HOSHI
Rules of the Game Arc

AUTHOR: Ken
DISCLAIMER: Hikaru no Go is a product of Hotta and Obata . . . damn them both.
PAIRINGS: Sai + Hikaru, others.
WARNINGS: M/M, Angst, Manga Spoilers, Suspension of Disbelief in effect, and Divine intervention.
NOTES: Thanks for hanging around all these years. Finally done. In depth author's notes on my LJ or AO3 account. Links on my profile page.

Chapter Four: Star

Sai was gone.

Touya Kouyo couldn't believe it when Ogata had relayed the information. He'd sat down, glad that the other man was on the phone and not there in person. As they'd hung up he couldn't help but be relieved the other man hadn't witnessed his momentary stupefaction. That had been days ago, and since then Kouyo had had way too much time to think. It was odd to be a little bit devastated over someone he didn't even know, but Kouyo understood that Fujiwara Sai had helped him at a crucial moment in his life, and subsequently, his career.

There have been two other times Kouyo could honestly say he'd been deliriously excited about Go. The first was upon discovery, of course. He'd been a child with no special talents, not incredibly smart, no charming personality, following in the footsteps of his stiflingly traditional family. Nothing about him of note, his father ignored him. His mother defended him, said he would find his niche when ready. It was his grandfather, however, who seemed to find something redeemable in him and sat him down to a game. They had both discovered that there was one thing his completely average brain excelled at. Puzzles. Strategy. His family had been so proud, and he had been ecstatic to finally belong somewhere and enjoy being there.

The second time had been when Akira had expressed his interest in Go. Akira had been a weird child who didn't fit in anywhere either. Akiko had despaired their son's tendency to isolate himself from other children. She would often regale Kouyo with tales and demonstrations of the many faces of disdain their toddler would make when presented with toys or games. Kouyo would commiserate and lament that he'd passed on horrible genes, and his wife would laugh and deny it. Then one day Akira had entered his study intent on playing a game with him. It was seeing his solemn little boy smile at him across a Go board after successfully placing a stone that had infused him with a desire to teach, nurture. He'd started a school. Akira was his number one pupil.

This time, however, was nothing like the other two. This time Kouyo had sat at a computer screen, fiddling with a ridiculous pointing apparatus, feeling sorry for himself and yet curious. He'd placed his stones and been rebuffed. He'd recalled every strategy he'd ever learned, but it was as though he'd been playing against the creator of those strategies; someone who knew them better. Someone who had evolved passed them. After years of being at the top Kouyo had lost. After years of stagnancy Kouyo had been reinvigorated. He'd remembered why he'd started playing. He'd found a new puzzle. He wanted to reinvent the game the way Sai had.

At the time Kouyo had felt he couldn't do that while he was still in the league playing against the same traditionalist Go players. He now knows that if he had waited just a little bit longer the new wave of players would have trickled up to his level and in their wake the traditionalist would have had to reevaluate their own styles. If he had waited he would have been able to play Sai again. He would have been willingly schooled by that child with the sad eyes and the long hair and the easy smile should he have won again.

His third reason for being deliriously excited about Go was now gone.

Touya Kouyo didn't know what to do with that.

Akira was having a fight with Shindou. That wasn't unusual. His son could work himself into a snit over the most minor infractions of his rival. Akira's problem was that he'd never had friends his own age, or wanted them. Nor had anyone his age been able to challenge him at Go. Akira knew how to lose gracefully to someone he thought should be better than him, but not someone who'd put in less effort than he to flourish and conquer. Shindou was both of the things Akira just wasn't emotionally equipped to handle. Touya Kouyo wasn't having it. Now was not the time to be pitching a tantrum. Sai existed somewhere, Shindou knew him and likely his whereabouts. Akira needed to get over it.

Of course, Touya Kouyo could say none of this. His and Akira's relationship wasn't one that spoke of feelings and the like. He and Akira spoke the language of Go; he couldn't think of a metaphor that would get him the answers he sought from his son, and Akira was strangely unforthcoming. If was for that reason Touya Kouyo dropped Akira off at the Go Institute for one of his matches under some vague pretext he couldn't remember now, and promptly went to see if he could garner a moment with Mr. Shinoda.

Touya Kouyo had been investigating Sai ever since he'd discovered his last name. All he'd discovered was a hospital address. Fujiwara Sai didn't have family; he didn't even have a Go master one could go see to ask after him. The sole reliable point of contact Kouyo had had to find Sai was Shindou Hikaru. Then, the other day he'd had a breakthrough when Ogata had said he'd overheard a student mention Sai would't be returning to the institute. Maybe it was obvious, but this was the absolute last place Kouyo would have thought to look for Sai. Sai was already brilliant; the only time he should have been here was for the pro exam which was still a few months away. Still, with Akira being Akira about Shindou, this information couldn't have come a more fortuitous time.

Kouyo turned down the hallway which would lead him to the director's office and paused. Outside of Shinoda's office stood Ogata beside Fujiwarano Midori. Kouyo frowned deeply. He had no idea what Ogata was saying but Fujiwarano, though shorter, seemed to be derisively looking down her nose at him. Kouyo moved towards them. He could only hope Ogata had the good sense not to try to pick up Fujiwarano, everyone knew she didn't date. In the event that Ogata was, however, Kouyo had no problem interrupting.

"Ogata, Fujiwarano, good to see you. What brings you here?" Kouyo greeted them with a polite smile. Fujiwarano returned it, her eyes full of gratitude; Ogata looked annoyed. Kouyo figured Ogata had gotten what he deserved.

"Touya Meijin, I haven't seen you in a while," Fujiwarano said.

"I'm hardly Meijin anymore," Kouyo demurred.

"I think once you've held the title as long as you did, you have a right to always use it."

"You're too kind."

Ogata cleared his throat, eyes narrowing. "And what are you doing here so early, Touya?"

"Dropping Akira off for his match," Kouyo answered smoothly. "Figured I'd speak with Mr. Shinoda while I was here."

"Oh, he's just gone to fetch a student," Fujiwarano replied. "I was with Sakurano and Isumi yesterday and they mentioned an insei here who'd fallen in the ranks from second to fourth since her friend was admitted to the hospital."

"That sounds horrible," Kouyo said.

"It does," Fujiwarano agreed. "But with her friend withdrawing from the institute due to his illness, she's now ranked third, and as long as she doesn't lose anymore matches she'd be set for the pro exam. I just wanted to stop by and encourage her. It's been a while since there was a female shodan, you know."

"What rank was her friend then, if his dropping out affected her position?" Ogata wondered.

Fujiwarano spared him a glance. "Oh, Mr. Shinoda said he was ranked first."

"Then who is first now?" Touya asked.

"That would be Isobe Hideki," Mr. Shinoda answered as he came upon the group. "He was the child Meijin tournament winner for quite a few years. He's quite good, though not the prodigy your son is." Shinoda inclined his head toward Touya and smiled. "I believe Touya played him a few years ago and insulted him-"

Somehow, Touya Kouyo was not surprised.

"—I don't think I've seen anyone as focused on beating Touya Akira since Shindou," Shinoda admitted with a slight shrug.

Kouyo nodded. This was good news. Perhaps if Akira had someone else to focus on he wouldn't be experiencing these extreme mood swings when it came to Shindou.

"Who was ranked first before Isobe?" Ogata asked in a tone that could be mistaken as polite interest if one didn't know him as a well as Kouyo did.

"Oh, that would have been Fujiwara Sai," Shinoda replied. He turned to Fujiwarano and explained. "Nase's friend. She'll been right out, by the way, she was recording her win for the day when I found her."

"Thank you," Fujiwarano murmured.

Kouyo tried not to seem too eager as he prodded Mr. Shinoda for more news. "So, S-Fujiwara is in the hospital?"

Mr. Shinoda sighed; face falling into a disappointed frown. "Oh, yes. Such a shame about that boy. He's brilliant. He was only here for a few weeks, but everyone loved playing him and the level of dedication the students have all shown after a game with him is an absolute marvel. I don't think I've ever met anyone who could inspire a love of the game the way Fujiwara does."

Somehow, Touya Kouyo could relate.

It was then Nase Asumi approached with a bashful "You wanted to see me," directed at Mr. Shinoda as she took in the three pros all staring at her as though she were the second coming of some religious deity. Before Ogata and Touya could say anything, Fujiwarano was already stepping forward and introducing herself, asking Nase to lunch so they could talk. The girl declined unless Fujiwarano wouldn't mind making a stop first. "I'd like to visit Fujiwara, and I think only Shindou can flaunt visiting hours," she explained.

Later Touya Kouyo could not say how he and Ogata Seiji had managed to weasel their way into the luncheon for his mind had fallen into desperation mode the moment he learned Nase knew where Sai was and could lead the way.

It was a day just like any other when China's amateur competitor Lee Lin Shin logged on to his computer to play internet Go. He absently scrolled through the list of probable opponents, deciding who he would play based on name alone. He saw the usual suspects, who were neither a challenge but not a complete bore either, like Queen and Ozzy. He briefly watched a game between Lao Zi and Maiden wondering if he would challenge the winner of that battle, but they were still in the early stages of fuseki and it would be a while. Continuing to scroll downward he stopped short when a name he hadn't seen in a year blinked before him.

The last time America's Michael Jones had seen Sai's name had been a year ago when an imposter had used the name and made a mockery of the game they all loved. He didn't think another person would do that after the electronic flames they'd sent the last guy, but one could never be too sure. There was only one way to find out, and that was to challenge this purported Sai. But he didn't want to risk the disappointment of another fake.

Korea's Kim had only seen Sai play twice in his lifetime. He'd felt cheated for a long time concerning that because the two games he'd seen were truly brilliant and he'd wanted a chance at him. When Sai's name appeared on his computer screen he hesitated only a moment before issuing a challenge to the mysterious Japanese Go genius.

In Holland, on a break from teaching his students, Niels Caspar logged on to his computer for a quick and relaxing game against a competitor he could not see. What he found was Sai slicing Jeju Go Seoul's fingers at the joints while he still held the stone perfectly on his fingernail. Jeju Go Seoul resigned shortly after that. Niels Caspar's breath caught in his throat and he ran a shaking hand through his short blond hair. The Sai was back.

Sai signed off from Internet Go before anyone else could challenge him and set his laptop on the nightstand beside his hospital bed. Hospitals. Sai officially hated them. It was one thing to have the memory ghosting around in his brain with no real reference, and quite another to lay in a hospital bed day in and day out with needles taped into his veins. He understood how he had gotten such a completely obscure life now. Who would think to check the hospital for a Go player no matter how good? Sai felt completely forgotten about and cut off.

It was an odd feeling to be sure. Before this life Sai had been content to only play Go to the exclusion of all else. He was passionate about it, and he was good at it and if he could persuade the person he haunted to love it too, then there wasn't more that he could ask for. However, after breathing the air again, feeling the sun again, talking to different people, making friends, eating ramen and ice cream, there was no way he could return to such a solitary existence. Sai looked to the clock and expelled a breath in annoyance. It was past time for Hikaru to show up and it wasn't like him to be late. Sai being admitted to the hospital and separated from Hikaru for the first time was not the way they'd wanted to find out the range of their connection. As it was, Sai could detect when Hikaru was a block or two from hospital grounds, but nothing before that.

Fortunately Hikaru wasn't his only visitor. Sai had been incarcerated almost a month now and Fukui visited him on the weekends. If Waya and Isumi were scheduled for games at the same time as Hikaru, they too would accompany him when he stopped by. Even so, he hadn't seen Nase. Hikaru had assured him that she had spent the first week visiting. Not that Sai would know as that first week he'd spent unconscious. The second week, after he'd awoken, the doctors had told him that he had mycoplasma pneumonia, the mildest form of the sickness. However someone with his delicate health couldn't risk any kind of infection. He was scolded for not coming in earlier, but Sai couldn't say that he'd only felt sick for a minute or two before he'd fainted when they claimed he'd been ailing for a week or more with how badly his respiratory organs had been compromised. His doctor cautioned that his immune system wasn't what it should be and any bacterial infection had the potential to turn deadly no matter how mild. Sai supposed that made sense. There were a lot of diseases, air-born toxins, he hadn't been exposed to in one thousand years and he'd jumped right into the thick of them at a Go institute - a place where hundreds of fingers touched the same stones daily. Honestly, it was a miracle he hadn't gotten something worse, though admittedly, 'worse' probably would have killed him again.

There was a knock to the door before it eased inward. Sai looked up from his nap expecting a nurse to be making rounds, but instead was treated to Nase poking her head through the opening and glancing around until she met his eyes. "Hey," she murmured.

"Hey," Sai repeated with a smile.

"Sorry I haven't been by in a while." She squeezed through the tiny opening and quickly closed and locked the door. Sai looked askance at her behavior and she huffed in exasperation. "I know I should probably be honored and all that," she muttered as she approached Sai's bed. "But Touya Meijin and Ogata Judan followed me here. I was just supposed to eat lunch with Ms. Fujiwarano." She sat in the chair beside Sai's bed and smiled at him. "It's good to see you awake. I was really scared."

Sai shrugged. He understood completely. After he'd woken up that first time to see Hikaru clinging to his hand all unkempt hair and dark circles under his eyes, Sai had vowed to get better as quickly as possible and try not to relapse again. "Really happy to see you," he replied.

"So, I just wanted to say thank you."

"Why?"

"The last thing you said before you passed out."

Sai looked at her blankly.

Nase reached across the distance and briefly squeezed his hand. "You said you would 'make sure I had a place'. And then you dropped out of the institute and, well, inadvertently you gave me a spot though I'd been about to throw it away because I was frustrated. So, I just—thank you for being my friend, even when I don't deserve it."

Sai shook his head. "You're my friend, Nase, you don't have to thank me for it and you definitely don't have to earn it."

Nase stood, leaned over Sai and carefully hugged him. "I'll come see you tomorrow," she said. "I don't want to keep Ms. Fujiwarano waiting. And I'm sure Touya Meijin and Ogata Judan only came along to see you anyway."

Sai nodded. That was probably the truth, and likely a long overdue meeting on all of their parts.

A Few Months Later:

Hikaru woke because he was too comfortable. He was snugly beneath his winter blanket, spread out on his back, one arm dangling from the side of the bed. His shoulder was dry and a cool breeze blew across his face.

That just wasn't right.

The bed cover should have been the catalyst in blanket warfare between him and his bed mate, of whom his dangling arm should have been uncomfortably stuck beneath and twisted around. Hikaru never thought he'd miss being drooled on, but there it was, his shoulder screaming blasphemy at being dry for the first time in the months since Sai had been released from the hospital.

Hikaru was the only one in his bed. It was distinctly unsettling. So he rose and wandered to his door which was slightly ajar and admitting a sliver of light. The computer screen was on but no one sat in front of it. The small light above the stove emitted light from the kitchen and Hikaru turned his attention from the digital fish swimming on the computer screen to follow it. Sai wasn't in the kitchen but the door to the laundry room and subsequently the one leading outside from that room was. There he found Sai bundled in one of the chairs gazing up into the cool January night. They would have to get up in a few hours to leave for Sai's Shodan Game; there was no reason for them to be losing much needed sleep now when it was going to be a long day. After the game and the interviews there was to be a party at his mother's house—Mitsuko had insisted. She wanted to do something nice for Sai as well as congratulate Hikaru on his promotion to 3-dan.

Shindou Mitsuko had really surprised him. A few weeks in to Sai's preliminary games she'd invited him over for lunch while Sai was gaming and Hikaru had accepted. After they'd eaten she'd nervously led him up to his old room where he'd found a goban had been set up. His mother-who had been absolutely dismissive of his chosen profession before-nervously invited him to play with her. Hikaru had smiled ecstatically at her in return and accepted. She held the stones the way Hikaru had in the beginning, and placed seven, because 'Akari said when you're playing a pro you're allowed to do that.' Over the course of the game of shidou-go Hikaru discovered that his mother had been taking lessons from Akari and his grandfather because she wanted to show him that she did support him, and that she didn't want to be one of those parents who had children who never called or visited. From then on Hikaru had made sure to call her at least once a week and detour to see her whenever he was close to his old neighborhood.

Though their relationship was closer Hikaru had been surprised at her offer to host the party, but she'd claimed he and his friends spent enough time in that 'igo colony' he'd founded (so called because Yashiro had moved in shortly after Sai's first preliminary game, followed by Waya, then Isumi, and Nase all sprinkled around in their own apartments on the lower floors). Of course, Hikaru had no doubt that Sai would win his Beginner Series game. Furthermore, the Go world was already enamored of him since Fujiwarano Midori had announced that he was her long lost son and had the blood test to prove it. That day in June Hikaru had been late arriving at the hospital only to see three pros congregating around Sai's closed door. Ogata Judan and Touya, former Meijin, were trying to revive a woman who had collapsed to the floor whimpering about a child who had her dead lover's eyes (though not the right color). Upon closer inspection Hikaru would note that the woman, Fujiwarano Midori, did look a lot like Sai. Later, while they were waiting on DNA results after the whole mess was sorted out Sai would mentally tell Hikaru that Fujiwarano Midori was indeed a descendant of his family. The Lady Murasaki Shikibu was, after all, a member of the Fujiwara clan. Somewhere along the way when naming systems changed the Fujiwara clan had added the 'No' character to their name for distinction from the other Fujiwaras who'd cropped up. When Midori's parents (technically Sai's great-too-many-times-to-count grand-Nephew/Niece) had ousted him from the family tree, dropping the 'no' was enough to separate Sai from the family. They hadn't met, Sai and the rest of the Fujiwaranos. Midori wouldn't allow her parents near him. Hikaru thought maybe the Fujiwarano family had been through a lot since Sai died a thousand years ago, and maybe Sai getting his life back was to correct many cases of bad luck that the go-playing family had endured.

On top of being a member of the very rich Fujiwarano family, shortly after the story broke the kifu of Touya Meijin versus Sai with a zero handicap, and Sai's resulting win had found its way to Kosemura and Amano's desk somehow. When it had gotten out that Sai, fourteen-year-old nobody (at the time) had already beaten the reigning Meijin (at the time) in a fair game, Kosemura and Amano's enthusiasm for Sai could not be contained. Nor could any of the other pros it seemed. They were lining up to play Sai to prove it wasn't a fluke that the fifteen year old had won even though Sai had barely been out of the hospital and had only just entered the prelims for the pro exam.

Ogata Seiji had been smart about it, however, and secured Sai's Shodan Game. Touya Kouyo, after months of deliberation had petitioned to rejoin the Japanese Go League. Sai had already promised to play him next week when there would be a break in his very busy schedule and Hikaru had agreed to meet Touya the younger for a game. He and Touya were getting along much better now. Hikaru thought that between Isobe Hideki vying for his attention and Yashirou Kiyoharu taking offense to Isobe's interest in Akira and successively hoarding the flustered Touya for himself that maybe Touya didn't have the energy to be angry at Hikaru for some imagined slight anymore. Admittedly, Hikaru was childish, but Isobe was a spoiled brat on Ochi's level who tried even Sai's patience. Hikaru was glad that the result was that he and Akira were becoming true friends as well as rivals now, just as he was glad that Touya Kouyo would finally get his rematch. He knew what it felt like to wait to avenge your honor. He also knew what it felt like to finally put that someone in their place.

Two weeks ago, over the winter break Hon Su-Yeong had come to visit his uncle and invited Hikaru (and Sai by association) to play at his uncle's salon, though Su-Yeong wasn't alone. Ko Yeong-ha had tagged along likely because his own family hadn't wanted to put with him over the holidays Hikaru assumed. Ko had been obnoxious even when they couldn't understand each other, but Sai spoke Korean (Hikaru didn't question it, just like he didn't question their still active link), and it hadn't endeared Ko to him in any way. After a game with Su-Yeong and with Ko's snippy commentary as background noise Hikaru'd had enough and challenged him on the spot. With Sai beside him, leg warm against Hikaru's under the table, he had been able to relax and focus completely in a way he hadn't been able to during the Hokuto Cup Tournament when he'd felt alone.

Hikaru had won by two moku. He hadn't gloated about it, and he wanted to say that it was because he was maturing, but the truth of the matter was that he couldn't a word in over Su-Yeong's ragging on Ko's loss and how he couldn't wait to tell their fellow players in Korea. Ko Yeong-ha had turned about sixteen shades of red before muttering 'This isn't over' and leaving the salon in a disgruntled huff the most diva of divas would appreciate.

"What are you doing out here?" Hikaru asked.

Sai's expressive face turned down in a frown. "There is an easier way to find that out," he stated tapping the side of his forehead, referring to the still functioning link between them.

"I prefer looking at you," Hikaru replied, because he did, and after months of Sai being around he could admit it now. Sai's lips tilted upward. "Now what are you doing out here?"

Sai shrugged and gazed upward again. "I was just thinking. You know, in one thousand years the stars didn't change."

"Yes they did," Hikaru immediately refuted softly. Sai's eyes swung back to him in question. Hikaru moved to sit beside his friend, wrapped his arms around him for warmth, and looked up into the sky. "They added one . . . so, shine brightly, okay?" Hikaru twirled a long lock of Sai's hair around his finger, looked at him briefly and smiled. He leaned in and placed a chaste kiss on Sai's mouth, then he stood and returned the way he'd come. Contemplating the universe wasn't his strong suit; neither was romance, or clever words to convey his feelings, but Sai was a friend who he'd already lost once. Though it may have taken a few months to come to terms Hikaru didn't want to pass up this new opportunity to be with Sai in every way possible.

Later that Day:

Kosemura shoved a microphone under Sai's nose as he gushed, "Fujiwara Sai, how does it feel to be a Shodan who has beaten both a reigning Meijin and the current Judan title holder?"

Sai shrugged as he smiled brightly. He probably should have been wearing a suit but was instead in one of his fancier Modern/Heian outfits, top half of his hair pulled away from his face in elegant twists done by Midori-his mother—that morning when she'd come to take them to the game building so that they wouldn't have to ride the subway. A brightly colored fan swung from his wrist. "I just love playing the game," he settled on answering.

Kosemura beamed at him in obvious fan-boy adoration. "I've no doubt that you'll rise in the league quickly, if you could choose do you know what title you'd like to compete for first?"

Sai brought he fan to his lips and tapped them twice as he feigned thinking. There really was only one title that he wanted-or should it be said wanted back? "Honinbou," he stated and then caught sight of Hikaru in the crowd. He rushed off to enthusiastically throw his arms around Hikaru before Kosemura could ask any more questions.

Two days later:

Kuwabara, reigning Honinbou title holder of many years sat at his dining table slurping oatmeal and reading the latest Weekly Go issue. He turned to the page of Sai's interview and skimmed what the young player had had to say. The magazine fell into his bowl as his hand juddered in his shock and a cold sweat broke across his brow. He felt as though a ghost had just tapped his shoulder and whispered that his time as champion was almost up.

-End