Chapter Two: The Landing and a Dead Witch
The Cyclone rocked as it entered the atmosphere. Despite the roar of the air against the ship's exterior, Dorothy could hear the hissing of the ship decompressing the pressure systems bit by bit as it got closer and closer to landing.
Dorothy longed for her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry to be able to see it-- already, she could see mountains and lush green hills. As the ship got closer, she could see dozens of squares acres and acres of fields, and trees of forests, and houses.
She held her breath at its vibrant beauty. The ship's operating system had not glitched after all. That, or maybe she had died while she had still been in cryosleep and this was heaven...
The ship rocked and shook some more as it got closer and closer to landing.
Dorothy gripped the arms of the seat even tighter. The planet was definitely inhabited by sentient lifeforms. How would they react? What would they do when she encountered them? Were they friendly, or were they fierce warriors determined to destroy any invaders?
The roar of the engine became a quiet hiss as the Cyclone made a touchdown on the planet's surface.
"You may now unfasten your safety harness and make a safe exit off of the Cyclone. Stay safe, Dorothy Gale," the operating system cooed from the speakers.
Toto stood up and nudged Dorothy's knee with his nose gently. She gave his head a quick pat and pulled her harness apart.
"Here goes nothing, Toto," she said as she stood up and stretched a bit. She took a deep breath and headed for the ship's hatch. Toto tread on her heels all the way towards the exit.
He's definitely programmed to be loyal, like any dog. I think they programmed my face into his facial recognition system. Still isn't any better than actually having them, she thought.
There was a scanner at the hatch with the shape of a hand on it. She had passed it so many times since she had woken up, she presumed, had been only twenty-four hours or so before, but she couldn't use it. Dorothy pressed her damp palm onto it, and it scanned it. The scanner turned green, and the hatch began to lower.
As soon as it opened all of the way, Dorothy looked out at the bright green scenery all around. There were blue houses, and flowers of all shapes and hues. The sky was the most blue blue that she had ever seen in her entire life. She and Toto both stepped down from the platform.
Toto put his nose to the ground and began scanning the soil and the plants at the surface.
Despite the many houses, the sounds of birds and other animals, and the fields of corn that were just visible from where she stood, there were no signs of sentient life at all. Perhaps the inhabitants were nocturnal, and their society only awoke when it was dark. But, even if they were asleep, wouldn't have at least some of them heard her spaceship when it landed? Wouldn't they have went outside of their homes to investigate? Or perhaps they were gathering weapons in order to attack her... Or, more ideally, they were very peaceful and nonviolent people who were simply afraid of the noise, and they were cowering in their homes, hoping that whatever had come would just go away and never return.
If it were the latter, she would simply apologize to them for frightening them, and be on her way to who knows where.
She began to walk around some, glancing around at the scenery. It was so beautiful, and it was definitely well-kept, as the lawns of the houses were nicely manicured and the streets were clean.
But where were the inhabitants?
Maybe it didn't matter where they were, or what they'd do. After all, she had better things to worry about than the inhabitants. Where would she go? Would she try to go back home, or would she have to resign to living on this planet? Well, then, if she had to live on the planet, she would worry about the inhabitants, then. She would have to learn their culture and assimilate, or she would have to go off and be completely alone.
There was a rustle from some shrubs and bushes. Dorothy looked up quickly, but didn't see anything emerge from its big leaves. She began to walk down the street a bit, until she heard a light whistle and a whizz from above.
Dorothy tilted her head to look up, and there was a small vehicle, the shape of a bubble, descending down. The sunlight glinted off of its shiny, reflective surface, nearly blinding Dorothy. She averted her gaze to prevent her eyes from being singed.
She stood completely still as she watched it land slowly and gently on the ground, much like a real bubble. Except, the bubble didn't pop when it landed, and it remained as solid as ever. The whizzing stopped, and the door latched open.
A woman with long red curls and a white, sparkling dress climbed out of the vehicle. Her ensemble certainly wasn't practical for the location, but it was definitely beautiful and flattering on her. She turned to her reflection on the vehicle's exterior and ruffled and smoothed her hair a bit. She tossed a few thick, glossy curls over her shoulder and turned away from the bubble-like vehicle.
"Aren't you all happy to see me?" she called out in a sing-song voice. She turned a bit, the skirt of her dazzling dress twirling with her.
The rustle of the shrubberies' leaves could be heard again, and a few faces could be seen from them, along with the hands that had held the leaves out of the way. Dorothy glanced around at everyone with wide eyes. Why had they been hiding? They had definitely seen her ship, and they were definitely curious about it. But why hadn't they even approached Dorothy?
The woman gestured to the people to emerge from their hiding places, and then she turned to Dorothy with a smile as they climbed down from trees and rose up from the bushes. They were all about half of Dorothy's height or less, yet they had the appearances of adults. Of course, she didn't judge them for their shorter statures, but she was curious as to who they were. Were they humans who all happened to have dwarfism, or something else entirely?
"Are you a good witch, or a bad witch?" the woman asked suddenly as she tossed her long curls over her shoulders again.
Dorothy took a step back and raised an eyebrow at her.
The people whispered like twittering birds behind the woman. Perhaps she was their leader? Dorothy stared at the woman and tried to ignore the fact that all of these people were staring at her.
"Are you a good witch, or a bad witch?" the woman repeated. A smile was plastered on her face, and she folded her hands together. "I really don't want to have to ask again, and if you speak another language, this is quite embarrassing."
Dorothy put her hands up defensively. "Sorry, I heard you, and I understand you, but what?"
The woman blinked. "Whatever do you mean, my dear?"
"Why would you ask someone that when you first meet them? Why not, 'Where are you from?' or 'Who are--'"
"I'm asking," the woman said with a thin breath, "Because you landed this... this... this thing on, and killed the Witch of the East!"
Dorothy stared in surprise. "What?"
"That's right! You killed her!"
"I'm so, so sorry!" Dorothy shouted. She grasped at her curly hair with her fingers. "I didn't mean to kill anyone, I swear! Is her body still under the ship?"
The woman let out a giggle, putting a dainty hand over her mouth, as the small people behind her began to clap. Some let out a whistle.
Dorothy's mouth fell open. Why were these people excited about someone accidental death?
The woman caught her breath as she stepped over to her, and put a hand on her shoulder. "Dearie, you have nothing to be sorry for! She was a tyrant, and she deserved what she got. Now, what is your name? The Munchkins are going to celebrate because of you."
"Dorothy. Dorothy Gale," she said.
"I am Glinda, the Good Witch of the North," the woman said with a grin. "And I thank you on behalf of the Munchkins for what you did today." She took a step away from Dorothy, her hair flouncing over her shoulders a bit.
"Well, um, you're welcome, I guess?"
A few of the Munchkins chuckled a bit. Dorothy glanced around nervously, her face suddenly very warm, and not from the sun beating down. She swallowed and rubbed her sweating palms on her pants.
"Don't be shy, dear," Glinda told her. "The Munchkins are very welcoming people."
One of the Munchkins, a man in a blue suit, walked up to her, and took a deep bow. Dorothy glanced about with a shifting gaze. All of the Munchkins were wearing blues of all shades. She wondered what sort of significance the color had to them.
"Thank you, Miss Gale. We were slaves to that wicked Witch. We cannot thank you enough for bestowing freedom upon us."
Dorothy raised her hands a bit. "Hey, look. You don't need to thank me. My ship was on autopilot the entire time, and I had nothing to do with it, I promise."
The Munchkin man looked up at her with teary eyes. "You are just being modest. A good quality, yes. But I can see that you have no idea how much this really means to all of us. We were fighting a losing war against her, especially since she had us under her wretched curse."
"Oh, um..."
"Thank you. You are always welcome among the Munchkins," he said, with a firm nod.
Glinda turned away from Dorothy and stepped towards the Munchkin man. "Thank you, good sir. Would you and the others please go and prepare for the celebrations? I suspect that you will all be celebrating for days and days, and I believe that Dorothy Gale is a bit... ah, overwhelmed, you see. Besides, I must make sure that she is alright, especially since she claims that she had accidentally killed the witch..."
"We shall do so, Miss Glinda," the Munchkin man said with a nod. He then made a sign with his hands, and they all began to walk off and enter their houses and such.
Dorothy smiled at Glinda gratefully and rubbed her arm a bit with her hand. "Um, thanks. If you couldn't tell, I'm not from around here. What is this planet?"
Glinda smiled and put her hands on her hips. "It is the Planet of Oz. Where are you from, dear?"
"Please don't call me 'dear'," Dorothy said quickly, "I'm from a planet called Earth."
"Earth?" Glinda murmured. "Where in the galaxy is that?"
Dorothy shrugged a bit. "It's near another planet called Mars. In the Solar System."
"I have never heard of it," Glinda said with a melody of laughter. "It must be very, very far. No matter. I can inform you on how to get around, if you do not wish to stay with the Munchkins."
Toto barked suddenly and began to wag his tail like crazy. Dorothy glanced down at him and shushed him. The small robotic dog sat down and he stopped barking obediently.
Glinda nearly jumped, and she placed a hand on her chest. "What is that?"
Dorothy looked back down at Toto with a small smile. "Just my robotic dog, Toto."
"Good heavens, can't you make that thing less scary? Do you not know how to program that thing? And is Toto an acronym for something?"
"I wouldn't know. He was in a compartment in the ship until just before the ship landed here. I think he was put there to be my assistant of sorts. There's a lot I don't remember," Dorothy said, looking down at her feet.
"Why wouldn't you remember very much?" Glinda asked, arching an eyebrow slightly as her blue eyes moving from side to side.
Dorothy shifted uncomfortably. "I was put into cryosleep, which is where you're basically frozen for long periods of time in order to stay young and alive for longer, and it messes with your memories sometimes. The last thing I can remember is the storm that forced me onto the ship." She fell silent, the twittering and singing of birds in the distance filling in for her.
"Do you not have any family or anyone else with you at all?" Glinda asked.
"Um... they didn't come with me. I don't know why. I lived with my Aunt Em and Uncle Henry."
"Oh, I am so sorry. That is the most tragical thing I had ever heard. I am very sorry." Glinda gently put a hand on her shoulder, her expression sympathetic.
Dorothy shrugged Glinda's dainty hand off of her shoulder. "My ship was designed for only one use. I would really like to find a way to get back to Earth, or at least try to contact my Aunt Em and Uncle Henry to see what I should do next."
"Ah! I know just what you need to do, Dorothy. You need to go see the Wizard, Oz, in the Emerald City," Glinda said, clapping her hands together.
"The Wizard is named after the planet?" Dorothy raised an eyebrow. "And wait, wait, wait. Isn't anyone going to do something with the witch's body?"
"No, not quite. The coroner should be here in a bit to retrieve her body, but there's something she would have wanted you to take from her," Glinda said. She turned towards the ship and motioned for Dorothy to follow her.
"What... the actual..."
"Trust me, dear Dorothy, she would've wanted you to have them. She reportedly stated multiple times that she, wished for whoever who had the power to kill her to take her silver boots. Of course, she probably expected her sister, Maridina to do that, but, well, things never turn out the way the any Wicked person wants them to..."
Dorothy stopped in her tracks. "I am not going to take anything off a dead person, even if I killed them! That is just disgusting and disrespectful and--"
"Dorothy, you won't be taking it off of her, because I will. I have a special technique with these things-- it's very delicate and respectful. Don't worry your pretty little head about it."
With that, Dorothy just shut her mouth and followed Glinda at a distance back towards the spaceship. Glinda crouched slightly as she neared the bottom of the ship, just by the its now-closed hatch.
Now, Dorothy could see two feet poking out from the ship, both of which had silver boots on them. The landing had crushed the woman. She felt as if she was going to be sick to her stomach. This was still her fault. If she had figured out how to override the ship's computer system and autopilot, she might not be responsible for a death, even though she did kill a tyrant who was feared by all of the Munchkin people. The fact that the witch had deserved it still didn't do much to ease Dorothy's conscience.
Glinda rolled her sleeves up some and pulled an object that was long, slender, and silver out of her pocket. The top end had a glittering star on it. She tapped it on each boot once, then she stepped back and stood up straight.
"Look down at your feet," she said with a smile.
Dorothy obeyed. The silver boots were now on her own feet, and not the dead woman's.
"How... how did you do that?" she stuttered, looking up at Glinda.
Glinda grinned at her. "Oh, just a little magic trick with a wand, nothing too complicated."
"But that's not possible," Dorothy said with a rough shake of her head. "Magic can't be real-- it defies all laws of physics."
"Nothing is impossible," Glinda said as she slid her wand back into her pocket. She pinched the hems of her sleeves one by one and tugged them down her arms and back down to her wrists. "Some things are just a bit more possible than others, but that doesn't mean it's impossible. Now, what were we talking about, again? Before we got on the subject of the silver boots and what not?"
Before Dorothy could open her mouth to answer, she raised her hands, and had her eyes closed serenely.
With a slight giggle, she said, "I remember, I remember. It just took a moment. We were talking about the Emerald City. I think, after what you did today, accident or not, the Wizard would be more than happy to help you. He absolutely despised her. He doesn't do anything for anyone unless they do something for him, anyway, and you did a pretty big favor for him without even knowing it."
"So, what's so important about this wizard guy?" Dorothy asked.
Glinda gasped, melodramatically placing her hand on her chest. "What do you mean, 'what's so important'? He is the Wizard, Dorothy! He's the leader of all of Oz, and without him, goodness knows what state of disarray this planet would be in."
"Sorry," Dorothy said with a short shrug.
"Apology accepted," Glinda responded with a small 'hmph.'
Toto nudged Dorothy's hand with a quiet whine. She patted his head, listening for when Glinda would say more about the Wizard and the Emerald City.
"Anyway, as I was saying, you should go to the Emerald City to try to see him. The shoes will prove that you killed her. Not a living soul could possibly take them off of her without killing her. When you get there, and he finds out about your accomplishment, he will reward you with anything you wish. He's a miracle worker, believe me. The Wizard has ended so many economic crises, created more jobs, and so many other things--"
"But he wasn't able to stop the witch?" Dorothy cut in, crossing her arms.
"I said that he's a miracle worker, not a witch killer, Dorothy. Anyway, he can get just about anything accomplished. So, when you get to the Emerald City, you go to the Wizard, and he will help you find your way home. Or find a home. Or whatever you want, really. It's just that simple." Glinda finished with a sweet smile and a light giggle, tossing her curls over her shoulders once again.
"How do I get there, then?" Dorothy asked. She let her arms drop to her sides. "Will you help me get there?"
"Oh, the directions are quite simple," Glinda said, "You'll be in no need of my help. I would take you myself, but my bubble only seats one full-sized person and a Munchkin. Besides, I have things to attend to elsewhere. A Good Witch is a very busy person, you know!"
Dorothy sighed. "Goody," she said flatly. "What are the directions, then?"
Glinda clapped her hands together. "I thought you would never ask! All you must do is follow the yellow brick road," she said, too enthusiastically in Dorothy's opinion.
"By foot?"
"Of course by foot! Why else would I have given you those boots, other than to prove you killed the Wicked Witch of the East? They're not just stylish-- they're practical. Now, if you happen to get a vehicle to take to Oz, that will be very good, but if not, going by foot will have to do."
"Thanks," Dorothy said, "I guess."
"You are most welcome. Now, I would suggest that you stay here with the Munchkins for just a day or two, maybe spend the night, since they would be so disappointed if their liberator took off and left them before the celebration had even begun," Glinda said.
Dorothy nodded, turning her head to the sky. The sun was definitely lower now than it had been earlier, and nightfall would be soon. "Yeah, I guess that would be best. I'll stay the night and try to set off tomorrow."
"Good," Glinda said with an elegant dip of her head. "Now, I must be on my way. But first, I must do something to ensure that you will be safe on your journey-- not that anyone would try to hurt you. They certainly won't after I do this."
Before Dorothy could say another word, Glinda pulled her wand out again and tapped it gently on her forehead.
"There! When people see you, they will know much better than to try to harm you in anyway. It'll only last about fourteen days, which should give you plenty of time to reach the Emerald City," Glinda said.
Dorothy rubbed her forehead where Glinda had tapped it with her wand. "Um, thanks."
"It is no trouble," Glinda said in her sing-song voice. "Thank you, for your service to the Munchkins. It has been a pleasure to meet you. Till we meet again, Dorothy Gale."
With that, she climbed back into her bubble vehicle and ascended back into the sky in a matter of seconds, leaving Dorothy behind with Toto and the coroner, who was now putting the witch's body into a bag.
A/N: So, what do you think so far?
Bạn đang đọc truyện trên: AzTruyen.Top