Tilting Axis.

Hey guys! I have a conspiracy theory I want to share with everyone!

What if the main antagonist is not Emperor Akashi? What if the main antagonist and mastermind of everything is the real Akashi?

With that theory in mind, let's continue to read this story!

Akashi's face was that of panic, something that Kagami thought was highly unusual.

Who won't be, though? It was the third quarter and Seirin was destroying Rakuzan. It sounded like a dream come true for the new stars, and an unbelievable for the Emperor of the Creation. It started with a simple Kagami's overpowering jumps, to Kuroko's phantom shot, and then on and on to Hyuuga's threes and Kiyoshi's PG-C play style. Rakuzan, who had subconsciously underestimated Seirin, was taken with a surprise.

Akashi's Emperor Eye was able to locate Kuroko, but the tealhead was stealing balls under Kagami's light. Every time Akashi was about to steal from Kuroko, Kagami would screen him and the moment Akashi avoided Kagami, Kuroko was already gone.

Playing without a strong Power Forward had made Rakuzan's fundamentals fell to Seirin's five-men team play.

Akashi was panicking.

All for a good reason.

"PRIIIIIIII! Third Quarter is over!"

Both Kagami and Kuroko watched as Akashi stood still in the court, his eyes flittering from the scoreboard, to Kagami, and then to Kuroko. He was losing, Kagami knew. And judging from Kuroko's story last night, Akashi wouldn't take that at all.

When the others were already off the court, Kuroko was unmoving from his previous spot. Still panting and sweating, but his eyes never left Akashi's figure. Kagami stood next to him, his eyes never leaving Kuroko.

Suddenly, there was a laughter.

It was a clearly amused one. It wasn't a maniacal laugh, it wasn't a loud laugh. But the laughter was there. And it was coming from the very person other than them on court. It was just an amused laughter- a chuckle, even. But Kuroko stiffened up and froze on his place.

Akashi was laughing as he covered his Emperor Eye with his hand, still laughing. "It's been long since I laughed like that." He said as he took a deep breath and dropped his hand, revealing a pair of bright ruby eyes.

His Emperor Eye was... gone.

"A..." Kuroko began, his voice low and unsure. "Akashi-kun...?"

Akashi gave a sidelong smile to Kuroko, who then leaned slightly to Kagami. "I guess I should say that it's been a long time, right, Kuroko?" His manner of speaking was really different than the other Akashi. He used 'ore' and he was more loosen up. But that confident smirk was never wiped off his face. There was fondness in his eyes as he greeted Kuroko, though. Maybe this Akashi won't just cut him with a scissor.

"It has, Akashi-kun." Kuroko's voice was slightly less guarded than when he was speaking to the other Akashi. Kuroko trusted this guy, after all.

With Kuroko, he was obviously relieved to see his former captain and teacher smiling a very familiar smile once again to him. It was almost like they were back in their Teikou days before everything went downhill. From the days Akashi-kun told him to shape up and take care of himself. It was comforting, it was warming, it was... a huge relief.

Those familiar ruby eyes looked up to another pair of red eyes with a curious glance. "Kagami Taiga, yes? You remind me of Aomine." He said with a thoughtful look. "He is your new light, isn't he?" Akashi-kun asked him, his eyes showing nothing but approval. He knew what his former captain must be thinking. Kuroko- that naive Kuroko had moved on and got a new light even without Akashi-kun's assistance, the one who always needed to hold his hand as he walked. "Yes he is, Akashi-kun." He nodded.

But contrary to what he was thinking, Akashi-kun's face turned into a displeased one. "I was so close into making you bloom, Kuroko. Join me again and I will definitely make you bloom, just like how I did others."

All of the sudden, the temperature of the court dropped a few degrees as all the warmth and familiarity Akashi-kun displayed had been retracted.

"I-I..." Kuroko looked up to Kagami-kun, who then rolled his eyes, as unconcerned as ever as he put his huge hand on top of Kuroko's head. "He won't be joining you, he has us now. Our senpais worked us hard to make us bloom." Kuroko threw a lingering glance towards their Senpai, who were drinking their waters. "That's exactly why I hate it, Kagami." Akashi stepped closer towards them, emanating a bizarre bloodlust that was not unlike the other Akashi.

"I was the one who discovered Kuroko. I cultivated him into a lovely flower bud, ready to bloom..." He threw a lingering look of affection towards Kuroko, who was frozen on his spot. "And yet I wasn't the one who saw him bloom. Not the first, it was displeasing. Do you know that I plan to teach you phantom shot the moment we get into the same team? I was about to take you and only you to high school and we can start the ultimate team and defeat the others. Honoring our oath..."

Kuroko was silent, his sweat dripping down from his face, mixing with cold sweat from his temple. "But... my other self's decision was different. He didn't think of you as a part of Generation of Miracles, but I do, Kuroko. That's why... join me. We can defeat the others easily. Crushing them like how-"

"Like how you crushed my best friend...?"

His voice was low, dangerously low. What Akashi-kun had done to Ogiwara-kun in that 111-11 game... was brutal. Even if it was the other Akashi-kun's decision... Kuroko couldn't quite place just how much it hurt to see the normally cheerful face of Ogiwara-kun's turned into such a despaired expression...

Kagami-kun snapped his head to Kuroko's direction, no doubt noticing that his voice was lower than usual. But Kuroko stared straight towards Akashi-kun, who tilted his head in slight confusion. "Your best...? Ah! Are you talking about Ogiwara Shigehiro?" Hearing his best friend's name mentioned, Kuroko stiffened up. But Akashi-kun chuckled.

"You do know that he is a tardy kind of person, right?" Akashi-kun sighed. "That airhead managed to took a nap in the gym and then missed the last train to Tokyo. And then he missed the first train because he actually went to Maji Burgers first. But he made it to the noon train and got lost in trying to find his way here..." Akashi-kun's eyes peered straight through Kuroko and onto the Rakuzan bench.

"Shige-chan!"

"Shige!"

"Reo-nee! Lift me up a bit so I can smack Shige up on his head!"

"There's no need for that. YOU STUPID MORON HOW COULD YOU MISS OUT ON THE TRAINS DUMBASS?!"

"Whoa, whoa...!"

"You're late, Ogiwara-kun." Kuroko pouted as he dribbled the orange basketball by himself. The other boy then put down his black elementary school bag with an apologetic grin across his face. "Whoa, whoa...!"

"Don't be mad, Nebuya-senpai! I'm here now, aren't I? Ogiwara Shigehiro, at your service!"

"Don't be mad, Kuroko!" He said as he ruffled the tealhead. "I'm here now, aren't I?" A kiss on his forehead, a sign of apology. "Ogiwara Shigehiro, at your service!" A huge grin plastered across his face...

"O-Ogi-"

"That's right." Akashi-kun smirked, as if he had been waiting to let this on to Kuroko for a long time.

"Ogiwara Shigehiro is Rakuzan's Power Forward."

First part of the two-shots! Look forward for the final part, okay? ;D