Hey everyone! I am so glad there are people that like this pairing! Thankx everyone for the wonderful reviews! Here's the next chapter! I hope you enjoy it!

P.S. Tell me if Fuji's first name is spelled correctly please?? Or if there is anything in here that is not accurate in the Prince of Tennis world! Like personality and other technical things. I try to get them as "in character" as possible so please let me know!

Chapter 2

The Prank

Sakuno cried for what seemed like hours before she fell asleep. She knew her grandmother wouldn't come and check on her. She could tell by the doorway where her shoes are that she was home. That's nothing new. She knows her grandma cares for her, but she doesn't think Ryuzaki-baa-chan realizes how alone she is. Well, it seems she never does, but that's okay, as long as everyone else is happy she thought as she cried herself to sleep.

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She woke up in the morning to hear the sound of the front door closing and a car driving away. Seems grandmother has already left for her conference. I should just go ahead and get up. I have to make breakfast and walk to school alone today. I know that Tomoka isn't going to want to walk with me today. She really doesn't do anything with me much anymore. I'm glad that she's happy. Sakuno pondered over her schedule that day and what she needed to get done other than her origional schedule now that her grandmother had gone again.

After taking care of all of her morning activities like showering, dressing, and eating breakfast she was on her way to school. She knew that she'd be early since she woke up early that morning anyway. So it wasn't much of a surprise that hardly anyone was there yet. Not even Yuu had arrived yet. Normally he was here pretty early. She wandered over to the girls locker room to get changed and start practicing seeing as there was nothing to do as of yet.

She decided to warm up with some stretches. She did some leg stretches, like touching her toes, and some jumping jacks among other things. Once she had deemed herself warmed up; she decided to run a few laps. Hopefully her endurance has improved from last year. She could run a few more laps than usual the last time she tried during the break.

She hadn't noticed that while she was running some laps, around five, someone had arrived by the gate. They opened it as silently as a place with a preditor lurking around. As they shut it it made a tiny squeek, as it is a metal gate, but not enough to get Sakuno's attention. She continuted to run her laps, jogging really, as the male approached the tennis courts silent as a big cat. He had a preditory look in his eyes as he watched Sakuno exercise. He knew this would be a piece of cake. This wasn't even going to be a game of cat and mouse as he'd hoped. He had spent quite a bit of time spreading a few ugly rumors about her around so no one would like her anymore. It had worked like a charm.

She went to run around a sharp corner by the door that led to the hallway that led to the girls changing room. As she slowed down to make it around a pair of strong arms reached out and grabbed her, hauling her backwards into a muscled chest, a hand covering her mouth so she couldn't scream or make any kind of noise that would alert anyone here this early to an awakening problem of sorts.

She immediately started to struggle against this unknown male. It had to be male, as there was nothing in the chest area to determine the female sex. She struggled as well she could, but after her wrapped one hand around her waist, hugging her arms to her sides and against him; her effort had grown futile, but still she persisted in struggling. She wasn't about to let some strange male make a mockery of her just because she was small. She would at least try to get away. Instead of just giving up and hoping to Kami that someone came to rescue her. Even though she knew no one knew of the predicament she recently found herself in.

Sakuno felt the tears starting to form in her eyes as the unknown assaulter opened the door to the hallway leading to the girls changing rooms; however, in order for him to do that he had to remove his hand from her mouth, and that gave her just enough time to scream, "Ahhhhhh!" loudly.

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Hmm. I wonder what we're doing at school today. Perhaps I'll find someone who'll be worth my time today, besides the regulars. Messing with them is fun, but messing with the many girls around Seigaku is even better. Fuji thought happily as he entered the front gates of Seigaku. He always comes early so he doesn't have to deal with the many girls who wait at the front of the gates for the regulars to come in and bombard them with "I love yous" and "Go out with me."

I think I'll go and get ready for tennis practice. We have to be there this morning, and I have nothing better to do right now. There aren't any decent victims here yet. Too bad Momo isn't here yet. He would do until someone better got here. Fuji pondered over his next victim as he headed towards the boys locker room. Hm. I have to remember to check for cameras and other spyware before I start changing. All I need is a snapshot of that getting out to the student populus.

Fuji got into the locker room and checked around. Luckily, the tensai found nothing. If he found nothing, then there wasn't anything. After he finished his check of the locker room; he changed quickly into his tennis clothing and got out there to start warming up so he wouldn't hurt any muscles. It would also give him an advantage over the others as he would already be ready to start practice when they got there.

The adorable tensai had started running laps when he heard a young womans scream from the girls tennis courts. At least, that's where it sounded like it was from. He quickly placed his raquet in a place where it wouldn't get broken or stepped on if someone else came and didn't notice it was there and took off for the ladies courts.

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The anonymous male slapped her for screaming, but she didn't care. Sakuno is not a little baby anymore. She isn't going to take this lying down like a starving dog. It did make her cry, it hurt. Oh Kami, doesn't somebody hear me!? I know there is someone else at the school this early except me! Kami don't let this happen! He's trying to take me to the locker room!

As Sakuno started to think this out she started to get frantic and paniky to get away from this new evil. NO! I don't want this! Please! The boy, she figured, was someone between the ages of twelve and fifteen. To be here this early, he would have to come to school here, and most of the oldest males that go to Seigaku only arrive as early as need be. The only thing she did know was that he had to go to her school. He knows where the locker rooms are, and he knew exactly which courts to find her. The gates hadn't opened up too long ago. So he didn't have time to go and search everywhere. Perhaps this is just one of those random things.

Just as he had gotten the door opened to take her inside she saw Fuji running towards the tennis courts. She took the chance and yelled, "Fuji! Help! Please!" The man hidden in the shadows of the hallway shoved her forward and took off running the other way. Seems he didn't want to mess with anyone that decided to try to save her. He didn't think anyone would be here this early that would care. The only people that really talked to her that actually cared were the boys regulars. It would just be his luck that one of them would be here this morning. He ran to the other end of the building and took off toward an unknown location.

"Hm. Sakuno are you alright?" Fuji asked as he ran up to her. "That weirdo didn't do anything to you did he?"

"Oh. No he didn't," she replied while looking down at the ground and dusting her skirt off. "Thank you for coming to help me. I really appreciate it. I think that guy was just playing around. Probably someone trying to play a strange prank," she giggled, forced, but she thought he fell for it. "It wasn't very funny, but that's okay. I'm sure that was all it was."

Fuji had his usual smile on his face as he replied, "Yes. That must be. Do people at school normally play these kind of pranks on you?" He was very interested to know. She is hiding something. That laugh was false.

She looked up at him quickly when he asked her that question. "Well, not all the time. There have been other pranks played on me that were similar to that one. I don't think this one really meant any harm. I just got a little scared is all," Sakuno informed him with a small smile and a light pink blush.

"Mm-hmm. Well, you shouldn't just let people play those kinds of pranks on you. I figure that to you it is normal; however, it really shouldn't be taken so lightly," Syusuke explained to her as he looked her over and made sure she was alright. He really needed to get out of there. He's not the kind of person to help others emotionally. He likes to see people suffer. So naturally, he was starting to like this just a little too much, and if he didn't leave soon, he'd end up accidentally showing it to her. He didn't want her to run away. "Go get changed. I'll wait outside of the door, but before you go in there and remove your clothes I'm going to check and make sure that he isn't in there with you and check for cameras."

"Oh," she exclaimed in shock and embarrassment of being inside of a changing room with a boy. Fuji no less. "A-alright. If-if you're absolutely certain you want to do that," she replied knowing that she wouldn't get anywhere by saying no to the tensai. She has witnessed what he's like when he decides to do something. He does it wheather anyone wants him to or not. Oh goodness! If anyone hears about us being in the locker room together I'll be done for! Wheather we did anything or not is irrelavent to the situation! Please let no one appear!

He nodded his head and opened the door for her. She started walking inside pretty slowly so he simply put his hand on the small of her back and pushed her a little, making her walk faster. He got pretty close to her though. He figured she was afraid that that guy would just jump out of no where and grab her. Apparently she was hiding more than he origionally thought.

When his fingers slid over the small of her back she jumped a little. She wasn't used to the closeness. Most people only got close when they decided she needed to be yelled at or abused. Whichever was on their mind Sakuno really didn't care. She didn't want to have either done to her.

"Shhh. It's alright it's just me," Syusuke consoled her as he saw fit. He hadn't ever met anyone that actually jumped at his touch. There are plenty of people that tend to try to "happen to have to be somewhere else...far away" when he comes around to talk to some people. That is normal, but she is by far the only one that has ever actually jumped in complete fear of being touched by him. Hmmm. Maybe I should look into this. Something is definately not alright here. Most girls wish that I'd come this close to them, but she acted like she didn't want to have me near her at all. I wonder, could this be tied together with that prank somehow? I will definately have to look into this. I'm sure she wouldn't just tell me if I asked so I guess I'll have to do some digging.

"Fuji, Fuji. We're here," she waved her hand a little way in front of his face to try to get him to stop spacing out on her. It worked.

"Oh. Right. Sorry Sakuno. Well, lets go have a look shall we?" He could see her nervousness at going inside with him. "I saved you. I'm not going to turn around and decide that I want to rape you in there."

Her head shot up to look him right in the eyes at the last part, and for a moment he saw only complete fear in her eyes. That is until she looked down again and headed inside the locker room. He's right. I don't know why I hesitated back there. "I apologize if I offended you back there Fuji. I didn't mean to, but if I could do anything to repay you for helping me out so much today just let me know."

He happened to be taking a look around the locker room as she said that, so it came as a little bit of a start to him. He looked at her and saw she was sincere about her statement. "Hm. I will probably think of something later," he mumbled out loud enough for her to hear as he completed his check. He found nothing. No cameras or anything. He really didn't want to have to get into a fight today so whoever played that prank better be glad that he didn't find anything. "All clear. I'll wait outside of the door until you finish changing just in case he comes back." With that said he walked out of the door and Sakuno changed back into her school outfit.

Fuji walked her back to the front of the school building and sat with her in her classroom until the first bell rang. He figured what happened this morning would be a good enough excuse for Tezuka to excuse him for missing practice this morning. Even though she wasn't showing it, he knew she was shook up. He didn't want her to do somthing stupid or for that wacko to come back and think that playing another prank is necessary.

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The last bell rang and Fuji hurried to tennis practice. As expected, Tezuka was a little angry about him missing practice this morning, but when Fuji told him what happened he let him off. Fuji also asked Tezuka not to say anything about it to anyone. Not even Ryuzaki-sensei if she calls to find out how the team is doing. Tezuka acquiesed to Fuji's request and practice officially started.

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Across the boys courts on the ladies courts Sakuno was practicing tennis as well; however, she keapt having the sinking feeling that someone was watching her all through practice. She just couldn't shake it, but everytime she turned to see if someone was, there was no one there.

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After tennis pracice Fuji was pondering on Sakuno's predicament, thinking of ways to find out the information he wanted. He decided that one of those ways would be to see that weird girl with the floppy pig-tails that she always hangs out with when she's not practicing tennis. What is her name Tameko...no...Tanama...Tomomo...no...Tomoka...yes that's it Tomoka. I'll talk to her about it. See if she knows anything. The last I heard she had a boyfriend that is in the tennis club. Perhaps if I ask around I'll find out who it is, and he'll then tell me where I can find Tomoka. Another way would be to talk to Echizen. She normally always follows him around and gives him stuff. So he should know something. That is if he has actually paid attention to what the poor thing has said to him.

As he was thinking this Echizen dressed and started to walk out of the door. "Hey, Echizen...