Chapter… 11! Forgot there for a sec.
Hey guys! So, school started. Dropped my math class, now I have a free fifth and oh, I GOT VARSITY! Hell yeah! Anyway, there was an earthquake today. Me and my friends didn't know where to go since we had a free period XD but we found it… it was uber hot and I got a bit of a tan -_-
As a birthday present from me to you, I have typed this superfast and updated two chapters for you. Happy birthday to me :D
One more thing before I forget, you know it's effing hot out when even the swimmers and people who get in the pool aren't allowed to get in the pool.
I'm gonna say that there will be at least three or four chapters after this one sooooo, enjoy it while you can!
Blah blah, DON'T OWN, blah blah Prince of Tennis blah.
Chapter 11. Have fun!
Another log moved from the pile but seemed to hover by the fire as if waiting for something. Echizen got up and went towards it. There were a few grunts of some who protested but they went ignored. Echizen went right up to the wood and waved his hand on all sides of it.
"How can you explain this sempai?" Echizen said as he grabbed the log and threw it in the fire.
They all gave him a blank stare, not wanting to believe.
"Are you saying that all of this, everything you told us… it's true?" Taka asked.
"Why don't you ask her?" Echizen pointed to the hall where everyone saw a girl, a little younger than Ryoga, standing and smiling at them.
"Ohayou minna-san." She smiled and waved. "My name is Aya. Yoroshiku onegai shi masu."
"Gah!" Momo and Kirihara both pointed to her. "She was in our room this morning!"
Everyone stared at them than at Aya.
"Why would she be in your room?" Taka asked.
"Nya, you two are too horrid for someone as pretty as her." Kikumaru jokingly said.
Momo and Kirihara sent him a glare. "You're so mean sempai."
"Why was she in your room in the first place?" Marui asked.
"And how'd she get in?" Jackal added.
"She is standing right there." Echizen said. "You could easily ask and stop pretending she doesn't exist." That was one of Echizen's biggest pet peeves. He hated the fact of talking about someone right in front of their face or even behind their back.
The six players sweat dropped and turned to Aya. She merely giggled and smiled.
"Gomen for this morning. I didn't expect you two to be up so soon."
"What were you doing in their room in the first place?" Yukimura asked. "And how did you even get in this house?"
"Did no one listen to Echizen-kun's explanation?" She placed her hands on her hips.
"I told you they wouldn't believe me." Echizen said as he slung his arms behind his head.
"Why would we?" Sanada snapped. "Do you really expect us to believe that this house is haunted?"
"I expect you would believe me." She took a few steps towards them. "Seeing that I'm one of the one haunting this house."
They all gave her a blank stare. "Do you expect us to believe that?"
"I expect you to believe this." She walked to Fuji. "Please excuse me for this, Fuji-kun."
Fuji raised an eyebrow but kept smiling. Aya walked straight towards him and passed through. Everyone was a little shocked to see that but nonetheless, still didn't believe it.
"That could easily be passed off as a holographic projection." Renji said.
"Saa, maybe she can but you can't pass off the feeling that was left behind." Fuji said as he rubbed his arms to warm himself up. He opened his eyes slightly but still had a smile on his face. "Tingly."
Aya huffed and crossed her arms. "Boys are stubborn." She turned to Echizen. "Would you mind, Echizen-kun?"
Echizen looked at her and shrugged. He didn't know what she was going to do but if it would help them convince the others, he would gladly help.
Aya walked to him and smiled then turned to everyone else. "Bye boys." She went behind Echizen and hugged him. They were encased in a lite glow and then began slowly sinking into the floor.
"You can't use your hologram theory to explain this, sempai." Echizen said with a smirk as his head went through the floor and he and Aya vanished from sight.
Everyone stood, dumbfounded. What the hell just happened? How could it have happened? Their brother, friend and teammate just fazed through the floor. He was no hologram. They all looked to Inui and Renji for answers.
"I-Inui-sempai?" Momo was shaking.
Inui and Renji were speechless. As far as they could tell, what just happened in front of them was real. They had thought about a trap door or something but with the speed they descended and what happened to Fuji moments before, they had no real reason or evidence not to believe what Echizen and Aya told them.
"Ryoga-san." Tezuka's voice was stern. "Did you know about this?"
Ryoga looked at him and moaned. "A-Ah. He told me about this last week."
"Why didn't you tell us?" Yukimura asked.
"To be honest, I-I didn't believe him." Ryoga ran his hand through his hair. "I didn't tell you because he asked me not to but also because I thought he was making it all up and didn't believe him. How could I? He told me that this place was haunted, I just thought he was trying to scare me so we wouldn't go because he didn't want to." He sighed. "I'm a horrible brother."
Niou placed his hand on Ryoga's shoulder. "Having a little brother isn't always as fun as it's supposed to seem."
"Take it from people who know." Fuji added. "A lot of us are older brothers."
"And being a younger brother isn't easy either." Niou continued. "Trust me."
Ryoga looked at his feet. "I guess that means I owe him an apology."
"Where did they go?" Kikumaru asked.
"The only thing under this is the cellar." Ryoga said. "I have the keys in my room. While I get them, I think you should work on that."
Ryoga pointed to Kaidou and Kirihara on the couch. Their souls were slowly leaving their bodies.
"I guess they couldn't handle it anymore." Hiyoshi said.
"Ah! Kaidou! Kirihara!" Oishi ran to them and tried to snap them out of it.
"Sorry about that Echizen-kun." Aya said as she released her hold on him when they touched the cellar floor.
"If that didn't convince them, I don't know what will. Where are we?" Echizen rubbed his eyes, trying to adjust them to the darkness.
"We're in the cellar. Hold on a second." Aya moved from Echizen and found an old lamp and lit it. "Is that better?"
"Ah. Thanks." It took a second but as soon as his eyes adjusted, he saw that they were indeed in the cellar. "Why are we in here?"
"Well, I couldn't really faze you through the ceiling. Despite what people think or believe, ghosts can't levitate. I've tried." She jokingly said with a smile. "Actually Echizen-kun, I was hoping you could open something for me."
"Like what? A jar of pickles?" he said looking through some things.
"Hehe, not quite." She giggled. She went to the middle of the room, knelt down and started knocking on the floor boards. There was one spot that sounded hollow and when she heard it, she opened the boards and pulled out what looked like a jewelry box. "As you see, it's no normal pickle jar."
"What's that?" Echizen knelt beside her.
"This is what will help us be put to rest." She handed it to Echizen and he inspected it carefully. The box was amber with a small black lock. Echizen reached into his pocket and pulled out the key the old man had given him. "You'll know when to use it, ne?"
"If you knew about it, why didn't he give you the key to this box?" he asked as he sat cross-legged.
Aya held out her hand, motioning for Echizen to give it to her. He placed his hand over hers and dropped the key and it fell right through his her hands and down to the floor. He raised an eyebrow when she went to pick it up and couldn't.
"We are not meant to be our own demise. We can only hold on to what's precious to us." She stopped trying to pick up the key and took the box from his hands.
"What am I supposed to do?" Echizen picked up the key.
"You must take the contents of this box and get rid of them, one way or another."
"Why not just destroy the box?"
"This box has great sentimental value to Oji-san, the one that gave you the key to it. To get rid of it, he would be devastated."
Echizen took the box from her and set it on the ground. He carefully and slowly put the key into the lock but when he began to turn, he felt a shadow loom over him and a chill go through his body. He turned his head to see Kimi, Aya's elder sister, standing over him.
"Now, now, you shouldn't play with other people's things, Echizen Ryoma." She said with a sadistic smile.
Echizen froze, fear taking over. There she was, standing over him, in the flesh, so to speak.
"Echizen Ryoma, no, Dai-kun." She took a step closer to him. "I've been waiting a long time Dai-kun. I've missed you this whole time but now we can finally be together."
Echizen did nothing. He tried to make his body move but it wouldn't obey. His arms and legs felt tremendously heavy and physically impossible to move.
"Stop it Nee-san!" Aya stood between him and Kimi. "He is Echizen Ryoma, not Daisuke! He has nothing to do with us!"
Kimi smirked. "You cannot hide what my eyes have shown me. This young boy is, without a doubt, our younger brother. How can you not see that A-chan?"
"How can you?! We are not his family! He has his own family and friends! They are upstairs right now and they are worried about him! Leave him alone!"
Echizen got feeling back into his arms and legs and began scooting towards the stairs that lead out of the basement.
"Dai-kun?" She took another step towards him only to be stopped by Aya. Her arms were fully extended.
"No Nee-san. Leave him alone." She was stern.
"I will be with my brother again" Kimi glared at her sister and with a strange movement of her arms, she caused Aya to fade away. Echizen watched in fear and horror. The only thing that was holding her back was now gone and he was defenseless.
"Dai-kun." Kimi inched closer. Echizen scrambled to his feet and ran up the stairs only for the door to be locked. He started ponding and shouting for anyone to open it and when he turned back, Kimi was basically on top of him. "Don't worry Dai-kun. It will only hurt for a minute or two then we'll be reunited and be able to spend all eternity together." She pulled a knife from her back.
"N-No…" Echizen's voice was almost a whisper. This was it? This was how he was going to die? In the basement of some old, worn out haunted house? Talk about old fashioned horror movie irony. He flattened his back against the door and stiffened. Kimi reached for him and a lite stream of tears started falling from his eyes.
"It's alright Dai-kun. I'll never leave you again."
Inches away from Echizen, he closed his eyes, causing more tears to fall. Just as she was about to grab him, he was incased with a calm blue light that radiated from his neck. Kimi looked at frowned.
"Damn that girl." She moved away from Echizen and back down the stairs. "Gomen Dai-kun. I guess our reunion will have to wait a little while longer."
Echizen opened his eyes and saw Kimi pick up the music box. The key fell out of the hole.
"Soon Dai-kun. We will be together- very- soon…" Kimi faded into nothingness, taking the box with her.
Echizen relaxed against the door. He looked around his neck to see the blue glow radiating from the pendent Aya had given to him the week before. Somehow, that stopped her from being able to harm him. He slowly and cautiously walked down the stairs and into the main part of the cellar. He picked up the key, looked at it and shoved it into his pocket. He stood there for a moment when another wave of fear came over him. He started shaking and his body felt heavy. He fell to his knees then made his way to a corner and huddled himself into a ball and started sobbing.
There were some noises from the other side of the door but Echizen ignored them. The door burst open and Ryoga followed by everyone else rushed in. Ryoga saw his brother and rushed to him.
"Chibisuke!" He knelt beside him. "What's wrong?"
Ryoma didn't answer but stayed in his ball and kept sobbing.
Aya appeared in front of everyone and a sad, dismayed look. "Gomen… minna…"
"What the hell happened?" Momo asked with anger lining his voice.
Aya turned away, not wanting to face them. "We should get upstairs." She kept her head down as she went up the stairs. She didn't feel like she could look anyone in the eye. Some of the looks she received were full of anger, confusion, misunderstanding, pity and sadness. She couldn't help be feel responsible for what happened.
While most of the members from each team followed Aya up the stairs and into the living room, Ryoga, Fuji, Tezuka, Sanada and Yukimura stayed in the cellar with Ryoma, seeing as he refused to move.
"Chibisuke, let's go to the living room." Ryoga said trying to coax Ryoma out of his ball.
Ryoma held out his hand. The five boys that stayed with him looked to it to see a small key in his palm. "Take it."
Fuji bent down and took the key from his hand. "What's this go to?"
Ryoma stood up and wiped the tears from his eyes. "I don't want it… any part of it." He brushed past the boys in front of him and went up the stairs making sure not to look any of them in the eye as he did.
Everyone watched, confused, as Echizen went up the stairs, wondering what had happened the few minutes they were apart.
"Saa, I think we need to find out what's really going on in this house." Fuji said giving the key an intense open eye stare.
"Ryoga-san, are you sure he didn't tell you anything else about this house besides what you already told us?" Yukimura asked.
Ryoga's eyes were focused on the stairs. "Ah but seeing that it's him, he's probably hiding something else from us."
"Whatever it is, we need to find out what it is." Tezuka said.
Sanada sighed. "Leave it to him to find a way to get into trouble. Whatever is happening, we need to stop it. there's no telling how long it could drag out."
"Let's go upstairs. Some things are bound to get explained." Fuji said shoving the key into his pocket.
Everyone nodded and went upstairs, hopefully finding answers to their questions when they arrived.
That was… brief… Yeaaaaah, sorry about that. And anti-climactic… You know, I'm not gonna lie, I have no idea where I'm headed with this anymore but I still have ideas to do and will keep working until this is done!
Well, there it is. My birthday present from me to you. Hope you like it!
I know, I know. There were a lot of corny elements in this chapter and the previous but no story is complete without it.
In case anyone was wondering, Niou is a middle child with an older sister and younger brother.
Ummm, soooo… yeah. Don't know when the next chapter will be out! Savor these ones while you can!
Forgive mistakes!
See ya later!