Disclaimer: Prince of Tennis belongs to Konomi Takeshi. I do not own it. (That is why this is a fanfic.)

Hay, look. It's edited. Maybe I should rewrite it, but...

Too lazy.

Anyhoo, my friend wanted me to continue, so we're on her laptop editing. WOO.

... And if you haven't read this, then uh, I hope you enjoy.

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The Prince of Demons, Chapter One.

"I'm going now."

Echizen Ryoma nodded goodbye to his cousin, Nanako, as he slipped out the door. As always, his mother was on some business trip, while his useless father was probably reading some naughty magazines somewhere else within the temple house.

"Be safe!" He heard his cousin call after him as the door shut, but he didn't reply.

"Took ya long enough, Echizen!"

Ryoma looked up to see his sempai, Momoshiro, waiting for him. "Hn..." Was his only reply as he moved over to the older boy and his bike, quickly positioning himself on the metal bars on the back.

"Yo, Echizen, I was thinking that after practice we should go for burgers. What do ya say?" Momo asked with a grin as he started pedaling.

"Momo-chan-sempai will pay, right?" Ryoma asked, poking the back of the other's head.

"No way! I'll get Eiji-sempai to tag along or something. I'm sure he'd love to pay." Momo replied with a loud laugh. Honestly, paying with his own money? No chance.

"Right," Ryoma nodded.

When the two were almost to school, Ryoma noted the strange silence that was surrounding them. It seemed that nature's voice had been put on mute, in his opinion. It was incredibly strange, and not something many would actually notice, seeing as the cars that passed by, along with several other students that they passed chats', were still continuing.

"Hey, Momo-... Hn?" Ryoma looked ahead, and noticed something particularly strange.

"Yeah?"

"... Momo-sempai! Car!" Ryoma suddenly yelled, pointing ahead. A car was heading the wrong way, speeding, right toward them.

Momo's eyes widened, and he felt himself freeze for a brief moment, before he veered his bike right, toward some bushes.

However, his hesitant movement proved to last a moment too long.

BAM!

A loud screeching, and many onlooker's screams were all Ryoma heard as he felt himself fly into Momo, and then into the bush. He could see only darkness, and hear the sound of the car momentarily stop, before the screeching of the tires sounded again, and the car was off.

D-Damn it... My eyes won't open. Open! Damn it, open! I need to see if Momo-sempai is alright!

Ryoma eventually forced his eyes open, and saw the back of Momo's gelled hair. He struggled to drag himself off the older boy. He didn't even see the crowd gathering around them. He reached forward with a shaky hand, gently nudging the other.

Without even realizing it had been there, a giant weight had been lifted off Ryoma's shoulders as he saw Momo shudder, before sitting up. "Damn- augh, my head..." He mumbled, before looking at Ryoma. "Echizen... Are you hurt?"

"No. Are you?"

"No. Thank goodness..." Momo let out a heavy sigh, and then looked to his bike. "Damn... It's wrecked!"

"That's Momo-sempai for you." Ryoma said, shaking his head, before gently frowning. "It must have not hit us directly... I think it hit the back tire."

Momo nodded, slowly standing and offering a hand to Ryoma, who took it and stood. "But, then you would've been hit, too."

"I jumped forward when I saw it was gonna hit us." Ryoma replied simply, watching Momo walk to the bike which lay several feet away and stand it up straight. Though it was surprising... Even I didn't think my reaction could be so quick.

"I can't believe they ran." Momo said, as they heard the sound of police sirens. It seemed someone had called the police.

The rest was somewhat of a blur to both Ryoma and Momo. When the police arrived, they asked both of the boys several questions, made sure they were unhurt, called parents, and questioned some of the surrounding witnesses. The car was revealed to be a black Honda, with no license plate- and it appeared no one had seen the driver, as the car had tinted windows.

Though, most every witness mentioned something about a black blur that had covered the two. No one thought anything of it.

The two were allowed to go to school by the time lunch was nearing its end, and by then, rumors of what had happened had spread throughout the entire school.

"Echiizeeen! Momo-sempai!" Here came that annoying Horio now. "Are you two alright? Did Echizen and Momo-sempai really get hit by a car? Is it true it was a hit and run?!"

"Horio-kun! Don't ask so many questions at once," Katsuo said, lightly scolding his friend.

"But really, are you two alright?" Kachirou asked.

"Hn... Yes." Ryoma replied, and pulled his cap down over his head.

Momo just laughed, nodding. "All fine, all fine!"

"R-Ryoma-kun!"

"Ryoma-sama!"

Ryoma looked over to see Sakuno and Tomo hurrying over. He was asked the same questions, and was glad that Momo was the one to answer with another laugh.

He felt like not talking to anyone. He could still feel his heart beating, his body shaking. Ryoma didn't know why he still felt so freaked out by the earlier happenings, but he was, though he easily kept that hidden. His hazel, cat-like eyes stayed glued to the floor, his cap pulled down to cover his pale face. His hands clenched his racket case's strap tightly to hide their shaking, though not so tight as to attract attention.

When more people arrived, asking the same old questions, he was relieved that the bell had chosen that moment to echo through the school. It was finally time. It would be nice to get his mind off everything, off that horrible feeling that was making shivers go up and down his spine. Why...

Why don't I feel that this is the end?

----

The rest of the day passed quickly enough, and soon afternoon practice had arrived. Ryoma had just taken off his shirt in the clubhouse when-

"Nya! Ochibi, are you alright! I heard you were in an accident with Momo-chan!" He heard Eiji from behind, and immediately felt the other's arms get thrown around him.

"Hai. We are both alright, though." Ryoma replied, shrugging the other off his shoulders.

"That's good! I was really worried! ... Oh! Ochibi got a tattoo?" Eiji gasped, poking something on Ryoma's back.

"...What?" Ryoma looked at Eiji, blinking.

"Nya, the one on your back! It's kinda cute, kinda dark too! I didn't think Ochibi was the type...-"

Eiji was cut off by Oishi, as he entered. "Echizen! I'm glad you're alright. I heard from Momo. He's outside telling everyone that you two are fine." He said, approaching the two.

"Oi, oi! Oishi! Ochibi has a tattoo!"

"W-What?" Oishi's eyes widened, and he looked to where Eiji was pointing. "Echizen! A tattoo... do your parents know? Don't you think you're a bit too young? What if the needles weren't sanitary-" He looked really worried, but Ryoma cut him off.

"What are you talking about?" Ryoma asked, though he didn't lose his calm, dull voice. Eiji dragged the boy to a mirror, and turned him around just enough so he could see his back in the reflection.

"Nya, nya, see!"

Ryoma stared, long and hard at his back.

There, was what appeared to be two black little chibi wings imprinted onto his back.

His brow furrowed for a moment, and as he heard the clubhouse door open, he hurried to get his shirt on.

"Saa... Echizen, what was that I saw on your back?" It was Fuji who had now entered.

"A tattoo!" Eiji answered for the boy, and hurried over to Ryoma, jerking up his shirt.

"H-Hey!"

"..." Fuji remained silent, slowly moving over to the three. (Oishi was trying to get Eiji away from Ryoma) "I see... It's a very nice tattoo."

Ryoma paled, before he jerked out of Eiji's grip, and pulled down his shirt. "... Gonna warm up…" He mumbled, quickly exiting the club house as those already changed followed, and those that hadn't stayed, while more members of the team entered.

---

Due to Eiji's big mouth, nearly everyone in the club had heard about the tattoo before the afternoon practice had even started.

The captain, Tezuka stared at his gossiping team, his vice-captain Oishi by his side, and their coach, Ryuuzaki Sumire by his other.

"... Everyone! 20 laps if you don't stop talking and line up, now!" Tezuka called out, and within seconds everyone was lined up, silent.

"Good." Tezuka said, and readjusted his glasses with a mental sigh. "Now, we'll be carrying out our regular schedule today. Regulars. Oishi, Eiji, you'll be having a match with Fuji and Takashi. Kaidoh, Inui, you will be facing each other, as will Momoshiro and Echizen. Non-regulars, pair up and practice. First years, pick up balls."

It didn't take long for everyone to go to their assigned courts.

"So... Echizen..." Momo said as they began their game. "You really have a tattoo? And you didn't tell me about it?" He asked, serving.

Ryoma easily returned the ball. "Momo-sempai, I didn't even realize I had it until Eiji pointed it out to me."

"Oh really?" Momoshiro hit the ball back.

"Do you think I'm lying?" Ryoma glared slightly, tugging his hat down with one hand as the other swung the racket, hitting the ball back again.

"No, no, not at all! Of course a tattoo could mysteriously just appear on your back!" Momo said. This time, as he hit the ball, Ryoma came forward and hit it with such force and speed that Momo couldn't possibly make it to the ball in time.

"It did happen," Ryoma said, tapping his racket on his shoulder. Stupid sempai. Why doesn't he believe me?

"Listen Echizen, it's just-" Momo's voice was cut off, by another.

"Echizen Ryoma, correct?"

They both turned their heads toward the speaker. He was business man, by the looks of it, standing outside the gated tennis courts. Black hair was gelled neatly back, and he wore a black suit with a white undershirt and black tie. His eyes were hidden by sunglasses.

Ryoma felt himself stiffen, his whole body running cold as shivers went up and down his spine. What was this strange feeling?

Nature was mute again...

Just like last time...

"Who's asking...?" He asked, though his voice didn't come out quite like he had wanted it to.

"Hunter, Jeri," The man, Jeri, replied.

Ryoma blinked- and a sudden memory suddenly echoed through his brain.

How old had he been? He couldn't remember, but he couldn't have been much younger than he was now. However, he did remember a man, in a pure white suit. His hair dark and gelled, while his eyes were hidden behind dark sunglasses, just like the man in front of him. It was the same man, no doubting it.

The man seemed to be standing above him, with a long knife that appeared to be on fire in his hand. He had a crazed grin- and Ryoma noticed the blood on his suit.

That was it, but it had Ryoma shaking. "You..."

"Oh, do you remember me?" Jeri asked, smiling, almost happily. "Ah, but that is silly. There's no way you could remember everything. What your father did, I'm sure, made sure of that."

"Wait- you know Echizen?" Momo asked, looking back and forth between the two.

"Indeed! I happened to meet him just before his family decided to move to Japan. But, to have finally had the chance to meet him again-"

"Excuse me, but we are in the middle of practice." Tezuka had noticed them finally, as did Ryuuzaki, and had come over to cut the conversation short.

The Coach was eyeing the man suspiciously. "You don't seem to have a visitors pass. I'm afraid you'll have to leave, or get one."

"Maa, maa..." Jeri sighed, "Sorry, sorry. I just came to pick up Ryoma, actu-"

"NO!"

Everyone was surprised to hear Ryoma yell so loudly. Even the other practice games were stopped as people looked over.

In truth, Ryoma was surprised himself. Why did he say that?

"I'm not going with you..." His voice was calmer this time around. "I don't know you."

"That's really hurtful. Your dad sent me." Jeri said, smiling a smile that continued to scare Ryoma.

"Oyaji? Sorry, but I'm still not risking you being some weird molester." Ryoma said, looking away and tapping his racket on the ground.

"If you'll please go and allow us to practice." Tezuka said, shooting the man a look.

"Hai, hai." Jeri said, scratching the back of his head. "I suppose I'll call Nanjirou and tell him I'm unable to pick his son up."

With that, the man left as he withdrew a cell-phone from his pocket. Ryoma heard a few birds strike up a conversation off to the side.

"Echizen. Momoshiro. Continue your match."

The rest of the practice passed without any more disturbances, and soon the time to go home had come.

"Hey, Echizen, what about those burgers, eh?" Momo said, grinning at his smaller friend. "Still up to them?"

"Of course." Ryoma replied.

"Nya! Can I come, too?" Eiji asked, smiling, and Momo grinned.

"We were just about to invite you! Because we knew you'd be a good sempai and pay." Momo nudged Eiji, grinning.

"Weeeh!" The red-head pouted.

"Ah, may I come? I don't mind paying all too much." This time is was Fuji who spoke. His bright blue eyes were hidden away, as always, and he had that ever present smile on his face.

"Oh! Oh!" Eiji was grinning, "Why don't all the regulars go!" He turned, "Taka-san! Tezuka-buchou! Oishi! Kaidooooh, Innnuuuiii!" Eiji was off, already asking said players if they wished to join them for burgers.

Surprisingly, all decided to come along. After all had changed, they set off from the clubhouse, away from the school, and down the street to Ryoma and Momo's favorite burger joint.

Fuji walked next to Ryoma as they went along. "So, Echizen. Today seemed to be an eventful one." He said, smiling at the freshman.

"Yeah." Ryoma looked up at Fuji, before looking ahead. "... Something's going to happen, I think." He said, suddenly.

"Oh? What?" Fuji tilted his head, his light, brown hair moving slightly to the side.

"I don't know." Ryoma answered truthfully. "It just doesn't feel like it's over, is all." He looked up again to the blue-eyed prodigy. Only this time, he thought he saw a hint of those baby blues, which made a shiver go down his spine.

"Echizen... Do you want to know why this all is happening?" It was a simple, yes or no question that Fuji Shusuke asked. But when Ryoma opened his mouth to answer, nothing came out.

Did Fuji know why he had been in an accident that morning? Did he know who that man was?

The older boy just looked down at him, as if awaiting the answer.

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End of Prince of Demons, Chapter One.

I hope you've enjoyed reading the first fanfic I've ever gotten the nerve to actually post up. Second chapter will come soon.