** UPDATE! **

An embarrassing oversight on my part was revealed by MajorVidGamer on 1/28/16 regarding the fate of Cayke, the Cookie cook. Her fate has been revealed in this recent correction of the story's epilogue. Sorry about that!

My thanks to MajorVidGamer for his vigilance! :)

Right! Let's bring this story to its...unique conclusion! ;)

EPILOGUE:

Just before Dorothy's eyes opened, she worried that she would be in her bed back in Kansas, her entire experience nothing more than another incredible, life-like dream. Aunt Em would be making breakfast, and Uncle Henry would be sipping at his coffee in the nearby kitchen.

But when the Kansas girl's eyes did open, she knew that while her bedroom back home was nice enough, it wasn't nearly as extravagant as the bedroom in the Emerald City that she actually woke up inside of.

Looking at her arms, Dorothy saw that they were human skin once more, and she could feel herself breathing normally as she rubbed at her eyes. Looking down at herself, she saw that she was clad in an emerald-colored nightgown, and her hair was no longer in curls. The follicles ran straight and long down her back, and was parted down the middle.

Dorothy smiled, however, with the memories of the experience the ether had given her. She remembered every second of the time she had spent with the Scarecrow, although she realized that this time, it was her own experience, and not one the Scarecrow himself would recollect, given his nature as a stuffed, magically-animated humanoid.

She was at least happy to have given him an experience very much like a dream, however.

Looking curiously in the bedroom's drawers, Dorothy saw that all of her clothes…including her blue gingham dress…were clean and neatly folded. As she had wanted Ozma to see how she looked when she first visited the land of Oz, she pulled out the blue gingham dress. She crafted her two long, braided pigtails from the basis of her straight hair as well.

Jellia Jamb personally served Dorothy's breakfast, but there was an additional reason for this as the Kansas girl began eating her morning meal. "Princess Ozma has requested your presence in the throne room once you're done eating, dear." Such was the message Ozma herself had asked Jellia to share with Dorothy.

The savior of Oz nodded in understanding as she continued eating. When she was finished, she headed for the throne room. It felt strange that she did not need to walk down a long hallway just to get there, as she found herself standing in front of the princess within 5 minutes of finishing her morning meal.

Ozma, who once again wore her shimmering, gauzy white gown, and held her large, scepter-like golden wand in her hands, smiled when she saw how Dorothy looked. "Greetings, my dear." The girl-like fairy began. "Finally, I get to see how you looked when you first arrived in our lands."

Dorothy smiled. "I can't thank you enough for letting my Aunt and Uncle live with me here, your highness."

"They were moved to a new plot, by the way." Ozma reminded. "The house is located in a different place. One which should allow your Uncle to produce an abundance of fresh crops. I had the Scarecrow go down to help them get adjusted."

Dorothy nodded. "I hope their crops don't have any problems with that Crow King the Scarecrow told me about."

"I have already dealt with that little problem." Ozma noted. "As I have forewarned that rascal that I would be watching him, he has assured me that his charges would stay away. They have henceforth been forbidden to intrude upon any crops unless they have been otherwise given permission by the resident farmers."

"Well! That should make Mr. Bolger happy!" Dorothy replied, relieved that the situation had been addressed.

"There is, however, one other little problem that has been brought to our attention." Ozma then remarked, her expression a little more serious. "It's the reason I wanted to have you come down here this morning, Dorothy."

"How can I help you, your majesty?" Dorothy asked, surmising that she was in for another potentially wild and perilous adventure.

"Well…it's not actually me you will be helping, my dear." Ozma replied, a slight smile on her face.

The next familiar voice she heard came from behind the throne room seat. "Miss Dorothy…" the somewhat haughty female voice began as the munchkin Headmistress of the Learning Guild slowly stepped out, wearing a fresh new schoolteacher's dress. The top was a black-spotted white blouse, and the soft cotton skirt was full and black. She began slowly pacing around the Kansas girl as she spoke. "…it has been brought to my attention that one of our recent additions to the Guild's tutor staff…an educationally-astute munchkin who happens to bear your first name…and you are, in fact, one and the same person. As I understand it, the witchcraft Auntie Lo used was required to assist in your evading the notice of the winged monkeys when they had sought you out, once you had arrived in Munchkinland?"

Dorothy nodded, blushing a bit in the understanding of where this conundrum might be headed. "It was, Headmistress Philomena."

"And yet, you had accepted the august task of educating a certain munchkin girl…Tula, I believe?" Philomena reminded. "Now that our conundrums involving the usurper has been resolved, and the coronation of our new princess performed, the sterling reputation of the Learning Guild would suffer an embarrassing blemish had we refused to properly educate a child, despite even these admittedly unique circumstances."

"Well…to be honest, I…I'm not much of a teacher, Headmistress Philomena." Dorothy admitted, still blushing. "I haven't even finished school myself. Back in Kansas, I was still going to school. I was on summer break when the twister came to our home."

"And yet, you were able to answer all but one of the required examination questions, did you not?" Philomena countered.

"Well…yes, but…"

"Which essentially provides a solution that solves both problems, Dorothy." Ozma added. "Bear in mind, too, that I have spoken with your Aunt and Uncle on this matter, and they have both understood how…important this will be for you."

As much as Dorothy didn't want to sound hesitant or contrary, there was something she needed to remind the Headmistress in fairness. "Headmistress…I…I should tell you, in all honesty, that I…I cheated when I took that test. Locasta gave me a pair of…"

"Magic glasses?" Ozma interjected, smiling amusedly. She then rose from her seat and slowly walked up towards the nervous Kansas girl. She then held up a pair of familiar munchkin-sized glasses. "Are you referring to this, Dorothy?"

Dorothy lowered her head. "I'm so sorry, your highness…Headmistress…"

Philomena, however, smiled over this admission, appreciating the honesty over something she had suspected all along. "If anyone is to be reprimanded for their naughtiness, I would surmise Auntie Lo to be more of a culprit, yes? To have provided you with an enchanted implement intended to deceive those questioning your integrity?"

"I still should have been more honest with you, Headmistress Philomena." Dorothy admitted, still feeling ashamed.

"Then…perhaps, you can rationalize this to be a gesture of penance, Miss Dorothy." Philomena reasoned. "As opposed to honoring a favor to the guild that you have truthfully sworn an oath to…and it should be noted that an oath made within a munchkin social organization is binding. Even if you were not, in fact, born as such."

Dorothy nodded, smiling. "I understand, Headmistress. It's okay. I'll be Tula's tutor…but, well, I hope you'll understand if I need to use, you know." She gestured to the glasses Ozma held before turning to the smiling princess. "I…don't suppose you could make the glasses a little bigger?"

But Ozma waved her wand in front of, and then over, Dorothy's face, sprinking small bright motes of fairy magic all around the surprised savior of Oz as Philomena replied. The head of the golden wand glowed as its streaming fairy magic began to diminish the Kansas girl's size. "I'm afraid I must divulge a certain…caveat, Miss Dorothy, seeing as how if one has sworn to the oaths of a munchkin guild, the person making such oaths must…herself, in your case…be a munchkin. I am in the hopes for your understanding of this vital necessity, Miss Dorothy."

Ozma's harmless enchantment was, of course, based on Locasta's recollection of Dorothy's appearance when she was wearing the disguise, and so the Kansas girl once again had the knobby nose, the pudgy hands, the round belly, the hairstyle with the spiralled sideburns, and the slightly higher voice shared by most munchkins. As before, this was no illusionary appearance, and she found herself looking eye to eye with the smiling Headmistress in her amazement at her own transformation…and then, looking up at the giggling fairy princess as the motes of streaming magic faded.

"I…I'm gonna be a little small for my room here…" Dorothy admitted, hearing her munchkin tone once again.

"Perhaps you can use Auntie Lo's home in Munchkinland, Dorothy." Ozma reasoned as she handed the enchanted munchkin glasses to the transformed Kansas girl. "At least, until Tula's tutelage is done. Once she has been educated to the satisfaction of the Headmistress, you have my word as the princess of Oz that I will personally see to your restoration, and you can return to your room here in the royal palace."

Dorothy stared down at herself as she placed the glasses back on her nose. She then looked back up to Ozma with another possible conundrum, remembering what Glinda had said about the fairy princess casting an enchantment on a whim rather than letting her people know in advance. "Did you tell my Aunt and Uncle that you were going to do this to me?"

But Ozma nodded. "Your Uncle Henry found the notion understandably difficult to comprehend, but I did assure him that there are very little differences between munchkins and humans aside from the size difference. Your Aunt Em was a little more understanding, since as much as you will be tutoring Tula, you will also be finishing your own necessary schooling with the help of those glasses."

"Who knows?" Philomena added. "You may find our practices as enjoyable as some of our Munchkinland customs, dear. Perhaps after you are finished with Tula, we can convince you to…"

"Now, now, Philomena. We both agreed that once Tula's tutoring is finished, Dorothy will have honored her part of the bargain." Ozma reminded, wagging a finger in emphasis to the now-blushing Headmistress.

Philomena shrugged, however, a sly smile on her face. "Couldn't help it. Miss Dorothy is such a cute little munchkin, after all." She placed a hand on the bespectacled educator's shoulder. "Shall we acquire a taxi bound for Munchkinland, so I can personally explain the tutelage procedures to you? It may take a couple of days, and then you can formally begin your tutoring the very next day, bright and early."

Dorothy lightly sighed, resigning herself to this unique fate. She then nodded in emphasis. "Yes, Headmistress Philomena."

"Oh, and Dorothy…" Ozma reminded, seeing Philomena lead her restored tutor to the door. "…don't forget to eat. Munchkins may be light sleepers, but they do tend to get peckish quite often."

Dorothy nodded, smiling a bit in her remembrance of her near-starvation the last time she was in a munchkin body. "I won't forget, your highness."

Although a part of her was understandably nervous at having to go back to being a munchkin, she knew she had friends among the munchkins…particularly Ojo, Farmer Bolger, Doctor Pipt, and Margolotte…and she was at least assured that her Aunt and Uncle had been alerted to Ozma's intentions in this unique arrangement.

Which, Dorothy had to admit, was far more compelling than sitting in a classroom and listening to a teacher droning on…and on…and on…in subjects that it was a challenge to even pay attention to.

The munchkin girl just hoped that her own tutoring efforts would not be quite as boring as some of her teachers were. Once the green horse pulling the cab…with Dorothy and the Headmistress aboard…arrived in front of the guild headquarters, Philomena went right to work in educating the former human in the procedures and the etiquette of being a tutor.

They were later joined, prior to lunchtime, by the two Vice Headmistresses, who certainly made Miss Dorothy's tutoring education a bit more lively as the day went along. In much the same way as most school days progressed in the outside world, Dorothy's three teachers stopped about three hours past noon, and three hours after taking in a most nourishing lunch which certainly made Dorothy feel quite heavy, but entirely satiated afterwards.

It should be noted, too, that unlike the first time, Dorothy remained very much herself rather than running the risk of losing her identity to a mindset that was not her own. It was fairy magic holding her to the munchkin visage, after all, and it was certainly not a matter of improperly-mixed potion herbs!

Nevertheless, Dorothy felt compelled, once the Headmistresses had dismissed her for the day, to board a taxi bound for the palace of the Good Witch of the North.

Locasta remembered to angle her head down when she opened the doors to her quarters, but the sight of the savior of Oz…once again, in the form of a munchkin…took her by surprise, and she let out a gasp.

Dorothy just smiled meekly in response.

Locasta had to blush. "I suppose you came to complain?"

Dorothy shook her head, still smiling. "Was this your idea, though?"

"I…will admit to being an accomplice, yes." Locasta slowly replied. "After all…we can't just neglect your education just because you're the savior of Oz. Besides…it would certainly keep Prudence from being anymore of a nuisance to the Learning Guild."

Dorothy nodded. "I just hope Tula likes me."

"Oh, I'm sure she will. Especially if you share a story or two about the adventures of the legendary Dorothy Gale!" Locasta noted. "You could use that as a reward for her being a good student, if you wanted." She then gestured for the munchkin to step in. "Come join me, dear. I'll have tea prepared for both of us."

"But…I won't need it." Dorothy noted. "I mean…look at me." She gestured to her smaller body.

Locasta giggled. "I meant regular tea, sweetheart! Besides…I'm sure you have questions to ask, yes? Perhaps I can help you understand how tutoring works among the munchkins."

Dorothy walked in, nodding, and Locasta guided the cute little munchkin to a nicely-designed sitting room. Locasta provided a munchkin-sized chair for Dorothy while attendants of the palace presented both Locasta and her munchkin guest with fresh, warm cups of tea on polished ceramic saucers as they settled into their respective seats.

Dorothy's first question seemed obvious once she had sipped some of her tea. "For how long will I be tutoring Tula?"

Locasta shrugged at this. "Depends on how much Tula learned in her time as a maid in the Emerald City. As I remember it, Tula was taken to the Learning Guild to be given a tutor, but there was a delay. This gave her the chance to slip away to the city. She was caught, but she was able to make friends with the Wizard of Oz, who allowed Tula to become one of his maids on the provision that Jellia see to her education. The problem there was that Jellia was so busy with her own work that she never had the time to educate Tula in anything other than the duties she gave to her maidstaff. That was about as much learning as Tula received, I would think."

"So I guess she has a lot of learning to do." Dorothy concluded.

"Which, in turn, gives you the educational equivalent of what is required of you in the outside world, hence the genius of the suggestion I gave Ozma." Locasta explained. "Bear in mind, though, that Ozma has eliminated the aging process, so at least you won't have to worry about growing older as you go, right?"

Dorothy nodded. "That still doesn't answer my original question, though."

Locasta thought on this. After a moment, an idea occurred to the Good Witch of the North. "Yes, that seems like a good way to find out…remember the black slate on the easel that you saw in my home when you first met me, dear? The one which made you think I was a painter?"

The bespectacled munchkin nodded curiously. Locasta rose from her seat, and then pulled off the pointed hat she wore. She then tapped the tip of this hat to the end of her nose three times, counting out with each touch. "One…two…three!"

On 'three', the hat changed shape until it was the very same slate Dorothy saw upon the easel. It hung in mid-air between the two, and words suddenly materialized upon the slate's black surface.

APPROXIMATELY TWO AND A
HALF YEARS WILL BE REQUIRED
FOR DOROTHY TO PROPERLY
EDUCATE TULA

Dorothy's eyes widened in her surprise. "Mercy me…two and a half years…"

"And in all that time, you will be learning as well." Locasta reminded, the slate turning back into a hat when she went to retrieve it. She then gestured to the glasses Dorothy wore. "Thanks to those, of course."

Locasta's munchkin guest pulled the glasses off the bridge of her nose for a moment. "You realize that I was cheating on an examination with these glasses. If Philomena had noticed..."

Locasta giggled at this. "You'd be surprised how many of their tutors had come to me for help in advance of past examinations. I heard Philomena added a question to her examination that required initiates to remove a suspicious item they had on their person for it."

Dorothy's eyebrows raised in surprise. "So I wasn't the only one who had cheated?"

"Oh, I wouldn't use the term 'cheating' in your case, dear." Locasta reminded. "You were, after all, trying to keep up appearances until you were able to get to the Emerald City. You didn't come back to Oz just to join the Learning Guild, did you?"

Dorothy shook her head, drinking more of her tea.

"Once Philomena began to suspect that initiates may have been cheating, I stopped honoring such requests. My intentions for giving you those glasses, however, was to convince any who questioned what you were that you were indeed an educator. I imagine the tea and biscuits that changed you the first time might have been responsible for your developing a want to become part of the guild, hence your swearing to those binding oaths of theirs." Locasta surmised. "Nevertheless, I see no logical reason to keep from having you continue to use those Learning Glasses during your time as a munchkin tutor, Dorothy."

"Is that what they're called?"

"Mm-hmm!" Locasta confirmed, smiling and nodding. "They once belonged to a Professor…Nowitall, I believe. As I remember his story, he was the child of a wizardess who came to believe that knowledge was more powerful than magic, and she therefore poured as much knowledge as she could into a pair of glasses she owned using her magic, which she then gave to her son as a birthday gift one year. Although he was already a very knowledgable boy, he never gave up his desire to learn more and more…and since those glasses were designed to absorb and collect knowledge, and be able to pass it on to its wearer, I think you're going to be as adequately schooled as Tula will be by the time you are finished with her."

"Was the wizardess a munchkin, though?" Dorothy asked.

The benevolent gillikin witch shook her head.

Dorothy arched an eyebrow. "Then…how come they were munchkin-sized when you first gave them to me?"

Locasta smiled in admiration of Dorothy's naturally inquisitive nature. "Well…Philomena did need a way to convince the Munchkin Council of Guilds and Leagues that she was a proper educator!"

Dorothy gasped, her eyes boggling. "She cheated?"

"To noble ends, but…yes." Locasta confirmed, smiling amusedly. "As Professor Nowitall and her mother were human, I needed to modify the glasses to be able to fit on the nose of the future Headmistress. When they came back into my possession, I had its appearance altered further so if they were ever used again in Philomena's presence, the Headmistress would not be reminded of her…secret advantage. As I said, though, her intentions were good. There was, after all, no education system in the land of Oz before the Learning Guild was proposed."

"What happened to the wizardess? And Professor Nowitall?" Dorothy then asked.

"I believe the wizardess is long gone now, but her son? He may still be around." Locasta replied. "Older, and certainly wiser. Just like you will be when you are done with Tula."

"Well…wiser, anyway." Dorothy noted. "I don't think I'd wanna get any older."

Locasta arched an eyebrow, still smiling, although this time in a thoughtful way. "Forever young, eh?"

"Wouldn't you want to be young again?" Dorothy wondered aloud.

"Actually, I'm quite fond of my age at the moment." Locasta answered. "If only to show that not every old woman trained in witchcraft is a wicked one. Glinda, on the other hand, prefers to maintain a youthful appearance. My coven-sister, however, is far older than I am. In fact, it would not surprise me if I ever learned that she is, in fact, among the oldest living humans on the earth."

Dorothy looked quite amazed at this notion. "Wow…"

Locasta then added another suspicion once she took a sip of her tea. "Assuming, that is, that Glinda is even human to begin with."

The munchkin frowned in confusion. "But…if she's not human, then…neither are you? I mean…aren't you sisters?"

Locasta giggled at this. "Oh, I'm sorry, dear…I should explain to you the difference between a sister and a coven-sister. You see…witches, like Glinda and I, are not related by blood, and common witchcraft tenets hold that there must be at least three witches for a coven to be formed. You could say that Glinda and I, in witchcraft terms, are a 'working couple' in the outside world…but here in Oz, we considered ourselves as much a coven as the wicked witches were during their reign of terror, except the Wicked Witches of the East and the West were not only coven-sisters, but actual sisters as well."

"Did that make them any more powerful?" Dorothy asked.

"Well, the notion of them being sisters didn't make them any more, nor any less powerful in magic. As a coven, on the other hand, they could combine their power. Before you arrived, I was powerful enough to stand against the Wicked Witch of the West, but not her sister, who was far more powerful compared to me. That was the reason Glinda and I agreed to form a coven of our own. With two good witches in the north and the south defying those in the east and the west, the end result of our first clash as covens was a hard-fought stalemate. A stalemate that was essentially broken…" Locasta then held out a finger to Dorothy in emphasis. "…when your house landed on the East Witch."

Another thought now occurred to Dorothy as she drank her tea. "Did any of the witches…or the covens…make that twister that brought me to Oz?"

Locasta shook her head. "No…that was a purely natural occurrence, Dorothy. As I understand it, you bear the mark of a fairy that touched you at birth. I believe that might have factored into the tornado bringing you to our lands, as opposed to what happens when most homes are struck by tornadoes."

"Glinda told me there were others touched by fairies." Dorothy noted. "I wonder if we'll see anyone else come to Oz. It'd be nice to have friends who came from the outside world, like I did."

"If not old friends returning, perhaps?" Locasta amusedly observed. "I have a feeling that we may see the former ruler of Oz again in the near future."

Dorothy nodded. "Glinda thinks he'll come back, too."

"It came to me in a diviniation, though…and that divination was nothing more than an idle curiosity. I didn't expect to see that he could very well return." Locasta replied. "But I suppose it's fate for that charming old humbug. After all…with a name like Oscar Zoroaster Phaedrig Issac Norman Henkel Emmanuel Ambroise Diggs, he seems suited to being a resident of our lands, don't you think?"

Dorothy nodded, smiling, as she finished her tea. "I…hope you don't mind my using your home in Munchkinland, by the way. While I'm like this."

Locasta pleasantly shook her head. "Not at all. I've already relocated everything to my quarters here in the palace. You should find that your own belongings have been similarly relocated…and in the case of your clothes, re-sized…to my old home as well. Consider it yours for as long as you remain among the munchkins, dear. Who knows? Maybe old Auntie Lo might want to stop by and visit for tea and biscuits sometime." She added a sly wink to this last statement.

The bespectacled munchkin then slipped off her chair and got back on her little feet. "I think I'll go back, then. Start getting used to my new home. Thanks so much for the tea, Locasta."

The benevolent gillikin witch rose from her seat and bent to a knee to hug the munchkin educator Dorothy had become, and she kissed the former Kansas girl on her forehead. "If I can be of any further assistance, please let me know…Miss Dorothy."

As the cab made its way out of the Gillikin Country and began its approach to her Munchkinland home, Dorothy felt relaxed, and oddly content despite her situation. All was well, for the most part, although while she did have some concerns, they were minor ones, and ones that would likely resolve themselves in time.

Master General Commander Jinjur stood at the door to her home when the carriage stopped in front of it. The supreme commander of the munchkin armies was at full, unflinching attention, and Dorothy was a little concerned for whatever matter compelled the commanding officer to post herself at Locasta's home as the bespectacled munchkin approached Jinjur.

But when the educator approached the soldier, Jinjur…still standing at full attention, fished into a pocket of her uniform and pulled what looked to be a trio of long metal objects attached to a ring, which she held out to Dorothy.

"Your keys, Miss Dorothy." Jinjur confirmed, keeping a dutifully straight face. "Welcome home."

Dorothy smiled as she took the keyring. Jinjur stepped to the side, still at attention, allowing the house's new munchkin resident to unlock her front door for the first time.

She then planted a kiss on Jinjur's cheek, feeling an odd, but harmless sense of munchkin sweetness as she did. "Thank you, Master General Commander Jinjur." She heard herself chime unto the soldier.

Jinjur performed a dutiful bow in response. "At your service." She firmly replied. The Master General Commander then turned from the house and marched away, maintaining her military decorum.

Once she was inside the very quaint, but very lovely-looking interiors of the house, Dorothy heard a series of excited yips, and the sound of little paws hurrying up towards her.

"Toto!" She exclaimed, and she bent down to run her munchkin hands over the little dog's black fur as he panted happily. "I guess you don't mind my looking like this…yeeess, you know it's me, don't you?" Licks to Dorothy's face seemed to confirm this as she picked up the happy cairn terrier. "Looks like I won't have to worry about needing a guard dog to watch over the house while I'm away, either, will I? Goooood boy!"

Dorothy spent the rest of her first day back among the munchkins looking over her new home as Toto followed her. The living room, the kitchen(which had been fully-stocked, with a large, uncooked meal of beef stew already on the table and ready to go in the oven), the back room, the bedroom…the house's newest munchkin resident even saw that the subterranean tunnel space was still there, although she was at a loss to figure out what to do with it. As Dorothy was no witch, she could hardly make it the kind of workshop Locasta had used the space as. Perhaps a classroom, she thought? Something similar to what she was used to seeing back at her school in Kansas?

For the moment, Dorothy decided to keep the area bare, heading back upstairs so she could set right to the task of cooking her first meal, turning the oven on and placing the delicious-looking beef stew…its beef made up of meatstalk meats…in the oven, noting that the convenient oven mitts on the countertop were not only just her size, but also of a patchwork quilt design.

A part of her began to wonder, upon seeing the mitts, about Mombi's last warning to her. Watch what you eat, she had said. Watch what you drink.

She began to wonder if the stew had come from Mombi herself…but she noticed a card that had dropped on the floor once Dorothy picked the beef stew up from the table. Picking it up, she began reading.

Consider this a housewarming gift.

Thanks SO much for freeing us!

- Doctor Pipt & Margolotte

(PS: Margolotte's still bugging me about making a patchwork girl for her…do you think I should?)

With Jinjur having maintained a close and unsolicited watch on the house prior to her arrival, it seemed entirely hard to believe that Mombi could sabotage Dorothy's food and drink even if she wanted to. The wicked gillikin witch was now powerless. Defeated. For the time being, Mombi was harmless.

But Dorothy knew that this, in time, would not last.

Pouring a bit of the cooked stew into a small bowl for Toto, the bespectacled munchkin pulled a much larger and deeper bowl and filled it with as much stew as it could hold, digging deep into the delicious meal, and finishing that first bowl within a few minutes.

Once she had finished her fourth helping, the large stew bowl was practically empty, and Dorothy felt very, very full. Her tummy looked a little larger with the added weight of her meals, but this didn't give her any kind of discomfort.

She smiled contentedly with half-lidded eyes as she sat before the large front window with a full mug of lacasa in her small hands, having pulled the living room's easy chair over to a good vantage point near this window, and quite comfortably watched the residents of Munchkinland go about their evening business outside as Toto laid at her pudgy feet for a nap. Some of the residents caught sight of Dorothy sitting near the window, and waved pleasantly to her as they passed. Men tipped their hats respectfully, and women nodded, all of them with pleasant smiles on their faces.

Although she was quite obviously not herself in appearance, Dorothy Gale was nevertheless content as she smiled back and nodded to those who acknowledged her outside as she removed her glasses and polished them idly with a handkerchief she found in one of the pockets of her tutor's dress.

Her only real concern, for the moment, was whether or not Tula would prove to be a good student.

After everything she had been through, however, it was a far less troubling thought.

Two months later…

Tula sighed out loudly. "Awww…do I have to go over this again? I don't like math, Miss Dorothy!"

Dorothy adopted her more firm tone of voice. "Now, now, Tula. There are not too many people who do like math, but if it is a requirement, you've got to be tested on it. We can take that break you wanted after you correctly recite it to me. I know you can do this by now, too."

Tula lowered her head. There was no arguing with the fairness of it all, and she remembered Miss Dorothy stating that after tomorrow's examination, she would never have to go over it again.

She therefore lifted her head and spoke slowly, based on what she remembered. "The square of the length of the hypotenuse….equaaaals…the sum…of the squares…of the other…I mean, of the lengths of the other two sides."

Dorothy nodded. "So if one of the other sides has a nine-square length of three, and the other has a sixteen-square length of four, what do the squares add up to?"

Tula took a moment to think this out, looking to the space above as she lightly whispered out her figures. She then looked to Miss Dorothy nervously as she gave her answer. "Twenty…five?"

Dorothy now smiled, spreading her pudgy hands to the sides. "I knew you could do it."

Tula's eyes boggled in her pleasant surprise. "I got it right?"

"You sure did!" Dorothy confirmed, seeing the very same answer on the inner lids of her enchanted glasses. "Congratulations! We can take that break now…and don't you forget this when I test you tomorrow, Tula." She wagged her finger to Tula, warily, in emphasis of this last reminder.

Tula nodded, smiling. "I won't." She then grabbed the small bag she had next to her as Dorothy led her student towards the front door of Prudence's home. Prudence herself had paid proud witness to her daughter's accomplishment, and beamed as both teacher and student walked out her door.

The bespectacled munchkin tutor was reflective in her thoughts as she followed Tula over to a Munchkinland forest area, near the cave locale which the Woozy once used for his lair. The abandoned cave had since been opened up, the restrictive fences removed and its inner space widened for use as an emergency shelter area as per Master General Commander Jinjur's astute suggestion.

The Woozy himself remained a very close friend of Ojo the Lucky, as he was now widely-known. Within those two months, Ojo himself became more than just a loyal member of the Lollipop Guild.

He became its Guildmaster.

Ojo often visited the China Country to keep up the friendship he had formed with the China Mender, who despite his not being a china boy anymore continued to refer to the lucky munchkin boy as a yīngxióng…a distinction which always made the Lollipop Guildmaster blush whenever the Mender flirtatiously mentioned it.

It was to Dorothy's more lasting relief that her Aunt Em and her Uncle Henry, following their initial unease at seeing the Kansas girl's munchkin appearance, nevertheless understood that no matter what Dorothy Gale looked like, she was the very same girl they had raised since the adventurous savior of Oz's infancy. It was a bit tougher for Uncle Henry to deal with, as he found the actual existence of magic in this fairyland a little hard to accept, but Aunt Em assured Dorothy that in time, the hard edges of his opinions would eventually soften. He had at least embraced a tolerance of what Dorothy had been turned into, although he had to be reminded that Ozma would indeed change the munchkin tutor back into the young human Kansas girl she was born as once her responsibilities as a tutor was done.

Master General Commander Jinjur continued to check in on Dorothy from time to time, making sure she was not being hassled by other munchkins, and helping her to understand elements of their culture. Doctor Pipt's wife, Margolotte, was also instrumental in helping Dorothy to fit in with Munchkinland society. It was revealed, too, that Doctor Pipt had finally given in to Margolotte's repeated requests to have a patchwork girl made to help Margolotte with her tasks around the household. Unc Nunkie felt compelled to help the Doctor in this regard. His perpetually unsure opinion had actually changed as the result of a secret visit by Dorothy herself, who gave her blessings on one condition. If a patchwork girl was to be created, she should inherit the name Dorothy came up with when she had been turned into one herself.

The Cowardly Lion's majordomo, the Hungry Tiger, found himself inundated with requests from various creatures of the forest…from the mightiest of apes and bears to the smallest of squirrels and field mice…to join their nascent Legion of Courage once word had spread of the Lion's defeat of the huge arachnid menace. Both the Lion and the Tiger also insisted that they serve as bodyguards to the Princess Ozma in the diplomatic initiatives she had wanted to begin implementing since settling into the distinction of being the ruler of Oz.

Nick Chopper continued to guide the winkies who had willingly accepted him as their Emperor through the recovery process, which was essentially finishing up around the time the tin-plated monarch sent crews to the Emerald City to assist in its own recovery. It was Nick who made the proposal for the four vassals of Oz…himself, Boq, Mauveine IV, and Glinda…to meet with Ozma regularly at the Emerald City's royal palace, on a monthly basis, to discuss any and all matters large or small within the lands. Nick was also initially startled by Dorothy's munchkin appearance, but once she explained the 'penance' she was willing to perform in tutoring Tula, Nick deemed Dorothy's willing acceptance of the decision a heartfelt gesture of personal sacrifice and humility.

As the Scarecrow had already seen how Dorothy looked as one, his reaction wasn't quite so dramatic, and the bespectacled munchkin simply explained the situation involving her oaths to the Learning Guild, and her being ordained to tutor Tula within a two-and-a-half year lifespan. Noting Dorothy's worries about her Aunt and Uncle's reaction to what had happened to her, the Scarecrow resolved to be as close a confidant to Emily and Henry as the Scarecrow was to Dorothy. The former king of Oz also reminded the munchkin tutor that should she wish to see the princess of Oz for any reason, Ozma would always make time for the concerns of the savior of Oz.

The munchkin tutor, however, said nothing about the forthcoming patchwork girl Doctor Pipt had ultimately resolved to create. A part of her worried for whatever feelings might manifest between the two, even though she had given her blessings for the Doctor to proceed with the required work.

Regardless of whatever would happen between the Scarecrow and this new version of Scraps, Dorothy knew that she and the Scarecrow would always be the very best of friends.

Dorothy had also learned that Cayke, the Cookie Cook, was not only found, but restored to full flesh-and-blood mobility. Assured that Dorothy was safe and sound, and all was well in the Emerald City, Cayke rejoined her fellow yips in their Winkie Country community. Whenever a banquet, or any other special event, was called for in the Emerald City, she made a solemn vow to return and provide as many cookies and pastries as possible courtesy of the dishpan that had been returned to her.

Tula herself was initially moody at the thought of having a tutor on their first day together, but Miss Dorothy attempted Locasta's suggestion…sharing stories about Dorothy Gale…as a reward for being a good student, and the bespectacled munchkin even threw in elements of her Kansas school life before the coming of the summertime tornado that brought her to Oz, using all of it as a context towards teaching Tula the benefits of study, hard work, determination, trust, and other such valued tenets she had lived by rather than to always use a firm voice and a noticeably extreme teaching style some of the other tutors had bragged about within the Learning Guild.

The munchkin girl thus found herself liking her bespectacled munchkin tutor, and she did not find Miss Dorothy's teaching methods too harsh or disagreeable. Tula appreciated Dorothy for her sense of fairness as a tutor, as she was willing to reward the young munchkin for being attentive to her lessons. Beyond the necessary tutoring time each day, Tula would return to the Emerald City in her maid's uniform so that Jellia Jamb could assign her the tasks she was used to doing. Initially, Tula hoped to get Jellia's help in dodging the tutoring the day before she was to begin with Miss Dorothy, but Jellia refused outright. She had already been firm on refusing to give Tula any maid's work unless she completed her educational regimen under Miss Dorothy.

Tula led Miss Dorothy to a lovely-looking terrace filled with flowers from all over the land of Oz, some of them representing each of the five colors of the flag of Oz. There were flowers with deep red petals, roses with blue petals forming a cup around a deeper blue bud, purple-colored chrysanthemums, and yellow tulips. They all decorated the area around a central gold statue bearing the perfect likeness of a certain brave Kansas girl and her little dog. Dorothy remembered its expression as being the one that was no doubt on her face moments before she observed that she was no longer in Kansas.

Surrounding this statue was a series of marble benches forming a circle around it, and Miss Dorothy settled into one of them as Tula opened up the paper bag she had with her.

The munchkin girl glanced to her curious tutor. "I hope they come here. I want you to meet them."

Tula then pulled scraps of bread upon one of the unoccupied benches near where Dorothy was sitting, making sure the pile was just like the ones Ugu had instructed her to make for hungry birds. Once she was satisfied, Tula stepped slowly away from the pile.

"Tula, dear?" Dorothy chimed. "Can I ask you something?"

The munchkin girl turned and stepped curiously over to her tutor.

"Now, this is a very important question, and I need you to answer me honestly, OK?"

Tula nodded, awaiting the question.

Dorothy felt a little embarrassed about her need to ask, but she went ahead anyway. "How am I doing? I mean, as your tutor?"

Tula's head tilted curiously to the side as she absorbed this question. She then shrugged, smiling a bit. "You're doing fine, Miss Dorothy."

"Are you learning things?" Dorothy then asked. "Do you think you can learn from me?"

Tula shrugged again, her smile still on her lips. "Sure. I think you're a good teacher." She replied. "I still hate math, though." She added with mild disgust.

Dorothy giggled sweetly at this. "I know. So do I. I'll try to think of a way to make it more interesting, though."

Melodic chirping and tweeting interrupted their moment as Dorothy and Tula turned to the pile of breadcrumbs…and saw a pair of doves begin to peck at it hungrily.

Tula gasped in her elation. "They came!" The happy munchkin girl whispered. "It's the same two doves I've been feeding. They must really like me!"

Dorothy nodded as she thoughtfully looked to the pair of hungry doves eating away at the slowly-shrinking pile of breadcrumbs. Tula carefully added another pile as the birds pecked away at their provided meal.

One of the doves, however, stopped to stare straight at Dorothy. No doubt the bespectacled munchkin surmised that the avian visitor was curious.

Or…was there more to this particular bird than Dorothy initially thought?

The answer ultimately came when the dove gazing at the munchkin tutor suddenly flapped over to perch on Dorothy's shoulder, turning around to watch the other dove continue eating.

The curious munchkin tutor turned her eyes to meet that of the idling dove. They just stared at each other in that moment, a slight smile on Dorothy's face.

Tula caught this moment as she arranged her third pile of breadcrumbs. "Ooh! That one must like you!" The munchkin girl quietly observed.

If she was right about what this particular dove used to be, Dorothy certainly knew why.

Other doves joined the two, descending from the skies to feast upon the crumbs the munchkin girl was so generously making available to them. Both tutor and student watched contentedly as the birds continued pecking away at the piles.

Back at the Emerald City's royal palace, Ozma and the Scarecrow smiled at this pleasant image playing upon the Magic Picture in her boudoir. Ozma knew that the bird who chose to perch on Dorothy's shoulder had once been an old human shoemaker from Herku…

…and that his companion had once been, and still was, his brother.

With willing munchkin farmers working for them voluntarily in the fields not too far from the terrace where Tula was feeding the doves, Aunt Em and Uncle Henry couldn't help but gaze toward the Emerald City contentedly as they stepped out onto the front porch of their fully-restored farmhouse. They still found it entirely hard to believe that everything Dorothy had told them about that strange, but wondrous land over the rainbow was no fever dream at all.

It was everything Dorothy had said it was. A land where there were kind hearts, strong brains, and plenty of courage. In one contented moment, the newest residents of the land of Oz could not help but come to a single conclusion regarding the magical fairyland they were now a part of.

There was, truly, no place like it.

~{ THE END }~

And, alas…as of December 30st, 2014…the tale is told(and updated, as of 1/28/16)!

(Which is to say that I had been preparing chapters in advance of their being posted to the main story, and the rough draft of the Epilogue was completed on the above date!)

As much as I am tempted to write another Oz story that picks up where this one ended, I'm going to leave that decision to you, the good readers, who have been (hopefully) enjoying this story. Feel free to post your reviews, as always! Do you feel this could qualify as a legitimate sequel to the 1939 MGM movie?

My thanks to those who have been following it, and my apologies to those who did not like it for whatever reason.

I have been mulling over the possibility of writing a follow-up to the well-received Labyrinth: The Secret Door as my next fanfiction-related project, but culling ideas I want to use for such a sequel is proving to be a bit difficult since I left all the characters reasonably content in their happy endings when I finished that first story. Fans of that story are welcome to send me private messages with plot angle suggestions(which, of course, may be subject to radical alteration!).

Otherwise, I may just continue to chronicle Dorothy Gale's continuing exploits as a new resident of the land of Oz.

I'll close with a "Read More About It" moment: The Ruby Slippers of Oz primarily combined the main plots of two Oz stories…The Marvelous Land of Oz and The Patchwork Girl of Oz…both of which were written by the late great Royal Historian of Oz, L. Frank Baum. Certain elements of this story were culled from other books of the series that Baum himself had written(such as the phanfasms, who were among the evil armies the Nome King recruited in The Emerald City of Oz).