The castle of Kiamo Ko, once an Arjiki stronghold, once home to one of the most influential names in Oz, has lost its splendor.
Today the castle is almost a ruin. The world has cycled around again and nature has taken over the castle as a mark of its unending supremacy. In most parts of Oz, Lurline has been all but forgotten; here is one of the few where she still reigns. Her yard is filled with wildflowers and trees, a last haven for animals and Animals alike. Moss coats the walls of her palace and the roof has fallen in. The building now looks to the open sky.
Elphaba would have liked it when it wasn't raining.
It is here, in the Witch's past abode, that nature has chosen to reclaim part of its world. Think of it as the world's way of thanking Elphaba for all that she did. The green is likely to coat the stones forever, reminding the good munchkins and people and elves and most of all Animals of a time that will someday be remembered as one of potential change. The potential has unraveled now, with the only small pieces of hope remaining, and those far apart. The fragments have been tossed to the wind with the Birds and, like the flagstone path leading up to the door, are no longer of any use.
Take a moment to observe the grass growing in between the cobbles, but notice how the stones seem to instead be sprouting amid grass. This is all that remains of Elphaba's ideas that were unable to overcome the growth of the Wizard's policies. They now lay dormant and in danger of erosion. It would be a tragedy if they were lost forever, but tragedies always occur.
If more travelers could be drawn to Kiamo Ko, then a calamity might be averted. Believe it or not, the castle was once a prime destination. Some travelers came to celebrate the death of the Wicked Witch of the West. Others came to mourn the loss of a great mind. All too soon, though, the visits died out.
There was talk of lingering magic in the air, and of ghosts haunting the place. Before her death, as the story went, Elphaba had done one last work of magic: she had cursed the castle so that none but the evilest of witches could enter her room and use her fabled Grimmerie.
Witches, others said, could never really be killed. Elphaba's spirit was waiting for a chance to take over the body of a newborn baby and do its evil work again.
Of course, it is known that no one can escape death. But the superstitions seemed to overcome such obvious facts.
You could hear the words of her ghost if you listened hard enough, the people insisted. Try it.
When all fell silent, there were voices in the wind.
It was neither the remnants of a spell nor Elphaba's wandering spirit that was heard. The Witch's soul had moved on, and before her death, she wouldn't have been able to curse the castle even if she wanted to for lack of time. The whispering in the air was a different kind of magic, one that cannot be called evil by any stretch of the imagination. Elphaba, in living and doing her magic in the castle, had brought her home back from its dormancy. In return for Elphaba's kindness, her fortress now told her story.
If there are Animals, then surely there are Stones such as the ones that compose Kiamo Ko. Stones are not too frequently talked about, but the oldest lore in Oz remembers them. In current day, the oldest lore of Oz is never spoken.
When there was more magic and more talk of loving nature in Oz, Lurline gave the stones opportunity to speak. Perhaps it is also a gift of Lurline that she allowed these Stones to speak again so that the people of Oz may remember Elphaba. Lurline is another myth nowadays, though people do not see that her power is spreading once more. Nature's time is not over yet.
From the hills of Kiamo Ko to the buildings in Emerald City, Lurline's influence has been circulating once more, bringing the Trees and Stones back to life and making the magic of the land a bit stronger. So it is that Elphaba's old home shouts out her achievements and hopes for all to hear. So it is that the trees over which Elphaba flew shape the wind into their own words. So it is that the streets and houses of Emerald City that were marked with proof of the Witch's continuing power refuse to let go of the green paint. What started as a simple rebellion is now coming to realize the full potential of the two words scrawled across countless storefronts, billboards, and houses:
Elphaba Lives!