"What's for breakfast today Miss Ryoko?" Cody asked as he walked into the kitchen. Ryoko turned to face the ten year old boy. She smiled and placed a plate in front of him.
"Fresh pancakes and cream." She said as she swirled a bit of cream in a corner of his plate.
"Noble!" Cody said as he began to eat. One by one, The kids exited their rooms and came to eat pancakes. Alice more or less made a mess rather than ate. But she was happy. Ryoko turned the stove off and placed the rest of the pancakes in the middle of the table.
"I've made enough pancakes to-" A sharp pain then stabbed at Ryoko. It caused her to let out a cry of pain and collapse to her knees.
"Miss Ryoko!!" The kids jumped out of their seats. They surrounded their caretaker and panicked. They asked a million questions all at once. Once the pain faded enough, Ryoko raised her hand. The kids stopped talking and they watched as she stood.
"I'm fine." She breathed. "But I need you all to stay here. Stay inside, and take care of each other."
"But what was that? Are you ok Miss Ryoko?" Cody asked worriedly. Ryoko turned to him and nodded. She took her cloak off the wall and put it on.
"Take care of each other." She said before opening a portal and escaping to the outside realms.
********
Ryoko stepped into a forest. She looked around and listened to the sounds of her surroundings. She could hear crickets, rushing water, and the soft chatter of people. Carefully sticking to the shadows, Ryoko makes her way towards the voices. As the voices got louder, she saw a familiar flying ship. Ryoko pulled up her mask and made sure her hood covered her eyes. She leaned against the haul of the ship and listened.
"Don't worry Lloyd. It's not your fault."
"Yes it is! If I had been faster, Brad would still be here."
"We can't change what has happened in the past. But standing here wishing is not going to help us find your friend."
"I know I know! I just, need space." Footsteps were heard and then a closing door. Ryoko walked around the ship and peeked through a window. She saw Sensei Wu sitting at a desk. He was reading a book of some sort. Ryoko became distracted as she tried to see exactly what he was reading. Suddenly, she was hit with an energy ball. She gave a cry of pain as it knocked her into a tree. Ryoko winced and held her side. Her breathing became rugged and shallow. Through her blurry vision, she could see the green gi ninja approach her. Ryoko tried to stand to escape but instead, she fumbled. Lloyd was quick to grab her.
"You're the person that took Brad! What did you do to him!?" Lloyd demanded. Ryoko elbowed Lloyd hard in the gut. Lloyd choked and let her go. Ryoko stumbled forward and ran. Though the pain began to fade, she quickly found herself surrounded by all the other ninja.
"Hold it right there!" Kai shout as they kept her surrounded. Ryoko's hands began to glow. If she needed to, she'd get out of there any way she could.
"Please, we just want to speak." Zane said as he watched her. Ryoko shook her head.
"There is nothing to speak of. Allow me to leave."
"Not till you tell us what you did with the kid." Jay said. Ryoko sighed and relaxed her body.
"He's in a better place now." She could feel the tension and horror in the air intensify.
"Ok, maybe that was a poor choice of words." She said before dropping down into a portal as all the ninja attacked her with their powers at once. Ryoko began running again. She didn't have enough energy to open a portal to the in between. She could only hop short distances within the universe.
Once Ryoko felt she was far enough, she opened a portal back to the ship and closed it. She sighed and turned around to notice that she was inside the ship.
"Oh scrapnuts." She said as she tried to open another portal. But she was out of energy.
"Seriously?!"
"There is no need for shouting." Ryoko jumped out of her skin and turned down the hall. There stood sensei Wu. Ryoko became tense again.
"You will let me walk out of here unharmed." She said as she took a fighting stance.
"Of course... After you have some tea with me." Wu said as he walked down a connecting hall. Ryoko stood dumbfounded by the old man's request.
"Tea...?"
"Yes, come, let us have tea." Ryoko sighed and followed. A little tea wouldn't hurt. She needed the energy back anyway. She followed Sensei Wu back to his personal quarters.
"Please, take a seat." Wu said as he sat on one side of the little table. Ryoko walked with him and sat opposite of him. Wu poured some tea and slid it over to her.
"Thank you." She said as she smelt the tea. It didn't smell drugged or poisoned. She trusted the older man and pulled her mask off, making sure the upper half of her face was still covered. She sighed and took a sip.
"Mmm." She satisfyingly hummed.
"You like?" Wu chuckled as he took a sip from his own cup.
"Yes, it is a perfect blend of sweet bitterness. Is this Jasmine tea?"
"Indeed. You must be quite knowledgeable about tea."
"Not exactly. I just love jasmine."
"As the storybooks foretold." Ryoko looked up at the old man with her eyes. His eyes and face were blocked by his large hat.
"What do you mean by that...?" Wu looked up at the woman from another world.
"You are the Traveler are you not?" He asked, sliding the book over to Ryoko. She stopped the book with her hand and looked down. There, she saw a picture of a hooded figure, holding a child's hand. Ryoko sighed as she stared at the photo.
"Though there is something that bothers me." Ryoko's attention went back to the man across the table.
"According to legend, you take children. Though they do come back, they do not remember what happened. What is it you do with them?" Wu asked seriously. Ryoko placed the teacup down and closed the book.
"I take children that struggle or suffer throughout life. I take them to my home and care for them till they are well enough to return." Ryoko said simply. Wu hums and takes another sip.
"And how long does it normally take for a child to come back?"
"However long it takes for them to feel whole again." Wu chuckled and placed his cup down.
"You are an interesting being." Wu said as he looked at Ryoko. She quickly turned away from the older man and put her mask up.
"Well, I think it is time I leave." Ryoko said as she stood.
"Please, don't try to follow after. When people try to break into my world, it causes pain in my soul." Wu nodded once.
"Yes, it would be best. Farewell traveler." Ryoko bowed before opening a portal and leaving. She sighed as the portal closed behind her.
"Jeez, those ninja are so persistent." She says as she walks the path over to Eri's world.
********
As Ryoko stepped out, she almost ran into a hero. She gasped as she stepped back. The hero passed by and her eyes widened. It was Endeavor. If she had bumped into him that would have been very bad. She sighed before stepping out of the alley. Her cloak turned into a sweater and she walked down the road. Everywhere she went, she saw heroes. They all seemed to be on edge about something. Ryoko then turned herself into a student with a UA uniform. She casually walked into the school and looked around. She wanted to see what was happening now that Eri was gone. She walked around and made her way to the teachers' office. Her uniform turned back into a cloak and concealed her, making her invisible. She carefully walked around, listening to the teachers talk.
"Chisaki is still in Tartarus. There is no way he took Eri back." Present Mic said as he adjusted his glasses.
"Eri is a good child as well. There is no reason for her to leave the campus." Cementos cometed. All the teachers were clearly worried about her. Ryoko hummed as she left the office. Her cloak once again took its form as the UA uniform. She walked over to the dorms and entered the 1-A dorm. Her cloak once again allowed her to be invisible. She snuck around and listened to the students. Many of them all seemed to be absent minded or worried. Ryoko then decided to go look for Izuku. When she finally found him, he was with All Might.
"I don't understand All Might! Where could she have gone?" He cried. Even All Might looked hopeless and unsure.
"If these two worlds are like this, the other worlds might be even worse." She mumbled to herself. She then decided that she'll have to do something about it. Just as she was about to leave, she felt different.
"Wait." She tried to open a portal.
"Crap." Suddenly, Aizawa's scarf wrapped around Ryoko's body. She was pulled down hard. She let out a cry and her hood came off. Thankfully, her mask was still on. When she looked up, she saw Aizawa's angry stare. It made her shrink back.
"Who are you? How did you get here?" He demanded. Ryoko winced and looked up into his eyes.
"What's it matter to you?" She choked out. Aizawa pulled her up into a sitting position. Deku and All Might suddenly ran over, hearing the commotion.
"Aizawa Sensei! What's going on over here?" Midoriya asked as he looked at Ryoko.
"This is the woman that took Eri." He growled. Midoriya's eyes widened in shock, then anger.
"You... What did you do to her?!" He shouted angrily. Ryoko sat there silently. Aizawa pulled the scarf tighter.
"Answer-"
"I took her to a place where she can be happy." Ryoko chokes out. Awizawa released the scarf a bit.
"And where is that place?"
"Somewhere you cannot enter." Ryoko said as she grabbed the loose dirt on the ground and tossed it in Aizawa's face. Throwing the dust caused him to close his eyes and return Ryoko's power. She escaped the scarf and dove into a portal before anyone could follow her. She laid on the path of stars panting.
"Good gods you're getting sloppy." She scolded herself.
********
When Ryoko returned home, she was exhausted. Hopping around so much absolutely zaps her energy. Portaling up into her treehouse, she sees all the kids sitting on the couch. Going over to them, she could see they were asleep. She sighed as she noticed tear stains on some of their faces. Ryoko felt bad that she left the kids here to worry. But all she could do now is comfort them. She picked up Alice to take her to her room. But Alice woke up from Ryoko's touch.
"Iko!" Alice cried as she clung to the cloaked woman. Alice's cries awoke the other children. Once they saw Ryoko, they jumped off the couch and hugged Ryoko.
"You're ok!" Mokuba cried as he buried his face into Ryoko's side.
"Please don't leave like that again." Eri whimpered. Ryoko chuckled and hugged the children.
"It's ok. I promise I won't scare you guys like this again." She said as she held them close.
********
Later that night, after all the children had fallen asleep, Ryoko was back to traveling. But this time, she carried her basket full of tablets. She traveled to every universe to deliver these tablets. She was careful not to be caught this time. She gave one to Kaiba, Cody's father, Lloyd, and Aizawa. She quickly got outta there and left the rest of the work to the tablets.
********
When Kaiba awoke that morning, the first thing he saw was the tablet.
"What the heck..?" Seto grabbed the tablet and turned it on. The first thing he saw was Mokuba.
"Is this thing on?" Mokuba asked someone offscreen.
"Yes it is. Just talk to it." A female voice laughed.
"Oh ok! Um, Hi Seto! It's me!" He giggled. Seto's eyes widened.
"Mokuba?! Where are you?! Are you ok?!" Seto asked desperately.
"You might be wondering if I'm ok or something. Well, I am! Miss Ryoko's taking great care of me!" Seto realized that what he was watching was a recording. So he had to hold his questions.
"Please don't worry about me! I'm ok and having fun! I wish you were here but it's ok. I have new friends to keep me company!"
"Mokuba, it's time for you to end your bit."
"Aw! But I still have so much to say!"
"I know you do. But the others need their turn now."
"Ok..." Mokuba then turned his head back to the screen.
"Bye seto!!! I'll see you whenever I come back!!!" The screen went black. All that Seto could see was his own reflection. He took a shaky breath and put the tablet down.
"Whoever you are, Ryoko. You're gonna pay for taking my little brother."
********
Chief Burns awoke early that morning. It had been days since that strange woman took his youngest son. And the family has been so different without him. The arguing was louder and longer than it used to be. Everyone was tired and on edge. He pulled himself out of bed and was about to get ready for the day when he noticed the tablet on the pillow next to him.
"When did this get here?" He mumbled as he picked it up. As he raised it up, the screen turned on and a video started to play.
"Hey dad! I hope you guys aren't too worried about me!" The sound of Cody's voice woke Chief up immediately.
"Cody?!" He listened to the video that played.
"Anyway, I want you, Kade, Graham and Dani to know that I'm ok and that you don't need to worry! Miss Ryoko is taking great care of me! I hope that the others aren't fighting a lot. I can't be there to stop them all the time." Cody chuckled. Chief felt as the tears welled up in his eyes. He hadn't seen Cody smile like he was in the video in years.
"Cody, time for you to wrap up ok?"
"Ok Miss Ryoko. Bye dad! I'll see you soon! Oh yeah! And make sure you tell Frankie I'm ok too! Bye!!!" Just like that, the screen went black. The video was over. Chief sniffled a bit and held the tablet close to his chest.
"Stay safe son. Make sure to listen to Miss Ryoko and behave yourself..."
********
Lloyd couldn't sleep. He still blamed himself for Brad's kidnapping. He also didn't understand why someone would kidnap his friend. Brad's family wasn't rich or famous. There must've been something more to it than that! Lloyd grumbled as he went up to the deck. He needed some air. But when he got up there, he heard the sound of a portal.
"Hey! Wait!" He shouted as he ran up the stairs. But when he got there, the portal had just closed. Lloyd kicked himself.
"You were too slow again!" He shouted at himself. As he punched the wall, he heard something fall over and Brad's voice speaking.
"Uh, Hey Lloyd. I don't know if you'll ever get this, but it's worth a try." Lloyd looked up and saw the tablet laying on the deck. He quickly ran over to see what was happening. He picked it up as the video continued to play.
"Miss Ryoko tells me that you're the green ninja now. And I think that's amazing! I wish I could have been there with you when you left the school but I was too scared to. Uh, I hope you're having a great time kicking butt and stuff like in the Fritz Donagon comics!" Brad laughed a bit. But when he looked at the screen again, it looked sad.
"I know you blame yourself for me being "taken". But I promise I'm ok and that you don't need to worry. I'm not hurt or anything at all! I hope that we can continue hanging out together like we used to when I get back! So I'll be waiting for you! Bye Lloyd!" The screen turned off and Brad was gone again. Lloyd sat there against the mast. He couldn't believe it. His childhood friend was ok. And he actually looked kinda happy. It was a large contrast to the sad pretender he knew back at Darkley's. Lloyd couldn't help but to have a sad smile of his own.
"Alright Brad. I'll be waiting for you too."
********
Mr Aizawa laid in his sleeping bag. He was wide awake, unable to sleep. His mind was on the strange woman who had taken Eri, and how she even knew about the child. Possibilities ran through his head. But they were stopped as he heard footsteps outside his door. Aizawa quickly stood and yanked the door open. But he was too late. The cloaked woman had escaped through another portal. Aizawa groaned and was about to close the door when he noticed a tablet on the floor.
"What is this?" He mumbles as he picks it up. The second he lifted it up, the tablet came to life and played a video.
"Hello Mr Aizawa! Um, I'm ok! And I don't want you to worry about me!" Eri said with a big smile. Aizawa watched the video with slight shock. He hasn't seen Eri smile like that since the festival.
"Miss Ryoko is taking great care of me! And I have more friends now! See, look!" Eri lifted the camera to look around the room. There, Mr Aizawa could see a bunch of boys, the woman from earlier, a baby, and a furry creature.
"These are all my new friends!" The woman half turned to the camera. Aizawa couldn't see her eyes. But he knew that she looked panicked
"Eri! Don't do that!" The woman said as she rushed over and put the camera down.
"Sorry Miss Ryoko."
"It's ok Eri. Don't worry. Just finish up whatever you want to say to your father."
"Ok! Um, I'll be back soon! So don't worry about me! Make sure you show this to Mr Deku and Mr Lemillion too! Bye Mr Aizawa!" The tablet turned off and Aizawa was left staring at his reflection. He sighed and tossed the tablet on the desk. He sat in the chair and thought about the video.
"There's no way that's real..."
********
Ryoko returned home early that morning. The sun hadn't risen yet and the children were still asleep. Ryoko sighed as she sat on the couch. Kuriboh flew over to her with some Jasmine tea.
"Thank you Kuriboh." Ryoko sighed as she carefully took the cup and carefully took a sip. She sighed as she placed her cup on the coffee table and rested her elbows on her knees.
"Hopefully those videos will stop everyone from invading the dimension." Ryoko said as she blew some hair out of her face. Kuriboh sat next to the raven haired woman and ate a peach he had gotten from the fruit garden. Ryoko listened to the sounds of the quiet house. It made her feel lonely and uncomfortable.
"Some of them will be leaving soon..." she mumbles. Kuriboh looked up at Ryoko. He then looked down at his peach when he realized that fact as well.
"Kiri ki ki?"
"That's too risky, Kuriboh. We can only enter their worlds if there is another child that has a broken soul."
"Kiri-"
"I know what you're thinking. And even that is risky. We don't want to endanger the In-Between again." Kuriboh was silent. He then placed his peach on the table and flew off. Ryoko watched as the little ball of fur flew off into the hallway. She took a sip of her tea as the Duel monster came flying back holding something in his hand.
"What did you get?" The 19 year old asked as she placed her cup down. Kuriboh flew over and handed Ryoko her polaroid camera.
"Kiri Ki!" Ryoko smiled and looked at her camera.
"I could huh? I should..." Ryoko smiled as she checked her polaroid.
"I hope it still works." Suddenly, Ryoko heard crying down the hall. She sighed before standing and stretching.
"Duty Calls."