I do not own Hikaru No Go or any of its characters

Farewell – Hikaru and Sai

Satisfaction rained down, glistened the shining world of Sai Fujiwara. World created within the Internet Go where he defeated his strongest opponent. He defeated Kouyo Touya, owner of four major titles and number 1 go player of Japan. He marvelled at this victory, rejoiced not only by defeating Touya Meijin, but with the brilliant stars they both shaped, formed a magnificent universe.

Sai drowned into his glory, almost, until his attention was grabbed by a little voice in front of him, the kid from two years ago. The same kid that showed him the radiance of the current world, its beauty and its love for go, Hikaru Shindo. "He would have gotten an advantage if he played his hand in the corner instead of connecting."

For a moment, he thought that it was indeed a brilliant game, seen through to the end by both him and Koyo, but he was wrong. Hikaru found a way for black, Koya Toya, to win and it astonished him, delighted him, made him proud as his Go master, but at the same time aroused the jealousy inside him.

The future in front of Hikaru was endless and pain took hold of his soul while image of the future where he wasn't needed was shown to him.

It took a while but Sai made peace with it, his purpose, and it was to show Hikaru, his path, this match. It has been his only purpose all the while and with that fulfilled. He felt it. The sands of time began to trickle down. The frozen hourglass has been melted. His limited existence started to fade; he felt it and confirmed it in the shed where they first met.

Hikaru saw it too, on the go board in the shed where they first met. The stain that no cloth was able to wipe off started to fade and Sai knew then that his existence would follow soon and so he must hurry. Every night and any chance he asked Shindo to play with him. He got angry at one point, derided Hikaru for a bad move. He wasn't playing wholeheartedly. He has to. He needed him to take every single stone as though they were his lasts because that's how it was for him. It became a big fight between them and the game was left unfinished.

"Sorry Hikaru, let's play… let's continue. " Sai apologized, swallowed his pride again, for his sake, so not to waste a single second but he ignored him. His eyes were heavy, and his body exhausted that he failed to hear him, his last words for him. It would have been different if he did,"… thank you Hikaru. It was fun."

Nightfall came, delivered its gift to the sleeping households, and Hikaru got himself his share, a dream, a peculiar one at that. He saw a kid, younger than him, in front of a magnificently made go board dyed in red, glistening brightly in his eyes. Hikaru tried talking to the kid but he didn't answer. His voice was unheard like the wind that brushed his silky hair. He walked away towards the light, on another corner, and entered a door opposite the boy but Hikaru always found himself beside the kid, listening to his voice, his stones and qualms, and imagined himself that way while Sai listen on the side. He missed him. He saw people talking to the boy, paying him great respect, but he failed to understand their words.

"What the- I want to wake up now!" he yelled but nothing happened, hours, days, years passed by and Hikaru was forced to watch over the go matches of the child but when he reached his teens, the boy started to resemble a friend. He began to resemble Sai Fujiwara.

Did we switch places, Sai? He asked the heavens but no one answered except for the monotonous voice of the stones placed on top of the go board. Days continued to show Hikaru the universe of Go under its creator, Sai Fujiwara, each stones on top of the Go board shines, but each time he placed a new, the stones shines even brighter.

Sai is truly a genius. He knew that from the very first game he played, against Touya, but today he was watching the game of Sai against another instructor inside the palace. He heard this story from Sai many times but he didn't pay much attention to it.

Sai gained a slight advantage, but still he played seriously, carefully, and that was why he saw it, the stone maliciously placed by his opponent to regain his territory over the go board. Nobody saw it, as the court officials were focused too much on the Go board, but he did.

What? No Sai, let it go, you can win this back. Hikaru tried to stop Sai, he would regain that loss either way but Hikaru knew what would happen next and he was most afraid of it. He experienced the same. His fear came about and the confused, distorted face of Sai when his opponent slandered him threw the court in chaos. The King and his retainers were furious that such an act would happen in front of the throne, no one wanted to believe it for a second, and with one command from the King, the game continued.

But Sai had lost his focus. Thought of the shame attached to his name and family pulled his mind, weakened his resolve. Mistake was made and Sai lost his game and his honor, his pride, and he was banished from the palace grounds. Shunned by his family, his friends, his King, Sai was left with nothing. With the moon as his witness, in the midst of the empty lake, he cried his sadness, his disappointment, until his sullied soul lost its footing.

Sai, Sai… Hikaru kept calling his name and extended his hand, hoping it would reach the bottom where his hand would be. Their fingertips touched and he saw his face, filled with despair, crumpled with sadness, but he failed to grab him out… until Sai disappeared in the void.

Sai was nowhere. Hikaru dove in deeper but he was nowhere to be found. His extended hand gnawed on his chest, there was pain coming, shooting from inside, he was alone. He looked around but there was only darkness on his side and on his feet, it scared him. A voice was calling to him but he couldn't hear it. The water around was cold and it was enough to freeze his despaired heart and mind.

"Hikaru! You cannot stay there… come out… Sai, Sai is, Sai is..." Hikaru heard him. His desperate voice rolling in his ears, but he knew the truth. He made it his truth.

Sai is in this lake…and I will wait here for Sai.