Disclaimer, you know.
The next morning in the city.
Just outside the city in the field by the docks Aislynn was sitting in the grass reading. She knew that scarecrow had a crush on her and she had feelings for him herself. She would occasionally stop reading and lie back in the grass to stare at the clouds or let her mind wander. Every now and again she'd wonder how Dorothy and Alex were fairing with the Yoops. She shrugged this off however when she noticed scarecrow watching her from the city. She looked at him and waved. He waved back and she sighed and returned to her book. Meanwhile the scarecrow watched her reading as he leaned against the entrance to the palace.
Meanwhile at the jester's hideout.
The jester had been watching the scene in his crystal ball. He chuckled and waved his wand over the crystal causing it to go dark. He then laughed loudly for a moment before clenching is teeth in pain. His jaw still hurt from Mr. Teak having hit it. He then sat down and whistled a tune while he thought of what he could do with Aislynn or the scarecrow. Dorothy seemed to care about Aislynn as it seemed she was aislynn's guardian. It was also obvious that the scarecrow definitely would definitely try and protect her till the end of time.
"But what can I do? There are so many things which I can do to either one of them to make them admit their love to each other, but what?" The jester asked himself aloud.
He thought for a moment and looked out the window. There was nothing remotely interesting outside as this was not his castle in the woods. However he did see a crow fly by and that gave him an interesting idea. He just didn't know how he would pull it off yet.
Meanwhile in Locasta's domain.
Glinda had left her early the next morning and started for a village that she believed was near Yoop castle. She would free Dorothy, Locasta, and Alex herself. As well as take care of the Yoops if need be. She never felt so much resentment and anger in her life, but now she felt it towards the jester. She was getting annoyed at him at this point. As she came to the village she found the men and women happily doing their chores. Each were in an outfit that was casual like Dorothy and Alex would wear, they seemed comfortable with their surroundings and they seemed harmless so she thought it safe to approach. As she approached the village and was immediately recognized. Everyone who saw her bowed in her presence.
"Please, rise, I come requesting directions or guidance." Glinda said loudly.
"Anything Miss Glinda, just ask it and we will do our bests" A man said turning from painting the side of his house.
"I need directions or someone to lead me to Yoop castle." Glinda said.
Immediately with this remark every exchanged worried glances. They backed away from her and looked at their children. A little girl bravely approached Glinda.
"Glinda, why do you want to see those scary giants?" the girl asked.
Glinda sighed and knelt down in front of the child and stared her directly in the eye.
"They may seem scary, but they are kind, the adults are just consumed with fear from the terrible fairy stories the wizard brought to our land." Glinda said.
"But Mr. Yoop knocked down a few of our houses." Another one of the men said.
"Did you actually see him push it over or crush it?" Glinda asked curiously.
"Well no, but the ground shaking from his walk…" The man said trailing off.
"Exactly, it was not his fault." Glinda said.
Immediately everyone in the village shared a glance with each other before turning to Glinda again. They hung their heads in shame.
"I guess we owe them an apology, we gave Locasta and two others the key to the mountain cage, they never came back though." The man replied.
"That's because one of them was the jester." Glinda said causing everyone to gasp.
"Sweet Oz! We've condemned them!" one of the women said.
"No, the jester is keeping Locasta, the boy, Alex, and Dorothy trapped in Yoop castle, I've come to free both my friends, and the Yoop's from the jester's control." Glinda said feeling she was getting somewhere and nowhere at the same time.
"Miss Glinda, I'll show you the way." A man dressed in a multicolored suit like her father would wear.
Glinda nodded and smiled. She then got up and walked over. As she did she felt someone place a hand on her shoulder, causing her to gasp. She turned as saw the jester smiling. Everyone now noticed him and gasped drawing back into their homes and sending their children behind them. Glinda said nothing. She took out her wand and pointed it at him. He immediately put his hands up and stepped back.
"Look I know you're angry with me but hear me out." The jester said taking another step back and rubbing his jaw.
"I'll give you, a minute of my time, then I'll go, but only a minute, otherwise I may just cast a spell on you out of spite." Glinda said.
"Wow, that is, really, really out of character for you." The jester said lowering his hands.
"Get on with it, you're wasting my time." Glinda said getting a little irritated.
"I'm a jester, I do things to keep people amused, and I keep myself amused, meanwhile what have my plans done? They've allowed you to help these people realize their mistake in being afraid of the giants. But now, I withdraw, you have won this round" The jester said taking out his wand and flicking it, causing him to vanish.
"You know, I really can't stand him sometimes." Glinda said turning back to the man.
"Glinda, we'll all come with you, we all owe the Yoops an apology." One of the men said as everyone nodded in agreement.
Meanwhile at Yoop castle.
After a breakfast of toast and eggs something rather strange happened. As they were all sitting at kitchen table the scepter flew out of Emma's room, and came to a halt right in front of Dorothy. It was now glowing brightly again. This gave Dorothy a sense of relief and at the same time it made her, Alex, and Locasta slightly worried. But it meant the jester no longer had power over this part of Locasta's domain. Dorothy opened her mouth to say something to the Yoops but a large knock from the front door resounded through the house. Mrs. Yoop looked at her husband worriedly and they both looked at their daughter worriedly. Dorothy sighed and pointed it at a nearby a nearby mirror. She figured if she could make up a spell once before she could do it again.
"A secret you need not confide, in this mirror, show who is outside." Dorothy said.
Immediately a ball of light flew out of the orb and hit the mirror. It began to ripple as if they had splashed the contents from one of the potion bottles on it. Dorothy was surprised that the spell had actually worked. She looked at Alex and Locasta who seemed just as surprised as she was. They then all turned their attention to the mirror as it showed Glinda with practically an army of people behind her.
"That's Glinda!" Locasta said in surprised.
"And those are the inhabitance of the nearby village." Mrs. Yoop said worriedly.
"Mr. and Mrs. Yoop, you need not be afraid, we mean you no harm!" Glinda shouted which echoed through both the house and out of the mirror.
Dorothy looked at Mr. and Mrs. Yoop. She then nodded and looked at Emma. Emma looked at her for a moment and gasped. She then ran out of the kitchen making Dorothy have to lean against the scepter to avoid falling. Mrs. Yoop sighed and walked out of the kitchen in the opposite direction followed by her husband following close behind. A few minutes later Emma returned and set Dorothy's flats and the nightgown down on the table.
"I guess you're leaving then?" Emma asked sounding a little disappointed.
"I'm not sure Emma, but technically I'm not sure it matters either, you don't have to worry about the jester doing you guys any harm now, since the scepter is working again that means his power has no influence here anymore." Dorothy said.
"That's right." Glinda said now appearing next to Dorothy making her jump.
"Glinda! Don't do that! It already scares me when the jester does that." Dorothy said.
"Sorry dear." Glinda said turning to her cousin.
Locasta opened her mouth to say something. But Glinda raised a hand and silenced her. She then turned to Emma and smiled. Mr. and Mrs. Yoop then walked back in with smiles on their faces.
"Well, we need no longer worry about the village being afraid of us thanks to you Glinda." Mrs. Yoop said chuckling.
Glinda turned to Mrs. Yoop and nodded. She then walked over her cousin and whispered something in her ear. This lead to a conversation of whispers between the two that Dorothy wasn't going to try and listen in on. Glinda then chuckled and took her cousins hand. Then they both took out their wands and waved them in a similar pattern. Immediately the tips of their wands began to glow. As the scepter, rather brightly as Glinda and Locasta cast their spell.
"What are they doing?" Emma asked curiously.
"Hush, neither Alex nor I know, all we know is they're casting a spell of some sort." Dorothy said.
Dorothy looked at Alex and smiled. She then took his hand in hers and squeezed it tightly. Alex smiled and watched Glinda and Locasta as they continued their spell. After a minute the glowing subsided and the cousins released each other's hand.
"Now, you are under both our protections, you need no longer fear the jester's power here, he cannot infiltrate this castle unless he plans on dying in the process." Glinda said.
"And now, Mr. and Mrs. Yoop, I have a proposition since there are ways around our protection, and I'm sure the jester will use them." Locasta said walking over to the edge of the table.
Mrs. Yoop looked at Locasta and then picked her up and brought her to her shoulder. Locasta whispered her plan in Mrs. Yoop's ear. Mrs. Yoop chuckled and nodded and whispered the plan to her husband. He nodded in agreement with her as Mrs. Yoop set Locasta on the table once more. She then touched the tip of her wand to the table and walked in large circle. As she walked the wand left a glowing line in its wake. As she finished in the glowing circles place was a giant, beautiful emerald pendant.
"Emma, this is for you, it will allow you to have your wish." Locasta said.
Emma looked at Locasta curiously for a moment and then shrugged. She then picked up the pendant and with the help of her mother she put it on. Immediately the large emerald in the center of pendant began to glow. Emma then began to shrink. She gasped as she noticed this happening.
"Emma, my cousin and I have decided, and your parents agree, for your own protection, you are going to return to the city with us." Glinda said looking at her cousin.
"It's the same magic Glinda used on the China princess's pink pendant that allows her to grow to the same height as her husband, except working in reverse." Locasta said.
"Impressive." Emma said as her mother picked her up and sat her on the edge of the table as she continued to shrink.
Locasta chuckled and looked at Mrs. Yoop. She then winked as if to say she and Mrs. Yoop as discussed more than any of the Yoop's or Glinda were letting on. Then, after a few minutes of waiting in silence the magic was complete. Emma was now tall enough to pass off as younger relative to Dorothy or Alex. Being only a little more than half of Dorothy's height. Dorothy smiled and then walked over to where Emma had set down the nightgown and her flats and slid the flats on.
"Emma, assuming I know how we're getting back to the emerald city, well, just brace yourself it's a bit dizzying at first." Dorothy said, "Glinda? Is something wrong?" she asked noticing Glinda had her eyes closed.
"Ellie knows, and she is now, really, really worried, oh dear." Glinda said worried.
"Glinda, we'll be returning to the city soon, she won't have to worry to know you are safe." Locasta said.
"But she tends to get a little over worried about me, you know, being my sister and all." Glinda said.
"Right, well, Mrs. and Mr. Yoop, I'll drop in from time to time to make sure everything is alright, Emma will be safe with us, for the most part, but the jester is crafty." Locasta said walking over to Dorothy, Alex and Emma.
"We'll be here, Emma, be a good girl, don't do anything dangerous." Mrs. Yoop said
Emma nodded and a tear rolled down her face. Dorothy smiled and wiped it just as she noticed the scepter glowing brightly again. Alex noticed this as well and then grabbed onto the scepter. Dorothy then felt herself lurch forward.
Meanwhile back in the city, in the chambers.
Ellie was pacing around worriedly having found her sister's note. She closed her eyes but it seemed either Glinda was stopping her from seeing where she was or something was wrong. Aislynn was following her as she paced while everyone was trying to comfort her about her sister's disappearance.
"Ellie, she'll be fine, you know it, and I know it." Alyssa said trying to comfort her comrade.
Ellie opened her mouth to retort but Dorothy Alex and girl she had never seen before appeared in the room. Dorothy and Alex fell forward trying to catch their breath. While the girl just looked at them curiously. Glinda and Locasta then appeared in the room to Ellie's relief. Ellie gasped and ran over to her sister embracing her tightly, while Aislynn ran over to Dorothy and embraced her. Then after five minutes of introducing Emma and the situation to every Glinda ran off to make a room in the palace for Emma.
"Dorothy, we're going to have to send you, Alex, Ellie and Aislynn back to Kansas soon." Locasta said.
"Okay Locasta, Emma, listen to all of my friends, don't wander around the city without someone with you, and as your mother said, be a good girl." Dorothy said taking Alex's hand and then kissing him on the cheek making him blush.
Well then, the jester just let them go. And Glinda was able to avoid getting violent at him. Now what does the jester have planned for ace and scarecrow?