Flashback 18.

by Schammielynn

The Wicked Witch never attacked the palace again after that. Oswin and I genuinely thought she had died due to the pact.

After mourning Aly's death, the Emerald City seemed to become a happy place once more, since they too knew about the pact. . Even Oswin and I found a rhythm to our lives once again. It hurt, and there never went a day that I didn't think about Aly, but I knew there was nothing I could do.

If there was one thing that did change was that Oswin was a lot less personal about his work. He stopped taking appointments from villagers, and we locked off the palace. I was still able to sneak out now and again, but nobody could get in. According to the guard, "Not nobody, no how."

As for Terence, he was reported safe one week, and reported missing the later. Missing was better than dead, and until I had proof, I would go on believing that he was alright, because I knew a world couldn't exist where both Aly and Terence were dead.

It was midday when a new group of visitors came into town. It wasn't often this happened, but I was disinterested. Oswin had just taught me how to create pure ice buildings, complicated and brilliant. I was thoroughly intrigued by that, rather than the news of a visitor named "Dorothy."

My interest wasn't sparked until they wanted to see the wizard.

Long story short, Oswin wasn't seeing anybody anymore. Whoever had sent Dorothy was obviously very confused. Oswin denied them entrance.

And that's when we found out Zelena was alive. And after Dorothy.

I was with Oswin when this happened. 15 years old, and I was finally allowed to get involved with certain business matters.

"But, Mr. Wizard, sir, she says the Wicked Witch is after her!"
"The Wicked Witch is dead!" Oswin turned away from the guard, but the look of pure hate and anger was visible to me.

"Look, in the sky!"

I ran over the window and read out loud, "'Surrender Dorothy.' Oh that's her alright. Green skin and all." Rage boiled up inside of me. "My ice is strong enough now, Oswin. I can..."

"NO!" He turned around and came to stand next to me at the window. "No. You don't need to do anything. I don't want you getting hurt. I have a plan. Alright?"

I looked at him suspiciously.

"I don't want to help them. They brought this witch back into our kingdom. You tell them they can come and see me, but they'll be met with a price in order for my help."

The guard walked out of the room, nodding.

I looked suspiciously at Oswin, "A price?"
"If they want my help, they must defeat the witch."

"But nobody can. The pact didn't work. And we can't even scratch her with our magic."
He shrugged, "Something makes this Dorothy so special that Zelena came out of hiding to try and take care of her."
"I hope you're right. I don't want a death of an innocent girl to be the result of this."
"While she's in the room, I'll enchant something basic that she's wearing, and she won't be able to be touched by Zelena. I can't guarantee the others."

I folded my arms and bit my lip, "I hope it works. The last protection spell..."

"I know!" He snapped. "I know. It's not always reliable. But I can at least try." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Then a wry smile planted itself on his face. "From what I've heard, the others aren't even human. There's a scarecrow, a lion, and a tinman."
"What?!"
"Exactly."
"Well if you're going to go meet them, you'd better get into position. Can I watch?"
He thought for a moment. "It's best you keep out of this one."

I frowned as he walked to the door and I threw a snowball at him, and he shot me a glare.

Smirking, I teased. "Who knew the great and powerful Oz was affected by a snowball? Go get 'em."

When Dorothy and her friends brought back the witch's broom the next day, I was more surprised than I ever was. Oswin paged for me to come down into the throne room immediately, which is where he put on his stage production as the Great and Powerful Oz.

As I stepped into the room, I saw the backs of four terrified people. Behind walls and pillars, I snuck around to see them, where nobody else could see me.

The first was a girl, in a blue dress and long brown braids. Next really was a scarecrow, and he was leaving hay around everywhere he walked. The lion was a lion, but it wasn't normal. It looked cursed and miserable, and I figured it was some long withstanding issue between it and Zelena. She had a habit of giving creatures in the woods between us and Munchkinland some issues many years ago. Last, the Tin Man, wasn't like the others. He looked as if he was from around here, and was the only one not quivering in Oswin's fake wrath. The "Tin" was armor. And there was a dog, who was beginning to pull back the curtain of Oswin's stand. I tried not to laugh from behind all of them.

As Oswin was revealed, and hopelessly trying to recover, I walked around to be by his side.

"Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain."

Oswin sounded befuddled and worried about his identity being blown, but one look at his face and it was obvious he didn't care. After his cover was shot, he walked forward to greet them, and I met him halfway.

When I laid eyes on the "Tin Man", my heart stopped and my jaw dropped.

"Terry? Is that… is that you?" His childhood name slipped from my lips. If it was him, it bared little resemblance, but just enough. He looked way older, not the boy that had left to be a drummer.

"Who is she?" The Tin Man looked at Oswin, worriedly.

"Whoever she is, she's with this fraud!" I presumed it was Dorothy, exclaimed. We ignored her.
Oswin looked between myself and the Tin Man. "Of course! I don't know why I didn't see it before."

"What? See what?" I asked frantically. Was this Terence? Was he okay?

"Tin Man, this is my daughter, Elsa."
"Ess?"
"Oh my God, Terry."
"Essie!" he screamed.

I flew into his arms and he spun me around. Strong. Protective. Warm. Everything I remembered about him was still there. I backed up and smiled at him. "You grew up."
His hair had been cut, muscles had taken place of gangly limbs, and his voice had even deepened.
He beamed at me, "I never thought I'd see you again."
"They told me you were missing!" I said with a grin. And then I realized it and hissed, "They told me you were missing. Why didn't you write to me?! Why didn't I hear from you?!"

"I-I…"
"Terry, I needed you more than ever. And you weren't there."
"What happened? Why? Your hair…."

The others watched on as I pounded on the tin chest plate he wore.

"I dropped out school. I have magic. My hair turned platinum."

I was ranting. I was furious.

Terry looked completely devastated and worried, "Ess, now isn't the time to do this."
"You left me. I trusted you, and you abandoned me."

"He was injured, miss… well, whoever you are." Dorothy interjected.
"Excuse me?"

"We found him in the woods. He was pretty beat up. I got him taken care of with some leftover supplies."
Terry interjected, "The war. I was injured and left behind, lost. And with no way to get back. They saved me."

Oswin stepped in. "Ahem. Back to business. I can give all of you what you came here for, being as you vanquished the witch, or so you say."
I continued shooting icy stares at Terry.

"Scarecrow, you say you want brains. You have just as much brains as everyone else. But what you'll have that they don't is a diploma to prove it."

The scarecrow grinned and pronounced some random fact and Dorothy looked on proudly.
"Lion, you say you were cursed?"
"Y-y-yes your greatness."
I rolled my eyes and folded my arms.

"Well, you shouldn't let a curse hold you back. You have just as much courage as everyone else. And I can't undo your curse. But what you'll have that they don't is a medal of bravery to prove that you aren't so cowardly after all."

"Oh, thank you." he powerfully tossed his head and then grinned stupidly.

"As for you Tin Man, you say you need a heart?"
"It was injured in battle. And it's working for a while, but all the field doctor's expect I won't live for long. They say it's weak. That's why they left me in the forest with a couple other, um, scrapes."

"Well you're in luck. I can heal that." Oswin shot me a glance before continuing. "But you've got to promise me something. If I save your heart, which isn't an easy thing to do, you've got to promise that you won't break Essie's."
"Sir?"
"You know and I know that you two care a great deal for one another. Promise that you won't break her heart, Terence. And I can promise you that your heart will last just as long as everyone else's."
Terry's eyes locked on mine and he began to smile. "I promise, sir. For the rest of my life. And I am so sorry for not coming back sooner. So sorry, Ess. Please forgive me."

I walked over and looked up at him. "Of course I forgive you."

He wrapped me in a hug again, "Never again."