Disclaimer, you know.
Dorothy found herself waking up rather early. She pushed herself into a sitting position to find Alex already awake and reading the pocket compendium again. She did a fake cough causing him to look up, smile, and return to the small book. Dorothy sighed and got up, walking over to him she took the book from him and placed it in her dress pocket this time.
"Hey, I'm trying to figure out if it has any hints as to what's wrong with the scepter." Alex said getting up from the chair.
"Neither the jester or the others know why, what makes you think that the book will have any information?" Dorothy asked curiously.
"Maybe there's something they missed?" Alex suggested.
"Alex, Glinda and Ellie also have a copy of the compendium, and I return to the previous statement." Dorothy said.
"Good point, anyways, sleep well?" Alex sked curiously.
"Yep, you?" Dorothy replied.
"Bit stiff but otherwise yes." Alex said stretching.
Dorothy smiled and kissed Alex on the cheek before grabbing the scepter and leaving the tent. As she left she was surprised to see Glinda standing with her back facing the tent facing the remains of a dying campfire. Dorothy quietly walked over to her and found that she seemed to be spacing out. Looking into the distance. She also seemed to be mouth words to herself which contradicted the fact that she was spacing out. Dorothy did a fake cough causing Glinda to blink a few times before shaking her head and looking at Dorothy.
"Oh, Dorothy, you're up early, sleep well?" Glinda asked.
"Yep, I'm assuming you didn't sleep at all?" Dorothy asked curiously
"Not a wink, eventually I decided to come out here and think, oh dear, I spaced out again didn't I?" Glinda asked worriedly.
"Well I've never seen you space out before but yes, you were also mouthing words to yourself." Dorothy said.
"Again, thinking, but now I can't remember for the life of me what I was thinking." Glinda said.
"Sorry I broke your train of thought." Dorothy said picking up a stick from the ground and poking at the embers of the fire.
"It's alright, if I can't remember it then it wasn't that important." Glinda said.
Dorothy sighed and sat down on a log that someone had set up most likely as a seat.
"I see the crowd actually dispersed rather than waiting up till morning to bombard me with questions." Dorothy said looking around.
"After I put you into a dreamless sleep the china princess and scarecrow made them all disperse, they both also gave orders not to pester you, problem is that you are one of the most popular people in Oz." Glinda said looking up at the clouds.
"I've noticed and it seems my fame isn't going to go away anytime soon." Dorothy said looking into the orb on the scepter.
"Tell me about it." Alex said walking out of the tent while putting his jacket on.
Alex walked over to Dorothy, looked at the scepter, then at her, and then at Glinda.
"Before you ask Alex, no I still don't know what's wrong with it, realistically what's happening with it should be impossible." Glinda said.
"Well Dorothy is pretty impossible, she's always managed to pull through against all odds, surviving the impossible." Alex said.
"And I change just about everyone I meet, case in point, Alex." Dorothy said gesturing to him.
"Exactly." Alex said.
"The exception being the jester." Glinda said.
"I wouldn't be too sure about that." Dorothy said.
"yea, I mean, he has morality issues, and all the times he could have killed Dorothy or one of us with just a simple spell, he's met with Dorothy many times, and only twice has he thrown a spell at her that's done anything, once she was turned to stone, and then the puppet." Alex said.
"Everyone questions their actions every now and again, the jester isn't much different." Glinda said.
Dorothy sighed and looked at Alex, they both knew it wasn't going to be worth arguing with Glinda as it was a losing argument hands down. However the silence was then broken by the sound of thunder.
"The storm is coming." Dorothy said as another, louder crack of thunder shook the area.
"Well, that probably woke everyone up, remember, we have a war council this morning." Glinda said turning around and walking to her own tent.
Dorothy let a long sighed before looking at Alex.
"Do we have any idea what the storm is?" Alex asked curiously.
"Something dangerous, that's all I know." Dorothy said.
"Great, that helps, oh, good morning Jon" Alex said as Mr. Foreman walked up to them.
"How long have you two been up?" He asked curiously.
"Ten minutes at most." Dorothy replied.
"Once all the leaders are awake we'll be holding the war council." Mr. Foreman said.
"Well that was kind of obvious." Dorothy said.
Mr. Foreman smiled and walked back to the tent. Not long after several citizens of Oz began emerging from their tents. Dorothy sighed and got up walking towards Glinda's tent. As she approached the opening she found herself being pulled into the tent and sat down in a large chair at the foot of a long table. Sitting at it were scarecrow, lion, tin man, Marshal Mallow, the china princess, Locasta, and Glinda who had taken her position at the head of the table. there were several empty seats, not long after Dorothy had just comprehended what was happening general candy apple, the munchkin mayor, someone whom Dorothy recognized as a Winkie by the outfit she had seen during her brief captivity by the witch of the west, and then Alyssa and Terrance.
"Okay so, now that I've been dragged into this, I'm guessing this is the war council?" Dorothy asked curiously
"Yes, Dorothy." Glinda said.
"Okay, why am I at the foot of the table?" Dorothy asked curiously.
"Because you are leading this council, not me." Glinda said as more Ozians came and took a seat at the table.
Dorothy normally wouldn't have been surprised by this. But she had no idea what she was going to do. She became nervous, now all of Oz expected her to come up with a plan. She immediately began to feel dizzy. She soon found herself however staring into her own eyes. She blinked a few times and rubbed them before realizing that this was Glinda's work. She sighed sat back in the chair.
"Glinda, I wish you wouldn't do stuff like that." Dorothy said closing her eyes.
"Dorothy, we know you're worried, we know you don't have a plan, but really do try to keep a cool head." Glinda said getting up and walking over to her.
"Glinda, I have the fate of all of Oz in my hands, do you know how that makes me feel? To be the one that everyone is counting on!?" Dorothy asked beginning to grow angry and starting to shout.
Everyone at the table shared a glance before looking at Dorothy and the duplicate that Glinda had summoned. Glinda let out a sigh and stuck her head out of the tent. Seconds later she pulled her head back in and Alex entered the tent. He walked over to Dorothy, looked at the duplicate, sighed and placed a hand on Dorothy's shoulder.
"Glinda, why did you summon up a duplicate?" Alex asked curiously.
"Had to snap her out of it, it was either that or get you." Glinda said.
"Glinda, all you manage to do is make her more nervous." Alex said.
"Alex, would you mind shutting up?" Dorothy asked.
"I think the best course of action to take at this point would be to dismiss this council until Dorothy has had a chance to collect her thoughts." Marshal mallow suggested.
"Your majesty, you know that is very unlikely." General candy apple replied.
"I think the best idea for everyone to let me be and give me a few minutes to think." Dorothy said.
"The only problem I've found, is that given the fact that the jester has flying monkeys, there is almost no way we can attack the city without being met with an aerial assault." Scarecrow said.
"You know, I thought about that as well, and if the jester is anything like his sister that will be his first military strategy." The Winkie commander said.
"Even if he wasn't he'd be a fool not to do it." Alyssa said.
"Then what can our plan be?" The munchkin mayor asked.
"Can we charge in and tear them all limb from limb?" lion asked curiously.
"Again, aerial assault." Scarecrow said.
"Well was there even a point to this council then?" Dorothy asked having listened to everyone.
"Dorothy, we need you to think, is there any way you can think of?" the china princess asked.
Dorothy sighed and shut her eyes again. Squeezing them tight she tried to think. She thought about what she had learned about the jester. She thought about what they could do. She didn't want to have to kill him, but she knew that if she was going to she'd have to use the moon's tear to show him what he was and how he had changed. After a few minutes she sighed and opened her eyes.
"Just bring the armies, I'll handle the jester." Dorothy said calmly.
Immediately the duplicate vanished and Dorothy felt herself become calm again. She let out a sigh and looked at Alex.
"So, what's your plan?" Alex asked.
"I don't really have one, I'll let you know" Dorothy said.
Will Dorothy come up with an actual plan? What is the storm? And how will the story end. Find out in the next few chapters.