Rakka eda ni kaerazu

~ Fallen blossoms do not return to branches ~

-- a Japanese proverb

Chapter Sixteen: The Dream Lives On, and the Battle has Just Begun

Summer, Present

Kanagawa, Japan

A stadium

"He's back!"

"How can he play?"

"Oh, he's taped up his ankle!"

"The team is strong, though."

Murmurs went up in the stands when Akagi re-emerged on court. Limping slightly. But all 192cm of him ready to crush his opponents to pulp.

For his dream.

For Inter High.

Michiko rushed up to report the team's progress in the game. She didn't need to. His face showed his appreciation. For the team that had managed to sustain the dream without their mainstay.

Kogure sighed with relief. "Akagi-kun," he greeted warmly.

The gorilla lives on. To claim his rightful place beneath the net on the basketball courts, on the stage of high school basketball.

Spring, Two years ago

Kanagawa, Japan

Shohoku High School

"I will make Shohoku win the championship!"

His loud, proud voice echoed within the walls of the Shohoku gym.

The championship. The unreachable dream.

Mitsui Hisashi smiled.

He would win. He always had.

Spring, Last year

Kanagawa, Japan

Shohoku High School

"You'll want me. I'm fast."

As if to prove it, he scampered off to the team's manageress.

"Hi, I'm Ryota."

Summer, Present

Kanagawa, Japan

A stadium

He had done it.

He had been fast.

He had eluded Maki.

His dream was still in sight.

Summer, Present

Kanagawa, Japan

A stadium

Mitsui smiled when he saw his Captain. Smiled wider when he saw the pleased expression on Akagi's face.

Spring, A few months ago

Kanagawa, Japan

Shohoku High School

"I don't like basketball. It's boring."

The redhead strode out of the basketball courts, hands in his pockets.

Oblivious to the angry stares, the disappointed looks, the sad eyes.

Summer, Present

Kanagawa, Japan

A stadium

He smiled.

"Gori…"

It is my dream!

Spring, A few months ago

Kanagawa, Japan

Shohoku High School

"It's Rukawa."

The whispers were loud enough to reach him.

His ice-cold eyes shared no emotion with his surroundings.

He stood there. Tall. Aloof. Alone.

Then his star shone the brightest when the game started.

Summer, Present

Kanagawa, Japan

A stadium

In an uncharacteristic show of camaraderie, Rukawa high-fived Akagi as the Captain walked onto the court.

He, as a player, as the ace, of Shohoku, had done his job at keeping score.

Summer, Present

Kanagawa, Japan

A stadium

The cheers were resounding as Akagi, Captain of the Shohoku basketball team, made his way back on court.

Shohoku fought Kainan head-on, fighting for each point with a brutal intensity – like that of a hungry beast.

Autumn, Three years ago

Philadelphia, USA

St. Mary's Hospital

Chemotherapy. Again.

Her body was weaker now, as if each leaf that fell from the trees took away another bit of her energy, another bit of her life.

Her face was still cheerful. She had her cheerleader to thank for that.

Her body was battered. She had the radiation to thank for that.

But she was still breathing. She had not died yet.

She was still breathing. And waiting.

Summer, Present

Kanagawa, Japan

A stadium

One point would tie the game.

Two would win it.

The pressure was on for both Shohoku and Kainan.

If Shohoku scored, Kainan would lose.

The adrenalin was pulsing.

The bodies were tense.

The spectators were expectant.

Pass it to me.

Sakuragi kept Akagi's words in his head as he played.

He who controls the rebound controls the game.

Sakuragi jumped. Caught the ball. Landed. On both feet. Looked around. Saw Akagi.

"Gori!"

It was to be his most devastating moment.

Worse than the day his fiftieth girlfriend dumped him.

He had passed to the wrong team.

The whistle blew.

One team had lost. The other had won. In terms of the score.

But in other ways, Shohoku had won. By a large margin.

Spirit.

Courage.

Heart.

Autumn, Three years ago

Philadelphia, USA

St. Mary's Hospital

It couldn't be. Ruth had just been next to her, just talked to her.

Ruth was dead.

Lost a battle with her cancer.

Kawasaki Michiko closed her eyes, felt the tears come.

I will fight on.

Summer, Present

Kanagawa, Japan

A stadium

They had lost.

One point.

Just one point.

They would have to win the next match.

As far as they were concerned, the battle had just begun.

Spring, Two years ago

Philadelphia, USA

St. Mary's Hospital

She had word. Word of a suitable transplant.

The operation was scheduled. And completed successfully.

At first, her body felt no different.

Then, the long battle began.

Her white blood cell count slowly increased.

Her hopes increased with the rising line on the chart pasted next to her bed.

Then it fell.

It was hard.

It was painful.

It was sad.

She was patient. But still not able to avoid disappointment.

The tears never came. She would fight on.

But she waited.

With bated breath.

As the number shot up again.

This process repeated itself, with the general trend being on the rise.

Her body's new battle had just begun.

Summer, Present

Kanagawa, Japan

A stadium

I want the team to continue playing basketball. I want the team to continue chasing their dream.

The tears never came. Instead, her expression was one of determination.

"We will win."

Her voice, one of calm and serenity, struck the chords of the players around her.

Her statement, a big dream, yet stated so matter-of-factly.

Slowly, everyone began nodding their heads.

Anzai-sensei nodded his the most vigorously of all.

An old man's jovial laughter stunned the crowd.

He had coached the losing team.

But he was happy.

A team's cheer surprised the onlookers.

They had just lost.

They were stuck in a corner, forced to play their last hand.

But they were happy.

Strange.

Disclaimer: Slam Dunk and its characters do not belong to me...

Author's Note:
 Special treat...a long chapter. It was written at first as three chapters, but I think it flows better if it's one. Hopefully, when reading it, you thought so as well....

One of the themes in this entire story is that of fighting...tooth and nail right down to the last man, the last player, the last second, the last shot, where one uses every ounce of energy to win, to triumph. This chapter is all about that.

Replies:

renei: sorry about that lost review...sigh....I hate it when it happens to me too. anyway, Kogure and Michiko currently take a backseat to the basketball game, which has its importance on their relationship as well, as will become apparent....

tensaispira: nice long one this time *grin*

Tan Kimiko: *echoes* Go Shohoku!!!

~rurouni