Sora and Rena ran at the Heartless and began to hack away at the Bolt Towers. Rena noticed that Adrea and Queen Minnie were slowly making their way around the Heartless. She kept the Bolt Towers attracted to her, instead of letting them see the other two.

Without warning, three Bolt Towers shocked her, making her paralyzed. The Heartless whacked her, smashed her and threw her across the room. Sora jumped in front of Rena andstood between her and the Heartless.

"S-Sora!" Rena managed to coughed, "H-help A-Adrea!"

"I'm not gonna let you die here!" Sora snarled over his shoulder. "I won't let them take your heart!"

'Is he...Is he really that worried about me?' Rena thought to herself, 'Or is it that he couldn't stand it if he had to fight me?'

A blinding light shot through the room. As soon as the light faded, Rena found all the Heartless were gone.

"Woah!" Sora exclaimed, helping Rena to stand up. "Do you think you can walk?"

"I-I can t-try." Rena spattered. "O-ok, I t-think I can-Woah!"

Rena fell backwards, but Sora gabbed her arm and pulled her up right again.

"Maybe it'd be better if I carried you."

Sora picked Rena up and walked to where Adrea and Queen Minnie were waiting.

"What happened to you?" Adrea asked. "And why are you carrying her, Sora?"

"She was paralyzed." Sora replied.

"I can walk now." Rena said.

"No. I'll carry you down the stairs, then you can walk."

"The room below is the 'Hall of the Cornerstone'." Minnie said, "Come on, it's safe down here.

They followed the Queen down the stairs and into a large chamber. Thorny vines grew all along the walls, and in the center of the room was a large cyrstal orb.

It was twice as tall as Sora and it stood on a silver platform. Inside the orb, yellow-green balls of light danced around each other.

"This is the Cornerstone of Light." Minnie said.

"Cornerstone...of Light?" Sora asked, setting Rena on the floor.

"It's been protecting the castle from evil worlds." Donald's voice said.

Rena looked over her shoulder and found Donald and Goofy walking towards them.

Queen Minne walked towards the Cornerstone. But before she could reach it, green and black flames flew up from the floor. As the flames died down, a figure in a black cloak and horned hood appeared.

"Maleficent!" Goofy exclaimed.

"No way!" Sora gasped.

"Maleficent?" Rena whispered to Adrea, "The Witch of Darkness? I thought that Sora, Donald and Goofy defeated her a year ago!"

"They did." Adrea responded.

"Well, well, well." Maleficent laughed, "If it isn't the wretched Keyblade holder and his pitiful lackeys!"

"She's got alot of nerve saying that." Adrea whispered, "Since they defeated her."

"What!" Donald hissed at Maleficent."Now you'll deal with me!"

The duck leaped at Maleficent and went right through her.

"All in good time." Maleficent laughed, "I promise you'll be able to partake in my vengance. But you must be patient."

"What do you want here, Maleficent?" Minnie hissed.

"I'm here on a property venture. I want this castle for my own. However it's a bit to 'bright' for what I have in mind. I suppose I'll just have to fill every roomwith my personal touch of darkness."

Maleficent began to reach out to the Cornerstone, but it pushed her hand back with a force field.

"You'd better stop that right now if you know what's good for you!"

"But if being headless is what you want, then by all means continue." Adrea hissed at the witch.

"Ooh, how frightening, two girls are going to try and stop me?" Maleficent growled, as she glared at Adrea and Rena. "Very well, I'll stop... Just as soon as this castle belongs to me!"

Maleficent vanishedand her evil laugh rang out all around them.

"What a hag!" Sora sighed.

"Nothing like this has ever happened before!"the Queen moaned, "I looked through all of the books in the library, but I couldn't find a single clue!"

"We should asked someone who knows lotsa stuff that ain't in any book!"Goofy exclaimed.

"Merlin the Wizard!" Donald exclaimed.

"Yes!" Minnie laughed, "That's perfect! Merlin just might know something about this mess.Lets ask him!"

"We saw him in Hallow Bastion, right?" Goofy asked.

"Yeah." Rena responded, "You three go ahead. Adrea and I will stay her with the Queen."

"Okay." Sora said. "Let's go!"

After the trio left, Rena began to inspect the thorns.

"So why did you two stay behind?" Minnie asked.

"Well, we stayed to protect you from any Heartless that might get in." Adrea said.

"And also because any kind of trip with those three can make you go crazy!" Rena laughed.

A strange goo trickled down the thorns. Rena was about to touch it, when Merlin, Sora, Donald and Goofy appeared in a puff of white, sparkling clouds.

"I'd better have a look for myself." Merlin said, walking over to the crystal. "Oh, yes...Interesting..."

"What is it Merlin?" Minnie asked.

"This is not good." Merlin said. "In fact, I'm afraid that this is very serious."

He turned, cleared his throat and with a wave of his hand, a silver, black and white door appeared next to him.

"What's this?" Sora asked.

"My boy, that is the gateway into a special world." Merlin said. "Someone is this world could be responsible for what's happening to the castle. Of that, I'm certain"

"Oh boy!" Donald exclaimed.

"We knew you could do it Merlin!" Goofy laughed.

"Then we should goget him!" Sora said, walking towards the door.

"What a minute!" Merlin exclaimed, "The perpetrators must be stopped, yes. But there is something else to do first. Somewhere in that world, there is another dooridentical to this one. As long as it remains open, the castle will be in grave danger."

"Now listen carefully,Sora, Adrea and Rena." he continued. "You must find the door, and when you do, all three of you must lock the door with your Keyblades. And not one at a time, but at the same time."

"Got it!" Rena exclaimed.

"You can count on us!" Donald laughed.

"There is something else you must know." Merlin said, "This world is very special. While you're there, the nature of that world might tempt you to do something dark. You must resist at all costs!"

"What do you mean?" Adrea asked.

"You'll know soon enough. I have faith in you!"

Sora opened the door and the five of them walked through the open doorway.