OK guys, thanks for the patience. I wanted to update this sooner but my parents made me stay at my grandparents' house while they went off to Atlantic City for two days and I haven't been able to get on. Anyways, thank you for the reviews.
Well here's the chapter. I mentioned in my first author's note that some situations in this fic might be a bit farfetched. This would be one of them. I mean, it's not impossible, just improbable, but I know I'll probably get some criticism on it anyway. Well, I'll stop rambling now. Here's chapter two:
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"My Uncle Henry is dead," Dorothy sobbed, burying her face in her hands. Glinda and Boq exchanged looks of shock and surprise before Glinda turned to address Dorothy.
"How do you know that Dorothy?" Glinda asked carefully, not wanting to further upset the girl. She was confused. Dorothy had been living in Oz for almost two months, so how on earth could she know what was happening in her old home of Kansas?
"I got a letter," said Dorothy, meeting Glinda's concerned eyes with her own watery ones, "I don't know how, but a carrier pigeon found me, and it had a letter addressed to me tied to its foot. I really don't know how it happened, but it's from one of the old farm hands I used to be friends with. His name is Hunk." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper, which she offered to Glinda.
Glinda took the small letter from Dorothy and unfurled it. She read aloud, "This letter is for Miss Dorothy Gale, wherever she may be. Dorothy, I know you went missing over a month ago, and I don't know how or why I know this, but I'm confident that somehow this letter will reach you. I regret to inform you that your Uncle Henry passed away this past Tuesday. The funeral will be held on your farm this Saturday. I have no idea why I'm writing this, considering you were presumed dead last month. Somehow I think you ended up in that world you were always talking about enthusiastically. Maybe I'm just losing my mind, but if you do receive this letter, I know you'll want to be there. Hunk."
When she had finished Glinda looked up at Dorothy, completely shocked and confused. By all means the fact that this letter was here should have been impossible, but here she was, holding the small piece of paper in her hand. It fluttered from Glinda's hand and fell lightly to the floor, but Glinda made no move to retrieve it because her attention now returned to Dorothy, who was sobbing once more.
"I'm such a horrible person," she cried, tears pouring from her eyes, "I never thought of Uncle Henry at all when I left. I never though of anyone but myself! I never thought about what he'd think happened to me, or who would help him with the farm, or anything else for that matter. Now he's gone, and it's all my fault because I just couldn't face reality!"
Glinda felt horrible for the poor girl, and Boq looked stricken as he watched her sob. Glinda went over and put her arm around the girl, trying to offer some words of comfort, "Dorothy don't say that. None of this is your fault. You didn't even know the shoes would take you to Oz. You couldn't have anticipated this happening. Dorothy you're not a horrible person."
"But I am! You don't understand, I haven't even spared Uncle Henry a thought these past few weeks. He helped raise me and I just abandoned him as if he meant nothing to me! Now I'm never going to see him again and he probably thought I cared nothing about him! Glinda what am I going to do?"
Glinda had honestly no idea how she was supposed to answer that question, and she pulled Dorothy into a hug instead. She felt terrible. She knew how Dorothy must feel; it was almost the same feelings she had experienced after she had believed Elphaba had died.
Finally, after a few minutes, Dorothy spoke again, "Glinda, I have to go to that funeral. I have to at least go pay my respects to Uncle Henry. Is there any possible way I can get back to Kansas for a little while? Not permanently of course, but I need to go to that funeral."
Glinda thought for a moment, "I'm not sure Dorothy. The ruby slippers might work, but in all honesty I'm not sure. You see, I haven't been quite truthful, I really have no idea how those shoes work."
Dorothy looked confused at Glinda's confession, "But you're the one who told me how to use them in the first place."
"I forced Madame Morrible to put the spell on them for me once I'd captured her. I knew what they'd do the first time, but I really don't know how or why they brought you back here," she said, not meeting Dorothy's eyes.
Dorothy looked thoughtful for a moment, and Glinda wondered if the girl was upset with her, but then Dorothy said, "Do you think you and Elphaba could find a spell? I mean something that could send me back?"
Glinda was thoughtful for a moment. She knew the Grimmerie held many spells, but she didn't know if it included anything that could allow people to travel between worlds. She looked back at Dorothy, "I'm not sure. Elphaba would know more about it than I do. You'll have to ask her."
"Can we go see her now then? I mean, it's already Friday and, assuming that the letter reached me at the intended time, that means the funeral is tomorrow." Dorothy said. By now her eyes had dried a bit, but her voice still wobbled as she spoke.
"Uh, I actually think she and Fiyero will be over in just a few clock ticks. We might as well just wait for them to show up," she said, looking at the wall clock that hung over one of the book shelves. It actually was around the time that Elphaba and Fiyero chose to visit each day.
Dorothy reluctantly agreed, mostly because she despised traveling by bubble, Glinda's preferred means of transportation. However it wasn't really important because, as if on cue, Elphaba and Fiyero chose this time to make their appearance. They entered the library, Elphaba striding confidently in the lead and Fiyero staggering behind, looking a bit windswept. He still hadn't gotten used to riding on the back of Elphaba's broomstick and he doubted if he ever would. However, both stopped in their tracks when they entered the room, practically sensing the tension in the air.
"Oh Elphaba there you are. We need your help," she said, turning to her friend as she entered the room.
Elphaba could tell something was wrong here, "What's going on?"
Glinda looked at Dorothy to elaborate, but when the girl said nothing Glinda took the initiative, "Dorothy's uncle died, and she needs to get back to Kansas for a day for the funeral. Do you know of any spells in the Grimmerie that would help?"
Elphaba looked thoughtful as she leaned her broomstick against a bookshelf and removed her pointed hat, "I'm not really sure. I haven't read through the entire book. If you have it upstairs in your room I suppose I could take a look now."
"Thank you," said Dorothy, smiling sadly before returning her gaze to her hands.
"Yes, it's upstairs in my closet where we left it yesterday. Come one," said Glinda, motioning for the others to follow her out of the room. They all obeyed, and walked almost single file up to Glinda's quarters, no one speaking. They reached the door and everyone filed inside. Elphaba thought she saw Boq cringe as they passed through the doorway, but it could have just been a trick of the light.
Wasting no time, Glinda disappeared into her closet and began rummaging through it for the Grimmerie. Now that Boq's stuff was in here as well she found she had a harder time locating things. It didn't matter how organized she was when the floor was covered in mismatched pairs of shoes and different colored ties. She and Boq needed to have a serious talk.
Eventually she emerged from the mess, clutching the Grimmerie to her chest. She set it on the floor and Elphaba moved forward. She flipped through the book quickly, only skimming each page for words that would tell her what each spell would do. Glinda recognized a couple of words as Elphaba scrutinized the book, but for the most part Elphaba was flipping the pages too quickly for Glinda to really see what was written on each page.
Eventually Elphaba stopped flipping and read through one of the pages, her eyes darting back and forth. When she had finished she sat back and folded her arms, a thoughtful look on her face.
"What is it?" asked Glinda, her own eyes skimming the page briefly. She could make out a couple of words, but nothing that really gave her any insight into the spell's effect. All eyes in the room swiveled to Elphaba as they waited for her verdict.
"Well, it's complicated. This spell is used for a kind of teleporting, but it doesn't specify exactly how far away you can teleport, or whether it's possible to transfer between worlds. We could give it a shot anyway, I'm just not entirely sure about whether or not it will work," she said, addressing Dorothy.
Without even hesitating, Dorothy answered, "If there's even the slightest chance it could work I'd really appreciate you trying it."
"Well," said Elphaba, her eyes once more darting over the page, "If we're going to use this spell, I'm going to have to come with you. Assuming we reach our destination, I'll have to recite the spell again to bring us back to Oz."
"Oh," said Dorothy, "I couldn't ask you to do that."
"I don't mind," said Elphaba, shrugging, "It's only for a day, and it's not like anyone knows who the hell I am in Kansas anyway."
Dorothy smiled, "Thanks Elphaba, I really appreciate it."
"Why don't we all come with you?" Glinda suggested, "It might help for you to have some moral support. Besides, I don't quite trust Elphaba on her own."
Elphaba rolled her eyes, "Glinda we can't all go. Remember what happened the last time you left Oz without a leader. And this time you wouldn't even have Boq to leave behind as a replacement."
"Fine, then I'll come with you and Boq and Fiyero can stay behind and run things. Besides, like you said, it is only for one day," Glinda replied, placing her hands on her hips stubbornly.
"Fine," Elphaba conceded, "As long as we don't come home to find only a charred pile of ashes remain of Oz"
"You're funny," said Fiyero sarcastically.
"Alright, you're sure you want to do this?" Elphaba asked Dorothy again.
"Positive," she replied, nodding her head, before she turned to Fiyero, "Would you mind watching Toto for me while we're gone? I don't want to bring him, he gets anxious when he senses something's wrong."
Fiyero nodded and Dorothy gave Toto a quick squeeze and a scratch behind the ears before she placed him in Fiyero's arms and turned back to Elphaba.
Elphaba watched this exchange before she returned her gaze to the book and began to chant the words on the page in front of her. Half way through the spell she motioned for Glinda and Dorothy to join her and took their hands in hers. She continued to chant, and soon a strange tingling spread through the trio.
"Kansas," said Elphaba, after finishing the spell. There was a flash, and suddenly Glinda, Elphaba and Dorothy had disappeared from the room.
And there we have it. All of you eager beavers who wanted that explanation so badly got it. I was gonna explain how she found that out in this chapter. I'm not that bad with the plot holes. Well anyways, lemme just respond to a couple of reviews:
WickedJelly: Lol. I'm never going to live that line down am I? –insert little smiley face with its tongue sticking out ere cuz they don't show up- Anyways, yes, you are my first reviewer! Squee for you! If I had a cookie I would present it to you. –smiley face-
Sigma1: Heh, that would be interesting, but a little weird as well I think. Anyways, that's not where I'm heading with this, interesting as that is.
Well, that's all for now. Please leave me a review if you have time cuz they make me giddy with joy. I'll try to get the next chapter up quickly.
Till next time S.P.