Disclaimer: I own nothing but my plot and my Damion. lol and the names of the Wheelers
A/N: Chapter three... hope it goes well.
Salve Regina
(Save The Queen)
III
"Dorothy," Spen walked side-by-side with his new friend and asked, "Why did you stop believing in Oz? I mean, you are here, and you have no choice except to believe in what you see."
"I don't have to believe in anything I see. Maybe this is just a dream. After all, I got hit by a truck before I got here. That's probably it. I'm knocked out, in a coma, and there's nowhere my mind can go except Oz." Dorothy felt she gad everything figured out.
Approaching the end of Spen Field, the confused Wheeler spoke, "So, no one sent for you? You just came on your own pretty much, right?"
"What? No! I wouldn't have come here if I had a choice," She sighed, "I'd rather be dead right now. No offense, but it's all because of stupid Oz that everyone thought I was insane, and also that my dog was put to sleep. It's all because of Oz. Both times that I came here, I always got kicked out. It's like I had a sign on my back that said, Please banish me and let me go back to my hell of a home."
Spen murdered the subject, "Your dog had to be put to sleep because of Oz?"
Dorothy didn't respond. Her and Spen walked to Emerald City silently. The walk wasn't long, but it felt lonely to Dorothy. She was next to a Wheeler, a creature she used to be afraid of, and yet she found comfort in the morbid thought of the Wheelers killing her. Dorothy Gale was no longer a slap-happy female.
0o0o
Forestswere always protected by King Lion. If he was not present, the righteous animals would keep watch. Lion felt that he would go search for Ozma himself in the Great Castle. It was so strange that the Queen would just disappear with no trace of departure.
"Hello?" Lion entered the Great Castle, intaking a breath of sweet smelling perfume.
No answer. Silence lingered in the air. King Lion pranced about the first floor, and heard a ticking noise escape the ballroom, which was only a few rooms away. Turning the corner to face the ballroom doors and their pinkish presentation, the ticking noise did not stop. A deep breath was sucked in by the Lion as he pushed the doors open with his front paw.
Tik-Tok, the round-bellied-iron-man with a round head, stood like a statue in the center of the ballroom. Lion went to his side and looked on Tik-Tok's back. Tik-Tok always had to be wound up by a key on his back in order to function mentally, physically, and emotionally. Despite the fact that he was a machine, he could still cry oil tears. But not at the moment.
Glancing at the wind-up-key, Lion stated, "You are all wound up! Why aren't you moving?"
"Let's just say he's not here at the moment.." Damion appeared from behind Lion.
"Who are you?" Lion roared.
Damion laughed, amused by the repeated question he had heard from Ozma and Tik-Tok previously, "I'm Damion. Now, you wonder why no one can find Ozma? Well, she's here. Take a look around...You could find her easily if you only looked. I gave your metal friend here a chance to find her, but he failed. So I paralized him with magic. Don't look at me like I'm evil..You don't know my story. I would tell you, but I'm really tired of repeating myself. So, I'm just going to skip all the talking and let you find your precious Queen."
With another ear-piercing roar, Lion leapt for Damion. In only entrapment of laughter, Damion cast a spell on Lion. Soon, he was frozen, speechless, quite like Tik-Tok.
0o0o
"You're back, Dorothy!" An enlighted stout man greeted Dorothy and Spen as they reached the Welcome Gates of Emerald City.
As her usual way of showing indifference, Dorothy rolled her eyes. She then followed Spen into the glittering green gorgeousness of Emerald City. The city had changed slightly from the last time Dorothy remembered seeing it. The buildings seemed taller, more materialized, and intimidating. The roads were paved with Emeralds, glimmering and sparkling at people who passed by. The City went from a barely populated place, to one of the most popular parts of Oz.
Spen smiled broadly at the taken back look in Dorothy's face. He tapped her on the shoulder with his wheel-hand, "Would you like to look around?"
"Umm..Why not? I have nothing better to do." She had a sense of arrogance in her voice, but she felt it was better to be in Oz then at home. She thought maybe forgetting all of her dreams and friends in this land wasn't the greatest idea. After all, how could she just throw away a chunk of her life?
Then again, Dorothy really was depressed, so she simply had acceptance problems in her old, favorite land.
"Spen!," Nudge, The Head Wheeler, came around a corner, approaching the two.
With a smile, Spen greeted his friend and said, "I found Dorothy Gale in Spen Field. This is her.."
"Well I'll be damned!" Nudge looked over Dorothy's long, brown, curling hair, and straight into her shining eyes, "My father knew you, but died of age not too long ago. How are you, Miss Gale?"
Dorothy sighed accidentally, "I'm...Alright.I'd like to know who sent for me and why I'm here. My life's goal was to forget about Oz, but now, obviously, I'm going to have trouble with that."
"Hmm," Nudge though for a moment, "I was thinking, and . . .I'm not sure what to think. The King might've sent for you. Oh..Spen, The King wants all of us wheelers to join him for a meeting. Come on."
Impatiently, Dorothy stomped her foot before she followed the Wheelers. The building at which 'The King' lived was very tall, very intimidating, but very inviting. The security guards let the three visitors pass without any questions, for they knew exactly who the girl was. A few minutes passed tiringly on the staircase, and at last the two wheelers and Dorothy reached an elevator.
Reaching the tip-top floor, Dorothy was in awe at the rich-looking enviroment. She soon came inches away from 'The King's' office. Knocking on the door, Spen was a bit taken-aback by the sound of thrashing and crashing in the office. The doors opened themselves, and the three stepped inside.
"Scarecrow..." Whispering, Dorothy frowned as she saw Scarecrow rummaging through his desk; making a mess in the worst way.
Alas, King Scarecrow peeked up from his desk and gasped, "Dorothy!" He jumped over his mess and ran to Dorothy, practically knocking her onto the floor with a hug.
They let go of their hugging moment, whence Dorothy realized how worried the Scarecrow seemed.
"No news from the Wheelers. Most of them are comin', but I were informed that a few are stayin' o'er near the castle jus' in case." Nudge reported his information to Scarecrow, who looked upset at his own mess in the office.
"Dorothy," The King began, "I haven't seen you forever. How did you get here without someone sending for you?"
The room became quiet, except for Dorothy's clear voice, "No one sent for me?...A truck hit me when I was ru-- trying to walk down the street. Then I woke up, and here I am."
A confused facial expression took over everyone's face, except for Dorothy. Spen and Nudge exchanged odd looks at each other, and Scarecrow tried to contemplate an explanation for his old friend's sudden Oz visit.
"Well...How did you get here? No one is allowed in unless invited by Supreme Officials or the royals of Oz. Including me, King Lion, and Ozma. the Tinman also could invite you, but obviously he didn't, for we would have known about it!" Scarecrow finished speaking and walked over to his desk, which appeared to be falling over from the heavy pile of papers on top.
Nudge, Spen, and Dorothy took a seat on a couch in the right corner of the room. They all sighed as Scarecrow tried to pick up everything.
"What were you looking for?" Spen asked curiously.
The friendly voice of the Scarecrow was heard over the shuffling of papers, "The history of who's been in The Great Castle within the past year. I had it somewhere, but I don't recall where I placed it. Perhaps I gave it to my secretary, Sierra. No...she wouldn't have any important use from it.."
"Any luck in finding Ozma?" Spen questioned the King for the second time.
Dorothy blurted, "The Queen's in trouble?"
Nudge, Spen, and the Scarecrow sighed, and explained the problem in full detail. Dorothy was alert like a shark, ready for the story of Ozma's dissappearance.