"Hey, Mark?"
  

"What, Ria?"
   

"When do ya think Daddy'll let us go to the other world?"
   

Mark looked at his little sister. The walls of the way tower they were inside swirled. He thought for a second. "I don't know, Ria." he replied suddenly.
    

Ria sighed and fiddled with her bow. "Well, it should be soon. What if that Aelita girl comes in here? We'll be as good as dead!" she responded. She stood up, ready to take a walk. She started towards the exit of the tower.
    

"Sis, Dad said---"
    

"I don't care what Dad said. I'm doing what I say."
    

She exited the tower, into a battle. A boy with a purple streak down his blond Elvis-style hair missed the Kankrelat he was shooting at and hit Ria. Mark was outside of the tower, as well. "Ria!" he cried.
    

Ria slowly disappeared, off of Lyoko. She half passed-out. When she awoke, she was in the boy that had shot her's arms, with a blond boy with glasses, a boy with brown hair, a girl with short black hair, and Aelita (The one with the pink hair) were staring at her. The boy with glasses spoke up. "How did you get onto Lyoko?" he asked.
    

Ria couldn't answer. She had no recall of how she became trapped in that land with her brother. She sat upright. "Mark???" she asked, rather scared. She had never been without her brother before. Why start now?

The brown haired boy reached down and put a hand on her shoulder. "Who's Mark?" he asked.

Ria scrambled to her feet. She started to nibble on her fingernail. "Mark...He's my brother." she stated, tears forming in her eyes.

The boy that had shot her before stood as well. He put both his hands on her shoulders. "It's okay. Tomorrow, we'll go see your brother. I promise." he said.

Ria whipped around to face him. "To-to-tomorrow? What's tomorrow?" she asked.

The boy with glasses nodded. "Tomorrow is after you go to sleep." he replied.

"Okay...Now, who are you exactly?" she asked.

Aelita stepped forward. "I'm Aelita"

The brown haired boy's turn. "I'm Ulrich"

The Elvis-haired boy. "I'm Odd"

Glasses boy. "I'm Jeremy"

The final person. "I'm Yumi"

"And, I'm Ria. But, where am I supposed to go? I mean, I don't have a home here!" she added, rather quickly.

"Oh, that's simple!" said Odd.

{How's that simple?} She thought, wanting to say something, but her lips refusing to move.

Odd grinned. "We'll get you into our school." he replied.

Jeremy nodded. "It'll take some time." he said, turning to his computer. He began to type feverously. He tapped enter and turned to face them. "Ria Sarov, you are now officially enrolled into Kadic." he said with a smile, obviously proud of his work.

Ria grinned from ear to ear. "Thank you. All of you." she smiled.

"And" continued Jeremy, "You'll be roommates with Yumi, so you won't get lost. You'll be in our classes, and during classes you'll be Aelita's lab partner."

Yumi smiled. "You're one of us now." she said somewhat happily.

Ria started towards the computer. She pointed at the headset. "Can I use it?" she asked.

Jeremy nodded. "Go right ahead."

She picked it up and propped it onto her ear. "Mark?" she asked.

No answer.

"Mark? You there?" she tried again.

Still no answer.

She choked back tears. "MARK???" she asked, half yelling.

No answer, but there was a voice in her head. She fell to her knees. -Mark's not there, you insolent fool- was what the voice said. A pain rung through her ears. Her sight blurred. "Help-" was all she could manage. She passed out, then and there.

 

 

 

When her eyelids batted opened, she wasn't in the factory, although Odd and Yumi were next to her. {What am I on? A bed?} she thought.

"Good, you're alive!" cried Odd, laying his head on her shoulder. Ria pulled her hand through his hair slowly, enjoying the feel it gave off.

"Odd's been worried sick!" Yumi informed.

Ria looked out the window at the sunlight pouring in. "Where am I, Yumi?" she asked, knowing that Odd would barely be able to respond.

"In the infirmary."

"Is it tomorrow?"

Yumi nodded. Ria sat upright. She glanced around. No nurse. "Can we go to Lyoko? To find Mark?" she asked in a hushed tone.

Odd looked up and nodded. "We'll go right away." he responded.

Ria swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up. Odd met her at the foot of the bed. They strolled out, Yumi close behind. Jeremy, Aelita, and Ulrich were waiting right in the middle of the courtyard, under a shady tree. Aelita came over. "What made you pass out?" she asked intently.

Ria shrugged. She wasn't about to tell them that her dad, Xana, had done it. "It was nothing, really" she smiled reassuringly.

The group headed for the thicket that surrounded the school. They traveled down into the sewers, then up, across a bridge, and into an elevator. Jeremy, Ulrich, and Yumi got out. "You three'll go now. Yumi and Ulrich'll stay as backup." Jeremy stated.

In habit, Odd, and Aelita nodded, and Ria followed their example. "Be careful, Ria." Yumi warned.

{I'll do just that} Ria thought, smiling at the three that were heading to the computer.

 

 

 

The elevator's doors closed, and Ria, Odd, and Aelita were on their way to the scanner room. Once there, Ria looked around rather hesitantly. "What do I do?" she asked Odd.

"Get in one, close your eyes, and see you on Lyoko!" he said simply, stepping into a scanner himself.

She shrugged and got into one, Aelita occupying the final one. When she opened her eyes, she was in the air over the mountain sector. She began to drop, and landed on her rear end. "OW!" she cried.

Aelita giggled as she held out her hand to Ria. Ria didn't take it and levitated herself up, realizing her bow was draped over her quiver. She stood straight up. "Veichles are on the way." said a disembodied voice.

"Thanks, Jeremy." Odd called to the sky.

{So, that's it. That explains alot...} Ria thought. Three veichles appeared in front of the small group: A floating scooter with no wheels, a floating skateboard, again with no wheels, and a one-wheeled bicycle. Odd claimed the board, Aelita got the scooter. Ria climbed onto the bike.

"What way?" Odd asked.

Ria thought for a moment. "Hey Jeremy?"

"Yeah?"

"Which direction were you guys at the day before today?"

"Southeast. Why?"

"We have to go that way."

"Alright, you lead the way!" Odd interjected.

 

 

 

Ria nodded and started in that direction. After a few minutes, Tarantulas and Krabes were coming towards them in the dozens. Ria disregarded them and went straight under a Krabe. "Yeah, don't worry, Ria. We'll take care of these fellas." Odd said rather scornfully.

Ria rolled her eyes and kept on. She came to a group of Mantas after a few minutes, with the one in the middle holding Mark. "Mark!" she cried.

She tried to approach, but the Mantas shot in front of her. She stopped after a few tries. Odd and Aelita came over. Mark scoffed. "You shouldn't have made it so easy for me." he chortled.

Ria gulped. It was her Dad, in possession of Mark. "What do you mean?" Odd and Ria asked together.

Mark gestured to Aelita. "That's the one I'm after." he replied.

Ria thought for a moment. "Don't hurt her! Please!" she pleaded.

Mark scoffed again. "I have no right to listen to you. You're one of them now, dearest Ria."

Odd and Aelita turned to her. "Dearest???" Odd asked confusedly.

Ria sighed, feeling tears trickle down her cheeks. Aelita approached her. "Don't worry, we won't hate you. Just tell us."

 

 

 

Ria shook her head. "I-I-I"

Mark jumped off the manta he was on and came over. He slapped Ria across the face.

Odd was offended. "You can't do that!" he defended.

"Of course I can. She's my daughter, anyways." was Mark's reply. The Xana symbol flashed in his eyes.

Aelita knelt next to the fallen Ria. "Is that true?" she asked.

Tears poured out even more now. She nodded slightly. Ria stood up and ran past everything and everyone, into the tower closest to her. She knelt in the center, letting it all come out.

She heard a noise, but ignored it. Then, she felt something brush her face. She caught a glimpse of purple. "Go away, Odd. I know you hate me." she said through tears.

Odd crouched next to her. He held up her chin. "I only hate you for not telling me in the first place. You're one of us now, so it doesn't matter who your parents are."

"Really?"

He nodded. "Now, come on. I don't want to know what's happening to Aelita." he joked.

Ria giggled and followed him out. Aelita was there. So was a scipazoa. Odd was in a shooting position, but Ria pushed his hand down. "Eflor sonorta smakring." she chanted.

Rather surprisingly to Odd, the Skipazoa dropped Aelita and vanished. "How'd you--" he asked, no need to finish his question.

She smirked in response. "Alright," started Jeremy over them, "return to the past time!"

Ria held her breath. Everything around her faded. She closed her eyes.

~~~

Upon opening them again, she was in the bed in the infirmary. "It worked! You're one of us!" Odd cried, grinning widely.

Ria nodded. "I guess so!" Ria responded, joyous to be unstuck from that world. She liked it here a whole lot better.