CHAPTER 3

Karen and her friends would have been at the edge of their seats, if they had actual seats. But, they didn't mind. They were just fine on the floor. Chris couldn't say the same for himself, though.

"Wow, this is exciting!" Karen cheered. "This is a great story so far. Wouldn't you say, Chris?"

"I guess so," Chris said in an uncertain tone. "But I coulda done without all the cutesy Care Bears stuff."

The Professor chuckled amusingly. "Young man," he said, "If the Care Bears didn't have a place in this story...Then I wouldn't be telling it, would I?"

Chris didn't have a good response. Instead, he pointed at the ruby shoes, still in front of their chest. "Those shoes," he said, "They aren't...THE same shoes. Are they? No way they can be."

"You will have to wait until the end of my story," the Professor said, "In order to find out."

"Besides," Chris said, "How CAN the Care Bears fit into the rest of this?"

Karen thought for a moment. "Oh, I know!" she exclaimed. "They're -"

The Professor shushed her suddenly, but gently. "Now now, young lady," he said. "You wouldn't want to spoil it for your friends or for your brother, now would you?"

Karen giggled gently. "OK," she said, "I'll keep quiet. So, Dorothy and the Care Bears are gonna meet everyone soon, right? The Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Lion?"

"Very soon," the Professor said, as everyone got comfortable again. "But first, I must tell you of the enemy that they will soon go up against..."

The Monkey King and his band of monkeys flew far, far out into the west, where the sun barely shone, and the land was covered in perpetual darkness. They flew all the way to the castle belonging to their master, the Wicked Witch of the West.

They all made their landings on one of the castle's balconies, worn out from their battle and from the long flight.

"All right, you flea bags!" the King said. "Take about 30! I'm gonna go up and inform the big boss." He went into the castle and walked up a large set of stairs.

The King went through a radical change in attitude as he climbed up. "Ohhh, the Witch isn't gonna be happy about this at all," he said to himself, with some genuine fear in his voice. "I sure hope she doesn't bind my wings together, and tie my tail in a knot!" He grabbed his tail and stroked it sadly. "My poor tail. It's gone through enough torment already!"

Some time later, the King came across the large wooden door leading to the Witch's chamber.

Right on the other side, there was a dull grey monkey mopping the dark stone floor, with a bucket of water by his side. He was standing right in front of the door, when the King threw it open.

"Oh, boss!" the King greeted. "I'm back!"

The door unintentionally slammed the mopping monkey up against the wall. It also hit the side of the bucket and hurled it far out into the room, splashing the floor in a big soapy puddle. The King stared at the mess in fear. The door eased off the wall, revealing the mopping monkey, dazed and flattened against the stone.

"You IMBECILES!" the rough, hateful voice of the Wicked Witch of the West screamed out. "You could have killed me! YOU KNOW WHAT WATER DOES TO ME!"

The Witch stomped her foot on the floor. She was dressed all in black, from the tips of her laced boots to the tip of her pointy hat. Her skin was all green and covered in warts, and she had a crooked nose and chin, as well as twisted fingers and sharp fingernails. She stared at the King and the mopping monkey with fearsome yellow eyes.

"We're sorry, your Wickedness!" the King said nervously. "We'll get it cleaned right up!"

The mopping monkey reformed and removed himself from the wall. As quick as a flash, he picked up the bucket, then got a towel to clean up the spill. The Witch glared angrily at him the whole time, while he sported an awkward grin.

"See?" the King said, grinning himself. "You won't be melting today."

"Hmph," the Witch huffed. The room was filled with all the materials she needed to practice her spells, including a large green crystal ball right in the middle. "I assume you have a report for me today," the Witch said. "Well, speak up! I haven't got all day!"

The King stepped forward. "Well, it went like this," he started. "So there we were, in the Land of the Munchkins, just minding our own business. Then, all of a sudden! We heard something going on in the main town plaza. We went to check, and there was a mighty celebration going on! It was like a dreadfully cute party!"

The Witch sat on her red velvet couch, looking rather bored.

"Of course," the King continued, "We wanted to see what was going on. But we had to hide ourselves, and then -"

"Get to the point!" the Witch snapped. "What did you find out?"

"Well, you see," the King squeaked, "The Wicked Witch of the East...Well, she's..." He gulped, "Dead..."

"WHAT!?" the Witch shouted in rage, leaping up from the couch. "How could this happen? Who was responsible for this?!"

Before the King could answer, the Witch suddenly smiled, remembering something.

"But her ruby shoes!" she exclaimed. "Surely you remembered THOSE. Did you get them?"

"Well, you see," the King explained, "There was the Witch of the East, lying flat underneath a house. A HOUSE! There were her feet, and the ruby shoes right on them. And we woulda gotten them if it hadn't been for the Good Witch of the North, and those goody-two-shoes fluffballs, the Care Bears!"

"The CARE BEARS?!" the Witch exclaimed.

"Yeah!" the King said. "There was a whole ARMY of 'em! We tried to fight them off, but they were joined by a little girl and her dog, and the dog bit me on the tail, and it really hurt!"

The Witch picked the King up by the vest and pulled him up to meet him eye-to-eye.

"It really did!" the King said. "It's still sore right now!"

"You should be lucky that it didn't hurt any more than it did!" the Witch yelled in the King's face. She then dropped him and asked, "Where are they now?! And where are the shoes?"

"Well," the King said, rubbing his head, "It was the girl! The girl took the shoes, and she's wearing them right now!"

"Ohhh!" the Witch groaned, as she turned away from the King and to her crystal ball. "They won't be escaping my sight so easily!" She raised up her hands and cast lightning onto the ball. Within moments, a clear image of Dorothy, Toto, and the Care Bears walking along the yellow brick road came up inside it.

"They are heading west, toward the Emerald City!" she said. "They must be going to see the Wizard!" She swung back around, leaned down, and pointed at the King's nose. "YOU have to stop them at all costs! Do whatever you want with them, but I NEED THOSE SHOES!"

"R-Right away, ma'am!" the King stuttered. He flapped his wings, got back on his feet, and backed away from the Witch. "I'll get 'em, ma'am, I'm going, ma'am, I won't let you down, ma'am!" He then revved up his feet and zoomed out the door.

The Witch cackled and turned back to the crystal ball. "Don't think you can escape ME, my pretties! You may not know the true power of those shoes...But I do! And once I have them, then all of Oz WILL BE MINE!" She lifted her crooked fists into the air and let out a horrible shrieking laugh that could be heard throughout the entire castle. All of this was accompanied by a flash of lightning across the stormy sky...