DISCLAIMER: DONT OWN PRINCE OF TENNIS. BUT THE PLOT IS MINE!

Rikkaidai's P.O.V.

When Sanada heard what Atobe said, silence had engulfed him.

He unconsciously ended the call and stood at the corner of their gym, frozen in the thought.

Yukimura walked over to him as he saw Sanada spacing out, with his phone still in his hands.

"Sanada, are you alright? Who called?" Yukimura asked softly.

Sanada slowly turned to his captain, sorrow starting to build in his eyes.

"You better gather the regulars, bad news from Seigaku."

Yukimura froze.

'Bad news? It must be terrible to make Genichiro be this disoriented.' Yukimura thought to himself.

After ten minutes, the regulars were gathered at the locker room.

"Everyone, Sanada has news to share." The captain spoke and everyone turned to the vice-captain.

The silence was a bit strange and Kirihara was being to get agitated.

"Sanada-san? What news is it about?" he asked, dared to break the ice.

"Ryoma Echizen of Seigaku is dead. Atobe called and informed me that Tezuka called him with the news."

Kirihara and everyone else stared at him.

"Sanada, did you just say what we heard you say?" asked Niou.

"Echizen can't possibly be dead, right?" Kirihara laughed nervously.

Renji Yanagi took a deep breath and exhaled.

"Since its Sanada, this must be true. And the fact that Atobe was told by Tezuka makes it even more real." He said.

Kirihara punched the wall next to him.

He still had a score to settle with Echizen and now this happened?

Jackal laid a hand on Kirihara's shoulder as comfort.

Niou was now dumbfounded.

How could the kid die so young?

"Just goes to show that death chooses no one. It definitely doesn't choose any age too." Hiroshi Yagyuu said.

Marui couldn't even lift the doughnut he was holding.

"I'll call the flower shop and order flowers. Knowing Atobe, he and everyone else would be visiting later." Yukimura said as he left the room.

Marui looked at his teammates and sighed.

Jackal left to oversee the practice of the non-regulars.

Niou instinctively went with him.

Kirihara went to the showers and soaked himself through.

Even if he wasn't close to Ryoma, that kid helped him changed.

Because of Ryoma, Kirihara had overcome his old tennis and had enjoyed playing with his teammates.

Tears ran down his face as the water ran though his body.

Sanada stared out the window, wondering why this all happened.

The kid didn't deserve to die so young.

He knew that Echizen had dreamed of going to the top of the world as a tennis player.

Now all those were gone.

"The kid had touched so many people. And yet, he was taken away from those people so early." Marui thought out aloud.

"Just goes to show that life isn't fair." Sanada said.

Yukimura came back and looked a little better but still was in sorrow.

"Echizen truly was great. He conquered so many walls that had been placed in front of him and he fought so many to be where he was." Yukimura spoke softly.

They could hear Kirihara sobbed in the showers.

Marui went to comfort him.

"Hey Sanada, do you think that many people will be there later?"

Sanada didn't look at him but nodded.

"Knowing Echizen, he had fought many players, changed so many views and touched so many lives, not to mention, pissing off so many people along the way. That was his way of gaining friends, I think. Unconsciously, he didn't know the effect he had on other people."

Yukimura nodded in agreement.

Echizen was truly something different.

He was special in his own way.

"I may never get to repay him for the lose he gave me during the Kanto Tournament." Sanada said as he turned to Yukimura.

"You may never will now. But then again, he gave you something to remember him by. Just like me." Yukimura smiled angelically.

Yes, the kid gave them all something to always remember him by.

And no matter where they go, they will remember that, once upon a time, they had known someone like Ryoma Echizen.

A/N: Read and Review if you please. Constructive Criticisms are very much welcomed.