Return to Oz
Told by Mutitoon90
Chapter Three
It was few moments before the departure via the silver slippers, Kiyone, Dorothy and Muta shut their eyes; Dorothy had closed her eyes for unsure activity, but the deputy and the stray cat fearfully kept their eyes covered.
Dorothy opened her eyes first, and she was shocked at the sight. The brown haired farmgirl freed a gasp, which grabbing Kiyone's attention.
"What is it, Dorothy?" The sheriff's assisant asked before seeing the same thing that fell into Dorothy's sights: a giant city in complete ruin.
"How could this have happened?" Dorothy sunk to her kness, startling Muta when she dropped him.
"What's the big idea!?" Hissed the moody feline, apparently upset about being dropped.
"I don't believe it..." The farmgirl sadly moaned as she looked at the ruins.
Muta was confused and turned to Kiyone, asking, "Hey, what's wrong with her?"
"That's what I would like to know." Kiyone's blue eyes hardened at the girl that she called her friend. Going to her knees to be at the same level as Dorothy and asked, "Dorothy, what's wrong?"
"Everything..."
"What?" The teal-haired girl expressed her confusion to her friend.
"The Emerald City... What's happened to it...?"
"The Emerald City?" The deputy rose an eyebrow before recalling that Dorothy had told her about her adventure to Oz; The Emerald City was the capital of the land and was ruled by Tenchi, the intelligent scarecrow.
Then, Dorothy bolted from Muta and Kiyone and ran into the fallen city. Kiyone was shocked by Dorothy's behavior, but Muta was more concerned about being dropped.
"Hey, get back here, Chicky!" The stray cat shouted at Dorothy, who did not hear a single word that flew from the cat's mouth.
"Dorothy!" The deputy called out before pursuing after her old friend, "Don't! It's not safe to wonder in a place like that by yourself!"
"Hey!" Muta was getting annoyed about being ignored by the two Kansas girls, and he started off after them and shouting, "Don't leave me behind!"
Kiyone stepped over stones and rocks of the ruined city, and she saw many statues. Some of the stone figures were human, some are animal and the some of the statues were missing parts of their bodies; most of the women were missing their heads.
Then, the cop found her friend looking at two of the statues. As Kiyone carefully came closer to Dorothy and the two figures, she noticed the forms of the statues: a human and a lion.
The human statue was, at least in appearance, a human male in a fedora and a suit. He had hair that was almost shoulder-length and a long curtain beard. In his hand, a gun that looked like a six-shooter was aimed at whatever he saw and/or fighting against.
The lion stature had long wings on his back and seemingly wore jeweled armor. It was in a crounching position, ready to attack something that might have been threatening him.
Kiyone took a moment and recalled the statues being of her friends, the former tinman called Jigen and the brave, but slightly confused, lion named Cerberus.
"Dorothy, are they...?" Kiyone could not bring herself to finish her question, because she was afraid that she was right about her own assumption.
"I don't know." The farm girl confessed, unsure about her dear friends' condition, "I wish I knew."
"Well," Kiyone sighed out loud, "let's get the slippers replaced with your tennis shoes."
"You're right." The young girl nodded her head, trying to overcome her shock, "Friends shouldn't goof off like this!"
"That's the Dorothy I know!" Kiyone smiled, pleased that her friend was starting to feel better.
As Dorothy pulled her backpack off of her back, the deputy took a closer look at the Jigen statue. Upon futher examination, the young law enforcer saw this man as attractive as in "tall, dark and mysterious," especially since the hat's brim covered his eyes very well.
"HELLLLLP!" A familiar voice rang throughout the air.
"That was Muta!" Dorothy exclaimed after putting her silver slippers in her backpack.
"Let's go!" Kiyone shouted at Dorothy, who agreed by getting to her feet and running towards the cat's shout.
The teal-headed deputy was about to run after Dorothy, but a shining object grabbed her attention. Kiyone saw a gun, which was similar to the one in Jigen's stone hand, at the marksman's feet. Quickly picking up the revolver and putting it into her empty holster, the police officer ran after Dorothy, only to crash into her best friend!
"Ow!" Dorothy moaned in unison with Kiyone.
Then, Muta leaped over the collided females and shouted back at them, "Run for it!"
Kiyone was confused, but Dorothy was not; the brunette grabbed the deputy's arm, picked her up and dragged her to the same direction of the stray cat.
The farmgirl was quick on her feet and had a strong grip on her friend's arm as she dodged many things that was in her way. Dorothy was keeping sure that her new pursuers at bay, as well as keeping her friends safe.
Finally, Dorothy found Muta in a large room in a nearly destoryed building, and she dove in the room, dragging Kiyone along.
"That was close!" Sighed a relieved Kiyone.
"That was easy!" A voice rang out, grabbing the trio's attention to the room's opening, where an oddly-dressed man stood; the man looked more like a court jester than a threat, but Dorothy knew better than to judge others by their appearance, especially in the land of Oz.
The trio charged at the door, only to have it slam at their faces. Upon being trapped, Dorothy, Kiyone and Muta heard the man's laugh, which was heavily accented.
"So, that's the best that Dorothy, the fame witch killer can do? Ha! What a joke! Well, the boss would be pleased that you're caught anyway."
The trio looked at each other, asking each other who "the boss" was.
Then, the man's voice rang out once more.
"All right, boys! Move out!"
"Right, Rio!" The girls and the feline heard an all-male chorus of voices, which was followed by the sounds of departing footsteps. As the noise faded, the trapped trio started to converse among themselves.
"I can't believe it that we're trapped!" Muta moaned about his current situation.
"Either can I..." Moaned Kiyone, who agreed with the big-mouthed feline.
"I'm not sayin' anything at this point." Dorothy stated, feeling responsible for getting her friends trapped with her.
"I hope there's some mice around here to eat." The feline decided to go hunting; he needed something to keep his mind from worrying about being trapped by Rio and his allies.
Muta looked around the floor for any sign of small life forms wondering in the ruins that was uneffected by the dark spell that turned anyone into stone. As he passed the second pillar, he saw a shoe that looked like a Mary-Jane, and it had a foot in it. Looking up, Muta saw the owner of the foot, which looked like a young woman wearing black dress with red hair, which was in a pageboy style with a black headband in it. The oddest thing about the girl was her eyes, which were as black as her attire and completely lifeless.
"Hey, Chickys..." The cat nervously backed from the lifeless female.
The girls, who were trying to think of a way to escape from their newly-formed prison, turned their attention to the stray cat, only to find the same girl that Muta had found himself.
"What is that?" Kiyone asked Dorothy, who said, "I don't know; I've never seen her before."
"Well, that makes me feel better!" Muta hissed at the bruette, who responded with a retrot of her own.
"Hey, I've only been in Oz one time. Beside, I didn't assume that you knew every alley cat in Kansas when I first saw you."
The cat tried to counter the comment, but he was not able to, because Dorothy was right.
"Damn!" Muta cursed out.
Kiyone smiled at her friend, pleased that she was able to stand up for herself. Also, she maintained a calm appearance when the stray cat cussed out of frustration.
Dorothy placed her hand over her mouth, trying not to laughed at the cat, when she noticed something hanging around the lifeless girl's neck. Taking a closer look, the farmgirl saw a necklace that was shaped like a bird holding a key in its talons.
"What is it?" Kiyone asked as she noticed her friend's sudden change of bahavior.
"I'm not sure." The brown haired girl said as she started to circle the statue-girl, "I need a better look."
Dorothy went behind the red-head girl and saw three holes on the woman's back: one hole was on the back of the neck, the second hole was on the higher part of the back, and the third was on the lower back. This was quite the discovery to Dorothy.
"You guys aren't gonna believed this!" The brunette announced to her friends, who went to where Dorothy was at.
"Whoa!" The deputy exclaimed upon saying the odd holes.
"That's new." Muta bluntly stated out loud.
Then, an idea formed in Dorothy's mind. In a quick series of movements, the farmgirl managed to remove the bird necklace without breaking the chain.
"Good moves." The teal haired deputy was impressed with Dorothy's quick and careful work.
"Yeah," Barked the stray, "but does it do anything?"
"I'm about to find out for us." The brunette eyed the bird for a moment and looked at key's end and saw that the key that was part of the necklace was really a key. With an idea, Dorothy aimed the key into the hole in the back of the neck. After a moment of trail and error, Dorothy managed to turned the key and did not stop turning it until she could not turn it anymore, which told her to remove the key from the woman's neck.
A moment passed as no one spoke a word, not knowing what was going to happen.
"Who is there?" A robotic voice rang out, startling the two females and Muta, "Please, show yourself."
Dorothy took a gulp of her saliva before obeying the voice. Being careful, the farmgirl stepped in front of the statue-like girl. Summoning her courage, she asked, "Did you say something?"
The head moved to see Dorothy, and the red-headed girl answered, "Yes."
Dorothy was shocked about the robot-like woman, whose first lacked any form of emotional expression. Kiyone and Muta was also shocked about the woman's head suddenly moving.
"Forgive me, but I must insist that you finish winding me up; I must be able to move if I am to do my functions." The woman said in an indifferent tone.
"Uh... Sure?" Dorothy agreed before going behind the girl and asked her friends what should she do.
"I don't have any idea." Her friend confessed before suggesting, "Do as she says, I guess."
"What!?" Muta hissed at the deputy, "We don't know this girl!"
"Maybe she could help us escape from here." Kiyone pointed out the possible chance with the odd female.
Looking around the room, Dorothy said as she pointed a thumb at the girl, "Now, with what just happened, I'd take my chances with this one."
Dorothy was quick with the key and of turning it in the remaining holes.
Once Dorothy was done with her work, the black-claded female checked herself by moving her fingers, hands, arms, legs, ankles and neck. After examining herself, she turned to the trio and spoke out her gratitude.
"Thank you for helping me. I am called Nightingale."
"You're welcome." Dorothy replied to the woman that was emotionless, "This is Kiyone Makibi, deputy of Kansas."
"Hi." The teal haired woman waved at Nightingale nervously as Dorothy continued with the introductions.
"The cat is Muta."
"Don't expect me to help ya on anything." The white cat spoke up his lack of interest in the female, in spite of the fact that he was still shakened by Nightingale's sudden movements.
"And I'm Dorothy..."
"You are Dorothy Gale from Kansas, and the same one who killed two witches within a single week." The red haired woman stated, lacking any emotion in her face and voice.
"Yeah." The young farmgirl sighed out, not liking being remembered from killing two people, even if they were evil people, and she knew that the witches' deaths were accidents.
The woman known as Nightingale spoke once more, saying, "I was told to wait for you by His Majesty, King Tenchi."
"What!?" Dorothy was shocked about the news, "Tenchi told you to wait for me?!"
"Maybe I should explain." The red headed woman said before she gave her explaination to Dorothy.
"Okay." Dorothy replied with her friends trying to calm her.
"I was built by Washu Hakubi II, the Wizard of Oz sometime before your arrival to Oz. The whole situation started when King Tenchi received a note that the writer had demanded his complete and unconditional surrender, which enraged Lord Jigen and Lord Cerberus greatly. Washu was upset about the note for the reasons of both a grown loyality and the postponement of her journey to find the rightful hier of Oz and the Emerald City.
"I assisted with the building the precautions of the incoming attack, however the one that sent the note was a master wizard, and he caused a spell onto me. I was forced to steal one of the emeralds that protect the city from evil invaders. This caused the evil attacker to succed in taking over the city. King Tenchi, who realized that I was being used, forgave me and instrusted me to await for your arrival."
A moment passed as Dorothy soaked in the news. Kiyone wanted to console her dear friend, but she did not know how. Muta, however, was more interested in looking for something to eat than in Dorothy's wellbeing.
"This isn't looking good at all." The teal haired female spoke out. Then, an idea struck her, causing her to turn to Nightingale and asked, "How did you helped out with the defenses?"
"I helped with carrying some of the heavier equipment." The emotionless robot replied bluntly.
"The heavier equipment, huh..." The deputy smiled cunningly, which Dorothy noticed with a quick glance.
"What are you up to, Kiyone?"
"You'll see..." The law enforcer kept her grin on her face before turning to Nightingale and inquiried, "Can you help us move something very heavy, please?"
"What are you talking about?" Nightingale asked in response to the question.
"Let me show you." Kiyone directed the robotic woman to the blocked opening.
The brunette and the cat followed the first two and listened to what Kiyone was saying.
"A bunch of creeps pushed this door, and now we're stuck in here. Can you move it for us?"
Nightingale said nothing, but she took action. Placing a pair of hands onto the blockage, the robot woman pushed the rock with hardly any effort. Dorothy, Muta, and even Kiyone was shocked by the strength of Nightingale, who stepped out of the room.
"Are you and your friends coming, Dorothy?" The black-wearing woman asked without looking back at the trio.
"Comin'..." Dorothy answered meekly before coming after Nightingale, followed by Kiyone and Muta.
Once the group were together, they started off again, going deeper into the ruined city. However, they were being followed, which was noticed by Nightingale.
"Someone is following us."
The other three looked and saw the man, known as Rio, looking upset about the trio's escape from his trap.
"How did you escape from that room?!" The tan man shouted at Dorothy, causing his pompadour to bounce with his body's movement.
"Just lucky, I guess." The farmgirl replied with a smug grin on her face.
This comment outraged the funny man, who shouted out, "Dead Enders! Get over here!"
The cry summoned a large group of men, whom were around the man's age. Seeing the men caused Dorothy's confident smile to disappear.
"I don't think this is goin' to end well." Dorothy said as she retreated behind Kiyone, who said, "You can say that again."
"They are no threat." Nightingale announced, earning the dumbfounded expressions of the human females and Muta as well as the fury of Rio and the Dead Enders.
"That does it!" Rio roared at the females, "Now, you lot face the wrath of the Dead Enders!"
On cue, the followers of Rio dove after the foursome. Dorothy, Kiyone and Muta ran off to hide, but Nightingale stayed willingly behind and faced the stampeding gang.
"Nightingale!" Kiyone shout out to the robot, "Get outta there!"
It was too late for Nightingale to change her mind as the group caught up to the red haired woman.
The first member of the Dead Enders, a man with visible muscles, grabbed Nightingale's right arm. However, the man was flipped over to his back, and he was in pain at that time.
"Apache!" One of the Dead Enders, a man wearing a black jacket, "You'll pay for that, you bitch!"
"Go get her, Space Shot!" A yellow-hooded boy shouted in cheer for the next attacker's victory.
The man, known as Space Shot, charged at Nightingale with a knife aimed at the red-headed robot, only to cut the dress's cloth of Nightingale's attire.
"What!?" The Dead Enders exclaimed, shocked to see that the damage as that minial. To add insult to injury, the knife that was used against Nightingale snapped into two pieces.
"Maybe I should have introduced myself," the robotic girl spoke up, "my name is Nightingale, a creation of the Wizard of Oz."
The hooded boy turned to another member of the group, who was wearing a red wool cap, and asked, "Is it true, Muscle Boy?"
"I don't know, Junk Food, but she is dangerous either is she or not."
Then, a huge man with a red tattoo on his stomach charged at Nightingale, who received the full impact of the ram and moved only a few inches from where she stood.
"Well," the large man gulped in fear of what was to happen next, "it went so much better in my head."
Nightingale looked at the bald brute, who ran off in fear of the robotic female, who said, "That was not expected."
"Ball Boy's messed it up again." Space Shot said, knowing that he was wrong to have said it, but it was the only thing that would leave his mouth.
"Oh boy..." Kiyone said after watching Ball Boy's hasty retreat from Nightingale, "These guys seem to be nothing more than a gang of thugs."
"Yeah," agreed Muta, who was watching the fight with the human females, "I already knew that."
Then, Rio sneaked up behind the trio, and when he got the chance, he pulled out a wooden blade and swung at the three. Dorothy noticed the leader of the Dead Enders and his attack, but it was too late to escape the swing. However, luck sided with Dorothy for she had the hairtie that Zeniba had enchanted when she arrived to Oz the first time. The wooden sword never landed on the farmgirl, but Zeniba's spell repelled the weapon and it owner, sending them into the air for a few moments.
"Whoa!" The stray cat exclaimed in awe of the events that he watched at the sideline, "Looks like his not getting up anytime soon."
Kiyone nodded in agreement with Muta when she looked at Nightingale and yelled at her, "Let's get going!"
"Of course." The robot agreed, knowing that Kiyone was right, and followed the trio.
The reformed foursome ran off, while the Dead Enders tended to their fallen leader's body.