Disclaimer you know.
Back in the emerald City Locasta was trying to find Yoop castle in her crystal. Glinda knew the effort was hopeless. Though she had heard of the incident in her cousin's land with the Yoop family. She didn't know it had escalated this far however. As she reentered the chambers she found it emptier since she had sent the Gales, including Toto and the cats back to the gale farmhouse for their own safety. Aislynn was in the corner reading. Ellie had gone to her room all pale and worried. Alex was the only one who seemed to be doing something that was at least trying to be productive. He, with help of the tin man and scarecrow, was practicing his swordsmanship on a few logs that they had brought in from the city.
"So, you've heard of the Yoops then?" Alex asked as his sword split through the log he was practicing on.
"Yes, and I'm going to do something about it if the jester fails at getting Mr. Yoop released." Scarecrow said as he and tin man set up a few more logs.
"Oh he'll get him released I'm sure, but when this war is over I guarantee the people will want him locked back up again." Glinda said placing her hand in the way of Alex's sword and catching it so she could walk by.
"Glinda, don't do that, that is really freaky." Alex said.
"Sorry." Glinda said chuckling.
"At least its enchantments don't fail." Scarecrow said.
"Yea, imagine if it failed, ooh what a mess that would be." Tin man said shuddering.
"Don't even speak like that, it makes me feel a bit sick." Aislynn said.
"Sorry ace." They all said.
"It's okay, just don't talk like that." Ace said returning to her.
Alex and Glinda share a glance with each other. Then they both looked at scarecrow and Tin man. Alex then smiled and swung the sword at another log.
Meanwhile inside Yoop castle.
As Emma and Mrs. Yoop ate their lunch of gigantic boiled eggs, Mrs. Yoop somehow managed to get normal sized ones from Dorothy. She wanted to question this but given the warning Emma had given her she decided that would be a rather stupid idea. After they had all finished eating Dorothy thanked Mrs. Yoop and then she and Emma returned to Emma's room. Emma brought Dorothy over to her desk which was right next to her bed. Setting her down gently Emma took out a large piece of paper and a giant pencil and began drawing. It was then that Dorothy decided to ask Emma the question.
"So, how did your mother get those eggs?" Dorothy asked curiously.
"Would you accept, magic as an answer?" Emma asked curiously.
"Sure." Dorothy said walking onto the paper and over to where Emma was drawing.
"Good because that's all I'm going to say." Emma said continuing her drawing.
"What you drawing?" Dorothy asked curiously.
"I'm trying to draw you." Emma said.
"Oh, I could stand still if you'd like." Dorothy offered.
"Actually if you could get off the paper that would be nice." Emma said sighing.
"Oh, right, sorry." Dorothy said running off the piece of paper.
"It's alright, now, um stand there." Emma said pointing to what seemed to be a large magnifying glass on a stand.
Dorothy nodded and walked over to it. Emma then adjusted the magnifying glass so it was right in front of Dorothy. Everything looked more distorted from her view through the lens. However Dorothy was magnified to just the right point from Emma's side so that she could see Dorothy rather well. Emma sketched for about an hour with Dorothy standing there completely still, and aside from breathing, completely silent. After the hour was up Emma moved the magnifying lens and allowed Dorothy to see the sketch.
"Try not to step on any of the grey areas or you may well end up tracking it around the paper as well as around the desk." Emma said.
"I'll do my best." Dorothy replied as she moved closer to Emma in order to admire the girl's handiwork.
Dorothy couldn't deny that Emma had captured her likeness rather well. Dorothy was impressed and she made that known. She walked around the piece of paper admiring every little detail.
"Well?" Emma asked curiously.
"It's amazing." Dorothy replied.
"Thanks." Emma said picking up the piece of paper and putting it a drawer.
"So, what do you want to do now?" Dorothy asked curiously.
"Not sure, what would you recommend?" Emma asked curiously.
"Um, we could draw, or you could at any rate, I'm way too small to use any of this stuff." Dorothy said sitting on the edge of the desk.
"Right, um, we could just talk, you know, engage in friendly conversation." Emma suggested placing her hand out for Dorothy to climb on.
"Anything is better than doing nothing at this point." Dorothy said climbing onto Emma's hand and sitting down.
Emma smiled and brought Dorothy back over to the doll house. She had just set Dorothy down in the bedroom of the dollhouse just as they heard Mrs. Yoop coming. Dorothy stumbled and tripped, knocking over the scepter and whacking her forehead rather hard on the bedpost. Emma saw this happened and gasped just as Mrs. Yoop walked in carrying a tray with a loaf of bread, a bowl of soup, and an eye dropper. She saw the state Dorothy was in and set the tray down on the bed chuckling.
"I have to admit, human misery is a bit funny." She said.
"I don't think it's funny, I think it hurts." Dorothy said rubbing the newly formed bump on her head.
"But I do, and that's what matters, this is my house after all." She said looking at Dorothy, a little bit annoyed that this small person was talking to her.
"Do you by any chance have any ice?" Dorothy asked curiously.
"We do, I'll get some." Emma said getting up.
"No, no, let her deal with it herself." Mrs. Yoop said walking out of the room.
"What's got her all irritated?" Dorothy asked looking in a piece of polished glass that was hanging on the wall of the dollhouse and observing the bruise that was now forming.
"She's always like this in the afternoons and evenings, ever since they carted father away." Emma said picking up Dorothy.
Emma picked up Dorothy and brought her back over to the desk. Taking the magnifying lens she angled it so she could get a good look at Dorothy's face.
"Ouch, that must have hurt." Emma said wincing at the sight.
"Well it certainly didn't tickle." Dorothy replied.
"You stay here, and um, I don't know, watch the soup as it cools, I'm going to go get some ice for that." Emma said quickly running out of the room.
Dorothy had to grab onto the edge of the magnifying glass in order to keep her balance this time. She sighed and sat down. Looking at the giant bowl of soup and loaf of bread.
"Looks good doesn't it?" Came the voice of the jester from behind her.
Dorothy nearly jumped up in surprise. She turned and looked at the jester. He was smiling, but it wasn't a wicked or mischievous smile. It was just a smile.
"Why are you even here?" Dorothy asked as ground began to tremble again.
Dorothy and the jester both held onto the magnifying glass to avoid getting injured. As Emma came back in carrying an ice cube. As she got back to the desk she noticed the jester and sighed.
"Oh, what are you doing here?" Emma asked setting the ice cube and down on the desk and looking at him.
"Oh, just checking in on her." The jester said flicking the wand and causing a small chunk of ice to chip off the ice cube.
The ice then wrapped itself up in a cloth and flew over to Dorothy. She smiled and plucked out of the air putting it on her bruise.
"Thanks." Both Dorothy and Emma said in unison.
"Don't mention it." The jester said flicking his wand again and causing the large ice cube to vanish.
"Well that saves cleaning up." Emma said now rummaging through her desk drawers.
"What are you looking for now?" Dorothy asked curiously.
"Some tiny container of sorts that I can use to give you some soup." Emma said continuing to rummage.
Dorothy looked at the jester for a moment. He shrugged and flicked the wand. Immediately a large toy bowl that would fit well inside the dollhouse.
"Ah perfect." Emma said picking it up and walking over to the bed.
Emma then took the eye dropper and took some soup into it and filled the bowl. She then took the large bowl and the loaf of bread and brought it over to the desk. However neither of them noticed that the jester had vanished at this point. Emma set the small bowl in front of Dorothy. She thanked Emma and began eating.
"Well, it seems the jester is gone." Dorothy said as she looked up from the bowl.
"Does he vanish often?" Emma asked curiously.
"Given the fact that he's the one I'm supposed destroy, he tends to show up and vanish a lot, he says he has morality issues." Dorothy said.
"Ah, I see." Emma said slightly confused.
"Emma!?" Came the booming voice of Mrs. Yoop.
"Yes mother?" Emma called.
"Have you and your friend finished your supper!?" She called.
"Not yet Mother!" Emma called.
"Okay, hurry up so you can do your chores before nightfall!" She called.
"Yes mother." Emma said sighing.
"Why do you have to finish your chores before nightfall? Actually since this is your supper time doesn't that imply its already evening?" Dorothy asked curiously.
"Evening yes, nightfall not yet, and I'm not allowed to leave my room after nightfall because of mother's fear that your type of people might try to break in and lock us up as well." Emma said.
"That sounds a bit paranoid." Dorothy said finishing off her serving of soup and then breaking some bread from the giant loaf.
Emma said nothing, she just finished off her soup and stashed away the rest of the load for later. She then picked up the large bowl and started for the door. Dorothy sat down this time to avoid falling over. Emma looked back at her as she reached the door. She then stood there in thought for a minute and went back. She picked up Dorothy and placed her on her shoulder.
"I don't think it's a good idea for me to leave you here alone, mother might show up and things could get bad." Emma said as they left the room.
Meanwhile back in the emerald city.
It was now five in the evening and Alex was now cleaning up the wood in the chambers with the help of scarecrow and Aislynn. He had sheathed his sword and was now holding a dust pan that ace was sweeping stray woodchips into.
"So, how's your swordsmanship?" Aislynn asked giggling.
"So, I made a little mess, at least now the city has more free fire wood." Alex said.
"Fire wood it doesn't need." Aislynn said.
"Hey you two don't argue." Scarecrow said as he picked up a bunch of large slivers of wood.
"sorry." they both said in unison.
"Anyways, it's more mine and tin man's fault, we kept providing the wood." Scarecrow said.
"Why though?" Aislynn asked curiously.
"Because I wasn't willing to make a straw dummy." Scarecrow said walking over to them and placing the large slivers in a bag next to them.
"So scared of allowing harm to a makeshift scarecrow?" Aislynn asked giggling as she walked up to scarecrow and kissed him on the cheek.
"Well, of course, why, why would I want to harm my own brethren?" Scarecrow asked chuckling and blushing.
"Fair point." Aislynn said.
"Hey you two keep away from the kissing and what not?" Alex requested
"Oh are you a Mr. Grumpy face because Dorothy isn't here?" Aislynn asked teasingly
"She's only been captured for the umpteenth time, and this time she's being used as play mate for the daughter of giantess, now she's fine and all but I still think he has the right to be a bit grumpy." Came the voice of the jester.
"Right, anyways any other questions?" Alex asked not even caring about the jester.
"You are Mr. Grumpy face today aren't you?" Aislynn, scarecrow and the jester asked in unison.
"Shut up." Alex replied.
"So you are?" Aislynn asked teasingly.
"Ace, can it." Alex said dumping the dustpan into the bag.
"Where is he?" came Glinda's voice as she ran in.
"A few seconds too late." Alex said looking around.
"Dang it." Glinda said snapping her fingers.
"Well, I'm going to go to the library." Scarecrow said walking out.
"I'll go too." Aislynn said running after him.
As Alex and Glinda were left alone Alex sighed and walked over to throne.
"Glinda, do you have any of those potion bottles?" Alex asked curiously.
"In my room, but I doubt you'll manage to contact her." Glinda said.
"But we can try." Alex said.
"Yes, I guess we can." Glinda said sighing.
"Well then let's go." Alex said running out of the chambers.
So, will Alex manage to contact Dorothy, or wont he. Will Dorothy managed to keep Mrs. yoop from losing her temper? Find out in the next installment.