OK guys. Sorry it took so long! I was having a bit of writer's block. Hope this makes up for it. The next chapter is under construction, so it won't be so long of a wait.
The Scarecrow ran for his life down the dark path toward the rocky mountainside that separated them from the Emerald City's path, Toto yapping at his heels. The Lion ran on all fours behind him, snarling and growling to himself, more likely than not just to keep his courage up. As they finally reached the mountain, the Scarecrow stopped short. How were they going to get down the mountain without falling to their deaths or dropping Dorothy in the process?
The Lion all but crashed into the rocks in front of him as he figured out his companion had stopped. "What is it?" he asked, slightly confused. His brain had obviously not clicked at the situation. The Scarecrow threw him a sidelong glance. "Oh…" the Lion understood now. "This is a slight problem," he said, trying halfheartedly to put some humour into the situation.
The Scarecrow frowned at him. "This is no time for jokes, you overgrown pussycat," he snapped.
The Lion's face became solemn, and he closed his eyes in grief. "I miss her, too…" he moaned softly, obviously trying to keep back the tears that were dammed up.
The Scarecrow had never felt so angry or hurt. But he knew he couldn't mourn Dorothy now. They had to get her body and themselves somewhere safe first. He scaled the mountain, then knit his eyebrows in concentration. Suddenly a light bulb flickered in his mind, and he looked up. "Lion," he began. But the Lion already seemed to know his plan; he backed up about twenty steps, and took a running leap at the mountain, digging his claws into the rock, though not without painful difficulty. He winced and took a deep breath. "Well, come on!" he growled. The Scarecrow slung Dorothy's body over one shoulder, then jumped onto his friend piggyback style. With a determined roar, the Lion began to climb the mountain, slowly, but climbing, while Toto leapt from ledge to ledge like a miniature mountain goat.
The Scarecrow held tight to the cat, not daring to look down for fear that he would A) drop Dorothy, or B) fall and drop Dorothy. Either of those options would be highly counterproductive. The Lion climbed with a fiery passion, bent on getting the girl he and his friends loved to safety, even if she couldn't come back to them. He wavered for a moment at this, nearly losing his tedious grip on the rock. He shook his mighty mane and growled, determined to keep his sadness and grief inside until they reached the Wizard.
At long last, they reached the foot of the mountain, where Toto sat patiently. The Lion clutched the side of the drop-off while the Scarecrow clambered up from his back with Dorothy's body still on his shoulder. Then he pulled himself up powerfully, landing on all fours on the top of the mountain. They stood for a moment, scanning their surroundings and trying to calculate their route to the City of Emeralds. Finally, the straw man spotted the poppy field that they had crossed through the first time they had come this way; the field that led the way to security. He nudged the Lion, who had collapsed onto his knees to keep the weight off of his front paws. "That way," he said, pointing towards the field of bright red-orange flowers. The Lion nodded and rose to stand on his hind legs. Together, they began to run once more, tears now running down their faces as they neared their breaking points.