[Fic] Pearly Gates 2/? (Hikaru no Go)
Title: Pearly Gates (2/?)
Characters: Ogata, Kuwabara, Touya Kouyou, Sai
Words/Rating: 1200+ words / G
Summary: Ogata meets some old friends in the great go salon in the sky.
Beta: ontogenesis
Previous chapters: Chapter 1
On the other side of the archway was a room remarkably similar to the go salon Touya Kouyou had owned in real life. There were a few people in the go salon, and they were all dressed mainly in white, but there were so many different styles of clothing on display--suits, kimono, yukata, t-shirts, even white jeans--it didn't seem as if there was a uniform. Ogata didn't recognize any of the faces, though none were completely unfamiliar to him. Perhaps he'd met them in passing before. He'd lost count of the number of pick-up games he'd played in go salons when he was younger, or the number of people he'd met as a professional coaching at conferences and tournaments.
The room didn't smell of smoke like the Touya salon did, but it had the same inviting leather sofas, tastefully decorative vases and calligraphy scrolls, soft lighting, and many gobans. Where the original go salon had held a spotlighted stone sculpture, though, there was a large fishtank instead. The fish inside were familiar ornamental freshwater fish: pretty enough, but ordinary, and nothing Ogata hadn't seen before.
Ogata paused a moment; that one wasn't common. He'd had a koi angel once, a brilliant red-orange fish marbled with black and white, just like the one before him. He'd called her Grace, because she was prone to bumping into the glass of the tank or colliding with the other fish. For six months, she had bounced off surfaces of varying hardness before cutting herself on a sharp edge and succumbing to infection. Ogata had mourned her for three weeks.
The fish in the tank plunked against the glass, the familiar timbre stopping Ogata mid-stride.
He watched, riveted, as it hovered for a few moments, then shook itself out of its daze--three shakes of the head, left-right-left--and then turned--to the left, of course, angled a little upwards--before swimming away slowly.
Grace.
He shook his head. No, it couldn't be.
Could it?
When he turned around, Kuwabara had stopped and was squinting at him with a speculative look. "Old friends, Ogata-kun? A past past-life? Is that why you like fish so much? Hee hee!"
Some of the go-players turned to look when Kuwabara wheezed in loud hoary laughter as offensive in death as it had been in life. About to retort, Ogata paused as he recognized the figure seated in a corner who had lifted his head from the goban. There was only one man Ogata had ever considered truly dignified, and this man's dignity exuded an aura that was far more palpable up here than it had been in life. "Touya-sensei."
Touya Kouyou smiled, nodded at Ogata, and then turned back to the goban where he placed a stone. He then nodded his head at the empty chair opposite him. Ogata was about to walk up to sit at the chair when he thought he heard Touya Kouyou say, "Excuse me a moment."
Ogata paused, taken aback. That couldn't be right--there was no one else there at the goban. Had that not been an invitation to sit? Who was Touya Kouyou talking to?
Then Touya Kouyou stood, and Ogata quickened his approach in order not to let his teacher wait for him for very long.
"Ogata-kun," Touya Kouyou said, his face no less wrinkled, his smile no less distinguished for the wrinkles. They shook hands, and Ogata was surprised to be pulled into a quick embrace. He stiffened, then remembered who the other was, and tried to relax, but Touya Kouyou had released him by then. Ogata found this far stranger than anything else he'd seen, even including the-fish-that-couldn't-be-Grace. Touya Kouyou had never hugged anyone in greeting before. Not even...
Not even who? Ogata frowned, eyes narrowing, trying to remember. The gaps in his memory irritated him. Ogata never forgot. Especially not...
Isumi.
There was that name again. Perhaps someone still living, and the dead were not allowed to remember them? And yet Kuwabara plainly remembered Ogata. Touya Kouyou certainly seemed to. What was going on here?
"Did I discomfort you? My apologies," Touya Kouyou said, drawing Ogata's attention back to him.
He realized both Kuwabara and Touya Kouyou were looking at him, and he made an effort to relax his facial expression. "No," Ogata said, giving Touya Kouyou a slight bow. "It was the joy of seeing both of you here. I'm very pleased to be reunited with you, sensei."
"As I you. Selfish of me as it is, I must confess I feel more happiness than regret that you are here with us so soon."
Something had changed since they'd last met, and Ogata looked a little closer at his mentor of many years. The way Touya Kouyou's eyes crinkled was more relaxed. His gaze was no less steady, but the edge to it had softened; it no longer felt as if Touya Kouyou could penetrate all of Ogata's deepest fears and secrets. He's no longer waiting, no longer searching, Ogata realized. He's found what he was looking for.
That it had been found in the afterlife... Perhaps the serenity of eternity was what Touya Kouyou had been seeking. Ogata was happy for him, if so.
"Was it Kuwabara-sensei who greeted you at the gate?" When Ogata nodded in reply, Touya Kouyou looked at Kuwabara, who merely met the gaze evenly. The two old men stood like that for a moment, and then Touya Kouyou smiled, face taking on an uncharacteristically impish expression. "You realize this puts your previous treatment of Ogata-kun in a new light, Kuwabara-sensei?"
Kuwabara smirked as he looked at the goban. "You were spending far too much time with Fujiwara," he said. "Other old men need company too, you know."
"Fujiwara-san?" Ogata asked. He hadn't missed the gleam in Kuwabara's eyes, but Ogata couldn't remember any pro by that name. Kuwabara kept looking at the goban, and Ogata wondered if the game on the goban had anything to do with this. "A personal friend, sensei? A go player?"
A serene smile spread over Touya Kouyou's face. "He does, indeed, play go," he said with a knowing smile and a nod. "I believe you should meet him. He certainly would like to meet you."
That smile was a little too knowing for Ogata's comfort. "He's heard of me, then," Ogata said, looking around. "If sensei plays go with him, I'd like to meet him too. Is he here?"
"Hello, Ogata-sensei," said a voice from beside Ogata.
Ogata turned to see a beautiful young man seated in the previously empty chair on the other side of the goban Touya Kouyou had been studying. Too beautiful, by far, Ogata thought, eyebrows narrowing. How had he missed this person's approach? "And you are?" he said warily.
He was surprised by Kuwabara and Touya Kouyou's chuckles. He looked back at them, puzzled and slightly irritated. Why on earth did they find this amusing? Suspicious now, he frowned, looking at the newcomer again, and was greeted with a laugh that sounded like bells. "Of course, you don't know me yet," the newcomer said, standing. "I'm very sorry--please forgive my lack of manners. I am Fujiwara Sai."
Sai!
Pieces clicked into place. Of course. That was why Ogata hadn't been able to trace him, why Sai had disappeared so abruptly.
If Sai was dead, then no wonder...
No wonder... what?
The rest of the picture would not come.
(to be continued)
Characters: Ogata, Kuwabara, Touya Kouyou, Sai
Words/Rating: 1200+ words / G
Summary: Ogata meets some old friends in the great go salon in the sky.
Beta: ontogenesis
Previous chapters: Chapter 1
On the other side of the archway was a room remarkably similar to the go salon Touya Kouyou had owned in real life. There were a few people in the go salon, and they were all dressed mainly in white, but there were so many different styles of clothing on display--suits, kimono, yukata, t-shirts, even white jeans--it didn't seem as if there was a uniform. Ogata didn't recognize any of the faces, though none were completely unfamiliar to him. Perhaps he'd met them in passing before. He'd lost count of the number of pick-up games he'd played in go salons when he was younger, or the number of people he'd met as a professional coaching at conferences and tournaments.
The room didn't smell of smoke like the Touya salon did, but it had the same inviting leather sofas, tastefully decorative vases and calligraphy scrolls, soft lighting, and many gobans. Where the original go salon had held a spotlighted stone sculpture, though, there was a large fishtank instead. The fish inside were familiar ornamental freshwater fish: pretty enough, but ordinary, and nothing Ogata hadn't seen before.
Ogata paused a moment; that one wasn't common. He'd had a koi angel once, a brilliant red-orange fish marbled with black and white, just like the one before him. He'd called her Grace, because she was prone to bumping into the glass of the tank or colliding with the other fish. For six months, she had bounced off surfaces of varying hardness before cutting herself on a sharp edge and succumbing to infection. Ogata had mourned her for three weeks.
The fish in the tank plunked against the glass, the familiar timbre stopping Ogata mid-stride.
He watched, riveted, as it hovered for a few moments, then shook itself out of its daze--three shakes of the head, left-right-left--and then turned--to the left, of course, angled a little upwards--before swimming away slowly.
Grace.
He shook his head. No, it couldn't be.
Could it?
When he turned around, Kuwabara had stopped and was squinting at him with a speculative look. "Old friends, Ogata-kun? A past past-life? Is that why you like fish so much? Hee hee!"
Some of the go-players turned to look when Kuwabara wheezed in loud hoary laughter as offensive in death as it had been in life. About to retort, Ogata paused as he recognized the figure seated in a corner who had lifted his head from the goban. There was only one man Ogata had ever considered truly dignified, and this man's dignity exuded an aura that was far more palpable up here than it had been in life. "Touya-sensei."
Touya Kouyou smiled, nodded at Ogata, and then turned back to the goban where he placed a stone. He then nodded his head at the empty chair opposite him. Ogata was about to walk up to sit at the chair when he thought he heard Touya Kouyou say, "Excuse me a moment."
Ogata paused, taken aback. That couldn't be right--there was no one else there at the goban. Had that not been an invitation to sit? Who was Touya Kouyou talking to?
Then Touya Kouyou stood, and Ogata quickened his approach in order not to let his teacher wait for him for very long.
"Ogata-kun," Touya Kouyou said, his face no less wrinkled, his smile no less distinguished for the wrinkles. They shook hands, and Ogata was surprised to be pulled into a quick embrace. He stiffened, then remembered who the other was, and tried to relax, but Touya Kouyou had released him by then. Ogata found this far stranger than anything else he'd seen, even including the-fish-that-couldn't-be-Grace. Touya Kouyou had never hugged anyone in greeting before. Not even...
Not even who? Ogata frowned, eyes narrowing, trying to remember. The gaps in his memory irritated him. Ogata never forgot. Especially not...
Isumi.
There was that name again. Perhaps someone still living, and the dead were not allowed to remember them? And yet Kuwabara plainly remembered Ogata. Touya Kouyou certainly seemed to. What was going on here?
"Did I discomfort you? My apologies," Touya Kouyou said, drawing Ogata's attention back to him.
He realized both Kuwabara and Touya Kouyou were looking at him, and he made an effort to relax his facial expression. "No," Ogata said, giving Touya Kouyou a slight bow. "It was the joy of seeing both of you here. I'm very pleased to be reunited with you, sensei."
"As I you. Selfish of me as it is, I must confess I feel more happiness than regret that you are here with us so soon."
Something had changed since they'd last met, and Ogata looked a little closer at his mentor of many years. The way Touya Kouyou's eyes crinkled was more relaxed. His gaze was no less steady, but the edge to it had softened; it no longer felt as if Touya Kouyou could penetrate all of Ogata's deepest fears and secrets. He's no longer waiting, no longer searching, Ogata realized. He's found what he was looking for.
That it had been found in the afterlife... Perhaps the serenity of eternity was what Touya Kouyou had been seeking. Ogata was happy for him, if so.
"Was it Kuwabara-sensei who greeted you at the gate?" When Ogata nodded in reply, Touya Kouyou looked at Kuwabara, who merely met the gaze evenly. The two old men stood like that for a moment, and then Touya Kouyou smiled, face taking on an uncharacteristically impish expression. "You realize this puts your previous treatment of Ogata-kun in a new light, Kuwabara-sensei?"
Kuwabara smirked as he looked at the goban. "You were spending far too much time with Fujiwara," he said. "Other old men need company too, you know."
"Fujiwara-san?" Ogata asked. He hadn't missed the gleam in Kuwabara's eyes, but Ogata couldn't remember any pro by that name. Kuwabara kept looking at the goban, and Ogata wondered if the game on the goban had anything to do with this. "A personal friend, sensei? A go player?"
A serene smile spread over Touya Kouyou's face. "He does, indeed, play go," he said with a knowing smile and a nod. "I believe you should meet him. He certainly would like to meet you."
That smile was a little too knowing for Ogata's comfort. "He's heard of me, then," Ogata said, looking around. "If sensei plays go with him, I'd like to meet him too. Is he here?"
"Hello, Ogata-sensei," said a voice from beside Ogata.
Ogata turned to see a beautiful young man seated in the previously empty chair on the other side of the goban Touya Kouyou had been studying. Too beautiful, by far, Ogata thought, eyebrows narrowing. How had he missed this person's approach? "And you are?" he said warily.
He was surprised by Kuwabara and Touya Kouyou's chuckles. He looked back at them, puzzled and slightly irritated. Why on earth did they find this amusing? Suspicious now, he frowned, looking at the newcomer again, and was greeted with a laugh that sounded like bells. "Of course, you don't know me yet," the newcomer said, standing. "I'm very sorry--please forgive my lack of manners. I am Fujiwara Sai."
Sai!
Pieces clicked into place. Of course. That was why Ogata hadn't been able to trace him, why Sai had disappeared so abruptly.
If Sai was dead, then no wonder...
No wonder... what?
The rest of the picture would not come.
(to be continued)