Apex here...

Well, I'm back. After like what, more than seven months? And to everyone that was excited about this fic, so sorry. I truly am. I had to wait for my beta reader to read my draft and they were out for a long time. I don't blame them though. So, I hope this chapter is good enough. Now the next chapter MIGHT come out next week but... Don't count on it. I'm trying so hard to adjust since college suddenly cranked up in difficulty. But I'm working on the next chapter already, so that should give you guys some hope right?

Without further ado, here we go!

PROLOGUE - THE 100TH CLASS OF UTOPIA ACADEMY/2

"Taxi! Over here, please."

A yellow taxi stopped by the sidewalk near me, and I asked the driver to help me with my luggage. Afterwards, I entered the taxi. Upon looking at me, he widens his eyes in surprise, looking at my white and black uniform.

"Wow, you're a Utopia Academy student? That's nice, kiddo," the taxi driver says, flashing a smile. "So, to the Grand Portal?" I nod, and he faces away from me to start to drive.

"Alright, here we go!" The taxi hovered away, zooming across the city. I looked at the scenery through the window, deep in thought. I'll be away from Earth for a while, so this might be one of the few moments where I can look at the scenery. So many hovermobiles are flying about, and a lot of people are walking in and out of various buildings, despite it being 5 AM. I also spot numerous robots fly around and some androids walk around too. I'll be visiting Earth every weekend, but why do I feel like this will be the last time I will be seeing Earth? Weird.

Knowing that the trip will take a while, I decided to pass the time by watching some stuff from my holophone. I then click "Videos", and clicked "History of the Millennium". It's a documentary that celebrates our 3000th year as a civilization. Except for the fact that human civilization lived even before the year 1, most of it was historically correct. I insert my headphones and play the video.

"In the past millennia, humanity has advanced further and further. We were able to retrieve some really old files that dated back during the early 2000s." That's very old. What happened that time again?

"During sometime between the years 2010 to 2012, humanity was struck by "The Worst, Most Despair-Inducing Incident in the History of Mankind", an event so catastrophic that nearly resulted in the extinction of humanity itself. The documents say that it was an organization called "Future Foundation" that saved the Earth." That's rather horrifying. With a name like that, it is obviously an extinction-class event. Humanity must have gone back to the Stone Age, then!

"This past millennium, humanity has tried to regain its lost achievements, and little by little, technology has restored Earth by the early 2200s. Humanity was able to stand up again after nearly 2 centuries. It is thanks to the Future Foundation that Earth has regained its full glory." Wow. How did we restore such great technological prowess in under 200 years?

"But conflict broke out in the peace, and eventually the planet was plunged into another war; the World War 3. It started from 2207 to 2303, nearly a century. It was the most catastrophic of all wars. The number of casualties was almost immeasurable, and roughly 3/4th of the world's population was eradicated. Humanity has halted progress once again." If I remember my History lessons right, the World War 3 was started by the Future Foundation, the very same "hope" that saved the world nearly a millennium ago.

"Because the planet was infected by toxic nuclear residue, humanity and some animals took refuge underground, deep beneath the surface. These times would be known as the "Underground Age", and humanity was able to preserve the old cultures and ways of previous countries intact. People in this age reproduced many old documents to warn the future, which is us, about their stories and hardships to preserve the way Earth is now. After two centuries of staying underground, humanity has once again entered the surface, only to find Earth almost completely barren. This would be called the "Barren Age", and lasted from the early 2500s to the early 2600s."

"After reproducing plants and other life-forms, humanity began to rise from the ashes, and began the age where humans would truly rise up from the ashes. This period, which lasts until now, is the "Reemergence Age". A lot of scientific marvels have been achieved for the past 4 centuries. During the 28th century, humanity has returned to where it was during the early 21st century. Eventually, humanity has returned as the dominant species on Earth." I really hope that there will be no more major extinction-class events…

"And in the year 2834, the first light speed spaceship was made. The Wayfarer, until now, is still looking for other intelligent life-forms across the universe. In 2868, the Lunar City was built, and then Utopia Academy in the year 2900. So many advancements in-"

"Miss, we're here now."

I stopped the video and looked out the window. Well that took some time, didn't it?

"Oh, thanks mister. Here's the payment!" I exclaim, getting some money from my wallet and then I paid the driver. I then go to the back of the taxi and opened the trunk and picked up my things. Closing it, he waves his hand at me as a sign of goodbye.

"Thanks! Now be careful there, missy," The man says, and he drove. And now, I stand in front of the Grand Portal building. I'm almost there. With high spirits, I entered the building connecting to the Grand Portal.

GRAND PORTAL

As soon as I entered, a police officer stopped me before I could wander any further. He looks at my uniform, then smiles. "A freshman at Utopia Academy, right?" I nod in response.

"Mam, please show us your E-mail so we can verify your identity. Many posers have worn fake Utopia Academy uniforms just to enter, I'll have you know," the police officer commanded. Really? Wow, that must be a nuisance to deal with. I rummage my bag, searching for the E-mail that was delivered to me. Finally finding it, I produced my handy Holo-Mail, and opened it to show the officer a hologram of my E-mail. He took a look at it, and then let me go through. "You may enter." Feeling rather excited, I zoomed away with haste.

Finally, I arrived at the Grand Portal. A hyperspace wormhole that directly connects to the Lunar City! It is a fascinating piece of technology. Of course, this is all property of Utopia Academy, so of course it's state-of-the-art. After marvelling at the sight of the portal, I spot a bench and decided to sit down. Sighing, I put down my bags and give myself a little air. But more importantly, where are they?

I took out my holophone to call Kensuke. He told me that he will be arriving here, since he's also a Utopic student.

"Where is his number?" I mutter to myself while I scroll through my contacts.

RING!

"Yipes!" I screamed and nearly dropped my phone. Thank goodness there aren't many people around here to see me like this. Back to the phone. It's… Mom? I click the green call button and a hologram popped, and I see my mom with my brother and my father behind her.

"Hello, sweetie! Since you went so early, your brother and father would like to say one last goodbye!" Mom said happily, and made way for Kenta and dad.

"Hey, sis! Remember to always study! They say Utopia Academy's education is hard! So try to keep up!" I chuckle at my brother's words.

"Really? You're telling ME to study? I always do that!" I say lightheartedly. Truly, I can only act like this around my family. I'm usually stoic around other people…

"Remember Miku, don't fail any exams and don't upset the mechas! And always eat breakfast! It's the most important meal of the day!" Dad always treats me like a kid, but I guess I'll let it slide for now.

"Of course, dad! I promise to do my best! I'll try to go home every Saturday!" I exclaim. My family members smiled back at me.

"Oh, and don't forget Dino! Come here boy, come here! Miku is on the phone!" At the mention of my name, Dino comes running towards the holographic screen and tries to lick the hologram representation of me. Aw, he's so adorable…

"Dino, you're licking nothing!"

"ARFF! ARFF!" Dino then playfully runs around, much to the amusement of us all. After that, they say their last good lucks.

"Always be safe, sweetie!"

"You gotta come home at least once a week, sis! I still need some tutoring from you!"

"Call us immediately if there's anything wrong, okay Miku?"

I smiled at them. Truly, one's family members are always there for you.

"See ya!" I say as I quit the call and put my phone back in my purse. Now that was just what I needed. Now all I need is-

"Miku?"

That voice. The voice of the one boy I truly love. I'm so happy he's here.

"Kensuke!" I say aloud, but not too loudly. Whenever I'm around people other than my family, I try to keep a stoic façade. Makes me look cool. But when he's around, I feel like I'm losing control. His spiky apple-red hair... His perfect square shaped face… His tall and slim figure… His mature and cool voice… His wonderful green eyes… He is so handsome… Kensuke Kazama is the most wonderful person I've ever met. For a Utopic Animal Tamer, he's very charming. Oh, and he's also my childhood friend.

"So, how do you feel about this? You know, the fact that we're going to Utopia Academy," Kensuke says as he puts down his bags and takes a seat across me. He's so dreamy...

"I feel honored, of course," I reply to him, too shy to look at him directly in the eyes. "So, um… Did you come here alone, perchance?" If I remember correctly, Suzumi should be with him.

"Miku! Oh, how I missed you! It's been a while!" my golden haired rival and friend exclaimed while giving me a death hug. Yup, I'm also childhood friends with Suzumi Tomoe, the Utopic Teen Idol.

"Gack- Suzumi, I can't breathe-!"

"Hey, Suzumi. I think you're choking Miku," Kensuke says with concern, but maintains a smiling face. Upon hearing his words, Suzumi immediately removes her death hug on me and apologizes frantically.

"Oh! Sorry, Miku! I completely forgot you are smaller than me!" Suzumi says apologetically, but did she really have to mention my lack of size? Sighing, I straighten my clothes to remove the creases and face her. I actually really like the official uniform of Utopia Academy. And she had to go and mess it up.

Oh, and speaking of the uniform? Kensuke looks good in it, with all the white and black color scheme, and with that jacket as well, and his personal cap that says "Kazama Animal Rehabilitation Center".

I then turn to Suzumi again, thinking what I should say to her. But seriously, why am I so unfortunate to have a love rival like Suzumi? She's got everything! Her intellect is not as high as mine, but she's still a straight A student despite having Idol work! And not to mention her looks, as well! Her long, gold hair complements her bright blue eyes, and has the figure of an angel. Her skin is so radiant as well; It's a no-brainer why she has hordes of male (And maybe some female) admirers.

Suzumi is a few inches taller than me, but her figure is just gorgeous. Her three sizes? Well, whatever they are, she's got everything that I lack. In fact, I'm only superior in one department! Intellect! But I fail to notice that Suzumi is waiting for me to say something.

"Hmm? Is there a problem Miku?" I instantly shift away my gaze, my face glowing red with embarrassment. This is not good…

"N-no, nothing! A-anyway, it's nice to meet you again, Suzumi. May I know how you're coping with idol work?" I asked.

"Well, it's pretty tough, but I can take it~" Suzumi says while doing her trademark "Tough it Out!" pose; she places one hand on her hip and raises her other arm to shoulder level and flexes it. I can see why she's so popular with everyone though. She's basically a goddess from another plane of existence, disguised as a human. And her bust is rather- Oh, who cares!?

"The three of us are here now, so why don't we head to the moon?" Kensuke suggests as he stands up and picks up his bags. "The others might be there already." But that's unlikely! We came here so early that I doubt the others are there.

"Yuppers, I agree! Let's go towards the moon!" Suzumi beams enthusiastically and in one swift motion, picks up her bags and merrily makes her way towards the portal. I stand up too and get my things. It's about time we entered the moon city. While walking, Kensuke and I share some little small talk.

"So, is this your first time going to the Lunar City? I'll admit, it's my first time and I'm a bit nervous," Kensuke confesses, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. The great "Nerves of Titanium" Kensuke is nervous?

"It's also my first time, but I'm more thrilled than nervous," I say softly, but loud enough for Kensuke to hear me. He chuckles a bit and we share a rather sweet moment… And that's where Suzumi cuts the moment short.

"You guys~! You're too slow! Move those legs and shoot for the moon!" Suzumi then points at the portal. "Literally! Hehehe!" That was kinda corny. But Kensuke finds it funny. Darn it.

"Well, I guess we're going to head to the Lunar City now. You girls ready?" Both Suzumi and I nodded and then we all took our first step to the portal.

"Utopia Academy, here we come…!"

"GERONIMO!" Suzumi yells as she literally lunged into the portal.

LUNAR CITY – PORTAL HALL

Immediately after we stepped into the Grand Portal, we are greeted by a much more futuristic looking hall. I mean, technology back on Earth was already amazing, but in here I'm talking about more high-tech stuff. Around the hall is a white, pearly finish with dozens of droids and people roaming about. When I looked outside the window, I could see Earth.

"Wow! Check this out, guys!" Suzumi says cheerily, running up towards the window like a kid. Kensuke and I decided to follow her. And I do not regret looking at the view.

"From here, you can see hundreds of satellites, mechas, stars and even the Earth itself. We've really reached such a grand milestone in humanity, huh?" Kensuke says, marveling at the sight.

The black cosmos was filled with numerous stars, and from there dozens of mechas are flying about, most likely guarding the city. And just beyond there is Earth. We were there just seconds ago, and suddenly we're approximately 384,000 km away from the big blue orb of life. It was truly something. After marveling the sight of the cosmos for a while, Suzumi turned away and faced us.

"So, what do you say to heading to Utopia Academy? A great idea?" Suzumi says excitedly, jumping from feet to feet. Did she consume too much caffeine? For an idol, she sure is hyper.

"Of course. Come on, let's head out towards the academy. I do want to meet our classmates," Kensuke suggests, and of course Suzumi and I oblige. As we headed our way to the main door, an assistance droid comes up to us and greets us.

"Good day, sir and madams. I can see that all three of you are wearing the official uniform of Utopia Academy. To proceed to Utopia Academy, please exit this building and head to the right. There, you can catch the hover taxis going to Utopia Academy," The assistance droid said, and the three of us nodded and we exited the building.

"Wow, we can see the cosmos outside those giant ceilings!" Suzumi says, taking notice of the artificial sky above us. It looks like a planetarium. Yet, even without a morning sky, the plants can still live here.

"Excuse me," A young man's voice snapped me out of my thoughts, and I whirl around to see who owns that voice.

The owner of the voice is a young bespectacled man of average height, has black hair styled in bob cut and purple eyes. But the most distinguishing feature was his clothing, which was the same monochrome colored uniform of Utopia Academy. This guy is definitely a Utopic student.

"I can see that you're all fellow Utopic students. Greetings! I am Dexter Miles, the Utopic Intellectual Genius!" He's a foreigner? Wow, he must be really lucky to be able to enter Utopia Academy. And his Japanese is so fluent! "I'll have you know that I'm an exchange student from Avalon Academy!" Avalon Academy? That's all the way in London! I remember that place. That was where I showcased my revived T. Rex! Dexter then looks at me thoroughly, as if analyzing me.

"I have a feeling I know you, madam. May I know your name and Utopic title?" Yeah, he's seen me. Probably one of the audience during my showcase in London.

"Miku Shishido. Utopic Geneticist." He's kinda weird, and has this certain aura, but he seems like a nice guy. I smell arrogance from him, though. Or maybe it's just his "smart guy" persona.

"I knew it! You were that young lass who revived that Tyrannosaurus Rex during the World Science Convention in Avalon Academy!" Dexter says in awe. "Marvelous! This is most splendid, to meet another fellow genius! But of course, I'm willing to prove I'm smarter than you!" Wow. I could describe this guy with various adjectives, but somehow I can't find those words.

"Oh, so you know her, Dexter? Well that's great to hear. I'm Kensuke Kazama, the Utopic Animal Tamer." He then moves his hand toward Dexter's for a handshake, which he accepts.

"I'm Suzumi Tomoe, the Utopic Teen Idol! Hope we can be friends~" Again with her cutesy pose. Well, I guess she enjoys her Idol work a lot.

"I see! I am very glad that you people are of decent status! I knew Utopia Academy would be filled with intellectual people, even if they aren't as intelligent as me! Truly a school for the elite, such as myself most especially!" After that, he nods and adjusts his glasses.

"Well, it seems including Miss Harukaze, we are 5. Only one more student left and we can go on the hover taxi!" Oh, so he was just waiting for more students. Considering that hover taxis carry a total of 6 passengers, it's only logical to wait for more people to come.

"Um, Dexter? Who is this Harukaze you are speaking of?" Kensuke asks. Dexter immediately brightens up, and then went on ahead to the waiting shed. "This way, fellow classmates!" We all look at each other, and then we followed him.

In the hover taxi docks, I can see that Dexter is currently conversing with a girl in the Utopia Academy uniform. A very pretty girl. Dexter notices us and urges us to come near.

"I strongly suggest you introduce yourselves to her, my fellow classmates." I take a good look at this new girl. She has long black hair that was adorned with a big bow that makes her resemble a cat… somehow. She had blue eyes, and has healthy, white skin. Darn, why does every girl have to be 10 times prettier than me…?

"Oh, I see some new faces," The black haired lady says enthusiastically, clapping her hands together in joy. "But where are my manners? My name is Harukaze Medici, the Utopic Spirit Medium. It is an honor to meet you all." I never knew a girl like her existed. She's almost perfect! Suzumi immediately shakes her hand vigorously and smiles widely.

"Pleased to meet you! I'm Suzumi Tomoe! I'm the Utopic Teen Idol!"

"I'm Kensuke Kazama. I'm here as the Utopic Animal Tamer," Kensuke introduces himself in the most polite way you could think of.

"Miku Shishido. Geneticist," I say softly, still deep in thought. How come I've never heard of her? She must be very popular to be accepted here in Utopia, right? Or does fame not matter and only the impact of the achievements? And Medici? Is she a half-Italian? Upon hearing all of our introductions, she smiles brightly and shakes each of our hands.

"I'm happy to have met you all. I truly hope that the time we will spend together will be fruitful." My first impressions on Harukaze is that she's a gentle and pure soul, fitting her title of the Utopic Spirit Medium. But why do I feel like there's more than meets the eye when it comes to her…?

"Um, e-excuse me…" A timid voice rang out, and we all faced the source. Another Utopia student!

"Yes, what is wrong?" Dexter asks firmly, being rather uptight and strict, I see.

"W-well, I heard that we can reach the academy through here…" The new kid is a short boy with a very pale complexion. In fact, I wonder if he even goes out of his house. He wears glasses, has a very light shade of blue colored hair that can be mistaken as white, and is wearing the official Utopia academy uniform. And he's also very small and frail-looking. But he's still taller than me, around an inch taller to be exact.

"Yuppers! That's correct, these taxis will lead us to Utopia Academy. And you're just who we need, we needed one more person!" Suzumi declared rather loudly and happily, slightly surprising the new kid. Harukaze went near him and bowed her head.

"Greetings, fellow classmate. I am Harukaze Medici, the Utopic Spirit Medium. May we know your name?" Wow, so respectful! She's definitely a pure soul.

"O-oh, o-of course. Um, I'm Yuki Akiyama. I'm the… Utopic Therapist," The boy, named Yuki, introduced himself in a meek way. Obviously he's a shy guy.

"Listen up, for you will the name of a person with an IQ of over 300!" What's with that overblown ego…? "I am Dexter Miles, the Utopic Intellectual Genius from London!" Yuki… actually looks impressed. Whether it's from his IQ or his fluency in Japanese, I'll never know.

"Suzumi Tomoe, Utopic Teen Idol, at your service!" Suzumi introduced herself while flashing her signature smile. Yuki smiles brightly at her, suggesting that he knows her. That's to be expected, she is the Utopic Teen Idol.

"I'm Kensuke Kazama, Utopic Animal Tamer. This here is Miku Shishido, the Utopic Geneticist. She's a rather silent type, so I hope you can get along with her and us too," Kensuke introduced himself, and even went as far as to introduce me to him. What a gentleman.

"W-wow, it's a pleasure to meet you all!" Yuki says cheerfully. "S-so, you said something about having one more person…"

"Oh, of course! We can inform the droid driving this vehicle!" Dexter said, hitting his palm with his fist. "We're ready to go to Utopia Academy now, sir Android!"

"Okay, then please sit down on the seats. We will be leaving in a bit." I tried to sit beside Kensuke, but I ended up sitting beside Yuki. Oh well, I can still see him from my seat anyways…

"U-um, Miku?" Yuki stuttered, looking at me with a weird look in his face.

"Yes…?"

"Um, do you, perhaps…" Yuki suddenly trailed off, as if contemplating if he should continue or not.

"What?" I ask, curious about whatever he's going to ask of me.

"U-uh, sorry. I-I mean, never mind! It was just a useless question…" Yuki said in defeat, giving up on whatever he was going to ask of me. Oh well, if he won't ask anything, then I'll just look at the beautiful sights of the Lunar City.

"Destination: Utopia Academy."

And with that, the hovermobile hovered away, and we were heading towards Utopia Academy.

Wow, you read this far? Thanks for still reading this even though its been so long and you guys probably lost all hope in me... But I'll stay positive! For you guys.

(To those who submitted OCs but didn't get in; I'm truly sorry. Maybe those OCs have a better chance in other SYOCs.)

Kiwikowa - Of course Dino's cute; He's a Pomeranian! And yes, I really wanted to try a Sci-Fi setting.

bluemoonbutterfly - Good luck indeed. :( It's not easy writing this. Thanks! And your OC is in!

Aviator Capi - Aww, I'm sure your OC was awesome. Sorry about that. But thanks for trying out this sucky-, I mean Sci-Fi fanfic!

Headphone Jack - "Seems like you're keeping very focused on it!" *seven months later* Huh. Focused. I'm so sorry for ruining your expectations, but I really do want to continue this fic! Thanks for reviewing.

Apex out, I guess.