Chapter Two: Damage Control

After a moment of what appeared to be surprise, Glinda pulled her into a tight hug when she walked back in the door. It was late in the evening. "Elphie! What…?"

She cut her off, having spent the ride back thinking of excuses to give her. "I'm sorry. I just needed a few hours. That spell they put on us made me foggy. I don't remember much. I didn't mean anything I said." Elphaba stepped out of the hug gingerly. "About that, though… did you tell anyone?"

"I only just got back this morning. I told Nanny and Nessa, but I haven't figured out how to tell everyone else, Elphaba. You are so lucky you dragged me to the City during the Fall Holidays or we'd have a lot of explaining to do. Nanny was much more understanding than I expected, actually."

"I need to see Nanny and Nessa. Now." She needed to do some damage control before things got worse. Hopefully Nanny hadn't written her father or gone to Madame Morrible yet. "We can talk about this more when I return. I wouldn't want Nessa to be too upset over nothing." She didn't give Glinda a chance to continue talking before she burst into Nessa's room. "Nessie…"

"Fabala?" Her sister's eyes were red, as if she'd been crying. "I thought… Glinda said…"

"The Wizard put a spell on us. I wasn't myself. It took me some time to snap out of it. I have no idea what I thought I was doing. I am so sorry, Nessie, for worrying you. We never should've gone to the City in the first place."

"What in Oz possessed you to do such a thing, Elphaba?" Nanny demanded, standing up from beside Nessarose. "You had everyone worried sick!"

"I was overwhelmed with grief after what happened to Ama Clutch. It was a stupid thing to do and I regret it. Please don't tell Father."

"I already told him. I have written a letter telling him what Miss Glinda told me about you abandoning her, but I hadn't gotten to send it today. I did write him days ago to tell him you left for the City with no warning whatsoever. I'm sure there will be consequences."

Those were consequences she could bear. "And Madame Morrible?"

"I hadn't notified her yet of your trip, although given how close she is with the Wizard, I'm sure she knows or will know soon. And I didn't want to discuss your school situation with her until I'd discussed what to do with your father. So no, she does not know."

Elphaba took a deep breath, relief taking hold. "Thank Oz. I am so sorry. I don't know what else I can say."

Nessa glared at her. "Do you have any idea what you put me through? I thought I'd lost my sister! That was the most selfish thing you could have ever done."

"I know, Nessie. I wish I hadn't. I love you, dear sister, please don't hate me."

"I need time." Her sister shook her head when Elphaba tried to hug her.

"You should rest. You've been traveling for days. We'll discuss this more later." Nanny waved her back to her room.

Glinda stood with her arms folded across her chest. "You didn't give me a chance to tell you anything."

"I knew Nessa must be dreadfully worried, Glinda. I needed to rectify that immediately. What did you need to tell me?"

"Remember how everyone was going to the Philosophy Club when we left?" Glinda asked, her face darkening, forehead wrinkling as she frowned.

"They really went, didn't they? Those idiots!"

"They did. And Elphaba, something happened there. I don't quite know what, but when they returned, Tibbett had some sort of mental break. He's in the hospital. He won't speak. He just lies there." Tears formed in her roommate's eyes and began to make a path down her cheek.

Elphaba swallowed hard. "I… oh sweet Oz, that's awful." What they had done had been ignorant, but no one deserved that. "Has anyone visited him?"

"Crope has. He's heartbroken. It doesn't look good for Tibbett, Elphie."

Of course it broke Crope's heart. He and Tibbett had always been so close. Maybe if they'd been there, they could've stopped him. She shook her head. That wasn't her fault. They made the wrong decision and it was terrible, but she was not to blame. "What about everyone else?"

"They're a little shaken, but everyone seemed fine when I saw them today. They asked about you. I said you weren't feeling well after the trip. I didn't know how to explain to them…"

"That's fine." That was more than fine. It was great. She had no more explaining to do. "I should never have left you like that."

"You're right. You shouldn't have." Glinda sat down on her bed. "It's been a very upsetting day. I need to rest. I'm assuming you need to, too."

Elphaba nodded. "Yes. Good night, Glinda. I really am sorry."

The next morning, Glinda accompanied Nessa and Nanny to services. No one was suspicious when Elphaba refused to join them - she'd gone maybe twice since Nessa had come to Shiz, and only when Nessa had put up a severe fit. That morning, Nessa had been to cross to bother with her sister, so she stayed behind. She had other things to do, anyway.

Elphaba walked down the roads, unsure of exactly where the alchemy store was. But she didn't want to ask, fearing that it would give her away. Instead she wandered the quiet cobblestone roads. The place might not even be open. Many businesses closed their doors Sunday mornings because of services, though it was certainly a dated practice. Religion had become less prominent in Oz, and for that she was thankful.

Most of the leaves had gone from the trees, leaving thin branches reaching towards the nothingness in the grey sky over her head. Frost had turned the grass a putrid brown only weeks prior. The chill nipped at her skin and she wrapped her cloak around her tighter. She'd need to hurry. Elphaba wanted to be back before everyone returned.

It took another fifteen minutes before she found what she was looking for, squeezed between a bookstore and a small boutique. For a moment, she thought it was closed, but she spotted a small movement in the windows so covered with dirt she'd thought they were blacked out. Cautiously, she opened the door, a bell ringing to signal her entry.

The store was dark inside, lit only by the windows that didn't provide much light in their current condition. But perhaps that was the point. There wasn't much on the walls. Some plant cuttings adorned the shelves, their names scribbled in messy handwriting on pieces of paper beneath them. An old man emerged from what she assumed was a back room and looked at her curiously. "May I help you, Miss?"

"Maybe," she replied nervously. "How's the weather?"

His eyes widened slightly, but the rest of his face gave no indication. "Unpredictable."

"I wouldn't be so sure," she said quietly. "I think there might be a tornado on the horizon."

His lips cracked into a toothy grin. "I see. Why don't you come with me? I have some good roots for weather-related potions here in the back."

Elphaba tried not to think about how vulnerable she was in a gloomy room alone with some old man she'd never met. She was probably stronger than he was, though. He needed a stick to walk. "Of course."

He ambled over and closed the curtains on the door and put up a "closed," sign at the window. She wondered if people could read it from outside. The man gestured for her to follow him into the back.

There were no windows, but there were a few candles lighting the room, though it was no brighter than the main area. She took a seat in one of two chairs at a table. There were no roots back here, but she hadn't expected that there would be.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I go by Kal."

"My name is…"

He held up a hand. "No real names. Think of something else."

"Fae," she said. "I go by Fae."