As the four walked briskly down the road of yellow bricks the following morning, Fiyero's straw head was heavy with worry. The others were cheery and uplifted by the prospect that they could reach the Emerald City by dark, but the strawman knew better the dangers that lie ahead.
'Once the Wizard has us in his claws,' Fiyero thought. 'There will be little I can do. I must maintain control of the situation somehow.'
Dorothy suggested they stop to rest a moment in the early afternoon. They had been moving at a very intense pace in an attempt to reach the city before sunset, and she had quickly grown tired. The Lion wanted desperately to keep moving.
"You may ride upon my back," he urged. "For we must be drawing near and I don't wish to linger on the road longer than we need to."
"Let her alone," said Fiyero. "There is no need to hurry. If we need to spend one more night on the road, it won't matter in the least. The city will likely still be there tomorrow. You may rest as long as you need, Dorothy."
And with that, the Scarecrow sat beside her and took her basket into his lap. Dorothy helped herself to some berries they had found that morning and offered some to the dog, but he would not eat.
"Something is wrong with Toto!" Dorothy exclaimed. "The nearer we grow to the Emerald City, the less he wants to eat!"
Fiyero made eye contact with the tiny dog, and knew instantaneously that the tiny creature could sense the oncoming danger, too.
"He'll eat plenty once we get there!" the Tin Man said happily. "But I agree with the Scarecrow. As eager as I am to receive my heart, I would gladly wait a hundred days if it meant your comfort, Dorothy."
The Lion frowned.
"I didn't mean to be pushy," he said. "I'm just so excited!"
"No worries friends," said Dorothy with a gentle smile. "I'll be ready to go in a moment. My legs are just so tired."
A few moments passed with the usual nonsensical chatter. Then Dorothy said,
"We have come a long way together, my friends. I feel as though we've become a little family." With this she squeezed the Scarecrow's hand. She went on. "No matter what happens within the walls of the city, let us not forget our days traveling together. And let us make a vow here and now to look after one another as we always have, and never to let anything come between us."
"Well said!" Boq exclaimed tearfully.
Dorothy stood and embraced the Tin Man. She then threw her arms around the furry neck of the Lion and held him to her for a moment. When she separated from the great beast, she turned to where the strawman sat beside the road and held her hand out for him to take it. She helped him to his feet and wrapped her arms around his middle. He returned the embrace and kissed the top of her head.
When they parted, the girl looked up into his painted eyes. There were tears in hers.
They continued the walk, this time at a slower pace. The straw Fiyero held Dorothy back from the rest of the group for a moment.
"Why the tears, Dorothy?" he asked.
"I..." she hesitated. "I have this horrible feeling that things won't be the same once we reach the Emerald City. Between all of us, I mean."
Fiyero nodded in understanding and put a comforting arm around her.
"After all we've been through together," he said. "I doubt there's anything that could drive us apart."
He could tell he hadn't convinced her.
"But," he went on. "If for some reason the others do change in some way, or if someone in the city treats you unkindly, I want you to know that there are forces protecting you."
"Forces?"
"Well, um...yes!" he stumbled. "You have the Good Witch of the North on your side. And you have me."
"Yes, you are a force, aren't you, Scarecrow?" she teased.
Dorothy stood on her tip toe and kissed the strawman on the cheek. And, with a glimmering smile, she ran ahead to catch up with the others.
If Fiyero had possessed the ability, he would have broken down and sobbed. They were heading into the heart of darkness, and it was possible that Dorothy, who was so young and innocent, could be lost. And if that should happen, the Scarecrow knew that he would be tortured by this moment, where he stood and watched as she skipped merrily toward her doom.
Just as this thought occurred to him, the massiveness of the Emerald City made itself known in the distance. They had reached their destination at last. Dorothy jumped with joy and threw her arms around Boq, who looked like he might cry. The four stood shoulder to shoulder for a time just looking at the city as if they all knew how life altering the experience would be.
"Well, what are we waiting for?" Dorothy asked with a slightly uncertain air. "Let's go see the Wizard!"
It took another hour before they reached the great wall that surrounded the Emerald City. When they arrived, the guardian allowed them reluctant entry and strapped the "protective" spectacles onto their eyes, making everything that fell into their sight green.
Fiyero had seen the city without these measures, having once been the captain of the guard, and knew that there wasn't even a hint of green within the walls of the city. The whole damned thing was an illusion!
Dorothy and the others gasped audibly upon entering the Emerald City. They were quite obviously astounded! Dorothy's eyes filled with tears once again and she gripped the strawman's hand quite tightly. He gently squeezed back.
Upon telling the guard that they wished to have an audience with the Wizard, he was quite frightened.
"No one," he explained. "Has seen the Wizard since that fateful day when the Witch began her reign of terror!"
"No one?" Dorothy asked.
"No one," the guard replied. "Aside from Glinda the Good."
"I think we should ask anyway," said the Lion forcefully. "Perhaps, once he has heard our story, he will be willing to grant us an audience."
They continued to walk down the crowded streets. At one point, Dorothy had been separated from the others because of the busy masses. Being a modest farm girl, Dorothy knew little of city life and how important it would be to stick by her friends.
The moment her hand left his, Fiyero assumed it was an assassination attempt. He panicked and screamed her name. He truly felt like a fool when he saw her hand shoot into the air over the heads of the hustling and bustling Ozians, waving a message of safety. The tin Boq and the Lion laughed heartily at the Scarecrow's reaction.
"Sometimes," he heard the Lion say to the Tin Man. "I think the Scarecrow is a bit too protective of her."
After the commotion of Dorothy's very temporary disappearance, Fiyero realized he'd made a terrible mistake. He had managed to attract unwanted attention to himself and the others. Suddenly, the people of the Emerald City seemed all too interested in the mysterious strangers. Most of all, he noticed the attention the people were paying to Dorothy's silver shoes, and fear swept over his senses. There would be no way to prevent it now. The Wizard would do all he could to trap her.
Upon their arrival to the palace, they were greeted by the wide, grinning face of Madame Morrible. Fiyero felt his soul churn in an ugly way at the sight of her.
"Welcome," she said in her grand way. "Welcome, noble travelers, to the Wizard's palace. I am the Wizard's right hand, Madame Morrible. Word has spread across the land of how you eliminated the Wicked Witch of the East."
Boq squirmed uncomfortably.
"I didn't mean to kill her, ma'am. It was accidental..."
"Be that as it may," Morrible quickly interrupted. "The Wizard recognizes your valiant effort to see him, and has agreed to grant you an audience, one at a time, over the course of the next four days. We have rooms prepared for you."
Dorothy remained stone-faced, while the others rejoiced. Attendants came by to show the foursome to their rooms, when the Scarecrow noticed Morrible grab Dorothy by the elbow in the corner of his eye. He hung back, despite the complaints of his assigned attendant.
"You know, my dear," Morrible said. "You and the strawman have become very popular among the Ozian people. You and I shall have to have a more in-depth chat after you see the Great and Powerful Wizard tomorrow."
"I'd better be getting to bed, ma'am. It's been quite a long journey." Dorothy replied calmly.
Later that night, the Scarecrow was staring out his window. He knew that Elphaba would be foolish to come and visit him here. She's be apprehended in the blink of an eye. And while he knew that it would be dangerous, he longed to be near her.
A soft knock at his door roused him from thoughts of his green-skinned beauty.
"Come in?" he said reluctantly, ready for an attack.
When the door opened, however, it was only Dorothy. She had a nightgown on. Being in the confines of the palace, which had been painted green, they were permitted to remove their spectacles.
"I'm sorry to bother you, my dearest friend." she said.
"You're not bothering me, you know I don't sleep. But you should really be in bed."
"I...I can't sleep. I've grown so accustomed to having you with me at night that I couldn't rest at all."
"Toto was not sufficient company for you?"
"He went right to sleep without a second thought. His life is really quite simple, I suppose."
"Would you like to stay with me?" he asked kindly.
She nodded and made her way over to the large, plush bed. It was adorned with green silk sheets and a lavish comforter.
"I've never been in such a luxurious bed before!" Dorothy said, still astounded by her surroundings, although a bit disenchanted.
"I don't care for that Morrible woman." she said in a voice uncharacteristically dark for sweet, little Dorothy. "She wants to see me after I visit the Wizard tomorrow. She hinted that she'd like to discuss something about you."
Fiyero suddenly felt anxious. What if they were planning to torture information out of her?
"Also," she went on. "I don't like the idea of seeing the Wizard separately."
"I must agree with you there," the strawman said, sitting next to her in the bed. "We made the journey together, we should reap the reward together. If I had a brain, I believe it would be wise to insist."
"Yes, indeed." Dorothy replied.
Dorothy snuggled closer to the Scarecrow, holding him tight to her.
"Are you afraid, Dorothy?" he asked softly.
"So very," she replied. "I thought this was what I wanted, but now I'm not so sure. There must be a better way of finding Kansas."
"Don't worry," said the Scarecrow as Dorothy closed her heavy eyes. "One way or another, Wizard or no, I will see you safely home."
She smiled as she was overcome with slumber, the strawman silently stroking her hair until the first rays of dawn.
Fiyero's thoughts wandered once again. The nights were so very, very long for scarecrows.
Dorothy stirred bright and early.
"There is time yet," Fiyero said to her. "Why don't you get a little more rest?"
"I'm too anxious to sleep," Dorothy sighed. "And besides, I think we should arrive early so that we can insist upon seeing the Wizard together."
Dorothy rose from the bed and began brushing her hair. There was a knock at the door. The strawman walked to it and flimsily turned the handle. There was a timid looking servant on the other side with a dress in her hand.
"I went to the lady Dorothy's room and couldn't find her, sir. The man of tin thought I might find her here. I need to dress her for her audience with the Great and Powerful Wizard."
"Oh, yes. Come in."
Dorothy smiled kindly at the servant girl.
"Really, I don't need to be dressed. I can dress myself, thank you."
"Heaven forbid! I have been given orders, ladyship."
"Please just call me Dorothy." she said, noticeably uncomfortable with the situation.
Dorothy succumbed helplessly to the stubborn servant and stood to be dressed. Fiyero was still standing in the corner.
"Perhaps we should return to your room, miss Dorothy."
"No, you stay here. I'll go talk to the others about what we discussed before." said the Scarecrow.
"Yes, please do." Dorothy said. And then she flashed him the warmest smile he had ever seen.
After he'd shut the door behind him, Fiyero fell against the wall and took his head into his hands. Who was he fooling? Even if they were able to go in together, what difference would it make?
And then, though it was gone in a flash, he heard Elphaba's voice whisper into his ear,
"Be brave!"
He looked all about him, but the strawman couldn't see her. He nodded, and went to find the Tin Man.
When the other two heard his argument about entering together, they were not happy with the idea at all.
"But what if they turn us away?" said the Lion.
"The Lion is right," the tin Boq added. "We were lucky to be granted an audience in the first place. It would be unwise to push our luck."
"I may not have a brain," Fiyero said harshly. "But I do know what's best for Dorothy. She is young and frightened, and we are the only family she has here. I will not force her to go anywhere alone, even if that means that we may lose our chance."
"Don't presume that you are the only one who loves her!" Boq snapped back. "And don't forget that if we lose our chance to see the Wizard, she'll never get home."
"I'll see her back to Kansas if I have to take her there myself!" he said turning his back on the others. And there stood Dorothy. She was dressed in a form-fitting green dress that reached to the floor. The sleeves were sheer and were off of her shoulders. Her long hair had been brushed out straight.
He couldn't believe his eyes. She looked so like a woman.
"I am ashamed of all of you," she said. "You made me a promise before we got here. You all promised that we would stick together, no matter what, and that we'd let nothing come between us."
Dorothy's three companions hung their heads.
"Please forgive each other," she went on. "I can't bear to see our family fractured. It breaks my heart."
Fiyero felt irritated. He was only trying to defend her. Why wasn't she doing the same for him? He only understood what she was trying to do when he turned to look at the Tin Man, whose lip was quivering and who was on the brink of tears. With a great and loud sob, Boq threw his arms around the strawman apologetically. The Scarecrow could do nothing but smile at this and return the sentiment.
"I think you may be right after all, Scarecrow," said the Tin Man. "We must see the Wizard together."
Dorothy smiled and embraced the Tin Man, giving him a kiss on the cheek. She turned to the Scarecrow and did the same, whispering in his ear,
"Thank you, my dearest friend."
Yay! Here is the next chapter. I hope you're enjoying it. More is coming!