Fushigi Yuugi Fan Fiction ❯ Night~Mare's Fushigi Yuugi ❯ Reality ( Chapter 2 )

Fushigi Yuugi: The Mysterious Play

Chapter 2

Reality…

: Or:

Speaking of dreams….

By

Night~Mare

With inspiration from:

Annikia Valentine

Dedicated to:

The Mighty Trumpet Loving Frog

 

 

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Author's Quote: Carrot: I know how it feels. I have a younger brother myself. But he's weird and doesn't like girls. -Sorcerer Hunters-

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A scream reverberated through the air. Sharon felt a drumming in her ears and her eyes snapped open. She looked wildly around the room for a moment until she saw the red glowing numbers of her alarm clock. It was almost six. Time to get ready. She stumbled out of bed and switched on the overhead light. Tomoea blinked his silver eyes and stared at her from the bed. His gray hair was perfect as usual, every strand in place.

“What?” he asked grumpily rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

“I'm dreaming again aren't I?” Sharon asked. He rolled his eyes and stretched his arms over his head.

“Of course. Did you think I'd actually be in the same bed with you?”

“Well…”

“Face it Sharon, you're not important enough. Now shut off the light.” She obligingly flicked the switch.

“Y'know, my dreams really suck.”

“I'm sure we wanted to know that. Now will you please explain to the class how to solve the equation?”

“Oh damn.”

“What was that?”

Sharon opened her eyes and looked up to Mr. Temple's severe face. The class around her was snickering. She looked to the back to see the only friendly face in the room. Ann offered her a sympathetic smile.

“Look at the board please,” Mr. Temple snapped. Her dark brown eyes immediately shot back to the board and she adjusted her glasses. The problem laughed at her from its dusty home. She had no clue as to how to solve it or even what it was.

“We're waiting…” The class burst into another round of snickers. Sharon, being slightly strange, had always been the outcast. The other kids always looked for a way to get under her skin. They hadn't found one yet.

“The answer is forty-two,” she said confidently. She always used that particular number when she didn't know. Sometimes she was lucky, mostly she was just wrong

“Ah…interesting,” Mr. Temple strode up to the front of the room and slapped the pointer in his hand like a whip. “Could you come and show us how you got that answer?”

“No I can't sir.”

“And why is that?”

“It's wrong sir.”

“Oh?”

“I wasn't paying attention sir. I was sleeping.”

“And what per chance were you dreaming about? Please share, that is…if it's suitable.”

“I dreamed…” Sharon cocked her head. She remembered her dream in vivid detail, but that was just for private sharing among friends. It was not meant for a hostile class and a benevolent but slightly embarrassing teacher. She just had to make up a dream…

“I dreamed that Mrs. Shields' head exploded from eating one too many pineapples.”

The class was silent, not knowing what to make of that. Sharon could hear Ann giggling softly and tried not to grin. Mr. Temple rolled his eyes, gave her the customary lecture, and went back to teaching.

Through the rest of the day she dwelled on that strange dream. Not the one with Tomoea…but the first one. The one in that other world. Why had she dreamt it? Where could the idea for that have come from? Around English, it came to her. Duh. Fooshigee Loogee, her favorite anime. The anime and the dream had a lot in common. 

In the show, two girls named Miaka and Yui were sucked into a videotape and ended up in a strange land resembling Ancient Egypt. There, Miaka became the protector of the VCR Priestess Fuu and Yui the protector of the DVD Priestess Belldandy. They each had eleven senshi that protected them.

She only wished it could happen to her. It would never happen though. Unfortunately, videotapes from ancient anywhere didn't exist. She tapped her pencil against her textbook in thought. Maybe though she could get sucked into something else…like a vase for instance. Sharon shook her head at the amusing but silly thought. She had a story to read… 

She yawned; this story was so boring anyway. It wasn't even a story really, more like a documentary about some guy's trip through the Amazon. The Amazon was interesting, but an overdone subject in her opinion. If he had gone somewhere like China or Thailand for example, that would make it a story worth reading.

Sharon sighed heavily and stared at the clock. The announcements should be coming on soon. Then she could be away from this accursed place and go home. Sharon dug her notebook out of her bookbag and flipped through it until she found her current Fooshigee Loogee fanfic. If she was lucky, maybe the teacher would think she was taking notes.

Luck was with her and soon she became involved in the fanfic. Eventually however, a sharp beep from the intercom derailed her train of thought. Sharon began to pack up her stuff and absently listened to the afternoon announcements. It was the usual stuff, talking about rules, tests, and football games.

“And finally,” the principal continued, “All concert choir members who are participating in the Sing Around the World program are required to be at school by six o'clock this afternoon to catch the bus. Anyone driving to the Ravano Arts Center must turn in a signed note to Mrs. Shields by four. This concludes the afternoon announcements, have a safe weekend. “

Sharon zipped up her bookbag. That was right, the final rehearsal was today. She wondered if she'd remembered to clean her costume. First she had to find it though. Mrs. Shields would kill her if she showed up to a dress rehearsal wearing jeans and a T-shirt.

The bell rang. Sharon stood up and stretched, then swung her heavy bookbag over her shoulder and joined the living mass of excited kids, ready to go home for the weekend. She came to her locker, dropped her bookbag on the floor and rubbed her hands together. Then she put in the combination, grabbed the latch and pulled as hard is she could. The door wouldn't even budge.

“Having trouble?” Amanda called from down the hallway. Sharon growled and kicked her locker.

“Stupid thing can't even hold five textbooks,” the sixteen-year-old muttered. Amanda came up to her and rolled her eyes.

“Not to mention about a hundred library books.”

“Oh shut up and try to open it would you?” Amanda tossed her hair and folded her arms.

“Take that attitude with me and I don't even think so Glace.”

“Comon' Amanda, please?” Sharon asked, giving her friend a puppy dog face. Amanda rolled her eyes again.

“Oh all right.” She bent down and fiddled with the lock. Then she grinned at Sharon and put her finger under the latch with a cool air. She tugged; the locker remained shut. She tugged harder… nothing. Amanda stood and the two girls took turns kicking the stupid thing.

“You'd better watch it or the locker might sue you for assault and battery,” Ann said, coming up to Sharon's other side. Sharon snorted and flicked a strand of hair over her shoulder.

“It's not my fault the thing won't open!”

“Let me try.”

Ann slipped in between her two friends. She knelt, tugged a few times then smacked it with her fist. There was a faint click and suddenly the locker exploded open showering them with papers and things.

“Percussive maintenance, works every time,” Ann said cheerfully, plucking papers from the air and shoving them back into the locker.

Sharon neatly caught a copy of Tale of the Body Thief that was heading for Amanda's head. She shoved the library book inside as well as her huge book bag. Then she kicked it shut and dusted off her hands.

“There. That'll teach you! Nyah!” she said. The warning bell for students to catch their buses rang and Sharon yelped.

“Gah! Gotta go…” She ran down the halls to reach her bus, second to leave, on the other side of the school.

“See you at rehearsal,” Ann called. Sharon turned the corner and just avoided running the school principal into the ground. She pushed open the double doors just in time to see her bus driving away. She snapped her fingers. Great, now she'd have to walk. She shuffled along the road and sighed. She didn't want to go to rehearsal really, she'd rather stay at home and watch Fooshigee Loogee, oh well, those things couldn't be helped. She absently watched a snail pass her and disappear down the road. She finally got home quarter to five.

Sharon plopped on the couch and snatched the bowl of popcorn from her brother. David let her have it, only shooting her a customary glare. Then he flipped the channel and settled back. They watched Zoom for a while until David grabbed the remote and changed it to the news.

“Hey! I was watching that,” Sharon said.

“Comon' that's such a baby show. Besides, Cooking with Marguerite is almost on. I want to see what she's wearing. Yesterday it was this chic Paris ensemble, although it didn't do a thing for her hair.”

“I swear David, you're such a girly boy.”

“You should talk. At least I don't watch a show where half of the men look like girls.”

“Hey, they're bishonen ok? Besides none of them actually act like girls. Like you!”

“What time was that concert of yours?”

“Six. I still have an hour to bug you.”

“You have ten minutes to bug me.” Sharon glanced at her watch and gasped. She only had ten minutes to get dressed and run back to school.

She cursed and ran up the stairs to her bedroom. She nearly tripped over the many Fooshigee Loogee manga scattered all over the floor. She opened her closet and stepped back from the avalanche of clothes that tumbled out. She began throwing clothes over her shoulder, looking for her costume. After a minute of frantic searching she found it.

It was a plain white blouse and a plaid skirt that went a few inches above her knees. Sharon wished, not for the first time, that she hadn't volunteered to be one of the singers representing Eastern Europe. The clothing wasn't to her taste. Ann represented Asia and was getting to wear a white turtleneck and long black skirt. To represent a kimono Mrs. Shields had said. She felt the most sorry for Amanda. The fourteen-year-old had been forced to wear a cheesy cowgirl outfit. It was bubble gum pink with white fringes To set off the `North American Flavor' Amanda had to wear sequined cowboy boots as well.

Sharon changed quickly and put on her black sneakers. She left her Fooshigee Loogee socks on however to lazy to replace them. Then she tripped her way out of her room and ran down the stairs. Her father was just coming in from work.

“Bye Dad, going to the rehearsal. Be back at eight!” she said as she passed him. Then she remembered something and backtracked. “Hey Daddy? Ann and Amanda can still spend the night, right?”

“Yes but don't make too much…”

“Kay! Thanks! Love ya! Bye!”

“Noise.”

Sharon ran down the street. Once she was on the school grounds she slowed and walked up to the building. A bus was waiting there to take them to the Ravano Arts Center where they would be performing.

She walked up the bus's narrow steps and spotted her friends near the front. She sat next to them and tried to catch her breath. Ann shook her head while Amanda began to laugh. Sharon looked at them blankly.

“What?”

“You almost missed the bus you know,” Ann said.

“I know. So?”

“Sharon…you live right across the street.” The sixteen-year-old shrugged and watched as the fourteen-year-old went into hysterics. The bus started up and Sharon borrowed a brush from Tiffany sitting a seat up.

“Hey…did you guys remember to bring your duffel bags?” Sharon asked.

“Yep,” Ann said.

“Me to…and I brought a tape we can watch other then Fooshigee Loogee.”

“Which is…”

“Meet Joe Black…with Brad Pitt.”

“Yummy,” Ann said.

“Gross…wimp boy? Ew,” Sharon said, “Tomoea-sama is much cuter.”

“He's a cartoon, Sharon,” Amanda said.

“So what?”

“So he's not real you loony.”

“You're just weird so, nyah,” Sharon said, sticking out her tongue.

“Oh grow up,” Amanda said, tossing her ponytail.

“I will when you do.”

“Guys, let's not,” Ann said. “Sometimes I wonder if I'm your friend or your mediator.”

“Friend?” Sharon said, grinning, “Who said anything about friend?” Ann shot her a mock glare and whacked her lightly in the arm.

“Anyway, Amanda, I seem to recall a certain mako-eyed bishonen that you couldn't stop talking about last year,” Ann said.

“That's different. I'm allowed to like animated men. I'm special.”

“Ha! In your dreams,” Sharon said.

“In your nightmares,” Amanda countered, sticking out her tongue.

“Sometimes I don't know why I bother,” Ann said, rolling her eyes heavenward.

“Hey…Speaking of dreams…”

Sharon then proceeded to tell her friends about her strange dream. They were silent at first. Occasionally they laughed. When she was finished she continued to brush her waist length hair in long, slow strokes. She stared out the front window and watched the play of the headlights on the dark ground.

Butterflies were dancing in the pit of her stomach. She wondered why. She rarely got nervous in showing off. That was the one thing she knew how to do well. It was probably just anticipation. But anticipation about what? Everything around her seemed sharper, more distinct. The hushed song of the tires and the quiet murmur of the other kids bounced around in her head. Something was going to happen, something big.

An accident? Maybe a huge T-Rex would come barreling through the forest, pick up the bus in his mighty jaws and devour everyone inside. Or there would be a nuclear explosion and an orange light would be the last thing she saw before agonizing pain ripped through her body. Or maybe…just maybe she was nervous about the rehearsal because she hadn't practiced any of the music outside of class.

When they arrived at the Arts Center a light rain had begun to fall. The butterflies were dancing madly now. Sharon licked her dry lips and walked up to the entrance, barely aware of her friends beside her. The rain chilled her and made goose bumps appear on her arms. As she went through the artfully decorated door a scent caught her nose. Food! She smiled as the nervousness dissipated. They were going to be fed. A young woman led them to a cafeteria where doughnuts and orange juice was set up. Sharon scowled; it was all yucky stuff. Not a chocolate iced treat in sight. She grabbed a powdered sugar coated doughnut and sat down at a table.

“Well it's good to see your back to normal,” Ann said.

“Even when she's back to normal it isn't normal,” Amanda said. Sharon wrinkled her nose as the youngest of the Trio dunked her doughnut into her orange juice.

“Did you guys dream anything like that?” Sharon asked. The others shook their heads. Sharon nibbled at her doughnut. It would have been cool if they had shared the dream. It might have meant something that way.

“It was probably brought on from watching the entire Fooshigee Loogee TV series in one day,” Ann said.

“Isn't that like fifty tapes?” Amanda asked. Ann nodded and Amanda sweatdropped.

“Yeah probably. `Twod be cool if it really happened though,” Sharon said, setting her doughnut down and licking powder off her fingers.

“`Twod,” Ann said.

“Really,” Amanda said. The three were silent as they ate. Sharon got up and glanced among the remaining doughnuts. She was still hungry and they looked so good. Which one to choose though? Her eyes lighted on a glazed one with a bit of white leaking out of it. She picked it up and squeezed it.

“Oh the little cream filled kind.” She took a bite and smiled as the cream slid down her throat. It was so good.

A harsh scream echoed through the room and Sharon jumped. She gasped and immediately began choking. The piece of doughnut had lodged itself in her throat. Suddenly someone pounded her on the back. Sharon stumbled from the blow. The masticated treat landed on the wall and stuck there.

“Are you all right?” Ann asked. Sharon whirled around and scanned the room to search for the source of the cry. The others ate on as if nothing had happened. Her eyes narrowed, had she possibly imagined it? It had been so clear though. A loud, harsh, scream, not human though, more like a hawk or something. She shook her head and stepped back, nearly tripping backwards over the table.

“Did…did you guys hear that?”

“Hear what Sharon? You look pale. Is something wrong?” Ann asked.

“I…I heard this…a bird I think.”

“An owl?”

“No…a day bird. A bird of prey, I think it was a hawk.”

“The return of Hawkman! Mild mannered lawyer by day and hawk at night!” Amanda crowed. Ann laughed. Sharon ignored them. She knew that the others thought she was joking. If she ignored their laughing, they usually took her seriously.

She strained her ears to catch the sound again. Nothing, not even the flap of wings. Maybe she was imagining it. Maybe she was going insane…well more then usual anyway. She put her head in her hands and closed her eyes.

The butterflies were back again, tapping at the walls of her stomach. The room seemed to grow warmer. She sensed something hovering directly over her. She could feel its eyes boring into the top of her head. Afraid of not seeing anything she kept her head down and her eyes closed. The sense increased until she did finally look up.

There was a red bird! It was huge and didn't make a sound as it hung above her. It checked itself and flew ahead at a steady pace. Sharon chased after it. She knew she wasn't imaging this. The bird was too real. It didn't look natural. It was entirely red and the color was brighter then existed in nature. What was it?

The bird flew faster and she began to jog. She could hear her friends running after her shouting for her to stop. Sharon didn't look back for fear of losing sight of the strange beast. It led her down a series of halls and one stair case which she nearly fell down.

It was dark. Not pitch black, but dark enough so that she almost lost sight of the bird. She stopped then, not wanting to trip over unseen things. The bird disappeared into the black. Sharon collapsed on the floor panting.

She heard footfalls on the stairs. She stiffened; thinking it was the guide. The steps ended and a quiet, somewhat frightened voice called out:

“Sharon?” The sixteen-year-old breathed a sigh of relief at the sound of Amanda's voice.

“Yeah…I'm here.”

“Where's the stupid light switch?” Ann snapped somewhere in the dark. Various curses erupted from the shadows as Amanda began to search as well. Sharon didn't move she wondered if she would see the bird when the lights came on.

The room flooded with light. It was a library. There were only a few shelves though. A few leather chairs were scattered about the room with skinny reading lamps next to them. Where the bird had been, was a door. It was just a plain brown door with a brass knob. She started toward it but Ann stepped in front of her and crossed her arms.

“Sharon, what's going on?”

“Remember the bird I told you about in my dream?”

“Yeah?”

“Well I saw it.”

“Yeah right.”

“I'm not! Seriously, I saw it!” Sharon said. Ann gave her a disbelieving look.

“Maybe she is telling the truth,” Amanda piped up. “It wouldn't hurt any for her to prove it.”

“I guess.” Sharon stepped around her and went to the door. She was nervous again. Hoping that she'd see the bird and more importantly that her friends would as well. On the door was a sign that read: ` Authorized Personnel Only.' Sharon put her hand on the knob and turned to look back uncertainly at her companions. Amanda gave her an affirmative nod.

“If it's unlocked I guess it's okay,” Ann said. “But if it's not let's go back to the cafeteria. We could say we were trying to find the restrooms or something.” Sharon nodded, turned the knob, and pushed the door. It swung open without a sound.

There was no bird. The light from the library shafted in and illuminated the small room. There were three bookshelves, one in the back and two on either side. Sharon stepped in, curiosity getting the better of her.

The books that lined the shelves were old. Their bindings were cracked or missing all together. A musty smell emanated from the books and hung heavy in the air. Some of the lettering on the books was so faded as to be illegible.

“These books are so old,” Ann said, “It's amazing that they've survived this long.”

“Yeah,” Sharon said.

“Can we go back to the cafeteria now?” Amanda said. “I'm bored and I don't see any bird.”

Sharon sighed at her friend's short attention span. Amanda wasn't the type to be interested in history. She was more interested in the here and now and she was pretty good at current events. Amanda groaned and leaned heavily against the shelf. It shook violently. A book dislodged itself and ricocheted off Sharon's head.

“Ow! Watch it Amanda.”

“Phrack, the book fell? Do you think it's damaged?” Ann asked. The Trio gathered around the volume. It was red with a white cloth binding. Sharon had the distinct feeling that she had seen that book somewhere before.

Ann kneeled next to it and Sharon followed suit. Then the fifteen-year-old carefully lifted the book and blew the dust off its cover.

“What's the language? Japanese?” Amanda asked, pointing to kanji on the book.

“No, Chinese.” Ann said. The fourteen-year-old kneeled next to her friends.

“Can you read it?” Sharon asked.

“Yeah. It'll take me awhile to translate it.” Ann placed the book on the floor in front of them. Sharon stared at it. Now where had she seen it before? How was it possible for her to have seen before? The book was obviously an original. Had she seen a copy maybe? She paled when she realized what it was. It was the book from her dream.

“Ok. I've got it. It says…”

“The Universe of the Four Gods,” Sharon interrupted.

“How did you…”

“Just read. Please?”

“Okay.” Ann carefully opened the book. “Hold on a minute I've got to translate this again.” In a few minutes she began to read slowly.

“This is the story of a girl who learned about the true meaning of life, love and friendship when she gathered the Suzaku shichiseishi. This tale has not yet begun although the story has existed since the very beginnings of time. Turn the page and everything will become real” Ann paused and chuckled softly under her breath.

“Turn the page,” Sharon whispered. She knew what was going to happen. They would be transported to the Fooshigee Loogee universe. There they would get to meet Miaka and help her fight against the Priestess of DVD. Eventually they would get to meet Tomoea-sama too! Ann turned the page. Nothing happened. Sharon glared down at it, slightly disappointed. Her glare was soon replaced by confusion.

“The page is blank,” Ann said. Immediately black symbols flowed down the page. Suddenly the symbols began to shine red. A red light shot out of the book at them. The girls screamed.

---

Sharon became dizzy. Within a second the world came back to her, with pain. She had landed on something very hard rendering her breathless. When she could breathe normally again she opened her eyes. The sky above her was azure with puffy clouds drifting lazily across it. There was a flash of red and Ann slammed into her knocking the wind out of her again.

“Ow…” Ann said.

“You're telling me,” Sharon wheezed. “Get off!”

“Oh n-” Ann started. Sharon winced as a third body landed on her.

“Oof,” Amanda said.

“Get off me Amanda,” Ann said.

“Paaain,” Sharon groaned. When they had all got themselves situated and had their breath back. Sharon looked around. They were in a field with a wide road running through it. A few trees were scattered around.

A wide grin spread across Sharon's face. She jumped up and began dancing.

“Woohoo! We're here! Mwahahahahahaaaa! Belldandy you better watch out because the Trio has arrived!”

“What are you talking about?” Ann said in an exasperated tone.

“We're in the Fooshigee Loogee universe! Isn't it cool?”

“No,” Amanda said, “Don't people get hit with mallets a lot there?”

“Yeah. But it only hurts for a second. You won't really get hurt at all. It'll be just like a cooler form of Looney Tunes.”

“Sharon wasn't Fooshigee Loogee set in Egypt?”

“Sorta. It was like a weird form of Ancient Egypt.”

“Does this look like Egypt to you?” Sharon took in the surroundings again. Then she turned and looked the other way. She was silent for a long time. Not a pyramid was in sight. The weather was warm, yes, but it wasn't hot like it would have been in a desert region. Sharon blinked and hugged herself.

“If we aren't in Fooshigee Loogee,” Amanda said, “then where are we?”

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A red book flips open and the words at the top say…

Tomorrow's Episode: Another World

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