Deep within the deepest bowels of Monstro's body, a chamber of bizarre bone laden platforms poking out of the squishy walls, and a central platform surrounded by stomach acid, were the two that they were desperately searching for. Riku looked down at the motionless puppet, deep in thought. If this puppet were to lose its heart, then perhaps he'd find some way to reach Kairi's. Whatever ramifications he'd face didn't matter. If Sora was going to just keep fool around in other worlds, he'd find the way to bring Kairi back himself. "Hey! Let Pinocchio go, Riku!" As if on cue, he turned at the sound of Sora's voice and to his disdain, saw none other than Ruby by his side, followed by the whole entourage of Sora's new, seemingly more important friends. Ruby's eyes widened with horror seeing Pinocchio limply sitting down motionless. "Pinocchio, wake up!" she called out, only for silence to haunt her ears.

"Don't bother." Riku said dismissively. "This puppet isn't making it out of here. I don't even know why you care about it so much. You've already got lots of other friends." His words struck Ruby to the core as she trembled with worry and growing anger toward Riku. She didn't want to feel this way toward Sora's best friend, but the things he was doing to poor Pinocchio...it just wasn't right. "Stop calling him that! He's not just a puppet! He's a person just like us! He has a heart and a soul just like anyone else! Just like Penny!" Sora turned to look at Ruby, confused by the mention of this 'Penny'.

Ruby's friends, meanwhile, were struck with another pang of sorrowful recollection. The realization of just how hard that horrible event had affected her... "I don't know what you're talking about, and frankly I don't care. I told you to keep your mouth shut." Though that sorrow was soon joined by shock and disgust as Ruby and her friends cringed with anger at Riku's insult toward their lost friend. "So help me, I'm going to beat that smug-" "Yang. No." Blake barely managed to hold Yang back with Weiss's help. "I'm having a hard time believing this guy is Sora's friend." Nora muttered to Ren as she clenched her fists along with Yang. "Perhaps he wasn't always like this. Otherwise I doubt Sora would be this upset with him while still thinking of him as his friend." Ren noted, making Nora sigh. "You're too introspective sometimes, Ren." Though it was one of the things she...admired about him.

"Just let Pinocchio go, Riku!" Sora implored again. Ignoring his words, Riku looked to the barely moving form of Pinocchio.. "A puppet that's lost it's heart to the Heartless. Maybe it holds the key to helping Kairi," he said before turning back to Sora with a sudden smile. As if he didn't just insult Ruby and her friends, Riku only now chose to attempt what he viewed as a peaceful offer. "How about it, Sora? Let's join forces to save her. We can do it together." he urged as he stepped closer to Sora. But after everything Riku had been doing so far, and all that he said to his friends, and to Ruby...Sora glared at his best friend as he summoned the Keyblade. The display made Riku stop in his tracks, scoffing with surprise and disbelief. "What? You'd rather fight me? Over a puppet that has no heart?" he asked, unable to believe Sora would have the audacity to do something like this.

Sora refused to let Riku's words get to him anymore. He was sick of hearing such cruel things come from his best friend's mouth. "Heart or no heart, at least he still has a conscience." The bemused smile on Riku's face faded when he repeated the last word with condescending skepticism. "Conscience?"

Out of Sora's hoodie, Jiminy hopped to the ground and rushed to Pinnochio's side, some of the others watching but turning their attention immediately back to Riku as Sora told his current feelings about the boy he grew up with. "You may not hear it, but right now it's loud and clear. And it's telling me you're on the wrong side!" As Sora made that passionate declaration, Donald, Goofy, Ruby, and all of her friends stood beside him, letting Riku know that none of them condoned his actions.

That was the last straw for Riku. As far as he was concerned, Maleficent truly was right. Sora really had chosen all these new people over him. His best friend was nothing but a stranger to him now. "Then you leave me no choice. I'll save Kairi my own way. And you and your friends can all go play games, without me." he said, not bothering to hide any of the bitterness he felt toward Sora anymore. If this was how he wanted things to be, then so be it

"Pinocchio! Pinocchio!" Jiminy cried out as he reached his motionless charge, who finally seemed to react. The boy's eyes opened and he spoke in a sad, hopeless tone. "Jiminy...I'm not gonna make it..." he said, lowering his head morosely. Suddenly, a familiar bright light illuminated upon Pinocchio's face as...his nose grew. The sight of his nose growing caught the puppet's attention, and suddenly, his expression lit right up. "Oh! I guess I'm okay!" he said, suddenly feeling so much more cheerful. If his nose grew at that...then maybe he WAS going to be alright! After all, he had so many great friends who cared about him here to save him! Never had Jiminy been so overjoyed to discover Pinocchio telling a lie. Granted, it still was something that the Blue Fairy told him to discourage, but for now, he was definitely making an exception.

Sora, Ruby, and their friends smiled just as joyfully as their cricket chronicler as they saw that Pinocchio was okay. The sheer amount of relief that the young red caped huntress felt was boundless. In contrast of course, Riku was disgusted. Seeing Sora and all his new friends being so chummy over a puppet made him even more furious. But before he could do anything to shut them up, a shadow cast over him, making him jump back. The source of it...was none other than the Parasite Cage Heartless from before. But it looked different this time. Instead of varying shades of purple with light blue limbs, its body had changed to shades of yellow and orange with green limbs. Whatever had caused this change, something told Sora that if this was anything like the Guard Armor Heartless and its Opposite form, this thing had gotten more powerful with this change.

Riku however didn't stick around to find out. As he was obscured by the Heartless's bulbous form, he used that opportunity to get out with the use of the same sort of dark portal that Maleficent used, leaving his former best friend and his new friends to fight it.

"Pinocchio, go back to Geppetto! We'll take care of this thing!" Sora said, readying his Keyblade with everyone else following suit. Pinocchio didn't need to be told twice as he ran out of the chamber as fast as his wooden limbs could carry him.

The new Parasite Cage's limbs hit the ground beside it. In that moment it lunged its lower half forward and knocked everyone back before they knew what hit them. As they recovered, Jaune noticed how close he was to the edge of the platform they were on. The green glowing liquid in front of him felt hot but also had a strange smell to it. Just being near it was enough to make him feel uncomfortable. "Guys? Whatever this stuff is, I think we need to keep away from it." he said before noticing how close they all were to each other. Around the walls were more of the jetted portions like the room below them. "I think we should split up. Fight apart so we all have room."

"For once, I agree with Jaune. We're too close to effectively fight. Come on." Weiss said before leaping one way, Pyrrha and Ren going with her as they each stood on a different platform. Ruby, Blake and Sora went another way while the rest stayed up front.

While on a part that lined up with the Parasite Cage's head, Sora aimed his Keyblade to it. "Big freeze!" The blizzard spell he blasted was bigger and felt even colder. He was surprised and smiled, looking at the icy air surrounding his Keyblade. More magical strength gained from some earlier fighting, no doubt. Perhaps his other spells would keep growing as well?

"Sora, move!" Donald shouted, snapping Sora out of his stupor.

Realizing he was about to get hit by one of the tentacles reaching for him, Sora hopped away and landed platform beside Ren. "Wind!" Sora called out, surprising the huntsman when he saw a barrier of wind billowing around him. Ren tuned to Sora who gave a firm nod, prompting the stoic huntsman to nod back gratefully. Together, Jaune and Goofy assaulted the front of the Heartless, making sure to keep their shields as they tried to draw its attention. As its focus was upon Yang and Nora, the shield bearers took that opportunity to strike it square in the teeth with their shields. The Parasite Cage suddenly gave a small jolt before going limp, it's massive jaw opening dully.

When it suddenly went limp, everyone paused briefly with confusion, wondering what it was doing. "It's reeling, guys! Let's get it!" Nora yelled enthusiastically, raising her hammer and slamming it against the Parasite Cage. It didn't even seem to react. Nobody had any idea what to make of it, but at least it wasn't countering in some way. So recognizing this as a moment of vulnerability, they charged it.

If they'd only done so a bit sooner, they could potentially have destroyed it then and there. But Unfortunately, their moment of hesitation was all it needed to recover with little more than some bashes on the head from Nora. Which it repaid in kind as it swatted her away, batting her onto one of the platforms above the pit of stomach acid. But oh, that wasn't the only new trick it had up its sleeve. For as it saw the rest of the group rushing for it, the Heartless countered by thrusting its tentacles into the ground and suddenly propelling itself at them, kicking them all backwards toward the entrance of the chamber.

"This thing's gotten much tougher." Jaune bemoaned, pushing himself up off the ground. "It's kinda like the one we fought in Traverse Town. Changed color just like it too." Goofy pointed out. "Who cares what color it is?! Let's just take it down!" Donald exclaimed revving his staff up for another flurry of spells. Nora pushed herself up on the platform, and jumped back down to join the others for a renewed assault.

But it seemed that wasn't the only new trick up the Parasite Cage's sleeve. For the instant they recovered, it thrust its tentacles into the pool of acid, seeming to pump it up through its wriggling limbs into its body. "Uh oh. What's it doing now?" Ruby wondered. She got her answer when suddenly, the Heartless's mouth opened and expunged a sickening, dark green little cloud of noxious fumes their way.

Everyone saw the wafting green mist in shock as Weiss snapped them out of it by shouting, "Move!" and they all did at the last second. They all barely avoided the spray of stomach acid but Nora didn't see where she was sidestepping and accidentally bumped into the side of the wall and tripped onto her side on one of the platforms.. Sora gasped with worry for the ginger haired huntress as she only just turned to see the acid nearing her. "No! STOP!" Sora shouted, despite how the Parasite Cage wouldn't likely do as he pleaded.

But then, something unexpected happened happened. Large Roman numerals surrounded by eight three dimensional rhombuses going outwards at a diagonal tilt from Sora's side in a symmetrical pattern. The Parasite Cage was suddenly surrounded by the same symbols, but instead of the rhombus shapes going out around it, a sphere of magic energy suddenly manifested upon the Heartless, briefly inverting its colors. To everyone's shock and amazement, the Parasite Cage was completely frozen. Not just it's body but the acid jetting from its head as well. Shaking off her own surprise, Nora realized her chance to get out of the way, so she got to her feet and hopped to another platform.

"What the...Did I do that?" Sora wondered, astounded by the sheer power of the magic he cast. "Everyone, get it! It won't stay frozen forever!" Donald exclaimed, pelting the Parasite Cage with magic. Everybody else took the duck at his word and began to utterly pummel the Heartless into submission. As they did, they noticed something equally unusual. While they felt the power of their strikes hit the Parasite Cage, it didn't flinch or react in anyway to their onslaught. Whatever effect Sora did lasted only a few seconds seconds before wearing off. But half a second after it did, the Parasite Cage suddenly jerked around wildly and as if it was only just registering every single blow it received at this moment. With eleven people, the combined assault was enough to make the Parasite Cage shake and begin to dissolve away, releasing the Heart trapped within.

In the wake of their victory within Monstro's belly however, a sharp tremor nearly threw everyone off their feet. "Whoa! What's going on now?" Ruby wondered uneasily. Bizarre bursts of some kind of stomach acid, mist, or something of that kind began to rise inside the room. Whether slaying the Heartless caused this, or a combination of everything they were doing to this whale's insides, probably from the team's attacks combing together when the power of Sora's magic being undone. "Oh no...Don't tell me this whale is about to suffer indigestion or something." Weiss said, really not in the mood to picture anything of that kind. There had been enough grossness for her at this point. "LET'S GET OUT OF HERE!" Jaune shouted, likely picturing an equally gross possibility as Weiss before darting to the chamber entrance followed by Pyrrha and his team.

Despite what was happening, Sora was far more concerned about something else. Or more accurately, someONE. In the wake of the Parasite Cage's destruction, his best friend was nowhere in sight. "Riku! Where are you!?" His call was met with nothing but the sounds of Monstro's bowels growling and shaking. "What are you doing, Sora!? Come on!" Yang urged, grabbing him by the wrist and pulling him along with Team RWBY. Sora was unable to resist the stronger pull of the blonde huntress as she pulled him along with everyone else scrambling out of the chamber. They had to get to the Gummi Ship before whatever was happening...happened. Sora only hoped that Geppetto and Pinocchio would be able to get out with the aid of that Gummi block that Pinocchio found.

When they got back to Monstro's mouth, they saw Pinocchio and Geppetto around what looked to be a campfire of some sort. "Pinocchio! Geppetto!" Ruby called out. "Brace yourselves, everyone! Pinocchio and I found a way to get Monstro to spit us out!" Geppetto called back, bracing himself in the midst of the increasing tremors. "We're gonna use the smoke to make him sneeze!" Pinocchio elaborated. As if on cue, a loud grumble rang throughout the titanic whale. "Sounds like it's working a bit too well!" Weiss exclaimed, trying to steady herself. "Who cares?! I'm just glad to get out of here!" Blake countered, continuing to run for the Gummi Ship. "RUUUUUN!" Nora exclaimed, running as fast as her legs could carry her as the rest of Team JNPR followed behind, followed by Team RWBY. "Sora!" "Hurry!" Donald and Goofy respectively called out as the Keyblade Master looked back, his mind still on his missing friend. "Riku..." All they could do at this point was get into the Gummi Ship and brace themselves for the great sneeze on the horizon.


Riku had long since left Monstro, and returned to the vessel provided to him by Maleficent and Captain Hook. He stood in the captain's quarters of Hook's ship, his eyes fixed sadly upon the limp, lifeless figure of the only friend he thought he had left. She couldn't move, couldn't speak, couldn't do anything. It was like she wasn't alive anymore. "So...Kairi's like a lifeless puppet now?" Standing behind him, Maleficent's face hosted a smug grin at Riku's sad demeanor. "Precisely." she answered frankly.

FRiku's fist clamped as he asked the question he was most reluctant to know the answer to."And her heart was..." Maleficent smiled wickedly as Riku hesitated to complete his realization. "Taken by the Heartless, no doubt." she finished for him, sensing his desperation to save the girl who was oh so precious to him.

"Tell me! What can I do?" Riku asked desperately when turning to her. That desperation all she needed to hear to know Riku was fully on her side now. Maleficent smiled in a pleased manner as she chose now to share her plan with Riku. "There are seven maidens of the purest heart. We call them 'The Princesses of Heart'. Gather them together, and a 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."

Despite all he had suspected from Maleficent, Riku it was clear now that she was the only one who had any desire to help him. If only for her own selfish reasons. He could tell she only thought of him as a tool. But if this was the only way to ensure he could save Kairi, he'd help her.

"Now. I'll grant you a marvelous gift," Maleficent said again, making Riku eye her with caution yet also curiosity. "The power to control the Heartless!"

Reaching her arms outward, she Maleficent bestowed the ability she spoke of unto Riku so he too could call the Heartless to his aid and not fear them overtaking him. Provided he not overuse it or succumb to the darkness in his own heart. Riku cringed as his body was covered by her strange black and green fire-like magic. The discomfort didn't last long, and before he knew it...he felt much more powerful. He felt all the more certain that he was the only one who could save Kairi. If Sora would rather go playing hero for people who didn't matter, then he would do what his former best friend couldn't. "Soon, Kairi. Soon."