Into the Woods

As we enter the city he takes in the sights. It’s true the City is probably Oz’s greatest architectural masterpiece. Though we have many. We pass a Gillikin. This one in-particular is a lollipop. I can tell they’re trying very hard not to stare. Especially when we pass a Tin Woodsman. I sit him down in the foyer.

“Wait here.” I tell them. It only takes a minute for me to explain the situation to Glinda. Although she had a lot questions her first priority is to heal their ankle. I take her to them. They stare at a money that flys past. “My sister.” I say. He nods in greeting to her. She rolls his paint leg then paces a hand gently on the skin. It heals immediately. She can’t perform miracles. Essentially, she can only speed up what would heal on its own.

“There you are.” She says. “Need anything else.”

“No. Thank you. I think I’ll just try, and find who’s in charge around here.” We look at each other.

“Well the King and Queen are busy, but we can certainly help you.” He looks us over.

“I am Princess Glinda future Queen of the South. My sister is Princess Elphaba future Queen of the West. She, her by the way. I’ll go get Princess Nessarose.” She goes to leave. Oz stands. He tests out his healed ankle. As the sun sets I snap my figures so the touchers lite. He jumps.

“Sorry.” I say. Surprised my the reaction. People fear wicked witches evil, but not magic itself. If anything they love it.

“No, no you just surprised me. You are something else aren’t you.” The way he says it sounds like a complement. Once he’s standing he bows. I curtsy in response. I take him over to where a Winkie stands a large wooden desk. Most Winkies look like us, but green all over, and much taller. It’s not the same shade I’m turning, it’s not a reflection of their evil.

“We’re having a meeting between me and my sisters, and the wizard Oz.” I say.

“You just cleared all your meetings you can’t just-“ I interrupt him by making a quill fly to the parchment in the book filling out the necessary information. He sighs.

“Council rooms over there.” He dead pans. I take a citizenship paper with me. Oz signs it. That way there’s record of him somewhere in case he can’t go back to Kansas right away. I have a munchkin file it away. I take him into the council room I was in earlier. I pull out an emerald chair for him.

“This is my sister Princess Nessarose. She, her.” I say. The three of us sit down on the other side of the table. Me and my sister look like Locasta. Long straight black hair. Nessarose has the same black eyes as her, mine are green, Gilnda’s is like our parents blue. Her hair is like our grandmothers redish-gold. We’re not certain we’re the black hair comes from though, given both of our parents have dark brown hair. My sister also has out mothers long curls. Like bouncy ringlets. She has on a heart tiara. Nessarose a typical gold crown. I’m surprised he didn’t assume us royalty.

“I am Oz the wizard. He, him. I am from Kansas, and that seems to be a long way away from here. I came here in my now crashed balloon.”

“Balloon.” I think balloon as in those things on strings given to children. “Your flying machine?”

“Yes. I’ll need it repaired, but I’d like to stay here awhile see what there is to see. I’m a performer of sorts.” He makes a silver coin spear in his hand, then disappear. “An entertainer.” He takes a dagger from his throat. “And on rare occasion I’ve been known to create miracles.” With a puff of smoke he appears on the other side of the room. He gives the bow of a showmen.

“Can you speed up time so this meeting will end?” Nessarose asks.

“Nessarose.” Glinda chastises.

“No, no I’ve took your ladies time long enough.”

“She can’t help it.” I say.

“It’s the wicked in me.” She says showing him her arms, and smirking. There a dark emerald shade of green. There’s a stabbing pain in my chest. I let Glinda make arrangements. I leave with Nessarose. He grabs my arm.

“Will I see again?”

“I certainly hope so.” A vision come to me. Our paths will certainly cross again.

~

I’m at the edge of the Beast Forest. I start walking. The forest is dark. Shadowed by the thick branches overhead. It’s filled with notices unfamiliar to me. Everything in the Emerald City is finely maintained. The flowers perfectly trimmed, the green grass perfectly cut, the yellow brick perfectly cleaned, and the emeralds perfectly sparkly. That is not this forest. I fallow a small yellow brick path. A tree branch nicks my shoulder, cutting open my clothes, and drawing blood. I had never had a talent for healing. I pass thrones, and thistle bushes. Trees with tangled branches. I hear a wolfs howl not far. The beasts in the forest do sometimes kill people, though they’re not supposed too. That doesn’t happen often. No it’s the real animals that I fear.

“The lions, and tigers, and bears. Oh my!” I whisper under my breath. I jump at the snap of a twig under my boot. I take a breath. There are few things out here who could could take me down. I feel a fireball spell at my fingertips. I focus on getting to were I need to go. I check my map. I take a left into the trees. I jump over roots, and rocks. I am not a nature person. Nessarose would like this dark, spooky forest though. The closest Glinda gets to nature is gardening. Though she’d never complain. I am not Glinda.

“Fucking tree!” I almost trip. “For fuck sake.”

“Sorry.” A tree says. Making me turn. I feel heat rise to my face at being caught so informal, and unladylike.

“No, no I’m sorry I did realize you were a person. Please forgiven my rudeness.” A few roots from a tree nearest to me move out the way.

“You forgiven.”

“And this will stay between us?” I ask hopefully.

“Yes your Grace.” The tree says. I pull up my hood. Then I make it to a series of caves. I see eyes watching me from the dark. After fallowing them I come across an underground den, and two log wood houses. I walk up to a third log wood building. Simple, large, and one floor. The sign reads: Town Hall. I go inside. There’s an owl with round spectacles sitting at a desk.

“Name please?”

“Princess Elphaba of the Emerald City. Heir to the West.” She looks up. I lower my hood.

“Your highness.” She exclaims.

“I need a meeting with Mr. Wise Bear.” I say.

“Right this way you’re Highness.” He passes me a cup of tea with honey with his large paws. I sip it.

“Thank you. I’m afraid your diplomat was-“ Think of a nice word. Think of a nice word. “Unhelpful.” Nailed it! “So I fear there are matters we need to discuss.”

“Continue.” The trade is boring, and exactly what you expect. Though I add that if we run out of meat will trade emeralds for their meat. We have plenty of them, and other precious stones and metals. It was already an unsaid thing, but I figure we might as well make it official. Then it’s the matter of reestablishing alliances. The Beast Forest is under my parents rule, until my sister takes up the mantle. Etc. Then to the part I’m interested in.

“Mr. Wise Bear. There are rumors of people under your responsibility killing livestock from nearby farms. I’d that true. Because you know as well as I it is an almost dead profession. And you are one of the few places with a population of wild animals. So I’m rather confused by this series of thievery.” I stay keeping my voice cool, but not cold. This isn’t an accusation. Yet.

“That is one of the things I wanted Mr. Tiger to smooth over, and bring to your attention. There is no excuse for robbery. Though I still would like to bring to your attention that the population of wild animals here has diminished rather significantly. Not by much, but there’s so few already. Everyone with accommodations is set, but those who prefer meat in their diet are restless.”

“I’m assuming there’s a reason for it?”

“First allow me to send you back to your Emerald City with wild herbs as an apology for any trouble my people caused.” I nod. He continues. “There was a forest fire.”

“A forest fire.” I say. I lean forward, sitting with that. I think about wild fires. They sometimes happen near the very edge of our kingdom near the dessert. We’re there is dry bush. We’re no where near there though. The climate in the south and north has always been nice. Warm, sunny skies, it almost never rains more than a short sprinkle, and almost never snows. The weather in the east is similar, but it does rain sometimes, and it does snow, but not enough to stick to the ground for very long. The West is unpredictable. Sometimes it’s nice. Other times it’s storms. Sometimes there’s even tornadoes, earthquakes, dry lightning, and other natural phenomena. Here though it couldn’t again the air isn’t dry enough, and the sun isn’t hot enough to start a forest fire large enough to really affect the ecosystem here. A small one maybe if they didn’t put it out in time. “How?” I ask.

“Currently we think someone set it.” He says. I lean back in my chair. Taking in that information.

“Who would do that?” The people of Oz because of how we were raised tend to be fairly simple people. We grow up value, and trust trusting and believe in tradition. Some would call us gullible, we are only gullible because we have learned that anything can exist, and anything can happen. My generation has also grown-up with little threat. In a time of peace. Some wouldn’t ever consider the idea of someone setting a fire. So Mr. Wise Bear must have a good reason.

“Who?”

“We don’t know.” He states apologetically.

“How?”

“We think someone set the fire because there’s evidence that someone set it in multiple places around the area up west.” I ask a simple question. My voice low.

“Where?”