Finley and Tik-Tok had landed in the corn fields around Oz.
Scarecrow's fields, to be exact.
The exact spot Bryson had first woken up in when he went to Oz, the very first time.
But it hurt. There was a gaping hole in his heart because Scarecrow was dead, as were so many others he had cared for.
He could feel the somberness within the group. This didn't feel quite as celebratory as their past victories.
Thersea mentioned how she wished she could've told Ethan the truth about Colton before he had passed. It seemed she knew, and from the bags under her tear stained eyes it greatly effected her. The two of them went on their own side of the field.
Bryson, Dorothy, and Finley walked along the fields. This was the same group he had been with during his first adventure. Things had changed so wildly.
They walked around in circles until suddenly, they felt something fly behind them.
They snapped their heads around to see Glinda and Theodora.
"Well done." Glinda smiled. But her smile was gentle, subtle. She too knew that Oz was seemingly too far gone for their victory to feel great.
"Yes." Theodora agreed with a slight smile that Bryson admired. Being good was a much better look on her. "But there's still a few things that need to be destroyed."
Theodora pulled out the other Ruby Slipper that Bryson had tossed, and the shard Rabadan had stolen.
She tossed it on the floor.
Dorothy raised her brow, but when Glinda gave a re-assuring nod, Dorothy threw the slipper on her foot into the pile.
"Everyone back up." Theodora requested, lifting her hands and suddenly igniting every single ruby into flames.
Dorothy gasped. "You're destroying them?"
"For good. I believe this is every last shard. They've brought about too many troubles in Oz. Brought out the worst in it and also myself.." Theodora stated lowly, almost without emotion.
Soon enough, the rubies were all burnt to ashes.
"And that's the last of them. We never need this much power in Oz again." Glinda said firmly, shaking her head.
Out of nowhere, Theodora fell to her knees.
Glinda furrowed her brows, taking her arms. "Are you.. alright?"
"I was brought back because Rabadan used his scepter, remember?" Theodora looked up at Glinda.
And then it clicked.
The scepter had kept her alive, and there was no more scepter or a single shard of ruby left to fuel her power.
Bryson leaned over as Theodora fell to the ground, looking up at the sky.
He reached over and gripped her hand. "You did good. I'm proud of you for making the right decision, okay?" He said softly, to comfort her in her final moments.
He didn't know if she deserved to be forgiven by Oz, but he found it in his heart to see her as a redeemed woman in his eyes.
"I couldn't have done it without you." Theodora gave a weak smile, turning to Dorothy slowly. "I guess.. this is goodbye once and for all this time. I don't know where I'll be going after this.. but I'm content knowing I did the right thing in the end. You... you take care, my pretty." Theodora said, using her initial insult towards the girl as a term of endearment.
Dorothy frowned slightly, leaning down close to her. "I am glad there was some good left in you." She whispered. She didn't seem as accepting as Bryson, understandably so. But still forgiving.
Theodora smiled at Bryson, then Glinda, and then up at the sky. She sighed, and suddenly.. her body slowly faded and then vanished from thin air as she held Bryson's hand.
Was she dead? It seemed so. Perhaps her soul was taken elsewhere.
At least her tortured soul had been fixed in her final moments.
"I.. I should go back to Emerald City, now. Another battle broke out before I left, I need to attend to fixing that." She said sadly, giving Bryson, Dorothy, and Finley a reassuring nod before she formed a bubble around herself and flew off.
Bryson was now holding onto nothingness now that Theodora was gone. He let his hand reach over to stroke Dorothy's shoulder and rest his head on it.
...
Bryson, Dorothy, and Finley walked back to the Dragon Machine and rested against it while Tik-Tok remained inside, seeming unsure of where to go from here.
The original trio was now back together. But under a broken Oz. Still divided and at war, with so many dead and so much destroyed.
The three of them began to reminisce.
"Hey, remember when we ran from those Kalidah's? And I had to carry you two across a bottomless pit? Gee, my back ached for months!" Finley chuckled.
"Oh, remember the river? How we almost fell? And it turned out to be a short fall, but Finley thought he was drowning." Dorothy giggled at the memory.
"And those Wheelers! Man, those things were creepy." Bryson chuckled.
"I never said anything, but you screamed like a girl." Finley snickered.
"Oh, shut up. You scream like.. well, a monkey. But that's not much of an insult to you, is it?" Bryson laughed.
"Oh, you two are cute." Dorothy giggled.
"Yeah, says you. I'm the third wheel in this situation completely! I saw you guys kiss before Bryson left that first time." Finley chuckled.
Bryson and Dorothy blushed.
"Maybe we just need to get you your own flying monkey romantic partner." Bryson laughed.
The three continued to share laughs, talking about the past. Mostly their first adventure.
"Gosh, everything was so simple then. Where did we go wrong?" Finley sighed.
"I don't know, Finley, sweetheart. I don't know." Dorothy sighed as she stroked the primate's fur.
"I just miss how things used to be. I wish you guys never had to leave. And that when we defeated Rabadan the first time, it was for good." Finley frowned. "Us all happy together.."
"Things just aren't that simple, I suppose." Dorothy frowned in return. "Not like they used to be.." She whispered, stroking around Bryson's hair.
There was a brief pause before Bryson began to sing lightly to himself.
"Yesterday.. all my troubles seemed so far away.. now it looks as though they're here to stay. Oh, I believe in yesterday.." Bryson sung lowly.
"Hey, that's a lovely song. I didn't know you could carry a tune." Dorothy giggled, resting on his chest and sighing.
"Yeah. It's.. after your time. Perks of being from an alternate future, eh?" Bryson scoffed.
"Right." Dorothy chuckled lowly, nuzzling into Bryson some more.
The three of them just looked into the night sky.
They'd have to go back and try to reform Oz, if at all possible. But for now.. they rested together.
...
Until a flash of green light suddenly stormed across the night sky.
The three jolted their eyes opened, gasping and sitting up immediately.
A vortex formed, green thunderbolts across the night sky that made the three squint and cover their eyes.
Until, the vortex turned into a stable portal.
And in front of them stood a young girl.
She seemed mature, nonetheless. Skin glowing. Her eyes were like two emeralds full of life. Her locks were golden with two blossoms adorned on each side of her head with elegant robes of silken green, satin slippers on her feet.
"I have been summoned by the Witch of the West. I understand she has passed from Oz since she summoned me, but I wish to inspect the affair." Her voice said, sounding wise and youthful all at once.
"Who.. who are you?" Dorothy squinted, seeming amazed at the sight and beauty of the girl.
"I am Ozma. Rightful ruler of Oz."
Bryson grinned. This was much closer to what he would've imagined Ozma to be like.
"Well, can you help us?" Dorothy asked with hopeful eyes.
"I can. Dorothy Gale, Bryson Scott... come with me." She gestured to the portal.