Meeting Under The Wisteria

Author's Note: This will be a Hikaru/Sai fic, though there will be some one-sided Akari/Hikaru. Its pretty much a canon pairing so there's no helping it. In the series its stated that Akari has feelings for Hikaru, and in the beginning he may have felt something, but Go took over his heart and he pushed her out of his life. In this fic whatever these two had left will be severed. There will also be hints of Akira/Hikaru, but played for laughs, and purely friendship with nothing romantic. I personally think these two don't have much chemistry for a romantic relationship.

Wisteria: (Fuji in Japanese, yes as in Fujiwara or wisteria field) has many different meanings like love, tenderness, sensitivity, endurance, longevity. All meaning which can be applied to Sai, but Wisteria also can mean clinging love. Which can especially be applied to Sai in the way he clung to his ghostly life to play Go, and when came close to disappearing he wanted to cling to Hikaru.

Tenjin: The god of scholarship and wisdom. In life he was known as Sugawara no Michizane, he was a Heian era scholar that was exiled due to the political mechanisms of the Fujiwara clan in the ninth century. After floods, and lightening strikes on the capitial, killing many Fujiwara, the emperor had him deified to appease his angry spirit.

Kannushi/Miko: A Shinto priest, these men (women are called Miko) are caretakers for shrines, and perform marriages, groundbreaking ceremonies, ect. They are the only ones these days that wear the kariginu (outer robe) and tate-eboshi (tall hat) that Sai wears. Though in Sai's time it was the garb worn by noblemen and government officials.

Chapter One:

A Divine Move

Fujiwara no Sai won another game against his old friend Torajiro. Here in heaven he saw many friends, and a few family members that were not so power hungry that had passed before, and after him. He got to play more games with them, many more. Torajiro flashed him a smile, "You won, again, Sai! I'll have to play you later, it looks like Tenjin-sama wants a game."

Sai smiled back, and waved good-bye as Torajiro took off, most likely to be with his family. Sai had missed Torajiro, though there was someone here that Sai missed even more, and he was on earth still. Sai sighed sadly at the thought of Hikaru, though at the same time he was proud to have been able to pass on his legacy. He wished to be able to be with Hikaru, or at least speak with him, but at least he was able to see Hikaru in a dream and pass on his torch. It was all the gods were willing to give him, and that would have to be enough.

An old man dressed much in the same manner as Sai sat down on the other side of the goban. He was Tenjin, the god of scholarship and wisdom, though in life Sai had called him Sugawara-sensei. Sai remembers his very first game of Go, and it was with this man. There was a great kinship between them, both of them had been exiled from there home because of the politics of power hungry Fujiwara. Sai, though he was a Fujiwara, he was the child of mistress of low birth, and was down upon by his own clan. The love of Go is what linked these two together. Sai bowed to his teacher. "Sugawara-sensei. I am happy to see you. It has been so long. Care for a game?"

Tenjin nodded, and smiled as they chose for color. "Indeed it has been awhile, Sai. How long has it been since I taught this game to that lonely child I found slacking off in his kannushi training?"

Sai blushed, as he placed his stone on komoku. He remembered his encounter with an old man he thought was just another priest in the shrine. Little did Sai know that the man who simply called himself Sugawara, was the god the shrine housed. "I wasn't slacking off, I was hiding from my sisters. They were very scary. They were trying to stick toads down my hakama again." Sai smiled nostalgically. "You invited me to play a game of Go. From that first game it was like the entire universe was open to me, an entire cosmos at my fingertips."

Sai sighed, as they played back and forth. He was countering his teacher's attacks, barely dodging. "I lost that game, and every game we played, but I gained those first steps to the Divine Move. I never obtained it. I wish I did, but at least I got to pass on that dream."

Tenjin chuckled. "Do you remember what the Divine Move is?"

Sai blinked at Tenjin, and put the tip of his fan on his lips in deep thought. "Yes. It is a move so unexpected, and so perfect that only god himself could have played it."

Tenjin played his stone in an unexpected place, Sai's eyes widen as he saw the trap for what it was. Sai went around it, and laid a trap that Sai had seen Hikaru make. It for all appearance appeared to be a bad move. Tenjin went for it. Back forth they traded moves, and only until it was too late did Tenjin see Sai's trap. Tenjin's eyes widened, and bowed his head. "I resign."

Tenjin looked up at his student, and smiled. "You say you never played the Divine Move? I must disagree. You had already played a move so unexpected, and perfect."

Sai stared in disbelief. He had beaten his teacher. Did he truly obtain the Divine Move? "Sugawara-sensei? When did I obtain the Divine Move?"

Tenjin chuckled. "You started to play it when you appeared to a boy who had no interest in Go whatsoever, and the Divine Move became apparent when you touched the Go of so many through that boy. The Divine Move is so subtle at first that few see it until it has been completed."

Sai gasped. Hikaru was his Divine Move. Sai had changed the world of Go. He turned a boy with zero interest or talent in Go into a professional in little more than two years. Sai's invisible hand played Go through Hikaru, and all the opponents he had played through Hikaru had changed the world of Go. What was more unexpected than the ghost of an ancient Go master possessing a boy who never played Go, and putting him on the long path to the Divine Move? Hikaru would surpass his teacher, as Sai had surpassed his.

Tenjin nodded. "Yes, it was a move worthy of a god. I think you have earned your place as the god of Go."

Sai looked up at his teacher. "What? Me?"

Tenjin stroked his beard in thought. "Yes. I think the position has been empty for awhile. I don't think there were any gods of Go before. I think you'll do a good job. Though I warn you there are some taboos, like doing another god's job being up at the top." Tenjin grinned. "Other than that you can visit mortals in dreams, at least until you get a shrine and create a divine bond with a mortal. All in order to do your job of course."

A wide smile bloomed on Sai's face. "Can I see Hikaru?"

Tenjin nodded. "Yes. I think tomorrow is his eighteenth birthday. He has grown quite a bit." Tenjin then gave Sai a warning glare. "I warn you not to change his red thread of fate. That is the god of love's job."

Sai cocked his head. "Why would I try to do that?"

Tenjin narrowed his eyes dangerously. "Because gods attached to mortals by a red thread of fate would be able to live in the mortal world. It is how many kannushi and miko gain spiritual powers is by marrying, for lack of a better word, to a god."

Sai tapped his lips with his fan, deep in thought. Hikaru would be eighteen, practically a man. Sai would be able to see Hikaru first, let the young man make that decision. Sai shook his head, Hikaru was bound to say no, but Sai would ask anyway. Sai got up and left to see Hikaru. He would be able to say what he had wanted to Hikaru. He wondered how long it has passed since he last saw Hikaru. Sai approached the great gate to the mortal world, and passed through it, eager to see Hikaru again.

When Sai left, Tenjin sighed. The scent of wisteria surrounded him. In the distance he caught the glimpse of a woman carrying a branch of wisteria. Tenjin shook his head. "Sai took the bait, lady Fujiko. No doubt he is going to try to change that red thread. Are you really going to test him like this? I've always known the boy to be more interested in Go, not romance. I see him only as a god of Go, not love."

The woman regarded Tenjin with some anger. "You have so little faith in him. Sai can be both."

Tenjin sighed. "This won't be a test just for him. Love is similar to Go in that you need two people to play. Will this Hikaru pass the test as well?"

The woman didn't answer, her silence was disconcerting to Tenjin, and then she disappeared. Tenjin stood. He had his own shrines, and devotees to attend to. He wished his student the best, and hoped that Hikaru would not let Sai down. He wondered if Sai would pass his final test in becoming a god of both Go and love. It would be far from easy for both of them.

oOo

Shindo Hikaru was dreaming. He was sitting in the grass beside a river, underneath an ancient wisteria tree. Its long blossoms swayed like a purple curtain in a wind he could not feel. Patches of sunlight filtered through creating a blurry dream-like mirage of vivid violets, pinks, and bright green colors. While the world around him had a vague dreamlike quality, the goban in front of him was vivid and clear. Hikaru sat in front of the goban, waiting for his opponent. He heard someone approach in the distance, then a familiar voice called to him in the distance. "Can you hear... Can you hear my voice? Hikaru?"

Hikaru froze at the sound of Sai's voice. It made his heart ache and leap with joy at the same time. The curtain of wisteria blossoms parted, and a familiar figure stepped through. Hikaru's eyes misted at the sight of his best friend and teacher. "Sai!"

Hikaru leapt to his feet, and ran into Sai's arms. He sobbed into the other man's embrace. "Sai! I missed you! I have so much to tell you!"

Sai smiled at Hikaru. "I missed you too, Hikaru. My, how you've grown! Oh, and happy birthday to you!"

Hikaru laughed a little, it was a little deeper than what Sai remembered, today was his eighteenth birthday. Hikaru had grown in the time that he was gone. Sai remembered how Hikaru could barely reach his chest, now he almost stood eye to eye with Sai, though he was still shorter than Sai. Hikaru's shoulders were broader, his voice had dropped an octave, and his face had lost much of its baby fat. Sai was right to think that Hikaru would someday grow into a fine man. Sai's smile grew. "Would you like to play a game with me?"

Hikaru sniffed back tears, and happily nodded. "Yes, I would like that very much!"

They took their seats on either side of the goban, used nigiri to choose for color, Hikaru had one black stone, and Sai had five white stones. Hikaru would be playing black. Sai asked Hikaru. "How have you been?"

Hikaru opened up on Komoku. "I've been doing really well. I beat Ko Yeong-ha last year at the third Hokuto Cup. He's this bastard that insulted you at the first Hokuto Cup, and to my shame I failed to defend your honor that time. It was my most bitter defeat, and on the first anniversary of your disappearance too, but its okay now since I was able to beat him. As it turns out there was a mistranslation, and had later he said those things to rile me up, he's actually a Shuusaku fan. He respects you, Sai, though I still hate his guts. Oh, and I'm also catching up to Akira now. I'm even winning a few of our matches. I haven't won against him in a professional match though..."

Hikaru grinned. "But, I'm finally a seven-dan now. It took me awhile with my two months of forfeits, but I did it. I passed the Honinbo preliminaries! I'll be joining the Honinbo league next week, which means I get promoted to a seven-dan after nearly four years of being a sho-dan. Eventually I can challenge Kuwabara for the title! Can you imagine, Shindo Honinbo?"

Sai placed a white stone on the goban, breaking up Hikaru's shape in the lower corner. Sai smiled at Hikaru. "That's wonderful! I'm glad to hear that. How have all your friends been doing? Made any new friends?" Sai hid his sly smile behind his fan. "Any girlfriends?"

Hikaru blushed, and fumbled a little when he attached a black stone. He was on the defensive, Sai was as swift and brutal as ever. He saw an opening in the upper corner, and he wondered if Sai would fall for it. "Girlfriends? Well... I went on a few dates with Akari after she confessed to me. She's nice, and I've been helping her out with her Go. She's not a great player, nor is she as passionate about Go, but she's nice, I guess."

Hikaru looked away, unable to look Sai in the eye. He and Akari were having relationship problems. He was often late for their dates because of matches, and tournaments, and she confessed to him last week that she was starting to hate Go. A white stone was placed with a loud clack. Sai didn't see the trap Hikaru laid out. Hikaru looked up in shock. Sai was smiling, but there was something storming behind his eyes. "It sounds like you are doing so well. I'm proud." Sai's smile fell. "You have been doing much better without me."

Hikaru frowned, and the black stone he played echoed loudly with a great resounding clack. The trap closed Sai in, Hikaru would claim the entire lower left side of the goban, killing the white there. "Is that why you left me?"

Sai looked up to see Hikaru near tears, and he felt his heart clench in pain at the sight. He hesitated a little before playing his white stone. Sai saw the trap too late, a set back to be sure. Hikaru had greatly improved, and had become a fierce opponent, but Hikaru let the entire right side open to him. Sai let go of his lower left corner, and attacked the right side relentlessly. "I'm sorry, Hikaru. If I had stayed with you, you never would have grown up. As much I hated it, my destiny was to be a mere stepping stone on your path to adulthood, and obtaining the Divine Move. I was destined to play that game with Touya Kouyo, so that you would see a move that neither one of saw. I had so much fun with you, and watching you grow. I didn't want to leave, but I had no choice. I am sorry for the grief, and the pain I have inflicted on you."

Hikaru felt anger bubble up in his stomach. "A stepping stone?! That's all you think you are?! You mean more than that to me! You're my best friend, my mentor, my..." Hikaru trailed off, not knowing how to finish that sentence. Tears spilled from his eyes, and fell onto the goban. "Why can't you come back?"

Sai looked at Hikaru sadly. "I cannot come back. My duty on Earth is complete, and I passed on my legacy. My role as your mentor is done. If I came back what would be there for me?"

Hikaru slammed his fists on the goban, and some go stones flew off the goban. "You would have me!"

Hikaru's anger disappeared as saw that Sai was crying. "I was so bitter, and angry at you. You had a bright future that I did not have. You were always the one destined to obtain the Divine Move, not me. Even now that I am in heaven, I still have so many regrets that keep me from peace. What I regret most of all, even more than not obtaining the Divine Move, was not having more time with you. I want to stay by your side forever, Hikaru. How can I stay in heaven when the peace I seek is with you?"

Hikaru hiccuped, and his eyes filled with hope. "Are you going to stay?"

Sai's expression turned serious. "I can, but you would have to pay a terrible price. There is the reason why I have visited you now in your dream after all these years. You are now old enough to be offered this choice."

Hikaru looked at Sai with a raised brow. "Is it because I can get a driver's license now?"

Sai shook his head. "Hold out your left pinky."

Hikaru felt some hesitation, wondering if he would chop it off or something, but then Hikaru noticed something. It was a small barely visible red string tied around his pinky. "Wait. Is that the red string of fate? I thought that was mushy garbage companies use to sell their crap on Valentine's Day."

Sai giggled behind his fan. "No, it is quite real. Sometimes two souls are linked together by this red string. Those two souls are fated to be lovers. This red string of yours is linked to Akari-chan, and it looks like it is fraying. Your heart and Akari's are not connecting are they?" Sai looked at Hikaru, searching for something in the younger man's eyes.

Hikaru's eyes widened. "Akari is my soulmate?! But I don't love her!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, Hikaru realized why he held more passion for Go then he did for Akari. It hit him with the same quickness, and intensity as thunder. It wasn't just the game itself that Hikaru loved with all his heart, but the man who taught it to him. Hikaru played Go again after his two months absence to connect with a ghost from the past. Hikaru loved Sai. He never questioned, until now, just how deep that love went, he only knew that he loved Sai. Hikaru never loved anyone as he does Sai, not his parents nor even Akari. The saddest part was how much Akari loved him, and he had little left to give her. "I did love Akari, once. Long ago before I met you, before we shared a mind, heart, and soul. She loves me, but I don't love her. How can I when my heart is chasing a ghost?"

Sai nodded. "It seems that my fate to teach you Go interfered with this fate. Now it is frayed and about to break. The price you must pay to have me stay is to let her go, and tie that string to me. She will choose another, and you will be tied with me forever. My role as your mentor may be done, but by taking the role as your lover I can sneak back. Once you do this there is no going... Hikaru?"

Sai looked down and blinked repeatedly at the sight. He saw Hikaru yanking on the red string on his finger and chewing on it. He was gnawing at it like a starving dog with a turkey leg, he growled out. "Damn thing... break already!"

Sai glared at him and flailed his arms comically. "Be serious, Hikaru! This is a grave matter!"

Hikaru looked back up at Sai with bright green eyes that burned with determination. "I am serious! The sooner I sever ties with Akari, the happier we all will be! I don't love Akari, the one I love is you!"

Sai gasped in utter amazement at the level of devotion Hikaru had for him. "You would choose to be with an older man who has been dead for a thousand years over a living girl your age?"

Hikaru nodded with no hesitation. "Yes, I would. I don't care if I don't ever get married, and have kids like society is telling me to. I'm happier being with you, even if other people think I'm a head case that yells at thin air."

Sai wept with joy, and embraced Hikaru. "Never in my life nor in death had anyone loved me this much! You would truly let me cling to you like the wisteria clings to the strong pine?"

Hikaru hugged Sai back, and nodded. "Yeah!"

Sai knew what he was about to do would have him expelled from his lofty place in heaven, but Sai didn't care. He wanted to be selfish and be with Hikaru. Sai let go of Hikaru, to inspect the red string tied the young man to Akari. Sai held the red string in his hand, it was as a single thread of silk. It was stretched to its limits, now more than ever is this fate vulnerable. Sai knew in his heart that only a god of love could be able to change the strings of fate that binds lovers together, but he would try anyway. "Since you are sure, Hikaru, then I will cut your fate, and bind myself to you."

Sai took a step back, and summoned to his hand a katana. Sai ran the sword against the red thread, which gave a surprising amount of resistance. Then Sai felt something catch on the blade, a weak spot a good three feet from Hikaru's pinky. Sai looked into Hikaru's eyes, and their gazes locked together. Hikaru nodded, and Sai took a deep breath. Sai then cut the thread, and it snapped like a rubber band.

The end of the red thread still attached to Hikaru's hand now looked like a red snake coiled around his pinky. It swayed looked for another hand to attach to. Sai sat down in front of Hikaru and grasped Hikaru's pinky finger with his own. The red thread coiled around their pinkies, and linked the two men together. It was much thicker than before, resembling a ribbon more than a silk thread.

Hikaru and Sai looked up at each other and their gazes locked. They felt their hearts race. They leaned in closer to one another until the tips of their noses touched. Hikaru cupped Sai's face, and closed the distance. Their lips had barely touched when the dream was shattering around them, and Sai was dragged away from Hikaru by some unknown force. Sai was being dragged toward the river, and the world was growing dark. Hikaru held onto Sai with all his strength. Sai looked at Hikaru desperately, "Hikaru, don't let them take me to hell! Please!"

Hikaru's strength gave out, and watched helplessly as Sai was dragged away into the river. The world caved in around him, and Hikaru felt like he was falling into an abyss. He flailed uselessly trying to reach towards Sai. Hikaru screamed into the darkness Sai's name.

oOo

Author's Afternote: I had posted this on AO3, and I guess I forgot to post it here. Its already complete, so if you don't want to bother waiting for me to post every chapter, please feel free to head over there. Otherwise, thank you for reading and please drop a review!