All right the chapter before the unmasking of the hooded figure. This is set two months after Hope was shot and leads up to where we get to see who is behind the hood. Enjoy.
Elphaba observed Hope playing with Fiyero in the pond from the edge of the ground where dirt met water. She had her dark pants rolled up to her knees and her legs were dipped in the cool water. Her brown eyes watched Fiyero scoot around the water and using his mouth the blow bubbles with Hope on his back screaming for him to go faster. A warm smile graced the green witch's face at seeing this picture. It's been two months since Hope got shot in the shoulder and from the way her daughter was acting it liked it never happened at all. The pain of going through therapy to help build up her left shoulder again, the exhaustion of going through the mental grind of the therapy, or not even being able to use her left arm for quite some time, it didn't show up at all on that bright eyes, that huge smile that could light up a room…nothing.
Elphaba was glad that her daughter could bounce back so fast from that devastating injury. She said that were her genes coming out in Hope. Though there were lasting effects just like the doctor said there would be. Hope can't carry an object for very long otherwise her shoulder would start to hurt and she can only lift her arm up so far then it won't go any farther. There was some good news along with what happened. The men that fired the shots were suspended from the Gale Force indefinitely for they harmed an innocent child and fired without an order. Elphaba wanted them hanged for what they did to her daughter and Fiyero told her that was a little extreme. The green witch snorted at that and then sulked with an occasional muttering underneath her breath.
"Mommy, you're not watching!" Hope yelled startling Elphaba out of her mind. The green witch picked her head up from her lap to actually look at the pond where her daughter was swimming
"Yeah mommy, you're not watching." Fiyero repeated with a smirk on his face as he held Hope on his hip and the green child had her arms around his neck. Elphaba rolled her eyes at the look and then waved at the two. Fiyero and Hope waved back both laughing with their voice and their eyes. Elphaba couldn't help but join in with the laughter, the way those two were doing it she just had to do it. Her eyes soften at the thought at how Fiyero and Hope look so perfect together in the water. He holding onto Hope and Hope doing the same thing to him, to Elphaba it looked like a family moment. Though she always pictured it being Glinda holding onto their daughter and the both of them waving to her from the water, both of their crystal blue eyes sparkling in the sun and the same smile gracing their faces.
The green witch sighed deeply and looked away trying not to think about what might have been. How she give to have one more day with Glinda. What she missed, when she turned her head, was Hope whispering into Fiyero's ear and the Prince's eyes gave a glint of mischievous. Fiyero nodded his head and whispered back excitedly. Elphaba froze suddenly at seeing the cloaked figure yards away from her. Her hackles rose at seeing the person watching Hope through their hood. She thought she made it perfectly clear that they should not show their face here ever again.
It was because of them that Hope got shot. As if they felt the intense hatred and eyes burning a hole in their head, the figure broke their intense gaze from the green child and turned their sights on the seething green witch. A smile graced the hooded figure's face and they waved to her. Elphaba's mouth dropped about five feet at this gesture. Did they not remember that she hates their guts and wished they just drop dead? The raven haired beauty was about to get up and show them what not to do to a person who dislikes them with a passion. Just as she was about to do just that, there was a great yell coming from the pond and hands splashing in the cold water.
"TIDAL WAVE!"
Elphaba shrieked, mostly in shock, when great wave of cold water came crashing down onto her body. Hope and Fiyero were roaring up a storm as Elphaba sat there just dripping wet, her hair and clothes clung to her skin. The green witch spat out water from her mouth and flicked her hair back with a flick of her wrist. Before looking to the culprits Elphaba's eyes very quickly shifted to where the place the cloaked figure stood. Her shoulders slumped a bit at seeing an empty space, she really wanted to talk to that person and set them straight. The green witch spat out more water when Hope and Fiyero did another tidal wave on her. Elphaba slowly looked to the two with an evil grin on her face making Fiyero and Hope freeze up mid laughter. She slicked back her sopping, wet hair and held out hand.
"Never mess with a person who can do magic." The green witch warned as she used her magic manipulates the water into a huge, tidal wave in front of the people who got her in this state. Fiyero and Hope shrieked and tried to escape the fifteen foot wave that was about to crash down upon them. Elphaba cackled and made the water chase the two around the pound.
The cloaked figure wasn't far from the laughter and screaming at all. They were behind a tree busting a gut. When Elphaba got hit by that huge wave of water, to them the green witch looked like a water logged dog. It took them a while to calm down cause every time they got a picture of Elphaba sopping wet and they started to laugh all over again. When the figure finally got control of their laughter and wiped away the tears, they peered around the tree to see what was going on now. An evil grin spread upon their face at seeing Elphaba crouched over the water talking to Fiyero and Hope. They pointed a finger at the unaware green witch and did a little magic. Elphaba yelled out in shock when she was pushed forward into the water by an invisible hand. Having enough fun for right now the hooded person limped back into the denser part of the trees missing crystal blue eyes watching on in their direction as Fiyero helped Elphaba back onto dry land.
XX
Later on in the even when Hope, Elphaba, and Fiyero got washed up and dried off, Fiyero retired to his bedroom and the two went to the library for some family time. A green finger was moving alone the spines of different books as brown eyes looked for the perfect one to read out loud to Hope. The green child was sitting on a rug, in front of a roaring fire in marble fireplace, watching her mommy breeze through the rows of books. A spark of familiarity hit the green child when she heard Elphaba humming softly their song. Why does she have a feeling she has heard that before but not with her mommy? Hope turned her head away from her parent and stared deeply into the swirling colors of red, orange, and yellow.
She jerked her head back when she saw something flash in the flames. Hope crawled closer to the flames and stared harder to make what she saw come back. Her eyes widen when an image floated in the fire. It was a woman with golden locks, pale skin almost as pale as alabaster. Hope thought it very beautiful. She then was shocked to see that this beautiful woman had the same color of eyes as her own. This figure laughed softly and then disappeared. Hope made a small noise with her mouth and reached a hand out to the flames, she wanted it to come back and see more of this figure of an angel.
Then Hope remembered something her mommy told her about when she told her the stories of her mom. That person she saw fit the same description her mommy told her about her other parent. Tears sprung in the blue eyes as Hope sat back on the ground in disbelief at what she saw. Elphaba gave a small 'ah hah' and pulled out the book she wanted. The green witch flipped through the pages as she turned around to get her daughter ready for story time.
"Hope, I found it…Hope." Elphaba called out when she noticed her daughter sitting there like a rock and just staring at the ground. The raven haired beauty rushed to her daughter's side when she saw the tears curtsey of the light from the flames. Elphaba put the book down on the ground and gathered Hope up into a tight embrace. She hoped to Oz it didn't have anything to do with her shoulder. She then started to run a hand through the raven locks and wiped away the tears with a knuckle. Her daughter was fine just a minute ago and now she was crying.
"Hope, honey what happened?"
Hope sniffled and looked up to her mommy as rubbed her eyes with the back of her right hand. Would her mommy believe when she told her what she saw? Hope really hoped that she would for she didn't understand it herself. Elphaba cupped a wet cheek and used the pad of the thumb to caress the flesh for a reassurance and comfort Hope was seeking. She soften her eyes to make Hope open up even more what ever it was has shaken her a bit
"I saw mom in the flames." Hope whispered in a thick voice. Elphaba blinked her eyes a couple of times and tried to comprehend what her daughter just told her. Her eyes darted to the flames and peered into the fire as well maybe she could see what Hope told her she saw. Elphaba's heart started to beat a little faster when she saw a brief flash of her lover just like Hope said she saw. How was this possible? What the hell was going on? Elphaba buried her nose in the thick locks and breathed in softly to smell Gilikin Rose soap permeating off her daughter's body.
"I believe you, Hope." She whispered as she rubbed her hands up and down Hope's arms telling her its okay. She smiled warmly at the crystal blue looked super relieved at her mommy believing her. Elphaba picked her up with a cackle and twirled her around. Hope screamed with laughter as they twirled around in the library. They collapsed into a big, soft, armchair with the room spinning and their laughter still going. When the laughing died down Hope crawled up Elphaba's lap and snuggled in the chest area. Elphaba wrapped her up in a loving embrace and kissed the top of the head.
"I love you, mommy."
Elphaba tear up at the declaration and squeezed her daughter with much affection. This little girl lying in her arms meant the world to her and she never wanted to let her go.
"I love you too, Hope." Elphaba whispered as she started to comb through the dark locks again. Hope tipped her head up and smiled happily. The green girl squealed and moved deeper into the embrace. The green witch gave a soft chuckle as she held out a hand. The book that was resting on the floor shot straight for the open hand. Now was time for mother-daughter bonding. Elphaba made sure she had one arm around Hope as she used her other hand to keep the book open. There Elphaba told the story until Hope fell asleep in her arms and the book fell silently to her body as she let sleep claim her as well.
Three hours went by when Elphaba stirred from her slumber. Her eyes slowly opened to see Hope quietly snoring away on her chest. Elphaba thought it very cute to see her daughter sleep. She didn't know what it was but she always had to sneak a peek in Hope's room when her daughter was asleep. Elphaba sharply looked to her right when she sensed another presence in the room.
"You." The green witch hissed at seeing the cloaked figure gracing the room. Did this person not get the hint she was hurling at them. The hooded person stood their ground when Elphaba gently put Hope on the chair and pushed some raven locks off the green face before striding up to this person who will not leave her family alone. The cloaked figure shifted their body to the right when a fist came flying at their face. Elphaba growled at the miss and used a right hook trying to knock this person off guard and then kick their ass. A hand shot up and caught the punch.
"Ah" Elphaba grunted in pain when the hand holding her fist tightened and bent her wrist in an awkward angle. The person forced Elphaba to her knees when they continued to put pressure on her hand. The green witch continued to grunt and try to get her hand free but the cloaked figure wouldn't let go. They sighed inaudibly when they lifted their leg up and kicked Elphaba in the stomach. The raven haired beauty skidded across the floor and hit chair Hope was resting in. The chair shifted a bit but thankfully didn't wake Hope from her rest. Elphaba sat up coughing she took a hard kick to the stomach and sweet oz did it hurt. Boots softly hit the ground as the cloaked figure walked towards the recovering witch.
They didn't come here to fight but to finally show who they were to them. Elphaba jerked her head back when the person was kneeling down in front of them and their faces were mere inches apart. The cloaked figure put a hand out and a couple gloved fingers just barely brushed the green skin. Elphaba involuntarily closed her eyes at the touch and groaned softly at the lost of the warmth. Her eyes opened to see the person put hands to the edge of their hood. There it was the advantage she was looking for. The green witch shot out a hand and put it in the stomach of the cloaked figure. The next thing they knew their back hit the edge of the fireplace and then they started to fall to the ground after getting a huge blast of magic. As they fell down the hood that they wore to cover up their identity was pushed back by the momentum of the fall. Elphaba began to tremble at who laid before her. It can't be true. It can't be. Tears started to stream down the green face as the person before her moved about and then began to sit up.
"No." Elphaba whispered at seeing the face glowing in the dying embers in the fireplace.
Who is this person? Is it truely Glinda back from the dead? or am I pulling your leg and it someone completely different and totally unexpected. Well Glinda coming back from the dead is totally unexpected as well. You will have to wait for person to be truely unveiled in the next chapter. Until then.
DWK