Disclaimer, same as usual.
Dorothy awoke several hours later, her head was throbbing. She felt around where she was and felt that she was on a bed of some sort. She tried to open her eyes but her head was throbbing too much. She soon felt someone take her hand in theirs and squeeze it tightly.
"Who's there?" Dorothy groaned out.
"It's me." Came the voice of Aislynn.
"Ace, tell Glinda I heard his voice in my head." Dorothy said groaning.
She felt Aislynn's hand pull away from her grasp. This told her she was definitely in the emerald city. But it also meant that Glinda was most likely busy trying to work her magic. She wanted to get lost in thought when she felt a hand placed behind her head and another one bringing a cup to her lips. The cup was tilted and she immediately got a drink of cold water. Her head began to clear and she was able to open her eyes. She saw Elena who was now looking into her previously injured eye.
"Hello Dorothy, just checking your eye, it looks like it healed up nicely." She said smiling and taking out a hand mirror.
Dorothy for the first time in a while got a chance to see her face in a mirror. Her eye actually didn't look that bad, it looked like it never needed a patch over it.
"Close your eye, yes just that one, and imagine, there was a bleeding cut about here, and a lot of bruising here, a puffy swollen eyelid and a bit of bruising there." Elena said tracing the pattern on her face with her finger.
"Thanks Elena but I'd rather not, I don't want to get sick thank you though." She said shrinking back at Elena's touch.
"At least I saw it, I don't have to imagine it." Elena said giggling.
"I get that you're a nurse and all but how can you giggle at me getting sick?" Dorothy asked.
"I don't know, well anyways, your stuff is on your dresser, happy early birthday by the way." Elena said smiling and getting up.
"Thanks." Dorothy said smiling.
As Elena walked out Dorothy noticed that the scepter was floating next to her just off the bed. She looked and saw her stuff on the dresser as Elena had said. Dorothy looked at her clothing and realized she was now in a white silk night gown. How long had she been unconscious for? She shrugged this off and got up. She picked up the scepter and grabbed her dress and her shirt. She felt that she could go without her boots for a while at this point. She then walked into the bathroom and changed. When she emerged she immediately dropped everything from what she saw. The jester, was sitting on her bed, flipping through all of her sketches.
"What are you doing here? And what have you done with my friends?" she asked curiously.
"What? Well nothing, why do you think I should?" he asked gesturing towards the door.
Dorothy bent down to pick up the scepter, however when she got back up she found him gone and her sketches stacked neatly on the dresser. She sighed and walked out of the room she was immediately run into by Glinda.
"Dorothy, I heard him what did he say?" Glinda asked quite concerned.
"he didn't really say anything, I asked him what he did to you guys because he was on my bed, he said nothing and asked if he should do something to you guys he then vanished when I went to pick up the scepter." Dorothy said in a scared tone.
"I think he's trying to make you paranoid." Glinda said sighing and kissing Dorothy on the forehead.
"I figured he might." Dorothy said tightening her grip on the scepter.
"Dorothy, where are your boots?" Glinda asked curiously.
"In my room, it makes me feel more relaxed." Dorothy said smiling.
Glinda nodded and grabbed Dorothy's wrist quickly pulling her to the chambers. When they got there she was immediately pulled into an embrace by Ellie. Dorothy returned the embrace and Glinda let go of her wrist. Dorothy felt safe with Ellie, she needed her to stick around and be there for her. But at the same time she needed to be there for Ellie, to keep her safe from the jester's wrath. She then heard a clock struck nine, Marshall Mallow and wiser walked in. Dorothy pulled from Ellie's grasp and ran over to them. She hugged Marshall Mallow first, rather gently. She then went over to wiser and hugged him tightly.
"So you finally woke up." Marshall Mallow said smiling.
"Dear, please don't interrogate her." The china princess said giggling.
"Sorry dear." He said walking over to his wife.
Dorothy giggled at this for a minute and walked over to the throne, the china princess was sitting in it. She then knelt so that she could be at eye level with the princess.
"So, you saw him, and you talked to him, how is it that you aren't scared?" she asked.
"Now, now milady, you shouldn't ask too many personal questions." Marshall Mallow said.
"No Marshall mallow it's alright, and to be honest china princess, I'm terrified, I never know when he's going to show up, I fear for all of you guys, I'm not worried about myself. I'm worried about you guys." Dorothy said starting to cry.
"Oh, Dorothy, please don't cry it makes me upset to see you like that." The china princess said pushing herself up and walking over to the child.
She wiped some tears from the child's face. Dorothy drew back a bit, startled by the cold hand.
"Dear, I think you've done enough." Marshall Mallow said.
Dorothy didn't even say a thing, she just got up and ran, dropping the scepter she ran out of the chambers. She soon found herself out in the dark and running onto Tugg's deck.
"Ah Hello Dorothy, where…" he started to say before Dorothy cut him off.
"Anywhere but here right now." Dorothy yelled.
Tugg sighed, he knew Dorothy had snapped this time, she didn't even have the scepter. He then cast off and started heading towards the clearing.
"Dorothy, might I enquire what's wrong?" he asked.
"You may." She responded.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"I'm frightened, not just for myself, but for everybody around me, I'm terrified as to what could happen to them because of me." Dorothy said starting to cry again.
"Dorothy, I may be only a boat but I'm over 900 years old and I have seen many people walk by my forest, many have been afraid to walk along those bricks, and bravery, well I've seen bravery, not just from other's but from you my dear. But you're brave for others, and you help others for greater good." He said.
Dorothy sniffed and rubbed her eyes, it was dark out.
"Tugg, do you have a lantern?" Dorothy asked.
"No, but I can call some fireflies if it would help." Tugg said making a whistling noise.
Dorothy smiled as many fire swarmed about them, these ones were multicolored though so she was worried.
"Don't worry my dear, these ones are completely safe, they live inside me unless I need them." Tugg said.
Dorothy smiled and walked over to edge of the boat, she then noticed the clearing.
"Tugg stop here." She said.
Tugg dropped anchor, Dorothy emptied her pockets and left them on the deck. She then disembarked and walked over to the edge of the clearing.
"Tugg keep an eye on me." She said jumping into the water.
She swam along the river between the banks for a bit. She then swam down the river. She felt herself growing calm. She felt her troubles almost wash away in the cold waters. She emerged a few minutes later and looked at Tugg. She also noticed she was being followed by fireflies. She smiled and swam over to Tugg. She then swam over to the bank and climbed up on some rocks and walked over to Tugg. Wringing out her hair she walked back up to Tugg. The fireflies swarmed around her. She smiled and giggled for a bit before walking back on to Tugg.
"There now, Feeling better?" he asked curiously.
"Much, thank you Tugg, I don't feel as afraid anymore." Dorothy said.
"Yes, going for a swim can be relaxing every now and again I assume." He said casting off.
Dorothy smiled, as she wrung out her dress she walked over to her stuff. Picking it all up and pocketing it all. When she got back to the emerald city she could see that the moon was high in the sky. It was almost a full moon, and she smiled at this, she like the full moon in her bright majesty. Dorothy then smiled as the emerald city began to come into view.
"Tugg?" Dorothy asked.
"Yes my dear girl?" he asked.
"Thanks you." She replied walking up to the front.
"Any time dear." He said chuckling.
Dorothy giggled for a bit. She then felt Tugg come to a stop. She then disembarked and walked up the grass to the emerald city. She felt much calmer now, now no longer as scared. When she got into the emerald city she immediately found a towel being thrown over her, she also felt someone pushing down on it trying to dry her off. She immediately threw her hands up and pulled at the towel. When she got it off she saw not Ellie, or even the scarecrow, but the lion.
"Dorothy I thought you promised that you wouldn't do something like this?" he said worriedly.
"Lion, I promised I wouldn't go looking for danger." Dorothy said sighing.
"No I mean a while back." He said sighing
"Lion I broke that promise when I ran at the tornado, and I consistently broke that promise several times over." Dorothy said trying to walk past him.
Dorothy found herself being pushed back by the lion, he then knelt down to be at eye level with her.
"Dorothy, everyone was worried sick, you left without the scepter, and that's your only form of protection." The lion said.
"What? Lion, I'm pretty sure I could have managed on my own, I don't think I need to carry the scepter which is quite tedious to do sometimes." Dorothy said sighing.
The lion didn't even say anything to this, he hung his head slightly defeated. He then got up and gently took her hand in his paw and led her along back to the chambers. When she got there she found everyone crowded in there waiting for her. Ellie and Aislynn immediately ran over and embraced her.
"Dorothy, please, never do something like that again, Glinda explained to us how the scepter serves as a form of protection against the jester." Ellie said starting to tear up.
Glinda then walked over to Dorothy carrying the scepter, she also had something else in her hands, a book of some sort. She handed the scepter to Dorothy and flipped through the book.
"Dorothy that was really irresponsible of you, leaving the scepter here like that." Glinda said sternly, her eyes not moving from the book.
"Glinda, like I told lion, I could have managed." Dorothy said groaning
"Dorothy, the scepter is really the only thing keeping you safe from the jester's wrath." Glinda said finally looking up.
"But what about when I'm at home? Or at school? I can't carry it everywhere." Dorothy said sighing.
Glinda sighed and looked at Dorothy sadly.
"I know my dear child, were working on that." Glinda said sounding a bit annoyed.
Just then everyone stopped still in There places as the clock struck midnight. Dorothy looked at the clock, she had been up for hours since she last blacked out. She then realized that she was tired again and yawned.
"How about we talk about this later guys?" Dorothy asked.
"Sure dear." Glinda replied.
Dorothy smiled and looked around the room. She saw Toto sleeping peacefully in the corner, she smiled at this and then took aislynn's hand and led her to their room. When she had gotten back to the room and made sure Aislynn was settled in the bed she walked into the closet and changed into a nightgown. Soon she found herself in her bed and dozing off to sleep.