No Place Like Home: chapter 1

Years after a young girl named Dorothy Gale had left her home in Kansas with her new family of her Uncle Henry and Aunt Em, she had become a mother eventually. She was very thrilled to become a mother herself after not really knowing her own mother and vowed to be a great parent and remembered some of what her aunt and uncle did with raising her and her parents before they mysteriously vanished from her life.

She had a daughter named Ruby who was a lot like her mother when she was younger. There was also a girl who was friends with Ruby. She had curly brown hair, green eyes and liked to wear dresses. Her name was Diana and was a good friend. She had a pet duckling that always rode on her shoulder.

"Breakfast!" an adult woman's voice rang to the young girls as they were outside doing quick chores.

"Wanna stay for breakfast?" Ruby asked her good friend.

Diana nodded. "If that's alright with Aunty Dorothy." she says, almost shyly.

Ruby made a gesture for one minute,  then went to speak with her mother. She then smiled to her and went back to Diana, looking excited. "Sure, you're always welcome to stay with us!"

Diana smiled sweetly and followed inside. Her parents wouldn't mind as they were usually busy during the day.

Ruby came in with Diana. Even a piglet was following them inside the house.

Diana petted her pet duckling. "Crust of bread, Quiver?" She asks the duckling.

Quiver quacked his agreement. Ruby giggled at the duckling, she thought he sounded cute when he would quack.

Dorothy smiled at her daughter and young friend as she nearly finished up some of the cooking for them. She let the eggs sit a minute, then she took out a piece of bread for the duckling. "Here you go, Quiver."

Diana set the duck down to eat. Quiver quacked happily. He started to eat happily. Ruby still giggled. Dorothy smiled, still catering to their breakfast. Diana giggled and broke the bread up for Quiver

"A duckling for a pet," Dorothy sighed. "I remember when I was younger and Uncle Henry gave me Toto."

Ruby smiled at her mother's stories, she always loved hearing about them. Diana looked up at her. She too  was interested.

"I felt very lonely one day on the farm since there wasn't really anyone there  my own age," Dorothy said as she came to serve them their breakfast. "I was also told from Uncle Henry what had happened to my mother and I was just lost and sad for a while... Then he came to me one day and brought me Toto. He wasn't a big strong dog like Aunt Em wanted to help for the farm, but he became my best friend."

Diana grinned happily.

"Toto's the greatest." Ruby smiled at her mother.

"Yes, he is," Dorothy smiled. "He might have been small, but his love and loyalty to me was big... Even if old Miss Gulch didn't like him very much..."

Diana turled a curl around her finger. She was interested.

Dorothy served them, then herself and sat with them. She then sighed as she heard begging under the table. "Now, Toto II, it's not nice to beg..."

The pet kept begging otherwise.

"Oh, alright..." Dorothy gave in, took off a piece of her toast, then put it under the table, only to show that a piglet   had been begging for the food. "Honestly, that pig acts just like a dog, are you sure you're raising him right, Ruby?"

"Yes, Mama." Ruby giggled.

Diana giggled. "Yes, he's a nice piggy though." she says, eating a little.

Quiver came waddling over.

"That he is." Dorothy smiled.

Toto II snorted, then ate some of his food, but shared with Quiver. Ruby smiled at the pig. Quiver hopped on Toto II's back. Diana giggled. Dorothy ate her food and couldn't help but look at and smile at the cute display. It was a 'ducky piggy back ride'. Toto II walked all around with Quiver on his back.

Quiver flapped his wings happily. "Quack, quack!" He exclaims.

Diana giggled so much, that she fell off her seat.

Ruby giggled, then saw Diana. "Oh, are you okay?"

Dorothy had to find this to be one of the most entertaining breakfast mornings she ever had. Quiver tilted his head. Diana was on the floor, giggling.

"So, what's going on in school?" Dorothy asked once they all settled themselves after the possible highlight of all their day.

"We have to write a story about something, it can be something from our imagination or a true story..." Ruby said softly, she felt totally uninspired.

"I don't know what to write either." Diana admits, once settled from her giggles.

Quiver hopped off Toto II and climbed on her forehead.

Dorothy giggled a bit more at the animals in the kitchen. "How about your pets?" she suggested.

"Feels a little overdone..." Ruby said, though she hugged Toto II and thought he was the best pet ever, writing about an animal you adopted felt like it   had been done before too many times in school writing assignments for her age.

Quiver ruffled his feathers. Diana giggled, cupping her pet in her hands and kissed his beak.

"I'm sure it'll come to you, it'll just hit you... Like a window to the head..." Dorothy phrased, then suddenly cupped a side of her head with her hand as she said that.

Ruby had to wonder why her mother did that, but quickly finished her breakfast as she saw it was close to the school bus coming for her and Diana. "Oh, man! We better hurry!"

Diana kissed her duck. "Aunty Dorothy... can you watch Quiver until we get back?" she asks gently.

"Of course, dear, I'd love to." Dorothy smiled. She loved Diana like another daughter.

Ruby quickly put their dishes in the sink and looked out the window, a bit frantically. She had a few minutes, but she felt rushed because of how close it was with all the fun they were having this morning with the animals. Diana kissed Dorothy's cheek. She handed Quiver over and ran out with Ruby so they wouldn't be late. Quiver quacked.

Dorothy smiled and held the little duckling in her hands. "I'm not sure if we can go grocery shopping together, but maybe if I kept you in my pocket."

Quiver flapped his wings as if to agree. Toto II even had a water bowl and lapped up some of the water in it.

Dorothy giggled. "All right, all right... I'll go get ready..." she gently set the duckling down on the floor so he could waddle around and went to get her coat, hat, gloves and purse.

Quiver waddled to play with Toto II. The pig pushed over a tug-of-war rope in front of the duckling. Quiver tried to peck the tug-of-war rope. Toto II picked at it too and tried to tug, but not too rough with the little duckling. Quiver looked mad as he tried to catch it. Toto II nearly lowly snorted, almost sounding like a dog.

Dorothy came back, ready to go and giggled again. "Why weren't farm animals this entertaining when I was almost a teenager?"

"I hope we won't be late..." Ruby sounded like she was worrying too much, she wished she could be brave, strong and smart like her mother.

"Don't worry we'll be fine!" Diana shouts as they ran.

Ruby and Diana got on the bus and they sat where they usually did. A lot of the other children were either sleeping, playing some games to pass time until they got to the schoolhouse, some were just quietly sitting, and some snobby girls were spreading rumors. Diana's hair was more messy than her usual curls from the running.

"Here, want help?" Ruby was brushing her own hair into a cute long braid like she usually would. She often wore it though in two cute   pigtails for special occasions like church.

"Yes, please." Diana smiles. She loved doing hairstyles with Ruby.

Ruby smiled, then started to do her friend's hair so they would look their best for going to school.

"Too bad you guys can't look as pretty as me." a girl with beautiful blonde hair with a big pink bow in it looked down at them.

"Margaret, leave us alone..." Ruby said gently.

Diana looked at Margaret. "I wouldn't want to wear pink... it makes your skin look blotchy." she says.

Margaret huffed. "You're just jealous!" she then sat back down in her seat.

"Only Toto looks good in pink." Ruby remarked.

"Yeah, 'cuz he's a piggy." Diana says. She smiled though to show Ruby that she did like Toto II, but wanted to annoy Margaret.

Margaret shuddered a bit, having heard that. "Pigs are disgusting."

Ruby giggled at Diana as she took out a ribbon of the girl's favorite color and wrapped it to perfect the hair so they would look their best for their teacher. Diana smiled and hugged Ruby. Ruby smiled at her best friend. The bus picked up another student and kept driving. No one had seen him before though. Diana looked at the new person on the bus. She tilted her head curiously, like her duckling.

"I wonder who that is?" Ruby whispered.

"Who is that boy?" one of the other students noticed him.

The boy looked a bit shy and said nothing to his future peers and classmates.

Diana looked at Ruby. "Should we go say hi?" She whispers.

"Maybe when the bus stops before class starts." Ruby advised, she didn't want to move while the bus was in motion since they   were told so many times to do so.

Diana nodded. She was curious about this new boy. Soon the bus arrived at the school.