THE FARAWAY LANDS OF OZ - Book One

Part Three, Chapter Eighteen: Bada Bing

EVANORA

We were just staring at each other. Currently, I am not able to do anything else. I had thought that my sister had died either old and alone or by Hardy's hand. To see her here made me feel alive again.
A heavy rock had lifted off my chest and I was able to think clearly again. The tears welled up in my eyes for the millionth time in the past two days and eventually, I crossed the space between us and pulled her close to me.
Feeling the warmth of her body against mine restored a piece of me and I would have liked to have remained hugging for eternity. I broke the embrace and just stared into her now yellow eyes, holding her face between both my hands.
"What happened? Marcy and Josie feared that you died!" Glinda was crying happy tears too. She rarely did and if so, she wanted to be alone and unnoticed. A very hypocritical move but she did not care when she did that.
"I-I have to tell you everything!" She looked Marcy in the face. "You're grown up..."
They smiled at each other, and the girl joined the two of us and hugged Glinda as tightly as I had. As they hugged, I looked at Lazarus, who was just standing there, doing nothing. Perplexed by what was going on right now. I threw him an apologetic look and we smiled at each other.
"Can you tell us what happened?" Marcy asked and Glinda nodded, releasing herself from the embrace.
"Of course. I figure that you know how we got separated and I gave you the ribbon to find me?" She waited for our nods. "After that, I woke up in the streets of the Flame District, lost and clueless about where I was. This must have been about two months from now. In that time, I managed to find friends inside the Government. Old friends as well. Madame Gillespie helped me get rid of my identity as Glinda and together, we created Soleil. The yellow eyes are just contacts."
She parted her eyelids and picked out the thin sheets of plastic. I had missed the kindness that was radiated from their original, sky-blue color. She clicked open a little box filled with a clear liquid, placing it inside.
It was also surprising how Gillespie was working for the Government. I would have thought that her kindness towards us was genuine. Hardy must have stolen her back then but helping Glinda go unnoticed proved her loyalty. If we could contact her, that would be great.
"From the savings that I took from Fawkes Manor as you had instructed, Ev, I was able to convince the Government to build Soleil Corporation; an all-round manufacturer that would make them even richer. That's the only language these corporates understand: money. After a while, the Government and Soleil Corps were working hand in hand, ruling the city as they saw fit."
"But why did you work against us?" Marcy intervened, making Glinda laugh.
"For one, I never knew that you had made it or that Bada Bing was you. For another, who said that I ever worked against you? Who do you think left the accidental food and weapon packages at night sweeps? Who was sabotaging the Government's shipments? Placing microchips in their devices to gain full control of the tower? Soleil Corps..."
All our eyes grew big. I was thoroughly amazed that Hardy had not managed to get behind her. Glinda must have pulled on quite the stunt for it to seem believable.
"...And now, we're here. What about you though? I have no idea what happened to you all."
Marcy began telling her everything that she had already told me. How she and Josie arrived, founded Bada Bing, saw the others get captured, notice Soleil Corps rise from nothing, take in Lazarus who then saved me from hibernation. Far less exciting than Glinda's story.
"I'm just so glad that we are all reunited again," she said after she had taken in the information. And I was glad too. Although we were not everyone. But now that we had Glinda – who also ensured us access to the powerful Soleil Corps – we had the victory against the Government in our pocket. All we have to do is come up with a plan. But first we have to see what the others say about it.
"Guys: We have to take care of the Government." I was surprised by the lack of reaction but continued, "We have to take of the snake's head. Before they are too powerful to stop, and the others need us. Who knows what Hardy does to them...?"
Still nothing and I took their silence as a yes. "We should return to Bada Bing and think of something. I may even have an idea already."
We began to stand up and leave the room. Now that I knew who Soleil was, I saw the Corporation in an entirely different light. The corridors seemed much brighter and inviting, smelled of Dahlias, summer flowers that made me remember the wedding. It made me realize how much I missed Zion.
I missed his strong body and gentle hands, his voice and the feeling of his lips against mine. I missed him almost as much as I missed my baby-boy...
"We will take my private vessel. It'll be faster that way." Glinda led us to a lift which we took to the topmost floor. Here it looked even different than the orange-lit hallways, let alone from the basements. This must be her office.
It was just a single room though with a wall of glass behind the desk placed at the very end of the room. Fish tanks decorated the other two walls, as well as paintings of Glinda herself in her cold, Soleil appearance. The woman on there, really had not been my sister.
Glinda walked to the desk and pressed down one of the orange lamps that decorated it. To the left, a piece of wall slid upwards and revealed a small flight of stairs. She waved us to follow it upwards.
At the end of the stairs was another wall that slid up in just the same fashion as the previous one. Now, we were on a helipad of sorts with a massive jet parked here.
It was an arrow-looking ship with wings that lay close to the body, bearing a pair of twin propulsion engines. It was shining silver in the sun with yellow decals, painted onto some parts. On the side of it were black letters that read 'Voyager'. She even had a name.
"You called it after our royal vessel back home!" I realized and felt my heart warm up a little upon this.
"That way, I could remember all of you."
I threw my sister a swift smile before following her onto the ramp and onto the ship alongside the others. In Oz, we had this humongous galleon that lay in the Topaz Cove, our main trading port.
With it, we would travel across the sea and through our dimensional barrier to the realm in between from where we could reach every other realm that was reachable by water. That way we always had our holidays in Albion, visiting King Arthur and his gallant Knights of the Round Table. Also, to just have a nice time someplace other than Oz.
Inside, Glinda's Voyager looked just as glamorous as from the outside. White walls, red leather seats and a little table in the back of it.
"Voice controlled." Glinda must be very proud of the vessel, the way she bragged about it. And she never really brags about anything. On the contrary, she is the most modest of the four of us. "Voyager! Ready to launch: Earth, United States of America, Texas, Phoenix, Ash District, Bada Bing."
I chuckled a little, as we all buckled into one of the six seats. "You have to be very specific I see."
Glinda returned my chuckle, "Yes you do. But only in automatic flight. I could take the helm and fly it myself but that would take too long. And we, must hurry."
The engine began to whistle, and we took flight, reaching immense speed in almost no time. Only from up here did I realize just how big Phoenix actually was. I could barely see the city's borders on the horizon.
It was a circle that had the Government and Soleil Corps in the middle of it but there was not a single indicator of the Ash District. When one arrives here by spacecraft – and I presume that this is the common way of travel nowadays – the Fallen Phoenix remains invisible.
In no time, we arrived at Bada Bing, and Glinda made us all get out on its roof. Because the people here were poor, there was a high crime rate as the others explained. That's why Lazarus had hidden away his bike as well.
Marcy had already told Josie of our discovery on our way here and she was not surprised when we walked in with Glinda. She gave all of us a hug and an especially tight one she reserved for her auntie. Back in 1850, we told her to call us that as well. She was as good as a part of the family now.
We went into the quiet room behind the customer's area, and each took a seat on the couch. Lazarus was about to get the weird drink again, but I stopped him just in time.
"Marcy told me that we have a plan?" Josie asked after we could catch our breath for a while. If Glinda's troops are as loyal to her as she describes them to be, Hardy would never get behind us. But if one of them even distrusts her, we are doomed.
"I thought of something, yes, but it's just an idea. Not a fully developed plan." None of them said anything and I therefore took the silence as a sign to continue. "Why come up with a new and complicated plan, when we already have a perfectly good one. Hardy may get behind it sooner rather than later but that way, at least, he'll know who is coming from him and that we won't be defeated that easily..."
I paused to catch my breath and see their reactions. Why is it that whenever I talk to them, I rarely get anything back? Neither excited nor frowning faces. But I assume that was what loss does with most people. Some turn blank, others vengeful. Myself included...
They all looked like they were struggling with their thoughts, chewing through my proposition over again in their minds. Only Lazarus seemed completely lost. But I wasn't finished either.
"...We'll have to return home though. Set a base of operation, build a network between Bada Bing, Soleil and the estate. Observe Hardy from a distance and strike him when he is most vulnerable. When the time is nigh, we shall rally everyone who wants to fight and storm the Government. Use the chaos of battle as a distraction, while Glinda and I go and save our family. After that, it'll only be Hardy left but this time, we'll take him together. As a family..."
Finally, everything was going in the right direction. To some extent, at least. Determined grunts and nods told me that they agreed with my idea. This would save us at least some time. Or perhaps that was their primary motivator: time.
If Zion had been here, I am sure that he would have found some arguments against it and this time, even myself came up with a handful of those. But we really had no time at all and that was the best I could come up with.
"...All right then. Tomorrow we shall go home. Hopefully for good."
Thankfully, Glinda and Marcy got my drift. They knew that we could return home to Oz once we had freed the others and dealt with Hardy. His device would be the only solution to return back at exactly the time we had left. That way, everyone will be there.
Everyone but my son thought. I don't know how mom will react. She had lost dad and was probably even more excited about Noa than I had been. To burst her bubble like that broke my heart. But the truth hurts sometimes. It sure did hurt me all the time...
"I should let you know though that Fawkes Manor is heavily guarded. Hardy is afraid to lose it as tactical advantage," Glinda informed me, as we stood up and made for our rooms. The two of us were left alone, Marcy waited only to show my sister to hers.
"I thought so. But it won't be something to trouble us. I am confident! Besides: You're Soleil! You have influence." We smiled, hugged and left the room together, Marcy and Glinda heading left though, whereas I slurped up the stairs to my room from last night. I just wanted things to end, honestly.
For us to go home to Oz where I will just sit in my little tower and read my favorite books. I could already see my shelves of Austen and Shakespeare. Father had recommended me William's books. He had read them shortly before I was born and was just fascinated with his work.
Jane on the other hand, I had met her personally. During one of my internships on Earth, I met her, and she had shown me her work. Until her death, we remained in contact. She was one of the few humans to know about Oz and magic. She had been one of my dearest friends. A pen-pal, one could say.
When I reached my room, Lazarus was waiting in front of my door. At first, I didn't notice him because I was looking down at my feet, sunken in thought. Only his soft 'Hey!' made me look up.
"Hey!" I returned and flashed him one of my brightest smiles.
"Thanks for calling me family. I... I haven't heard someone say it in a long time." He never stops, does he? I couldn't help but feel sorry for him, but it also made me more than happy to know that I made him feel loved.
"Of course, dear. You and Josie may not have been born with the blood of Fawkes but that doesn't mean that you aren't one. I have to stress it once again, Lazarus but you have become more than just an ally to me."
I reached across and pulled him into a hug again, which he gladly returned. He gave me comfort in a way that he may not realize himself. I truly hold him close to my heart even though I have known him for only two days.
"Thanks." He broke contact, yawning loudly, making me chuckle. "Good night!" He finally said and I could only return that.
"Good night, dear." After I had replied, we threw each other one more smile before he turned around and walked up the corridor to its very end and into his own room. I watched him open the door and disappear behind it before I entered the darkness myself, took off my clothes and fell asleep, the instant that my head touched the softness of the pillow.