Disclaimer, meh
Dorothy awoke to a strong smell of peppermint. She had been crying, she could feel that her face was still completely streaked with tears. Taking a moment to get her bearings, she cursed herself for letting her guard down long enough for one of them to bind a spell on her. She didn't have the scepter, or the slippers as she hadn't thought, in the moment, to grab either of them. However, it clicked in her mind that she wasn't where she ought to be, and where she was, wasn't somewhere she recognized. It felt like a construct, for all intents in purposes. But it looked like a simple home. She wanted to call for someone but realized, there probably wasn't anyone to call, which led another question to form, what was the smell of peppermint coming from. Getting up, her bare feet immediately met with some rather smooth and silky carpeting. Looking down at it, it was green, the greenest green she had seen outside of the emerald city. The room was simple. Small, it had a bed, a desk, a dresser, and a large mirror. On the desk, was her sketch pad, and a few pens. She sighed and placed a hand on it.
"Alex!" She shouted as he came into her mind, she ran out of the room.
Following the scent of peppermint for a bit, she passed by where it was strongest which she assumed was a kitchen but made no attempt to look in there. Though had she done so, would have been met with two very familiar figures. She ran until she reached what would have been the main hall. There were a few arm chairs, and a sofa set up. a coffee table sat in the middle of them close enough for one to be able to reach it from most of the chairs and the sofa. Against the left wall was a book case stacked with books. A fireplace was to her right, with a cast iron cooking pot hanging over what looked like recently burnt out coals. Her mind was racing as she looked for a way out but found none. In front of her, as she walked around the coffee table, was a rather bare wall. She had no idea where she was, how long she had been out. She could guess why she had been put there, and that was to stop her from going after alex. This however, made her see red for a moment, as she pounded against the wall. She was angry, with no way out, her mind hoping that if she hit it hard enough something would happen.
She banged against it until she found herself with no strength to do so anymore and fell to her knees. It was no use trying to escape, wherever she was, she knew she had no control. She wanted to find him only to find her path blocked. She broke down again, crying. After a few minutes she heard the clinking of porcelain and footsteps approaching her. She could also hear what she could only assume, as the scent of peppermint became strong again, was tea being poured into a large cup or mug. A warm hand found itself upon her shoulder. And a voice, that of a woman, one she had heard a long time ago. Now sweeter, softer, with sympathy she didn't originally associate with the voice. Reached her ear.
"it's going to be alright." The voice said.
Dorothy looked over at the hand on her shoulder and was immediately snapped out of her sadness by it, only to have it morph into fear and concern. The hand was green and there was only one person she knew of like that. She immediately turned and pushed her back against the wall as she was met face to face, with Elphaba. The former wicked witch of the west. Restored to her youthful form once again. Behind her, pouring the tea, the woman she recognized as Nessarose, the witch of the east. She had encountered them once before, at castle grey when she summoned their spirits to aid her in her fight against their brother. And this, to her, wasn't fair, why would he do this, either to himself, to her, or to them.
"b-b-but, you're, what?" Dorothy managed to sputter out.
Elphaba smiled, offering a hand to dorothy, which she took. Once she was to her feet, her confusion went away, as she found she didn't care about the how. She immediately embraced Elphaba, who smiled and let out a chuckle.
"told you she'd take it well." Elphaba said looking back at her sister.
"alright, you win, I'm surprised after all that she doesn't hold anything against you, I mean, they were your wolves." Nessarose said, putting emphasis on the 'your'
"they were, the witch's wolves." Dorothy said releasing Elphaba from the embrace before turning her attention to Nessarose.
"well its good that you can tell the difference, but we can't, we still have all the memories." Nessarose said a bit disgruntled.
Dorothy smiled and walked over to her. Embracing her next before plopping down onto the sofa. Alex was still on her mind, and it showed.
"How long was I out?" she asked curiously.
"most of the night, it's the final night of the blue moon festival, tomorrow, the sun shall rise, and the hunt will go searching for him." Elphaba said coming over to her.
"Sugar?" Nessarose asked curiously.
"No thank you, where am I?" Dorothy asked curiously.
"Castle garrison, still." Nessarose replied handing her a large mug,
"but…" Dorothy said trailing off, trying to think of where in the castle she could be.
"don't worry, you'll get it in a moment." Nessarose said putting two spoons of sugar into her cup and stirring it.
It took dorothy a moment, she looked over to the bare wall. There had to be a reason there wasn't a way out. Her thoughts then turned to Nessarose and Elphaba. They were supposed to be dead still, and checking her pulse, she concluded she was still alive. Then she thought about what she had done as Elphaba took up a napkin and wiped the tears from Dorothy's face. She had banged against the wall, quite hard. Anyone on the other side would have heard it, at least, she hoped. It was then, that the pieces fell into place.
"they put me, in the vault." Dorothy said taking a sip from her mug, sighing and then setting it down on the coffee table.
"Very good, but it was our little brother that put you in here, there was no they, he dropped some supplies in here for you not too long ago, apparently your, um, aunt I think he said, wasn't too happy with you being essentially held captive." Nessarose said.
"they did it so I wouldn't go after him, which I still fully intend to do." Dorothy said sighing.
"the good news is, the process can be, mostly reversed." Elphaba said taking a sip from her own cup and setting it down.
"Mostly?" Dorothy asked worriedly.
"Even when he's restored to his former shape, the beast will still exist within him, that part of him that woke up, fighting for control." Elphaba said.
"and the wolf attributes?" Dorothy asked.
"those can be sealed away in a vessel such as a gem, or in Benton's case, a collar, which speaking of, what's your relation to the hatter?" Elphaba asked pulling a familiar collar from her dress.
"that's a long story, and honestly it confuses even me, that however is mine." Dorothy said holding out her hand for it.
"It has a powerful transformation spell bound to it, the seamstress's work no doubt." Elphaba said smiling and handing it to her.
"yes, Maddie used it to turn me into a kitten and sneak me back into emerald city when Evanora took over, its usually in my closet in emerald city, I've only used it when I really needed to relax." Dorothy said sighing tempted to put it on.
"yes, my brother was explaining you haven't had much luck with that the passed couple of years." Elphaba said.
"Could you three back up behind the barrier if you aren't there already?" came the jesters voice.
Dorothy turned to look at the wall and a blue barrier seemed to just expand from the four corners leaving a 2-foot gap between the wall and the barrier. The wall suddenly changed, opening outwards into the dingy halls of the cellar. The jester and Glinda standing before them. Elphaba immediately shot to her feet as did Nessarose. Quickly sprinting in behind them was Madeline and Ozma. This caused dorothy to shoot up.
"Maddie, I understand you being here, but, Ozma?" dorothy asked worriedly.
"she wouldn't let me leave emerald city again if I didn't at least let her check up on you." Glinda said sighing.
"You say that like you're supposed to be the one in charge?" Nessarose said arching an eyebrow.
As the door shut behind them, the barrier faded allowing Ozma and Madeline to go over to dorothy. Glinda walked over to Elphaba. Now with a blank expression on her face. They stood there, silent for a minute, looking each other in the eye.
"Well?" Glinda said finally breaking the silence.
"Well?" Elphaba asked in response.
"I'm not going to hug first." Glinda replied crossing her arms like a child in a huff.
"I'm not going to either." Elphaba said doing the same.
For a moment, they stood like that before bursting out into laughter and embracing tightly.
"Elphie, I missed you so much." Glinda said sighing.
"So, you were saying?" Nessarose asked turning her attention to dorothy and Madeline.
"the two of us?" Madeline asked.
"two? You just got here." Elphaba said releasing Glinda.
"short version, we're one in the same, when Dorothy's parents died, her heart broke, that part of her projected itself into Oz, I came into being." Madeline said taking her hat off and putting it on Dorothy's head.
"why didn't you tell them already?" dorothy asked referring to the jester.
"wasn't my story to tell, I was planning on letting you know about this at some point, just not under these circumstances." The jester said plopping down in an armchair.
"But why keep them locked up?" Ozma asked.
"it was the best deal I could work out with them, technically they can't even leave this castle without authorization, but I'd rather not push my luck." The jester replied
"I'd have authorized it in a heartbeat." Ozma said.
"this is a dismal existence, but surely your majesty understands why we're in here?" Elphaba asked.
"no one remembers Elphaba or Nessarose, only the witch of the east and the witch of the west, just because you were brought back, doesn't mean you won't relapse, the thoughts and memories are still there, but this vault has been here almost a year now sure they could get some more freedom." Madeline said.
"you're good." Elphaba said smiling.
"so, how are you feeling." Ozma asked taking Dorothy's hand.
"a mix of emotions." Dorothy replied.
"dorothy, I'll be bringing your aunt here later, she wants to talk to you, but you do understand why we put you in here, don't you?" the jester asked.
"so, I can't go after alex, you left me without the scepter or the slippers, just my sketch book and my collar." Dorothy said sighing.
Glinda sighed and walked over to dorothy, taking Dorothy's chin in her hand.
"dorothy, we will find him, I promise you, we will bring him home." Glinda said before kissing dorothy on the forehead.
Dorothy immediately hugged Glinda, she wanted to just leave the vault, and go into the forest after him, but they weren't going to let her leave.
"the hunt better be ready with a head start, I'd wager, with how she seems to feel about him, the moment she sets foot out of this vault she's going to go straight out there." Nessarose said.
"she loves him, they deserve to be together, but the witch's creation just tore them apart." Glinda said.
Elphaba smiled and pat Glinda on the shoulder.
"would you, be willing to stay for tea?" Elphaba asked.
Glinda looked at her old friend and smiled sweetly but shook her head.
"I wish I could, Elphie, Nessa, I have a domain to run and a sister to protect, if I didn't have Locasta stopping her, ellie would go after alex herself, she's fiercely loyal to dorothy, and if it will make her smile again then she will go to the edge of the nonestic isles and back to do it." Glinda said smiling.
"she takes after you, reminding me of my old roommate." Elphaba said smiling.
This, however, did make dorothy smile. Ellie was prepared to put herself in danger for Dorothy's benefit. And while she didn't approve, she found it amusing that ellie was at least trying.
"tell ellie, and this is an order, to stand down, and not to go looking for him, I don't want her to get hurt because of me." Dorothy said sitting back down on the couch.
Glinda smiled, before starting back for the door.
"you know something, you two were some of the most powerful witches in your class, I'm surprised you haven't attempted an escape." The jester said.
"no point, what's there to see besides everything we broke that you guys repaired." Nessarose replied.
"wait a minute." Ozma said.
"yes, your majesty?" they all replied.
"this wouldn't have passed without a price, they don't have the benefit you did for a second chance, what did you give them in exchange for their lives?" Ozma asked.
"half of my power, and knowledge of magic, they allowed me to decide which half, surprisingly merciful." The jester said.
"and you, being you, chose all the dark magic you once used?" Madeline asked.
"Ozma, you've done your check in, I've got to return you to emerald city before you're missed." Glinda said sighing.
Ozma sighed and embraced dorothy quickly before running over to Glinda.
"how are the others handling it?" Dorothy asked looking at Madeline.
"well, the teaks have been taking it about as well as anyone could in their situation, Annabella has kinda distanced herself from everyone, its honestly rather depressing to see her like that." Madeline said.
"well, she just lost her brother, I'd be bothered if she didn't sulk." Dorothy said sighing.
"if you want, assuming I can get her parent's permission, I can bring her here this evening when I bring your aunt." The jester offered.
"if you could, please." Dorothy said nodding.
"well, I would love to stay and chat, but if I stay I might find myself getting as depressed as you are." Madeline said turning for the door.
"wait what about your…I'll just keep it for now I guess." Dorothy said taking the hat off and setting it on the coffee table.
Madeline smiled and simply vanished causing all of them to go white.
"that shouldn't…how did she?" The jester asked looking at dorothy.
"don't ask me, I don't know how she does it." dorothy said defensively.
"at a guess, I'd say its due to Madeline's less than natural nature." Ozma said.
"I mean, seriously if it weren't for the fact that while they're in here, they're access to magic is limited, I don't think this door would stop them, Elphaba is way too persistent." Glinda said as the door opened.
"I imagine you're probably right, anyways, I'll be back later this afternoon or something, promise me you three won't try to escape?" the jester said.
"No promises." Dorothy replied.
"we'll keep her here, you can count on it." Elphaba said.
The jester smiled and waved his hand in front of the wall. Immediately the door opened but the barrier did not reform. As the door closed and reformed into the wall dorothy thought back what the jester had said.
"he must really care about you two, more than anyone would have thought." Dorothy said sighing.
"why's that?" Nessarose asked curiously.
"he gave up half his knowledge of magic, AND half his power." She replied.
However, in the forests of Winkie country, a group of flying monkeys and what would be described by any outside observer as a flying ball of light, were working their hardest to lure a rather oversized animal way from the path of trouble.
