Disclaimer, you know.
Meanwhile at the jester's hideout.
As the monkeys arrived and dropped scarecrow and a now passed out Aislynn on the floor the jester laughed wickedly and flicked his wand. Immediately a bucket of cold water appeared and dumped its contents on Aislynn jolting her awake with a scream. This caused the jester to laugh wickedly and the scarecrow to get angry.
"What did you do that for!?" Scarecrow shouted angrily.
"Well, I thought it was funny." The jester said approaching scarecrow and picking him up.
"You big bully, put him down!" Aislynn shouted.
"Can it girly, or I'll turn you both into stone right now!" The jester shouted as he turned to her and threw the scarecrow to the ground next to her.
"No!" Scarecrow shouted as he was thrown.
"Come again?" The jester asked now a bit confused.
"Don't do anything to her, do whatever you want to me, but don't harm her." the scarecrow said somehow managing to get on his knees.
"What's this? Scarecrow of Oz? Begging for the mercy of a girl?" The jester squatting down in front of them.
"Y-yes, I am, I am begging for her life." Scarecrow said.
Aislynn was in tears at this point. Both the scarecrow and the jester could see this. The child was obviously frightened and his morality issues were beginning to take hold. Should he spare the girl and take the scarecrow as his next ornament? Or should he just turn them into stone like his original plan. No that wouldn't be right.
"Nikko!" The Jester called.
Immediately the captain of the monkeys flew back into the room and saluted.
"Take these two to one of the many secluded rooms, put them both in the same room and lock them in, not that there's any escape without magic." The jester said.
The monkey saluted and picked up both Aislynn and scarecrow and dragged them off. The jester then went back up to his tower fuming with rage.
"Curses! Curses! Why couldn't I do it!?" The jester asked himself
Meanwhile back at the city.
"I there's no sign of them in crystal Alex, there's no other thing left to think, they've quite obviously been captured." Ellie said as Locasta nodded/
"Are there no places in Oz that can't be seen in the crystal?" Alex asked curiously.
"No, not unless the jester is there." Ellie said.
"Well then, Dorothy is going to be crushed when she wakes up." Alex said.
"Alex, she already burst out crying when the monkeys retreated, then she passed out, that's why I had Locasta bring you here to her room, we can't move her from the chambers, the slippers and the scepter won't let us move her." Ellie said.
"And if they won't let us move her there's nothing we can do, nothing can go against the combined protection of the slippers and the scepter." Locasta said.
"We'll see about that." Alex said running out of Locasta's room,
"Alex! Oi vey." Ellie said getting up from her chair and going after him.
Locasta sighed and went after them. Alex however managed to run into the chambers before Ellie managed catch up with him. She grabbed him by the sleeve just as he was about to approach Dorothy.
"Ellie, Let go." Alex said now frustrated
"Alex, I may not know much about sorcery but I know that getting shocked by those things hurts rather badly, even Toto and pockets can't approach her." Ellie said gesturing to the animals.
Alex said nothing. He merely pulled away from Ellie just as Locasta ran in. Alex however slowly approached Dorothy. As he neared her he took a deep breath and walked passed Toto. Everyone gasped in surprise as he managed to take Dorothy into his arms before Locasta chuckled.
"Ah, I see, they're a couple, his love is stronger than magic." Locasta said.
"How do you mean?" Ellie asked curiously.
"Ellie dear, Alex, you too, listen, love is a promise, one that is really hard to break under most circumstances." Locasta said.
"I don't get it." Ellie said.
"I sort of do." Alex said sort of confused as he carried Dorothy out of the chambers with the scepter following close behind.
When he got to Dorothy's room he walked to Dorothy's bed and gently set her down. He then lightly kissed her on the cheek. Immediately Dorothy groaned and began quietly sobbing in her sleep. Alex sighed and pulled up the chair he had put there earlier that morning. Pockets and Toto slowly walked into the room worriedly. Alex sighed and placed a hand on Dorothy's forehead. She was considerably warm on a cold day like this. As he ran his hand through her hair he found a small lump that appeared to be where she hit her head when she collapsed. He sighed and got up only to find Elena already standing in the door way with a cloth ice pack in her hands. Alex smiled and walked over to her and took the ice pack from her.
"Slight fever?" Elena asked curiously.
"Yea." Alex said walking back over to Dorothy and placing the ice pack over the bruise
"I ran into two strange women, do you know them by any chance? They were dressed in maid outfits." Elena asked curiously.
"They must be jenny and Jessica, I was told they were here, tell them ace was captured, they're her maids, they should know." Alex said.
"I don't think I need to, they seem to have run off again." Elena said running out of the room.
Alex sighed and ran his hand through Dorothy's hair. He undid Dorothy's hair ribbons and undid the pigtails. He then pushed down the ice pack a bit and sighed. He then sighed and leaned down kissing Dorothy softly on the cheek.
"Dorothy, please don't blame yourself for ace's capture." Alex then whispered into Dorothy's ear.
"Alex…" Dorothy moaned out.
"Dorothy?" Alex replied.
"Alex, give me some good news." Dorothy said as her eyes opened.
"Dorothy." Alex said sighing.
"Nothing?" Dorothy asked curiously.
"No, I'm sorry." Alex said as Toto a pockets jumped up on the bed.
"Alex, I tried so hard to keep her safe." Dorothy said starting to cry again.
"Dorothy, it's not your fault, you know if the jester targets one of us he's going to catch us regardless." Alex said.
"Alex is right Dorothy, even I've been captured by him easily." Toto said.
"Toto, you should be quiet." pockets said.
"No, Toto's right, Alex is right too, ace wouldn't want me crying over her loss." Dorothy said.
"That's the spirit." Alex said smiling and kissing her again.
Dorothy sniffed and chuckled as she blushed. She then sat up and noticed the ice pack on her head.
"What's this for?" Dorothy asked curiously.
"You collapsed, and, well I'll explain later, anyways you may want to check your temperature." Alex said.
"Why? I feel fine." Dorothy said.
"So did I the last time I was sick." Alex said.
"I'm assuming that was the day you passed out in school when we were seven?" Dorothy asked.
"How do you remember, right you seem to have a good mem… I should shut up before I get punched." Alex said.
"Alex, I wouldn't hit you without a good reason." Dorothy said pushing herself up and wiping the tears from her face.
"Yea, she'd have me pop you one if she was angry enough." Ellie said walking into the room with a nurse's thermometer in hand.
"Thanks Ellie, love you too." Alex said.
"What's with the thermometer?" Dorothy asked curiously.
"Elena gave it to me as Jessica and Jenny ran by me, with Elena chasing after, I guess they found out?" Ellie asked curiously.
Alex nodded and took the thermometer from Ellie. The then instructed Dorothy to put it under her tongue.
"Oh dear, she's not getting sick is she?" Ellie asked worriedly.
"We'll find out in a few minutes we assume." Came the rather upset voices of the maids.
"I got them, well they sort of ran back here." Elena said.
"Yes, and if you wouldn't mind not following us? Thanks." Jenny said.
"Elena leave them alone, you're a nurse, not a messenger." Ellie said.
"Ellie, you've made that joke before, when Alyssa became captain." Elena said.
"Right anyways, I wonder when the jester is going to gloat about capturing ace?" Ellie asked curiously.
"Probably soon, Dorothy you've been awfully quiet for someone with a thermometer under their tongue let's check it." Alex said taking the thermometer out of Dorothy's mouth and trying to read it.
"Need help?" Dorothy and Elena asked giggling.
"Yes, I left my glasses at home I was brought rather suddenly, when did the Jenny and Jessica get here?" Alex asked curiously.
"When we brought the hot air balloon, shortly before Ace and scarecrow were captured." Dorothy said sighing and taking the thermometer from Alex.
Elena sighed took the thermometer from Dorothy and read it.
"102.6, Dorothy you have a fever, probably from all the stress, it weakens your immune system." Elena said sighing.
"Oh, great, the jester is going to get a good laugh out of that." Dorothy said.
"Is it bad that we were all most likely thinking the same thing?" Ellie asked curiously.
"You all were thinking the same thing." Emma said walking into the room.
"Who are you?" Jenny and Jessica asked curiously.
"That's Emma, she's really a giant with a shrinking spell placed on her, and she also has magic powers." Dorothy said.
"Thank you Dorothy." Emma said.
"Emma go find Brianna tell her to make some soup for Dorothy, Dorothy you need to get your stress levels down and your immune system up." Elena said.
Emma nodded and ran out, Dorothy sighed and looked at Toto at pockets. They were looking at her with their heads cocked sideways. Dorothy chuckled and then looked at Elena.
"I'll do my best with my levels of stress, I don't need the jester taking advantage of me being sick, because you guys aren't going to let me leave this bed are you?" Dorothy asked.
"No you can leave the bed to get drinks and what not, we just won't let you leave the room." Elena said.
"Fair enough, anyways could one of you contact my aunt and uncle and let them know what happened?" Dorothy asked.
"Why don't you tell them yourself?" Came Auntie Em's voice as she walked into view.