Captain's Log. Stardate: unknown

After receiving a message from Madame Morrible from the planet Oz, my crew and I were transported through a blackhole to this strange land.

Lieutenant Commander Montgomery Scott has accidentally killed an inhabitant with a defective phaser.

So far, the only authority figure we have encountered has been Glinda the Witch of the North.

The landing party and I are currently on our way to the Emerald City to speak with the ruler the Wizard. Hopefully, we will begin to get some answers.

The group came to a sudden stop. Before stood a thick forest.

"Do we have to go through it?" asked Stephens

"Are you afraid?" frowned Kirk.

"I have to agree with him" replied Spock, "My sensors are picking up vast populations of lions, tigers and bears."

"Lions?" Scotty raised his eyebrows.

"Tigers?" said Uhura.

"And bears" finished the Vulcan.

Kirk took in a deep breath: "Oh, my."

McCoy huffed, "I still don't like the looks of this, Jim."

Kirk smiled. "Glinda said to follow the Yellow Brick Road. If it goes through this wood, then we must follow. I trust she would not put us into something too dangerous." He led the way into the forest.

"It does look rather dark" Uhura said as she followed.

"Just stay on the path."

After a while, the fosest became less bleak and the party walked through with ease. Then, without warning, Captain Kirk stopped.

"What is it?" asked Stephens.

Kirk raised his hand in silence. "Do you hear that?" he whispered.

"Hear what?" Uhura asked.

"That rumbling."

"That's my stomach!" laughed McCoy, "I'm hungry!"

"I'm sure we all are!" chuckled Scotty, as his stomach, too began to growl.

"Captain!" smiled Stephens. He pointed to a group of trees, "Apple trees!"

Kirk approached the cluster of fruit trees. He was followed closely by Spock. "Are they safe, Spock?"

The Vulcan nodded. "Affirmative, captain."

Stephens smiled as he ran up and began picking the ripe fruit.

"Hey!" a voice cried.

The group froze in their tracks.

"What do you think you're doing?" the voice asked.

Kirk looked around, phaser drawn. "Show yourself!" he yelled.

"I am."

"Then where in blue blazes are you?" asked McCoy.

"Right in front of you."

Uhura jumped "Captain! The tree's alive!"

Spock faced the communications officer. "Miss Uhura," he said, "of course it is alive: it is an orgainism capable of metabolism, growth, reaction to stimuli, and reproduction."

"But also one of speech..." Kirk continued as he approached the plant. "Did you call out?" he asked it.

"Indeed, I did" was the reply. The tree took its long lower branches and pulled the apples from Stephen's hands.

"Hey!" the security officer cried.

"How dare you take my apples without asking?" it scolded, "How would you like it if people came up and picked things off of you?"

"I'm sorry" Kirk apologized for his crew, "We had no idea."

"Yeah," the tree rolled its knot eyes, "that's what they all say. There was a little girl who came through here earlier and said and did the exact same thing."

"I beg your pardon" continued the captain, "May we please have some of your apples?"

The tree let out a hearty laugh. "Listen to them!" he called to his companions, "Now that they realize that we have feelings, they start to become polite!"

The other apple trees joined in the laughter. "Now get out of here!" cried the tree, "We don't want your kind here!"

Kirk courteously nodded and turned his group to leave. As they walked further down the path, they could still hear the apple trees laughing.

"They aren't moving fast enough!" cried one.

"I think I know how to get them moving faster!" replied another.

"Look out!" cried McCoy as apples rained down on them.

"Well" smiled Kirk as he picked up a few apples, "at least we have what we wanted." He took a few bites form his apple. "What do you make of it, Spock?"

Spock looked at his little computer, "Most strange Captain. Those trees were unlike any I have ever seen before."

Kirk smiled and handed an apple to his first officer, "Apple?"

"No thank-you."

"Capt'n!" Scotty cried ahead, "Come look a' this!"

Kirk and Spock quickly ran up the road to where Scotty was standing. Before him stood a man made out of tin. "He's the same fellow that we encountered in Munchk'n land."

"But appears to have rusted up" finished Kirk.

"He doesn't seem to look so scary now" Uhura commented.

"Maybe" replied Bones, "but he still gives me the creeps."

"Well, let's continue" Kirk said, "There's nothing to do here."

As they turned back to the road, a faint murmur called to them.

"Did you say something?" Scotty asked Stephens.

The younger man shook his head. Again, a muffled voice called out to them: "Oil can!"

Spock looked at McCoy. The Doctor was checking himself with his instruments. "Something bothering you, Doctor?" he asked.

"I'm hearing things again" was the reply.

"Something that sounded like 'oil can'?" asked Uhura.

Bones looked at her in disbelief: "You heard it too?"

She nodded.

"So I wasn't going crazy!"

Captain Kirk looked around. He could see no one.

"Do you suppose..." asked Spock.

"That it's the tin man?" finished the captain, "I don't want to find out." He turned to the others, "Let's get out of here, fast!"

---

Elphaba threw Glinda to the ground. Raising a stone high, she prepared to bash the blonde's head in. Glinda looked up helplessly. "Go ahead," she teased, "You're Oz's number one public enemy. I'm sure you've killed before. What am I to you anyway?"

Elphaba thought about those words. She lowered the rock. "A good friend" she replied tossing it aside. She turned her back to the other. Sitting upon a nearby rock, she placed her face in her hands "...And, I've never killed before."

Glinda smiled as she rose to her feet. "I never thought you as the murdering kind."

"You're one of the few people who know me that well."

Glinda approached the other and placed a hand on the other witch's shoulder. Elphaba, in turn placed hers upon Glinda's. "I'm sorry" Glinda almost teared, "I was just so jealous."

"It was partially my own fault" the other replied.

"I really meant it, though."

"What?"

"You and Fiyero" was the reply, "You two really do deserve each other. You're a perfect match."

Elphaba wiped the blood from her face. "Thanks. Are you okay?"

Glinda shrugged, "Just a few cuts and bruises. I'll be okay. The question is: Are you okay?"

The other looked at the grave and began to weep. "No" she whispered, "I don't think so." Glinda put a hand on her friend's shoulder and pulled her into a strong hug.

---

Fiyero had acquired a horse and had begun his long journey across country. He knew he was still being pursued by the Gale Force and, undoubtedly, road blocks would be set up. Hence, he traveled over the rugged country through the old trails and avoided the main roads. He had to find Elphaba and tell her about plot to capture her before it became too late.

---

The landing party stayed close together as they traveled through the last bit of woods. Captain Kirk was happy to finally see sunlight again. The walk was mostly uneventful. They did encounter a lion, but he soon lost interest with the group and ran away.

"Capt'n!" Scotty cried out, "Jus' look over thar!"

The captain looked over the last hill to see a city glowing in the distance—an emerald city. "The Emerald City?" he asked.

"It would appear so" replied Spock.

"It's beautiful" commented the communications officer.

"Let's only hope the Wizard will see us" McCoy said, "With a city like that, it is likely that he will not have time for us."

"Maybe" replied Kirk, "But, if he is the one who sent us the message, he will make time. Shall we?" He led the way through a poppy field which lay around the city. Soon, they came to the doors in the great wall which surrounded the city. Kirk pulled a cord and a huge bell rang. A little man dressed in all green answered the door.

"Who rang that bell?" he cried.

"I did" quickly replied the captain.

"Why?" the doorman scolded "Can't you read?"

"I beg your pardon?" asked Spock.

"The sign!" was the reply.

Captain Kirk looked around the door. "What sign? I see no sign."

"The sign right here" the doorman pointed to a spot on the door below his little window. "It's as plain as the nose on my face!"

"Must have been written with invisible ink" commented McCoy.

"What are you talking about?" yelled the doorman.

"For crying out loud!" cried the doctor, "This man is mad. There is no sign!"

The prospect of being called "mad" troubled the doorman. He looked below and found, to his astonishment, that, in fact, there was no sign. "Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear" he muttered. "One moment." he quickly left and returned with a sign, which he set below his window then disappeared shutting his little door behind him.

"Bell out of oder. Please knock" Spock read the sign aloud.

"This is ludicrous!" scoffed the doctor.

Kirk smiled, "Maybe so, Bones." He grabbed the knocker and hit as hard as he could on the door.

Again, the doorman appeared. "Well," he smiled, "that's more like it. Now, what be your business?"

"We're here to see the Wizard." The captain announced.

"Are you crazy?" the doorman asked, "No one has seen the Great Oz. Even I haven't seen him."

"It is of much urgency that we make communication with your ruler" replied Spock.

The doorman eyed the human-Vulcan. "He's good with words, isn't he?" he asked Kirk.

Captain Kirk only smiled, "Indeed he is. And so am I." His voice became harsher. "We are representatives of The United Federation of Planets. We have received a message from you Wizard and wish to speak with him. I'm sure your Wizard will disprove of your persistence to prevent his guests from meeting him."

Those words struck terror into the doorman's eyes. After pondering for a moment he finally smiled, "Welcome to the Emerald City, my friends!" He then disappeared and closed the little door.

"Captain," Spock said as the main gates began to open, "when are you humans going to learn that fear, force, power and brutality will end up getting you nowhere?"

"Oh," smiled the captain as they entered the city, "when we all become dull Vulcans much like yourself."

A/N: Okay, so it has been a while. But, hey, life happens (just ask my history professor!) But now you got this to keep you for a while. I'll try to write as quickly as I can. However, I can not make any promises on account of a full load this semester.