Hi ya all! This is my first attempt to write a romance story in Slam Dunk ok? Read and Review. Tell me what you think of it, and maybe some ideas from you as well? Ok, then, enjoy reading!

Disclaimer: slamdunkisnotmine.

Prologue-Guardian Angel

The little boy had fallen off his bike. He looked around for his big brother, he wasn't there. The boy cried. His knee was bleeding and he was afraid he was lost. He cried even harder, hoping someone would find him and treat his wounds.

"Don't cry. Your brother will come, don't worry", a voice whispered in his head. He stopped crying and tried to find the source of the voice, "who's that?" His question wasn't replied, but there were small laughter played in his mind, "See? He's coming to fetch you. I told you so."

The little boy lifted his head and saw his big brother coming towards him. There were no whispers in his head as his brother carried him home. It was also gone when his mother treated his wound. The five year old found that he was missed the voice, especially the laughter. The voice made him feel better, and now he longed to hear it again.

He was scared. He backed away from the pack of wild dogs. "B-bad dogs!!", he shouted. He couldn't back away anymore; his back was leaning on a wall. He looked around the dark alley. No one was there to help him, he had lost track of his family again. "Help me," he was pleading. "Somebody, please!" he screamed, his voice full of pain and fear as the mad dogs attacked him.

A few seconds after he screamed, a little girl appeared next to him. The boy was curled up into a fetal position, whimpering and crying. Gasping in fear, the girl knelt down next to him. The dogs quickly backed off, sensing that she wasn't a regular being. She let out a small cry when she saw all the blood and cuts on the boy.

The girl sobbed, throwing herself onto the shaking body. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!" She carefully hugged the body under her.

After a few moments, the boy's body slowed it's shaking and began to uncurl. He knew her voice, he felt his heart lighten, recognizing the warmth on, and in him. He felt her power flow through him, easing his pain and healing some of the more major injuries.

He looked at her. Her deep green eyes were full with tears. Sensing the little boy's gaze, she stopped healing and hugs him again. "I'm really sorry. I know I should've been here sooner."

The boy pushed her off, confused. "Who are you?" he asked. The little girl looked at him in disbelief, her green eyes widened. Then she laughed the same exact laugh he had heard before. "How embarrassing. I haven't introduced myself to you". She wiped away her tears and stood in front of him. At that moment, the boy scanned carefully the girl standing in front of him. She had short dark brown hair and big green eyes. She grinned cutely at the boy, who was shocked at her transparency. "Hi! My name's Akie."

"Wha...what are you? I can see through you!"

Akie lost her smile. "I'm your guardian angel, silly!" The little boy went up to her and pushed his hand through her. "Don't do that! It tickles!!" the little girl laughed.

"Why are you here?" the boy questioned. "I'm going to protect you!" The girl smiled proudly at him. "Why am I special?" The girl laughed. "Everyone gets a guardian angel when they're five years old. Grown ups called us 'imaginary friends'". She explained. "Oh," the boy answered.

The girl extended her hand, "Come on, and let's get out of here"; she told him and pulled him away from the alley. "Let's go play at the park" the girl suggested. The boy followed her, "Are we gonna be friends? I don't really have many friends, but I like you" the boy told her. The girl laughed, "Of course we're friends!!"

"So my dad and my brother want me to play basketball", the boy told his angel. They were at their favourite spot, at the park under a shady tree. "You don't want to?" The girl asked as she played with a fallen leaf.

The boy shook his head. "I don't like it". The girl smiled at him, "But you haven't tried it yet. Remember when you first rode your bike and you fell? You told your mom you don't wanna ride a bike again, but after a few try, you grew fond of it"

The boy thought for a moment, and then he smiled. "Yeah. So you think if I try playing basketball, I might like it?" The girl nodded. "Hm…I guess I'll give it a try then." He smiled at her. The boy turned his head and watched his older brother playing basketball. "Oniisan!" he shouted. His brother dropped the ball and looked at him, and then he walked towards the little boy.

The little boy stood up. He looked at his 'angel'. "You wanna join us?" he asked her. She shook her head, "No, I have to go up, they're calling me. I'll see you tonight okay?" The boy nodded. He watched as his guardian flew up to the sky and vanished.

"What is it?" his brother asked. "I wanna play basketball!" he shouted. The brother looked at him, surprised. Yesterday he had tried to persuade him to play but the younger brother shouted at him, telling him no. And now, suddenly his little brother tells him he wants to play. He squatted, so he could meet his little brother's big blue eyes, "Why the change of mind?" he asked him, smiling.

The boy shrugged. "It looks fun". His brother smiled and holds his little brother's hand as they walked back towards the court. "I'll teach you everything you need to know about basketball, okay?" he told the younger sibling. The boy nodded.

Days passed, and Akie was always by his side. She became a pleasant constant in his small life. If he needed someone to talk to, she was there to listen.

Everyday, the little boy and his brother would go to the park. The angel would follow him from behind, making sure he was safe from any harm. Sometimes when the brother was playing basketball with his friends, they would play together and joined by other kids. For some reason the other kids could see the angel.

One night as the boy lied down on his bed, he called his guardian angel. She appeared a few seconds later, smiling at him. "Hey" she greeted him. "What are you doing?" he asked her. "I was talking to a new kid up in heaven."

The boy looked at her in amazement, "really?" The angel nodded. "Yup, she had died from a sickness and now she has become the new member in heaven." "Wow", the boy said in amazement. "Can you tell her I said hi?"

"Of course", she replied him. "What is she going to do then?"

The little girl thought. "I think she's probably gonna become a guardian angel" "Like you?" the boy asked. The girl nodded. Suddenly the boy's face change. He looked at her sadly, "so, um… how did you die?" the boy asked.

The girl was shocked to receive the question, but she knew one day he might ask her.

The girl smiled. "Actually I'm not dead." The boy's eyes widened, "you're not?" The girl shook her head, "I'm at a hospital far away, and I'm in a coma". The boy looked confused, "what's a coma?"

"It's like sleeping for a long, long time."

"How did you get it?"

"I was hit by a car a long time ago."

"Didn't you have your guardian angel?"

The girl shook her head. "That's why when I was in a coma, 'they' asked me if I wanted to become a guardian angel and look after a person so something bad won't happen to him", the angel looked at him. The boy smiled. "Thank you for protecting me"

The boy thought for a moment, "B-but," his face changed again. "That means, that one day you're gonna leave me?"

The girl nodded weakly. "No, no, no!! You can't leave me!!" the boy's eyes were filled with tears. "Oh no, please don't ask anymore" she went up to the boy and hugged him. "Shhh", she said trying to calm him down.

The boy looked at her. Akie wiped the tears on his face. "Listen, one day I am going to leave you, and so are the other guardian angels. Our job is to protect young children, and when they're big enough, they won't need us, so that is why we have to go."

"But I need you."

"I need you too, but think about the other younger children when you're a grown up. Who are going to look after them? You don't want something bad to happen to them like what happened to me, do you?"

"…no"

"That's why we have to leave. We have to take care of the younger kids."

"But you're sleeping. What if you wake up?"

The girl suddenly stopped from talking and cocked her head to the side, as if she was listening to something. She noticed that the boy was looking at her; she smiled at him, still listening intently.

"Akie?"

She smiled at him, "I have to go"

"Go? Go where?"

She looked a little worried. "To heaven. I've...I've got to report in for a bit."

By now, the boy was looking a bit worried too. "How long will you be gone?"

"Tell you what, you go to sleep and I'll see you the next morning okay?"

The boy nodded, "okay" He was getting tired and sleepy. She smiled at him and kissed his forehead before vanishing into the sky.

The boy looked up for a moment, and then fell asleep.

"Good morning sweetie"

The boy opened his eyes slowly. "Hi, mommy" he smiled.

The older woman extended her arms and picked up the little boy. "Come, breakfast is ready"

As she carried him down, the little boy called up his angel.

He waited, but she didn't come. Maybe she's sleeping, he thought.

They reached the dining room to find it occupied with all his family members. "Hey, bro" his brother greeted him, "wanna go play basketball later?"

He weakly nodded. "Reiji, you're not gonna spend your whole day playing with him are you?" his mother asked, sipping her milk. "You promised you'd go visit grandpa today. You're the only one who hasn't visited him for the past two months."

Reiji answered with his mouth full, "That's because I'm busy. I had basketball practices for the game. I'll try to go this afternoon."

His dad spread butter on his toast, "You'd better son"

The boy kept calling his angel. His mother noticed her son's silence behavior. "What's wrong honey?" Now the whole family was looking at him. He shook his head, "I'm just sleepy." His mother nodded, understanding.

"Mom, my science group is having another meeting at Mouri's place. Can you pick me up from there this evening?" his sister, Sakura asked.

"I can't. I'm going to visit a friend. Her daughter is at a hospital, I'll be home by 8." The mother answered. "Isn't it Yoshida's kid?" the dad asked. She nodded. Sakura sighed. "Dad? Can you pick me up?"

The dad thought for a moment. "Yeah, I guess so. But you have to tell me where Mouri's house is." Sakura's face lit up. "Yeah sure. I just don't want to take the bus. The people there creeps me out."

Reiji snorted, "You're the creep". Sakura gave Reiji a glare, "say that again and I'll stuff sashimi down your throat" she threatens him, and it worked as Reiji keep quiet.

Akie, where are you? The boy asked, he ignored the whole family. He was worried. Usually Akie would answer him as soon as he called her.

Could something happen to her? The boy asked himself, slowly eating the cereal in front of him.

He had called her the whole day, but she didn't come.

He was missing her.

Even during his basketball practice with his brother, he didn't pay much attention, and that resulted in a bump from the ball on his forehead.

"I told you to watch out! Didn't you hear me?" his brother asked him as he fell on the ground from the hit.

He wanted to cry from the pain. He wanted her to be there to treat him, but she wasn't.

When they reached home that day, his babysitter was there waiting for him. She was shocked to see the bump and quickly treated him. His brother left him soon after to visit their grandpa, leaving him to rest with his babysitter.

He was tired. He wanted to sleep.

And he did.

Where am I? He asked himself.

"Dreamland", someone said. He turned around.

"Akie!!" he ran towards her. "Where have you been? I've been waiting for you the whole day. I've got a bump on my head the size of a baseball", he told her.

Akie gave a sour smile. He noticed her down mood. "Hey, what's up?"

She looked away from him. "I-I have to leave you" she said in a whisper.

"No, no" the boy backed away from his angel, tears forming in his eyes. "You said you'd wait until I'm a bit older"

Akie was crying. "I know I said that. It's just I'm supposed to wake up from my long sleep. Oh, you have to understand"

The boy looked around, he wanted to run and hide. But there was nothing surrounded them. Akie went up to him and hugged him. "You have to understand. I want to wake up. Oh, I haven't seen my family for a long time; I've missed them so much!"

The boy pushed her away. "Why are you doing this to me? Was I bad boy? I can change! Just don't leave me!!"

"No, no. It's not that. You're old enough to take care of yourself now. You don't need me. Besides now that your day is going to be occupying with basketball, there would be no time for me." The angel explained.

"That's not true!! I do like basketball, but I like you too!" the boy broke down in tears. "You were my best friend. Now I'll never have any friends anymore".

The angel hugged him again. "That's not true. You will have friends." She cupped his face and stared into his eyes. "Friends come and go. But they will always remain in your heart. You have to let go of me, but this I promise you. One day we'll see each other again, and we'll be together then"

The boy stopped crying. "You promise?" he asked. She nodded. "Okay. I'll never forget you." He hugged her back. The angel smiled, "I'll never forget you too".

Slowly she vanished from his embrace. He looked at her transparent body vanishing, and lastly her smile was gone. He wanted to cry, but no tears came out.

He woke up. His cheek was wet. It wasn't a dream; his angel had really gone from him. He stood up and walked towards the kitchen where he found his babysitter.

"Hey, you woke up? You want ice cream?" his baby sitter asked. There was something different in the boy, she had noticed. His gaze was different; it wasn't like his happy and cheerful look. It was deep and mysterious.

He nodded. "Are you ok? You look like you had a nightmare" she said as she handed him his bowl of ice cream.

He shook his head, "it wasn't a nightmare"

Little does the babysitter, and the whole family knows, it was the day when Kaede Rukawa turned into a cold, mysterious person that he is now.

Author's note: I know the story it's a bit confusing right now, (maybe you can say the character is OOC) but this only the prologue, and besides I'm trying to explain how Rukawa became a cold person, so bear with me. Don't worry, I'll explain about everything soon okay?

In the mean time, do review. Thanks!