Disclaimer, the usual

At the shower, dorothy found herself sitting at a table by herself in the corner, she had been there a few hours, and to her delight, her presence didn't draw too much attention where she was. The turnout was better than anyone there had expected. One of the attendants that surprised her was Emma Yoop, who was right now chatting with Aislynn, Eliza, Ellie, Annabella, Betsy and trot. There were several people that dorothy didn't know, friends of Alyssa and Elena before they joined Glinda's army. Her aunt had spent most of the shower chatting with Mrs. Teak, Mrs. Johnson, Mrs. Upland, and many of the other mothers that had shown up. Alyssa's mother had isolated herself from the party. All in all, she was essentially an older version of both Elena and Alyssa. Though her face seemed to be locked in a permanent scowl. For reasons dorothy wasn't entirely sure about

However, the beginning of the shower was not without its faults, she had spent a while trying to keep people from hounding her, which was what led her to seek an out of the way table.

"why don't you socialize?" Rose asked coming over to her.

"I'm trying not to draw attention away from Alyssa." Dorothy said as the scepter let out a few disapproving pings

Rose looked at her and shook her head. She turned to see her daughters coming into the hall with Brianna helping her with a large punchbowl.

"even the scepter agrees that you should be out engaging, come on dorothy, your maid of honor, you should be supporting Alyssa." Rose said.

"rose, I spent 20 minutes trying to keep people away, so Alyssa could have her time with her friends." Dorothy said, smiling.

"and you're okay with that?" Rose asked.

"yes, I want her to be happy, and spend time with her friends, she can see me every other day if she wants considering I spend many of my afternoons in my room in the palace." Dorothy said taking a sip from her punch glass.

"okay, do you think Alyssa is okay with that?" rose asked.

"I'm hoping she hasn't noticed." Dorothy said.

"well, you know that your double is almost certainly plotting something?" rose asked.

"Maddie? I'd be shocked if she wasn't, I mean, she picked the table right across from me, because no one is looking over here." Dorothy said looking over at Madeline.

Madeline looked backed and waved, dorothy nodded and waved back. Madeline was indeed plotting something, but now was not the time to reveal the plan, however the look on her face was one that worried dorothy.

"why don't you at least go talk to her?" Rose asked.

"same reason." Dorothy said sighing and leaning back against her chair

"Okay come now dorothy, you can't stay over here the entire time, oh, I forgot why I came over here, my husband to be, as we haven't gotten Ozma's blessing for quick ceremony yet, wanted me to give you this." Rose said rummaging through her pockets and pulling out two gemstones.

One was a ruby, about the size of a golf ball, the other was what appeared to be an emerald, but not green enough for it. Set in a gold framing.

"I don't know what the peridot is for, he gave me one as well saying he'd explain later, but the ruby he said, you might have some fun with." Rose said smiling.

"did he say what kind of fun?" Dorothy asked picking it up and looking it over.

Immediately the scepter made a loud chiming noise and started zapping magic into the ruby causing dorothy to drop it.

"yes, he did, actually he said, and I quote, 'after a few steps, she'll have some fun with it I'm sure.' It's taken me till now to realize what it's about to do." Rose said taking a few steps back.

"Ah yes, dorothy, you going to finally get up and be social?" Alyssa shouted across the room.

Immediately the ruby began glowing and dorothy found herself unable to have any control. The ruby, once belonged to the jester's sister, the witch of the east. It could control the slippers remotely if she wanted it and often used it to summon them to her. It was one of the few possessions of her the jester had tried to keep while keeping himself away from it to probe it for magical power that he could pull from. He had given it but one command before giving his blessing to pass it on the its now, proper owner, dorothy. And that was to make sure, once it had come in contact with her, to make sure that she had a good time, and made the best of it, not letting her sit down. This request came at the behest of Glinda and Alyssa, who knew dorothy would likely act the way she was from the get go. And to make matters worse for dorothy, the slippers would not be able to come off until the point at which the shower was over.

"Maddie, you had something to do with this didn't you?" dorothy asked as she found herself walking over to Alyssa.

"actually, for once she's completely innocent, I'll have to explain to you what that ruby is able to do, best that Roquat has explained it to me." Glinda said.

"dorothy, why are you shutting us out?" Alyssa asked serving herself some punch.

"why do you think? This is supposed to be your party, and I don't appreciate you guys taking control of me to achieve that." Dorothy said sighing.

"dorothy, we aren't controlling you, the ruby and the slippers are, given one request, to make sure you have a good time, and that they won't come off until the shower is over." Alyssa said.

"and you went to the jester, for this?" dorothy asked irritated.

"Glinda knew about the ruby, and had for a long time, it's from the same set that the slippers are arranged from, I don't think the witch of the west knew about it or she would likely have taken advantage of it herself, don't you think?" Alyssa asked smiling.

"yes, I assume so, but that doesn't justify doing this to me." Dorothy said.

"ahem, if I may?" came the stern voice of Alyssa's mother.

"ah, now she decides to talk." Brianna said taking a few steps back and hiding behind Alyssa.

"anyways, as I was about to say, while I do not approve of many of the decisions my daughters have made, joining Glinda's army, fighting in several battles, dropping out of their university to do so, I do approve of the friends she has chosen and the ones she has kept in close contact." Alyssa's mother said clearing her throat.

"get to the point mother dearest." Alyssa said rolling her eyes.

"I am Alyssa, what I'm trying to get at, directing this to dorothy, is that you seem to worry too much about taking away from other people experiences, and try to isolate yourself so to not draw attention away from them, but what my daughter wants, is for you to be yourself, not some wall ornament that sits in a corner and oversees the goings on, that's my job." Alyssa's mother replied.

"I don't think I could've put that any better, dorothy, this is my mother, you can call her piper if you'd like, she was at one point a witch, and wanted Elena and I to endeavor to be like her, you can see how that ended." Alyssa said drawing her sword from under her party dress.

"have you had that on you this entire time?" Glinda asked sounding upset.

"of course, my mother doesn't approve so I have to." Alyssa said getting a chuckle out of many of the girls.

"you know I still don't understand why you three just can't get along." Caitlyn said sighing.

"They've always been at odds." Chrissy said.

"at least they never argue, at least not vocally." Said two girls that dorothy didn't know.

The two girls were named Sharon and Shauna, and with the exception of dresses they were identical twins. Both about as tall as Alyssa, both were pale of skin and had platinum blonde hair that went passed their shoulders. They seemed to do everything in unison including walking.

"Sharon, Shauna, you're not helping." Alison said sighing.

"just voicing our opinions." They two said.

"dorothy, this is Sharon and Shauna, don't bother trying to tell them apart, they're practically joined at the hip anyways." Alyssa said.

"guilty as charged." They replied.

"charmed, I saw you two come in I think, do you always do things in cadence?" dorothy asked.

"annoyingly so." Brianna replied.

"again, guilty as charged, but we don't mind, it's an honor to meet you at last your majesty." The two said curtseying.

"please, just call me dorothy." Dorothy said smiling and curtseying back.

"anyways, Mrs. Fulton, could you at least, just this once, not cause too much of a scene with your daughters, last time you three ended in an argument I spent three days picking up the pieces and if you don't mind, I'd rather not do that again?" Chuck asked cautiously.

At this point dorothy tried to take a few steps back towards her seat but she found she couldn't budge, the slippers were keeping her firm on the spot.

"you know, I think we could do with some music and some dancing, dorothy how are you at going solo?" Alyssa asked.

"alex has been trying to teach me, but I'm not really good, but I think, whoa." Dorothy said as the slippers started to pull her to the center of the room.

"I think the slippers have a better idea of what to do than dorothy does." Madeline said walking over to the stage and joining the band picking up trumpet.

"Maddie, what are you doing?" dorothy asked.

"playing some folk songs, the slippers should take care of the rest." Madeline said smiling.

Immediately Madeline and the band began playing. The tune was upbeat, almost like a mix of Jazz and Ragtime. Immediately Dorothy's feet started moving in steps she didn't even know she was capable of doing, however, soon anyone who could do so without risking injury to themselves or personal property had joined in mimicking her.

"Old Folk dance." She heard Cassandra mumble.

"don't knock it, its impressive." Angela said.

"It looks interpretive, but I don't think I could move like that anymore if I tried, and even if I could, it would be so embarrassing for the triplets to see me like that." Em said.

"oh, come now Emily, if Madeline and frank were still alive you'd still be doing it, you were quite the mover back in the old days." Mrs. Teak said.

"frank and Madeline taught me everything I know about dancing, learned it from their parents, I couldn't bear the thought of enrolling dorothy at that dance academy that alex attends for fear that it would hurt me too much, to see her on a stage, preforming like her mother used to, and I look at her now, over there, dancing up a storm because of the slippers, and I think, Frank and Madeline would be proud of her." Em said.

This raised Dorothy's spirit a bit, she felt that slippers had intentionally moved her into hearing range of her aunt. She smiled and continued 'dancing'

Meanwhile back at the city.

Alex, Terrance, Jack, Morris and Wendell were sitting around Alex's room, idly chatting but mostly staying quiet.

"so, what's with the navy-blue décor?" Morris asked looking around.

"I dunno, Glinda thought it would suit me, I don't disagree." Alex said.

"I'm surprised you haven't asked Glinda to merge yours and Dorothy's room, I mean mads and I live in the same room." Jack said.

"I've thought about it, but Glinda has never really been fond of the idea, I mean you and Alyssa don't share a room, do you?" alex asked turning to Terrance.

"yes and no, no in the sense that I still have my own room, yes in the fact that I essentially do what you do, but the rest of that really isn't your business." Terrance said.

"that reminds me Terrance, what is your last name?" Jack asked curiously.

"Chambers, Alyssa's last name is Fulton, we're going with Fulton-chambers, mainly because we liked the way it sounded, but also because Elena asked us what we were going to do about the last name thing." Terrance said smiling.

"Jack do you have a last name?" Wendell asked curiously.

"Wendell how have we known each other?" Jack asked curiously.

"ever since you met the boss." Morris answered.

"and it's never occurred to either of you to ask?" he responded summoning a hand mirror and looking into it.

"it's never come up." Wendell replied.

"well, the answer is, well I don't, I just kinda exist." Jack said smiling.

"oh." Was all Wendell could say.

"so, how are things going at the shower?" Alex asked holding out his hand for the mirror.

"Alyssa actually went through with the plan to have the jester use the ruby, and I have to admit, even though dorothy is now at the mercy of the slippers, she can really move." Jack said handing him the mirror.

"I'm not surprised, I imagine dorothy had isolated herself in a corner." Alex said.

"probably, that's why Glinda brought it up." Terrance said.

"well you guys keep an eye on the party, I'm going to go see if Mr. gale needs any help with the triplets, please, while im gone, try not to knock everything over." He said turning to jack as he handed the mirror back to him.

"It was ONE TIME!" jack said.

Meanwhile at the garrison residence.

The jester was presently in the cellar, working on the door to the vault. What he was doing, all things considered, was rather naughty. He was attempted to bypass the many security measures the vault and the inner chamber had.

"Jester are you sure you're supposed to be doing this?" Thomas asked handing him a crystal.

"no, but the tribunal won't be surprised, the great thing about being dead for any amount of time is that it gives one a rather un-cluttered perspective on things, and if I'm clever enough, anyone I've given a peridot to will be able to access the vault, I had rose give one to dorothy just in case it ever comes down to it." The jester said picking up a resonance rod for the gems he was using for the locks.

"but what's in there will never, and I mean never be able to get out, you'd be bound to your punishment until the end of all things." Thomas said.

"nope, and that's because you don't know what's actually in there, usually only one member of the tribunal is required to deliver the news, all 12 only show up if what they're doing requires great power, and they had to get the blessing of the council of immortals, I've been going in and out of this vault every day and you've wondered why." The jester said as there came a knock from the inside of the vault.

"and that happens incredibly often." Thomas said taking a step back.

"yes, remind me to tell you what's in there after the blue moon festival, the only day I won't be going into the vault." The jester said as the lock he created started letting out a harmonic dirge.

"impressive." Thomas said

"I do my best, and I think I've done it, I'll have to have rose test it later." The jester said.

"and dorothy is never supposed to know about this?" Thomas asked.

"I'd rather not talk to the kid right now, she's probably less than pleased with me due to the ruby." The jester said touch his wand to the new lock.

"hey, your intentions were good, and I'm sure it got dorothy up." Thomas said starting to clean up the tools.

"that was the point, you know the kid will just sit around and observe." The jester said.

"I also don't understand why you always refer to her as kid, she has a name, but you only use it when things are serious." Thomas said giving him a stern look.

"because I don't really think I've earned the right to consider myself as a friend, she's forgiven me, but I haven't forgiven myself." The jester replied.

"you know, that makes absolutely no sense whatsoever, it sounds more like the ravings of a madman." Thomas said confused.

"you do remember who you're talking to right?" the jester asked taking the tools from him and placing them in a canvas bag.

"right, fair point, are you ever going to tell us your name?" Thomas asked.

"maybe, but not today, now, get back to whatever it was you were doing when I came to get you, now" the jester said sternly.

Thomas nodded and quickly went up the stairs, not looking back. He thought the jester was strange, and his behavior had gotten stranger since the vault had been placed in the castle. He seemed a bit lighter, kinder, as if he had finally fulfilled something. But wasn't going to tell anyone what it was he had done.

Meanwhile down next the vault the jester had his ear pressed to the door.

"at least nothing was given away, but I swear, if it ever comes down to it again, and this door has to be opened, dorothy gale is the one you will obey directly, not me, not rose, not queen Ozma, just dorothy." The jester said before taking a step back.

Immediately another set of knocks came on the door. While he wouldn't admit it to anyone, not even rose, while he asked for this, he would not admit he was afraid of the force trapped inside, not because it was actually dangerous, but more because he had his fill of power, and this was something that actually required him to be responsible for something other than his mental state. The jester sighed and picked up his wand, waving it over the new lock. Immediately it clicked and began shifting, the doors then opened, and he stepped inside.

Back at Glinda's castle.

A few more hours had passed and dorothy had spent socializing against her own free will, the only time she sat was when she got to have a break for punch and raspberry tart. the dancing was fun, as she would be the only other person to admit, but she still wasn't pleased by the fact that she didn't have much of a choice. Now that the shower was over, and people were going home, she was allowed to sit. It was now half passed eight in the evening and her legs and feet were sore from all the dancing. She had finally been able to remove the slippers and she was carrying them as the scepter followed behind.

"so, Emma, you are coming back to the city with us, I assume?" Aislynn asked curiously.

"of course, I'm attending the wedding." Emma said smiling.

"very nice" trot said.

"so, what exactly is it that a Yookoohoo can do?" Betsy asked.

"transformation magics mostly, we can do it without any real training, but I'm still not exactly good at it." Emma said sighing.

"Glinda can you send everyone back to the city? Except dorothy and Madeline?" Alyssa asked.

"of course, but why?" Glinda asked.

"I would like to talk to my maid of honor, and I may as well cut out the middle point of Madeline knowing what I was telling dorothy anyways." Alyssa said.

Glinda nodded and waved her wand. Immediately everyone who was meant to be at the city was returned there. And now dorothy stood alone with Alyssa, Glinda and Madeline.

"what did you want to talk about?" dorothy asked.

"actually, I wanted to apologize, for putting you through that, you were the life of the part when you didn't have the choice though." Alyssa said smiling.

"it's understandable that you did it thought, it wasn't the right thing to do, not by any means, but if you hadn't I would have gotten up and drawn attention to dorothy myself." Madeline said causing dorothy to glare at her.

"I wouldn't expect much less from you." Glinda said looking at her.

"neither would I, but Glinda, I want to know why you guys thought it was necessary?" dorothy asked turning to her.

"because this was a party, and you were going to refuse to socialize because you thought it would ruin things for Alyssa." Glinda said sighing.

"I mean, she's not wrong, that's exactly what dorothy was doing, trying to keep the attention away from herself and making sure Alyssa had a good time having a reunion with old friends." Madeline said.

"and that's the problem, dorothy, you shouldn't worry about things like that, I mean you can't deny that you had a good time once you were forced to be social." Alyssa said turning to her.

Dorothy sighed and shook her head, it was true that she did enjoy herself, but she still felt that she had drawn attention from Alyssa, and it made her feel bad.

"just promise me one thing." Dorothy said

"never do something like that again?" Alyssa asked.

"bingo." Dorothy said doing a spot check and making sure she had the gems rose had given her.

Pulling them from her dress pocket, she turned them over in her hand and sighed before putting them back.

"dorothy, I promise we won't do it again, besides, the ruby is yours now, it'll only answer to you like the slippers do." Glinda said.

"well, I don't know if the slippers only answer to me, alex can touch them, but I don't know if he could use them, and I think he'd look rather silly trying to do so." Dorothy responded.

"that, that's a fair point." Glinda said thinking about.

"I'd say let's test it at some point, but I have to agree with dorothy, that alex would like rather silly wearing them." Madeline said.

At that moment the scepter finally let out a chime in agreement. Dorothy sighed and shook her head before setting the slippers on the floor and putting them on.

"well, Alyssa, it was a lovely party, the parts I was forced to partake in anyways, I think I'll head back to the city, change, and go to bed, we can talk more tomorrow." Dorothy said with a sigh.

"right, again, sorry for forcing you into the situation but we all agreed it was something that would likely be necessary." Alyssa said.

Dorothy smiled and shook her head, tightening her fingers around the scepter, she smiled and clicked her heels, wishing to return to her room in emerald city. And with a whoosh, she was off.

Okay, yes this was another long one, and it probably generated a lot of questions. More characters are going to be introduced throughout the story, but I also have this question to pose. What do you think is trapped in that vault the jester is forced to guard, that would strike fear in him? And tell it that if things ever went downhill, that dorothy would become the one in control? This question will eventually be answered, but I want to hear theories if anyone has any.