Author's Note: Not mine, not making any money. Would you look at that—it worked again. It must be official…reviews equal updates. This is kind of an angsty chapter, but it's going to get a bit happier after this—for a while at least ; ). Thanks so much everyone who read for the kind words!

Aftermath –

Chapter 5

Cain's POV

When DG collapsed into my arms, I thought my heart would stop.

And her parents, well, they didn't look much better.

"Glinda save her, she's going to kill herself!" Queen Lavender was ringing her hands. "And her poor face—"

Cradling DG high on my chest, I interrupted the queen. "We need to find Raw. He can help her."

Ahamo was shaking his head. "She used her light to protect Azkadellia from the nightmares. Even the most skilled viewer won't be able to help with that. After last night—"

My eyes flew to the Royal Consort's face. "Last night? What are you talking about?"

Queen Lavender replied before her husband could. "She did the same thing last night, Mr. Cain. Her father and I didn't realize until this morning. It would have weakened her considerably. We were both surprised she was doing so well this morning. I tried to warn her, but she wouldn't listen. To try to do that again so quickly—oh my angel." The Queen's voice broke on a sob.

I clenched my jaw, fighting back a wave of anger. I wasn't sure exactly who I was furious with, her parents for not doing—something, DG for being her usual reckless self, or myself for not knowing there was a problem. One thing I knew for sure, though, the Queen getting hysterical was the last thing DG needed. Even though she was unconscious, I turned her protectively away from the waves of anguish radiating off of her mother.

My mind was running fast through what I knew, and faster through what I didn't. This had happened last night? Why hadn't she told me? I thought about the way she'd looked coming down those stairs. She'd been dead on her feet. When she said she'd been worried about me, the explanation rang true. But maybe it hadn't been the entire truth. And I had been worried enough about her that I hadn't pushed any further.

Clearly, that had been a mistake—one I wouldn't make again.

I looked down at DG's face. Triplet trails of blood were running down her cheek from the gashes left by Azkadellia's nails. It looked like she'd been attached by one of the Bears of Voe1.

"He might not be able to do anything about her magic, but Raw can at least help with these cuts. Send one of the guards to get him. Now."

I didn't bother to stop and think about the fact that I'd just issued an order to the rulers of the O.Z. There was a beat of silence, and then the Queen was nodding. "Yes, yes of course. I'll tell them now."

As she hurried toward the entrance, Ahamo turned to me, his hands outstretched. "Here, let me take her." The idea of letting DG out of my arms sent a bolt of something very close to pain through my gut. My entire body rebelled at the concept. Obviously sensing my hesitation, Ahamo continued, voice impatient. "There's an extra room—we'll put her in bed and—"

I shook my head firmly. "I don't want her waking up alone, Your Highness." I shouldered my way past the consort. "We'll sit out here and wait for the fur ball."

Ahamo's jaw clenched. "That's my daughter you're holding, Mr. Cain. I think I know how to help her."

I didn't answer, just met his gaze defiantly. We might still be standing there staring at one another, locked in a silent battle of wills, if Queen Lavender hadn't rushed back into the room and inadvertently settled the argument. "Ambrose was in the hallway—he's going to fetch Mr. Raw right away. Come, quickly, lets get DG out into the parlor."

Without a word, I followed the Queen out of the bedroom and settled myself on a loveseat, still holding DG. Before that could become an issue, Raw charged into the room, Glitch and—to my surprise—the pooch hot on his heels.

"DG hurt," Raw announced, making a beeline for the sofa I was sitting on with her. "Raw help."

The viewer made quick work of healing her face. The only traces of the deep gashes were three light pink lines that would fade in a few hours. When he pulled away from her, though, Raw's face was clearly still worried.

"Bad things happening. Raw feel something—wrong. Raw not understand." He was looking intensely into my eyes. I nodded slowly and looked around the room, my grip on DG tightening instinctively as I met Ahamo's eyes.

"I think," I started slowly. "That we'd all better sit down and have a little talk."

The older man looked torn for a minute, then his face relaxed. "Perhaps you're right, Mr. Cain." He sent a glance around the room and reached out to grasp the Queen's hand.

Almost half an hour later, we were still no closer to a solution than we had been. In fact, best I could tell, the only thing we'd established for sure was that we didn't know anything for sure. Queen Lavender, Glitch—who miraculously managed to stay pretty focused—the pooch, and the Royal Consort spent well over half of the time just arguing about DG's power in general.

It was over my head, but I understood enough to realize that no one seemed to be able to explain how she'd managed to control her light well enough to shield her sister's mind like that when just a day ago she'd had trouble making a doll spin or directing a compass. Consensus was, DG's power was growing and awakening much faster than they'd expected. They thought it might be because of her contact with the emerald, but no one seemed to know for sure if that was true or if it was something to worry about or not.

By the time they finished bickering about that, I was thinking DG had the right idea staying unconscious. I'd worried at first that she'd been out of it too long, but a quiet touch from Raw assured me that, "DG resting—healing. Tin Man help."

That earned me an odd look from the Queen, but her attention was diverted when conversation turned to what they'd taken to calling "The Undoing." They'd barely gotten into the meat of that topic when I felt DG stir. I realize she was awake a few seconds later, but decided not to share the information with anyone else just yet.

A bit later, though, she stiffened without warning, and that was enough to alert the fur ball. He swiveled his head towards us.

"DG awake."

"She has been for a few minutes," I replied reflexively, unable to stop myself from reaching up to brush aside a lock of hair that had fallen over her forehead.

Her eyes popped open, and when she spoke her voice was indignant. "How did you know?"

Recalling our conversation this morning, I couldn't resist teasing her back. "You can't fake me, Kid. I'm just that good."

Something I couldn't identify flashed across her face, and felt heat coil in my stomach in response to it as I recalled her embarrassment at our conversation this morning. I was going to have to find out what it was that had her reacting so oddly, but not now. Now, we had more important things to address.

DG obviously agreed, because she pulled herself into a sitting position. I relaxed a little when she made no move away from me.

"So, what's an Undoing?"

Her blunt question was met with startled silence—I guess DG's unique approach threw the brain trust tackling the problem for a loop. But I think it was safe to say that the answer, delivered in a weak voice from across the room, was even more surprising than the question.

"It's a polite way of saying that the O.Z. is dying."

Heads swiveled and jaws dropped.

"Azkadellia darling, what are you doing out of bed. You need to rest; you—"

The oldest princess was leaning heavily on the doorway, but she apparently had enough strength to stand up to her mother. "No, Mother. I need to help—while I can."

I felt DG scrambling to get off my lap, her voice when she spoke was urgent. "Cain, will you help Az?"

Before I could answer, much less move, Ahamo was on his feet. "I've got her," he replied in a rush. Hurrying across the room, he took her arm and supporting her led her to the chair he'd vacated. She sank into it gratefully.

I was working hard to keep my face blank, and I hoped I was doing a better job of it than everyone else in the room. Asleep, Azkadellia had looked shrunken, weary. Awake, she was a frightening ghost of herself. I didn't realize I was holding on to DG's waist until she pulled away from the light grip.

She was shaky when she got to her feet, and I tensed to catch her if she fell again. She managed to stay upright, though and sat down at cross-legged at the foot of the chair Azkadellia occupied.

"Az what are you talking about?" DG asked gently, reaching out and gripping her sister's hands. I was surprised to see a tiny glimmer of white light spark between them.

Az swallowed heavily. "No q-questions. I don't know how long what you did before will last, so I have to get the out quickly."

"I don't—"

"Please, DG, just listen to me." Dark brown eyes met and held deep blue ones, and it looked to me like they'd forgotten the rest of us were here.

DG pressed her lips together and nodded, and looking relieved, Azkadellia spoke in a rush. Her voice was reedy but held a surprising note of steel.

"When the witch took possession of me and then the throne of the O.Z., she didn't realize the true extent of the magic she was tampering with," the princess paused thoughtfully and licked her lips. "Well, that might not be true—she may have realized it, but she didn't realize the calamity of what could happen as a result of it."

"Why—"

"Why doesn't matter, DG," Az said impatiently. "Only what matters. With mother's light gone, yours in another dimension, and mine tainted, the O.Z. began to undo—to die. That's what they mean. The witch didn't realize it until I—she—destroyed Finaqua, and when she did, she still didn't understand what kind of chain reaction she'd started. Later, when she finally did, she brought me to the surface to try to find a solution. That's how I know the little I can tell you."

"The Fields of the Papé, the Northern Palace—those she destroyed on purpose. But then other things of magic that she didn't want harmed began to die out as well. We studied the ancient texts, looking for some clue, some idea of what to do."

Az paused suddenly, a spasm of pain flitting across her face. "Az?" DG asked, going up on her knees. I felt myself leaning forward in response, ready to help if I was needed, but the older princess was shaking her head.

"No—it's alright. The witch thought with the power of the emerald she could stop the avalanche, but she was wrong. Non-Gale magic of that strength did just the opposite—it made things worse. I felt it before you—" She broke off again and licked lips that looked painfully dry and cracked, much more so than they should have been after just one day. "If The Undoing can't be stopped, then everything of magic in the O.Z. will die."

Her voice grew distant. "It's started already with the two of us. In me because of how diminished my light already is, it's sapping my strength, eating away at what magic I do have and using the nightmares against me."

"But I don't feel any—"

"What it's doing to you is worse, DG, or it will be. But maybe—just maybe—it's happening that way for a reason. As the only acceptable Gale heir left, the O.Z. is flooding you with power."

"Flooding me with power? But how can that be a bad thing?"

"Magic doesn't just happen at once, little sister. It grows slowly, and so does your body's ability to conduct it. It's one of the reasons the witch had to live in my body for three years before she could overthrow mother. She had to wait until I was ready. Already, you're doing things you shouldn't be able to do. Soon, you won't be able to stop yourself from using your gift, and as your power grows, the price the magic exacts from you when you use it will grow, too, until at some point, it demands your life."

I dimly registered the horrified gasps and whispers of denial from the other occupants of the room, but the roaring in my ears was too loud to make out exactly what they were saying. DG dead? No. It couldn't happen. I wouldn't let it happen.

Az held up her hand again, breaking eye contact and looking around the room. "You all have to let me finish. I don't have much time, and I don't think I'll be lucid enough to do it again."

She leaned forward, swaying slightly. "If the O.Z. is to have any chance of survival, you have to figure out how to stop this. You have to, DG, or eventually every man, woman, child, and creature that makes its home here will die."

Tears were running down DG's cheeks. "But how?"

Az shook her head sadly. "The witch didn't know, DG, and neither do I. Before this happened, you had the potential to be the most powerful Gale in the history of the O.Z. It's why the witch needed you to let go. She wouldn't have been powerful enough to control you as your gift developed. Now—with this new power—I can't even imagine what you're going to be able to do. If you can strike a balance—if you can use what the O.Z. is forcing on you without—hurting—yourself too badly, maybe you'll be able to save us."

Azkadellia shuddered again, and her eyes lost focus for a minute before she continued.

"But the reaction to the magic isn't the only thing you have to worry about—you'll have enemies, Deej. The allies of the witch will be coming for you. They won't know or care about the undoing. I don't know if this will help, but m-most of the Longcoats served the Sorceress out of fear and because of the bond they felt to the House of Gale. If you—"

This spasm, Azkadellia couldn't ignore. A strangled gasp choked out of her throat, and Queen Lavender lurched to her feet, grabbing her older daughter's hand, fear evident. Raw howled and lurched backward off of the sofa, covering his head and the onslaught of—whatever emotion Az was fighting to hold back.

"I'm s-sorry, DG—I can't fight it any longer," she panted.

DG was on her feet now, too, clutching her sister desperately. The rest of us were crowding close to them.

"Az! Tell me how to help you, Az, please! I can't lose you—not again,"

"Put me—" Gasp. "To." Wheeze. "Sleep."

"Put you to—"

"It's the only way, DG," She choked and shuddered, hands clawing at the air again. "Deep asleep—magic won't be able to—find me. For. Awhile."

"I don't know how," DG whirled around desperately her wild eyes clashing with mine, begging me to do something.

Eight years of helplessness in the tin suit couldn't compare with how knowing there was nothing I could do for her made me feel. Then, all at once, I had an idea. Reaching around, I grabbed Tutor by the collar and shoved him into the fray.

"Show her how," I demanded.

He sputtered. "She can't possibly—"

Az was flailing and crying again, sucked back into the vortex of her nightmares. Glitch was holding DG back, the Queen and Consort trying desperately to control their elder daughter. Raw was curled into a rigid ball of pain from the emotional trauma.

Instinctively, I pulled my gun and pressed it to Tutor's temple.

"Now, Pooch."

His eyes widened, but he shook his head. In a move worthy of the best fighters I'd trained with, DG spun out of Glitch's grasp. She whirled on the old man, bringing up hands that were crackling with light. The look in her eyes sent a shot of fear through me, as well.

"Tell me, Toto." Her voice was solid steel and just as cold.

Tutor reeled backward into me, but I held my ground, not letting him move out of the circle of people or away from her. When he realized he wasn't going anywhere, sweat popped out across his forehead, but he finally spoke.

"Mornie Utúlie—call the darkness, DG, and send Azkadellia into it. Utúlie Suan."

I pushed him behind me as soon as he finished, moving to stand as close to DG as I could without touching her. By the flash of understanding in her eyes, I realized that somehow, she knew what the heck all that gibberish meant. The room was positively pulsating with electricity.

Turning back to her thrashing sister, DG caught her hands and held them. "Mornie Utúlie, Azkadellia. Mornie Utúlie. Utúlie Suan, my sister—until I call for you." Then light, deep, soft, and twilight-purple, flowed from DG's hands and wrapped around Azkadellia, gently cocooning her. As it did, the tormented young woman—miraculously—stilled.

The haggard fatigue that had hung on Azkadellia before disappeared, and this time she looked almost angelic in her sleep. It was very faint, but the edges of her skin were throwing off a faint purple light. It looked like the dim glow was surrounding her, protecting her.

The Queen's hands feel away from Az's shoulders, and she looked at DG in shock, her voice a whisper that faded to nothing before she finished the thought. "You did it—you sent her into the twilight. Not in an age—"

I'd holstered my weapon and was ready to catch DG if she fell again after she worked the spell. To my surprise, she seemed steady on her feet. By her posture, though, I could tell that all definitely was not right. Ignoring her mother, the princess turned slowly toward me, and when I saw her face I realized that, no, she wasn't going to faint. Instead, something entirely different had happened this time.

Her beautiful blue eyes were staring sightlessly ahead, focused on a point just over my shoulder. A blood red tear trailed from the corner of one of them down the slope of her cheek.

"C-cain? Cain? I can't s-see." Her teeth were chattering and her voice held a note of panic. She swayed toward me, confused, obviously not knowing exactly where I was, and I instinctively reached forward to catch her arms, pulling her against me.

I felt hot moisture on the side of my shirt and knew that if I looked at the white material, it would be stained red.

"W-why can't I see, Cain?" She asked, sounding lost and terrified.

Oh God.

I buried my face in her hair, fighting sudden tears of my own.

"It's ok, Baby. I've got you now. It's going to be ok."

I'd never lied to her before—I hoped to God I wasn't starting now.

TBC

1 The beautiful but treacherous Valley of Voe  iinhabited by ferocious, invisible bears who come very close to making a full course dinner out of Dorothy and her friends during her third trip to the land of Oz in "Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz."