The characters Yumi Ishiyama, Mr. & Mrs. Ishiyama, Ulrich Stern, and others are based on characters from the cartoon 'Code Lyoko.' I do not own, nor do I claim, any copyright to these characters.
The characters Koyo Toya, Akiko Toya, Akira Toya and Hikaru Shindo are based on characters from the manga 'Hikaru No Go' by Yumi Hotta and Takeshi Obata. I do not own, nor do I claim, any copyright to these characters.
The day of the match came, and Kichi was a wreck.
"Oh God, I think I'm going to be sick again," she said, running out of the bedroom to the toilet.
Yumi was feeling nervous herself, but it was more with anticipation of the match, not of her involvement in it.
Kichi finally got her nerves under control, and they prepared for the day. Both girls dressed up in the best kimonos they had. Yumi finally got the chance to wear the formal kimono she and her aunt bought a few weeks ago.
They arrived at the Nihon Ki-in about two hours before the match was to begin. They spoke to the receptionist at the front desk, explaining who they were and where they needed to go. The woman nodded, made a quick call, then informed them that someone would be down to get them momentarily.
Soon after that, a man met them in the foyer. He bowed and said he was one of the Tournament Coordinators, and it would be his pleasure to escort them to the Yugen No Ma.
The took the elevator up to the floor where theroom was, and escorted them in. The man then told Kichi to come with him, so she could be briefed on her duties during the match. Yumi was told to make herself comfortable, that other spectators would be along shortly. Kichi and the man left the room, closing the door, leaving Yumi alone.
Yumi looked around the room. I was much like she had seen it the last time she was here. The goban was still in the middle of the room, two low seat backs and arm rests sitting where the contestants would sit in a little bit. The black and white stones were ready, cleaned and polished for the occasion.
Chair backs had been added for the spectators this day, sitting in front of the stone garden. Four seats had been set up, one for Yumi and three others.
The scroll was still hanging in the to-ko-ma that was there when she was here last. Next to the scroll, on a tripod, was a photograph of Koyo Toya. It looked exactly like the photograph at his funeral, and it probably was. Yumi sighed, remembering that day at his home, and bowed to the picture in respect.
As her head was bowed, Yumi noticed something. From one of the electrical sockets in the wall, a black, oily cloud started pouring out, little charges of static electricity sparking around the plugs.
No! Not here! XANA!
Yumi was effectively trapped. There was nothing here that she could use as a weapon against XANA. And after what happened to XANA's master a few weeks back, she was sure her end would be neither quick nor would it be painless.
The oily cloud coalesced into a roughly humanoid shape, then started advancing on her. Yumi tried bolting for the door, but XANA cut her off. Now there was no escape.
She prepared for The End.
How Dare You defile this sacred place!
Yumi turned to where the challenge came from. XANA froze in place.
There, in front of his photograph, stood Koyo Toya. If she thought he was intimidating that day in his study, Yumi thought him downright dangerous here now.
Leave here now, foul toy! You have no Right to be in this Place!
XANA replied to the spirit, I have all the right! She is my lawful prey, and I may pursue her wherever I may. Stand aside, lest I cast you down into Hell for eternity!
Toya responded, You have no Rights to her at all! And you have violated a sacred place, free of all evil and impurity. If you will not go, then you will stay here, trapped.
This is no sacred place, XANA retorted, and I will come and go as I like, and take whoever I wish.
Suddenly, the room was filled with spirits, all of them just as fierce as Koyo Toya. There were Japanese, Chinese, Koreans, Europeans, Americans, men, women, children. All manner of people, joined by one thing, their love of the game of go, and their respect for this place and what it represented.
Foolish thing! Even the most stupid imp in Hell knows that a place is made sacred and holy by the mortals who come there! Generations of men and women have sanctified this place with their love and respect for go. And now you blunder in to defile it.
Very well, you shall remain. Today we will have a teaching game, you and I. And you will learn Exactly where your Place in Creation truly is.
Suddenly, Yumi wasn't in the Yugen No Ma(1) room anymore. She was in Yugen No Ma itself, the place of Deep and Subtle Mysteries, where men came to seek great wisdom and truth. She was standing on a grid, at the intersection of two lines, just as if she were a stone on a goban. Off to her right, a great white stone landed on another intersection, the force of its striking like a star exploding.
You say that she is your prey? Then come take her, if you dare! Koyo cried, and the game was on.
Immediately in front of her, a black stone fell. There was a great crash, but nothing like the white stone that had just fallen. On the black stone, the symbol of XANA appeared.
As soon as the black stone settled, another white stone fell onto the grid. Again Yumi felt the titanic explosion of energy as the stone struck. XANA played another black stone, directly to the right of her. Then came the next white stone, directly behind her.
Are you sure you want to claim your prize, toy? Are you willing to sacrifice yourself to get to her? I can kill you whenever I want, cut you off completely from any chance of life, and there is nothing you can do about it. However, she is in no danger at all from you. I can give her life at any time I choose.
Another black stone fell onto the board, this time directly to her left. Immediately, another white stone crashed down behind the white stone at her back.
See? Koyo Toya's voice rang from the heavens, now she is safe. And you, toy, are in trouble. If it were My Will, you would be destroyed here and now, crushed like the impotent noise that you are. But is not given to Me to do that. Instead, I will keep you here, until you find a way to escape me. It is possible, but it will not be easy. And know this, spawn of a computer program, no program has yet been written that can understand the subtleties of the game of go, so you will have your work cut out for you.
Yumi could see XANA squirming and writhing, trying to escape the trap he had fallen into. She had no doubt it would be a long time before she encountered XANA again.
Yumi then felt herself rise from the grid where she was standing. But that really wasn't true, it was more like the grid was being pulled away from her feet, and was shrinking. As she moved away from the grid, she gasped.
This wasn't just a game of go. It was the very Game of Life itself, being played out on an almost infinite goban. She could almost make out people she knew in the patterns of black and white stones there. There was her father, over there was Kichi, and there were her aunt and uncle. And off another part of the grid was Ulrich, her boyfriend, her husband. Close by, and seemingly supporting him, was her mother.
Yumi tried to look closer, to find more of her friends and loved ones, tried to comprehend the patterns of their lives in relation to the Great Game being played out, but couldn't.
And then the grid was gone, melted into the goban in the center of the Yugen No Ma room.
Yumi staggered and almost fell. She looked over at the photograph of Koyo Toya again. And there he was, standing before her with a smile on his face.
She bowed and said, "thank you Meijin Toya, you have saved my life. I will be eternally grateful."
You have Honored me with your kindness, Great Lady. It was my pleasure to have served You. Perhaps one day we shall meet again. I would enjoy playing another game of go with you.
"Perhaps we shall. Will you rest now?" she asked the spirit.
And miss my son's match today? Of course not! I only go to find a friend who will also wish to view this game. And together we shall watch our sons' journey to Perfection.
With that, Koyo disappeared.
After Koyo Toya's ghost left, she half-staggered over to the spectator's seats and sat down. Just as soon as her nerves had settled, she was shocked again when a Tournament Assistant abruptly opened the door and walked in. The Assistant was just as surprised as Yumi was, but was able to quickly recover.
"I'm so sorry, I didn't know any of the spectators had arrived yet. Are you alright? Can I get you something?"
"Yes, I'm alright," Yumi replied, "could I please have something to drink?"
"Certainly, I'll return in a moment," the Assistant said, and left.
Yumi relaxed again, and this time wasn't surprised when the Assistant returned with a soda. Yumi thanked the man.
"It was nothing, Miss. The contestants have just arrived for the match. They should be here momentarily, after the photographers are through with them," the Assistant said, and took his leave.
Soon, other three spectators filed in, and the contestants themselves soon after that. Yumi smiled when Kichi entered the room, and gave her the thumbs-up sign to bolster her confidence. Kichi got a strange look on her face when she saw Yumi, but it quickly disappeared as she prepared for the match.
Akira Toya entered the room and took his place at the goban. He looked briefly at Yumi, smiled and nodded his head, then prepared for the match.
Hikaru Shindo entered the room last. He was no older than Akira Toya, but he had the look of a child who had just wandered in off of the street. It wasn't that he was dressed poorly, for he had worn a suit and tie for the match today just like Akira had, but his face had a sense of wonder to it that contrasted to Akira's look of grim determination. He took his seat at the goban and the Tournament Director explained the rules for the day's match.
The contestants bowed to each other, then their journey to Perfection began.
In the months and years to come, various writers and commentators would write about the game Akira and Hikaru played that day. Controversies would break out over the events that happened. Quite a few writers would say, and vehemently defend, that Akira Toya and Hikaru Shindo together played the Perfect Game that day. Others would say that wasn't the case, it was just brilliant play by both players, but nothing special. Neither Akira nor Hikaru ever commented about it one way or the other.
Yumi watched the game unfold that day and had her own opinion. That day, she saw a quarrel, a squabble that had been going on for years, come to a head, and evaporate like the morning's fog. And in its place, came Joy.
And Koyo Toya was there, sitting at his son's side, sharing the Joy his son finally found.
There was a Spirit with Hikaru Shindo, too, though it couldn't be his father. It was a man, Yumi thought, wearing ancient flowing robes that men haven't worn in a thousand years, with long black hair under a tall black hat. This Spirit was smiling because the seeds of Joy he had planted in Hikaru so long ago had finally bloomed in both players.
Notes:
(1) Yugen No Ma: "Place of the Profound and Mysterious."