Disclaimer you know.
A few weeks later Dorothy found herself back at the hospital to get her casts removed. Things had actually been rather quiet. The jester had kept to his word and hadn't bothered Dorothy at all. However the quiet was actually worrying. However the thoughts of this were broken as Doctor Maxwell cut the cast off her arm. Alex and her aunt were at her side as the cast was removed. She was glad to be able to completely move it again, even if it did feel a bit stiff. The cool air felt nice on her arm and hand. She clenched her hand and opened it again. She took Alex's hand in her own and smiled
"Feels nice to be able to move my arm again, can't wait to have the cast off of my leg." Dorothy said as Doctor Maxwell started cutting the cast off her leg.
"I'll be glad too, we'll be able to dance together again." Alex said.
"Yes, yes we will, but first we should get the scepter and the slippers back, the jester kept to his word, now he can attack me freely." Dorothy said.
"That seems like a good idea, anyways speaking of Oz related things, we're going to Candy County when we get there." Alex said pulling a piece of paper from his pocket which he handed to Dorothy.
Dorothy took the paper and noticed her nails were returning to their normal size. She smiled and read the paper over. It was one of the princess's invitations. She had received many in her time in Oz. it was inviting her and Alex to a picnic.
"It's been so long since I've been anywhere outside of the city, and I'm glad this time you get to be with me." Dorothy said.
"Oh, yes, they gave me this as well." Alex said pulling out an identification card and handing it to Dorothy.
"Oh, right, I'm an honorary citizen of candy county and china country." Dorothy said taking the card and slipping it in her dress pocket.
"Ah, that's good, no one will ask you any questions then." Alex said.
Dorothy smiled and then sighed as the cast from her leg was removed. She smiled and rolled her ankle a bit. It made some rather loud popping and cracking noises as she did so and she sighed with relief. She then stood up and let her bare feet ouch the cold floor of the hospital room. She walked around the room a bit and giggled.
"It feels so great to be able to walk around again, do you think Glinda is watching?" Dorothy asked walking over to Alex and taking his hand.
Alex smiled and nodded. Dorothy then immediately felt herself lurch forward. As the rainbow array of colors rushed by her she once more began to feel dizzy and sick. Immediately she felt her bare feet made contact with the floor of the chambers. She staggered a bit and then fell to her knees. She looked at Alex who was now heaving and trying to catch his breath. Dorothy sighed and noticed that Glinda and Locasta were standing in front of her.
"You look better." Locasta said walking over to Dorothy and helping her up.
"Thanks, I feel much better too, now that I don't have those casts on my arm or leg." Dorothy said as the scepter flew into the room.
Dorothy smiled and caught it. She then turned to Alex and helped him up.
"Thanks, you know I really hate that method of travel." Alex said.
"I know, I don't really like it either, um Glinda where are the slippers?" Dorothy asked curiously.
"There in my room still as far as I know, the scepter is the only thing of yours that can fly to you." Glinda said.
"Yes, well cousin, you should go get them, she's going to need to use them to get to Candy County since The China princess and Marshall Mallow borrowed Tugg so they could get there." Locasta said.
"Right, I'll be right back then." Glinda said running out of the chambers quickly.
Dorothy chuckled and then looked around the chambers. She then realized something.
"Where is everybody else?" Dorothy asked curiously.
"they're about, scarecrow took Aislynn on a picnic in city park, Ellie and her comrades as well as Terrance are out training, Lion and Tin man are somewhere, and wiser, I can only assume is out practicing his landings" Locasta said.
"Alright, one pair of ruby slippers, made to order." Glinda said walking in with them.
Dorothy smiled and walked over to her. She took the slippers from Glinda and then set them on the floor. As she slid them on she motioned for Alex to come over to her.
"Thank you Glinda, we'll see you at some point this afternoon." Dorothy said.
"It's no trouble dear, now you remember how to use those right?" Glinda asked curiously.
"Indeed I do." Dorothy said taking Alex's hand in her own.
"Well then, if you're ready, shall we go?" Alex asked.
"Indeed, take Alex and me to Candy County." Dorothy said clicking the heels of the slippers together three times.
Immediately Dorothy felt herself lurch forward again. However travel this time seemed smoother with the slippers. The rainbow of colors passed by her and Alex as they were transported. This time Dorothy was glad she was able to able to admire the colors whizzing by her without feeling nauseas, or sick. She then felt herself tumble over the white sugar hills of Candy County. She and Alex had ended up in what Dorothy felt like a familiar looking valley.
"Is this valley made of sugar?" Alex asked curiously taking a hand full of the substance in his hand.
"I think it's more of a sugar snow." Dorothy said taking some into her hand and forming it into a ball.
"Really? It's not the least bit cold." Alex said.
"No but it's all as soft." Dorothy said throwing the ball at him.
The ball of sugar snow hit Alex in the face with a rather satisfying Piff sound. Dorothy giggled as Alex brushed the sugar snow off of his face. He then took some on one of his fingers and licked it.
"Well, it doesn't taste that bad, um which way is the town?" Alex asked curiously.
"Um, well, I'm not quite sure, but I'm sure that if we walk around long enough will run into someone eventually." Dorothy said looking around.
Alex smiled and walked over to her. He smiled and took her hand. She smiled and kissed him on the cheek. She then led him in the direction away from valley they had landed in.
Meanwhile back in Kansas.
Annabella was in the kitchen helping her mother prepare sandwiches for her and dad. Mr. Teak didn't really leave the shop much during the day since the school sent him an order for making the new desks. These days he worked well into the night as well.
"Mommy, when will daddy be done working on the school stuff?" Annabella asked curiously.
"When he's done making all the tables, desks and chairs." Mrs. Teak replied
"How many has he made so far, do you know mommy?" Annabella asked curiously.
"According to him he's made about two hundred desks and chairs, he still has a lot more to go." Mrs. Teak replied.
Annabella nodded and watched as her mother wrapped up the sandwich in wax paper and put it in a paper bag. She then took the bag from her mother and placed it on the small kitchen table. When all three sandwiches were made Mrs. Teak helped Annabella get her jacket on and they left the house and walked towards the shop. When they arrived Mrs. Teak noticed something that wasn't normally there. It was the painting of a man. He had dark brown eyes, his face wore a stern look that looked like it never left. The man wore a light grey suit in the painting as well as a grey top hat to match. It was her husband's late father, he was a rather disagreeable man, and as she knew he cared very little about his own son. She looked over to her husband who was sanding down a chair he hand finished putting together.
"Why is the picture of your father hung up dear husband?" Mrs. Teak asked curiously.
"I have my reasons, but I made it a new frame if you were wondering." Mr. Teak said looking up from his work.
"Well we brought you lunch, take a little rest, you never stop working until it's late at night." Mrs. Teak said.
"Leave it here, I'll eat when I finish with this chair, you guys should go home, and don't you dare argue Annabella, I know that look, you know you're not allowed to be inside the workshop until you're a little older, it was the same for Alex when he was your age." Mr. Teak said sternly.
Mrs. Teak looked at her husband and sighed, she then picked up Annabella and left the shop. She knew that she would have to convince her husband to talk to Alex at some point, but she knew it would be impossible to convince her husband to do anything when he was engrossed in his work.
Meanwhile back in Candy County.
Dorothy and Alex wandered for nearly an hour without finding any sign of the city. Dorothy sighed and leaned against a licorice tree.
"If only we had a map, or the slippers didn't bring us to that valley." Dorothy said.
"Dorothy, doesn't that thing fly?" Alex asked referring to the scepter.
"Yes, I thought of that, but I don't know if the scepter will support us both." Dorothy said.
"Well it's stronger than I am in terms of trying to pull away from one." Alex said.
"That is true." Dorothy said throwing a leg over the scepter, "Get on and hold on tightly in the event that this works." She added.
Alex looked at Dorothy for a moment and then nodded. He mounted the broomstick behind Dorothy and wrapped his arms around her tightly.
"I'm ready." Alex said.
"Right, To the City of candy county, fly!" Dorothy shouted.
Immediately the scepter rose up and took off as fast as it always did. It continued in the direction she and Alex had been walking. As the wind whistled by them they saw the town eventually come into view. The scepter began to slow down as they approached the edge of the town. Eventually the scepter came to a complete halt at the edge of the town. As both Dorothy and Alex dismounted the scepter Dorothy saw judge jawbreaker and general candy apple walk over to them. Dorothy curtseyed as they reached them.
"Ms. Dorothy gale, we were wondering when you would arrive, Marshall Mallow and The princess are waiting for you at the candy courthouse, oh hello who are you?" Judge jawbreaker asked looking at Alex.
"Oh right, introductions, Judge Jawbreaker, General candy apple, this is Alex teak, he's a friend." Dorothy said.
"Any friend of Dorothy is a friend of ours, it's a pleasure to meet you my dear boy." Judge Jawbreaker said holding out a hand for Alex to shake.
"It's a pleasure to meet you too sir, and you as well general." Alex said shaking judge Jawbreaker's hand and then saluting to general candy apple.
"Well then, no time to lose, you two must be getting to the candy court house." General candy apple said saluting back.
Dorothy nodded and took Alex's hand. She then pulled him along towards the court house. When they got in there they found the China Princess and Marshall mallow waiting for them.
"Dorothy! I'm so glad to see you up and walking again." The princess said walking over to her.
"Thank you china princess, I'm glad to be walking again." Dorothy replied.
"So, a picnic, where are we going to be having it?" Alex asked curiously.
"There's a nice candy flower meadow not far from the town, that's where we will be going." Marshall Mallow said picking up the picnic basket from the bench next to him.
Dorothy smiled and looked at Alex. She was glad he was with her.
Meanwhile at the park in the emerald city.
Scarecrow had decided to take Aislynn on a picnic. Of course he couldn't eat but he wanted to spend some time with her. She had her head rested on his legs while she was eating some strawberries.
"Scarecrow?" Aislynn asked curiously.
"Yes ace?" Scarecrow said looking down at her.
"Why would you take me on a picnic when all you can do is watch?" Aislynn asked curiously.
"Ellie suggested it, I took a liking to the idea." Scarecrow replied.
"Ah, scarecrow, can I tell you something?" Aislynn asked curiously.
"Ask away." Scarecrow said.
"First, I'm sure that I'm right in assuming that you want me to be your queen?" Aislynn asked curiously.
"Well, of course, but technically it's your decision whether or not I am your king as the throne is rightfully yours, since it was your grandfather's." Scarecrow said.
"But that's the thing, I don't want to be a princess, or a queen, I just want to be myself, with you and my friends by my side." Aislynn replied.
This response shocked the scarecrow. His brain then began whizzing. He then realized that Aislynn probably wouldn't be happy as a ruler. She wasn't like Ellie, who was born into it and knew it. She wasn't like Dorothy who would probably take charge. But Dorothy would probably only do it in dire emergency. She wasn't a natural born leader like Alyssa. She was just a child who by a chain of circumstances ended up in this situation.
"I understand ace, you didn't even know about your grandfather being the ruler of Oz until after he was dead, you don't want to be a leader, sort of like Ellie, who was born to take Glinda's throne when it comes her time." Scarecrow said.
"Exactly." Aislynn said getting up and smoothing down her dress.
"I understand, I really and utterly do, and I won't force you into a position you don't want to be in." Scarecrow said getting up as well and kissing her on the cheek.
Aislynn blushed and they began packing up the picnic basket.
"We should go and find Ellie and the others." Aislynn said as they finished packing it up.
"I believe they should be back in the palace by now." Scarecrow said looking up at the sun and calculating the time.
"I hope so, I also hope Alex and Dorothy are enjoying their picnic with the china princess and marshal mallow." Aislynn said taking the scarecrows arm in hers and heading towards the palace.
Well that's part one, what do you think? Also, when do you think the jester shall return? And what do you think of Aislynn's decision about not wanting to be a ruler?