Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the Characters, or any Game, Movie, or TV Show content that are mentioned in this FanFiction story. They belong to their respective owners and I honor respect their great works.
A short while after leaving the Munchkins in Munchkinland, Devon, Dorothy, and Toto walked along the Yellow Brick Road and found themselves standing at a wide crossroad near a cornfield. The road broke off in three different paths going off in different directions.
"Follow the Yellow Brick Road? Follow the Yellow..." Dorothy says
Devon and Dorothy examined the different paths that laid before them. The first path on their left went far out towards three rolling hills. The second path straight ahead went out towards a distant forest. And the third path on the right went out to more of the fields.
"Of course, there had to be more than one Yellow Brick Road, right?" Devon says in a sarcastic tone
"Now which way do we go?" Dorothy asks
While Devon and Dorothy were busy trying to decide which path to take, a male voice speaks out of nowhere, offering the hero and heroine his suggestion.
"Pardon me. That way is a very nice way." The voice says
The Keyblade Wielder and Kansas girl looked around upon hearing the voice. It sounded close, but they had no idea where it came from. The only thing that was with them was a scarecrow, hanging high up above them and the corn stalks from a pole with his left arm and hand stretched out, pointing to the path on the right.
This Scarecrow wore an old, wrinkled, black pointed hat, a suit of worn, faded, hand-me-down clothes such as a green long-sleeve shirt and brown pants, stuffed with straw, worn white gloves, and on his feet were black, old, scuffed farm boots.
"Hello?" Devon says
"Who said that?" Dorothy asks
"I don't know, but someone's definitely here." Devon says
As they searched for the source of the voice, Toto barks three times at something infront of him and the two humans, drawing their attention.
"Toto? What is it?" Devon asks
Devon lowers down to the small terrier on his right-knee and places his right-hand on the dog's back as he barked five more times. Following Toto's gaze, Devon and Dorothy realized that he was barking at the scarecrow. Did the voice come from him? Devon wouldn't be surprised. After all, he had seen crazier things in his life. Toto seemed to think so, but his owner thought otherwise.
"Don't be silly, Toto. Scarecrows can't talk." Dorothy says
While they weren't looking, the scarecrow puts his left-hand down and points in the other direction with his right-hand.
"It's pleasant down that way too." The same voice says
Devon and Dorothy glances up as they heard the voice again and they noticed that the scarecrow was now pointing at the path to the left.
"Huh." Devon says
"That's funny. Wasn't he pointing the other way?" Dorothy says
"Yeah. I remember he was pointing down that way." Devon says pointing at the road to the right
Then, the scarecrow crosses his arms and points in both directions with his hands.
"Of course, people do go both ways." The same voice says
"How can people go both-?" Devon says
The Keyblade Wielder and Kansas girl look back up at the scarecrow and noticed the changed positions of his hands. It was that moment they realized. The scarecrow was the one talking. Widened eyes and open mouths appeared on their faces as Devon and Dorothy stared with surprised expressions. Dorothy was more surprised than Devon and they walked closer to the scarecrow, moving up to the white fence.
"Why! You did say something, didn't you?" Dorothy asks
The scarecrow shook his head no at first, then he nods his head yes. Devon and Dorothy were confused by the scarecrow's behavior.
"Are you doing that on purpose? Or can't you make up your mind?" Dorothy asks
"That's the trouble. I can't make up my mind. I haven't got a brain, only straw." Scarecrow says
Scarecrow lifts up the right-side of his hat, showing the straw that was underneath.
"Wait a second. How can you talk if you don't have a brain?" Devon asks
The straw man thought about it for a moment but shrugged his shoulders.
"I don't know, but some people without a brain do an awful lot of talking, don't they?" Scarecrow says
Devon and Dorothy shared confused glances with each other, then look back at Scarecrow.
"I suppose they do." Dorothy says
Wanting to get to know the Scarecrow more, the Keyblade Wielder and Kansas girl step over the broken fence infront of them, which had the beams angled downward to the right, and walk into the tall stalks, closer to the straw man as they look up at him.
"Well, we haven't really met come to think of it, have we?" Dorothy asks
"Why, no." Scarecrow says
"How do you do?" Dorothy greets with a courteous bow
"How do you do?" Scarecrow greets nodding his head
"Very well, thank you." Dorothy says nodding her head
"How about you?" Devon asks
"Oh, I'm not feeling at all well. It's very tedious being stuck up here all day long with a pole up your back." Scarecrow says pointing to the pole behind him with his right-thumb
"Oh, dear. That must be terribly uncomfortable. Can't you get down?" Dorothy says
"Down? No, you see, well, no, I..." Scarecrow stammers trying to reach behind the pole with his hands
"Here. We'll help you out." Devon says
Devon and Dorothy step up and examine the pole for a way to help release him from his post with the Keyblade Wielder on the left-side and the Kansas girl on the right.
"Oh, that's very kind of you. Very kind." Scarecrow says
"Don't mention it." Devon says
"Oh, dear. I don't see how we can-" Dorothy says
"Of course, I'm not bright about doing things, but if you just bend the nail down in the back, maybe I'll just slip off and-" Scarecrow says
"Oh, yes." Dorothy says
"Here it is! I got it!" Devon says
Devon finds the nail on the back of the pole and bends it down with his right-hand, causing Scarecrow to drop from his post.
"Whoa!" Scarecrow exclaims
The straw man falls and lands on his backside with some of his straw stuffing falling out from an open seam on the right-side of his body.
"Whoops! Ha ha! There goes some of me again." Scarecrow laughs
Rising up onto his knees, the Scarecrow proceeds to pick up his straw stuffing while Devon and Dorothy lower down to him.
"Again? You mean this happened before?" Devon asks
"Does it hurt you?" Dorothy asks in concern
"Oh, no. I just keep picking it up and putting it back in again." Scarecrow says picking up the bundle of straw and stuffing it back inside him, patting his body three times
The Scarecrow rises up onto his feet with Devon and Dorothy, happy to finally enjoy his newfound freedom.
"Ha ha ha! My! It's good to be free!" Scarecrow laughs
Scarecrow spins around to the right and clumsily trips over the broken fence, falling down onto the grass. Dorothy screamed and both she and Devon kneeled down to the Scarecrow, afraid he had hurt himself, but the straw man was perfectly fine as he rose back up and sat down, looking at Dorothy with excitement on his face.
"Did I scare you?" Scarecrow asks
"No, no, no. We-we thought you might've hurt yourself." Dorothy says
"But I didn't scare ya?" Scarecrow asks
"Why, no. Of course not." Dorothy says
A sad look forms on the Scarecrow's face as he slumps down on the grass, now feeling crestfallen.
"I didn't think so." Scarecrow says looking down
"Why would you want to scare us?" Devon asks
"Well... I'm a scarecrow. Isn't that what I'm supposed to do?" Scarecrow asks
"Uh... Not exactly. Not people anyway." Devon says
A crow flies down to the trio and perches itself onto the broken fence, close to the Scarecrow near his left-shoulder and cawing loudly while the straw man tried to scare it off.
"Boo! Scat! Boo!" Scarecrow says
The crow hops onto Scarecrow's shoulder, plucks a straw from his body with its beak, then flew away, giving off two more caws.
"You see? I can't even scare a crow. They come from miles around just to eat in my fields and laugh at my face." Scarecrow says
Scarecrow hangs his head low, feeling even more sad that he cannot fulfill his purpose and successfully scare the crows away.
"Oh, I'm a failure, because I haven't got a brain." Scarecrow says looking down
"Well, what would you do with a brain if you had one?" Dorothy asks
"Do? Why if I had a brain I could..." Scarecrow says
(If I Only Had a Brain - Starts)
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.
Scarecrow rolls sideways over to the right and onto the Yellow Brick Road, then slowly rises up as he continues singing.
Scarecrow:
I'd unravel every riddle for any individ'le, In trouble or in pain.
Scarecrow's legs start to wobble as he loses his balance. Eventually, he falls down, but Devon and Dorothy catch him and lift him back up as the Kansas girl sings next.
Dorothy:
With the thoughts you'd be thinkin'
You could be another Lincoln
If you only had a brain.
Scarecrow continues on with his song, singing his next bit.
Scarecrow:
Oh, I could tell you why the ocean's near the shore.
The straw man spins around to the left.
Scarecrow:
I could think of things I never thunk before. And then I'd sit...
He spins around again the same way and lowers himself down with his right-index finger to the side of sack head as though he were thinking to himself, but he slowly rises back up again as he continues to sing.
Scarecrow:
...and think some more.
I would not be just a nuffin'
My head all full of stuffin'
My heart all full of pain.
Then, the Scarecrow kicks his legs from side to side.
Scarecrow:
I would dance and be merry,
life would be a ding-a-derry,
If I only had a brain.
For the finale, the Scarecrow spins around to the right, jumps up and clumsily falls onto the Yellow Brick Road, landing on his rear and causing more of his straw stuffing to fall out.
(If I Only Had a Brain - Ends)
Devon and Dorothy pick up the straw stuffing and kneel down to Scarecrow, impressed by his song and dancing.
"Wonderful! Boy, if our scarecrows back in Kansas could do that, the crows would be scared to pieces!" Dorothy says stuffing the straw back into Scarecrow's body
"Heck, I'd bet any crow would be scared of a singing, dancing scarecrow." Devon says placing the bundle of straw in his hands back in Scarecrow's body
"They would?" Scarecrow asks
Dorothy nods her head yes.
"Where's Kansas?" Scarecrow asks
"It's where I live. And I wanna get back there so badly I'm going all the way to the Emerald City to get the Wizard of Oz to help me." Dorothy says
"And I'm traveling with Dorothy to help get her back home." Devon says
"You're going to see a Wizard?" Scarecrow asks
Devon and Dorothy both nod their heads yes.
"Mmm-hmm." Dorothy says
"That we are." Devon says
"Do you think if I went with you, this Wizard would give me some brains?" Scarecrow asks
"I can't say." Dorothy says
"Even if he didn't, you'd be no worse off than you are now, right?" Devon says
"Yeah. That's true." Scarecrow says
"But maybe you'd better not. We've got a witch mad at us and we wouldn't want you to get into trouble." Dorothy says
"A Wicked Witch. And boy, does she have it in for us. All because of the Ruby Slippers that Dorothy's wearing right now." Devon says
Devon, Dorothy, and the Scarecrow look down at the Ruby Slippers.
"Really?" Scarecrow says
"Well, that, and we accidentally killed her sister, who was also an evil witch." Devon says
Scarecrow put on a brave expression as he heard about the Wicked Witch from the Keyblade Wielder and Kansas girl.
"Witch? Huh! I'm not afraid of a witch! I'm not afraid of anything!" Scarecrow says
However, that bravery quickly went away as the Scarecrow looked away fearfully for a moment, then leaned closer to Devon and Dorothy, telling them the one thing he was afraid of.
"Except a lighted match." Scarecrow says
Scarecrow gestures his right-hand to the loose straw in his body and shakes it a bit. Of course, Devon and Dorothy knew that straw was indeed highly flammable, and they saw his point.
"We don't blame you for that one." Dorothy says
"It's not surprising, really." Devon says
"But I'd face a whole box full of them for a chance of getting some brains." Scarecrow says
Eager to get some brains, the Scarecrow rises up and stands on his knees, asking the Keyblade Wielder and Kansas girl if he could come along with them.
"Look. I won't be any trouble because I don't eat a thing. And I won't try to manage things because I can't think. Won't you take me with you?" Scarecrow asks
"Why, of course we will." Dorothy says
"The more the merrier, right?" Devon says
An extremely happy smile forms on the Scarecrow's face and he jumps up to his feet.
"Hooray! We're off to see a wizard!" Scarecrow exclaims excitingly
The straw man immediately lost his balance and was about to fall over again, but the Keyblade Wielder and Kansas girl catch him.
"We'll, you're not starting off very well." Dorothy says
"Oh, I'll try. Really I will." Scarecrow says
"To Oz?" Devon asks
"To Oz!" Dorothy and Scarecrow say in unison
(We're off to See the Wizard - Starts)
Dorothy and Scarecrow took each other by the arm and skipped around the crossroad as they started to sing.
Dorothy/Scarecrow:
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.
The trio soon started walking down along the path to the right, which led to the forest in the distance.
Dorothy/Scarecrow:
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.
(We're off to See the Wizard - Ends)
An hour later, Devon, Dorothy, Scarecrow, and Toto traveled along the Yellow Brick Road into the forest with the sounds of birds chirping all around them. Little did they know that the Wicked Witch of the West was lurking nearby, hiding behind a tree on their right as they came down the road, but she quietly slinks away. As they continued down the road, the trio noticed a few trees on their left, which had fresh, red apples growing on their branches.
"Oh! Apples! Oh, look!" Dorothy exclaims
"Yeah. They look nice and ripe, too. Let's grab some for the road." Devon says
Hungry for a snack, Dorothy approaches one of the trees and picks an apple from the branches above her head, but then the tree snatches the apple out from her grip and slaps her hand away.
"Ouch!" Dorothy exclaims
"What do you think you're doing?" The tree asks
"We've been walking a long way and I was hungry and..." Dorothy says
The Kansas girl stopped and blinked in surprise, realizing that she was talking to a tree, which was in fact alive and talking to her.
"Did you say something?" Dorothy asks
"She was hungry!" The tree says
Devon, Dorothy, and Scarecrow looked over at their left at another tree behind them as it spoke too.
"She was hungry!" Another tree says
"Well, how would you like to have someone come along and pick something off of you?!" The tree asks
"Oh, dear! I keep forgetting we're not in Kansas." Dorothy says
"Well, geez, excuse us for not knowing that some trees were alive in Oz." Devon says crossing his arms
As he gazed up at the tree, Scarecrow came up with an idea that would trick the trees into giving them apples. Subtly, he leans over to Devon on his right and whispers into his right-ear.
"Hey, Devon. I have an idea. Watch this." Scarecrow says
Devon glanced at Scarecrow for a moment, then watched as he looked up at the mean tree and speaks.
"Come along, guys. You don't want any of those apples. Hmph!" Scarecrow says gesturing his head back to the road
"Are you hinting my apples aren't what they ought to be?" The tree asks
The straw man slowly shook his head.
"Oh, no. It's just that we don't like little green worms." Scarecrow says
The tree held a shocked expression as his mouth opened wide, then he felt angered and insulted by Scarecrow's words.
"Oh, you!" The tree yells
The tree tried to grab Dorothy, which caused her to scream, but Devon quickly pulls her away while Scarecrow slaps the tree's hands away. The trio back away onto the Yellow Brick Road and Scarecrow leans closer to Devon and Dorothy on his left and puts his left-hand to his lips as he whispers to them.
"I'll show you how to get apples." Scarecrow whispers
Turning back to the mean trees, Scarecrow makes silly faces, putting his hands to the sides of his head and waving his fingers, teasing them since they couldn't now reach them. Angered even further, the trees began to grab their apples and throw them at the trio. The one that tried to grab Dorothy took his apple and threw it at the Scarecrow, hitting him right in the face and causing him to fall backwards. Devon, being a good catcher, caught every apple that was thrown at him.
"Thank you. Thank you. And thank you." Devon says
"Hooray! I guess that did it. Help yourselves." Scarecrow says
Scarecrow walks over to the left-side of the road to pick up the scattered apples on the ground while Devon and Dorothy went over to the other side to grab the ones that were there. Devon took the four apples that were in his hands and drops them into Dorothy's basket.
"Heh. With all these apples, you could make a good apple pie." Devon says
After putting the apples in the basket, Devon walks away to the right to grab more apples that were scattered nearby. Dorothy bends down and grabs two apples on the ground but stops and notices something just off to the side on her left. She saw what appeared to be a metal foot and leg, belonging to someone or something. Dorothy taps her knuckles twice on the metal foot, which made two clanging sounds, then moves up and taps the metal leg, which made a similar, deeper clanging sound. Rising up, Dorothy saw a man standing next to her, yet he was made entirely of silver, hollow tin. He was slightly rusted, but he was a tinsmith's masterpiece, nevertheless. His tin head and arms and legs were all jointed upon his tin torso, but he stood perfectly motionless, as if he could not stir at all. This was one of the most astonishing things that Dorothy had ever come across in all her life.
"Why, it's a man! A man made out of tin!" Dorothy says
Devon and Scarecrow came over to Dorothy and each of them examined the Tin Man with much intrigue.
"Looks like he's seen better days. He's all rusted." Devon says
Devon looks at the Tin Man and waves his right-hand infront of his face while Scarecrow bangs his left-hand against the metallic man's chest.
"Is he even alive?" Devon asks
As they looked over the Tin Man, they heard a mumbling sound coming from him.
"Mmm! Hrrrmmm!" Tin Man mumbles
"Did you say something?" Dorothy says
"Oi an." Tin Man mumbles
Devon, Dorothy, and Scarecrow looked at each other, confused as to what they heard.
"What did he say?" Devon asks
"He said 'oil can'." Dorothy says
"Oil can what?" Scarecrow asks
"Oil can?" Dorothy says
The trio looked around the area for an oil can until Devon found it sitting on a flat stump on his right.
"Here. This must be it." Devon says
Devon walks over and picks up the oil can, then returns to the Tin Man.
"Where do you want to be oiled first?" Dorothy asks
"M-M... My outh." Tin Man mumbles
"He said his mouth." Scarecrow says
Scarecrow takes the oil can from Devon and presses down on the pump, testing the oil can as the black liquid squirts out. He then lubricates the Tin Man's mouth, squirting the oil three times on the left-side of his mouth.
"I got the other side." Devon says
Devon takes the oil can and pumps oil twice on the other side of the Tin Man's mouth. The Tin Man's lower jaw starts to move from side to side, creating a squeaky, scraping noise. Soon, he was able to speak.
"M-M-M... My goodness! I can talk again! Oh! Oil my arms please. Oil my elbows." Tin Man says
Devon pumps oil on the Tin Man six times, lubricating his right-arm and elbow, then gives the oil can to Scarecrow, who pumps oil three times on the other side. While he does that, Devon and Dorothy grab the Tin Man's right-arm and push down, freeing the joints as he swings his silver axe down with a loud iron squeak.
"Oh! Did that hurt?" Dorothy asks
"No. That felt wonderful. I held that axe up for ages." Tin Man sighs with relief
"Goodness!" Dorothy says
"How did you end up like this anyway?" Devon asks
"Well, about a year ago, I was chopping that tree when suddenly it began to rain. And right in the middle of a chop, I-I rusted solid. And I've been that way ever since." Tin Man expains
The trio move the Tin Man's arms up and down as they free his joints up some more. Devon pulls off the leaves and vegetation that grew over the Tin Man's body, specifically on his left-arm and leg.
"Well, you're perfect now." Dorothy says
"My neck. My neck." Tin Man says
Scarecrow pumps the oil can six times on Tin Man's neck, lubricating him more.
"Perfect? Ah! Bang on my chest if you think I'm perfect. Go ahead. Bang on it." Tin Man says
Dorothy bangs the left-side of Tin Man's chest with her right-hand three times, and it creates an echo deep inside his body, which went on for about four seconds.
"Beautiful! What an echo!" Scarecrow says impressed
Tin Man shook his head.
"It's empty." Tin Man says
The metal man gestures head for the Keyblade Wielder, Kansas girl, and straw man to lean closer and they did as he told them the one thing he lacked in his body.
"The tinsmith forgot to give me a heart." Tin Man says
"No heart?" Devon, Dorothy, and Scarecrow ask in unison
"No heart. All hollow." Tin Man says
Tin Man bangs his chest with his left-hand, causing him to stumble backwards with six steps until the tree behind him stops him. Devon, Dorothy, and Scarecrow move to assist him, but the metallic man waves his hands as he started to sing.
(If I Only Had a Heart - Starts)
Tin Man:
When a man's an empty kettle,
he should be on his mettle,
and yet I'm torn apart.
Just because I'm presumin' that I could be kind-a-human,
If I only had heart.
I'd be tender, I'd be gentle and awful sentimental, regarding Love and Art.
I'd be friends with the sparrows, and the boys who shoots the arrows,
If I only had a heart.
The Tin Man slowly rises up and spreads his hands out infront of him in gesture as though he were picturing something.
Picture me, a balcony.
Above a voice sings low.
Adriana Caselotti:
Wherefore art thou, Romeo?
The sound of a beating heart fills the air, pounding twice, while the Tin Man looks up with a hopeful expression, placing his hands over his chest.
Tin Man:
I hear a beat...
How sweet.
Just to register emotion, jealousy, devotion,
And really feel the part.
I could stay young and chipper,
and I'd lock it with a zipper,
If I only had a heart.
Tin Man rises up and takes a few steps forward, moving towards the Yellow Brick Road. His joints rattled and clanked with every step he took. On the fourth step, his right-leg squeaks loudly, causing him to stop. Tin Man points to his rusted leg with both hands and Devon steps up with the oil can to lubricate the joints in his knee, pumping the black liquid eight times. The metallic man rotates his knee three times to free it up, then takes two steps forward, only for his other leg to seize up. This time, Scarecrow comes up with the oil can and lubricates his knee, pumping the can five times. The Tin Man smacks his knee with his left-hand, putting it back into place.
Tin Man takes two more steps forward and stops on the curb, turning around to face Devon, Dorothy, and Scarecrow, but then he loses his footing and stumbles backwards, going twelve paces out onto the road. The trio were about to rush out to his aid, but the metal man holds out his left-hand as he regains his stance. He then starts to dance, kicking his legs from side-to-side while the Keyblade Wielder, Kansas girl, and straw man watch. Tin Man stomps around a bit, then bangs his upper legs four times and his chest five times before he pumps his right-arm twice, causing his funnel hat to blow two whistles.
As they watched the Tin Man dance, Dorothy and Scarecrow both whispered something to each other, sharing interested expressions. While they did this, Devon watched the Tin Man with his arms crossed and a smile on his face. Watching the metallic man reminded him of someone else he knew: Draxon. Like Tin Man, Draxon was also a being who had no heart, a Nobody, yet somehow, he was able to feel emotions like laughter, sadness, even happiness.
The trio looked back at the Tin Man as he hopped and stretched his arms and legs out, only to close them together on his body. Then, he started to lean over to the right. Devon, Dorothy, and Scarecrow rushed over to Tin Man, fearing that he might fall over, but he balances himself out just as they reach him. Then, he leans over to the left and the trio move to the other side. In a sense of comedy, the Tin Man leans from side-to-side while Devon, Dorothy, and Scarecrow move back and forth to stop him from falling over. This went on about three times until eventually he straightens himself out with Dorothy and Devon, who had his arms crossed, standing on his right and Scarecrow on his left, who had his hands on his waist. Again, Tin Man starts to lean to the right, but Scarecrow pulls him back, causing the metallic man to stumble fourteen steps further down the road and the straw man to fall and roll backwards, but he bounces right back up. The song stops when Tin Man turns and falls backwards, landing on his backside on the curb as Devon and Dorothy catch up to him.
(If I Only Had a Heart - Ends)
"Oh! Oh, oh, oh, oh! Are you alright?" Dorothy asks
"I'm afraid I'm a little rusty yet." Tin Man says
"Oh, dear!" Dorothy says
Devon grabs the oil can from Dorothy's basket and pumps oil onto Tin Man's right-shoulder and arm, lubricating his joints some more before placing them back into the basket.
"That was wonderful! You know..." Dorothy says
The Kansas girl sits down next to the metallic man on his right, inviting him to join them on their journey.
"We were just wondering if you could come with us to the Emerald City to see the Wizard of Oz for a heart." Dorothy says
"Well, suppose the wizard wouldn't give me one when we got there." Tin Man says
"Oh, but he will. He must. We've come such a long way already." Dorothy says
Suddenly, the quartet heard an evil cackle in the air. Rising up from the curb and turning around, they saw that it belonged to the Wicked Witch of the West, who stood above them on the moss-covered roof of a nearby wooden cottage with her broomstick in her left-hand.
"You call that long? Why you've just begun!" The Wicked Witch says
"Have you been following us?" Devon asks in a demanding tone
"Why of course, my lovely. I'll always be lurking in your shadow until I get my hands on those Ruby Slippers. Helping the little lady and Keyblade Wielder along are you, my fine gentlemen? Well, stay away from them..." The Wicked Witch says
The evil witch points her right-index finger at Scarecrow.
"...or I'll stuff a mattress with you!" The Wicked Witch says
Scarecrow shook slightly with fear. Then, the witch points at Tin Man next.
"And you! I'll use you for a beehive." The Wicked Witch says
Devon grips his hands into fists and takes a step forward to speak out against the witch.
"Hey, you old hag! Leave Scarecrow and Tin Man out of this! It's me and Dorothy you want, not them!" Devon shouts
"All in good time, my lovely. Your time will come sooner than you think, and I will enjoy your suffering!" The Wicked Witch says
Shifting her gaze, the Wicked Witch looks back at Scarecrow.
"Here, Scarecrow. Wanna play ball?" The Wicked Witch says
Stretching her right-hand out, the witch conjures up a flaming fireball and throws it down at the group with an evil cackle. Scarecrow stumbles backwards away from the flames and flails his arms and legs in fear of his life while Devon grabs Dorothy and pulls her away while she screamed.
"Fire! I'm burning! I'm burning!" Scarecrow screams
Tin Man got down on his knees and took off his tin funnel hat, using it to put out the fire. While he did that, Devon gazed up at the Wicked Witch as she continued to cackle, narrowing his eyes and grunting under his breath as he gripped his hands into fists with an angry look on his face. He was just about ready to summon his Keyblade on the old hag. The Wicked Witch cackled some more, then disappeared from the roof with red smoke and the sound of thunder.
Devon took a step forward, watching as the remnants of the red smoke dissipated into the air. He had just about enough of the evil witch. Scarecrow and Tin Man rose up and stood next to him and Dorothy as they gazed up at the roof of the cottage.
"I'm not afraid of her. I'll see you and Devon get safely to the wizard now whether I get a brain or not. Stuff a mattress with me. Huh!" Scarecrow says
"I'll see you both reach the wizard whether I get a heart or not. Beehive! Bah! Let her try and make a beehive out of me!" Tin Man says
Tin Man tapped the left-side of his head with his left-index finger, creating a single clanking sound.
"Oh, you're the best friends anybody ever had. And it's funny, but besides Devon, I feel as if I've known you all the time. But I couldn't have, could I?" Dorothy says
"I don't see how. You weren't around when I was stuffed and sewn together, were you?" Scarecrow says
"And I was standing over there rusting for the longest time." Tin Man says pointing with his right-hand to where he was once rusted solid
"Still, I wish I could remember. But I guess it doesn't matter anyway." Dorothy says
"Yeah. We know each other now, don't we?" Devon asks smiling
"That's right." Scarecrow says smiling
"We do." Tin Man says smiling
The quartet laugh with each other a bit.
"To Oz?" Devon asks
"To Oz!" Dorothy, Scarecrow, and Tin Man say in unison
The Kansas girl, straw man, and metal man took each other's arm and they skipped together onto the Yellow Brick Road with Devon and Toto walking and following them as they started to sing.
(We're off to See the Wizard - Starts)
Dorothy/Scarecrow/Tin Man:
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.
(We're off to See the Wizard - Ends)
The quartet travel down the road and head further into the forest, continuing on with their journey toward the Emerald City.
Later on, Devon, Dorothy, Scarecrow, and Tin Man follow the Yellow Brick Road which eventually leads them into a dark, scary forest at night with only the moonlight to guide them. They soon stop for a moment and gaze around at the surrounding environment, listening to the ominous squawking sound of birds that filled the air.
"I don't like this forest. It's-it's dark and creepy." Dorothy says
"Of course, I don't know, but I think it'll get darker before it gets lighter." Scarecrow says
"Do... Do you suppose we'll meet any wild animals?" Dorothy asks
"We might." Tin Man says
Dorothy covered her mouth and gasped nervously.
"Animals that-that eat straw?" Scarecrow asks nervously gesturing to his straw body with his hands
"Uh, some, but mostly lions, tigers, and bears." Tin Man says
"Lions!" Dorothy exclaims
"Tigers?" Scarecrow asks
"And bears." Tin Man says
Dorothy turns and looks back at the Yellow Brick Road, staring out at the rest of the forest that stretched out before the group.
"Ah, lions, and tigers, and bears. Oh, my!" Dorothy says
Slowly, the quartet started to walk, fearful of the wild animals that might be lurking in the forest. Although Devon wasn't afraid, being the bravest of the group, he followed Dorothy, Scarecrow, and Tin Man.
"Lions, and tigers, and bears." Dorothy, Scarecrow, and Tin Man say in unison
"Oh, my!" Dorothy says
As they continued walking, their pacing started to get faster and faster as their nervousness increased.
"Lions, and tigers, and bears." Dorothy, Scarecrow, and Tin Man say in unison
"Oh, my!" Dorothy says
"Lions, and tigers, and bears." Dorothy, Scarecrow, and Tin Man say in unison
"Oh, my!" Dorothy says
"Lions, and tigers, and bears." Dorothy, Scarecrow, and Tin Man say in unison
"Oh, my!" Dorothy says
Suddenly, a group of Dream Eaters appeared on the road ahead of the group, forcing them to stop in their tracks. These were a pack of five Aura Lions.
Aura Lions were, as their name implied, leonine creatures that had a lean body and a long tail that ended in a segmented tip. They had three large, curved claws on each of their four paws, two flat spikes on the outward side of each leg, four short, sharp fangs in their mouths, a flat snout, tall ears pointed forward, triangular eyes, and a large, stiff mane, which surrounded their entire head and trailed down their upper backs. Their forelegs were decorated with spirals and ring shapes, while their hindquarters were spotted with large, solid circles.
The Aura Lion in the center of the pack lets out a loud roar, startling Dorothy, Scarecrow, and Tin Man.
"Oh! Lions!" Dorothy exclaims
Another group of Dream Eaters appeared alongside the Aura Lions. These were a pack of five Keeba Tigers.
Keeba Tigers were feline creatures based on the Smilodon Populator, a specific type of saber-toothed cat with long, large fangs. Like their namesake, they were also much like a tiger. Like the Aura Lions, they had a long tail with a segmented tip, flat spikes on the outward side of each leg, and their forelegs were decorated with the same spiral and ring shapes, and their hindquarters with the large, solid circles.
The Keeba Tiger in the center of the pack pounces low to the ground and utters a ferocious growl at the quartet.
"T-T-Tigers!" Scarecrow exclaims
Then, a group of four Kooma Pandas appeared behind the Aura Lions and Keeba Tigers.
"And bears!" Tin Man exclaims
"Oh, my!" Dorothy exclaims
Toto barks three times at the dark creatures, but Dorothy picks him up to keep him quiet.
"No! Dream Eaters!" Devon exclaims
One of the Keeba Tigers lets out a roar and leaps forward at the quartet with its paws stretched out and its claws extended. Quickly moving to the front of the group, Devon raises his right-hand up and summons his Keyblade: Soul Calibur in a brilliant flash of blue light before swinging it over to his side. He then leaps up into the air toward the Keeba Tiger and meets it head on, creating a blue spherical barrier of light around himself, which shields him from the Nightmare's claws as it smashes into him. Upon impact, the barrier shatters in a flash of light, sending its hexagonal panels flying in every direction and unleashes a series of light explosions, which obliterates the Keeba Tiger. Devon lands crouched down with his glowing crystal Keyblade behind his back and his left-hand to catch himself, then stood up straight, keeping his gaze on the group of Dream Eaters infront of him. The young teen twirls Soul Calibur around his hand infront of him and brings it over to his side as he got into battle stance, then he glances back over his right-shoulder at Dorothy, Scarecrow, and Tin Man.
"Scarecrow, Tin Man, keep Dorothy and Toto safe! Let me handle this!" Devon says
The straw and metal man nod their heads in acknowledgement.
"Be careful, Devon." Dorothy says with worry in her voice
Devon smiles and nods his head at Dorothy, then turns back to face the Nightmares while Scarecrow and Tin Man grab Dorothy by her arms and move away to the left-side of the Yellow Brick Road. The Spirits Ryu Dragon and Tyranto Rex appear alongside Devon, joining him in the fight against the Nightmares. Hiding in the bushes behind a tree, Dorothy, Scarecrow, and Tin Man watched Devon and his Dream Eater Spirits as they made their stand against the dark creatures.
"My. Devon certainly is brave, isn't he?" Tin Man says
"He sure is, but what is that weapon in his hand?" Scarecrow says
"Why, it's the Keyblade." Dorothy says
"A Keyblade? Dorothy, what's a Keyblade?" Scarecrow says confused with the name
"Well, from what Devon told me, it's a powerful magic sword of some kind that only he can use." Dorothy says
Soon, the battle began as the Nightmares made the first move, charging at the Keyblade Wielder and his Spirits, while they charged forward to meet them.
One of the Aura Lions leaps forward at Devon with its body enveloped in flames, but the young teen jumps back and counters with a right slash across its face. He then follows up with a downward slash, an uppercut slash, a reverse roundhouse slash, and four advancing left and right slashes. The Aura Lion fights back by rising up on its hind legs and swiping its claws left and right at Devon, but he hops back twice, dodging its paws, and counters by spinning Soul Calibur backhand and lunging forward with a powerful thrusting strike, piercing through the leonine creature. A Kooma Panda charges at Devon and tries to crush him with a belly flop, but he leaps backwards and dodges the rotund bear. The young teen dashes toward the Nightmare and strikes it with a downward and uppercut slash, which made the Kooma Panda roll backwards and land on its feet. Using Flowmotion, Devon closes in on the rotund bear, sliding forward along the Yellow Brick Road. The Kooma Panda tries to punch him with its right-paw, but misses as Devon slides underneath, dodging the punch. He spins around the bear's body three times before stopping at the front and striking it down with a wide right slash. Another Aura Lion and a Keeba Tiger charge at Devon as they attacked together, but he was ready for them. Just as they leaped toward him with their claws extended, the young teen spins around and surrounds himself in a vortex of white magnetic energy with a small red and blue sphere orbiting around him, which immobilizes the Aura Lion and Keeba Tiger in mid-air and reels them in closer to Devon. With the two Dream Eaters spinning around him, Devon finishes them off with a rapid right spinning slash, slicing them into oblivion.
The Ryu Dragon faces off against a Keeba Tiger, roaring at it while the sabertoothed creature roared back and swiped its right-claw a few feet from the dragon's face. Soon, the Keeba Tiger tackles into the Ryu Dragon and the two Dream Eaters rolled around until the Ryu Dragon was pinned down. The Spirit and Nightmare wrestled with one another for a while until the Ryu Dragon kicks the Keeba Tiger in the stomach with its hind legs, knocking it off its body and causing it to land on its left-side. Before the sabertoothed cat could get back up, the dragon Spirit flies up into the air, performs a somersault, and dives down on the dark creature with a headbutt, pummeling it into the ground. A Kooma Panda charges at the Ryu Dragon to tackle it with its whole body, but the Spirit leaps up and jumps off the bear's head with all four feet. The Kooma Panda falls forward and lands on its belly, bouncing up and down. The Ryu Dragon lands on the other side of the rotund bear, smacks its rear with its tail, then backflips above the Kooma Panda and dives down with a somersault, defeating the Nightmare.
The Tyranto Rex and an Aura Lion face each other off as they stood on opposite sides. The leonine creature let out a roar at the large dinosaur, but it roars back with an even louder one. With a ferocious growl, the Aura Lion charges at the Tyranto Rex with its body enveloped in a fiery red aura, leaps up, and smashes into the dinosaur's chest, causing it to stagger backwards in two steps. The Tyranto Rex grunts in pain from the blow it received, shook its head and body in recovery, then looks back at the Aura Lion with an angry growl. Letting out a mighty roar, the dinosaur Spirit charges at the leonine creature and lunges forward with its jaws to bite it. The Aura Lion leaps over to the left, dodging the jagged teeth, and counters with a swipe of its right-claw, leaving a small scratch on the Tyranto Rex' face. However, the attack hardly fazed the large dinosaur, and the Spirit knocks away the Nightmare with a swing of its large head, sending it flying through the air. A Keeba Tiger sprints toward the Tyranto Rex from the right and leaps up with its claws extended, latching onto its back. The dinosaur Spirit roars in pain, feeling the sharp claws digging into its body, and shook around to throw the dark creature off. A Kooma Panda tries to attack the Tyranto Rex from behind but ends up being swatted away to the left with a wide swoop of its large tail. Eventually, the dinosaur Spirit throws the sabertoothed cat over its right-side, grabs its tail with its teeth, and clamps down on the Keeba Tiger's body with tremendous pressure before tossing the Nightmare away.
Devon swings Soul Calibur left and right at one of the two remaining Aura Lions infront of him until it caught the crystal Keyblade in its fourth swing with its mouth. The young teen wrestled with the leonine creature in a Tug-O-War manner, pulling Soul Caliber to free it while the Nightmare pulled to yank his weapon out of his grip. Eventually, Devon manages to pull the crystal Keyblade out of the lion's jaws and strikes it with a wide right slash, knocking it back. Another Aura Lion and a Keeba Tiger rush toward Devon to attack him together, but he swings Soul Calibur upward and generates a blue-white crystalline lattice around himself, which knocks the two feline creatures back. The two Aura Lions and the Keeba Tiger rise up onto their feet while the Kooma Panda comes up behind them, preparing to attack the Keyblade Wielder all at once. But before they could get the chance, Devon rushes toward the Dream Eaters and slams Soul Calibur into the ground with a quick forward slash, creating a large pillar of blue light that erupts from underneath the dark creatures and delivering a final, devastating blow which finishes the fight.
With the Nightmares defeated, Devon de-summons his Keyblade and his Dream Eater Spirits disappear in flashes of light. The forest returned to its peaceful, quiet state and Dorothy, Scarecrow, and Tin Man come out from their hiding place and approach Devon as he turns to them, very impressed by his skills and the Keyblade's magic.
"Gosh, Devon! That was amazing!" Scarecrow says
"I'll say. You and your Keyblade were simply incredible!" Tin Man says
"Thanks, guys. Hopefully, that'll be the end of our troubles in this forest." Devon says
"Oh, I hope so." Dorothy says
Suddenly, a loud roar startles the group. They turn around and saw a Lion climb up on all fours on a log, appearing out of the darkness of the forest.
"Oh, no!" Scarecrow exclaims
The Lion bounds down the log and onto the road before them, roaring at the group. Devon backs away while Scarecrow and Tin Man both fall down at the right-side of the road and Dorothy hides behind the same tree that she had been hiding before, peeking around the left-side. The Lion growls, looking at each of them in turn, before he rises up on his hind legs and stands like a human, revealing that he was, in fact, an anthropomorphic lion. He puts up his paws like a boxer and challenges Devon, Scarecrow, and Tin Man to fight him.
"Put 'em up! Put 'em up!" Lion says
Devon stood his ground while Scarecrow and Tin Man both shook frightfully afraid.
"Which one of you first? I'll fight you all together if you want!" Lion says
To make things more interesting, the Lion puts his left-paw behind his back while keeping his right-paw up.
"I'll fight you with one paw tied behind my back!" Lion says
Then, he lifts up his left-leg, standing on just his right-foot.
"I'll fight you standing on one foot! I'll fight you with my eyes closed." Lion says
The Lion closes his eyes for a moment, then looks over at Tin Man, noticing the silver axe in his right-hand.
"Oh. Pulling an axe on me, eh?" Lion says leaning closer to the metal man in a threatening manner
Tin Man shook fearfully with his whole body rattling and clanking. Turning around, the Lion saw Scarecrow trying to sneak up behind him and leans over to him, causing the straw man to back away.
"Sneaking up on me, eh? Why..." Lion says
The Lion turns back to the Tin Man and growls at him some more.
"Here, here. Go away and let us alone." Tin Man says
"Oh, scared, huh? Afraid, huh? How long can you stay fresh in that can?" Lion taunts
The Lion laughs with five hearty chuckles, then continues to mercilessly bully Tin Man some more, leaning towards him with his right-paw curled into a fist.
"Come on, get up and fight, you shiverin' junk yard." Lion taunts
Turning around, the Lion leans towards Scarecrow and bullies him next.
"Put your hands up, you lopsided bag of hay!" Lion taunts
"Now, that's getting personal, Lion." Scarecrow says
Shakingly, the Tin Man nods his head in agreement.
"Yes. Get up and teach him a lesson." Tin Man says
"Wha-what's wrong with you teaching him?" Scarecrow asks
"We-we-well, I hardly know him." Tin Man says
The Keyblade Wielder looks over at Scarecrow and Tin Man, seeing how scared they were, and he was angered by the completely unnecessary bullying of the Lion. Clenching his hands into fists and having seen enough, Devon steps forward to face the Lion and defend his friends, drawing the beast's attention as he looks right at him.
"Alright! That's enough, Lion! You want to pick on someone? Then, pick someone your own size!" Devon says
Before Lion could say or do anything to Devon, Toto runs and stands on the side of the road, barking four times at the beast, causing him to look over at the small dog.
"Well, I'll get you anyway, Peewee." Lion says
Toto whimpers and runs back to Dorothy, who gasped, afraid for her dog.
"No!" Devon exclaims
The Lion runs after Toto, but Devon quickly runs past him and grabs the small dog, holding the terrier like a football in his left-arm as he went around behind the tree with Dorothy. They retreat back onto the road and the Lion pursuing them until Dorothy stands up to the beast and slaps him hard on the nose with her right-hand, causing him to flinch.
"Shame on you!" Dorothy shouts
And immediately, much to the group's surprise, the Lion's behavior quickly changes as he has a breakdown and begins to cry and sob.
"What did you do that for? I didn't bite him." Lion sobs
"No, but you tried to. It's bad enough picking on a straw man, but when you go around picking on poor, little dogs-" Dorothy says gesturing to Scarecrow and Toto
"Well, you didn't have to go and hit me, did ya? Is my nose bleedin'?" Lion sobs
"No, of course not." Dorothy says
The group watch the Lion as he continues to sob, holding his tail in his paws and using the tuft of his tail like a tissue to dry away his tears.
"My goodness, what a fuss you're making! Well, naturally when you go around picking on creatures weaker than you are..." Dorothy says
Devon hands Toto over to Dorothy and speaks next.
"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're nothing but a pitiful coward." Devon says
"You're right. I am a coward. I haven't any courage at all. I even scare myself. Look at the circles under my eyes. I haven't slept in weeks." Lion sobs
"Oh, why don't you try counting sheep?" Tin Man asks
"That doesn't do any good. I'm afraid of 'em." Lion sobs
Now that the Lion's true disposition was revealed, the group actually felt sorry for him as each of them shared sympathetic expressions.
"Wow... A Cowardly Lion afraid of sheep. Now, that's something unheard of." Devon says
"Oh, that's too bad." Scarecrow says
Scarecrow taps Devon and Dorothy's right-shoulder with his right-hand, offering a suggestion that everyone was probably already thinking.
"Don't you think the Wizard could help him, too?" Scarecrow asks
"I don't see why not." Dorothy says
The group looks back at the sad Lion and Dorothy places her right-hand on Lion's right-arm, inviting him to join them on their journey.
"Why don't you come with us? We're on our way to the Emerald City to see the Wizard to get him a heart." Dorothy says pointing back at Tin Man with her right-hand
"And him a brain." Tin Man says pointing over at Scarecrow on his left with his axe in his right-hand
"Yeah. Maybe he can give you some courage." Devon says
"Well, wouldn't feel degraded to be seen in the company of a cowardly lion? I would." Lion sobs
"Of course not." Dorothy says
"Hey, if it makes you feel any better, a friend of mine is just about scared of everything like you. So, you're not the only one." Devon says
"Well, gee, that's, that's awfully nice of you. My life has been simply unbearable." Lion says
Dorothy takes out a handkerchief from her basket and uses it to wipe away the tears on Lion's face.
"Oh, it's alright now. The Wizard will fix everything." Dorothy says
"It's, it's been in me so long, I just gotta tell you how I feel." Lion says
"Well, come on!" Dorothy says
Dorothy puts Toto down on the ground and the group starts walking down the Yellow Brick Road as Lion starts to sing.
(If I Only Had the Nerve - Starts)
Lion:
Yeh, it's sad, believe me, Missy.
When you're born to be a sissy.
Without the vim and verve.
Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion skip a beat to the song.
Lion:
But I could show my prowess.
Be a lion, not a mouse.
If I only had the nerve.
Again, the Kansas girl, straw man, metal man, and anthro lion skip on the road.
Lion:
I'm afraid there's no denying.
I'm just an awful dandy-lion.
A fate I don't deserve.
A third time, they skip once along the road.
Lion:
I'd be brave as a blizzard.
Tin Man:
I'd be gentle as a lizard.
Scarecrow:
I'd be clever as a gizzard.
Dorothy:
If the Wizard is a Wizard who will serve?
Scarecrow:
Then I'm sure to get a brain,
Tin Man:
A heart,
Dorothy:
A home,
Lion:
The nerve.
(If I Only Had a Brain - Ends)
Devon takes two steps infront of the group and turns around to face them.
"So, what do you say, guys? To Oz?" Devon asks spreading his hands out in gesture
"To Oz!" Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin man, and Lion say in unison
"Then, let's go!" Devon says
From left to right, Scarecrow, Tin Man, Dorothy, and Lion took hold of each other's arm and they started to sing together as they skipped along the road and continued moving through the forest.
(We're off to See the Wizard - Starts)
Dorothy/Scarecrow/Tin Man/Lion:
Oh, 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.
(We're off to See the Wizard - Ends)
Elsewhere, in the western part of Oz, in Winkie Country, a dark, sinister castle stood atop a tall, large mountain, looming high over a wide, open valley. This was the lair of the Wicked Witch of the West. Inside, the green-skinned hag observed the group through her magic crystal ball in her personal chamber as they traveled down the Yellow Brick Road. With the Witch was a purple monkey that had feathered wings, wearing an elaborate red cap and a matching vest. This was Nikko, leader of the Flying Monkeys.
"Aha!" The Wicked Witch says
The evil hag cackles as she spied on the group.
"So, you won't take warning, eh? All the worse for you, then! I will take care of you now instead of later." The Wicked Witch says
Stepping away for a moment, the Wicked Witch walks over to the side of the room where a small bowl, a cup, and a pestle sat and began working on creating a magic potion that would sabotage the group and slow them down so that she can retrieve the Ruby Slippers.
"When I gain those Ruby Slippers, my powers will be the greatest in Oz! And I will be more than a match for that cursed brat with the Keyblade!" The Wicked Witch says
Taking a spoon, the witch scoops up a spoonful of red powder, which was inside the small bowl, and mixes it into the cup. She then grabs the cup and pestle and returns to the crystal ball.
"Now, my beauties... something with poison in it, I think. With poison in it, but attractive to the eye, and soothing the smell!" The Wicked Witch says
The evil hag dips the pestle into the potion and waves it around the magic ball. Soon, an image appears inside the crystal ball: Big scarlet flowers which covered the grounds of a great meadow.
"Poppies... Poppies! Poppies will put them to sleep. Sleeeeep. Now they'll sleeeeep..." The Wicked Witch says
These Poppy flowers were a rare magical type of blossoms that grew in Oz, but were very dangerous. They were so dangerous that any living being or creature that breathes its sweet aroma for too long falls into a deep eternal slumber from which they can never wake.
And now, the Wicked Witch's deadly trap was set for the group. If our heroes, specifically Devon and Dorothy, were not careful, they will fall victim to the deadly spell of the Poppies and sleep forever and ever amongst the plants until death!
Author's Note: So, there you have it. Devon and Dorothy meet the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion, and they're on their way to meet the Wizard of Oz in Emerald City. To anonymous(guest), in regard to the Heartless, Unversed, and Dream Eater you have given me, the one that I find most appealing is your Gigan-Drake Unversed and your Ghosteye Dream Eater in its Treant form. I'll definitely make sure to find a place for them, though I may make a few tweaks to their designs, if its alright with you. Spoiler alert: I may need some Dream Eater Boss ideas specifically for Kingdom Hearts: Happily Ever After (Shrek) and possibly Kingdom Hearts: Ice Age (Still not clear on the name for that world yet...). You help with those and I'll note them down and determine whichever seems suitable for use. Anyways, I look forward to seeing more ideas, specifically more on Heartless, Nobodies, and Unversed since we're nearing close to the end of Paths of Destiny. Let me know what you guys think. No flames please. Hope you guys like and don't forget to review!