Isabelle's eyes fluttered open with a start. She was lying in a field of flowers. All she remembered was the shoes, spinning, and fainting. This place was definitely not her house in Kansas. She looked around to see a nearby village of some sort. Feeling that it was her best option of finding out where she was, she began to cross the flower field towards it. The ground was soft beneath her feet as she plowed through the field. She felt the hem of her dress beginning to dampen with the dew from the flowers.

Never once did she look down until her foot hit something unusually hard. Upon glancing down, she saw a road made of yellow bricks leading all the way to the village.

Curious, she thought to herself, I've never seen a road like this before. By far this is the most unique thing I've ever seen. She stopped to think of her own skin. Ok, maybe not the MOST unique thing, but it is pretty rare to see something like this.

She continued down the road to the village. She pulled her cloak around her head to shade her skin from view. All was quiet in the village. There was no bustling of people going about their lives. It was calm, but strange. Isabelle continued to walk down the street of the strange village, looking down at each place she found. Peculiarly, the homes, shops, schools, and other buildings were tiny compared to the ones in Kansas. She was taller than most of the buildings.

Suddenly she heard whispering coming from nearby. Thinking that perhaps it could be someone that could help her, she went to where she heard it coming from. Cautiously she looked around a house to find two people crouching behind the house. They seemed terrified of something because they were whispering frantically back and forth to one another. Isabelle couldn't quite make out what they were saying, so she decided to be bold and say something.

"Hello," she said nervously.

The two figures looked up to see Isabelle wrapped in her cloak and hood around her head. Petrified, the two ran off into a nearby building for safety. Once the two were gone, Isabelle glanced around to find several other little heads sticking out of the windows of the buildings. All were staring at her in wonder and amazement.

"Could someone maybe tell me where I am?" she asked politely.

All the windows shut immediately. From a distant window she heard someone scream, "It's the witch!" before slamming it shut.

Deciding that this probably wasn't the best place for her to be, Isabelle followed the yellow brick road out of the crazy little village. Once outside the village, the scenery changed a bit. Instead of flowers, there was a forest of tall trees on either side of the road. Isabelle was taken back at how beautiful it truly was. As she was admiring the beauty of the forest, she wasn't really paying attention to where she was going and fell into a hole in the road, twisting her ankle in the process. Crying out in pain, she fell to the ground, unable to support her weight on her ankle.

Stupid, she thought, why couldn't you have watched where you were going? Now I'm going to be stuck down here all day. I hope someone comes along that can help me and isn't afraid of my skin color.

Isabelle sat there for what seemed like forever waiting for someone to come help her. Already she had tried to walk on it, but failed miserably. Her patience was wearing thin when she heard a horse galloping somewhere down the road. It sounded as if it were getting closer to her. Quickly she adjusted her cloak to hide her green skin from her possible rescuer.

A horse pulled up beside her and a man got down. Gently, he knelt beside her and asked, "Are you hurt?"

"My ankle is twisted and I can't walk on it," she replied softly.

"Well, we can't have that now can we? You will ride on my horse and I will walk," he said.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Of course I am," he replied.

He reached under her knees and braced her back as she wrapped her arms around his neck so he could carry her to his horse. When he was putting her on the horse, her hood fell back, revealing her skin to him.

"Sweet Oz!" he exclaimed in surprise.

She blushed and began to say, "I'm sorry. I know I'm a little…different. If you don't want to help me, I understand completely."

"No," he said, "no, it just you startled me is all. What is your name?"

"Isabelle, and yours?" she asked.

"Raiden," he replied, flashing a smile at her.

She smiled back and asked, "Do you mind telling me where I am?"

"You must be new here. This is the Land of Oz, particularly an area known as Munchkinland," he explained.

"This is the Land of Oz?" she asked.

"Indeed it is. You have heard of it before?" he asked.

"Once," she replied.

"Where are you from?" Raiden asked politely as they started down the road.

"Kansas, where I grew up. I was adopted by the woman I called mother all my life when I was a baby. She died in an accident and I found a letter from my birth mother, telling me that I was from here. Now I'm here to learn about my past, who I am, and where I came from," Isabelle explained.

"Well, I know someone that might be able to help you in your search," he said.

"Who is that?" she asked.

"My mother, she knows practically everyone in Oz in some way or another," he said.

"Who is your mother?" she inquired.

"Her name is Glinda," he replied.

Glinda, Isabelle racked her thoughts, she had heard that name before. She could not think of where she had heard that name. It would simply have to wait and be answered when she reached their destination.

"Where are we going?" she asked sometime later.

"The Emerald City, where I live and my parents live," he said. "I think that you will like it there. It is a beautiful city."

"Um, would you mind if I pulled my hood above my head to cover myself?" she nervously asked.

"If you feel that you must," he said.

Isabelle pulled her hood up around her head. She felt safer that way.

During the time it took them to get to the Emerald City, Raiden and Isabelle talked little. Isabelle was terribly shy and kept to herself most of the journey, wondering what it would be like in this new place. Along the way, they past a cornfield, which felt oddly familiar to Isabelle, as if she had been to it in a dream. Although, she said nothing to Raiden about it. The terrible, awkward silence between them broke the moment they arrived in the Emerald City. It was every bit as wonderful as Raiden said it would be. Everything, from the walls to the floors were green. Isabelle felt right at home.

They arrived at the grandest home in the city. Raiden helped Isabelle down from the horse. She could bear to put a little weight on her ankle now, with the help of Raiden guiding her steps. They made it to the front door.

"Well, this is my home. My mother and father are inside. I'm sure that my mother will be able to help you. Once we're inside, it will be ok for you to take your cloak off, I promise no one will bother you," he said reassuringly.

"Alright," she replied.

The two of them entered the door of his home and made their ways through the grand hallways and staircases until they reached a door. Raiden pushed it open and led Isabelle in by the hand. Isabelle gazed at Glinda in her regal chair with a man sitting next to her in a chair much like her own. Raiden went forward and bowed.

"Mother, Father I've returned home safely," he said.

"Welcome home, son. Who is that behind you? It seems you have brought a guest," Glinda said sweetly.

"This is my new friend, Isabelle. I found her on the road by Munchkinland, she was hurt and so I brought her back here. She needs your help Mother," Raiden explained.

"She seems terribly shy. Dearest, why don't you take your hood off so I can see your lovely face?" Glinda asked Isabelle.

Isabelle took a deep breath and slid the hood from her head, revealing her green skin. Glinda's face went from a sweet smile to a look of shock.

"Sweet Oz!" Glinda exclaimed.

A/N: So, how do you like it so far? Let me know. Review and make my day!