By and by, Dorothy and the gang drew nearer to the mountain that blocked their path and which was the further-most edge of the Nome King's Kingdom, the way grew dark and gloomy for the reason that the high peaks on either side shut out the moonlight. And it was very silent too, except for their footsteps trudging through the snow and stopping at the mountain wall.

"Uh, excuse me, but uh, didn't the wheelers say something about the Nome King not liking chickens?" Billina asked.

"Oh, yes," answered Dorothy. "What should we do with Billina? We can't just leave her outside if we meet the Nome King."

"Put her in Jack's head. There's an opening in the top of his pumpkin head," suggested Woodenhorse.

Dorothy picked up Billina, took off the cap of his head, and carefully pushed Billina inside the carved head of the jack-o-lantern. Her little face peered out through Jack's hollow eyes.

"It's a bit snug in here, but it will do," said Billina.

"I wonder if we are close to the Nome King's castle," said Tiktok, feeling around the edges of the mountain wall.

"I hope so," sighed Jack, who sat down on a boulder. "We've been walking so long, my joints are close to wearing out."

"And I'm hungry!" complained the Tiger.

"You're always hungry!" retorted Woodenhorse. "My hooves are killing me. I wish I'd have a pedicure."

"Suppose I meet another gump in the Nome King's castle? I'd die a second time of embarrassment," grumbled the Gump.

"I don't you'll have to worry about meeting other gumps up here," assured Dorothy.

Suddenly, they heard a shout of jeering laughter, and everyone became startled with fright.

"Who's there?" Dorothy called out to the voices.

For a second there was no reply. Then in the gloom, they could see strange faces flit across the rocks above them. Whatever creatures they were they seemed very much like the rock itself for they had the same color and their shapes were as rough and rugged as if they had been broken away from the side of the mountain.

"We are rock fairies, the Nome King's loyal subjects," answered one of the rock fairies.

The Tiger sniffed the air suspiciously. "Do you suppose they're good to eat?"

"What do you think we're made of, stupid? Rock candy!" The rock fairies laughed mockingly.

"That's the stupidest joke I've ever heard," Jack elbowed the Tiger in the hip.

"And you're the stupidest joke I've ever seen!" sneered the rock fairy.

The rock fairies laughed, disheartening, and Jack grumbled in disappointment.

"Don't listen to them. They're just a bunch of bullies." Billina whispered to Jack from inside his pumpkin head.

"Excuse me, but we have traveled a long way to see the Nome King," Dorothy said, standing boldly before the rock fairies. "May we please have an audience with His Majesty?" she pleaded.

The rock fairies started to laugh again; but a low growl that shook the entire mountain terrified the rock fairies, and in a flash they had all vanished from sight. A giant face had formed on the rocky wall before them and spoke in a deep voice.

"Tell me who you are and why you have come on my mountain, and what can I do to make you happy?"

"It's the Nome King!" gasped Tiktok.

Dorothy gazed up at the giant rock face in stunned silence. Once again she felt like she was in déjà vu because twice she had encountered giant heads before. The first being the Wizard and the second being the Jester. The Nome King waited for an answer so Dorothy took courage and spoke in a deep bellowing voice.

"My name is Dorothy Gale, Your Majesty. And these are my close friends, Woodenhorse, Tiktok, Jack, Tiger, and Gump."

The dark hollow eyes of the Nome King gazed down at the young girl, studying her appearance before realizing she was telling the truth. "Not the Dorothy Gale, the Witch and Jester Slayer of Kansas?" he gaped in amazement.

"Yes, Your Majesty," replied Dorothy. "We have come to ask you to release the Scarecrow and all my friends, and to restore the Emerald City."

"You believe that I have stolen, my dear, and you want me to give it back?" inquired the Nome King. "And what I don't want to give it back?"

Dorothy put on a very determined look. "Then my army shall conquer you and force you to do as I told you!"

"Army?"

The monarch looked down at Dorothy's friends, all trying to be brave but looked rather timid and frightened at facing him rather than conquering him. The Nome King started to laugh. As he did, the mountain shook making snow and rocks fall.

"Mom, why is he laughing at us?" Jack asked.

Instead of Dorothy answering, Woodenhorse growled, "It's because he's a creep!"

The more laughter the Nome King let out, the more the mountain shook violently and the rumbling got louder. The monarch coughed before laughing again, this time having the earth split open and Dorothy falling into the darkness.

"DOROTHY!" screamed a multitude of voices of her friends, watching Dorothy disappear beneath the earth.

As Dorothy fell deep into the dark cavern, she saw millions and layers of beautiful gemstones.

"All the precious gems in the world are made here in my underground domain," echoed the voice of the Nome King. "All made for me by my minions. So just imagine how I would feel when someone from the world above digs down and steals my treasures. All of those emeralds in the Emerald City really belong to me. I was just taking back what exactly was mine to begin with."

"You have so much," said Dorothy, looking at all the jewels.

"Beg pardon?"

"You have so much!"

"That's not the point, my dear. I'm not a thief. Your friend is the thief."

"Are you talking about…?"

The ride came to an end when Dorothy came sliding into the throne room through an open hole in the wall. She collided into someone and rolled over a few times from the impact. When stopping, Dorothy groaned a little, and then looked up into the face of the person whose embrace she landed in.

"Scarecrow!"

"Dorothy!"

The strawman king pulled her closer into his embrace. She wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his shoulder.

"Oh, I'm so glad I found you!" exclaimed Dorothy.

"Aw, I'm just so relieved that your alive," the Scarecrow smiled jovially.

"Dorothy!" cried a group of familiar voices.

Dorothy looked up and felt her heart leap with joy when she was surrounded by all her old friends. The Tin Man and the Lion pulled them both into a group hug. Wiser, Marshal Mallow, and China Princess soon joined them (China Princess was still being carried by Mallow so she gave Dorothy's shoulder a little hug).

At that moment, five more creatures slid into the throne room. Everyone looked back and saw Tiktok rolling along the stone floor like a bowling ball, the Tiger trying to stop himself sliding by digging his claws in the ground (and the position he was in reminded Dorothy of a scared cat), and Jack and Woodenhorse riding on the sofa of the Gump. These five collided into the surprised group and soon, everyone went tumbling over the floor and all over the place.

"Lion, old buddy! You're okay!"

"Tiger, old pal! You made it!"

The two big cats gave each a bone-crushing hug which didn't last long as they let go of the other.

"Thank you for keeping Dorothy safe, Tiktok. I knew I could count on you," the Scarecrow chuckled, shaking hands with the copper man.

"Just doing my duty, sir. But I'm just glad you're okay, Your Majesty," said Tiktok, who felt relieved to find the King of Oz safe and sound.

"And you must Jack Pumpkinhead," said Mallow, nodding his head to the jack-o-lantern politely. "My name is Marshal Mallow, the Second in Command of the Garrison at Candy County."

"Nice to meet you," said Jack. "And who is this?" He asked, looking at the China Princess.

"I am the Dainty China Princess of Dainty China Country," said the princess, curtsying. Then she noticed the Gump. "And, uh, who is this?"

"Just call me Gump, Your Highness," said the Gump, nodding his head. "I was built to be a flying machine, but I guess all I can do now is walk now that my wings are gone."

As Woodenhorse met Wiser, he stared at the large owl in mild bewilderment. "Whoa! You are a real faaa…aaantastic owl."

"Oh, thank you," smiled Wiser, unaware of what Woodenhorse almost said. "Dorothy once complimented me when we first met. But usually people call me fat when I first greet them."

"I can imagine why," Woodenhorse muttered under his breath.

"Oh, we were so worried about Dorothy," the Tin Man cried with tears of joy. "Scarecrow told us how you were hit by lightning and we all thought you were…"

"Wait! How did you know about that?" asked Dorothy, who was surprised to hear that her friends knew what had happened.

"Strawman says a ghost visited him in jail and gave him a magic mirror so he could watch you," said the Lion.

"I don't even know if it is a ghost or not, but I've kept watch over you during your adventures," said the Scarecrow. "I thought you were a goner when you got struck by lightning."

"Don't worry, guys," Dorothy grinned. "I'm fine. I made it here in one peace."

"Yeah, and what matters is we're all here together. Safe and sound." The Scarecrow chuckled heartily. Then he thought back to his dream world and decided that he should tell her how he truly felt for her.

"Dorothy?"

"Yes, Scarecrow?"

"I wanted to tell you this when we both shared the same dream. I lo…"

FLASH!

The sudden flashes of light made Dorothy shut her eyes. When she opened them, she found that, to her horror, the Scarecrow was gone.

"Scarecrow…"

And he wasn't the only one gone. The Tin Man, the Lion, Wiser, Mallow, and China Princess were all gone.

"Hey, where did everybody go?" Jacked wondered out loud.

"Maybe they're all invisible," suggested Tiktok.

"I wouldn't think so." Came the deep voice.

Everyone turned their heads sharply to the gem-decorated throne. Sitting upon his throne was the Nome King himself. He was a tall person, about as tall as the Scarecrow, Mallow, the Tin Man, and Jack. The man was clothed in a gray-brown garment that was the exact same color as his skin, his beard, and his crown, except that both his crown and robe were embedded with several colored jewels. Studying his appearance, Dorothy felt that he looked exactly like Dr. Worley.

"The Nome King," she muttered in mild awe.

"At your service," the king bowed his head.

"What have you done to our friends, fossil face!?" snapped Woodenhorse.

"Oh, I transformed them into little ornaments. Amusing and beautiful ornaments for my collection," chuckled the Nome King, acting like he didn't care. "I had been planning to do it for quite some time and you're coming here reminded me, my dear."

"Ornaments!?" gasped Dorothy.

Her friends' reactions were the same as hers.

"Want to know how I did it? I'll show you."

The king lifted the bottom of his robe up slightly so everyone could see his feet. Dorothy gasped at what she saw and thought she was going to faint in shock. There, resting within the feet of the wicked monach, were the magical ruby slippers.

"The ruby slippers!" gasped Dorothy. "How did you..."

"Find them? One of my nomes discovered them on my mountain and I have kept them in my mountain hidden away for many years. I put two and two together, and they just fell out of the sky one day six years ago. You were so anxious to get home to Kansas. They're quite powerful, you know. They have given me the power to conquer the Emerald City." The Nome King smiled contendedly at the shocked Dorothy. "Thank you, my dear."

Dorothy felt a pang of guilt in her heart. Those slippers sent had sent her home during her first trip to Oz but she had unknowingly left them in the hands of this monster. She remembered how Mombi taunted and bragged to her how she discovered her cousin's broomstick and used it to take conquer Oz just like the Jester did years ago. The destruction upon the Land of Oz and her friends' demise were entirely her fault. If she had kept the shoes locked on her feet during her first trip or put the broomstick behind its glass case in Emerald City instead of throwing it in the twister, then neither of this would have happened. Her sadness and guilt at once changed to anger as she gave the Nome King a look of pure venom.

"Scarecrow never stole the emeralds! They were there when he came!" she yelled. "How could you accuse him of stealing and turn him into an ornament like that! He never stole anything! Those emeralds were there when he became king! You're nothing but a liar! I want him back! If you want to change someone into an ornament, change me! I'm the one responsible for the destruction of Oz so I'll take my punishment!"

"Dorothy!" cried a multitude of her friends' voices, shocked and bewildered by her words.

Dorothy collapsed to the stone floor. Her head buried in her arms, crying softly. "I want him back," she choked through tears. "Change me instead."

Her friends felt terrible and sorry as they approached Dorothy, trying to comfort her.

"Mom…" Jack started to say softly when Dorothy hissed at him tearfully.

"Leave me alone! It's my fault for everything that's happened to you and all my friends! So I don't deserve any comfort!"

Watching the young teen shedding tears, the Nome King suddenly took pity on her. He got up from his throne, got down on his knee, and stroked Dorothy's hair gently.

"No, no. Don't cry." He said, soothingly. "Poor Dorothy Gale of Kansas. I didn't realize that he meant so much to you."

Dorothy looked up at him with a tear stained face. "Scarecrow was my first friend and I once told that I'd miss him most of all!"

The Nome King nodded slightly. "All is not lost, Dorothy. I know just the thing to cheer you up."

"Don't listen to him, Dorothy," said the Tiger, baring his teeth at the monarch. "He's trying to play with your mind!"

"At ease, my fellow beast," said the Nome King. "You and everyone else can help Dorothy by playing a little game to make her feel better. And I bet that you can get the Scarecrow back, along with the others. After all, you would do anything for your friend, right? And you would risk something for that, wouldn't you, Dorothy?"

Dorothy thought about what the Nome King said. She had never felt this anxious or sad in her life. This was the third time he had been snatched away from her. But what he wanted to tell her sounded important. Was it about keeping a promise not to endanger herself? Dorothy knew she did break that promise without telling him, but his last words sounded different before he disappeared. She thought back to their dream world, the dance, and those feelings she felt for him before he asked her to keep the promise. Dorothy realized then that her true feelings for the Scarecrow were more than friendship. And if she was going to play this game to get him back, she would risk it.

"If this game means saving my friends, then I accept. Whatever the cost may be," she said bravely.

-0o0o0-

"AAAAAAHHHHHH!"

Langwidere woke up from her slumber and rushed into the mirror chamber. When she got there, she found Mombi looked horribly red in the face and her eyes ablaze with rage.

"What are you screaming about? I'm trying to get my beauty sleep," complained Langwidere.

"SHE'S STILL ALIIIIIIVE!" The wicked witch screamed at the top of her lungs.

"What are you talking about!?" asked the princess.

Mombi shoved the scepter's orb in Langwidere's face. There was a tiny emerald green glow in the center of the blood red orb. "Dorothy Gale is still alive!?"

"What!? But I thought…how is it possible she survived?" The princess asked in disbelief.

"How should I know! First, she survived the Jester's waterfall trick and now my lightning storm trick! I mean, that's a good trick!" Her angry face lowered into an ashamed face. "It's so…humiliating."

"If she survived, then she must have made it to the Nome King's mountain!" cried Langwidere with realization.

Just then, the door flew open and the wheelers and the flying baboons bolted in.

"Princess, Dorothy Gale has…" The Head Wheeler started to say but Langwidere cut him off.

"We know! She escaped and made it to the Nome King's mountain! Ready my chariot! We must get to the mountain to warn him about the chicken!"

"As soon as one of my baboons gets himself cleaned up first," Mombi said with disgust, glancing over at the leader of the winged baboons, still covered in the Tiger's vomit.