This story is AU. Alternate Universe, in other words. Sai isn't a ghost at all, he's Hikaru's like...split, other half, alternate ego, whatever you want to call it.

--(theme) Stay Awake ((Dreams only last the night))

Sadly, Hikaru had found himself—and his life for that particular matter—in a bit of an obtuse circle.

And the circle had some parts to it. There was Akari, Mitani, Kaga and Tsuitsui, who he was very happy to say he still kept in touch with still. And of course, Touya Akira, and the part of this particular circle that he spent most of his time in, with fellow Go pros and higher dans. Waya, Isumi and others from his insei days also had a rather substantial chunk of his time, and he didn't mind in the slightest. In fact, he enjoyed how well-rounded his life was and was happy in the medium of it all. Hikaru found that his life was particularly about balance, if anything. And there was always one thing that seemed to throw his entire life off its very happy circle.

And that was Sai.

At first, after having a horrible allergic reaction to the copious amounts of dust in his grandfather's attic, he ended up having some sort of heart failure, and a near death experience.

Of course, he was perfectly fine now, but he realized in hindsight he really wasn't.

That was until; he had met, or heard, Fujiwara Sai. Or at least, that was what the voice claimed to be. How true that was, at this point in hindsight, Hikaru didn't know anymore. He had believed readily and steadfastly, as a child who was prone to things like Star Wars, Sci-fi action and horror stories about ghosts. In fact, he was quiet happy that he had a ghost talking to him, even if he couldn't see said ghost. And then, when the ghost asked to play Go, Hikaru didn't really mind either. After all, he had a ghost, right? That was too cool an option to pass up.

So, following the voice in his head, he was brought to the Go Salon owned by Touya Koyo, the Meijin. And the day ended up he had completely-or Sai had-slaughtered the Meijin's so, Touya Akira, in Go.

He hadn't meant to. He just placed the stones where Sai asked him to.

When the boy asked for a rematch, Hikaru was perfectly fine with that, in fact, Sai encouraged it, and he felt as if he had to oblige the 'ghost' and played the boy again. And had crushed him. To the point that Akira had actually scattered the evidence of such a crushing defeat over the floor of the Go salon. Hikaru had been taken aback by the sheer determination of the boy to win, and the fact that Sai found his actions highly amusing, telling Hikaru that the boy was in fact going to grow up to be good one day.

It was then, that Hikaru decided that perhaps letting his ghost play all the time wasn't a very good idea.

So he let his ghost play online, and, for an odd reason for a ghost who claimed to be from 1,000 years ago, seemed to know what an internet was, and a computer for that matter.

"Net Go?" The ghost asked petulantly from his head.

Hikaru nodded, even though it really wasn't to anyone but himself. "Yeah. Trust me, it'll be fun."

Naturally, Sai completely massacred every single one of his opponents-pro or not-to the point he had world renowned attention and that every time they signed in, people clamored for their attention until Hikaru could barely stand it. They had to change the privacy settings so that they sent the requests.

And, life continued on rather easily in Hikaru's circle. As a new sho-dan, he met up with new higher dans he knew, from Moroshita's study group and from people he played in games. He still kept up with Waya and Isumi quiet frequently, and he always spent at least one day a week with Akari to just go out normally. Sometimes even Kaga 'blessed' him with his presence, and they went out for Soba or Ramen. Akira was steadfastly becoming a daily basis in his life too, they occasionally had games, but after the fiasco in the Go Tournament, Akira seemed a bit…disappointed.

But all in all, Hikaru's life was very good, as he began his life as a pro.

It wasn't until Sai had confessed something rather big, that Hikaru suddenly found his life thrown out of its comfortable routine.

"Hikaru I…" Sai began, his voice trailing off into the abyss of his mind.

Hikaru blinked, looking up from the kifu he was studying in his room. "Ah? What's wrong Sai?"

"I really have to tell you something, Hikaru." Sai began slowly, and softly, his voice a mere whisper.

"Huh?" Hikaru's attention slowly shifted as he set the kifu down and furrowed his brows. "What?"

"Well actually…" Sai struggled for words. "I-well-I'm not really a…well…a ghost you see."

Silence enveloped as Sai waited for Hikaru to reply. The boy scanned the room, as if finding comfort in the normality that had surrounded him since he was young. The drawers untidy and filled with his clothing a sock hanging out the third drawer and flopping with the fan in his room, the smell of his laundry detergent and the natural smell of his room, the Goban sitting patiently in the corner next to the go ke. The kifu he had so precariously dropped on the floor. But most importantly, himself, for the fact that he himself was very real…but at this information, may or may not be very normal.

"If you're not a ghost…" Hikaru began quietly. "Then what are you?"

Sai stuttered for a moment. "I…I'm not very sure, Hikaru."

That was a first. In almost anything, Sai had some sort of input. Go especially, with his seemingly mastery of the game, it's history, and anything that had anything to do with go. And even things like social situations, etiquette, soccer, what to say to Akari, hold the door for people, polite ways to say thank you. Sai always seemed to have something that could help Hikaru in every given situation. But now, as they sat in silence in his room, no helpful advice was given.

"…Hikaru?"

"So like," Hikaru stared at his window in a melancholy somber. "I have schizophrenia or something?"

If anything, Sai's voice seemed sad and, comforting. "Not like that."

"Well then what?" Hikaru felt his voice rising. "I'm almost completely insane or have some sort of split personality?! I'm hearing a voice in my head that I have no idea even is real or not because all I can do is hear you, and I don't even know if I'm sane anymore?"

"I'm sorry." Sai said, his voice filled with worry and haste. "I can't give you an answer…because only you can. I don't understand anything about this either…but I enjoy whatever it is. It's not like I'm trying to destroy the world with a notebook as your alternate ego or anything."

Hikaru cracked a smile at the joke, and the Death Note reference. "I guess that is true."

But the silence weighed heavy, and Sai knew that it would take a lot more than one lame attempt at humor to cheer Hikaru up.

Sai had told him on May 5th, and Hikaru had almost stopped playing Go forever.

But now, after finally getting over the fact that yes, he had a voice in his head, and no, it wasn't that horrible, he had another problem. Getting over Sai was hard enough, keeping Sai a secret was even harder—especially with the fact that IP addresses could now be traced—but this problem, this was a problem even bigger than anything he had faced before.

He new he had promised Touya some sort of answer, but he didn't know really how to say it.

And he also knew that Akira wanted some answers.

Sai almost always made comments when he played games, of course, there were the games that the split himself played—like his game against Touya Koyo, in which he was speaking numbers quite frequently, even if Hikaru was the only actual person that could hear him—but he also did it easily. He'd make comments about how they played, better moves, helpfully tidbits, even better ways to reach Yose, usually he waited courteously until the end to make and suggestions, but sometimes he just blurted the answers out or the solving of a life or death problem immediately as he spotted them.

And usually, Hikaru didn't really mind, until the day he played Akira at the salon.

Hikaru had run out of options, after this last hand of his-unless he could turn the game around-he would lose to Akira by at the very least two moku.

Suddenly, Sai had spit out the answer. "6-11"

Hikaru wasn't thinking, and had played the move.

And Akira had seen it immediately. The utter 'Sai' of the move was enough for the boy's eyes to sharpen to Hikaru's, snapping from the board so quickly it was almost audible. Hikaru gulped uneasily as Akira's vibrant turquoise eyes bore into his green ones, and he wasn't sure what he could make out of it. Truthfully, Akira was ready to cut the game off and just begin verbally interrogating Hikaru, but that wasn't how it worked. And so, Akira continued the game, but at the end, gave Hikaru a stony look that said 'I want to know.'

Which lead to the incident maybe a week ago.

Hikaru had just learned that, he was going to play Akira in an official match the coming week, and was rather confused on how to make of it. They had been practicing more and more with each other as the time until the Hokuto Cup dwindled away, and it was obvious this would be a hard game.

He wasn't sure if Akira had known this information or not.

"Hikaru." The boy with bleached hair wasn't entirely sure if they were on first name basis yet, but it hadn't occurred to think this at the time.

As Akira stormed into the hallway Hikaru was drinking Coke in, he looked as if he had been stewing over one of Hikaru's very 'Sai' like games. Even said 'ex-Ghost' had noted that he looked a bit angry and frustrated at Hikaru.

"Huh—

"Who is Sai?"

Well, Akira never really claimed to be subtle.

"What?" Hikaru sputtered. He hadn't thought Akira would be so forth coming about the question. Touya may not be the kind to dance around the subject idly, but even that was a bit blunt for the boy. "Why…" Hikaru began slowly, nursing his drink. "Do you want to know?"

"Your games." Akira said quickly. "All of them. Even the one that you played pitifully with me in the Tournament, they are all connected to Sai's games. And even know, that move you played…the ones you always seem to play. It's so…Sai."

Hikaru didn't know what to make of that. "Well…you obviously know I have some sort of connection to Sai."

Akira nodded. Of course. Just about everyone could accomplish that knowledge. "But…what exactly is your connection is what I want to know."

"And that's what I can't tell you." Hikaru smiled sadly, and walked out then, leaving Akira sputtering and furious, but the other boy hadn't said anything.

…

And right now, as they were going to play their real first official match with each other as pros.

…

Hikaru hadn't voiced any of his worries to Sai yet, his other half seemed placental and rather quiet during these whole turn of events. But, his other half was content with the many requests he got from pros on the internet, and enjoyed his match with Touya Meijin on the internet quite immensely. And Hikaru didn't want to disrupt the other's rather good mood with his gloomy thoughts. Who was Akira really chasing? And who was really Akira's rival? It was painfully obvious who was better, Sai or Hikaru, even if the two played every single night.

And who did Akira believe-whether subconsciously or not-was really his rival? Or, more importantly, who was worthy of such a title?

Hikaru had been stirring on these thoughts just as much as Akira had been sniffing around for more clues of Sai. Whenever he watched the list of watchers when Sai played on the internet, he always found the name titled, 'Akira' on the list. Whenever he played a rather unconventional move, whether of Sai's origin or his own, he could tell that Akira wanted to know how this move was found, and who created it. Everything about Hikaru was also about Sai, and Sai was the mystery that Akira was currently chasing.

And as Hikaru stood outside the game room, he wondered these questions, and these theories.

It was getting close to game time, and as Sai babbled on about some new moves and ideas he was thinking of, Hikaru had moved away from the wall he was leaning on to find Akira.

Said Touya was talking to one of the many Go Magazine interviewers, this one just happening to be Go Weekly. There was actually quiet a crowd, probably because it was a Touya-Shindou game, in which everyone liked to watch because they were the two rival genius pros. He had already seen the Meijin, his friends, Ogata Juudan, Kuwabara, Oza, and other title holders who had come to watch their first official game. And now, the magazines were grabbing a hold too.

"Is it true you consider Shindou Hikaru your rival?" One reporter asked.

"Of course." Akira answered easily, as if it was plain as day. "He is the only one who I believe can match me perfectly."

Hikaru glowered even more as he heard Akira speak those words. As if…they weren't truly spoken about him, but about Sai.

"Akira." He spoke up, and the pro turned in surprise, as did most of the reporters. Cameras flashed in blinding lights, as they scurried over to Shindou.

"And what about you, Shindou-san. Do you consider Touya-san your rival?" One fluttery lady asked him.

"Yeah of course." Hikaru said flippantly, the tone of dismissal rather evident in his voice.

He didn't feel like causing more of a scene, so he made a motion to Akira to the hallway that was deserted rather close to where they were, and he walked over there ahead. Akira pleasantly talked a little more to the reporters, about rather shallow things, like what he thought of his father's early retirement, about the new world of Go, and the 'new wave' of players entering the world of Go. Afterwards, he made his way to the hallway his rival had motioned to.

Hikaru was leaning solemnly against the wall, his eyes were a mix of many emotions, the light from the window nearby painted the floor in long strokes.

Hikaru looked up as he walked into the hallway, his eyes sparkling in the light that caught it and his hair bleeding gold at the edges in the sunlight.

Akira blinked, but he recovered from his awe rather easily. "Is there…something you wanted to speak to me about?"

Hikaru snorted at his cordial way of opening conversation, but didn't extend further. "Yeah, actually."

Akira raised a brow.

"I have to ask you something…kinda important."

"Oh?" Akira would be lying if he said he wasn't interested, he watched as the light flickered with the sway of the blinds, how Hikaru's eyes seemed to glow green, and as the light moved they turned into an ocean blue. How his hair—even the black—was bleeding gold in the sunlight that shimmered over him in a peachy hue.

Akira blinked. His eyes. They were blue. But then, just as quickly as they changed, they were back to the green he was so used to.

"Who do you want to play?" Hikaru's voice came out strong, and perilous.

Akira was taken aback by the suddenness of when he spoke.

"Who do you want to play?" Hikaru repeated, never braking eye contact. "Me…or Sai?"

"W-What?" Akira didn't understand, and resisted the urge to scream in frustration and the overwhelming curiosity he had at the moment. Hikaru was offering a choice that…he didn't know what to do with.

"Well?"

Well, he had been playing Hikaru for a long time now…and he was just begging for another chance…

"Sai."

Akira was too busy noticing how his once green eyes that sparkled like emeralds, had turned into a deep delphinium blue, like the point where the sky met the ocean, to notice the pain that had ended the existing of green in those eyes.

"Ahh." Was his only response, before Hikaru—or Sai—pushed past him and into the game room.

…

Needless to say, Akira didn't understand much, but he followed suit anyways.

And in front of those all seeing azure eyes, that looked so eerie—and Akira had thoroughly convinced himself that it was just a trick of light—on Hikaru's face, Akira sat on the other side of a wooden Goban. The silent intensity, but more importantly the anger in them, was what Akira really didn't understand. Of course, he didn't know that, Hikaru was too shocked and dismayed with his answer that he had clamored into the hollow abyss of the recesses of his mind, and it was now Sai who sat across the Goban from him, upset with him for the fact he had hurt his other half.

And, also in front of all these people, was he thoroughly slaughtered.

Pa-chi.

The game had progressed in a fiery descent into defeat, in which Akira could do nothing but try to hold on in the midst of a great storm, of which he already knew the outcome. He was also intrigued with the fact that it was Hikaru—even though with those blue, blue eyes it didn't seem like Hikaru in the slightest—that had done such a thorough defeat of him.

But then he remembered, Hikaru's words before the slaughter match.

"Who do you want to play, me or Sai?"

This wasn't Hikaru. This was Sai.

--

So? Review? :3