The four new friends set out on their journey toward the Emerald City. However they were unaware that the wicked witch Kyoka was spying on them through her large crystal ball, from her castle located in the west.
"So you won't take warning eh? All the worse for you then." She cackled at Juvia's friends. "I'll take care of you now instead of latter."
She then proceeded to concot a spell that she hoped would help her obtain what she wanted.
"When I gain those ruby slippers my power will be the greatest in Edolas and then no one, not even that pathetic wizard who made a fool of me years ago will be able to stop me."
She cast her evil spell causing the ground surrounding the emerald city to become carpeted in scarlet covered flowers called poppies. Though very lovely, they were also very dangerous. These flowers gave off an odor so powerful that anyone who breathes it falls asleep and if the sleeper is not carried away from the scent of the flowers then he or she sleeps on and on forever. Unfortunately Juvia and her friends did not know this so they approach the flowers with caution.
"There it is." Juvia pointed to the Emerald City. "We're almost there. Isn't it beautiful?"
"It sure is bright." Gazel said. "Is the whole thing made of emeralds?"
"It is called the Emerald City." Glen said.
"He really must be a wonderful wizard to live in a place like that." Juvia said.
"We better get going." Glen said.
They walked through the poppies to get there but during the walk Juiva felt her eyes grow heavy and she felt that she must sit down to rest and to sleep.
"Are you okay?" Glen asked when she noticed that she was slowing down.
"I'm tired. I have to rest for a minute."
"Now?"
"It'll only be a minute."
Her eyes closed in spite of herself and she forgot where she was and fell among the poppies, fast asleep. Frousch too had fallen asleep, right next to his mistress.
"Oh this is terrible." Gazel said getting misty eyed.
"Don't cry!" Glen told him. "You'll rust yourself again!"
"You know I wouldn't mind a nap myself either." Nack yawned as he felt himself becoming sleepy and started to lay down.
"Don't you start it too!" Glen said as he and Gazel tried to hold him up. Luckily the scarecrow and iron man weren't made of flesh so the poppies had no effect on them but they just couldn't leave their friends here to die.
"He's too heavy!" Glen grunted. "I don't think I can hold him up!"
"Use your muscles!" Gazel grunted as well.
"I don't have any! I'm made of straw!"
In the end they had no choice but to let Nack's body fall.
"Now what?" Glen asked.
"We gotta try to carry Juvia." Gazel said.
"I don't know if I can. I could try, help me."
They both tried to lift her up but not only did poppies put their victims to sleep but they made their bodies so heavy that it was nearly impssoble for anyone to move them.
"I can't budge her an inch!" Glen said.
"Who would have thought that such a small girl could be so heavy?" Gazel said.
"I don't think she is that heavy. I think this some kind of weird spell."
"It's the wicked witch! What do you we do?" Gazel started to panic. "Help! Help!"
"It's no use screaming at a time like this!" Glen said. "Who the heck would help us?! There's no one here! So no one can hear us!"
But someone did hear them. Kyoka wasn't the only witch spying on them, Erza was too. Realizing that Juvia and her friends were in need of help she used her powers to make it snow over the poppies. When the icy snowflakes fell onto the toxic flowers, their coldness killed them all which allowed Juvia, Back, and Frosch to wake up.
"What a relief. You're waking up." Glen said.
"My goodness it's snowing." Juvia said.
"Unusual weather we're having ain't it?" Nack said.
"Look! He's rusted again!" Juvia cried upon seeing that Gazel had become rusted stiff due the water in the snowflakes. "Oh give me the oil can quick!"
Glen handed Juvia her basket and she took the oil can that she kept in it out then proceeded to oil Gazel's iron body.
As for Kyoka she was not too pleased to see that her plan had been foiled.
"Curses! Curses! Somebody always helps that girl!" She seethed angrily. "Snow in warm weather like this, obviously the work of Erza! That meddler! Curse you Erza! Curse you and your pretty face! I'll see you dead yet! Someday!"
"Now what are you going to do?" Asked her winged henchman Jackal.
"I'll deal with that meddling Erza later! Right now I have to deal with that girl! Oh I never thought that I could hate anyone as much as I hate Erza! But she's just like that red-headed goody-goody in everyway! She's gorgeous, she's so cheerful about everything, and she stole what was rightfully mine! If she wasn't wearing those slippers I'd tear her apart with my bear hands!"
"Do you really think it's healthy to carry around this much anger? And I get how the girl stole the slippers but what did Erza steal from you?...Wait a minute, is this about what happened between you two and the wizard? You still haven't gotten over that?"
"Quiet! I'm scheming!" She snapped. "Shoes or no shoes I'm still great enough to conquer her. And woe to those who try to stop me!"
She grabbed her broomstick and headed for the window.
"To the Emerald City as fast as lighting!"
With that said she flew off on her magic broom.
...
"How are you feeling Gazel?" Juvia asked after oiling him.
"Much better." He said.
"Good. Now let's get out of here."
As they walked on, the green glow became brighter and brighter, and it seemed that at last they were nearing the end of their travels. Yet it was afternoon before they came to the great wall that surrounded the City. It was high and thick and of a bright green color.
In front of them, and at the end of the road of yellow brick, was a big gate, all studded with emeralds that glittered so in the sun that they were dazzled by their brilliancy.
There was a bell beside the gate and Juvia rang it. A window just above the gate was opened by a man wearing spectles.
"Who rang that bell?!" He asked.
"We did!" The four replied.
"Can't you read?" He asked.
"Read what?" Glen asked.
"The notice!"
"What notice?" Nack asked.
"It's on the door." But the doorman quickly realized that there was no notice to be seen. Before closing the window he hung out a small sign that read: Bell Out Of Order, Please Knock.
Juvia grabbed the knocker and knocked on the door. The man opened the window again.
"That's better." He said. "Now state your bussiness."
"Pardon us sir." Juvia said. "But we'd like to see the wizard of Edolas please."
"The wizard? But nobody can see the great wizard! Nobody's ever seen him! Even I've never seen him!"
"Then how do you know there is one?"
"Because he...Well...Oh you're wasting my time!"
"Oh please sir, please I have to see him. The good witch of the North sent me."
"Prove it."
"Well she told me that when I arrived here I should show you the kiss she gave me on my forehead."
The doorman looked at Juvia's forehead. Now to the average human there was nothing there but to someone who lived in Edolas, they had been especially trained to see special things like a kiss from a good witch and the doorman did indeed see the mark upon Juvia's forehead to signify that she had been given Erza's favor.
"Well why didn't you say so in the first place? Come right in."
"Really?"
"Yes but the giant lizard has to stay behind."
"I'm not a giant lizard, I'm a dragon." Nack said.
"Whatever you are, we can't allow large beasts in the Emerald City. He might attack someone."
"Oh don't worry sir he's perfectly harmless." Juvia said. "He doesn't even breathe fire."
"Is that a fact?" He asked Glen and Gazel who nodded. "Alright I suppose he's welcome too."
Taking a big golden key from a peg on the wall, he opened another gate and they all followed him through the portal into the streets of the Emerald City where they were met by a horse drawn carriage.
"Welcome visitors." The driver said. "Would you like a ride to your destination?"
"Oh yes please." Juvia said.
"Hop right in."
Glen helped Juvia up into the carriage then he, Nack, and Gazel hopped right on in.
"So you want to see the wizard huh? Well first allow me to take you all somewhere you can tidy up a bit."
"Oh thank you." Juvia said. "We've come such a long way and we feel so messy."
"Not to mention I gotta huge crick in my neck." Gazel said.
During the ride Juvia and her friends were dazzled by the brilliancy of the wonderful City. The streets were lined with beautiful houses all built of green marble and studded everywhere with sparkling emeralds. They walked over a pavement of the same green marble, and where the blocks were joined together were rows of emeralds, set closely, and glittering in the brightness of the sun. The window panes were of green glass even the sky above the city had a green tint and the rays of the sun were green. There were many people: men, women, and children walking about, dressed in green clothes.
"Lot of green around here." Nack observed.
"It's almost blinding." Gazel said.
"But it's pretty." Juvia said.
"Here we are." The driver said.
His carrige stopped in front of a building labeled: Wash and Brush Up. The four friends and kitty got out of the carriage and went inside to freshen up.