Kyandi: Ha! I'm on a roll today! I mean…hello everyone!

Hikari: You blew that greeting.

Kyandi: Oh hush. By now my readers should know I'm a nut.

Hikari: "a nut" doesn't even begin to cover it.

Kyandi: So you've said. Anyway, I got up early this morning to work on this chapter.

Hikari: Yeah and she had to wake me up to do it too.

Kyandi: Hehe! So please enjoy and review!

Hikari: Kyandi-sama does not own Prince of Tennis.

Chapter 26 Finals Here We Are

Finally it was the finals of the Kantou Tournament. Hikari stood in line on the court along side her teammates, facing Kirihara across the net. She was glad that Fuji didn't mind sitting out and letting her take his spot.

For a moment Kirihara eyed her as if he recognized her, but that could be true. After all a hat and glasses couldn't hide the bandages on her right hand, the hand he had injured. The boy wasn't an idiot though sometimes he acted it. He could put two and two together.

But then his eyes, like that of his teammates', shifted away from her, to Ryoma who stood to her left between her and Momo. Momo leaned in and whispered to Ryoma, "Echizen those guys seem to be staring at you…what did you do to them?"

Hikari had to fight back a smile. She hadn't told anyone what had happened. She didn't think Oishi could handle being anymore stressed out then he had been the last few days. Hikari pushed the though away as she turned to watch Oishi approach the net to shake hands with Sanada.

"Nice to meet you." Sanada said politely as he shook Oishi's hand. "Nice…Nice to meet you." Oishi replied, nervousness sounding clearly in his voice. Come on Oishi-fukubuchou, buck up. You have more of a backbone then that, Hikari thought.

"It is a great honor for us to be able to play against the champions, Rikkai, and…" Hikari raised an eyebrow as she watched. There was a slight change in Oishi's air as his back straighten and the nervousness vanished…if only for a second. "We came here to win!" Oishi declared.

There we go, Hikari thought. "Seigaku will defeat you, Rikkai! We will definitely win the championship!" Oishi added. Silence fell over the court before Oishi finally realized what he had said quickly releasing Sanada's hand.

He quickly turned around high tailing it back to his teammates. He looked upset but Hikari knew that the rest of the team was supporting him. "Nice…Captain Oishi!" the boys course while Hikari gave him a reassuring smile and a tip of the hat.

As they headed to their bench Hikari couldn't help the grin on her face. "You seem awfully happy today." Fuji remarked when they reached the bench. "Of course…I can't wait to everyone's face when they learn what we've been hiding." she replied in a low voice some of the others laughing.

Hikari looked up at Fuji as she came to a stand by him. "You're not upset with me taking your spot, are you Fuji-sempai?" she asked. Fuji looked down at her. "Not at all. Just as long as you make him see what he did to Tachibana and many others, isn't right." he told her.

"Oh believe me, Fuji-sempai I will do just that." she replied as she looked over at Rikkai Dai's bench where Kirihara was standing among his teammates. She stared at the boy with an icy gaze as she continued to speak.

"He needs to learn that not only is tennis not meant to breed hate, but that a racket isn't meant to be used to harm others." she told him. Fuji nodded as the two turned to watch Doubles 2. "Interesting pair to use here, Hika-chan." Fuji remarked.

"Well Kaido-sempai plays best when paired with either Momoshiro-sempai or Inui-sempai. We needed Inui-sempai in Singles 3 against Yanagi-san." Hikari explained. Fuji looked down at her. "You're counting on it coming down to Singles, aren't you?" he asked.

Hikari nodded slowly. "With Oishi-fukubuchou just recovered, and Tezuka-buchou putting me in your place in Singles taking you out, we've lost a considerable amount of strength in our Doubles." Hikari told him.

Fuji nodded. She did have a point there. "But in the end I believe in both of them. Both Momoshiro-sempai and Kaido-sempai. Hopefully I won't even have to step out onto that court." she added. That was the key word though…Hopefully.

-0-0-0-0-

Hikari wasn't surprise when Kaido and Momo lost their match. But they had done wonderfully. Bunta and Jackal would defiantly think twice before underestimating the two of them again. And she couldn't help smiling when she saw Kaido and Momo up close.

The two just looked so tired as they were helped back to the stands. When the were sitting Hikari knelled in front of them. "You two did great, sempai." she told them. "Not good enough. Not good enough at all." Momo replied.

"Nonsense. You stole a game from them and wore them out just as much as they wore you out. They had to remove their wrist weights to play against the two of you. Not many people can boast that they did the same. In my opinion, you did great." she told them.

Both boys, whether they wanted to or not smiled. "Not get some rest." she told them before getting to her feet. She turned to the rail as Eiji and Oishi were about to step out onto the court. Hikari reached out tugging on Eiji's sleeve.

Eiji turned to her stepping closer for her to whisper something in his ear. "Keep an eye on Yagyuu-san. They two have switched places and Yagyuu-san at the moment is really Niou-san. He's the one you need to watch." she whispered.

Eiji's eyes went wide before he pulled back. "You're sure?" he asked. Hikari nodded. "Look at his eyebrows. They don't match his hair. Not to mention Yagyuu-san is taller and slimmer then Niou-san." she told him.

"I can also tell when the rattail is fake." she added pointing to her neck. "None of the measurements are matching up. Neither are their slightest of gestures. Their good at this switch, but I've seen them pull this switch before." she finished.

Eiji thought this over for a moment before giving a firm nod showing that he understood. "I'll keep my eyes peeled." he told her firmly. "Be careful, Kikumaru-sempai." she told him. Eiji nodded and ran off to join his doubles partner.

Hopefully her warning would be enough to keep her sempai from getting to hurt at Niou's hands. Who knew what other kinds of tricks Niou could possibly have up his sleeves. Sometimes, he made Hikari in her more sadistic moments, look like a saint.

-0-0-0-0-

The closer it got to her match the more Hikari seemed to fidget. Even despite her warning Eiji and Oishi lost their match 6-4. She wasn't surprised when Inui won his match 7-6. In then end he turned out to be more stubborn then Yanagi.

Not surprising given the two's past with each other. She doubted at a critical time like this, that Inui was going to let his old friend beat him in a match. The match took longer then Hikari cared for but in the end the result was still Seigaku's victory.

"Your turn to add to the wins." Fuji told her clasping her shoulder reassuringly and giving her a smile as she looked up at him. "Yes it is." she replied. "Go show them the might of Seigaku's Silver Siren." Fuji added.

Out on the court Kirihara was already at the net. "I'll finish this in thirteen minutes. We'll make it to Yukimura-buchou's surgery on time!" Kirihara announced before looking at the Seigaku team. "Now which one of you is Higarashi?" he asked.

Hikari vaulted herself over the small fence separating the stands from the court, landing squarely on her feet. With all attention firmly on her Hikari reached up and tugged off her hat and glasses tossing both to Momo.

White hair tumbled out of the cap falling in around her face as she reached back to yank the long rattail out of the back of her jersey. She gave her hair a good ruffle before pushing it flat. She was glad not have to wear that hat anymore.

Hikari looked up to meet Kirihara's stunned gaze as he stared at her his mouth hanging open in shock. "I am your opponent…Higarashi Hikari." she announced loud enough from everyone, even those in the stands, to hear her.

There was no point in hiding who she was anymore, anyhow. And man did it feel good to see all the looks of surprise and utter shock she got from most of the boys. Now that was one way to make a girl feel good. She had been looking forward to that since Tezuka had put her into hiding to begin with.

Shouts of surprise and protest went up from several of the boys gathered to watch the match. "A girl can't play here!" Hikari reached into the back of her jersey unclipping her racket from the back of her belt as she walked out onto the court.

"Its already been cleared with the tennis board." The ref announced accepting some papers from Ryuzaki saying that Hikari was allowed to play in the boys league. She could feel the eyes of the other six Rikkai Dai regulars on her back as she walked out to the net to face Kirihara.

"You've got to be kidding me! I'm not going to play a girl!" he declared pointing at Hikari his finger inches from her face. Hikari was sorely tempted to reach out and bite it but that would be rude and would more then likely get her in trouble. "Then you can default the match. Not exactly how I'd like to win this match, but that's your choice." she told him.

Kirihara glared down at her. Then a smirk formed on his face. "Your right hand is broken. I know I broke it. How are you going to play?" he asked her. Hikari raised her right hand to look at the bandaged fingers. "Its not broken." she told him.

"I know I br-" Hikari cut him off. "I can still use it. To me that means it isn't broken. Not that it really should matter to you." she said. Kirihara flinched slightly when icy silver eyes met his green ones seeming to burn into his skin.

The girl carried a heavy air with her, one that could be overwhelming if he let it be. "But if you are in such a hurry, I'll be more then happy to oblige you." she told him before turning away from the net. "Then quit talking! Let's hurry up and finish this!" he called retreating to his place.

"Singles 3 match will now begin. Rikkai's Kirihara vs. Seigaku's Higarashi! Higarashi to serve." came the call. Hikari looked at the ball in her hand before she slide into her stance. She stood with her right side facing the net as she crossed her right leg over the leg, crossing her arms over her chest to put her racket in her right hand even with her hip and the ball in her left hand even with her face.

"I do apologize, Kirihara-san, but this match will not end then way you want. I have a promise of my own I have to keep." she informed him before she dropped the ball, giving it a firm twist as she did. The ball spun as it fell towards the ground.

Hikari's eyes never left Kirihara as she waited. When the ball was even with her hip, her racket snapped out in the blink of an eye as her right foot traveled in a semi-circle, her whole body moving into her serve like a pendulum. She felt the ball meet the racket and slide along the face before being hit off the tip of the racket.

With a resounding crack, the ball smacked the court just behind Kirihara before curving up and out, curving back in to hit the wall behind Kirihara hard. Kirihara rounded to stare at where the ball was rolling away from the wall.

He hadn't expected a serve that fast from a girl as small as Hikari. "15-0!" Everyone was shocked. Hikari hadn't even shown her own teammates the serve before. It was only recently that she had been able to perfect her control over the serve.

"You seem to be confused." she called out. Kirihara snapped back around to face her. Hikari was watching him as she turned another ball in her hand. "I may be a girl, but I'm not weak." she told him. Kirihara smirked at her.

"You know the thing about girls is when you crush them, their turn out to be very fragile." he replied as she moved back into the same position to serve again. "I'm only female in gender." she replied before hitting the same serve.

Kirihara watched the ball closely this time. This time the ball slammed down just his side of the net before curving out to his right. Kirihara move to return it when it suddenly curved upward going over his head to hit the court behind him and flying into the wall again.

"30-0." Kirihara turned to look at the ball again. There seemed to be a special kind of spin on the ball that depending on where it hit, caused the ball's path to curve several times before hitting the wall in almost the exact spot as the one before it.

Because of the constantly curving path and no way to tell where the serve would hit or which way it would bounce, the path was hard to predict. Not to mention the speed behind the serve. Until he could figure out how to return it, the girl would win her service game every time. And so the first game went.

"Game Seigaku, 1-0." Kirihara glared at the girl. "You seem angry." she stated as she watched him. "I'd apologize, but there is nothing for me to do so. You see I'd rather be cautious and keep my service games." she told him.

Kirihara glared at her. "And glaring will do nothing to help you return my serve." she added only serving to piss him off more. Oishi rubbed the back of his neck. "Leave it to Hika-chan to be as blunt and straight forward as usual." he said with a sheepish laugh.

"More like it looks like she's purposely trying to provoke him." Momo added. "Well if that's the case then she's doing a good job of it. He looks mad." Eiji said looking at Kirihara who was trying to glare holes into Hikari's cool, level headed front.

Despite the front all of her teammates knew she was being cautious, keeping sharp eyes glued to Kirihara. She wasn't about to let her guard down here.

It was Kirihara's serve now. The moment the ball was in his hand Hikari's weight shifted her body shifting lower as she went up on her tip toes. She was prepared for any kind of serve he could throw her way.

Her eyes widened as Kirihara tossed the ball. Hikari gripped her racket. There were several possible paths the ball could take from that point, but one was clear as day to her eyes. Just as his racket connected to with the ball Hikari darted to her left.

Kirihara's eyes went wide in shock but it was too late to change the path of the ball and she was already awaiting the arrival of the ball. The ball hit the court at her feet bouncing up like it was about to hit her knee. Hikari's feet split apart as she leaned back her racket coming forward in a scooping motion.

Kirihara rushed the net, as she turned the serve into a drop volley. Kirihara caught the ball easily lobbing it into the air, but he had simply played right into her trick. Kirihara looked up as the girl jumped into the air easily to smash the ball.

"15-0!" Hikari landed lightly on her feet. She turned to look at Kirihara finding that the boy was glaring at her with blood shot eyes. A small smile curved the ends of her mouth as she looked at him. "There's what I was looking for." she said successfully wiping the smirk off of Kirihara's face.

"Maybe now you'll stop be easy on me and play the game we're both here to play." she added turning away from him. Anger rolled off Kirihara like waves crashing onto a beach.

"So she was trying to provoke him." Momo said. "Leave it to Hika-chan." Eiji added. "She's trying to bait him into losing his cool. That way he gets careless and its easier to predict the path of his shots and serves." Fuji told them.

"That or she just likes seeing him angry and frustrated. More then likely it the latter." Fuji added. "Sometimes the way Hika-chan thinks is frightening." Eiji replied as Fuji chuckled. "Don't let her hear that." Momo replied.

But Hikari was too focused on her match to even bother trying to listen in on her sempais. Kirihara was about to give her a lot more trouble and she needed every bit of her focus to keep up with him. And just as she predicted, his speed and his power increased.

Hikari marked him step for step keeping the rally going so she could gauge him. Of course he still wasn't playing his best, but it was always good to gauge and re-gauge one's opponents. That would help keep her on guard.

Hikari searched his form intently. To a normal person there were no openings but with her sharper sense of vision she could see them. The tiny cracks that existed in his play. Now where is the biggest crack, she thought as she searched.

There! Hikari slid her right foot back brining her arm back. In a flowing, flawless stroke she swung her arm forward letting the ball slide half way along the face of her racket before sending it back along its way.

Kirihara froze as the ball flew towards his face. He stumbled back a step as the ball curved around him smacking down at his baseline. "30-0!" Kirihara turned to glare at Hikari looking all the part like he was pouting. Hikari didn't even flinch when he suddenly kicked the net in a fit of anger. "My, my, such bad manners. I'm sure your mother taught you better." Hikari remarked. "I'll crush you." Kirihara declared.

"Hey! If you do that again you'll be disqualified!" the ref yelled at him. "Oh its alright. He's just blowing off some steam." Hikari said drawing the ref's attention to her. Hikari gave him a brilliant, cute little smile complete with a small giggle.

The ref blushed at the cute look on the girl, which had only surprised Kirihara. "A-Alright." he told her with a nod before tuning on Kirihara once more angry. "But don't do it again." he told Kirihara firmly shaking a finger at him.

"Ok." Kirihara agreed turning his back on the net and Hikari, who turned her own back to the net as well. As soon as she turned away from the ref, Hikari's face was back to the serious expression she had worn the whole match.

"Really, Hika-chan could charm the holiest monk into committing every sin known to man." Fuji remarked. Hikari ignored the comment. When a person was the only daughter of two major companies, she learned to be charming. Her father had taught her that.

The thought of her father made Hikari falter, her resolve wavering just slight, for just a second. But a second was all Kirihara need to attack merciless. "I see an opening!" he called joyfully with a dark chuckle.

Hikari's eyes went wide as the ball smacked the court before slamming into right side of her chin with enough force to knock her off her feet and making her head smack the court before she rolled a few times, coming to a stop face down on the court, not moving as her racket skid away from her. "Hika-chan!"

END

Kyandi: And it's a cliff hanger! Man I love cliff hangers!

Hikari: Only when your writing them.

Kyandi: I still like them. And that's not completely true. I like them even when I don't write them.

Hikari: Why?

Kyandi: Without cliff hangers things get boring sometimes and then how are you suppose to keep yourself hooked?

Hikari: You're weird. Can we move on?

Kyandi: Oh right. Everyone please enjoy and review!

Hikari: Bye bye!