Four days.
It somehow didn't feel that long. Not to Bryson, at least.
Maybe he had become to numb to waiting.
Theodora kept them well fed. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner brought to them by Golder. And it was good.
Comforting Colton was the biggest challenge. The boy was young, and he needed it the most. Telling the boy Oz stories seemed to help him.
One silver lining was some shocking information Bryson had received from the boy. Shocking, but useful in granting custody of the boy to Thersea.
Bryson just hated that these were the circumstances the boy had to see Oz. They had never been locked up for so long.
He focused heavily on Dorothy. He watched her, and they spoke about the trial frequently.
Until the day had arrived.
The trial for Oz. Of the outsiders. Of several key issues. The trial of Dorothy Gale. All of it.
...
Golder had flown down and led them out of the sand pit and up to the top. One by one. Thankfully, the heat had cooled down. They might not have survived otherwise.
They were still shackled, walking outside of the dungeon. Their wrists were killing them now, Bryson could tell him from his own pain and the grunts the others made.
Golder led them around Emerald City.
Bryson wondered what Theodora had done in these four days. He didn't see any Ozians around.
Soon enough, the group was led down a green hallway. There was a large brown door in front of them and Golder opened it.
They were led into a huge room. It was white, and had shards of bright green emerald decorated around them.
The room was packed, and Bryson gasped. So many citizens of Emerald City watched on in interest.
There were several benches and desks. Chairs everywhere. And a stand. But in the middle of the room. It was somewhat like a real courtroom.
There was a balcony, but it wasn't very high up. Theodora and Evanora watched from above. And Bryson shuddered.
He saw some familiar faces.
Scarecrow. Tin Man. Lion. Jack Pumpkinhead. Glinda. Even Jester, Nome King, Jinjur, Theodora's partners were there.
But the group he had been with recently were all led to seats in the middle of the courtroom.
Bryson could tell by the clothing of the people in the area that they were outsiders. All from different time periods. Some he had seen before, some he hadn't. It was only a certain amount. Luckily, he couldn't see any who had been safe in the jungle sanctuary previously.
But Golder had everyone separated. Charlotte, Kyle, Thersea, and Tommy were led away from Bryson. Only Thersea and Colton were kept together, but they were still not within his reach. He had no familiar faces to comfort him at his side.
And then, Dorothy was suddenly dragged by Golder and away from everyone.
The room was so quiet. Everyone was staring at them. "Dorothy.." Bryson whispered and reached out to her with a gulp.
The room had been so quiet, in fact, he wondered if anyone could hear that.
Dorothy was led to the very front seating area. She was seated right in the middle. As if she were the star of the show. Surely an order from Theodora, he presumed.
Emerald City guards hovered over either side of the seating areas. They no longer served him. They served Theodora. And Bryson knew he had to remained seated, still in shackles.
Bryson didn't notice the large monitor in the middle of the room, seated close to the balcony. Not until it turned on. And Ozma's face was on it. Distorted, as if the connection was bad.
There wouldn't even be that kind of technology in Oz had he not introduced it as Wizard. That made him feel odd, somehow.
Seeing Ozma's face made him gulp. The being who had been responsible for so much pain in Oz had been right in front of him now.
It still seemed so odd. Her presence. Her plans. Somehow, she was the thing that was most difficult to believe in the entire land of Oz.
"Alright." Ozma's almost sexless voice boomed through the monitor. "We have everyone, now. Good. Let this be a speedy, but fair and due process. Today is a day of unity. The people of Emerald City have chosen Theodora and Evanora, the Witches of the East and West as their leaders. Their proposal of a trial was fascinating to me. I believe it is the closest thing we can achieve to unity in Oz. Our jury, the citizens of Oz. Fair. Democracy."
Bryson knew Ozma had an agenda. She wanted to wipe the minds of the outsiders, put some sort of ban on them. He wondered how honest she was being.
"This trial will dictate many things in our land. Certain minor squabbles within the outsider community, but mostly their fate in Oz. But that will be taken care of after the main event. This trial is primarily about the battle of pro and anti-outsiders.. it will come to a conclusion today. The war will be no more after the decision." Ozma said.
Bryson wasn't so sure about that. What ever side ended up winning wouldn't go down without a fight after all this.
"And it will decide the fate of Dorothy Gale. The most prominent outsider of all. Seeing as she is allegedly responsible for the murders of Oz's current rulers, we will dictate whether or not she is guilty. We will discuss these two core issues simultaneously. And two verdicts will be read by the end. The fate of Ms. Gale. And the fate of the outsiders and their future. Now. I will first call Glinda the Good to the stand to make her case."
Glinda sat up. She cleared her throat, seeming rattled. Nervous.
She approached the stand, sitting down.
"I am pro-outsider." She stated. Several gasps were heard, including Bryson's.
What? He had broken with Glinda over this to begin with. Where was this coming from?
"Theodora. I'd like to remind you all what she's done. She may be young and beautiful again. But she has not changed. She terrorized Oz for years. I know she's leading you to believe that she was in the right. That I was the evil one this entire time. And I will admit a few things." Glinda cleared her throat. "I was wrong to blindly believe Ozma. To not stand up for what was right. After Rabadan, I was afraid to take action. I was wrong. I lost my way. I should have done more to lead. I should not have blindly followed one leader. Had I done better, Scarecrow and I would have never left Emerald City. And Oz could be happy. I know I am flawed. But I did not slaughter that village. That was a lie perpetuated by your new leader. I have never harmed a citizen of Oz. Please remember the terror you have seen firsthand of these two witches, those of you who are old enough to remember it all. Or anyone who might've been there to experience. She is not pro-outsider. She is pro-herself, as is her sister. And I hope the people of Oz will see through this and find the right leader. Thank you."
Glinda dismissed herself and sat back on the stand.
"Very.. interesting." Ozma murmured over the screen, seemingly bewildered at the defiance Glinda had shown. "Not what I expected..."
Bryson was stunned. Had Glinda been pro-outsider all this time? Perhaps she hadn't changed! But why had she lied to him? That was what he couldn't place.
He looked up to see a very angry and rattled Theodora and Evanora. Seemingly, they did not expect Glinda to call herself pro-outsider. Bryson knew that was the belief they had touted, and now they'd have to scramble to figure out where to go from there.
Bryson couldn't help but smirk. "Nice one, Glinda.." He muttered.
The trial went along regardless and other prominent figures were called to make their case.
Jester, Nome King, and Jinjur spoke. Jinjur seemed to go through her speech the most easily, but they all seemed a bit shaken. It seemed Glinda had rattled them. They could no longer paint her as the mean anti-outsider. They worked their way around the words "pro" and "anti" outsiders, just telling the people of Oz to not trust Glinda. To remind them of the "evidence" they had seen of her evil.
Jack Pumpkinhead and a few outsiders then spoke for Glinda, making their own retorts. They all seemed to phrase the same arguments in different ways on both sides. Glinda having outsiders on her side clearly unnerved Theodora and threw a wrench in her plans.
"Alright. I believe that's enough. Let us now move toward the verdict for Ms. Dorothy Gale." Ozma said through the monitor. "The alleged victims may come down and make their case."
Theodora and Evanora flew from the balcony and Bryson's stomach turned.
This was when the tide needed to shift. This was when he'd have to speak up for Dorothy. For Oz.
Evanora took the stand first.
"Yes. I remember the day like it was yesterday. I was in Munchkin Land. I was old and decrepit looking. I was confused, distraught. Glinda's magic had made me confused during that time I was labeled as a Wicked Witch. And suddenly, I was crushed. It hurt immensely and every bone in my body was just crushed. I had no time to mourn my own life. Think anything over." Evanora looked emotional, and that seemed to stir an emotional reaction from the jury. Some of them looked teary-eyed. Some looked conflicted.
"And.. I. I just want justice. My life was taken by an outsider with a vengeance. It's clear to sister and I now. We wanted outsiders to be freed. To only have the bad ones punished. But Glinda's recent stance.." Evanora gave what was surely a fake sniffle. "It was all we needed to hear, really. Outsiders simply cannot be trusted. The farm girl, Dorothy Gale barged in to kill me and my dear sister. That... Rabadan man almost destroyed Oz. And those theme park goons took us, fully prepared to sell us off into a strange world. Away from our homes. We cannot be weak any longer. We cannot let these goons enter our land like it's nothing. We need restrictions. We need all those who enter with no professional entry to be barred. To be stricken away from Oz. You've seen Glinda's evil! You cannot support this treachery. These terrorists. By nature..." She trailed off and walked off the podium. As if she had gotten too emotional to continue.
Theodora gave a seemingly fake frown and walked to the stand next.
The sisters had decided to flip the roles, it seemed.
Instead of touting themselves as pro-outsiders wanting simple restrictions to make people happy, they had gone full anti-outsider. They were doing well, adjusting to their roles. It would certainly help convict Dorothy. But both sides seemed to be confused at the switch of their respective leaders.
It had done more damage for the evil witches, however. Glinda clearly had this planned out. Theodora and Evanora did not.
Maybe this was how they would win, Bryson thought to himself.
Nevertheless, Theodora's turn was up.
She gave a stern look and gulped, facing the stand.
"People of Oz. I want you to imagine this. Imagine growing up with.. certain expectations placed around you. Forced to succumb to the legacy that is expected of you. Therefore not allowed to live the life you'd like to live. And imagine trying to live up to the image people have of you. To become that powerful. To become a good leader. Like Glinda. And her own sister. Who belittle and mock you for your entire childhood. Now imagine growing up. Not being particularly well loved due to the pretty blonde witches' sheer popularity. Being tossed aside. And your more powerful sister, who is the only one who believes in you in any way. She's also more well liked for her power. But you? You're the ugly duckling. The misfit who has different ideas than the others. You're shamed for that. For not having as much raw power as your peers. Imagine growing up and having no one who understands it. Or you. All alone. And you live with it, despite your anger. And then one day.. a man falls from the sky. A man who is seemingly the prophesied Wizard of Oz. And he pretends he's in love with you just to get one night out of you. Turns out he's in love with that blonde you've been compared to all your life. Used you. And is now going to rule with her. And impose these ideas you disagree with. It's the last straw. Being mocked and bullied leads to you biting into an apple that feeds your evilness. So you try to take control of Oz. By force. Because you're angry and that apple you bit into is clouding your judgement. Because no one in Oz will listen to you. You succeed, but you're thrown out right when you get power. By the Wizard who used you. You spend years... in lonely turmoil. Isolated. Terrorizing Oz because it rejected you and was never nice to you before. Feeling empty. Hollow about it all. And then... the one person who you can talk to sometimes? Is killed. By a random girl. A beautiful girl. Something.. you've always longed to be. And that girl stole the last bit of your sister you had left. A pair of shoes that you made together. And then that girl has the nerve... to come into your home. Sent by the man who used you. And murder you. And send you into a slow, painful demise. Ensuring that you'd never be able to bring the ideas you actually wanted to spread. Being remembered as a Wicked Witch. All because precious Glinda said so."
Theodora looked down. Unlike Evanora, her emotion was clearly genuine.
"And then you're brought back. Through magic. And you have the chance to make things right. Wouldn't you want to ensure you and your sister aren't murdered again?" She raised a brow. "I have my own ideas for Oz. I... I could be a good ruler. A good person. I'd like to let outsiders live here. If they choose. But I want justice from the person who murdered me."
Theodora was honest. Vulnerable, even.
She stepped away from the stand and Evanora looked on horrified. "Wh.. what are you doing?" She mouthed out.
Evanora clearly had the plan to appeal to anti-outsiders now that Glinda had screwed up her plans.
And now Theodora was defying that. Bryson could see the tension between the two sisters and he wondered how Oz had become so divided that even the evil forces couldn't come to any agreement.
"Well, uh.. that was certainly.. insightful." Ozma said through the monitor, sounding unsure. "Time for witnesses to be called to the stand. Scarecrow, you may go first."
Scarecrow stumbled slightly, his lanky straw-stuffed body eventually leaning against the stand.
"Scarecrow. It is my understanding you were at the castle when Theodora was murdered. Could you tell us what happened?" Ozma instructed through the monitor.
"Oh, I'll tell you what happened! Theodora over here sent Flying Monkeys after me, Tin Man, Lion, and Dorothy and-" Scarecrow was interrupted by Ozma.
"And why did she send them?" Ozma asked.
"Well.. she wanted the Ruby Slippers. She wanted to kill Dorothy!" Scarecrow scoffed. "Just because of the slippers! Dorothy was simply caught in the middle of it all. She wanted no part of it! Theodora wanted to kill her!" Scarecrow exclaimed.
"Because the shoes belonged to her dead sister, correct?" Ozma asked.
"Well.. yes. But that doesn't make it right!" Scarecrow argued.
"The sister that Dorothy killed." Ozma retorted.
"Not on purpose! A tornado came by and swooped up the house Dorothy was in and crushed Evanora!" Scarecrow said. "If anyone should be on trial for this, it should be that tornado! This is absurd!" Scarecrow scoffed.
"Do you have any evidence of this? This tornado?" Ozma inquired.
"Well, no..." Scarecrow muttered.
"Continue." Ozma scoffed simply.
"Theodora had Dorothy trapped. She was going to kill her! But we rescued her and ran away from Theodora..who was trying to kill us. Theodora eventually cornered us. Had us trapped. And then.. she lit me on fire! The one thing that can kill me completely. Dorothy found a bucket of water to pour on me to put out the fire. And she hit Theodora accidentally. And it killed her. Dorothy had no way of knowing this would kill her, and even if she had, it was self defense!" Scarecrow cried out.
"Interesting claims. Do you have any evidence for this?" Ozma asked again.
"No, but I doubt she has any evidence!" Scarecrow huffed.
"She does, actually. Guards, please bring it in. Whoever it is that has it." Ozma requested.
A few Emerald City guards stepped forward, presenting the evidence to the jury. They had a large and thick plastic bag. It contained a large bucket and wrinky black clothing.
"Theodora's clothes from when she was liquidated. And the bucket. Dorothy Gale's fingerprints were found all over it." Ozma said.
The jury gasped.
"So what?!" Scarecrow huffed. "We know she killed her! But it was both an accident and even if it hadn't been, it was an act of self defense!"
"One may wonder why Ms. Gale didn't simply give Theodora her property back. Theodora did have a right to chase after what belonged to her." Ozma stated.
"Does that make her attempted murder okay?!" Scarecrow argued.
"Not at all, if it's true. But one could question this.." Ozma trailed off.
"She couldn't, the shoes wouldn't come off of her no matter what!" Tin Man interjected from his seat.
"Please wait your turn, Tin Woodsman. However, if what you are saying is truthfully how you perceive the situation, how can you be so certain it was not Ms. Gale that made this so? Or Glinda, perhaps." Ozma argued.
"It was Glinda. Which proves Dorothy is innocent!" Scarecrow argued.
"And proves Glinda is not to be trusted. And by extension, her pro-outsider beliefs." Ozma decided. "If what you say is true, that is. Tin Man. Cowardly Lion. Do you have much to add? You're the only other two witnesses."
Tin Man and Lion simply looked at each other.
"Well, you've made it clear what side you're on, pal!" Lion hissed.
"You are the only witnesses present. Therefore, the only people I can question." Ozma argued.
"Ya didn't question Theodora too much!" Lion growled.
"Perhaps she didn't give me as much to question. She handed in her evidence prior to this trial. You all were about this event and had ample time to gather your own strong case." Ozma dismissed the concerns. "The alleged felon, Dorothy Gale. Please make your way to the stand."
Bryson's heart sank, filled with nerves as he watched the young woman make her way to the stand.
She cleared her throat.
"Ms. Gale. Did you or did you not murder Theodora in the way she claimed?" Ozma questioned.
There was a very short pause. "I did." Dorothy said simply.
"Was it an accident?" Ozma questioned next.
"It was." Dorothy said.
"Where you come from.. is accidental murder excused? Something that permits a 'get out of jail free card', hm?" Ozma questioned.
Something about the way Ozma spoke unnerved him.
She seemed to be implying she'd use the same laws used on Earth. But how would she know about that?
Something about it just seemed odd. Did she always conduct a punishment in this way? Perhaps it was an outsider punishment to fit an outsider crime. But it seemed so odd.
"It is not, no." Dorothy confirmed.
"As I see it, with the evidence presented, I see no option other than conviction. Involuntary manslaughter at the least. First degree murder at worst. But I will let the jury decide that." Ozma scowled.
Bryson shook his head. He couldn't believe this!
How had they even gotten the technology to find the bucket Dorothy had used to trace her fingerprints? That kind of tech had never existed in Oz, or at least...
Not until he had introduced it as Wizard. He sighed at himself.
Ozma was guiding the jury to side with Theodora and Evanora. He wondered if Glinda not touting as an anti-outsider would've worked better, if her plan backfired.
It had caused Theodora and Evanora's planned case to go sloppy and uneven. But Ozma seemed to be feeding into the anti-outsider sentiments.
"I hope you're all comfortable letting a maniac rule this great land." Dorothy simply said coldly, and returned to her seat.
Several more minutes of deliberation passed. Different guards and workers gave their own opinions on the Dorothy Gale case and the outsider debacle.
Bryson's stomach turned, and the whole thing eventually felt aimless. Until Evanora had stepped in.
"Alright! This has gone on long enough. You've all seen the evidence. Dorothy Gale murdered my sister and this has been proven. Of course she'll claim it was an accident when she took our lives! She was caught! And now she must pay the price! She has offered you no evidence! Nothing like we have! Let's finish this! Get it over with and restore unity to Oz!" Evanora cried out.
The anti-outsider crowd applauded her, although the Ozians seemed clearly overwhelmed and exhausted from switching support so hastily several times over.
But Bryson noticed that even a few pro-outsiders had clapped.
"I've always been pro-outsider, but those who spread terror across our land give them a bad name should be punished! Dorothy Gale should be locked away!" Someone called out.
"I say she should be melted herself! See how she likes it!" Another person said. "Let's get rid of all these filthy outsiders! Look what they've done to our once great land of Oz!"
Arguments broke out in the area, seemingly between those who were pro and anti outsiders.
"Enough! Enough!" Ozma insisted. "I believe Evanora is correct. We have heard enough. Talk among yourselves. Take as long as you need to work this verdict out."
Suddenly, the monitor Ozma was on no longer had her face up.
Bryson could feel the tension in the air.
He could hear the people speaking.
"We have to hold outsiders accountable. We need them to be here like any Ozian, but the proof is right there. Dorothy killed the current leader of Oz. We cannot have her get away with it and be taken seriously as pro-outsiders. We must vote to convict her, and vote to free the outsiders." He overheard.
"But.. it may have been an accident."
"I know, but that excuse could be said for so many murders. We can't set that precedent, to let killers get away with their crimes when evidence has been presented."
"But she's done so much for Oz..."
"Question everything. We can't blindly follow what Glinda or Ozma say, as we've done for so long. Evanora be damned, but Theodora is clearly a victim in this."
On the anti-outsider side, he tried to listen in to what ever he could hear.
"Evanora and Theodora can't even seem to agree on something."
"Theodora is just so emotional."
"We need to convict Dorothy. And all outsiders."
Either way, it seemed convicting Dorothy worked in the favor of both sides.
Bryson's heart dropped.
This couldn't happen. It couldn't. Not when they had come this far. When he had promised Dorothy that they could win.
His mind and heart raced for several minutes, trying to think of an idea.
But suddenly, Ozma appeared on the screen.
"I've been informed that we've reached the two verdicts for the day." Ozma stated.
Already?!
Bryson had been so panic stricken that he never realized how much time had passed while he tried to think of a plan.
"All those who wish to convict Dorothy Gale, raise your hand. Theodora and Evanora will decide her punishment, if you chose to vote for conviction." Ozma stated.
Bryson was shocked when a good chunk of the room had raised their hands.
A good 70% of the room had their hands in the air.
"No.." Bryson shook his head, horrified.
Theodora had told him she would let him speak. But he never had the chance! In fact, his actions as Wizard and the big reveal he was nothing more than an outsider was never brought up! As if Theodora had banned any discussion of it. As if she just wanted him for herself, as her prize.
"I see. Now. For the vote. Should outsiders be banned from entry in Oz? All those who think so, please raise your hands." Ozma said.
Less of the room raised their hands.
But Bryson could see it.
More than half of the room had raised their hands.
"Well, that settles it. Ms. Gale, please rise. Theodora. Evanora. You may decide the girl's punishment. All outsiders need to be quickly escorted to my throne room. Oz has decided. And I will take care of them. This war.. is over." Ozma decided, staring on through the monitor.
His heart sank.
Oz had given in to their fear. To their hatred, to bigotry.
The very thing he had let corrupted him as Wizard.. had now corrupted him.
Theodora rose from her seat and Evanora followed. Evanora was stern, but..
Theodora had the sickest expression on her face. Sadistic joy, as if she could hardly contain herself.
"No, no! You can't do that!"
"This is pure evil!"
"I'll show you all a verdict!"
Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion all jumped to the girl's defense, but were held back by the guards.
Dorothy slowly stood up and Theodora gripped the girl's arm, grinning. As if to taunt her and tell her he had finally won. As if any disagreements she had with Ozma were gone and what mattered most was finally getting revenge on the farm girl.
Evanora seemed conflicted, as if unsure if she had won.
"Bryson Scott! Over here, please. I will let you have somewhat of a say in the girl's fate." Theodora grinned excitedly.
So that was it. She'd let him have a say, but only after the fact.
Bryson slowly rose and trembled in fear. He approached Theodora, Evanora, and Dorothy standing in the middle of the room.
Dorothy looked on at Bryson, trembling. She gave a weak smile at him. "It's okay. We did what we could." She whispered.
Bryson shook his head. Theodora's gaze shifted between the two.
Suddenly, Bryson knew what to do. The verdict and had been read. And this was a long shot. But.. just maybe..
The Oz-hauler. All the evidence he needed was home.
He looked at the watch. He couldn't work it properly in his shackles.
But he had an idea.
Suddenly, Bryson leaned forward with his chained hands and kissed Dorothy firmly. Right in front of Theodora.
Dorothy squeaked in surprise, but she returned the kiss. Bryson only deepened it, humming around her mouth.
"That's.. that is quite enough!" Theodora huffed, pulling Bryson away.
"Sorry, it's just. If I have to kiss you from now on, I wanted a good one before I had to go through that mess." Bryson shrugged.
It was all too easy.
"EXCUSE ME?!" Theodora's eyes flashed with intense anger and her hands were suddenly emitting flames. As they always did when her fury got the best of her.
Bryson smirked. Just as planned, he thought.
He reached the chain of the shackles into the flame in her hands, which melted the chain connecting the shackles.
Now, he was free to move his arms. "Yes!" Bryson exclaimed, reaching over and fumbling to turn the dial on his Oz-hauler watch.
"Hey, what do you think you're doing?!" Theodora cried out.
"I knew we should've just killed him when we had the chance!" Evanora cried out.
Bryson hurriedly backed away from the witches and Dorothy looked on with a grin. "I knew you'd think of something!" She smirked.
Finally, Bryson managed to turn the dial on his Oz-hauler watch and the button to take him back to his world.
...
His cabin.
Finally.
This was his chance.
He looked around the area, the scent being so different from Oz.
He slipped the rest of the shackles off his body, rushing in his bedroom.
"Hah! Here we go." He sighed as he found his laptop. As quickly as he could, he turned it on.
"Come on.. come on... hurry!"
Finally, it turned on
He quickly typed up "The Wizard of Oz Witch death."
The clip on YouTube had been perfect. It showed Theodora terrorizing Dorothy, cornering her and her friends. Setting Scarecrow on fire and proving Dorothy had only splashed the water to save him, not to kill Theodora.
He then found one of the tornado carrying Dorothy's house and having it land on Evanora, proving it was not her doing.
Bryson took a deep breath, downloading the video as quickly as he could. "Let's hope this works.."
...
He had used the Oz-hauler watch to return to Oz, appearing back in the strange courtroom.
"I have proof that Dorothy did not intend to kill Theodora! And that it was an accident!" Bryson cried out.
"What?!" Theodora and Evanora cried out, clearly shocked.
Dorothy grinned, watching Bryson with wide and hopeful eyes.
The room seemed shocked that Bryson had returned, as if bewildered at the way he had vanished. Several guards seemed to be studying the room before turning and seeing Bryson return, as if they were sent to look for him.
"Well, this should be interesting." Ozma said through the monitor, as if more amused than anything.
Bryson lifted the laptop in the air. "Everyone come look!"
Several Emerald City citizens crowded around Bryson. "What is this?!" They asked.
"Footage of what actually happened that night." Bryson said.
"Where did you get this?!" Evanora huffed.
"I'm an outsider, remember? From section 24! I have something to admit to you all." Bryson turned to the Ozians. "Only the higher ups of Oz know this. You were not made aware because it would spread fear. But I'm done with that. I was once your Wizard. And I failed by not being open and transparent with you. Where I come from.." Bryson gulped. "Oz is a story. A book that my world is not aware of being reality. It's deemed fiction. And I have footage of key events! Like.. Dorothy not killing the Evanora on purpose."
Bryson lifted up the video. His stomach felt strange, it felt odd to being showing the people of Oz the original movie he had first seen.
Dorothy looked bewildered watching those events play out on a screen.
Bryson then showed the video of Theodora cornering and terrorizing Dorothy. Then, Dorothy's story playing out on the screen just as she had described it.
The people of Oz gasped.
"Dorothy seemed so scared.."
"It was merely self defense!"
"It was an accident!"
"Theodora should be the one being tried!"
Seeing the way the tides were shifting caused Theodora and Evanora to look on horrified.
"This.. this is foolish!" Evanora suddenly walked to the stand and prepared her own off the cuff speech. "Kill him! Kill all these filthy outsiders! They have no place in Oz! They are not us! They do not know our magic! That Rabadan man nearly destroyed us with his scepter! Those theme park goons terrorized us and tried to sell us off into a world we knew nothing of! They have caused nothing but chaos! War! Division! If we let them in, we're exposing ourselves to terror!"
"And that brings me to my next point!" Bryson exclaimed. "You cannot live in fear! With these hateful beliefs. Just because outsiders are different doesn't mean we can't live with you all in Oz in harmony. As Wizard, I succumbed to this hateful mindset. Because of my fear! And I was wrong! I made life so terrible for you all! We have to live in a world where we can come together! And sure, we have to make sure everyone is safe! But not at the expense of living! There is no point to living if we shelter ourselves like this! If we want true unity, we have to come together! Theodora and Evanora are pure evil! We can't turn to them just because of our frustration with other leaders in Oz! You saw the footage! Dorothy has done nothing wrong! She and all outsiders must be freed!" Bryson proclaimed. "And Oz can be perfect, as it was once! A world of beauty. None of this violence! No more war! No more bloodshed! We have to come together! And love each other! I remember when Oz was a land of love. Where everyone was accepted. Now, we've let fear get the best of us. We have to take a stand!" Bryson exclaimed to the courtroom.
He panted as he was done. And he felt himself pant. Dorothy grinned in on at the development Bryson had shown.
"He's... he's right.." A voice said.
"What have we been doing?" Someone else said.
"We need another vote!"
"Another vote!"
"Yes, another vote!"
Ozma scoffed, but chuckled lightly through the screen. "Alright, then. Go ahead. We will see if anything changes. Those who wish to convict Dorothy Gale.. raise your hands."
A fair portion of the room had raised their hands, but less than half.
"Hm. Those who wish to rid of all outsiders in Oz.. raise your hands."
The same amount raised their hands and Bryson wanted to jump and leap for joy.
"I see. Well, I suppose that settles it. Theodora and Evanora, please unhand Dorothy. Let the outsiders stay where they are." Ozma said.
Cheers were heard around the room.
"Bryson Scott should be leader again!"
"Yes, he was great before he fell! It seems he's on the right path again. We want him, not someone who terroizes young girls!"
"She had good reason for it!"
"Oh, shut up! Bryson for Wizard!"
The people of Oz began to chant for him and he grinned widely. He felt overwhelmed with relief and glee. Tears in his eyes.
He had done it. He had freed Dorothy and the people of Oz were seemingly on his side once more.
"And now that you have changed your vote, how about I tell you this? Theodora and Evanora have teamed up with these women!" Bryson pointed at Gwen and Rebecca. "These women have been trying to take away a son from their mother! Due to jealousy!" Bryson suddenly walked over, pointing to Thersea and Colton. "I've watched this woman and her son. And she is a terrific mother. These two women working with Theodora and Evanora?" He pointed to Gwen and Rebecca.
"Sure, these guys bought him gifts. All he time, he said. Treated him like a prince. But they never showed him any love! Thersea told me all about it while her son was sleeping. Told me what her son told her. How he felt so lonely and isolated. Because Gwen and Rebecca here were too busy to play with him. And he missed his mother. Because these women took this boy away from him! In a room like this! A courtroom! We can't let these rash decisions effect someone so greatly! And you've learned this! To not send Dorothy Gale to punishment for being caught in the middle of a bad situation!" Bryson cried out.
"And if outsiders will be allowed to stay here, this boy should be with his mother! Imagine being a child. Waking up and having a terrible dream. With no one there to comfort you! You have all the food and toys you want, but no one there for your emotional needs! Well, it was reality for this boy! Because in my world, the justice system isn't always fair! It stripped this poor boy away from his mother and gave these two women custody of him. When Thersea here was a great mother the entire time!" Bryson exclaimed. "One of my own friends has been sent to rot in a cell without any evidence! And we can't let Oz be like that!"
Bryson turned to the courtroom. "Oz can be perfect! We can reform! Be peaceful and make sure this senseless war never occurs again! Give Thersea and Colton and Gwen and Rebecca.. all of these parties involved a proper custody battle with the proper evidence! We can handle who rules Oz properly. Sort out the conflict of Theodora and Evanora and Dorothy and Glinda and all of them! We can make Oz paradise! I believe in this great land! It's the escape for so many outsiders like me. The place you turn to when things get tough. We can't let it be this nation of war!"
The crowd suddenly began to cheer for Bryson.
"I haven't heard a speaker like this in ages."
"He's right. We... we have lost our way."
Regret seemed to be heard on both sides.
"Let's leave this courtroom! Let's explore Oz freely! And.. love each other!"
Several cries were heard in the room and suddenly, the citizens of Oz began to flee.
Theodora cried out in rage and flew over to punch a hole in the wall. Evanora quickly rushed over. "Sister, we need to leave and collect ourselves before making another mistake!"
"Oh my goodness, I knew you could do it!" Dorothy suddenly cried out, ignoring the tantrum of the witch.
Bryson reached over with a big grin to undo her shackles and she immediately wrapped her arms around him. He returned her hug, relishing in her.
"Let's go! I think you got through to them!" Dorothy said with hopeful eyes.
Bryson looked around in awe.
The people of Oz had accepted him.
He had won them over, and love and peace had won.
The outsiders were allowed to stay. And Dorothy was freed.
And maybe now Oz could be rebuilt. Made perfect.
...
Bryson and Dorothy rushed outside. Hand in hand.
This was the part where they won, right?
The part where they came together and fixed everything.
Bryson imagined it.
The people of Oz happy and together at last.
But when he walked outside, he was met with something else. The illusion faded.
The people of Oz had erupted. They were still fighting.
It was just like the day the war had began.
It seemed no matter the verdict, pro-outsiders and anti-outsiders were battling it out. With spears, knives, their fists.
No matter the verdict.. it seemed it would cause anger in one side or the other.
The anti-outsiders were clearly unhappy with the verdict. And they battled with those who opposed them.
Bryson shook his head in agony. "No.. this... this isn't how it's supposed to go.."
It was as if they were back to square one. They won the trial.. and still. War. Division.
Bryson searched the scenery, as if to look for answers.
But when he looked a few feet away he gasped at the terrible sight in front of him.
Kyle was on the floor. And Charlotte was cradling him. Surrounded by Thersea, Colton, and Tommy.
Bryson was confused. And then he saw it.
Kyle was bleeding from his stomach. All over the place. He was bleeding out and from the looks of it, the young boy was dying.
...
The trial is over. Bryson has managed to win. Outsiders are legally allowed to roam free, Dorothy Gale has been cleared of her charges. But division continues.
How can he fix Oz now?
And what has happened to Kyle?
Will Kyle make it out of what's caused his fatal situation? Or will Oz prove to be a darker place than Bryson could ever imagine?