AUTHOR'S NOTE (YOU MIGHT WANNA READ THIS)

Alright, so this a story that I've had up my sleeve for a good long while now. As I may have mentioned in some of my other author's notes, this coincides with "Star Fox: Next Gen" in that it takes place during the two months before Fox and Krystal got married (which means sorry, fans of that story. Marcus is not in this one.) I was going to finish "Notorious" first, but I kinda wanted to just get the first two chapter of this thing out before I forgot about them.

A quick warning: a rather controversial character is featured in this first chapter of the story. My advice to you is that even though this character is someone that you probably loathe, bear with it because it will pay off at one point. Also, the main character in this story is an OC who you may or may not like because let's face it: you're reading this for when Mario and Ryu (or Samus and Mega Man) duke it out, right?

So without further ado, let's begin.

CHAPTER ONE

Life, Dreams and Hope

"NO!" Saya screamed, jolting awake almost instantly. Her eyes darted all around her dark room, ensuring that she was alone and safe but not managing to calm her down.

They were all dying…she didn't know who these people were, but every single one of them was being struck down in front of her very eyes…and all she could do was stand and watch.

"Saya, what's wrong?"

Saya yelped and turned her head towards the door. There stood the orphanage administrator Aiko Minamoto with a blanket draped around her shoulders. She seemed to have been heading off to bed when Saya started screaming. Right away, Saya herself felt a wave of guilt wash over her.

"M-Ms. Minamoto, I'm sorry…I didn't mean to…"

Aiko sat on Saya's bed and laid a hand on her shoulder. Contrary to numerous tales of nasty men and women running orphanages, Aiko was one of the kindest people Saya knew. She had a smile that could light up the room in an instant, and her blinding white hair made her as radiant as could be. All of the children at this orphanage, especially Saya, loved her like a mother, and why wouldn't they?

"Another nightmare, dear?"

"Yes…I don't know why I keep having them…or how. The people in these dreams…I've never met them before, so how could I possibly have dreams about them?"

"The mind is a powerful thing, dear. You know how they say that imagination is more important than knowledge? Imagination is what creates our deepest fears and most blissful loves. Sometimes it speaks to us. Maybe you will meet this people soon enough."

"But then I'd have to watch them…"

She sighed.

"Never mind."

Aiko smiled and softly kissed Saya's cheek.

"Don't worry. I'm always here for you. You know that, right?"

Always…Saya didn't like that word one bit. Always meant forever. For all eternity. That was the problem. Nothing lasted forever…nothing but time, and even that was cruel to her.

She shook the thoughts out as Aiko spoke again.

"I was going to watch the news for a little while before going to sleep. Would you like to stay up and watch with me?"

"Okay…"

Aiko flipped on the TV on Saya's dresser, but almost instantly regretted it when the news flashed on and delivered a troubling message.

"A shocking revelation today when Tokyo police chief Jin Hirosaki makes a surprise announcement." said the anchorman. "The announcement regarded the recent string of murders that have been called 'Devil's dues'. Chief Hirosaki had this to say."

The screen cut to a very solemn-looking man in a police officer's uniform as he made a grave statement.

"Two days ago we apprehended Kiyoaki Toshiro, who was under suspicion of masterminding these murders." he said. "Unfortunately, we were wrong…as Mr. Toshiro was found dead in his cell at approximately 8:30 pm tonight."

"Oh, my…" Aiko gasped.

"The actual killer, we can now confirm, is still at large, but thankfully, eyewitnesses managed to acquire photographic evidence relating to the killer's identity. Upon further inspection, it was discovered that this man assisted in the assassination of world-renowned philanthropist Kyle Ryder. Thus, I am issuing a warrant for the arrest and execution of the man known only as Dante."

A picture appeared on the screen, and Saya couldn't help but be mesmerized by it. The "man" was not a man at all, but a boy in his late teens, perhaps early twenties. He wore a worn pair of jeans, a white muscle shirt, and a black jacket with the Union Jack stitched into the left arm. He also possessed short white hair and had a ruby necklace. Most shocking, however, was the five-foot long sword on his back. He was scary, but certainly handsome for someone his age.

"In other news," the anchorman said as he returned. "Another kidnapping in Tokyo, this time in the Shibuya District. The victim, 19-year old Haruka Fukushima, was last seen being dragged into an alleyway by several masked men at about 6:37 pm, and…"

Aiko flipped the TV off when the image popped up on the screen, but it didn't stop Saya from seeing it and being disturbed by it. The kidnapped girl looked almost exactly like her, from the short and tomboyish black hair to the soft brown eyes.

"Like I said, Saya, don't worry about your dreams." Aiko said, awkwardly trying to change the subject.

She saw it did no good. Saya was scared out of her wits now. Aiko sighed, placed a hand on Saya's cheek and smiled.

"Hey, how about I get my dear friend to come in and cheer you up?"

Right away, Saya sat up and smiled.

"Okay!"

"Alright. Wait right here."

Aiko left the room, and before long, something else came in. Something that Saya got out of bed and hugged the instance she saw it. It was Aiko's dog, who actually looked more like a wolf because of how large she was and an arctic fox judging from how her fur was white as snow. Nevertheless, she playfully licked Saya's face.

"I guess I can always count on you and Ms. Minamoto to cheer me up, right, Ammy?" Saya asked.

Ammy barked happily and climbed into Saya's bed with her. All the thoughts of the bad dreams she had been having were wiped away the instant she saw the dog enter the room. She never stopped to question where Ammy was during the day or why she never seemed to be around Aiko, but that didn't matter now.

While she wasn't upset about her dreams anymore thanks to Ammy, Saya was still confused about a great number of things. Who were those people in her dream? Why was this "Dante" going around killing people? It seemed like a shame he'd have to be executed when (or if) he was captured. He was fairly good-looking, but then again, he was a mass murderer. Why did those strange men kidnap that poor Haruka girl? It didn't concern her, but it still scared her because Haruka looked almost exactly like her, just a little bit older.

Ammy let out a soft yawn and nestled her head on Saya's shoulder. Saya smiled, embracing the snowy dog closer and letting her troubles melt away from her.

"Forget it, Saya." she told herself. "Just forget it. Go to sleep. Think about all the good things you have. That always seems to work."

Before she knew it, she had drifted off to sleep yet again, this time meeting with pleasant dreams that kept her safe and docile until morning.

Since Aiko was busy taking care of some of the other children at the orphanage, she had sent Saya downtown to buy groceries for that night's dinner. She wasn't used to going downtown, especially by herself. Then again, it wasn't that far of a walk, and Tokyo was a beautiful city to explore so long as you didn't get lost in it.

"This city really changes over the years…" she mumbled to herself after she had wrapped up the last of the shopping and began heading back to the orphanage.

As she proceeded, her shoulder bumped up against a passing woman, accidentally making her drop the large roll of paper she had been carrying.

"Oh, God!" Saya stammered. "I'm so sorry! Here, let me get that!"
"No, no, it's okay. I've got it."

The woman turned to face Saya and managed to severely shock her with her appearance. Her brown hair was cut quite short and she seemed to have a blue star drawn between her eyebrows. For clothing, she wore a brown-and-white hoodie with a white tank top underneath and a very small pair of shorts. She also wore a plastic tube strapped to her back and some sort of spray can strapped to her thigh. It wasn't really her attire that got to Saya, though, but rather her skin. The woman was Caucasian but had spoken in perfect Japanese, and Saya was quite to compliment her on it.

"Oh wow! Your Japanese is great!"

The woman smiled.

"Thank you. Do you speak English?"

"Yes." Saya responded, promptly changing her language accordingly.

"Okay, good. I'm still learning, so it gets kinda tiring after a while."

The woman held out her hand.

"My name is Kat."

Saya took Kat's hand and lightly shook.

"I'm Saya."

"Saya…as in Saya Kusanagi?"

The mood suddenly shifted. Not three seconds ago, they were having a light-hearted and friendly conversation. Now Saya was both confused and scared. This was the first time she had ever seen Kat, so how could she know her name? She hesitated to answer, but then saw no point in doing so.

"Yes, but…how do you know my name?"
"It doesn't matter. I need you to help me with something."

"You're not one of those people on the news, are you?"

"Which ones?"
"The creepy people wearing black masks that kidnap teenage girls?"

"Oh, God no. Don't you worry about that."

"…okay. What can I do for you?"

"Follow me."

Kat jogged into a nearby alleyway. Saya was hesitant to follow, but nonetheless slung the grocery bags over her shoulder and followed her. Once they were in a large open spot in the alley, Kat looked up.

"Okay, she's here!" she called.

"Who are you talking to?" asked Saya.

"A friend of mine. He needs to meet you."

"Well, where is he?"

A shadow suddenly appeared above them as someone jumped down from the rooftop. Kat pointed to the shadow.

"Right there."

The figure landed on the ground stylishly and stood upright immediately.

"Quite an entrance." Kat joked.

"Only the best for yours truly." the boy said. "Anyway, good to meet you, Saya…ah, shit. Here we go."

The second Saya saw the figure's face, she dropped her bags and stared at him in horror. It was the boy she had seen on the news the previous night. It was Dante.

"Oh, God…it's…it's you!" she sputtered, cowering up against a nearby wall.

"Uh, yeah." Dante started, walking toward her in the gentlest way he could. "Before you bail on us, could you hear us out for a sec…"
"GET AWAY FROM ME!"

Saya ran out of the alley as fast as he could, leaving Dante to lower his face into his open hand.

"Dammit. You'd think after we killed Mundus, people like her would think I was one of the good guys for a change."

Kat shrugged.

"In their defense, they didn't call you a 'known sexual deviant' like Barbas did. So do we go after her?"

"Nah. I'm a nephilim, remember? With the kind of energy she gives off, it's not like she's gonna be hard to find."

Needless to say, everyone on the street was confused when they saw the thirteen-year old Saya running down the street as fast as she could, and were even more confused to see that she was terrified and panting "He's here…he's after me!" The second Saya got back to the orphanage, she kicked the door open, slammed it shut again upon dashing inside and locked it.

"Ms. Minamoto!" she yelled.

"One minute, please."

Aiko poked her head out from behind the kitchen door.

"My goodness, Saya, what's gotten into you? And where are the groceries I sent you to get?"

"It's…it's Dante! He's here in the city!"

"You mean that boy we saw on the news last night?"

"Yes! He saw me and…I think…I think he wants to kill me."

Aiko stared at Saya for a few more moments before motioning for her to come to the kitchen. She obeyed before Aiko continued her conversation on the phone.

"Apparently she just ran into that mass murderer that's been going around the country…yes, the one with the black jacket…but are you sure? It's still a long ways away and she'll need company…but what about the other children? …oh! Perfect! Ken always seems to be around when we need him most, eh? …alright. I'll send her on her way now. She'll be on the next train to Osaka…alright. Goodbye."

Aiko hung up the phone and turned to Saya with a solemn expression.

"Saya, I'm afraid I need to tell you something a little difficult."

"Wha…what's going on?"

"That was my friend Trish on the phone."

"You mean that blonde-haired woman from America?"

"Yes. Do you remember that young girl who got kidnapped yesterday? How she looked almost exactly like you? Every girl that's been kidnapped has that same basic appearance and I've been growing very concerned for your safety."

"…so what are you going to do?"

"You're going to Osaka to live with Trish for a while. At least until these kidnappings die down."

"But…I…"

"It's okay, Saya. Trish is a very kind woman. She can take care of you."

"But I won't know anyone."

Aiko smiled.

"Good news, though: Ammy's going to come with you. I have to go away to Kyoto for a little while, too, so Ken is going to come in and look after the children while I'm gone."

"But I…I'll miss you all."

Aiko gently wrapped her arms around Saya and brought her in for a hug.

"We'll miss you, too, Saya. But you need to be strong. Don't be afraid of the outside world, because when you need a helping hand, there will always be someone willing to give it to you."

Saya looked deep into Aiko's eyes, somehow knowing that this kind woman knew what was best for her…almost like she was her guardian angel. The moment they made eye contact, it was if their souls had been knit into one. Saya steadily began to smile, given the happiness that she needed.

"…okay. I'll go get packed."

"Good. I'll go find Ammy and book your train ticket."

All of the children were gathered around in the house's foyer as Saya and Ammy came down the steps, Saya with her backpack and suitcase completely packed. All of them looked upset that their dear friend was leaving them, even if it was only for a little while. Saya hugged them each goodbye, as did they with Ammy who responded with an affection lick. As Saya stepped outside the orphanage, a black car had pulled up in front of the orphanage and a blond-haired American man wearing jeans and a red T-shirt stepped out from the driver's side. Once he saw Saya, he gave her a bright smile.

"Hey there, kiddo! Heading out?"

"Hi, Ken. Yeah, Ammy and I are headed to the train station now."

Another one of Aiko's close friends, Ken Masters was best known for being one of the world's most accomplished martial artists. Probably the only one that was better was his rival (though also close friend) Ryu Hoshi, a fighter who had become legendary around Japan. He was great with kids, especially considering he had one of his own on the way.

"Well, good luck out there. And don't worry. Trish is a great woman."

"Yeah, I know. Ms. Minamoto told me…and speaking of which…why didn't she say goodbye to me?"

"Maybe she's a little heartbroken that you're leaving."

"Maybe…it's okay, though. I'll be back before long."

"Alright. Take care of yourself, sweetheart."

Ken ruffled Saya's hair before walking into the house, and as Saya heard the door shut behind her, she and Ammy proceeded toward the train station. All the while, Saya kept her eyes peeled for any sign of Kat or Dante. She was having enough of a bad day having to go off with just a dog to accompany her. She didn't need a serial killer chasing after her.

"Come to think of it…what was that thing Kat was carrying?"

It had been a roll of paper with a large symbol cut out of the center, giving the indication it was a stencil. Judging from how it also had a large amount of white stained on it and the fact that Kat had a spray can strapped to her leg, it would seem she was just your average graffiti artist, but why would she need some like that? And why would she even be near Dante?

"Forget it. I'm thinking way too hard about this."

After about a half-hour of walking, Saya and Ammy finally arrived at the train station where Saya set down her bags by a bench.

"Well, it looks like we've still got twenty minutes before the train gets here." she said before turning to her canine companion. "I'm gonna go to the bathroom. You stay here, okay?"

Ammy seemed to nod and sat down by Saya's luggage while Saya herself went off to the nearby bathroom. She soaked her hands and splashed some water up into her face, and for a moment stared at herself in the mirror. She was a very pretty young girl, having large soul-piercing brown eyes and short black hair. She was in her last year of middle school, and according to the orphanage's records, she would be turning fourteen in a few months. Several boys had remarked on how cute they thought she was, but she was always too shy to respond properly.

She meekly smiled.

"Maybe that's why Ms. Minamoto is sending me off like this…she wants me to live a little. I guess I can't fault her for that."

Saya went back to washing her hands when she heard the bathroom door open and someone else came in, but the footsteps of that someone stopped right behind her. A chill when down Saya's spine when she heard a slithery voice behind her.

"Hello, Saya Kusanagi."

For a moment, she was about to scream under the impression that Dante had caught up with her, but the voice that had spoken was female. In retrospect, she probably should have screamed because before she had time to do anything else, a slender yet incredibly strong arm had wrapped around her neck and began throttling her. Saya rasped against the woman's grip, thrashing all about in an attempt to get free. What served to make it any worse was when she looked up and got a good look at her attacker.

It was a young Asian woman with her long black hair tied back with only a few strands of her bangs hanging freely. The outfit she wore was one of the most provocative Saya had ever seen, consisting of a violet chest piece that barely covered her up and a pair of white and violet taekwondo pants. Her face made her seem far more sadistic than her actions did, and though her eyes were narrowed, Saya saw that the left one was glowing.

"I've been looking all over for you, honey." she whispered. "I have to admit that you're quite a sneaky little mouse."

Saya continued to gag and wanted to shriek when the woman began to nibble on her ear.

"So adorable…I need you to come with me right now."

Then Saya realized what was going on: this was exactly what Aiko had been worried about. This woman was working with the masked people that had been capturing young girls. The question was what happened to the girls after they were abducted.

Saya wasn't going to stand still and find out, because she was starting to lose consciousness. The second she was able to gather enough strength, she shot her arm up and hit the woman straight in the glowing eye, forcing her to let go and stumble backwards. This gave Saya just barely enough time to run out the door. Ammy's head perked up upon hearing Saya returning, but the second Saya made a step toward her, the woman suddenly backflipped in front of her from seemingly nowhere. She landed a few feet away and spread her arms out like she was going to rush forward and seize the poor girl.

"Oh, no. I'm not letting you getting away that easy, sweetie."

"Who the hell are you?"

The woman laughed before her eye flashed a bright violet. She licked her lips.

"Name's Juri. Now that the introductions are over with, come with me."

Ammy sprang to Saya's side and bared her fangs, growling loudly at Juri who simply laughed again.

"Aww, how cute. Your little puppy's come to save you."

"Newsflash, lady." Saya said.

She sank into a karate-style fighting stance. She certainly didn't look like it, but she was rather capable in a fistfight after copying the moves in a lot of samurai and kung fu movies and a fighting game or two.

"I can fight, too."

Juri smirked and rose into a crane stance.

"Sounds great. I was kinda hoping that you wouldn't resist, but whatever. I'll just eat you up right here."

Juri made the first move, and Saya and Ammy promptly ducked underneath her roundhouse kick before uppercutting her leg. Even if Saya had made an impressive first move, what happened afterwards was nothing short of disastrous. Juri bent her knee and clamped Saya's hand with her leg, then wrapped her other leg around Saya's back as she fell and pulled Saya into a bear hug.

"Ooo, nice hit. Doesn't matter now, but at least you tried to defend your OW! Oh, you little mutt!"

Before Juri had been able to do anymore damage, Ammy had dashed forward and slammed her head into Juri's chest. This managed to vault the sadistic fighter away from Saya. By now, a crowd was gathering around and was cheering, encouraging them to fight further.

"Are you people crazy?!" Saya hollered. "She's trying to kill me, for God's sake!"
"Oh, not kill you, Saya honey." Juri replied as she stood up.

She jumped forward and landed, her face barely an inch from Saya's.

"I'm just trying to beat you with an inch of your life."

Saya shrieked and jumped backward in shock. Ammy jumped forward with her jaws prepared to bite, but Juri performed a quick roundhouse kick and sent her sprawling to the ground. The dog let out a single pained yelp as she hit the pavement.

"Ammy!" cried Saya.

Ammy was certainly not wounded too badly, but she didn't get up. Saya found herself clenching her fists before looking back at Juri. She now felt an emotion brewing up within her. That she rarely ever felt. Most of the children back at the orphanage recognized her as a very timid individual, bought often said that whenever she got angry, she was one of the scariest things they had ever seen even if it wasn't them she was angry at. In this particular case, Juri had single-handedly royally pissed Saya off, and as the saying goes, Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

"You bitch!" she shouted. "You're gonna get it now!"

Juri smirked and wiggled her finger.

"I'm looking forward to it."

Saya bounded forward and aimed at Juri's head with a heavy punch. The older fighter blocked and retaliated with an attempt to bring her knee up into Saya's stomach, which was also blocked. Attack, block, counter, attack, block, counter. Saya stayed light on her feet and dodged when she could, but while she was steadily starting to get tired, Juri still had plenty of energy left. One missed attack from Saya was all Juri needed as she vaulted the poor girl high into the air and balanced her on her foot lifted behind her back.

"That felt good, didn't it?" she said sensually, stroking Saya's cheek as her head hung in front of Juri's face.

Juri cast Saya onto the ground again and sank backward into another stance. Saya pushed herself weakly onto her knees and looked through her messed hair at Juri with a distraught expression.

"…what do you want from me?"

"Well, in all honesty, I wanted you to come quietly, but times change. Now…oh, boy, now…"

The fighter's face showed nothing short of maniacal delight.

"I wanna hear you scream."

Something screamed, but it wasn't Saya, for the second Juri moved…

"PK THUNDER!"

What seemed to be a bolt of lightning shot in out of nowhere and struck Juri straight in the chest, propelling her backwards. Saya felt the cool sensation of someone's shadow draping over her and felt two hands on her shoulders before…

"PK Healing!"

Saya's pain suddenly began to subside as a warm feeling pierced her whole body and eased her tension. Once she felt no pain at all, someone helped her to her feet.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes…thank you. Who are you…"

She looked up at the boy who had spoken and was surprised by how compared to the people that had attacked her before, he looked…well, normal. Like Kat and Dante had been, he was Caucasian. His blonde hair was slicked upward in the front, and he wore a striped red-and-yellow shirt and baggy blue shorts. He was just slightly taller than Saya and a very friendly and welcoming look on his face.

"My name is Lucas." he replied before pointing to another boy fighting off Juri. "And that's Ness."

Ness wore roughly the same clothing as Lucas, those his shirt was blue-and-yellow, his shorts were beige, and he wore a backwards baseball cap over his somewhat shaggy black hair. Speaking of baseball, he blocked a heavy-looking punch from Juri with a baseball bat he'd pulled from his backpack.

"You think I'm not gonna kill you just 'cause you're a kid?" the sadistic fighter asked.

Much to Saya's surprise, Ness smirked.

"Nope. I think you're not gonna kill me 'cause you're an old bag!"

"Why, you stupid little…"

Ness miraculously backflipped over Juri's roundhouse kick and spread his arms up high.

"PK FLASH!"

A large green flash of light appeared above Ness' head before he cast it at Juri. It slammed into her chest and blew apart, sending her sprawling backward. With Juri temporarily incapacitated, Lucas ran to Ammy and used his PK Healing ability on her as well. The dog rose to her feet almost immediately and looked over at Saya before running to her and licking her face.

"It's okay, Ammy." Saya assured. "I'm fine."

Juri clutched at her head, surprised that a simple kid could do that much damage to her. Before she could get to her feet, she had all four of her opponents standing in front of her. Ness with his bat ready to swing, Lucas with his hands throwing out sparks, Saya sunken into a fighting stance, and Ammy growling very loudly. Juri looked at each of them before smirking.

"Not bad. You win."

She got to her feet, though not before leaning forward and whispering in Saya's ear.

"Don't think this is the last you've seen of me, sweetie. I'm not through with you by a damn sight." she slithered.

Saya bit her lip and didn't dare to look Juri in the eye as she pulled back. In a split second, Juri's eye flashed brighter than before, and when the blinding light had faded, she was gone.

"Phew…thanks, boys." Saya sighed. "I…I really thought she was going to kill me."

Lucas gave Saya a warm smile that caused her heart to skip a beat.

"It was our pleasure." he said.

Ammy stood on her hind legs, planted her paws on Ness' shoulders and immediately began to affectionately lick his face. Ness himself began laughing.

"Hey, easy there, girl!" he laughed, petting the dog's soft white head. "Hoo, man, are you big! You look more like a wolf."

Saya and Lucas began to laugh as well, Saya in particular since that was exactly what she thought, and finally hearing someone else say it was fairly funny and relieving.

"Okay, Ammy." said Saya. "Down, girl."

"So where are you two headed?" Lucas asked.

"We're going to Osaka. I need to stay with a friend of my caretaker's for a while until those kidnappings die down a little."

"Caretaker…" Lucas repeated. "…you're an orphan?"

"Umm…yes."

Saya looked away from them for a brief moment. She hated knowing that she had no family. A lot of other children she saw had a mother and father to go back home to, or at the very least some other family member that loved them. Saya had no one. She was all that was left, and every time someone brought it up, even by accident, it left her with strong feelings of both anger and sadness.

"I…I'm sorry." Lucas stammered. "I didn't mean anything by it. I mean…the only reason I asked is…well…"

Saya looked at Lucas in curiosity.

"Yes?"

"Never mind…anyway, what's your name?"

"Saya."

"Well, Saya, we were heading to Osaka, too. Did you maybe wanna come with us?"

"Really?!"
"I mean…if that's okay with you. Ness, are you okay with it?"

Ness gave him a smile and a thumbs-up.

"Sure thing! It's safer and way more fun to travel in a group!"

Everything that had unnerved Saya about Dante and now Juri chasing her was suddenly lifted as she found herself brightly smiling.

"I'd love to! Thanks!"

"You bet!" Ness replied. "Oh, hey, right on time! Here comes the train!"

The train came to a halt, and the newly formed group walked into it along with the rest of the passengers. The inside of the train was quite luxurious, with thankfully no one minding them bringing a dog on board, but Saya had something else on her mind.

"I was wondering," she started as the four of them found seats. "What were those things that you two were using?"

"Them?" Ness replied. "Those were PSI abilities. Psychic powers, pretty much."

"Really? How did you get them?"

"Well…it's kind of a long story…a REALLY long story."

"We have an hour to Osaka. I'd like to hear it."

Ness and Lucas looked at each other and shrugged before looking back at Saya.

"Okay. Just try not to fall asleep." Lucas replied. "Ness isn't kidding when he's saying it's a really long story."