Posted: 20/03/13

Hello to all my amazing readers!

And thank you to the following for all your gratifying reviews:
hitomi65; animefan106; Lil' P 101; R3iga1004; BlackCatAnimeGirl; mr-raindrops; iKitsuNeko; TrueNight5; guest; Tainted5pirit; Reid Deathblack; isthisparadise; Dariahn.

Just to make sure things are a little clearer, let me explain a little more about The Emperor's Singer.
It is only a prologue for a later story I intend to eventually write and therefore does not have much of a story line I'm afraid, although it is designed to whet your appetite and hopefully give the much needed back ground info for the later story.
Also this prologue jumps quite a bit to different moments in times, but at the beginning of each chapter I will tell you where we are.

As such this chapter is set in the second year at Teikō after Kise has joined basketball and first string but before he becomes a starter for the team.

Edited: 14/05/14

The Emperor's Trilogy I
The Emperor's Singer
Chapter 2

"I said let's have a match, if I win you hand over your starter position." Kise confidently challenged, completely disregarding Kuroko's advice to wait from earlier that very day.

"What sort of bullshit is this? You can't even beat me in practise!" Haisaki laughed.

"Well I believe I'm ready to take you down." Kise continued just as convinced as before despite the truth to Haisaki's words.

"I suppose I've been slacking off a little too much during practise, I'll show you how I really play." Haisaki smirked.

The vampires had overheard Kuroko forbidding Kise to do just this earlier. They had not been eavesdropping as such as it was not their fault their unnatural hearing range meant they could listen to their discussion in the locker room from the other side of the gym.

Akashi glanced around and eventually spied the pale shadow lurking behind Aomine and Murasakibara, an almost imperceptible tilt of his brows on the... attractive face impressed upon him Kuroko's irritation.

"Akashi, are you okay with this?" Midorima asked, prepared to step in if the redhead disapproved.

"I'll allow it. Besides it give us the opportunity to see how much he has improved."

It had been only a month since Kise had joined the first string of Teikō's basketball teams and Aomine had been the first to notice he held an ability of his own. Akashi had been the one to further investigate and had eventually deduced his talent was not that of copying but rather fast learning. As such he was added to their now two person list of future coven members.

Since then the redhead had given the blonde over to Kuroko as an instructor knowing that it was Kise's interest that lacked not his skills. As such his decision was down to Kuroko's dedication to the sport being the sort of attitude that Kise needed to be exposed to.

After manipulating the coach into sending Kise and Kuroko to help out in a third string match the blonde had been quick to start idolising the shadow and now had much respect for his instructor and had no qualms of showing off his friendship with the boy with over the top intimacy.

And that was why all the vampires were a little shocked at the blonde defying Kuroko's word now.

At Kise's quick and crushing defeat Haisaki trailed out of the gym with the blonde's ex-girlfriend leaving the copy-cat kneeling in despaired upon the court.

Akashi observed the boy for a moment and then looked to Kuroko as his irresistible burning scent increased. It had been bad enough from opposite sides of the gym but now that the shadow was gliding toward Kise, and inevitably closer to the redhead, it made Akashi's thirst all the harder to restrain. Deciding it best to leave the blonde in his instructor's hands for now, he left with the rest of the coven bringing up the rear.

Kuroko crouched down beside his 'pupil' and placed a comforting hand on the other's head patting it like he would a dog.

"You gonna tell me you told me so?" Kise laughed bitterly.

"No. There is no need seeing as Kise-kun already remembers." The boy's bland words bought another harsh bark of laughter from the blonde. "Besides, I said you weren't ready, not that you could never do it."

Kise looked up sharply.

"You mean it?" He asked, just short of pleading. At receiving a firm nod he tackled the shadow to the gym floor, squishing the boy's tiny frame in his arms. "Kuroko-chi~!"

-x-

"I've gathered enough data to come to a better understanding of Kise's ability. It seems that his talent does not progress in the same way Tetsuya's does. Whilst his gift's potential increases with practice and experience, Kise's ability makes his own potential immeasurable. As such there is no reason to delay changing him into one of us." Akashi informed his coven.

"For someone with unlimited potential he sure just got his arse handed to him." Aomine drawled.

"It's not his ability that is lacking; rather his body as a human is too fragile to put into affect most of the things his ability picks up on." The redhead further explained.

"So he will not improve much further without going through the change." Midorima summed up.

"When do we do it?" Murasakibara asked impassively.

"Tonight."

-x-

The sun had already drifted below the skyline by the time Kise left the gym after putting himself through some gruelling training. He had been the last one to leave and had even double checking Kuroko was not just pulling his invisibility act.

Strolling out of the back emergency exit he swung his sports bag over his shoulder and headed for the school gate.

He almost made it too but in a blur of movements he suddenly found himself surrounded by four familiar silhouettes.

"Aomine-chi, Midorima-chi, Murasakibara-chi, Akashi-chi?"

"Sorry 'bout this mate." Aomine stated and Kise did pick up on a small amount of regret making him start to feel a little uneasy.

"Wha-?"

A flash of red. A sharp pain in the neck. The burning began.

I await your reviews; every single one I receive is much appreciated!
xxx