A/N Well, I saw the film Inside Out and I absolutely ADORED it! The characters were cute, the writing was clever, and the creativity factor was just off the scales! It's Pete Doctor the same guy who directed Monsters Inc and the sorrowful yet still light hearted adventure Up. He is great at capturing emotion, so only fair he be the one to tackle it-What am I saying?! EVERY Pixar director captures emotion beautifully! Have we forgotten Toy Story 1, 2 & 3? The Incredibles? WALL-E? FINDING NEMO?! MY FAVOURITE!? *Ahem* Well I certainly enjoyed the film, I laughed and cried at many scenes. Suddenly, a thought hits me, No not a thought. An idea. What would it look like inside the head of someone with Depression? Anxiety Disorder? Bipolar Disorder? Autism or Aspergers? Or maybe even...

No San! No! Don't do it! That's far too drastic, and depressing and will kill everyone reading this inside!

Too late. I just couldn't help myself and I had to write this. I thought this after watching the film, about what they could do for a sequel, (if one is in the works) what an interesting concept it would be if suddenly, the brain was shut down because of a freak accident or sudden illness. What would happen if this shutdown was even as serious as death? Now, keep in mind, this is going to be very VERY depressing, so if you can't handle some thematic elements, I suggest this story will not be for you. I might change the rating but I think for now I will keep it a T because talk of a coma probably isn't worth a K+ rating. I may be sued by Pixar if that is the case. So to avoid all that, let me just say right now that I do not own the concept of characters of Inside Out. They belong to Wait Disney Pictures and Pixar Animation Studios. A huge thank you to all those at Pixar, artists, actors, writers, producers, for giving me this idea and inspiring me, even if my story isn't always as happy as yours. I would also like to say a big thank you to John Lasseter because when Disney kicked him down, he rose up to the point where they took him back, and to Pete Doctor for making this film, and to Andrew Stanton, Lee Urwich and Brenda Chapman. Finally, I'd like to say a big thank you to all of my faithful readers out there, because without you, the motivation to write would not be possible. Please do not forget to write a review and to follow this story if you like it.

San Ookamitora.

Chapter 1: In Which Riley Gets a New Bike

Riley Anderson sat on the new comfy red couch, store ordered by her mother and father as part of sealing their commitment to the move in her favourite navy and yellow star-patterned pajamas and purple rabbit slippers. She was crouched over her Nintendo game, activly challenging her brain to read out the word of a color, without saying exactly what color it was written in. She had so far mastered this game, even when it was so early in the morning and was getting used to calling Red, Green and Purple, Blue. She tapped her stylus against the screen, swiping a color to match it's worded equivalent, when her phone vibrated on the wooden coffee table. Instantly reaching for it without taking her eyes off her device she paused back to the main menu and turned it on, the home screen blinding her momentarily. She flicked through her recent emails and messages, and saw that a new one had been sent from her old home town in Minnesota. She opened it immediately.

"HEY GURL! JUST 1TED 2 TEXT 2 SAY THE PRAIRIE DOGS 1 ANOTHER B GAME YESTERDAY! HOPE U R SETTLED IN FINE, AND BECKS SAYS HI! LUV M xoxo "

Riley smiled. Meg, her old friend had become a defender on the hockey team the previous year. The new girl who had filled in Riley's place had become the captain. Although Riley had been skeptic of Rebecca at first glance from a photo Meg had shown her over webcam she realised she wasn't so bad. Meg had been right when she told her how cool she was. It turned out Becks had been playing hockey from as young as Riley was when she first started. She had scored her first goal later in life, but didn't hesitate to send Riley pictures of her signed shirts and hockey figures as well as an autographed helmet from her favourite player on Minnesota's women's team. As Riley was about to exit the message she checked for any other further links or attachments. Nothing.

Maybe she's forgot, she thought to herself.

There was a knock at the door, and the the sound of it swinging open. Riley's mother entered carrying a large box wrapped in silver paper and topped with a red ribbon and bow. She placed it on the dining table and jumped when she saw her daughter sitting staring wide eyed at her still in her night clothes. "Oh! Riley! You're up early!"

"Hey Mom!"

"Any particular reason you got up so early on your big day?"

"Nope. Not really," Riley confessed, "I just uh-couldn't sleep."

"Well," her mother smirked, "while you're up..." she walked backwards towards the table, scooping up the neatly wrapped box behind her back and parading towards Riley. "Happy Birthday to you... Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday Dear Riley, Happy Birthday to you!"

Riley's eyes lit up at the grey and white striped gift presented in front of her. "Can. Can I open it now?"

"Not yet! Wait for your father to wake up first."

She slumped over the couch groaning into one of her Mom's fluffed up pillows. "That'll take For-ev-er!"

"Now, now enough of that," teased her mother, "you know he had a hard shift yesterday." She headed to the kitchen to fetch Riley's cake from the refrigerator, "besides, we all want to be here for when we open your presents."

"All? It's just you, me and Dad Mom." Her mother gestured to her slippers, which now a bundle of brown-auburn fur rubbing up against them. Riley giggled, "Oh, and you too Puff!"

Puff let out a small meow as Riley lifted him onto her lap, but purred as she kept stroking him in the way he liked, neck to tail, settling into her pajama bottoms and letting his lids droop slightly. They had gotten Puff four months ago as an animal companion for Riley during the exam weeks to help her cope with the stress of schoolwork. They adopted him from a

rescue centre after his other owner left him abandoned outside a gas station.

"Well, Puff can have a birthday breakfast too, considering he thinks every day is his birthday!" Puff jumped from Riley's lap and followed her Mom into the kitchen to open a can of his favourite fish meals.

The sound of a creaking bed and aching bones told them that her father had risen from his slumber. Riley leapt up from the sofa, and grabbed one of the legs left over from the old table and stole a tissue from the box crumpling it up to make a make-shift puck, as he headed tiredly towards the door. She giggled and hid behind it, clutching the leg as his footsteps became louder.

"And the famous Riley "Ice Princess" Anderson gets ready to shoot another goal!"

Her Dad quickly caught on to what she was doing and reached for the umbrella sticking from her mother's favourite urn.

"But Big Papa intercepts and knocks it right of the ring!" He went to take the "puck" from her but she was too quick for him.

"Guess Again, Pops!"

She darted past him, shuffling across the room and keeping full control over the tissue before aiming it at the fireplace. "She shoots, Aaaand...She Scoresl"

"No! The mighty Big Papa is defeated!" said her Dad feigning devastation.

"Well, the mighty Big Papa can use his baking skills to light the cake!" laughed her mother coming back from the kitchen.

"Oh right! Of course! So, how's my birthday girl?" he said rolling up his sleeves in preparation.

"She's hungry!" replied Riley.

"Not for long! Where are the matches honey?"

"The top drawer, beside the sink!" Her Mom was carrying more presents into the living room, large ones with different coloured wrapping, as if it were Christmas Day. Riley's heart felt a burst of excitement and anticipation as she eyed the size of each present.

"Ow! Darn these things!" her father said, the flame of her last candle emerging. "Okay everyone to the table!"

"Come on Puff!" urged Riley gently nudging the long haired tom cat who wasn't so thrilled about being moved after a big meal.

Riley saw her Mom had laden the table with bits of confetti, her trademark pink and blue iced chocolate cupcakes and party hats left over from New Year. Even though they hadn't much in stock since the move, she couldn't have asked for more.

Riley strapped a pink one to her head and her parents sat at either side of her, Puff hopping a chair opposite. Her Mom carried the cake, her Dad the cards and both began to sing:

Happy Birthday to you

Our Riley's no longer two

She's turned one year older

And soon we will have too!

Riley fell into hysterics. "Make a wish darling!" said her mother getting the camera ready.

Riley inhaled deeply, the scent of the candles tickling the inside of her nose and then blew all twelve candles out leaving nothing but smokey trails.

"Oh, it didn't go off!" sighed Riley's Mom peering at the camera, "I always knew this stupid thing would wear out!"

"It needs new batteries," her Dad remarked.

"It's okay you guys! Really!" said Riley, "never mind the camera let's have some cake!"

"She's right," said her mother to her Dad who was desperately trying to pry open the back of the camera and get out the film. "I'll get a sharp knife, and then our little girl can open some presents!"

"YES!" said Riley punching the air, and moving the table slightly to which she caught the cake just in time before it slid off the edge.

The cake was delicious. It was Riley's favourite, chocolate with white icing for her name and more chocolate icing around the top and on the inside, with edible tiny candy balls coating the outer part. Her Mom poured her a glass of lemonade which she drank as she opened her cards and gifts. She got $100 from a very generous aunt in Nebraska and $20 from her not-so-generous uncle back in Minnesota. She opened a snazzy purple wristwatch, a silver cat necklace with a matching pair of earrings. A gold piggy bank with swirled patterns and several framed photographs of her favourite hockey league, all signed by the players. She herself even got a wonderful turquoise hockey shirt and helmet, with white gloves and a blue stick and black puck for practising in and out of doors. Since her parents thought her old enough she got a new phone and tablet, complete with cute cherry headphones and bear keyrings, several books (most were for school but others were for journals and story writing). Finally she got a star patterned t-shirt with jeans just the right size and cool sneakers for outdoors. She loved them all.

"These are amazing! Everything's amazing! I love you guys!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around both of them, "you're the best parents ever!"

"Well it's not over yet!" her father said, "follow me, we have an extra present in the garage!"

Riley happily threw on her dressing gown at the door and watched her her Dad pointed his keys at the door which forever failed to open. "Wait-" the door finally came up with a loud unforgiving screech, but even that was worth it once Riley saw what was in store.

"WOW!"

Inside was a bicycle, silver and pink, purple flames painted on the sides. Although there were training wheels, the whole model was professional and grown up. Nothing like the tricycle she had ridden as a toddler.

"Do you like it?" said her Dad, laughing at the dumbfounded look she had.

"I-I LOVE IT! THANK YOU DAD, THANK YOU SOO SO MUCH!"

"WOAH now! Hey!" he chuckled as she threw her arms around him, "it wasn't just my ideal"

Riley turned to see her mother standing smiling in the doorway, and immediately ran to embrace her too. "It's the coolest birthday gift, ever!"

Her mother kissed her forehead and stroked her hair. "You're very welcome. Now come on inside! You don't want to catch a cold on your special day!"

"Huh! That reminds me," said Dad scratching his head, "doesn't Riley have school today?"

Her Mom gasped checking the clock in the hall. "Oh God, that's right! It starts in an hour, Riley you better go and get dressed and ready!"

Riley's face fell. "Do I have to?"

"Yes! You do have to!" laughed her mother, "don't you want to see all your friends on your big day?"

"I guess so."

"Well come on, upstairs and get dressed. You can wear your new clothes if you like, I'll get them for you."

"No it's okay! I'll wear some of my old stuff! Besides I don't want to get them all messed up on my first day wearing them!"

"Why is that?"

Riley giggled, "because you'd go as crazy as a monkey who ate to much bananas!"

"Oh-ho-ho! That's it, little missy, you're in for it Come here!" She put her hair so Riley knew she meant business. Riley shrieked in delight as she chased her up the stairs. She hadn't had so much fun with her parents since they were on vacation and the car drove backwards into one of the dinosaur sculptures. Laughing herself her mother went to join her husband at the foot of the stairs who helped catch her breath.

"Don't do too much running around now, you know what could do to the-"

"I'm fine! I just need to sit down a moment!" she sighed hearing Riley sing a song from one of her favourite retro bands. "She's such a great kid!"

"What did we do to deserve her?" agreed her father.

Riley soon came bounding down the staircase, stuffing her raincoat into her backpack and swinging it on. "Right! See you guys!"

"Woah woah, wait a minute eagerpants," said Mom, "have you got your lunch money?"

"Got it!"

"Your bus pass?" added Dad.

"Yep!"

"And you sure you'll be warm enough in just your hoodie?"

"Yes Mom! I'll be fine!"

"Okay, have a good day monkey!" said her Dad unlocking the door for her.

She grinned and contorted her face into a gurn, making noises and sticking out her ears, her parents did the same.

Riley snorted. "See you when school's done!"

"Have a great day sweetheart!"

"Oh and Dad, you'll teach me how to ride the bike when I get back?"

"Sure thing kiddo!"

"Neat!" she closed the door behind her, but left it open a crack so only her eyes were visible. "I love you both!"

"We love you too!"

Riley closed the door. Taking one final glance at her brand new bike she inhaled the outdoors softly, breathing in the cool sir and the scent of freshly cut grass- whilst also trying to drown out the sound of heavy machinery and construction work in the grey urban street.

A/N: Ohh boy! First chapter's a happy one! That means the next few are going to be hard to write and possibly an enormous punch on the stomach to anyone reading. Well, until then be sure to write a review and follow if you liked :)