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Dorothy wandered in the woods for about an hour following the sunrise until the dark clouds rolled in and it began pouring. Dorothy sighed and looked at the slippers.
"No, they're probably already mad at me for using them in the first place." Dorothy said sliding off the slippers, picking them up and deciding to walk barefoot the rest of the way
The slippers, she now felt where just too much of a luxury for her. Though she hardly used them one of the few times she did was to break the rules. She then sighed and started running as the rain continued to pour.
Meanwhile at the palace
"What is she doing? Doesn't she want to see her friends and family as soon as she can?" the jester asked as he watched Dorothy in the crystal ball.
"Come on Dorothy, no, dallying, must, get to, munchkin land, before night fall." He heard Dorothy say through breaths.
"Oh, I see, she wants some fulfillment, she's feeling sorry for herself either that or she forgot she could use the scepter, I don't know, let's find out." The jester said as he once more flicked the wand and vanished.
Back in the woods.
Dorothy had been running non-stop for the last fifteen minutes and she was now tired as the day was long. She decided to rest inside a large hole inside a large willow tree she found. As she rested she heard a loud crack of thunder but no lightning had come before it, she merely sighed and waiting.
"Dorothy gale, are you insane, you'll catch your death out here in the rain." The jester said walking into view.
"It's a fair punishment for risking my life after being told countless times not to." Dorothy said.
"Well you could have at least used the scepter to fly yourself there." The jester said.
Dorothy looked at him wide eyed for a moment. He was right. She hadn't actually thought about it. She looked at the scepter and then back at the jester.
"You know, I hadn't actually thought about that." Dorothy said as she took the slippers in hand and grabbed the scepter.
"I kind of figured." The jester said before flicking the wand and vanishing again.
Dorothy sighed and emerged from the tree she then got on to the scepter. Keeping a tight grasp on the scepter she sighed once more.
"To the Munchkin City, Fly!" she shouted loudly.
Immediately the scepter lurched forward and she was off. The scepter swerved around all of the trees and dodged every obstacle in its way. Dorothy tried to keep her eyes open but had to close them because of both the rain and the wind causing her eyes to burn. She had no idea how long she had been flying for before the scepter started to slow down and come to a halt. When she was sure she was just hovering she opened her eyes and found herself at the edge of the munchkin city. She smiled and dismounted the scepter. She looked at her hand and made sure she still had both slippers, and she did. She then started for the mayor's mansion. As soon as she entered the city however she began to feel dizzy and faint. She managed to get to the porch of the mansion and knock on the door before she collapsed and blacked out. Seconds later however the door was opened by the mayor.
"Hello? Oh my, Alex! Cassandra! Mr. and Mrs. Gale! Somebody! It's Dorothy!" he called worriedly
"I heard my name get called, what's the matter?" Alex asked popping his head out of the living room
"It's Dorothy, she's passed out on the porch." The mayor said worriedly.
"What!?" Alex exclaimed as he ran over.
Immediately Alex was met with the third shock of his life this week. First the appearance of his family, second the appearance of the five cabinets with the puppets of some of their friends, and now this. Alex immediately took Dorothy in his arms making sure to take the slippers and the scepter.
"What's all the commotion about? Oh dear lord!" Em exclaimed as she walked out of the kitchen.
Immediately all this commotion set off a snowball effect. Everyone came out to check out what the commotion was until Alex finally decided to bring Dorothy upstairs and put her in bed with the help of Em and henry to get her changed into a nightgown. Cassandra had hobbled her way up the stairs to check on Dorothy. She cast a few spells over to Dorothy to confirm that this was indeed her. None of the spells she used did anything thing so it was definitely her and also confirmed that she would be fine and that all she needed was a little rest. She smiled and hobbled out of the room with Em and henry following leaving just Alex, Toto, and pockets in the room to watch over Dorothy. Alex sighed and sat down on the chair next to the bed. He was relieved that Dorothy was alright, they actually had all believed that the jester had done her in and this was the end. However his thoughts were broken by Toto and pockets jumping onto his lap simultaneously. Both of them looked at him with a worried expression.
"Don't worry you two, Cassandra said she would be fine, why don't you two go and wait down stairs, I'll let everyone know when she wakes up." Alex said.
Toto looked at pockets and barked. Immediately they both jumped off of Alex's lap and ran out of the room. Alex smiled and then got up and walked into the bathroom. He immediately he grabbed a cup and filled it with water knowing Dorothy would most likely need it. He emerged from the bathroom and set the glass on the side table. He then returned to his chair and waited. After about an hour of waiting he leaned over and kissed Dorothy lightly on the cheek. Immediately Dorothy let out a long groan and raised a hand to her forehead. Her eyes flutter open and she turned to face Alex.
"Alex? Oh you wouldn't believe how happy I am to see you." Dorothy said weakly.
"You wouldn't believe how surprised we here to see you." Alex replied.
Dorothy smiled and then licked her lips. She looked around and found the glass of water. She took it in hand and downed the entire glass in a matter of seconds.
"He let me go, he said he wanted a fair fight, and he let me go, but he said that he had sent ahead a little surprise for me." Dorothy replied.
"Dorothy, he did, and I'm glad he did, but the thing is, he left a card." Alex said.
"Where is it?" Dorothy asked curiously
"Attached to one of the five new cabinets downstairs, we were all rather shocked when they appeared in the living room two days ago." Alex said.
"What do you mean?" Dorothy asked curiously.
"I mean, well come on I'll show you." Alex said.
Dorothy sighed and got up. Her head was throbbing a little again but she needed to see what the jester had sent. She took the scepter in hand and followed Alex downstairs. As usual they found Cassandra waiting at the bottom of the steps. Dorothy sighed and was ready to be scolded by the woman. However Cassandra simply smiled and let them on their way. When they entered the living room Dorothy gasped in shock. There were five of the jester's trophy cabinets. In them were the puppets of Aislynn, scarecrow, Locasta, Glinda, and Ellie. Dorothy immediately tried to run towards the cabinets but was stopped by the embrace of her aunt.
"Dorothy, we were worried sick about you." Em said kissing her niece on the cheek.
Dorothy smiled and returned the embrace before Alex walked over and removed a small card from the cabinet containing Glinda. He handed the card to Dorothy and took a step back. Dorothy smiled and read the card aloud.
"I freed them from my power, but only you can reverse the spell, yours truly, the jester." Dorothy said as she turned to cabinets.
"How does he expect you to reverse the spell?" Alex asked curiously.
"By making up your own spell." Cassandra said.
"But I have no experience with that." Dorothy said worriedly.
"But you do that's the thing, everyone knows you summoned the spirits of the witch of the east and the witch of the west during your last battle with the jester." Cassandra said hobbling over.
"But I didn't know it would work." Dorothy said.
"Well try it, do you know the spell he uses to transform people into puppets?" Cassandra asked curiously.
Dorothy sighed and thought about it.
"I think it's, oh wait, I better put this thing down." Dorothy said setting the scepter to the side.
"Good choice." Cassandra said.
"Right, the spell is, oh yes, where once a living soul did dwell, now is nothing but an empty shell." Dorothy said as her voice began to echo through the room.
"Funny, that's what happened whenever the jester said it." Em said.
"What, it echoed?" Dorothy asked.
"yes." Em said walking over to a crib that was now set up on the other side of the room and checking on the triplets who were now napping.
"To be honest I never noticed." Dorothy said.
"Well, child, think of a spell that might counteract the spell. I am going to go to the kitchen and get some tea." Cassandra said hobbling away.
Dorothy sighed and picked up the scepter. She looked into the orb for a moment. Through it she could see the distorted images of the cabinets. These empty shells of her friends, she needed to free them from this curse. She then came up with an idea for the first part of the spell.
"The empty shells that he's created, I need another half of the spell." Dorothy said.
"Something that rhymes with created I assume?" Alex asked curiously.
"yes." Dorothy said turning to him and nodding.
"Try, ah, yes, try reanimated." Alex said.
"Oh that could work." Dorothy said walking over to the cabinet that Aislynn was in and opening it.
"Excellent thinking brother." Annabella said appearing from behind the cabinet.
"Annabella, you're alright!" Dorothy said.
"Of course I am, but don't dally, just cast the spell." Annabella said.
Dorothy smiled and giggled a bit. She then raised the scepter and aimed it at the marionette. She swirled the scepter around in a circle in the air and began reciting the spell.
"The empty shells he has created, let this one be reanimated." Dorothy recited as her voice echoed and a large amount of light and smoke flew from the orb.
Immediately there was the sound of feet hitting wood and the light cleared. Dorothy looked up and saw Aislynn waking up and stretching.
"Dorothy? What happened?" Aislynn asked curiously as she looked around.
"Ace, I'll explain later, right now I've got to undo the jester's work, and then I have to come up with a new plan on how to destroy him." Dorothy said.
Aislynn looked around some more and stepped out of the cabinet really confused. She then saw the cabinet with the scarecrow in it and gasped.
"Oh, oh dear." Aislynn said sitting down in a nearby chair.
"Dorothy, you know you could change the words, this one, to them, make it plural." Alex said flipping through the compendium.
"Oh, really?" Dorothy asked.
"Yes, see." Alex said pressing his finger on the page
Alex then smiled and handed her the compendium. She read it and smiled. She then lowered the scepter and held the bottom slightly above the floor.
"the empty shells that he has created, let them be reanimated!" Dorothy shouted as she brought the scepter down and immediately there was a burst of light as her voice echoed throughout the room.
There was the immediate sound if thumping against the cabinets. As the light cleared and everyone was able to see again Dorothy was happy to see that the spell had worked. Each of them stretched and yawned before opening the cabinet and stepping out.
"What happened?" Ellie asked curiously.
"What happened is that Dorothy has managed to get you five freed from the jester." came Cassandra's voice as she hobbled into the room carrying a tray.
"Lady Cassandra!" Locasta and Glinda said in unison as they curtsied.
"Arise, you two are no longer my students there is no need to bow anymore." Cassandra said.
"Lady Cassandra, I thought you retired to the mountains after the accident." Locasta said running over to her old teacher and taking the tray from her.
"Indeed I did, but when the jester started causing his destruction I returned from the mountains to protect the munchkins." Cassandra said.
"I thought surely you would have figured out a spell to return you to your former beauty by now." Glinda said walking over.
"I did try at first my dear, for several years, but I never found one, eventually I gave up and got used to it." Cassandra said walking over to the rocking chair and sitting down just as the cabinets vanished.
"Sis, I'm confused." Ellie said.
"I'm on the same page." Scarecrow said.
"Dorothy?" Aislynn asked curiously.
"Can we quiet down before we wake up the triplets?" Em asked curiously.
"Sorry." Everyone said in unison.
"Alright, like I said, I'll explain later." Dorothy said.
Glinda smiled and walked over to Dorothy. She then placed a hand under Dorothy's chin and lifted Dorothy's head up so that they were making eye contact. Immediately the memories of everything that had happened since they arrived in munchkin land flooded through her head. Immediately the smell of mint and cherries filled the room and Dorothy's vision went blurry for a few seconds. Soon everything cleared and everyone was nodding in agreement.
"Dorothy, that was very irresponsible but very brave of you to do." Glinda said removing her hand from under Dorothy's chin.
"What did you just do?" Dorothy asked curiously.
"Shared your memories with everyone in the room, we now know the basic gist of what's going on." Cassandra cut in.
"Why the smell of cherries and mint though? What did that have to do with anything?" Dorothy asked curiously.
"Honestly, we don't know, but it's different for everybody, for example when I share my memories using that method the room fills up with the smell of freshly baked bread." Locasta said walking over.
"wow." Dorothy said as she immediately began to feel faint.
She staggered a few times before Alex ran over and caught her as she collapsed.
"The downside, it takes a lot out of the person whose memories have just been shared." Glinda said sighing.
Well this was a long one, now that Glinda, Ellie, Locasta, Aislynn and scarecrow are back in the story what do you think will happen? Will Glinda and Locasta find a spell to return Cassandra to her former beauty? When will the musical number happen? And what will the jester do next? Leave your guesses in the reviews. happy easter if you celebrate it by the way.