Academy Chronicles: Rise of the Skylanders

Chapter 2: The Future of the Future Foundation

Ninjago Universe: New Ninjago City

August 21st 2016. Real World Time

Months have passed since the Liberator Crisis, when my world fell apart. Thanks to the help of the Disciples, the Future Foundation was relocated to another world. Thanks to the help of that world's local inventor, Cyrus Borg, he allowed his company building in New Ninjago City to become the new base for the organization.

It's strange, however… the entire world is populated by what appears to be plastic toys. Everyone there had yellow skin, claws for hands and everything.

There's so much about the multiverse I need to know. First, I'm a fictional character. Second, I'm living with toys.

Still, I have to keep my head up in these times, like I always have. After all, I am the Ultimate Hope. I have to be that role model so everyone won't lose heart.

I sat on my desk, reading hundreds of articles accumulated throughout the past year from the Hub, the multiverse's center. According to records, this girl Sayaka Miki came here thinking something was wrong with how the world was written only to be mistaken. Soon enough, she grew attached to this place and its people. Soon, more and more Disciples joined the cause to protect us from a growing number of villains that spawned from the Metarex's arrival.

I look at a specific article, detailing how the Disciples and their friends were able to banish the Metarex from our worlds, ending their war from reaching our end.

I swapped to the next article, discussing the rise of a new villain… then another, then another… More villains rose from out of nowhere to attempt to take a bit of the multiverse on their own as the Disciples' travels exposed them to more worlds to conquer.

And it all reached its peak when-

"M-Makoto!"

I felt myself getting dragged back into the present, where I see a familiar face, fidgeting with his skirt.

"Oh! Chihiro, what is it?" I asked my friend.

It's so relieving to see the face of Chihiro Fujisaki again. I still can't get over his revival, how a group of aliens known as the Link Jokers revived some of my dead classmates to fight alongside them, until the Disciples managed to save and reform some.

Chihiro opened the door he came from. "Um, we're having a meeting…" He said.

I put the articles down and proceeded to approach the door, "On my way."

After a long elevator ride up with Chihiro, thanks to the sheer size of the Borg Industries' tower, we eventually arrived at the destination: The boardroom.

There, stood a giant table with many seats occupied. I took my seat next to my girlfriend, Kyoko Kirigiri. Next to me, I could hear the sounds of beeping.

I turned around to see Chiaki Nanami, the Ultimate Gamer. She also was a product of the Link Jokers' revival initiative. True to her talent, she's playing on her Game Girl Advance to pass the time, blazing through a game of Gala Omega.

I look around the boardroom to see so many gathered here. The former Remnants of Despair, led by Hajime Hinata who chose to join the Future Foundation after its restructuring, the three Link Joker defectors, the third being Celestia Ludenberg, the old agents of the Future Foundation: Me, my sister Komaru Naegi, Kyoko Kirigiri, Aoi Asahina, Byakuya Togami, Toko Fukawa, Yasuhiro Hagakure, Ryota Mitarai and Kyosuke Munakata…

…And the last division, who we jokingly called the Time Squad. A mission I took part in with the Disciples led me and them to an alternate universe during my first Killing Game… where I and 14 others were trapped in a school and forced to kill each other to leave. Thanks to meddling and Sonic's insistence to save everyone, we stopped the game before a murder can happen and the participants volunteered to help us.

It makes it especially weird when I see my past-self sitting diagonally to me, but I try to pay it no mind.

In the far back of the table sat the plastic owner of Borg Industries, Cyrus Borg himself, confined to a wheelchair rather than an actual chair.

We were still waiting for the conference to begin, waiting for another set of people to arrive. Bored, I turn to Kyoko. "So… umm… are you… free, this weekend?" I bashfully asked.

Kyoko turned to me and gave me an absolutely adorable smirk. It made my heart utterly melt. "I should be if I finish my work today. I need to send mission briefings to our agents regarding a Decepticon attack in the Mushroom Kingdom."

Chiaki, obviously intrigued the moment Mushroom Kingdom was uttered, spoke up in her usual tired tone. "What would an alien race of giant robots need in the Mushroom Kingdom?"

"Well, I heard those mushrooms make you grow. The bigger you grow, the more powerful you are," Teruteru, the Ultimate Chef piped up. "Hmmm… maybe I could use those mushrooms myself on… certain places, if you know what I mean." He said with a perverted grin.

This comment, rightfully so earned him a knock on the head from Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu, causing the chef's face to fall right on the desk.

"Just shut the fuck up, already." Fuyuhiko groaned.

Before Teruteru could make another lewd comment, the large screen in the room flashed green as what seems to be Chihiro's face appeared. We all turn our attention to the screen as Alter-Ego 2.0, an upgraded AI made by Chihiro, Tails and Borg spoke up.

"Alright, everyone! Look alive, they're here!" Alter-Ego announced. It's odd seeing someone with Chihiro's image seem so confident, but this is because he inherited personality traits from Tails as well, who is a lot more cynical and bold.

As if it was on cue, the door opened revealing our greeter at the Future Foundation, a robotic white and pink stuffed rabbit named Monomi. She shuffles to the side and gestured our final guests to take a seat.

"Well, ain't this a colorful cast?" Sayaka Miki joked as she stepped inside.

Beside her was her partner, Sonic. I swear, these two are always together. "Yeah, why'd you call us here?" Sonic asked, tapping his feet.

Popping up behind them was a face I'm not as accustomed to. She had light purple hair with D-Pad hairpins on the left and right, a purple dress on with a small white hoodie covering the top. She definitely looked like someone Chiaki would get along with.

"You must be the Disciple known as Neptune. First time at the Future Foundation, correct?" Kyosuke said, looking at a list detailing the attendance.

Neptune nodded excitedly. "Yup, yup! Oh, by the way, the tea you serve at the waiting lounge? Deeeeelish! Although I can't say the same for your cookies…"

Kyosuke squinted his eyes in confusion. "Those were scones."

Neptune's eyes widened in realization. "Ohhhh…" She then leaned down to Sonic's level. "Hey, Sonic… what's a scone?"

"I'll tell you later." Sonic responded. "Right now, we have a meeting to attend."