The Wizard of Oz
Retold by Mutitoon
Chapter Sixteen
"Kakyuu?" Dorothy asked Jigen, who announced the name, but Washu answered, saying, "The Princess-Witch of the South."
"The Princess-Witch of the South?" Cerberus exclaimed in shock.
"Yes," the voice spoke again, "the very same."
Then, a young woman appeared in front of the group. The woman wore a red gown that had a dark blue collar, sky blue front, puffy shoulder-pads with yellow sleeves that were see-through and had green helms, a dark green wasit line, and the skirt of the dress was long and covered her feet with the helm that when to several points. She also wore a sky blue necklace that was shaped like a flower with four petals, which was held by a orange flower of the same form, and the rest hung in front of her with black and red ends. The dark green hat with yellow lines and five dots, one yellow, two bright green, and two dark red, sat on the good witch's head of red hair, which is in two loops that ended next to the necklace's ends and decorated by two hair needles with four orange flowers on each needle. Another orange flower sat at the woman's forehand.
Dorothy noticed two things about Kakyuu. One was the princess's ruby eyes, which were soft, kind, and had red eyeshadow. The other was a strange, strong, and sweet scent that surrounded the witch.
"What a curious smell." The girl said to herself before a hand grabbed her head and pushed it down.
"Show some respect!" Jigen hissed at the girl as he held down the head.
"Jigen," spoke Kakyuu, "leave her alone. Dorothy was only in awe."
The son of the Grandmother-Witch of the North released Dorothy, and the girl recovered quickly.
"Thanks, Your Highness." Dorothy said as she rubbed her head to ease the pain.
"Kakyuu will do just fine with me." The witch announced, "I hate being formal in a casual setting."
"Oh! Okay." The girl from Kansas said, "Are you able to take me home?"
"I do not have that kind of power." Kakyuu confessed, "However, you do."
"What?" Dorothy exclaimed in shock.
"What are you talking about?" Jigen asked out.
Kakyuu smiled as she explained.
"I believe the only thing that you knew about the silver slippers is that they belonged to Beryl. Am I right, Jigen?"
"Yeah." The ex-tin man said, while his mother said, "That's what I thought."
The kind witch giggled before she continues to speak.
"The silver slippers has the power to take anyone to anywhere, even into the Emerald City. Its power was deeply desired by the wicked witches, due to the fact that the emeralds of the capital prevent evil beings from entering the city."
"Now, I get it!" Dorothy announced, "With the power of the silver slippers, Elda would've been able to enter the Emerald City..."
"And take over the Land of Oz." Washu added.
"Beryl had the same plan, right?" Pallas asked the southern witch.
"That is right." Kakyuu nodded her head, "However, she had a need to have a strong man by her side, while Elda thought it was foolish."
"To depend on a man?" Vesta asked, curious about the witch's words.
"That's right; Elda had her heart broken many times." The red haired witch admitted.
"Whoa!" Dorothy exclaimed with Juno and Ceres.
"Talk about ironies." Jigen muttered under his breath.
"Yeah." Cerberus agreed, having heard the witch's son.
Tenchi nodded his head as he agreed with the winged lion.
Kakyuu turned to Dorothy again and said, "I suggest that you start saying your good-byes first."
Dorothy was shocked, but for some strange reason, she knew that it might be the last time that she could ever see her friends in Oz. She nodded her head and said, "I understand."
She turned to the lion, who had tears in his amber-yellow eyes.
"I'm gonna miss you, Cerberus. You've been a true friend."
"I can say the same about you, Dorothy." The winged lion said, "I would've never learned that my curse was all a lie, if it weren't for you.
"I wouldn't say that." The soon-to-be-departing girl replied, with a sheepish grin.
Then, the girl wrapped her arms around the lion's neck, when she felt someone tapped her on the shoulder.
"Hey!" Tenchi announced, "What about me?"
Dorothy turned to the scarecrow and replied, "How can I? You're a walkin', talkin' scarecrow."
Tenchi laughed as he said, "If it weren't for you, I'd still be on that pole, getting picked on by those nasty crows."
"It's not a problem." Dorothy smiled as she hugged Tenchi for a moment.
Pallas walked up to Dorothy and tugged her blouse.
"Pallas?" The Kansas girl asked, "Here to say good-bye?"
"Yep." The Ball Balancer replied, "Also to give you this."
A blue sphere was presented to Dorothy, who took it and said, "Thank you."
"The sphere will protect you from any evil magic." Pallas announced, "Think of it as a present from me and my sisters."
"Thank you." Dorothy repeated herself.
The blue sister smiled as Zeniba stepped forward to the Kansas.
"It's going to be a little quiet without you here." The Grandmother-Witch of the North said with a bitter-sweet smile.
"Really?" Dorothy questioned Zeniba.
"Yes." The witch with the large head confirmed.
"You learn something new everyday." The girl smiled as her dog ran to her.
"That's the truth!" Washu agreed, getting Dorothy's attention.
"Washu, are you from Oz?"
"No!" The younger girl said, "I'm not even from Kansas. I went to Kansas to see the landscape in a hot-air balloon. Then, a cyclone swallowed me and the balloon, and the next thing I knew I was here in Oz, being called a wizard."
"So, are you goin' home?" Dorothy asked Washu.
"As much as I want to, I can't." The 'wizard' announced, "I have to look for the rightful ruler of Oz before I can return to my home and to Mama."
"I understand." Dorothy said, "You do want you have to do."
Washu smiled at the comforting girl.
"Dorothy." Jigen called out to the girl.
Dorothy turned to the former tin man. She felt such sorrow in her heart knowing he is the last person to say good-bye.
"I think I'm gonna miss you most of all." Dorothy confessed to the dark man, who said, "I'll miss ya too."
"Yeah." Daisuke blushed as Dorothy hugged him. Feeling the embrace, he returned the hug.
Jigen's sisters were about to remark, when a gag appeared and wrapped around each of the girls' mouth. The sister turned their attentions to Zeniba, who was eyeing them. The look told the sisters that their intended actions were not needed, and the girls back away.
"Dorothy," Kakyuu said, "it is time to go."
Dorothy pulled herself from Jigen, who did not want to let go, and picked up Toto. Holding the dog in her arms and the dog's paw and making it wave, the girl said, "Say good-bye, Toto."
The company waved back to Toto. After that, Jigen spoke up.
"Dorothy, I'll tell Knuckles, Amy Rose, Blaze, and Sonic that you said good-bye to them."
The girl turned to Zeniba's son and said with a grateful smile, "Thank you." Then, he turned to the Princess-Witch of the South and said, "We're ready."
Seeing the meaning of the girl's words, Kakyuu smiled and said, "All you have to do is click your heels three times and say the name of the place or person you want to go to, and you'll be there."
With a deep breath, Dorothy clicked the heels of the silver slippers three times, and with a bitter-sweet heart and a tear on her face, said, "Aunt Em." At the utterance of the words, Dorothy's being faded out of sight of the eyes of those in the throne room as a small tear flowed from her eye to her chin. When Dorothy and Toto completely and physically vanished, the only thing left of the girl was the tear that fell off the girl's face and landed on the floor.