Farewell

Glinda Announced that the ceremony was over and it was time for everyone to go home. Anthony was sad, the end of their time in Oz together was closing, and he did enjoy all of it. He liked meeting these incredible people whether they were Wicked or Good, it was still quite humbling. Natalee was ready to go back home though, the Ruby Slippers giving her bias, and of course it would be good to be back on Earth. So, we waited for everyone to leave, and I noticed Ozma was gone. I looked all around, but saw nothing.

"She's back in the throne room, she has much to deal with now, press, people's concerns and other issues. But you two can visit her whenever you wish, just show your medals I have given you." Glinda told me.

"Glinda, I have one last favor to ask you." Anthony said.

"Anything dear," she responded,

"Can you help us go home? It is time." Anthony held Natalee's hand but she resisted and instead linked arms with me, knowing that was my preferred move.

"I am sorry, this is the one thing I cannot help you with. You will have to ask Ozma that. I have to go back to Gilikin now so I'm afraid it is time to say goodbye." Anthony had watery eyes, he wasn't crying, just sad, and realized how significant the things that had happened over the past two Cycles were.

"Lady Glinda, I cannot thank you enough for everything. For supplying us with hope, power, courage and love. I am forever in your debt and it has been truly an honor to fight and serve with you." Anthony bowed and then Natalee stepped forward. Glinda smiled and began to get teary eyed.

"I am sorry to say I didn't know you very well, my involvement with Oz back on Earth was limited, but I must say thank you. You helped me get Anthony back when the Witch kidnapped him, you helped us escape the Emperor; yes I recognized those pink bubbles around the door, and you continued to believe in me despite my troubles or failures. You never let anything happen to Anthony when I wasn't around, and I can't thank you enough for that." Natalee curtsied, and Glinda smiled behind tearing eyes.

"You know, I have seen and met many people now from your world, and I have never felt this way about them until you two came. I always knew there was innate Goodness in you both, and that there is nothing you can't do. I know you will succeed in everything you do because, you have each other. I think of you two as my children sort of, I know it's silly, but it's true. I hope we will meet again. The door to Oz is always open for you two." She stepped towards us and gave us all a big hug. Her wand hit my head but I didn't care. I shook Glinda's hand and in it was something hard, that she was trying to hand over to me. It was a silver emerald and gold key, and the handle of it was the same O and Z found in Ozma's staff. It was the Key to the Emerald City which I quickly put in my back pocket. I winked at Glinda as she noticed I had the key. Natalee saw this too but at this time, didn't think anything of it. She and I straightened our backs as Glinda let go of the hug and she stepped backwards a little. For the very last time, a large (blue this time) bubble came down and gently engulfed Glinda. She waved one more time, and the bubble filled in. I stood at attention, thinking back to my ROTC days and gave a salute as she floated away. Natalee and I watched as Glinda floated up high and then disappeared into the distance. We looked at each other and nodded. We were sad to see her go, but really needed to go home now. So, Anthony lead the way back to the throne room. Then the sunlight was blocked out just as all those terrifying times before, and the lights went out. Natalee grabbed her bow from behind her back and I twirled my Staff out from where it was slung over my shoulder, ready to fight whomever dared to approachus now. A familiar blue fire streamed down in a heart shape burning on the ground infront of us. Bluefire came back when he heard the news natalee and I were leaving, and he wasn't alone. He brought the Head Horse and Unicorn with him. Natalee smiled and gave all of them hugs. Knowing how much she cared for them i let her say her good bye first. After all, she had known them longer than I by a little bit.

"Awww, you guys, thank you for coming, I was hoping I would get a chance to say good bye before I left. Horse and Unicorn, you two were my favorites, I try not to do that, but I can't lie. Thank you for saving me when the Tree attacked us on our way to Shiz, and for cheering me up when the war was about to begin. I really appreciated that." Natalee hugged them both and they smiled at her.

"You know you can always come back to us whenever you want Miss Natalee, we will be waiting for our next adventure whenever you are ready." Horse said.

"It has been a pleasure helping your cause this Cycle Natalee, you have earned the respect of all of us." The Unicorn replied, and extended her wing as a resemblence of a hug, closest as she could get because of them. Then Natalee turned to Blue.

"I will miss you a lot too. You were the first friendly being here to talk to me. I saw Glinda, but she was in a rush to get to Munchkinland when we first arrived. You are amazing, and I will always remember you, don't worry. Keep an eye on Horse for me, if he keeps trying to be a hero, he might get into trouble." Natalee gave Blue a big hug and he lowered his head to do the same.

"I shall also await our future endeavors Miss Natalee, there are more goals waiting to be conquered, and Evil ones to be vanquished still. For now at least, Oz is safe and sound, thank you." Bluefire spoke softly in admiration. Anthony still holding his staff gave Blue a big hug too.

"You also kept my girlfriend out of harm's way, and provided the swift mobilization we needed in order to win that War against the Witch. You also were brave enough to both spy on her while she made a deal with the Devil, and undaunted, you rescued the rest of your kin. You are a hero, and I thank you bro." Anthony bowed his head in respect and Blue did the same. We waved to them one last time, as Blue leaped off the ground with Unicorn at his side, and they majestically flew off to the East. Horse galloped South to Quadling and Natalee and I watched until they were out of sight.

"I will miss them, it was very cool and honorable of them to help us as much as they did." Anthony said.

"Yes it was, I will miss them too, but what did Glinda mean by we can come back whenever we want? We came here on accident, right?" Natalee asked. I pulled out the key and explained it's significance, and Natalee smiled. She playfully tried to grab it from me, but was ok with it.

"Alright, now we can leave. I am starting to get homesick, how about you?" she asked.

"Yes, I am ready." We walked again through the same enormous emerald hallway we passed in order to meet the Emperor back all those months ago. There was a guard that instead of the green outfit fur hat and spear, this man looked like a Knight, and opened the large familiar glass door for us. Still wearing our ceremonial attire, we were properly dressed to see Ozma of Oz. This time, the lights were all on, and everything was beautiful, there was no fire, no Dragon, and no moving head, just Ozma Tippetarius sitting in her throne pouring over papers, holding her staff.

"Excuse me Ozma," Natalee said, trying to get her attention, Ozma looked up and smiled.

"It's wonderful seeing you two again, what may I do for you?" She put her papers down on the floor and stood. Anthony looked at Natalee and she nodded.

"We would like to go home now. With heavy spirits, we wish to bid farewell, and return to Earth your Ozness."

"Well, I think I won't be too successful if I tried to convince you to stay, but I can and will help you. I just need you both to stand close together over here, but not

touching." She grabbed her wand staff and walked over to the side of her throne. She situated us both because we apparently did it wrong, and then she took three steps away from us. Waving her large emerald Oz staff, and singing to her self, the glass orb lit blue and purple.

"I need you to put your hands on each other's hearts, and angle your feet outward so that your heels are touching. Now think to your self, there's no place like home." She continued waving her staff and we thought that in our heads. I said it out loud once, and then couldn't stop thinking about Natalee's home before the tornado came. Natalee never spoke, but closed her eyes and repeated there's no place like home. We began drifting asleep, less and less was visible and audible in the throne room, until we almost went unconscious. In a trance almost. I kept repeating there's no place like home, and then stopped. I was drifting through space, and dimensions. All went black, and then I was asleep, on a hard wooden floor. Natalee was beside me and she too was asleep on this strange floor. The sun was shining brightly, and birds were chirping. We were back in Natalee's room on Earth. It is important to note, that the house and people in it, appear as if the tornado, never existed. Hershy's, Natalee's dog came up the stairs, and trotted over to us, and licked Natalee's face.

"Oh eww, Hershy, come on stop! Gross! Ugh!" she looked up and saw me snoring on the floor perpendicular to her. Hershy went away after her Mom called for him down below from the den. Natalee's brother walked by and stopped at her door way.

"What are you two doing on the floor? It's 4:14 in the afternoon! Let's go have lunch Natalee! And what's up with Anthony, why is he asleep?" Niccolas asked.

"Niccolas, just go please, I'll be down in a minute." Niccolas walked downstairs, and then she looked back at Anthony and at her room. Everything was still, and quiet. Just the summer breeze blowing through leaves and the few birds chirping out side of her window were heard. She stood up and was about to go downstairs, not wanting to disturb Anthony yet. But something caught her eye. Afraid and heart beating with adrenaline, she walked over to it. In the corner of her room, there was a very shiny, and glowing single Ruby on the floor nearest the window. She kneeled down to pick it up, and it glowed brilliantly in her fingers.

"It can't be, this was just-" She walked over to her bed and put it on her pillow. AS she walked out, her hands felt clamy so she went to the bathroom, to wash her hands, and despite the darkness from not having the bathroom light on, she didn't need to. The top of her shirt was also glowing, green this time. She put her hand to it and felt a two inch narrow pendant of some kind, so she pulled it out from under her shirt and she gasped. It was clearly a large Emerald necklace, eerily similar to the one that had recently saved her life from a certain Witch's venom lips. Natalee turned quickly around her to see Anthony, he was just waking up. Natalee realized her Oz ordeal was real, not a dream, and rushed over to Anthony to prevent him from seeing the Ruby on her bed, and she stuffed the emerald down her pocket.

"What happened Natalee, why was I asleep?" he asked. Natalee coughed.

"Nothing, you just were tired, it was dream just that nothing more." Natalee responded. As she looked behind her, before leaving her bedroom after assisting Anthony in standing again, she glanced at the ruby. She noticed it gleaming and then it wobbled. The Rubies were following us and she learned, Oz is real. Anthony felt something hard in his shorts pockets, and reached down to see what it was. A silver, gold, and emerald key with the letters O Z were in the handle, and he remembered. Natalee sat on her bed with Anthony, still hiding the Ruby from him. I never spoke, and neither did she. The particular objects we showed eachother, were enough, because none of them were from Earth. We realized that Glinda the Good wanted us to be able to return for some reason, not just to see us again, and more importantly, that Oz was a real place. However in order to remain able to visit Oz, we must continue telling ourselves and if circumstances arise, we must also tell others that Oz was only a dream. For if we told the truth, we would never be allowed to return.

So there you go, I told you it would sound crazy, but I swear it happened, and I haven't told anyone else about it. Not even Natalee's mother knows about this. It was a very challenging time for us all. It tested my will to be with Natalee. How far would I go to keep her? How much would I endure to remain her only lover? It challenged Natalee as well. How much would she be willing to sacrifice in order to stay with me? How much would she be willing to do in order to stay with me? Glinda was always there for us. She helped us understand everything we needed to know in order to do our mission. She helped us along the way, and made sure nothing was hopeless. In the end we were even rewarded. After Oz, life had to return to normal. School restarted, and our own lives needed attention as well. So what happened for us? Well it was just like every summer. My visit in California ended, and I had to return to school. Life went on, but Oz will always be more than a memory for me. It was a place. Beyond the moon, behind the sun, over the rainbow.