Disclaimer, the usual

Meanwhile Madeline, Zeb, and their current entourage of animals seemed to be making decent progress. The ducklings staying close to either Glinda or Zeb and at this point, having learned what happened, keeping Madeline at her arms length when they could. Eventually they did quite literally bump into Ellie, Nessa, Polly and Emma.

"I would have thought you'd have enough sense to try flying." Nessa said looking down at Glinda.

"she has" Madeline said leaning against a wall and catching her breath, " there is a barrier above us of some kind."

Something she didn't understand was how the imps managed to cancel out the connection between herself and Dorothy. It was like a construct but they were quite evidently, unless she had missed some telltale signs, not in one. She couldn't feel Dorothy's thoughts, the only thing she knew was that she was alive.

"Honestly, Madeline." Ellie said helping Madeline to steady herself, "I'd berate you for allowing something this foolish to happen, but I think you're being punished enough."

"I think Glinda would be doing the berating if she cared enough to actually speak." Madeline said shaking her head in an attempt to clear it.

"Hatter, I could be wrong, but you seem to be less able to manage without the connection in full force." Ellie said shaking her head and helping Madeline along.

"Which is bizarre as Dorothy has been in constructs before, and the feeling has never been like this." She said staggering.

"the good thing is, wherever Dorothy is, she's not suffering the same affect." Ellie said sighing

"you don't make it sound good." Zeb said as they slowly continued along.

"Yes, well, that's a story for a different day, Zeb." Ellie said shaking her head and struggling to keep Madeline upright, "Right now I suggest we get moving before something else goes wrong."

However, as she said this, she felt something strange, Madeline, Nessa, Glinda, Polly, Emma, and the duckling that was Alison did as well. They shuddered and began to feel uneasy. Cassandra had felt it as well, a sudden radical shift in energy and a sense that something had just gone both horribly right, and had been done horribly wrong.

Elsewhere in the Maze, Alex, Annabella, The Beast, Ozma and Eliza were still trudging along when Ozma suddenly felt it as well. She shuddered but chalked it up to the imps. This was the easiest assumption to make, but it was also, mostly, the wrong one.

At the moment, however, back with Dorothy, Elphaba, Aislynn and the Imp, however. Things were just playing out in a rather boring way. The water had begun to recede and the chamber was now looking for a new way to terrify them. As this was all going on, an image appeared in the air, to give Dorothy a bit of a fright. She saw the condition Madeline was in and it worried her. The imp on the other hand, at this moment had been doing some thinking. It didn't matter if they got out. Once the chamber was vacated anyone else could be brought into it easily. The room was meant to make one submit to them, bring them to their side. And it didn't matter who it was, trying to win someone back that was no longer on her side was never an easy task. She resolved to initiate her plan then and there, it would save them all for the next 1000 years, but it would likely start the cycle over again.

"you can't do it, you mustn't!" imp-Udent shouted appearing behind

"Help them then, Do something against our sister." Imp-Etuous said firmly, standing her ground.

"I can't, I didn't do most of the transformations." Imp-Udent replied

"I said, HELP!" she shouted firmly.

"the most I can do is let you out, even I don't have every turn of the maze memorized." Imp-Udent said firmly.

Imp-Etuous nodded, though her sister knew that didn't matter. The scenario was, they got to the center, then what? The game would continue until she either acted on her plan or everyone else gave up. She liked these people she was helping because while they were annoyed by her sister's actions, they did not act the same way most did learning of the game. They seemed to take that on the chin. She couldn't help them on her own and she was fully aware of it.

"why don't I just leave you to decide on what you're actually going to do." Imp-Udent said, her voice leaning on the edge of ordering.

Imp-Etuous smiled, and delved into Aislynn's thoughts again.

"you can't, its unforgivable!" the imp shouted reaching out, finding herself unable to move.

"and putting the daughter of the queen of the fairies inside an almost impenetrable barrier isn't?" Imp-Etuous asked, "splitting someone up like that, Alex and the beast isn't? Take a moment to list all the crimes you two have committed compared to mine" she said crossing her arms behind her back.

"but even we wouldn't sink this low." Imp-Udent said, almost pleading

"oh don't give me that, you were quite ready to watch us all nearly drown." She said, "at the end of the day, I'm just the one who has to do something stupid for a good reason, and this time it's not just because I'm annoyed by you two, I'm doing it because I actually like these guys, they've actually treated me as a friend, not just an ally who can help."

"You're doing this, because you think you've made friends?" Imp-Udent asked rather huffily, "you really think they can defend you from what will come if you do it?" she added.

"We can try." Dorothy and Aislynn said stepping forward.

"then I really hope you have a good defense planned" she said looking at the other three, "because you might not like the results of her actions."

"Like wise you could be leading us on, which means we may just like it." Elphaba said wringing out her hair.

At that moment the wave rushed through the room, and before Imp-Udent had a chance to react, she vanished something metallic clattering on the floor. It took them all a moment to notice imp-Etuous had a shocked expression on her face, and the thing that was on the floor was a button, it appeared to be made out of brass. Elphaba went to pick it up but suddenly found herself unable to move.

"Don't touch it, I know what I just did, and considering what I also just did, that shouldn't have worked." She said uneasily.

She snapped her fingers and the button immediately flew to her hand. Shortly afterwards an opening appeared in the room.

"and, not including the what else, what did you just do?" Aislynn asked curiously, walking over to the imp and placing a supporting hand on her shoulder.

"the what else is unforgivable, the what I've done, is trap my sisters' spirit inside a button." The imp replied placing it in her pocket, "once she's fully ready to change, the button will transform to gold, but it shouldn't have worked."

"but you won't change her back?" Dorothy asked grabbing the scepter.

"not on your life." The imp said as an opening opened up behind them.

They quickly went out it and found themselves in the maze. Dorothy took a deep breath and sniffed around, like Alex and Annabella, she wasn't able to pick up any kind of a scent.

"we just need to get through the maze, give my plan time to work." The imp said sighing before picking a direction and walking in it.

"but why would you give up your own chance at freedom, for us?" Aislynn asked curiously.

"because eventually someone will properly get hurt, I don't know if what I did was a result of the action I've taken, or not." The imp said sighing, "but what I do know is that having had proper friends is better than never having them at all." She said sighing.

"well, if you'll forgive the pun, and Dorothy doesn't immediately decide there's something wrong with me" Aislynn said giggling, "then I think you've definitely, Imp-Roved." She added.

"okay, that was just awful." Elphaba said shaking her head.

"but not unwelcome." Dorothy said giggling as they walked along.

However, with the unease, they continued along in silence for about 20 minutes. That's when they came across the paint flowers.

"so, they were pretty close to us." Dorothy said looking up.

"yes" the imp said nodding looking up as well, "now let's make a run for it!" she quickly added

Immediately two paint flowers upset themselves over the group, covering Aislynn and the imp in yellow, and Dorothy in red. Elphaba, however had her umbrella up and was immediately questioning why the scepter hadn't protected Dorothy from the cascade.

"sometimes I think she just gets amusement watching me wind up in fixes like this, I've told you about candy county." Dorothy said, looking at the scepter, it was untouched.

"Come on, they can't be far." Imp-Etuous said pressing on

It did not take them long to track down Alex and Ozma, however they found that the beast was beginning to glow.

"id hug you, but we'd just create more of a mess." They both said in unison.

"one sister is down, that's half the separation enchantment gone." The imp said, "and I'm sorry to say it will be painful again." She added her face falling

"look, it's not your fault that we were separated in the first place, you don't need to apologize for anything pertaining to it." They both said.

"Actually." Eliza said thinking on it for a moment, "isn't purple your favorite color? Despite what you tell people on the contraire?"

"Yes Liza, it is." They both said as they continued on.

"I'd put you more under black or navy blue" Ozma said giggling, "but not purple."

"it's a strong, balanced, and forgive the metaphor, but passionate color." The two said again, "I just mostly wear dark colors because stains don't show up easily on them."

"I think his least favorite color is green, it grown on him over the years though." Annabella yipped.

"and you happen to be covered in green paint." Dorothy said giggling.

They went on to explain what had happened to them as they all walked on, the imp leading best she could. She wasn't able to explain the lack of any discernable scents to those with specialized senses in that arena, but she was able to provide encouragement.

"we're in the Endgame now, soon this will all be over, well, you all will be back to normal, Honestly its far from being all over." She said sighing.

"but whatever you did, it sacrificed your one shot at freedom?" The two asked curiously.

"yes, unless you guys can come up with a 100% watertight defense." She said as they suddenly and unexpectedly found themselves at the center of the maze.

"what happened to you guys?" Nessa asked curiously.

"Paint flowers." Alex and the beast said sounding rather annoyed.

"what did you do?" came the voice of the eldest imp, imp-Ertinent.

"Break the spells." Imp-Etuous said as her sister appeared in front of her.

"I'm sorry, what?" she asked with a sarcastic chuckle

"break the spells, you won't have much time to run otherwise." Imp-Etuous said.

"Tell me what you did first!" She ordered.

Imp-Etuous sighed and pulled the brass button from her pocket, holding it up for her sister to see.

"somehow, I managed to do this." Imp-Etuous said tossing the button into the air like a coin and catching it again before pocketing it, "now ill pose it again, undo the rest of the spells on my friends, or I'll do it by transforming you as well" she requested.

Imp-Ertinent looked at her sister, aghast. She turned away from her sister after a few seconds

"you won…" she said trailing off.

"what?" Imp-Etuous asked curiously.

"you finally did the big one, and you won." Imp-ertinent said

"then do as she said and change everyone else, who isn't already restored, back!" Mr. Teak ordered.

Everyone turned to look at him, and saw something none of them had ever expected. He was now pointing a revolver at the imp.

"Dad, I really don't think a gun is going to solve this problem." Alex and the beast said in unison.

"you don't seem so surprised that he has it though?" Dorothy asked looking at him curiously.

"Silver bullets." Mr. teak said point the gun at a vacant wall and firing.

There was a loud Crack, and the bullet pinged harmlessly off the wall. He quickly returned to aiming at the imp. His hand steadily aiming.

"only my dad would be the one stupid enough to carry a gun with a bullet in it." Alex and the beast said, "no one wants to work with a gun to their head though."

"And I don't appreciate my maze being shot either." Imp-Ertinent said turning to face him.

"give your son the gun." Imp-Etuous said looking up at the sky.

Alex and the beast both took a step forward.

"Dad, please, I don't care who that gun belonged to, I don't care where you got the bullets, but holding someone at gun point is NOT HOW WE DO THINGS, NO MATTER HOW DESPERATE!" the two shouted, "hand me the revolver" he requested again.

This time Mr. teak looked his son dead in the eyes. Then setting the gun carefully on the ground, kicked it over to his son. Alex stopped it with his foot, picked it up, and placed it in his inside suit pocket.

"officer grey." Mr. teak said shaking his head, "he is many things, superstitious is one of them."

"he's an officer of the law, you're a carpenter" the two said shaking their head and turning back to the imps, "get on with the sibling rivalry then." They added.

"no." Imp-Ertinent said "I've lost the main game but I haven't given in."

"I didn't even know I could properly win!" Imp-Etuous said, "but if you won't do it, then I only have one thing left to say to you"

"you weren't supposed to know, this was our game for a reason!" she said, her voice breaking, "say your peace then do it!"

"it was the only way I could make work." Imp-Etuous said shaking her head, "and I'm sorry I have to do this." She said.

She quickly pointed at her sister, who immediately transformed into a button. Looking at it from a distant it appeared to be made out of tin. The after effects of the transformation were nearly instantaneous, the only person who had taken a little more time was Alex and the beast. Their fusing back together was harmless enough to look at, but for the two of them it was excruciating. The beasts physical form just seemed to blend into the Alex's body, like two drops of water joining into one. He fell to his knees, trying hard to fight back screaming in pain. When the glowing subsided, Alex was on all fours on the ground, still covered in paint, panting and heaving.

Imp-Etuous, on the other hand, looked quite concerned about that. She knew her sisters were worried about his specific plight, and now that she had witnessed it firsthand, she understood why. Though she wouldn't admit that to anyone there, most of them with the exact same expression she was. She sighed and then walked over to the button, picking it up, she pocketed it.

"what exactly, did you do?" Glinda asked curiously, as she approached the imp.

Sometime earlier, in the Sanctuary of the Tribunal.

The wave had rushed through Oz as well, it had driven the Tribunal to the grove of mist. Though they were not the only ones in Oz to have such an affect from the feeling, they were the first to see the results. Crouched on the ground, was a man, he was dressed in a nice suit. His hair had mostly receded but he was not completely bald.

"Who is he?" Zinnia asked curiously.

There suddenly came a giggle from behind them. The twelve members of the tribunal turned to find a woman, with mostly raven black hair, odd looking eyes that seemed to be unable to agree on a matching color, and a grin on her face that made everyone feel uneasy.

"He, is Oscar Diggs" She said, "The Artist Formerly known as the Wonderful Wizard of Oz."

Okay, yea…. right, this is where things start getting More complicated. But to sum it up, this has kinda been something on the agenda for a while…wont say how long, more on this later though. feel free to leave a review...been a while since ive put that down here.