Disclaimer: Beautiful movie, beautiful cast, beautiful characters. And I don't own any of them.
Author's Note: "Just a one-shot," she says. But with the reviews I received I could not leave the fiction alone. So it's now to be a three-part piece. As my first review suggested, this chapter will be as the hot-air balloon takes off (yet Dorothy misses it due to a certain Toto, lol) but she still must depart from Oz when Glinda informs her of the power of the ruby slippers. And by the way – I have nothing against cats; I am merely trying to reflect on Toto's feelings towards them. ;-)
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Waiting For Goodbye
Part II
They stood near to the basket of the balloon, listening as the Wizard made his final speech, and declaring that the Scarecrow would rule over Oz, assisted by the Lion and the Tin Man. The trio stood and showed their newly-found assets to the crowd; yet their faces did not show happiness.
Quite suddenly, Toto noticed a Siamese cat in the arms of a woman in the observing crowd. Barking viciously, he wriggled free of Dorothy's arms and trotted out into the crowd towards the cat. Toto had always found cats incredibly annoying; the way they all sat on walls and fences, washing themselves with those silly little tongues.
"Oh Toto, come back, Toto, Toto!"
Despite the call from his little mistress, Toto made no attempt to turn back. All he could think of was reaching that cat.Dorothy climbed hurriedly out of the basket, making a desperate plea to the Wizard to not leave her behind, and followed Toto down the steps and into the crowd, followed by the Lion and the Scarecrow.
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The Thoughts Of The Tin Man
I didn't want her to go.
I knew the only way she would ever be truly happy would be to return to Kansas, back to her Aunt Em, but still that tiny part of me thought, "Why? Why can't she stay here and be happy with us?"
I knew that tiny thought was a selfish one, but how could I help it? We had been through so much together...and although me, the Lion and the Scarecrow would still have each other, the group would be incomplete.
The Scarecrow, Tin Man, Lion and Dorothy.
When she'd gone, there'd just be the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion. And somewhere out there, in a far-off country we'd never heard of, there'd be Dorothy.
That part of me was the most prominent as Toto ran off the platform into the crowd. It was like there were two versions of me; the version that wanted Dorothy to go home and be happy, and the version that wanted her to stay, and never to return to that dreary place called Kansas. The two parts of me argued over it.
Guess which version won.
I admit it was partially because I was distracted by Toto running off into the crowd. And – I truly don't know how it happened – my grip on the rope which held the balloon loosened, and suddenly it began to float away.
The part of me that loved Dorothy and wanted her to be happy tried as hard as possible to reel that balloon back in.
The tiny, selfish part of me was rejoicing.
Just a little bit.
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"Now I'll never get home," Dorothy said, her voice somewhere between despair and a sob, as the four of them watched the balloon float further and further away.
The Lion lay a soft paw on her shoulder.
"Stay with us then Dorothy. We all love you. We don't...want you to go."
"That's very kind of you. But this could never be like Kansas."
She turned to the Scarecrow.
"What am I going to do?"
What can only be described as a bubble, bright and pink, floated down toward the platform and landed, turning into Glinda The Witch Of The North as soon as it touched the steps.
Dorothy curtsied and pleaded once again for help. A delighted smile at first crossed her features as Glinda explained that she no longer needed help; she could return to Kansas at anytime using the power of the ruby slippers. A look of sheer wonder and happiness crossed Dorothy's face, but as she turned back to her three companions, it faded just as quickly as it came.
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The Thoughts Of The Lion
We all watched, partly filled with happiness for Dorothy, and partly filled with remorse and sorrow.
Now she really had to go.
I thought of the time we all first met in the forest. It wasn't the way you usually met someone who'd become your most treasured friend. I'd watched the three of them walking down the yellow brick road that passed through the forest. I heard their fears over the wild animals that could be lurking, and knew I'd have no trouble scaring them off.
I jumped down from the rocks and onto the road. They dispersed, The Scarecrow and the Tin Man lay on the road, one either side of me. Dorothy ran to the side of the road and hid behind a large tree.
She kept quiet most of the time. That is, until I chased after Toto. She came to his rescue, promptly hitting me in the nose. Despite the shock, I began to tell her and her comrades of my dilemma; I had no courage. When they offered to take me along to the Emerald City, how could I refuse?
My thoughts returned to the present as I watched Dorothy saying goodbye to the Tin Man.
When it was my turn, I couldn't help crying a little as she kissed me and stroked my mane.
"I know it isn't right," she said, half-smiling, "but I'm gonna miss the way you used to holler for help before you found your courage."
"I would never have found it, if it hadn't been for you."
And then it was over, as she moved on to saying goodbye to the Scarecrow.
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The Thoughts Of The Scarecrow
She reached up and put her free arm around me.
I knew this was the last goodbye.
I think, secretly, we didn't want her to leave in the balloon. However much we loved her, none of us wanted her to go back to Kansas.
But this was it.
"I think I'll miss you most of all."
You have no idea how much that last sentence meant to me. The minutes seemed to slow down, but finally, she pulled away and faced The Good Witch.
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"Are you ready now?" Glinda smiled kindly at Dorothy.
"Yes." She turned and waved Toto's paw at her comrades. "Say goodbye, Toto."
The trio all waved solemnly back.
"Yes, I'm ready now."
Glinda turned her to face the crowd.
"Now close your eyes, click your heels together three times..."
Dorothy did as she was told.
"...And think to yourself, there's no place like home."
Dorothy repeated the words, over and over, and with a sudden flash, she was gone.
And where she had been, on the platform, stood all that was left to prove she'd even been in Oz.
The ruby slippers.
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End note: I hope it wasn't too dreadful! I needed to use quite a lot of the scenes/dialogue from the end of the movie to make this work, but I hope it's OK.
Please review, I know it's not terrific, but I tried.
