Sora.
"Hiding," replied the small wooden puppet.
"Why are you doing that?" the boy asked.
"Because it's part of the game."
"This is no time for games Pinocchio, don't you know how worried your father is right now?" replied the angered Sora. Before Pinocchio could respond a voice came from above them.
"What's the matter Sora, I thought you liked games?" said Riku from behind the puppet. Ryo stepped up and stood in the shadows uncomfortable with the atmosphere and not liking what she knew was going to happen next.
"Riku, what're you doing? We have to bring Pinocchio back," explained Sora.
"There's nothing wrong with playing games. Come on Pinocchio, let's go and hide some more," Riku said. The puppet looked at him then to Sora, Donald and Goofy. Riku looked over to Ryo as if she could command him to come and that he was telling her to do so. The girl sighed and walked over to the puppet and held out her hand. "Let's go Pinoc, I know of a better place to play," she said with a gentle tone of voice.
"Wait, who are you?" asked Sora. "What are you going to do with him?"
Pinocchio took the girl's hand and she looked over to Sora and without anyone but her and Sora noticing, mouthed the words, "I'm sorry." Riku, Ryo and Pinocchio would have disappeared into the depths of the whale's stomach except Sora shouted out another question.
"Wait, where's Kairi?!" he bellowed. Riku turned around and looked at his rival with a smirk across his face.
"Catch us and maybe we'll tell you," as soon as he said that he turned around and went on with Ryo and Pinocchio close behind.
"Why do you still care about that boy? He has all but deserted you for the Keyblade and his new companions, after all," came a familiar voice.
"I don't care about him. I was just messing with him a little," replied Riku as he looked at Maleficent.
"Oh, really? Of course you were. Beware the darkness in your heart. The Heartless prey upon it," replied the dark fairy who to his surprised to hear so much caution in her words.
"Mind your own business," he replied before being somewhat scolded from Ryo.
"She has a point you know," said Ryo. She notice Maleficent giving her a thoughtful smile before she disappeared through a portal.
"Why did you say that?" asked an annoyed Riku.
"Am I right?"
"I just don't like to be reminded twice in one day. Sora's coming, take Pinocchio to the Bowels, I'll handle the others."
Ryo sighed and did as she was told as Sora and everyone arrived just as she left.
"Riku! What's the matter with you? What are you thinking? Don't you realize what you're doing?" shouted a shocked Sora.
"I was about to ask you the same thing, Sora. You only seem interested in running around and showing off that Keyblade these days. Do you even want to save Kairi?" asked Riku.
"I do," he said as Riku disappears and follows.
By the time Sora and his friends reached the other group they found Pinocchio trapped in a giant cage-like heartless. Sora's eyes widened in shock before he drew out his keyblade ready to fight the fiend. "Come on, we have to save him!" shouted Sora as he, with Donald and Goofy right behind him charged at the blue monster. Ryo looked over to Riku who just smirked and joined in the fight with his shadowblade. The young girl sighed and took out her dragonblade and leaped into battle.
The heartless was hard to fight at first because of the two tentacles it had on the sides that swung wildly and unpredictably. Every now and then Riku would look to see how Ryo was doing in the fight. She was marvelous compared to what he had imagined. The girl fought with out fear but with caution so as not to take any major damage. She saw most of the good openings to strike but her speed and hand-eye coordination was something that would need work. Other than that she was a pretty decent fighter.
It didn't take to long for the heartless to grow tired. When it thought its defeat was near it dropped the weak Pinocchio to the side and climbed up high into the throat of the whale. Pinocchio was being swallowed into a pit and the five fighters jumped in only to end up back the Mouth.
Sora looked around and saw Riku and Ryo on the top ledge with an unconscious Pinocchio under Riku's arm.
"Pinocchio! Pinocchio! Please! Give me back my son!" pleaded Geppetto.
"Sorry old man. I have some unfinished business with this puppet," replied Riku. Ryo was staying out of this conversation as the guilt rested on her shoulders like a giant block of cement with dancing elephants upon it.
"He's no puppet! Pinocchio is my little boy!" exclaimed Geppetto once more.
"He is unusual. Not many puppets have hearts. I'm not sure, but maybe he can help someone who's lost theirs," he replied.
"Wait a minute. Are you talking about Kairi?" asked a confused Sora.
"What do you care about her?" asked Riku. Before Sora could respond Ryo and Riku get away to the stomach where they are found by Sora and his gain.
"Let Pinocchio go Riku," said Sora.
"A puppet that's lost its heart to the Heartless... Maybe it holds the key to helping Kairi. How about it, Sora? Let's join forces to save her. We can do it, together," Riku proposed. His only answer was Sora drawing his keyblade.
"What, you rather fight me? Over a puppet that has lost his heart?" asked a smug Riku. Ryo was trying not to pay attention just stood in the shadows as this familiar scene replayed in her mind. As they continue to talk she mouths the words perfectly. She turned around after hearing Pinocchio say he wasn't going to make it and smirked as his nose grew in his surprise.
"Hey, I guess I'm ok!" said a relived Pinocchio. Soon the heartless reappears onto the ground from mid air letting Riku and Ryo escape through a portal with out the thing they had came for. It wasn't long before Sora defeated the heartless however.
With Pinocchio reunited with his father and with the help of Sora and his friends they were able to head over to Traverse Town where they would start a new life together. However, as things were going pretty well for Sora and his new friends, things weren't going to well with Riku.
"Damn it!" shouted Riku, "I can't believe I lost to him again. Now I might never find a way to get Kairi's heart back." Riku was storming all around the halls of the commandeered castle. Ryo was leaning against a wall watching him. She felt sorry for him but wish he would just stop; this was really starting to get on her nerves.
"Look," she started with as much calmness in her voice as she could muster, "alright, so you didn't win this time; but that doesn't mean you don't have a chance at finding another way to get Kairi's heart back the next time?" she asked while emphasizing her point visually with her arms.
"It's not just that," he said while trying to calm down.
"Is it because you lost to Sora, again?" she asked while following him with her eyes.
"Stop trying to understand me; just because you've played some stupid game that might have given you some little idea on how are lives might be and how we might feel; but that's all they are, ideas," he sighed and leaned against the wall opposite of her and stared at the ground.
"That doesn't mean I can't relate to you though."
He looked up somewhat curious as to what she was saying. "Always second best," she continued," never able to match up to everyone's favorite." she sighed and started walking away. "I'm a little tired. I'm going to go to my room and rest," she said slowly showing she was indeed tired and started to walk away.
"I'll let you know when your training starts," he said all of a sudden. She turned around seeing if he had anything else to say. "You have some good moves, they just need a lot of cleaning up; well, see ya," he waved and walked away from her to start training on his own as she continued to her room. Maleficent had been observing from a far and smirked as she went to her room to continue work on her evil scheme.

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Yay! I have another chapter done!!!......By the way, I've noticed that only one person has reviewed, and that is my dear school/best friend Shimi. Where are my lazy puchuus and care bear viruses!? Why aren't they doing their job? *looks around and sees them lying around watching The Simpsons* Hey deadbeats! Get to work! *Random puchuu w/ doughnut in mouth* D'oh! I mean Pu!