NOTE: Here's the next chapter. Enjoy!

Chapter 5: Twilight Meets the Scarecrow

About two hours later, Twilight and Spike were still walking on the yellow brick road, while admiring the beautiful sights along the way. Soon, they started to walk by a large cornfield that seemed to stretch out for miles. Eventually, they also came to a crossroad, and due to the fact that both ways were made of yellow brick, that caused them to stop and wonder which direction to take.

"Now which way do we go?" Twilight asked.

"Well, that way looks very nice," a voice called out.

Twilight looked around, but she couldn't see who it was that called out to her. "Who said that? There's no one here."

Suddenly, Spike started barking at something. Twilight looked and saw that the puppy was barking at a scarecrow, which was placed high on a pole and was pointing his left arm to the middle road section of the fork. The scarecrow was dressed in a long green shirt, dark brown pants with a few patches, a black pilgrim hat, and black boots. In the girl's eyes, the stuffed man's burlap bag face seemed to resemble Bob from Equestria.

"Don't be silly, Spike. Scarecrows can't talk," Twilight chuckled.

"Uh, I usually can't talk either, but I am now," Spike pointed out.

"It's pleasant down that way as well," the voice came again.

When Twilight looked towards the scarecrow, and saw that it was now pointing its right arm to the right side of the fork.

Twilight was now completely baffled. "That's funny. Last time I checked, he was pointing the other way."

"Was is right," the puppy confirmed.

"Well, it's common for people to go both ways," came the voice a third time.

Twilight and Spike cautiously approached the figure on the pole, who was now pointing both ways.

"Was that you who spoke?" Twilight asked.

The scarecrow shook his head, and then he nodded, before shaking it again.

"Are you doing that on purpose, or can't you make up your mind?" the teenage girl asked again.

"Well, I don't have a brain, only straw. So, I don't have a mind to make up" the stuffed man replied.

"How can you talk if you don't have a brain?" Spike asked.

The scarecrow put his arms down and smiled. "I honestly don't know. But some people without brains seem to do a lot of babbling every now and then. Don't they?"

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Twilight agreed, before she smiled kindly. "Well, we haven't been properly introduced yet, have we?"

"Why, no, we haven't!" Scarecrow beamed at the realization.

"How do you do?" the girl and puppy spoke at the same time.

"How do you do?" the scarecrow tipped his hat.

"Very well, thank you" Twilight said politely.

"What she said. And you?" Spike asked.

"To be honest, I'm not doing very well at all," the scarecrow shook his head sadly. "You see, it's really tiresome being up here all day long with a pole up your back."

"That sounds very uncomfortable," Spike winced. "So, can't you get down?"

"Get down?" Scarecrow repeated. "No, 'cause I don't really know how."

"Well, here, I'll help you down" Twilight offered.

"Oh, that's very kind of you" Scarecrow beamed kindly.

Twilight got around the pole and began to observe it. "I, uh, I don't see how I can get you down."

"Well, I'm only guessing, but if you bend the nail down in the back, then I'll probably slip off," the stuffed man explained.

"Oh, of course!" Twilight spoke, before she grabbed ahold of the nail and pulled down on it.

After a few seconds, the straw man slipped right off of the pole and fell to the ground, knocking a pile of his stuffing out of his shirt in the process.

"Whoops! There goes some of me again!" Scarecrow chuckled, as he grabbed the stuffing and put it back into his shirt.

"Doesn't that hurt you?" Twilight asked with concern.

"Oh, no. I just pick it up and put it back in again," Scarecrow chuckled again, before standing up. "My, it's good to be FREE!"

Unfortunately, the stuffed man walked right into the wooden fence, lost his balance, and toppled over onto his back.

"Aaahhhh!" the teenage girl screamed, as she ran over to help the stuffed man up.

"Did I scare you?" the scarecrow asked, as she helped him sit up.

"No. I just thought you got hurt by the fall" she answered.

"But I didn't scare ya?"

"No, of course not."

"I didn't think so," Scarecrow sighed in defeat, as a small flock of crows arrived. "You see, I can't even scare a crow."

"Howdy, Scarecrow!" one of the crows said with a country accent.

"They come from miles around to eat in my field and laugh in my face," Scarecrow added.

"Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!" the crows cackled.

"What did I tell you?" Scarecrow confirmed, before he began to sing with the crows.

[Scarecrow]

Said a scarecrow swingin' on a pole

To the blackbirds sittin' on the fence

"Oh the Lord gave me a soul

But forgot to give me common sense"

[Crows]

Said the blackbirds

"Well, well, well,

What in thunder would you

Do with common sense?"

[Scarecrow]

Said the scarecrow, "Would be pleasin

Just to reason out the reason

Of the wishes and the whyness and the whence"

If I had an ounce of common sense...

"What would you do, Scarecrow?" Twilight asked, before Scarecrow smiled and began to sing once more.

[Scarecrow]

I could while away the hours

Conferrin' with the flowers

Consultin' with the rain

And my head I'd be scratchin'

While my thoughts were busy hatchin'

If I only had a brain

I'd unravel every riddle

For any individ'le

In trouble or in pain

With the thoughts I'd be thinkin'

I could be another Lincoln

If I only had a brain

Oh, I could tell you why

The ocean's near the shore

I could think of things I never thunk before

And then I'd sit and think some more

I would not be just a nothin'

My head all full o' stuffin'

My heart all full o' pain

I would dance and be merry

Life would be a ding-a-derry

If I only had a brain

The Scarecrow went over to the corn field, grabbed a corn stalk, and began to dance the Raks Al Assaya, while Twilight and Spike looked on with amazement. After the short dance, Scarecrow threw the stalk back into the field and resumed his song.

[Scarecrow]

Gosh, it would be awful pleasin'

To reason out the reason

For things I can't explain

Then perhaps, I'll deserve ya

And be even worthy of ya

If I only had a brain

Scarecrow did a few hops, before he landed onto his rear end, knocking some of the stuffing out of his shirt. Twilight bent down and put the stuffing back into its proper place.

"That was wonderful!" Twilight said with astonishment. "If our scarecrow back in Equestria could do that, the crows would be scared to pieces!"

"What's Equestria?" Scarecrow asked.

"That's where Spike and I live," Twilight answered.

"Yeah, and since we don't know how to get back, we're going all the way to the emerald city to see if the Wizard of Oz can help us," Spike added.

"You're going to see a wizard?" Scarecrow asked, as the girl and puppy both nodded. "Do you think if I went with you, this wizard could give me some brains?"

"I'm not really sure," Twilight said in wonder. "And even if he didn't, you'd be no worse off than you are now. But still, maybe you shouldn't come along. We've got a wicked witch after us, and you could get into some real trouble."

"A wicked witch? Ha, I'm not afraid of any witch. I'm not afraid of anything," Scarecrow spoke with confidence, before his smile was replaced by a look of fear. "Well...except for a lighted match."

"Well, that's logical, since straw burns very easily if it comes into contact with fire," Twilight confirmed in a logical tone.

However, the straw man put on a positive face again. "But I'd face a whole box of them for the chance of getting some brains. Now look, I won't be any trouble for you, because I don't eat a thing, and I won't try to manage things because I can't think. So, won't you please take me with you?"

"Why of course we will," Twilight smiled, while Spike barked happily.

"Hooray! We're off to see a wizard!"

The scarecrow leapt up and danced with joy before he fell down. Spike quickly grabbed the scarecrow with his teeth and sat him back up.

"Uh, I went to the bathroom earlier. So, I don't think you want to roll around right there," the puppy warned.

"Good advice," the straw man nodded, getting onto his feet.

"To Oz?" Twilight asked.

"To Oz!" Spike and Scarecrow replied.

Twilight and Scarecrow linked arms and the three began to skip down the middle road in the fork, while they began to sing as a trio.

[All three]

We're off to see the Wizard

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

We hear he is a whiz of a wiz

If ever a wiz there was

If ever, oh ever a wiz there was

The Wizard of Oz is one because

Because, because, because, because, because

Because of the wonderful things he does

We're off to see the Wizard

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

Well there's the fifth chapter of the story. Catch you later!