WMG / Lion of Oz

Oscar The Friend Of The Lion is The Wizard Of Oz.

• That's just canon.

Wimsik is the second coming of the original Flower of Oz.

So, everyone in Oz seems to know of the Flower of Oz, but no-one ever refers to it as if it were a person, which means it might have been an actual sentient plant. Add to that the fact that Wimsik's backstory still remains a bit of a mystery, we never do find out how she escaped the Great Ice Storm that she was famously lost to.

Here's what I think: I think that the Flower of Oz did in fact wither during the Great Ice Storm but just had the time to transfer its soul to safety by latching it onto something else, say an unassuming dandelion seed, that would then have been carried off by the wind as they do. The seed travels for a long time before it settles into the lovingly kept gardens of Castle Grey. Imagine the gardener's astonishment when they wake up one morning to find a newborn baby in one of the flowerbeds! This is certainly unexpected (as far a Ozian standards go), but not unwelcome, so the kind gardener takes the child in and names her Wimsik.

Wimsik has a happy childhood and is doted on by the gardener, who teaches her everything they know about how to maintain a garden; something for which Wimsik proves exceptionally talented. In fact, her very presence seems to make everything greener and healthier than ever. The gardener of course finds this rather odd, but tries not to think about it too hard: Wimsik is such a kind, cheerful little child after all. A few years later the gardener is summoned elsewhere, but to Wimsik's disappointment she can't come along for the trip, since someone needs to watch the castle. To ensure that she feels less lonely while they're gone, the gardener gifts her two talking dolls: Caroline, and Captain Fitzgerald. The gardener leaves and doesn't come back for a while, and Wimsik tends to the gardens alone until Lion comes along.