Dream Eater Allyphant Creations

The new world that greets Riku is colorful and bright.

The smell of sizzling meats and sugary sweets fill his nose as soon as his feet touch down. A catchy carnival tune is playing from somewhere in the distance. Balloons and fireworks galore fill the night sky. And colorful confetti coats every visible surface.

There are boys everywhere.

Playing, eating, laughing.

And strangely enough; destroying things.

‘What kind of world is this?’ Riku ponders aloud, gazing up toward the friendly clown arch overseeing the entrance.

‘Step right up boys! Step right up! Get your cakes and pies! Have some fun!’

Riku only wrinkles his nose.

‘Seems sort of… odd.’

His attention is abruptly caught by the sound of a distressed trumpet.

Although, it is no trumpet.

‘Hey!’ Riku turns around to see a group of boys picking on one of his dream eaters. ‘What do you think you’re doing?’

His friend the Zolephant trumpets again when her ear is pulled.

‘What does it look like, dummy?’ One asks, causing the other bullies to laugh. ‘Scram. Can’t you see we’re having fun here?’

Riku only stands up a bit straighter.

‘You’d better cut that out.’ He warns.

‘Yea? Or what?’

At that moment, Zolephant’s bright colors turn red.

She stomps her feet, shaking the ground and causing everyone to yell and scatter in a panicked rush of dropped confectionaries.

‘Well, guess that takes care of that.’ Riku places a hand onto her trunk. ‘Now, where is…?’

Up ahead, he sees Komory Bat skittering in the air, trailing behind another boy who is holding a tempting stick of cotton candy.

The dream eater chirps and sneakily takes a bite, looking content as it chews.

Riku fondly shakes his head and whistles, causing Komory Bat to appear by his side in a puff of multi-colored smoke.

‘This place is a little too crowded for my tastes.’ Riku skirts out of the way of another band of boisterous boys. ‘You two had better hang back for now. I’ll call when I need you.’

Once both of his dream eaters obediently vanish, Riku turns to continue on his way.

He pauses, however, upon catching sight of someone disappearing into the crowd.

‘I got no strings~! To hold me down~! To make me fret~! Or make me frown~!’

The familiar voice hits Riku like a freight train.

A memory that burns like a blast of Firaga.

‘Is that… Pinocchio?’

The world that greets Sora is dark and broken.

The ground is filled with half-eaten food, muddied confetti and crumpled flyers. The remnants of amusement park rides loom in the distance, eerily shuffling back and forth in their damaged stupor.

‘Woah, what is this place?’ Sora ponders aloud.

By his side, his dream eater friends Meow Wow and Frootz Cat traipse around. Meow Wow lazily bounces in circles, while Frootz Cat playfully paws a ball of paper.

‘Is there even anybody here?’ He crosses his arms, tilting his head.

There’s no one around, but strangely enough, as Sora listens, there is an oddly familiar sound coming from down by his shoes.

‘Pinocchio! Oh, where did that boy go? PINOCCHIO!!!’

A cricket is seen walking by, yelling into the night.

‘Jiminy!’ Sora gasps as a grin comes over his face.

The small conscience stops in his tracks.

‘Huh?’ Jiminy looks up at Sora with confusion. ‘And who are you, young man?’

‘It’s me. Sora! Don’t you recogni-‘

He suddenly stops, remembering the deep drawl of Master Yen Sid’s teachings.

That’s right. This place is a Sleeping World.

‘I mean, uh…’ He corrects himself. ‘My name’s Sora. It’s nice to meet you.’

‘Well gee, Sora, it’s nice to meet you, too!’ Jiminy’s smile is nostalgic and comforting. ‘The name’s Jiminy Cricket!’ He introduces himself, before suddenly looking surprised. ‘Oh, but I don’t have time to talk! I have to find my friend, Pinocchio!’

‘Wait, Pinocchio’s here?’

All Sora sees is a bunch of broken rides, and remnants of tempting games.

‘You know him?’ Jiminy blinks.

‘Well, uh…’ Sora pauses. ‘Yea, we ran into each other uh…’

‘With the other boys?’ Jiminy supplies. ‘On the boat?’

‘Other boys?’ Sora parrots, confused. ‘Oh, I mean, yea! Right!’ He says instead, deciding to just go along with it. ‘Something like that.’

There was a boat inside of Monstro. So that counts, right?

Looking back, those days seem so far away by now…

Like a dream within a dream.

‘How about we try and find Pinocchio together?’ He proposes.

‘Well, sure!’ Jiminy hops onto his shoulder. ‘Thanks a bunch, Sora! You’re a very nice young man.’

‘Heh, no problem!’

The familiar feeling of his small friend sat upon his shoulder brings a grin to Sora’s face as they head off together into the night.

Riku looks all over for Pinocchio, checking the rides, the model homes, the food stalls and rough house pits. But there is no sign of him anywhere.

And this place is oddly… disorienting.

It’s so colorful and warm. A blinding light that begs for distraction.

More than once he is offered to partake in the merriment. Stopped by boys he doesn’t know to be offered sweets, to play a game, to spar, or to break something.

None of it interests Riku.

Especially now, during the Mark of Mastery Exam.

He has to give it his all. Really prove himself.

And not just to Mickey and Master Yensid, either…  

But, as it turns out, a different kind of distraction soon finds him instead.

Riku had been veering off into a less crowded area of the park, toward a colorful circus tent at the back, when he is suddenly smacked into from behind.

Whatever hits him falls into the dirt.

‘Oof! Oww….’

‘Hey, are you alright?’

Riku turns to lend them a hand, before he abruptly startles.

‘Pinocchio?!’

The puppet before him certainly looks like the Pinocchio that he remembers.

But for some reason, he has the ears of a… donkey?

‘Huh?’ The boy looks up, confused. ‘How’d you know my name, mister?’

‘Uh… Don’t worry about it.’ Riku deflects. ‘Here, let me help you up.’

Pinocchio grabs onto his offered hand, causing Riku to pause.

The feeling of this is… familiar.

Of a time not so long ago.

When a familiar puppet was hooked under his arm.

And a rage fueled the darkness in his heart.

And then…

‘You okay?’ Pinocchio’s concerned question snaps Riku back to the present.

‘Yea. Sorry.’ He shakes his head. ‘What happened to you, Pinocchio?’ He gestures to the boy’s ears. ‘Why do you have uh…?’

‘Huh?’

Pinocchio reaches upwards, and startles upon touching soft donkey ears.

‘Oh no, it’s happening!’

The boy gasps and rushes off.

‘Wait!’ Riku calls, and chases after him. ‘Hey! Pinocchio!’

‘What happened to this place, Jiminy?’ Sora asks amongst all the rubble and litter.

He and his dream eaters can barely take a step without running into something.

‘Hm, well I’m not sure.’ Jiminy admits while watching Meow Wow and Frootz Cat hop over forgotten buckets of popcorn. ‘Pinocchio and I lost each other in the crowd, and I haven’t been able to find him anywhere in this place.’

‘Wait. Crowd?’ Sora tilts his head. ‘But there’s no one here.’

‘I know. It’s the darndest thing.’ Jiminy puts a puzzled hand up to his chin. ‘Seems like only a few minutes ago the park was filled with hundreds of boys. But now they’ve all gone and disappeared.’

‘Huh. Wonder where they all went.’ Sora frowns. ‘Think they’re all okay?’

‘Well, that’s just what I’m hoping we can figure out.’

They keep walking down the rubble-filled path, stepping over broken balloons and half-eaten food, until a light can be seen in one of the buildings up ahead.

‘Would ya look at that?’ The cricket points. ‘Sora, let’s go have a gander!’

Sora does so, casually walking into the light through two swinging doors. Inside they find a playroom set up for a variety of games, and a boy playing pool by himself.

‘Hey new kid, wanna go a round?’ The boy asks. ‘Name’s Lampwick.’

‘I’m Sora.’ He introduces himself. ‘Say, have you seen another boy around here? His name’s Pinocchio.’

‘Pinoky?’ Lampwick perks up a bit. ‘Yea I saw him. But don’t know where he went.’ He shrugs. ‘Probably around here somewheres with all the other boys. Can’t imagine they’d ever wanna leave a sweet gig like this.’

‘Yea, speaking of, what is this place anyway?’ Sora asks.

‘It’s called Pleasure Island.’ Lampwick offers. ‘It’s a swell joint. No parents tellin’ ya what to do. Can break things all you want. Eat all day. Gamble and run a riot.’ He grins. ‘It’s every boy’s dream, don’t ya think?’

‘Well…’ Sora crosses his arms, tilting his head.

‘A dream? Hmph.’ Jiminy jumps down onto the pool table filled with brightly colored balls. ‘It’s a nightmare is what it is! Just look at what you boys have done out there.’ He scolds, gesturing toward the door. ‘You should all be home. With your parents!’

‘Wha-? Who’s that?’ Lampwick squints.

‘That’s Jiminy.’ Sora introduces. ‘He’s my friend.’

‘Jiminy Crickets the name. I’m a bona fide conscience. Tellin’ boys like you right from wrong!’ He wags a finger at Lampwick. ‘And I’ll tell ya there’s been a lot of wrong going on around here, and I’m gonna get to the bottom of it!’

‘Wow, you sound like my Ma.’ Lampwick laughs. ‘We got no use for them around here. This is boy’s turf.’ He lines up a shot. ‘So why don’t you take a hike, grasshopper?’

‘Grasshopper!?’ Jiminy gapes, offended, only to be smacked in the face by a ball. He is flung backwards into one of the holes in the table, and Sora winces as he hears him comedically splat down onto the bottom of the pool pocket.

‘Jiminy! Are you okay?’ Sora peers down into the hole.

‘Eh, forget him, Sora.’ Lampwick shrugs. ‘Take a load off. Play a game why don’t ya?’

Sora will not be swayed, and instead reaches down to fish Jiminy out.

‘That wasn’t very nice.’ He says. ‘So c’mon, we -‘

‘Why you…’

Both boys turn to Jiminy, who looks like an insect possessed.

‘You… young rapscallion!’ He glares, swinging his tiny fists while Sora holds him up by his little coat tails. ‘I have half a mind to tan your sorry hide!’

‘You and what army, slim?’ Lampwick laughs.

Jiminy makes a face, looking red as a tomato when Sora sets him down.

‘Let’s just go Jiminy.’ Sora suggests before things can get ugly. ‘We still need to find Pinocchio. And figure out what happened to all the other boys, right?’

‘Hmph.’ Jiminy looks between them, before angrily fixing his disheveled coat. ‘Well fine, then. You don’t have to tell me twice.’

‘Aw, did I strike a nerve?’ Lampwick heckles as Jiminy hops off the table.

‘Try to teach kids right from wrong, and this is the lousy thanks I get.’

Sora watches Jiminy leave, before turning back to Lampwick.

‘We’ll keep an eye out for Pinocchio, but you really should listen to Jiminy.’ Sora looks apprehensive as he glances side to side. ‘This place… something’s not right about it.’

‘Eh, that bug doesn’t know what he’s talkin’ about.’ Lampwick shrugs. ‘Let me know if you find Pinoky. He owes me a game.’

‘Okay.’ Sora waves. ‘We’ll be back.’

But as Sora turns to leave, he catches sight of something odd.

All of a sudden… Lampwick doesn’t quite look like himself anymore.

Riku follows Pinocchio down to the ocean, cleaving through nightmares alongside Zolephant and Komory Bat. Once they find the little puppet boy, Pinocchio looks distraught as he paces up and down the shore.

‘I gotta get outta here…’ He mumbles. ‘But no! I can’t go in there! It’s…’

‘Pinocchio!’ Riku calls out, getting his attention.

‘Oh, it’s you, mister.’ The boy greets.

‘My name’s Riku.’ He introduces. ‘What’s the matter? Why do you want to leave this place so badly?’

‘This place is… it’s cursed!’ Pinocchio clutches onto his donkey ears, as well as the tail that definitely hadn’t been there before.

‘Cursed?’ Riku raises a silver brow. ‘What do you mean?’

‘All of the boys here… they’ll…’

‘Hey, Lampwick. Are you okay?’ Sora moves closer, holding out a hand with concern.

‘Yea, why wouldn’t I be?’ The other boy asks, looking at him funny.

‘Because you’re…’ Sora points to his head.

Lampwick raises a brow and touches his cheeks.

Sora only gestures higher.

When Lampwick touches something soft and strange atop his head, his eyes widen. He moves his hands all over his face, feeling fur appear right under his fingertips.

‘What’s-…?!’

Lampwick scrambles to a mirror, and what he sees causes him to scream.

‘Donkeys?’ Riku parrots in disbelief.

He looks back toward the amusement park, hearing the distant screams of unknowing joy fill the air as balloons lazily fly into the perfect night sky.

‘Jiminy…’ Pinocchio pulls his ears down to cover his face. ‘He told me I gotta leave this place. Or me too. I’ll be…’

‘But why donkeys?’ Riku asks, mostly to himself. ‘That doesn’t make any sense.’

He’s heard of curses before, but never one so oddly… specific.

‘It is the nature of this island.’ A voice suddenly speaks.

Riku and Pinocchio turn around, shielding their eyes as a blue light descends.

Once the bright glow fades, a magical fairy in blue stands before them.

‘Who…?’ Riku blinks.

‘Oh, Miss Blue Fairy, ma’am!’ Pinocchio gasps. ‘Uh… hello.’

‘Why Pinocchio, what has happened to you?’ Her face is knowing and ethereal.

‘Uh, well…’ Pinocchio starts shyly. ‘You see, um… I was going home with Jiminy.’

‘Yes?’ She prods gently.

‘Then uh… I was kidnapped! Yea! They stuffed me in a sack and took me here!’ Pinocchio says with a smile, but it abruptly falls when his nose grows in size. ‘Wha-…?’

‘And then what happened?’ The Blue Fairy asks, gathering his attention.

‘Oh! Then uh, then they took Jiminy away, too! In a littler sack!’ He holds up his hands for emphasis. ‘But I managed to escape! I broke my way out and – wait! Hey!’

Pinocchio’s nose only grows bigger with every word.

‘What’s happening?!’

‘Pinocchio.’ Her tone is disapproving. ‘Lies may seem small, but if they continue to grow, they can be just as plain to anyone as the nose upon your face.’

‘Aw, I’m awful sorry!’ Pinocchio apologizes, looking embarrassed. ‘It’s just, this island… they said it would be fun!’ He tells the truth. ‘Jiminy told me not to go, but I didn’t listen. And now I can’t find him!’

Once the truth is revealed, the little puppet gasps as his nose returns to normal.

‘This island is no place for you, Pinocchio.’ The Blue Fairy’s words hold weight. ‘It is quite dangerous.’

‘I figured.’ Riku steps forward. ‘Can you tell me what’s really going on here?’

‘This place is called Pleasure Island.’ She explains, looking unsurprised by Riku’s presence. ‘It is a cursed land. One that turns unruly children into beasts that best befit their behavior.’

‘So, those kids…’ Riku looks at Pinocchio, then back toward the park full of unsuspecting boys. ‘They’ll all turn into donkeys?’

‘Yes. Every last one.’

‘Ahhh!! Help!! Help!! Somebody!!!’

Lampwick panics, knocking over everything in sight from chairs, to pool tables, to board games and more as he scratches at his face.

‘Lampwick!’ Sora calls, only to startle when the other boy clutches onto his shirt.

‘Sora! Please, you gotta do something!’ Lampwick pleads, shaking him with desperation. ‘Call that grasshopper! Call Pinoky! Anybo-!’

Sora opens his mouth to speak, but nothing comes out.

He has seen transformations before.

Partaken in plenty himself thanks to Donald’s magic.

But this…

Sora can only watch, frozen, as the hands clutching his shirt are no longer hands.

Lampwick’s fingers curl into hooves, his back curves to walk on all fours, and his voice fizzles into a donkey’s bray. Once the transformation is complete, Sora is nearly kicked in the face when the other boy continues to panic.

‘Lampwick!’ Sora shakes off his surprise as the donkey takes off. ‘Come back!’

Sora tries his best to keep up, but as he runs out into the night, his path is blocked.

Nightmares take shape all over the amusement park, and Sora grits his teeth as he sees Lampwick disappear among the broken carnival stands.

His dream eaters appear without needing to be called, and together they make quick work of the nightmare Jestabockies and Kooma Pandas in their way.

But, once the danger is gone, both Meow Wow and Frootz Cat appear out of sorts.

Frootz Cat’s ears are turned down, back hunched with apprehension.

Meow Wow is not bouncing, instead looking uncharacteristically stiff.

‘You feel it too, huh?’ Sora clutches his keyblade. ‘Something bad’s goin’ on here.’

‘Sora!’ A voice calls out, one that he recognizes.

‘Jiminy!’ The keyblade wielder turns around.

‘There you are!’ The cricket hops over. ‘What’s wrong?’

‘Lampwick… he’s…’ Sora dismisses his weapon, looking distraught.

‘Oh no, that’s just what I was afraid of.’ Jiminy shakes his head with despair. ‘I was just comin’ back to warn you!’

The cricket’s expression then grows into something Sora has never seen before.

‘You’d better come along with me. There’s something you’ve just gotta see!’

‘Never again?! Oh no!’ Pinocchio gasps. ‘But… how do we stop it??’

‘The only sure way is to leave the island.’ The Blue Fairy says. ‘And never return.’

‘Sounds easy enough.’ Riku hums, having expected more, if he were being honest.

‘However, that may prove difficult.’ The Blue Fairy turns to the shore. ‘There is a danger out there among the troubled waves.’

At this notion, wheels turn in Riku’s head, before his eyes widen.

‘He’s out there. Isn’t he?’

‘M-Mon…’ Pinocchio stutters.

‘Monstro.’ Riku finishes.

His eyes harden, his posture straightening as he gazes toward the dark ocean water.

‘Yes.’ The Blue Fairy confirms. ‘Though the danger may be worth risking.’ Her words cause them to look at her. ‘I fear that good Gepetto has been swallowed by such a whale.’

‘What?!’ Pinocchio gasps.

‘Just like…’ Riku trails off, recognizing puzzle pieces that are coming together here.

‘Riku, please, will you help me?!’ Pinocchio turns to him. ‘I have to save my Father!’

Riku looks down at Pinocchio’s pleading face, tensing as memories flood his vision.

Of finding a lost little puppet boy so long ago, and purposefully leading him astray.

This time, Riku has a different answer.

‘Yea. Let’s go, Pinocchio!’

Wherever Jiminy wants to lead Sora, his dream eaters already seem to know the way. Meow Wow hurriedly bounces off, with Frootz Cat quickly trailing along behind.

‘Woah, you guys!’ Sora chases after them. ‘Wait up!’

‘Thataway, Sora!’ Jiminy encourages, holding onto the boy’s hood. ‘Toward the door!’

As he runs past a broken clown arch, the feeling that something is wrong keeps growing in Sora’s heart. All too soon, he finds himself back at the entrance to the island.

‘Huh? Something’s back there?’

‘I wouldn’t have believed it if I didn’t see it with my own eyes.’

Something in Jiminy’s tone worries Sora as he holds up his keyblade.

Once the heavy door creaks open, a strange and unsettling noise floats into his ears.

They come upon a scene by firelight.

Along the dock, hundreds of donkeys are braying; endlessly crying out into the night. All of them are trapped in crates, and are being loaded up onto a steamboat.

In the middle of the crowd, a Coachman is loudly barking orders.

‘Come on, men! Keep it moving! We’ve got to get this lot shipped out tonight!’

‘Shipped out tonight?’ Sora raises a brow. ‘What’s going on here?’

‘Sora! Look!’ Jiminy points toward a new donkey that’s being tossed into a crate.

One that is wearing very familiar clothing…

‘It’s Lampwick!’

The ocean surrounding Pleasure Island is choppy, the waves intense and the horizon far off as Riku uses his magic to run across the waves. Zolephant is by his side, Pinocchio safely curled in her trunk, while Komory Bat scouts up ahead from the air.

All of them are on high alert, looking for any sign of the killer whale in the water.

But it is Pinocchio that gathers Riku’s attention first.

‘Say, Riku. Did you notice?’

‘Notice what?’ He raises a silver brow.

‘You too…’ Pinocchio points at Riku’s head. ‘Um…’

The keyblade wielder pauses to a stop.

He doesn’t need to see his reflection to know what’s already there.

‘Figures.’ Riku says bitterly. ‘I guess I’m not so good either when it comes down to it.’

‘That’s not true!’ Pinocchio denies. ‘You’re helping me, right? That must mean you’re good!’

Riku looks at him, unsure of what to say in that moment.

There’s so many things that he could choose from.

I’m sorry.

I’ve hurt so many people in the past.

You. Gepetto. Jasmine. Roxas. Kairi.

… Sora.

In the end, Riku says nothing at all, and Komory Bat sounds the alarm when movement is seen on the horizon.

Sora charges with his dream eaters down to the water’s edge.

‘Hold it right there!’ He calls to the Coachman, purposefully making a scene to stop more donkeys from being loaded up into crates.

‘A boy?’ The man frowns. ‘But all of the boys are supposed to be changed by now!’

‘So that’s your scheme here.’ Sora stands his ground with Meow Wow and Frootz Cat. ‘You trick kids into coming to this island, then turn them all into donkeys for your twisted schemes.’ He points his keyblade. ‘Well, it ends now! I’m setting them free!’

At this notion, the donkeys cry out, rattling their crates.

And the Coachman cracks his whip, rounding up his men for a fight.

‘I’d like to see you try, boy!’

Monstro looks just as big and as ugly as the last time Riku saw him.

A well-placed Strike Raid against the eye is enough to get the whale’s attention.

Monstro’s gaze is bloodthirsty, and the weight of it is heavy upon Riku’s frame as the whale sets his sights on him. Riku holds tight to his keyblade regardless, steeling himself as he and his dream eaters make ready for battle.

The whale roars, crashing high to breach above the water.

Riku and his dream eaters scatter from the resulting tidal wave, dodging out of the way when Monstro attempts to swallow them whole.

Zolephant keeps her distance, protecting Pinocchio who is now hiding upon her back. She attacks Monstro whenever possible by shooting a water stream from her trunk. Komory Bat also shoots at the enemy, disorienting Monstro with sonic waves so that Riku can close in for the attack.

‘Thunder!’ Riku casts Triple Plasma, battering Monstro’s side with electricity.

The whale quickly dives under before Riku can get another hit in, continuing the battle by trying to bite them once more.

While Monstro is not an easy foe, the three of them are able to hold their own.

But, at some point, something strange happens.

During the fray, Monstro seems… distracted.

Smoke starts to fizzle out of the whale’s mouth, and before long Monstro sneezes, shaking the surrounding water as a raft is spat out into the waves.

One that has a very familiar man aboard, along with a kitten and a fish.

‘Gepetto…!’ Riku gasps.

A few of the Coachman’s goons rush Sora, but find themselves caught up in a spell.

‘Time!’ Sora calls upon his magic.

Frootz Cat charges forward, knocking the slowed enemies back with a sound spell into the saltwater. Meanwhile, Meow Wow goes for a more chaotic approach by bouncing on a group of bad guys like a bowling ball.

The Coachman retaliates as he sees his men being taken out one by one.

He hurls empty crates, along with other various items from around the park such as baseball bats and broken prizes. The Coachman also uses spells of his own, and Sora barely manages to avoid several casts of Confuse and Berserk, unwilling to get caught up in the strange magic of this world.

‘Take this!’ Sora yells instead, and summons a cluster of colorful water balloons.

‘Why you little brat!’ The man is outraged as Balloonra smacks him in the face.

He attempts to whip Sora, who dodge rolls out of the way.

‘Together!’ Sora then calls for his dream eaters.

Frootz Cat transfers all their power to Meow Wow, who grows in size as Sora quickly climbs aboard.

Together they bounce on the Coachman, launching him high like a rocket.

The man comedically yells as he soars right over the door, landing in the mouth of the friendly electronic clown that watches over the island.

‘Step right… boys-! Step-! Get… c-c-cake and p-pies. Have some… f-f-fun…’

The already broken clown sparks as the man hollers and struggles to break free.

Before long, the clown breaks down even further, then abruptly explodes into a ball of flame. And Sora grins, watching on with his dream eaters as the Coachman is hurled toward the skyline, never to darken another doorway again.

The distraction of seeing Gepetto again is enough for Riku to get slapped by Monstro’s tail, and he crashes into the water as the whale closes in on its escaped prey.

‘Father! It’s you! And Cleo! And Figaro!’ Pinocchio calls, unable to resist jumping in to swim for the raft.

‘Pinocchio? Oh, Pinocchio! Look out!’ Gepetto calls as they’re charged by Monstro.

Riku breaks the surface, startling as he lays eyes on the sight.

‘I gotta get over there! Fast!’

Riku turns to his companions, calling for his Zolephant.

The elephant dream eater bursts into a spark of light as he absorbs her power.

Magic immediately consumes Riku for Wavesurfer, infusing him with water magic.

He throws his keyblade down, using it like a surfboard to rush through the waves.

Komory Bat is right by his side, and together they attack Monstro.

Riku relentlessly rams into the whale, using water and dark magic for heavy damage.

Monstro roars with pain, jumping over the raft to slam his tail down once more.

The pressure along the surface causes the raft to be flung off course, and Gepetto is tossed overboard.

‘Father!’ Pinocchio dives after him as their raft is destroyed.

Meanwhile, Riku blocks Monstro from attempting another attack.

‘Vanish!’ Riku pours all of himself into every spell and strike, something stirring in his chest as he gives his all to defend Pinocchio and Gepetto.

In the end, after a grueling battle, Monstro finally admits defeat.

With one last roar, the whale sinks into the water, fleeing forever under the waves.

When the dust settles, Sora and his dream eaters are met with the brays and hurrays of hundreds of donkeys. And he startles, forgetting that they had an audience.

‘Heh, it was nothing.’ Sora sheepishly scratches the back of his head. ‘Here, let me get you guys out of there.’

He holds up his keyblade, casting a light to unlock the wooden crates.

Once the donkeys are free, a familiar one in particular approaches Sora.

‘Lampwick!’ He crouches to greet his friend. ‘Are you okay? I was really worried about you.’

Lampwick rams into Sora, causing the keyblade wielder to jolt and fall in the dirt.

‘Wha-? Oof!’ Sora looks up at him with confusion, but Lampwick only nods, something in his gaze proud. ‘I guess I’ll take that as a yes.’ Sora laughter is infectious, soon spreading throughout the dock. ‘So what happened to you back there anyway?’ He asks Lampwick just as Jiminy shows himself once more.

The little cricket hops over to perch upon Sora’s shoulder.

‘How come all of you boys have been turned into donkeys?’

In response to this question, Lampwick only looks back toward the other donkeys, all of them appearing at a loss.

‘You don’t know?’ Jiminy frowns with thought, then looks up toward the keyblade wielder. ‘Hm. Think you can help ‘em, Sora?’

‘Well…’ Sora crosses his arms, thoughtful of what to do.

But, all of a sudden, a familiar sound rings.

Sora quickly stands, placing himself in front of the donkeys as a dark portal opens.

Two people walk out. One he recognizes, the other he does not.

‘Xemnas…’ He calls his keyblade. ‘You guys again? What do you want this time?’

‘We were just marveling at this rather unusual world.’ Xemnas hums, looking around for emphasis. ‘One who holds a puppet that’s managed to grow a heart.’

At this notion, Sora stands up straighter.

‘Where is Pinocchio?’ He demands to know. ‘You better not have done anything to him!’

‘Fear not.’ The other figure says. The one who looks familiar. Like Xemnas and Ansem, but not. ‘Seems that wooden puppet is with a friend of yours. Headed right into the stomach of a wayward whale.’

‘Whale?’ Sora gasps. ‘You don’t mean… Monstro?’

‘Though why should you care, Sora?’ The nameless member continues. ‘This place is just a dream. So why bother caring about a puppet that’s lost his way?’ He looks down at Lampwick with a sneer. ‘Or a bunch of rotten boys whose bad deeds have finally given them their just desserts?’

Lampwick stomps his hooves with a glare and Sora furrows his brow.

‘It may be just a dream to you, but it’s real to them.’ He declares. ‘That’s why I care, and why I won’t just abandon them!’

‘Me neither!’ Jiminy pipes up, standing tall and brave alongside Sora. ‘So why don’t you whippersnappers get on outta here if you know what’s good for ya!’

The rest of the donkeys are also unable to keep silent, braying and rallying together.

Xemnas only looks amused by their antics as he turns to leave with his comrade.  

‘There is that spark that is so famous.’ He says in departure. ‘We will truly look forward, then, to seeing your efforts.’

Once they leave, Sora allows himself to relax.

‘Glad that’s over with.’ He mumbles, hating when they show up to ruin his day.

‘Gosh, me too.’ Jiminy concurs. ‘But what did that feller mean, Sora? About this place bein’ a dream?’

Sora pauses, glancing down at his keyblade.

‘It’s true.’ He admits reluctantly. ‘But… that doesn’t change anything! I meant what I said.’ He assures. ‘I’m not leaving until I figure this out.’

There has to be a way.

But as Sora thinks on it, the more he realizes he’s not quite sure what to do here.

Usually by now Donald, Goofy, or one of his other friends would have some idea.

But this time, he’s all on his own.

Sora crosses his arms and turns to look around the dock.

‘This place turns boys into donkeys…’ He tilts his head, thinking. ‘But why not me?’

He’s brought out of his musings by the sight of his dream eaters.

Meow Wow is bouncing around, causing a few of the boys to mimic its behavior.  

But Frootz Cat seems to have taken a strange interest in something.

When Sora looks further, it becomes apparent that one of the boys has gotten tangled in the net that was being used to lift the crates. The donkey’s foot is caught up in the rope, and Frootz Cat is attempting to cut it with its claws.

‘Hey, what happened there?’ Sora startles and goes to help.

But before he can do so, a pair of donkeys step in.

Together they pull the net off their friend, and once they do, Sora notices something strange.

The dark color of their fur lightens, and their ears grow just a tad bit smaller.

And it’s at that moment Sora remembers something.

“It’s called Pleasure Island… No parents tellin’ ya what to do. Can break things all you want… Gamble and run a riot.”

“Or a bunch of rotten little boys whose bad deeds have finally given them their just desserts?”

“But all of the boys are supposed to be changed by now!”

Sora’s eyes widen, and he suddenly turns to Jiminy and Lampwick with purpose.

‘Guys, I’ve got an idea!’

Riku breathes heavily, shakily holding onto his keyblade as Monstro vanishes.

The waves lap at his feet, exhaustion overcoming him as water magic dissipates.

He doesn’t know how long he stands there, staring at the ghost of a shadow that Monstro left behind, when he feels something curl around his chest.

Riku looks up to find that Zolephant has wrapped her trunk around him, and Komory Bat is now perched upon his shoulder.

Both of his dream eaters look worried.

‘I’m fine, guys.’ Riku relaxes, giving them both a pet. ‘Really.’

Zolephant squeezes him a bit tighter before she lets go, and Komory Bat cutely chirps, ruffling its wings to take flight.

Riku looks over the two of them, his expression softening, before he is distracted by the sudden sound of sobbing.

‘What?’ He looks around.

It’s at that moment he realizes the fight must have brought them closer to shore, and it’s there along the water’s edge that he spies the source.

Among the sand is the broken remnants of a raft.

Gepetto is there, along with Cleo and Figaro.

But Pinocchio…

He’s not moving.

‘What?’ Riku gasps. ‘Pinocchio. He’s…!’

‘Pinocchio gave everything he had, to ensure Gepetto and the others made it safely back to shore.’

Riku turns around to spy the Blue Fairy standing before him.

‘But. He can’t be…’

Riku looks back at Gepetto, already knowing the answer.

‘My boy…’ The man sobs. ‘Oh, my little boy…’

Riku shakes his head, his grip on his keyblade tightening.

This time, he saved Gepetto and Pinocchio from Monstro.

‘But what does it matter, if…?’

Then, the Blue Fairy speaks once more.

Her words are faint, and pretty, like a dream.

“Prove yourself brave, truthful and unselfish, and someday you will be a real boy.”

A blue light shines bright. It consumes Pinocchio, transforming his wooden frame into that of a real boy right before Riku’s eyes. Pinocchio wakes, and Riku feels relief wash over him when Gepetto finds that his boy is alive once more.

‘Pinocchio?!’ Gepetto gasps. ‘Oh, Pinocchio!’

‘Father!’ Pinocchio calls. ‘Father, I missed you!’

Gepetto squeezes him tight, the two of them finally reunited and safe.

And Riku smiles, something in his chest easing as he turns back to the Blue Fairy.

‘Thank you, young man.’ She praises. ‘For all that you have done for Pinocchio.’

‘It’s the least I could do.’ He admits. ‘For what I’ve done.’

‘Oh?’ The fairy asks. ‘And do you feel that the deeds of your past have now been repaid?’

‘Not yet.’ Riku glances down at his keyblade. ‘I’ve still… got a long way to go.’

‘I see.’ She hums. ‘Then consider this a forever reminder, of how far you’ve truly come.’

Riku looks at her with confusion, but the Blue Fairy only disappears in a flourish of light. He doesn’t have time to dwell much further on her departure, as he hears something splashing toward him along the shore.

‘Riku!’ Pinocchio calls, waving him over to the sand. ‘Riku look! I’m a real boy!’

‘I think you always were, Pinocchio.’ Riku walks over with a proud nod. ‘Congratulations.’

Pinocchio grins up at Riku, before blinking as he notices something.

‘If that’s true, then you are too!’

‘Huh?’ Riku asks lamely.

‘Look!’ Pinocchio points to his head.

When Riku hesitantly reaches up, he’s relieved to find nothing there but silver strands.

Pleasure Island no longer looks anything like it did when Sora first arrived.

Forgotten toys, rotting food, and broken balloons are picked up.

Model homes are made right again.

Broken stands and rides are put back together.

All of them good deeds of the hundreds of donkeys that are now scattered around the island, working together to set things right.

Jiminy and Sora are right there alongside them, every step of the way.

‘So this was your plan, huh Sora?’ Jiminy watches over the sight with pride. ‘Just look at ‘em all. Actually listenin’ and tryin’ to be good!’

‘Yea. Something like that.’

Sora nods with a grin as he casts thunder on an electrical panel.

The resulting spark causes the carnival lights to turn back on, much to the applauding brays of the donkeys. The balloon and firework machines also start up again, steadily filling the night sky as the now fixed clown arch plays a catchy carnival tune.

‘Those guys in black.’ Sora nods seriously. ‘They said that the boys turned into donkeys because they’ve done bad things.’ He explains. ‘So, I thought maybe if they did good things, they’d change back.’

It was worth a shot anyway.

A shot that turned out to be just right.

It didn’t happen all at once, but Sora saw it all clearly right from the start.

As the donkeys steadily restored the island, the transformation slowly reversed.

Hooves furled into fingers.

Curved backs straightened once more.

Voices cleared into human words.

None of the boys themselves seemed to notice; much too busy helping to set things right. Sora is the same, only truly stopping when the island is back to its former glory.

Specifically when a familiar hand drops onto his shoulder.

‘Thanks Sora.’ Lampwick says, his words sincere. ‘For giving us a second chance.’

His expression is matched by Sora, who nods with earnest.

‘Of course.’

Sora smiles and looks up at the night sky, reminded of someone else to whom he gave a second chance.

‘Always…’

When Sora and Riku each turn their keyblades toward the heart of Prankster’s Paradise, the sleeping world is united once more.

For only the briefest of moments.

‘Jiminy! There you are!’

‘Oh Pinocchio! I’m so glad you’re alright!’

And for that brief moment, Sora and Riku also meet among the speckled light.

‘Hey, Riku?’

‘Yea?’

‘I’ll see you soon. Okay?’

‘Yea. I’ll see you, Sora.’

On opposite ends of paradise.

End