Chapter 10: Two Steps Forward, One Step Back
A/N: Eh heh. This chapter is stupidly long... longer than the previous by, oh, 800 words or so. Your welcome! If only chapter length was the secret to reviews. Also- Microsoft and Dropbox worked together to delete 18 pages of work so, once again, I'm out of backup chapters.
And a refresher on the disclaimer, I don't own Hetalia.
There was something tickling his face. He didn't know what it was but it made him itch and want to sneeze. His entire body felt numb and the most he could do was twitch his fingers and feel more of that tickly stuff under his skin.
It was dark. Was it night time? No… If it was there would still be moon and starlight or at the very least he could see an inch in front of his face. Oh wait. His eyes were closed.
Well now he felt like an idiot.
Without warning everything came surging back like a river breaking through a dam. He remembered everything in vivid detail: Waking up in an unknown room with unknown people, realizing that he was one step away from going home, the spell in the basement, the angry red light seemingly bleeding from the walls, something pushing him, blacking out once again. Whatever tickled his skin was not the cold stone floor of the basement of Lukas' castle. Meaning the magic worked.
After the flood of memories came a wave of pain to replace the numb. His entire body ached like nothing else and a few places on his face, arms, and neck stung, making him wince still in total darkness.
After trying to move his legs, arms, head, anything really, he realized he was lying on his stomach, splayed out helplessly without the strength to push himself up.
Okay. Sight first, then sit up. Cracking one eye open, it looked like an over-exposed camera lens, everything was too bright and surrounded by a halo of white. It honestly felt like a nasty hangover. When the light finally faded, it was replaced by vibrant green grass and lush, rolling hills. Off in the distance were unbelievably massive mountains disappearing up into puffy white clouds and just before them, a glittering blue lake.
All in all, the oceans back home paled in comparison to the sight before him.
Wait. Mountains. The only mountains anywhere near Spades were way up north but they were like foothills, nothing even resembling the massive purple behemoths in front of him. That gave him enough strength to support himself on his forearms and twist his head around for a better view.
Behind him was a tree line, mostly pines and such, not a palm tree in sight. Yet it wasn't the lack of tropical flora that caught his attention, rather the platinum blonde in a crumpled heap at the base of one of those pines just a few feet behind him. And he wasn't moving.
Forgetting about the ache in his own body, Matthew scrambled over to Emil and rolled him onto his back, noticing a sizeable amount blood staining his clothes. Although they were very different, the situation reminded him of what seemed like an eternity ago, back in the cart with Nikolas and Janez. "Emil, hey, can you hear me? Say something."
Disoriented eyes fluttered open before they shut again with a hiss, "Fuck you sunshine…"
Matthew smirked, "That works."
"Where… where are we?" Matthew stood with the support of the tree and helped Emil sit up, who winced pitifully and held an arm tightly over his abdomen.
"No idea. But I believe we fell through the branches of the tree." The rook looked up at a rather large gap in the branches right above them going all the way up the trunk. The same branches that scratched them up like an angry cat.
"Fantastic." Finally taking note of his surroundings, Emil sighed with a mix of relief and dread. "Good news and bad news."
Matthew sighed with a shrug, "Good news first."
"I'd recognize those mountains anywhere," Emil said, "We're still in Lukas' territory."
Wait what? They weren't even on the same continent as Cards? "How is that good news?"
"Because I can get us back there, no problem. Then we can figure out what happened and, if needed, a solution."
Well that was… Beneficial. "Bad news then?"
Emil gave a heartless chuckle. "Those mountains are a day away from his castle on horseback, on the other side is Feliks' place."
"Of course they are. Well, it will be dark soon, we should start walking." Emil nodded and made to stand, suddenly crying out and collapsing back on the grass, clutching his ankle. "What's wrong?" Matthew was on it in a second, really hoping whatever it was wasn't too bad.
"Ankle, among other things." Emil grimaced when Matthew rolled the pants leg up to reveal red and swollen skin. "I think it's broken." He but back a curse when Matthew gently examined it.
"Well… I think you're right. You probably landed on it wrong."
"Well can you fix it?" He asked through gritted teeth. Matthew dropped the foot back in the grass, causing Emil to yelp in pain, and tore the hem of his jacket. "What are you doing?"
"I can't fix it but I can set it so it will heal properly." So he got to work.
"Can I walk?"
Matthew arched an eyebrow, "You've never broken a bone before? I thought you were an old royal."
"I am, but my territory is an island isolated from the rest of Chess, I never had to do much aside from help from the sidelines." Finishing the wrap, Matthew scoured the grass for a suitable walking stick.
For some reason, he always felt more at ease when helping people like this, being able to use his medical knowledge to save lives instead of end them. It was his element. Tossing a branch at the rook he once again helped him up. "We will move slowly, alright? I think I speak for both of us when I say I do not want to camp in Chess wilderness with nothing to protect myself and a handicap."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
He didn't sound angry, but there was an unnerving tone to his voice that Emil didn't like. "Why did you try to save me?"
"Excuse me?"
"Why did you, Feliks, and Lukas decide to save me?"
Emil looked rather affronted, "Because you don't belong here."
"Exactly, I am a chore on your list you have to check off. You did not save me for me, you did it to save your own hide." Matthew shrugged off his jacket and tied it around his waist, "Now our roles are reversed and I am the one protecting you. I do not like you, I do not trust you. You are my chore because your brother messed up."
"He didn't have to stick his neck out for you, none of us did! We chose to get involved and save your sorry ass from dying alone away from your home." Emil leaned heavily on his makeshift walking stick, slightly red from exertion. If he gets this winded from just standing and yelling we're not getting anywhere. We need a doctor. Despite logic telling him to let it go, Matthew had been holding this argument back for too long.
"No, you chose to prevent a war between our kingdoms and a civil war between your own over me and my knowledge. I am not an idiot, it was not that hard to figure out. If I died the entire dominion would be on you."
"What makes you so special, Matthew? I would really like to know why you aren't as replaceable as the rest of us are."
Matthew sighed and tried to resist the urge to punch a tree. "Let's just get back to Lukas. Fighting gets us nowhere and I would like to make progress before nightfall."
Emil didn't want to just let it go nor acknowledge that Matthew had a point so he took a shaky step forward and silently led the way.
You know the little voice in your head that gives you every excuse in the universe to not do something? Like, you have this really boring project to complete but instead of doing it you notice all the little imperfections in your room. Oh, the fan blades are dusty, I should clean that. You know, I never did clean out the gutters. I should get a pet cat…
That was where Feliks stood, or rather sat, upon glancing down at a very ominous puddle of something on the dirt road just ten minutes from his intended destination. Call it paranoia, but when a dark brown substance had drag marks into the forest and a trail leading endlessly on behind it, there was reason for panic.
He was only an hour behind them! How the hell did… that happen in under an hour? There was no way five riders, one holding an extra horse, gained a longer gap between them and a single rider. And how did they even know where to go?
Yes, Feliks gave them directions but still, no one knew these roads like he did. Yet it seemed that didn't matter.
Taking a wide arc around the puddle of mysterious brown stuff, Feliks hesitantly continued onward. His pony must've sensed his distress because even she was skittish and rebellious when he nudged her forward.
"Like, come on. We need to… make sure." It was just five guys. Sailors, no less, not exactly trained in the art of cavalry, but that brown puddle… He inwardly shuddered, every instinct screaming at him to go back home where it was safe and warm and there were no signs of homicide.
But he had to continue. Deciding it was best for himself and his horse, he left her behind loosely tied to a tree. It would protect her and give him a stealthier entrance. The sad part was, as he approached the main gate looming silently ahead, the only weapon he had was a pistol. With six rounds.
Feliks was old, old enough to have seen more conflicts than he had fingers to count them on, but that hardly meant he was numb to violence. Could anyone ever be? Maybe in the heat of the moment with adrenaline pumping and a clear goal in mind but he was shuffling forward with a single gun shaking in his grasp, realizing just how outmatched he was and what a terrible position he was in: One man, six rounds, no backup, lower ground, and no plan. The only thing he had was the element of surprise, and what good that would do.
Please be okay, Icy Broski, I don't want to restart this with someone new. Never in his life would Feliks have ever imagined that thought before, and maybe a month ago he'd call himself crazy for thinking it. The idea that no longer were there just two sides in this game though, he'd rather side with his former enemy against his presumed friend than the other way around.
If Lukas was dead though… Feliks shook his head to clear it of that possibility. It was just five guys, there's no way they got him. Not a chance.
That notion was promptly shattered once he got a look at the yard just past the gate. Bodies. Everywhere. There must have been at least fifteen pawns stationed around the castle at any given moment and now every single one of them was gone.
Several looked like they rushed the gates at once, while a few others had gotten caught completely off guard. Though the entire sight was gruesome and terrifying, it was the single pawn at the front doors that stole the show. Feliks couldn't see clearly from all the way across the yard but he could tell the man had suffered. Something was painted on the doors behind him, in more of the mysterious brown stuff: No more negotiations
So what then? Was Cards at war with Chess? Did they have an enemy behind their lines loose on a rampage? Feliks froze at a sudden crash from inside followed by raucous laughter. Well one thing was clear now: If he turned back now, the men inside might forget about Black entirely and his order would skate by unharmed. After all, they had greater numbers in Carthage along with three fully-functioning warships. If they were going to attack him they would have done it already and not waited for their leader to run off.
If he turned back right now, his people would be safe and White could quite possibly go down in flames. If Lukas was indeed inside being held by lunatic Cardsmen, Feliks would be the only one able to rescue him. If he turned back he could ally with Cards against a common enemy and Black would have complete control of Chess forever, they trusted him as it was.
Keep your enemies close, but keep your friends closer. Nothing ever lasts forever. (1)
If he turned back right now… he'd loose his only ally and friend he'd ever made that wasn't a requirement.
Six rounds, five men. Was it possible? Yes. Was it probable? Oh fuck no. Was it necessary? Absolutely.
Deciding not to take the obvious entrance, Feliks crept around the back, finger on the trigger gripped tightly with both hands. The hesitance was gone, the fear drowned out by adrenaline. The backyard was heavily wooded, providing the perfect cover for a firefight, but trees blocked large portions of the castle were Feliks could observe without getting involved.
He took a step forward and his foot landed in something soft, very unlike the sticks and pine needles he'd been avoiding the entire time. Glancing down and pleading with the universe it wasn't something disgusting, he found it was some grey powdery mush with a nostalgic feel to it.
Even when running away, you manage to make a magic circle out of that damn ash of yours. Feliks silently chuckled. I should have allied with you sooner. Stepping back, he realized it wasn't a circle but a curvy trail hidden under the underbrush. Unless he was looking for it his eyes would have glanced right over it.
If he had time to make a breadcrumb trail, then Lukas wasn't being held captive in his own home. So what were the sailors still doing in there? They must've figured out he'd flown the coop and they wouldn't have murdered his pawns unless they were trying to get to him. Were they merely just staking their claim?
Feliks glanced back at the trail, now confused. So… if Lukas escaped, why was he leaving a trail to follow? If he was safe he would have doubled back and left something to signify it for either Feliks or another White royal.
The knight decided the trail was there for a reason: To be followed. So he did. Running back only for his pony he completed the painstaking task of following little piles of ash through a forest in hopes it wasn't for naught.
You'd better be okay, Icy Broski. I do not like traipsing through the forest without a good reason behind it.
"C-can we please stop for a moment. I just need a break before this hill." Emil was pale and clammy, hand shaking the walking stick he clung to for dear life. They hadn't made it very far from where they started before Matthew was supporting half his weight, and even then they'd made it only a few miles with the constant stopping for Emil to stop seeing spots.
They had no food or water nor anything to carry potential water in and Emil was ready to sell his soul for just a sip. Their earlier conversation had long since been forgotten in the face of their new fight for survival. Matthew may not have liked or trusted him but he wasn't leaving him behind for anything. Even if he knew where he was going, navigation skills weren't the only thing keeping Emil alive.
The sun would disappear behind the mountains soon enough and they couldn't even make an adequate fire without risking burning the plants around them. Emil lay back on the soft grass, panting slightly and wincing from stretched muscles. Something was wrong with his chest, it just hurt too much for bruising.
"Matthew, I think I hit a rib earlier. Can you- Ow!" The ace had noticed it earlier but wouldn't bring it up until Emil did, if he could walk then it couldn't have been that bad. Now, however, any idiot could tell something was very wrong. So before he finished speaking Matthew was already on it, pressing down a little too hard at first.
"Sorry, let me know which hurts worse alright?" Emil was a cursing mess by the time Matthew figured out what was wrong. "You should have said something earlier, it's fractured."
"S-so what does that mean? Don't think you can wrap that like my ankle, right?"
"Even if I could all we have are strips of the jacket and until we can make a fire I would rather not use up the rest of it. I think you could walk if you absolutely had to but it will only get worse."
Emil was suddenly very tired, like the lush grass was the best bed in the world. "Well then I think we…" he was out before he finished the sentence.
Matthew watched the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest, double checking that he was breathing, before trying to make a fire with wet sticks in the middle of a grassy field. Maybe he would be better in the morning, they didn't exactly have ample time to waste.
There was no other option at this point, Matthew would have to leave him behind and scout ahead for a town or at the very least something to carry him with. He'd lied to his face, the rib was fractured in several places along with the one right above it and probably hurt like hell with every breath. If he tried walking or was even half-dragged by Matthew like he had been he'd risk puncturing a lung and that would be it. That didn't even include the stress he put on his ankle, it would never heal properly if he kept putting weight on it.
In short, if Emil pushed himself any further he could die very easily. Even like this though, Matthew couldn't just leave him defenseless. So he'd wait a few hours and wake him up if needed to at least tell him he'd be leaving for a while if he absolutely couldn't move. As long as Matthew provided the right support and didn't jostle the other too much on their hike through the mountains, he should be fine. Fine being the operative word.
Stretching out the mangled jacket in the grass beside his companion, Matthew sighed and lay back, resting his head on his arms. He had to admit, the stars here were amazing away from the city. There were just so many of all different colors, all twinkling in the cloudless sky once the sun set completely.
Out of the corner of his eye, Matthew saw a very odd star. It was blinking red and white and moving at a steady pace across his field of vision. He took off his glasses and rubbed off the lenses before placing them back on his face. Nope. Still there.
Considering waking Emil for it, he decided against it. It was probably nothing, or at least not worth waking the rook for. So he just watched it go until it was too far away to follow before falling asleep himself.
"Would you stop squirming?"
"You look so happy, Luke." Matthias tried to hold back laughter but watching the normally stoic blonde try and wrap the broken wing of Mr. Puffin while the bird was fighting it with all he had was rather amusing.
"I did not ask for your opinion." Matthias raised his hands as a placating gesture but didn't stop laughing.
"Sorry, sorry." He obviously wasn't, but the knight didn't retort, instead he threatened the bird with various spells he could still perform with the meager supplies he had. Even Pansi seemed to be enjoying the show, watching her owner struggle with a bird a fraction of his size on the ground.
"Where exactly are we going?" Mr. Puffin seemed peeved but complacent when the ordeal was over and made himself at home on Pansi's head.
The bishop frowned, looking back at the way they'd came. "Away from your place." Lukas scoffed, "Well where do you want to go?"
"I thought you had a grand plan past blackmailing me to do your bidding." He looked past Matthias at something on the ground, brushing past him to retrieve it as if the bishop wasn't there at all.
"Hey now. You know that's not what I-… What are you doing?"
"Picking elderberries. And if that's not what you had in mind when breaking into my basement and ruining the one chance we had at avoiding war," Lukas glared pointedly over his shoulder. "then what were you thinking?"
"The magical fruit, right… and seriously? You're still mad about that? I said I was sorry, Luke! What's it gonna take for you to forgive me?"
Lukas stiffened and turned, glare replaced by a look of complete astonishment. "Forgive you?" Matthias took on an 'oh shit' expression and backed up, regretting that question immediately. "What on earth makes you think that I will suddenly forgive you for this? The only reason I am still standing here is because my home, my home, Matthias, is now overrun because you thought it was a good idea to declare war on an entire dominion. Not only that but my brother is gone off the face of the planet for all I know and it's all my fault."
It was then that Matthias saw past the stoicism, the harsh realism he'd forced himself to believe, the air he'd tried so hard to maintain. Lukas didn't hate Matthias, not for this at least, he hated himself.
So the bishop did what any friend should do in that situation- he was there for him. In two strides he'd covered the distance between them and enveloped the shorter man in the tightest bear hug he could manage. Lukas fought it weakly but gave up shortly after.
He didn't cry, never no matter what, but got as close as possible, arms handing loosely at his sides unwilling to accept the hug. "It's not your fault, Luke. None of this is your fault."
"If I had just waited another day, I could have found Matthew before he got too far away. If my magic was better I could have negated the cloaking spell his kidnappers used. If I wasn't so tired I would have seen the changes you made in the basement and not made the mistake. If I-"
Matthias pushed back, looking down at him an arm's length away. "Luke, stop. That's like saying if you knew there was going to be an earthquake you would have been able to save an entire town from dying. You didn't know because you couldn't know. Blame me, all of this really is my fault."
"That doesn't change the fact that I let it happen."
"Hey, listen to me for a sec. The men in your castle, they were on their way with genocide on their minds well before you ever did that spell. Whether you pulled it off or not wouldn't have changed what happened to your pawns. Their deaths aren't on your conscience, that wasn't your fault. Or when they showed up on Feliks' doorstep in the first place accusing us, a continent that couldn't care less about them, for stealing a- a clock or whatever. That, and everything after that, was not. Your. Fault. Understand me? This entire thing is on Cards." Matthias was never the patient type but this whole conversation felt like déjà vu, they had already gone over the game plan just a few hours ago. But if finally acknowledging who was the real blame helped his friend then they could have the conversation a thousand times more. Lukas would never be the smiley type, never the open book eager to be read like Matthias had hoped he could convince him to be, but the small glimpses of the real Lukas every now and then made it worth it.
He wasn't going to get an apology or a thank you from the knight, and he wasn't expecting one, the closest thing he got was a ghost of a smile he might have missed if he was anyone else. Matthias had never been in his position before- losing his home, only family, and greatest strength in a single day with no forewarning- but he could try to imagine.
"Then I have an idea of where to go." Lukas said, scrambling to get his pride back in order. Matthias had no idea how good it felt to get that off his chest, it felt… refreshing. It was not his intention to spill everything he didn't realize he'd been holding back but in the end… it helped. If he was going to be stuck with nowhere to go and the idiot bishop as his only companion, better not to fight it the entire time.
"Really? Well what are we waiting for then?" Matthias hauled up the forgotten sack of elderberries, happy his friend was finally trusting him.
"Let's go to Tino."
"We're off to see the wizard, the wonderful wizard of Chess!" (2)
"I liked you better when you were trying to comfort me." He'd positioned them carefully so Pansi and Mr. Puffin were a barrier between them; Matthias had an affection problem that would never go away if went unchecked.
"Is that a thank you I hear over there?"
"Even with my limited supplies I can still hex you."
Matthias chuckled, "Glad you're back, Luke." He muttered, just low enough to go unnoticed by the other.
Emil woke up feeling cold, uncomfortable, and wet, most likely the morning dew making itself at home all over his and Matthew's clothes. Somehow, knowing that he couldn't turn that water into a drink made it so much worse than just damp clothes.
Knowing not to even try sitting up, Emil just turned his head to look around, confused as to where he was for a split second. Matthew was curled up in a shivering ball next to him yet was somehow still asleep. The sun hadn't made its way over the mountains yet, but it was light enough to see the mist low on the grass around them and a black circle on the ground, appearing to be a failed attempt at fire.
Slow and steady, Emil pushed himself up with his arms, trying not to cry out in pain. Oh it hurt, it hurt so much from being in the same position all night, everything was stiff as a board. From where they were now, they had just over eight hours going the regular pace before they made it back. It was times like these when he wished he had learned the more vital points of magic and didn't always think that he'd be close enough to his trademark supplies to do anything at all. The Universe was probably laughing it's ass off out there about that one. It wasn't his fault the damn island he was confined to had resources found nowhere else, but best not to tell Matthew that they had another moot option.
"Hey, Matthew," His voice was scratchy and dry, sounding more like they were stranded in a desert rather than countryside. "Wake up." The ace seemed to curl in on himself tighter, as if that would block out the world and all its annoyances.
But he couldn't block out the world, and woke up with a heavy sigh. "In my dream, this was the false reality and back home was the real world." He lazily rolled his head to gaze tiredly at Emil. "I want to go back there."
Emil huffed, "I'm with you there. But we should get moving before the sun gets too hot."
Matthew helped the rook stand, not allowing him to try and support himself alone, and they got walking. It was slow, tedious, and hot without any reprieve from the elements. Even Matthew was seeing spots when they took a break to scavenge for food four hours later.
They were somewhere inside a forest, massive trees looming above them on the hills and boulders larger than carriages seemingly waiting for gravity to take its course. Emil was leaning back against one while Matthew hunted in widening circles for anything edible.
"Hey do you hear that?" Emil suddenly called, pushing off against the rock and craning his head to listen better.
"What is it?" Matthew came rushing back empty handed, but with a few pine needles in his hair.
"I think it's…" Both remained still as statues, Matthew struggling to pick up on whatever Emil was hearing. "I think its water."
Matthew still heard nothing but it was worth a shot. He just hoped Emil wasn't finally losing it from dehydration. He hiked a little further uphill and found the energy to run when, sure enough, a tiny crystal creek flowed softly over smooth stones.
Once he'd dragged Emil up the two practically collapsed in the icy water, drinking it up like animals. "I didn't think water could taste this sweet…" Matthew sang, cupping some in his hands and pouring it on his head. Emil almost didn't remember to breath, gulping down as much water as possible and ignoring the ache every time he swallowed.
"Hey look! Berries!" Matthew didn't want to leave sight of the creek, fearing it would somehow disappear in the time it took to pick some of the black fruit.
"Hm? Berries?" Emil's gaze shifted over to the bush perched tauntingly on the other side of the creek, before slowly laughing. Matthew stared as the laugh developed into hysterics to the point where Emil was wiping his eyes from tears caused by the laugh and pain in his chest.
"T-those a-are elderb-beries, Matt." He said between gasps, face still flushed red. "They've got m-magical properties. Lukas u-uses them all the t-time. Of all the plants to come across…" Matthew stopped listening after "magical" and practically dove for the bush, ripping off a branch. "Wait don't!" A single black fruit was halfway to Matthew's mouth when Emil caught it, "Can't eat them raw- poison."
Matthew practically pouted like a little kid in disappointment, "Well I wonder how many people died before they figured that one out. So I can cook them and they will be fine?"
"Yeah, for the medical use."
"Medical?"
Emil took the branch and started picking off berries and putting them in a pile. "Yeah, kinda like a vitamin or something, helps fight infections I think. Lukas only uses them raw though, so I don't know exactly what they do."
"We still can't make a fire, though and even then I don't want to undercook them."
"Then let's keep going, we'll reach civilization before sunset." So they kept walking, mourning the loss of water along the way.
"Is that… a light?" The sun was blocked out by the tree canopy most of the time so it was relatively dark on the forest floor. Emil glanced up, seeing a small yellow light through the thick trunks around them.
"I think it is. Come on, it's just a little further." Eventually the trees thinned out to another clearing and a rainbow of flowering plants sprung up all around them. Another lake, the same daunting mountains in the background, and a rather massive house on a hill gave off that yellow light through the windows.
"What in check even is that thing? I've never seen a building like that before." The structure of the house was so odd, so… modern yet ancient at the same time. Bordering the entire house- mansion really- were stone walls rising to mid-window while above the stone were just white painted walls, the coat looking almost fresh.
"It's a house, and that is good enough for me." Matthew started forward but Emil held back, a thoughtful expression on his face.
"Imagine you were the owner of the house and you saw the two of us walking up to your front door. What would you think?" Matthew frowned and looked down. Both of their clothes were dirty, some parts covered in grass stains while others were ripped and tinged with blood, especially Emil's clothes. Their hair was disheveled, matted, and dirty, some parts with plant pieces in them and their faces looked rather gaunt from nearly two days without food or water.
"I would be rather terrified actually." Matthew shrugged and continued onward regardless, dragging Emil behind him. Appearances were not as important as getting Emil fixed up so they could eventually make it back.
Both were panting by the time they reached the rather impressive front door, Emil hanging exhaustedly on Matthew, practically on the ground.
"Well, here goes nothing."
A/N: Poor Emil… and Lukas. You have no idea how much fun it is writing the "behind the mask" of these characters, especially my favorites. No Cards this chapter! I made the executive decision to skip all of the propaganda of their lovely union tournament because it's boring to write and even more so to read. So, anyone have any theories as to what that mysterious blinking star was? ^^
Footnotes:
1. "Nothing lasts forever" is a line from a very old Nation in Axis Powers. I love that episode, it's one of the few (kinda) serious ones out there.
2. "We're off to see the wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz!" Classic. And a fitting movie for the chapter *hint, hint*.