Quick Authors Note (That's what the italic sections marked AN were in the previous chapter, in case anyone was confused). The Sakazakis (and Garcias) in this story are a little different in personality to the ones we know and love, mainly because they are younger and less mature. This is set a while before KoF. Canonically in KoF Robert and Ryo are 24 (23 in '94) and Yuri is 20 (19 in AoF). I have played around a little with ages for the purposes of this fic, as you will see in this chapter, but it doesn't really affect the story that much.

Also before we get started with chapter 2 I just wanted to say thanks to The Weasel Boy for the follow, and I hope you stay with us until the end… if there is an end. Anyway, let's get right back into it.

Chapter 2 – Meet the Sakazakis

It sure is a relief to be free of those bags, I tell you what. Robert was spread out on his 'bed', with his clothes in neat little piles beside it. Calling it a bed would be exaggerating though. It was a Japanese style futon, and all the closet space was filled up with identical orange Gi outfits, so Robert's clothes were relegated to the floor.

Someone else had inhabited this room for a fair while – it showed all the signs of being lived in, but Robert saw no sign of the person in question. No diaries, no nametags on anything, just clothes, a few manga books – mostly in Japanese, which was useless, and a pile of wooden bowls in the corner, looking suspiciously similar to the one used to serve the hardcore noodles Robert had choked down earlier.

Mr. Sakazaki – or Sensei, as he insisted on being called, had made no mention of another person living here. Maybe the mystery roommate was another guy whose father had dumped him here for the Takuma-style education. Father. Robert had no idea why he had been placed here, and he intended to be leaving as soon as possible. Right now though, a bit of rest.

No sooner had Robert drifted into sleep than a Gi-clad guy of about his age burst into the room. He was wearing the same orange costume that the closet was full of and he was in a sweat, his blond hair wet with perspiration.

"Woah! You're here already? I wasn't expecting you for another day or two! Jet planes, am I right? Everything's all messy! Oh man, dad's gonna be pissed!"

Robert began to say "I wasn't expecting you at at all," but the stranger dashed out of the room as quickly as he had come in. Robert wondered who he was. He bore no resemblance whatsoever to the karate master Takuma – he was fair where Takuma was dark, tall where Takuma was short, and hyper where Takuma was cool, calm and collected. Perhaps Robert's theory about another poor sod entrusted to Sensei's care was correct.

Sensei? I don't really need to call him that, do I? How primitive. After having his sleep disturbed, Robert didn't very much feel like lying down again. Plus, it was approaching midday and the heat was intensifying. There was no air conditioning in the dojo-house and the lone electric fan in the room only blew sad gusts of already sweltering air around. Robert decided he would explore his temporary home, if only to chart out possible escape routes.

The house was a maze of cramped corridors and the occasional room. The house and dojo were the same building, it just seemed like the house occupied all the spaces that the dojo didn't need. It sure was easy to get lost, and there were no signs anywhere. There were occasional post-it notes stuck to the walls, written on in indecipherable Japanese. Robert wondered what they were for.

He came to the door of the kitchen, in which Takuma was busily preparing some sort of meal. Robert quickly identified it as soba, and moved away as quickly as possible to avoid having to taste or smell any more of the stuff. Down another few corridors he found a pretty dirty bathroom, complete with a dishwasher that was clunking away with various orange and white garments inside.

Robert explored on and on, stumbling upon various unused rooms and cupboards. This house, despite being shabby and poorly furnished, was rather big. In fact, it seemed like it was even bigger on the inside than it looked from the outside. He was quickly becoming lost, and he didn't know if he would ever end up back in his room. And what if he ran into Mr Sweaty Blond again? Robert tried to keep a cool head and not panic, and just keep moving forward.

He closed his eyes and kept his hand on the left-side wall, knowing that if he did that he would sooner or later end up where he started. One foot before the other, then another, then another. This crazy old house isn't so scary after all, he thought to himself. No, nothing to be worried about here-

"Um."

There was a voice. An unfamiliar voice. A female voice. Not Sen- Takuma or Sweaty McSweatpants then. Robert focused himself to open his eyes. Nobody was there, all he saw was a room similar to his own, but with a bit more of a personal touch – posters lined the walls and the reading material seemed a little more varied than the blond guy's.

"What are you doing in my bedroom?" This time, the voice was behind him. Quicker than a flash, Robert turned around.

This stranger was definitely related to Takuma. She shared many of his traits – short stature, brown hair and eyes and a tendency to pop up behind people unannounced. It didn't escape Robert that she was also quite attractive.

A weak "Hi," was all he could squeeze out. The girl looked disapprovingly at him with her hands on her hips. She was dressed in martial arts gear too – at least her top half. Under the waist she was wearing the slightly odd combo of tights and a pair of red Converse.

"Hi? Huh? Did you come in to say hi? Or are you high?"

"Uhhh..."

"Well, which one is it? Come on, kid, there's genius at work here and it can't be wasted waiting on the likes of you."

That snapped Robert out of his daze. "Kid? Who are you calling kid? What are you – like twelve or something?"

"Fifteen," the girl replied snappily. "And what are you, huh?"

"Seventeen," Robert replied, knowing that he really didn't look it.

"Ah. Really loving the, uh, faux pre-pubescent look you've got going on. Ya know, the whole scrawny hairless white boy thing. Suits you." She smiled victoriously, confident in her victory in the battle of words.

"Hey, I'm fit. I'm strong too, for my size." Robert tried to make himself look taller and broader. My time will come soon, I can feel it, he pepped himself up internally. I've even got a bit of leg hair going on. Oh yeah, Robbie, we're going to be BIG.

"Oh really?" The girl looked skeptical. She leaned nonchalantly on the wall, raising an eyebrow. "Wanna test that theory?"

"You mean… Fight?"

"Sure!"

"I- uh… don't wanna hurt you or anything..." Robert answered weakly.

She raised her other eyebrow. "Not scared, are you?"

Robert shrugged. "Alright – don't say I didn't warn you. Back home in Italy they call me Ring King Robbie. There's never been a bout that I've lost."

"That name doesn't even make sense in Italian."

Shit. She saw through me. I guess I gotta let my fists do the talking now. Robert took up an absurd boxing stance, bouncing on his heels with his hands in front of his chest. The brown-haired girl had her legs shoulder-width apart in a decent fighting position, but a little bit off, as if she'd only ever copied other people's styles. Robert didn't know this however, having had a bodyguard since birth and having never been in any kind of fight.

"When you're ready?" she asked, already eying Robert's weak points.

"Ready," Robert replied.

The girl went on offense straight away, pushing Robert towards the wall. He tried to circle round her, but he telegraphed his movements and she cut him off easily. This early into the fight and she was already controlling it. She'd clearly had practice before.

Robert decided to go for the attack – chivalry may have still existed among his wealthy Italian peers back home, but when in Rome… or rather, when in Southtown, do as the Southtownians do. He struck out with a right hook…

...which was easily blocked, and the girl's right fist punched him square in the face, stunning him. Then came a knee to the groin, and finally, crazily, she finished him off with a butt-attack, knocking him onto the futon that was spread out on the floor.

Robert was amazed. He'd just had his ass handed to him by a girl. A younger girl. He was glad Father wasn't here to see this – he'd never live it down.

"Sorry about that," A voice from above said. Robert opened his eyes to see the grinning face of his opponent looking down, extending a helping hand, which he took. She helped him to his feet, clearly stronger than she appeared at first glance.

"Yuri Sakazaki," she introduced herself. "I'm a Kyokugen genius, but don't tell anyone. Dad doesn't like me practicing, so I've been doing it on the sly, in here."

"Ah… Robert Garcia. I'm the, uh, exchange student." He shook her hand. It seemed like the right thing to do, and she smiled a little bit. "And… There was this blond guy? I met him earlier, do you know him?"

"Oh, that's my bro, Ryo. Yeah, I know. Not much of a resemblance. He took after mom."

"Does she live here too?"

Yuri didn't seem to notice his question. "Oh crap, look at the time," she whispered, after catching a glimpse of Robert's watch. "Five to one. Dad expects everyone for lunch in the kitchen at 1pm sharp. You gotta go. I'll catch up, I have to change." Robert vaguely remembered Takuma saying something about lunch, but at the time he was too busy thinking about the monster of a meal he'd just eaten.

Yuri started pushing Robert towards the door, overpowering him easily after his good beating. "What about this massive bruise?" he exclaimed. "And I don't even know where to go, this place is like a maze!"

"Quiet, the walls are paper thin. Slap some of this makeup on – don't worry, I never use the stuff anyway – and take three right turns, then two left turns. Go!" Yuri booted Robert out the door with a red-sneakered foot, slamming the door behind him and leaving the billionaire on the ground once again.

Robert picked himself up. "At least she didn't use her butt that time." He shook his head, bewildered. "Alright, two left, then three right. No. Two right and then three left. Three left and two right? Where the hell do I go?" Robert picked a random direction and ran. Takuma scared him enough the first time they'd met, and he didn't like the idea of making the Kyokugen master angry.

"This day just keeps getting crazier and crazier, huh, Robert?" Some people said talking to yourself was the first sign of insanity. Robert disagreed. For him, being KO'd by a flying gluteus maximus topped the list.

YURI!

She's my favorite character, so I hope I did her justice. We'll see what you readers think – drop a review or face Yuri's butt, it's your choice.

Also, remember Rodriguez from the last chapter? He is actually an SNK character, from Mark of The Wolves, but in the English version he's called Khushnood Butt for some reason. Yeah, Butt. I decided to use his original name on account of all the Yuri butt jokes I'd be making down the track. Hehe, butts.