(Henry and Em in Oz)
*July 14th, 1906*
*Kansas*
*1:35 pm*
Dorothy walked downstairs to check on her Uncle Henry and Aunt Em, who was sitting in their living room not too long after sitting outside and there, she saw Aunt Em crying softly to herself while Uncle Henry closed his eyes in sadness.
"Aunt Em, Uncle Henry, what's wrong? Did something bad happen?" Dorothy asked her caregivers with a rather sad look as she stood there, waiting for an answer from either of them while Uncle Henry began to respond to the question.
"Well, this has been something that Me and Em have been dealing with for quite some time, and we didn't want to worry you by telling you, but It's to my great sadness that we must give up the farm, my dear, and go live somewhere else.." Uncle Henry responded sadly, as this news surprised Dorothy.
"W-What do you mean?! You are a good man! Who would do such a terrible thing to you? Please tell me why?" Dorothy responded with shock while Uncle Henry explained the situation to Dorothy.
"Well, we've grown poorer almost every year after the tornado swept up our original house, and that forced me to take a loan out of the bank just so I could rebuild the house; however, It all came with the cost and that made me unable to pay the mortgage. In short, I must pay the bank or leave the farm. I can't possibly get that kind of money.." Uncle Henry explained to Dorothy sadly while Aunt Em nodded in agreement before speaking out.
"We don't mind for ourselves; however, we can't bear to see such a young girl as you experience poverty and working before becoming a grown woman. It saddens me to even think of it.." Aunt Em spoke to Dorothy as well, wiping tears from her face using a napkin while Dorothy hugged her Aunt and Uncle.
"W-What could I do to earn money?" Dorothy asked her Aunt and Uncle while looking down in sadness as Aunt Em began to respond to the question.
"You could do housework or be a nursemaid to children. There's an orphanage that a good friend of mine works at. I might send her a letter to let her know of the situation.." Aunt Em responded to Dorothy, and as things seemed hopeless, Dorothy's face quickly lit up with joy.
"Wait! I could have Ozma, my good friend help us! This would also be a good chance for you guys to meet her in Oz!" Dorothy spoke to her aunt and uncle joyfully while smiling at them as this seemed to have surprised the couple.
"O-Ozma?, Oz?! What in the world are you talking about? This isn't the time to be joking around, we're on the verge of losing our home!" Aunt Em sternly spoke to Dorothy, giving her a stern look while Uncle Henry nodded in agreement.
"She's right. If this is a joke then it's best to cut it off before you say something you might regret. We all know you love Oz; however, there's just a place and time for jokes." Uncle Henry spoke to Dorothy as well; however, Dorothy was completely serious as her demeanor turned serious.
"I'm not joking. I can have Ozma help us with our finances, and during that time, I can show you Oz and the rest of my friends. Trust me, Oz is indeed a real place." Dorothy responded earnestly before walking upstairs while Aunt Em and Uncle Henry followed along.
"B-But how would we even enter Oz? It seems like a faraway place, and I don't know if any vehicle will take us to such a far place." Uncle Henry asked Dorothy curiously while continuing to walk.
"My mirror. I usually talk to Ozma on certain days, so we could use the mirror to enter Oz." Dorothy responded to Uncle Henry, smiling at him. Dorothy would eventually make it to her room along with Aunt Em and Uncle Henry, and there, stood her mirror.
"D-Dorothy, are you sure this is going to work? I know you've been on strange adventures; however, you can't just go to places using a mirror, It's out of this world.." Aunt Em asked Dorothy with a look of concern on her face while Dorothy smiled back.
"Trust me, we'll be in Oz before we know it! I just have to call upon Ozma, my good friend.." Dorothy responded to Aunt Em, smiling at her before turning back to face the mirror, and from there, she began to speak to the mirror.
"Ozma! It's me, Dorothy. I have an important matter to speak to you about, if you could hear me, please answer." Dorothy spoke to the mirror in a clear and loud voice, and for a few seconds, there was silence in the room until the mirror eventually changed from Dorothy's reflection into Ozma, surprising Aunt Em and Uncle Henry.
"W-Well, I'll be! Oz was indeed a real place after all." Uncle Henry uttered in surprise while Aunt Em nodded in agreement, which made Dorothy smile, as everyone heard Ozma beginning to speak.
"Dorothy, my dear! How have things been going for you? I see you've brought your Uncle and Aunt this time, right?" Ozma greeted Dorothy from the mirror, as she saw her friend waving back joyfully.
"I sure have, Aunt Em and Uncle Henry have been taking care of me ever since I was a baby, and I'll forever be grateful for them until the day I die." Dorothy responded while nodding her head toward the mirror, signaling for Aunt Em and Uncle Henry to introduce themselves to Ozma.
"G-Good Afternoon, I'm Henry Gale. It's a pleasure to meet you, your majesty. Thank you for treating Dorothy right for all of these months." Uncle Henry greeted Ozma, bowing to show respect while Aunt Em was next in line.
"Good Afternoon, Your Majesty. I'm Em and It's also a pleasure to meet you, I also thank you for treating Dorothy right as well." Aunt Em greeted Ozma, bowing as well, as this made Dorothy and Ozma smile warmly.
"It's wonderful to meet you both. I've heard so many good things about you two, so I'm glad to have finally met the both of you." Ozma responded with a smile while Dorothy slowly walked closer to the mirror.
"I'm sure they are, but we're also facing some troubles. The trouble is that me and my family might go homeless if my Uncle Henry doesn't pay the mortgage, and the downside is that he doesn't have that kind of money, so I was wondering if you could help us.." Dorothy spoke to Ozma once more, but with a more serious voice while Aunt Em and Uncle Henry lowered their heads due to being reminded of the startling fact.
The news shocked Ozma, her eyes widening in the process before she spoke once more.
"How terrible! Nobody shouldn't have to lose their livelihood over a worthless piece of paper! If I had it my way. The entire Earth would be free of money, but thank you for telling me about this, I'll send some money that will ensure that you and your family live more comfortably." Ozma responded with surprise in her voice before it settled into a more calm one as the news brought smiles to the faces of Dorothy, Aunt Em, and Uncle Henry.
"R-Really?! Thank you! God bless your soul! H-How could we ever repay you?!" Aunt Em spoke out, nearly crying tears of joy while Uncle Henry smiled at Ozma.
"Thank you, young lady. We will always appreciate your kindness. This could save our lives, and while we don't care if we go broke and homeless, we just don't want Dorothy going through such a terrible thing." Uncle Henry spoke to Ozma as well, smiling at her.
"Of course, anything for my friend. You guys are important to me, like how Dorothy is." Ozma responded, smiling at the couple while Dorothy began to speak.
"Now, let's all head over to Oz, shall we? I want you both to meet the rest of my friends!" Dorothy spoke to her aunt and uncle with a smile, and of course, Aunt Em and Uncle Henry were hesitant at first; however, they eventually gave in.
"S-Sure, I've already fed the farm animals and managed to freshen up a bit, so I'm ready." Uncle Henry responded while Aunt Em nodded her head in confirmation.
"I'm ready as well." Aunt Em responded as this made Dorothy smile brightly.
"Wonderful! I know that you two are going to enjoy Oz quite well." Dorothy spoke to her aunt and uncle with joy in her voice.
There were a few moments of silence before Ozma began to click her heels three times before a brilliant flash of light consumed Dorothy, Aunt Em, Uncle Henry, and even Toto and Eureka thus sending them all to Oz.
*Emerald Palace*
Everyone had arrived at the Emerald City, and there, Uncle Henry and Aunt Em were surprised at what they saw.
"W-Well I'll be! The Emerald City that Dorothy mentions was real after all. It's quite beautiful." Uncle Henry spoke in awestruck while Aunt Em nodded in agreement.
"This place…" Aunt Em uttered to herself while looking around the palace in awestruck.
"Don't be afraid! You're in the Land of Oz, where everyone is happy and can live freely. I hope that both of you can enjoy the visit." Dorothy advised her aunt and uncle, gently grabbing them by their hands as she walked them over toward Ozma, who was sitting on her throne.
"Greetings, Henry and Em. It's wonderful to see both of you in the flesh. We have much to do today, so I'll have my bodyguard, Omby Amby take you guys on a tour of the Emerald City." Ozma greeted Aunt Em and Uncle Henry with a smile as Omby Amby stepped forward.
Omby Amby was a tall, slender man that appeared to be in his thirties. He wore a royal green military uniform that had a sword on it.
"Greetings, I'm Omby Amby. I shall be accompanying both of you today, so if you'll kindly follow me.." Omby Amby spoke to the couple politely, walking over to the door located to his right while Dorothy, Aunt Em, and Uncle Henry followed him.
Ozma noticed the door they were entering, which intrigued her.
"It seems he intends to do something else beforehand.." Ozma thought to herself while staring at the door, waiting for any developments.
*Training Room*
Dorothy, Aunt Em, and Uncle Henry entered the green room, and all three of them were confused at this.
"What is this place? Is it a part of the tour?" Aunt Em asked the bodyguard with curiosity while Omby Emby nodded in confirmation.
"Yes; however, before we proceed, I must test Dorothy for she is the Princess of Oz…" Omby Amby responded, taking off his uniform while Dorothy was confused.
"W-What do you mean? Is Ozma aware of the test?" Dorothy asked the bodyguard curiously while Uncle Henry nodded in support of Dorothy.
"She's right, what kind of test is this? Did you speak to Princess Ozma?" Uncle Henry asked as well, waiting for an answer as Omby Amby eventually spoke out.
"It's simple, Dorothy must land one hit on me. If she's truly worthy of being Ozma's friend and loyal princess, she must be strong enough for the job.." Omby Amby responded, cracking his knuckles while the news surprised Dorothy, Aunt Em, and Uncle Henry.
"O-One Hit, that's all?" Dorothy responded in a surprised manner while Omby Amby nodded in confirmation.
"One hit and I must advise you. I'm far stronger than the Wicked Witch of the West, Aurora, and Mombi, slightly; however, I'll go easy on you, Dorothy Gale." Omby Amby responded, preparing himself to test the young girl as Dorothy eventually stepped up.
"I'll accept the challenge. I never fought anyone let alone fought during my lifetime; however, If I'm going to be a Princess of Oz, then I must learn how to fight" Dorothy spoke to Omby Amby, accepting the offer as she prepared herself for the upcoming challenge.
"G-Good Luck, Dorothy! Don't get yourself killed. Give up if things overwhelm you." Aunt Em advised Dorothy while seeing the young girl smiling at them before turning back to face the bodyguard.
"Alright! Here goes!" Dorothy cried out, charging toward Omby Amby in hopes of landing a blow on him.
*Land of Whimies*
Meanwhile, Guph and the Nome army arrived at the Whimies Land, eager to recruit them for their invasion of the Emerald City.
"Alright, men. Let's start recruiting!" Guph spoke to his fellow Nomes, laughing to himself before heading towards the city.
