Return to Oz

[pitbulllady]

Originally Posted by Government Man

Great story so far! You're managing to avoid all the problem areas in the movie.

By the way, if you did not see Return to Oz as a child, you have something to be thankful for--headless Mombi (with this really creepy scream coming out of her neckhole) was a resident of my nightmares for weeks after the first time I saw it.

Dont' feel bad-my parents made me watch the 1930's movie classic on tv when I was five, and I lost months of sleep over those flying monkeys! The Bad Witch didn't bother me NEARLY as much as a bunch of actors in monkey suits, but those things creeped me out, totally!

pitbulllady

[One Radical Dude]

Originally Posted by Government Man

By the way, if you did not see Return to Oz as a child, you have something to be thankful for--headless Mombi (with this really creepy scream coming out of her neckhole) was a resident of my nightmares for weeks after the first time I saw it.

Unfortunately, I was one of those children that saw the headless Mombi.

["C" the Dragon]

Originally Posted by One Radical Dude

Unfortunately, I was one of those children that saw the headless Mombi.

Well, I didn't saw it, But I did see the plain "Wizard of Oz".

[Invader Bloo]

I'm not a fan of Wizard of Oz (gets thrown vegetables at ) but this is a nice FF.

[CG]

omg what, it's back? YES! After a few weeks break, the story has returned! Sorry!

~*~

Chapter 6: Falling to Pieces

Having securely pulled Jack onto the safety of the couches, Mac finally began to feel like he could give a sigh of relief. They had accomplished a lot in just a few hours, after all. Having freed Jack, saved Tic-Tok and brought a new kind of creature to life all whilst trying to escape from the demented clutches of a young princess. But still... now they were on a head on collision course with the Gnome King.

"I'm just saying, all I remember is walkin' through the forest, minding my own business and hearing a loud noise. Next thing I know, I'm high above the ground, without a body and wings, flying to some King I don't even know about!" the Gump had been informing them all of his life story, since he had been dead for so long and hadn't put his voice to any use he felt it necessary to check to see if it still worked.

"So where is the Gnome King pal-ace?" Tik-Tok asked, as he looked up at the pale moon in the sky.

"Well... it was straight ahead when I looked out the window." Mac replied.

"Fer your sake I hope it IS in a straight line. I don't think I could turn if I wanted to." Gump replied, since he felt very square and very bulky. Nothing made for quick turns. "I ain't feeling so well put together." he added.

"Eeeeeeeee... Dun say that." Jack whined, not liking the sounds of that at all.

The stillness was interupted by high pitched shrieks from below. Startled, Billina looked down and could see through the canopy of trees the vague flashing colours of the Wheelers. "They don't give up easily do they?" she asked.

"No wor-ry Bill-in-a, we is up high and they is down low. We is safe." Tik-Tok consolled the chicken by patting her on the head.

Tik-Tok was right though, even if the Wheelers were giving chase they had no way at all to get at them. So the Gump continued his maiden flight until the trees beneath them vanished, giving way to the Deadly Desert. The group weren't aware that down below, a few of the Wheelers hadn't seen the oncoming desert and had actually fallen onto it, tripping over the rocks. As soon as they came to a rest on the sand, their whole bodies transformed into sand too. Those Wheelers who had survived only watched as their brethren became sand, before casting their hateful glares to the skies. They shrieked and screamed random curses at the boy and his entourage, but knew it would come to no good. Having voiced their anger the group turned, and vanished back through the trees to return to Mombi.

Up in the Gump's couches, Mac and Billina had settled down for sleep. Those around them, Tik-Tok, Jack and the Gump didn't sleep. Either on account because they couldn't physically sleep, or they couldn't afford to sleep. I'll leave it up to you to decide who could sleep and who couldn't.

Mac was in a room, that was the first thing he realised. It was marble floor, and marble ceiling. It was a huge room because they were no walls anywhere. After glancing around, Mac began to walk. His footsteps echoed in the large empty room, and it made him feel even smaller and insignificant then before. It felt like he had been walking forever but then something fell down in front of him. Mac jumped back in shock, but then realised who it was.

"Scarecrow!" Mac shouted.

"Green?" the Scarecrow asked from his place on the floor. "Green! Green!"

"What?" this was confusing, Mac stared as the Scarecrow got to his feet, pointing to his chest.

"Green, green green green!"

"Scarecrow what's wrong?" Mac asked, reaching out to the Scarecrow.

"Green!" he shook his head, "Green Green!" the Scarecrow reached back and wrapped his lone hand around Macs tightly. "GREEN." he said sternly, as if it was the most important word ever to be uttered by anyone, living or dead.

[CG]

Mac was suddenly jolted awake by screams.

It was now daylight, and it seemed the Gump was indeed falling to pieces. Tik-Tok was sat in the middle of the two couches, his hands holding the ropes together as tightly as he could. Those ropes kept the couches together. Jack, meanwhile was doing the same job but for the ropes that kept the head of the Gump in place.

"What's happening?!" Mac asked.

"Gump's falling apart!" Billina shrieked, cowering in the corner of the couch.

"I told ya I weren't put together properly!" the Gump called back, his head rattling in place.

"Are we still over the desert?" Mac asked, going to the side to check for himself. They were. If they fell, they'd be turned to sand and then what? No Scarecrow, no home, no Emerald City, nothing! He hurried over to the other side of the Gumps front, holding tightly to the other ropes that kept his head in place. "C'mon Gump, keep it together!"

"I'm trying!" Gump shot back, rattling as he did.

But then something awful happened. The pumpkin that was atop Jack's neck, slid off his neck. There was nothing tying it together, after all, so hanging upside down for so long caused it to fall. Mac watched, wide eyed as Jack's head went tumbling below. "Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaadddddddddddddddddeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeeeee..." his cries died out.

"JACK!" Mac screamed, "Gump! Jack lost his head, turn around, go down!"

"I don't know if I can!" the Gump said back, he too having witnessed the head fall.

"Please!"

"All right, but if I fall apart it's your fault." the Gump replied and did the best he could.

He tilted, did a U-Turn and headed downwards as fast as he could. Tik-Tok groaned at the sudden speed but held tight the ropes, keeping the leaves and couches together. The wind whistled past Mac's ears, and they passed through some clouds, and still Jack's body held the ropes for the Gumps head in place. It could work fine without the head sure, but it just looked... peculiar.

"There it is!" Mac pointed, and sure enough just a little below them was the head of Jack, still tumbling.

The Gump flew as fast as he could, until he was partially beneath and to the side of Jack's head.

"DADDY!" Jack shrieked in delight of seeing Mac again.

Mac released the ropes and began to reach for Jack's head, still falling; just as the Gump was now. He stretched as far as he could, and managed to finally grab Jack's head. "Got yaaaaaaaaaaaaAHHH!!" Mac's shout of happiness was cut short as he too suddenly began to tumble out of the Gump's body. Both Jack's body, and Tik-Tok leapt to his aid and grabbed him to pull him back. But having done that, the ropes were no longer secure. The Gump fell apart, the two couches, the golden broom, his palm leave wings and his head all fell loose of the ropes and those he was carrying began to fall with them.

They screamed as they fell, as would be expected.

"I sorry Daddy!" Jack's head called out.

"D-don't be Jack..." Mac said back as he watched the ground come closer. "Can't be helped now..."

And they continued to fall.

But, luck seemed to be smiling on them. The mountain they had been seeking was right below them, and one of the Gump's couches landed on the ground and Mac landed on that. Billina too. Meanwhile Tik-Tok landed on some snow, clanging loudly as he did. Jack landed not far from Tik-Tok, and his head actually managed to land right back on his neck. Only it was upside down. After many whoops of 'We're alive!' and 'Why are you upside down?' had died down, and after helping Tik-Tok onto his, er, feet; as well as fixing Jack's head did the group finally realise where they were.

"The Gnome King's Mountain." Mac said quietly. But then he remembered, everyone got into a crazed state when they saw Billina. "Billina, come here." he called the chicken over. "I think we should hide you."

"Hide me? Where?" the chicken asked.

"Where..." Mac looked around, before spotting the ideal place for a chicken to hide. He grinned.

Meanwhile, deep below in the caverns of the mountain, a servant was called.

"Yes your Highness?" it asked, still a face in the rock.

"What was that noise just now? Up there?" the royal voice asked, of a figure still remaining hidden by flames.

"I... don't know sir." the servant replied.

"Well. Go see what it is then!"

Back up above, Mac glanced at the Gump, whose head had landed neatly in some snow. "We really should put you back together."

"I don't see why you should bother, I'm much better as a head. That body was awful." the Gump said, snorting and shaking his head to emphasise the point.

"Yeah well.. we did the best with what we had. And anyway, you can't get around any other way."

That having been said and done, the group tied the Gump's head back onto the side of the surviving couch so he could make his way around. All the while, a pair of rocky eyes were watching them from the side. Having found out just who this was, the servant vanished from sight to reappear in the King's room.

"Your highness, it is Mac. He has escaped from Mombi and is now on your mountain! And he has a small army with him!" it reported.

The Gnome King fell silent for a moment. "He's more powerful then I thought... did you see the.... chicken?"

"No chicken sir. Not a sign of it."

"Good... very good."

To be continued

[Cassini90125]

You spoil us, CG. Well done!

What is it with these people and chickens?

[One Radical Dude]

Glad that you're continuing with this series. Keep it up.

[antgirl1]

Why is the chicken such a big deal?? XDDD

Unless it's a law, of course.

[Carlaz]

Superb story! Thank you.

Are you continuing to do illustrations for this story?