Oz Victorious
Chapter Sixteen: What Dreams May Come
Blood stained the Yellow Brick Road. The sunrise was slow to arrive, and its colors were dull and transparent. Supplies had been burned, deliveries were delayed, and innocent citizens were found dead outside their countries. Throughout the day, no one left their home; those who were forced to be outside took cover in stores, schools, or libraries nearby. The robotic armies of Oz assembled around each of the countries, bearing their swords and torches. Come mid day, the skies were blackened with the presence of flying monkeys; their screeching filling the air while their grizzly wings overpowered the wind. Fire coursed out of the windows of the Emerald City's tower, frightening away a great hoard of the apes. The robots charged away as many of the winged beasts as they could, but many fell to their ruination. As the hours passed by, Katrina and the Wizard's blessing over the land held firm, though the flames and lightning licked the very surface of the protective walls. Finally, at nightfall, the attacks stopped, but the people remained hidden from sight.
"The Great and Powerful Oz promises you," the floating head declared before the citizens of Oz. "The attacks will come to an end, and all shall be as it was." Oz shut off his microphone. "I promise." Even in the Emerald City, desperation ran rampant. Addie was ordered by her father to remain in her room, despite her demand to be with her people. Katrina spent all of her time helping whoever she could, and returned to the Wizard in the darkest hours of night, only to find him asleep in his throne; his eyes dark and stained with dried tears. Gently stroking away a single tear, the good witch muttered a spell to ease his dreams. Closing her own eyes, Katrina allowed herself to fade into a glistening pink mist.
"Victoria," the oldest of the Vega sisters cried out, her eyes pouring out tears. "You've destroyed everything...we could have ruled Oz together..." Tightening her eyes in a look of painful disappointment, the good witch shook her head. "But you threw away the future."
"The world ruined our future," the Wicked Witch of the West shot back. "The world tore us apart. And still you stand by the Wizard. I never wanted us to part...but you gave me no choice. Jadeyn only wanted to help us, but you chose to hate her."
"She killed our father," Katrina cried. "She turned you against our friends and family. She did everything in her power to ruin you!"
"I had no friends," Victoria snarled. "And what family I had only wanted to change me. And worst of all, they tried to convince me they were right in doing so. My sister, you betrayed us. Accept it in your heart now that I am wicked. Perhaps you're not so different."
"...Victoria," the woman pleaded. "This doesn't have to be your path. We can still save Oz together. Please, I beg of you, for the memory of our parents, please. You can rule Oz alongside the Wizard. We can live our happy lives again. Please, reconsider your ways. I know I've never been perfect, but I would give anything to call you my sister again."
"...As would I," the green woman answered, throwing her black cloak in front of herself, then departing from the darkness of the dream. Dropping to her knees, Katrina covered her eyes as the tears began to stream down her face.
"Victoria," another voice called out from another realm of the witch's dream. The green woman turned around to see Oz standing before her, clad in his black suit, his hair brown as it was the day they met. "Victoria, please stop this...Remember the day we met...I know it meant little to you, but you comforted me, helped me in my time of need. Please, come back...I rule over all of Oz, but I have no authority over you or your sisters." Victoria clenched her eyes, gritting her teeth. "I have seen the hatred and spite in Jadeyn's eyes, but never in yours. The day we met, I saw, in your eyes, a great and wonderful thing. I saw love, maybe not for me, but for the world. Something...long forgotten. Please, Victoria, stop this and come back to the Emerald City. I would gladly surrender my throne to you and your family if you will protect Oz."
"I shall have the throne once I pry it from your cold, lifeless hands!" the Wicked Witch cried out, provoking a fire around her and the Wizard. "Your words mean nothing to me anymore. Oz will kneel before me or bathe in its own blood. No proposal from you or the one I called my sister can ever change me. My only regret is that you won't live to see your kingdom burn at my finger tips."
Stepping through the smoke, passing through flames as they licked his body, Oz let in a trembling breath through his nose, his body quaking as he attempted to control his pain and sorrow. His heart, he could feel, was shattering inside his chest. "I loved you!" he finally cried out, a massive lump in his throat attempting to render him mute. "I would have always loved you...But I know that who you are now didn't come from a magic apple or an evil sirit; it's you. You made yourself this...You've broken my heart, Victoria...I pray for you every day." With that, the Wizard fell silent.
"No, Wizard," Victoria replied, no sorrow or sympathy in her voice. "Your words have no meaning. They never did." Oz dropped his head in sorrow, then faded from the dream. Casting the realm into darkness, the Wicked Witch of the West rested alone. I'm never coming back.
The Wizard, Addie the Brave, and Katrina the Good stared out over the Emerald City; its walls blocking out the flames. Waving their hands, the good witch and Oz dropped rain over the land of Oz, slowly extinguishing the fires. Smoke arose, reminding them all of what evil lurked in their world, and how much there was to lose.
"I hope you're happy now, Victoria," Katrina declared, her voice broken, hurt, and sincere as she looked into her sister's eyes. "I hope the pain and suffering you've brought to the innocent people of Oz brings you some kind of peace...I hope you're happy with everything you've done...everything you've destroyed."