Title: Sai Once More
Author: Cheska
Prologue
Pg – 13
Disclaimer: Do I really have to say this? *looks at the possible lawyers and sues*
*sighs and shakes her head* Fine, fine… *waves them away*
I don't own Hikaru no Go, but I DO own my original characters!
Author's Notes: Yes, as my disclaimer says I have original characters here! But don't let that get you down because they don't really hold the lead in the story. That would be Sai and Hikaru! And if you're wondering about the pairing? Well I was leaning toward Hikaru/ Akira! Unless, you want a Sai/Hikaru. I'm fine with that! *smiles* My original character? Ano… I didn't think much on it, but if you wish to then just say so and whatever happens in the end of this multi-chapter story then I'll go with that! Because I love Hikaru no Go and would be willing with whatever the dear reviewers and readers have to say! *claps hands happily*
I've only watched a bit of Hikaru no Go, but from the few episodes that I've seen it got me hooked. And from the stories that I have heard, it made me desire for more Hikaru no Go. Not to mention the fact that I've been reading the manga version. I have to say that it's an exceptionally good show! Hopefully my first attempt at writing a Hikaru no Go fic will be good, but even if it does receive a few reviews I don't mind at all. Because this one's been hovering in my mind for awhile.
It's about Sai's return except not reincarnated, only appearing to a new person. Odd, ne? Care to guess who that new person is? But that part about Sai's return won't appear until the next chapter… ^^;;
Oh as a warning, this part contains quite a bit of a spoiler if you haven't read or watched the places around the Sai Saga… ^^;;
*sigh* I went and corrected some mistakes in this prologue because I've received some notice about mistakes over here. Like the fact that Touya isn't an Insei…^^; Didn't mean to write that, I over looked that and mixed one volume with another because of what Kuwabara said but that was pointed out toward Hikaru…
Bear with me, I DID only start on Hikaru no Go a month ago. It's not like I'll magically be an expert on every detail. I try my best, no one's perfect. @_@ ;
Another part, sorry for the mistake over the 'sora wa himitsu desu…' I figured that was the right Japanese but I was mistaken as someone pointed out to me it's 'sore was himitsu desu…'. That "sora wa.." was actually taken from a site that I went on, so I guess they've made that mistake as well as several other fics I went to… oi…
Sorta sucks, doesn't it?
Well for these mistakes, I apologize as well as for the content of my writing style. *scrunches up her nose* Yes, some parts were slower than the others…and also the spoilers here but I did say that this fic did contain a lot of spoilers. See? *points up in Author's Notes* Spoiler…that's what notes are for: to warn you before fics and point out certain details. What else? Merodi's (yes, it's translated to Melody) position in the story will not be mainly focused on her alone throughout the story.
That's about it, I've written too much on this.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
Year 1999, beginning Summer:
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
It was only nearly a year or so that Shindo Hikaru and Touya Akira had met that faithful day in the Go Salon of Touya Meijin. And now, it had been a year since Hikaru was introduced to Fujiwara Sai and to the world of Go. A world that was wholly different from his own; where there didn't seem to be anything worth his attention except to live a care-free life and to try and succeed through his years of elementary to Junior High and then off to High School itself.
But ever since he met Sai…ever since he met Touya Akira…ever since being introduced to the wonders of Go and its inner competitive strength, everything was different. As if a fire was ignited beneath him and wouldn't die out…only for it to grow stronger until it can't grow anymore or he himself would be consumed within it.
~.~.~.~
That was where it all started, that summer with Hikaru going everyday to the Internet Café where the awaiting computer would be so that no one would know about Sai's existence except within the computer tube and out in the internet world. This was where Hikaru would spend his days while Mitani's sister, Yaeko, worked around him, letting him play as long as and as much as he can until her shift ended beginning from morning to the afternoon or from the afternoon till 7pm.
In the meantime, either Touya Akira would be spending his free time away from school at the Go Salon or over at the Go Institute, and/or quite possibly at study sessions to learn more of what he can about various ways to defeat his opponents. Overall, even summer didn't change Akira's passion to learn all that he can about Igo.
And this was and would be the place where everything would begin and take place as a starting point to a whole new chapter in the life of the Go World as well as for the dear main characters.
~.~.~
Heaven:
~.~.~
In the meantime, heaven was smiling down upon the people of Earth. Its bright light aided by the sun brought kindness to all there were who needed it in order to live and move on in life whether sadness of fate befell them or just there to add and help vanquish the uncertainty that may take place.
From up above, a young man began walking across a great marble walkway, passing by a great number of angels and spirits. The man walked with a purpose, his light sky blue eyes seemed to sparkle with determination and his mid-back silver hair appeared to shine with power as he walked down the now apparent hallway that began to lead to a single door at the end. As the man came to halt before the closed doors, it opened, letting in a burst of light and as it did so, the man glowed white and as it died down a set of beautiful wings came to be at his back that seemed to change with ever step of the way, although discreetly. The overall color was white, but at the tips it altered from white to silver and then to a pastel blue.
"Arcanian Guardian…" a voice from up above a pedestal called out to the now kneeling man.
He didn't respond although he did tip his head back to stare upwards, as if looking straight to the source of the higher power.
"There are many spirits among the heavens, yet one appears to not be at ease."
"That would be Merodi, she is under my guidance…"
"To train to become a future Guardian alongside yourself, I have received that notice. Although, it seems that she doesn't appear at all content."
"If I may…"
The figure from the pedestal remained quiet as a sign that he/she was listening to the man's request.
"Merodi is casually evolving into the necessary powers that Guardians possess, with time she can become quite powerful and will be able to work with me in ensuring the realms of the heavens. But she still needs more training, and I propose to sending her to the world of the humans. Interact and learn from them, quite possibly from there she will learn and value the ways of the humans and in turn learn to grow more…"
"Human world, it can be quite dangerous…"
"Yes, but someday she'll be helping to watch over them as well. But also, I'll be making sure to tend to what she needs…" the Guardian explained.
"And where will you send her?"
The Guardian looked to the side and with a swift flick of his hands a holographic image appeared that viewed the whole world. After a few seconds, quick flashes of various pictures appeared before it narrowed down to a single country: Japan.
"Tokyo, Japan…"
~.~.~.~.~
Go Center: Touya Meijin's
~.~.~.~.~
*pa-chi*
13-4
*pa-chi*
7-14
Touya Akira was re-enacting a game that he had played earlier that morning with his father. His concentration was fully on the board, his movements perfect, and his judgments completely at ease seeing that no one was around him to disturb the harmony that had settled over the dimly lit room.
*pa-chi*
Touya then paused as he thought of what his opponent may have done in a situation like this. The image that was currently taking place was complex, but beautiful as if it was creating a rare flower that would soon bloom in the springtime. His eyes hovered around the right hand corner and immediately he saw the possibility and jumped to it.
He raised his hand high for a moment, his eyes flashing dangerously with anticipation before he quickly maneuvered it and brought it down to the right spot.
*pa-chi*
"It's simply beautiful," a melodious voice uttered in the still air from behind him.
Touya's eyes widened at the sound and he tried to calm himself down as he slowly turned his head as casually as he can, but he couldn't get the intensity that surrounded his whole body from that voice.
"Ahh, gomen nasai for intruding on your privacy but I couldn't help but notice you playing alone in here. And as I saw your heated concentration and the skill you've played, I can't help but be in awe at the beauty of it all," the girl apologized as she bowed a bit before the sitting boy.
He appeared 13 years old, his olive green hair reaching just below the shoulders and his green eyes holding great intensity mixed with wonder as he turned to stare at the girl before him.
He wore a standardized dark gray private school uniform: consisting of a tie, white undershirt and dark gray blazer and matching pants. And as he made a move to stand up, the girl realized his height was just barely over hers as he stood at the height of 5' 2".
"You play Go?" he asked the girl.
Taking notice of her presence, he observed a few key observations. She was about 4' 11", barely 5' at all and appeared to be 11 years of age. Her mid-length black hair was neatly combed and styled with a distinctive silver streak: the front line layered and colored silver that lay over her shoulders and down her front while the back remained where it was and her bangs playfully displayed in a heart shape.
Her eyes also got his attention as they twinkled with radiance but a held back sadness that also displayed itself before him. And as she stood before him, he noticed that she didn't wear a uniform but plain civilian clothing consisting of plain blue pants and a light lavender shirt with a pendant that hung around her neck that could be best described as wings of an angel.
Before he could complete his observation of her, the girl shook her head, which broke his trance and then bowed a little before straightening up once more.
"I'm afraid not, although I've seen others play it and I've stayed back to watch them I can't say that I have played the game before," the girl answered with a brief shake of the head.
"Would you like to learn…?" Touya offered, stepping to the side and motioning for her to sit down.
"Gomen nasai, if it is okay…I would prefer to stand back and watch you play some more…that is…if you will let me," the girl solemnly said, blushing a bit at making such a request from someone she hardly knew.
Touya Akira merely nodded in response as he sat down once again and resumed playing his unfinished game but this time with a new observer.
*pa-chi*
"By the way, my name is…" Touya began.
"There's no need for names right now, if it okay…we can greet one another at a different point of time. After all, names aren't all that important…are they?" the girl by his side smiled down at him and he could only lightly blush before nodding his head and turning back to his game.
*pa-chi*
~.~.~.~
The girl continued to visit the Go Center every few days, arriving every time with Touya Akira practicing his game. And every time they met, she would continue to just observe from him and revealed nothing of herself or her name or where she came from. Each time he asked, she repeated the same thing of it not being important and so he would simply lie back and accept it as it is. And in turn, she wouldn't ask him any personal questions as she calmly bided her patience and watched the boy play against an invisible opponent.
However, a few days after these encounters, the young girl moved on when not at that particular Salon and instead wandered the streets until she came across a certain blonde haired boy that had rounded the corner. He had bleached hair over the front side of his hair while the back remained black, quite possibly his original hair color. His green eyes sparkled with happiness and content, appearing carefree in the outside world and as he walked down the street and neared her, she noticed a few other apparent observations of him. His height was that of hers, although he appeared to be 13 years of age as well compared to her younger age. As he came closer, she noticed that he wore a plain white shirt and blue jeans.
Although there were plenty of boys his age that were scattered around the sidewalk, there was one particular aspect of him that made him different from all the rest: the companion that accompanied him. It made her wonder why no one saw anything different or out-of-the blue from the out-of-date clothing the elder man wore by the boy's side, not to mention the long dark hair that reached up to his thighs. This made her blink as she paused and waited for him to come closer and as they did so, a certain bit of information made itself present inside her mind.
(This…man by the boy's side…I've heard of him, haven't I?) the girl blinked in realization just as the boy neared her and as he came within a few steps within hearing range she decided to speak to him.
"You…you play Go, don't you?" the girl spoke.
The boy blinked and stopped to a halt as he turned to her: his bright green eyes appearing a bit shocked by her words.
"How did you know?"
She merely smiled and then turned to briefly glance at the spot where the man next to him stood, his expression of that with mild curiosity.
"I can tell, especially since no one else can see," she replied making the boy in front of her tense up a bit.
"…no one else seems the least bit concerned to see you, but the person next to you can hardly be ignored by me," the girl continued as she resumed staring at the man.
"Y-You can… see me?" the man couldn't contain his silence as he spoke up.
"Hai, of course…" the girl replied with a nod of her head and a small bow.
"B-but…" the boy began to stammer.
"I've heard of you, you're Fujiwara no Sai, ne?" the girl recalled.
"You know him?" the boy blinked in amazement.
She only nodded in reply.
"This is great, Hikaru! She can see me, isn't it great?!" Sai cried out in glee as he clutched onto the boy named Hikaru's body.
"I don't understand, how can you see him?!"
She only replied with a secretive smile, closing her eyes in the process so as not to reveal anything and hoping that he would stop the questioning and just accept that she was able to see the ghostly man from the Heian Era.
"Ano…maybe we should take this someplace else, after all it will sooner or later draw attention to us," the girl suggested.
"H-hai," Hikaru weakly answered back as he managed to get out of Sai's hold and began to walk besides the girl as they turned back and strolled down the street.
"Where shall we go?" the girl asked.
"Ano…"
After a few minutes of mindless wandering, the trio arrived at a secluded park just outside of town.
"This was a park I used to go to as a child, but for some reason hardly anyone comes here anymore," Hikaru explained as the girl sat down on a swing next to him while Sai remained in a standing position in front of the two.
"It's nice…" she commented.
"So how is it that you can see Sai and yet no one else does except me?" Hikaru interrogated.
"Sore wa himitsu desu…" she held up her forefinger while closing one eye in a wink. ((AN: Sorta like Xelloss from Slayers if anyone doesn't know.))
Swinging a little, she tipped her head back and gazed up at the sky.
"Go…how did you know about that?"
"Fujiwara Sai was an Instructor Go player of the Heian Era, why shouldn't I suspect that he had played it?"
"Because no one else knows who he is…not even my history teacher or the texts. The only link to him is from Honinbo Shusaku or as Sai called him, Torajirou," Hikaru held up one finger to emphasize his explanation.
She merely smiled in response, not saying anything in return to his statement.
"Shall we not dwell in this much longer and accept that I know him?"
"Not until you explain something!" Hikaru shouted.
"Aa, Hikaru! Let's play Go!" Sai said, trying to avoid any conflict that may occur with his newfound potential of a friend.
"Ahh, just because I know that you're Sai and that I know that you play Go doesn't necessarily mean that I play it…" the girl formed a sweat drop at the side of her head.
Sai immediately saddened while Hikaru tried to control himself from the overwhelming sensation that began to appear which was caused by Sai himself.
"I can always learn if you want…Sai. That is if you and Hikaru will teach me," the girl immediately said, not wanting to get anyone to become sad because of her.
"I guess that can work, if Sai teaches you…"sighed Hikaru, scratching the back of his head.
"I…don't have any Go boards…" the girl said with a bit of unease.
"No Goban? How can anyone live without a Goban?!" Sai cried out in surprise, a hurt expression mixed with horror appearing on his face.
"We'll play at my place…aa…" Hikaru resolved, shaking his head as he began to lead the way to his house.
"Arigatou, Hikaru. Arigatou Sai. Or should I refer to you as Fujiwara-sensei and Shindo-sensei?" smiled the girl.
"Iie, Hikaru is fine…oh, by the way what's your name?" Hikaru inquired.
"Aa…" the girl blinked in surprise at having forgotten to introduce herself when she obviously knew their names.
Bowing a bit before her future teachers, she rose up.
"Aerea Merodi," Merodi stated.
"Shindo Hikaru," Hikaru said in reply with a small bow.
"Fujiwara Sai," Sai also said, nodding his head in turn.
"Thank you for teaching me…it will be a pleasure," Merodi said in turn before the trio resumed their way to begin the lessons of Go.
~.~.~.~.~
Weeks passed by for all that summer. What with Hikaru and Sai coaching and teaching the young Merodi the ways of Go. And surprisingly enough, she learned quickly and never gave up at all no matter what time it was as she spent all day and night learning it. For a few days after her first teaching, she had managed to get a Goban and a board of her own. Since then, she had invited Sai and Hikaru over to her place to practice whenever they can which was practically every day since it was during the summer break.
Stopping a moment, she stared at the Go board contemplating over her next move. For a few seconds, she did that while Sai merely held his traditional fan near his face with a secretive smile.
*pa-chi*
Merodi, satisfied with her move, backed down as she studied her opponent as to what his response would be.
*pa-chi*
A few more minutes later, the game ended with Merodi shaking her head and bowing down before him on the board.
"I resign…"
Silently, they cleaned it up and was prepared for a whole new game.
"You're doing better, Merodi-chan," Hikaru replied with a reassuring smile.
"And I see from you, that you're doing much better as well!" Merodi said in reply.
"It's true, both of you have risen in strength over the past few weeks," Sai commented.
"Arigatou!" the duo said in reply in harmony.
"Now then, let's lower your handicap shall we?"
"Really?!"
"Hai, hai…let's try 2 handicaps…?"
Hikaru blinked at how much progress Merodi had developed since they last met 2 weeks ago. Before, she only knew a few basic moves and according to her, it was because she had been watching people play. Therefore, her opening moves were nearly flawless but after that, it was a big mess. Now, now…she could even play Sai with a few good strategic movements against him, she was a worthy opponent.
"In a few more practices, it's likely that you can play Sai without any handicaps at all!" Hikaru commented with a smile.
"By that time, you'd have raised to a higher level as well, after all by merely watching you're improving your Go capabilities, ne?"
Hikaru merely grinned at her words.
~.~.~.~
2 Months Later:
Late July:
~.~.~.~
Merodi had continued to grow excessively, up to the point that she was capable of playing Sai in a no stone handicap. This greatly pleased her and as was predicted, Hikaru had also managed to grow and so the both of them could play one another, although Merodi had managed to beat Hikaru a few times.
But at the moment, Sai and Hikaru weren't around for the dear girl to play against. As was her guess, Sai was over with Hikaru at the Internet Café playing against unknown foes of the internet.
(The internet…we don't get those at…) Merodi drifted off as she stopped reading the Go book and took the time to stare at the heavens.
She had stopped her train of thought as she stared at a familiar Go Center. The first place she had come across when she had arrived on Earth.
"Sometimes…I wonder why…" Merodi murmured to herself.
(Why I'm even here…)
"You're here to learn more about the mortals as well as to learn more about yourself…" a familiar voice stated.
Turning around, she blinked her eyes wide open to see a casually dressed Guardian of the Heavens.
"Arcanian Guardian!" she gasped as she bowed low.
"There's no time for that, I have something to tell you…"
~.~.~
Touya Akira had become one of the top players working hard on becoming Pro; everyone held high expectations of him and no one thought he would lose against his competitors. As he grew in strength and fame, his confidence had become stronger up to the point that there was no doubt that he would fail in the Pro-preliminaries. This would soon take place around the end of July and by September the Pro-Exams would begin. As he sat there, reviewing his Go lessons he felt a presence at his side. At first, he thought it was Shindo Hikaru but at a moment's instance, he shook that thought aside. There was no need for the boy to be there in front of him anymore, considering the fact that he had already beaten the boy during their first year of middle school: Kaio vs. Haze Junior High. And after the incredibly disappointing defeat, he most likely doubted he would ever see the boy again and decided to not think of him any longer.
So taking that note aside, he thought of another possibility…
The near figure, from just pure observation was silent by his side. Not even thinking of trying to disturb his concentration as his eyes trained on the stones on the Go board. From there, he immediately jumped at the consideration that it might be…
His eyes for a mere moment widened a fraction as he turned his head as casually as he can. Expecting to see the familiar brown eyes of the girl that he had met earlier in the summer, he was met with disappointment as he sadly gazed upon Ichikawa-san, a worker of the Go Salon. She was ignorant of his cold looks, thinking that it was only because of concentration over the stones and came closer, setting a cup of coffee on the table near his elbow.
"I thought you may like some after the long hours. It's on the house, Touya-kun," Ichikawa stated before turning back to return to her post after a brief 'arigatou' from Touya Akira.
As he turned to gaze back at the board, he also resumed his concentrative efforts on making a wise decision over a possible move he could make but failed to do so as hard as he tried to. It was all because he had drifted on his thoughts over his potential rival: Shindo Hikaru and because of that mysterious girl that used to visit him over the first half of summer. From these two, he had considered and thought of them, mostly of his potential rival. As he kept wondering if it was really all just a fluke or if he merely lost on purpose, even after his hardships that he had endured just to have a chance at playing him.
He inwardly sighed as he tried to regain his composure and continue with this game that he had set up, reaching over to his Go-ke he pulled out a stone and placed it in between his fingers.
"It seems that you've been thinking hard about something. And from my guess, it was about a 'someone'?" a familiar melodious voice uttered softly just as Akira placed the stone on the right side of the board.
Akira stiffened at the familiar voice before he cautiously turned his head, grateful that he had finished the game just before she arrived. As he crooked his head to the side, he saw her once more wearing the same apparel as she had the day that they met. And as he moved his eyes downwards to her hands, he noticed that she had been playing Go in the recent past. His brows furrowed at this, wondering what the outcome of the game had been and when she had even started playing. Reviewing over their past conversations, he distinctly recalled that she hadn't played Go before although she had watched others do so.
"You've been playing…" Akira pointed out as he reached over for the cup of coffee and took a sip of the bitter brew.
"H-hai, I've learned how to play."
"Would you wish a game with me?" Akira invited, interested as to how much she had learned in such a short amount of time.
Lightly blushing, she could only nod a little before taking the offered seat across from him. The last time she blushed, was probably when Hikaru asked to play her after a few long endured lessons with Fujiwara no Sai. When they played with one another, he even complimented her on her quick learning ability; such comments from a stubborn boy were quite interesting. And as she was now going to play against this boy, she couldn't help but blush. From what she had observed of the young person, he was no beginner because his careful placements of the stones are quite advanced and seeing his speed and concentration, it added up to her wonder. Up to the point that she had narrowed it down…
"You're a Pro, aren't you?" the girl guessed as she took out two white stones from the Go-ke and placed them on the Go board.
Akira merely let out a small smile before shaking his head, indicating that he wasn't and then replied that he was only a mere Go player working hard to become a pro.
"I'm sure you'll make it," the girl responded.
"15…I'm black," Touya Akira stated and cleaned up the stones along with the girl.
Before long, they began to play their first game.
*pa-chi*
~.~.~.~.~.~
Earlier that Day:
~.~.~.~.~.~
The Guardian's hair was kept the way it was since the last time she saw him. Silvery-blondish white and his face as youthful and handsome as it was now, as if he was a divine being sent from up above and indeed he was. Instead of the usual garments he wore that indicated his status, he wore casual clothing that wouldn't set him different from any other young man out on the streets.
"…and you were sent here to do just that," he ended his explanations for the particular reason she was sent to Japan.
"I understand that there can't be just one main objective for sending me here out of all places. In a way it makes sense as to why I suddenly knew who Fujiwara Sai was, nor the fact that I first appeared in front of a Go Salon."
The young man nodded in response.
"Is there also a reason as to why it's this Go Salon, as well?" the young girl motioned in front of the familiar building.
"All will be explained…just as the Fates deem it to be."
Sighing, the girl shook her head before she began to leave but was held back as the Guardian kept a hold on her shoulder.
"You'll be leaving soon because you've already fulfilled one of the requirements that we had expected from you. Your concentration skills and intuition has increased by 200%, your speed and accuracy went up by 64%, as well as your social abilities," he related to her.
"How long do I have before I must return?" her saddened face turned toward him, and a pang of guilt hit him but he tried his best to remain composed.
"…Merodi…" slackening his hold on her a bit, he let out a sigh, "By tomorrow, you will be gone."
"All their memories will go away?"
"Iie, they won't…"
(Their memories won't leave? There must be more to this than I think it to be…something that the Fates themselves plan upon…) Merodi noted and stored that bit of information in the recesses of her mind before nodding in understanding and then leaving the Guardian's sight as she made her way into the Go Salon.
~.~.~.~
This led to the current game between Merodi and the young boy named Touya Akira, both of which were filled with determination of winning the game and giving what they had to offer into the Goban.
*pa-chi*
*pa-chi*
(This game…so beautiful…as if…)
*pa-chi*
(As if…it is art itself…)
*pa-chi*
(And indeed…it is art.)
For a few minutes longer, the game drew to a close as could be told through the complex designs that began to take place on the Goban.
"Ano…this is probably one of the last games I'll be playing you, even though it is the first time for both of us," Merodi softly stated as she concentrated on the board, not daring to try and look into his green eyes.
*pa-chi*
"What are you saying?" Touya inquired, not looking as well.
"I'm leaving tomorrow."
*pa-chi*
"…"
*pa-chi*
"…I resign*
Both were silent after that, neither one saying anything as they cleared the board and as the stones were safely in their Goban.
"You played a good game,"
"As did you…"
Merodi stood up and Akira followed afterwards, his cup of coffee long gone cold and lying by itself sitting on the table.
"It seems that…I've managed to catch up to you," Merodi smiled lightly to an impassible Touya Akira.
"…" Akira didn't respond because it was the first time he had lost since Shindo Hikaru, both to beginners.
Merodi wanted to say more but saw Akira's conservative façade and decided it would be best to let things cool down for the moment. However, after a few seconds of silence, he nodded his head to respond to the earlier comment before giving a small affectionate smile to her and motioned for her to sit down.
"I'll play you one last game," Touya stated to which she responded by sitting.
"Hai, one more game," Merodi nodded.
"If I win, though…you'll tell me your name and if you win, I won't ask for it anymore," Touya Akira requested for a bargain in the next game.
"H-hai," Merodi agreed with a twinkle in her eyes.
Therefore, the two players headed on, each playing at a certain amount of their ability. As the game drew on, night fell and yet the two still played until finally…
"A tie…" Merodi gasped.
"Hnh…" Touya nodded mutely, expecting that this would have happened.
Merodi looked up to see a calm Akira, her eyes narrowed in response.
"It seems that you had the upper hand right from the start. From what I would gather, you would have won the game right from the start," Merodi pursed her lips.
He didn't respond and so the girl got up and shook her head, her eyes twinkling in amusement.
"I need to go, so I may as well reveal my name to you," Merodi sighed as she cleaned the board.
"My name is Touya Akira…" Akira stood up just as the last stones were placed into the Go-ke.
"Aerea Merodi," she bowed before the boy.
~.~.~.~
Surely enough, tomorrow came and passed with the girl named Merodi disappearing with the only notion that she happened to have moved away from the country. Nevertheless, the two boys continued to study and play the game called Go: managing to evolve and grow stronger in both mind and spirit.
Sai had continued to develop his skills alongside Hikaru as they continued to play Internet Go, up to the point, that the 'mysterious' Sai was the talk of the net world. Each person that watched the game became interested as to the identity of the 'God of Go'.
In the meantime, Akira had risen in status. His mind never straying away from Go and never having any doubt that he may not reach his goal into becoming a Pro. As time passed by even farther on and August arrived, the Amateur Go Competition that was to take place. Following right after, by September, the Pro-Exams would take place for the young Go prodigy.
As Akira walked down the hall, he noticed that quite a bit of the players had stopped playing and were looking toward a crowded area near the end of the hall. Curiosity got the best of him as he disregarded the pointed stares and approached the group, noticing Ogata-9dan amongst the group.
"Is something wrong?" Akira asked as he approached the group, as he got closer he noticed and ignored Waya's snide remark about it not being his business.
Soon he found out that they were speaking about a newcomer that had suddenly appeared on the Internet, a man named Sai who played like a mega-Pro and suspicions rose up of him being a kid.
As soon as he heard of it and the way that he played, thoughts popped up in his head of it being Shindo Hikaru but they soon dispersed for the moment at the realization of their latest match. He was met with great disappointment despite Ogata-san's insistence and wonder if it truly was Shindo.
Not too long after he joined into the fray, an amateur player brought a laptop to him and with great speed and aid by Ogata-9dan; he was logged on as Akira to check out if Sai was there.
"Oh," Akira's eyes widened.
The others around him gasped at seeing Sai's name, they were even more amazed when Sai requested to play a game.
And as he accepted, Akira's thoughts ran amok as he recalled the game he played. It was Shidougo: the first game that he played against Hikaru, and as the game drew on his thoughts ended at his speculation that this was incredibly related to Hikaru's game style.
However, when he played Sai again next Sunday and faced a loss…and when he later on found out that Hikaru was over at a nearby Internet Café. When he managed to catch up to him, his earlier thoughts of the actual possibility fell like a ton of bricks on him. Shindo Hikaru wasn't Sai, despite the amazing resemblance in their gaming strategy.
But…one thought drifted in his mind since their encounter. Hikaru's last words that had drifted through his mind…ever since.
*flashback*
"Shindo!!" Touya Akira ran out of the train and recognized, Shindo's back to the window and his face on the screen.
As he ran through the sliding doors, he grabbed the boy by the shoulders and pulled him away from the computer screen.
(Are you Sai?!!) was the question he wanted to shout out to the boy but that ended when he saw that it wasn't Internet Go that the young boy was looking at.
*Flash*
Later on after that embarrassing incident, he found out that Shindo didn't play Internet Go. It was either that or he denied it as much as he could…although he still had hidden suspicions.
"You thought it was me? Well yeah, I've beaten you before so…hehe. I guess you'd think that, yup yup." Shindo said in a carefree, smug attitude.
"But when I played you in the tournament you were a joke."
"That's because I played poorly on purpose."
"No way!! There's no reason for that!!" Touya Akira cried out in bewilderment.
After hearing that, there was a bit of confusion but in the end, he realized something…
"I thought so…it's not you," Touya Akira quietly said, his hand in a fist.
He prepared himself to walk away, not looking back. His heart was filled with disappointment, a part of him wanted it to be Shindo…but it seemed that it may not really be him. And judging from Shindo's face, he could care less…at least that's what he thought.
"I'm sorry. I'll never appear in front of you again."
"Huh?" Shindo's eyes widened at his comment as he straightened up from his leaning position.
As he walked away, Hikaru shouted out to him to hold on and the next words he spoke out of his mouth were the ones he could remember for the longest of times.
"Y-You!! If you keep chasing my ghost, the real me is going to catch up to you someday."
It surprised him, but it also made him smile. To see the determination in his eyes ignited a part of him, it made him happy…
"You will?"
"Uh…" Shindo lightly blushed at his own words.
"Instead of someday, let's play now." Touya Akira responded but he saw that Shindo didn't budge and so he could only stare silently and then continue on.
*End Flashback*
He'd remember that conversation and would see…see if Shindo really would come and catch up to him…someday…
~.~.~.~
Indeed Hikaru did manage to catch up, just barely enough, through his own strength, and not through Sai's. But that didn't really matter because every time he played, every time he would advance a part of Sai's power was slowly absorbed through himself. All the games, all the study sessions, and all the times that he played against the Heian Go Instructor were being engulfed into his own hands and developed into what would someday be the 'Hand of God'.
And as time passed, Hikaru managed to meet new friends like Waya-kun, Isumi-san, and Nase. The closest and the best friends he could have because they supported and helped him advance through the time he was an Insei. Especially when getting over his fear of elder Go players while in the Pro-prelims.
But…even though he had advanced he also faced the hardest trial of his entire life.
"Sai…"
Tears fell from Hikaru's face as he looked out at the starry night sky. Looking back inside his room, his green eyes fell upon the recently touched Goban. Squeezing his eyes closed, he rested his head on top of his hands, his head slightly sticking out of the open window and his green eyes staring up into the heavens. His thoughts wondering off and imagining as he pictured the nostalgic smile placed on Sai's face.
"Sai…I miss you," another teardrop fell from his face, dropping and resting on the palm of his hand.
To be continued…
~.~.~.~.~.~.~
Oye, that was a long prologue and I'll stop here for now because all of your eyes are probably bloodshot by now from all the writing. Ooh, and that part was a big spoiler… *points upwards* ^^;; A lot of those are dialogues from the manga which you can get in Toriyama's World – Hikaru no Go. ^_^
*ahem* Anyways, tell me what you think! And don't forget to vote for the pairing that you want…if it's Akira-Hikaru, Sai-Hikaru, or OC-character pairing… I'm leaning towards either AkiHikaru or HikaruSai, I love them both! ^_^ So I don't know who to pair Hikaru with… it's like he can go with anyone, don't you think? ^^;;
Anyways, *yawn* It's up to you, so catch you later…!