Ummm... this is an experimental fanfic. I was just kinda interested in what the gods thought about the whole thing. I mean COME ON!!! Hikaru's this incredibly gifted kid who won't even touch the game. That's gotta be frustrating. Some kind of god had to be involved if a spirit had to be carted out of eternal sleep to teach him how to play the game. Right? Well I thought so at least. (obviously). Sorry if I offended anyone with my portrayal of the Hindu gods!!! *twiddles thumbs nervously* I really REALLY didn't mean anything by it!

Disclaimer: If I owned "Hikaru no Go" this wouldn't be a fanfic.

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SOMEWHERE IN THE HIMILAYAS, ABOVE THE CLOUDS...

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A figure sat on a tiger skin, his legs crossed, with a snake draped around his neck.

He was deep in intense meditation, the ash that covered his body casting a gray hue on

his skin. If it were not for the gentle rise and fall of his chest a casual observer might have

mistaken him for a statue. But one thing was clear:

He was not human.

"What do you want, Parvati?" he asked calmly without opening his eyes. A slight

smile tugged at the lips of the elegant woman who stood before him. She should have

known he was not so deep in meditation as to miss her presence.

"You've been up here for 3487 days," she said, her melodic voice echoing softly

against the rock and the clouds that surrounded the two deities. "I wanted to see you

again." The ashen figure lifted his eyes to meet hers. He sighed. She was the only one in

the universe who could get away with doing this without raising his ire.

And she knew it too.

"I'm meditating," he said flatly, trying unsuccessfully to dismiss his lover.

"So I see," she replied. What else would he be doing up in the mountains by

himself for 3487 days? She studied him more carefully as he lowered his eyes and began

to meditate once again. Her brow furrowed as she examined her husband. Over the

millennia she had learned how to read the seemingly stoic god, and the daughter of the

mountains was less than pleased by what she saw as she looked at him that day.

"Igo again" she said, the irritation evident in her voice. It wasn't a question. Shiva

did not make a reply. "Why are you so preoccupied with that game?" she honestly

wanted to know. For over two thousand years her husband had periodically trekked up to

the mountains to meditate about GO of all things for years at a time. She was completely

baffled by it.

"I invented it, why shouldn't I be interested in its progress?" he questioned

without opening his eyes.

"But can mortals really play it as it should be played?" she probed, knowing full

well that THAT was impossible. "Why did you even bother in the first place?"

"I gave it to them as a gift, Parvati," He sighed. He had tried to explain this to her

at least a million times over the centuries. "So that the worthy might know what it is to be

a god and their consciousness can expand and transcend beyond that of the common

man." The goddess shrugged, still baffled by her husband's naivety. Humans could not

transcend so easily. They simply didn't have the capacity.

"You have another pet again, don't you?" she asked knowingly. Shiva frowned

slightly, which in turn caused his wife to grin. He only showed any sign of emotion on

his face when he was with her, and even if it was a frown it served as a reminder that he

was still hers.

"You know I don't like it when you call them 'pets'," he said irritably. The

goddess sighed audibly.

"Another 'gifted', then" she corrected, barely containing her exasperation. He was

obviously annoyed, she could at least humor him.

"Yes," came the reply, and Parvati was surprised to hear the ... was it

glee?......... in her lover's voice. A wave of trepidation washed over her. He had gotten his

hopes up again. Over the centuries Shiva had gotten his expectations up before, only to

have them dashed. She saw no reason why this time would be different

"It will happen this time," he said, reading her thoughts as he refocused his

attention on his meditation. "I can feel it."

"That's what you said last time when that Honinbo Shusaku child was born. And

look how that turned out," she reminded him. "And the time before that there was that

Fujiwara no Sai person too." Shiva frowned, transforming his entire face. Parvati almost

winced. She didn't like to see him like this, but it was better than him getting his hopes

up all over again.

"That was different," came the reply.

"How?"

"Honinbo was a special case," he said matter- of- factly and he frowned again as

he remembered the miscalculation he had made. One of the rare mistakes he had made

since he came into existence (which was a very VERY long time ago). He had sent Sai to

tutor the young prodigy, hoping that one brilliant mind might help shape another. But

unfortunately in light of Sai's brilliance, Shusaku had simply decided to let Sai play all of

his games and hence he himself did not gain the necessary skill required to obtain the

hand of God. But that wouldn't happen this time. This time Shiva had made all the

preparations.

Parvati's brow creased slightly. Honinbo WAS a special case, and she knew her

lover wouldn't let the ghost interfere again this time... not unless he became

absolutely desperate at least. "True," she replied cautiously "But Fujiwara no Sai was not

a 'special case' in the slightest, was he?" she asked, a smile escaping her lips. She had

him.

"No he wasn't," her husband replied after a long moment. "But he suffered

unforeseeable circumstances. That won't happen this time."

"How do you know? They're unforeseeable." She asked. But to her surprise this

question did not make her husband frown in thought at all. Instead he began to smile!

"At the time they were unforeseeable," Shiva replied. "Sai did not have an equal

to play against. He was forced to battle only those with inferior skills. It is only natural

that one of his opponents eventually cheated... that may happen again this time

too... but he became hopeless and killed himself because he did not have a rival to

make living worth his while. If he had had one, he would have suffered through the

shame simply to have another chance at playing him." He smiled again as he thought of

the future.

He had discovered the flaw in his previous planning. TWO brilliant minds were

required to create the divine hand, not just one. He needed TWO humans with

exceptional talent and insight in order to achieve his dream.

His wife stood there, at a loss for words. This wasn't going to work. He was going

to get his hopes up again and it wasn't going to work. Parvati let a sad sigh escape her

lips. She had tried at least.

Shiva smiled again as he thought about the two gifted humans who were about to

be born on Earth. One of them was destined to be born to an Igo master. That was

excellent.

//But which soul should be placed with that body?// He wondered. One was aloof,

soft, and refined but had a sharp, delicate mind that promised to become fierce and

unforgiving when attacked on a goban. The other spirit was robust, curious, and

exuberant with such an unusual mind that could see the hidden meanings within the

hidden meanings on a go board.

//Which would go to the Meijin?// Shiva sighed. It had to be the first one. There

was no guarantee that he would even discover go, being so withdrawn and reserved in

spirit. The other mind was sure to stumble across the game eventually given its curious

nature. He smiled to himself, having figured out the solution to his dilemma. This would

be perfect. He would send the other spirit somewhere close to the first one. That way they

would encounter each other sooner rather than later. They were going to be Japanese too.

That was good. He'd always had a soft spot for Japan when it came to Igo.

He smiled again. This time would be different. He could feel it...

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OK! The next part will definitely have Hikaru and Akira in it. I PROMISE... (did you know they met BEFORE that day in Touya's go salon?) *wink* Hikaru's a little brat too! Anyway, PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!!!! Flames are welcome (since I have no idea if this is that great a concept to begin with...) Thanks!