Hi! I am back with the four-shot omake or more… don't know. I am taking a break to my Crystal Teardrops fic and decided to write an omake. I'll continue that fic of mine when I finish this since this is to be updated for a month. Before anything else, this is the sequel of Earning Tears as promised. Thank you very much in advance.

Note: A lot has happened here. The story takes place seven years since Ryoma left the country.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own the Prince of Tennis and never will.

Chapter 1: Unending Darkness

Chapter: Everything had changed as so as she. How would she handle everything when…

'You are still clumsy as ever.'

"I told you to wait for me upstairs," Sumire said in a worried tone as she saw her trying to walk down the stairs feeling the trail of it, she walked to the stairs, "Sakuno."

The twenty-one year old girl giggled when she felt the concerned tone of her grandmother, "Relax Obaa-chan, I can still walk you know."

Sumire held her to her arm and gestured her to the kitchen, "Even so, walking down the stairs is too dangerous for you. Don't you remember what happened to you before?"

"Obaa-chan, that was a year ago. It will never happen again, I promise." Sakuno said.

The old lady shook her head, "I didn't say anything."

She laughed merrily at her words. Despite the condition, she could touch any kitchen utensils liked before even knives and could cut any meat, just like she wasn't disabled. Sumire just watched her do her things.

"Want me to help you?"

Sakuno followed her grandmother's voice and shook her head, "I am fine, just tell me if Tomoka-chan arrives."

"Okay, then."

She continued doing her work but she noticed that Sumire was doing or whispering something. Wondering, she asked her, "Obaa-chan, are you still there? Are you talking with someone?"

"Eh? Ah… I'm—err—no, I am just thinking of something," Sumire explained, "Well, I'll go now and wait for Tomoka. Be careful about using the utensils okay."

"Hai!" she responded. As she continued doing her work, she noticed another weak presence but she wasn't sure about that. Shrugging it off, she continued doing their breakfast that morning.

xxx

She walked her way to their backyard using her hands to grab on something. When she felt the cold wind of the morning breeze, she knew that she was already outside. She was getting used of darkness unlike two years ago. She was scared but she was slowly adjusting to her surroundings. Getting familiar with the location, she walked to a bench and carefully sat there. Deciding to wait for Tomoka there, she thought of humming a song to calm herself down, feeling the wind passed her by. But then, she felt another presence at her side. She frowned and talked;

"T-tomoka-chan? Is that you? Why didn't you say something?" She asked her, "Was it you who was watching me a while ago? Why didn't you tell me that you arrived already?"

She received no response from her friend.

"Hey, come on, I am not use of you getting all silent like that. Say something."

"…"

She lifted her hand in front of her hoping that she could reach Tomoka, "Tomoka-chan? I-Is there something wrong? You can tell me you know."

"…"

She gave her a weak smile, "You know, you cannot take me to the park if you act like that." She maintained her hand in the midair hoping that Tomoka would touch it and she did.

Only to be felt different.

The hand that was touching hers was hard and a bit thick; it wasn't Tomoka's hand as she thought about it. Grabbing the hand with her other, she asked, "T-tomoka-chan, w-why is your hand… so callous?" She tried to feel it but it wasn't soft like Tomoka's.

She was getting suspicious. She didn't say anything as her hands travelled to the person's hand up to the person's arm. It wasn't Tomoka's for the arm was built for exercising. Then her hands traveled to the person's broad shoulder and to the face. The face was unexplainable but it was amazingly soft. Her heart was beating so fast that moment. Somehow, a feeling from years ago was all coming back to her when she touched the person's face, a feeling that she tried to forget after all these years. As she thought of that, she accidentally touched something which was above the face.

It was a rim of something.

Something rim of a hat.

It was a hat. Her eyes widened when she recognized the hat. It was impossible. She only knew one person who would wear a hat and that person was no longer in Japan. That person left her seven years ago.

But who was this person in front of her?

"W-who are you?" She quickly pulled her hands away from the person's face and hat. The person didn't answer. She knew who the person was. She just didn't want to believe it. There was only one person who wouldn't answer her question right away. Believing that it was him she panicked, "I-it can't be? Y-you're not..."

"Un."

Her eyes widened when the person replied as short as that. Not knowing what to do, she quickly stood up and tripped with her own foot when she tried to walk away and fell on the ground. There was no mistake, she could remember that voice. No matter how many years had passed by, she couldn't forget that voice. She gasped when he grabbed her arm and helped her stand up;

"You are still clumsy as ever."

She bit her lower lip. It was him, "R-ryoma… kun." She couldn't help but said his name. She knew that he was facing him although she couldn't see him. She also flinched when he gently touched her cheek.

"I came back."

She didn't say anything… she didn't know what to say. He came back. What for? Didn't he say that he wouldn't come back to Japan? She remembered him saying that seven years ago. Why was he there standing in front of her? Touching her cheek gently, like he didn't do anything painful to her before. She just stood there, looking at him despite that she couldn't see. She didn't know what kind of reaction or expression he would be doing right now. Was it still the same? Or did it change? Seven years might change everything… a lot. And she was an example for that change.

"Sakuno I am sorry for being late—R-ryoma-sama!" she heard her best friend's voice and quickly followed the noise. She quickly slapped his hand away from her cheek… in a rude way and approached her carefully;

"T-tomoka-chan! What took you so long?" She accused her when she touched the girl's hand, "I've been waiting for you for ages."

"S-sakuno, i-is that…?" Tomoka still couldn't believe herself. She was shocked seeing him there and was facing Sakuno a while ago.

Sakuno ignored her question and pulled her out there, "Let's go. You promised me that you will take me to the park."

Tomoka looked at Ryoma who nodded telling them that they should go. She nodded hesitantly before letting her be pulled away by her.

Ryoma on the other hand, stared at their retreating back before raising his left hand that she slapped a while ago. He stared at it for a long time. He was shocked when the girl slapped his hand… he didn't expect her doing that. But he couldn't blame her. She had all the right to despise him… after of what he had done to her after all these years. What shocked him was the condition she was in that made him remember the conversation they had with Sumire a few hours ago.

Flashback:

"Cortical Visual Impairment?" he repeated what she said as he stared at the door of her room. Sakuno was still upstairs and would be coming down any moment now.

He came back after seven years and he didn't expect that. His feet wouldn't let him forget the ground of the 'land of the rising sun' entirely making his feet bring him back again to Japan. Particularly of a girl who had left a huge hole and space in his heart. That was the reason he was there in the first place as soon as he arrived from the airport and went straight to his former coach's residence. He still didn't know what to do once he saw her there… if she was still available until now or… not. What would be her reaction when she saw him again? He guessed that everything changed since he left and it would be a total surprise for her if he appeared in front of her once again.

But he didn't expect that he was the one to be surprised on the news that he was receiving right now. And he couldn't believe it. His eyes widened just like earlier when Sumire saw him and welcomed him with ease when the latter nodded at his confirmation. Sumire looked away trying to avoid being upset at the news… it was all clear to him.

Sakuno was blind.

"How?" it sounded rude but he couldn't find the right words to say.

Sumire understood him so she let it go. She looked at Sakuno's door before looking back at him. She made it brief as long as her granddaughter wouldn't hear her, "It started three years ago right after Sakuno's 18th birthday…"

He focused at everything she said.

"She met someone and was totally in love with her," She said and looked at him. He was shocked and he didn't hide it from her, "Sakuno never entertained him and told him that she was not ready for entering a relationship. The guy accepted her reason and waited for her. Everything was fine between her and her suitor until someone entered the picture and ruined them."

Ryoma clenched his hands as he listened to his former's tennis coach. He was only thankful that they were under the table that he could hide them. Blinking, he focused his attention back to her as she continued;

"There was also a girl who was head over heels to my granddaughter's suitor. But the guy didn't reciprocate the girl's feelings because he was in love with Sakuno. The girl didn't accept that fact and did something awful."

"What did she do?" He couldn't help but asked her.

Sumire looked at Sakuno's door first before looking back at him. Sighing, she continued talking, "No matter how many times she tried to explain to the girl that they were not a couple, she just couldn't believe her. Sakuno even tried to avoid the guy once again but when she attempted to do that, he cornered her and embraced her tightly, saying that he wouldn't give up until she would accept him. But it was unfaithful for them because the girl saw them in that position and had gone berserk. She attacked both the guy and Sakuno. The guy fell back so it was just her and the girl. Sakuno tried to fight back but it was too late. The girl rudely pushed her down the stairs and she wasn't prepared for that. She wasn't able to protect her head; her head collided with the solid wall and made a strong impact."

She stopped for a while and Ryoma thought that it was all but he was wrong. Sumire continued;

"The girl was not satisfied at what she did. She was at her trance that she didn't know what she was doing. She grabbed a heavy pot beside her and threw it at her, miraculously it landed on her already bleeding head, making her lose consciousness in total. The guy tried to stop her but it was too late. The medics came afterwards and brought Sakuno to the hospital."

"What happened to the girl?"

"She was expelled both in the school and in the city. She was not allowed to enter the city and to see both the guy and my granddaughter. I made the sentence stronger for it was unforgivable for me too. Sakuno remained unconscious but I already knew the effect of the accident. I felt sad for her when she woke up three days after and began panicking when she couldn't see anything," She looked at him and studied his reaction when she said her next words, "She was scared when she realized that she would never have the ability to see ever again."

Ryoma's eyes never left hers. Sakuno would stay blind… for good. He couldn't believe it… there was no way. He didn't want to admit that reality. He just couldn't.

"H-how did she become blind with that injury?"

"She had surgery when her head hit the solid wall and the pot that was being thrown at her. She needed a surgery for she lacked oxygen in her body's blood cells. Also, there is not enough blood supply in her brain. The doctor told me that I should take extra precaution for she would be losing something from her. He also told me that it was possible whether it was her sight or her hearing sense or worst the two of her senses. Luckily it didn't affect her hearing sense but she gained a total darkness," Sumire explained, "What shocked her was it was taken from her without warning prior to what the doctor had said to me."

"What is it?"

"That she would be slowly losing her sight," she said, "but she lost it the moment she woke up."

"What happened to the guy?"

Sumire didn't talk for a second before deciding to tell him, "He supported her during her stage of adjusting to the darkness. But because she had caused a lot of troubles, mistakes and burdens to the guy, he had given up as he told her his last message, 'Loving you is useless if you cannot rely to your feet. You being blind will bring me down to nothingness'."

"…"

"After that… he disappeared without a trace."

Upon hearing that, he silently cursed the guy. Just when Sakuno needed the guy, he just went off and disappeared like that. But then again, he was no different to that guy. Didn't he hurt her too? He hurt her for longer years than that guy. They just hurt the same girl who had hoped they wouldn't hurt her. It was too painful for her. Now that she was blind for how many years? Three years already? During those years, she did everything and finally adjusted to her surroundings. Then he remembered the reason why he had come back to Japan. Facing the old lady with a different countenance this time, he started to talk;

"Sensei… I have a favor to ask."

Sumire looked at him and studied his face, "What is it?"

"If you could trust me… I would like to…"

Next Morning:

He woke up early that morning. What happened yesterday was a total shock for him but that didn't stop him to back out of something he had already made up. He could understand his coach's words although she still agreed to him.

Sakuno had a traumatic experience about her past; it is still up to her to decide everything. I am just her supporter. I actually don't like the idea fearing that she would back out and return to her own comfort zone but I think that you are the only one who can help her to stand alone again.

She explained as she gave him her moral lesson. The old lady didn't trust him completely because of what he had done to her but he wouldn't waste that chance the old lady gave her.

Thinking what step he would do, he walked to a place where Sumire had told him where the girl would be at this time in the morning.

…At the public tennis court.

And he was not mistaken. She was there, rallying with the ball… almost. He smirked. The girl was still devoted to tennis even though she was blind. She tried to hit the ball on the wall with the use of her senses. She followed the sound of the ball but she missed it. He observed her for a while and he found her interesting to watch. He flinched a little when she suddenly collapsed on her knee gripping her racket hard. He looked at her expression, it was frustration and… regret. He knew what she was thinking at that moment.

She wished that she could see the ball that she was hitting.

He followed her once again as she stood up and tried to locate the ball judging from the sound where it landed a while ago. But she shouldn't find it. He silently walked to the court and carefully grabbed the ball that she couldn't locate. When she sensed him there, not knowing that it was him, he walked closer to her and placed the ball in her hand avoiding the friction as possible.

"T-thank you… for finding my tennis ball," She smiled at him. He stared at her eyes, her dull eyes, the colorless, lifeless eyes of hers. He didn't reply to her words so she talked again, "A-are you thinking that… it's weird that a blind person is rallying on the wall pathetically, huh?"

He heard her chuckle as she raised the ball at her hand and continued;

"I must be crazy doing things… that is impossible," She said staring at the ball aimlessly. She sighed as she continued talking, "Maybe I should stop…"

He stared at her for a while trying to gather the right words to say. Before the girl could turn around and walk back to her position to pack things up, he grabbed her hand where the tennis ball was resided and talked, "Don't stop…"

That was the cue, she gasped. He knew that she recognized his voice at that moment. He knew that she was panicking now as she tried to pull her hand that he was holding. She looked away;

"W-what are you doing here?" She was looking far away now, "i-it's getting late, I-I should go home now."

"Don't stop playing," he repeated his words still staring at her that she didn't know, "You just need to adjust your hearing senses."

"I-I'm okay with that," With that she tried to pull her hand away from him once again but this time, he let go. She used that chance to reach for her bag but he didn't let her;

"I can help you improve your hearing senses."

He thought that he was winning as she stopped walking. He continued;

"You can play tennis with just your hearing senses."

Seeing her standing from her position, he knew that she was thinking what he had said. A warm smile plastered on his face when Sakuno slowly turned around to face him;

"Are you sure… you can help me?"

"Who do you think I am?" He asked her as he examined her expression. He was a bit shocked when she smiled a little and replied;

"R-right… everything is possible for you," She turned her head down before making a decision, "please… teach me then."

Later on:

He was dribbling the ball that moment. While doing that, he looked at her, studied her countenance, "Listen to the sound it."

Sakuno nodded as she became alert. Then, he started hitting the wall; he made sure that Sakuno could hear it, "Listen carefully."

After a series of rallying on the wall, he faced her and told her to rally this time. The girl did and was doing what he had witnessed to her a while ago. The girl could amazingly hit some but she missed several hits.

"Follow the sound!"

"H-hai!" she replied as she listened tentatively. Later on she could adjust to the sound as she ran to and fro. She could do powerful hits after getting used to the sound of the ball.

Ryoma observed her for a while. He discovered something from her. Sakuno had an amazing hearing sense and it was awfully developed after the accident. No wonder that she could do any kitchen work as she could handle a knife without worries. Although, her hearing sense was kind of strong to non-living things; it seemed that it was a bit weak to the livings. That explained why she didn't sense his arrival and getting close to her yesterday. He wished that she had that ability before she became blind.

But it was the painful truth that she was a late bloomer… with disability.

"Let's have a match."

He saw her flinch when he said that. She stopped from rallying and followed his voice to face him, "M-match? I-I am not sure. I haven't tried that before."

"You will now," He said as he grabbed her wrist making her flinch in the process but he ignored it. He gestured her to a court, "I will serve. Follow the sound of the tennis ball."

She hesitated at first but her countenance changed when she heard the ball being hit by his racket. Her reflexes acted on its own as she followed the sound of it. He smirked. Yarujan. He thought as they could rally for several times. The Ryuzaki Sakuno now was quite different than the 14 year old Ryuzaki Sakuno before.

It was painful but it was the truth, she had improved a lot when she became blind.

Her smile was slowly coming back when she continued rallying with him. And he was delighted at the wonderful sight of her. He knew that somehow, she was starting to enjoy the game with the new discovery.

xxx

Six games to two, in favor of Ryoma of course. He was really impressed at her improvement. Not to mention that she won two games from him, that was really an accomplishment for her.

"A-arigatou… Ryoma-kun…" She said while catching her breath still. She was smiling as she faced the other court.

He looked at her and watched her smile. Ryoma was not that tired but he was still catching his breath. The girl could give powerful shots, much to his expectations of her, "Nice game."

"Un." She replied still supporting herself on her knees.

Ryoma stood straight as he gained his normal breathing pattern. He looked at her seriously this time. It seemed that Sakuno was not feeling awkward anymore, especially in front of him. He knew that she became comfortable with him when they started playing tennis. Still standing at his position, he remembered what he had said to her grandmother yesterday. Deciding to say what he had told to her grandmother, he finally said the same thing to her;

"Let's start over again."

Sakuno looked up with a frown face. Wondering what he had said. Still wondering she asked him a question, "A-aren't you tired yet? I-I don't have the same stamina as you."

He knew that she misunderstood him, but this was the crucial part of the conversation. But he was not willing to give up;

"No… Sakuno." He said calling her by her first name for the first time after seven years of absence. As soon as she heard him call her name, he saw how her eyes widened. Sakuno finally understood what he meant by that. Especially when he cleared what he had said to her;

"Let us start all over again."

Done! How was the first chapter? Was it unexpected? A lot has happened after seven years. Now, that Ryoma had returned to Japan and said those things to her. What will be Sakuno's answer? Find that out on the next chapter.

That was actually unexpected, Sakuno became good at playing tennis and she was blind. Well, in real life, there are blind people who could play tennis, let alone the people who don't have the ability to walk could also play tennis. So that's explains it.

Cortical Visual Impairment or CVI: Sometimes called cortical blindness. Not all people with CVI are totally blind. In Sakuno's case, I made her blind here but she has a strong sense of non-living things. CVI can occur when there is damage to the visual cortex, or to the posterior visual pathways, or to both places in the brain. Sakuno had a head injury here and underwent surgery. It was a risk and the sacrifice was her sight. I made my research and tried every name that I could think of but I ended up in CVI. CVI met all my expectations in this plot so wait as she progresses in the story.

This is only an omake. One-shot but I made it as a multi-chaptered series. I think I could estimate that Mending tears has only 4-6 chapters. So there you have it. Review please… Domo… ^_^

Sorry for the grammar mistakes guys… inevitable… sorry.

Next Chapter: A Point of No return