Elphaba found it funny, the whole world always wrote green off as her signature color. She knew why, of course, but she found the logic behind it to be ridiculous. Just because her skin was green didn't automatically make her trademark color green. If anything, she thought that people would realize that she actually despised the color. She'd spent her whole life being bullied because of her green skin, so why in Oz did everyone seem to think that it was a good idea to act like green was her signature color?
Besides, even if Elphaba had liked the color, she had still been greatly influenced by all the other ones out there. Green wasn't all she had. Green wasn't the only color she had ever seen or come to love (or hate). On the contrary, all of the colors of the rainbow had come into play in her life at least one time or another, and it would be negligent not to give them the respect and honor they so deserved...
White. It was the color of purity, or so the Ozians said. It had been one of the first colors Elphaba had ever seen, the gown of the midwife being as fresh and clean and pale as snow. White was the color of cleanliness and holiness. It was the color of Frex's robes, and of half of the Shiz students' uniforms. Elphaba was rather undecided about the color, for it seemed plain and simple enough, but it had been used against her more than she would like to admit. After all, a girl born with green skin couldn't possibly be pure and unsoiled, could she?
Red. It was the color of blood. The blood she'd shed when she'd bitten her own lips too hard as a toddler, her teeth having been sharp as a Tiger's fangs. The blood her mother had shed when she died while giving birth to her second daughter, Nessarose. The blood that the earth itself shed when the Wizard made his arrival onto the scene, digging up the ground and stealing the precious minerals and gems that lay within. The blood that the Animals had shed, trying to defend their rights as they were slowly being stripped away. The blood that all of Elphaba's friends had shed, trying to help her and her cause towards equality and civil rights. And red was the color of the slippers Nessarose had been given by Frex. It was the color of arrogant old Avaraic's favorite tunic, gaudy and luxurious. It was also the color of the poppy field that lay only a few miles outside of the Emerald City. Red had been a very violent and emotional color for Elphaba.
Orange. It was the color of sunrise and sunset. It was the color of the fruit that hung from the trees Elphaba loved to climb. It was the color of Madam Morrible's hideous and gaudy dress. And it was the color of Dr. Dillamond's pelt, and the long overcoat he wore to class every day. It was a color Elphaba had seen, both in good and bad times, at Shiz.
Yellow. It was the color of money, which was something Elphaba's family had lacked. But it was also the color of corn fields, and sunlight. Those things the Thropp family did have an abundance of. And yellow was also the color of Elphaba's roommate's hair. Gold hair with a gentle curl, that was what Ms. Glinda Upland possessed, and whenever she would laugh, those little ringlets would shine and glitter. Elphaba had not seen yellow in quite a long time, especially not in that beautiful shade that had belonged to Glinda's hair. She missed it. Even the sun no longer looked yellow, it was an unreadable and scorching white. Elphaba almost missed the color yellow.
Green. Elphaba's "signature" color. Her skin color. Aside from the obvious, green was also the color of the milkflower leaves that Elphaba's mother had been forced to chew after giving birth to a green-skinned daughter. Green was also the color the leaves and grass in the summertime. It was the color of the Emerald City. It was the color of some of the chemicals Elphaba dealt with in her lab. It was the color of some of the herbs she would use in potions. It was the color of some of the spines of the books she so loved. Green could be a good color, she decided, and it was far from only being symbolic of her flesh.
Blue. It was the color of a beautiful sky on a sunny day. Or of the water at the very bottom of a lake or a pool. It was the color of the other half of the Shiz uniforms. It was the color of Fiyero's diamond tattoos, which ran from his cheek and all the way down to his hip. It was the color Boq's nice little suit, which he always took such good care of and prized so greatly. It was the color of eyes that, despite looking like half-frozen water, could shine with such warmth when looking at her. It was the color of one of Glinda's newest dresses. It was a bit excessive, but Elphaba still thought she looked beautiful in it. Blue was a color that Elphaba actually liked quite a lot. It was a versatile color. It could be dark, or light, or soft, or showy! And it didn't clash too terribly with green.
Purple. It was the color of a night sky. The color of freshly used ink. The color of royalty, as she was told. To Elphaba, purple had been deep and rich, mysterious and enduring. It was the color of the robes of the elite, and of the nightshade flowers that grew in her garden right outside. Elphaba saw purple in her potions flasks and in the space between twilight and midnight.
Pink. It was always a rather nauseating color in Elphaba's opinion, but that was only because it was such a bright and happy color. It was also highly feminine, which was not exactly a style Elphaba felt comfortable with. But even so, it had been a color that could have its charms. It was the color of the sky right at the start of a sunrise. It was the color of Nessarose's favorite fancy dress that wasn't a normal frock or school outfit. It was the color, of course, of her roommate. Glinda, that girl, had more pink in one fingertip than most people had in their entire bodies. Elphaba smiled at the memory. Pink dresses, pink shoes, pink hair clips, pink perfume bottles, pink beds and blankets. What didn't Glinda have that wasn't pink? And so, Elphaba did carry a fondness for the color, overbearing and sappy as it was. In fact, Elphaba even still had the little hair clip Glinda had given to her on the night when they first became friends. It had been the first time anyone had ever called Elphaba beautiful, or insisted that some other color suited her aside from green. To Elphaba, pink was the color of friendship.
Gray. The color of stormy skies and destruction. The color of bitter eyes and disgust. The color of a dreary, suffering, world, full of dishonorable scum. The color of mystery and fluidity, of ambivalence and ambiguity. It was the color of some of the stones that built up her castle. It was the color of the metal of prison bars and chains and handcuffs. It was the color of old, fraying Shiz uniforms. Elphaba liked gray. It was a very enigmatic color. She liked it for its dreariness and ambiguity, since she was a very dreary and ambiguous person herself. And she liked it because so many others didn't. It was usually a color that a normal person would ignore or disdain. Elphaba could relate to that. It was the color of shadiness, mixed with uncertainty, all wrapped up in an overcast sky with a storm crackling in the air. It was also the color of Chistery's feathers, and of her dear old Nanny Spunge's hair (bless that daft old dear). Elphaba liked gray.
Brown. The color of mud and excrement. And the color of her and her family's hair. Her hair was nearly black, and Nessa's was only a shade or two brighter. Frex's, however, had nearly been blond, but there was still enough brown in it to consider his overall hair color brown. Shell's hair had been somewhere in between, darker than Frex's, but paler than either of his sisters'. Melena's hair had been brown as well, but her locks were tinted with red, a fitting color for one as feisty and fiery as she. Brown was also the color of Elphaba's eyes: a deep, rich brown, swirling with bits of gold and amber. And brown was the color of Dr. Dillamond's horns, and of Boq's slicked-back hair, and Fiyero's handsome skin. It was the color of Killyjoy's pelt, and Elphaba's magical broom. Brown was a very common color across Elphaba's life.
Black. The color of death, despair and darkness. A color of secrets and solitude, for better or worse. A color no one ever claimed as their favorite. A color that always stood for wickedness and sin. A color that was not to be trusted or admired. A color only used in symbolism. A color only used in order to make a point. The color of Elphaba's wardrobe. But black, to Elphaba, was not always an evil color. After all, black was the color of midnight, when the stars and moon could shine. And it was the color of ink, and stones and earth and dirt, and all things good and natural. It offered up a simplicity and sanctity that other, more garish colors could not. It was also the last color Elphaba saw before entering oblivion. As she melted away into nothingness, her world became darker and darker until it faded to black entirely. It was a comforting shroud, and she wasn't scared at all. She had found the light to be far more terrifying. The darkness, the blackness, was almost peaceful, like a gently rippling ocean.
As Elphaba melted away, she knew that her name would forever be synonymous to the color green. But in her heart, she knew all the other colors of the rainbow had also played big, important roles in her life and they too had shaped her. Because of that, Elphaba was not just dying in black and green. She was dying with all the colors of the rainbow.
AN: Just me rambling on about how green isn't the only color Elphaba should be associated with. Green is not a creative color. There is far more to Elphaba than just that one color, so it's time we took a look at them and gave them all the respect they deserve...
This is a Book Canon fic btw.