Dorothy gets the Power
Author's Note: The story so far – so far the same as canon until Dorothy's house landed on the first Wicked Witch, who dropped a mysterious, jade facemask just before the house fell on her. Glinda was rather too keen on giving out dead witch's jewellery to random strangers. This time she persuades Dorothy to try on the mask. Think of the Wicked Witches as being just like those in Wicked the Musical and you won't go far wrong. To recap, Elphaba the green one was really cute and had a good heart. The other wicked witch, the one who gets a house on top of her but never actually appears in Wizard of Oz, really was a tyrant who oppressed the munchkins.
"Oh isn't it beautiful, said Dorothy. But it's not mine."
"Try it on, said Glinda. What if it fits? If it does it could have the power to take you home."
"There's no harm in that," said Dorothy. She placed it carefully onto her face and then gasped and doubled over as it seemed to burn into her, welding to her, changing shape and texture.
"Well? Does it fit?" asked Glinda.
Dorothy stood up. The mask now clung to her face, bright green as ever, but smooth and tight like a second skin. Dorothy glanced at her reflection in a window pane of the house. The effect was of a dazzlingly green face, with lips of a darker green, almost black. Dorothy blinked and felt her face cautiously. She stroked her cheek, marvelling at the sensation. So smooth. The mask had transmuted into something else. "I never expected this," she said, "it feels like a second skin. But it really isn't mine. No, I must give it to its right owner." She tried to clutch at the mask, but only succeeded in pinching herself on the cheek and then the nose.
"How do I get it off?" she cried.
"I don't think you do," said Glinda. "I'm glad I didn't have to wear the thing. I get to keep my pretty looks and all of Oz is better for it. The Wicked Witch of the East was too vain to put it on and loose her pretty looks and now she is dead and all of Oz is better for it."
At that moment there was a sudden great gust of wind. It swirled around them and sounds of wailing and lamentation reached their ears. Toto crouched on the ground and whined. A dark shape swooped to the ground before them. Glinda drew close to Dorothy. A tall woman now stood before them, swathed in black, her long black hair swirling about her. Dorothy's eyes widened. The newcomer's face was startlingly green, just like her own was now. It was a very pretty face in other respects. Dorothy wondered if she wore green so well as this stranger. There was a wild look in the woman's piercing dark eyes. "Oh my sister, what have they done to you!" she cried, beating her own breast and giving every appearance of being distraught. With a sick feeling in her stomach, Dorothy realised she must have known the Wicked Witch of the East. And how bad could this witch be if someone grieved for her so?
"It's the Wicked Witch of the West," said Glinda in a hushed voice.
The witch turned and glared at them, her intense gaze taking in Dorothy's startlingly green face. "What have you done?" she said in a voice choked with emotion. "And why do you have that face little girl? Did you take it from her lifeless hand? Little thief! Give it to me."
"I can't get it off!" Cried Dorothy. "Can you help?"
"Don't speak to her," cautioned Glinda. "She can't hurt us. Your powers protect us both."
As if to drive the point home, the green faced witch screamed and a blustering gale blew around them, but it could not close in. It seemed held at bay by an invisible barrier. Then the gale died down.
"Rue this you shall," said the witch panting. "Mark my words." She mounted her broomstick and with astonishing speed was back in the air and then was gone.
"That was a stroke of luck," said Glinda.
Dorothy began to cry. "My house fell on her sister, didn't it?"
"Fell on a wicked witch," said Glinda firmly, "and you can be helped. The Wizard of Oz can set all this right."
Dorothy looked at her, suddenly mad with hope.
"He can put all this right? Really?" she demanded.
"Of course, he is the wizard," said Glinda tersely. "To find him, just follow the yellow brick road. Off you go now."
Dorothy turned and went, Toto scampering along after her. How would she fare now that the witch's magic mask was a part of her?