#she said glinda back in seed

[tiffanyxvalentine]

Tiffany named her Glinda after the good witch, change my mind.

#she said glinda back in seed #and she’s still saying glinda now #I’ve heard Jennifer say Glenda but I’ve never heard Tiffany say it #chucky #tiffany valentine #𝒪𝓊𝓉 𝑜𝒻 𝓂𝓊𝓇𝒹𝑒𝓇𝑒𝓈𝓈

[magicaldogtoto]

Parallel Worlds Record Chapter Sixteen: I'm Sorry I Didn't Tell You Sooner

Rating: Teen

Genre: Magical Girl, Fantasy, Angst, Drama, Crossover

Word Count: Approx. 6,700 words

Summary: Yachiyo, Uwasa Tsuruno, Mifuyu, Claudine, and Amare, go off to see Glinda the Good Witch. But the road to the Sorceress's palace is lined with all kinds of wonder... and terror.

Author's Note: Thanks again to @celesticnova and @evatriceakiyama for proofreading this for me, as always!

[Also posted on AO3.]

***

[YACHIYO]

As soon as morning arrived, Yachiyo got out of bed and showered. Jellia had helped her pack a suitcase of clothes for the journey to come, while Yachiyo decided to keep wearing the green halter top and dress pants she had been given the day before.

When she was ready, Yachiyo headed down to the dining hall to meet the others. To her surprise, Amare was with them. Everyone was wearing the same green outfits that they had been given.

“Good morning, everyone,” she said when she saw them. The others responded in kind. 

Yachiyo turned to Amare. “Amare, I’m surprised you came down to eat with us.”

Amare shrugged. “Yeah, apparently there was concern that I was being too antisocial.” She shot a glance at Mifuyu, who looked away, looking like she wanted to shrink into herself.

Yachiyo noticed this. “Is everything okay, Mifuyu?” she asked as she took her seat.

“Everything’s just fine,” the white-haired girl responded. “Just nervous about what lies ahead.”

“If you’re nervous,” Amare said quickly, “you can go back to Japan. I’ve grown up in the Quadling Country all my life, and can help Yachiyo around.”

Mifuyu shook her head. “No, it’s fine… I’ll get over it. I promised to help, after all.”

Yachiyo thought she could sense some tension between the two. No one really spoke while they began to partake of the food left for them (a hearty meal of eggs and bacon with some finely toasted bread, along with all kinds of ripe fruits). Before she could say anything, Claudine spoke up.

“Tell me, Amare,” the blonde said, “what’s the Quadling Country like? For that matter, what’s Glinda’s palace like?”

Amare swallowed a slice of apple and looked at Claudine. “It’s very different from the Emerald City, or even Kamihama or Tokyo. There aren’t really any big cities there. But almost everything there is red–the homes, the fences, the buildings… the clothing, you name it.” She thought a bit, before continuing. “The palace is pretty big, too. It’s older than the Emerald City.”

“The only castle I’ve ever been to is the one in Kamihama,” Tsuruno asked, nibbling on a strip of bacon. “Is it… really full of only girls?”

Amare nodded. “It is. And many of them are pretty… like my friend Aliss.”

“Aliss?” Yachiyo asked.

“We trained a lot together. She’s… very popular.” She blushed. “The other Yachiyo was very popular there, too. I’m sure they’ll be glad to see you too, Yachiyo.

“Sounds like we’ll have a lot of interesting adventures when we get there,” Yachiyo commented, using her butter knife to slice through her egg. “The journey there isn’t dangerous, is it?”

“It shouldn’t be. We just have to avoid the road that leads to the more dangerous parts of the Quadling Country, the one that has monsters and the like. It shouldn’t be too hard to pull off.” Amare frowned. “What we should be concerned about are the Witches.”

“What are Witches like in Oz?” Claudine asked.

“Just like the ones back home,” Amare replied. “We just need to be ready whenever we run into one. And without the Automatic Purification System, we have to make sure we have Grief Seeds to purify our Soul Gems.”

“Don’t worry about me,” Uwasa Tsuruno said, puffing her chest. “It’ll take a lot to make the Mightiest Uwasa turn into a Witch!”

Claudine made a face. “Must you be so loud this early in the morning?”

Tsuruno turned to her, her magenta eyes fired up. “The Mightiest people are always full of energy as soon as the sun rises!”

“Well, in any case,” Claudine said, patiently, “I’m pretty good at hunting Witches. Next to Maya Tendou, I’m probably the best Magical Girl in Tokyo!”

“Maybe in Tokyo,” Tsuruno said. “But we’re in a new country! One that few people outside of it knows exists!  Not to mention that Magical Girls are common knowledge here! It’s the perfect opportunity for the Mightiest Uwasa to prove herself to the people!”

Yachiyo cleared her throat. “In any case, it helps for all of us to be ready to fight. We are Magical Girls, after all.”

“Right,” Amare said.

They continued their meal, and were just about done, when Ozma entered the hall. She was already dressed for the day, wearing a silky gown and holding her staff in her right hand. Her circlet around her head was nicely polished for the new day.

“I trust you all found your breakfast a good one?” the dainty princess asked.

“We did, thank you,” Yachiyo said.

Amare looked around. “Where’s Dorothy?” she asked.

“Dorothy likes to go hunting for Witches in the morning,” Ozma explained. “A lot of Magical Girls offered to give her some Grief Seeds, but she wanted to do things the way others have to. To better understand what it means to be a Magical Girl.”

“I see…” Amare said. “You must worry about her, going out to fight Witches and all that…”

Ozma looked aside. “I do,” she said. “I worry about her a lot. Sometimes I go hunting with her, too.” She straightened herself up. “But if I know Dorothy, I know she’ll be fine. Even before she made her contract, she was already a very brave girl.”

“It must be nice,” Mifuyu said softly, “to have someone worry about you…” She stared idly at the glass of orange juice in her hand as she spoke.

Yachiyo glanced at her. Ozma for her part just smiled.

“It is,” she said. “I know Dorothy worries about me, too.”

While they had talked, there was a sound like someone wearing metal boots walking up to the door to the hall. Everyone turned as the sound finally got louder, and finally what looked like a round man in armor entered the room.

“There you are, Prin-cess,” the man said in a stilted, emotionless voice as he walked towards the table. “I was loo-king all o-ver for you.”

Ozma turned and smiled. “Oh, hello, Tik-Tok.”

“Whoa, is that a robot?!” Tsuruno asked, jaw dropping.

Up close, Yachiyo could see that the round man was indeed a mechanical man. He had a round body, made of burnished copper. His arms and legs were jointed and hinged, with metal caps over them.

Tik-Tok took off his metal cap and bowed to the girls. “I am a me-chan-i-cal man built by Smith and Tinker a cen-tu-ry a-go in the Land of Ev. I have been li-ving with Oz-ma and Doro-thy for a very long time.”

“You sure do look like you’re a century old,” Claudine said.

“Hey, that’s rude!” Tsuruno said. “He’s a person, too!”

“Oh don’t worry,” Ozma said. “Tik-Tok is meant to run perfectly for a millennia. He thinks, speaks, and does everything except live.”

“I am com-for-ta-ble in not be-ing a-live,” the mechanical man said without a beat.

“Oh… I see.” Tsuruno settled back into her seat, though Yachiyo thought she looked rather upset.

“I came to tell Your High-ness,” Tik-Tok went on, “that the Nome King has a-greed to speak to you. He will be free to-mor-row.”

“Thank you, Tik-Tok,” Ozma said. The mechanical man bowed once more and made his way out of the room.

“Is this about the shield?” Yachiyo asked.

Ozma nodded. “I’ll be able to speak to him from the safety of the palace,” she said. “I’ve learned a few magical arts to help me accomplish that. Of course I won’t tell him anything about the true nature of the shield, but hopefully we can at least talk things through without any threats of conflict.”

“Hopefully,” Yachiyo said. “Thank you… for everything.”

Ozma smiled. “It’s no problem. Now, if you’re all done eating, we can get you all on your way to Glinda’s palace.”

Yachiyo nodded. “That sounds like a good idea. Will we be traveling by horse?”

“Better than that,” Ozma said, grinning. “You’ll be traveling by Sawhorse!”

Yachiyo raised an eyebrow. “Sawhorse?”

***

The Sawhorse was waiting for them out by the Southern Gate when they had left the dining hall. It was a log that stood up on four sticks shod with gold at the ends. On one end of the log was a branch that gave off the impression of a tail, while the other end had a gash through it that looked like an open mouth. On top of the mouth were two knots that resembled eyes, and a pair of wooden horse ears.

“This is the Sawhorse?” Yachiyo asked, looking it over.

“Sure am,” came the voice from the log’s mouth, causing the girls to all jump in surprise.

“I-it talked!” Tsuruno said.

“Of course I talked,” the Sawhorse said. “I’m a magical horse, after all.” He trotted close to them, his shod feet clicking along the stone road. “And between you and me, I’m a lot stronger and faster than those other, flesh-and-blood horses!”

“Oh, well, that’s great!” Tsuruno said, smiling.

Ozma petted the Sawhorse on its wooden head. “The Sawhorse is one of my oldest companions,” she said. “He was the second creature to be animated by the Powder of Life.”

“The second?” Mifuyu asked. “Who was the first?”

“My son, Jack Pumpkinhead.”

“You’re a mom?!” Claudine exclaimed.

“I’ve had a very eventful life, Ms. Saijou.”

Soon the Sawhorse was attached to a green carriage which was then loaded with the girls’ belongings.

“I call the front!” Tsuruno exclaimed, scrambling towards the carriage.

Yachiyo grabbed her by the arm. “I think Amare should sit in the front, since she knows the South more than any of us.”

Tsuruno pouted. “Fine,” she said, getting into the left side of the back. Claudine and Mifuyu got in afterwards, with Claudine in the middle and Mifuyu to the right side of the carriage.

Yachiyo stepped in and took her seat to the left in the front. She glanced to the side, anticipating Amare. Outside, she saw Ozma and Amare hugging each other. It was as if they were saying goodbye, but there was something more to it. After hugging they held each other for a moment, and Ozma appeared to be saying something to Amare. Amare for her part wiped a couple tears from her eyes before nodding and getting in.

“Amare?” Yachiyo asked when Amare sat down.

“Huh?” Amare turned to her.

“... Never mind.”

Ozma walked up to Yachiyo from outside. “Hopefully you don’t run into any Witches on the way there,” she said. “You’ll be there by this afternoon; the Sawhorse is pretty fast. I’ve already told Glinda you were coming, too”

“Thank you, Ozma,” Yachiyo said. “For everything.”

Ozma smiled. “Tell Glinda I said hi when you get there. I’ll get your shield back in no time.”

Soon the Sawhorse began trotting along the road towards the gate, Yachiyo and the others waving and saying goodbye to her.

They traveled through the streets of the Emerald City. Since it was still morning, the sun was rising up from the East, which meant that there were still a few cool, shadowy places among the green buildings of glass and metal. People were already about, heading to work, school, or elsewhere. Nobody noticed the carriage, though, for it was green just like the others. Amare explained to Yachiyo that the Sawhorse was a common sight in Oz that people didn’t pay it much heed nowadays.

“A hundred years ago he was something,” she added. “But now people see him every day in the city.”

Soon they were out of the Southern Gate. They passed by a few suburban neighborhoods that lay just outside of the city walls. These, Amare explained, had been built more recently, since the city’s population was beginning to expand. They passed more green, dome-shaped homes, along with stores and schools. A few had highlights that seemed to indicate the region of origin for the people who lived or owned them–blue for Munchkins, Red for Quadlings, Purple for Gillikins, and Yellow for Winkies.

Eventually they passed the last group of houses, and were now in the wide country of Oz. All around them were fields of green with all sorts of bright flowers growing. There were hills now and then, but the whole area was a peaceful, quiet place. In the distance, Yachiyo saw what looked like a train traveling at a great speed in the distance.

“That’s the Oz Rapid Transit System,” Amare said. “It uses magnetic levitation to travel at high speeds around the country.”

“I want to get a better look at it!” Tsuruno said, eagerly trying to lean towards the right side, where the train had been spotted.

“Hey, stop squishing me!” Claudine protested.

Tsuruno immediately drew back, contenting herself with a far off look. Mifuyu for her part just kept staring out the window.

“Enjoying the scenery, Mifuyu?” Yachiyo asked.

Mifuyu nodded. “It’s so pretty…”

“It almost reminds me of the countryside in France,” Claudine said, looking around.

Since it was going to be a fairly long trip, Tsuruno had made sure to pack snacks for everyone. They dug in as the Sawhorse trotted along tirelessly further South. Amare did her best to explain various things to the visitors, and tell them about different locations and the stories they had, or the people who lived there. She pointed out the walled section that was the home to Miss Cuttenclip, a girl who had remained young, and lived as the sole human in a community of living paper-dolls that she cut individually. In another section they passed by another high wall of white marble, which Amare explained was the town of Bunnybury. Once Bunnybury had been under Glinda’s rule, but had since declared independence and was a happy community of albino bunnies.

“They should be celebrating their independence soon,” Amare added. “It’s a pretty big celebration… well, big for a bunny rabbit, that is.”

Unlike other horses, the Sawhorse never got tired; if it wished, it could have probably kept walking forever, until the very end of time. It never wanted food, nor drink, nor even to relieve itself. “And that,” the Sawhorse explained when the party had to go to a rest stop for a bathroom break, “is why I am superior to all flesh-and-blood horses!”

“It doesn’t bother you to be a copy of a horse?” Tsuruno asked.

The Sawhorse shook his head; which, being a single log, consisted of him moving his body left and right. “Not at all! I do not care what others think about me compared to flesh-and-blood horses!”

Tsuruno seemed deep in thought as Yachiyo walked by them to get into the carriage. When they had all reconvened, they began trotting along once more. By now it was past noon, and the sun was firmly up in the blue sky.

They kept going through fields and hills, until they suddenly arrived at a great forest. On and on the Sawhorse went, trees passing the carriage by as they continued further South. As they traveled on, a few of the trees seemed to wave their branches at them.

“Those trees guard the forest and the road leading to the South,” Amare explained. “They’re kind of like guards. But they won’t cause us any trouble.”

After that they came to a high wall that was pure white, and passed through a gate into a city that was not like anything that Yachiyo had ever seen before. The entire ground was smooth and white porcelain, and scattered around were small homes of porcelain, too. The people were porcelain dolls that were dressed as shepherds and shepherdesses, milk maids and jesters, and a few princes and princesses. All walked around with ease like any other humanoid creature.

“Whoa, everything’s alive here!” Tsuruno exclaimed.

“Like something out of a Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale,” Mifuyu commented softly.

“I wonder if we could take some home,” Claudine wondered out loud as she looked at a porcelain girl with blue eyes, short porcelain hair, and a blue dress.

“I wouldn’t recommend it,” Amare said. “Anyone who gets taken out of Oz from here will immediately freeze up and be just like any other porcelain doll. It’s best we leave them be.”

That quelled any thoughts of taking them home. Soon they were out through the other side of the white wall and entering another forest. In here all kinds of animals watched them drive by, from small toads to enormous elephants with large tusks.

“We’re definitely not in Japan anymore,” Claudine said. By now, Tsuruno had fallen asleep, and was snoring loudly on the blonde girl’s shoulder, much to her apparent annoyance.

Once they passed that, they were back in open fields, with a steep hill to the left side.

By now Amare wasn’t pointing things out to them anymore. Instead, she seemed deep in thought, fidgeting in place.

Yachiyo noticed. “Is everything alright, Amare?”

Amare stopped fidgeting. “Everything’s just fine.” She looked out the carriage, about Southwest.

“My home is in that direction,” she said after a few seconds. “I grew up on a farm near the Great Waterfall. My parents are probably working right now.”

Yachiyo leaned closer, trying to get a look. “What was that like?”

Amare shrugged. “Boring. Nothing like living in Kamihama. When I finished high school I started working at Glinda’s palace. I was just a common guard, but my mom was happy. She’d worked there too, before she married my dad.”

“If we’re here in the Quadling Country, you should go and pay your parents a visit.”

Amare made a pained expression. “I’m not sure if I should.”

Yachiyo frowned. “Why not? Kyubey said they’d been having a hard time since you left. Don’t you want to tell them how you’re doing?”

Amare looked at her feet. “Trust me, Yachiyo,” she said. “They don’t want to see me. I know they don’t.”

“Really?” Yachiyo asked. “Did something happen?”

Amare glanced at the back, where Mifuyu was sitting. Out of the corner of her eye, Yachiyo saw Mifuyu turn a bit more towards the window.

“... It’s complicated.”

“Come on, it can’t be that bad,” Yachiyo said. “You helped save Oz, didn’t you?”

“Y-yeah…” Amare took a deep breath. The countryside went by for a few more seconds.

“Yachiyo,” she began, “there’s something else I should have told you earlier…”

Suddenly the carriage came to a halting stop, making everybody jump.

“Whoa!” Tsuruno cried out, waking up. “What happened?! Where are we?!”

“Too. Loud,” Claudine said groggily, for she herself had nodded off. Mifuyu herself looked up.

Yachiyo looked out the carriage at the Sawhorse. “Why did you stop?” she called out to him.

The Sawhorse remained steadfast. “Our path is blocked,” he said.

“Blocked?” Yachiyo asked. “Blocked by what?”

“A soldier from Glinda the Good Witch’s palace.”

Amare was suddenly alert. “What?” She looked outside, and Yachiyo followed her lead.

There, standing a short distance from them in the shadow of a tree, was a girl who looked around their age, with pale skin and dark hair tied into a low ponytail. She was wearing a uniform with a red coat and gold trim, and held a silver sword in her right hand.

Amare spoke up first. “Tara?”

Yachiyo turned to her. “You know her?”

Amare nodded. “We trained together. I was her… her senior.” She got off of the carriage and began working on the dirt road. Her footsteps kicked up dirt.

“Something’s not right,” Claudine said. “Why is she out here by herself?”

“Maybe she’s on patrol…?” Mifuyu offered.

“Or maybe she’s gone out to train on her own,” Tsuruno suggested.

Yachiyo got up from her seat and headed out of the carriage, following Amare. Something about this whole thing did feel strange to her.

By now Amare had walked right up to the girl named Tara. Tara herself remained motionless.

“Amare, what’s going…?” Before Yachiyo could finish her words, Amare spoke up.

“Tara?” Amare asked. “What are you doing out here?”

For a moment, nothing happened. Tara remained still, but her eyes didn’t seem to focus on Amare. They seemed to simply be taking in everything, and nothing. Her pale face seemed to have been tanned by the sunlight.

Amare reached her hand out towards her. “Tara…?”

Immediately the other girl took her sword and swung it at Amare. The dark-haired Magical Girl leaped back, the blade barely missing her. Amare landed some distance away.

Tara advanced on her, sword raised. In that instant, Yachiyo transformed and threw her halberd at the blade, knocking it out of the girl’s hands. Amare immediately got back up.

“Amare!” Yachiyo ran to her side. “What’s going on…?”

“S-she attacked me…” Amare said, her voice shaking.

Yachiyo kept her eyes on Tara. “Why would she attack you? Didn’t you work together before?”

She glanced at Amare. The dark-haired girl had what could only be described as a guilty look on her face. “Yachiyo…” she began, her eyes wandering towards Tara.

Amare took a step back. “There’s more of them?”

“What?” Yachiyo looked.

Four more girls in uniform appeared from behind a hill to the side. They stood on either side of Tara. All wore the same red uniform with gold braid, and wielded silver swords of their own.

“What’s going on here?” Yachiyo asked, gripping her halberd. “Is this an ambush?”

Immediately the other girls let out a cry and charged at them. Immediately, Amare transformed and summoned a length of chain, twirling it and then throwing it at the girls. Instantly the chain wrapped around the five of them, tying them up.

“That should hold them for now…” Amare said. There was a concerned look on her face.

As if on cue, Claudine, Mifuyu, and Tsuruno all leaped out of the carriage, transforming and pulling out their weapons as well.

“What’s going on here?!” Tsuruno asked when they caught up to them.

“That’s what we’re trying to find out,” Yachiyo said.

“Ozma said that Glinda knew we were coming,” Claudine said. “They should have known it was us.”

Yachiyo walked closer to the bound soldiers. They threw curses at her and struggled in their bindings. She glanced at Tara.

Her eyes landed on the strange marking on it.

“Her neck!” she cried out to the others. “It has a Witch’s Kiss!”

“What?” Amare walked next to her, as did the others.

“Hey, there’s a kiss on this one, too!” Claudine said. “On her cheek!”

“Then a Witch must be close by,” Mifuyu said, looking around.

Amare was looking around, too. “Let’s go find that Witch.”

Leaving the Sawhorse behind, and the soldier girls still struggling to free themselves, the group followed Amare as she used her Soul Gem to pick up the Witch’s magic. They walked off of the beaten path and found themselves walking amongst tall blades of grass, the sound of a brook flowing not too far away from them. In the distance one could make out buildings painted red, and a few bridges. It was a peaceful looking place, so peaceful Yachiyo almost couldn’t believe that there had been a war between Magical Girls here not so long ago.

Soon Amare picked something up. “It’s close by,” she said. “Follow me.”

It took them a few paces, before they found the entrance to the Labyrinth. It was a holographic image showing what looked like a box with eyes peeking out from the lid.

“Alright,” Claudine said, drawing her sword. “Don’t worry, I can handle this Witch easily”

“Who says it’s going to be you?” Tsuruno said. “When it comes to being mighty, I’m the best there is! I’ll handle this Witch, don’t worry, Master.”

“Maybe in Kamihama,” Claudine said. “But in Tokyo, I’m second to my girlfriend. There’s no one else above me!”

Tsuruno smiled smugly. “We’ll see about that.”

Yachiyo rolled her eyes and walked towards the entrance. She turned back and noticed that one member of their party hadn’t moved on, yet.

“Mifuyu,” Yachiyo said, “aren’t you coming?”

Mifuyu looked at the entrance. “Maybe it’s best if I stay behind,” she said quietly.

“Why?” Yachiyo turned so her whole body faced her. “If all of us go in and work as a team, we can defeat this Witch in no time.”

Mifuyu hesitated. “I’m not sure if I can contribute much,” she said. “You know me, I’m weak. When that Witch attacked us while you and Morita-san fought Oriko Mikuni and Kirika Kure, I barely pitched in.”

“She’s right,” Claudine said. “If it hadn’t been for me, she would have been Witch food.”

Yachiyo shot the blonde a brief glare, before turning back to Mifuyu, her eyes softening. “Look,” she said. “I think you’re underestimating what you can do. Your magic is valuable, and the Mifuyu in my world helped me out of a lot of scrapes. I’m sure you did the same for the Yachiyo of this one.”

Mifuyu shrugged. “I guess…”

“Come on,” Amare said curtly. “The sooner we get in, the sooner we can get back on the road. Let Mifuyu stay behind if she wants.”

That seemed to do it. “I’ll come,” Mifuyu said hastily.

Yachiyo wanted to ask if she really wanted to, but Amare soon stepped into the Labyrinth, and so she followed right behind her, the others doing the same.

The beautiful fields and hills of the Quadling Country disappeared, and in their place was a black void, and all around them were large, colorful blocks that formed all sorts of buildings and homes, as well as walls that limited their mobility. A few of the blocks had big symbols of Witch runes on them.

“The Witch has to be at the end of this pathway,” Yachiyo said.

“Does anybody hear that stomping noise…?” Amare asked, holding up her chain.

The noise in question sounded like a dozen or so feet marching in step, like an army regiment. It got louder and louder, until a dozen human-sized tin soldiers appeared. They were dressed in European military uniform from about a century or more ago, tin coats of red and tin pants of blue, with tall tin hats and metal swords by their sides.

“Leave this to me,” Claudine said, drawing her sword once more. Before anyone had time to protest, the blonde had lunged at the wave of soldiers, swinging her sword in all directions. She  was running as fast as she could, her coat dangling in the wind. She hacked and slashed at the first wave, cutting them down, before going after the second one. One she knocked down and placed her hand on; Yachiyo recognized it as the same thing she did to her before. She was taking some of the Familiar’s energy, before going back to fighting with the strength she stole.

“Well, we can’t just leave her alone to fight them all…!” Tsuruno said, leaping into the fray. Her fans crackled with electricity, and she started swatting soldiers left and right.

“Hey! Watch where you point that thing…” Claudine said. Meanwhile, Yachiyo summoned a few halberds to pierce the remaining ones, while Mifuyu threw her chakram and Amare knocked them aside with her flail. Soon they cleared the pathway and went on running.

“I told you,” Tsuruno said as they ran, “you don’t have to worry when you have the Mightiest Uwasa around!”

“Hey, I knocked that first row out with no problem,” Claudine said. “Tokyo Witches are no slouch, you know.”

“You two, this isn’t the time to argue,” Amare said. Mifuyu remained quiet, while Yachiyo looked ahead, determined to reach the center.

As they ran, more tin soldiers got in their way. The girls made short work of all of them, even if it seemed like Claudine and Tsuruno were doing their best to one-up each other, while forgetting the other three. The path twisted this way and that, and they took a while to turn every corner of colorful block walls.

“We should be at the end by now…” Yachiyo said, just as they turned and entered an open space.

Before them was a huge castle, though it looked to be made of cardboard. In front of it was a large mirror that simulated a lake, with miniature swans moving around. Trees lined around the lake, too. In the center of the castle, in the open drawbridge, stood a figure that looked like a ballerina doll, balanced on one leg. She twirled around slowly, before facing the group. Her eyes were without emotion, like a regular doll.

“That must be the Witch!” Tsuruno said. She ran across the lake, using her fans to swat the swans out of the way. With a surge of electricity, she sent a shock at the ballerina, causing her to spasm as she was instantly fried to a crisp, the only thing remaining being her spangle, which was charred.

Tsuruno exhaled proudly, a satisfied smile on her face. “There! One less Witch thanks to the Mightiest Uwasa!”

The group caught up to her, looking around.

“So, where’s the Grief Seed?” Claudine asked, looking around, sword still in hand.

“It has to be around here…” Tsuruno looked around, then paused. “Hey, wait a minute…”

“If there isn’t a Grief Seed, then that couldn’t have been the Witch,” Yachiyo said. “The Labyrinth should have faded by now, too.”

“Something’s wrong here…” Mifuyu said, holding her chakram close to her.

Yachiyo scanned the area, turning towards the castle. The drawbridge remained open, like a mouth yawning. She found herself staring at the inky darkness.

“Wait…”

“Yachiyo…?” Amare began to ask.

“The Witch! It’s in there…!”

Soon the whole ground shook, causing the group to lose balance. The castle walls fell, like they were made of cardboard. Up from the ground rose up a giant box, which then opened up, revealing a gargantuan monster. It was a puppet the size of a seven-story building, its body and arms covered in black fur, the top of its head all a tangle of hair. It grimaced at them, showing off its dozens of sharp teeth, and its two round eyes seem to bulge out of its monkey-like head. It opened its mouth and let out a wild screech that made Yachiyo think her ears would pop.

Yachiyo stood straight back up and pointed her halberd. “Now that looks more like a proper Witch.”

“I knew that ballerina couldn’t have been the Witch,” Claudine said, casting a disdainful look at Tsuruno.

Tsuruno pouted. “How was I supposed to know…?”

With a giant hand, the Witch swatted them to the side. They all went flying into the trees, Yachiyo crying out as she hit a trunk. She took a moment to compose herself.

“Come on, we need to defeat it,” she said.

“I’ll take the head!” Claudine cried out, running towards the Witch and leaping into the air, sword in hand.

“I got it!” Tsuruno cried out, running out before jumping up in front of Claudine. It seemed she calculated her jump wrong, for the two of them ended up colliding into each other, losing momentum and falling to the ground.

Yachiyo ran up to them. “Are you two okay?!”

Claudine groaned and got back up. “I’ll be fine,” she said. “No thanks to her.”

The Witch roared at them, and Yachiyo sent some halberds in its direction, trying to take it out.

The Witch made an annoyed sound as the weapons struck it, sinking back into its box. The lid shut firmly. No matter what Yachiyo did, the creature didn’t emerge. 

“Hold on,” she said after throwing her fifth halberd. “It has to come up sometime…”

She hadn’t finished the sentence when the Witch emerged once more, reaching out with its hand. Yachiyo braced herself for an attack, only to see the Witch pass over her, its hand grabbing onto Mifuyu instead.

Mifuyu let out a cry of shock, grunting as she tried to break free.

“Mifuyu!” Yachiyo ran at her, only to be assaulted by the miniature swans from before, trying to peck her with their beaks. More swans descended, covering Claudine, Tsuruno, and even Amare. They did their best to fight back, but it seemed it only made more come at them.

Mifuyu cried out as the Witch tightened its grip on her.

Yachiyo didn’t give up trying to break through the crowd of swans all around her. “Mifuyu! Use your weapon! You can break free and then attack the Witch!”

Mifuyu seemed to be struggling. “I… I can’t! It’s too strong; I’m sorry, Yacchan!”

“What?! You’re not just giving up, are you?!”

Mifuyu looked at her, tears forming in her eyes. “I’m not as strong as you are, Yacchan… you, or the Yacchan from this world. I can barely keep up with all of you now… I’m sorry…!”

She cried out once more, and Yachiyo burst through some of the Familiars, trying to reach her.

“Hold on, Mifuyu! I’m coming…!”

She was about to run towards her, when something unexpected happened. An arrow of light appeared and struck the Witch in the face, stunning it.

“What was that…?” Yachiyo asked. She looked in the direction the arrow came from.

A figure was flying in the air, straight at them. It was a girl, with wings like a dragonfly and wearing a green leotard with a short, silk skirt that showed off her pale legs and arms. In her arm was a bow whose string she pulled back, firing an arrow of light at the Witch and striking it square in the face. Screaming in pain, the Witch loosened its grip on Mifuyu, dropping her to the ground.

The girl landed beside Yachiyo and the group, her green shoes alighting on the mirror lake. Her platinum blonde hair was as long as Yachiyo’s.

“Guess it wasn’t expecting an attack from above,” the girl with wings said.

“W-who are you…?” Yachiyo asked.

The girl turned and smiled at her; her eyes were blue, but a brighter blue than Yachiyo’s. “I’m Kira; I’m a Magical Girl of Oz.”

Before Yachiyo could say more, the girl fired another volley of arrows at the Witch. The Witch groaned in agony, before retreating back into its hiding space.

“It went back inside,” Yachiyo said.

Kira smirked. “Don’t worry, I let this Witch get away once. I won’t let it get away again. I brought backup this time.”

By now Tsuruno and Claudine had fought back the other swans and rushed over to them.

“Hey,” Tsuruno said. “Is something on fire?”

Before their very eyes the castle began to be engulfed in flames. Mifuyu, who had fallen beside it, suddenly got up and scrambled away from the castle towards them. The entire Labyrinth became warm, and the smell of ash was evident as black smoke appeared.

As the Witch roared inside its box, another Magical Girl ran out from behind it.

“Neseel!” Kira called out. “Over here!”

The girl ran closer, and Yachiyo could see that she was a girl around Felicia’s age, with brown eyes and shoulder-length brown hair. She was wearing a red coat with white trim and a knee-length skirt. On her chest was the stylized embroidering of a lion’s face, and behind her was a small lion’s tail with a red bow. She ran as fast as her red shoes could take her, and in her right hand was a sword aglow with red flame.

She must have run in while we were distracted by the one with wings, Yachiyo figured.

As soon as the girl named Neseel saw Yachiyo, she stopped in her tracks. “Yachiyo?” she asked. She glanced at the rest of the group. “Wait, Amare…?!”

“H-hey, Neseel…” Amare said. There was familiarity in her eyes. Any other conversation, however, was interrupted when the Witch burst from the box once more, writhing in agony despite being planted in place.

The winged girl turned to Neseel. “All yours,” she said.

Neseel nodded, before holding her sword before her. The red glow burned brighter, and soon a swirling shot of flame shot out of it, headed straight for the Witch. The behemoth was incinerated all at once, its body fading into nothing as it succumbed to the girl’s attack.

Soon the Witch had vanished, and along with it, the Labyrinth faded into the Quadling countryside once more. Yachiyo, Amare, and the others all breathed a sigh of relief that it was over, even de-transforming back into their civilian outfits.

The winged Magical Girl walked up and picked the Grief Seed from off of the ground. “Here,” she said, tossing it to Neseel. “You deserve it.”

Neseel caught it. “Thanks, Kira,” she said, smiling.

She turned her attention to Amare. “Amare,” Neseel began, “is that really you…?”

Amare looked aside. “It is…” she said.

Yachiyo looked on, watching as Neseel ran up and hugged Amare.

“Amare!” the younger girl cried out in joy. “It’s been so long… Aliss and my big sister have been wondering if you were ever coming back.”

“Y-yeah…” Amare said. “Well, I’m here now…”

Kira approached Amare. “It’s nice to finally meet you,” she said. “Neseel has told me all about you.”

“She has, has she?” Amare asked.

Kira turned to Yachiyo. “And you’re Yachiyo Nanami,” she said. “You helped save Princess Ozma and our home!”

Yachiyo nervously grabbed her arm. “About that,” she said, “it’s kind of a long story…”

Before she said more, Amare spoke up again. “What are you two doing out here?” she asked Neseel.

The younger girl’s face became more serious. “Glinda’s spies gave a report earlier,” she said. “They say that the survivors of Epithene’s army have been spotted, moving about. Glinda was concerned that they might try to sneak back into Oz.”

“No…” Amare’s face turned pale. “Have they been spotted?”

Neseel shook her head. “Not yet. They were last seen outside of Oz, in the Land of Ix.”

“Is…” Amare lowered her voice. “Is Marya among them?”

Neseel paused for a moment. “Someone said they spotted a Magical Girl who looks just like her.”

Amare’s face turned pale.

“Who’s Marya?” Yachiyo asked.

Amare turned to her. “Epithene’s right-hand Magical Girl. She’s a complete sadist, she’s the one who tortured me while I was their prisoner.”

Yachiyo winced. “Ouch. Speaking of soldiers, we should check on the ones we found earlier…”

Amare seemed to hesitate, before nodding. “... Sure.”

By now the soldiers had stopped struggling and were just sitting around. Amare and Yachiyo made it to them ahead of the others.

“Amare, let them go,” Yachiyo said.

Amare looked at the group before them. Tara looked up at her.

“Amare…?” she asked, confusion in her voice and on her face.

“Hey.” Amare waved her hand and the chains binding them disappeared in a flash of purple light.

The soldiers got up and stretched a bit. They turned to the Magical Girls who had found them.

“Are you all feeling better…?” Yachiyo began to ask, before one of the soldiers next to Tara suddenly tackled Amare to the ground.

Amare cried out as the girl pinned her face first to the ground, immediately making a grab for her Soul Gem ring. She held it up as soon as she had yanked it from Amare’s finger.

“I got it!” she cried out, tossing it to another girl. Tara seemed unsure of what to do, even as the other girls began tying Amare’s wrists behind her back.

“Wait a minute!” Yachiyo said, stepping forward. “Don’t you recognize Amare?”

The soldier on top of Amare glared at her. “Of course I do,” she said. The others all nodded.

Yachiyo didn’t avert her gaze. “Then why are you treating her like this?”

The girl frowned. “Glinda told us to be wary of any girls who helped Epithene take over Oz during the Magical Girl War.”

“But Amare helped save Oz! She told me so herself!”

The girls all looked at each other, confused. The one on top of Amare turned back to Yachiyo.

“Amare saved Oz alright…” she said.

“Wait,” Amare said weakly, “let me tell her…”

“But only after she helped Epithene conquer it in the first place!” the girl finished.

Amare had a pained expression on her face. Yachiyo felt like someone had dunked water on her. She turned to the dark-haired Magical Girl.

“Amare,” she said, “is this… is this true…?”

Amare couldn’t meet her eyes. “I'm sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”

#magia record #the wonderful wizard of oz #revue starlight #madoka magica #parallel worlds record #my writing #fanfiction #my post #yachiyo nanami #uwasa tsuruno #tsuruno yui #claudine saijo #princess ozma #long post #text

[littlemisssquiggles]

Do u the nk oscar if he gets kidnapped will be friend emerald,u now caz her name is emerald,like the emerald city XD

I think it be cool if she help him get away from Salem a with the lamp,and turn on cinder and some how get away her self

It all so be cool ,if some how oscar got the fall maiden power back from cinder it was originally osma/ozpins

I’d like to hope so anon-chan. Emerald is among the few characters on the side of evil that I wish to see redeemed in some shape or form. 

In the event that my Oscar the Boy In the Lonely Tower Pinehead Headcanon comes to fruition and Salem imprisons Oscar in total isolation away from his friends similarly to how she was imprisoned by her own father back in First Remnant, I’d like to see Oscar possibly interact with Emerald while in captivity. While I doubt that Oscar might be able to fully sway Emerald to the side of good, it would cool if his presence and treatment does contribute to Emerald inevitably departing from Salem. Possibly joined by Mercury and Hazel whose redemptions I’m also rooting for.

I definitely like the thought of Emerald helping Oscar to escape from the Salem’s Domain. As a matter of fact, I kind of have this theory that I concocted with @miki-13 where both Oscar and Ruby are taken prisoner by Salem. But while Oscar is kept in isolation, spending his days worrying for Ruby’s safety, Ruby is put through the ringer---starved and forced to fend for herself in an arena of Grimm for the entertainment of Salem and her masses as she attempted to do what she could to break the poor silver-eyed girl, ultimately testing that indomitable spirit of hers as Ozpin’s so-called unquantifiable spark of hope that he placed so much faith in.

With this in mind, I remember one of Miki’s ideas being Emerald, Mercury and Hazel working with Oscar to save Ruby and get them both out of the Dark Domain. Then from there, Emerald, Mercury and Hazel become companions to Ruby and Oscar as our two, smaller more honest souls worked to escape the Dark Domain. Or something to that liking.

I also recall a fan favourite theory being that Emerald would be the one to ask the last question of the Lamp of Knowledge given her fairy-tale inspiration deriving from Aladdin. So perhaps that could potentially happen in the series. Who knows? Perhaps Oscar will let it slip to Emerald about how to summon Jinn. Like perhaps it’s a case where Oscar��s perceptive nature allows him to see through to Emerald’s uncertainty towards Salem. Or…perhaps…Emerald is tasked by Salem to use her semblance to torture Oscar for answers on the lamp and the remaining Relics. And in doing this, Emerald learns of how to summon Jinn but rather than giving this info to Salem, she lies and uses the info for herself and that’s how the last question could be asked by Emerald. Possibly? Who knows?

As for Oscar relinquishing the Fall Maiden magic from Cinder Fall---not gonna lie to you anon-chan, that’s a theory that I’ve been advocating for since V6 and I still would love for it to come true in the canon. As I’ve stated in past RWBY-related response posts, currently Oscar is operating at only a small percentage of Ozma’s original magical strength since as Ozpin once highlighted back in V5, during his life as Isaac the Hermit, he sacrificed the majority of his magic to create the original Four Maidens.

Then let’s not forget the all-important detail that at full power, Ozma was successful in defeating Salem in his second life as Diggs. If it weren’t for the immortality curse, Salem would’ve been killed a long time ago thanks to Ozma and this was all done in his prime when he was at full magical power.

Therefore my assumption has always been that if Ozma or rather one of his successors were to regain his magic, this would make him the best match to face Salem on a mystic level. Additionally, I always pegged that if a Wizard was able to give his magic away then technically he should be able to take it back, right? So based on that, I loved the concept of Oscar not just relinquishing the Maiden magic from Cinder but all of the current Maidens (i.e. Raven, Penny and ultimately the Summer Maiden) so that he may fight at full strength and be on par with Salem yet again.

If not, then I also dig the thought of Oscar being a sort of incubator for magic. While I understand that Oz once remarked that his powers were dwindling, I had this idea of Oscar being somewhat like a seed---though small, Oscar is able to take whatever little magic that he inherited from Ozma and amplify it through his own unique power---sort of like a semblance.

For me, I like the thought of Oscar being the opposite of Ozma and by extension his previous incarnations. While past Wizards were able to gift their magic to others and watch as it dwindled in potency, Oscar is able to revoke said magic from others adding it to his own and then building upon that so that in the end, Oscar becomes more powerful than he initially started or at least has the potential to become more powerful since unlike Ozma, his powers are always growing instead of withering away. That’s my idea.

While I’m unsure if this will be the case in the canon, for now I’ll just stick with liking the concept of Oscar being a magic amplifier since it fits in with other headcanons I’ve concocted around him---like him becoming the RWBY equivalent of the Golden Cap from the Wizard of Oz, growing strong enough in his magical abilities to not only renounce control of Salem’s Grimm (such as the Flying Beringels since in the Wizard of Oz story, the flying monkeys were only controlled by the Wicked Witch through the power of the Golden Cap and ultimately, the flying monkeys were set free by Glinda the Good Witch who returned the Golden Cap to the flying monkeys’ leader) but also forge his own creations.

Like for example, if Salem is able to create her own Grimm through her magic and the power of the Grimm Pools of darkness then what’s stopping Oscar from tapping into that kind of power as well. Not necessarily to create his own Grimm but perhaps something else. Something different from the Grimm. Something beyond creatures of darkness and destruction. Like for example, creatures of light and creation---like my Pinehead headcanon on Oscar’s Creatures of Luxx which I will shamelessly plug in right here since I still quite like this idea.

But who knows? I’m not quite sure what the CRWBY Writers’ plans for the remainder of Oscar’s story will be. Since Oscar draws inspiration from Princess Ozma of Oz who was known to be one of the most powerful magic users in her respective story, I’m still waiting to see if this will be mirrored in Oscar’s.

While the Wizard of Oz was a fraud with his magic being a hoax, Princess Ozma’s power was the real deal which made her a perfect fit as the rightful ruler of Oz.

So I’m hoping to see something of the case done with Oscar. All clues in the story seem to be pointing to him being different than Ozma and all his other past lives. So in that regards, I’m hoping it means that Oscar will turn out to become more powerful than any other Wizard in Ozma’s lineage---not just through the power and abilities that he inherited from his predecessors but a power of his own. A power that is unique to only him. But we shall see for V8.

~LittleMissSquiggles (2020)

#squiggles answers: rwby #oscar pine #emerald sustrai #mercury black #ruby rose #hazel rainart #rwby theories #rwby volume 8 theories #squiggles pinehead headcanons #Anon-ninja #squiggles answers

[wickedlyqueer]

Wherever the wind may carry us

Nearing their graduation at Shiz, Glinda prepares for her final event as president of the university’s LGBT+ Network. Completely unaware that Elphaba has a surprise for her planned...

(Final one-shot in the Dutch High School Universe. Can be read separately).

READ ON AO3

Glinda woke up to the smell of freshly baked bread in the oven. It had only been a couple of months since she and Elphaba had found an affordable apartment, but the long wait had been worth it—no matter how many times her old roommates had set off the fire alarm. Not that Glinda had exactly deserved a ‘best roommate award’, being the girl who always had her partner over and was prone to leave her pile of dishes out for days.

But none of that mattered anymore. After a year long search they finally managed to snatch an one-bedroom apartment in the centre of Shiz. It was all they could afford for now, and though the space was a bit crammed, Glinda thought it suitable. They were just starting out after all! Only last week had Glinda gotten her final grade for her thesis and officially gotten enough credit to graduate. Meanwhile, Elphaba had been accepted as a PhD candidate at the university and would be working alongside researchers like Dr. Dillamond. Glinda had never seen them beaming as much as when they received the news.

A soft knock came from the door and Elphaba peeked their head around. “Oh good, you’re awake. Breakfast’s ready.”

“I noticed,” Glinda smiled and nestled deeper into her blankets. “Hmm, so is there a special occassion or am I just lucky?”

“Well, it’s your last day as president. I thought you deserved something nice,” Elphaba said and crouched down next to her to give her a kiss. “Morning, by the way. Did you sleep well?”

“I did. You?”

“Oh you know me,” Elphaba said as they played with Glinda’s messy and curly hair. “I fall asleep at three and wake up at seven and somehow that’s enough fuel for me to get through the day.”

“How you do it is beyond me.”

Elphaba chuckled. “Well, if you’re ready to leave your comfortable cocoon, I made us a fancy breakfast. Got freshly squeezed orange juice and warm, tiny breads waiting for you.”

“Oz, that sounds good. I’ll be there in a few, okay?”

After Elphaba left the room she checked her messages on her phone and then put on her slippers and Elphaba’s comfortable sweater that was too big for her. In the kitchen, Elphaba was still prepping some food.

“Need help?”

“Nah, I got it.”

“Probably for the best,” Glinda joked and Elphaba let out a laugh. It was no secret that her cooking skills were abysmal.

A bit of free counter space was left and Glinda decided to hop on it. Elphaba was rolling up slices of cheese and put them on a plate and added a cut stem of parsley as decoration.

“Oh, it’s a fancy fancy breakfast. You’re really going out of your way here.”

Elphaba looked up to her and smiled. “Anything for my girl. I actually thought I’d pamper you this entire day, since it's the closing of a big chapter.”

“That’s true.”

Though her initial hesitation stopped her from going to any LGBT+ meetings the first semester at Shiz, after her gender reassignment surgery, Elphaba had persuaded her to go to one of their lectures about the differences in trans identities across the globe. It had been so fascinating that Glinda kept going to every lecture or borrel she could attend. In her second year, she became part of the board and was in charge of organizing the events. She continued this during her final year of her bachelor, and when applying for a master’s programme, she got asked to become president.

“I can’t believe this is my final day with the Network.”

“Hey.” Elphaba stopped what they were doing and placed their hand against her cheek. “Don’t forget the amount of good you’ve put into the world. You created this welcoming space for every queer person on campus. You’ll go down in the books as a great president.”

“And the first trans woman,” Glinda was quick to add.

“That too,” Elphaba grinned and went back to cutting little cubes of cheese. “Oz, can you even imagine what high school Glinda would think of you?”

“She’d freak out and run back into the closet.”

Elphaba laughed. “Oh yeah, she would. You used to be so terrified of coming out and look at you now. Here, try this,” they said and fed her a cube of cheese.

“Hm, this is good.”

“Yeah? It’s added with buttermilk and some cumin seeds.”

“Nice. Also, what was that about pampering me all day?”

A dark blush spread across their cheeks and Elphaba busied themself with whatever was on the cutting board. “Well, I thought we ought to celebrate today. So after the meeting I reserved us a table at Peach and Kidney’s. Maybe go for a walk afterwards, watch the sun go down at that little park you like.”

Glinda was touched. “Really? That’s so sweet!”

“I thought so too. This day is all about you. I still need to go to the lab for a bit, but I should be in time for the event.”

“Dr. Dillamond called you in?”

“Yeah, he messaged me if I could come down for an hour or two.” Their eyes glazed, but it was for such a brief moment, Glinda thought she must have imagined it.

“As long as you can make it to my final event as president. I may or may not mention you in my goodbye speech.”

Elphaba smirked. “Uh oh. Should I be scared?”

Glinda hoped off the counter and drabbed her arms around their neck. She left a lingering kiss on their lips. “Never.”

--

That afternoon, Elphaba sprinted into the humanities faculty building, out of breath. They located the lecture hall where the event would take place and saw the doors were still open.

“Oh, thank Oz,” they breathed out heavily. They promised Glinda to meet her beforehand and almost didn’t make it in time. The lecture hall was already packed and a few students were still searching for a seat. Next to the lectern, Glinda was in light conversation with the vice president of the LGBT+ Network. Elphaba took two flight of steps at a time as they rushed down the stairs. Before they were down, Glinda had already spotted them and let out a sigh of relieve.

“Hey,” Elphaba said and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. “Sorry I’m late.”

“That’s okay, we’re running a bit late ourselves. You got hold up at the lab?”

“I did, yes,” they agreed, knowing they wouldn’t come up with a more convincing lie themself.

“Okay, well, you better go grab a seat. I don’t think many more will be coming.”

Elphaba nodded. “Sure, and hey—you got this.”

“Thanks babe,” Glinda smiled.

They quickly took a seat in the second row and nervously patted their pocket to feel if it was still there. Not long after, the doors closed and the room quieted down as Glinda stepped towards the lectern.

“Thank you all for coming to our last event of this school year. Before I’ll introduce our guest speaker for today, I’d like to take a moment to say a few words. As some of you may know, this will be my last day as president of the LGBT+ Network. After this event, Jeremy will take my place, and I’m certain he’ll be able to lead this wonderful network with much care and great enthusiasm.”

She looked away from her notes and gave Jeremy a smile. “Upon meeting me, most people have reacted surprised that I am president of the LGBT+ Network. As a trans woman, I cannot help but feel flattered by this. It means I pass, it means I can live my life unnoticed,” Glinda took a breath. “But I’ve learnt more than once that this right of passing can be stripped away from you the moment people find out. This is how I got taught to hide myself and be quiet. I never took pride in my identity. It felt like a dirty secret. I was a dirty secret.”

Her gaze fell upon Elphaba and a soft smile tugged at her lips. “If not for my rock, my datemate Elphaba, I would still feel the need to hide. If they had not pushed me to go to one of these events in my first year, I would not be standing here in front of you. They taught me that, yes, queer acceptance still has a long way to go. But that spaces such as these help us be ourselves. And they were right, because it helped me become myself.”

Her voice started to crack, and Glinda paused for a moment before pushing through. “So to Elphaba, to all the wonderful board members of this network, and to each and every person who has come to these events, I want to thank you for creating this safe space for me. I hope in my two years as president, I have been able to return that favour.”

Applause rung through the audience. Elphaba whooped in support and Glinda’s cheeks coloured with embarrassment. Not that she minded, Elphaba knew that too. And why wouldn't they show how proud they are of her? If Glinda could make them turn into a pile of mush, then the least they could do was do the same for her.

“Okay, sentimental stuff out of the way,” Glinda laughed nervously as the applause died down. She switched to a different piece of paper. “Now, it is my absolutely honour to introduce professor Wertl who visits us from Qhoyre University. Her research in…”

Everything but Glinda faded to the background. It took all of Elphaba's willpower not to jump out of their seat and declare the love that was bursting out of them right in front of all these people. They dug their hand in their pocket and smiled as they felt the little box against their hand. A chapter would be closing today, that much was certain, but Elphaba was not done with their story yet.

Dr. Dillamond hadn’t asked them to come to the lab at all. Elphaba had to come up with a white lie, so they could run across town and pick up the ring they’d chosen out for Glinda weeks ago. Tonight, as they’d sit at a park bench while the sun would be dipping under the horizon, they’d ask the question they always knew they’d ask one day.

Nearly five years ago, they had been sitting on a different bench and told her they could not imagine spending the rest of their life without her. Those words had stuck true all these years through college, and now, at the verge of a brand new adventure, it was time to commit to that promise.

Life had thrown its fair share of curveballs at Elphaba, and they were sure many more were to come. But they knew they’d be strong enough to smash them right back with Glinda on their team. Nothing in life had been easier than loving Glinda. And with the ring hiding in their pocket, Elphaba would ask her if they could continue to love her. Today, and for the rest of their life.

#wicked #wicked the musical #gelphie #wicked fanfiction #gelphie fanfiction #dutch hsau #elphaba thropp #glinda upland #here. some gross domestic fluff

[sketchyglinda]

Ozma: Part One

Mombi wasn’t that bad. She threatened to turn me to stone a few times, yeah, but I was no angel. Better moms around, but at least she never pretended to be anything but the wicked witch she was.

 They want me to write the whole story down. For the Royal Records, they said. I guess they don’t care about my childhood with Mombi and stuff, the good parts like climbing trees and playing in the mud. Probably wanna hear about how I was never comfortable like that, but I was. Sometimes—maybe most times—I wish I could go back. But I can’t, and they don’t care what dumb little boys want. Down to business, then.

 I’d been fighting with Mombi. We got along pretty well sometimes, actually, but right then I was mad at her. So I decided to make this scarecrow, jack-o-lantern thing, surprise her and see if she’d scream.

 She didn’t. Maybe I made the face too friendly. It was big and open and smiling, bright orange, perfectly ripe. Gigantic pumpkin head on that scrawny stick body. He used to call me father.

 Anyway. Mombi’d got some new magic powder while she was out. Sprinkled it all over Jack, and BAM, the stupid thing comes to life.

 And let me tell you, stupid is right. Great guy, but man is he ever dumb.

 Probably my fault. Picked a pumpkin with bad seeds or something. Glinda’d say I just wasn’t mean to be a dad, and maybe—probably—she’s right, but screw Glinda, anyway.

 Maybe I shouldn’t put this in the Royal Records. Powerful lady to offend, even if they do all say she’s nice. She stuck me here. I’m not feeling too trusting.

Once Jack starts moving Mombi calls for me, and I slink out of the shadows, only a little surprised. These are the kinds of things that happen when you’re raised by a wicked witch.

 “You were supposed to scream.”

 “Scream? But you’ve given me such a wonderful gift, Tip. With this thing to do all the chores, I won’t need to bother with you anymore. He won’t even need to eat.”

 “I don’t understand,” Jack says. We ignore him.

 “What will you do with me?” We’ve played this game before, but she has a different answer every time.

 “Hm. I think I’ll make you a statue for my garden.”

 “You don’t know how to do that.”

 “I didn’t. But that Crooked Wizard has sold me some very interesting new magic.”

 “What is a statue?” asks Jack.

 We ignore him again, and he trails behind us into the house, where Mombi starts mixing up her statue potion. And dinner. I help stir the pots, and we keep on arguing about the statue problem.

 “At least wait until I’m older. What kind of lawn ornament is a scrawny little boy?”

 “Gritty realism. Avant-garde.”

 “I don’t know what that means.”

 “And now you never will. Oh, the money I’ll save on food and clothes, Tip.”

 “Maybe if you didn’t eat so much…”

 “What was that?”

 “Nothing, Mombi. Do I at least get a last meal?”

 “I don’t see much point in it. Statues don’t get hungry.”

 “But I’m stirring the soup for you.”

 She sighs. “All right then. You may have some soup.”

 “When are you gonna petrify me?”

 “In the morning, I think. We’ll give the potion some time to settle.”

 “Can I have breakfast too, then?”

 “If you do your morning chores first.”

 “Chores? On the day I get stoned? Can’t Jack do it?”

 “Do you want your breakfast or not?”

 “Yes, Mombi.”

 Over dinner she tells me, like always, what she brought back from the Crooked Wizard. Today there’s the Powder of Life she used on Jack, the petrifying potion for me, and something she calls Wishing Pills. I ask if I can try one.

 “Maybe in the morning,” she says.

 “Before or after you make me a statue?”

 “Hm. I suppose we’d best make it after, or you’ll just wish not to be a statue, won’t you?”

 “I’ll wish for you to be one instead.”

 She laughs. “Go on to bed, Tip. I’ll clean up and take care of the pumpkin man.”

 -

 It’s not the first time I’ve run from Mombi. Far from it. It was almost a game between us, by that time. And I took the Powder of Life, yeah, but I thought she’d come catch me and bring it back. I don’t quite know what happened—just got really lost, I guess. She couldn’t find me, and I couldn’t find home by the time I got to missing it. I never meant to really run away. But it was an adventure, so I kept on going.

 Anyway, I can’t sleep, and I decide long after she’s blown out the last candle that this is the perfect time to run away. I can take Jack—I’ve never run away with anybody else before. So I pack up some food, snag the box of new magic, and go to grab him.

 Really not my best work. His joints are weak, he moves too slow, and as soon as I let it slip that pumpkins rot after awhile, he’s all afraid of dying and stuff. But I can fix the joints when I get around to it, and when I tell him I made him he starts calling me father.

 I never thought about having kids before, but I hope Jack’s the only one I ever get.

 “Where are we going, Father?” he asks me when it starts to get light again. We’ve wandered onto an official road by now, and I have no idea where we are anymore. The middle of the night is not a good time to run away if you’re planning on walking back home in a couple hours. But it’s a yellow road, which means the Winkies put it in, which means it probably leads right to the Emerald City.

 I’m from Gillikin country, and our color is purple here. You’d think, since the city does green, the roads to it would be green too. But in Winkie country it’s all about yellow, and most of the road makers are from there. So they made all the big central stuff their color, and then for roads within each region it’s every man for himself. We don’t have a lot of roads where I’m from, with the farms and everything. Some of the Gillikins are a little more sophisticated, I think, but the local Good Witch who rules us is pretty laid back, and old, and she’s not pushing us to keep up with the times like in some places. We’re kind of secluded up here in northern Oz, and no one pays much attention to what we do. So the yellow brick road is the only paved road I’ve ever seen, and I tell Jack it’s taking us south, into the Emerald City.

 “Where’s that?”

 “It’s the capital of Oz. Where the Scarecrow rules.”

 “Who is the Scarecrow?” he asks.

 “He’s—well, he’s a scarecrow. To scare away the crows in the corn fields. But he helped Dorothy on her quest, and he was left in charge of all Oz when she and the Wizard went home.”

 “And who is Dorothy?”

 “Don’t you know anything, Jack?”

 “I was only born this afternoon.”

 “Yesterday afternoon, Jack.” He doesn’t answer, just looks at me with the huge permanent smile. “Fine.” I start to sing.

 “The Witch Who Fell from the Sky” is probably the most famous ballad in Oz. Definitely the most recent to get really popular. But I know most of them. Music is big for Gillikins. Anyway, this is my favorite. I told Mombi once that I wanted to marry Dorothy when I grew up, but she just laughed at me.

 So I sing the whole thing for Jack—how Dorothy, the witch from the land of Kansas, rode the wind into Oz, not alone, but with an entire house and her dog. How she crushed the witch of the east beneath the house to free the Munchkins, and our very own witch of the north sent her off to the city to find a way home from the Wizard. The friends she gathered along the way, the witch of the west that she defeated for the Wizard, freeing the Winkies and the Flying Monkeys. I sing about his untimely departure for a land called Oklahoma, and how she and her friends travelled south to Glinda, who finally sent her home by teaching her the magic of the Silver Slippers she’d taken from the Eastern witch.

 Mombi doesn’t mind me singing about killing the wicked witches and stuff. She’s one, too, but it’s different. She doesn’t go around oppressing Winkies and Munchkins and monkeys and stuff. She does bad magic, I guess, but she doesn’t really use the bad magic to do bad things. So it’s okay, and she hates those witches too. But she’ll get a little weird about Glinda and the Wizard sometimes. And I guess the Wizard was pretty stupid, leaving in the magic balloon before Dorothy was ready, and pretty incompetent and irresponsible, sending a little girl to do his dirty work. Anyway, they’re only background characters, in this ballad at least. Dorothy is the greatest folk hero of all time, so far, and I like to sing about her. But Jack’s got his priorities all backwards, and all he wants to talk about is the stupid Scarecrow.

 Not stupid. The Scarecrow’s supposed to be the smartest person in Oz. Jack is stupid, though, and he won’t shut up about the Scarecrow.

 “But how did he come to be alive? Is it the same way that I’m alive? Are you his father, too?”

 “I’m not his father, Jack.” I’m starting to regret bringing the Pumpkin-head.

 “Does straw go bad like pumpkins do?”

 “I don’t know, Jack. Probably, if it gets wet.”

 “And has he been ruling for a very long time?”

 “I don’t know, Jack.”

 “I don’t want to die yet. I’ve only just started to be alive.”

 I sigh. We’ve stopped walking now, and I’m kicking around in the dirt, thinking how strange it is that Mombi hasn’t come to drag me back home yet, wishing she’d hurry up and do it by lunchtime. “We’ll go meet him, okay? We’ll go to the Emerald City and meet the Scarecrow and ask him how he keeps his straw from rotting. Now will you shut up?”

 I didn’t sleep much last night, and I’m in a terrible mood. I don’t know why Mombi hasn’t found me yet.

 His joints aren’t going to hold up much longer. I can’t just sit down and wait here for Mombi to find us. That’s giving up. Not playing the game. But if I have to take a long break to fix Jack up, and she just happens to catch up with us then, well, I haven’t exactly surrendered that way, and she won’t tease me for it later.

 We’re in the middle of nowhere, but someone’s left a sawhorse sitting out. A real one—I mean one that actually looks like a horse, or tries to. I have Jack sit on in, but as soon as he bends his legs they fall all to pieces, and for one terrifying second I think his head’s been cracked for sure. He’s annoying, but he’s alive, and I’m sort of his dad. I don’t want him to die.

 No wonder Mombi’s always in such a bad mood. Parenting is hard.

 It’s Jack’s idea to bring the Sawhorse to life so that he can ride on it and not get broken. Or not any more broken. I’ve fixed him up as well as I can with the bits of twine I found in my pockets. And I know Mombi will be mad at me, really actually mad, if I waste a bunch more of the Powder of Life, but maybe she can sense what I’m doing or something, and then come find me. She has to find me and take me home before she can punish me.

 I was paying attention when she did the spell—I always pay attention, even if I want Mombi to think I don’t care about all that dumb magic stuff. So it’s pretty easy. I just sprinkle on some powder everywhere, then say the magic words, which are easy, and do the hand motions, which are a little harder because it was kind of dark out when Mombi used it on Jack. But I must get it close enough, because the big hunk of wood yawns and stretches out like it comes to life every day. Jack starts talking about how great a sorcerer I am, but I’m not really paying attention, because I just did magic. Big magic—I created life.

 Angry about the waste of powder or not, Mombi had better be really damn impressed.

 She might be so proud she doesn’t even care about the powder.

 Might have been so proud, I mean. It’s all different now.

 -

 The Sawhorse is even dumber than Jack. Or maybe it’s my fault. I get Jack all tied down on his back, and I get on behind him, and I teach the Sawhorse to go and go faster. We didn’t get around to how to stop.

 Next thing I know, I’m flat on my back on the ground, and Jack and the Sawhorse are specks on the horizon.

 I hope that dumb hunk of wood knows where he’s going, or I’ll never be able to find them again.

 -

 I think I’ve been walking for approximately forever when I finally start running into some other people. Funny looking people, too. Course, all the ballads say that’s pretty normal for Oz. You just don’t see much of it back in the parts where I live, ‘cept for stuff like Jack and the Sawhorse. That’s witchcraft strange. These people are naturally strange, I think.

 Their clothes are the strangest. All girls, all wearing the same dress, real fancy, with a whole bunch of colors on it. All the Oz colors, actually. Red, blue, purple, yellow. Quadling, Munchkin, Gillikin, Winkie. And a bunch of green, too, I guess for the Emerald City. And knitting needles in their hair, to stab their enemies, it turns out, when they notice me and tell me all about how they’re going to conquer the Emerald City. The girls are taking over. Say no one will fight back because they’re girls, and then they can have all the jewels in the city and use the treasury to buy new dresses, and they’re gonna rule Oz however they want.

 Mostly, however they want sounds pretty irresponsible, and I’m not really sure where people like me and everyone else are supposed to fit into this plan. Do all the girls in Oz get new dresses, or just the ones in the army? How do they pay for stuff like new roads that the treasury usually does? What happens to all the boys?

 Actually, maybe I don’t want to know. They’re all sort of looking at me. Like I’m real cute, but not real cute like a little boy. Real cute like a puppy or something.

 The fanciest one—her name is Jinjur—comes closer and sort of coos at me. “Aren’t you just the cutest thing? Stick with me, kid, and you can be my own personal slave when we win the revolution.”

 Um. An offer I can’t refuse?

 I gotta find Jack. Fast. And get us away from all these crazy ladies. Mombi’s not going to be able to find me in the middle of a war zone. Maybe we should head back toward Gillikin country, at least. We’ll be easier to find if we’re closer to home.

 They let me stick around, anyway, which could be worse. At least they seem to know which roads to take into the city. But they want me to carry all their stuff. Mostly lunch baskets. All empty.

 Why did I think this stupid adventure would be so fun? I’m tired. And my feet hurt. And I’m getting sunburned—I never get sunburned—and I haven’t had anything to drink in ages. And I miss Mombi. And food. I really miss food. Where’s a lunch pail tree when you need one?

 At the city gates they start right away jabbing the poor guard with their knitting needles, and I slip right past all of it. The palace should be easy to find. I’m just gonna warn the Scarecrow that he’s under attack, find Jack and the Sawhorse, and get out of here fast.

 -

 I find Jack inside the palace, chatting with the Scarecrow, both casual as you please, looking for all the world as if the strangest war in history isn’t being waged just right outside. They’re arguing—in the same language—about whether they can speak the same language, and it looks like they’ve been playing horseshoes, right here in the middle of this fancy room.

 “Hello, Father,” Jack says. The Scarecrow doesn’t even notice me.

 There’s a pretty girl sitting on a couch across the room, looking all amused and exasperated, and she motions for me to come over. I sit down on the very edge of the couch, and she tilts her head toward Jack.

 “I take it this one belongs to you?”

 She smiles, and I nod and duck my head. She’s very pretty.

 “My name is Jellia Jamb.”

 “Tip.” I’m blushing. I wish I wasn’t blushing.

 “It’s very nice to meet you, Tip.”

 We watch them play another round of horseshoes before I figure I’d better buck up and tell the Scarecrow what’s going on.

 He doesn’t seem too concerned, until I mention how the one in charge wants to make a rug out of his outsides and use his insides to stuff a couch. He says we’ll go to his friend the Tin Man’s place in Winkie country. Then he says he needs some time to plan our escape. We all sit there for fifteen minutes while he thinks. Then I stand up.

 “All right. We need to go.”

 “Young man,” says the Scarecrow, “have patience. We will leave as soon as I have discovered a feasible plan.”

 “Here’s a plan. We all get on the back of my Sawhorse, and we get out of here now.”

 “Young man,” he says again, “I am the king here, and I will plan our escape.”

 I roll my eyes. “I don’t mean to overstep my bounds, Mr. King Scarecrow, sir, but a revolution is happening, you have no army, and you’re sitting here arguing with a Jack O’ Lantern about whether or not you’re speaking the same language. Plus, the revolution’s all girls, and you can’t hit a girl. Someone’s gotta take charge here.”

 Later, the Scarecrow will be kindly pretentious, telling all of Oz how he began, even then, to suspect the truth. He didn’t, of course. He just got all huffy, then let me take over.

 Once we find the Sawhorse wandering around in the next room, the major flaw in my plan shows up. No way we’re getting two people, a Scarecrow, and a Pumpkinhead all on his back.

 “You needn’t bother about me,” Jellia says. “I am, after all, a girl. They won’t do anything to harm me, and if they try, I can hit back.”

 I really like Jellia.

 So we all get up on the Sawhorse, and he runs and runs and runs, through the palace and the army and the city and a couple of fields, and then right into a big lake.

 -

 By the time we get out of the water, everything is just a mess. I make the horse stand in the sun to dry off while I deal with everything else. The Scarecrow is completely soaked, all soggy and lumpy and disgusting, so I have to take out all his straw and spread it out on the ground, so he can dry faster. But the real problem is Jack. His body is still sitting there on top of the Sawhorse, in perfect shape except the clothes are a little wet, but there’s no sign of his head.

 What if it cracked? What if it got pulled a mile away by the stupid current? He may be annoying, but he’s mine, and right now he’s all I have from home. He can’t be gone. He can’t.

 After a while we spot the head bobbing along on the waves, but it’s too far to tell if it’s all still intact. If Jack is still alive.

 It’s the Scarecrow’s idea to fish it out with a big stick, but he’s still all wet, so I have to find the big stick and do the fishing all by myself.

 Jack’s fine, it turns out, and then I just feel stupid for being so worried about a dumb pumpkin.

 -

 It’s a good thing that army is too busy with their jewels and the treasury and everything to bother following us, because we have to sit around for ages waiting for everybody to dry out again. And then I make the Sawhorse go much, much slower when we leave this time. Getting dumped off his back twice was more than enough, and the second time I had to swim with one hand so I could get the soggy Scarecrow to shore, too.

 It’s a really long ride, and Winkie country is the opposite of where I want to be headed. But I don’t think I could dump the stupid Scarecrow here and head for home without upsetting Jack. And maybe getting charged with treason, if he gets his throne back from the girls.

 Jack and the Sawhorse pick a fight, but after that the Scarecrow tells us all stories about when he was with Dorothy, so that’s pretty fun, but then it gets too dark to see where we’re going, so we stop for the night, even though I’m the only one here who can sleep.

 It’s been a really long day.

 -

 I guess the Scarecrow isn’t that bad. He’s picked a bunch of berries for me to eat by the time I wake up in the morning, which he didn’t have to do. I’m surprised he thought about it. No one else around here can eat, either.

 It doesn’t take us too much longer to get to the Winkie capitol after that, and the Sawhorse manages not to screw anything up this time. The Scarecrow gets us into the palace easy, and then there’s just a lot of yelling and hugging and the rest of us try to stay out of the way.

 Then the Tin Man notices Jack, and we have to go through that whole thing again, where all the fake people bond over being fake people who don’t have to eat or sleep or anything. And then Jack goes off about how his head is going to spoil. Again.

 The Tin Man offers to have him canned. I almost offer to have him be the can, but he is an emperor or something, so I suppose I should have respect.

 When he finally notices me he introduces himself as Nick, which is all nice and not pretentious, so maybe he could be all right. I pull Jack and the Sawhorse away a little so Nick and the Scarecrow can talk about their politics. They get as far as planning to round up an army.

 “Nonsense,” says Nick. “The five of us are plenty,” says Nick. “I have a bright, shining axe,” says Nick.

 The five of us. I am a child. Jack is a top-heavy stick figure.  The Sawhorse and the Scarecrow are, well, a sawhorse and a scarecrow, and Nick—

 It’s obvious he’s not the one who went in for brains.

 But it sure isn’t obvious the Scarecrow did either, because he agrees, and some Winkies come and fix up Jack’s legs and stuff—that’s my job—and the next thing I know we’re on the road again, heading right back into trouble. And this time we all have to walk. Except Jack. He still rides.

 I just want to go home.

 -

 We’re  lost within a half hour. So much for Nick’s shortcuts. Everything everywhere is sunflowers, in every direction. Then girls’ faces start appearing in the center of the flowers, and I understand. This is a game I used to play with Mombi, when I was really little, where she gave the flowers faces so I could pretend to have friends. Mombi is looking for me. No—she knows where I am. She’s trying to get me back. She probably tracked me as far as Emerald City, and she’s letting me know. She’s maybe getting away with the big public magic—it takes a lot of power to make this many flower girls, from this far away—by offering to help Jinjur’s army.

 But she’s in Emerald City. And this feels like a trap, but I know it’s from her, so I know there’s a way I can get through it.

 Nick won’t chop down the sunflowers. If his heart won’t let him hurt some plants, I don’t see what use he’s going to be against the army. “All we need is the five of us, no army.” Really.

 I wave my hand through one. Yep. “They’re illusions.”

 “Then we will close our eyes and walk through,” says Nick.

 “My eyes are painted on. They don’t close.”

 And he’s supposed to be the smart one. Can’t he just walk through because he knows they’re not actually there?

 We get through, anyway, and everything is fine until the Sawhorse runs right through a rabbit hole and breaks off his leg. Nick barely catches Jack’s head when he trips.

 My son could have been pie. Wow. This parenting thing is not for the faint of heart.

 I wonder if Mombi will be a good grandma.

 Probably not, but it’ll be funny to watch.

 We’re still trying to figure out what to do about the Sawhorse’s broken leg when a giant bug walks up. And I mean giant. Not a spider the size of your fist, like we get in the barn sometimes. This thing is bigger than me. It’s almost a tall as Nick.

 It also talks, and has a business card. I’ve never even seen a business card, only heard about them in stories. And now I’m getting one from a cockroach in a suit and tie. Life has gotten extremely weird in the last week.

 All I want is to get back to Mombi, go home and take a nap or something. But we have to take a break, again, and listen to the stupid Wogglebug tell his stupid story about how he lived in some classroom in some school until the teacher put him under a microscope, and then he took off while he was still all magnified.

 I’m pretty sure that’s not how microscopes work, but what do I know? I don’t have magic brains like the Scarecrow, and I’m not “thoroughly educated” like the stupid Wogglebug. The stupid Wogglebug who’s going on about how strange we all are, like he’s never seen a mirror. And I want to go home, and the Sawhorse still has a broken leg.

 “We’ll give him one of the Pumpkinhead’s legs,” says the stupid Wogglebug, like he’s the one in charge here, like he has any right to go around casually suggesting that we mutilate my son.

 No wonder Mombi’s so crabby all the time, if raising me is as hard as raising Jack. And I bet she didn’t sign up for me any more than I signed up for him—she never wants to talk about my real parents, but I know they died when the Wizard came to Oz, and there was no other family, so she got stuck with me.

 Technically she bought me, which sounds really messed up. For a long time I thought that was just how orphans work, but then the girl who lives by the river told me I was stupid, and people don’t buy orphans—orphans are so worthless, people can barely give them away for free. Sometimes they have to pay people to take them.

 I hit her really hard, because I didn’t know yet that you weren’t supposed to hit girls. Then she told her dad, and he hit me, so I told Mombi, and she cursed him with neverending boils. The whole family moved away after that, but we got a letter with a bill in it later, to pay for having the curse lifted. It must have been from someone important, because Mombi paid even though the harvest was bad, and all we had to eat for ages and ages was potatoes.

 She was more motherly than usual for a while after that, bandaging my bruises and swearing by Lurline that no one would hurt me again. (Lurline is the fairy who created Oz. Her daughter was the first queen, and her line ruled unbroken until the Wizard came to Oz. She’s half history, half religion, and the only thing we swear by.)

 Anyway, she bought me from a travelling salesman when I was a baby, because he was travelling to giant country next, and she didn’t think that was a good place for a baby to be. She wasn’t planning on having a baby, but I’m useful around the farm now that I’m not a baby anymore, so it’s okay.

 Or it was. Before all this happened.

 Everyone thinks it’s just a fantastic idea to chop off Jack’s leg and stick it on the Sawhorse—everyone except me and Jack and a little bit the Sawhorse, so everyone whose opinion matters around here, anyway. And the stupid Wogglebug keeps on making stupid jokes about breaking horses. Jack and the Sawhorse are mine, and everybody else can just sit down and shut up about them.

 The stupid Wogglebug laughs when I tell him that, and then gets all huffy when I say he isn’t even funny. And then all condescending and superior.

 “Puns are the highest form of humor,” he says.

 “Anyone can make a stupid pun,” I say.

 “You are not educated enough to judge,” the stupid Wogglebug says. “I am thoroughly educated, and I say that puns display genius,” the stupid Wogglebug says. “If I rode the Sawhorse, he would be a horse and buggy,” the stupid Wogglebug says.

 No one laughs. A little because it isn’t even funny, and a little, I think, because I’m getting really upset, and I’m the little kid in this party—everyone knows you’re supposed to be nice to the little kid.

 The Scarecrow asks him to “restrain his superior education” while he’s with us. Nick waves his axe a little.

 I complain a lot, but Nick and the Scarecrow are really great, actually. It’s not long after that when we stop again so I can rest, even though I’m the only one who needs to rest and I didn’t ask or anything.

 Then they notice we’re resting near the village of the Field Mice. The Queen of the Field Mice owes Nick and the Scarecrow a favor; there’s a whole verse about it in “The Witch Who Fell from the Sky.”

 I have the whole thing memorized. I have most of the ballads memorized—I’m good at that.

 We meet with the Queen, and a bunch of mice hide in the Scarecrow’s chest. They think the girls in the Emerald City will be scared. I think only stupid girls in stupid folk songs are scared of cute little mice—I know all the folk songs, too.

 Mombi sets up a few more illusions for us on the way. Everyone is wimpy and kind of scared about it, but I know she’s just teasing me. Probably making it look like she’s slowing us down, for Jinjur and her friends, but mostly she’s giving me a hard time. We get a river, a stone wall, and a bunch of fake paths. But the best is the fire. The Scarecrow freaks out. Everyone freaks out, actually, except for Nick and the mice. But we go right through it, just like we went through everything else.

 There’s more girls with knitting needles at the gates when we finally get to Emerald City. That’s the first time I’m really worried. I don’t want to be stabbed.

 It’s really funny when Nick waves his axe around and they all run screaming. But then we get right to the throne room without any trouble at all, and I think that’s suspicious. The Scarecrow agrees with me, so I guess I can be smart sometimes, too.

 Jinjur is on the throne eating caramels, and she says that since she took the throne she’s the queen now, and that means we’re all committing treason. She committed treason first, but maybe that doesn’t matter now that she’s sitting on the throne with a fancy crown? None of the others really seem sure, and if the Scarecrow is the king and Nick is an emperor, I figure they oughta know.

 Mombi is somewhere around here. Maybe she can explain it. But no one wants to let Jinjur keep being the queen. We saw on our way in—all the jewels and everything have been pulled out of the sidewalks and storefronts and distributed among the army.

 The stupid Wogglebug says the Scarecrow and Jinjur should get married so they can both rule. No one likes that idea. Jack says we should send Jinjur back to her mother, which seems reasonable, but I think we can do one better and lock her in a closet until she promises to behave. That’s what Mombi does when I’m extra naughty.

 But while we’re all talking about this, the army sneaks up and grabs Nick’s axe, so that’s a bust.

 “The boy belongs to Mombi,” Jinjur says, “so he’ll have to be returned.”

 Belongs to. I don’t like that. Technically it’s true; she still has the receipt from the travelling salesman and everything. But I don’t like the way she says it. I just don’t like Jinjur. At all.

 “The rest of you aren’t human,” she says, “so it won’t be wicked to destroy you. I’ll have the Pumpkinhead’s head made into tarts, and his body and the Sawhorse will be used for kindling. The Scarecrow, too. I’ll chop up the tin man and feed him to the goats, and I’ll have the bug made into green-turtle soup. Or maybe a Hungarian goulash.”

 It’s all looking pretty dire before the mice burst out of the Scarecrow’s chest.

 Just a couple of cute little field mice, and they all go off running and screaming. Girls. You can’t run a kingdom if you’re gonna run screaming from some mice. But then I’m not really sure how you’re supposed to rule a kingdom when you run screaming from some girls, either. Maybe the Scarecrow ain’t cut out for this government thing. Better in a classroom, I bet. Or teamwork. All three of them, brain, heart, courage, that could add up to one decent ruler. Or just leave Dorothy in charge, if she didn’t have to go home. She had all that stuff, even if she was just a kid. I’m just a kid, and I’ve got this whole thing down better than the Scarecrow already.

 All the girls run out of the throne room, and we barricade the doors quick. I want to run out too and find Mombi, but probably it’s better to wait for her here and not brave the knitting needles again. Jinjur looked really upset, and I don’t think she thinks about me like a person, anymore than she does all the rest of us in here.

 Jack is scared; he doesn’t want to be tarts. Nick says not to worry because he’ll spoil if we’re trapped up here for too long, anyway. Some heart he’s got. I pat Jack on the head, but only for a second—he is starting to feel a little squishy and overripe, and I don’t want to think about that.

 The stupid Wogglebug is scared, too, about being a goulash, but I don’t feel quite so bad for him. Neither does anyone else, I think; he’s kind of mean.

 “Well, I’m going to starve to death if we’re trapped in here forever,” I say, “and so is the Wogglebug.”

 “I think I could live for some time on the Pumpkinhead,” says the stupid Wogglebug. And that’s what I get for trying to commiserate.

 The little tin with the Powder of Life in it is kinda digging into my hip a little—this chair is really uncomfortable—so I pull it out of my pocket. That’s what does it, in the end. The Scarecrow decides we should build a big contraption to escape in, and bring it to life instead of having to worry about building engines and stuff, since the Sawhorse can only pull so much weight.

 Nick chops up some furniture to fix Jack’s leg quick, then we all start working on the contraption.

 The stupid Wogglebug grabs a Gump head off the wall—that’s sort of like an elk, stuffed and mounted—which I guess isn’t totally stupid. We can’t really bring something to life without it having a face somewhere. Jack finds a broom, and the Scarecrow brings a bunch of clothesline. Nick’s got a bunch of big leaves, and the Sawhorse and I find a couple big couches.

 Apparently, the penalty for cutting those leaves is to be killed seven times and then locked up for life. I think that’s a little excessive, but Nick doesn’t seem too worried about it. The leaves are important, anyway. We use them to make the wings. The sofas are the body, the broom is the tail, and the clothesline ties all the pieces together. It ends up really big, and I don’t have quite enough Powder left for all of it. We have to leave the sofa legs as they are, so it only flies, no walking.

 It starts flying away as soon as I say the magic words; we can only barely get it to land again before it takes off without us. Then I sort of wish it had.

 “What’s happening?”

 “I was running, in the forest.”

 “They shot me. I was dead!”

 “What’s happening? Where am I? This isn’t my body! This isn’t me!”

 “What am I?”

 “What have you done? Undo it! Undo it! Put me back.”

 I didn’t mean to upset anyone. I thought—well, why would anyone want to be dead? And it’s not like turning a bunch of sticks and construction equipment into a person. The Gump was alive, and someone killed him, but I fixed it. I undid it. Why would anyone rather be dead than alive?

 Maybe it’s because he’s got a whole different body now. I can see that. I get it. Super confusing, and everything is just wrong, and I—anyway. I’ll get that later, not now, not now when he’s just sitting there being all whiney about how he doesn’t get to be dead anymore. I try to cheer him up, but it isn’t really taking. And Scarecrow is being all insensitive about it, making it real obvious he’s not the one who got a heart, and Jack is just being a nuisance, and I don’t know what to do because we don’t have time for anything but running, but I don’t want the Gump to be so sad, and I can’t un-bring someone to life, and I’m not about to resort to murder after one day without adult supervision, and besides, I know we really need him if we want to get out of here.

 We all get into the Gump’s couches, and the stupid Wogglebug makes another stupid joke, this time about Jack’s head falling over the edge and the pumpkin becoming squash. I tell him again that his puns aren’t smart and funny, but he still doesn’t care what I have to say.

 “Tip,” says the Scarecrow when we’re in the air, “this box has a false bottom.”

 He’s looking at the box the Powder of Life came it; he hands it to Nick, and Nick gives it to me, and they’re right. There are three silver pills in the second bottom, and a little instruction card. Wishing pills. But to use them you have to count to seventeen by twos, and even the Scarecrow and the Wogglebug both say that’s impossible. So I guess the pills are useless. That’s okay—I wouldn’t want to use more of Mombi’s stuff without permission, not after we used up all of the Powder of Life, and mostly on stupid things. And now I’m going in the opposite direction from her, again. This is a good adventure, but it never seems to end.

 “Where are we even going?” I ask. It’s starting to get dark out.

 “We’re going to ask Glinda the Good for help,” the Scarecrow tells me.

 That’s cool. Glinda is in “The Witch Who Fell from the Sky,” too. And a couple of other ballads. I bet she’ll be fun to meet.

 -

 We go all night, because we can’t see well enough to land. But when I wake up in the morning, everyone is panicking. We’ve flown clear on past Glinda. We’ve flown clear past Oz, over the Deadly Desert and into the land that lies beyond.

 I wonder if someone will make a ballad about us someday. But maybe a flying sofa with a Gump head isn’t dignified enough for a ballad.

 The Gump can’t turn around in the air, so we have to keep on going, farther and farther from Oz, until he can find a good place to land.

 I’ve never been outside of Oz before. I don’t think even Mombi has ever been outside of Oz before.

 Even when he does land, the Gump manages to break off two of his four wings. Both on the same side of his body, too. And we land right in a Jackdaw nest. Jackdaws aren’t so bad, normally, but these ones must be even huger than usual to have a nest this big, and I don’t want to still be in it when they get home. And the Gump is completely trashed.

 I can’t believe I made him come back to life for this. Maybe I’m about to be a murderer after all.

 We start digging around in the Jackdaw nest—there’s nothing better to do, at this point. I’m bored, and I’m tired, and I want my mom. And finding diamond necklaces in the nest isn’t going to help with any of that. And now the Jackdaws are coming back, and I was right—they’re huge. Blot out half the sky. We lie down beneath the straw in the nest until they go away again, and I think it’s the most terrifying thing that’s ever happened.

 Or it was. But we’re not there yet.

 Because they don’t actually go away. They find us, and they’re so big. So big. We’re like worms to them. And Nick attacks them with his axe before they can eat us, but it isn’t enough. There are so many of them. By the time they finally give up and go away, none of the Scarecrow’s straw is left in his body. We have to restuff him with the shiny trinkets and jewels scattered around the nest, and then he’s almost too heavy to move.

 We’ve got nowhere for him to move to, anyway. The gump can’t fly anymore, and we’re a thousand feet above the ground, and on the wrong side of the Deadly Desert.

 “We’ll have to use the Wishing Pills,” the Scarecrow says. And that’s a whole new argument.

 “If x equals two,” the stupid Wogglebug starts.

 “Your brain is pickled,” says the Scarecrow. “We’ll need to divide, obviously.”

 They go on for half an hour about x’s and y’s and pluses and minuses. The Scarecrow was bad enough on his own, but now we’ve got two of these geniuses to work with. Wonderful. I have a brain too, you know. It may be just a little boy brain, but at least it’s not a bug brain, or something some fake magician cooked up in a lab for me.

 The Scarecrow seemed a whole lot smarter in the stories. Maybe he’s just got the wrong kind of smarts to be a king. But the Woggle-Bug is a condescending jerk and I wish he’d never even been highly magnified. I just want to find Mombi and go home. I don’t care about this stupid war and how smart these idiots are. I just want to go home. And they are making it seriously difficult. Maybe Jack and Sawhorse and I should just take off on our own. Only we’d have to take the Gump too, wouldn’t we? And then the Scarecrow and the Tin Man and the Woggle-Bug would be stranded here, and I guess that would be sort of mean.

 My mom is a wicked witch. Maybe I’m allowed to be mean. It’s hereditary or something.

 I miss her.

 “What if we started at one half?” asks the Sawhorse.

 I’m so proud of my horse son.

 They have me do the counting and take the pill. It’s the worst thing I’ve ever tasted, and I start getting horrible cramps as soon as I swallow it. I feel like I’m dying. I think I’ve started crying.

 “What’s wrong?” asks Nick.

 “I wish I’ve never swallowed that pill!”

 And just like that, all three pills are back in the box.

 “It hurt,” I say.

 “Impossible!” says the stupid Wogglebug. “You wished you’d never eaten it, so you haven’t, and if you haven’t eaten it, it can’t possibly have hurt you.”

 I say a mean word that I overheard Mombi say once where she stubbed her toe.

 “Well, I say!” starts the stupid Wogglebug.

 “You can eat the next one.”

 I go over by Jack and the Sawhorse to sulk. The stupid Wogglebug takes a pill, counts to seventeen, and wishes for the Gump’s wings to be fixed.

 If it was me, I would have just wished us all straight to Glinda. But he’s the smart one. Sure.

 He is the one with the stomach of steel; I’ll give him that. Stupid pill didn’t hurt him at all.

 We still have to spend the night in the Jackdaw nest, because it’s almost dark and we don’t want a repeat of last time. Which is why we should have wished ourselves straight to Glinda. But what do I know? I’m just a dumb little boy with a weak stomach.

 We pass the time playing with the jewels and crap left behind in the Jackdaw nest—I find a really cool pocket watch, and since all the adults are stealing from the Jackdaws, I figure I can keep one thing.

 It disappeared with my boy clothes. I guess you don’t get to have pocket watches when you’re—anyway. Later.

 We take off right away in the morning, and get lost again almost right away. They try to wish us back in the right direction, but the Scarecrow lost the pills in the Jackdaw nest.

 (He lost them in my pocket, specifically. Those are Mombi’s, and I’m saving them for a real emergency. There are two left, and I’m not letting them go to waste on a stupid bug who doesn’t even know how to wish right.)

 We get to Glinda eventually, anyway. We just took the long way around.

 Glinda has a girl army, too, but none of them try to stab me with knitting needles, so that’s okay. She was expecting us, because she has magic. Way stronger and cooler than even Mombi’s. And she’s so pretty. Just like in the stories.

 “Jinjur has the throne now,” she says when the Scarecrow finishes telling her everything. “What right do I have to depose her?”

 “Well, the Wizard left me in charge.”

 “And where did the Wizard get the throne?” she asks.

 I haven’t been paying a lot of attention, because I’m tired, and this is really, really cool—I’m looking at the real, live Glinda. But I know this one! There’s a ballad about it.

 “He took it from Oz Pastoria, the old king.”

 Glinda smiles at me, and I can feel myself blushing, bright, bright red. She’s so pretty! And strong! And cool!

 “So the Wizard took the throne from Pastoria, and Jinjur took the throne from you. It seems to me the rightful ruler is still Pastoria.”

 “Oh!” I say. “But he’s dead. The Wizard killed him.”

 “True,” says Glinda, smiling at me again. “But did you know that he had a daughter?”

 I shake my head. That’s not in any of the songs.

 “Her name is Ozma. I have not been able to find her, in the past, but it seems to me that now is the ideal time for another attempt.”

 We spend the night in Glinda’s palace while she tries to find the lost princess. In the morning, she tells us that shortly after coming to Oz, the Wizard paid three visits to Mombi.

 I don’t even ask how she knows about that—why would Mombi see the Wizard? Why would Mombi see the Wizard and not tell me?

 I guess I was probably a baby at the time, but she should have known it would be an interesting story to tell me now that I’m older.

 “Mombi!” says the Scarecrow. “That’s the old woman who owns Tip!”

 “We must find Mombi,” says Glinda, “and force her to tell us what became of Ozma.”

 Finally. I don’t like this business about forcing, but if Glinda the Good is looking for Mombi, I should finally be able to go home. Glinda is competent, or at least the stories all say she is.

 Of  course, she has to get her army ready, to go up against Jinjur, so we end up staying another whole day. This is the longest—well, this was the longest I’d ever been without Mombi.

 In the morning we all get in the Gump again and follow Glinda’s army. That’s good, at least. Girls can hit other girls, probably, so Glinda’s army will actually stand a chance. At the gates of the Emerald City, Glinda tells the girls with the knitting needles that they better send Mombi out or else, and I figure that will be the end of that.

 But it isn’t. That’s when things get really weird. Because Mombi came out, but I could tell right away that it wasn’t really Mombi. I know my mom.

 Glinda figures it out too, and breaks the spell—it’s just some girl, the same pretty girl I met the first time we came to Emerald City, enchanted to look like Mombi. Jellia, I think her name was.

 I didn’t understand, then, why she didn’t come out herself. I do now. We were turning into a story, the whole stupid time, and Mombi got miscast bad.

 Glinda was really mad when she turned the girl back, and I was just starting to realize that she thought Mombi was the bad guy.

 No, I wanted to tell her, Jinjur’s the bad guy. Mombi’s nice. Mombi’s my mom. But how do you argue with someone like Glinda?

 She went back to the gates and demanded again that they send Mombi out, and the girls invited her to come in and look. But we all went in, and looked all day, and she wasn’t there.

 I was so sure Mombi was in the city. She had to be! She sent me flower girls. But maybe she knows Glinda thinks she’s the bad guy, so she’s just hiding until Glinda goes away. As soon as she gives up, Mombi will come out and take me home, and everything will be okay.

 Then we all assemble in Glinda’s tent outside the city, and I see her. She’s in Nick’s button hole, disguised as a rose. She’s up to something. That’s okay. I won’t tell.

 It takes until the next morning, when we’re all trying to figure out what to do next, but Glinda notices. Of course she does. I knew right away, mostly because Mombi’s mine, but Glinda is much better at magic than me. If only Nick slept, I would have taken the rose in the night and run back home to Gillikin country. But he doesn’t sleep, so I have to watch while Mombi transforms into more and more things, trying to get away from Glinda, until finally she’s caught and in her own true form again.

 She takes a griffin last, and I think that one will really work—she’s flying away as the griffin, she’s almost out of sight, and then Glinda hops right onto my Sawhorse, like she has any right to at all, at takes off after her. The rest of us pile onto the Gump to see what happens, and by the time we land at the very edge of the Deadly Desert, the battle is over and she’s herself again.

 Mombi. I wanted to hug her, to bury my face in her shoulder like a little boy and never come out. But everything changed that week. I was the hero, and she was the Wicked Witch, and I could tell already she was never going to be my mother again.

 Maybe Glinda is supposed to be my mother now. But I don’t want her. She turned me—I just want Mombi back. I want her to drag me home by the ear and set me to chopping wood for the fire, and I want everything to be normal again.

 We all went back to the city, with Mombi restrained. I couldn’t even make eye contact with her, and I didn’t understand why.

 Now I do. Of course.

 Glinda starts interrogating her as soon as we land, but Mombi won’t say anything, and I’m scared.

 “Maybe she doesn’t know,” says Jack.

 “Shut up.”

 “Sorry, Father.”

 That was the last time Jack ever called me father.

 “If you don’t tell us,” Glinda says, “we shall have to kill you.”

 Oh. Oh no.

 “Oh, you mustn’t do that!” says Nick. Thank Lurline for his heart.

 “What will you do with me if I do tell?” Mombi asks.

 “I shall give you a potion to forget all the magic you’ve ever known,” says Glinda.

 That’s better, but not by much. I still have those two Wishing Pills, though. I can wish the magic back to her, even if it does hurt my stomach.

 “Why did the Wizard come to you?” Glinda asks again. Mombi looks up, finally meets my eyes, and I can’t read her at all. It’s like she’s a stranger.

 “He brought me the princess Ozma, to hide her in exchange for a few magic tricks.”

 “And what did you do with the baby?”

 Mombi closes her eyes and looks away from me. “I turned her into a boy.”

 The others understand before I do. They all turn to look at me, and my eyes are all blurry, and there’s a roaring in my ears. The salesman—the travelling salesman was the Wizard of Oz? The Wizard of Oz killed my parents? Mombi changed me into—

 “I’m not the princess! I can’t be! I’m a boy.”

 “But you’re not,” says Glinda. “Not truly. We must return you to your original form.”

 “I don’t want my original form! I’m a boy! You can’t change me! You can’t; I won’t let you!”

 “But we must,” says Glinda, very kind, very gentle.

 I’m crying now, and Mombi still won’t look at me.

 “It’s the right thing to do, Tip. Ozma.”

 It takes me a few tries to get my words out again. “Mom—Mombi. You can’t take her magic. I don’t want you to—if I have to be a girl, you have to promise you won’t take her magic.”

 I’m panicking, and it’s all I can think. Protect Mombi. I have to protect Mombi, and then she’ll come back for me, and everything will be all right. But even as Glinda agrees, some of her army grabs tight onto Mombi’s arms, and I know it won’t be all right, not really, not ever again.

 Glinda waves her wand.

 And I’m a girl. I’m a girl. There are—my clothes are gone, and I’m wearing some flowing white dress thing. And my—other things are gone too, and it’s wrong, it has to be some horrible mistake, but here I am still and no one’s fixed it up yet and I’m empty in all the places where I’m supposed to be full, and full where I want to be empty, and it’s wrong.

 Why can’t they all see it’s wrong?

 Mombi breaks away from the soldiers, and I thrown myself into her arms.

 “Here,” she says, shoving a pill box into my hands. “One last gift for the boy I made you. To keep your secrets safe.”

 And that’s the last I’ve seen of her, probably the last I’ll ever see of her, no idea what’s going on, and I’m wearing this stupid white dress. Me. In a dress. And it’s all they’ll give me now.

 I just want to be myself again.

#ozma #oz project #the land of oz #the wizard of oz #oz #oz series #l frank baum #the marvelous land of oz #tippetarius #princess ozma

[mononoke-no-ko]

Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion Side Story “BLACK ALBION”

Short story written by Koujirou (Sunrise) about Zerozaku sets in one year some time after Zero Requiem to accompany the introduction of Lancelot Albion Zero. Source: https://p-bandai.jp/tamashiiwebshouten/blackalbion/. Please inform me if you notice some mistake.

First year of Light Sum*. Some time have passed since the extraordinary hero, Zero, killed the last emperor of Holy Britannian Empire, Lelouch vi Britannia.  The world that joined hands to defeat Emperor Lelouch who took hostage of the countries' leaders in his plan to conquer the world, continue to wish for peace and choose cooperation route even after Lelouch's death. With more than 80% of the world joins United Federation of Nations in the form of standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Japan and China that became the center of UFN’s formation during wartime, politics were practiced with global perspective. In addition to that, as the military power is transferred to and is operated by Black Knights as delegated by UFN, no large-scale conflict ever occurred, and the world peace was preserved.  However... "We need a machine that acts as Zero's symbol." The one who suggested that was Schneizel el Britannia who serves as the Chief of Staff in UFN Supreme Council. The words of the man who's practically the world's No. 2, were not directed toward the President Sumeragi Kaguya, but to the masked man in black clothing, Zero. "....We don't." Zero asserts. Under the mask that exposed not even one part of his real face, his expression can't be read. Zero, who's present at the UFN Supreme Council meeting as CEO of Black Knights, shook his head in disagreement towards Schneizel's proposal. "However, no matter how the world as a whole is advancing toward peace, buds of conflicts will always arise. As a precaution, as Zero who slain Emperor Lelouch, you need to demonstrate your strength." Schneizel's words are reasonable. It's also clear that his words are for the sake of keeping peace. But, that's not it. The world must be peaceful. Otherwise, what did "he" bet his life for? Of course there are small seeds of conflicts. In this world that had been in war for a long time, it's natural that flames of conflicts can't be completely erased. It's natural because this world is inhabited by people who preserved their own self. Therefore, in order to prevent the conflicts from rising, it's probably a correct thing to do to assign the power to subdue conflicts to Zero the symbol. But for Zero, for Kururugi Suzaku who has now became Zero, it's not an idea he could accept that easily. "You're wrong. If Black Knights holds too much military power it would frighten the people and give birth to new conflicts instead. To the very end, we exists to maintain world peace. To that end, we're requesting the Glinda Knights to audit Black Knights." Oldrin Zevon, the head of Glinda Knights who is present at the meeting, nods in agreement.  "...." Schneizel gives an "I give up" look. As Zero has said so, Schneizel can't go against his words.

"Welcome back, Zero." After finishing the UFN Supreme Council and returning to his room in Black Knights' headquarter, Zero was welcomed by Nunnally vi Britannia who came to meet him. "I'm back, Nunnally." Suzaku takes off his mask for the first time since awhile, and shows a smile. "Today you came to talk about the schedule for humanitarian visit to Spain next month, right?" "Yes, Suzaku-sa--, I mean, Zero, sorry I always ended up troubling you..." "Ha ha, now I'm just Suzaku, Nunnally." Among the few people who knows about Zero's identity, Nunnally especially can interact with Suzaku's true self. For Suzaku who has always carried the burden of being Zero, the time spent with Nunnally was extremely important. Nunnally who became the Honorary Consultant of World Humanitarian Organization, an auxiliary organization of UFN, visited the areas where scars of war still remained, and carried out humanitarian support activities. Suzaku as Zero has a lot of opportunity to be with Nunnally. Nunnally's coming to meet to Suzaku today too was to make arrangement for their next visit. But, with a sudden emergency call calling for Zero, that purpose was never realized. "Report from UFN Supreme Council! We’ve been informed that an armed group who declared themselves as Japan Revolutionary Army has occupied Shinagawa Seaside Airport." The smile that was on Suzaku's face till just now is gone, and his expression becomes dim. "Suzaku-san..." "It'll be okay, so don't worry. I'll be back soon." To the worried Nunnally, Suzaku shows her a smile. However, his heart is not calm. ...Zero doesn't need to have power. And yet.... Suzaku picks up his mask again and walks out from the room leaving Nunnally behind.  

In Black Knights commander office, the main monitor shows the presumed state of Shinagawa Seaside Airport that was taken with a long distance camera. Other information such as the Knighmares that are used in the armed uprising and the list of people suspected to be responsible for the incident, were displayed on the sub monitors. "How's the situation?" The one who answers Zero's brief question as he entered the room is General Commander Toudou Kyoushiro. "Not very good. Konishina, report the present status to Zero." Prompted by Toudou, Konishina Ryou, the captain of Squadron 3 that was selected for duty, reports to Zero through the submonitor. The armed group called Japan Revolutionary Army, with about 30 Knightmares from sky, land, and water, swiftly gained total control of Shinagawa Seaside Airport that was built on a reclamation area in Tokyo Bay. It's reported that about 4000 passengers and staffs were held hostage. "It happened an hour ago. They seem to target the blind spot of UFN Supreme Council." "How about the perpetrators’ identity?" "It's Major Bandou... no, it's Bandou Shin. A survivor from the former Japan Liberation Front." "!?" Toudou's words agitate Zero slightly. Bandou is Suzaku’s acquaintance who once taught him martial arts together with Toudou and the others back when he was still a kid before the war with Britannia started. "Why, Bandou-san... right when everyone is about to compromise and head towards peace..." Konishina grinds his teeth. "Konishina was a new recruit assigned to Bandou's troop back during Britannia's invasion 9 years ago," Toudou fills up Suzaku's conjecture. He understood that it's because Japan Revolutionary Army turned out to be the remnant of Japan Liberation Front, that Toudou assigned Konishina to be in charge of the matter.   "Japan Revolutionary Army led by Bandou, in regard to Zero eliminating Kusakabe Josui's group, raises a banner of rebellion. Zero, now it’s..." "I know, Toudou-san." From inside Suzaku's chest, an emotion that can't be expressed in words rises its head. However, his top priority is to secure the safety of the 4000 captured people as soon as possible. "I’d like to join UFN Supreme Council. This case will be handled by Black Knights." "I knew you would say so~" At the corner of Black Knights' headquarters hangar that's in preparation for sortie, a familiar machine was brought in by Rakshata. Lying on top of the equipment container, with the tobacco pipe in her hand, she points to Zero's line of sight. It's unthinkable that she's a person with many titles. "A black... Lancelot Albion." Zero shows a little bewilderment. "It's part of Joint Strike Armored Cavalry Program that had been worked on since the time of Emperor Lelouch's rule. Because we also needed to develop and conduct research on Knightmares made by Britannia, our Pearl Party was created." The one who answers his confusion is a dark skin woman with prosthetic legs, Neha Shankar. She's a researcher apprentice who participated in the decisive battle of Madrid in the past and is studying under Rakshata. "Based on the data left by Dr Lloyd, with little improvements, we managed to complete it. In term of performance it's equal to Guren Seiten Eight Elements." Explains Kagari Savitri who's transferred from Black Knights' engineering department to the Pearl Party. Good handiness, almost as if they had been preparing for this. Suzaku thinks that perhaps Schneizel had asked Rakshata in advance in anticipation for situations like this. Otherwise, the unit that bears the name Albion which means white, wouldn't be dyed in black. "I got it. Let me use this." He can't believe it, he never thought that he would ride this unit again now that he became Zero. "Please take good care of our cute Z-01Z0." "Zero... Zero, huh." As he hears the model number of the black Albion, Zero mutters to himself. "Understood. From here, I'll sortie with this Albion Zero!"

*the new calendar system I’m still not sure I got this right.

#code geass #suzaku kururugi #lancelot albion zero #nunnally #Schneizel el Britannia #toudou kyoushiro #Rakshata Chawla #kagari savitri #translation

[graveyardari97]

I need this a whole sperate post.

[https://minority-media.tumblr.com/post/165119573343/life-is-strange-bury-your-gays-and-bullshit] -read this last night.

THIS RIGHT HERE BASICALLY SUMMERIZES HOW I FELT ABOUT THE ENDING OF THIS GAME AND WHY IT DESTROYS ME ON SO MANY LEVELS!

I didn’t even know what Life is Strange was until I saw video compilation of all the worse bury your gays. I didn’t even know that was an actually trope till I show it. I was just coming off the episode where they killed off Lexa I was so sad and pissed at the same time because I recently talked about how good the show was with how they were making the Clexa relationship but that even up in flames hella fucking quickly and I stopped watching. I tried to keep watching for the other actors I liked but I couldn’t do it then I think three episode later they kill off Lincoln a black man.

Anyways, in a way, Pricefield/Amberpice/Amberpricefield kinda mirrors Clexa in a way. The two medias gives us a strong relationship between two of the main leading ladies takes their time for you to love them as individual characters and then as a couple.

To later be like all this time and effort we put into this relationship was basically for shock vault it meant nothing here’s a relationship that’s drier than my hair!

Like, how many times do you want me to kill Chloe fucking game!? There was only two choice I didn’t think twice about and that was kissing Chloe and sacrificing the town! The whole game never gave me any reason to like the town. So, why make the right ending being the one where Chloe is dead?!

And another thing, people who think you’re a terrible person for nuking a whole town that didn’t give a fuck about the character we play gets me so mad.

I made a post a while ago talking about it and it will still piss me off. I don’t know much about the writing process in video game storyboarding but as an armature fanfiction writer, I thought of five different ways this could’ve played out.

Max could’ve re-winded back to the bathroom stopped Chloe from going in. She could have gone back to early in the game and warn people of the storm [sure people will think she’s crazy but there are beached whales] Chloe could’ve texted Max back in the BtS timeline “I’m having a shit day and mom’s got a shitty boyfriend that doesn’t like me. I want to hear your voice” IDK!

I am only 19-years-old and I could come up with a better story than the train wreck that Life is Strange is oh wait I already have!

I admit that I am a shit writer but a number of people that have read my original stories and liked it. Makes me really want to adapt my stories into a TV show. Shameless plug of my own story.

The war between hunters and supernaturals has been going on for years however the newer generation has brought this century long conflict all new sorts of drama. Follow the life of Ashley Kimaru and her group of friends as they fight off her ex-girlfriend who is hell-bent on ridding the world of these demons.

Does that sound interesting to you? If not the whole group of friends are in the LGBT+ and has/have dated one another and still make jokes about it daily. Here’s a something I wrote.

A twelve-year-old Ashley was sitting on the edge of the roof eating Sea Salt Ice Cream. It was the anniversary of the death of her parents, she was doing everything she could to avoid class.

“Hey what are you doing up?” asked young Jade.

Ashley looked up at her friend. “It’s that day. I can’t believe it’s been that long.” said young Ashley bringing her knees to her chest.

Jade confused. “What the hell are you going on about?” asked Jade.

Ashley sighs. “My parent’s death,” said Ashley.

Jade fumbles. “Oh, right I forgot. I’m sorry,” said Jade.

Ashley smiled at her best friend. “It’s not your fault,” said Ashley.

“I was wondering where my girlfriend when off too. Hey, babe you okay?” asked young Kylee.

Ashley shrugs “Hey K. I’m okay I guess.” said Ashley.

Jade not having any of this. “No, she’s not. It’s the day her parents were killed so she’s up here sulking,” said Jade.

Kylee frowns. “C'mon Ashley I don’t like seeing you sad,” said Kylee.

Ashley chocks back tears.“Sorry….I just can’t get his face out of my head,” said Ashley.

Jade sits next to her best friend letting her lean her head on her shoulder. “It’s not your fault! Listen to me you were only three. You couldn’t have done anything about it. Your parents would be proud of you now. The leader of a pack.” said Jade.

Ashley giggles. “You always know how to cheer me up, Kyuubi!” said  Ashley.

Jade nugs Ashley’s shoulder playfully. “Heh-heh it’s my job to cheer you up, Tanuki. If I can’t then who can?” said Jade.

Passing Jade a popsicle stick. “I’ll have to remember that. Hey, I got you this,” said Ashley.

Jade’s eyes lit up“Holy! You got me Sea Salt Ice Cream!?” asked Jade

Ashley grinned. “I know how much you wanted to try it. I bought it for you,” said Ashley

A bit hurt that her girlfriend didn’t think about her. “What I don’t get one?” asked Kylee.

Ashley gives her an apologetic look. “Sorry, I only bought one for Jade because she’s asked me to make her one,” said Ashley.

Kylee frowns. “Oh, okay then,” said Kylee.

Kylee stood there watching as her girlfriend was sitting there laughing with her ex-girlfriend. The two of them have known each other ever since they were kids. Jade met Ashley’s parents they were good friends after all. Sitting there listening to the stories about the adventures that Ashley and Jade had before and after the tragic event was making Kylee jealous.

Jade laughed recounting a remember. “You remember when you got stuck in that tree?” asked Jade

Ashley groans. “How could I forget? You had to run home to get my mom. I was so terrified of falling.” said Ashley.

Jade nodded. “Yeah, when I burst through the door mom thought you were really hurt. She ran out the house faster than I could keep up,” said Jade.

Ashley smiled. “She worried about me. When we got home that day she wanted me to remind you that she thanks you,” said Ashley.

Jade lean against Ashley. “I couldn’t let my best friend stay stuck in a tree. Besides dad would’ve kicked my ass,” said Jade.

Ashley grinned “Yeah, my dad would’ve been pissed if he heard you left me out to dry.” Ashley laughed.

Kylee looked at her girlfriend confused. “Wait, you call Ashley’s parents mom and dad too?” asked Kylee.

Jade nodded. “We’ve been friends since we were babies and our parents were friends too. So, it was like we had another set of parents,” said Jade.

Kylee side glared Jade.“Oh, so you two were really close huh?” asked Kylee in a bitter tone.

Ashley smirked. “Heh-heh-heh that’s an understatement. Jade was my first girlfriend.  My mom thought were going to get married.” said Ashley.

“Kylee shocked by this nearly falling off the roof. “What?!” asked Kylee.

Jade sighed. “After the death of her parents. Everything wasn’t the same anymore. I tried my best to keep her together but it wasn’t working out. So, we ended things.” said  Jade.

Ashley hit her head on Jade’s shoulder “Jade, I’m sorry I didn’t call for a while after that. I was so depressed with life,” said Ashley.

Jade wrapped her arm around Ashley. “Don’t worry about it Tanuki! I know you didn’t mean to cut me out of your life,” said Jade.

Ashley smiled up at Jade.“See this is why I love you so much! You always know how to cheer me up.” said Ashley.

Jade leaned her forehead against Ashley’s. “It comes with the job description. Best friends are there to cheer one another up.” chuckled Jade.

Ashley closed her eyes. “I’ll have to remember that next time,” said Ashley.

Jade kisses Ashley’s forehead.“See you don’t have to be depressed on this day,” said Jade.

Ashley smiled. “Thanks, Kyuubi,” said Ashley.

Jade shifted her weight. “Hey, I know what will cheer you up!” said Jade.

Ashley’s ears perk up. “You mean?”

Jade grinned. “Yup! Happy birthday,” said Jade as she handed Ashley a CD case.

“You did!” freaked Ashley.

Jade stuck her tongue out at Ashley with a wink. “Look at the back,” said Jade as Ashley flipped the case to the back as she gave Jade the biggest hug ever.

Kylee feeling left out. “What did she just give you?” asked Kylee.

“I got her the “Wicked” soundtrack and it’s signed Idina Menzel,” said Jade

Ashley smiled that her face hurt. “You’re the greatest, Jade!” said Ashley.

Jade shrug sheepishly. “You want to start playing it?” asked Jade

Ashley snapped her fingers. “You wanna sing “For Good” with me?” asked Ashley.

Jade nodded. “If I get to be Glinda,” said Jade

Ashley give her friend that look that said are you really gunna ask that. “Always,” said Ashley.

“I’ve heard said that people come into our lives for a reason bringing we must learn and we are led to those who help us most to grow if we let them. And we help in return. Well, I don’t know if I believe that’s true but I know I’m who I am today because I knew you. Like a comet pulled from orbit as it passes a sun, like a stream that meets a boulder halfway through the wood. Who can say if I’ve been changed for the better but because I knew you. I have been changed for good.” sang Jade

“It well may be that we will never meet again in this lifetime. So, let me say before we part: So much of me is made of what I learned from you. You’ll be with me like a handprint on my heart. And now whatever way our stories end I know you have rewritten mine by being my friend. Like a ship blown from it’s mooring By a wind off the sea. Like a seed dropped by a skybird In a distant wood. Who can say if I’ve been changed for the better But because I knew you.” sang Ashley

The two of them started singing the song as Kylee watched. Sitting there in complete and utter jealousy because she doesn’t know anything about Ashley or even Jade for that matter. It was that day everything went down hill for the three young girls.

I still think I’m a shit writer but I have been told otherwise. I don’t know I would love to know what you think.

Here’s to hoping one day maybe I do get this greenlit. I’m just tired of all the queerbaiting and guilt tripping these story writers are doing. They do not know what type of damage they are putting us through. I still find myself crying over Lexa’s death. And I keep thinking how sacrificing Chloe is the “good” ending of the game despite everything that Max is.

This isn’t about some fictional character dying! No, this is about how showrunners and whatever other people that want to make a story use us as shock value. It isn’t fair that there is a trope that is called burying your gays it isn’t fair that we are not looked at as being part of the fandom! Yeah, I’m looking at you Supergirl cast that mocked Supercorp and I don’t even watch Supergirl! I just want to see my story, my life being just as important as heterosexual ships. And it feels like we’re always fighting a losing a battle because people fail to see why we are so hurt.  

Dammit….now I made myself cry. I guess I’ve been holding onto that thought for a while now. It shouldn’t hurt this bad just because I’m gay. I shouldn’t have to fight to see people like me in media happy. This is the result of this trope having me yelling at my computer screen at 11:34 PM.

I just….can’t. Well, that’s my rant for today. I’m gunna get back to writing about my happy gay characters

Being gay shouldn’t hurt this much.

#pricefield #clexa #swan queen #supercorp #amberpricefield #max caulfield #chloe price #rachel amber #life is strange #The 100 #Supergirl #sorry for the rant #lgbt fans deserve better #life is strange before the storm

[greatlakesmade]

Indigo Acres Apiary

Indigo Acres Apiary is an all-natural Hobby Farm and Beekeeping property belonging to the Shope family. Nestled in the scenic landscapes of rural Rockford, Michigan, Indigo Acres Apiary is an educational and natural passion project where "Bees come First".

Roda Shope, the amazing woman behind Indigo Acres Apiary! Before Indigo Acres Apiary began, Roda Shope was an elementary school teacher for the Rockford public school system. She loved especially to teach about environmentalism and the natural world around them. “I’ve always had a passion for nature. Bringing the environment into my classrooms was very important to me, knowing the dangers of chemicals and importance of pollinators was important. But still, I’d always had this dream of having a hobby farm, becoming a beekeeper and having an apiary.”

How did it All Start? Five years ago in 2014, Roda finally said, “Let’s do this,” and decided to follow her passion. On her Hobby Farm of 13 acres with 135 animals, Roda has since been able to create an incredible and all-natural space for any animal in need of a home. Especially our most important pollinators - honeybees! The amazing honeybees of Indigo Acres Apiary could not be in better hands. “Today we have seventeen hives and we continue to grow every year,” says Roda. “Our focus, how we are a little different as an apiary, is that we specialize in pollinator gardens.”

Roda working hard to plant native flowers for local pollinators. Indigo Acres Apiary is Natural and Native! Because bees can sometimes travel up to two miles to accumulate nectar, it’s incredibly important for Indigo Acres Apiary to plant native, organic and pollinator-friendly plants. Not just for the honeybees, but for all species of pollinators! Local Rockford, Michigan plants such as clover are a huge staple for Indigo Acres Apiary. "We've done a lot of native planting, and we have specific gardens that are only for local pollinators," says Roda. "Its important to make sure we support those local pollinators and plant things that they're attracted to." "That's been our big expansion - each year we try to create natural expansions through, say, locust trees. Last year it was our five different native clovers that we seeded and added to the clover meadow. We did it to build up those natural plants and flowers, for not only the bees, but native pollinators." Most importantly, Roda is very passionate about not using harsh chemicals or fertilizers in her gardens, instead opting for natural ways to remove pests and weeds. "Put down the chemicals," she says, "and find better ways to care for the world and the pollinators around you!"

A peaceful garden on the Indigo Acres Property Did you Expect this to become a Business? "I tried to let Indigo Acres become what it was going to be organically, let it be what it's going to be on its own, which has been just a beautiful and enjoyable experience," says Roda. Even though their seventeen hives produce a lot of honey each year, its more than just about the small business for them. It's about the bees! "For most people its all about the honey, and I guess with commercial beekeeping that is the case. But for us its about supporting local pollinators. Not just for their survival but for our survival. Without honeybees and local pollinators we wouldn't have food, we wouldn't survive. That's why it's important to care for these animals and teach others about not just beekeeping, but about pollinators and what they do for us."

These gardens and plants are gorgeous! Want to learn More about Bees and Beekeeping? You're in luck! Indigo Acres Apiary offers hive tours and lessons about beekeeping and pollination from July to September! You can visit these amazing creatures in-person, and even get a jar of honey on your way out! "Our Hive Experience allows you to suit up, in the safety of our provided bee suits, and enjoy the humming of thousands of honeybees, up close and personal. While exploring the inside of a hive, you will learn about the hive components, as well as the life of the honeybee colony. We believe that one-on-one or small group instruction (2-6 individuals) is most beneficial for learning. Children are welcome, age 10+, unless other arrangements have been made with the beekeeper. Each session will last approximately 1.5 – 2 hours." Indigo Acres Apiary offers hive tours and lessons for all ages. Check them out!

Roda "suited up" in her beekeeping suit! "That's when the fun starts! Families come and suit up, we open up the hives and see where the magic happens. It's good for kids and families and the community to understand the importance of these local pollinators. I love educating that way!" Even though honeybees are a huge part of Roda's life, sometimes visitors have trouble loving them immediately. "I've had people admit to me, 'Roda I used to be afraid of bees, but after seeing this and your Instagram photos, it really helps,'."

An adorable bee on a gorgeous flower. What a photo! "I think honeybees are adorable," says Roda. I couldn't agree more! With Queen names like "Iris", "Lotus" or "Thelma" and "Louise", it's hard to be afraid of them! Hive tours and beekeeper experiences are being snapped up fast! Make sure to book your visit soon! All the Colors of the Rainbow! More than just a beekeeper and caretaker of her many Hobby Farm animals, Roda is also a fantastic artist and painter, taking time out of her very few hours of daylight to create amazing masterpieces all her own! The hives themes are both colorful and nature-inspired! You'll see flowers, leaves and even pumpkins painted upon these amazing hives! “All the hives are thematic and painted bright colors,” says Roda. "In the clover meadow, the hives are all thematic. They’re painted based on the Queen’s names. We name all of our Queens so two of our hives are based on the Broadway musical Wicked. We have a Queen Elphaba and a Queen Glinda. It just adds something fun to it!”

An adorable painting for Queen "Elphaba"!

Roda with the decorated hive of Queen "Glinda"! "I paint on canvas when it's not beekeeping season," says Roda. "Pretty much it's acrylic on canvas...and then I do some commission work. When I started with beekeeping, I thought 'oh this will be a great way to use my art and make it fun for families and kids'."

Roda showcasing her gorgeous creations! “My next series of hives will all be Star Wars-based which will be great for Bee School next year with the kids. It keeps them interested, and you know, with my elementary education background, it’s all about, not just adults and beekeeping, but kids and families involved. Not necessarily even with beginning beekeepers, but what they can do for the honeybees and their local pollinators. Even just experiencing what it’s like inside a beehive,”. Because Indigo Acres Apiary is in Rockford, Michigan, they don't have to worry so much about massive heat waves heating up the hives too much. In warmer areas, generally hives are kept white to keep them cooler. Instead, Roda's hives have the luxury of looking fabulous all year round due to Rockford's mild climate.

The colors are outstanding on these hives! "We like to have them stand out - the different hives and themes," says Roda. "It's fun for the kids, too. And it's fun for me!" Roda also does commissions in the winter when she's not working with the hives. What's your Favorite Part? "I love the hive tours and the beekeeping experiences - I mean I love to paint, don't get me wrong, it's a passion. I love educating still, its the teacher in me, I love to see people learn and to get a fresh perspective. Then they become passionate about it, and then want to become a backyard beekeeper and you know, a mentoring program might take place," says Roda.

A look inside the Hive! "I have an observation hive for those people who are afraid and don't want to open up the big hives where I can take the bees from my hive, slide them into the observation hive with the clear windows - for kiddos that might be afraid or families who aren't sure about it but want to learn - they can watch the bees and watch the process, they can feel safe," she says. "Then they'll say, 'okay we're going to come back and do the hive experience' and then it's the beekeeping program and then its the mentor program. It's so fun to see over the years how people will start out and be afraid or unsure and how they grow and have this passion. It can be life changing." What's Next for Indigo Acres Apiary this Summer? "July, August and September are our huge hive tours and beekeeping sessions. This year we have added another large pollinator garden on our property. We've also added five new hives in that garden." "There's always something going on," says Roda. "We always say 'this will be a non-project year', but then its always something. Next year the plan is to add another ten to fifteen hives." Is anyone else Hungry for Honey? "Bee" on the lookout for some of Indigo Acres Apiary's amazing honey, and also be sure to check out their hive tours and beekeeping experiences. You'll be sure to be forever changed by this amazing experience and all that the wonders of nature and local pollinators have to offer! Most of all, remember the Indigo Acres Apiary slogan: "Plant a Flower; Save a Bee"! Read the full article

[tracingdandelions]

For Good

This is thanks to my absolute favorite musical being Wicked, as well as a personal headcanon that it would be Vex’s as well(I’m not over her stealing the broomstick and Laura singing a bit of Defying Gravity). Also thanks to @ourwritingprompts for this wonderful fuel for some of my loves. I highly recommend listening to the Wicked soundtrack if you don’t know these songs, or even if you do. It’s always a good time to listen to Wicked.

It’s nearing one in the morning when Pike hears movement and muttering coming from the laundry room. She slips out of bed and into the hallway just as Vex stumbles past back into her own room. She can’t quite make out the object in her grasp, but as she nears the other woman’s room she is almost certain on what it is.

She’s about to turn around and leave Vex to her usual late night shenanigans when a voice cuts through the air, “Elphaba, why couldn’t you have stayed calm for once. Instead of flying off the handle?” and she can’t help but burst into the room on the following beats, joining in with Glinda for the next lines “I hope you’re happy. I hope you’re happy now. I hope you’re happy how you’ve hurt your cause forever. I hope you think you’re clever!” Her voice growing to match the recording.

Pike’s entrance momentarily stuns Vex, as she obviously wasn’t prepared for a five foot tall pajama clad woman to bust into her room belting out Glinda the Good’s lines. However, she quickly recovers and jumps on Elphaba’s part, brandishing what is now visible as a broom in her hand. “I hope you’re happy. I hope you’re happy too. I hope you’re proud of how you would grovel in submission to feed your own ambition!”

They quickly fall into step as their voices join together, “So that I can’t imagine how. I hope you’re happy. Right. Now.” Faces wrought with false anger for their counterpart, they snap through the last notes.

Suddenly, Pike’s face softens as she sings “Elphie, listen to me. Just, say you’re sorry.” Pike’s pleading at this point, “You can still be with the wizard. What you’ve worked and waited for. You can have all you ever wanted”.

“I know. But I don’t want it - no - I can’t want it anymore”, Vex is on the bed now, looking at her hands as if she’s just realizing something about herself. “Something has changed within me. Something is not the same. I’m through with playing by the rules of someone else’s game. Too late for second guessing. Too late to go back to sleep”, at this she winks at Pike. Holding the broom in front of her she returns to her facade, “It’s time to trust my instincts. Close me eyes, and leap”. Here she does as the song commands her, falling backwards onto her bed, before she scrambles to get up and belt the rest of the song. She finishes with a vibrato, almost reaching the impossibly high riff at the end, holding her broom high above head.

This continues for several more favorites, the two of them laughing, dancing, and singing with abandon, until For Good comes on. They turn to look at each other, well aware that it was bound to turn up eventually, both falling into their respective roles of Glinda and Elphaba.

Vex kneels on the ground in front of Pike gazing into her eyes before beginning, “I’m limited, just look at me. I’m limited, and just look at you, you can do all  i couldn’t do. Glinda”. She pause with the lyrics, searching Pike’s eyes, “So now it’s up to you, for both of us. Now it’s up to you” She holds the last note as Pike takes her hands and leads her to the bed.

“I’ve heard it said, that people come into our lives, for a reason. Bringing something we must learn, and we are led to those who help us most to grow. If we let them, and we help them in return.” She brushes Vex’s hair out of her eyes. “Well, I don’t know if I believe that’s true. But I know I’m who I am today, because I knew you.”

She stutters through her next breath. “Like a comet pulled from orbit, as it passes a sun. Like a stream that meets a boulder, halfway through the wood.” She gestures with her hands, somehow conveying the sense, that these events, no matter how grand or small, effect each other in ways that are individual to each meeting. Each moment was meant to be. “Who can say if I’ve been changed for the better, but, because I knew you. I have been changed for good.”

Their eyes lock as Vex responds, “It well may be, that we will never meet again, in this lifetime.” Her eyes betray her bravado, as they begin to moisten, “So let me say before we part, so much of me is made of what I learned from you. You’ll be with me, like a hand print on my heart.” She takes Pike’s hand and holds it over her heart, “And now whatever way our stories end. I know you have rewritten mine, by being my friend.”

She sustains the note with a small hiccup as the tears start falling. “Like a ship blown from it’s mooring, by a wind off the sea. Like a seed dropped by a sky bird, in a distant wood. Who can say if I’ve been changed for the better, but, because I knew you.”

Pike’s voice breaks with the next line, “Because I knew you.” She grasps both of Vex’s hands with her own as their voices mingle. “I have been changed for good.”

Vex smiles. “And just to clear the air, I ask forgiveness for the things I’ve done you blame me for.” Looking to pike as her responsive eyes give that forgiveness and love tenfold as they turn to a solemn ‘we’re in this together’. “But then I guess, we know there’s blame to share.”

They join together again, harmonizing their way through the refrain, neither one taking their eyes off the other. Coming together again, their cheeks red from not only the emotions of the song, but how much it symbolizes their relationship. From the countless possibilities in how they could have met, or never met. How every bump in the road is exactly where it’s supposed to be, their fights, and make ups. The love they have kindled, not only for each other, but their whole group seems as if it was plucked from the stars and pulled together by the force of something unknown, but at the same time familiar. “Who can say, if I’ve been changed for the better”, They are a family, and although they might not always agree on everything, their meeting being a positive force in both of their lives is something they will always have, “I do believe I have been changed for the better.”

“And, because I knew you”.

Pike kisses the top of Vex’s hand.

“Because I knew you.”

Vex leans into her.

“Because I knew you. I have been changed. For good.”

They can’t seem to stop the tears, as they embrace, shutting out the world as it narrows to just the two of them. They barely notice as the door creaks open, a concerned Keyleth poking her head in.

“Hey guys, I heard real loud singing just a song ago, and now it’s dead silent, and I just wanted to make sure you’re okay, and, wait. Why are you crying?” She barely finishes her question before Vex sob-yells, “THE WICKED SOUNDTRACK THAT’S WHY, LEAVE US ALONE.”

And although Keyleth doesn’t quite understand how a song could turn her roommates into a mushy puddle. She closes the door just as the finale reaches it’s peak, and the two begin sobbing harder. They’ve never found a song that has ever encompassed their entire group as well as that one, and maybe one day their friends will realize just how happenstance their meeting was. And maybe one day they’ll understand just how much each of them means to the other. For bad and worse, and for good and better.

#Pike Trickfoot #Vex'ahlia #Vex #pike'ahlia #cr #so yeah #pretty sure I messed up with this one #but that's okay #and I know i'm writing modern au stuff #but i haven't caught up and don't wanna start writing anything close to canon until i am #modern au