Unplanned Return [Hiatus]

5th

Sherry Izumi smiled to herself as she closed the door to Shinku's room. She had never heard of someone from Flonyard coming to earth but seeing someone from Flonyard brought back many good memories. As she came down the stairs she was greeted by Nanami and Becky who were standing at the bottom of the stairs.
"Oh, hey auntie, sorry we let ourselves in" Nanami apologized happily with a wave.
"It is no problem, how are you Rebecca?"
"I'm fine Miss Izumi, is Shinku around?"
"Yes, he's finally stopped sulking too. You'll find him and your other friend in his room." Sherry said as she walked past the two girls to greet their parents. As she did she snickered to herself, despite how confusing it was going to be things were going to quite fun for a while, especially if she was right about Shinku and miss Martinozzi.
"What happened to your cheek?" Rebecca asked Shinku as the two of them walked to school.
Shinku turned his gaze to Rebecca, "What do you mean?"
"Your entire right cheek is deep red, it almost looks like a bruise. Do you need me to look at it?"
"Ah, no that's fine."
"What happened?."
"Err, nothing. Why?"
"You did something stupid and Éclair hit you, didn't she?"
Shinku groaned and looked away as the truth escaped Rebecca's lips.
Rebecca sighed. "Fine I won't say anything. Do you think Nanami and her folks made their flight this morning?"
"Yeah, I'm not worried about Nanami. I'm more worried about Éclair!"
"Why?"
"Because she's stuck here until our fall break."
"She's stuck here for a month!"
"Yeah. Unlike when I was stuck in Flonyard the first time, we know she should be able to return when we go there for fall break."
"How do you know?"
"You'd never believe me!" Shinku said ending the conversation as they entered the school yard and prepared for classes.
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Éclair sat comfortably on the Izumi family's couch and sighed. Being stuck in the hero's world was ridiculous to say the least. Knowing she could return was a weight off of her shoulders, but not being able to for a month was already grading on her nerves. Normally she would be practicing her skills, drilling the guards, or doing something, but here she could do none of that! She had her daggers, but she did not have her armour and she could not even ask the hero to spar with her because he was at school.
That was the other thing that got her. In Flonyard, you only went to school until you were thirteen or fourteen(depending on where your birthday landed), then you helped your family with their jobs and learned about them to polish your skills. But here Shinku was still going to school. She knew he had supposedly turned fourteen just days before. He had come to Biscotti filled with despair, but the idea of going to school at their age shocked her a bit. Shouldn't he be learning to get his skills polished to join his father at his job?
That was when it hit her. How did jobs and similar things work here in the hero's world? He had been told at great length of how things in Biscotti worked, but no one ever asked him much about his world. The only one who she knew of that had even been to the hero's world was Tatsumaki, and it was more than a little difficult to get answers out of him. So If she wanted to get to know him better she would need to know more about his world.
Realizing what she had just thought Éclair shook her head angrily, she needed to worry about getting home as her first priority.
"Something wrong, Miss Martinozzi."? Sherry Izumi asked as she came into the living room while drying her hands on a small white towel.
Éclair stiffened. "N,no, why?"
"You suddenly and violently shook her head while hiding your blushing face, that's why." Sherry said with a small smile that caused Éclair to blush even more at having been seen blushing.
"Ah, anyway, you said you wanted to speak to me?"
Sherry nodded and took a seat on the adjacent couch. "Yes I did. Sorry for making you wait."
"It's no problem."
"I see. That's good then. Now I won't speak of how to send you home yet as I know you'll have questions that Shinku will want to hear the answers to as well, but is there anything you want to know about Earth?
Éclair was stunned. She did want to know about Earth, yes. But finding out how she would return home was just as important." Um, why can't we speak of how I will return home?"
"I just told you. To explain it I will have to explain how I know about Flonyard, which Shinku will want to know as well. So for now why don't we exchange information?"
"On what?"
"Our worlds, of course. It has been quite some time since I heard about events in Flonyard and I'm sure you would like to know about this world. So we can ask each other questions and answer them, okay?"
Éclair was uneasy about this but saw few options about what else she could do until Shinku returned from his school. "Alright then, may I ask a question first then?"
"Of course, ask away." Sherry said in a delightful tone as she bore a happy and friendly smile that reminded her of her own late mother.
"Why is Shinku in school still?"
Sherry looked confused for many moments before her face changed from confusion to acknowledgement. "Ah I see, I remember now. In Flonyard most people are only in school until their fourteen, correct?"
"Yes, so why is Shinku in school still. Did he fail at something?"
"Oh no of course not. He hasn't failed anything, though he's getting close in a subject or two. In most places on Earth people go to school until their anywhere from 16 -24 depending on what job they wish to join."
Éclair was visibly confused by this reply. "You mean people don't help their parents in their jobs?"
"Oh, there are, of course, some people who will join the same career as a parent. But most people do not and join a career of their own choosing, though most people do not give it thought until they are around 16-18."
"But why do they stay in school for so long?"
"I'm sure you noticed, Miss Martinozzi, Earth is a very different place from Flonyard. We have no magic or Flogna force in our atmosphere so to speak, so our earthen culture took a different route, one of electricity, and science."
"I see. And people are in school longer to understand these then?"
"Precisely, may I ask you a question now?"
"Oh I'm sorry, of course." Éclair said as she tried to hide her embarrassment over hogging the conversation.
"How are Biscotti and Gallete doing? Are they doing well?"
Éclair stared at Shinku's mother as she asked this question. She seemed to be honestly curious, but it was an odd question to say the least. "They're doing fine. Princess Millifiori and Princess Leonmitchelli are well loved by the people and work hard to make things always better.
"Ah, so they are the Princesses of Biscotti and Gallete respectively?"
"Yes."
"What about the previous kings and queens?"
"They're . . . no longer with us."
"I see. That must be hard on their daughters, but if they're doing fine they must be doing well. Do you have another question?"
"Well . . ."
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Shinku walked in to his house and did not even have a chance to say he was back before he was dragged by Éclair onto the living room and thrown onto the couch.
"About time you got back, now we can finally be productive!" Éclair almost snarled.
Shinku looked over to his mother to see her almost giggling to herself. What had happened while he was gone that made Éclair so irritable.
Seeming to know what he was thinking Sherry spoke up. "We've been doing a question and answer session for most of the day, I think she's fed up and wants to know how she's going to return to Flonyard already."
"That's a way to look at it yes, how can I return?" Éclair asked for probably the fourteenth time in the day.
Sherry looked at Shinku who only nodded as he put his school bag on the ground beside the couch and repositioned the way he had been thrown so he was sitting comfortably.
"All right then. There are two ways for you to return to Flonyard. You can either go back by a gate created by a Flonyardian item made for such things, like how Shinku has likely gone these last few times, or you can return the way I went to Flonyard the first time."
"Then let's send a message to the Princess and, –" Éclair began to only be interrupted by Sherry.
"That won't work."
"Why not?"
"The summoning circles that Flonyard uses to transport humans is made for humans whose biology differs slightly from a Flonyardian. When a Flonyardian goes through it puts massive strain on the gateway and it must be given time to recharge. Normally it only takes a week to charge, which is why you only could send and receive mail from Flonyard once a week Shinku."
"How- ,"Shinku began before stopping himself. It wasn't important at this time.
"When that little dog messenger, what was his name again? "Sherry asked.
"Tatsumaki," Shinku added for her.
"Ah, thank you. When he would come through to bring you letters, Shinku, it would put only minor strain on the unstrained gateway. If he comes through to bear a message or to see if you're here Éclair, it would mean going through the gateway while it's already stressed."
"Meaning?"
"Meaning it will take even longer for it to charge for two almost full size humanoids, one human and one Flonyardian, to go through."
Both Shinku and Éclair were quiet for quite a while. It was likely the Princess would send Tatsumaki to see if she was indeed in the hero's world. And if what Shinku's mother was saying was true it would prolong the time until she could return, unless? "What was that other way you had mentioned, Mrs. Izumi?" Éclair asked.
Sherry smiled slightly upon being asked this. "You mean the way I went to Flonyard then?
"Yes, that. How did you and can we recreate it?"
"It is possible, though it will take exactly a month to get ready to use. It is a long process, and very, very particular about how it is done."
"Then please tell me!" Éclair said as she clapped her hand together in front of her face.
Seeing how worried Éclair was Shinku looked to his mother, as if silently asking her to do this. Sherry only nodded as she got up and pulled out a small book from a cupboard in the nearby bookcase and sat back down with it. "Alright, to send you back, we would have to build an advanced planar circle in the yard bit by bit over the next month.
Both Éclair and Shinku looked at his mother with the same confused look.
"Okay, I'll explain right from the start then. Shinku, Éclair, when I was your age and living in England I came across a small ruins near Stonehenge when on a school trip. I had wandered away from the group as I wanted to get a better look. In the ruins, along with many odd symbol on the walls and coffins on the floor, I found a pedestal with a single small book." Sherry waved the small book she had taken from the bookshelf cupboard. "Over the next few weeks I read the book. It was written in very old English so it took me quite a while to read through it though."
"What did it say?" Shinku asked quietly.
"The book contained information about planar magic's and mechanics, basically the magic and concept of traversing the different worlds."
"You mean like Flonyard!" Éclair almost exploded.
"Yes. Over the next few months I slowly built a small circle in the forest outside of the town I lived in, and did so in much secrecy, even my sister did not know."
"So that's why Nanami's mum didn't see your ears," Shinku stated to Éclair as Sherry continued.
"The book explained how to build the circle and had well drawn out explanations on why things had to be done, despite being in old English it was easy to understand for me. A month later I had it done and prepared to go through. I waited till the moon was high above me and activated and stepped into the circle I had made."
" . . . And?"
"I was immediate catapulted into the sky, the next thing I remember was I was falling from the skies of Flonyard and landed deep in a forest. It took me many days before I was found by anyone. Now I realize if I had been found by anyone else that I would have been stuck there still."
"Who found you?"
"A sword smith with skill and knowledge of magic and sealing techniques, his name was Isuka and-"
"You knew Isuka!" Éclair exclaimed loudly as Shinku looked at his mother in shock.
"Oh, you know him?"
"We met his recently, he's Lady D'arquien's brother!"
"So that was the name his sister went by. Yes, I met him. I travelled with him for about two weeks while we figured out how to return me to England.
"Didn't Grandma and Grandpa worry about you?" Shinku asked.
"I had told my parents I was staying at a friend's house for a prolonged sleepover, it worked but just barely."
"How did you return?" Éclair asked.
"We used an old abandoned temple portal far south of Biscotti. We had to modify the portal too so it was a lot of work. However, because Shinku has went to Biscotti from here in the city, the portal in biscotti will not need modification, all we will have to do is build one here ourselves."
Both Shinku and Éclair were quiet for a while before Éclair spoke up again. "Why does it take a month to create?"
"Because magic of any kind or type is almost non-existent here on earth. Because of this anything you do that uses magic must be done slowly. The circle's base can be built in one day, but the details of it must the done precisely and thoroughly for it to create a gateway that connects to the Biscotti portal."
"What do you mean?"
"Here I'll show you" Sherry said as she opened the small book and began flipping through its pages. She then put the book on the table and turned it toward Shinku and Éclair. "You see the diagram on the right?"
"Yes."
"What does it look like to you, Miss Martinozzi?"
Éclair looked at it for many moments before realizing what it looked like. "The sky of Flonyard! These are the twin moons and the rest are major stars constellations in the night sky!"
"Precisely. In the book there are almost four dozen sky diagrams like this one, and that's what must be detailed in the planar circle. The night sky of the plane you wish to go to must be precisely and carefully done onto the circle to create the gateway to the world. To do this, pieces must be aligned one at a time nightly until the night it is done, and they must be aligned in a specific order as well. Already placed pieces, if using stones or the like, must not be disturbed. It is a slow and methodical process."
Shinku picked up the book and flipped through a few pages of diagrams. "How many of these worlds have you been too?"
"Just Flonyard."
"Why?"
"You see how below each diagram there are notes right?"
"Yes?"
"Flonyard's sky diagram does not have them, because the notes are warnings or danger notes telling how prepared you must be. Simply put Flonyard is the safest to travel too. Many diagram warnings tell of worlds of demons or monsters so I did not wish to go to them."
"So I can go home if we build this then?" Éclair asked cautiously.
"Yes, but the material we use is important, so I will find the appropriate base material tomorrow. I will have an enlarged scanned copy of the diagram for you to use as well. Once these are gotten you will have to begin detailing the base once daily, no more, no less."
"Why?"
"If you do it too fast the circle will not have had enough of a chance to connect to the other world. And if you do it too slowly it will over connect and break down from, what is basically an overload." Sherry said as she glanced at the clock above the TV on the wall beside the bookcase. "Your father will be returning home soon so I will go prepare dinner. We'll worry about this tomorrow so why don't you two go find something to do okay?"
"all right," Shinku said as he led Éclair out to the backyard, likely to practice acrobatics or something similar.
Sherry walked into the kitchen and thought to herself about what material would make a good base. A solid stone would be hard to break, and if an acid was used to etch the symbol it would not be easy to disturb. She could even have Éclair use chalk to etch the lines first to make sure she got it right. The only problem would be getting the stone and the acid. But she knew who to ask so it would not be too much of a problem. The real problem would be keeping Éclair Martinozzi sane while she was here. She needed something to occupy herself with for the majority of days and to keep her from fretting.
"Ah, that would work!" Sherry exclaimed to herself as she pulled a chunk of ham out of the freezer and let her thoughts wander. "I wonder how Isuka is doing anyway?"
"I'm no expert on knives but isn't it bad to sharpen them so much?" Sherry asked as she entered the living room to see Éclair still there sharpening her daggers.
Éclair looked up. "What do you mean?"
"It's almost lunch time." Sherry said flatly.
Éclair looked at the clock on the wall and dropped her daggers onto the table, placing her face into her palms. She had been sharpening her daggers for almost four hours! "Great, now they have a wire edge." Éclair said with a sigh as she slumped backwards onto the couch as Sherry walked over and sat beside her.
"The anxiety is getting to you, huh?
Éclair nodded. "When we had told Shinku that he was not going to be able to return home he was depressed. But only a matter of hours later he was back to, normal, I guess. But I guess I can't really compare this to that, huh?"
"Well you can in a way, but I guess the longer waiting time is what's getting to you, huh?"
"Yeah I guess so. . . . . . Wait."
"Yes?"
"If you're back then-?"
"Yes, I have gotten the base for the gateway. Would you like to see it?"
"Yes, please!" Éclair almost yelled as she shot up out of her chair.
Sherry merely giggled. "Alright, follow me then.
Following her, Éclair found herself standing in the backyard of the Shinku household. In almost the exact center of the yard sat a large circular slab of what looked to be marble. The slab was almost a foot thick and easily seven feet wide. "This is it?"
"This is what we shall use as a base yes. Go on, look closer."
Éclair stepped forward and knelt down beside the marble slab and looked it over. Across the entire thing was a massive drawing of the Flonyardian night sky, drawn entirely in white chalk. She looked over to see Sherry kneel down beside her and take out a piece of paper.
"I've drawn the lines and shape from the diagram in chalk, but they must be etched into the stone in the right order." Sherry said as she handed the paper to Éclair. "That paper has an enlarged diagram with the lines of the diagram colored according to what order they must be done in."
Éclair looked over the diagram for many moments before folding it and looking to Sherry. "But how am I to etch them into it? My daggers are not made for such a thing."
"I did not think they were," Sherry said as she took out a small jar filled with what looked to be a white paste of some kind.
"Paint?"
"No, actually. What this is, is a very powerful and thick acidic paste I acquired with the help of a friend of mine. The paste will erode even marble and within a matter of hours evaporates itself. Using this you will need only paint it onto the lines where the diagram states. Just don't get it on yourself."
Éclair took the jar and held onto it for many moments. "Why this? Could I not have technically made the gateway with ropes and stones even?"
"Yes. But if it is done this way it will last longer and can be used again and again, making going from Earth to Flonyard much easier in the long run.
"Then I'll start right now!" Éclair stated as she began taking the top off of the jar.
"I've told you it must be done at night, you have to wait."
" . . . I can understand doing it only once a day, but why must I do it at night?"
"Because sunlight will disrupt it as it gathers power. It must be etched at night so the symbols you etch can grab enough power before the sun arises."
Éclair sighed and stood up. "Alright."
"There is another thing I would like to talk to you about though."
"What's that?"
"You'll see. We have to go for a drive to do it."
Éclair followed Sherry through the house and to the front where in the stone lot of the house sat a large blockish object that Éclair had only heard stories of. "Um, is this the 'car' that Shinku had tried to describe to me and Riko once?"
"Most likely, just think of it like a more durable and noisy wagon or carriage if you would. Well c'mon, get in."
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"I'm home!" Shinku yelled as he walked into his house, only to be greeted by silence. As he looked around he saw a note on the table and read it over.
We're having take-out tonight, Shinku. I took Éclair with me to get it, so go do your homework!
Shinku dropped the note and sighed to himself. At least his parents had gotten use to Éclair quickly. He was still having trouble with the fact that she was stuck in his house all day long.