Author's Note

It's starting to get very busy! I've recently taken on two different part-time jobs. That, on top of responsibilities to my family and my other regular work has been very taxing. I haven't found much time to write lately, and have only managed another half of a chapter. I'll try my best to write more though! I promise, I'll have a new chapter up at least every two weeks. If I don't... Make sure you send me a message to remind me! I do get caught up with life often, like other people.

Prince of Tennis does not belong to the author. The author lives off of reviews. The author apologizes for slacking on the story. (◕︵◕)

But really, do let me know what you think of the chapter. Pretty please?

Chapter 20

The serpent reared back, unfurling her jeweled hood. Her gaze swept through the small crowd before landing on Ryoma, who finally descended back to land. Jewel-like purple eyes narrowed to slits as the spirit languidly twisted her body towards its prey.

"Boy…" Suzu spoke with smug, self-satisfied voice, a hissed whisper like the quiet rush of ocean waves. "You couldn't posssibly have been the one to have woken me, could you? A puny body like that would never be ssstrong enough to hold any power…"

Kintarou pointed at the beast, frozen in his spot by the door. Shiraishi and Yukimura had awoken, and were now joining him on the front porch. "Na, Kin-chan, what's up?" Shiraishi greeted the little redhead with a pat on the back. That seemed to snap him out of his stupor.

"Monster!" the wild boy shouted. "It's a snake monster! We're all doomed!"

"Snake monster?" Yukimura echoed, startled. He looked up, following Kintarou's pointed finger, and started at the sight of the white serpent. "I… I suppose we've found our first target."

"Target?" Suzu hissed, swiveling her great head to face Yukimura. Sanada instinctively lowered into a protective crouch, his hand reaching for the hilt of his sword. "Ssspeak,mortal."

Before Yukimura could answer the serpent, two streaks flew past him, one glowing black and one light. The lights twisted and grew midflight, the light only diminishing once they reached their destinations. A giant black wolf crouched between Suzu and the humans, while a twin-tailed feline towered protectively behind her master.

"Sissster Life, Brother Chaosss… What a sssurprissse," Suzu hissed, twisting in mock delight. Her head and hood lowered in a mocking bow. "Have you decided to ssserve mere mortalsss now, you housssepetsss?"

Mada growled, a crack of dark lightning echoing his rumbles. "We are no housepets, snake," he roared, pawing at the ground in aggravation. The last memory that he'd had of the serpent had been when the spirit of Chaos had been sealed, banished into the darkness.

"Nor is this any mere mortal," Karupin added smoothly.

The serpent threw back her head and laughed, sending sprays of cold water splashing upon the travelers. "No mere mortal?" she spat bitterly. "It mattersss not who the boy isss, I refuse to acknowledge another massster, ever!"

The serpent lunged forward, water flowing upward to surround its body. Twisting mid-air, the water formed another deadly torrent, which Suzu unleashed towards Karupin and Ryoma. The prince watched, wide-eyed as the twister shot towards him. He raised his arms and squeezed his eyes shut, preparing for the impact of the serpent's rage. 'Syuusuke…!'

A battle cry sounded, and Ryoma opened his eyes as the impact of the water never fell. He looked back at the water, which had now frozen into a spiraling tower of ice. "What?" he asked, whirling around. Atobe stood by his side, one hand outstretched towards the water. A frozen drop stood right before his palm. "Monkey king?!"

"Hmph," Atobe scoffed, flipping his silver hair out of his eyes before glaring at the serpent. "Allow Ore-sama to show you the true mastery of water, serpent!"

Suzu bared her razor sharp fangs, and whipped her tail through the pillar of ice, sending slivers raining down upon the earth. Cries echoed through the shore as each person shielded himself from the ice. Atobe merely laughed, waving his other arm forth. The ice shards halted midair before collapsing into powdery snow and drifting to the floor harmlessly. With a look of manic excitement in his face, Atobe raised his arms. With a great effort, he lifted all the water of the lake upwards into the air above him.

"The winner of this battle…" Atobe shouted as he waved his arms above him, creating a whirlpool from the water. Sharp blades of ice formed within the whirlpool, flashing lethally within the water. "… Will be Ore-sama!"

With a heave of his arms, the ice king unleashed the whirlpool and sent it flying towards the serpent, who shrieked in pain. Atobe's audience on the ground watched with bated breath, curious as to whether or not Atobe's attack worked. The whirlpool engulfed the spirit in a cyclone of piercing ice, slashing at its serpentine body. Dark blood splattered from Suzu's wounds, red and brown swirling within the blue water.

"Did… Did he do it?" Shiraishi gasped. Atobe fell to his knees, all of his power drained from his final attack. The whirlpool's power diminished, the water and ice returning to the crater of the lake. However, the water spirit remained upright, glaring daggers at the exhausted king.

"You dare attack one of the original ssspiritss!" Suzu spat, breathing heavily. Blood dripped from open wounds. "Die, mortal!"

The buildup of energy in the air was thick, and the travelers felt it swirling around them. "What's going on?" Sanada began to yell, but was cut off as the thick energy materialized into water, surrounding and trapping the young men. Each struggled for his breath, their vision growing dark and hazy.

Ryoma felt the water enclosing around him like a death trap, and was quick enough to steal a fresh gulp of air before Suzu's attack was executed. He struggled against the pressure and the ever changing tide. He saw his friends trapped in similar states, though Atobe was already floating lifelessly. His eyes widened. He would not allow harm to befall these strangers who had taken up his quest with him. Fighting against the rushing water, he reached for his Guardian bells once again. This time, his hands found the third bell, Raishu of the Air. With practiced motions, he lowered the Walker before pulling it back up quickly, like a cat lowering onto its haunches before leaping into the air. Despite the choking water, the bell rang, and Ryoma felt his powers amplified through the sound.

'Master of the Heavens, hear my plea,' he thought desperately. A strange tingling built up in his palms, and he expelled his arms outwards. "Disperse!"

Wind shot out from Ryoma's body, sending Suzu's power spraying away in harmless drops of water. The group broke out coughing, and Tezuka ran to Atobe's side. Pressing his head against the icy king's chest, he paled. Turning to Ryoma, he reported his findings. "His heart is beating, but it's erratic," he stated gravely. "We must end this battle now."

Ryoma's face twisted into a pained expression before he replaced it with a cool mask of anger. He stood to face Suzu. "Suzu of the Waters," he called authoritatively. "You have endangered the lives of my friends and kin tonight. Return now to my control, Spirit!"

The third bell was replaced in his leather bandolier, and Ryoma withdrew the Waker. Once again, he swung it upwards and to the side, before crossing it to the other side of his body. The bell chimed, loud and clear, and everyone appeared amazed when a band of white light appeared around the serpent's tail.

"What… What isss thisss?" Suzu shrieked, thrashing her tail back and forth, trying to rid herself of the band of light. Her efforts were in vain, and the light tightened around her tail. Suzu gave one last wild hiss as the light closed around her tail. "You have overpowered me, mortal…"

The serpent slid closer to Ryoma until she was right before him. Karupin shuffled to sit beside Ryoma again, but this time did not seem alarmed. Suzu lowered her hooded head to Ryoma in an act of submission, and Ryoma instinctively held one hand out to feel her cool scales. As they made contact, the band of light disappeared to reveal a sea-green ribbon around her tail, a silver bell singing quietly from it. Suzu closed her eyes, and her rage was quelled. "Master."

The tension fell away from the group, who began rushing towards Atobe and Ryoma to tend to their injuries. In the midst of that, Ryoma remembered the extra body that lay on the floor. "Ani-… Ryoga!" he shouted, stumbling as he tried not to call the dark prince his brother. Pushing away from the group that surrounded him, his eyes sought out the familiar form, only to come to a halt when he saw two.

Fuji had slung Ryoga's arm around his shoulders, and was helping the taller boy to stand. "Syuu… Fuji," Ryoma breathed. The excited chatter and relief drifted off into silence as everyone else turned to face the traitor. "What are you doing here?"

Sanada was up and shouting at the pair before Fuji could answer. "How dare you show your face here!" he yelled savagely, a fist shaking threateningly in their direction. "Helping your weak false-prince now, after having turned your back on your kingdom and prince?"

Ryoma winced, but did not have a chance to speak as Tezuka put a hand on Sanada's shoulder. He sighed, thinking that the captain meant to calm the emperor, but his hopes were dashed when Tezuka spoke in a chilling voice. "Where are the others, Fuji?" he demanded softly.

Fuji merely fixed them with a blank look. His eyes drifted through the faces of the group, resting on Ryoma's for a pain-filled second before he turned. "Let us be off, Prince Ryoga."

Ryoma felt white-hot pain flash through his heart as his ex-lover and brother turned, leaving them and disappearing into the night. "Prince… he called him his Prince."

It was early morning by the time the group had gotten themselves cleaned up. Most of the travelers had returned to their beds, hoping for a few more hours of rest before taking off again come daybreak. Suzu, their newest companion, had shrunken in size after the battle, and was resting now, coiled in the wooden rafters of the cabin.

Ryoma had refused to move from his spot by the lake, still staring into the trees that Fuji and Ryoga had disappeared into. His mind was reeling, his heart in shock. Mada whined from where he lay beside Ryoma's legs, his head resting on half of Ryoma's lap. The other half was taken up by Karupin, who snuggled closer to Ryoma's chest, hoping to warm his chilled body with her own fur and body heat. She bat at his arm with her paw, but the broken prince did not acknowledge his companion spirits. His mind was busy replaying the moment when Fuji had turned away from him, supporting his new prince and leaving into the darkness of the night. His heart ached at the sight, and his emotions swung wildly between longing, anger, and the bitter sting of betrayal.

A slight rustle in the grass caught the attention of Mada and Karupin, who glanced up at the new figure approaching. The older boy wore soft cotton pants but no shirt, and the bandages wound around his chest were reminders of the painful battle that had happened earlier that night. As the man sat down beside Ryoma, the two scampered off, leaving them to talk but never straying far. The sky was just beginning to lighten, signaling the end of the long night. The two sat in silence, one lost in contemplation, and the other lost in his examination of the other.

Since their first meeting, Atobe had not had the chance to fully appreciate the prince's appearance. He was a small but exquisite creature, his unique emerald-tinted hair framing his heart-shaped face. His skin was smooth, but his body was leanly muscled. Although his large golden eyes gave him an exotic air, they also betrayed the fact that Echizen Ryoma was still but a child, a child who had been caught up in a war of millennia-old spirits. Atobe realized how weary and fragile the boy looked at this very moment, having lost hope in his strength and his love, but still trying to stay strong for those around him. He suddenly became aware of his overwhelming urge to shield the boy, to cage and hide the prince from the fears of the world. He wanted to protect this delicate child who was still only just that. But he knew from the pride he'd once seen in that golden gaze that the prince would never allow for that.

Atobe cleared his throat, breaking the silence and startling Ryoma. The prince turned to look at the king with curious eyes. "Monkey king," he greeted listlessly.

Atobe's eyebrow quirked in an odd mix of annoyance and amusement. Even in the pits of his despair, the little prince was arrogant. "Brat," he snapped right back, but his voice was soft and held a tender tone. Atobe turned back to the sky, Ryoma following suit. They stayed like that for a while before Atobe spoke again. "You saved us all tonight. Myself included," he said quietly, as though he wished not to admit his own inability. "You were amazing."

Contrary to what Atobe expected, Ryoma hugged his knees and shrunk against himself even smaller, thinking again of how Fuji had left him for his brother. "Mada mada dane. I'm not good enough yet…" he said softly.

As the ice king of Hyoutei, Atobe had never dealt with heartbreak. He had never had to comfort another person, nor had the haughty man ever felt compelled to. The quiet resignation of Ryoma's voice scared Atobe, who did not know how to help the younger male. Carefully, Atobe raised one arm and awkwardly wrapped it around Ryoma's freezing shoulders.

"… What are you doing?" Ryoma asked, shooting Atobe a curious look.

Atobe coughed, the embarrassment plain on his face. "Sh-shut up!" he stammered, pulling the boy in closer against his chest. However, he was glad that some life had returned to the boy's eyes. "Ore-sama is merely gracing you with his presence, brat! Besides, you were freezing, and Ore-sama pitied you enough to share his warmth."

Ryoma peered curiously at Atobe's reddening face, as the king turned his face downwards. Realizing that Atobe had never comforted someone before and was likely embarrassed, Ryoma's lips quirked upwards in a shadow of a smirk. " Is that so, Monkey king?" he teased. "I'm not really warming up from such a half-hearted embrace though. But it's just like a monkey to not be able to do anything correctly."

Ryoma stopped talking as he felt Atobe pull him closer and reposition him. He now sat between Atobe's legs, who wrapped his arms around the prince's thin shoulders and pulled his freezing back to Atobe's broad chest. "There is nothing that Ore-sama cannot do!" Atobe exclaimed, before realizing the position that he had put them in and making an undignified noise.

Ryoma couldn't help but chuckle at Atobe, who decided he would forgive this one embarrassment, if only for the sake of the prince's smile. The two sat comfortably for another few minutes. Ryoma yawned, warmed by Atobe's body, and snuggled back into the warm chest. He rested his head on Atobe's arm, finally realizing how exhausted he was from the fight. Atobe gazed down at the peaceful face, his breath taken away by the boy's beauty. His eyelashes were long and fluttered down against soft cheeks, his lips were soft and pink, and were lightly parted as Ryoma drifted off into sleep. Caught up in the spell of daylight growing upon his face, Atobe lowered his head closer to those soft lips…

"Ne, Monkey king." Atobe caught himself and jerked his head back up as Ryoma spoke with his eyes closed. His heart was pounding, and he tried to calm it before Ryoma felt it.

"Na-nani?" the king stammered. What had he been thinking? What would he have done had the prince not called out to him? He forced his mind away from those thoughts before they could progress further, choosing to focus instead on Ryoma's next words, who spoke with his eyes still closed.

"That ice whirpool attack thing you did earlier was pretty cool," Ryoma breathed, his sleepiness evident in the wispy tone of his voice. He yawned, and sleep beckoned to him. "But you're still mada mada dane."

Atobe couldn't help but smirk at boy in his arms, the proud and arrogant prince who defied the world. "Who's still got a long way to go, brat?" he whispered quietly to the dozing boy, before bending his neck and lowering his head towards the soft green hair.

Atobe knew that he was crossing a carefully-set boundary and willingly stepping into the escapeless trap of love. He knew that there would be pain and there would be much to fear, that beyond that line was a world he knew nothing about. He would be embarrassed time and time again, and he would undoubtedly make foolish irrational decisions when it came to the little prince. But he would face all of that when the time came, Atobe decided as he pressed a soft kiss onto Ryoma's forehead. He would be willing to face anything for the treasured boy in his arms.