A/N: Hey, me again. I thought that the Wicked section need a little more of Elphaba vs. The Wicked Witch of the West stories. It may be a little psycho and confusing; so, if you can understand this, good for you! Special credit to Sorry to burst your bubble who started the spark. Thanks. Also, sorry for all those who are expecting my quirky humor my other stories seem to have; I'm trying my hand at more serious plot lines. Enjoy!
The Wicked Witch of the West paced up and down the room in Kiamo Ko. Her boot heels clicked loudly on the stone floor. Upstairs, she could hear Dorothy crying. That noise had driven her crazy for many hours. "Just give up already!" she had yelled at the girl, "They're not your shoes, learn to live with it!" She walked into a room filled with mirrors. However, despising the way she looked, she had broken all but one. She approached a full length mirror covered in dust sheet.
"You're back" a soft voice said from behind the sheet.
"What's it to ya?" the Witch asked.
"I missed you."
The Witch threw off the cloth and glanced in the mirror. "Yeah right" she cackled.
Her reflection approached the glass. She looked sorrowful and defeated. "No, really" she said, "We used to have so much fun together."
The Wicked Witch threw back her head in a cackle. She turned to leave.
"I want out!" the reflection cried, trying to break through the glass "You can't live without me forever and I without you."
The Witch listened to the banging of the other's body against the glass. "Silence!" the she snapped.
The refection backed away. "Why do you keep fighting me?" she asked, "We need each other."
"I don't want another word from you!" yelled the Wicked Witch. She walked towards the door.
"Listen to me!" the reflection cried after her, "We are Elphaba Thropp! Not just you, not just me. If we keep like this, we will die!"
"No!" the other yelled, "Just you!" She picked up the poker from the fireplace as she approached the mirror, "I've had enough of you!" She swung the poker at the mirror, cracking it. Before the mirror shattered scattering glass all over the floor, the reflection jumped out.
"Thank-you" she politely smiled.
"You're not welcome" was the reply. She looked at the mirror then at the reflection in confusion.
"Why aren't I dead?" asked the other, "I'll tell you. Because we are both one and the same. Don't you see? We're connected. We were born together and we'll die together."
"No we're not. There is no way I am connected to you!"
"But we are. You may be the Wicked Witch of the West and I Elphaba, but together we form something beautiful."
"Get out of my sight" sneered the Witch.
"I can't" replied Elphaba, "I need you and you need me now more than ever."
This angered the Witch. She shoved Elphaba into a pile of broken mirrors. "Don't make me throw you with that brat upstairs."
"Why don't you? You treat her better than you do me!"
The Witch growled and left. Elphaba cautiously followed. She needed to be with the Witch. These past few months had been the worst of their lives. They were constantly fighting over who would be in control. Oz said it should be the Witch. But Elphaba always fought back saying "How can someone who is doing something for the better of Oz be wicked?" Elphaba always worked as the level headed one of the two and had always been the one in control.
But a few days earlier that all changed. Elphaba had lost her dear sister and the love of her life. Even that quarrel with Glinda hurt her. The Witch had taken control during this time.
Elphaba disappeared for a while and the Witch was happy thinking that she was really gone and out of her life. However, Elphaba soon returned as a reflection in the mirror. A reflection of how things should be; a reflection of things past. She had watched in horror as the Witch terrorized Dorothy. "Leave the girl alone" she had pleaded, "Tell her the truth and ask for the shoes or, better yet, just let them go."
"Ha!" the Witch laughed in her face, "You are no fun!"
"Fun?" cried the other.
"You still following me?" yelled the Witch.
Elphaba stood still in her tracks.
"I thought I told you to get lost!"
"NO!" Elphaba was on the verge of tears, "I can't leave you. Please, give me back the hat; let me be in charge."
"Never. You failed, remember? I can change all of that!"
"By terrorizing everyone? No, that's not the way. Maybe I did fail, but I meant well."
"Ha!" laughed the Witch, "Look at what well-meant did!" She continued on her way.
"You can not live like this" the other yelled, "You'll kill us if you continue."
The remark hit home. Elphaba noticed a sense of fear come over the Wicked Witch. "You're afraid, aren't you?" she asked softly.
The Witch quickly turned, "No. Leave me alone."
"Can't you understand?" pleaded Elphaba, "We must work together to get anything done."
"I've been doing quite well on my own, thank-you."
"No," the other teared, "you're only killing us. We must become one again."
The Witch turned and slapped Elphaba. "I've had enough of your chatter. Shut up!"
Elphaba placed her face in her hands in cried.
"And stop your crying!"
"I can't."
The Witch laughed, "Weakling!"
"I am;" Elphaba admitted, "but only because I am that way. You are to help me be strong. I'm the emotional, level and cool-headed, caring, shy one. You're everything I'm not: hot tempered; risk-taking; impulse-driven; out spoken. We balance each other out. Together, we make decisions, brave dangers, experience new things, love, live, learn. We can't do this on our own!"
"But we can try, can't we?"
"No," the other wept. She fell to her knees in sobs, "you've been trying but it has only been destroying us. Please, let me take control again and let us live together!"
"You pathetic creature" the Witch scolded. She watched her other half weep, "Oh, stop your sobbing! You don't really need me as much as you really think. Go, and live out your happy life!"
"But I was happy" was the reply, "...with you."
The Wicked Witch was angered by the statement. She kicked Elphaba in the ribs. "I was always being pushed away!" she cried, "You always had control of everything. 'No,' you said, 'we can't be wicked and terrorize everyone because we must make them aware of what is really happening.' Well, I'm sick of it. I'm in charge now so you better like it!" She rubbed her throbbing side and muttered obscenities under her breath.
"That hurt, didn't it?"
"Shut up."
"What about to before all this happened?" asked Elphaba, "What about Shiz and our life before that?"
The Witch turned her back to the sobbing woman. "What about it?" she asked.
"We worked together then. We formed a person—a whole person."
"You're delusional."
Elphaba shook her head, "It's you who are."
The Wicked Witch covered her ears. She had had enough. First it was Dorothy's crying, now Elphaba's. She watched as Chistery flew to Elphaba's side. "How can she care for that filthy mutant creature?" she asked herself.
Chistery put his arm around Elphaba. She looked up at his little monkey features. Smiling, she scratched his head. He smiled and made his little monkey noises.
But shut his mouth Elphaba gently scolded him. "Chistery," she said, "if you don't at least try, you will never..."
"Elphie?" a soft voice came.
The Witch and Elphaba looked at the doorway. There stood Glinda. "What is it you want?" hissed the Wicked Witch, "Can't you see we're busy?"
"Wicky!" Elphaba scolded.
Chistery quickly ran off. He never liked it when the Witch got riled up.
"Let that poor girl go" demanded Glinda, "and her little dog Dodo."
The Wicked Witch only cackled.
"Elphaba Thropp!" Glinda's voice was stern, "Someone needs to tell you this: You are out of control. I mean what's the big deal? They're only shoes! Let them go!"
The Wicked Witch laughed even more. "I can do anything I want!" she cried, "I'm the Wicked Witch of the WEST!"
"Listen to her!" Elphaba cried, "She speaks truth and reason!"
"Shut up!" the Witch yelled at her other half.
Just then, Chistery came flying in. The Witch was annoyed. "What is it?" she demanded of him, "Why are you bothering me, too?"
The winged monkey didn't reply. He handed the Witch a folded sheet of paper which she snatched from his hand. She opened it and began to read. However, Elphaba came up and pulled it form her hands. "What did you do that for?" she yelled.
Elphaba didn't respond but read the letter. Her eyes formed tears as they scanned the page.
"What does it say?" the Witch asked.
"It's Fiyero, isn't it?" inquired Glinda.
Elphaba looked up from the paper. "We've seen his face for the last time" she replied.
Glinda broke into sobs as the Witch frowned. "That's all?" she laughed.
"No" sighed Elphaba, "They're coming to kill us."
"Who?"
"The Witch Hunters. They'll be here any minute now."
The Witch's face turned white. "Elphaba..." she choked.
"See what you've done?" the other yelled, "If you had worked with me, this wouldn't be happening!"
The Wicked Witch began to tear. She winced as her tears stung her cheeks. "Elphaba!" she cried, "I don't want to die!"
Elphaba smiled compassionately. She brought the Witch into a strong embrace. "Don't worry" she comforted her other half, "I'll take care of you. I always have. I won't let anyone harm us."
"You're so brave" the Witch cried onto Elphaba's chest.
"Only when I'm with you." She gently stroked the Witch's ebony hair. "We must work together to get out of this mess."
"But how?"
"Just trust me" was the reply, "The way you always used to when we were younger."
The Witch sniffed a few times. Pulling away, she looked at Elphaba. "You're right" she said taking off her hat. She handed it to Elphaba, "I surrender."
Elphaba smiled as she accepted the hat.
"Elphie?" Glinda cried.
Elphaba didn't reply. She placed the hat on her head and went over to the well and picked up a bucket of water, which she placed where someone could easily see it and pick it up. She turned to the Wicked Witch; she stopped.
"What is it?" asked the Witch.
"Glinda" was the reply, "What do we do about her? She can't be found here with us, they'll kill her too."
The Witch placed her hands on Elphaba's shoulders. "We'll have to push her away."
"What do you mean?"
"Driver her off. Tell her to get out of here. Don't tell her anything, but 'Get out of my sight and live your happy life."
"That's so mean!"
"Nothing else will work. We must be stern." She paused and looked at Elphaba who was grinning. "I can't believe I just said that. I'm talking like you!"
"Help me" she sighed, "This will be very painful for me."
The Witch smiled and nodded. She followed Elphaba to Glinda. "Glinda, listen" Elphaba began, "I want you to promise me that, whatever happens, you will not try to clear my name."
"Elphie!" the good witch protested.
But Elphaba shook her head, "They'll only turn against you too. Promise me, Glinda."
Reluctantly, Glinda agreed. Elphaba was then handed the Grimmerie by Chistery. She place it into Glinda's hands. "Here," she instructed, "keep it safe and use it for good."
"But you know I can't read this!" Glinda began to tear.
Tears began to run down Elphaba's cheeks as well. "Try" she choked, "For my sake at least."
There was a commotion downstairs.
"They're here!" screamed the Witch. She turned to see Elphaba and Glinda hugging each other. She smiled; they were friends again. Quickly, she grabbed Glinda from Elphaba's arms and forced her behind one of the large tapestries.
"Elphaba!" yelled Glinda as she was dragged away.
"Stay here" the Witch ordered.
Elphaba ran to her friend. Tears streamed down her emerald cheeks. She hugged Glinda for one last time. "Good-bye, my friend" she cried. She then left.
"Elphie!" Glinda cried, "Wait!"
Elphaba had turned her back on her friend. She covered her face with her hands and wept. Leaving her friend had been one of the worst things she had ever done. The Witch put an arm around her other half. "Don't worry" she said softly, "She'll be okay."
Suddenly, the door was forced open by the Witch Hunters. The two stood helpless before their assassins. "What do we do?" asked the Witch.
"Follow me" was the reply.
The Witch Hunters soon poured into the small room. They had forced the two into a corner. Elphaba quickly grabbed her broom, lit it and waved it in front of the mob. The Witch watched as their pursuers backed away. Suddenly, she saw Dorothy pick up the bucket. "Elphaba!" she cried, "There's water in the bucket!"
"I know."
"Elphaba, I'll melt!"
Elphaba knew this truth all too well. However, she had chosen water because it was their best means of escape. She felt the Witch grab onto her arm in fear. "I don't want to die!"
"You won't" the other reassured.
"But water will kill me!"
"Use me as a shield" replied Elphaba, "Water doesn't do anything to me."
The Witch stood behind Elphaba. "Elphaba! She's coming closer!"
"Good."
"Elphaba, I'm scared."
"Don't be."
"Elphaba!"
"Hang on to me!" Elphaba ordered, "Tight!"
The Witch did as told. She grabbed Elphaba tightly around the waist, nearly suffocating her. She watched the approaching girl and bucket; she closed her eyes shut and cried in terror as Dorothy threw the water at them.
When she opened her eyes, she wasn't in the room anymore—she was under it. Looking around she could see Elphaba standing, looking up at a trap door. Above them she could hear crying. Elphaba reached up to touch the door.
"Be strong, Glinda" she said, tears streaming down her cheeks.
The Witch got up and walked to her other half who she hugged tightly. "She means a lot to you, doesn't she?"
"She's one of the few people to ever really care about us—both of us."
"Who were the others?"
"Mother, Nessa and Fiyero."
"It must be sad for you" the Witch commented, "Knowing that you will never see your best friend again."
Elphaba nodded as she broke out into full sobs. The Witch only hugged her tighter. "I think I understand what you've been talking about now" she said. "We do balance each other out and make the other strong." She stroked Elphaba's hair. "I, too, will take care of you." She led Elphaba to the wall where they both sat down. Elphaba was still crying onto the Witch's shoulder. The Witch didn't mind her clothes getting wet; she could endure a little moisture for the sake of her other half. "After all," she smiled, "we are Elphaba Thropp."
Elphaba Thropp opened her eyes. She quickly adjusted to the darkness and examined her surroundings. She was in a small room under the floor. She must have fallen asleep; for how long she didn't know. She wrapped her cloak tightly around herself to keep warm. The stone floor was damp and the air was chilly but she didn't mind. She felt strange, but a good, familiar kind of strange. She felt content, once again; she felt peaceful, once again. Once again, after a long time, she felt whole.
A/N: So there you go. Hoped you liked it. If you need explanations, don't feel scared to ask.
-Seal Pup