Ch.12: Seeing the Wizard

Flying through the sky is Wuya, using the red-violet smoke emitting from her dress to write in the sky.

"Who-Who's that?!" whimpered Gryphon, shuddering as Spike and the girls hid under him.

"It's Wuya!" Apple Bloom answered fearfully.

"She's followed us here?" Scootaloo gulped. "Oh, and I thought we were safe."

"I think it's about to get worse," Pumpkinhead stated, pointing up at the sky with a shaky hand. "Look." They immediately saw what the Witch wrote in the sky:

"SURRENDER PONIES." Sweetie Belle clutched to Chopper with a whimper at those words. Around them, the citizens frightened by the aerial commotion were talking at once.

"Ponies? What Ponies?"

"The Wizard might know!"

"We have to tell Captain Crowler! He'll let us to him!" They quickly rushed down the street to inform the Wizard of the situation.

"What are we gonna do?" Spike asked.

"I think we better hurry if we're going to see the Wizard," Chopper answered, helping him and Sweetie Belle onto his back. "C'mon!" Pumpkinhead helped Apple Bloom and Scootaloo onto Gryphon's back before the group quickly followed the citizens to the Wizard's castle.

Believe it or not, the castle happens to be the three towers they saw earlier. They are joined together to make one tall palace. At the front entrance (the red tower), Captain Crowler stood on the black marble steps in front of the white marble door adorned with rubies, topazes, and sapphires. He is a tall, thin man in a blue trenchcoat with grey eyes and short, blond hair with a long, thin ponytail at the back. And in his hand, he held a sapphire spear.

"Now, now," he cried out to the citizens. "Calm down, everyone. There is no need to panic. The Wizard is fully aware of the situation, and he is taking care of it as we speak. So you may all go home now. Go about your business; there's nothing to see here." Uncertain, the citizens reluctantly left the entrance until only our seven heroes are left.

"If you please, sir," Apple Bloom said to the guard, "we want to see the Wizard right away, all seven of us."

"I'm sorry, little one," he replied with a shake of his head, "but I have my orders that no one can see him."

"But we have to see him!" Scootaloo protested. "It's really important."

"And I just got a manicure for the occasion, too," Gryphon added, holding up his eagle claw to show off his shiny talons.

"I have my orders," Crowler stated firmly.

"But they're the Ponies!" Pumpkinhead protested, pointing at Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo. The guard blinked and turned to the little ones.

"Wuya's Ponies?" he asked. They nodded in answer, hoping it got his attention. "Well, that changes everything, doesn't it? Alright, I'll announce you at once." He then went into the palace to inform the Wizard.

"Did you hear that?" Spike said to the others with delight. "He'll announce us at once!"

"I'm as good as got my brain," Pumpkinhead stated with a smile.

"I'm already feeling my heart beating," Chopper concurred joyfully.

"We'll be home in time for dinner," Sweetie Belle added hopefully.

"And in a few moments," Gryphon finished proudly, "I'll be King of the Beasts and Birds in the entire forest. Long live the King!"

Gryphon: If I were King of the Forest

Not queen, not duke, not prince

My regal robes of the forest

Would be satin, not cotton, not chintz

The others agree with Gryphon. Since he's part lion, part eagle, he is the ruler of both races of creatures in the forest. And he will be a courageous King of Beasts and Birds indeed.

Gryphon: I'd command each thing

Be it critter or fowl

With a woof and a woof

And a royal growl – woof

Spike and the girls immediately noticed the ruby red rug embroidered with morning glories and daffodils that looks like a cape and picked it up, putting it on his back to make him look more regal.

Gryphon: As I'd click my heel,

All the trees would kneel.

And the mountains bow

And the bulls kowtow

And the sparrow would take wing

If I

If I

Were King

Chopper and Pumpkinhead found a yellow flowerpot before the motorcycle took it and smashed the top half to make the bottom half look like a crown. He then gave it to Pumpkinhead, who placed it on Gryphon's head.

Gryphon: Each rabbit would show respect to me

The swans would genuflect to me

Though my tail would lash

I would show compash

For every underling!

If I

If I

Were King

Just King

"Your Majesty," Scootaloo asked as she, Spike, and the girls bowed to him like they would to Princess Celestia. "If you were king, you wouldn't be scared of anything?"

"Not anything, not anyhow," he answered with a proud smile.

"Not even a rhinoceros?" asked Sweetie Belle.

"Preposterous."

"How about a hippopotamus?" asked Spike.

"Why, I'd trash him from top to bottom-us."

"And if it were an elephant?" asked Apple Bloom.

"I'd wrap him up in shmelephant."

"What if it were a brontosaurus?" asked Scootaloo.

"I'll show him who's king of the forest."

"How?" everyone asked in unison.

"How?" he replied, spreading his wings to make the "cape" fall to the ground.

Gryphon: Monarch of all I survey

Mo-na-a-a-a-arch

Of all I survey

"Courage," he started his speech. "What makes a king out of a slave? Courage. What makes the flag on the mast to wave? Courage. What makes the elephant charge his tusks in the misty mist of the dusky dusk? What makes the muskrat guard his musk? Courage. What makes the Sphinx the Seventh Wonder? Courage. What makes the dawn come up like thunder? Courage. What makes the hot-n-tot so hot? What puts the ape in apricot? What they got that ain't got?"

"Courage," they answered in unison.

"You can say that again," he chuckled. They all turned to see Crowler come out of the doors. Now has come their moment…

"I'm sorry, but the Wizard kindly asks that you all go away." Their hearts sank as he then closed the doors with a low boom.

"Go away?" they asked in unison.

"Looks like we came all this way for nothing," Pumpkinhead sighed with a frown, but Sweetie Belle the most upset of them all.

"And I was so happy…" She then fell onto the steps and started crying. Chopper then went over to her and hugged her in comfort as the others tried to comfort her as well.

"Don't worry, Sweetie," the motorcycle said to her. "We'll see that you get to the Wizard…" As they were comforting the little filly, Crowler opened the rectangular porthole in the door to watch them, his focus on Sweetie Belle.

"Rarity was the best big sister I could ever ask for," she sobbed. "That's why I do everything I can to help her, especially with her dresses. I'm scared that she must be devastated that I'm not home…she might be sick and dying right now…and it's all my fault…"

When he heard this, Crowler began crying with a broken heart. All that little Unicorn wanted was to get back home to her sister, and all he did was lie to her and the others about the Wizard not wishing to see them. How could he have been so heartless?

"I'll never forgive myself," Sweetie sobbed into Chopper's "chest. "Never, never, never…"

"Oh, please!" Crowler finally sobbed, making the others turn to him with surprise. "Don't cry anymore; I'll let you in to see the Wizard. I have a sister myself too, ya know…" They all got up with renewed hope before the guard closed the porthole and the doors opened. They then stepped into the prime-colored hallway, ready to see the great and powerful Oz at last.