Epilogue:
In Finaqua Lavender still poured over books and myths of the blade. Galdra had joined her days before and also was surrounded by scrolls to find whatever she could. Lavender stared at the horrible object on the cloth that Glitch brought it in. Her daughters were sent away because of it and its wielder. She looked up as she felt a strong gust of wind blow into the central room and startled her along with her advisors.
"Your majesty!" Jeb and Kelly both ran into her study with large smiles on their faces, "There's a travel storm to the side of the palace. The princesses are back."
DG, Azkadellia, Cain and Glitch all landed just inside the hedge maze near Finaqua from their travel storm. DG and Azkadellia unhooked their hands from one another as the dust settled and hugged with a laugh.
"Thank goodness that one worked," DG laughed with her sister and thought to herself, "The last time I remember us trying a travel storm almost blew us into the lake."
"Father was so upset with us," Azkadellia nodded along as Glitch and Cain shook off the dust from Kansas.
Glitch took a deep breath, "Nothing like good, O.Z. air!"
"You can say that again," Cain grinned and looked at his surroundings.
Lavender rushed out the front of the palace and ran to her daughters. They hugged their mother with open arms and let out a long sigh of relief.
"You have come home," Lavender looked at both of her daughters, "And you came by your own travel storm. What news do you have for me?"
"Soren is gone," DG said simply and held her mother's hand, "He passed on voluntarily. He's not coming back."
"Thank goodness," she kissed the foreheads of both daughters.
DG looked behind her and saw Galdra. She looked a little more rested than what she was in the tower in Winkieland.
"Lady Galdra," she nodded her head at the young girl.
"Princess DG," she nodded back and hugged her around the shoulders, "Thank you."
"For what?" DG looked down confused.
"For helping my brother move on and helping me to find the courage to fight against him in the end," Galdra smiled, "Now I can try to bring the best of Winkieland back."
"You're very welcome then."
Lavender looked back at Glitch and Cain, "You two have made it in one piece. Thank you."
They both smiled and nodded their heads to her. Cain looked behind her and noticed Jeb running toward him. He ran up to his father and gave him a tight hug with a pat on the back, "You've been gone past a week without a word. We- to say, Kelly was worried."
"Don't you lie, Jeb Cain," Kelly walked behind him and hugged Cain as well, "Welcome back."
Jeb turned to DG and smiled, "Thanks for bringing him home, princess."
"Always, Jeb."
"I think you have that backwards," Cain tried to point out but his son and DG both ignored him.
The small group walked back inside the palace and congregated into the central room. DG's eyes bugged as she saw how much papers and scrolls were scattered over tables and stools. The advisors looked up from their work to look over at DG and the small group behind her.
"My daughters have returned," Lavender announced proudly, "And the threat is no more."
The advisors all sighed in collected relief and immediately began to put away the many books and scrolls around them. No one seemed to notice that a blade went missing in the clutter of scrolls and books as if it disappeared all together.
Two weeks later…
"I'm here, don't worry!" DG ran into the dress maker's room and right onto the pedestal. Her hair and make up was already done and all she had to do was don the gown. Azkadellia looked over at her from her own pedestal. DG grinned at her sister and pulled up the gown after she stepped into it, "How's it going, Az?"
"I can't believe that you were almost late for this," Azkadellia chuckled and looked over at her sister, "It's your own wedding, for Ozma's sake!"
"Hey, don't use her name in vain, she's a very nice young woman," DG pointed her finger at Azkadellia. Azkadellia's eyebrow rose, but she didn't ask further.
DG looked her sister over in her new, and brought in, gown. She had delivered her baby only five days before the wedding. It was a beautiful, healthy baby boy with dark hair from both his parents and even darker eyes he got from his father. They had been going back and forth between names for the young boy and ended up naming him Ethan Ambrose.
Azkadellia turned to step off of her pedestal as the dress maker's assistance tried to get the length right. It was of course a corset gown, much like the one that Azkadellia had DG wear at her wedding. DG told her sister straight out, 'If you put me in one of those corsets, I will have my revenge.' Today was that revenge, even if Azkadellia didn't seem all that deterred about it.
The dress wrapped over one shoulder in lace fabric while the other shoulder was covered in silk. The dark blue silk material combined with the lace into the corset bodice and then flared out for the long skirt. DG looked over her sister and let out a little snort.
"What?" Azkadellia asked as the dress maker nodded at her to tell her the length was correct.
"No matter what you wear and no matter how little of time it had been since you've given birth, you still look great in a gown."
Azkadellia laughed at her sister, "It's the Gale curse, I guess."
DG turned around as her corset was tightened a little more. She made sure that her own was made higher up, so she would have a corset, but it wouldn't disturb the baby. As the dress was fitted, the dress makers flowed around DG, blocking Azkadellia's view of her baby sister. From the middle of them DG laughed and held up her hands over the heads of most of them.
"Help me, Az! I'm drowning in a sea of dress makers!"
Both princesses laughed and the main dress maker stood back, "Please, your highness. We are just about done."
After another moment all of them stood back to look at their masterpiece. Azkadellia looked on and her jaw was left open.
"Oh my goodness, Deeg…"
"I have got to see this," DG smiled and carefully got off her perch and over to the mirror.
There she saw the full picture. The Victorian styled wedding dress was not as detailed as it was in the bridal book she read from, but it was still beautiful. The long sleeves tapered over her middle fingers and the square cut bodice gave her a beautiful breast line. The bodice itself was weaved with blue ribbon and light sapphires. The skirt flowed from her waist in a princess style and DG laughed to herself while she turned in front of the mirror, careful not to trip on her short train.
"You know what's strange about this, Az?"
"What's that?" Azkadellia put a supportive hand on DG's shoulder.
"This is the first day that I've actually been happy to look and feel like a princess."
Azkadellia laughed and Lavender walked into the room with a younger servant behind her. The servant carried a small box and stopped a careful distance behind the queen.
"My angel, you look beautiful," her mother cooed loudly and hugged DG careful not to miss up any of her hair or make up. She looked her over and nodded at her choice of dress, "There is one thing missing."
Lavender turned around and opened the box to take out a small crown. DG's coronation crown, "The future queen must wear her crown."
DG bowed a little lower for her mother to set the crown on her head, "Thank you, mother."
She nodded and walked out the door and to the podium out in the gardens of Finaqua. Azkadellia quickly handed her the main bouquet and held her own along with Cain's ring.
As her mother promised, DG was given a wedding with as many or as little guests as she wanted. DG thanked her mother and after talking it over with Cain they decided that the guest list wouldn't exceed five hundred. She had found it important to invite the main dignitaries, but the front rows were reserved for her best friends and family. Besides, the reception was going to be friends and family, just like Azkadellia's was.
Azkadellia smiled brightly at her sister and then walked down the carpeted aisle down to the pool where she and Cain had sat so many times before. At the end of the aisle the queen and the priest figure were waiting. Then off to the right side was Cain, dressed in a white suit with a dark blue sash to match her wedding dress with Glitch right behind him in a blue suit with a white sash. Glitch was chosen as the Wedded brother since Jeb was Cain's son and wouldn't be able to be considered a 'brother' to the groom. Instead, Jeb and Kelly sat in the first row with little Ethan in Kelly's lap. Galdra sat next to them as a guest of honor and an ambassador to her section of Winkieland. Emily sat at their side and smiled back at DG as Hank stepped next to DG.
Before they took off, DG turned to her robot father with a large smile, "I'm glad you got to walk me down the aisle, dad."
"Me too," he nodded, "Me too."
DG looked up at the sky and saw the bright blue sky dotted with both suns. She also wished that Ahamo was able to come back. Her father had given her the chance to get away from Soren while she was asleep and now he was finally able to rest. Hopefully in a place he could watch them all from now on.
Then the song began, the guests stood and DG held on to her father's arm and her bouquet as they walked down the aisle together. She could see Cain at the end of the aisle waiting for her and all she could do was smile. And he did the same back to her. It didn't matter if they had a guest size of thirty or twelve hundred, he would have still looked at her the same way as he did at that moment.
"Who gives this man this woman?" the man at the alter asked.
"I, the man who helped to raise her and the Queen of this land, the mother of this woman, do," Hank said proudly. Cain turned to him and offered his hand to DG. Hank gently placed her hand in his and smiled warmly at Cain before he turned and sat next to Emily in the audience.
"All may be seated," the man told the attendants and the hall echoed as the guests sat down.
DG squeezed Cain's hand in her own and pursed her lips. They looked at one another and took a deep breath. She smiled so bright she didn't know where it came from. He squeezed her hand back and they both looked forward.
"We are here in this glorious palace, for a glorious occasion," the man began and looked between the two of them, "To place two lives into one cup and watch the wonders of a future take hold. The bonding of two hearts in such a way they will never be broken and they will never lose one another. This the day of Princess Dorothy Gale and Wyatt Cain's union… be blessed by the unnamed God.
"I will open the floor to the two to say their blessings and their vows," the man stepped back and Cain looked at DG as she took a deep breath to start.
"I know you wanted to say yours, but I felt like I needed to say mine first. Is that okay?" Cain asked and DG nodded her head. He took both her hands in his and looked into her eyes, "I look at you and I still see the impossible. The adventures we've fought, the obstacles we over came and the future that we built for ourselves. You found me in a tin box that no one ever dared to open before and I never knew if anyone ever would. But what I didn't know was that since you opened that box, you've had my heart and soul. I love you, DG. And I will spend the rest of time living the impossible with you."
DG paused before hers and just stared into his eyes. She took a deep breath and bowed her head a little before she laughed a little bit, "You stole my speech."
Cain and the guests that were close to them laughed along with her. She looked back into his eyes and with a deep breath began.
"As much as people think that I'm good at this kind of thing, you know I'm never really good at speeches. And you know that even though I read them five thousand times before I give them, I still miss them up. You know that I am not perfect and that I have failed things before and probably will fail others along the way. You know my every move before I even take a step. You know me, the real me and have known the real me since I opened that tin can. Just like I know the way that you breath when you want me to think when your asleep or the way I knew your heart right before you climbed out of that truck in Central City. And I could never love anyone as much as I love you every moment of everyday. I will spend eternity in the impossible with you, Wyatt Cain. Every time."
Lavender Eyes stepped forward and smiled at the two ahead of her, "Does the wedded brother have the ring?"
Glitch stepped forward, handed Cain the ring and then stood back into his place.
"Wyatt, repeat after me," Lavender instructed as Cain looked into DG's eyes, "With this endless ring, I give you my endless love…"
"With this endless ring, I give you my endless love…"
"And you will have my heart, my loyalty and my soul joined with yours forever more."
"And you will have my heart, my loyalty and my soul joined with yours forever more," Cain let out a breath he pushed the ring onto her finger.
"Does the wedded sister have the ring?" Lavender looked at Azkadellia as she handed Cain's ring over and then stepped back to her place.
"Again, repeat what I say," Lavender spoke softly, "With this endless ring, I give you endless love…"
"With this endless ring, I give you endless love…"
"And you will have my heart, my loyalty and my soul joined with yours forever more."
"And you will have my heart, my loyalty and my soul joined with yours forever more," DG slid the larger ring onto Cain's finger where the tan line had finally begun to tan over and they interlaced their hands with one another.
"Is there any of those present who wish to speak against this union?" Lavender looked over the crowd which stood silent at her question. DG glanced over the crowd and shot an evil eye at anyone who even looked like they were going to breathe. This in itself made Azkadellia snicker at her. No one spoke up and DG smiled when her mother continued.
"By the power bestowed upon the house of Gale…" Lavender Eyes put her hand over their interlaced ones and a light began to glow between hers, "I give not only my blessing but I solidify the union of this man and woman. In all eyes, ears and hearts they are now recognized as man and wife."
She stood back and the light still surrounded their hands, "Wyatt Cain, now Prince-consort of the lands, you may kiss Princess DG, your wife."
"About time," DG mumbled under her breath before Cain dipped her and kissed her gently. As they separated from the kiss DG looked him straight in the eyes and gave him a secret smile before whispering, "After the reception, I am expecting you to fill that promise you made me."
"I promised you, Mrs. Cain," he whispered in her ear and she shivered at the name, "And I always keep my promises."
Approximately Seven months later…
"You just had to fulfill that promise didn't you!?" DG, the new queen of the O.Z. screamed into her King-consort's ear, "I swear by all that is holy, Wyatt Cain, I will make you feel this pain!"
As the last of the contraction left DG she breathed deep and Cain switched hands to shake out the one she had just crushed, "In all fairness, sweetheart, this one was done before that promise was fulfilled."
"I need drugs," she whined and looked at her mother and sister who were on the other side of her from Cain. Lavender gently patted DG's hand and tried to sooth her with calm words.
Her mother had stepped down from the thrown only a couple of months before and given it over to DG. She wanted to spend what time she had left with her family and not with policies and government interruptions.
"You don't need drugs, DG," Azkadellia reminded her and tried to calm her with some magic.
"When I want to hear advice from my royal advisor, then I will ask for it!" DG growled at her sister, "Why did I hire you for that job again?"
"Because you take my advice to heart above all else and I could work with my husband," Azkadellia reminded her. She looked at the medic who was in the delivering position for the baby, "How much longer?"
"Okay, your highness, you're going to need to start pushing," the medic stated and looked over the cloth at DG, "Ready? And push!"
DG pushed as Cain counted to ten and she crushed his hand.
"Okay and rest," the medic announced.
DG breathed shallow in an attempt to catch her breath and looked at Cain again, "I'm going to kill you, Wyatt Cain! I swear to the unnamed God I am! Very slowly."
"I love you too, darlin'," he replied and counted as she had to push again.
"I see the head, your majesty," the medic announced and suddenly the rest of the baby fell into the doctor's hands. The mouth was washed out with water and the baby began to cry. DG's head went back into the pillow but her eyes searched for her baby.
The medic raised the baby over the sheet to show it to DG, "It's a beautiful, healthy baby girl."
"She's perfect," Cain smiled and the medic staff along with Azkadellia helped to clean her up and Cain cut the cord.
"We have an unexpected visitor," the medic said from under the sheet.
"What?!" DG yelled down at her.
"You have to keep pushing, your majesty," the medic told her and she took in a deep breath and began to push again. Soon out came a second body into the medic's hands and she laughed as she lifted the crying baby over the sheet, "Congratulations, you have a son."
"A son?" DG smiled and watched her son cry as they took him back and began to clean him and Cain cut the cord on him as well. Cain came back to sit by her as they cleaned the two bundles. Lavender and Azkadellia cooed over the babies as they were cleaned and Lavender did a Gale right of passage over them both. Cain leaned over and kissed DG on the forehead and rubbed the knuckles of one of her hands.
"You did good, kiddo," he whispered.
She laughed a little with him as the two babies were brought over and set into both of her arms. DG looked into their faces and began to cry in joy. They both had their parent's blue eyes. The girl seemed to have darker hair than the little boy. His was so light it almost looked like he was bald. DG kissed them both and rocked them next to her. Cain rubbed the top of their heads softly and chuckled at DG.
Soon the medics filed out and the rest of the group filed in for a moment or two to see the new additions. DG held out the babies to her mother who took the little girl in one arm and the little boy in the other. Azkadellia took Ethan in her arms from Glitch and showed him his new cousins.
"Baby," the seven month Ethan pointed at his youngest cousin. Of course he was advanced for his age. He was Glitch's son, after all.
"So these are my new siblings, huh?" Jeb looked at them both and shook his head in wonder, "You're lucky Deeg. They have your looks."
Cain playfully punched his son in the arm.
Hank and Emily also walked to the babies and cooed down at them. Even though they were robots, they were still grandparents to both babies. DG looked to try and find the last of the group. It seemed that Raw was still away in Winkieland trying to help Galdra set up a cabinet that would help her more than harm her. For the soon to be sixteen year old, there was much rebuilding to come. It was okay, Raw would see the little ones soon enough.
Azkadellia looked at the parents and then looked at the room, "Okay everyone, we've seen the miracle. Let's give the babies back and let the parents be."
Lavender hesitantly gave over her granddaughter to DG and did the same with her grandson over to Cain. As everyone left DG and Cain looked at one another and he gave her a kiss.
"So what did we decide on the name for a girl?" Cain asked and looked at his daughter in his wife's arms.
"Caitlin Adora Gale-Cain," DG announced and Cain nodded in agreement. She nodded to their son, "And what do we name the welcomed surprise?"
"Caleb," Cain said as he looked at his second son and then at DG, "Caleb Ian Gale-Cain."
"I like it," DG nodded.
A few years passed and Queen DG of the O.Z. worked on her sketches in the shade of the gazebo while her children played in the tall grass by the shores of Finaqua. She saw their eyes playfully look out from the reeds every other moment or so and she had to smile as they ducked back down when she waved.
"Don't go into the water, you don't have your swim suits on today," she called out to them and they laughed in response before she heard the faint sloshing of their rubber boots in the mud. She looked back down at her drawing and jumped as a hand landed on her shoulder. She looked up to find her husband staring down at her.
"I'm sorry about that, sweetheart," he apologized and kissed her on the cheek.
"How's Jeb?" she asked.
"He's doing good. He and Kelly have got a handful with little Ellie running around."
"I bet," she nodded and then jumped for a completely different reason. He smiled as she grabbed his hand and put it over her swelling stomach. She saw his smile light up when he felt them kicking, "They must know when you're here."
"Daddy!" two three year olds run up to Cain and jumped onto each one of his legs. One the perfect copy of her mother and the son the spitting image of his father.
"You two are all covered with mud," he laughed as they dropped from his legs leaving behind perfect imprints on his legs. He picked both of them up and swung them in a circle. They screamed in delight and he stopped before they all toppled over. DG laughed from her chair.
"Daddy?" Caitlin looked at her father's face.
"Yes, little princess?" he looked back at her.
"Tell us again," she begged.
"Yeah, about the twisters and the papay and Uncle Glitch and Raw," Caleb joined in with a wave of his hands, "And how you all saved Aunt Az from the witch!"
"Again, kiddos?"
"Please!" they both bounced in his arms. DG laughed louder at the sight. He sighed and looked at the sky and she knew they had won him over. They cheered and sat on the floor of the gazebo as their father started.
"A long time ago, in a far away place called Kansas, a young girl named Dorothy Gale lived in a farm house with her family…"
Far in the Eastern Forests a tall cave still stands that protects a treasure known for countless annuals. The only light that breaks through the darkness in the whole cavern shines down on a single object placed upon a tall pedestal centralized in the rock's face. The beam of light illuminates the tall pedestal where a red handled, black dagger lays peacefully atop dark red velvet. The handle shines brilliantly with swirls of blood red and gold. The blade itself is black and cold like ice.
Behind the pedestal, a figure still sits and waits. Waits for another fool who would dare to force more bloodshed and more pain on those they say they love. He sits tall against the throne made of rock, ready to tell the story of the Slayer of Hearts. To tell his story of his love lost.
To tell the story of the young queen-to-be of the O.Z. and her Tin Man… and how they brought the impossible to life.