Chapter Text

The next Skylander on the menu appears before the heavenly three in the form of a girl with blonde hair. Her outfit comprises that of a white shirt, a pink vest, a tie as well as a skirt accented with musical note. That aspect in particular is also reflected on her several hairpins.

“I take it this one’s a music fan, Lady Palutena?” Pit asks his goddess.

“That’s Kaede Akamatsu, the Ultimate Pianist.” Palutena states. “Her history is quite… um, complicated.”

Pit seems undeterred. “How hard can it be? Lay it on me, as the humans say!”

“Detailing the original Kaede’s origins is a mystery to even me, as not all the details has emerged regarding her. What I can interpret is that Kaede was a participant in a Killing Game reality show held by Tsumugi Shirogane and her organization, Team Danganronpa. She willingly let herself get brainwashed into gaining a talent and a whole new persona. She went from a cold introvert into a strong and sociable leader. “ Palutena explains to her angel. “At least… that’s what we’re lead to believe. What is certain is that Kaede wanted to lead everyone out of the Killing Game, but her headstrong actions led to her downfall. She was framed for a murder she herself thought she committed. “

“So… she uh, died?” Pit mutters.

“Yes, unfairly executed by Monokuma. That is where her story ends…” Palutena states.

“And then she gets revived and joins the Skylanders, right? So predictable.” Viridi concludes.

Palutena surprisingly shakes her head, however.

“No, actually. The real Kaede is still dead. You just needed backstory for the one we’re focusing on. Kaede here, is an Imaginator, a clone of the real deal with the exception of having magical powers. She’s also a Golden Skylander, hailing from the realm the Disciples come from. There was a defect, however which had Kaede not have any of the cloned memories of her real self.”

“So…?” Viridi asks.

“So, she’s labelled as defective and rather than travel multiverses and protect them, as Golden Skylanders should, Kaede is stuck as a dimensional janitor by a cruel and judgemental leader.” Palutena replies. “The same fate met all the clones of that Killing Game’s participants. Kaede however still had ambitions of being a fighter for good.”

“This all led to a fateful dispatch to clean this multiverse. Specifically, Makoto Naegi’s destroyed world. After an unfortunate encounter with a Liberator, a Metarex assassin, Kaede’s friend Shuichi managed to save her… but at the cost of her memories of being even a Golden Skylander wiped. Wanting to have his friend live a free life where she can choose her destiny, Shuichi had Kaede live on the Hub, where the Skylander Academy was.”

Pit drums his fingers on his knees while trying to process the details.

“So… Kaede is a clone of the real Kaede who lost her memories and later joined the Skylanders?”

“Indeed. If you want the cliffnotes version.” Palutena giggles softly. “Upon realizing her hidden power of light, creating weaponized instruments from said light, and later, electricity, Kaede joined the Skylanders in the search of her missing memories. Meanwhile, the orchestrator of the game that killed the real Kaede, Tsumugi tries multiple times to kill her as Kaede’s defective presence distorted her intended script for the multiverse.”

“Eventually, Kaede rediscovered who she was as well as another aspect of her defect: She also had the more cynical persona of her in-game self in her mind. When she accepted it, she gained Apollo, her Persona. With it, and telling the others that they can break their own roles, and not abide to some pre-determined place in a story like protagonist or antagonist, the Skylanders triumphed over Tsumugi and liberated the multiverse.”

Pit smiles in response to this resolution. “Wow! What an inspiring story! So, if I can break my roles… I wonder if that means I can have a promotion, Lady Palutena?”

“Not on your life, Pit.” Palutena playfully denies the angel.