So my good friend, the extraordinarily talented J.A. Ironside (Aka. FlyingFoxSly) has been writing a fic called, 'In Other Worlds' which is a crossover between her book 'I Belong to the Earth' and mine. The Story which follows Rufus who, somehow, finds himself wondering the moors of Yorkshire, having been spirited away from Harmatia. He ends up in the care of the budding medium Emilynn, who quickly becomes aware that with Rufus's arrival, her little sister Amy has gone missing.

As Rufus and Emilynn try to figure out how to set things back into order, I thought I would try my hand and writing what was happening on the otherside, as Amy tries to navigate her way through Harmatia.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from I Belong to the Earth and am simply using them for story telling purposes.

In Other Worlds – The Other Side

He had followed the trail for near a half-mile along cold slopes and dewed meadows, and was getting steadily more frustrated. It was too early in the morning to be doing this task; he had been up all night, and wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed and sleep until noon. A brisk wind blew up through his clothes, aggravating the situation. It had been a cold night, and anyone foolish enough to have slept outside would be regretting it…If they woke at all, that was.

Zachary grimaced at the pale light which peered out from the mass of clouds above them. It was going to rain soon. He pressed on, drawing just enough magic into him to heighten his senses, but keep his wings at bay. It would not do to scare some poor Shepard half to death; the day was already promising to be miserable enough without having to chase after someone, assure them he was not a demon, and bribe them into keeping silent.

"Sons of the Gods Merle, you had better not have been drunk." Zachary jumped down into a bank, following the faded signs of footprints, and other disturbances. From the weave of Rufus's walk, drunk was exactly what he had been. How much he had had to consume to achieve that, Zachary did not know, but he wagered that tab would be high.

Up ahead, the path opened again and Zachary spotted a figure stood out in-front of him. He stopped short and examined her from his vantage point, remaining quiet. She had her back to him – for Zachary presumed it was a girl, her blonde hair caught in the wind and flipping wildly around her head and neck. She turned, and spotted him, starting in surprise.

She was young, no more though not entirely a child; close to the age of one of Zachary's sister, Charlotte, though a little more comely. She was garbed in a strange, soft red doublet with a hood attached to it, and cotton trousers that clung to her long, slim legs revealingly. Her shoes were white, and very peculiar, and she looked extremely out of place.

Neither moved, and at last she coughed, and gave him an awkward, nervous wave. "Hello." She said slowly, as if unsure of whether he could understand her, or what his intentions might be. Zachary tried to look less threatening.

"Good morning." He replied, eyeing her. He could still smell Rufus's trail, but it seemed to end where the girl was stood. He saw patches where his brother had been lying, probably only hours before, but no trail that led away. It was as if he had vanished, and this strange, pretty little thing had taken his place. Zachary narrowed his eyes.

"You wouldn't…You wouldn't be able to tell me where I am, would you?" The girl asked, "Only…I think I might be lost."

"I rather think you are." Zachary agreed, and he came forward. She immediately jumped back at his quick stride and he evened himself. Once, he had been good with children, but the Patrol was making him gruff. He remembered himself, raising his hands, before putting one out. "My name is Arlen Zachary. You are in Harmatia."

The girl considered his hand very carefully, and then in a calculated, but friendly manner, took it and shook it firmly. "I'm Amy." She said, "What did you mean by 'rather think I was?"

"You are clearly not of this plain." Zachary remarked, eyeing her clothes.

"Oh, good…Someone who knows about the freaky things. Emilynn is totally to blame for this, I know it. She's always at the centre of this crazy stuff…God, I'm starting to sound like Grace." Amy spoke quietly to herself, and though she was putting on a jovial expression, Zachary could see there was a nervousness about her. She was well and truly lost, looking anxiously over her shoulder to the open grounds all around. "Another plain you say…That's not very good for me, is it?"

"Probably not." Zachary murmured. "I am out here looking for my brother, Rufus. Have you seen him?"

"Rufus?" Amy frowned, "No, I don't think so."

"He is so tall," Zachary motioned with his hands, "Dark haired, blue eyes, possibly drunk and rambling. Maybe naked."

Amy snorted, "I think I'd remember that."

"Hm." Zachary looked down, "It's only…I have been following his trail, and it ends here. Here, where you begin."

"I see." Amy bit her lip. She was really rather pretty, though still young. Zachary did not like the idea of what might have happened had someone else, less savoury, found her wondering out here alone. "This is going to sound a little mad," She laughed cautiously, "But I think we might have swapped places…Only, I was doing my homework in the kitchen a minute ago, and then suddenly I was here." She was struggling to keep her composure, "I don't think Har-…Harmatia, was it? I don't think that's in Yorkshire, is it?"

"I suppose that rather depends what 'Yorkshire' is."

"A county in Britain."

"Harmatia is a Kingdom. That," Zachary gestured to the city in the distance, "Is the capital."

"Wonderful." Amy was breathing a little fast. The first spatters of rain began to fall. "You don't seem surprised by any of this…Is this a common occurrence here? People appearing out of nowhere?"

"Oh, faeries and other things will have their mischief," Zachary grunted, "I have heard stories about people appearing and disappearing around the marshes. Most of the causes are probably innocent…As innocent as slavers, bandits and bog-waters can be…You are lucky I found you."

"You seem incredibly calm about all this." Amy said, nervously. She was suspicious of him, and had every right to be.

"Well, it seems to me that Merle – that is my brother-"

"-I thought it was Rufus?"

"-Rufus Merle."

"-You call him by your surname?" Amy interrupted again.

"-He's not my…You misunderstand. Merle is my brothering apprentice. No relation."

"-Apprentice of what?"

"-Will you let me finish my sentence?" Zachary couldn't help but smile, and Amy ducked her head. She was a curious thing, her bright eyes inquisitive.

Octania, she reminds me of Merle. Perhaps that's why the gods saw fit to swap them. One intellect for another, to fill the space.

"Merle is probably to blame for this, in some way or another. He has a knack for finding mischief, and it's not the first time he's…how shall we say…Disappeared. Though he doesn't usually leave another in his place. Come," Zachary gestured, "Whatever truth, about how you came to be here, and how you may return can wait. It's going to rain, and you seem ill-equipped for the weather."

Amy looked down at her strange clothes, tugging at them. "Well, I didn't exactly get the chance to change for time-travel. What era is this, exactly?" She was eyeing his clothes, as if they were strange.

"It is the twenty-first year of King Thestian's reign."

"So like…1764?"

"I am…Not sure I understand." Zachary's frown deepened.

"You don't keep numerical years here?"

"No?" Zachary looked at her peculiarly, "Why would anyone do that?"

"To keep track of time."

"How incredibly lazy. Do you not learn basic history in your world? Why should you number something, when you can mark any time in history by the events that surround it?"

"We do that as well, but numbers makes everything simpler." Amy stopped and then laughed, "Jesus, this is unreal…I'm stuck out in the middle of God knows where, in God knows when, talking to a man about the record of time."

"I am sorry," Zachary apologised, "this must be difficult for you. Will you allow me to accompany you back to my home? At the very least, I can provide you with some shelter and food until we conjure a means by which to return you to your proper place, and by which I may reclaim my troublesome brother."

"Siblings, am I right?" Amy rolled her eyes in agreement. Zachary smiled curtly and gestured she follow. She did not. "Wait. How do I know I can trust you…Only…I've met attractive men out on the moors before, and…Well It didn't exactly end well." Amy said carefully, "There were a couple of possessions involved, Emilynn broke her arm, I almost died…It wasn't fun."

"No," Zachary said, in soft astonishment, "I imagine not. I'm afraid there's nothing I can say to assure you. I am quite untrustworthy, and a notorious brute. However, I am also the only person you've met out here, and I have a big house, and a warm kitchen. So it's entirely your choice."

Amy giggled softly, and inclined her head. "Ok, you win."

Zachary bowed his head graciously, the pair setting off together. "What does 'Ok' mean?"

"Oh, like…it's like 'Alright', but less formal, kind of cooler, I guess."

"What exactly makes it colder?"

"No, it's…Look, it's slang for 'alright', ok? I mean, alright. Urh – this is going to be hard. It stands for Zero Killed."

"Zero killed?" Zachary mouthed, "O…K…Hm," he looked out over the city coming forward him, "Don't be so sure of that." He whispered, trying to draw back on the night before. The Patrol was a little bit of a blur to him. He certainly hadn't eaten that night, but he wasn't sure if anyone else had caught a criminal out after the curfew. If they had, Zachary would try to avoid taking Amy up that street; the blood-spattered walls probably wouldn't comfort her.

"And cool, well…When something is cool, we don't necessarily mean colder. It's also how we express when something is…Cool, I don't know. This is hard to explain." Amy seemed to be trying to distract herself from the bizarre situation with chatter, and Zachary let her. She clearly had an active mind, and needed to keep it moving, in order to save it from panic. Rufus was much the same. "You know when someone does something nice for you, and they didn't have to, but it's just a small thing, and you're pleased by it, but you don't want to make a fuss because you know it would embarrass them, so instead you say 'Cool, thanks'. Like, it makes it's casual, but shows appreciation."

"Gracious, you have a word for that precise situation?"

"No, I mean that was just an example. Like, you seem pretty cool."

"I am…" Zachary had to think about this, "I am a well-meant, but casual expression of gratitude?"

Amy laughed sharply. "I'm really not explaining this well, am I? Sorry…When someone is cool, it means they're interesting, but again it's…It's casual. It means you've got a lot of a certain quality, without it being too much. I think. It's hard to describe."

"I think I understand." Zachary said slowly, "So somebody who is intelligent, but not arrogant."

"Yeah; they'd be cool." Amy suddenly winced, "Though I guess cool also means someone who's popular, or is following the latest trends."

"Trends?" Zachary again was lost.

"Fashion."

"Ah."

"Sorry. I'm rambling." Amy quietened down. The rain was really starting to fall now, and Zachary looked anxiously down to the girl. She was barely disguising her shivering; her strange, hooded doublet did nothing to keep out the rain, even though she had pulled the hood over her head. It seemed totally decorative, and not at all practical. Zachary considered unfastening his cloak and putting it over her shoulders, but she was much smaller than him, and it would be heavy and trail a long way behind her. Instead, he raised it up and over her head, using his arm to shelter her.

"I don't mean to be forward, but you may wish to come to my side. I'd give you my cloak, but I think you'd struggle to bear it."

Again, Amy seemed unsure. She was a shrewd girl, and rightfully wary, but she was also cold, and young, and so she did as he suggested, tucking herself in close to him. He carefully put his arm around her shoulder.

"Is that alright?" he asked, and she nodded. He rested it there more firmly, the cloak curling protectively around her. She put her arm around his waist, in order to steady herself with the new awkward angle. Zachary jumped a little as she brushed his back with a cold arm, but disguised his momentary discomfort.

By the time they made it into the city, her teeth were chattering. All the same, as they passed through the gates, and up toward the castle, Zachary could see Amy peering out in wonder, her eyes scanning the streets and people.

A few of the citizens looked back at the strange girl, but quickly turned their gaze when they noticed Zachary's robe. Amy noticed their averted stares. "Why are they afraid of you?"

"I told you; I am untrustworthy, and a notorious brute."

"But you were joking."

"Was I?" Zachary said with a mirthless laugh, and he felt Amy frown. She did not leave her safe position at his side though.

"You must be some sort of...Lord or something." She discerned, "right?"

"I am a Magi."

"A Mage?"

"Magi." Zachary repeated, "From the old word Magicus."

"Wait," Amy peered out from her little hollow, "Can you do magic? Like properly – not just coin tricks or pulling a rabbit from a hat."

"Why would put a rabbit in a-…Yes, I can do magic." Zachary said, shaking his head. She was peculiar, or at least the world she inhabited was.

"Really?"

"Really."

"I don't believe you." Amy retreated back under the cloak, "Ok, no; I believe you. I've seen enough weird things by now. My sister…She has these abilities."

"Abilities?"

"She sees ghosts, and can tell things…You know how you were saying this was your brother's fault, well it might be Emilynn's too. She can…Open dimensions, I think. She did it once before – or at least that's what she said."

"That is quite a power." Zachary murmured, "Perhaps she will open it again, when she sees you are gone, and pull you back."

"Maybe I need to stay in the same spot." Amy began to worry.

"I doubt that. You are the anchor; she will find you, don't fret. Here, we've arrived." Zachary pulled her up the stairs to his household, and pulled open the door, not bothering to knock and wait for a servant to let them in.

He pushed Amy through first, into the dry and she whistled as she came into his entrance hall. "You weren't kidding when you said it was big! Wow, I've only ever seen stair-cases like that in movies." Amy exclaimed. "I bet you enjoy walking down it. Must make you feel important."

"Not really, I usually only come down it when I've gotten up. Sleepy is the word I'd choose."

"Lord Zachary." Heather Benson bustled into the room, roused from her work by the commotion. She greeted him formally, eyeing the dripping girl at his side.

"Mrs Benson," Zachary said back, with equal formality, though he shot her a cheeky smile, "I discovered his girl in place of my troublesome brother. She is quite lost, and thus will be our guest until I can return her home. Would you mind terribly finding her a warm place to dry off and getting her something to eat?"

There was a sudden, very sharp clap of thunder from outside, and Amy jumped. She had not struck Zachary as the type to be frightened by such a small thing, but a sharp, absolute terror flashed in her eyes, as if all of a sudden, she had been drawn back into a terrible nightmare. She looked pale.

Mrs Benson took immediate charge. "I can do better that that. Come with me girl, what's your name?"

"Amy." Amy said in a soft voice.

"Miss Amy. I shall run you a bath, so you can get the chill from your bones, and then we'll put you in some clean clothes whilst yours," Heather picked disapprovingly at the sodden doublet, "dry. I'll have the kitchen's reheat the morning broth. We'll have you warm and comfortable in no time."

"Thank you." Amy seemed relieved, "Wow, I haven't been this well treated since…" her voice drew off, and Zachary saw a sadness in her. It was something he recognised, a look of loss, a stolen childhood. He felt weariness spread through his chest; she was too young to have such a sad expression.

"Mrs Benson will take good care of you. When you are ready, I will be in the library. Come and find me then."

"Thank you." Amy repeated, a little softer, and Zachary smiled graciously. Keeping her safe and warm, it was the least he could do, at least until Rufus returned and resolved the mess he'd caused.