Chapter 4: Munchkin Land

Applebloom opened the door and emerged in a place with humble buildings and filled with color, almost like a stage musical. In the center of the town was a spiral of red and yellow that led out of the small village. She looked at the farm house, slightly lopsided where it landed, but otherwise surprisingly intact, and even that seemed more colorful here, or it simply could have been the result of contrasting with the greens, yellows, blues, and reds of the place.
"Winona, I have a feelin; we're not in Ponyville anymore." Applebloom said as she looked around as a thought occurred to her as she looked at the colorful little village. "We must be over the rainbow!"
Just then, a figure flew to them, seeming to come out of the sun itself. She flew gracefully and landed as she looked around. At first, Applebloom thought she'd stumbled into the a dream or something as the rainbow haired mare had a white coat, a golden tiara with a teal diamond on it, silver slippers, and a golden bridal with a purple gem in it. However, the mare clearly held a strong presence and seemed even older than Granny Smith though she looked about the same age as the adults back home.
"Now I know I'm not in Ponyville." Applebloom said gaping as Winona growled nervously.
"Are you a good witch or a bad witch?" The mare asked.
"Who me?" Applebloom asked. "I'm not a witch at all. I'm Applebloom from Ponyville."
"Oh." The mare said as she looked down at Winona. "Well is that the witch?"
"Winona?" Applebloom asked. "Winona's my dog."
"Well I'm a little muddled." The mare said with a chuckle. "The Munchkins called me because a new witch has just dropped a house on Chrysalis the Wicked Witch of the East, and there's the house, and here you are, and there's all that's left of the Wicked Witch of the East."
The mare pointed to the bottom of the house, and to her horror, Applebloom saw four legs with a black coat with holes in them and dazzling ruby slippers sticking out from under the house. Obviously, the house had landed on the mare Applebloom mistook for Luna.
"And so what the Munchkins want to know is if you're a good witch, or a bad witch." The mare finished.
"But I've already told ya." Applebloom insisted. "I'm not a witch at all. Witches are old and ugly."
Suddenly, Applebloom heard giggling all around her.
"What was that?" Applebloom asked.
"The Munchkins." The mare said with a smile. "They're laughing because I am a witch. I'm Celestia, the Witch of the North."
"You are?!" Applebloom said, alarmed at what she had just said. True she could get mean if she got stressed, but she tried to avoid anything horribly racist, thanks to having been raised by her grandmother, brother, and sister since she was very small.
"Oh, I beg your pardon!" Applebloom went on. "I've just never seen a beautiful witch before."
"Only bad witches are ugly." Celestia explained.
"But my granny told me when I was a foal that the witches had all died out in the Middle Ages or somethin' like that."
"Is Ponyville a civilized place?" Celestia asked.
"A part of Equestria." Applebloom confirmed. "One of the most civilized places in the world, despite its problems."
"Well that explains it." Celestia explained. "Civilized countries lost the need of witches long ago, however Oz, the land you're in right now, is cut off from the rest of the world by the Deadly Desert. So much as touch the sands of it, and you turn into sand."
"Holy cow!" Applebloom gasped. "So if witches are needed here, why are the Munchkins so happy about it?"
"The Munchkins are happy because you have freed them from the Wicked Witch of the East." Celestia began. "She ruled over them and made them slaves."
"Oh." Applebloom said. "But if you please, what are Munchkins?"
Just then, the Munchkins laughed again.
"The little ponies who live in this land." Celestia explained. "It's called Munchkin Land, and you are their national hero, my dear."
Celestia then addressed the area around them.
"It's alright. You may all come out and thank her."
Come out, come out,
Wherever you are,
And meet the young lady
Who fell from a star.
She fell from the sky,
She fell very far,
And Ponyville she says is the name of the star.
"Ponyville she says is the name of the star." The Munchkins repeated as they arrived. They were clearly adults, but they were all the size of foals, with the tallest of them only coming to about Applebloom's height.
She brings you good news,
Or haven't you heard?
When she fell out of Ponyville,
A miracle occurred.
Feeling self conscious, Applebloom tried to explain the incident to them.
It really was no miracle.
What happened was just this.
The wind began to switch.
The house took pitch,
And suddenly the hinges
Started to unhitch.
Just then, the witch,
To satisfy an itch,
Went flying on her broomstick
Thumbing for a hitch.
"And oh, what happened then was rich." An old munchkin said.
The house began to pitch.
The kitchen took a slitch.
It landed on the Wicked Witch,
In the middle of a ditch,
Which was not a healthy thing
To wish upon the Wicked Witch.
The house began to pitch.
The kitchen took a slitch.
It landed on the Wicked Witch,
In the middle of a ditch,
Which was not a healthy thing
To wish upon the Wicked Witch,
Who began to twitch
And was reduced,
To just a stitch,
Of what was once
The Wicked Witch.
Just then, several Munchkins arrived and handed Applebloom flowers.
We thank you very sweetly
For doing it so neatly.
You killed her so completely,
That we thank you very sweetly.
"Let the joyous news be spread!" Celestia called out. "The Wicked Old Witch at last is dead!"
The whole town burst into cheers and began celebrating.
Ding-Dong! The Witch is dead!
Which old witch?
The Wicked Witch!
Ding-Dong! The Wicked Witch is dead!
Wake up your sleepy heads!
Rub your eyes! Get out of bed!
Wake up! The Wicked Witch is dead!
She's gone where the goblins go below!
So go blow on your horns!
Let's all get up and sing!
And ring the bells out!
Ding-Dong! The merry-o!
Sing it high! Sing it low!
Let them know,
The Wicked Witch is dead!
Just then, two figures walked up to Applebloom. One was dressed very fine, and the other was dressed as some kind of priest or cleric.
"As mayor of the Munchkin City," the mare in the suit, the mayor, said. "In the county of the land of Oz, I welcome you most gleefully."
"But we've got to verify it legally!" The cleric insisted. "To see..."
"To see..." The mayor agreed.
"If she..."
"If she..."
"Is morally, ethically, spiritually, physically, positively, absolutely, undeniably, and reliably dead."
Just then one of the taller Munchkins, dressed all in black arrived, obviously the undertaker, as he pulled out a death certificate.
As Coroner, I must affirm.
I thoroughly examined her.
And she's not only nearly dead.
She's really most sincerely dead.
"Then this is a day of independence for all the Munchkins, and their descendants!" The mayor called out.
"If any." The cleric added.
"Yes, let the joyous news be spread!" The mayor called out. "The Wicked Old Witch at last is dead!"
Ding-Dong! The Witch is dead!
Which old witch?
The Wicked Witch!
Ding-Dong! The Wicked Witch is dead!
Wake up your sleepy heads!
Rub your eyes! Get out of bed!
Wake up! The Wicked Witch is dead!
She's gone where the goblins go below!
So go blow on your horns!
Let's all get up and sing!
And ring the bells out!
Ding-Dong! The merry-o!
Sing it high! Sing it low!
Let them know,
The Wicked Witch is dead!
As Applebloom was getting into the celebration, three Munchkins dressed as ballerinas danced up to her.
We represent the Lullaby League.
The Lullaby League.
The Lullaby League.
And in the name of the Lullaby League,
We wish to welcome you to Munchkin Land.
As the Lullaby League danced off, three Munchkin boys, about the same age as her, but only about three quarters her height, arrived with the one in the middle holding a lollipop.
We represent the Lollipop Guild.
The Lollipop Guild.
The Lollipop Guild.
And in the name of the Lollipop Guild,
We wish to welcome you to Munchkin Land.
The Munchkin in the middle handed Kara a lollipop as the Munchkins went around her, happily.
We welcome you to Munchkin Land.
Fa-la-la-la-la. La-la-la-la-la-la-la!
"From now on you'll be history." The mayor said.
You'll be hi...
You'll be hi...
You'll be history.
And we will glorify your name!
"You'll be a bust!" The cleric added.
Be a bust...
Be a bust...
In the hall of fame!
Fa-la-la-la-la. La-la-la-la-la-la-la!
Fa-la-la-la-la. La-la-la-la-la-la-la...!
Just then, in a flash of smoke and fire, an alicorn mare appeared. She was dressed all in black, with a black coat and helmet. Her hair was navy blue, her eyes were green, with her skin being a very bright blue. Unlike the Witch of the East, her face was relatively normal, aside from her scowling appearance. At her sight, the Munchkins rushed off in fear.
"I thought you said she was dead." Applebloom said nervously.
"That was her sister, the Witch of the East." Celestia explained. "This is Nightmare Moon the Wicked Witch of the West. She's worse than the other one was."
"Who killed my sister?" The witch asked. "Who killed the Witch of the East?"
She then glared at Applebloom almost instinctively.
"Was it you?!"
"No!" Applebloom said quickly. "No! It was an accident! I didn't mean to kill anybody!"
"Well my little pretty, I can cause accidents too." The witch said with an evil smirk.
"Aren't you forgetting the Ruby Slippers?" Celestia asked quickly.
"Yes!" The witch said as her eyes widen in realization. "The slippers."
She went to the outstretched legs of her dead sister when the slippers were gone, and the legs withered away.
"They're gone!" The witch called out angrily. "The Ruby Slippers! What have you done with them?! Give them back to me, or I'll-"
"It's too late." Celestia said calmly as she pointed down, and to Kara's shock, she was wearing the slippers. "There they are, and there they'll stay."
"Give me back my slippers." Nightmare Moon said darkly. "I'm the only one who knows how to use them. They're no use to you. Give them back to me. GIVE THEM BACK!"
"Keep tight inside them." Celestia advised Applebloom. "Their magic must be very powerful, or she wouldn't want them so badly."
"You stay out of this, Celestia!" Nightmare Moon barked as she conjured up a ball of fire. "Or I'll fix you as well!"
Nightmare tossed the fireball at Applebloom when Celestia deflected it with a wall of energy.
"You have no power here!" Celestia said defiantly. "Begone before someone drops a house on you!"
The witch looked up nervously before looking back at the two.
"Very well." Nightmare Moon said calmly. "I'll bide my time. But as for you my fine lady, it's true I can't deal with you now as I'd like, but just try to stay away from me. Just try. I'll get you my pretty, and your little dog too!"
Nightmare Moon laughed evilly as she disappeared in another ball of fire as the Munchkins began coming back out.
"It's alright." Celestia assured the Munchkins. "You can get up. She's gone. It's alright. She's gone. Get up."
Diana then sighed as she waved her hand in front of her face.
"What a smell of sulfur." Celestia remarked before turning to Applebloom. "I'm afraid you've made rather a bad enemy of Nightmare Moon. The sooner you get out of Oz altogether, the safer you'll sleep, my dear."
"I'd give anything to get out of Oz altogether, but which is the way back to Ponyville?" Applebloom asked, thinking of the Deadly Desert and what Miss Trixie said about Granny Smith. "I can't go the way I came."
"No, that's true." Celestia remarked. "The only pony who might know would be the great and powerful Wizard of Oz herself."
All the Munchkins bowed in awe at the mention of that name.
"Wizard of Oz?" Applebloom asked. "Is she good, or is he wicked?"
"Oh very good, but very mysterious." Celestia said knowingly. "She lives in the Emerald City. That's a long journey from here. Did you bring your broomstick with you?"
"...No, I'm afraid I didn't." Applebloom said with a sigh.
"Well then, you'll have to walk." Celestia explained. "The Munchkins will see you safely to the border of Munchkin Land, and remember, never let those Ruby Slippers off your feet for a moment, or you will be at the mercy of the Wicked Witch of the West."
"But..." Applebloom began, caught off-guard by Celestia's apparent departure. "How do I start for Emerald City?"
"It's always best to start at the beginning." Celestia explained. "All you do is follow the Yellow Brick Road."
Applebloom went to the edge of the spiral pattern where the yellow brick started.
"But, what happens if I-?" Applebloom began when Celestia cut her off.
"Just follow the Yellow Brick Road."
Celestia then flew off and disappeared into the horizon.
"My!" Applebloom said in awe of her soaring off. "Ponies come and go here so quickly."
Applebloom then sighed as the Munchkins chuckled at her remark.
"Follow the Yellow Brick Road." Applebloom said to herself. "Follow the Yellow Brick Road?"
"Follow the Yellow Brick Road." The Mayor replied.
"Follow the Yellow Brick Road." A Munchkin stallion said also.
"Follow the Yellow Brick Road." A Munchkin mare repeated.
"Follow the Yellow Brick Road." The cleric repeated also.
Follow the Yellow Brick Road.
Follow the Yellow Brick Road!
Follow, follow, follow,
Follow the Yellow Brick Road!
Follow the Yellow Brick
Follow the Yellow Brick
Follow the Yellow Brick Road!
You're off to find the Wizard,
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz!
You'll find she is the Wiz,
The Wiz if ever the Wiz there was!
If ever the Wonderful Wiz there was,
There is because, because, because, because...
Because of the wonderful things she does!
You're off to find the Wizard,
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz!
The lively tune the Munchkins sung to see her off, seemed to fill Applebloom with energy as she skipped along the road with Winona, heading out of the village and down the Yellow Brick Road with Winona, ready to get her way back home and get back to Granny Smith.

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Oh... This was a hard one to finish.