A/N: I won't mention in this chappie that Lorney has a crush on Ren… oopsie… Anyway, here's the next installment of Beneath Curiosity… Hope you guys like it!

Disclaimer: I do not own SK and all that go with it… So be it… Domo.

Chapter 2: History Goes a Long Way

"Pirika!" Horo got out of his room almost at once and began looking for his sister, "Pirika, where are you!"

Ren climbed back up the staircase and frantically searched the corridors. He didn't notice, but his heart was thumping really fast as he did. Pirika's screams continued to echo.

"Pirika!" Everybody was soon shouting; even Lun-Lun had been aroused.

"I think it's coming from in here," Morty, who had the sense to shut up and listen, pointed to a room down another corridor.

Everybody rushed to the room and Horo kicked open the door. Pirika was sitting on the floor with her eyes closed in the middle of the room and was shouting her guts out.

"Pirika!" Horo rushed to his sister's side and hugged her tightly, "It's ok… I'm here… you're safe now…"

Pirika immediately stopped screaming and was sobbing uncontrollably on Horo's shirt. Everyone gathered around them.

"What happened?" Jun asked anxiously.

"I better call grandpa, he'll know what to do," Lun-Lun hurried out of the room and down the staircase.

"Tell us what happened so we can get this over with," Anna, who had looked uninterested from the beginning of the commotion, said.

"I saw a poltergeist… She tried to… to hurt me…" Pirika stammered.

"A ghost?" Ryu's eyebrow was raised, "Aren't we a bit too acquainted with ghosts here? It is a very strange phenomenon."

"Well, it was scary, ok!" Pirika stammered suddenly, "The ghost really was going to kill me, but at the same time…"

"What?" Horo cradled his sister gently.

"She was…"

"What happened?" Grandpa suddenly came in the room and took a look at Pirika.

"She saw a ghost," Anna answered while picking the dirt off her nails and leaning on the doorway.

"She… what?" Grandpa too looked skeptical, "Aren't you supposed to be Shamans?"

Ren looked down at the scene, he was silent until now. He thought it all pathetic, but found himself getting a bit tense from looking at the crying Pirika.

"Um…" Lun-Lun stood timidly with Anna on the doorway, "Dinner's waiting downstairs, can we talk it over there?"

"We better do that," Yoh said.

"Who died and made you leader?" Horo said sarcastically, "My sister's scared to her wits end here!"

"I'm ok now, Horo, really," Pirika, although she still looked a bit shaken, stood up and began walking away.

The others left the room hurriedly, wanting to answer the calls of their stomachs. Yoh, Anna and Ren stood inside the room, they had never moved from the spot where they had stood.

"So, you feel it too, huh?" Yoh looked around, his hands on his pockets.

"Naturally, I can feel its presence," Ren told him, "It's a Tao. And it's really angry."

"How do you know what its feeling?" Yoh asked.

"I'm a Tao," Ren said, "Our family has natural instincts to stuff like this. Plus, this was my great, great, great, great, great, great, great-"

"Are you done yet?" Anna sighed.

"-grandmother's room."

"Whatever scared Pirika, it's still in here," Anna said, "But right now, all I want to do is to eat. Let's go, Yoh."

"Yeah, whatever's in here, it can't harm us, right?" Yoh had a silly smile on his face, "It's just a ghost."

The two of them left, leaving Ren alone in the room. He can still fell it… And its anger was rising...

Whoever, whatever it was, it better not scare Pirika like that again.

The huge dining room was really noisy despite the current happenings as Ren entered. Only Pirika seemed to have her mouth shut. Ryu was cracking up with his bad jokes as usual to Jun. Kororo, Horo's Guardian Ghost was making ice sculptures in the air for their amusement. Lun-Lun seemed really impressed and was turning red every time Horo shot her a smile. Anna was barking instructions to poor Manta.

"Have you guys all forgotten what had happened back there?" Ren asked in annoyance.

The others stared at him as though they had seen him in a new light. Pirika also stared at him in gratitude. Grandpa cleared his throat.

"I suppose you want to know who the ghost was," Grandpa told them.

"Who? You know her, Grandpa?" Manta said, interested.

"You're smart, you didn't use the word 'it'. Of course, all the Taos know her," Grandpa said, "And I do too, even if I don't have Tao blood."

"Except me," Ren grumbled.

"Who is she, Grandpa?" Pirika asked eagerly.

"Like I care," Anna said and stood up, "I'm going up. If anyone disturbs me, I'll be as angry as that ghost woman would be."

Anna left without anyone complaining. Grandpa went ahead with his story.

"Her name was Lian Tao, and she was the best itako in the family at that time," Grandpa said, "She was only three when she started to summon spirits perfectly, even surpassing her superiors. Not only that, she grew as gentle as a river lily and as proud and steadfast as a dragon.

"Being raised by the Taos, she was cut off from the outside world, not knowing anything except her little room in this house where she devoted herself to honing her skills.

"Tao History tells us that Lian committed suicide in that very room, though I don't know why. This is the end of my knowledge about Lian."

"That is the end of yours," Jun suddenly piped up, "But that is the start of mine."

"You know about this, Jun?" Ren was apparently surprised at Jun's participation, "How did you know about Lian?"

"Mother told me once," Jun said, "Anyway, from what she told me, Lian was turning eighteen when she killed herself. Being cut away from the outdoors, she was curious about what lay outside the security of this Tao home. One night, she sneaked out of the room where she felt secure for nearly 18 years.

"She went to the nearby village and explored the place for herself. She discovered that this village was also from the Ainu lines of Japan.

"In the village, she met a boy named Kino who showed her the world as he knew it. Eventually, they fell in love with each other. But knowing the Taos, they'd rather die than give Lian to an Ainu peasant boy. They wanted Lian to marry a Shaman, to make sure that the blood line was pure of magic.

"Lian didn't take this too nicely and killed herself. Kino couldn't take his own guilt and was also eventually found dead in front of this house, asking for Lian. And that's how this story ended and how this house became haunted. Tragic isn't it?"

"So, was the Ainu bit why she tried to kill Pirika?" Horo asked.

"I think, that's up to us to find out," Ryu rubbed his chin.

"I like a good mystery!" Manta exclaimed.

"I wouldn't meddle in the spirit's affairs if I were you," Grandpa warned them, "But of course, it's still your choice."

"But we need to keep Pirika safe," Horo told them.

"I don't want you guys to get into any trouble for me," Pirika said, standing up from her chair, "I'm going upstairs. I'll see you in the morning."

As soon as Pirika left, Ren also stood up.

"Of course, we wouldn't follow what she said, would we?" Ren heard Horo say.

Of course. Ren thought as he stalked Pirika up the stairs.

"Ren?" Pirika stood in front of the door to her and Anna's room.

And why is Ren and Pirika in the middle of it all?

"I just… uh…" Ren felt his stomach jolt again, "I just wanted to make sure… you're… uh… ok now..."

"I'm fine, thanks," Pirika smiled at him, "Goodnight, Ren."

"Goodnight, Pirika."

A/N: Whew… that was a hell load of crap wasn't it? Anyway, I'm still putting the pieces together in my head and deciding how it should end… But it'll definitely get a bit crazier in the next chappies! And, oh, yeah, this time, the story goes to my Francis! It's all yours so feast on it!