After her last adventure on the planet of Zemius, Riley felt herself tumbling through the time machine portal once again, unsure where she'd land. A few minutes later, she fell onto a soft mat in a dark room surrounded by a group of Asian girls roughly her same age. They appeared to be sleeping, and when one of them shifted restlessly, Riley turned her body to the side to hide her identity. She peered into the inky darkness, trying to discern her whereabouts, but all she could see was the faint outline of the moon through the paper-thin shutters of the room.
Waiting until everyone's breathing returned to normal, she raised herself up off her mat and crept toward the exit door, sliding it open slowly. Peering outside into the empty courtyard, she surveyed the bowed roofs of the surrounding buildings and the immaculately groomed garden trickling water under an arched footbridge. In the distance, soaring mountains loomed over the landscape like giant citadels. Not recognizing any sign of activity, she considered wandering outside to find a place to hide. But she had no idea where she would go or how to support herself, and for the time being at least, the other girls in her impromptu dorm room seemed harmless.
Besides, she was buck naked and white as a sheet in the light of the full moon. Looking around for a place to stash her time machine, she placed it behind a rock in the garden next to the door.
"Where are you going?" one of the girls whispered behind her back in native Japanese.
Riley swung around, and when the girl recognized her Western features, her eyes suddenly widened and she gasped.
"Who are you and how did you get into our academy?" the girl said.
By now the rest of girls had stirred from their sleep and when they noticed the intruder, they leapt from their beds, assuming a defensive martial arts pose.
"Sorry," Riley said in fluent Japanese. "I seem to be lost. I'm not sure how I got here exactly..."
She knew no one would believe her improbable story of traveling through time, but she was happy that her time machine had given her the ability to speak the local language.
"But you're not from around here," the pretty Asian girl said.
"No," Riley said. "I'm from America."
"America?" the girl said, raising her eyebrows. "What in heaven's name brought you all the way up here into the mountains?"
Riley paused for a long moment, unsure how to explain herself while she peered back at the group of girls poised to attack her at the slightest provocation.
"Maybe she's a rezu," the tallest girl sneered, running her eyes up and down Riley's naked body. "Trying to spy on us while we're sleeping."
"We should report her to the shihan," another one nodded, glancing toward the tall girl. "He'll know what to do with her."
Seeing Riley trembling in the doorway, the tall girl relaxed her posture and sauntered over to Riley's side, sliding the back of her hand over the side of her exposed breast and down the edge of her bare hip.
"Or perhaps we should show her some special Japanese hospitality before the light comes up," she grinned. "I've heard these Western girls are quite the minx in the sack."
As much as Riley was attracted to the sight of eight Japanese girls dressed in flimsy yakuza pajamas, she felt uncomfortable by the posture of the group slowly closing in around her.
"Please," she said, crossing her hands over her bare crotch. "I meant no harm. I can leave if that is what you wish..."
"In due course," the tall girl smiled, moving her hand over Riley's shaved mound. "But not until we sample your pretty wares–"
Suddenly, the interior door of the room slid open and the tall girl retracted her hand, bowing stiffly toward a middle-aged man wearing an expensive silk robe. The rest of the women quickly followed suit, then the man peered over at Riley, who was still standing awkwardly by the exit door.
"Who is this woman?" he said.
Riley peered at the other girls, and when it became apparent they didn't wish to speak for her, she bowed gently, covering her crotch with her right hand while angling her other arm over her bare breasts.
"My name's Riley, sir," she said. "I seem to have wandered onto your grounds by accident..."
"So it would seem," the man nodded, gazing into her eyes coldly, trying to judge her sincerity. "You look like you're a long way from home."
"Yes," Riley said. "It was a bit of a topsy-turvy journey."
"Do you have family in these parts?" the man said.
“No–I kind of just stumbled into this enclosure."
The man paused for a long moment while he studied Riley's demeanor, then he leaned over to lift a blanket covering one of the tatami mats and gently wrapped it around her body.
"We'll decide what to do with you in the morning," he said. "In the meantime, I expect you girls to extend the proper courtesy to our guest and provide her with whatever comfort she may need."
"Yes, shihan," the tall girl nodded, glancing toward Riley out of the corner of her eyes.
After the man closed the door, the girls peered at one another for a moment then they returned to their tatami mats, pulling the covers back over their bodies.
"You can sleep on my mat tonight," the first girl said to Riley, crouching down beside her pad and pulling her blanket over her shoulders.
"Thank you," Riley said, lying down on the spongy mat and curling into a tight ball, still shaking from her frightening encounter with the other girls. "What's your name?"
"I'm Akiri," the girl said. "It means white jasmine in our language."
"Pleased to meet you," Riley smiled. "Thank you for your kindness. I'm not sure the other girls are quite so happy to see me."
"It's just that they weren't expecting to see a foreigner. We're trained to defend the academy and its occupants from any unwanted intruders."
"What kind of academy is this exactly?" Riley said.
“It's a bujinkan, where we're trained in the art of ninjutsu."
"You're ninjas?" Riley said, bulging her eyes.
"Well, we're technically not considered true ninjas until we graduate from the academy," Akiri chuckled.
"How long does that normally take?" Riley asked.
"It depends on when our instructor thinks we're ready. Some of us have been training here since we were toddlers."
"Well I'm pretty sure you could kick my ass," Riley smiled. "I've only had rudimentary training in the martial arts, and only since I left college."
"College?"
"It's a different type of academy," Riley nodded. "Where we learn less practical life skills."
"Well, I'll look forward to kicking your ass then," Akiri grinned, peering down at Riley's plump cleavage. "But don't worry, I'll be gentle with your soft Western flesh."
"Mmm," Riley hummed. "I'll look forward to that."
As she felt herself drift off to sleep, she listened to the soft trickling of water in the Japanese garden, wondering what new adventures were in store for her in this strange new world...
