Genderbent Oz ficlet
Uuuuugh I totally gave in to my Oz fic rabbits. Most of this was on a little bluetooth keyboard I used with my tablet during vacation, so apologies in advance for any weird spelling or nonsensical bits I didn't catch.
Theodore stood below the swirling mass of energy that had gathered above the Emerald City, his brown hair whipping wildly in the wind being given off by the magical tempest. Oz was tearing itself apart at the seams because of Mombi's spell, and rather than enlist his friends' aid, Tip had run off to try and solve the problem himself.
Theo alternated between rage and love for the other boy. Tippetarius was such a stupid, noble fool, and Theodore had simply been too blind and caught up in his own problems to see the other boy's pain. All his life, Tip had been unwanted and abused at Mombi's hands, but now that he had finally found friends who loved him, they needed Ozma - Tip's alter ego, and fairy princess of Oz - to save the magical country from disaster.
Well, Theodore thought that was ridiculous. In a land where lioness girls could find their courage, Tin Princesses their hearts, and Scarecrows their brains, surely Tippetarius ought to be allowed his own happiness after all he had been through.
"Tippetarius!" Theo yelled into the howling wind until his voice began to grow hoarse. "Where are you, you damn fool?" Theo ran from building to building, desperately seeking his beloved friend.
Rounding another emerald building, Theo narrowly avoided running into the Wonderful Wizard. She straightened her top hat and adjusted her coat. "If you'll kindly stop running about like a clucking Kansas hen," she admonished Theo, giving him a stern gaze, "You'll allow me to be of some aid," she said, indicating the Magic Belt she wore at her waist.
Of course! With the belt of the Nome Queen of Ev, Theo would be able to save Tippetarius and stop his transformation back into Ozma. "Oh, Wizard, could you really stop this?" Theo said with a sharp intake of breath.
"Theodore, if it was truly in my power to save Tippetarius, I would have already done so," The Wizard said with a sigh, laying her hand on his shoulder. "The Magic Belt of Ev belongs to a different fairy country, and so cannot effect any permanent change on Ozma, who is the personification of Oz's magic."
Theo's face fell, tears stinging the corners of his eyes as his last hope to preserve the boy he cared for slipped away. "Then Tip truly is lost to us."
The Wizard touched Theo's chin, lifting his face until his eyes met her own. "I didn't say all hope was lost. Do you forget the Silver Shoes you wear on your feet? They contain a powerful charm; combined with your own power as an Ozian outsider, they might be enough. Whenever we come to Oz from the outside world, we bring change on our heels."
Theo sniffled and wiped his tears away on the corner of his sleeve. "Your right. Tippetarius needs me, and no one else can help him." The Wizard simply smiled at him, used her cane to gesture to the top of the Emerald City Palace, and tipped her hat before disappearing from sight with the Magic Belt.
Theo tore off, narrowly avoiding magical lightning being slung into all quarters of the city. Fighting had broken out all over the city between the army of the Nome Queen and the forces of General Jinjur and his Army of Revolt. Personally, after his experiences with both, Theo hoped both of them lost.
As he rounded a corner and the Emerald Palace came into view, Theo skidded to a stop as he saw Tik-Tok swinging one of the fruits of the lunch-pail tree. Her mechanical body spun in great circles as she deflected wave after wave of the bloodthirsty Wheelers of Ev from entering the Emerald Palace.
Toto was suddenly at his side, baring her teeth at the freakish Wheelers as a contingent of them split off and headed for them. Theo did his best to avoid them, and Toto sunk her teeth into one of them, causing the Wheeler to shriek in pain. But soon, Theo was backed into a corner with three Wheelers shrieking and bearing down on him. They spun their front wheels close to his face, laughing maniacally.
Suddenly, a silver blur swung across Theo's field of vision. "You shall leave my friend alone, fiends!" The Tin Princess yelled as she swung her giant ax and clobbered Wheelers right and left. Theo had never seen her so emotional before, but he smiled as he noticed the ruby heart necklace she wore at her throat. "Go to Tippetarius, Theodore! We shall keep the Wheelers at bay!" Tina yelled. Theo suddenly realized that he was protected on all sides. Leona, Croweena, Tik-Tok, Jill Pumpkinhead riding the Sawhorse, and the Tin Princess had carved a path through the Wheelers to the front doors of the Palace.
Theo rushed through the doors, determined not to waste the chance his friends had given him. He climbed flights and flights of stairs until his legs ached and his lungs burned. When at last he reached the top balcony of the Palace, Theo pushed the doors open and saw...
"Tippetarius!" he cried out. Tip was sitting on the balcony floor, his head on his knees. He was crying, his face stained with tears.
"Why did you come, Theodore?" Tip cried. The magical storm raged all around them, and seemed to intensify with every word Tip spoke. "I'm here to end this and return Ozma to her throne, just like you wanted!"
Theodore wrung his hands together, unsure of what to say now that the moment had finally come. He decided to simply be honest. "I'm sorry, Tip!" he yelled over the roaring wind. "I shouldn't have suggested that Ozma was what we needed, that only she could save Oz."
"But you were right," Tip said, his voice raw with emotion. "Nobody needs me - in all of Oz, nobody has ever needed me!"
Theo advanced on Tip, and the other boy quickly rose from the floor and began backing up toward the balcony's railing. Theo felt warmth in his face as he stood in front of Tip, took the other boy's hand in his own,and spoke the next words. "You're the one I need."
Tip looked as if he was about to cry before throwing his arms around Theo and burying his face in the other boy's shoulder. Theo held tightly to Tip, unsure of what would happen next.
"Thank you, Theodore," Tip said, his voice hoarse. "But if I don't turn back into Ozma, the storm will tear apart Oz."
"Tip or Ozma - who's to say there's ever been any real difference?" Theo said, gripping Tip's hand more tightly. "Tip, you are my family now...you are my home. And there's no place like home," Theo said, clicking the heels of the silver shoes together three times.
Theodore stood below the swirling mass of energy that had gathered above the Emerald City, his brown hair whipping wildly in the wind being given off by the magical tempest. Oz was tearing itself apart at the seams because of Mombi's spell, and rather than enlist his friends' aid, Tip had run off to try and solve the problem himself.
Theo alternated between rage and love for the other boy. Tippetarius was such a stupid, noble fool, and Theodore had simply been too blind and caught up in his own problems to see the other boy's pain. All his life, Tip had been unwanted and abused at Mombi's hands, but now that he had finally found friends who loved him, they needed Ozma - Tip's alter ego, and fairy princess of Oz - to save the magical country from disaster.
Well, Theodore thought that was ridiculous. In a land where lioness girls could find their courage, Tin Princesses their hearts, and Scarecrows their brains, surely Tippetarius ought to be allowed his own happiness after all he had been through.
"Tippetarius!" Theo yelled into the howling wind until his voice began to grow hoarse. "Where are you, you damn fool?" Theo ran from building to building, desperately seeking his beloved friend.
Rounding another emerald building, Theo narrowly avoided running into the Wonderful Wizard. She straightened her top hat and adjusted her coat. "If you'll kindly stop running about like a clucking Kansas hen," she admonished Theo, giving him a stern gaze, "You'll allow me to be of some aid," she said, indicating the Magic Belt she wore at her waist.
Of course! With the belt of the Nome Queen of Ev, Theo would be able to save Tippetarius and stop his transformation back into Ozma. "Oh, Wizard, could you really stop this?" Theo said with a sharp intake of breath.
"Theodore, if it was truly in my power to save Tippetarius, I would have already done so," The Wizard said with a sigh, laying her hand on his shoulder. "The Magic Belt of Ev belongs to a different fairy country, and so cannot effect any permanent change on Ozma, who is the personification of Oz's magic."
Theo's face fell, tears stinging the corners of his eyes as his last hope to preserve the boy he cared for slipped away. "Then Tip truly is lost to us."
The Wizard touched Theo's chin, lifting his face until his eyes met her own. "I didn't say all hope was lost. Do you forget the Silver Shoes you wear on your feet? They contain a powerful charm; combined with your own power as an Ozian outsider, they might be enough. Whenever we come to Oz from the outside world, we bring change on our heels."
Theo sniffled and wiped his tears away on the corner of his sleeve. "Your right. Tippetarius needs me, and no one else can help him." The Wizard simply smiled at him, used her cane to gesture to the top of the Emerald City Palace, and tipped her hat before disappearing from sight with the Magic Belt.
Theo tore off, narrowly avoiding magical lightning being slung into all quarters of the city. Fighting had broken out all over the city between the army of the Nome Queen and the forces of General Jinjur and his Army of Revolt. Personally, after his experiences with both, Theo hoped both of them lost.
As he rounded a corner and the Emerald Palace came into view, Theo skidded to a stop as he saw Tik-Tok swinging one of the fruits of the lunch-pail tree. Her mechanical body spun in great circles as she deflected wave after wave of the bloodthirsty Wheelers of Ev from entering the Emerald Palace.
Toto was suddenly at his side, baring her teeth at the freakish Wheelers as a contingent of them split off and headed for them. Theo did his best to avoid them, and Toto sunk her teeth into one of them, causing the Wheeler to shriek in pain. But soon, Theo was backed into a corner with three Wheelers shrieking and bearing down on him. They spun their front wheels close to his face, laughing maniacally.
Suddenly, a silver blur swung across Theo's field of vision. "You shall leave my friend alone, fiends!" The Tin Princess yelled as she swung her giant ax and clobbered Wheelers right and left. Theo had never seen her so emotional before, but he smiled as he noticed the ruby heart necklace she wore at her throat. "Go to Tippetarius, Theodore! We shall keep the Wheelers at bay!" Tina yelled. Theo suddenly realized that he was protected on all sides. Leona, Croweena, Tik-Tok, Jill Pumpkinhead riding the Sawhorse, and the Tin Princess had carved a path through the Wheelers to the front doors of the Palace.
Theo rushed through the doors, determined not to waste the chance his friends had given him. He climbed flights and flights of stairs until his legs ached and his lungs burned. When at last he reached the top balcony of the Palace, Theo pushed the doors open and saw...
"Tippetarius!" he cried out. Tip was sitting on the balcony floor, his head on his knees. He was crying, his face stained with tears.
"Why did you come, Theodore?" Tip cried. The magical storm raged all around them, and seemed to intensify with every word Tip spoke. "I'm here to end this and return Ozma to her throne, just like you wanted!"
Theodore wrung his hands together, unsure of what to say now that the moment had finally come. He decided to simply be honest. "I'm sorry, Tip!" he yelled over the roaring wind. "I shouldn't have suggested that Ozma was what we needed, that only she could save Oz."
"But you were right," Tip said, his voice raw with emotion. "Nobody needs me - in all of Oz, nobody has ever needed me!"
Theo advanced on Tip, and the other boy quickly rose from the floor and began backing up toward the balcony's railing. Theo felt warmth in his face as he stood in front of Tip, took the other boy's hand in his own,and spoke the next words. "You're the one I need."
Tip looked as if he was about to cry before throwing his arms around Theo and burying his face in the other boy's shoulder. Theo held tightly to Tip, unsure of what would happen next.
"Thank you, Theodore," Tip said, his voice hoarse. "But if I don't turn back into Ozma, the storm will tear apart Oz."
"Tip or Ozma - who's to say there's ever been any real difference?" Theo said, gripping Tip's hand more tightly. "Tip, you are my family now...you are my home. And there's no place like home," Theo said, clicking the heels of the silver shoes together three times.