Summary:

Tamaki is the Sixth Player of Teiko basketball team. What will happen when she joins Seirin High's basketball team, and how can she help them along with battling her own inner demons? Fem!Kuroko/Aomine. Overprotective Gen!Miracles

So it seems like I've been reading a lot of Kuroko no Basuke stories lately, and it gives me the urge to start one myself. I was playing around with a few ideas – with one such as how we'd never seen Kuroko's family before, and they'd never even been mentioned. I was thinking of writing one where Kuroko was a victim of domestic violence, and when the Seirin team and the Generation of Miracles found out, they decided to step in. But after reading a few stories involving a gender swap Kuroko, I decided to write one myself.

Tamaki is a female Kuroko's name in this story. I originally wanted to use 'Tsubaki', but it sounds a little off to me, hence I scrapped the idea. It probably won't stick so close to canon, but it will still stay rather similar. There will also be various flashbacks of Tamaki's time in Teiko, as in canon, Kuroko's past in Teiko is still rather unknown, except for the parts regarding his past with Aomine and Kise.

Pairings: Aomine/Tamaki

Warnings: AU Universe. OOC. Gender swap. Nice Akashi. Overprotective Generation of Miracles.

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

Chapter One: They've Changed

The Teiko Middle School basketball club.

An incredibly strong team with over a hundred members and three consecutive championship wins. Amongst their brilliant record, the generation of five prodigies was known as the 'Generation of Miracles' – a generation of five players possessing a talent that one would only see once in ten years.

However, there was a strange rumour concerning the Generation of Miracles.

Despite being relatively unknown and lacking a game record, there was one more member recognised by the five prodigies, and whom they acknowledged as a better player.

A Phantom Sixth Player.

XXXXXX

"But damn, I didn't expect for Tamaki to be hiding such an ability." Koganei Shinji commented as he stepped out of the gym with the other juniors (second years), even as the coach Aida Riko locked up the gym behind them. "No wonder she's called the phantom sixth player."

The basketball team's captain, Hyuuga Junpei, pushed the glasses that he was wearing up his nose. "I've heard rumours of the phantom sixth player of Teiko when I was still in middle school, but I didn't think that it's true," he commented. He then grinned. "Well, they'll be reliable enough as allies – Tamaki and Kagami."

That day was the first ever official practice of Seirin High's basketball club.

The 'practice' held by Riko after the recruitment drive on the first day of the new school year didn't really count, as it is more like an ice-breaker kind of thing when the juniors and freshmen get to know each other, and also for the student coach to see the players' potential.

Riko was startled nearly out of her skin that day when a girl with light blue hair that just reaches a little past her shoulders had appeared from out of nowhere in front of her, introducing herself as Kuroko Tamaki, the player that Riko had eagerly been waiting for, seeing as how she had came from the legendary Teiko basketball team, and being a girl to boot.

Teiko Middle School's basketball team had quite a reputation, even among the high school circle.

They've first started out as a normal middle school basketball team three years ago, though clinching the top spot during the Nationals. After that, going against them only seemed to get tougher. Second year had them flattening every single opposing team that went against them, with Teiko getting double or even triple the amount of points that the opposing team had clinched against them. By the time third year rolled about, there isn't a single middle school team out there that had the guts to challenge them or even dream of getting the top spot at the Nationals. The best that they could hope for is only runner up.

Hence, when the petite-looking and skinny girl had introduced herself as Kuroko Tamaki, Riko had her doubts. How can such a weak-looking and skinny girl who looked almost as if she would be blown over by a strong wind be a member of the legendary Generation of Miracles – the famous group that is responsible for Teiko clinching three consecutive victories at the Nationals?

They soon learnt why in that day's practice when Riko suddenly decided to pitch the freshmen against the juniors in a match. And they also soon learnt why Tamaki, a girl, is allowed to join an all boys' team, and is also known as the sixth player of the Generation of Miracles.

From the start, Tamaki is already difficult to notice, since she can easily disappear if one isn't looking hard enough. She merely uses that ability to her advantage during matches by circulating passes by using her misdirection ability – a magic-like technique to fool the senses of her opponents.

"But is it even legal for a girl to join an all-boys' basketball team?" Izuki Shun wondered. "Let alone participating in matches?"

"About that, I'd checked that rule up after learning that Tamaki-chan had joined our basketball team." Riko explained, turning around to face her boys after slipping the keys into her pocket. "There is no rule that actually forbids girls from playing with the boys. Most girls just never do, as they preferred cheering the boys on from the sidelines."

"I see…" Hyuuga nodded. "But she's an oddball, isn't she? Not like other girls at all."

The other guys grinned at him.

Tamaki had walked into the changing room after having a word with Riko after training that day, alarming the rest of the boys who were in various states of undress at that time, and all of them tried to cover themselves up. Tamaki, as clueless as ever, simply took out her school uniform from her locker and walked back out, leaving several of the boys gaping at her like goldfish.

"Well, she'll make things interesting at least." Izuki smiled.

XXXXXX

In Maji's, the fast food outlet that Kagami frequents after basketball practice found said red haired giant twitching as he had somehow ended up at Tamaki's table again without even realising it, thus causing him to swallow his burger the wrong way.

"Where'd you come from?" Kagami demanded. "And what are you doing?"

The girl blinked at him with clear blue eyes. "I was sitting here right from the start," she explained before holding up the disposal cup that she is holding. "And I like this place's vanilla shakes."

"Go somewhere else."

"I don't want to." Tamaki said so matter-of-factly that caused Kagami to twitch.

"If someone sees us here, they'll think that we're friends!" Kagami hissed, lowering his voice, almost as if afraid that someone from their school would overhear him and recognise them.

"This is my usual hangout."

Kagami sighed, giving up. Wordlessly, he then picked out a burger from the pile that he had on his tray and threw one over to Tamaki who caught it easily. "I dislike weak guys who suck at basketball," he muttered. "But you've earned yourself one of those." He grinned. "Furthermore, you're too skinny. You need to eat more if you hope to get stronger."

Tamaki smiled, the first expression change that Kagami had seen for the first time from the smaller girl, and he blinked, taken aback at how much just one smile can change her appearance.

"Thanks."

The rest of their dinner went by in relative silence, and after Kagami had finished his pile of burgers that surprisingly didn't take too long, seeing how he had stuffed his cheeks like a squirrel, and with the fact that Kagami could easily out eat a starving killer whale, the two then left, with Kagami offering to walk Tamaki home.

The tall redhead might be a brute, and he might be named Taiga (tiger), but he is still brought up properly with the right values instilled in him from a young age. He isn't about to let a girl walk home alone this late at night. What if something had happened to her?

"It's not really needed, but if you insist…" Tamaki said without changing her expression, something that annoyed Kagami. Can't she show a little more expression on her face like other girls?

The two then walked in silence along the streets before Kagami spoke up. "Just how strong is the Generation of Miracles?" he asked curiously. "If I played them now, how would I do?"

"You'd be destroyed instantly." Tamaki stated bluntly, and Kagami twitched.

"Do you have to put it like that?"

"The five prodigies have each gone on to play for their own schools. One of those schools will stand at the top without a doubt."

Kagami grinned with excitement at that, laughing like a maniac, causing several people to give him strange looks. "That's great," he said, grinning. "That's the kind of thing that lights a fire in me." He grinned, fire burning in his eyes. "I've decided! I'll crush all of them and become Japan's best player."

Tamaki looked at him weirdly, still sipping from her drink straw. "I don't think that's possible," she told Kagami bluntly, causing several imaginary boulders to fall on his head.

"Hey!" Kagami shouted, upset at her lack of trust in his ability.

Tamaki sighed before looking at him seriously. "If you have hidden talent, I wouldn't know," she said. "But what from what I've seen, you wouldn't even reach their feet. At your current level, if you go up against them now, you'll only be slaughtered by them. It's impossible…alone…" She trailed off slowly before turning to face Kagami. "I've also decided. I'm a shadow. But the stronger the light, the darker the shadow, and the more it accentuates the brightness of the light. I will be the shadow to your light and make you the best player in Japan."

Kagami looked surprised for a moment before he grinned. "Look who's talking," he grinned. "Do whatever you want."

Tamaki smiled. "I will do my best."

"I'm home." Tamaki called out as she returned home, only to receive no answer. She sighed. "Of course. Who would answer?" She muttered as she removed her shoes and entered the apartment, taking a quick glance at the two portraits on the altar.

The blue haired girl dropped her school bag onto a chair and pulled out her pyjamas from her wardrobe, heading into the bathroom to have her shower. Twenty minutes later, she soon emerged from it, rubbing her hair dry, even as her cellphone rang.

Quirking a brow, Tamaki picked up her cellphone only to see the display name of 'Akashi Seijuro' flashing on the LCD screen. She sighed before she answered the call. "What is it, Sei?"

"What, I can't call to check up on you, Tama?" Her cousin asked, sounding almost like he's grinning.

"Uh huh." Tamaki muttered disbelievingly. "Sei, you and I both know that you wouldn't just call me for 'checking up on me'. What. Do. You. Want?"

Her cousin sighed on the other end of the line. "Are you really sure that you don't want to transfer to Rakuzan, Touou, Kaijou or Shutoku even?" he asked blandly, and Tamaki nearly groaned.

Yep. It's the usual once-a-month call from her cousin regarding this matter. And honestly, it is getting a little old. If truth be told though, Tamaki can't really blame him for it. She was the one who had disappeared suddenly after the finals of the National tournament, and had hid from the members of the Generation of Miracles whenever they came looking for her – something not very difficult for her since she's difficult to notice from the start anyway. She never told her cousin or even Aomine which high school she's attending until the acceptance papers had arrived.

That had likely ruined the friendship that she had with Aomine, though that 'friendship' had been slowly drifting apart anyway ever since the start of their third year. She was lucky that her relationship with her cousin wasn't affected in the least, though that could be because Sei kept his basketball and personal life separate.

Tamaki had often wondered if her cousin is bipolar, with the way that he acts sometimes…

"No thank you." Tamaki told her cousin bluntly, sitting at the edge of her bed and towelling her hair dry with the soft fluffy towel around her shoulders. "I've told you that at least a hundred times."

There was a sigh over the phone. "Tamaki." He sounded serious, and Tamaki knew that he is entirely serious since he's using her full name, and not the childhood pet name that he always calls her by ever since they're kids. "I'm serious here. I want to know that you're safe if I couldn't be there. At the very least, if you're with Ryota, Shintaro, or even Daiki, I know at least that they will take care of you. I'm worried about you!" Tamaki did not change her facial expression, instead choosing to rub at a spot on her left wrist. "You just hadn't been the same ever since…" Sei trailed off, and he sighed. "I can't change your mind, can I?"

"No." Tamaki told him bluntly. "Seirin…is a good school." She told her cousin. "They have that potential…to grow even stronger."

Her cousin was silent for several moments. "Let's make a bet, Tama," said Sei, sounding serious. "If you can manage to at least bring Seirin to the Winter Cup and be the victor, I'll leave you be. But if Rakuzan or any of the other schools beat Seirin before then, I want you to transfer to one of the schools that one of the others are attending."

"Sei!"

"I'm serious, Tamaki." Sei growled. "I don't think that Seirin is the right school for you. They aren't the right one to bring out your full potential."

"What does it matter anyway?" Tamaki asked. "It's not like I can ever play basketball the way I used to anyway…" She rubbed unconsciously at her left wrist.

There was silence.

"He'll pay for that, Tama." Her cousin suddenly sounded extremely threatening and dangerous. More like the feared captain of the legendary Teiko basketball club that he was known as during their last two years of middle school. "I won't let him get away with it. And if any of the others play him again, they'll destroy him."

Tamaki sighed. She knew that the Generation of Miracles all had some weird policy regarding her, most likely from her overprotective cousin. Akashi Seijuro only ever reacts violently when three things happen: one, when someone disobeys him; two, when his team loses a match (that happens rarely, if never); and three, when someone hurts her.

"I have to go." Tamaki said, ending the call quickly and falling back onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling. She rolled over on her side, rubbing at her left wrist where a white surgical scar was clearly visible on it, hence why she always wore a wristband around her left wrist.

The blue haired girl closed her eyes, relieving a memory that she wished that she had forgotten…

"NO!"

"TAMAKI!"

"Hanamiya! You bastard!"

…voices… Just voices…

Where is this?

"…the wrist bones in her left hand are completely shattered. I'm afraid…that she may never play basketball again."

Tamaki screwed her eyes shut, trying to block out the memories…

"…I can't play anymore…"

"That's not true. There is still another way that you can play."

"…Tamaki. I don't want to see you give up."

"…Aomine-kun…"

XXXXXX

Kagami Taiga looked ready to murder someone as he chewed on his burger angrily in Maji's, thinking back to that morning's events.

He had panicked when he learned from the team captain last week that the freshmen couldn't play in matches, as they aren't official members yet. Thus, Kagami had gone straight to the coach to demand for a club application form, only to be told to bring it to the rooftop on Monday at 08:40am.

As it turns out, the basketball club had some weird tradition of having their would be regulars shout out their names, class number and their goals at the top of the rooftop. And if they can't achieve their goals, they have to confess to a girl butt naked.

The discipline master of the school had barged onto the rooftop just as Tamaki was about to do her turn, with Tamaki armed with a megaphone that she had taken from out of nowhere because, "I'm not good at speaking too loudly." As a result, all the freshmen on the rooftop, along with their coach, got an entire day's detention along with a long lecture from an irate teacher.

"I can't believe he got so mad over a little shouting." Kagami grumbled whilst chewing his burger and drinking from his milk shake at the same time.

"I didn't even finish, and I got in trouble too." Tamaki commented, causing the poor redhead to choke on his burger upon realising that Tamaki is in front of him again.

"You again?" Kagami spluttered after managing to make his burger go down the right way. "Should I start going somewhere else?" He muttered to himself.

"We aren't allowed on the roof anymore." Tamaki said, sipping from her straw. "What will we do if we can't join the basketball team?"

Kagami smirked. "That's not gonna happen," he said confidently. Tamaki made a noise of acknowledgement, and Kagami then blinked, as he recalled just what he had wanted to ask Tamaki that day when he had ran into her in front of the library, having came across a newspaper clipping about Seirin's basketball team the year before. But the girl had disappeared before he could even open his mouth, and he had then completely forgotten just what he wanted to ask her. "By the way, why didn't you go to some big name school like the other five guys? You were good enough to be known as the phantom sixth player, right? Despite being a girl. Is there some reason that you play basketball?"

Tamaki said nothing for several moments as she sipped from her straw. Kagami watched her closely, hanging onto her every word and action. "My middle school's team only had one core principle," she begun. "'Winning is everything'. Instead of teamwork, we needed to push the individual talents of the Generation of Miracles to win. Nothing could beat us, but we weren't a team. The five of them approved, but I felt that we lacked something important."

"So, what?" Kagami asked. "Are you gonna beat the Generation of Miracles your own way?"

"That's what I was thinking."

"Seriously?"

Tamaki took another sip from her drink as Kagami watched her. "But your words and the coach's words reminded me of something," she continued. "They reminded me of just why we…why I played basketball. Right now, I just want to bring this team to the top, and make them the best in Japan."

Kagami looked surprised before he grinned. "Damn straight. We're gonna be the best," he stated, and Tamaki smiled.

"Right."

There was silence between the two for several moments before Kagami spoke up once more. "What changed?" he asked silently.

"Huh?"

"Just now," said Kagami, looking at Tamaki. "You said that the coach's words, and my words reminded you of just why you played basketball. What changed before that?"

Tamaki was silent for several moments. "The Generation of Miracles wasn't always as strong and well-known as they were now," she begun. "They started out as any normal basketball team. They played that sport because they loved it." 'Well, I can't say the same for Murasakibara-kun.' "I started playing basketball because I loved this game too. All of them started evolving during our second year, and crushed every team that came our way. We were…unbeatable."

"I don't understand." Kagami frowned. "So they grew strong. What's the problem?"

Tamaki said nothing. "It isn't something that you can understand from my words alone. It is something that you'll understand only if you were there too," she said. "Slowly, they changed. He changed." Tamaki's voice shook. "It came to such a point that I truly detested basketball." Kagami blinked in surprise. "The sound of the balls… The sounds of sneakers squeaking on the courts… The swishes of the net… I really hate all of that." Tamaki admitted. "And by the time that we're in our third year, I can honestly say that no one on Teiko loves playing basketball anymore." She stood up from her seat, her hands shaking slightly, but Kagami didn't notice it. "They changed. But more importantly of all, he changed the most." Tamaki whispered, not wanting to continue anymore, and left Maji's, leaving Kagami alone with his confused thoughts.

A/N: How's this for a start? It's my first time writing a Kuroko no Basuke fanfic, so please do go easy on me! I realise that I'm probably making Akashi and maybe Kuroko a little too out of character, but hey, this is fanfiction. I can make Akashi dress in a pink tutu and dance the Macarena if I want to.

Anyway, I hope that you like this chapter, and please do read and review! Reviews gives me motivation to update!

Upcoming Stories:

Broken Glass (Kuroko no Basuke)

To be a shadow means to be unnoticeable. But how can one not be noticeable, especially after the entire Seirin team discovered that their team's shadow is a victim of domestic abuse? Friendship fic.

Spirit Hunter (Naruto)

After the ninja nations were destroyed, Kami decided to send Namikaze Hikari, Nara Shikamaru and Hyuuga Neji to a time in the future with a new mission in hand: prevent the Akatsuki's revival. But the three were now granted some new abilities: shaman abilities, and Hikari is now the cousin of one Asakura Yoh.

Ruler of Hueco Mundo (Naruto)

It isn't something that is widely known, but only among the inhabitants of Hueco Mundo, the Hollows. Hueco Mundo had a ruler. Three of them, in fact. And when Aizen Sousuke's plans for Hueco Mundo and the world reach their ears, they are not pleased. Be careful, Aizen. You've just pissed off the three strongest Hollows in all of Hueco Mundo. FemNaru

Death's Second Chance

Fate sure loves fucking with one Namikaze Riiyu, it seems like. She doesn't even know if she should hate herself or Kami for sending her back through time into the body of an Uchiha girl, sent to guide Uchiha Sasuke off the path of darkness and to stop the war from ever occurring. Genma/FemNaru

Era of Darkness (Naruto)

Akatsuki moved 16 years early, and took over the entire shinobi world, with Uchiha Madara at the helm of it all. In a world without freedom and in a time of darkness, a group of ninjas that were the few survivors fought to reclaim back their world. Extreme AU. Pairing undecided

Rising Birth (Naruto)

During Nurarihyon's fight with Hagorome-Gitsune, he ran into an old enemy of the kitsune, someone that had lived ever since the start of the world, a certain Namikaze Yuuki. Naruto/Nurarihyon crossover. FemNaru/Itaku

Into the Ashes (Naruto)

After having the wizarding world turn on her like it did after the war, Hilda Potter fled, and in desperation, used a forbidden power that she swore to never use only to be sent on an even bigger task. A task that is even greater than Voldemort himself. HP/Tsubasa crossover. Fye/Hilda

I Fall For You (Uraboku)

What if Yuki is reborn as a girl in this life? And what if she is much more quiet and soft-spoken than expected? After a trauma that had sealed her voice shut, she gains unexpected help in the form of Zweilt Guardians, and will she open her heart to a certain Opast? Luka/Yuki

My Little Angel (07-Ghost)

FemTeito. Verloren's angel was slain by the 7 Ghosts when the daughter of the King of Heaven wanted the angel out of the way. Mad with grief, Verloren slain Eve, and both master and angel were then banished to Earth for eternal reincarnation until the end of time. Now 1000 years later, both master and angel met each other again…in the Barsburg Military Academy.

Demon Princess (Ao no Exorcist)

FemRin. What if Satan had taken Rin with him the night that Yuri had died, leaving Yukio behind in Assiah? Now years later, both twins met each other again at True Cross Academy, unaware of their relationship with each other.