Chapter 8: The Fall of the Prince

Little Falcon:This is a bad idea for a birthday gift but I had to update this story for her birthday. Everyone… let's greet Ryuuzaki Sakuno a Happy Birthday!!! Yup, it's her birthday (January 14) but I don't know exactly how old she is… she's older in this story compare to her age in the anime/manga of course. Read and review okay?

The sound of metal dragged across the pavement made people look. This girl that was dragging her tennis racket against the street was wearing the Ryuugan University Tennis uniform- the one with maroon collar shirt and tennis skirt with black vertical stripes on the side. Her long hair bound by the black baseball cap whose brim hid her liquid brown eyes.

The black racket she holds was no heavier than your standard racket, lighter even… anyone would have no difficulty carrying it. Then why is it… that when she was the grasping the handle it was as if the thing weighed more than she does. Every time she was to play… she had to take a painful breath before her hands could even touch it.

It was the price she had to pay… the untold punishment she had given herself- that if she was to play; it would be with 'his' racket… the same racket that had a taste of its master's blood on that rainy day.

*****

Working in the bookstore and helping out in the bathhouse were only a few of the several jobs; Sakuno was joggling in order to stay in med school. And as the sun barely made its presence known, she was running late.

As soon as the alarm buzzed in, shed shot up from the couch with her long brown hair looking like a haystack on her head. It had only been less than two hours since she got home and her eyes were making their silent protests evident by the painful sensation as she tried to fully open them.

Almost automatically, she stood up with her eyes closed and made her way to the bathroom- tripping and bumping almost everything in the way. The splash of cold water in her face forcefully woke her up and within minutes she was running to the dinning hall with her hair decently bound by a high ponytail.

The sound of her incoming footsteps made the maids step out of her way as she dashed to the dinning hall. "Ohayo, Tsubaki-san!" With her backpack on her shoulder, she snatched two French toast from the buffet- taking only a few big bites to finish it and chugged it down with a cup of coffee.

The old woman seated across the table smiled as she watched the girl eat hurriedly. "Easy, you might choke," she said with a mix of mirth.

Sakuno kissed her wrinkled forehead then dashed away. The sun was peeking through the hills as she quickly put on her roller blades and head out.

The shirt and skirt she randomly pulled out from her closet looked pretty cute despite their wrinkled appearance. She was never a fan of fashion but it seems that whatever she wore today made people look her way. Maybe I look good… a smirk crept on her face. OR maybe because I'm a no-sense maniac that was dashing through them like a run away vehicle… she liked this conclusion better and decided to stick with it. Unknown to her, her flawless, porcelain skin exposed by the skirt was enough to make men stare and girls envious. If that wasn't enough, her hurried movements emphasized her feminine curves more. All in all, she was like a runaway model on roller blades and she was totally oblivious about it.

The hands of the clock turned exactly at the same time she punched in her time card. "That was close," Sakuno muttered as she went into the locker room. Throwing in her backpack inside the metal cabinet, she removed her clothes put on her uniform.

The morning shift was the busiest shift. People in this town seem to be too busy to cook their own breakfast or doesn't know how to cook their breakfast so they come here -to the place that serves the best coffee and the most delicious bagel.

As soon as she stepped put of the double doors, she immediately cleaned the nearest table for the next customer. Of course, in between the cleaning of the tables would be mopping the clumsy customer spills, refilling coffee for caffeine addicts and taking the ever-changing orders of the undecided patrons.

Her co-workers dread the morning shift like a vampire does with daylight so she was the only one running around the place like a busy bee. She knew what this shift entails and she couldn't be happier with it. The time fit her schedule perfectly and the running around was like the exercise slash training she never had time to do.

"Can I order now?" a bunch of arrogant teenagers tapped the table impatiently as Sakuno was taking another customer's order on the other side of the room.

"One moment please, I'll be right with you," she quickly reassured the group as she listened and took note of the special orders the family was dictating all at the same time.

"What will you be having?" she raised her head and stared from her order pad to the family still barking their redundant orders. No… he can't be here… can he? She knew that voice almost all too well. Reluctantly, she turned around to see his all too familiar unruly crimson hair. Aww, GREAT!

She didn't have time to yell at him and drag him out so she waited until her shift was over and a few of her co-workers finally took over for her. She dismissed their questioning looks as they stared at the boy with the most magnificent sky blue eyes waiting for her outside the shop.

"Here, might as well have a taste of something you served," Sakuno pushed a cup of coffee and a bag of bagels to his chest and started walking. Her manager and co-workers watched as the boy smiled as he shook his head helplessly then followed her.

"Do you enjoy following me around?" Sakuno took a bite of her bagel as she sat on an empty swing in a nearby playground.

"If I say yes you'll be mad so I'll say no," he leaned on the metal bar that held the swings and sipped his coffee. "This coffee's good, Hime-chan,"

"Why me? And why that name?" after several sightings of him in the bookstore, bath house and now in the coffee palace, she finally gave up trying to drive him away. But she was still bent on not joining their team that much she made clear.

"Ryuuzaki, Sakuno," as he mentioned her full name- a name she had never given to anyone even Tsubaki, she abruptly stood up dropping the coffee cup to the sandy ground.

"How do you know my name?" her eyes hardened as her fists clenched. "You've got it all wrong… just because I'm 'her' grand daughter doesn't mean I can play as great as 'she' did. I AM NOT HER SHADOW," she emphasized her distaste with the topic.

"You being a Ryuuzaki has nothing to do with this," his honest sapphire orbs were so reassuring that it made her calm almost immediately. "…I saw you once… when you were in Seigaku. When you were watching 'him',"

An audible gasp escaped her lips as she immediately knew who he was talking about. In truth, she had watched everyone in the Seigaku team play… but there was only one person who she can really 'see'.

"I was visiting a friend in that area when I decided to check your team. I was really impressed with what I saw especially that one with the arrogant tone and strong spirit. I was about to leave when I saw your face… you were watching him as if your every prayer was the power behind his strokes… a princess that prays for her knight. I want you to not just pray… I want you to play… for you to KNOW that you can do MORE than just pray," Toushiro slowly approached her to look straight into her eyes as he said his last statement.

"It was like aiming for the stars. I tried so hard to stretch my hands to reach it. At times there were times when I feel that I'm getting close but more often reality comes crashing in… stars were never meant to be reached… it's only made to me admired. I had to stop dreaming… to stop praying… to stop hoping that maybe… someday he'll look my way because… in the end, I'll be left with nothing but a shattered dream and a broken heart," Sakuno was only unconscious of the tears streaming down her cheeks until Toushiro was wiping them away with is gentle touch.

This stranger… this persistent arrogant stranger made her cry… made her verbalize the things she was so afraid to even think about.

It was after a while that she finally got a hold of herself. And it was only then did she realize that she was in his arms crying her eyes out. Prying herself away, she took a minute to regain her composure. "A…Arigato… I have work so…" she began to walk away. Sakuno was relieved that her sempai made no signs of following her but it made her uncomfortable to feel that his eyes were on her retreating form.

The sky was almost threatening to fall as the girl crossed the streets. Her steps were quick but reluctant. The first drop fell right in front of her. Slowly, she turned around to face him.

As if knowing that she would do that, he stood right across her with the wide street in between. The red light was blinking rather quickly. With his arms carelessly behind his head, "Hime-chan! When I win this tournament… join our team… and this time… pray in the sidelines… for me…" his loud announcement made people stare.

The blanket of heavy rain covered the streets and yet the two didn't even flinch while their eyes looked at each others. Even the cars and trucks passing fluidly in between hem was no barrier neither looked away.

"You mean IF you win… and stop calling me 'Hime-chan!'" the smile that she made as she turned her back didn't go unnoticed.

It all happened way too fast. One moment she was about to cross the next street, then there was a truck that swaggered out of control. The slippery streets didn't help either. People scattered out of the way but Sakuno stayed on her spot. Her legs frozen as if rooted to the ground.

"Hime-chan!" then she felt someone push her out of the way. His voice drowned the faulty breaks, the sound of the crash, and the screams of horror. The next thing she saw was crimson… liquid crimson that was slowly making its way towards her…

It was fun chasing after an illusion. It gave me reason to be happy even if it wasn't real. But any chase surely has to end. I'm just disappointed cause when it did end. I was left with nothing but a memory of something that never existed.

****

She knew that the team never really accepted her. They only did it for 'him'- to honor his request. The name they call her was the cruel punishment of the unspeakable crime she committed…- to dream again.

Little Falcon:Sakuno-chan!!! Otanjoubi omedeetou!!! Read and review guys!!!