[Fic] Black Dream
Title: Black Dream
Rating: PG for now
Characters used in current chapter: Echizen, Fuji, Tezuka, Kaidou, Inui, Kawamura, Momoshiro, random teachers
Author: Eternal.Snow / Winter's Light
Summary: [[Ryo-centric]] AU-ish. Rating may change. He was sucked into the world of his dreams. How far will he be buried until someone pulls him out?
Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis.
Chapter 1:
It was a high fever that Echizen Ryoma woke up with. Of course, Echizen, being the same old Echizen, ignored it, thinking that he just overslept because he usually did that so often. So he went to school with a pounding headache.
He was lucky had English first period. Instead of the teacher waking Echizen up every five minutes only to have him humiliate the teacher, he let the twelve-year-old sleep through his class.
So Echizen thought nothing of the high fever.
However, throughout the day, he slowly began to feel a bit sick and by the time lunch came around, he had started to feel its full effect.
His headache had started to feel as if someone had gotten a hammer and was pounding it continuously. He felt dizzy and his muscles were tired - that usually didn’t happen unless it was after a really long tennis match.
Now Echizen was regretting even getting out of bed.
So at lunch, he brushed off the freshmen trio, avoided the coach’s granddaughter and her loud friend and completely ditched his senpai friend to go and to take a nap on the roof.
He sighed and laid an arm over his forehead. His forehead - no - all of him was feeling much too warm for his liking… He closed his eyes, shielding golden cat-like eyes from the bright sun…slowly…falling asleep…
Echizen jolted up, eyes widening in surprise and then scrunched up in pain from the headache. He raised a hand on rub his temples and ease the pain.
Once the pain had subsided for a bit, he remembered that he still had three more classes left before practice and that he was now late.
Speaking of practice… Maybe he should just skip…
…Nah…
He blinked once, then twice at the scene in front of him. Or rather - at the strange, foreign country had had awoken in.
He stood up from the sitting position he was in and observed his surroundings more thoroughly up at his height. He looked around and saw that many people were wearing the same strange clothes consisting of colored cloaks over a pair of trousers and a plain brown tunic or shirt.
He looked down and was relieved to see that he was still in his clothes - the Seigaku school uniform.
A tap on his shoulder had him spinning around and he came face-to-face with a smiling face. The figure had chestnut brown hair and a pale complexion that suited this man perfectly.
Echizen let out a surprised gasp. In front of him stood Fuji Syuusuke - the third year tennis prodigy.
Without thinking (and wanted to go back to his life), he cried out, “Fuji-senpai! H-How did you get here?!” He reached out to grab his senpai’s shoulders but held back when he took in Fuji’s clothes.
He was wearing a full sapphire-blue armor over his fancy shirt decorated with white dragons and his pants - also the same decoration. A pale blue cloak was worn on his shoulders, hood draped back and the same eerie smile on his face.
This Fuji looked exactly like the one who played tennis - except for the clothes... However…
…they were still different.
“Y-You’re not Fuji-senpai…” he muttered as the Fuji-look-alike nodded in agreement. He had said that mostly to himself yet the look a like had heard…
“You’re right, I’m not. However, I am important so please bow, peasant,” were the cold cruel words that Echizen heard.
Echizen looked up in shock and mortification to find that his sapphire eyes were opened.
“You dare disobey me?”
Echizen backed away as two soldiers dressed in all black appeared with spears and lunged at him. His golden feline-like eyes widened and he quickly shut them. A sudden surge of warmth filled his body and then turned to an icy chill.
“Prince!”
Echizen snapped his eyes opened to find that the Fuji-look-alike had collapsed. He let out a sigh of relief when the soldiers abandoned all thoughts of attacking him and the assault.
A sudden shrill scream woke him out of his thoughts and he turned around to find that one of the soldiers was launching a sneak attack, spear in hand. He shut his eyes, want waited for the impact.
Tightly…shutting his eyes…
Echizen jolted, sitting up as fast as he could. His eyes widened, remembering the dream he had had. He groaned as a wave of nausea washed over him and got up as the bell rang.
He was late, just great. And it’s all because of the stupid dream, he thought as he gathered his things and ran towards the door leading out the roof and down the stairs to the school hallways.
If it was the flushed face, his desperate look or whatever it was when he ran into the classroom, the teacher seemed to take pity on him and let him go without having to stand out the hallway holding onto buckets of water.
Some kids thought that that was totally unfair until some girls glared at them to shut up - added with Echizen’s obliviousness. Well, that’s what they thought until Echizen got sent to the nurse…
It was all because he had fallen asleep - deeply and heavily asleep. The teacher had walked over to him, intent on waking him (several students had forewarned him by poking and prodding him with their pencils) however when she lifted a finger to flick his forehead, she felt extreme heat and quickly pulled her hand back.
“Echizen-san!” she said sharply, trying to get his attention and wake him. He stirred slightly but didn’t wake. “Echizen-san!” she called again, this time shaking his shoulder.
“…hm… five more minutes…” he murmured as he buried his head further into his arms.
A laugh chorused through the classroom but was quickly silenced by the teacher glaring.
“Echizen-san!” she yelled this time and he jolted upright with wide eyes.
“Eh?!” he asked, thoroughly confused.
“Echizen-san, stay still for a moment,” she replied, business-like with thin lips as a hand reached up and pressed on his forehead.
Echizen felt dizzy, but complied. He felt a cool hand on his forehead - that was a nice change to the heat, he thought absentmindedly. The cool feeling disappeared and he was back to the heated temperature.
“Echizen-san, go to the nurse.” It was not a request but rather an order or demand. However, Echizen took it as a request and shook his head.
“I’m fine,” he replied, sane but wavering in and out of a daze.
“I’m afraid you misunderstood me. Go to the nurse.” Her lips thinned but Echizen resisted.
“No. I’m fine,” he replied as the class watched.
She heaved a sigh, obviously not in the mood to argue. “Fine, but if you collapse, don’t you go blaming me!”
With that, she left his desk and walked to the front of the room to continue the lesson only to find that the bell was ringing. “That’s all,” she said, dismissing the class.
Echizen got up slowly, gathered his materials and left the room. Hopefully the last two teachers wouldn’t notice.
His second-to-last teacher was blind to Echizen’s sickness but he didn’t complain. His luck, however, ran out at the last class.
The teacher had sent him to the nurse forcibly but instead of heading there, he U-turned and went to the bathroom to wash his face off.
With the cool water funning, he cooled his hands, cupped a bit and then splashed his face with the cool liquid. He sighed, then reached for a paper towel. He nearly dropped the paper towel when he saw the reflection on the mirror.
There he was, standing in front of the mirror, but what he mirror reflected…was not him… Rather, it was like another him - as if he was wearing different clothes, a silver cloak over trouser and a tunic.
Like the one in his dream…
He blinked and rubbed his eyes. It had disappeared. Maybe…He was hallucinating? He brushed it off as that thought and wiped his face just as the bell rang indicating that the day was over.
Well, the teacher did say to go to the nurse. Maybe they thought that he went home? He shrugged, I’ll just go to practice then he thought as he walked out the door and towards the tennis courts. He yawned, a hand over his mouth.
Hopefully practice won’t be hell.
--
However, Echizen Ryoma was so very wrong. To every one of the regulars (excluding Echizen), it was the normal everyday routine, however to Echizen today, it seemed as if he had been to hell and back.
It started with the usual lecture that Tezuka Kunimitsu, the captain; Oishi Syuichiro, the vice captain; and Ryuuzaki Sumire, the coach gave. Well, technically, it was pretty much just Ryuuzaki-sensei and Tezuka-buchou today.
Echizen had arrived just in time to see that the club members had gathered for the lecture. Of course, Echizen - being Echizen - hung around the back of the group until they were dismissed. Hopefully no one would notice.
However…
“Echizen, please see me.”
Damn, someone must have ratted out on him. He glanced around to see if anyone was watching him and saw that most of the regulars - okay all - were staring curiously. He shook his head and walked over to his captain.
It must have been his science teacher, he reasoned thinking about what happened earlier when she tried to wake him up. He groaned inwardly wondering what his captain was going to say.
“Echizen. I heard from your teacher that you hadn’t been feeling well so she sent you to the nurse…” he started out with the same stoic face and stern voice.
Damn, ever worse, it was his last hour teacher - math.
Tezuka raised an eyebrow, “Aren’t you supposed to be there?” Whispers stared and Echizen’s head began hurting again - as if someone was smashing a door against his head now.
“I felt better so I decided to come to practice,” he replied as he tried to keep the pain that was pounding away in his head from showing on his face.
Tezuka gave him a skeptical look. Then finally, he gave a sigh and said, “Fine but you’re excused from doing extra laps and any of Inui’s concoctions.”
That was a plus, Ryoma thought.
“Not warm up and start practicing.”
Echizen nodded, eager for practice all of a sudden. Ignoring his aching joints, he quickly went to warm up and run his usual twenty laps.
Practice was pretty normal other than the occasional looks Echizen received from his senpai and classmates. Well, almost normal. Even running laps was a pain today.
“I knew it! I knew it with my two years of tennis experience that he was sick!” Horio’s annoying voice rang from near the D courts where the freshmen picked up balls.
Echizen rolled his eyes. Since when did tennis have anything to do with being sick? Other than not playing of course…
He coughed slightly, hand over his mouth and then continued to hit balls against the wall - running back and forth trying to hit the neon yellow ball.
“Echizen… You look pale…”
Echizen jumped and stopped chasing the ball to look over his shoulder to see his senpai, Fuji Syuusuke.
Suddenly reminded of that strange dream, he backed away, as if withdrawing as Fuji reached out a hand to check his temperature.
Seeing that Echizen had shrank back instead of remaining his usual bored attitude, Fuji withdrew his hand. “Echizen, are you sure you’re alright?”
Echizen suddenly felt as if his eyelids had gotten heavier and everything became foggier… Was it just him or were there two Fuji-senpai’s? He thought to himself as he looked up, eyes glazing over.
His eyelids felt much to heavy all of a sudden to keep open… He looked up just in time to see Fuji open his eyes and search for someone to get the nurse…
Hm… His body seemed heavier too, he thought as he closed his eyes… falling…into…slumber…
--
Fuji’s eyes widened when Echizen suddenly fell into his arms, asleep. Fearing the worst, he hauled the freshmen over his shoulder and ran as fast as he could to find Tezuka. (Which wasn’t very fast considering he had Echizen on his back).
A few curious and shocked stares were seen as Fuji passed them all. He only stopped when he spotted Tezuka talking to Oishi.
“Tezuka!” he called, trying to keep Echizen on his back.
Tezuka looked up from his conversation, annoyed that had been interrupted from a very important one. His expression, however changed (slightly) when he noticed Echizen lying still on Fuji’s back.
“What happened?” he demanded to know of their youngest regular member. His eyes narrowed in suspicion as he thought about what Echizen had said earlier. Obviously it was a lie to keep playing tennis.
“I don’t know…. I was talking to him and he just….passed out,” Fuji replied just as the other regulars and their team manager came over to see what had happened.
“Nya! What happened to Ochibi-chan?!” Kikumaru Eiji asked in a loud, clear and playful voice. He was the team acrobatic and volley player - very clingy and cat-like as noted by Inui Sadaharu.
Immediately, Oishi Syuichiro had explained what Fuji had told them for he had already gone into “Mother hen” mode when he first saw Echizen. (But he held his tongue).
“Will he be okay?” Momoshiro Takeshi, the second year powerhouse and Echizen’s best friend asked with wide violet eyes in shock and bewilderment. “Will he?” A habit of repeating things as recorded by Inui Sadaharu.
Fuji finally closed his eyes and shifted Echizen a bit, glancing worriedly at him. “He has a fever too… Seems hot… And it’s getting hot for me to carry him… Could I put him down somewhere?” he asked as he shifted Echizen some more.
“Place him on that bench. Kawamura! Go get a towel and wet it with cool water!” Tezuka commanded as the third year powerhouse nodded and ran off to do so. “Kaidou! Go to the nurse and alert her!” he continued as the snake-like player hissed and walked off.
Fuji set Echizen down gently as Kawamura hurried back with the towel. He let the Powerhouse place it over the freshmen prodigy’s forehead
Kaidou soon returned with a fever medicine and handed it to the captain, then walking off to continue practice, trying to look as if he didn’t are about what was happen but kept glancing in Echizen’s direction. (Momoshiro snickered at that).
Fuji chuckled and then turned his attention back at Echizen. He really hoped that he would be all right…
--
Echizen Ryoma blinked. How the heck did he get here? He thought as he scratched his head in wonder.
He had awoken and found himself in the middle of the dirty and sandy road. The placed looked like the place he had woken earlier too! And that had been a dream…
So that meant that this one was too…
He looked up just in time to see a huge green, scaly beast with large leathery wings spread out, soaring through the clear blue skies of this strange dream.
He had to gasp - he couldn’t help it. It wasn’t as if he saw dragons flying high in the sky in every one of his dreams after all!!
He had felt that his Seigaku School Uniform was still on when he awoke so he didn’t worry…
Hm… Since this was a dream, maybe he could do magic? It couldn’t hurt try, he shrugged, waving off any dangerous consequences.
He closed his eyes, suddenly feeling very hungry. He brought his hands together, and focused on a hamburger. Hm… Make that a plateful.
A distinctive “Pop!” and Echizen found himself behind a table holding several pieces of cooked, roasted, baked and fried beef. He frowned. This was not exactly right, as he had envisioned but it would do for now…
A sudden passing thought stopped him from digging in and he felt that this was a call for a “beef-eating-contest”!
A smirk fell on his lips and he clasped his hands once again, this time, seeing if he could summon his friend, Momoshiro Takeshi.
The same “Pop!” was heard and he found his tall, junior friend already munching on drumsticks.
Well, he thought, sighing, Momo-senpai was still Momo-senpai whether it was in his dreams or when he was awake.
--
Fuji Syuusuke watched worriedly as he witnessed several people dressed in white - females with the nurse caps - both genders had masks over their mouths - come and pulled the stretcher away. It was strange to see who was lying on it.
On the stretcher, laid Seigaku’s Tennis Club’s freshmen prodigy with an oxygen mask on.
After Echizen had passed out, they set him aside (as the nurse instructed) on a bench for him to rest and wake when ready - when he was well again.
However, when practice had ended and Echizen still hadn’t awaken, it was then that they called the ambulance to see what was wrong.
They didn’t arrive in any flashy signs since it was just a check up to see how Echizen was and why he would not wake. They brought him to a clinic instead.
They found that Echizen was dehydrated and therefore, he was brought to the hospital and soon began to treat his fever and him - giving him lots of fluids.
He still had not awoken - though he did stir once.
When Echizen stopped breathing for about 30 seconds, the oxygen mask was brought in and the regulars cast worried looks.
Obviously, Echizen was not coming out of this unscathed.
But how much damage will it be?
--
Echizen frowned. He should have been awaken by now… He scratched his head as he wandered aimlessly through the marketplace…
Already sent Momo-senpai back on his own dream, Echizen found it quite boring to be without anyone’s company.
That and he wanted to share the odd looks that he was receiving…
His eyebrows creased what if he needed someone here to help wake him up? Well, in the other dream, one of the soldiers had awoken him…
That was settled - he would go and find someone to help wake him up!
About an hour passed and Echizen was sitting on the side of the road, breathing hard and panting quite heavily.
He had ran into a couple of stray guard dogs and just suddenly was chased for no reason at all. He growled inwardly at the memory.
“My, my, you look a little lost, dear,” a voice jolted him out of his thoughts as he looked up to see an old woman.
The woman had warts all over her face - but none as large as the one on her nose! Her graying red hair was braided back and laid on a shoulder. She also had on a dark purple on black striped-jagged cloak draped on her shoulders. An old and smelly brown scarf wrapped tightly around her neck (Echizen wondered why - it wasn’t even cold!) and in her hand, she had a basket.
“E-Eh?” he asked, standing up with a wide and confused look on his face.
“Would you like some help? I am a witch,” she replied with a smile.
Echizen’s eyes widened and he nodded immediately. “Thank you. Could you help me wake up?”
Okay, now that sounded a bit strange but this was a dream. A dream didn’t have to make sense.
The old witch nodded slowly, pulled out an old and beat-up wand, waved it around chanting words that Echizen did not recognize.
A sudden burst of black smoke appeared around his feet, began crawling up his leg and wrapped around his body like tight coils.
He knew this was dream but this felt too real!
He shut his eyes tightly, hoping to wake…
It sure was taking a long time…
--
Tezuka Kunimitsu jumped up, out of his seat as the doctors came out of his room. The other regulars (went from two pacing Kikumaru and Momoshiro, to Fuji tapping his foot, to Kawamura Takashi flipping through random magazines to Oishi Syuichiro trying to stop the pacers while Kaidou Kaoru hissed non-stop. Inui Sadaharu took notes on their behaviors) got up immediately (except for those who were already up) and awaited the news.
The main doctor, a man with graying brown hair and thin-rimmed glasses started to speak.
The regular’s expression changed - worried to despaired glances and Kikumaru resorted to crying o n Syuichiro’s shoulder while Fuji clenched his fists, shaking uncontrollably. Kawamura nearly fainted while Kaidou, Inui and Momoshiro left the room.
At 7:53 p.m., Echizen Ryoma was announced comatose.
-end of chapter 1-
Author’s Note: I’ll reserve a section down here to answer a couple things. What Echizen is dreaming is actually another world. And that world, it’s like a fantasy role-playing game thing. Oh and when Echizen tried to do magic? THAT part was the dream section. So when he tried to get Momoshiro to eat “hamburgers” with him, Momoshiro was busy. At that time, he was sitting in the lobby of the hospital, sleeping and awaiting the news.
Why isn’t it hamburgers? Well, I didn’t think that hamburgers are still in that fantasy world. But I know they have beef. XD Why fever? I couldn’t think of any other way to get Echizen into the hospital. That was lame, I know. XD
The first dream? Was it put there on accident or for a purpose? Well, I’m trying to make everything in this story to have a purpose and to close and cover my plot holes. I’m trying, people!
Oh yes and the witch will come in play once again later on. ((wink))
Another note, I DID NOT STEAL THIS PLOT. I only just noticed that my summary sounded a lot like REMOTE’s summary. However, I came up with this before I realized it. (I haven’t even read it yet… T.T ) I came up with this story through a completely different fanfiction. (Compliments to Gray Mist).
That’s for all. Questions? Thoughts? Comments? Advice?
Rating: PG for now
Characters used in current chapter: Echizen, Fuji, Tezuka, Kaidou, Inui, Kawamura, Momoshiro, random teachers
Author: Eternal.Snow / Winter's Light
Summary: [[Ryo-centric]] AU-ish. Rating may change. He was sucked into the world of his dreams. How far will he be buried until someone pulls him out?
Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis.
Chapter 1:
It was a high fever that Echizen Ryoma woke up with. Of course, Echizen, being the same old Echizen, ignored it, thinking that he just overslept because he usually did that so often. So he went to school with a pounding headache.
He was lucky had English first period. Instead of the teacher waking Echizen up every five minutes only to have him humiliate the teacher, he let the twelve-year-old sleep through his class.
So Echizen thought nothing of the high fever.
However, throughout the day, he slowly began to feel a bit sick and by the time lunch came around, he had started to feel its full effect.
His headache had started to feel as if someone had gotten a hammer and was pounding it continuously. He felt dizzy and his muscles were tired - that usually didn’t happen unless it was after a really long tennis match.
Now Echizen was regretting even getting out of bed.
So at lunch, he brushed off the freshmen trio, avoided the coach’s granddaughter and her loud friend and completely ditched his senpai friend to go and to take a nap on the roof.
He sighed and laid an arm over his forehead. His forehead - no - all of him was feeling much too warm for his liking… He closed his eyes, shielding golden cat-like eyes from the bright sun…slowly…falling asleep…
Echizen jolted up, eyes widening in surprise and then scrunched up in pain from the headache. He raised a hand on rub his temples and ease the pain.
Once the pain had subsided for a bit, he remembered that he still had three more classes left before practice and that he was now late.
Speaking of practice… Maybe he should just skip…
…Nah…
He blinked once, then twice at the scene in front of him. Or rather - at the strange, foreign country had had awoken in.
He stood up from the sitting position he was in and observed his surroundings more thoroughly up at his height. He looked around and saw that many people were wearing the same strange clothes consisting of colored cloaks over a pair of trousers and a plain brown tunic or shirt.
He looked down and was relieved to see that he was still in his clothes - the Seigaku school uniform.
A tap on his shoulder had him spinning around and he came face-to-face with a smiling face. The figure had chestnut brown hair and a pale complexion that suited this man perfectly.
Echizen let out a surprised gasp. In front of him stood Fuji Syuusuke - the third year tennis prodigy.
Without thinking (and wanted to go back to his life), he cried out, “Fuji-senpai! H-How did you get here?!” He reached out to grab his senpai’s shoulders but held back when he took in Fuji’s clothes.
He was wearing a full sapphire-blue armor over his fancy shirt decorated with white dragons and his pants - also the same decoration. A pale blue cloak was worn on his shoulders, hood draped back and the same eerie smile on his face.
This Fuji looked exactly like the one who played tennis - except for the clothes... However…
…they were still different.
“Y-You’re not Fuji-senpai…” he muttered as the Fuji-look-alike nodded in agreement. He had said that mostly to himself yet the look a like had heard…
“You’re right, I’m not. However, I am important so please bow, peasant,” were the cold cruel words that Echizen heard.
Echizen looked up in shock and mortification to find that his sapphire eyes were opened.
“You dare disobey me?”
Echizen backed away as two soldiers dressed in all black appeared with spears and lunged at him. His golden feline-like eyes widened and he quickly shut them. A sudden surge of warmth filled his body and then turned to an icy chill.
“Prince!”
Echizen snapped his eyes opened to find that the Fuji-look-alike had collapsed. He let out a sigh of relief when the soldiers abandoned all thoughts of attacking him and the assault.
A sudden shrill scream woke him out of his thoughts and he turned around to find that one of the soldiers was launching a sneak attack, spear in hand. He shut his eyes, want waited for the impact.
Tightly…shutting his eyes…
Echizen jolted, sitting up as fast as he could. His eyes widened, remembering the dream he had had. He groaned as a wave of nausea washed over him and got up as the bell rang.
He was late, just great. And it’s all because of the stupid dream, he thought as he gathered his things and ran towards the door leading out the roof and down the stairs to the school hallways.
If it was the flushed face, his desperate look or whatever it was when he ran into the classroom, the teacher seemed to take pity on him and let him go without having to stand out the hallway holding onto buckets of water.
Some kids thought that that was totally unfair until some girls glared at them to shut up - added with Echizen’s obliviousness. Well, that’s what they thought until Echizen got sent to the nurse…
It was all because he had fallen asleep - deeply and heavily asleep. The teacher had walked over to him, intent on waking him (several students had forewarned him by poking and prodding him with their pencils) however when she lifted a finger to flick his forehead, she felt extreme heat and quickly pulled her hand back.
“Echizen-san!” she said sharply, trying to get his attention and wake him. He stirred slightly but didn’t wake. “Echizen-san!” she called again, this time shaking his shoulder.
“…hm… five more minutes…” he murmured as he buried his head further into his arms.
A laugh chorused through the classroom but was quickly silenced by the teacher glaring.
“Echizen-san!” she yelled this time and he jolted upright with wide eyes.
“Eh?!” he asked, thoroughly confused.
“Echizen-san, stay still for a moment,” she replied, business-like with thin lips as a hand reached up and pressed on his forehead.
Echizen felt dizzy, but complied. He felt a cool hand on his forehead - that was a nice change to the heat, he thought absentmindedly. The cool feeling disappeared and he was back to the heated temperature.
“Echizen-san, go to the nurse.” It was not a request but rather an order or demand. However, Echizen took it as a request and shook his head.
“I’m fine,” he replied, sane but wavering in and out of a daze.
“I’m afraid you misunderstood me. Go to the nurse.” Her lips thinned but Echizen resisted.
“No. I’m fine,” he replied as the class watched.
She heaved a sigh, obviously not in the mood to argue. “Fine, but if you collapse, don’t you go blaming me!”
With that, she left his desk and walked to the front of the room to continue the lesson only to find that the bell was ringing. “That’s all,” she said, dismissing the class.
Echizen got up slowly, gathered his materials and left the room. Hopefully the last two teachers wouldn’t notice.
His second-to-last teacher was blind to Echizen’s sickness but he didn’t complain. His luck, however, ran out at the last class.
The teacher had sent him to the nurse forcibly but instead of heading there, he U-turned and went to the bathroom to wash his face off.
With the cool water funning, he cooled his hands, cupped a bit and then splashed his face with the cool liquid. He sighed, then reached for a paper towel. He nearly dropped the paper towel when he saw the reflection on the mirror.
There he was, standing in front of the mirror, but what he mirror reflected…was not him… Rather, it was like another him - as if he was wearing different clothes, a silver cloak over trouser and a tunic.
Like the one in his dream…
He blinked and rubbed his eyes. It had disappeared. Maybe…He was hallucinating? He brushed it off as that thought and wiped his face just as the bell rang indicating that the day was over.
Well, the teacher did say to go to the nurse. Maybe they thought that he went home? He shrugged, I’ll just go to practice then he thought as he walked out the door and towards the tennis courts. He yawned, a hand over his mouth.
Hopefully practice won’t be hell.
--
However, Echizen Ryoma was so very wrong. To every one of the regulars (excluding Echizen), it was the normal everyday routine, however to Echizen today, it seemed as if he had been to hell and back.
It started with the usual lecture that Tezuka Kunimitsu, the captain; Oishi Syuichiro, the vice captain; and Ryuuzaki Sumire, the coach gave. Well, technically, it was pretty much just Ryuuzaki-sensei and Tezuka-buchou today.
Echizen had arrived just in time to see that the club members had gathered for the lecture. Of course, Echizen - being Echizen - hung around the back of the group until they were dismissed. Hopefully no one would notice.
However…
“Echizen, please see me.”
Damn, someone must have ratted out on him. He glanced around to see if anyone was watching him and saw that most of the regulars - okay all - were staring curiously. He shook his head and walked over to his captain.
It must have been his science teacher, he reasoned thinking about what happened earlier when she tried to wake him up. He groaned inwardly wondering what his captain was going to say.
“Echizen. I heard from your teacher that you hadn’t been feeling well so she sent you to the nurse…” he started out with the same stoic face and stern voice.
Damn, ever worse, it was his last hour teacher - math.
Tezuka raised an eyebrow, “Aren’t you supposed to be there?” Whispers stared and Echizen’s head began hurting again - as if someone was smashing a door against his head now.
“I felt better so I decided to come to practice,” he replied as he tried to keep the pain that was pounding away in his head from showing on his face.
Tezuka gave him a skeptical look. Then finally, he gave a sigh and said, “Fine but you’re excused from doing extra laps and any of Inui’s concoctions.”
That was a plus, Ryoma thought.
“Not warm up and start practicing.”
Echizen nodded, eager for practice all of a sudden. Ignoring his aching joints, he quickly went to warm up and run his usual twenty laps.
Practice was pretty normal other than the occasional looks Echizen received from his senpai and classmates. Well, almost normal. Even running laps was a pain today.
“I knew it! I knew it with my two years of tennis experience that he was sick!” Horio’s annoying voice rang from near the D courts where the freshmen picked up balls.
Echizen rolled his eyes. Since when did tennis have anything to do with being sick? Other than not playing of course…
He coughed slightly, hand over his mouth and then continued to hit balls against the wall - running back and forth trying to hit the neon yellow ball.
“Echizen… You look pale…”
Echizen jumped and stopped chasing the ball to look over his shoulder to see his senpai, Fuji Syuusuke.
Suddenly reminded of that strange dream, he backed away, as if withdrawing as Fuji reached out a hand to check his temperature.
Seeing that Echizen had shrank back instead of remaining his usual bored attitude, Fuji withdrew his hand. “Echizen, are you sure you’re alright?”
Echizen suddenly felt as if his eyelids had gotten heavier and everything became foggier… Was it just him or were there two Fuji-senpai’s? He thought to himself as he looked up, eyes glazing over.
His eyelids felt much to heavy all of a sudden to keep open… He looked up just in time to see Fuji open his eyes and search for someone to get the nurse…
Hm… His body seemed heavier too, he thought as he closed his eyes… falling…into…slumber…
--
Fuji’s eyes widened when Echizen suddenly fell into his arms, asleep. Fearing the worst, he hauled the freshmen over his shoulder and ran as fast as he could to find Tezuka. (Which wasn’t very fast considering he had Echizen on his back).
A few curious and shocked stares were seen as Fuji passed them all. He only stopped when he spotted Tezuka talking to Oishi.
“Tezuka!” he called, trying to keep Echizen on his back.
Tezuka looked up from his conversation, annoyed that had been interrupted from a very important one. His expression, however changed (slightly) when he noticed Echizen lying still on Fuji’s back.
“What happened?” he demanded to know of their youngest regular member. His eyes narrowed in suspicion as he thought about what Echizen had said earlier. Obviously it was a lie to keep playing tennis.
“I don’t know…. I was talking to him and he just….passed out,” Fuji replied just as the other regulars and their team manager came over to see what had happened.
“Nya! What happened to Ochibi-chan?!” Kikumaru Eiji asked in a loud, clear and playful voice. He was the team acrobatic and volley player - very clingy and cat-like as noted by Inui Sadaharu.
Immediately, Oishi Syuichiro had explained what Fuji had told them for he had already gone into “Mother hen” mode when he first saw Echizen. (But he held his tongue).
“Will he be okay?” Momoshiro Takeshi, the second year powerhouse and Echizen’s best friend asked with wide violet eyes in shock and bewilderment. “Will he?” A habit of repeating things as recorded by Inui Sadaharu.
Fuji finally closed his eyes and shifted Echizen a bit, glancing worriedly at him. “He has a fever too… Seems hot… And it’s getting hot for me to carry him… Could I put him down somewhere?” he asked as he shifted Echizen some more.
“Place him on that bench. Kawamura! Go get a towel and wet it with cool water!” Tezuka commanded as the third year powerhouse nodded and ran off to do so. “Kaidou! Go to the nurse and alert her!” he continued as the snake-like player hissed and walked off.
Fuji set Echizen down gently as Kawamura hurried back with the towel. He let the Powerhouse place it over the freshmen prodigy’s forehead
Kaidou soon returned with a fever medicine and handed it to the captain, then walking off to continue practice, trying to look as if he didn’t are about what was happen but kept glancing in Echizen’s direction. (Momoshiro snickered at that).
Fuji chuckled and then turned his attention back at Echizen. He really hoped that he would be all right…
--
Echizen Ryoma blinked. How the heck did he get here? He thought as he scratched his head in wonder.
He had awoken and found himself in the middle of the dirty and sandy road. The placed looked like the place he had woken earlier too! And that had been a dream…
So that meant that this one was too…
He looked up just in time to see a huge green, scaly beast with large leathery wings spread out, soaring through the clear blue skies of this strange dream.
He had to gasp - he couldn’t help it. It wasn’t as if he saw dragons flying high in the sky in every one of his dreams after all!!
He had felt that his Seigaku School Uniform was still on when he awoke so he didn’t worry…
Hm… Since this was a dream, maybe he could do magic? It couldn’t hurt try, he shrugged, waving off any dangerous consequences.
He closed his eyes, suddenly feeling very hungry. He brought his hands together, and focused on a hamburger. Hm… Make that a plateful.
A distinctive “Pop!” and Echizen found himself behind a table holding several pieces of cooked, roasted, baked and fried beef. He frowned. This was not exactly right, as he had envisioned but it would do for now…
A sudden passing thought stopped him from digging in and he felt that this was a call for a “beef-eating-contest”!
A smirk fell on his lips and he clasped his hands once again, this time, seeing if he could summon his friend, Momoshiro Takeshi.
The same “Pop!” was heard and he found his tall, junior friend already munching on drumsticks.
Well, he thought, sighing, Momo-senpai was still Momo-senpai whether it was in his dreams or when he was awake.
--
Fuji Syuusuke watched worriedly as he witnessed several people dressed in white - females with the nurse caps - both genders had masks over their mouths - come and pulled the stretcher away. It was strange to see who was lying on it.
On the stretcher, laid Seigaku’s Tennis Club’s freshmen prodigy with an oxygen mask on.
After Echizen had passed out, they set him aside (as the nurse instructed) on a bench for him to rest and wake when ready - when he was well again.
However, when practice had ended and Echizen still hadn’t awaken, it was then that they called the ambulance to see what was wrong.
They didn’t arrive in any flashy signs since it was just a check up to see how Echizen was and why he would not wake. They brought him to a clinic instead.
They found that Echizen was dehydrated and therefore, he was brought to the hospital and soon began to treat his fever and him - giving him lots of fluids.
He still had not awoken - though he did stir once.
When Echizen stopped breathing for about 30 seconds, the oxygen mask was brought in and the regulars cast worried looks.
Obviously, Echizen was not coming out of this unscathed.
But how much damage will it be?
--
Echizen frowned. He should have been awaken by now… He scratched his head as he wandered aimlessly through the marketplace…
Already sent Momo-senpai back on his own dream, Echizen found it quite boring to be without anyone’s company.
That and he wanted to share the odd looks that he was receiving…
His eyebrows creased what if he needed someone here to help wake him up? Well, in the other dream, one of the soldiers had awoken him…
That was settled - he would go and find someone to help wake him up!
About an hour passed and Echizen was sitting on the side of the road, breathing hard and panting quite heavily.
He had ran into a couple of stray guard dogs and just suddenly was chased for no reason at all. He growled inwardly at the memory.
“My, my, you look a little lost, dear,” a voice jolted him out of his thoughts as he looked up to see an old woman.
The woman had warts all over her face - but none as large as the one on her nose! Her graying red hair was braided back and laid on a shoulder. She also had on a dark purple on black striped-jagged cloak draped on her shoulders. An old and smelly brown scarf wrapped tightly around her neck (Echizen wondered why - it wasn’t even cold!) and in her hand, she had a basket.
“E-Eh?” he asked, standing up with a wide and confused look on his face.
“Would you like some help? I am a witch,” she replied with a smile.
Echizen’s eyes widened and he nodded immediately. “Thank you. Could you help me wake up?”
Okay, now that sounded a bit strange but this was a dream. A dream didn’t have to make sense.
The old witch nodded slowly, pulled out an old and beat-up wand, waved it around chanting words that Echizen did not recognize.
A sudden burst of black smoke appeared around his feet, began crawling up his leg and wrapped around his body like tight coils.
He knew this was dream but this felt too real!
He shut his eyes tightly, hoping to wake…
It sure was taking a long time…
--
Tezuka Kunimitsu jumped up, out of his seat as the doctors came out of his room. The other regulars (went from two pacing Kikumaru and Momoshiro, to Fuji tapping his foot, to Kawamura Takashi flipping through random magazines to Oishi Syuichiro trying to stop the pacers while Kaidou Kaoru hissed non-stop. Inui Sadaharu took notes on their behaviors) got up immediately (except for those who were already up) and awaited the news.
The main doctor, a man with graying brown hair and thin-rimmed glasses started to speak.
The regular’s expression changed - worried to despaired glances and Kikumaru resorted to crying o n Syuichiro’s shoulder while Fuji clenched his fists, shaking uncontrollably. Kawamura nearly fainted while Kaidou, Inui and Momoshiro left the room.
At 7:53 p.m., Echizen Ryoma was announced comatose.
-end of chapter 1-
Author’s Note: I’ll reserve a section down here to answer a couple things. What Echizen is dreaming is actually another world. And that world, it’s like a fantasy role-playing game thing. Oh and when Echizen tried to do magic? THAT part was the dream section. So when he tried to get Momoshiro to eat “hamburgers” with him, Momoshiro was busy. At that time, he was sitting in the lobby of the hospital, sleeping and awaiting the news.
Why isn’t it hamburgers? Well, I didn’t think that hamburgers are still in that fantasy world. But I know they have beef. XD Why fever? I couldn’t think of any other way to get Echizen into the hospital. That was lame, I know. XD
The first dream? Was it put there on accident or for a purpose? Well, I’m trying to make everything in this story to have a purpose and to close and cover my plot holes. I’m trying, people!
Oh yes and the witch will come in play once again later on. ((wink))
Another note, I DID NOT STEAL THIS PLOT. I only just noticed that my summary sounded a lot like REMOTE’s summary. However, I came up with this before I realized it. (I haven’t even read it yet… T.T ) I came up with this story through a completely different fanfiction. (Compliments to Gray Mist).
That’s for all. Questions? Thoughts? Comments? Advice?