A/N: Finally, I present to you: Chapter ten!

Disclaimer: With a last pull, the caterpillar finally came to the edge of the leaf and started nibbling happily on it. Just as it was enjoying its meal, a loud crow reverberated through the air, signifying that the poor caterpillar was about to become a meal.

Hastily, the fearful caterpillar wriggled its little body with all its little might. Just as a looming beak was about to swallow it whole, the caterpillar managed to hide in a rather small hole in the tree.

The eagle stared at the tree, absolutely befuddled.

Above the hole where the caterpillar had climbed into, were words carved into the tree trunk.

Ao Yuki does not own Hikaru no Go.

0000000000

Chapter 10

"Shall we play go, Daisuke?"

There was something missing from Daisuke, Sai noticed, when Hikaru wasn't there. It wasn't anything particularly tangible, or obvious. And there didn't seem to be any words he knew that could describe it. It was just that... something that was different in the absence the older Shindou twin. The words that came closest to describing it would be 'light'. That was the word that seemed more apt and also the only one that Sai could think up of. Daisuke was almost like a candle, and Hikaru was air for the fire on the candle. Without Hikaru's presence, Daisuke would flicker about weakly, like a dying flame. Only when Hikaru was there, that Daisuke smiled more, and was... brighter...?

"Hm? Oh, ok." The book which Daisuke had been reading was dog-eared and then placed down on the bed. Scooting nearer to the goban lying in the middle of the room, Daisuke then proceeded to make himself comfortable for the game.

Looking at the goban with a slightly wistful expression, Sai wished that he could hold the go stones. Just once would make him very happy. On some nights, when both Hikaru and Daisuke were sleeping, he would imagine that he could almost, but not quite, feel the smooth curved surface of the stone and the rough lined goban. Sai knew that ghosts didn't sleep and so, didn't dream. But Sai still held the dream that someday, he could play Go for himself again...

"Hey, Sai! Oi! Sai!" Daisuke's voice snapped his attention back to reality.

"Eh? Oh! Right! Place six stones down first."

But wasn't it enough? Sai pondered as he heard the sound of the stones knocking against the goban, almost sounding like melodious notes to his ears. To be able to just exist to play go...

But... No. it would never be enough. Sai could never get enough of Go as long as he continued to exist. He was bound to the mortal plane by his love of Go and there was never any reason for him to stop loving the very game that defined his existence. He could never stop loving the goban, with its neat lines and perfect squares that somehow seemed so mystical, it hypnotised him.

He could never stop feeling the surge of excitement that went through his veins (do ghosts have veins?) whenever a new game was started. There was the limitless possibilities, the intricate designs that was slightly different for every game that he played. Sai prided himself in the fact that given a sufficient stimulus, he could and would be able to recall every single game that he had played. There was never even once that he had taken a game lightly, for every time a stone was laid on the goban, he would etch it into his memory to be remembered for all eternity.

Delicately, Sai raised his fan to cover half his face while his eyelids fell. He allowed the numerous games that he had played to wash over him behind his eyelids, like a gentle wave lapping at the coastal sand. So many different patterns, so many different types of feelings that he had been feeling during the games. Regret, shock, giddiness, confusion, contentment, happiness...

Sadness...

There was a lot of sadness in the whole mixture of memories as well. One game stood out in his mind more than the others. Sai couldn't see or remember his opponent, but he expected it to be someone close to him. The emotion related to the particular game was mostly regretfulness, sadness, and pain akin to that of parting with a close loved one.

However, the game was, to his bewilderment, unfinished.

Sai wondered what had happened for him to leave such a great game uncompleted. It seemed such a waste... But then sometimes, Sai knew, there were things which happened that was out of a person's control. To many other people, Go was not as important as other matters, so although Sai wondered who his opponent was, he let the thought slipped out from his mind.

"K, I'm done!" Daisuke announced.

His focus shifted to the familiar goban in front of him, and his lips curved upwards in a gentle smile.

"Then let's begin."

And the struggle of black stones against white began.

0000000000

The coarse, grey headstone rose inches by inches in front of Hikaru as he climbed up the last few steps of the endless staircase. The sight brought a strange fluttery feeling to his stomach.

He wasn't expecting an oval shaped black portal with a neon green sign saying 'To Home World'. Of course not.

Hikaru didn't actually know what he was doing in Innoshima. He just had an urge to see the spot where he had somehow through some orthodox means, travelled into another world. He didn't even thought about how it was an utter waste of money (his last bit of allowance was blown on the trip, damn it), or how he was going to get home when he didn't have enough money left.

He was going to be in so much trouble.

Yet somehow, he really couldn't bring himself to care about that at the moment. Maybe later he would panic.

The headstone appeared the same as the last time he saw it. It was still grey. It had the same words on them. It was still... a headstone. Nothing more, nothing less. Nothing on it or even around it indicated any abnormalities at all.

So what was the mysterious force that sent him into another universe? What sort of power was it?

Hesitantly, Hikaru stretched out a hand and lightly brushed against the words carved onto it. With a start, he realised that they were fading. The words were not as deeply entrenched into the stone, most likely eroded by nature's various tempers.

With a sigh, Hikaru sat in front of the tomb alone, hugging his knees close to him. He stared at the tombstone.

Despite the relative warmness of temperate, he still felt cold. Empty. It was a feeling that couldn't be driven away even if Hikaru was seated right next to a heater.

"Sai... I mean, my world's Sai. I wonder where are you now? You know what's going on, right? You always seem to do… Can you tell me?" he whispered.

But he was alone, with no answers.

Hikaru remembered the time when Sai had first disappeared. He felt the same as he did now. Alone, abandoned, and somehow cheated... At that time, he thought that Sai would stay with him forever. The thought of Sai leaving didn't even cross his mind once. But then as soon as he got used to the idea of having a ghost as a companion till he died, he was left behind. With nothing else but the game that chained them together.

Sai came to him to abruptly, and left just the same way.

In both instances, he had no idea why he came to him of all the other people in the world, and why he left.

Was this going to be the same way? Would he, one day without any reason, just as he had managed to move on with his life despite being tossed into a different world, be tossed back again?

What if somehow... he landed in a universe where he didn't play Go? Or (even worse) one where he couldn't play Go?

No. He couldn't, wouldn't let his thoughts travel down that direction.

Where did those thoughts some from any way? The old Shindou Hikaru wouldn't be worrying so much about something like that anyway. It wasn't as if anyone was going to tell him the answer to his question. But it had taken Hikaru a very long to accept the fact that Sai wasn't coming back, and even longer to stop blaming himself for not noticing at all. Finally, wears had gone passed and he had moved on.

Then this had to happen. It was like him reading five moves forward, while his opponent read fifty. Two steps forward, but ten steps back.

With his forehead pressing against his kneecaps, Hikaru closed his eyes and sighed.

0000000000

It had been nearly a month – three weeks, three days, and seven hours in fact – that Shindou Hikaru was admitted to the hospital.

It had also been nearly a month when the Go world was in an uproar.

For the majority of the time, the sound of light breathing was the only sound in the ward. That, and the sound of a consistently beeping heart monitor. The other Go pros all came, be they close friends of his or mere acquaintances. All of them left soon after with a strangely laden heart. When faced with a pale and emotionless Shindou Hikaru, who was often smiling or laughing, they didn't know how to act.

The stream of visitors slowed day by day, leaving just a few of his closest friend or rivals to visit.

Shindou Masao was frequently seen in the ward. His facial expression showed the same amount of concern, worry and above all, pain. It pained him to see his son lying motionlessly on the bed as if he was dead. It pained him (and angered) even more when he heard from the doctor that for all they knew, Shindou Hikaru was dead. The machines had failed to detect any brain activities. It pained him to be losing his son to some unknown ailment.

He suspected, sometimes, that kami was a cruel one, there to torture mortals.

So day after day, he returned with his wife, even if briefly, to Hikaru's bedside and waited. And waited. And waited some more.

Not far away from the where he was, sat another teenager in front of a goban. He too, was waiting. For his friend and his rival, Shindou Hikaru. Every time the door bell tinkled to signify a customer, his eyes would unwillingly glance up in hope. Many old patrons of the Go salon pitied the 'poor boy' who sat at the back alone.

He knew, since even as withdrawn as he had been recently, he could still hear them clearly.

His face was blank, his eyes lacking the usual passion that burned within. With his left hand, he clumsily took the last go stone in the go-ke and placed it on the goban. Meticulously, he then grabbed a handful of black go stones on the goban and dropped them into the go-ke. They clacked noisily against the side of the go-ke.

'Don't you dare die. We haven't reached the Hand of God yet... Don't you dare die, you hear?'

0000000000

"Wake up, Shindou Hikaru."

Someone nudged his shoulders. Hikaru didn't know who. But whoever it was, Hikaru ignored it. He felt at peace and relaxed. There was no stress, no worries, as if the 'whole travelling across different world' thing didn't happen at all. Couldn't the person just leave him alone to doze for a few more minutes?

Letting out a small grunt in protest, Hikaru continued to hover between the borders of sleep.

The nudging stopped. Instead, it was replaced by a low growl that sounded as if it came from the deep within the person's throat.

"If you prefer to continue sleeping, do go on ahead. I must warn you however, Shindou Hikaru. You will never get the answers to your questions, nor the opportunity to get back to your home world again." The slightly feminine - sounding voice stated it calmly.

Hikaru's eyes immediately sprung open. The first thing that entered his mind was that he must be in some sort of dream. Because there was no way in reality that he remembered being able to float.

It was a very colourful place. Every colour imaginable swirled in a mixture around him, above, below, left, or right. And when he said every colour, he meant every colour. They mixed together, yet remained their own, blending seamlessly. Every few seconds, Hikaru felt a strange pulse that washed over his entire body. He could even feel it in his bones.

Turning around, Hikaru faced the person that was speaking to him.

And let out a startled yelp.

In front of him stood a magnificent tiger, its eyes gazing coolly into his own. It was slightly smaller than a usual tiger, but what it lacked in physical size, it made up for it with its strikingly beautiful markings and the almost regal aura around it. Pure black stripes ran down its rusty-reddish coat. Noticing Hikaru's stare, it raised the corner of its mouth, showing its sharp canines.

When he said it 'stood', he meant it. The tiger was standing on its two hind legs, as if it had been doing that all its life.

"Finally awake, I see."

"What... I mean, who are you?"

The tiger gazed at his wide opened mouth.

"You may call me Tora. As many questions that you may be having now, I cannot answer them. I am merely here to explain your unique situation and give you your options. Perhaps if time permits, I could answer some of your questions. However, it is unwise for you to stay in this place for long so we should start... Please do maintain silence until I have explained."

Hikaru blinked owlishly. He didn't know what to say.

"On the year of the sheep, fifth of May, five minutes and five seconds after five o'clock, you stood at the exact spot where a time-quake and space-quake occurred simultaneously in a place on Earth called Innoshima. A time-quake or space-quake occurring alone is normally not a cause for concern. These two quakes happened at the same time. The fluctuation of both waves should not have caused anything bigger than a rather strong earthquake to occur on Earth. However, you, Shindou Hikaru, happened to be standing at the exact location where both the focus of the quakes was at. Your body acted as a conductor and an insulator at the same time. Combined with the natural waves that your body was giving off, an extraordinary situation was created. You should have died, and yet you did not, for it was not your time yet."

Tora, the tiger, paused for a while.

"Your soul was thrust out of its original body and fought persistently to return. But the energy of both quakes would not allow it to do so. Your soul then used the energy to draw out a world similar to your own, pushing one of the limitless possibilities to existence. That world is the current one that you inhabit. And herein lay the problem. Only one world should be in existence at one point in time. And yet now, there are two. Infinity cannot hold two. If the situation drags out any longer, both worlds will collide and be destroyed. You, Shindou Hikaru, will have to choose between two of the worlds before that happens. Do you understand?"

Hikaru's mind spun wildly at the information overload.

He tried remembering what the tiger – Tora, said. But he couldn't. Time quakes? Space quakes? What? Waves from his body? Soul and energy?

The hell is this tiger talking about?

Talking tigers were already generally not a common sight in Hikaru's life. He didn't understand much of what was being said, but what he most certainly did hear was the part where he had to choose between the two worlds.

Something about the worlds being collided and destroyed?

What?

"Wait... What will happen to the other world after I've chosen one of them?"

"It will be pushed back into being possibilities. Simply explained, it will cease to exist."

At that, Hikaru's eyes widened again. He blinked.

"What!? That's just..."

Horrible. It was horrible and unfair! Why did this Tora person have to tell him that for! He could have lived perfectly well without knowing all of that. He didn't want to have to choose between destroying worlds, dammit!

And he was having such a nice time napping too.

He wanted to return to his own world. Of course he did. Then he could solve the entire thing about him not actually being a part of the world.

But what about Daisuke? What about Sai? What about his other 'parents'? And the rest of the people in that world? They'll just… not exist anymore? As much as he was quite confused about how to feel about living in a new world, he was just getting used to it.

But… he couldn't just remain in the other world either! His real parents... The Touya Akira of his world... Akari...He couldn't just let them die either.

Hikaru held his head. Ouch.

"I… I can't choose!" He said with a tremble in his voice.

"You must. Or both worlds will be doomed. I doubt you wish for that to happen. You don't have to choose now, but soon. For now, you will continue to inhabit the other world which your soul had pushed into existence. But as you were not supposed to be there in the first place, your physical body and your soul are repelling each other. To stay as one, your soul is currently drawing energy from the one closest and most similar to you. The longer you stay in that world, the stronger the force of repulsion will be and the more energy is needed. If a certain amount of energy is taken from that person, he or she will die."

The colours spun more wildly around, and the pulsation became stronger with each second.

"Time is almost up."

Tora prowled forward to where Hikaru stood, frozen by fear and indecision.

And anger.

"Remember, your choice is responsible for either the continual survival or the destruction of a world. So Shindou Hikaru, so choose wisely..."

With a gentle breath blown on his face, the colours abruptly vanished, leaving a bright flash of light. And then, there was only darkness.

Shindou Hikaru opened his eyes to Honinbou Shuusaku's tombstone.

0000000000

A/N: The appearance of Hikaru's home world. A single headstone in Innoshima. Another world. A teenager caught up in something he didn't understand. Things are about to get more complicated. Can you guess what's going to happen? I can. In this chapter there is a (very extremely) faint clue telling us why Hikaru got angry at seeing the young Touya.

Now...

Review. You know you want to.