Disclaimer, I don't own the movies, franchises, Etc.
They drove for a while, maybe an hour or two before they came to a small flower filled field. The sheriff stopped the truck. Dorothy's aunt and uncle pulled up behind them, she then got out of the truck, grabbing the scepter she opened the back of the truck. Aislynn and Toto hopped out. The sheriff appeared a short time later wielding the picnic basket and the small blue bag. Dorothy led them up the hill and sighed.
"I remember having picnics here a lot when was younger." Dorothy said sitting down.
"Dorothy?" Aislynn asked curiously.
"Yes?" Dorothy replied.
"What's that over there?" she asked referring to a large metal gate about maybe half a mile away.
"I'll show you once we've eaten." Dorothy said putting down the picnic basket.
Aislynn sighed as Dorothy's aunt and uncle joined them. Her aunt went into the basket and pulled out a blanket. The sheriff came up the hill carrying his bag of toffee. Dorothy laughed at this, he looked a bit embarrassed carrying it.
"Trying to hide the evidence?" Henry asked chuckling.
They all laughed at this for a minute, then they sat down and Aunt Em passed around some small plates. Dorothy looked at the contents again.
"My grandfather had asked for a picnic to be prepared in the event that he, got better." Aislynn said trailing off.
Dorothy took a small box out of the picnic basket and handed it to Aislynn.
"I assume this must be for you." Dorothy said.
"I don't know, he never said anything about a surprise but he was really good at that." Aislynn said setting it aside.
"Don't you want to see what it is dear?" Aunt Em asked curiously.
Aislynn shook her head, she then grabbed a small sandwich from the basket. She then took another sandwich from the basket and handed it to Dorothy. She thanked Aislynn and took a bite. She began to remember her time in the forest, her time with Ellie. She missed that. They ate and made small conversation about the weather and how good the food was before Dorothy grabbed the scepter and stood up. Picking up the blue bag she also helped Aislynn up.
"Are you going to show me what you wanted me to see now? Aislynn asked.
Dorothy nodded and led them both forward, they both looked back to see Dorothy's aunt tucking the small box back into the picnic basket. Dorothy and Aislynn walked towards the gate for a few minutes until they were about halfway there. Aislynn then tugged on Dorothy's dress a few times.
"I really don't like the look of this place." Aislynn said looking at it.
"I never did either as a kid but there is something I have to show you." Dorothy said pointing the scepter towards the gate.
Aislynn nodded and continued to walk, the walked closer and closer for a few minutes. When they got close enough Dorothy began to tear up a bit. Aislynn looked up and saw one rolling down her cheek.
"Dorothy?" Aislynn asked as they came up to the gate.
It was then Aislynn saw where they were. It looked like an old graveyard, there were white marble tombstones everywhere. Dorothy looked at them and shudder a bit. She then walked over to the large entrance gate and pushed it open. Leading Aislynn in, they walked among the stones for a while until they came up to a white marble angel statue. Dorothy knelt down and stuck her hand into the blue bag. She pulled a bundle of lilies and roses, sighing she plucked one out of the bouquet and handed it to Aislynn gesturing for her to get closer and look.
"Dorothy, why have you brought me here?" she asked looking down at the engraving on the tombstone.
Dorothy sighed and read it aloud.
"In loving memory of Frank and Madeline gale, Parents and Friends, may their memory live on and again." Dorothy said laying the flowers down, "It's my parent's grave." She added as the scepter began to glow a bit.
"Dorothy, I'm so sorry, I didn't know, I thought you just stayed with your aunt and uncle during the summer." Aislynn said kneeling down next to Dorothy.
"Most people did before the funeral." Dorothy said, "I was really young when my mom and dad died, much younger than you are now." She added.
"How old were you?" she asked.
"I was about five or six at the time." Dorothy said as some tears dripped down onto the stone.
"Dorothy, I…" Aislynn said before Dorothy placed a hand out to silence her.
"Ace, you don't need to say anything." Dorothy said.
Aislynn was about to make a remark before they both heard a clap of thunder. They both looked up, there were no clouds in the sky. Dorothy began to get worried. He wouldn't come here would he? Not now? Not while she was at her parents grave. They heard some footsteps behind them slowly approaching Dorothy stood up and held the scepter in position to attack.
"Show yourself I'm armed, and really upset at the moment." Dorothy said into the mist that was beginning to form.
A single white lily flower flew out of the mist, it landed a few inches short of the statue and its tombstone. Dorothy looked at it for a minute and then turned to see the mist vanishing, a small piece of paper fluttered from the air around the mist. Dorothy walked over and picked it up reading it aloud.
"My condolences." She read.
"Whose it from?" Aislynn asked curiously.
"I, don't know." Dorothy said looking around curiously.
Dorothy then walked over to Aislynn and took her hand. Leading her out of the graveyard. As they walked Dorothy let go of Aislynn's hand and told her to go on ahead.
"Why Dorothy?" she asked.
"I want to go back and say goodbye." Dorothy said.
"Okay, I understand." Aislynn said running ahead.
Dorothy smiled and turned back to the graveyard. When she got back she began to cry softly, she walked back to the grave and knelt down. Setting the scepter on the ground next her she touched the grave.
"Hi mom, hi dad, it's been a while." Dorothy said smiling.
The wind began to blow gently. Some of the flowers began to blow around in it.
"I've spent far too long away from here, I brought a friend of mine on a picnic to show her that she's not the only one who lost her parents and really most of her family." Dorothy said.
Dorothy heard a noise behind her but this didn't concern her, she was busy talking to her parents. She stood up and walked up to the stone angel. Placing her hand on the angels face she smiled.
"But I know that you guys have been watching me, and I will never forget you guys, auntie Em and Uncle Henry are doing well, and they haven't talked about you guys in a while." She said looking up at the face of the angel.
Dorothy then felt something drip onto her hand, she drew it back and looked at it, it was a tear, a single tear. She looked up and was met with the sight of the jester sitting on a large tree branch, and for the first time he was crying. He made no acknowledgment that he knew she was aware of his presences, he just took the wand and flicked it. A handkerchief appeared in his hand. He wiped his eyes and then blew his noses loudly. He then realized he was being watched, he regained his composure and jumped out of the tree.
"So, you lost your own parents at a very young age." The jester said.
"Yes, but that's beside the point, why are you here?" Dorothy asked.
"Know your enemy, learn their weaknesses, I know that list you gave me was only your physical weaknesses." He said, "but I ended up finding you here." He added looking at the stone.
"But why are you of all people, feeling sorry for me?" Dorothy asked bending over to pick up the scepter.
"Because, we lost our parents when we were very young." The jester said.
"You mean, you lost your parents when you were young?" Dorothy asked.
"they were killed in an explosion, but our parents were practiconers of sorcery, but something went wrong, I saw it happen, and when you see something like that, you never forget it." he said as a mist surrounded them.
"And you were left in the care of your sisters." Dorothy said.
"Correct, well my sister the witch of the west." He said as the mist showed the image of a young boy who looked like the jester.
The young boy was crying, when a figure came up behind him. He turned around looking frightened, he was about to scream when his clothes immediately in a flash of light, became those that the jester was wearing now. Dorothy looked at him in surprise, she had just seen the jester's past, but she didn't dwell on this for very long as the mist immediately cleared.
"But now, my plan is in motion, and soon, very soon, I shall be able to do what I planned." He said.
The jester then cackled loudly, he then vanished. Leaving Dorothy alone. She turned around and ran out of the graveyard. After several minutes she reached where they were having the picnic. She looked up at the sky. It was growing dark and ominous. She clutched scepter tightly.
"We need to go, I saw him." Dorothy said.
The scepter then began to glow brightly again, Aislynn got up and embraced Dorothy tightly, Glinda's voice emerged from the scepter.
"Dorothy, we are bringing you to Oz, brace yourself." She said.
"Dorothy?" came the voice of her uncle.
Dorothy didn't have time to respond, she immediately felt herself lurch forward. As the colors whizzed past her she began to feel dizzy and sick again. She felt Aislynn grasp on to her tighter. She then immediately came to an abrupt halt. Aislynn let go of her and Dorothy fell over on to the floor. She felt sick, really sick.
"Dorothy? Do you want a bucket?" Glinda asked walking over to her.
Dorothy nodded, a metal bucket appeared right in front of her. She picked it up and tried to get up. She was too dizzy, she immediately feel back down and vomited into the bucket.
"Steady on kiddo." Came the voice of the scarecrow.
The scarecrow walked over and helped Dorothy up. The bucket immediately vanished. Dorothy looked over to Aislynn, she was on the ground trying to regain her breath and composure.
"Scarecrow, take Aislynn to the library, I'm sure she'd like it there." Dorothy said.
"Sure thing kiddo." He said walking over to her.
The scarecrow helped Aislynn up and led her out of the chambers leaving Dorothy alone with Glinda.
"Dorothy, I'm sorry we have to keep bringing you to Oz like this but right now it's the only way." Glinda said walking over to Dorothy and picking up the scepter
Glinda then took Dorothy's hand and led her out of the chambers. They walked a while until they got to Glinda's room. Dorothy saw a sight that made her heart drop, it was Ellie, lying motionless on Glinda's bed. Dorothy ran over to her.
"How?" she asked concerned.
"He let her go, but she won't wake, she's still alive, just in some type of coma." Glinda said handing the scepter back to Dorothy.
"Is it really her though? It's not just a trap?" Dorothy asked.
"It's really her, if it wasn't the image of us watching her wouldn't be in the crystal ball." Glinda said referring the crystal behind them.
Dorothy turned around and was met with the image of herself facing into the crystal. She knelt down at the bedside and ran a hand through Ellie's hair.
"But why would he just let her go?" Dorothy asked curiously.
"He said, and I quote, I feel sorry for taking your sister, but I had to get to her somehow." Glinda said.
"I saw him, he was at the graveyard crying in a tree above my parents grave." Dorothy said recounting everything that happened before Glinda stopped her.
"I know my dear child, I have been watching, knowing exactly where you are is the only way I've been able to run magic directly at the scepter to bring you here." Glinda said.
They both looked at the scepter which at this point had now gone completely dark. Dorothy sighed and got up. She kissed Ellie on the cheek before Glinda led her over to the crystal ball.
"Why did you bring me here though?" Dorothy asked looking at the crystal ball.
"Oz is losing its essence, its magic is draining." Glinda said waving her wand over the crystal.
The munchkin city appeared in crystal ball. It was turning grey, the center where the yellow brick road began was a darker grey then the rest of the city. Dorothy gasped at this.
"The jester is draining Oz of magic?" Dorothy asked.
"We think it's him." Glinda said.
"But why would he do that?" Dorothy asked.
"We don't know, neither Alison nor I can come up with a reason." Glinda said as the crystal went dark.
"Dorothy?" came the voice of Ellie.
They both turned around and looked at her. She had moved in the small window of time that had turned away from her.
"Ellie?" Dorothy asked walking over to her.
Glinda walked over as well, her wand had begun to glow a bit.
"Dorothy, please, help me." She said, her eyes still closed.
Dorothy was about to say something when Alison ran in.
"Oh, Dorothy, it's good to see you again, I heard her talking, is she coming to?" she asked.
"I think she's just watching through me, she knows Dorothy is here and is acknowledging her presence." Glinda said sadly.
"She can do that in her sleep?" Alison asked taking out her small book and flipping through it.
"Yes, and so can I." Glinda said sighing.
Dorothy didn't say anything, she put a hand on Ellie's forehead, it felt normal, she was alright besides the fact that she was asleep. Dorothy began to tear up, she got up and ran out of the room. It wasn't long before she found herself in the business district again. She walked to Brianna's ice cream parlor and went in.
"Dorothy, Hi, Glinda said she'd be bringing you to Oz again, Have you been crying?" she asked as her parents came out of the back room.
Dorothy nodded and sat down at a table. Brianna came from behind the counter and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Dorothy, what happened?" She asked.
"Ellie, she spoke, she knew I was here." Dorothy said wiping some tears from her eyes.
Brianna looked at her parents and they nodded, going back into the back room. The door to the parlor then opened and the scarecrow came in followed by Aislynn.
"Hello your majesty, and who's this little flower?" Brianna asked looking at Aislynn.
Aislynn didn't say anything, she just walked over to Dorothy and wrapped her arms around her.
"Dorothy, please, Glinda told us what happened." Aislynn said.
Dorothy turned her head to look at her.
"Aislynn please, just. Brianna get her some ice cream." Dorothy said getting up.
"Don't you want something as well? I've got some new flavors, blueberry, raspberry, and blackberry." Brianna said looking at her.
"Not right now Brianna, Aislynn, over at the counter is their menu of flavors, pick out one you want." Dorothy said.
Aislynn hugged Dorothy tighter, she didn't like this person, she didn't know them that well.
"Is she shy?" Brianna asked looking at Dorothy.
"Sometimes, yes, she can be, but Aislynn, this is Brianna, she's one of Ellie's comrades, you have no reason to be afraid of her." Dorothy said
Aislynn let go of Dorothy and walked over to Brianna offering her a hand. The shook hands for a minute and then Brianna walked towards the counter.
"So your name is Aislynn?" She asked.
"Yes, but some people call me ace for short, since its pronounce Ace-Lynn." She said weakly.
"She's the wizard's granddaughter." The scarecrow said smiling, "she's a bright kid too." He added.
"Oh, wow, your grandfather was a legend here in Oz, and it's a pleasure to meet you at last, Glinda was telling us about how you were left to Dorothy." Brianna said handing her a small menu.
"No thanks, I'd like to try that new blueberry flavor of yours." Aislynn said handing it back.
"A good choice." Brianna said.
"You know, sometimes I wish I was able to eat, then I wouldn't feel jealous of always hearing about how popular your ice cream is getting Brianna." The scarecrow said chuckling.
"I'm flattered." Brianna said scooping out the ice cream into a cup and handing it to Aislynn.
"Thank you." Aislynn said taking it.
Brianna then grabbed a spoon from the little cup on the counter and handed it to her. Aislynn smiled and took a spoonful. She smiled and walked over to the table where Dorothy was and sat down.
"I take it that you like it?" Brianna asked giggling.
Aislynn nodded and continued eating. She looked at the scarecrow, and then at Dorothy who were both watching her.
"What? Did I get some on my face?" Aislynn asked giggling.
"You remind me so much of myself when I was younger." Dorothy said.
"Dorothy, I'm flattered, but there's one big difference between us." Aislynn said.
"What's that?" Dorothy and the scarecrow asked curiously.
"You actually have a family." Aislynn said.
"Aislynn stop, you'll just make yourself upset again." Dorothy said.
Aislynn sighed and took some ice cream on her finger, she then leaned on forward and wiped it on Dorothy's nose giggling.
"Hey." Dorothy said giggling.
The scarecrow then walked over to Dorothy and chuckled when he saw her. Dorothy got up and walked to counter grabbing a napkin and wiping the ice cream off her nose.
"Aislynn don't do that." The scarecrow said walking over to her and ruffling her hair.
"Sorry, but it was funny wasn't it?" Aislynn asked.
"I guess it was." He replied.
"Hey ace, did you enjoy the library?" Dorothy asked walking over
"I want to go back." Aislynn said.
Dorothy giggled at this. She knew this was going to be aislynn's response.
"She is a very intelligent girl." The scarecrow said chuckling.
"She likes to read a lot." Dorothy said as Glinda entered the ice cream parlor.
"Dorothy, I just talked with your aunt and uncle, they returned to the farmhouse, they think you should probably spend the night here in the emerald city." She said.
"Can I go back to the library now?" Aislynn said finishing off the ice cream and getting up.
Dorothy chuckled and looked at the scarecrow, she nodded and the scarecrow took Aislynn by the hand and led her out of the ice cream shop. Glinda then sat down in the chair where Aislynn had been sitting.
"Cute kid, a bit like you, she seems to have taken a liking to the king though." Brianna said.
"Not to mention she, by most rules is heir to the throne of Oz as much as Ellie is heir to the throne of the north." Glinda said.
Dorothy looked at Glinda in surprise, but then she thought about it. Aislynn was the wizard's granddaughter, she was the last living kin of one of the greatest men Dorothy ever met. And now, she had finally come to oz.
"I don't think that Aislynn would like being the ruler of a strange land, she doesn't really like being in public that much." Dorothy said.
"I've noticed, Dorothy please understand this though, she is technically heir to the throne and nothing we can do will change that." Glinda said in a sad tone.
"I know Glinda." Dorothy said as the door to the parlor opened again.
This time the china princess walked in, followed by Marshall Mallow. The princess saw Dorothy and walked over to her.
"Hello Dorothy, we heard what happened from his majesty." The princess said.
"I've had better days princess." Dorothy said sighing.
"I can imagine, Glinda, how's Ellie doing?" she asked.
"She's moved a lot more." Glinda replied.
"that's good, do you think you and Alison can find a spell to wake her?" the princess asked curiously.
"Now dear, you shouldn't ask to many questions, you know you could, upset someone." Marshall mallow said, as his voice trailed off nervously.
"I know dear, but I want to know." The princess replied.
"I don't know your highness." Glinda said.
Dorothy then began to feel dizzy again, she didn't know why though.
"Dorothy? are you okay?" the china princess asked.
Dorothy didn't respond she just blacked out.