Against my better judgement, I am posting this story at the same time as my third installment of the "Pride Trilogy", which means yes...I will be updating a bit slower (as if I wasn't slow enough already, I know) but I think that I need this challange. I need to test my versatility and my ability to multitask under pressure, if that makes sense. Plus I've kept my loyal readers waiting for FAR too long with the next chapter of "The Heart of Man", that I think they will enjoy SOMETHING from me, even if it's not exactly what you're looking for.

So anyways, here's the synopsis for "The Wizard and I"

Elphaba, the green-skinned and beautifully tragic girl, became the Wicked Witch of the West because of one fatal decision; To run from the Wizard of Oz when she discovered his true intentions. But what would have happened if she didn't run? What would have become of the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good if Elphaba had decided differently?

I SUCK at synopsises, but there you go. So the first chapter won't really be anything new to those of you who have seen the Musical (WHICH IS INCREDIBLE!!!!) but it is needed to set the story up. I PROMISE, this is not a novelization of the musical. This is just the beginning.

And to answer one question, this is set in the "musicalverse" not the "bookverse". I'm sorry, but I just could not finish Wicked the book. It was FAR too political and drawn out for my taste. But I DO know what happens in it, just to clear that up. Again, "MUSICAL-VERSE", NOT the "BOOK-VERSE".

Enjoy! AND PLEASE REVIEWREVIEWREVIEW!!!


The Wizard and I

Written by SimbaFan a.k.a. Johnny

Chapter 1 – A Chance to Fly…

This feeling of elation was the most wonderful thing Elphaba had ever known in her entire life. Never before had she felt so jubilant and ready to squeal in absolute joy. She could have even skipped if not for her pride.

She and her new best friend Galinda "Glinda" Upland had just spent the last short day in the Emerald City. Together, they enjoyed shows, saw the sights, went to salons (Which Elphaba wasn't entirely enthusiastic about, but she was there with Glinda who loved every minute of it. So she enjoyed it as well), shopped in the finest shops in all of Oz, sampled food from exquisite establishments, and all in all, enjoyed their one short day in the Emerald City.

But all of that took a backseat to what was about to happen.

Since birth, Elphaba had always wanted to meet the Wizard of Oz. As a child, she had no legitimate reason to meet with him; she merely wanted to see this all powerful and mighty entity who kept all of Oz running smoothly. But as she grew older and began edging further and further into the world that rejected her, she saw that she wasn't the only who was rejected. Animals (not to be confused with animals, who cannot speak) were constantly persecuted because of their 'unusual' and 'strange' abilities for speaking. As far as the majority of Oz was concerned, Animals should be seen and not heard.

Being an outcast all her life due to the bizarre pigmentation of her skin, Elphaba identified with these Animals instantly. Upon her arrival at Shiz University, she met and bonded with the only Animal teacher left in Oz; Dr. Dillimond, an extremely intelligent goat and an Animal Activist who constantly spoke out against the hatred spewed at the Animals in Oz. According to Dr. Dillimond, something bad was happening in Oz. Animals all over were losing their abilities to speak for no reason at all. Confusified by this, Elphaba wanted to do something. Through a lucky twist of fate (and a bit of her strange powers), Madame Morrible, the headshiztress at Shiz, was able to grant Elphaba audience with his Ozness, who was very interested in Elphaba's strange abilities. With Dr. Dillimond being fired earlier that day, Elphaba knew exactly what she needed to do when she saw the Wizard. She would tell him of these Animals losing their speech, and she just knew that the Wizard would help. He was Oz, the Great and Terrible after all! There wasn't a thing he couldn't do!

And now, the moment had finally come. Elphaba's heart swelled with joy as she and Glinda pushed through the giant emerald colored doors to his Ozness's hall. At last, she would finally be able to make good. After all these years of being a commodity, a failure, an unwanted outcast, she would finally prove everybody wrong and show them all that Elphaba Thropp could do great.

The doors swung inward to darkness. The two girls stared for a moment, and then they looked back at each other, as if unsure. Moving closer together, Elphaba and Glinda slowly walked forward through the doorway. As her eyes adjusted, Elphaba could make out statue-like structures on either side of the hall. At the very end was a large and elaborate structure. It was too massive and bulky to make out, but Elphaba was sure that this was where they needed to be headed.

Suddenly, green lights flickered all around them illuminating the darkness slightly. The massive structure ahead started spewing fiery bursts into the air. A giant mechanical head illuminated in the center of the structure and moved about in a terrifying manner. Perched on the top of the structure was a monkey wearing a fancy red tailcoat. The mechanical head began speaking in a menacing voice.

"I am Oz! I am Oz, the Great and Terrible!" It rumbled. Glinda gripped Elphaba's shoulders even tighter. "Who are you, and why do you seek me?"

It was now or never! Pushing Glinda off of her, Elphaba rushed forward and called out, "I-I am…Elphaba Thropp, your terribleness! And this is my friend Gl-"

"Oh!" cried a less menacing, and slightly muffled voice. "Is that you Elphaba? I didn't realize!"

The mechanical head clanked and sputtered for a few moments, and then it hung limp and unmoving in its perch. The hallway was suddenly illuminated very brightly. From behind the grand structure, emerged a man wearing a long gray coat and goggles. The girls stared at the man, mouths hung open in pure surprise.

"I hope I didn't startle you." He said apologetically. "It's so hard to make out people's faces from back there!"

Elphaba and Glinda stared at this odd man for a moment, unsure if this was real? This was the Wizard of Oz? This old, balding, eccentric little man was Oz, the Great and Terrible? Elphaba was unsure, and a bit standoffish.

"So, let's see…" the Wizard said, removing his goggles to reveal young and exciting eyes. "Which…is witch?"

Elphaba chuckled a bit at the joke. Slowly, she reached out her hand. The Wizard moved forward and grabbed it gently.

"Elphaba?" he asked. She nodded a bit enthusiastically. The Wizard smiled, showing a dazzling row of sparkling teeth. If anything, at the very least, he was charming. "Elphaba! A pleasure! And you must be…" he said, looking over at Glinda.

"Glinda." She said girlishly. "The 'Ga' is silent."

As the Wizard and Glinda exchanged greetings, Elphaba moved towards the mechanical head, reaching out to touch it. How very odd…Why would the Wizard of Oz need a machine to greet his guests, when he clearly didn't need one.

The Wizard noticed and said with a chuckle, "I-I know, it's a bit much, isn't it? But people expect this sort of thing, and you have to give people what they want."

This made sense to Elphaba, and she realized that worrying over this spectacle was silly. He really was the Wizard!

"I am so happy to finally meet you!" She said jubilantly.

"Well that's good!" He said just as jubilantly. "Because that's what I love best; making people happy. You see, I'm a very sentimental man. I've always longed to be a father, but I never really had the chance. So I do everything I can to treat each and every citizen of Oz as if they were my very own flesh and blood, and you Elphaba are no exception. Everyone deserves a chance to fly, and it is your turn Elphaba."

Pure joy radiated through Elphaba at these words. It was so refreshing to finally be treated with respect and enthusiasm, and by the Wizard of Oz of all people.

"Oh your Ozness, I knew you would help!" she said. "You see, we're not here for just ourselves."

"We're not?" Glinda said in one of her blonde stupors. Elphaba giggled, something she rarely ever caught herself doing.

"No." She replied quickly, "You see, we're here because something bad has been happening to the A-"

"Please!" The Wizard interrupted, "I'm the Wizard of Oz. I already know why you're here."

Glinda gasped in amazement, which was followed by a dumbfounded "Ooh" by both girls.

"And I intend to grant your request." The Wizard continued. "But first, you must prove yourself."

"Of course!" Glinda cried. She rushed behind Elphaba and nudged her forward. "Prove yourself! Prove yourself!"

Rolling her eyes and smiling, Elphaba walked towards the Wizard. "But how?" She asked.

The Wizard snapped his fingers and called out, "Madame! The book!"

"Right away, your Ozness!" called out an all too familiar voice.

From behind the structure emerged none other than Madame Morrible, wearing a gorgeous, yet very form-fitting emerald gown. Her bleach blonde hair was curled around her head in her usual way. Her old face was stretched behind a grin of pure happiness. Held tightly in her hands, was a very old and worn leather-bound book.

"Madame Morrible!" Glinda cried out.

"I believe you are already acquainted with my new Press Secretary." The Wizard commented.

"Press Secretary?" Elphaba said incredulously. How wonderful this day was turning out to be! The Wizard was not only doing good for her, but for her sorcery teacher as well!

"Yes dearies!" Madam Morrible replied in her girlish voice. "I have risen up in the world! You will find that the Wizard is a very…generous man." She smiled slyly. "If you do something for him, he will do much for you."

Elphaba smiled at Madame Morrible and turned back to the Wizard. "But what would you like me to do?"

From atop his perch, the monkey jumped down into the group's midst and climbed up on Elphaba's shoulder. Elphaba laughed gleefully, and reached over and petted him.

"This is my monkey servant, Chistery." The Wizard explained. "He watches the birds so longingly every morning."

"Yes!" Madame Morrible chimed in. "His Ozness was thinking, perhaps…"

She held the leather-bound book out at arms length and let it fall open. As if a breeze blew, the pages flew open one after another and then they suddenly stopped.

"…a levitation spell." Morrible finished.

Glinda gasped in awe. "I don't believe it! Is that the Grimmerie?"

"Yes." Morrible responded solemnly. "The ancient book of thaumaturgy and enchantments."

In her girlish manner, Glinda reached out with a finger and asked "Can I…touch it?"

"No-o-o-o!" Morrible replied, drawing out the word and moving the book away from Glinda's outstretched finger. Madame Morrible walked over to an awestruck Elphaba, who stared at the book as it came closer and closer. Elphaba felt a strange connection to this book, though she was unsure exactly what the connection was.

Madame Morrible handed the book to Elphaba, who took the ancient and delicate tome with trembling fingers. She stared at the page that lay open, scrutinizing the symbols written within them.

"What funny writing…" she commented, kneeling down, placing the book on the ground to better read.

"It's a lost language." Morrible said. "The lost language of spells.

"A kind of recipe book for change!" The Wizard chipped in.

"Now don't be discouraged if you cannot decipher it dearie." Morrible continued. "I myself can only read a spell or two, and that took years-"

As Elphaba stared at the symbols, the strange tingling she felt whenever some of her power released began to run through her entire body. Without knowing what she was saying, her mouth formed foreign words that she never learned.

"Ahben….tahkay…"

A collection of gasps echoed around the hall as the group watched Elphaba decipher and cast the spell in the book.

"Merciful Oz!" Morrible cried out.

"Ahben tahkay ahben ahtum…" Elphaba continued, the tingling growing stronger and stronger. The spell rolled from her tongue and off her lips with such ease. It almost had a melodic tone to it, sounding like a lullaby.

"Oh Chistery, what an experience you're about to have!" The Wizard shouted joyfully.

"Ahben tahkayah entayah tifentah, ahben tahkay…" Elphaba was suddenly cut off as Chistery let out a shrill shriek that made everybody jump. He started clawing and scratching at his back like mad, as if it was in agonizing pain.

"Is something wrong?" Elphaba cried, feeling slightly terrified.

"It's just the transition, dearie!" Morrible said quickly, not taking her eyes from the screeching monkey.

"Chistery, are you alright?" Elphaba said urgently. When the monkey didn't reply, she desperately asked the Wizard "Why can't he answer me?"

Chistery let out one last loud, long shriek and suddenly, a pair of long bat wings sprouted from his back at the base of his neck. Screams erupted around the room from every person.

"Look!" Glinda cried, pointing at the monkey, who immediately used the wings to fly to the top of the structure again.

"She did it!" Morrible exclaimed. "I knew she could!"

Elphaba, purely horrified at what she had done, looked back down at the book and furiously started flipping through the pages, hoping to identify with something that could help.

"Quick! How do I reverse it!" she cried desperately.

"You can't!" Morrible replied excitedly.

"What!?" Elphaba cried, her heart sinking.

"You can't reverse a spell once it's been cast!" Morrible said matter-of-factly. "Spells are irreversible! I KNEW it! I KNEW she had the power! I TOLD you!"

Morrible doubled over in hysterical and joyous laughter. Elphaba was confusified beyond reason.

"You…you planned all this?" she asked, mortified.

"For you too dearie! You benefit too!" Morrible added quickly.

"And this is just the beginning!" The Wizard cried ecstatically. "Look!"

He rushed to the structure where the mechanical head sat limp, and pulled down on an unseen lever. One of the walls nearby lifted up to reveal an elaborate and enormous cage. Floating inside the cage were at least a hundred monkeys exactly like Chistery, with wings that spanned well past their bodies, screeching and hollering loudly.

If Elphaba had felt bad before, it was nothing to how she felt now. Her heart now plummeted into the icy depths of her stomach, which gave a lurch when she saw the winged monkeys…when she saw what she had done to them.

She stared at her hands which trembled violently.

"What have I done..." she whispered to herself. She couldn't bear to look at the poor creatures again. She couldn't even stand the sight of her own green skin…somehow, because of her skin she had these powers…and once again, they hadn't made good. They only tortured and destroyed. Fury boiled within her…and it wasn't directed just at herself. This was the Wizard's and Morrible's fault. They tricked her!

Elphaba looked up to see where Glinda was. She needed her best friend now more than ever. A quick scan around the room and she saw her, backed against the wall, a mixture of awe and fear etched in her face.

"If this is what you can do your first time out, then the SKY'S the limit!!!" The Wizard shouted in pure ecstasy.

"Such wingspans!" Morrible called out gleefully as the Wizard closed the wall. "Won't they make perfect spies?"

"Spies?"

Elphaba struggled to pull herself from her furious stupor at Madame Morrible's words. Spies? No…it was bad enough that those poor creatures were caged and now horribly mangled for life, but now…they were to be used? For spying?

The Wizard and Morrible stopped and stared at Elphaba, looking unsure.

"You're right." The Wizard said calmly. "That's a harsh word. What about 'scouts'? That's what they'll be really. They'll fly around Oz and report any subversive Animal activity!"

Everything in Elphaba solidified. Her fury, her fear, her hatred…all of it froze at the Wizard's last words.

"So it's you." She said darkly. "You're behind it all?"

"Elphaba…" He said quietly. "Of course. I am Oz, the Great and Terrible. See, when I first came here there was nothing but discord and discontent. And where I'm from, everyone knows the best way to bring folks together is to give them a really good enemy!"

Elphaba couldn't believe what she was hearing. The entire day of happiness she had was just a shadow of what it was turning out to be. She knew it was too good to be true. At no time in her life had she ever been truly happy for an extended period of time without something (usually her powers) ruining it. And of course, that pattern had not failed today. Everything she wanted…everything she was working for…it was all gone now. She couldn't' work with the Wizard! But what was she to do?

And suddenly, it began to dawn on her…why the Wizard wanted her. Why he was so interested in having her at his side…She stood up and faced the Wizard.

"You can't read this book at all can you?" She said quietly, picking up the Grimmerie. "That's why you need an enemy, and spies, and cages. You have no real power."

The Wizard stared blankly at her for one brief minute, before saying profoundly, "Exactly."

Her knees were weak. She couldn't stand anymore. She fell to her knees and stared at the ground, her whole world falling from underneath her.

"That's why I need you!" He cried, his joy returning. "Don't you see? The world's your oyster now! You have so many opportunities ahead of you!" He looked around and spotted Glinda. He held his arm out to her. "You both do!"

"Oh thank you, your Ozness!" Glinda cried out. Elphaba couldn't believe this…she couldn't think straight. For a moment, she felt the urge to run. Just to take the Grimmerie and run for it, and never look back. That urge grew and grew…

"It's time Elphaba!" The Wizard said ecstatically, holding his arm out to her. "It's your time! Everyone deserves a chance to fly, and your chance is here! What do you say?"

That urge to run was almost overwhelming. But could she do it? Could she really run from this? The Wizard was offering her everything she wanted! To be loved by all! To be regarded as someone important! But like this? Obtaining it by going against her morals and better judgment? What could she do? What should she do?

She opened her mouth.

"I…I…"

And that was all she could say. She couldn't form the words. Her mind was a battlefield and both sides were clashing with no clear victor.

"Of course my dear Elphaba," The Wizard said compassionately. "This is all so much! We can't expect such a grand decision on the spot! Come, Chistery will show you to your rooms. You can rest tonight and tell us tomorrow what you've decided!"

Elphaba barely noticed that she was being brought to her feet. She barely noticed Madame Morrible take the Grimmerie gently from her hands. She barely noticed Chistery taking her and Glinda by the hands and walking them out of the Wizard's hall.

"Good night, my witches!" The Wizard called after them. "Sleep well!"

Elphaba's world was spinning. Nothing was in its right place anymore. It was all topsy turvy. She barely heard Glinda's worried whisperings of her own name, nor did she pay any mind to where she was going. She barely noticed that Chistery had released her hand and that she was standing in an elegant, emerald room with the doors shut.

Her eyes rested on the grand bed. With all the strength she could muster, she flung herself on it and curled into a fetal position, where she wept for the loss of her last hope for Dr. Dillimond; her last hope to do something right. She wept herself into a haunting sleep, void of any happiness or hope.


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