The Wizard of Oz
Chapter 8: 8. The Poppy Field
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Unknown to the group, Nightmare Moon had been watching them through her magical crystal ball which allowed her to see everything in Oz.
"Aha." Nightmare Moon said with a small chuckle. "So, you won't take warnings, eh? All the worst for you. I'll take care of you now instead of later."
Nightmare Moon then grabbed a bowl of some kind of steaming liquid.
"When I gain those Ruby Slippers, my power will be the greatest in Oz." Nightmare Moon said to herself as she had the smoke billow around the crystal. "Now my beauty, something with poison I think. With poison in it, but attractive to the eye and soothing to smell."
Just then, an image of a poppy field just outside of the Emerald City appeared.
"Poppies..." Nightmare Moon mused. "Poppies. Poppies will put them to sleep. Sleep... Now they'll sleep."
At the other side of the forest, the group emerged and saw the Emerald City shining brightly like a big green star.
"There's Emerald City!" Applebloom called out excitedly. "Oh, we're almost there! At last! At last! It's beautiful, isn't it? Just like I knew it would be. He really must be a wonderful wizard to live in a city place like that."
"Well come on then." Lion said. "What are we waiting for?"
"Nothin'." Scarecrow pointed out. "Let's hurry!"
"Yes, let's run!" Applebloom called out, and they rushed through the fields with Tin Mare and Scarecrow keeping their stride as the others were slowing down more and more.
"C'mon!" Scarecrow called out. "C'mon!"
"Hurry!" Tin Mare insisted. "Hurry!"
When they continued to slow down, they went up to them as Applebloom was looking woozy.
"What's happening?" Applebloom asked. "I can't run anymore. I'm so sleepy."
"Here," Scarecrow said, offering her hoof to Applebloom. "Give us your hooves, and we'll pull ya along."
"Oh no, please." Applebloom insisted. "I have ta rest for just a minute. Winona? Where's Winona?"
Winona was already fast asleep in the poppies.
"Oh, ya can't rest now, we're nearly there!" Scarecrow begged as Applebloom laid down in the poppies, and Tin Mare began tearing up. "Don't cry! You'll rust yourself again!"
"Come to think of it," Lion said with a yawn. "Forty winks wouldn't be bad."
"Don't ya start it too!" Scarecrow insisted.
"No!" Tin Mare agreed. "We gotta try and carry Applebloom."
"I don't think I could." Scarecrow admitted. "But I can try."
"Let's." Tin Mare said.
"Yes." Scarecrow agreed as they got ready to lift Applebloom up when Lion collapsed onto the ground.
"Oh look at him!" Tin Mare called out. "This is terrible!"
"Here Tin Mare, help me!" Scarecrow asked as they tried to get the two to move, but nothing worked. They couldn't wake them up, and they couldn't even pull them out, as if something was holding their sleeping bodies in place. "Oh this is terrible! We can't budge 'em an inch! This is a spell, this is!"
"It's the Wicked Witch!" Tin Mare said with a look of horror and realization. "What do we do?! Help! HELP!"
"It's no good screamin' at a time like this!" Scarecrow insisted. "Nopony can hear ya!"
Scarecrow then called out for help as well while Tin Mare continued to cry as Scarecrow thought he could make out a flying figure in the distance with a white coat, a rainbow colored mane with wings and a unicorn horn as snow seemed to descend down on them.
"It's snowing!" Scarecrow said before he shook his head, sure he was just seeing things. "No it aint."
Just then, snow hit him, and it really was snow.
"YES IT IS!" Scarecrow called out, astonished. "Maybe that'll help. Oh, but it couldn't help."
Scarecrow looked down as Winona and Applebloom began to stir.
"It does help." Scarecrow said relieved. "Applebloom, you're wakin' up!"
Applebloom woke up, thoroughly confused as Lion woke up as well.
"Unusual weather we're having, aint it?" Lion asked with a smile as Applebloom and Scarecrow chuckled and brushed the snow off of them as Applebloom looked at Tin Mare frozen in place.
"Oh look." Applebloom sighed. "She's rusted again. Oh, get me the oil can, quick."
"Here." Scarecrow said as he handed the can to her.
As Applebloom's friends oiled Tin Mare, Nightmare Moon watched outraged in her crystal ball.
"Curses!" The witch called out. "CURSES! Somebody always helps that girl! But shoes or no shoes, I'm still powerful enough to conquer her and to all of those who try to stop me!"
After Tin Mare was restored the group prepared to head out again.
"Let's get outta here!" Applebloom said cheerfully. "Look, Emerald City is closer and prettier than ever!"
The three then skipped along.
You're out of the woods!
You're out of the dark!
You're out of the night!
Step into the sun!
Step into the light!
Keep straight ahead
For the most beautiful place
On the face of the Earth
Or the sky...
Hold onto your breath!
Hold onto your heart!
Hold onto your hope!
March onto the gate
And bid it open!
Back at her lair, Nightmare Moon decided to use her most useful tactic, fear. She spread her wings and headed to the window.
"To the Emerald City as fast as lightning!" The witch called out as she cackled evilly launching off to the City.
THEY MADE IT! YES! Uh-oh. Now they've got a witch on their tail.