When Wicked Witches Meet

Maleficent x Elphaba

Elphaba's POV

I raced to Kiamo Ko. I had to save Yero. I just had to—I couldn't live in a world where he didn't exist.

"Fiyero!" I screamed. "ELEKA NAHMEN NAHMEN AH TUM AH TUM ELEKA NAHMEN. ELEKA NAHMEN NAHMEN AH TUM AH TUM ELEKA NAHMEN. LET HIS FLESH NOT BE TORN. LET HIS BLOOD LEAVE NO STAIN. THOUGH THEY BEAT HIM, LET HIM FEEL NO PAIN. LET HIS BONES NEVER BREAK AND HOWEVER THEY TRY TO DESTROY HIM, LET HIM NEVER DIE! LET HIM NEVER DIE! ELEKA NAHMEN NAHMEN AH TUM AH TUM ELEKA NAHMEN. ELEKA NAHMEN NAHMEN AH TUM AH TUM ELEKA...ELEKA.. UGH! WHAT GOOD IS THIS CHANTING? I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT I'M READING! I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT TRICK I OUGHT TO TRY! FIYERO, WHERE ARE YOU—ALREADY DEAD OR BLEEDING—ONE MORE DISASTER I CAN ADD TO MY GENEROUS SUPPLY? NO GOOD DEED GOES UNPUNISHED. NO ACT OF CHARITY GOES UNRESENTED. NO GOOD DEED GOES UNPUNISHED. THAT'S MY NEW CREED. MY ROAD OF GOOD INTENTIONS LED WHERE SUCH ROADS ALWAYS LEAD. NO GOOD DEED GOES UNPUNISHED! NESSA… DOCTOR DILLAMOND… FIYERO… FIYERO…! ONE QUESTION HAUNTS AND HURTS TOO MUCH, TOO MUCH TO MENTION: WAS I REALLY SEEKING GOOD OR JUST SEEKING ATTENTION? IS THAT ALL GOOD DEEDS ARE WHEN LOOKED AT WITH AN ICE-COLD EYE? IF THAT'S ALL GOOD DEEDS ARE, MAYBE THAT'S THE REASON WHY… NO GOOD DEED GOES UNPUNISHED. ALL HELPFUL URGES SHOULD BE CIRCUMVENTED. NO GOOD DEED GOES UNPUNISHED. SURE, I MEANT WELL—WELL, LOOK AT WHAT WELL-MEANT DID—ALRIGHT, ENOUGH!: SO BE IT! SO BE IT THEN! LET ALL OZ BE AGREED, I'M WICKED THROUGH AND THROUGH, SINCE I CANNOT SUCCEED, FIYERO, SAVING YOU, I PROMISE NO GOOD DEED WILL I ATTEMPT TO DO AGAIN, EVER AGAIN! NO GOOD DEED WILL I DO AGAIN!"

I sank to my knees exhausted and saw someone who looked remarkably like me—minus the eyes and the horns. I glared and she said, "I can teach you, child, how to truly be Wicked."

"Who are you?" I asked.

"I am Maleficent, Maleficent Faery, the Mistress of All Evil," she replied.

"And you are?" she asked.

"The Wicked Witch of the West," I replied automatically.

"I mean, what's your name?" she prompted.

"Years ago, my name was Elphaba, Elphaba Thropp Third Descending," I said, calmly.

Maleficent nodded and said, "Lesson 1, how to use dark magic."

"Dark magic?" I repeated. She nodded and said, "You seem to have an excellent grip with it already, with the Grimmerie, at least, but you must be able to make up spells on the spot."

I nodded and said, "I can do that."

She nodded and said, "What you want, more than anything else?"

"My sister's shoes back," I replied automatically.

She nodded and handed me a slip of paper. "Go to the roof and cast this spell. It will slow down the farm brat and her companions," she reassured me.

I nodded and raced to the top of the highest tower of Kiamo Ko.

"A forest of thorns shall be their tomb! Borne through the skies on a fog of doom! Now go with the curse, and serve me well! Round the Emerald City, CAST MY SPELL!" I chanted.

I stared and watched as the Emerald City was surrounded by thorns. "Well, no one goes in and no one comes out," I smirked at Maleficent.

Then she asked, "So why'd you become the Wicked Witch of the West?"

I took a deep breath and said, "There was an incident in the Emerald City when I was about nineteen…"

I paused and looked intently up at Maleficent, unsure.

"Why don't I start at the beginning?" I suggested.

She nodded and I began to tell her my story.

"I was born about twenty-three years ago at Colwen Grounds, the ancestral home of the Thropp family line," I began. "The torment began then, for I was born 'green as sin'. My father despised me and my mother ignored me. I was a lonely child. I was bullied for my skin and hated. I'd go to new schools and think this time will be different, but it was always the same. So, I strove for good grades to get my father's approval, but he didn't care. I went to Shiz and entered a sorcery program—it didn't work out 'cause I freaked out during my interview with the Wizard and became the Wicked Witch of the West."

Maleficent nodded and said, "So like my story, so like mine."

I raised my eyebrows and she said, "It's pretty much the same thing, except I was almost always destined to become 'The Mistress of All Evil'."

Then I spotted the bubble floating towards Kiamo Ko. "Oh no," I groaned. "I forgot about Glinda."

Maleficent said, "Just cast a spell to get rid of her."

I shoved Maleficent into a closet and said, "Um, stay here while I distract Glinda."

"Elphaba," she opened her mouth in protest and I ignored her.

I raced toward Glinda's bubble and met up with her.

"Elphie, calm down," she told me.

I pulled away from her, snarling at the woman I'd once called friend. "Go home, Glinda," I ordered angrily.

"No, Elphie. Reverse the spell," she demanded.

I looked at her and asked, "Were you not paying attention when we were in the Emerald City together?—You can't reverse a spell once it's been cast. There's nothing I can do."

"Elphie, what happened to you?" she asked, her face softening into concern?

I felt disgust at her. "Why should you care?" I snarled.

"Elphie, I was stupid and petty and jealous, and I never meant for Nessa to die or actually get hurt," Glinda explained. "I just said to 'spread a rumor that Nessa's in danger and you'd come running to save her.' I never wanted her to die or get hurt."

I nodded and said, "Alright, let's get to Kiamo Ko. We'll wait it out there."

She nodded and I stared silently out the window—I was out of time. "I'm limited—just look at me," I began. "I'm limited and just look at you—you can do all I couldn't do, Glinda…"

I picked up the Grimmerie and held it out to her. "Go on, take it," I encouraged.

"You know I can't read that," she protested.

"Then you'll have to learn," I encouraged.

She took it uncertainly and I said, "So now it's up to you—for both of us—now it's up to you."

She stared at the Grimmerie and then looked up at me, "Elphie."

"You're the only friend I've ever had," I said, softly, staring at the ground.

Glinda looked at me and said, "And I've had so many friends, but only one that mattered."

I smiled weakly and she stepped toward me. "I've heard it said that people come into our lives for a reason, bringing something we must learn and we are led to those who help us most to grow if we let them and we help them in return. Well, I don't know if I believe that's true but I know I'm who I am today because I knew you… Like a comet pulled from orbit as it passes a sun, like a stream that meets a boulder halfway through the wood. Who can say if I've been changed for the better, but because I knew you, I have been changed for good."

I smiled tentatively at Glinda and she smiled back—a real smile.

"It well may be that we will never meet again in this lifetime, so let me say before we part so much of me is made of what I learned from you. You'll be with me like a handprint on my heart and now whatever way our stories end, I know you have rewritten mine by being my friend… Like a ship blown from its mooring by a wind off the sea, like a seed dropped by a skybird in a distant wood. Who can say if I've been changed for the better, but because I knew you…" I hesitated.

"Because I knew you," Glinda seemed anxious to correct me.

"I have been changed for good," we agreed.

I pulled away and, said, "And just to clear the air, I ask forgiveness for the things I've done you blame me for."

"But then I guess we know there's blame to share," Glinda pointed out.

"And none of it seems to matter anymore," we agreed again.

"Like a comet pulled from orbit as it passes a sun. Like a stream that meets a boulder halfway through the wood," Glinda murmured.

"Like a ship blown off its mooring by a wind off the sea. Like a seed dropped by a bird in the wood," I responded.

"Who can say if I've been changed for the better? I do believe I have changed for the better," I looked shakily at Glinda.

"But because I knew you…"Glinda began.

"Because I knew you," I interrupted.

"Because I knew you, I have been changed…for good," we finished.

I hugged her as hard as I could and said, "I'm gonna miss you."

"Elphie?" she asked.

"Can't an about-to-die-person miss someone?" I teased, weakly.

She smiled in weak response and I buried my face in her hair, memorizing her scent.

Glinda whimpered suddenly.

"What's wrong?" I asked, pulling away, staring into those blue eyes.

"One last time?" she begged.

I slowly nodded and she curled up against me, murmuring, "Elphie, I love you."

"And I love you, Glinda," I stroked her hair gently.

Afterwards, the Witch Hunters came and melted me.

Maleficent emerged from the closet I'd stuffed her in and Glinda snapped her head up, seeing her glaring at her.

Glinda glared at her and Maleficent laughed. "You poor, simple, fool," she tormented Glinda. "Thinking you could defeat me—Me, The Mistress of All Evil! Well, here's your precious Elphie."

Glinda stumbled toward my hat and cradled it to her chest.

Then she felt a rush of strength. "What did you do to her?" Glinda snarled at Maleficent.

The dark witch cackled and vanished. "I'll finish what Elphaba started!" The dark witch called.

Glinda nodded—Maleficent would deal with Dorothy, while, she, Glinda the Good, would deal with the Wizard and Madame Morrible.

Glinda soon saw Maleficent and she watched as Maleficent began casting a new spell for Dorothy. "In your mind, your dreams shall become nightmares, strengthened by your cries and screams! Now, go with the curse and serve me well! Upon Dorothy, CAST MY SPELL!" Maleficent demanded.

Glinda nodded and soon threw out the Wizard and sent Morrible to jail.

Maleficent also left Oz, and told Glinda, "Rule Oz as if you were Elphaba."