First of all, I'd like to offer a huge thanks to everyone who's supported me in my sudden, startling announcement about changing and extending the end of this story, and to reassure everyone else that I will still have them watch the second act just as it is! It's only after "For Good" that I start tampering with things to make it lead off into what I've written. The voting for the two different plots line's I'd written has been closed and I'm pleased to announce that Option two has been selected for use in this story. For those of you who voted for the other, don't worry, I will still use it for a Wicked story, I'll just be adding it to a different one. One round of bonus points goes out to everyone who guessed correctly what the Upland's silent conversation was about: Witch08, WickedRegal, Doglover645, Redapple435, Atlanta Jackson and for ToughGirlsRuleTheWorld who was the only person to guess the secret name on Elphaba's name tag first time! Thanks to everyone who suggested ideas for this chapter, the votes will be back on at the end of this, cus we're going back to scene-chapters. And now on with the show!
Chapter Thirteen –
Third Person's POV
The crowds burst into a hearty bout of gossip and speculation, several people getting up out of their seats, stretching their limbs stiffly and wander, albeit rather cautiously, to investigate different features of the strange room. Their host's tracked their movements half-heartedly from their positions at the back of the room but made no move to be closer to them, the majority of their attention focused of the main group sat at the back in the private row, watching with baited breath it seemed.
Elphaba could feel her head spinning, and her breath coming in quick, short gasps. Galinda snapped out of her own shock enough to notice her friends alarming panic. She reached a hand out to rest of her shoulder tentatively. "Elphie?"
Elphaba jumped the second she felt something come into contact with the fabric of her blouse, making her physically flinch, almost violently in surprise, shuddering in her seat. Her head snapped round to see Galinda looking at her hesitantly, the hand she'd reached out with held close to her chest as though expecting to be struck by her friend's sharp, unpredicted movement. A quick glance around her showed at all eyes in their small row were fixed directly on her. Not one to usually feel bothered by being stared at, she still couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by the pressure of being watched combined with the horror of what she'd just witnessed. It didn't fade after another moment, instead continued to build up higher at a rapid rate and she was certain that her face had to be darkening.
"Are you alright?" Glinda didn't think the question was at all an appropriate one to be asking as even she could see that her friend clearly wasn't and really, she had every right not to be, but it was all that her poor, befuddled brain could come up with, and even as the words left her mouth she could see the reaction they were going to cause and immediately regretted them.
Elphaba felt her patience and any of the slightest grasp of control she'd over of herself snap upon hearing her friends simple question and the stress all became too much. "I'm, I, I think I'm okay I just need to go. I'm sorry."
Glinda barely had a moment to register her friend's stuttered reply before the green girl lunched up out of her chair, stumbled to her feet and took off out of the room disappearing through the thick wooden doors that had been pulled open slightly by the dark skinned girl in black, presumably into the corridor behind it. She hesitated for only a brief second before slowly getting to her own feet and made to squeeze her way out of the row and go after her. She was stopped by Melena's gentle hand on her shoulder.
"Give her a minute or two." She told her calmly. She gestured with a hand in the direction her eldest daughter vanished in.
"Sometimes she needs a moment to calm herself down before anyone can talk to her properly without either of you getting hurt." She raised an eyebrow at the blond girl when she stared at her dimly and it took Galinda a moment or so before she realised Elphaba's mother was talking about her magic.
"Besides", Melena continued, "there are still other people you might want to speak to first before you make any rash decisions." She nodded towards Fiyero, who was already staggering to his feet, determination written plainly across his face. Galinda caught her meaning and gave the older woman a quick nod and drew in a deep breath, bracing herself, before turning and hurrying after her (currently) boyfriend.
Fiyero had already made up his mind and was several steps after her the moment he realised Elphaba had fled the room. Something near his foot tripped him and for a moment he almost fell. He regained his balance, just barely, and moved forward as the ball of paper was kicked further away down the row. He squeezed out past Doctor Dillamound, stopping only to pick up the ball that tripped him along the way. He un-scrunched the paper curiously as he walked towards the doors he'd seen Elphaba vanished out of. Elphaba Thropp, the letter on the first side wrote. A wiry smile flitted across his lips when he realised this must have been the name tag from the back on her chair. He'd not really paid that much attention to his own, but he was fairly certain his, wasn't folded over like hers was. He flipped it open absentmindedly and nearly dropped the paper in shock, falling over his own feet as his heart nearly skipped a beat.
Elphaba Tiggular. Sure enough those were the words that were scrawled across the page, in simple, if slightly messy cursive hand-writing. He froze, taking in the writing and the meaning behind it, mind working over-time so fast that he failed to notice the dainty blonde walk up behind him and reach up to tap him on the shoulder gently.
"Sweet Oz!" He very nearly bellowed, figuratively leaping high up into the air and hitting the ceiling. He calmed down after a couple of seconds later and took in Galinda, who was stood beside him, staring wide eyed in fright.
"I'm sorry. You surprised me." He offered sheepishly. She raised an eyebrow disbelievingly, the gesture making her look uncannily like Elphaba for a moment. The though reminded him of the paper still grasped in his hand, and the words inside the fold and he immediately re-scrunched it into his palms, his checks reddening of their own accord. Galinda looked at strangely, almost sadly for a moment, before grabbing and a hold of his hand and pulling him forward, towards one of the empty corners of the vast room. He noticed absent mindedly that her tiny hand didn't seem to fit quite as perfectly into his own wide palm as her friend's did.
Meanwhile, Sorrow beckoned several of her companions over towards her, making sure to stay out of anyone else's ear shot now, especially the private rows. "Can you guys split yourselves up, I want at least half of us down there at the front, watching the younger group and maybe explain to them what the fuck is going on without giving away too much personal reveals. As much as we'd all appreciate the idea of one of them sneaking up to assassinate the old fish, we're not finished here and they're not even from the same time-line as the Morrible that's here, so who knows what kinda chaos that would cause!"
She gave Julie and Sandy a pointed look. They both nodded and slipped silently away to round up and organise the rest of the group. TG raised a hand, before realising how of much of a child it made her look like, lowering it quickly and coughing loudly instead to get everyone's attention. Sorrow, who'd caught the slip up, smirked at her, pointedly ignoring the sour look she got shot with in return.
"Remind me again why we didn't just sit them with the main lot in the first place at the back?"
Sorrow answered before anyone else could. "Because it would have been too early and too confusing to have them there from the very beginning, but-"
She held up a hand for silence when TG made to interrupt her.
"We could probably get away with moving them up there now."
"It would certainly make watching them a lot easier." TG agreed, nodding slowly. Nora cast a worried glance around before asking.
"But won't that be putting them closer to Morrible as well?" Sorrow looked thoughtful for a moment before replying.
"Yes but hopefully they'll be too preoccupied with who's next to them really notice and the show should hold their attention when we put it back on. Besides, we'll still have half of you guys watching them, so hopefully they shouldn't get too many ideas."
Shaun huffed beside, mockingly. He stretched, before placing an up-turned palm on his forehead dramatically. "But that sounds like such hard work!"
He yelped in a very girl-like way when TG reached over and not so gently cuffed him on the back on the head. "That hurt you know!"
She smirked at his pout, obviously a result of him still smarting from his clumsy landing earlier. "It was supposed to."
Sorrow stepped in between them quickly before things could go get too much out of hand.
"Okay, you two cool it, go back to your marks! TG, you're supposed to be watching Morrible! Pretty boy, you've got Oscar. Now go on, both of you, get!"
She made a shooing gesture at which both of them scowled, but scurried away anyway, the former making a couple of crude gestures at her back while retreating. Sorrow pretended not to see them, deciding to get her back for them later on, when they weren't so busy. Nora gave her a knowingly look. "I saw what you did there. Very cunning."
Sorrow shrugged ruefully. "It worked didn't it?"
Nora rolled her eyes but didn't comment. "Will you let the other's know what's happening with the seating plan while I talk to Melena, I think it's time we included her in the extension of the show."
Nora nodded and wandered off, leaving Sorrow to straighten out her gown before making her way coolly over to Melena, who she was surprised to find had moved out her seat and was now stood some way off to the side, already starring nose to nose with her former lover, eye's blazing. She spotted Shaun watching, a little way off and waved him over.
"I thought you were supposed to be watching him, and preventing him from doing anything stupid!?" He rolled his eyes indignantly.
"I am! He was just going to talk to her and I figured it couldn't hurt just to let them say a few things to each other. It's not like I'm far away either if things do go wrong, so I can still break them up if I have too!"
Sorrow hate to admit that he did kind of have somewhat of a point, still she'd never been known for her even temper. "You call THAT under control!?"
She waved a hand at the couple that were now screaming at each other, attracting the eyes of several other people from the audience. Both host's hid their alarm.
"If they keep this up, the games gonna be up before it's even begun! It's still far too soon for everyone to find out the whole truth yet!" She gave Shaun and level look and point him in the direction of the private row, giving him a rough push forward.
"You just go and make sure Nessa keeps her mouth shut, I already know Melena's told her who Elphaba's father is in the room so I'm sure she must have pieced it together by now, I'll deal with this!" The boy very nearly turned around to argue with her but one look at the dangerous glint in her eyes made him swallow his pride for once and move away to do as he was told.
Oscar had many thoughts going through his head as the screen went blank, was would his people think of him now, what would happen to his power over them, what would happen to him now that he'd made such a powerful enemy for himself, but first and foremost was what did his dearly beloved think of him now, after seeing what he had done to her daughter?
Determined to find out, he got stiffly to his feet and began the awkward journey up the steps towards the back row where she resigned. He looked up just in time to see the odd coloured girl in question dash from her seat and out into the corridor beyond, the other girl and boy both getting up, at first seemingly to go after her but moving away to a dark corner far away from everyone else instead. He mildly noticed one of the other girl kidnappers, the one with dark coloured skin and straight hair, Frost wasn't it, subtly get up and move after them, stopping just a little way off and leaning back against the wall causally.
Ignoring the stares around him he made his way up to stand in front of his beloved, his mouth suddenly going dry and he looked into her perfect, warm brown eyes that stared back at him with a such coldness that he almost wanted to run back down into his seat and hide. He opened him mouth to say something, but the woman sat across from him, who looked barely any different from when he'd last seen her, stood stiffly, and excused herself from the people sat around her and nodded her head at him, indicating to follow her.
He did so and the two stopped a little way off from everyone else, Melena facing him with her arms crossed in front of her stiffly. "Well then, go on. Get on with it, whatever it is you have to say to me."
Oscar blinked at her dumbly for a moment before recovering his wits and smiled warmly. "Oh Melena, I cannot say how wonderful it is to see you again, I missed you so much over the years and often wondered what had become of you. I can say that I'm surprised and pleased to learn that you'd become a mother and what a wonderful one I'm sure you were too!"
The babble poured out of his mouth like water from a tap as he eagerly attempted to make up for the time he'd lost with her. "I never knew that you'd….."
"Died?" She supplied helpfully, without humour. He gulped but nodded. His expression hardened.
"I never liked your husband, but if I'd known that bastard was going to treat you like that, treat your children in such I despicable way, I'd have taken you with me when I left, damn the consequences!"
This time is was Melena who straightened, angry taking over her face. She interrupted him icily calm. "EXCUSE ME. What HE did to my children? Say's the man who just condemned my daughter to death!"
Oscar visibly flinched at that, providing Melena with some small amount of satisfaction. He began to stutter, manically. "I, well, ah yes, well you see, that may have been a slight mistake, you see-"
"MISTAKE!" Melena screeched, knowing her voice was bordering on hysterical, but didn't care.
Oscar was struggling now, no longer in control and not liking it one little bit. So he so he decided to do what he did best under these circumstances. Blame someone else. "Well you know technically, it wasn't actually ME that branded her, it was that Madam Morrible, so technically I'm not entirely to blame for that situation and since we've now been pre-warned about it, it's not too late to fix it still. You know I've never actually liked her very much at all, she was just always so-"
Whatever he was going to say next was cut off by the hard slap of her hand that smacked across his face, sending him sprawling onto the floor, dust flying up in tiny clouds around him.
He stared up at her in shock, mouth open wide in disbelief as she shook her head at him in despair. "You always were so selfish sometimes, always blaming other people for your problems! It was one of your least favourable traits, I'm so glad that she never got that from you!"
He staggered hazardously to his feet, one hand pressed against his cheek, covering the huge red mark she'd caused. He looked in confusion. "Who never got what from me? What are you talking about?"
She paused, paling as she realised her mistake. She'd let her rage get the better of her and now she had to suffer the consequences of it. She fumbled for an answer that wouldn't give everything away or perhaps a way to lie her way out when Sorrow decided it was high time to step in and save her.
"I believe it's time for you to go back to your seat now, Mr. Diggs, you may speak to her again later, if she allows it, in the meantime, I have something that I need to discuss with her so I highly suggest that you run along now." She waved him off, coming to stand in-between him and Melena, blocking his route to the other woman. He started forward.
"Now hold on just a minute-"
She cut him off calmly, with just a hint of warning in her tone, reminding him of his place.
"That, was not request."
The older man, glared at the young Witch, unused to getting his way as such and huffed, before walking reluctantly away, back down towards his seat, grumbling under his breath all the way.
Sorrow turned to her companion and raised an eyebrow at her silently. She gave her a pleading look, holding her hands up in front of her defensively. "Look I'm sorry, I know I got carried away. Don't worry it won't happen again, I promise. I'll control myself better."
Sorrow nodded slowly still not saying a word. Finally she spoke. "It's okay, I know you didn't mean too. That's actually not what I intended to talk to you about."
Melena gave her a questing look to which Sorrow smiled at cunningly. "Walk with me."
"We need to talk." Fiyero and Galinda stood close together in the dimly lit space, wearily eyeing around them for eavesdroppers. Galinda took in another deep breath before speaking again.
"Be honest with me." Her ocean blue eyes bore up into his.
"I know that we've been drifting apart recently. You've, been acting differently lately. I wondered for a while if it was me, if it was something I did. But it wasn't, was it?"
He shifted uncomfortably under her intense stare and she tried not show any sign of the inner turmoil that ran circles inside her head. Despite the fact that her heart was throbbing painfully as though being stabbed repeatedly, she was determined to hold it together, on the outside at least, until she had the answers she was looking for. Finally, he seemed to gather the courage from somewhere to return her gaze and she thought for the briefest moment that she could see the slightest slimmer of guilt in his eyes. He sighed.
"No I isn't you. It's me." He held up his hand to silence her before she could get a single word out of her open mouth.
"And yes, before you say anything I am aware of how clichéd that line is, but it's true! I…" He hesitated, visibly struggling to find the words he wanted to say. Glinda just stayed quiet, watching him carefully.
"I guess I've just realised that I don't really love you the way you wanted me to. I see that now, we're just too similar. I, I think we should see other people." He finally finished, looking down at her nervously. She sighed deeply, but was surprised with herself at her own lack of shock. Fiyero took this as a good sign, and continued to fumble on further.
"Look, it's not like I don't care about you cus I do, just not in the way I you want me to, and maybe I thought I could have to begin with!"
Galinda shook her head sadly, a slight, wiry smile crossing her lips as she firmly met his gaze. "You like her, don't you?"
The panic that flashed across his face would have been amusing under any other circumstances, but right now it was just an indicator of a very painful truth. Her guess had clearly hit home. She decided to cut straight to the chase this time, before he got the chance to start fumbling again. Rip it off fast, just like a bandage.
It was Fiyero's turn to be silenced by a hand being held up in front of him, just as he thought he might have figured out something to say that didn't sound so terrible. Galinda had her eyes closed, preventing him from reading her emotions that way, not that he was very good at it anyway, not like Elphaba is, but the tired slump of her shoulders gave him some idea at least of her mood. They both vaguely registered the sound of two people shouting at each other from somewhere on the other side of the room but neither paid any attention to it, too caught up in their own conversation to care.
"I'm not angry, well not much anyway, I just want to know the truth." She did look up at him now, ocean blue eyes watering very slightly, but firm and determined.
Fiyero stood gawping, opening and closing his mouth for a full moment, before managing to speak, very quietly. "I don't know."
Galinda actually smirked at him, knowingly. "Yes you do. You just don't want to admit it yet."
She cut him off again before he could answer her indignantly. "I would like us still to be friends, whatever happens next, but I'm afraid that you're just going to have to give me a little time first to get used to it."
He hesitated, clearly thinking of something to say to her, something to make it easier but in the end seemed to realise that there was nothing he could say and just settled for nodding at her simply, offering a quiet, "Thank-you."
What he did next surprised both of them although neither complained. Galinda nearly tensed when she felt his arms wrap firmly around her in a fond hug, returning it lightly after a second or two, before he realised her. "I mean it."
He spoke with a bond, seriousness that was quite unlike him, so much so that Galinda seriously doubted he'd have recognised his voice if he wasn't stood right in front of her. "Thank-you."
She smiled, genuinely this time, and nodded. Maybe this whole "just friends" thing will work out after all. Then she remembered something.
"I'd better go and check on Elphie and make sure she's alright, she's kind of flew off the handle a bit, poor thing! Besides, I think there are some things that I seriously need to talk to her about after all this." She make to step around Fiyero but he quickly side-stepped so that he was blocking her way.
"You're not gonna say anything to her about… Are you?" He gestured to himself, nervously. She very nearly laughed at his alarmed expression, thinking about how silly love makes us behave sometimes, for she too had already taken an accurate guess as to exactly what had occurred between her (now) two friends, but instead she just simply shook her head, giggling very slightly. She gave him a light pat on the arm, bordering pityingly.
"No, don't worry, you daft idiot, I'm not gonna say anything about your crush!" He turned very red at the phrase, encouraging her greatly and giving her a sort of twisted pleasure at making him squirm so much.
"Although I might grill her on hers a bit. I'll have to tell her that we broke up I suppose." She pretended not to notice the goofy grin that spilt his face when she mention her friend's obvious display of feelings for him.
"But I'm mostly just gonna find out how she's coping with all… This." She made a gesture towards the dark wall where the images had been displayed nervously. Fiyero looked at, trying to ignore the unpleasant feelings that pooled in the bottom of his stomach himself at the thought of what they'd just witnessed.
"Well I know one things for certain, not matter what happens at the end of this." He smiled at the question look Galinda gave him.
"We are not letting her step one foot on that wretched train to go the city and meet that awful man, Wizard or not." Galinda smiled back, looking strangely relived. He gave her a subtle nod in the direction Elphaba had disappeared to.
"Go on. She's probably having a heart attack out there. I'll make sure no one disturbs you." Galinda gave him one last grateful look before hurrying away and slipping behind the thick wooden doors herself, out of sight.
Fiyero sighed, starring after her for a moment, before following after her, coming to stop just outside the huge, wooden doors, standing guard as promised. Straining slightly, he could just about make out the words being spoken softly on the other side.
Galinda squeezed through the narrow gaps between the doors with ease, and slunk silently into the corridor she'd first appeared in when brought to this strange place. For a moment the dim light threw her, until she heard a quiet sob from somewhere up ahead of her. She looked and focused on the dark shape sat huddled down against the floor some way up the corridor. She heart throbbed with pity and she made her way over, hesitating very briefly while eyeing the dusty floor, before sliding down to sit beside her heart-broken best friend.
The two sat there, side by side in silence for a few more minute before Galinda spoke, not entirely sure of how to start. "Well this has probably been the most confusifing experience of my life."
A soft, barely audible snort next to her let know that her friend was at least listening to her. Finally, a dry voice, scratchy from crying, answered her. "That's an understatement if I've ever heard one."
Elphaba finally pushed back off of her knees and looked at her friend through blurry, tear-stained eyes. She'd heard the other person enter the room, the click-clacking of high heels giving away the identity of their wearer. Had it been any other situation, she'd have been majorly surprised at her fashionable friend actually coming to sit on the floor with her, without even anything to put down first, but the battering her emotions had just taken had already drained her of feeling very much at all at that current moment.
Galinda was watching her carefully for any signs of life, concern dominating her face. "Remind me to tear that stupid envelop to pieces next time I see you take it out!"
Elphaba laughed weakly and reached into her satchel, still propped up against her hip and pulled out the emerald slip of paper, handing it to her without thought. "Be my guest. I won't be using it."
Galinda took it daintily before wrapping her arms around her friend in a tight, bone-crushing hug, making her tense up before shakily returning it a couple of seconds later. "Oh Elphie."
She eventually released her, wiping the last of the tears away from her friend's eyes with a perfectly manicured finger. "I've already spoken to Fiyero and we've both decided we're not letting you put one foot on that train!"
Elphaba's eyes went wide and she fiddled with her hands uncomfortably, she grief momentarily forgotten. "You, you talked to Fiyero about me?"
She phrased the question curiously, avoiding Galinda's eye. Galinda tried not to laugh at her friend's attempt at being oblivious, beginning to wonder how she'd ever actually fallen for it. It seemed so blindingly obviously, her friend's shift in emotions and what was behind it, now that she knew what it was she was looking for. "Not just about you, but yes a little bit. We agreed we're not gonna let you go to that awful man now, if that's what he's going to turn you into."
Elphaba nodded slowly. She cast her friend a strangely searching look, watching her nervously for something. "Is that all you talked about?"
Galinda smiled, acknowledge her friend's silent question, remembering the events from before the envelope in her hand was presented to her friend. "Well we also broke up, but yes, that was pretty much it."
Elphaba did a double take at her friend's casual dismissal of her months long relationship, unaware that the disbelief written plainly across her face was making said friend hold back giggles at her expression. "You broke up?"
She echoed her simply before repeating it again with more life. "You broke up!?"
Galinda nodded, bemused. Elphaba blinked at her dumbly for a minute. "But, why? I thought you said that you two were perfect together? I mean for Oz sake, you told me that you two were going to be married someday the night after you'd had your first date with each other!"
This time the laughter couldn't be held back despite, the small threads of pain that still lingered behind the memory. Elphaba's confusion only made it funnier. Finally, Galinda calmed enough to get a coherent sentence out. "I know, and maybe I was wrong about that. I guess deciding to marry someone after barely knowing them for less than a day, MIGHT a have a little bit rushed"
"You could say that." Elphaba nodded slowly, the faintest of smiles of her face. Galinda grinned back at her.
"Besides, we've been growing apart for some time now. I guess we just decided that we're not as suited to each other as we thought we were and it might just be best if we start seeing other people. It's alright though, we're going to try and stay friends if we can."
Elphaba's turn to watch Galinda closely again, searching for sign that something was off. "And, you're okay with that? You're not, upset at all?"
Galinda sighed and gave the other girl a sad smile. "I am. Mostly. Or I will be at least, maybe after a little time. I guess it's just all kind of a lot to take in, along with everything else that's happen so far today."
Elphaba hesitated before reaching out uncertainly to place what she hoped was a comforting hand on the blonde's shoulder. Galinda smiled and offered the green envelope to her. "Together?"
Elphaba grinned genuinely and nodded, grasping one end of the paper. They held each other's gaze and counted down together. "Three, two, one!"
With a fierce tug, they both ripped, causing the paper to spilt in two with a sharp, satisfying shredding sound. Both girls cheered quietly and lobbed their separate pieces as far away from them as they could, which granted wasn't very far and watched as they fluttered down delicately to land beside their feet. The two friends sat there, side by side for a moment in silence, simply enjoying each other company before one of them felt the need to speak again.
"So, what happens now?" Elphaba looked at her blonde friend apprehensively. Galinda blinked at her dumbly for a few seconds before replying. "What do you mean?"
Elphaba in breathed deeply, fighting to remain in control, not eager to start on another around of embarrassing tears. "What do I do? Before I decided to chase the dream of working for the Wizard, my life held nothing for me, was nothing. My whole world revolted around caring for Nessa, just as I'd always done, the mostly certain outcome being that when her education was over, I'd go back home with her to the family mansion in Munchkinland where she'd become governor after our- I mean her father-"
Galinda caught the slight slip up there and noticed the way her lip trembled ever so slightly at the word, upon remembering that the man she'd lived with and favoured her sister over her was not in fact her actual father, the only visible indicator that it affected her in away, but choose wisely to stay quiet and let her finish.
"- and spent the rest of my life looking after her until whichever one of us died first. But then Madam Morrible told me for the first time in my life that I might actually be special and encouraged me to hope for else, something for myself and I was stupid enough to go along with it, allowing myself to plan, to DREAM!"
Elphaba spat the word out with disgust. He voice was rising steadily, self -loathing ringing in her finale statement. Galinda looked at her pityingly, feeling sorrow for her friends harrowing life and rage for the people who made it that way battling around inside her. She'd never in all the time they'd known each other had she seen her friend look so lost or forlorn as she did right now, staring at her, silently pleading her to provide an answer to make sense of everything. She voice was small and child-like when she spoke again.
"And now I find out that it was all for nothing, that the people I'd placed my faith in were not who they'd claimed to be and were just using me for their own ends, like everyone I'd ever known. I, I don't know what I'm supposed to do with myself now. I won't let myself fall back into the same trap I was in, but I don't want to go back to the way thing used to be before, I know its selfish but I just can't, not now that I know what I was missing by always being the way that I was! I just- I don't know!"
Galinda shushed her and wrapped an arm around her friends shoulder as the tear finally broke loose again and the other girl buried her face back against her knees to hide her shame. "It's okay, it's okay you'll be alright, you will, I promise!"
When Elphaba eventually managed to pull herself together, she lift her head form her own lap and slumped back against her friend, surprising them both at her willingness to be touched so closely, too tired to feel embarrassed anymore. Galinda took this as a good sign and decided to point the topic of conversation in a lighter direction. "So, what's going to happen now, is we're going to go back to our seats in a minute or so and watch the rest of this thingy we're being made to see, then we're going go back to our dorm and carry on exactly as we did before and you're gonna help me make myself over good enough to find a new date after I make it officially known that I'm back on the market again! It'll all be alright, you'll see!"
Elphaba couldn't hold back a snort despite herself. At Galinda confused glance, she explained. "You've been single, I'm presuming, for less than ten minutes and you're already planning your next relationship!"
Galinda's nose crinkled indignantly, but there was a slight shimmer of laughter in her eyes when she answered, nudging her lightly in a jest. "Well of COURSE! I'M Galinda Upland, of the Upper Uplands! It wouldn't be good for somebody of my standards to be seen single for too long! I imagine Fifi won't wait that long either!"
Elphaba smiled warmly, shaking her head slightly in amusement. "Please tell you two aren't going to try and turn this into some kind of contest between you!"
"No. We agreed to try and stay friends in the long run, and anyway, between you and me, I think he likes you." The casual smile that crossed her lips was tainted by her bemusement as she watched her friend suck in a sharp breath causing her to splutter, choking herself for a full couple of moments, checks darkening.
When Elphaba had finally collected herself, she looked at her friend with wide, owlish eyes, silently wondering if she'd misplaced her mind. Galinda blinked calmly back, amused by her friends reaction. Slowly, deliberately, she repeated herself. "I said, I think Fiyero might have a bit of a thing for you. I mean it's been made pretty clear that you like him- and don't try to deny it, we all heard you on that wall image thingy back there before Morrible gave you the envelope- so maybe you should try giving him a chance if he decides to ask you out any time soon?"
Elphaba continued to gawp at her in shock while she climbed back to her feet and brushed herself off, eyes the slight mark the dust form the floor left on her skirt in contempt. "Well I think we should probably go back in now, before the others start to miss us. If you think you're ready to go back in that is?"
Elphaba seemed to snap out of her stupor and nodded getting to her own feet and began brushing herself off. "Yes, just give me a minute or so to just…."
She hesitated, shrugging and gesturing to herself. Galinda took the hint and nodded, giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze before slipping her and out of the doors at the end of the corridor.
Fiyero heard her coming before he saw her and quickly shuffled several strides further away from where he'd come to stand just behind the semi-open door and lean causally against the wall, pretending that he hadn't to everything that had been said between the two girls. Galinda emerged and stopped two steps out, crossing her arms in front of her chest and giving him the dirtiest of glares he'd ever seen on appear on her face, as if could she just instantly see right through him and didn't approve of what he'd been doing.
He just smiled innocently at him, making her roll her eyes in a way that made him wonder Elphaba might have been rubbing off on her more than she realised. She trotted up to him and gave him a light tap of the shoulder. "She's all yours. I'll stay here and make sure no one barges in on you without warning WITHOUT listening in on you."
He shrugged sheepishly and gave her a gratefully look, moving towards the doors, stopping to take a deep breath before pushing his way forward, past them. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust before he immediately spotted the girl in question stood a little way up tugging her blouse down and straightening out her skirt, still clearly oblivious to his presents. He coughed lightly into his palm to get her attention, walk slowly towards her like one would a frightened animal. Her head shot straight up and her dark gaze locked onto his approaching form, her eyes widening. He fought back a smug smile as the more arrogant part of him was secretly pleased at being able to stir up such a reaction by simply being close to her.
"Fiyero, umm, err, what are you doing out here." This time he did smile, but only because the darkening of her checks that was slowly spreading during her clearly flustered state maybe her look strangely adorable in that unique way that was could only come from her.
"I saw you run out this way earlier after that weird moving image thing finished and wanted to make sure that you're alright, although it seem Galinda may have already beaten me to that bit." Elphaba gave him a shy smile and nodded, a little too quickly, genuinely touched by his concern for her but rather unsettled by being alone with him for the first time since they parted ways in the poppy field.
"Ah well, yes, thank-you, I'm fine, or I will be at least, after I've had some time to sort of think through it all. It's just been a lot to take in and I guess I just sort of panicked back there and needed to be get away for a minute to calm down."
She diverted her eyes, to watch her boots, only sneaking glance up at him every few seconds or so. He nodded, still smiling, watching her. "And I actually wanted to talk you to as well."
The panic that flashed across her face and way the her dark flush continued to spread as she babbled on blindly made her all the more appealing to him, in a strangely cute way that was something he never thought he'd ever associate with her. "Look if this is about w-what was shown after the whole Lion Cub thing, then well, it's just that, umm, well I mean, err…."
He still didn't stop smiling, secretly enjoying seeing her so rattled, if only because it didn't happen very often. "Partly yes, but not in the way you think I'm going to."
She blushed further, if it were possible and made to step around him. "Look, I was only going to say I don't mean anything by it, I mean it's nothing serious or that, probably just a c-crush, I'd rather just not talk about it, it p-probably pass-"
She stopped talking when he reached out, mostly on impulse, and grabbed her forearm to stop her from walking away, the sides of his fingers just touching past the edge of her sleeve, brushing against the soft skin of her wrist. He immediately felt a pulse of warm flood through him, similar to the strange feeling that he'd felt the first time they'd touched, slightly less intense but no less pleasant.
He paused to a second to allow himself to soak the feeling in, unlike he'd done the last time, before focusing on the face of the girl who was causing it. She too could felt the connection, that much was obvious going by the startled and puzzled expression on her face and the thought made him grin warmly. Carefully, as not to frighten her, he lightened his grip on her wrist and move his hand further over hers, trying to ignore the giddy feeling that crept through his gut as the warm feeling increased the more his skin came into contact with hers and laced his fingers through hers, taking a hold of her hand more firmly. She looked at him cautiously, clearly not understanding what he was doing or why, but not complaining none the less.
"This, was what I mostly wanted to talk to you about, for quite a while now actually. Pretty much since the first time it happened really."
When she gave him a quizzical look, he explained further. "Do you feel it? That same funny feeling that happened when you grabbed my hand back in that field. I know you did then I saw as much when it was showed earlier."
She tried to turn away but he wouldn't let her, gripping her other arm with his free hand, and pulling her ever so slightly closer to him, making her look away, her gaze focused on the wall off to the side them. She didn't answer him but her silence told him what he needed to know.
"Galinda put you up to this didn't she?" Her voice surprised him, making him blink dumbly at her for a moment before he regained his sense, mostly.
"No." She gave him a pointed glaze, looking at him clearly now.
"Sort of." He admitted sheepishly, as she pulled her arms free from him and took a step to the side to glare at him. Warily of setting off her temper, he couldn't help but add quickly, "But I wanted to come and would have done so anyway, but she insisted on seeing you first."
Her expression softened, slightly, encouraging him to take a step forward. Uncomfortable by their closeness, Elphaba took a step, making him take a one forward again. "I wanted to apologise for taking off like that back in the field, when we had that Lion Cub. It was rude and I shouldn't have done it, but I guess I was just scared."
Seeing her expression, he amended quickly. "Not of you, of course not, but of what you were doing, of the way you were talking to me, like you could see straight through me. I guess that you could, to instantly know me the way that you did and call me out on it."
Neither of them seemed to notice that they were both slowly moving back, towards the wall, him taking one step forward for each one she took backwards. He shook his head in disbelief, a small, awed smile slowly working its way onto his mouth. "Nobody has ever bother to look at me like that, not just at me but IN me, since I started acting the way I do, building my reputation, not even my own family. But YOU did, you saw right through and that, doubled with the feeling that happened when we touched terrified me. THAT was what made me bolt that not you, or at least not you personally anyway."
Elphaba froze as she felt the cold stone of the wall come into contact with her back through the fabric of her thin blouse, tensing as Fiyero continued to step forward, oblivious. She tried not to panic as he finally stopped so close to her that she could practically sense the heat of his body, barely half a foot away from her own. "You changed me that day, by making take another look at myself and what I was becoming by being the way that I was. That was the main reason that made me seek you out now, when you ran out."
She sighed, looking him in the eye, just wanting him to hurry up and get to the point so she could move away from him before she did something she would regret. "Why?"
Fiyero looked at the girl in front him, pinned against the wall, staring at him pleadingly and took in her form and sharp, unique features. She was rather tall for a girl, taller than most of the other girl's he'd been with, however briefly, including Galinda, nearly matching him in height, barley an inch or two shorter. She really was very pretty, he mused, in her own way. Her emerald skin seemed to take on a stunning gem-like quality in the dim, flicking lights of the corridor, her long, ebony hair shone as he stood close enough to feel the ends of it tickle his bare arms and he looked into her dark eyes, noting the rich brown colour, surrounding an inner ring of dazzling hazel and smiled gently. "So I could do this."
Without another word. He lifted a hand to press lightly on the bottom of her chin, making her till her head up slightly and lowered his mouth to hers. He barely had more than a moment to register the heart-stopping spark that went off at contact or to comprehend the feel of her soft, make-up free lips against his own, and the silk-like quality of her hair between his fingers as his hand travelled up from her chin and thread itself through her raven locks of its own accord while his other arm wrapped itself around her lower back when Galinda's risen voice sounded through the wooden doors, followed by an angry male shout.
The two parted just in time to hear a loud creak and the doors were forced open by an angry, red-faced Frex. The Governor spotted them, eye narrowing dangerously. Galinda's petite form slipped in behind him, looking flustered as he stormed towards them, murder flashing in his eyes. Fiyero moved protectively in front of Elphaba, remembering his rage at the older man, almost excited at the opportunity to physically expression his anger to him.
"YOU!" Frex bellowed, pointing one finger at Elphaba, over Fiyero's shoulder. His face twisted in a hideous manner, making him appear, in the minds of the people looking at him, every bit like the inner monster he was on the outside.
"YOU! HOW DARE YOU! IT'S BAD ENOUGH THAT YOUR SISTER HAS TO CONTEND WITH YOUR REGULAR MISBEHAVIOUR BUT TO DO WHAT WE JUST SAW YOU DO! TO DISGRACE US LIKE THAT!" His face was fast becoming purple from lack of oxygen and he had to stop for a moment to take a breath before continued, in a slightly lower voice, visibly shuddering with disgust.
"You truly ARE the abomination I first thought you were. You really are, a WICKED Witch!" That was the final straw for Fiyero, whose already limited patience had reached its limit and snapped. His feet moved of their own accord, taking a step forward, fists clenched ready to smash into the jaw of the man in front of him, when a small, gentle hand rested on the top of his forearm, drawing him to a careful halt.
Both other young teens looked at Elphaba in confusion as she delicately pulled Fiyero back and stepped out in front of him, up to the man until very recently everyone had thought her father, while the man in question glared at her through narrowed eyes, snake-like in their hate. The outward calm that she expressed baffled everyone else in the room though some hid it better than others. She looked the Governor straight in the eye, shoulders squared, and spoke with a steely determination in her voice that was almost a complete echo of the strength that her other-self had displayed in the images shown the them, mere minutes before.
"No. No I am not. I'm not what you say I am, what you and others have always told me I am and I never was. I can see that now, finally." Though Frex would never, ever admit it to anyone, not even himself, but the dark, bold look in the green girl's eyes as she looked at him, so much like her mother's gaze when she had done the same since they met again for the first time since she'd died, had fearful shivers lapping coldly along the base of his spine.
"And I'm not going to let you talk to me like that anymore. Yes I love my sister, and I will still be glad to help her when and where I can but I am not going to be her carer anymore. I need to live my own life for myself now, even if it mean I can't do it at home, in Munchkinland anymore then so be it."
The whole room froze with baited breath, for the man's reaction at being spoken to so blatantly. The Governor himself was frozen with shock before a minute before it wore off and he smirked down at the green oddity before him. "Very well then. Consider yourself on your own and nothing more to us. I hope for your sake our paths never cross again, for your sake, Bastard!"
He spat the last word out like it was poison and turned to walked away when a light voice stopped him. "Frex?"
He spun to face Elphaba again when an emerald fist smashed into the side of his face sending him sprawling. Without another word, she coolly stepped over him and made her way to join Glinda, while the gawped at her friend in astonishment, her expression mirrored by the boy opposite. An enraged growl crept out of the throat of the man on floor and he struggled back to his feet, just about through with being humiliated and beaten by women all of things! Fiyero noticed this and quickly hurried forward to restrain the man before he could get to the girls while Galinda pushed herself in front of Elphie protectively. A snigger, followed by a calm voice made them all freeze in their tracks and turn towards the doors to see one of their hostesses leant against the wood, eyeing them with amusement.
Frost stepped towards the baffled people, waving one glowing hand at the Governor, who immediately became encased by the same, dark light and was lifted to his feet then restrained by invisible hands. "I believe it's time to everybody to get back to their seats, we're ready to start again. Asshole's first."
She realised him from and stepped to the side, coming to stand beside Elphaba and Galinda, who were both far too confused and over-stimulated to feel bothered by the closeness of her presence while Frex stumbled past them, glaring all the way and slipped out the doors, just missing the sarcastic wave that Frost sent his way as he disappeared.
As soon as he'd gone, she turned to face the rest of her audience and gave them a simple nod. "Don't take too long." With that she too, simply swaggered away and vanished through the doors, leaving the young students alone.
Elphaba sagged against Galinda as the events of the last few minutes finally sunk in. Her friend struggled to support her, until Fiyero came over and lifted Elphaba's other arm around his shoulder, and lifted all her weight onto him. She barely noticed as she practically collapsed against him, his hand grasping her wrist to keep her holding onto him, while his other arm wrapped around her midriff, holding her against him. Her head lolled against his shoulder of its own accord something Galinda found surprisingly easy to ignore as her focused of her friend's distress instead.
"Please tell me I didn't really just do that. That I didn't really just disown myself." She muttered against the fabric of Fiyero's shirt, almost absent mindedly. His chuckled sounded in her ear and vibrated against her, making her feel warm in a way that have caused her to squirm and blush furiously in any other circumstance. Instead it was the wake-up she needed.
"Would it make you feel better if I said no?" He joked as she pushed off of him, full-blown panic taking over her features now.
"Sweet Oz! What have I done? W-what I am going to do! I'll never be able to stay at Shiz, not on my own and I'll have to find somewhere to go and, and-" Galinda stepped in to cut her off before she worked herself into a frenzy and Fiyero quickly draped an arm over her shoulders as much to stop her from pacing as to provide a comforting gesture.
"Elphie! Calm down, you're going to be alight, I promise, me and Fiyero will make sure of it. We'll help you, all of us. I promise you, it'll all be alright. Let's just not deal with it right now, I don't think the people that brought us here will be happy if we keep them waiting."
Elphaba nodded, taking reassurance in her friend's logic, and stood up straight, shrugging off Fiyero's arm and avoiding his eye as the memory of what they'd been doing before her fa- before the Governor burst in, unaware of the colour spreading across her checks. Galinda noticed it along with the intense stare Fiyero was fixing on her an found herself wondering exactly what had they been in the middle of when interrupted before deciding she'd actually rather not know. With a slight nod from her friend, Galinda turned and lead the way out of the corridor, the other two on her heels and the group squeezed through the doors, which mysteriously swung shut its own behind them, making them all jump and headed back to their seats.
They were surprised, when they got there to find that their private line had been completely moved around, making room for several other seats that had been added to the now, circular, crescent-shaped row with another, smaller line of seats place just inside the odd, half-shaped row. These new seats weren't empty either, several, somewhat strange looking people and Animals now joining their little group. Melena looked up and waved at them from her new place next to Nessa who was on the curved end, looking uncomfortable while her mother beamed at the returning trio.
The seat next to her was occupied by one of the new comers, a girl with long black hair, the ends of which were coloured the same bizarre emerald green of Elphaba's skin with a scarlet streak going through her fringe, and dressed in simple coloured, worn looking clothing. The two seats beside her were taken by two others, a boy and a girl, the former of which appeared to be around the same age as the girl beside him, the other girl a couple of years younger perhaps, both rather better dressed, golden haired and green eyed and enough similarities that they couldn't be anything other than siblings. The next three seats beside them were empty, presumably left for the three young students who were just returning now. Doctor Dillamound was in the next seat, Boq beside him, a Wolf on his other side, marking the other end of the curved row. The smaller row wedged inside the half circle in front of them was put in a straight line, it too filled with people, this time all strangers, mostly Animals.
A small, very young looking Cheetah sat on the end closest to Nessa and Melena, next to another, dark skinned boy around the same age as the other human strangers, with a young Snow Leopard on his left, another young Cheetah, at least a few years older than the other sitting next to her. A young Lioness took the final seat beside her, close to the Wolf and Boq. Elphaba stopped with Galinda and Fiyero, all three of them taking in the new seating arrangements and people with confusion. Sorrow floated up behind them, making them jump when she spoke.
"I know the new arrangements come as a bit of a surprise but trust me, there is method in the madness. These people are important to the rest of the prediction too, and we thought it might be easier to keep an eye on you all if you're sat together. Now they might be a little bit different from you, seeing as their not actually form the same time-line as you, but I'm sure you'll all get along in the end."
At they're still baffled expressions, she explained further, holding back a sigh. "The new people that I've added to your private row were moved from further up, near the front. We've moved them down there because it makes easier from us to watch you all together rather than have to split up to be at two different places at once. They're a lot like you, important to this story for reason you'll find out about later on. The only difference between them as you is we didn't take from the same time as we did you. These people were taken from nearly twenty five years into your future."
The astonished expressions on their faces told that enough of what she'd said had been understood at least. Sigh another sigh she shooed them back towards their seats, with a wave of her hand. Once they were seated, she turned her attention to the whole row, coughing lightly to gain theirs. "Now before we go any further I think it might a good idea for you guys to trade introductions. Now I know everybody already knows who the people that were here first are, but how about we get the names of the people we moved up here?"
All was silent for a moment before the girl beside Melena spoke up. "Tor. Sorry, Toralei."
She looked around, somewhat nervously, as though wondering if she'd spoken right, but after another second, the other new-comers echoed her, encouraged by her starting things. The ones beside her continued it.
"Thanos." The blonde boy. "Anya." The blonde girl. Cynthia." The younger Cheetah. "Chizz." The dark skinned boy. "Selena." Snow Leopard. "Bambi." Older Cheetah. "Luna." Lioness. "Toulouse." Wolf.
Sorrow smiled before gliding away to join the rest of her cohorts near the back. She clapped once, to gain the rest of the room's attention. "I believe it's time for us to begin again."
With that, in a surge of de'ja vu, she clicked her fingers and the wall at the front of them room darkened again as all attention focused on it and its swirling images that began to clear themselves….
So that the first half-time break done with, there should be about two more before the end. Cheer's to everyone who helped me fill out this chapter by giving me ideas. Back to normal now (hopefully), so that means weekly updates and POV's at the end of each. I will be taking an extra week before I begin the next chapter, to go back over all my previous chapters and edit them. As many of you have pointed out to me and as I've noticed myself as I've gone back an re-read the my work, there are several spelling and punctuation mistakes, missing lines and even verses in several different places that need fixing so I'll be taking a little time to go back and rectify them before I write any more but otherwise all should be going completely back to plan. Up next is "Thank-Goodness". I've tried to give you several new or less-used POV's for this one, so let me know who's it gonna be this time! The quicker, I know the more time I have to write the chapter and make it as long as possible. First name to get three votes gets the chapter. So, will it be….
Vanessa (The Queen/Fiyero's mother)
Doctor Dillamound
Madam Morrible
Frex (The Governor)