Notes: I mentioned some spoilers of Kuroko drama CD and some part of the game, but you do not need to know them to understand the story. Enjoy!
DREAMSCAPE
Except for the exciting matches and their coach's tyranny before the proficiency exam, Kagami never skipped a sleep. After the usual intense training and dinner at Maji's with Kuroko, he would just take a bath, probably take a look in his homework and go straight to bed. That was how it usually works.
He woke up at one am, having his horrendous dream, or not about the rainbow team – scratch – Generation of Miracles and his…shadow. God forbid, and that was the most twisted dream he ever had.
He shook his head, attempt to erase the memories of that dream, but it was futile. He kept staring at the ceiling, recalling the dream unconsciously. He did not realize how long he had been in deep thought until rays of sunlight started slipping from the slits of the windows near his bed. He looked at the clock, and it was already six in the morning!
"It's definitely impossible to sleep anymore." He told himself as he stood up and take a bath. He prepared his usual big-sized breakfast, and for once, since he had time, he prepared his lunch. He did not realize he was making the smaller bentou for Kuroko.
It was just in the way to school that he felt the dragging headache of being not able to sleep. This was different from when he was excited in a match; this time, his adrenaline levels kept going down and he became more lethargic as if he had just played a fast-paced basketball game.
He felt a pair of blue eyes staring to him. He forgot he was walking with his shadow today. Or wait, they did that everyday. He was starting to forget even the most basic things. Pull yourself together, Kagami Taiga!
"There's no practice game today, but it seems you were not able to sleep, Kagami-kun." Kuroko said, a little hint of concern in his voice.
"Shut up, I also got a weird dream."
"Was it like mine?"
"Well, worse than that." Kagami recalled that the characters, and what they did was fine, and all. Maybe, but… their interactions were beyond human comprehension…or beyond what he truly felt.
"Tell me, I'm interested." The blue eyes sparkled with curiosity.
"No, it's embarrassing. And you might not like it." The ace said.
"Tell me, or I'll stop becoming your shadow." Kuroko threatened him, his tone dangerous. Kagami forgot that this boy loved reading books and stories. He should have not told him that he had a dream. Now, there was no going back.
"Okay! Okay! I warn you, you'll not like it in the end!"
There was a tall kingdom found in the center of the Mineral Island, whose resources basically focused on its precious gems and gold bars. It was a rich town, ruled by Queen Aomine and King Kise, and they had a 16-year old daughter whose name was Akashi.
Kagami felt that his shadow was thoroughly laughing by himself.
"Oi! Don't laugh! I told you, everyone here was twisted, but their personalities…were the same. It was just really fucked when I saw Aomine dressed like that!"
"No, it's just, I was amazed that Kagami-kun can actually tell a story."
"Shut up. You don't know. Aomine in that fucking…gray gown with all the flowers and that! I want to puke!"
"I actually saw Aomine-kun dressed up like that once." Kuroko recalled that event when they were dragged in a couple contest, and the members of Generation of Miracles were paired up with each other. Of course, since it for couples, three of them were forced to crossdress.
"Seriously?!"
"Coincidentally, Akashi-kun was also a 'female' in that event. He cosplayed as red riding hood girl. As well as Midorima-kun, in a woman's kimono."
"Damn! That's hilarious! I can't imagine how that psycho even agreed to dress up like that!" Kagami laughed his lungs out while trying to picture in his brain the three members of GoM with those dresses his shadow mentioned.
"I'll let you see the pictures if you continue the story."
"Okay, I was never escaping in the first place…"
"Liar."
"The only one more beautiful than me is me!" exclaimed the queen as she examined herself in front of the mirror. Her husband entered the room, and was delighted by Queen's presence.
"Oh, my Queen! You're as gorgeous as always." Kise kneeled one knee and raised his hand high up in the air in front of Aomine, as he told his words. The latter did not acknowledge him, but kept dancing in front of the mirror.
Then, there was a knock on the door.
"What is it?" the blond's voice became cold all of a sudden, irritated by the interruption.
"Yes! Reporting! There was a powerful traveler who wishes your presence, Your Highness!" the soldier told almost with shaking voice.
"Ok, I'll go." The Queen said.
"However, my Queen, maybe that guy will bring another fake…"
"Kise, Akashi is already 16. That's why I'll entertain whoever it is."
It was Akashi's very 16th birthday that the whole kingdom announced that whoever can bring pure diamond crystal to their kingdom within the following year would marry their daughter. It had been six months, and every guy who went inside the castle was casted out of the island because they just brought quartz or anything of the same luster. Poor them, since The King Kise could actually discern it by a single look.
The traveler looked like he had never taken a bath for weeks for his clothes were ragged and torn, while his dog looked pure and white.
"Arf! Arf!" the dog barked, wagging his tail.
"Kuroko, keep it down." The traveler hushed the dog, and patted its head. The dog liked the gesture, and leaned to the touch.
"Introduce yourself first, and bring us the diamond." Said the Queen who was taking the King's seat.
"Kagami Taiga. This one's Kuroko." And then the red head traveler gave the soldier-in-waiting the diamond, and the diamond to the King.
"This is…!" Kise exclaimed. And he further observed the crystal. It was not so pristine like the synthetic ones, and it had perfect luster. He was already used to the weight of most minerals, and he only hefted it with another crystal in his pocket to judge its density.
"This is a pure diamond, my Queen."
"Indeed."
"So can I…?" the traveler started, but was halted when a red haired woman clad in striped red and gold dress appeared in front of him.
"You can only marry me if you can bring me the Peridot from the island of the East."
"Akashi! Why are you here? Shouldn't you be practicing magic?" Kise yelled, but the daughter paid no heed.
"That's not necessary. I've already mastered all of them." The daughter said, and he turned his focus again on the traveler. "Will you do it, Taiga?"
"I don't really plan…!"
There was a scissors in Akashi's right hand, almost stabbing the dog.
The dog, on the other hand, didn't flinch.
"What a good dog you have."
"Hey! What the fuck are you doing! He's innocent!"
"Get the Peridot, or this will be our main dish for today." Akashi pointed the dog with the sharp end of the red scissors.
"Fine!" And the traveler ran outside with a very upset face and Kuroko following him silently.
"I did not know you fancy Akashi-kun that much." Kuroko said.
"Damn, didn't you understand? He was about to kill you in my dream, of course, I'm gonna do something!"
"But, why did I become Nigou? I felt too depreciated."
"Shut up! I was a damn pheasant in your dream! That was much more insulting!"
"But at least, you can touch a dog in your dream."
East Island was just a kilometer of water away from the Mineral Island and Kagami easily reached it by boat. He brought Kuroko along with him, who seemed to stubborn not to leave the redhead alone in the dangerous feat.
Right in the shore where they landed, he could already see the big violet giant guarding the equally large entrance of the cave where he could obtain his item.
He gulped, scared of the titan, before Kuroko barked.
Kagami crouched and patted the dog again. "Thank you for encouraging me, Kuroko. Right, I am not gonna let that thing pull me down!"
They walked closely towards the cave, and they heard the low voice murmuring "Maiubo…Maiubo…"
Sensing the two alien creatures coming close to him, the giant spoke up. "I'll let you enter if you bring me something more delicious than Maiubo."
I haven't told anything yet, Kagami thought, but that was better so that he could finish things quick. He never knew what Maiubo was, but if it was something delicious, then he could just cook anything.
Becoming a traveler, he was already skilled with cooking outdoors, and it did not take him too long to bake a fruit cake. After all, the forest was full of fresh and ripe fruits, and he always carried with him some flour and rice for his food.
"This is delicious! It has much more punch than Maiubo!" the giant said as he devoured the whole cake. "Give me more!"
"There. I made 20 cakes for you." Kagami pointed towards the East, the giant unconsciously moved to it. The entrance was then left unguarded, and the redhead and the dog dashed into it.
It was not long when they saw a woman in a yellow kimono with eyeglasses.
"Today's lucky item is a fruit cake. If you bring me a fruit cake, I'll give you the Peridot."
Luckily, Kagami saved some fruitcake he baked a while ago for the giant, and he gave it to the woman. The woman, in turn, gave a shining green crystal.
"That was a very easy task to marry Akashi-kun." Kuroko said.
"I told you, I never intended to marry that guy in the first place!" Kagami yelled.
"Don't spoil me, continue, please."
The ace thought that his shadow was completely interested in his dream despite all his reactions.
"Are you sure? I told you might not like –"
He felt a strong jab in his ribs.
"Wonderful. This is a Peridot, huh." Akashi held the green crystal, which he analyzed with great interest. "You may marry me."
"It's so Akashi-kun like." Kuroko reminisce his middle school days – he had heard several deals with Akashi from different people, older than him or not, and he never failed to do his side of the deal even it inconvenience him at some point. "So did you agree?"
"I've been telling you, no!"
"I have no interest in marrying you*." Kagami said with conviction, and his words made all the guards twitched. He used such a vulgar term for their highness.
"Hey, you're rude, it's Her Highness—" a soldier started walking to the traveler. Akashi stepped in between the them, the soldier slipped on his ankle and fell into the ground.
"I never said you can talk." The daughter said, and the poor soldier ran back to his post groggily. Akashi turned her attention to the redhead once again.
"So, what do you wish to have?"
"You practice magic, right? This dog was…my partner in life. He became a dog when we were digging that diamond. The locals said it was the curse of the cave for mining without permission."
"So, you want me to switch him back to being human?"
"Yes. Please." Kagami politely said, and he sat on the ground and bowed his head so low. "Please."
"Because you did not look down on me, I'll grant you your wish."
Akashi bent down to the dog, and looked straight into its blue eyes. Using his Emperor's Eye, with all the magic circles inscribed in it, it only took a second before the dog gradually changed into a human. It was a boy with the same light blue hair as it was.
Kagami immediately covered the boy with one of the layers of his clean clothes, and hugged him.
The daughter kept looking at the pair of the two boys in front of him.
"What? Are you judging us?" the redhead almost yelled. Homosexuality, after all, was not socially accepted in the Mineral Island.
"Don't fret, I was just surprised." Akashi said. "You proved your love for him; I have nothing to say with that. Now, you may leave."
The traveler and his lover left the castle hand-in-hand, both blushing. The blue-haired boy suddenly stopped in his tracks, and Kagami also did.
They kept staring at each other, until Kagami just stepped in closer to the other boy until their faces were almost just a centimeter away. He indulged himself with the color of the eyes, the face, and the skin he really liked, before he bent down a little lower…
The two boys entered the school gates, both faces as red as tomato.
Koganei saw Kagami from behind and immediately called out to him. He noticed Kuroko later, because he knew wherever the light is, there is the shadow.
Both boys stopped walking, but did not turn in the direction of the voice. The senpai found it weird, and ran in front of the two boys, who saw that their faces were very flushed.
"Hey! Are you two sick?! Wha-what?!"
They could never tell others about that dream.
*I was thinking that their exchange of words here is in Japanese context, and here, Kagami used "omae", which as far as I know, was never used in a conversation with someone higher than you, unless you're really vulgar or disrespectful.
A/N: If you're just wondering why the conversation between the royalty does not seem as respectful as they should have, note that it was Kagami's dream. I'm guessing he's not too familiar with that. (And it's a good excuse for me as well!)