"They're not here," said Phoebe frantically looking around. "It's too late. The magic must have all ready affected them."
"That's not possible," said Jerrod. "They belong in this reality. No matter what happens they should still be here. When I tried to use them before I dropped them from the backlash of the magic. So they have to be around here somewhere. We have to find them. There are only a few moments left."
"Hurry," Phoebe said to everyone else, "help us find the slippers. There isn't a moment to loose."
Everyone spread out and began to search for the slippers. But the slippers were nowhere to be found. It was as if they had vanished into thin air. Suddenly Phoebe noticed Paige. Paige seemed to be only glancing around, not really looking that hard. And she kept her right arm crossed over her stomach as if holding something in her arm.
"I think I found them," said Phoebe, grabbing Paige by the arm. "Come on. Hand them over."
"I don't know what you're talking about," said Paige trying to pull away.
"We don't have time for this," said Phoebe as she struggled with Paige. "We've only got a minute or two left. Give me the slippers before it's too late."
As Phoebe and Paige struggled one of the slippers suddenly fell out of Paige's dress and clattered to the street. Jerrod picked up the slipper.
"They're mine," cried Paige. "They belonged to my sister. You killed her for them. They belong to me."
"Give her the slipper," said Jerrod forcefully.
Paige suddenly relented handing the second slipper to Paige.
"She sees me as the wizard," said Jerrod smiling. He handed the slipper he had picked up off the ground to Phoebe. "Here. You have to use these to reset everything."
"I thought the slippers had to be given freely," said Phoebe. "How was she able to pick the slippers up?"
"Because I dropped them," said Jerrod. "Once that happens they don't belong to anyone. So that allowed her to pick them up."
"But once she picked them up didn't they belong to her?" Phoebe asked. "How could you pick that one up once she dropped it?"
"You want me to explain everything or you want to get back to the real world?" Jerrod asked.
"Point taken," said Phoebe. "So how are you going to use them to reverse everything?"
"Not me, you," said Jerrod. "I can't do it, you have to."
"Me?" cried Phoebe. "I can't. I don't have any special control over fantasy magic. You're supposed to be the Mystic Warlock."
"But I can't do it," said Jerrod. "Don't you see? There's only one way to correct everything. You have to bring the magic full circle. In the movie you used a Power of Three spell to get out. You never used the slippers as Dorothy did plus you took the slippers out of the movie."
"Yeah, so?" Phoebe asked.
"So," said Jerrod, "the movie can't end until that happens. It's how Dorothy returns to Kansas. Until she does the movie is still playing in the fantasy world. You have to use the slippers to get out of Oz and back to Kansas. That brings Dorothy back to where it all started."
"But how will that help?" Phoebe asked. "Even if I do that I'll just return to Kansas in the movie. And that's still in the fantasy world."
"Yes," said Jerrod, "but a fantasy without the magic of Oz. Even though it's a fantasy it's a non-magical fantasy. The 'real world' within the fantasy. The magic of Oz will no longer exist and this reality will reset itself to the 'reality' of the fantasy Kansas."
"But how does that help?" Phoebe asked.
"Once the magic of Oz is gone," said Jerrod, "the real world will begin to reassert itself. In fact, the fantasy magic should help facilitate the change. Even the fantasy magic will be trying to reset everything to the 'real' world."
"What about them?" Phoebe asked, looking at the others. "How do I get them out of this?"
"You don't have to," said Jerrod. "Once reality is reset they'll return to normal. But you have to hurry while you still remember what to do."
"But what can I do?" Phoebe asked. "How do I use the magic of the ruby slippers?"
"The same way Dorothy did," said Jerrod. "You use them to return to Kansas. Just like she did in the movie. You click your heels together three times and say 'there's no place like home'. That's all there is to it."
Phoebe looked at Jerrod in surprise. He had suddenly changed. He was now wearing the same outlandish clothes the wizard had worn in the movie.
"Hurry," pleased Jerrod. "There's no time left."
Phoebe knew it could be a trick. For all she knew this would protect the warlock without affecting anyone else. It could be one last effort on his part to get their powers. But she also knew she was out of time. And out of options. As quickly as she could she put the slippers on her feet. Then she clicked the heels together three times.
"There's no place like home,' Phoebe said. "There's no place like home."
As Phoebe repeated the phrase over and over again she felt herself begin to slip away and Dorothy become stronger.