There's No Place like Home

(Ayla's POV)

*The next day, everyone in the Emerald City gathered in the town square. Me, Muttski, & Charles stood together in the basket of the balloon*

Charles: Citizens of Oz! I, your Wizard, am about to embark on a hazardous, and technically unexplainable journey into the outer stratosphere. And I hereby decree, that until what time (if any) that I return, the Scarecrow shall rule in my stead, assisted by the Tin Walrus and the Lion. Obey them as you would me!

*Suddenly, Muttski started barking at a cat & jumped out of the basket to chase after it*

Ayla: Muttski! No! Come back! *I jumped out of the basket* Don't leave without me, I'll be right back! Muttski!

*My three friends went to help me catch him*

Charles: This is a highly irregular procedure.

*Suddenly, just as I caught Muttski, the balloon got loose & began to float away*

Ayla: Come back! Don't go without me! Come back!

Charles: I can't! I don't know how it works! Goodbye everyone!

*The crowd cheered as he floated away*

Ayla: Now I'll never get home.

Lion: Stay with us then Ayla. We love you. We don't want you to leave.

Ayla: Thank you. But this place could never be home. Everyone must've stopped looking for me by now. What am I going to do?

*I started to cry*

Scarecrow: Look! Here's someone who can help you.

*I looked towards where he was pointing & saw a pink bubble floating towards us. It landed on a bridge & disappeared. in it's place was someone who looked a lot like Bunnie, except she was wearing a long sparkling pink dress, a silver tiara, & holding a silver wand. The citizens of the Emerald City bowed to her as she walked over to us*

Ayla: Who are you?

Glinda: Ah'm Glinda, the Good Witch of the South. It's nice to meet yah, Ayla.

Ayla: How do you know my name?

Glinda: Ah've been watchin' yah since yah first arrived in Oz.

Ayla: Can you help me get home?

Glinda: Yah don't need to helped any longer. You've had the power to go back home all along.

Ayla: I have? But why didn't anybody tell me?

Glinda: Do you think you would have believed anybody if they told you?

Ayla: Well, probably not.

*She nodded*

Glinda: You had to learn it for yourself.

Tin Walrus: What did you learn, Ayla?

Ayla: Well, I think that it wasn't enough to just want to see my brother and my friends again. And it's that if I ever go looking for my heart's desire again, I won't look any further than my own backyard. Because if it isn't there, I never really lost it to begin with. Is that right?

Glinda: That's all it is.

Scarecrow: But that's so easy. I should have thought of it for you.

Tin Walrus: I should have felt it.

Glinda: No. She had to figure it out all by herself. Now those magic boots will take yah home in two seconds flat.

Ayla: They will? And Muttski too?

Muttski: And Muttski too.

Ayla: Now?

Glinda: Whenever you're ready.

*I turned to my friends*

Ayla: Well guys, this it it. I'll miss you. *I went to the Tin Walrus* Goodbye, Tin Walrus. And here's your oil can back.

Tin Walrus: Goodbye, kiddo. Thank you for this marvelous adventure.

*I kissed his cheek & went to the Lion*

Ayla: Goodbye Lion. I know you'll make a great King of the Forest.

Lion: It's all zanks to you, Ayla. I'd still be a coward if it weren't for you.

*I kissed his cheek & went to the Scarecrow. I hugged him tight*

Ayla: I think I'll miss you most of all. *I kissed his cheek & went to Glinda* I'm ready.

Glinda: Then close your eyes. *I closed them* Click your heels three times. *I clicked them* And think to yourself, "There's no place like home".

Ayla: There's no place like home . . . There's no place like home . . . There's no place like home . . . There's no place like home . . .

Ayla: . . . Like home . . . There's no place like home . . .

Sonic:*off-screen* Ayla?

Ayla: There's no place like home . . . There's no place like home . . .

Bunnie:*off-screen* Sugar?

Tails:*off-screen* Can you hear us?

*I slowly started to open my eyes. At first, my vision was blurry. But then it started to focus. I saw I was lying in a bed & my brother & friends were hovering over me*

Rotor: I think she's coming around.

Dulcy: Thank goodness

*Still feeling groggy, I looked around the room*

Ayla: Sonic? Sally? Guys? Wh - Where am I?

Antoine: Why, you are in ze medical hut in Knotehole.

Ayla: How did I g-get here?

Tails: We found you passed out & Muttski deactivated in front of the Great Oak three days ago. Then we took you here.

Ayla: Where's M - Muttski?

Rotor: He's right here. *Muttski then came up to the bed & licked my face* He was pretty banged up when we found you guys, so I gave him a complete repair job.

Dulcy: How do you feel?

Ayla: My head kinda hurts.

Sally: I'm not surprised. You've got a nasty bump on your head. That was some storm. Nearly destroyed Knotehole and the Great Forest.

Ayla: Storm . . .?

*My eyes went wide & I sat up with a jolt. Everything a started coming back to me. The tornado, the ruby boots, & my adventures in Oz. I looked at my brother & tears began to form in my eyes*

Bunnie: Hey, what's wrong, Sugar. Why ya cryin'?

*I didn't answer her. Instead, I latched on to my brother & hugged him tight*

Sonic: Whoa! What's gotten into you?

*Again, I didn't answer. Instead, I just started crying into his shoulder*

Ayla:*crying* I - I missed you so m - much! I t-thought I'd n - never see you a-again!

*Sally put a hand on my shoulder*

Sally: It's okay, Ayla. You just had a bad dream.

*I looked at her*

Ayla: No. It wasn't a dream. The storm took me to a far away land. You were all there. Well, I don't mean you guys were literally there, but there were people who looked a lot like you guys. *I told that everything that happened to me & Muttski* And then the next thing I knew, I was lying here in bed and you guys were all standing around me.

*At first they looked at me like I had grown an extra head. Then Bunnie pushed me back into the mattress & pulled the covers up to my chin*

Bunnie: Okay, Sugar. We're glad your back. Now you just get some rest.

*They all soon left my room, but I could hear them talking outside*

Sonic: Man, I've heard my sister tell stories, but that one takes the cake.

Sally: Wicked Witches. Talking Scarecrows. Flying Monkeys.

Antoine: What an imagination zat girl has.

*I kept watching them until they were out of sight*

Ayla: They think I made it all up. If I only had some way to make them believe. Wait . . . *I pulled back my covers & saw I was still wearing the Ruby boots* Of course, the boots! They'll have to believe me now! *I ran outside* Sonic! Sally! guys! Wait'll you see! *I turned a corner & saw something that shocked me* Oh no!

*I saw three of our male Freedom Fighters all dressed in sparkling cowboy costumes*

Male Freedom Fighter: Reach for the sky, you coyotes!

Male Freedom Fighter #2: Look at me! I'm a regular Buffalo Bill!

Sally: Where on Mobius did you get those things!?

Male Freedom Fighter: Well, a traveling circus got caught up in the twister.

Male Freedom Fighter #3: It dropped circus props all over the countryside.

Sally:*clapping her hands* Oh, back to work, you clowns! *all three of them ran off* The village is still in shambles and you're playing dress-up!

*The rest of the Freedom Fighters giggled*

Dulcy: Hey look, *she pointed at my boots* even Ayla got into the act.

*Muttski opened his mouth, but I stopped him*

Ayla: It's okay, boy.

*That night, I put the boots in a box & then put it in my closet*

Ayla: We remember what really happened and where we were. That's all that matters. It's probably better that they don't believe us anyway. And with the boots, we can go back to Oz anytime we want. How about we do that after Rotor perfects the De-Roboticizer?

*Muttski barked a happy bark*

*Ayla singing*

Somewhere over the rainbow

Way up high

There's a land

That I've heard of

Once in a lullaby

Somewhere over rainbow

Skies are blue

And the dreams that you dare

To dream

Really do come true

*I tucked myself into bed & dreamed about Oz*

(Present Time)

Chris: Why didn't Sonic believe you?

Ayla: Do you think anyone would believe you if you told them you went to magical land with witches and wizards, where scarecrows talk, and you see monkeys flying in the sky.

Chris:*chuckle* No, I guess not. But still, that's an amazing story. Reminds me of a famous fairytale.

Ayla: Really. You'll have to show it to me sometime. But for now, let's get back to the Freedom Fighters and Robuttnik.

*Chris laughed when I said that name*

Chris: Ok.

Ayla: Ok then.

Somewhere Over the Rainbow - Tom and Jerry: Back to Oz