Remember The Tin-Man

Chapter 3: Looking Back Into The Past

"Do you remember her?"
Tin-Man had unexpectedly said, causing the Scarecrow to take his focus off of the city lights. It was night time,  and he wasn't used to talking to others during this time. But it made sense, and he should have thought a conversation would have happened sooner or later, as Tin-Man wasn't made out of flesh. Like Scarecrow, he didn't need sleep either.
"Huh?" He asked, tilting his head slightly, like he didn't hear the question the first time, even if he did.
"Do you remember her?"
The words sounded slightly forced out, like the weight of his words meant something important.
Unfortunately to Scarecrow, his words barely meant anything.
"Well, I don't know anybody named 'her', but-"
"We both know that's not what I mean, Scarecrow."
His old friend deeply sighed, but he could see the ends of his mouth tilt up in a smile. It was gone in a couple of seconds, his face twisting in an expression as if Scarecrow had lost his memories right there and then.
"Do you remember Dorothy?"
Dorothy?
Why, of course he remembered Dorothy! Why wouldn't he? It wasn't like she had gone from existence, and she saved the Emerald City from Langwidere, General Guph and-
"Not that one, Scarecrow."
Tin-Man yanked him out of his thoughts once more. How did he know which 'one' he was talking about? Did he just seem to know him that well? Or was he rambling without noticing? Scarecrow had been doing that a lot more often, lately.
"I don't know any other Dorothy, then." He replied, shrugging, "Dorothy..Dorothy..nope! Don't know any other Dorothy!"
The Tin-Man nodded, but it didn't seem like he was surprised. He looked...disappointed.
Tin-Man opened his mouth to speak, pausing only when Glinda's voice rang out, calling for the both of them. It had seemed like whatever Tin-Man was going to say to him would have to wait.
...
Later on, it seemed like Scarecrow forgot the whole interaction even happened.
——
Glinda knew many things. She knew what had been and what is now. An advantage she had thanks to the book of records. Every second of important detail about Oz, she could know was put in there.
Yet she never knew what would be.
And she despised that.
She had been stuck in the forsaken painting for so long that when she got out, the world was upside down. Langwidere had self proclaimed herself as the ruler of Emerald City, her citizens were put under a spell, her friend and chief advisor Scarecrow had forgotten almost everything, and a Gale had come back into Oz.
Yet maybe if she had known what is, she would have seen it coming. If she had been paying more attention to the book, she could have known many things. If she had noticed many things, this could have been avoided.
If she had realized that Scarecrow had been missing for about two months, they could have found him in the deadly desert quicker. They could have stopped General Gulph before he had did any harm. Stopped him before he got the belt.
Stopped the past from coming back.
And that's what she hated the most, that she couldn't predict the future. But wasn't it enough if she knew the past? If she had just paid more attention to others, rather than pushing everybody away with her goal of bringing back sustainable magic, she would have had a more genuine friendship with West sooner. She would have made a more realistic connection much sooner, instead of trying to study her just for the reasoning behind her magic.
It was West's heart. It was like she connected to the elements themselves. Yet her power was at it's best when she was with Dorothy. West and Dorothy were connected in ways not even Glinda herself could explain.
That's what made the two so powerful together, and that's what she admired about the two girls.
West would do anything to protect Dorothy, and Dorothy would do anything to protect West. That's what they needed most right now, especially if they were to stop the Wizard.
But stop him from doing what?
They didn't even know what the Wizard wanted. She had gone through all her past knowledge of him, spending hours searching the books of records and examining each detail under a microscope. She had reviewed the basics, starting with how the Wizard had used the gnome king's belt, a power so strong it had shaken Emerald City that they had lost the battle. The Wizard had destroyed it, along with so many other precious valuable artifacts for Oz's history. Or so they thought, later finding out he hid it away in a secret compartment in the muck in farm, so secret that not even Glinda knew.
She thought she had known everything. She didn't.
And she despised that.
Then the wizard came back, wanting Dorothy, out of all people. His magic was stronger, powerful, and more dangerous than she could have imagined.
They would have been in grave danger if the Tin-Man hadn't shown up. Even then, she would have never anticipated that. She was glad to have one of her old friends back, of course. It would be good to have him around again, especially since they all had been busy in their respective lives. He would be a helpful companion, especially since he was the only one who could think to her level. They seemed to have a silent understanding of each other, something she didn't realize she was missing when Scarecrow had lost almost everything about himself. Yes, she was glad to have their companion back.
Especially if it would jumpstart some of Scarecrow's memories...and bring their friend back.
But as much as she wanted that, she was more pressed on the matters at hand. The wizard.
So now she was pacing back and forth in her study. Trying to understand, trying to get even the smallest glimpse into the future. Yet there was nothing. She knew nothing.
So she looked back into the past.
All they could do was try to find what made the treasury so important to the Wizard that he didn't destroy it. Find potential clues that he may have left behind, and put together the puzzle pieces.
So when he showed his face again, they would be ready for him. Next time, she would know everything.