Written for Retro-Mania

This story takes place after Strawberry Shortcake, Princess of Oz? , in the 2003's universe.

Loosely based on the novel The Emerald City of Oz by Lyman Frank Baum.

DISCLAIMER: These licenses aren't mine. The opinions express by the characters are not mine. I do not support nor encourage the illegal acts or words present here. I can make a distinction between fiction and reality and I trust in my readership's ability to do the same.

Strawberry Shortcake and the Battle for the Gemberries

Prologue

No sooner had Princess Langwidere saw the Berrykins she hated them; but it was not entirely due to the heavy chains that covered them, or the fact they were driven by a huge biped bear (by the way, what was his name, again? She couldn't remind it). To be honest, Princess Langwidere could not see why one gave them so much attention. Nothing was interesting with them: their chubby bodies were much too small to dress them with fitted dress, and, anyway, no outfit would suit them as long as they would wear a such desperate facial expression: tears had let trails on their cheeks, their mouths were twisted into a strange rictus, and their eyes joyless eyes seemed to be unable to express happy feelings again.

She couldn't neither say she enjoyed General Guph's company, who was proudly standing next to her.

She had met him a few weeks ago, as she was going to the jeweler with her escort. She hadn't found him worth to be look at, at first glance: he was smaller than her, and his whole body was hidden behind a long, thick, white beard he had certainly never cut. The only things that emerged from this hairy mass were two thin arms and a pair of scraggy legs. However, this strange person had recognized her, and had started a conversation with her. He had told her how was her life with Ev's Royal Family, and Princess Langwidere had frankly answered him that it was quite boring to be under young King Evardo's power since he had throned.

-What a shame a such beautiful person like you has to be treated like a servant in the castle in which she had herself reigned! He had said. He then taught her he was a friend of her late ally, the Nome King, who had kidnapped the whole Royal Family of Ev to let her accede to the throne, but who had died after an unfortunate encounter with a hen, which didn't suit his fatal allergy to eggs.*

-My name is General Guph, and I could help you getting back the consideration you deserve, he had promised to her. "Introduce me to the Royal Family as a friend of yours, and I'll deal with everything."

In fact, General Guph wasn't really her friend, because they hadn't enough common point to spend pleasant times together. To be honest, they had no common point at all; however, she couldn't deny General Guph had always been on her side, as long as the Royal Family of Ev was on the throne.

Now, they currently both had the opportunity of staring at the procession of Berrykins slowly crossing the castle's courtyard, from Princess Langwidere's apartment.

-All the Berrykins from Oz are now under your authority, Your Majesty, he said. "The Growleywogs and the Phanfasms had also picked every last Gemberries they had stored in their village. They are yours now."

-What do you want me to do about agriculture? Princess Langwidere asked with impatience.

-Of course, Your Majesty won't farm these Gemberries by herself. The Berrykins, brought to Your castle by my faithful ally, First and Foremost, will take care of this for You. However, owning all the Gemberries will increase your power on the country in an exponential manner.

-Why?

-The Gemberries aren't ordinary plants, Your Majesty. To tell you the truth, they produce an incredible amount of vital energy that can be collected. Ev's and Oz's inhabitants based their lifestyle on Gemberries' farming, as only a few patches could produce enough energy to light and heat them. By becoming owner of all the Gemberries in the country, Your Majesty will be able to keep all your subjects under Your domination! General Guph cried, his voice becoming more and more excited as his tirade was progressing.

-I don't see any link between my authority and my subject's comfort, Langwidere said with annoyance. If there was one thing she really disliked at General Guph, it was his tendency to speak about economic, politic and strategy, as he was currently doing. What was the point with talking about money she could not spend; about actions she hadn't done yet or other people would do for her? Couldn't he talk about topics that really concerned her, like… the new clothes she had just buy?

General Guph thoughtfully stroked his beard, which was so long he had to wedge it in his belt in order to not to stumble on it. He knew that Princess Langwidere was slow on the uptake about everything that wasn't concerning her outfit, but there he understood he could certainly never rely on her in the future to debate with her about the issues and the outcomes of the project he had planned.

-As your Majesty will own all the Gemberries, their delivery will be entirely due to Your goodwill, he explained. "That is to say that Your subjects would need to be extremely obedient if they want you to give them something to protect them against darkness and cold. They might think they do not need Your support, because we're in May, but when winter will come… They'll change their mind. Anyway, I dare hope that y the time, the rebels would have weakened enough for no longer putting any resistance up."

-What do you mean by "obedient"? Princess Langwidere asked, her attention being suddenly drew again.

-It means they would be forced to do whatever would please You to order them to do, General Guph joyfully said.

Even though Princess Langwidere didn't like to get worked up about administration, she always enjoyed to be respected and feared like every princess should be (according to her opinion).

She couldn't say exactly what General Guph had done, and what it would imply for her subjects, but she had retained one thing: they would obey her to the letter from this very moment.

Finally, it had been a great chance to meet him.

To be continued…

*For more detail, please refer to "Strawberry Shortcake, Princess of Oz?"