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Disclaimer: Unfortunately, we do not own The Prince of Tennis although we wish we did...

Chapter 2

Inui leaned down, lost deep in thought. One might think that he was contemplating the probability of an intelligent baboon teaching innocent children how to fill in a suborbital.

But Inui was doing no such thing.

In fact, he was merely wondering which herbs the Princess would like in her evening meal and which herbs would make her food taster react the strongest.

But, of course, Tezuka didn't know that.

Inui seemed to be the most normal person so far. After all, a person picking herbs could actually be quite sane.

Tezuka walked up to Inui and politely asked directions to the castle. Inui looked up and prompty started taking data.

"Height 6'2", brown hair, hazel eyes which are weak because he has glasses…"

Tezuka fought the overwhelming temptation to order Inui to run laps.

"Am I right to assume that you are a stoic person who rarely talks and must be the Chosen One destined to rescue the HT? Well since most of my assumptions are correct, you must go to that tall sunflower in the middle of that field to get your first mission. Good luck and good day sir."

Saying that, Inui promptly turned around and began his bewildering task once again. . . . leaving Tezuka to gaze at the back of the herb-picking man's head.

The captain opened his mouth, closed it, opened it again. . . . and closed it again, imitating a fish.

But Tezuka wasn't a fish. . . . . he was a man! A man on a Quest to Achieve his Destiny! So without any further ado, he set off towards the sunflower with a confident step.

PotPotPotPotPoTPot

Tezuka had been plodding along, contemplating his life, for a while now. After a long and tiring walk, Tezuka reached the sunflower.

Actually, it was a sunflower podium, with a blond-ish person on it. Another familiar person was sitting on the ground, wearing a tortured expression.

Tezuka tried to understand what the guy on the flower was saying. After a couple of seconds, Tezuka realized that Davide (Tezuka suddenly remembered his name) was trying to crack jokes. The other one seemed to be bored to the brick of insanity.

In other words, Tezuka was being ignored.

And Tezuka did NOT like being ignored! Especially when he was in the middle of one of his "Don't Let Your Guard Down" speeches (which he wasn't but since Tezuka was Tezuka, his very silence portrayed that!)

But unfortunately, fact is the truth and truth is the law!

Except when the law is corrupt.

But let's not go there.

So, since Tezuka was being ignored, he decided to take in his surroundings. And the very first thing he saw was Davide's outfit.

Actually, Tezuka wondered how he could have missed it at first.

Davide was wearing highlighter yellow boots, hot pink shorts with matching suspenders, and a bright orange shirt that pointedly exclaimed 'BARF!'

Then, of course, was the hat. It was blindingly light green with the HUGEST purple feather that Tezuka had ever seen! The atrocious feather was probably the thing that caused the Captain to take a step back in shock.

Tezuka plus feathers equaled Not Happy.

At all.

Bane seemed to wearing the same thing except for the fact that there was no mighty feather upon his hat.

There was a bird.

And, no, it wasn't a stuffed bird.

It was a real bird. A bird that yawned, stretched, stomped, and occasionally took off in pursuit of prey when it was hungry.

The only downside was that it came back to perch on Bane's hat when it caught its victim. And would promptly start showering Bane with blood, bones, and all.

One would think it highly unpleasant and a horrible experience but Bane secretly enjoyed it.

Tezuka reminded himself to not be surprised anymore. Apparently, in this place, anything was possible. It wouldn't be unusual if a leprechaun came up to him singing the national anthem of Azerbaijan!

"What's two plus two?" the person on the podium said.

'Four' Tezuka immediately thought.

"Um. . . . four?" Apparently, the other guy thought it was a stupid question too.

"Nope! It's a tutu!!" Davide laughed his own joke, while Bane stood looking on in horror.

"How many wheels does a car have?"

Bane concentrated very deeply, trying to figure out what the trick in this question could possible be.

"Um. . . . . " Bane was thinking very hard.

"Here let me help you!" joyfully exclaimed the purple feathered man. A car fell out of the sky and landed next to Davide.

Bane leaped away in shock thus bumping into Tezuka who promptly fell over. . . . into a patch of poison ivy.

"AUUURRGGGGG!! IVY!! I'M ITCHY!!" yelled Bane who had stepped into the itchy substance.

"BWHAHAHAHAHAHA!! YOU GOT IVY-ISED!!" Davide cackled.

"Is that even a word?' Tezuka wondered while idly scratching his wrists. Then his ankles. Then his neck. . . . then his elbows . . . .

Out of nowhere, Davide produced a small vial filled with a murky milky-white liquid.

Holding it high over his head, he paraded around the, now, madly itching Tezuka and the hopping Bane.

Halting dramatically, he stuck the vial in the air and struck a dramatic pose.

"This bottle contains a goodness commonly called . . . . . The-Antidote-To-Unbearable-Itching!"

Bane gasped as Davide's words hit him. His eyes tearing up with unsuppressed emotion of love for Davide's randomness for having a bottle of antidote for his itching problem, he inched himself closer to Davide.

Only to have Davide smirk evilly and push him away.

David waved the bottle around and exclaimed, "This bottle only contains enough antidote for one person! So I propose a contest! The first person to crack a smile, laugh outrageously, or make any other noise, other than to answer my questions, from this point onwards, will NOT receive the antidote! YAY!"

Tezuka and Bane looked at Davide with something akin to horror.

Then, slowly, they looked at each other.

Eyes narrowed, they silently made a joint decision.

The battle was ON!!

Once again, I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter and are now waiting in suspence for the next chapter! XD

Please Review! Or else Bane's bird's going to shower you with blood, bones, and all!