nestar | "Tell Me Of Your Yesterdays"

Summery:
Every story has a beginning...

Disclaimer:
"The Wizard of Oz" is owned by the estate of L. Frank Baum. "Tin Man" is owned by its various production companies. The following is for entertainment only. No money is being made and no infringement is meant.

Thanks to:
raggedy_edge for her amazing beta work. Without her this would be unreadable.

The Story So Far:
Chapter Index

The O.Z. 487 A.G.

The world was ending and Wyatt Cain had no clue of what to do.

Before the last Ozma had passed her power over to Dorothy Gale she had set a final mark on her land. Every morning when the suns rose their light would filter through Ozma's View, the highest room in the royal castle, and cast a soft green light over Central City.

But this morning as Wyatt stood at his post and watched the suns rise, the city stayed a dull, drab brown-gray.

It wasn't long before a panicked buzz had started ringing through the streets, rumors and whispers of what was wrong, each story more outlandish then the ones before.

“Hey Tin Man, is it true?”

Wyatt looked at the old woman who had called to him. “Is what true ma'am?”

“They say that the Queen's Consort has stolen Ozma's Emerald.”
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“Thank you for coming so quickly Mr. Ambrose.”

Glyn straightened from his bow. “Your Majesty.”

“Please have a seat Mr. Ambrose.” The Queen gestured to a chair next to her and Glyn carefully sat down as the Queen filled a tea cup. He was shocked when she passed it to him.

“I have heard very good things about you Mr. Ambrose, from many different sources.” The Queen said. “It seems that you have a quickness of intellect, a natural aptitude for all things mechanical, and an ability to approach a problem from... what was it, ah yes, an unexpected angle.” Glyn felt lightened by the small smile that turned up the corners of the Queen's mouth.

“Your Majesty is very kind.”

“No Mr. Ambrose, you will discover that I am being quite selfish.” The Queen replied before taking a sip of her tea.

“I am selfish in the fact that I will be taking you away from the work that you love,” The Queen set her cup down, “just so I will have a more direct benefit of your keen mind.”

Glyn was thoroughly confused. “Majesty?”

“I am appointing you Advisor to the Queen.”

Glyn blinked a few times, trying to assimilate the information. “Advisor?” He repeated softly.

“It means that you will be forced to sit through many dull meetings full of people who are in love with the sound of their own voice, just to be questioned by me later.” There was a sparkle in the Queens eyes that Glyn had seen many times before in Azkadeilla's eyes. It was that sparkle that prompted him to reply that, yes, he would be delighted to serve however his Queen needed him.

It was the memory of Azkadee's sparkle that stayed with him as he cataloged his files, as he walked his assistants through the lab work he was leaving them, as he was fitted for a more formal wardrobe, as he took an after dinner walk through the garden. It was also the memory of Azkadee's sparkle that had him so lost in thought that he nearly walked right into the very object of his thoughts.

“Azkadee!”

“Walking into walls again Glyn.” She smiled at him. “You'll never become Head Researcher if you keep that up.”

Glyn bounced on his toes. “Ah, that is true, but maybe I'll just have to set my sights on something higher.”

He could feel the grin on his face. Before the idea of becoming Head Researcher was the first step to a dream that Glyn didn't dare to put to words, but now... Queen's Advisor. That was a much better position.

Glyn looked at the young woman holding on to his arm. Was she really sixteen already? She was nearly as tall as he was and somewhere in the last year she had started to wear make-up and do up her hair. She had always carried herself with grace, but it had been an easy grace. Now there was an air of maturity about her that sometimes made Glyn feel as if he wasn't twenty, but somehow younger then she was.

“Glyn what is it! You're almost glowing!” Azkadee laughed.

But when she laughed her eyes sparkled, and he had been thinking about her eyes all day. That wearing down of his sense, the misfiring of his synapses, must have been the reason he bent his head down and kissed her.

“Glyn?” Her voice low and soft in his ear, her arms around his neck, it did things to him. Glyn found himself letting those long held in dreams come pouring out.

“I've been promoted to Advisor. Oh, Azkadee, it's so much better then just a researcher. I'll be a much better position to...”

“Glyn, what are you talking about?”

“I know that I haven't acted like a suitor, but I hadn't dared to dream. But now,” He stopped to press another quick kiss to her lips. “Oh Azkadee! I'll be able to show your mother how I can help. And if I can help her then I'll be able to help you, and she might consider allowing me... us to...”

“Glyn, are you saying that you will be advising my mother?” The softness was gone from her voice.

“Yes! Isn't it wonderful!” Glyn felt like bursting, but then he looked at his Azkadee's eyes. There was no hint of sparkle in them.

“Azkadee?”

She stiffened and stepped back out of his arms. “You would help her after all that she's done?”

“What do you mean? What has she done?” Glyn felt a coldness start to creep up his spine.

“What has she done! She's ignored me from the moment her 'light' was born, she sent away my friends, forced both Dorothy and I to conform to her plans for us.” She back even further away from him and the coldness climbed higher.

“Now her hopes for my sister are gone, my father came to his sense, saw what she was doing and got out...” Glyn could see that she was fighting back tears. “I came looking for you, for the one person I had left. But it's too late.”

“Azkadee...”

“NO! Don't call me that!” The coldness move to envelop his stomach. Azakdee was crying now.

“I loved you and you still picked her.” She turned and ran away.

The coldness closed in over Glyn's heart.
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Kansas September, 1997

“DG, it's time to turn off the tv.”

“DG, did you hear me? Turn off the tv."

“DG Robert!” Emily walked into the living room and put her hands on her hips. “What in the world had you glued to that tv?”

Emily looked at the screen. The was a parade of some kind. Officers on horseback, soldiers marching in ranks, men and women dressed in black.

“DG, what is it?” Emily asked softly, reaching out to put a hand on her daughters shoulder as tears ran down the girls cheeks. The image on the tv change to show a man and two boys walking behind a casket.

“The princess died.” DG said softly.