Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis.

Warning: Rated M for adult content.

Author's Note: There will be OC characters. Characters may be out of character. This fan fiction is not related to the anime/manga. It will contain boy x boy. This fanfic is based in a different world, thus first names will mostly be used.

Chapter Two

He heard Sakuno gasp from behind. Ryoma pulled his hand away. A sudden chill bit deep into his bones as if warning him. Pressing his lips together, he stared at the psychic bemusedly. What was she trying to pull? Had she wanted to make it more dramatic since Momoshiro, An, and Sakuno had positive readings. Whatever the case was, Ryoma didn't care for her psychic reading. "Right, well...I'll be sure to heed your words." He stood. He didn't believe a single word she said. "Let's go." He turned to leave, ignoring the quietness inside the tent and the looked of concern on the other three faces. They hurried on out, Ryoma the last to leave. As the tent entrance flap fell behind him, he heard the psychic's voice.

"You must be wary. The man you meet will not be who you expect him to be. Take heed of my words, Ryoma Echizen. I beg you of it..." Her voice said; sounding so close to his ear, he expected her to be right next to him.

Ryoma shuddered. He swirled around, expecting to find her, but no one was there and the tent remained close. He stared at it as if willing her to come out, but she didn't. Another cold breeze brushed along his skin. Stuffing his hands into the pockets of his jacket, he swiveled back around, trudging along behind the other three. It seemed they hadn't heard anything. Frowning, he brushed the voice off as his imagination. There was no point in worrying about something a fake psychic said.

Their outing resumed, though it was a lot more subdued. Even when they decided to go home, no one brought up the subject of the psychic. Ryoma was slightly glad for it. When they arrived at his house, he got out. He waved goodbye, noticing Sakuno's worried face. Sighing inwardly, he smiled at her in hopes to calm her. He turned and walked to his door. He made one last wave to them before entering. As soon as he stepped inside, he took note of the coldness. He shivered even while wrapped tightly in his jacket. Despite how dark it was inside, he shuffled his way around the small duplex, flicking on he light switch along the way. For a moment, he thought he spotted something dark wink out from the corner of his eyes as soon as the light went on. He paused, fingers still on the switch. Ryoma swallowed slowly, turning his head to look at the spot where he had seen the silhouette. Nothing was there as he expected. Still, his heart pounded a second faster. He closed his eyes, willing his heart to calm. He didn't believe in things such as ghosts or anything supernatural. It was just the words of the psychic having a lingering affect him. It wasn't true anyways.

Opening his eyes again, he made his way to the location of the previously seen shadow. He stopped, blinking and looking down his dark hallway. Seeing nothing, he turned back. He still had his shoes on and needed to remove them. However, as he turned to face the door, he realized there was a pair of shoes he hadn't seen before. Before he could investigate, he felt a presence behind him. Ryoma jerked, trying to catch whoever was behind him. Instead, a pair of hands wrapped around him. A hand covered his mouth, muffling his yelp. Scowling, Ryoma shoved his arm back, elbowing the perpetrator in the stomach. The thief grunted, releasing his hold. Ryoma turned around, catching sight of the black hood. His hand clenched into fists, ready to defend himself when he saw the burglar reach a hand out, palm facing him as if telling to stop. In the midst of adrenaline, he heard the burglar laughing. Puzzled, Ryoma stepped back. His hands unclenched and gawked as the hood fell away from the intruder to reveal...his brother, Ryoga, laughing hysterically. Ryoma scowled, his hands once again clenched. He swung, punching Ryoga in the solar plexus. Ignoring the loud groan from his unexpected brother, he turned with an annoyed 'hmph.' He walked back to the door entrance, removed his shoes, then went back to Ryoga who was still groaning in pain while laughing in between. "What the hell, Ryoga? I thought you were in New York," he said.

Ryoga wheezed, wiping the tears from his eyes. "You should have seen your face, but shit, you really pack a punch now, baby brother." Ryoga straightened, rubbing his injured stomach. He winced slightly. "I thought I would come by to visit and see how my baby brother was doing."

"Stop calling me that. I'm twenty now."

"Doesn't change that you're still my baby bro."

"How did you get in?" Ryoma glared.

"Asked mom for the extra key." Ryoga grinned.

Clucking his tongue, he walked into his tiny kitchen and grabbed two bottles of water. He threw one to Ryoga who had settled himself on the cream colored couch in his living room. He plopped himself beside his older brother. The remote in hand, Ryoga turned on the television. Immediately, a tennis match blinked on. Ryoma caught the tug of a smile on Ryoga's lips.

"Tennis as usual," Ryoga muttered.

"Our whole family is a tennis fanatic, so of course I would be watching anything related to tennis," Ryoma said with a shrug of his left shoulder.

"Have you ever thought about leaving here and pursuing tennis professionally? You already have the skills to enter into competitions. And you're still young."

The light of the television reflected brightly against his face despite the ceiling lights. He stared at the screen, drinking in Ryoga's words. At one point in his twenty years of life, he had thought about leaving to pursue tennis as a career. There was even the thought of following after Tezuka to Germany, but somehow it felt wrong at the same time. It was as if some invisible force was making him stay behind. He didn't want to leave. Ryoma sighed. "I don't know."

"You should. I'd like to go against you in a real competition," Ryoga said with a smirk.

Ryoma rolled his eyes at him. "So, what's the real reason you came back?"

Ryoma shrugged nonchalantly. "I needed a break from tennis."

"You? A break from tennis?"

"Yup. And...it's October, Halloween month. Our little town here always had the best celebration for Halloween. I wouldn't miss it. You doing anything?"

"Halloween party." Ryoma grumbled, remembering he had agreed to go for Sakuno's sake.

"Oh! I want to go too!" Ryoga turned to him, his eyes shining brightly.

"...You want to come hang out with a bunch of college students?"

"There's going to be alcohol and lots of ladies to talk to, right?"

"Probably..."

"Then yes, I'm going, even if you say no. Where is it going to be?"

"Uh," Ryoma frowned. He wasn't too sure either. Taking out his cell phone, he swiped to his text and retrieved the address. He handed the phone to Ryoga.

"Hm? What the—how the hell did they get this place?" Ryoga's eyes widen in surprise.

"What place?"

"Don't you know? This is the mansion by the forest."

"The rumored abandoned mansion?"

"Yeah, but it's not really abandoned. Back when I was in high school, me and a couple of my friends went to check out the place. Creepy as hell, almost as if we stepped into a horror movie. Anyways, we tried to jumped over the gates when a bunch of bats flew out of nowhere. And then a man dressed in a red robe was standing by the gates and threatening to call the local authorities for trespassing. Least to say, we took off, but that took us by surprise."

"That mansion...it's been around since the founding of the town, right?"

"Uh huh. It's rumored to be the house where the vampire, who turned Seiji Hamura into a vampire, lives." Ryoga grinned. "I bet that man we met was him."

Ryoma scoffed. "Right, and the bats were him before he changed into his human form to confront you guys."

Ryoga laughed. "Come on, Ryoma. Can't you believe it?"

"No." Ryoma crossed his arms, one eyebrow lifted. "It's just not possible."

Tomorrow was going to be an early start for him. Ryoma got up, readying himself for bed. Seeing as it was already dark, he grabbed a few blankets for Ryoga to sleep on the couch before he headed for bed. As he settled into his bed, he stared up at the popcorn ceiling. Darkness was never something to be afraid about. People's mind always played with them when their imagination ran wild. Things they saw in the dark were merely harmless objects with the light of day. Yet, as he lay in bed staring at his ceiling, the creaks in the house sent goosebumps down his spine even though his heavy, thick blanket provided warmth. Shadows seem to move in the abyss, crawling along his walls. Ryoma closed his eyes. There was nothing to fear. Vampires, ghosts, ghouls, zombies, everything supernatural were stories and make belief meant to scare children. And he was not a child anymore.

Rolling to lay on his side, he pulled the blankets higher and fell asleep. But his dreams offered no peace. He was running through the forest. He could feel the gaze of heat crawling up his back, a thirst for hunger chasing him, licking the heels of his feet. Hunted. He was being hunted like a prey. His breath heaved harshly, his lungs hurt, and his sides pinched in pain. The scent of blood filled his nostril. He didn't dare to look over his shoulders. Squeezing his eyes, he forced his legs to run faster. He was so close to the end, but then he ran into something. Claws dug into his skin, shocking him with agony. He screamed, his eyes opening quickly to see a pair of red eyes staring hungrily at him. He struggle, but the claw bit deeper into his flesh. White fangs gleamed in the light of the moon, fast approaching him. He shut his eyes again, mouth opening for another scream. And then he woke with a sudden jolt.

Ryoma sat up, sweat clinging to him, soaking his shirt. His was breathing heavily, chest rising quickly. Swallowing to quench his parch throat, he licked his dry lips. He shakily threw the covers aside. He grabbed his phone, checking the time. It was early morning, just a few minutes before his alarm clock was set to ring. He quickly deactivated it. Ryoma blew a breath, running his fingers through his sweat soaked hair. Swinging his feet over the edge of the bed, he bent forward, resting his head in the palms of his hands. Slowly, his heartbeat steadied, but even awake, the reminiscent images of his dream continued to haunt him. Squeezing his eyes, he took another shuddering breath. He shook his head and stood. Deciding he should do something to forget the dream, he changed into his jogging clothes. He went to the bathroom to wash up, then the living room to put on his tennis shoes. He looked over his shoulder to see the sleeping form of Ryoga still on the couch. Every minute or so, he could hear him snore. The sight and sound of him calmed Ryoma down a little. He wasn't alone. Another deep breath and then he was up and out the door for his morning run.

While on his jog, Momoshiro met up with him and the two of them ran side by side companionably. Ryoma breathed in the fresh crisp air of morning. The cool air took away the nightmare from last night. Calmer, he focused on his run, even racing with Momoshiro. They turned onto the main street with the vendors. As they ran, Ryoma spotted the psychic tent, but chose to look away. He ignored it as they ran pass. They ran to the end, wrapped around to the other side of the street, and ran back the same way they came. When they neared Momoshiro's home, he waved goodbye. Ryoma waved back, continuing his run back home.

By the time he returned, he found Ryoga already gone. Stripping off his jogging clothes, he got ready for his day—classes and work. And so went the rest of his week and the ensuing days. The nightmare never returned, but had left a strange memory in him. Every now and then, Ryoma would recall the dream, but most days it was a blur. The feeling of being hunted slowly disappeared, leaving his heart at ease. And then before he knew it, it was Halloween.

Ryoma never decided which costume to wear to the party, so when Sakuno had showed up on his doorstep, she was appalled. He refused to go shopping for a one time costume, stating he would just wear his tennis outfit and apply some red ink for fake blood. His idea, however creative it was for him, was thrown out the window by Sakuno. Grumbling, he put on his shoes and let himself be led out of the house by Sakuno.

Back on the main street once more, he and Sakuno went from store to store, looking for the perfect costume. Or rather, Sakuno was looking for the perfect costume while he didn't care. A few hours into the shopping, Sakuno finally decided with a nurse costume. As for Ryoma, Sakuno chose a vampire outfit for him. Returning to his house, Sakuno began to work on their costume. By the time they were finished, Ryoma was impressed by her outfit. She was like the exact replica of the horror nurse from Silent Hill. As for him, he wore an all black Gothic suit with a black cape, clasped by a silver chain. The interior of the cape was red and it was lined with gold threading. His hair was slicked back with gel. He wore fake fangs and red eye contacts. To complete the look, Sakuno attached clip-on earring beads down the left side of his ear. Ryoma looked at himself in the mirror, his lips lifted slightly. He glanced over to Sakuno who stood beside him. "Okay, I admit, this is very nice," he said. Even covered, he could tell Sakuno was blushing with a shy smile. Outside, he heard a car honk. "That's probably Momo and An."

The two hurried out, getting into the car. Ryoma was almost take aback by the sight of Momoshiro and An. Both were decked out in their costume, An as a bloody bride and Momoshiro as a mummy. After complimenting their outfit, they drove off. Ryoma looked out the window as they passed through the main street. The psychic's tent came into view. To his surprise, the psychic was standing outside of it. As if she noticed his presence, she lifted her head. Their eyes connected. Her face was lined with pain. Ryoma looked away first, swallowing thickly. He closed his eyes, letting the rumble of the car take away his concern. Soon they left the town, entering onto the dirt path of the forest trail. With no street lights, only the headlights of the car lit their way. Deeper and deeper they went until they came upon a fork in the road. Momoshiro veered left. The trees of the forest began to break away, paving way to a clearing. They slowed down a stop. A wrought iron gate with pointed tips blocked their path. Ryoma peered through the front window. The mansion looked as if it came out from a horror movie. It was an old Victorian inspired design with pointed spires and arched windows. Stairs led up, opening to a front porch. Double doors remained closed. Everything around it looked dead or abandoned. Only the bright, yellow hue casting from the windows indicated there was some semblance to activity. Ryoma didn't need to comment about the eerie atmosphere since he could feel the tension in the car. Even the hair on his nape and arm stood on edge.

"This takes Halloween party to a whole new level," Momoshiro whispered, his breath a steam of fog in the suddenly cold car.

"Let's hurry," An said, her voice strained.

Nodding, Momoshiro motioned for Ryoma to get out with him to open the gate. But as they reached for the car door, the gate swung outward as if welcoming them in.

"Fucking creepy," Momoshiro said.

"Just go," Ryoma said, "Rather be inside than out here."

Momoshiro shifted car back to drive and they slowly drove in. When they got closer, Ryoma spotted a few more cars. The alarming tingle in the base of his spine eased a little, but he still remained alert. Momoshiro parked and they got out. Together, they climbed the stairs. Curiously, Ryoma glanced up at the windows. For a second, he thought he saw a while silhouette staring down at them from the one of the darken windows. When he blinked, the image was gone. Ryoma rubbed his eyes and looked again, but it wasn't there. Thinking it was just an imagination of his mind, he quickly caught up to the others. They reached the doors, hearing the muffled pounding music. His shoulders relaxed. He could see the other three doing the same. An rang the doorbell. The double door suddenly opened inward. Horio stood in the doorway, grinning. Ryoma blinked, staring at Horio's outfit which was the same as his, except he didn't have the added accessories.

"Huh? Ryoma, you copied me!" Horio said.

"This was last minute planning," Ryoma muttered.

"Oh well, come on in you guys!"

Inside the mansion, Ryoma was bombarded with music and people. Lots of people. Regardless of the crowd, it didn't take away the jaw dropping interior design. A grand chandelier hung atop of the entrance lobby. Directly in front of him was a double staircase with elaborate art nouveau railings. White painted walls, wooden flooring, red and gold rugs. Paintings of scenery hung on the walls, but what captured his attention was the large portrait of a man in the center on the wall on the second floor. He had dark gray hair, hair parted in the middle, and a noticeable mole under his eye. "Who's that?' Ryoma asked, head nodding at the portrait.

Horio beamed a smile. "That's Keigo Atobe, the owner of this mansion!"

Ryoma rasied a brow. "And exactly how did you meet him?"

Horio puffed his chest, nose lifted up. He rested his hands on his hips. "I was talking about where to host the party at the diner when he suddenly came up to me and said he was willing to let his house be used. At first I was iffy, but then he said that he owned this mansion, so I agreed immediately. After all, the best place to host a Halloween party is at a mansion that is rumored to be haunted too!"

"Yeah, it was creepy coming here," An chimed in.

"Can you trust this guy?" Momoshiro asked.

Horio frowned. "He didn't seem like a bad guy! Enough of this already, let's party!"

They were ushered into the living room. Ryoma noted the grand piano first before he found the snack table. Eyes roaming around, he also spotted Ryoga already there, costumed up in a Freddy Krueger outfit. He was flirting, as usual, with one of the girls. Ryoma shook his head, wandering away. When he looked around again, he realized he had lost track of the others. He was alone in a crowd of strangers. Frowning, he pushed through the throng of pulsing, dancing bodies of people. He fought his way over to the wall where he was hoping he could hide himself. The light had dimmed somewhat and there was no doubt many of the people were drunk. On his way, a girl dressed in a skimpy witch costume collided with him. Her words slurred together as she tried to rub up against him in a suppose sensuous dance, but Ryoma maneuvered her to the side. She ended up dancing with some other guy. Huffing under his breath, he eventually pushed pass the last barricade of bodies, but the moment the wall came into view, he second thought his decision.

Couples were making out fervently. He shouldn't have been surprised, but his body still recoiled. Slightly disgusted, he moved back into the crowd. Maybe he could find some space upstairs. He stumbled back into the foyer, finding there were less people there. He climbed the stairs, a step at a time. His eyes fell back to the portrait of Keigo Atobe when he reached the top. His eyes looked eerily real, almost as if it was staring at him. Glancing away, he wandered the halls until he found a doorway to the balcony. He quickly hurried to it, stepping out into the cool air. Ryoma too a deep breath, soaking in the fresh air. He exhaled slowly. Leaning against the stone railing, he closed his eyes. The cold air touched his skin, cooling him.

"A bit stuffy in there, isn't it?" a voice called out.

Surprised, Ryoma's eyes fluttered open. He spun to the side, eyes staring into darkness. A shadow moved, stepping away from the shadows and into the casting light from inside the building. Pale skin, light brown hair, and a pair of cerulean, blue eyes came into view. Ryoma's breath caught. The man was beautiful, dressed in an old fashion suit with a blue vest to match his eyes. The silver cuff links blinked in reflection of the light. Ryoma couldn't find the words to answer. He only nodded. Looking away quickly to hide a blush, he found his gaze on the sky. A sliver of the crescent moon hung in the midnight, blue painted sky. A new moon. The breeze blew and with it came the scent of earth, citrus and musk—the smell of the beautiful, handsome man. The rustle of the forest trees around them echoed deep in his ears. Ryoma blinked, long and slow. He turned to face the man once more; the psychic's words rung in the back of his mind. An ill-fated love met under the night of a new moon with the trees as his witness.

Author's note: I actually thought about releasing this on Halloween. But then that would take too long, so I decided against it. Well, here is chapter two. Working on chapter three. I apologize if there are typos. I try my best to catch and often fix them when I see them, even after posting up the chapter.