DISCLAIMER: I don't own Hikaru no Go, or any of its characters.
Forgotten
(Prologue)
by Genie
He was asleep. Shindou was sure of that fact... but then, this had to be a dream. He looked around, wondering where this "dream" was taking him. He was somewhere familiar, yet at the same time nowhere at all. He couldn't comprehend what was around him, because his mind was too in touch with reality to recognize this dream-world around him. Everything was so peaceful, serene, still. Even Shindou felt no reason for alarm – how could he, when everything was so perfect?
It was then, immediately after this thought crossed his mind, that he heard the voice. No, not heard – it was more of a feeling, an immediate knowledge that a message was to be relayed to him.
"Hikaru." He flinched, but more at surprise than fear or wonder.
"Yes?" Instinctively, Shindou knew he should be nervous, or afraid, or at least apprehensive. But he felt none of these emotions. Only calm. Only peace. Everything was right, and he never wanted to wake up again.
"It's me. Sai." His eyes flew open – when did he close them? - and he whispered, quietly, reverently in response to the voice, feeling, deep inside him.
"Sai?"
"Yes. It's me."
"What's happening?" Shindou asked, almost afraid for an answer. The calm and serenity he had felt earlier seemed to be ebbing away.
"The gods have granted your wish - our wish - to be together again."
He gasped sharply, and before he even realized what was going on a vision of Sai appeared before him. The ancient Go master looked the same as always, save for one thing: the fan he always carried was missing..
"When you wake up, I will be with you, but you will no longer remember having ever met me, or this dream. We will be together again, but the price the gods have given me for this joy is this."
Shindou's eyes filled with tears.
"That's impossible, Sai. I could never forget you. No matter what..." Even as he said it, his voice broke as his mind tried to calculate what his life would be like if he could not remember Sai. "But, Sai, how will I explain things? How will I have beaten Touya that first game? What about the fan you gave me?" He was slowly falling into hysteria.
Sai shook his head sadly.
"Your mind and conscience will replace your lost memories with other ones. I cannot know what those replacement memories will be, but you will never remember our times together."
Shindou bit back a sob of anguish. "What about you, Sai? Will you, too, forget?"
"No. I will remember as always... But in order for us to stay together, I must never tell you the truth."
Shindou opened his mouth to say something, but then closed it again, instead closing his eyes and trying not to cry.
"Shindou... This is your choice. Tonight, this moment, it is your choice. Either way, you will not remember this dream when you awake. Make your choice. If you accept this bargain the gods have offered, return my fan to me. It is the only way."
Shindou looked down, and saw that he had been holding Sai's fan in his right hand. Whether it had just appeared that moment, or Shindou hadn't noticed before, he didn't know.
His mind was in turmoil. He didn't know what to choose, what to do. All he knew was he missed Sai more than life itself. Perhaps it was the recent defeat he had suffered at the hands of Ko Yonha, or perhaps it was simply that for the first time, Shindou didn't have Sai's guiding words to help him. And without hesitating, he made his decision.
Shindou approached Sai slowly but steadily. He held Sai's fan out and said quietly,
"I accept this proposal."
Brilliantly colored lights flashed everywhere. More than that, Shindou seemed to remember everything, every slightest moment with Sai, all in a split second. Then, when the frenzy of light and memory subsided, Shindou could see... They were back in his room. Sai was sitting cross-legged before Shindou's goban, on the floor.
"Am I awake? I still remember you, Sai..." There was a tone of hope in his voice that was heart-breaking to hear.
"No. You are still dreaming. But, before you awake... One last game."
Shindou nodded, and sat across the goban facing Sai.
"One last game then."
"Nigiri."
Shindou grabbed a small handful of white stones and set them on the board, taking note that Sai had set down only one black stone. He counted.
"Thirteen. You get to play black."
They switched stones, and began immediately. They were both playing fiercely, avidly, neither one refusing to let this opportunity go to waste, both determined to play their best game.
Opening joseki.
Pa-chi!
Pa-chi!
Pa-chi!
Pa-chi!
A hane here, a double hane there.
Pa-chi!
Pa-chi!
Pa-chi!
Pa-chi!
The game was intense. Shindou was sweating, and he continued to keep the pace of the game.
Pa-chi!
Pa-chi!
Pa-chi!
Pa-chi!
He was so close! The Hand of God, the Divine Move, it was there, in this game, Shindou knew it. Whether it would be him or Sai to play it was not relevant. It was so close...
Pa-chi!
Pa-chi!
Pa-chi!
Here it was! It was coming! Shindou could feel it, could see it in this game. His heart pounded with the anticipation, his blood was boiling with excitement... Here it was..!
-------------------------------
Shindou Hikaru, a young boy of about 15 with badly bleached bangs and a clueless expression on his face, woke up abruptly as his alarm clock went off. He rolled over, hit the snooze button, and was about to go back to sleep when his eyes were met with those of a strange man with purple hair and white robes.
"Hello. My name is Fujiwara no Sai!"
Shindou stared for a few seconds, unable to respond.
Then he fainted.
-tbc-
I had this up, but something went wrong with my account and I was forced to delete it and re-post. If you reviewed before it was deleted, please review again . As for the rest of you... Review anyways:P
Anyways, I am in desperate need of the following:
(1) A beta. A beta who writes better than I do, preferrably.
(2) A.. Go.. Proffesional? I need help. I love HnG, but I don't know anything about the technicalities of the game.
Also, please know that the amount of reviews I get do reflect on how long I take to update.
I have low self-esteem like that. )
K, that's it. Thanks for reading... Criticism and insight muchly appreciated!
-Genie