Disclaimer: I don't own Prince of Tennis or any characters.

Akari's POV

I sat there staring at my music with my flute in my hands. As I closed my eyes, I could hear Alex's sound in the background of my mind playing like a lost melody. Even thinking about her sound it brought fresh tears to my eyes.

"Hey little sister." My brother said, coming and bumping me.

"Hey." I said, my voice cracking a little.

"What's the matter?" He asked, concerned.

"Just thinking."I told him looking down at my sheet music.

"About what? You haven't played a note since you sat down over an hour ago." I could hear the concern that was lining his voice.

"It's nothing." I tried to reassure him quickly.

"There isn't a boy involved, is there?" He asked darkly.

"I just told you not to worry about it." I laughed. "There's no boy involved." I told him, laughing at the look on his face.

"Do you remember the girl that played at the end?" I asked, still staring uselessly at my sheet music.

"Yeah." He said with a faraway look in his eyes. "Why do you ask?"

"What did you think?" I watched his reaction and it seemed to change in some way.

"It was beautiful." He said, shrugging if off.

"This is very important to me right now." I told him, not breaking the stare down. "How did it make you feel?"

"It made me feel sad." He admitted after a moment's hesitation. "Like I should've apologized to dad for our fight the other night because if I didn't, something bad was going to happen and I would regret it. I didn't know that music could make you feel that way."

I went back to looking at my sheet music again. I'll admit that I had been angry when she had talked to me about confidence. I thought she was exactly like Ishi because she thought she was so much better than everyone else but in actuality I had never heard anything like it before either.

It was odd because I could remember when I was younger my mom making me go to ballet lessons and I had quit cause I didn't like it. I was kind of sad that I had quit and not really given it a chance and I started thinking about what would've happened if I stuck to ballet? But then, maybe a little less than halfway through, my feelings changed and I was so happy that I picked music that it drowned out the ballet and all I could think about was how I could make myself better. Almost like that was all that mattered to me in those short minutes.

Then when she was finished, she had come to me and hugged me like we were the best of friends. I had to wonder if there was something wrong with her mentally. And to make matters worse one of the judges, Kimiko Nakamura had came to find her after the show was done and said that Hashimoto sensei wanted to meet her and she dragged me with her.

"That was the most beautiful piece I have ever heard in my life." He said, smiling at her. Her face turned red and she thanked him.

"It's my favorite piece." She told him.

"I have had a lot of students in my years of teaching and only 1 other student has been able to make me move with music the way you have tonight. And let me tell you that it had taken him many years to accomplish that task." He said with a weird gleam in his eye.

"I just love playing." She said, smiling sadly. "It doesn't matter my standing in a competition. As long as people come to love music somewhere down the line."

"Well said my dear, well said indeed."

"This is my friend Akari Sakamoto." She said and instantly attention was turned on me and I could feel my face grow hot.

"Hi." I smiled and bowed.

"You have a very unique sound my dear." Hashimoto sensei said, smiling at me.

"Yes, but the judges didn't seem to think so." I said sadly.

"Oh pish posh." Hashimoto said. "What do judges really know? It's not them up there playing, it's not them putting in the long grueling hours, it's not them fixing their mistakes. That's what I hate about competitions, they make you feel like your sound isn't good enough when you don't come in first place." All I could do was stare at this old man as he got worked up over this.

"You listen to me and you listen good." He said, switching his gaze from me to Alex. "Don't you ever let your passion for music go just because these judges don't give you first place." I nodded and so did Alex.

"Thank you sir." We both bowed and I blinked away some tears quickly. Alex was right about my lack of confidence and I quietly vowed that I would work on it the minute I got home.

"Now, down to business." He said, clearing his throat. "Miss Cross."

"How did you know my name?" Alex asked before he could get anywhere.

"I do believe that I was in attendance at a scheduled recital a year or 2 ago that you never made it to. I had a feeling that I would run into you some time or another." He said with a wink. "Now if you would be so kind as to agree on coming to the Hashimoto School for Gifted Musicians on Monday and talking to the principal, I would like you to start asap."

"I can't." Alex said in a small voice.

"Excuse me?" Hashimoto said and I think he genuinely didn't hear her because I sure as heck didn't, even though I was standing next to her.

"I'm so sorry." Alex said, "But I can't." This time she said it with such finality that I felt that sudden feeling like I was free falling through the air and my stomach was left some 20 yards behind me.

"And why, may I ask not?" Hashimoto asked kindly.

"Do you have any idea how honorable it is to be asked personally by him?" One of his assistants asked. "Many people would give their right foot for an opportunity like this one and you're just brushing him off like it doesn't matter?"

"Enough Sasaki." Hashimoto said and the boy instantly fell silent, although he was still fuming. "Now, an explanation, if you please."

"I only agreed on this one piece. But I don't play anymore." Alex said. I looked at Hashimoto and the look on his face was one of someone who was watching something painful but didn't have the strength to look away.

"And why don't you play anymore?" He asked after what seemed like hours.

"I just don't." She said.

"That is a shame." Hashimoto said looking down at the floor.

"But I believe if you give Akari the chance to be trained, she won't let you down." I felt my face go hot again and I was just about to say something to Alex about opening her mouth where it didn't belong when the other guy that came with Hashimoto stepped forward.

"Yamaguchi sensei needs one more student. She would be perfect. We heard her sound already so it would save on having another audition in such a short period of time."

"If it's alright with her parents." Hashimoto said. "It would be an honor. Get her information down and we'll send you a letter by Tuesday." My heart was beating so loud that I was sure that everyone in the area could hear it.

"I don't think I can afford your school." I told him looking at my feet. It had been my dream when I started out playing the flute to attend that music school, but when I had looked up all the prices and such I had lost almost all hope. "I've already done all the research and stuff. My parents would never be able to afford it."

"Are you serious about your play?" He asked.

"Yes." I said without hesitation.

"Are you willing to put in the extra hours to prefect what's needed to be perfected?"

"Of course." I answered quickly.

"Then I think we can make an exception." He smiled and it felt as if my heart was going to sore right out of my chest.

"Thank you sir." I said, bowing.

"It is an honor." Hashimoto said.

"Sasaki, give Alex my personal card." Hashimoto asked. The one on the left handed her a card grudgingly. "If ever you change your mind, don't hesitate to call that number. Only a select few have that number and it will always reach me, day or night." I looked at Alex and she looked so happy that I had to wonder for the thousandth time why she wasn't play.

"Thank you." She said, also bowing.

"I am late for a prior engagement. But I am so happy that I came. Come Sasaki, Endo." And with that, Hashimoto sensei started leaving. It took me minutes after he disappeared to actually come to terms with what just happened.

"Are you out of your mind?" I whispered at Alex as soon as I found my voice.

"Is it bad if more than one person asks me that in a span of 2 days?" She asked. By the look on her face, I didn't know if she was pulling my leg or if she was serious.

"Do you just realize that you turned down a once in lifetime opportunity right there? Hashimoto just asked you personally to join his music school."

"I know." Alex laughed. "It was all so much to take in." I could feel my anger boiling in me, like she was making fun of me in some way.

"What is wrong with you?" I almost shouted. "You have to most beautiful sound in the world and you say you don't play but it's plain as day to me that you that you would love nothing more than to play all the time."

"You're wrong." She said sadly."There's one thing that I would like more then to play the piano and unfortunately it's not something that I will ever get back."" I was taken aback for a minute, like I had stepped over some important line that wasn't supposed to be stepped across.

I continued to stare at her, the pain on her face so evident that somewhere I felt that it was my fault for even bringing it up. I opened my mouth to say I was sorry but the wind was knocked out of me by my brother.

"That was amazing." He said twirling me around in a huge circle.

"Thanks." I said, the ever-present hotness returning to my face. "Toya, this is Alex."My brothers eyes widened like he was meeting a celebrity and he stopped twirling me instantly.

"That was amazing." He said in awe.

"Thank you." Alex said, tucking some loose hairs back behind her ear. "I really wish I could've competed but I'm going out of town tomorrow so I won't be able to." I watched closely as my brother observed her movements like he was trying to save each one in his internal memory.

The thought made me laugh now and I was aware that my brother was watching me now.

"You know." He said leaning back on both of his arms. "I think your beginning to change."

"Change?" I asked, stretching out my legs around my music sheets. "How do you mean?"

"Well for one I have never seen you lose your cool like you did with Ishi. You finally told her to shove it where the sun don't shine. You should've seen her face after we walked away. Priceless." I laughed along with him.

"I didn't mean to. Alex said that I should be more confident. I was confident that it no longer matter's what she thinks of me and that I need to play for other people and not myself."

"You figured all that out in 2 hours?" My bother asked, astounded and I found myself laughing again.

"Well I have to start somewhere if I'm going to go to Music School next semester."

"That is so great." He smiled. "I'm so proud of you right now."

"Thanks." I said, turning red again.

"I mean it. This school thing is a big deal."

"I know." I breathed. "Which is why I need to find my sound."

"Your sound?" He asked confused.

"Yeah. You know, make people feel the way that Alex did when she played." I stared down at my sheet music, not sure if he was going to understand what I was talking about.

"I'm sure you'll find it." He said reassuringly. "Why don't you just talk to Alex about it?"

"I don't know anything about her. I don't know where she goes to school, who her parents are. Nothing." I was kind of sad that I didn't get the chance to get her information down so that I could talk to her but that was life, I guess.

"Well good luck tomorrow. I might be late, but I'll be there." I shook my head and closed my eyes, bringing the flute to my mouth and sucking in a deep breath. I counted to 5 thinking about Alex's sound and I started the piece with a smile on my face.

A/N: Forgot on the last chapter but Fur Elise and Moonlight Sonata are also on lockdown 42's channel just in case you wanted to listen to listen to them =)