In the evening at the Emerald City the party in the honor of the Patchwork Girl's return was in full swing. Patchwork designed balloons and threadbear confetti fell from the ceiling magically courtesy of the Wizard's magic arts Everyone gathered in the ballroom danced and clapped and cheered along together. Laughter and smiles were all about as far as any faces could be seen. Everyone in the Emerald City was there, as well as many visiting celebrities, and also Popla the Power Plant and the Twinkler who were the two new friends Scraps had made on her latest adventure.

Two particularly happy smiling faces that were present were the Scarecrow's and Scraps' as they danced together arm in arm while they paraded down a makeshift yellow brick road laid upon the green marble floor. They laughed and giggled while glancing at each other as they swung their free arms out at the sides and kicked their feet left to right in a downright merry Ozzy jig. They stopped when they reached the end, turned to each other and bowed. The Scarecrow nearly started to fall backwards as he did so but Scraps reached out and caught him while bringing him into her fond embrace at the same time. Everyone surrounding them applauded and laughed in unison.

The Scarecrow chuckled and and looked into the Patchwork Girl's face as he brought one of his straw stuffed gloved hands to her quilted cheek and stroked it tenderly.

"Ah.. my dear Scraps," he said softly. "How glad I am that you came home. I will admit I hadn't known you had run away until the day before you returned but still I was getting worried something awful for you and was making preparations with the Tin Woodman to set out on a journey of our own to find you and bring you back. I'm glad there was no need to, and glad you are here again safe and sound at home where you are beloved by all here, especially me."

Scraps gazed into the Scarecrow's face as well as she giggled softly and replied, "Oh my dearest Scarecrow, how you've told me again and again about how happy you are I've come home. But I will never tire of hearing it! For I couldn't be happier either that I came home to you. I can't believe how I almost left you for good. For you are the very essence which holds my stitching altogether, and so without you I'd just fall apart."

"And, believe me, it is all but the same way with me," the Scarecrow assured her tenderly as he stroked her red yarn hair.

Everyone around them was silent for a moment and then the Tin Woodman stepped forward while wiping a stray tear away from the corner of his eye. He approached Scraps and said while putting a hand to his heart saying,

"And I, my dear Miss Patches, am also extremely happy that you have come home. For life in Oz would never have been the same without you. Did I mention yet that I am really very sorry that I had been rather angry with you on the night before you left?"

Scraps gave a hearty laugh as she stepped up to the Tin Woodman and clapped him audibly on his tin shoulder. "Why, only about seven times in the last twenty-four hours, old chum!"

Nick Chopper flushed slightly and chuckled softly. "Well, this makes the eighth," he said.

"And did I mention your apology's accepted, by the way?" added Scraps hopefully.

The Tin Woodman nodded and smiled brightly. "Every time," he assured her.

Scraps looked all around her at her surrounding friends looking upon her with their warm smiles of fondness and adoration towards her and felt the moment was right now. She put her hands up to where her heart should be and with a deep breath she belted out a high pitched verse she made up on the spot.

"Oh, how glad I am to be home again!
For home is just the most perfect place to be!
So I am as happy as can be!
Just as certainly as you all can see!

Just last week I was so sad!
For I was just so bad!
I had made a mess and run away!
Now I am here to stay!

For I am in good cheer!
With all of you gathered here!

All of you and me are one another's friend!
Just as we shall all be to each other to the end!"

Scraps spread her arms out as she completed her verse on a high note and then bowed her head and curtsied. Everyone laughed, cheered, and applauded her.

Then Dorothy Gale, Betsy Bobbin, Trot, Button-Bright, and Ojo came up to Scraps and one by one they all hugged her all at the same time. She hugged them all back for the children in Oz were her very best friends after the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman after all.

"We're so happy you're here again with us, Scraps!" Dorothy assured her. "We missed you something awful on the night you left that you were to perform at the banquet and the dance you would have done to Jack's shoe orchestra."

"And we would have missed you worst of all if you had actually been lost," added Betsy.

"And not to mention we would also have missed your colors if you had remained black," added Trot.

Scraps cuddled the children in her thick arms and murmured, "I would have so missed you all also, and as well as my colors if the black had been permanent." Then after a moment's thought she added brightly, "But I am for certain there would never have been anything that Ozma and the Magic Belt couldn't have restored! For look at me now!"

And with that she twirled all around everyone before her much to their great delight and amusement.

Everyone gathered in the room inside was so happy and blissful they took no notice at all of the dark clouds that were gathering in the sky just outside the window in lead of the oncoming storm.

It was also back at the Royal Athletic College that Professor Wogglebug didn't notice the storm clouds brewing in the darkening sky just outside the window of his bedchambers. But his reason was a completely different one altogether. It was not from overwhelming bliss and happiness, but from overwhelming grief and bitterness.

For he found that going through with expelling Alexample from his College was but only a small and rather insignificant consolation in the face of the magnitude of the loss of his Air Castle and all that had gone into its making and above all, the loss of the utterly wonderful and relaxing vacation he could have enjoyed within it even if just for a week.

How could this have happened? he lamented to himself mournfully. How could this have been allowed to have happened to me!? How could this have ever been allowed to have happened to one so thoroughly educated?!

He sat upon the edge of his bed bemoaning what could have been but never would be with him and his Air Castle. He began to also think about his utterly sad and miserable existence in Oz. Didn't it seem like things like this always seemed to happen to him in some way or another from the very beginning? Come to think of it, his life here in Oz was no life at all. It was but only a half of a life for it felt cursed with misfortune and sorrow at every turn and curve.

He thought about how after the Patchwork Girl had been turned all black from the cons-quences smoke bombs and must have felt just as miserable and dejected and forsaken from the loss of her colors as he himself was now feeling from the loss of his Air Castle. She and the rest of them had thought it was a permanent condition for her at first based on what they'd heard. But then they had convinced Scraps to come home with them to the Emerald City and right there before everyone, Scraps had appealed to Ozma and wished for her colors to be restored. Then Ozma had touched the Magic Belt around her waist and said, "Is done." Then Scraps took off the long white sheet over her and it was revealed before all eyes that her colors were fully restored to her. Now he knew Scraps was at this moment celebrating her return home and restoration of her colors with all who were gathered in the Emerald City for everyone was very happy for her.

But no one will ever restore anything I've lost, he thought forlornly. No one will. Ever. Not even Ozma herself would ever think to grant me a wish to be a happy for anything I'd ever want. She doesn't actually care about me. No one does. As much as I am highly magnified and thoroughly educated no one likes me or even cares about me. Not even Ozma really does, either. True, she may always invite me to her parties, and her counsel meetings, but she really cares nothing for my well-being. Just as all the others around her may sometimes be friendly to me or now and then have a compliment for me, but they really don't like me or care about me at all, either!

He remembered what he had said to Jenny Jump in the forest during the time Jack Pumpkinhead had literally lost his head and she wished they could find a new pumpkin to give him a new head with. He had replied to her then, "What good would that ever do? He would only just discover we are hopelessly lost!" Then he had added, "I never thought I'd admit such a thing but ignorance is something I wish I possessed!"

And it is something I wish I possessed now more than ever, he lamented with a sigh so deep he felt almost exactly like an utterly deflated balloon. After all, why should I put my superior education to use if it won't be appreciated? And why should I put my excellent intellect to use if its only going to be wasted on something that will never come to be?It seems just as no one in Oz has a mind like my own no one should have one, either! I do so wish I'd never become highly magnified, or even thoroughly educated, neither one!

He was only vaguely aware of a loud thunderclap that came from just outside his window while a moment later a great streak of lightning flashed across the sky and illuminated the window pane.

He heaved a deep sigh and looked up while closing his eyes, blotting out any vision or light from them at all. He sat there rigid stiff and thought with great firmness and finalment, I can't go on anymore. I don't know how It must all come to an end somehow.

But how? This was the Fairyland of Oz, after all. An end was impossible to anyone, wasn't it? But then, in Oz wasn't anything possible and nothing impossible also? He would have to find out. First thing tomorrow morning he would look into anything he could find to succeed at making his own end. This would be the last time he would ever put his enormous intellect to use at anything at all, and then no more.

It was with these thoughts situated within his mind that he exhaled and collapsed onto his bed for slumber, not bothering to undress. His heart and mind were so heavy they were immune to being disturbed by the great clashing of thunder and splintering of lightning just outside of his college along with the torrential downpour of the storm that had come.

It was also at this very moment that within her Ruby Palace in the Quadling Country, Glinda the Good was looking into her Great Book of Records. Her brows furrowed in great concern as she read the new pages. She knew right then and there that something had to be done. Something that had never been done before now. For now was the time.