Disclaimer, well insert my usual disclaimer here
When they had gotten to the Digg's residence Dorothy felt the basket being set on the floor. She stuck her head out of the basket to find that she was left in the parlor. The scepter was leaned up against the wall and Toto was sitting next to it as if guarding it.
"Toto, don't guard that old thing at the moment it just doesn't work." Dorothy said climbing out of the basket.
Toto barked and walked over to Dorothy.
"You know Toto, I used to wonder what it would be like to see things from your level, I just never realized it would actually happen." Dorothy said.
"Dorothy?" Came the voice of Ellie as she walked into the parlor.
"Yes Ellie?" Dorothy responded.
"Jenny wants to know if you're partial to tuna at all." Ellie asked.
"Sort of, but as a cat I'll have to get used to it won't I?" Dorothy asked.
"I would assume so, would you like to have some now?" Ellie asks picking up Dorothy so that she can look her directly in the eyes.
"Wow, now I know how Toto must feel when I do that." Dorothy said closing her eyes.
"What do you mean Dorothy?" Ellie asked curiously.
"It's just, so odd, it's a bit dizzying, but could you please put me down?" Dorothy asked curiously.
"Sure." Ellie said setting Dorothy down on the floor.
"Thanks, and tell Jenny, sure I would like some tuna I guess." Dorothy said.
Ellie nodded and walked out of the parlor. Dorothy sighed, though it seemed more like a purr to her, she then walked back over to Toto and the scepter. She looked at it and sat on her hind legs and Toto walked over and sat next to her.
"Toto, you know sometimes I wish I could understand you, at least I'd have someone to relate to at the moment." Dorothy said.
Ellie walked back in carrying a bowl and gasped, Dorothy looked up and saw that the scepter was glowing. An orange-yellow colored ball of light emerged from the scepter and flew down to Dorothy. It flew directly into her and she began to glow for a bit. The glow then subsided and Ellie and Dorothy both blinked in confusion.
"Dorothy what did you do?" Ellie asked curiously.
"I wished that I could understand Toto, that way I have someone to relate to, and I think the scepter just granted me one last request until I return to being human again." Dorothy said sighing.
"Quite right Dorothy, I wish you hadn't done that though." Came the voice of Glinda from a nearby mirror.
"How long have you been watching sis?" Ellie asked curiously.
"I'm always watching, now more than ever, and Dorothy, everybody is worried about you now more than ever." Glinda said sadly.
"I can imagine." Dorothy said sadly.
"Dorothy, I'm going to explain what you just did." Glinda said sighing.
"I'm all ears, not to mention all cat." Dorothy said.
"The scepter will not work as long as you're an animal, but the thing is, you asked to be able to understand Toto, and you will be able to I won't deny that, but that power might not leave you, there's a fifty-fifty shot that it will leave you as soon as you get transformed back." Glinda said.
"Well if it doesn't look at the Bright side." Dorothy said.
"What bright side?" Glinda and Ellie asked in unison.
"If the power doesn't leave me I could make a great veterinarian." Dorothy said
"Dorothy, that's not funny, our aunt did that once a long time ago." Glinda said.
"You mean the one that led you to become ruler of the north?" Dorothy asked.
"Yes Dorothy, but she did, after countless years of trying manage to break the spell she had cast on herself." Glinda said.
"Thanks sis that makes us all reassured doesn't it?" Ellie asked sarcastically.
"Sorry, well anyways, I'll let you get on with your eating, I am still searching for some way to change you back, but I don't like to deal with transformation magic." Glinda said vanishing from the mirror.
Ellie sighed and placed a bowl of Tuna on the floor in front of Dorothy.
"Thanks Ellie." Dorothy said.
"If you need anything Aislynn and I will be helping Jenny and Jessica get some guest rooms set up." Ellie said walking out.
"Thanks." Dorothy said sniffing the bowl.
She sniffed the bowl a few more times and took some of the tuna in her mouth and began to chew, this was definitely something she would have to get used to.
"You know, I've always wanted to be able to talk to you." Came a gruff yet high pitched voice.
Dorothy looked up from her food and looked around. Her gaze then fell upon Toto.
"Did you just say something?" Dorothy asked
"Wait so you did understand me?" Toto said opening his mouth again.
"Yes, I did, good I thought I was hearing things." Dorothy said.
"Nonsense, you wished it therefore I assume it's true." Toto said.
"Oh thank goodness, at least I'll have someone to talk to that can relate to me as an animal." Dorothy said.
"You know, animals think the same thing about humans, wishing we could be like you so we could relate." Toto said.
"I can imagine." Dorothy replied.
"No you wish you could, but I'll let you get back to your meal." He said walking out of the open parlor door.
"Thanks boy." Dorothy said returning to eating the tuna.
After a few minutes the clock struck four, had it really been that long? She finished off the tuna in the bowl and licked it clean. She then nudged the bowl forward with her nose several times until it was out of the parlor. She was greeted by Toto who seemed to have been sitting there waiting for her.
"Enjoy your meal?" Toto asked curiously.
"Yes Toto thanks, can you help me get this bowl to the kitchen?" Dorothy asked.
"I can carry it for you if you'd like." Toto offered.
"Do you think that you have enough strength?" Dorothy asked sounding concerned.
"I'm sure I do." Toto said.
Toto demonstrated by taking the lip of the bowl in his mouth and bit down in it. Picking it up, he walked in the direction of the kitchen with Dorothy following closely behind. When they got to the kitchen door they found it open a crack. They both nudged the door open by pushing against it till there was an opening large enough for both of them to get in. once they were in Toto walked over to what looked like two dog bowls and set it down next to them.
"impressive." Dorothy said walking over to Toto.
"You know I don't think I'll ever get used to you being a cat, I liked you better as a person." Toto said sighing.
"I know, I don't like it either, but the jester is punishing me himself." Dorothy said sadly.
"Well he's wicked, no person should have to go through this, did it hurt to be transformed?" Toto asked sounding concerned.
"No, it didn't, it didn't really feel like anything, it just sort of happened." Dorothy said.
"Wow, I hope he changes you back soon, even if it means you lose your ability to understand me." Toto said whimpering.
"You know, I hope that somehow that fifty-fifty shot allows me to still be able to understand you." Dorothy sad rubbing the top of her head against one of Toto's ears.
"Dorothy, remember all those years ago when we met for the first time?" Toto asked curiously.
"Yes, I do." Dorothy said thinking about it.
"Dorothy?" Came the voice of uncle henry.
"Yes uncle henry?" Dorothy asked curiously walking over.
"Mr. Rivers said you could adopt one of the puppies if you'd like." Henry said.
Dorothy ran over, playing with one of her pigtails. She looked over at the dogs. All but one was cowering in fear of the large girl. He was small, black, and He was barking loudly at them.
"I want that one, the one that's barking." Dorothy said.
"Are you sure you want that one?" Mr. Rivers asked curiously.
"Yes, I'm sure, does he have a name?" Dorothy asked curiously.
"He never seemed to like the names we tried to give him, so right now no." Mr. Rivers said bending over and picking up the barking dog.
"Can I name him uncle henry please?" Dorothy asked looking up at her uncle.
"Sure, what name did you have in mind?" Henry asked curiously.
Dorothy shrugged and walked over to Mr. Rivers. She stuck out her harms to receive the dog. As he was put into her grasp he barked a few times and licked her on the face. She giggled and looked at him.
"I think I'll call you Toto, would you like that to be your name?" Dorothy asked.
The dog barked twice and licked her on the face again making her giggle.
"I think he likes that name." Henry said.
"Toto it is then." Dorothy said smiling.
"Dorothy?" Came the voice of Ellie.
Dorothy shook her head and looked at Ellie.
"Huh?" Dorothy asked curiously.
"You were remembering something, even as a cat it's still obvious." Ellie said smiling weakly.
"Oh Toto asked if I remembered the day he and I first met." Dorothy said walking over to Ellie and rubbing up against her legs.
"Well at least if we have any visitors you have the whole cat act down, anyways, come on you two, we don't want you two to get lost do we?" Ellie asked picking Dorothy up.
"Ellie please put me down." Dorothy asked frustrated.
Ellie sighed and set Dorothy on the floor. Dorothy sniffed and looked at Toto who nodded and they followed Ell as she walked out of the kitchen. They walked for a bit and Ellie lead them upstairs, the walked up the stairs and to Aislynn's bedroom where Aislynn was now reading a book on her bed.
"Aislynn?" Dorothy asked walking over to the bed.
"Come on Dorothy you know you can jump up." Aislynn said.
Dorothy looked at Aislynn, she didn't question it though, and she just took a step back and jumped. She was surprised to find that she actually made it on to the bed. She got her bearings and sat up on the bed. Ellie then picked up Toto and set him on the bed next to Dorothy.
"So Ellie tells me you can now understand Toto." Aislynn said looking up from her book and scratching Dorothy behind the ears.
Dorothy made a purring noise and rubbed into Aislynn's hand.
"I think my instincts are taking affect or something, but anyways yes, he and I can communicate." Dorothy said sighing.
"That's not bad that means the jester's spell is taking full effect." Came the voice of Glinda from another nearby mirror.
"Hello Glinda." Aislynn said smiling.
"Dorothy, I've been doing some research, if the jester was telling the truth then no spell of mine can change you back, but there is one person I know, I don't want to have to try this but I think it might be the only way, I think there is only one person who might be able to help." Glinda said looking at Ellie sadly.
"Glinda please tell me you're not talking about who I think you're talking about." Ellie said worriedly.
"Ellie you and I both know that if he can't help then the jester is telling the truth, I have some emeralds set up as payment but you know we have to, he has helped us once before." Glinda said.
"Who is she talking about?" Dorothy asked curiously.
"The Nome King, he's probably one of the strangest people I've ever met, he specializes in all forms of transformation magic, and he's not evil, just a bit cuckoo." Ellie said shuddering.
"And you think he might be able to help?" Dorothy asked.
"No, but he's the only hope we have, he live in a mountain just outside of the boundaries of Oz, like I said, he's helped me once in the past." Glinda said frowning.
"When can we go?" Dorothy asked curiously.
"I'm gearing for soon, but I had to send a special carrier dove to the mountains with a message saying I require assistance." Glinda said sadly
"So two or three days then?" Ellie asked curiously.
"Yep, Dorothy, because you no longer have access to the scepter's magic, I cannot bring you to Oz personally, you'll have to be brought to Oz in a basket or carried by someone." Glinda said.
"Can I come to Oz and see my friends at some point?" Dorothy asked curiously.
"Tomorrow Dorothy, I want to bring Alex and his little sister here as well as Donna and Kelly." Glinda said.
"There's no way Mr. Alistair would approve of that." Dorothy said sternly.
"But he does, they're staying there as well to help Alex cope, according to Donna, who I did manage to track down in the rainbow mover, said that her uncle doesn't mind as long as they don't come back as animals." Glinda said trying to repress a laugh.
"So, this is more than Alex can handle!? Wow that's rich." Ellie said laughing.
"Ellie it's not funny, how would you feel if you had no experience in Oz and had to witness and go through what he did?" Glinda asked sternly.
Ellie went from laughing to wide-eyed. She thought about it for a second and sighed.
"Sorry sis, I didn't think about that." Ellie said sighing.
"Right, try having some empathy sister dear." Glinda said sighing.
"Yes Glinda." Ellie said pouting.
"Right well I have to get back to researching, And Dorothy." Glinda said.
"Yes Glinda?" Dorothy asked.
"Try to stay out of trouble." Glinda said as she faded from the mirror.
"Dorothy and staying out of trouble, doesn't seem like two words that go together." Toto said.
"Toto you're not helping." Dorothy said making Ellie and Aislynn look at her.
"He said that me and staying out of trouble are two words that don't normally go together." Dorothy said explaining it.
Ellie smiled and nodded.
"Well Dorothy, you do have a bad habit of doing that." Ellie said chuckling.
"Look Ellie even though I can't deny that's true but please don't tease me with that." Dorothy said
"Girls! Dorothy! Time for Dinner." Came the voice of Jessica.
"Come on guys, let's go." Ellie said grabbing Dorothy and setting her on the floor.
Aislynn smiled and picked up Toto and they all walked out of the room, and headed to the kitchen.
Well that's one way to cope, breaking the communication barrier. Well then what do you think about that?