Disclaimer: I don't own Prince of Tennis, but it definitely claims the top of my Christmas wish list. Jk
Believing Dreams of Little Skies
By: Seiano
Chapter 1: Okairi
"Saiyonara, Kane."
'Wake up!… Get up!… Stand up!… It's gonna be okay!'
A pair of golden brown eyes flung open as the small black homemade alarm clock played Dream Believer. The sound resounded through out the room.
"Mmmm, five more minutes," a feminine voice mumbled as a slender arm grasped the blanket and drew it around the owner.
'It is currently 8 o' clock in the morning. Reminders for February 1st:.' The clock began to play an annoying masculine voice. The beauty of programmed technology. 'The flight to Narita Airport Japan is today at 12 noon. Get your lazy butt out of bed! I'm picking you up at 9 in the morning so we can actually get to JFK ON TIME. Surprise, huh? Get your last box out and be at the door at 9 or else. Got that?'
Saki kake ta hana ga…
After the taped reminder was played, the clock began to blast the song Little Skies.The golden orbs stared at the ceiling as the song continued to play. Her eyes shifted to three large black Samsonite suitcases and the ice-blue Jansport shoulder bag on the floor accompanied by the open cardboard box next to it. The rest of the room was stripped of its former pictures and furniture, leaving stark naked white walls and the mahogany wooden planks of the hardwood floor. Moving day was finally here.
----
Echizen Ryoma lazily strolled on the quiet sidewalks in the last glow of the setting February sun. A light sheen of sweat glistened on his skin from that days practice. Curse buchou for making these practices so long and so pointless for the first years.
"Oi, Echizen!" Momoshiro called out from behind, pedaling profusely on his bright red bicycle. "Chouto matte! Wait a minute!!"
The young raven-haired freshman turned around to eye the curiously eccentric tall second-year. Momoshiro panted as he got off his scarlet bike.
"Mada mada dane. You're still lacking," came the usual reply.
"Oi, Echizen, is that all you can say?" the older male fumed, messing up the freshman's hair.
"Iie. It's just that this time you were slow, not to mention out of shape too."
The older boy's eyebrow twitched in frustration. Who does this punk think he is? I'm still his senpai!!!
"Momoshiro-senpai, ja ne," Ryoma announced after a moment of silence.
"Where are you going? I just got here!" Momoshiro called out after the ever-shrinking figure.
"My second cousin or what not moved into my house from America today, so I need to be home by six."
The tall second-year glanced at his watch. It was 5:59 PM and Ryoma lived two miles off. And he was walking… slowly. That kid sure did know what the word 'punctual' meant.
----
"Tadaima!" The emotionless voice of the freshman rang throughout the hardwood hallway, echoing into the dim house.
"Okairi," Nanako called from the kitchen. The lighted room was filled with sounds of metal clanking and the scent of dinner.
Ryoma's stomach reacted and grumbled at the smell of dinner nearing. Inching around his cousin's line of vision, he reached to grab a small bite of the wakame on the china plate she had just finished. Suddenly a hand shot out and swatted the freshman's roaming hands away.
"Wait until dinner, impatient boy," the pert reply came as Nanako's blue eyes landed to him.
"Eh, where's your relative?"
"Mm? You mean Kane?" Echizen answered mechnically.
"Yes, weren't you supposed to pick her up form the airport?" the elder figure continued to interrogate.
"I was? I thought oyaji was doing that."
"Then what's this?"
Nanako quickly wiped her slender pale hands on the sakura flower printed apron as she walked into the hallway. She picked up a folded up crumpled piece of paper and handed it to Ryoma.
Ryoma quirked his black eyebrows as he received the mysterious note; soon his expression changed.
Oi, Ryoma! You know your oji-sama, I'm so hard working. So go and kindly pick up your second aunt.
-Oyaji
Ryoma crumpled up the piece of paper and casually tossed it behind him as he scrambled to put on his shoes. That man who calls himself my father doesn't deserve that title. He's worse than Momoshiro, Eiji, Inui and Fuji put together.
"Itekimas!" the boy yelled, clearly frustrated as his eyebrows seemed to be set into a concrete knit.
"Iteresai!!" the Echizen cousin called after him as Ryoma threw open the door and ran outside.
----
Honey golden eyes darted from the paper held between her slender fingers to the road sign on the post placed on the corner. She brushed back a strand of raven black hair and placed it neatly behind her ear as she picked up her three black Samsonite suitcases and readjusted the positioning of her Jansport shoulder bag.
As she continued to walk down the quiet dimly lit road, her golden orbs tried to focus on the poorly scrawled map drawn by her lazy second cousin. That man didn't even deserve to be called a second cousin.
Ni ju ichi 21, ni ju san 23, ni ju go 25, ni ju hachi 27.
27. The sharp eyes lifted from the small slip of paper she held between her slender fingers to meet the sight of a traditional Japanese house. A small smile shadowed her features.
BAM! The girl jumped slightly at the large contrast of noises. A murmur of a cat meow rang in the silent night air. A door slammed shut as a small masculine shadow descended from the house.
"Baka," the shadow muttered as it darted down the path from the door to the house gate.
As the shadow turned to exit the property, he crashed into the girl who had her nose buried in the paper, trying to decipher the scrawled handwriting that covered the page.
------
Ryoma cursed as he hit the pavement with a thud. Who was this annoying pedestrian who wasn't looking where he was going? He inwardly fumed as he reached to pick up the cap he had just dropped.
"Gome," he apologized politely as he got up to run.
"Oi, ochibi," the feminine voice spoke as a firm but slender hand snaked out to grab a hold of his elbow.
"Yamerou, Kikumaru-senpai, I really need to go" the first year boy grumbled, twisting his arm out of the speaker's grasp.
"Where? To the bathroom, ochibi?" the feminine voice spoke again, but this time in flawless English.
Golden cat eyes widened in surprise as Echizen turned around to face his acquaintance until he met golden eyes that mirrored his own. There, under the streetlight stood a tall teenage female with hair cascading around her shoulders in great waves of raven black. Upon her back was none other than the spirited blue, red and white of Seigaku.
"Kane."
"So, ochibi, where you rushing to after you forgot to pick up your beloved second aunt?" the addressed female asked, cocking her head slightly in curiousity as she threw him a mysterious silver aluminum can.
"Second aunt?" Ryoma asked, quirking a brow as he single handedly caught the flying object, picking up a black suitcase in the process.
"I know, I know, I sound old. Heck, I'm only two years older than you," Kane mused, as she followed her younger relative up the pathway to the house.
"Then change it, baka."
"Yea, I guess it doesn't matter. It's not like you care anyway. Hey, what did you say? You know, you still need to give me respect as a second aunt!"
"Mada mada dane."
"You, Ryoga and that half-ass father of yours."
The light flooded the dimly lit porch as the door opened into the house.
"Tadaima!"
"Okairi! Kane-san!"
Ryoma's elder cousin stuck out her head from the kitchen as she called a welcome. Upon seeing the new arrival, she promptly proceeded to smother the poor girl.
"Oi, Nanako," the male complained, sensing the overwhelming scent of estrogen in the air.
"Gome, I'm just happy to see my little cousin!" the blue haired female replied cheerfully.
"Eh? Nanako! Don't let Ryoma run you over like that! You should say, 'Know your place boy!'"
"Why would I say that?"
Ryoma sighed as the two girls battled over how they should treat him. Bored, he decided to examine the can Kane had so kindly tossed at him. The bright design on the side of the can read "Ponta". At that, Ryoma happily popped it open and proceeded to chug the liquid inside but quickly stopped short.
"Kane, this is lemon flavored!"
The two females stopped their conversation to turn to the annoyed boy and his puckered lips. Kane smiled.
"I know, ochibi," Kane replied.
"But I hate lemon!" Ryoma exclaimed like a whining little boy.
"I know, just like the first time."
At first, the young Echizen blinked in fury at the girl calm answer and complacent smirk that marked her feature but soon Ryoma's puckered lips subconsciously twisted into a radiant smile. Her presence was like a drug. A happy drug that brought life and color.
Okairi, Kane.
-----
Ryoma: Oyaji, you're dead!
Father: Really now. Let's see you do that.
Kane: See what I mean by half-assed father?
Father: Hey, show me some respect!
Ryoma and Kane: Respect? HAHAHAHAHAHA. My butt.
Ryoma: That's like having Kikumaru-senpai sit still.
Kane: Haha. Hey, Ryoma, how do you Kikumaru Eiji?
Tsuzuku
R&R. Onegai!