Disclaimer, the usual.
Dorothy found herself coming to a stop in front of the door to Castle Garrison. once she had caught her breath she looked behind her at the large clock tower in the middle of the small town. it was half passed two in the afternoon, she knew that rose would be sitting down with her parents for tea, but it wasn't rose she wanted to see. Going over to the bell rope, she gave it a sharp tug. Less than a moment later the door opened, and she was standing face to face with Thomas. When he saw the look on her face he didn't say a word, he just let her in
"is the jester in?" dorothy asked.
"I think so, why you don't go to the sitting room, rose is there with her parents, ill go see if I can find him." He said handing her a handkerchief.
Dorothy nodded and walked the path she had a few times before. Rose didn't seem surprised to see her there unannounced, in fact, there was a place set for her, as if she had been expected. In fact, she had been. Rose knew why dorothy was there, without even having to look into her mind.
"one of you finally asked about them, didn't you?" Rose asked.
Dorothy said nothing she simply nodded. The scepter letting out some fast-paced chimes.
"ah, now that's curious, I've heard about objects of power doing things like that, but I'd never thought I'd see it in my lifetime." The jester said coming into the room.
Dorothy turned to look at him, and the moment their eyes met she saw her own emotions reflected in his eyes.
"What were they like, Elphaba, and Nessarose?" Dorothy asked.
The jester seemed slightly shocked this, he was surprised to hear their names coming for a girl who had barely known them.
"The two you had summoned against me at castle gray, that's what they were like, they enjoyed learning, they didn't seek power for the sake of having it. they were both calm, and relaxed, Elphaba was the oldest, no one knows why she came out green, but she didn't care, she liked being unique once she got used to it. she was close to Nessa and Glinda, but she was more intelligent than either of them by a longshot." The jester said sighing.
Nessa had her charms though, and they were both beautiful." Mrs. Garrison said smiling.
"yes, they were both adept in magic as well, more than I am presently." The Jester replied.
"what about you?" Dorothy asked.
"I think at one point we were close, but I was always a bit of a klutz, and for years I've harbored a hatred towards them for making me this, but it wasn't really them that was doing it, it was their lust for power and lack of test subjects, something corrupted them, not long after the incident in the hall of time, but what bothers me, is that it was only Elphaba that was punished, and she corrupted our sister." The Jester said.
"But Elphaba cared deeply for Nessa, why would she do that?" Rose asked thinking about it.
"I don't know, perhaps the same driving force that turned her on to the path she took, but as I was telling you the other day, the versions dorothy summoned should have been the ones she would have known, but instead we got the proper ones the ones who we knew, the women outside of the corruption." The jester sighed.
"When I learned their names and was able to put a proper identity to the people I met, the people I destroyed, it's filled me with regret." Dorothy said.
"Kid, you did what you had to, Nessa's death was not your fault, that was out of your control, but Elphaba, as the witch of the west, would most definitely would have killed you, at least, with the path she had taken." The jester had said.
Dorothy sighed and shook her head, she knew the jester was right, but it didn't retract from the guilt she was once again feeling.
"have you ever felt sorry for them, wanting to forgive them the way I forgave you?" Dorothy asked curiously.
"often, I knew them as they were, and I knew them as what they became, one side good, the other evil, and its what drove me to try and take over oz once they were gone. To try and upstage them where they had failed, but it was wrong, and I knew that. I once said, 'when I laugh alone, it's I who laughs best' but the last laugh was never mine, I had minor victories against you, but unlike my sisters, I never turned my back on my morals, at least not completely. As you know, Rose was my issue, I had never been sure what had happened to her, but the thought of doing anything that would harm her stopped me from doing much to Winkie country, it's the reason I started draining power for Munchkinland, freezing it the way I had, no harm would have come to anyone, the only magic I drained was the residual from my sister's spells, freezing it was the most harm I did to it, sure I changed people into puppets but no one was truly harmed by me, not even the freak, I'm sorry, Finley" he said.
"but most people in Oz don't even remember them for who they were, any chance at forgiveness the way he was, is unlikely at best." Mr. Garrison said.
"I figured that would probably be the case." Dorothy said.
"anyways, I know why you're here, and its to try and make peace with that part of our past, the part that converges, my sisters and you, and, Rose was doing some digging and found something I think you might like to see." The jester said smiling and offering her a hand.
Dorothy looked at Rose, who nodded. Dorothy sighed and took the jester's hand. Rose followed as he led her to his study. It was rather disorganized, not unlike rose's workshop, however there were stacks of papers and many open books strewn about. the room looked like a severe papercut waiting to happen. However, he led her over to the secret passage to the room he had turned into his secret reading room, and the first thing she saw, was a rather large painting hanging on the wall. it was a picture of three people, two girls and the girls looked like they couldn't have been much older than she was at the present, and the boy looked like he was maybe seven or eight. She knew this was a painting of the three of them. as the tallest in the picture and the eldest looked was green.
"This painting was made by our parents, they would take turns painting it, rose went to the winter house and started digging around the cellar, this used to hang in castle west but it was removed when Elphaba turned up and went on the path of wicked, I didn't know where it had ended up before she went to find it." The jester said.
"and I only went looking because he told me not too" Rose said smiling.
"Yes but thinking about the past how things could have been, doesn't change them, it won't bring them back and this isn't exactly something I really want to dwell on." The jester said.
"then why did you hang it?" Dorothy asked walking over to the desk and looking over the mess.
"because, the more I think about it, the more I want to go back to the time, when we were happy, a time where we got a long, when our parents were killed in that accident my sisters went a bit cold, and sometimes I feel like they never quiet got over it, neither have I to be severely honest." The jester sighed.
"that accident was the talk of the town for a while as well." Rose sighing.
"I know, and people consistently sending sympathy cards didn't make my sisters feel any better, half of these papers are sympathy cards because I filled up the filing cabinet." The jester said sighing.
Dorothy looked over the papers and picked up a few of the cards. Reading some of them, they were some beautifully written sympathy cards express deepest regrets for their loss, however her thoughts were broken by a sudden stinging sensation as she received a paper cut from one of the cards. Dropping them she shook her hand and then looked at the cut. It was bleeding quite badly, and the cut was quite large.
"yes, that happened to me as well, should have warned you to be careful" the jester said.
Dorothy sighed and used the handkerchief Thomas had given her to clean it. the scepter let out a single chime which attracted their attention. Dorothy took it into her hand and both the scepter and the cut began glowing. In a moment it was completely healed, and the stinging had subsided.
"you knew it was going to do that, didn't you?" rose asked.
"I had a hunch, it tries to heal me when it can, anyway it can." Dorothy said sighing.
"well, now that that's over with, dorothy, if you could apologize to them, would it make a difference?" the jester asked.
"in my mind, yes, but like you said, it wont change what happened," Dorothy sighed.
"you can't change the past, your histories are fixed points because they're so interwoven, and affect so much and so many, changing it would have a catastrophic knockoff effect, the timeline would crumble, and I would be unable to fix it." Came time's voice.
Suddenly they all came to the realization that they were not where they were meant to be, they were standing before Father Time.
"why have you brought us here?" the jester asked sounding irritated.
"because, not long ago you came to me for an answer, you wanted to know what I did to your sister." Father time said.
"and you told me I'd find out when the time came." The jester said.
"and its time you all learn the truth, you, Glinda, Locasta, even dorothy" He boomed out.
Suddenly Glinda and Locasta were standing before them, looking confused for a moment before noticing dorothy and the jester.
"you mean there's more than just what we knew?" Rose asked.
"there always will be stuff you don't know, but its time you all learn the truth about that day, about the hourglass." Father Time said.
"you said you punished her for taking it" Dorothy said recalling the day.
"I'm afraid it wasn't actually as simple as that, the hour glass was a source of power, had you not gotten out of it radius before the sands ran out, you would have likely died, prophecy or not, as the hourglass exist the same way the book you call the Grimmerie does, outside your laws of conventions, they can both counteract each other, however, the hourglass has been stolen many times before, it called to her and the moment she touched it, she was cursed, her name, was struck from the memories of many, Elphaba as many had known her was now fighting with the power of the hourglass, had she won and kept back from the path of darkness, I would have been able to lift the curse from her as well as the punishment I afflicted upon her, had she stayed on the path of good, she would have been the second person to not be corrupted by its power." Father time said changing the room they were in.
The hourglass now stood in front of them on a pedestal, covered in what looked like a severally damaged glass cover, as if it had been shattered numerous times. It looked just as it had the time the witch attempted to use it against her. the room was also filled with whispering, as if it was calling to her.
"You hear it, too don't you?" the jester asked turning to her.
"the whispers?" dorothy asked.
"yes, I've heard them before I never realized it was the hourglass that they had been coming from." The jester said.
"they tempt the victim they want to try and corrupt, they get louder the more you concentrate on them, myself, mother nature, and death are unaffected by it, but they named me guardian of it, however its power has always been more than my realm can contain due to the fact that it seems to get its power from the people it corrupts, but back to the story, Glinda, you know more than you tell, as Elphaba came to visit you before she and her sister disappeared." Father Time said as the room changed again.
Suddenly they found themselves in a room full of mist. Glinda had an ashamed look on her face once again. she was going to relieve one of her darkest moments and she knew it. and now they found themselves in a sleeping chambers, with a young Glinda seated at her desk with an open book, looking like she was going to compose a letter there was the white streak going through her hair, so dorothy knew this was after the accident that drove lady Cassandra into retirement.
"dearest mother and father" the young Glinda said.
Suddenly the room was filled with a breeze and the paper blew from the table. The young Glinda looked up to see who they all recognized as the witch of the west.
"I'm not surprised you decided to come back here, even though Cassandra will never teach you two again." the witch replied.
"I'm not surprised you've come back, Nessa has been fretting over you for days Elphie!" the young Glinda said getting up.
"Don't Call me that!" the witch shouted.
"temper, why have you come back?" the young Glinda asked staying calm
"to offer you the chance for power, if you join me and my sister, Locasta will have to follow you, with the power of the four of us together nothing would stand in our way." The witch replied summoning the hourglass.
"Elphie, please, this isn't you, I know it isn't, and if there's any of the girl I know left in there, she'd be trying to fight, not just for her friends, but for her sister!" the young Glinda shouted.
"but can't you hear it calling you, the promises of power? Isn't it tempting?" the witch asked trying to sound as persuasive as possible.
"no, because its not right, Elphie, please try and fight it!" the young Glinda shouted louder.
the room fell silent, the witch had begun to take on a look of anger that dorothy knew all too well.
"the friend you knew is gone, and if you aren't with me, you're against me, and my sister!" the witch shouted.
"Elphaba, don't do this to her, please, just apologize, and return the hour glass to father time." Young Glinda pleaded
"it's too late, I've already visited her, and she has already joined me, so ill offer one last time, are you with me, or against me?" the witch asked sternly.
The younger Glinda shook her head and stepped back, picking up her wand and pointing it at her. tears rolling down her cheeks.
"Elphaba, I don't want to hurt you but if I have to I will, tell me you're lying, and you didn't force your sister down your path!" young Glinda shouted trying to hold back her tears.
"you knew Nessarose would follow me anywhere and my sister was more persuadable than you seem to be." The witch replied smiling wickedly.
"Then, get out, GET, OUT! And leave! leave Locasta and I alone, but mark my words Elphaba, in the name of all that is good, whatever you two do, Locasta and I will endeavor to stop it!" young Glinda shouted, her wand starting to glow brightly
"Very well, but mark my words as well, little miss sunshine, you won't be able to oppose us, and I will come back!" the witch shouted, vanishing in a red cloud of smoke.
The younger Glinda now stood alone in her room, lowering her wand, she fell to her knees and broke down. The realization that, her friend was gone, and she had just let her walk out.
"I tried, so hard to make her fight it, I knew about the curse, time had pulled me back here shortly after Cassandra brought us back to the university." Glinda said holding back tears of her own as the room cleared.
"she visited you, but that was not the last time she would visit you, she would try again once you came into power." Father time said.
"yes, to warn us not to oppose her." Locasta said.
"I remember that day, that was when they stopped using me as a test subject, and the witch had been using me as a servant." The jester said.
"you all hid from the truth for so long that you came to accept it like it had always been like that, two good witches, two bad, always duking it out, Elphaba and Nessarose were gone, the witches were all that were left, and none of you tried to stop it" Time said.
"what would happen if Elphaba had won against the hour glass?" dorothy asked.
"then I would have been able to turn her back to what she was, but she chose the wrong path, now all people know apart from a select few is the witches of the east and west, instead of Elphaba and Nessarose" he replied.
"for years I have tried to forget that day, that's when I realized, the girl I had once been friends with was gone, and that corrupted image was all that was left, but every time my mind starts to wander, it starts to drift towards that day," Glinda said sniffing.
"You wouldn't have been able to help her, the hourglass calls only to people who it thinks it can easily corrupt, Elphaba and Nessarose were left in a semi damaged state as you know that was shortly after their parents had been killed, but anyone young is really more than likely to be influenced by it." Father time said.
"then our regret is what its trying to use to draw us in?" The jester asked.
"I think you two already know the answer to that." Father time said.
"but why didn't you reveal the truth to anyone?" rose asked.
"Its not my place, I do not typically interfere, and had I tried, I would have wound up eliminating them, which is against my own rules, I had to let things play out, was it all good? No, but things have a way of catching up to people, Elphaba had never used the hour glass for anything other than corrupting her sister, dorothy when the witch had threatened you with death, did you hear the whispers then?" father time asked.
"no" dorothy replied shaking her head.
"so why can she hear them now, I can understand me hearing them, I'm cracked." The jester said.
"no, you're completely sane now, you just went power mad, and I don't know why she can hear them perhaps because she's one of the few people to escape its power, and the hourglass wants to see what someone with that kind of luck and her abilities can hold." Father time suggested.
"Well, I'm never letting here near that thing." Glinda said sternly.
"I won't either, the hour glass is not meant to leave here, and it never will again." Father time said sternly.
"what does the hour glass do to the people who touch it, exactly?" Rose asked curiously
"I've never been entirely sure, but everyone who has touched it without permission has become corrupted by it, and I have never allowed someone to just take it because of the sheer power it holds, many over the timeline have been corrupted by it, all wound up dead" father time said as they found themselves in a large hall.
"that doesn't really answer any questions." Dorothy said beginning to get irritated, the scepter humming in agreement
"I say I know all, but the hourglass is beyond my control, I can give it to someone willingly and they will not be touched by its power, but there are ways of circumventing even me, you will get your answer in due time, all of you, now, I will put you all where you need to be, seek no more answers from me today." Father time boomed.
Suddenly dorothy found herself alone with father time. She found this odd as she didn't feel that this was where she needed to be. She needed to be with alex, as well as her aunt and uncle.
"You are wondering why I kept you here." he boomed.
Dorothy said nothing she simply nodded.
"when you go back, the amount of time will have passed that we chat, you saw history Glinda never intended you to know about, and I would like to know, do you think any different of her?" father time asked.
Dorothy shook her head.
"no, we all make mistakes, she regrets not trying to make up for them." dorothy said.
Father time said nothing he simply smiled and turned his back to her. the scepter let out a loud warning bell like noise
"the scepter seems concerned that I might just keep you two here to see what happens, naïve isn't it?" father time asked.
"you, can make out what its trying to communicate?" dorothy asked.
"its not the first time I've seen this, but I fear that it may be the last, at least for a while, the only reason it is able to communicate using sound is due to the crystal orb on the top, its using its ability to resonate to try and communicate with you and your companion, however crystal is fragile, and not popular as a medium for focusing magic, why its doing it for you, has yet to be revealed even to me, but I'm sure the answers will come in due time, but will you and the others be willing to accept it?" He asked turning to her.
Dorothy couldn't look him in the eyes, but even still he seemed to look right through her, and as many questions began to swirl around her brain, one alone stuck out to her.
"is there any way that they could come back?" Dorothy asked.
"Elphaba and Nessarose?" He asked in response.
"yes, I mean, the jester came back." Dorothy asked.
"and you think that people would just forgive them like they did him? People actually suffered under their regime, people disappeared, people died." Father time said.
"but it wasn't the real them, the real them as you said, was corrupted by the hourglass." Dorothy said.
"and if they did come back, there's nothing to stop them from relapsing back to their evil ways, if you could get enough people to forgive them to give them a second chance, the memories of everything they did would still be there, and for all I know so would the corruption, would you be willing to risk that?" Father time asked.
Dorothy didn't need to answer this question, she wasn't one to create danger, it usually just followed her. she shook her head and leaned against the scepter for support.
Meanwhile in oz.
"so, she isn't with you?" Rose asked as she talked to Glinda in the mirror.
"no, I thought that she might have ended up back with you guys" Glinda said worriedly.
"well she isn't, at least not that I'm aware, perhaps time is still talking to her?" Rose suggested.
"why would he want to do that?" came Alex's voice from somewhere in the background
"I don't know, but I wouldn't worry, she has the slippers so if she ends up anywhere she doesn't recognize she can just click her heels." Rose said assuredly.
"any sign of her in the crystal ball?" came Glinda's voice as she turned away from her mirror.
"no, she doesn't seem to be anywhere in Oz" came ellie's voice.
"then she must still be with time, his domain exists out side of our worlds, you wouldn't be able to even to view it in a crystal ball without intervention from the council of immortals." Rose said.
"which reminds me, I've heard whispers on the wind that the council was convening, have you heard anything about that from Roquat because Oz needs to send a representative if they do convene." Glinda said.
"Glinda there hasn't been a representative for Oz to the council of immortals since the wizard's time, but I should really go find where my love has wound up, because I'm getting to finish my tea, but he's not here" Rose said.
"well, contact me if dorothy shows up there, please, she's free to stay the night if that makes her feel comfortable, but id rather know she's safe." Glinda said sighing as the image faded.
Rose sighed and started for the jester's study, when she got there she was immediately met with the both the jester, and the entirety of the tribunal.
"Jester, and Rose garrison, we have received your plea, and have come to an agreement" Zinnia said.
Meanwhile back in the city.
"alex, its not much use fretting about it the way you do, we're all worried about her, however so long as she doesn't thoroughly offend father time she'll be perfectly safe." Locasta said sighing.
"oh, she's perfectly safe, she's just getting a history lesson, putting a personality to the people she destroyed, and she's upset by it." Madeline said taking a sip from her tea
"so, why would the council of immortals meet without contacting Ozma? I mean, she's Lurline's daughter." Alyssa asked.
"I've never met my mother, I wouldn't know." Ozma said.
"she's never really around, not too many of the immortals have seen her in years, usually her sister Zurline acts as representative of the fairies, no one has bothered to track down your mother since she's always flying about, taking an interest in the affairs of others." Came Roquat's voice as he appeared in the room.
"Roquat, why are you here?" Glinda asked.
"delivering a message, one that you may all hear if you wish" Roquat said
"is it from the council?" Ozma asked.
"yes, as well as the tribunal, I tried to plead a case against it for Dorothy's sake, but the jester is still going to receive a punishment for his wrongs, nothing major, he's not getting stripped of his power or memories or anything of that nature." Roquat said.
"oh, don't tell me, they're making him guard a vault with that magical force in it that does, well from all I've ever seen, absolutely nothing, when it gets let out, for say, fifty years?" Locasta asked.
"somewhat, I don't know what they're making him guard but the tribunal is in the process of installing the vault at castle garrison as we speak, as I consistently come here I was not allowed to know the full details, I wasn't even aware the council was being held till I was unceremoniously ripped away from the molasses pit in candy county." Roquat said.
"odd, usually they give you a warning before they do that, don't they?" Ozma asked curiously
"yes, and everyone but a representative from Oz was there, when I enquired why, I was told, because it wasn't needed." Roquat replied.
"that doesn't seem right, I mean, I should have at least gotten a say, was it only about the jester?" Ozma asked.
"one person complained, a person who shall remain anonymous, that the jester should not have been given a second chance, and even after pleading about all the good he has done and how he reformed, they still decided that he should at least get somewhat of a punishment, the vault is unimportant as we never put anything dangerous in them, its more of a test of trust and good judgement or something like that, it's been maybe a century since the last time we punished someone like that." Roquat replied
"well, Roquat, thank you for doing the best you could, were you able to get the pool sterilized and sanitized?" Glinda asked curiously.
"it was a big task, had to get my brother Ruggedo to help me." Roquat said.
"oh, don't even mention that little troll, you know how power hungry he gets." Locasta said sounding a bit disgusted.
"of course, twice he's tried to lead a small coup against me, and obviously failed both times." Roquat said.
"you didn't leave him in candy county, did you? You know he likes causing trouble as well." Glinda said.
"of course not, he was yanked to the council with me." Roquat sighed
"and I'm assuming he's back at the caverns now?" Locasta asked.
"yes." Roquat replied nodding
"Well can we get back to what we were worrying about? dorothy is still not back." Alex said.
"she will be soon, she's getting a history lesson." Roquat replied.
"Funny, haven't heard that before." Madeline said rolling her eyes.
"how long until she's done?" Alex asked anxiously.
"Soon I'm sure, our connection isn't as deep as Glinda and ellie's, alex, why don't you go see if your parents need you to do anything, take your mind off it for a while?" Madeline suggested.
Alex sighed and left the room, not wanting to start an argument or cause a scene. Roquat vanished as well leaving Locasta, Glinda, Madeline, Ozma, and Alyssa alone.
Back in time's domain.
"and that's really the whole story, most of it, out of my control as I am not allowed to do much meddling in mortal or immortal affairs." Father time boomed.
"there are two sides to a coin, I only ever really knew the bad side of the witch of the west, I think I would have preferred to know Elphaba and Nessarose." Dorothy said.
"many would say that, even Glinda holds regret for not trying harder to put things right, but in the end, to her, the people she knew were dead and gone, the people they became is what people remember." Father time said.
"but that's not right, its not fair." Dorothy argued.
"its not, but the universe as it stands does not consider right or fair, sure there's a balance the universe tries to keep in check, but if I had one extra year for every time I've heard the argument, 'that's not fair' or that 'that's not right' I could start a whole new timeline" Father Time said.
"which is something, I guess, we're supposed to accept" dorothy sighed.
"it's the way the universe is governed, it may not be fair but its how it has to be." He replied.
"they had a choice, Elphaba and Nessarose, and they made what too many, was certainly the wrong one, but history is full of people like that." Came Roquat's voice.
"ah Roquat, you're early, how was the council?" Time Inquired.
"you know the answer to that already, but did they really have to make him guard a vault?" Roquat asked.
"Some people still don't trust him, if he can succeed at guarding it without all hell breaking loose then he will have completely earned a pardon in their eyes, you know who put in the complaint, you knew that the result would likely be that, you know it's a test of integrity, trust, and judgement, even the tribunal got involved." Father time said.
"the tribunal?" Dorothy asked worriedly.
"Yes, someone put in a complaint, the jester must guard a vault, which may as well be empty for what they put in it, its been what, a century since someone was last punished with that task?" Roquat asked walking over to a book that dorothy knew was not there before.
"Roundabout by your standards, he'll be the only one that can open it, and the only one that can let the force contained inside out." Father Time said.
"what is the force?" Dorothy asked.
"honestly, its absolutely nothing, as has been said, it's completely harmless, the vault is just a test of character, and you may ask, then why bother doing it? and my answer, I'm not sure, we just do." Roquat said flipping through the pages.
"well, I guess I've learned all I needed to know, and you know, now that I've put real personalities to the people I accidentally destroyed, I feel a bit guiltier about it, they were good, once." Dorothy sighed.
"But the path they took wasn't one that you really come back from." Roquat said.
"Could they have?" Dorothy asked turning to him.
"Its possible, none of us knows quite how the hourglass works." Roquat said.
"so, I've been told, well, my next question is, where am I meant to be?" dorothy asked, the scepter making a curious sounding ringing noise.
"oh, that's neat, the crystal is resonating, I haven't seen that in years" Roquat chuckled out turning to her.
"Your destination is back to emerald city, with the people who need you, and the people you care about." Father Time said, his voice echoing.
Suddenly dorothy found herself standing next to her throne in the chambers. They were completely empty. however, dorothy no longer felt as upset as she had early, the guilt was still there but she knew there likely wasn't going to be anything she could do about that. However, the first thing she resolved to do, was to go talk to her aunt and uncle.
Well, this was a long one, sorry about that, but now to the questions, What do you think the jester and Rose pleaded to the tribunal about, and how will the recent developments affect things to come? Leave a review if you'd like.
