Riku finds himself once again inside the bowels of Monstro the whale. Stranded in Monstro's mouth is the woodcarver Geppetto, who tells him that he has lost his sentient puppet Pinocchio to a man in a black coat. As Riku muses towards how familiar the scenario is, he encounters Jiminy Cricket, Pinocchio's conscience, and together they set off inside Monstro's digestive system to find Pinocchio.
They eventually find Pinocchio inside Monstro's belly, alongside the robed figure. Pinocchio reunites with Jiminy, apologizing for vanishing, and Jiminy notes that means that Pinocchio is starting to learn what it is to be a real boy. Riku demands that the figure unhood himself, and he does, revealing Riku's own face. Disturbed, Riku recounts to Jiminy his clashes with his inner darkness, and when Pinocchio asks if Riku has a friend as his own conscience, Riku replies that he does: Sora.
Just then a massive roar echoes within Monstro's body. Riku sets off to find the source, but not before telling Pinocchio and Jiminy to return to Geppetto. Eventually Riku finds the source to be the Char Clawbster Nightmare and defeats it. Later, as Riku watches Pinocchio and Geppetto's reunion, he recalls the world's status as being trapped in its own past. The Sleeping Keyhole reveals itself in Monstro's mouth, and Riku seals it before setting off.
Meanwhile in Radiant Garden, Lea returns to Ansem's study, having found no trace of Braig and Isa. Aeleus assures him that Dilan and Even are resting due to still being unstable, but dismisses Lea's request to search the castle grounds, saying that if Braig and Isa were in Radiant Garden, then they would have been at the castle already. Ienzo explains that normally, if someone were to become a Nobody and a Heartless and both were destroyed, then they would return in the world they fell; otherwise, if the world has already fallen to darkness, they would be in Traverse Town. Lea decides that he's going to get them himself, and looks at Ansem's notes on the Door to Darkness for clues...
Tropes:
- Early-Bird Cameo: The robed Riku double that the real Riku runs into. Kingdom Hearts III reveals he's a past version of the Riku Replica, affiliated with the Organization.
- Nostalgia Level: Played with. Riku is back inside Monstro's innards, complete with the same field and battle music. However, this version has a different layout than in Kingdom Hearts. Even Monstro's mouth, which is about the only area remotely similar, has Geppetto's ship in a different spot.
