The Wizard of Oz
Retold by Mutitoon
Chapter Seven
Two days after the encounter with VesVes and the kalidahs, things were fine for Tenchi and Jigen, who do not need to eat. Cerberus had no problems finding food, since he is a hunter. Dorothy and Toto were hungry and do not know how to hunt for their own food. Cerberus had offered to share his kill to Dorothy, but the girl was disgusted with the idea and politely refused. Toto ate some of the kill with the winged lion. Dorothy was hungry due to the lack of food to her body.
"How long until we reach the Emerald City?" Tenchi asked Jigen, "I don't think that Dorothy won't last very long without food."
Jigen looked at the girl, who was barely keeping up with the group. The tin man nodded his head and said, "You're right."
"Where are we gonna to find some food?" Cerberus asked the men.
"What about an apple?" Tenchi asked.
"What are you babbling about?" The winged lion yelled at the straw-filled man, who pointed to a tree. Cerberus looked at the tree and saw an apple hanging from a branch.
"Good idea, Tenchi." The winged lion smiled before he flew off to the apple.
"Where's he goin'?" Dorothy asked, hearing nothing of the conversation between her three allies.
"You'll find out soon." Tenchi smiled at the girl.
A few moments later, Cerberus returned to the group with an apple with its stem in his mouth. Then, he gentlely nudged his head on Dorothy's hands. Dorothy grabbed the apple, and the lion released the stem.
"Thank you, Cerberus." Dorothy smiled at the lion.
The winged cat grinned, happy to do a favor for Dorothy.
"Show-off." Jigen mumbled under his breath.
"I heard that." Cerberus announced to the tin man with a toothy grin.
Dorothy giggled at the sight of her friends and said, "Let's get goin'!"
Watching the group from a tall tree, a young girl with pink hair and eyes sat quietly.
The girl wore a two-piece outfit. The top was purple and pink conneted to the choker, which had a pink-red flower, and another flower of the same color. The bottom piece was purple and pink with a yellow skirt and bright pink leggings, and it had pink-red flowers on the hips and on a pice of cloth that hung at the helm of the leggings. She wore pink slippers, flower earrings, and bracelets with a flower on each bracelet to match the outfit.
The girl's pink hair was in a bun, two loops, and two tufted ponytails and docorated with yellow ribbons and a pink-red flower, which was above the black sphere on the girl's forehead.
As the group resumed the journey, the girl grinned as she said, "Not much longer now."
Dorothy had finished eating her apple, when Jigen made an announcement that everyone had been waiting for some time.
"There's the Emerald City!"
The group was overjoyed to heard the announcement. They saw the shining city that laid ahead, which was beyond a field of poppies. Dorothy was so happy that she started running to the city through the flower field with Toto right behind her.
"Dorothy, get back here!" Jigen yelled at the girl.
"I'll get her." Cerberus announced before he chased after the girl.
The tin man and the scarecrow ran after the lion, saying, "Wait for us!"
Dorothy started slowing down and becoming sluggish and tired. Toto stopped next to Dorothy and laid down next to the girl's feet. Ceberus caught up to Dorothy, feeling tired himself.
"I'm feelin' so strange." The girl announced as she went to her knees.
"Dorothy?" The lion asked before he started laying down on the ground.
Then, Jigen and Tenchi finally caught up with the tired trio.
"Dorothy, what's wrong?" Tenchi asked the girl.
"I need to rest." Dorothy replied before she started falling asleep.
"Cerberus, don't fall asleep now!" Jigen yelled at the lion, but Cerberus was completely asleep.
"What are we gonna do?" Tenchi asked as he held the slumbering girl in his arms, "Dorothy won't wake up, and Toto's asleep too!"
"I don't know, but we've got to keep trying to wake them up." Jigen said.
"Don't waste your breath." A voice spoke out to the men.
Tenchi and Jigen turned around and saw the pink girl.
"Who are you?" The scarecrow demanded the girl.
"I'm CereCere, the flower magician for Elda, the Vampire-Witch of the West." The girl introduced herself, "VesVes and JunJun are my sisters."
"So, it's you." Jigen pointed at the girl, "You're the one who put a spell on the poppies."
"That's right!" CereCere bragged out loud, "So, I can take the silver slippers. What are you going to do about it?"
"Then, I have no choice." Jigen said, pointing a finger, which started to glow, at the girl.
Tenchi saw the glowing finger and stepped away from the metal man in fear. CereCere stepped back as well, not sure about what was going to happen next. Then, Jigen pointed the finger to the sky, and a beam of light flew into the clouds.
CereCere laughed at Jigen and said, "Is that your big plan?"
"Yep." The tin man calmly replied.
The flower magician resumed laughing at Jigen until a small snowflake floated from the sky and landed on the girl's nose. The sudden appearance of the snowflake startled the girl and caused her to brush it off in a silly fashion.
"That's not funny!" CereCere announced after removing the snow off of her nose.
Then, more snowflakes appeared and started covering everything, including the poppies. Dorothy, Toto, and Cerberus started waking up in the snowfall. CereCere, seeing her plan backfired, backed from the group.
"I hate the cold!" CereCere yelled as she wrapped her arms around her body. Then, she looked at the group and said, "I'll be back!" Then, the girl turned into a yellow ball and flew off.
"What happened?" Dorothy asked the group, seeing the weather change.
"Don't ask me, Dorothy." The lion announced, "I was asleep."
Toto yawned as he woke up.
"Let's just said that this is a time that anyone would like snow." Tenchi said in a relieved smile on his face.
"What's he talkin' about?" Dorothy asked Jigen.
The metal man grinned and said, "I'll explain it."
"Thank you." Cerberus gratefully said to the tin man.
JunJun and VesVes were staying in front of Elda, who sat on her throne, as they waited for their sister's return. Then, the yellow ball that was CereCere entered the room, went between the sisters, and turned back into the pink flower magician.
"You don't have the silver slippers." Elda said, glaring at CereCere.
The girl was silent as the Vampire-Witch of the West continued to speak.
"This is unacceptable!"
"Wait!" JunJun intervened, going to her sister's defense "Maybe we can't get the slippers, but maybe the Wizard of Oz can send her here."
"Hmm?" Elda's curiousity was active.
"Yeah." VesVes agreed, "Think about it: that girl killed Beryl, the Queen-Witch of the East. So, maybe the Wizard might send her to kill you."
The vampire-witch thought about this thorey for a minute or two before she spoke.
"That's a very good point, but for your sakes, you better hope that you're right."