Replies, replies…thanks to reviewers who supported my prologue! *hands out 12 chocolate-chip cookies*
Shinigami Clara: Yo! You came to review! Thanks for helping me with the idea! Some of the credit really goes to you, if it weren't for the phoning I wouldn't ever be able to get it done. I beta'd your work too, so we're equal!
Regatto: Thanks for the review! I was actually planning for this fic to be somewhat a bit realistic, hence no thousand-year-old Heian ghost possessing 12-year-old little boys. But I'll see, it's certainly an interesting idea. And…saying that this fic might become one of the best is really a compliment I'm embarrassed to accept! But thanks a lot! And hope you will enjoy this chapter too^^
Shiyu: I swear I have never seen the anime Crush Gear Turbo, I was kind of surprised when you brought up the topic. Got to go and do some research…
I'm glad you like the premise, and it's a compliment to me that my fic resembles an anime you like! I was kind of stuck on the family name thing, so I didn't mention it in the prologue. Read this chapter to see which one (Fujiwara or Shindo) I've decided upon.
Urain: I'm glad you like this fic, and hope you will keep reading and reviewing!
Kleptomaniac Can Opener: Ah! It makes me happy to see that people actually wants to read more! Looks like I can't slack off anymore, which is what I fully intended on doing after I uploaded the prologue. But as I said, reviews give me lots of energy! You've pretty much guessed the idea, but we still have yet to see where Akira fits in on all this. Stay tuned!
Jessi-chan: Ouch. You really pinched me black and blue there! I know the prologue is depressing, but I hope you can find the next chapter more enjoyable^^
LadyJessy: I haven't much thought of having Sai in a coma, it might work, but then I will have to change my entire plan of the story and rewrite it! I'm a lazy person…Sooo, I go with the notion of 'there's no crying over spilt milk'. Hope you won't blame me for it :P
Shimizu Hitomi: Does this mean you will come back to review nee? I welcome reviews with open arms^^ Hope you will like this fic and its progress in the future! I like A/Us too, because you can practically write anything you want :P
Lilliess-Hydrass: Ack, I know the prologue is sad. But I promise promise future chapters won't be so tragedy-orientated. People are accusing me of killing Sai now…but in return I present the emotional-torture of Hikaru, which is supposedly totally against my morals, but you gotta balance it. *wince wince*
Kyaroru: *Dances on water* I'm happy people like my humble little fic! I surprised that you like the part about Hikaru dashing out, because I was so critical of that part I rewrote it several times, looks like hard work does pay off^^; I know! In the beginning I switched to two different perspectives so it was hard to follow. I don't think I should do that anymore^^;;;
JMJV: Did this update come soon enough? I sure hope so. I'm also glad you think my prologue was smashing. Enjoy the next chapter nee?
jasper tears: Ahh! Don't kill me please! Here is the next chapter…hope you find it more enjoyable…and please don't point a pitchfork to my throat for not planning for Sai to come back T__T!! I want him to be back too! But I'm being more realistic than usual…
Following in Your Footsteps
By Halcyon Clouds (A.K.A. Sal)
Intro: (Last time on Following: 8 years ago, Sai the Go prodigy died in an accident to save his younger brother Hikaru.)
I introduce the Hikaru in the present time! There are a lot of 'hints' as to what happened in the past that affect him in the present. You can pick those up quite easily as you know what happened from the prologue. There's also something strange about the Hikaru I made even I couldn't put a finger on. Sooo, please put up with with it^^;;;
Disclaimer:
Hikaru: I don't belong to the author.
Sal: That's right, you don't.
Akira: I don't belong to the author.
Sal: That's right, you don't.
"……"
*Sigh*
Chapter 1 – Crossed Paths
The streets of Tokyo were bustling with activity as usual.
People hurried to and fro like worker bees, traffic did pretty much the same. Nothing was at a static state, almost…
He stood some distance from a newspaper stand. To the passer-by's eyes, he looked like he was intently observing air in front of him, seemingly fascinated by the invisible matter.
He was a boy short for his age, and a typical modern youth. He wore a T-shirt sporting a big prominent '5' printed in black across the front, and wide brown shorts. But the most notable impression one would have of him were those bleached bangs, bright yellow contrasting sharply to raven-black natural hair; a personality established on its own. The eyes seemed dull green at first sight, but closer examination would reveal a brilliance embedded deep within...like an optical illusion, when you focused directly on it, it disappears.
No one knew of the tug-of-war that went on in his head, the game was at its heights, both teams were straining with all their might.
Buy…don't buy…buy…don't…
…buy…no, don't…but…argh!
He shrugged as the winning side prompted him to take striding steps towards the newspaper stand, money clutched tightly in determined fists.
"The latest edition of Weekly Go please."
The boy flipped open the paper impatiently but reluctantly, as if he was a student holding his end-of-year report card. He scanned over the headlines; 'Ogata ku-dan challenges Kuwabara Honinbou', 'Touya Meijin defends title'…
Et cetera, et cetera. He can come to that later on.
It was the game records that truly interested him; Weekly Go publishes records of important matches, mainly of titles and title preliminaries, along with detailed explanations of each step the genuine top players take.
It's certainly interesting…to see how the minds of people in that world function…
The boy folded up the paper after a few moments of scan-reading on the spot, and placed it into his messenger bag. Having some destination in mind, he headed down the street with a quickening pace, rapidly surpassing people ahead of him until he broke into a jog, then a run. Suddenly, he halted his feet, and stopped abruptly at a junction.
A truck was pulling out amongst the traffic, manoeuvring its cargo-body clumsily through the maze.
The boy backed away from the vehicle several steps. He turned and walked away without hesitation, like escaping from something he doesn't want to face. He crossed the road adjacent to that junction, then crossed two more roads until he ended up on the other side of the truck, and continued on from there.
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"I'm home!" Hikaru habitually called to no one in particular. It was one of those home policies.
"You're ten minutes late." His mother stuck a head out of the kitchen and addressed him, voice not sounding entirely pleased. "Where have you been?"
"I forgot the time." The boy in question mustered an answer without much thought.
"That was your excuse yesterday!" The lady of the house raised her tone, "Do you have any idea how worried I get…"
Hikaru shut his ears, he knew what was coming up, and didn't want to hear a word of it.
How can I ever forget?
Without further ado, Hikaru climbed up the stairs to the his private domain, ignoring his mother's lecturing. As he laid a hand on the doorknob leading to his room, he couldn't help but turn his head, as if some invisible force had driven him to, in the direction of another door further down the corridor. The closed door.
The door was closed for a reason. A reason Hikaru felt a twinge somewhere inside to think about, like pulling off the scab on an old wound. He broke his vision away and entered his own room.
Solitude was time to be treasured. Hikaru felt he'd spent most, or certainly more than any other, time of his life in solitude, registering also the past years of his life. His room was a retreat, or an escape as in the situation posed today. He spent nearly all of his homing hours staying in this private corner of the house, only leaving it for various physical needs.
Hikaru lowered his messenger bag to the floor, opened it and dug out the paper. Settling himself in a comfortable position with back leaning on the edge of his bed, the boy thumbed the pages intently. It was something he looked forward to each week, yet felt a bit guilty to be involved in.
I'm only reading the paper…it's…it's not as if…I'm playing.
So that's okay…right?
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Ever…ever since THAT happened…8 years ago…
I couldn't pick up another stone in my fingers.
He loved the game more than anything else.
What right do I have, what right…does the person who was the cause of his death has…to touch it?
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The rumbling of the train drowned out many sounds. Lampposts and trees swept past in fleeting motions, occasionally cutting off the motes of light that shone through clear glass. Late afternoon was always a lazy time.
Hikaru wasn't entirely concentrating on his surroundings. Hanging on to the pole, he let his thoughts go blank. It had been a tiring day, having a summer job wasn't exactly a piece of cake. School was due to start in another month, and that wasn't a good thought, either. It means having to face teachers, books, homework…and -- he gulped -- people from the Go club. Where there is Go, Hikaru felt uneasy, like an allergy to something he doesn't exactly dislike.
They know, after all. They know who he is, and who he's related to.
Hikaru wrinkled his nose in disdain. Tche, what do they know? As if I can ever measure up to anyone's expectations…
Suddenly, something in the corner of his eye caught his attention. Someone standing near the gates flipped open a book.
It wasn't just any book. Pages filled with criss-crossed lines and black and white circles, none other than a Kifu manual.
Hikaru craned his neck to get a better look. As aforementioned, game records always interested him. He shifted his feet in small steps, hands letting go of the pole.
Closer…closer now.
Hikaru approached the book cautiously, printed characters slowly sharpened into view. He could see the numberings on the stones and the players' names clearly now.
…Nakamichi Kisei..?
That name rang a bell somewhere, it echoed through his mind. Hikaru stretched his neck as far as it could go to see the second player's name.
S…Sai?
His heart skipped a beat at the name.
So this was it! It's the game that earned him his first title! Hikaru's insides did a little dance upon this discovery. It's the game he told me about…about…
It was the game he told me about…the day…
Hikaru's spirits sank at the thought of that fateful day, almost making him turn away from looking at the game record, it was altogether too much guilt. But curiosity got the better of him, and he followed the numberings on the page, oblivious to the fact that he was standing right beside the owner of the book.
"…the connection on number 128 forced the black into defence on the left, determining the winning side…Hey, I thought he lost it at hand 112…now, that can't be right!" Hikaru subconsciously mused aloud at the explanation.
"Why is that?"
"Because," He continued matter-of-factly, "Hand number 112 was a forehand preparation of 124, which is essential for the connection at 128 to be made. But black can't attack it without putting his own land in danger, so--agh, I'm sorry." Hikaru quickly covered his mouth with a hand, realising he had been rambling on to a complete stranger.
It was the first time Hikaru noticed the person he was standing next to. The other boy didn't seem offended or annoyed in the least. He was about Hikaru's age, as the thirteen-year-old noticed, with green-tinged chin length straight hair and piercing aquamarine eyes.
"How do you know all this?" The stranger asked him, "It wasn't explained that way."
"Well…er…" Hikaru fumbled to think of a good explanation.
"Well…?"
"He told me."
"Who? Nakamichi-sensei?"
"No…the…eh…the other one."
The sea-green eyes studied him with narrowing intensity. Oh no, thought Hikaru, did I just land myself into another mess?
"…you mean Shindo Kisei?"
Hikaru gulped. Yes, but do I really need to explain?
"But that was eight years ago!"
I know that! I know!
"I think you're lying."
…WHAT?
"Hey! Watch it!" Angered, Hikaru drew up to his full height. "I'm not lying! He told me himself! Yeah, it was eight years ago, d'you have a problem with that?"
The green-haired youth was unruffled, but his eyes told a different story.
"Who are you?" He finally managed to pronounce.
"That's none of your business."
The other boy sighed and closed the book.
"I'm Touya Akira, what's your name?"
Hikaru blinked. Touya…that can't be the Touya of Touya Meijin, can it?
"You're related to Touya Meijin?" He asked in disbelief.
"He's my father." Touya Akira explained, as if that was the most obvious and mundane thing on earth.
Hikaru swallowed hard again. Here, standing in front of him, was the Meijin's son. No one in the Go world could possibly be in a more tight position…can they?
Perhaps, it's alright to tell him who I am…
"I'm…Shindo Hikaru."
He then mentally spanked himself for making that decision when the other boy's eyes widened at the name.
"So…you are related to Shindo Sai." (A/N: That sounded incredibly weird!)
Hikaru nodded, "He's my brother."
Touya Akira was stunned for a second by this piece of revelation. Ever since the tragedy, Akira had searched every new face in hopes of finding this person. Suspicion swam through his mind, around the sense of wanting to believe this boy that stood in front of him. But the knowledge of that game justified his identity.
"You have to come with me!" Without warning, the long-haired boy grabbed Hikaru by the wrists and dragged him to the opening gateways.
"Leggo of me! Where are you taking me?!" Hikaru protested loudly while trying to wiggle loose and adjust his position in being off-balance. But the grip on his wrist was firm.
"You'll see when we get there!" The Son of Meijin walked with ever-quickening pace. Out of the station they went, crossed a road opposite to it, and passed down a busy street. They were in a part of town Hikaru had never been to. Before he could take a closer look at the surroundings, Hikaru swerved to his right and was pulled up a series of stairs before arriving in front of a wooden-framed gliding door. The door automatically slid open as they approached it.
The bright light pierced Hikaru's eyes for a moment before his vision adjusted.
He was in a big room, there were a lot of tables and chairs, and people sat at them, bending over something on the tables.
"Where…am I?" He asked his guide, a little dazedly.
"In a Go salon, of course. My father's Go salon." Was the simple reply.
"W--Wait!" Hikaru snapped back into his senses, "You've brought me to a, a Go salon?!"
Touya Akira turned from the counter, looking a little nonplussed at the fuss Hikaru was making.
"Why, what's wrong?"
"Who's that, Akira-kun?" A lady at the counter asked the green-haired boy, looking straight at Hikaru.
"You wouldn't believe it, Ichikawa-san! He's Shindo Sai's brother!"
"So, you've finally found the rival you want!"
"I brought him here to play a game."
"W--what?!" Hikaru took a step back, "Play a game? Me?"
"Yes, you." Akira took step forward, grabbed and dragged him further into the room, towards an empty table. There, Akira settled himself on one side of the table, he took the neatly stacked containers from the Goban and opened them.
Hikaru shuddered at the sight of the black stones. Memories of a past flashed in front of his eyes like a nightmare.
Cracked container…black shale…spill…blood…shale…blood…shale…
"Douzo, why don't you sit down?"
I…I can't play…
I don't deserve to play…
"I…don't want to play."
"Don't be stupid. Of course you're going to play." The Son of Meijin was quite determined.
"I said I don't want to!" Hikaru raised his voice. These people don't understand!
"I HATE GO!"
Akira snapped his head up at the sound of that powerful word. He looked as if someone had dumped a tub of ice-cold water over his head.
"…W-why?"
Hikaru felt like tearing at his double-toned hair. "Look, Touya, forget it okay? Just…you think I can be as great as Sai, but I'm telling you, I. CAN'T. If you want a rival, you're barking up the wrong tree here. End of story. I'm getting out of this place before it drives me crazy. Forget it, just--"
Without finishing his sentence, Hikaru turned and strode out of the salon without a single sideward glance. People looked up from their games and watched him storm off with interest.
"Who was that?"
"I thought Akira-kun brought him here."
"Leaving so quickly?"
Akira looked after the disappearing figure, unable to believe what he had just heard.
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A/N: Heck, you must be wondering when I'd get all the ranting done. I never intended for it to be angst! *bangs head against a wall* Angst is too frustrating to write. But it seems that I have no choice. Feel my pain, whatever I write turns to angst. It's not a good sign, since I'm not someone who feels depressed all day long. But thank goodness I haven't taken to tragedy…yet. Someday that monster might pounce on my conscious, and I'll need some serious medication then. Winter…death…angst…it all points to one thing…
Gomen nasai to those who want Fujiwara as the family last name, I personally find it awkward to hear Akira calling Hikaru 'Fujiwara'. So I stuck with Shindo. I changed Hikaru's personality quite a bit, considering what happened in the past. Practically, it's just the replicate of him when Sai disappeared, except it's in long term, which is a lot of torture if you ask me. How I love being evil.
I shall bring the cheery and energetic Hika back someday…but don't quite know yet how it might all fit in. Hope you guys like Akira's appearance. I always seem to sense waves of cheers when Akira shows up, is that just me? Anyways, I'm planning for a lot of arguing in the future on this particular young prodigy's behalf, so stay tuned^^ In the next chapter I should hope that I get on with his past acquaintance with Sai…
Review now? I love reviewers, maybe not ones armed with flameguns, but I love anyone who gives me feedback. All reviews will be replied first thing every chapter to show my gratitude.
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Sal (halcyon_clouds@hotmail.com)