hello... perhaps your all enjoying this? that's good! this chapter is all about Eiji! so, eiji will be doing a lot of action in this chapter! GO EIJI KIKUMARU! btw, eiji is my favorite character, so, i won't keep having him puke and see blood... I HAVE RAMBLED LONG ENOUGH! on to the story.
---The last game of the No. 1 Doubles, standing still at a tie, Oishi---
The game had become a war of skills and witts. Soon, Haru and Fuji were down, but Eiji and Oishi still stood.
Oishi sent up his Moon Volley. Eiji smirked. "I've been waiting for that!"
Haru, suddenly realizing what was happening, whirrled around. "No! Eiji! Your shoulder! You can't hit it!"
Eiji smiled inoccently. "I don't care how much pain it costs me. I've suffered for this team, and I can suffer again." With those words ringing out, he raised his right arm, the raquet held high over his head and said, right before the ball came down, "I will always remember those who gave me the strength to keep going. I will never forget what my old friends did for me, nor what this new team has down for me. This is my payback to them all."
With a sickening CRACK! the raquet smashed into the Moon Volley's course and sent it flying back, straight for Oishi's face. At that same moment, the resonating sound came from Eiji's body. A blood soaked sleeve and the torn flesh revealed the prostetic shoulder blade in Eiji's body. His right shoulder blade was now out in the open, but his arm still moved. He was down on all fours when he raised his hand to the ref.
"I call a sudden death match, ref." Eiji stood up again, shaking his arm loose. "I will take up Hyotei's spot."
Haru smiled and relaxed some. "I'm sure that it'll brake the tie we have. Eiji, if you die, I'll resurect you and stab you to death for loosing, ya got that!" He ruffled Eiji's hair and put the cap back over Eiji's firey hair.
Oishi looked at Fuji and sighed. "I will take up Seiyuu's saddal, sir." Oishi walked over to Fuji. "You need to rest, go rest on the benches, I'll finish this game off. Now go." He gently took Fuji's arm and slowly took him to the benches, where he set him down and picked up his raquet. With a sigh, he looked over his shoulder at Eiji's bloody back. "My friend and love, I won't let you abandon what he had left."
Eiji turned to Oishi. With the lights from the ceiling and the position he was in, when he did turn around, Oishi and Fuji both saw an angel with blood dripping down his body and wings covered in blood. He was standing alone on the clay courts that lay behind him, his hair was longer, down to his shoulders, his eyes were sad and lonely, but he still seemed to be holding onto something very important to him.
Eiji came closer, helping Haru walk. "No more straining your ankle, Haru-dono." He set Haru down and smiled. "I honestly wasn't expecting it to come to this. It's amazing how long they can last in this weather of a storm we put them through. Now, I guess I have to close this horrid storm with a win or loss." Eiji's bright smile masked his pain and loneliness once more.
Oishi and Eiji returned to the courts, this time, Oishi shook Eiji's left hand and noticed the strong grip. He looked at Eiji in total shock and slowly reached out to Eiji with his heart. Eiji's eyes were cold and lonely, just like that angel that Oishi and Fuji had seen only moments before.
Eiji's face became stern. "I'm sorry for causing so much trouble, but this is always for the best. I honestly wasn't expecting this many wins by the last match. I was hoping that we'd loose to you, which will never happen now. Perhaps, this game, will show you what my stamina level is like now. I can last almost three games straight before my shoulder bleeds. Which means you and Fuji have gotten a lot stronger and quicker, but nothingI can't handel." He tipped his hat down and his smile faded for good. "I want to tell you something after the game."
---
It came down to the last serve. Eiji was breathing heavily, as was Oishi. The two were neck and neck for the lead. Oishi threw the ball up for the serve and smacked it with all his might. Eiji knew his right arm was blown and switched the raquet to his left hand and watched the balls path and managed to send it back.
Oishi heard Haru say; "Now Eiji's gone a little to far. His left hand is to powerful, he'll win this match, hands-down! He promised he wouldn't use his natural arm."
Oishi ignored this and hit the ball with all his might. This time, Eiji flipped the raquet. Instead of hitting it with the net on the raquet, he hit it with the handle, sending it back with almost double the force. When it was returned to him, he used the butt-end of the raquet and sent it on a spinning path back to Oishi. It swung left, but seemed to curve right and Oishi almost lost it, but managed to throw it back.
With a whistle, Eiji smiled and whipped the raquet around, swinging it high and sending a vipre back at Oishi. "I'm sorry for trying so hard, but I'm not down yet." He smiled. "I do plan on remembering who was better back at Seigaku. And I do plan to let you see my best move yet." Eiji raised his left arm high over his head as Oishi shot the next hit right to Eiji's feet.
Without warning, Eiji raised his head to the heavens and brought his raquet down. With a swing and an ear-splitting SNAP the ball became a sever streak of yellow across the courts. Eiji was low to the ground, his raquet was broken and his arms were blood stained and in fists. He was slowly falling onto all fours, his hat quite far behind him. He looked up at Oishi and smiled as he pointed.
Oishi turned around and saw the tennis ball was stuck in the rail above them. The railing was bent slightly and his eyes widened at the power Eiji had thrown into that hit. He turned back to the read-head who smiled and whispered; "I missed again, right? I keep missing, Oishi-san. I'm sor...ry." He fell down and his eyes slid closed. His head fell to the side and his body collapsed as his breath became ragged.
The air seemed to get heavy and unbreathable for Oishi as Eiji's fans in the crowd said nothing. The white noise that had greeted Oishi's win was killed by Eiji's collapse. The scilence filled the air and made it even heavier than before. Haru, being the first to find himself ran out there to check up on Eiji's health.
"Eiji! I told you not to over work yourself like that!" Haru quickly picked Eiji up and began to pour his water on the open wound on Eiji's back and slowly began to was the crimson liquid from the vice-captain's back. "Yuki! Yuki, we need a medical team!"
Yuki and Kaidoh had found their legs and voice once more, but Oishi was still lost and voiceless. Without another thought, is raquet slipped and he ran forward, running to Eiji's side, just like before. Just like... Just like he would have years ago...
a/n: OK! now, onto the next chapter! i promise i won't keep doing that. the romantic Oishi/Eiji moment is comming up in the next chapter! I SWEAR UPON MY LIFE! eiji and oishi will have a cute moment at the hospital and--shuts up won't ruin it, sorry... anyhow! catch ya later!
the butt of the raquet , for those who don't know, is the very bottom of the raquet.