Disclaimer, you know.
"what's a nowhere?" Dorothy asked as a grave expression crossed Elphaba's face.
"Nowhere we want to be." Elphaba said, "pun intended."
"that doesn't answer my question, where are the others?" she added worriedly.
"somewhere else in the nowhere." The Imp said sighing, "I didn't think Imp-Ertinent would ever actually utilize this place again."
"well where are we in it?" Aislynn asked looking around the large room.
"this room in particular, takes your deepest fears and throws them at you." The imp said looking around, "so…does this room have any significance to any of you?" she asked curiously.
Dorothy looked around, it wasn't ringing any bells to her, though something in the back of her mind said it should. Elphaba didn't seem very worried by it either, nor did it seem to be affecting Aislynn.
"I guess It finds all your minds particularly interesting, I think the hatter must have done a little more than she bargained for with the nullifying spell." The imp said shaking her head, "instead of it stopping at the room it continued through the castle, which means…" she said trailing off then gulping.
"that the game, has been moved here." Came a familiar voice.
Immediately one of the other imps appeared in front of them.
"Imp-Udent, you can't be responsible for this." Imp-Etuous said shaking her head.
"Correct, on that count, I was however responsible for the pacification spell." Imp-Udent said smiling.
"which was uncalled for." Imp-Etuous replied.
"well, Imp-Ertinent has been fuming since the spell on this one and her double was broken, Kudos on working that out by the way, never expected you guys to figure that one out." Imp-Udent said.
"so, she was biding her time until an opening came." Imp-Etuous said sighing.
"setting things up, a few of your little friends are making their way through the maze." Imp-Udent said smiling, "and your memory is a bit screwy." Imp-Udent said giggling.
Imp-Etuous shook her head and looked around again. Then it dawned on her.
"so, this is where we go then, when the cycle starts over." The Imp said, mostly to herself, "no." she added shaking her head again.
"no?" Imp-Udent asked, then immediately checked her sister's mind, "oh, I see, you want to break the cycle, well you know Imp-Ertinent will never allow that."
"I know, and I don't think I'll be able to do it this cycle either." Imp-Etuous said sighing, "because this, if we can't get out of it, has forced my hand." She said.
Imp-Udent looked at her sister for a moment, curious. Then delved back into her thoughts, and found a plan. It scared her that her sister would even consider doing what she was planning.
"no!" She shouted, "Don't you dare do that, you know what will happen if you do that!"
"Do what?" Aislynn and Dorothy asked in unison.
The imps shared a glance for a moment.
"I know what will happen if I do it, but it might be the only way." Imp-Etuous said sighing.
"I imagine neither of you can tell us, or its forfeit?" Elphaba asked curiously.
"Correct, I can't even tell our sister, if I tell her the plan it's both forfeit and I can't guarantee what will happen." Imp-Udent said sounding defeated, then quickly steeling herself, "if you want my advice to survive this place, you three, I really hope your fears don't include anything annoying." She added before vanishing.
Elsewhere in the Nowhere, Alex, Ozma, The Beast, Eliza and Annabella had been set down.
"if I asked." the Beast said.
"Where you think we are" Alex added.
"would we regret it?" they both finished in unison.
"no, because I haven't a clue." Ozma said getting to her feet and brushing herself off.
Alex sniffed the air; he couldn't make out any discernable traces of anyone. Not even Dorothy seemed to register, and he knew her scent well.
"No sign of her." Annabella whimpered.
"Because she's not in the maze." Came a voice from behind them
The group turned and saw one of the imps standing there.
"We're in a maze?" Eliza asked curiously.
"actually, you guys, and most of your other friends are, there are a few in the center, including the ones you transformed back." The imp said with a giggle, "plus a few others, the center of the maze can only be entered though, never left."
"doesn't that make it more of a labyrinth?" Ozma asked curiously.
"does it matter, your majesty?" the imp asked in a mocking tone, "anyways, rules are simple, get to the center of the maze, and you'll be safe."
"Where's Dorothy?" Alex, the beast and Ozma all asked in unison.
"oh she, her charge, my sister, and another of your bizarre friends are completely safe for the time being." The imp said, "if they can make it through their challenge, but I can't stick around, I must give the rest of your bunch the rules of the game." She added before vanishing.
Zeb and Madeline found themselves placed in one extreme of the Maze with Glinda, and the Ducklings that were her army. Ellie found herself with Nessarose, Emma, and Polly. None of them liked the fact that they were in a maze, or labyrinth or whatever it was but it was where they were. And they all resolved to get to the center of it. In the center, was the group who had stayed in Kansas, as well as Cassandra, The cat that was lion, Tin man, Scarecrow, the china princess and marshal mallow, Finley, the stuffed owl that was Wiser, as well as Alyssa and Terrance who had left the deck of the Gale to check on everyone.
"I can't say I didn't expect something like this eventually." Cassandra said hobbling over to a barrier. "One way barrier, only the imps can get in and out of here." She said poking it with her stick.
"The game could only be moved; nothing could be changed about us." Toto said repeating what the imp had said when explaining the rules to them.
"our little friend added to the enchantments. They could change everyone who was already changed back to their original forms and back again, but not to anything else, nor could they affect the unchanged." Cassandra said firmly.
"but was it in retaliation for changing us back or had this already been planned?" scarecrow asked curiously.
"most likely the latter, this is a nowhere." Cassandra said a bit huffily, "we're perfectly safe in here though, so I wouldn't worry too much."
"what about Alex, and Annabella?" Mr. Teak asked curiously.
"everyone should be safe from any lasting damage; the imps cannot kill." Cassandra said hobbling over to a rock and sitting down on it, "they just have to get here."
Back in the room however, Elphaba was pacing back and forth. Dorothy wondered what one of her fears were, to make her this worried. She then went through her back and pulled out a blue bottle.
"No illusions?" Elphaba asked curiously.
"no, they're quite real enough, they can't kill you as far as I'm concerned, they just scare you into submission." The imp said looking at her,
Dorothy looked at Elphaba and noticed something, she was wearing a pearl necklace, Alex had told her about it. But didn't say anything until Elphaba had downed the bottle she was holding.
"because I am mostly allergic to water, this potion staves off the effects, Glinda apparently set some aside for me some time ago." Elphaba said sighing.
"well, she adores you." Aislynn said, "and I assume your fear, is either drowning, or being trapped in a flooding room with no escape?" she added curiously.
"you would be right on the latter; drowning won't kill you in Oz though." Elphaba said sighing as water began to rush across the floor.
"okay so either we get nearly drowned, or catch our death of cold?" Aislynn asked curiously.
"No on the latter, we imps cant actually kill anyone, and I mean physically and per the rules of the game." The imp replied.
"and your biggest fear is being stuck in the cycle forever?" Elphaba asked curiously.
"yes." The imp replied.
Elphaba immediately looked at the large pearl on the necklace, it remained white.
"would my sister really be scared of what I planned to do if I didn't really desire to break the cycle?" The imp asked sounding rather annoyed.
The water filling the room was now ankle deep.
"I don't know, this is one big game so I had to be sure." Elphaba said sticking the tip of her umbrella into the water.
"the room is beginning to fill faster." Dorothy said worriedly.
"yes, to increase the fear." The imp said
"but with that potion you have no need to fear this." Aislynn said.
"the affects aren't permanent this one specifically lasts only a day." Elphaba said, "long enough for me to take a long day in the palace swimming pool if I wanted."
"is that potion difficult to make?" Aislynn asked curiously.
"not really, it's just a pain to do so, it's like an antidote to a rather nasty toxin, can take weeks to months to make it, but it's really hard to fail at doing so, it's just the small dosage." Elphaba said.
"I know about the antidote." Dorothy said squeezing her arm, "Evanora had tipped the claws of one of her flying baboons with it, and it scratched me." She said.
"and Glinda had to make the antidote, as she is the only person with access to a quoxwood tree." Elphaba said sighing.
"yes, though your brother apparently had some at the winter house." Dorothy added looking at where the baboon scratch had once been.
"I could have told you that, had I been alive at the time." Elphaba said sighing,
The scepter let out a low, dull ringing sound. Dorothy sighed and looked at the orb. The scepter was still able to float without her holding it so it still had power, but was it enough to support four people?
"is there a way to beat this place?" Dorothy asked curiously,
"technically yes, that's to beat the fear, I hope we're all decent swimmers." The imp said.
Dorothy sighed; the water was now up her waist.
"well, I do know how to swim, despite my aversion towards water, I'm allergic to it but its unavoidable." Elphaba said sighing,
"Well, the witch of the west had more than just an aversion towards water." Dorothy said, "she melted."
"yes, I know." Elphaba said
"although I'm not sure the swimming part matters does it?" Aislynn asked, "it's about the fear of drowning, not the possibility or inevitability of drowning."
"I think at the moment I'm more afraid of what's happening to everyone else." Dorothy said.
"oh, they're all perfectly safe." The imp replied
"my question is, what could you have planned that made your sister incredibly worried." Elphaba asked curiously.
"the endgame." The imp said, "I'll use it if things start getting too far out of hand, the problem is, I may just give up another chance in breaking the cycle if I do."
"then why do it?" Aislynn asked curiously, "I'm sure we could work something else out."
The water was now up to chest height on Dorothy and Aislynn. The imp was now treading water.
"it's more of a contingency than anything else, it guarantees results, but causes a lot more problems in the process." The imp replied looking around
"you know, given the current situation." Aislynn said, quickly changing the subject, "I'm quite glad Ozma isn't here."
"why?" Elphaba and the imp asked curiously.
"because while Tip was a fairly decent swimmer, at least according to Ozma herself, she's somehow either lost the ability or lost confidence in said ability." Aislynn said sighing.
"Too bad our fear program is filled up." Came the voice of Imp-Udent "would either you or one of your little friends like to exchange your slots?"
"No!" Dorothy quickly shouted.
"well, we know what your biggest fear is then." Both imps said, Imp-Etuous however also rolled her eyes.
"it's not an unknown fact that if you put our friends in danger, we'll do whatever we can to save them" Aislynn said, "which, back tracking a bit, gives me an idea." She added.
Immediately Aislynn laid back, and began floating on her back in the water.
"actually that's not a bad idea." Elphaba said taking a deep breath. "floating on ones back, conserves energy, your body literally does most of the work, all you have to worry about is keeping your head above water." She added following suit.
Dorothy, quickly followed the example as did the imp. Within moments the water flow began to slow down. All they would have to do was find their means of escape. But what that was, was unsure.
Back with Alex, The Beast, Eliza, Ozma and Annabella. Considering the fact, they had no idea where they were in the maze, they at the very least hadn't seemed to have gotten lost. Alex had wondered if he could call out to the scepter and use it the same way Dorothy had over the last couple of months.
"I know that face." Eliza said worriedly, "that's your 'I'm about to have a wonderful Idea that might just backfire' face." She added
"Liza, you think you could go five minutes without berating me over something?" Alex asked curiously
"depends, what's the plan?" Eliza asked curiously.
"to see if I can do what Dorothy was able to and reach out to the scepter." Alex said looking at his double for a moment, "however, I don't know if that will for one, actually work in this place and two, actually work for me because I'm technically quite literally in two minds." He said.
"I mean, that's a one in three chance that it does work." Ozma said taking a moment to try her own wand.
It simply let out a plume of smoke but otherwise nothing happened.
"but the scepter is powerful, and to be perfectly honest, borderline sentient." Alex and the beast said in unison.
"well, let's take a fourth thing into account, there have been no other signs of Madeline manipulating anything." Eliza suggested
"She could just be where Dorothy is." Annabella yipped as they all
"Also, a possibility." Alex said as they turned a corner, "we know that a majority of our friends are in the middle of the maze, we know that at least Dorothy isn't in the maze at all, and it also stands to reason that we are not the only ones running this maze either." He added.
"and the imp said that it was one of our bizarre friends, I don't think that word fits ace very well." Ozma said, "Genius yes, Bizzare, no…but I don't think
"and after this, if we never say or see another maze again it will be too soon." The beast said sighing.
"But the imp said, ONE of our bizarre friends, madeline may be bizarre, but the imps seem to be in the habit of calling her Dorothy's double." Eliza said, "which fair play is 100% accurate."
However, as they turned another corner. Alex and the beast got a very odd feeling, then looked down at the ground. It was colored, unlike the rest of the maze. Then they looked up and saw something even more bizarre that didn't add up. They stopped Eliza Annabella and Ozma and told them to look up. The two looked around the corner and confirmed their suspicions. This place acted on the same lack of conventions that everything else did. Above them now seemed to be gigantic pitcher plants. Ozma Recognized them.
"I would very much suggest moving quickly, otherwise there may just be a great big mess." Ozma said.
"why, what are those?" Eliza asked curiously.
"Paint flowers." Ozma said, "some of which, look ready to upset." She added.
As soon as she said this, two flowers, one filled with blue paint the other with green pour out over Annabella, Alex and the beast. The doubles had wound up drenched in thick blue paint whilst annabella had mostly escaped being covered in green, but there was still paint dotting her fur.
"Well, that looks…" Eliza said trying to supress a giggle, "disgusting."
"Yes and it feels it too." Alex said, spitting some paint from his mouth,
"and these were some nice suits," the beast added,
"you alright annabella?" the two of them then quickly asked
"Not as messy, but yes brother dear." Annabella said trying to shake off some of the paint and failing.
"Blue isnt really your color I think." Ozma said giggling.
"I don't think now is the time to debate what looks good on us, lets just keep moving before more over turn on us." The two said firmly, "we can deal with our personal gripes with the situation later." They said pushing along.
"annabella, why don't you try sniffing along again." Eliza suggested "I don't think your brother is going smell more than paint until we find some way of washing that paint off."
"Well, with any luck it could rain" Alex said looking up.
"the imps wouldn't allow that." Ozma said taking a few deep breaths as she regained her composure again from giggling.
Well, here ends part one, yes I know this chapter is a tiny bit confusing, and the idea of a room playing off fear while having used a similar concept several times in the past. This one specifically, is inspired by a novelization of a doctor who story.
