Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Prince of Tennis!
...
...
Hari felt a wave of nausea as she woke up and her head hurt and she reached under her pillow to grab the talisman that the monk had given her. She pressed it to her chest and wished for it to protect her. She hadn't had much trouble with her scar lately, but now it felt like it was on fire.
"Not now," Hari mumbled. "Please…Just a little longer."
She closed her eyes and tried to close her mind like the monk had been teaching her despite nausea and throbbing pain. It took a moment but then she felt the pain reside and it was a slight ache instead.
"Morning!" Nanako's voice called out. "It's time to get up! Breakfast is almost ready!"
"Okay!" Hari answered and pushed herself out of the bed.
She felt a little more like herself after a quick shower, but she thought her reflection in the mirror looked a little pale. Though, it was not too bad. Luckily.
They were playing the last couple of matches against Hyotei today and she had to be ready. She wanted to win, and she wanted to help her team. Her scar wasn't going to stop her from enjoying her time with her friends and tennis.
She wasn't going to lose to this. Was it so bad that she wanted to have this time to play with her friends and just be happy? It wasn't too much to ask for, was it?
Her scar ached a little again but she pushed it back.
"Hari-chan?" Rinko knocked on the door. "You okay?"
"Yeah, sorry;" Hari said opening the door.
Rinko gave her a concerned look, but Hari just smiled and soon the older woman smiled back and patted her cheek.
"You need to hurry if you're going to be ready in time to leave," Rinko said. "It's already pretty late."
"Right," Hari said. "Sorry."
Rinko watched as Hari hurried into her room before almost running down the stairs. Nanjiro came up behind her and Rinko leaned into him for a moment.
"Something's wrong," Rinko said.
"Maybe she's just nervous?" Nanjiro suggested. "It's…it is nearing the day…"
"I know," Rinko said. "It's probably it. I want her to talk about it, but at the same time, I want her to just forget and be happy with her team and friends. To enjoy tennis."
"I'll keep an eye on her, dear," Nanjiro promised.
"I know you will," Rinko said.
They walked down to the kitchen and found Hari eating even if it looked like she was forcing herself to do so, and Rinko noticed the small grimaces on her face. Though, she was bickering with Ryoma about tennis and looked like she was relaxed enough.
...
"Are you ready?" Nanjiro asked Hari as they gathered on the side of the court like the day before. "You and Kikumaru are first out today."
Hari nodded and glanced over at Kikumaru who grinned at her.
"We'll do our best," Hari promised.
Nanjiro frowned a little as he watched her. "You're feeling okay?"
Hari blinked and then her face blanked out as she nodded.
"Of course," she said and Nanjiro wanted to call her out on the lie but didn't say anything. She was clearly trying her best and it didn't look like she was in pain. It was just… a feeling.
"Good," he said and watched as she walked over to Kikumaru and high-fived him as he held up a hand. They had learned to play well together, and even though Kikumaru played his best with Oishi this was also a good pairing.
"You ready for our official match, Hari-chan?" Shishido asked as Hari walked onto the court with Kikumaru.
"You bet," Hari grinned.
"We will win," Shishido said.
"We'll see," Hari answered while Kikumaru laughed.
...
Doubles 1 : Echizen Hari & Kikumaru vs Otori & Shishido
...
Game, Seigaku : 3-3
...
Hari reached up and rubbed her scar as she felt it throb more painfully again and she bit back her grimace as she focused on the game.
Hari looked at Kikumaru and pushed back the pain she felt as she high-fived him.
"Yay!" Kikumaru said.
"They are giving it their all," Shishido smiled. "Just like it should be."
Otori nodded in agreement.
...
Hari exchanged a look with Kikumaru who nodded and walked to stand just opposite of Shishido who arched a brow.
"Australian formation," Shishido commented.
Hari stood in the middle of the baseline ready to serve. Oishi and Kikumaru had taught her how to play with this formation knowing that she would be a likely partner for Kikumaru when Oishi couldn't play. She felt both honoured and guilty about this knowing that this was a formation they liked to use together.
"Kikumaru," Hari called out. "Let's bring the momentum to us quickly."
"Okay," Kikumaru said. "Let's pull away from here."
Hari felt her eyes widen when she saw Shishido move so he stood right in front of Otori so they were lined up vertically facing the net.
...
"What's that formation?" Momoshiro asked. "With that, both the front and the right side are wide open."
No one answered him as they all stared at the court wondering the same thing.
Hari narrowed her eyes slightly as she took in this new formation. Were they trying to confuse them? Probably, she admitted. Though, she wasn't sure how it worked.
Well, she wouldn't just let them do what they wanted.
She tossed the ball up and served the ball.
"It's just a bluff, Hari-chan!" she heard Horio yell.
"Let's finish them quickly!" Kachiro added.
Shishido was there to return the ball.
"It's a straight one!" Hari yelled.
Kikumaru was running to get the ball and spun around just before he was going to hit it, but Shishido was running closer and making it harder for Kikumaru to find an opening.
He's blocking the net line, Kikumaru thought. Lob or cross? No, a lob is no good since Otori is there…Cross!
He hit the ball and felt his eyes widen as Otori was there ready to return the ball. As if they expected that.
Hari ran and reached the ball just in time to hit it back toward the baseline away from where Otori was standing.
"Yes! Hari-chan!" She heard someone cheer, but she tensed.
Shishido was running after the ball and managed to get his racket at it and hit it back toward their side. Kikumaru ran so he would be there to return it again but the ball hit the net and bounced back to Hyotei's side.
...
15 – 0 : Seigaku
...
Hari and Kikumaru continued to use the Australian formation despite Shishido and Otori having found a formation that was effective in containing it. While they could more easily predict where they returned the balls, even with Kikumaru's acrobatics and flexibility, it wasn't always enough and Hari and Kikumaru managed to keep getting points.
Though, Hari knew they had to figure something out soon. This couldn't keep going for the rest of their match. She didn't like how the Hyotei pair was basically controlling their moves.
...
Game, Seigaku: 4 – 3
...
Ryoma frowned a little as he watched Hari and saw her rub her forehead or more precisely her scar again as she walked back to the baseline. He saw her close her eyes for a moment and inhale deeply before she opened her eyes and continued as if nothing had happened. Did she look paler than normal? Or was it just the sweat that made it look like it?
"Oh," Fuji smiled as he watched how Hari stopped so she was a couple of steps behind the baseline.
"Hari-chan is in that position!" Horio said.
"That's the containment of the Scud Serve which Inui-senpai showed us at the Kanto Tournament," Kachiro said.
"Looks like Hari-chan has been taking notes of what you've been saying, Inui," Fuji commented and Inui smiled.
"Echizen?" Momoshiro asked noticing the frown on Ryoma's face.
"What?" Ryoma asked.
"You okay?"
"Fine," Ryoma said. He wasn't going to say anything yet. He was probably just overreacting.
Right?
...
Hari was not sure what to expect. She knew that if Otori was too conscious about hitting the ball to the right side he had a habit of squeezing his hand too hard before hitting the ball, so it was a good chance of him hitting the net.
But she had a bad feeling about this…
Otori served the ball and before she could even react the ball was past her.
Shit.
"Knew it," Hari muttered looking at the ball that had rolled back toward her and over at Otori. "You fixed it."
...
15 – 0 :Hyotei
...
"Of course, he has," Shishido answered having heard her. "Furthermore, it's faster than before."
Otori served the ball again and dust flew off the court as it bounced hard before shooting to the fence behind her.
"The Neo-Scud Serve!" Shishido declared.
...
30 – 0 :Hyotei
...
"208 km/h," Inui said.
"So fast," Momoshiro said.
"The Neo-Scud Serve, eh?" Ryoma said looking at Otori before looking over at Hari who looked determined even as she looked pale.
Nanjiro frowned from where he was leaning against the fence. He was watching Hari closely and noticed the way her shoulders tensed and the small frown between her eyes.
...
40 – 0 :Hyotei
...
"213 km/h," Inui said as Otori served again.
...
Game, Hyotei: 4 – 4
...
"215 km/h," Inui stated.
"Amazing," Horio said. "It's a new tournament record, which surpasses Inui-senpai's 212 km/h Waterfall!"
"Inui-senpai's time at the top sure was short-lived, wasn't it?" Ryoma asked looking at Inui.
Fuji held back a snort as he noticed Inui's eyes twitch and Momoshiro looking horrified and worried.
"He sure is blunt," Fuji commented to Tezuka who shook his head while Oishi and Kawamura looked like they didn't know if they should laugh or not.
...
Game, Hyotei: 6 – 6
...
Hari had to stop, taking a deep breath trying to will her nausea back as her vision blurred slightly and her head ached even worse. Her control over her occlumency slipped even more and it was getting harder to gain control again as the pain threatened to overcome her.
"No…" she murmured as she rubbed her head.
She felt exhausted and not at all ready for a tie-break, but that was what they had to do now. She glanced over at her team, her friends who all looked excited and like they had faith in them. In her.
"Hari-chan!" Kikumaru said. "Our game starts now!"
He looked like he still had more energy to give and proved that he had overcome his weakness. He was ready to give it all.
So, she had to be ready too.
She was.
"Sure is!" Hari said and grinned when he looked over at her.
...
Tiebreak
...
"It seems like Kikumaru's also overcome his weak point," Oshitari commented.
"I can't believe he gained more stamina than Shishido and Otori in such a short period of time," Mukahi grumbled.
"Hmm," Oshitari said. "I thought he needed Oishi to control his stamina, but looks like Hari-chan also does the trick."
Keigo listened to his teammates' talk and he had to admit that it was impressive, but he was more interested in Hari. She normally had stamina, but it looked like she was struggling. He would not have guessed that she would be the one to struggle if the game went into a tiebreak.
What was going on with her?
...
They rallied the ball back and forth and Hari moved so she was at the net while Kikumaru stepped back and covered the back.
Hari lobbed the ball over Otori and Shishido making both boys widen their eyes, but Otori managed to get back in time to hit the ball back.
Kikumaru was there to return the ball and it went past Shishido.
...
1 – 0, Seigaku
...
Hari and Kikumaru kept going but Hari felt her body get heavier and heavier as they continued, but she did her best to ignore it.
She wanted to win.
She had to win.
...
3 – 3,Hyotei
...
Kikumaru looked at Hari who was breathing hard. Too hard and he frowned a little as he watched as she raised a hand and rubbed her forehead. She'd done that quite a bit this match, he hadn't really thought about it.
She looked pale but she seemed to be gritting her teeth together as she tried to keep focused.
He knew she was tired. Her stamina would soon give up and he would need to cover her.
He could do it.
He hit the ball over the net and cursed as Otori reached it and Hari stepped forward to get the ball, but her movement was stilted and she missed the ball.
...
4 – 3, Hyotei
...
"Bugger," Hari muttered. Her body wouldn't react like she wanted as her head hurt and her vision felt blurry. She blinked and rubbed her eyes hoping to focus. The noise around her was strangely muted, just noise, almost like a buzzing.
A strange feeling deep in her gut was also growing and it felt foreign to her. Like it didn't belong to her at all.
She felt her knees buckle and took a step to remain standing.
...
Keigo frowned as he looked at Hari who seemed to be struggling. Just as he feared.
"Is she too tired?" Oshitari asked.
Keigo didn't answer, but he frowned as he looked at Hari. The feeling of something being wrong with her grew and he glanced over to where Ryoma was standing. He looked tense as he watched Hari and Keigo knew he was worried as well.
He knew it wasn't normal to feel worried for the other team, but it was Hari, and he was worried. It looked like she was in pain.
...
"Is she alright?" Fuji frowned looking at Hari.
"Hn," Ryoma frowned. "I don't know."
Fuji looked to Kikumaru who also seemed to be watching Hari with a concerned look. She was sweating more than normal as well, but that might be because of the humidity in the air after the rain the day before, but Fuji didn't think so.
"She looks like she's in pain," Momoshiro worried. "Is she sick?"
Fuji noticed Ryoma looking to where Nanjiro was standing and saw the worried look on Nanjiro's face as well. So, it wasn't just tiredness. Fuji was sure about that.
...
5 – 3,Hyotei
...
Hari missed another ball and cursed herself for her weakness. She was messing this up.
They needed to win!
She had to win!
"Relax," Kikumaru said. "Hari-chan, just relax."
Hari blinked at him and he was swimming slightly in front of her and she pushed back nausea again as she tried to focus on his words. She thought he said something about relaxing…but why and how was she supposed to do that?
She nodded, though.
...
Kikumaru covered for her and Hari felt weak and useless as he did. It was not enough.
She wasn't doing enough.
Her head hurt.
Her scar hurt.
She felt angry.
No, she felt happy?
Happy? Did she feel happy? No…but…
She just had to…
...
5 –4, Seigaku
...
Kikumaru wasn't sure what to do. He looked and saw Hari having stilled completely now and looked like she had trouble just standing up. He bit his lip and glanced at Ryuzaki who was frowning.
He knew they needed to finish this match quickly.
He didn't think she would like it if he forfeited the game, but he could tell that she was really struggling.
...
6 – 4, Hyotei
...
"Match point!"
Fuji was watching quietly ignoring the others talking and worrying about Hari who looked to be struggling. No, she was struggling, and Fuji knew that Kikumaru had noticed and did his best to cover for her.
"What's wrong with her?" Horio cried. "She's not moving!"
"Kikumaru-senpai is doing all the work!" Kachiro said.
"She's not looking well," Yoshida worried.
Fuji saw the moment Kikumaru decided to stop. He purposely didn't go for the last ball and it went past them both.
...
Game, Hyotei : 7 – 6 –Hyotei wins!
...
Nanjiro was on the court just as the referee called the result and over at Hari who seemed to just collapse.
"Hari-chan," Nanjiro frowned.
"Is she okay?" Kikumaru worried. "I should have…"
"She'll be fine," Nanjiro said glancing over at Kikumaru before looking back at Hari who had closed her eyes.
"Hurts," she whimpered.
"I know, sweetheart," Nanjiro murmured. "Let's find a place to sit."
He was cursing himself for not stopping this and letting her push herself. She was so pale and sweat was running down her face. Much more than would be natural in the heat.
"Is she okay?" Kawamura asked worriedly.
Ryoma was there too and looked at his sister with a worried expression.
"Hari?" he asked.
She blinked and seemed to try to focus as she looked at him.
"Sorry," she whispered her voice strained with tension. "I messed up."
"It's not your fault," Ryoma said.
"Messed up." She repeated strained and Nanjiro didn't like how broken her voice sounded.
"I'll take her to get some help and maybe home," Nanjiro told Ryuzaki who nodded.
"Do that," Ryuzaki said. "Echizen, you ready to play?"
Ryoma looked a little torn, but Hari looked at him.
"Play," she said. "I'm fine."
She looked so pale but tried her best to smile encouraging to her brother.
"Hari…"
"Play," She said.
...
Hari had to lean heavily on Nanjiro as she walked, her legs felt like jelly and she was sure she never would have been able to walk on her own. It made her feel weak and pathetic.
Another wave of nausea hit her and she was unable to stop it this time and she barely managed to get to a rubbish bin in time. She tried to ignore the startled and disgusted cries that followed and a burning feeling of humiliation and embarrassment made her inside burn.
"Shh," Nanjiro tried to calm her as he held her hair back and rubbed soothing circles on her back the entire time.
Hari accepted the paper that he held out when she pulled back and winced at the smell and had to push back another wave of nausea. She wiped her mouth and accepted the help to a newly vacated bench.
"Hari-chan?"
Hari flinched at the voice. No…no…no… she didn't want… he couldn't see her like this…
"No…" she whimpered.
"It's okay," Nanjiro soothed and she forced herself to look up and see Seiichi standing in front of her looking worried.
"What's wrong?" Seiichi asked concerned.
Hari looked down ashamed and wished she would disappear.
"She's not feeling too good," Nanjiro said diplomatically.
Seiichi looked at her and then over at his team who stood back waiting and he was suddenly glad that they had held back. He had seen the shame in her eyes and he knew she hadn't wanted him to see her like that, but he couldn't ignore it either.
He looked at Sanada and was pleased to see that the other boy understood what he wanted from that look and immediately told the others that they should go.
"Hari-chan," Seiichi said. "It's okay."
Her breath hitched and she whimpered again and leaned against her father who looked concerned.
"It's not," Hari said weakly. "I…it hurts… it… my scar…"
Seiichi swallowed as the implications of her words hit him and a wave of fear washed over him, but he forced it back as he sat down on the other side of her and took her hand. He noted how clammy she felt and really noticed the sweaty t-shirt and brow, and the paleness of her skin.
"What can I do?" Seiichi asked looking at her and then at Nanjiro who was watching him with a calculating look in his eyes.
"I will go and find some water and then bring the car around," Nanjiro said. "Can you stay with her?"
Seiichi nodded and reached out to pull Hari to his side so she could lean on him while Nanjiro went to find the water and the car. Hari did without protest but he felt the tension in her.
"Do you need anything while we wait, Hari-chan?" Seiichi asked.
"No…" Hari mumbled and he knew she had closed her eyes. "It hurts."
"How can I help?" he asked almost desperately.
"Talk," she mumbled. "I don't want to focus on this…how did your game go?"
"We won," Seiichi said. "I wouldn't say it was easy, but we had control over the game from the start…"
He continued to ramble about the game hoping it would allow her to relax and focus on something else and he thought it might be working because she didn't feel as tense anymore.
"I feel happy, but it's not me, Sei-chan," Hari admitted when he stopped talking and he tightened his hold on her almost unconsciously. "I'm…scared."
Seiichi wondered if she was aware that she said the last part out loud.
"I know," he said trying to keep his voice calm, "you're not alone, Hari-chan. I'm here, and your dad is on his way to get the car. He'll be here soon."
"I'm ruining everything…" Hari whispered. "I'm not worth it."
"You are!" Seiichi protested. "You are not ruining anything, Hari-chan! And you are worth it all, and I'm not the only one who believes that."
Hari didn't say anything, and Seiichi felt at a loss.
"Here," Nanjiro said as he handed a bottle of water to Hari who opened her eyes again and took the bottle. "Drink."
Hari did and grimaced as she took one sip and then spat the water out, "taste bad."
"I know, but you need to drink," Nanjiro said and she did. "The car is ready."
"Car?" Hari asked.
"We need to see the monk," Nanjiro said. "He will be able to help you."
"Okay," Hari said quietly.
Seiichi helped her stand up and she leaned on him. He looked at Nanjiro who just nodded and allowed Seiichi to help her toward the car.
"Can I come with you?" Seiichi asked when they reached the car and Nanjiro had helped Hari get in.
Nanjiro looked at him for a moment.
"Please, Echizen-san," Seiichi said, "I just want to help her."
Nanjiro nodded, "okay."
...
Nanjiro and Seiichi both relied on Hari to get into the shrine, but it was easily done and Nanjiro allowed Seiichi to be the one to support Hari. Hari seemed content to lean on her boyfriend, so Nanjiro stood back.
"Ah, Hari," the monk said stepping forward seemingly out of nowhere and both Nanjiro and Seiichi jumped while Hari just looked toward the monk. "Come this way."
They followed the monk to the house they had been at before and sat down when the monk told them to.
"You are in pain," the monk said, "I can feel it."
"My scar hurts," Hari admitted. "A lot."
The monk nodded, "anything else?"
"I…I felt happy, but it wasn't me," Hari said quietly.
"Do you still feel it?" the monk asked.
"Not as strongly;" Hari frowned. "It's…there, but it feels…far away. Just barely in reach."
The monk nodded again and gave Seiichi a curious look before looking back at Hari.
"Have you been using your occlumency?" the monk asked.
"I've tried," Hari said, "but it's slipping and I can't…"
"You've been doing very well," the monk reassured her. "How long has this lasted?"
"Since I woke up this morning," Hari said. "It wasn't this bad, though. And I managed to push it back, close my mind as you taught me. It felt like an ache, but I felt like I had it under control. Then…it just got worse."
The monk was already moving around and seemed to be looking for something and when he turned back to them he was holding out a vial of something purple.
"You did very well," he said again. "I want you to drink this."
"It's purple," Seiichi said looking at it. "Is that normal?"
"For potions," Hari said and took the vial.
"What does it do?" Seiichi asked curiously even as he looked at Hari with a worried look.
"It will help her close her mind," the monk explained. "Help support her walls and magic to fight it."
Hari grimaced as she drank it all in one go.
"You okay?" both Seiichi and Nanjiro asked.
"Taste awful," Hari groaned but nodded. "I'm fine."
Actually she was already looking better and was getting more colour back to her face and the tension that had been in her seemed to lift. She felt lighter.
"Better?" the monk asked.
"Yeah," she said looking at him. "Thank you."
"If you have something like this then why can't she use that to help her?" Seiichi asked. "To stop this from happening?"
"It's dangerous to become too dependent on this," the monk explained. "It can't become a crutch for her to lean on."
"So, it's like any drugs in the non-magical world where you can become addicted?" Seiichi wondered.
"Yes," the monk agreed. "And this is a very strong potion and only to be used in emergencies."
...
Game
...
"You ready?" Ryuzaki asked Ryoma who was still staring after Hari and Nanjiro.
Ryoma swallowed and nodded as he turned to walk onto the court. He inhaled deeply trying to push the worry he felt for Hari away. He knew it was not just a headache or her being sick that was the matter. No, it was…him.
"Let's win this for Hari!" Momoshiro cheered. "Echizen! You have to win!"
Ryoma smiled a little and nodded. He looked at Keigo who was already there watching him with a pensive look on his face.
"Is she okay?" Keigo asked.
Ryoma bit back the insult that he wanted to throw at him. She was his sister. Not Keigo's. But he did see the worry in the other boy's eyes and knew that Hari cared about him.
"She will be," Ryoma said not knowing if he was trying to reassure Keigo or himself. "No need to worry."
Well, that was a lie.
Keigo frowned a little.
"Well, let's do this," Ryoma smirked. "I've been looking forward to the chance of playing you, Mr Monkey King."
"You might be a prince, but I'm a King!" Keigo smirked back.
...
Game, Hyotei: 1 - 0
...
Sanada had arrived at the court just as Ryoma and Keigo had started to play and had stood stoically observing them both. He was curious about this matchup. He had expected Tezuka to be the one playing Keigo, but it looked like they had changed the order. It might be a clever plan, but so far it looked like Ryoma struggled.
But Sanada would admit that he was impressed with how unbothered Ryoma looked.
"Atobe has pulled it out of him already," Sanada observed.
"The Muga no Kyochi, right?" Yagyu asked. "Interesting."
Sanada kept watching and noted how Ryoma shifted between the different styles of tennis that he had copied from others. It was clear that he had learned and made them his own in a way. It looked like he shifted between them almost unconsciously.
...
15 – 0 :Hyotei
...
"Looks like the Muga no Kyochi doesn't work against Atobe," Tezuka said.
"All the moves Echizen used with the Muga no Kyochi have been returned by Atobe," Kawamura agreed.
"Oh! That's Atobe's serve!" Someone yelled.
But then…
The ball was behind Ryoma.
...
30 – 0 : Hyotei
...
"What was that?" Kaido asked.
"Echizen couldn't react to it at all," Oishi said.
Ryoma frowned as he stared at Keigo who smirked at him. Ryoma hated it. It felt like he was saying that he wasn't good enough.
But he would not back down!
...
Sanada's eyes widened as he saw the last move Keigo used and it was like he was back at the tennis court opposite Keigo once again. It was a long time since that had happened, but Sanada could still remember the move. How he had faltered and how he would have lost if not Seiichi had arrived and stopped the match.
"It's the same one," Sanada murmured ignoring the looks he got as he stared at Keigo.
He itched to play Keigo himself. To see that he had overcome the weakness he had back then and that he would be able to beat him now.
But he was also interested in seeing what Ryoma could do.
"Koori no Sekai," Sanada explained when Kirihara asked him what it was called. "Or rather a world of ice. Atobe uses all of Echizen's dead angles and it makes Echizen unable to do anything. It's just like he's frozen to ice."
"Strong ability," Yagyu said.
...
"Ochibi is in trouble!" Kikumaru worried. "He played too aggressively with the Muga no Kyochi, and he's lost a lot of his strength."
"And I'm sure he's worried about Hari-chan," Oishi added. "This is rough."
"I hope she's okay," Kikumaru worried. "She didn't look good."
"I'm sure coach Echizen is getting her help," Oishi reassured his friend.
...
Game, Hyotei: 4 – 0
...
Ryoma let out an annoyed sigh and clutched his racket harder as he glared.
"Oh, Echizen is showing frustration," Momoshiro commented.
"Isn't his mind supposed to be 'Mu' when he's using the Muga no Kyochi?" Kaido asked.
"Without making his mind 'Mu', he makes the status of Muga no Kyochi impossible," Oishi said.
Ryoma didn't hear them as he returned one of Keigo's serves and watched as the ball flew back toward Keigo.
"I see," Fuji said. "Echizen has begun to control even them Muga no Kyochi."
...
Keigo smirked even as he realised the same thing as Fuji. It didn't matter. He could still see all of Ryoma's dead angles and he would win!
Keigo hit the ball back knowing it would hit the dead angle but noticed Ryoma had closed his eyes.
Why?
"Echizen!" Kawamura cried out when he noticed the closed eyes.
"Hm…he's finally giving up?" Oshitari wondered.
"Oh no! It's the end!" Horio cried out loudly.
But then… Ryoma suddenly opened his eyes and hit the ball and it went past Keigo who could not do anything but gasp in shock. He had not expected Ryoma to hit the ball back…
...
"H-Hey…" Mukahi stuttered.
"This can't be true…" Haginosuke said.
"Oh," Fuji smiled before he frowned thinking about how Hari would have reacted to seeing Ryoma do this. She would have grinned in a way that clearly said she knew all along that Ryoma could do it…
Keigo looked rattled at the fact that Ryoma had managed to get a ball past him despite him using his Koori no Sekai.
...
"That's…" Sanada said as he realised what was going on and felt his eyes widen as he watched how the ball was sucked back toward Ryoma and away from where Keigo had intended to hit the ball.
"Tezuka Zone?" Kirihara asked excitedly as he watched.
"Impressive. I guess that's why he stuck with the Muga no Kyochi," Yanagi stated.
Sanada nodded as he watched Keigo and could guess he was cursing Tezuka in his mind as he tried to get the momentum again.
"What is Tezuka Zone?"
"It's a high-level technique that controls the opponents' balls by adding rotation to it and leading the ball to a spot you can return easily," Yanagi explained. "It's completely different than the ball you can hit from the image you burn into your brain."
"In order to control the subtle rotation," Sanada added, "you need a lot of experience like Tezuka has."
...
Game, Seigaku: 4 – 1
...
"Woah!" Horio and Kachiro cried awed.
"Awesome!"
Yoshida nodded as she made a note in her notebook thinking she should make sure Hari got a chance to look at the game records afterwards. She would love to get a chance to see how the match turned out.
Tezuka looked at Ryoma for a long moment and realised that he had grown faster than he had expected him to.
"He is not imitating my move," Tezuka said and ignored the looks he got as Ryoma continued to play and gain points.
"I see," Fuji murmured as he watched.
...
Ryuzaki smiled a little as she looked at the son of her old student.
"Echizen has gathered highly concentrated experiences every day since he was small," Ryuzaki said. "Playing against Nanjiro."
Tezuka nodded in agreement and the others looked a little stunned but also realizing just how much Ryoma must have practised for years.
...
Keigo felt like he was in shock.
This was unbelievable as he tried to keep up with Ryoma who just kept coming. He never stopped and Keigo felt like it was all slipping away.
Where was the little punk that barked at him? Where had this monster come from? Had he really grown so much so quickly?
Ryoma jumped up and Keigo recognized the attack right away.
"Rondo Towards Destruction!" Ryoma cried.
The ball slammed past him and Keigo could only stare at Ryoma.
...
Game, Seigaku: 4 - 4
...
"Ochibi!" Kikumaru exclaimed excitedly.
"Go, Echizen!" Momoshiro yelled.
"Seigaku's fate is up to you," Fuji said.
"Well, the real match starts here, Echizen," Tezuka stated.
"Yes!" Ryoma said with a smirk as he stared at Keigo.
Ryoma would do this. He would do this for Hari and for the team, but mostly for Hari. He knew she would blame herself if he lost, so that wasn't an option. He would win! It was all he could do right now to help her. It might not be much, but he had to at least do this.
...
With Hari
...
Hari and Seiichi stood silently just watching the water in the river that made its way through the shrine.
"I lost," Hari suddenly said and Seiichi looked over at her. "I made Kikumaru-senpai lose too… I messed up everything."
"It's not your fault, Hari-chan," Seiichi said.
"It is," Hari said stubbornly. "I can't do this, Sei-chan. I can't… I'm not good enough at closing my mind. It is so hard!"
"You can do it," Seiichi said reaching out to take her hand in his and squeezing it. "I know you can do anything, you are so strong and amazing. And it's okay if you can't be strong all the time, you can lean on me or your family. We're all here."
Hari swallowed and leaned against him so her head was resting against his shoulder.
She felt a little better with him there, even if she still felt unsettled and worried. The happy feeling she had felt that didn't belong to her was still scary and concerning. Why was Voldemort happy?
Just what was happening?
The fact that he was happy about something was probably a bad thing for her, and it worried her. What if he was closer? What if she would lose it all?
"You need to focus," Arata said as he stepped up to them.
Hari turned slightly to look at him but didn't let go of Seiichi even as she raised her head to look at Arata.
"How?" she asked.
"Clear your mind," Arata said. "We've talked about this, and you need to keep calm."
"It's not that easy!" Hari argued.
"You can, it's what you've been practising for. Centre yourself, Hari-chan."
"You can do it," Seiichi agreed, squeezing her hand.
...
Nanjiro watched his daughter standing by the river with Seiichi and leaning on him. He would admit that Seiichi was good for Hari. He was very supportive and seemed to be able to calm Hari down.
"He is very well matched with young Hari," the monk said.
"He will be a great help for her," the monk said. "The more she has to connect to the better chance she has."
Nanjiro sighed but nodded in agreement and thanks, he was glad for everything that would help Hari.
"What now? She's been doing so well lately," Nanjiro asked.
"Her magic is preparing," the monk said. "And it's getting closer to the ritual, and her magic is sensing it. The Horcrux is fighting as well, and that's why the talisman is failing. The struggle inside of her is getting stronger."
"How will that affect her?" Nanjiro asked worriedly.
"She might be more tired and restless," the monk said. "Her mood might vary more."
"You talked about how magic is sentient earlier," Nanjiro said.
"Magic is part of everything," the monk said. "It's in the air, the nature… it's in the acts of everyday life. It's in the relationships with the people around us, friends and family."
"I just want her to be safe and happy," Nanjiro said as he watched Hari with Seiichi and Arata.
"She will be," the monk said. "Her magic is strong."
"What can we do for her if the struggle is getting tougher?" Nanjiro asked. "I don't know how I can help her."
"I will do some more charms that will help build up her mental defences even more," the monk said. "And I will ask that she comes here every morning for an hour so that she can meditate and build up her mental shields."
"Okay," Nanjiro said. "I'll talk to her."
The monk nodded.
...
Game
...
"You said they were still playing," Hari said looking at Nanjiro.
"They are," Nanjiro said. "I got a text letting me know."
"So, I want to go and see," Hari said stubbornly.
She wanted, no needed, to see how the match ended. If they lost, then it was her fault. Her mistake of playing despite her scar hurting. She should have stepped back, but she had refused.
And now, they might be out of Nationals because of her.
Both Nanjiro and Seiichi had tried to persuade her to go home and rest. They said it wasn't her fault and that she should just focus on herself and her needs.
But she needed this. Her mind wouldn't shut up until she knew and saw it with her own eyes.
So, even though it was nearing dusk she made them go back to the courts.
She couldn't help but wonder what kind of game it had been for it to have lasted this long…
...
117 – 117: Seigaku
...
Hari heard the speaker announce the score over the speakers just as they reached the court and she saw both Ryoma and Keigo lying on the court seemingly unmoving.
"Wow…" she whispered.
"Hm, looks like it's been an interesting match," Nanjiro smiled.
Hari nodded but didn't follow as he walked down to the court. She remained standing at the top of the steps that lead down to the others as she stared at Ryoma. He looked exhausted.
He had clearly pushed himself to his limits. Probably past them too, if she was going to guess.
"Hey! Atobe! Stand up!" Shishido yelled.
"Hey, Echizen! Stand up!" Kaido yelled.
The others, from both teams, started to yell for their player to get up.
Keigo got up and looked over at Ryoma.
"The winner will be Hyotei!" Keigo said sounding tired but determined.
"Ochibi! Please, stand up!" Kikumaru cried.
"Stand up, Echizen!" Oishi yelled.
Hari swallowed down the guilt she felt as she stepped forward.
"Ryo-chan! Get up! You can do it!" she yelled.
...
Who are calling me now?
Am I playing a match right now?
Ryoma felt confused and so, so tired.
Ryo-chan! Get up! You can do it!
Was that Hari? Was Hari back?
It's hot. His body wouldn't move.
Echizen! Echizen! Echizen!
Ryo-chan! Ryo-chan!
Please, just let him sleep. Just a little longer.
No. They were going to the top. They were.
He had to get up.
Now!
He moved.
...
"Please," Hari whispered before she saw Ryoma move and get up, it looked a little unsteady but he got up.
"Mada mada…dane," Ryoma said as he opened his eyes and looked at Keigo.
Hari smiled relieved but it fell away quickly.
"You okay, Hari-chan?" Fuji asked and Hari was suddenly aware that he had moved away from the others.
She shrugged, "better."
"Should you be standing? Come on, let's find a place for you to sit down," Fuji said worriedly.
"No…I…I don't need to sit down," Hari said.
Fuji didn't say anything but remained standing beside her and she felt like crying. She felt Seiichi squeeze her hand understanding how she felt without words.
...
Ryoma got ready to serve.
"Twist-Serve!" the first years cheered as the ball flew over to the other side and past Keigo who didn't even react.
Or move.
"Keigo…" Hari said quietly as she looked at him and realised what had happened.
"Atobe, you're still going for the top even after you have fainted," Tezuka's voice drifted up to where Hari and Fuji were standing.
Hari smiled a little sadly but felt impressed as she watched Keigo.
"You're…amazing," Ryoma said breathing harshly.
"Impressive," Fuji murmured next to her. "It was a good game."
"Yeah?" Hari asked not looking away from Keigo.
"Mm," Fuji said. "You'll be proud of your brother."
"Always," Hari said quietly.
...
Game, Seigaku: 7 – 6 – Seigaku wins!
...
"Yes!"
"He did it!"
Hari watched as the others rushed onto the court and surrounded Ryoma who looked momentarily surprised before it turned into a bored look. She felt her lips twitch slightly as she watched how Momoshiro ruffled his hair.
"You coming?" Fuji asked her and she hesitated.
"I…"
"Come on," Fuji said taking her hand. Seiichi let go of her hand and when she glanced over at him he gave her a smile and waved her off toward her team, so she allowed Fuji to lead her away and toward the team.
Ryoma turned his attention to her when they reached them and she saw the worry in his eyes. She felt bad for having worried him, so she smiled and reached out to hug him. She knew he was tired but he hugged her tightly back and she felt how the tension seemed to leave him as he did so.
"You're back," he whispered.
"You did it," she said. "I knew you could."
"Of course," he said and she could practically feel his smirk against her shoulder.
She pulled back and tried to push back everything and just enjoy their win as everyone cheered around her. She turned her head and looked over to see Keigo being surrounded by his team now and was relieved to see that he had gotten more alert and was grumbling a little.
He looked over and met her eyes for a moment before he pulled free from his team and walked toward the net. Hari moved away from her brother and her team as she walked over to the net as well.
"You okay?" he asked.
"Almost," Hari said.
"You look better at least," Keigo said looking over her. "You scared me."
"Sorry," Hari said. "Just a headache that got really bad."
"Hm," Keigo frowned. "Well, okay."
"I'm sorry I missed your match," Hari said. "I hear it was a good one."
Keigo huffed, "it was. Your brother has grown a lot."
"Yeah, he has," Hari agreed quietly.
He reached out and pulled her into a hug startling her a little but she hugged him back before he pulled away.
"See you soon, Hari-chan," he said. "I'll let you go back to your team."
Hari nodded and knew she should tell him more about what was going on later. He deserved to know, she knew that.
She made her way back to her team and tried to put on a smile as she was met with grins and excited cheers. How close had she been to ruining all of this for them?
...
...
AN: What do you think? XD
Hope you like it! XD
Thank you for reading and the support! XD