My Life As A Skylander

Chapter 1

Andrew Smith is a video gamer. Every day after school, he would play his favorite video game for an hour, then do his homework as fast and precisely as he can. Then when he's finished, he can have unlimited time with his favorite video game. Your probably wondering what Andrew's favorite video game is. Well, his favorite video game is Skylanders Trap Team. The game is about these mythical creatures who have powers categorized into eight different elements. (You'll learn about these later.) They also go on missions and defeat the antagonist-Kaos. Andrew wishes he was a skylander, so he could defeat evil and be part of his favorite video game. He would get all the glory, and be honored by many. But, he always says, "That will never happen," when that thought comes to his mind. Well, on one yucky day, that actually happened to him! But, Andrew was not sure if he should accept it, even after all of this time wishing to be a skylander. Let me tell you about it.

It was a nasty, summer day. Rain accumulated up to six inches. Thunder boomed and could be heard from ten miles away. Lightning crackled and was thirty miles from Andrew's home. Andrew could not go outside, and you now know why. Instead of carrying out recreational activity, he decided to enjoy playing his favorite video game- Skylanders Trap Team. Andrew happily played his game for two hours and enjoyed every minute of his gameplay. Then, something strange happened. Oddly colored lightning struck the power line where Andrew got the electricity to play his game. Andrew's video game system went black, then suddenly turned back on again. When it came back on, the normal game stage did not appear. Eon, the master of all the skylanders, appeared and seemed to be talking to Andrew on his television screen through his video game console! "Andrew J. Smith, hear me as I speak to you," Eon yelled. But Andrew didn't know how to respond! He was shocked at the fact that Eon can even talk to the player through the console; more importantly, if ANY character from ANY video game could speak to the player through the console. "I hear you," replied Andrew, talking into his gaming headset. That's what he decided to say, since Eon asked if Andrew had heard him or not. Then, Eon instructed Andrew to do something. "Now that I know you can hear me, I want to tell you something. I am about to give you a portal, just like the skylander portal you have to place your skylanderson. But, your skylanders will not go on the portal." Andrew was confused. How could he receive a portal, and not be able to put his skylanders on it? All this time, Andrew had been taught to keep his skylanders on the portal, because anything else might ruin the game. Andrew tried to put this riddle together. How could you put anything BUT skylanders on a skylanders portal? But Eon kept talking and instructing. Andrew felt worried, because he hadn't understood what Eon said already. He was also worried he would not be able to understand the rest of what Eon was going to tell him. "YOU will be able to step on this portal, for it is life sized," said Eon. Now this was all making sense. Well, not all of it. Why would Andrew be able to step on a portal? He was pretty sure portals for humans were not invented, hence not possible. Could Eon take him somewhere? Could Eon have the power to take him anywhere he desired to go? Instead of answering all of Andrew's questions, Eon kept talking. "You must hide this portal from EVERYONE except yourself. You will find a place for it, set it there, but make sure the place you hide it is somewhere you can get access to." Now, Andrew was really confused. Why would he hide this portal? Why did the portal have to be somewhere where he could get access to it, but apparently nobody else? Why did Eon need to give Andrew a portal, and why must Andrew hide it from the outside world? This was the question that boomed in Andrew's mind after all the instructions Eon instructed. "For I think you have played the Skylanders games enough to prove you are worthy to become a skylanderand fight against the forces of evil hidden in many places in Skylands. You will become a skylander when your flesh touches the portal. But, beware, you must be able to find the right time for this adventure. Here is your portal." A hologram of a life sized skylanders portal appeared, then it became real. "Conceal it, then touch it, and you will start your training as a skylander. See me if you have any questions." This was all making sense to Andrew now. He was going to have a special portal, so he could use it to get to Skylands, then he would start his training and eventually fight Kaos! Andrew figured he would never get this chance ever again, so he began to sneak to his room with his glowing, life size portal. He slipped quietly up two flights of steps, then set the portal in his bedroom closet. He found some old curtains and placed them on his portal. He also used more curtains to surround the portal, and hung the curtains up to the ceiling of his closet using duct tape. The portal was still glowing and switching colors, like a rainbow. Andrew felt scared to step on the portal. No, he decided. He felt very apprehensive about it. Andrew didn't know if this was the right time to go to Skylands and start his training as a skylander! Should he do this? Would his parents allow it? He remembered Eon telling him not to tell anybody about his secret about being a skylander. Hopefully, Andrew would be staying a human, too. But what if Andrew may not be able to go back? Will Eon let him work "part time" as a skylander? What will happen if Andrew can never go back to his hometown? Will Skylands become his hometown? Will Andrew ever see his parents again? Will he ever see his friends again? Will he see his teachers? Will Andrew get his human education? Or will he start to learn skylander education? Or both? All of these questions boomed in the perimeter of Andrew's head, bouncing off the sides like a thrownwrestler. If he stepped on the portal now, he might never see human life again. The questions roared in his head now. Andrew figured out there was one thing to do- and that was to get these questions answered. Andrew mentally established a plan. First, he would go downstairs to his video game console. Then, he would turn it on, and get all of his questions answered by Eon, who was hopefully still inside the game. Andrew remembered Eon saying, "See me if you have any questions." So, Andrew hid the portal in his closet, walked down the steps, and his plan went into action. He turned on his video game console, then put the Skylanders game in it, and there came the home screen. There was a button that said "Ask Eon." Andrew let out a sigh of relief and clicked it. Eon's face then appeared. "Andrew J. Smith, ask your questions," said Eon.

"Should I become a skylander?" asked Andrew.

"Yes, you should." replied Eon.

"Will I work 'part time'?"

"What do you mean?"

"I do my training, and then I come back here."

"Exactly. I figured I should not take you away from your human childhood. You are my test to see if humans and skylanders can unite."

"Will I see everyone I know on Earth when I get back?"

"Yes."

"Will I go to school?"

"In Skylands or in your hometown?"

"Hometown."

"Yes."

"Will I get an education in Skylands?"

"Yes. But be warned, powers can be very hard to master."

"Should I come to Skylands now?"

"Yes. You should step on your portal, where you will start your training."

"What will my training be like?"

"You'll see."

At the blink of an eye, the video game shut off without Andrew even touching the video game console. He could no longer see Eon's face. Andrew felt relieved knowing that he got all of his questions answered. Knowing that he will get to come back to Earth after his journey to Skylands each day is all that mattered to him. Andrew went up the two flights of steps again, went in to his closet in his bedroom, and touched the portal with his foot by stepping on it. Faster than the speed of light, he was in Skylands, the place where his favorite video game, Skylanders Trap Team, took place.