Author Notes - The poppy scene was actually quite different in the books. The flowers are like that to begin with, and the Witch has no involvement in their ability to put people to sleep at all. It doesn't involve Tin Man and Scarecrow yelling for help only for a random (as far as they're aware) snowstorm to happen, but instead Tin Man saving the Queen of the Field Mice from a wildcat by, uh, chopping the cat's head off. Yes, really.

CHAPTER SIX - BEWITCHING THE POPPIES

How would you imagine a witch's castle to look like? Big, spooky, and full of torches and old red tapestries, surrounded by a dirty moat, right? That's just what the Mean Witch of the West's castle looked like, but plus about a few hundred soldiers. The vast majority of these soldiers, marching down the walls, the halls, and in front of the drawbridge while dressed in armour and armed with spears, were made up of lobsters and crabs and snails. You know, the usual for group shots in Bubble Guppies. There was one exception, but we'll get to that.

That Mean Witch of the West stood inside her special room in her spooky old castle, staring at a crystal ball in the middle of her table. She found herself growling as she looked deep into it. Through it, she could see that blasted Molly, wearing the Ruby Gloves that were rightfully hers. Since they last met, that little girl had added a coward of a lion to her little 'team', and it just made the Witch grit her teeth.

'What do that little girl and her puppy think they're doing?' She asked no one in particular. 'Does she really think she's going to make it to the Emerald Sydney?'

'They're doing a pretty good job of it.'

The Witch snapped her attention away from the glass ball and towards the source of that snarky voice instead. There was only one other person in the room with her at the moment – the only soldier of hers who was a completely different species to all the others. She had the same equipment as everyone else, including a spear that she held directly upwards, but there was one little difference. The big black fluffy hats that the others wore was fitted more to her hairstyle, allowing the shape of her bun to be visible.

'When did I say you could talk?' The Witch asked her.

The guard rolled her eyes. 'You never said I couldn't.'

'Now listen here! If you keep talking to me like this, I'm giving you drawbridge duty.'

The guard proceeded to shut up, but not really because she cared about getting drawbridge duty. She simply didn't want to deal with this stupidity.

'GAH!' The Witch exclaimed, slamming her hands on the table. 'They're almost at the poppy field! How are they moving so fast?'

'Are you going to do anything about it?' The guard asked.

The Witch tapped her fingers together and cackled. She refused to admit that said guard was the one who gave her this next brilliant idea. From her crystal ball, she could see the field of lovely poppies that surrounded the Emerald Sydney. She never really understood why they planted those flowers in the first place, or how they even grew over the yellow brick road, but she didn't care all that much. Especially when they were perfect for her plan.

'I'll put a curse on those flowers!' She declared with a laugh. 'When Molly and that lion get a whiff of the enchanted pollen, they'll fall over dead! Okay, well, fall over asleep. Still, they won't be able to wake up and then I'll be fine to take those gloves all to myself!'

She cackled so loudly that her laughter could be heard all throughout the west side of Bubbledom, where fortunately very few people aside from her enslaved soldiers actually lived. Hey, would you want to live next to a Mean Witch?

'Good plan, Witch.' The guard said with little enthusiasm. 'How about you actually, you know, do it?'

'I WAS GETTING TO THAT!'


The quintet was no match for that spooky forest, which frankly looked a lot scarier than it actually was. That didn't stop Gil from overreacting and screaming at the slightest provocation though.

'WHO TOUCHED ME?!'

'Sorry, that was me.'

'Oh, sorry Nonny!'

In spite of all that, they reached the edge of that spooky old forest in no time. Molly couldn't believe just how far she had come, and certainly not that it had all happened over the span of a single day. The shadows created by the canopy faded away, and she had to cover her eyes for a moment as she stepped into the sunlight again. When the woods ended, the lovely field of rainbow poppies began.

'Yip yip!'

'What is it, Bubble Puppy?' Molly asked.

'LOOK!' Deema cried, pointing out into the distance. 'It's the Emerald Sydney!'

Molly gasped as her eyes fell upon the grand green city. Somehow, it looked exactly how she expected but so much grander. It looked just like Sydney – Harbour Bridge, Opera House, and all – but coated in a gorgeous shiny green. She wasn't certain if the place really was made of emeralds, but it certainly looked like it. It was so shiny that it almost made her eyes hurt.

She turned to Gil. 'You mean to tell me that you've been this close to the Emerald Sydney this whole time, but you never thought to come here yourself?'

The cowardly lionfish blushed. 'W-Well, I-I did think about it a lot. I-I just never had the courage to, you know, actually talk to the Wizard.'

'Well, you'll have your courage soon enough. Let's go!'

Deema had already run far ahead of everyone else, and now that she had finally gotten her tail mostly under control she didn't even fall over that much anymore. Nonny tried to keep up, but his stiff tin body struggled to go nearly as fast as hers did. Gil was so excited to get his courage that he ran on all 'fours' and charged into the field, and Bubble Puppy ran right after him. Molly had to run at her fastest speed to have even a chance of catching up, and soon she and the others passed the poor Tin Guppy.

'Wait for me!' Nonny called, to no avail.

By the time Nonny reached the one-quarter point, Deema was already near the end. She stopped right before she reached the other end of the yellow brick road, because leaving her friends behind would just be kinda rude.

'Hurry up, guys! I don't wanna get my brain before you guys get to have anything you want!' She cried, before she suddenly - and strangely - sneezed from the pollen. 'Woah! Didn't know I could do that...'

'We're coming!' Molly yelled.

As she made her way across the field of lovely poppies, she had to saviour their scent. The aroma was unlike anything she had ever smelled before, and most of the flowers in Bubbledom paled in comparison. In fact, she loved that aroma so much that she had to slow down to properly appreciate it. She slowed down enough for Nonny to easily catch up.

'Come on Molly!' Deema yelled. 'Don't slow down now. We're SOOO close to the Emerald Sydney!'

The more Molly breathed in that nice aroma, she found herself slowing down more and more. Soon, it wasn't to appreciate the smell anymore. Her eyes grew heavier and heavier the more pollen she inhaled, and she unleashed a rather hearty pollen-induced sneeze.

Nonny gasped. 'Are you okay, Molly? You're not getting sick, are you?'

'I feel just fine...' She said with a yawn. 'I just need a moment…'

Bubble Puppy yawned too, and lay down in the nice soft grass. It felt just like his bed at home, and it lured him off to sleep. Gil, too, began to slow down. Deema ran past him and rushed over to Molly's side.

'You sure you're okay, Molly?' She asked. 'You were just fine a minute ago.'

Molly struggled to keep her eyes open as her shoulders slumped. 'Yeah… yeah, I'm okay. I just need a little… a little…'

She collapsed to the ground in moments. Gil gasped, and tried to run back to her. Unfortunately, that gasp made him inhale a lot of that pollen, and he suddenly found himself struggling to drag his own body along the ground.

'I'm coming…' He yawned. 'Coming… Molly…'

He just barely made it before he sneezed so hard that he fell into the flower bed, falling unconscious so quickly it seemed like someone shot him with a tranquilizer dart.

Deema gasped. 'Oh my gosh!'

Nonny held into his axe with both hands and held it close, like it was a security blanket. 'A-Are they okay?'

'I… think? I think they're still breathing and I'm pretty sure that means they're still alive. Whatever's affecting them ain't affecting us, and I guess that's because I'm made of straw and you're made of tin while these guys are made of flesh... or something?'

Deema turned back to the Emerald Sydney. It was so close, like a carrot on a stick being dangled in front of a pig, and yet most of their team was now lying on the ground asleep.

'If they sleep like this forever,' She said. 'They're never gonna make it to the Emerald Sydney! Or anywhere for that matter.'

'Oh no…' Nonny murmured. 'We were so close.'

He held his axe closer to his chest, but it didn't help. Tears began to flow from his eyes, trickling down his metallic cheeks like water over rocks. Of course, they left a thick trail of rust on his face as they travelled down.

'Don't start crying on me now, Tin Guppy!' Deema yelled. 'You'll just make yourself all rusty!'

The Tin Guppy sobbed. 'I-I can't help it, Deema. I just really wanted to see Molly get to go home. She'll never be able to go home now…'

Despite what Deema had just yelled at him, he cried some more. This just resulted in the rusty lines going down his eyes to get bigger and even rustier. With no other possible plan in sight, Nonny did the one thing (beyond rusting himself with his own tears) that he could do.

'HELP!' He tearfully yelled out. 'SOMEBODY HELP!'

Deema rolled her eyes. 'Help? Who's gonna help us? That poppy over there?!'

'I don't know! But what else can we do? HELP!'

Well, Deema could certainly agree with the sobbing boy on one thing – what else could they do? She cursed her lack of a brain as she went with the only idea she had.

'HELP!'

'PLEASE, SOMEONE, HELP!'

Their voices met no recipient… as far as they were aware, at least. Still, they cried out for help in the hopes that someone listened to them, while Nonny cried even harder.

'HELP!' Deema groaned. 'This is so pointless… HELP!'

But their voices did have a recipient, just not one they could see. Oona, the Good Witch of the North, had heard their cries for help. See, it was one of her powers, to hear whenever someone was crying for help. Unfortunately, she could only help some of the people she heard, meaning she often held cries for help that she couldn't deliver. This, luckily, was an exception.

Where was she? It doesn't matter. Thanks to a lack of a Good Witch of South - she's exclusive to the books - the poor thing had to deal with the entire land herself. So, she was almost omnipresent. Why else do you think she transports in a bubble? It was the only way for her to be physically present.

'I hear your cries for help.' She said like a voice on the wind. 'I see that your friends are in trouble, stuck in an enchanted sleep.'

Deema flinched. Well, that was definitely the voice of the Good Witch of the North, for no one else had a voice so cute. Nonny was too caught up in his own problems to respond to the voice, though he did indeed hear it too. In fact, their sleeping friends heard it too, in their dreams of sorts. I know, it's kinda weird, but I like overexplaining things.

'Well that's just great.' Deema said. 'Are ya gonna help?!'

'Don't fret, my clever little scarecrow. It was that Mean Witch of the West who lay a foul curse on these poppies, making your friends fall asleep after inhaling it. I will help you the best I can, but this is all I can do for you for now…'

Then, seemingly, a miracle happened. Despite there being very few clouds in the skies, and the ones that were there being as white as can be, snow begin to fall. It wasn't anything heavy, but something nice and soft. It didn't even melt once it hit the ground, but still left Deema's fabric rather damp.

'Look, Nonny!' She cried. 'It's snowing! I bet that Good Witch sent us a magical snowstorm that'll maybe do something, hopefully!'

Nonny would've loved to celebrate alongside her, or even simply smile at a sign of help. Except, of course, even enchanted melt-proof snow was still made of water. Once those white flakes touched his body, they immediately turned him to rust. Deema didn't notice him getting so stiff that he fell over into the flowers, cos she was too busy getting excited over Molly slowly opening her eyes.

Perhaps the snow was magical, or perhaps she woke up because it was the equivalent of having freezing cold water drip onto your face. She lifted her tired head off the ground as the enchanted snow overwrote the effects of the enchanted pollen. Ice is super-effective against Grass, after all.

'W… What?' She murmured, before her eyes shot wide open. 'Oh my!'

She had no time to react to anything that just happened, as Deema immediately grabbed her by the shoulders and hoisted her up into a hug.

'YOU'RE ALIVE!' She yelled. 'Well, I never thought you were dead, but still. YOU'RE ALIVE!'

Molly shook her head in an attempt to get herself back into reality, and it just barely worked. The good thing was that Deema's grasp wasn't particularly strong – being a scarecrow and all – so she could easily break free and stand on her own.

'What happened?' She asked.

'Something about that Mean Witch of the West cursing these flowers to put you to sleep before Oona used her magic to save you guys. Isn't that Good Witch so nice?'

Bubble Puppy and the cowardly lionfish got up soon after her. The little doggy rushed back to Molly's side the moment he had woken up completely, and Gil sheepishly rubbed his tired eyes.

'What was that?' He asked, still a little sleepy.

'Something about the witch.' Molly answered.

Gil jolted onto 'all-fours' with a yelp. 'The Witch?! WHERE?'

His blue eyes darted around the place, until he realised that the witch was nowhere to be seen. His blush was visible through his pale fur, and he awkwardly stood up on his tail again. Upon seeing Molly unharmed, he too wanted to show his affection. Of course, being a lion, he didn't show it by hugging. Instead, he rubbed his face up against her chest while making purring sounds. Molly had never found something so cute and yet so uncomfortable.

'Get over here, Nonny!' Deema said. 'I know you don't have a heart, but the least you could do is join in on the hug. Nonny?'

Only then did she and the others see Nonny lying on his side on the ground, emitting frustrated mumbling noises. Molly immediately pulled out the can of oil (don't ask me where she was keeping it) and got to oiling him up again.

'OOOH, right!' Deema said. 'Snow is made of water, isn't it?'

As Molly oiled up Nonny's every joint – except for the hand holding the axe, as per his request - she noticed something a little odd. There were notable lines of rust coming from his eyes, that couldn't be explained by just the snow.

'Nonny, were you crying?'

Once she oiled up his neck, he nodded. 'I just want you to be able to go home again.'

She smiled. 'Thanks, Nonny.'

Perhaps to make up for trying to attack him earlier, Gil helped the Tin Guppy up once all of his joints were fully oiled and moveable again. That time being all rusted over seemed so short compared to the years of wait he had to go through before Molly arrived.

'Sorry, Tin Guppy.' Oona's voice apologised from the wind. 'The only way I could reverse the Mean Witch's spell was by creating enchanted snow. I do apologise for making you all rusty again.'

Nonny smiled. 'That's okay. It helped out Molly, Gil, and the puppy, so I'm okay with it.'

It was then that Molly realised just how close she was to the Emerald Sydney. Deema couldn't help squealing like a Stylee fangirl when her painted eyes bore witness to the sparkling city.

'Well, what are we doing just chilling here?' She asked. 'We're all awake and de-rusted, so let's get going!'

Gil put his paw up like a school student. 'I-I can think of a couple good reasons…'

No one listened to that cowardly lionfish, as everyone else was already charging towards the city without him. He watched them swim away as he nervously tapped his fingers together. At this rate, even the Tin Guppy would beat him there.

'Wait for me, guys! I-I don't wanna be alone when there's a witch on the hunt!'

Meanwhile, all the way off far west…

'BLAST THAT STUPID GOOD WITCH!'

Author Notes - I wasn't being especially subtle over who that 'guard' was, was I?

On a random note, there actually IS a Good Witch of the South in the books. Her name is Glinda. Oh, what's that? That's what the Witch of the North is named? Yeah, the '39 movie made it kinda confusing. They combined the two witches into just the North, and kept the South's name because North didn't have an official name yet. Nowadays, the Witch of the North is either named 'Locasta' or the much more unfortunate 'Tattypoo'.