Part 3

I would like to dedicate this part to the wonderful people who have encouraged and advised me in this fic – Alleria, Cheryl, Luna and Tara (alphabetical order)

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“But I don’t understand!” Numair said, and got up to pace. “I was very specific in my instructions pertaining to your duration here in case a dangerous being was brought.”

“Thanks,” Sparrow responded sarcastically.

“Oh,” Numair paused. “I didn’t mean, what I meant was, in case the being from the other world was lethal or …”

“I would strongly advise you shut, while you are ahead,” Alanna advised.

“Oh my gosh!” Sparrow wailed. “I am stuck in Tortall, ordinarily, I would be thrilled. But I insulted almost all the main characters!”

“Now, now,” Alanna comforted, alarmed that Sparrow might cry. “It is not that bad.”

“Not that bad? I insulted King Jerkiness to the high heavens and he now has 50 wives,” Sparrow responded despondently. “I won’t be surprised if he tries to strangle me with his bare hands.”

“How, erm, interesting,” Alanna said, the corner of her mouths twitched suspiciously.

“Not funny,” Sparrow responded grumpily.

“I think it best you make yourself comfortable here while you are waiting,” George prudently suggested. “If I am not wrong, the dinner bell just rang. We should be able to think clearer with a full stomach.”

The others saw the logic of his words and followed him to the dining hall. Sparrow ate little, using the excuse of having eaten the cha gui diao.

When the dishes were being cleared, George announced, “Let’s go to my study. We’ll be more comfy there.”

Sparrow sighed. “Listen,” George said, dropping back to talk to her. “As long as you are here, you are free to stay here as long as you want.”

“Even though I may be a future fugitive for insulting the king and remarking on his inadequacies as a parent and spouse?” Sparrow responded.

“Yes, even if you become a fugitive,” George replied. “If he needed telling off, he deserved it.”

Sparrow looked at him in surprise. “Aren’t you being sort of treasonous?”

“No, not many people dare to tell him when he is making a mistake, except Alanna. But Alanna has been away from the palace for quite some time, so his head may have grown very big by the time she can go back to tell him off,” George supplied.

“Aaaahhh…” Sparrow said, brightening up, “I knew I liked you for a reason!”

Alanna laughed, “I just hope that he can fit his head through the door.”

They settled in the study, Numair was pacing, Daine, Alanna and George sitting on comfortable chairs, Sparrow sitting on the table. Hey, I didn’t claim that she had good social graces!

Sparrow, Numair and Daine recounted the day’s incidents to Alanna and George.

“You really shouldn’t laugh, you know,” Sparrow said huffily.

Alanna just laughed harder.

“A pig,” George grinned. “How original.”

“At least I didn’t turn him into a apple tree,” Sparrow remarked pointedly. “And there is no pig that turned into a man walking about. You know,” Sparrow turned to look at Numair.

“Back in my world, the TP fans often debate and ponder on what is now called, ‘The Tree Issue’. On what happened to the tree that turned into a man. And what happens if you turn a tree into a man, does the tree that turned into a man earlier turn back into a tree?” Sparrow rambled.

“Well, the issue is very complicated,” Numair explained. “Many academics-”

“Let’s get back to the issue on hand,” Daine reminded patiently.

“Right,” Numair responded. He took a piece of parchment paper and pen thingy from a stand. He sat down and the others pulled their chairs closer. Sparrow compromised by scooting to the side of the table to let the others have a clear view.

“Now, we have several matters to think about. Firstly, why Sparrow?” Numair said.

“Well, it’s my pseudonym, actually. I got the name from the name of my patrol in Girl Guides-” Sparrow responded.

“I mean,” Numair interrupted. “Why you? Why were you picked by my magic to come here? Why not your fellow students? Or teachers?”

“Good question,” Alanna remarked. “There must be a reason on why Sparrow was chosen and why she is presently stuck here.”

Sparrow winced. “Please don’t say ‘stuck here’, say ‘temporarily detained’.”

“You sound like Numair,” Daine commented.

“I don’t know if I should be insulted or complimented,” Sparrow remarked.

“Likewise,” Numair retorted and rapped the table with his knuckles, “Can we please focus our attention here?”

“You know, what you say is true,” Sparrow contemplated, ignoring Numair. “About why me. Why not Ginny? She is the one who introduced me to Tamora Pierce. She knows about Tortall much more than I. She owns all the Tortallan books. Me, all I have is the Immortals Series. How I wish she was sitting next to me now!”

WHAM! Something or someone landed heavily on the table next to Sparrow.

“O-u-c-h!” the person yelped.

“Ginny!” Sparrow exclaimed happily and hugged her friend.

“Erm, hi, er, why am I here?” Ginny asked, rubbing her posterior. “I was about to step into the toilet cubicle and I landed here.”

Sparrow quickly explained the situation to Ginny.

“Ah ha!” Ginny exclaimed. “I know why this is happening!”

Everyone looked at her.

“I must have slipped in the toilet and banged my head against the toilet bowl. I was knocked unconscious and am presently having a coma. This is why I am in Tortall and things are so crazy,” Ginny supplied.

Sparrow sighed and whacked Ginny with a rolled up newspaper.

“OUCH!” Ginny yelped. “Have pity on a comatose person!”

“Ginny, if you are in a coma, I am the queen of Arabia!” Sparrow declared.

“Well, I never met your parents before you know,” Ginny replied and ducked a mock blow from Sparrow. “By the way. I need to go to the toilet.”

“I thought you were supposed to be in a coma? Why don’t you wait till you wake up then you can go to toilet?” Sparrow responded sweetly.

“Sparrow!” Ginny scolded. “You are so mean, not like Lynn. That reminds me. She is waiting for me outside the toilet.”

“That means she will find you soon, doesn’t it?” Sparrow replied.

“OMPH!” Someone went. Someone landed on Numair’s lap. Numair blinked.

“What the?” the person went.

“Lynn!” Sparrow shrieked happily and hugged her.

“Where am I?” Lynn asked dazedly.

Sparrow sighed, “You know, I wish I had a tape recording of what I just said to Ginny so that I wouldn’t have to repeat myself.”

A tape player materialised in Sparrow’s lap and she played it.

“But I have my Chinese O’level Orals after school tomorrow!” Lynn shrieked. “I cannot miss that! How can you just wish me here?”

“Lynn, calm down,” Sparrow soothed. “And get off Numair’s lap. You must be getting heavy for him. Besides, he looks kinda shocked.”

“Oops!” Lynn said, going red, “Sorry!” She got off his lap and onto the table next to Sparrow.

“Hey, be happy you got some cushion to land on!” Ginny exclaimed. “I landed on this table and my ass hurts!”

“Ass?” Daine asked curiously. “I don’t see any ass.”

The trio from our world looked at her weirdly.

“She means the traditional meaning of ass,” Sparrow explained.

“Ohhh…” Lynn and Ginny chorused in enlightenment.

“Wait,” Sparrow said. “If I can bring them across the realms to here, why can’t I just wish us back?”

“Good idea,” Alanna said.

“It’s worth a try,” George replied.

“Okay, here it goes,” Sparrow said. “I wish that Lynn, Ginny and I are back in our original position, time and place!”

A shimmering light covered the three of them. Then, it cleared.

“Nothing happened,” Lynn said, disappointed.

“Pretty lights!” Ginny quipped.

“Try again,” Daine suggested.

Sparrow did. Again and again.

“Stop it,” Alanna commanded. “I am not going to wait for hours again for something that is not going to happen.”

“The magic looks like Numair’s,” Ginny remarked. “Black and sparkly. I remembered a description of his magic in Wild Magic.”

“Something just struck me,” Sparrow said.

Everyone looked at her.

“Ginny, Lynn,” Sparrow continued. “Do you have the same ‘side effects’ as I do?”

“Well, erm, let me try,” Ginny responded. “Toilet, appear!”

Nothing happened.

“Perhaps you should be less ambitious and start with something small,” George tactfully suggested.

“Erm, I wish for a bowl of mee swa soup!” Ginny commanded.

Nothing happened.

“Lynn, you try,” Sparrow suggested.

“Cai dao gui?” Lynn said.

“Lynn, be more assertive!” Ginny responded.

“CAI DAO GUI!” Lynn yelled.

“I said, more assertive, not louder,” Ginny winced.

“I wish for cai dao gui,” Lynn said in a smaller voice.

“Better,” Ginny said.

“I think we can safely conclude that neither of them have the side effects you have because they were not brought here by my spell,” Numair spoke up. “Now, let’s continue, before we were interrupted.”

“Hey!” Lynn protested.

“Wait!” Ginny protested.

“Wait?” Sparrow responded looking at Ginny.

“Yes, I said wait. I so incredibly, really, really, need to go to the toilet!” Ginny wailed.

“I’ll bring her there,” George volunteered. “Besides, you are talking gifted and I don’t have much of it.”

“But I don’t have ANY of it,” Daine spoke up. “I think I should bring her to the toilet. She would be less embarrassed.”

“Hello! She is here and listening!” Ginny interrupted. “Toilet. Pleassseeeee!!” Daine went off with Ginny.

“Now,” Numair said. “One question that comes to mind is the side effect you are experiencing.”

“Side effect?” Sparrow inquired. “You make me sound like I got rabies!”

“Your ability to conjure things,” Numair gestured. “To transport, teleport things.”

“Actually,” Alanna said. “To be more specific, what you say, or think, came true.”

“Creepy,” Sparrow remarked.

“Numair,” George interrupted. “Could you tell us what the gist of the spell you cast?”

“Well,” Numair replied and put down the pen thingy. “I was experimenting with summoning spells. One that spanned across the metaphysical planes and-”

Sparrow kicked Numair and explained apologetically, “Trying to put him on track.”

Numair glared at Sparrow and continued, “Basically, I did a summoning spell. For my first spell, I decided that I should summon a useful being. I summoned for someone who will help Tortall’s future to come to make an impact for an hour,” Numair paused.

“If that person is supposed to help Tortall, how come you only slated an hour for him or her or it to make an impact? Isn’t that kind of short?” Lynn asked curiously.

“Well,” Numair answered. “I realised that the being, in this case, Sparrow, might not be too happy to be whisked into a strange world. I had a feeling if I didn’t tell her I stated one hour, she might be mighty displeased.” The others nodded.

“Hey!” Sparrow protested.

“Besides,” Alanna added, looking at Sparrow and raised her eyebrow. “I think one hour was more than enough for her to make her impact. A deep one.”

Sparrow blushed.

“Still, how is she supposed to help Tortall in just an hour?” Lynn mused.

“To you, she may not have helped,” Alanna replied and winked at Sparrow. “But I think she did a service to Tortall a service by getting rid of those pesky squires.”

“But still-” Numair responded, frowning.

“You know, I am rethinking my poll option,” Ginny interrupted, strolling into the room with a grinning Daine trailing at her heels.

“Poll option?” Lynn inquired.

“Yup, I remembered a few months back, this website had a poll on what Tortall needed most. I should have voted the option, ‘plumbing, the whole shebang!’ instead of ‘refrigerator’. Luckily Daine was there to advise too-high-tech me in using the, what you may laughingly call, toilet facilities. There’s no such thing as a toilet bowl here.” Ginny grumbled.

“I voted for that option,” Sparrow mused.

“Is this the same website that had the poll on who is the sexiest man in Tortall?” George asked.

“Why yes,” Ginny answered, surprised. “How do you know?”

“Let’s get back to business,” Numair broke in and quickly updated the two.

“Hey,” Sparrow said in a ponderous tone. “Maybe I am kept back because I have not helped Tortall yet. In a big way or something. Wouldn’t that be logical? Plus, perhaps I am supposed to use my side effect to help Tortall.”

“True,” Numair responded.

“Hey,” Lynn remarked. “Perhaps why we can’t go back is because Sparrow has not helped Tortall yet and Numair’s spell is stopping us from returning.”

“Didn’t I just say that?” Sparrow said.

“Yes, but I say it so much better than you do,” Lynn sniffed.

“Possible,” Alanna broke in. “But how is Sparrow going to find out what she is supposed to do?”

“Yeah, what baddie are you supposed to face,” Ginny said. “I hope it is not going to be a Roger incarnate.”

“Yah,” Lynn responded. “Lots of fic writers love to include him in their fics.” They both looked at Sparrow.

“Hey, don’t look at me!” Sparrow yelped. “I am a happy ending person. I don’t reincarnate Roger in my fics.” “Besides,” Sparrow sniffed. “I try to keep to the text as close as possible. My fics are all based on quotes.”

“Anyway, I have a feeling that we will find out soon enough,” Numair said grimly.

“Choi ah!” Ginny exclaimed.

“Choi ah!” Sparrow yelped.

“Choi ah!” Lynn said.

“Touch wood!” They chorused together and simultaneously rapped the wooden table.

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

“My lord, ladies, there is an urgent message for you from the king,” the messenger panted.

“Oh well,” Ginny remarked. “At least we had breakfast.”

They were all seated at the breakfast table like proper ladies and gents. The children had joined them. Before the herald made his dramatic appearance which consisted of the latter bursting through the doors and throwing himself at their feet, (“Stupid fellow”, Lynn had commented to Sparrow. “The floor is made of solid STONE. He is going to hobble for a good period of time.”) Lynn and Thom were enjoying a lively discussion on the history of Tortall. Sparrow was trying to scrutinise Numair and Daine discreetly. To see if they showed any sign of intimacy. To Sparrow’s joy, they acted with easy familiarity (Like putting food on each other’s plate. Numair particularly. “He looks like he is treating Daine like a turkey that needs to be fatten before Christmas dinner,” Ginny had whispered to Sparrow. ) and just outside the dinning hall, she spied Numair brushing his fingers over Daine’s cheek. Ginny was trying to discuss with Alanna and George the concept of plumbing and “the whole shebang”.

“It was much sooner than I expected,” Lynn said grumpily. She was not a morning person.

“Hey, hey,” Sparrow interrupted. “No time to quarrel, the messenger looks like he wants to kill us for interrupting him in his dramatic role.”

Everyone looked like the messenger. He did look like he wanted to strangle someone.

“Well,” Lynn replied. “He’s looking at you with a killer look, not at us.”

“I think he likes you,” Ginny commented.

Lynn said, “But I think he looks like he is in pain rather than love struck. I think he fell on his knees too hard.”

“Shush!” Alanna exclaimed and flapped her hands at them. “Well sir, what is your message?”

“I being grave news,” he said, his face red. He cleared his throat and seemed to gather himself before he launched into his act. “Chaos, chaos everywhere!” the messenger exclaimed dramatically, pressing his hands to his chest. “Oh, the horror!”

“Could you just cut the crap and get to the message?” Sparrow asked curtly.

“Sparrow, it is not often that the messenger can have the attention of so many important people at one time you know,” Ginny said. “Let him wallow in his theatrics, he deserves it. I doubt that he didn’t have much exciting news to bring by for a long time since the Immortal Wars.”

“No,” the messenger spoke up, startled. “I didn’t work as a herald during the Immortal Wars. I was one of the guardsman.”

“Why did you quit?” Lynn asked curiously.

“COULD WE JUST HEAR THE MESSAGE?!” Sparrow screeched.

“Message?” Ginny replied. “Oh yeah, message.”

“Message,” Lynn chorused, nodding her head.

“Message?” Ginny and Lynn inquired the herald.

“A mage has gone berserk with his gift. Creating a lot of chaos in the palace. Nobody dares to take him on, too powerful. Besides, he is a friend to some in the palace. Everyone was surprised. Nobody was prepared for his betrayal. He seemed so tranquil, so contented-” the herald supplied. Lynn noticed that he discreetly shifted his knees uncomfortably.

“Who is he?” Sparrow interrupted.

“Sparrow, you are so rude,” Lynn scolded gently.

“He’s Michean,” the herald said. “I was shocked when I heard the news. He was such a nice chap. Works at the kennels with his sisters.”

“MICHEAN?” Daine and Sparrow yelped in shock.

The herald nodded.

“IMPOSSIBLE!” Sparrow roared. “It is not in his character to do that. I didn’t have much time to explore or develop his character. He is a rather flat character, 2D, he had ‘good and nice’ stamped all over him. How could he create such a destruction?”

“It shows that you don’t know people as well as you thought,” the herald quipped.

“KNOW HIM? I CREATED HIM!” Sparrow yelled, she got up and paced around the table. “I tell you, he is ‘good guy’ all over. It is too OOC (Out Of Character) for him to get worked up like that.”

“OOC?” Lynn questioned. “If you didn’t notice, Daine, Numair, Alanna and George are a bit OOC as well.”

“Yeah, but Michean does NOT have the gift!” Sparrow exclaimed.

“Wait,” Ginny said. “If Michean is OOC and suddenly has a gift. Doesn’t that mean that someone else with Sparrow’s wishing power is here? Perhaps the person who coerced Michean is the baddie Sparrow is supposed to face.” The Tortallans looked a tad puzzled by ongoing discussion.

Daine raised her hand, “Could someone explain what you are talking about?”

“I wish that Daine, Numair, Alanna and George would have sudden comprehension of the discussion,” Sparrow announced.

“Ohhhh….” The Tortallans went in enlightenment.

“Sparrow,” Lynn said suddenly. “Has it ever occurred to you where we are?”

“Oh geez,” Sparrow replied, smacking her forehead, then, ticking off her fingers. “Daine, Numair, Alanna, George. Oh my. I wonder where we are.”

“Tortall,” Ginny said patiently.

“No, no,” Lynn responded, waving her hands. “Which Tortall?”

“Which Tortall?” Ginny replied. “Tortall, Tortall?”

Lynn smacked her hand against her forehead and sighed. “I mean, you would agree that in our world, Tortall is a figment of someone’s imagination, right?”

“Yes…” the Tortallans, Ginny and Sparrow chorused together, looking at Lynn as if she was a chicken with a turkey head.

“Okay, would you agree, Ginny and Sparrow, you reading so many fan fictions, that there are many versions of Tortall?” Lynn supplied patiently.

“But-“ Ginny said.

“Look,” Lynn interrupted. “People in our world have different perception of how Tortall is like, right? I mean, in Sorceress’s fics, the Tortall becomes dust. In Megahanne’s fics, Tortall is inflicted with Pixie Light.  Do you get my meaning?”

“Yes…” everyone chorused obligingly.

“Ohh…” Sparrow murmured. “I get it.”

“Finally!” Lynn exclaimed.

Ginny raised her hand, “For the sake of those who are still ignorant, HUH?”

“Well,” Sparrow explained. “You agree that there are many imaginary Tortalls in our world, right? Well, what makes you assume that we landed in TAMORA PIERCE’S Tortall?”

“But, isn’t it infringing copyrights?” Ginny asked. “I mean, she is, all hail the mighty Tamora Pierce, is the ORIGINAL creator of Tortall, you know.”

“Yes, but you have characters that Tamora Pierce never mentioned before. Like Michean, Jassia. TP would sure have mentioned them before IF they existed in her stories,” Sparrow supplied.

“But, everything is so in tune with the series,” Ginny protested.

“Ginny, Ginny, Ginny,” Sparrow said. “I try very hard to write in text. In fact, all my fics are based on quotes, and I try not to stray too far from the original plot. I try not to have something too earth shaking to have the original plot affected.”

“What are you implying, Sparrow?” Daine asked.

“We are in MY version of Tortall,” Sparrow answered grimly.

“Your version of Tortall?” Alanna repeated in a choked voice.

“Yes,” Sparrow answered seriously. “It explains stuff, doesn’t it? Why only MY characters appear in here. Why I was chosen.”

“Why you were chosen?” Daine inquired.

Sparrow tilted her head, “Yes, why I was chosen. I created this VERSION of this world. Of course, disclaimer: Tortall and its characters belong to Tamora Pierce. As the creator of this version, I would be able to know the world very well.”

“Disclaimer? Why do you speak of a disclaimer?” George asked.

“So I don’t get sued by the pple who read this,” Sparrow responded.

“People who read this?” George said.

“Yes,” Sparrow responded and cleared her throat. “This world is shaped by my fics’ version of Tortall, right? So that means, this event is definitely going to become a fic in order to shape ‘my’ Tortall.”

Alanna shook her head, “You are being very complicated.”

“Never mind,” Ginny said. “I hardly understand her at times.”

“ER HUM!” the herald cleared his throat.

Everyone looked at him.

“Michean? Chaos? Corus?” the messenger hinted helpfully.

“By all means,” Sparrow said. “Let us go.”

“Wait,” Ginny interrupted. “Please think about the possible baddies that you might be facing.”

“What do you mean?” Sparrow questioned. “Can’t it wait later?”

“Sparrow, please remember your guide motto. Be prepared?” Lynn said.

Everyone paused in their movements and looked at Ginny. “Well, if YOU were required in Tortall to help it, you, the author of it. What is the baddies that ONLY an author can deal with?”

Sparrow raised an eyebrow.

“If there was some sort of vampire or demon,” Ginny continued. “The spell would have brought Buffy, or the Charmed ones. But the spell, didn’t. The spell brought YOU. What is the possible enemy that ONLY a fic author can deal with?”

Part 4