Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis.

Rating: T
Genre: Friendship, Drama, Humour
Characters: Kirihara Akaya, Niou Masaharu, Yagyuu Hiroshi, Marui Bunta, Jackal Kuwahara, Yanagi Renji, Sanada Genichirou, Yukimura Seiichi
Warning(s): Some swearing

Summary: The Rikkai regulars celebrate Yukimura's birthday.

Kill the King

"Onwards, my friends!"

Kirihara, donned in a knight's suit, swung a fake Styrofoam sword in an overhead arch. Jackal, crouched on all fours, moaned at his pitiful state and 'trotted' forwards, shaking his head left to right in an overly exaggerated manner and made pitiful excuses for neighs. Yukimura lazed in his seat, left heel hooked round his right ankle at the front of the makeshift stage.

"Oh no, Sir Kirihara." Marui unsuccessfully tried to hide a snort. Kirihara glared at the volley specialist standing before him. Marui was also dressed similarly to Kirihara, albeit lacking a 'horse'. Jackal neighed in annoyance. "King Pepapiteta's defences are impenetrable! News have arrived that King Pepapiteta has employed the service of the most powerful wizard in the universe, Niou Masaharu the Great!" Marui turned to the side and shook with laughter. "Sorry," he whispered under his breath when Kirihara glared yet again.

"Preposterous!" Kirihara snapped, sticking his nose up in the air. "Yer merely a coward! Niou Masaharu the Great is not more than a legend. King Papi—Pepati—" Kirihara stumbled over the horrific name and flushed red, "Pepapiteta is a fool if he thinks it'll frighten me! Me! Kirihara the Red Eyed Demon!"

Yanagi, dressed in brown robes, dropped down onto the floor beside Yukimura. Clapping lightly, Yukimura faced the data master and whispered, "What are you doing here, Renji?"

Kirihara pouted on the stage as he spotted his captain shift his attention from himself to Yanagi. "Yukimura-buchou!" he called out, waving his hands around, just short of stomping his feet on the ground.

"My apologies, Akaya. Please continue."

"Soldier Marui, get back in line. We're heading in," Kirihara sternly continued the play. Swinging his sword recklessly in the air, Kirihara accidentally stabbed Marui right in the face when the red head moved.

"Ow! Fuck!" Marui groaned, clutching his nose. Gasping, he remarked, "You killed me!"

"I thought I'd join you, Seiichi. It was quite pathetic seeing you all alone down here," Yanagi answered.

"I did not!" Kirihara hissed, "Shut up and just continue the damn play!"

Yukimura's eyes didn't leave the stage as he spoke to Yanagi, "I suppose your presence ought to remove that pathetic scene?"

"Of course."

They watched as Marui scuttled to his position with a huff. Kirihara prodded Jackal with his toes and the Brazilian crawled a few steps, before coming to a stop in front of a 'brick' wall which mysteriously appeared. Yukimura spied the white tennis shoes Sanada wore at the bottom of the 'brick' wall and sniggered. "Sanada didn't want a speaking role, did he?"

"Sir Kirihara," Marui inquired, "however shall we get past this obstacle?"

Kirihara grinned menacingly and pointed his sword at the 'brick' wall. "Foolish question, Soldier Marui. Why, of course we CHARGE!"

With the yell, Jackal crawled as fast as he could forwards while Kirihara followed his pace with a battle cry, arms ready to swing. Marui followed more sluggishly, his own sword dragging across the stage floor, and a weak, "yeah" as his own battle cry.

However, before they could land a hit on the wall, it bellowed, "Thou shall not pass!"

"What the—" Kirihara screeched to a stop, pulling Jackal by the back of his shirt. Marui crashed into his back and Kirihara sent another death glare at the red head, who sheepishly stepped back. "Who addresses me?"

Yukimura's eyebrows rose to his hairline and Yanagi laughed silently. "There are no non-speaking roles, Seiichi." The two friends eyed Jackal and Yanagi corrected himself, "Well, kind of. Jackal does speak, in a way."

"It is I," Sanada boomed, and the wall shook intimidatingly. "Who dares pass the Ferocious Wall of King Pepapiteta?"

"I, Kirihara the Red Eyed Demon. Here to slay your king!"

"Oh? Try as you might, Kirihara the Red Eyed Demon. You shan't get past me!" With that, the 'brick' wall advanced as Sanada took a step.

"Nothing will stop me!" Roaring, Kirihara jumped and knocked the wall down with an 'oomph'. Yukimura clapped with a smile on his face. "Take that, you so-called Ferocious Wall of King Pi—Pepi—Pepapiteta!"

"A tongue twister, that name," Yukimura commented softly to Yanagi.

"Indeed. Akaya has never gotten it right on the first try even during rehearsals."

"Who chose that name?"

"Why, who do you think, Seiichi?"

"Oh, Sir Kirihara," Marui swooned on the stage, his face tomato red, almost the same shade as his hair as he struggled not to burst into laughter. "You have conquered the Ferocious Wall of King Pepapiteta! All that's left is Niou Masaharu the Great!"

"Let's go, troops!" Kirihara commanded. With that, the trio proceeded forth, Jackal neighing here and there as they paced the stage.

"Oh, it's my turn," Yanagi said, picking himself up from the ground and brushed off the dust on his robes. With a few short strides, Yanagi climbed onto the stage and cleared his throat. Pulling a piece of parchment from his sleeve, Yanagi read, "Kirihara the Red Eyed Demon, his faithful horse, Jackal, and Soldier Marui travelled the lands of King Pepapiteta for days, defeating thousands on enemies in their way. Finally, they arrive at the gates of the palace, where two strange men await."

Folding the parchment, Yanagi slipped it back up his sleeve and jumped off the stage, returning to the floor beside Yukimura.

"Niou?" Yukimura answered, as Yanagi stretched out on the floor.

"Naturally."

"You've finally arrived, Kirihara the Red Eyed Demon," Niou sneered on the stage, dressed in a deep blue cloak, the same coloured floppy hat atop his silvery head, and a hastily wrapped pole in his left hand. "I was afraid you had perished along the way."

"You underestimate me!" Kirihara shouted. "Who might you be?"

Marui hid behind Kirihara's back and whispered, "Niou Masaharu the Great. I'm sure of it."

"Who am I? I am who you think I am. A wizard, a horse, a wall, a knight. For I am the Great. Niou Masaharu the Great," Niou exclaimed, spreading his arms wide. A slight tilt of his head to the right, he continued, gesturing to a similarly dressed brown haired male, "Oh, and that's my apprentice, Yagyuu."

"I can introduce myself, master."

"Lies!" Kirihara seethed. "Niou Masaharu the Great is nothing but a legend for fools!"

"Oh?" Niou smirked. "You must be the fool for not believing in my greatness."

Marui poked Kirihara in the back. "I told you."

"Silence, Soldier Marui. You're out of line," Kirihara snapped. Jackal neighed and grunted. "No matter who you are, I shall defeat you!" Kirihara charged, sword first at the duo.

Niou and Yagyuu jumped to the side and Kirihara struck at thin air. Waving his 'staff' around, Niou yelled, "Pepepepepepepepe!" and made a stabbing action towards Kirihara.

Kirihara cried out and fell to the ground, clutching his chest in exaggerated agony. "No!"

Niou laughed evilly and he relaxed his body. Turning to Yagyuu, he said, "And that's how you do it, apprentice."

"A wondrous lesson, master."

"I am not defeated yet, wizard," Kirihara panted, pushing himself off the ground where he'd fallen. "Do not underestimate me again." With a sharp glance at Marui, he bellowed, "NOW, Soldier Marui!"

"Yes, Sir Kirihara!" Marui yelled and swung, catching Niou in the legs, and Niou fell forwards, his 'staff' clattering on the floor, rolling away.

"Master!" Yagyuu screamed exaggeratedly. Yukimura clapped earnestly from his seat.

"Hah! Not so great, now are we?" Kirihara taunted, resting on his sword. However, Yagyuu stopped mid-scream and shook with laughter, each second, his laughter getting more and more menacing. "W-what?"

"Fools. Every single one of you. Fools." Dramatically whipping his wig and glasses off, 'Yagyuu' transformed into Niou and Kirihara gasped. "I am Niou Masaharu the Great."

"But, but—" Marui stuttered and looked at the fallen wizard, whose own wig disappeared, to be replaced with smooth, brown hair.

Niou took a step and the duo shuddered. The wizard took another step and suddenly, he fell over, knocking himself unconscious. A closer look, Kirihara saw Jackal retract a hand—or leg in the case of his role—and cried, "Oh you lovely, lovely horse!"

Together, Marui and Kirihara celebrated. Not for long however, for they still had one last job to do.

Kill the King.

Looking at each other with fierce determination written on their faces, Kirihara nodded at Marui and commanded, "Stay here. I have to do this alone."

"Yes, Sir Kirihara. Good luck."

"I need no such thing." Thumping a fist on his chest, Kirihara said, "Skill and power, that's all." Swiftly, he turned and walked away from a hysterical Marui. He shot another glare at the red head and shook his head. Kirihara walked, walked, and walked, when out of the blue, he flew off the stage and stopped in front of Yukimura, the tip of his sword at Yukimura's neck. "Got you, King Pete—Pepapiteta!"

Yukimura quirked an eyebrow and loudly remarked, "What horrible naming sense, my parents must have had." Quieter, he said, "Good job, Akaya. That was entertaining."

"Hey!" Marui injected, "It wasn't all him you know. We did work too!"

"Happy birthday, Yukimura," Sanada gruffly congratulated.

Surrounded by his friends, Yukimura laughed and said, "Thank you."

A/N: A series of Rikkai shots of various lengths. Will be added to randomly.