CHAPTER 21

It was about one in the afternoon and they where all about to sit down and have something to eat. That's when they heard shouting. It was once again with that Sasabe man. Ryoma getting fed up with hearing his voice made his way to court A and looked at him with Kachiro's dad. Deciding to at least find a bit of a challenge today he called out.

"Neh, Mr Sasabe will you teach me how to play tennis?" Both stopped and looked at the cat who was smirking. With a smug smile Sasabe said that he would and the best way to teach would be to play a game.

This is how it ended with them on the court and the older man telling the boy he would go easy on him. The first match went to Sasabe as Ryoma didn't try much but found out that the mans nickname was the golden retriever. The second match was about to started when he heard a familiar voice.

"Ah, It's you." Ryoma looked at the teen and saw it was the one he defeated from last week. "Dad, your going against this brat?" His father looked at him with a questioning gaze. The Sasabe's, Ryoma decided to name them Monkey A and Monkey B seeing as 1 and 2 where already taken by Horio and Arai.

"I was just teaching the kid proper tennis." The son smiled and looked at Ryoma.

"You should be careful. The kid cheats. He beat me with all his little tricks." His father paused for a second and looked from his son to the cat.

"What do you mean?"

"Why else do you think he keeps a hood on all the time?" Sei stood from the bench and Gen followed suit. Course Gen didn't know but he knew enough of the boys past to know he didn't like people touching him without permission first. The two Sasabe's shared a smirk before going round the net and making there way towards the boy. Ryoma slowly backed up and looked around. Sei and Gen had made their way over and stood in front of him. "Hey, your going to protected that boy. Well then he should forfeit seeing as we claim he is cheating and all he has to do to prove he isn't is to take that hood off." Sei smiled.

"Well... Instead why don't we do a doubles game. Me and Gen verses you two. Unless your scared to lose."

"Fine!" Yelled the old man. Gen looked at Sei and saw he was completely serious.

"You know your not allowed to play. You are ill, remember." Yukimura sent a sad smile to Sanada.

"I know but all I need to do is hold a racket while you do all the work." Sei looked around until he saw Horio. "Please can I borrow your racket." Then he looked at Ryoma. "Gen's going to use yours alright." With a nod from the boy, he passed his to Sanada while Sei went to get Horio's from him. Horio as usual was freaking out.

"Gah, do you think those two will be okay? There playing people who are older." Ryoma looked at Horio with a blank expression before answering.

"Sei said he was the captain of Rikkaidai and Gen was his vice-captain or something like that." The Monkey stood there with his jaw wide open.

"Echizen, do you even know who Rikkaidai are?" With a shake of the cats head Horio answered loudly. "There the school who have won the nationals 2 years in a row." Ryoma really wasn't bothered. As long as they where good he would like to have a match against them. While the four other freshmen including the two opponents where now gaping at the two.

"Well," Sei said. "Are we going to play or what?" Both Sasabe's recovered and the game started. True to his word Sei stood there the whole time holding the racket. He didn't even move if the ball was coming towards him. Gen had done all the work and ended up winning in less then ten minutes. The score of course was 6-0.

After the match was done the younger Sasabe charged at Ryoma and tried to pull his hood off. All it did really was piss the boy off and hurt his ears. He roared as the pain shot though him. It was a proper wild one and everyone looked at him. Sasabe had fallen on his ass and scurried back a few meters.

"What the hell!" He shouted. "What the hell are you? Some kind of freak?" That did it. Ryoma was in pain and he was going to kill this guy. The next second Sasabe was on his stomach and the cat was slowly pulling his arms back. The 19 year old screamed in pain and he could feel his arm being ripped from the joint. Sei already knowing what to do told Gen to grab Ryoma and to make sure he held both of his wrists away from his body.

It didn't take long for Sanada to do just that. The boy was still letting out some growling noises and Sasabe not wasting anytime ran for him life. Even now he had gone Ryoma wasn't calming down. He kept shouting at Gen to let him go and that he was going to kill that asshole. Problem was he was completely serious about his threat.

"Can you take the others away from the court." Kachiro's dad had no idea what was happening but done as Yukimura asked and took the five other freshmen away.

About a minute had past and Gen swore that the cat was getting stronger not weaker. Sei knowing one of them was eventually going to give up decided to give it a go in taming the boy. He stood in front as the other continued to struggle.

"Ryo-Chan." He said quietly and leaned down kissing his forehead. Before quickly standing straight again and patting his head. "Calm down." Looking at Gen and telling him to let go, he quickly gabbed the boys waist and brought him to his chest. He started to rub the back of the neck though the hoodie. He could feel the body relaxing. "Feeling better?" With a nod the cat brought his arms round and gripped the back of his shirt. Sei felt the boy bury his head into his chest. "You know Ryo-Chan your not a freak... Are you hungry? The girls brought some food." With that they all made their way to the others at the picnic benches near the building. Ryoma kept his hood covering his face completely and was following Sei feet until they reach there destination.

The five freshmen kept sending glances at the boy the whole time while he sat in-between Sanada and Yukimura trying all the different types of food that where laid out in front of him. He had forgotten about his earlier threat and was just realizing how hungry he really was.

"So Ryoma-Sama do you like that food?" With a nod to her and then a thanks follow soon after the trio started to relax a bit more. It was only then that Horio brought up the subject.

"Echizen, What happened back there? I thought you finally went mad or something?" Sei was getting ready to restrain Ryoma but to his surprise he didn't move and carried on eating. A few second later when the food in his mouth was gone had actually answered.

"He said something that hit a nerve." He decided that he was full and that he would leave the rest to the other's he them turned to face Gen. "Can I have a match against you?" Horio started to choke on his food.

"No." Was his only reply. Ryoma looked at him and narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Why not?"

"I'll play you sometime in the future and if we play now it won't be as exciting." Sei sent Sanada a smile over the top of Ryoma's head. He knew Gen would be able to beat him easily and was happy that he wanted to wait until the boy got better.

It was finally time to leave and so they said their goodbyes to each other and left for home. They where about to turn the corner into the street they lived down but Ryoma just suddenly froze.

(Flashback - Ryoma POV)

I was laying once again on the operation table. I had collapsed last night and I felt like I was dying. Sam freaked out. He still only young. It didn't take long for the scientists to get me and put a load of needles in my arm saying they where going to put me to sleep for a bit.

I woke up no idea how long I was out for and I was still on that cold steel table. Both my wrists and ankles where bound to stop me from moving. I had a new scar running down my front stopping just before my belly button. It started just slightly below my neck. It was then I saw my master standing at my side. He was smiling at me. It was the first time I've seen him smile like that. I thought that I had died.

Masters hand came down and held my face. He started to stroke my cheek with his thumb.

"Beauty." He said in the softest voice I've ever heard. "My beauty, you are now complete. You are older and more beautiful than I could of imagined. You are no longer the child I once knew and no longer that boy. Your old life is lost and from now on will be together forever. Even in death my dear sweet beauty I want you to lay right beside me and never abandon me. I was the one who made you who you are today. I want you to remember that." With that he told me to try get more sleep but I couldn't help but notice when he left the room I could hear his voice traveling though the place and into my ears.

"What happened?" Master demanded to one of the scientists.

"I'm sorry sir." The other mans voice was panicked. "We had to do that procedure now or he would of died."

"Well, you could of waited. He could of died and I would of lost him. We need to do more tests on the other children first. Learn your place."

"But he wouldn't of been able to survive if we didn't do it then. His old heart and lungs couldn't cope with the changes. We had to switch them for the animals one." That was all I heard. I started to feel closed in all of a sudden like it was hard to breath and the walls where slowly getting closer and closer to crushing me. I screamed so much. I was scared. I wasn't me. Like master had said I'm different now. The heart in my body which keeps me alive isn't even my own any more. I was about to black out when I saw master come rushing in. I couldn't hear him and then everything went dark.

I am 8 year olds. I am no longer me. I am someone else. This heart that beats is not mine and I will never except it. I'm the beast called Beauty.

(End Flashback - Ryoma POV)