Thought I'd give you something before I started studying for exams.

Enjoy!

Chapter Fourteen

A lone figure stood upon the balcony, staff in hand. His eyes stared absently out over the kingdom that he had recently been put in charge of; the feeling of pride welled in his chest as he recalled the details of his ascension to his position.

"Oz, are you alright dear?"

Turning to see his loving wife, he couldn't repress his smile. Seeing how beautiful she was, it was more than he could bear and he pulled her close into his embrace. Content to simply stand there and let the sound of silence fill their ears, the two lovers let their magic mingle and fold together.

"Is something wrong?" asked Oz suddenly.

Looking up at her husband, Theodora had tears streaming down her face, a smile adorning said face.

"I'm… pregnant Oz…" she whispered in delight.

Reality

Oliver awoke with a start, his body covered in sweat from the nightmare. It took a few moments for him to regain his bearings. Morning light streamed into his tent and he heard the soft breathing of Alistair near him.

It seemed that he hadn't woken him up with his restlessness.

Exiting the tent, he walked down to the nearby stream and washed himself clean of the horrors of the previous night. Heating the water to a perfect temperature, he allowed himself the rare luxury of a warm bath.

"Do you wonder…"

Snapping his eyes open at the sound of Bunny's voice, Oliver quickly shot out of the stream and summoned his clothes around him. His cloak had just finished forming as Bunny appeared from the tree line and gave him a short wave.

"Morning Oliver, have you been washing yourself?" asked Bunny.

"Yeah… just finished" said the Ozian with a faint blush, "That was nice singing as well"

"Oh… umm… thanks" was the quick and embarrassed reply.

The two descended into silence, before Oliver's eyes quickly lit up in remembrance.

"Umm… Bunny, I want you to have this, just in case" said Oliver.

He pushed a small ornamental dagger into her hands, it's sheath glinting and reflecting the morning light like a mirror. Bunny stared at it for a moment before nodding lightly and blushing deeply, seeing her reaction Oliver quickly turned around.

Rubbing the back of his head, Oliver walked back toward the camp with a burning red face but his pride still intact.

Later that day

Moving through the various tunnels, the group of four continued to make progress through the ancient cave system. A ball of pale green light, the only illumination as they moved toward their target.

"Are you sure this is the right way?" asked Alistair with a yawn.

"The cave system is designed to break down intruder's minds and get them hopelessly lost" explained Oliver as he gave himself yet another shock on the arm.

"Well I hope you're right, Maddie doesn't look like she'll last much longer" informed Bunny.

Maddie in fact was more or less sleep walking at this point, the cave having a similar but slightly different effect on everyone whom entered it. For Oliver, it was sapping his will, Alistair was hope, Bunny was kindness and Maddie was sleep.

The team finally arrived at a branching section of the tunnels, four different tunnels led off in different directions. Scanning each tunnel with magic, Oliver deduced the best course of action for the team.

"Hold out your hands everyone" ordered Oliver after a moment.

Complying, the three stuck out their hands as Oliver ran his cane over their palms. A few seconds later, a rune appeared on their flesh and they all felt a million times better.

"What is this?" asked Alistair curiously.

"It's a high-level protection charm, it'll keep the cave's affects at bay for about half an hour. It'll also allow the rest to teleport to your location should you find anything" explained Oliver as he caught his breath.

"So, we're splitting up?" asked Bunny.

A simple nod from Oliver was all they needed, each person picked a tunnel and set off.

Twelve Minutes Later

A flash of pale green light filled the cavern as Bunny, Alistair and Maddie were transported to Oliver's position. After a few moments of discombobulation from the sudden teleportation, the three-student stared at the item in the centre of the cavern.

"The Vorpal sword" whispered Alistair in wonder.

"Go Alistair, only you can claim the sword and wield its power" stated Oliver.

Reaching out for the silver blade, Alistair grasped the sword's handle and pulled it free of its floating containment. Holding the majestic sword above his head, Alistair promptly fainted and hit the ground like a sack of spuds.

"What the spell?"

The cavern suddenly shook violently, pieces of the roof began to rain down atop the students.

"Blooming Flame!"

A wave of flames obliterated the chunks of rock before they could cause any harm. Grabbing Alistair, and wrapping the sword in a piece of cloth, Oliver led the way out of the collapsing cave. Sprinting through the tunnels was by no means an easy feat but Maddie had the foresight to set down a tea cup every so often to get them out.

"Oliver! There's the light!" screamed Bunny as she darted between the falling chunks, shifting between bunny and human form.

Maddie was simply weaving her way through the rubble, as if dancing an intricate dance with death itself.

Oliver however, was simply batting away any stray rocks and protecting the unconscious Alistair over his shoulder. Bursting out of the cave system and into the light, the four teens were covered in dust and rolled down the hill they had climbed to reach the cave.

"Oh, thank Wonderland…" sighed Bunny in relief.

"Only those pure of heart, whose desire for the sword are not in selfish eyes, may use the true power of Vorpal. All others will be drained of the thing they need most, evil will be vanquished, regardless of intent"

Turning to look at Oliver, Bunny saw that he was reading an inscription on the blade of the sword.

"What does that mean?" asked Bunny curiously.

"I've got a general idea" mumbled Oliver.

As Alistair began to stir, Oliver regenerated his magical power with a wave of his hand. The teen Wonderlandian groaned at the unfamiliar feeling of having his magic restored from almost empty.

"Oh… what happened?" groaned Alistair.

"I think the Vorpal sword protected itself and drained your magic, however, now that it has been removed from the cave, it should be safe" explained Oliver, gesturing for Alistair to take the sword with a gloved hand.

"Very well"

Reaching for the sword, Alistair took a hold of the weapon and immediately fainted. A pulse of magic and he was back up again though.

"Hmm… I mustn't be able to use it" noted Alistair in slight disappointment.

"But it's gotta be you, you're the son of Alice! The original wielder!" argued Oliver desperately.

"Let me try" said Bunny, grasping the sword and promptly passing out as a result.

"Maybe me?" asked Maddie, similar results insured.

Oliver ground his teeth together in a controlled fury as he revived Maddie.

"Give it a go Oliver" said Alistair.

"I can't…" he muttered softly.

All three of his companions looked at him as if he had spoken a completely different language; which for Maddie was beyond the norm.

"Huh? What are you saying?" asked Alistair in confusion.

"I can't use the sword" explained Oliver, his eyes firmly locked on the ground.

"What!? You haven't even tried, you're magic control might be the thin…"

"I can't alright!" yelled Oliver as he stripped off his gloves.

Two charred, slightly green hands were held up to the light and all three teens stepped back in fear and shock of the sudden revelation. Oliver held back his tears of shame as his friends looked on in disgust at his mutilated hands.

He was incredibly surprised when he felt the gentle touch of Bunny's hands over his. Looking up, he saw her crying and was utterly confused as to the reason why.

"You tried to hold the sword, didn't you?"

She asked it like a question but the truth was apparent to even an idiot.

"My mother's genes were targeted by the sword" explained Oliver simply.

"So, we're sunk?" asked Alistair bitterly.

"It would seem so, without a proper wielder, the full potential of the sword cannot be released. I also highly doubt your mother would be too supportive if we tried to enlist her aid" chuckled Oliver darkly.

"Aye… so what now?" asked Alistair.

"Now… we rest and recover, I'll try and work on different methods for using the sword but it might take some time" sighed Oliver as he placed his gloves back on.

"Will the scars heal?" asked Maddie with concern.

"The sword cancels out my Ozian healing but I'll heal regularly, it will just take some time, might leave some scars though" explained Oliver.

Wrapping the sword in the cloth, Oliver strung it over his shoulder and the group made their way toward a nearby clearing they had passed, before setting up camp for the day and trying to heal from the entire ordeal.

The Next Day

Silence filled the grove, broken only by the occasional drip of morning dew upon the ground. Bunny opened her pale greenish-blue eyes and smiled to herself. Despite the ordeal, they had been put through, she was happy that her friends were there for her.

Maddie, with her energetic heartbeat, even when sleeping.

Alistair, with his gentle and kind heartbeat, identical to his personality.

Oliver, with his… with his…

"Oliver!"

Dashing out of her tent, Bunny was instantly hit in the chest by a bolt of magic, her body seizing up and refusing to comply with her orders. She hit the ground as her vision began to be consumed by darkness.

"Bunny Blanc, you are under arrest for aiding the felon Oliver Wizard"

That was the last thing she heard before slipping away.

High above the grove, Oliver watched as the Red Queen's guards took down and arrested his friends. Guilt and shame danced a merry dance throughout his conscious but he swallowed his feelings and opened a minor breach to his destination.

Stepping into his room, Oliver smiled lightly at the familiar scenery of his Emerald City room. It hadn't been damaged during the attack and was still the exact same as how he had left it before leaving for Ever After High.

Making his way out of the hall, Oliver traced his way to the throne room. He knew his target lay there and he was ready to do whatever it took to avenge his parents. The weight of the Vorpal sword felt heavy for some odd reason, his palms were sweaty and his knees were weak.

Opening the doors to the throne room, he was greeted with three pairs of eyes. Brandish, Jane and Georgia were staring at him with suspicious delight, their optical sensors never leaving the young wizard, even when placed the vorpal sword on the ground next to him.

"You see Brandish, he came… I told you he would" laughed Georgia.

"Indeed, you did, I'm surprised, I thought you'd at least bring an army to make this a lengthy battle" sighed Brandish in disappointment.

"I believe I'll be enough to provide you with quite a battle" said Oliver without blinking.

"Oh… cold rage! A rather lethal emotion if I do say so!" exclaimed Jane in delight.

"Jane, Brandish, kill him and get it over with" sighed Georgia absently.

Needing no further invitation, the two creatures burst toward the wizard. Claws and feathers primed to strike down their foe in an instant…

"Requiem Lock"

Had they not run head first into a self-locking charm Oliver had lightly drawn on the ground before him during their initial conversation. Both girls were frozen in a single moment in time, unable to even comprehend they had been so; the only down side of the spell is that the opponent couldn't be aware to it and had to enter it by themselves.

Both requirements were easily met.

"Not much of a battle if you just freeze them in time" noted Georgia with a light chuckle.

"Now it's a fair fight" said Oliver, his cane extended like a sword.

This seemed to tickle Georgia Wockey's funny bone to no end, if her thunderous laughter was anything to go by of course.

"You honestly think that you, the son of the wizard of Oz, can go up against someone with years of battle experience?" asked Georgia with unrestrained delight.

"That's just it, you might be powerful, but in the end, you're not your father. My father killed him and you're just a shadow of his former power. You're just a child like myself, one who's been locked up in her room for too long and is throwing a tantrum as a result" noted Oliver.

Sparks of purple lightning began to rocket off Georgia's frame, her uncontrolled emotion becoming very apparent to the wizard.

"You'll regret those words" growled Georgia darkly.

"I don't doubt it" said Oliver, dipping into a low and defensive stance.

Had he not been expecting an attack, Oliver would have been torn in half right then and there. Unable to even see Georgia move, he compensated by casting a body wide magic field around him and letting that take the initial blow.

His right arm was still shattered though and he was blown back against the far wall. His magic rediverting to heal the wound, aided by his natural Ozian cells. It would take about half a minute and that was time he did not have at the moment.

Diverting his remaining magic to speed, Oliver and Georgia began an impossibly fast dance around the throne room. A streak of green flames being mercilessly pursued by a bolt of purple lightning, each attack becoming closer and closer to hitting their mark.

Eventually, a stray claw hit Oliver across the back and sent him catapulting into the ground. Unable to react in time, Oliver braced his body as Georgia sent wave after wave of lightning crashing through his body, causing him to scream out in pain as he was fried internally and externally.

"My, my… how disappointing little wizard" sighed Georgia smugly.

"I… won't… give…"

Oliver couldn't finish his sentence as Georgia slammed her fist into his gut, causing him to cough up a few drops of blood. Trying to catch his breath, he became aware that Georgia was building something from her lightning.

"I suspect, if circumstance had been different; we might have been friends Oliver" noted Georgia, "But the time for that has long passed, goodbye"

Bringing up a condensed dagger composed of pure purple energy, Georgia smiled softly at the immobile wizard; a sign that she held no resentment toward him. She secretly had been hoping that he could have given her the fight she was craving.

Oliver gave his own smile, one of sadness and disappointment.

It was the last thing he could do before he felt the dagger enter his body, and his world folded in on itself.

A/N: Cliffhanger?

This'll keep you annoyed and satisfied till the next chapter I hope, cookie to anyone who can guess what happens next (you won't)

A ton of people hate the idea of killing someone off, so I'm heavily considering not doing it (don't sigh in relief yet!)

Keep those reviews and PM's coming, they mean more to me than real life words of encouragement.

Read, fav, follow and review.

My name is Parradox and thanks so much for reading.

Bye!