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// Chapter 17: The Map and How the Balloon Was Launched 
// Story: My Little Wizard of Oz 
// by BlueBioWolf 
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For three days Dorothy heard nothing from Oz. This was leaving her discouraged, though, Bartleby, Nick, and Raw were all quite happy and contented. The Equestria residents could see this.

“Poor Dorothy,” Applejack said. “She’s mighty homesick.”

“If anyone can understand that,” Sunset said. “It’s us.”

“Yeah,” Fluttershy said. “I wish there was something we could do to help her.”

“The best we can do is be there for her when she needs it,” Sunset said. She then looked over the map of Oz.

“Good idea,” Pinkie said. “Even if we were to go to a different part, it would be hard to get back since we’re not totally familiar with this land.”

Sunset highlighted places in Oz they’ve been to. “Let’s see. We’ve been here, there, over there, over here…” Her highlights included spots in Munchkin Country, Emerald City, and a bit of Winkie Country. “We haven’t been here or there,” she said, pointing a hoof to Gillikin Country and Quadling Country. “I don’t think we even want to go here.” She traced her hoof along the desert border, which had names such as Deadly Desert, Shifting Sands, Impassable Desert, and Great Sandy Waste.

“Boy,” Rainbow said. “There are a lot of places in this country.”

“Yep,” Sunset said. “And walking across the desert isn’t an option.”

“Right,” Rarity said. “We’ve done that here and that was plenty.”

“It’s not just that,” Sunset said. “Each side of the sands are sworn to be as dangerous as hot lava and anyone who sets foot into the sand of any of these deserts instantly dissolves and becomes sand themselves.”

“That’s disturbing,” Starlight said.

“To complicate things,” Sunset said. “There’s more of us in our party that can’t fly than those of us who can.”

“That is true,” Trixie said.

“Even if all of us could fly,” Rainbow said. “That won’t do any good if we don’t know the direction to go.”

“Also true,” Applejack said. “So, it’s best if we don’t go there at all.”





While they were talking, Bartleby told them there were wonderful thoughts in his head, but, he would not say what they were because he knew no one could understand them but himself. When Nick walked about, he felt his heart rattling around in his breast and he told Dorothy he had discovered it to be a kinder and more tender heart than the one he had owned when he was made of flesh. Raw declared he was afraid of nothing on earth and would gladly face an army or a dozen of the fierce Kalidahs.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Sunset said. “Dial it back a bit, Raw. There’s a thin line between being brave and being reckless.”

“Yeah,” Rainbow said. “I may be a bit brash at times, but, even I know when to ease back.”

Thus, each of the little party was satisfied except Dorothy, who longed more than ever to get back to Kansas, and the Equestria residents, who longed to return to their own home.

On the fourth day, to their great joy, Oz sent for them and when they entered the throne room, he greeted them pleasantly:

"Sit down, my dears, I think I have found the way to get you out of this country."

"And back to Kansas?" Dorothy asked eagerly.

"Well, I'm not sure about Kansas," said Oz. "For I haven't the faintest notion which way it lies from here. But, the first thing to do is to cross the desert and then, it should be easy to find your way home."

"How can we cross the desert?" she inquired.

"Well, I'll tell you what I think," said the little man. "You see, when I came to this country, it was in a balloon. You also came through the air, being carried by a cyclone. So, I believe the best way to get across the desert will be through the air. Now, it is quite beyond my powers to make a cyclone, but, I've been thinking the matter over and I believe I can make a balloon."

"How?" asked Dorothy.

"A balloon," said Oz. "Is made of silk, which is coated with glue to keep the gas in it. I have plenty of silk in the palace, so, it will be no trouble to make the balloon. But, in all this country, there is no gas to fill the balloon with to make it float."

"If it won't float," remarked Dorothy, "it will be of no use to us."

"True," answered Oz. "But, there is another way to make it float, which is to fill it with hot air. Hot air isn't as good as gas, for if the air should get cold, the balloon would come down in the desert and we should be lost."

"We!" exclaimed the girl. "Are you going with us?"

"Yes, of course," replied Oz. "I am tired of being such a humbug. If I should go out of this palace, my people would soon discover I am not a wizard and then, they would be vexed with me for having deceived them. So, I have to stay shut up in these rooms all day and it gets tiresome. I'd much rather go back to Kansas with you and be in a circus again."

“But, Omaha’s in Nebraska,” Sunset said. “Different state.”

“Yes,” Oz admitted. “But, I’ve been away from there for so long that it is possible that everyone in Omaha might get the idea that I did not survive. But, I can start anew in another state.”

“That makes sense,” Sunset considered. “It’d be too big of a shock if you turned up in Omaha after anyone who remembers you thought you were dead.”

“So,” Oz said. “That is the plan.”

"I shall be glad to have your company," said Dorothy.

"Thank you," he answered. "Now, if you will help me sew the silk together, we will begin to work on our balloon."

“I’ll be happy to help as well,” Rarity said. “I’m a seamstress in Equestria.”

“And I often sew blankets for my animal friends,” Fluttershy said.

“How wonderful,” Oz smiled. “I’ll gladly take the help.”

“Say, uh,” Rainbow said. “Is Oz really your name?”

“Actually,” the little man said. “My name is Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Isaac Norman Henkle Emmannuel Ambroise Diggs.”

Trixie thought of this. “Did you know that your initials spell ‘Oz Pinhe-’”

“Yes, I’m well aware,” Oz interrupted. “For obvious reasons, I seldom use them.”

“That’s fair enough,” Pinkie said. “After all, my full name is Pinkamena Diane Pie, but, I prefer to just be called ‘Pinkie.’”





So, they all got to work on the balloon. Oz and Spike cut the strips of silk into proper shape, most of the others placed the strips in place, and Rarity, Fluttershy, and Dorothy sewed them neatly together. First there was a strip of light green silk, then, a strip of dark green and then, a strip of emerald green, for Oz had a fancy to make the balloon in different shades of the color about them. It took three days to sew all the strips together, but, when it was finished they had a big bag of green silk more than twenty feet long.

“This looks great,” Applejack smiled. “‘Minds me o’ the hot air balloon we fly ‘round in sometimes. Though, this one ain’t purple.”

Then, Oz painted it on the inside with a coat of thin glue, to make it airtight, after which, he announced that the balloon was ready.

“The balloon is ready,” Oz announced.

“Not quite,” Sunset said. “It still needs a basket to carry us.”

“Where are we going to find one of those?” Rainbow asked. “I doubt the people here have clothes baskets big enough to hold nine grown ponies, a green wing dragon, a phoenix, a kid, and a short geezer.”

“Hey~!” Oz said.

“Rainbow’s lack of tact aside,” Sunset said. “She has a point. There won’t be any clothes baskets big enough for all of us. But, I have an idea.”

“Yes, Sunset?” Dorothy asked.

“We’ll build such a basket,” Sunset said.

“That’s a great idea,” Twilight said. “I’m certain we can find the supplies we need around here.”

So, they built a basket for the balloon. Sunset took careful measurements to make sure they’d all have room to move and still carry supplies.

“Everyone is doing so well,” Oz said.

When it was all ready, Oz sent word to his people that he was going to make a visit to a great brother Wizard who lived in the clouds. The news spread rapidly throughout the city and everyone came to see the wonderful sight.





Oz ordered the balloon carried out in front of the palace and the people gazed upon it with much curiosity. Nick had chopped a big pile of wood and now, he made a fire of it and Oz held the bottom of the balloon over the fire so that the hot air that arose from it would be caught in the silken bag. Gradually the balloon swelled out and rose into the air until finally, the basket just touched the ground.

“It’s amazing, isn’t it?” Trixie said.

Then, Oz got into the basket and said to all the people in a loud voice:

"I am now going away to make a visit. While I am gone, Bartleby, the Scarecrow, will rule over you. I command you to obey him as you would me."

The balloon was by this time tugging hard at the rope that held it to the ground, for the air within it was hot and this made it so much lighter in weight than the air without that it pulled hard to rise into the sky.

"Come, everyone!" cried the wizard. "Hurry up or the balloon will fly away."

"I can't find Toto anywhere," replied Dorothy, who did not wish to leave her little dog behind. Toto had run into the crowd to bark at a kitten and Dorothy at last found him. She picked him up and ran towards the balloon.

Chapter 17: How the Balloon Was Launched, Sunset said internally.

“Come on, you two!” Twilight called. Sunset had suggested Dorothy get in first.

Dorothy was within a few steps of it and Oz was holding out his hands to help her into the basket, when, “crack!” went the ropes and the balloon rose into the air without her.

Rainbow was about to take off and get the balloon, but, Sunset stopped her and whispered, “We have to follow the story in order to get home.”

Rainbow had to submit, though she didn't like the idea of an emergency happening.

"Come back!" Dorothy screamed. "I want to go, too!"

"I can't come back, my dear," called Oz from the basket. "Good-bye!"

"Good-bye!" shouted everyone and all eyes were turned upward to where the wizard was riding in the basket, rising every moment farther and farther into the sky. And that was the last any of them ever saw of Oz, the Wonderful Wizard, though he may have reached Omaha safely and be there now, for all we know. But, the people remembered him lovingly, and said to one another:

"Oz was always our friend. When he was here, he built for us this beautiful Emerald City and now, he is gone, he has left the wise scarecrow to rule over us."

Still, for many days, they grieved over the loss of the Wonderful Wizard and would not be comforted.

The sight of the balloon flying away without Dorothy broke her heart and tears welled in her eyes. Sunset embraced her warmly.