After his little adventure with the McDuck family, Logan decided to take it easy and have fun with his beloved Destiny. They ventured to Magic Kingdom - Fantasyland, to be more precise. From there, they reached the city of Nottingham, where they heard a grand festival was scheduled to take place. And, indeed, upon arriving, they found an open area just outside the city where tents and stands were set up, members of Disney royalty, nobility, and commoners going all around to have fun.

"This place reminds me of California Adventure," Destiny remarked as they arrived at the festival. The people had the kindness to move aside and let the whale shark pass through. "Do you think we're gonna meet members of the Toy Story gang?"

"That would be nice." Logan had bandages wrapped around his torso, shoulders, and hands as his last adventure left him with an aching pain in all these spots. "There's a lot of people here today. We're probably gonna meet a lot of people - maybe even friends we haven't seen in a long time. Speaking of which."

The young couple met a duo of foxes, one of them wearing a green tunic and hat, the other wearing an elegant pink and purple robe. "Robin Hood! Maid Marian!" Destiny exclaimed, recognizing the two vixens.

"You look familiar," Robin Hood remarked as he gave an analyzing look at the human and whale. "Aren't you friends of Gabriel's?"

"Yeah, I'm Logan, and this is Destiny," Logan made the introductions. He turned toward the female vixen. "Don't you remember us, Maid Marian? We teamed up with all the others, when Hex attacked the Magical World."

"Oh yes, I replace you now," Maid Marian said. "You were that young boy who took part in a wrestling match, right?"

"Exactly," Logan confirmed.

"That's also when we officially became a couple," Destiny pointed out, kissing her boyfriend on the cheek, which turned an adorable red.

"You don't exactly look at the top of your game, son. Did you hurt yourself?" Robin Hood asked, taking notice of Logan's bandages.

"Let's just say I've been swinging my sword around a bit too much..."

"Oh, okay. Now, not to be rude, but Maid Marian and I are expected by Queen Rapunzel and Prince Flynn, so we're gonna have to excuse ourselves," Robin explained.

"It's alright, see ya later," Logan called and watched the two foxes leaving before looking back at his girlfriend. "So? What do you wanna do first, Destiny?"

"I always wanted to go on one of these big wheels!" the whale enthusiastically answered.

Logan and Destiny went to take a ride on the festival's big wheel, Destiny having to take on her human form to fit inside the cabin. When they arrived at the top of the wheel, they could see the entirety of Nottingham. "It's nice to see the city in all its glory for once," Logan remarked while admiring the view outside the cabin.

"Why? It's usually not that beautiful?" Destiny asked.

"Well, let's just say the city wasn't at its best and even suffered a lot under the rule of Prince John."

After the turn on the big wheel ended, the young couple went to try the various foods from different countries. Destiny particularly enjoyed all the seafood that were offered at the numerous stands across the festival. Logan then decided to give a go to the games as he wanted to win a big plushie for his beloved whale. He attempted to win an archery contest, but failed miserably. The next game he wanted to try was Ring the Bell, but his aching hands and shoulders didn't allow him to participate. He tried tossing a ring on a bottle, and once again failed miserably.

Refusing to give up, the young Dream Defender took part in a watergun game with a big Dumbo plushie on the line. Destiny secretly used her Water Magic to make sure Logan's water kept going into the hole until the balloon popped up, making him win the game and the plushie. The reason was that she didn't want her boyfriend to hurt himself for her... and also that the Dumbo plushie looked adorable.

"Thanks for the plushie, Logan," Destiny gratefully said whilst clutching her new stuffed elephant.

"Hey, anything for the most adorable whale in the entire Magic World," Logan responded, affectionately kissing his girlfriend on the cheek. "Alright, let's go try the rides now... The soft ones, of course... Hey, is it me, or did the temperature drop all of a sudden?" he asked, rubbing his arms as steam started coming out of his mouth.

"It's true; I can feel it too," Destiny said with perking her head. The atmosphere did indeed get colder, the sky getting darker and snow even starting to fall... in the middle of summer! A portal of smoke opened in the middle of the festival grounds, causing everybody to turn in its direction, giant figures stepping out of it. They looked like humans, but much taller and muscular, with ice-blue skin and bright red eyes.

"Wait a minute, I know these guys!" Logan exclaimed. "They're Frost Giants!

"Like in Thor's movies?" Destiny asked.

"Yeah, exactly. But what are they doing here?"

One of the Frost Giant stepped forward, carrying a big axe. "People of Earth!" he thundered with a booming voice. "My name is Thjazi of Jotunheim! I have come to claim this city as the new residence for my people! Bow down before me!"

Robin Hood stepped forward, taking out his bow. "But you can't do that! Nottingham is under protection from Asgard!"

"Asgard no longer exist, fox," Thjazi countered, pointing his weapon at Robin. "My people have been suffering for years because of the actions of Thor Odinson and his brother, Loki. I will not sit down whilst my species is slowly driven to extinction. So bow down before me, or die!"

Logan frowned as everybody started running away from the invading aliens. "Seems like these guys aren't open to negotiation. We're gonna have to send them away before they start a new ice age!" He lifted one arm to summon his Fenrir Keyblade, only to stop himself when the aching pain shot through his arm, all the way up to his shoulder.

"No, Logan; you're in no state to fight," Destiny stopped her boyfriend, handing him her Dumbo plushie. "Let Robin and I take care of this."

The battle started with Robin Hood jumping everywhere whilst shooting arrows at the Frost Giants, but it had little to no effect on them. Destiny quickly joined in by delivering a swing of her tail to send three of them flying back. She followed up with her Water Magic, but Thjazi and his followers easily countered it by turning her water into ice, nullifying its effects.

"You refuse to bow down? Very well, then, I will simply freeze this city and all of you with it!" Thjazi opened his mouth and shot a breath of ice that knocked Destiny and Robin Hood back, leaving them with some frost on their skin and fur. He jumped up, his axe raised to strike... when a fireball hit him from out of nowhere, knocking him away from the two animals. "Who dares?!"

"I do!"

Logan, Destiny, and Robin Hood turned around to see their savior stepping forward. A beautiful anthropomorphic wolfess with fur as white as snow and two golden eyes that glowed like the sun. She was wearing a knight's armor in the form of a silver chest plate designed for females, pauldrons on her shoulders, vambraces that covered her forearms, but left her biceps and paws exposed, a metal skirt that covered her thighs, and metal boots that reached her knees. This attire left her stomach exposed, alongside the red sun tattoo around her belly button. In addition to this tattoo, she also had red markings around her eyes. A hole at the back of her skirt allowed her fluffy tail to move around, and a longsword was strapped to her hip.

"May I know who you are to raise your hand against me, Earthling?" Thjazi demanded.

The wolfess brandished her longsword whilst glaring at the Frost Giant. "I am the light in the darkness. The sword to vanquish evil. The shield to protect the innocent. The fire to repel the cold and a humble servant of the solar will. I am Sunny the Sun Knight!"

A few seconds of silence passed before Thjazi smirked. "Very well, Sunny the Sun Knight, you seem like a courageous warrior. Therefore, I will grant you the honor of dying in combat by my axe!"

Sunny did not respond, simply giving a focused glare at the Frost Giant. This last one decided to attack first, charging and swinging his battle axe. The wolfess expertly parried and ducked all the attacks, demonstrating her advanced experience. Only one detail was bothering the onlookers; every time she parried, some frost would form on the surface of her longsword, probably making it more fragile with every hit.

She likely took notice of that detail as she used her powerful wolf legs to jump away and ran her paw over the blade of her sword whilst mumbling words in a foreign language. Suddenly, the longsword's blade burst in flames, melting away all the frost. "W-What is this sorcery?!" Thjazi asked, visibly shocked to see an Earthling summoning fire with ease.

This time, Sunny took the offense, swinging her burning longsword at Thjazi and forcing him to step back. After breaking through his defense, the wolfess actually landed a slash across the giant's torso, making him groan and pain and collapse on his back. She kicked the battle axe away and pointed her weapon at him.

"Leave this world and never return! Otherwise, I will make sure to turn you into a river!" Sunny warned with the most serious glare she could give.

Thjazi recognized his defeat and clutched his wound as he returned to his world alongside his fellow warriors. Sunny pushed a sigh and turned her flaming sword off before pulling it back in its scabbard. Logan, Destiny, and Robin Hood approached her afterwards. "That was amazing!" the whale shark exclaimed with an impressed expression.

"Is anybody hurt?" the wolfess asked.

"No, don't worry; you arrived in time before that frozen goliath could cause any damage," Logan assured. "I would've given you a hand back there, but I'm not really at the top of my game right now. Hey, wanna join us for a little snack to celebrate your heroic intervention?"

"I seek no reward," Sunny assured.

"Come on, say yes, it's gonna be fun!" Logan insisted.

Sunny remained silent for a moment before giving her response: "I would be happy to join you."

Excusing themselves from the festival, Logan and Destiny brought their new friend to the Pinocchio Village Haus restaurant, the knight receiving thanks and words of praise from everybody on their way out. Once seated in the tavern-like restaurant, Logan displayed his huge appetite by commanding an All-Meat Flatbread, 1971 Meal, breadsticks, and tomato basil soup with some chocolate milk. Destiny simply took some pepperoni flatbread, whilst Sunny went for a Caesar salad.

The two girls just stared in silence as their human friend swallowed his meal like he hadn't eaten in days. Upon taking notice of the stares, Logan stopped eating, swallowed his bite, and asked: "What? Is there something on my face?"

"... Your appetite is borderline supernatural, young man," Sunny remarked with rubbing the back of her head, whilst Destiny simply giggled in amusement. "So, you guys said you were... Dream Defenders, right?"

"Yup!" Destiny confirmed before taking a bite of her flatbread. "We and our friends are here to help people across the entire Magical World. But that's a long story..."

The wolfess placed her paws behind her head and one leg over the other, getting in a comfortable position. "I'm in no hurry. And I like a good story. So go ahead."

"Alright!" Logan took one sip from his chocolate milk before beginning: "You see, everything started a few years ago, when one of our friends, Gabriel, came to the Magical World and was appointed by Master Yen Sid himself as the Dream Keeper-" From this point on, Logan explained everything to his wolf friend - from the start of Gabriel's adventures, to the first time he and his friends teamed up at the House of Mouse, to the Sorcerer's Arena Tournament, to how they all saved the Magical World from Hex, to his personal adventures, to what his friends individually accomplished, to the Magical World Grand Prix. "... and that's everything we did," he concluded. "At least, until today. Do you wanna know what we did today?"

"I think we've talked enough about our group, Logan," Destiny politely interrupted her boyfriend. "I'm certain Sunny is dying to tell us about herself. You were pretty good with that sword back there. And from what you did, you seem to have Fire Magic too?"

Sunny chuckled a bit. "Not exactly. See, before beginning my journey in the Magical World, I made a special oath that granted me a set of magical spells."

"An oath? Wait a minute, how do we call those warriors who make oaths to gain special skills?" Logan asked, rubbing the sides of his head. "What was it... Come on..."

"Paladins. We are called Paladins," Sunny gave the answer to the young boy. "And as you said, after getting strong enough, a Paladin can swear an oath that grants him - or in my case, her - access to a bind called the 'Channel Divinity' feature. Once sworn to an oath, you are bound to it as a Paladin forever. There's a wide variety of oaths that can be taken: the Oath of Ancients, the Oath of Devotion, the Oath of Crown - or on a more negative side, the Oath of Redemption, the Oath of Vengeance, or the Oath of Oathbreaker. As for me, I selected a pretty peculiar oath."

"Really? Which one?" Logan asked.

"The Oath of Sunlight; I pledged my faith and services to the Sun and all the good things it brings upon our world. In exchange, the Sun offers me a large catalog of spells and other magic tricks, most of them centered around the element of fire... like this." Sunny lifted one paw, and a fireball appeared. She then bounced the fireball between her fingers. "I've been using all of this to travel across the Magical World and help as many people as I could..." She heard a snicker and realized it came from Logan. "What's funny?"

"Oh, nothing, it's just... You remind me of the two friends I made when I arrived here," Logan answered with a nostalgic smile. "One of them was a swordsman looking to help many guys around here, while the other also had fire-related powers. Rachel and Alison, remember about them?"

"Yes, I do. Are they still around here?"

"Well, Rachel must still be training her Swordmage skills as we speak. As for Alison... Come to think of it, I haven't seen her in a long time. I don't know what happened to her since the whole House of Mouse incident," Logan admitted with rubbing his chin. "Anyway, what's your story, Sunny? I'd like to know what brought you here, in the Magical World, and everything you did during your time here."

"Do you want the short or long version?"

"Let's go with the long one; Destiny and I are in no hurry," Logan answered, Destiny nodding in agreement.

"Very well then. Back in the Real World, I was what you could call a 'hardcore gamer', someone obsessed by the wonders provided by any world created in the digital. Everybody has a favorite type of game - for some, it's the sense of adventure and freedom in open world games, for others, the intellectual stimulation of puzzle games, and for others, the adrenaline rush found in fighting games. As far as I can remember, the one thing that always brought me back to video games is the fascination I feel against the unknown and all the challenges that come with it."

"As a kid, I wasn't like the other girls in my town; I had no interest in boys or makeup. My interest instead laid into pop culture and media such as movies and video games. Unfortunately, my parents didn't have the money to buy me much of any. However, I did have a neighbor whose father was always gone in business trips. To apologize for his long absences, he bought his son every console, game, movie, and board game you could think of. This same neighbor would often invite me and other kids on the block to come over and spend time with him."

"I lost the count of time we spent on his NES playing Ghosts n' Goblins, watching sword and sorcery movies like Excalibur, or seated around a table to play endless campaigns of D&D. During that time, everybody's favorite Disney movie was either Mulan or Hercules; for me, it was The Black Cauldron. All of this is certainly what developed my love for anything related to the fantasy genre, whether it be sword and sorcery, dark fantasy, and pretty much anything with knights and princesses in it."

"But even more importantly, Ghosts n' Goblins created some sort of dependence within me when I didn't even realize it. The need to find a certain level of difficulty within every activity I do. I don't know if you ever heard of it, but Ghosts n' Goblins is a game known for its high level of difficulty, even by today's standards, it's a feat to pass the first level, let alone beating it. Playing a game like this at such a young age does leave a mark on you. After that, it just wasn't the same trying to beat games that were too easy - they didn't provide me with the same satisfaction, something was missing. One of my friends once joked that I wanted to 'find the pleasure in the struggle'."

"That make sense; the harder the challenge, the bigger the reward," Logan pointed out with a nod.

"Exactly. As with everybody else, my friends and I had to grow up and start figuring out our lives, so we slowly got to see less of each other, eventually stopping playing together entirely. I spent my entire time focusing on my studies and didn't get to play another game until one fateful day. After buying myself a Playstation 2, I booted up the one video game that would change my life forever: Shadow of the Colossus."

"OH MY GOD!" Logan suddenly exclaimed, causing Destiny to jump in surprise. "You know Shadow of the Colossus, too?! It's one of my most favorite games ever!"

"Really? It's also one of mine!" Sunny declared, smiling at the one point she found in common with the young man. "Which Colossi is your favorite?"

"The third; it just feels like gladiator combat with more epic proportions!" Logan responded. "What about you?"

"The fifteenth; I always get a good adrenaline rush from the initial chase sequence at the start," the wolfess replied with a smile. A giggling sound interrupted the conversation, the two friends turning to see Destiny amused at how they were sharing their love for a video game.

Logan cleared his throat. "Anyway, where were you going with that, Sunny?"

"Hum, wait... Oh, right! Playing Shadow of the Colossus reanimated my love of the fantasy genre, whilst also awakening my love for adventure. I spent months of free time strolling across the vast landscape of the Forbidden Lands, my encounters with the larger than life Colossi making me feel more alive than anything at school ever could. Then, a few years later, I played one ultimate game that made me take the decision of a lifetime. The one game that combined the difficulty of Ghosts n' Goblins, the sense of grandiose of Shadow of the Colossus, the RPG elements of Dungeons & Dragons, and the dark atmosphere of The Black Cauldron. You know what game I'm talking about, Logan?"

The young man's eyes once again widened. "You don't mean...?!"

"Yes," Sunny confirmed with a grin. "This game was Dark Souls, one of the greatest video games, period! It had absolutely everything I wanted: difficulty, fantasy, an amazing sense of wonder - I was like a kid at an amusement park."

"That's fantastic, Sunny. But what does this have to do with you coming here?" Destiny questioned.

"I was coming to it. See, I reached a point in the game that I could not get through, no matter how hard I tried. I was seriously considering stopping the game there for good, when another player invited himself to my game. He not only helped me to defeat the monster blocking my way, but even gave me a powerful weapon to move forward, as well as sharing many useful tricks I wasn't aware you could do in the game with me." She chuckled. "A gesture I never forgot; if that guy hadn't been there to help me, I probably would have never made it past that point in the game. I will forever be grateful to him."

"You could have gone online to search for tips and tricks too, you know," Logan remarked.

Sunny looked at him like he just insulted her. "Searching for solutions online?! Are you kidding?! That's only for cowards who are too afraid of taking on a challenge... Or those who don't have the time to get invested into every aspect of a game. Anyway, no cheating for me! The gesture this guy made made me realize that there are other people who are incapable of getting past certain points in life, and that I am not the only one. These people need help from toughies like me to keep going forward. That's the reason I made the ultimate decision of coming to the Magical World; so that I could live my sword and sorcery fantasies whilst also helping those who need a paw."

"Really? You didn't wanna go work for one of the companies making those games you like so much?" Logan asked.

"Nah; that's too much paperwork for me. Plus, I also had an unconditional love for everything Disney, not only because of movies like The Black Cauldron, but also because I played one of the hardest games on the NES that also happened to be based on a Disney property; The Lion King."

"Grr, I know what you're talking about," Logan mumbled, terrible memories of his childhood re-surfacing.

"When I got older, I submitted a demand for the Imagineer program, and actually got accepted. After getting turned into a wolfess and being given both an armor and a sword, I left to begin my journey across the Magical World."

"Why did you want to become a wolf?" Destiny wondered.

"Because the wolf happens to my favorite animal... Plus, I do look good like that, don't you think?" she asked with taking a pose and giving a little wink. This caused Logan to blush and Destiny to give her a little glare. The wolfess giggled a bit. "Sorry, bad joke. Many teachers wanted to take me as a pupil, but I chose to simply get my transformation and equipment and then set out on my adventure."

"W-Without accepting any formation?" Logan asked with a surprised expression. "But, Sunny, there are plenty of people out there who would give anything to be formed here, in the Magical World! With the teachings of someone like Raya or Mulan, you could've become an important figure, like Gabriel!"

"Maybe, but I didn't come here seeking fame and rewards; I came to struggle and to help," Sunny clarified. "When I arrived, a lot of Imagineers expressed their fears and worries at the importance of the tasks ahead of them. Personally, I think it's always better to take on a challenge when you're not very good at it. That way, every step taken, every trick learned, and every obstacle overcame will make you feel like you scored a victory against destiny. All the Imagineers are excited to go into the shiny parts of the Magical World and listen to their favorite songs; I prefer hanging around the darker, less frequented parts of this world while hearing nothing but the sound of my footsteps. I don't need a home, either; just give me a bonfire with some food, and I'll feel completely comfortable."

"This is quite an admirable philosophy, Sunny. Don't you agree, Logan? Logan?" When her boyfriend didn't respond, Destiny looked at him to see he was staring at the wolfess with a deep, thoughtful look.

Sunny got up from the table. "I thank you both for the meal; it was delicious. I will be going now, if you don't mind. Oh, but before I go, take this." She handed both Logan and Destiny a golden medallion that had a sun marked over it.

"What's this?" Destiny asked.

"Those are Sun Medallions; if you ever get in trouble and need help, use them to call me. I'll come to your help if I can. See you one of these days." Giving a polite bow, she headed toward the restaurant's exit, her fluffy tail elegantly swinging behind her.

Whilst she did so, Logan couldn't help but alternately stare at her and at his Sun Medallion. "For most of my time here, I've been voluntarily holding myself back and avoiding taking on challenges because I was afraid of hardships... But this girl, she not only isn't afraid of facing difficulty, she even straight up reach for it... Is it really possible to adopt such a mentality state?"

Author's note: All of you, give a nice welcome to our new friend for this story, Sunny the Sun Knight! She's an OC created by my friend, SolitaryGrayWolf, with some liberties taken for her characterization. Her fighting style is based on the paladin class from Dungeons & Dragons (can't say I remember which edition though) while her fire abilities are slightly inspired by the pyro master class from the Dark Souls franchise.

What Logan said about the various video games throughout his conversation reflect my personal tastes. For example, Shadow of the Colossus from Team ICO truly is one of my most favorite video games ever made. I remember the time I would spend hours a day just wandering around the Forbidden Lands, fighting the giants and exploring the lush landscapes without a care in the world. *sigh* What wouldn't I give to be a kid again...

'Thjazi' is the name of a Frost Giant from Norse Mythology. I don't remember his whole story, but apparently, he could turn into a falcon. I decided to have Frost Giants as the antagonist for this chapter, as I felt like they have been mostly forgotten for quite some time now. Hopefully, the new Thor movie will bring them back into the spotlight. I also chose them because they have the element of ice, which is the opposite of Sunny's fire powers - a good mix, wouldn't you say?

Next time: Logan and Destiny make new friends in the jungles of India.