Logan walked away from the Magical World Grand Prix's third race zone after the race in question came to an end. He had removed his racing attire and changed into his casual clothes, as they were more fit for the Australian climate. His teammates also left to go rest a bit before the next race. As the young man left the racing zone, he was joined by a whale shark who floated over the ground.

"Hey, Logan!" Destiny beamed, floating over to her boyfriend and kissing him on the cheek.

"Good to see you, Destiny," Logan replied with a smile, affectionately nuzzling her large cheek. "Enjoying the race?"

"You can say that! It's super exciting!" the aquatic creature beamed. "Your team is doing great!"

"Yeah... We're gonna have to do better than that if we want a chance to end up in the top three, though," Logan remarked a little pessimistically.

"Don't say that; finishing first or last doesn't matter. What matters is having fun while the race lasts!" Destiny assured to cheer her boyfriend up. "The last one was a lot of fun... Specially the part where you guys danced for that little girl," she said with a sly smile.

Logan rubbed his eyes. "I'm gonna hear that for a long time..." He then gave a naughty grin to his girlfriend. "But not as much as Rocket when I tell Star-Lord and all the Guardians of the Galaxy about his participation in the dance."

Destiny's eyes widened and blinked many times. She hadn't realized her boyfriend had a death wish. "So, what did that little dog give you after the race?"

"This," Logan replied, showing the piece of paper to Destiny. It displayed Logan's entire racing team around the Gracious Bird. It was awkwardly drawn, but still fun to look at nonetheless. "Jack did it for me."

"Aww, that's adorable!" Destiny beamed. "What are you gonna do with it?"

"Why, I'm gonna pull it against the wall in front of my drawing desk, of course. That way, I can think of that little guy's smile whenever I draw something," Logan replied with pulling the drawing back in his pocket. "Now, how about we find some place to get away from the heat, relax, and get both something to eat and to drink?"

The young couple started looking around the Australian landscape for a place to eat and relax. After many minutes of research, they spotted a juice bar called 'The Fresh Cabana' in the middle of a restaurants street. "This seems pretty good. Let's check it out," Logan suggested.

The Fresh Cabana was an Australia-themed restaurant with wooden tables and chairs all around. It was decorated with exotic plants and even some tribal masks! Saying the entire counter section was a dream for vegetarians would be an understanding. Along the long counter were many large baskets filled with every fruit and vegetable one could think of. Bottles of already made juice and goblets containing slices of fruits, vegetables or both were displayed behind a glass. There even was a big board high behind the counter showing all the drinks, cocktails and ice creams for sale, and their price, of course.

"Wow... There are so many choices," Destiny mumbled while tapping her chin with her flipper. The whale shark had to stand slightly beside the line so that the customers behind her could see the board too. "I think I'm gonna take a Beach Breeze with a watermelon - I've been wanting to eat one of these for a while."

"Alright. In that case, I'm gonna go for a strawberry-kiwi drink with one of those fruit goblets they have there." The couple had to wait for a while before it was finally their turn to command at the counter. "Hi, we'd like to get...?! O-Orange?!" Logan exclaimed in surprise.

Indeed, Logan's yellow-skinned friend with orange hair pulled in a faux-hawk was the one standing behind the bar's counter. "Oh my citrus! Logan!" he replied, blinking his eyes behind the black glasses that kept them hidden. "I wasn't expecting to see you again so soon!"

"Same here!" Logan responded. "You're working here?"

"If that was only that. I'm not just working here; I own this commerce, dude!" Orange exclaimed.

"Really? Why's that? Did you lose your job at Disney Studio?"

"Nope; I still got it, man. But you know that the only thing stronger than my love for drawing is my love for anything cooking-related. After a lot of research and papers to sign, I was finally able to open my own restaurant right here, in my hometown of Brisbane, Australia! I'm livin' the dream, baby!"

Logan couldn't help but chuckle as his friend's yells earned the customers' curious gazes in their direction. "But how can you run a juice bar here and work for Disney Studio at the same time?"

"What's cool with our job is that the higher ups allow us to do most of the work at home. They send us our tasks, what they want us to draw; I can do it between shifts in the back of my shop, and send it via the mail system to the studio once I'm done." Orange chuckled and placed his hands behind his head. "There's no better job an artist could wish for, I'm tellin' ya!"

Logan's gaze fell to the floor. The unpleasant taste of regret started invading his mouth once again.

"Anyway, what are you lovebirds doing here? Still savin' lives and fighting bad guys?" Orange asked.

"Not exactly," Destiny responded. "Logan's taking part in the Magical World Grand Prix. It's a racing contest."

"Oh yeah, I heard about that," Orange said with a nod. "Too bad I can't watch it because of work. How long has it started?"

"We just finished the third race," Logan answered. "Don't know how many there are, though."

"And are you winning?"

"I'm currently in the bottom three."

"Oh... Don't worry, I'm sure that you can turn things around by going all out." The sound of a throat getting cleared caught Orange's attention and made him realize a line started forming behind his two friends while they were talking. "Sorry, guys, but I'm gonna have to ask you to command now. I'll come to chat with you once my shift is over."

Logan and Destiny passed their command that Orange finished within minutes before delivering it at their table. Both the human and whale shark could mutually agree on the fact that it was possibly one of the best drinks their throats ever tasted. "You should've seen when we were students in Disney's artist program; Orange always insisted on making drinks for us while we were studying or doing projects. We never had to go to restaurants so much they were good!"

"I won't say otherwise," Destiny commented as she happily took sips of her Beach Breeze. "Too bad we don't have any cook nor food like this in the ocean," she added before taking a bite of a juicy watermelon.

While the two of them were enjoying their snacks and drinks, the bar's door suddenly opened and in walked a character that caught their attention. A chubby, little man with a white chef attire and a red chef hat. He gave a deep analyzing look all around the restaurant before walking past the line of customers with an air of superiority, which annoyed them all.

"Who's that guy?" Destiny asked with a frown at his attitude.

Logan gave him a good look before widening his eyes. "Wait a minute! I know him; he's the Cast-Iron Chef from the Rocketeer TV show! What the heck's he doing here?"

The Cast-Iron Chef cut through the line and made it to the counter. "Excuse me, my good sir, I wish to talk with the owner of this juice bar," he requested to Orange.

"The owner? That would be me," Orange responded with crossing his arms.

"Is that so? You seem a bit young to run a juice bar. Anyway, allow me to introduce myself; I am the Cast-Iron Chef, straight out of Hughesville, owner of one of the most important enterprises specializing in the cooking department of the Magical World." He handed a piece of paper to Orange that contained all the information he provided as proof. "I wish to acquire this juice bar alongside every recipe it created and add them to my chain of properties. Just give me your price, and I'll give you the money right here, right now," he said with taking out a bank check and a pen.

Orange took a moment to read the entire information paper before giving it back to its owner. "Sorry, but this juice bar isn't for sale."

"What?!" The Cast-Iron Chef seemed beyond shocked. "F-Forgive me, I must've misheard, but I think I heard you saying you didn't want to sell your juice bar, young sir."

"You heard correctly," Orange confirmed.

The Cast-Iron Chef was even more taken aback. "B-But what are you talking about?! I'm offering you a fortune few cooks can ever dream of getting their hands on!"

"It's not a matter of money," Orange explained. "If I opened my own juice bar, it's because I want to develop my skills in the kitchen. You can't just get better by sittin' in a room and readin' books, y'know?"

The Cast-Iron Chef's face turned a bit red... but then returned to its normal color. He thought about something and grinned. "So you want to horn your skills, huh? In that case, would you be inclined to take on a little challenge?"

Orange's interest perked up at this. "A challenge? Sure. They're the best way to put your skills to the test. What is it?"

"I want you to serve me a drink that will send my palate to heaven. If you succeed, I will recognize your cooking strength and leave your juice bar at the instant. But if you fail, then you will give me your juice bar and all the recipes you have developed in it. What do you say?"

Everybody looked at Orange, who remained silent, thinking about this decision. Eventually, he leaned forward and gave a serious look to his customer (though no one could see it behind his glasses). "And what drink would make you happy today?"

The Cast-Iron Chef's grin widened even more. "I'd like to try the best strawberry drink your juice bar has to offer, please."

"A strawberry drink? That's it? You won't come back to this juice bar if I serve something that satisfies your expectations?" Orange launched a fist in the air, fire comically appearing around him. "ALRIGHT! THE CHALLENGE'S ON!"

As Orange quickly washed his hands and got his equipment ready for the challenge, the Cast-Iron Chef grinned and crossed his arms. "I gotta warn you, kid; I've been tasting all sorts of strawberry drinks, milkshakes and cocktails since the start of my career. You're gonna have to hit hard if you want to satisfy my tongue."

"You think we should interfere?" Destiny asked.

"Nah, just have faith in Orange. It's for that chef guy you should be worried," Logan nonchalantly responded.

Once everything was set, Orange took out the ingredients: one pound of fresh strawberries, a lime and some sugar. It was time to get to work! Orange started by blending the strawberries in a bowl, into which he then poured cold water. It created a sweet-looking bright pink water.

"That's an interesting beginning," the Cast-Iron Chef thought to himself. "An infused water lets fruit sit in water for one hour or more. Sliced strawberries, however, would disintegrate after one hour and wouldn't add much flavor. A good way to prove he's not an amateur."

After adding the one cup of cold water, Orange added lime juice and spoons of sugar to the mix, taking the occasional sip to make sure the taste remained sweet without getting tart. Eventually, the taste did get balanced, but Orange felt like something was missing. He decided to bring his recipe to the back of the shop, doing some work out of the customers' view. After many minutes, he returned and placed the result of his work on the counter.

"There it is!" he announced.

The Cast-Iron Chef analyzed the product. A glass filled with a beautiful pinkish-red liquid - the exact same color as strawberries. Many large pieces of ice were concealed within it, barely visible. Slices of strawberries, limes and some leaves were decorating the surface. Finally, a goblet straw was plunged into the liquid to suck it out.

"What's this?" Destiny asked.

"Allow me to answer that," Orange answered with a big grin. "This is a little wonder that everybody should drink during summertime as it's the perfect substitute for soda." He took a funnily stylized pose while pointing at the cup. "This is strawberry water!"

The Cast-Iron Chef looked at the cup and rubbed his chin. "Are you trying to make a mockery out of me?" He gave a serious look at Orange. "The strawberry water is one of the easiest drinks I know of!" He leaned closer to Orange. "Listen to me well, kid. The only chefs who can hope to find success in the Magical World are those who work in five-star restaurant or hotels - like August Gusteau! As a professional chief, I can tell you that a weak juice bar in the middle of nowhere like this isn't worthy of attention! If you have the slightest bit of intelligence, you will hand this juice bar to-"

SLAP!

Orange interrupted the Cast-Iron Chef's rambling by slapping his counter, a strong silence befalling the entire juice bar. Even through his black glasses, everybody could feel Orange's glare. "Stop insulting my juice bar and drink this, so we can find out if your claims are right or not."

The little chubby man gulped and grabbed the cup. He took a sip, savored the taste... and widened his eyes. "W-What is this?! The sweetness of the strawberries is invading my entire mouth and my throat is now cooler than winter air! It's like a sugar invasion!"

Orange chuckled a bit. "You seem like you're enjoying that..."

"B-But wait! I recognize the taste of strawberries, lime, sugar and cold water that you used... but there's more! What is it?"

The cook's grin widened. "You're right; to give a little surprise effect, I did add some secret ingredients in this mix. Those ingredients are maple syrup, honey, agave nectar, and coconut sugar... But there is one special ingredient that made the entire difference here. Here it is!"

As Orange pulled out the ingredient, the Cast-Iron Chef widened is eyes. "Is that... sparkling water?"

"Yup!" Orange confirmed with a nod, showing the bottle. "I know it's a bit ironic of me to use sparkling water, that has the same properties as soda, when I said earlier that strawberry water is a perfect substitute for soda, but while it is an awesome drink on its own, strawberry water's flavor has the problem of mellowing over time. Lucky for me, it just so happens that sparkling water has the properties to not only keep the flavors going on for an extended period of time, but also enhance them! A little secret for an underrated mix, in my opinion."

Orange leaned over the counter and near the Cast-Iron Chef with a grin. "So? Do you enjoy it or not?"

Everybody looked at the small, chubby man who trembled uncontrollably. His face turned red, and he groaned before finally sighing in defeat. "Alright, I admit it! It's delicious! As much as I want to deny it and win the challenge, I cannot lie when faced with something that is so enjoyable!"

"So? What do you have to say?" Logan asked from the other side of the restaurant with a grin.

The chubby man sighed. "Fine, I recognize your strength as a cook. I'm gonna leave your juice bar alone forever..."

"Awesome! Glad you liked the strawberry water!" Orange beamed with a sincere smile. "Leave the glass on a table once you're done with it; I'll pick it up."

The Cast-Iron Chef kept his words, drank his strawberry water in silence, and left once he was done. Orange pulled the glass in the sink before ending his shift and going to sit with Logan and Destiny.

"Ha, ha, ha! Well done, Orange!" Logan laughed. "You should meet my friends Ana and Berry; I'm sure you guys would get along."

"Really? Do they like cooking too?" Orange asked.

"Yup! They're masters in the art of pastries," Logan confirmed.

For many minutes, the three friends just chatted and had fun, talking about things like how Orange managed to land his juice bar. At one point, Logan placed his hands behind his head and looked up at the ceiling. "Y'know, Orange, after getting your job at Disney Studio, I would've expected you to stop cooking entirely so that you could focus on your job full time."

"Honestly, I thought about that too," Orange confirmed with a chuckle. "However, as much an honor as it is to work for Disney... deep inside, I always knew that cooking is my real passion. It might not be known a lot, but cooking is a very important business in the Magical World. Every day, people are giving it their all in the kitchen to have the right to call themselves the best cooks in the world. Not only that, but other people are venturing across every world in search of rare ingredients and trying to create new dishes. I know that this is where lies my dream. I, too, want to find ingredients said to be the stuff of legends, create dishes and drinks that can send someone's mouth to heaven, and become a great cook on the same level as Remy and Gordon Ramsay."

Logan listened to his friend's speech with a deep, attentive look. Once he was done, his gaze once again dropped to the floor. He stood up from his chair. "Excuse me, I have to use the restroom for a bit."

As the young boy walked away from the table, Orange looked at Destiny. "Logan's one heck of a dude. I hope living with him isn't too hard?"

Destiny giggled a bit. "It has its moments, but overall, I really enjoy it and wouldn't want to live any other way."

With a chuckle, Orange nodded. He remained silent for a few seconds, his smile fading away, before talking again: "Tell me, Destiny, how's he been doin' ever since... Well, you-know-what happened?"

The whale shark stopped smiling too. "Quite frankly, he hasn't been taking it well at all, Orange. The experience has left a big mark on him. His friends and I have done everything we could to soften the pain, but I know it's still there - I can sense it. Back in the Sorcerer's Tournament, Logan just wanted to give his best and have fun with his friends, but it's not the same with the Magical World Grand Prix. He's always brooding, acting hostile towards one of the participants, and honestly, I feel like he's not having any fun at all."

Hearing this, Orange frowned. "Man, that sounds bad."

"There's something I want to ask you, Orange. Why did you never look on Logan after what happened at your school? I know that what he did was wrong, but weren't you worried even one bit about your friend?"

Orange rested his cheek on his hand and looked sideways. "I don't know... Guess it's because I was really disappointed by what he did, and I thought he needed time and space to put some order in his life..." He looked back at Destiny with some hope. "However, I'm glad he succeeded at that. He found the love of his life, made new friends, including the Dream Keeper, whom he helped defeat Hex, and has a job in the sport he loves so much. It's cool to know he managed to turn his life around."

"I wouldn't say that's entirely true, Orange. One night, Logan and I adventured in the ocean and were getting to sleep at the surface. During that time, we calmly talked about many things, but at one point, the conversation turned to dreams. I remember everything: Logan told me that everybody dreams of greatness at one point or another - they all have larger than life goals they want to reach. That's why he loves the Magical World so much; because it's the one place where all these can come true."

"In his case, he said that he considers himself above the average dreamer; he's creative, good at his art, knows how to fight with a sword, is brave enough to face monsters, and is animated by a strong fire." Destiny looked down. "However, he said that in spite of these skills, he's not an elite in any department. He also said, after his fight with Drake, that he isn't pure of heart like Gabriel and Rachel. According to him, the crime he committed against his art means he has lost all of his chances to reach greatness. So, when he came to the Magical World, he decided he would just try to have as much fun as he could, make friends who could actually reach their dreams, and do everything he can to help them. Basically, he has given up on any grand ambition in favor of a more lighthearted life."

Orange remained silent for many seconds before rubbing the back of his head. "That's... a big decision to take..."

"Yeah... But here's the thing; deep down, I think Logan's not happy with this decision. It's like he still has a big dream to reach, something beyond having fun and teaching pro wrestling, but doesn't know where it is. That's so infuriating. I want to help him find it, but I don't know how..."

A long silence once again fell between the yellow-skinned man and the whale shark. Before another thing could be said, Logan returned from the restroom. "Alright, it was fun seeing you again, Orange, but we need to go now; the fourth race is for soon, and we need to get ready. You coming, Destiny?"

"Logan, wait," Orange stopped them before the couple could leave. He handed a little piece of paper to the young man. "Take this."

"What is it?"

"A sponsor sticker to put on your cart. If your racing competition is such a big deal, then it could help to get some much-needed attention to my juice bar. More clients, happier dude, y'know?" Orange explained with a chuckle.

"Okay, sure, I'll put it on the Gracious Bird before the next race," Logan nodded, pulling the little sticker in his pocket. "Bye, Orange. Take care!"

"You too! Oh, and Logan?"

"Yeah?"

Orange gave his signature grin while adjusting his glasses. "I'm sure you're going to find your dream here, in the Magical World..."

Author's note: My original idea was to wait for TheDragonSaver to finish his story 'Magical World Grand Prix' before publishing another chapter on this story, as I didn't want to add elements that would mess with his plans. However, I have so many ideas that I needed to get at least one out. So, I told myself: "If not a chapter before or after the grand prix, then how about one during it?"

Even though not on the same level as movies and video games, cooking is an art that has always fascinated me. I knew that I wanted at least one character in this story to be a cook, and it turned out to be Orange. Good to know that at least one of Logan's friends still wants what's best for him, right?

The last race of the Magical World Grand Prix took place in 'Bluey', a Disney junior show. I decided to follow TheDragonSaver's example and have a bad guy from a Disney Junior show serve as the antagonist for this chapter. The Iron-Cast Chef is a character from the Rocketeer show that is based on the famous superhero movie of the same name.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you have any idea, don't hesitate to suggest them to me; I'm always open to ideas.