Disclaimer, *insert filler text*
It took dorothy ten minutes to be ready to go after him. 30 seconds to grab a pair of pants from his wardrobe, and 9 and a half minutes trying to figure out how to use the suspender before asking to rose for help. As she stood, looking at the scepter, she didn't feel comfortable with the idea of bringing it with her. Same with the slippers, however, all she had here were the slippers and an extra pair of Alex's work boots. Weighing her options, she went with boots, going with Elphaba's advice about the woods. They were also about a size or two too big for her and were still incredibly loose after tying them as tight as she could. Once she was ready, Madeline came into the room.
"are you sure you don't want to at least bring the scepter?" Madeline asked curiously.
"Maddie, if I'm going to find him, and he's not regained himself, do you really think I want to paint a target on myself by bringing it?" She said looking over at Alex's sword.
"you're already enough of a target in that outfit." Madeline said giggling.
"yea its tacky I know, but I'm not going to wait idly by." Dorothy said picking up the sword and sheath, strapping it to her waist.
"Doesn't make it any more of a good idea." Madeline said, "not that any of us know exactly where he is, I tried finding him in the crystal ball in the chambers, I couldn't find him." She added.
Dorothy shook her head and looked at the scepter.
"I know you're capable of doing things on your own, do you think you can at least get me close to where he might be?" dorothy asked it curiously.
The scepter dimmed for a minute. The two of them remained silent, practically holding their breath. It began humming, and in a moment it made a reassuring pinging sound. However, at that moment, toto and pockets ran into the room.
"Dorothy, let us come with you, please." Pockets begged.
"no, you two need to stay here, where its safe." Dorothy said sternly.
"yes ma'am." They both said heading over to corner.
Madeline sighed and produced the whistle that the tribunal had given dorothy.
"when you find him, it'd probably be best to blow this, let them know you've fulfilled the third term." Madeline said handing it to her.
Dorothy nodded, pocketing it. the scepter was now glowing quite bright. As if by instinct, Madeline took her wand out and pointed it at the scepter. She looked at dorothy, who nodded.
"when you're ready." Dorothy said taking a deep breath.
Madeline nodded and shot a ball of light at the scepter. Dorothy closed her eyes as she felt her feet leave the wooden floor of the room she was in, the wind whipping around her. I'm a moment she stopped, staggering she nearly fell over, the sword clanging against a tree. Regaining her composure, she started walking.
"Alex!?" She shouted, "are you there?" she went on
Her voice seemed to carry for miles, in a manner that didn't seem possible for the area. However, her call was not met by a howl, but by a growl. One that made her freeze on the spot, she had heard it before, what now felt like forever ago. She heard the brush rustling behind her. She felt the hair on the back of her neck stand on end and her skin get goosebumps. She was afraid to look behind her even though she knew what was there. As she slowly turned she was met face to face with a large creature with the face of a tiger, and the body of a bear. A creature she had described once to alex, and one of the few things left that genuinely terrified her.
"of all the places it could have dropped me," she said nervously, "it had to drop me in the path of a kalidah." She said before yelping, turning on her heels, and running.
Elsewhere, not far off while all this was going on.
"I fail to see how this is in away brilliant." Fangs said walking over to alex.
Alex looked at the dog, he looked familiar.
"Fangs?" Alex asked curiously.
"in the flesh." Fangs said.
"But, I can understand you?" Alex said now confused.
"part of the curse, I'm afraid you are now imbued with the same gift dorothy has." Nikko said.
Alex looked up at the flying monkeys, he didn't really recognize any of them, save for Finley.
"Finley?" Alex asked.
"yes?" Finley replied putting his coat back on.
"did dorothy send you to keep an eye on me?" alex asked curiously.
"no, I went after you on my own accord, the night you transformed, I had been up on the roof of castle garrison when this fairy came 'round asking what was going on, I explained everything to her, and she suggested to truth pond, I knew full well your transformation was too powerful for it to be affected by the power of the pond, but she wouldn't listen, just as you transformed, in an attempt to prove her wrong, I went after you." Finley said putting on his hat.
"he then ran into us." Nikko said.
"well, that just leaves more questions, but I'll go for the important one, how long?" alex asked worriedly.
"almost five days." Finley said sighing.
Alex sat down, shook out his fur, and did the math.
"Great, just in time for her birthday." Alex said sighing.
However, before any of them could react a panicked scream reached their ears followed by what could only be described as an animal's battle cry. Nikko flew straight up flew out of sight for a moment then returned.
"Kalidah, chasing someone, not far." Nikko said.
"a kalidah?" Alex asked.
"chasing someone? Who would be this far into the woods, alone?" The fairy asking in an irritatingly high-pitched voice.
Both alex and Finley's hearts immediately sunk, sniffing the air a familiar sweet scent caught Alex's nose. He hoped he was wrong, but he looked at fangs and nodded. They both bolted after the source of the scent.
Meanwhile dorothy was running for her life, one of her eyes now shut as she had started sweating and it rolled into her eye. She had hoped Madeline would intervene, but realized, that if Madeline also had the same fear of Kalidahs that she had, she sure as anything wasn't going to show up. Looking back, she could see the creature was falling back. She knew it was teasing her, trying to lull her into a false sense of security. However, this moment of distraction was all that was needed for her foot to catch on a root, she tumbled face first onto the ground, quickly throwing her arms in front of her to stop herself, a pain shot through her left wrist and arm. She used her good hand to unsheathe Alex's sword holding it out, ready to stab at the creature. It growled as it slowly approached her. Dorothy pushed herself back until she hit a tree. Just before the kalidah was close enough to touch however, the sound of brush rapidly rustling, and a loud, piercing howl rang through the forest. The kalidah looked around just long enough for a gigantic wolf to pounce upon it. its claws connected with the Kalidahs face. It screeched ready to swipe only to have a large rock whack it in the head. A bunch of flying monkeys swooped down, Finley now at the head, landing in front of dorothy.
"you alright?" He asked.
Dorothy's heart was pounding, she had no idea what was happening, she nodded as she watched Fangs bound from behind the tree. Biting the hind leg of the kalidah. It screeched again before flinging him off. Swiping at the giant wolf a few times before collapsing and giving up.
"Fine, have her." It growled before turning and limping away, defeated.
"And don't even think about trying that again." Came Alex's voice.
Dorothy sat there for a moment, mouth hanging open.
"your wrist, you've either broken it, or sprained it." Came a grating voice to Dorothy's ears.
Dorothy still didn't speak, she just sat there as the wolf turned to her. There was a look in its eyes, one she recognized and felt. It was alex and she knew it. the wolf slowly approached her. Not wanted to cause anymore shock and alarm. Once he was close enough to touch, dorothy dropped the sword and reached out to him.
"alex?" dorothy asked curiously.
"yes?" he replied pressing his snout against her hand.
Dorothy didn't respond, she simply took a deep breath, and sighed in relief. Tears rolling down her face, she was happy, it wasn't what she had hoped for, but it was the best she could have gotten in this situation.
"alex, I've missed you so much, we were all so worried about you." She finally said.
"are any of the others out here, nearby?" Alex asked curiously.
"out here, yes, nearby, don't know." Dorothy said.
"well, I'm here, does that count?" Madeline said appearing next to him giving him a fright.
"Jesus, Maddie, don't do that!" alex said.
"I'm sorry dorothy, I wanted to come, but it was a kalidah." Madeline said helping dorothy to her feet.
It was at this moment that alex got a good look at dorothy. He immediately recognized the pants and boots, the suspenders, in his opinion were a bit tacky, at least on her, but he would have worn them.
"okay, I have a few questions, but we'll start with the most important one." Alex said trying to hold back a laugh.
"Hmm?" Everyone said looking at him.
"what in the name of sanity are you wearing?" Alex asked.
"some of your clothes, as I don't have any proper pairs of pants." Dorothy said giggling.
"well I see that, why?" alex asked curiously.
"because a jean dress isn't exactly suited for these woods." Madeline said as her own dress got caught on a low branch.
"she still tripped and injured herself." The fairy said.
"but she was still able to run, in boots that are about two sizes too big on her." Alex said sniffing her up and down.
This action was repeated by fangs.
"what are you two doing?" Dorothy asked giggling.
"Have you taken a sniff recently? You reek of molasses when you start sweating." Alex said.
"I was a bit busy, running for my life." Dorothy said defensively.
"I'm surprised no one was really harmed during all that." Madeline said sighing.
Dorothy smiled, went through the pockets of the pants she was wearing, and pulled out the whistle.
"alex, fangs, you're going to want to brace yourselves." Dorothy said bringing it to her lips.
Alex didn't care but watched in amusement as fangs dropped his face to the ground and covered his head with his paws. Dorothy took a deep breath and blew as hard as she could. Immediately a strong wind whipped through the forest, and in a moment Zinnia was standing before them, utterly shocked. When she regained her composure however, she took a look at dorothy.
"well, you've certainly taken a beating, I felt the energy shift when you left, but Melody will be able to fix it right up though, put it right as rain." Zinnia said before looking at alex, and taking a step back, "I assume he's safe?" she asked worriedly.
"oh yes, he's perfectly safe, its dorothy that was in danger." Finley said sighing.
"nearly mauled by a kalidah." The fairy said.
"a kalidah? Ms. Gale, perhaps you need a personal guard to tag along with you everywhere, you seem to straight up invite danger to you." Zinnia said giggling.
"she does have a guard, me." Alex said growling.
"woah, calm down, I was making a joke, the rest of the hunt, and your search party will be around in a minute." Zinnia said taking another step back.
"alex!" came the voice of his father.
Immediately they saw Mr. teak, looking quite worse for wear, run over. As he reached them, he smiled before running over to the large wolf, squatting down, placing a hand on either side of his son's face and pressing his forehead against it.
"I was starting to lose hope that any of us would find you." Mr. Teak said as the rest of the group came running over.
"mads!" jack shouted.
"jack!" Madeline shouted in return as she ran over to him.
"You alright your majesty?" Alyssa asked coming over to her.
"A bit shaken, banged up, but still alive." She said.
"Why in god's name don't you have the scepter!?" Mr. teak asked angrily.
"if I might interject?" Finley asked curiously.
"Finley? What are you doing here?" Mr. teak asked now shocked.
"helping, I managed to lure him to the truth pond, with some help of course." He started referring to the monkeys now landing around them, "thanks by the way." He said.
"don't mention it." basil said
"I remember you, you're the one that dropped me into the tornado that put me in the end of time!" dorothy said, "well, I guess I can pardon you for that." She said smiling.
"I had basil and Nikko gather our best and bravest, and we took turns luring him in the right direction, eventually fangs came along and was a big help." Finley said.
"that's not like you." Alyssa said.
"I'm afraid that's my fault." The fairy said, "I figured, transformation, the truth pond could set him right." She added.
"well you meant well, but this is powerful, dark magic, we're the only ones who can reverse it." Fayth said coming over to her.
"honestly if that kalidah hadn't started chasing her, and she didn't reek of molasses, I don't think we'd have found each other." Alex said.
"a kalidah?" Terrance asked worriedly as he came over.
"Oh, for goodness sake, can we just get on to the part where I get turned back?" Alex asked curiously.
"that's going to have to wait until tomorrow morning I'm afraid, we're still waiting on the seamstress to finish the collar, in the meantime, I guess we should get you all to the sanctuary, Ms. Gale is going to need to have that wrist of hers looked at." Benton said
