Okay so here it is, chapter eleven, finally and we're slowly as surely working our way up to everybody's favourite part, just one more chapter to go! I'd like to offer one thousand apologies for taking so long to update. I had planned to have this up months ago but all my college tutors decided it would be funny to dump all of my upcoming assignments for my last two semesters on me all at once and still expect them done before our last spring break ends, so I've kinda been rushed off my ass, trying get near 20+ full blown projects done within the space of eight weeks and this is without a doubt my largest most, explosive chapter so far so it's taken more time to finish! The video of the complete show I usually watch while typing has also recently disappeared from you-tube while I was about half way through this, leaving me to rely on memory so I apologise if some of the scenes from the second half of this seem a bit off. So hats off to everyone who's been so patient these past few of months! So first things first, I'd like to offer a huge thank-you to everyone who's helping me out in this: ElphieIsPopular, Doglover645, Frostbite, Sandy456, witches always return, ToughGirlsRuleTheWorld, RedApple435, Darkrodgerf, iamgoku & Atlanta Jackson! You guys were the first people to reply and you know what they say, first come first served, I apologise in advance if any of you seem to be a little out of character, I have tried to get it right, going off of the info you've all given me. The winning POV this time was… (Drum roll)…Oscar (the wizard)! Enjoy, I hope you all have barrels of laughs!

Chapter Eleven –

Oscar's POV

I fidgeted nervously in my seat as the screen, yes I know what a screen is, I was born on Earth after all, changed again. My eyes tracked the dark swirls on the screen as they rearranged themselves and I allowed my mind to wander for a moment.

I remembered how I'd been idly flipping through one of the pages of my personal libraries many books when I'd felt the mysterious presence enter the room and the surprise and alarm that ran through me when I looked up, expecting to see one of the serving maids standing there, only to be confronted by that strange girl in black. No sooner had I found my voice to question as to exactly what the unexpected new comer was doing in my private quarters and exactly how she'd gotten in there past the guards, she just strolled quite calmly up to me, grabbed at collar of my coat and pulled through a dark opening that had appeared in the wall beside her.

My mind swam and my head spun, I felt the floor sift under my feet and I was pretty sure that the firm grip holding onto my coat was the only thing keeping me from falling flat on my face in a crumpled heap on the ground. "How dare you! Do you know who I am! I am OZ, the Great and Terrible! Release me at once!" I'd bellowed, no doubt visibly boiling with rage.

"You asked for it." I heard a female speak from somewhere further ahead of me, followed by a snigger and I immediately regretted my choice of words once I felt the tight grasp on my coat loosen, and I was suddenly falling forward, my arms flashing out just in time to prevent my nose form making contact with the cold, stone floor and zoomed up to meet me out of nowhere. I lay there on my front for a little while, gradually waiting for my eyes to adjust to the dimly lit room and my vision to stop spinning in circles.

When I'd finally regained my senses enough to stagger unsteadily to my feet I was met with a rather strange sight. I was in a largish room, stone floor and walls surrounding me on either side, an odd array of furniture scattered out across the main space. "Very graceful."

A sarcastic voice broke my concentration, I vaguely recognised it in the back on my mind as the same one that had spoken before and followed it to its source.

A young girl, probably no older than thirteen or fourteen, clad from head to toe in think black, tough looking material that I could not identify sat stretched out on bizarre, bright crimson lips shaped padded chair, feet resting on the arm above my head. She raised a thin eyebrow framing a disturbingly black coloured eye at me, long straight black hair spread out behind her against the back of the chair. I couldn't help but shudder under her gaze, it was like she'd stepped right out of one of my brothers ghost stories for God's sake! It took me a moment to notice that she was wearing trousers instead of a skirt. Apparently my abductor noticed this too because she gave the girl a displeased look.

"Starrelyna." Spoken slowly, carefully, calmly. "What did I say about wearing pants while doing this one?"

Said girl looked her companion up and down without batting an eyelid. With a roll of her eyes that could only be described as bored, she rolled over, removing her feet from the arm of the chair and sat up to give the other girl a mocking glare.

"Some sort of BS about the people from this time being used to women only wearing skirts and that in order to (Dramatic hand gestures) BLEND IN, we need to do the same or something to make them feel more comfortable and not freak them out too much of much by being even stranger, bla, bla bla, bla bla…."

Her hands still hovered in the air while my captor simple buried her face in her palms with a tired sigh, reminding me somewhat of an exhausted nanny whose wards would not behave and I got the impression that this conversation had been repeated many, many times. While they two were distracted I took the opportunity to look around and notice that we were not alone in the room. I quickly counted at least six other young girls, lead out across various pieces of mixed and matched furniture around us, mostly of them sleeping lightly.

"Hey Frost!" The girl on the lips chair leapt up and balanced precariously along the top spine on the chair, holding one leg in front of her to kick half-heartedly at another girl who was draped over a long wooden table behind her. Her foot connected roughly with the other girl's ribs causing her to jerk awake with a start and slide off the edge of the table onto the stone floor with a hollow thump that had even me cringing slightly in sympathy for her.

"Wha, What's happening now?!" She shot upright, smacking her forehead on the underside of the table as she did so, letting out a string of curses that made even my eyes burn, effectively waking everyone else in the room and dashing my hopes of attempting to sneak out unnoticed before they had even began.

She had dark, very deeply tanned skin and exotic features that were clearly of African descent but her accent betrayed her as American. She was rather short in comparison to most of the others who were now all groaning around me as they stumbled to their feet form their various resting places. The girl nursed her forehead with one hand groggily, her long, straight hair clinging around her head, still tussled up from a combination of sleep and her fall.

"Who did that?" She muttered quietly, still trying to blinking the sleep out of her eyes and rub the pain from her head. She glanced up our way. Beside me, the dark girl who'd brought me in pointed wordlessly to Starrelyna who grinned sheepishly, drawing her loose hanging foot back beneath her, looking poised to run at any moment. Frost's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"And exactly WHY may I ask did it seem like a good idea to kick another sleeping person off of a TABLE!?" All trace of sleep was gone from voice as she fixed her dark gaze on the younger girl.

Starrelyna started stuttered nervously, slowly lowering herself down from the spine of the chair and back onto its seat, as though trusting its back to protect her from the other girl's wrath.

"Ah, well you see I was just, umm, complaining to Sorrow about her stupid BS rule bout us having to wear skirts because of, umm, to match the era of the people we're dealing with and I, umm, err….."

While she fumbled for an explanation that wasn't going to get her into any more trouble the other girl, Sorrow was it?, made her way silently over to one of the other girls who was pulling herself up from a huge basket shaped bade, reminding me somewhat of giant cat basket, and gripped her shoulder lightly with one slim, pale hand.

"I'm leaving you in charge of this Julie, I have to go back to check on the others and make sure none of them have tried to kill each other yet or escape, or any of ours knock each other off of the ceiling beams."

The other girl, about average height with a long red-brown braid going down her back nodded absent mindedly. Then she caught sight of the situation she'd been left with. Frost leapt up from the floor in a rage and while Starrelyna took that as her cue to start running. She fled from the funny shaped chair just in time as the older girl threw herself over the top of it in an attempt to make a grab for her, missing by inches. With a huff she raised her hands skywards towards the ceiling and a dark, glowing light engulfed her and she slowly rose up in the air, her feet not touching the ground and flew forward after and now very worried Starrelyna who had taken to jumping up onto another table and hopping from chair to chair to avoid the other girls grasp. Cries of protest came from the other girls, one with an odd teal streak through her fringe made to smack the younger girl with a cushion as she went past, nearly treading on her in the process. The result was complete and utter chaos in the closed off room that suddenly felt very, very much smaller. Julie gave Sorrow a mildly resentful look.

"Thanks." She said simply. "Just thanks."

Sorrow gave her a light pat before releasing her grip on her shoulder. Chuckling slightly, a sound that just somehow didn't sound quite right coming from her, she began to make her way towards the tall wooden doors that I only just noticed on the far side of the room.

"Just make sure you don't lose him, or that Chrome doesn't smother him or do something overly crazy. Also if you can keep Nora away from the curtain as well because they're satin and I haven't fitted a fire extinguisher yet, that would be pretty helpful too. Get TG to help you if you need to but don't give any of the others too much free rain because I don't trust them to behave themselves when left alone with any of our captive audience."

I felt my hopes rise just a little at the information that there were other people being held captive here somewhere too. Maybe if I can find a way to get to them, we could come up with a plan to escape!

I watched Julie huff as she stood up out of the corner of my eye and she began to make her way towards the others to attempt to break up the all-out war that was quickly erupting between the little group of young women. I focused more on tracking Sorrow's process as she made towards the large, heavy looking doors, bracing myself to make a run for it the moment she pushed them open. She seemed to feel my eyes on her because she turned around at the last minute, one hand pressed against the ageing wood and gave me a smirk, blue eyes twinkling mischievously. I looked down sharply, hoping she hadn't thought of my plan but curiosity drew my gaze upwards again, not wanting to miss my chance. If you had asked me then and there if I thought I could be surprised any further that day after seeing all I had so far, I would of say no, but OH how wrong was I about to be proven!

Sorrow stepped away from the doors and gripped her cloak in one hand, before she bizarrely began to twirl on the spot, her dress and cloak flaring out around her, slowly sinking lower and the lower to the ground as though she were melting. I watched, speechless as the cloth slowing began to shrink into a smaller and smaller mass when it reached ground level before the fabric changed and became fur and I was left staring at a smaller black cat with unnaturally icy blue eyes, which I swear regarded me with amusement shinning in their depths for a moment before the creature scurried forward and disappearing through a narrow crack in the bottom corner of one of the large, imposing doors.

I nearly screamed as I jumped when I felt a warm hands clasp my shoulder and drew me shakily to my feet. Gentle blue-green eyes gazed at me kindly and I was lead over to a dull grey, battered looking arm chair by another young girl with soft, child-like features, sandy blond hair and a small petite frame. She smiled at me shyly as I settled into the seat which was, admittedly much more comfy than the hard floor that I'd been kneeling on moments before but still a lot more stiff than I'd grown used to in my courters in the Emerald palace. Another girl that I recognised as the one that threw the cushion stepped up beside her as Julie finally managed to separate the quarrelling Frost and Starrelyna with the help of another girl with brown hair tied in a tight bun on the far side of the room and tapped her on the shoulder lightly.

"Sandy, Julie wants you, something about sitting between those two with Nora and making sure they don't start again while we talk to this one."

She jerked her head in my direction and I bit back an indignant resort at being spoken of so casually. Sandy gave me one more sweet smile before making her way over the join the others, passing Julie as she went who stopped her for a moment to say something quietly to her before letting her continue on her way and I found that I already missed her calming, child-like presence.

Julie stopped in front of me and gave a slight nod to the other girl, dressed in a strange sort of white-blue battle dress with shoulder length brown-blonde hair with the odd coloured streak coming down over one side of her face. I released this must be the other girl that Sorrow was referring to the help "keep the peace" as it were, GT or something like that.

The two took seats of the lips chair opposite me and looked me over, appraisingly. A moment passed but neither of me made to break the awkward silence that hung over the air between us, disturbed only by the quiet mutterings of Frost and bored humming of Starrelyna coming from the other side of the room. Finally, Julie spoke.

"So you're the famous, "Wonderful Wizard of Oz!"

It was a question, so much as a statement. I shifted awkwardly in a seat for a moment, feeling unusually bare under these strange girl's grilling stare before regaining my composure. I lifted my head in what was supposed to be a regal and slightly intimidating pose, although my audience still didn't seem at all impressed.

"Yes. That's me." An awkward pause occurred before I worked up enough courage to ask one of the questions burning on my mind.

"So. May I enquire as to exactly why it is that I've been brought here, and where exactly here is, if it's not a rude question." Julie smiled slightly at my attempt at being civil. JD or whatever her name is, shot Julie a questioning glance, who nodded her approval, before answering.

"You're in our friend's base. Or, (She waved her hands in one of the exaggerated gestures that these girls seemed overly found of) RETREAT, as she calls it. You're here with several others from Oz who we think are close enough to or involved in what's happening to see a long display of moving images which we call a movie-"

"I know what television is." I interrupted her quickly, feeling rather fed up with the situation. She gave me a withering look before continuing.

"Which is centred around a long series of events already happening in the hope that you'll realize what total ass's you're all being-"

"THANK YOU, TG!" Julie interrupted her this time, giving her a disapproving glare. TG rolled her eyes and pouted at the other girl, before carrying on.

"And that change your minds about everything AND FIX IT ALL FROM EVER HAPPENING!" She finished with a grand flourish, voice raising at the last few words of her sentence, arms raised above her head in a triumphant gesture. Julie buried her face in her palms with a groan beside her, but looked up a second later and nodded slowly.

"That's pretty much the gist of it, although I personally would have worded it a little bit better." TG pouted again but Julie ignored her. I found my voice again.

"So wait, your saying that you're trying to change the past by showing us something that's happening now?" I was thourlly confused.

"Future actually." Julie drew herself up slowly, massaging her temple with one hand.

"Basically what we're going to be showing you is a little bit of the past, the basic of what's happening now and the main points of what would have happened in the future and the events that follow it had we not interfered and brought you here." I must have still looked a little lost because she answered my next question before I could get it out of my mouth.

"The reason we're doing this is because we want to try and help you to change the future. There's something coming, something that's going to happen that would be a terrible tragedy if it ever came true. So by showing you what would have occurred we're hoping that you can all learn from your actions and prevent it from ever happening." She explained slowly.

"Get it?" I nodded carefully. "I think so."

"Good." TG stretched lazily, yawning loudly and earning a glare from both of us as well as the rest of the room who all heard too.

She blinked innocently. "What?"

I turned back to Julie and chose my next words careful, certain now that I wasn't in any immediate danger but still not wanting to upset my hostesses all the same. "Well it would seem that my people and I owe you a great debt then if what you are saying is true."

"Don't thank us just yet." TG muttered under her breath, earning a sharp look from Julie. We were joined by another girl that I'd yet to notice before, so very much similar in appearance to Sorrow that the two could have very easily been mistaken for sisters, with long black hair and a slightly different shade of blue eyes to the other girl.

"Chrome! Where have you been hiding?" Julie shouted a little too loudly, making both me and TG cringe ever so lightly. The newly introduced Chrome gave the other girl a shove until she shuffled further up, pushing against TG as she did so until all three were squeezed onto the oddly shaped seat.

"Well. I WAS asleep on the rug behind the basket bed before a certain little MISFIT saw fit to JUMP on me!" She threw a half-hearted glare over her shoulder at Starrelyna, who at least had to decency to at least look sheepish.

"So when are we going to watch this premonition then?" I asked, a little anxious to return to the palace. All eyes in the room fell on me, bemused. Chrome broke the silence.

"Actually, we already are. All of the young students from Shiz University along with half the majority's family, including that Madam Morrible that you're so chummy with are currently watching the first few scenes as we speak in the room next door."

I sat up in alarm and just a little bit of rage. "Well then why on earth am I still in here then? I AM the ruler of Oz you know, surely it's in my best interest to know what's going to happen too! I-"

I was interrupted by TG who held up a hand silencing me. "And you will."

She spoke slowly, like one would to an impatient child. "We just have to wait for the first few scenes to go by, then Sorrow will slip you in with the rest of the crowd."

I eyed them suspiciously. There was clearly something that they didn't want me to know, and God damn it, I was going to find out, one way, or another! "Why?"

Chrome exchanged glances with her two companions before answering me. "Because throughout the duration of this, there's going to be a lot of secrets revealed, some of them very personally to you yourself and those you didn't know were close to you."

Realisation was slowly dawning in my mind and I paid little heed to the last part of that sentence, too concerned with the general concept of it.

"NO! You can't mean, that I I'm going to be revealed as, for who I am, are you?"

I gulped nervously. Through the corner of my eye I notice Sandy get up and come over to join us, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder blade.

"I'm afraid so." Julie carried on without any sign of remorse. "Everybody in that room will soon find out the truth about the "Wonderful Wizard of Oz" and any other little plans that you've been concocting inside devious little minds of yours will soon come to light. But there will also be other secrets, ones that even you don't know about although some of them effect you too that will be shared for all to see."

She paused a moment to let it all sink in.

"But, if all goes well, it will be worth it. You will finally have a chance at the one thing you've longed for, for so long now."

I couldn't help but snort, despite the situation. "I highly doubt that will be possible, the only thing I have ever longed for that I don't already have is a family and I fear that it is far too late for that for me now."

A loud spluttering sounded behind us and we all looked round to see Starrelyna with the front of her blouse soaked through and an empty cup clasped loosely in her hand while the other girl with her hair in a bun patted her on the back, firmly. Frost just raised a disbelieving eyebrow at me from her seat beside them, across the room.

I turned back to face the girls opposite me and blinked in confusion. "Was it something I said?"

Julie and TG's shared a bemused glance before bursting out laughing, while Chrome just bit her lip as a smirk worked its way up into her features. I could hear the others chortling behind me as well. I crossed my arms and sat back in my chairs, tapping my foot irritably as I waited for them to calm themselves again. When they finally did, I caught Chromes gaze and gave her a questioning look. She made a several "calm down" gestures to the others before answering, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes as she did so.

"Let's just say you've been a lot closer to your goal that you've realized."

I was about to ask her more but the others wandered over before I could get the words out, Starrelyna hoping up onto the back on the sofa like a cat and stretched out over it in a position that couldn't possibly be comfortable, yawning contentedly. Frost rubbed her eye with a closed fist while the other girl with the bun, whose name I couldn't recall, stood boredly beside as the awkward silence filled the room.

"SO?" We all flinched and gave Julie a mild glare and her voice boomed around the empty space, bouncing back off of the stone walls. She didn't seem sorry in the least, just smiling back docilely.

"Anyone know what's taking Sorrow so long? I thought she said we was just going in to check on them."

Chrome shrugged. "I thought she already has Atlanta and the doofus twins in there, watching them from the ceiling beams anyway, just in case, so I don't know what could be holding her up, but you guys know what she's like, always one for drama, loves a good show and all."

The others nodded knowingly. "True." Bun-girl conceded reluctantly.

As if by magic, a small shape came scuttling through the gap underneath the doors, growing steadily larger with each step after, until Sorrow stood calmly beside up, her swishing skirt the only sign that she'd been moving at all, instead of just appearing suddenly.

Chrome's eyes rolled. "See. What'd I say? Show-off."

She got a mild glare in return but no replying comment. Sorrow beckoned me forward wordlessly with a slim finger.

"I think it's time to bring you in."

Not being one to waste words she turned on her heel and began strolling away towards the large doors again. Not wanting to be left behind with these strange people again, I hurried nervously after her, nearly walking into the back of her when she stopped suddenly, and turn around to face the others, raising a hand to point the same finger that had been facing me moments ago at Starrelyna instead.

"YOU. Change, now." The youngest member of the strange group pouted and crossed her arms in a childish manner.

"Frost, please?" The dark skinned girl grinned wickedly, apparently still sour about being knocked off of her table earlier.

"With pleasure!" With a wave of her hand, the younger girl became encased in the dark glow that was lifting the other witch before, holding her to the spot, hovering a few inches above the ground while she squirmed uselessly.

"Just make sure she's decent." Was all that Sorrow said, calling over her shoulder as she grasped my hand and pulled me along further, exiting through the huge doors that opened soundlessly on their own as we approached them, and closing just the same behind us when we'd passed through.

We walked down a large corridor, lit with blue candles and bare light bulbs, heading towards another, similar pair of doors at the far end in the same carefree manner one would when taking a stroll through the woods.

"I must ask not to say anything about what has just occurred in there to the others when I take you in and not to approach certain people until I call for a break halfway through in which you may speak to them if they allow it."

My surprised look must have said it all because she drew me to a halt just outside of the doors without passing through them.

"I must ask you not to mention that I have outside help working with me until I call them in myself, nor mention anything about the help that I already currently have inside the room, just out of sight."

She gave me a steady glance.

"It is very important that my audience be as relaxed as humanly possible throughout the viewing of these events, and I'm fairly certain that the knowledge that their being monitored by multiple sources would make them increasingly nervous. Their jumpy enough as it is, just knowing that I'm meant to be lurking about somewhere during the whole thing."

Her eyes hardened and reflected a dangerous glint.

"And I'm also going to have to ask you to include not telling anyone that I have been leaving the room at regular intervals on your list of silence as well. I know their likely to try and leave if they think I'm not around at any point to stop them and even though I'm confident that my friends who are in there already would be able to prevent them from doing so without much effort, I'd rather things not turn violent if it can possibly be avoided. Understand?"

I nodded slowly. She returned my gesture, while muttering under her breathe.

"At least they would be able to handle them as long as they're actually awake in there!"

I couldn't help the small smile that flitted across my lips at that statement. She looked up at the same moment and caught it, a mischievous smirk of her own appearing.

"So, heads up then, and remember this conversation, or else you may severely regret it later on."

I barely had time to register the rough shove she gave me before I found myself falling backwards through another dark portal that had appeared upon the door when the room suddenly went dark and my rear came into contact with a plush leather seat and a yelp of surprise leaping from my lips.

I could have sworn I glimpsed a pair of white wings flutter against the dark, near-black ceiling above head before disappearing behind the one of the thick wooden ceiling beams, before my vision began to swim and I closed my eyes, leaning back into my seat and waited for it to pass, already somewhat familiar with the side effects of the teleport.

When my vision clear I noticed my almost press secretary Madam Morrible sat beside me looking at me baffled and became aware of angry yelling from somewhere behind us. I followed to noise to its source and was gob-smacked to see my dearly beloved staring down her husband, looking no less radiant, nor barely older than the day I last saw her, so many years ago. I thought she had died!?

She appeared to be in some sort of argument about the two young girls sat on either side of her, one I was surprised to notice with shockingly emerald green skin, spitting violently at her husband and he made a quiet remark, waving a hand in the girl's direction. My first instinct was to throw myself forward to her side but the sudden appearance of my young captor brought me back to my senses as her warning rang hollowly through my head, while the two women dealt with the governor and sent him sprawling back to his seat, much to my satisfaction. I never liked the guy much and if Melena has a problem with him then it makes me even more certain that he deserves the treatments he got.

The whole room had calmed down again and eyes returned to the hugest screen I've ever seen in life on the wall in front. The screen portrayed the green girl from the back, who I was surprised to discover was the governor's daughter, and her entrance into Morrible's university. Wait a minute, Frex's daughter? That must make her Melena's daughter too! I never knew she had children! I eyed the way Frex treated her with disgust, the man sinking even lower down in my opinion if it was even possible. The argument I witnessed earlier suddenly made much, much more sense now.

The jolt of magic that she accidentally unleashed surprised me and something clicked in the back of my mind. This must be the student Morrible had been writing to me about. I made up my mind immediately. This girl would be joining us at the end of the semester and would be treated how a governor's child should be.

I smiled openly at her hope as she described her future carer with me after Morrible's excited offer. The scene changed and I had to muffle a chuckle as her and the other blonde girl she'd been placed with expressed their disgust for each other. I got uneasy as the old Goat shared his suspicions with her about the recent Animal disappearances. I couldn't have the mind of Oz's future magic advisor being tainted like that! I got bored when the prince showed up and started leading everyone away into a dance.

My focus was brought back into attention when the girl, Elphaba wasn't it? Reappeared and felt mortified on her behalf at the other kid's reactions. I felt myself warm considerably towards the blonde girl when Elphaba made up with her and laughed along with most of the room at her bouncy nature. I nearly choked on my laugh when the little green bottle came out, the one that I'd given Melena and my heart broke to hear the story behind it, my rage slowly rising with it and my hatred at the governor intensified ten-fold, blinding all other sense and emotions.

I chuckled amused at the young girls crush after her interaction with the boy, prince or whatever he was, still slightly unsettled by what had actually lead them to that situation. I'd have to set her opinions about the Animals straight when she came to work for me. I sat back comfortably as she and the blonde girl, Glinda, I'd learned, roamed my city with wide eyes and awe written clearly across their faces. It was as they disappeared into the front entrance of my palace that the significance of the next part occurred to me, and the gleeful promises of my other young captors came running back to me and I found myself suddenly dreading the next part with a vengeance. Something just told me that everything was about to go topside, despite me fiercely telling myself otherwise.

I absent mindedly noticed Madam Morrible shift in her seat next to me, looking uncomfortable. I leaned across slightly, trying not to wrinkle my nose at her over-use of perfume, to whisper quietly.

"Do you know what's going to happen here? I just can't shake the feeling that things are about to go wrong."

She shook her head stiffly, the white powdered contraption she called a wig, sprayed me in a light coat of thin, white dust as she did so, making me leaned back, away from her.

"We're much smarter than her I'm sure, your Ozness, she's just a girl, she can't do anything to us even if she tried. There will be nothing for them to see" She clearly meant to be firm with that statement but the slight tremor in her voice betrayed her nervousness.

I pondered revealing to her what I'd been told by the girls, but by the look on her face, she'd already been told it herself, or had worked it out at least and decided against it. Completely powerless to do anything else, I simply drew in a deep breath and sat back into my seat, trying to get as comfortable as possible, as I waited for the show to continue. Might as well get this over with, it seems.

The images on the screen darkened, swirled slightly, then cleared again.

The tall, dark room of the Wizards throne room reflected the dim, gold glow of the heavy metal machinery that sat inside of it and the deep red hue of the thick drapes. The huge, robot head of an elderly man hung dead above a velvet throne in the center of the room, torches on either side of it.

There was a collective gasp around the room and I fought back a small smile despite myself at the open amazement of the majority of the audience eye-balled the chamber in eager wonder.

Light, nervous foots steps echoed through the empty room and the two small figures of Elphaba and Glinda stepped gingerly into the open space. A thunderous roar suddenly shook through the room, making both the young girls jump in fright as the torches lit themselves of the yellow light inside the eyes of the head and the ones in the surrounding frame glowed like beams as the metal machine sprang to life, letting out another roar as it did so, rolling on its mechanical neck.

The entire room jumped with the girls on screen, even myself among them, many letting an odd scream or shriek of shock and it was a moment before everyone quietened down again, several genuinely cowering in their seats.

(Metal Head): "I. AM. OZ."

The metal head spoke actual words for the first time, which were no less frightening than its previous roaring.

(Glinda): "Oh Elphie!"

The smaller, blonde girl clung to her gangly companion in fear, practically squeezing the life out of her.

(Metal Head): "I. AM OZ, THE GREAT AND TERRIBLE. WHO ARE YOU AND WHY DO YOU SEEK ME?"

The cowering around me increased and I couldn't help but flinch. I truly hope I don't scare the poor girls too much.

Glinda): "Elphie, say something!"

Elphaba took a shaky step forward, Glinda hiding silently behind her.

(Elphaba): "I'm, El-Elphaba Thropp, your Terribleness. And this is Glinda-"

There was a horrid screeching noise and the gear of the machine suddenly drew to a stop and a thin voice called from somewhere behind the machine as everything in the room froze.

Everyone in the room flinched once again as the horrid sounds reached their ears.

(Wizard): "Oh, is that you Elphaba? I didn't realize!"

I mentally braced myself for the grand unveiling, already slapping on a grand, fatherly smile, preparing to stand up and greet the crowd with as much enthusiasm as I could muster. I heard nearly the entire room gasp.

The lights re-lit themselves in a steady, non-threatening glow and an average looking elderly man stepped out from behind the machine head, into the open space beside the two girls. He was of a rather short height, with thinning, fizzy grey hair, in a long, battered old brown trench coat and breaches, matched with a yellow waist coat and spotted bow-tie, making him appear quite peculiar.

I could FEEL the eyes burning into me, so I raised myself up, out of my seat and turned to the majority with one of my most dazzling smiles. I knew if ever there was a time I needed to be at my most charming, it was now. The eyes of those who had not yet found me quickly did and soon the entire room was looking at me with undisclosed awe, watching with baited breath.

I opened my mouth ready to give my mental prepared speech, but before I could utter a word, our unusual hostess stepped forward out of the gloom and coughed light into a delicate palm, to steal back some attention from me.

"I would just like to point out that, yes the "Wonderful Wizard of Oz" is present with us in this room right, and has actually been for some time now, and yes." She waved a hand lazily in my direction.

"This is he, but before you all revert to your drooling, worshipping state, might I at least ask you to finish watching the first part of this, and hold off any questions you may have until the first half-time point. You can speak to him then, if you still wish too." Though her tone was pleasant, there was a thinly veiled threat in her voice that all with common sense could clear hear.

A glance came my way again. "If you would be so kind as to sit back down, please?" I could have sworn I could hear slight mockery in her overly polite tone. Without another word, I returned to my seat.

Sorrow looked out across at her audience for a moment before speaking again.

"This next scene is where things get a little rough. There is going to be a huge secret spill and opinions are going to changed, dreams shattered and beliefs challenged very quickly. So I'm going to be bringing a few friends from next door to help keep things in order."

Nobody commented, but several of the more nervous captee's perked up at the last bit, clearly expected her to leave the room to bring in these friends and perhaps allow them a very slim chance at escape. They were going to be severally disappointed.

"You can come in now girls!"

Sorrow called loudly from her place inside the room and nearly half the room jumped in surprise when the huge wooden doors slowly swung open on their own with a slight creaking to allow entry to the six young girls whom I'd had the pleasure of meeting earlier. The crowd eyed these new comers cautiously and for a moment nobody moved, as the door moved shut behind them. Then Sorrow spoke again.

"I'll leave the introductions to them if they decide it's necessary."

She turned to disappear again, but stopped suddenly as if just remembering something.

"And whilst we're all being completely honest, I must admit that I am not the only one who has been monitoring you so far. A few of my other friends have already been in here with me. Guys?"

No sooner had she spoken, three figures dropped down from the ceiling beams above our heads, causing the people near them to shriek and flinch away in their seats. Two of them landing neatly on their feet like cats, while the last one landed in a heap on the ground with a loud thump, closely followed by a groan, before he stumbled back to his feet quickly, brushing himself off in a feeble attempt to try and retain some of his tattered dignity.

I studied our other guards curiously. The first that caught my eye was another young woman, a stunning one at that, tall and slim with golden blonde hair and the strangest features yet, a pair of large white wings producing from her back, fluttering proudly. I presumed this to be Atlanta.

The other two were both young men, boys really, stood calmly, the latter a little awkwardly behind the blond angel. The taller of the two, though only slightly, had darkly tanned skin with extremely dark brown, almost black curly than came down just a few inches short of his shoulders, deep brown eyes fastened on a couple of young female students, looking roughly the same age as himself in the seats beside him flirtingly.

His companion was glancing around in general, stoically, with dark blue eyes, an odd blue coloured ring sticking out of his left eyebrow disturbingly, and strange blue/black hair that stood out in stark contrast with his pale skin. The three took their places besides the others who were leaning against the stone wall at the back of the room in a rough line. I saw Julie give Sorrow an annoyed look.

"Any chance of getting chairs?"

Sorrow shook her head in amusement before walking up to her saying something to her quietly. I couldn't hear what she was saying, but I could take a guess. Probably something along the lines of needing to stay on their feet ready to interrupt immediately should trouble break out at any moment. Drama aside, Sorrow really seemed to me, to be like the practical sort. Finally she broke away from the conversation, seemingly after winning it because Julie and a couple of the others were giving her sour looks, appearing to be muttering under their breath, and address us simply.

"I believe it's time to continue."

After several moments and confused and if honest, disbelieving glances flickering between me and our new hosts, all attention turned back to the screen, and Sorrow clicked her fingers before slinking back into the shadows once more. I thought I hear one of the other's mutter something that sounded like "Show off", making me smile faintly before my focus was taken again by the images of the screen.

The two girls looked at the old man with confusion for a moment, before shaking it off and inching forward towards him, Glinda finally peeking out from behind her taller companion.

Wizard): "I hope I didn't startle you. It's so hard to make out people's faces back there!"

He jerked a thumb in the machines direction.

(Wizard): "So. Let's see."

He clasped his hands together in from of him, smiling happily at his two new guests.

(Wizard): "Which is which?"

A round of laughter broke out around the crowd.

He pointed a finger curiously between the two, before starting forward towards the green girl confidently.

(Wizard): "Elphaba!"

He shook her hand firmly, grinning from ear to ear.

(Wizard): "A pleasure Elphaba!"

The green girl stuttered slightly, the awed expression fading, but not quite leaving her face as she introduced herself. The man moved on to her companion.

(Wizard): "And you must be?"

Glinda stepped forward taking the man's hand with her own dainty one.

(Glinda): "Glinda, the Gar is silent."

A few more people sniggered in the room, two appearing to be the girl's actual parents.

The man's face took on a confused frown briefly before reverting back to his previous, open smile. She saw Glinda move behind him to reach up and touch the giant metal head curiously.

(Wizard): "I know it's a bit much but it's what people expect this sort of thing, and you have to give people what they want."

He held his arms up in a grand gesture. Elphaba stepped forward again, slightly timidly.

(Elphaba): "I'm so happy to meet you."

The old man practically beamed in delight, clapping his hands together loudly, the sound echoing around the large room briefly.

(Wizard): "Well good! Cus that's what I love, making people happy!"

I hid a frown as I heard the very deliberate cough of "Wanker" somewhere behind me and I had little doubts as to who it was coming.

(Wizard): "I am a sentimental man, who always longed to be a father."

The grey haired man smiled warmly towards his two guests.

(Wizard): "That's why I do the best I can, to treat each citizen of Oz, as son or daughter."

He lifted a hand towards each girl, clutching Glinda's briefly before moving Elphaba's direction, taking her's and pointing off into the distance, Glinda watching proudly though somewhat longingly behind them.

(Wizard): "So Elphaba I'd like to raise you high,'cause I think everyone deserves the chance to fly, and helping you with your ascent allows me to feel so parental."

He released his grip on Elphaba and stepped back, lowering his arms and gave each girl a loving, tender look.

(Wizard): "For I am, a sentimental man."
There was a round of "Aww's" from several sources within the room, making my spirits rise again. Maybe this won't be so bad after all. But then the girl's warnings rang through my mind again and my hopes were quickly dashed.

(Elphaba): "Oh, your Ozness, I knew you'd help! You see we're here, not just for ourselves!"

The green girl stepped forwards excitedly, Glinda moving across to join from the other side of the man.

(Glinda): "We aren't?"

Her tone rang without confusion. Her companion gave her a brief exasperation look, rolling her eyes.

There were a few sniggers, mainly from the group lined against the wall at the back.

(Elphaba): "No."

Glinda echoed her as she stepped up to the man in question.

(Elphaba): "You see something bad has been happening to the Animal's-"

(Wizard): Please. I'm the Wizard of Oz. I already know why you've come."

The two girl's traded wonder-filled grins, both giggling slightly into their palms.

(Wizard): "And I fully intend to grant your request. Oh course, you must prove yourself first."

Glinda took the hint and acted accordingly.

(Glinda): "Of course!"

She gave Elphaba a slightly less than gentle push forward.

(Elphaba): "Ow!"

Through the corner of my eye I thought I saw said girl turn in her seat to give her friend a sour look, to which she smiled at innocently.

(Glinda): "Prove yourself! Prove yourself!"

A few more chuckling went around the room, my own among them.

The green girl gave the blonde a mild glare before asking.

(Elphaba): "But what would you like me to do?"

The short man grinned at her, before bellowing out into the corridor.

(Wizard): "Madam! The book!"

An eerily familiar voice answered him from outside.

(Morrible): "Right away you're Ozness!"

The thick, chunky figure of the University head shiztress entered into the spacious room, her tall white wig bouncing with her every step.

I heard several gasps around me, mixed in with several snarls coming from behind me, and saw several people in the rows in front exchange confused looks.

(Glinda): "Madam Morrible?!"

The shock rang evidently in the blonde's voice.

(Wizard): "I believe you're familiar with my new press secretary?"

The astonished gasps from the front and angry snarls from the back increased in volume and ferocity. Several of the students that I could see exchanged grimaces at the thought of their already entitled teacher gaining even more power that she could wield over them when they did something wrong, while others just looked relived, assuming that if she was working for me, then she'd most likely be spending less time at the school, bothering them.

(Elphaba): "Press secretary?!"

The Emerald skinned girl swapped a confused glance with her friend who was looking much the same.

(Morrible): "Yes that's right dearie, I'm moving up in the world! You'll find that the Wizard is a very generous man. If you do something for him, he'll do much for you!"

Oh how true that is! I happened to meet Morrible's nervous gaze as I glanced sideways and give her a reassuring smile.

(Glinda): "(GASP) Is that?"

The blonde eyed the old, battered book in the older woman's hands with undisclosed awe. The Wizard's assistants merely looked at her, slightly smug.

(Morrible): "Yes. The Grimmie. The ancient book of spells."

A long hiss of awed gasps echoed around the room like a wave as people realised the significance of what they were seeing. I risked a glance at my future apprentice herself over my shoulder and was pleased to see her looking on in amazement herself.

(Wizard): "A sort of recipe book for magic and enchantments."

The wizard piped up from beside them as Glinda tip-toed closer to the other woman, as though afraid to get to close to the object in her hands, her own slim hand reaching forward slightly, timidly.

(Glinda): "Can I touch it?"

The awe in her voice was cut off abruptly by her teacher's blunt answer.

(Morrible): "No."

There was yet another round of laughter, the loudest mostly from our captors themselves at the back, that took a moment or two to die down.

(Elphaba): "But what could I possibly do for you?"

The green girl stood to attention, nervousness written openly across her face now.

(Wizard): "Well."

The old man clapped his hands together, then waved one corner at a dark corner, beckoning a huddled shape that had previously gone unnoticed forward into the light. The Monkey stepped forward gingerly, a brief flash of fear passing across its face so quickly that it was almost unnoticeable.

(Wizard): "This is my Monkey servant Chistery. Every day, he watches the birds so longingly from the window."

(Morrible): "So his Ozness was thinking….perhaps a levitation spell?"

The ex-teacher stepped forward, almost a little too eagerly, keen to draw the spotlight back onto herself. She handed the heavy book in her arms to her favourite student, no one noticing the very brief flash of jealously passing over her other student's face as she did so, looking on encouragingly as the young girl carefully fumbled through the ancient, yellow pages.

(Elphaba): "Oh, what funny writing!"

Her nose scrunched up slightly as she studied the dark, hand written scrawls on the page in front of her, the older woman looking on encouragingly.

(Morrible): "It's a lost language. The lost language of spells."

A silent hush fell over the entire room and nearly everybody as leaning forward in their seats in in astonishment, several of the younger generation green-faced, HA! The irony! In envy.

Elphaba set the book down on the floor after seemingly deciding that she'd found the right page and knelt down beside it, eyes never leaving the crinkled pages.

(Morrible): "Don't be discouraged if you can't decipher it dearie, I myself can only read a spell or two, and that took years of-"

The ex-head shiztress stopped abruptly, a gasp of astonishment escaping her lips, making her take a hasty step back as her student's voice floated over her own, strange lyrics rolling off in carefully in an almost musical rhythm.

(Elphaba): "Elka, narma, narma ekela, ekla, narma."

There was a collective gasp from the surrounding audience, even present time Morrible besides and myself gapping openly.

Morrible continued to back away from the chanting student, while the Wizard clapped his hands together excitedly from his safe distance beside Glinda on the far side of the room, next to his giant metal head.

(Wizard): "Oh Chistery, what an experience you're about to have!"

Elphaba continued to chant the strange spell, stumbling less over the words as she gradually became more and more confident reading the strange script into front of her. She stopped suddenly when her carefully chanting was cut off by a painful howl as Chistery reared up from his spot in the centre of the room, jumping around wildly and clawing at the thick red fabric of his jacket madly.

The entire room jumped myself, included, even the our abductors I briefly noticed as I glanced round in time to see Starrelyna fall from her perch on an empty candle ledge emended into the wall with a yelp of surprise and hit the floor in a wild tangle of arms and legs. I saw the girl with her hair in the bun reach down to help her up before my focus returned to the screen in front of us.

(Elphaba): "What's happening? Something's wrong!"

Elphaba leapt to her feet, moving back a couple of steps as the Monkey rolled past her, crying out, limbs thrashing violently.

(Morrible): "It's just the transition process dearie."

The rotund woman waved away her complaint from her place beside Glinda and the Wizard.

(Elphaba): "Chistery are you alright? Why can't he answer me?"

Elphaba cast a pleading look towards the two adults in the room, her face awash with panic and shock.

(Glinda): "You did it! You actually did it."

Her face was a mix of shock and awe, with the slightest tinge of fear. Her companion ignored her, focusing only on the Money that twitched in agony on the floor.

(Elphaba): "But he's in pain! Quick, how do I reverse it?"

She threw herself back down onto her knees before the book, trying her best not to get hit by the wriggle Animal. Her former teacher look at her in amusement.

(Morrible): "You can't."

The green skinned girl looked up at her elder in horror.

(Elphaba): "What?"

I could make out a few people in the gloom in front of us who been looking extremely unsettled by the Animal's cries share confused glances with each other before turning back to the screen.

(Morrible): "You can't reverse a spell once it's been cast."

The large woman spoke slower, as though reprimanding a child for asking a silly question.

Barely a second more passed before the Animal suddenly stopped its wriggling and froze, throwing itself forward onto his fore limbs as a huge pair of dark leather wings erupted from its back and stood out tall, against its small body. All eyes in the room were still, fixed on the sight before them, quietly gasping as one.

The reaction of the actually theatre room was much the same as that on the screen, with perhaps a little open gapping, and louder gasping. My own mind was currently working over-time. This girl truly does have such potential! I would be lying if I said that her raw talent, the pure strength of her still-growing powers at such a young age didn't frighten me just a little bit. A quick glance at the woman in question next to me told me that she was much the same.

Morrible clapped her hands in delight and walked up to the Wizard.

(Morrible): "I knew it! I knew she had the power I told you!"

Elphaba stared at her in shock, her voice slightly accusing.

(Elphaba): "You planned all this?"

Barely spared her a calming glance, faking innocence.

(Morrible): "For you to dearly. You benefit too."

(Wizard): "And this is only the beginning. Look what you've done!"

He reached behind the metal head and flung down a leaver, making the heavy curtains behind them lift, revealing a whole horde of winged Monkeys hanging off the bars of cages, chattering and failing their limbs in a morbid fashion.

Gasped of horror echoed around the room and I couldn't help but skin slightly lower into my seat in shame.

He waited a moment for his young audience to take in the immensity of her action before lift the leaver back up and allowing the curtain to skin back down.

(Wizard): "And if this is what you can do your first time now, well the sky's the limit!"

Morrible walked a slow half circuit around the still un-moving creature from a safe distance, admiring its new mutation, musing out load casually.

(Morrible): "Such wing-span! And won't they make the perfect spies?"

Still knelt on the floor, the green girl's head snapped up at the sound of the other woman's voice, eyes finally tearing off of the unforchantate Monkey and widening in horror as she took in her actual words. She repeated the most important, stuttering slightly in confusion.

(Elphaba): "Spies?"

I grew uneasy as I noticed a few of the older and brighter people sat in front share confused and questioning looks with one another.

The Wizard recognised the fast changing look on the young girl's face and quickly stepped forward in an obvious attempt to try and redirect the subject.

(Wizard): "You're right. That's a harsh word. How about scots? That's what they'll really be."

He carried on quickly with his explanation, oblivious to the fast growing horror dawning in her expression.

(Wizard): "They'll fly around Oz, reporting any subversive Animal activity."

His tone darkened at the last note. The look on Elphaba's face went beyond shattered as she stared hopeless at the man she had idolised without any of her previous awe.

(Elphaba): "(Gasp) So it's you?"

Her expression clearly displayed the visible heart break that was going on inside of her.

I almost felt my own heart drop down into my stomach at the heart retching look in the girl's eyes. I barely noticed the expressions of the people around me closely reflecting my own. I considered myself a compassionate man, but the shine of sheer terror in that girl's eyes had me doubting my own intentions for the first time since I'd began my rule.

(Elphaba): "You're behind it all?"

The old man took in her haunted expression and softened ever so slightly and took a careful step towards her.

(Wizard): "Elphaba. When I first got here, everything was in chaos and disorder. And where I come from everyone knows that the best way to bring folks together is to give them a really good enemy."

Despite myself, I found nodding in agreement to what my future-self was saying. After all, that was the philosophy that I myself was raised with and lived by in the country of my birth and it worked plenty well there, so why shouldn't it work here. And, if I was being perfectly honest animals just should not talk. It was unnatural. I looked around, hoping to find supporting faces but found myself growing increasingly worried as I failed to find very many, instead seeing an alarming number of the people in the crowd appearing to be more and more unnerved and unsettled by what they were seeing, shocked whispers flying around the room.

(Elphaba): "You cant read this book at all, can you?"

The green Witch challenged him, starting angrily. Her question would have been intimidating but her voice shook, betraying her inner pain.

(Elphaba): "That's why you need spies, and enemies and cages!"

She paused for effect before making her next statement.

(Elphaba): "You have no real power."

The intensity of the important moment could not be faked and the tension in the entire room was pathable, as all watched a waited with baited breath, even myself though I already knew what would happen.

It wasn't a question, but the Wizard sighed before answering it non the less.

(Wizard): "I don't."

There were gasps of horror all the way through out the room and several people to to their feet, protesting loudly and several arguments broke out. Sorrow quickly appeared just off the side of the front of the room, hands held out warningly, her companions getting to their own feet and taking wary steps towards their captors. She made quieting motions with her hands to which the crowd complied to extremely reluctantly, sinking back into their seats and focusing back on the apparition.

The young girl's head fell as her the last of her hopes were dashed completely and man moved on quickly, desperately trying to steer her towards a brighter subject of conversation before he lost her completely.

(Wizard): "But that's why I need you. Don't you see now, the world's your oyster!"

The older man waved one hand at the now winged creature who still sat silently, head bowed in place, as if to prove his point. He risked taking another step towards his young protégé, stopping when she flinched away from him in disgust. He tired a different tactic sensing that he was treading on delicate ground.

(Wizard): "You have so many opportunities ahead of you, you both do."

He took a step back, waving one hand in her direction, while offering his other to her nearly forgotten blonde companion who seemed to have recovered from her shock and took it daintily.

(Glinda): "Oh, thank you your Ozness!"

Her face quickly lit up with a flawless smile, like a mask of gratefulness falling into place. The man took her willingness as a sign of encouragement and continued, slowly regaining his confidence.

(Wizard): "The two of you, it's time I raised you high."

He lifted their joined hands high, ether barely noticing or ignoring the way Elphaba picked up and clutched the now closed spell book close to her chest, hunched over eyes screwed tightly shut as though trying desperately to block out the world around her.

(Wizard): "Cus I think everyone deserves the chance, too-"

Something seemed to suddenly snap inside the young witch as her head shot up and she leapt to her feet, still holding the old book and cut off the old man with an enraged cry.

(Elphaba): "NO!"

I jumped at the sound of the girl's sudden outburst and briefly registered a large majority of everyone else doing the same all, my complete focus now on the happenings on the screen in front of me.

Without another words, the green Witch tore off across the room in a few long strides and burst out through the doors into the corridor beyond, leaving the other three people in the room standing stunned for a moment, staring after her.

(Morrible): "Elphaba!"

The secretary called after her former start student, receiving no reply. Glinda quickly shook herself out of her paralysis stopping only for a moment to call out an apology hurriedly over her shoulder as she scurried out the doors after the retreating silhouette of her friend.

(Glinda): "I'll fetch her back your Ozness. Elphie!"

Chistery, finally snapped out of his daze by the commotion around him, let out a brief yelp before scurrying back off the whatever dark corner he had originally been lurking in. The fish-like woman spun around to face her companion as the last flash of golden blond hair disappeared from view, panic written clear across both of their faces, one appearing only a hair calmer than the other.

(Wizard): "We've got to get her back, she knows too much!"

The two shared a meaningful glance before the wizard quickly leapt up and disappeared back behind his giant replica metal head as quickly as his feet would let him without falling over.

(Morrible): "Leave it to me, your Ozness!"

The plumb woman called out a reassurance as she pulled herself up straight and sauntered confidently out of the room, while the head metal heavy behind suddenly whirled to life and a series of metallic clicks and ear splitting screeches, its yellows eyes flickering on.

(Metal Head): "GUARDS!"

I felt the entire room nearly leap out of tour seats again as the necessary metal monstrosity came back on again and vaguely heard the familiar shriek and thud that had accompanied the last time our captors were caught as much by surprise as we were over the rest of the momentary dim caused by the uproar.

The large machine whirled its head around on its metal neck in a wide circle as a troops of men in the recognisable emerald green uniforms burst through the doors rifles at the ready. They stopped in the center of the seemingly empty room for a moment in confusion, before recovering and facing the roaring metal image of their ruler, awaiting their next orders. They didn't have to wait for long.

(Metal Head): "THERE IS AN ENEMEY LOOSE IN THE PALACE! FIND HER! CAPTURE HER! BRING HER TO ME!"

The guards slung their riffles over their backs and raised a hand to their foreheads to salute in unison, backs straight, faces stern.

(Guards): "Yes your Ozness!"

Without another word, they turn sharply on their heels and marched quickly out of the room, disappearing out of the door and hurrying off in the same direction the two young girls had fled in moments before.

The screen quickly faded back to black swirls as the next scene began to ready itself, slowly taking shape.

I held my breath as the dim silence fell over the room and nobody moved a muscle, instead just sat, blinking dumbly, struggling to take in the new information that they'd just been provided with.

I risked a glance over my shoulder, to see the line of people sat at the back in the private row, including the two girls previous in the spotlight just moments before staring ahead, both with an unbelieving expression plastered on their faces. All expect for my darling Melena I noticed curiously. She on the other hand was sat looking at the blank screen sadly for a moment more before turning to watch her companions carefully, as if gouging their reaction, appearing to be braced ready for the outburst that would undoubtabley follow in the minutes to come. Our captors were all wearing similar expressions, eyeing the audience apprehensively.

I finally dropped back around into my seat and shared one last knowing grimes with Madam Morrible next to me. Oh well, guess the cat's out of the bag, not much we can about it now. May as well get this over with. That shock is not going to last forever. I breathed in deeply as I mentally prepared myself for the hell that was about to break loose….

And…tada! I know it's probably not my best work, and it's kinda rushed but I can edit it later when I have more time. And finally here comes the moment you guys have all been waiting for Defying Gravity is up next and things are about to get very heated as the Ozians deal with the truth about their "Wonderful Wizard". Warning: it's not going to be very pretty for him and Morrible! Now I know I've usually allow my reader to vote for each POV every chapter so far but I'm afraid that just this once I'm going to be breaking my own rules and cancelling the vote this time. This next chapter it's everybody's favourite moment and there are just so many different POV's to pick from, I think I'd probably have a mutiny on my hands if I tried to make you guys choose just one so that's why I've decided that I'm switching back to third person for just this once so that way we can hear a little bit of everybody's POV as the chaos hits its first climax. I'm extremely busy at the moment (I'm sneaking out of college early to go and see S Club 7 live at their reunion gig on Monday) and the next chapter is very likely be every bit as long and difficult to write as this one, if not more so, so I can't guarantee how soon it's going to be posted. I won't even risk getting your hopes up by even trying to guess a date or time frame. All I can promise is that I will get it up as soon as I possibly can. Once again I'd like to offer a huge thanks to everyone who's been help me throughout this chapter, and to my readers, whose reviews are what makes my day and keeping me going. (Hint hint) Wish me luck and I truly hope you enjoyed this and found it worth the tremendous wait. SS