I am NO ONE'S slave
I am NO ONE'S puppet
I am MY own boss
I am MY own master
I bend to NO ONE'S will
The only will I bend to is MY OWN
Chapter 16: Heart of a Puppet
Arthur, Sora, Eilonwy, T.J., Calla, Donald, Goofy, Max, P.J., Robin, and Tod leave Traverse Town and return to the Gummi ships.
"So, where do you think we should head to next?" Eilonwy asked.
"Well, let's go find the next world and see what we'll find." T.J. said.
"Good idea, Teej. Let's get moving." Arthur said.
The Gummi ships start flying while shooting Heartless ships and later return to the second section, but as they keep flying for the next world, something comes across the ships and it's what looks like a big blue figure.
"Something's blocking our way." Arthur said.
"But what is it?" Donald asked.
"Whatever it is, it's huge!" Sora said, as the figure flies toward them and it's a big blue whale.
"Whoa, it's a whale!" P.J. said.
"Gawrsh, a very big one!" Goofy said.
"But what's a whale doin' out here?" T.J. asked.
"Hold on a moment! Guys, that's no ordinary whale! That's Monstro!" Jiminy said.
"Monstro?" Robin asked.
"You say its name like it's a big deal." Calla said.
"It IS a big deal! Monstro's a whale of a whale and very vicious! He's known for eating WHOLE ships!" Jiminy said.
"That doesn't sound promising." Eilonwy said, but Monstro comes back for the ship.
"Um, guys, I think he's coming back for us..." Arthur said.
"He is! Let's get out of here!" Tod said.
"Yeah! Right NOW!" Donald said.
"Let's hurry!" Max said.
"Too late! He's gonna swallow us!" Sora said, as Monstro eats the Gummi ship and everything turns white.
Flashback:
In Destiny Islands, two small boys are walking down the island's shores and they're Sora and Riku as little boys.
"But it's true! I DID see it with my own eyes!" Little Sora said.
"You sure you didn't just hear it?" Little Riku asked.
"What's difference? There's a HUGE monster in there! I'm tellin ya!" Little Sora said.
"Okay, so suppose there IS a monster, ya think we can handle it ourselves?" Little Riku asked, as they arrive at the island's cave.
"No problem! We can take it together! Can ya hear it growling?" Little Sora asked, leaning toward the cave's entrance.
"Shh! Quiet! We gotta be careful!" Little Riku said.
The two boys enter the cave, but they don't see everything but a wooden door.
"See? There's no monster. Just the wind making noise." Little Riku said.
"Aww, I was hopin' it'd be a monster!" Little Sora said, as he sees a wooden door. "Huh? What's that?" Little Sora asked.
"Probably a door, but it won't open." Little Riku said.
"Is that all there is in here?" Little Sora asked.
"Well, what did you expect in a boring place like this?" Little Riku asked.
"Aww, man..." Little Sora said.
"Hey, Sora!" Little Riku said.
"Yeah?" Little Sora asked.
"When we grow up, let's get off this island. We'll go on REAL adventures! Not this kid stuff!" Little Riku said.
"Sure, but is there anything fun to do here?" Little Sora asked.
"Well, I heard there's a new girl at the mayor's house after that meteor shower." Little Riku said, as they leave the cave.
Another Flashback:
In Ector's castle, someone is walking down the castle halls and it's Arthur as a little boy, but then, he sees a younger Kay going into a room, so Little Arthur decides to follow his brother for the door and goes into the same room, which is full of weapons, such as swords, axes, maces, lances, spears, and bows and arrows and sees Kay taking a sword and starts swinging, only to fall to the ground.
"Kay's been trainin' as hard as he can to be a knight on day. When I grow up, I wanna be like him. I wanna be a knight and go on adventures, but...I've never used a sword before..." Little Arthur said, but sees Kay putting the sword away and leaving the room, so he hides. "Hmm, maybe I could try using a sword to practice with... I wanna give it a go." Little Arthur said, taking a sword, but it's heavy for the little blond boy to carry, but Little Arthur tries to give a swing, only for him to fall on the ground. "This is really hard... Maybe I can give it one more try..." Little Arthur said.
"What are you doing in my weapon chambers, boy?!" A voice demanded, as Little Arthur sees Ector.
"Oh, sir... I-I was just...trying to get the sword cleaned..." Little Arthur said, smiling sheepishly.
"Gimme that!" Ector yelled, taking the sword. "I told you NOT to come in here! This is not a place for children! Now get out here! You have a load of chores to do! Consider this a demerit! If I catch you in here again, you WILL be sorry! Do you understand?!" Ector demanded.
"Y-Yes sir..." Little Arthur said, leaving the weapon chamber.
As Little Arthur is back in the castle halls, someone grabs the little blond boy by the shirt and it's Kay.
"Ya got some nerve followin' me into that room, you little pipsqueak! Hearin' ya gettin' yelled at was the fun part! If you EVER follow me again, you're DONE, ya little piece of garbage!" Kay yelled, throwing Little Arthur to the ground. "Get outta my face before I strangle ya!" Kay yelled, making Little Arthur run away.
Little Arthur runs through the castle halls and later goes to his room, as he sits on the ground, covers his face, and starts crying.
Flashback End.
In the present, Arthur and Sora are both unconscious, but Tod licks the two boys.
"Arthur? Sora? Wake up!" Tod said.
"T-Tod...?" Arthur asked groggily.
"Ugh, where are we...?" Sora asked also groggy.
"Are we...?" Arthur was cut off.
"KNOCK IT OFF!" A voice shouted, making the two boys turn to see Donald tapping his foot while Goofy uses his shield for protection while Eilonwy uses a magic barrier around herself, Calla, T.J., Max, P.J., and Robin.
"Guys? What's going on?" Arthur asked.
"Where are we?" Sora asked, but they hear loud noise from outside.
"Bad news, everyone. It's just as I've feared; Monstro has swallowed us." Eilonwy said.
"And it doesn't look like there's a way out." P.J. said.
"This is STUPID! I HATE being inside this stupid whale!" Calla yelled, crossing her arms.
"Arthur? Sora? Are you guys okay?" Max asked.
"Other than the fact we're in a giant whale, I'm fine." Arthur said.
"Don't worry, we'll find a way out. I hope..." Tod said, but something falls near them.
"Another one?" Robin asked.
"That's the third one that fell." T.J. said.
"Well, we should be expecting today's weather; showers." P.J. said, as another item hits Goofy's shield.
"Heavy showers." Goofy said.
"Where're they coming from?" Sora asked.
"Up there." T.J. said, pointing upward.
"But WHO and what's up there?" Tod asked, looking up at a figure with a treasure chest on a higher ledge.
"Hey, who're you?" Calla asked.
"Oh, it's just me!" The figure said, revealing to be a familiar puppet.
"Oh, it's just Pinocchio..." Donald said.
"Wait a sec! Pinoke's HERE?!" T.J. asked shocked.
"Pinocchio?" Jiminy asked, hoping out of Sora's hood, but Pinocchio picks up an item and leaves.
"Pinocchio? Where're you going?!" Arthur asked, but Pinocchio is gone.
"We'd better go after him." Calla said.
"But what's heeven doing here? Wasn't he in Traverse Town?" Max asked.
"We'll worry about that later." Robin said.
"Robin's right. We have to find out where Pinoke's going." Arthur said and they nod.
(Trapped in Monstro)
(Field Theme: A Very Small Wish)
The party start moving through Monstro's mouth to follow Pinocchio, who starts jumping from piles of wood, as Arthur, Sora, Eilonwy, and Donald use their ice magic to freeze some water, allowing them access across the mouth and they come across a boat and go for it and on the boat, Pinocchio is showing a block to an old man with white hair and mustache, wearing a white shirt with a red vest over it, black trousers, and glasses.
"What do you have here, Pinocchio?" The old man asked.
"With this, we can get out of here, Father." Pinocchio said.
"Oh? With this big block? You think so?" The old man asked.
"It's true." Sora said, as they get on the boat.
"Hey! You're Jiminy's friends from Traverse Town!" Pinocchio said.
"Yeah, that's us." P.J. said.
"How'd you end up in here, Pinoke?" Arthur asked.
"Oh, my! The whale swallowed you ALL too? My goodness!" The old man said.
"Yeah, looks like it." Sora said.
"But we seem fine. So, what's your name, sir?" Arthur asked.
"My name is Geppetto. I'm Pinocchio's father." Geppetto introduced.
"So, he's Pinoke's father?" Eilonwy asked.
"Tell me, how did you end up here, Geppetto?" Calla asked.
"When Pinocchio and I got separated, I traveled all over to find him. Thank goodness we're together again." Geppetto said.
"I wish it was under better circumstances..." Arthur said, but then he sees someone going into a hole. "Who's that?" Arthur asked, going for the hole.
"Arthur?" Tod asked, following Arthur into the hole.
Pinocchio sees Arthur and Tod going for the hole and decides to follow them.
"You seem to know Pinocchio quite well. I hope he's been a good boy during my absence." Geppetto said, taking a Gummi block and putting it on his bed. "Well, we've had quite a journey, right, Pinocchio?" Geppetto asked, but sees Pinocchio going for the hole. "Pinocchio!" Geppetto called, but the puppet boy is gone.
"Where's he going?" Sora asked.
"Does we always wander off on his own?" Eilonwy asked.
"I warned him not to wander off on his own. He can such a naughty boy, but he's still precious to me." Geppetto said.
"Don't worry, Mr. Geppetto. We'll get your son back." Robin said.
"Uh, guys, where're Arthur and Tod?" Max asked, looking around.
"What? They're gone too?" Donald asked.
"Guess we'll have to find Artie, Tod, and Pinoke." Sora said.
"Let's go." Calla said, as they go for the hole.
Sora, Eilonwy, T.J., Calla, Donald, Goofy, Max, P.J., and Robin arrive at the first chamber, where they find Pinocchio.
"Hey, what do you think you're doing?" Sora asked.
"Ya know, Geppetto's awfully worried about ya." Goofy said.
"He told ya not to wander off." Max said.
"We should be heading back." Robin said.
"But..." Pinocchio was cut off.
"But nothing. We're taking you back to Geppetto. No debate." Eilonwy said.
"This is no time for games!" Sora said, as they start moving.
"But, Sora, I thought you liked games!" A voice said, making Sora turn to see Riku. "Or are you too cool to play them now that you have the Keyblade?" Riku asked.
"Riku? What're you doing here?" Sora asked.
"Just playing with Pinocchio." Riku answered.
"You know what I mean! Where's Kairi? Did you find her?" Sora asked.
"Maybe. Here's the deal; catch us and I'll tell you what I know." Riku said, taking Pinocchio and they leave.
"Hey, get back here!" Sora called, but they're gone.
"Now we gotta go after them!" Donald said.
"It's one thing after another..." P.J. said.
"C'mon!" Calla said, as they go for the hole.
Meanwhile, Arthur and Tod arrive at a different chamber.
"What did you see, Arthur?" Tod asked.
"I thought I saw someone, but I guess I was seeing things." Arthur said.
"Oh, your eyes weren't playing tricks on you, Artie!" A voice said and Arthur sees Morgan. "Then again, it would be funny if you saw nothing." Morgan said.
"Morgan?!" Arthur asked shocked.
"Why're YOU here?!" Tod demanded, growling.
"Oh, please. I have my own rights of traveling to worlds." Morgan said.
"We're in a whale." Arthur said.
"Your powers of observation are outstanding!" Morgan said.
"What're you up to?" Arthur asked.
"Tell you what, Artie; see if you can catch me." Morgan said.
"What? I don't have time to play games!" Arthur said.
"Oh, what? Don't like playing games? You really think because you have Excalibur, you're better than everyone else?" Morgan asked.
"Th-That's not it at all! I was just able to pull it from the stone..." Arthur said.
"Regardless, you're still an embarrassment." Morgan said, making Arthur blush with embarrassment and looking at the ground.
"I've had it!" Tod yelled, charging to attack the sorceress, who knocks the fox kit back with magic force, but Arthur catches him.
"Come on, Artie! Catch me!" Morgan said, leaving.
"Hey, get back here!" Arthur called, as he and Tod go after her.
Meanwhile, Sora, Eilonwy, T.J., Calla, Donald, Goofy, Max, P.J., and Robin arrive at a different chamber of Monstro and begin looking for Riku and Pinocchio, but then, Search Ghost Heartless, Barrel Spider Heartless, Yellow Opera Heartless, Vampire Bat Black Xetis, Spider Black Xetis, and Imp Black Xetis appear.
"Wak! They're HERE too?!" Donald asked.
"Oh, come ON!" T.J. yelled, taking out his daggers.
"Fight now, complain later." Eilonwy said.
(Battle Theme: Monstrous Monstro)
The Search Ghost Heartless deliver attacks with their hands while the Vampire Bat Black Xetis unleash sonic screams, only for Sora to deliver four slashes with Kingdom Key followed by vertical slashes and then casts Water while Eilonwy unleashes five magic orbs followed by unleashing four more magic orbs and then casts Gale, but the Barrel Spider Heartless deliver charging attacks while the Spider Black Xetis unleash webs to try and trap the party. T.J. delivers four slashes with his daggers followed by three diagonal slashes and then uses Stink Bombs and deals poison damage, but the Yellow Opera Heartless unleash lightning while the Imp Black Xetis unleash magic blasts, only for Calla to unleash three magic music waves followed by unleashing five magic music notes and then casts Brair and unleashes thorned vines from the ground to deal damage. The Barrel Spider Heartless jump into the air and deliver spinning attacks while the Vampire Bat Black Xetis deliver flying kick attacks with their claws, only for Donald to cast Sleep and then casts Earthra while Goofy delivers four bashes with his shield followed by Turbo, but the Search Ghost Heartless try to drain life while the Imp Black Xetis deliver leaping attacks, only for Max to use Cymbal Dance. The Yellow Opera Heartless deliver lightning charge attacks while the Spider Black Xetis attack with their legs while unleashing poison, but P.J. delivers three heavy swings with his hammer followed by Boulder Bombs and throws them to deal explosions while Robin shoots five arrows followed by Arrow Rain and they defeat the enemies.
"That was a waste of time." Sora said.
"Let's hurry before we lose Riku and Pinoke." Robin said and they nod.
The group continue moving through inside Monstro and arrive in a different chamber, only for more Black Xetis and Heartless to appear and attack them, only to fight them off and keep moving and arrive at a different chamber, but find more Black Xetis and Heartless, only to keep moving through inside the whale and keep moving from chamber to chamber while still going after Riku and Pinocchio.
Meanwhile, Arthur and Tod arrive in a new chamber inside Monstro and start searching for Morgan, but then, Red Nocturne Heartless, Soldier Heartless, Large Body Heartless, Zombie Black Xetis, Werewolf Black Xetis, and Skeleton Warrior Black Xetis appear.
"Oh, not here too!" Tod said.
"Let's get this over with!" Arthur said.
The Red Nocturne Heartless shoot fireballs while the Skeleton Warrior Black Xetis deliver slashes with their swords, only for Arthur to cast Hypno to make the enemies attack each other while Tod delivers four strikes with his stick followed by Skullbash, but the Soldier Heartless deliver slashes with their claws while the Zombie Black Xetis throw their limbs, only for Tod to use Growl to make stunning damage while Arthur delivers five slashes with Excalibur. The Large Body Heartless deliver double punches while the Werewolf Black Xetis deliver slashes with their claws, but Tod uses Quick Attack and moves at great speed while striking while Arthur horizontal slashes with Excalibur followed by diagonal slashes and then uses Arcane Blast and unleashes two magic orbs. The Red Nocturne Heartless unleash more fireballs while the Zombie Black Xetis deliver spinning attacks with their limbs, only for Arthur to cast Hydro for protection and then casts Volt while Tod uses Bite to deal damage, but the Skeleton Warrior Black Xetis spin slash with their swords while the Soldier Heartless deliver spin kicks, only for Tod to use Skullbash while Arthur uses Virtue Maelstrom and they defeat the enemies.
"Done with that! Let's hurry after Morgan!" Arthur said.
Arthur and Tod enter the next chamber, only to find more Black Xetis and Heartless, who attack, but the two fight off the enemies and keep moving through inside the whale and later enter the next chamber, but find more Black Xetis and Heartless, only to keep moving through inside of Monstro and go from chamber to chamber while still moving on to go after Morgan and they later arrive at a new area, which is the cavity.
"I really hate this place... It's like a maze." Arthur said.
"Tell me about it. I know Monstro's big and all, but I doubt Morgan went too far." Tod said.
"You couldn't be more right!" A voice said and they see Morgan. "So, enjoying my game of tag?" Morgan asked.
"Hardly. Stop fooling around and fight!" Arthur said.
"And skip the part where we spend some time together? I don't think so." Morgan said.
"Why're you here, Morgan? Did you...destroy Camelot?" Arthur asked.
"The answer's yes and no. In fact, it was all Kay and Ector, who actually opened the door, allowing the Black Xetis and Heartless to get into the world's core." Morgan said, shocking Arthur.
"Wh-What...?! K-Kay...?! Lord Ector...?! It can't be true..." Arthur said.
"Oh, but it is. And to make things even more fun, Maleficent and Ruber were the ones, who persauded them to do it." Morgan said.
"N-No..." Arthur said, kneeling to the ground and starting to cry, only for Morgan to fire a purple fireball at the blond boy.
"Oh, stop crying like a baby. You're supposed to be Excalibur's chosen warrior. You know something, despite your weakness in Traverse Town, I can see you have potential. Dare I say, you're a special warrior, Arthur. You and I are not so different." Morgan said.
"I-I'm nothing like YOU, Morgan! You're a monster! You hurt people!" Arthur said.
"Well, to each their own, I suppose. I chose my own path and you chose to play hero. At first, they find you amusing for a while, the people of different worlds, but the one thing people REALLY love more than a hero is to see a hero fail, fall, die trying. What's more is that despire everything you do for people, everyone is still going to suffer and you'll only have yourself to blame. So, I ask you, Arthur, why even bother?" Morgan asked.
"Because I believe it's the right thing to do! I find helping people, even asking for nothing in return, is rewarding." Arthur said.
"Oh, Artie, Artie, Artie. Let me tell you the real truth; there are countless hearts in many worlds and those teeming masses exist for the sole purpose of lifting exceptional people onto their shoulders. You and me, we're expectional and I could even say that Sora is that as well." Morgan said.
"Okay, great. So, what do you want from me?" Arthur asked.
"Oh, believe me, I would want nothing more than destroying you. I turn you into a pile of ash right now and be on my merry way, but I can't...not yet. Then again, I'm willing to offer you a choice; abandon Sora and your pathetic circus band and join forces with me and Silver Knight." Morgan said, offering her hand.
"What?" Arthur asked.
"You heard me. I abandoned Merlin and finally unlocked my true potential. You can do the same once you stray from the light. Just imagine us, joining forces. Think about what we could accomplish together. A world we can create...or even destroy. We might even cause the deaths of countless innocents through selfish battles over and over and over again until we're all dead. Is that what you want?" Morgan asked.
"Artie!" A voice called.
"Oh, great. The Keybearing idiot's here. I'll see you around. Think about my generous proposal, 'hero'." Morgan said, disappearing in darkness.
"She got away again..." Tod said.
"Artie!" The voice called, as Sora arrives, as well as Eilonwy, T.J., Calla, Donald, Goofy, Max, P.J., and Robin.
"Hi, guys." Arthur said.
"Why'd ya go off on your own?" Goofy asked.
"Um, I thought I saw someone." Arthur said.
"But how'd ya find us?" Tod asked.
"This place may seem like a maze, but we found our way." Robin said.
"So, who did you think you saw?" Calla asked.
"Morgan." Arthur said.
"Did she hurt you again?" T.J. asked, taking out his daggers.
"Was Silver Knight here too?" Eilonwy asked.
"N-No... I'm fine and she was alone this time." Arthur said.
"Well, at least you weren't hurt." P.J. said.
"We're lookin' for Riku and Pinocchio." Donald said.
"Riku's here too?" Arthur asked.
"Yeah. He took Pinoke and ran off." Sora said.
"Well, let's go find him." Arthur said.
"No time to waste." Robin said.
"Kay AND Ector really opened a door that caused Camelot's destruction? But...why?" Arthur asked in his mind.
The party find another hole and enter it.
Meanwhile, Morgan is in a different chamber and reading a book and sees Gideon.
"So, didja make him choose?" Gideon asked.
"I gave him the offer. There's a good chance he'll refuse, but it'd be interesting to see what his choice will be." Morgan said.
"I mean, even if he does make his choice, he'll fall either way." Gideon said.
"But he'll make a good puppet in the end." Morgan said, as Riku arrives.
"Took ya long enough ta git here." Gideon said.
"Shut up, brat. I was messing with Sora. So, how was messing with Arthur?" Riku asked.
"Like I never had fun doing it. I'm willing to see how far he'll go." Morgan said.
"Why do you still care about that boy, Riku?" A voice asked, as they see Maleficent arriving. "Need I remind you that he has all but deserted you for the Keyblade, the wielder of Excalibur, and new companions?" Maleficent asked.
"I don't care about Sora. I was just messing with him a little." Riku said.
"Oh, really? Is that so?" A voice asked, as they see Dr. Facilier. "Riku, you would do well to remember the darkness in your heart." Dr. Facilier said.
"Indeed. The Black Xetis and Heartless prey upon it." Maleficent said.
"Mind your own business! Both of you!" Riku yelled.
"Very well, boy. When you're finished here, meet us at our vessel." Dr. Facilier said, as he and Maleficent disappear in their dark corridors.
"Well, I've had my fun here. See ya, Rikki." Morgan said, disappearing in darkness.
"Don't disappoint, fer yer sake." Gideon said, disappearing in darkness.
Later, the party find Pinocchio, who is running past Riku and goes into a different hole.
"Riku, what's wrong with you?! What're you thinking?! Don't you realize what you're doing?" Sora asked.
"I should be asking you the same thing, Sora. You seem pretty interested in running around and showing off that Keyblade these days and you don't seem to have a problem with hanging around Arthur too much." Riku said, making Arthur look down in shame.
"That's not true! He's just trying to help me help out other people and we're trying to save Kairi." Sora said.
"You sure about that?" Riku asked.
"Of course!" Sora said, but they hear a scream.
"That sounded like Pinocchio!" Goofy said.
"What kind of trouble did he get himself into now?" Calla asked.
"Whatever it is, we gotta go and help him!" Arthur said and they nod.
"Let's move!" Donald said, as they go for the hole.
The party are now in the bowels of Monstro and they find Pinocchio, who is now inside a giant Heartless with a pink body while having tiny cyan tentacles at the bottom while two bigger cyan tentacles are at its sides, yellow eyes, and the Heartless sigil is on its body.
"Pinocchio!" Eilonwy said.
"We gotta help him!" P.J. said.
"You up for this, Sora?" Riku asked, taking out a red and blue crooked wing-shaped sword known as Soul Eater.
"No problem! Artie?" Sora asked, taking out his Keyblade.
"Yeah, let's do this!" Arthur said, taking out Excalibur.
(Boss Theme: Shrouding Dark Cloud)
The Heartless known as Parasite Cage delivers swinging attacks with its tentacles, but the party dodge out of the way, as Arthur delivers four aerial slashes with Excalibur followed by an aerial spinning slash and then casts Frostra while Sora vertical slashes with Kingdom Key followed by casting Thunder, only for Parasite Cage to keep swinging its tentacles to get the party, but Eilonwy casts Hydro to protect the party and then shoots magic beams while Robin uses Arrow Rain. Parasite Cage continues to swing its tentacles, only for Goofy to block with his shield and then uses Discus and throws his shield while Max uses Sky Dance and aerial slashes with his sword followed by a downward shield strike while Calla unleashes five magic music notes followed by casting Thunder Shot. Parasite Cage strikes the party with its tentacles to knock the party back, only for P.J. to use Blazing Bow and shoots three fiery arrows followed by taking out a wand and unleashes whirlwinds, but Parasite Cage uses its tentacles to deliver a kick attacks, only for T.J. to use Trick Slash and teleports while slashing with his daggers. Parasite Cage keeps striking with its tentacles to keep the party back, but Donald casts Thunder followed by Earthra while Tod triple strikes with his stick followed by Skullbash, only for Parasite Cage to use one of its tentacles to attack and then slams its other tentacle to strike, but Riku delivers four slashes with Soul Eater followed by a spinning slash, but Parasite Cage keeps swinging with its tentacles.
"Hey, don't give up!" Riku said.
"This Heartless is irritating!" Max said.
"Help! Get me outta here!" Pinocchio cried.
"Hang on, Pinocchio!" Eilonwy said, casting Blazra to strike at the Heartless, who grabs the girl.
"Hey, let her go!" Calla yelled, casting Triple Blizzara to make the Heartless release Eilonwy.
"I think he made it even more mad..." P.J. said.
"Good! Let's keep beating the froop outta it!" T.J. said.
Parasite Cage slams its tentacles at the party, who dodge, as Goofy uses Rocket to deliver an upper shield strike while Calla unleashes three magic music waves followed by lashing with two magic music whips and then casts Geo Impact, but Parasite Cage keeps swinging its tentacles at the party, who dodge, allowing Riku to deliver five strikes with Soul Eater followed by a somersault slash. Parasite Cage continues to deliver more strikes with its tentacles followed by a multi punch attack with its tentacles, only for Eilonwy to unleash five magic orbs followed by unleashing three more magic orbs and then casts Volt while Donald casts Fira followed by casting Gravity, but Parasite Cage delivers another spinning tentacle strike, only for Robin to use Windmill Bow. Parasite Cage lowers its mouth to cover Pinocchio to defend itself, only for P.J. to deliver two heavy swings with his hammer to strike at the Heartless' head and then uses Freezing Flail while Max aerial slashes with his sword followed by an aerial shield spin bash, but Parasite Cage slams its tentacles to retaliate. T.J. delivers four aerial slashes with his daggers followed by aerial somersault slashes and then uses Razor Boomerang and throws it all over to deal damage, only for Parasite Cage to deliver a double tentacle strike followed by another multi punch attack, but Tod uses Headbutt and deals damage to the Heartless' head. Parasite Cage lowers its mouth again to defend itself and then strikes with its tentacles, only for Riku to triple slash with Soul Eater followed by a diagonal slash while Sora delivers three aerial slashes with Kingdom Key followed by a spin slash and then casts Blizzara while Arthur uses Holy Blade and delivers strikes with his light-coated sword and they finish off Parasite Cage.
Arthur, Sora, and Riku work together to knock Parasite Cage back, as it hits the bowels' walls, causing Pinocchio to fall out of the Heartless, as a big heart flies out of Parasite Cage, making it disappear while dropping a blue gem known as Watergleam while Pinocchio falls into a hole on the bowels' floor and Riku goes after the puppet.
"Where's Riku going?" Arthur asked.
"Why's he goin' after Pinoke?" T.J. asked.
"We'd better go after them." Robin said.
The party go into the hole, taking them back into the mouth of Monstro and they're back on Geppetto's boat, but they see water decreasing from the fight and they find Geppetto.
"Pinocchio! Pinocchio!" Geppetto cried, as the party see him talking to Riku, who is carrying the unconscious Pinocchio and with him is Morgan. "Please give me back my son!" Geppetto begged.
"Sorry, old man. I've got some unfinished business with this puppet." Riku said.
"He's no puppet! Pinocchio's my little boy!" Geppetto said.
"Hahaha! Don't make me laugh! You really think this TOY is your SON?! You must truly be senile! Still, he IS unusual... Puppets are not meant to have hearts, but apparently, Pinocchio seems to be an exception." Morgan said.
"Not sure, but I think he might be able to help someone, whose lost theirs." Riku said.
"Wait, you mean Kairi?" Sora asked.
"What do YOU care about her?" Riku asked.
"Just what're you planning on doing to Pinocchio?" Arthur asked.
"Stay out of our way, Arthur. Knowing you, you'll might involve yourself." Morgan said, as they leave with Pinocchio.
"We gotta help Pinocchio!" Eilonwy said.
"I'm with you, sister." T.J. said.
"They can't be far." Donald said.
"Sora, let's go." Arthur said.
"Yeah! Don't worry, Geppetto. We'll get your son back." Sora said and they nod.
"Thank you. I've been saving this, but you need it more. Please help my son." Geppetto said, giving the party High Jump.
"Thanks, we will." P.J. said.
The party use their new high jump ability to reach the higher piles of wood to reach the upper part of the mouth and they find another hole, taking them to the throat area of Monstro and they begin climbing up and find another hole, taking them to the stomach of Monstro, where they find Morgan and Riku, who still have Pinocchio.
"Morgan! Riku! Let Pinoke go now!" Arthur yelled.
"Sorry, you're too late. You're wasting your time saving an object, who doesn't even have a life." Morgan said.
"Pinocchio is NOT an object!" Sora yelled.
"Really? Heart or no heart, if it's made by human hands, then obviously, it's meant to be an object and used by people. A puppet with a heart can prove to be beneifical and be useful for an experiment." Morgan said.
"You wouldn't...!" T.J. growled.
"Why do you even need him?" Tod asked.
"It holds the key to helping Kairi. Sora, there's no point in fighting. Let's join forces to save Kairi. We can do it together." Riku said.
"Have you considered my generous proposal, Arthur? It's not too late to join us! Just imagine what we can accomplish. You can be much stronger. Abandon Sora and your so-called 'friends' and come with me and Silver Knight. Are you in or out?" Morgan asked.
"You're the one, who's out, Morgan! Out of your mind!" Arthur yelled, taking out Excalibur while the party prepare to fight.
"Oh, so THAT'S your answer? You'd rather stay on their side and fight us?" Morgan asked.
"Over a puppet that's not supposed to have a heart?" Riku asked.
"Heart or no heart, he still has a conscience." Sora said, as Jiminy goes for Pinocchio.
"Conscience?" Riku asked.
"That's right. You two may not hear it, but we can! It's loud and clear!" Arthur said.
"It's telling us you're on the wrong side!" Sora said.
"I should have expected this kind of stupidity. Fine, have it your way." Morgan said, conjuring a dark portal.
"Pinocchio! Pinocchio!" Jiminy cried, running to help Pinocchio.
"Back off, bug!" Morgan yelled, conjuring a rock to try and crush Jiminy, who backs off.
"J-Jiminy..." Pinocchio said weakly.
"Don't worry. We'll take GREAT care of Pinocchio." Morgan said, taking Pinocchio and disappearing in her dark portal.
"No!" Arthur yelled, running to Morgan, only for Riku to block the way.
"Why're you doing this?!" Sora demanded.
"I'm trying to save Kairi while you're too busy playing hero." Riku said.
"You think YOU'RE a real hero?!" Calla asked.
"As far as we're concerned, you're NOT!" P.J. yelled.
Just then, something appears and it's a giant Black Xeti that looks like a giant black and blue worm with crimson eyes, crimson tentacles with black sharp teeth, a giant purple pulsating bulb, a giant black horn on its head and tail, and the Black Xeti sigil on its body.
"A Black Xeti!" Goofy said.
"Aw, c'mon!" T.J. said.
"I'll let you have fun with this. Later." Riku said, disappearing in a dark portal.
"We'll have to save Pinocchio later. Sora, let's finish this!" Arthur said.
"Gladly!" Sora said.
(Boss Theme: Destiny's Force)
The Black Xeti known as Acid Worm delivers four strikes with its tentacles, which deliver biting attacks followed by attacking with its horn, only for Arthur to block and counterattacks with three vertical slashes with Excalibur followed by two roundhouse slashes and then casts Blazra while Sora delivers three 360 slashes with Kingdom Key followed by Ripple Drive and then casts Thunder, but Acid Worm delivers a spinning strike with its tail horn. Donald casts Aero to protect the party and then shoots three magic blasts from his staff and then casts Blizzara while Eilonwy unleashes five magic blasts from her tome followed by casting Volt, only for Acid Worm to use its tentacles to take some stomach acid and then breathes acid at the party, dealing poisonous damage. T.J. uses Divide to create two clones and they deliver horizontal slashes with his daggers followed by Dagger-Nado while Max delivers vertical slashes with his sword followed by Blitz Strike, but Acid Worm retaliates with unleashing smaller worms to attack followed by attacking with its tentacles, which deliver biting attacks. Goofy blocks with his shield and then delivers four bashes with his shield followed by a spinning shield bash and then uses Charge while Robin fires five arrows followed by Arrow Bombs, but Acid Worm retaliates with striking with its horn followed by a spinning tail horn strikes, only for Calla to cast Triple Fira followed by casting Briar and unleashes thorned vines. Acid Worm slams its tentacles to attack followed by delivering a charging attack with its horn, but P.J. delivers two heavy swings with his hammer followed by Shoulder Tackle while Tod uses Tackle, only for Acid Worm to use its tentacles to take more stomach acid and breathes more acid at the party.
"We can't stop now!" Arthur said.
"No! We gotta keep fighting!" Sora said.
Acid Worm unleashes orbs of acid and sends them to attack the party, who avoid the acid orbs, but Acid Worm uses its tentacles to deliver more biting attacks while dealing poison damage, only for Max to use Parry and strikes back with both sword and shield strikes while Tod delivers four strikes with his stick followed by Tail Strike, but Acid Worm charges with its horn to strike followed by slamming its tentacles. Calla unleashes five magic music notes followed by unleashing three magic music blasts and then casts Whirlwind while T.J. uses Knife Barrage and throws many knives, but Acid Worm unleashes pillars of acid to deal more poisonous damage followed by striking with its tentacles that deal biting attacks, only for P.J. to use Shocking Sickle to deal lightning damage. Acid Worm delivers its spinning strike with its tail horn followed by using its tentacles to steal more stomach acid and then breathes more acid to deal poison damage, but Goofy strikes back with Tornado while Eilonwy conjures magic blades and sends them to strike followed by casting Quakra. Acid Worm unleashes more orbs of acid followed by using its tentacles to deal biting attacks while dealing poison damage, only for Donald to shoot three magic bullets followed by unleashing five magic orbs and then casts Water while Robin uses Windmill Bow, but Acid Worm retaliates with shooting more smaller worms followed by unleashing pillars of acid. The party avoid the pillars of acid, only for Acid Worm to attack with its tentacles followed by striking with its horn, only for Arthur to deliver three diagonal slashes with Excalibur followed by four 360 slashes and then uses Frost Slash while Sora uses Strike Raid and throws his Keyblade four times.
Acid Worm uses its tentacles to steal more stomach acid and breathes more acid at the party, dealing more poison damage and then unleashes pillars od acid to deal more poison damage, but Tod uses Quick Attack and moves at great speed while striking with his stick while Robin uses Arrow Rain and rains down arrows to deal damage, but Acid Worm strikes back with his horn attack followed by slamming its tentacles to attack. P.J. strikes back with Boulder Bombs and throws them to deal exploding damage, but Acid Worm unleashes more orbs of acid followed by firing smaller worms to attack, only for Max to block with his shield and then vertical slashes with his shield followed by Cyclone and spin strikes with his sword and shield. Acid Worm delivers another spin strike with its tail horn followed by using its tentacles to deliver biting attacks, but Goofy blocks with his shield and then delivers three bashes with his shield followed by Discus and throws his shield, only for Acid Worm to unleash pillars of acid followed by striking with its horn, but Donald unleashes three magic pillars followed by casting Earthra. Acid Worm attacks with its tentacles to deal more poison damage followed by unleashing orbs of acid, only for Calla to strike with magic music whips and then casts Thunder Shot while T.J. delivers three vertical slashes with his daggers followed by Razor Boomerang, but Acid Worm fires more smaller worms to strike. Eilonwy casts Hydro to protect the party and then unleashes four magic blasts from her tome followed by casting Frostra, but Acid Worm strikes with its tentacles to deal biting damage followed by unleashing pillars of acid, only for Sora to deliver five slashes with Kingdom Key while Arthur uses Holy Blade and strikes with his light-coated sword and delivers a slamming strike and they finish off Acid Worm.
Acid Worm stumbles back, as it vanishes in black mist.
"Finall, it's over." Calla said.
"You can say that again. That Black Xeti was a pain." T.J. said, but then, acid starts splashing everywhere while a shaking occurs in Monstro.
"Something's wrong with Monstro!" P.J. said.
"We gotta get outta here!" Goofy said.
"Let's go!" Robin said.
"Riku! Where are you?" Sora asked.
"We'll find him, Sora, but right now, we gotta go!" Arthur said, as they leave while Arthur and Eilonwy obtain Stun magic while Sora and Donald obtain Stop magic.
Meanwhile in a pirate ship, Riku is in the ship's cabin while looking at the dormant Kairi.
"So, Kairi's like a lifeless puppet now?" Riku asked.
"Precisely." Maleficent said.
"And her heart was..." Riku stops talking.
"Taken by the Black Xetis and Heartless, no doubt." Jafar said.
"Tell me, what should I do?" Riku asked.
"There are seven maidens of the purest hearts. We call them the Princesses of Heart." Maleficent said.
"There is also a prince with a pure heart full of light. He is known as the Prince of Light." Jafar said.
"Gather the seven Princesses together, along with the Prince of Light, and a door will open to the heart of all worlds. Within it lies untold wisdom. There, you will surely find a way to uncover Kairi's lost heart. Now, child, I shall grant you a marvelous gift; the power to control the Black Xetis and Heartless." Maleficent said, casting her spell to make Riku glow with green and black magic.
"Soon, Kairi... Soon..." Riku said.
Meanwhile in the dark laboratory, Gideon is working on experiments while using crystals to enhance Shadow Heartless and Ghoul Black Xetis when a dark portal appears, revealing to be Morgan.
"In case ya don't know, Morgan, I'm busy at the moment." Gideon said, not turning to look at Morgan.
"Oh, I've noticed. I thought I'd hand over something you'll find interesting." Morgan said.
"Oh, and what would that be?" Gideon asked, as Morgan throws the unconscious Pinocchio. "A puppet?" Gideon asked.
"Not just a puppet. His name is Pinocchio." Morgan said.
"And what would I care fer some doll?" Gideon asked.
"Well, you're gonna love this; he actually possess a heart." Morgan said.
"How's THAT possible?" Gideon asked.
"Don't know, don't care. We can have a use for him." Morgan said.
"Hmm, I couldn't agree more! He'll make a WONDERFUL weapon!" Gideon said, smirking.
"Glad you approve. I'll leave you to work fun." Morgan said, disappearing in darkness.
"Hehehe, time ta git ta work on you! You'll be my fine weapon yet!" Gideon said, taking Pinocchio.
Happy Thanksgiving. I am thankful for my TRUE fans, who actually care for and support me and treat me like an actual person.