Within the Pages

Chapter 43

A/N: This is a bigger chapter then normal. Hopefully you guys can get over the father's death. Was almost hard for me to write it. 

Chapter 43

Tears flow down my cheeks. Lancelot stops and grabs me, trying to pull me away. Suddenly I'm let go as Lancelot yelps in pain.

I fall over, kneeling on the ground. Black flames erupt around me. I look at the reflective floor and see my eyes are midnight black. The witches have killed my father. I imagine them sitting smug on high thrones and then being thrown toward me. To my surprise they pop into view in from of me.

Their faces fall. The Wicked Witch of the East cries out "The Black Fire!" Fear echoing in her voice. With one look at her I watch as she turns slowly to ash.

My sister, The Wicked Witch of East looks at the ash with shock. Slowly something weird happens with her. The pale green skins gets paler and paler. It continues and continues until her skin looks just like a regular person's.

She falls to the ground, starting to cry. "Thank you Charlie, thank you.".

The black fire around me subsides around me and the reflective floor shows my eyes returning to their normal sky blue colour. The Wicked Witch gets up off the floor and runs to me, reaching her arms around me. I try to get up and stop but I'm dizzy and I fall back down, not able to stop her. I expect her to squish the life out of my or to pull out a dagger and stab me in the back.

Instead however she hugs me.

The whole group of us exclaims, including the four guards that were making the way ahead of us. The four still looking over their shoulder and keeping an eye out for sneak attacks.

"I didn't mean to Charlie. The Witch of the East came for me when I was younger. She put a spell on me. It turned my skin to a horrible pale green colour. It turned me into a monster. It was like I was a prisoner in my own body. Please believe me Charlie." The Witch yammers on.

How am I supposed to believe someone that issued an attachment of soldiers to kill our father, was just under a curse. "I don't trust you. But I can't just leave you here in case you are telling the truth."

I look over to the soldier who is in the lead. "Do you have it?" I ask, knowing he'll know what I'm talking about.

With a nod, he reaches into his coat and pulls out the plain white collar that had nullified my powers before. I grab the collar and the key and go toward the Wicked Witch. She looks surprised as I move toward her and really reluctant but surprisingly she lets me fasten the white collar around her neck and lock it with the key. I place the key in my right pocket. Pulling her up, I continue moving.

It's time for me to get back the the cabin and get to Wonderland. I've had enough with Oz. "Let's go."

We make our way straight through the courtyard to another door and straight down the hall out the door and into the lower part of Emerald City. There are guards on either side of the door and they move to attack us but suddenly stop their motion and kneel down. "Hail the Wizard of Oz!"

"Excuse me?" I ask questioningly.

"We heard of your father's death, news travels fast around here. And since you vanquished the Wicked Witch of the East, you have freed us from her spell on us." One of the guard's answers.

"Well I'm not the Wizard of Oz. Only my dad was that and nobody could replace him." My dad doesn't just get forgotten just because he's dead. Wth!?

"Even so it would be my honour to have a formation of our finest men to escort you whenever you leave the Emerald City and every time you leave for this time onwards."

"I guess word doesn't travel that fast after all. I am leaving Oz. Most likely never coming back." I'll be leaving them without a leader but right now I have bigger worries.

"Oh we know you are leaving for Wonderland. But we also know you'll be back when Oz needs you the most. The prophecies say so." He at me certainly, both fear and delight in his eyes. Most likely fear of whatever it will be that Oz will need me for.

I'm torn between hurrying to try to save mom and between looking at these prophecies that could potentially help clear up some things that I am not certain about. "I'm not one for prophecies." I declare trying to convince him of my disinterest.

"I could lead Oz for you." A voice speaks out. Lancelot's voice. "I believe that in order to fully fulfill my life debt to you, I would need to do something major like this."

"You have already saved my life time and time again Lancelot. You owe me nothing."

"That may be true that I have saved your life but you brought me back from death. That is something that I need to do something incredible for. Besides, we have explored this land for a bit. I've seen amazing things that not even England has. Wherever we are, I would like to explore more of this place. I'd like to call this home." Lancelot says with a voice filled with conviction and wonder.

Despite the stories of Lancelot I heard before I know that all stories might not be exactly how they were written. Take this story for example. The Wicked Witch of the East was actually alive and controlling the soldiers of the Emerald Palace and the Wicked Witch of the Wast, my sister. That's not nearly how it was written in the book that I had read. " If that is what you wish then that is what it will be." Turning to the guard at the gate, " This man here will be king of Oz in my absence. You'll all treat him as such."

The guard claps his a fist to his chest . "As you say it, so it will be."

The rest of us march of heading to the house leaving Lancelot behind, now two members less than before.