I'm back in the game! I was busy November participating in NaNoWriMo, and I managed to write the 50k words needed to win it. Those 50k words also go towards my writing competition entry for the end of the year, so I'm more than half done on that! Woo! I still need to write another 30k words towards it over the course of December, but for the moment I'm taking a break to update my fanfics. Wizard of Oz first, expect a new chapter of Marchen sometime over the next few days. After new year I will be able to concentrate more on my fics, so expect updates to pick up a lot then. Assuming I'm still alive and on the internet of course!
Okay, that's (more) than enough from me. Here's the next part of The Wizard of Oz! Now I'm off to see the Wizard about getting some chocolate ...
The Wizard of Oz
PART4: Lions and Tigers and Bears!
Suigintou regarded the group with unconcealed scorn from her perch atop the tree branch, her silvery hair flowing about her face from the slight chilly breeze. She turned her gaze on the scarecrow and gave a mocking chuckle of laughter. "What's this now? A brainless sack of straw. Shouldn't you be in a field somewhere trying to make yourself useful? Take my advice and stick to what you're best at, otherwise I might have to rip you up and use you to stuff a mattress somewhere."
"Why you-" Kanaria began. She was interrupted when Suigintou hurled a crackling sphere of blue fire at her, prompting the scarecrow to recoil in horror. Souseiseki leapt to her defence and deflected the fireball with her shears, snarling in defiance at the leering Witch. Suigintou blinked in surprise.
"A tin boy, too. What odd company you keep Shinku. Now I shall have to turn this woodcutter into so much scrap metal one could fill a junkyard ..." her wings curled over her shoulders and unleashed a veritable storm of black feathers. The group shielded themselves as best they could but the onslaught was relentless.
"Quickly!" Shinku called to them, "Into the forest!"
They fled the Witches assault and retreated into the forest, Suigintou's laughter assailing them every step of the way until they were surrounded by trees and hopelessly lost. At least they had escaped, for now. Shinku had no doubt however that this was not the last she'd seen of the Wicked Witch. Suigintou would not be satisfied until she had the Ruby Slippers.
"Where are we?" Kanaria stared around at the forbidding forest they now occupied, which was decidedly gloomy owing to the towering canopy of dizzyingly high treetops. Souseiseki plucked one of the witches feathers from her arm, which had bent slightly upon contact with her metal skin. Scowling at the thing with disdain, she dropped it upon the leave-strewn ground and took a moment to observe their new surroundings as well.
"I do not like this place," Shinku said firmly, clutching Kunkun tightly in her arms, "It feels quite unfriendly."
"Do you ... do you think there are any wild animals around here?" Kanaria asked, peering through the foliage nervously.
"There might be," Souseiseki answered calmly. Kanaria whimpered.
"Any that eat ... straw, d'you think?"
"Some, but mostly lions and tigers and bears."
Both Kanaria and Shinku gaped at the tin woodcutter with wide-eyed fear. The scarecrow swallowed. "L-lions?"
"Tigers?" said Shinku. Souseiseki nodded.
"And bears."
"Oh my!" Shinku drew Kunkun even closer for what little comfort that provided, whilst Kanaria started to tremble. Despite her very evident fear she laid a comforting hand on Shinku's shoulder.
"D-don't worry Shinku lady, I'll p-protect you, y'hear!" she assured her, though just how sure of that she was herself was somewhat debatable. Just then they heard an almighty roar that echoed through the forest and hit the primal fear response inside each of them with an oversized hammer. Kanaria yelped in alarm and wrapped her arms around Shinku and Kunkun, whilst Souseiseki spun and raised her shears defensively, her gaze searching frantically for some sign of the animal that had made the noise.
"W-w-what was that?" the scarecrow managed to ask between frightened whimpers. Souseiseki frowned and continued to scan the surrounding area.
"It sounded like a lion," she said quietly. Shinku and Kanaria both started with surprise at once.
"A lion!" they yelled together. As if on cue the roar sounded again, only this time it was louder. Louder and closer. Perhaps the scarecrow's fear was contagious, because Shinku started to tremble as well.
"Lions are ... lions are a type of cat are they not? Large ferocious cats that possess great speed and strength!" She hated cats. Always had. Even common household cats were bad, but lions? They were like the Kings of the cat world. Cats were every dolls sworn enemy. They were quite simply evil!
"I think we should move," Souseiseki advised. The other two were in no state to argue and followed the tin woodcutter as she led them to a beaten and worn path that would hopefully take them out of this dreadful place. As they crept as stealthily as they could to avoid drawing attention to themselves, Kanaria saw a sinister shadow through the trees and had to clamp a hand over her mouth to keep from crying out in alarm.
And then it happened. A frightful shape exploded from the bushes ahead and leapt onto the path directly in front of them, roaring at the top of its voice. It was such a terrifying sound that Shinku and Kanaria both threw themselves to the floor and clapped their hands over their heads in mortal terror. They lay there for some time, shaking like the leaves that they shared the ground with. Souseiseki stared at the lion.
"Umm ... guys?" she said quietly. The lion roared again, however this time the sound that issued forth was not so much a primal roar of dominance as it was a meow, like the cry of a hungry kitten. Both Shinku and Kanaria raised their eyes a fraction and looked at each other as they heard the subdued kitten meep again, which was so far from impressive that it was almost embarrassing to listen to.
"Put 'em up! Go on, put 'em up!" a tiny voice squeaked from the path ahead, "Hina will fight all of you! Hina isn't afraid of anything! Hina will take you on with one paw tied behind her back and still win!"
They picked themselves up off the ground and brushed the leaves from their clothes, both blushing furiously. They exchanged a brief glance that simply said 'Let us never speak of this again,' and then joined Souseiseki. Together they all stared at the fearsome lion that had been stalking them. It looked like a tiny little blond girl in a white dress with fluffy white paws in place of hands and feet. Similar looking fluffy white cat ears protruded from the side of her head, and an equally fluffy white tail was visible from under the bottom of her dress. She tried to roar at them again, but all she could manage was a rather pathetic mewling sound. She bounded forwards and waved her paws in what was presumably an attempt at being menacing.
"Scared huh? Bet you are! Bet you're really really scared! Grrraaarr!"
"Not exactly ..." said Souseiseki, unsure what to make of this. The lion's face screwed up like a kid about to throw a tantrum.
"Hina is the biggest most fearsome lion in all the forest!" she insisted, "You're supposed to be frightened!"
"Sorry," said Souseiseki, shrugging her shoulders. Hina's face fell and she gazed up at them with her soulful green eyes.
"Not even a little bit?"
"Not even a teensy bit," Kanaria assured her. Hina seemed to rally herself somewhat and proceeded to leap at Shinku. She flailed her fluffy paws at Kunkun and released another of her pathetic roars. Shinku scowled in irritation and slapped the lion with her hair, knocking Hina to the floor. She stared up at Shinku in shock.
"You hit Hina! Hina didn't even bite your dog and you hit Hina!"
"Well of course. It's bad enough that you were trying to frighten us, but Kunkun is a poor defenceless little dog. Why, you must be such a coward to even think of harming him."
Hina continued to stare at her in stunned amazement before promptly breaking down into a flood of tears. She sat and sobbed greatly, shaking her head from side to side. "It's true! Hina is a great big scaredy cat! Haven't any courage at all!" she wailed pathetically, tears streaming down her cheeks like sparkling snowdrops. Shinku watched her thoughtfully for a moment before turning to her friends.
"A lion without any courage is like a doll without a home, or a tin man without a heart. Perhaps the Wizard can help her as well?"
"What, you mean take this great big blubbering wreck with us? I dunno ..." Kanaria seemed dubious, however Souseiseki nodded in agreement with Shinku.
"No, I think she's right; if the Wizard can give you a brain and myself a heart then surely he could give this lion some bravery as well."
"Then it's settled," Shinku turned back to Hina and knelt beside the crying lion. Hina stopped and blinked at her with red-rimmed eyes. "How would you like to come with us?" Shinku said kindly, "We are going to see the Wonderful Wizard of Oz. If you accompany us to Emerald City then I am sure he would be able to make you the bravest lion you could possibly be."
"Really?" Hina hiccupped, her face lighting up with a faint spark of hope, "But ... wouldn't you be ashamed to be seen with a cowardly lion like Hina?"
Kanaria was about to give an emphatic 'yes' but was prevented from doing so by a swift elbow in the side from Souseiseki, which knocked the stuffing from her. Shinku shook her head and extended a hand. "Certainly not; the more the merrier."
"Oh! Oh! You mean it? Thank you lady!" Hina ignored the hand and threw herself at Shinku in what was, if not a bear hug then at least a lion cub hug. Shinku flinched, vaguely uncomfortable.
"Yes, very good. Please stop, you are creasing my dress. I am allergic to cat hair. You are squashing Kunkun."
And so Hina the not-so-brave lion joined the group of travellers heading for Emerald City. Kanaria tried to start up a song, but a scathing look from Shinku soon silenced her and they proceeded with only background music instead. Unbeknown to them all however, they were being watched by the Wicked Witch. She held one of Barasuishou's crystals in her hand and spied their movements in its faceted surface, chuckling as she did so.
"That's right Shinku, the more the merrier," she snickered, "That way I will have no shortage of targets to choose from when next I attack."
The image in the crystal vanished abruptly, replaced instead with a series of strange glyphs surrounding what looked suspiciously like a pair of sunglasses. An annoying voice boomed from the crystal at an excessively loud volume.
"GET YOUR GREEN-TINTED GLASSES AT EMERALD CITY TODAY AT THE SPECIAL REDUCED PRICE OF ONLY 4.99 PLUS VAT! DON'T MISS OUT ON THIS EXCLUSIVE OFFER! ONLY WHILE OZ STOCKS LAST!"
Suigintou winced at the blaring voice and held the crystal away from herself. "What the-? Not more stupid adverts!" She snarled and hurled the crystal across the room, where it shattered against the wall and went dark. She stood there and fumed at the scattered pieces, breathing heavily. "That idiotic Wonderless Witless Wizard! One of these days I am going to turn him into junk! JUNK!"