Notes: Echizen's opponents are made-up. None of them are real. Unless you know someone with their name… Also, I read a story similar to this, but fret not, I did not copy the idea. This idea was in my head for a long time, just never really wanted to write it until now. So don't you say I plagiarized, because I didn't!

I am very bad with verb tenses. I can never tell what is right or wrong for tenses. This is why I will never be a real writer. Never hurts to try though! Also, some things in this story or whatever, may seem random, but everything I write in here has a purpose...All opponent names are fictional.. or intentionally fictional.

This will be a short multi-chapter story... very short. I wanted it to be a one-shot but.. it'd have to be a pretty long one.


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He'd always have dreams of them, hearing their voices rooting for him.

//Nya, Ochibi, you gonna come back right?//

//Echizen, be sure to win, Fshh…//

//You can't lose Echizen, you just can't.//

//Stay healthy Echizen, you'll need to energy//

//Haha...Good Luck, Echizen… YOU'LL DO GREAT-O! Burning..//

//Don't let your guard down.//

//If you keep drinking that milk Echizen, 94 percent you'll grow taller, I wish you well//

//Maa, Echizen, come back and see us sometime, ne?//

He'd turn around seeing them behind him, laughing and cheering him. Then he'd always wake up smiling, knowing they'd always be cheering him on.


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Merissala Writings Presents

Nobody's There

Disclaimer: I don't own Prince of Tennis
Fiction Rated: K+


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Echizen lied on his bed. Eyes closed, trying to relax. His first match was over, and he had pulverized his opponent. Peter Richard was not an easy opponent. Slightly challenging, but after one game with him, Echizen had had him wrapped around his finger. Now, the rest of the day was off and there was nothing to do but to "relax" as his manager told him. But who could do that in this kind of weather? Turning on the air conditioner would waste energy, and the fan wasn't helping either.

He turned over, and stopped to look at the picture frame that lay on the small table. Fond memories of Junior High filled his mind, the team, tennis, Seigaku, and when he first entered the U.S. Open. He had almost taken 1st place, but during the final game, there was an emergency. His beloved cat, Karupin, had choked on something. The person looking over her was the store manager a few houses away from the hotel he stayed at back then, called him immediately when it happened. Echizen quickly gathered his stuff and left, forfeiting his final game.

Unfortunately, Karupin had passed away, partly because of the emergency, but also because of old age.

Time of grieving of his cat and the un-satisfaction of the forfeit he had taken went by and he had ended up going to school in America. His mother and father already moved back with him. He told his former teammates the news and they supported him all the way, and still kept in touch. So far he's hasn't had the time to go visit them, but phone calls and emails never failed to bring them communication. And three years has past since then.

America's school system was different, so he was a sophomore in high school right now, whereas in Japan, he'd be a freshman. If he went back now, would things be like when they were in Junior High?

Knock. Knock.

Thoughts disturbed by rapping on the door.

Didn't he say he didn't want anyone coming to his room?

"Who-"

Apparently the person outside didn't wait for the answer because the door had opened. "Hi Ryoma!" A perky jovial sound came.

"What is it Kevin?" Echizen replied, in his usual grumpy voice, he immediately recognized the perky jovial sound, but was still unhappy.

"Why sound so miserable? Oh! I know! Let's go play a game, that always cheers ya right up!"

"Nn..." He actually really didn't want to play tennis right now, at least not in this forecast. No one would be crazy enough to go outside at this time, except for Kevin of course but he just wanted not to be bothered. "Not now."

"What? The Echizen Ryoma doesn't want to play tennis? This is definitely a first!" Kevin went on, talking to himself, since he wasn't listening at all. Echizen wondered why he even talked to Kevin. Maybe it was the fact that he'd get a good game out of him, and still beat him at the end. That was always fun. He'd known him for as long as he'd been in America since the U.S. Open, but they never became good friends, just good acquaintances. Kevin wasn't bad or anything, Echizen just wasn't able to forge the same kind of bond with his friends like he did back in Japan.

"Come on, come on, come on!"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Don't wanna."

"Ryoma..." Echizen knew if he kept this going, Kevin would just keep pestering him to no end, until he decided to stop, which would not be anytime soon.

"Fine, fine," he rolled his eyes as he grabbed his tennis bag, "once I beat you, I'm coming back."

"Who said you were going to win?"

"Mada mada dane." The door slammed shut as the two boys headed to the park right across the street from Echizen's suite. A large amount of the area was taken by tennis courts, since he lived in the district where tournament were always held.

Outside, Echizen stopped, Kevin turned back and asked, "Something wrong?"

He shook his head, "Just feel like I'm missing something, but can't remember what."

"I'm sure you'll remember later."

Back at the room his cell phone lie on the ground, forgotten for the time being.


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"Really? Are we REALLY?"

"Yes, we are Eiji, now calm down."

"But I can't, this is so exciting! I can't believe we are really going Oishi!" Eiji jumped onto Oishi's shoulders nearly knocking him over in the process. "We are going to see Ochibi!"

The regulars were gathered in the clubroom. The regular line up was the same, everyone was the same, except, of course, for their little 'Ochibi.'

"Kikumaru, 20 laps now."

"Tezuka-Buchou! We aren't even at school!"

Tezuka's glare shut his whining right up.

"Ma, Tezuka, don't be so hard on him, you're excited to go too aren't you?" Fuji said.

Tezuka only said nothing.

"When can we go? I mean, don't we have school and the tournament? Shouldn't we call and tell him Fuji-sempai?" Momo asked.

"It's winter break starting tomorrow, idiot. Tournaments don't start until two weeks."

"Who are you calling an idiot, Mamushi!?" Momo grabbed his rival by the collar of his shirt as did Kaidoh and glared. Oishi broke them apart as Eiji continued the conversation. "I think we should leave it as a surprise... but then again, I really want to tell him now..."

"Kikumaru, have you even done your laps yet?" Tezuka said, strict voice maintained, even through all the excitement.

"Y-yes?" Eiji had never been good at lying.

"Well, what about we just call him to say we have a surprise for him?" Oishi suggested.

"Hmm... that's a good idea." Inui said.

Everyone else agreed.

"All right then," Oishi took out his cell and dialed the phone number to Echizen's cell, already memorized, and waited for the phone to pick up. A few more minutes of waiting, then the voice mail came up.

"It seems he didn't pick up," he said to everyone, covering the speaker with his hand, "I'll just tell him through voice mail...Oh! Hi Echizen, this is Oishi, we have a surprise for you coming soon, so be sure to get ready! See you!" He flipped his phone down, "Okay then, the flight is two days from now, all of you guys can go right?

Heads nodding could be seen. "6PM is when the plane leaves, so we'll meet together at the airport at four. Then we'll call to gather, I have the tickets and everything is set! Yosh! Let's get this place cleaned up and go home to rest!" Oishi's face glittered with happiness as everyone rushed to get home. Fuji stepped up and smiled at Oishi.

"Ne, Oishi?"

"Hm?"

"You realize you just said, "See you" when you left that message to Echizen?"

Oishi looked at Fuji confused for awhile, until he realized what that meant.

"Ah! Shimata!"


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"That was a good few game sets, I thought you said you were going to leave right after the first set." Kevin said.

"I changed my mind." This was just Echizen's way of saying, 'that was fun, I enjoyed it.'

They got their stuff and walked out of the park.

"Hey Ryoma, let's go clubbing."

Ryoma looked at Kevin, and raised his eyebrow, "Why?"

"Because!" He didn't elaborate, but still seemed hopeful to Ryoma saying, 'yes.'

"Because what." Echizen said, unconvinced.

"Because I just want to, plus you don't have a game coming in the next few days anyways."

Echizen thought about it for awhile. There wasn't anything to do anyways, might as well do something with the whinny blond in front of him, or then he just might never shut up. That'd be a real nuisance. "Hn..."

"Yes?" Said Kevin, very enthusiastically.

"Maybe."

"So it's a yes! Let's go!"


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This is not edited by anyone, other than myself. Anyone want to? Not desperate though. :D