A/N Hey y'all, I am back with a new story, even though I should really be updating all my other ones! It's just a little plot bunny that popped up in my head some time ago, and I really wanted to elaborate on it. So...here we go!

Timeline: One year after the end of Prince of Tennis (that includes all the U-17 shenanigans that will be completely glossed over except for the occasional mention of some high schoolers and some tennis moves that the characters learned during that time) when all the third-years are in their first year of high school, after Inter High but before Winter Cup (this story will be going through Winter Cup)

Warnings: Fem!Ryoma, Fem!Kuroko, Nice!Akashi, Akashi and Kuroko as cousins, somewhat altered timeline (due to gender switches and all), dark themes (like with all my stories), BS tennis and basketball moves, potential (extreme) OOCness, cussing

THIS STORY TAKES SOME INSPIRATION FROM PRINCESS OF MIRACLES AND THE ICE PRINCESS OF RIKKAIDAI by Starian NightZz (you guys should read those stories if you haven't yet). If you see some similarities, please note that this is why, and that I will try my best to come up with original ideas.

Disclaimer: If I owned either Prince of Tennis or Kuroko no Basuke, there would be more girl characters (that aren't completely useless-no offense)

First: Geniuses

Akashi is currently doing something so unbearably uncharacteristic, he will forever deny that it ever happened. He will take it to his grave, along with (what most people assume to be) the shortest list of shortcomings in the entire history of human existence on the planet Earth.

The sole heir to the Akashi conglomerate, the ex-captain to the Generation of Miracles, the current captain of the Emperor, Rakuzan, and the high school freshman known as the all-knowing Emperor-Akashi Seijūrō is not lost.

Nope. Not at all.

He just happens to have no recognition of his surroundings, and has no idea on how to get back to where he is supposed to be, which is his team's basketball practice.

His teammates will never let him live this down-even if he threatens them with scissors.

Repressing a sigh (that would be unsightly), Akashi continues to move down the sidewalk he is currently walking on, forcing feigned purpose into his wide strides, willfully ignoring the burning stares that are boring into his head from the occasional passerby. A small group even stop in place as he passes by, unabashedly watching him with wide eyes as he moved as quickly as possible onwards without seeming impolite or in a complete rush.

There is a perfectly good reason as to why Akashi is here instead of inside the gym, where he would usually be at this time of day. Rakuzan is a well-known high school, praised for its high rankings in all aspects of school: academics, sports, and arts. Especially considering that it is indeed a boarding school, it's no wonder that Rakuzan's campus could be mistaken for that of an affluent college or university. With the way that buildings are situated on the campus, Akashi has never been on this side of campus, considering that all of the places that he must frequent daily are all, rather conveniently, grouped within the same vicinity. Despite Akashi's penchant for wanting to be absolute and to know all, with his busy schedule, which includes balancing his rigorous academic workload, basketball practices, and work for his father that conditions him subliminally (then again, not so very subliminally if Akashi is well aware of it), Akashi has had little to no free time. The times when he has little, he spends it on shogi, and the times when he his none...well, that's quite self-explanatory.

So, yes, Akashi Seijūrō is quite unfamiliar with his current environment.

Akashi reaches the end of the sidewalk-nothing but a lawn of lush green grass spreads out before him, where students are spread out, lazing around or roughhousing or just enjoying that beautiful weather. Even Akashi can appreciate the perfect climate-a little warmer than usual, especially considering that it's nearing the end of October, yet with enough of a slight breeze to cool down heating flesh, but not enough to freeze.

It's times like these that Akashi wonders why there are no outside basketball courts.

It's quite possible for Akashi to stop and check the directory that sits to the left of where is he right now, or to even ask for directions from one of the students nearby, but his pride keeps him from doing so. It's not so much that he particularly cares what people think of him, but rather because he is absolute.

(Although, on further inspection, that sentiment finds its roots in what people think of him, which only proves him to be wrong, but don't say anything, Akashi keeps scissors in easy to reach places.)

Instead, he smoothly maneuvers him in the direction of the directory, casting a passing glance towards its smooth surface as he does so. A little peek can't be considered "looking for help," and it's not exactly incriminating if he just happens to commit the map of Rakuzan's campus to memory in that little peek.

Akashi realizes that he's currently heading in the opposite direction of where he has to be right now, and instead of stopping and heading back the way he came like a normal person, he powers forward, deciding to take the long way around. After all, if he's already late, he may as well enjoy the beautiful day before he is forced to hole up inside the sweaty, stuffy gym until nine at night (after all, he's an hour and a half late-he will have to stay after practice to make up for lost time).

Indeed, Akashi is extremely uncharacteristic today.

After stepping off the lawn, Akashi turns the corner of the building, ready to head back to the other side of campus, when the sounds of balls hitting the ground behind him lures him away from his route. Normally, Akashi would never be distracted by such a petty thing, but today...

Today, as established previously, is a rather uncharacteristic day.

Besides, Akashi has heard some rather interesting things about the tennis team for quite some time. Apparently, a prodigy is a regular on the team, two years younger than the other freshman. Apparently, he managed to test into Rakuzan and secure a spot on the national-level team. Even Akashi has to admire that, considering that he himself hadn't done that.

(He had the choice, but he had managed to convince his father to not-after all, at the end of his first year, he and the Generation of Miracles were still "friends".)

Once again, due to his busy schedule, Akashi has never gotten the time to personally come and assess the situation, so he might as well do so right now...Echizen Ryoma is the prodigy's name.

Having never really been in contact with sports other than basketball throughout the course of his life, as he had no interest in any other form of athletics, Akashi is pleasantly surprised (yes, today is a one-time thing) to notice that the sounds are different.

While the sounds of a basketball hitting the linoleum floor are harsh and heavy, like the beating of drums that carry the weight of a song, the sounds of a tennis ball hitting the smooth courts are much lighter, much freer, like the crashing of the cymbals that accentuate and emphasize certain parts of the song. They're both balls, yet intrinsically, they are strangers.

How curious.

Akashi walks in between two buildings and finds himself facing a series of tennis courts. A cluster of wire fences enclosing three courts each sit about five feet away from each other, forming a grid of pathways for people to move through. Though Rakuzan is best known for its basketball team, Akashi understands that its other sports clubs flourish as well, only adding to its prestigious name. The tennis club is second only to the basketball team, but depending on the person who is asked, the two have a 50-50 chance of being recognized.

All that explains why Akashi can see many people crowding the courts through the wire mesh and somewhat transparent black fabric that swaths the top half of the fencing. If he has to guess, there are probably more people in tennis club than in the basketball club, which makes him slightly annoyed, but only slightly. After all, what would be the purpose of someone who could only play tennis on a basketball team? Might as well have those who specialize in certain things work for that specialization.

Much like a certain blue-haired girl he knows.

A slight smile plays at the edges of Akashi's lips as he walks towards the closest cage, carefully and silently cracking the door open, slipping inside. He's not quite sure what has compelled him to do such a thing, therefore causing him to miss even more practice than he had first intended to, but...

Well, it is quite hard to regret that decision now.

Akashi is quite sure that he has stepped into the regulars' practice. Only nine people are dispersed within an area obviously meant for at least twelve. All three courts are used-it seems that the regulars are doing what basketball players would call "one on one," although Akashi is certain that tennis players call it "singles." Looking around, Akashi notes that he recognizes quite a few people as his fellow first years, which only amuses him further-it seems that he is not the only prodigious freshman here.

The first he catches sight of, due to the fact that he is currently sitting on a high chair, refereeing the match at the far end of the cage. It's a good thing that Akashi has good eyesight to go along with his Emperor Eye. Well, in all honesty, it is his natural, innate good eyesight that helped develop and shape his Emperor Eye.

Tezuka Kunimitsu. A freshman in Class 1-A along with Akashi, Tezuka also consistently ranks among the highest in school wide rankings, constantly seceding and conquering second place (of course, Akashi is and will always be at the top). Considering that, as a freshman, Tezuka is managing to score higher scores on the same level of exams as seniors, even Akashi will admit that it is quite admirable for someone outside of the Akashi family. Akashi is somewhat acquainted with the stoic boy, as the two are the freshmen representatives in the student council. He is smart, yes, and Akashi has a feeling that he would be able to match Midorima in shogi if he tries hard enough, but...

Well, Tezuka is no fun. Much like Kuroko, Tezuka holds a mask and refuses to let any emotion seep through, but unlike Akashi's cousin, Tezuka has no endearing traits.

None whatsoever.

And maybe it is because Akashi is practicing some sort of nepotism, but Tezuka's form of emotionless acting does not endear him to Akashi in the way Kuroko's does.

Although most would argue that that is a good thing, and Akashi himself can't help but agree. After all, everyone knows what happens to people who catch Akashi's interest.

The two people playing on the court that Tezuka presides over are slightly blurry, but upon making out the distinct silver and blue heads of hair bobbing across their sides of the court, Akashi is easily able to discern the two players.

Atobe Keigo. Another freshman in Class 1-A, Akashi has known Atobe for a good chunk of his life. It's no wonder that the Akashis and Atobes are well acquainted with each other-after all, as the two wealthiest business tycoons of Japan, the two families are both heavy rivals and long time friends, with bonds forged from years of mutual blood, sweat, and pain shed to claw their ways to the top, where they lord over the rest of the world. Akashi remembers, quite well, unfortunately, his first meeting with Atobe, and how utterly disgusted he was (and still is) at the prancing manner the other boy acted in, as if his entire future is nothing more than a joke, a gag that is as insignificant as a piece of gum stuck under a table. The only redeeming point that Akashi graciously grants Atobe is in the fact that Atobe holds that lacking burning determination in tennis. Akashi, despite understanding and accepting his future as the inheritor of his father's business, must admire the dogmatic stubbornness that Atobe pursues his team and his tennis with.

To a certain extent, Akashi can even emphasize with him, though that still does not excuse the ridiculousness of the boy's actions. Akashi has never encountered someone with as large an ego as Atobe Keigo, and that's saying something, considering the amount of high-class children he has met with throughout his entire life.

Yukimura Seiichi. Another freshman in Class 1-A, Akashi does not know this blue-haired boy all too well. From the snippets of rumors that he hears (Akashi has never put much stock into rumors, as most are just a load of bullshit, but they are an interesting way to assess the reputation and attention that a certain person commands), Yukimura is known as a sweet, gentle boy, who, despite his constant smile, is not a person to be crossed. Personally, Akashi finds such a description strange-after all, it is contradictory, polarizing, but then again, Akashi finds himself to be quite the contradiction, so it doesn't take much for him to accept it as it is and to move on.

He's slightly miffed that he hadn't known that those three are all regulars of the tennis club. Having never really seen them interact much in class, he had assumed them to be strangers to each other, but...

If the slight banter and aggressive play between Atobe and Yukimura are anything to go by, they know each other quite well.

On the second court, the referee has silver brown hair cut to the nape of his neck, though Akashi takes more notice of the bandages wrapped around his left arm than his physical appearance. With his sharp eyesight, Akashi just catches the slight bumps and ridges of a sort of...gauntlet under the bandages. To anyone without his eyesight, they would assume that the boy (who, while looking familiar, is not as recognizable to Akashi as the previous three) is either injured or making a fashion statement, but Akashi quickly deduces that he must be wearing it as part of a training regime, or maybe as part of a promise or bet with another person.

Of the two people on the court, only one is immediately identifiable. Brown hair, closed eyes, unfaltering smile. Fuji Syuusuke. Another freshman of Class 1-A, and one who Akashi himself has judged to be rather dangerous. In a battle of pure wits, Akashi himself has to admit that he isn't sure who would win. As a result, Akashi has paid Fuji a sort of silent respect, a private acknowledgement of who Fuji is and what he can do. Fuji himself, at that level, understands Akashi, and pays him the same respect. The two have been dancing around each other in class for months, and even the most oblivious of people are alert enough to not intrude on the deadlock the two have been in. Much like Tezuka, Fuji holds a mask, but unlike Tezuka, Fuji is much, much more interesting.

The person that Fuji is currently playing against has messy orange hair and is needlessly bouncing around court. Akashi can hear him shouting broken phrases even as he obviously exerts large amount of energy, if the sweat pouring from his body is anything to go by. The boy reminds Akashi of Kise-extremely excitable, constantly enthusiastic, and never silent.

Akashi is rather glad that he doesn't know this tiresome orange-haired boy.

On the court in front of him, Akashi's eyes are immediately drawn to the figure nearest him. He catches flashes of the other two people, who he also knows-a freshman in Class 1-B who he sees hanging around Yukimura constantly, the one who wears a hat even inside school, named Sanada Genichirō, and a freshman in Class 1-A who seems to trail behind the other two, with a brown bob cut and closed eyes, though Akashi can sense him observing and analyzing everything and everyone around him, named Yanagi Renji-but his main focus is on the waterfall of emerald-tinted black hair tied into a high ponytail playing against Sanada.

He hadn't known that Echizen Ryoma is a girl.

Echizen seems to glow under the sunlight. Her sleek hair absorbs the sunlight, but from his position, he can see her eyes as she chases after the tennis ball and hits it over the net to land it on Sanada's side. The golden color seems to reflect the light, glowing in a rather unnatural way. A bright smile graces her face as her lithe body twists and turns in ways that Akashi has never seen before, and certainly never expected to see in a tennis match.

Akashi has always seen tennis as a primitive sport. After all, it's nothing more than two people chasing after a neon blob while wielding sticks in order to hit it back and forth over a net. Such an incredibly repetitive, useless sport is absolute garbage compared to the elegance of basketball, a sport that requires the mind just as much as the physical body. A sport that includes tactical plays and heavy teamwork, synchronization, and, most of all, skill.

Tennis has always been just a silly way for little children to pass the time to him, but right now, watching the prodigy play against someone two years older than her, not to mention obviously stronger and more experienced than her, Akashi can't help but feel some sort of...respect.

For her? Or for tennis?

Determination burns bright in the gold of her eyes as she leaps up into the air, higher than any basketball player, including Kuroko, Akashi has ever seen before, and raises her racket high into the air to smash the ball onto the point of intersection of the service line and the midline.

His Emperor Eye scans her body, watching her muscles bunch and tense under the material of her uniform, and his eyes widen as she lands on her feet lightly, before he can even finish predicting what she's about to do. Only a neon flash registers in his mind before his wide eyes catch sight of the ball rolling behind an unsurprised Sanada.

Akashi isn't often taken by surprise, and this new development can't be written off as being part of this "off-day" of Akashi's. Echizen just legitimately moved faster than Akashi's eyes could see, and faster than his brain could process.

How is that possible?

"7-6. Match to Echizen."

The girl slants her tennis rocket across the back of her shoulders, holding onto it by its handle and head. That bright, easygoing grin still doesn't disappear as she leisurely walks up to the net, where Sanada is already waiting with his hand outstretched for a handshake. "Mada mada dane, Nichi-chan."

Sanada's eyes narrow just the slightest. Obviously, the boy is displeased-whether at the nickname or at his loss, Akashi isn't quite sure, but he wouldn't be surprised if it's due to both. "Good game, Ryoma."

Echizen sticks her tongue out at Sanada before pulling a tennis ball out of her pocket. Without a single glance in his direction, she tosses it over her shoulder.

Akashi watches with slight fascination as the ball makes a perfect arc that, if he were any other person, would hit him square on the forehead, but since he's not any other person, he easily catches the furiously spinning ball in his hand, ignoring the smarting sting that erupts upon the heavy friction that it applies to his flesh as it comes to a jarring halt. Midorima would be impressed. "Is that a way to greet a fellow student?"

Echizen turns her head slightly, a mischievous glint in her cat-like golden eyes. Sanada and Yanagi watch, only the slight tightening of their muscles indicating any sort of reaction towards Akashi. He must've caught them by surprise, which only makes him even more curious as to how Echizen found out that he was watching them. Even though he isn't able to use misdirection due to his lack of a lack of presence, he has picked up a few tricks along the way of teaching Kuroko her current style. Most people wouldn't notice him if he doesn't want to be noticed, yet here Echizen is, challenging his absoluteness.

"I don't make it a habit to be nice to people who loiter in places where they aren't supposed to be."

Akashi smirks, lightly tossing the tennis ball up, catching it in the hand it had been in previously. "You're an interesting girl, aren't you, Echizen Ryoma?"

Echizen fully turns around, dropping her arm and letting the head of the racket graze the ground. She's extremely short in stature-even for her age, her height is less than average. She's a lot like Kuroko. "I don't know your name, Stalker-san. I don't think that's quite fair."

Oh, yeah. A lot like Kuroko.

"How rude of me. I am Akashi Seijūrō. It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise," Echizen replies dryly before turning around, flouncing towards a bench on the side of the court, right next to the referee's chair. Picking up a water bottle, she proceeds to ignore Akashi as she takes a deep chug of water.

As she continues to drink, Yanagi and Sanada makes their ways towards Akashi. Both know who he is, and nod towards him, gaining one in response. "I apologize for Ryoma's attitude. She has a bit of an ego."

Akashi laughs at Yanagi's words, eyes glittering as he holds their gazes with his heterochromatic eyes. "I'm quite used to such a thing. The basketball world is just as full of egotistical narcissists as the tennis world, it seems."

"Hey!" Echizen caps her bottle and makes her way towards the group of three, squeezing in between Sanada and Yanagi. The slight pout on her face is really far too similar to Kuroko for comfort. "You're part of the basketball team?"

"I'm the captain."

Her eyes glitter with recognition for a moment before she cracks an excitable grin. "Can I watch your practice, then?"

Without missing a single beat, Akashi responds with an even wider smirk. "Quid pro quo?"

Echizen tilts her head to the side. "Payback."

"Touché."

And that is the first chapter! I hope you guys liked it, and that it wasn't too confusing. Honestly, I just love Echizen and Akashi together. I feel like a lot of snark and word games could be exchanged between the two.

Also, I'm pretty sure that Echizen is OOC, and I just want to say that Echizen's a girl, so there's bound to be some differences. As a girl, Echizen is a bit more accustomed to socialization, not to mention that she seems much more approachable. Echizen is intrinsically smart, but in the anime/manga, he doesn't exactly "show" it. He shows it during tennis matches, but other than that there's nothing to suggest otherwise. The girl Echizen in this book will be much more open, even though she still has the same arrogance, brattiness, and infuriating qualities that make Echizen so lovable. She will be willing to do more things than the boy Echizen. Not to mention the fact that this is somewhat of a "future fic" for the characters of Prince of Tennis, so obviously, Echizen has grown, even if by a little bit. And just as a warning, that goes for Kuroko as well, even though she will also retain her lack of presence and monotony.

I do hope that I'll be able to stick with this story! I love it so far, and I hope that you guys do too!

Yeah. Peace, see ya next time, hope you liked it!

Never (LivingDaLife)