About Sakuno,
While I was surfing the communities in the Prince of Tennis fandom, I noticed a very freaky thing.
I rank the communities based on subscriber count and here's what I've noticed…
1. RyoSaku (obviously the 'official' cannon)
2. Thrill pair (bows to the thrill pair community)
3. Pillar pair
4. Sakuno x Anyone NOT Ryoma (haha)
5. Sakuno x Tezuka
6. Sakuno x Atobe
7. Sakuno x Fuji brothers (Yes, includes Yuuta)
8. Sakuno x Rikkai Dai students (poor Yukimura and Marui. Rest of them can suffer XDD)
O.O Honestly! The only pairable female character in there is basically Sakuno and Ann and they hardly appear at all. The extent some people go to avoid yaoi. (Well, to be truthful I avoided it too until I read several CLAMP works.) But look at this! I'm speechless. Six of the top eight has her as the canon. And in my opinion, she not even lovable.
On the side note… (PS. It is occasionally shifting)
10. Ah-un pair (I don't wanna…)
12. OT5 (I refuse to touch it.)
13. OC fics (finally, they decided to use something else)
15. Thrill pair
16. Thrill pair
17. RyoSaku
18. OT5 (again)
19. RyoSaku
20. Sakuno lovers (now they've done it)
21. Perfect Pair (Fuji as an uke… shudder)
22. Golden Pair (hmm… it's a lot lower than I thought)
23. POT Yaoi only! (What are they talking about? There's like ONLY yaoi in POT XD)
25. Sakuno, Tomoka, Ann, not yaoi. They call it the "Yes, there are girls in Prince of Tennis" XDDDD
In any fandom, I usually just pair my two favorite characters together (and so far it's never the main canon not counting some CLAMP ones XD). And that includes het pairs. I'm also scared by the extent some authors push on yaoi when it obviously doesn't work.
Now Sakuno/yaoi/het humor aside, on to the actual fic…
Achromatic Colors
VIII. Reconnaissance
'Man, Echizen sure is lazy.' That was the only thought Momoshiro went through the entire morning. The recon expert had remained squatted behind one of the many trees in front of Echizen's house for hours since sunrise.
Of course, he knew that it is impossible for Ryoma to wake up before the sun has risen well over the sky and for the young archangel to get up before the break of day is entirely out of the question. But Momoshiro had to force himself to hide behind a tree at the crack of dawn for the zillion to one chance that the boy will do something of the like.
Many angels have the habit of getting up at daybreak to partake the daily ceremony of the Rising Sun. Echizen would never attend the ritual unless he was forced to on important festival days. Thinking of the ceremony reminds him of when he was younger; he had seen Tezuka drag the young angel by the hands so the boy doesn't crash in a tree while sleepwalking. Momoshiro grinned. He, as well as many others, had committed that scene to his memory forever. Seeing his commander fathering the kid Ryoma was hilarious – needless to say, no one dared comment on it within earshot, unless they are at Tezuka's level or above.
Momoshiro grumbled. Why would he need to hide anyway? If Echizen just woke up, he couldn't tell the teen from a rock even if he stood in front of his face and did the cancan in a frilly pink dress – not that he would. Nevertheless, if Tezuka or Yukimura heard his complaints, they would surely kill him…or Tezuka will make him run laps until the end of his days.
Before Momoshiro could stare off into space and remember any more funny moments of his stoic leader, the door opened slowly. He immediately ducked. Echizen stumbled out of the door, looking dead on his feet. His hair looked as if he had just gotten up from the bed and his eyes were still closed. At least he had the decency to change out of his pajamas.
It's almost 11am, Momoshiro checked his pocket watch. How could anyone still be sleepy at this time of the day? Momoshiro bet that if he jumped out of his current hiding place and shouted, Echizen would walk right by him. The boy hasn't changed even when he became an archangel himself. Really, if someone jumped him behind the back, he wouldn't even know he's dead.
He moved closer to his target, keeping a good distance.
Ryoma rubbed his eyes sleepily and headed towards the closest portal.
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Two brothers stood at opposite ends in the open field of black nothingness. It was one of the training grounds available. To avoid damaging the actual estate, devils and angels often practice in a different dimension or in nothingness. The younger flexed his magnificent jet back wings – proof of high rank – and did a few practice swings with his sword. The elder stood calmly with crossed arms, wingless, wearing the smile that he is famous for.
"Let's see how far you've improved, Yuuta." Syuusuke raised his right hand. A rapier materialized in his grip.
"Aniki, you're not showing your wings?" Yuuta inquired. Wings have more purpose than flying and display of status in the divine realms. The celestial beings' full potential could not be unleashed without the presence of wings.
"Let's see if you can make me ne?" The elder tilted his head to the side in a teasing manner.
"Hmph." Yuuta narrowed his eyes. From the way his brother's eyes are hidden in that creepy smile, it looks like he isn't planning to use his Sight either.
Yuuta has one advantage over his brother; the all-purpose Gift. Those without the Gift can cast spells as well, but that significantly puts them at a disadvantage since non-Gift users can't render magick without language. Depending on the skill level and the spell, casters often need the aid of body gestures or more annoyingly, tools such as scrolls, raw materials, and written spells. Even using silent spells take longer than the almost instant Gift rendered from the mind; though unfortunately that doesn't seem to hinder his aniki the slightest.
"Ready?" Syuusuke asked. Instead of getting into a battle stance, he stood cross-legged and let the rapier hang uselessly in his loose grip – further proofs that showed he was not taking this seriously at all. Yuuta glared. He was happy that Syuusuke had agreed to fight him, but he had never expected him to treat this so loosely. He was weaker, he knew. But aniki did not have to insult him to this degree.
Wordlessly he shot a ball of energy at the elder. If he's not going to take this seriously then it isn't his fault if he caught him off guard – not that he is going to.
His elder brother did not flinch the slightest. He calmly brought up an invisible shield with a tiny flick of his finger at the ball of energy Yuuta threw, and it immediately scattered. Yuuta sweat dropped. Even he couldn't do it that fast with the Gift.
"Your skill has improved in such a short time." The brunet remarked. "However, it's still too early for you to beat me."
Yuuta didn't reply. He charged with the sword; only to realize halfway that his brother vanished. He immediately beat his wings to come to a halt. His eyes darted around the darkness seeing nothing. At those times Yuuta wished he had the Sight like the whole family instead.
Something poked his back. He immediately swung around and was suddenly restrained by a chain that appeared out of nowhere. Before he could attempt to break the chain, more had confined him to the ground. Yuuta soon realized that the chains had a Gift canceller pattern.
His brother used a sealing spell. He didn't want to hurt him, Yuuta gritted his teeth. Wings or no, he wouldn't stand a chance if Syuusuke decided to go all out.
The smiling brunet reappeared from the shadows. "Gift is nice and all, but you should learn a few spells ne?" He said, and let loose the shackles holding Yuuta in place with a flick of his hand.
Yuuta rubbed his wrist and gave a shy smile. The once high tension between the two brothers is almost gone. He knew it was still too early to win against the elder, but Yuuta at least hoped he wouldn't suffer such a complete defeat. It just proves how much more he needs to train. "I will defeat you one day aniki!" He called.
"I will look forward to it." The blade held in his hand vanished. He didn't even use it once.
"Aniki?"
"Hnn?"
"You know," Yuuta scratched his cheek awkwardly, "you're doing a great job ever since dad passed away. You're the best person the people could have as Satan."
Syuusuke opened his eyes in surprise. "Thanks Yuuta, it means a lot coming from you; although Morning Star has a nicer ring to it." He smiled. "Say, how about at least staying through dinner? We haven't seen each other for months."
"I refuse," Yuuta picked up his fallen sword. His voice determined. "I have to get back to train."
"Just for tonight?" Syuusuke coaxed. "We're having pumpkin curry, your favorite."
"Eh?"
"I think sis has personally baked blackberry pie too…"
"Uhh…"
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Momoshiro looked around. He had managed to follow him all the way into the woods of Athens.
Echizen was finally awake and seems to look around livelily with a childish air. Momoshiro grinned. The angel is acting like a young boy who had fallen in love for the first time. This Karupin must be really pretty to make the aloof boy to visit her on a daily bases – he blames the equally stoic commander for the boy to be grown up indifferent.
Where is the girl? Are they meeting in secret in the woods in secret?
Suddenly Echizen's face brightened childishly. "Karupin!" He cried cheerfully and outstretched his hands. A trickle bead of sweat dropped from Momoshiro's forehead. Is this really Echizen? He looks as if he was infatuated and completely out of character. What has this girl done to Echizen? The teen leaned further from the bush to spot the girl and saw no one there. Where is she?
"Mah!"
'EH?' He blinked. What the hell was that? It sounded like…
"Did you miss me?" Ryoma asked affectionately.
That was so not Echizen. Holy crap, he was seeing a whole different side of the antisocial archangel.
A white blur jumped into the boy's outstretched arms. Momoshiro blanked. It's a… cat. He's not sure whether he is glad or disappointed. He can't think straight. If someone told him he had arrived at an alien country, he would believe it. It's true since Earth is pretty much extraterrestrial anyway.
A pair of sapphire eyes suddenly came into contact with violet ones. The cat jumped out of the boy's embrace and headed towards him. Oh shit. He forgot to hide and ducked.
His Sight sensed the cat was moving closer. He would move, but by now the archangel was looking his way. Ryoma would no doubt sense him.
The bushes started to wiggle and the cat poked its head out. "Maaaanhhh!" it mewed at him.
"Shi! Shi!" He whispered fiercely at the cat. "Go away!"
The cat kept yowling and pawed at Momoshiro's flicking hand.
"…Momoshiro-sempai?" A voice inquired from above.
"E-Echizen! Wh-What are you doing here?" Momoshiro shot up from the bush.
"Can't you tell?" He picked up the cat. "But what are you doing here Momo-sempai?"
"M-me? I-I'm out for a… a-a walk! Yeah that's right! A walk!"
"A walk? Oh really?" The boy raised an eyebrow. "It's a bit fancy to have a walk all the way down here isn't it?"
"I'm a man of art."
Ryoma snorted.
"What's that supposed to mean?" It was a joke, but he was slightly offended.
"Is that why you've been following me from the portal?" He shot an accusing glance.
Momoshiro almost fainted. "What!? You knew?"
"Sight is nice and all but you should at least remember to cover up your own presence sempai."
"Gah! Oh man! The whole way?"
"When I reached the portal, I sensed you tailing behind me."
Momoshiro sweat-dropped for the hundredth time this hour. So Ryoma really was dead on his foot when he wakes up. It's a wonder how he survived the final test to become an archangel.
"Tell Mitsu I said hello." He turned around.
"Eh? W-wha-wha-wha," Momoshiro stuttered. He was sweating buckets.
"…try not to stammer when you're nervous sempai, it's a big giveaway." Ryoma smirked over his shoulder.
"Umm, I got to go! See ya!" Momoshiro darted off before the boy could embarrass him further.
Ryoma smirked as his eyes followed the disappearing back of his sempai. "I think they got curious." He scratched the cat. "If Momo-sempai is not careful, he's going to lose his position ne Karupin?"
Karupin only mewed happily to her master.
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"Onee-san."
"Yuuta, it's been so long. Are you doing alright?"
"Of course."
"You should come home more often." Her voice had a tint of sadness to it.
"I'll try nee-san."
"You've grown up." She hugged the teen. The lavender smell of the shampoo drifted from her curls. "I'm proud of what you said to Syuu-chan."
"Eh? You heard?"
"I have the most powerful Sight in the realm remember?" She grinned deviously. "Even more than Syuu-chan."
"I'm sorry for making you worry." He backed out of the embrace. "By the way what's happening with aniki?" He told the incident the day before about how Syuusuke had failed to sense him that afternoon.
Yumiko smiled in an uncanny way. "You'll see Yuu-chan, you'll see."
Yuuta wanted to scream out his frustration and helplessness; droplets of perspiration slowly crawled over Yuuta's forehead. Yet, hearing the vagueness of the response from his sister wasn't too surprising. Every now and then Yumiko nee-san could be eerie in the same way as aniki. Sometimes Yuuta wonder if he was even related to them. Those two share more common features with each than Yuuta did with any of them. He once speculated that Yumiko was as much of a sadist as aniki – only she was just hiding it better.
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"Karupin is Echizen's cat." Momoshiro declared proudly.
"…A cat?" Oishi asked.
Momoshiro nodded. "I was surprised too Oishi-sempai."
"Ii data." Inui said, already calculating gazillion possibilities that arised from that little piece of information. "Are there any more details about this Karupin?"
"Err… it's white?" Inui's pen stopped. "Some parts are dark brown and it has blue eyes!" He quickly added after seeing the data angel's murderous aura, "I'll- I'll find out the next time I go!"
"No, leave Echizen alone." Tezuka ordered. "It's good that he's starting to get interested in something other than combat."
Inui sighed. "As regretful as I may be, I completely agree with Tezuka on this one." He fixed his glasses.
Oishi sempai nodded too.
There were some unspoken past events in Echizen's life that the older angels knew about for them to reach this conclusion, Momoshiro noted. They were right. One day, several centuries ago Ryoma abruptly changed and became focused all his attention in the art of combat. No one except the high angels (1) knows what happened.
"Thank you Momoshiro, you're dismissed."
"Oh Momo, before you go have some of this." Inui's glasses shone. He pulled out a cup of green bubbling liquid. Tezuka and Oishi visibly paled and leaned away from the cup though the commander was being more discreet about it. The atmosphere of the whole room darkened. "It may help to… improve your memory." He mouthed the words slowly for effect.
Momoshiro turned blue. Not the infamous Inui juice!
1. Angels that holds high offices.
Firey Chronicles's Notes
God, I suck at battle scenes.
Once again, give a big thank you to Sakura Moon-san, my wonderful editor.
Hehe, now that the suspicions are cleared for the angelic side, Fuji will have a free rein to do almost whatever he likes. There will be Thrill pair goodness is the next chapter.
Achromatic Colors have reached 11c2s (none of them are Thrill Pair C2s oddly), 66 favorites, 139 story alerts and generated over 15000 hit counts (some people don't use the little arrow thingy at the end to jump to the last chapter). With Colors of Blood, it also put me on 35 favorite author lists and 50 author alerts. (First Dawn is unfortunately practically dead)
Thank you for all your support!
This fic will never have its once glorious 50 when the readers are cut in half (1400 to 700ish per chapter) but don't forget the minimum 25 ne? (lol, I'm looking more at the quantity of reviews than the quality of it)
But I don't get it. Why is this more popular than Colors of Blood? About 30 percent better? Personally I think that one is better written. I could understand that First Dawn sucked, but CoB is much better in my opinion. (I actually have the plot planned in that one XDD)
Published: 09/07/08
Revised: