Chapter One
"She's dead, she's dead!"
Both the Wizard, and his son, Cornelius, more commonly referred to as Corey, looked up from their individual studies, wondering just what the messenger was hollering about now.
"Denslow, stop that insufferable screaming, you're already getting on my nerves." Corey snarled at the messenger, who blushed and looked at the ground.
The Wizard spared his son a disapproving glare before setting his eyes on Denslow.
"Who exactly is dead?"
"The Wicked Witch of the East! A little girl's house fell on her! She claims that her name is Dorothy. Would you like the guards to bring her here? I believe she is meeting with Glinda the Good as we speak," the messenger explained breathily, clearly out of air from shouting all throughout the castle.
Corey's ears pricked up immediately.
"Nessa is dead?" He questioned absently, speaking more to himself than anyone else in the room.
Both the Wizard and the messenger ignored Corey as he stood up and exited the room. It was not unlike him to excuse himself from company at inconsiderate times. He was ill-mannered in the worst way: he knew exactly how he should behave, and chose to behave the exact opposite of that expectation.
"Do not have the guards bring her to me. If she is meeting with Glinda, she will likely make her way to Emerald City on her own accord. Besides, Elph- I mean, the Wicked Witch of the West will not take kindly to this action. I do not want to put our guards in her path, until it is completely necessary." The Wizard responded.
Denslow nodded quickly before sprinting out of the room.
The Wizard sighed once he was alone in the room. Nessa Rose, the Wicked Witch of the East, had been making her subjects unhappy for a long time, now. He knew that it was just as well that she was deceased. He knew that the Wicked Witch of the West, or as he knew her, Elphaba, would not take kindly to the early demise of her difficult little sister.
The girls had had their differences. Sibling rivalry had been a reoccurring motif throughout their relationship. Their "father", Frexspar, had been fonder of Nessa, of course. She was beautiful, and unlike her older sister, her skin was not the color of rotten cabbage.
Everyone had liked Nessa better, initially, even Elphaba's friends. Nessa was a very attractive young lady, minus her missing arms, was well-spoken, articulate, charismatic, and devoutly religious. While Elphaba skulked in a corner, Nessa would be curled up on a couch with her peers, discussing her father's unionist missions, or simply current events she was aware of. Social interactions came easily to Nessa, allowing her peers to feel a sense of comfort around her. Meanwhile, Elphaba struggled to keep and maintain the small amount of friends that she had.
The entire personality of the youngest Thropp daughter shifted upon being named the Eminent Thropp of Munchkinland. Once Nessa had the power to rule over the Munchkinlanders, she did so with an iron grip. She denounced all religions that were not her own, and imposed strict laws on all of her subjects. This change in attitude resulted in her nickname; the Wicked Witch of the East.
Elphaba had done no better for herself. She was believed dead for a long while, which was the cause of Nessa's assent into power, while she attempted to resist the power that the Wizard, known to very few by his real name, Oscar Diggs, had somehow managed to attain.
Oscar had met her once or twice.
Strange girl. Her skin color stood out, even in the quirky land of Oz. Despite being ugly to the very core, she held her head high when confronted. She believed in the rights of Animals (talking animals), and fought to end Oscar's rule. Her rebellious nature was poisonous for everyone surrounding her: it had led to the death of her lover, Fiyero, her family, and had caused her to go into hiding a number of times. Exactly where she was at the moment was unknown, but one thing was for sure: she would be at Nessa's funeral.
Corey proceeded to his room, relieved that his father had not attempted to get information about the witches from him, as he so often tried to do.
They had all attended Shiz together.
Corey had been a year above Elphaba and Glinda, and two years above Nessa. Despite this, he had gotten to know the girls through a mutual friend, Avric. While in school, he did not see any reason to study them; they seemed genuinely ignorant and uninterested in the politics surrounding the Emerald City. His father did not seem to understand this, as he was constantly pressuring him for information on the most infamous of his friends, Elphaba.
"Nessa is dead," he repeated to himself, trying to get his mind around the concept.
The armless beauty's image was still fresh in his mind. Yes, she had been unbearable towards the end, but there was still some of the old Nessa remaining, buried deep down under all of the unionist ideas she had forced upon herself, in the attempt to rid herself of her "sins", Corey included, as well as the attempt to earn her father's love, over her frog-colored sister.
His mind wandered back to his old school days, lying lazily under trees in the courtyard with Nessa, barely listening to her as she complained about Elphaba doing something or the other out of jealousy. He would usually be playing with her hair as she whined, having to keep himself entertained as he waited for her to shut up.
Of course, her friends would usually show up, demanding her attention, and trying to attract his.
One of the most memorable of these friends, Elphaba aside, was Galinda, who, from what he had heard from his father, had now changed her name to Glinda, as everyone had always pronounced it, much to her annoyance.
Glinda was a very pretty girl, there was no denying that. However, her personality in her early years at Shiz made her borderline intolerable to Corey. She was superficial, and tried to find friends who were higher on the social ladder than she was, looking down on everyone in between.
She had always liked Corey. He was the Wizard's son. He was the most important student at Shiz. Like all of the other pretty girls from Gillikin, she had sought after him frequently, dressing up in her prettiest dresses, teasing her hair, and intentionally walking past him whenever he happened to be among who he referred to as the ladies of Shiz.
Now, Corey thought with a smile, now Glinda was really something. She had lost her snobby attitude, which had been very unattractive on her, and had gained a different perspective on the people of Oz. She spoke to Munchkinlanders like they were real people, and dragged her husband, that tired old man, to charity events, begging him to donate as much as they could afford to.
She was still beautiful – no one in Oz could deny that – she had just gained a personality to go with that physical appeal.
He had spent many nights next to Glinda before and after this personality change, and had to admit, while Glinda the Good was certainly more tolerable to speak to when they met at social gatherings, she was a lot less fun when he visited her home, usually when her husband was out of the area.
"You know, I'm married. You shouldn't be utilizing your powers for evil, Corey," she'd scold, tying her gown shut, "you should be trying to track down Elphie, or making laws alongside of your father,"
She never meant it, of course, but it was awfully tiring.
There was a light knock on the door, causing Corey to look up, forgetting about his old classmates momentarily.
"There is a letter for you," one of the chamber maids whispered, poking her head through the door.
Corey nodded, approaching the door and snatching the letter in the maid's outstretched hand.
As she walked down the hall, he opened the letter, returning to the desk he had been sitting at.
It was an invitation to Nessa's funeral.
The details were brief. The funeral would be held in her childhood home, out in Quadling Country. His lip curled as he read that particular detail, but continued on. The services would be held immediately, for fear of the body decomposing, giving Nessa a less than appealing look. He was invited to attend, but was not asked to RSVP. The sender was not known.
"Father," Corey addressed, walking into Oscar's study room.
He looked up tiredly.
"I'm going to the funeral for Nessa Rose, or as you seem to prefer to call her, the 'Wicked Witch of the East'. I presume you'll manage to uh… 'grant' the wishes that come your way in my absence?"
Corey smiled in a patronizing manner, knowing good and well that his father was not the great Wizard that the citizens of Oz still believed him to be. He had fooled them all with an illusion – the man behind the smoke was no more than a shriveled up old man, who was no more capable of magic than he was of flying.
Oscar scowled back before protesting.
"No, I will not have my son attending the funeral of one of the most hated leaders in Oz. Now that the last remaining Thropp is deceased, I will be able to take over Munchkinland. I don't want you reacquainting with your old classmates, and hearing about why that is a bad idea. Furthermore, that green witch will likely show up. She probably sent you the invitation." He growled.
Corey looked at Oscar dully, not concerned about his objections. He was going to go to the funeral, whether his father liked it, or not. He was an adult, and couldn't be pushed around by a tired old man.
"I doubt she did anything of the sort, she never did seem to care for me. I'll be packing this evening, and will likely take my dinner in my room. I will leave tomorrow morning. I'll speak to Knuck when I'm on my way out. Perhaps he'll be able to stall any meetings you may have with anyone requesting magic." He drawled.
Oscar shook his head, not accepting defeat, not yet.
"I was pig-headed and stubborn like you when I came to Oz, but I quickly learned. Theodora turned into a witch, identical to the one you're facing now. Do not underestimate the intentions of such a female. I understand that you cared for her sister,"
Corey snorted.
"However, this is a dangerous situation. You are being careless. As your father, and as the great Wizard of Oz, I must tell you that I do not believe you should go to this funeral. Just, send Winnie in your place." Oscar suggested, glancing over his shoulder.
Winnie was one of the younger members of the staff in the castle. His father, Finnley, the flying monkey, had accompanied Oscar on his mission to expel Theodora, the previous wicked witch, from Oz. Finnley knew that the "wizard" was a hoax, but stuck by his friend, pledging his undying devotion to him. His son followed in his footsteps, but was not quite as useful as his father had been. He was always dropping things, and the size ratio between his body and his wings was just awkward enough to throw him off-kilter whenever he tried to fly.
"I'm not interested in your opinions, neither as the wizard, nor as my father. I am going to that funeral, and that is final. Goodnight, father." Corey muttered, nodding his head towards Oscar before exiting the room.
Oscar sighed, hanging his head as Corey exited the room.
They both knew that he would be at the funeral, standing right alongside of the Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West.