//------------------------------// // Rescue // Story: Cinematic Adventures: The Wizard of Oz // by extremeenigma02 //------------------------------// Climbing up the rocky cliffs, what remained of the group followed the little terrier. It was a bit of a struggle ascending the terrain, many found it difficult to find their footing or even to stay balanced along the smooth stones. But they knew one wrong move, just one, could send them plummeting to their doom in a second. Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash flew up in the air, so they didn’t do much climbing. Nevertheless, they helped their friends make the dangerous climb up the mountain. Lion climbed behind Rarity and Applejack, with Tin Man holding onto his tail for balance and Scarecrow following close behind. At one-point, Tin Man accidentally stepped on an uneven rock, which tumbled down the mountain. Tin Man slipped and struggled to regain his balance. “Hold on, Tin Man!” Twilight shouts. Quickly, she flew toward her tin friend and used her magic to help him regain himself. This way Tin Man could step onto a more secure rock. Tin Man turns toward Twilight and nods as a way of showing gratitude, as Twilight nods back and flew ahead. Meanwhile, Rarity and Applejack continue climbing. Rarity also steps on an uneven rock, but instead of falling down the mountain she face-plants into a small puddle of mud, which accumulated in a small pool in the rocks. Seeing this, Rainbow Dash and Applejack burst out laughing, as the fashionista pulled her head out of the muck. Her face and mane were completely covered in mud, her eyes twitching from shock. “Looks like you finally got that mud bath you wanted, Rarity,” Rainbow laughed. “Eeyup!” Applejack chuckled. “Now all ya’ll need is a few cucumbers over them eyes and you’re good tah go!” Rarity slowly turned, sending a heated glare at the two ponies, her eyes full of fire and fury. The two giggling ponies dropped silent and turned away, Rainbow Dash whistling. Rarity turns to her soiled mane and cringed. “Dear me,” She said. “I hope my mane holds out!” “I hope my nerves hold out!” Fluttershy squeaked. “I – I – I – I hope my strength holds out,” Lion said. “I hope your tail holds out!” Tin Man said. Twilight Sparkle had just flown back toward her friends before she noticed Toto stopped along the top. “Come on, every pony!” Twilight called out, confidently. “Not much farther now!” The others follow her and Toto up the mountain, until they eventually reached the top. Once there, they took a good hard look toward the Witch’s castle sitting just over the river. Lion came from behind the ponies, beckoning Tom and Scarecrow to join. Lion shook as he points his paw toward the castle. “What’s that?!” He asked, nervously. “What’s that?!” “What do you think it is?” Rainbow responds. “Well, if that’s what I think it is, it must be our doom!” “That’s the castle of the Wicked Witch,” Twilight observed. “Dorothy and Spike are in that awful place!” Scarecrow exclaimed. Tears streamed down the Tin Man’s metallic face, as he started to cry. “Oh, I hate to think of her in there,” He cried. “We’ve got to get them out!” “We will, Tin Man,” Rainbow Dash said. “I promise you that!” Feeling sympathetic, Fluttershy flew toward Tin Man, placing her soft hoof along his tin back and gave a light pat. “It will be alright, Tin Man,” Fluttershy assured, softly. “Oh, I sure hope you’re right,” Tin Man continued crying. “Don’t cry now,” Scarecrow scolds. “We haven’t got the oil-can with us and you’ve been squeaking enough as it is.” The sound of marching and drums drew Lion’s attention back to the draw bridge. “Who’s them?!” He points out, eyes wide. “Who’s them?!” Marching as a cohesive unit by the drawbridge, following the beat of the drums, the Witch’s Winkie Guards patrol the castle grounds. They march across with their spears sharpened to a point, chanting: ‘Oh-Eh-Yah! Ee-Oh-Ah!’. As Scarecrow observes the patrol, he turns toward the group and smiled. “I’ve got a plan how to get in there,” He said, happily. “Fine!” Lion said, nervously. “He’s got a plan!” “It might not work…” “Might not work…” “But it’s got a chance!” “It’s got a chance!” “And you’re going to lead us,” Scarecrow told Lion. “Yeah…” Lion nods. Every pony looks at Lion, smiling. It wasn’t until Lion noted their smiling faces that he realized what he just agreed to. “Me?” He shook. “Yes, you,” They ponies respond. “I – I – I – I – Gotta get them outta there?” Lion asked, fearfully. “That’s right,” Scarecrow nods. “Come on, Lion,” Rainbow encouraged. “You can do this this! Remember: Who’s King of the Forest?” Lion did not respond at first, still quivering in fear. “I said… Who’s the King of the Forest?!” Dash asked, louder. “I am…” Lion whispered. “I don’t believe we heard that, darling,” Rarity spoke. “Who’s King of the Forest?” “I am!” Lion said, a bit louder. “Who’s King of the Forest?” Pinkie asked, enthusiastically. “I AM!” Lion shouts. “SHH!” The ponies hushed. The ponies looked from the guards then back, making sure they didn’t intentionally give away their position. Lion looks between the ponies, then the Scarecrow and Tin Man, before facing the castle with a fierce look of determination. “All right, I’ll go in there for Dorothy and Spike – Wicked Witch or no Wicked Witch – Guards or no guards – I’ll tear ‘em apart. I may not come out alive, but I’m going in there. There’s only one thing I want you all to do.” “What’s that?” They asked, in unison. “Talk me out of it.” Every pony was a bit confused over what he meant, until they noticed he turned to leave. They all quickly grabbed him. “No, you don’t!” Tin Man said, loudly. “Oh, no!” Scarecrow added. “No?” Lion squeaked. “Now, wait a minute.” “You can do this, Lion!” Rainbow encouraged. “I really can’t,” Lion argued. “You’re a big strong Lion,” Twilight added. “Not emotionally!” Lion cried. “There ain’t nothin’ yah can’t do,” Applejack agreed. “No…” Lion whined. Scarecrow and Tin Man pushed Lion ahead as they made their way forth toward the castle grounds. They didn’t get very far when they noticed the other ponies weren’t following. “Aren’t you girls coming?” Scarecrow asked. “We’re going to try and sneak in there to scope the place out,” Twilight explained. “If we’re lucky, we’ll find Spike and Dorothy.” “We must also find the Elements of Harmony,” Rarity added. “Don’t worry, you guys can make it into the castle,” Fluttershy encouraged. “We believe in you!” All three friends looked between each other, then back to the ponies with a smile. “Good luck to you!” Scarecrow said. “Be careful in there,” Lion warned. “We’ll meet up again soon,” Tin Man said. The ponies nod to their friends before the two groups split in different directions. Twilight grabbed a hold of Applejack, Fluttershy grabbed Pinkie, and Rainbow Dash grabbed Rarity. They all flew up toward the castle, taking care to avoid the gaze of any guard patrols along the rooftops. “So, what’s the plan, Twi?” Rainbow asked. Twilight Sparkle scours the region around them, until she noticed an open window. “There’s a small window over there. We’ll sneak in through there and search the castle for Dorothy, Spike and the Elements.” “We gotta be careful, though,” Applejack advised. “There’s guards walkin’ all around that there place.” “I sure hope the boys have as much luck getting in as we do,” Rarity looked back. <> At the same time, Lion, Scarecrow and Tin Man moved along the rocks until they stopped just short of the castle grounds. They eyed the guard patrols quietly, waiting to make the next move. Suddenly, barking drew them to Toto who yelped toward the guards. “Shh!” Scarecrow hushed, picking up Toto. “Toto, be quiet.” Scarecrow picked up Toto, stroking him trying to keep him calm. Little did they know, three Winkie Guards appear from the rocks above them. They slowly motion toward the trio, who are whispering to each other. Lion feels a chill of sorts, sniffing the air. He turns around and sees the Winkies looming behind them. Lion tries to say something, but is speechless with fright, while his friends try to silence him. The Winkie Guards, disposing their spears, jump toward the trio, seizing the three. They drag them behind the rocks, as chaos ensues amongst the group. Legs kick out, arms wave, and even bits of the Winkie’s uniforms are tossed around as a fight ignites amongst the entire group. <> Twilight, with Applejack in her grasp, enters the castle through the open window while the others followed suit. The window was so small, that they barely squeezed through. But they managed to land safely along the cobblestone floor, as they took the time to look at their new surroundings. Based on where they are, they appeared to be a giant room and the only light stemming from a burning fireplace off to the side. All around the room, there were giant raven statues all around and their eyes seemed to be watching them. There was a set of giant wooden doors leading Celestia only knows where, but otherwise nothing more. “Okay, we made it in,” Rainbow observed. “Now what?” “Stay close and keep quiet,” Twilight instructs. Every pony nodded, following Twilight closely as she used her magic to slowly open the large wooden doors. After peaking their heads out the doors, one after the other, they quietly crept out the room and strolled down a long, dark corridor. They froze at the sound of footsteps coming their way followed by the chant: “Oh-Eh-Yah! Ee-Oh-Ah! Oh-Eh-Yah! Ee-Oh-Ah!” “The Guards!” Fluttershy squeaked. “Quick! Hide!” Rarity whispered, harshly. The ponies duck behind a few pillars in the corridor, as a troop of green-skinned guards made their round. They marched through the corridor chanting ‘Oh-Eh-Yah! Ee-Oh-Ah!’ as the ponies stood perfectly still. Once the guards finally passed through, the ponies slowly emerge from hiding. “Phew!” Pinkie sighed in relief. “That was close.” “Come on, let’s hurry!” Applejack urged. The ponies continue down the corridor, leaving through a large archway. Eventually, they found themselves in what appears to be the main hall. As they trotted to the center of the room, they couldn’t help but notice something was rather… Off. “Any pony else think it’s too quiet in here?” Rainbow asked. The other ponies didn’t want to say anything, but they nodded their heads in agreement. “Hmm… Something doesn’t feel right,” Twilight said, looking around. No sooner did she say that, when she bumped in a large green barrier knocking her back towards the group. They all gasp as they saw the barrier completely surrounding them. “Now what’s going on?” Twilight asked. Rainbow tried to ram through the barrier, flying at full force. But the barrier only knocked her back, as she massaged her throbbing head. Twilight and Rarity aimed their horns, shooting magic beams at the barrier, which seemed to absorb the magic while glowing. Even Applejack gave a few hard bucks, but no matter what they tried it had no effect. “Oh great!” Rainbow shouts. “We’re trapped!” Suddenly, the sound of cackling drew their attention to the staircase off the side. The Wicked Witch of the West came down the stairs, dragging poor Spike by the chain. “Well, well, well!” She chuckled. “Look what we have here: Six little ponies falling right into my little trap!” Every pony glared at the evil witch, gritting their teeth. “Let Spike and Dorothy go!” Twilight demands. The Witch cackles again, as she pulled Spike up. She holds him toward Twilight’s eye level from the opposite side of the barrier. Twilight’s face shifts from a scowl to a look of concern. “Spike! Are you okay?” “I’m fine,” Spike responds, weakly. “Don’t… Let her win…” Twilight once more glares at the Witch, as she pulled Spike back. The little dragon dangling as he tried to pull the collar away from his neck to breathe. “Let him go now!” She growled. “Oh, most certainly, my dear,” The Witch smiled, evilly. “But before I do, there’s just ONE thing you must do for me…” Chistery runs up to the Witch, screeching as he held the tome. The ponies gasp at once at the very sight of the book, as The Witch opened the page to the hollowed-out section where the Elements lay inside. The barrier disappears, as the Witch approaches with a tight grip around Spike’s neck. A magical surge of electricity forms within her other hand, as she eyes the ponies. “Now, relinquish the power of the Elements to me,” She threatened. “Or tonight’s menu will consist of deep-fried dragon!” “You coward!” Rainbow shouts. “This is between you and us; let him go!” “You are in no position to give orders here!” The Witch yelled. “What’s it going to be? Your magic… Or your friend?!” Tears sprang from Twilight’s eyes, seeing her little assistant/brother held hostage and barely able to keep his strength. Spike would not have been in this position had she not brought those Elements along in the first place. But there he was, too weak to even struggle against the Witch and she is responsible for it all. All the ponies gathered around Twilight, sharing the same tears that fell from their eyes. “Twi, what should we do now?” Applejack asked, holding back tears. Twilight took a deep breath, then slowly approached toward the Wicked Witch. Then, to the surprise of them all, she slowly bows her head to her. “Twilight, no!” Spike yelled. “You can’t give in; don’t throw yourself away for me!” “HUSH UP YOU!” The Witch shouts. Every pony could not believe what Twilight was doing. Willing bowing her head to submission, surrendering herself to the Wicked Witch. But they realized if they did not do so, the Witch would willingly hurt Spike… Even worse, she would kill him without hesitation. Reluctantly, they ponies stepped forward one-by-one, bowing their heads as Spike looked on. “Yes,” The Witch cackled, victoriously. “I knew the right leverage would have you bend to me eventually. Now… Get these Elements to work!” Closing her eyes and concentrating, Twilight used her magic to levitate the tome from Chistery slowly bringing it before them. As the book came close, the Elements lifts themselves off the hallow page as a hexagon forms connecting each Element The Wicked Witch watches as a bright rainbow light forms in the center of the room. “Yes!” The Witch smiled, viciously. “Yes!” Unbeknownst to her, while she was busy watching the rainbow, Twilight had one eye open to her friends and blinked. The ponies all smiled at each other, finally catching on to her plan and close their eyes. Suddenly, the rainbow light began to get enlarged as Spike smiles brightly and the Witch’s eyes went wide with shock. “What are you doing?!” She growled. “Stop! STOP!!!” But her commands fell on deaf ears, as the light grew ever larger. All at once, the rainbow light explodes sending a huge wave of energy through the whole room. A light so great it shined through several areas of the castle and even toward the night sky. By the time the light faded, and all the ponies opened their eyes, the Witch sat crouched in a corner unconscious and Spike smiled brightly while sitting on the cobblestone floor. “SPIKE!” Twilight shouts. Twilight rushes toward the little dragon, as the other girls followed behind. Twilight hugs her friend tightly, as Rarity cautiously approaches the unconscious Witch and finds a key inside her hat. She proceeds to unlock the collar off Spike’s neck, as it falls loose. “Oh Spike!” Twilight smiled. “It’s good to see you again.” “I knew you guys would come!” Spike said. “Never doubted you for a second.” After a long embrace, Rainbow stepped in between and separated the two. “Hate to spoil the moment here, guys,” Rainbow spoke. “But that Witch won’t be out for long. We need to find Dorothy and get the heck out of here!” “You’re right,” Twilight agreed. “Let’s go!” They gallop out of the room and into the next corridor. Not seeing where they were going, they stumbled into a few Winkie guards. Every pony screamed fearfully, while Fluttershy actually waved her hooves against them without looking. “GET AWAY! GET AWAY! GET AWAY!” Fluttershy screamed. “Fluttershy, take it easy!” A guard spoke. “Huh?” Fluttershy spoke, opening her eyes. When the ponies and Spike took a good look, they realized that the ‘Winkie Guards’ were just Scarecrow, Tin Man and Lion in disguise. “Don’t be afraid,” Scarecrow assured. “It’s just us!” Every pony breathed a sigh of relief, chuckling a bit. “Boy, are we glad to see you guys,” Pinkie said, excitedly. “We knew you guys could get in here yourselves,” Twilight nodded. “By the way, lovely work with the disguises,” Rarity praised. “They make you look rather dashing!” “It wasn’t my plan,” Scarecrow admits. “But something happened!” “You girls should’ve seen it,” Tin Man added. “Lion put up a great fight!” “That big lug?” Rainbow smirks, pointing. “Oh shucks!” Lion smiled. “I don’t know what we’d done without him,” Tin Man spoke, proudly. “Heh, I – I must have bitten those guards a couple of times!” Lion replied. “So… Where do we go now?” Tin Man asked. “Yeah,” Lion said. Toto barks loudly and starts climbing up the stairs. Spike is the first to point it out. “She’s up there,” Spike shouts. “Follow me!” The whole group follows the little terrier and Spike up the stairs. They climb until Toto and Spike stop at the locked doors to the Witch’s chambers, Toto even trying to paw his way through. The whole group finally manage to catch up. “This is where we came in!” Spike explains. “Dorothy was in there before that Witch dragged me out!” “Wait! We better make sure,” Scarecrow said, calling. “Dorothy, are you in there?” “Darling, if you’re in there, please answer!” Rarity called out. “It’s us!” “Yes, it’s me!” Dorothy answered, from the other side. “She locked me in!” “Listen, everyone,” Lion said. “It’s her. We gotta get her out! Open this door!” “Oh, hurry!” Dorothy cried. “Please hurry! The hourglass is almost empty!” “Stand back!” Tin Man shouts. Tin Man used his axe to try to break down the door, but even after several chops it was taking a while. Any moment the Witch could recover and if not, the noise would attract the Winkies to their location. Applejack stops Tin Man’s chopping and ushers him back. “Stand back, partner,” Applejack said. “Let a pro show ya how it’s done!” Applejack stretched her hind legs, approaches the door, turns around, and reels her legs until… WHAM! Applejack uses her strength to break the door down, splintering it to pieces. Seeing the door broken down, Dorothy quickly rushes out the room reuniting with her friends, the trio removing their uniforms and Dorothy embraces Toto. “Oh – Oh, Toto! Toto!” Dorothy cried. “Did they hurtcha?” Lion asked. “Lion, darling!” Dorothy cried, hugging Lion. “I knew you’d come! I knew you would!” “Oh, Dorothy!” The ponies shout, hugging Dorothy. “Hurry!” Scarecrow urged. “We’ve got no time to lose!” They quickly rush out of the room, running down the stairs. They could just see the open doors leading to the front of the castle. “We’re gonna make it!” Pinkie shouts, optimistically. Suddenly, the doors slam shut so fast and so hard a loud bang echoed through the castle. Tin Man reels his axe to chop it down when a loud cackle stops him. The group looks toward the top of the stairs and shook fearfully. There the Wicked Witch stood, conscious once more, holding the hourglass in one hand and Chistery perched by her side. “Going so soon?” She smiled evilly. “I wouldn’t hear of it. Why, my little party’s just beginning!” “You know, guys,” Pinkie shook. “I never thought I’d say this: But this is one party I DON’T want to be part of!” “No kidding, Pinkie,” Rainbow nodded. “Trapped!” Lion shuddered. “Trapped like mice – er – Rats!” “Lion, can’t you roar at them or something?” Spike asked. “What good’ll it do us?” Lion asked. The Witch cackled, as her Winkie guards rush into the room. Toto barks at them, as they aimed their spears toward them leaving our heroes pressed against the door. Tin Man raised his axe in defense, while the ponies stood up front waiting to see who makes the first move. “That’s right,” The Witch said. “Don’t hurt them right away. We’ll let them think about it a little, first!” “Oh, give us a chance!” Pinkie begged. “Be a sport, Elphaba!” The Wicked Witch paused, raising her eyes while the guards faced each other confused. “Who?” The Witch asked. “Oh… Right, wrong continuity,” Pinkie sheepishly grinned. “Uh, quick question: What is your opinion on ‘Theodora’? I mean I feel you could really use some counseling. Maybe, a little get together, a tray of cupcakes…” “URGH!!! I’ve had enough of your foolish rambling!” The Witch growled. “Oh, the things I’m going to do to all of you. Can you imagine how it’s going to feel… My Little Ponies?” But sure enough, this distraction worked in favor for Scarecrow, who managed to get Twilight’s attention. Scarecrow motions toward the rope holding the chandelier above the guards. Finally, the Witch screams and threw the hourglass down to the ground where it explodes on impact. Twilight quickly used her magic to untie the rope, causing the chandelier to crash atop several guards knocking them out. “EVERY PONY RUN!” Rarity shouts. “Seize them!” The Witch yelled. While the Winkies were recovering, Dorothy, Twilight and the others burst off in the other direction, running as fast as they could. “Stop them, you fools!” The Witch shouts. “They’ve gotten away! Seize them! Seize them!” The other guards follow the Witch, as she pursues the group. As they round the corner, Dorothy, Twilight, and their friends emerge from behind the corner. Seeing there would be no time to open the doors, they make a break for the stairs and climb up searching for another exit. The Winkie Guards and the Witch round the corner again, spotting them before the group disappears up the stairs. “There they go!” The Witch points. “Ah – Now we’ve got them! Half you go this way – Half you go that way. Hurry! Hurry!” The entire team had run out from the tower of the castle, racing along the battlement. The group end up in the second tower, which leads to a near dead end. “Oh dear, which way do we go now?” Rarity cried. “They’re probably right behind us!” Fluttershy squeaked. Scarecrow searched left-and-right, until he found another path to follow. “This way!” Scarecrow shouts, leading the group. “Come on!” They ran as fast as they could across the wall. But before they could go further, the stop and scream as they discovered the path was blocked by Winkie Guards. The guards themselves were rushing toward them. “Go back!” Rainbow yelled. “Go back!” They all obliged, turning around quickly and running back the other way. As they returned to the other tower, more Winkie Guards entered from the other side. Soon, the team discovered all the exits were blocked by one group of guards after another. They had them pinned into a corner… Trapped, as the Wicked Witch emerged from the staircase, cackling as Chistery followed. “Well – Ring around the rosy – A pocket full of spears! Thought you’d be pretty foxy, didn’t you? Well, I’m going to start in on you right here – One after the other!” The Witch glared fiercely at the little ponies, along with the rest of their friends. “And the last to go will see all the rest go before her! And you mangy little dog, too!” The Wicked Witch looks up for a moment, then a wicked smile formed. She slowly raises her broom up to the torch above, watching the ends catch fire. The Scarecrow knew exactly what she was doing and shook his head fearfully. “How about a little fire, Scarecrow?” She threatened. “No – No – No – No!” The Witch brushed the burning end along Scarecrow’s arm, which caught fire quickly. Scarecrow screams and jumps, waving his arm trying to stop the fire. “Help!” Scarecrow screamed. “I’m burning! I’m burning! I’m burning! Help! Help! Help!” Twilight looked around desperately, until she noticed a bucket of water sitting conveniently by the windowsill. She used her magic to levitate it toward Dorothy, who takes the bucket and hurls the water onto Scarecrow’s arm. But in her haste to douse the fire, it also hit the Wicked Witch who started shrieking. “Ohhh!” The Witch screamed, in agony. “You cursed brat! Look what you’ve done! I’m melting! Melting! Oh – What a world – What a world! Who would have thought a good little girl and six little ponies could destroy my beautiful wickedness?! Ohhh! Look out! Look out! I’m going… Ohhhh! Ohhhhhhh….” Within moments, the once all-powerful Wicked Witch of the West was slowly reduced to nothing more but a steaming pile of black clothes and her pointy hat. Every pony looked at the floor where the Witch once stood, shocked by what just happened. One guard used his spear to poke and prod at the garments before slowly looking toward the group. “She’s… She’s… dead!” He said, in disbelief. “You’ve killed her!” “I – I didn’t mean to kill her…” Dorothy explained. “Really I didn’t! It’s… It’s just that he was on fire!” “We really didn’t mean for it to happen,” Fluttershy implored. “Please don’t be mad at us!” The guards all look at each other, then they all smiled. “Hail to Dorothy!” The head guard cheered. “The Wicked Witch is dead!” All the guards knelt to one knee, shouting: “Hail! Hail to Dorothy! The Wicked Witch is dead!” If the ponies weren’t confused before, this really took the cake for this colorful group. “Alright, just one apple pickin’ minute,” Applejack spoke up. “You’re sayin’ that an all-powerful witch, such as her, could be destroyed by water?” “That doesn’t even make any sense,” Twilight stared, bewildered. “No one can truly explain it,” The guard explained. “But the Witch has always had a weakness to water. Some say her soul was so unclean, water was more than enough to melt her. Not a day went by where one of us didn’t try to grab a bucket and douse her. Alas, we were too afraid.” “You mean,” Dorothy spoke. “You’re all happy about it?” “Very happy,” The guard nodded. “Now she won’t be able to hit us with that broom anymore!” “Well, I guess it all worked out then,” Rainbow smiled. Dorothy and all the others smiled as well. But then, they realized that there was still one measure of business to take care of. “The broom!” Dorothy spoke to the guard. “May we have it?” The guard quickly picks up the broom, the end now burnt off, and offers it to her. “Please! And take it with you!” He responds. “Oh – Thank you so much!” Dorothy said, happily. “Now we can go back to the Wizard and tell him the Wicked Witch is dead!” “The Wicked Witch is dead!” The Winkie guards and ponies cheer. While chanting the news, the guards led the motley crew outside of the castle, bidding them farewell. After such a perilous journey, everyone looked forward to their return to Emerald City, so they can finally have their wishes granted.