The Dream Port was empty save for five doors, all arranged in a straight line which suddenly opened simultaneously. From the door to the far left emerged Riku and Cloud, the middle left emerged Snow, Lightning, and Axel, the middle emerged Sora and Warrior, the middle right emerged Namine and Zidane, and the far right emerged Roxas and Terra. The second they emerged, bedlam ensued.

"What the-. IT'S HIM! The guy who kidnapped Serah!" Zidane exclaimed, pulling out his daggers and jumping at Sora, tackling him.

"Hey! Back off!" Roxas shouted, running in and delivering a fierce kick, knocking Zidane off his Other while stepping in between the Genome and Sora. Zidane leapt to his feet where he and Roxas started yelling at each other. At the same time Terra's hands started glowing and she was about to attack Sora instinctively but Namine jumped in with a Reflect sphere.

"Stop it!" Namine yelled over Zidane and Roxas's screaming match. Snow, Lightning, and Axel were confused. Warrior had his shield raised in case anyone else tried to attack Sora. Riku and Cloud just stood off to the side, completely unnoticed and watching in bewilderment. Axel then sighed heavily and snapped his fingers, creating a flaming barrier that surrounded Roxas, Namine, and Sora and abruptly ending the arguments.

"Would someone like to explain why we're all at each other's throats?" Snow asked, the flaming barrier dying down instantly.

"Yeah, that would be a good start." Riku said, startling everyone.

"Who are you?" Snow asked, confused. Sora however…

"Riku! Is it really you?" Sora exclaimed as he leapt to his feet and ran over to his friend.

"Sora, it's about time we found you! We've been worried sick about you." Riku said as he firmly grasped Sora by the hand and pulled him into a bro-hug.

"We?" Roxas asked, surprising Riku.

"Roxas? Namine? Axel? What are you guys doing here?" Riku asked, confused.

"We could ask you the same thing." Roxas replied.

"It's a long story. I brought Cloud with me. Thought Sora could use someone to remind him how not to get his butt kicked." Riku said with a smirk and his arms crossed over his chest. Cloud simply remained silent, studying the other strangers carefully. Warrior and Snow were explaining something to Zidane and Terra while Lightning leaned against a nearby wall, staying out of the conversation.

"You're the real Riku alright." Axel smirked.

"Was there any doubt?" Riku asked.

"Well aside from having to fight an evil version of you created from Sora's fears and doubts…yeah just a little." Roxas said, making Sora shrug innocently.

"Okay, you're gonna have to explain that to me…but later, we've got more important matters to discuss. Like where's Kairi, why are the three of you here, and why did Cloud and I run into a Replica of Marluxia a moment ago?" Riku asked.

"You ran into a Marluxia Replica? I just killed a Xigbar Replica a moment ago with Terra!" Roxas said.

"Zidane and I killed a Xaldin Replica." Namine added.

"I had to fight off a Luxord Replica with Warrior over there." Sora said.

"For me, Snow, and Lightning, it was Saix." Axel added.

"Geez how many Replicas are there?" Riku asked.

"Well minus the five we all just killed, we've dealt with Replicas of Demyx, Larxene, Zexion, and Lexaeus." Roxas replied.

"So what about Kairi?" Riku asked. There was an awkward silence before Namine spoke up.

"Riku…It's Xion, she's back and somehow she's gone rogue. She thinks she's Sora and for some reason she kidnapped Kairi shortly after she arrived here." Namine explained.

"Oh we know why she's gone rogue, Namine. It's Maleficent. She's manipulating Xion." Axel added.

"And as for why we're here…well, Sora needed some help, and since I'm a part of him, Namine's a part of Kairi, and Axel just happened to be bumming a ride off Sora's heart, we were able to join him and try to rescue Kairi." Roxas explained.

"Got it Memorized?" Axel asked with a cheeky smirk.

"Okay, that answers those questions. So what's with those guys over there?" Riku asked, pointing at the group nearby.

"Yeah, I thought Lightning was a L'Cie. Won't she get in trouble for being here?" Namine asked. Riku was startled.

"A L'Cie? Really?" Riku asked.

"Yeah. It's real bad. She and her sister, a girl named Serah,-…" Axel said before Roxas interrupted.

"Xion kidnapped her too by the way." Roxas added as Sora continued for Axel.

"-…were both from the real worlds like us, but they've been here the longest and apparently Serah knows a major clue about finding the Dreamer's Star." Sora explained but Axel cleared his throat.

"Except I learned a little something extra from Lightning, who happens to be Serah's sister, and Snow, Serah's Fiancé. Apparently, Maleficent made Serah a L'Cie too and bound hers and Lightning's Focus together. So every time Lightning screws up in Maleficent's eyes, she and Serah take one step closer to becoming Heartless." Axel explained.

"Makes sense. On looks alone I don't think that woman would work for Maleficent without a good reason." Riku said.

"Then what is she doing here? Maleficent is bound to know that Lightning's betrayed her." Roxas said as Axel grinned.

"Simple, we're calling Maleficent's Bluff." Axel replied.

"Maleficent's Bluff? Where did you get that idea?" Roxas asked, a little surprised.

"You don't play cards with Luxord and not learn something." Axel said, his grin widening.

"What makes you so sure she's bluffing about turning Lightning and Serah into Heartless?" Sora asked.

"Think about it. What does Maleficent stand to gain by keeping Serah alive and what does she stand to lose by turning her into a Heartless?" Axel asked. The four thought for a moment before Sora's eyes lit up in realization.

"The clue Serah has to the location of the Dreamer's Star!" Sora exclaimed but Axel shook his head.

"You're close. Maleficent already knows where it is, but not how to use it." Axel replied.

"What do you mean?" Riku asked.

"Lightning explained it all to me on the way here. The location of the Dreamer's Star is, apparently, common knowledge, not that she told me anything, but if you're gonna use it, you need two things to unlock it. The first is a Keyblade." Axel said, making Roxas's eyes widen in realization.

"And for that she has Xion!" Roxas exclaimed.

"Right. The second thing she needs is something called the Wayfinder and only Serah knows what it looks like. Maleficent needs Serah to identify the Wayfinder. That's why she won't turn Lightning and Serah into Heartless." Axel explained.

"So why not just go ahead and turn her into a Heartless but leave the sister alive?" Cloud asked, speaking up finally, and motioning to Lightning who remained ignorant of the conversations around her.

"Well that, I think, would be obvious. Lightning's a talented warrior. Why pass up an opportunity to enslave a potentially useful tool to further your own goals." Roxas replied, Namine's expression saddening.

"I know how that feels." She mumbled, recalling her time being used as Marluxia's tool in Castle Oblivion. Riku, however, wasn't convinced.

"I dunno. Something isn't right. Maleficent is a meticulous planner. She doesn't do anything without planning out every single detail and every eventuality. She should've known by now that Lightning failed her and probably turned on her and even so, she hasn't turned her into a Heartless. I don't like this. It's too easy." Riku said, rubbing his chin while looking suspiciously at Lightning.

"And what about all those Replicas of Organization XIII we've been running into? Where do they come in? Where do they even come from?" Roxas asked.

"And why kidnap Kairi? What does Kairi have to do with this? She doesn't know where the Wayfinder is. I'd know if she did." Namine said.

"Lightning said she never knew what the Replicas were for either except for the extra muscle. It seems though, that Xion is convinced that they're the real members of Organization XIII and that they've been working for Maleficent all this time." Axel replied, Riku looking contemplative.

"Some of the Replicas are convinced they're the real thing too. The Xigbar Replica thought so at least." Roxas said.

"What if it's all part of the illusion? What if giving Xion a few familiar faces to work with makes her easier to control?" Riku asked but Roxas wasn't convinced.

"I don't think that's it. Axel and I were the only people Xion really trusted in the Organization, and we trusted her and each other too. No, she'd need more incentive to work for Maleficent." Roxas said, Axel nodding in agreement.

"You've got a point there, Roxas." Axel said.

"Maybe Riku's not that far off. Maybe what he said about having familiar faces around makes Xion easier to control is correct, but our line of thinking is all wrong." Namine said, confusing the others.

"What do you mean?" Riku asked.

"Think about it. Who does Xion think she is right now?" Namine asked.

"Me, but what does that have to do with anything?" Sora asked back.

"So if Maleficent wants to make Xion believe that she is the real Sora, what could Maleficent use as leverage to keep Sora subservient?" Namine asked as the four thought for a moment before they all realized it at the same time.

"Kairi!" they said in unison.

"So Kairi's just the motivator to keep Xion loyal to Maleficent?" Roxas asked as Namine nodded.

"When Kairi and I first encountered Xion back in the Dream Twilight Town, Xion's guard was down and I could access her memories. All of her memories were Sora's memories so I thought she was Sora. But then when Roxas and Axel came clean that they were able to see through Xion's disguise, it suddenly made sense. The Xion we're dealing with, I think, is a sort of backup copy of her dated back to a time when her memories of Sora were strongest. She truly and fully believes she's Sora and if Maleficent has Kairi, then that gives Sora a reason to work for her. Take away Kairi, and the illusion begins to fall apart. So Xion is just as much as a slave to Maleficent as Lightning is." Namine explained,

"So finding Kairi could help Xion realize she's not the real Sora?" Roxas asked as Namine nodded.

"Then that means we need Lightning's help now more than ever. But can we trust her? She is still Maleficent's L'Cie and we all know how Maleficent works. Everything she does benefits her in some way." Riku said.

"But she's our only hope of finding Kairi and rescuing her. She knows where both Kairi and Serah are being kept and she's agreed to lead us there." Axel said. Sora pulled out Kairi's lucky charm from his pocket, looking at it quietly for a moment before putting it in his pocket and summoning his Keyblade, a determined expression on his face. (Optional Music Cue: Sora – KH2/Dream Drop Distance OST)

"If she can lead us to Kairi, then I say we let her help. I'm going to rescue Kairi and Serah, bring Xion back to her senses, and stop Maleficent before she finds the Wayfinder all at the same time. Anyone want to join me?" Sora asked as Roxas summoned his Keyblades, resting Oblivion on his shoulder and letting Oathkeeper hang down at his side.

"Lead the way, Sora. I'm with you to the end." Roxas said as Namine nodded in agreement, summoning her Dream Rod and holding it in both hands with a smile. Axel summoned his chakrams and rested one of them on his shoulder.

"We've come this far together. I ain't gonna stop now." Axel with a grin.

"You can count on me Sora. I'm in." Riku said.

"Me too." Cloud added.

"You can count on us as well." Warrior said as he, Snow, Terra, Zidane, and Lightning approached, gaining everyone's attention.

"Warrior and Snow explained everything to us. We'll help you out." Terra said as Zidane rubbed the back of his head nervously.

"Yeah, sorry about attacking you back there. You just happened to have the wrong face at the wrong time." Zidane said as Sora waved off the apology.

"No need to apologize at all. What matters now is that we stick together and rescue everyone who's important to us. Kairi, Serah, and Xion. They're the ones, who need us right now more than ever." Sora said, earning a nod of agreement from everyone, their weapons brandished and ready. Snow and Axel then turned to Lightning.

"Alright Sis, can you do it?" Snow asked as Lightning nodded and walked over to the controls that Dream Finder had been using to call up the doors. When approached the platform, the doors automatically slid away on their tracks before Lightning could touch a single control.

"Odd." Lightning mumbled.

"I believe you're looking for this door, correct?" Dream Finder asked as he entered from a side corridor just as a large set of double doors slid into place. The doors were adorned with the symbol of a dragon's head with glowing yellow-green eyes carved into them down the center. It was the doors to Maleficent's dream world as the dragon carving attested to.

"How did you-." Lightning said, startled, but Dream Finder merely chuckled.

"I've been helping Sora and his friends search for the door where Miss Kairi was located. While they were gone, I happened to find the right door. It was under my nose the whole time. I'd had it locked away with a bunch of forbidden doors for so long, I'd forgotten about it. Take my word for it, it's the right one this time." Dream Finder said as Riku leaned over to Roxas.

"Who's this kook?" Riku whispered.

"It's a long story." Roxas replied.

"I get that." Riku mumbled as Sora approached the door, Keyblade in hand, and aimed the Keyblade at the door, allowing the blue beam of light to form in a circle around the tip of the Keyblade before firing off a beam that struck the doors, making them glow with a white light for a moment before dissipating and causing the doors to slowly swing open, revealing a dark world with a single cobblestone path leading away from the doors towards a ruined castle at the top of a mountain in the distance Sora turned to the others with a smile.

"Alright, now's our chance! Let's go!" Sora said before he turned and charged headfirst through the doors into the dark world, followed closely by Roxas, Axel, Namine, and Riku. The others were close behind, ready for whatever Maleficent had in store for them. (End Music)

At the same time…

Maleficent, Xion, Night Terror Riku, and three hooded figures in Organization XIII robes stood around the table with the magic sphere, watching as Sora and his comrades made their charge towards Maleficent's castle.

"Took him long enough. I thought he'd never make it here." Night Terror Riku chuckled, his arms crossed over his chest with a smirk.

"Lightning has betrayed us! What is she suicidal?" One of the figures asked as they saw Lightning amongst them. Maleficent merely gave a satisfied smile.

"Everything is proceeding exactly as planned." Maleficent said as she continued watching the sphere.

"How exactly do you call having the imposter Sora and those other imposters along with those fools from Balamb Garden breaking down our front doors as part of the plan?" Xion asked.

"Because I believe that somewhere among those fools, one of them is about to bring the Wayfinder to Serah, and once Serah sees it, she will give it to me." Maleficent said with a dark smile as she turned to two of the hooded figures and Xion.

"The time has come to eradicate the imposters. Make sure the imposter Sora becomes isolated from the others, and once he is alone, then you may finally dispose of him, my dear." Maleficent said as Xion smiled darkly and started for the hallway, flanked by two of the hooded figures as she left. As she walked down the hall, one word came to her lips.

"Finally."

End Chapter 26.

Next up, the fight to save Kairi begins.

Oh and for a visual reference for Maleficent's Castle, it's based on her castle from the Sleeping Beauty world (Enchanted Dominion) in Birth by Sleep. Hope that helps for future reference.