Chapter 21

by schammielynn

I walked out of Oswin's study feeling awful for taking it out on him, and hoping that he was somewhere nearby. Instead, I saw Terry, looking concerned.

"I heard yelling. Is everything alright?"
I contemplated telling him, and figured I would wait until the commotion with his friends leaving was done.

"Yeah, just a little fight. Is everything all set with Dorothy?"

As if she had been summoned, she walked down the stairs with a basket and the small black dog next to her.

She walked up to us and smiled at me, "Hey Elsa. Thanks for being such a great host. The Emerald City is such a beautiful place. I almost hate to leave it."
"Well, there is plenty of room here," I said with a smile.
"I miss my Auntie Em and Uncle Henry too much for that. And besides, I don't belong here anyways. Maybe we'll see each other again someday!"

You had to admit, the girl was wildly optimistic. I replied, "Yeah, maybe!"

"Well, do I have to escort myself out to the balloon?"
"Of course not," Terry answered, being the gentlemen he was. "Want me to carry your basket?"
"No. Knowing me I'll forget and leave it with you, and it's got my memories from here inside of it. I don't want to forget this place."
We began walking out and I wondered if she was going to start crying.

"Will you guys take care of Sawyer and Leo for me? I don't want them to wind up back where they were."
"Of course. The wizard has already made arrangements for them to be part of the Emerald City system. And they won't have to worry about Zelena anymore," I reassured.
We made it to the balloon, which was in the backyard, and there were an incredible amount of people there. Including Oswin, who was talking to a woman dressed in all pink. I looked over at him, but he was doing everything in his power not to look back to me.

"Something is up with you and Oswin, isn't it?"
"It's nothing. Just a little argument."
"Well don't let it come between you. That's how this whole thing started and why I'm in Oz. And I'd give anything to make up with my Aunt and Uncle."

Dorothy, as sickeningly sweet as she was, had a point. Like the last few times we had talked, I found myself comforted by her words. It was no wonder that Zelena feared her. Anybody with that much goodness inside of them had to be a threat to a wicked witch.

To my surprise, she gave me a hug before she said goodbye to everybody else. "It was so nice to meet you, Elsa. Take care of that Tin Man of yours."
"I will," I said, looking up at Terry with a smile on my face.

Her affection for home and for her friends inspired me to go talk to Oswin before he had to send off the balloon, as he was now standing alone and waiting for Dorothy to proclaim that she was ready.

She and Terry dismissed themselves, and walked over with Leo and Sawyer, while I walked over next to Oswin.

"Oswin?" I asked quietly, and he turned to face me.

"I'm so sorry for my outburst. I never meant to hurt you, and you did absolutely nothing wrong. I just… I wanted to tell you."

"Come here," he prompted and pulled me into a hug. "I didn't mean to spring this on you so sudden. We'll talk about it all later, alright?"

As we pulled apart, I looked back over at Dorothy and Terence and happened to catch them at a moment I shouldn't have seen. She gave him a hug, and then pecked a kiss on his cheek.

"Essie," Oswin said quietly, knowing that I had seen them.

Before I could even control myself, blades of ice shot out of my hands, and, as we were close to the balloon, sliced off the ropes from the ground and the sides.

"No! No!" Dorothy shrieked and clutched at the basket of the balloon as it drifted into the sky, as if her weight was going to hold it down. Sawyer ran forward and grabbed her to keep her from floating off with the balloon, and everyone screamed and tried to hold it down it to help her out. But it was no use. In addition to slicing off the ropes, I had also created some incredible gusts of wind. Oswin glanced over at me, "Essie, get it under control. Now."

I thought of warm thoughts, of good things, and didn't even think about the situation. While the wind stopped, but the balloon was still floating away.

"How am I supposed to get home now?" Dorothy cried. Then she looked at Oswin and I, "Was this your fault?"
"Not intentionally…" I fessed weakly. She looked like she was about to lose it completely, when out of nowhere, the woman in the large pink dress stepped forward and silenced all of us.

"There is another way home," she announced.

Dorothy stepped away from me, "There is? How?"

"There has been all along. Your ruby slippers."
"But how can I…"
"Finish your goodbyes, first. Then it will take you straight home."

Dorothy nodded, and then gave Leo and hug and kiss, just like Terrence. When she got to Sawyer, it was different from the others. "I think I'm going to miss you most of all."

She wrapped her arms around him, and they held each other there for longer than the others, and I could instantly tell that Sawyer meant more to Dorothy than I had imagined. I don't know why, but the connection was very clear, and I knew that I had nothing to worry about between her and Terrence. She looked at me, and it was almost a glare, but she said nothing.

"Now, Dorothy," Glinda, the pink lady's name was, instructed. "Tap your heels together three times. And think to yourself, there's no place like home!"

She began chanting these words and clicking her heels, and I watched in amazement as Dorothy disappeared in front of my eyes.
Glinda vanished quickly after, soaring off in a pink glittery bubble, and the crowd began to disperse. While we watched everybody leave, Terence made his way over to me and he was smirking, as usual.

"Was that you that set off that balloon?"

"No," I snapped. "I mean, I didn't mean to. It just happened."
"You saw her kiss me, didn't you?"
"If I did, that wasn't it. Don't be so vain," I teased and smacked him playfully on the arm, turning away to look back up the at the balloon that was still hovering above in the sky.

I felt a peck on my cheek and looked over to see Terrence blushing. "Don't tell Oswin." He muttered.

"Wouldn't dare."

He grasped my hand, and we stood and watched the empty balloon drift off into the clouds.