The world that swallowed her was bright and filled with sound. It was like a tunnel that seemed to fall in an endless pit. Lights in dots of all sizes whizzed past Amaretto's face and upwards. The sounds of a thousand voices and more filtered past her ears in such a rapid succession that they hardly registered. Most of it was a blur. She looked up, but could not see her aunt through the light. She looked down, but saw nothing except a small pinprick.
Then there was darkness. The darkness of the pinprick widened into a hole and then it seemed to swallow her up and Amaretto felt herself falling through the air and then crashed to the floor. She lay there gasping and choking, starring at the ceiling when a blip appeared before her. She stared at the dot and then heard a sound. Above her, the sudden form of her aunt falling was the next thing that she saw. She tried to move out of the way, but it was in vain. Katherine fell directly on top of Amaretto.
"Please, get off of me."Amaretto sucked in breath as Katherine rolled off of her and then took in ragged breaths of her own.
"That was not a fun trip at all," muttered Katherine.
"Could have fooled me," Amaretto responded acidly.
Katherine sighed and then sat up, dusting herself off. She looked around for a moment and then said, "Wait, where is my purse?" Amaretto tried to give her a look which she hoped was as scathing as possible. She was however very surprised by the look of understanding that crossed her aunt's face. Katherine stuck her arm out and from above them the purse fell. The straps whipped around her wrist perfectly and the bag slipped down , coming to rest and hang from the crook of her elbow.
Amaretto felt her jaw drop. Katherine simply reached into the bag and pulled out a compact. She flipped open the small mirror and began to check her make up. "Well now," she said snapping it shut after a moment, "Let us see where we are."
Amaretto reached out a hand and Katherine helped her to stand up. As she brushed herself off, she reached up a hand to check and see if the necklace was still around her neck. The Hourglass was warm to the touch and Amaretto sighed for just a moment. She watched as Katherine walked over to the end of the small alleyway and then nodded her head. She turned around and at that moment, there appeared to be a popping sound. There was a rush of air and then the world seemed to tilt back into focus. A rush of air swished past Amaretto and she took a breath and she could taste the subtle tang of smog in the air. Rain started to fall from the sky and pierce the area in the small alleyway around her and her aunt. Katherine reached into her purse and pulled out a small parasol umbrella and opened it. Amaretto looked up at her aunt. "What just happened?"
"Oh, the bubble, that was just the adjustment happening. Whenever you travel through time and space, the world creates a small bubble that allows your whole being to adjust to the new world that it is on and also where you have been. You will get used to it soon."
"I don't want to get used to it! I want to go home!" Amaretto's voice was terse and she was beginning to get angry.
"I'm sorry Ama, but you're going to have to face it; we aren't on Earth Secundus anymore. People will want your Hourglass here too..."
Amaretto looked at her aunt with confusion playing through her features. "Earth Secundus? What's that?"
Katherine sighed in an exasperated tone. "My darling little Ama, that is where you are from. That is the reality where you grew up and where you are most comfortable. This place however, while it is close to your time is very different. It runs on a different time axis and has a whole different history.
Katherine looked out at the street and as she did so Amaretto frowned at her. "Reality and time axis," she mumbled to herself, "I don't understand what you are talking about."
Katherine seemed not to notice Amaretto mumbling and said, "What that history may have been, I am not sure. I will say this however: God save the Realm!" With that she pointed upwards. Amaretto allowed for her eyes to wander in the direction in which her aunt was pointing and she gasped. Fluttering and flying in the wind was the Union Jack, but it was slightly different. In the center, superimposed above the traditional colors, was a large bronze gear with a ring of gold in the center.
"What is that?" Amaretto pointed to the flag and looked at her aunt with surprise.
"That my dear," began Katherine, "Is the sign of the Empire and realm of New Machina, also known as the Second Great Empire of England, upon which the sun has never set." Amaretto blinked a few times at this answer. Katherine watched in amusement as Amaretto's mouth dropped open.
"New Machina? What happened to just normal England?" Amaretto turned back to look at the flag as her aunt shrugged.
"That's something that Tempus would be able to answer and explain easier than I. Speaking of which, since we wound up here, he must be somewhere nearby..." Katherine trailed off as Amaretto's head whirled. She had too many questions about what was going on. Wasn't this supposed to be a trial period? First it was the glass, then it was la sorcieire, now it was this. Amaretto felt like her head was going to explode.
Her aunt suddenly chimed happily. "there it is! Come on, let's go before we are noticed." Amaretto's hand was grabbed by her aunt and she felt herself being dragged across the street into a watch shop. The rain that poured down from the sky sloughed down and caught her off guard, but when she got into the shop, she realized that she was soaked. That was second however to the silent ticking that seemed to fill all of the silence next.
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