A vast meadow stretched forth in all directions, split into fourths by crossing roads.
The late hour was briefly interrupted by a radiant light coming to life at the roads' center point. Light cut through the darkness, forming into a corridor of light. None but three where present to witness the unusual disturbance. Speechless, the three cloaked figures watched as a slim figure emerged from the corridor. One of them took a step forward when her form fell to the ground with a thud, but the man dressed in red prevented him from moving forward.
Tattered clothes and scrapes all over. The unconscious girl had been through a rough time, but they were relieved that she was still breathing fine. Once the corridor closed, a male figure dressed in a black cloak rushed to her side and knelt down. His strong arms pulled her up into a sitting position, but her head bobbed back. She wasn't waking up, not even when he shook her slightly.
Another dressed in black approached, putting his hand on the other's shoulder reassuringly. But it wasn't enough to comfort the worried youth. He removed his hood, exposing his silvery locks. Aquamarine eyes scanned over the girl again.
"Come, Riku." The man with red belts obscuring his face called out to the teen. "We cannot take her."
"I can't just leave her," Riku shook his head, picking her up bridal-style. His eyes narrowed as he breathed in. The scent of darkness was strong around her. He refused to let it bother him too much. "That mansion of yours has enough rooms. We'll put her in one until she wakes up."
"Are you sure about this, Riku?" the shorter fellow inquired, worriedly looking up at the once fallen boy. "It's been months since she disappeared, right? The darkness could have taken her heart over."
"No, Your Majesty," he shook his head again. "I know Kara. She's a lot stronger than the darkness. You might not understand, but I know her better than anyone else. Please, DiZ. We need to take her back with us."
"Such bold words," DiZ chuckled. Initially there to investigate an unusual reading, it turned out to be more than he expected. Nonetheless, he agreed to it. One way or another, there was surely a reverse to the affects of whatever it was plaguing the girl.
His one visible eye, as golden as hers, DiZ trailed his gaze over the land. In time, he'd figure out her standing on the path, too. Perhaps it was worth it to bring her back to Twilight Town. There was still an experiment he desired to try out. This girl could help him.
The mansion's interior was cold when they arrived, and it was thanks to the lack of a proper heating system. As it had been for a long time, the decor was in ruins, mostly. Riku let DiZ lead the way in locating a suitable room, when a girl in a pale white dress met them at the top of the eastern staircase.
"Oh, it's you, Namine," Riku said in a surprised tone. "Is Sora doing okay?"
"Yes, but... I'm not making very much progress," the blonde-haired girl dropped her gaze to the floor, feeling discouraged. "It'll still be some time before he wakes up."
"Then continue," DiZ coldly replied.
They went their separate ways. DiZ took Riku to a free room between his and Namine's. The size of it was remarkable, probably too much for just one person. Riku placed Kara's unconscious form on the comfortable mattress and covered her up with the freshly cleaned sheets.
He and the king were still by her side as she slept in a comatose state.
"Don't worry, Riku," King Mickey assured him. "I don't know when, but I am sure that she'll wake up soon. Yup! I'm positive about it."
"Yeah, I agree," Riku mumbled.
For the time being, they left her to rest and recover. They'd find out more about what happened to her when she woke up. And when she did awaken, they could get her help in the current matter causing them trouble. Two matters, actually. The most urgent being the care of Sora, who was also trapped in a deep sleep after having gone through the mysterious Castle Oblivion.