The Witch of the Emerald City
Kirra White Tigress
Chapter Nine:
For what seemed like the thousandth time doing so, Liira mounted her broom and sped off to the west, not even bothering to look back.
This time she did not merely wait outside the window for signs of someone being there. Liira flew into the castle, tearing through the curtain that blocked the light from shining into the room that remained intact. She immediately made her way to the desk, not bothering to see if that same crazed woman was still there, and went to take the diary. It had all the pieces to the puzzle that she needed. Not only could this tell her more about the Witch—Elphaba—but it could possibly help Glinda convince the rest of Oz that she was not as evil as they had believed for so many years.
Again she felt the hand grab her shoulder, only this time the person's finger nails bit into Liira's shoulder. She resisted the pain she felt and snatched the book into her arms, holding it to her body like it was her last lifeline. The green girl held tighter as another hand snaked around her and attempted to yank it out of her grasp. Finally Liira removed one arm from around the diary and grabbed a bucket that held rainwater. The woman let out a yelp of surprise and she jumped back, forgetting about her task entirely as apparent fear gripped her.
Liira stared at the woman for a moment, taking advantage of the light that was pouring inside the room. She really wasn't much to look at. She was clad entirely in a black dress that went down to her feet, matching gloves that covered her hands, a pointed hat that was tipped low to conceal her face. Scarves covered her neck, hiding the rest of her skin. It was a sad sight to see for someone to want to hide away from the world like this…. "Who are you?" Liira found herself asking the woman.
There was a pause from her, her head lowered as her eyes were still locked on the bucket of water that was still clutched in the green girl's hand. "I'm nothing in this world anymore. Just an apparition of what Oz once knew," the woman replied. She gestured toward the bucket of water. "It doesn't hurt you?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well I figured that since you looked like the Witch you must have her same condition," was the sharp reply.
Liira set the water down, glancing at her hand to see if any damage had been done. She then looked back at the woman. "That doesn't matter. And a name was what I needed. What's your name?" she asked.
Another hesitation came from the woman before, "My name's Fae." She seemed to flinch a bit at the sound of her own first name. Fae quickly recovered and asked, "What are you planning to do with the diary?"
"I'm going to show it to Miss Glinda. She may be able to—" Liira dodged the woman as she lunged at her, fear shining in Fae's brown eyes. The green girl hurried over to her broom, and she waved it in front of her for protection. "She may be able to clear the Witch's name."
Fae growled. "She's going to do what? Wasn't she told not to?" She went to her fruitless tactics of pacing and muttering to herself. Finally she put her hand to her head, turning to Liira. "That foolish girl is only going to get herself killed. And besides, what's in that diary is private. No one—not even Glinda—is supposed to read it."
Liira shrugged. "It doesn't really matter if she's not alive to know about it." She dodged Fae yet again, this time with her being the target instead of the book in her hands. "Are you crazy?!"
"Have you no consideration for the dead!" Fae was yelling, overpowering Liira's own shouts. "It doesn't matter if she's dead or not. This diary isn't meant to be passed around for foolish gossip." Her eyes were hardening with every word; her face must no doubt have been twisted in her anger. "It has everything written in it: Hopes, dreams, goals in life that one could only imagine. If this were to get into Glinda's hands everything would be—will be ruined!"
The green girl glared back at her, bringing herself to her full height—she was about two inches shorter than Fae. "This is something that Glinda herself cares about—it's not something that she's going to just throw away like it's nothing. You should have seen the look on her face on the anniversary of the Witch's death. This diary is the only connection she has to her."
"She's hiding in the past."
"She loved her!" Liira saw the woman's eyes widen in shock, but then they softened significantly. Fae backed away only to begin pacing again like the madwoman she was. The green girl could see her cast looks in her direction, all of them ranging from malice to confusion. Liira sighed and stepped up to the windowsill to once again fly off toward Lake Chorge. She was stopped by a hoarse whisper of a voice, unmistakably Fae's.
"Glinda loved her…." A soft laugh came from the woman. "Now I've heard everything. There is no way that someone like her could love one as evil as that Witch. It's always been a lie if you're telling me the truth."
Liira turned back to the open window. She sighed. "Imperfection is perfection in perfection's eyes. Miss Glinda can see past impurity and find purity, and she tries to make the impure understand that they are not." The green girl sighed again and mounted the broomstick. "Of course, what do I know about how that mind works? I've only just met her," she said before disappearing with the diary tucked under her arm. Liira glanced behind her, just to get one more glimpse of the woman being left behind.
There was no mistaking it—flesh as green as sin glared back at her.