Depression Time

"Maybe Lakeisha was right; Ave Maria wasn't the best choice for my Free Skate." A young Japanese man sighed as he sat in the Kiss and Cry with his coach. His right leg was throbbing from his bad landings. "Choosing 'hope' as my theme was a really bad idea."

"Nonsense. Your step sequences and spins were flawless. And the emotion you poured through it was enough to bring even the judges to tears." Celestino replied.

"Yeah, I have that at least." Yuuri replied sadly. 'At least I have my footwork...'

"Very good Yuuri, your foot work is phenomenal." A yellow tentacle monster cheered encouragingly as he maneuvered around the student trying to stab him. To the surprise of the boy's classmate's Yuuri was able to keep up with the majority of the monster's movements despite him moving at nearly Mach 20 and managed to nick him at least twice with his S.A.A.U.S.O. issued knife.

"That's awesome Yuuri, how can you move like that?"

Yuuri collapsed onto the grass breathing hard. "I ice skate in my free time."

"That would explain your reflexes." A red hair boy commented.

"And ballet." The monster hummed as he looked at Yuuri. "Every time you pivoted or had to lunge you would try to land en pointe. But do try to be careful in doing so, over rotate and you might hurt your back."

One of the larger boys laughed. "You're a ballerina? Wow, you're an even bigger wuss then Nagisa!"

"On the contrary Terasaka, a danseur like Yuuri is quite dangerous as an assassin." The tentacle monster chastised. "On top of their strong legs and core muscles, many ballet dancers have phenomenal stamina. Why there was a ballerina with thigh muscles strong enough to crush watermelons!"

"Watermelons?" the girls shouted as they tried to envision such a thing.

The monster turned to the man standing off to the side with a buxom blonde. "Karasuma-sensei how long did Yuuri attempt last in comparison to the rest with keeping up with me?"

Karasuma raised a brow. "On average each student lasts approximately five to six minutes. Yuuri lasted nearly twenty."

"Keep up the hard work Yuuri and I'm sure you'll be skating amongst the pros in no time!"

"Me? Skating among the pros?"

'You really had too much faith in me Sensei. 'I had wanted to project that thanks in my performance but it's not hard to put my sadness into a performance if that's all I can feel.' Yuuri was pulled out of his thoughts by the crowd making a sorrowful noise. He looked up at the score result and sighed. "I'm sorry Celestino."

Celestino said nothing, but placed his hand on Yuuri's shoulder.

Yuuri didn't stick around for the awards ceremony, he didn't think he was strong enough to hold back his tears from the cameras any longer. After seeking refuge in one of the bathroom Yuuri hesitantly dialed home.

"Oh, good evening Kaa-san...yes. Yes...A public viewing?" Yuuri's stomach sank. "Oh...I'm sorry...I'm sorry..."

Yuuri hung up the phone and let the tears finally spill over. It had just been too much. First his beloved poodle Vicchan died from cancer, he just barely staved off an anxiety attack before his Short Program the day before and another before his Free Skate and now he humiliates himself on an international scale by coming in last by over a hundred points.

'I'm sorry Koro Sensei; I wanted to thank you with my Free Skate, but I guess I wasn't good enough to do even that.'

Suddenly the stall door was rattled by a violent kick. Instinct made Yuuri reach towards his waistband where he would normally wear a concealed knife. Hey Detroit was nice, but there were areas that weren't safe after dark...or in the sunlight.

Realizing that he was unarmed Yuuri waited for the next attack. He listened for the rustle of cloth for the next kick and then slammed the door open with his right hand and caught a foot with his left surprising his attacker.

Brown eyes met startled green. Yuuri paused as he tried to place the punkish boy's face. Oh yeah, he was Yuri Plisetsky; the 'Russian Fairy'.

"Is there a reason you are trying to break your way in?" Yuuri asked as politely as he could as he let the foot drop. "There are other stalls."

The other Yuri took a second to compose himself before he spoke. "I'm competing in the Senior division next year."

"Congratulations." Yuuri replied as he made his way over to the sink to wash his face. "I'm sure Coach Yakov is thrilled."

"And we don't need two Yuris competing next year." The other Yuri continued with a smug smirk that would have made his old rivals in 3-A giddy. "Especially if the older one can't land a Quad Salchow without falling on his fat ass!"

Then something in Yuuri snapped. He slammed his hand against the mirror making the other Yuri jumped.

"Don't get such a swollen head you brat, with your poor step sequences you'll never reach the podium!"

Yuuri shoved his way passed the stunned teenager just barely catching him say; "Since when can Piggy speak Russian?" as the door slammed shut.

Yuuri collected his belongings and proceeded to the lobby where he was met by his coach and a reporter from Japan. Both tried to encourage him to try again next year.

'Why should I even try? Why did I even push myself this far?' Yuuri asked himself as he caught a glimpse of the Russian team's star leaving with Yuri Plisetsky.

"Tut! Tut! Spraining your ankle while attempting a Quad jump! Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't most Junior skaters forbidden to do Quad jumps until they turn fifteen?" Koro Sensei chastised as he carried his student back to the satellite campus.

"They are." Yuuri admitted. "Unless they're coach says otherwise."

"Isn't your fifteenth birthday in November?"

"Yes Koro Sensei."

"Did your Coach give you permission Yuuri?"

"...No Koro Sensei."

"Yuuri, why are you so focused on skating?"

Yuuri blushed. "I...I want to compete against Viktor Nikiforov in the Senior Competition someday."

"Oh? And why him in particular? He's just another skater."

"ANOTHER SKATER? KORO SENSEI He won the Junior Grand Prix and his first Senior Grand Prix! He's the best skater!" Yuuri shouted, jerking up in a startling motion to defend his idol. Suddenly Koro Sensei's face gain several green stripes.

"Oh I see-You're smitten!"

Yuuri blinked in confusion. "Smitten?"

"You know; infatuated, crushing. In love~!"

"NO I'M NOT!"

"So you don't want this present I have for you!" Koro Sensei teased as he held up a manila envelope. He set Yuuri down on the grass so he could open it.

"IS THIS-!"

"It is! An autographed photo from Viktor Nikiforov himself!" Koro Sensei cheered.

"Please tell me you didn't attack him like you did that baseball player." Yuuri whimpered.

"Of course not!" Koro Sensei huffed. "I'm not going to attack a teenager without provocation! I just went to one of his fan events!"

"...Thank you..."

"TELL YA WHAT! Make it into the top fifty on the midterms and I will personally take you to watch one of his performances in person!"

'I was a pathetic kid. To think I could try and get on the same level as him.' Yuuri sighed as he moved to leave only to hear Viktor call out to him. Yuuri turned to reply onto to realize that he was talking to the other Yuri. He did feel a little happy to see the teen flitch when Viktor mentioned his poor step sequences.

Then as if the Devil himself intervened Viktor met his gaze and uttered two words that made Yuuri grip his bags until his knuckles turn white.

"Commemorative photo?"

'Must not punch the Russian. Must not punch the Russian.'

Viktor gave Yuuri a false smile. "Sure!"

Yuuri's right eye twitched and he forced himself to turn around and stomp off to the exit. Slight waves of bloodlust was slipping out and making people around him cringe and Celestino immediate decide that there was no way in hell they would go to the gala.

'Must resist...DON'T PUNCH THE PRETTY BOY! That's how you get banned!'

If he had stayed a few seconds longer he would have heard Coach Yakov chastise Viktor for not even recognizing one of his fellow competitors.