Chapter 6
Elphaba flew as fast as she could. Suddenly she saw a castle underneath her. She landed her broom and walked through the door. Well, this place looks fit for a witch. Elphaba thought. She took off her cape and grabbed her broom. This place is soon going to be in ship shape! I am not going to stay in this old dusty thing. Elphaba rolled up her sleeves and got to work, she coughed as the dust flew off the ground, I have A LOT of work to do.
Fiyero ran through the woods, finally coming up to the castle, he walked in seeing the place clean as crystal.
"Wow!" He said, walking up the stairs, he went into the master bedroom seeing Elphaba reading, as usual, she looked up from her book.
"Hello dear, I have been waiting for you," Elphaba patted the bed for Fiyero to sit next to her.
He laid down beside her, wrapping his cloth arms around her. "I love you Elphaba, with all of my heart and my soul."
Elphaba smiled at him. "And I love you, Yero, my hero." And that melted his heart.
Glinda paced the floor, looking out the window for the hundredth time; she had been doing that ever since Elphaba left; occasionally looking at the mirror and fixing her hair.
Jake was fed up with it. "Glinda dear, please, come to bed, you have been up all night it's a half past twelve!"
Glinda smiled still worried. "I am sorry Jakey, but I am worried about Elphaba."
Jake smiled. "You know better than I do that Elphaba can take care of herself."
Glinda finally gave in and went to bed, wondering what her best friend was doing right now.
Elphaba smiled at the craftsmanship of the architecture of the castle. So much detail; even had a small well. Could be useful sometime, but she would worry about that for another day. Right now, all Elphaba wanted to do was be with Fiyero.
"Fiyero, why don't we just stay here, forever? We can tell Glinda and Jake and they can come stay too," Elphaba said running her hand over his straw face; trying to get used to the feel of straw instead of skin.
Fiyero stood up. "No Elphaba, we can't tell Glinda where we are."
Elphaba looked confused. "Why not, she's our friend, she deserves to know."
Fiyero shook his straw head. "I'm sorry, but that would only put her in danger. Just trust me on this." He stood walking toward the stairway. "Oh and Elphaba, I got a parcel today, it was from the Emerald City and addressed to you."
Elphaba looked up. Now who would want to send something to me? She wondered. Elphaba stood up and walked to Fiyero. "Well, where is it…and more importantly what is it?"
Fiyero carried in a giant square package; amazingly enough is that he was able to carry it since his muscles were made of straw. He set it down gently on the ground for Elphaba to open.
Elphaba looked at the package. Sure enough it was addressed to her from the Emerald City, but who could've sent it? She looked at Fiyero who gestured her to open it. She nodded and took the Quadling Straw tape off of the package. Her eyes went wide.
"Oh my Oz, it's…it's a crystal ball," Elphaba exclaimed picking it up out of the box. "Oh Fiyero, its perfect."
Fiyero found a note attached and gave it to Elphaba.
Elphaba read it. "'To My Dearest Daughter: I hope you have good use for this, I never did, but I know how much you loved looking through a tiny glass ball when you were little. I send my love and hope you enjoy it.'" Elphaba's eyes grew wide. She smiled wider than ever. "Oh my, Fiyero, I can't believe it."
"Believe what?" he asked.
"My father finally sees me as myself and not some hidiodious green thing. He's finally acknowledged that I'm his daughter. I've been waiting for this moment my whole life," she sighed happily clutching the note close to her heart. "Things are finally looking up, Yero. Things are going to change for the better, from here on out."
"What makes you say that?" Fiyero asked.
"Because don't you see? We have a magic crystal ball. We can look to the outside without ever being on the outside. That means we can tell Glinda and Jake—"
"Now hold on, you're not thinking this through. We can't tell anyone. No one must know where we are."
"But Yero—"
"No buts, end of story. I'm sorry Fae, but this is how it's gonna have to be." And with that he went down the stairway.
"Do you think something happened to them?" Glinda asked as she sat up in bed.
Jake turned on the lamp next to his bed-stand. "Glinda, I don't know. Stop your worrying, this is Elphaba we're talking about, she can handle herself."
"I know, but she needs help from others sometimes just like everyone else. She might not realize it and it worries me."
"Dear, she'll be fine. You're just tired. Get some sleep. Please," Jake kissed Glinda on her cheek. "You need your rest."
Glinda nodded and looked out her window into the cool night time scene. She saw the Lurline star in the North; the biggest one there was. "Please, please, please. Lurline, be with them," she whispered before laying back down and drifting off to sleep.
Chapter 7
Elphaba was extremely angry at Fiyero, she couldn't believe him. Fiyero, of all people, he cared for Glinda as much as she did, why wouldn't he want to tell her? Then she remembered the crystal ball, and began getting curious with how it worked. Elphie didn't see any sign of instructions. Just perfect. She thought. Figuring out how to make it work would not be easy.
"Umm, show me what Glinda's doing…" she muttered. When nothing happened she tried again. "Please show me Glinda," again nothing happened. She let out a huge, sigh. In her haste she was just a little curious again. Hmmm, I wonder… she got out the Grimmerie and looked up a spell. Oddly enough, there was a spell. Who knew? Now she was going to try it:
"AH MAY AH MAY TI TUM ELEKA AHVEN TAH TEY AHVEN
AH TI NAHMEN TAH MAY AHVEN TAH MAY TUM," and at once the Crystal glowed a mesmerizing green and an assortment of colors in a rainbow whirl. A blurry image was coming into view. It looked to be like a shadow of a person. Then as it became clearer, the image was viewable and in full color. It was Glinda.
Elphaba's eyes widened. "Glinda," she kneeled over to the image, "Glinda, can you hear me?"
There was no response.
"Glinda please, please speak to me."
"Elphie, where are you? I'm trying to find you," came Glinda's squeaky whisper.
"Glinda, I'm here. I'm here in Oz, and I want to tell you something."
"Where are you Elphie?" Glinda continued obviously oblivious to what Elphaba had just said and soon the image was disappearing.
"No Glinda, don't go away. Come back!" cried Elphaba tears rolling, and her face burning, but the image was gone; leaving Elphaba to mourn for its return.
The next day Elphaba woke next to Fiyero, she wasn't mad at Fiyero anymore, she couldn't stay mad at that man; she loved him too much. She felt protected seeing him there, sleeping so peacefully. Elphaba snuggled close to him, making sure she didn't wake him up.
Fiyero soon woke up and smiled to see Elphaba.
"I am going to have to get used to this, waking up to the most beautiful, gorgeous woman in the world." He said smiling. Elphaba wanted to be in his arms forever; just to stay in that one place, to call him hers.
"I love you Yero." She said looking into his deep blue diamond eyes.
"I love you too Fae." With that he kissed her on the head, and they both drifted to sleep in each other's arms.
Glinda ran back to her room, waking Jake.
"JAKE! JAKE! Wake up!" She yelled, but he did not budge. She rolled her eyes and just then, had an idea. She gave her hair a quick toss and went into the bathroom. She came out with a bucket of water and threw it on him.
"WHAT THE-"He woke up, dripping wet.
"Good morning to you too dear. I have something to tell you." She had a serious look on her face, and Jake noticed it too.
"What's wrong dear?" he said, hoping that everything was okay.
"I heard her! I heard Elphie's voice" she said with an excited look, "Oh and dear, you might want to change." She giggled and kissed him, "You know what this means, don't you?"
"Uh…" Jake wasn't the most brilliant person in the world, but that made Glinda love him more. She rolled her eyes "It means Elphie is alive!" She smiled and looked out her window, thinking over and over, she's alive.
Fiyero came back up the stairs hearing Elphaba's cries.
"Hon', what's wrong?" he asked kneeling beside her.
Elphaba wiped her blood-stained face. "I-I saw Glinda. She's looking for me and I can't tell her where I am. Oh Yero, I'm so lost without her," she said crying into his straw shoulder.
He rubbed her back in a hug. "It's okay Elphie. But you know why we can't tell her."
Elphaba pulled away, getting angry; angrier than she had before. "I know why and because I do, I hate it!" her anger was rising. "I HATE that we can't tell her! I HATE that she can never know!"
Small sparks flickered around Elphaba as her voice went up in a crescendo. Fiyero got a little uneasy. "Easy Fae, just calm down," he said.
That only made Elphaba angrier. "NO! I will NOT calm down! Do you know how hard it is not telling your best friend where you are? Do you know how hard it is for me? Glinda is my best friend, we tell each other everything; but now you want me to lie to her? Do you know how hard that is?" she was fighting tears and her voice was cracking. "You have no idea what this is going to do to our friendship." Elphaba couldn't fight the anger in her; she just couldn't hold it in any longer. "I have to DO SOMETHING!" she yelled. Suddenly, sparks flew in bunches; sending colorful little pings every which way in the castle; knocking over paintings, and pottery; windows flew open letting in very powerful breezes into the room.
Fiyero, being made of straw, wasn't phased by all the things crashing into him; he felt no pain. He slowly walked over to his Fae, attempting to calm her down. "Fae, please, it's going to be all right."
Elphaba let go of her anger, everything ceased and fell to the ground. She was fighting tears. "Yero, I want you to leave. Go. I-I just need to be alone for a while."
"Elphie—"
"Yero, I told you to leave! I don't want to hurt you any longer. I truly am wicked, I know that now; might as well embrace it, so just…go. Just until I gain more control, please, for me."
He nodded and gave her a quick kiss good-bye before he left. "I'll be back, I promise."
Those were the last words Elphaba heard before she found him gone.
Glinda was busy trying to help this girl who was beginning to get on Glinda's nerves.
"Yeah, I get it. You want to get home. You've been telling me that ever since you got here. Now look, I want you to listen to me. Follow the yellow brick road, the whole time; that's how you get to the Emerald City."
The girl nodded and her dog just barked at Glinda. They went on their way down the golden road.
Glinda tediously waved good bye then once they were out of sight she let out a sigh of relief. "Gee, I hope they get lost. She was really annoying the Shiz out of me. Although they might get lost anyway, I am so bad at giving directions," Glinda walked back to her house and went up to her room.
She had just gotten up to the doorway, when there was an eerie voice that sounded all too familiar to Glinda.
"Good to see you again, Glinda," the voice said all too slyly.
Glinda turned around. To her surprise, it was Madame Morrible.
"Madame, h-how did you get here? I thought you were in prison."
"They let me out, I served my time," Morrible chuckled.
Glinda nodded, "What are you doing here? What do you want?"
"I want to tell you that your precious farm girl friend is in danger."
"What? What do you mean?" Glinda asked a bit confusified.
Morrible smirked, "She's only a pawn for Boq, or now he's been so called, the Tin Man."
Boq. Glinda remembered him all too well. He had this huge crush on her back at Shiz.
"Why would Boq want her for?"
"To lead him to the Wicked Witch of the West of course. She's wearing the ruby slippers isn't she?"
Glinda nodded.
Morrible laughed softly, "That's all there is to it. He has a party of Witch hunters ready to assassin that wicked old hag for good. I would've done it long ago, but that just wasn't my territory. I needed a 'change in the weather' so to speak."
That's when it hit Glinda, "It was you! It was you who sent that cyclone! I can't believe I never realized it before. How could you? How could you kill Nessa?"
"The Wizard made a request, and I took it. I told you already, he'll do much for you if you do something in return for him. The Wicked Witch of the East was in his way, so I stepped in with a twist in the weather," she cackled a little at her own joke.
I have to warn Elphie. Glinda thought. "You won't get away with this!"
"Oh believe me, I will. Look at you, you're what you've always wanted to be. No one's going to fall for your 'Aren't-I-Good' routine any longer. So just shut up and enjoy the demise of the Wicked Witch."
"MADAME, GET OUT!" Glinda ordered.
Madame nodded and left with an evil smirk upon her face.
Glinda had to think, no matter how much she dreaded it, and fast. She wondered if her special power could show her the voices instead of just sensing them. She decided it was worth a shot. Glinda concentrated hard, closing her eyes tight. There was a moment of nothing; then she saw, through her mind, a castle. She moved her thoughts to the inside, up the stairs, and to a small room. In the room, a woman dressed in black wearing an all too familiar pointy hat. It was without a doubt Elphaba.
Glinda smiled brightly taking out her wand and formed a bubble around her. The bubble floated up and went on toward the castle in Kiamo Ko.
Elphaba was in an angry rage. Through her crystal ball, she saw a wretched farm girl wearing her sister's shoes! Those were rightfully hers, she could only guess who gave them to her; Glinda.
Elphie returned to glaring at her crystal ball at the little girl skipping through the forest with a Tin Man, a Lion, and a…Scarecrow? Could it be? No…it was impossible, it couldn't be him.
"Cursed brat, skipping in my shoes, unbelievable! Must've been raised in a barn! Well, she better not get too comfortable in them because I will be sure that she gives them back to me." She searched through the little den for potions. "I know exactly how to get them off of her. Poppies…poppies should put her to sleep." She cackled silently to herself as she put the spell on the red flowers.
Elphie watched as the girl fell asleep. She quickly grabbed her broom, but was interrupted by an all too familiar voice.
"Look, she's waking up! The snow worked!"
Fiyero? She thought. She shook her head, "No, it isn't. It couldn't be." Elphaba wondered where the snow came from.
Suddenly, she felt a soft touch against her skin. Elphaba turned and saw Chistery nudging her. She smiled and then got an idea.
"Chistery, I want you to take your armies to the Haunted Forest, and bring me that girl back. I don't care what happens to the others; I just want those shoes back with me. Now fly. Fly!" she waved her hands up in the air, gesturing for him to spring into the air and soar. He did with a grunt and mumble that sounded like he was saying, "Yes, miss," and about a million monkeys were flying in the air. Elphaba smiled and sat back in her chair, drinking some nice, warm tea.
Chapter 8
It took longer than Glinda thought to reach the castle she saw in her vision because when you're Glinda the Good, you're going to be recognized all over. She kept getting stopped by the munchkins and truthfully, she didn't know why but then she remembered that since Nessa's death, there wasn't a governor to, well, govern the munchkins with their troubles and such.
Glinda sighed and landed her bubble, "It's good to see me isn't it?" she asked not really expecting a response.
All the munchkins replied with a yes.
She shook her head, "No need to respond, that was rhetorical. Now what can I do to help?"
It had been a few hours, and Chistery had returned with the girl and her dog. The wretched farm girl, who went by the name Dorothy, was an annoying, crybaby. Elphaba tried to coax her into giving the shoes to her, for they were rightfully hers in the first place, but Dorothy went on and on about how the 'Good Witch of the North' told her not to.
Elphaba was fed up with this. She turned to Chistery, "Very well, if you won't give me back my shoes, then I won't give you back your dog," she smiled wickedly to Chistery, "Chistery, throw that basket into the river and drown it."
Dorothy protested with a high pitch squeal that rang through the castle. She finally gave in and offered the shoes up.
Elphaba smiled, "There, you see? I knew she'd see reason." Elphaba went to the tearful farm girl and bent over to get the shoes off. But it didn't work out the way she planned it would because as soon as her green fingers were within grabbing distance of the ruby slippers, sparks flew, practically burning the Witch's hands.
The girl spoke up with frantic apologies, then the question came up if she could still have her dog. Elphaba almost laughed, but she couldn't because of the pain she was experiencing. Why give the dog back when she didn't get what she wanted?
"No," the Witch said, "I should've remembered, those shoes will never come off," then a smile crept up on the green face, "as long as you're alive."
She was so deep in thought of how she was going to do it, that she didn't see the dog get out of the basket. The girl shouted and the Witch turned around. She then turned to her monkey. "Catch him you fool!"
The monkey nodded and ran after him.
Just to be sure the dog wouldn't get away, the Witch ordered the guard to raise the gates; but still the dog got away.
The girl was crying and repeating the obvious, "He got away, he got away."
The Witch was really getting annoyed with this whining girl, so to shut her up she had to say something. "Yes, which is more than you will, thanks to your dog; you're in more trouble than you're worth one way or another, but it'll soon be over now," The Witch went over to her giant hourglass, and flipped it upside down; the red sand quickly falling. "This is how long you've got be alive, and it isn't long my sweet, it isn't long," she set the hourglass down. "I can't wait forever to get those shoes!" she stormed out and locked the door. The Witch didn't leave, she was waiting to hear the girl change her mind, but instead of talking there was more crying. The Witch rolled her eyes and paced as the girl cried and cried.
The Witch got fed up with it and started mocking her crying, "For Ozsakes, stop your crying; I can't listen to it anymore," she went over and opened the trap door, " You want your Aunt Em, and your Uncle….what's-his-name again? Then get those shoes off your feet!" she finished with a slam.
Chistery soon came back, with a letter.
"What is this?" the Witch replied taking the letter and opening it. Her brown eyes skimmed the contents and she grinned with every word she read. "Thank you, Chistery. Please go while I get everything ready."
Soon a voice was heard behind her, "Let the little girl go, and that poor little dog, Dodo!"
The Witch turned around to the familiar voice and she could only glare, "Why are you here, Glinda?"
"Look, I know you don't want to hear this, but someone has got to say it; might as well be me. You are out of control! I mean, come on, they're just shoes, let it go! It's not healthy, and this is coming from me, but you can't go on like this, Elphaba."
Elphaba rolled her eyes, picking up a bucket, "I can do whatever I want, I'm the Wicked Witch of the West!"
"Elphie, you can't believe that. You're not wicked, you know it."
Elphaba turned back toward Glinda, "I am, Glinda. I am wicked. I hurt everyone I love. Fiyero, Nessa…"
"Elphie, Nessa's death wasn't your fault."
"IT WAS! I should've been there for my sister, but I wasn't. She'd be alive if I would've been there to save her."
Glinda slowly walked toward her friend, "No, Elphie. Don't say that…"
"Glinda, stop. I don't want to hear it. Just go back to your perfect life; it'd be better for the both of us."
"Boq is coming here, he's coming here to kill you."
Elphaba paused, "I know, that's why you must leave."
Glinda looked confused, "What do you mean you know?"
Elphaba motioned Glinda toward the crystal ball, "This is how I know, this crystal ball. It lets me see anything I want in the outside world."
Glinda wanted to touch it, she had a thing for touching interesting things, but she controlled the urge. Then she heard something…voices, feet stomping on the ground.
She turned to Elphaba, "Elphie, they're outside."
"Then go," she motioned to a corner.
Glinda shook her head.
"Glinda please, do this for me."
"I'm not going to leave you, I can help you."
"No, I want you to go. I don't want you to get hurt too," she set the bucket down, "Look, this might be the last time we see each other and I want you to know that…you've really changed me for the better," Elphie got out a book, the Grimmerie and handed it to Glinda.
Glinda took it, "Elphie, you know I can't read this."
Elphaba nodded, "You'll learn, I know you will. It's up to you now. You know, you're the only friend I've ever had. And I think I'll miss you most of all."
Glinda looked down, fighting tears, "And I've had so many friends…but only one that truly mattered,"
Elphaba looked to Glinda, her lip quivering. She stood up and put a green hand on Glinda's, "Just remember, I'll always be with you, like a handprint on your heart."
Tears burst down Glinda's cheek, nodding. She then heard pounding on the doors.
"Glinda, hide! Now!" Elphaba shouted.
Glinda nodded and took her last glance at Elphaba before hiding in the corner.
The Witch cackled as a trio came in followed by a group of Witch hunters , "Well, well, well. Ring around the rosie and a pocketful of failure, thought you'd be pretty foxy didn'tcha?" She looked at the Scarecrow, biting her lip subtly, "The last to go will see the first three go before her, and that annoying little dog too." The Witch raised her broom to a torch of fire, setting the bristles ablaze. The Witch hesitated, "H-how about a little fire Scarecrow?"
Chapter 9
The Witch, with a shaky grip on her broom, lit the Scarecrow on fire.
He shouted in pain, jumping and trying to put the fire out of his arm. The girl found the bucket and it was full of water. She threw it at the Scarecrow, but the water also fell on the Witch.
The Witch shouted in pain, "You cursed brat look what you've done. I'm melting! Who would've thought a good little girl like you could spoil my beautiful wickedness!" and with that…the Wicked Witch of the West…was dead, leaving only her cape, hat, and a small green bottle behind.
"NO!" Glinda shouted running to the remains, bending down to pick up the hat holding it close.
Dorothy walked up to Glinda, "I'm sorry. I…"
Glinda turned to her, "Stop! No, I don't want to hear it. Everyone…I want you to leave."
Everyone nodded and left slowly, unphased by the turn of events. But Dorothy still remained.
She put a hand on Glinda's shoulder, "Please, forgive me…"
She shook off the hand, "No! You've caused enough trouble with that blasted house of yours, killing my friend. And now…and now this…you melted her," she fought tears, but they came anyway, "I want you to leave Oz."
"I would, but I don't know how to get home."
"Just click your heels together three times and think to yourself there's no place like home. That's how it's done, and by the way, you've always had the power to go home. I should've told you in the first place; then none of this would've ever happened," she turned to see that Dorothy was still there, "Well? Go now, you know how to get home. Be gone, before somebody drops a house on you."
Dorothy nodded and she did as she was told; then vanished into thin air.
Glinda sniffled and kneeled over Elphie's remains. She remembered everything. The hat Glinda had given her so long ago, the cape she found in that old caravan. She smiled slightly reminiscing on the memories they shared, and then something stopped her. The green bottle. She had seen it not once before, but twice. Elphaba told her that this was her mother's, but Glinda remembered another time she had seen a bottle like this.
"Are you feeling down?" The Wizard asked.
"No, I'm alright."
"Have a swig of this, you'll feel better," he said handing her a green bottle.
"No thank you, I'll…I'll just get back to my party."
"I can't believe it…the Wizard…" Glinda knew right then she had to go see the Wizard, there was something fishy going on and she had to find out what it was. She encased herself in her bubble and flew to the Emerald City.
The Scarecrow was sure everyone was gone; he came back to the Witch's Chambers. He opened the trap door helping Elphaba up.
"Fiyero, I-I'm sorry I burned you. I'm so sorry, really I am. I-I just needed something to distract them so I could do the duplication spell. I'm sorry…" she said tears staining her eyes, and blood staining her green face.
"Easy there," Fiyero said wiping everything away with a coarse, straw hand, "Don't cry, you'll melt yourself again," he smiled.
Elphaba had to giggle a little, "I love you Yero," she pecked him on his straw lips, and thought to herself. She wanted her Yero back. Then she remembered some blue diamond's she found in a mine. They had magical properties.
"Fiyero, please stand up, I need to do a spell to change you back."
"You can do that?" he asked slightly confused.
"Yes, with these diamond's." she replied holding them up. She placed them around Fiyero in a circle, then recited the spell.
"Diamond's gleam and glow,
Let your power shine
Heal what has been hurt,
Bring back what once was mine," all at once the diamond's started to glow a bright blue. The light surrounded Fiyero, shrouding him in it so that nothing but a big blue vortex surrounded him. Sparks flew and then the light died down quickly.
Elphaba opened her eyes because the light was so bright she couldn't see, and what she saw was not a scarecrow, but a man with blue diamond's on his chest and arms.
Elphaba smiled and ran to him to embrace her love, "Fiyero, you're back. I'm so glad."
He smiled, "Yes, I am. Now we must go."
Elphaba stopped smiling. She looked up to him, "No…I'm sorry I can't. Not yet. I need to see Glinda one last time. Please, just give me 10 minutes." She looked at him with pleading eyes.
Fiyero couldn't resist, "Alright, 10 minutes, then I want you to go to the outskirts of Oz to meet me there."
Elphaba nodded and gave him a kiss good bye, then went back to the tower. She found her crystal ball. "Show me Glinda."
The crystal ball glowed many colors and a fuzzy image could be seen, it got clearer, and clearer. Then Glinda could be recognized in it. She was in the Wizard's throne room.
"Hello Glinda," the Wizard said smiling.
"Stop smiling, this isn't a happy matter," Glinda replied with a glare, "I want you to listen to me. Did you hear that the Wicked Witch of the West is dead?"
"Yes I did, your goodness."
"It occurred at the 13th hour according to the Time Dragon Clock; a direct result of a bucket of water that was thrown by a small child. A little girl you sent to kill her."
The Wizard didn't know what to say.
"Well? Did you, or did you not send the girl to do away with the Wicked Witch…I mean Elphie?"
He regretfully nodded his head, "Yes you're goodness, I did, but I…"
"No! I don't want to hear it. And another thing too, how come I found this by Elphaba's remains?" she held up the green bottle.
"I-I don't know what that is."
"I believe you do because you asked if I wanted to have a swig of it at my engagement party. You know what this is, now tell me."
The Wizard looked at it strangely, as if he'd seen something like that before.
"Glinda, may I have a closer look at that, please?"
Glinda nodded and handed the bottle to him. He felt it with his hands. It felt familiar to him.
"I-I don't believe this…this was…Melena's."
Glinda raised an eyebrow, "Melena? Who is she?"
"A girl…a woman I met long ago. I fell in love with her and she fell in love with me. I gave her my green elixir and…" he trailed off.
"And what? Tell me now?" Glinda insisted.
"Well…we…we…slept together. I know I shouldn't have, she was married to some guy named Frex or whatever."
Frex? Did he say…Frex? Elphaba thought. Frex is my father's name…oh my Oz no, no…it can't be…he can't be….
Elphaba didn't want to think of the answer, she was too horrified as it is. She looked back at the Crystal ball.
"Frex? Was he…the governor of Munchkin Land?" Glinda asked.
The Wizard nodded, "Yeah, how'd you know?"
"Because, Frex was Nessarose's and Elphie's father…unless…"
"Unless what?"
"Unless…you're Elphie's father! It all makes sense now…that's how she has magical powers and that's why she's green because of this Ozforesaken elixir! Your Ozness…you are in fact Elphaba's father, there's no question about it."
Elphaba jumped and suddenly couldn't think straight, "The Wizard's my…father? No, he can't be…that's…that's impossible." But Elphaba knew all too well that it was possible and she hated it.
Glinda turned away from the Wizard; then she saw something else that looked familiar. A crystal ball that looked exactly like Elphaba's.
"Mr. Wizard, what is that?" she asked.
The Wizard looked up, "Oh that? That's my crystal ball, it lets me see…"
"Yeah, I know it does. Elphaba has one just like it. Did you send it to her?"
"No, though I used to have two of them, but I gave the other one away to…to…"
"…to whom?"
"Melena…"
"Melena? She's alive? Elphaba said she was dead, how can she be alive?"
Elphaba's mind was reeling, her mother was somehow alive? Then she remembered the note, she looked for it and then found it under some old potion books: 'To My Dearest Daughter: I hope you have good use for this, I never did, but I know how much you loved looking through a tiny glass ball when you were little. I send my love and hope you enjoy it.' The date on it read 22/4 a few days after her father's death…it couldn't have been from Frex, and it certainly wasn't from the Wizard. It was from Melena…her mother.
Chapter 10
Glinda paced around the grand throne room trying to figure out what to do about the Wizard. He didn't deserve to be the Wizard now, not after what has happened.
She turned to the confusified Wizard. "I want you to leave Oz. Go get your balloon ready because I'll make the pronouncement myself. That the strains of Wizardship were too much for you to handle," Glinda paused, "Did ya hear what I said?" she snapped.
"Y-yes your Goodness," the Wizard replied.
He went to where he kept his, apparently famous, hot air balloon that he had arrived in and would soon be leaving in. Glinda went to the throne and sat upon it, feeling very powerful indeed but she felt also that something or someone was missing, but who? That's when she remembered the hat and the bottle. That's who was missing…her best friend. She decided she didn't want to think about Elphaba right now, so instead, she'd go for a bubble trip around Oz to clear her thoughts.
Elphaba didn't know what to make of this extraordinary and unbelievable news.
"Elphaba, Elphaba where are you?" Elphaba heard a voice say in her head. She knew it well.
"Fiyero, I'm still at the castle…I-I'm gonna be a while," she replied in her thoughts.
"Fae, stop playing around; we got to go! Come on."
"Fiyero, I can't. There's been…a change of plans. I've found out…something…"
"What?"
Elphaba shook her head, "Fiyero, I need to go."
Elphaba hopped on her broom, but in mid-flight she remembered that everyone thought she was dead. It would look weird if she came back in broad daylight. She remembered once when she found Glinda changing her outfit into a sundress. Elphaba smiled and figured if Glinda could do it, then so could she.
"Here goes nothing," she said holding up an index finger. She moved it around in a circle and pointed it at herself, "Disguise?" she said, not very confident in herself, and opened her eyes.
Nothing, she felt like a complete idiot. Then she thought of something else she heard a rival school had. Elphaba smiled again and began moving her finger in a circle, then pointed it at herself.
"Invisible Cloak!" she shouted. This time it had worked to perfection.
Elphaba nodded and took flight on her broom, heading toward Emerald City.
Elphaba really wasn't paying attention where she was going. She was focused on finding out how all this happened with the Wizard and him being her father. The wind was blowing in her face, then…bubble-soap? She soon found herself on the ground, her head hurting.
"Watch where you're…Oh my Oz! E-Elphie, no, no ,no. It can't be!" Elphaba heard the blonde gasp.
Elphaba looked up then looked down. The invisible cloak was off apparently and Glinda could see her.
She stood up brushing the dirt and bubbles off herself, "Glinda, I can explain…"
"Elphie! You're…you're alive? But, but I saw you…I saw you melt. I was there!"
Elphie quickly put her hand over Glinda's mouth, "Shhh! Glinda, no one must know I'm here."
Glinda shook off the hand, "That doesn't answer my question. How are you still alive?"
"I'm still alive because I used a duplication spell and then secretly hid under the trap door of the chamber floor. Fiyero and I needed to go into hiding and you weren't supposed to know," Elphaba sighed.
Glinda didn't know what to say. Why hadn't her best friend told her about this before? Did Elphie not trust her anymore? She couldn't believe any of this was happening now, why she had to find out now was infuriating Glinda greatly
"Glinda, please understand. I wanted to tell you…"
"Then why didn't you?" Glinda interrupted coldly with an icy glare.
Chapter 11
Back at Glinda's house, Elphaba went over everything with Glinda. On why she couldn't tell Glinda that she had to leave Oz, and why she couldn't tell her; Glinda didn't want to hear any of it. Why would she? Everything that Elphaba was telling her was sounding like Elphie didn't trust Glinda; whether Fiyero told her to tell or not.
Glinda shook her head, "Elphaba, stop. I don't care if Fiyero told you not to tell me. Do you know what that put me through? I was worried sick about you. I thought you were my friend…friends tell each other things."
"Glinda, please. You have to understand the circumstance I was under. I'm a wanted fugitive here, and Fiyero…he's wanted too for helping me. I tried to get him to give in and let me tell you…"
"Obviously you didn't try hard enough," came Glinda's cold remark.
"Glinda, why are you acting like this?" Elphaba wondered.
"Oh, you have the nerve to be surprised by my mood towards you? My friend was somewhere out in Oz and I didn't know where she was. Then I heard her and was relieved that she was alive, but after that I confront her as the Wicked Witch of the West and then..." Glinda was fighting tears, "…and then an obnoxious little farm girl from Kansas throws water on her and I think she melts. I was heartbroken, Elphaba. You were my best friend, why didn't you tell me? You know me, I wouldn't have told a soul and you knew that, but yet, you didn't and I am shocked that you would do such a…wicked thing!"
"Glinda, I'm sorry…" Elphaba pleaded.
"No, stop. It's too late to be sorry. You've done enough."
Elphaba couldn't understand why Glinda would be so cold to her. She thought that of all the people in the world, Glinda would be the most understanding about the situation.
Glinda picked up Elphaba's broom, "Go, I can't be seen harboring a fugitive."
Elphaba was close to tears, "Glinda, no, don't send me away."
"Go, before I call the guards."
Elphaba took the broom and went to the open window, taking one last glance at her old friend then she took flight into the night.
Jake came up the stairs, finding his wife sitting in the small rocking chair sniffling and with a bunch of tissues down at her feet.
"Glinda, dear, is something wrong?" he asked.
Glinda, startled, looked up, "No…nothing's wrong."
Jake might've not been the smartest guy in the world, but he knew his own wife well enough to know that something was troubling her. He sat on the bed, patting a spot for her to sit at.
"Come on," he urged.
Glinda smiled subtly and went into his arms, sniffling and crying into his shoulder.
He stroked her curly blonde hair, comforting her. "Glinda, it's okay. It's going to be hard for a while. You and Elphaba…"
She was quick to cut him off, "Don't ever mention that name again. Elphaba is no more, that person died a long time ago and now, recently, the Wicked Witch of the West is non-existent anymore."
Jake looked confused at the reaction of Glinda. He decided that she was going through a state of shock. It was understandable, after all, her and Elphaba were very close.
"Glinda, honey, let's get some rest," Jake said kissing her softly.
She nodded and got ready for bed and soon went to sleep.
There was only one person Elphaba wanted to see that night. He was the only person that would clear things up. She landed her broom behind some small bushes, and soon looked up at the grand city made of emerald.
Elphaba was quick at maneuvering through the throne room; doing her best to remain unseen by others. She had finally reached the giant emerald-green doors with a giant W painted in yellow on the front. Being the person she was, she did not consider knocking on the door and just barged right in.
The Wizard was finishing his packing when Elphaba entered. He was surprised when he saw her.
"E-Elphaba…you're…you're alive?" The Wizard stated shakily.
"Yeah, yeah. I am, get over it. I have one question for you," Elphaba said quickly.
"Anything."
Elphaba went up to him and grabbed him by the collar, "Where. Is. My mother."