A blonde man in a white doctor's coat appeared to be there and was patching a grave before looking around and dashed away before he could get caught and hid behind a tree, glancing out as Cherry and Lionel made it over.
"So, you think you believe in that Henry Mills' kid's story?" Lionel asked.
"A little bit, yeah," Cherry shrugged as they walked in, passing by the various tombstones. "I mean, I kinda have to see things up close for myself in order to believe them easier. I don't doubt it's true though."
"Exactly," replied Lionel. "We've seen lots of crazy things before now."
"I feel like I need some sort of concrete evidence though," Cherry said as she pulled out a blanket and waved it out a few times before setting it down on the ground and sat down with him on it. "Again, stranger things have happened."
Lionel nodded to her.
"I can tell though that there's something strange going on around here in this town," Cherry said as they sat in front of the mausoleum of the graveyard. "I'd explore what, but I wouldn't know where to look."
And so the both of them pondered to themselves.
"Fancy a picnic?" Lionel asked.
"I suppose we could do that." Cherry replied.
Regina seemed to be on her way into the graveyard, but saw the two and backed away and hid behind a tree before she could be seen by them as Lionel worked his magic to give them both a picnic. "...What are those two doing here?" she wondered to herself as she eyed Cherry and Lionel cautiously.
"I dunno, but they seem suspicious." The blonde man said, rising up behind her without her knowing.
Regina let out a startled shriek and suddenly socked him right in the face. The man grunted and groaned, now having a badly bruised nose and cupped his nose as it drew out the crimson liquid and he luckily didn't get woozy as he was a doctor.
"Whale... What're you doing here?" Regina glared.
"If I'm lucky, performing my own surgery later..." The man groaned. "Ugh... A bloody nose... Can it get any worse?"
Cherry waited for Lionel before she sniffed the air and her eyes darted around like she was a hungry predator, licking her lips slightly.
"Whassamatter?" Lionel asked. "What's got your sniffer in overdrive?"
"I smell... Fresh blood~..." Cherry replied, almost sounding hungry as she fell on her hands and knees.
"I thought you didn't do that sort of thing...?" Lionel said to her.
"Not normally, I don't," Cherry shook her head. "But I smell the blood of a weak and defenseless poor sap... It's almost juicy..." she then smirked towards him. "I'm going to hunt down this whimpering, poor, unfortunate soul~"
Lionel's legs quivered. "Weeeell, I think I'll check and see if the food is all in there. You just... Have your fun." he replied, retreating into the picnic basket.
Cherry soon followed the scent of blood like, well, a bloodhound.
"Look, I'm sorry I hit you, but I didn't want those two tourists to see me," Regina glared at Dr. Whale with her fists on her hips as he began to tend to his abused nosebleed as he glared at her. "They might suspect something out of the ordinary, especially with Henry's talk of fairy tales and supernatural forces."
Cherry lurked behind the trees, popping out from the trees and random gravestones, like a stealthy spy.
"Yeah? What's he talking about now?" Dr. Whale asked, a bit nasally right now.
"Oh, it's complicated to explain, such as a group of visitors in Storybrooke with unlikely magic and powers of their own with four unlikely allies are supposed to save us from a greater threat in the outside world," Regina tried to explain. "He explains it better than I do, but it sounds like a comic book plot if you ask me, but it's not like we're gonna get swamped by teenage space vampires or something." she then shrugged, turning away from him as she looked over as Lionel was in front of the mausoleum.
Dr. Whale then looked up as he heard some branches snapping and soon screamed like a little girl as Cherry lunged out and tackled him suddenly, pulverizing him a bit.
"Don't be so dramatic, they don't know the true story... Yet," Regina continued, with her back at him as Cherry pretty much gave him the terrorizing of a lifetime, though she seemed to be mostly messing around with him before drinking his blood. "You remember what happened when Emma Swan ended up here."
"Oh, here's the egg salad!" Lionel exclaimed as he popped out of the picnic basket. "Would Cherry like a hot dog? I'll make her a hot dog." He reached into the basket and pulled out a grill and got it started, whistling while he worked.
Dr. Whale had wide eyes, though they seemed to be bulging and twitching as his body was jolting on the ground. It was ambiguous on whether he was dead or alive.
"Did that boy just... No way... That's impossible..." Regina muttered to herself, shaking her head. "Then again, I'm not one to talk."
Cherry soon wiped her mouth with a hanky like a proper young lady before she went to go back to see Lionel again.
"Cherry!" Lionel beamed. "Would you care for a hot dog, or some hot dogs?"
"Hmm... I'll take a couple if there's ketchup." Cherry replied.
"Plenty!" Lionel replied as he got out an entire bottle full of ketchup.
"Works for me." Cherry nodded, taking the hot dogs.
Regina soon called over Dr. Whale's nurse to come and pick him up as she wondered what to do as she needed to go into the mausoleum, but Cherry and Lionel were blocking it right now.
"May you all rest in peace while I eat in peace." Cherry told the marked graves as she enjoyed her picnic with Lionel.
"Yea, verily!" Lionel declared as he started eating.
Cherry ate up with him.
Regina looked frustrated as she crossed her arms, hiding behind a tree. "They can't be the ones Henry was talking about, they just can't be," she said, shaking her head. "...I might need to have a little word with somebody about this..." she then said, stepping over poor Dr. Whale as he groaned sickly and painfully on the ground, heading right for town into the pawnshop.
"I hope the others are having fun," said Lionel. "But I suppose that this could be boring for anyone reading."
"You took the words outta my mouth." said a familiar voice from nearby.
"...All right," Cherry sighed. "Can we at least finish our picnic first?"
"Fine." replied Drell, somehow sitting in a tree like the Cheshire Cat.
"Don't break that tree while you're up there." Cherry said as she bit into her first hot dog.
"Watch it." Drell warned.
Cherry and Lionel soon went to have their picnic while Drell decided to call Atticus and Mo while he was at it.
"Ugh... Where am I?" Dr. Whale groaned as he woke up, holding his head before looking around. "Oh... Those kids... They seem like they're up to something..." he then said as he watched Cherry and Lionel from afar. "I'll probably have to deal with them later."
"Alright, we're done." said Cherry as she and Lionel finished the picnic.
"All right, we'll just gather Atticus and Mo around and we'll get you guys going." Drell decided.
"Fine." Cherry replied as she wiped her mouth.
Drell then took them and made then disappear with magic. Dr. Whale's eyes widened before he soon fainted and groaned as he passed out in the middle of the ground.
Atticus and Mo were currently checking out the library as the librarian there was smiling warmly as she stacked and arranged the books as needed before going into her backroom.
Suddenly, Lionel and Cherry came around one of the shelves. "Hey, guys." they said at a lower volume.
"Oh!" Mo gasped and looked over. "Oh, hey."
"What're you doing here?" Atticus asked.
"I'll give you 50 guesses." Cherry replied dryly and cynically.
Atticus paused to think about it before his eyes widened. "Oh, no, no, no, we just got here!" he then complained. "We can't leave now!"
"You wanna tell Toad Breath that?" Cherry rolled her eyes with a scoff.
"We have to get there sometime," Drell stated. "Otherwise everyone reading this is gonna get bored!"
"Well, this IS a crossover." Atticus reminded.
"You're very annoying sometimes, Atticus," Drell replied cynically. "Also, this involves the past."
"The past?" The group asked.
"Yes," Drell nodded as he walked off. "The early 17th century, but in Japan, not like those Salem Witch Trials."
"Well, that would explain that funky helmet we found in the pawnshop." Lionel replied.
"You found a helmet?" Drell asked.
"Yeah, it was like a samurai helmet," Cherry nodded. "Not sure how it could've ended up in a place like this."
"Then perhaps it's time for a history lesson." Drell advised as he adjusted his glasses.
"Alrighty then, Mr. Peabody." replied Lionel with a chuckle.
Drell gave him a long look for that.
"Never mind him," Atticus replied. "Anyway, you were gonna tell us something, Drell?" he then prompted.
"Yeah, tell us." Mo added.
"It all started a very long time ago before any of you were born," Drell began before looking at Lionel. "I mean, I'm assuming... You ARE a kid, right? You're not like a thousand-year-old Yoda or anything, are you?"
"Yes, I am a kid; we've established this." Lionel glowered.
"Just wanted to make sure." Drell replied.
"So, anyway, you were saying...?" Lionel then asked as he rolled his eyes.
"Ah, yes, the old days back in Feudal Japan," Drell nodded as he began to have a flashback to back in the year 1603. "A very, very long time ago... Once upon a time, there were two young boys in deep trouble... One was Kenshin and the other was named Kintarō."
"Were they brothers?" Atticus guessed.
"They were like brothers, though not related through blood," Drell replied. "Kenshin was not a fan of war, but he was, unfortunately, facing a big challenge in his world which was going through war and Kintarō was his only friend in the world, born with superhuman strength on Mount Ashigara and was raised by a mountain witch."
"Cool." Atticus smiled about the superhuman strength part.
"Some say he was the son of Princess Yaegiri born in the Jizodo village," Drell continued. "But he grew up on the mountains and soon met Kenshin and the two became good friends and plotted an escape from the unfair and cruel world that came to be because of hellish war."
"That seriously bites, man." commented Lionel.
"I know, right?" Mo added.
"So they decided that they needed some help..." Drell continued. "But for now, I must take you back to some old friends."
"The Ninja Turtles?" Cherry guessed.
"You were expecting Biker Mice from Mars?" Drell smirked.
"Very funny!" Cherry rolled her eyes.
"Let's get going then," Drell replied. "You can come back to this town any old day. It's not like anything exciting happens around here."
The group looked at each other before they were soon leaving Storybrooke once again.
Henry was watching in secret and watched them leave as they took a large van out of town and passed the townline. "They passed the townline again and yet nothing happened to them," he then said to himself. "There's more to them than they know... Almost like... They're Saviors..." he then added before he took out his storybook and began to look through it again. "Japan... Just like that big guy said," he then said as he found a story. "Kintarō is one of the missing fairy tale people spread throughout the globe. I have to help them somehow!" he then told himself in determination. "Even if no one will believe me." he then added before taking off which would be a brand new adventure in enough itself.
Meanwhile, the group was making good time on their way back to New York City. They hated to say goodbye to Storybrooke again, but they just guessed that was probably for the best.
"Shoot... I was looking forward to exploring more of Storybrooke..." Cherry sighed. "Somehow I feel like we're never going to be able to enjoy the quiet little town that is Storybrooke."
"Yeah," Atticus frowned. "Some vacation this turned out to be."
"Well, we're not just there for vacation; don't forget you have missions," replied Drell. "Besides, the other writer wasn't too sure what else to do there, so we had to get the action started."
The group groaned a bit as their vacation was ruined once more.
"We're doing Turtles in Time next, aren't we?" Cherry deadpanned, breaking the fourth wall herself.
Then suddenly, we see a flashback sequence to Ancient Japan where there were men on horseback who appeared to be samurais, riding beneath the crimson sky.
Two people were being chased by others behind them which was a bit of an unfair fight, eventually further into the forest, the horses had to be stopped right away as there was nowhere else to run.
"Prince Kenshin, Kintarō, you must turn back," One of the other men urged. "Return with us at once!"
"No, we won't give in only to be unhappy!" Kintarō retorted.
"Do not harm them!" shouted a horseman. "Take them prisoner!"
"You'll have to kill me first!" Kenshin declared fiercely as he drew out his katana and fought off the other horsemen. Eventually, Kenshin got his blade knocked from his hand, and embedded in a tree trunk.
"Take them to the castle!" said one horseman, and Kenshin and Kintarō were apprehended.
"MITSU...!" shouted Kenshin as they were taken away.
A girl was shown to be in the forest, hiding away before the sword was grabbed as the horsemen galloped away. There was someone else in the forest who seemed to have glowing, reptilian eyes, watching from the distance before backing away in the darkness in a rather mysterious fashion.
Meanwhile, the group continued to ride along until they were closer to New York City and far, far away from Maine. The group looked pretty exhausted as it was a seven-hour and a half long drive.
"Well, I guess it'll be nice to see the Turtles again." Atticus said, trying to look on the bright side.
"Yep," Lionel agreed. "Especially since we might not get to hear from them in live-action for a while. But yeah... They're probably getting restless after so long."
"Yeah!" Atticus nodded before looking curious and confused.
"You'll get used to that." Cherry smirked as she put away a notebook she had in her hands with the title "Avengers Grimm saga" on it.
"I guess so." Atticus shrugged.
"Okay, just a little longer until we get to the lair," said Drell. "Heads-up: they might look different after all this time."
"Mostly cuz the studio couldn't afford to use the Jim Henson Company for the suits this time." Lionel added.
"Uh... Yeah..." Drell nodded. "What he said."
"I just hope they don't look ugly or uncanny valley territory." Cherry grimaced slightly.
"We don't get to that until 2014." Lionel replied as they headed down into the sewer entrance.
"All right, this is your stop," Drell told them. "Have fun and I'll see you around."
"See ya!" The group replied before they went down the sewers, knowing exactly where to go.
"All right, let's see what the adventure is this time," Cherry said. "Hopefully nothing too tricky like with that Shredder guy."
"Oh, I have a feeling we won't have to worry about him," Atticus replied. "At least I hope we don't have to."
There was soon some music playing that got louder the further they went inside.
"Oh, yeah, that's definitely them." Mo remarked once she heard the music.
As the group ventured further into the tunnels, they saw that the Turtles were doing some gymnastics while "Can't Stop Rockin'" played on a stereo. Finally, the little dance session ended, when Raph chucked one of his sai straight into the sound system, wrecking it. His brothers all glanced at him, waiting for a response.
"...It slipped." Raph remarked dryly.
"So much for joining in the dance." Patch commented.
"Probably for the best," Cherry sighed bashfully. "I can't dance anyway."
The group came further in to meet the Ninja Turtles that they had met and befriended from before.
"Oh... Well, that doesn't look too bad." Cherry commented once she got a look at how the Ninja Turtles looked physically. Yes, different from before, but not as bad as she imagined or thought they would look. Could had been worse.
"What's the point of all this?!" Raph asked. "We're always workin' ourselves to death down here! And for WHAT?! Nobody knows we're down here! Or that we're even ALIVE! Besides, Shredder has BEEN dead for two years!"
"Hello." Cherry said.
Raph looked at her before scoffing and looking back. "And what are THEY doing here?" he then asked.
"I'm sure we'll all find out why we're here later on," Atticus replied. "But for right now, we're going to help out."
"Hey, guys! How's it going?" A familiar voice soon called out.
"And it looks like another one of your friends is here too." Atticus then said.
"Oh, fine. Good hair day?" Donnie chuckled as they saw April coming by.
"Brought ya some stuff," April said before looking at the other group in the room. "Oh, hey. Long time no see."
"Hi!" The group waved to April.
"April... We appreciate that you didn't forget us..." said Leo. "...But we can't take any more of these presents! We've got so much we could probably run our OWN antique sale."
"As if anybody would ever buy anything from mutant turtles." Raph rolled his eyes.
"Relax, man," said Leo. "It'll get better."
"When?" asked Raph. "We live to be 500, ya know."
"Funny, I thought that was just at least 150." Cherry smirked.
"C'mon," April smiled at the turtles. "I got you some stuff from the Flea Market."
"Better than groceries downtown where people have cracks all over their walls." Cherry added.
"Exactly!" April smiled.
Patch came to sniff inside the bags to see what was in them.
"C'mon, guys, let's just see what she brought," Don suggested. "It could be cool."
"Ah, okay," Raph relented. "But I'll be bitter about it."
"Okay, here are the keys to my apartment," April began, showing the keys before she put on a pair of sunglasses. "Somewhere... Hey! Stop peeking! No peeking!" she then told Mikey, slapping his hands away from one bag.
"I'm not peeking, I'm spelunking for pork rinds." Mikey chuckled.
Cherry rolled her eyes and shook her head.
"Oh, God! I need this vacation." April sighed.
"Oh, you're leaving, April?" Mo asked the woman.
"Yeah, just for a little while," April replied. "I thought these gifts would help cheer the guys up."
"How nice of you." Atticus smiled.
"Wait, where'd Raph go?" April asked as she looked around.
"Probably off to brood somewhere," Leo replied. "He's been getting bored for a long time now."
"Again?" asked April, before she took out a fedora. "Maybe this will cheer him up."
"What a handsome looking hat." Mo smiled.
"I thought so too." April smiled back.
"Lookin' good!" Mikey approved.
"So this is for Mikey~" April smirked, giving him the blue bag.
"Looks like the perfect gift for a party turtle..." Cherry chuckled, trying to make a joke as Mikey opened the bag to take out what looked like a floral lampshade.
"And for Leonardo... There you go." April said as she took a green book out of the bag and handed it to the blue-clad swordsturtle.
"Ooh! Japanese swords!" Leo commented as he began to read the book.
"Nice." Cherry approved.
"Very nice." Atticus added.
"And Donatello, this oughta keep you busy while I'm gone." April said, giving the purple-masked turtle next.
Don beamed, accepting his bag in excitement.
"All right and for Splinter," April said, taking out one last gift. "Where is he anyway?"
"I guess he's doing rat stuff." Patch shrugged at himself.
"What is that thing?" Mo asked April.
"Actually, I don't know what it is," April shrugged. "Some kind of weird antique or something. I think it's Japanese."
"Too bad we left that town," Cherry remarked. "I bet that creepy guy with the pawnshop would know."
"Perhaps," Lionel shrugged. "But I suppose we'll just need to find out the truth for ourselves in this case."
"Yeah, I guess." Cherry remarked.
"This is Elvis Presley with 'Blue Hawaii'." Mikey chuckled, moving around as he wore the lampshade on his head.
"Ooh! A super android radio with triode tubes! Boss!" Don beamed as he looked at his present.
"Hey, what's that, guys?" Leo asked as he looked over from his book as April held the strange new item in her hand.
"We have no idea," Atticus replied. "It's some kinda strange artifact. Looks like something that'd be in an old book from hundreds of years ago."
"Some kinda weird Japanese antique egg timer." April shrugged before blowing the speckles of dust off of it instantly.
"Looks more like a torch," Lionel remarked. "Besides, I doubt they had egg timers back then..."
"Still, it beats me." April shrugged.
Back in the past, over at what was known as Norinaga Castle, bells were being tolled as someone was being let into the castle after the doors were opened. There was a lot of shouting as men on horseback were moving around, shouting at each other as something terrible had happened. One man, in particular, was probably the most unhappy. Two familiar faces were soon shown and left their horses and removed their masks before the man began to walk out, passing by the armed forces as the two fell to their knees and bowed to the man in front of them.
"Kenshin, Kintarō, I forbid you both to leave the castle," Lord Norinaga told them as he sharply looked down at them. "You have both disgraced me."
"It is you who have disgraced us, Father," Kenshin retorted. "With your unjust war."
All eyes were suddenly on the two as they both looked firm from the ground.
Lord Norinaga glared and was about to take out his sword only for a gunshot to suddenly hit the castle grounds, hitting the bell before he looked over to see a new visitor. "Walker! You're alive!" he then called out to the man who was shown to be on horseback too.
"Yes, I'd say that was a fair assumption," Walker replied. "Survived the shipwreck, built some new ones, and, well, here I am, hungry again. Niles!" he then called out.
Eventually, in came one man along with a few others as one was called.
"Move along, lads," Walker told them before seeing an army, looking ready to fight if necessary. "Your sentries, I believe. Must be a great comfort to know how well-protected you are, Lord Norinaga."
"Boys! Inside, NOW!" Lord Norinaga told the boys sharply.
The two soon got up together, looking disgusted and angry as Kintarō knocked down some posts with his brutish, almost god-like and superman strength as they stormed off together.
"Children are such a pest, aren't they?" Walker remarked. "Especially when they side with the enemy. Oh, dear. Damn nuisance. I just keep birds now."
"Little finches." One of the men spoke up with a goofy smile.
"Shut up, Niles," Walker scolded. "Right. I have three ships sitting in your harbor loaded down with powder and muskets, absolutely guaranteed to win your ambitious war." he then told Lord Norinaga.
"Looks to me like someone needs a little help~..." A voice called from the darkness as Kenshin and Kintarō wandered inside. "Luckily for me, I can help... Even if the price and consequences would be dire." he then added, giggling a bit, sounding rather childish and insane in his laughter.
"Who said that?" asked Kenshin, while urging Kintarō to stay close. "Come out and show yourself!"
"Don't make us make you." Kintarō added darkly.
Out soon came a man with scaly skin with beady, almost crocodile-like brown eyes, and a mop of messy and frizzy hair on his head.
"Where did you come from?" Kenshin asked.
"Never mind that!" The man smirked. "I see that you two boys are in trouble and would probably like to get out of here... Life can be so unfair sometimes, can't it?" he then cooed and pouted toward them.
"What do you want with us, Yōkai?" asked Kenshin, keeping his hand trained on his sword.
"Now, now, relax," The man smirked. "I'm going to help you with your little problem~"
"Problem?" Kintarō crossed his arms with a glare. "What problem?"
"I can send you far away from here," The man replied as he came over closer beside them, cupping his face with a small smirk. "You just have to make a deal with me... Then you'll get some freedom~"
"What would you want in return?" Kenshin demanded.
"That, my dear, is MY business," The man grinned darkly. "You just have to say you agree and I can make you feel all better and be far, far away from all your problems~"
"...Fine," Kenshin relented. "I accept your terms."
"Deal! Ahaheheh!" The man beamed, clapping his hands in excitement.
"Ken, are you sure this is a good idea?" Kintarō asked his old friend.
"It's probably for the best," Kenshin replied. "What have we got to lose?"
"Exactly~" The man smirked before he flicked his hand out and a puff of magic dust appeared as a contract was shown. "You just have to sign your names at the bottom and I'll make your dreams come true~"
The two soon took the pen offered and signed their names and afterwards, the man made the contract disappear before taking out what looked like the item that April had back in the present/future.
"Whenever you're ready, use this, and you will know when the time is right," The stranger advised them. "Now if you don't mind, I simply must get going. I have places to be and people to see."
"What? But who are you? Where are you going?" Kenshin asked before looking to see that the stranger was suddenly gone. "He's gone..."
"Who was that strange man?" Kintarō wondered before looking at the scepter. "And what are we supposed to do with this?"
"Well, I don't know right now, but hopefully it helps us out." Kenshin then said as he set it down.
"I hope so too then." Kintarō nodded at him.
Little did either of them realize the trouble that they were getting themselves into... The windows soon blew open as the scepter flashed a light slightly.
The boys looked around and soon saw some scrolls which seemed to have ancient turtle warriors on it, not very different from the turtles we would come to know a few centuries later. "Kappa..." they both mumbled in amazement.
The scepter glowed again as they decided to check it out before the window's shutters closed suddenly.
"Does it say anything?" Kintarō asked.
"Yes, there's something written on it," Kenshin replied before he read it aloud. "'Open wide the gates of time'."
"That's strange..." Kintarō said before something magical was about to happen.
Suddenly, the hourglass on top started to glow... And then it began to spin.
Back in the future/present, the same thing started to happen as April held onto the scepter in her hands. "Uh... Guys?" she then called nervously. "GUYS!"
The turtles continued to enjoy their gifts, not paying attention to her right away.
"Guys! What's going on?!" April cried out as wind seemed to blow all around inside the underground lair.
"This isn't normal." Patch commented.
"Said the talking dog." Cherry rolled her eyes.
"This is no time for jokes." Atticus told her.
"Wait a second here!" April cried out as electricity sparked from the scepter.
"I don't like this!" Cherry panicked a bit. "Whatever is going on, someone stop it!"