A/N: Here it is! This is the first main story for my CatCF Orphan AU. Hope you like it!
Pure Imagination
It was the morning after he set his plan fully in motion, and Willy Wonka had the entire week planned out. He was planning on taking his new heirs and heiresses around the factory for a full tour of its interior. He had spoken to the Oompa Loompas beforehand, and made sure everything was safe. Now, all he had to do was make sure they didn't get into trouble.
Which should be easy, Wonka reasons as he fastens the silver 'w' to his plum coat. He adjusts his hat and grabs his cane before making his way to the lobby where he had Oompa Loompas situate the kids for the time being.
They are all locked in silent conversation, and almost immediately break apart when he arrives. They look up at him somewhat expectantly.
"Alright, kids," he says, "this way." He walks down the hall, beckoning them to follow.
"Where are we going?" Violet asks.
"I want to show you the most important room in the factory," Wonka tells them.
"Is that why the door down there is so small?" Charlie wonders.
Wonka nods. "That's right!"
"If it's so important, then why is it so small?" Mike asks, looking confused.
"It's to keep all the wonderful flavors inside," Wonka explains.
The kids still look a bit confused, so Wonka decides it would be better to just show them. He kneels to insert the tiny key into the tinier slot, and pushes open the huge double doors to reveal paradise.
A room made entirely out of candy and chocolate, complete with Candy Trees and an entire Chocolate Lake.
The kids glance around the room in awe, and he'd be lying if he said he still didn't marvel his creation sometimes.
"Welcome, my young heirs and heiresses, to the central nervous system of my factory," Wonka announces. "The Chocolate Room."
"Did you make all of this yourself?" Charlie asks, awestruck.
"Why, yes, I did, Charlie," Wonka tells them. "This all came from my imagination."
"It's amazing," Veruca breathes. The other kids nods in agreement.
Wonka smiles. He really picked out a great bunch of children, ones who could understand his passion to some degree. Ones he would be glad to pass it all onto them at one point.
At that moment, a loud growl emerged from Augustus's stomach, catching the small group's attention.
Wonka smirks goodnaturedly. "Feeling hungry, Augustus?" he asks with a laugh.
"A bit, ja," Augustus replies, eyeing the peculiar sweets with hunger.
"Well, that's good," Wonka tells him, "because you can eat anything you want in here."
The kids turn to him with wonder and surprise in their eyes.
"Anything?" Violet asks exactly what is on their mind.
Wonka nods. "Anything," he says, "except the Chocolate River. That is strictly forbidden."
They look from him to the large mass of candy and back. Wonka holds back a laugh.
"Well, go on," he shoos them towards his creation, excited to share it with them.
The kids finally understand his meaning, and run off in individual directions.
Veruca skipped around, grabbing random morsels of candy to snack on as she did. Mike had discovered a tree of gumdrops and was now attempting to climb it. Violet had just polished off a Candy Apple and was now setting to work on a Candy Orange. Charlie was idly munching on a blade of swudge grass while he took in the beautiful sight.
Wonka is not watching any of this, though. He is more focused on watching Augustus, who seems bent on devouring everything in sight.
This can't possibly end well, he thinks.
"Mr. Wonka, what are they?"
Wonka turns to see Veruca pointing a few short, similar-looking men tending to the Candy Pumpkins.
Wonka smiles. He was awaiting this question.
"Those are Oompa-Loompas, my dear," he tells her.
"Oompa-Loompas?" Charlie asks.
"What are those?" Violet questions.
"They're a secret, forgotten tribe from deep in the depths of Loompaland," Wonka explains.
"That's not a real place."
Wonka turns to Mike, who is regarding the Oompa-Loompas with a look of disbelief.
"And how would you know, Mr. Smarty-Pants?" Wonka asks, slightly perturbed at the boy's attitude.
Mike turns to him, a retort at the ready, but then his face pinches, and he turns away. Wonka saves this moment in the back of his mind, as he's sure this will come up again.
"As I was saying," he addresses all of the children this time, eager to tell his exciting tale. "I had traveled to Loompaland in search of new candy ideas…" He tells them the tale of Loompaland, of vicious Whangdoodles and Vermicious Knids, and of the dangers the Oompa-Loompas lived in. "Those horrible beasts would never hesitate to snatch a poor, unsuspecting Oompa up, so I invited the chief and his people to come live in my factory, where they'd be safe. We've been living in harmony ever since."
The kids glance at the Oompa-Loompas, silght understanding in their eyes. Wonka smiles at this.
splash
Wonka turns to see Augustus spooning chocolate out of the Chocolate River-with his hands!
"Augustus, stop!" Wonka shouts, startling the other kids.
Augustus stops, freezes more like, and wobbles. Wonka rushes over to catch him, the kids right on his heels, but Augustus manages to fall back onto the swudge grass. Wonka grabs him by the hand - the one that isn't covered in chocolate - and pulls him away from the river.
"Augustus, what were you thinking?!" he shouts worriedly. "You could've fallen in!"
Augustus says nothing, and stares at his shoes.
"Didn't you hear me earlier, when I told everyone not to drink from the river?" Wonka asks.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Wonka," Augustus says, having regained his voice. "I must've been distracted."
Wonka frowns at this, but instantly replaces it with a soft smirk.
"Well, there are some pretty distracting things in here," he says, surveying his magnificent creation once more. He then turns back to Augustus, who is still not off the hook just yet. "You still should've asked me, though. I would've been more than happy to treat you with a ladleful."
Augustus's face brightens slightly. "Really?" he asks.
Wonka nods. "Of course," he says, then turns to address the rest of them. "All of you can try some if you want, you just have to ask."
"May we have some, then?" Veruca asks.
Wonka opens his mouth to answer, but is interrupted by an Oompa Loompa pulling on his pant leg. He kneels down to hear what he's saying, and brightens at the information,
"Good news, kids," he says, turning to them. "I've just been informed that the boat is ready for transportation. Now we can see some of the ground level factory rooms. Sound good?"
The kids look at each other, as if communicating silently. Finally, they look up at him and nod.
"Perfect," Wonka says as he directs the kids towards the bank of the Chocolate Lake. "Because we've so much to see."
I hope you liked the first chapter in my new story, Touring The Heirs. The second chapter will be up as soon as I finish it. Reviews are welcome!