She raced all around the room, bumping into people and almost tripping over things.

Fighting back tears, she contiuned to shove and push past people, feeling like a little girl lost in a amusement park. "Can you help me, can you help me?" the woman asked anyone who past her but no one noticed. "Please, I need help!"

Not even a batted eye.

'What's going on? Why am I here? I need help, can't anyone see that?!' she thought frantically, running in a room that had no end. Just people...so many people...

'Thank God I'm not a schizo.' she mentally thanked but someone tripped her. Hitting the floor hard, she looked up. "Chun Li, watch where you're going!" she told herself harshly.

Chun Li got back up, stepping on her her own dress. Wait...she was wearing a dress?

Sure was. It was a beautiful light blue dress with lace-sleeves, white silk gloves at the end. It flowed down to her feet, covering up the shoes. Pearls were around her neck and a finely woven silk white belt was around her waist.

'No wonder I can't move very fast.' Chun Li thought, feeling stupid. 'At least my hair is the same.'

Moving through the crowd once more, she gave up and tapped a man with his back turned to her. "Can you help me?" Chun Li asked softly, out of breath. He turned around...

And had a frightening, terrifying face.

Screaming, she leaped back a few feet and bumped into another person, a blonde haired woman. Turning around, she saw another frightening face, one that looked like a cackling demon. Everyone turned to her and Chun Li realized that they all had terrifying faces...

Her mind worked through the panic: must be a masquerade ball

'Well, that's just great.' Chun Li thought bitterly. "Can someone please help me?" she asked, this time a little calmer.

Everyone turned right back around and Chun Li became frustrated. 'There must be someone to help me!' she thought in a panic, running around again...

Finally, she broke through what seemed to be...dancing? Yes...yes...dancing...men dancing with women...to music...music? Was there music...? Chun Li didn't know, she couldn't really hear, her mind abuzz with questions: Can someone help her?

Walking past people who ignored her, something caught her eye in the middle of the dance floor. Something was completely wrong...

People passed by, dancing and dancing so she couldn't really see. But...was there someone out in the middle of it, looking at her? Staring at her?

Pushing aside one couple, Chun Li saw a man looking at her. He wasn't wearing a hideous mask or ignoring her, watching her, acknowledging her existence. He smiled at her when he saw that she was looking at him too.

Approaching the man, she took a closer look at him. He was handsome, built and strong. His hair was black, neatly cropped and his eyes were faintly showing pupils. The man was wearing a red/blue class style general outfit and he extended his hand.

"Can you help me?" Chun Li asked smally. "We shall see." he answered, taking her hand into his.

"No. Help me. Please." she refused and the man tightened his hand around hers. "Dance with me and I will help you." he offered and Chun Li agreed, accepting.

They danced for a while and Chun Li felt wonderful. Finally, someone knew she existed! Air was light and suddenly, letting people know she existed didn't matter anymore to her.

However, when she was being twirled around, she kept seeing those demonic masks. It kinda frightened her still.

"What kind of masquerade is this?" she asked her dancer and he looked around, shrugging. "A real one." he simply said.

"Beg your pardon?"

But he ignored the question and they danced faster and faster, spinning Chun Li around and around, making her head swirl. The faces became a large blur, a colorful blur.

"The music seems so long..." she whispered to her partner, making him chuckle.

"There hasn't been any music for a while." he answered her and she broke away. "Can you help me?" Chun Li reminded him, pleadingly looking at him. "Follow me outside." the man motioned her outside.

Taking her through the crowd, he led her to the bleak outside. "Can you help me?" she repeated. "Please?"

Taking her chin, the man gazed at her sympathically. "I will help you." he told her and she nuzzled. "Thank you." Chun Li whispered and he stroked her hair.

"You're very welcome. I know what you need help with." the man quietly said. Startled, Chun Li looked at him.

"Don't fear, I will help you. You're my one and only." he assured her and Chun Li stared at him. "What?"

xxx

Chun Li woke up with a jerk. Touching her head, she tried to slow her breathing. Where was she?

"So that's your problem..."

Turning to the voice, a figure stood in the light. "You feel like you're ignored by everyone." it said calmly, "Everyone has a darker purpose for you..."

"Who...?"

"Can't remember me? Don't blame you. You went in a passionate fit of rage couple of days earlier. You hit your head pretty hard there." it interrupted her, kneeling next to her. "I'm Bison. Your husband."

"I'm married?"

"Yes. You've been in hell for the last few weeks. Some people captured you in order to use you for money. Your friends and I got you back but you went berserk and we had to put you down. Sorry." Bison quickly said. "Your sister Ibuki is going crazy being worried about you."

Memories flooded back to her. "Can you help me?" she muttered and he touched her cheek. "Yes, I can. I did too." Bison smiled.

xxx
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