Riku opened his eyes to find himself in a lovely flower field near a charming little town full of people going about their morning routines. He saw many children scamper into the school house as the bell rang, trying not to get scolded by their teacher.

"Oh, where is he? He's going to be late!" A familiar voice moaned.

Riku looked down to see a small something past him. He bent down to see it was just who he thought: Jiminy Cricket.

Though the two never met in person, Riku knew who he was thanks to being inside Kairi's heart when she first met him. It was strange to see him without his wooden charge.

He was about to ask where he was but nearly bit his tongue stopping himself. According to Master Yen Sid, Sleeping Worlds were simply dreams of the worlds just before they fell into darkness, doomed to repeat the same things over and over. Missing their people, the worlds dreamed up near perfect replacements of them that copied their last moments.

He bent down slowly so as to not scare the little conscience. "Hey there, are you looking for someone?"

Jiminy turned around in slight surprise. "Oh, why, yes I am! I'm looking for a little wooden boy named Pinocchio, have you seen him?"

"I haven't, sorry…"

"Oh, some conscience I turned out to be! I was supposed to guide Pinnochio to school but I overslept and now, I can't find him!" Jiminy wailed in worry.

"Hey, don't worry, I'll help you look for him." Riku smiled. Pinnochio was quite the mischievous kid, who knew what kind of trouble he could've gotten into without Jiminy to guide him?

"You will? Oh golly, thank you!" Jiminy grinned, hopping into the boy's waiting hand.

Koumori suddenly appeared beside him with a happy squee, eager to introduce himself.

"Ghaa!"

"Don't be scared, Kou only eats Nightmares."

"Nightmares? What nightmares?" Jiminy asked in confusion, still a bit suspicious of the bat.

Just then, as if to answer him, a group of Nightmares surrounded the three.

"These!"

After the fight, Jiminy was much more comfortable with Kou, now riding on his back. Suddenly, the bat perked up before giving a squeal.

"You hear someone? Maybe it's Pinnochio." Riku reasoned. "Follow that voice!"

Soon enough, they'd found Pinnochio but he was speaking to a stranger, one in a black coat that was Riku's height.

Noticing them, the Organization member formed a dark corridor and disappeared.

"Pinioc!" Jiminy exclaimed, hopping down to land on the boy's nose. "Here you are!"

"Hi, Jiminy!" The puppet smiled. He looked up to Riku. "Who's your new friend?"

"I'm Riku." Riku introduced himself, bending down to the boy's level. "Pinnochio, you mind telling me who you were talking to?"

"I don't know, he didn't say his name." The boy shrugged. "He just told me he likes puppets like me and that I should just enjoy my freedom and do whatever I want!"

I guess an Organization member would say that after having to follow Xemnas' orders and not be allowed to do anything they wanted… Riku thought, wondering who it could be. But which member was this? He couldn't remember any of the men of the Organization being this short nor liking puppets.

"Well, that's no way to live!" Jiminy exclaimed. "Doing whatever you want means giving into all temptations!"

"But it sounds fun! And if I can do whatever I want, I want to be an actor!" Pinnochio announced, placing Jiminy on the ground.

"A-An actor?!" Jiminy sputtered in disbelief. "But what about school? Don't you want to be a smart child?"

"Hmmm…." Pinnochio thought about this for only a moment before shaking his head. "Nope!"

Riku and Jiminy spent the next hour trying to convince Pinocchio to get back to school but the puppet wasn't having any of it, determined to become an actor now that the idea was in his head.

Eventually, they reached a traveling wagon with the name 'Stromboli' written on it in big golden letters. As indicated by Pinnochio's enthusiasm, Stromboli was the man they were looking for, the man would make him into an actor.

Stromboli took Pinnochio in right away and soon enough, the puppet was performing his very first show.

"I've got no strings to hold me down, to make me fret, to make me frown!" Pinnochio sang, walking down the stage. "I had strings, but now I'm free. There are no strings on me!"

Pinocchio soon was dancing with many other puppets, entertaining the masses who cheer and clapped for him.

"Huh, they really do like him…" Jiminy sighed. He was happy for his friend, of course, but it seemed something was bringing him down.

"What's wrong, Jiminy?" Riku asked, glancing down to his hands as they watched from backstage.

"It's just… I don't think I'm making a very good conscience at all." The cricket confided wearily. "I want Pinocchio to do good things so he can become a real boy and fulfill his father's wish. I thought Pinnochio wanted that too but it looks like he'd rather just play pretend and stay made of wood!"

"…" Riku thought for a moment before nodding. "I get what you mean but you know, I think Pinnochio kinda already is acting like a real boy."

"Huh? How so?" Jiminy asked.

Riku smiled, remembering fondly how Sora had once wanted to be adored like that too back before their home was lost. It wasn't really for the sake of fame or fortune, he just liked the idea of having so many friends. "Sometimes kids do that, they want attention. But eventually, he'll learn who his real friends are, real friends like you, Jiminy."

Jiminy blushed, taking off his hat. "Oh, gee, that's awfully kind of you to say."

The cricket suddenly hopped down.

"Where are you going?"

"To watch the show, of course! I want to get a better look!"

Riku smiled watching the insect hop away before hearing footsteps behind him.

"It is a pretty good show, huh?"

The boy turned in surprise to see the hooded person from before leaning against the backstage doorway, he could feel their smirk from here.

"Who are you?" Riku growled. He narrowed his eyes as they laughed.

"Careful, Your Highness." The person said. He tutted softly. "You don't even deserve that title, you know? Prince, I mean. You didn't do anything to earn the power that comes with it."

Riku gritted his teeth in anger. Of course he knew that but this guy didn't have to point it out! "So what? You think you can do better?"

"Of course I can." They said haughtily, surprising Riku. He leaned forward accusingly. "That means you ought to be working harder to get your strength up, you don't want to be too weak to protect what matters…!"

Riku noticed him eyeing the charm on his belt and gritted his teeth in anger, summoning his keyblade. "Leave my friends alone!"

The boy vanished with his laugh lingering in the air. "I'll fight you if you ever become worth my time. For now, just keep dreaming…"

"For you, my little Pinnochio." Stromboli said, giving Pinnochio a bent silver coin that was useless compared to the hundreds he had stacked up at his desk.

"For me? Gee, thanks!" The puppet grinned, tucking it in his pocket. "I'll run home right now and tell my father!"

"Home? Going home to your father. Oh, ha-ha-ha. Oh that is very comical."

"You mean it's funny?" Pinnochio asked.

"Pinnochio, let's get going…" Riku tried to hurry him out the door before it got ugly but it was too late.

Stromboli suddenly snatched Pinocchio up, throwing him in a little birdcage nearby. "This will be your home, where I will find you always!"

"So there's still some strings attached." Riku growled, summoning his keyblade. He ran at the man only to receive a swift punch to the jaw.

"Oh no! Riku! Riku, get up!"

The puppet's sobs were the last thing he heard before he blacked out entirely.

He was alone in the dark space again, listening to the Organization members. This time, it was the boy he'd met earlier speaking with a woman whose voice Riku didn't recognize.

"Maybe if you'd just listened to me, the master would've been less harsh." The woman snipped. "Believe it or not I don't want you disappearing on me."

"But you went to see your other half-!" The boy growled.

"Because I'm an actual member. You're just a spare, you can't just-."

"Don't call me that!" The boy yelled, surprising her. "I'm not a spare, not for Riku, not for anybody! …I'll take my place soon enough."

"You know that spot's reserved for-"

"I don't want to hear it!"

Riku awoke with a start, the fight still echoing in his ears. He looked around in a daze, seeing he was still in Stromboli's wagon. He glanced up to see he was hand-cuffed to a heavy trunk and it was his keyblade-wielding wrist too. Any damage or holding of a keyblade-wielder's wrist made the keyblade impossible to summon, Sora and Kairi had taught him that in training.

He looked over to see Pinocchio in tears while Jiminy sat on the lock of the cage, he couldn't get it open even by hopping inside it.

"Guess I'll never see my father again…" The puppet sniffled.

"Hey, we'll think of something." Riku assured him. "Don't let your heart lose hope, it's only over til you do."

"Exactly!" Jiminy bucked up, holding a hankie to the puppet's nose and letting him blow. "Never stop hoping! Miracles happen every day, just look at you! If the Blue Fairy…! The Blue Fairy, there she is!"

A beautiful woman appeared in a flash of blue light, the Blue Fairy that had granted Geppeto's wish for a son. "Why, Pinnochio! Sir Jiminy! And, who is this?"

"I'm Riku, madam." Riku introduced himself.

"Pinnochio, why are you and your friend all locked up? Why didn't you go to school?" The Blue Fairy asked.

"School? Well, I…" Pinnochio looked at Jiminy for help who told him to go on and tell the truth. "I met Riku and I was going to school 'til I met somebody…"

Riku had a feeling where this was going already.

"Met somebody?"

"Yeah. A whole swarm of scary monsters!" Pinocchio exclaimed, likely thinking of the Nightmares he'd seen Riku fight. Suddenly, his nose grew.

"Monsters? Weren't you afraid?"

"No, ma'am. But they tied us all up in a big sack! A-And chopped me into firewood!" The more outlandish his lies got, the longer Pinnochio's nose grew until it served as a branch for a bird's nest. "Oh, my nose! What's happened?"

"It seems you haven't been telling me the truth." The Blue Fairy explained. "You see, Pinocchio, a lie keeps growing and growing until it's as plain as the nose on your face."

"You should probably come clean." Riku shrugged along with a nod from Jiminy.

"I'll never lie again, honest!" The puppet promised.

"Oh please, Your Honor- I mean, Miss Fairy. Give him another chance!" Jiminy begged.

"I'll help you, but just this once. Remember, a boy who won't be good might as well just be made of wood."

With a bright light, they found themselves free and Pinnchio's nose back to its normal length. The Blue Fairy was gone.

Riku held onto Pinocchio and Jiminy and leapt off the wagon to safety, looking back. "So long."

"Goodbye, Mr. Strombo-!" Pinocchio had his mouth covered before he could yell anymore.

Just then, the stars formed into a keyhole, telling Riku his time here was over. He looked back to the two, bending down to them. "I have to go now… You guys stick together, okay?"

"We will!" They chorused and Riku knew it to be true. Even if they were dreamed-up versions, Pinnchio and Jiminy would always be friends.

If only Riku could stick with his own friends…