Disclaimer you know.
Alex was now pacing around the room upstairs. He needed to find a way to get to Dorothy. But none of them would approve of it. He didn't get long to think about it however as the sound of knocking on the bedroom door interrupted him.
"Alex, everyone wants to know if you're done sulking." Came the voice of Emma.
"I'm not sulking and the door isn't locked Emma." Alex replied.
Alex heard Emma giggle as she walked into the room. She walked over to him and hugged him.
"Alex, please come downstairs, we'll think of something." Emma said.
"Emma, please go down stairs and tell them I'll come down when I'm good and ready." Alex said.
"Alex, please." Emma said.
"Emma go!" Alex snapped out.
Emma immediately jumped and ran out of the room. Only for Cassandra to hobble into the room.
"Alex, would you like to see her?" Cassandra asked curiously.
"How, she's in the jester's domain isn't she?" Alex asked curiously.
Cassandra said nothing, she simply smiled and hobbled over to the mirror. She waved her hand in front of it and the picture began swirling. It wasn't long before an image of the room Dorothy, Glinda and Ellie were in appeared in the mirror.
"So Ellie made it after all." Alex said.
"Shush." Cassandra said.
"Dorothy, you can't sacrifice yourself for our freedom." Came Ellie's voice.
"Ellie, Shut up! It's my decision, I don't want to abandon you guys." Dorothy replied.
"Dorothy, you heard what he said, its either us or you, if you go, the worse he can do is turn us into puppets, if you stay here you're as good as gone." Glinda replied
"He's given her a choice!?" Alex asked frustrated as the mirror faded back to normal.
"She has till sundown, either she leaves them there and he lets her go, or she stays and Glinda and Ellie are free." Cassandra said hobbling towards the door.
"But that's not fair." Alex said tightening his grip on his sword.
"Neither is life, get used to it." Came the voice of his father.
"Dad?" Alex said turning around.
"Everyone else already knows about the impossible choice Dorothy has to make." Mr. Teak said walking into the room.
"Father, please, just leave me alone if you don't have anything helpful to say." Alex said.
"Son, I'm sorry." His father said walking over to his son.
"What?" Alex asked curiously.
"I'm sorry, for everything, for not being the father I should have been." Mr. Teak said placing his hands on his son's shoulders.
"Dad, why?" Alex asked as tears began to form in his eyes
"let me explain, my father, was no father, never smiled, never said I love you, never asked how I was doing, and he made my life miserable, in trying not to be like him, I failed and wound up being like him, I hurt you in the same way he hurt me, I made you like myself when I was your age." Mr. Teak said as a tear rolled down his face
Alex was speechless. He finally got an answer to why his father was trying to bring him down all the time. His father didn't want to be like his own. In turn his father in a way did exactly what his own did.
"Dad?" Alex asked.
"Yes Alex?" his father replied.
"I forgive you, for everything." Alex said embracing his father.
Mr. Teak smiled and looked in the mirror as the reflection of Annabella and Mrs. Teak appeared as they walked into the room. And joined in the embrace.
Meanwhile at the palace.
Dorothy had decided to go for a walk while she contemplated her decision. She had her mind set and she felt that if anything was going to move on she would have to sacrifice herself for her friends. She couldn't think of herself anymore. After a while of wandering around she eventually found where her room would normally be in the city. As she walked in she was shocked to find the room just the way she had left it, still emerald and everything. With the exception of a new trophy cabinet with her name engraved underneath the door of the case.
"You like it?" Came the voice of the jester.
"Its beautiful craftsmanship, but I've seen better from Mr. Teak." Dorothy said.
"You know, you're world is currently frozen, father time seems to have taken your side, bravo on that." the jester said.
"I haven't talked to him recently, I don't think I'll ever see him again, I haven't quite decided, and you being here isn't helping either." Dorothy said.
"Well, you have a few hours, why don't you take a nap? Go for a swim? Surrender?" The jester said grinning widely.
"Go away." Dorothy said beginning to tear up.
The jester chuckled and vanished.
Dorothy immediately collapsed to her knees and began crying. She didn't know what to do, she had to decide but she knew whatever decision she made, it wasn't the right one. Time and time again she had to make decisions. This one she had to make.
Meanwhile back in munchkin land.
"So, are you sulking now?" Came Emma's voice from the doorway.
"Emma, be quiet please." Alex said wiping his eyes with a handkerchief.
"Alex, I'm sure she'll be fine." Emma said.
"Can you guarantee me that?" Alex asked.
"Alex, please promise me, so that I can tell the others, please promise me that if Dorothy makes the decision we are fearing she'll make, that you'll keep fighting," Emma said.
"If she makes that decision, I'll kill him myself." Alex said frustration.
Emma sighed and walked out of the room as Annabella walked in
"Brother dear?" Annabella asked walking over to her brother.
"Yes Annabella?" Alex replied.
Annabella climbed up on the bed and onto Alex's lap. She kissed her brother on the cheek and hugged him tightly.
"I love you, we all do, and don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise." Annabella said
"Who told you to say that?" Alex asked curiously
"Me." Annabella said hugging him tighter.
Alex sighed and wrapped his arms around his sister. He then got up and carried her out of the room only to find Locasta talking to Angela and Cassandra.
"Good to see you emerge from the room." Angela said.
"Thanks, um, where did Toto run off to?" Alex replied in a curious tone
"He's in the living room with the cats." Came the voice of his father.
"Thanks dad." Alex said slowing walking downstairs.
Earlier that day.
Mr. Teak was pacing in front of the fireplace while his wife watched with Annabella on her lap.
"Dear father please, you should stop fretting about before you start trying to put together a chair or something." Annabella said
"Annabella, please be quiet." Mrs. Teak replied.
"Sorry mom." Annabella said.
"Admit it, you're worried about him." Mrs. Teak said to her husband.
"Fine, I am worried about our son, I've had a lot of time to think about it, and I wish I could have done something about the way I acted." Mr. Teak said sighing.
"Well, what's don't is done, but you can still apologize dear." Mrs. Teak said
"Tell me how I do it then, because I don't think I know how to talk to him." Mr. Teak said.
"Start by saying you're sorry." Mrs. Teak said smiling.
Back at the palace.
Dorothy eventually found herself back in the throne room. Sitting in the throne, both the scepter and the slippers lying on the floor next to the throne. It was almost time for the sun to set and she was still somewhat undecided.
"It's almost sundown, Dorothy, I just want you to know that whatever decision you make, Ellie and I support it one-hundred percent." Glinda said.
"Thank you Glinda, for trying to help, and I'm sorry." Dorothy said turning away from them as the clock struck six.
"It's alright Dorothy, we understand." Ellie said.
"I don't think that's why she was saying sorry." The jester said appearing in the room.
"Jester, let them go." Dorothy said
"Good, good, and you two, do you have anything to say?" The jester asked turning to the girls
"Nothing." Glinda said looking at her sister who seemed to be nearing the point of tears.
"Well then, it's settled." The jester said turning to Dorothy.
"You do know that even with me gone they won't stop fighting you, this is just a minor setback." Dorothy said getting up off the throne and sliding on the slippers
The jester said nothing, he simply flicked the wand causing Glinda and Ellie to vanish. He then walked over to Dorothy and smiled wickedly.
"Just to be fair about it, I'll let them all see it happen, but first answer me this one question, what do you expect to achieve, sacrificing yourself for them?" the jester asked curiously.
"Nothing at all." Dorothy said removing the green orb from the scepter.
Immediately the orb began to glow brightly and vanished. Dorothy sighed and turned to the jester.
"Don't worry, they'll get to see you one last time before you change, this will be a public spectacle." The jester said taking the hand off the broom in one hand and grasping Dorothy's wrist in the other.
The next thing Dorothy knew she felt herself lurch forward, and they were on their way.
Well, this is a rather odd turn of events, but don't worry, things will all turn out fine in the end. What do you think will happen? Leave a review. What do you think will become of Dorothy and how will Alex take it.