Darkness. It was all just a black and endless void as far as Shulk's two eyes could see. He was alone, afraid and confused, considering that just a short time ago, he was happily chatting with his fellow Smash Bros. friends in the foyer of the Smash Mansion. He was clueless as to where he was and what happened to the objects that once surrounded him. He was about to crawl into a fetal position in fear, but just as the idea struck him, he spotted the figure of a very young little girl that stood quite a distance from him. She wore a light blue pinafore and protectively held a brown teddy bear in her arms. She appeared as though she was also frightened about her mysterious surroundings, and seemed to stare at Shulk in worry, as if it was a plea for help. Suddenly, just before Shulk could have a chance to react, a bright, blinding light enveloped the area in which the little girl stood, prompting the eighteen-year-old Monado wielder to shield his sensitive, green eyes. As soon as the light dimmed, Shulk realized that the young child had vanished! As a result, he was frightened for the girl's safety and wondered if the mysterious light would consume him as well.

"No! What's going on? I don't understand anything!" he shouted in fear.

He squinted his eyes until they were shut, and when he opened them once more, he realized that he was in his own bedroom in the mansion, and his surroundings were not just a simple black color.

"What a relief. It was only a dream."

In an effort to avert his mind from his nerve-wracking, subconscious thoughts, Shulk rose from his comforting mattress and dressed into his usual clothing to prepare himself for the new day; curious to discover what new surprises awaited him that day.

Upon exiting his bedroom and entering the hallway, Shulk was greeted by the overwhelming, sweet aroma of syrup-cascaded waffles, chocolate chip muffins, and many other delectable eats Kirby was preparing for breakfast that morning. Eager to fill his stomach with the edible fuel he needed to take on the day, Shulk immediately made his way to the cafeteria and piled his tray with whatever freshly-prepared victuals caught his eye. He brought his tray to an empty seat and sat down by his friends Robin and Marth.

"Good morning, Shulk!" Robin greeted. "How did you sleep last night?"

Shulk flinched slightly. He was hoping nothing would refresh his memory about the other night. "Oh, good morning, Robin. I slept pretty well, but I had the strangest dream, though. It was different from any other dream I've ever had before."

"What made this one so different?" Marth wanted to know.

"Well," Shulk began, "I was in an empty room that was entirely black and had nothing in it other than myself. It had an eerie feeling to it, and I was about to cower in fear until a little girl appeared in front of me. She had a look on her face as if she was scared, and a few seconds later, a bright light appeared and the girl vanished!"

With wide eyes, Marth replied, "That's…quite a dream you had there, Shulk!"

Robin placed a hand on his chin and drifted off into space, appearing as if Shulk's dream provided him with much to think about. "It's rather interesting… It seems to me that everything happened in such a chronological order that it all might have a meaning to it. Maybe your dream was trying to warn you about something."

"D-Do you think it could've been a vision?"

"It's quite possible, Shulk," Robin replied with a shrug. "Quite a handful of dreams have a meaning to them."

"Well, if it was a vision, I sure hope it wasn't warning me about something terrible!"

"I'm sure everything will be all right, Shulk! Whatever happens, we'll always be here for you!" Marth reassured, patting him on the back.

Shulk nodded his head in thanks and continued to devour his delicious morning meal.

Sometime after he had finished his breakfast, Shulk decided to take a stroll through a nearby park to ease his nerves. The comforting sight of the lush green leaves and grass swaying in the wind, the sweet sound of birds chirping, and the refreshing feeling of the breeze blowing in his face all made him nearly forget his mysterious dream. He decided to take advantage of the moment by drifting through his happiest memories in a blissful daydream as he continued his leisurely walk.

In the midst of his peaceful stroll, the sounds of a weeping child inadvertently interrupted Shulk's reminiscences, snapping him out of his daydreaming state. The sounds of helpless sorrow, Shulk found, were coming from a young blond girl who sat forlorn on a bench underneath a tree. Always looking to brighten someone's day, Shulk walked over to the helpless child to inquire on her situation.

"What's wrong, little one? Why are you crying?"

Without looking at him, the little girl replied, "I want my mommy! I feel so alone and scared!"

"Well, what happened? How did you two get separated?"

"We were walking through the park together a while ago and I stopped to look at something for a second, and when I looked back, my mom was gone!"

Shulk instantly took pity on the little girl. He knew what it was like for one to not have their parents by their side after losing his own at a very young age.

"Don't worry. I can help you get back with your mother!"

Sniffling, the girl looked up at him and asked, "Really?"

The eighteen-year-old got a good look at the child's face, and he could not believe what he was witnessing before him. The girl appeared nearly identical to the one he had seen in his dream, albeit wearing a completely different set of clothes and she was without a teddy bear.

Trying to hide his astonishment, Shulk answered, "I promise. I'll make sure that you are safely reunited with your mother!"

The little girl really enjoyed what she was hearing. The fact that this man actually wanted to help instead of kidnap her gave her hope for the future, as if he was preventing her life from taking an unwanted and unexpected turn for the worst. She became so ecstatic that she leapt into Shulk's arms and happily exclaimed, "Thank you! Thank you, mister!"

"No problem. Uh… What's your name, anyway? My name's Shulk, by the way."

"I'm Alyssa! But you can call me something else, if you'd like."

"No, 'Alyssa' is fine! Say… How would you like to stay at a mansion with my friends and I until we find your mother?"

"I would love to, Shulk!"

"Great! Come with me!"

Shulk took Alyssa by the hand and the two of them traversed through the city back to the mansion. On his little journey back to the large establishment, Shulk began to wonder if he was doing the right thing…

Author's Notes: I'm back with a new story! I decided to make Shulk the star of this one because the message it will eventually teach fits him well. He's going to have a lot to deal with once Alyssa steps foot into the mansion!

Questions:

What do you think of this story so far?

How do you think Shulk's friends will react to Alyssa?