Summary: The Seigaku regulars never believed in fairy tales but what happens when they find out the truth about Ryoma. This is a story about how magic and demons infiltrate our human world and force a group of friends to choose what's really important to them and what's important for the world.
Warning: There will be some bad language, violence and innuendo. Possibly slight Yaoi, definite Shounen-ai but no smut. Probable OOCness and UK English. Don't actually have a plot set out yet, I just plan to go with the flow.
A/N: OMG, 11 reviews for chapter one! O.O So very happy XD Okay, so here's the second chapter for all you lovely people. I'm gonna try and keep updates within a week but it will be difficult because I'm an impossible procrastinator and pitiful insomniac T-T Umm...some guys had questions and stuff so I'll answer them here 'cos I haven't got anywhere else to do so heh...
Khelc-sul Renai: Hmm...interesting idea, we'll see soon XD hehe, I didn't expect Karupin's PoV to go down so well, thanks!
rebekahalana: Heh, thanks for the concern, I was much more awake writing this chapter, enjoy!
Frog-kun: Yeah, I only noticed when I finished uploading that the pace was WAY too fast, gomen T-T Over the next few chapters there are gonna be flashbacks which should make up for it (hopefully they will also answer your first question to XD) Thanks for the review!
and SilverWhiteDragon: Thanks for the reviews and for noticing that the pair isn't decided yet. At the end of this chapter I'll ask people to vote for their favourite pairing so I'll take your ideas as suggestions for possible pairs XD Thanks and enjoy!
To everyone else who reviewed, thank you so much! Enjoy the latest chapter!
Disclaimer: I sadly do not own the rights to Prince of Tennis and I am not making money from this story.
That's about it so time to say enjoy the story!
The Real Prince
Chapter Two
Ryoma was scared. Of course, he would never admit to that fact out loud and certainly never in the presence of his senpai-tachi because it would ruin his cocky self-assured front. The young prodigy growled in frustration as he walked through the emptying streets, the lamps only just starting to illuminate with their feeble glow. Another thing he hated about the nearing winter was that it became darker earlier and for very good reasons Echizen was afraid of the dark.
An icy breeze whipped around the thinking boy making his golden eyes widen in shock. It wasn't a natural wind; he could taste the coppery magic directing the air, black magic. Oh shit. Suddenly the bulbs in the nearest lampposts exploded, glass showering down on Ryoma while plunging the area into pitch blackness. Several people squealed in fear and Ryoma grunted in pain as crystal shards cut crimson ribbons across his face and arms.
Something bumped into the prodigy, a bundle of coarse feathers and sharp claws. Another and another, in no time at all, Ryoma was surrounded by the dry beat of wings. Damn. Without the lights I can't see what these creatures are. I can't see to defeat them. Ryoma cringed away from the brush of dusty wings as several feathers landed on his clothes and a few more cuts were opened on his arms and legs as hooked claws ripped through his taut flesh.
If only I could see, shit! I can't even hear properly with all this flapping around my head...wait... Ryoma's cat-like eyes widened further in terror. He suddenly remembered a conversation he had had with his father five years ago about a certain species of demon.
FLASHBACK
"There are many types of demons, this you already know." Oyaji said while picking crumbs out of the old set of grey monk's robes he wore. "The type you'll learn about today are called Trainer Demons. Can you guess what they are?"
"Anou...Trainers are demons that use animals to attack their prey." An eight-year-old Ryoma said smugly.
"Pffft. If you think that's all you'll get caught in their trap easily. Yes, Trainers use animals but it's not so much as to attack their target, more like to confuse them. By sending dogs, rats, snakes or birds after their intended the trainer can take advantage of the situation and pick their prey off without a struggle. Remember that, you might need it someday!" Nanjiroh said pompously, leading Ryoma to use 'Che!' for the very first time.
END FLASHBACK
Realisation struck like a bitch. The animals were just a distraction, a way to put him off the scent of the real attack. Ryoma wheeled around trying to spot his weakest point while trying to keep the bird-like creatures away from him. 'Why hadn't he taken the old man seriously?' kept flowing through his mind as he kept cursing the fact that the birds were so loud he couldn't hear anything other than the rustle of beating wings.
Click...
Huh?! What the heck was that noise?! It sounded like the noise long fingernails would make when the owner flicked them, a scratchy hit that chilled the bone.
Click...Click...
Where is it coming from? It sounded from the front and less than a second later from behind! Oh, great! Panicking isn't gonna help right now Ryoma! Where the fu—
Ryoma stopped thinking. Everything froze for the tennis prodigy as he felt the clammy pale hand stroke his right hip, long nails tearing both fabric and lithe body beneath it. Another hand came out in front of his face before falling slowly to Ryoma's left hand. He could feel and smell the rotten breath of the demon standing behind him. Ryoma twitched in disgust and then...
SNAP!
"AARGGGH!" Ryoma screamed long and loud, a confusing mixture of pain, fear and horror. Tears rolling down his cheeks, Echizen looked down at his left hand to see his wrist twisted and jutting in an impossible angle. The pain that shot through the whole of his arm was unbearable and yet Ryoma's first thought was that he wouldn't be able to play tennis anytime before the winter break.
"Who was that screaming just now?"
"What happened?"
"Oi! Someone find some flashlights, I can't see a bloody thing!"
At the sound of Ryoma screaming the noise of the ordinary civilians filtered through the fluttering beat surrounding his head; not that the boy noticed much due to his nervous system telling his brain to focus on the pain coming from his left side. Nor did he notice that there were less of the bird-like creatures bumping into him.
Ryoma gasped as the demon behind him turned his head slightly and licked both salty tears and metallic blood that ran down his cheek with a rough tongue. The hand on his hip moved to get a firmer grip on Ryoma's waist while the one that broke his wrist curled around his chest, nails piercing the muscle in his shoulder.
"Time to go, Prince." The demon growled into his ear as Ryoma's head felt like it was going to explode. Echizen screamed once again from the pain building in his head and the humiliation of being caught as the world slowly disappeared around them. The cry of pain and despair was suddenly cut off and in response the other occupants in the street shouted at one another, finally finding a box of flashlights in a nearby store.
The light from high wattage torches spread across the street searching for the screamer, stopping short at the sight of a dropped white Fila cap, several jet black feathers and.... Several small pools of red blood, still liquid if the glisten from the flashlights were anything to go by.
Whoever had screamed had disappeared with the darkness.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Fuji walked down the path to Seigaku as the sun started to rise having declined a ride from his sister. Fuji always found that when he needed to concentrate on something walking by himself was always beneficial to his thinking process. His current musings involved a certain conversation that the school tennis coach, Tezuka and he had been privy to the day before.
FLASHBACK
"That's not the only problem we have..." Looking up at the two standing by her desk she sighed before continuing the phone call.
"It seems that Ryoma-kun isn't the only person at the school who could manage to break the shield. Unwittingly, the regulars have been growing and that's what caused the barrier to shatter...I don't think so...no...Yes, that would probably be best. Ja." Ryuuzaki-sensei put the phone and was silent for several minutes. It was Tezuka who broke the silence first.
"Sensei, what do you mean Ryoma is more than just the Prince of tennis?" Fuji heard the only-just-discernable hint of confusion that escaped through the captain's normally clipped calm tone.
"Iie, I've agreed with Echizen Nanjiroh to tell you and the other regulars with him and Ryoma tomorrow. It's easier that way." The old woman added as she saw Tezuka open his mouth to argue.
"Saa...You said Ryo-chan was in danger. We should go look for him." Fuji said. At his words, both he and Tezuka moved towards the door.
"Stop right there. If Ryoma-kun is in trouble you wouldn't be able to do anything to help him. In fact, the only thing you'll likely to do is get yourselves killed. Nanjiroh has already started looking for him anyway." The strict voice that commanded them stopped the two boys before they got very far.
"What do you expect us to do then?" Both asked at the same time.
"The best thing you can do is to go home and rest. Tomorrow you will be educated by the Samurai, Ryoma and I. The mental drain you and the others will go through will be extremely difficult." Ryuuzaki-sensei answered tiredly. Once again, Tezuka and Fuji tried to leave when the old woman asked one final question that caused them to pause in wonderment.
"Oh, by the way, when did you two start calling Echizen 'Ryoma' and 'Ryo-chan'?"
END FLASHBACK
This last question was what Syuusuke was currently debating although, truth be told, any answer he came up with confused him even more. Really, he had started to call Ryoma 'Ryo-chan' just to annoy the boy as his sadistic nature dictated but that only worked when said in front of the kid's face. What did it mean when he referred to Echizen by his nickname when the person in question wasn't even there?
Of course, Ryoma had always intrigued the tensai on the courts, coming up with different strategies against his opponents and then effectively carrying them out was what first caught Fuji's eye. Then as he started watching the prodigy even closer, Syuusuke started to notice how the boy, although feminine in looks and build, was really much stronger than they'd ever thought but in a way he was also weak and Fuji couldn't help but want to protect that weakness, no, not weakness. It was innocence. He didn't know what from but he still felt like he needed to help the boy keep his naivety.
Lost in thought, Fuji hadn't even realised that he was already in the school grounds. Not until he heard the raised voices of two people arguing did he look up. When he did finally decide to grant the world permission to view his blue eyes he found himself looking at a dishevelled Ryuuzaki-sensei and a man wearing grey monk's robes yelling at the top of their voices.
"FUJIKO!" was the only warning he got before the red-headed Kikumaru Eiji 'glomped' him from behind.
"Hah! Eiji-senpai, do you have a death wish or something? First Echizen and now Fuji-senpai, don't you know that's a dangerous swap?" Momo laughed.
"Demo, Ochibi isn't here yet, nya!"
"Saa...I don't really mind that much Eiji-kun." Fuji said dangerously. Eiji's eyes widened and he immediately apologised for his attack. When Fuji used an honorific while talking to Eiji it was his signal that he had gone too far.
Turning back to the sight of the two adults, Syuusuke noted that they had stopped bickering as soon as the other regulars revealed their arrival. Sighing, he looked to Tezuka who was walking towards them and he realised that the man must be Echizen Nanjiroh. Tezuka was probably going over to ask if Ryo-chan had got home safely last night and Fuji discovered that the thought made him slightly jealous. Why didn't he have the nerve to go and ask the same thing? Ryuuzaki-sensei waved all of them over and Fuji followed his teammates to the place their captain, coach and the relative stranger were waiting.
"Today I decided to cancel morning practice without buchou's permission although I did discuss the reason with him and Fuji-kun last night." That got everyone interested. "This is Echizen Nanjiroh, Ryoma-kun's father. He'll be helping me talk to you about a subject that might be quite difficult for you to comprehend at first."
"Before we talk to you I need to make an announcement. Last night Ryoma didn't come home. After exploring the route he usually takes I found hints suggesting that he was kidnapped." Nanjiroh said with sad eyes.
Kidnapped! Ryo-chan...No! Fuji felt as though the old man had just delivered a crunching blow. Because he and Kunimitsu had hesitated and not gone looking for him their pillar was taken. Because he'd been alone he was now missing.
"By who?" Tezuka asked, voice shaking in anger and regret. Syuusuke looked at him and saw the stoic buchou's fists clenching and again felt slight annoyance.
"We're not entirely sure. The point is-" Ryuuzaki started.
"What do you mean you're not sure? You must have some idea!" Momo shouted, jolting all of them out of their individual dazes.
"We do have an idea but we need to educate you about Ryoma and where he really comes from before we discuss what we're going to do to get him back." Nanjiroh said quietly but firmly, drawing the regulars' attention to him.
"Where Ryo-chan really comes from?" Fuji whispered, shock evidently etched upon his unmasked face.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Tezuka barely heard the soft voice that emanated from the tensai and the captain was surprised by the fact that Fuji had dropped his mask. Is he really that worried about Ryoma? It wasn't until he felt his eye twitching that he realized he was irritated by the blatant affection shown in that face. Then in an instant the feeling was gone as Nanjiroh's words finally sunk in and Tezuka fell back into the role of buchou.
"What don't we know about Ryoma?" Kunimitsu asked, harsher than he'd meant to.
"The question is what do you know about the brat?" Nanjiroh shot back fiercely, his delayed parental instinct kicking in.
"Nanjiroh!"
"Aa...gomen, I'm just worried." He apologised, taking everyone aback at his uncharacteristic behaviour. "It would, perhaps, be better to talk in private." He added while turning and walking away with Ryuuzaki-sensei.
"Yosh, let's go."
They followed the older pair through the school corridors, Tezuka idly noting the comparison between last night's empty hush to today's bustling noise. Tezuka growled inwardly. What gave them the right to be loud when Ryoma was gone? Judging from the dirty looks and icy daggers shooting from the regulars' faces they were all thinking the same as he. Even Kaidoh, who didn't seem to give damn about Echizen, hissed viciously at a nearby freshman when asked where Ryoma was.
When they finally reached Ryuuzaki-sensei's office no one spoke for a while leading Kunimitsu to believe that the adults were deciding not to tell them what was really going on. Tezuka pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration and was about to speak up when Nanjiroh started talking, finally.
"Ryoma is from another world called Arecia. It is a place where magic and mythical creatures exist."
A few minutes followed this pronouncement and then the players fell about laughing, except for Tezuka, Fuji and strangely Kawamura whose eyes widened in...recognition? Now that was an interesting development.
"Haha, that was funny Echizen-san. And your face is so serious as well, heh..." Momo chuckled although he stopped quickly when he saw the angry glares from both Ryuuzaki-sensei and the Samurai.
"I'm being serious. This is part of what you need to know before you go and get him back."
"Us? Why did you say us? Wouldn't it be better to call the police for this kinda thing?" Oishi fretted, nervous about everything and nothing at the same time as usual.
"The police would be useless against the people who took the brat. You guys are the only ones with a chance of getting him back." Nanjiroh replied seemingly bored by the constant questioning.
"Echizen-san, it seems that you know who took Echizen because you said the police would be useless." Inui cut in before anyone could distract the man with more questions.
"I didn't say I knew who took him; I meant I knew what took him. Completely different thing."
"What took our ochibi then, nya?" Eiji asked sounding as frustrated as the bouncy acrobat could ever manage (which isn't much).
"Darkness." Everyone turned around to find Kawamura staring at the beige phone with a look of mixed horror and shyness upon his face.
"Eh?!"
Oh boy, I can just feel the evil eye radiating from everyone. Gomenasai! I just couldn't resist a cliffhanger XD
A/N: Okay, see ya guys next week for chapter three and yes, more questions will be answered. However, I have a major favour to ask of youse. Could you please, please vote for the main pair for this story. and SilverWhiteDragon already gave a few suggsetions but I would like other people to have a say as well.
So far there are 2 mentions of TezuxFujixRyo, 1 FujixRyo, 1 TezuxFuji and that's just two people talking! Anyway, would love to hear your take on it. Vote through reviews (hehe) or maybe I'll manage to figure out how to put a poll up for votes there. I'm not gonna make any final decisions until I start writing the 4th chapter so you've got, what, 2 weeks, maybe.
Please Read and Review!
Arigatou,
munchkin-chan