Stories In Progress (Fan-fiction First Chapters)

TinMan: The People's Princess

Chapter One: An Escape

She was running again. She knew it was wrong but at this point she didn't have a choice. DG was sorry she let the witch out, she was sorry she let go of AZ's hand, and if she could she would gladly pay for that mistake with her life but she would not pay for it with her body. And when she had told her parents that in more colourful words she had been told to go to her room, that she didn't understand how royalty must handle situations, that DG didn't have a choice; well screw that.

The OZ wasn't the world that DG had thought it was. Arriving from the tornado and having to cross the country to save the land from a wicked witch was all well and good in a fairy tale but real life was way more complicated. Finding out her foster parents were robots hadn't stopped her, learning her real mother was a queen hadn't slow her down, but when the men that she had come to rely on left it had just about broke her.

Her first friend in the OZ that she had rescued from munchkins Glitch wasn't there anymore, after he had brain surgery to put his brain back in he once more became the queen's advisor a pompous and stiff fellow that didn't know how to have fun. The third friend that she'd rescued from being eaten by Papay Raw she kind of understood had to leave to take his nephew back to his tribe she just wished he hadn't told her he wouldn't be able to see her for years (damn seer).

Her second friend Mr Wyatt Cain, a man she had helped escape from a metal tin suit where he had been trapped for years, was the one man she had thought would stick around only it was not meant to be. He'd left her without a word, without a goodbye. A solider just doing his job to help her defeat an undefeatable evil, that was what DG had figured out after he left; she meant nothing to him just a means to an end. As he rode away DG swore she heard her heart break.

The adventure was over and she was on her own at least that was what it felt like until AZ her sister came around. AZ the girl who had been possessed by the evil sorceress for years had helped DG survive this new world she had found herself lost in. When the Queen wanted DG to act like a princess less a farm girl from Kansas AZ was the one who taught her how to fake her way through it. The last year was a blur of parties and balls and things that were 'important' for state matters. DG had had enough long before the conversation about marriage came up.

DG hadn't been happy at the palace anyway, all those rules and lessons; teaching her things that weren't even important, she'd learned more sneaking off on her own than she had from all those boring lectures. For instance she knew the fastest route out of the city and the best way to the fields of the Papay; although those boring lessons did come in handy for some things, for instance when she was able to trick Tutor into teaching her a technique for communicating with species that weren't human. Rubbing her fingertips together in an evil imitation of Mr Burns, DG mumbled under her breath.

"Excellent."

Shaking out of her reverie DG stayed still for one more second before she sprinted across the alley in a mostly industrial part of town and slid under the produce truck as it stopped for the corner. Quickly hooking herself to the undercarriage, DG waited for a shout that she'd been spotted. When no voice rose in anger DG let out her held breath as the truck started and continued on. About half an hour later after one more supply stop the truck passed through the check-point for the outer gate of central city and they were on their way away from the city. Feeling more secure now they were outside the Emeralds walls, DG settled herself in to wait.

Hours passed before DG felt the truck slowing down. When it stopped she heard both doors open and the two men inside get out and cross over; when they immediately got back in DG realised they must be switching drivers. Knowing this would be the best time for her escape; DG unhooked herself quickly and crawled so she was at the back of the truck between the rear wheels. Just as the truck drove off DG cast a simple glamour spell, producing a small cloud of dust to obscure her from sight. Once she could no longer hear the truck DG got up and took stock of where she was.

The first thing DG did was get out the map she'd stolen from the archive library. DG then used a simple find me spell, a useful little trick she'd thought up after a talk with one of the older soldiers about troop movements. Once her little DG appeared on the map big DG knew in what direction she should be heading. Folding the map into the pocket of her beloved jacket DG double checked that her large backpack was secure and that she had everything she needed. DG set off knowing she had hours before anyone should realise she was missing and if AZ kept her promise she might even have days.

Thinking of AZ made DG a little sad but she knewshe would see her sister again soon especially if their plan worked. The onlyreason she was semi-comfortable leaving AZ back in that gilded prison was thatGlitch occasionally made an appearance out of Ambrose's bull-headiness wheninteracting with her sister and DG knew that her first friend in the OZ woulddo anything to protect 'his Azkadee'. Shakingoff her thoughts of the palace as that place was no longer her concern, DG pickup her pace wanting to put as much distance between her and her 'parents' asshe could. If the plan failed then all hell was about to break out very soonand DG didn't want to be anywhere near it when it happen.