The park was beautiful from the tops of the trees to the ground we all walked on. There were Japanese shops lined up all around the park with paper lanterns hanging galore. It truly was a beautiful sight to see.

I stepped carefully, trying not to squish any of the sakura petals as I walked. My kimono was simple, but lovely; made with the heavy fabrics used for a winter kimono; mine was a wine red color with gold dragons all over it with a black and gold obi tied around my waist. My hair was done up with a lot of bobby pins and decorated with cherry blossoms. I hate to admit it, but I never felt like such a princess like I did now.

I'd been through most of the festival, exploring the shops and such and even seeing the geisha girls perform for about an hour and a half. I was truly mesmerized by their dancing; it was so graceful, so beautiful. I wished I could dance like them.

Walking through the less-condensed part of the park, I saw a man and woman whom I guessed were married and holding their children's hands as they walked by. Both of the children were dressed in kimonos, and they looked like they were having so much fun. I smiled at them and waved when the little girl looked at me. Sighing as I watched them go, I turned toward their direction and decided to walk back into the festival part of the park.

That was when I heard it.

Hundreds of screams for help. I took off toward the festival, my kimono's sleeves flying backward as I ran with all my speed. I ran past the family I'd seen before, not making eye contact with them. The little girl gasped and pointed at me as I sped away.

"Look, mom! It's a geisha!"

Inside the festival, it was mass chaos; everyone was running and screaming, trying to get away from whatever was causing the danger. I looked around and saw several people lying on the ground, probably dead. I spotted some men in black kimonos and they were beating a lot of people. I angrily ran at a group of them and jumped into the middle, protecting the man who was being harassed. I glared at all of them menacingly.

"Leave. Now."

Instead of obeying me, they laughed in my face as they backed up a little, blinded by their laughter. Taking advantage of my time, I helped the man to his feet and he fled to one of the shops, stopping to turn back and watch me. As the men all surrounded me, I closed my eyes for a split second and blocked a punch thrown at me from the person in front of me. Stepping around him, I took his wrist and gave a good palm strike to the elbow and it snapped completely. The man cried out in pain and proceeded to swing his other fist at me. I ducked and stuck my log out, knocking him to the ground as quickly as I could. As soon as I got to my feet, someone's hand connected with my face, making me stumble backward and into one of the assassins. He wrapped his big arms around me and hoisted me into the air as I kicked at the other men rushing toward us. I didn't panic, mind you. Instead, I sprung into the air with the man's arms still wound around my torso and spun horizontally to the ground, setting myself free and landing back on the ground. I also managed to kick one guy in the face as I did my little stunt. They all stood, angry as hell, and came at me. I grinned and ran at them, dodging another punch and spinning behind the man who'd thrown it, elbowing his spine with all my force and causing him to fall. A hand shot out and grabbed me by the hair, yanking me backward into someone, whom I assumed was one of the robed assassins. I gave him a good kick to his knee and the sucker snapped out of location as I grabbed the assassin by his shoulders and swept him onto the ground. The rest of the men had quickly moved in to stop me, everyone grabbing onto my kimono sleeves and forcing me to my knees as some of them kicked and punched me.

A gunshot went off into the air, the sound making the men stop and fall silent. The only sound they heard was the bells on my wrists as I spun around, sticking my leg out and knocking them all into the air. They fell one by one as I watched, still on my knees from the attack. My kimono was a wreck; the sleeves were torn and revealed my arms up to my elbows and the bottom part ripped away to reveal my bare calves up to my knees.

Of course since I was distracted, I kind of deserved the slap across my face.

I fell backward and looked up at one of the men with a katana in his hand as he held it above him and brought it down on me. I rolled over and the katana sunk into the ground, snagging on my kimono and ripping a new hole in it. Quickly, I ripped the rest of the fabric from the sword and dug my hands into the ground, flinging dirt and small rocks up into their faces.

And that was when a second gunshot went off and one by one, the men fell. As the dirt cloud faded, I saw that they were no humans, but demons in disguise. Ugly black creatures with red eyes arose from the bodies and flew into the sky, disappearing in the shadow of the moon.

"They should know that it's not nice to hit a lady," said a voice from somewhere around me.

Summoning all my strength, I stood slowly as a gentle wind blew through the park, blowing my hair – which had fallen out of its style – back behind my ears. My eyes gently looked at him from the corner of my eye as I turned my head slightly to get a better look.

And it was Dante. Figures.

He was dressed like he was the day I met him; a long red leather trench coat with a black undershirt and black tight pants with red leather chaps.

He walked over, spinning his gun which was still smoking from the barrel and eyed me over.

"You look like you've really taken a beating."

"No shit," I scoffed at him as I brushed the dirt off of my kimono; or at least, what was left of it.

Smirking, he held his hand out to steady me as I stumbled a little, my legs threatening to give out on me. Instead of looking into his icy blue eyes like I wanted, I kept my gaze angled with the ground. I knew that if I looked up at him, I'd simply melt.

I mean c'mon, the man is gorgeous!

"Come on, Sai. Let's get you cleaned up," he said softly this time, with a soothing kind of voice. Nodding, I walked with him back to his office building, his arm around my shoulders to steady me in case I stumbled. I had to admit, it felt nice to be in someone's arms. I felt safe, protected.

Of course I could never tell him that, but still.

"Thanks," I said softly as he opened the door to his office and helped me inside.

"For what?" He asked curiously.

"Helping me take those…things out."

Smirking, he looked down at me with his sweet eyes boring holes through mine.

"I did nothing. That was all you."

He made me sit down on his desk as he went into the bathroom to grab a first-aid kit and came back shortly afterward. He kneeled in front of me and rubbed a cotton ball with alcohol. He looked up at me and gave me a crooked smile.

"This is going to sting."

I hissed as he rubbed the cotton ball against my bloody knee, gasping at the burning sensation it had started and wincing as it got worse. I squeezed my eyes shut as I rode out the pain. When it finally went away, I opened my eyes to find Dante wrapping gauze around my knee.

"Oh, you don't have to do that. I'll be fine," I said, trying to sound confident.

Instead he shook his head and continued wrapping my knee.

"So you're the brave type, huh?" He asked.

"I dunno. I guess," I thought, mulling over what he'd asked me.

"There should be more girls like you. Girls who will stand up for other people and defend them with their lives," he murmured softly as a scarlet brush spread across my cheeks.

"So, how come you're being nice to me all of a sudden? When we met a few days ago, you were kind of being an asshole," I stated matter-of-factly.

He let out a small chuckle as he stood, setting the first-aid kit on the desk.

"Well it isn't every day Lady brings a friend over. Truthfully, when I saw how you two seemed to be linked, I was debating if she was bi or something'," Dante said as he set to work on my arms, which were all banged up and bloody from the fight.

I blushed.

"You, you thought I was bi?!" I asked in disbelief, then did a complete face palm when he nodded, smirking down at me with his baby blue eyes.

I couldn't help but laugh. "You've got it all wrong, man! Lady and I are like sisters!"

He let out a small laugh as well. "Okay, okay. Would've been hot if you two were lesbians, though."

I threw my head back, chuckling. "Of course you'd think that."

He shrugged in response.

"Hey, I'm me! What do you want?"

As if I could tell you what I wanted…

Suddenly, the phone rang and I jumped.

Dante chuckled lightly and reached over, picking it up.

"Devil May Cry," he said in his business tone.

He nodded a couple times as his gaze slid over to me. "Yes, she is here."

He was talking with someone about me. Oh boy…

He nodded a couple times and handed the phone over to me. "It's your father, Sai. I'll give you two time to chat," he said as he exited the room, shutting a door behind him.

I slowly put the phone up to my ear. "H-hello? Dad? How did you-"

"Shut it, girl. I'm not your stupid father," said the voice on the other line.

This is definantly not good.

"Who are you? What do you want?" I asked as demandingly as I could. I was rewarded with a low chuckle.

"I am Dr. Tomo, and I am the one who experimented on you two years ago."

My eyes widened and I almost dropped the phone.

"You know, you've caused me so much trouble these past two years; police constantly searching everywhere for you, featuring your disappearance on the news. I've been living in fear that someone would get the truth from you, but I know you wouldn't do that. I know you're a good girl, Sai."

My breath caught in my throat. "It was you!"

He laughed shortly on the other end of the line.

"Yes. And now you will return to me. The experimentation must continue."

"And what makes you think I'll-"

"Oh, I know you will. You see, I know you've been living with some lady in the town you're staying in, and I've got her right here with me. Would you like to say hello?"

Oh my god. He has Lady!

"You bastard! Let her go! I swear to god I'll kill you!"

"I know you won't, Sai. I am no fool. You wouldn't dare risk the life of your dear friend just to get revenge on me, now would you? I am calling to make you an offer; if you come back to me with no one else around, I will let your friend go. But if you violate any of my demands-"

"Then she dies, right?"

"Exactly! Now you're catching on!" He said with a maniacal laugh.

I swallowed hard, trying to steady my breathing.

"Where should I meet you?"

I could almost feel him smiling on the other end of the phone.

"The place where I found you. One Thirty One Fourth street in Fortuna. See you soon, fifty one."

The other end of the line went dead.

I didn't even bother to hang up the phone, because I was already out the door and sprinting down the street.

Hold on, Lady! I'm coming!