The Oz-Games
DISCLAIMER: I do not own The Hunger Games or Wicked, for if I did, I'd either be acting the role of Elphaba or Katniss right now instead of writing this fanfiction.
Chapter 1:
On a brisk, cloudy day, Elphaba woke up in her home in Munchkinland. She looked out the window to the trees and the tiny houses lining the streets outside. Thoughts rushed through her mind, thinking about where she'd be in just two hours. The Wizard had issued an order to all homes in every land in Oz, that all children aged 14 to 20 needed to be in the town's center at 11 a.m. sharp, and dressed as nicely as possible. What was going on? Why only people aged 14 to 20?
As it was 9 a.m., she decided to awaken her sister just one door down. "Nessa," she said, softly, nudging her shoulder. The brunette groggily rolled over. "Good morning." Elphaba said to her. "Why so early?" Nessa replied.
"Remember the Wizard's order?" Elphaba asked her sister.
"Oh. About the town center? Yeah. Do you even know what this is for?"
"No. It's kind of strange, but I don't know. What if something bad happens?"
"Don't worry, Nessa, I'll be there to protect you."
"Thanks, Fabala. I'm going to go get dressed now."
"Okay, I will too."
Elphaba sifted through her wardrobe, which did not consist of much: just a few dresses, shirts, skirts and pants, all being either navy blue or black. She thumbed through the hangers, picking out a skirt outfit, with a blazer, mid-calf length skirt, hat, and lace-up boots. She pulled her unruly, raven black, hair into a braid, which fell over her left shoulder. She looked in the mirror on her make up desk, which was rarely used, deciding that she needed some makeup with the outfit. She dressed her chocolate brown eyes in smoky gray eye makeup, which was just about the only shade of eye shadow that wouldn't clash with her emerald green skin.
She looked at the clock. By the time she had finished dressing and getting ready, it was 10:15 a.m. She walked out of her room and into the hallway, about to go downstairs, but soon realized that she should go see if her sister needed help down the stairs. Elphaba knocked on her sister's shut door, and Nessa came to answer. "Are you ready?" Elphaba asked. "Yes." Her sister replied. Elphaba walked beside her sister's wheelchair, slightly lifting it on each step as the descended the staircase.
Considering that it was 10:35, they collaboratively decided that they needed to leave for the center. Their father was the mayor of the town, so he was required to attend the event. He would be mortified if his two daughters arrived late.
The sisters stepped out the door, Elphaba pushing Nessa's wheelchair along the side of the road for ten straight minutes until they reached the commons. Teenage munchkins were pouring in, and there were lines set up where Gale Force guards were seemingly stamping their hands. Elphaba soon noticed that the lines were separated by age, so she and her sister would be separated.
After hugging goodbye, the two girls parted, without a care in the world. Elphaba headed for the 18 year old line while Nessa headed for the 16 year old line. The 18 year old line was moving quickly, there weren't many 18 year olds in town. As she approached the line, the people in it began to squish into each other, fearing that Elphaba was either a monster, or the green was contagious. She rolled her eyes and sarcastically jumped at them, saying "Boo!".
Elphaba soon approached the Gale Force guard, who had a stoic gaze on his face. He did not even look at her. "Arm?" He said. She gave him his arm, and he placed a large, silver gunlike object up to her wrist, and it injected her with something unknown. She whimpered slightly, but kept on moving into the mass of people standing before a large, makeshift stage. On the stage stood a few members of the Gale Force, and her father, which reminded her, where was Nessa? Her father was angry enough she was alive, it would infuriate him even more to see that she had left her helpless sister alone and unattended to.
She frantically started pushing through the crowd, but stopped when a large, expensively robed, fakely made up, and rather frightening woman approached the microphone, tapping it and clearing her throat. "Welcome, welcome!" The woman beamed. "If you don't know already, my name is Madame Morrible, the Press Secretary to the Wizard! I am here to tell you about a wonderful new event that will be taking place in Oz annually." A smile grew on Elphaba's face. She didn't know why, but she was so excited to hear what the Press Secretary had to say. "This new event will be called the Oz Games, a unifying event throughout all of Oz. Each year, a boy and girl from every part of Oz will be chosen from a lottery. These boys and girls will travel to the Emerald City, where an arena will be set up. After two days of interviews and preparations, all involved will compete in a two week fight to the death. Now, let's get started!"
The smile was immediately wiped off of Elphaba's face at the phrase, "fight to the death." Why? Why does Oz need this? What is the purpose? What gives them the right to kill so many innocent adolescents? The thoughts rushed through her mind, she was ready to scream, but she couldn't, she'd only make a spectacle, and be more widely disliked. She looked left to right, her face starting to burn, she couldn't find her sister.
"And first, the ladies!" Madame Morrible chirped over the microphone. She reached her hand into a glass bowl on her left, pulling out a folded, white piece of paper with a black strip facing the audience. "Nessarose Thropp!" She beamed. Elphaba couldn't believe her ears. How could this be? They couldn't do this, right? She was in a wheelchair, but that didn't seem to have any meaning to them. Morrible ushered Nessarose up. Elphaba could feel her father glaring at her. She couldn't do this to her sister! She couldn't let this happen to her, but how could she make it stop?
She suddenly thought of something. What if she volunteered? As Nessa wheeled her way across the front of the crowd, nervously, teary eyed, and guarded by two members of the Gale Force, she took a deep breath and moved to the front of the crowd. She screamed out the words without even thinking: "I volunteer at tribute!"
The applauding crowd suddenly silenced, searching for the source of the noise. "Well!" Madame Morrible said excitedly, "It appears we have a volunteer! Would you please come up, dear?"
Elphaba ungracefully ducked beneath the rope that was holding the crowd about 10 feet from the stage, and was greeted by two members of the Gale Force. She looked back for her sister, who was being escorted back to the crowd, safely. She glanced up at her father, who was smiling and nodding in his approval of her decision. She climbed the stairs to the left side of the stage, and walked over to the smiling Madame Morrible, erased her smile and jumped backwards in shock. Elphaba just rolled her eyes and shrugged her shoulders. "Yes I'm green, no I'm not seasick, no my father is not a frog, he's actually sitting right over there." She gestured to her father, who shot her a dagger glare, "No I did not eat grass as a child, and yes. I have always been green."
Morrible nodded, with a fake smile on her face. "Alright then! What is your name, dear?" She held the microphone in front of Elphaba's face, so she spoke. "Elphaba. Elphaba Thropp. I'm 18." The crowd was completely silent. "And Miss Thropp, are Miss Nessarose's sister?" Elphaba looked down at the ground, and out to the crowd to find Nessa. "Yes." She replied. Morrible nodded in approval. "Well, let's have a round of applause for Miss Elphaba! How kind, valorous and courageous of her!" The crowd sarcastically and lifelessly applauded for the green girl.
"Now, time for the boys!" Morrible once again reached her hand into a glass bowl, this time on her right. She pulled out the same type of paper, and read off the name. The boy's name was Boq, a munchkin. He was Nessa's age, 16. Morrible joined their hands and raised them above her head, announcing that any family members may come to give their possible last goodbyes to their loved ones in the waiting room, in the minutes before the train arrived.
Nessa was the first to come see Elphaba. She hastily wheeled herself into the room, crying. She hugged her sister. "Fabala, thank you so much, you saved my life and I will never be able to repay you." Elphaba kept a hard, tough look on her face when she grabbed her sister's shoulders to say, "Nessa, the one way to repay me is by carrying out this one favor. Please, don't stop living when I do. You are a strong woman who doesn't need my help. I want you to keep living, I don't want your life to stop because of me." Nessa buried her head in her sister, and finally gained the strength to say: "Do me one favor, Fabala. Win these stupid games. Just do your best to win." As she was completing her last few words, some members from the Gale Force came in to pull Nessa away, and to tell Elphaba that the train was in the station, and ready for her and Boq to board.