Disclaimer: I do not own The Prince of Tennis

Will this be the end?

The siren of the ambulance rang through the cold night air. The paramedics quickly checked his pulse and said it was still there but small and weak. He can still be saved. They put him on a stretcher and into the ambulance. Sakuno also received medical treatment from the minor injuries she got from the man who tried to rape her. Jackal went with her and the others followed to the hospital after the criminals have been finally sent to jail.

As they got to the hospital, Kirihara was brought to the emergency room and the red light went on. Sakuno was crying still, it was just too much for her. Jackal instructed her to call her Baa-san and some friends while he called Akaya's parents.

Sakuno took her phone and called her Baa-san. She was frantic about what had happened so she rushed out of their house and into the streets to hail a cab.

Sakuno also called Tomo-chan, another one who was frantic and told her that she will tell the others and ask them if they could come and visit her in the hospital.

A few minutes had passed and the red light on the emergency room is still on. The other regulars came and reported that the three men had already been arrested. Sakuno was quiet, hugging her knees in her seat as she prayed that nothing worse would happen to Kirihara. Marui sat beside her and comforted her.

Everybody felt the same when Yukimura was going under operation, this time it's Kirihara that they are worried about. Sumire arrived and hugged Sakuno tightly and was glad that she was alright.

"Kiri-kirihara-senpai is… is…" she continued weeping and her Baa-san didn't understand a thing that she was trying to say. She told her to calm down and tell her what had happened.

Sakuno breathed deeply and relayed the events. Sumire tried to hide her tears but she couldn't stop them from falling. She hugged the poor girl who is now praying with her all to keep her senpai alive.

Kirihara's parents arrived and Yukimura apologized for what had happened to their son and his mother couldn't help but cry in unison with the women. She approached Sakuno and hugged her tightly and his father patted her shoulder. The Kirihara family is very fond of her and was glad that she often came over to their house; they really enjoy her company.

The light finally switched off and the doctor came out of the room. He asked who the parents of the boy were. Then he told them that he is alive but…

******

Tomo-chan and Ryoma arrived and saw Sakuno almost lifeless. She shook her but tears just fell continuously down her cheeks. The Rikkai regulars were down as well, as if they are carrying the whole world on their shoulders.

"Sakuno. Sakuno. What's happening?" Tomo-chan was worried about her friend because she didn't seem to be herself, as if life had been removed from her. She slapped her hard on the face and Sakuno seemed to have come back. "Get a grip, Sakuno!"

"T-Tomo-chan!" she was surprised that she was there. She was too preoccupied to realize it. Then the other apologized for her actions.

"What's going on?" Tomo asked. She looked at all the people who were close to them, noting their appearances.

"Akaya-kun is…" Sakuno tilted her head to the right and thought of how she was going to say it. Tomo waited and knew how grave the situation was. "He is in a comatose. The doctor said he received a fatal blow on his head that caused trauma and the chance of him waking up is... is… I d-don't know anymore, T-Tomo-chan!" she hugged her dearest friend and cried. She couldn't do anything.

Ryoma watched Sakuno as if she is a complete stranger or she has grown a third arm. "Why do you care about him so much?" he said. In his head he still believes that he's the only one that Sakuno would love.

Sakuno snaps at Ryoma for his insensitivity. "You want to know w-why, Ryoma-kun?" she paused as she cleared her voice. "First, he's my boyfriend and he saved my life, second!" her outburst shocked him. Then somebody approached them which made Ryoma move away from Sakuno.

Kirihara's Kaa-san approached her and asked her if she could come with her inside the room and look at Aka-chan. She followed her and saw how serene his face was when he lied there asleep. "He looks like an angel." Sakuno smiled as she sat beside him and saw the bandages on his face. She let her hand wander on his face, remembering to be gentle. His Kaa-san began crying again, as she saw how sad the scene was between her son and this girl that he loved.

******

As Sakuno left Tomo and Ryoma, Yukimura closed in on them and warned Echizen. "It's best that she doesn't see you for a while." He told Ryoma which earned him a glare. "Don't forget that it was your fault that the fight between Akaya and Sakuno ensued." He returned the glare, his face now serious as the younger fellow did not take his warning seriously. "Don't wait for her to tell you this." Then he left.

******

"Hey, don't f-forget to w-wake up, senpai. You still have c-classes tomorrow, okay?" she said, her voice trembling as she combed through his curly hair. She kissed him gently on his forehead as she got up and ready to leave. "I won't be able to repay you if you die, so don't you dare do so." She said as she mimicked his spunkiness. She walked towards his mother and embraced her then said her good-byes as she was leaving.

Akaya's mother also told the other boys to go home and get some sleep. They still have a lot of things to do in school the following day.

They all knew that school would be different tomorrow.

******

Sumire went to school to discuss some things with Sakuno's teachers about what had happened yesterday. The same goes for Akaya's mother.

Sakuno lied on her bed, staring blankly on the ceiling. She tried to reach her phone that was lying on the table beside her bed but knocked a picture frame in the process.

She picked up what it was that fell on the floor and dusted it. It has a picture of them together eating ice cream. She smiled because Akaya had ice cream on his nose and she has some on her cheek.

Then, droplets of tears started to fall on the picture.

******

Sakuno attended school today but she often spaced out. Her English teacher was so concerned that she sent her to the infirmary to rest. Despite her protests, she was forced to go and rest for a while. At lunch break, she went to their usual meeting place, but a group of girls was there.

"If it isn't Ryuzaki." One of them said annoyed at her sudden appearance. She wanted to go back to her class room but the others wanted to confront her.

"It's your fault that Kirihara is absent today, isn't it?" she felt guilty and couldn't say anything to defend herself.

Marui went to Sakuno's class and asked her friend as to where Sakuno might be. She told him that she might be in the rooftop again or maybe not. Marui asked for her help to find Sakuno.

"You should have died so you can't cause them trouble!" one of the girls slapped Sakuno on the face yet she just bowed.

"I will if I could," Sakuno began crying. "I will do it if it will bring him back."

"Sakuno!" Marui called her and her friend came to hug a crying Sakuno. He looked angrily at the girls and they slipped away before they could get into trouble. Sakuno pulled away from the hug and ran to the edge of the rooftop, putting her hands on the railings and looked down.

"What are you going to do?" Marui ran towards her as she scaled the railings.

"Marui-senpai, t-tell him I'm sorry." Sakuno then let go of her grip on the steel railing but Marui grabbed her wrist and grunted as he pulled Sakuno so that she won't fall.

"Baka! Even if he wakes up and he finds you dead, he still won't be happy!" Marui pulled her and she realized that what she was trying to do was inherently wrong. "You're everything to him so don't make everything disappear." He pulled her in and she cried on his shoulder as he patted her back.

After school, they all decided to visit their friend. When they arrived, his mother wasn't there. Sakuno sat beside the bed and the others took their places in the room.

Niou stood up from his seat, impatient from the silence. He walked over to Kirihara, and then said, annoyed, "Look at him. He's as good as dead." Yukimura's head shot up at Niou's words; he called his name to get his attention.

Yet he was oblivious, "All that's missing is a coffin and he'd pass for a corpse which people mourn over."

"Masaharu!" Yukimura called on first name basis.

"What? Are you going to punish me with 300 laps around the courts at practice tomorrow, Seiichi!?" he snapped.

"Everyone's frustrated, Masaharu, not just you." He pointed at all the people inside the room. Niou left with his feet heavy and also his heart.

Sakuno just held Akaya's hand as Niou and Yukimura were arguing with each other. As Niou got out of the room, Akaya's mother entered while carrying some fruits.

After a few moments, they decided to go home. It's different without him.

******

Almost three weeks had passed and no signs of reaction to stimuli. Akaya is still in deep sleep due to the blow that was delivered to his head.

The others visited him on a regular basis, telling him that he missed a lot of lessons and that he has lots of assignments. They were sad; the team didn't have their little baby and Yukimura had to play in singles-one slot, not that the matches ever came to a point that he had to play but seriously, it's been hard for all of them.

It was a fine Saturday morning and Tachibana An decided to come and visit Akaya in the hospital. The regulars can't come until they finished their match.

Sakuno took her usual spot. An looked at Kirihara. "I never thought he could look so angelic." It sounded a little sarcastic but she had a point.

Sakuno looked at him and brushed away some locks that were over his eyes. "His hair has grown longer." She noticed that some on the bandages on his face have been removed and the one on his left brow was the only one left.

"He's sleeping, right?" An was curious. What is it like when you're in a comatose?

"If he is, I wonder what he is dreaming about." Sakuno paused, "Is he dreaming about me?" she smiled as she held his hand.

Then the regulars came, a little tired of the game they played. Marui closed in to the bed and the girls left as Kirihara's mom sensed that it will be another session of men's talk.

Marui clenched his hands and turned them into fists. "It's been three weeks! Aren't you planning on waking up!?" he shouted; his amethyst eyes full of sorrow. He grabbed Akaya's clothes and yanked on him, pulling him up from bed. The others tried to stop him but he only shook Akaya more.

"God damn it! Don't stop me!" it was within a blue moon that Marui is like that and they let him do what he wants.

"I know you can hear me, you brat! So listen carefully!" he cleared his throat and Akaya's head dangled lifelessly. "If you keep on sleeping like that, it'll be too easy for me to steal her from you!" he said. He got annoyed that he still hasn't woken up. He shook him a lot more times but grew tired of it and decided to put him down.

He let him go, allowing Akaya to fall down on his bed when suddenly a loud banging sound was heard. Their eyes shot wide open as Akaya's head hit the metal framing of the bed.

His eyes shot open upon contact of his head with the steel and he gasped for air but they closed again and he felt the people around him put him back to bed, properly this time. He blinked slowly, his eyes a little irritated by the light, as the others were too busy scolding Marui.

"Hey… What's… going on?" he said, his voice still husky from sleep.

"Stay out of this Akaya! This is none of your business." Sanada muttered, "Go back to sleep!" when it hit them that Akaya did speak and he was awake!

"You brat!" Niou shouted as he bonked his head. Kirihara rubbed his head and said that it hurts big time which prompted the others to look at Marui then laughed.

"Where is… she?" he asked remembering Sakuno. He had a little difficulty in speaking.

"You will only get to see her if you act properly!" Niou grinned mischievously as he vocalized his plan.

******

"Sakuno! Sakuno!" they heard a man calling to them and found Jackal panting as he finally reached them.

"He's… awake!" then the women hurried their pace as they wanted to see Akaya awake.

When they reached his room, they saw him, still asleep. "I thought he was awake." His mother got depressed again when Yagyu spoke.

"Maybe he needs a kiss from a princess?" Everyone looked at him with raised eyebrows. "It's Sleeping Beauty, but the roles are reversed." He said, hoping to find a way to wake his kohai.

"But in this case, who is the princess?" An asked them.

"She is our princess." Niou looked at Sakuno. He has been addressing her as princess for a while now.

"Me?" she pointed a finger at her self, still confused and her senpai-tachi nodded. She sighed. 'What if it's the only way to wake him up?' She finally agreed and Sanada told the other women to leave the room together with them.

As they exited the room, Marui let himself to be left inside and closed the door. Even though it is painful for him, he wanted to see her happy again. 'If she's happy, then I am as well.' He thought.

Sakuno leaned in for the kiss that would awaken her prince, but to her surprise, a hand pulled her closer. She gasped and their lips touched. His tongue invaded her mouth and brushed through her teeth and played with hers. They parted, both having flushed faces.

"Long time… no see." He smiled at her. She punched him at the chest and ranted.

"You were awake! You tricked me!" she said as tears started to form in her eyes yet her smile was so brilliant that it brought back his strength. She hugged him and they closed in for another kiss.

"It's nice to be back."

A little cheesy ne? I'm sorry about that. Hehe I hope you like it, please don't forget to read and review! n_n my end ramblings are like bot messages...