Chapter 6: The Story of a Scarecrow
Time stood still. Was it day or night? Summer or winter? He didn't know. For him time stood still and all he knew was that they had lost. There was no hope left for them so it didn't matter if he would die in the morning or evening, in summer or winter.
He would die this day that was for sure, but against all odds he didn't feel any fear or regret. The long days...weeks...maybe months of his imprisonment had been torture for both his body and mind and each passing day seemed to have reminded him of his downfall, of the death of light which was one of the reasons why he was now lying in darkness.
He had warned her of the betrayal of her generals, informed her of the burnt and destroyed blue prints and had told her of his hope that they could still succeed. He had been very optimistic that day – she hadn't – and his sister proved to be right with her suspicion, for mere seconds later Azkadellia had stormed the gardens with her Longcoats and they had carried him away to the prisons, while the Sorceress seemed to have other much crueler plans for his sister.
The witch inside her had promised him something that day. That she would reach into his mind and take what she needed. And now after weeks of torture and darkness he could feel that they had decided to come for him, that the witch couldn't wait any longer. They would do whatever the wicked creature inside little Az instructed them to do.
He was a broken man and this day was the day of his death.
O.o.O.O.O.O.O.O.O
As he had assumed they came for him at what felt to him like midday. It was three of them, and besides their hollow eyes and bulky threatening faces, they looked rather amused about his misery.
And who could blame them? He must have looked like he felt: dirty, drenched, unshaven with greasy hair and ripped clothes here and there. Nothing like the duke or advisor he was supposed to be. Not like the man he was before.
They wanted to lift him up but he wouldn't let them, maybe he had lost his position but he hadn't lost all of his dignity yet.
"I think standing up on my own still works," he said dryly and faced the intruders, his punishers, with a last bit of protest glistening in his eyes.
"Just trying to prevent you from pulling a last desperate trick," that came from the guy he had long since identified as Rick Zero, the man who in his opinion was responsible for the sudden disappearance of the Cain's.
"Wouldn't want to upset the Sorceress at times like these, would be really foolish of me wouldn't it? And I ain't no fool," he answered sarcastically and wondered if the Longcoats really saw him as a threat. Maybe there was a chance to escape after all.
"Believe me you can't imagine what Azkadellia is able to do, not even in your worst nightmares," Zero replied and there was no warmth, no pity or sympathy in his voice.
After they had chained him they pulled a dirty sack over his head and he was greeted by darkness again.
O.o.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.o.O.
He felt her presence before he saw her. The sack over his head blocked his view, but the pure wickedness, hatred and darkness that was hovering in the room made it unnecessary to see. Within seconds his heart felt cold, stony but full of fear and his mind was clouded by contradictory thoughts of suicide and escape.
"Do you remember what I promised you six months ago?" The snarling sound of her voice that seemed to drop out of her mouth like black tar, made him shiver. Six months, so he had been locked up for six months, it had felt much longer.
He didn't respond not until her minions would remove the sack.
"Did you hear what I said?" she spat after he didn't answer.
"Remove the sack first!" He said dryly.
She seemed to consider his wish for a couple of seconds before his head was released from the cotton and his world was flooded by the unusual brightness of the room and an indefinable scent.
"Now tell me ... advisor... do you remember what I promised you?"
O.O.O.O.o.O.O.O.O.O.O..O.o.
"I get that you want something from me, that there is something in my head that seems to be precious to you, I just don't get why you locked me up for such a long time. Why bother with me if you could have killed me all those months ago in the gardens?" He gained new strength as the influence of the witch's power was slowly wearing off and he felt the urge to lead a last discussion with his enemy before he was willing to end his life for his beliefs.
"Power, my dear friend, it is all about power and torture. You're right, I didn't need those six months to prepare the thing I need your dear brain for. Time, however, can either be your friend or your cruelest enemy and I wanted to see what time does to you. Looks like I got the crumbly mess that I wanted. Such a long time I have waited to see your line suffer. For centuries I was locked up in that cave, locked up by your ancestors and time was my only company... Bringing darkness to the O.Z. is only half the pleasure, seeing you go mad, seeing how you suffer like I had to is far more delightful." Within the blink of an eye she crossed the room and suddenly stood in front of him.
Her pale hand touched the hairy skin of his chin, it was a cold touch and those hollow brown eyes tried to get right into his soul.
"It wasn't my ancestors who locked you away and you're more than aware of that," he answered through gritted teeth. He wanted to get answers about certain things but he didn't like to be treated like a puppet. Her eyes went cold and darker when he was finished and her touch suddenly turned hot like fire.
"BUT IT WAS YOUR ANCESTORS WHO KEPT ME LOCKED UP! IT WAS YOUR FAMILY'S IGNORANCE THAT BOUND ME TO THAT PLACE AND YOU WILL PAY FOR IT!" she shouted at him furiously until his face must have lost all color.
The Longcoats were shifting uneasily in the back of the room and Ambrose didn't blame them.
"So why do you chose Azkadellia, why now? You could have called for someone much earlier, instead you were willing to rot in that cave for centuries." He would die no matter what he tried to remind himself, there was no use in pleasing her. No, angry or not she would take his brain.
"Your beloved niece is strong, she always has been. Do you remember the old prophecy? The one that your parents taught you? Now is the right time, the time for darkness to conquer the light. The time for the eclipse to arise is almost here. Only a couple of more annuals to wait and I will get my victory. It's her destiny," she ended in a wicked laugh that turned Ambrose's blood cold.
The majestic Queen of the O.Z
had two lovely daughters she.
One to darkness she be drawn
and one to light she be shown.
Double eclipse it is foreseen
Light meets dark and the sisters between
But only one and one alone
shall hold the emerald
and take the throne.
Only one and one alone.
"You want my sunseeder to lock up the suns behind the moon and bring darkness to this world?" The thought alone made him feel sick but knowing that his mind would be part of this wicked plan made him want to gather all his remaining resources and flee from the place. He had assumed a lot when she has looked for the plans but nothing as horrible as this.
"Oh I see this is why they used to call you the smartest man in all of the O.Z."
Without being fully aware of it his feet carried him backwards, while the rest of his body obeyed and followed its guidance. The witch being no fool, though, noticed his pathetic try in an instant and kept him in place with a spell.
More than ever he wished that he had learned how to use that little bit of magic that was inside of him although it wouldn't help him in this situation.
"You stupid fool, you know that your time has come but nevertheless you are still sticking to your stubbornness... still trying to save this stinking piece of land. I have to disappoint you though. This land is MINE now and you will help me to rule if you want to or not. Zero, Lonot take him to the alchemist... no prison this time." There was no mercy in her eyes and her invisible grip got stronger.
He could have fought all he wanted, he was doomed and no one would help him now.
"You can fight her. I know that you're still somewhere inside this body. You have to stop her AZ!" He screamed but his words were muffled by the sweaty hand of Zero.
All he could hope for, all that the whole O.Z. could hope for was that Az would fight the witch and that one day D.G. would save them.
O.o:o.O.o.O.O.O.o.O.o.O.O.O.O.O.o.O.
"Remove the brain slowly." The alchemist was lurking over him like a vision from a bad dream, like the witch's his eyes showed no mercy and although he wouldn't have thought that it was possible, he felt fear.
"No please, please don't do this. Please ... please, it won't work... please." She should have killed him in the first place, no mercy, no prison, just a dagger in his heart, a bullet in his chest... something that would have killed him directly. This... this was humiliation, there was no hope for him, but instead of dying with dignity he was making a fool out of himself. Yet he couldn't stop to plead.
"Count back from 100." The countdown till it would all end.
"Please, please." Maybe it wasn't too late yet?
"99..."
"Please don't... don't do this." Or was it?
"98…," the voice became distant.
"97…." the world around him disappearing into a blur.
"96..." His breathing got slower, it seemed like he couldn't feel his heart any longer and then this all too familiar DARKNESS wrapped him up.
0.O.O:O:O.O.O.o.O.O.O.O
She was standing in the middle of a cornfield, the sun was shining brightly and felt warm and cozy on her skin. She was wearing the blue dress that her mother loved so much and that would make her smile whenever she looked into the mirror.
Underneath, though, she was wearing a pair of pants and a T-Shirt, once they were safe she would change somewhere.
Ambrose had promised her that he would teach her how to ride today. He had told her to hide in the cornfield so that the servants wouldn't find her. They had sneaked away from the palace because it was the only way to teach her in private, on a meadow outside the city walls.
It was unlike her Uncle to break the rules, but he had seen that she wasn't feeling good lately and it broke his heart to see her sad. He knew that it was her greatest wish to learn how to really ride a horse, how to melt with it into one being, not one of those lessons where she would learn how to ride like a real lady.
He would come and get her out of the cornfield and together they would be free like the wind.
o.o.O.O.O.O.O.o.o.O.O.O
"Love is weakness…you …will...forever remain weak if you let memories like this poison your heart. I can help you to stay strong …I can prevent you from this weakness ...you only have to allow me to take full control," the voice inside her head snarled.
"NO!" The witch was getting stronger, it didn't need much more time and she would get the control she was speaking of.
Azkadellia could feel that she was slowly fading into the background and that she could no longer stop the witch from hurting everyone around her.
"They have finished their task you know? Hours ago. They opened that pretty, smart head of his and grabbed all they could get. Won't be long until his organs refuse to work …until his heart will stop beating. We could finish it now or wait until he has choked on his own drool," the ignorance and coldness that followed those words felt like she was walking over broken glass.
Ambrose had been one of the few family members she still had had control over. Months she had fought, pleaded and discussed with the witch to save him yet the old woman had gotten tired of their conversations and finally put her plans into action.
The brain was a precious organ, while the heart was for emotions, the brain kept the memories and what the witch wanted were the plans. They only needed half of the brain, the part that stored those memories, however, it was nearly impossible that her beloved Uncle would survive with only half a brain. It could be possible, but the witch surely wouldn't take the risk. Deep down in her invisible prison she could hear the witch calling for their special prisoner. Like in so many situations before she tried to stop her body from forming the words, from letting those terrible things leave her lips, but once again she had to observe that she didn't have much control over her own body anymore.
Minutes passed until two Longcoats carried in the messy remains of the man that used to be her Uncle. He was wearing the sack again and after a move of her hand the Longcoats revealed what was underneath.
They had stitched up his head in an unprofessional way, something looking like a zipper parting his brown curls that were covered in blood. He seemed to be awake, yet not really there, for his eyes were glassy and his gaze wasn't addressed at someone in particular. He looked paler than even after the six months of prison, and he had dark rings under his eyes. It broke her heart when she saw that he tried to speak but only mumbled nonsense left his lips.
They had destroyed him. First they had broken him, now they had killed him although he was still alive. The inattentive gaze quickly turned into a helpless struggle to find out where he was and maybe even who he was.
It was too hard to see him like this, she couldn't handle it, and all she wished for was that the witch would finally turn away from the sight but that monster was enjoying the view far too much.
"Look who we have here. Not so feisty anymore are we, Ambrose?" The witch addressed her Uncle and she could see that the man was silently repeating the name as if he was trying to find out who that Ambrose was.
"What have you done to him?" She asked in rage and for a moment it felt like she could take control.
"I only gave him what he deserved in order to give us what we need!" the witch returned icily, killing Azkadellia's hope that she was in power now.
"There is no WE."
"Oh believe me soon enough you will realize that it has its advantages to be a sorceress. You will learn to embrace me and you will learn to love your new power. The brutal conviction behind these words scared her even more and she secretly hoped that they would never come true.
"He won't survive this, he doesn't even seem to know who he is. You can't just send him away like this," Azkadellia pleaded.
"I won't do that my love, you're right he doesn't deserve such a fate." for a moment Az was relieved until she realized what the witch was saying.
"That's why WE will kill him now," she finished and everything inside of Azkadellia's consciousness, the part that still belonged to her went cold.
Again she had to watch the heart breaking image of her Uncle crouching on the floor, touching his head in disbelief and watching his hands as if they didn't belong to him.
For a moment, a very short moment that made her hate herself even more, she thought that it might be best to kill him and stop the suffering. Luckily this thought was rapidly replaced by her plan to save him. Her gaze fell upon the sack on the floor and she got an idea.
"You can't kill something that isn't human," her consciousness whispered.
It was so simple but would she have enough courage to curse her own Uncle in order to save his life? There was a spell, a spell closely connected to her own family and she knew that it would work. Many times she and Ambrose had talked about the ancient times of OZ and about the victorious adventures of Dorothy and her friends. It had connected them and the thought caused a warm feeling to build up in the parts she could control.
However, it was part of the darkest magic she had to use and it would leave her Uncle as something so different that it could drive him mad, half a brain or not. It wasn't fair to let him die, but was it fair to let him live like that either?
He wouldn't be in pain anymore and maybe she would find a way to restore him to his old glory again ... maybe ...yes, maybe someone would free her from the witch one day and she could save him.
Her thoughts were twisted. She knew that it was hopeless to wait for someone to kill the witch, but the thought that her Uncle was about to die ripped her heart apart. She needed to do something NOW, there was no time to think about the consequences, otherwise this would be the end of Ambrose.
Suddenly her Uncle winced in pain and a thin line of blood left his mouth before his eyes rolled into his head and a last gurgling sound left his lips.
He was just unconscious but for Azkadellia it was the trigger that let her act without thinking. Concentrating on this strong will to save her relative she gained the control she needed without any effort the ancient words left her lips.
Smoke hovered over the marbled floor, lightening left the far horizon outside the palace. The air inside seemed to get thicker, dripping with the black magic she was using. All of it engulfed Ambrose and started to work on his body.
Skin was replaced by burlap, blood and flesh by straw, pain by numbness and the slower beating heart wouldn't be needed anymore. He would be indestructible and eternal. He would lead a life and he would make new friends.
But at what cost?
When the last line was spoken and the last of the smoke vanished, the spell was finished and the curse was sealed. Hopefully not forever.
Azkadellia felt like she couldn't breathe any longer, her arms were aching and her head felt dizzy, she had lost all control again and soon she would vanish into the deepest corner of her body again.
With the light that returned, not only did they get a good glimpse of Ambrose, but also the witch returned and with her the realization about what she just had done to her Uncle.
"What have you done?" she heard the witch ask furiously. She herself didn't know what just happened and in disbelief she stared at her hands and then at the creature that used to be Ambrose.
Fear filled her heart and mind and although she was sharing her body with the witch a single tear rolled down her cheek.
"What have I done?"
A.N: All right so this is how Ambrose became a scarecrow …I hope it is reasonable enough for you ;) Of course I believe that he could have lived without his whole brain like he did in the series but I wanted to give it that twist and so I made it where Azkadellia doubts that his body would survive such a loss so I combined it a bit with ideas from Wicked . The original version also included lyrics from Wicked which I couldn't include here so if you want to read the version with the lyrics , feel free to go to my profile on AO3 . It's Sebastian Flight like here and the title of the story is the same as well . Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed it.
PS: Also sorry for messing up the prophecy , I listened to it several times but I just can't make out what she is saying because I'm not a native speaker