"Hello, everyone, my name is Logan Jindrak. You may know me as one of the Dream Defenders, guest heroes charged to protect the Magical World of Disney. I've always held an unconditional love for Disney and its sibling worlds: Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm, 20th Century Fox, etc. And that will never change... Yet, my curiosity can't help but wonder what it would be like to fulfill a similar role and live in other worlds akin to the Magical World. More precisely, how it would be like to live in the Epic Universe."
"The Epic Universe is where the creations of Universal come to life. If you wanna interact with reptilian creatures from the Jurassic Era, go on crazy car chases with Dominic Toretto's crew, lose yourself in the Wizarding World, get into all sorts of trouble with the Minions, learn how to train your dragon, become a Kung Fu master or even meet your favorite anime heroes, then the Epic Universe is the place to be. I actually got to pay a visit to this world with one of my closest friends once. As much fun as we had and even though I would've liked to see everything there is to see in the Epic Universe, it won't be possible because my heart belongs to the Magical World."
"Yet, there is a lucky one who can actually claim otherwise. Turns out that for every world, there is a counterpart for every guest inhabiting it - an alternate universe version of yourself, if you want. It's like the super complicated multiverse stuff you see in Marvel movies. Anyway, this story will focus on my own counterpart who gets to experience everything the Epic Universe has to offer. A cheerful young boy who hopes to have fun, make plenty of friends, meet his heroes and enjoy life to the fullest. But we've talked enough; let's begin the epic journey of Alex!"
Over at the Dockside section of Universal's Endless Summer Resort, a young man pushed a loud yawn as he woke up from a good night's sleep. He was about to simply go back to the world of dreams - that's what you're supposed to do on a vacation... But upon remembering where he was having a vacation, his eyes shot open, and he instantly kicked up in a sitting position.
"My first day! My first day! It's my first day in the Epic Universe!" he beamed and got off his bed, running to the bathroom with a bright smile on his face. Indeed, having arrived by plane and settling in his inn room the day before, he was now ready to spend his very first day enjoying the magic of everything Universal-related.
After quickly brushing his teeth and getting ready, the young man stared at himself in the mirror. One of the funniest features about the Epic Universe is that guests could be turned into animals, anthropomorphic animals or into species from any of Universal's properties if they wished to. In his case, the young man decided to be turned into a Koopa Troopa from Super Mario Bros with a red shell. A red cap was resting on top of his head, a red 'A' within a golden circle on the front - it kinda looked like Super Mario's, but for a baseball player.
"Everything seems to be in place," he nodded. He then grabbed his backpack and made sure everything was in it - water bottles, park map, sunscreen, money card, cellphone and, of course, his plushie of Po from Kung Fu Panda. "We're gonna have so much fun, Po!" he excitedly told the plushie before pulling it in his backpack and swinging it over his shell. "Watch out, Epic Universe! Alex The Koopa is coming!" he shouted.
"SHUT UP!" someone from his neighborhood room yelled, slamming a fist on the wall.
"Sorry..."
Leaving his room, Alex headed to the Pier 8 Market's food court to have a nice breakfast. After pondering for a moment, he decided to go to the bakery section and command a bowl of oatmeal with scrambled eggs and freshly-pressed orange juice. "There you go," the server said with handing the young man his plate.
"Thanks! I'm sure it's gonna be delicious!" Alex beamed as he took his plate and sniffed its content.
The server couldn't help but chuckle at his cheerful demeanor. "Is this your first time visiting Universal Studios?"
"Yes; I can't wait to visit all the sites! I've dreamed of this since I was a kid!"
"Trust me, you won't be disappointed," the server assured.
Alex swallowed his breakfast with energy before running off to the station and taking the bus to his adventure. There were three different parks that the young man considered visiting for his first day: Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure and Volcano Bay. Ultimately, he settled on Universal Studios since it was like the main place of the Epic Universe. The perfect place to begin for a newcomer like him.
During the bus ride, Alex engaged a conversation with the driver since he was seated close to him. "You're a new employee for Super Nintendo World? Is that why you're in this form?"
"Nah; it's just that I like Koopa Troopas because they're cute," Alex explained. "I'm actually here on vacation for a month."
"A month?! Wow, you must be super rich; I can't even afford two days in here."
"I'm not that rich, to be honest, I simply made a lot of savings in the last few years to be able to afford this. It's gonna be the experience of a lifetime for me!"
When they reached their destination, the driver wished a fun day to Alex before the Koopa walked over to the huge portal with the Universal logo that served as the entrance. A huge grin on his face and his excitation level reaching its peak, Alex shouted: "MY ADVENTURE BEGINS NOW!" at the top of his lungs, not paying attention to the passing guests who gave him odd stares.
The first thing Alex did after crossing the portal was to go buy himself a map of the park at the tourist guide stand. Then, he went on the Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem ride, learning a lot about the characters and world of the franchise during the queue, and laughing a lot during the ride itself. When he got out, he saw a bunch of Minions drawing graffities on a wall before being spotted and chased away by the security team.
Next, Alex went to see the Bourne Stuntacular, gasping and cheering as the hero of the titular series, Jason Bourne, performed all sorts of stunts and chase scenes. It actually made Alex want to watch the movies. Once the adrenaline-inducing performance ended, the little Koopa headed for the most anticipated destination of his vacation: the Wizarding World of Harry Potter! As soon as he crossed the brick wall, Alex went full fanboy mode and began analyzing every aspect of Diagon Alley, pointing out the elements from the books and movies - he even went into every possible shop he could find, buying a week's worth of souvenirs. His luck reached its peak when he entered Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes and got to take a selfie with George Weasley.
With so much excitation, it was inevitable that Alex was gonna need to take a break for a moment. He decided to take a seat at the Three Broomsticks shop and treat himself to a cup of Butterbeer. Sitting near a window with all the souvenirs he had bought, Alex looked at the hot liquid contained in the foaming tankard and took his very first sip. He couldn't help but lick his lips as the sweet beverage slid down his throat. He had always wondered if the popular wizarding drink was as good as Harry Potter described it in the books, and was more than happy to find out it was the case...
"I knew there was a lot of stuff to do here, but even then, I'm still completely blown away!" Alex mused before taking another sip of his new top 10 favorite drinks. "If this continues, I may do an awesomeness overload by the end of the day-"
BOOM!
His train of happy thoughts was interrupted by a violent explosion noise coming from the distance that also made the ground shake a bit. Looking through the window, he saw smoke coming from over the buildings, far away. "What the cheese was that?" Pulling his drink down and grabbing his backpack, Alex dashed out of the pub, curious as to what was going on.
The smoke seemed to come from Super Nintendo World or near the entrance. On his way there, Alex crossed many guests and lesser characters (mostly Minions) who ran in the opposite direction for their lives. But Alex did not turn around for more. He eventually arrived at the entrance of Super Nintendo World, where many Goombas, Koopas and...whatever those spiky shell things were supposed to be, were all gathered around a familiar and angry-looking dinosaur.
"Is that...Bowser?!" Alex exclaimed.
Indeed, the King of Koopas was present with his army... And he looked madder than usual. "Will you let me pass?! I didn't come here to waste time with you; I wanna go find the princess and ask her to marry me!"
Who was he talking to? Alex quickly realized that a figure was standing between Bowser and the entrance to Super Nintendo World. It looked more like a character than a guest... But Alex had never seen him anywhere before. An anthropomorphic wolf with a dark mask of fur around his eyes, a lighter gray color going down his head and back, and his front being completely white. He was wearing a pair of brown sweatpants and a black hoodie with the alchemical symbol of death on the front. A weapon was tied via a strap to his hip - a khopesh sword that was a glimmering gold in color with an obsidian edge on the blade. This character's most noticeable attribute was no doubt his eyes, that were of a blood-red and giving a piercing glare - the kind that could pierce one's soul.
"Is that...Death?! From the last Puss In Boots movie? No... He looks different," Alex mumbled to himself whilst watching the scene unfold.
A loud, annoyed sigh escaped the wolf's muzzle as he stared at Bowser. "Would you just let it go already, Turtur? Princess Peach must've rejected your love demands for, what, almost forty years now? She's just not interested in you, so go away!"
"Never! My love for her is too strong for me to give up!" Bowser declared. "If I must set this entire world on fire to get her attention, so be it! My soldiers, destroy everything!"
The King of Koopas' army began ravaging the park and attacking everyone on sight. In response, the mysterious wolf grabbed his khopesh sword and began neutralizing all the enemies before they could arm anyone. He moved at an impressive speed and remarkable grace that truly reminded Alex of Death from Puss In Boots: The Last Wish.
Alex understood the situation was serious, so he turned around to leave. "HELP!" Before he could do so, however, he spotted two guests trapped between four Goombas with no way to escape. Running away no longer being an option, Alex quickly ran in their direction.
"Hey!" he called to get their attention once he was close enough.
The four Goombas looked curiously at the newcomer. "Huh, you're new? I don't recall seeing you in the army before. Anyway, these guests are ours, so go find-ARGH!" Taking advantage of the confusion caused by his Koopa Troopa appearance, Alex neutralized the Goombas by jumping on them all, comically turning them into pancakes.
"Looks like taking this form was the right call," Alex mused before looking at the two guests. "You're okay? Get out of here and to somewhere safe, quick!"
Looking back at the fight, the mysterious wolf did not seem to have any trouble dealing with Bowser's army. Even with the giant turtle spitting fire at him, it did not change anything. "No offense, but I managed to defeat three of the most powerful villains in the entire Epic Universe, so you pose no threat to me. I suggest you return to your fortress before I lose patience, Turtur," the wolf advised.
Bowser growled with rage... Before a smirk formed on his face. "In that case, I'll simply do what every villain would do; cheat!" He opened his mouth and spat a jet of fire in the direction of a guest who failed to escape. Realizing the situation, the wolf jumped in the way of the attack to protect the guest, getting a severe burn injury on his side in the process.
"Crap!" the wolf groaned whilst clutching his side.
Alex watched the scene unfold with his eyes wide open. The poor canine was clearly hurt and unable to protect himself from Bowser, who stepped closer to him. Was he about to be...killed? Giving a quick look around, Alex could not spot any Universal character who could stop Bowser at the moment. And most guests had fled the scene. This meant that Alex was the only one who could help this guy. Giving a determined glare, the young Koopa ran up to Bowser.
"Hey, you stupid lizard head!"
Bowser immediately turned around. "Who called me-" He didn't get to finish his sentence as Alex tossed his backpack filled with equipment and souvenirs straight in his face, stunning him for a few seconds. "Ouch! That hurt!" After rubbing his face, the King of Koopas glared at the smaller Koopa. "Why, you little...!"
With the Super Mario villain towering over him, Alex closed his eyes, expecting to either get stumped or burned to a crisp. However, it did not happen as Bowser suddenly collapsed on the ground, knocked unconscious by a strike behind the head. Alex was saved, and had the wolf to thank for that.
"He should be out long enough to be sent back to his home," the wolf said, pulling away his khopesh sword whilst still holding his burnt side. He then looked at Alex. "Thanks for your help, Parvulus. I must admit, he caught me by surprise back there."
"You're welcome. But my name is not Parvulus; it's Alex. Alex Russo," the Koopa introduced himself.
"I wasn't trying to call you by your name; 'Parvulus' is Latin for 'Little One'," the wolf explained. "My name's Azrael. Just Azrael."
"Nice to meet you." Alex turned his attention to Azrael's side, which still emanated smoke. "You're hurt, is it bad?"
"Don't worry about me. My wounds can heal faster than those of an ordinary human," Azrael assured Alex. "You know, at first, I was a bit confused why one of Bowser's own soldiers would attack him... But then, I analyzed your magic signature and understood you are actually a guest who takes on a Koopa appearance. Seems like you arrived at just the right time."
"Yeah. So I take it you're a guest like me then?" Alex questioned. "I actually mistook you for Death, the wolf in Puss In Boots. I'm here on a month-long vacation. What about you?"
A chuckle escaped the wolf's mouth as he rubbed the back of his head. "My case is a little complicated to explain. But it's funny that you compared me to Death because it just so happens that I'm actually linked to him." Another chuckle came when Alex gave him a confused look. "Long story short, I'm an understudy of Death whose role is to help both living and deceased as much as I can around the Epic Universe. That's why I'm also known as the Angel of Death and the Scion of Death."
"So you not only live in the Epic Universe, but also get to help everybody, see the characters every day and fight bad guys with cool superpowers? That's amazing!" Alex exclaimed. "I know a lot of people who would give everything they have to get this chance!"
"My life has its ups and downs, but yeah, overall, I'm very happy," Azrael shrugged. He then showed Alex's backpack with his paw. "Here, I think that belongs to you." Alex grabbed the item, briefly touching Azrael's paw as he did so. Somehow, this gesture caused the wolf to widen his eyes a little. "Wait a minute." He took old of Alex's hand and analyzed his magic signature in detail, his face getting twisted by surprise. "... Logan?"
Alex once again gave a confused expression. "No, I already told you, my name's Alex."
"No, no, that's not what I meant. I've actually met you... Well, another you, not so long ago," Azrael tried to explain.
If he wanted to make things clear to the Koopa, then he failed miserably. "... Another me? Huh, dude, you sure you didn't bump your head somewhere? Cause I'm pretty sure you and I never crossed paths before. And I don't have any twins, as far as I know."
"It's because... You..." Azrael groaned in annoyance as he rubbed his red eyes. "How can I even explain that to you? Look, you know the Magical World, the place exactly like this one, but with all the Disney and Pixar stuff?" Alex nodded a yes. "Well, in this world, there is a counterpart to every guest here in the Epic Universe, and vice versa. Believe it or not, but I recently got the visit of my own counterpart from the Magical World, and he was accompanied by your own counterpart. A young hothead called Logan."
"What?!" Alex exclaimed in disbelief. "A-And how do you know he was my counterpart?"
"When we touched, I analyzed your magic signature and can safely confirm that it is identical to Logan's," Azrael continued. He crossed his arms. "Just out of curiosity, do you enjoy fighting?"
"Only when it's done in good will or when a good guy is standing up to a bad guy."
"Do you like Kung Fu Panda?"
"You bet! It's one of my most favorite franchises, period!"
"And are you interested in pro wrestling?"
"Honestly, I'm more into parkour shows like American Ninja Warrior."
A grin formed on Azrael's muzzle as he nodded his head. "No doubt, you're this world's Logan, alright. I've actually been wanting to meet you for a while. Say, I know you're on vacation, but would you mind passing a little test?"
"A test?" Alex repeated.
"Yes. During your stay here, in the Epic Universe, I'd like you to go around to meet and bond with as many characters as you can - both characters you know and others you'll meet and get to know. Travel across every part of this world and help everybody who needs you, just like you did with me today. That way, you'll develop your magic potential as your Magical World counterpart did. What do you say?"
Alex simply stared at the wolf, before a smile formed on his face. "Seeing every part of the Epic Universe? Befriending my favorite characters? Helping people? Learning magic? I don't see any problem with that! Alright, I'll take on your test!"
"Good," Azrael nodded. "I may be busy keeping this world safe, but I'll come to check up on you every once in a while to see how you progress. By the end of the month, I'll have a proposition for you if you make enough progress."
"Do you want the address of my hotel room to know where to find me?" Alex asked.
"That won't be necessary; I will always be able to find you anywhere in the Epic Universe." Azrael pulled his hood back on. "Enjoy your vacation, Parvulus!" And with that, he walked away whilst whistling.
Now by himself, Alex was so excited he could practically jump on the spot. That may have been his first day in the Epic Universe...but his journey as a protector and hero had only begun...
Author's note: I welcome you all to my new story, 'The Epic Journey of Alex', which serves as a spinoff to my other story, 'The Adventures of Logan', and, by extension, the Magical World Saga of my friend, TheDragonSaver. I strongly recommend you go read all of these if you're new to the series, because you may not understand a lot of things.
Despite technically being my character, Alex was someone whose existence was alluded to in the latest chapters of TheDragonSaver's 'Dream Keeper Chronicles' story. I'm developing his personality and character progression based on what has been said. Also, Azrael the Scion of Death is an OC created by TheDragonSaver and holds the title of Champion of Light, someone who's in charge of protecting everyone in the Epic Universe. I hope I did a good job at representing him so far.
In the same aforementioned story, Azrael said he was forming his own team with new friends he made. However, he did not explicitly say who these friends were and what the team's name was. I hope we can get a little more clear on that later. While we're on the subject, if you guys were part of the Magical World Saga and want to see your OC's counterpart in this story, feel free to send me their ref sheet. If you're new to the series, you can still send a OC's ref sheet, and I'll see if I can somehow incorporate this character in the story.
Next time: Alex starts discovering his magic potential and makes his first friend in the Epic Universe.
