Chapter Text
Everyone was so tired after celebrating everything that Glinda had rooms ready for them since she didn’t want anyone traveling so late which everyone accepted, even Reigh surprisingly. So everyone was asleep and Scarecrow…
Scarecrow was remembering why he was avoiding his old room. Everything of Tin Man’s things was still the same as the day he disappeared. Books were left untouched on the bookshelves, the little wooden figures carved with delicate detail, and the bed was still made. He glanced over at his desk where papers were strewn across it with little pins and string running over it. All of the dead ends where Scarecrow went looking until the magic crisis began to take up most of his attention. His wedding ring shines in the limited lighting. Scarecrow sighed as he grabbed his ring and sat down onto the bed, the room still had the faint scent of oil.
Scarecrow missed Tin Man. He misses him so much it hurts. Fiddling with the ring as he laid down, pressing it close to his chest.
“Where did you go?” Scarecrow whispered to the ring. “What happened to you?”
Scarecrow was so lost in his thoughts that he didn’t hear the soft padding of paws racing away from his door, followed by two pairs of human shoes.
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“You want to find Tin Man?!” Ojo exclaimed in excitement, only to be shushed by his friends. The munchkin smiled apologetically when Dorothy reminded him that their parents were asleep close by, “Sorry, I got really excited about meeting Tin Man.”
“So where do we even look?” Roquat asked. “I’m still trying to get use to the Emerald City and you are still new to Oz in general.”
Dorothy didn’t answer anyone yet, glancing over at Reigh and Fitz with a hopeful smile. Only to be met with a disappointed and defeated look from the paranoid lion and former Crooked Magician.
“I have hacked into every system when Tin Man first disappeared,” Reigh sighed, “there’s nothing. It’s like he vanished without a trace.”
“And Langwidere didn’t really tell me much of her plans that she didn’t have me to work on,” Fitz replied bitterly, shooting West an apologetic glance, “maybe you could find him Dorothy?”
“Me?” Dorothy looked around in confusion. “How can I do that? I don’t have magic?”
“That may be true,” Roquat says. Before anyone could say a peep, he continued, “but you have a way of finding lost things and people. My dad’s belt and all of Oz magic is proof of that.”
West smiled, “There’s no doubt about that, besides, your great grandmother did it before.”
Dorothy smiled at that as everyone agreed with the witch, but that meant they still had no leads into finding the metal man. Then Toto nudged her leg with an insistence. As the girl glanced down at her dog, she couldn’t help but notice an odd look in his eyes.
“Does the great Toto need something?” Reigh asked.
“Why is your lion friend called Toto ‘Great’?” Roquat asked the others.
Fitz looked perplexed as he added, “Yeah why does Reigh call him that?”
“It’s a long story that we will get into later.”
Everyone froze. They looked at each other, looked at the door to see if someone was standing there, then back at Toto with wide eyes surprised.
“Did he just speak?” Ojo whispered.
The Nome whispered back, “Is he not supposed to?”
“Since there’s not a lot of magic in Dorothy’s world,” West quietly explained, “animals can only walk on all fours and can’t speak.”
Fitz looked at her in disbelief before glancing at Toto. Reigh looked at Toto with complete awe while Dorothy looked at the dog with surprise.
“Toto?” Dorothy said in a soft, disbelief tone. “Did you just say something?”
“Of course I did,” Toto said calmly, “but before you all rightfully freak out and wake up the entire castle, I might have an idea of where Tin Man is.”
“You do?” Dorothy said in surprise. “Where?”
“It’s just a hunch right now,” Toto answered, “but for right now we need to call Smith over tomorrow. I have some questions for him and your mom West.”
“My mom?” West said suspiciously. “Why?”
“Because out of everyone,” Toto replied, “she knows more about your aunt’s magic.”
“Why can’t we ask them now?” Roquat questioned. “Most of the adults are eavesdropping on us anyway.”
Everyone whipped around to stare back at the adults who were staring at them with surprise.
“Do you think Smith is awake at this hour?” Fitz suggested carefully.
“He’s on his way here,” Glinda stated, “everybody, to the foyer.”