Since she was a little girl, Ryoma found herself with troubling dreams, and abilities which she keeps hidden. She is also plagued by demons, another thing she hides from her team until she gets a fateful invitation...

The Troubled Teenager

Echizen Ryoma, daughter of the famous Samurai Nanjiroh and heiress to the Takeuchi Fortune, Echizen Rinko nee Takeuchi. They're very wealthy as the prodigious man won tournament after tournament before he 'vanished' from the Professional Circuits, only to be revealed happily married to the heiress of the Takeuchi Group in Japan, Rinko, and that they had a daughter Ryoma. When he got cornered, he revealed that family and his 'cute baby daughter' is more important than being a pro right now so he plans on being a full-time father.

Needless to say, his publicity ratings soared high with that statement. Ryoma grew up in America at the Californian Countryside with their home close to the beach. The family fixed the beach so it had no rocks or shells to injure their feet, and had a boundary wall built in the waters, so they can freely swim without worrying about any sea critter, especially sharks. Their man-made pool had been cleared of said critters so needless to say, Ryoma frequently visited the beach to swim and have fun as a little girl. She had a happy childhood in America, as her parents taught her many things before sending her to school...

And of course, her training in Tennis. And she proved to be very gifted.

Her father burst into tears on how proud he was of his genius little girl. If she kept this up, she could definitely be number one someday. And Ryoma wanted to do her father proud, naturally, but...

When she became seven years old...

She has been dreaming. Of a world with a dark sky, blood-red clouds and golden lightning, and vast forests and mountains. Then she saw herself holding various valuables and alongside her, was a beautiful man with silver hair and white clothing. Then the sensation of happiness as they ran together. Besides breaking in and thieving, they would kill monsters and bathe in blood.

The dreams became frequent as she grew up.

Then when she was ten...a nightmare was too much...that both she and the man nearly died while fighting, and barely survived. When she woke up the next day, her weapons were on her lap the minute she took off her blankets. She stared in disbelief as she held her weapons that disappeared soon afterwards. She was in shock.

'What...is this?' she choked as she grasped in thin air. 'My dreams...my weapon...' she gasped as she took a deep breath...and willed the sickles to appear again. They did. They were also obviously sharp. She looked at the clock and saw that it was three in the morning. She snuck out with expertise, and headed out for the beach with her weapons...and looked to her dreams for guidance as she practiced using her weapons, both in close combat and long-range. She could manipulate them with her will alone but it exhausted her. 'What am I? Why do I have these dreams and powers...?' she wondered to herself as with stubborn sheer will, she continued on practicing.

She made it a habit to practice her powers every night, under the guise of playing around in the beach.

She got better eventually, and used her dreams as a guide to train herself. But unlike her dream self, she has yet to get hurt. Sure, she experienced sore muscles and joints but cuts and bruises...? Ouch! She was forced to forsaken her social life in a bid to get stronger, causing her to become what she is now, antisocial yet arrogant to her opponents in the courts but she has the skills to back up her arrogance. She is also playfully childish which she mixes in with her arrogance and enjoys provoking her opponents but at times, she is calm and silent and prefers to observe. Her childish arrogance only comes to play on the courts.

Her life in America ended though, after she finished Grade 6 in her local school...and after she bagged four consecutive Junior High Championships, with her opponents being boys bigger than she was.

And her dreams soon got worse, when they moved to Japan.

xxx

Japan, that spring...

'Well, this will be our new home, hime-chan.' said Echizen Nanjiroh, her father as they got out of the moving truck, and the movers led by her mother, took charge of what goes where in their home.

'It's not by the beach.' Ryoma complained with a grunt as Nanjiroh patted her head. 'Why not a house by the beach, oyaji?'

'Not this time around hime-chan. Because you'll be attending my old school...where I started to become great. Seigaku.' Nanjiroh told her as they went inside the gates.

'Seigaku?' she asked her father curiously who nodded and they stayed by the gardens.

'Aa. It's where I started to become great. That will be your starting point. You will also learn there what I can't teach you, should you join the Tennis Club.' Nanjiroh told her. His daughter raised an eyebrow before scoffing.

'You can't teach what they can teach me?' Ryoma blurted incredulously. 'You, the undefeated Tennis player in the world...?'

'Hey, there's more to Tennis than just skills kid.' said Nanjiroh snarkily. 'If you didn't learn what I learned in my old school in the capable hands of my old coach, you will never stand a chance against me.' he told her with a smile but his tone had foreboding in it. 'And that's a given, so off to school you go.'

That's what her father said...as they soon settled down in their new home, with her cousin Meino Nanako, her father's niece on his family's side moving in out of convenience as their home is near her College School. She moved in on that same day.

And that same day, that night...

Her once soundless dreams...gained sounds all of a sudden. Her voice sounded deep! She in her dreams, is a man! This freaked her out. Bad. But at least she now knew the names of the two men in her dreams...

She was Kuronue...and the silver fox was Kurama. NOW she knew where to start. 'My dreams are stronger in Japan...' she muttered as she woke up at three...again. 'I better go around and investigate.' she mused as she took a shower as she woke up sweaty, and dressed up in her spare pajamas before falling back onto her bed. 'Dammit...who am I...what am I? Ryoma or Kuronue?'

And she thought deeply for a long time.

Her memories were from 3700 years ago from the demon Kuronue. Now for some reason she couldn't comprehend, she has his memories, abilities and powers. He was a Quest-Class Demon who could create objects with his energy, and the guy preferred silver chained sickles. But hey, he can still create anything and so can she. But the difference was, she is human.

Yet a human with YOUKI. Talk about shit-gone-wrong.

She stayed awake till morning, unable to sleep. And when sunrise came...

She was more tired than ever, and slept in.

'Damn.' Well...Ryoma:0, Bed:1.