Title: The Adventure of Kirihara and the Golden Racket

Author: DnKS – giRLs

Rating: PG

Pairing: SanaYuki, SanaAto, NiouYagyuu

Disclaimers: not ours, no profit and… you know…

Warning: stupid. That says all…

The Empire of Rikkai was a large and rich country that was said to be favoured the most of the Gods. Never a trouble ensued in that country and peace was everywhere. No doubt that such condition could happen thanks to the wise rulers of Rikkai, the King Sanada, the Queen Yukimura, and the Prime Minister Yanagi. Together the three of them became the sole pillars that maintained Rikkai as the strongest and most peaceful land on earth.

But of course, such perfect condition would not last forever. A disaster had been lurking in a corner, ready to attack. And that day, during one lazy summer day, the disaster finally showed itself.

That day, the King, the Queen, and the Prime Minister were having a trip across the forest that marked the westernmost border of Rikkai. Somewhere along the trip, the King felt like having some little hunt. Since the Queen said that he (ahem… yes, Queen Yukimura is a he…) was tired of walking already, the King decided that he should advance with the Prime Minister while the Queen should wait for them. They were not afraid of anything bad that might befall upon the Queen because he could pretty much defend himself and there was neither beast not evildoers in that forest (remember that Rikkai was all peaceful and blah blah blah…).

While Queen Yukimura was waiting, a pair of mesmerizing blue eyes watched him from behind the bushes. The eyes belonged to a spirit called Atobe. He was normally a harmless spirit (regardless his arrogance and snobby treat) but that time, the spirit felt rage consuming him and the cause was nothing but jealousy. For years Atobe loved the King of Rikkai but he knew that the King had already chosen his Queen so he had no chance to try his luck with his love.

Watching Queen Yukimura who sat all alone and completely unguarded, Atobe could not help but feel his hatred growing stronger and stronger. If the Queen did not exist, he thought bitterly, if only he did not exist, then he would have his chance at love. But no matter how great his hatred was, he couldn't do any harm to the Queen because he knew what power the Queen had in him.

While he was in the middle of his sorrow, though, he saw the Queen falling gently to the ground and moved no more. Curious of what might be the case, Atobe silently approached the Queen. Upon closer inspection he could see that the Queen had apparently fainted because of what he did not know. He just knew that this might be the only chance for him to get his dream.

And so he smirked.

Carefully he hoisted the Queen's slim body onto his shoulder and he carried him deeper into the woods. The Queen could not do anything for he was unaware of any of the things done to him. Casting some spell on the Queen so that he might never leave the forest, Atobe then disguised himself as the Queen and took his place waiting for the King.

King Sanada and Prime Minister Yanagi came back from their hunting trip when the sun almost set. The King had no suspicion whatsoever toward his wife whom he found was still faithfully waiting for him, but the Prime Minister frowned a little at the Queen. Usually, Queen Yukimura was always so gentle and nice toward his subjects yet that time he looked a bit arrogant and (ahem) sexier than usual. But since the Prime Minister did not have any clue to what might possibly be behind the Queen's slight change of behaviour, he let it pass and the three of them went back to the palace.

Meanwhile deep in the forest, the real Queen Yukimura woke up from his sleep. He confusedly surveyed his surroundings and when he could see nothing familiar around him, he felt really baffled.

It was then a voice came to him.

"You have been tricked," the voice said.

Queen Yukimura spun his head to meet the one whose voice he just heard. He saw a pair of wicked eyes and flash of silver hair of a man who stood before him.

"Tricked?" Queen Yujimura said.

"Yes, tricked, by that little wicked spirit Atobe…" the man said. "You collapsed and he took you here and he took your shape to see your husband because he loves him, you see…"

"And you are…" Queen Yukimura eyes the man.

"Oh, I'm a spirit too, and as wicked as Atobe too… my name is Niou by the way," the man grinned. "So, Atobe has cast a spell on you so that you won't be able to leave the forest… he went with your husband and…"

"Wait…" Queen Yukimura cut him. "You know all this yet you did not help me, am I right?"

"Uh…" Niou said. "Why must I?"

Queen Yukimura smiled and approached Niou. Several minutes later, the spirit was kneeling before him, pledging his loyalty and begging for mercy to the Queen (Queen Yukimura could be quite scary when he wanted to…). The Queen then made Niou tell all details of what had happened that day. It was clear to him then that the spirit called Atobe had to be very depressed in his love toward his husband that it almost seemed pitiful. And, oh, how miserable his husband would become at the hands of that spirit because from what he just heard from Niou, Atobe's personalities were worse than the worst. All in all, he seemed not really minding that there was an impostor disguised as himself and seduced his husband. He even more wanted to see his husband's, King Sanada's face when he was being played by that wicked spirit called Atobe. Oh yes, Queen Yukimura could be so cruel and it was public secret, really, that he loved teasing his husband the most.

But still the fact remained that Queen Yukimura could not get out from the forest so he decided to make himself as comfortable as possible living there. It was not so bad yet he still felt somewhat remorseful for he really wanted to see how King Sanada fared being faced with such egoistical and arrogant spirit like Atobe.

Yet the problem arose half a year after that when Queen Yukimura gave birth to a child (regarding the matter of how a male could give birth to a child was something secret and confidential and could not be told here). That child was surely his and the King's child. It was a cute baby boy and Queen Yukimura named him Kirihara.

Years went by and Kirihara grew up to be an equally cute little boy. But behind his somewhat innocent appearance, there was kept a rash, bratty, and evil attitude which could be blamed on his growing up with the spirit Niou or it was simply because he was his mother's son. Nevertheless, Kirihara grew up healthily without any knowledge on who his father was (he even had an idea of his mother had actually killed his father and thus they were hiding in the forest). But one day after he passed his thirteenth summer, something changed his life.

That day Kirihara was walking across the forest when his eyes fell on a glittering object. He picked it up and it turned out to be a golden tennis racket. Kirihara smirked upon the revelation. He loved tennis. His mother had taught him that sport ever since he could walk. His greatest ambition was to beat his mother and when he saw the racket, he thought that maybe he could win that time because, really, the racket made him feel things like sudden euphoria and a great boost of confidence (further examination proved that there was indeed something like endorphin on that racket…).

Kirihara examined the racket more carefully then suddenly, the racket start singing. Or maybe the racket was trying to sing. And here's what it sang… err… tried to sing.

Serve, receive, volley, and smash,

I can do those in a flash,

Every opponent I will crash,

And turn them surely into ash.

Kirihara had the 'wtf' look in his face when he heard that horrible song that the racket sang with its horrible voice. Yet he was not a bit amazed at the fact that the racket could sing at the very first place.

"That song was the worst," he scrunched his face.

"Hey, it's hard to find a rhyme to 'smash'!" the racket said.

"Then why did you use 'smash'? It's stupid!" Kirihara said back.

"Well, it's a given first line, brat!" the racket said and if it had eyes, it would surely had rolled them. But maybe he indeed had eyes for he said afterwards, "Hey, I know you! You're the son of King and Queen of Rikkai, huh?"

"I dunno," Kirihara shrugged. "I just know my mother's name is Yukimura and he's so damn good at tennis."

"That's the queen's name," the racket said. "Just ask your mother. You're surely the prince of Rikkai."

"Why should I believe you?"

"I don't tell lie, my contract forbids me to."

"Why should I believe such contracts ever existed?"

"Shut up, brat, and go to your mother since we did not have that many pages left."

And so, Kirihara brought the racket along with him to the house he had been living in with his mother. Once he got there, he confronted his mother with what the racket had told him. Hearing all those, Queen Yukimura sighed.

"I think I cannot hide it from you any longer," he said and then he revealed all the things that had happened thirteen years ago, completed with his regret of not being able to see his husband being tortured.

"So I'm really a prince?" Kirihara asked after Queen Yukimura had finished talking.

"Yes," Queen Yukimura said. "Now do you want to take up your right for the throne? Because the spell was cast on me alone and you'll still be able to leave the forest I think."

"But then, why do you always keep me here, mother, knowing that I can go outside?" Kirihara pouted.

"Because it's destined," Queen Yukimura said serenely, silently hiding some papers marked 'scenario' behind his back. "But now is your time finally to meet your father."

"I don't really feel like it…" Kirihara said.

"Have I told you that your father King Sanada is the man known far and wide for his amazing skill in tennis?" Queen Yukimura asked with a mischievous glint and he saw in satisfaction as his son stood up with a new burning gaze in his eyes. Kirihara was obsessed over tennis. If there was anything that could make him all worked up, it was tennis.

Kirihara took the golden racket with him and he reached the capital some weeks after he took off from his house in the woodland. Actually he could get there faster but he got lost and distracted in his way. Anyway, once he got inside the capital, Kirihara found out that a tennis competition was being held during that time of the year. Knowing that joining the game might be the best way for him to meet his father, Kirihara then signed his name.

He won easily at first rounds and the match gradually became harder. But eventually he did win and thus he was given the chance to fight the king in the court. With his golden racket (which, thankfully, was not singing) Kirihara played a game against his father, King Sanada. His mother did not lie, Kirihara thought, his father was really good at tennis. He started to doubt whether he could win or not when suddenly the king raised his hand.

"Stop the game," King Sanada said.

Loud murmurs were heard from the crowd and even the 'queen' herself frowned and descended from his throne. He threw a sharp glare to the king and asked with a voice that was so elegant, "Why did you stop, my king?"

"He is no regular child," King Sanada said. "For once, he got that holy golden racket in his hand and he just used a move that I knew no one could ever pull else than myself."

King Sanada turned to Kirihara and asked, "Who are you, child?"

Kirihara was just about to answer when the racket began to sing again.

Kirihara is the name of this boy I bring,

Queen Yukimura is his mother, sweet and caring,

The throne is his right from the beginning,

Since his father was Sanada the King.

A loud shout of "That was lame!" was heard from around the courts. The king frowned and the 'queen' had his mouth tightened.

"I don't remember giving birth to you," the queen said.

"Because you're not my mother," Kirihara said and then he revealed all the things his mother had said before he left their home to the king. The king, after hearing the story, decided that he would go into the forest to see if what Kirihara said was true. He brought 'Queen Yukimura' and Prime Minister Yanagi to go with him. And when Kirihara showed him the little house where his mother was waiting on the porch, King Sanada was flabbergasted. He could not distinguish the difference of the one whom he saw before him and the one who stood on his side.

"What is the meaning of this?!" King Sanada shouted.

"I think it means that what the boy has said is true, your majesty," said Prime Minister Yanagi.

Queen Yukimura - the real one - walked to Sanada's direction. Once he was right before his husband, he said in his soft yet sure voice, "I am Yukimura, the queen of Rikkai, one of the troika, and the one to whom you have pledged your loyalty fourteen years ago."

"But then…" King Sanada stared at the one on his side who also bore the same feature with the queen. "Who are you?"

Atobe knew that his game was over. He knew that it was time for him to end his little trick no matter how hard it was for him to do so. With a bitter smile he changed himself back to his original form and afterward with all the pride he still had in him, he stared straight into king Sanada's eyes.

"I am Atobe, a spirit of this forest. Thirteen years ago I cast a spell on the queen and took his form and position on your side."

"Why did such a high spirit like you do that?" Prime Minister Yanagi asked.

"Because I love the king," Atobe said calmly. He did not even flinch when King Sanada drew his sword and placed the blade against his neck with enough pressure to tore his fair skin and draw some blood from the wound.

"You know you shall die for what you did?" King Sanada said.

"Then kill me, my king, I am not afraid of death," Atobe said sternly without any trace of doubt in his eyes.

All the people there held their breath as they waited for the king to do his finishing move but rather than cut Atobe's head off, King Sanada drew his sword back from Atobe's neck. With a straight face he turned his attention to the queen and presented the sword to him.

Queen Yukimura only frowned upon being given the said sword, silently asking the king what he meant by such act.

"If I am to kill him, my queen, then I'm afraid you have to kill me too," King Sanada said.

"Why?" Queen Yukimura said though his eyes showed King Sanada that the queen had already known the answer. He sighed.

"Because my queen, I have been unfaithful to you," King Sanada said. "I love him. For the past thirteen years, he is the one I love. For the past thirteen years, he is the one on my side, the one to see me off to battles and greets my coming back in victory, the one who sheds tears with me, shares laugh with me, fights with me, loves me and lets me love him back. My queen, I am a really fickle person. We were only together for six months before you were abducted but he has been with me for years. If I say that I do not love him after these years, that would be a lie."

The queen was silent. As a matter of fact, all of the people there were silent. Only Atobe managed to look in disbelief at the king who lowered his head facing the queen before his eyes gazed at the queen himself.

The queen met his gaze and the strength of his stare was mesmerizing him. He watched as the queen sighed.

"I know this will happen and I do not have any right to stop you from what you want, my king," the queen said. "I enjoyed my life in this forest and never once I feel bitter over it. You gave me our son, but that love is lost between us. If you have already found your love, my king, then I shall never object, but…"

The queen stared straight at King Sanada then at Atobe.

"I will only allow those whom I find worthy enough to be on the king's side. Now let me ask you, Atobe, fair spirit of the forest," Queen Yukimura said. "Assuming you and the king are in a ship and the ship is about to get drowned. There is only one boat for one person, and you are with the king. What would you do?"

Atobe answered without any time he gave for thinking, "My king is strong and powerful. He can swim. I shall take the boat."

The queen nodded and smiled, "You are the most valuable person for him to have on his side."

And so it was how all the things were decided. After that King Sanada brought Atobe back with him to the capital and married him as who he really was. Some thought of this as scandal but every person objected to the marriage were strangely disappeared with the snap of the new queen's fingers. And after that, there was no one dared to object the queen. Rikkai's prosperity and wealth grew even larger as the years went by and King Sanada lived happily with Queen Atobe until the end if their lives.

Queen Yukimura stayed in the forest and he made friends with all the wicked spirits who lived there. A month after the golden racket incident, Prime Minister Yanagi visited him. They went out dating for some times before they decided to get married. And they lived happily ever after.

Kirihara took his right over the throne, but he went sick seeing his father's and Atobe's lovey-dovey scene everyday so he decided to go in a journey to defeat all the good tennis players on earth. He left his golden tennis racket behind though because it sang too much and before long he was well known as a very excellent tennis player throughout the land.

The golden tennis racket was kept in a locked chamber so that it wouldn't disturb anyone by its awful singing.

Rumours said that the spirit Niou was now dating another spirit called Yagyuu and that Queen Yukimura was the one behind it.

And that was the end of the adventure of Kirihara and the golden racket as being recorded in the history of Rikkai Empire.

- the end -

(A/N: meh… a little bit stupid, we know…this is the result of our stress because of deadlines… And so, long live fairy tale crack!!! This fairy tale came from our country, Indonesia. It's fun to mess with our own fairy tale grin. Don't believe that the true story is this stupid, of course. Wait for more of this stupidity in another fandom smile)