AN:
Jakie: I'm sorry you feel that way, but it's very simple - if you don't like my stories (anymore), then just stop reading them. If you've read my other stories, you should know by now that all of them are romance and they all have happy endings; if that's not your thing, then there are other fanfic authors out there you'd probably like better.
2.
Madame Morrible seemed to be thrilled with the new arrangement, even if that did mean dropping the Animal Banns; and her demeanour towards Elphaba was so sickeningly sweet that the green girl had to repress the urge to shudder every time the older woman came near her. And she came near Elphaba a lot, especially in the beginning, because she was responsible for changing the young witch's appearance.
"After I degreenify you," Morrible said as she led Elphaba into what seemed to be a dressing room, "we'll need to think of other ways to make you look different." She held up a strand of Elphaba's long, raven hair, puckering her lips and tapping them thoughtfully. "Perhaps a spell... I am sure I could find a spell that will change your hair colour. We could cut it, too."
Elphaba bit her lip. She'd always kept her hair long because she remembered her mother had loved it that way. She hated the thought of cutting it.
Elphaba Thropp is dead, she reminded herself. You will be someone else now.
"I will make the degreenifying potion for you," Morrible promised, "and I will search through this book for any other spells that could be useful to us – it is a spell book that specialises in disguises, so that should not be too difficult. For now, I will take you to a room where you can freshen up a little and get some sleep. I will come find you tomorrow." Her eyes bored into Elphaba's. "You are not to leave your room under any circumstances – if someone sees you before the degreenification is complete, all would be ruined. Do you understand?"
Elphaba nodded and Morrible gave her a long look.
"Just so we're clear," she said, her eyes slightly narrowed and her voice sharp, "I do not trust you, Miss Elphaba."
"Likewise," Elphaba replied immediately and Morrible let out a short laugh.
"I think this sudden change of heart is rather suspicious," she said. "I know His Ozness promised you things in return, but I still do not trust you and I will keep an eye on you every moment of your stay here."
"Like I said," said Elphaba, raising her chin, "likewise."
Morrible pointed at her. "I like you," she said. "If only you were completely on our side, we could have been a great team."
Half of Oz's greatest team...
Elphaba shook her head, trying to clear it of thoughts of the past, and followed Morrible through a door into a different room. The older woman pointed out the bathroom and a wardrobe filled with clothes to Elphaba before leaving the room.
The dark-haired witch trailed her fingers along the back of one of the chairs, taking it all in. The room was large and luxurious, just like everything else in the Emerald Palace. Fluffy carpets covered the floor, heavy curtains were draped in front of the windows, and the bed and armchairs looked very comfortable. She opened the wardrobe, only to find it filled with all kinds of dresses that were approximately her size. Once again, she wondered how the Wizard always seemed to be prepared for everything.
It was rather late already and she went into the bathroom to freshen up, savouring every moment of it, before choosing a nightgown from her closet and crawling into the bed. She intended to only rest for a while; but when she opened her eyes again, she could see sunlight peeking around the closed curtains and Morrible was knocking on her door.
"Come in!" she called, her voice still husky with sleep. She sat up and ran a hand through her tangled hair as Morrible entered, quirking an eyebrow when she saw that the green girl was still lying in bed.
"Rise and shine, little witch," she said mockingly. "Today is the start of your new life."
Elphaba followed the woman back into the dressing room they'd been in the previous day and Morrible handed her a small glass vial with an emerald green liquid inside. "Drink this."
Elphaba eyed it warily, turning the vial around in her hand. "How do I know you're not trying to kill me?" she asked. "You already said you don't trust me. For all I know, this could be poison."
"Very clever, Miss Elphaba." Morrible sighed and took the vial from the younger girl, opening it and taking a sip. "There you go. Nothing to be afraid of. It doesn't have any effect on me at all, since my skin is already pale."
Elphaba bit her lip, still wary, but she decided to take the chance. She didn't really think Morrible would kill her. Not like this, at least. The woman needed her, even though she would never admit that.
"Will it be permanent?" she asked softly.
"Yes." Morrible crossed her arms. "That's the effect we're looking for, after all, isn't it?"
When Elphaba didn't say anything, she added, "If it makes you feel any better, there is also a recipe for a potion in this book that will give you back your original looks."
Elphaba nodded and took a deep breath. Then she brought the vial to her lips and emptied it in a few large gulps.
At first, she felt no different at all. Then her toes and fingers started tingling and the feeling slowly spread to her hands and feet, arms and legs, and then on to her entire body. She shivered, squeezing her eyes shut for a moment, and then the tingling sensation died down.
She opened one eye. Slowly, almost afraid of what she would see, she brought her hand up to her face.
It was normal.
She opened her other eye and looked at her hands and arms in disbelief. Her skin was a normal colour – the colour of peaches, only a shade or so darker than Nessa's. There was not a trace of green to be seen anywhere.
She hurried over to the standing mirror against the wall and stared at her reflection. Her skin was normal. Everywhere, all over, it was creamy and pale and pink and normal.
She touched her cheeks, trailing her fingers all over her skin, and an incredulous laugh escaped her lips. "I look normal!"
Morrible looked bored. "So you do, dearie. Can we move on to the next part of this transformation now?"
Elphaba turned around to face her. "What is the next part?"
"Hair." Morrible indicated the spell book. "I found a spell to change the colour of your hair." She glanced Elphaba over. "Given your complexion, I'd say a reddish golden colour would look the most natural on you... or perhaps a reddish brown. Is that all right with you?"
Elphaba nodded. Her mother's hair had been a shade of red, too; somehow it seemed only fitting that Elphaba's hair would look that way now. Again, she closed her eyes as Morrible cast the spell and when she opened them again, her hair was the exact same copper-brown colour Melena's had been.
When Morrible pulled out a pair of scissors, however, Elphaba shied away. "Can't we find something else to do with it?" she asked pleadingly. "Please?" Despite her earlier resolve to let go of who she once was and be a new person, she just couldn't let Morrible cut her hair. Her long hair was the only reminder she had of Melena, aside from her green glass bottle, and she was not willing to give that up.
Morrible sighed. "Do you have to be so difficult?"
Elphaba folded her arms and glared at the older woman until Morrible threw her hands up in the air and gave in. "Fine! Stubborn little witch," she muttered under her breath as she flicked through the spell book again. "How about I give you curls instead?"
The formerly green girl agreed and Morrible cast yet another spell. After that, she stepped back to watch the result of her work critically.
"Good," was her judgement. "I do not think anyone will recognise you like this."
Elphaba gathered all of her courage and looked in the mirror. When she saw herself, she had to agree. Even she didn't recognise the old Elphaba Thropp in there. She vaguely reminded herself of Melena and also a little bit of Nessarose, but not enough that the similarities were too obvious. The copper curls surrounding her face and the pale skin completely wiped away any thoughts anyone might have of this girl being the same as the one who left Shiz over two years ago.
"Satisfied?" Morrible asked impatiently and Elphaba nodded, unable to tear her gaze away from her mirror image.
"Yes," she whispered.
"Good." The woman smoothed out her heavy skirts with her hands. "Now all you need is a name and a back story and you are good to go. I will leave that to His Ozness." She took Elphaba's arm and all but pushed her out of the room and through the hallway, back to the throne room, after which she left.
The Wizard appeared, looking absolutely shocked when he laid eyes on her. "Elphaba?"
"I should hope so," she said and he shook his head incredulously.
"God, Elphaba..." He studied her closely. "I would never have guessed it was you."
She smiled wryly. "That's the point, isn't it, Your Ozness?"
He laughed and beckoned her closer. "Come, my dear. We will have a cup of tea and we can discuss who you are and where you are from." He smiled at her. "And you may call me Oscar."
"All right," she complied hesitantly, wondering if "Oscar" was a normal name in the world the Wizard came from. She had certainly never heard it before.
"So, Elphaba," he said after he had poured them both some tea and they were sitting across from one another. "Have you travelled a lot?"
She shook her head. "Almost never," she said, "but I do know a lot about the Ozian provinces and the customs there. I've read a lot of books."
He nodded. "Well, I was thinking that, given the way you look now, you would most likely be from Gillikin."
That made sense, she supposed, since Melena had originally been from Gillikin. "Sure."
"Do you think you know enough about the province to make that believable?" he asked and she sniggered.
"I have roomed with Galinda Upland for nearly an entire school year," she said in amusement. "Even if I hadn't read any books about it, I would know everything about Gillikin by now."
Oscar smiled. "Good. You can't be from a wealthy family, though – in Gillikin, everyone knows one another and people will wonder why they have never seen you before. You will have to be someone nondescript."
"I can't be someone from the lowest classes, either," Elphaba chimed in, "because then people will wonder why you chose a little nobody as your new pupil."
Oscar beamed at her. "See? This is why I wanted you to work with me, Elphaba!" he said enthusiastically, slapping himself on the knees. "You're the cleverest girl I've ever met and you see everything. You're right. We need a reason for me to have chosen you, especially since I have never taken any other pupils before aside from Glinda."
Elphaba tilted her head a little to the side as she thought about that. "May I make a suggestion?"
Oscar made an inviting gesture. "Of course."
"I say we forget about me being from Gillikin," she said. "I'm not from Gillikin – I'm from Fliaan and you have invited me to Oz in the hopes that you can help me develop my very promising magical powers."
The Wizard's eyes started shining. "That is brilliant."
"I am from a moderately wealthy family," she continued, "and my parents are acquaintances of yours. They asked you to take me under your wing and teach me the arts of magic whilst educating me in the field of politics as well, and you agreed."
He nodded. "Yes. Yes. It's perfect." He grinned widely at her. "You could achieve so much, Elphaba, and now you will get the chance to do exactly that."
"Not Elphaba," she corrected him. "Cassadi. Cassadi Welther." A distinctly Fliaan name – one in a dozen. She didn't want to stand out.
"Cassadi." He tried out the name, smiling in satisfaction. "Perfect. Welcome to the Emerald City, Cassadi."
She rose and curtseyed mockingly. "It is a pleasure to be here, Your Ozness."
Next update might take a while again, but I'm glad most of you are liking it so far!
