Chasing Legends
By: Shmeilia Rockie
Disclaimer: I don't own Scifi Channel's Tin Man.

Chapter One

Author's Note: After the success of chapter one on the LiveJournal community dg(underscore, stupid efefdotnet)glitch I thought I'd upload it here too. Please enjoy my latest offering! (I'm currently working ahead... I'm on chapter five, but also rewriting chapter two. Just if anyone wants to know.)

Wyatt Cain entered the Royal Chambers and removed his hat out of respect. "You summoned me, Your Highness?"

"Yes, Mister Cain. Please sit down." The Queen of the Outer Zone finished arranging a bouquet of fresh daisies in a green glass vase and turned to the Tin Man. "I know you aren't one for small talk, so I'll get right to the point. My husband and I would like you to work for us for a time. You and your son can live right here in the palace. We'll take care of everything you need." She paused and looked out the blue stained-glass window over the frozen lake.

He took the offered chair and rested his hat in his lap, but still never really relaxed. "Go on, ma'am."

"We want you to guard Azkadellia. The public isn't exactly fond of her right now, and she needs protection until we can convince the world that she's not the evil sorceress everyone thinks she is. I expect there to be a few attempts on her life in the coming months."

Azkadellia. 'We're all about second chances here,' Deegee had once said. The older Princess was a completely different person, withdrawn and wide eyed as the child she had been now that the Witch was dead. A cloud of remorse seemed to follow her wherever she went, but she seemed to be improving as well as could be expected in the short time since the eclipse. It seemed impossible to think that anyone could mistake Az for the dark sorceress masquerading as Azkadellia, but as a Tin Man Cain knew that any potential assassins wouldn't stick around long enough to discover the difference before attempting to do their job.

"You're right, she isn't very popular. But Deegee trusts her, and that's good enough for me." He stood up and shook the Queen's hand with a single, strong downward motion. This was not something he had to think too much about. After all, this is where his weird, wonderful new family lived now. "I'd be honored to serve the Royal Family, Your Highness."

The Queen dismissed him, and made haste to tell Jeb about their new living arrangements. He knew the young man would be less than pleased about this job, but Cain hoped he would come to accept the situation in time.

Moving everyone into the glittering ice palace had not been easy, but Deegee vehemently insisted her friends live with her. Glitch and Raw accepted easily enough, as they didn't have permanent homes anyway. Wyatt Cain refused to move in, saying it was too soft but really implying that he wanted to spend some time away from the group catching up with his son for all those lost years. Deegee supposed they were on a boat somewhere fishing and eating the meat raw like manly men, or something. She missed his strong protective presence in the palace. She could sense her other three friends wherever they were on the grounds; Raw made what she could only think of as a nest in the indoor gardens, Tutor took up residence in a small humble room on the first floor close the kitchens (though they offered him much better, he steadfastly declined), and Glitch...

Now that the excitement of their adventure was over, Deegee had plenty time to reflect on the friends she made. What she discovered was that her feelings for Glitch were very different than what she felt for her other friends. Mister Cain was like a father to her. Raw was a knowing, kind councilor. Tutor was a great teacher and man's best friend all rolled up into one. But she couldn't put words to her relationship with Glitch. Yes, he was her best friend, but they were closer than even best friends should be. He wasn't a father figure, despite being old enough to fit the bill. Their friendship involved a lot of casual touching, gentle hugs, and easy silences. Sometimes they didn't even talk, but enjoyed long hours of just being in each other's company. When she was near him she felt soothed by his mere presence.

She reached out with her magic, sensing him pacing in his room like a caged animal and fought a strong urge to go to him. Her dearest friend was terribly worried about his upcoming brain surgery and subsequent personality change. The two had spent the last three days trying to distract him from it with games and stories, but it was getting harder and harder to keep him occupied as the date loomed ever closer. Tomorrow he would go under the knife. She tried to act like it didn't bother her for his sake, but inside she was just as frightened about it as he was.

Determined to give him some breathing space for at least a little while, and to put aside her confusing feelings, she made her way to the vast castle library. Her instincts were guiding her to find something hidden within the stacks and though she knew not what it was she had a feeling it was something about the Grey Lady for whom she'd been named. She remembered meeting the apparition of her greatest great grandmother and wondering how such a plain-looking, seemingly-ordinary girl could have been so deeply connected to the Outer Zone despite being a total othersider. What had her life been like? How did she come to found such a lasting ruling line?

She climbed the rolling ladder to the top wrung and sat slightly hunched in an empty shelf. Here lay the oldest, dustiest history tomes. With great care she opened the nearest one and smoothed out a yellowed page. It had taken her a while to decipher the loopy writing, but after realizing that all the 's's looked like 'f's it became much easier to understand. "'On the bicentennial of the founding of Central City on the ruins of the Emerald Palace, Emmaline Gale the Third locked away the terrible Mobat Witch in an abandoned mine, behind a statue of the demon's likeness. Gods willing, her evil shall never see the light of day again.' Too late for that, buddy." She snapped the book closed much harder than she should have, causing a cloud of dust to assault her senses.

A clicking of tiny nails on the marble alerted her to someone else's presence with her in the library. Tutor quirked his doggy head before regaining human form and staring up at her with a very similar amused expression. "Looking for something, Princess?"

"Yeah, sure." Deegee waved away the last of the dust and coughed to get it out of her lungs. "What do you know about the Dorothy Gale?"

"The first? Not much, I'm afraid. Most of what's known about her is more legend than fact." He held out a hand to help her descend the ladder. "Why do you want to know? You were never interested in history as a child."

She hoped the rest of the way to the ground with his support and smiled toothily at him. "True, but I was interested in stories. What can you tell me about her?"

"She slid over from the other side on a rainbow and traveled with an animated scarecrow, a tin golem, and a talking lion. They journeyed along the old road when it was new and paved with gold to the fabled Emerald City to ask the Wizard King to send her home. Along the way she made enemies with a witch from the desert lands that she melted like a sandcastle with a bucket of water when the woman took her magical silver slippers. She returned to the other side, but came back twice before making the Outer Zone her home. She founded your line and all was peaceful during her eighty year reign. Or so the legends say. No one really knows what happened because very few written records were kept, and those that made it into books were burned by the false queen Jinjur in the annual 857."

Deegee blinked a few times in awe. "Wow, there's so much I don't know about my own family, let alone the O.Z."

Tutor chuckled warmly at this before turning serious. "Yes, it can be a bit overwhelming. But remember that they're all just stories. Those that go chasing after the Grey Gale normally devote their whole lives to her and receive nothing in return. She's been described as a cruel, sadistic mistress. It's best to just let her go, Deegee. Be content in knowing that her blood and magic flows through your veins."

She frowned, not one to be discouraged that easily. But for now, she let it drop.