Disclaimer: I still own nothing.
Author's Note: Sorry it's been so long since I updated, school has really gotten in the way but I'm back and I have lots more chapters mapped out so more will be up soon! Keep reading & reviewing!
The girls grabbed hands, holding on tightly as they created a powerful force field around themselves. The rest of the group pulled their weapons, not sure what to think as they looked up in terror.
"One witch is gone. The one that possessed you," she said, pointing at Az with a crooked finger and a nasty look on her face.
"One witch?" murmured Az, looking stricken at the thought of there being more than one out there. She held onto DG's hand a little tighter, her sister looked reassuredly at her.
"But you see," continued the hag, "I am a witch as well and it was MY SISTER that you two destroyed!" she screamed, growing angrier and angrier by the minute.
"Fear not little ones, I have need of you so there will no killing today, but you will help me avenge my sister's death as well as my mother's and aunt's" she said as she started cackling at the obvious affect she was having on everyone.
At this DG finally found her voice, questioning the other two deaths they were supposed to be helping her avenge. She understood the sister part, but mother? Aunt? "I don't know who you think you are, but we admitted to stopping your sister from taking over. We don't know anything about your mother or aunt," she stated simply, hoping to appear more confident than she felt. Why do bad things always happen when I enter the Eastern Guild? She thought, miserably.
"You are the youngest princesses of the blah and blah House of Gale, are you not?" sneered the witch. "What have they been teaching you about your lineage? Clearly they left out a few details about how you came to rule the O.Z. This will have to be corrected, I'm afraid, before you can hope to finish your journey and give me the slippers that belong to me," she said, clearly frustrated and puzzled over how these girls couldn't possibly know. Or were they just buying time? She wondered…
"Excuse me…slippers? This is about slippers? Can't you just go buy some new ones or something? I'm afraid I don't understand," said DG, trying to piece this altogether and failing miserably.
The witch turned to Tutor who at the time was in Toto form. "You dog, or should I say the beloved Tutor of the House of Gale brats? I suggest you inform them that you screwed up their childhood education and fix it pronto. I expect those ruby slippers in 3 days time. Or else," she said menacingly, making everyone cringe. Her cackling laughter only finished when her traveling storm had taken her away.
With it, all the horses and their belongings had run off in the direction of the palace, too afraid to continue on. Or perhaps too intelligent, thought the girls, though neither one voiced that opinion out loud.
Jeb called in a small group of resistance fighters and sent them off toward the palace to follow the horses and inform the queen and Ahamo of the situation. The riders nodded and took off at break-neck speed.
"Your Majesty," one of the resistance fighters said, approaching the queen who had been distractedly staring out the window at the horses that mysteriously had returned, her daughters not in sight, though a few resistance fighters seemed to be following the horses.
She turned around anxiously at the sound of her title, fearing the worst. Ahamo came over and placed a hand on her shoulder and asked "What news have you for us of our daughters and their friends? Why have their horses returned?"
The group of resistance fighters quickly filled them in on the situation finishing with "and their bodyguards decided that it would be easier to stay hidden, close together, and safe on foot as they had done that before" and the queen merely nodded, her hand over her heart.
"This is exactly what I was afraid of…"she trailed off, looking at her husband for the first time since the story had been finished.
He looked to her questioningly but before he had time to react, a travel storm erupted directly outside the palace, causing them to jump and look toward the window as the resistance fighters closed in around them just to be on the safe side.
The witch appeared outside, ordering the royal family to appear before her. She didn't seem to be one for taking "no" for an answer.
The queen, in her regal manner with her ever-poised brave front Az spoke of what seemed like an eternity ago out, agreeing to speak to the witch so long as she had not harmed her girls.
"I know what you are here for" the queen said as calmly as she could make herself. Unfortunately I'm afraid you have come for nothing as I do not possess the slippers you wish for.
The witch looked slightly amused at this. "I understand that you cannot hand them over. There are younger than you in the House of Gale that possess the ability. I suggest you…encourage them to learn their history lessons and fast. After all, they should know what it is they came from…or do you not know yourself? How many other generations have kept the secret of how the House of Gale came about and who they STOLE IT FROM!" she screamed, getting louder and louder with every word, then stopped suddenly.
"As I have told your daughters, they have 3 days to GIVE ME MY RUBY SLIPPERS! After that, I'm afraid…I might just have to settle for revenge," she said with a crooked smile and one last cackle before blowing out in a travel storm.
"I should have known it was too easy…I should have known," sighed the queen, trying not to cry as her husband wrapped his arms around her. "It wasn't Dorothy's fault…it wasn't Dorothy's fault," she repeated, sobbing into his arms as he helped her to sit down.
"There, there, darling. She won't harm the girls as long as she thinks she needs them. It worked on her sister with the emerald, why shouldn't it work now?" he asked her, glad to see her eyes look slightly relieved.
The group was still trying to regain composure after what they had seen and it took several minutes for anyone to say anything, much less for Az and DG to release each others' hand.
"DG"
"Mother?"
"My angel. I have seen the witch. I'm sorry I didn't prepare you more for it. I feared that the death of her sister might have released her as well but I wasn't sure. Quickly now, go to the Mausoleum and retrieve the slippers from The Gray Gale. Do not hesitate. Put them off and do not take them off or hand them over to the witch. It is our last defense. Quickly now, DG."
"Mother?!?"
"Mother?!?"
"What's wrong Deeg?" Az asked, looking concerned for a moment.
"Mom just sent me a mental message. She wants us to go to the Gray Gale and retrieve the slippers…" but she stopped, looking around in fear at who might be able to hear them. "I'll explain the rest when we get there," she mumbled quickly.
"We had better hurry then. You up for making a travel storm, Sis?" she asked, looking at Az.
"You bet. Let's go."
As soon as it was open, DG, Az, Cain, Jeb, Glitch, Erin, Raw, and the rest of the resistance fighters jumped through, landing in a section of the woods most were unfamiliar with. Those that were lucky anyways. Some landed in the water nearby.
"We'll be right back," whispered DG to the group as she, Az, Cain, and Jeb marched through the front doors. The Cain men looked around in awe at the family history they saw before them. When they got to Dorothy Gale's door, however, DG was forced to enter alone.
"You're the youngest of the House of Gale," Az said simply. You'll be safe in there, nobody else has access. Father told me that after she sealed the emerald inside she placed a shield charm that would only allow you inside."
"So that's why Dad couldn't join me," she muttered. "Wait, Az?"
"Yes, little sister?"
"How did you trap me inside if nobody but me can get in?"
"The Gale blood lets me enter the main door, Deeg. I just couldn't get to the Gray Gale. Not like you can. Go on, you'll be safe."
DG took one last look around, then nodded her head, saluted her friends, and entered the door. Everyone else waited outside, hoping beyond hope that this would all be over soon.
DG looked around inside, waiting to see the black and white version of Dorothy Gale, her namesake, to come up behind her like last time. She was not disappointed.
"I, uh…" she said, furrowing her brow. "I need your shoes?" she asked, hoping this was right. Those had to be the shoes.
"Yes. These are my ruby slippers. When I first came to the O.Z. from Kansas, my house fell on a wicked witch. The good witch from the North, Glinda, told me to put them on and not take them off no matter what the witch's sister said. They protected me throughout my adventure. Our magic stems from them and they have been kept safe here for many generations. It is your turn now. As long as you wear the ruby slippers, she cannot harm you. Do not take them off, DG. Do not take them off…." and at that the figure disappeared into the farm background and DG headed toward the door that would lead her back to her friends, trying to figure out how to make everything work.
"Well, what happened? Where are they?" asked Glitch, acting like a 5 year-old on Christmas.
"I'm wearing them. She told me that they would protect me as they had Dorothy. These are what the witch is after."
"Um, DG?"
She turned to Az to avoid the man who had questioned her and started heading for the main door when Cain grabbed her arm.
"Hold up Kid. If you're wearing them, where are they? Cause the shoes you've had on all day don't look like ruby slippers to me."
She merely looked down, smiled up at him and stated "No, they certainly don't Mr. Cain," with the most mischievous grin she could manage. He looked startled.
"So where are they then Deeg?" Az asked, wondering what her sister had done.
"Well, I was thinking…and the thing is they're really not that comfortable, not when compared to my tennis shoes anyways, but since I have to wear them…" she said, grinning.
"DG, what did you do?" Jeb asked, trying to look intimidating while being amused by the behavior of the youngest princess.
"Well…Az you know how the mobats worked?"
"Yes, of course, they were simple tattoos unless called upon by me…by the witch to be sent out in which case they transformed back into mobats but I don't see –" she paused, a look of comprehension on her face. "Oh, DG, you didn't…did you?"
"I thought it was worth a try at least and I did it, Az, I actually did it. I didn't know that I could but I figured it out!" She said proudly, pulling off her jacket and pushing her sleeve off her left shoulder for all to see a pair of shiny ruby slippers tattooed on her shoulder. "Now I'll be wearing them, but they won't be visible and she won't have to know I've found them. I've just bought us some time in case anybody noticed," she said pointedly, rounding on their bodyguards. "Does anybody have a problem with that plan?" she asked, looking angry at the elder Cain at any rate.
"Yes, actually I do," said Cain, matching the anger in her eyes. "You being rebellious may buy us a little bit of time but it certainly doesn't make it any easier to protect you than it did before.
"I'm sorry your job is so terribly difficult Mr. Cain," she said sarcastically, wondering if she should tell him the ruby slippers would also protect her. Then realizing that she didn't want to be cruel she added "but it would appear that the ruby slippers have special powers and one of them makes it so that the witch can't do anything to me, so I suppose your job just got easier Mr. Cain." With that she turned back to Az, trying to figure out what to do next.
As they reached fresh air another travel storm grew up around them and the witch appeared. "Have you found my slippers yet you foolish girls?" she asked, looking hopeful yet cruel all the same.
"No," DG lied defiantly. "We haven't. And it appears it may be awhile before we figure out how to get them so you're just going to have to be patient. Terrorizing us is not going to make the solution become apparent any faster."
"Foolish girls!" she screamed, riding off in a huff. The group just watched, and DG was the first to speak.
DG filled Az and the others in on everything that happened back in the Mausoleum, hoping that somehow they could figure out how to get rid of the witch. Clearly she was bound and determined to make it impossible to restore the O.Z. and who knows how many would be in danger before they finished her off.
DG's dreams were tainted that night with visions of a green witch riding a broomstick (totally not O.Z. standards) and cackling at the "foolish girls" below her. At one point she woke only to find Cain next to her. She started to fight him but decided it wasn't worth the effort and she tried to go back to sleep. He sat with her for awhile and put his coat over her until she fell asleep at which time he moved a few feet away wondering what the O.Z. had in store for her now.
"She's been through so much" he thought angrily. "Why is this happening again? It wasn't her fault. Sure she helped destroy the witch's sister, but that was definitely payback. She wasn't responsible for anything that happened before that." The thought of the witch targeting her made his blood boil, and the fact that she now had the ruby slippers to protect her didn't make him feel much better.