Wow, I'm actually updating quick on this. YAY! This chapter is seriously dramtical because like it shows Riku's emo side and all that...so now, here's "Chapter 9: A Lost Heart"

Riku was in his room again, waiting for orders from Maleficent. He "retrieved" yet another girl from some place. This time it was a black-haired girl called Jasmine who lived in a place called Agrabah. He came, yet again, at a bad time. The place was about to collapse, so he got her easily. She was unconscious, so he got her and brought her back to Hollow Bastion.

Riku thought about the girls he got and brought to Maleficent. What happened to them? What use are they, anyway? Like they can help me find Kairi... He sat up from his bed. Stupid Sora...If he wasn't with that stupid duck called Donald and that retarded dog called Goofy, he could be helping me right now. Well, past is past...Just wish there was a way...

Riku got up from his bed and flicked his hand. His sword appeared and he began swishing it in the air. He had to use this several times when he got the two girls. He put the sword on his bed and turned his head to the door. There stood Maleficent.

"What do I have to do now?" he asked. Maleficent just entered the room and smiled at him.

"Thank you for retrieving the girls. I have good news again for you," she told her worker.

Riku looked at her. "What is it?"

"I have found another of your friends."

Riku widened his eyes and moved closer. "What! It's Kairi, isn't it? Tell me where she is!" Riku demanded.

"She is somewhere, but she is in a certain condition," Maleficent explained. Riku looked at her intently. "She has no heart. This Kairi is merely a shell of person, empty without a heart."

"What!" She has no "heart?" Does that mean...she's there, but she's not really alive? I mean, I get it, but it's kinda hard to explain. So...what should I do? How can I help Kairi...?

"I do not know how to bring back her heart, so I cannot help you. She's really like a puppet, actually. A puppet without a heart. Wait, I think I can actually help you. Have you ever heard of a live puppet?" Maleficent asked. Riku just shook his head. "There is a living puppet-boy somewhere. I shall bring you there."

Riku just nodded. A living puppet...How can a puppet live? If I see how this puppet dude lives, maybe I can get Kairi to live, too!

After Riku got his sword, Maleficent waved her staff in front of Riku revealing a portal. Riku nodded and entered.

Riku arrived in a jelly-like place with all sorts of colors flashing around. "Okay...Where am I?" He heard a kind of deep moaning echo throughout the room. Oh yeah...I'm in a whale...called Monstro...Who calls a whale Monstro?

He began walking through a colored thing and landed in a dark place full of water and pieces of a boat. But then Riku saw him. He saw a puppet-shaped boy who was walking around. He was about to greet him when he heard familiar voices...

"Yeah. Looks like it. At least we found you guys." Urgh, Sora's here, too! Damn, what does it take to get him off my back and get that stupid Keyblade out of my head!

An old man started talking to Sora. "My name is Geppetto. I'm Pinocchio's father." While Geppetto continued talking to Sora, Riku shifted his feet which made a sound. The puppet-boy called Pinocchio turned around. Riku began running, but Pinocchio eventually went after the sound.

The puppet chased him until he went in this room. Because of the weird material on the open doors, it was easy to hear what was happening on the other side.

Pinocchio stopped running when he saw Sora behind him. "What are ya doin'? Come on, let's go back," Sora suggested.

"Y'know Geppetto's awfully worried about you!" Goofy added.

"Pinocchio, stop fooling around. This is no time for games," Sora said with a serious tone. The three began turning to the exit until they heard someone.

"But, Sora, I thought you liked games." Sora turned around and saw his friend, Riku. "Or are you too cool to play them now that you have the Keyblade?" he mocked.

"Riku? W-What are you doing here?" Sora asked.

"Just playing with Pinocchio," Riku answered nonchalantly.

"You know what I mean," Sora said demandingly. "What about Kairi? Did you find her?"

"Maybe," Riku answered with a shrug. "Catch us, and maybe I'll tell you what I know."

"Come on!" Sora protested. But Riku ignored him and grabbed Pinocchio's hand, running with him. "Ugh, he's turning into a pain in the--!"

"We have to go!" Donald insisted.

A few moments later...

Riku was walking around in another jelly-like room. Maleficent was there again with him. "Why do you still care about that boy?" Riku stopped and looked back at her. "He has only deserted you for the Keyblade and his new companions, after all," Maleficent stated.

"I don't care about him. I was just messing with him a little," Riku responded.

"Oh really? Of course, you were," she said sarcastically. "Beware the darkness in your heart. The Heartless prey upon it." She began leaving through a portal as Riku got angry.

"Mind your own freakin' business!" The Heartless...I read about it one of the books that actually have some info in them. It said Heartless are beings that are hearts corrupted by darkness, without a body or soul. It was really strange, though. Wait, I have something to do!

After a weird chase...

Riku stood there watching Pinocchio run away from Sora and the others. The puppet ran past him into the other room.

"Riku!" Sora was on the ground floor while Riku stood on a platform. "What's the matter with you! What are you thinking ! Don't you realize what you're doing?" Sora said.

Riku stared at him. "I was about to ask you the same thing, Sora. You only seem interested in running around and showing off that stupid Keyblade these days." Sora looked at his Keyblade at hand. "Do you even want to save Kairi?" Riku asked.

Sora put his head down. "I do..."

All of a sudden, they heard Pinocchio yelling. They all ran to the room Pinocchio went through. A weird Heartless shaped like cage with arms held the puppet-boy. Riku looked at Sora.

"You up for this?" he asked.

Sora too out his Keyblade and went into a fighting position. "No problem! Let's do it!"

After the fight...

The Heartless cried in pain, but still seemed able to move. It's tentacle-like arms grabbed the ceiling. The floor formed a hole and it spit Pinocchio into the hole. Without hesitation, Riku jumped into the whole after the puppet.

Sora looked at Donald and Goofy then ran towards the hole and jumped, too.

When they landed, they were on the same spot they met Geppetto. He was there, but he looked stressed and worried.

"Pinocchio! Pinocchio! Please, give me back my son!" he pleaded.

Riku held an unconscious Pinocchio under his right arm. "Sorry, old man. But I have some unfinished business with this puppet," Riku told.

"He's no puppet! Pinocchio is my little boy!" Geppetto insisted.

"He is unusual. Not many puppets have hearts. I'm not sure, but maybe he could help someone who's lost their's," Riku explained kinda sadly.

"Wait a minute...Are you talking about Kairi!" Sora said.

"What do you care about her?" Riku told. Without another word, he walked off with Pinocchio.

Riku brought him to a place that had several platforms and acid that surrounded the place. Riku stared at the puppet sitting there, not moving at all. Can he really help me find Kairi's heart?

"HEY! Let Pinocchio go, Riku!" Sora shouted, getting Riku out of his thoughts. Riku turned and saw him.

"A puppet that's lost it's heart to the Heartless...Maybe it holds the key helping Kairi," Riku said. He stretched his right arm and pointed at his friend. "How 'bout it Sora? Let's join forces to save her. We can do it together." He began walking towards Sora.

But Sora brought out his Keyblade. "What? You'd rather fight me? Over a puppet that has no heart?" Riku asked.

"Heart or no heart," Sora said with a tone, "at least he still has a conscience."

"Conscience?" Riku questioned.

"You might not hear it, but right now it's loud and clear. And it's telling me you're on the wrong side!" Sora yelled.

"Then you leave me no choice," Riku said. He saw the little cricket called Jiminy run to Pinocchio, yelling his name.

"I'm not gonna make it...," the puppet said. He put his head down, but a light came from his nose. It grew longer! "Huh? I guess I'm okay!"

Riku looked at the jumping cricket and then at the floor. I guess...I'll never find out...

Suddenly, the same Heartless that got Pinocchio came out from the ceiling and went in front of Riku. A portal formed behind Riku, and he went through it, leaving Sora without a good-bye once more.

Through the portal, Riku arrived in a ship's cabin. Maleficent was in front of him. "Yeah, awesome puppet theory you had. Thanks," Riku said sarcastically. Maleficent pretended she didn't hear that and just pointed behind Riku. Behind him, he saw a girl sleeping on the long couch seat. The girl looked so familiar to Riku as he got closer. When he got close enough, he saw it was...

"Kairi!" Riku put his hand on his shoulder and gently shook her. She looked like she was asleep, so Riku tried to wake her. Then he remembered..."No heart..." He felt like he was about to break. His best friend left him for a sword and new friends. His other friend is literally empty without a heart. He life felt so dark now...

Riku just stared at Kairi's lifeless body, his eyes filled with sadness. "So, Kairi's like a lifeless puppet, now?" he asked Maleficent.

"Precisely."

"And her heart was--"

"Taken by the Heartless, no doubt."

Riku turned around to Maleficent. "Tell me, what can I do!" he asked eagerly.

"There are seven maidens of the purest hearts. We call the the Princesses of Heart. Gather them together, and door will open to the heart of all worlds. Within lies untold wisdom. There you will surely find a way to recover Kairi's heart," Maleficent explained. Riku just stared at her. "Now, I grant you a marvelous gift. A power to control the Heartless!"

She lifted her staff and darkness took over Riku's eyes. When his eyes were clear again, he saw the same green light before glow around him again. I can now control the Heartless. The Princesses are my key to help Kairi. Riku turned around to Kairi.

"Soon, Kairi. Soon."