Chapter 4: Monstro

James leaned against the wall of the Gummi Ship Sora and his team were using to travel in, "So this is how you've been getting to other Worlds, huh? He asks.

Sora smiles, "Yup! This thing is one of the coolest things I've ever seen."

James scoffed, "Well as long as it gets the job done, I suppose."

Goofy turns to James, "Say uh, Jim. Where do ya think we should go next?" He asks.

James hums for a minute, "Well…" He mumbles to himself.

Donald gets everyone's attention by asking, "What is that?"

James turns to look at it and is in shock, "Am I hallucinating, or is that a freaking whale?!" He asks.

Sora awes at it, "Wow, it's huge!"

Suddenly, the whale starts moving towards the ship, giving everyone a better look at it, "It is a giant whale!" Goofy confirms.

James continues to stare at it, "But how can it exist in the Space between Worlds? That should be impossible unless…."

"It's Monstro!" Said a small cricket that jumps out of Sora's jacket, "He's a whale of a whale, and vicious besides!"

Monstro makes a dangerously close pass at the Gummi Ship, "Whoa!" Donald quacks, "Sora, get us out of here!"

Just then, Monstro turns and heads towards the ship with his mouth open wide, "Too late! He's going to swallow us!"

As Monstro started to swallow the Gummi Ship, James cast a magic circle around everyone inside as they fell into Monstro's belly.

James, Donald and Goofy looked up at the inside of the Whale's teeth in annoyance. "I could try a Thundaza. That might be enough power to kill Monstro and let us escape."

Donald shakes his head, "We can't do that!" He says.

Goofy nods, "He's right! Even though he swallowed us up, he still doesn't deserve something like that. We'll just have to find another way out."

James sighed, "Fine. Have it your way."

Just then, Sora comes to and approaches the group, "Hey, Sora." Goofy says, "Are you okay?"

Sora observes the three of them, "What are you guys doing?" He then looks at his surroundings, "Where are we, anyway?"

Goofy looked back at Sora, "Uh, ya know, I think that big ol' whale Monstro just swallowed us."

James nods, "Luckily, I put up a protection spell that'll keep us from being digested, but it's only temporary, so we need to get out of here fast."

Donald looks up at someone throwing the contents of a large treasure chest around, "Hey! Who's there?"

A wooden boy looks down at the group, "It's me." He responds.

James scoffs, "Oh, well that clears everything up." He grumbles sarcastically, "What's your name?"

Donald rolls his eyes, "Oh, it's just Pinocchio." He says casually before jerking his head back, "Pinocchio!?"

Just then, the cricket from earlier jumps onto Sora's shoulder, "Pinocchio?" He says.

James looks to Sora, "Friend of yours?" He asks.

Sora shakes his head, "Nope. Never seen him before. He looks kinda like a puppet."

The cricket calls out more, "Pinocch, where are you going? Pinocch!" But Pinocchio couldn't hear him, apparently and walked off. The cricket became very worried, "Come on, everybody! After him! Quick!" So, the group hurried off to catch up with Pinocchio.

The four of them climbed their way up a small wooden boat just in time to hear a conversation between Pinocchio and an elderly man, "What have you got there, Pinocchio?" He asks the boy of wood, gesturing to a large green block.

"With this, we can get out of here, Father." Pinocchio tells him.

The man looks back at the block in question, "Really? With this big block? You think so?"

"It's true." Sora replies as both people turn to see the group, "So, how did you end up here, Pinocchio?"

The man approaches the four of them, "Oh, my. So, the whale swallowed all of you, too? My goodness."

Sora nods, "Yeah, looks like it."

James steps forward, "I'm James sir. The three half-pints behind me are Sora, Donald and Goofy." He says, pointing to each one respectively.

"My name is Geppetto. I'm Pinocchio's father. When we got separated, I traveled all over, looking for him. Thank goodness we're together again." He says with true, pure happiness in his voice.

James lowers his head sullenly at this, which Geppetto noticed, "What's wrong, James?" He asks.

James quickly shakes his head, "It's nothing, I'm glad you're reunited with your son, honest. It's just…. Not every story like that has a happy ending." He clutches the Wayfinder in his pocket, "You see…. Three of my closest friends are gone… and there's nothing I can do for them."

Geppetto smiles warmly, "Oh sure ya can." He says, "If you really care about them, and want to find them with all your Heart, then all ya gotta do is keep on looking. It worked for me, so I know it'll work for you."

Geppetto grabbed the big Gummi Block and moved it deeper into the boat, "So, you seem to know Pinocchio quite well." He says, "I hope he was a good boy in my absence." He says as he puts the block down, "Well, we've all had quite a journey. Right, Pinocchio?" He turns to the boy, but he's nowhere to be seen, "Pinocchio?" He says again, but louder.

James looks around and sees a path deeper into Monstro, "He probably went that way. Stay here, Geppetto. The four of us will go and find him."

They didn't have to go very far, as they saw Pinocchio, hiding behind a wall of something that James didn't want to think too hard about.

"What are you doing?" Sora asks, "Come on, let's go back."

Goofy nods, "You know, Geppetto's awfully worried about you."

James narrows his eyes, "Stop fooling around Pinocchio. We're in the belly of a whale, this is no time for games!"

Sora nodded his head, "He's right! Let's go back."

They all turn around to leave when they hear a new voice speak up, "But, Sora. I thought you liked games. Or are you too cool to play them now that you have the Keyblade?"

The group turned around and James sneered as he saw the boy from Agrabah, "You!" He shouts as he summons Starlight.

Sora stares in shock, "Riku! Wh-What are you doing here?"

James looks at Sora in surprise, "He's your friend Riku?" He asks.

Sora nods, "Best friend! He and I have known each other forever!"

James narrows his eyes again, "Apparently, you don't know him as well as you think." He then looks back to Riku, "And don't think a change of clothes will disguise you from me! I can sense that massive Darkness you have inside you."

Sora shook his head, "You're wrong! Riku isn't a bad guy!" He then looks to his friend, "Answer me, Riku! What are you doing here?"

Riku shrugs, "Just playing with Pinocchio." He answers simply.

"You know what I mean!" Sora tells him, "What about Kairi? Did you find her?"

Riku smirks, "Maybe. Catch us and maybe I'll tell you what I know."

Sora threw his hands to the side, "Come on!" He shouts. Riku then grabs Pinocchio and runs off.

James growls, "You're not getting away from me that easily!" He then charges after the boy with Sora and the others close behind.

After a bit of running through the insides of Monstro, they caught up with Riku, who let Pinocchio run off ahead.

"Riku!" Sora calls out.

James grips Starlight firmly, "Kid, you better have a good reason why I shouldn't take you down right now!" He threatens.

Sora ignores James for the moment, "What's the matter with you? What are you thinking? Don't you realize what you're doing?"

Riku glares back at the boy, "I was about to ask you the same thing, Sora." He says bitterly, "You only seem interested in running around and showing off that Keyblade these days." Sora's Kingdom Key appears in his hand as he looked at it. "Do you even want to save Kairi?" Riku asks.

Sora's response was immediate, "I do." He says with a shaky voice.

Just then, Pinocchio's scream could be heard from the distance.

Everyone hurried after the voice and saw a massive Heartless with Pinocchio trapped inside it. Riku looked to Sora, "You up for this?" He asks while summoning a sword that looks nothing less than demonic.

Sora took his fighting stance, "No problem. Let's do it!"

James eyed Riku cautiously, "The way he acts and talks to Sora…. It kinda reminds me of Terra. He must have been the one to bequeath him with the Keyblade. But when Darkness took him over, the Keyblade must have sought refuge inside the Heart of another. Sora, in this case. It's clear Riku relies on Darkness to fight. Now the only question is whether or not he'll let it control him."

James takes a step back, "I'm gonna sit this one out. Too many of us fighting in here could cause big trouble for Monstro, and by extension, us. Sora, I'm counting on you." The boy nods and rushes off beside Riku, with Donald and Goofy hurrying to help. "Alright, Riku. Time to see where your loyalties lie."

The battle was long and drawn out, even more so when the Heartless had summoned a pool of stomach acid to slow down their movement. But, using unspoken commands with one another, Sora and Riku were able to force the Heartless' mouth open, letting Donald and Goofy grab Pinocchio and finish the monster off, forcing it to retreat instead.

The end of the battle caused Pinocchio to fall through a large hole, where Riku immediately followed. Sora didn't even wait to be healed, instead he jumped straight in after Riku, with the rest of the group following after him.

They landed back on the boat with Geppetto looking out from the plank, "Pinocchio! Pinocchio!" He cries out desperately, "Please! Give me back my son!" All eyes look to see Riku holding an unconscious Pinocchio in his arm.

James glared, "Do as he says, Riku!" He then summons Starlight, "Do not let the Darkness decide your fate!"

Riku smirks wickedly, "Sorry, old man. I have some unfinished business with this puppet."

Geppetto looked pleadingly at Riku, "He's no puppet! Pinocchio is my little boy!"

Riku gives a half nod, "He is unusual. Not many puppets have hearts. I'm not sure, but maybe he can help someone who's lost theirs."

Sora's eyes widen, "Wait a minute. Are you talking about Kairi?" He asks.

James immediately lowers his Keyblade, "Riku, Kairi's condition is much more complex than you realize! Give Pinocchio back to us, and I'll explain everything!"

Riku glares, "What do you care about her?" He says rudely before turning around and walking away.

Sora was about to go after him, but James grabs Sora's hood, "No. You're staying here." He tells him, "You're too emotionally invested in this. Let me handle Riku, I'll bring him back with me if I can." Sora looks down, but nods. James looks to the other half-pints, "Donald, Goofy, you guys stay here too. I'll be fine." He then looks to Geppetto, "Don't worry, I'll get your son back, whatever it takes." He then leaps up after Riku and hurries towards him.

He finally arrives at a dead end, with Riku and Pinocchio both in it. James summons Starlight, "You've taken this far enough, Riku. Now let Pinocchio go!"

Riku glares, "Sora thinks he's too good to come after me himself?"

James shakes his head, "I told him to stay back. You two would just start bickering again. Now hand Pinocchio over to me, now."

Riku looks back to the wooden boy, "A puppet that's lost its Heart to the Heartless…Maybe it holds the key to helping Kairi." He then turns back to James, "Tell Sora that I'm offering to join forces to save her. We can do it together."

James points Starlight at Riku, "Terra would be so ashamed to see what you've become." That name struck a chord to Riku, "I'm not surprised you remember him. He appears to have had a lasting impact on you."

Riku narrows his eyes, "How do you know him?" He asks.

"Terra is a very close friend to me, much like how you are to Sora." He narrows his eyes, "And I think I can safely say that Sora wouldn't tolerate what you've done."

Riku scoffs, "Really? You're gonna fight me? Over a puppet that has no Heart?"

Just then, Sora's voice came through, "Heart or no Heart, at least he still has a conscience." James looked behind himself to see Sora walking up with Kingdom Key in hand, "Sorry, James. But this is between Riku and me. If anyone's gonna stop him-to save him from himself, then it has to be me."

Just then, in that instant, James saw Ventus standing where Sora was. His eyes widen for a moment, "Ven…. You, sneaky little genius…" James recalls Starlight, "Very well Sora. Do what you need to do."

Riku looked at Sora, "Conscience?" He echoes.

"You might not hear it," says Sora, "but right now it's loud and clear." He tells him as Donald and Goofy appear by Sora's side, "And it's telling me you're on the wrong side!"

Riku glares, "Then you leave me no choice."

The cricket, revealed to James by Donald as Jiminy, ran up to the wooden boy in a panic, "Pinocchio! Pinocchio!" He cries out.

Pinocchio opens his eyes slowly, "Jiminy…" he says weakly, "I'm not gonna make it." Just then, Pinocchio's nose grew a few inches, startling the boy to fully awake, "Oh! I guess I'm okay!"

Just then, the Heartless from before returned and started rampaging about, giving Riku an opening to escape.

James leapt in front of Sora, "Get Pinocchio out of here! I'll handle this thing!" Sora nods and escorts Pinocchio away from the battle while Donald and Goofy stand to fight with James.

The monster swings its massive green arms, knocking them all back, but James recovers and delivers a volley of attacks to the Heartless. Goofy leaps up for an uppercut using his shield while Donald casts a Fire spell at its roots, causing it to receive a huge amount of damage.

James then grabs Goofy's arm, "Spin!" He says as he throws Goofy in such a way that he becomes a cyclone the barrages the Heartless, allowing James to leap up over the Heartless, "Fire Raid!" He hurls his ignited Keyblade and cuts off both arms as it flies back to him, "Shock Drop!" He then unleashes a pulse of lightning magic that destroys the Heartless for good.

As the Heartless vanished, the entirety of Monstro's body began acting violently. James quickly dons his armor, "Find Sora and get him back on the Gummi Ship, now! I'll be right behind you!"

Soon after, Monstro let out a ferocious sneeze, spitting out the Gummi Ship with Sora, Donald and Goofy already inside.

Goofy stood up shakily, "I sure hope Pinocchio and Geppetto are okay." He says.

Donald nodded, "Yeah, hopefully they landed safely somewhere."

Sora, who was focused on his thoughts of Riku, suddenly sat up, "Wait! Where's James?"

Just then, outside the Gummi Ship, James flew up to them on his Keyblade Glider, "I'm all good you guys! Come on, let's head to another World and find their Keyhole!" And so, flying side by side, the team went off to their next adventure.

(A/N: That's it for this chapter! For all you Pokémon Fans out there who haven't heard yet, I'm starting a new Pokémon Fanfiction that'll be receiving a double update within a few hours of this being posted. So be sure to check it out if you're into that. And as always, thanks for your patience and support of this new series. I'm looking forward to writing more of this story for y'all.)