Sora, Bowser, Luigi, and Tippi were walking (or flying in Tippi's case) down a dirt road in a grassy field.
"So what are we gonna do now?" Luigi asked.
"We've gotta find Riku, Blumiere, and your bro," Sora said.
"What? No way!" Bowser shouted.
"Bowser, we've got to help Sora find his friend since he helped us," Tippi said. "But you know… where is the door to the light Mario mentioned?"
They all sighed, although a different reason for Bowser. There wasn't even a lead on where the door to light would be.
"Hey, we can't let us get that down, right," Sora said. They all looked at each other. Sora was right; they had to keep searching if they were to find it.
"You're right," Luigi said. "Let's follow this road; it has to lead to the door!"
"That's an excellent way to look at it," Tippi said. "There's nothing stopping us, we'll just look until we find it."
"Guys, let's go." He waved his hand forward and started running down the road, the others followed and he smiled. Don't worry Riku, I'll find you.
-x-
It wasn't long before night fell upon the grasslands. Despite having run a long distance, they had yet to have any sign of the door to light Mario had mentioned.
"Let's set up camp here for the night," Luigi said. "We're probably safe here."
"Somebody should keep watch though," Tippi said. "You never know when the Heartless might decide to attack."
"Tippi's right, I'll take first watch," Sora said.
"You sure?" Luigi asked.
"Don't worry about it." Sora waved off the idea of a lack of sleep like it was nothing. "You guys get some rest and I'll wake you up when I need sleep."
"Great idea," Bowser said. The koopa king laid on the grass instantly, Luigi following while Tippi took a perch on Sora's head.
"You can sleep too Tippi, you've been through just as much as we have," Sora said to the Pixl.
"I don't mind staying up. You could use the company anyways," Tippi said.
Sora shrugged in response. "Okay then. Hey, you're okay, right?"
Tippi seemed surprised by his question. "I guess…why?"
"So much has happened since we first met in Traverse Town, to you especially…"
"Don't worry about me, I'm fine," Tippi said. "Worry about yourself first, you're the one every world will have to rely on."
"Yeah, that's true, and we'll have to run into everyone again sooner or later, right?" Sora asked.
"Of course," she said. "Then…" she cut herself off as she looked behind Sora.
"Tippi?" He turned around too, only to lock eyes with a cloaked figure, much like the one he'd fought in Hollow Bastion. "Hey!"
The figure started to walk off in a direction, the noise Sora and Tippi made waking Luigi and Bowser from sleep. The two were farther ahead than the waking ones, arriving at a crossroads.
"Ahead lies something you hold dear-" the figure said. "but to claim it, you must lose something first."
"Sora!" Luigi ran up to Sora. "What happened?"
"We saw somebody," Sora said. "He went that way."
"Then let's go after him already!" The four continued along the dirt road until arriving at a dark castle. It's exterior brown with green spires. A dark sky sat behind its fragmented ground.
"Something about this place seems off…" Tippi said. "Are you sure you guys want to go in."
"We really don't have much to lose, might as well," Sora said.
And with that they began pushing on the castle doors.