With Destiny gone to spend some girls time with Jasiri, Logan ventured to the Mysterious Tower so he could receive some Keyblade training. At the moment, the young man was taking down simulation Heartless with his Fenrir Keyblade under the watchful eyes of Master Yen Sid and fellow Keyblade Master Riku. The ancient wizard was sitting in a chair, whilst the younger master rested against a pillar with his arms crossed.
"Yah!" Logan exclaimed as he slayed the final Heartless, a Neoshadow. He caught his breath and turned to face his master, waiting to hear his verdict.
"Hmm," mumbled Yen Sid as he rubbed his beard. "I must say, I was expecting better from you, my young pupil."
"It almost looks like you haven't used a Keyblade in a long time, am I wrong?" Riku asked.
"It's true," Logan admitted, looking down at his Fenrir Keyblade. "To be completely honest with you, I rarely used my Keyblade in combat since I finished my training here and left with Destiny to protect the Magical World. I mostly relied on my Owl Buster sword, Magical Sketchbook, and pro wrestling techniques."
"Really? You spent months here learning how to use a Keyblade, and when the time comes, you use everything in your arsenal except it?" Riku asked in disbelief, placing his fists on his hips.
Logan shrugged. "What can I say? I just feel more at ease with a heavy sword, my arms, or my pencil and paper."
"Logan," Master Yen Sid said, standing up from his chair, "you will never learn anything new if you never step outside your comfort zone. Before becoming the Dream Keeper, Gabriel had to study every single aspect of Fantasia, and put his knowledge through many difficult tests to be ready. Even then, he studied many other forms of magic beyond Fantasia, a habit he keeps practicing even to this day. Magic isn't limited to your capacities; it is an endless wasteland that must be analyzed as much as you can."
Following this inspiring speech, Logan scratched the side of his head. "What are you trying to say, Master?"
"From today on, I want you to use your Keyblade as your primary weapon whenever you face Heartless or enemies of all kinds. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Master," Logan nodded, bowing respectfully to the wizard.
"Yo, Logan!" The young Dream Defender jumped and turned around to see a red-haired man with bright emerald eyes wearing a black coat. He was casually sitting in the frame of an open window. "Am I catching you at a bad time?"
"Axel? What are you doing here?" Logan asked.
"First, it's Lea. Second, I was just taking a little stroll around, enjoying the fresh air in the middle of nowhere, admiring the sky, listening to you getting lectured by your two masters," the red-haired man nonchalantly responded with flipping down in the room. "Y'know, the usual. I couldn't help but feel slightly intrigued by what I heard. You've been slacking in your Keyblade training, haven't ya?"
"Huh, slacking might be a big word... but yeah, kinda," Logan nodded with rubbing the back of his head.
Lea got into his face with an almost serious expression. "Are you not happy being a Keyblade Wielder, Lo-Lo?"
"T-That's not it! Not at all!" Logan defended himself. "Kingdom Hearts is one of my most favorite Disney properties; I'm truly honored to wield a Keyblade like you, Riku and Sora!"
At this reaction, Lea chuckled out loud, poking Logan on the forehead. "Relax; I was just messing around. True to be told, Keyblade wielding is also relatively new to me, as I received mine very recently. How about we deepen our knowledge on the matter together?"
"What do you mean?" Logan asked.
Instead of responding, Lea turned toward Master Yen Sid and pointed at Logan. "Master, is it okay with you if he and I had a little duel? I'd like to see what he's capable of."
"This is not a bad idea," the wizard recognized. "A duel would help Logan getting back in the use of Keyblade whilst also allowing you to learn new tricks, Lea."
"Alright!" Lea stepped to the other end of the room and summoned his Keyblade, Flame Liberator. "I'll try to go easy on you, Lo-Lo. Don't want you to cry, do we?"
Logan scoffed at this and took his fighting stance with his Fenrir Keyblade. "You're the one who'll be crying once I'm done with you."
The fight began with Lea fire-teleporting himself behind Logan, going for a swing the young boy easily parried. He launched a combo of three swings in retaliation, which Lea avoided by backflipping three times. Lea then summoned one of his Eternal Flames chakrams that he set on fire and tossed straight into Logan's shoulder for soft damage.
"Aww, did I burn the poor little boy?" Lea teasingly cooed at Logan.
"Are you kidding? I barely felt anything!" the young boy replied with a smirk, eager to continue the match.
When Lea charged forward and shot a Fire spell at him, Logan ducked and performed a Sliding Dash to knock him off his feet, leading him to land on his face. Groaning, Lea kicked up to his feet and summoned his two Eternal Flames chakrams, tossing them at the same time. Not about to fall for the same trick twice, Logan deflected the burning items before fighting back with a Blizzard spell that hit Lea and knocked him hard to the ground.
"Oh, yeah, I forgot; ice's your elemental weakness, isn't it?" Logan asked, resting his Keyblade on his shoulder with a grin.
"Great, Lea's cockiness is rubbing off Logan now," Riku mumbled to himself.
Recovering from the hit, Lea charged forward and clashed Flame Liberator against Logan's Fenrir, the two engaging in a sword fight. Despite both being newcomers in the mastery of Keyblade, Lea was clearly the most experienced of the two, winning the encounter by disarming Logan and kicking him away. Just as the young boy got back to his feet, Lea fire-teleported next to him and started glowing with fire energy.
"Fire Wall!" The burning wall knocked Logan away, making him groan in pain. "The story is about to end with a total victory for Master Lea!" he chuckled, moving forward to deliver the finishing blow.
Logan, however, was not about to just accept defeat. Planting his Fenrir Keyblade into the floor, he used it as a hold to perform a rotation and deliver a strong kick across Lea's face, pushing him back. Both men charged once more, ready to clash their Keyblades-
"Enough!" Master Yen Sid rose his hand, making the two fighters freeze on the spot. "This duel has gone on long enough. Extending it would not bring any good for any of you. What did you learn from this encounter, Logan?"
The young Keyblade Wielder stared at his Fenrir for a few seconds. "Well, my Fenrir Keyblade is heavy and strong - it allows me to deliver powerful strikes... However, the problem is that heavy weapons like Fenrir are designed to fight large crowds of enemies or ones that are big. It's much more difficult against fast enemies like Lea. I'm gonna have to learn to move faster..."
"Indeed," Riku agreed. "Had this been a Keyblade-exclusive duel, no doubt that Lea would've won. Good thing you had the initiative of using his ice weakness against him and also that rotation attack. It actually reminds me of something Sora did once during one of our duels. I'm sure you'll be able to learn a lot under Lea's teachings."
"Heard that?" Lea asked with a chuckle as he crossed his arms. "I'm the one who's supposed to teach you the art of Keyblade Wielding. This means you can call me 'teacher' now, Fluffy."
"Yeah, like I would...?!" Logan widened his eyes and glared at the red-haired man. "Hey, wait a sec! Where did you hear that nick... Of course!" he sighed with rubbing his face. "I'll give Aline a good scolding next time I see her..."
"Welp, my job here's done! See ya all later, friends!" Lea said with a wave of his hand and fire-teleported himself away.
Logan turned to face his two teachers. "Master Yen Sid, if this is all for today's training, may I leave now? I have a friend waiting for me in Epcot for a delivery."
"You may, young Logan. I have other things to do anyway," Yen Sid nodded and stood up from his chair, exiting the room. Riku was about to do the same, but Logan called him back.
"Wait, Riku, can you stay for a sec? There's something I want to tell you," Logan demanded.
The silver-haired man stopped walking and turned toward his student. "What is it?"
Logan nervously rubbed the back of his head and looked at the floor. "It's about something that happened during the Magical World Grand Prix... See, before the event, some element of my past returned to hurt me... Because of this, my heart got weakened... enough for a Heartless to jump on me and plunge my whole being into darkness..."
This revelation caused Riku to widen his eyes in shock. "You're serious?"
"Yeah, I'm afraid," Logan sadly confirmed. "Lucky for me, Gabriel and the others were there to pull me out of the dark and back into the light... But honestly, I don't think I've completely recovered. This darkness... I can still feel it somewhere within me. I know that out of all the Keyblade Wielders in the Magical World, you're the one who's had the most experience dealing with darkness. So... can you offer me some guidance on my situation?"
Riku remained silent for a few seconds, giving a deep look at his student. Then, he decided to approach him and place a hand on his shoulder. "You're right, Logan; there has been more darkness than light in my life. True to be told, I still have some of it in my heart right now... But with time, I understood that I managed to avoid fading completely to black thanks to a single reality..."
"W-Which one?" Logan asked.
Riku gave him a little smile. "My destiny may be darkness... but my friends are the dawn that guides me. And I'm sure it's also the case for you, Logan."
"Y-You really think so?"
"Yes. This darkness... I don't think we can completely get rid of it. But we can't let that fear stop us from advancing. Otherwise, we'll stay stuck in the same place forever... and end our lives with regrets." Riku removed his hand and started walking away. "Remember, Logan, never lose sight of your friends, for they are the light in the dark that will forever guide you..."
Logan didn't move for a moment, letting those words sink in his head. He then allowed a smile to form on his face. "Okay..."
With his Keyblade training done for the day, Logan traveled to Epcot and to the France Pavilion so that he could get his shirt back from Almyra. The peafowl lady did an impressive job; his shirt never looked this clean. While he was there, the young man decided to visit the Japan Pavilion as well, since he was fascinated by Japanese culture. The place looked like an ancient Imperial city, with musicians and samurai statues all around. Logan spotted Chihiro Ogino walking by and even Sisu flying in the skies.
After getting himself some snacks at the Mitsukoshi department store, Logan went to enjoy some tea at the Garden House before going to relax and watch little carps moving around in the water gardens. The peace was soon disturbed, however, by a nearby strong drumming sound. Turning his head, he spotted a mouse and a duck standing near one of the Buddhist temples and playing taiko drums. They were both females.
"Hey, it's Minnie Mouse and Daisy Duck!" he exclaimed in surprise. The two members of the Sensational Six were indeed wearing happi coats with hachimaki headbands, slamming bachi sticks over their respective drum. They were quite good at it. Logan decided to approach them. "Hey! Miss Daisy! Miss Minnie!"
"Oh, it's Logan," Minnie recognized the young Dream Defender and stopped playing. "What are you doing here?"
"Just taking some fresh air; I always wanted to visit the Japan section of World Showcase," Logan explained. "Since when are you girls playing the taiko drum?"
"For a long time," Daisy assured with a hand on her best friend's shoulder. "Minnie and I discovered them for the first time when the Japan Pavilion was created. We assisted a show that convinced us to try. Ever since, we come out here to play once in a while." The female duck then displayed a slightly unpleased expression with her arms crossed. "Mickey and Donald were supposed to join us to sing along, but they had more 'important' things to do. I bet they just preferred spending their day at the beach..."
"Do you want me to sing with you?" Logan offered. "I know a few Japanese songs that would be great with your drumming."
"Thank you, Logan, that's very kind of you," Minnie gratefully said. Logan mumbled the song he had in mind to his two friends, who nodded in agreement before going back to their taiko drums. The young man took position between the two of them before taking a deep breath and started singing.
(Chameleon by Kin Gnu - translated in English)
Logan:
I wish I could find you
Never seize your identity
I'm trapped in your labyrinth
It's a complete mystery
As Logan began singing, Minnie and Daisy gently slammed on their drums, getting the attention of bypassing guests and characters.
Your changing heart, your changing color
In a twinkling of an eye
And the sun goes in with sadness
Tell me what color you are
During the pause, Logan nodded at the two girls who performed a duo with their drums, making their little audience watch with interest.
The express train flashed through in front of me
Felt a cold wind coming through this lonely platform
I remembered how invisible you are
At last, in the calling screen, you look so different
From what you used to be
Logan cast the Aero spell around him, making the petals of a nearby cherry flower tree dance around him, going with the ambiance created by the song.
I ended up smiling
'Cause you beamed happily
Over and over, again and again, paint over
I fill the messed up sadness with white
While singing, Logan performed soft dancing moves, walking to his friends' side to pull his hands on their respective shoulder. They both smiled at him, controlling his dance moves with their taiko drums.
Even if I mess everything up with gloom
Colors fall in drops on the canvas
Tears have run and I got caught in a shower
Taking a break from singing, Logan allowed Daisy to sing the next part while he took her place on the drum.
Daisy:
You in my memory and you in the moment
You are who you are minutely
Giving off pretty colors
You are already dressed in another one
Daisy traded places with Minnie.
Minnie:
Over and over, again and again, paint over
With colors looking good on you now
It doesn't matter what color you are
I hope for you to know how I feel
Never reached to you, I know
Performing a flip, Logan once again took the front to sing, whilst Minnie returned to her drum. This time, all three performers sang together in unison.
Logan, Minnie & Daisy:
Putting into words, it will be just an act of bravado
When I can't be with you
I wish I could find you out, never match for you
I'm trapped in your labyrinth, it's a complete mystery
Your changing heart, your changing color
In a twinkling of an eye
And the sun goes in with sadness
Tell me what color you are
As the final notes were played, Logan used his Magical Sketchbook to summon little doves that flew all around in a poof, making the crowd cheer. The trio bowed respectfully as everybody started leaving.
"Bravo, Logan, bravo!" Daisy praised her human friend. "Glad to know there's more than just one good singer in your group."
Logan cutely blushed at this, rubbing his arm. "Thanks, Miss Daisy. I may not understand Japanese, but in a weird way, it's one of the things that make me enjoy their songs so much. The mystery and the fun of trying to make a sense of the song by yourself."
"Indeed. We're gonna take a break now; would you mind joining us for some tea?" Minnie offered.
"Not at all! It would be my pleasure!"
"Logan!"
The young Dream Defender turned around to see two familiar faces running his way. One of them was a black-haired teenager with a Mediterranean complexion wearing a comfortable white tuck in shirt featuring short sleeves with short roll-up cuffs and a pointed style collar, light blue shorts with a leather-brown belt around his waist, dark brown boat shoes with white socks, and black square frame glasses. The other was a creature that resembled a white bipedal stag with white feathered wings and cleft hooves as his feet. He wore a black suit with golden trims and elbow-length gloves of the same design.
"Hey, Silver, Staghart! What's up, guys?" Logan asked, happy to see his friends again after so long. However, he noticed a bothering detail. "I might be wrong, but you guys seem in a hurry. Is there a problem?"
"You can say that again!" Silver confirmed. "We just come out of King Stefan's castle; it's a real mess!"
"Why? Did something happen to King Stefan or Princess Aurora?" Logan asked.
"Princess Aurora has been kidnapped," Staghart informed the young Keyblade Wielder. "We've been looking everywhere in the country, but the kidnapper didn't leave any trace. The only clue we got is this." Reaching into his pocket, the Gargoyle pulled out a white, dirty feather. "It was in the princess' bedroom."
Logan took the item. "Weird; Princess Aurora doesn't have many avian enemies that I know of..." Upon further analyzing the feather, Logan gasped and widened his eyes. "Wait a minute! I know that feather! Only one character under the Disney banner has feathers like this..."
"Really? Who?" Silver hurriedly asked.
Logan pulled the feather in his pocket and gave a serious look to his friends. "Silver, we need to move now; get your Magic Paintbrush ready to open a portal now!"
"Oh my, this is terrible," Minnie exclaimed. "Daisy and I are gonna return to Disney Castle and send two agents to help you."
Giving a nod, Logan told everybody about their destination. Silver used his Magical Paintbrush to open a portal, into which the trio wasted no time jumping. Meanwhile, Minnie and Daisy called a magical transport to reach Disney Castle as fast as possible.
Shortly after this event, a waitress was cleaning her counter inside a tea shop when a client stepped in. "Excuse-me," he politely said. The waitress turned around to see the newcomer. An anthropomorphic peregrine falcon with nut-brown feathers, a white underbelly, and golden-yellow talons and beak. His eyes, too, were of a beautiful hazel. His dress consisted of a black short-sleeved shirt, blue jeans, and red sneakers.
"Oh, hello, sir. What can I do for you?" the waitress asked.
The falcon reached into his pocket and pulled a picture showing a young man side-hugging Logan, when he was a teenager. "I'm looking for this guy. Have you seen him?"
Author's note: Princess Aurora's in trouble! It's up to Logan, Silver and Staghart to rescue her! I wanna give a shout-out to TheDragonSaver for suggesting a chapter where Logan practiced his Keyblade wielding. True to be told, I had so many ideas for this story that I kinda forgot about Logan becoming a Keyblade Wielder at the end of 'Saving the Disney Universe' with Sora, Riku, and Yen Sid serving as his teachers. I wanted to bring that element back into the light by having Logan make more use of Fenrir.
Minnie and Daisy playing taiko drums is an idea based on a Kidcot Card from Epcot's Japan Pavilion. This card claims the two love to play these instruments, and even comes with a drawing to prove it. While at it, I decided to make Logan perform a trio with them in the form of a Japanese song. It turned out to be 'Chameleon' by King Gnu.
Who's this mysterious falcon looking for Logan? I think one of my friends might already know the answer, but the rest of you will have to wait to find out.
Next time: Logan's team travel to South America in search for Princess Aurora.
