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smile and dream forever.

Written By: Rie
Beta By: Rai
Revised By: Rie

x~: smile || dream || forever :~x

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"Endou! There's something I'd like to try out with you in memory of us becoming friends..." Ichinose said determinedly.

"Okay, let's do it!" Endou said, punching his fist into his other hand.

"Can you help us out, Domon?"

"You're not thinking of doing...?"

"Yeah, Tri-Pegasus."

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"We still – pant – can't get – pant– ourselves – pant– synchronized," Ichinose said, trying to catch his breath. Endou collapsed and laid down on the ground; Domon followed, sitting tiredly beside him.

"Another failure," Domon said dejectedly, shaking his head.

"What do you – pant– mean, Ichinose?" Endou asked, getting to his feet once more. Ichinose pointed towards the lines on the field they've made previously.

"These lines," he said, running a finger across the one he had made, "show that we're not doing it right. The move only works when all three lines intersect at one point."

"Okay," Endou said, rubbing his chin. "Let's do it. One more time!"

Domon and Ichinose stood up as well, eyes sparkling determinedly.

"Oh, fine, let's do it," Domon said. All three of them went back to each of their starting points. Endou on the right, Ichinose in the middle with the ball and Domon on the left.

"Ready?" Ichinose asked the two. They nodded. "And... GO!"

All three ran towards a single point with a sudden burst of speed. Aki looked at them hopefully.

"Tri-Pegasus is a move that would workwhen the power of three people who intersect each otherwhile running at top speed... is combined in a singlepoint...When all that power is transferred to the ball... we get Tri-Pegasus," Ichinose's voice rang in Aki's ear.

The point where three of them met erupted in blue flames. The team looked at it hopefully. Endou, Domon and Ichinose doubled back and jumped after the flying ball.

"LET'S GO!" Endou yelled, pumping his fist in the air. Domon and Ichinose seemed expectant for a few seconds when a sudden strong gust of wind blew them down again.

"Another failure!" Haruna exclaimed.

"Oh, guys..."

"We almost had it," Ichinose said. They all looked at the line marks. The one coming from the left was the only one off-course.

"It was my fault," Endou said apologetically, wiping the sweat off his forehead. "The three of us were supposed to intersect at a single point, but I'm the only one who's off by a margin."

Domon sighed.

"We must've challenged it a hundred times by now," he said. "We could give-up now, but I'm not expecting either of you will."

"Come on, guys! One more! I know we can do this," Endou said determinedly, clenching his gloved hands. Ichinose nodded.

"Sure! I'm not good at giving-up anyways," Ichinose said, smiling.

"I knew you'd say that," Domon said, scratching his head. "But I'll help out as long as you guys need me."

Returning once again to their starting points, Ichinose, Domon, and Endou all looked at the field persistently.

"GO!" After Ichinose's signal, the three repeated their running action. Once in the air, they were all blown back down again.

They did it... again... and again... and again... neither one of them gave-up on the move. Every time they repeated it, Aki and Haruna would wince while the boys would groan and sigh.

"You know what I think?" Haruna said after what seemed like the fourth time.

"Hm?" Aki replied as Ichinose, Endou, and Domon fell to the ground... for the fourth time.

"They won't be using that technique in the Nationals... so what's the point of practicing it?"

"There doesn't need to be a point," Aki said gently. "The three of them just want to perfect it this technique together."

"You know... boys are weird sometimes," Haruna said.

"Yeah, they are, but that's what makes us cheer them on, don't you think?" Aki said.

"Hm, fair point." The two of them smiled at each other and thought of the same thing.

"YOU CAN DO IT GUYS!"

"MOM! I have a few friends coming by!" Endou yelled at the top of his voice as he scrambled around his room.

"Wha-?"

"Make lots of food, okay, Mom?" Endou requested as he ran down the stairs, nearly stumbling on the last step.

"WHA-?"

"Later~"

"Wait, Mamoru!" his mother called back. "Where are you going?"

"Training," Endou called back. "We have to make Tri-Pegasus work by tomorrow!"

"Well, be careful, Mamoru," his mother advised.

"I'll be back in time for dinner, Mom!"

Gouenji walked down the hall silently as he got off the elevator. He looked around for anything (or anyone) familiar as he walked. Finally, he saw the sign he'd been looking for.

Gouenji Yuuka.

He opened the door slowly and saw a familiar sight. His little sister, Yuuka, was lying in a hospital bed in a state of comatose. The familiar sound of a machine beeping... a few wires trailing from the bed to that beeping machine.

"Yuuka," he whispered. He didn't bother to go in and he closed the door with a snap.

Meanwhile... a few levels above or below... or in a completely different hospital...

Genda Kojirou

"They've made it to the semi-finals," a boy with spiky brick-red hair said grimly, propping his elbow in his knee. He stared at the boy in-front of him.

"I know," Kidou replied in the same grim tone. Genda looked at his seriously. His face had orange lines trailing from both of his eyes to his cheeks.

"We're counting on you," Genda said. Kidou nodded determinedly.

"I'll make sure to bring Zeus down."

And back to Gouenji...

The screen in the elevator flashed the number three. He walked out slowly and scanned his surroundings.

"I thought she'd be here," he whispered to himself. He gave the floor a sweeping look and glimpsed a chocolate-haired someone turn down the hall. "Is that...?"

He walked after the brunette slowly, not bothering to make a sound.

"What the-!" he heard the person gasp. It was a girl, and the voice was familiar. "Shin'ichi! What're you doing here?"

"Handa?" Gouenji whispered to himself.

"Shin'ichi, what are you doing here?" the female voice repeated.

"Meg, I was looking for you!" Handa replied, shaking his head. Megumi chuckled.

"Aw, is little bro worried about me?" she teased.

"Little bro?" the male brunette snorted. "Hey, I'm the one here named Shin'ichi, not you."

"Shin'ichi is your HANDA family name," Megumi corrected. "Who knows if it's your real name?"

"Whatever," Handa scoffed. "Well, anyways, why are you here?"

"Why? WHY? Dude, are you really my brother – my twin? I'm here to – give me a sec – re-mem-ber!" she said, laughing.

"That isn't a good excuse."

"Excuse?"

"You didn't attend practice today," Handa said. Megumi blinked twice.

"I was off doing something!"

"What 'something'?" Shin'ichi said, using air-quotes.

"Why do you need to know?"

"Because I'm your brother!" Handa said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Ugh... I have my own life, brother," Megumi replied, rolling her eyes.

"Come on, just tell me! I'll keep it to myself, promise!" Shin'ichi pleaded, raising one hand as a form of promise.

"Okay, fine! I was off visiting someone here, okay?" she said.

"Who?" Handa asked curiously. Megumi waved her hand as a form of dismissal.

"That is for me to know... and for you to never find out," she said sneakily. She glanced at her watch and gasped when she saw the time.

"Look at that, Meg. We've only barely met and we're already so close that bickering is in our blood." Handa laughed. "We really must be related."

"Is that really a good thing to you?" she asked teasingly, glancing at her watch. "And don't you anywhere to go? People to meet? Places to be?

"A quarter to six?" he repeated, his voice rising slightly. "I have to go! We're going to Endou's place to know more about Ichinose!"

"My advice exactly, Ichi," Megumi advised, pushing him farther down the opposite direction. Gouenji knew immediately that they were headed to the hall where he was and he immediately turned down the opposite corridor and hid.

The twins walked to the elevator, pressed the down button, and after a few seconds of waiting, climbed in the elevator. As the doors clanked shut, Gouenji came out of hiding.

"Um, hello?" Aki called out as she stared oddly at the pile of shoes on the Endou residence's doormat.

"Ah! It's you, Aki, dear!" Endou's mother greeted from the kitchen. "Could you please lend me a hand here?"

"Y-yes, ma'am!" she said confusedly, running to the kitchen.

"I had my hands full because the whole team dropped one-by-one, wanting to listen to Ichinose-kun's story," Endou's mother said fondly. Aki stared at the ceiling as she rolled a rice-ball.

"Oh..." For once in my life, I wish I could be a boy as well... just for today, so I can talk about soccer with them too... She could faintly hear the boyish laughter emanating from the second floor.

The following day...

Ichinose placed the ball down, trying to put it on the correct point. He stared at the goal determinedly. He dusted his sky-blue polo-shirt carefully.

I'm going back to America this afternoon... Until then... we're going to make Tri-Pegasus work! he promised himself.

Aki saw the intent look on Ichinose's face. She clasped her hands together as if in prayer. Ichinose looked at the two boys beside him.

"Endou?" The goalkeeper nodded. "Domon?" The defender did the same.

"Let's do this!" Endou exclaimed.

"And... GO!" The words were barely out of Ichinose's mouth when the trio ran into one crucial point. After the usual explosion of blue-flames, the sound of a horse, the three were once again blown down.

"We're so close," Domon muttered to himself as Endou winced slightly.

"We've still got time," Ichinose said.

"One more!" Endou said, clenching his fist. Aki clasped her hands tighter and closed her eyes. I wish I could help them, she thought desperately.

"Sorry I'm late!" a voice cried out. Megumi ran to them, panting. She flopped down on the bench, clutching a stitch on her bright-red T-shirt.

"What happened to you?" Aki asked worriedly. She scanned the girl before her. She was wearing a bright-red T-shirt and jeans, and her wavy brown hair had been blown messy by the wind.

"I had to – pant– do some stuff... I'm – pant– sorry!" she apologized, wiping sweat off her forehead.

"It's okay..." Haruna said uncertainly.

"So – pant – how are they doing?" Megumi asked, looking at Endou, Ichinose and Domon panting as hard as she was.

"They still can't get it right... and – oh! Megumi, you shouldn't be here!" Aki exclaimed. Handa, who was curled up along with the others, turned in their direction.

"Omae!" he cried out, running to her. "Where did you go this time!"

"Like I said, me to know, you to find out," Megumi replied shortly, waving him off. Handa gritted his teeth in annoyance.

"Anyways," Aki said, ignoring the twin's short quarrel. "Megumi-chan, this isn't the best place to be!"

"How come?" Megumi asked curiously. "Unless..."

"Yep," Aki said a bit sadly.

"I hate this. Not being able to watch practice because of it. I sometimes wish I could recover from it..." Megumi said, sighing. "But you know what happens when it happens..."

"I'm sure you'll recover," Aki reassured. Megumi shrugged.

"I just hope I recover in-time for the Finals or something... I'd hate to miss that," she said.

"You can do it," Aki encouraged, smiling. Megumi smiled back. She left then, but had plans of coming back soon after.

I'm going to watch them practice...she thought as she walked away. Handa watched her worriedly.

She gave up too easily. That's not something she'd do.

As the boys failed one attempt after another, time seemed to go by faster than usual. From the 2:00 PM when Aki last checked her watch to 3:20...

I wish... I could...THAT'S IT! And at that point, the feldgrau-haired manager snapped her eyes open in realization. She watched Endou, Ichinose, and Domon pant... and remembered the time when Ichinose, Domon and Nishigaki had made the move.

"I got it!" She looked at the trio determinedly. With all the courage she could muster, she took a deep breath and walked forward.

"It's no use..." Kabeyama sighed. He, Kurimatsu, Shourin, and Shishido watched absently as Aki walked onto the field bravely.

"Huh? Manager?" Aki smiled at them.

"I just remembered something," she said. "In order to make Pegasus fly... it needs a maiden's prayers." She winked at them.

The four boys blinked. "A maiden's prayer...?" The four looked at each other confusedly. "Huh?"

"One – pant– more... Oh? Kino?" The trio looked up at her. She looked at them intently.

"I'll act as your landmark," she stated, her arms rigid at her side. "I'll stand at the point where the three of you will intersect, so you'll know where to cross."

"Manager! That's dangerous!" Kabeyama warned. Aki didn't look back.

"It'll be okay..." she said. "I... I believe in them..."

"Aki..." Ichinose looked at her straight in the eyes and immediately understood. Endou seemed to get the idea as well.

"Captain!" Kurimatsu stepped forward. "If she stands at the point and you fail, she'll –"

"That's why we'll make it work!" Endou said, pumping his fist. "She believes we can do this!"

"Heh..."

"Right? If someone believes in you with all their heart..."

"You respond through action, right?" Ichinose continued, still looking at Aki.

"Huh?"

Domon scratched his head. "Man, this is the same thing that happened years ago!"

"Really?"

"Mhm. When we made Tri-Pegasus work for the first time, Aki was standing at the point back then as well..." He could clearly remember Aki appealing to him, Domon and Nishigaki.

"Come on!" Aki said, stamping her foot stubbornly. Domon and Nishigaki shook their heads in disapproval.

"You could get hurt," Domon said.

"No, I won't! It's a great idea, come on!" she pleaded. She looked at Ichinose hopefully. He considered it for a moment.

"Are you sure?" he asked. Aki nodded her head determinedly. "Then we'll do it!"

"Endou, I said the same thing that you just said to Aki," Ichinose said, looking at Aki one more time. "When someone believe in you with all their heart..."

Endou nodded. "...You respond through action." All three boys looked at Aki. She nodded.

Aki stood rigid at the spot where the three boys were to intersect. Ichinose sighed.

"We only have one chance, guys, got it?" Ichinose warned. "If we don't do this right, we never will. And we'll lose a maiden in the process."

"Maiden," Domon said incredulously, looking around. "I see no fair maiden."

"Whoever said that the maiden was fair, huh, Domon?" Ichinose said, grinning, all anxiousness gone for a moment. Aki sent the two boys a playful glare.

"I too am a fair maiden!" she said with a smug grin, taking her position.

"Right."

"Let's do this, Domon! Endou!

"Yeah!"

"And... GO!" The same process of them taking on a burst of speed... and now with Aki as their landmark. Aki closed her eyes tightly, throwing caution into the wind.

"We'll do it this time!" all three exclaimed.

The three boys launched themselves skyward. Ichinose was the first to land his feet on the glowing blue ball, followed by Endou and then Domon. They hoped for the best.

"TRI-PEGASUS!" they yelled in unison. The team gasped. The ball zoomed into the goal, blue and white flames trailing it.

"Wow..."

"We did it..."

"YATTA!" the four said happily, enveloping each other in a tight group hug.

"We did it! We did it!" Endou repeated giddily.

"YEAH! We did it, Endou!" he replied just as happily. "Thank you, Domon."

"How was that!" he cried triumphantly, grinning madly.

"Yeah," Aki said, tears in her eyes. "That was great you guys." Then she suddenly felt an added amount of weight behind her.

"Huh?" She saw at least four more people joining the group-hug.

"Ehehe..."

"We wanted to protect the manager too, right?" Shishido said, smiling. Kurimatsu, Shourin, and Kabeyama bobbed their heads. Endou stared at them.

"What happened?"

"Well, when you flew into the sky, Manager was nearly burned by the fire..." Kabeyama explained.

"So we came in to shield her," Kurimatsu continued, scratching his nose.

"You guys," Endou said, smiling. "That is wonderful of you!" Aki laughed as Endou took in Kurimatsu in a headlock.

"You know, we weren't the only ones who were prepared in case something went wrong," Kurimatsu said humbly, motioning towards the others. The rest of the team were holding first-aid kits and a stretcher.

"Minna... THANK YOU!" Endou cried, his eyes shining with tears.

"You know, Aki... This team is the best!" Ichinose said, grinning.

"Uh-huh!"

"Endou, I'm really glad to have met you," Ichinose said, grinning at the team.

"YEAH!" Endou smiled back as Ichinose did his signature flick-thingy.

"That was really pretty," someone behind said softly. "Yeah, I'm glad I stayed.

"Figures," Handa said, spinning on his heel. "I expected this much from you, sis.

"Betcha you're proud of me right now, huh, Shin'ichi?"

"Actually, I'm more worried about your sanity more that anything else, Megu."

"Oh, stop sounding like my big brother. It didn't hurt at all," she said, smiling.

"I wonder why..." Handa asked himself. Megumi shrugged.

"Maybe it's because the f-fire we were in was orange and red... not blue and white, I guess," she said in an off-hand voice.

"Well, that's... that's... that's great!" Handa beamed. Megumi nodded in agreement.

"Finally a move!"

"Let's go tell everybody!"

"Let's not," she said quickly, taking his wrist. "I wanna keep on experimenting on this, got that?"

Endou and Aki stared up at the sky which was painted in hues of vermillion, tangerine and saffron creating a beautiful pallet of colors. A plane was zooming above them, leaving a trail of white smoke.

"Do you think that's his plane?" Endou asked.

"Yeah, probably..."

"ICHINOSE!" Endou yelled, cupping his hands around his mouth and calling out to the sky. "Let's play together some time!"

"Yeah, let's!" another voice replied from behind. Aki's eyes widened.

It can't be...And her hunch was true. There was Ichinose Kazuya in his full, living glory.

"Ichinose?"

"W-why?"

"That was the first time in my life I've ever felt that... that pumped-up," he said, smiling as he closed his eyes. "That's why I think I'll stay here a bit longer."

He pulled out something – a piece of paper – from his front pocket. "What the–!" The sounds of paper being torn apart filled the air. Ichinose threw the small pieces of what's left of his plane ticket lazily into the air.

"I wanna play soccer with the same people who feel the same exhilaration for the same thing..." Ichinose said passionately. Aki and Endou smiled at him.

"Right then! Welcome to the team!" Endou said, shaking hands with their new teammate as Aki smiled at the two brunettes.

"Glad to have you with us!" another voice said suddenly, and now everyone in the team was huddled around the three.

"Us too!"

"Welcome to the team!"

"Same here!"

Aki beamed. Megumi stood beside her and smiled as well. She turned around.

"Is that...?"

"MINNA-SAN!" A shrill voice cried out. Haruna ran towards the team, waving her hand in the air.

"Otonashi-san?"

"Your next opponent has been decided," Haruna said, panting in-front of them.

"Really? Who?" Endou asked curiously, looking at the girl. Haruna allowed herself five seconds before speaking. She looked at them worriedly and then her eyes rested on Gouenji.

"Y-your next opponent will be... Kidokawa Seishuu," she said. Everyone looked at Gouenji in surprise, wondering how he would react. The forward's eyes widened slightly.

"Kidokawa... what?" Megumi repeated, startled by the worried looks the team threw at Gouenji. Aki looked at her apologetically.

"Sorry, Megumi, I forgot you weren't familiar with us that much yet," Aki said, laughing nervously at the end. Megumi shrugged lightly.

"So... who are the people from... Kidokawa Seishuu, was it?"

"Kidokawa Seishuu was Gouenji-san's previous school," Haruna explained. Megumi looked at Gouenji inquiringly.

"Oooh..." she said in understanding. The whole Raimon Soccer Club fell silent after that... Then Megumi looked as if a soccer ball had slammed her in the gut.

"Something wrong?" Haruna asked.

"Nothing's wrong, Haruna. Just need to get going." She gave them a swift smile, trying to yank her bag from her twin's grip. "Let go, Shin'ichi. I'm in a rush."

"Rush my – Where do you keep running off to?"

"I have some people to meet," she said distractedly. Handa glared at her.

"Who?"

"That's for me to –"

"I'm your brother and I have every right to know. Tell me now," the boy demanded, and the team looked shocked. They had always known the brunette someone who never really showed that much aggravation. He was usually a person who was gentle and left you alone without anything else to say.

"I'm meeting my classmates," she replied shortly, waving him off as though he was never mad. Shin'ichi kept a cold stare at her but nodded. The whole team looked extremely confused.

"Aren't we your classmates?" Aki asked, diverting the team's attention from the previous Kidokawa Seishuu-related one.

"No, I think she meant her old classmates," Handa explained. He looked at Megumi who was looking blankly at him, as if asking, "how did you know that?"

"Is that where you've been running off to?" Aki asked, looking at Megumi questioningly. The brunette nodded.

"Yep," she replied calmly. "They're not so enthusiastic about me transferring schools so suddenly, to be honest, so I've been trying to sort it out with them lately."

Endou, Aki, Haruna, and Handa frowned at her.

"Hey? Don't get all sad on me, will you?" Megumi said, a bit annoyed. "This isn't any of your fault, so there. AND I was the one who decided to transfer so quickly."

"But –"

"And you –" she looked at Handa "– didn't force me to. Okay?"

Handa nodded mutely. Megumi grinned slightly.

"Good ahoge-nii," she teased. "Anything to pass on to the others?"

Handa sighed in defeat. "Say 'hi' to Yakigari for me at least. And remind him to send over that video of your summer festival soon."

"How the heck did you know about that?"

"Ahoge-nii has his sources."

"It was Yuujin, wasn't it?"

"I find him very endearing."

She rolled her eyes,before breaking into a sprint out of the gates, leaving the team dumbstruck and completely bemused beyond reason.

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From Rai-nee-chan:

Abe Atsushi is love, love, love. FAITH.

From Rie:

So late, so late! I'm so sorry!

"If you only knew how positively chaotic the Heiwa Class is, Captain, trust me... It would take you forever to get used to being poked in the eye."

Endou's hand shot up to just below his eyes. "Poked?"

"Don't ask, otherwise I'd be forced to ask for a demonstration." She smiled in an odd, twisted way. "Or introduce a victim."

"What!"

"Have some faith in me, Captain. You do not want to acquaint your eyes with her fingers."

hope we get to 2,000 hits before the next update. not gonna bother to ask for any reviews, but they'd still be loved greatly.