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Dorothy awoke before sunrise to find a blanket draped over her and Ozma. Alex was still asleep behind them. His breathing was stronger now, she surmised that the restraining spell over him had been lifted. His tail was wagging idly in his sleep. She looked over to the bed she had set Annabella in and found that she was indeed gone. She could hear the whispering again, this time a bit more insistent. She did her best to shake it off.
She shook Ozma awake, kissing her softly as she did. Ozma giggled and blushed before looking around and noticing where she was.
"Elena must be in her chambers" Dorothy said getting to her feet, holding her hand out for the scepter.
As it flew to her hand, both she and Ozma heard a low growl. They turned to look at alex who was starting to stir. His eyes snapped open and he was on his feet. Dorothy and Ozma had to jump back or risk being knocked over by the sudden shift of bulk and fur.
"thank you, both of you" he eventually said shaking out his fur, "Kitten, I'm sorry you weren't let in on the plan sooner." His voice much calmer now, calmer than dorothy had heard it in a long time.
"The beast is fully asleep for the moment then?" Dorothy asked curiously.
"As much as he can be."
"honestly, I worry about you two, him and the beast" Much to their surprise this statement came from betsy, who along with Trot was sat on one of the other beds.
"How long have you two been sitting there?" Dorothy asked curiously
"Long enough for the mushy stuff to give me the creeps" Betsy said shuddering
"I think its cute" Trot said giggling
Alex would have rolled his eyes if he could again
"Of course" he said coughing as he chuckled "still not used to this form for civil conversation"
"only gets easier from here" Dorothy said reassuringly
"says the girl who loves becoming a cat" Alex said nuzzling her
Dorothy giggled then sighed "its going to happen to me eventually" she reminded them all
"and us?" Betsy and trot asked in unison
"your transformation only happened once" Madeline said appearing, causing them all to jump
She was carrying a tea tray with cups for everyone except for alex.
"And, that changes what exactly?" Betsy asked curiously
"if you were to relapse, its for repeated transformation that it becomes a risk, so, unfortunately, dorothy is right, she will eventually get stuck…if I had to take a guess, in cat form" madeline said sipping from her own cup "Annabella will be around shortly"
"speaking of her" Alex said turning to look at the scepter "I did hear flashes of conversations, windy…right?"
The scepter pinged
"well, you've given me something to think about…" was as far as he got before Ozma cut him off.
"I really hope your not suggesting what I think you are" she said
"why not?" Alex asked curiously "if anything she's earned the right to have a form to shift to as well"
"In fairness Dot" Madeline said sighing "you two have basically done more of the job raising Annabella than Mr. and Mrs. teak"
"Maddie, I don't want to encourage this, especially knowing what CAN and WILL happen." Dorothy said firmly, looking at alex "alex im more surprised at you, you're usually the first to jump in defense of Annabella."
"But does anyone ever ask annabella what she wants?" Betsy asked curiously "sure she's a kid, but she can make her own choices."
"in their defence now" madeline said leaning on a bed, "given the choice she'd jump at the shot to be more like her brother, she hero worships him"
"and in Annabella's defense talking about her while she's been listening patiently…" Alex trailed off looking at his sister.
"well, at least someone noticed." Annabella said as she padded into the room "And yes, honestly I wouldn't mind the wolf transformation"
Dorothy looked at the two siblings, then to Ozma, then to betsy and trot. Ozma however was the one to speak
"Annabella, while I see both sides of this, I would consider it more prudent to wait for your brother to change back to his normal shape before we start making any plans for future transformations" Ozma said sweetly "it is your choice in the end, but you really need to take it up with your parents first."
Annabella nodded and walked over to dorothy, embracing her tightly. They all shared a sigh, finishing their tea an leaving for the throne room. Dorothy and Annabella standing on either side of alex as they walked.
When they got to the throne room however, they were surprised to find not only Oscar and Jon chatting, but Tora with them. He had a couple of fabric swatches with him.
"Oh yes, was wondering when you guys were going to turn up" Jon Foreman said cheerily.
"Or good morning as people used to say in the civilized circles" Dorothy said with a giggle
"You seem to be settling in quickly, Tora" Alex pointed out
"Glad you noticed, maybe I can do some work for you once you're back to your natural state" Tora said cheerily
"well, he does look good in a suit" Both dorothy and Ozma said in unison.
"the only thing he tends to wear is suits" Annabella said looking up at her brother
Betsy and trot both shared a glance and shrugged
"Me and my alter ego will take the offer into consideration" Alex said stepping forward and shaking out his fur again.
The three men began speaking to eachother again. but to dorothy it was all suddenly drowned out. She heard whispers again, something beckoning her, calling her. her curiosity finally got the better of her and against her better judgement she moved towards the call. She walked. Alex and Maddie at first being the only ones who followed her.
She walked along the halls, passed her room, passed Ellie's who saw them walk by and followed curiously. Soon she got to glinda's room. Much to her surprise it was empty, the Grimmerie however was sat on her desk. she felt the call from it, then a new noise a humming, almost like a heartbeat she started to approach it. Deaf to everything else and everyone else. Only for a pair of jaws to lightly clench on her right shoulder. Enough to puncture the shirt she was wearing but not enough to hurt and snap her from her stupor. She yelped and blinked, shaking her head as her vision went fuzzy for a moment.
"Alex that actually hurt" she said rubbing the marks on her arm as he released her.
"sorry kitten, you weren't listening, I had to snap you out of it." Alex said, the scepter pinging in his defense.
"she said she couldn't protect us from the book forever once." Dorothy said looking at it, her anger melting away, the pain unnoticed anymore. "The books calling to me, and part of me knew it would."
"You're its chosen champion" Glinda said from behind "its new protector, the book must be conferred to you. Someone who would keep the book, but not use it for their own ends."
"but…the spells are forbidden." Alex said
"says the prince regent" Ellie said rolling her eyes "Sis, you cant be serious though, people have literally tried to kill her for that book"
"And the book kept me alive." Dorothy reminded her "Besides, im getting the impression that im not being given much of a choice in the matter"
"is that what you believe?" Glinda asked curiously
"Is that not the case?"
"Prophecy Dorothy, Prophecy kept you alive." Glinda said sighing, "and your ability to absorb overly fatal amounts of magic"
"and you do have a choice, its just not a particularly great one, as the outcome is unfortunately the same either way" Glinda said going to her desk and sitting down "you can take the responsibility now, which comes with also keeping the Grimmerie close by, or you can wait until the start of the school year and take it then."
"you're right, not much of a choice." Dorothy said with a sigh, pulling up another chair to the desk and looking at the Grimmerie.
"you don't have to make the choice right this minute, the book has been desperately calling to you for a while now, I know the scepter pointed out to you once that it was trying to keep it at bay, but that only goes so far." Glinda said opening the book before them. "Spells and Incantations, Recipes, a full bestiary, all contained in a book that doesn't have the right amount of pages for it"
"but you can read it, surely its still safer with you?" Ellie asked curiously
"that's becoming less and less true by the day Ellie, I can understand less and less of it as its call grows louder." Glinda said defeated.
The scepter let out a defeated set of pings.
"you tried your best, Windy" dorothy said turning to the scepter "you put off the inevitable as long as you could"
"you sure about this kitten?" Alex asked worriedly.
"Well, I cant keep running from it forever, im already Oz's chosen protector, may as well add the Grimmerie to it." she said placing her hand on the leather cover of the book.
In an instant she felt something invade her mind, shuffle a bunch of thoughts around. Madeline, who had been silent up to that point, unable to intervene, staggered. She summoned a chair for herself and rubbed her temples.
"I cant hear it, I cant see it either, its denying me entry." She said sounding as though she was fighting pain.
Dorothy tried to take her hand from the book at this point, but it remained stuck fast. Glinda was pushed back, Alex and Ellie both found themselves unable to move. Nothing was going to stop it. even the scepter could do nothing as it kept trying to bind a spell, going through the calculations as it reformed its body again. moving like she was fighting a wind. The shape didn't stay long as she was quickly forced back into the form of the scepter.
She felt it all, the knowledge to understand the book, to not just hear and feel it, but to fully understand it. it was book that was ancient, and it was powerful, conferring enough its power to her that she could read it, understand it. and was glad she accepted it.
She quickly found herself isolated, or so it seemed. She was still sat in the chair. Her hand on the Grimmerie. But the room and surroundings were gone. Before her stood a figure of mist again.
"At last, we can finally talk again" The figure said cheerily, "that scepter is really powerful, it was powerful enough to counteract my calls, were it not for that surge I would not have been able to get a hold through the protection it put around you, that's why she felt the need to warn you"
"She said she was protecting me" Dorothy said automatically.
"She was, and is, and always will Miss Gale." She said giggling, "You and Alex specifically are quite the interesting pair when it comes to it, something you unique about the two of you, he'll be able to read some of the spells as well."
"Evanora could read some of the spells too as I recall, that's not much of an accomplishment" Dorothy said frowning.
"she saw what I let her see, I know it wont come as a comfort for you, but there was in fact a chance that could have gone horribly, horribly wrong, thankfully, the prophecy stuck"
"You're right, it doesn't." Dorothy said trying again to take her hand off the book.
"just relax, seriously, relax your arm and stop trying to pull away, ill release you from the hold" She said trying her best to sound reassuring.
Dorothy looked at the form, unsure for a moment, but complied. Relaxing her arm best she could. She stopped trying to pull back. She felt her hand release from the cover of the Grimmerie.
"I do apologize for the hatter by the way, I cant have her having the knowledge to read every page as well, but if you ask, I will let her see what needs to be seen, same for all your little friends"
"you're still hurting her" Dorothy said becoming rather annoyed now
"And ill make up for it somehow, you know you can trust me." She said, and though dorothy couldn't see it, she was sure the figure was smiling at her.
"I'd ask how you plan on doing that, but im genuinely scared of what the answer might be" Dorothy said truthfully back
"oh I know, and I must release you, but I will give you a warning as well." The form said sighing now "the time of prophecy is nearing, soon all the pieces will be on the board, and it will be time to play again, that's why I needed you to take the responsibility, Glinda did not lie, if you had not accepted me today you would have had to accept before going to the university, no ifs ands or butts" she added
"And ill be in more danger than I have ever been im sure."
"you've never stopped being in danger Miss Gale, you've just always been great at surviving despite the odds." She said
And with that dorothy found herself back in glinda's room. The Grimmerie now sat on her lap. She looked around, Madeline and Ellie were gone. Alex was still a wolf besides her, Glinda was looking at her worriedly.
"I know ive done the right thing…I just think im going to regret this" Dorothy said looking at both of them.