Part of this World

There's No Place Like Home

Soon enough, the Wizard, Lori, and Dorothy were in the galleon, and everyone in the Sapphire City was ready to bid farewell to their Wizard.

"My humble folks, I am about to embark on a journey to the outer stratosphere!" the Wizard announced. "In my absence, you'll be under the hands of Scuttle by virtue of his highly superior brain, Sebastian by virtue of his contented heart, and Starr by virtue of her courage. Obey them as you would me."

The wind was blowing, but something seemed to be bothering Dorothy, who leapt out of Lori's arms and onto the dock.

"Dorothy!" Lori gasped. "Please don't leave yet—I'll be back." She got out of the boat and went after her cat.

Dorothy ran off with Lori going after her.

"Dorothy, please—we don't...," Lori started to scold her kitty. But she saw that she forgot her violin case. "My violin case! Thanks, girl."

But the wind got stronger, and that's when the galleon took off.

"Oh, no!" Lori gasped, carrying her purse and violin case and Dorothy. She ran back to the dock, but the boat left without her. "Oh, now we'll never get home to Kansas."

"Oh, I wish we knew what to do," Starr sighed.

Suddenly, something in the sky caught everyone's eye.

"Look! Here's someone who can help you," Scuttle pointed out.

It was Sophia's traveling bubble, and when she appeared, she went over to her daughter and cat.

"Momma, thank goodness you're here!" Lori beamed. "Can you help us please?"

"You don't need to be helped any longer, sweetie—you've always had the power to go back to Kansas," Sophia smiled. "If I had told you that before, you'd be home by now."

"But she wouldn't have met us," Scuttle declared.

"Or helped us get what we needed," Sebastian chimed in.

"And it's not enough to see my family," Lori realized. "If I ever go looking for my heart's desire again, I won't look any further than my new home or Prescott's Music. If it isn't there, I'd never lost it to begin with."

"That's right, dear," Sophia smiled.

"But that's so easy," Scuttle said. "I should've thought of it for you," he told Lori.

"I should've found it in my heart," Sebastian said.

"No, she had to figure it out for herself," Sophia smiled. "Now those ruby slippers will take you home before you know it."

"Oh, great, but I'm really going to miss you all," Lori sighed.

"We're really going to miss you, too," Sebastian frowned. "Now I know I have a heart because it's breaking."

"Maybe we'll see you down the road—you'll never know," Scuttle surmised.

Scuttle, Sebastian, and Starr hugged Lori. When Lori hugged her mother, she was sad to leave her.

"I wish I didn't have to leave you, Momma," Lori sighed, tearing up.

"I know, mermaid, but it's time to move on," Sophia told her. "You still have to figure out how to deal with Muffy."

"Right," Lori agreed.

Dorothy jumped into Sophia's arms and hugged and kissed her.

"Goodbye, Dorothy," Sophia smiled, trying not to cry. She put the kitty in her daughter's arms and asked, "Ready?"

"Ready," Lori nodded.

"Close your eyes, and tap your heels together three times," Sophia instructed.

Lori closed her eyes and tapped her heels three times.

"Now think to yourself 'There's no place like home'," Sophia told her.

"There's no place like home," Lori said. She continued to say this over and over again.