It had been a long time coming. Back when she was 12, nearly a decade ago, Dorothy Gale saw it. There was four witches and a wizard once upon a time; now Glenda the good witch of the north and Elphaba (yes, that Elphaba) the kind (surprise!), yet just and temperamental, mysterious and aloof, Great Wizard of Oz were all that were left of those she met. She had killed both Elphaba's evil sisters, and never met the one bound to a wheelchair. Even after returning to Oz on her 18th birthday to live.<br/><br/>Dorothy yawned, stretched, smacked her lips and rolled out of bed with a thud. This was not how the brunette envisioned beginning her 21st birthday. For the first year after returning to Oz, Elphaba and Glenda, as well as some rodent looking creature with glasses named Smythe, an old friend of both, had trained Dorothy in green magic. Elphaba was the least pleased to learn Dorothy was in reality her long lost sister, as they had become lovers prior to that bombshell. Now, Dorothy was the Consort Princess, or Princess Ozma's lover.<br/><br/>"Highness!" The Scarecrow gasped.<br/><br/>"Oh, relax, Bartleby, you bag of horse fodder..." The Tin Man took a long puff of his cigar, and looked casually at it. Seven years as the Sheriff of Oz had jaded him; much to Thorne and Bartleby's chagrin, and Dorothy, Ozma and Elphaba's shame.<br/><br/>"You let Elphaba give you a real heart like she educated Bart and trained me to fight..." the Cowardly Lion said, calmly.<br/><br/>"I'm a just enough sheriff, Thorne. She don't bitch." Tin Man grunted, puffing his cigar. "Besides with Ozma and Glenda away on a diplomatic meet with the new West witch... Confound, what's her name? Lynestia? Something like that. She's trouble, though... I can feel it in my joints. Dorothy, witch of the south, is acting princess of Oz." He peered at his friends giving Dorothy a help up.<br/><br/>Bartleby and Thorne lifted Dorothy gently to her feet. "Thanks ever so much, you two." She turned to her other old friend. "I'm sorry that there was more crime in Oz then even Ozma and Elphaba were aware, but that gives you no reason to be so jaded. What happened to the lovable Tin Man I knew?"<br/><br/>The Sheriff took off his black Stetson, and put his cigar out in his head. "Same thing that happened to you, ma'am. He grew up." He put his hat back on and held fingers to it in a salute of sorts. "I've got rounds to make and probably a yahoo or two to bust. Pardon."<br/><br/>(Although I did the first line. Dorothy's old friends are also up for grabs. Using characters from Baum, Zenescope Oz trilogy and Legend of Oz, the Wicked West from Big Dog Ink. I'll be playing Dorothy.)