Higarashi Hikari is Seigaku's Silver Siren and the source of a lot of tension between teams. She reads people like books and has insight to rival the best, but despite that she's blind to the tension around her. What's more is she's becoming a constant headache for her dear captain, Tezuka. Not everything is what it seems...at least not with Hikari.

Kyandi: Hello everyone! I am Kyandi-sama! And this is my OC, Higarashi Hikari.

Hikari: Hello!

Kyandi: Obviously, this story has been around for a while now, but recently I decided my writing style from four years ago is, well...deplorable.

Hikari: So Kyandi-sama has taken it upon herself to rewrite it from start to finish and even add new chapters...while trying to keep up with her other stories.

Kyandi: Excuse me for wanting to give my readers my best effort.

Hikari: You're just going to rewrite it, again, in another two years.

Kyandi:...Maybe. Anyway, move on.

Hikari: Right, right. Please enjoy and review.

Kyandi: I do not own Prince of Tennis.

Chapter 1 Pitch Black on White

"Hey Tezuka did you hear?"

Tezuka Kunimitsu looked at his vice captain.

"The coach is bringing in someone new for the ranking matches. Apparently the kid's another first year, this one from Russia." Oishi told him.

Tezuka stood up straight from his bag. First there was Ryoma who was a champion from America and now there was this new kid from Russia. Ryuzaki was certainly working over time to give them the best players.

"A first year from Russia?" he asked. Oishi nodded.

"Hey look it's the new kid!" Eiji called from Oishi's other side.

All of the members of the boys' tennis club looked up as Coach Ryuzaki led a young boy out onto the courts.

The kid wasn't too tall, standing just a little taller then Ryoma by maybe an inch or two, but was extremely thin with long legs. He had an almost girlish built to him. What drew so much attention to the kid was that where his tennis bag and the racket that was sticking out of the back of his belt, were solid black, even the strings of the racket, the boy was pure white.

The bangs that poked out from under the white cap on his head were as white as freshly fallen snow. The eyebrows that arched over the sunglasses he wore were equally white. Even the boy's clothes, a pair of tennis shorts with sliders under them, a jersey, and sneakers, were all white. The only color to the boy was the ivory tan of his skin and the name Higarashi in big, bold, silver letters across the back of his jersey.

Then there were bandages wrapping their way up his left leg and his left hand, vanishing under the cuff of his jersey. The boy didn't move like he had an injury so it was kind of a dead give away that either the boy was hiding something or that it was simply a fashion statement. Tezuka's experience with such things was that usually it was to hide something.

Then there was one more thing that stood out though it was more of an opinion than anything. In short, plain and simple...the kid honestly reminded all of them of a girl. Maybe it was the delicate looking frame of the boy or just the girlish shape of his face with its soft sloping features, full pink lip, and delicate nose. Then again Fuji had features like that too, so it was probably their imaginations.

The boy listened to the coach nodding once or twice to everything she said. Ryuzaki pointed out a few things to the boy, even stopping long enough to point each regular member. The boy's head moved but because of the glasses, none of the boys really could tell when the kid was looking their way.

It was a bit unnerving.

Tezuka and Oishi watched as Ryuzaki said something to the boy, one hand on her hip as she shook a finger at the kid. The boy's lips moved as he replied with a short reply. The coach nodded before Ryuzaki led him towards the table where Oishi and Tezuka stood. They were signing in the members who were playing in the ranking matches, giving out court assignments.

"Tezuka, Oishi this is Higarashi." Ryuzaki said laying a hand on the boy's shoulder.

The boy bowed his head to the two older boys in respect, but didn't utter a single word to them.

"Sign Higarashi up for racket D." Ryuzaki ordered as Higarashi's attention strayed to the other members of the boys' tennis club as they walked by.

Oishi nodded adding the boys family name as Ryuzaki walked off leaving the boy with Tezuka and Oishi with a simple, "Play nice", to which the boy didn't reply. Not that he had replied to anything so far.

"Umm…what's your full name?" Oishi asked the boy, who was currently watching Momo and Ryoma as they walked past.

The boy's head turned to him as he looked at the vice-captain from behind the mirrored lenses of his sunglasses. Then he turned and walked off his hands in his pockets, without a single word. Oishi tried to call the boy back, but he didn't respond and was soon out of earshot.

"I guess I just put his family name." Oishi said watching the boy walk away.

Tezuka watched the boy as he walked off. He couldn't help noticing, yet again, that the boy was very girlish in appearance. Even more so then Fuji was when one looked up close. But like with Fuji, appearance didn't mean a thing when it came to tennis. Fuji may have the delicate look of a girl, but he was fierce on the court and was definitely, not delicate.

If Ryuzaki was suggesting the boy then, just like with Ryoma, the boy had to have some talent worth noting, but to what extent did that talent go had yet to be determined.

"Oishi." Oishi looked up at Tezuka when the captain called his name.

"Yes?" Oishi asked.

"Who does he play first?" Tezuka asked, referring to Higarashi.

Oishi looked at the bracket in his hands, tracing the list of names until he reached the first year's first opponent.

"Arai." Oishi answered.

Tezuka said not another word but walked off, just as the younger boy had done just moments before.

"Tezuka, is something wrong? Tezuka!" Oishi called after his friend, but Tezuka didn't answer.

In this way Tezuka and Higarashi had something in common. Oishi watched him walked away, scratching one cheek as he did.

"I wonder what's up with him all of a sudden." Oishi said more to himself then to the boy who had walked up behind him.

"He's probably just thinking about the new boy. We already have one new member with talent to spare."

Oishi jumped from shock at the sudden voice and turned to find Fuji behind him, a smile on his face at he watched his teammate.

"Oh, Fuji, it's you." Oishi said when he saw the other third year.

Fuji gave Oishi his usual smile. He hadn't meant to surprise Oishi, of course, but that didn't make it any less amusing that he had.

"I don't know. Whatever it is, he's certainly deep in thought. It was like he didn't hear me calling him at all." Oishi said, gesturing in the direction that Tezuka had just taken off in.

Fuji turned, turning his eyes to where the boy, Higarashi, stood watching the court where a warm up match between Arai and one of the other second years, was being played.

The boy didn't budge and seemed to be intent on the match before him. He was probably trying to get a good grasp on his opponent's style of tennis before their match was too start. It was a good thing to do though Fuji personally would have spent the time before his match with a warm-up of his own. He supposed that Higarashi didn't think he needed one.

"I don't know about Tezuka, but I can't wait to see the little guy play. If Ryuzaki brough him all the way from Russia then he's going to be something to watch for sure." Fuji said with a grin.

Oishi looked at his friend and silently, edged a little away. He knew that look and knew that nothing good would come of it.

-0-0-0-0-

Slow back hand, right step .088 seconds slower than left, forehand weaker to the left, response time a half step faster then average for a boy of his height and leg strength...

Higarashi watched Aria closely as the boy moved about the court in his warm-up match. It was only natural for one to gather as much information on their opponent as they could before actually stepping on court with them and that was actually what the first year was doing.

He was watching. Just watching. Nothing major, just processing the way the second year moved over his side of the court. Idly Higarashi noted the parts of Aria's style that needed work and other parts that it was painfully clear the second year had worked at to approve.

Does no good to work so hard at weak points so hard that you make new weak spots, Higarashi thought as he watched Aria return a slice to his left corner.

Higarashi was trying hard not to think about the completely rude way he had treated his new found captain and vice-captain when Oishi was asked for his first name. It had been rude, which was against everything his parents had taught him growing up, but it was for a reason. Everything was for a reason. Higarashi wouldn't do anything if it wasn't for a reason.

After all one couldn't live their life doing things with no logic to it. At least that was the way Higarashi saw it. But then again, what usually made sense to Higarashi didn't make sense to others.

Higarashi tilted his head to the side a fraction of an inch as Aria dived for a ball that clearly was outside his reach. He managed, with that dive, to save the ball and was back on his feet in time to chase down the ball again.

He has drive. And a lot of it. That means even when at his limit of stamina, he'll keep diving for the ball. Presisent to the end. That's good. A player can have good stamina and nearly excellent technique, but unless they have drive too, its just going through the paces.

The warm-up match ended in Aria's favor, but Higarashi was impressed and content with what he saw. Drive members in the club was one thing he had looked for when chosing the middle school he would be going to. Ryuzaki's call a month before hand had only help finalize the choice.

Watching the drive and passion in even the club's non-regular members, made Higarashi hopeful that this was the right place for him to grow in his tennis.

Now to just see how far that drive will take him, Higarashi thought as he turned away from the court.

The uncoming match would be Higarashi's first step to becoming a regular in the tennis club and all he could do was take it one step at a time. After all...that was how great cities were built.

END

Kyandi: It's still short. But I really am working on longer chapters, I swear!

Hikari: It's longer then the last time you wrote it.

Kyandi: It's still under the 2k mark.

Hikari: Details.

Kyandi: Anyway, everyone please enjoy and review!

Hikari: We'll be back soon!

Kyandi: Bye, bye!