Disclaimer: I don't own Prince of Tennis or any of its characters.

A/N: Yesh, I need to stop writing new fics...but it turns out that this is how I handle my stress. With 6 courses, I have no choice but to de-stress. Please don't mind the formatting and I wanted to try my hand at writing first-person. I haven't seen one well done, even in published books, so hopefully this story can be one of them! Reviews are always great ;)

Protect those who hold a piece of your heart

Or embrace the reaper who rides the death cart.

/_/

The dominating dragon was in deep slumber within the host. Her given name was derived from a flower and the personality

conditioned to become a sweet, young and naïve girl. It was all done to deceive the forces which sought her and her descendants.

Centuries passed by peacefully and the day came for the rousing of the dragon.

Those who the child was hidden from had made themselves known in this new world.

/_/_/_/

It was often said Ryuzaki Sumire was a terrifying woman and though it was a side of her Sakuno rarely saw, there were days when she believed those words. Today was a fine example.

The elder Ryuzaki loomed over three regulars and lectured them for the simple reason of not executing a backstroke perfectly despite so much practice. Although she was smiling, the otherwise pleasant gesture didn't reach her eyes. The sun in the sky couldn't penetrate the darkness she shrouded herself in. She nearly delved into a psychological attack as she was a woman who knew men like the back of her hand. Perhaps that's what scared these boys the most – that she knew their secret motivation.

Sakuno pitied them but couldn't understand the feeling of terror. Sumire had never so much as scolded Sakuno in the past fifteen years we have been together. She could only imagine what emotions those regulars were undergoing. Awkwardly, the young girl chuckled and waited for her grandmother outside the tennis courts. She thought to set up a working environment for myself since regionals were approaching and knew it would be hours before they went home for the day.

Soon, dusk fell upon Seishun Gakuen and an unexpected shadow descends upon her 'station'.

"Waiting for sensei, Ryuzaki-chan?" A soft yet masculine voice called, capturing her interest.

Walking towards Sakuno was none other than Yukimura, one of the most popular men in their high school. He had transferred in the past year from Rikkai Dai due to his desire to train under Sumire and it was the closest he could get, considering she worked in the middle school. Although they were student and coach, they had a unique friendship since Yukimura had a strong interests in gardening as well as tennis.

"Good evening, Yukimura-senpai." Sakuno stood and casually bowed. "Yes, I am. Obaa-chan wanted us to go home together today. What brings you here, senpai?"

He chuckled then asked her not to be so formal with him. She merely greeted him as my senior so it confused her why an upperclassman, with whom she don't have a special bond with, wanted her to be so informal. It wasn't proper but she didn't want to voice her concern.

"Well, I was hoping sensei could be a character reference for me. I plan to apply for the physiotherapy programs in Europe; Austria specifically."

Sakuno almost chuckled; it wasn't a well kept secret that Yukimura wouldn't ever be refused by those surrounding him, adults included. Though, her grandmother was one of the few who viewed him as the teenager he was, not the perfect child others thought him to be. Perhaps that's why he wanted a letter from her?

"I doubt obaa-chan would say no, senpai."

And by saying so, she managed to initiate a proper conversation between them and made space for him to sit. They talked about tennis, classes and potential career paths. Even though the condition he has hadn't been completely cured, it was wonderful that he didn't allow it to hinder him. This would probably explain the motivation for becoming a physiotherapist.

Perhaps it was his ambition, perseverance, gentle persona or combination of all there, but when he wasn't playing tennis, something about him made her feel at ease. But whatever the reason, her fondness for him would never be altered.

As they conversed, something caught her eye and looking across the courts, she found a man, slightly frightening in appearance, watching the tennis regulars play. When she frowned, Yukimura followed her line of sight and exclaimed in surprise – well, as surprised someone like could be anyway. He was always so calm…

"I wonder, is that Akutsu Jin? What a surprise if it and here of all places." He remarked.

Suddenly, a memory of Sumire ranting and raving about a high school student came to mind. She said he was doing community service for an incident involving a potential arrest. At this moment, Sakuno instantly assumed it was Akutsu she was talking about although it wasn't right to think that way…

The silver hared man noticed them and with a last look at the tennis team, he walked away. Shortly after, grandmother finished her session, joined them and everyone completely forgot about Akutsu. She agreed to be a reference for Yukimura and he finally accepted the ride she constantly offered. It made Sakuno smile to see them to be so comfortable with one another despite the age gap and status.

During the drive home, Sumire began bragging about Sakuno's accomplishments in the humanities classes, specifically History, and the award she was to receive at the end of the school year. Sakuno blushed, embarrassed her grandmother was doing such a thing.

"O-obaa-chan! It was nothing!" These kinds of things shouldn't be discussed so openly, especially since the award was one of condition – as long as her marks remained stable, she would receive it. Yukimura chuckled and turned to look at her from the front seat.

"You should be proud of your accomplishments, Ryuzaki-chan. Sensei has the right idea but don't worry, she always had the pride of an army." He said this as though there was a secret they both shared, shocking the younger girl since he was teasing. He didn't usually do that, not with Sakuno anyway.

Sumire chuckled darkly. "Ho ho ho, was that a snide comments towards a certain outfit at a certain beach, Yuki-kun?"

And then the teasing began and they forgot about Sakuno's existence and embarrassment.

"I'm happy about it, I just don't want the whole world to know…" She mumbled beneath her breath and looked out the car window, annoyance settling deep within her soul.

Suddenly, her attention was caught by a shadow passing over the car. She blinked once to overcome surprise and again when she realized no one else noticed. It was such a large and dark shadow, meaning it was close to the car! How could no one else notice?!

Before she could say anything, a figure came rapidly towards them, evoking panic inside of her. The setting sun was behind it, making it difficult to identify. Her eyes widened – it was a…dragon?! Wait, what?!

"O-obaa-chan! A dragon!" Sakuno pointed and dashed to the other side of the car while Sumire and Yukimura looked where she pointed, clearly confused. She didn't have time to say anything as screaming took priority – it roared and its mouth smashed through the door, engulfing the young Ryuzaki within its dangerous jaw.

/_/_/_/

The timid beginnings of a light slowly turned into a contrasting brightness to the surrounding darkness. The light took the form of a nude, female soul. She was startled, curious why she was in the dark. Behind her, a large, white figure with golden eyes materialized.

She was frightened but slowly understood no harm would come to her. Her hand inched towards the white dragon's snout, recognizing it as the one which swallowed her whole. It was as if it had been with her throughout her life and beyond.

/_/

Are your wits as fast as the leopard?

Will you be my everlasting shepard?