"What a mess, a perfect mess/ Left alone to sort it out/ In the sorrow, guilt, and rage/ I keep coming back to doubt."- "No Voice" from Bare
Elphaba sighed as she straightened Galinda's coat, asking, "Do you have everything you need?"
"Of course," Galinda said, smiling slightly. "Now, are you sure you'll be all right?"
"I'll be fine. Don't worry about me," Elphaba replied as Fiyero handed Galinda's trunk to a porter.
"Elphaba's right, Galinda," Fiyero said quietly as he joined the two girls on the platform. "She'll be fine. I'll take care of her until you get back."
Elphaba grimaced but said quickly, "You see? Write to us if you need anything."
Galinda's lips quivered as Fiyero stepped forward and pulled her into his arms; he kissed her gently and she buried her face into his neck for a moment before moving away from him and meeting Elphaba's eyes.
Galinda threw herself into Elphaba's arms and said, "Don't do anything stupid, Elphie."
"All right," Elphaba said softly as she hugged Galinda, the train's whistle shrieking in the background. "You need to get on board or the train will leave without you."
Nodding her head, Galinda released Elphaba and hurried onto the train, pushing through the throng of people to make it to a window as the train started to roll away from the station. She waved forlornly to Fiyero and Elphaba as the train picked up speed, and within moments, they were out of sight. Galinda collapsed into her seat and closed her eyes as she waited for the long journey to come to an end.
"Stop fidgeting, Boq," Nessa commanded as she looked over at him.
"Sorry," he mumbled, taking her hand quickly in an attempt to appease her temper. "Is something bothering you, Nessa?"
Biting her lip, Nessa studied Boq for a moment before saying, "It's Elphaba. She doesn't really want to meet the Wizard."
"But, I thought that was her dream," Boq said as his eyes widened with surprise. "What made her change her mind? Is she not going to the Emerald City anymore?"
"If you'll just let me talk, then you won't have any questions," Nessa snapped, sighing when his face fell in disappointment. "I'm sorry, Boq. I've just been worried about her and all of this."
"I'm listening," he said quietly.
Nessa smiled primly and smoothed out her skirt as she said, "Well, Elphaba is worried that the Wizard is interested in pursuing an agenda against the Animals, and of course she wants no part of that. But, she still doesn't want to refuse a meeting with the Wizard without making sure that her suspicions are correct."
"That sounds complicated," he said indifferently, his mind already moving to another topic of discussion. "Nessa, do you want me to take you to the train station when you leave or do you just want to go with Elphaba?"
"You're welcome to come along," Nessa said as she stroked his cheek fondly. "Father is meeting us there, so you can meet him."
"That might be a little much for one day since you are all traveling to the Emerald City together," Boq said quickly. "Maybe I can meet him after you come back. How about that, Nessa?"
Nessa sighed with disappointment, "If that's what you want, Boq, then that will be fine. But, you promise that you'll meet him after I come back?"
"I promise," Boq said with a reassuring smile. "Now, do you want to take a walk? We've been inside all day, and I think I'm going to go crazy if I don't get some fresh air."
"Just get our coats," Nessa told him as she flipped her hair over her shoulder.
Boq sighed, but he quickly followed her command and found her coat. He helped her put it on, fastening the buttons carefully, and when he was through, Nessa smiled up at him. His heart jolted a little at the innocence in her face and eyes, but then he remembered her sullen tempers and tantrums, and he simply shrugged his coat on and pushed her out the door.
As Fiyero walked beside Elphaba, he asked, "So, you leave tomorrow, right?"
Elphaba glanced over at him and smiled slightly, "Yes. Now, are you sure you'll be fine with all your homework? I don't think I can leave unless I know that you will make an effort to go to class on time."
He laughed and said, "I think I can manage that. So, you haven't had a letter from Galinda yet?"
"I don't think the mail travels that quickly," she said as she ducked underneath a tree branch. "I take it that you're worried about her?"
"I was just making sure that we at least hadn't had any bad news," he said defensively. "Do you think she's all right?"
"I think she's doing fine on her own," Elphaba replied calmly. "She doesn't need both of us constantly holding her hand. She's perfectly capable of handling herself without us."
"I like to think that she is devastated by my absence," he said with a rakish smile. At Elphaba's frown, however, he rearranged his face into an expression of repentance, "Just joking. So, do you have any plans for tonight?"
"You should know me better than that by now," she teased. "Why, did you want to do something?"
"I thought we should at least have a proper send-off for you and Nessa," he said hopefully.
"I am not going to a party," she stated firmly, her lips settling into a thin line. "However, I will tolerate your presence in my room for a few hours if you choose to visit."
"I guess that will have to do," he groaned dejectedly as he swung his arm loosely over her shoulders.
They passed by a group of students headed by Pfannee and ShenShen, and as Fiyero gave them all a friendly wave, Pfannee yelled out, "Hey, Greenie, is the Wizard not good enough for you now? Or are you scared that he'll take one look at you and order for you to be locked up to spare everyone else from seeing your ugliness?"
Elphaba stopped walking and ignored Fiyero's attempts to pull her away.
"What are you talking about?" Elphaba asked in a low voice, shaking with anger.
"Oh, you haven't heard?" ShenShen asked as she feigned surprise at Elphaba's confusion. "Everyone has been talking about how you really don't want to see the Wizard, but you're just pretending for whatever reason."
"Well, it's not true," Elphaba said flatly. "I don't have any time for foolish rumors, so you will have to excuse me if I have no interest in what you have to say."
"It isn't true?" a red-headed girl called viciously as Elphaba and Fiyero started to walk past them. "Nessarose was the one who told everyone."
Freezing on the spot, Elphaba gripped Fiyero's arm tightly as she spoke through numb lips, "What?"
"Nessa was the one who said all of that," Pfannee said victoriously, sensing that Elphaba was wounded by every word that spilled out of Pfannee's mouth. "Maybe we should report you to Madame Morrible for telling horrible lies about the Wizard."
Fiyero looked from Elphaba's rigid body to Pfannee's vicious expression, and he quickly tugged on Elphaba's arm, saying, "We're leaving. Now."
Elphaba stumbled after him as he nearly ran away, her mind whirling with the insults and nearly true rumors that floated after them as they disappeared into Fiyero's dorm. He didn't wait for her protests and quickly led her up the stairs, keeping a firm grip on her arm in case she came to her senses any time soon.
"I have to talk Nessa," Elphaba whispered when Fiyero guided her into his room. She sank onto his bed, repeating herself, "I have to talk to Nessa."
"Just, wait a little while, okay?" he said comfortingly, a little unsettled by how irrational she was at the moment.
Taking a deep breath, Elphaba looked up at him and said firmly, "I need to talk to Nessa, Fiyero. This could have ruined everything."
Fiyero ran his hand through his hair and said, "Fine. I'll walk with you in case we run into them again."
He held out his hand on an impulse, and Elphaba took it gratefully as she allowed him to pull her to her feet and lead her back out of his room. They walked in silence, Elphaba's eyes flitting everywhere to make sure that they were not taken by surprise, and Fiyero simply focused on her, making sure that she really was all right and not pretending. It didn't take long for them to reach the right building, and she pulled him inside before taking off down the hall without a backward glance. Fiyero simply shrugged his shoulders and flung himself onto the nearest couch to wait for her.
Nessa looked up in surprise when Elphaba nearly tore her door off the hinges as she stormed into the room.
"What did you do?" Elphaba spat out, her eyes narrowing to slits as Nessa backed her chair away from her sister.
"What's wrong with you?" Nessa asked quietly. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"How could you tell everyone something I told you in confidence?" Elphaba yelled as she pointed an accusing finger at Nessa. "If Morrible hears some of the things I've said, I could possibly be charged with treason or at least lose any opportunity I might have to work with the Wizard."
"I thought you didn't want to work for him," Nessa replied, stung by Elphaba's harsh words.
"I don't know if I do or don't," Elphaba replied as she started pacing. "But, why would you tell Pfannee and ShenShen, Nessa? Of all people, why them?"
"I didn't tell them," Nessa protested. "I would never do something like that, not when they hate me almost as much as they hate you. I don't understand why you're so angry with me! I only talked with Boq about what you told me."
Elphaba whirled to face Nessa, a blank expression on her face, "Boq? You told Boq?"
"Yes, and he was the only one," Nessa said, feeling slightly relieved that Elphaba had at least stopped yelling. "Maybe he accidentally said something to someone, but I swear that I didn't."
"I believe you," Elphaba said, suddenly feeling very tired. "I, um, I have to go. I'll see you in the morning?"
Elphaba started for the door, but Nessa burst out angrily, "Wait! So, you just invade my privacy and accuse me of spreading rumors about you around the school, and instead of apologizing and trying to make it up to me, you're just going to leave?"
"I don't have time for this, Nessa," Elphaba said as an edge crept into her voice.
"You never have time for me," Nessa mumbled, crossing her arms over her chest and looking away when Elphaba glanced at her.
"I'm sorry, Nessa, but I still have to pack and finish writing an essay," Elphaba replied with a small sigh. "I'll see you in the morning."
Elphaba waited a few moments in the hopes that Nessa might respond, but when Nessa resolutely refused to even spare a glance in Elphaba's direction, Elphaba simply strode across the room and slammed the door behind her. A few tears slipped down Nessa's cheeks, and she wiped them away before retreating into her bedroom.
As Elphaba waited with Fiyero and Nessa for Frex to meet them on their platform, Elphaba looked down at her little sister and sighed quietly at Nessa's puffy red eyes and sullen expression. Fiyero nudged her shoulder and gave her a sympathetic smile.
"There he is," Nessa said excitedly, her pretty face breaking into a smile as she pointed at Frex's approaching figure.
Elphaba waited nervously for the man to finally join them on the platform, her fingers gripping the back of Nessa's wheelchair tightly.
Without sparing Elphaba even a glance of acknowledgement, Frex bent down to his younger daughter and kissed her cheek as he said, "I've missed you, my little Rose. And, this must be the wonderful Boq you keep going on about in your letters."
Fiyero looked around in confusion until he realized that Frex was beaming at him with a hand extended, and Elphaba quickly intervened, "Father, this is Fiyero Tiggular. He's Galinda's boyfriend, not Nessa's."
"Well, it's nice to meet you, sir," Fiyero said, grasping Frex's hand in his firm grip and shaking it quickly before picking up Elphaba's trunk. "I think I'll go find a porter."
"Now, you don't have to do that," Frex said generously. "Elphaba can carry her own luggage."
Fiyero started to protest, but Elphaba simply took the trunk from him with a slight shake of her head. With a shrug, Fiyero gathered up Nessa's luggage instead and flagged down a porter to help him get the girls' things onto the train. As soon as Fiyero made sure that the porter was able to handle all of the luggage, he turned to Elphaba and managed a small smile.
"Are you sure you don't want me to come?" he asked, glancing in the direction of Frex and Nessa.
"I'm sure," she reassured him, grasping his hand lightly in hers.
Fiyero let out a sigh before pulling her into a hug and pressing a kiss to her cheek, "Take care of yourself."
She smirked and said, "I'll try."
"I think we need to go ahead and board the train," Frex said, interrupting them.
Elphaba looked up at Fiyero and smiled slightly, walking over to Nessa and wheeling her onto the train behind Frex. Fiyero watched from the platform as they disappeared from sight, waiting anxiously until he caught a glimpse of Elphaba's face in a nearby window. The train's whistle tore through the air, and a few minutes later, the train started to lumber away from the station. Fiyero waved to Elphaba as her window passed by him, and she gave him a small wave back. Then, the train picked up speed and was gone.
Elphaba paced the chamber she had been led to when she had arrived at the Emerald Palace, her steps agitated. She hated waiting, and even though an hour had already passed since she had first arrived, no one had come in to let her know anything. The door opened, and Elphaba whipped around, composing herself when she saw two members of the Gale Force standing in the doorway.
"The Wizard is ready for you, Miss Thropp," one said, beckoning her forward.
Elphaba moved hastily, following them down a narrow hallway to a large door that stretched to the arched ceiling. The door opened of its own accord and swung out, allowing her entrance to the room beyond; taking a deep breath, she walked inside as the door slammed behind her. She looked around the room, taking in the windows that took up most of the walls and the dark marble floor that made her every movement echo loudly in the cavernous room. Suddenly, a large head appeared at one end of the room, suspended in mid-air as smoke curled around it in lazy spirals.
"State your name and request," a deep voice boomed as she studied the apparition.
Stepping forward, she called out, "My name is Elphaba Thropp, and I would like to speak with the Wizard of Oz."
"I am the Wizard," the head replied as the smoke turned red.
"I wish to speak with the real Wizard, not the image he conjures in order to impress the people of Oz," she said calmly, her sharp eyes scanning the room.
She smirked with satisfaction as the head disappeared into the air and a curtain in a dark corner was pulled aside, revealing a man with graying hair.
"It seems that I underestimated you, Miss Elphaba," he said jovially as he strode over to her, adjusting his glasses on the bridge of his nose. "It is a pleasure to meet you."
She smiled and replied, "Thank you."
"Well, even though I hate to rush things along, we need to discuss your reason for being here," the Wizard said, frowning slightly as he looked at her. "As Madame Morrible may have mentioned, I am interested in having you help me here in the Emerald City. There is so much that needs to be done to improve Oz, and I believe that with your great powers, we might be able to do some good."
"That is what I was hoping for," Elphaba said as he bounced on the balls of his feet. "What exactly did you have in mind for me to do?"
He sighed and said, "Actually, it might be easier to do things this way. Madame Morrible, will you please join us?"
"Of course, my dear," Madame Morrible said as she appeared through a side door.
Elphaba gaped at Morrible and managed to stammer out, "I don't understand. What is going on?"
"I've been working with the Wizard for the past couple of years, my dear Miss Elphaba," Morrible replied pleasantly. "And, now that he is moving forward in his attempts to improve Oz, we both feel that it is time that I start to take a more public role in his administration. Also, this will enable me to help you as you work under our guidance."
"We only need you to perform a little spell to see how powerful you actually are," the Wizard continued explaining as Morrible gave Elphaba a sickening smile. "I have an extremely old spellbook called the Grimmerie in my possession, and even Madame Morrible is only able to read a few spells after years of study."
"Don't be upset or discouraged if you can't read any of it," Morrible told Elphaba reassuringly as she produced an old tome and handed it to Elphaba gingerly. "In time, you will learn to master many of the spells."
"Which one do you want me to read?" Elphaba asked, her voice quivering in anticipation and fear as she ran her green fingers over the small cracks forming in the cover of the book.
Morrible took the Grimmerie from her hands and opened it to a page somewhere near the middle before handing it back to Elphaba, "This one, dear."
"I have a Monkey named Chistery," the Wizard said as Elphaba looked down at the odd language. "He watches the birds every day because he longs to fly like them. This spell will make him able to fly and be able to have the freedom he craves."
Elphaba looked up from the spellbook to see a Monkey that had appeared out of the shadows, his red uniform slightly rumpled and ill-fitting. Chistery dutifully took the Wizard's hand in his paw, his eyes never leaving the ground. Elphaba frowned, but she knelt down on the floor. Placing the book in front of her, she started to read the words carefully, the syllables rolling off her tongue with an unfamiliar heaviness. Suddenly, a shriek interrupted her as she began to work through the spell a second time, and she looked around wildly for the source of the screams of anguish, crying out when she realized that Chistery was the one screaming. She started to move towards him as he twitched on the floor, but Morrible moved between them, her hard eyes watching Chistery carefully. Chistery's screams turned to whimpers only a few moments later, and Elphaba watched in shock as the Monkey slowly clambered to his feet, large wings now sprouting from his shoulders.
"No, I didn't mean to," Elphaba said, her voice cracking as she tried to keep from bursting into tears. "We have to change him back. Something went wrong."
Morrible and the Wizard ignored her as they exchanged triumphant smiles, and the Wizard hauled Elphaba to her feet.
"I can't believe you did it!" he crowed in exultation as Chistery slunk away, keeping his wings huddled close to his body.
Elphaba simply stared at the Wizard in shock.
"I told you that she would be the one we need," Morrible said. "Now that we have her, we can make more spies and then maybe we can start cracking down on the Animals."
"What?" Elphaba croaked out, a horrified look spreading across her face. "Spies? You want me to help you persecute innocent Animals?"
"Well, maybe we don't need anymore winged Monkeys," the Wizard amended.
"More?" Elphaba repeated faintly.
The Wizard nodded and said, "Yes, Madame Morrible was the one who came up with the idea. Would you like to see them?"
Elphaba could only stare blankly at the Wizard, so he just shrugged and pulled aside a curtain, revealing a wall made of iron bars. Monkeys sprouting wings identical to Chistery's howled at the sight of the three people. Elphaba's eyes widened as she surveyed them, the realization that these were innocent Animals who had already become victims of the Wizard's regime suddenly dawning on her; she felt bile rising in the back of her throat as the Wizard continued to prattle on about his plans for Oz. She looked desperately from Morrible to the Wizard and at the sight of their satisfied looks, their smiles, she suddenly snatched the Grimmerie off the floor and bolted for the door.
"Where do you think you're going?" Morrible bellowed when she saw that Elphaba had taken flight.
The Wizard immediately dropped the curtain back over the wall and hurried behind his own curtain, bellowing through his gigantic head, "Guards!"
The Gale Force rushed into the throne room, saluting the head dutifully as the Wizard yelled, "Bring the green girl back here immediately!"
"Yes, sir!" an officer said enthusiastically, charging out the side door that Elphaba had taken in her escape.
Elphaba raced through the hallways, taking turns blindly as she worked her way continuously up different staircases, searching for some escape that wouldn't already be blocked by the Gale Force. She could hear the commotion behind her as soldiers swept through the castle in an attempt to keep her from leaving, and the Wizard was still bellowing something through his ridiculous head. She let out a frantic cry when she reached a doorway at the top of the staircase she had taken a minute ago and saw that her only option was to escape through the door or to turn around and attempt to dodge half the Gale Force. She grasped the doorknob and pushed her way through the entrance; she glanced around the room in a quick assessment of all the possible routes she could take to freedom, but they all unfortunately depended on her ability to survive a fall of over fifty feet since her only option was to fling herself out of a window. Shouts rang below and footsteps suddenly started thundering up the stairs, so she slammed the door shut and blockaded it with a broom and a chair as she paced the floor, trying to think of a way out. She looked down at the Grimmerie that she was still clutching tightly to her chest and considered casting the same spell on herself, but she dismissed the idea after a moment. If she did grow wings, then she doubted that she would be able to fly off after experiencing the kind of pain she had witnessed Chistery enduring.
The sudden hopelessness of her situation overwhelmed her at that point in time, and she huddled down in a corner of the small room, gritting her teeth against her tears as she listened to the Gale Force beating on the door in an attempt to break in. Her heart beat a tattoo against her chest as she gulped in lungfuls of air, desperate to hang onto her life now that she was faced with an inevitable death. There was no way that they would allow her to live, not after she had heard so much about their plans. The door then ripped off its hinges, sending the chair and broom flying through the air as the soldiers rushed into the room. Elphaba looked up at them, and she didn't protest when a soldier grabbed her roughly by the arm and dragged her out of the room. He didn't release her when they reached the stairs, but as she no longer had any hope of escaping, she followed after him in resignation, wincing as his fingernails dug into her skin through the fabric of her dress. It seemed like it only took several seconds to reach the throne room whereas only a minute ago, it felt like hours had stretched out interminably in her bid for freedom
She gazed at the Wizard and Morrible numbly as the Gale Force filed out the door, closing it behind them.
Morrible was the first to speak, and she grabbed Elphaba's arm as she spat out, "Where did you think you were going to go? You little ungrateful brat…"
"Stop," the Wizard said sternly. "This is not the time. Now, Elphaba, you have committed an act of treason. You attempted to run away with a very valuable object, and it is now obvious that you sympathize with the Animals. The penalty for this is death by execution. However, Madame Morrible and I have devised a compromise for you."
"What do you mean?" Elphaba said quietly.
"You will serve the Wizard by carrying out the laws and seeing that all Animals not in accordance with the laws are punished," Morrible replied, her face still twisted with anger. "You will not question the Wizard or me in any orders we give you, and you will carry them out."
Elphaba licked her lips nervously and asked, "What will happen if I refuse this offer?"
"You are a very valuable person, and your assistance will make our plans much easier to carry out," the Wizard said carefully. "So, your death is not a feasible option for any of us at the moment. However, your sister, Nessarose, is here in the city with you, correct?"
Elphaba nodded her head slightly, so he continued, "It would be a shame for her to die in a tragic accident, would it not?"
Elphaba locked eyes with the Wizard, shaking slightly as his words cut through her numb despair at her own failure.
"She is not the only one who may meet an untimely end if you refuse to cooperate," Morrible said quickly. "The lives of Fiyero, Galinda, and Nessa are the payment we will exact if you attempt to run away again or try and help subversive Animal activity."
Closing her eyes, Elphaba whispered, "I'll do what you want. Please don't…don't hurt them."
"Good," the Wizard said cheerfully. "Now, I think we can send you back to your hotel and you can get back to Shiz as soon as possible."
"Actually, I think Miss Elphaba needs to fully understand what disobedience will mean," Morrible replied as she sneered at Elphaba. "A few days in the prison should drive the point home."
The Wizard started to make a protest, but the words died on his lips when he saw Morrible's warning glare. Sighing, the Wizard strode to his curtain and disappeared from view as the hideous head appeared once again.
"Guards!" the Wizard called. The door immediately opened and a few soldiers hurried inside. "Take the girl to the prison and lock her up."
The guards grabbed Elphaba and forced her out of the throne room as she stumbled over her own feet, her mind whirling. She didn't register the sunshine as they pushed her outside or the shouts of the prisoners as she was led down dim corridors that had puddles of water mixed with blood and urine. It was only when the guards left her in a dark cell that she crawled to a corner and allowed her tears to flow silently down her face.