After closing the ceremony and taking care of a few small things, Dorothy teleported back to the Emerald Castle. Since the Emerald Castle was once the Wizard of Oz’s seat of power, Dorothy never really felt at ease sleeping or living in this place. That was exactly why she had created her very own floating tower on the outer atmosphere of the planet. A place that solely belonged to her and her alone.

Still, sometimes staying on the planet was necessary and while not always enjoyable, it was still bearable.

[I believe this night was a success. The musicians expressed their desire to stay in Oz and expand here. This is an occasion for us to develop our dying entertainment industry.]

The room Dorothy used for herself was, as one would expect for a queen, filled with extravagance.

And such extravagance was something she hated from her very core.

A room was just for the sole purpose of sleeping peacefully. Why did she need such a big room and bed, along with all those shiny, unnecessary accessories when she just wanted to sleep in peace?

“Do we need them?” She asked nonchalantly as she took a seat in front of her mirror. She was not a vain person, but she still had to admit that she was beautiful, in all senses of the word. No one could deny that, absolutely no one. It was a wonder how Noah had not fallen for her yet, nor did he show any signs of falling for her any time soon or ever for that matter.

[We do. At the moment, people have a rather negative opinion about Oz. More so about all the witches such as Baba Yaga and the Candy Witch who are causing mayhem in the galaxy. The actions of the previous king certainly did not help and with you sheltering Morgiana, we’ve also made enemies with those backing the Sultan. A booming entertainment industry will go a long way in changing how other worlds perceive us.]

Dorothy would have groaned out loud if it wasn’t such an un-ladylike action,

“Either way, things are moving in the right direction for Oz, and this is why you need to erase all information about everything you have heard today during my discussion with Noah.” Dorothy did not beat around the bush, Scarecrow should have already anticipated those words from her and she didn’t want to play games with her friend.

[Dorothy?]

Scarecrow’s voice was even. He was unsurprised by this situation. After all, from the data he had about Dorothy’s behavior, this action had a 90% possibility of transpiring in all the scenarios he had predicted.

Dorothy untied her hair and took down the jewels adorning her body, “No need to play dumb, my friend. It doesn’t suit you in the least. We both know that privacy is an impossible outcome with you surveying everything. Even if I used many spells to block information from slipping, I still know how you are, my friend. Added to that the knowledge and understanding of your skills and the way you go about things, I am sure you have already made a backup drive to store as much information as you can about Noah— destroy them, all of them.”

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Another thing he had predicted down to the last minute detail. However, it was a prediction with only a 60% chance of transpiring, a steep drop from the previous possibility. This was quite surprising as Dorothy was generally quite cold and, unlike many mammals, she could separate her feelings from what she needed to do.

In the end, Scarecrow summarized that delaying things would not help his case,

[... I believe this is a mistake on your part. No matter how much you believe in him or your prophecy, we must have cards up our sleeve. The information I have obtained today made me increase his potential danger level. He is dangerous but also someone worth controlling.]

Dorothy closed her mouth, she could order Scarecrow to do it but she knew it would ultimately be useless when it came down to it. While Scarecrow was initially just a small AI with a set order to obey her, he was now a fully sentient being able to think and act for himself. His level as an AI was high enough for him to disable any failsafe she would push forward. As such, she also decided to simply explain her reasoning.

“You are mistaken about one thing. I am not doing this because I trust Noah.” Prophecies were a funny thing really, always unreliable and never straightforward. In the stream of time, endless possibilities existed, and more often than one would think, the future with the highest chance of transpiring was not the one to be realized.

[Then why?]

“It’s exactly because I do not fully trust him that I need to make sure our relationship grows enough for trust to be built and maintained. This is of paramount importance. We cannot afford to become enemies with him. Not now, even much less so in the future.”

[Then, there are more reasons for us to prepare countermeasures against him, don’t you think?]

“Scarecrow, your actions are no different from stereotype self-prophecies.” She shook her head, knowing that this wasn’t enough, “When we had our short talk, I had a short vision but one clearer than anything I have had in a while, and in that vision, I have received a prophecy.”

[A new prophecy?]

For once, Scarecrow was worried. Dorothy's power set allowed her to witness the past and the future by observing the stars. This power of hers had its ups and downs, but it brought them many victories.

Prophecies were different. Dorothy had no control over when they appeared, but until now, there has never been a prophecy that failed to manifest.

[The usual form?]

“Indeed.”

The prophecies Dorothy received always came in the form of a cryptic poem divided into three parts. One describing the past, one talking about the present, and one giving a glimpse of the future.

Knowing that she had the full attention of her friend, Dorothy started singing the poem that manifested in her mind when Noah told her the minuscule vestiges of his once glorious yet lonely past.

In days of old, a hero stood,

Against the tide, he bravely fought.

With sword and heart, through darkened wood,

Defying fate, his legend wrought.

Beneath the stars, his battles raged,

A beacon bright, in endless night.

Through trials fierce, his soul engaged,

A timeless dance of wrong and right.

Now treads the one on paths unknown,

A wanderer in twilight's glow.

With every step, a seed is sown,

Yet where it leads, he cannot know.

His heart is filled with questions deep,

A journey bound by shadows cast.

He walks awake while others sleep,

A future veiled by echoes past.

The demon of salvation comes,

Devourer of Worlds, ever-shifting tide.

In changing forms, his power hums,

A force where light and dark collide.

From chaos born, through realms, he'll stride,

A savior cloaked in shadow's breath.

With every change, the worlds abide,

A dance of life, a touch of death.