The Cornerstone of Light is a sacred treasure of the Disney Castle's citizenry and one of well-known items featured in Kingdom Hearts II and Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix.
Appearance[]
The Cornerstone of Light is a large sphere made of crystal or glass that sits atop an ornate pedestal and contains swirling light, the Cornerstone protects the Disney Castle from Darkness and those who embody it too heavily, represented by the fact that Maleficent herself was unable to make a physical appearance next to the Cornerstone. It is basically the castle's home security system.
History[]
It can be found in the Hall of the Cornerstone, a hidden chamber under King Mickey Mouse's throne within the Disney Castle and accessible only by pressing a hidden switch under the arm of the throne.
Although it is a powerful artifact and heavily protected, the fairy witch Maleficent takes advantage of a door that appears into Disney Castle-exile Pete's past after he is made miserable by her constant abuse as shown in his flashbacks during his time with her at her decrepit cog-riddled lair known as the Villain's Vale. Using the door, Pete is sent back in time to when the castle itself had yet to be built upon the grounds of its land, and the Cornerstone sat unprotected on a hill.
There, he attempts to steal the Cornerstone, weakening the defenses of the present-dsy Disney Castle and allowing the darkness to penetrate the castle; the Heartless then invade and attempt to take the peaceful palace and its friendly inhabitants prisoner. the wicked Maleficent's trademark thorns surround the Cornerstone and she appears in a vision to taunt Queen Minnie Mouse about her imminent victory.
Sora, Donald, and Goofy receive a distress call and arrive just in time to help Queen Minnie magically raise a defense against the invaders. After a quick trip to the newly-restored kingdom of Hollow Bastion/Radiant Garden to seek the good wizard Merlin's help, they discover the time loophole that has allowed both Pete and Maleficent to weaken the Cornerstone's protection.
By taking a trip through a new door that appears in the Hall of the Cornerstone that leads to Timeless River, Sora and his party manage to thwart Pete and Maleficent's dangerous plans and restore the Cornerstone of the present to full power. The special relic of the Disney Castle was saved and so too was the enchanted palace's good residents along with their whole world from harm's way. The Cornerstone is also the object that allows Sora to open the gates to Port Royal and Atlantica.
Trivia[]
- During the events of Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance, King Mickey's wizard teacher Yen Sid surmised that the increasing return of the malign Master Xehanort caused great darkness to spread and gave Maleficent and Pete the dark powers necessary to bypass the Cornerstone's barrier and capture Queen Minnie.