The Prince of Tennis Play

Disclaimer: I don't own Prince of Tennis or Cinderella.

Rating: G or K

Genre: Drama, suspense

Pairing: Implied Tezuka and Fuji

Warnings or notes: OOC-ness, grammar and other errors (English is not my mother tongue), slight confusion.

I am terribly sorry to be MIA (missing-in-action) for so long. That's why I decided to write an exclusively long chapter with over 4000 words! Hope you guys enjoy it, though it might be boring with all the drama stuffs. From now on, the humor parts will be almost non-existing. It will be replaced with angst or other categories.

Thanks to Carzla for editing my story.

Please leave a review if you like the story.

: Ready… Go :

Chapter 13 - Finally

"Back in the olden days, there was a gorgeous girl named Fuji-ella," the narrator, whom happened to be Sakuno Ryuuzaki, paused in the narrating as if to let the audiences absorb the name wholly. She was trying her best not to fidget in the middle of her speeches, but she was really getting uncomfortable being surrounded by so many people and not to mention, a bunch of charming tennis regulars of their school team in their smart suits and… dazzling gowns.

Those who noticed the name squealed out loudly and cheered for the famous genius. "Oh my God!! Fuji-kun/chan/senpai, we love you!!" As for the outsiders, they merely raised an amused eyebrow. Some showed curiosity in the supposed celebrity in Seishun. Amongst all of them, a rich diva smirked knowingly.

Ignoring the desperate catcalls, Sakuno continued, "Her beauty was overwhelming in a way that no one could ever match it. Thus, her stepsister was green with jealousy and her stepsis… stepbrother!" She seriously hoped no one noticed her slip, but it seemed like Momoshiro was glaring quite intensely at her slip (for he was afraid that she would slip again and his role would become 'stepsister'… again. Oh his sisters would laugh at him till his death). Although they had practiced for numerous times, she still recited the wrong nouns some times.

"Her stepbrother did not like her much, since his precious sister always backstabs Fuji-ella and he loves his own sister very much." To that, Momoshiro shot a look at Ryoma, who just shrugged at the edited script (to fill in the gaps and holes since there had been several changes in the roles).

'He doesn't know how true the statement is…' thought the second year wistfully as he watched the first year trying to hide his catlike eyes behind his bangs. Apparently, Ryoma was very uneasy with the whole thing. His turn was near, after all.

When Momoshiro turned back to the stage, Sakuno were still reciting slowly and very carefully. "His stepfather was not pleased either, because ever since her mother passed away, Fuji-ella reminded him only of her real father and his wife's first husband," she resumed. "Hence, they used her like a maid."

"Fuji-ella, come here this instant!!" The curtains were pulled up, revealing a burning-mode-on Kawamura in his dark green shirt with a brownish green suit and a smart blue necktie. A walking stick, to which the size was similar to their tennis rackets' grips, was the best alternative to turn on the usually timid boy's other energetic side without bringing any suspicion to the audience.

The background showed a cardboard-made fireplace with the chimney, along with real a dining table and dining chairs at the corner of the stage. It was rather simple, but it was enough since the focus was snatched away by the ones who played the roles. Who cared much about the other details?

Then, a rather timid looking Fuji entered the stage with her hands carrying a laundry basket with his head bowed. "Yes, Father?" The hall erupted into cries again. He was wearing a worn-out grayish white apron and his hair was quite long.

"I never… never thought a guy could be so attractive…" Some boys blushed openly and drooled over Fuji's maid outfit while some tried to hide due to embarrassment of admiring the same gender in a way they would only do to the opposite gender.

"You are our only love, Fuji-sama!!"

"He's so pretty! I'd marry Fuji-kun!! Give up the prince and be with me!" Meanwhile, some girls and boys were so excited that they almost rushed onto the stage, if not for the teachers were sitting on the fronts to ensure security.

Wincing at the bold declaration, Ryoma stepped into the stage as well, stomping his feet physically and mentally vomiting over his own childish action. "She failed to sew back my lovely yellow gown you gave me, Father!" He was wearing a light green blouse and a dark blue long skirt. Like Fuji, he did not wear a wig. His fists were clenched on his long skirt and he was actually pouting.

Everyone else in the hall was silent for the moment. And then, Ryoma noticed several flashes that were directed at his way. 'Who the heck took pictures of me!' he screamed mentally. It was then several cries were heard.

"Is that Echizen?!" The boys were utterly shocked, since they would never think Ryoma would actually look like an innocent little damsel when in a striking gown. 'Well, he would make a rather tomboyish girl if he were to be born a girl,' Momoshiro smirked to himself from his location backstage.

"Ryoma-kun/chan!! Absolutely adorable! Oh my God!!"

Among the audience, the corner of Atobe's mouth turned upwards. It was funny to see how the usually arrogant first year had turned into a helpless brat. It was a plus to see him in makeup too. He was satisfied with Fuji's promise and gleeful that he had come to watch.

By now, the Seigaku regulars were debating whether they ought to continue with the drama, because the cries were getting extreme by the seconds and it was disturbing the flow of the play immensely. But they really could not stop things halfway, not when they had spent so much effort on it! And Fuji was going to enter his murderous mode if this caused his plan to fail after all that careful planning. Unfortunately, the teachers were not helping much; the female teachers were squealing while the males were… sitting there, either rather dumbfounded or just curious.

"I'm sorry, I'll sew it back immediately after I am done with the laundry," said Fuji's soft crystal clear voice, effectively silencing everyone once again. He opened his eyes for a brief moment and it was all it took to make the others shut up their big mouths for the rest of the play, hopefully.

Appreciating the peace, Momoshiro hastily stepped into the scene. He was in a black shirt and a shimmering silver coat with matching trousers; the black belt unfastened and left hanging on his coat, as well as an orange scarf around his neck. Both his hands were folded in front of his chest firmly in a defensive stance. "You had better finish the chores as soon as possible before Father and I return," he said, looking as murderous as he could in front of his third year senior.

Although they were in a play, it was rather disturbing for the powerhouse player to be disrespectful towards the well-known genius. He could almost felt the deadly aura among the Fuji fans down the stage. 'Eeeps… I don't want to die yet!' he mentally shivered.

However, the black aura was soon to be disappeared when a girl suddenly squealed in delight. "Ooooh! He has a sister-complex! Oh Kami-sama, incest is such a beautiful, sinful love!" Really, the minds of fan girls were very terrifying indeed.

"But…" Sakuno was going to continue her narrating role but apparently, the voices, squeals and whatever else noises among the audience overpowered her soft voice. She tried again and yet again it was a failure. Finally, she raised her voice and almost shouted, "But!"

Since her raised voice failed yet again, the crew decided to release the curtains and black out the lights as Plan B. To their relief, it worked as they had hoped and so Sakuno resumed the story. "But Fuji-ella never complained. Not even once. She tried her best to follow her stepfamily's demands, for she was grateful that her stepfather still fed her and gave her shelter. The beautiful girl was never alone though, because she had her little friends accompanying her."

The curtains were raised once again, revealing Fuji alone with the birds. "I am so happy for your company, little birdies," Fuji said in a singsong voice while smiling at the bird on his left hand. The other birds were surrounding him like a magnet; flying around him and him alone.

"The birds are real!"

Yes, the birds were real. At first, the regulars were shocked when Inui had suggested such a crazy idea, but Fuji merely smiled wider and nodded in compliance. Initially, they thought it was going to be troublesome; after all, real birds were not easy to control. But when Fuji brought the birds in a cage and released them in practices, the birds were only drawn to the genius. When asked if he was the owner of those birds, Fuji shook his head with a sly smile.

On stage, Fuji hummed a song while holding the now-empty laundry basket. Then he put down the basket and swirled around the flying birds as if dancing with them. At the end, he stretched out his hands with a wide smile and the birds, as if on cue, flew from the stage to the end of the hall, soaring across the air and above the audience to outside. From the backstage, the tennis club members were shaking their heads in amusement. How did Fuji manage to turn such an act into a magnificent performance was beyond them. It was as if it was his solo performance.

"Oh little birdies, if only I could fly with such freedom," suddenly, Fuji's voice was heavy with emotion. Then he picked up the basket and went backstage. This time, Kawamura, Ryoma and Momoshiro entered the stage.

"Ryo-chan," Kawamura began. Ryoma was trying his best not to twitch his eyebrow in distaste and annoyance. No matter how many times he heard that affectionate nickname in practices, he still could not get over it completely. It just got into his nerves. "Burning! The Prince is going to hold a ball! All the ladies are invited to attend the ball for he is going to pick a wife! What a chance! Ryo-chan, with your looks, you will be the best candidate for sure! Oh my…" and Kawamura continued to ramble on.

Ryoma tuned his father's excited voice out completely while Momoshiro just beamed at his supposed sister. Suddenly Fuji appeared back on the stage with his eyes wide open, full of hope. It was a weird sight to the other regulars, for they never really seen them open other than when Fuji was being sadistic. When Fuji was acting as Cinderella, he was really different from his usual self.

"Father… may… may I go too?" the genius's voice was timid, but it was clear enough for the audience to hear what he said.

Ryoma groaned, and gave a look at Momoshiro. Immediately, Momoshiro recited his line. "Oh, sure you can go. But what would you be wearing then? This outfit?" his own voice was dripped with venom as he taunted Fuji.

"You only have that worn out violet dress as the best gown you own. How pathetic. What would the prince say if he sees you in such disgraceful clothing?" Ryoma added, giving Fuji a contemptuous look, who had looked down on the floor at that point. "Father, say that she can't go! I don't want the prince to look down on our family by allowing her to go!"

"Ryo-chan is correct! Burning! You cannot go!" Kawamura said fiercely.

Fuji's eyes saddened, but they were still filled with hope. "If I am allowed to borrow a dress… may I go?"

This time, Ryoma glared. It was the best part of his script, he mused. He was allowed to glare at Fuji openly! "I am slimmer than you! You cannot fit into my dresses. And there would be no one who would let you borrow a dress." In actual fact, he was originally supposed to say 'smaller' instead of 'slimmer', but Ryoma would never admit his own size. It was like stepping on himself. Heck, he had had enough when he was underestimated in tennis due to his body size.

"Fuji-ella, you are not to think about going to the ball ever again," Kawamura snapped. And then, the three of them left a poor Fuji looking close to tears.

"Oh… I have never been to a ball… If only I have a decent dress…" he said to himself while looking at the old maid outfit he was wearing. Curtains fell over again and the lights went off immediately. The other members needed to be quick to set up the stage for another scene and Ryoma had to rush to change gowns too.

"Poor Fuji-ella was saddened by the rejection of her only request. She heard everybody talking about the ball for days, and she felt left out for not being to see the prince. Then, the day had finally come," Sakuno was narrating when the curtains were lowered.

When they were raised again, it revealed a garden. At one side, Fuji was tending the flowers alone, while Kawamura, Momoshiro and Ryoma were at the other side of the stage. Ryoma had changed into a nice gown which the upper part was light-purplish, the lower part was sky-blue and ended with fluffy white fur. It was complete with a red ribbon tied around his waist.

The audience squealed once again in delight when they saw Ryoma in another cute dress. This really was getting onto his nerves. "Father, when are we going?" he asked impatiently. In reality, he was hoping to end this play as soon as possible.

"Oh Ryo-chan, you look lovely! Surely the prince would choose you," Momoshiro said before Kawamura's turn to speak.

Then their senior said in his excited voice, "C'mon baby! Let's go to the ball and win the prince's heart!" So, the three of them disappeared backstage once again with Fuji staring longingly at their departure. His sapphire eyes were opened wide and they were full of unshed tears. Fuji used a hand to wipe off his tears when one of them rolled down from the corner of his left eye.

By then, the tears began to fall increasingly even as he continued his effort to wipe them away. Down in the audience, they were amazed by Fuji's acting ability. They could feel that he was completely in control of his emotions. It was as if he really was Cinderella (of course they did not mean the gender). Silence filled the hall as they watched Fuji intensely.

Fuji continued to weep uncontrollably and he used both hands to cover his face, not bothering to stop the flow of tears anymore. "Oh, Fairy Godmother! If only you could grant me a wish."

Suddenly, Eiji flew into the scene with a string on his back to help with his flying stunt. He was wearing a gown which had lots of ribbon towards the end of the dress and a pair of pinkish translucent wings attached to his back. Again, the hall erupted into excited voices, only this time, it was softer than during Ryoma's and Fuji's appearances.

"Hoi hoi!" They tried to stop him from saying those meaningless words, but Eiji really could be a pain when he was stubborn. "Worry not, my child! I can help you to go to the ball!" He landed on the floor and used his left hand to wipe Fuji's tears away when the brunette looked up. Fuji's face lightened up immediately. "See, child. You look much more beautiful when you are not crying," Eiji gave a smile.

"Oh, you're the Fairy Godmother! Can you really grant me this wish?" Fuji said, looking troubled for a moment. It was then when Eiji gave a flick of his right hand, which was holding a wand. A small pumpkin, which was on the background all the time, disappeared in a puff of smoke and a giant carriage appeared. A fake snake also disappeared and Kaidoh stepped out from the smoke in his green costume. Several members dressed as horses lined in front of the carriage.

Normally, Kaidoh was polite to his seniors and to whomever he respected though his face was a little scary in his classmates' eyes. To see him in any other outfit other than his school uniform, his tennis outfit or his usual singlet when he was jogging was refreshing. At that moment, Kaidoh looked smart. Inui's specs glowed knowingly as his hand continued to write down all the data into his notebook.

Fuji watched as Kaidoh walked to the carriage and opened the door, awaiting him to step into it. Then, he turned to Eiji. "But, how am I going to go without a decent dress?" he looked down as his own maid outfit, looking like a lost kitten.

Eiji grinned happily. "I will not let you go in this, of course!" Then, he flicked again and smoke appeared around Fuji. Some members rushed into the stage holding several huge cardboards and shielded Fuji as he changed in privacy. When the smoke cleared, Fuji was standing there in a pink and red gown. The gown itself was elegant and dazzling. A pair of small blue translucent wings was attached on Fuji's back.

Everyone gasped, either surprised or awed. This was the first time they had ever seen Fuji in his second costume. Not even the regulars or those who were involved directly in the acting had seen it before. Fuji made quite an effort to keep it from everyone. And he was happy with the outcome when he noticed a pair of hazel eyes focused on him at that moment. 'As much as I hate to act like a girl… if this is what I can do to make him notice me, I'm willing to sacrifice my pride,' he thought silently.

Deciding not to indulge in his own thoughts and go back to his acting, Fuji looked at himself in surprise. "This is… beautiful!" he exclaimed while holding his gown in delight. Then he launched himself to hug Eiji. The audience smiled. It looked so sweet since Fuji was actually glowing and hugging Eiji happily.

"Nya! Yes, indeed it suits you well! Oh, child, now you are able to go to this ball looking perfect and your step-family won't be able to recognize you. Off now you go! Hoi! Hoi!" Eiji gave Fuji a gentle push towards where Kaidoh awaited. "But remember, this spell wears off at 12 midnight! Nya, if I could make it everlasting, I would."

Fuji's eyes lost its glow for a moment before they shone again. "It's still a chance. Thank you so much, Fairy Godmother!" With that, he stepped into the carriage and Kaidoh made a signal. Then, the horses pulled the carriage away from the audience's view.

The curtains fell and the members rushed to set up another setting. This time it changed into a background of a ballroom fit for royal families. "With that, Fuji-ella rushed to the castle, wishing to see the Prince. Even if it was just a glance from far," Sakuno's voice was back for narration. Secretly, she was glad she did not have to do much narrating. Inui and Oishi decided to cut down the time and made quite a number of changes to the script.

When the curtains were lifted, Ryoma and his family were already there. Oishi, in his black and yellow royal outfit, was looking around for his child. "Now, where is the Prince?" he asked one of his personal guards. One second later, Tezuka stepped onto the stage, drawing everyone's attention in his glorious red and yellow outfit. The girls squealed and some fainted due to over-excitement to see such a charming Tezuka. The guys only could raise their eyebrows or shake their heads in defeat.

All the actresses (they had to ask some members from the girls' tennis club to help) did not bother to hide their blushes. No matter how many times they saw Tezuka in his Prince outfit, they still could not deny that he was truly handsome. This time, Fuji smirked. He knew he had gotten it right to design such a costume for Tezuka. It fitted the stoic captain perfectly. 'Thanks to Atobe's help,' the genius thought to himself.

"By the time Fuji-ella reached the castle, all the girls had already been introduced to Prince Tezuka," Sakuno said to the microphone as Fuji stepped out from the carriage with the help of Kaidoh. The poor junior was blushing to see his respected senior in a gown and he was holding Fuji's hand to top it all off. Fuji softly chuckled to himself to see Kaidoh's discomfort. Sometimes, the younger one could be so adorable and easily embarrassed too. No wonder Inui seemed to take a liking to him…

"The guards were too dazed by her beauty that they allowed her in, without stopping her for appearing without an invitation," Sakuno continued, glancing towards the stage where now all the girls on stage were chattering with some guys or looking at Tezuka. The Prince seemed to be bored. Actually, Tezuka was emotionless most of the time anyway…

But when Fuji stepped into the centre of the stage, Tezuka stopped looking emotionless. He tried his best to be shocked and awed by the beauty of Fuji-ella as stated in the script. All the girls on stage turned to look at Fuji and whispered among themselves. Ryoma and his family appeared to be stunned as well. Tezuka hurried to Fuji and without a word, offering a hand to be taken. Flashing a pretty smile, Fuji took the hand and followed Tezuka's lead. They exchanged no words as Tezuka put a hand on Fuji's waist and took another hand in his own. Meanwhile, Fuji put his free hand on Tezuka's shoulder.

"I wish I could be Cinderella!" They heard some girls below the stage exclaimed dreamily.

Soft romantic music began to play and a spotlight fell over the Prince and Fuji-ella as they began to dance. It was a shock when the regulars found out that Tezuka could dance pretty well. When Inui tried to dig for information as to why and how the captain knew how to dance, he was promptly warned not to ask for that again in a strict manner. Nobody would know how Tezuka learnt (or maybe forced to learn) how to dance, but they would rather keep away from the captain's death glare than to ask.

Fuji looked at Tezuka as they danced. He could see that Tezuka was trying to keep his stoic face when looking at him in the eyes. Fuji himself admitted that he looked attractive, for a cross-dressing male since he was slim and all. Yes, he really had his pride thrown aside this time, but it was all because…

"Prince Tezuka kept on dancing with Fuji-ella and did not allow the other males to ask her for a dance. Time passed too fast in their eyes and it was already midnight," Sakuno's voice came back to narrating, successfully snapping Fuji out of his thoughts. A bell chiming was heard, following Sakuno's narration.

Hurriedly, Fuji broke off eye contact with Tezuka as he pulled his dress. "Oh no! It's late, I have to go now!" he exclaimed.

"Wait, what's your name?" Ignoring Tezuka's words, Fuji already ran away. "Guards!!" Tezuka tried to give a chase, but he was surrounded by girls and Fuji successfully ran towards the backstage. The lights were off for a few seconds, and when they were turned on again, the stage was cleared of all the girls and Tezuka. Fuji appeared to be running towards the centre of the stage before he fell down with a thud. The hall was silence, paying full attention to his acting.

"Ouch," Eiji's voice was heard from the backstage when he saw how Fuji fell onto the ground with force. "It's a wonder how Fujiko can act so well…" he said to the others and they nodded firmly.

Fuji grimaced as his right hand went towards his leg. His shoe was a few feet away. Before he could grab it, Inui made his appearance as the royal guard in another charming outfit. "Wait!" Seeing Inui on his tail, Fuji stood up quickly and fled towards where Kaidoh was standing. Entering the carriage in haste, they disappeared towards the backstage, leaving Inui to pick up the shoe.

Tezuka entered into the scene again and he took the shoe from Inui with a curt nod. "I shall find the owner of this shoe," was all he said before the curtains fell.

"And so Prince Tezuka went to search every house to look for the owner of the shoe. All the girls feet did not fit the shoe. By the time the Prince reached where Fuji-ella lived, she was standing at a corner nervously and wondering if the Prince would ever recognize her in her worn out maid clothes," Sakuno recited. Then the curtains were drawn, back to the first scene in the house.

"The shoe is mine," Ryoma muttered stubbornly as he tried to adjust the shoe into his foot. But the poor shoe was too big in size and Ryoma's foot was not big enough to fit. Kawamura and Momoshiro were trying to do something, anything, to make the shoe fit, but it was really useless. "Who asked you not to drink milk often," Momoshiro muttered and Ryoma blushed out of annoyance.

It was then Inui noticed Fuji, and he went there with the shoe. "Perhaps you could try," he said as he gestured Fuji-ella to sit on the chair.

When Momoshiro heard that, he laughed. "Oh, that poor girl couldn't be the gorgeous girl in the ball! She doesn't have the money to afford such a glamorous dress!" Ryoma and Kawamura smirked in satisfaction.

But Fuji did not seem to hear their taunting. He sat on the chair provided gracefully and easily wore the shoe. Then he took out the other, causing three jaws to drop. Tezuka immediately went to Fuji and held his hands. "So you are her," he said, trying to sound happy. But everyone knew the best Tezuka could do was to sound determined or confident instead of happy. Tezuka Kunimitsu never sounded happy. To the tennis club members, it would be creepy to hear their captain sounding joyful or smile serenely.

Of course, Fuji could smile happily perfectly fine. "Yes, my Prince…" When Fuji stood up, he suddenly tripped and fell towards Tezuka, who could not simply evade. Before those two could comprehend what was happening, everyone around was frozen. Until the moment Fuji realized what just took place, his sapphire eyes widened in shock. 'Oh shit…' was all he could think of, at that tender moment.

What could be possibly worse? If only he knew…

: To be continued :