Once again I want to thank Purdy, she helped me with parts of this chapter and has been such a help in getting back into writing this story after such a long break.
<b>Previous Chapters:</b>
1: Moving to Kansas
<A href="http://blissfulignorance.com/phpBB/view ... 9490">Part I</a> , <A href="http://blissfulignorance.com/phpBB/view ... 9498">Part II</a>
2: Taking Him Away
<A href="http://blissfulignorance.com/phpBB/view ... 9517">Part I</a> , <A href="http://blissfulignorance.com/phpBB/view ... 9528">Part II</a>
<A href="http://blissfulignorance.com/phpBB/view ... ?t=9542">3: Good Witches and Bad Witches</a>
<A href="http://blissfulignorance.com/phpBB/view ... ?t=9646">4: The Yellow Brick Road</a>
<A href="http://blissfulignorance.com/phpBB/view ... ?t=9683">5: Glass Eyes</a>
<A href="http://blissfulignorance.com/phpBB/view ... ?t=9737">6. Hunted</a>
<A href="http://blissfulignorance.com/phpBB/view ... ?t=9769">7. The Cowardly Lion</a>
<hr size="1">
<center><b>CHAPTER VIII ? Across the Poppy Field</b></center>
The Cowardly Lion blinked and frowned, wondering why it was light when he was deep in the jungle. His face split apart with a huge yawn and he stretched his paws out, arching his back and licking his dry muzzle. Something shifted against his body and he turned his head to see a small girl curled up against his side.
<i>Relena</i>, he remembered, and the events of the day before became alarmingly clear. What was this infuriating, stubborn little female doing lying on him? Indignation rose up within him; he was not a cushion! He had a good mind to shake her off right now...but found himself staring at her instead. Her face looked peaceful in sleep, a hand curled into his fur to brace herself against him. It was hard to believe that she would dare to travel across the open fields to the Emerald City where he would not. He closed his eyes and sighed, dropping his head back down to rest against his paws.
?She was cold.?
Lion lifted his head up at the comment and peered at Tinman. ?I?m not a blanket.?
?You have enough fur for one,? Tinman impassively replied.
Lion gave him a menacing look and opened his mouth?
?You?ll wake her,? Tinman warned and Lion immediately stilled, giving her a cautious look. Thankfully, she was still sleeping. When he turned back, Tinman was watching him with amusement radiating from his eyes. Lion grumbled in irritation and, as if things couldn?t get any worse, Scarecrow yawned loudly from Lion?s left indicating that he was now awake too.
He stretched lazily against the trunk of the tree he was resting against. ?Good Morning,? He grinned and then squinted at Lion?s grumpy expression through sleepy eyes. ?Or not in your case. What?s up?? He then caught sight of Relena. ?Oh.? He chuckled and Lion?s expression darkened.
?Hold on,? Scarecrow?s smile faded and he glanced around, ?Someone?s missing. Tin can, pussy-cat, good-looking?? He counted, oblivious to the glares he got. ??Where?s poochy?? Everyone became aware that Toto was nowhere to be seen.
?Wuff!?
The muffled sound came from the direction of Lion?s stomach.
?You?ve eaten him alive!? Scarecrow said in horror.
?I have not!? Lion shot back, ?Why would I eat that scrawny, poor excuse for a snack??
Something gently wriggled in the crook between Relena and Lion. A small head poked out and gave a quiet bark.
?Hey!? Said Lion in outrage. It was one thing for Relena to use him for warmth but the runt was certainly not welcome to. ?Do you mind??
Toto gave him a cool look in return and jumped down, shaking his ruffled fur. Relena stirred in response and rubbed against Lion with a sleepy murmur. She slowly opened her eyes, widening them when they focused on the yellow body beneath her. She sat up hurriedly with a gasp. ?I?m sorry!?
?You were cold,? Lion concluded with resignation. He rose to his feet and her curious eyes followed him. Toto bounded past him and jumped into her lap.
?You should?ve woken me,? She said gently, scratching Toto behind his ear.
Lion shook his head, ?I needed to think.?
?Ah,? Relena nodded. She seemed to consider something and then asked carefully. ?And have you decided to come with us??
Indecision struck him; there were so many reasons to turn back and one reason to go on. The thought of returning to the homelands he once failed made him falter. If he was not strong enough what hope was there from the outset?
?Aw come on,? The rude disruption of his thoughts was caused by Scarecrow. ?We?re so close to the Emerald city we?re already practically there! Isn?t that right Tinman??
?Hn.?
Ignoring those two, Lion turned back to Relena who was patiently watching him. ?Do you really believe you?ll get what you ask for??
The question surprised her. Perhaps she hadn?t considered it? Lion inwardly snorted at such naivety as she composed herself and met his eyes. There was so much determination in hers, it accentuated the power of her words. ?I would always try no matter what.?
He looked at her in surprise and was forced to look away, slightly unsettled. This was coming from someone who was a mere feather against the forces controlling OZ. ?Mmm?? He said thoughtfully. Her face lightened and he felt uncomfortable. ?The Emerald city isn?t going to get any closer you know. Let?s get moving.? He declared and stalked off.
Behind him, Relena smiled and rose gracefully to her feet.
<center>~~~+~~~</center>
Lion actually disappeared and Relena was led to believe that they had lost him for a moment but catching sight of him again allayed her fears. He was where the last line of trees finally gave way to open land; standing there as if a physical barrier prevented him from going any further. <i>How strange</i>, she thought as she observed him. He was a confusing creature but his behaviour made sense to her on a familiar level. She couldn?t think where she could?ve met anyone else as stubborn as him though.
As for the others, Tinman had materialised beside her as soon as she had started walking and he had not strayed once. Scarecrow however, was in high spirits, probably because they were so near to their goal, and he bounced ahead to join Lion. As they drew closer, Toto suddenly barked and raced forward too. He stopped and looked back at her with an eager light in his green eyes. Coming in front of her, he barked urgently to speed her up. Intrigued, Relena complied and came to stand beside Lion.
The sight before her eyes was of an epic landscape. The skyline of the Emerald city took shape in the distance. Its tall green towers shimmered almost, like a mirage waiting to ensnare the thirsty traveller. A welcoming carpet lay before the city; a field of the reddest poppies ever splashed the scene with such vibrant colour it was overwhelming. Relena sighed at the sheer beauty of it.
?Wonderful,? She breathed.
?It?s the <i>Emerald City</i>,? Lion said. ?The capital of OZ. What did you expect??
?Not this,? Relena laughed and gave a happy twirl. She came to a stop facing Tinman, ?Isn?t it beautiful??
?I?ve seen the Emerald city a long time ago,? He replied, watching her instead.
She tilted her head in question but was prevented from asking him further about it as Scarecrow grabbed her hands and whooped, twirling her around. ?We made it! We made it!? He cheered and Toto barked along happily.
Scarecrow halted and pulled her close just as she started to feel giddy, loping an arm around her shoulders. He pointed at their green destination. ?See that? Do you know what that is? That?s my brain waiting for me right there!?
?It looks like a city to me,? Tinman?s deep voice came from behind her.
?Har har,? Scarecrow retorted, sticking his tongue out at him. ?Very funny.?
?Poppies have never grown around the Emerald city,? Relena heard Lion mutter to himself, barely perceptible over Scarecrow?s voice. She glanced at the rows of red flowers stretching across the land, covering every open patch till nothing else but poppies could be seen. As her eyes roamed across, something else shiny and bright caught her eye.
?The yellow brick road,? She pointed out to the others.
Sure enough, a yellow path left the line of trees further down from them. The poppies grew nowhere near it as it snaked through them lazily before widening out and disappearing through a large gate set in the great green walls of the city. Relena felt a slight pull towards it; a feeling like she would be safe if her feet were upon its hard surface again. She took a step forward.
?Look how far it is!? Scarecrow groaned, ?We?ll waste so much time when we could just cut across the fields and get there in record time!?
Relena tore her eyes away from the yellow brick road and stared at the city. ?Okay,? She agreed, ?let?s get moving.?
They had barely begun to walk amidst the poppies when Relena noticed that Lion was frozen on the spot. ?Come on!? She called back to him with a smile.
He stepped forward, looking uneasy. ?I don?t think?? He started to voice his concerns but faltered when Scarecrow grabbed her hand and hauled her away.
?Come on Relena! We?re so close!? Scarecrow said, barely giving her time to react as he broke into a run, pulling her after him. She gave a surprised laugh, which cut through the air clear and strong, as they overtook Tinman and he gave them a bemused look. Toto barked and raced after them.
?Wait!? Lion called out, disconcerted at being left behind. He gave one last lingering glance back at the dark safety of the Nevenmere before leaping into the flowers after her.
<center>~~~+~~~</center>
?WHAT!??
J almost flinched at the vehemence in her voice. Normally very little fazed him in life but the anger oozing off the witch pacing in front of him was quite unsettling.
?G, Alex, Mueller?? Une grated, ?How could this have happened?? Her dress swished against the floor as she did an about turn and faced J. ?How could you <i>let</i> this happen??
?You told me not to send any of my creations after her remember?? J replied as calmly as he could. ?And even though I <i>did</i> send one, I lost track of him in the Nevenmere.?
Une straightened, her hands clenched at her sides, knuckles going white. It was at tense moments like this, thought J, where anything was welcome to break the tension caused by the silence. As it happened, Wing chose that moment to fly in through the window. He did a double take and almost fell back out when he saw Une standing in the middle of the room. She didn?t waste a second and whirled on him.
?And YOU!? She snapped, ?You also did nothing.?
Wing gave J a quick look that clearly said, <i>I told you she would be angry</i>. His long forearms clutched the edge of the window as he looked back at Une. ?Did you wish me to waste your <i>limited</i> authority over me by exercising a command you hadn?t expressed to me yet?? He tilted his head and his voice became silent, coaxing. ?Why don?t you tell me to find her now? I could rip her into pieces for you; it could be so easy.?
Une opened her mouth but stopped herself. She snarled and turned away from him. ?I?m saving you for something else.?
J shook his head sympathetically; she wouldn?t be so easily persuaded to use the power of the winged monkeys so recklessly. Wing realised this deep down inside, J knew, but he still tried. He would always keep trying to gain his freedom from her.
Une stalked over to her crystal ball and swept her fingers over its clouded surface. ?Show me!? She ordered. The clouds inside parted to reveal Relena?s face. She was laughing, her hair flying behind her as she ran forward. J saw Wing?s empty green eyes widen and realised he was seeing her for the first time. He immediately knew what thoughts must be running through the winged monkey?s head; how could such a simple, innocent looking girl be causing them this much trouble? J fought back a chuckle and settled for clacking his metal claw in amusement instead.
Une?s face was grim as she watched Relena silently. J shuffled closer to get a better look as she shifted the scene and it panned out. One by one, all of Relena?s companions were revealed.
?Zero One!? J whispered in excitement. His beloved creation was alive and with her! Hope swelled inside him at the thought; soon the witch would catch this girl and then Zero One would be his again. He could barely contain his glee at the thought. He glanced up at Une and shrank back at the intense fury in her eyes. She was more interested in <i>where</i> the glass ball was showing rather than whom; red poppies lined the ground and that only meant one thing. <i>Oh dear</i>, J became worried, the girl was almost on the doorstep of the Emerald City. Thoughts of Zero One vanished immediately.
?Damn this meddlesome girl!? Une slammed her hands on the stone pedestal. ?I must stop her from getting any further,? She growled. The room began to grow dark as she extended her hands over the ball. She flexed and curled her fingers, uttering words in some arcane language with her brows furrowed in concentration. The air became thick around her, causing J to step back when he started choking and was unable to breathe. Wing shook his head in dismay and pressed back against the stone walls in an attempt to distance himself from the witch as much as possible. His white wings swirled over to cover his front like a shield.
Une raised her arms as the glass ball crackled and began to glow. ?Rise my poppies,? She commanded in a voice thick with the dark magic she was casting.
?Take her to the realm of dreams.?
<center>~~~+~~~</center>
?Scarecrow you?re going too fast!? Relena?s feet stumbled to keep up and she laughed breathlessly. Despite his attempts to encourage her forward, she started to lag and soon enough her hand slipped from his grasp entirely. She slowed down and let him run ahead as she caught her breath. The poppies swayed and brushed against her bare legs with a feather light touch that made her shiver. Scarecrow looked back over his shoulder as he continued running. ?Giving up already?? He teased. Toto growled in reply.
?Don?t count on it,? Relena yelled back with a laugh and started jogging after him. She faltered and put a hand to her head with a frown as the world suddenly tilted unsteadily. Toto barked and tugged at her dress.
?I?m moving, I?m moving,? Relena stepped forward unsteadily and blinked a couple of times to clear her head. Her vision was losing focus now and again and Scarecrow had become a blurry spec that grew smaller and smaller. Toto stared at her uncertainly before he started barking worriedly.
<i>Why am I so tired?</i> She wondered, feeling strangely exhausted, and to the point where she felt dizzy and disoriented. Her arms and legs felt so heavy she could hardly move. A heavy weight was pulling at her and her mind was filled with thoughts of lying down among the soft flowers?so soft, like a bed?no! She had to stay awake. Relena clutched her head but now her vision was full of swaying poppies, their dark centres pulling her in while her world was surrounded with red.
She was so tired. Maybe if she lay down for a minute and closed her eyes then she could sort her head out?only for a minute?<i>Now was not the time to sleep!</i>
The barking in her ears was replaced by a soft whine.
She jerked up. ?Toto?? She cried in a half panicked daze. ?Toto! Where are you?? She could not hear him anymore and she feebly searched the swaying poppies for him with eyes that were becoming too hard to keep open.
<i>
Everywhere was red?
?Only for a minute?
?Sleep?
</i>
She could not fight it any longer. Her eyes rolled upwards and her body fell backwards, sinking into the midst of the poppies as they claimed her.
<center>~~~+~~~</center>
Tinman thrust aside the poppies with his hard body as he followed Relena and Scarecrow?s passage, his eyes never leaving her form as she ran ahead. Lion caught up with him and settled into a steady pace by his side, nervously glancing round but seemingly taking comfort in the metal man?s presence. Tinman couldn?t care less about the large feline beside him; he was watching the way Relena laughed, listening in silent wonder to the distant light sound that was carried to his ears.
Relena broke free of Scarecrow?s grasp and slowed to a stop. Tinman narrowed his eyes, trying to determine what was happening. She was probably tired running at that pace and had stopped to rest. The poppies rustled around them ominously and Lion jumped in alarm, distracting him. He turned his eyes to the big cat.
?I don?t like this!? Lion hissed at him, lifting his paws gingerly while stepping forward, trying to avoid touching the poppies around him. ?Something?s wrong with these flowers,? He complained.
Tinman?s eyes swept over the poppies around them but he saw nothing out of the ordinary, the flowers were still as they should be. He dismissed the paranoid lion with a shake of his head and flicked his gaze back to Relena just in time to see her sway and fall backwards, disappearing from sight.
?They moved I tell you!? Lion hissed at him haughtily. His eyes widened as Tinman surged forward suddenly, his joints creaking loudly with the sudden force exerted on them. Lion yelled after him and then also broke into a run, his huge paws thundering along the ground. Ahead, Scarecrow began to run back towards them, sensing something amiss.
Tinman slowed to a stop as he approached the place where Relena fell. She was sprawled on the ground, eyes closed and hair splayed out. Tinman fell to his knees beside her, a strange sharp twinge flooding through his body at the sight of her. He hurriedly put his head against her chest and heard the faint thud of her heartbeat within. Her chest was also rising slightly beneath him, an indication that she was still breathing normally. He lifted his head and gently shook her by the shoulder.
?Relena,? He rumbled. She just lay there with her eyes closed, as if she had fallen into a deep sleep. He shook her a little harder and repeated her name more urgently but she wouldn?t wake. His body felt tight, like some growing pressure was bending the tin metal inwards.
?What happened!?? Scarecrow skidded to a halt beside Tinman, looking panicked.
?I don?t know,? Tinman answered; a troubled frown on his face.
?Well whatever?s happened to her has happened to Lion and Toto too.? Scarecrow clutched the sides of his straw hat in dismay. Tinman stood and spotted Lion?s body sticking out like a small hill where it had fallen while following him. Toto was a little harder to spot. He was lying nearby, hidden among the grassy stems of the flowers.
?What do we do?? Scarecrow started pacing, Tinman watching him walk backwards and forwards. ?We can try carrying them.? He suggested. ?One of us can take Relena, the other can take Toto and then we?ll both try err?carrying Lion." He tried to get Relena up but strained with the effort and in the end; he couldn?t seem to get more than her shoulders to rise with difficulty. ?She?s too heavy for me to lift with this straw body,? He panted, ?You try.?
Tinman moved forward smoothly and put his arms around her but when he attempted to lift her, she wouldn?t move. Confused, he tried again and found he could only lift her slightly more than Scarecrow.
?I can?t move Toto either,? Scarecrow called out miserably. Tinman gently lowered Relena back onto the ground, ?It?s magic,? He concluded. That was the only reason why he couldn?t move her now when he had so easily held her in his arms before.
?Of course its magic!? Scarecrow waved his arms at him frantically. ?And it couldn?t be anyone casting it but the witch!? His voice rose.
?We should stay calm,? Tinman advised.
?Calm! I?m?err you?re right,? Scarecrow breathed. He looked around them but the Emerald city was still quite far away, the dark line of the Nevenmere behind, and there was nothing else around them for miles. ?Well, if all else fails,? He muttered and took a deep breath. ?HELP!? He yelled at the top of his lungs.
?Somebody help!!!?
<center>~~~+~~~</center>
Une threw her head back and laughed out loud at the sight of Scarecrow finally losing his cool. Wing looked at her anxiously, sparing glances at J.
?What did you do?? J asked curiously when Une?s laughter subsided.
Une stepped back from the ball and gave a wicked smile. Her gown subtlety became darker until it was so black that she seemed a wear a hole in nature itself. ?The key target, my dear J, is to trap her so that she?s alone and vulnerable, without the help of her friends. Now she cannot be moved any closer to the Emerald City and neither will she wake up and leave a place where her heart desires her to stay.?
?And now we kill her?? Wing hopped forward, eager to be called for the task.
Une surveyed the ball, ?I want her to die inside her sweet little dream so that she loses everything dear to her before her very eyes. That?ll teach her to take something of mine.?
?How diabolical,? J snapped his claw together, impressed. ?Once she dies in her dream, her body will be devoid of any life. Then you?ll take the slippers.?
?If I?m feeling generous, I?ll give her body to you J to play with.? Une remarked absently as she thoughtfully traced the surface of the ball with a nail. ?However, the dream realm is not easy to navigate; I need to send someone appropriate for this task.?
She moved away to a wooden shelf stacked with strange items to meet all her dark needs and grabbed a small grey pouch. Untying the string, she tipped a silver looking dust into the palm of her hand. With a flick of her wrist, she threw the dust into the room where it spiralled crazily in the air.
?Quinze,? She called.
Immediately, the dust moved round to form the shape of a wispy looking man. He was spindly with deep lines etched across his sunken face. His eyes were small and they roved aimlessly around the room as the dust continued to complete him. When he was fully formed, they came to rest on Une, the one who had summoned him.
A dream spirit was what he was; a drifter who wandered into and out of the realm of dreams at will. His kind was native to the north lands of OZ and their chief concern was to enter the dreams of others and make mischief. Quinze had sold his allegiance to escape the inevitable destruction of his home lands but had never been of much use in service, until now.
?My spirit,? Une said, her tone all sweetness and silk. She pointed at the image of Relena, ?You will go to her dreams. Find and kill her.?
He bowed low, the thin strands of his white hair falling forward limply.
?Make it painful Quinze and don?t disappoint me.? Une added.
A smile stretched across his face and he bent his head lower in acquiescence. ?Lady,? He replied obediently.
?Now go,? Une ordered.
Quinze straightened and his body flew apart into the particles of dust that first formed him. The cloud of dust seeped into the crystal ball and disappeared from sight. Une turned her gaze to Wing with a smug smile. He looked back at her miserably and her smile grew wider. ?Keep your monkeys ready, the time to use them is coming.?
Instead of showing his elation, Wing shrank back uncertainly. She chuckled and grabbed her pointed hat from the table, fixing it on her head. ?Come on J!? She said loudly, ?We have much work to do.?
?What for?? J asked.
?Why we must start preparing of course,? Une smirked. ?As soon as the slippers are within my grasp, we bring war to the Emerald City.?
She swept out of the room and down the circular stone steps, J clanking after her with his metal leg supports. Wing watched the glass ball mist over as she left then took to the air, deeply troubled and feeling the need to return to the company of what was left of his kind.
<center>~~~+~~~</center>
With Scarecrow?s cries for help resounding in his ears, Quatre materialised into a long, narrow corridor with tall glass windows. He leaned heavily against the wall for a moment, beads of sweat glistening on his face, before he began to make his way onward. The windows were laced with frost at the edges, the land beyond covered with snow. The cold in the north lands seeped through and extended into the palace, causing him to shiver slightly. It was such a sharp contrast to the warm sun that always graced the south. The passageway eventually ended and he entered a small empty room with a single occupant. She was standing at a window, staring blankly outwards at the endless snow. At his arrival, she turned to appraise him with sharp grey eyes that tore through him.
?You look tired,? She observed coolly. ?You should know better than to travel so far needlessly, you?re not that powerful anymore if you remember.?
Quatre managed a small smile, so cold and yet he knew that was her way of saying she cared. ?I needed to see you,? He said seriously, ?Something?s come up.?
?I gathered,? She narrowed her dark eyebrows, ?Since Une broke the seal, things have become chaotic of late. I knew you?d come sooner or later.?
?There?s a girl,? Quatre said slowly, ?She?s??
?Infamous.? The word slid off her tongue like ice on glass. The woman sauntered over to Quatre, her silver gown sliding along the floor behind her. Her grey eyes gleamed at him with a mixture of amusement and intrigue. ?News spreads fast about the White Dove; the great heroine who shall liberate all Oz from Une. It just screams poetic justice doesn?t it??
?She?s in trouble,? Quatre finished.
?And I heard she was doing so well,? His companion gave a pout. ?What a pity.?
Quatre took a long look at her and sighed, this was going to be difficult. ?I can?t do anything to help her,? He said steadily, ?But you can.?
She seemed surprised at his suggestion, ?How so?? She inquired curiously.
?You know and understand the realm of dreams; you can find Relena and get her to wake up before Une does something to her.?
Putting her hand on her hip, the Keeper of the North gave him an incredulous look. ?You do realise convincing anyone to abandon that place is impossible? People get quite attached to their dreams,? She said with a hint of scorn entering her tone.
?I thought you?d be up for the challenge,? Quatre threw back at her, crossing his arms.
She blinked at him, then her lips curved upwards slowly. ?I <i>am</i> always up for the challenge.? She said and tilted her head, staring at him with sudden interest. ?You really think she?s worth saving don?t you?? She scrutinised.
?Yes.? Quatre said resolutely. ?The fate of Oz depends on her.?
?Well well,? She said with amusement. ?This doesn?t sound like your average poor soul that needs saving. Now I simply have to meet the little angel and see what all the fuss is about.?
?Dorothy?? Quatre gave her an exasperated look.
?I?ll try and be nice,? She promised with a wink and little giggle.
?You also have to be careful,? Quatre said worriedly,
?Dear, sweet Quatre,? Dorothy purred, ?You?re always so considerate. Don?t worry, I?m one step ahead of you.? She flicked her blonde hair over her shoulder. ?I already know who I?m up against.?
?Oh??
?Une would?ve sent that traitor Quinze,? Dorothy?s eyes glinted like sharp flint. ?He?s very old and good at his ?game?. I think I?m going to have fun.?
?Don?t forget,? Quatre frowned, ?Relena may be just an innocent girl but those slippers could give Une the power to destroy us all. Also, although the spell is centred on her, it has also caused Trowa to sleep and that means??
?I know, I know,? Dorothy waved a hand at him with a bored expression, ?Don?t fail basically. I understand and I don?t intend to.?
?Sorry,? Quatre gave an apologetic smile. ?I forgot who I was talking to.?
?You did,? She sniffed haughtily. ?But you?re forgiven.? She crossed her arms outwards and closed her eyes, whispering a single word under her breath. A silver wand with an ice crystal at its tip appeared in her hand. She opened her eyes, ?I?m ready,? She announced grandly.
?You could take some of my power,? Quatre offered.
She gave him an offended look, ?I?m not Une.?
?No,? Quatre agreed, ?But you?re not taking it by force, I?m offering it to you.?
?I don?t need charity,? She said adamantly.
?Fair enough,? Quatre didn?t push the matter and withdrew. Dorothy stepped towards him when he did and put her hand on his shoulder. Bringing her face close so their cheeks were almost touching. ?Thank you for the offer though, my other,? She whispered into his ear and he closed his eyes and leaned very slightly towards her in acknowledgement. The silver headband on her hair sparkled and Quatre?s circlet seemed to absorb the shine and became brighter. The harmony of gold and silver traversed down their clothes to the tips of their feet until it was a dazzling sight. Dorothy pulled away, ?Wish me luck.?
?Good luck,? Quatre whispered as she vanished.
<center>~~~+~~~</center>
?Somebody please help!!?
?Will you cut that out?? Tinman looked at Scarecrow as if he had gone mad.
?This is the last resort,? Scarecrow paused to answer stubbornly, ?Because we?re not leaving them behind.?
?Nobody can hear you,? Tinman stated monotonously.
A small pop, like that of a bubble bursting, echoed around them and suddenly, a young woman appeared beside Relena?s prone form. She shimmered with silver in the sunlight as she lowered her gaze to inspect the girl lying at her feet.
?Pretty,? She admitted, absorbing every detail into the grey depths of her eyes. ?She looks quite like the angel she?s supposed to be,? She remarked sardonically.
?Who are you?? Tinman demanded, moving closer. He met a gaze as cold and icy as his own in reply.
?My my,? Dorothy gave him an appreciative look. ?J really outdid himself with you didn?t he?? Tinman narrowed his eyes and the light in them became hostile.
?Get away from Relena,? Scarecrow waved his arms to ward her away as if she were an annoying parasite. Dorothy thinned her lips and gave him an arrogant glare, ?And here?s the rest of the rabble.?
?What do you want?? Tinman stated bluntly, his body tensed to spring at any sign of suspicious action from her.
?I must look at her if I?m to find her now aren?t I?? She said in an amused tone, explaining as if she were addressing small children. ?You two be good boys now and wait right here until your dove wakes up.?
She leaned down and touched Relena with the tip of her wand. Confused by her words, the two were slow to move. From their positions they never had time to stop Dorothy, for she was right next to Relena, and they were assaulted by a sharp bright flash of silver light before they could reach her. Another pop reached their ears as Dorothy vanished immediately with the sound. Relena remained, still as ever.
Scarecrow gave Tinman a defeated look. Things were happening that they did not fully understand and as a result, they were helpless. ?What do we do?? He said at a loss.
Tinman had gone blank again, his thoughts difficult to read. He moved back towards Relena, revealing the focus of his attention at least, and settled down beside her. He stroked the scattered strands of her hair before moving his hand to cup her cheek softly and tilt her face upwards towards him.
?We wait,? He finally said, his gaze never wavering from her sleeping face.
<center>~~~+~~~</center>
Relena felt consciousness creep into her mind through the darkness. The darkness persisted because she refused to open her eyes. She was well aware of the fact that she had fallen asleep somehow and for some reason, there was some doubt as to what would be waiting for her when she did choose to open them. She lay still and tried to absorb her surroundings with her other senses.
She was in a bed. This was a certainty because if she shifted the slightest bit, she could feel the smoothness of the sheets covering her and the warm, enveloped feeling surrounding her body. Nearby, she could hear the distant humming of motors; the voices of people, indistinguishable from one another; and other noises that were hard to identify but merged with the others to form an indistinct clamour. It piqued her curiosity and she wondered whether she should open her eyes and discover where she was. There was something terribly important about where she was, she could feel it in her bones but there was also something pulling her away?a warning in her subconscious that once she opened her eyes, she would be lost and there was no turning back.
While she lay there in her predicament, she heard the creak of a door opening and footsteps that came closer. A warm, soft hand was laid against her head and it felt so familiar and comforting that Relena had to stop herself from arching into it. All that she could think was that she had missed this touch for so long.
?Relena,? A gentle, female voice whispered to her, ?It?s time to wake up my dear.?
The warning faded away into nothingness as she obeyed and opened her eyes slowly. The woman hovering above her with a smile was middle-aged, her brown hair tied up into a bun and her lips painted with a soft tint of red. It was a face that caused her to gasp as joy overwhelmed her.
?Mother!? She cried happily and all knowledge but the present slipped from her mind as she was finally lost.
<center><b>TBC</b></center>
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<b>A/N:</b>
Character equivalents:
<i>Dorothy:</i> Good (although questionable sometimes) Witch of the North
<i>Quinze:</i> Dream spirit
Thanks for reading
