Note: I had intended for this to be a one shot mostly because I wasn't sure if I could continue the story in a way that would satisfy me although I really wanted to do more. I pulled this second chapter together, although it's a bit choppy, and a bit disjointed. This is for sure, the last chapter in the series. This is all I can do in this stream at this point in time, it may be all I can ever do for this story.

As to the strange French scene in chapter one, I was going through alternate lives of Hikaru and I understand perfectly how it made almost no sense and how it was odd and awkward but it sounded pretty and I just couldn't cut it out even though that would have made the story more cohesive.

…..

A Drop In The River

….

The thing about them, Hikaru and Sai, the consequence of spending their days together, Sai floating around in her consciousness was that it was almost impossible not ask uncomfortable questions. Personal questions that spanned two very different generations.

Hikaru liked to ask them at night when everything was quiet and they seemed like the only two people left in the world. It always seemed most appropriate then, even though she knew others were still moving around outside.

Sometimes she asks him, ''What was it like to die.''

And he'll tell her it was ''Cold.'' And she'll nod and not understand and other times she'll ask him about the stars and trees and the tea he drank or the people he hated and he'll answer her. His parents, his life, and everything in between, the story of Sai told in bedtime tales to a young girl on the cusp of adolescence. Hikaru liked the happy stories best, the ones about how he ruined his best robes at the age of seven when he tripped into a puddle and she offers her years of streaking in exchange, of jumping into puddles freely, and how she's torn apart wardrobes running wild in the streets of Japan.

He asks her about metal birds and horses, about strange machines that eat people and the system of government she lives under. She only knows so much, and with her knowledge she tries to explain as best she can and what she does not know they learn together through libraries and websites that look reputable enough.

''What do you want to do?'' He asks her on one of their nights, his eyes bright with curiosity. Any other time she would shrug and ignore him, but nights like these were theirs and they were inherently important.

Her brow furrows and she answers back, ''I don't know.'' Because she doesn't. She could be a doctor, a heart surgeon, a lawyer, a businesswoman, she knows she can because she's smart enough and her grades reflect that. She could be a biologist or a teacher or anything at all, except maybe not a dancer or a musician and even then if she started now she could try. But of all the options she knows this. She wants to be big. She wants to rush in with both feet and make waves large enough to impact cities. She wants whirlpools and storms, she thinks that she could never exist with anything less.

So she tells him, ''Something big.'', her hand stretching up to the window pane from her place on the futon. She closes one eye and pulls her thumb and forefinger closer together. From where she's sitting she's squishing the moon. ''Huh.'' She sounds and between those two fingers she rolls a planet in her palm like the white moku she's played with a hundred times or so.

Sai smiles at her as he always does his face tender, even when she's not looking at him, especially then because this girl, this strange little girl gave him hope. ''It will be an honor to watch.''

She shakes her head, ''It will be an honor to join.'' She's not about to let the best friend she's ever known spend his life in her shadow. She'll be awesome and he'll run the Go world from a computer wherever she ends up and they'll have years of nighttime conversations. They'll have forever.

They watch the sky for a few moments more before Sai slyly as he can, which is to say not sly at all suggests ''What about professional Go?'' his voice innocent and Hikaru laughs, stifling the sound with her hand, then her pillow because it was exactly like Sai to nudge her towards the game he loved so much.

She falls asleep face down and leaves drool stains on the pillowcase.

….

Hikaru sticks her tongue out in concentration and makes her move on the goban, they're nearing the end of their game and each move counts, each move requires precision, she no longer has enough space for longer strategies, her maneuvering capability is gone and she's going to lose.

She doesn't expect it to win. Not against Sai, but she'll make it count as much as she can even in Shidougo even though she hates it when they play teaching games.

Sai's fan tells her where to place his last stone, his face solemn.

She bows her head and resigns, ''It was a good game.'' He smiles a mysterious smile, the one that makes him look as old as he really is, all one thousand years etched deep in his expression. His age is in the way he holds his fan, forefinger pointing alongside the delicate tool, in way he sits across from her, his back straight. Soundlessly his face changes, slides into a different one, the one she knows just as well as the serious version, it pulls the corners of his mouth wide and turns his eyes into little curves of joy, his hands flapping in glee, his robes billowing around him.

''You've gotten much better Karu.'' He exclaims, the nickname rolling off his tongue with ease. It seems like every second word out of his mouth was Karu, or Hikaru and she was okay with that. It was nice to have someone there. With her.

Pausing she continues to look at her unseen guest and tells him, ''I am..happy you're here.'' She struggles to articulate, ''I'm.'' She thinks, ''I'm glad I got to meet you.'' She wants him to know that because for a moment, when his face was so solemn she wondered who, in all those years told him they cared about him.

His life for all its length seemed lonely.

''I.'' Sai's started, his expression melting at the sight of his host, awkwardly fiddling with one of the white stones she had captured in their game, ''I am glad to have known you too.''

There's no special occasion, no reason, no nighttime peace. It's just one of their weekends, an early morning game played with two, Hikaru's sleep clothes loose and ridiculous, little patterned game boys dotting her pants.

Some things need to be said in the light of day, to make them real, to make them count.

….

The third time she slouches into the salon Touya's waiting for her as he was previously and before he can ask she pays the attendant and makes her way over to him, relaxed and at ease.

''Hey.'' She greets casually, her hands shoved in the pockets of her cargo pants.

''Good afternoon Shindou-san.'' Touya responds, like the well bred schoolboy he was. Hikaru takes off her baseball ball cap and sets it down beside the goban, between the bowls that held the black and white moku.

''You look like you've been dressed by an eighty year old blind woman.'' She offers with the full understanding that she really had no leg to stand on what with what was technically cross dressing on her part, but the full lavender suit makes her eyes hurt. She wants to know if he got picked on at school, but she doesn't think so. For all of his long hair and pastel clothes Touya had steel in his backbone.

Akira's eyes widen just a fraction before he replies, body stiff in offense, ''I had a meeting at the Go Association this morning, I did not have time to change into something more casual.'' He says casual like its a dirty word.

Hikaru blinks and snorts, because she's never seen the boy in front of her do casual. It was all slacks, all the time, and sweaters. To be fair she'd only seen him three times, counting today but common sense and a ghost that was sighing in despair while whacking her gently with a fan begged to differ.

''I bet you never wore a pair of jeans in your life.'' She counters and the light blush that colors his cheekbones is a victory.

''Hey.'' She raises her hands in peace, ''I don't actually care what you're wearing. At all. And if you like the purple thing you've got going on, great, I just felt I should say something incase, I don't know, you thought you looked good in it.''

She's doing the public a great service, really she is. She may shop in the boys section, but at least she looks good doing it.

Sai's fan whacking would have been so much more effective if he wasn't laughing softy behind one of his sleeves. Hikaru sighs mentally, that man.

Akira looked absolutely befuddled, and Hikaru patiently waited for him to scrounge up a response, she had been told time and time again that she came across as off putting in the best of situations and rude in the worst, or other less savory words to describe rude. If she was being mean she would have placed a stone down on the goban.

''I, I never -'' Touya cut himself off while Hikaru watched on, ''Do you enjoy unsettling me?'' He asked.

Hikaru nodded, ''It's the hair. It makes me want to shave off one of your eyebrows.''

''Just one?'' Touya questions, unwittingly getting sucked into the black hole known as Shindou-logic wherein the only people who would ever get out alive were Shindou and possibly some hermits who spent their lives out in the woods eating off the land.

''Yes.'' Shindou imparted with sage wisdom, ''If I shaved off both it would be even.''

''Are you going to shave off my eyebrows.'' Touya wonders and mentally prepares himself to back away from the crazy crazy boy in front of him.

''Noooo.'' Hikaru placates, drawing out the word, ''I'm going to play Go with you.''

Touya starts the game.

This time he wins. By a moku.

Dissecting their choices he watches Shindou fiddle with his hat, ''Are you certain you don't wish to become a professional. It would be a shame to waste such an ability.''

Hikaru scrunches up her face as Sai whispers his opinion on the idea of his host becoming a professional Go player. It mostly consisted of exited agreement.

''I don't really know.'' She offers, ''I don't even know what a ''professional'' does, or how to be one or anything like that.''

Akira, as all good players, senses a weak point and attacks, ''I could show you around the institute.'' He offers, just a half second too quickly, ''I am also well equipped to explain the life of a Go professional.'' This is his rival his inner thoughts whisper, the one who can match him move for move, the one he can grow with and he does not want Shindou to leave, to stop growing in time with him.

Sai squeals with glee and Hikaru bites her lip, ''Next week?'' She asks, ''The weekend maybe?''

''Would Saturday be acceptable.'' Touya suggests.

Hikaru nods and yawns, ambling out of the salon with the same ease she entered. I have no idea what you're grinning about she thinks at Sai, it's your Go that's going to be cut short because of this. Sai contrary as ever continues to pronounce his joy.

…

The day of the great Go Excursion as Sai has taken to calling it started with some stretches in preparation.

''On, two.'' Sai called out as he moved through different easy positions in his formal garb, ''That's right Hikaru, one two, one two, one two, three.''

Hikaru doesn't even bother asking why they're doing this, it's too early and stretches are good for her or something. She could care less, her eyes bleary as tries to copy the ghost.

''One two.'' He continues and Hikaru notices a wetness between her thighs. Ambling of to the bathroom she examines her undergarments. Of all the days, in all the years she thinks.

''Shit.'' She curses, grabbing a sanitary napkin from the bathroom cupboard and sets it on the counter.

''Are you okay Hikaru?'' Sai calls out, his voice concerned, and Hikaru pouts, like the child she is, ''No.'' She shouts back, ''I'm leaking.''

''Pardon?'' Sai gasps and Hikaru exits the washroom pants pulled up, ''Lady time?'' She waves in the general direction of her pelvis.

''What?'' Sai blurts out, his face turning bright red. Hikaru has the brief but powerful image of her, as she was, waving her soiled underwear over her head like a flag. It probably said something about her that she wanted to do it. Bad. So, so bad.

Moving back to bathroom she can't resist, ''I'm becoming a woman Sai. It's a natural part of life.'' That's what her mother told her anyway.

Sai tries to melt into his robes in embarrassment.

…

This is how Touya Akira finds out that Shindou Hikaru is in fact, not a boy.

Shindou, needing to go to the bathroom, while not knowing where the bathroom was, thus having to be escorted there walked into the woman's section.

''Wait.'' Touya called out grabbing onto his guests arm, ''That's the woman's bathroom.'' He pointed out, sure that his companion hadn't been paying attention.

''I know.'' Shindou replied. And wasn't this a conversation he had so many times. To be fair, when the line for the ladies room was crowded she had been known to sneak into the mens but still. She was entitled to use the womans' bathroom, today more than any other day.

''You're a boy Shindou.'' Touya insisted and Hikaru sighed.

''No.'' She corrected, ''I'm not.''

''Yes. You are.'' Touya insisted.

''I know my own parts.'' Hikaru snapped, irritated. It was fine when other people who didn't know she was a girl assumed she was a boy, but to tell someone she was a girl and then be told that she was wrong made her want to throw things, and shave off Touya's hair. She had expected confusion, maybe surprise, but the vehement denial was something else.

''Clearly you don't.'' Touya waved at Shindou's direction. Hikaru's nostrils flared with aggression and even Sai was sending Akira dirty looks from behind Hikaru's back. With no further thought Hikaru dropped her pants.

Akira's eyes were drawn downwards without his permission and in underwear it couldn't have been more clear. Shindou Hikaru was female. With more dignity than Touya though possible from someone who had just pantsed themselves Hikaru picked up her jeans and walked into the girls lavatory.

Sai, unseen glared at the Touya the entire time and gave him a rather scathing lecture of the treatment of women in modern society and how Touya needed to be re-educated until such a time where he could behave like a gentleman. Touya whose face was staring to resemble nothing more than a tomato, was very thankful that no one had been around to see that, and that Go was not a popular game. If it was the Association would have had more visitors it would have meant that someone would have been seen Shindou remove his, her, he corrected, her pants.

Resiting the urge to ump out a window he reassessed what he knew about Hikaru.

…

Washing her hands Hikaru scowled at Touya's words, nodding along to Sai's complaints, ''Such nerve.'' He admonished, ''What a rude little boy Hikaru, I hope you thrash him soundly.''

''I never knew you were so bloody minded Sai.'' Hikaru comments.

Sai's smile darkened, ''In Go, Karu, beat him in Go. In my time a man could have lost his life over such an insult to a woman's honor.''

Hikaru laughed and nodded, shaking off her hands, drying them on her pants.

…

Akira bowed to her as she walked out, ''I am so incredibly sorry for my mistake and my rude words. I hope you can accept my apology.''

Hikaru bopped him on the head lightly and smiled, ''Yeah, yea, it's fine.'' Pinching one of his cheeks with a strength learned from her aunt Hikaru grinned, ''If you ever do anything like that again I will knee you in the groin.''

''H-hai.'' Akira stutters and waits for her to release the painful grip on his face.

''It happens a lot.'' Hikaru tells him, ''People just don't usually argue with me when I tell them I'm a girl.''

''Ah. I am sorry.'' Akira apologizes again, wondering if ever there would come a time when he wouldn't make such a fool of himself around Shindou.

In later years Hikaru would grow fond of relating the story with great and sadistic glee about the time Touya Meijin the second mistook her for a boy

…

She's nineteen and her hair still short.

She's nineteen and she plays for Sai's title, the only one she's ever wanted like she's starving for it, like she's desperate and ready to burn the goban if that's what it takes. She plays with the game with the hands of a girl who's lost her best friend.

She's green eyed and staring at Kuwabara sensei's smiling face, his bald patch shining in the light. ''Hehe.'' He chuckles, ''I always knew it was going to be you brat.''

She grins back at him and bows.

Shindou Hikaru is nineteen years old and she's the first female title holder in a decade. Kuwabara Honinbou does not relent with ease but she pries it from him with all the determination of a ten year old refusing to wear the girls uniform in school.

Shindou Honinbou.

It sounded like a the movement of a paper fan through air, her own fan, resting beside her with care. The last remnant of the man who taught her Go.

''Congratulations.'' Akira tells her, while Ogata scowls at her from behind.

''Thanks.'' She replies, the weight of her title comfortable in her mind.

Hey Sai, she thinks, she greets. She doesn't know if he can hear at all, but she likes to think he can. She hopes he, she wants his to be there watching over, her, watching her win.

I won.

She tells him.

I won.

She's got a lifetime ahead of her and she knows exactly what she wants to spend it doing.