This is a one-shot with no real plot but to be creepy, I like creepy for some reason. I guess because it's October and all that jazz. Character Death.
Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis, all rights belong to Takeshi Konomi.
He was sitting, legs crossed outside his favorite cafe drinking some nice tea, relaxing. It was truly a beautiful morning, the sun was out and shining so warmly on the people and everyone around him. Yes, Yukimura Seiichi felt as if he were in paradise. He scanned the crowd quietly, watching the people walk by and talk to one another like it was any other day, did they not see how beautiful it was today. Then something familiar caught his eye, a white cap with golden cat eyes underneath it. It was his rival and friend Echizen Ryoma, he chuckled then he noticed that the boy wasn't alone. A young and charming girl was with him, she had long hair in twin braids it looked brown but when the sun hit her just right like it was doing now, it gave off a soft reddish glow. It was very pretty, it went will with that pink dress of hers. She looked so cute, like a little flower.
He uncrossed his legs, set down his tea cup on the table and strode over to the two across the street with swift and elegant ease. He was smiling softly and Ryoma looked up at him rather perplexed, he adjusted his cap and said hello.
"Still the same as usual" Yukimura commented with a soft smile.
"Che, It's nothing." He said with a small smirk.
"Who is this?" Yukimura asked and tilted his head over to look more closely at the girl beside the cheeky boy, she had a small frame but very innocent eyes.
"Oh, this is Ryuzaki, a friend of mine who is on the girls tennis team, we're going tennis shoe shopping." He said explaining what would probably be Yukimura's next question.
"I see, Ryuzaki-chan is very cute you're lucky to be her friend." Yukimura said looking down on Ryoma, making Sakuno blush a bit.
"Thank you, Yukimura-san b-but I'm the lucky one." She said with a bow.
"You know my name?" He asked.
"A-ah yes, I've watched you play before." She said quickly not mentioning the first time was him being defeated by Ryoma.
"I'm happy to hear that, next time Rikkai play Seigaku, I'll look for you in the crowd." Ryoma shot him a look and Sakuno stiffened but gave a nod in return.
Well I'll let you two go, I've got some things to do, I hope I see you later." Yukimura said softly giving them a wave and a lingering glance on Sakuno who was looking over worriedly to Ryoma.
They both glance at Yukimura's retreating figure then quickly walked off together, Sakuno was asking him something in which he hesitated before responding, what he said, whatever he said somewhat frightened her. She then became silent and walked with him.
Yukimura went home and tended his garden, he loved having it full of beautiful flowers with complex history surrounding them, the legends on how the flower got its name and why it's colored the way it is. Greek myths, bible passages and many others that gave the flowers in his garden character. He looked over and saw a white fence that he was thinking of growing either a trumpet vine or morning glory. He stood up and looked at that big empty white fence, he needed something.
"Hmmm…." He hummed softly then looked at the flowers around the fence section, hydrangeas deep red hydrangeas. Not the normal color, no but he was glad, they shouldn't be normal. Something exceptionally rare had to be put on the fence between the even more beautiful hydrangeas. Ignoring that section of his garden for now, he went to the other sections of his lovely garden. It took so much time and effort to make sure every plant was happy but he didn't mind.
The sun was going down and Yukimura looked over to the barren white fence, he really needed to go at least buy something for them. Sp he went back out into town. He went to a few places before he settled on a well let greenery. A few elderly women were buying some flowers and he walked past them with a soft smile and went straight to seed packets, looking them over. A young man asked if he needed any help, Yukimura glanced the mans way and said he was fine on his own. He went further into the store and looked at some potted plants, maybe he could do something else for that area instead, his original idea seemed to be lacking a certain luster.
He looked and saw he could just get some shrubs or something of the like to cover it up, maybe even a grape or tomato vine if he was feeling adventures. No, it wasn't the right season for those, Yukimura sighed and picked some flower seed packets, paid then left. He was disappointed
It felt like he was leaving empty handed, he looked across the street and something caught his eye, coming from out of the convenience store looking rushed. It was twilight now and growing darker. He went over to her and caught her off guard but smiled.
"Hello, Ryuzaki-chan what are you doing out so late?" He asked quirking his head to the side.
"Oh Yukimura-san!" She bowed. "My grandmother has had a bit of cold and I went to go buy some medicine and honey for her throat." She said.
"I see, I'm sorry to ask do you think you could help me with something?" He asked with a glint in his eyes that made saying no impossible, actually saying anything at all became utterly impossible for her. Why wasn't her body moving too?
She felt a hand clasp onto hers, it felt cold and dirty and she was pulled by Yukimura with her seemingly stunned. When she saw it was his house he was leading her too she was able to snap out of her daze and dig her heels into the ground.
"St-Stop." She said shakily.
"I just need your help to complete my garden." He said with a light chuckle, a few feet from the door he knocked her unconscious, the street lamps were coming on as he took her inside and shut his door.
Dark and cold, yes it was very dark but the air, it's very fresh. Sakuno awoke from these feelings and looked around to see she was in a garden or a forest of flowers. She could barely see the house from where she was, she looked side to side and saw the reddest hydrangea she's ever seen.
"Your finally awake, my flower. I mew you would be perfect he took a strand of her hair that she assumed was let free by him to drape over he shoulder. It shined in the moonlight but Sakuno could care less on how she looked. She looked down and saw she was buried to her ankles in a mixer of manuer and regular dirt. It didn't really bother too much till something seemed to squirm around her big toe.
Yukimura who had been watching her for a while now knew what that face meant.
"Worms to loosen up the dirt. I want to make this a happy place for my new flower." He said softly before patting the ground by her feat. He then tightened the room around her ankles. She cringed from the slight burn, he then went to her arms that were raised up to show her meager wing span. A rope was around her neck connected to the white fence but it gave her relative free movement.
"Y-Yukimura-san, please let me go." She didn't want to meet his gaze but she glanced over quickly to see he was smiling softly.
"You'll be happy here, I'll take good care of you." He said.
"H-Help! Help me! Ple-" She was then roughly punched in the jaw. She kept her head turned away and was trying not to cry from the pain.
He brought her face so she was looking at him then slapped her head the other way.
"Flower be quiet, Flower be sweet and just be good." He said with a sweet and light voice that floated in her ear.
"Why are you doing this? I haven't done anything to you?" She asked slightly outraged but kept her voice soft.
"I needed you, a flower to fit with all the others." He said opening his arms out widely, gesturing to the red hydrangeas around her. She seemed too shocked to talk, there was no reasoning behind his actions, he just picked her.
"I need food and water though." She said this time a little shakily.
"I know, here." He poured some water around her feet then smiled at her.
"I can't drink that from here." She reasoned.
"You will." He reassured. "They did." He said again gesturing to the other flowers beside her.
"B-But they're actual flowers, not humans." He darkened considerably and punched her in the face again, this time drawing blood that rained on the flower to her left.
"How dare you say that, my teammates are human." He said in a harsh whisper.
Her eyes widened in shock. His teammates but they died a few years ago. It was tragic story on their way to a tournament their bus was hit and sent up in flames. No one survived, except their captain, Yukimura Seiichi who was having a quick check up at the hospital before the game. The parents went through a terrible loss and the only closer they had were the last remnants of the their sons. Burned and eaten away body parts and patches of clothing were all that were left.
The parents were going to have a ceremony together but when they were about to receive the last bits of their sons, it was reported they were stolen during the night. Heartbroken and grieving they are still searching for them today, hoping and wishing.
"Y-You, you were…" Sakuno was too shocked to continue but he knew.
"Yeah, they are my teammates Jackal, Marui, Niou, Yagyuu, Yanagi, Akaya, Sanada. They're here with me." He looked fondly towards the hydrangeas.
"They said they needed something nice to liven the place up, poor Akaya was so bored." He chuckled.
"B-but they died…" She whispered this but he heard her.
He grabbed her face roughly with his hand and squeezed.
"They are alive and well, flower, sweet flower do shut up." He said quirking his head to the side and darkly looking down on her.
"I'm not a flower! Let me go." She said frantically. "They're dead! They died a long time ago!" She said rashly and wished she hand't and braced herself for another strike.
"No, they're more alive then ever, right here, right here. I buried them right here and they were reborn, the color is proof." He said.
"You stole the remains?" She asked and then looked to the flowers beside her rather disgusted.
"They were mine so I didn't steal anything, now they are always with me. You will be with me too." He said then brought a damp cloth to her face smothering her. She fights it but then finds her vision becoming blurry. She starts to lose consciousness but utters out her last thoughts.
"It's not your fault they died." She said softly then paced out all together.
Yukimura heard this and twirled her hair.
"Sanada, you like her right? She's pretty sweet….yeah I'm glad I picked her too." He said smiling at his garden.
2 Days later
Newspaper Headline: Young Girl Missing!
While going out to get medicine for her grandmother, Ryuzaki Sakuno went missing that night with no signs of where she went or who took her. Investigators are looking into the situation and have not received any kidnappers threats or blackmail, if you see this young girl please notify the police immedietly.
1 Year Later
Newspaper Headline: Girl Found Dead in Garden.
The young girl that went missing one year ago has been found in the garden of a young man who captured her and tied her up as a part of his garden. She was tied and starved to death and died within a week or two of capture. Smell was covered up by chemicals but the neighbors noticed a horrible stench on hot days. The young man, Yukimura Seiichi was the captain of the tragic Rikkai Tennis team who died in a bus accident. Whether he will be put into jail or given rehabilitation is still being discussed with court and lawyers.
This was just something I wanted to get off my chest so to say, sorry Sakuno! I feel bad, next one shot will be sweeter, I hope haha. I have some one-shot ideas on my profile so go visit and vote! Please Read and Review.