Dorothy was just standing there like a statue except for her rapidly nodding head. Her voice cracked as she replied, “It's me Auntie Em.” She held her phone up. “I told you we'd be right over.”
Emily still looked skeptical as she studied the witch, I could see her restraining herself from pulling her into a hug until she was sure. “That was a month ago.” She was studying Dot's insecure posture and mannerism, which was such a contrast to her confident presence in Oz. She looked like a lost little girl now.
A month? But it had been moments ago. Then I remembered the wizard's warning that the crossing over messed with time. I guess that would explain him missing his target date by a century when he first came for Dorothy.
As soon as Em locked eyes with her, her face went slack, and her own eyes started watering with recognition. She whispered, “Ladybug?” In an instant, she was hugging Dorothy desperately as Henry
placed a hand on Dot's shoulder.
And we watched one of the most powerful women I have ever met, sob like a baby into her aunt's shoulder, her entire body convulsing. She was mumbling things like, “I'm so sorry,” or, “I couldn't find the way home.”
We all watched, covering our mouths as our own tears fell, watching the reunion. Then finally they pulled apart, and Dot gave Henry a quick hug as he asked, “Where have you been all this time? Why didn't you call?”
She stepped back, clasping Toto's hand as she said, “It's real. It's all real. Oz, the wizard, all of it.”
Her family looked skeptical right up until the moment Toto's time for the day ran out. Henry pulled Em behind him as Toto shook the kimono off, and Dorothy dug her fingers into her girl's fur. Dot repeated, “It's all real. I couldn't find our way home until now.”
They looked between Toto, the kimono on the ground, and Dorothy. I don't think Marie, and I had even registered with them yet. Then another voice chimed out, “What's going on Em, where did the tornado... Dorothy!?!”
All eyes swung to the young woman who had wheeled up to the group. She was a cute sort as she sat on her chair, her jaw hanging open as she leaned forward, squinting past the glamorous look of our witch, seeing someone she knew inside.
Dorothy took a swaying step back, her eyes wide as she whispered, “Molly? You're alive?”
Molly nodded with a silly grin on her face. “I could ask the same of you Dot.” She patted the stumps on her wheelchair where her legs should have been, and explained, “Souvenirs to remind me of my survival.”
Then before Dorothy could respond the girl scrunched her lips to one side. “And it apparently turned you into a runway model? I feel a little slighted here.”
She was mauled by Dot and Toto. While Dorothy hugged the heck out of the giggling girl, Toto was licking her face. Molly giggled as she said, “Where the hell have you been, did... did Antionette survive too?”
They pulled apart, and Toni sat with a harrumph. Dot answered almost in embarrassed question,
“Oz? This IS Toto. It's a long story.”
Then she got that wicked gleam in her eye, oh crap. She said, “But before anything, Molls...” She started weaving her hands in the air, dark roiling clouds started forming in the sky as emerald lightning came streaking down to Dorothy's hands. Henry covered Emily's head.
The entire world seemed to shudder, and I was close to blacking out as the feel of so much raw, reality changing magic was compressed into Dorothy's hands. Then she thrust both hands, palms out at
her old friend, Molly.
I would have expected a scream of pain or something, but instead, the energy turned into a soft emerald glow that engulfed the chair-bound woman. We all stared gape-jawed and in shock as clockwork legs seemed to build themselves from the stumps on down to beautifully delicate toes made of what looked to be silver and gold. Even the gears ticking back and forth in the leafy vine stylization of the framework seemed to be intricately etched with flowering vines.
Then it was over, and Dorothy was gasping from the effort. So this is what doing a physical change to someone did to a witch of Oz?
Nobody spoke, we were all in shock as Molly touched the legs. It was hard to distinguish where her flesh ended, and the metalwork began. She whispered in shock, “I... I can feel them.” Then she pushed herself up tentatively, testing the legs and then she stood, eyes tearing up. “I can stand...” She took a step toward Dorothy experimentally as Toto barked encouragement, tail wagging.
Then with wonder in her tone, she whispered, “I can walk... I can feel my legs...” And she stepped up to Dot, gears whirring and ticking, and engulfed her in a tight hug, whispering, “Thank you, thank you...” Then added, “Holy shit, you're magic?”
Dorothy looked embarrassed and shrugged at the woman released her, saying, “Sometimes wicked is really good.”
Then Dorothy of Oz was back. That confidence and commanding nature oozed from her as she held a hand up to stop the impending questions from her guardians and friend saying, “Let's go inside and talk. This is Parker, Ella, and Marie.” She indicated the two of us, which seemed to confuse them as they tried to do the incongruent math. She prompted us, “Parker, Marie, Emily and Henry Gale, and my good friend Molly Stevens.”
Then she held up a finger after we all shook and exchanged niceties, “But first...”
She spun around, her fist shot out quickly and hit Baum right in the face. He fell on his ass, holding his nose, “Ow!”
I almost chuckled at that but froze when he said as he regained his footing when I saw the people behind him, “I've brought the others. Now I must be off to Oz to rule until your return. The last of the group will catch up with you as soon as the ship comes into port.”
He tipped his top hat, and when he looked up, his new bloody nose was healed. Then with a smack and an, “Ow! Would you stop doing that?” It was bloody again.
Dorothy answered plainly, “No.” The man grinned at her then widened his eyes and pointed at the sky. We all looked up then when we saw nothing, we looked back at the empty spot he had been standing. He really was a pain in the ass, wasn't he? Just as bad as the Grimm Brothers had been.
But I didn't have time for that, and I looked at all the woman I called my own family standing there smiling. Bella was squeeing and running forward, “Parker! We thought you were lost!”
I smiled and opened my arms then deflated in disappointment when she engulfed Marie in a silly side to side hug.”
Marie, in my body, stood stock still a moment, before she caught up, then smiled at our friend, “I'm sorry, Belle, eet eez Marie. That is my Parker there, in Ella's original body.”
I waved sheepishly until the girl caught up and then flung herself on me hugging me. She muttered,
“Ella was cute. Where is she?”
I looked even more awkward and sheepish as I pointed at my head. “In here too, and she says to tell you she's not bloody cute.”
As the others gave us welcoming hugs, I offered, “It's a long story, let's all go inside, quite a few reunions are happening.” Then I looked around and asked, “Where are Amanda and Robyn?”
Mari answered as she hugged me and I felt the huge amount of power in her, “Baum said they'd be along presently.”
I nodded, cryptic as ever. I understood why Dot tended to punch the man whenever she saw him.
We all turned to the farmhouse, Henry and Emily in the lead as I looked around and sighed.
There really is no place like home.
The End
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Novels by Erik Schubach
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Books in the Techromancy Scrolls series...
Adept
Soras
Masquerade
Westlands
Avalon (2018)
Books in the Urban Fairytales series...
Red Hood: The Hunt
Snow: The White Crow
Ella: Cinders and Ash
Rose
: Briar's Thorn
Let Down Your Hair
Hair of Gold: Just Right
The Hood of Locksley
Beauty In the Beast
No Place Like Home
Shadow Of The Hook (2018)
Books in the New Sentinels series...
Djinn: Cursed
Raven Maid: Out of the Darkness
Fate: No Strings Attached
Open Seas: Just Add Water
Ghost-ish: Lazarus (2018)
Books in the Drakon series...
Awakening
Dragonfall
Books in the Valkyrie Chronicles series...
Return of the Asgard
Bloodlines
Folkvangr
Seventy Two Hours
Titans
Books in the Tales From Olympus series...
Gods Reunited (2018)
Books in the Bridge series...
Trolls
Traitor
Unbroken
Books in the Fracture series...
Divergence
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Romance Novels by Erik Schubach
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Books in the Music of the Soul universe...
(All books are standalone and can be read in any order)
Music of the Soul
A Deafening Whisper
Dating Game
Karaoke Queen
Silent Bob
Five Feet or Less
Broken Song
Syncopated Rhythm
Progeny
Girl Next Door
Lightning Strikes Twice
June
Dead Shot
Music of the Soul Shorts...
(All short stories are standalone and can be read in any order)
Misadventures of Victoria Davenport: Operation Matchmaker
Wallflower
Accidental Date
Holiday Morsels
Books in the London Harmony series...
(All books are standalone and can be read in any order)
Water Gypsy
Feel the Beat
Roctoberfest
Small Fry
Doghouse
Minuette
Squid Hugs
The Pike
Flotilla
Books in the Pike series...
(All books are standalone and can be read in any order)
Ships In The Night
Right To Remain Silent
Evermore
Books in the Flotilla series...
(All books are standalone and can be read in any order)
Making Waves
Keeping Time
The Temp
Books in the Unleashed series...
Case of the Collie Flour
Case of the Hot Dog (2018)
Case of the Gold Retriever (2018)
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The Hollow
Books in the Paranormals series...
Fleas
This Sucks
Jinx (2018)
Short stories in the Fixit Adventures...
Fixit
Glitch
Vashon (2017)
Descent (2018)
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Short Stories by Erik Schubach
(These short stories span many different genres)
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A Little Favor
Lost in the Woods
MUB
Mirror Mirror On The Wall
Oops!
Rift Jumpers: Faster Than Light
Scythe
Snack Run
Something Pretty
Document Outline
Urban Fairytales: No Place Like Home Copyright © 2017 by Erik Schubach
Chapter 1 – Not in Kansas Anymore
Chapter 2 – Battle
Chapter 3 – Prison of Flesh
Chapter 4 – Emerald City
Chapter 5 – Kansas
Chapter 6 – Tornado
Chapter 7 – Oz
Chapter 8 – Wicked
Chapter 9 – Vermillion
Chapter 10 – Prophecy
Chapter 11 – Hunt
Chapter 12 – Demon
Chapter 13 – No Place Like Home
Chapter 14 – Reunited