Another Tranquil Afternoon
By: rei_chan edited by: Saki-chan
Disclaimer: repeat after me, "rei_rei does not own Hikaru no Go." Very good!
Notes: hi! Listen here, this is just a product of my extremely damaged brain, I'm sooo sorry if it does not please you… the haiku and the tanka, they were just made today, during English period. So, it really isn't so nice… thankies for reading! Please review!
Words enclosed in ~'s are flashbacks…
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A tall, fair teenager with bleached hair and emerald eyes lay on the soft green grass one fine, early afternoon. As he lazily gazed up at the cerulean skies, memories flood his befuddled brain. He hears the comforting resonance of rustling leaves as he close his eyes. A certain nostalgia suddenly pops into awareness. He smiles, grateful for all the sweet memoirs, yet with a hint of considerable sadness.
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"the cool waters flow,
pushing the small leaf along,
determined to end,
the cruel journey called life,
the leaf waiting for it's fate…"
"Na, Sai, why so blue?" Hikaru asked concern evident in his childish face. "What's wrong?"
"Iie, nothing's wrong. I just remembered this poem from beforehand. It, it was Torajirou's last poem. The very last one before he died. The last words I heard before I was sent back to the board," Sai responded.
Eyes filled with sorrow met anxious ones. As azure met olive, a connection, one beyond friendship and benevolence, was made. As quick as it came, it disappeared, both sides looking away quickly.
"Sai…"
"Hmm?"
"Thank you…"
"Eh? For… for what?"
"For just being here. For being here with me. For being my friend."
"Hikaru... " Sai smiled, heart brimming with appreciation and love for his best friend. "Nah…"
"What is it, Sai?"Hikaru beamed in high spirits.
"Let's have a game of Go!" Sai leaped with enthusiasm, waving his hands up and down.
"Not now Sai!"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
He stood up quietly, surveying the surroundings, taking in the sights and sounds of nature he learned to love.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Hikaru, you can never go against nature!" Sai looked out the window and laughed heartily. "When it rains, you can do nothing but wait for it to stop, but think about it. Rains serve as a giver of life. When the earth is thirsty, rain pours down to slake the dehydration of the land and all those that live there. We need the rain, Hikaru. But the rain doesn't need us. We need it, but it doesn't need us….."
"Sai…. "
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
As he gazed at the heavens once more, the sky seemed to bleed. The sun began to set as he reminisced on the open fields.
"Time flies by so swiftly when you don't give a care in the world…."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Sai, what's gonna happen to you when I die? Are you gonna go back to that board?" Hikaru asked.
"Probably. The reason why I was trapped in that Go board waiting for my next host, one who would be willing to share a part of his heart and a bit of his time for my sake. Perhaps the reason why I can never rest is because I have yet to reach the Hand of God. The cycle will not end until I reach the Hand of God." Sai stared out the pane in deep thought.
"How long would it be before you reach it then, Sai?" Hikaru inquired, a bit fascinated yet saddened for some unknown reason.
"I really don't know, Hikaru.. I might reach it in this lifetime. Or the next. It might take ages, centuries, eons before I finally achieve my goal." Sai riposted absently. On his face was a mixture of hope, sadness, joy, and fright.
"You seem to have all the time in the world."
"Well maybe I do, Hikaru. Maybe I do."
"What's your favorite poem again, Sai? The one about the clouds, and the wind…."
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"Hey, Hikaru! Hikaru!" A teenage boy with shoulder length, ebon hair yelled from the highway, waving cheerfully.
"Akira!" The bleached haired boy replied. He quickly ran up the slope and greeted the slightly shorter boy merrily. "What brings you here?"
"You."
"Me? Well, I, uh, well…." Hikaru blushed scarlet and laughed to hide his embarrassment. A rich, sweet laughter, like the tinkling of bells, or like the chirping of adorable little birds on a spring morning was heard.
"Hikaru, it's been a while since I heard you laugh like that. I'm so relieved." Akira whispered. He grinned and began to laugh alongside the amused Hikaru. Both boys' laughter rang through the air, mingling with the sounds of the surrounding fields. As the laughter began fade, they looked at each other, until the silence was broken.
"Ne, Hikaru, why do you come all the way here, all the way from the city? What makes you want to be here when you're not playing Go?"
"Hm…. Let's see… The clouds, the sky. Look at the clouds, Akira. Feel the wind. Listen to it. It makes you forget all about time."
Akira closed his eyes and breathed in the scent of the environment. "Can we go home now, Hikaru? I think you've had enough for today. We'll be late for dinner."
Hikaru peeked at Akira, an amused look plastered on his face. "Late? But…
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"the gentle breeze blows
as the soft airy clouds float by
with no sense of time…"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
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Notes!
So, maybe it wasn't so bad, but I don't seem pleased enough, so let me know what you think! Tell me if you like it or if you want me to take it down, ne? Sorry, my editor/beta reader/muse is away on vacation…. So, it really doesn't seem right…. Review kudasai!
* the Hand of God= this is the most common translation of Kami no Itte I found on the net. This was also the way I translate it myself.
** the insert here part, I'm sorry about it, 'cuz I do have the short term memory syndrome, and I really can't remember the honinbo's name… sorry! If any one of you is kind enough to tell me, please email me or include it in the review so I could revise the fic. Thankies! Please review!
*** thank you, kaori-chan, for the honinbo's name! Torajirou, silly me, how could I forget….. sorry, I felt kinda lazy to watch the first part of the series again…. Thank you too, Tian-san, for such a nice review!