[Part 1]

Chapter 12: What it takes

-Emerald City-

*~ Theodora ~*

There was something about having captured Glinda that was simply exhilarating. Evanora had done her best, but in the end her protective nature had stopped her from doing what needed to be done.

Theodora once shared that sentiment, but she had been cleansed of such blind kindness. Even on the verge of death her sister had reached out, mind always on her, and opened her eyes. It had been an excellent investment. Where all else had failed, Theodora didn't.

She smiled at the thought as she descended into the dungeon, a flame burning in her palm to light their way.

"Stop this! We did nothing wrong!" echoed behind her in various forms from the two struggling prisoners, but she ignored it, in too good a mood to be disturbed by such a pitiful plea.

She felt almost giddy seeing justice prevail. Here of all the places in the Emerald City, it was the most obvious. Criminals contained in the cages they had made for themselves whilst those who worked to keep the peace, such as she and her sister, were able to bathe in the warmth of the sun.

Her sister had sheltered her against their darkness for so long, but now she could see their evil for herself and punish it as it deserved to be. She felt stronger for it. Bigger, even, though logically speaking she had not changed physically.

"Why would Lady Evanora do this to us?"

"You're no better than the Wicked Witch!"

She stopped and slowly turned on her heel to meet the gaze of the Munchkin that had shouted at her back. The flame in her hand churned and flared, but her attention was mainly on the man shrinking away from her eyes.

"Even when we show you mercy, you have the gall to call us wicked? My sister showed you kindness, put a roof over your head and took in your people when no one else was willing and you call us wicked for upholding the law?"

"But we didn't do anything!" Cried the little man's wife.

Theodora felt immense irritation seep into her veins at the pure impudence of these Munchkins. "Didn't do anything," she mocked, "No, you were only manufacturing weapons for the joy of the craft. Do I look naïve to you?" She snapped.

"Manufacturing weapons?"

"The ones found hidden in a cellar beneath your husband's shop," she explained, noting the Munchkin woman's confused and horrified expression, "Oh, he didn't tell you? He was gathering materials for weapons and having them smuggled around the city to be used against the guards."

She pulled a knife from her sleeve and held the tip of its blade to the woman's cheek. "This is one of the pieces discovered. Look familiar?"

"You said you were trading for the steel so you could donate it to the cause against the Wicked Witch."

"I was!"

She had never been fond of conflict, but now that she was part of the fight, Theodora has learned how to appreciate the art. Also she found that watching Munchkins argue was surprisingly entertaining.

"Why would you plan to use it against the guards then? Why risk everything Lady Evanora had given us?"

"Because she's the Wicked Witch!"

Theodora scoffed, turning around. She motioned for the guards to follow. "Baseless accusations made in an attempt to slander and deflect. My sister has many traits, but she doesn't have the ruthlessness required of a wicked witch."

*~ Evanora ~*

Evanora paced the length of her office, her right hand occasionally sparking with green energy. She muttered under her breath, running through strategies in her head.

She stopped when shouts echoed down the hall and startled when the door slammed open, the Captain falling through whilst wrestling another guard to the floor. Knuck joined them a moment after, a rope in hand that she could not even begin to imagine where he obtained, and began winding it around their quarry's hands.

The man struggled and continued to scuffle until a firm blow to the jaw sent his head bouncing back against the tiles and rendered him unconscious.

She stared open mouthed at the spectacle only to catch herself right after. She waved a hand to magically shut the door then hissed with the full bristling anger she felt at their audacity, "What are you doing?"

"He was following us," Knuck grunted as he moved down to tie his legs together, "We couldn't risk him reporting back to Theodora."

She watched as the Captain pulled the guard up by his underarms and the herald take hold of his feet, shuffling back and forth in indecision about where to place him. She pinched the bridge of her nose, mentally counting to ten.

"Uh-"

She silenced the Captain with a hand then flicked her wrist, forcing open the passageway behind the bookshelf. It groaned but obeyed, shifting out of the way. "Just seal him in one of the alcoves."

"We should take his armour. It could come in handy." Knuck suggested, swaying from the weight.

He clearly fancied himself of greater height than he was if he believed he could fit into the armour of a Winkie guard, but Evanora refrained from mentioning it, yielding in agreement of its use as a disguise. She made a point of ignoring the fact that it would leave the man in his underclothes and reconciled the brief spike of guilt with the fact that the agreeable weather would mean he wouldn't be too cold, even in the tunnels.

She left them to finish their task in favour of investigating her desk, noting it hadn't been touched since the last time she was in. She pulled open the drawers, intent on removing her potions and anything else of value. "What were you able to learn?"

"Lady Theodora was last seen as herself just hours before your sudden revival. We narrowed the timing of her change down to between her departure from the throne room the first evening of the Wizard's quest, and two marks later when she called for the healers." The Captain's muffled baritone vibrated out from the passage. "From what we gathered, she appears to have been hearing your voice and followed it to the royal wing, presumably your old rooms, but when I investigated I did not find anything out of the ordinary."

She would be surprised if there was anything that remained recognisable as hers in the rubble after all these years. Nevertheless if Theodora had been there, there should have been some sign of what had transpired. "Unless…" She halted her search, realisation dawning. "I must examine the site myself."

"Sorry, what?" There was a clatter accompanying Knuck's voice, though she couldn't be certain whether it was from dropped armour or something else.

"My lady, you've only been back there on one occasion after the fire. Are you certain?"

The idea of going back left her feeling ill, but if she were going to resolve this matter than it needed to be done. "Do you wish Emerald City to share in the fate of Winkie Country?"

There was silence, then: "You provided us the opportunity to rebuild."

Her eyes narrowed and she could feel the tension in her shoulders drawing her muscles taut. "Have you forgotten what it cost us?" Her words came out sharper than she anticipated, more bitter, more pained. It vexed her that she suddenly had so little control over her emotions. "We cannot risk another war. Not now."

Slowly, as though they were hesitant, the Captain and herald ducked out from the passage to stand before her, each holding an armful of armour. Knuck regained his wits first. "So? What are we going to do about it?"

Taking stock of the potions at her disposal, she reached out and plucked one from the many and brought it up to her face for examination. She twisted it around, the glass reflecting in the light of the sconces and making the liquid shimmer a shocking red. She hastily slid it into a pouch, accompanied by a jar of thin white crystalline sands, two individual items wrapped in cloth and finally a snow globe-like ornament containing a small idol.

"I shall search the third floor after supper, while you," she motioned to Kuck before returning to her sorting, "distract my sister. We will reconvene here at midnight. Take the passageways and for the love of Enilrul, stay out of sight."

*~Glinda~*

"Glinda, Glinda, Glinda. You really have no heart, do you?" Theodora tutted, the click of her heels echoing loudly in the underground dungeon. "First your father and the people, then my sister and now your followers. You hold care for no one." When her steps came to a stop, the shadows fell to the torch light, and Theodora's figure was illuminated on the other side of the cell bars.

"Just like our precious Wizard."

There was something different about her, something that had changed since Glinda had last set eyes on her fellow witch hours prior. She could discern nothing with a glance aside from Theodora's calm and it made her anxious.

Was Theodora planning something? Or worse, has their message been intercepted?

"I had breakfast with my sister this morning," Theodora's tone was light, airy, conversational, yet each word felt saccharine and acidic. "We went for the loveliest stroll after that, first in the gardens then out into the city. Only the first ring of course, she hasn't fully regained her strength and I suspect it will be some time still before she is able to perform the usual level of magical feats seeing how close she had been to the veil when I pulled her back."

A chill ran down her spine at the implications of Theodora's words, though she wasn't entirely certain why it plagued her so. Granted, she had suspicions, especially after the great influx the fire witch's abilities seem to have gone through.

"She is making a swift recovery though, much swifter than I had anticipated." A gleam came to her eyes, shining and dangerous and Glinda felt her heart sink at the sight of it. "Why, she might even be well enough to attend your trial."

"My trial? I wasn't aware there would be one so soon."

"Hm. Well not quite yet, I haven't yet decided on a date you see, but we must make it as soon as possible. I plan on inviting all of Emerald City. I'm campaigning for a cull after all."

She could feel the blood chilling in her veins. "A cull?" She choked, barely able to make sense of the words. Somewhere behind her, the Wizard shifted uneasily in his sleep.

Theodora grinned. "Of all the criminals in Emerald City." She leaned forward, her cheeks brushing against the bars. "And you my pretty one will have the honour of luring them." She brought her hands up to clench at the cage and pressed her face as close as it could go. Everywhere Theodora's skin touched metal, the bars melted away until there was a hole outlined to her figure.

Glinda rushed to her feet and backed away, but Theodora met her step for step until the younger witch was standing almost flush against her, trapping her between her and the wall to her back.

"I once admired you." Black nails scratched against her cheek then drifted into her curls, twisting and twirling if she were to go by the occasional brush she felt against her skin. "I thought you were the kindest person I had ever met." Theodora's other hand took hold of her chin, preventing her from turning her head away. "Instead, I came to learn that you were simply the best at hiding your darkness."

She gasped when Theodora pulled on her hair, forcing her head to bend.

"Glinda the Good," Theodora mocked with a wry smile. "My sister may not have what it takes to bring an end to your manipulations, but I do."

She cried out in pain and surprise, the side of her head suddenly feeling strange. The edges of her vision took on a darkening vignette until Theodora's grim expression faded from her sight.

This one was fun.

As always, read, favorite, review or run.

Until Next Time

Lyrical-Light