hello! i'm having a mental loss with An Impossible World right now. i have completely hit a wall of writer's block. please be patient while i try to climb it. and Twins is completely on hiatus until at least December 2007. in the mean time here is the newest story which right now is just another idea i felt like writing and posting. enjoy.

Disclaimer: i don't own anything but the OCs that do appear. (not in this chapter though)

Summary: Two years ago Ryoma just upped and left. His family had moved out and to America. Some rumors said Ryoma went with them and others said he didn't. The regulars moved on and won the nationals, but they still had a hole in their hearts where the little prodigy fit. Now ryoma has reappeared. But he's hiding something dangerous. What is it and what will the price be?

Chapter 0.01 (PROLOGUE)

1:00 am. Monday. Tokyo, Japan.

Each regular stirred in their bed. Only one woke up. Although all nine were in different houses in different parts of town, they still felt as if something very bad was going to happen very soon. By 3:00 am, only eight Seigaku regulars remained.

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"Oi, Echizen! Hurry up! Buchou will give us 50 laps if we're late! Echizen!" Momoshiro yelled loudly from outside the Echizen Residence. An elderly man walking by called out to him, "If you're looking for the family who lived there you won't find them. They've uprooted and moved to America. At least the parents did."

Momo stared at the old man, "What do you mean at least the parents, Oji-san? Didn't their child go with them?" that bad feeling he had woken up with this morning only got worse.

The old man looked up at Momo feebly, "No one knows where the boy was going not even his parents. The young man only told his parents to move back to America and he would contact them there. They even took different taxis. The house has already been sold too. Sorry, lad, but that's everything I know."

Momo stared ahead as the old man continued on his walk. As Momo walked out of the Echizen's old yard, the old man turned around and called back to him, "the young man said something about leaving something at Seishun Gakuen for his friends. Rather friendly all of a sudden, I might add. Almost as if he was happy." The old man rambled on in his sentence as he turned around and rambled down the sidewalk. Momo got on his bike and pedaled as fast as he could to school.

All of the other regulars were leaving the changing room when Momo ran past them and hurried to do the combination on Ryoma Echizen's locker. Seven Regulars walked back into the changing room to see Momo on the floor in front of Echizen's locker holding his face in one hand and a piece of paper in the other. On the shelf inside the locker was a small Seigaku jersey and jacket and white Fila cap. Fuji knelt next to Momo and gently pulled the paper out of his kohai's hand. Momo's grip on the paper tightened and then let go completely. Fuji scanned the paper quickly with his eyes opened. Softly, Fuji began to read the note to the rest of the regulars.

Hey Sempai-tachi,

Take it to nationals.

See you 'round.

Echizen Ryoma

P.S. pray for me. I'll need it

to visit you in the future.

Everyone gasped. Momo quietly told them what the old man had told him. Everyone felt lost and sad. Fuji's eyes were open and showing hurt while his smile had disappeared long ago.

"Nya, Ochibi-chan just decided to leave? Oishi, why didn't he tell us?" Eiji had tears in his eyes as he clung to his doubles partner.

"I don't know Eiji, but I don't think it was for a vacation." Oishi looked on worriedly. "I just don't know."

yeah i know. really short. oh well. it is just the prologue.

please read and review

lovishness, Lonely Rain