[Part 1]
Chapter 8: Temptation
-Dark forest (graveyard)-
*~Oscar~*
Confusion washed over him in waves, his comprehension compromised by his lack of knowledge. "I thought Evanora was the Good Witch?"
-Emerald City-
*~Theodora~*
She followed the sound of her sister's voice, pulled by her power.
"Theeodooraaaa..."
"I'm coming, Sister."
She turned into the royal wing and rushed through the hall, searching, sensing. Her sister is close, she must be. A click startled her, making her jump. The door to her left creaked open, magic thick in the air.
-Dark forest (graveyard)-
*~Oscar~*
Annie smiled, indulgent, patient. "There are many good witches, just as there can be many wicked ones." Her optimism seemed to falter, her gaze growing distant. "Once, Evanora was kind and her words sincere, but that is not who she is now. Or perhaps she simply revealed her true heart, her care a mask for her cruelty."
Oz picked up on her hesitation, the uncertainty in her eyes. "You don't believe it though."
Her smile was pained. It looked like when Annie was saying goodbye. "I like to think we were sisters, but... One day I found my father dead and Evanora leading an investigation. I wanted to help – I wanted to know what had happened – but she refused. The next day her guards came to arrest me. They claimed to have found evidence that I had poisoned my father, but it was her."
-Emerald City-
*~Theodora~*
"Theodora..."
She hurried inside, near frantic in her search. "Sister! Sister, where are you?"
"Come to me..."
-Dark forest (graveyard)-
*~Oscar~*
"Then..." Oz looked down at China Girl, the doll's head hung and her voice shaky. "She's the one that destroyed my village?"
"I'm so sorry, child." Annie knelt down, attempting to comfort, but China Girl pulled away and Annie slowly retracted her outstretched hand, appearing unused to her kindness being unwanted.
Oz chose to remain silent, when China Girl turned to him instead, hands clutching onto his trousers.
"Here's your wand." Finley said softly, presenting the silver stick to Annie. "Sorry I mooed."
"It's alright." She smiled gently.
He wanted to believe her, wanted to trust that Annie would never lie. But this wasn't Annie. "Sorry, but something doesn't add up."
-Emerald City-
*~Theodora~*
She glided through the remains of the bedchamber, stepping over planks and swivelling around burnt furniture. "Sister!"
"Come, Theodora..."
Finally a light caught her eyes.
She made a dash across the room, tearing at the curtains draped around the canopy bed. They came down on her first attempt, falling apart after years of being untouched.
"Come to me..."
The last barrier came down and suddenly green light flooded the room, a small sphere hovering in the air. From it, her sister's voice emanated.
"Help me, Theodora. Join me."
"Evanora..." She reached out, her fingers brushing against the light.
-Dark forest (graveyard)-
*~Oscar~*
Oz recalled his conversation with Evanora in the treasure vault. Clever, he cannot deny, but her fear had been genuine. He's certain of that much. "How do you know it was Evanora?"
Not-Annie inclined her head, her eyes searching his. "I followed her after she turned me away from the investigation. She was acting strange. After a while I saw her use her magic to open a secret passage. The light around her looked different, almost sickly. For as long as I could remember, her magic had always been soothing, but in that moment, I felt terrified."
-Emerald City-
*~Theodora~*
Magic flooded her senses, the sphere exploding outward in a cold, violent blast. Despite that, she could still feel the chill of her sister's presence and hear the whisper of her name. When the light cleared, Theodora stood alone amidst the chars, an emerald green apple glowing in her palm. It was missing a single bite, apparently recently taken judging by the fresh flesh and the apple juice running down her fingers.
She held it up in the air, examining its surface, fingers tracing the rim. She could hear its whispers, its promises and she could feel its intent.
One bite is all it takes.
One bite and her world will change forever.
One bite and her heart will become impenetrable.
One bite and she'll have the power to save her sister.
Theodora turns the apple around, the side with smooth, unblemished skin shimmering in the darkness.
One bite.
She brings it to her lips.
-Dark forest (graveyard)-
*~Oscar~*
"You can feel magic?" He knew the instant he said it that he shouldn't have.
Not-Annie looked at him in confusion. "Can't you?"
-Emerald City-
*~Theodora~*
The apple fell from her hand as she swallowed, hands reaching for her collar.
Theodora felt as though a dagger had pierced her chest, pain blooming and bursting from her heart.
Her eyes widened in realization of what she had done, her sister's laughter echoing in her ears. "You're not... Who are you? What did you do to my sister?" She cried, gripping at her head with one hand and tearing at her bodice with the other.
-Dark forest (graveyard)-
*~Oscar~*
"I-it's a rare talent in Kansas." He covers, trying to ignore Finley's snort, but miss witch decides to stare at him in the same way Annie does, did, when he said something to upset her.
He smiled anxiously under her gaze until finally she motioned them through the gate. "Come with me."
"Wait... It can't have been Evanora." Finley's wings flap to keep him in the air, his suspicious expression keeping miss witch from continuing on her way.
"Can't have been Evanora – what?"
Finley's eyes turned onto him, sharp, pointed. "You were with her the whole night, weren't you?"
Not-Annie probably couldn't look more surprised if she tried.
Rushing to explain – especially as Finley had chosen his words rather poorly – Oz wondered how much trouble he had just landed himself in. "That's not- she was giving me a tour of the palace."
"And then she was cursed!" Finley interrupted, animatedly reminding Oz about the most important detail. "She still hasn't woken up!"
"But my village..."
"I don't understand. Evanora was cursed?"
"That's why we came looking for you." Finley began explaining before Oz could stop him. "Theodora thinks the Wicked Witch cursed her, but if it wasn't you..."
Not-Annie's brow furrowed, confusion clear in her eyes. "That doesn't make any sense." Then softer, "Could I have been wrong?"
Suddenly a stampede alerted them to a several Emerald City guards marching onward to the cemetery, weapons drawn and shrieks filling the air.
"Into the cemetery!"
Oz didn't need to be told twice, he simply ran for his life.
"Any ideas?"
"What of your magic?"
"We'd be better off running!"
"He's right!" Finley said, wide eyed. "His magic's useless!"
"I heard that! Wait, what are you doing?" Not-Annie had come to a stop, her wand glowing and hands hovering, a fog slowly building up around them. "Is that going to stop them?"
"I don't know!"
After a minor mishap with China Girl nearly breaking, Finley flying into a tree and Oz tripping over his feet, they finally made it out of the cemetery, only to reach a cliff that he nearly nose-dived right off of.
"They're getting closer!"
"What do we do?"
"What do we do? Just do what I do," Not-Annie paused, looking back at him, "Unless you've got something?"
Unless he suddenly learned to cast magic spells he doubted he would be of any use. "No, you go."
And of course, that's when she jumped off the cliff.
Finley came up next to him, wings flapping in preparation.
"Where are you going?"
"She said to do what she did."
"So just because she jumped off a cliff, you're going to jump off a cliff?"
"I have wings." Finley deadpanned, rolling his shoulders before diving down.
"What about me!" Looking behind him at the approaching army and down the cliff where there were only clouds to be found, he made a split-second decision and decided to take a leap of faith.
Not without covering his eyes first of course. What fun would that be?
I know this one is a bit short and I am sorry about that, but my schedule had been interrupted and I have a deadline to keep.
Until the next cliff, I mean hanger, I mean...
– L.L. off and out!