Prologue part 2: He who was drowned in flow of time

When the boy wake up and introduced himself with an old name, Kuwabara didn't know what to think. From Fujiwara's speech alone he could tell they boy was not your everyday teenager, it was not just polite but also eloquent and graceful. His body language was the same, signaling he was a high born. Kuwabara gave him a glass of water, and he had never seen a youngster sipping water so gracefully.

The worse telling was how the boy was looking at the glass cup with childlike wonder and asked how it was made. Who is the crafter, and the Emperor Daigo would love to purchase it. Their current emperor was definitely not Emperor Daigo, he was the Emperor of Japan from one thousand years ago. If the boy had not blurted that out Kuwabara would have asked who was their current prime minister to make sure.

"Kid… what date is today?" He asked almost breathlessly.

"Hum… how many days have passed since this one was saved by you, Kuwabara-sama?" The boy asked back.

Kuwabara sighed, "Three days."

"Then… Engi 5, 4th month 6rd day." The boy answered cheerfully.

There was no sign of the boy bluffing him but Kuwabara still stared at him and expecting the boy to say 'Surprise, it's all just a big joke.' But none of that came, the boy was still looking at him with this benign and sincere eyes.

He didn't lie.

Kuwabara in a moment of morbid curiosity yesterday had brought the boy's clothes to an expert, and appraisal result told him it was made of highest quality silk and worth a fortune nowadays. It was also not of this era.

The Honinbou took a deep breath and asked, "So boy, care to enlighten this old man how I end up fishing you out of my pond?"

The boy stiffened at that and swallowed, "Is that pond you have connected to a river?"

"Yeah." He lied smoothly.

He swallowed again, a sign of nervousness. "I… I was trying to save my mentor and older brother… Sai ani-ue…"

The Go tutor of the Emperor the boy mentioned, "And?"

The boy then laughed sheepishly, but Kuwabara could see his eyes weren't smiling. "He got into trouble in capital a little so he was sent to countryside to reflect…" He murmured, "Sai-ani-ue was always thinking with his emotion first before his head, even though he is a man…" Fujiwara chuckled softly, "Then again a lot of people wondered why he was not born a woman instead…"

It seemed the boy was still in shock from whatever ordeal he had to go through, as he was rambling to a stranger like Kuwabara. The stranger who saved his life but still…

"It was a small problem… you see…"

No, he didn't see and from the way his voice started to shake Kuwabara didn't think it was a small problem.

"It was all misunderstanding." The boy continued, "Sai-aniue would never cheat, and the emperor knew that too! He was our cousin so… he sent Sai-aniue away just so the heat in the court can cool down and ani-ue can return! Maybe he can't be the Emperor's tutor anymore but that's fine as long as… he… can still play… I will still play with him… no matter how… busy I am with my school and training… so…"

Oh dear God, this was even more complicated than he thought.

"I came to visit ani-ue to cheer him up! He… is… no good in anything but music and Go! So I have to explain to him about the politic situation he didn't get… our Emperor was attempting to save him… he is not thrown away, he still can play go… at least I will still play him… but that small villa he resided in was empty… his goban… the one he promised to give me for my coming of age was wet… stained with his tears…"

Should he stop the boy now or let the story continue? But the boy seemed he didn't want to stop, he wanted to get it off of his chest.

"Sai-aniue can't swim…" The boy choked out as he let out mirthless laugh, "His tears is still… so I think he has not gone for long… so I ran to nearest river… I am better at him in physical activity so I can catch up with him… I can stop him from doing foolish mistake and…"

Don't tell me… the boy's brother died in front of him? By drowning no less?!

"I found his fan on the edge on river… it's still warm! So I dove to that fast flowing river… and I found him… and pulled him up… he…"

Flashback

'Ani-ue! Cough! Cough!' Hikaru called him as he struggled to reach branch of persimmon tree that hung low above the water surface with his free hand, while the other was holding his brother.

It was 4th month so the water was still so cold and in this region the winter last longer than most, it was so painful! The water felt like thousands of needle prickling his skin.

He reached out and grabbed the thick branch but he had no strength left to pull himself and his brother up. "Ani-ue! Wake up! Wake-up you idiot!"

But Sai, his brother didn't even stir and his body was so cold.

No… no, it can't be!

"Sai-aniue! Ani-ue! Please!" He cried as he bumped his forehead against his brother hard. "Wake up! You fool! You promise me! You promise me you're going to give me your goban for my coming of age… that's next month!" He cried softly, sobbing uncontrollably. "I want you to be there for me! You promised me! Hic hic!"

Then suddenly blue eyes fluttered open, "Hi… kaa.. ru? Little… brother? Why?"

"Ani-ue! You're alive! You're alive!" He cried happily, "Come on! We're going home to Heian-kyo! I will hunt rabbit and deer for your welcome home party!" He babbled on happily with trembling lips. "I will beg to father so you can go home as soon as possible!"

Sai smiled weakly at his brother, "Re…ally?"

"Uhm! We're going home!" He choked out, "We will play Go as many games as you want!"

Hikaru never promised him that, even though his brother was as talented and perhaps even more so… because of his choice in life their father wanted Hikaru who also talented in other field to flourish even more than their other brothers. Hikaru couldn't play as much as he liked because Sai had claimed that road. He was selfish and Hikaru had to… even if father gave in and asked the emperor for his return, Hikaru would be forced to excel more and more…

The last time he saw his brother, Hikaru was so close to snap from the pressure. The game he played was angry and aggressive, he was frustrated with his life but Hikaru didn't say anything, his Go did…

And now Sai was dying and he was dragging Hikaru along with him! He was the worse brother Hikaru could ever have!

Kami-sama… please… let my brother live…
I want him to be free and happy in different place
in different… time…
So he could be free from his obligation and live!

Then he heard a voice telling him that would be acceptable in exchange for..

And your soul is mine to play the game
for eternity…

He accepted and with the last power he had, Sai tucked his fan inside Hikaru's jo-e with trembling hand and said. "Hikaru… otou-to… even if it takes one thousand of years I will always… love you…"

"Hh?" Hikaru trembled, "What are you saying ani-ue… grab the branch! I can't hold you anymore… I can't feel my arm and it's…

"Cold?" Sai finished for him. "Otouto… Hikaru… live… as long as you live… I… will be always there…"

"Eh?"

Then Sai let go of his hand and even though he tried to reach out his hand couldn't reach his brother, and everything became black.

End of Flashback

The boy collapsed again and Kuwabara frantically called for his personal doctor. The doctor came as soon as possible to check the boy's condition. It was stress, the doctor said. He suspected the boy was not just suffering from pneumonia but exhaustion prior to his water accident.

Kuwabara swallowed as he recalled this boy belonged to Fujiwara clan of Heian era, in that age that clan was hailed as co-ruler of the emperor. It was not much stretch of imagination after the fiasco his brother caused, this kid was under a great stress. The idiot brother even committed suicide in front of his eyes.
He was no believer of fiction phenomena like time travel but there was too much evidences for him to not believe Fujiwara Hikaru.

The next time the boy wake up, he was looking for his brother. Kuwabara noticed the boy looked happier than last time he wake up and so Kuwabara asked again.

"What date is today, boy?"

Much to his dread the boy answered with date earlier by three days than one he gave the day before, the boy had forgotten the event of his brother's death. It must be the shock and grief, so his mind coped with erasing it.

"Ani-ue is somewhere… " He said innocently, "He always ask me to look for him, so I will! Then we can go home… or perhaps not! As long as we're together, it's enough…"

Kuwabara couldn't hold it anymore and burst to tears. It was embarrassing for an old man like him to cry in front of a young boy but he couldn't help it. Foolish brat! Chasing a dead man!

However the Honinbou couldn't bring himself to tell the truth that Fujiwara no Sai the boy wanted to save desperately had died. That man died out of his own foolishness!
So instead, Kuwabara introduced Fujiwara Hikaru to this era, Go, technology, culture, art, everything he could get his hand on to distract the boy.

The boy was surprised he was not in his own time anymore but he quickly accepted it, he even looked happy that he didn't have to succeed his uncle as Prime Minister of the Left. He was also happy to think that his brother was out there, in this world where the politic of Heian court had died out so he could play as much as he wanted.

Kuwabara introduced him to modern Go, and he was awed with how fast the boy absorbed his teaching like sponge. The boy was already at pro level when Kuwabara found him, even if his joseki was outdated by one thousand years. His students were floored by the boy, wondering where their old master found Hikaru. Of course Kuwabara lied through his teeth about picking the boy up somewhere rural and made up a yawn inducing story his students quickly gave up on knowing.

Just like that Fujiwara Hikaru fit into his life as his disciple, not student. Hikaru was his heir, and Kuwabara didn't care everything else. He knew this was the boy he could happily gave his title to with a smile, although he would put up a good fight before he passed it on his disciple.

Hmph! Take that Ogata-brat! As if he would let his throne taken by Touya's student!

As Hikaru was the future Honinbou, he saw it fit to make Hikaru learn about Honinbou from the past especially Shusaku and Shuwa. However… he didn't expect the boy tearing up when he saw Shusaku's kifu and cried that he found his brother. Somehow Hikaru was convinced Shusaku and Fujiwara no Sai were related. Kuwabara couldn't follow Hikaru's wild theory about reincarnation or his brother time traveled in different time but he was as determined as ever to find his brother in this era.

Then with strength of a possessed man Hikaru learned everything about Shusaku and he went as far as fighting his fear of modern transportation to travel to Innoshima. By the end of those three months of 'Shusaku fever' as Kuwabara put it, Hikaru slowed down his search and Kuwabara hoped it was the end of his madness and obsession of Shusaku. As much as Kuwabara respected his ancestor, he had no wish for his disciple to dwell on the shadow of his brother he saw on Shusaku.

Then the boy started to act weird, or rather weirder than he already did. Hikaru was an active child with sunny disposition, ut he could be mature and serious when he had to which was no surprise to Kuwabara since he was a noble. However the boy had never been nagging and whiny, but now the boy would nag on him about his unhealthy habit in every single chance. He also prone to cry if Kuwabara didn't give in to his demand.

Whenever he saw sake or cigarette, it as if the wrong switch on his head was turned on.

It took Kuwabara a few weeks to realize the boy had unknowingly picking up an aspect of personality of his dead brother. He had heard so much of Fujiwara no Sai from Hikaru to the point he felt as if he knew the Go tutor in person. He also knew Hikaru was annoyed his brother kept nagging him for game whenever he was studying, but inwardly he was secretly enjoying the attention. To Hikaru, that trait of his brother was a reminder of their happier days.

Hikaru was getting cheerful because he was imitating his brother. Kuwabara had a mixed feeling of this development. However in the end he could do nothing, and did the best he could. It was raising the boy to be an exceptional Go player, and his heir.

Even if the boy was slightly not right on the head, Kuwabara found his new purpose in life in Hikaru and he wouldn't trade it for the world.

Although sometimes…

"Idiot disciple! More sake!" Kuwabara demanded.

"You have enough, Shishou." The boy returned coolly. "No more!"

Kuwabara groaned, "Oh come on! It's winter! It's cold! I need sake!"

"This house have heater! Even the floor is warm, so it's no excuse to destroy your liver for heat!"

If there was one thing he hated from the fact the boy had good head on his shoulder, it was how fast the boy learned everything from internet, especially health risk of cigarette and alcohol.

"I just… I just…" Then the boy started sobbing.

"Argh! Fine! Make me some tea instead! Tea! Tea!"

He didn't have his title match with boy yet, and he was already losing in this match.


Chapter 2: Honinbou's Plot

Touya's residence, study room

Ogata placed the last stone on the goban and said, "This is the life and death situation that Kuwabara Honinbou's disciple remarked as interesting."

Ashiwara gaped at the dying black cluster and blurted out, "Whoaa… even a pro will find this problem difficult and he said it's interesting?"

The Meijin narrowed his eyes at the dying cluster, "Indeed, this is no ordinary problem… so Kuwabara-sensei's student find this interesting?"

"Yes, he could solve it for sure…" Ogata added, "He is exceptional, and Kuwabara-sensei won't take random kid as his disciple…"

Sasaki frowned, "I have heard Kuwabara-sensei took a disciple last year, but that's it. Not even his name is circulated around our community…"

"Yes, it seems even his students are tightlipped about the boy." Ogata murmured, "I tried to ask Sakurano 3-dan but she said Kuwabara-sensei said it's a surprise…" He scowled.

It was a widespread knowledge that to get to Kuwabara's study group you had to be a quirky individual he liked. In fact Ogata was surprised Ashiwara with his puppy like personality didn't make it to that group, then again perhaps his teacher was faster to get to Ashiwara.

"Otou-san?" Akira entered the study.

Touya Meijin glanced at his son, "Akira, take a look at this, and try to solve it."

Akira obeyed and the pros made room for Akira to sit near the goban. "That cluster is going to die if black didn't find a way to live." He murmured as he narrowed his eyes at the cluster, his right hand reached out for black goke and then he placed a black stone on 1-2.

"As expected of Akira-kun!" Ashiwara praised brightly.

The young Touya smiled sheepishly, "This is a pretty difficult problem, but Otou-san… why you ask me to solve it?"

The Meijin answered, "No reason… I just want you to try your hand on it."

"Oh."

It seemed the Meijin didn't want to inform Akira about the Honinbou's disciple for now, not when the boy stayed in the unknown by his master's order. Kuwabara might be his fellow title holder but the Meijin didn't forget the Honinbou was his senior and deserve to have his privacy respected.


Kuwabara's residence

His mentor was up to something and usually it involved sending him somewhere to fetch latest copy of shonen magazine or picking up his order somewhere shoddy. After almost one year under Kuwabara Honinbou's tutelage, Fujiwara Hikaru was used to his random whim. It was nothing new, just like how Kuwabara decided since last week that he wanted Hikaru to be the one who recorded his matches and no one else. It was not like Hikaru had anything else to do aside from looking for his missing brother and following his mentor around as his assistant cum manager.

However instead of giving a note that detailed his task, Kuwabara gave him a photo of a young boy his age with dark green hair and blue eyes. Or to be precise it was a photo clipped from Go weekly magazine.

"If you see this boy." Kubara tapped his bony finger repeatedly on the photo. "Ask him for a game."

He took the photo, eyeing it warily. "Why?"

"Because I say so." Kuwabara said with a grin.

Hikaru sighed exasperatedly, "If I do that… will shishou consider trying switching from nicotine patches soon?"

Kuwabara cringed, "If you can get that game before the end of this month and win, I will."

Hikaru frowned at his mentor, "Shishou… today is 21th day of this month already, that's not fair."

"You're the one who start to bring something at stake!" Kuwabara shot back.

"But that's because Shishou won't tell me why I have to play this boy!" Hikaru retorted with a wail, "I will not obey your unreasonable demand just because you say so!"

"Fine! The first week of next month!" Kuwabara haggled.

Hikaru crossed his arms, "I even have no idea who he is! You should give me at least two months!"

The other students of Kuwabara , they watched the exchange as sweat-dropped.

Sakurano Yuya, a beautiful female Go player whistled. "Sensei and young master are at it again~"

Ichiya Kotobuki snorted, "Hikaru-kun is just concerned about our teacher's health."

Akatsuki Ren, the other member of their study group narrowed his eyes. "But if Kuwabara-sensei wanted Hikaru to challenge someone his age, it couldn't be anyone but Touya Akira…"

Senya Hibiki cringed, "Oi… oi~ are we trying to play with fire here or what? Why sensei want Hikaru-kun to play Touya Akira?"

Sakurano Yuya leaned in conspiratorially. "Most likely as distraction… Hikaru-kun is still trying to find that dead brother of his." She whispered.

Akatsuki rolled his eyes, "And pray tell how Touya junior can be a distraction? Hikaru don't care about anything but his brother and our teacher's health… even his go is a way to find that brother…"

Sakurano glared at Akatsuki, "Watch your mouth, Hikaru-kun value his Go more than just a mean to find his brother!"

Ichiya, the oldest among them at 37 nodded. "I agree with Sakurano-kun, Hikaru-kun is strong because he loves Go and worked hard to achieve his current level… perhaps Sensei wanted Hikaru-kun to see a rival in someone his age with equal skill."

Akatsuki laughed at that, "Touya Akira in the same level as Hikaru?" He snorted, "If they play I will bet my whole fortune on Hikaru…"

Sakurano frowned at that, "We don't know how strong Touya Akira is but… I don't think it would be a curbstomp game as you think, Akatsuki-kun."

"This coming from 3-dan who got trounced by Hikaru in daily basis?" He quirked an eyebrow at her.

She shrugged; as she had learned well and hard that she was no match to the young prodigy. "Yeah… but I think…"

"FINE!" Kuwabara's wizened voice pierced through the air, "One month! No more no less!"

"Deal!" Hikaru chirped happily.

The Meijin would be furious if he knew his son was used as betting material, they thought in unison. Then again it was all sensei's fault, worse case come to worst we will grab Hikaru and throw sensei before the Meijin's fatherly fury. They decided resolutely.


A week later…

Akira was on the way to his father's go salon from school when he spotted a child his age watching a game between two old men on that small quaint dango shop. The child looked out of place in this age with his choice of wearing traditional clothing, a hakama and getta. However with that traditional looking pace in the background, it as if a piece of reality was cut from the past. Akira didn't know why, but he was drawn to come closer as if he heard a siren song beckoning him.

Pachi!

"Makemashita." The black player said. "I have lost."

Perhaps it was not Siren's song but the sound of clacking stones on the goban, a familiar melody since his earliest childhood. The goban was old with legs, and from the sound was made of katsura. It seemed the shop owner lend it to customers as a way to pass time and their sweet treat as companion.

"Ah!" The player who won was about to begin post game discussion but he was not careful when pointing a spot and his elbow swept pass majority of stones on the left side. "I am sorry, aaah… how to fix this? Can you?"

"Oh come on! I am older than you and my memory…" The white player protested.

Akira blinked at that, 'True… if you can play the game, recreating sounds easy but as I found in father's go salon only those with skill have enough familiarity to do so…'

"Would you like me to help you?" A young deep voice asked.

It was then Akira really noticed the boy who stood beside him. He was around Akira's hair with hair so long it reached pass his waist, his skin had healthy tan and his eyes were deep green. He was a child but his voice was low and deep, as if he was older than his real age.

"Of course!" The portly man agreed, "If you please."

Then the boy in hakama bent down, and swept the rest of the stones on the goban off carefully. It was just picking the stones, and Akira normally would have offered his assistance but he couldn't tear his eyes away. However there was gracefulness in those simple movements, deft fingers picking stones with familiar ease and stone falling back to goke with hypnotizing click clack sound. After all stones were collected and back to goke, the boy started recreating the game.

Pachi, pachi, pachi…

His ears had gotten weird, Akira thought in a daze. The sound of stones clacking against the wooden surface had this rhythm, odd melody that lulling his sense. It as if the mysterious boy was playing music with them as his instrument. Then suddenly the song ended and the game was recreated.

"There." The boy murmured. "It's your game."

"Thanks kid."

"You're welcome." The boy in hakama returned with a benign smile.

What was that just now? Why he felt so…

Akira almost jumped in shock when he realized the boy's deep green eyes were looking at him, he was just looking from side glance not outright staring but Akira felt like being studied by every inch of his body. For a moment he felt…scared. Why?

Then the mysterious boy's stance relaxed and he was smiling at Akira. "Good after noon."

"Ah?" Akira sputtered, the boy was around his height but because of his geta he was almost one head taller than Akira. He felt intimidated for a moment. "Good afternoon."

"Hm…" Then once again the boy in hakama was studying his face and then come to a decision.

"Would you like to play a game with me?"

That afternoon changed his everything, his first encounter with Honinbou's disciple.


The reason I update this first? Simply because I feel bad it's so short in last chapter.
And also because I am a little sad that a lot of you say I shouldn't turn this to fem Hikaru fic DX Apparently a lot of you have no faith I can write a good fem Hikaru fic hic hic! Sob Sob! Maybe it's me who is too sensitive with overreactive imagination in interpretting your reviews.

Hic!

At any rate, melodrama of mine aside... this story will take a VERY different turn from canon and Monogatari. It also had darker tone and perhaps... shonen-ai, it's undecided though whether we will have romance or not...
I am not sure it's better or not but it's different... and I am still considering turning this to gender bender fic until the next chapter is out.