Wizard of Oz
by Rin
...a Heart
[reviews]
The day seemed to drag, and Buffy just knew she had blisters on her feet. She didn't know how Dorothy didn't complain. Plus, her stomach was starting to growl. The hunger pangs were starting to take over; she knew she should've had more to eat at dinner. She was too wrapped up in her internal debate on what to do about her feelings about Willow. 'Living on love,' her mother had called it.
Seeing an orchard up ahead, Buffy started to get excited. She knew she could take on those apple trees, and it was the first sign of food for miles. Preparing for the battle ahead, her stomach started to rub its figurative hands together in glee.
"Oh! Apples! Oh...look..." Buffy started to trot a little faster; Scarecrow Giles not far behind her. She braced herself for the tree's reaction, as she timed her picking method just right.
There!
Buffy pulled an apple off but even slayer reflexes weren't quick enough for the tree. It smacked her hand, and she dropped the apple on the ground, rubbing her hand from the pain. She just huffed, and pouted at the tree.
"What do you think you're doing?" The tree said.
"We've been walking a long way, and I was hungry and... Did you say..." Buffy shook her head to clear it. She thought she was prepared for talking trees but she was learning that even slayer mental and physical training was no match for this place.
"She was hungry!" The tree looked at its neighbor, and cackled a little. "Well, how would you like to have someone come along, and pick something off of you?"
"Depends on who and what they're picking..." Buffy thought about Willow again, and the dream she had the night before...there was some good picking there.
"Come along, Buffy. You don't want any of those apples." Giles turned his nose in the air, and walked past the trees with a British superiority.
"What do you mean — she doesn't want any of those apples? Are you hinting my apples aren't what they ought to be?" Why was this tree reminding Buffy of Faith?
"Oh, no. It's just that she doesn't like little green worms." Giles taunted the trees, as he started toying with them. Buffy just stood back, and wished she had a video camera now. "I'll show you how to get apples."
"Oh...I'll show you little green worms." The tree was acting like it was going to fight Giles but the scarecrow just kept taunting it. The tree started to throw apples at them. "You can't do that to me. I'll show you!"
"Hooray! I guess that did it. Help yourself." Giles was delighted that the tree had thrown so many apples. Buffy crawled on the ground, and started to pick up the apples, biting into some along the way. She'd put some in her pockets for later.
That's when she saw it.
How could she forget?! A tin foot...was it this part of the story already? She saw the oil can, and picked it up, knowing she'd need it soon.
"It's the Tin Man!" Buffy closer, and noticed something familiar about his face. "Ah, crap...Xander? I should've known."
"What?" Giles came over to examine the tin man closer.
"Oil can...oil can..." Tin Xan was tightlipped but it was obvious what he was saying.
"Yep...I just wanna make you suffer a little for what you did to Wills." Buffy was still jealous over the whole Xander/Willow thing. This was the only revenge she'd get, and it wasn't real. If he wasn't made of tin, she might kick him in the...
"Oil can..." Tin Xan didn't move a...well, tin muscle.
"Oil can what?" Giles just cocked his head to side, and started to ponder that question. Buffy shook her own head, and wanted to laugh at the stupidity of it all.
"Yeah, yeah...where do you wanna be oiled first?" Buffy held up the oil can, and juiced it up a little by doing a pre squirt.
"My mouth...my mouth..." Tin Xan got his mouth oiled, and he moved it around a little. Now, he'd talk nonstop if her Xander was any reference.
"M..m..m...my goodness! I can talk again! Oh — oil my arms, please. Oil my elbows." Tin Xan's eyes moved a little to the right, where his axe as held high. Buffy just squirted some oil there, and was glad she didn't have that camera now. Her Xander would love this way too much. His arm fell, and the axe went with it. "Oh."
"Did that hurt?" Buffy's eyes widened in genuine concern. Xander was still her friend, no matter if he DID lock lips with her Willow.
"No. It feels wonderful. I've held that axe up for ages." Tin Xan moved his arm around a little bit to get the kinks out. "Oh..."
"How did you get like this?" Buffy couldn't really remember. She really wished she'd read the book now. Maybe she'd remember the story, or maybe she'd already be home, since she'd know how to work these painful shoes...cute as they were. She liked these versions of her friends but they weren't HER friends. Even though she had wanted to get away, this may be too far away. Maybe when she got back, she'd talk Willow into going on a road trip this summer. That'd be nice...as long as the roads weren't yellow bricks.
"Oh...well about a year ago, I was chopping that tree, minding my own business, when suddenly it started to rain." Tin Xan started to lose his balance and fall but Giles and Buffy were there to catch him. Giles took the oilcan from her, and started to fix the rest of him. "...and right in the middle of a chop, I...I rusted solid. I've been that way ever since."
"Well, you're perfect now." Buffy watched as Scarecrow Giles finished oiling up Tin Xan. 'Ew...bad mental image...'
"My...my neck. My...my neck." Tin Xan started to roll his neck around in contentment but his smile didn't last long. "Perfect? Oh...bang on my chest if you think I'm perfect. Go ahead — bang on it!"
"Oh..." Buffy may have hit him a little more than necessary to hear the resonating hollowness.
"Beautiful! What an echo!" Giles was too happy about that. She missed super British Giles that hardly ever showed emotion.
"It's empty. The tinsmith forgot to give me a heart." Tin Xan frowned a little at that. Where were the jokes? Xander always avoided emotional talks through humor. Where was the funny guy Buffy knew and loved? Okay...so she missed him, too; even if she was still mad at him for locking lips with Willow.
"No heart?" Scarecrow Giles came over to examine the Xander-shaped tin a little closer.
"No heart...and hollow." Tin Xan opened his mouth, and started to sing but Buffy rushed over, and put a hand over his mouth.
"Um...I thought I heard something...sorry." Buffy's eyes widened. She was NOT going to endure singing. This was bad enough already. When she let go, Tin Xan fell down. "Oh! Are you all right?"
"I'm afraid I'm a little rusty yet." The two others helped Tin Xan stand again, as Giles oiled him up a little more.
"Why don't you come to Emerald City with us? Ask the Wizard for a heart?" Buffy helped Xander move his arms around to get the oil's full effect.
"Emerald City? Why, that's a long and dangerous journey. And it might rain on the way." Tin Xan took a deep breath, even though he didn't need it. He was made of tin, after all. 'Why do things do that? Vampires don't need to breathe but they always huff and puff and...' Buffy came out of her reverie when Scarecrow Giles spoke again.
"But you've just been saying how much you want a heart." Giles placed the tin can inside Xander's chest compartment.
"And the oil can will be handy..." Buffy wanted to chuckle. Well, if it wasn't holding anything else. That was just one less thing they'd have to carry. Looking down at Mr. Gordo, she smiled just a bit. She hadn't forgotten about him in all the excitement.
"Well, suppose the Wizard wouldn't get me one when we got there?" Tin Xan was using logic? This was a new trait.
"Oh...he will. We've come such a long already..." Buffy forgot about the witch, as Cordelia's cackle started to fill the air around them. "Shit...not again."
"Oh! What's that..." Tin Xan's eyes widened in fear. Regular Xander would've snapped back at Cordelia. This was definitely new.
"You call that long?" Cordelia appeared on the tin man's roof. "Why, you've just begun! Forgotten about me, eh? Well, I haven't forgotten you! Helping the lady along, are you, my fine gentleman? Well, stay away from her!" Cordelia used her broom to point at Scarecrow Giles. "Or I'll stuff a mattress with you!" Then, she moved her broom to point at Tin Xan. "And you, I'll use you for a bee hive. Hey, Scarecrow...wanna play ball?" She laughs, as she throws a ball of fire, catching Scarecrow Giles on fire a little.
Tin Xan helps Scarecrow Giles get the fire out, as Buffy is about to go help. Cordelia's laughter stops her.
"And as for you, my little Buffy...I wish you luck with the Wizard of Oz. And a happy journey back to Sunnydale!" There was a cloud of smoke, and the witchy green Cordelia disappeared.
Buffy just huffed her frustration, and tried clicking her heels again. Nothing! At least she had the poppy field to look forward to...she'd not been sleeping well lately, and that would be a big help. Plus, she was curious who the lion was going to be anyways.
"I'm not afraid of her! I'll see you get safely to the Wizard now, whether I get a brain or not. Stuff a mattress with me. Ha." That sounded a little more like Giles, in all his British accented glory.
"I'll see you reach the wizard, whether I get a heart or not. Beehive...bah! Let her try and make a beehive out of me. You know..." Tin Xan stops, when a buzzing sound starts. "Hmm? What's that?"
Bees started to fly around them, and Buffy saw one on her arm. She panicked at first. Why did she feel like an outsider here? She was the slayer. She shouldn't be afraid of a bee. Tin Xan had to shoo it from her arm.
"Oh...they're gone now." Tin Xan tries to shield Buffy from the swarm of bees surrounding them.
"Did any of them get you?" Buffy was ducking the bees.
"I...I guess they tried to but they bent their stingers." Tin Xan looked down, and shooed another bee from Buffy's arm. He opens his hand, and finds the dead bee there. His eyes turn sad. "Oh...see. I killed it. I killed that poor little honeybee. It's only a man without a heart that could do a thing like that. Poor little bee."
"Uh...are you crying?" Buffy saw Tin Xan showing signs of tears. She'd never seen Xander cry, not even when Jessie died, or Willow was hurt last year. "Uh...don't cry. It's only a drone bee. See? It would've died anyways. You just put it out of its misery. No biggie."
"Oh." Tin Xan seemed better at that news.
"It's just...that Cordelia is so...wicked. I don't think you two should come with me. There could be trouble." Buffy just wanted to run there, and she knew her slayer speed would get her there quicker without these two.
"Oh, you don't think we're gonna stand by, and let her get away with fireballs and bees, do you?" Scarecrow Giles looked ten feet tall all of a sudden.
"Oh...damn. Okay..." Buffy huffed. She knew it wouldn't be that easy. "Come on then. Let's head that way. Still have half a book to go..."