Finding The Good

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from the film Oz: The Great and Powerful and I'm not making any money from this fic

Summary: AU. SPOILERS. Even though he's supposed to be dead, Oscar - now the Wizard of Oz - discovers a way that might break through to Theodora, now a wicked witch

Pairing: Oscar/Theodora

Warning(s): Spanking; spoilers for the film Oz: The Great and Powerful; AU

Author's Note: I went to see Oz: The Great and Powerful a few days ago, with my niece and sister. Ever since then, this story has been playing on my mind


As Oscar looked around the treasury, the sight of all the gold and jewels didn't fill him with the same joy it had only a few days ago. He felt like he'd grown up very quickly since he'd come to Oz. Besides, every time he thought to enjoy something about his new position, all he could see was what Theodora looked like now; as if she were truly one of the evil witches he'd described to her.

"There's nothing to stop you going out into the kingdom in disguise."

Oscar turned at the gentle voice behind him, meeting Glinda's gaze. The woman stood a few paces behind him, her wand held gently in both hands. The danger was past for the moment, but Oscar knew that they couldn't relax completely. Not while Theodora and Evanora were still a danger.

"Or is it something else that's bothering you?" Glinda continued when Oscar didn't say anything.

From the tone of Glinda's voice and the expression on her face, Oscar imagined she already knew what was wrong. He answered anyway. "I can't stop thinking about Theodora. I know it was my fault that she's become... a wicked witch." He gave a self-deprecating shrug.

"It wasn't your doing," Glinda replied kindly. "Theodora always had a temper. Something small would have triggered it. Perhaps this was inevitably to be her fate, although I had hoped otherwise." A sad look passed across Glinda's face. "I always thought she would learn to control herself. She always strived to do the right thing."

"So there isn't any hope for her?"

"Her appearance now comes from taking a bite of an apple," Glinda explained. "The apple poisoned her heart and turned it dark with hatred and envy."

"Then there isn't any hope for her." Oscar felt saddened, in much the same way as when Theodora had refused to acknowledge his attempt to reach out to her.

"I didn't say that."

Oscar shook his head. "What do you mean?"

"Why do you want to save Theodora?" Glinda asked.

Oscar paused, taken aback by the question and not sure how to answer it. "Because it's the right thing to do," he answered finally.

"That's not a good enough reason."

"What would be a good enough reason?" Oscar asked. He thought about Theodora and felt a faint stab of guilt at the memory and how he'd acted with her... with every pretty woman he'd encountered. Before he'd come to Oz, he hadn't allowed himself to feel anything approaching guilt. Every time the pangs had started, he'd come up with an excuse for what he'd done.

He didn't have any excuses to hide behind now.

"Do you love her?" Glinda asked.

A denial sprang immediately to Oscar's lips, but he choked it off before he could speak it. Did he love Theodora? He thought it was Glinda he should love. She was Oz's equivalent of Annie, the only woman Oscar had come close to loving in his own world. But when he thought of Theodora - the Theodora he'd met on first coming to Oz, not the witch she'd become - he felt a tangle of confused emotions. And he couldn't deny the fact that it was Theodora he thought the most about.

"I see," Glinda said quietly.

"I didn't say anything."

"You didn't have to, Wizard." Glinda smiled kindly. "I know what's in your heart."

"It doesn't matter, does it?" Oscar felt hopeless. "The only way to stop her is by breaking her wand - and that will kill her."

"If you're determined enough, there is another way."

"What is it?"

"You need to make her feel."

Oscar slowly shook his head. "She already feels."

"The only emotion she feels now is anger. Everything else has been burned away and her heart turned to stone. But even so, there is still something of the Theodora from before inside. You might be able to reach through to her where no one else could."

"I don't know what I could possibly say to make her listen to me."

"There's nothing you could say. You need to be prepared to take on the role of the guide to Theodora. Even if you succeed in forcing her to release her negative emotions, it won't be the end. You will need to teach her to control her temper, so that something like this doesn't happen again."

"She's not a child," Oscar objected.

"No, she isn't," Glinda agreed. "But she was innocent - an innocent with power she couldn't truly control and a sister who manipulated her. Unlike Theodora, Evanora chose this evil for herself."

"What do I need to do?"

"Find her - and punish her," Glinda answered. "I will weave a spell of protection around you that will allow you to overpower her. She and Evanora will not be able to harm you and neither will their creatures."

"Punish her how?"

Glinda smiled. "You're the wizard. I'm sure you'll figure it out."


Oscar stood outside the gates of the Emerald City, looking at the yellow road. Glinda had given him a necklace to wear that she claimed would protect him, but Oscar wasn't sure how well it would work. It wasn't that he didn't trust Glinda - or doubted her powers - but he knew how powerful Theodora was now.

"Where are you going?"

Oscar paused and turned round to see Finley standing behind him. The monkey was eyeing him worriedly - or maybe he was just watching him. The monkey's face tended to look worried perpetually. Oscar wasn't sure what he could say to ally the monkey's worry, but he tried anyway. "I was planning to go for a walk."

"What if someone sees you?"

Oscar had already given that possibility some thought and decided that, if he was challenged, he'd merely claim to have no knowledge of looking like the wizard. Not every citizen of Oz had laid eyes on him - and although he could have asked Glinda to create some form of disguise for him. he'd decided against it. Perhaps he could pretend to be the wizard's representative or something similar...

Oscar abruptly realised that he hadn't answered Finley. Pulling himself out of his thoughts, he spoke to the monkey. "Remember, not many of the citizens of Oz know the truth about me. I have several ideas for if I do run into anyone."

"Why are you wearing a necklace?" Finley asked.

"It's for protection," Oscar explained after a moment, unwilling to lie to his friend.

"Why would you need...?" Finley fell silent, a suspicious look coming across his face. "You're going after Theodora, aren't you?"

"I have to help her." It wasn't even that long ago that Oscar would have lied to Finley - but as strange as it seemed, his true friend, here in Oz, was a flying monkey. "Glinda told me of a way it might be possible."

"I'm coming with you."

Oscar smiled, warmed by Finley's support even though he knew he couldn't allow the monkey to come with him. It would be too dangerous. "You have to stay here. You're the only one I can trust to look after everyone here while I'm gone."

"But you're not a wizard like the old King was," Finley said. "What if Theodora or Evanora hurt you?"

"Do you trust Glinda?" Oscar asked.

"Of course I do."

"Then you know that the protection she's given me will work," Oscar said. "I'll be protected from the witches and any of their creatures. And I'll be back before you know it." He tried to summon up a reassuring smile.

"Be careful," Finley said, not looking at all convinced.

"I'll see you soon," Oscar promised, before turning and walking away.


As he reached the end of the road, Oscar stopped and took out the charm Glinda had given him. They'd both agreed that it wouldn't do any good if Oscar went searching for Theodora. Glinda had created a charm that, once activated, would send out a call - primarily to Theodora, but Glinda couldn't guarantee that she would be the only one summoned, which was the main reason behind the protection Glinda had placed on him.

After a glance around to make sure there were no citizens of Oz close by - Oscar was protected, but he couldn't be completely sure anyone else would be - he took out the charm Glinda had given him, in the shape of a small silver rose, and lay it flat on his hand. He then waited, letting his own body heat warm it.

Once the silver was no longer cold in his hand, the charm began to glow with a soft light. Instead of expanding outwards like Oscar would have expected, however, the light shot straight upwards. Oscar tilted his head up and back, watching the light and suddenly feeling unsure of this plan. How could anyone else not respond to a sudden great light shooting up into the air, even if magic was common in Oz?

Oscar waited, not sure how long it would be before the charm worked. He seemed to have been standing there for an age, his legs beginning to cramp and a crick working its way into his neck.

There was a shape approaching from the western direction. Oscar blinked and shifted from one foot to the other as he saw what looked like Theodora, on her broom, flying towards him. Well... she was veering somewhat off course, as if she was fighting the charm's pull every inch of the way.

Oscar took his eyes off Theodora to quickly scan the skies behind her. He couldn't see anyone following her, but he didn't relax. That didn't mean Evanora or any of the creatures wouldn't appear.

The moment Theodora came in to land, the light disappeared and the charm dropped to the ground, where it dissolved into dust, its power spent. Oscar barely spared it a glance before his gaze went to Theodora. He'd seen her changes up close before, of course, but it still shocked him to see just how different she was now. She truly did look like a wicked witch from his world - though she didn't have any warts.

Theodora, for her part, wasn't quite able to hide her look of shock - though she spoke quickly, her voice with that slightly hysterical edge that had become a part of her now. "So Evanora was right. Tell me, Wizard, how did you do all that?" She kept well back from Oscar, gripping her broom as if it were a lifeline.

"I didn't summon you here to talk about me, Theodora."

Something flashed across Theodora's face - gone too quickly for Oscar to read it. "You didn't summon me anywhere!" she spat. "I chose to come."

"You chose to come? After insisting that you would never return here again?"

"I've not come to the Emerald City," Theodora replied. "I saw the light and I was curious about what it meant."

Oscar nodded slowly to himself, remembering what Glinda had said about Theodora needing punishment. It was clear to him that Theodora wasn't going to be listening to anything he said right now and he took a step forward, closer to her.

Theodora looked distant for a moment or two and then a shocked look came over her face as she stared at Oscar. "Who protected you?!"

"It doesn't matter." Oscar's hand snaked out, grabbing Theodora's wrist. He ignored the startled squeak she gave as he pulled her closer, taking the broom from her hand and letting it drop to the ground.

"What are you doing?" Theodora tugged at her trapped wrist, a note of panic in her voice.

The sound gave Oscar some hope, but he tightened his hold on her. Although her skin was green now, it didn't feel any different than it had before. He lightly stroked over Theodora's hand, taking a moment or two to just feel her. Then, when she tried pulling away from him, he cast a glance around and, noticing a roughly-hewn tree stump along the side of the road, led Theodora over to it.

Although Theodora tried to pull her hand free of Oscar's grip, Oscar simply tightened his grip. When he reached the tree stump, he took a seat on it and used his grip on Theodora's hand to draw her round to his side and tug her over his lap, stilling her struggles with an arm wrapped around her waist.

Theodora was wearing a black dress that was just a bit too pretty to be a witch's dress. Oscar smoothed his hand over it, drawing the dress taut over her backside. He didn't particularly want to bare Theodora unless he truly had to and he raised his free hand, bringing it down in a sharp swat right in the centre of her backside.

Theodora's reaction was instantaneous. She jumped and immediately redoubled her efforts to break free. Oscar tightened his arm around her waist and pulled her tighter against his stomach. There was something almost comforting about her weight across his lap and he took a moment to gently rub her lower back. She was tense over his lap and Oscar knew that, if he gave her the chance, she'd fly off his lap and escape.

Oscar landed the next swat just below the first and then two more, barely allowing himself or Theodora a moment's breath between smacks. He paused to smooth out the dress again and then continued all the way down to Theodora's thighs. The swats there forced a couple of pained cries from Theodora.

After the second circuit of swats, Theodora stopped struggling, but she still lay stiff and tense across Oscar's lap. Giving a quiet sigh, Oscar tightened his grip on her and raised Theodora's dress, folding it over onto her back.

"What are you doing?!" Theodora began to struggle again, kicking her legs a bit.

Oscar ignored Theodora's struggles as he bared her bottom. Although her backside and thighs were green, they were starting to flush red from the swats Oscar had already delivered. He resisted the urge to stroke or tickle her curvaceous hips and lifted his hand to about shoulder height, bringing it down hard on Theodora's naked bottom.

Theodora jumped and cried out, flinging her hand back and digging her nails into Oscar's arm. The protective charm seemed to work even then, though, because Oscar didn't feel any pain, though he did grasp her hand and pull it against her back, swatting harder and faster. "I know you didn't choose to be like this. Where I come from, you choose to be good or evil - and I know you're good; just like you told me when we first met. Do you remember? You told me not to worry; that you were a good witch." While Oscar talked, his hand never ceased the sharp, burning smacks - though he landed them slowly, now, but harder to make up for it, ignoring the way Theodora gasped and squirmed in response.

Under Oscar's hand, he could see that Theodora's skin was changing. It was losing its green colour and returning to its normal shade. Over the sounds of the spanking, Oscar could hear Theodora crying quietly.

Oscar couldn't keep track of how long the spanking had gone on for, but by the time he stopped, the green colour had completely gone and Theodora was lying limp across his lap, sobbing into her free arm. Oscar didn't hesitate and quickly pulled Theodora into his arms, gathering her close and letting his hand rub gently over her hair and back. He was relieved when Theodora just leaned her head against his shoulder and cried into his shirt, not trying to pull away again.

Oscar didn't try to force her to speak, just rocked her gently until he could hear the tears beginning to slow and then stop. He didn't let go of Theodora even then, though, actually enjoying the feeling of holding a woman he cared for without looking for something else in return.

Theodora rested quietly against him for a long time, not saying anything. When she finally spoke, it was in a voice hoarse from crying. "Evanora tricked me. I thought she was the good witch..."

"She tricked everyone. You couldn't have known." Oscar pressed a gentle kiss to the top of Theodora's head. "Do you want to come back to the Emerald City?"

"Do we have to leave just yet?" Theodora asked softly.

Oscar smiled, shifting back a bit to get comfortable, and just hugged Theodora close. "So long as we're going to be safe from your sister."

"You're right. Perhaps we should go back to where it's safe." Theodora started to pull away from Oscar.

"Wait." Oscar tightened his grip on Theodora, pulling her in closer, and kissed her, long and lingeringly.

The End