Arguments, Family, and Life in General
Elphaba's POV
I returned home, after having been busy running around Oz, helping the Animals against the Wizard, who was now my enemy and no longer my greatest hero. He had let me down. No one, in all of Oz, believed in him as much I had.
I hid in the wardrobe and when I saw Nessarose, my younger sister, I said, "The prettier of the two of us only gets prettier and I only grow greener with envy." I grinned as I watched her jump slightly out of her chair with surprise, probably from hearing my voice for the first time in years.
Then I walked over to her and she snapped, "What are you doing here?" "Well, there's no place like home," I pointed out to her. She glared coldly at me.
I sank to my knees and grabbing her hand, begged, "Nessa, I need you to intercede for me to Father." She coldly took her hand back and snarled, "Father is dead. He died of shame after what happened. You killed him. I'm the governor now."
I looked up at her and said, "Then you can help me." She shook her hand and said, "I'm not hiding a fugitive. I'm an unelected official." I stared at her and said, "Nessa, please, I'm depending on you..." Then I realized that was definitely the wrong thing to say when Nessa exploded on me. "ELPHABA! ALL MY LIFE I HAVE BEEN STUCK IN THIS CHAIR, DEPENDENT ON YOU! YOU GO RUNNING AROUND OZ, HELPING ANIMALS YOU'VE NEVER EVEN MET BEFORE AND LEFT ME HERE HELPLESS! I HATE YOU FOR THAT AND FOR ALL THE OTHER TIMES YOU DIDN'T HELP ME!" I stared at Nessa and I snarled, "YOU KNOW WHAT? I HATED HAVING TO LOOK AFTER YOU! I HATED YOU, BECAUSE FATHER LOVED YOU! YOU KEPT ME FROM EVER BEING ABLE TO RUN AWAY! HE NEVER CARED ABOUT ME! HE TAUGHT YOU TO HATE ME, EVEN THOUGH I WAS THE ONE WHO PRACTICALLY RAISED YOU, NESSA! AND I HATE YOU TOO!" Then I decided to give her the ability to walk and I said, "It's time I fixed what I did to you, Nessa."
When Boq entered, he walked over to Nessa and said, "Now we can go for walks in the garden, and I can teach you how to climb trees and take you swimming and all sorts of things." I packed the Grimmerie in my bag and grabbing a knife said, "Nessa, you'll never have to worry about me troubling you with my problems ever again. You won't have to worry about me at all." Nessa looked at Boq and said, "Send word to Glinda. I'll tell you what it should say."
Dear Glinda, I have a problem. It's about Elphaba. You're her only friend and she's stolen one of my knives and run off. She said, 'Nessa, you'll never have to worry about me troubling you with my problems ever again. You won't have to worry about me at all,' right before she left. Just find out what she's going to do and stop her. Nessarose
After I had reached a clearing, I wrote a hasty note to Glinda—I didn't know my sister was writing a note to Glinda as well.
Dear Glinda, Please help me. You're my only friend in the world and I've got no one else to turn to. Nessa's driven me to the extreme and I don't know what to do. Please hurry. Elphaba.
I sent the letter and grabbing the knife, started debating attempting to take my own life. Glinda got my note when she was talking to the Wizard and Madame Morrible. She also apparently got Nessa's note as well.
Then Glinda read Nessa's note aloud. "Dear Glinda, I have a problem. It's about Elphaba. You're her only friend and she's stolen one of my knives and run off. She said, 'Nessa, you'll never have to worry about me troubling you with my problems ever again. You won't have to worry about me at all,' right before she left. Just find out what she's going to do and stop her. Nessarose."
Then Glinda read my note. "Dear Glinda, Please help me. You're my only friend in the world and I've got no one else to turn to. Nessa's driven me to the extreme and I don't know what to do. Please hurry. Elphaba."
Glinda ran off and called back, "My friend needs my help. I won't let it be said that Glinda the Good leaves a Ozian, any Ozian, including the Wicked Witch of the West, in need." The Wizard nodded in agreement and Glinda ran to help me.
I hunched over and started shaking. Glinda saw me sitting on the ground, pressing the knife against my chest. Glinda sprinted over and grabbing my wrist, smacked my hand, sending the knife flying. She screamed at me, "ELPHABA! WHAT ARE YOU DOING? ELPHIE, WHY IN THE WORLD ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL YOURSELF?" I stared weakly up at Glinda and said, "No one in my family loved me." Glinda stared at me and picked me up and said, "I'm taking you back to the Emerald City with me." I nodded weakly and collapsed against Glinda, bursting into tears—I had never cried before this.
We returned to the Emerald City and Glinda took me to see a doctor. He said to Glinda, "Elphaba Thropp has extreme depression. She never showed the effects of this until Nessarose pushed her to it—attempting suicide."
Glinda nodded and when Nessa arrived, Glinda glared at her. Nessa said, "I've come to see Elphaba." Glinda spat, "YOU THINK I AM GOING TO LET YOU NEAR HER AFTER WHAT YOU DID?" Nessa looked shocked and said, "What do you mean? I came to apologize." "FOR WHAT?" Glinda snarled. "FOR NOT GIVING YOUR SISTER LOVE? COMPASSION? COCERN? UNDERSTANDING? YOU SHOWED AND GAVE HER NOTHING BUT HATRED! THAT'S ALL SHE'S KNOWN FOR HER CHILDHOOD, AND I'M THE ONLY ONE WHO GAVE HER WHAT SHE NEEDED—LOVE, COMPASSION, CONCERN, AND UNDERSTANDING!" Nessa stared at Glinda and Glinda continued. "SHE TRIED TO KILL HERSELF, BECAUSE OF YOU AND YOUR FATHER! YOU DROVE HER TO ATTEMPTING SUICIDE! SHE GAVE THE ANIMALS WHAT SHE NEVER RECEIVED—LOVE, COMPASSION, CONCERN, AND UNDERSTANDING! I'M AMAZED THAT SHE EVEN HAD THOSE EMOTIONS IN HER! MOST OF THE STORIES I'VE HEARD ABOUT UNLOVED CHILDREN END WITH THE CHILDREN NOT KNOWING HOW TO LOVE SOMEONE OR TO CARE OR TO BE COMPASSIONATE OR TO UNDERSTAND! NOT ELPHABA! YOU DROVE HER TO EXTREME DEPRESSION AND I DIDN'T KNOW! IF I HAD KNOWN, I WOULD HAVE DONE MORE TO HELP HER!" Nessa stepped back and said, "I had no idea." Glinda growled and said, "OF COURSE YOU DIDN'T, BECAUSE YOU WERE THE BELOVED CHILD!" Glinda then calmly said, "Elphaba is no longer your sister. She's my sister now."
Nessa stared at Glinda in disbelief and said, "What?" Glinda sighed and said, "I begged my parents to adopt Elphaba, telling them that she needed some of the love that they gave me. They agreed and I have to tell her. I hope you're ready to say goodbye to Elphaba."
Nessa nodded and then entered my hospital room. She sat down in a chair and said, "Elphaba, what I said, about hating you, I didn't mean it. I'm so sorry, and I really hope whatever happens next in your life, you'll be happier than you were when you were taking care of me. I love you and you'll always be my sister, no matter what happens." I blinked and mumbled, "It's okay. I overreacted. I didn't mean that I hated you, but I did hate Father. I'm sorry, too." Nessa nodded and she said, "I have to go. Glinda wants to talk to you. I'll be back later." Nessa left my room and I said, "Nessa, what's going on? Nessa!"
Glinda came in and said, "Hey, sis." I blinked and stared up at Glinda and said, "Sis? Glinda, what is going on?" Glinda smiled at me and said, "Elphie, while you were unconscious, I asked my parents to adopt you and they did. Anyway, they agreed to love you, no matter what. I told them that if they didn't treat you the same way they treated me, I'd find a way to liberate you and me from their rule."
I nodded weakly, realizing that Glinda was trying to help me. Then Glinda said, "Nessa has something else to say to you." Nessa returned and said, "I guess this is goodbye." I nodded weakly and said, "Goodbye, Nessa. I hope you're always happy." Nessa smiled softly at me and said, "I hope you're always happy too, Elphaba. And goodbye."
Then Glinda's parents arrived and said, "Glinda, you have to find Elphaba's father, real father, and get him to sign off his parental rights." Glinda and I stared at her parents and I said, "WHAT?! Nessa told me that I killed Father, from shame." Glinda paused and said, "Maybe the Wizard knows. He is all-knowing." I nodded in agreement and then I whispered to her, "Hold me back from ripping his throat out."
On the way to see the Wizard, Glinda said, "Maybe that bottle of your mother's might help you figure out who your father is." I nodded and said, "That sounds like what my mother said when she gave it to me. She said, 'Elphaba, hang onto this bottle for it will lead you to your past.' What does that even mean?" Glinda shrugged and said, "Couldn't tell ya." I sighed and said, "Well, then that means we're in the same boat."
Glinda and I went to talk to the Wizard and I said to him, "Who is my father, if it isn't Nessa's father?" He shrugged and said, "Maybe if you had some clue, I might be able to help you." I slowly pulled my mother's bottle and said, "This was my mother's. She gave it to me before she died." The Wizard stared horrified at it and, then looking up at me, slowly said, "I think I know who your father is, Elphaba." Trying to not scream and remain calm, I said, "Who is my father, then?" The Wizard took a deep breath and said, "It's...
cliffy. So is Elphaba's father? Read and find out next time.