Dear Ryoma-kun.
I'm sorry about not being able to write or call you lately but I want to make it up to you. Because your 13 birthday is finally approaching I want to do something really special for you. I've decided to allow you to have that 'Winter Bash' you and your brothers like to throw. You can invite as many of your friends as you want. You have to invite some of your cousins too of course.
Ryoga came to see me the other day. He was very worried about something. It seemed he was worried about your decisions. I'm also a bit worried. Are you sure you wish to give up tennis and your new friends? I can wait until you achieve your dreams. I will wait however many years it takes. I just wish for you to be happy.
Ryuuka has been doing very well as well. He keeps talking about seeing you. He's also worrying about the arranged marriages coming back. I'm not sure what Hanna has planned but I do advise you to be on your toes. I do know she will be giving back you arranged marriages but I don't know if you will be able to fight them this time.
I have a meeting to be getting to but I do expect a letter back.
Your Loving Grandfather.
P.S congratulations on you and your friends winning nationals.
"Man it was so nice for Echizen-san to invite all of us onboard this ship." Fuji Yuuta said looking at the giant cruise ship in front of them.
"You're right Yuuta-kun, hmm." "Hajime said.
"I don't know about that." Fuji Syuusuke said.
"What do you mean aniki?" Yuuta asked confused.
"It's probably nothing." Syuusuke said placing a fake smile on his face.
Tezuka Kunimitsu saw the worry masked on his friend's face. He himself was immensely worried as well.
~ Two Weeks Prior~
"What did you say Ochibi?(little one)" Eiji asked.
"I asked if you guys wanted to go on a two week cruise for my birthday. Because it's my thirteenth birthday my grandma said to invite a lot of people and have a big party with my friends and family."
"Sugoi."(Amazing)
"What ship exactly would we be on? Tezuka asked.
"My grandfather is messing around right now with an idea of his so we're going to be the guinea pigs."
"What do you mean?" Oishi asked.
"Well my grandfather has this idea for cruise ships for sports teams to go on. Not so much as entertainment but for the players, as a relaxing training resort. My grandfather just wants us to see, as he said, 'If the ship amuses you young people.' So what better way than a party?"
"Hmmm."
"I was also planning to invite some of the other teams we faced a while ago. So the assumptions and data are accurate."
"That actually sounds kind of cool." Syuusuke said a little intrigued.
"Hmmm. All right. We'll go." Tezuka said knowing his friends and fellow teammates would just bother him until he said 'yes'.
And as soon as he did they all started cheering.
"Okay. We leave in two weeks. Now I need to go talk to Ryuzaki-sensei."
"Ochibi is kakoi!(Awesome)" Eiji said.
Ryoma walked away shaking his head. Because Tezuka had a question he followed Ryoma. But Tezuka didn't find Ryoma on his way to Ryuzaki-sensei's office.
"This way Tezuka." Syuusuke said pointing to Ryoma who was now turning the corner on the right.
Kunimitsu didn't ask his friend how he knew that. When it came to Echizen Ryoma, Fuji Syuusuke was like a stalker fangirl.
Kunimitsu and Syuusuke followed Ryoma. They followed him until he sat down at his favorite tree. Kunimitsu was going to go up to Ryoma but Syuusuke stopped him.
"Wait a second and see what he pulls out."
And sure enough a few seconds later Ryoma pulled something gold out of his pocket. Kunimitsu couldn't tell if it was a locket or a watch. Before Kunimitsu could ask Syuusuke anything Ryoma opened it, and Kunimitsu saw a rare sight. Ryoma's eyes softened and tears threatened to fall.
"She'll never separate us again." Ryoma spoke so softly Kunimitsu almost didn't hear him. "You can come out Fuji-senpai(upper classman) and Tezuka-buchou.(Captain)"
Both of them walked out and Syuusuke spoke first.
"Doushita no?"(what's wrong)
"Mo ii yo." (forget it)
"Iie. (no) I won't you bishie-chibi." Syuusuke said sitting down with Kunimitsu following suit.
"Im not a bishie." Ryoma said a little angry.
"Then what about…" Syuusuke stopped and pondered. "Shota-chibi?"
"Yadda!"(no!) Ryoma yelled.
Syuusuke laughed at Ryoma's yelling. When he was finally done laughing he looked at the gold circular object.
"It's called a Full Moon locket. It was the first made of ten."
Ryoma opened it so Syuusuke and Kunimitsu could see inside. There were two pictures inside. The picture on the left was one of Ryoma and three other people. Or at least Syuusuke thought it was Ryoma.
The people in the picture were very pretty, so pretty that Syuusuke believed them all to be girls. And even Kunimitsu could tell that the person standing in the center was Ryoma with his golden caramel eyes. The person on the right had sparkling green eyes while the person on the left had eyes as blue as the sky they were sitting under. Syuusuke couldn't tell their genders simple because they all had beautiful feminine faces. As well as the fact the green eyed one had the shortest hair and it was past their shoulders.
"The middle one is me. The ones on the side are my brothers. The girl standing behind us is my sister. My hair was longer back then so I just put it into a ponytail all the time."
Syuusuke looked at Ryoma's face, waiting for an explanation.
"I'm … the oldest of triplets. My sister was adopted a year or so before me and my brother's were conceived."
"Why didn't you tell us?" Kunimitsu asked.
"It didn't seem necessary. The one with the blue eyes is Ryuuka, but no one is allowed to call him that so we call him Yuki. The one with the green eyes is Ryuma. We call him Yume, Yuma, or Dream-chan. Ryuma's the youngest in the family but Yuki's the middle of us triplets and I'm the middle of the family." Ryoma started to smile a little bit.
"How old is your onee-san?" Kunimitsu asked.
"She's going to be sixteen. Do you guys remember Ryoga?" they nodded "He'll be eighteen this year."
"What are their hobbies?" Syuusuke asked.
"Yume's an artist. Yuki's a model and he does some acting as well but he likes singing more than anything. My nee-chan is into kendo. She insists on being a female Samurai. She wins all of her competitions."
Hontou? Kakoi! (Really? Awesome!) You must be really proud of her." Syuusuke said.
"I am…" Ryoma's smile faded a bit.
"Echizen?" Kunimitsu spoke a little concerned for the sudden lack of the smile.
"I haven't seen her in awhile. I really missed them. That's why I wanted this trip. I'll be able to see a lot of my family that I haven't seen in a long time."
"I see." Syuusuke said understanding.
"But I don't know what to do. The price for my family is my friends and tennis." Ryoma said so softly Syuusuke and Kunimitsu almost didn't hear it.
"What? What are you talking about Echizen?" Syuusuke asked a bit frantic as Ryoma jumped up.
"Betsuni. Mo iiyo. (Nothing. Forget it) If you tell anyone about this conversation senpai (upperclassman) I'll deny it till the end of time and then some."
"Echi…"
"I actually do need to see Ryuzaki-sensei so I'll be leaving first."
When Ryoma was out of sight Syuusuke and Kunimitsu looked at each other in worry.
"Kunimitsu?"
"Yeah Syuusuke-kun."
"I don't want Echizen-kun to have to stop playing tennis."
"So you don't mind if he has to leave us?" Kunimitsu asked his friend. He had known for some time that his friend was in love with their young kohai(underclassmen).
"We can be replaced. Tennis cannot though." Was Syuusuke's answer.
Kunimitsu looked at his sadistic friend and knew right then and there. If Ryoma was to leave he (Syuusuke) would be sad, insuring that Eiji and the rest of them would try to cheer him up, insuring that he (Kunimitsu) would never have another quiet day to himself.
"Then I just guess we will never allow that to happen right?"
"Yeah, I guess so." Syuusuke said still looking dejected.
~Back Too Present Day~
Kunimitsu put his hand on Syuusuke's shoulder and leaned into his ear.
"Don't worry your otouto(little brother). We will solve this problem." Kunimitsu told him.
"Yeah I know. That's our goal for this trip."
"HEY!" a voice yelled from the top of the plank.
Everybody looked up.
"You losers are late!"
Word in Italics are words spoke in English unless I specified otherwise at the beginning of the chapter. This chapter is very short and OOC (out of character) but that's how it has to be. The chapters will get longer in length and I would really appreciate any opinions on Ryoma's family members that I've made up. Understand, this is to be a supernatural fic as well but it will not appear for later chapters. There will be mentions and hints of a lot of things and guesses are welcome. Almost all of the chapters will start with a letter to Ryoma from various people.
Also I am in need of a BETA if anyone is interested.