Hikaru no Ghost

Chapter 12: Sai's Grandmother

The Fujiwara ancestral clan compound dated back to the Heian. It was over a thousand years old, meticulously preserved, and Sai has always dreaded being there.

But their return has been ordered from the head of the family. And so, similar to ages long past, there will be a mass exodus of the scattered Fujiwara clan as they all return to the origins of their exalted family.

Sai had made his arrangements months in advance with the Go Association. The Association moved the matches that could not be rescheduled to Kyoto. And the Go Association in Kyoto is only happy to have Sai back, as they always are when their prodigal son returns.

"Just enjoy the trip, Sai."

Hikaru is seated across from him as they take the bullet train straight from Tokyo to Kyoto. From Tokyo to Kyoto station, this trip is only two hours and twenty minutes long.

But Sai can definitely not enjoy it.

Because Sai has no idea why they've all been called back. It's not a holiday or an important anniversary. Such an order has never even been issued in Sai's lifetime. So, whatever this is, it's going to be the most important event of Sai's life.

"Why are you eating?" Sai demanded, unable to focus on anything else and unwilling to say what really bothered him.

Instead, he watched Hikaru swing his legs under his seat and enjoy the bento he purchased from the train station.

"If there's one thing about modern times that is vastly superior to the Heian, it's travel." Hikaru pointed out.

He waved a piece of fried pork cutlet in the air.

"A thousand years ago, the trip from Edo to Heian-kyo would have taken weeks. Think of all the arrangements that had to be made for the dozens to hundreds of people in a travel party. Nobles are fussy. And everyone brings their servants. And of course, there has to be guards and guides and who even wants to remember what else!"

Hikaru popped the pork cutlet into his mouth, chewing happily.

"Now, it takes a few hours and you can enjoy the scenery from comfort." Hikaru grinned, eagerly looking out of the window. "And your manservant isn't screaming in the middle of the night about monsters and demons."

Sai gave Hikaru a very perplexed look. He had never had a manservant before.

Hikaru looked back from where his face was pressed against the window, before informing Sai importantly,

"I allowed him to sleep in my room, and he still managed to wake up the entire inn. That's how loud he was."

"Didn't he just have a nightmare?" Sai asked, since there wouldn't be any actual monsters roaming around the countryside, even back in the Heian.

Hikaru rolled his eyes.

"That's why you are not a peasant, Sai."

Sai decided to leave this alone. Sometimes, he forgot that Hikaru was a ghost who was more than a thousand years old.

Things had just been…different back then.

A couple of hours later, Sai and Hikaru had arrived at their destination. And Sai had not only dreaded everything the entire time, but was dreading everything that was bound to happen during this extended trip.

Hikaru ran ahead, all bounce and cheer as he shouted,

"There's our car!"

There was a luxurious silver limousine parked at the very front of the station. The classic had been manufactured during the late 1920's. And their driver wore a chauffeur's uniform to match.

Sai hid his face from the many people who were staring. But Hikaru ran straight for the limousine, pulling his bright yellow rolling suitcase behind him.

"Hello, driver-san!" Hikaru greeted the man with a little hop.

"Good afternoon, Hikaru-sama. I hope that your trip was a pleasant one." The driver greeted, seamlessly taking Hikaru's luggage from him.

Sai boggled at the entire exchange.

"Hmm…" Hikaru hummed, pressing his index finger to his chin in thought. "It was nice."

"Very good, Hikaru-sama." Their driver nodded.

Then the chauffeur turned to Sai.

"Sai-sama." He bowed formally.

"Oh! Um…" Sai swiftly crossed the short distance left. "Hello."

He was left flustered and uncomfortable, always awkward around servants of the house.

"Please make yourselves comfortable." The driver opened the door to the car. "Your grandmother eagerly awaits your return, Sai-sama."

"G-Gr-Grandmother?" Sai exclaimed, eyes wide.

"Yes, Sai-sama." The driver responded, before firmly removing Sai's suitcase from his possession.

Sai stared dumbly down at his own suitcase, which looked completely foreign to him being held by the gloved hand of the chauffeur.

When their driver opened up the door of the car for them, Hikaru eagerly dove in, rolling briefly atop the rich leather of the interior before peeking back out to address Sai.

"Get in the car, Sai! Your honored grandmother awaits your presence!"

"Ri-Right!" Sai stammered.

He mentally shook himself out of his shock at being met at the station by a family car, hurrying to join Hikaru. He had been expecting a taxi ride, like the many he and Hikaru took in Tokyo.

As their luggage was being packed into the trunk, Sai sat stiffly in his seat and glanced over at Hikaru, who was humming and kicking his feet idly through the air.

"How did he know who you were?" Sai whispered to Hikaru, not wanting to be heard.

Hikaru glanced over at him, a bright gleam of amusement in his gaze.

"Everyone knows who I am, Sai."

Sai remained perfectly disturbed as the driver seated himself behind the steering wheel, announcing that they would be continuing the journey back to the clan compound now.

Along the way, Hikaru swung his feet in rhythm to the ancient Heian song he hummed to himself.


While Tokyo was considered the modern center of Japan, the true capital of Japan was Kyoto.

Kyoto was an ancient city, layered with over a thousand years of history. The city had stood through the rules of many emperors, changes in regimes, times of peace and war, and even the vast and sweeping era of modernization. And this city remained steadily, tranquilly, and serenely unmoved by the outside world.

As they drove up to the high, hundreds-of-years-standing gates of the Fujiwara ancestral estate, Sai was reminded of exactly how unchanged things remained.

Swallowing nervously, he pulled his shaking hands back into his lap and kept them there.

The outer gates opened and the car slowly navigated the short drive up to the Receiving Hall. It was only one of many inter-connected buildings, all surrounded by gardens of splendor. The dark tiled roofs gleamed under the sunlight, protected by the many ceramic guardians both hidden and in plain view. And though Sai knew it was all in his mind, the buildings all seemed to glare imposingly upon any visitor to step before them.

Sai looked up, past gold-gilded pillars of dark wood and the enormous painted doors. A row of fanged lions stared out from the end tiles of the roof. They are there to guard the house against evils. But as a child, Sai had been haunted by their all-seeing eyes and the threatening fangs which promised to punish all wrong-doers.

Two maids, both dressed in traditional kimono displaying the Fujiwara Clan familial crest, greeted them at the end of the steps. As Sai and Hikaru had exited the car, they both bowed in perfect unison.

"Sai-sama. Hikaru-sama. Allow the unworthy us to welcome your returns to this revered house."

Sai just stared, his default reaction to the overly-formal mannerisms of the house servants.

"Hello, maid-nee-chans!" Hikaru waved to them cheerfully. "Sai and I are finally back from Tokyo. Are you surprised?"

"Of course, Hikaru-sama." One of the maids replied with just the slightest hint of a smile.

"The house is quieter without you, Hikaru-sama." The other maid, a bit younger than the first, smiled openly.

Sai had never seen any of the servants smile before.

"Suzume-nee-chan!" Hikaru whined, leaping to hang upon the arm of the older senior servant. "Fumiko-nee-chan is teasing me!"

Suzume huffed fondly, ignoring as Fumiko grinned mischievously at Hikaru.

"Shall you rest in your room first, Hikaru-sama?" Suzume asked instead.

Hikaru immediately leapt off her, resuming a semi-decent standing position as he waved his hand casually through the air.

"No, no, we're being waited for." Hikaru told them. "We'll head straight to see Sae-chan."

Sai choked.

Hikaru clapped him hard in the back, causing Sai to cough violently.

And the concerned expression of the two maids turned to one of amusement at Hikaru's wide grin.

"The head of the family can't be kept waiting, after all!" Hikaru announced breezily, pushing Sai up the steps and towards the inner chambers.

"Your luggage shall be well taken care of, Sai-sama, Hikaru-sama."

"We're all happy to have you back."

Sai was led blindly down the resplendent corridors and halls, unable to pay attention to a thing. He hadn't even noticed when he had taken off his shoes.

"Wait." Sai dug his heels into the ground, stopping Hikaru from pushing him any further.

Hikaru looked mildly annoyed, watching Sai with a raised brow.

"When you said that everyone knew you, you were serious?" Sai whispered frantically, glancing around the halls to make sure they weren't being overheard.

Not that he could ever tell. This house trained its servants well.

"Of course." Hikaru pouted at the delay, before proudly puffing up his chest and announcing, "I've been a part of Kyoto since it was Heian-kyo."

"HOW?" Sai demanded. "How is that possible?"

"Sai," Hikaru eyed him sternly, as if it should be obvious. "I'm a ghost."

Sai's mouth fell open.

"That's not what I meant!"

Hikaru sighed heavily, as if it were Sai who was being difficult. He rolled his eyes at Sai and then pushed him further along.

"How am I supposed to know what you mean about everything all of the time?" Hikaru asked. "But you're being very rude, Sai. Your grandmother is waiting for us!"

"Us?!"

Sai wasn't given any more time to process this before he was shoved into the narrow space between the inner rooms and the corridor. Hikaru flung a set of shoji doors open, never mind the precious artwork painted upon the thick paper.

"Sae-chan! I've come back from Tokyo with your precious grandson!" Hikaru announced happily, shouting into the entire room.

Sai stared, absolutely horrified, as Hikaru flounced into his grandmother's private room without even so much as a bow.

The spacious, airy receiving room was filled with sunlight, sweet-smelling tatami mats, and artful displays of ikebana.

Fujiwara Sae was a master of the Japanese art of flower arrangement. So much so that she had been named and honored by the Emperor as a Living National Treasure. All the pieces in the room had undoubtedly been arranged by her own treasured hand.

Fujiwara Sae was also the head of the Fujiwara Clan and Sai's grandmother, after whom he had been named.

Sai immediately sank down into the lowest of all formal bows to show his respect when his grandmother glanced over at him. He hoped he had hidden just how terrified he was, and how much his legs shook to be under her sharp-eyed stare.

"Honored Grandmother." Sai greeted her respectfully, just glad that he hadn't broken out into stutters.

"Please come into the room, Sai. There's no need to be so formal when we are alone in private."

Sai swallowed thickly. In his memory, he had never been alone with his grandmother at all.

Quietly, Sai shuffled forward and stopped at a respectable distance from where his Grandmother and Hikaru were seated.

Hikaru narrowed his gaze upon Sai, flopped atop an embroidered cushion in jeans and that ridiculous Hawaiian shirt decorated in traditional Japanese floral prints.

Sai focused on Hikaru's socks as he forced himself to take the remaining seat. There were tiny yellow chicks wearing white egg shells dancing across the socks.

Servants came into the room to set up the tea service then. And Sai was relieved that they wouldn't be performing a full tea ceremony, as they often did when he visited his grandmother.

Instead, he watched as his grandmother elegantly poured a stream of amber-colored tea into a teacup that was also possibly a National Treasure, or at least made by one.

There was also a bamboo box covered by a white towel atop the tray. Sai looked at it in confusion, wondering if they would be having a special tea where a flower would bloom inside or something.

However, when his grandmother uncovered the box, she revealed that the mysterious box had been filled with ice just to keep a bright red can of Coca-Cola and the bright yellow bottle of CC Lemon cold.

"I get to have both?" Hikaru exclaimed in excitement, sitting up to stare into the box.

Fujiwara Sae smiled indulgently.

"We have not been reunited in quite some time." She said as a way of explanation.

Sai just stared at the both of them, at a complete loss as to what was happening.

"Sae-chan is the best!" Hikaru shouted, throwing his arms up to express his love.

His grandmother—Sai's proud, intimidating, traditional grandmother—hid her laughter behind one long kimono sleeve.

CC Lemon and Coca-Cola were Hikaru's favorite drinks. Hikaru absolutely loved the extreme sourness/sweetness of them. And Sai wondered what alternate universe he had landed in for his grandmother to have known that too.

At his grandmother's invitation, Sai took a sip from his teacup. It was rich, warm, and tasted faintly of chrysanthemum.

Beside him, Hikaru cracked open his own drink, literally breaking something to interrupt the peaceful silence of the room.

Sai nearly spit out his tea. And when he glanced over at Hikaru's mischievous expression, his grandmother smiled faintly behind her teacup.

"It is good to see you, Sai." Sae said, her expression not the cold and formal visage from Sai's childhood memories.

Instead, his grandmother's expression looked warm and pleased. As if she were very happy to be able to see Sai again.

Sai thought that was very strange.

"And you as well, Grandmother." Sai responded automatically.

"You look to be in good health." Sae commented.

"I've been taking very good care of Sai!" Hikaru announced.

Sae turned to Hikaru with a fond expression.

"Of that, I have no doubt, Hikaru-kun."

Hikaru beamed.

Sae then placed her cup back onto the tray. And Sai hastily set his down as well upon seeing the serious expression upon his grandmother's face.

"The entirety of the Fujiwara clan will be wondering why I have summoned everyone to return." Sae stated. "Therefore, it becomes prudent for me to warn you beforehand, my grandson."

Sai blinked cluelessly back at his grandmother.

"It…is?" Sai questioned, before hastily adding, "Honored Grandmother."

If Sae were offended by Sai's clumsiness, she was too well-bred to even give hint of it. Instead, she explained,

"I have called everyone back to formally announce my successor."

Sai wasn't even drinking his tea. Yet, he still managed to choke upon hearing this news.

Hikaru, helpfully, clapped him hard in the back again.

"Wha-What?" Sai exclaimed, staring at his grandmother. "Y-You… You're… Your health, Grandmother…"

Sae cast Sai a sharp, narrow-eyed gaze. And Sai shut up immediately.

"I'm not dying, Sai." Sae assured him, none too gently.

Sai sat back timidly, face red with embarrassment.

"I do believe that I have some years left." Sae remarked.

Fujiwara Sae had aged remarkably well. Her hair had long turned gray, and wrinkles clung to the corners of her eyes and mouth. But she could still sit straight and proud. And her eyesight was still as sharp and observant as a hawk.

Sai had been told many, many times that he resembled his grandmother. And while other boys might have taken offence to being told that they took after a female member of their family, Sai had always shivered with terror at the thought. Because his grandmother had been the most intimidating, terrifying, and immoveable presence in his life.

"Sae-chan will live to be over a hundred." Hikaru smiled sunnily in her direction.

Sae smiled back with open amusement.

"If it is Hikaru who says so, then it must be truth."

Sai picked up his tea again, wondering when Hikaru and his grandmother had begun to be on first-name basis with each other.

"In such a case, I have many years left to live." Sae returned her gaze to Sai, who instinctively straightened his posture. "However, it is still the time to decree the next head of the Fujiwara clan."

Sai nodded idly, figuring that he could understand this logic. The next head of the family would have to learn of the clan head duties and such, after all. And that would be best done in advance, and directly from the current head of the family. A peaceful and unhurried transition was best.

"The next leader of the Fujiwara will be you, Sai."

The teacup dropped from out of Sai's grasp. His hands had completely lost any strength.

And as she watched his reaction, even his grandmother had to look upon him in concern.

"Me?" He squeaked, as pale as a ghost.

Strangely, Sae turned to Hikaru for answers.

Hikaru's expression was completely guarded and closed off. He only looked back at Sae, still and silent.

And somehow, that was communication enough between them for Sae to understand the situation.

Sae turned back to Sai, expression softening to gentleness.

"Recall the tale of how Fujiwara clan heads are chosen, my grandson." She prompted him gently, delicately aware of Sai's state of shock.

Sai's sluggish brain tried to remember. It was a children's tale, but one told to every Fujiwara child amongst the many tales of their clan.

"The ghost of Fujiwara no Hii appears before the chosen successor," Sai finally answered, his voice stiff and mechanic. "To advise the next clan head, so that they may both guide the Fujiwara towards greatness."

Sae gave him a meaningful look.

And then glanced over at Hikaru.

Sai's eyes widened in slow realization.

"I'm Hikaru…"

Hikaru smiled up at Sai, eyes bright and filled with an inner benevolence that shone like the sun.

"And my name is Fujiwara no Hii."

Author's Note:

To be absolutely clear, I am making EVERYTHING up about the Fujiwara clan in this story. This is a work of fiction and is in no way associated with the true and actual Fujiwara clan. But, it would be pretty cool if this was the way they did things.

2017.02.17