> MLP- Wizard of Oz
>  by Votederpycausemufins
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> chapter 1: Arrival and a Twicrow
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Part 1

The pegasi were about to start the tornado to bring water to cloudsdale and everyone needed to take cover. Granny Smith and Big Mac were in the cellar, and Applejack was going with Winona to get the cutiemark crusaders, there too. When they reached the clubhouse, Applejack found they had already left, but it was too late.
"Winona, get in here. The tornado is starting and we need some cover!"
Winona's fur was wet from water coming all the way from the pool. Applejack started to dry her off with a curtain. She didn't know how long they were going to be in the clubhouse, so Applejack went around the room collecting items to make a temporary bed for herself and Winona. It was made from some of the other curtains and a few very large blankets from the last cutiemarks the girls had tried for. ("CUTIEMARK CRUSADERS SKYDIVERS! YAY!) The two fell asleep quickly, as they were tired from getting from the farm house to the clubhouse. Shortly after they had, the clubhouse started to move. The tornado had enough wind power that the clubhouse was lifted off of the tree. After being in the air for about an hour, it landed with a slight crash. It woke up Applejack and she woke up Winona, who somehow stayed asleep. She went outside to find the clubhouse looking like it had when she first gave it to the CMC's and a place that she had never seen before.





Part 2

Around her, she found many things all colored blue. Then she saw the girls.
"Applebloom! Sweetie Belle! Scootaloo! Are you three all right? And what in tarnation happened to your manes? It's not bad enough for you three to have been styling each other's manes."
"Applebloom? What do you mean? And who are you?"
"What? Ahm your sister! Stop playing games. And wha..."
"Hello there. What is your name?"
Princess Luna had come up behind Applejack.
"Princess Luna? You too? This is just getting weird! *sigh* Fine, ahm Applejack," Winona barked, "and this is Winona. Who are you and what is goin' on 'round here?"
"Well first, my name is Locasta, and the munchkins wish me to tell you thank you for destroying the witch that ruled here."
"Witch!" said Applejack, "What witch?"
"The witch your house landed on, the wicked witch of the east, Gingema" Locasta told Applejack, leading her to the witch
"Nightmare Moon! But that's you! Well, it was you." Applejack could still see some of the tail of the crushed 'witch', and the black coat proved her thoughts further.
Slowly the tail disappeared, followed by the legs, until all that was left of Nightmare Moon was her shoes. Locasta used her magic to make the shoes go on Applejack and asked what she would like.
"Well since this ain't home, ah'd like to go there."
"Where is your home, fair Applejack?"
"Fair?" applejack inquired, "Mah home's in Ponyville. In Equestria. You know where that is, right?"
"No, I only know of this land, Oz, but maybe you can go to our Emerald City and see our wizard."
"Oz? Ah've heard of that before, but ah can't put my hoof on it. Anyway, how in the hay am I supposed to get to this here wizard?" 
"You take this path of yellow bricks to the city. And before you go, I wish to give you my protection."
And with that, Locasta gave Applejack a kiss on the forehead and sent her on the road.
"Now ah know ah've heard of this before!" Applejack said to Winona.





Part 3

Applejack decided to go back to the clubhouse first and grabs some supplies. The cmc’s had a couple of snacks in the clubhouse. She also found her saddle bags.
“So now that’s where they got to, ah was just thinking about gettin’ some new ones.”
She packed the food and what else she thought she might need into her saddle bags and woke Winona from her nap.
She ran with Winona to the road and started off to the Emerald City. After a long time of walking, she found a place to stay with a rich colt, who was having a party for the death of the witch. During the party she was asked who she was, and how she killed the witch and what she was going to do next. Overwhelmed by the questions, she turned in early for the night and left right after breakfast.
Apple jack kept walking until Winona stopped in the middle of the road and kept barking. When Applejack turned to see what Winona was barking at, she saw Twilight, in a field, HANGING FROM A POLE!
“Twilight!” she said as she got her friend down. “How the hay did you get here?”
“Twilight?” Twilight replied. “Is that my name?”
“Yup, sure is!” Applejack paused, then continued. “Aw shoot, don’t tell me you’re actin’ like everypony else!”
“Am I? I didn’t know.”
Applejack sighed, “Well you are. Ever since ah came to… to… aw shoot, what’s this place called again?”
“I don’t know, I don’t even have a brain.”
Applejack snickered, “You? Have no brain? You must be kidding me!”
“Well I’m only a scarecrow. Only made a few days ago too! By the way, where are you going?”
“Um, ahm going to the Emerald City to see if a so called wizard can send me back home to Ponyville.”
“Ooo do you think maybe he could get me a brain?”
“Ah don’t know, but we’ll see. Come on, and don’t mind Winona, she don’t bite.”
“Don’t worry, I’m not scared of many things. Mostly I’m scared of just one.”
“And what in the hay would that be?”
“A lighted match…”

> chapter 2: The Story of Twilicrow
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	
part 4


Applejack, Winona, and their new friend (who Applejack decided to call Twicrow) found the yellow brick road going through a forest. they started through the forest as they didn’t know how to get back to the road if they went around. Going through the forest was slow since the road was uneven and Twicrow kept stepping in them and falling.
Eventually, Applejack sat down to have some lunch. As Twicrow was a scarecrow, she didn’t eat anything, so there was more for A.J. and Winona. Once the two were done eating, Twicrow asked a question. “Why is it you want to leave here? Wouldn’t you want to stay?”
Applejack replied, “Ah like it here, but ah got friends n’ family back home. Ahm also part of a big defence to help keep Equestria safe.”
“Well that must be important! let’s go!”
“Now hold on!” Applejack said as Twicrow tried to get up to leave, “While you’re a scarecrow and don’t need ta eat or sleep, ah need ta rest ‘fore we can go.”
“Well then, should I tell you a story?”
“You’d need a brain to make one up.”
“Well then, I guess it’s good that this is a real story. And that it happened recently.”
“What do ya mean?”
“The only story I know is how I was made.”
And so Twicrow began her story of how she was made. As she said, it was fortunate it had happened recently as it was, or she would have forgotten.
“The munchkins started by making my head, which included my ears. One of them said “How do you like the ears?” and the other said, “They aren't very straight.” but the first didn’t care.





“What color are you making the eyes?” said the second munchkin.
“Blue of course! Why use any other color?” as the first painted the eyes.
“Well you’re right about that. Make the other a bit bigger.” and the first made the other eye a bit bigger.
The first of the two had her mane in a braid and was wearing blue glasses. She had grey coat and a very, almost white, light grey mane. The second was wearing a blue ribbon with jewels on her head as a headband and a light and dark blue skirt. Her coat was a hot pink and her mane was purple and white.
The two made the nose and mouth before working on the rest of the body. Twilicrow did not speak as she did not know how to use her mouth yet. When the two finished, they hung her up. They tied the scarecrow to a pole and started to walk away. They didn’t notice the scarecrow try to follow them.





“A bit later, birds tried to come eat from the field I was placed in, but were scared of me and flew away and I was happy something good came from me staying on the pole. An old crow came closer than the rest and saw I was not real. He sat down on me, and the other birds came to join him in the field. the crow on me said ‘If you only had brains in your head you would be as good as any munchkin or better. Brains are the only things worth having in this world, no matter what you are.’ So I decided all I need are brains, then you came along going to a place where I could get some. By the way, where are we going again?”

“We’re headin’ to the Emerald City,” replied A.J. “Seems like next, we go through here.”
Applejack was pointing to a forest, which reminded her of the Everfree Forest back at home. As Twilicrow told her story, the land lost more and more of it’s farmland look, and started to become more natural. Applejack and Twilicrow went in after Winona chased a squirrel in the forest. There was enough light coming from in between the branches that they could tell if it was night or day, but little enough that it was hard to see.
After a while, the little light the three had started to fade. It was almost night, so the group went a little faster. When almost all the light was gone, they found a small cottage in the woods filled with seeds, gardening tools, and dead plants. The cottage looked familiar to Applejack from the outside, but she didn’t recognise the inside. She grouped together as many dead leaves as she could and piled them in a corner. She then went to her saddle bags and took out one of the curtains she had grabbed to put over them. She fell asleep after about half an hour because she thought she heard a groaning and tried to see if she could find the source. After a while she stopped to got to sleep.
> chapter 3: A Pony Of Tin
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Ugg, mah head! … where the buck am ah?”
“Same place as we were last ni-”
“AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!”
Applejack screamed. She saw Twilight in the corner with part of her mane dyed and a shirt and pants on. She also had blue eyes instead of her normal dark purple ones. It was the scarecrow from her dreams! Yet it was still there! She wasn’t dreaming!
“You okay… uh, what’s your name again Applejack?”
“Really? You’re asking me that? You just said my name.”
“Oh, sorry. Where is your brown and white friend?”
“Her name is Winona and she’s right… there?”
A.J. was pointing to where she and Winona were sleeping last night, but she was gone. Out the window, Applejack saw something moving. It was Winona chasing some butterflies. Winona stopped for a little bit and started going towards a blueish area behind her. Applejack grabbed Twilicrow and repacked her saddlebags. She lead her outside and the two headed toward where Winona was going, a small pond.
Applejack washed herself and Winona up and had some of the water to drink. They were about to continue on their journey when there was a loud noise.

GGGGGGGGRRRRRRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNN

“What the hay was that?!”
“I have no idea. Should we see what made it?”
“Ah reckon we should. Could be somethin’ dangerous, but ah’ve faced timber wolves before.”
“I don’t know what those are, but I guess that’s important. Let’s go!”
There were a few more smaller groans, nothing bigger than the first one they heard, but they were loud enough for them to follow to the source. When they first saw what the noise was coming from, it looked like a brownish, greyish blob, but as they got closer, the blob took a more pony like shape.
“Fluttershy? No, wait, who are ya and why are ya groaning so loudly?”
“Not… now… need… oil…”
“Wha-”
“Oil, Now! ...If you... don’t mind that is. It’s… In the cottage… nearby.”
Applejack ran to the cottage and after a few minutes of searching, she finally found an oil can in one of the room she hadn’t seen yet, which of course had a bed in it. She quickly hurried back to her friends and started to oil what seemed to be a metal Fluttershy. After a while the can was empty and the metal pony was fine and moving just like any other pony.
“Thank you,” whispered the pony, “ I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t come. most likely wait here another year.”
“Another year! Y’all can’t be serious. You’ve been standin’ there for a whole year!”
“It’s true! If it weren’t for you coming this way, I would still have been stuck there. That reminds me, where are you going?”
“Why, we are going to go see the Ozard of Wiz!”
“She means the Wizard of Oz. Ya see, ah’m Applejack. Ah come from a place called Equestria, and ah’m hopin’ he can send me back home while Twilicrow here wants some brains from him ‘cause she doesn’t have any.”
“Do you think he might be able to give me a heart again?” the pony inquired.
“Ah don’t know. Guess it would be just as easy as givin’ Twilicrow her brains. Wait, what do ya mean be again… Ah just realized, we still don’t know your name.”
“Oh, yes, I guess I did forget that. My name is Flutrez*, and I used to be the caretaker of this forest.”
“Is it okay if I call ya Flutters instead? Your name sounds like it and ya look alot like mah friend Fluttershy.”
“Yes that is fine, but shouldn’t we be off? I know these forests and day is short and the forest large and my cottage is the only of it’s kind nearby.”
So the four of them left to journey through the forest, (after they filled the oil can to the brim.) and followed the yellow brick road. They were unfortunately slowed down from Twilicrow falling in holes in the road.
“Why don’t you just go over the holes Twilicrow?” inquired Flutters.
“Because my head has no brains and I do not know where to step. That’s why I’m going to ask the wizard for some,” replied Twilicrow.
“Oh, well you may want brains, but I think a heart is far better.”
“Do you have any brains Flutrez?”
“No, but I once had both brains and a heart and I would rather have my heart back.”
“If ya don’t mind me askin’,” started Applejack. “What happened for you ta lose them.”
“Well, if you’re up to a story, I’m willing to tell you how.”
“Ah’m fine with y’all tellin’ a story. Ah think that’ll be a good way ta pass the time.”



“I was a munchkin who helped to take care of the forest. I helped to keep it growing and safe for all of the munchkins. I sold the fruits that came from some of the tree’s to make a living. Many a munchkin believed I had so much kindness in my heart, I could dethrone the Witch of the East. She didn’t want this to happen, so she placed a curse on me.
“One day, I was climbing a tree to help a nest of baby birds whose mother had gotten sick and I had to take care of. The mother was mostly better, so I took her back up there. I somehow slipped for the first time in many, many years and badly damaged my leg. It was bad enough that it had to be replaced with a tin leg from a tinsmith.
“Another day, I was working on cutting down a dead tree which was blocking sunlight from saplings when my ax cut another leg off. Again I went to the tinsmith for a replacement. this happened again and again until finally I lost my heart and with it my love and kindness. The forest changed from a happy place to a place you would never want to be near unless it was the middle of the day. Even then there would be munchkins who would run away from it.
“I still tried my hardest to get it back to the way I had made it, but I never could. I even tried what would seem dangerous to many a munchkin, but I could do being a metal one. Then one evening, it started to rain, and I had forgotten my oil can. I did not realize until I was finding it hard to move and oxidized in the place I was standing when you found me. During the whole year I was there, I thought about If i could have a heart again, then I could fix the forest and maybe even the witch this time.”



“Wow, now that was a story Flutters. Ah reckon that wizard will give ya a heart right away if ya tell him that story, but there is somethin’ y’all should know.”
“And what could that possibly be?” asked Flutters 
“The witch is dead. Ah kinda squashed her with mah sister’s treehouse/clubhouse.”
“Really?! Well, at least that will be one less thing to worry about during our trip.”
“Thank you for that story Flutrez. Still, I would rather have a brain from those two choices”
“Just remember, brains shall not make you happy, but a heart will.”
“You cannot tell if you are happy without brains…”
Applejack herself did not wish to be caught in this argument. She was too busy looking in her saddlebags and at what little food she had left. She still had plenty of water from the lake for herself and Winona. But there was only enough food left for one more meal. ‘Hopefully,’ thought Applejack, ‘Flutters can find some trees that have fruit ah can eat with Winona.”
> chapter 4: Pythons and Orthrusses and Alippoleos, Oh My!
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“How much longer ‘til we’re out of here Flutters?”
“I can’t say that I know. I’ve never gone to see this wizard. Where does he live?”
“A place called the Emerald City. Ah wonder why it’s called that.”
“THE CITY OF EMERALDS!!!” Exclaimed Flutters, “Of course he would live there! We still have quite a long ways to go, and that’s if we don’t meet any of the animals here along the way. They can be quite dangerous. But as long as I am oiled, I will be fine; and the scarecrow has nothing to be afraid of other than fire. You, Applejack, have the mark of the Good Witch of the North, I believe.”
“Mark? You mean where she kissed me on mah forehead?” A.J. inquired.
“Yes, I do mean that.”
“What about Winona? What’s gonna protect her? Ah can fight, but who knows what’s in this forest.”
“I know for a fact there is an Apollo python, some orthrusses, and some alippoleos too, but that’s only some of the worst I’ve seen.”
“Alippoleos? What are those? Do you know Applejack?” Twilicrow asked.
“They are half pegasus, half lion creatures.” Flutters responded The have the body of a lion, but the wings and head of a pegasus. I think I’ve heard one around the forest recently.”
That’s when it happened. A loud *ROAR* rang out through the forest. An alippoleo came out from a thickish part of the woods. One of it’s paws hit Twilicrow, and the other hit Flutters. Winona ran up, barking at the creature. Just before it could attack Winona, Applejack bucked the alippoleo from behind, just enough to draw it’s attention to herself. It turned and looked at her with it’s eyes full of… tears? Not only that, but it looked like her friend Rainbow Dash.
The Rainbow Dash lion sat down and started to cry her eyes out. 
“Waaaaaahhhhhh, I’m sorry! I-I didn’t mean to!”
Reminding herself that this wasn’t really her friend (especially after that reaction) Applejack responded by saying, “Then ya’ll should have attacked us like that. Especially trying to attack mah dog. She can’t protect herself. That’s just being cowardly.”
“I KNOOOOOOWWWWWW!!!!!” Rainbow lion cried “I’ve been this way forever. I can’t help it.”
“That explains why you’d attack somepony who’s stuffed.”
“Stuffed?”
“Yeah, Twilicrow there is a scarecrow. Ah thought you’d know that.”
“No, I didn’t. Is that one stuffed too?”
“No, I’m actually made of tin.” Replied Flutters.
“Oh, that’s why it hurt when I hit you.”
Then she looked at Winona and pointed at her. “What is this creature made of? Straw or tin?”
“Uh she’s neither of those,” Applejack replied. “Winona here’s made of, well she’s a… a meat dog, to put it simply.”
“She’s so small, you’d have to be a coward like me to attack her.”
“How are you a coward,” Flutters asked. “You’re a bit bigger than us.” 
“I guess I was just born that way. All the other animals believe me to be brave. Whenever I become frightened from a creature, I roar and they run away. The same goes with any man I see. If any bears or elephants or tigers tried to fight me, I would run away, but one roar and they would leave me alone.”
“Well the King of Beasts shouldn’t be a coward, It’s obvious if I know that” Twilicrow commented.
“It’s just whenever there is danger, my heart begins to beat fast."
“Could it be a heart disease?” asked Flutters “If you had no heart, you wouldn’t be a coward, and I think being a coward is better than no heart.”
“Maybe that’s the problem. Maybe it’s my heart.”
“Or maybe your brains. Do you happen to have any?” asked Twilicrow”
“Hmm, haven’t thought to check, and I don’t know how I would do that.”
Applejack, while wanting to help, was getting a little impatient of the discussion, so she asked the Rainbow lion if she would like to join their journey to the emerald city.
“Really the wizard could give me courage?!” She said excitedly
“Yep! Just as easily as givin’ them a heart and brains. C’mon y’all, we should keep goin’ if we want ta  get out of this here forest.”
The rest of the journey that day was peaceful. The alippoleo gave her name as Lion Dash, and the only bad happening was Flutters stepped of a beatle making her cry. She only finally stop when she could no longer move her mouth and Applejack had to use the oil can. She then told about how when she had her heart, it would be easier to prevent these happenings from occurring for without a heart, she would kill a small creature again without trying to stop.”
The group finally reached a large tree to sleep under where Flutters knew for sure they would at least see to edge of the forest by tomorrow.
> chapter 5: Obstacles
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Applejack woke up to her stomach growling. She reached for her saddle bags only to remember she was out of food. Last night, she and Winona had eaten the last bit of bread for dinner. Lion Dash had offered to go into the forest and bring back an animal for her to cook on the fire that had been built the previous night, but was quickly turned down by Flutters as she feared she would cry seeing the dead animal and they would have to use more oil. Applejack sided with her, but that was mostly because she couldn’t eat the meat. Dash later left and got her own meal, never mentioning what it was.
A.J. got up to find a river to wash up in when she saw a large pile of nuts that Twilicrow was adding to. It turned out that she had been doing this all night as the fire burned so she would not be near the sparks.
Twilicrow, noticing Applejack, picked up some of the pile and tried to put it in her saddlebags. A.J. snickered a little while helping Twi as she was doing a clumsy job picking them back up. By the time they finished, Winona had woken up and found them, while Flutters had added a few fruits she had found.
When Applejack and Winona were all cleaned up and Flutters oiled as a precaution, the group set off once again onto the road. Not even an hour later, the group had to stop for a large ravine. The remains of a bridge were able to be seen on each side. The ravine went on for as far as they could see and there were jagged stones at the bottom. For at least a few minutes, it seemed like their journey was over.
Twilicrow spoke up, “Lion Dash is the only one of us that can fly, right?”
“I used to, but then I became tin.” Mentioned Flutters
“Well maybe she could take us over one by one.” Twilight suggested
“It might work,” said Dash. “ My wings aren’t strong enough to fly us over, but I could jump and they could give me a boost.”
“But who’d go first? Ah mean, what if it didn’t work.” Applejack asked
“I would!” volunteered Twilicrow. “Applejack and Winona could be killed and Flutters badly dented while you could still save yourself. I wouldn’t be hurt at all from the fall.”
“I-I suppose so, but I’m still a little afraid of falling myself… Okay, let’s try!”
Lion Dash helped Twilicrow onto her back and then walked up near the edge of the cliff of the ravine so she could jump.
“Why not take a running start?” asked Twilicrow.
“That’s just no how I do these things.”
And with that, Lion Dash jumped across the ravine. She waited a few seconds before putting her wings out and flapping for a small boost. The pair landed on the other side and Twilicrow toppled off, but only because she didn’t know how tight she had to hold on.
Lion Dash jumped and flew back over to Applejack, Flutters, and Winona. She took to more trips (one of them she took both A.J. and Winona) and then collapsed from exhaustion. After a while of resting, Dash was able to travel again.
“Is it just me, or is the forest a bit more menacin’ to y’all too?”
“Th-th-this is the part of the forest ka-ka-kalidahs live in!” stuttered Lion Dash.
“What’re they?” Applejack asked.
“They’re beasts with bodies like bears, and heads like tigers, long teeth and claws sharp enough to cut me in half. They scare me terribly.”
“They sound pretty bad. Ah’ve faced worse before, but Ah had a ton a help then.”
“Well they are pretty-”
Dash stopped, both walking and talking. She was looking ahead with her mouth agape. In front of her was another ravine, much wider than the first. Lion Dash was only barely able to cross over the other one, and she was still a little bit tired from earlier. There was no way she could take them over this one.
“What are we going to do? There’s no way for us to cross this!” Flutters exclaimed.
The group thought for a bit until Twilicrow spoke up.
“Look at that tree,” She said, pointing to a large tree near the edge of the ravine. “It looks like it’s taller than the ravine is wide. If we could cut it down, we could cross. The only problem is how we cut it down. All I see that might do it are Dash’s claws.”
“And I don’t want to use them to try and cut that tree down.”
The group that had looked happy at first looked down at the ground from the failed plan. Well, all except Flutters, who popped open a hatch in between her metal wings. Her tin hoof reached in moving around as if searching for something. When it came out, it brought out a metal cube with hearts on it. “Nope.” Said Flutters.
Next was a red and white orb with a black strip dividing the colors and a silver button. Then out came a jellyfish looking thing with what looked like teeth where it’s tentacles should have been.
After a few other strange objects. (including a green mushroom with eyes and white spots and a blocky green creature that exploded after she threw it away; to name a few.) She pulled out an ax. 
“I would sometime have to cut down dead trees that if they fell might harm other plants. Ever since I became tin, I’ve had all my tools stored in my casing.”
With that, Flutters went over to the tree and started chopping at it. Her ax was sharp enough that within a few chops, the group was able to push it down. The tree was able to make a bridge to the other side so the group started on their way over.
“Why, Twilicrow from that plan Ah’d recon you have brains after all.” Applejack complemented
“No, no brains. One of you would have thought of it eventually.”
Just as Flutters (who had gotten on the tree bridge first) reached the other side, there was a sharp growl from behind them. The group turned to see, two kalidahs! The beasts were heading straight for them. By the time they reached the bridge, Lion Dash still had a fourth of the bridge to cover. The first kalidah tested the bridge, then got on with it’s partner going faster than Dash was running.
“Hurry, start chopping the tree again!” exclaimed Twilicrow. “If you cut it, the bridge with fall with the kalidahs.”
“What about Lion Dash, She might not make it!”
“Flutters, she can fly! Ah don’t think they can. Now, HURRY!”
With that Flutters started about chopping the bridge. Dash knew what was going on. For a little bit she was also afraid of falling when she remembered she had wings. With that she turned around and… “ROAR!” The Kalidahs stopped in their tracks as the final blow came to the tree. Lion Dash was able to run a few more steps before she jumped and flew into the air. Within a few flaps, she landed at the other side. The group watched as the tree and the kalidahs crashed at the bottom of the ravine, then quickly continued on their journey. 
The group came to a river that afternoon. on the other side was the end of the forest. Flutters started chopping old trees down while Applejack and Winona gathered vines and Twilicrow and Lion Dash made poles to use. 
As the sun was setting, the group finished making a raft that could help them cross. Applejack decided they needed to rest first, as it was late and the river’s currents strong so they would need their energy.