"MAC! MAC! HELP!!"
He was quick to rush to where she was, "Billina what is it?!" he asked, and stopped in horror as he saw what had frightened Billina.
It was the Tin Bird. She was on a bench, one leg up showing she was about to jump off and she had the fiercest face he had ever seen her with. Besides her were a few Winkies, one was hurt, and being held by the other who looked just as scared or angry as the Tin Bird was. But she was no longer tin. She was stone, and her beak had been held high ready to strike whoever it was that had been in front of her. Mac stared, wide eyed for a few moments. He had seen the Tin Bird frozen so many times before, but that was through her tears of either sorrow or happiness. She had been still alive, well, as much alive as a Tin Bird can be. But she wasn't that anymore, she was stone.
He had to look away to prevent getting too upset, even if he felt already upset from what he'd seen. A beautiful city reduced to rubble, one of his friends turned into a statue. He guided Billina along, making their way towards where the Wizard once lived. But then he saw someone else who was very familiar, and it broke his heart all over again.
It was the Lion, the same Lion he had left behind before with the Scarecrow and Tin Bird. With him was the Tiger they had spoken with back in the woods, and a good many other animals. All of them looked angry, ready to attack at the command of the Lion who seemed to be in mid attack. He was up on his hind legs, one of his paws already reaching out and his claws extended. His massive jaws were open in a now silent roar, his teeth as stone as the rest of him. "Lion..." Mac said quietly, reaching out and putting his hands to the face of his friend. Even if the Lion looked as fearsome as he possibly could, all Mac could really see, and think of, was the large purple scaredy cat who used to cry in terror of his own shadow.
Who could do such a thing? To so many people? And to such a dramatic result that not only were the Winkies, led by the Tin Bird came to assist but also the beasts led by the Lion?
It was then he saw something scrawled into the dirt on the floor, apparently made by the beaver whose hand was just finishing off the last letter. Mac walked over to it, and looked down. Billina joined him, after avoiding the look of the angry cats.
"What's it say?" she asked, not being able to read.
"...beware the Wheelers." Mac read.
"What's a Wheeler?" the chicken asked again, in a world where she knew nothing made her feel kind of stupid. But you only learn by asking.
"I don't remember them... not at all."
To be continued
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