Tomorrowland was just as equally overrun with Cast Bots as Fantasyland was, though luckily all the sword training Logan had been getting was paying off in spades. He cut through the robots while Adam used his robotic arm to disable them from a distance. Destiny even suplexed a few of the larger robots, and Jake used his lasso to trip the smaller ones. Eventually the team made it to Space Mountain, where the key signal was coming from.
"So, what do think is going to be inside here?" Logan asked.
"Probably a trap of some kind," Adam replied.
Logan grinned. "Then let's do this!"
Stepping inside, the group didn't find an advanced space station to travel across the galaxy, but instead a bright world filled only by blue skies. "Huh, not the kind of space I was thinking about," Adam said. He stepped forward, he hummed in intrigue as each step he made in this weird void sent out ripples, like stepping in water.
"This is…" Logan said, watching as the door closed into nothingness behind them. "The Final World."
"The what now?" Destiny asked.
"The Final World. It's kind of like the afterlife of the Kingdom Hearts universe?" Logan tried to explained. "It's best to not try to explain the lore right now."
"Well, we have a lot of searching to do," Adam said. He looked at his sensors in confusion. "Huh, that's weird. It says that it's right on top of us."
Logan pushed Adam out of the way, holding out his sword as the entity came and attacked them. "Kairi!?" Logan exclaimed. It was indeed the Keyblade-wielding girl, but her eyes were a sickly yellow and her stance more aggressive.
"Welcome, losers, to your final key challenge!" Hex laughed as he popped up. "Do you like my chosen player here? I took a page of our Xehanort's book for this one."
"Kairi's been Norted!?" Logan shouted.
"She's been whated?" Jake asked.
Logan groaned. "I don't have time to explain it. Basically, she's been possessed and now we have to save her!"
"I can understand that," Adam said. He turned on his electric arm, but then paused as he noticed something off. "Why is there a health bar above my head?"
"Oh yeah, I made this a video game challenge for you guys," Hex explained. "If you want Kairi back, beat my challenge without missing a single note." A button appeared in front of them. "Just press start to begin!"
"Without missing a note? Oh no, is this a rhythm game challenge?" Logan groaned. "I was hoping for a more action-oriented challenge."
"But look, Kairi has the key around her neck," Adam pointed out. He pulled out the Golden Atlas. "I think I can get us some help if you hold out long enough, but it'll take some time. Logan, Destiny, and Jake, you three can do that, right?"
The three nodded, but suddenly Melanie appeared. "I can help too!" she stated. "I can be one of those, what do you call it, guest party members?"
"Just like in Kingdom Hearts," Logan nodded. "Okay, I'll take the center lane. Jake, you're with me, while Destiny can take the left and Melanie can be on the right."
The team lined up, and Adam stood behind them as Logan pressed the start button. Soon enough Kairi got into a fighting stance, and music played as notes came their way. Occasionally a note would be up in the air, so Logan would have to jump to hit it, or Kairi would take the place of a note, forcing the team to push her back.
Breath, should I take a deep?
Faith, should I take a leap?
"Take this!" Destiny shouted, hitting a special note that let her temporarily turn into her whale form and hit every note in front of them at once.
Taste, what a bittersweet
All my, all my life
"I've got this!" Melanie said. Her special ability let her turn notes into "ghost notes" while would automatically be completed by walking into them rather than hitting them with the beat.
Let me face, let me face, let me face my fears
(Face, let me face, let me face my fears)
"Greek Fire!" Logan shouted, using an ability of his sword to make green fire that kept Kairi away from them.
Oh let me face, let me face, let me face my fears
(Face, let me face, let me face my fears)
The music started to get faster as more notes came their way, even a few they had to hit at the same time.
Won't be long, won't be long, I'm almost here
Watch me cry
All my tears
Soon the breakdown happened, with the notes disappearing but Kairi coming in to attack them more with her Limit Break. Seeing as she was invincible during the attack, Logan and the others dodged around her. Fitting for the challenge, each of their dodges was in time with the music.
"I'm at about fifty percent guys!" Adam called just a bit more.
Lose, soon have nothing to
Space, this is what I choose
Destiny and Logan gave each other a high-five as they hit double notes together.
A mile, could you walk in my shoes?
All your, all your life
"He's something for ya!" Jake called as his special move activated. The kangaroo mouse jumped up and made all of the notes more spaced out with his lasso, thus making them easier to hit.
Let me face, let me face, let me face my fears
(Face, let me face, let me face my fears)
As the chorus came back, it was a bit slower this time, with Kairi now focusing more on Logan.
Oh let me face, let me face, let me face my fears
(Face, let me face, let me face my fears)
"Any time now, Adam!" he called.
Won't be long, won't be long, I'm almost here
Watch me cry
All my tears
"I think I almost got it," Adam called, holding up the Golden Atlas as it glowed brightly. "Just get through the next part!"
Watch me cry, all my tears
The music sped up again as Kairi did her Limit Break once more, but Logan was ready this time. "Guys, time for a Trinity Attack!" he called. Destiny and Melanie nodded, with the three of them holding up their hands as light gathered around them. "Trinity Shield!" A magic bubble surrounded them, nullifying the attacks the Kairi sent at them.
Let me face, let me face, let me face my fears
Oh let me face, let me face, let me face my fears
"And now!" Adam called. Out of the book popped Kairi's closest friends, Sora and Riku. Knowing what to do, the two of them put their Keyblades together and made the Combined Keyblade.
Won't be long, won't be long, I'm almost here
Watch me cry
All my tears
With a blast from the Combined Keyblade, Kairi cried out as the key was cut from her neck. Logan jumped up and caught it, while Sora and Riku went to comfort their friend.
"Kairi, are you okay?" Sora asked.
"Sora, Riku?" Kairi said, looking up at her friends. "Thank you. Hex made me see my deepest fears, but you saved me."
"Most of the work was done by these guys," Riku said, pointing to the others.
Adam sighed and closed the book. "That summon took a lot out of me." He comically fell over, only for Melanie and Jake to catch him. "Thanks you two." He then looked around to see the room glitch out, before turning back into how Space Mountain should look. "Huh, Hex must has used the projectors in here to make it only look like we were in another world. Neat. Evil, but neat."
"Sora! Riku!" Logan gasped. "It's so nice to meet you. I mean, we kinda did back at the Sorcerer's Arena tournament, but still! I'm a huge fan."
"And we should thank you for saving Kairi from Hex," Riku said. "We just did the ending part."
"Yeah, you guys did great!" Sora smiled.
"Hey Logan, you should ask if they can train you to be a Keyblade Master," Destiny said with a giggle.
Logan shook his head. "No, I think the universe just doesn't want me to have one. But that's okay, because I have this cool fire sword and you as my girlfriend. I don't need a fancy key sword." He then gave a goofy smile. "But I wouldn't say no to some more training."
"Sure, why not?" Sora said.
"You can come train with me, Logan," Kairi said. "But maybe after we defeat Hex, okay?"
The young man nodded, then held up the magic key. "Okay, let's get to Disney Castle. I'm sure the others are waiting for us, and Gabriel will be happy to see Kairi is back too!"
Author's Note
And Kairi is back too! That just leaves… well, check this Friday's chapter to find out. And Logan getting to be a fanboy for Kingdom Hearts was fun to write as well.
The song is "Face My Fears" the opening track of Kingdom Hearts 3. It's funny to think that there's an official Skrillex song in a Disney property, but he did make a cameo in Wreck-It Ralph and had a song in Fantasia: Music Evolved, so maybe it's not that strange.
This chapter is mostly based on Melody of Memory, the spin-off rhythm game that's also canon to the rest of the series. Yes, the rhythm game is canon and contains lore for the franchise. You have to respect Kingdom Hearts and how it tries and eight times out of ten succeeds in tying all of the games, numbered or not, together. I wouldn't be surprised if they somehow make Sora being in Smash Brothers canon in some way!
Next chapter is in Friday, with Gabriel and Rachel in Adventureland!