Disclaimer, you know.
The nine months passed by at what felt like a crawl for all of them. The rest of the school year had come and gone. Aislynn, Ellie, Alex's and Dorothy's birthdays had passed. The routine for the nine months was simple. During the school year is it was go to school, go home, and go to Oz for an hour or so to check on auntie Em and then go back home. During the summer it was go to the library, go to Oz, stay there for a few days, and go home. This routine had become boring by the time the summer came to a close and now it was a cool, fall, Saturday morning and Dorothy was sitting on a wooden crate throwing the ball she had borrowed from Ellie for Toto to fetch. Ellie and Aislynn had spent the previous night in Oz because Dorothy and uncle henry were worried about auntie Em. Eliza was spending the weekend with The Teaks like she did every other weekend since the incident. She had just thrown the ball again when something hit her on the back of the neck.
"Ouch." Dorothy said placing a hand on the back of her neck and turning around.
"Sorry." Alex said walking over with Eliza chuckling.
"It's alright, just don't do it again." Dorothy said getting up and grabbing the scepter.
"Sorry dear." He said.
"So, your aunt is do any day now." Eliza said.
"It seems like everyone knows about your aunt being pregnant, they also actually believe our cover story that she's been brought to a friend's house in the next town, although who'd actually believe that your aunt actually knows a mid-wife?" Alex said chuckling.
"Dorothy!" Uncle Henry shouted
"Yes Uncle Henry!?" Dorothy asked.
"Ellie just contacted, its time!" He shouted.
"Oh my." Dorothy said looking at her friends.
It was then that the scepter began to glow. She looked at Alex and Eliza, then whistled for Toto who came back with the ball in his mouth as quickly as he could. Alex picked him up and grabbed onto the scepter. Eliza did the same. Henry ran over putting on his jacket in the process. He managed to grasp onto the scepter just as Dorothy felt herself lurch forward. She was too excited by the feelings of knowing she was about to have a younger cousin or cousins to notice the feelings of dizziness and nausea. She felt her feet make contact with floor of the chambers. Alex set Toto down on the ground and then fell to the floor completely out of breath, as did Eliza.
"I don't think I'll ever get used to that." Eliza said catching her breath.
"I'm still not used to it, but it seems to affect you guys greater than it does me." Dorothy said helping Alex up, then Eliza.
"Dorothy!" Ellie screamed running in.
"Ellie, where's auntie Em?" Dorothy asked excitedly.
"She's been moved to the sickbay, my sister brought Doctor Maxwell and Mr. Foreman here to help deliver your baby cousin or cousins." Ellie said.
"Where's ace?" Henry asked curiously.
"She's waiting outside the sickbay with Elena." Ellie said as Henry ran out.
Dorothy smiled and ran after him. It didn't take them long to get there. Henry Immediately went into the sickbay to stand at his wife's side. Dorothy walked over to some of the chairs in the outer room and sat down. Now a little bit nervous. Alyssa walked in and Glinda emerged from the sickbay shutting the door behind her. She was now in a gown that was white a snow. She and Alyssa walked over to Dorothy.
"Nervous?" Alyssa asked curiously.
"Yea, is it foolish to be so?" Dorothy asked.
"No, not at all, I remember when Ellie was born, I was a wreck in the hour it took to deliver her." Glinda said placing a hand on her shoulder.
"And when Elena was born, though I was still young at the time I was worried to the point where I began to feel ill." Alyssa said hugging her.
Dorothy smiled and pulled them both into a group hug. It warmed her considerably to know that she had friends who cared to bring her comfort. She giggled and sat back. Alex then walked in followed by Ellie and Eliza. Alex walked over to Dorothy and sat down on the chair next to her. He took her free hand in his and squeezed it tightly. She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. He chuckled and blushed. Glinda smiled and took Alyssa into the sickbay shutting the door quickly behind them. Alex gestured over to a large sofa that sat across from them. Dorothy nodded and got up. Alex did the same and they walked over to it. Alex sat down as did Dorothy who then rested her head on Alex's shoulder. After about an hour of waiting Mr. Foreman emerged smiled followed by henry.
"Dorothy, come in and meet your cousins." Mr. Foreman said.
"Cousins? How many?" Dorothy asked excitedly.
"Three, two girls and a boy." He said smiling.
Dorothy looked at Alex and smiled. She then got up and walked over to Mr. Foreman and her uncle.
"Have you given them names yet?" Dorothy asked curiously.
"No, not yet." Henry said.
"I want to help with the naming." Dorothy said walking in and over to her aunt who was still in her bed, in her arms were three newborn infants each wrapped in their own colored blankets.
Doctor Maxwell was standing at the back of the room happily chatting with Glinda and Alyssa. Dorothy stood next to her aunt and smiled at the sight of the newborns.
"What should their names be?" Em asked looking at Dorothy.
Dorothy looked at the triplets for a moment. The one closest to her was one of the girls, her eyes were the shade blue that were reminiscent of her own. She thought about it for a moment. Alicia that was the name of the first girl.
"Alicia, such a beautiful name for a beautiful child." Dorothy said.
"Alicia Emily Gale." Em said.
"With the middle name after yourself." Dorothy said.
"Indeed." Em said
Dorothy smiled and looked at the child in the middle, the boy, she wondered what would be a good name for him. The boys eyes were green, green as the emeralds of the palace they were in. but only for a moment because the eyes then flashed quickly to blue. Em noticed this as well and smiled. She did a fake cough and Glinda came over. Em whispered something to her. Glinda chuckled whispered something back. Dorothy in the meantime continued to think of a name. She wanted to name the boy after her father, but at the same time she didn't really for the memories even the names of her parents brought. Then it dawned on her.
"Robert, Robert Francis Gale." Dorothy said.
"Where'd the Robert come from?" Em and Glinda asked curiously.
"I liked the name." Dorothy said.
"Fair enough, and the last girl?" Em asked.
Dorothy thought about it for a minute. The first girl was named after her aunt so she wanted something after her uncle. The girls eyes were a dark brown, she thought for a moment it was then that it finally dawned on her.
"Amber Henrietta Gale." Dorothy said.
"After your uncle?" Glinda asked curiously.
"Correct." Dorothy said smiling.
"Such beautiful names." Em said as Alicia and Amber started crying loudly
"Has Robert done any crying in the last hour?" Dorothy asked.
"About a half hour ago." Em said.
"Would you like to know why your cousin's eyes flashed emerald?" Glinda asked.
"Actually yes." Dorothy replied.
"Well you know the answer." Glinda said.
"What do you…?" Dorothy said before it dawned on her.
"Yep." Glinda said smiling.
"Magic exposure, even before birth?" Dorothy asked.
"No, magic exposure, within the first few minutes of being born, all three of them will do that." Glinda said.
"Oh my." Dorothy said.
"Right, any other questions?" Glinda asked.
"Is it safe to transport then to Kansas?" Dorothy asked.
"If I take one of them at a time then yes, but someone needs to be in Kansas to take them from me." Glinda said.
"How long before I'm fit enough to travel?" Em asked curiously.
"We could send you back to Kansas right now if you wanted." Glinda said.
"You'll still need to stay on bed rest for at least another week and you'll need to come to the hospital for a checkup." Doctor Maxwell said.
"I can live with that." Em said.
"Now, Henry, Mr. Foreman, and Doctor Maxwell, if you don't mind, I'm going to send you to the gale farmhouse, you guys will receive the newborns as I bring them." Glinda said.
"Okay then, we're ready when you are." Henry said.
Glinda smiled and waved her wand over them and they vanished.
"Which one first?" Glinda asked curiously.
"Alicia." Em said referring to the child closest to Dorothy.
Glinda nodded and carefully picked up Alicia. She then immediately vanished. After a minute or so she returned ready for the next. When all three of the newborns were safe in Kansas Glinda brought Em back to Kansas next. When she returned she didn't send Dorothy, Alex, Eliza, Aislynn and Ellie back to Kansas.
"It didn't take long for people to find out that your aunt had returned with the newborns, I think it'd be best if you guys stayed here for a few hours before returning to the farmhouse." Glinda said.
"I think that's fair enough, come on Alex." Dorothy said grabbing Alex's hand and dragging him from the sickbay.
"Where are you two going?" Glinda asked.
"For a walk." Dorothy said.
Glinda didn't even argue, she just smiled and chuckled. Dorothy dragged Alex out to the fields by the docks and waited. She looked up at the sky at the clouds.
"Did you want to talk about something?" Alex asked.
"No, I'm sure she's just waiting for me to make an entrance." Came the jester's voice from behind them.
Dorothy quickly turned around to face the jester. Aiming the scepter at him.
"Don't worry, I still mean no harm." He said putting up his hands.
"How do I know I can trust you?" Dorothy asked.
"I'm not even wielding either of the wands." He said.
"True, but I still don't trust you." Dorothy said taking a quick glance behind her.
"And that's understandable, but your trust isn't what I ask for." The jester said.
"Then what?" Dorothy asked.
"Nothing at all." The jester said cackling loudly and then vanishing as Glinda, Ellie, Aislynn, Toto and Eliza ran over.
"What did he want now?" Glinda asked worriedly.
"Absolutely nothing, I think he was just here to scare us." Dorothy said.
"You know, I really don't like him." Glinda said.
"You say that all the time." Dorothy said.
"I know." Glinda said.
"Come on, let's go back to the chambers." Ellie said.
Everyone agreed and they all went back inside. When they got back to the chambers they spent most of the time making idle conversation and tossing Ellie's red ball back and forth. At around one in the afternoon they had lunch and then went back to the chambers. Scarecrow did come into the chambers but he didn't stick around to have conversation. He wanted to finish the newest model of the rainbow mover as soon as possible. Though it did add some background noise to the chambers as he was building the large machine in his back room.
"So, do you think he can get this one working?" Ellie asked looking at the backroom before tossing the ball to Dorothy.
"Probably, I mean the first one worked pretty well." Dorothy said.
"Yea but it dropped you off near Candy County." Wiser said walking with a large wooden crate.
"Yea, but we were a little taxed for time, the place was being invaded." Tin man said walking in with a crate as well before going to the back room with wiser.
"That is a good point." Dorothy said tossing the ball to Alex.
"So ground rule one, don't use the rainbow mover while you're being invaded." Alex said tossing the ball to Aislynn.
"I think that's probably a good idea." Aislynn replied tossing the ball to Eliza.
"But what if you get invaded while in the middle of transport?" Ellie asked curiously.
"You know that's a good point." Eliza said tossing the ball to Ellie.
"Yes, well the last time the original rainbow mover was functional we had to use my prism necklace for it to key in on." Ellie said throwing the ball against the throne.
The ball bounced off the throne and Toto ran after it. Glinda then came in looking like she had just spent an hour looking around a dusty old attic.
"Were you down in the cellar or something Glinda?" Alex asked curiously.
"I was helping Wiser and Tin man get the supplies down in the storage cellar." Glinda said dusting herself off before using her magic to finish the job.
"Then why were you covered in dust and what not while the other two are fine?" Dorothy asked curiously.
"I was the one grabbing the crates." Glinda said as Toto ran up to her with the ball.
"Fair enough." Dorothy replied.
"So, I'm going to go check up on your aunt and uncle, and if everything is fine in Kansas I'll send you guys back." Glinda said taking the ball from Toto and tossing it back to Ellie.
"Well, don't stay there too long." Eliza replied.
"Don't worry, you and Alex will be back at the teak residence before it gets dark out." Glinda said before vanishing.
"So, we'll be departing in a few minutes then." Aislynn said getting up and stretching.
"Yep." Dorothy said picking up the scepter.
Alex smiled and got up as well. Walking over to Toto and picking him up. He then walked over to Dorothy. The scepter than began glowing.
"Looks like everything is fine at home." Alex said signaling for the others to hurry.
Everyone nodded and ran over to Dorothy grabbing hold of the scepter. Dorothy then felt herself lurch forward and the usual feelings ensued before she felt her feet make contact with the grassy field where they had departed from. Alex was on the ground gasping and gagging, as was Eliza. Toto was sitting at attention next to the crate she had been sitting on and Ellie and Aislynn were already running towards the farmhouse. She helped Eliza and Alex up and then noticed a piece of paper sitting on the crate. Picking it up she found it was a small note.
"What's that?" Eliza asked curiously.
"A note." Dorothy said.
"What does it say then?" She asked.
"Are you prepared for another challenge? Yours truly, the jester." Dorothy said.
"Oh boy." Alex replied.
"Well anyways, I'll show this to Glinda, you guys should probably head home, and I'll see you guys later." Dorothy said before running to the farm house.
Alex looked at Eliza and shrugged. But inside he knew this was going to be interesting. He then sighed headed for home.