TRIGGER WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS BLOOD, VOMIT, DISEMBODIMENT, AND HANGING! IF YOU ARE SENSITIVE TO GORE, PLEASE TAKE CAUTION IN READING THIS CHAPTER! THAT IS ALL!


Have you ever lost something you held dear only for a few days? And then suddenly, when you lose it, your heart shatters into a million pieces?

I've felt it before.

The day started out pretty normally; Anam was now about one month old and already pretty used to her position as Empress. I had to give her a few pointers here and there, since Hikari was practically shouting at me to do so. But other than a few hiccups during the adjustment time, everything that morning was normal.

I myself was currently leaning against Anam's side, helping her get rid of a few loose scales in her wings.

"So, how are you feeling about everything?" I asked, looking up into Anam's blue eyes. The dragon shrugged, her soft voice echoing in the large lotus like dome.

"It's been fine. I'm glad that my mother is basically a part of you now. If I have questions I can just ask. It's refreshing really," she smiled, shaking her wing to let some more scales fall loose.

I grinned, hearing Hikari swoon in my soul. I let out a loud yawn, the lack of sleep I had gotten the night prior weighting down on me. I had stayed up a bit later then usual last night because humans had gotten a bit too close to the nest for comfort, so I had to chase them off. It took the better part of five hours to do so because they were persistent as hell and didn't want some random woman chasing them away. But in the end I won, as usual.

Anam looked down at me for a moment, slightly curious about something.

"So Elphaba, may I ask you something?" I looked up at her, my lips pursed in thought.

"Sure, go ahead."

She looked away, her ear twitching before she looked down and voiced her question.

"Are your blood relatives all dragons too? Or is it just you?"

I had to chuckled, her natural curiosity coming with her young age. I shook my head, giving her a gentle smile.

"Nope, since I was born human they're human as well. I earned my powers, so they remain human. Why do you ask?" I asked, feeling her aura twist. She looked away for a moment, uncertainty gathering in her aura, before she smiled, nodding her head.

"I was just curious. Can you tell me about them? I mean, your family?" she asked, laying her head down next to me. I smiled, nodding in response.

"Well, I have many sisters. Six to be exact. Two younger sisters and four older sisters. My younger sisters Grainne and Fiona have always been really sweet to me, even with how I was treated by the rest of my family over the years…" I trailed off, a sense of bitterness entering my heart.

Anam seemed to sense my discomfort, raising her head slightly and nudging my belly.

"How did they treat you?" she asked. I frowned, my arms crossing defiantly.

"You see, my family all has fair skin and red hair, with green eyes as a bonus. I was born… like this. Dark skin, black hair, golden eyes… I was so different from them. My mother for all my life, told me I was some kind of curse in our family for not being loyal enough. It turns out my mother was just unfaithful to her husband, and cheated on him. When she had me, she pleaded with her husband to keep me. Turns out my father was actually the man that Timaeus gave his soul to…" I trailed off once more, the image of the Sun Dragon filling my mind. Anam seemed to sense my sadness, pressing her nose tightly to my side in reassurance.

"Because of my father's dragon blood and difference in appearance, I was born like this. My mother told me in the end that he was planning to take me with him after I was born so that I could live in peace, but when he left to get his home ready… he never came back. My mother was forced to keep me. Everyday she'd look at me and only see her disloyalty to her husband. So, that's how she treated me. My older sisters, for the most part, were on her side. My two younger sisters weren't, they liked me and were the only people there keeping me sane. And then, twenty-one years into my miserable life… I'm brought here. To some grand utopia, where I'm not seen as different. I belong here…" I smiled, playing with a small lock of my hair.

Anam hummed next to me, a smile crawling on her muzzle.

"So, what are your sisters like? And what the rest of the their names?" She asked, raising her head up slightly. I smiled, leaning back even more and swinging my hands behind my head.

"My older sisters are Aibreann, Bronagh, Cait, and Dubheasa. Out of my older sisters, Bronagh and Cait are the ones who came to my defense after Mother revealed her sins. Of course Grainne and Fiona were even more on my side afterwards, but overall I had finally outnumbered my mother. Aibreann and Dubheasa tried to stay on her side, even trying to convince my mother what she said wasn't true, it couldn't be."

Anam stared, "...But it was, wasn't it?"

I nodded.

"Every word she said that faithful day was true. And it rocked me to my very core. I was just… so angry, I struck her in my rage. Luckily, after Hikari passed away, Aeria suggested I spend a few days there with the sisters that supported me. I actually had no idea that Cait and Bronagh actually stood behind me now, so when I got there it was… refreshing."

Anam smiled, that nervousness in her aura spiraling tighter and tighter as I talked on.

I decided to ask her about it.

"Anam? Are you alright? You've been nervous this whole time," I pointed out, watching the Spirit Dragon look away, her fear rising drastically.

"Um… how did you know?" she asked. I rolled my eyes, shaking my head and giving her a lopsided grin.

"Anam, I'm a Dragon too you know? I can sense your aura is twisted, and I'm asking why. So… why?"

She gave me a frightened look, her eyes darting around before slowly looking down at her talons.

"... Earlier this morning, something buzzed in my head. I felt some distortion in the order somewhere in Ireland, and I sent Aeria over there. I fear something might've happened to your family… I didn't want you to worry so…."

I could just feel the blood drain from my face. Something had happened in Ireland, near my family!? I stood abruptly, the water around me splashing at the sudden movement. Anam seemed to stand with me, pushing her nose to my shoulder.

"Miss Elphaba no! Aeria is going to check! Please stay here!" she cried, wincing when my wild eyes met hers.

"Why!? My sisters may be in danger and you tell me to remain here, have you lost your mind!?" I snapped, Anam stepping back. But I felt the determination in her aura rise up. She thrusted a wing out, shielding my own wings from taking off.

"Miss Elphaba please! Stay here! If something has happened, you may not take it very well! I beg of you, remain here until Aeria gets back. Maybe nothing's happened at all it was somewhere else, okay?"

She stared me down, her eyes hard but unmoving. I felt the strongest urge to take off, but her eyes reflected Hikari's for a brief moment. I knew she wasn't begging.

It was an order.

I slowly retracted my wings, letting them dissolve into the air. I sat down, crossing my arms and laying back in the water. I stared up at the sky entrance, waiting for Aeria to come back to deliver this sudden news. I hoped and prayed that everything was alright, not wanting to cause a bloodbath if something had happened.

But… let's face it…

Nothing I wanted actually happened.


It was a few hours before Aeria flew in, her roaring cry awakening my from a sleep I didn't realize I slipped into. When her roar rang out, I jolted upwards and stood to my trembling feet, Anam close behind me.

I did not like the look on Aeria's face.

She landed at the entrance to the dome, her legs quaking and her breath short and heavy. I rushed forward, letting her wing fall on me and helping her to lay down.

"Aeria? What happened!? Are my sisters ok!?" I shouted, watching her as Anam dragged her into the water. When Aeria was placed into the Spirit water, the water around her glowed and I watched her wounds heal slowly. She looked up at me, her eyes bloodshot and scared.

"Elphaba… my dearest friend, please…" she winced as she spoke, the wound to her neck constricting. I knew she wouldn't be able to explain what happened, but the fact that she was this scared and wounded let me know that whatever happened…

Wasn't good.

"Aeria, what happened? Why are you hurt, and why are you so frightened!? Did you see something while you were there?" I asked, gently petting her nose. She sighed, letting her head slump onto the ground surrounding the pond.

"I'm not scared of… what I saw. I'm scared of what you'll do when you see it."

Why did that scare me? Why did that series of words rock me to my core and make me very anxious for what was awaiting me back in Ireland. I kneeled down to face Aeria eye to eye, smiling.

"Let me go see for myself Aeria. I'll go check to make sure it doesn't get out of hand alright?"

Aeria looked away, too afraid to say anything against my statement. I slowly stood, giving Anam a short glance before looking up towards the exit of the nest. Aeria lifted her head, giving me one last sentence before she laid down to sleep.

"Elphaba, please. Please be prepared for what you're about to see… you're not gonna like it I promise you."

I nodded, letting my wings materialize before taking off into the air. I flew up and out of the nest, letting the cool morning air bite at my ears. Once I had left the nest, something erupted in me. I'm not sure what it was, whether anger or fear, it suddenly made my flight twice as shorter. I was suddenly overcome with this dire urge to get there as fast as my wings could carry me. It took a total of one hour flying over Canada and only two over the ocean until I was above the British Isles.

I sent out my wavelength, searching for the wavelengths of my family.

I couldn't see them.

I dove downwards, flying deep into the heart of Dublin. Moving over buildings and pedestrians and towards my home.

As I passed over the village next to my house, I smelled this godawful stench fill the air as I neared. I quickly swiped my hand over my nose, my eyes tightening as I landed a few meters away from the house.

There was something off.

It was quiet, too quiet for my liking. I slowly and cautiously approached the door, gingerly grabbing the handle.

Something, liquidly and warm pressed to my hand, causing my skin to ripple and the hairs on my neck to stand on end. I jumped back, shaking my hand rigorously as if trying to shake it off. When I looked down at my fingers to see what had decided to grace me with its presence.

My stomach lurched, and I swore my dinner the previous night was going to exit via my throat.

Blood.

Blood was painting my fingers.

I stared up at the wooden door, seeing what appeared to be some smeared handprint around the door knob and on the edge of the door, as if someone was clinging to the rim desperately.

I breathed deeply, trying to take Aeria's word and not get too angry with what I was about to see. I stepped forward once more, grabbing the bloodied knob and turning it. I opened the door slowly, peering into the darkened room.

Blood was trailed all over the floor, gathered into tiny pools and smearing onto the darkened wood.

I walked in slowly, my hand still over my nose in disgust towards the smell. When I had fully entered, I stared at my surroundings in disbelief.

The entire room had been destroyed. The table turned over and chairs all across the room. The little furniture was destroyed, charred as if burned. I followed the paths of blood, searching for any signs of my family.

But when I found them…

I promptly emptied my stomach. My stomach lurched and searing heat burned my throat as I vomited onto the floor beneath me. The image rushed past through my head over and over again, causing more contents of my gut to spill over.

Once it had cleared, I dared to look once more.

Aibreann, Dubheasa, and Mother laid in literal pieces at the floor, their limbs torn from their torso and piled. Arms, legs, and even their heads all torn from their torsos and piled at the feet of my other sisters. I slowly, looked up.

Cait, Bronagh, Fiona, and Grainne were all dangling from the ceiling, ropes wrapped tightly around their necks. They swayed gently, multiple bruises and cuts lining their bodies.

I felt sick once more looking at this gruesome warning, the bodies of my family either strung up like ornaments at Christmas or broken apart on the floor.

This time, I took a moment to read them.

And not their body language, the words cut into the bellies of the sisters that loved me.

Bronagh's word was "You."

Cait's word was "Reap."

Fiona's word was "What."

Grainne's word was "You."

And spelled with the severed limbs of Aibreann, Dubheasa, and Mother was…

"Sow."

"WO."

WO… I immediately knew what it stood for.

My blood boiled and coiled, and my tattoo began to glow in an array of colors, my emotions suddenly overtaking my powers.

Witch Order.

I don't truly recall the next few moments that occurred. The only thing I can remember was the hot tears streaming down my face. The curl of my lip into a snarl. The gnashing of my teeth together. My own claws digging into my arms as I hugged myself, drawing blood that trickled down my arms like little streams.

The next thing I knew, something took over. As if my own aura had possessed me, I could feel my bones cracking and skin tearing as something took over. I felt my body stretch and pull, twisting and new limbs ripping from my flesh.

Everything for the next few moments went dark.

When I opened my eyes after the blackout, my gaze had been shifted higher, and my hands were digging into the wood and dirt below me.

But, I didn't have hands anymore.

I looked down at the large, black talons in the place of my fingers, and the luminescent claws dirtying themselves by digging into the ground. I was hunched over, down on all fours, and a new set a limbs had graced my backside. When I opened my mouth to speak, a low rumble came out instead, smoke rolling off my tongue.

I knew what had happened.

I turned in the direction of my target, my anger searing through my newly grown scales and pointing me in the direction of the Witch's Realm.

I slowly moved, letting my bones snap into place and my muscles set. I let the large, leathery wings protruding from my shoulders spread, the sound of expanding leather filling my ears.

I looked up, my vision sharper, accurate, and bright.

I lifted my wings…

And took off into the air.

My new body lurched, lifting into the air and throwing my forward with every flap I made. I raced forward, ignoring the clear screams in my ears from the humans down below me.

I had no idea how I was navigating in my enraged state, but hell I was doing it. I took the same path I had taken with Aeria the day we met Medusa, making a sharp left and switching to the path Medusa herself led me down.

I could feel it, see it, smell it! The realm was so close, and in such a short span of time. I sucked in a breath, letting the fire build up in my lungs. There was so much air, with my larger lungs allowing my fire to seize up just enough to make something truly spectacular.

I wasn't lying to Eruka when I said I enjoyed watching things blow up. It was kinda fun to watch.

But, I sit here ashamed today of the advice I took that moment.

I decided to try Medusa's way of destruction.

I let the fire in my lungs release, spitting out into the open air and ripping the entrance to the realm right open.

I heard screams of alarm and terror, guards in every corner rearing up to stare at me with disbelieving eyes.

"I THOUGHT SHE LEFT!"

"HER DRAGONS ARE AFTER US!"

The words that spilled from their lips did me no harm nor did I care for the words. One guard charged at me, his spear at the ready to throw. When he attempted to puncture my scales…

I took pleasure in crushing him under my talon.

I heard the guards around me scream and try out, some staying to try and fight me off but others straight up abandoning the fight and running away. I let another wave of fire roll into my throat, staring down at the opposing guards.

When I let another wave of fire roll from my throat, spilling out onto the ground below me and spreading to the dry grass and trees. I walked past the guards at my feet, moving past them and towards my goal in the center.

That god damned castle.

I saw witches of all powers come towards me, casting magic spells and throwing weapons in my general direction. It did nothing to me. Their magic disappeared pitifully mid air, and the weapons bounced off my scales, doing nothing to slow my advancement on the castle.

Once I had entered the town, I took a sadistic pleasure in either freezing the place or setting those gothic buildings ablaze. The witches running at my feet were either trying to ward me off or running away in fear. I couldn't stop the smile that creeped onto my muzzle, allowing my fangs to gleam in the eternal moonlight of the Witch's Realm.

I turned to see witches on brooms flying towards me, magic spells ready at their hands.

Two of them met my fangs and the other three burned to nothing when my fire released upon them. I hate to say this, even after all this time.

But I was loving this. The feeling of power flowing through my veins as I destroyed the town beneath my claws. I took an even greater pleasure seeing the battle of fire and ice ravaging the city.

I finally had reached the gates of the castle, the Judge standing at one of the balconies watching me. Her eyes were wide and fearful, as if seeing the consequence of a sinful action sit right in front of her.

That's when I knew she was the one responsible for what had happened.

I opened my jaw once more, allowing eleven of my scales to retract into my skin, draw blood into themselves, then rocket from my throat as bloody bullets. A neat little trick the Blood Dragon could accomplish, retracted their own scales, covering them in blood, heating them, and then spitting them like fiery blood pellets.

I watched the Judge jumped and dodge, rushing back into the castle to take cover, not that it would do her any good.

I sucked in a breath, ripping down the door to the castle's center where the masses took place, and stepped forward.

I roared.

"WHERE. IS. MABA!?"


One word: Pissed

And god damn this one hurt to write. I hated killing off the sisters and such but it had to be done. So yeeeeeaaaahh. All that happened, and Elphie was NOT happy about it.

And ElpHABA CAN CHAnGe INtO a DRaGoNNNN! That part was sooooo fun to write, Elphaba a giant black Spirit Dragon on a rampage! Stormin' into the Witches Realm all badass like. Kid's Momma was scary back in her prime, hmm?

Why they died will be explained in the next chapter, but the upcoming chapter 13? OhohOHOHohHOHO, that one's sad! I got feels just writing it...

We also get a peak at Elphaba's more sadistic side. As she said, she did love destroying things...

Well, that's all I got! Story is updated every Saturday at 5 pm Tokyo time (+9)!

Next Time:

BEGIN THE BATTLE BETWEEN ELPHABA AND MABA! In her rage, Elphaba challenges the Grand Witch to avenge her family. Will she win? What will become of her after the biggest fight of her life?

Found Out Next Time: October 28th!

~HUGS ALL AROUND~