Chapter 2: The Four Nations
She found him sitting on a bench in the great gallery where three generations of their ancestors and family were looking back at them. Besides portraits of her grandparents, their cousins, aunts and uncles there was also a huge family portrait of their parents and them as children. It was one of the few that had been painted and which luckily had survived the reign of the witch. This particular portrait seemed to have completely mesmerized him, although it was hard to read any emotions on his face, a fact that caused her to feel that pain in her chest again. The face that used to resemble her's, like only the face of a twin could, was suddenly gone and familiar features or expressions were hard to find.
He didn't notice when she sat down next to him, her hands resting close to his gloves, her eyes staring at the same portrait than him now. He didn't smile in the picture…he never did. One time he had told her that he thought it was a lie to smile in a picture since the procedure of getting painted was such torture. The memory of that conversation made her laugh lightly which caused him to turn his head and look at the intruder of his privacy.
They hadn't seen each other in weeks and she barely knew what to say to him.
"Lavender, I didn't know you were back! How are you?" he exclaimed very friendly when his memory seemed to have processed that they had met before and that he knew who was sitting next to him. He could recall her name, this had still been difficult before their departure to Ev. He was making process, which filled her heart with hope and joy.
"I'm fine, Ambrose, thank you for asking. Actually we didn't tell anyone that we would return sooner, we thought that might be a nice surprise for anyone." She smiled at him while her hand found his and delicate fingers brushed over the fabric of his gloves.
"Well, that certainly is a surprise! We were all hoping that you would return soon, but we also wanted you to take the rest that you needed. There is so much that has happened during the last weeks that I don't know where to begin… I've been connected to my brain a couple of times now, the Ozians are eagerly rebuilding their homes... Cain has…," Glitch started to tell her enthusiastically and with a passion that amazed her. For a long time she had been hoping that she would be able to lead conversations with her brother again, like they had done so many times before the witch. She listened to him while he spoke in an overwhelming speed but had to stop him with a laugh when she lost track. It seemed like he hadn't even noticed that he was rambling now.
"I can see that your ability to memorize events has increased during my absence but, honey, you need to slow down or I won't be able to follow you much longer," she said with a kind hearted pat on his shoulder.
For a moment these brown buttons stared at her while his stitched mouth formed an unreadable slim line, suddenly he cocked his head to the side and the line formed something that got close to a sheepish grin. Although it wasn't her brother's real face that was looking back at her now she had to admit that it looked adorable and for a second she smiled back.
"I'm sorry, sometimes I don't notice when I start to speak faster, must be because I don't need breath or anything. You must be tired after all, let me bring you to your room," he said after she had returned the smile.
"Oh no. I'm fine really. Before we reached the city we visited one of the villages close to Central. We were welcomed with much kindness and open arms. We had a lot of time to rest. Now I want to spend some time with you," she countered, asking her brother to sit down again after he had grabbed her hand and raised from his seat in order to bring her to her chamber.
He obeyed and sat down again and sudden silence fell between them. They both raised their head at the same time and fixed on the family portrait before Lavender spoke again.
"Do you remember when that portrait was painted?" she whispered, her gaze never leaving their youthful faces on the canvas in front of them. Sadness was swinging in her voice but merely for a second since remembering still hurt, it was replaced by joy when she heard the sarcastic snort of her brother.
"Hard to forget a week like this isn't it?" he asked rhetorically now fixing his gaze on her before both burst out into loud laughter.
"Mother had been so angry with us because we showed up with dirty clothes after a play in the woods with Anne and Wyatt. The painter actually had to wait until we changed clothes again and you were angry with me because the only clean uniform was the red one that you hated so much," Lavender snickered devilishly when she saw how the burlap contorted on Ambrose face.
"Yeah, but I got my revenge when Thea threw up on your dress because she had the flu, poor thing," Glitch remarked and they now had to laugh even more until they both stopped and sighed.
"All in all we turned the whole process of painting into one single pain, yet you all look so happy in that portrait. Told you that smiling would be a lie," Glitch added before they went silent again.
"I miss them, especially now that my daughters need their mother. I wish that I had our mother to talk to," Lavender said after the tears of their laughter had dried and they were facing the portrait again.
"Me too," Glitch whispered back and grabbed for his sister's hand again.
For a long while they stayed in this silence and just looked at the picture from their past. Both of them were sad about the loss which suddenly washed over them, although it had happened a long time ago. Nevertheless they enjoyed each other's company and unspoken comfort.
"Liz and Anne are alive, they arrived here two weeks ago," Glitch suddenly broke that silent moment, the news taking Lavender completely by surprise. Her hand shook in his grip and when he looked up he could see that she was crying.
"I always hoped that they would survive, but I can't believe that the gods really have been so gracious," she exclaimed before she suddenly took her surprised brother into an embrace.
When they broke he saw that new tears of joy had formed in her eyes and he carefully brushed them away with his fingertip.
"I'm glad that you can remember things much easier now," she said, bringing a wider distance between their bodies again so that she got a good look at him. His features moved and he let out a sigh.
"Unfortunately I have to say that it only works when I'm having a good day. Talking like this… about my past really helps but I'm still not the man I used to be," he answered, rubbing the back of his straw filled head in the process.
She could feel that he was sad and desperate, although his face didn't allow him to show it on the surface. A pang hit her chest, for all she wanted was for her family to get a second chance and that they would be able to mend the broken ends of the mess that the witch had left behind. Seeing her brother remembering his past had given her hope and strength, but now she realized that she had been selfish in that thought. Of course she only wanted the best for him and they both were aiming to reach the same goal but in the last weeks it had been all about her. Her wish to restore the land, her wish to help her brother, her wish to redeem herself and to make up for all the wrong decisions she had made, but never had she thought of the people themselves, how they felt in their situation, how they were dealing with the pain and loss.
"I promised I would help you and now that I'm back I will do everything I can to restore you to your body. I have been away for my own good far too long . If today is a good day we might start now and leave the conversation for later. Come, I have to show you something," she said with determination and jumped up from her place on the bench before she grabbed her brother's hand and pulled him onto his feet.
His mouth was opened in a gap and his burlap crinkled, which was the only way in which he could show confusion, but Lavender didn't waste any time to explain what she had meant. With a strong grip on his wrist she pulled him through the corridors of the palace and made her way to the big dining room with destined steps.
"Actually, we had planned to wait until dinner tonight where every one of you would be present, but I guess a change of plans is necessary now. I'm sorry that I didn't t notice it earlier…I really should have since we're still twins. I know that you can't show much emotions, but it should have been evident to me. I'm so sorry!" Lavender explained while they were walking very quickly through the mostly abandoned halls, passing a guard here and there, ignoring the stiff salutes with which they were greeted. Glitch suddenly stopped at his sister's remark causing her to bounce back and fall against his chest from the sheer force of his abrupt move.
"Ozma wait!" he exclaimed and she looked up to him with a surprised expression written on her face.
"There is no need to rush things now. You have been away because you needed to. You were weak and all the work left you stressed out. Azkadellia needed that break and most importantly she needed her mother. My body won't just fall apart any minute so I guess it doesn't matter when we are going to do something. It is true that I'm longing to be reconnected with my past and with the things I lost, but what I want more than that is for everyone to be happy as well. If you're feeling guilty let me tell you that there is no need to, since this is neither your fault nor Azkadellia's and I'm not making either of you responsible for this, so please don't feel like you have to do everything you can to fix me. We will manage this... somehow... but first and foremost this is my problem, understood?" he told her with that posture of his which he had often enough used to make a point in front of the Ozian Council at political interrogations.
His voice was almost forceful but she knew that it was only the determination behind the words which made it seem as if he was yelling at her. It was a hundred percent of the old Ambrose and it made her shiver. Tears were glistening in her eyes but she repressed them. If she knew one thing for sure it was to listen to her brother and to have faith into his words, since he often enough had been right with his assumptions. Still being a little bit in trance she nodded her head which caused him to visibly relax.
They continued their journey to the dining room at a much slower pace, his gloved hands brushing her's whenever they walked closer to each other. The great wooden door, with the filigree carved ornaments and the golden handles was closed when they arrived.
"Ev hasn't changed a bit. The Queen and her children have even blossomed throughout the years. She is awaiting her 26th grandchild, her eldest daughter is pregnant again. Nevertheless, she was relieved to hear that the war in Oz is over and that the witch is gone. Whenever news had reached them from our land she had wanted to send her soldiers to help, but she always memorized your words of advice, that she should wait in order to protect her own land. She feared that something might happen to Ev and her family but she also felt guilt when she thought about the sacrifices being made in Oz. She was very friendly to us and gave us shelter as long as we needed, there she also reunited us with the ones which were lost to us….," Lavender whispered dramatically before she pushed the doors open and revealed what was waiting behind.
Most of the dining room was empty since it was still in the middle of the day and the servants were spending their time after breakfast with taking a rest before they had to prepare the big dinner which spontaneously had been planned due to the return of the Queen and her daughter.
No dishes were resting on the long table in the middle of the room, and the chairs were abandoned except for two at the end of the great hall, where two beautiful women were sitting and chatting.
One of them was wearing a rose colored long dress that almost touched the ground, which revealed beautiful silver pumps and delicate white legs. The fabric fully covered her cleavage and arms and the perfectly fitted cut underlined her curves. Long blond hair fell down over her shoulders in waves, her red lips slightly pursed when she talked. When she heard them coming she fixed her gaze on Glitch with deep sparkling blue eyes.
Next to her sat a slightly taller and thinner women with less curves and shorter straight brown hair. She was wearing a long dark blue dress like her companion, but her's was partly covered with fur due to the decreasing temperatures that still dominated Ev after their departure. Her skin was a bit darker which indicated that she had spent the summer in the sun, maybe hard at work as it used to be one of her habits. Their mother had always tried to get rid of it, but her middle child had always loved to work in the gardens. With serious amber eyes she observed the newcomers as well and when they had reached the end of the table she raised.
"Amelia?" Glitch asked in disbelief as his younger sister was standing in front of him, her hands casually resting on her hips as if she inherited this posture. His gaze wandered to the woman still sitting on her spot next to the table and if it had been possible, his throat had went dry at this moment.
"And my sweet Thea, is that really you?" he added wishing that tears could show what he was trying to feel right now.
"You act as if we're two mirages, therefore it should be our turn to be surprised! Geez, Ambrose, I hope you know that you used to look much better than this!" Amelia remarked dryly, leaving Glitch staring at her with mouth wide open. His sister looked at him sternly before she broke out into loud laughter and embraced him with a strong grip.
"Oh, I have missed you so much Ambrose. Yes it is true, we are still alive, thanks to you and the generous Queen of Ev. I can't believe that the witch really did this to you. I'm sorry for my remark, but this has been all too much for me. I'm just glad to be back and to know that my family is still alive," she said and he could hear her sobbing. When she was finished, she cupped his face in her hands and smiled at him whole heartedly.
"I'm sorry for the dry joke, I shouldn't have played with your concern but I've never been good in handling situations like this...," she added before Glitch could say something.
"Welcome back," he responded weakly still being shocked by her sudden outburst but happy that she hadn't changed …at least from what he could recall of her.
Thea was hesitant and still sitting on her chair, her hands were formed into tight fists as they rested on her legs and tears were running down her face. Her brother kneeled down to be on the same eye level and placed his hands at one of the fists, she was trembling with either anger or sadness, both causing him to approach a conversation very carefully.
"Words probably can't tell how sorry I am, but I hope that one day you can forgive me," he whispered hoping that only she would hear it.
He had an assumption why she was acting like this. He had seen it during one of his sessions with Ambrose. Weeks after the attack on the palace, the day when a bomb had exploded at the outer walls close to the gardens, the day when he had urged Cain to leave, Ambrose had decided to bring his two sisters and their families to their neighboring country Ev.
It had all happened in one night and only with the help of some magic. Usually a traveling group as big as theirs would have needed weeks to travel the southern territories and to pass the Deadly Desert. With more help from their old friend the Mystic Man though they had managed to reach Ev within hours.
Night had given them cover and prevented them from getting caught. Ambrose had planned everything in detail, looking for the perfect day when the witch was least attentive and when his duties weren't needed. He had to return in one day so that no one notice his missing. The witch wanted to see all of their heads rolling and he wouldn't allow it. Neither Thea nor Amelia had enough magic to protect themselves, like their sister they were getting weaker every day. For many days they had argued if it was fair towards their country to leave and hide, robbing them of the support of two other magicians, but the Queen had begged them to leave. She had explained to them that D.G. would need guidance, that Ahamo was waiting for her in the Realm of the Unwanted but that she needed all the help she could get, that she needed a family if the witch decided to kill her and that their land needed a ruler if she was about to die and the witch defeated.
Fearing that their decision could have terrible consequences they had refused at first, but after a second attack, this time in the inner court of the palace both had been so shaken that they agreed to leave to Ev.
The night when Ambrose had brought them to the Queen of Ev his sister had asked him to stay with them. He had refused and that had broken her heart. Many years she spent in grief, not forgiving him that he had forced them into abandoning their home for their own protection.
"This shouldn't have happened….," she returned through gritted teeth. Slowly she raised her head, her hair falling back during that movement , revealing red rimmed eyes which fixed him with an angry, frightening glare.
"This …your state …is completely unnecessary. This all wouldn't have happened if you had listened to me! I asked you to stay with us in Ev but, you stubborn pain in the bum, were too proud to leave our home without your protection! Lavender could have managed it on her own, when she accepted to send the last remaining magic away she also accepted that she would have to face her daughter on her own so she didn't need you. She had Ahamo even if he was hiding, she had advisors that were almost as brilliant and skilled as yourself and she had the Mystic Man! You knew that you were one of her targets as well, so why did you refuse? How could you be such an idiot?!" she now yelled at him, her hands flinging around in furious gestures.
As he had expected she blamed him for doing the one thing that had settled his fate and he didn't blame her, however, he still thought about it like he had all those years ago so he prepared to answer her truthfully.
"And don't tell me that she needed you more than us! You can't tell us that we shouldn't feel guilty for leaving and then leave off yourself because you wouldn't want to betray the country," Thea finished, making her point.
"You're right. Doing that was really hypocritical of me but when you want to protect what is most precious to you, you become the most devastated, nasty and foolish reflection of yourself. Bringing you to Ev wasn't fair, I know…we know that you wanted to protect the country as well and we didn't send you away because we thought you are weak. Lavender however, was right when she told you that D.G. would need a family. Too many people were dying because of the witch and just like all of us, you didn't deserve to become victims. Maybe we shouldn't have tried to be 'heroic' and sent you to a safe haven, but you saw the most horrible things yourself, parents losing their children, families losing their homes, children becoming orphans. We acted hastily and out of deep love but we didn't have the right to take this decision from you. I'm sorry but back then it was the best decision in both our eyes. The witch was searching for something in my laboratory and she wouldn't have stopped torturing others, destroying the palace or searching for me until she would be able to wrap her claws around the plans she was looking for. Everything would have been wasted if I had stayed with you! She wanted to kill you but once she understood that it was hopeless to search for you, she concentrated all her anger onto something new. If those plans were so important to her, that she didn't hesitate to rip out my brain, she wouldn't have hesitated to hunt us down and kill all three of us." When he ended Thea's face had turned from red to a decent rose color and her hands had stopped shaking.
He could see that she wasn't pleased with his answer, but when she didn't reply he knew that she would try to accept it. She never started an argument when she respected the answer of her opponents but she usually said something when she agreed or shared their opinion. This time wasn't different. She had made good points and she had every reason to be angry with him. They had betrayed their sisters and sent them away as if they were afraid that they would prove to be too weak to handle a war and that was something that was unforgivable. He understood that she may never agree with him but he was glad that she respected his reasons for leaving them behind and that was something he really loved her for.
When it was certain that both of them had stopped yelling at each other, Lavender tried to lighten up the mood, so she suggested a walk through the gardens that at the end of winter were slowly starting to bloom here and there. She herself had had this conversation with Thea weeks ago, when they still had been in Ev, and like her brother she knew that Thea would never fully forgive them but that their relationship would heal.
"Just one moment," her youngest sister replied before she finally rose from her chair.
Both Lavender and Ambrose proved to be right with their assumption that Thea still loved them and that broken ends could be mended when the Duchess pulled her cursed brother into a long and heartfelt hug.
"I'll let time decide if there is a way to heal my wounds but I want to let you know that we both had our reasons and that the past can't be changed. I will always love you and now that I made my point it may never come between us again. I just freaking care for you, so you better find a way to reverse this spell," she whispered in his ear and released him with a kiss on his forehead.
O.O.O.O.O.O.
It had been cold but beautiful in the gardens and the four siblings had spent their time after the reunion talking. Ambrose was curious to hear more about the life of his sisters. He kept walking in the middle while Thea and Amelia both took one of his arms and cornered him on both sides. Lavender slowly walked behind them, watching the peaceful scene of her family with a smile on her face.
Long before Azkadellia's possession both sisters had married, Thea an advisor from Winkieland, a young man called Phillip who was the Earl of Kiamo Ko. The calculating and thoughtful man had always impressed Ambrose with his clear mind and straightforwardness and he was happy to hear that their marriage was blooming and that his sister had given birth to a boy named Marcus and a girl named Dawn.
Amelia had married an Earl from Quadling Country , a secretive and mysterious man named George. Unlike Philip neither Ambrose nor Lavender had liked him very much, but they had seen the love between the two and all they wanted was for their sister to be happy. Quadling and Munchkinland were the weakest and poorest areas of Oz and when the war had started, the witch's forces hit them the hardest. As one of the Earls George had dedicated all his strength and knowledge to the protection of Quadling but all the responsibility weighted heavy on his shoulders. He got distant and broody, avoiding the light and dwelling in his fear. One day a servant found him hanging from the ceiling, a terrible sight that was luckily speared from Amelia but it hadn't lessened the grief and guilt. Many years she would make herself responsible for not being able to offer him the help and comfort he had needed.
Change and love came in Ev and after spending a decade alone, she opened herself to the affection of another man. He worked for the council in Ev and he was an ambassador of the Queen. Felix Tubailt was a man whose head was sometimes high up in the clouds, but also a man who knew what he wanted and how to get it. Hard work and dedication had brought him into his position and he was who brought back the smile onto Amelia's face.
O.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.
At the long awaited dinner, an event that came close to a little fest, long lost family members and friends had come together to celebrate the defeat over the darkness. Thea and Amelia almost stumbled over their own feet when they jumped into the open arms of Wyatt and Anne Cain. They proceeded much carefully with Elisabeth, but the old lady urged them to give her the strong hug that she deserved.
The room was filled with laughter and stories of the past, of happier times and a bright future. Glitch was introduced to his niece Dawn who was 9 and his nephew Marcus who was 7 annuals old. Marcus looked a lot like his mother, having the same golden blond hair color of his grandfather, their father Richard. Dawn had Thea's blue eyes but her hair was as black as night like Phillip's. A lot of feelings and new impressions, something he had to deal with more often after being connected to Ambrose, were rushing through his body and he could tell that he loved both his niece and nephew with all his heart. It was nice to see his brother-in-law Philip again and he and Felix got along right from the beginning. No one excluded the man made of straw who more than once felt accepted among his family.
D.G., who like others of the next generation, had never met any of her other family members before, and was overwhelmed from the unconditional love and interest with which she was faced. She felt a close connection especially to her aunt Amelia because she liked her direct and often dry attitude. Azkadellia had blossomed in Ev when her family had welcomed her with open arms and slowly she was regaining the trust she had lost many years ago.
The celebrations got even more cheerful when Amelia announced that she and Felix were planning to marry and awaiting a child, causing Liz to burst out into tears. Amelia had been showered with hugs and wishes of congratulation afterwards. The men had patted Felix on his shoulder and welcomed the man into the family.
D.G. and Azkadellia had observed everything from a distance, their hands always entwined.
"I'm glad to see them all so happy, it have been long weeks of work," D.G. said when she watched how Thea, Anne , Liz and their mother were circling Amelia and touching her belly in fascination. They had started to exchange experiences in order to prepare the mother for her first born. Everyone was surprised to hear the good news since nobody had believed that the woman would get pregnant at 42, but they were all happy for her.
"And long weeks of even more work will follow, but yes it is nice to see how everything is changing for the better. It...it helps a lot to see that the people are recovering," Azkadellia answered while the last part almost disappeared in a whisper while her grip got tighter.
"I hope you remember my promise," D.G. asked searching for her sister's gaze. The young woman first avoided it but then she fixed her eyes on her sister's.
"I do and I know what you want to say but let us watch how our family is celebrating and face the troubles another day. Tomorrow …tomorrow we may start, but tonight belongs to them," Azkadellia answered and a faint smile formed on her lips.
She was referring to the promise that Azkadellia would teach D.G. how to use her magic and that they would work on their relationship in the process. D.G. would tell Azkadellia about her time in Kansas on the Otherside and she would help her sister to regain the trust of the people and to come to peace with her past.
D.G. accepted her sister's wish and only nodded in approval when she saw that her sister needed this last night to face her inner demons alone and she gave it to her.
"Tomorrow we will be ready for another change," she replied faintly as they watched their family laughing , chatting and dancing through the night.
0.O.O.O..O.O.o.O.o.o
"The Old Library of Oz," Thea announced proudly, a couple of days after the big dinner.
She, Amelia, Lavender and Glitch were sitting in the Queen's old office surrounded by hundreds of books that were scattered around the whole room. Thea, who was sitting on the floor in an unladylike manner, had just closed one of the books with a sigh and stretched her legs after exhausting hours of looking for a spell that could help their brother.
"The Old Library of Oz?" her sister, Amelia, who was sitting on a bench near the window, asked in return.
"Maybe they have the right book there. I remember the sparkling look in our mother's eyes whenever she mentioned the old library. It is said that they have the biggest collection of ancient books that have ever been written and luckily most of them have been untouched by the witch. Actually, I thought you would be the one suggesting it, Brosey, you did spend hours inside that building," Thea continued and turned her head to her brother who was sitting in a chair next to Lavender's big desk.
"And yet it didn't come to my mind. Told you that some days are worse than others," Glitch answered and rubbed his forehead as if he was feeling something.
"Oh and I told you to stop calling me Brosey. THAT is something I DO remember," he added, ignoring the smug grin on his sister's face when he scolded her.
"Azkadellia mentioned that she remembered the spell from an ancient book, maybe you once showed it to her in the library," Lavender, who was sitting behind her desk, suggested.
"But that was years ago. What if this particular book is one of those that the witch didn't leave untouched? If the book contained such a spell it must have been to her interest," Amelia countered causing a silence among the siblings.
"She wouldn't have been able to read it," Glitch answered all of a sudden and all eyes went in his direction.
The Scarecrow looked up with his look of confusion when he noticed that all eyes were fixed on him now and his hand went up to scratch his head- a sign that he was nervous ..and that he had just glitched.
"What do you mean she wouldn't have been able to read it?" Thea asked carefully, hoping that they had just been lucky. But Glitch cocked his head and let out a sigh.
"I did say something unusual again, didn't I?" he asked and the women's hope sank.
"You said that the witch probably didn't look for the book because she wouldn't have been able to read it," Lavender repeated and reassuringly squeezed her brothers hand.
They all prepared for Glitch's excuse which usually followed, a habit that he had developed and that they secretly hoped he would drop again soon. It wasn't his fault and he shouldn't feel like he needed to apologize. But he surprised them all.
"Oh right, I remember now!" he exclaimed leaving his sister's staring at him in surprised shock.
"Books like that are protected with a powerful spell which only allows members of the Royal family to read them. If other Ozians want to read the books they need a member of our family who opens the book for them and who orders the book to reveal its content. I learnt that from the Liberian. It is something that remained of Glinda the Good. Looks like she thought that spells like this should be kept a secret and only accessible in great times of despair to Dorothy's family. Azkadellia's blood and soul were poisoned by the witch so I doubt that the wise magic of Glinda let itself be tricked by the witch in Royal disguise," the Scarecrow answered with a grin on its face.
His sisters couldn't help but be surprised at the very detailed reply of their cursed brother.
"How is it possible that you can remember that although you sometimes even forget your own name?" Thea asked after she had found her voice again, her sisters seemed to feel the same way for they nodded in unison as if they wanted to show their approval.
Glitch cocked his head which mostly was a sign to them that he was thinking or trying to remember something. This time it wasn't any different.
"Fate maybe? Destiny? I don't know how this magic inside me works and how it is possible that I can remember certain things better than others, or that some days are better and some are worse, but maybe it is trying to push me. Maybe it wants to help me find the solution to this problem. Maybe we should listen to it and follow your advice, Thea, and look for something in the library," Glitch said thoughtfully, spreading a collective silence in the Queen's office .
0.0.o.O.o.o.O.O.
In the end they all had agreed that they could still look for another solution if the library didn't offer them what they needed, so instead of wasting more time they had made their way to the ancient building next to the market place of Central City.
The librarian who looked as if he was as old as the library itself welcomed them with a warm smile and a heartfelt greeting. The Royal family, who had sponsored the construction of the building decades ago and who had also helped to finance the restoring of some parts of the library, was always welcome in those halls of wisdom.
When the siblings had shown him their trust and told him about their plans he had led them to the rooms far underneath the ground floor where a maze of books was waiting for the only ones who were permitted to read them –the ancestors of Dorothy Gale.
Fortunately, the books had never let him down and refused to show their content when the witch had visited those corridors, and he was glad that he would be able to witness once again which magic was revealed when one of the siblings opened a book.
For hours the four Royals searched in the dusty shelves. The moisture, which luckily couldn't harm the books, was thickening the air around them with every minute and the gloomy atmosphere soon pulled at their nerves. All the books that could be found about both ancient and new magic were stored underground, but even after half a day of looking and reading the siblings hadn't found any spell that could help them.
With fading hope and sunken hearts they had left the Old Library again as the sun had started to set and the air outside got chillier.
The next day only Amelia and Ambrose returned to the place because the Queen had to arrange a meeting while Thea had promised her children to show them around Central City.
Their search started as it had the day before, the light was dimmed, the books were often so old that they had to be very careful and it seemed that even now there was no answer to be found. Helplessly they roamed through the shelves and studied the books, their hope to find something slowly fading again until Amelia suddenly let out an exclamation of triumph.
"Glitch! You have to see this!" she screamed from a corner at the end of the second corridor to the left.
Glitch who had been searching at the corridor right next to her, rushed around the book shelf and hurriedly approached his sister.
"Have you found something?" he asked her hopefully as Amelia turned a book in a red leathery cover to him.
"Maybe. This is a book of ancient spells and potions. While the other books of this kind only dealt with the basic practices of magic and witchcraft this one here seems to concentrate on the defense against curses and forbidden spells," Amelia explained to him.
"I found a spell which claims to return something that has been taken from you. I'm not sure if it could return your body but I guess it is worth a try…," she added before she was stopped by a surprising hug of her brother.
"That's it! Amelia you're a genius! Whoever said that I'm the most brilliant being in Oz was wrong," he exclaimed joyfully before he grabbed her hands and started bouncing around like a little child. Amelia had to stop him before he would jump against one of the shelves but she couldn't suppress a laugh herself.
"Easy there, destroying the underground system of the Old Library won't be beneficial now," she snickered and carefully touched her brothers shoulder to make him stop.
"Bouncing around is too childish after all, isn't it?" Glitch asked sheepishly after he had composed himself again .
"A little bit, but you have every reason to be happy, this might be the key," Amelia answered, raising the book to underline her statement .
"Then let's go to the palace and see what this spell has in store for us," Glitch announced.
This time they left the library in the early afternoon when citizens of Oz were going about their daily routine and the city was full of life and people. They thanked the old librarian for his help and quickly made their way back to the palace and the other two siblings.
O.o.O.O.O.O
They had had to wait for a few hours before Thea had returned from her day with her children and until the Queen was finished with arranging the meeting with her ambassadors, so they didn't meet before the evening.
"You found something! That is amazing! Where? In which book?" Thea stormed into the Queen's office with a whole list of questions in her mind. She was the last one to join their little group which meant that they could begin to try the spell any minute.
"Why don't you sit down first my dear? And close the door please," Ozma welcomed her in her queenly manner, something for which she had needed years until perfection.
Thea obeyed her orders and when she had closed the door she seated herself on one of the chairs that were standing around the Queen's table. Glitch and Amelia were already sitting towards their sister Ozma who had placed herself behind the cherry wood desk which was forming her working space. In front of Ozma lay an opened middle sized book with yellowish-white pages that were filled with precise delicate handwriting and resting in a red leather binding .
"To your questions. Amelia found it in one of the shelves that was deeper in the back. It rested in the section about ancient spells and magic. It's a book which is specialized on curses, and we hope that this particular spell might help me because it claims to return something that has been lost," Glitch summed up his sister's discovery when Thea had joined them at the table.
"And you think that it will work?" Thea asked suspiciously." We lost a lot of things in the last few years, that spell could return anything but your body,'" she added silently.
"That is true but it's worth a try at least, don't you think?" Ozma asked and Thea nodded .
"I don't want you to be disappointed if it doesn't work that's all," the youngest of the siblings turned around to face her brother. Glitch returned the gaze and grabbed for his sister's hand .
"I will try to stay hopeful if this spell fails, I promise you that," he replied kindly. "What do you think, Ozma, shall we try the spell now?" he added enthusiastically, as his sister didn't look all too concerned anymore.
For a moment Ozma kept looking at the book instead of her brother, her eyes scanned the words in front of her thoughtfully and her gaze turned into a skeptical one.
"When I gave up most of my magic to save D.G., I knew that it would never fully return again but I was willing to pay that price to rescue my daughter. This spell requires powerful and strong magic. I won't be able to do this on my own, but hopefully it will work with your help," the Queen then explained now facing her two sisters.
"I know that you have magic as well Ambrose, but right now that's the only thing assuring us that you will stay alive and active in this form so I don't want you to risk anything by using that magic," she added when she interpreted the crunched look on her brother's artificial face as that of being hurt.
He nodded when he seemed to understand.
"Looks like this is going to be harder than I thought. Thea and I haven't used magic in years. As Queen you always have been the powerful one and in Ev we simply didn't need our magic," Amelia told them almost sounding frustrated, but as he had convinced his sister Thea to be more positive Glitch also took Amelia's hand this time and encouraged her to at least try it for him and that he wouldn't be mad if they failed.
With new hope they gathered all their magic inside of them and when Ozma gave them a sign that she was ready to recite the lines of the spell Thea and Amelia stood up and joined their sister behind the table. Hands entwined they began humming the spell together, ordering Glitch to be silent and to not move on his seat.
When the last verse was spoken and the last word left their lips they concentrated all their power on the spell and Ambrose. Night had fallen outside and only the lamps at the corner of the room and on the table were spending them light, the rest of the room lay in shadowy darkness. Although it was almost spring the air around them seemed to decrease and get cooler with every second and although the three sisters felt hot from the magic, it send a shiver down their spines.
The lamps started to flicker when the magic left their hands and disappeared into their brothers body, the man himself shaking as the mere force of the spell entered him.
When they were sure that all the magic had vanished into their brother and the spell was sealed, the sisters let themselves sink onto their chairs, while their heads were lightly spinning and their mouths felt dry.
The light in the room suddenly increased as if something had pushed away the shadows and when they regained some of their strength again they could see that their brother still looked the same but that he wasn't moving.
"Ambrose are you all right?" Amelia asked, walking to her brother and laying a hand on his knee. Ambrose reacted to the touch by lightly jumping when he noticed the pressure.
He turned his head to his sister and faced her with hollow button eyes and stitched mouth slightly ajar.
"I'm afraid it didn't work," Thea said as she saw the questioning look on her brother's face.
Glitch starred back at them without giving a response, probably disappointed about the failure after all.
The three sisters exchanged a knowing sad look with each other, not knowing what to do or say to comfort their brother. Each of them had hoped that the spell would return his body to him, each of them had thought that their magic was strong enough and after days of looking for a solution they were still facing a dead end.
"This isn't the brain room," Glitch then exclaimed out of a sudden and all faces turned around to him.
"What did you just say, honey?" Ozma asked, surprised as her brother stood up from his chair and started to walk around the room nervously.
"This isn't the tank in the provisory brain room …this …this is your office. You hated it when you first saw it after the architect showed it to you. You said that it looked far too bourgeois for your taste and you wanted him to change a couple of things," Glitch said hastily, still moving around and confusing his sisters even more.
"What are you talking about? Are you sure that you're all right?" Amelia asked from her seat, trying to catch Ambrose's attention.
"Oh, I've never felt better before. I can't believe this. I can remember again…everything …do you hear me? I can remember who I am, who you are, who I've been! That's what the spell returned. The other half of my brain! Well the other part of what used to be me …still don't know how the whole brain thing is working in an inhuman body," Glitch exclaimed now more joyfully leaving his sisters staring at him in utter shock.
"You mean that you have a fully functioning mental process again?" Ozma asked catching her breath from the surprise.
"Correct!" Ambrose said now sitting down on his chair.
"That…..is …unbelievable …it worked …it returned something!" Thea said with tears running down her cheeks.
"So there must be a spell that can return my body as well," Glitch responded to her with a plastered grin.
"You are going to keep your promise then, and not give up?"she asked her brother when he had shared his hopeful beliefs.
"Not one second, this is just the beginning and assured me that it is possible," he countered.
His other sisters were still too shocked to reply or to join the conversation and when Glitch had made sure that everyone believed his joy he announced that he would go and tell the others about their partial success.
He wanted to give them time to progress the happenings of the last hour and he himself would need some time to come to terms with what had just happened to him.
Yes, he was disappointed and very grateful for the fact that he couldn't fully show emotions on his face. Yes, he had wanted the spell to work and yes he would spend some time with grieving as best as he could, but he hadn't lied to his sisters. If a spell like this and their magic was powerful enough to return the other half of a human brain to him, then it should be possible to reverse the curse completely. They only needed more time to study the books and right now he needed the support of a certain Tin Man to help him sort his mind.
He couldn't wait to see the look on Cain's face and he prepared for the hug he was secretly hoping to receive.
A.N: All right yes it's not Wednesday the 3rd of June but I made a mistake the last time I published a chapter. Tomorrow I'm not home too so I will publish my newest chapter today hooray ;) This one has a focus on the Royal family and please let me know if it's too sappy unrealistic or weird. I'm not really good in writing magical scenes either so tell me if you think the 'magic sequence' was lame. I hope you enjoyed it and had fun . More to come ^^