A/N Me after trying to maneuver how to write this chapter after royally messing up the timeline in the last chapter:
\(X_X)/
A Reply To A Review:
Frostfire613: Thanks for the review! I'm glad you like the fic so far, and I agree that I focus way too much on basketball. The main problem is that this fic follows Kuroko no Basuke's canon to a T because that just makes more sense in my mind. Of course, I'm trying my best to fit in tennis scenes when they're relevant and it makes logical sense, but obviously that isn't at all times. Hopefully, there'll be more tennis scenes coming up!
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 Ninth: Dimensions
Tetsu holds Kagami back as the team leaves, waving away any questioning glances thrown their way. "Kagami-kun, I thought you were going to see Himuro-san."
Kagami lets out a frustrated off, smoothing his hand through his hair. "I was going to, but Coach threatened to put me in the Boston Crab Hold if I didn't go to the locker room immediately over text."
Tetsu still has that disapproving non-look on her face, but it fades a little. "Ah. That must be why you got there before us."
"How terrifying is this 'Boston Crab Hold?'" Echizen questions, draping an arm over Tetsu's shoulders. Suke-senpai and Jirou-senpai had left about halfway through the interview, the latter because he realizes that the bed would probably be much more entertaining than watching strangers fielding questions, and the former because...Echizen would rather not really know the reason why Suke-senpai does anything, to be quite honest.
"Think of the most terrifying thing in the world," Kagami states with the most serious expression on his face, "Then throw it away because the Boston Crab Hold is now that thing."
Echizen raises an eyebrow. "Wow, so abuse is less terrifying than this thing?" Tetsu stiffens under her arm, and Echizen laughs, lightly squeezing her shoulder. That was definitely a bad idea. "Don't get all ruffled, it was a joke."
"Abuse isn't a joking matter," Tetsu replies in a clipped tone, and then she sends a frosty we'll-talk-about-this-later look at Echizen. She's definitely more assertive, this girl. Maybe it's the high from winning. Echizen wasn't even a part of the game, and she still feels buzzed. Something seems to catch her eye, because her eyes slide away from Echizen's face to look over her shoulder. Echizen turns just in time to catch sight of Yosen's number twelve (Himuro is his name, right?) opening a door and leaving the corridor. "That being said, I'm sure that Himuro-san has all sorts of feelings about this, and you, too, Kagami-kun. But deep in his heart, he still understands. I saw him walk outside just now. Please go and properly make amends now."
It doesn't take much more than that for Kagami to push past the two of them, rushing towards the door that still hasn't fully swung closed after Himuro left through it. He disappears in a flash of red, and Echizen nudges Tetsu playfully in the side despite the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. "Wow, that was pretty deep. If basketball doesn't work it, I'd totally hire you as my therapist."
Tetsu shoots her a dry look before she briskly makes her way down the hallway in the opposite direction of where her team had been heading. Echizen blinks, slightly surprised, before quickly following after the blue-haired girl, a grin pulling at her lips. "Whoa, when'd you get so ballsy? Isn't eavesdropping on conversations a bad thing?"
"I'm just repaying a favor," Tetsu replies, amusement laced in her words, and Echizen rolls her eyes, slipping through the door after her. "Besides, you're just as curious as I am."
"Two wrongs don't make a right," Echizen laughs, dodging the pointy elbow that Tetsu sends her way. "Are you sure you're not the high one?"
"Positive. Let's hurry, Kagami-kun has probably already caught up to Himuro-san."
The door leads out to a side that Echizen has never seen before (considering that she's never been here before in the first place, that makes sense), but Tetsu seems pretty well-versed with the area. She strides forward confidently, and Echizen is left to follow after her, pulling the thin windbreaker she has on closer to her body.
(She should probably start remembering to wear thicker jackets after giving herself hypothermia these past few nights.)
Echizen's ears catch on the sound of pounding footsteps, and she makes the assumption that those belong to Kagami. Tetsu must be following them. She's a bit surprised that her companion managed to hear them before she herself did, but then again, Tetsu's been working hard at refining her other senses-the most prevalent being her sense of hearing.
Really, in another world, Tetsu would've been an amazing tennis player.
The two girls up their paces, wanting to catch the two boys at the beginning of their conversation, but what neither of them expect to hear is, "What are you doing? Who the hell are you?"
Echizen shoots a glance at Tetsu, who mirrors her before they break into sprints, hoping to reach the corner Kagami's figure had disappeared around before it's-well, whatever it is-too late.
"Hey, let her go!"
A flinch of fear shudders down Echizen's body, but she brutally stamps it down. Still, it shimmers in the corner of her mind, as if taunting her. Something's going on, something's happening, and the situation is really all too reminiscent of bad, bad memories.
They finally manage to reach the corner, and as they burst into the light, Echizen feels like she's been punched in the stomach. Tetsu inhales sharply.
Kagami stands in front of them, facing a boy with black dreads in a red jacket, casually holding up a struggling blonde lady by the throat with one hand, as if it doesn't take any effort at all. Himuro is hunched over to the side on his knees, clutching his stomach. Tremors wrack his body.
"You...You're the one who just won against Atsushi." It's more a statement than a question coming from a smooth, cultured voice that doesn't fit in with the picture of mania before her. He doesn't seem to have noticed the two of them standing behind Kagami yet. "I was watching...You're pretty good."
Kagami recoils slightly, fists clenching and unclenching at the side. The blonde lady wheezes out in a strained voice, "For starters...let go, you stupid brat!"
She kicks her leg back, bringing it up and swinging it around wildly. It lacks any sort of finesse, but it's enough of a surprise to cause Dreads to let go of her, smoothly avoiding the wild kick. "Whoa there. Scary. That ain't a girl's kick."
The blonde lady crouches on the ground, sucking it large mouthfuls of air before coughing into her wrist.
"Alex!" Kagami shouts, and the familiar name jogs Echizen's memory. Now that she thinks about it, the woman does look familiar...a lot like Kagami's mentor...which would probably also explain Himuro's presence. The fact that she knows the woman only makes the entire situation all the more horrific. "Damn you...!"
Kagami rushes forward, his arm already coming up to take a swing when Tetsu lurches forward suddenly, grabbing hold of Kagami's arm and yanking back with all her might. If not for the element of surprise, Tetsu's move wouldn't have been nearly as effective, but Kagami still looks like he's about to introduce his fist to Dreads' face at any moment. Echizen quickly grabs his other arm, digging her feet into the ground and pulling back with all her might.
"Stop it, Taiga!"
At the sound of Himuro's voice, Kagami immediately comes to a halt. "Tatsuya?"
Himuro pushes himself up, gingerly holding his ribs. Bruises are already blooming on his pale face, and Echizen winces at the sight of them. "Don't join in. It won't be just you responsible if they find out players were fighting here."
"What the hell happened?"
"He picked a fight out of nowhere. He tried to hit on Alex, so I tried to stop him, and this happened."
"What the hell's with that? You're saying that basketball players can punch people on a whim like that?"
Echizen still hasn't let go of Kagami's arm, but Tetsu does, probably having deemed him relatively calmed down enough. She steps out from behind Kagami, ignoring the warning, "Tetsuya!" he shouts after her.
Dreads' eyes widen before a smirk pulls at his lips, and another shiver runs down Echizen's spine. She's never seen someone so...animalistic, she supposes, is the word to say. Quite frankly, it's terrifying. "Well, well, what do we have here? Kuroko Tetsuya herself, the Phantom Bitch of the Generation of Pussies!" He laughs throwing his arms out wide. "What a surprise to see you here!"
Tetsu doesn't flinch at the words that come out of his mouth, instead advancing forward until she's about a couple centimeters away from him.
"Oi, now, you finally willing to give me that kiss?"
This time, Echizen recoils in disgust, but just barely. Phantom sensations of fingers running down her skin tickle at the edges of her consciousness, and she lets go of Kagami's sleeve to pull her windbreaker even closer to her body than before.
Whether or not Tetsu would've answered the sleazy question will never be known because at that moment, a basketball comes flying through the air, at enough of a high velocity that it would've knocked Dreads down had he not caught it just in time. Dreads' eyes widen slightly in the way that never fails to ice Echizen's bones as he slowly and painfully enunciates, "You've got nerve...to throw a ball at me out of nowhere."
"Kise?" Kagami lurches forward, startled. Echizen follows his line of sight, eyes landing on a slightly familiar but not really looking guy with blonde hair and...golden eyes.
Huh. She's never seen eyes like her own on anyone other than family.
"Hey there," the blonde remarks coldly, hands stuffed into the pockets of his jacket.
"You know this guy?" Kagami demands, pointing a shaky finger towards Tetsu and Dreads, the former of which having backed off with Kise's arrival.
Kise shifts on his feet, eyes cutting towards Dreads. "Maa, you could say that. He slowly begins to walk forward, towards Kagami. "He's Haizaki Shougo. He was a starter at Teiko before I joined the team. And...he's the one who was forced to retire from the team by Akashicchi."
(If not for the gravity of the situation, Echizen would've laughed at the weird nickname for Seijūrō.)
"He had talent, but couldn't stay away from violence as you can see and vanished as if I replaced him. Or he should've. What kind of curious turn of events is this?"
Haizaki chuckles, lightly throwing the basketball up and catching it. "There's no real reason. It ain't revenge either. If anything...I'm just killing time." Tetsu stiffens in front of Haizaki, who notices, chuckling as he reaches out with his free hand and lightly grazes her cheek. She slaps the hand away, taking a step back. "You can't blame a guy for trying. I don't care about basketball at all...but after I quit, they started making a huge fuss about something called the Generation of Miracles." He tosses the ball to the side, shaking his hand out as it bounces away. A predatory grin pulls at his lips, one that reveals his canines and damn it, normally Echizen wouldn't give a flying fuck about someone trying to intimidate her but everything about him reminds her of that person, from his actions to the way he speaks to the glee that is currently lighting his face. "So I thought I'd grab the seat back again from one of you five." His loose hand clenches tightly as he mimes squeezing something, and the implications are way too strong for even an idiot like Kagami to not understand what he means. "I was actually a starter, so if I take one down, nobody can complain. More so if you're my next opponent, Ryouta. Since you never once won against me...and never settled the score before you got named the fifth man, yeah?"
Kagami's breath hitches, and Tetsu tenses slightly. It must be a big deal, then, that this Kise hadn't won against Haizaki.
"Kagamicchi." Again with the weird names. First Murasakibara, and now this guy. What the hell is up with the Generation of Miracles? "There's one thing I need to confirm...who's that beautiful blonde?"
The atmosphere is immediately broken. Tetsu lets out a nearly inaudible sigh, and Kagami snarls, "Now's not the time! She's my mentor and Tatsuya's!"
Kise's eyes widen. "For real!"
"For real!"
Maybe this is an ability all boy sportsmen have, Echizen muses. To derail so completely off topic that it's more pathetic than anything else.
"I really hate to say this..." Kise murmurs, staring down at the ground, and suddenly the atmosphere is tense again. "...but can you stand down for now?"
Surprisingly, it's Tetsu who lets out the first word of complaint. "Kise-kun-"
Kise raises a hand, stopping Tetsu before she can even begin. "I kind of get the situation...but I really want you to let me play him in my next game." Kise drops his hand, stepping forward with his eyes boring into Tetsu's small frame. "I'll take responsibility and kick his ass."
"Hmm?" Haizaki drawls, head tilting backwards slightly.
"I don't care about the 'Generation of Miracles' name...I think I told you that before, Kagamicchi. Even so, I won't sell it cheap and just give it to your likes, Shougo-kun."
Haizaki chuckles, lips pulling back into a smile resembling a sneer. "I ain't buyin' it. I told you, Ryouta. I want it, so I'm tellin' ya to hand it over, baakaa."
Echizen is suddenly reminded of an ironically named, bushy-eyebrowed hypocrite. (Maybe if she introduces them, they'll get along. Then again...does she really want them to get along?)
"Haizaki-kun," Tetsu pipes up, drawing attention to her. The back of her head is facing Echizen, but she's sure that the other girl is looking calmly up at Haizaki. "More than anything, basketball is a sport to be earned, not given."
"Hah?" Haizaki sneers, lifting his chin and staring down is crooked nose at Tetsu. "This is why I never liked you. Always so damn self-righteous. The only good thing about you is your body. Guess that's why the Generation of Pussies stuck with you for so long, huh?"
Tetsu just barely flinches, and Kagami roars a protest. Echizen, though, feels her blood boil, and then she's stepping out from behind Kagami, stalking up to Haizaki and jabbing a finger at his sternum. The fact that her eyes reach chest-level only pisses her off more. "You have no damn right to say things like that, Haizaki Shitgo. Apologize to Tetsu right now."
Haizaki blinks in slight surprise before a grin stretches his lips, teeth glinting in the moonlight. "What's this? Golden eyes and emerald-tinted black hair? You must be Echizen Ryoma."
Thrown for a loop, Echizen pauses, finger frozen in the air. "Uhh...what?"
Haizaki laughs, and the chilling sensation is back, colder than ever because his smooth voice is right in front of her. "I've heard a lot about you, you know. Jin sends his regards."
Her eyes narrow at the mention of her silver-haired friend who meddles way too much in her business. "You know Akutsu Jin?"
He raises an eyebrow. "No one on the bad side of town hasn't heard of him. Really, I can't believe that Jin of all people is talking to someone like you. Just goes to show how whipped he is, huh?"
Echizen scowls, jabbing her finger at his sternum again. "Fuck you. Jin would never hang out with a greaseball like you."
"You clearly don't know him that well, then, do you?" Haizaki laughs, this patronizing little chuckle that sends sparks flying down her spine and frying her nerve ends. "It's you who's the odd one in this situation, not me. Quite frankly, I'm interested in you. You've got Jin wrapped around your little pinky, you know? That time you collapsed on the street courts, he ran to you so fast I swear he gave himself whiplash. Didn't even swing by to pick up the pack he'd been smoking, and that stuff is expensive nowadays, mind you. Not even that chibi of his can get him to do things like that."
Echizen's finger drops to her side, a sense of foreboding curling deep inside the pit of her stomach. Her tongue darts out to wet her suddenly dry lips, and she's even more repulsed and scared when Haizaki's eyes follow the movement, the leer on his face telling her that he knows full well how uncomfortable he's making her. "You...how did you know about that?"
Haizaki stares at her for a long moment before his leer becomes more of a smirk. Shoving his hands into his pockets, her turns around, making his way past Kise and down the steps. "Maa...maybe you should ask Jin that."
He leaves with a cheerful, "Ja ne," and then he's gone, his back fading into the night.
Tetsu grabs Echizen's hand, and the knot of fear and horror and absolute terror loosens-but just barely.
Alex watches as Kuroko leads Echizen back into the stadium, the latter leaning on the former for support. Alex doesn't know Echizen-she barely remembers the girl, only registering her as a familiar face from the celebration party she had barged into, but even Alex can tell that something's wrong with Echizen, who doesn't seem like the type of girl to be felled so easily by words.
Himuro, in an attempt at breaking the heavy atmosphere, clears his throat. "Why'd you come here, Taiga?"
Kagami blinks, turning his head to look away from his partner to look at his ex-brother (or maybe they're still brothers? Who knows anymore?). He takes a deep breath before shaking his head, a wane smile pulling at his lips. "Sorry. We'll talk another time. For sure!"
Himuro nods just slightly in acknowledgement of the sentiment, even as Kagami whirls around to face Kise, who's slowly making his way back to where he had come from. "Kise!"
The blonde turns towards Kagami, and for a moment, they're all stunned into silence by the imposing figure he cuts, lit from the back by the full moon. Kagami raises his chin slightly. "Don't you lose! No matter what!"
A smirk pulls at Kise's lips, even as he turns back around. "Of course!"
Kuroko finds herself following after Echizen who's speed walking full tilt into the sports park, but she doesn't particularly mind. Sure, she'll miss watching the Kaijo-Fukuda Sogo match but Echizen's currently extremely distressed and a trouble magnet. Besides, Aida will probably record it, so there's no problem there.
Echizen doesn't have her rackets with her, but Kuroko still dutifully follows her to the tennis courts, where Echizen drops onto the service line, spreading her arms and legs and looking up at the sky. It's a beautiful night, with no clouds whatsoever to obscure the full moon. Looking down at Echizen, Kuroko is hit yet again with how beautiful the girl is, and how young she is.
Golden eyes are wide and glistening under the moonlight, for once looking like they belong to a thirteen-year-old instead of a child who grew up too fast.
Kuroko slowly sits down next to her, pulling her knees up to her chest and hugging them. It's December, cold, and Kuroko's only wearing her jersey with a jacket over it. Goosebumps are already rising up from her skin, but she keeps her eyes on Echizen, waiting her out.
After a while, Kuroko takes pity and sighs, a subtle indication that she's about to speak. "You owe me."
"What?"
Kuroko chuckles, tilting her head up to look at the sky. She wonders what Echizen sees up there. "I gave you a little bit of myself at that onsen. Don't you think it's your turn now?"
The silence stretches out between them before Echizen snorts. Her voice sounds suspiciously watery as she replies, "Whoever said that you're nice is lying. Kuroko Tetsuya is a cruel, cruel person."
Kuroko smiles, not saying anything, this time determined to wait Echizen out. It doesn't take too long.
"Tennis is really hard sometimes. Being related to two amazing players who both ended their careers early makes it even harder. I've always had to work for everything. People call me a prodigy, you know, a genius. All hail Mary, the goddess of tennis has touched down on Earth." A bitter laugh escapes her lips, and her fingers curl. "Like all my skill comes from who I was born to instead of what I did for myself."
Kuroko hums noncommittally, feeling her heart going out to the younger girl. Being denied acknowledgement of her hard work-that's something that Kuroko understands very, very well.
"A lot of people look up to you, and most of the time, what they want to see has nothing to do with tennis. I can win as many matches as they want, but that's never enough. They want to see me excel in all my classes, and they want to see me be a girl and be pretty and sweet, and-and they paint me out to be this ideal person that I can never really be. Then they act all disappointed when I fail to meet their expectations. It just-it's kind of disheartening, to know that people don't think that tennis is enough.
"And don't even get me started on the people who do think that tennis is everything that I am. Qualifying for the men's section of the US Open wasn't enough, and opening Teni Muhō no Kiwami wasn't enough. Nope-I'm not worth anything until I've won all the Grand Slams and beaten every single tennis player in the world, and even then, that won't be enough for them.
"So to half of the world, tennis is all I'm worth, and to the other half, tennis doesn't mean anything. And I don't even have a say in anything."
Echizen pauses to take a deep breath, and Kuroko hesitantly reaches out to gently comb through her hair. It's grown longer, she realizes, since the first time she had ever seen Echizen. She kind of likes an Echizen with shorter hair, though. Maybe she should get her own hair cut.
"There's...something. I just-I just don't know if-if I can..."
Echizen trails off, and Kuroko gently shushes her, having an idea of what she wants to say, and fully understanding. There are still things that the other girl doesn't know, after all, and Kuroko's not about to play the hypocrite. "If you don't want to tell me, that's fine. Just say whatever you want to say, and whatever you're comfortable with saying."
Echizen blinks, and Kuroko's nice enough to ignore the tear that escapes her lashes and slides down a cheek awash in pale light. "I don't think you understand how amazing you are, Kuroko Tetsuya. You just...you know what to say, and you know what to do, and you understand me the way no one does. Even Suke-senpai...you know things about me that he doesn't know, and it's just...thank you. Thank you, Tetsu, thank you so much for being a part of my life."
Kuroko smiles gently, and she lightly taps the tip of Echizen's nose. "What are friends for if not to blackmail each other into talking about their personal problems, huh?"
Echizen laughs, and then Kuroko's laughing, and if tears are running down both their cheeks, neither of them notice.
They're on a tennis court and not even playing tennis. Oh the shame.
Here's another shitload of exposition and more teasing of the backstories of our two main characters. And if the ending is cliché, pretend it isn't.
Yeah. Peace, see ya next time, hope you liked it!
Never (LivingDaLife)
