As promised, a new chapter every Wednesday! If you're enjoying the story, please, leave reviews, favorite, and/or follow. If you're not enjoying the story, let me know why! Maybe it's something I can work on!

~ L.J.

Chapter Three

Back in the Emerald City, Dorothy had just been informed that in order to return back home to Kansas she would have to kill the Wicked Witch of the West. She had met her briefly – the green witch who had been infuriated about losing the Ruby slippers to her. She didn't seem very friendly, at all.

"Oh, Toto, how will we ever return to Kansas?" Dorothy sobbed.

The small dog rested its head on Dorothy's arm.

She had never killed anything in her entire life, well, not on purpose, anyway. Now she would have to show up at this woman's door, and attempt to kill her. Just how did one kill a witch, anyway? She couldn't simply create a house out of thin air, but she hadn't any magical talent, either.

Why couldn't the Wizard kill the witch himself, anyway? He was the wizard. She was just a girl trying to find her way back home.

She heard whistling and footsteps down the corridor, where she was sitting on the floor. She looked up quickly, hoping that it was not the same munckin who had been incredibly rude to her that morning. She was already upset. She did not need to be yelled at additionally.

To her relief, it was simply the Wizard's son, looking quite handsome in a black suit.

He looked down at her curiously as he approached her.

"Oh, hello again, you're the Wizard's son, right?" Dorothy asked, standing up quickly, smoothing her hair and dress as she did so.

Toto barked, slightly annoyed at having been tossed aside so quickly.

Dorothy paid little attention to Toto; the man might just be the key to her quest. He was the Wizard's son. He likely had magical powers as well. Perhaps he would be able to accompany her on her journey to kill the witch!

The man nodded slowly, surveying the entire corridor as she rushed to speak to him again.

"Well, I have just met with your father. Charming man, of course, very impressive," she rushed, hoping to butter up the man before asking such a commitment out of him. He seemed altogether unimpressed with her attempts, so she continued.

"And well, he asked me to kill someone. The very notion! Of course, he likely had a reason to do so, but I am not a bounty hunter, I just want to go home," her lips quivered as her voice broke, causing her to begin to sob once again.

"I'm sure you'll do just fine," The man mumbled, still seeming uninterested.

Dorothy shook her head, bringing her hands up to her face as she sobbed.

He didn't seem to understand that she was absolutely useless. She could not kill someone, whether she wanted to, or not. She had no powers, no skills, and no strength. She had grown up on a farm, sure, but she was almost positive that killing a witch would be entirely different from wrestling with an angry pig.

"I'm sure I have a friend who could assist you on your journey. I will speak to him immediately. In the meantime, you may stay in one of the guest bedrooms. Excuse me." The man stated, pushing past the sobbing Dorothy to his own quarters.

She watched him leave, puzzled by his behavior.

She had not met a young man before, but she was almost positive that they should not behave like this, generally. The Wizard's son was distant, uncaring, and unimpressed, whenever she had spoken to him. Uncle Henry, who had been a young man once, was friendly, pleasant, and always cared.

Maybe he doesn't like me. She thought as she wandered out of the corridor, maybe he thinks that I'm a killer, just like everybody else in this strange place.

Corey quickly wrote a letter to Avaric, letting him know the impositions Dorothy was causing by lingering around the castle. She would likely drive him insane with all of her whining and crying, accompanied by the yapping of her small dog.

Avaric liked quests, killing, and he liked young girls. He would likely agree to the mission immediately.

Corey played with the pen between his fingers. Dorothy was very small, and seemed very unimpressive. She did not seem equipped to kill anybody, at all. Perhaps she would die in the process. That would make everything easier for him; he would not have to get her back to Kansas, he would not have to worry about the citizens of Oz talking about the little "hero" that had seemingly come from out of thin air.

Then again, Glinda would be upset if she knew that Dorothy had died in the process of completing the Wizard's command. The blame would likely end up on Corey, as she had expected him to take care of her pet project.

Elphaba, on the other hand, would be pleased at the girl's death. She would ride off of the anger surrounding the death to protest the Wizard further, but overall, she would certainly be relieved that her sister's murderer had a similar fate.

Corey grinned at the thought of Elphaba.

"I'm your half-sister, you know," Elphaba had told him as they were lying in bed together, their funeral clothes thrown every which way in the room.

He had laughed at her attempt to shock and hurt him.

"No you're not. My father was just as intoxicated as your mother on the evening of their meeting. Do you really think he could perform under those circumstances? No, he had continued on his journey. I'm assuming your mother clung to that story, so she wouldn't have to admit that she was taken advantage of by an elf. Come on now, Elphie, why do you think your skin is so green?"

He watched in amusement as Elphaba's eyes widened, her plan immediately backfiring.

Her entire life, she had believed that she was a product of the Wizard; something that would come in handy when she met the Wizard under unpleasant circumstances, something that had always allowed her to feel the she was on the same playing field as Corey.

"But, the Clock of the Time Dragon said the Wizard was my father!" She protested.

Corey laughed once more.

"It sounds to me like you'd prefer being the daughter of the great Wizard you so strongly protest. Or would you just prefer to be my dear sister?"

Elphaba shied away from his bright eyes, feeling her skin burn at his touch.

"No, no, I just, I don't believe you."

His eyes flicked up to her face.

"I'm not asking you to, I'm just informing you that you cannot shock me. I'm years ahead of you, in terms of collecting information on my father, and his past. There is something that I'm very curious to know, however,"

"What's that?" Elphaba asked sulkily.

"What do you think about Queens, as a general rule?"

Avaric responded to Corey's letter enthusiastically two days later, insisting that he accompany Dorothy in her mission to kill some unknown enemy of the Wizard's. He mentioned that he would like to bring an Animal that he knew along; a Lion, by the name of Jeffrey.

Corey invited him to the palace immediately, wanting to get Dorothy out of his hair.

She had been a horrendous guest; she was always following him around the palace when he was trying to get things done, asking silly questions about his past, his future, and his father. None of those subjects were particularly interesting to him, nor did he see them fit to discuss with a silly little girl.

Oscar had been lucky enough to hide throughout the duration of Dorothy's stay; allowing her to meet the man behind the curtain would ruin the illusion that the Wizard was real. Everyone was certain that the little girl was incapable of telling a lie. The last thing the palace needed was all of Oz finding out that their wizard was a hoax.

"Tell me more about your friend Avaric. Is he very brave?" She asked, skipping behind him as he walked towards the library, where he had been hoping to read up on overtaking land quietly.

He had been looking into the acquisition of Muchkinland ever since Nessa's death. After all, there was no heir to the Thropp position. Elphaba wanted nothing to do with her family, and Nessa had not reproduced. If he did not act fast, one of the Munchkins would likely assume the throne.

Once a Munchkin assumed power, overthrowing him would be complicated. It wouldn't be difficult, per se, but Oz would notice the Wizard taking power from a native of the land, just to rule a larger piece of land.

Dorothy constantly at his heels was making this research more challenging.

"He is very brave. He is bringing a Lion with him. You shall be very safe in your travels." Corey mumbled, pulling a few books off of the shelf in the library, hoping that Dorothy would take the hint that he did not want to be disturbed.

"He's bringing a lion? Wow! I've never seen a lion, except in story books. Is the lion his pet?"

"No, the Lion is an independent creature."

"Do you mean that your friend just has a Lion wander around with him?"

Corey sighed, rubbing his temples.

If he tried to explain the difference between animals and Animals, he would spend an hour discussing the talking Animals versus the average animals, like the ones she had in Kansas. Not to mention, she would begin speaking to every creature she encountered, offending animals and Animals alike.

"You'll understand when you meet him," and when you're far away from me, as Avaric's problem, he silently added, his eyes narrowing as Dorothy pulled a chair up to the table he had sat down at.

"Okay! This is so exciting! What are you reading about? Is it something that will help me with killing the witch?" Dorothy questioned, looking over Corey's shoulders at the book.

He froze immediately.

Had she just said that she was going to kill the witch? Nessa was dead, and Oscar had indicated that he approved of the mindless compliance that Glinda had to offer. Therefore, if he had told Dorothy to kill a witch, her future victim was likely Elphaba.

"The witch?" He questioned, returning his facial expression back to its stony state.

"Yes, the Wicked Witch of the West. The green one, I believe you know her. Your father says that she's been terrorizing Oz for years now, and he wants me to kill her. Didn't you know that?" She questioned, still trying to get a better look at the book in front of Corey.

He looked at her, as if trying to read her face for any signs of a lie.

It wouldn't be unlike Oscar Diggs to have an insider in the palace, especially a seemingly innocent and heroic one like Dorothy Gale of Kansas. He could very well have sent her in the palace to figure out Corey's relations with Elphaba. The death of Nessa could have been an inside job.

You're being paranoid, he scolded himself, as he watched the girl attempt to read the book, before losing interest and smiling back up at him widely.

She was too naïve, too silly to be anything other than what she appeared to be: a stupid little girl.

"I don't think it was ever specified. So you've met the witch before, have you? Quite the charmer, isn't she?" He questioned with a small smile, not wanting to disclose too much information about his relations with Elphaba, just in case.

"Oh, no, I do believe she is very wicked. Why, she was after Toto, too! Who would pick on a poor little dog, anyway?" Dorothy questioned, frowning down at her yappy little dog, who was now napping under the table.

Corey couldn't help but chuckle.

The idea of Elphaba actually hurting an animal - whether it spoke or not - was completely ridiculous. It was only humans that she truly had no compassion for.

Dorothy looked offended at his amusement, but relaxed a little when he gained control of his facial expression once again.

"Well, now that I know it's the Wicked Witch you're after, I feel a sense of obligation to go with you. If it were just your run-of-the-mill criminal, I would trust Avaric with assisting you alone. However, this woman is no run-of-the-mill criminal. This is serious business. You never know when a wizard will come in handy, when you're dealing with a witch." Corey said slowly, trying to make it seem like he was genuinely concerned for Dorothy's well-being.

Dorothy looked at him quickly, her eyes lighting up as a smile broke across her freckled face.

"You'll come? Really? Oh, thank you! This will be so exciting, going on a journey with a real wizard! I thought I was going to be safe before, but now I know that I will want for nothing. When shall we leave?" She asked, smiling widely at him, as he looked down at the book, his dark eyebrows furrowing over his emerald eyes.

Leaving with Dorothy would mean abandoning his goals to overtake Munchkinland. Surely, they would have one of their own in power by the time they made it to the Vinkus, where Elphaba resided. He still had to think about what he was going to do when they did reach the Vinkus; Nessa had already been killed by this little girl, he didn't want to contribute to the slaughter of another one of his schoolmates with this bloodthirsty foreigner.

If he didn't go, Elphaba would die one way or the other; Avaric would either comply, as a citizen of Oz, or they would fail, both dying in the process and Oscar would finish the job one way or the other. If he did go, he would lose Munchkinland at the expense of keeping Elphaba alive.

Oscar would likely overthrow any Munchkin they put into power, causing a civil war between Emerald City and Munchkinland. Once the other lands declared their alliance, likely to Munchkinland (especially in the case of Quadling Country), it could very well be the end of the Wizard's reign, especially when they would inevitably find out that he was a hoax.

Then again, if he did go on this quest, there was a chance that he could find Elphaba, and convince her to take over as the Eminent Thropp. The position was still rightly hers, and if she just took it, he could find a way to ease her out of power long enough to take Munchkinland for Emerald City.

"Corey?" Dorothy questioned quietly.

He looked at her, realizing that he had been strategizing the entire acquisition of Munchkinland while she was waiting on an answer from him.

"Oh, right. We'll leave immediately, following Avaric and the Lion's arrival."

A day later, Avaric arrived, with his friend, Jeffery the Lion.

Dorothy was ecstatic – the sooner she set out on the journey, the sooner she would be able to return to Kansas, and reunite with Auntie Em and Uncle Henry.

The quest would also give her more time with Corey, who she had grown particularly fond of. Yes, he was years older than her, but he was not married, and did not seem to have any potential wives hanging around the palace.

When he was in the palace, he was always so busy, so serious. He probably had to be, the Wizard seemed to be scarce around the palace. She hadn't seen him since he had told her to kill the Wicked Witch of the West.

She skipped alongside of him as they walked down the red brick road, away from Emerald City. He was discussing something with Jeffery the Lion – a lion who could talk – while Avaric spun his sword in circles easily, staring at the road ahead of them.

Finally, after what felt like hours of Corey and Jeffery discussing Animal rights, Avaric finally spoke up, on a subject that was not completely boring to Dorothy.

"Why are we walking, again? We could be in the Vinkus in two days' time if we took the train."

Corey shot him a dark look, quickly shutting him up.

"For starters, we're travelling with a girl who is now infamous for killing the Wicked Witch of the East. Do you want to assume the risk of travelling in public with one of the most controversial beings in Oz right now?" He responded, glancing at Dorothy before glowering at Avaric, who was staring at his shoes.

Dorothy's eyes widened.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I hadn't meant to be such an imposition," she whispered.

"Don't be, it's only one of the reasons. We also want the element of surprise when we show up in the Vinkus. If the…erm…witch expects us, she'll take off in a few seconds time. She's somewhat of a flight risk," he added, the corners of his mouth twitching into a smile, at a joke that no one else understood.

Avaric looked at Corey curiously, but said nothing.

They continued on in silence for a little while, before Dorothy decided to spark up a conversation with Corey, who was walking slightly ahead of the others.

She skipped ahead, Toto following at her heels.

"So, are you happy for a break from working so hard at the palace? It seemed like you were always so busy there. This must be better than reading all of your boring books," she chattered pleasantly, smiling up at him.

He looked at her, his face expressionless.

"I don't dislike my work at the palace. It's like playing a game of chess. As a matter of fact, this is just an extension of my duties to the palace; a pawn moving from its point of origin, to try and capture the Queen." He mused, starting to smile again.

Dorothy looked at him curiously.

"So you're saying that this is just the same as sitting in your library, reading a book?"

"No, I'm not saying that at all. The two aren't comparable, because they're both separate duties, compiling into one job position. I can't say whether or not this trip is enjoyable, as we've been walking for a matter of hours. I'll let you know right outside of the witch's door."

"Oh, I hadn't thought about what it would be like when we get there. Do you think Avaric and Jeffery will be able to manage? Or will you use magic against her? Oh, please don't tell me that I must do anything!" Dorothy whimpered, looking at Corey with wide brown eyes.

He stared back down at her, and softened slightly.

In the midst of her fear, she resembled a panicked dog, her eyes the size of saucers, her mouth hanging open, and her stance stiff and alert. While she was incredibly irritating, it was difficult to remain annoyed with someone so innocent and naïve.

They walked further in silence, until the sun was setting over Oz.

"Let's make camp for the evening, we have a lot of walking to do tomorrow, and we'll need to be well rested, in case this witch of ours gives us a run for our money. If I know one thing about that woman, I know that she won't make this easy on us."

Avaric and Jeffrey grumbled agreements as they searched the forest for a good place to settle.

They eventually found a good place to camp for the night, and sat down on the ground, passing the food that Dorothy had brought in her basket, along with the berries that Jeffrey had picked along the way.

They didn't speak much. All of them were wrapped up in their own thoughts.

Dorothy was staring at Corey, trying to understand just why her heart leaped up her throat whenever she attempted to speak to him. Corey was thinking about Elphaba, and just what he was going to do when they showed up at the doorstep. Avaric was thinking about the young girl from Gillikin that he had met prior to leaving on this journey and just what he might be doing in her company had he not left. Jeffrey was trying to think of ways to avoid being involved in the slaughter of the witch without being considered a coward.

Within an hour after eating, Avaric was sprawled out on the ground, snoring loudly.

"How are we ever going to sleep, with all that noise?" Jeffrey growled, glowering back at Avaric.

"I'm sure you'll manage. If you don't like the noise here, why don't you sleep somewhere else? It's a pretty big forest," Corey responded, shrugging, and returning to the book he had brought along on the journey.

Dorothy looked at him curiously before turning to the annoyed Lion.

"Here, I think I have some cotton balls in my dress pockets," she murmured, digging through her pockets.

"Cotton balls? We're not making clothes," Jeffrey grumbled.

"No, to put in your ears, of course," Dorothy replied simply, pulling a few cotton balls out of her right pocket, and shoving them in Jeffrey's ears swiftly, before he could even think about protesting.

His facial expression changed once he realized that he could no longer hear Avaric's snoring.

"I can't hear anything!" He roared loudly.

Dorothy smiled at him, and nodded.

"Thank you!" He yelled, clearly unable to perceive just how loud he was being.

He stretched before curling up on the ground, purring just like Dorothy's little cats back in Kansas. She smiled at him as she watched him drift off to sleep.

Corey watched the interaction carefully, but quickly returned to his book.

Dorothy curled up next to the Lion, holding Toto in her arms as she did so.

Corey sighed as the firelight dimmed.

He glanced at it, putting it out as he did so. There was no point in reading about land acquisition, anyway. The Munchkins had undoubtedly had elections today, and Oscar was too old to be useful in such a situation.

He glanced in the direction of the woods. Dorothy was lying in front of the Lion, and Avaric. If any wild creatures were to discover the group, Dorothy would likely be the first casualty, because of this exposure. She was too naïve about these things; now that she was such a controversial public figure, she would have to begin thinking strategically.

Well, he would have to teach her about that in the morning. In the meantime, it made the most sense of him to lie in the front of her. Every creature in Oz knew who he was, and he was a wizard. He was in no imminent danger.

He glanced back at the sleeping Dorothy and smiled slightly before turning around, and going to sleep himself.

Elphaba was walking the grounds in the morning, when she heard a familiar screech.

It was one of her flying Monkeys, likely returning to tell her news of Dorothy Gale.

Sure enough, the flying Monkey landed in front of her, bowing slightly, before speaking.

"It is about the little girl who has murdered your sister. She is traveling."

Elphaba looked at him curiously.

She had never heard of Kansas, and it seemed highly unlikely that a little girl would be able to roam the world looking for a place that nobody in Oz had heard of. It seemed downright silly, almost as if a death wish. The thought of Dorothy dying was appealing to Elphaba, until she remembered the ruby slippers.

Glinda had thoughtlessly given the stupid little girl Nessa's magical slippers that had allowed her to become more powerful than she naturally was. This was just typical of Glinda, thinking of her pet projects before thinking of her old friends. Ever since the Wizard had declared her the generation's Good Witch, she had certainly acted a lot different than she had, back when they were best friends.

"Is she travelling alone?" Elphaba immediately questioned hopefully.

If the girl was stupid enough to travel alone, taking the ruby slippers back would be no challenge at all. She was likely unaware of their hidden power; they were wasted on her, anyway. Elphaba might as well step in and claim what was rightly hers.

The Monkey shook his head.

"She is with a most unusual group. She is traveling with a Lion, a man, and the Wizard's son."

Elphaba's eyes grew wide. If Dorothy was traveling with Corey, there had to be some ulterior motive, some plan behind their movement. Corey was powerful enough to simply put Dorothy back in Kansas at his will. He also tended to avoid situations that involved extensive travel; he was too accustomed to the life of luxury.

"Did you hear why they are traveling?" She questioned.

"No. Would you like me to continue following them? They are resting for the evening."

Elphaba glanced out the window, before declining his offer.

"You need your rest, as do I. We will discover their plans tomorrow," She responded quietly.