It was almost night, and Scarecrow the king of Oz was preparing his night patrol groups with his guards in one of his offices. Until someone interrupted in.

"Who is it ?" asked the king.

"Excuse me your Highness. But someone asked to see you, a young woman." added the voice behind the door.

"Let her in!" ordered the Scarecrow.

Then the guard who was behind the door opened it and let a young woman enters. First, she bowed before the king.

"Your Majesty!" she greeted .

The young lady had dark red hair and blue eyes, she wore a green top and a lighter green long skirt and long bands of tissues were hanging on both sides of the skirt, they had floral motives on them.

The Scarecrow greeted her back by tilting his head in salutation.

"Hello young lady! What can I do for you ?" he asked her.

"I...I ask your permission to see...to...see t...the prisoner." she managed to answer.

The Scarecrow was surprised to hear that, as well as his guards. Why on earth a young lady ask to see the prisoner ?

Nobody ever asked him before !

"Sorry but I've forbidden anyone to see the prisoner, and it's getting dark and late maybe you should ..." he answered her but he was cut off by the young woman.

"Oh please I beg of you ! It's really important ! Just one time only, then I won't bother you again by asking. Please !" she pleaded .

For the Scarecrow there was something suspicious, but the woman's pleading was touching so he sighed and agreed.

"Very well ! But one of my guards will lead you to the dungeon." he said.

"Thank you." she answered as she bowed before him again and left the room.

Then the king picked one of his guards and told him some instruction.

"Lead her to the dungeon ! Watch her and listen to the conversation she might have with him without looking too much curious ! I want to know what she's up to without having her notice of my concerns ! And once its finished report their talk to me !" he ordered.

"Very well your Majesty." the guard answered as he tilted his head in agreement and leaves the room as well .

"Do you think they should plan an escape?" asked the captain of the guards to the king.

"I really hope not, but this is why I want a guard to spy on their talk ! Does anyone knows this girl?" the Scarecrow asked but none of his guards could answer him.

"I want any information you can find about her, especially if she is familiar to him or his family !" the king ordered to his captain of the guards.

"It will be done your Majesty!" answered the captain as he tilted his head down in improvement.

"Good ! But for now let's concentrate on tonight's patrol groups! So! I want a group to follow me in the winkies' country! I'm still doubting about the flying monkeys and I want to keep an eye on their activities! Another group will go patrolling in the Quadlings Country leaded by Gustav over there! And you captain, I want your team to be watching around the munchkin country! Efgin your team will be looking in the Gillikins' country! And the rest of you shall remain here, at the emerald palace ! And especially, I want you to guard the scepter's room, is that clear enough?" asked the king.

"Yes your Highness !" they all answered.

"Good, now any objections?" the Scarecrow asked again but it was silent.

"Good! Prepare the horses! We're leaving the palace after I finished the last checkings!" he said as he leaves the office.

"Yes your highness !" they all answered as they leave too.

But the captain went to the king's direction. He wandered the halls as he soon meets up again with his Majesty.

"Something's troubling you captain Guydor?" asked the Scarecrow.

"That girl your Majesty! I'm afraid of her! What if she steals the scepter?" asked the captain.

"She won't!" answered the scarecrow.

"Oh ? And do you have a clue of what you advance?" asked Guydor.

"It wasn't her attention. I saw it in her eyes. She wanted to see him and only that." he answered. "But I don't push away the possibility that she may asks him how to have it. And it's for that I asked a guard to report me their discussion. And to you some search of her identity." he then continued as he walked.

"I understand your Majesty" added the captain.

"Now all we have to do is to wait that her visit is done then we could patrol." finished the king.

Meanwhile, the lady followed the guard down the dungeon until

"Stay right there I'll warn him." said the guard as the lady obeyed.

Then the guard went to the cell where the only prisoner in the dungeon was. He knocked on the bars with his sword to wake up the prisoner.

"Jester, you have a visit ! Finally there's someone good hearted enough to see you !" said the guard.

But the body of the Jester didn't get up. He just curled up more on himself, still turning his back on the guard like he didn't care. After all who could possibly want to see a wicked Jester who tried to take all over Oz with his sister's scepter ? Now here he was, rotting in the emerald palace dungeon. Of course his curse has been removed, so now he was hatless revealing his messy chestnut hair. He still wears his tight pants and silly shoes. But since he was dangerous, they made him wear a straightjacket, and chained him to a ball.

The guard banged more and louder on the bars "Didn't you hear ? You foolish bratty jerk ! You have a visit ! A young lady !" yelled the guard.

But still the Jester didn't make a move. Then the lady approached the scell.

"J...Jester ...i...it's just me" she said shyly.

Apparently it got the Jester's attention. He only tilted his head up to see if his guessing was correct.

"Oh ! So it's you, Anilozy !" he groaned to her, like she was the one responsible of his fate.

The guard only left them alone but was near to an empty cell. He could hear them (since it echoed).

It was a moment of silence, before the Jester tried to get up.

"It means 'the water that saves Oz' in ancient Ozian if I recall my lessons." he said in a mock tone.

Anilozy just turned her head to look at the ground before looking back at the Jester who was walking with difficulty ( with his chain ball at his foot) to the cell bars where she stands, and lays right near the bars where she was sit.

"Ahah! What an irony isn't it? You're named after the element that killed my sister!" giggled the Jester making the girl uncomfortable.
"I...I'm so happy that you survived I...I thought..." she said but he cut her off.

"You thought that I was dead like you heard by everyone else who thought that as well!" he finished looking away.
"I was worried and hurt to know that you were dead! But then, I heard that they found you and took good care of you!" admitted Anilozy.

"Good care? Look where I am and you tell me that's how they're taking good care of me?" the Jester answered irritated.

"They are scared of you and what you've done!" explained the young lady.

"Don't you think I have noticed? Pff! Why did you came here ?" asked the Jester.

Then another soldier came in the dungeon.

"Because I..." she started to answer, but the guard that came cut her off.

"I'm sorry, young lady! But the king is asking you to leave!" he said.

The young lady sighed she looked at the Jester one last time before leaving accompanied by the two guards. As they left the Jester turned his back to them.

Out, the horses were prepared in front of the Emerald City's gates that were kept by the guard with long moustaches.

"And then he laughed so hard that he almost died with that carrot in his mouth but luckily it went out through his nostril!" explained the royal horse to the other horses who were laughing so hard when he finished his tale.

Then the king and the guards arrived.

"Sshh here they come!" ordered the royal horse to the others who obeyed him and suddenly became serious once again as the Scarecrow and his guards stood in front of them.

"Emerald City horses ready for duty sir!" answered the royal horse.

"Bucephal will you stop telling about the almost death of your uncle for the eleventh time ?" asked the Scarecrow as he got on Bucephal's saddle.

"But everyone love to hear it again and again!" answered the horse. "And so do I!" answered sarcastically the King as he rolled his eyes.

"So where are we off to ?" asked the horse.

"To the winkie country!" answered the Scarecrow.

They both heard footsteps approaching. Bucephal turned back to the direction, and both of the king and the horse saw that it was the two guards and the young woman. The king smiled to her as she looked at him.

"Thank you, your Majesty." said the woman.

The king tilted his head to respond.

"Now I should hurry back home before my family worries." said Anilozy.

"Where do you live ?" asked the Scarecrow.

"I live in the Winkie Country your Highness" answered the young lady.

"Alimyair !" called the king.

"Yes your Highness?" asked the guard as he approached with his horse.

"Take this young woman on your horse with you!" ordered the Scarecrow.

"Oh no no no! Please don't bother yourself for me!" answered this last one.

"I insist!" answered the king with a smile.

"Thank you again." smiled Anilozy as she approached Alimyair and climb onto the horse. And then left.

In the Winkie Country, the Tin Man was in charge of the Winkies people. He helped rebuild some houses as well as getting the old industries back on their feet. But it was hard, there was so much to repair after the wicked witch of the West's reign and yet there was also what the Jester destroyed when he tried to rule, but none of the Tin Man or the Winkies people give it up.

Since they were no more wickedness, hope was in everybody's heart. Even the children weren't sad of their situation, in fact, they were playing around and enjoying themselves and that brought joy to the Tin Man and the Winkies. Now they were bringing a tree that they just chopped down, the Tin Man turned around as he heard kids singing:

"We were not happy because

Something bad happened in Oz

But Dorothy on her way

Was going to save the day

One witch got a house on her head

The second witch melt with water until she's dead

And the jester in the wind got spread" as they clapped their hands together, then, a little girl tickled a little boy and ran away while the boy was chasing her and they laughed.

The Tin Man turned to a man behind him "I don't like children singing such horrors" he told. "They're just children, sir! And for them, good conquers evil even if it implies to kill it!" said the man.

"Yeah but they were also people! And I bet the Jester didn't mean to become ...a bad person!" answered the Tin Man as he and the man put down the tree on the ground.

The man just shrugs and left the Winkies leader, after all it was night and everybody returned back into their homes, even the children that were still playing were called by their parents to return home.

Then they all heard a horse whinnying.

The Tin Man saw that it was the King's night patrol team arriving. At their lead was the King himself and Bucephal.

The Scarecrow moved forward to the Tin Man's direction.

"Missed me already? I thought that you were repairing the Rainbow Mover!" joked the Tin Man.

"No I needed to take my mind off of it a little while. And I have to talk to you!" answered the king while getting off of Bucephal's saddle.

"Oh about what?" asked the Winkies leader.

But then his attention got caught by the sight of Anilozy who got off of the horse with the help of Alimyair.

"What happened to her? Was she poisoned again? Or did she needed help?" asked the Tin Man.

The Scarecrow looked to who he was referring to.

"No! She just came to see the prisoner and since it was getting dark I thought of giving her a ride home, do you know her?" he asked in return.

"Very little! Her name is Anilozy. We've found her half dead in the woods. And I brought her to Glinda who told me that she was poisoned why?" answered the Winkies leader .

"I suspect her! Do you know if she was close to the wicked witch or the Jester?" asked the king.

"All I know is that she was a slave during the wicked witch's time. What do you suspect her of ?" the Tin Man answered.

"Because we've got the Jester imprisoned in the Emerald Palace's dungeon! And we've got back the broomstick but not in one piece." said the Scarecrow.
"What? The Jester is alive ?! But how and when and why and..." said the Tin Man but the King cut him off.

"The Munchkins find him on their border. And found the broomstick pieces spread in their fields and they warned me." he answered.

"Who else knows about that?" asked the Winkies leader.

"None other than you, me, my guards and the Munchkins. But tomorrow I'll ask an audience with all the leaders. We'll have to discuss of his fate and this young lady asked to see him and I'm afraid that she's up to something unpleasant!" answered the king.

"Do you really think so? She's certainly not looking that dangerous to me!" said the Tin Man.

Then, they heard a scream as they turned around to see what it was about they saw a mother carrying her child in her arms. The Scarecrow and the Tin Man rushed to her.

"What happened?" asked the Tin Man.

"She just fainted in my arms and ... She's boiling hot!" cried the mother.

The Scarecrow examines the child and found red fresh burning spots on her arms. Him and the Tin Man gasped.

"It's the sixth case this week!" answered the Winkies leader.

"What did she do before returning home?" asked the king.

"She...she's just brought me flowers."cried the mother.

"Bring them to me! I want to have a look at them!" ordered the Scarecrow as he took the child in his arms, the mother rushed back to her home.

"Oh! We have to send this child to Glinda as fast as possible!" worried the Tin Man. "Alimyair!" called the Scarecrow.

"Sir ?" asked the guard as he approached.
"Bring this child to Glinda! There's no time to lose!" ordered the king as he placed the child on the horse of Alimyair who soon covered the child's body with his jacket.

"Sir! Yes sir!" answered the guard as he left with the child.

"It's all my fault!" said the Tin Man as he sat on the tree he brought later.

"No Tin Man! It's nobody's fault!" reassured the Scarecrow.

"But it is! If I was a good leader, I would have found the source of those incidents and destroyed it!" said the Tin Man.

"You're a good leader! Because you care for your people! Of course, you cannot take this all alone you need help and this is what I'm going to do!" answered the king.

The Tin Man smiled at him.

"Thank you" answered the Winkies leader.

"Your Majesty here's the bouquet!" said the mother as she came back and showed it to them.

It was composed of weird yet colorful flowers, some the Scarecrow knew and some not.
"Thank you." he said as he took the bouquet and placed it inside of the satchels attached to Bucephal's saddle.

"Don't you worry Winkies! I'll find out that source and get rid of it! For now sleep safe and sound we're taking charge of everything!" he then said as he climbs back onto Bucephal's back.

Then he looked at the Tin Man.

"We meet again tomorrow in the throne room!" he said to him.

The Winkies leader tilted his head in agreement.

"And I'll watch Anilozy and her activities!" he said.

The Scarecrow tilted his head in agreement. Then he ordered his guards to follow him to the wicked witch's castle while the Winkies people went back home to sleep under the watch of their leader. Since the Tin Man too cannot sleep, he guarded the winkies and watches other them and their homes.