Disclaimer: I'm sure you read the first one, so I'll just say it stayed the
same. I also want to thank M.K. for profreading my fic, thank you! ^_^
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Chapter 2
Lana was rushing around the library in a whirlwind, grabbing any book with even the SLIGHTEST reference to Ancient China. "Lana, come on. I think you have enough." Marisa ordered when Lana had a stack of books that almost hid her face when she walked. "Allrrriigghhttt. Hey Marisa, wanna come over to my house and help me write the story?" Lana said, checking out all her books at the front desk, and trying to shove them all in her backpack. Marisa sighed, and took half the books from Lana. "Alright. I think I'll do my report on Miaka-san anyway. It's supposed to be about a senior citizen in our community." Marisa agreed, and went to a payphone to call her brother and tell him where she was going to be. Lana cringed, and advised, "Don't tell her you think she's a senior citizen to her face. She'll go crazy on ya. And I'm not sure how great of a report you'll get, all Grandma talks about is that old story about how she supposedly got pulled into a book and met Grandpa." "There may be SOME truth to that story, Lana. Besides, I'm interested to hear her story. And as I recall, it was ABOUT Ancient China and its legends, so maybe you could put something about that in your report too." Marisa told her friend, and walked up to a white house with an oak tree in front, and raised her hand to knock on the door. Lana pushed past her, opening the door, and just walking in, shouting, "Gran! We're home!"
An elderly woman with greying hair wlaked into the hall, waving cheerfully to Marisa, and saying, "Hello Marisa dear! What are you doing here? Come for a snack?" Marisa sweatdropped. "It's like all she thinks about it food." she thought. Lana giggled, as if she had heard. "No, I'm going to be doing a report on Ancient China, and she came over to help me. She also wants to interview you for a report of her own." Lana explained to her Grandmother, setting her library books down on a table in the kitchen. Lana stomach suddenly growled. "Although a snack WOULD be nice." she admitted, blushing and rubbing the back of her neck.
Ten minutes later, both girls were sitting at the counter in the kitchen, Lana with an orange and glass of water, Marisa with a sandwich and glass of milk. "Ahhh, Ancient China, I have so many memories there!" Lana's Grandmother sighed, going starry eyed, with what looked like a mountain of empty plates in front of her. "I'm home!" a voice called from the front door, and a man with greying, midnight blue hair walked in. "Grandpa!" Lana cried happily, and jumped up, giving him a hug, before sitting back down. "How's my girl doing?" he laughed, patting her on the head. "Hello Taka- san." Marisa said respectfully, smiling at him. "Hello Marisa-chan. How ya doin'?" Lana's Grandfatther said, also patting her on the head. "I was just about to tell them about 'The Universe of the Four Gods, dear. Care to join us?" Miaka-san told her husband, gesturing to the chair beside her. Lana let out a soft groan, and laid her head down on the table. Unfortunately, her Grandmother caught her. "Now Lana, I know you think this is a bunch of rubbish-" "Oh no, it's not that, it's just that you kind of make me jealous everytime you tell this story, even if I find it hard to believe." Lana assured her, waving a hand. "Jealous?" Marisa asked, raising an eyebrow at her friend. "She got to actually go INTO a book!" Lana whined, tears welling up in her eyes. Marisa sighed. "Anyway, I also HAVE heard the story at LEAST a dozen times. And you know it's hard for me to listen to someone talk for hours on end." Lana said, turning to her Grandmother apologetically. Miaka-san put a finger to her chin, then looked up with a grin, saying, "Well, maybe it'd help if you READ the story then!"
Lana and Marisa stared at her for a second, before Marisa asked, "You've published a book about it?" Miaka-san shook her head, and said, "No, I mean the ORIGINAL book, the one FROM the story!" Lana looked a little nervous. "Uh, Gran, are you sure that's SAFE?" she asked. Miaka-san and Taka-san both nodded. "The book has been sealed." Taka-san assured her. Marisa suddenly glanced at the clock on the wall, and exclaimed, "Crud! Mom and Dad are going to be home in fifeteen minutes! We were supposed to go to the beach today, sorry, I have to go!" Then she jumped up, grabbing her purse. "Want me to walk you home?" Lana asked, getting up and stretching. "Nah, you go ahead and start on your story. I'll be fine." Marisa told her, gave her a hug, and walked out the door with a wave.
Lana was up in her room later, looking at the book her Grandmother had given her. "Hmmm, 'The Universe of the Four Gods', huh? Well, might as well get started." Lana flipped through the first couple of pages, and stopped when she came to an interesting illistration. "Wow." she breathed. The picture was one of a beautiful angel, white wings spread out, face tilted towards the heavens, standing on the Earth. Lana looked closer, and with a frown, noticed that the angel was chained to the Earth by her wrists with black and red chains, seeming to be straining to return to the heavens. Lana could almost FEEL the angels sadness, and anger. She was being kept from going home. It didn't seem fair. Lana felt tears come to her eyes, and said softly, "I'm sorry, I wish I could help." Then Lana gently reached out a hand, and traced the outline of the angel's wings with her index finger. "You don't deserve to be held down when you could be free." she whispered, and then with a start, realized she was talking to a BOOK. Before Lana could even call herself the names she deserved, however, there was a bright red flash of light, and everything went black.
Lana woke up in a dense, dark forest next to a clear, bubbling brooke. She slowely sat up, and looked around. "Where am I?" she asked herself softly, feeling as if she would fade back into the blackness any second. She suddenly heard a gasp and soft thump as something hit the ground. Lana turned around, and through diming eyes, saw a small girl in a brown cloak and green dress, with red hair and green eyes looking at her in shock, with a basket of flowers lying on the ground beside her, before she passed out.
Marisa walked to Lana's house the next day, still feeling glad she had been able to be with her whole family for a while. Her parents being doctors, they rarely had time for just all of them to be together. Marisa jogged up to Miaka-san's door, and politely knocked before gently pushing it open, and calling out, "Anybody home?" Marisa suddenly went ridged. She had heard someone crying uncontrolably from the kitchen. She dashed in the door, and ran to the kitchen, and cried out, "Miaka-san, what happened?!" when she got in. Miaka-san was kneeling on the floor, a book held to her chest, crying into her husband's chest. Taka-san looked up, tears falling from his own eyes, and said, "Lana has been taken into the 'Universe of the Four Gods'."
Lana was rushing around the library in a whirlwind, grabbing any book with even the SLIGHTEST reference to Ancient China. "Lana, come on. I think you have enough." Marisa ordered when Lana had a stack of books that almost hid her face when she walked. "Allrrriigghhttt. Hey Marisa, wanna come over to my house and help me write the story?" Lana said, checking out all her books at the front desk, and trying to shove them all in her backpack. Marisa sighed, and took half the books from Lana. "Alright. I think I'll do my report on Miaka-san anyway. It's supposed to be about a senior citizen in our community." Marisa agreed, and went to a payphone to call her brother and tell him where she was going to be. Lana cringed, and advised, "Don't tell her you think she's a senior citizen to her face. She'll go crazy on ya. And I'm not sure how great of a report you'll get, all Grandma talks about is that old story about how she supposedly got pulled into a book and met Grandpa." "There may be SOME truth to that story, Lana. Besides, I'm interested to hear her story. And as I recall, it was ABOUT Ancient China and its legends, so maybe you could put something about that in your report too." Marisa told her friend, and walked up to a white house with an oak tree in front, and raised her hand to knock on the door. Lana pushed past her, opening the door, and just walking in, shouting, "Gran! We're home!"
An elderly woman with greying hair wlaked into the hall, waving cheerfully to Marisa, and saying, "Hello Marisa dear! What are you doing here? Come for a snack?" Marisa sweatdropped. "It's like all she thinks about it food." she thought. Lana giggled, as if she had heard. "No, I'm going to be doing a report on Ancient China, and she came over to help me. She also wants to interview you for a report of her own." Lana explained to her Grandmother, setting her library books down on a table in the kitchen. Lana stomach suddenly growled. "Although a snack WOULD be nice." she admitted, blushing and rubbing the back of her neck.
Ten minutes later, both girls were sitting at the counter in the kitchen, Lana with an orange and glass of water, Marisa with a sandwich and glass of milk. "Ahhh, Ancient China, I have so many memories there!" Lana's Grandmother sighed, going starry eyed, with what looked like a mountain of empty plates in front of her. "I'm home!" a voice called from the front door, and a man with greying, midnight blue hair walked in. "Grandpa!" Lana cried happily, and jumped up, giving him a hug, before sitting back down. "How's my girl doing?" he laughed, patting her on the head. "Hello Taka- san." Marisa said respectfully, smiling at him. "Hello Marisa-chan. How ya doin'?" Lana's Grandfatther said, also patting her on the head. "I was just about to tell them about 'The Universe of the Four Gods, dear. Care to join us?" Miaka-san told her husband, gesturing to the chair beside her. Lana let out a soft groan, and laid her head down on the table. Unfortunately, her Grandmother caught her. "Now Lana, I know you think this is a bunch of rubbish-" "Oh no, it's not that, it's just that you kind of make me jealous everytime you tell this story, even if I find it hard to believe." Lana assured her, waving a hand. "Jealous?" Marisa asked, raising an eyebrow at her friend. "She got to actually go INTO a book!" Lana whined, tears welling up in her eyes. Marisa sighed. "Anyway, I also HAVE heard the story at LEAST a dozen times. And you know it's hard for me to listen to someone talk for hours on end." Lana said, turning to her Grandmother apologetically. Miaka-san put a finger to her chin, then looked up with a grin, saying, "Well, maybe it'd help if you READ the story then!"
Lana and Marisa stared at her for a second, before Marisa asked, "You've published a book about it?" Miaka-san shook her head, and said, "No, I mean the ORIGINAL book, the one FROM the story!" Lana looked a little nervous. "Uh, Gran, are you sure that's SAFE?" she asked. Miaka-san and Taka-san both nodded. "The book has been sealed." Taka-san assured her. Marisa suddenly glanced at the clock on the wall, and exclaimed, "Crud! Mom and Dad are going to be home in fifeteen minutes! We were supposed to go to the beach today, sorry, I have to go!" Then she jumped up, grabbing her purse. "Want me to walk you home?" Lana asked, getting up and stretching. "Nah, you go ahead and start on your story. I'll be fine." Marisa told her, gave her a hug, and walked out the door with a wave.
Lana was up in her room later, looking at the book her Grandmother had given her. "Hmmm, 'The Universe of the Four Gods', huh? Well, might as well get started." Lana flipped through the first couple of pages, and stopped when she came to an interesting illistration. "Wow." she breathed. The picture was one of a beautiful angel, white wings spread out, face tilted towards the heavens, standing on the Earth. Lana looked closer, and with a frown, noticed that the angel was chained to the Earth by her wrists with black and red chains, seeming to be straining to return to the heavens. Lana could almost FEEL the angels sadness, and anger. She was being kept from going home. It didn't seem fair. Lana felt tears come to her eyes, and said softly, "I'm sorry, I wish I could help." Then Lana gently reached out a hand, and traced the outline of the angel's wings with her index finger. "You don't deserve to be held down when you could be free." she whispered, and then with a start, realized she was talking to a BOOK. Before Lana could even call herself the names she deserved, however, there was a bright red flash of light, and everything went black.
Lana woke up in a dense, dark forest next to a clear, bubbling brooke. She slowely sat up, and looked around. "Where am I?" she asked herself softly, feeling as if she would fade back into the blackness any second. She suddenly heard a gasp and soft thump as something hit the ground. Lana turned around, and through diming eyes, saw a small girl in a brown cloak and green dress, with red hair and green eyes looking at her in shock, with a basket of flowers lying on the ground beside her, before she passed out.
Marisa walked to Lana's house the next day, still feeling glad she had been able to be with her whole family for a while. Her parents being doctors, they rarely had time for just all of them to be together. Marisa jogged up to Miaka-san's door, and politely knocked before gently pushing it open, and calling out, "Anybody home?" Marisa suddenly went ridged. She had heard someone crying uncontrolably from the kitchen. She dashed in the door, and ran to the kitchen, and cried out, "Miaka-san, what happened?!" when she got in. Miaka-san was kneeling on the floor, a book held to her chest, crying into her husband's chest. Taka-san looked up, tears falling from his own eyes, and said, "Lana has been taken into the 'Universe of the Four Gods'."