Chapter 20

Piri's POV

"...ri... Piri!" Sora cried as I felt my conscience come back. I opened my eyes to see a relieved Sora. "You're okay!" he hugged me gently and helped me to my feet. I looked around.

"Where's Riku and Pinocchio?"

"The heartless spit Pinocchio out and Riku want after him." Sora told me. We jumped through the hole in the bowels and followed after Riku. We found ourselves back on Geppetto's boat and saw the man calling to Riku, who had Pinocchio.

"Pinocchio! Pinocchio! Please, give me back my son!" the carpenter cried.

"Sorry, old man. I've got some unfinished business with this puppet." Riku said.

"He's no puppet, Pinocchio's my little boy!"

"He is unusual. Not many puppets have hearts. I'm not sure, but maybe he can help someone who's lost theirs." Riku said. Sora was shocked by this.

"Wait a minute. What are you talking about? It better not be Kairi!" Sora voice sounded worried. I swallowed my words, not sure if I should tell him the truth.

"What do you care about her?" he snapped before leaving. Does he not remember what I said to him? We ran after him and came to the stomach.

"Riku! Let him return to his dad! It isn't right to separate them!" I said.

"He's the key to helping Kairi and I'll save her myself." he said.

"Not if I save her first!" Sora said and Riku smirked at this. The brown haired boy pointed his keyblade at his best friend and I gasped at this.

"You rather fight me?" Riku asked.

"Heart or no heart, he still has a conscience and it's saying that you're on the wrong side!" he said and Riku drew his sword.

"NOOOO!" I ran in between them and summoned my keyblade again, "ARE YOU BOTH STUPID! WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE FRIENDS! I'M NOT GOING TO LET YOU TWO KILL EACH OTHER!"

Just then, the same heartless from before dropped out of nowhere. Riku disappeared in a pink ball. I ran up to it and it disappeared. The cage tried to hit me with one of it's tentacles and I ducked. It used its other to try and hit me but a two firas hit it. I cartwheeled back to Sora, Donald, and Goofy.

"Thanks guys!" I said to Donald and Sora. "I need you to give me sometime for this next move. Goofy, be my defense and Sora, Donald, attack with all you've got!"

"Right!" they said. A tentacle slammed in the middle of us and separated us. I rolled out of the way and stood up.

"Let's do this!" Sora and Donald went to attack and Goofy defended me as I charged up. My seven gold bracelets and thirteen black gold bracelets glowed with light and darkness. My wayfinder glowed a purple light.

"Do it, sis!" I heard Aqua's voice.

"Do it for your friends!" Terra's, too.

"I know how strong you are, Reese!" Ven said.

I nodded and smirked; they were with me all the way. I levitated off the ground and wind was increasing as my hair danced rapidly in it. I let my light and darkness gleam and mix into eight balls. They circled around me.

"Everyone! Duck!" I yelled.

They turned their heads to me and hit the deck. I directed the orbs at it and they exploded in the heartless' face. A heart emerged from it and flew back down. I breathed heavily and fell to the side. Sora caught me. As he did, the acids of the whales stomach began bubbling.

"Run!" Donald yelled and Sora pick me up bridal style. I blushed at this and blacked out.

khkhkh

Riku's POV

I looked over at Kairi. She looked like she was asleep, but really wasn't.

"So, Kairi's like a lifeless puppet now?" I asked Maleficent.

"Precisely." she said.

"And her heart was..." I faded off.

"Taking by the heartless, no doubt."

"What can I do?" I pleaded.

"There are seven maidens of the purest hearts. We call them the princesses of heart. Gather them together, a door will open to the heart of all worlds... or maybe lead the way to a balanced heart." I looked at her with a questionable look, "He or she is more powerful than them. The heart is filled with the deepest darkness and the purest light. That person can detect where a lost heart is."

"So, I need to find this person? How can I tell it's them?"

"They can wield both light and darkness as well as a keyblade." she smiled, "Now, I'll grant you a marvelous gift. The power to control the heartless."

I felt dark energy surround me and flow into me. I could felt myself getting stronger. I turned to Kairi.

"Soon, Kairi, soon." I'd defeat Sora and get Piri back. She's mine, no one else's.

khkhkh

Piri's POV

Woke up in the ship's cabin. I sat up and Amara jumped in my lap, hugging me.

"Oh my stars! You're alright!" Jiminy climbed up on my bed. "Sora told me what happened. Are you doing fine?"

I looked at my hands, "I guess I can wield darkness since I have a balanced heart... but..." I shivered.

"Oh, that's... neat, I guess..." he rubbed the back of his head.

"No, it's not!" I shouted, tears forging in my eyes, "I don't want to do that!" I started to glow again.

"Hey, calm down! It's going to be all right-" Jiminy tried to calm me down and Sora entered.

"Sis! You're okay!" he ran to the side of the bed. "Why are you glowing?"

"It's my light from my heart! It's going to do that!" I glow more brighter as I snapped at him. He took a step back.

"Piri, I don't think-" Jiminy started.

"Keep it to yourself!" I shout to him.

"What's gotten into you, sis? Knock it off!" Sora said and I was growing annoyed.

"Leave me alone!" Amara hissed at my bright light and disappeared into Sora's shadow. I closed my eyes and growled, trying to control myself. That's when Sora hugged me.

"It's going to be alright, sis. I promise." he said in a soothing voice and my light dimmed down, "I'm here..."

I sighed as I hugged back and my light disappeared, "Sora?"

"Huh?"

"Can I cry?" Sora pulled away.

"Of course... but do you really need permission to?" I didn't answer and I banged my head against his chest, letting out all of my tears. Jiminy was on my shoulder, sitting, and rubbing my head, while Sora rubbed my back, comforting me. "Why do you bottle things up inside?" he finally asked after a few minutes of sobbing.

"I-I don't want a-anyone to k-k now I'm hurt and feel b-bad for me... I just c-can't, Riku!" I gasped and pulled away, still with tears in my eyes and down my cheeks. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to call you Riku..."

"It's sounds to me you still like Riku!" Jiminy pointed out and I nodded.

"I don't like my best friend and lover fighting, especially if those two are like brothers." I said and Sora lowered his head.

"So, this is about that?"

"Sort of..." I wiped my tears. "I'm... sorry..."

"No, you were right! We shouldn't fight." he grinned he's cheesy grin, "Thanks, sis!"

"No problem, little bro!" I smiled and he laughed.

"I'm little? I think you got that backwards, little sis!" he teased and I playfully slapped his shoulder.

"I'm older than you!"

"Yeah, by a year!" he said.

"So?" I countered back.

"You still smaller than I am!"

"Just you wait! Aqua said I'll be the size of my mother and... she's... tall..." my smile faded and I frowned. Sora pouted and pinched my cheeks.

"Come on! You gotta promise me to keep smiling! Riku would want to see a bright smile, won't he?" I slapped his hands away and smiled widely.

"You're right!"

"So, do you promise?" I nodded at this.

"I promise."

"I'll make note of this in my journal, so you two will never forget!" Jiminy said.

"Thanks, Jiminy... Thanks, Sora!" Amara popped out off his shadow and jumped in my arms. "I'm going to always remember this... even after I'm gone!"

"Sora, We're coming up on another world," We heard Goofy say.

"Okay! be up in a second!" he turned to me, "Come on, Pi! let's go!"

"Right!" I giggled and ran to the ladder.