A/N I CAN"T FREAKING BELIEVE THAT THIS CHAPTER COVERS ONLY LIKE TEN MINUTES OF THE ANIME
ARRRRGHHHHHHHH
Notes for this chapter: some OCs 'cause middle schools other than Teiko were never really elaborated upon. Taichi though is apparently canon (found this on Wiki, don't know if anime ever explicitly stated that). Also, some BS history because I didn't want to sift through pages of Wiki material for something that might not have even been there in the first place. (sorrynotsorry). Also if Kiyoshi seems a bit OOC, that's because he just suffered a traumatic experience.
Replies to Reviews:
Guest (Chapter 24): Thanks for dropping a review! I'm glad you like my characterization, and about tennis matches, I'll be trying to get to them after Winter Cup, or maybe interspersed between important matches. I know a lot of people are looking forward to those, so I'll try my hardest to incorporate them in somehow!
miuruzeny: Thank you for the review! That was really sweet of you to say. I'm glad that you enjoyed my story so much! XD
HannokiKaen: I smiled like an idiot ten minutes straight after reading your review. Thank you so much for your thoughtful words! I'm glad that you liked my characterization-I thought at some points I totally messed it up, but it's reassuring to hear that I'm doing fine. And if you haven't read the chapter yet, I just want to let you know that your review inspired part of it-I decided to give the whole "Kuroko's a girl not a guy" thing a little more of a backstory. It was actually pretty challenging, so I hope that you like it! Once again, thank you so much for you review, it made my day. This fic is like my baby on here. It means so much to me that you like it so much! :D
Timeline: One year after the end of Prince of Tennis (that includes all the U-17 shenanigans that will be completely glossed over except for the occasional mention of some high schoolers and some tennis moves that the characters learned during that time) when all the third-years are in their first year of high school, after Inter High but before Winter Cup, at the start of season 2 (this story will be going through Winter Cup)
Warnings: Fem!Ryoma, Fem!Kuroko, Nice!Akashi, Akashi and Kuroko as cousins, somewhat altered timeline (due to gender switches and all), dark themes (like with all my stories), BS tennis and basketball moves, potential (extreme) OOCness, cussing, SomewhatOverprotective!GOM, eventual and inevitable GOM/multiple other characters bashing, obvious partiality to multiple other characters
THIS STORY TAKES SOME INSPIRATION FROM PRINCESS OF MIRACLES AND THE ICE PRINCESS OF RIKKAIDAI by Starian NightZz (you guys should read those stories if you haven't yet). If you see some similarities, please note that this is why, and that I will try my best to come up with original ideas.
And sorry that this is a bit late, but this story only follows the anime. I have not read the manga, and will not search through it for everything I need to make this story as canon as possible, so just a (belated) little warning.
And another really late note: sorry for not mentioning this way earlier, but I have found that I am also drawing inspiration from the crossover fic A Friendship Of Sorts by herondalefan. Maybe some of you have noticed, maybe you haven't. Sorry for not mentioning this earlier! (But seriously, if you guys are still reading this fic, you'd love this crossover fic. It's ridiculously well-written!)
Another late addition to the plethora of permanent A/N stuff: if it's not already obvious, I have taken A LOT of inspiration from many different fics and fused those ideas with some original ones of my own. If I'm to be honest, naming all of the fics that inspired me would be a pain for both you and me. To not waste both your and my time, I'd just like to ask that if you guys think that my fic parallels a bit too closely to another fic that you've read before, or one that you have written, or that if you think that I have outright stolen an idea, either leave a scathing review or PM me. (though you guys are all really sweet about my fic-I swear, I haven't gotten a single hate review or flamer yet, so props to you guys XD)
Disclaimer: Neither Prince of Tennis nor Kuroko no Basuke belong to me.
Twenty Fifth: Inspirations
It's a never ending cesspit of depression and helplessness that Kiyoshi is trapped in, and he's trying his very hardest to keep his head above the water, but that's kind of hard when twenty pound weights are tied to his ankles.
He's vaguely aware of the concerned teammates that flutter around him as he tries his hardest to keep the shivers that wrack his body at bay, but how could he possibly comfort them when he can't even comfort himself?
(He can, he's done it before, and that traitorous little voice in the back of his mind is whispering you don't want to, because you like this. He tries his hardest to ignore that as well, and he's a little more successful in this case.)
It takes a monumental effort for Kiyoshi to raise his head a fraction in order to watch the game-the game that he abandoned, pulsing knee injury or not, crippling pain or not, cold fear and dread pooled in the bottom of his stomach or not. (He doesn't want to play anymore, it's not fun anymore, and he wants to cry.)
Kuroko sends another wave of sadness and guilty and negativity through him. Not for the first time, he notes her delicate frame-spindly arms and legs that don't have the muscles they should have considering how long and how hard and how well she's been playing basketball, pale, milky white skin covering hands that were covered in purple and black bruises during the time she had been perfecting Ignite Pass Kai and regaining her old style, owning her new one, dwarfed by the looming Yosen players who come at her with no hesitation-
Because Kuroko is just that incredible.
Kiyoshi remembers the first time he had heard Kuroko Tetsuya's name. It had popped up right before basketball practice a couple weeks after the first day of school of his third and last year of junior high, when his teammates were changing into practice clothes. Taichi had been laughing with one of the new recruits, a first year with black hair cut in a bowl cut named Yuuki Lee. A name had been brought up that Kiyoshi was unfamiliar with, and the words that followed were quite intriguing.
"So I thought it was a joke, you know, because-well, a girl? Playing basketball? It was probably some wishful thinking on his part-I mean, Kuroko Tetsuya is a guy's name, right?"
"I've heard those rumors too! They say Teiko's got these crazy passes, but even weirder is that they only happen when there are four players on court instead of five. And what's even weirder than all of that is that they haven't been playing like this until their first practice match of this year!"
Kiyoshi perked up slightly at the mention of Teiko, which had built quite the reputation in just a year of emerging as a dark horse in the junior high basketball circuits. He had hear many monikers circling around, including some that were assigned to him and some of his basketball acquaintances-rather ridiculous, if anyone bothered to ask him, but nobody did, so he just suffered under the heavy weight of "Iron Heart" and played basketball. "What's this about?"
Taichi turned towards Kiyoshi, who thought he would answer his question. Instead, Taichi continued to stare at Kiyoshi, a flabbergasted expression painted across his face. After a minute passed by without anyone saying anything (Yuuki was looking increasingly uncomfortable), Kiyoshi lightly waved his fingers in front of Taichi's face, which seemed to snap him out of whatever trance he had just been in. "Wait a minute. You're Kiyoshi Teppei."
Kiyoshi raised an eyebrow, slightly confused and rightfully offended. "I would hope so. Otherwise, I've been impersonating someone else my entire life."
"You're Kiyoshi Teppei!" Taichi repeated, this time in a louder, higher pitched voice. The sounds of people changing slowly began to taper off as other teammates migrated closer to the pair, wondering what had Taichi so excited this time (sadly, this wasn't the first time he went full on freak mode). "You're one of the Crownless Generals!"
Kiyoshi frowned. Taichi, much like any good friend, found the idea of Kiyoshi becoming a nationally recognized basketball figure to be utterly hilarious, and, just like any good friend, constantly rubbed the title into Kiyoshi's face any chance he got. However, Taichi had never sounded so...sincere, and genuinely shocked when saying it. "And this matters because..."
It was Taichi's turn to frown. He reached up and whacked Kiyoshi's shoulder. "Dude, that means you know a lot about the Generation of Miracles, right?"
Kiyoshi blinked. "No, not really."
"Do you know who Kuroko Tetsuya is?"
(Just like any good friend, Taichi didn't listen to Kiyoshi much.)
"Just because the media grouped me with four other guys and wrote up a sob story for us, it does not mean that I am personally aware of the root cause of it all. We didn't play Teiko last year-remember, we lost right before finals."
"Aww." And just like that, Taichi deflated, looking for all the world like a kicked puppy. He even pouted, kicking at the ground as he fiddled with the jersey in his hands. "I just thought that maybe you'd know her."
"Her?"
Yuuki was the one who exploded this time, looking as excited and bubbly as a dog presenting a ball to its owner. "You haven't heard? There are rumors going around the basketball circuit that there's a girl playing in the boys' brackets-and get this, she's playing as a first stringer on Teiko. Crazy, right?"
Kiyoshi glanced at Taichi, who had sunk even further into depression as Yuuki had explained just why he was so excited. "And she must be this Kuroko Tetsuya you're so excited about?"
Taichi nodded, looking a bit more energized than before. "Yeah. There are theories all across Japan about why or how she got onto the team. Some are pretty ridiculous."
"I read one yesterday night," called one of the spectators. "This troll was going on and on about how aliens had invaded the Earth about a hundred years ago, which is why toe socks were ever a fad, and they had taken over the minds of the basketball association just to let her join the team because she was their hive queen or something along those lines."
"Pretty ridiculous," Taichi repeated, rolling his eyes. "Honestly, she probably found some loophole in the rules and exploited it. Apparently, she's pretty smart. Then again, if the rumors are true and she's playing on Teiko's team, then she's gotta be smart."
"Or she's real strong," another teammate chimed in, laughter bubbling up. "Like Ronda Rousey!"
That comment caused a wave of laughter to spread across the locker room, leaving Kiyoshi to wonder what was so funny (later that night, when he found out who Ronda Rousey was...well, he still didn't laugh, but he finally understood the joke).
"Other than the fact that she's a girl..." Kiyoshi attempted to steer the conversation back on track during a lull in the uproar, "Why do you seem so excited about Kuroko Tetsuya?"
Taichi snorted, finally pulling his jersey on. "Wow, you really don't care about intelligence gathering, don't you? Pretty surprising, but then again, not really. Do you at least know about Teiko's players?"
"Yeah," Kiyoshi affirmed, not really understanding the relevance of that piece of information.
"Well, last year, Teiko's play style was pretty standard you know? Monstrous, yeah, but there wasn't anything too special or noteworthy. Except, hold on. Halfway through the school year, some interesting things started happening. Instead of sending out the regular five players, Teiko would send out four, and when questioned, there was always the same response-that someone was already on the court. And it sounds pretty ridiculous, right? There were obviously only four Teiko jerseys on court-what did they mean, there were five people? Except, there were. The ball would be stopped in midair and then if you blinked, you would see someone holding it, dribbling it down court, making a basket-and then you blink again, and the person is gone. Teiko had a phantom on their team."
Kiyoshi nodded slowly. He had heard of that-in fact, it was the reason why he was so interested in Teiko in the first place. Disappearing players-now, that was something he could get behind.
"Obviously, people didn't believe the first few people who claimed that that had happened. After all, no one believes in ghosts. But then more people started speaking up. More people began to tell about what they had seen with their very own eyes. And eventually, people began to believe it-especially when Teiko's opponents would be collapsing left and right without a single reason why, the ball being carried by a basketball player who could appear and disappear at will. Only a fool wouldn't believe what's before their very eyes."
"And so Kuroko Tetsuya is this phantom?"
Taichi dramatically raised his arm and jabbed his finger toward Kiyoshi, a triumphant look in his eyes. "Exactly. She was hard to see in the beginning, but people began looking for her, and even if you're a phantom, it's pretty hard to hide when an entire nation is trying to find you. I didn't believe it at first-I thought people were joking. I mean, basketball players are still horny teenagers, there's nothing wrong there. But then I went to Teiko's final last year-you remember that? None of you guys wanted to go because you were all crying, but I wanted to see if I could find the phantom. Maybe I wanted to find out of she really was a girl-who knows? But I was watching Teiko's game, and they had five first stringers out on court. No invisible phantom running amok. Then halftime came, and I was about to leave-nothing interesting was happening, maybe the rumors about the phantom were fake too. But the third quarter started, and four people walked onto court. I strained my eyes, but I just couldn't catch sight of the fifth person. Four minutes in, and I still hadn't seen any sign of a phantom. Then the ball was stopped when no one was even near it, and I could see her. It was a girl."
Taichi took in a deep breath, face slightly red from so many words coming out of his mouth all at once. He was smiling, though. "Kuroko Tetsuya is a girl playing on a boys' team-isn't that crazy awesome?"
"If she's pretty!" a teammate called out, followed by another round of laughter. "But obviously that's just a lie. Kuroko Tetsuya's probably just some guy who looks way too much like a girl."
Taichi's smile faded. "You don't believe it?"
"Of course not! Girls can't play with boys. There's a reason why sports are split by gender in the first place. Girls are biologically weaker than us. There's no way that a girl would be playing for Teiko." The guy burst into laughter, and they had all slowly trickled out, setting the conversation to the back of their minds.
The joke was on them, though. The people who didn't believe in the rumors. Later that year, an official statement was released by the junior high national basketball association. Kuroko Tetsuya was a girl who played as a first stringer on Teiko Junior High's boys' basketball team-through completely legal means.
Taichi, surprisingly petty for such an easy-going guy, ended up rubbing it into those teammates' noses for weeks.
(Eventually, none of them cared all that much for the Generation of Miracles-after that match, none of them had much of a care for anything, really.)
And that's the amazing thing about Kuroko Tetsuya. Even before anyone had known for sure that she truly existed, she had been inspiring people.
(If Kiyoshi thinks harder about it, she had even inspired him.)
So it hurts even more, that she's the one who's supporting him. That she's the one getting angry on his behalf, that she's the one working so hard on his behalf, that she's the one playing on his behalf. It hurts because he can see the way her left wrist twitches just before she executes a Phantom Shot, the way she instinctively shields her eyes when during an especially chaotic point-for all the walls she had broken down, their remnants are still hampering her.
It hurts because she's the one protecting him when she's the one who's hurting the most.
The least he could do in return is to watch her lead Seirin to victory.
Kiyoshi slowly straightens as Yosen's number eleven rushes up to Kuroko, shouting, "I'll stop you!"
She doesn't falter, instead taking another step and then disappearing. A blink later, she reappears, skimming past number eleven and pushing onwards. Murasakibara steps in front of her, arms widespread, feet braced against the ground. She draws up in front of him, shifting her grip on the ball, and her wrist flinches before driving forward, pushing the ball up and past the hand Murasakibara had been bringing down from his lofty height. His eyes widen, realization hitting him like a truck.
"Atsushi, no! It's a pass!"
The ball arcs down in front of the hoop, having cleared Murasakibara's fingers by a gaping margin. Kagami comes up from behind Murasakibara, arm stretching out and jamming the ball into the basket. He lets go, dropping down onto the ground with a resounding thump.
"I can't break it after all," Kagami remarks, a slight pout lining the tone of his voice.
"Bastard..." Murasakibara growls through gritted teeth.
"All right!" Koganei cheers from beside Kiyoshi, and he can only smile slightly in response.
Murasakibara lets out a sigh before slowly walking forward. "You're all about working together, aren't you? But I told you. Everything is trash before me."
His words echo that of another person's, who has hurt Kiyoshi and Seirin more than he could ever have imagined, and Kiyoshi squeezes his eyes shut as another wave threatens to bring him down when suddenly-
A loud gasp from Riko draws his head up and his eyes open.
Ice slips down his spine. (Fire burns in his heart.)
Kuroko is marking Murasakibara, her tiny frame pushing up against his monstrous one, the sight comical if not for the menacing look on his face and the way her muscles shake from exertion. "Of course we're working together. Basketball is a team sport. However, I told you. Murasakibara-kun, I will beat you."
Her head rests against his hip, and it's clear that even Murasakibara is reluctant about this. "If you keep playing around, even you'll get hurt, Kuro-chin."
"I'm not playing around," she replies sharply, frostily. "I'm going to stop you, Murasakibara-kun."
"It's like she's not even there!" number five shouts, tossing the ball over Izuki's head towards Murasakibara. "Make the shot, Atsushi!"
Muraskaibara grabs hold of it, whirling around. Kiyoshi's eye have been trained to follow movement, but presented two choices, he will always follow the more dynamic (it's a survival instinct, one that doesn't always help one survive all that well). And so he's just as surprised when his eyes land on the spot Kuroko had beeen.
Had because she's no longer there anymore.
"Atsushi!"
Himuro's warning comes a moment too late as Murasakibara raises his arms in an attempt to take advantage of the situation-except his elbow catches on something to the side, and Kuroko, who had been blocked from Kiyoshi's sight previously by Murasakibara's huge girth, is now falling, landing on her back.
The whistle blows. "Charging, white number nine! Seirin ball!"
"Are you okay?" Kagami comes up to Kuroko, holding out a hand. She nods, accepting and letting him pull her up.
"Thank you."
It was reckless. Stupid and reckless and something so Kagami-like that it takes a moment for Kiyoshi to process the fact that, yes, indeed, Kuroko had just intentionally put herself in danger's path just to get a penalty-and maybe Kagami is a bad influence on her after all.
Still, it doesn't seem like she regrets it. With Kagami's help, Kuroko is standing straight. "Basketball's not so simple that you can win just by being big, Murasakibara-kun."
Murasakibara grits his teeth, eyes narrowing into slits. "You've done it now."
Four minutes and thirty seconds left in the third quarter, and the score is 45-34 in Yosen's favor.
Izuki starts with the ball, tossing it in to Hyuuga, who's immediately blocked by number four. Hyuuga pauses before shifting into a familiar position and sliding back into a Barrier Jumper. Number four jumps up, but the ball clears his fingers, arcing towards the net. It sinks neatly into the net, as clean as ever.
Hyuuga snorts, glaring at Yosen's players, some of whom look more than a little shocked. "Kuroko's not the only one, you know! I want to throw a wrench in your plans, too! Let's go! New formation!"
Full court man-to-man defense. Kiyoshi remembers practicing it until it was perfect with his team. Now, he's not even using it on court.
Yosen takes note of the new strategy, breaking down its cause and effect before quickly devising a unanimous strategy. It's amazing to watch, Kiyoshi realizes dazedly. Number eleven tosses the ball to number five, who had broken past Izuki's guard with a sudden burst of speed.
"Run! If you stop moving, they'll jump on you!"
Feet pound across court as Murasakibara raises his hands, the ball leaving number five's hands in a straight path for Murasakibara. It's a futile endeavor, though. Even though Kuroko had been on the opposite side of the court before, she certainly isn't now.
Full court man-to-man defense with continuously shifting marks. A strategy that fully optimizes Kuroko's abilities, giving her the highest chance of stealing. It's the stealth full court man-to-man defense.
The ball never touches Murasakibar's fingers as Kuroko grabs hold of it right before it reaches his hands, and before anyone can move, she's already dribbling down court, shooting a Phantom Shot just as Murasakibara reaches her.
Yosen is backed into a corner. When it comes to full court defense, usually only speed and passes can break it. With Kuroko on court, careless passes will be stolen-even careful ones will probably be taken as well. There's really only one option for them, but...
Number five seems to arrive at the same conclusion, driving past Izuki only to have the ball knocked out of his hands by a waiting Kuroko.
Izuki grabs hold of it, the ball leaving his hand and sinking into the basket, just as the clock counts down. It's the end of the third quarter.
"Yeah!"
"Izuki-senpai!"
The whistle sounds, and Kiyoshi lets out a small, disappointed sigh. "No count! We'll now take a two minute break!"
The disappointment is palpable as the players make their way back to the benches. Kiyoshi attempts a weak smile to reassure Izuki, who only waves it off with a good natured smile. "Don't worry about me."
Water bottles and towels are handed out to the players, and as he wipes his face, Izuki says, "Running a full court defense is tough. Can we last until the end of the game?"
"We'll make it last," Hyuuga replies not-so-reassuringly, and Riko seems to agree with Kiyoshi's sentiment with her next words.
"But I can't imagine that Yosen won't try anything."
"Coach, about that," Kagami interjects, drawing her attention to him, "Once they break through our full court defense and move to a half court game, let us run a two-three zone with me in the middle."
"What?" Izuki gasps, although whether that has to do with the proposition or the fact that Kagami's the one who came up with it, Kiyoshi isn't sure.
"The same formation as Yosen?" Hyuuga questions, skepticism dripping from his voice.
"Like Murasakibara, I'll cover the entire two point area."
"You can do that?" Koganei asks, eyes wide in disbelief.
"No matter who comes, I'll stop them." Kagami tenses slightly. It's not a reassuring sign. "For Kiyoshi-senpai."
Kiyoshi blinks before the words sink in and he understands them. A warm, fuzzy feeling is suddenly buzzing under his skin, and it's a surprise because Kagami had been the one to put it there.
Riko deliberates for a long moment before nodding. "Got it. In the fourth quarter, we'll run the stealth man-to-man full court and a two-three zone half court..."
She continues speaking, but Kiyoshi doesn't hear anything. Instead, his attention is on the people surrounding him-Kagami, listening intently to Riko's strategy, Izuki, getting a shoulder massage from one of the first years, Kuroko, watching and observing silently as she surreptitiously brushes her water bottle against her left wrist, Hyuuga, asking questions and contributing to Riko's plan, Mitobe, "talking" with Koganei, the other first years offering whatever help they can give.
This is his team. Their team. At the end of the Winter Cup, he'll never be able to play with them ever again.
"Kiyoshi, why are you just sitting there?" Hyuuga snaps, glancing towards him. "If you have any good ideas-what?" Kiyoshi can only imagine what expression is on his face right now. "Why are you crying?"
It takes a moment for Kiyoshi to realize that Hyuuga was right; he is crying. Tears are mingling with the sweat he hadn't bothered to wipe off, and strangely enough, the negativity that has been filling him since he was benched is receding.
"Teppei?" Riko's concerned voice draws him back to the present, where all of his teammates are staring at him, some concerned, some petrified, some just plain confused.
He blinks. More tears fall. "Oh. This is...why am I crying?"
"That's what I'd like to know!"
Kiyoshi blinks again, not bothering to wipe away to the liquid. "I don't know how to put it, but it's probably...you guys seem so reliable, I'm relieved. When I realized I wasn't alone, I couldn't help myself."
That isn't all of it, but it's still true.
"What?" Hyuuga snarls, "Why are you stating the obvious now? I'm actually kind of pissed!"
Kiyoshi blinks, glancing towards the rest of his teammates.
Kagami stares back at him with blank eyes. "Sorry, but, honestly, I'm angry, too."
"Me too," Kuroko affirms, nodding her head.
Izuki turns, glancing back. "Koga, could you get my slap stick out of my bag?"
"Huh? Did you really put-you did?"
"Hey, this isn't the time for that!" Riko scolds, though the way the edges of her mouth are twitching doesn't lend any sort of authenticity to her reprimanding words.
As his teammates continue to squabble, Kiyoshi smiles, staring down at his hands in his lap. Ah. I see. A team isn't just something to be protected. A team also protects you.
And maybe it doesn't hurt so much anymore, that Kuroko is fighting for his sake. (Maybe he's just grateful.)
We don't support each other because we're a team. We're a team because we support each other. I won't waver again. I...
"Why don't we form a circle again?" Kuroko asks, causing the team to glance back at her. "In some ways, I think Murasakibara-kun was right when he said that basketball isn't fair. However, basketball isn't a game you play alone. I want to win together, and I believe we can do it."
Hyuuga smirks. "Okay, then. Let's go!"
The team shuffles to form a somewhat lopsided circle, bending down and resting their hands on their knees, leaning their heads forward. "Seirin, fight!"
The players are making their way back onto court for the final ten minutes, and Murasakibara stops Kuroko on her way to her position. "It looks like you were hyping each other up, but..." He tilts his head to the side, and even though Kiyoshi can't see his face from where he's sitting, the darkness in Murasakibara's voice is more than enough to send shivers down his spine. "I'm going to crush everything."
Kuroko stands her ground, though, her eyes calm and bright with determination as she replies. "Seirin's not that weak."
Another face off is happening between Kagami and Himuro. The former raises his chin slightly. "I won't hold back."
"Of course," Himuro replies, matching Kagami. "Let's settle this."
"Let's go! Let's win this game!"
The crowd roars in response, and Kiyoshi smiles. "Riko, I really do like basketball. I'm glad I play."
"Huh? Where did that come from?" She sound more concerned than angry or joking, which only makes what he's about to say even harder to say.
"So...I'm sorry." He hasn't told her yet, hasn't told anyone yet, though he's sure that Kuroko knows. "This is...the last time." Her head jerks slightly as understanding dawns. He pushes onwards. "I need a favor."
(For what it's worth, he's only ever cruel when he truly, truly wants something with all his heart.)
Murasakibara Atsushi: 9
Himuro Tatsuya: 12
Wei Liu: 11
Okamura Kenichi: 4
Fukui Kensuke: 5
Pretty much half of my chapter is the A/N.
Yeah. Peace, see ya next time, hope you liked it!
Never (LivingDaLife)