Disclosure:  Tin Man and such are all under the property of their respective owners and writers.  I just spend until 2am working out plot points with an awesome friend.

Word count before editing:  6,136

Song I listened to for this chapter: Marching On by OneRepublic.

Previously:

Cain smirks at her, “Oh, Darlin’, that’s just the beginning. It’s just going to get better from here on out. You’re mine, DG, nothing is ever going to separate us, and I treasure what is mine.” He kisses her on her head, holding her to him. “You’re my everything, Sweetheart. And I will show you how much I thank you for that, every day for the rest of our lives.”

Both of them stare at each other, neither noticing that the glow is higher. They had more important things to notice as the night went on, Cain making good on his words that each time was better than the last. The following morning’s sun found them tangled in each other as they finally slept, their souls as entwined as their bodies.

Now:

Later that morning, the group gathers around the kitchen table. When Cain and DG come down, there is no doubt that they are now a fully Mated pair.   The two of them seem to move as one when together, their bodies tending to gravitate towards each other when they are apart. It is poetry in motion and awes everyone.

Then there is the pure love showing on both of their faces when one looks at the other. It would have made the others feel as though they were trespassing on a private moment, except they all knew they weren’t. They were seeing two people who are totally in love with each other.

Glitch is the one who has to cut the tension. He looks upon his siblings and can see why this is the Mating that needed to happen. The love that they both had for each other is obvious when he looks back at their time together. At the same time, he wonders if the Witch had not ruined their lives, would it be him and DG in love right now?

Shaking his head, he rids himself of the ‘what ifs’, knowing that going down that road will lead to nothing but doubting. Moreover, per the Grey Gale, he has a soul mate out there, waiting on him. What Cain and DG have, he will have.

With this in mind, he grins over at DG. “So, did you guys find out anything last night on the Mating? Since you are both the first of us four to be mated, you get to be the guinea pigs.”

DG looks at him puzzled, “What do you mean the first of four?”

Az swats at Glitch. “None of us told her. Ozma’s patience, Glitch. I never thought I would miss Ambrose, but he would have never asked that question!”

Jeb laughs as he rubs an affectionate hand down Az’s arm. “I would have to take your word on it, Azkadellia. The Ambrose I know would have asked the same question.”

Az shakes her head, “Because the Ambrose you know is Glitch.”

Glitch grins. “I like me much better than how I used to be. Great Wizard, how could any of you stand me?”

Az just laughs, being the only one who remembers those days, “Because after DG got her hands on you, even as a child, she changed you. At first, when you were hired as the Advisor, you were very nervous, and tried to be a perfectionist. Then DG literally fell at your feet one day and you fell for her shortly afterwards. You were more carefree. It was after we thought she was dead you became the Ambrose that everyone remembered.”

Cain flashes back to when they joined Glitch and Ambrose in the brain room. He had disliked the Advisor and his haughty tones. Now it makes much more sense. Being a Suitor bonds you to the royal in question. It enhances the love that you feel for the other, and being Bonded to DG, he would have felt his heart being ripped out when she died. To refuse to let go of the Bond, he would have felt as though a large part of him was missing. Being Bonded to a royal is as close as one will ever feel to being Life Mated. It made sense; the royal would need that support and it is a way to make sure that the Suitor is not trying to take over the throne.

Even knowing that, Cain feels no jealousy towards Glitch. He knows that just as when they were both Suitors, it is true now that they still feel like brothers. He wonders if there is anything to it. Since he and Jeb are father and son, Az and DG are sisters, there is also the way Jeb had told them he feels DG is a sister. Then there is Glitch and the bond of brotherhood that DG and he both feel towards him. Raw is an extension of the family. All of their bonds are tight; there is no question they feel as though they were a family.

DG glances at Cain, getting flashes of thoughts that she didn’t remember, but shrugs it off. She rubs her shoulder unconsciously.

Raw shifts and then tells them, “Only two other Bonds. Raw no have Mate.”

DG turns to him, her brow furrowed. “Why not, Raw?”

Raw looks down then answers, “Raw not able to Mate. Past time, talents here.”

The rest of them glance at each other confused. Hank is the one that comes to Raw’s defense. “The viewers are only able to mate during a certain period of time.   When their talents come on to them, they are unable to mate. They become neuters.”

DG and Az gasp. Az’s eyes water and she starts to murmur, “Oh, Ozma. Raw, how can you forgive me?”

Cain can feel DG’s pain and pulls her closer to him. He finally asks what is on all their minds, “Please let the rest of us know what is going on, princesses.”

DG looks at him, answering in a small voice, “Kalm is in possession of his gifts.”

Understanding dawns on him, then he glances at Az, trying to figure out why she is upset.

Jeb is the one who pulls it together. He reaches out and pulls Az into his lap, grasping her face and making her face him. “Azkadellia Gale! What the Witch did was no fault of yours! You have got to stop feeling guilty about it!   You were so upset at DG feeling as though she is to blame for what is going on in the O.Z. because of something she had no control of, but yet every time there is a new revelation of a wrongdoing done with her in control of you, you take the blame! This has got to STOP!”

Everyone else is just staring at the two of them, Cain and DG glancing at each other. It seems the next Life Mated couple is right in front of them.

Az just stares at him, her mouth open in shock. He is right, but how can she not feel bad?

Raw finally says, “Not Az fault. No one sure why Kalm has gift early. But no worry, DG. Raw mated and had child. Just not going to be Life Mates. No such thing for Raw.”

DG cocks her head as she thinks. Then she looks at Raw and asks, “Kalm?”

Raw looks at her sadly and nods.

Glitch frowns. “That is why you felt so ashamed and didn’t think you were brave.”

Raw sighs. “No protect cub. Raw job to protect cubs, and Raw ran away. Lalo protected cub.”

Jeb asks, “If you hadn’t run away, you would have been in the prison, not where you were found. Not where you would have helped DG. Maybe, maybe it was necessary that you be where you were.”

Cain thinks about it, and growls. “Jeb may be more right than we think. I think the four of us were always fated to be together. Remember what the Grey Gale said? DG traveled the same path. She needed her scarecrow, tin man and lion as her companions. And we three were those companions.”

Az shudders. “I really would hate to find that everything we and the O.Z. suffered was just because of fate.”

Glitch thinks on it. “I think that it is because of what happened, we were needed. How many times do you think our combination must have been hit upon, but never acted on? It was a set of circumstances that allowed the Witch to escape. Once she was set free, then the O.Z. or whatever it is, acted upon it to set its heroes on their path. But while we are those, our personal lives are ours.”

Emily is fascinated by this, her programs were to educate DG on the past, but the people in front of her are the new past. History being made right in front of them all. And she cannot deny it, Glitch’s reasoning along with the rest of them appeals to her. Hers is a logical mind.

Cain asks, “What about Tutor? And what do you mean our personal lives?”

Glitch frowns, thinking. “We need to find out about the past heroes, the only one known in any detail is the Grey Gale, the rest are rumors. Hopefully, those books DG was talking about will reveal more. But think about it. Az is DG’s sister that had the Witch inside her. To defeat the Witch, it took them both, not a splash of water on the Witch. There is me, who made, with help, the Sunseeder. My brain had to be ripped out for me to become the Scarecrow. If it had not been for my invention, then the Witch would have not come so close to succeeding, nor would have my brain been ripped out. And if I didn’t make it the only option left to the Witch to take. But the legend or whatever never counted on the Suitor Bond with DG.”

He looks across to Cain. “It also didn’t count on you, Cain. The Witch herself made the last Tin Man. That much is known. I may have teased you about having a heart, but you had one the minute you came out and saw DG in front of you. However, you were locked in a Suit, and had been married with a son. That would have been a lot to orchestrate for a legend. You, of all of us, make it hard to believe that fate made us into what we became.”

Az is musing on what he is saying and she softly says, “Tutor was named Toto by DG from the beginning. But he liked the accolades of being the next Queen of the O.Z.’s Tutor. He had hoped to become the next Advisor. He had been upset at first on Ambrose becoming a Suitor, but then decided that as Consort, Ambrose could not be Advisor also.”

DG is frowning. Cain turns to her, feeling her uneasiness. “What is it, Sweetheart?”

She looks up and sees everyone’s eyes on her. She slowly tells them, “My memory may not be all there, but I remember the movie version pretty well. There is too much missing.”

Hank is musing on it all, his robotic brain turning. “Well, peanut, there is more alike than you may know. Go grab your big poster tablet. Let’s map out what you remember, then when we can get those books, you can add the rest. I think you guys may be on to something. While not everything may be the same, you will be picking up the original companions.  Who knows who or what you will need to remember?”

DG gets off Cain’s lap, but before she runs off to her room, he kisses her temple and went to get it. The rest of them grin at the open affection. When DG sees them, she asks, “What?” She again rubs at her shoulder as she fidgets.

Jeb tells her bluntly, “My father was never that affectionate before. Not even with my mom. You and he are perfect together.” His face gets serious. “Truthfully, thank you, DG. You have truly brought him back to life.”

She nods, seeing the honesty in his face. She suggests that they all move into the living room, it being big enough for all of them to be comfortable. She grins when she sees Az and Jeb sit together.

Cain is soon down, having grabbed the stand with the paper, along with DG’s drawing supplies. He hands them to her, sitting where he can touch her as she writes. As he sits, he rolls up his sleeves in acknowledgement of the heat. The O.Z. never gets this warm…

DG stands there trying to think of how to start. Hank tells her, “Peanut, start from when she gets to the O.Z.”

She nods, then writes out,

• House falls on Witch of the East in Munchkinland.
• Glinda and Munchkins welcome Dorothy to OZ.
• Glinda defends Dorothy from Witch of the West, giving her the Ruby Slippers.
• Munchkins and Glinda send her on the Yellow Brick Road to the Wizard of Oz.
• Dorothy and Toto find Scarecrow, set him free.
• They get trees to throw apples, leading to Tin Man.
• Oils the Tin Man, setting him free
• Encounter with the Witch
• Find Lion
• Make their way to the Poppy fields, almost giving in to Sleeping Spell, waking because of Glinda
• Go into Emerald city and find the Wizard who demands that they bring him the broomstick
• They head to the Wicked Witch’s castle, only to be waylaid by Mobats and Dorothy taken
• Toto escapes to lead the companions to her
• Scarecrow’s arm catches on fire & Dorothy throws water on him to put it out, only to melt the witch
• Given the broomstick, but when they go back, the Wizard of Oz is proven a carnie who floated over the rainbow.
• He proves that the companions have always had a brain, heart and courage.
• He leaves, but Toto leaps from Dorothy’s arms to have her follow after him.
• To get home, she clicks her heels three times.

DG stands there staring at the board. As she is writing the beginning, the three companions stare at each other, shocked how similar their stories are.

Glitch clears his throat. “Um, Doll?”

“Yeah?” DG starts to rub her shoulder again as she thinks.

Glitch bluntly tells her, “A lot of that is similar.”

DG turns to them and frowns. “A lot of it never happened. I didn’t land in Munchkinland and –“

Cain tells her bluntly, “Listen, DG. You are about to get a breakdown of how similar it really is.” He pulls her down into his lap, knowing it may shock her and he will need the physical connection to help her.

Glitch moves to the board, cocking an eyebrow to see if anyone else would rather do this.

Az answers for all of them, “You are the best to draw the similarities. You were with her from the beginning.”

He nods and tells DG, “I will write out a direct comparison.”

He starts listing the similarities:

• DG landed in the land of Guilds, aka Munchkinland.

Right there DG jumps. “I landed in Munchkinland? How the hell? It didn’t look nor did anyone act the same!”

Glitch tells her, “I am not sure when they stopped calling it Munchkinland, but they dissolved into a bunch of Guilds and renamed themselves.”

Emily frowns, then finding the connection, asks about Dorothy, “Think back to the movie…Which was the first one to sing to her?”

DG frowns then answers, “The Lollipop Guild. No, wait it was the Lullaby League. But afterwards it… oh. I see .”

Cain is just staring at her. “Tell me, DG. It’s important, love.”

She stares at him, “In the movie the Munchkins all sing to her. First is the Lullaby League, then came all the Guilds.”

He just stares at her. “The first question we have to answer is which Guild first greeted the Grey Gale.  And you know the answer.”

She is just staring at him as she breathes out, “The Lollipop Guild. I could never get the stupid song out of my head.”

Glitch tells her, “And no one in the O.Z. could answer that. We don’t even know what a Lollipop is.”

At that DG laughs. “You don’t know what a lollipop is? Remind me and I will get you some before we leave.”

Cain smiles, feeling her amusement. He kisses her on the temple then nods for Glitch to continue.

• DG meets Glitch aka Scarecrow, releases him.

DG laughs. “I still don’t know why you couldn’t have done it, Glitch.” Remembering how she thought the same thing at the time.

Glitch frowns, “I am not sure either, Doll. My brain was especially glitchy about then.” He thinks on it, then looks at Cain. “Cain, you have seen head-cases before. Was I normal?”

The rest of the group protests, but Glitch just watches Cain.

Cain can feel DG’s shock, but he concentrates on what Glitch asked him. As he thinks on it, he frowns.

Glitch just nods. “I figured as much. The longer I was around DG, the more my brain didn’t seem to glitch as badly. I don’t know if the Suitor Bond had something to do with it. But whatever happened before I saw you all blends in my brain. It seemed like I woke up.”

DG can think about it. “But you kept glitching the entire time.”

Cain just shakes his head. “DG, he shouldn’t have been able to do anything he did. Head-cases only act on instinct. He was talking, remembering his past. He helped plan and to keep you safe. Sweetheart, he was much more coherent than he should have been. I had thought they didn’t remove everything, but seeing his whole brain in the Brain Room, it quickly told me otherwise. And to be honest, I was too sidetracked at the time to really understand it.” His eyes told her it was their Bond at the time that sidetracked him. Unbidden came his memories of that night.

Then they both gasp as Cain’s memories are echoed in each other’s mind, their Mark glowing even more intensely. Blindly they both reach out to each other, not hearing as the rest of the room calls out to them.

To the rest of them, a bubble rose around DG and Cain. Az checks it subconsciously and stumbles back. She manages at the last second to grab both Jeb and Glitch before they touch the shield. “It is a shield. I don’t know what would happen to you or them if you touch it.”

Jeb just stares at his father, his hands clenching. “What is happening to them?”

Az just breathes out, “Look at them, Jeb. It’s their Life Mate Bond. Something is happening.”

Cain stares into DG’s eyes, his free hand cupping her head. He can feel both of their hearts racing. ‘This is not how I want to feel your heart racing, Sweetheart.’

DG’s eyes widen then he hears tentatively in his head, ‘Cain?’

He grins, not being able to help it. ‘Sweetheart.’ He pulls her towards him and cradles her head to him. ‘Well, I had wondered how I could ever have a private conversation with you in this group.’ His humor is evident.

DG’s response whispers through his head, ‘How are you so calm about this?’

Cain looks down at her and honestly tells her, ‘Because I love you. DG, I cannot explain it. This way, I stay in contact with you even if you are not here. That alone helps relieve my mind. Think on how helpful it would have been yesterday when you were freaking out. We could have talked and been better.’ He frowns. ‘DG, it just feels right. You are not hearing anything but what I want you to. I can take this. If it changes any more, then we will deal with it. But for now, this is perfect.’

She looks up at him, and he kisses her gently, his lips just hinting at the passion from last night, but showing all the love he has for this woman he is Life Mated to. He smiles against her lips as he hears in his mind, ‘Wyatt…’ He rubs his nose on hers. ‘Don’t think I have forgotten the Cain, love.’ He smiles as he hears her laughter ring out. Realizing that they were not private, he looks up at their family.

He frowns, ‘Sweetheart, we need to take down whatever it is. The family is gettin’ worried.’

DG looks up, not wanting to leave this bubble of theirs. But as she sees the worry on their faces and sighs, she hears Cain’s voice, ‘I know, Sweetheart. But anytime you need to talk to me, you can, no matter what. I love you.’ She smiles and repeats it to him silently as she concentrates.

The bubble collapses around them and the family quickly surrounds them. However, DG grabs her shoulder and grunts.

Cain feels the pain and quickly lays her down. He glances again at her, ‘You still wearing that other shirt, Darlin’?’ When she sends him a picture of her dressing, he shakes his head. ‘A simple yes or no would have worked, love.’ Nevertheless, he quickly unbuttons her shirt, ignoring the others.

Az is shocked that Cain is exposing her sister. She almost grabs for him, but Jeb grabs her instead and pulls her to him. “Think, Az. He would be the last one in the world who would expose her.”

Glitch gasps as her shoulder and upper body are exposed.   “The Mark. I thought it was on the hands only?”

Cain answers him absently as he notices the Mark is growing, slowly, but it is still growing and becoming more and more intricate. “DG noticed last night it had grown up past our elbows.” Then remembering what else, he quickly sheds his shirt and they all noticed that the Marks match. He tells them, “They match exactly, DG was playing with it.”

Then without knowingly doing so, he places his Marked hand on her shoulder, and the two of them feel calm wash over them as they both glow more.

Az gasps as she sees the magic just coming off of both of them. “Oh my.”

DG just sighs in relief as the pain is brought under control. She can feel Cain all around her; can hear him in her head as he comforts her. ‘Ok, I see what you mean, Wyatt. But what the hell is going on, Cowboy?’

Cain is looking at her trying to figure it out. He can see her Mark as it faintly glows under her shirt. Then he frowns. “Glitch, Jeb, and Az. Come here.”

The three come up to them. Cain is looking down at himself and then back to DG. He never lets go of her but he comments to them, “DG noticed we matched. Exactly, no matter what part of our arms you put towards each other, they flowed together.”

Jeb had been looking at the faint glow coming through her undershirt, then back to his father’s body. “But they don’t now. Not on that area.” He gestured towards Cain’s chest. Then he did a double take. “It’s growing!”

DG groans, “Tell me about it. I can feel it, especially now. It’s doing something to my magic.”

Cain’s head whips up to meet hers, ‘Why didn’t you say anything?’

Her teeth clenched, she growls out, “Because before it was very light. Right now, I can’t explain it. It’s bonding with my Magic.” ‘Wyatt!’

When everyone turns towards him, Raw whimpers with the pain he is feeling from DG. “No can help DG. Cain no allow. He can’t.”

Thinking quickly, she realizes it is because the viewer is male to Cain. Az kneels by her sister, reaches her hand out and lightly lays it on her. She hears a light growl and looks up at Cain. “I will deal with it. Find out what you can. Raw is right, I can’t allow a male to touch. Glitch is here because he is her brother, Jeb because he is my son. Neither of them can touch her though.” He then stares at her, “Find out what is wrong, Az. Why is she hurting and I am not, except what I feel from her?”

Az nods, captured by his eyes. She looks away, glad she could control the blushing. Because her sister had definitely bagged herself a man. Often they forget that Cain is only physically twenty-three, the same as DG. However, right now, looking at his body in front of her, there is no doubt he is a young man. I only hope his son is as good looking as he is!

She brings herself back to what she is supposed to be doing. She closes her eyes and reads DG. Then frowns as she sees DG is right. The Life Mating is bonding itself to her magic. That is why it is painful. Then she notices the area where Cain’s Mark is different from DG’s. Her eyes fly open and she tells everyone, “Leave.”

Glitch tries to protest, but one glance from Az has Jeb pulling him out the door. The rest of them following.

Cain gives her a hard look and Az frowns at him. “Like you ever left her side willingly, much less now. I just need to see both of your Mark’s clearly, and I know you wouldn’t want anyone else here.”

Cain growls at the thought of any male seeing his mate that way. Nevertheless, his need to know what is wrong with her overrode him and he helped Az move DG’s shirt away. ‘Ozma, DG. I truly don’t believe that there will ever be a time I see you that I am not overcome with your beauty.’ Then he smirks as he sees her blush.

Az caught the looks and she asks, “What is going on? Don’t tell me nothing is; it may help.”

They trade looks and Cain tells her, “We can communicate silently. What started all of this is when I accidently replayed what happened in the Tower in the Brain Room.”

Az looks at him, and tells him, “Deeg has been rubbing her shoulder all morning. It may have been the catalyst to you finding out, but I think it had started earlier.” Then she gets a smirk, “Probably when you consummated the Bond.”

Both of them blush and Az can’t help the delighted laugh that falls from her.

DG just looks at her, “Az, now I know you didn’t want to just let Cain ogle me more. What is it?” Her pain is obvious in her voice and Cain concentrates some more, trying to draw the pain from her.

Az nods and looks over at Cain’s chest and tells them both, “DG, just remember I got me a man. Just got to get him to admit it.” Then before they can react, she draws back Cain. “I need you to lay next to DG, Cain. On the side that matches.”

He looks at her and moves. Az can’t help but notice how he moves and again hopes the son is a lot like the father. But the two of them beside each other and the full Mark revealed shoves those thoughts out of her head. “Oh my.”

Before they can move, she sees a mirror and with a wave of her hand, had it removed from the buffet and floated it over both of them so they can see.

DG just stares as Cain laces his fingers with hers. “Wow.”

The two Marks are well entwined with each other, showing the intricate lines and turns when they are together. If you are careful enough, you can see one line start on Cain and see it wrap around both before ending on DG.  The interesting part is centered on their chest. The lines wrap around the spots, but on DG is the mark of their house. On Cain, it looks like… ‘A dragon.’

Cain is staring at the Mark on him and trying to figure out what is going on. “DG, what is a dragon?”

That one question set off a maelstrom of information in both of them. Completely on instinct, Cain rolls on top of her, protecting her as they both grit their teeth taking in the information.

Then the stream of information ends and they both open their eyes, looking at each other. DG chuckles softly, “Well you weren’t kidding when you called yourself my guardian. Just now you have a lot of help.”

Cain smiles and kisses her gently. He raises himself off her and then picks her up. “Az, help me get her dressed. We can’t be separated right now.”

Az does as he requests. She closes her eyes and shakes her head. The amount of power these two represented is otherworldly.

Once DG is dressed, he pulls her into his lap, only having shrugged his shirt back on. Az realizes as she takes in their position, that their Marks are touching.

Az goes and beckons the rest of them into the room. They all come in, and Az realizes the bubble is back up. Neither of them can stand anyone even accidently touching them, and frankly, Az doesn’t know if touching them right now might not hurt them all.

When Glitch starts to move towards them, Az shakes her head at him. His face twists but he hides the move as heading back to the board. “I take it you are not ready to discuss what happened?”

Cain looks up from DG and tells him, “Let us get our breath back, Head-case. Let’s get back to the similarities.”

He nods and turns back to the board. He frowns. “DG missed out on the Good Witch helping her. So anything really to do with her is not matched.”

DG mutters, “Nor did I get the nice singing version of the Munchkins. To paraphrase you, Glitch, I get the paranoid ankle biters that locked us up.” The rest of the family laughs.

Glitch is still looking at the board. “There were no trees throwing apples to get us to the Tin Man, just my glitching on finding the Old Road.”

Hank spoke up, “But you did rescue him and set him moving, right?”

Glitch nods, catching on to what he is saying and adds it to the board.

• DG and Glitch find Cain aka Tin Man.

Cain is holding DG to him, hoping that the pain is lessening for her. He glances up and remembers again seeing her blue eyes for the first time. He grins when he hears her, ‘Wyatt, is that what you thought when you saw me?’

Glitch turns to them, seeing Cain’s eyes twinkling in laughter. “What?”

Az catches on and tells them, “They found a new talent with the Mating. They can hear each other.”

Jeb pales. He frantically looks at his father, “All your thoughts?” Unlike what everyone is thinking, he is well aware of who his Life Mate is. How can he not? He is wanting to have more time for just them, before they have Marks appear and so on. There is nothing desperate about his and Az’s Mating, like there was for DG and his father.

Cain meets his eyes and shakes his head. “Not all, just what we want the other to hear. First, it was our emotions, now thoughts. There is more, but first, we really need to get through this. It’s important.”

DG nods to them, as she backs up Cain, “We need to have this in place, so when we get to the books, we can add in the details. I know this, so therefore Wyatt does too. But, no worries, Jeb. Your personal thoughts are your own.” With that said she lays her head back on Cain’s chest, wincing.

Az looks at her and asks them both, “It’s still hurting, DG?”

Cain looks up from her and nods.

Az sighs. She turns to Glitch, and asks him, “Get back to it. They need to go lay down. The magical energy DG is putting out would be exhausting to anyone, much less her.”

Glitch frowns, worrying even more for his friends. He turns back to the board, thinking. “We rescued Raw next I believe.”

• Rescues Raw, aka Lion.

Az is just staring at the board. She comments, “It’s just not Glinda DG missed. It was Toto also. Toto was there from the beginning, DG’s version came later.”

Glitch notes that to the side along with the comment about Glinda. “I think we should also keep track of the big differences.”

DG’s voice came from Cain’s chest, “The biggest difference is that Dorothy had the Ruby Slippers. I didn’t get anything.”

Jeb frowns and comments, “Your version of the Ruby Slippers was the Emerald. But again, you never really had it.”

Az, Glitch and Cain’s eyes meet. She has it now, just didn’t know it.

Glitch sighs and writes the comment down. He then writes a quick summary.

• Went to Milltown and found DG’s parents, the nurture units, DG receives her family crest
• Companions went to Central City aka Emerald City
• Wizard gave clue of who DG is.

Cain spoke up. “Made me promise to stay with her.”

They all looked at him. He shrugged. “I was fighting the Bond. But his demand made it where I was to be with her. It started all this. Well, not started, but solidified it.”

Glitch nods and quickly adds it to the board.

• Wizard extracts promise from Cain to keep DG safe.
• Companions escape Emerald City and make their way to the Northern Palace.
• Companions find out who Ambrose is and who DG is.
• Witch finds them, has her Mobats capture DG and Raw.
• Zero shoots Cain out window, Glitch finds and they both heal.
• Cain and Glitch rescue DG.

DG softly interrupts pain evident in her voice. “Don’t forget the Mystic Man died, Toto came about and we rescued Raw.”

Glitch promptly inserts all of it. Then he glances at her, a puzzled look on his face. “How are you watching this?”

DG mutters, “Cain.”

When they all look lost, Cain explains, “She is seeing it through me. I am pushing it all out to her.” His voice is strained; he is trying to take as much pain from her as he can. As he pushes his love and concern to her along with the board. She had commented earlier that it was easier to keep her eyes closed, so he told to do so, letting him be her eyes.

Az growls, “Faster Glitch.”

Glitch just sighs and goes back to the board.

• Toto joins group
• Group is stopped in Papay fields, DG heals tree
• Journey to Finaqua
• Finding out DG’s connection to the Witch
• Finding of Toto’s betrayal

DG softly says, “That’s enough Glitch. We have gone past the movie. None of the rest corresponds.” In her mind she tries to hide the whimper ‘It hurts!’

Cain looks down and tells the rest, “That’s it then. We will meet later. I need to take DG upstairs.”

The rest of the group watches him stand up and carry her upstairs and into their bedroom. When the doors close, they all look at each other.

Glitch is frowning at the board, filling the rest of it out. He glances at the version DG remembers and comments. “She is right.” He turns to Emily and Hank, “Is there any way I can see the projection DG is basing this on?”

Emily chuckles, “It’s not what you are thinking, but sure, I think I have the movie here.”

Hank groans. “I think I will be finding something else to do.”

Jeb looks up at him, and can’t help himself, “Why is that Hank?”

Hank looks him in the eye, “Because if I have to hear that stupid, ‘We are off to see the wizard’ song again, it will scramble my brain. Just wait. You will see what I am talking about.”

Emily laughs and tells him, “Well at least DG is upstairs, she always fast forwards through the Munchkins. She hates them.”

Glitch just shakes his head, “Oh goody, nothing’s different then! They are still annoying little ankle biters!”

The group laughs as they settle to watch this side’s version of their history.

Final count: 6,129 words

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Fairfarren~