*NOTE* Alternate Universe wherein I shamelessly borrowed/altered ideas from various media sources and even threw in some of my own. If anything is canon here, it's probably an accident.

Changechildren (Prince of Tennis)

Part 50

By Haruka (email: haruka at ymail dot com)


Choutarou knew with certainty that this would be the longest weekend of his life. It had already been the longest two hours. Not only was Akaya rude to almost everyone he came across using Choutarou's voice, but he never shut up when _thinking_ at him.

("Okay,") Akaya mused while they were at dinner, ("so having rifled through your memories of everyone's powers here, I think I've got them all straight –")

("And that's all you wanted, right?") Choutarou thought in irritation. ("So you can go away now?")

("Of course not! I want to stick around long enough to see these powers in person and to find out what else of interest is going on here.")

("Like what?") Choutarou demanded. ("You want to spy on our tennis practices?")

("No,") Akaya said with a laugh, ("we don't need that kind of advantage. I just want to see what all you guys from various teams DO here.")

("Nothing that would interest you, I'm sure. We eat, sleep, go to school, watch tv, just like any other kids.")

("Heh, from what I've seen in your memory, some of you have done even more than that, including you and Shishido.")

("You leave us out of this!")

("Ooo, Ohtori-kun has a temper after all,") Akaya taunted. ("Well, you just keep it in check. I don't plan on you ruining this chance for me.") He snorted. ("Not that you could. No matter how angry you get, you can't force me out.")

I know that, Choutarou thought, trying not to direct it to Akaya. I can tell. But you can't blame me if I keep trying.


Tezuka studied Atobe's profile while his boyfriend stared over at the table where most of his teammates were having dinner. He tried to follow his gaze to see if there was anyone in particular he was focused on, but it was hard to tell. He leaned over to murmur in his ear.

"What has put that look of consternation on your handsome face, my love?"

Atobe looked at him in mild surprise and smiled a little. "I'm sorry if I was ignoring you." He glanced back toward the other table. "Choutarou's not himself today. He's been kind of mouthy. It's not like him, and it's irritating."

"I can see why. You already have Shishido and Gakuto for smart mouths on your team. Choutarou gave it some balance."

"I suppose everyone is entitled to a bad day, but I don't want there to be too much infighting."

Tezuka smiled ruefully. "Good thing you don't have Kaidoh and Momoshiro on your team, then." He squeezed Atobe's arm. "Relax. Some infighting isn't too bad, as long as it doesn't come to blows or take focus away from tennis. Sometimes it helps fire the players up."

"If Choutarou makes Gakuto any more fired up today, he'll spontaneously combust."

"Look at the bright side. Choutarou rooms with Yuushi, right? He's pretty mellow; maybe he'll be a good influence."

Atobe nodded slowly. He hoped that was the case, but preferably Choutarou's bout of attitude would be over sooner than that. As he watched Gakuto jump up and stalk away from the table, he knew it couldn't be soon enough.


Ryoma looked up at the Power Practice listings in the foyer. He frowned. He was scheduled for another early-morning practice. Why did they do this to him knowing he could never force himself out of bed at that time?

"Hello, Ryoma. Finished eating already?"

He looked up at Aoi and nodded. "Yes. I just wanted to check this in case I was on the evening list." He sighed, looking at his name again. "I wish I was."

"I'm sorry, Ryoma, but we have to work around all the boys' tennis schedules, and both Hyotei and my team have practice on the courts early tomorrow so their Power Practices are tonight and tomorrow night."

Ryoma shrugged. "It can't be helped, I guess."

She put a hand on his shoulder. "How have you been doing? I've been worried about you."

"Better," he replied. "Keeping busy helps." He glanced at her. "Any fallout for you with the 'secret family' thing? Takahisa says it's all over Jyousei now."

"It is," she confirmed. "There has been some grumbling from the boys' teachers, and the odd veiled hint that THIS must be why they're on the tennis team, but not from anyone who matters."

"Hang in there," Ryoma replied. "Your kids are good players. Any idiot can see that."

She smiled and was about to reply when more kids flooded through the foyer, signaling the end of dinner. Choutarou approached the Power Practice sheets, scanning them.

"Oh good, practice in an hour," he remarked with satisfaction.

"It's nice to see someone react that way," Aoi told him. "I'm sure Ryuzaki-san will be pleased, since she's in charge of that session."

Choutarou turned toward her and gave her a slow look up and down. "Too bad it isn't you, sensei."

Aoi blinked, unsure how to reply. "Um … well …."

Choutarou winked and walked away. Aoi and Ryoma looked at each other.

"Did he just attempt to flirt with me?" she asked.

"Is that what it was?" Ryoma replied dubiously.


Yuuta grinned at Kippei as they came out of the movie theatre. "That was pretty good, except for that cheesy bit at the end."

"It wasn't really necessary, either," Kippei added, then stretched. "It's nice to have an evening off. No tennis practice, no Power Practice, and I finished my homework at school."

"Where do you want to go now?" Yuuta asked. "I was thinking about pizza earlier, but we ate so much popcorn, I'm not that hungry anymore."

"Me either." Kippei took Yuuta's hand and squeezed it, smiling. "We can just walk for a while."

"Well," drawled a chilling voice, "isn't THIS nice?"

The two boys looked over toward the tall teenager leaning back against a store front.

"Akutsu Jin," Yuuta murmured, watching the older boy take a long drag off his cigarette. His gaze fell to the cast on Jin's wrist.

"I've been looking for you," Jin said, eyeing Yuuta. "Didn't expect to run into you here. Or with him."

Kippei gave Yuuta's hand another squeeze. "We don't want any trouble, Akutsu."

"Funny," he snorted. "I hear that a lot." His gaze fixed back on Yuuta and he tossed the cigarette away. "You and I have business," he said, walking toward the younger boy.

Kippei stepped in front of Yuuta, causing Jin to stop directly before them. He sneered. "Don't be a hero, Tachibana." He snapped his fingers. "Oh wait, that's your trademark, isn't it?"

"Say what you like, but you're not getting any closer to Yuuta until I know what your intentions are."

Jin locked eyes with Kippei and gave him a nasty grin. He pointed toward him. "You're ON," he said, the tone of his voice giving it strange significance.

A sudden gust of wind rose up around them. It startled both Kippei and Yuuta, but Jin looked calm.

"Kippei?" Yuuta asked.

"It's not me!" Kippei said, then shook his head. "But … wait, I think it IS!" He tried to force it down, but found he couldn't. The wind didn't diminish at all, and their clothes whipped around them as Jin's smile widened.

"What's wrong, Tachibana? Can't turn it off?" Jin laughed in a not-very-nice way. "You ain't seen nothing yet." His good hand reached out and snatched Yuuta's arm before either of the boys could stop him.

Immediately, Yuuta felt his power activate. He hadn't done it himself, and yet it was working, healing Jin's broken wrist; the one he had caused in the first place.

Even worse, when Jin released him, he knew his power was STILL on.

Jin flexed the fingers of his newly-healed hand. He pulled out a fresh cigarette and tried to light it. The wind was too strong, and he laughed, shaking his head.

"See you around, Changechildren," he called over the sound of the wind as he walked away.

"Kippei!" Yuuta cried, grabbing his boyfriend's arm. He felt his power flowing unbidden into Kippei at the moment of contact and pulled back his hands as if burned. "He did something to me! I can't turn my power off!"

"That's why the wind won't stop!" Kippei agreed. "I AM doing it, but I can't even tone it down! It's like when it first activated and I had no control!"

"We have to get home to Oishi so he can shut us both down!" Yuuta exclaimed. Kippei reached for his hand but when Yuuta jerked it back cautiously, the Fudomine Captain nodded and the two of them ran for a cab.


Akaya was finally seeing what he'd come for. It was Power Practice, and all around him were Changechildren – a mixture of Hyotei and Seigaku members - demonstrating what they could do. It was fascinating.

"Choutarou, watch out!"

He turned just as the tennis ball hit him in the face. ("Ow!") Choutarou cried out inside his head, which was all he was allowed. ("If you're going to steal use of my power could you at least USE it?! You were supposed to let that phase through you or go solid so it wouldn't hurt!")

("It doesn't hurt ME, in any case,") Akaya dismissed. ("But I suppose it does look suspicious if I don't at least try.")

"Are you okay?" asked Hiyoshi, who had used his Telekinesis to throw the ball.

"Yes," Akaya answered in Choutarou's voice. "Sorry, I was distracted."

Hiyoshi looked toward the others and nodded. "They're impressive, the senpais."

They were, and Akaya noticed Atobe and Tezuka in particular. Like with every other aspect of his life, the Hyotei Captain seemed to have ultimate confidence in using his power, and the ever-calm Tezuka showed no concern as electricity crackled around him.

"Choutarou! Hiyoshi!" Sumire barked. "Get back to work. And pay attention, Choutarou – I saw that ball hit you!"

Akaya bit back a retort, much to Choutarou's relief. For the moment, the Rikkaidai invader seemed more interested in staying in the practice so he could see the others rather than smart-mouthing the teachers at Choutarou's expense.

Sumire watched the various pairs as they practiced for a while, then signaled Shishido over. "I want to increase the difficulty level a little. Cast some bad luck on Choutarou and we'll see if he can still avoid Hiyoshi's projectiles."

Choutarou groaned inside. ("Haven't I had enough bad luck already?")

("Isn't it funny that his power will work on you but not me?") Akaya giggled. ("So don't worry, I should still be able to avoid the balls. Heh, maybe I should miss some so that it looks legit.")

("And so that I get hurt, of course.")

("I'm not interested in you being hurt,") Akaya scoffed. ("At least not right now.")

"All right, Hiyoshi," Sumire said. "Start again, but please don't aim for his face; he's at a disadvantage."

"Okay," Hiyoshi agreed, and the tennis balls laying around him rose up into the air.

Akaya saw the first ball coming and used Choutarou's power to deflect it by turning solid. For the next one, he phased so that the ball went through him.

("This is easy,") he said, even as the telekinetically-hurtled balls came faster.

("Sure, you're not the one with the bad luck on you, so it won't slow you up,") Choutarou muttered.

("Be grateful – you didn't want to be hurt, right?")

There wasn't anything that Choutarou could say to that, so he fell into a broody silence.

Sumire walked around the group again, making suggestions and giving instructions. When she came back around to Choutarou and Hiyoshi, she watched for a few moments, then nodded. "All right, very good. Let's try a partner switch now." She turned. "Atobe! Come work with Choutarou. Hiyoshi, you take his place over there with Gakuto."

Akaya could feel Choutarou's anxiety as Atobe approached. ("What's your problem?") he asked the Hyotei Sophomore.

("Atobe's power is ice-related,") Choutarou said grimly. ("That can't be good for me.")

("Pfft,") Akaya retorted. ("You worry too much.")

"Atobe," Sumire said to the older boy, "Choutarou is doing very well so far at evading objects by phasing or solidifying in time before they can hurt him, even with a dose of Shishido's bad luck on him. So far he's only had tennis balls thrown at him, so I want you to try throwing ice balls now."

Atobe raised an eyebrow. "If he makes a mistake, it will bruise him."

"There are always risks involved in using your powers, and we're trying to teach him self-defense. Just don't aim for the face or any sensitive areas, and keep the ice about the size of a tennis ball." She patted his shoulder and walked away to check on the others. Atobe turned toward Choutarou and held out both hands at his sides. Akaya watched as ice balls formed in both palms.

"Are you prepared, Choutarou?" he asked.

("No!") came the reply that Atobe couldn't hear.

Akaya smirked with Choutarou's features. "Bring it on, Buchou."

Atobe launched the first attack, and as quickly as they left his hands, he formed two more. Akaya phased the first two through, then went solid for the next ones.

"It's STILL easy!" He laughed out loud. Choutarou cringed inside.

"But how long can you keep it up, ahn?" Atobe asked, heaving one ice ball after another toward his younger teammate. "If you're going to be cocky, you have to be able to back it up!"

Choutarou was trying hard not to panic but knew that while Atobe probably didn't want to hurt him, his pride was being prickled by 'his' seeming indifference to the danger presented. That meant he wouldn't let up until Choutarou either messed up or Sumire told him to stop.

Akaya's own pride at being able to control Choutarou's power AND face down Atobe successfully was keeping his concentration pretty focused. Then a strong gust of wind came out of nowhere and he felt himself being buffeted enough to make a misstep, his attention diverted long enough for one of Atobe's ice balls to catch him on the upper thigh.

("OW!") Choutarou cried out internally.

("Oh, don't be a baby,") Akaya snapped, irritated that he had missed.

"Are you all right?" Atobe asked, walking toward him with a concerned expression. The wind pushed at him and he brushed his hair back with a frown. "What's with this wind all of a sudden?"

All around them others had stopped practicing, wondering the same thing, when Shishido pointed out that Kippei and Yuuta were running across the lawn toward them. "What's going on, boys?!" Sumire called out, having to shout to be heard over the increasing howl of the wind.

"Yuuta!" Syuusuke started over but Kippei got between them.

"Don't touch him!" he warned, looking more frazzled than Fuji had ever seen him. "We can't turn off our powers, either of us! Yuuta is in constant-healing mode, so no one can touch him or it will drain his energy until he has none left!"

"Oishi!" Sumire called the Seigaku Vice-Captain over. "Shut them down, quickly!"

The wind pushed Oishi back as he tried to make it to Kippei. "I can't GET there, sensei!"

"Kippei, can you tone it down at least?!" Sumire demanded as Tezuka caught her before she could lose her footing. Most of the other kids were already on the ground, unable to stand in the near hurricane-force winds.

"I CAN'T, that's the problem! And it's getting worse!" Kippei yelled helplessly.

Atobe stayed upright, having frozen the lower half of his legs to the ground. He snapped his fingers. "Kabaji! Give Kippei a boost with your power."

"Usu."

"NO!" Yuuta cried. "If you do that, the wind will just get even worse! You don't understand – we can't turn our powers OFF!"

"Kabaji's Enhancement doesn't just increase your power," Atobe explained, raising his voice so he could hear. "It reinforces your control. Kippei should be able to at least contain it, even if he can't turn it off." He nodded to Kabaji, who approached Kippei. The wind buffeted him, but the Hyotei Sophomore was physically strong enough to force his way through it until he reached the Fudomine Captain.

"Atobe!" Sumire looked over at him. "Are you sure about this?!"

"Trust me," he said calmly, and nodded to Kabaji. The younger boy's hand fell on Kippei's shoulder.

For a moment, the wind flared worse, then Kippei felt the power that flowed through him and realized that not only was his own power reacting in strength, but he felt it become more 'his' once more. He concentrated on forcing it down, down, down ….

Sumire felt relief as the wind became less until it was barely more than a breeze wafting around them with occasional small gusts. She could see the strain of it on Kippei's face.

"I can overcome it that far," he admitted. "But I don't think I can hold it back forever."

"You don't have to," Oishi said, hurrying to Kippei's side now that he no longer had to fight the wind. He caught his arm, and instantly, the wind stopped. Kippei staggered and Kabaji grabbed his shoulders.

"Having your power on non-stop like that," he said, shaking his head. "It's exhausting." He looked at Oishi. "Please, help Yuuta."

"Is it all right, Yuuta-kun?" Oishi asked.

The younger boy nodded desperately. "Yes, please! I need this to stop NOW!"

Oishi obliged by shifting his attentions to the St. Rudolph Sophomore and as soon as his power was shut down, Yuuta fell against Kabaji as well. Syuusuke was beside him in an instant, worry showing plainly on his face.

"Now then," Sumire said grimly, "tell us what happened to cause this sudden lack of control."


End of Part 50

(2006)

Prince of Tennis belongs to Konomi Takeshi.

This fic is not to be re-posted.