Author's Note

Hello everyone! I hope you're all doing well this mid-January. Usually, I fall into a slump around this time, which only ends about late-March or April, so writing gets difficult around this time of year for me. I'll hold on and keep doing my best to update though! This chapter was a little bit difficult for me as I got near the end of it... So many decisions to consider. But I hope that you enjoy it. We're nearing the end of the arc, and I'm trying to tie everything together nicely while still preparing for the third, haha. Thank you for all your continued support, and see you next month!

Disclaimer: Prince of Tennis and its characters do not belong to me. Reads and reviews greatly appreciated.

Chapter 36

Ryoma shifted to crouch in front of his brother, shielding Ryoga from the quickly gathering mass. Oishi worked quickly, trying to restore the elder brother to full health as fast as he possibly could. "Your... father?" he repeated, not taking his eyes from the darkening skies. Inui helped Fuji off of the ground, the seer thanking the other quickly before making his way to Ryoma's side. "But aren't we brothers?" Sanada and Atobe hastened to stand before the prince, weapons drawn and at the ready.

"Brat!" Atobe yelled over his shoulder. "What is that thing?"

Ryoga winced as Oishi worked his hands over his injuries, trying to close over the bleeding wounds. "Half, Chibisuke," he informed his brother, who turned to look at him with incredulous eyes. His father had been a flirtatious man, but he was a devoted king and husband to his wife. And Rinko... Ryoma could not even imagine his mother looking at another man. Ryoga saw the confusion across the younger boy's face. "Mom didn't have a choice. I only found out a few years ago."

Grating laughter filled the air, and Ryoma's attention snapped up to the darkness once more. The mass was forming into the shape of a man, but it never seemed to solidify. Ryoga grimaced, but continued to speak. "My father was your uncle... Your father's older brother." The elder brother drew in a shuddering breath before he launched into recalling the story of how he had been born.

"My father, Kageirou, was the older of the two. He had expected to be the one to succeed to the throne... Much the way that I had." Ryoga's voice wavered then, and he looked away in shame, but he continued. "When he and Nanjirou were still young, it was made obvious that your father would be the next guardian. He was a talented master of the elements... So when he was given the bells to wield, our grandfather also named him as his successor."

"Rinko was the daughter of one of Seishun's lords, and both my father and yours fell in love with her. But she chose Nanjirou over Kageirou, and the two were married. When our grandfather passed away in battle, Nanjirou became king." Ryoma listened in rapture. He had never heard these stories before, partially because he'd never asked his parents while they were still alive. He hadn't been interested in things like love or how they met before, and Ryoga's retelling was the first he had ever heard of it. He hadn't even known he'd had an uncle. "Kageirou was made a knight in Nanjirou's service, then a captain. Nanjirou always tried to provide his brother with everything he could possibly want and Kageirou pretended to be happy, but he wasn't. In secret, he began to study the dark arts, an interest he'd always had, but ignored up until then because he believed a king should not be a dark mage."

"The dark arts..." Ryoma echoed. He knew that the magic could be dangerous, for the powers drew upon one's body, mind, and soul, and could wear down a user should the host lack strength. "What happened then?"

The elder brother swallowed and glanced at the darkness before continuing, as though gauging how much time he had left to speak. "Kageirou learned how to enchant. He mixed a drug into Rinko's food one day, and then fooled her into thinking he was Nanjirou. When your father found out, he exiled Kageirou from the kingdom. But the damage was done, and I was born." Ryoga's voice grew quiet as he recalled his youth. He had been so unaware of the reality surrounding his birth as a child. "Your father never held anything against me. He took me in as his own son, and I grew up believe I was truly a part of the royal family."

"After Kageirou had been banished, he threw himself fully into the dark arts, searching for a way to obtain revenge. He was weak of mind and heart, and the dark magic ate away at him over time. It stripped him of his physical body, leaving behind only a cloud of darkness." Everyone's eyes flickered to the floating mass above their heads, the cloud swirling faster and faster as it gathered itself. "Even so, he had to wait for the opportunity to strike, for the shields and defenses around the kingdom and the castle were too great... Until the day you were born, Chibisuke."

Ryoma felt his chest tighten, hearing that he was the reason for the ruin of his kingdom seventeen years ago. "How did he get in? What did the bastard do?" he demanded, his voice low and dangerous.

"The night of your birth, the entire kingdom reveled in celebration. Nanjirou opened the doors to the castle to welcome his lords and subjects. It was easy for Kageirou to slip in, unnoticed amidst the dark of night." Ryoga's eyes took on a terrified light as he recalled the events from that night. He remembered standing off to the side of the throne room while Nanjirou proudly announced the birth of his son. The elder brother had not understood why Ryoma had been named the next ruler of Seishun in his place, having thought himself a true son of Nanjirou's. "He destroyed the castle and stole many lives that night. Your father, the king, he... He tried to find me, to save me, but in the end, he barely escaped with you and mother."

"He found me then, lying among the rubble, and instantly recognized who I was. His son. Bitter that Nanjirou had escaped, he took me as a physical vessel, a second plan to avenge himself. And he nearly had it half a year ago, when he... sent me to slay the king and queen." Ryoga's voice broke. He had been the one to cruelly break down the little cabin by the lake, killing first Rinko, and then Nanjirou while in battle. He remembered his whip wrapping around Nanjirou's neck as the king rushed to protect his family, to avenge his wife's death, and the light fading from hazel eyes, usually bright with life and merriment. At that time, he had been filled with manic glee, proud and victorious that he had finally slain the father he had thought to have abandoned him. "I thought that would have been enough. But when he... when I learned that you had managed to escape once again, he grew angry. He wanted to completely eliminate Nanjirou's existence from this world, to destroy everything he had created. And that included you."

Ryoma was silent as Ryoga finished his tale, the broken brother's voice trailing off. Ryoga clearly regretted everything that he had done, and like Nanjirou before him, the younger brother did not hold any of his actions against him. "It's not your fault, Ryoga..." the prince repeated his words. He stood slowly, drawing his sword from its scabbard. "It's never been you." Eyes ablaze with anger, he turned to face the darkness known as his uncle, weapon in his hand. "It's yours!"

The guardian leapt, spurred on by hidden wings of wind, his sword flashing in the firelight. With a shout, he swung his blade at the cloud to cut through it, but the darkness only laughed and floated out of the sword's reach. "What's this? Is this how you greet your uncle, nephew?" Kageirou's disembodied voice taunted with cruel laughter.

Ryoma growled as he landed upon the ground again. "Raishu!" he called. The russet red otter flew to his master's assistance, waiting for an order. "Contain him!"

With a gleeful chirp, the spirit was off. 'Yes sir!' he replied cheerfully, winds swirling around him as he flew towards the mass. The air surrounded the darkness, gathering it into one location and trapping Kageirou within the miniature tornado.

"You think this will be enough to stop me, boy?" Kageirou laughed again as the darkness separated into separate tendrils, seeking holes in the winds to escape through. "This will not be enough to hold me, child!"

"Kanna, help him!" Ryoma shouted. The phoenix shrieked, angered by the being that had used Ryoga for so long, and was more than eager to launch her own fiery powers. The winds that Raishu set in motion caught flame, and Kageirou hissed as he was contained by the light it emitted. Sanada, catching on to Ryoma's plan, eagerly joined in, bolts of lightning flying through the winds. It was the same strategy the prince had used during his battle with Kirihara.

"Just another pretty trick!" The darkness called, but it was clear that he was beginning to worry. "You have no way to defeat me, little fool! There is no blade that can cut me!"

Not bothering to respond to his uncle's taunts, Ryoma leapt from the ground once more. "Go, Koshimae!" Kintarou cheered, sending winds to help increase the prince's speed. "Get him!"

Ryoma waited until he hovered above the eye of the fiery cyclone before he began his descent. With a battle cry, he launched himself downwards through the center, blade held before him. Kageirou laughed again, but what he hadn't realized was that Ryoma's sword had been crafted by Nanjirou himself. Magic and life were imbued within the weapon itself, and though a normal blade would not have hurt him, the power of the late king most definitely could. Kageirou screeched as the sword split his darkness through the center, light magic burning him as it passed through. Ryoma smirked as he landed upon the ground, the cyclone dispersing behind him. "What was that you said, uncle?" he called mockingly, turning to point his sword at the dark cloud. "Mada mada dane."

Kageirou roared in anger as he heard the words Nanjirou had so often taunted him with. "You insolent brat!" he shouted, gathering himself together again. "You will pay for this!" Ryoma did not have time to react as the darkness rained down upon him, forming black needle-like spears. "Die!"

Everyone watched, horrified, as the rain of needles fell towards the little prince, crying out to the boy. "Ryoma, watch out!" "Prince!" "Ryo-chan!" "Chibisuke!"

"Koshimae!" A red blur, faster than the eye could possibly see, leapt towards the prince, spurred on by the winds that he commanded. Ryoma's eyes widened as the winds spread out to form a barrier, shielding him from the oncoming attack. The blast shook the earth around them, and those who were still standing fell to the ground, unable to maintain their balance. Clouds of smoke rose as dark laughter filled the air, ringing with smugness and victory. The smoke cleared to reveal, and everyone's eyes shot towards where Ryoma had been standing. A small figure lay lifeless upon the ground.

"Kin... Kintarou!" Shiraishi's cry echoed across the battlefield, his voice cracking as the lord recognized the fallen boy. The wind warrior was still, a grave contrast from his usual wild self. Black needles protruded from his body, blood pouring from his wounds. Ryoma trembled as he fell to his knees beside the boy, carefully cradling him. "Ki.. Kintarou, just hang on!" Oishi shouted, rushing over from where he had been tending to Ryoga.

The redhead only turned to the prince that held him, his eyes dulling even as he struggled to give him a frail smile. "Did... I do alright?" he asked, coughing weakly. Ryoma grit his teeth together, giving the other boy a small nod. The black needles began to dissolve, melting away to rejoin the rest of Kageirou's form. Kintarou's smile grew as the light from his eyes faded. "Didja hear that, Shi... raishi? I... did good..."

The smile upon the Shitenhouji warrior's faded as his body fell limp. Shiraishi fell to his knees beside the lifeless child, his body shuddering with sobs. Wordlessly, Ryoma passed the once wild child to the lord, who cradled the body to his chest. He stood slowly, sheathing his sword as he did.

"Oh ho, what's this? Given up, child?" Kageirou taunted from the sky, his mocking tone glowing with cruelty. But Ryoma's golden eyes flashed as he turned his face towards the skies.

"You're going down."