Return to Oz

["C" the Dragon]

The story's going great, but I still don't get the discription of the wheelers, so if it's okay, can you draw one, CG?

[Cassini90125]

I'd kind of like to see that, too.

And some more pics of Frankie the Good Witch of the North...

[CG]

Poopy MSPaint doodle to get the idea across just what a Wheeler looks like:

[Cassini90125]

BENDY!!! YAY!!!

[CG]

Bendy yay. :p

Chapter 4: Princess Mombi

The bedraggled Wheeler, caught tightly by the tail of his coat, made his way through the ruins of the Emerald City until arriving at what was once the Wizard's, then Scarecrow's, palace. It too had suffered some of the attacks, but it was still one of the only buildings to haven't had lost an entire wall. Thus, it was still presentable. They reached the stairs, and the Wheeler tugged at his coat.

"Okay okay, I shown ya the way. Lemme go now. I been good." he whined, lowering himself as low as he could to appear smaller and more frail then he was.

Tik-Tok growled, but released him. Once he did, the Wheeler kicked him with a wheel, erupted into his high pitched squeals of joy before wheeling off again into the ruins. Tik-Tok shook a fist after him, but knew it was best if he didn't follow. Mac was already climbing the stairs, Billina shifting uneasily in his arms.

"Something tells me this is a bad idea." she mumbled, "I can feel it in my tail feathers."

"Well what else can we do?" Mac asked, "It's either this, or leave the Scarecrow... wherever he is." Mac replied, reaching up and knocking on the large wrought iron doors.

"Never seen anyone care so much about a man made of straw." Billina said as she glanced around, fearful of any more Wheeler attacks.

When no one answered the door, Mac gently gave it a push and it swung open.

"Isn't this breaking and entering?" Billina asked.

"Not really. It wasn't locked, so it isn't breaking. Just entering." Mac said back, and the trio made their way into the palace. It still looked highly respectable, with the large crystal chandeliers, vases on display. But the odd thing was, where the walls had been merely walls before were now all mirrors. Mac could look up at the ceiling to see what a flying bird would see, or look at the ground to see what an ant would. It was unnerving.

Tik-Tok didn't seem to take in the eeriness of mirrors all around, his hops to move around somewhat cautious. He had been in the palace before, and it had indeed changed. In the far distance, echoing from another room came the sound of an instrument being played. Or, a cat being tortured. The player couldn't play their way out from a can of beans.

The trio entered a main room, which was once a stateroom. Once again, mirrors were everywhere and sat there in the middle of the room was a sofa and upon the sofa was who Mac could only guess, was the Princess.

She had dark skin, and thick black hair tied into a plait which rolled down over her shoulder. Even as they approached she didn't look up, seemingly concentrating as hard as she could with the instrument. Mac, Tik-Tok and Billina came to a stop in front of her, and finally she glanced up at them. It was here Mac noticed, her head might have had dark skin but the colour of her hands was pale.

"Um." Mac started, before giving a small bow, not wanting to anger a princess. "Hello your highness, I'm Mac, from Fosters, and-"

"Help me up." she said, in a somewhat Hispanic accent. Her hand was being held out to him.

"Oh uh sure." Mac took her hand, and helped her up.

Once she was standing the Princess (no older then Mac) observed him for a few moments, "I need to go change into something more suitable for such honourable guests. Your friends may wait here, come with me." Mac didn't get a chance to argue, she gripped his hand in hers and pulled him away.

"So, you're Mac from Fosters. I always wanted to meet you." she said casually as they walked through a door way.

"Look, your highness, we're looking for the Scarecrow. I need to-" Macs voice stopped in his throat as he realised where they were. It was a long hallway, with cabinets on either side of the room. Within the cabinets, were pedestals on which you'd place things to be displayed. But instead of jewellery, or other expensive items, there were heads on display. Heads of young girls, in each and every display case. But even creepier, was that they were alive. Their eyes blinked, and they watched the duo walk past them with curious looks.

"I think I'll try number 42 this afternoon." the Princess said, more to herself then Mac. She walked up to the cabinet reading 42, and the head inside stared up at her blankly. The head inside had red hair tied in pony tails towards the back of her head. A key was attached to the Princess' wrist, and using that she unlocked the cabinet but also the one besides it, which was empty. She then did what Mac was dreading, she grabbed the head upon her shoulders and turned it counter clockwise. A loud 'click' echoed in the hallway, and she removed her head. The head with black hair was placed in the display case next to 42, then locked. Then the Princess' headless body picked up 42, and turned to face Mac.

"Well what do you think?" the head asked, in a totally different voice.

[CG]

Mac was too stricken with horror to answer.

"Yes, I thought so too." the head replied simply, before being reattached to the shoulders and finally a full body stood before her. She eyed Mac again, with a new found interest it seemed. "Well well. Mac of Fosters. This is an unexpected surprise..." she reached out and brushed his fringe out from his eyes. "You know something Mac?"

"W-what?" Mac asked.

"I'm going to marry you." she said.

"What?!" he asked again, now in shock.

"Well not now, obviously. We're too young. But I can tell you're going to be a handsome devil when you grow up." her hand went to his wrist, tightening her hold on him and began to drag him from the room. "Course it's improper for a boy to live with a girl before they're married and being so young, even if I am a princess. I know! I'll lock you in the tower until you're old enough!"

"No! No you can't do that! I don't want to marry you! Let me GO!" Mac pulled at his wrist, but she was stronger then he thought. He honestly thought of hitting her, since he had a free hand. But even in the face of being locked in a tower and marry someone he didn't want to, Mac still couldn't hit a girl. Even a bad one at that. "TIK-TOK! BILLINA!" he finally shouted. "HELP!"

Out of no where Billina suddenly launched herself at the Princess' head. "Let him go! LET HIM GO!" she clucked, scratching at the Princess' hair and face with her clawed feet, and hitting her with her wings and pecking with her beak. The Princess screamed but didn't let go of Mac, but managed to grab Billina by the feet.

"You, I'll COOK yo-"

A large shadow suddenly enveloped the trio, and there stood Tik-Tok. He looked less then happy.

"Me show you man-ners Prin-cess!" he bellowed and raised his fist, obviously not afraid of striking a girl, but then froze. Had he been struck with a conscious? Apparently not. "Uh oh. Me move-ments have run down." it was obvious his fight with the Wheelers had used up far more usage of his power in his actions to warrant him to defend and save Mac now. All he could do was stand there, arm raised.

The Princess, quickly overcoming her brief lapse of horror smirked. "Hah! That'll show you, copper head."

"Tik-Tok."

"Whatever!"

Poor Tik-Tok could only watch, with the best of his ability since he had no neck and no movements, as the Princess dragged both Mac and Billina away. He groaned. "Bad Tik-Tok let Mac down." he mumbled sadly.

Mac continued to pull at the Princess' hand, but she really was strong. Maybe the power of having more heads made her so, or maybe she was a Witch Princess? That would make a lot of sense. But he didn't have time to ponder over it since soon enough they were taken through a mirror door and taken up a long flight of stairs. Kicking a door open the Princess threw Billina in first, then Mac before slamming the door shut.

"Don't worry Mac!" she said through the door, "You'll warm to the idea of marriage after a few years in here with only a chicken for company!"

Then it was quiet.

Mac banged on the door, hoping maybe it was old and didn't lock as well as it once did. He was wrong. The lock was as strong as ever. Groaning he turned, leant against the door and finally had a look around the room. It was like an attic, relics of the past were gathering dust everywhere. Awards, paintings, even the map the Scarecrow had used to find the Good Witch was tossed in the corner. The Good Witch. What if something had happened to her too? She would have helped by now if she could, she was the only good Witch in Oz! He shuddered to think that she too had been turned into stone. Billina sadly watched Mac make his way through the junk, and then stop.

Before him, gathering dust like everything else, was a portrait. It was half covered with a sheet so Mac had to pull it back. Standing in the centre of the portrait was the Scarecrow, his outfit was no longer patched and old but green and new. Stood to his right was the Tin Bird, grinning at the artist as much as the Scarecrow was. Then to the Scarecrow's left, was the Lion. He still had the ribbon on the top of his head, and tail. In the far distance was a window, stained glass, like something out of a Church. But instead of a Saint or Goddess, it was Mac and Bloo in the foreground. In the background you could see the hills of the East of Oz, the yellow brick road trailing into the distance and in the background, was a twister.

He sighed, sitting down in front of the portrait and stared at it solemly looking at the faces of his friends, from an obviously happier time. The three rulers. Scarecrow of Oz, the Tin Bird from the West and the Lion of the Animals. Now two were frozen in stone and the other was missing.

And what could he do?

What could he do?

To be continued

[Cassini90125]

This is a hell of a lot more engrossing than I'd planned on. Well done!

[Carlaz]

Very engrossing! Go CG ~ the author AND artist!

[InsaneFan]

Oh yes, LOVING THIS. I keep asking Mom to take me to the library so I can get all the Oz books but when she isn't busy, I am.

[antgirl1]

Maybe Mombi stole Nina's head too. XD