Academy Chronicles: Rise of the Skylanders

Chapter 20: It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over

"Okay, but can we be serious for once?" Homura asked us. "We're at a severe disadvantage. A position between a rock and a hard place, you could say."

She puts her hand on her head, still a little shaken from the electricity from earlier.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

Homura turned to me, with the same stoic expression as ever.

"Makoto." She told me. "We were caught in a trap. If we stay, the hypothetical Liberators with our data will be released to the multiverse and wipe us out. If we go to them, chances are the Liberators will be ready, and we'll be the first targets."

Sayaka wagged her finger.

"Uh, Transfer Student, what if we get to where they are fast enough?" She asked.

Homura then directed her attention at Sayaka, disappointed and annoyed.

"Sayaka Miki, if there was a chance that we would arrive on the scene before the Liberators would've been completed, they would've just executed us on the spot. They expect us to come and die."

She sighed.

"I hate to say it, but Disciples, we have no choice but to retr-"

Sonic then got up and waved her both of his hands frantically.

"No, no, NO. Nonononono! You were not gonna suggest retreat to the Golden Skylands, are you?!"

Sayaka's eyes widened and her agape mouth turned into a scowl directed towards the raven-haired Magical Girl.

"H-Homura… you don't mean that, right?" Madoka asked.

"I meant what I said. This is just going to have to be another multiverse on our list of lost causes, like the ones we lost to the Metarex." Homura sighed. "This is nothing new for us. We lose battles, sometimes. What we can at least do is keep as many alive as possible, which is us Disciples."

She folded her arms. I noticed the gem on her hand is glowing a tad darker.

"We're the only ones who can leave the multiverse. Nobody from LOSE can track us down once we're outside their reality. There's nothing else we can do."

"…Are you a coward?"

I turned around to see Kyoko, sporting a look I could only discern as pure anger. It's an emotion I barely see from her, and it terrifies me to the core whenever I see it in its intensity. Her purple eyes seared through Homura's own.

"You're implying to cut and run, and leave me, Makoto and everyone else on this multiverse to die?!"

Homura didn't show any bit of hesitation.

"It's not that I don't want to. It's that it's our only option."

Kyoko squinted her eyes as a result.

"That's just like you, isn't it? Once failure is looming, you decide to ditch everyone and start anew, correct? It's as simple as twisting that shield, isn't it?"

She laid her hand on Homura's shield as the other girl flinches and pulls her arm back.

"I obviously known of your time travelling endeavors to save Madoka, Akemi. It's like a game to you. Game over. Try again. Isn't that how it goes?"

Homura stepped forward, provoked.

"How dare you treat what I went through like some sort of game!" She growled.

"Homura! Geez! Calm down, will you? This is getting us nowhere, like, seriously!" Neptune calls out.

Homura only remained quiet, staring at Kyoko intensely. She then looks away, her heavy breathing slowing down.

There, Kyoko smirked.

"You can't time travel anymore, correct? After your recruitment? Don't you think that's a sign? A sign not to run anymore?"

Homura held her shield tightly, as if she was going to twist it, but she knew it would be pointless. She can't manipulate time anymore, after all.

"I know you just want to keep me, and to a slight extension us safe. But I know you don't want to let things end like this either." Madoka said to Homura, placing her hand on her shoulder. "You're just… scared, right?"

"…D-Don't put words in my mouth." Homura said back, more calmly. "But what do you suggest we do, then?"

"At least you're listening." Kyoko said.

Then, a silence loomed over us all. We were all hesitant to think of a plan. Even Sonic. He usually is pretty headstrong about moving ahead, but he's just looking at Sayaka and Tails the whole time. It's as if he's wondering about their safety and what would save them.

"…Well, I know one thing. I'm not letting my Skylanders die." Spyro said.

The dragon turned his head to Sonic.

"You know what I mean, right? Your team is like your family. You need to watch out for all of them. The Skylanders are mine. Right?"

Sonic smiled softly.

"Yeah, and the Disciples are mine. I'll do anything to protect them."

Spyro shook his head. "You don't get it. Not fully."

"A lot of us have been going through thick and thin together. You and me? We've fought together before." He said, gesturing to himself and the others. "We're a team."

Spyro then walked on over to me and Kyoko.

"You helped save our lives. Even if it's our first mission together, your risked a lot to help us. We're a team."

He scratched his head as he further explains.

"We're all a team. We're all a family. And because of that…" Spyro then opened his wings to accommodate as much space around us as possible.

"…You're all Skylanders. And I want to protect all of you, at all costs. Doesn't matter if you came from different worlds, or have no powers at all. We all have to look out for each other."

My eyes widened at that revelation.

Sonic smiled at that.

"You're right." He turned to everyone. "Running is not an option, guys! We're heading there!"

Homura said nothing at Sonic's announcement, but I can tell there was a brief nod in there. Her hand also emitted a small shine, as well.

Sayaka grinned and stepped forward as well.

"That's right! I can't just stand here and watch everyone get wiped out! This place, this multiverse? It means so much to me. I've met friends, I didn't even know I could make! Friends outside of the Golden Skylands!"

She rambles on.

"There's Nightwing, and Jess, Ragna, Amitie and so many more! I can't let them die! I'd be a total failure of a Disciple if I did!"

Pop Fizz stood up, holding his potion up.

"Alright! Alrighty! I'm totally on board with this, y'all! Just have one teeeeensy-weeeensy question! How will we, hypothetically… NOT die? Hm?"

Suddenly, words started to fly out of my mouth.

"Simple. We fight." I declared.

Everyone looked at me. Seems like they're all still not used to me suggesting fighting.

"…Sure, we are most likely going to find those Liberators ready to fight us. Absolutely. But that doesn't mean we are a hundred percent destined to die!" I said. "Have hope, guys! I may not have experienced so much fighting in my life, but I saw, and heard what you could do!"

I chuckled a bit.

"It's absurd knowing you're fictional sometimes, but it's because that we are, we were able to overcome such challenging odds! Spyro, Sonic, Sayaka… even me! I helped end an apocalypse just be saying… Hope! And I'm going to prevent another one by saying the same thing!"

I took a deep breath and said the one thing I know I'm good at:

"…Hope! There's always a chance we can take all these guys on, and win! Let's go in on that belief then dwell on the chance that we can lose!"

In one final move, I raise my fist up in the air.

"Now who's with me?!"

Everyone raised their hands up in response, even Homura, reluctantly. We're all in agreement. It doesn't matter how may odds Monokuma may have against us.

Even if the odds are a hundred to one, as long as that one exists…

…We're going to get there.