Summary:

Set in PoM Universe. He's the only one who can see her even if the whole world doesn't. He is like the light to her shadow like how she had once been for him. "I see you." Three simple words, but it conveyed lots to Kuroko Tamaki. Takao/Fem!Kuroko

I really need to stop creating story after story when I still got a bunch of stories on my account waiting to be updated! I already had this idea in mind a few months back when I was writing a certain chapter in Princess of Miracles. Readers of that particular story should know which chapter I'm referring to.

Also, while yes, this is set in the Princess of Miracles' universe, and this means the usual: Akashi is Tamaki's cousin; Tamaki's parents passed away when she was in middle school, etc; the Tamaki in this story will be portrayed a little differently as compared to some of my other stories.

I've read the manga all the way to the latest chapter, and honestly, I'm a little pissed off with the Teiko team, especially Murasakibara, and how they have treated poor Ogiwara and Meiko.

As you might be able to tell by now, Tamaki and Akashi will be pissed with them in this story for what they've done. Wearing the captain and vice-captain hats doesn't mean that they automatically have magical powers and the entire team will listen to them with no questions. My Akashi in this story is the nice Akashi—which means no homicidal tendencies.

Pairings: Takao/Tamaki. One sided Aomine/Tamaki

Warnings: AU Universe. OOC. Gender swap. Nice Akashi. Semi dark Tamaki. Overprotective Generation of Miracles. Some character bashing.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroko no Basuke and any of the characters, but the OC characters belongs to me

Chapter One: I Don't Know You

"I don't know you anymore." - Kuroko Tamaki

XXXXXX

The rain poured down heavily, drenching an already thoroughly soaked Kuroko Tamaki.

But the teal haired girl didn't care in the least even as the people around her scurried for cover, or even hurrying home to get out of the rain. No one paid her a passing glance at all, and for once, the middle school senior thanked her stars that her presence is extremely low to the point that most people wouldn't even see her, let alone notice her.

She doesn't even want to talk to anyone right now.

How could things have gotten so wrong? Why had she never seen it coming? Even her cousin, for all his excellent hindsight and all had never seen it coming either.

Just that morning, both Tamaki and Akashi Seijuro have been so excited to face their childhood friend on the basketball court for the final championship game of the season to fulfil the promise that the three of them have made as kids before Ogiwara Shigehiro had moved away to Kyoto.

Meiko Middle School, while being an excellent school, seemed to have some extreme bad luck for the matchups during their first and second years of middle school that they've ended up getting kicked out of the tournament during the preliminary rounds. It is only that year when Meiko had managed to reach the finals to meet the Emperor, Teiko Middle School – the ultimate middle school team that everyone feared to meet in a match.

But that match…

It almost makes Tamaki's stomach churn.

Both Tamaki and Akashi haven't been playing in the finals thanks to Tamaki suffering a head injury during the semi-finals – thanks to one of the twins from Kamata West Middle School. Tamaki was laid up in the infirmary thanks to being taken out of the game, and Akashi had insisted on sitting with his cousin, and wouldn't take no for an answer, and thus, this results in Coach Kashitori Kenta putting one of the second year reserves in the finals to take Akashi's place.

That had been one disastrous match.

And honestly, Tamaki doesn't even know if Shige-kun wants anything to do with them anymore. She had seen his eyes when both Tamaki and Akashi have gone to the court just as the match concluded, and the usually bubbly and cheerful boy looked almost terrified of them.

The storm had broke just two hours earlier during the after match briefing in the locker room of Teiko Middle School.

That had to be the worst fight that the regulars of Teiko Middle School ever had. Tamaki thought for a moment that fists will be swinging at any minute now.

And for the first time in her life, Tamaki felt anger. Real anger at the people who had once been her friends. She had tolerated the team for 'playing' with their opponents for nearly an entire year ever since their abilities have blossomed. But she will never forgive them for destroying Meiko the way that they did, and the way that they have utterly humiliated and crushed her childhood friend.

Her cousin was furious too, and though he barely said anything regarding his feelings on this matter, Tamaki knew that he is beyond furious with them.

The saying that 'power corrupts' definitely had some truth to it.

Tamaki absently placed one foot on the road before a hand yanked her back by the back of her uniform even as a car zoomed past, thus resulting in Tamaki falling hard onto the rain-soaked pavement on her back, with a larger body falling atop her.

Surprised blue eyes met a pair of silvery-blue eyes.

"Do you have a death wish?" Takao Kazunari snapped.

Honestly, Takao has no idea why he's even doing this, and why he is even speaking to a member of the team that had destroyed his entire team that resulted in all the basketball regulars of Seika Middle School quitting basketball as a whole.

Even though he had supposedly 'quit basketball', Takao still found his feet taking him to the Tokyo gymnasium where the semi-finals and finals of the championship match will be taking place that day. And as luck would have it, he had arrived just in time to watch Meiko Middle School get utterly humiliated by Teiko Middle School.

It had even been worse than when his team had faced Teiko during the quarterfinals. And if the murmurings of the crowd had been of any indication, they were angry with Teiko as well. The Generation of Miracles had taken a sport like basketball that is special to several of them and had ruined the game for the rest of them.

And as luck would have it, Takao happened to be standing within hearing distance when the captain and vice-captain of the Teiko team have entered the court – both not playing during the finals. It is obvious on the looks of their faces that they weren't expecting for their team to do something that…underhanded during the match.

And Takao can't help but feel for them.

He remembered what his own captain had told him during half time of his own match when his entire team had overheard the Teiko vice-captain giving her team a piece of her mind for how they have 'toyed' with his team.

In Takao's captain's words: "I've played against Kuroko Tamaki and Akashi Seijuro once during my freshman year of middle school. They aren't players like that. They would never disrespect an opponent, no matter who they are. It isn't in their nature. Teiko used to have a pretty bad reputation for sports. But when they became the captain and vice-captain, they started cleaning Teiko until it became what they are today. Even still, wearing the captain and vice-captain hats doesn't mean that they automatically have magical powers, and are able to control what their team actually does in a match."

It is for this reason alone that when Takao had seen the obviously upset teal haired girl in the streets of Tokyo, looking as if she is half gone somewhere, he had felt worried and decided to follow her in case she decided to do something stupid.

The eyes of Kuroko Tamaki was almost dazed, and looked as if she is about to cry even as she stared up at Takao who is almost straddling her in the middle of the streets.

"Hey, if you want to make out, do it in private." A young man who seems to be in college called out to the both of them as he walked past, looking really amused.

A young lady who is obviously his girlfriend clung onto his arm as they both shared a black umbrella, shaking her head in amusement at the two middle school students on the ground. "Kids these days…" she muttered.

Blushing, Takao got up from where he is currently straddling Kuroko Tamaki until he is in a sitting position, giving the smaller and younger girl a hand so that she is sitting upright as well. "Sorry," he coughed, ignoring the rain coming down hard on his head. "Do you want to come with me to my house? You're totally soaked through." He offered.

"No thanks." Tamaki muttered, not meeting his eyes. The teal haired girl had recognised him immediately. How could she not when she is the team's strategist and is in charge of thinking up of plans and strategies to use against their opponents?

"Wait." Takao interrupted as Tamaki looked ready to walk away to who knows where. He had a firm grip on her left wrist, but not enough to hurt her. "I insist. I can't let you go home like this. My house is nearby. Come with me."

"These should fit." Takao's younger sister who happens to be in her first year of middle school that year chirped as she approached her brother and the teal haired girl who are both rubbing their hair and bodies dry.

Or rather, Takao had long towelled his hair as dry as he could, and is currently towelling the hair of their teal haired guest who doesn't seem to be in a proper state of mind to do anything for herself.

"Thank you, Kazuha." Takao grinned at his younger sister as he took the bundle of clothes that his sister had dug out of her closet for their guest who seemed to be about the same size as Kazuha. And considering the fact that Kazuha is at least two years their junior, it is almost sad.

Not for nothing however, is Takao Kazuha the younger sister of one Takao Kazunari. She had been surprised in the beginning when her big brother brought home a girl for the first time, but it is a girl with such dead looking eyes that it almost reminds Kazuha of a corpse, and it reminded her of the time when her brother had first walked through their door nearly a month ago with similar eyes after a basketball match.

Kazuha eyed their guest up and down before deciding to take things into her own hands. "Come with me," she said, tugging the teal haired girl by the wrist gently, taking the bundle of clothes from her brother. The slight surprised look that appeared in the eyes of the other girl made Kazuha relieved—at least she isn't totally out of it. "Onii-chan, hurry up and take a shower before you catch a cold."

"I got it." Takao said, annoyed.

Thirty minutes later, Takao stepped out of the bath, feeling refreshed and warmed up after his shower. He then stepped into the sitting room only to see Kuroko Tamaki huddled in a corner of his couch, staring at the phone in her hand lifelessly.

It honestly…scared Takao a little to see her like this. From what he remembered and knew of Kuroko Tamaki, she is a headstrong and stubborn girl. She has to be in order to be the vice-captain of a team like Teiko. But it looks like what had happened during the match earlier is her breaking point.

"Onii-chan, can you help me out here?" His sister called from the kitchen.

Takao took one look at their guest before hurrying to the kitchen where his sister seems to be preparing two cups of warm tea for himself and their guest.

"This should warm you right up." Kazuha told Takao even as he drank the tea from one cup, and took the other cup in his other hand. "Onii-chan, what happened?" She asked worriedly, eyes flickering towards the kitchen doorway. "She has the same eyes that you had just a month ago."

Takao winced. Was he really that bad?

"I'll take care of it." Takao promised before leaving the kitchen and entering his living room once more. He placed his own mug onto the coffee table in front of the couch, and turned towards the teal haired girl. "Drink this." He offered the mug in his hand to her. "It'll warm you up."

After what seemed like a long while, Kuroko Tamaki turned to look at Takao, and he almost winced when he saw the dead look in her eyes. He remembered those same blue eyes being full of life when his school had faced Teiko not just a month before.

"Thank you," she said so softly that Takao almost missed it, placing her phone in the space between Takao and herself and taking the mug with almost shaking hands. Even as she took a sip from the mug, her phone vibrated, and both teens looked down at the same time at the phone only to see the name 'Akashi Seijuro' flashing on the screen.

"Not going to pick up?" Takao looked at Tamaki enquiringly.

Tamaki shook her head, and Takao was a little relieved to see that she seemed to be feeling better. "…I don't feel like talking to anyone now," she confessed.

"Well, you're talking to me." Takao teased, trying to cheer her up, and he cheered inwardly when he saw her smile for the first time that day. A very small miniscule smile, but still a smile nonetheless. "Is there anyone that you want me to call? Your parents? Or siblings?"

The smile slipped right off Tamaki's face, and she turned her eyes onto the mug currently nestled in between her hands. "…I live alone," she said at last. "My parents died last year. And I don't want to bother my aunt and cousin."

Takao felt like a complete jerk at that point in time. Seeing the sad look in the eyes of Kuroko Tamaki, he racked his brains to think of what he should do in order to cheer her up, and an idea then struck him.

He then grabbed a dark blue coat hanging on the back of the couch and placed it around Tamaki's shoulders who looked at him in surprise. "I'm taking you out." Takao explained, pulling on his own black coat. "I'm turning that frown upside down if it's the last thing I do. Come on."

XXXXXX

Most teenagers in Japan are bound to step foot in the gaming arcade at least once in their entire lives. Seeing as how majority of the teen population in Japan have their lives revolving around games, you will rarely find a teen who hasn't been to an arcade before.

…And then again, Kuroko Tamaki isn't like most teenagers.

"…Eh?" Takao Kazunari was wondering if he had heard wrongly. "Your first time?"

Tamaki nodded next to Takao as she stared at the arcade in wonder, with the flashing lights above the several game stations. Curiosity and wonder shone in her eyes which is a step up from the almost dead look in her eyes just half-an-hour earlier.

She looks almost like a child who had just stepped foot in a candy store, and Takao can't help but find it adorable.

"Well then, I'll make sure that you get to thoroughly enjoy the wonders of the arcade today." Takao grinned as he then lead Tamaki into the crowded arcade thanks to the rain, and promptly purchased several tokens that are enough for them to enjoy several of the games.

And it is then when Takao realised that Tamaki is really bad at the racing game, is better than Takao at the shooting game where they have to kill dozens of zombies that appear on the screen, and seems to be a master at the dancing game that it made Takao wonder for a moment if this is really her first time at an arcade.

By the time that they've used up all their tokens, much to Takao's dismay, it is closing time, and both teens then realised that they've missed the last bus.

"Sorry. I completely forgot about the time." Takao apologised even as they left the shopping mall. The rain had already stopped, but the streets were still wet, and there were hardly anyone around.

Tamaki shook her head. "It's okay. I had fun today," she said, smiling a small smile at Takao who cheered inwardly at the victory. Well, he did say that he is going to turn that frown upside down.

Takao looked up and down the streets only to realise that it's really quiet and hardly anyone was around. "Where do you live?" he asked Tamaki. "I'll walk you home. It'll give me some peace of mind to see you safely back home when I've made you miss the last bus."

"This way. It's about a twenty minute walk," said Tamaki, pointing down the street down their left side.

"Let's go then," said Takao with a grin even as they walked down the direction that Tamaki had pointed out. He then raised his brow as Tamaki pulled out her iPod and stuffed her ears with the earphones. "Can I listen?" He asked, much to her surprise.

"Yeah." Tamaki nodded before handing one side of the earphones to Takao. "It's my favourite song."

It seems to be some unfamiliar English song that Kuroko Tamaki had been listening to, and even though most of the words are unfamiliar to Takao, the teen felt several emotions resonating within him with the singer's melodious voice.

Underneath the echoes
Buried in the shadows
There you were

Drawn into your mystery
I was just beginning
To see your ghost,
But you must know

"I don't recall telling you to play like that! Toying with your opponents is one thing, but this… It's like you're the cat, and they're the mouse! This isn't how you treat your opponents!"

All of Seika Middle School could hear the argument from their opponent's bench, and as one, they turned towards Teiko Middle School only to see the sole female regular on their team—the vice-captain standing in front of the bench as her teammates quenched their thirst. Only the redhead, the captain who is also standing beside her looked angry. The rest of her teammates don't seem bothered.

"Seems like things at Teiko aren't all sunshine and daisies either." One of Takao's teammates frowned, staring at Teiko. But it still didn't change the fact that Seika is down nearly eighty points. And if they don't think of something fast, it's going to be a slaughter.

"She seems really pissed." Takao blinked.

"But it's true that Teiko's play never used to be like this." The vice-captain chirped in. "It's… How to put it?" He frowned. "More honest?" He offered. "They never used to play around their opponents the way they did now. They always gave everything that they have, even if they are nearly fifty points ahead."

Their captain nodded his head solemnly, recalling how Teiko had played two years ago. "I've played against Kuroko Tamaki and Akashi Seijuro once during my freshman year of middle school," he told his team. "They aren't players like that. They would never disrespect an opponent, no matter who they are. It isn't in their nature. Teiko used to have a pretty bad reputation for sports. But when they became the captain and vice-captain, they started cleaning Teiko until it became what they are today. Even still, wearing the captain and vice-captain hats doesn't mean that they automatically have magical powers, and are able to control what their team actually does in a match."

Kuroko Tamaki almost felt tears welling up in her eyes once more as she remembered just what had happened to her team and the people whom she had once called friends.

I'll be here waiting
Hoping
Praying
That this light will guide you home

When you're feeling lost
I'll leave my love
Hidden in the sun,
For when the darkness comes

Kuroko Tamaki was nearly boiling over with fury even as she made her way towards the changing room that Teiko Middle School was given, with a meek Momoi Satsuki beside her. The pink haired manager could tell that Tamaki is angry, but she doesn't know just how much, and she is worried for a moment about Tamaki's head injury.

"What a pathetic game."

Both girls could hear the team talking inside the changing room even before they've opened the door, and if at all possible, it only made Tamaki angrier, though she didn't show it on her face.

"Still giving their all even though it's fruitless." Aomine sneered.

"Isn't it better if they just give up?" Kise agreed. "How on earth did a team like that even reach the finals anyway?"

SLAM!

Momoi almost jumped as Tamaki slammed the door opened with such force that it almost sounds as if the door is about to fall off its hinges. The teal haired girl not only startled Momoi. She also scared the boys in the changing room.

"T-Tamacchi!" Kise beamed at the sight of his instructor. "Is your injury okay—"

The blonde felt his words caught in his throat as he caught sight of the look on Tamaki's face, and he gulped. He can't tell it apart from her usual face, but for some reason, he had the feeling that he'd done something very wrong.

"What's wrong, Tamaki?" Midorima asked Tamaki coolly. "Where's Akashi?"

Tamaki was silent for several moments. "…We're having a meeting straight after returning to school. Sei is waiting at the gymnasium's entrance," she said curtly.

"Eh? I don't want to. It's just the usual briefing, isn't it?" Aomine looked bored. "I'm not going."

"If Mine-chin isn't going, then I'm not either. I've run out of snacks too." Murasakibara drawled, turning his packet of potato chips upside down, but not a single chip fell out.

For some reason, it only made Tamaki angrier. "All of you," she said sharply, and the entire room of boys turned towards her in surprise. Beside Tamaki, Momoi looked nervous. After all, no one had ever heard Tamaki like this before. She sounds…really angry. "No excuses." She looked from face to face. "Sei and myself want every single one of you to be there. We need to talk. Big time. Whoever that isn't there can be considered taken off the regulars effective immediately, with a permanent mark on your school record."

There was deadly silence in the room.

Even when Aomine had started skipping practice, neither the coach nor the captain had taken Aomine off the regulars. At that time, the regulars knew that it's because Tamaki had spoken up for her partner, and the coach and captain have both hoped that Aomine would return to his old self soon.

"You can't do that." Aomine scoffed, not believing Tamaki in the slightest. He then almost flinched when Tamaki almost glared at him. He had never seen his partner like this before. Did the match with Kamata West make her angrier than expected?

"Try me." Tamaki almost growled. "All of you. I want all of you there. Be prepared to face the consequences if you don't turn up."

Tamaki clenched her hands into fists by her sides even as she walked down the streets silently with Takao, with the latter lost in his own thoughts too.

Why had she never realised this sooner? Why did she never see this coming?

The conversation with her…team earlier that day kept replaying over and over again in her mind.

Now the door is open,
The world I knew is broken
With no return

Now my heart is not scared,
Just knowing that you're out there
Watching me
So believe

The storm broke in the locker room of Teiko Middle School the moment that both Tamaki and Akashi have walked in, and have locked the door behind them.

All the regulars were there. Even Momoi was present, though she was standing in a corner, staring at the team with a sad look. She had an inkling what is going to happen. It is a long time coming after all. She knew. The manager knew that both Akashi and Tamaki have been bottling all their feelings up for a long time without saying anything.

For nearly an entire year in fact.

They couldn't say anything because of school politics. If they objected to how their team brings victory to their school, they might very well find themselves replaced, and the next captain and vice-captain of the team might just bring the team down a darker path. But it looks like the match with Meiko Middle is their breaking point.

Of the entire team, Momoi is probably the only one that knew that Akashi and Tamaki's childhood friend is playing on Meiko's team. Tamaki had been unusually happy that morning during the usual morning briefing session with Akashi and their coach. She had told Momoi before Akashi and Coach Kashitori's arrivals that they might get to face Meiko during the finals, and that she hoped to face Shige-kun during that match. Akashi had never said anything, but Momoi knew that he is eagerly hoping for that match too.

But then Tamaki got injured during the semi-finals game against Kamata West, and might have a concussion. And thus, Akashi had insisted on sitting with his cousin in the infirmary and simply wouldn't take no for an answer.

One of the second year reserves who would no doubt be a regular next year had then taken Akashi's place on the court, but it is obvious that Teiko could have played with four players with no problem since the reserve is useless at best on the court, never once touching the ball.

"What was that about?" Akashi was angry for the first time ever since he had taken up the captaincy of the Teiko Basketball Club. "I don't recall either me or the coach telling you to play like that!" He glared at his team. "I didn't tell you to humiliate Meiko to this extent! I've kept quiet when you lot kept…playing with your opponents throughout the duration of the tournament, but what you've done to Meiko… This is going way overboard!"

"We won anyway." Aomine sounded very bored. "What does it matter?"

Of all the things that Tamaki is expecting, she definitely wasn't expecting for this to come out of Aomine's mouth.

"…What did you just say?" Tamaki said in a low voice that made Momoi nervous. If this is Tamaki starting to get angry, then she will never want to see Tamaki getting pissed.

And clearly, it is either Aomine is too stupid to see that Tamaki is slowly getting really angry, or he had plain ignored it.

"We won the match. We won the third championship in a row." Aomine said uncaringly. "Who cares how we did it? If that is all that you've came to say, can we go now?" He yawned.

BANG!

Everyone in the room jumped as Tamaki slammed her left fist against the metallic doors of the lockers near her. She had a look of dark fury on her face, and the entire team felt chills run down their spines immediately. For a moment, even Akashi was afraid of his cousin, and the expression of dark fury on her face.

"T-Tamaki-chan! Y-Your hand!" Momoi squeaked, eyes wide at the side of Tamaki's left fist against the metallic doors of the lockers. There was even a slight indentation in it.

After all, Tamaki had suffered from a permanent injury in that same limb nearly a year ago when Teiko had faced Hanamiya Makoto during the Winter Cup finals. Her left wrist had never been exactly strong since then.

"I'm all right." Tamaki almost hissed, ignoring the slight throbbing pain in her left wrist. "Did I really just hear you say that you won, so you don't care what happens to our opponents? That you don't care how you won?" Tamaki's eyes were like cold pieces of ice even as she glared at a flinching Aomine who suddenly realised that he'd just fucked up big time, and Tamaki is really furious.

"What's wrong, Tamacchi?" Kise was confused, not knowing why both the captain and vice-captain were so angry. "We won, right? Everything's fine."

"Are you really that blind?" Akashi tried hard to control his temper. "Have you seen the looks on the faces of your opponents after the match was concluded, and you lot revealed that you're simply playing with them? You destroyed their spirits! I won't be surprised if they quit basketball after this!"

"So what?" Murasakibara was bored. "They're weak. It's better if they don't even play." He scoffed.

"What…did you just say?" Akashi was furious, but he was also horrified. What had happened to his friends? Who…are the monsters in front of him now? Who are the monsters who don't care who they hurt, all in the name of victory?

BANG!

The team jumped again as Tamaki slammed her left fist against the metallic doors of the lockers once more. The entire locker room was silent for several moments with no one saying anything, even as every single person in the room stared at Tamaki with wide eyes.

Tamaki had never gotten angry before. She had a type of control over her emotions that is unusual for a fifteen year old. She had always been calm. Thus, this is the first time that the team had truly seen her angry, and frankly, it kind of scares them.

"…Who are you?" Tamaki said at last. She sounded sad, furious and horrified all at once. She looked from face to face, and Momoi was almost startled to see that Tamaki looks as if she's about to cry. But the teal haired girl stubbornly held her tears in. "Who are you?"

"Did you have amnesia or something?" Kise looked horrified that the injury that Tamaki had suffered from the match with Kamata West might have just given her amnesia. "Midorimacchi—"

"…I don't know you anymore." Tamaki said, ignoring Kise's antics. "Any of you." The entire team looked surprised and shocked. Kise looked as if someone had just clobbered him on the head whilst Murasakibara had stopped munching on his snacks, looking faintly surprised. "You're no different from the seniors that we've faced back in freshman year when we're creating a new varsity team."

"What are you saying, Tamaki? How can you compare us to—"

"Do you know what the other schools and teams are calling us now, especially after that last championship game against Meiko?" Tamaki ignored Aomine and continued. "Monsters. And it hurts me to admit it, but they're right. I don't know any of you anymore." Tamaki looks almost terrified for a moment, almost reflecting the same expression that Shige-kun had on his face several hours earlier, along with all of Meiko. "I don't know you anymore. Who are you? You're not them. You're definitely not the friends and teammates whom I knew for three years."

"Instead of us who had changed, isn't it you who had changed, Tamaki?" Aomine said cruelly. "I don't recall you being this weak before."

Akashi glared at Aomine as his cousin looked as if she's about to cry. "…What did you just say, Daiki?" Akashi almost hissed.

"You said that you're not like the seniors whom we have faced in freshman year." Tamaki refused to let Aomine's cruel words get to her, cutting Akashi off. "Then tell me this then. Just how different are you from the seniors back then? I admit that I've probably played a part in traumatising our opponents too, but what you did… You went too far. How different is it from harming our opponents physically when we did no better by traumatising them so much in a sport that they love that they end up hating it as much as we do?" Tamaki told them harshly. Only Kise looked bothered by those words, whilst the others looked bored. Midorima seems slightly affected by those words as well, and Akashi had a slight look of guilt on his face before it disappeared once more. "You're not them." Tamaki shook her head. "You're not them." She took one step backwards. "…I don't know any of you anymore." She admitted. "…Who are you?"

"Here's my stop," said Tamaki, standing outside a small modest one room apartment with the name plaque 'Kuroko' fixated on the wall just beside the door. "I'll like to invite you in for tea, but it's getting late, so…"

"I understand." Takao nodded with a grin. "For what it's worth, I had fun today. We should meet up again sometime."

Tamaki nodded. "I'll like that," she said, handing her phone over when Takao asked for it, and the black haired teen typed in his number before asking for Tamaki's. "I'll return your sister her clothes once I've washed it." She promised, and Takao laughed.

"Kazuha had so many clothes that I really doubt that she will miss them." Takao grinned. "It's okay. Just keep it. It looks better on you, compared to Kazuha." Never mind the fact that Kazuha will probably strangle Takao for just saying that. "But you really do look better now, as compared to earlier." Takao grinned even as Tamaki gave a small smile. "Let's meet again sometime!" He waved to Tamaki as he walked down the street to go home.

Tamaki waved at Takao until he is in sight no longer, and she sighed, remembering what had happened in the locker room of Teiko after the championship match with Meiko.

I'll be here waiting
Hoping
Praying
That this light will guide you home

When you're feeling lost
I'll leave my love
Hidden in the sun,
For when the darkness comes
For when the darkness comes

"Tamacchi…" Kise reached out towards Tamaki, but he flinched when Tamaki glared at him.

"Don't even come near me!" Tamaki took one step backwards, and Akashi was quick to shield her from the rest of their…former teammates and friends. "I never want to see any of you again!"

The entire team almost felt their hearts sinking down to the bottom of their shoes at that, and they stared at Tamaki in shock and horror. Tamaki isn't serious, is she? She's just blowing off steam. That's it. She'll be all right the next day.

They'll apologise, and that will be it. She'll forgive them, just like every single time when they did something wrong in her book. Like how Murasakibara had always made her angry whenever he bullied a lower string member into quitting the club.

"If Shige-kun never recovers from this and never want to see Sei and me again, then I never want to see any of you again!" Tamaki could feel the tears pooling around her eyes, and she quickly blinked them away so that none of the team could see her moment of weakness. "I'll never forgive you for what you did. I'm as much to blame for the team…for Teiko having turned out this way, but not even I will stoop as low as this!" Tamaki took another step backwards. "Once we enter high school, if we ever meet on the court again, I'll tear you apart. I'll give you a taste of your own medicine!"

"You can't beat me. The only one who can beat me is me alone." Aomine arrogantly stated, trying to push his own feelings of fear and unease aside. It's not his fault! Their opponents are just…too weak, that's all. It's their fault for being this weak, and not being able to give him a good game.

"Yeah? Try me." This is the first time that the team had seen Tamaki so angry before. And frankly, it scares them. "I'm not your vice-captain for nothing. Just because my left hand is a little weaker than it was before thanks to the incident from last year doesn't mean that I can't kick your ass in basketball. I've never shown you what I'm fully capable of after all." Tamaki's eyes are like cold pieces of ice. "You just don't know what I'm capable of. The Mirage Player of the Generation of Miracles isn't that easy to be taken down! I'll destroy you on the court, the same way that you did to so many of our past opponents. The same way that you treat Meiko and Shige-kun." Tamaki's eyes were one of cold fury. "And that…is a promise."

A/N: Akashi and Tamaki are probably a little out of character in this story. But please remember that the Akashi in this story is the nice Akashi. Tamaki will be a little dark in this story as she's pissed with nearly the entire team save for Akashi. Not that they aren't at fault too for how Teiko had turned out. Anyway, Tamaki's tactical abilities will be coming out more in this story as compared to Princess of Miracles. And naturally, the games against her former teammates will go differently.

As a side note, I'm literally clean out of ideas for Silent Light! Is there anyone who wishes to adopt it?

Anyway, I hope that you've enjoyed this story, and please read and review! Reviews give me inspiration to update!