Thank you for reading this story, and I hope you are enjoying it. If I use any igo terms and forget to put them in an author's note please just let me know and I'll add it to the next chapter I post. Also if there are any rabid go players that know about the random history of the game that I throw in if I make any mistakes please let me know and I will double check the information and get it fixed.
I'll be using random Japanese since they are in America for almost all of this fan fiction. I'm hoping it will give more of the language difference flavor to the story. I'll be sure to put any and all Japanese here under Author's Notes though.
Author's Notes
Flower-Six: is a one six-point shape in igo. It has a single vital point, in the center that can make or break the shape completely, depending on who plays on it first. The shape kind of looks like a flower too so it's really very pretty.
Oy – a word used to gain attention kind of like 'hey'
Tournament of Memories
Chapter 2: Flower-Six
Hikaru was sound asleep when they landed in the L.A. airport.
"Oy. Oy! Hikaru wake up already we're here!" Yashiro shook Hikaru's shoulders in an attempt to wake him up.
"Sai, I just need a few more minutes, that's all. We can play again in a few hours, really."
Sai?
Akira watched from across the cabin of the airplane as Yashiro continued to try to awaken Hikaru. He was sure he had heard that name, right?
He thought back to that time 2 years ago. The last time Sai was to appear on the Internet and how his own father, the Meijin, had fallen beneath the crushing weight of his magnificent go playing abilities. Hikaru was the only link there was to him. Sometimes Akira found himself wondering if Hikaru's undying love of Shusaku and his protective nature towards this 'Sai' were connected somehow. In a lot of ways Hikaru treated them both with the same level of care. Almost like they were a mentor or a father figure to him.
Akira still didn't know the truth behind Hikaru's past, but he knew that one-day. Hikaru would tell him. Surely he would tell him. He had promised that one day he would. Still the questions kept churning in his mind and he wanted to know the answer to that question.
Who exactly was Shindo Hikaru?
"Will you wake up already?"
"Huh? We're here?"
"That's what I..."
"We should go." Akira cut in. "We don't want to be late."
"I'm coming." Hikaru yawned. He grabbed his carry on and followed the other two off of the plane.
"I can't believe you fell asleep that fast."
"It's not my fault. None of us got any sleep this week, and that plane ride was boring! It didn't help that the movie was lame! Besides we all need a little rest anyways. Mom was in shock over just how little sleep any of us got."
"You're so lucky, with that mother of yours." Yashiro smiled at Hikaru.
He could easily tell what a priceless gem she was. Tolerating the three of them running around her house for half the week. He remembered her making sure that the three of them ate regularly and how she was always being so supportive of all of their dreams and goals.
Hikaru was very lucky.
"Hey you guys!" Kurata-sensei was there waiting patiently for the three of them. I'm glad you guys made it okay. Any trouble on your end?"
"Hikaru snors."
"Yashiro-kun! I do not!"
He couldn't help it. The expression on Hikaru's face was far too amusing, he found himself bursting out with laughter.
Over the last year the two of them had become good friends and he had gotten the feeling that it had somehow soothed his father's intolerance for his sons chosen profession.
"What do you mean by on our end? Has something happened?" Akira prodded. Kurata looked like he was hiding something.
"Well..."
The three of them stared waiting for an answer, something about his fidgeting posture had them worried. Something had to have happened for this to be going on.
"You see well..."
"What is it?"
Kurata didn't know how to tell them this.
"Every year they hold this convention right around here. It's called Anime Expo and I'm afraid all the hotels are pretty much booked."
"What!"
"What about lodgings? Isn't there any place at all!"
Kurata waved off the three tired boys with a non-chalant wave of his beefy hand. "We've already got it sorted out. So don't worry! It's fine."
"But you just said?"
"One of the American players lives about an hour away from the hotel. She's agreed to let us stay in her house for however long we need to."
"Who... who is it?"
"Turns out to be an old friend of you and your father's, Akira. Her name is Aki Pierce. She's really nice, and she lives with her mother but her house is really pretty big for this area of town. Her great-grandfather bought a large piece of land back before the prices went sky high around here and they made a killing off of it. They kept a small chunk for themselves, and they have a really nice home there.
Kurata-sensei didn't even notice how pale Akira went at his words. They were going to be staying in Aki-chan's home during the tournament?
Chapter 3 : We finally get to meet Aki, and find out about Aki and Akira's past, and find out what kind of person can make Akira almost quiver in fear.