Time slipped by quickly in the O.Z. Many were still living in fear and uncertainty. DG held the opinion that the East End Fighter would eventually see the war was over and the witch was doubted they would listen to was silent on his opinion,but adamant about going. Glitch cheerfully maintained the Munchkins were much happier tying people to too agreed to go. In the three months since Dgs return,the four companions had become insuperable.
Often times,DG would beg her sister to join them on small outings. Occasionally accompanied by Jeb Cain and more often by Tutor.
Always Azkadillia declined. She couldnt Look Cain in the eyes, they still held a haunted look from when he'd been tortured on her orders. Raw seldom spoke, but still bore the scars from the cattle prod. Glitch was the worst. Perhaps because she had known him before he had been destroyed.
That was the only word for it.
Destroyed. All of them. And still more. By her.
Azkadillia, beloved princess of the realms had destroyed the people .
"Please Az" DG begged "Just come with us! It ll be like an adventure!" Dg immediately bit her tongue. Azkadillia averted her last adventure hadn't ended so well. Faced with an evil witch,Azkadillia had forced her frightened little sister to stay. Taken her hand and refused to let her leave. And when Dg could stand it no longer, Azkadillia had let the witch out.
"I-I just meant" Dg faltered "Come with us tomorrow Az. Everyone will see how great you are!"
How great she was? She was terrible. "I can't Deeg. I don't know how to explain it." Knowing her tears would only worry Dg more, Azkadillia turned and hurried away.
Azkadillia fled blindly through the marble halls of Finaqua. The ballroom, no one ever went there anymore. She sank to the floor and began to weep in earnest. Why did her sister have to be so forgiving?
It was perhaps 30 minutes before she realized someone was standing over her.
Someone with gentle brown eyes and a puzzled expression stood over her chewing on his lower lip. A hand in a tattered brown sleave reached out to help the princess stand.
"What's wrong Azka-d?"
"Im sorry,Ambrose.I didn't mean to disturb you" She sniffed
The queens adviser looked around the room. A shudder ran down Azkadillias spine as the sun Glinted off the zipper nestled between unruly curls
"There's no one else here. If you want,I'll help you find this Ambrose person. " He smiled kindly "He can't have gotten too far. Maybe DG knows-"
"Glitch" Azkadillia corected herself Venehmently. "Your brain-"
"Oh that's just temporary." Glitch chuckled cheerfully "The Medicoats are finding a way to put my marbles back in my noggin. Making a mess of my workstation though." He pouted "That's why I'm in here, needed someplace quiet to fix the sunseeder "He pointed vaguely to a table set up behind him. "I'm fixing the sunseeder I'm fixing the sunseeder I'm fixing the sunseeder I'm fixing-" Glitch shook his head and gave a short laugh. "I just need to tweak that do-hicky the witch built."
Azkadillia began to cry again. "I made a mess of everything" She wailed. Glitch guided her with awkward steps to a nearby chair. Azkadillia could see it took him a lot of concentration to stumble two feet.
"I think you're exaggerating a little." He admonished gently. Azkadillia glimpsed a shadow of Ambrose. Her mothers trusted adviser and life before everything went dried her tears and examined the contents of the table. A jumble of notes scrawled in childish writing littered one side of the table. On the other,large diagrams showed the machine from every angle. Half the notes were written in the language of the ancients. Many pages were wrinkled as though they had been crumpled up at one time.
"I'm fixxing the sunseeder....I already told you didnt I?"
Azkadillia pulled some of the papers closer and examined the illegible scrawl. "Can you actually read this?" She asked Incredulously
"Yep" Glitch picked up a paper,turned it over a few times and set it back down "Nope." he grabbed a pen and pulled out a fresh piece of paper,scribbled a note and immediately crumpled it up.
"Im sure once my marbles are back in, this will all fall into place." Glitch nodded emphatically "In the meantime Ive got to find a way to power this contraption. The emerald is too strong."
"Ambro-Glitch...What if they can't fix you?"
"They can. Its taking a little longer than expected, but I m not giving up. Cain says if the medicoats had half my brain,they would already have fixed me."
"Your a lot more cheerful than when I was a child. When you were Ambrose." Azkadillia remarked thoughtfully.
"I was more afraid then." He nodded. "Afraid of failing. Being wrong. Falling down."
"But you aren't now?"
"Not as much. I have people who care about who will help me back up." He smiled brightly.
Ambrose had always had a contagious smile.
"But what if you can't fix the Sunseeder?"
"I can."
"But what if you can't?"
Glitch studied the Diagram for a very long time.
"I supose I'll just start over. You can always do that, you know.
Azkadillia Blinked "Really? Just like that?"
Glitch nodded.
"Thanks Ambrose!" Azkadillia jumped up and hugged him. "Ive got to go find DG!"
Azkadillia found her sister in the old garden maze
"Deeg!"
"Az!" Dg ran to her sister and hugged her tight.
"I'm so very sorry D! I was so afriad of letting you down,like in the cave when we were kids-"
"I'm really sorry about that Az. It was all my fault"
Azkadillia shook her head."Its my Fault Deeg. But lets not think on that. Its over."
DG smiled warmly. "You know, that offer to come along tomorrow still stands."
"Count me in. Did the Munchkins really tie Ambrose to a ceiling?"
Meanwhile back in the castle, a figure in a tattered brown uniform poured over crumpled queen approached him.
"You completed your task satisfactorily Ambrose. I thank you."
The man smiled gently, closing his eyes."Thank you majesty." He jotted down a number and turned to another part of the diagram.
Ahamo approached from the other side of the room. He examined the contents of the table. "Whats all this?"
"I thought perhaps the princess would be more responsive if she believed I was still Glitch."
The king nodded. "Clever. Very clever."
"Azka-D will be just fine." Ambrose rolled up the diagram. "And the sunseeder is all set to go as well." Ahamo smiled and walked away. The queen turned to follow. "One last thing, you were so certain she would come here. How did you know?"
It's the same place you would come when you were upset."
"Ah." The queen nodded. "you probably wish to return to your studio."
"Thank you, majesty."
"It really was clever, Ambrose."
Ambrose shook his head. "It just took some reinventing."
