Thank you Sweet Lunacy and James Birdsong for all of your reviews lately. They make me so happy.

I'm glad you guys like my story and hopefully I'll continue all the way 'til the end. :)

-Essence

Chapter 21

Bolynda screamed as the guard unceremoniously threw her into the prison cell and unto the floor, locking it behind her. The woman groaned as she closed her eyes, her blue cheek resting on the cold, stone floor.

"Sweet Oz."

The voice made her head snap up. A man was standing over her, his startling green eyes wide open in his surprise.

Bolynda bared her teeth in a feral-like snarl. "What are you staring at?" she spat at him.

The man shook his head. "And to think I've seen it all," he breathed. "Do you need help getting up, miss?"

"I can manage," Bolynda huffed as she shakily stood up, brushing the dirt off her black skirt and black tank top.

The man continued to stare as Bolynda fixed her messy, cropped hair. She froze as she suddenly realized something.

Why wasn't she reading this man's mind?

Usually she could read anyone's mind (with an exception from the Great Witch back in the land of Zo). Bolynda was greatly disturbed by this. She looked around, figuring this cell must be magic-proofed or something, for she couldn't even feel her usual magic in her now unshackled hands.

The blue-skinned girl turned to face the man, giving him an odd look. "Who are you?" she asked him.

The man blinked. "I could ask you the same thing."

Bolynda crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Bolynda."

The man copied her action, this time increasing the effect by narrowing his green eyes. "Razaf."

Bolynda stared at the man named Razaf for a few minutes, her eyes taking in his every physical feature. He had short, sandy brown hair and a chiseled jaw-line, giving him a tough, ragged look. But the feature that caught her attention was his eyes. They were the most brilliant shade of green.

Razaf was muscularly built and if Bolynda tilted her head to the left just a bit she could see the numerous scars lining his arms and hands, telling her that he was probably used to a hard, rugged life.

For once in her life, Bolynda felt self-conscious. What did she look like to him? Was her hair fine? Was she wearing too much or…

"So…"

His deep voice interrupted her rapid-fire thoughts.

"Bolynda, huh?"

The blue-skinned girl nodded.

Razaf looked as uncomfortable as she was. "That's an…uh, unusual name."

Bolynda chuckled. "I've never liked it. Some people call me Bo, though."

"Can I call you Bo?" Razaf then wanted to take back his words as soon as they left his mouth. How more awkward can he be?

Bolynda blinked at him.

Razaf wrung his hands together, clearly embarrassed. "Uh, that is…if you don't mind…"

"Knock yourself out," Bolynda told him. She then sighed as she looked at the cell door. "It looks like I'm going to be in here for a while anyways."

"What did you do to get stuck in here with me?" Razaf asked her, obviously intrigued by the strange, blue-skinned girl in front of him.

Bolynda shrugged. "I still don't know. What are you in for?"

"Trying to kill the Emperor."

"Oh," Bolynda chuckled nervously. "Nothing big."

Razaf laughed for the first time in months.

"So…is this Emperor some sort of ruler here?"

Razaf then looked like her as if she had just dropped from outer space. "You…you don't know who the Emperor is?"

Bolynda shook her head. "I'm kinda…not from here exactly."

Razaf raised a brow in his bewilderment. "What? Then where are you from?"

"I'm from Zo."

Razaf shook his head, not believe what he was hearing. Maybe there was a reason this girl was in prison, not just because she was…well, blue. "Excuse me?"

"Z-o," she drew out the one-syllable word as slow as she could.

"Don't you mean Oz?"

"No, Zo."

Razaf blinked, his green eyes glittering with confusion. "I've never heard of this…Zo."

"Figures," Bolynda sighed, sitting on the ground and leaning against the wall behind her. "I've never heard of Oz before my mother told me."

"Your mother?"

"Yes, the Great-" Bolynda abruptly stopped.

Razaf wouldn't know what I'm talking about, she thought. He didn't even know about Zo!

"Okay, let's make a deal," she told the clearly confused man. "You tell me about Oz, and I'll tell you about Zo. Sounds good?" She patted the ground next to her, inviting him to sit down next to her.

Razaf scratched his head as he looked down at the blue-skinned woman, visibly conflicted. Bolynda noticed this and smiled reassuringly.

He's so cute when he's confused, she thought coyly.

"C'mon, I don't bite," Bolynda told him. "And don't worry; my blue skin is not contagious."

Razaf still looked unsure as he sat opposite of Bolynda, despite the woman's offering to sit next to her. She suppressed a pout of disappointment as he leaned back against the wall behind him. He stared at her, his electrifying green eyes boring into her light blue ones, making the usually confident girl a little uncomfortable.

"If you don't mind me asking-"

"I was born with it," Bolynda said quickly, knowing this was coming as soon as she had realized there was another person with her in the cell. "Don't ask me why or how. I don't know."

Razaf nodded, his curiosity satisfied…for now.

"Alright, tell me about this Zo you talk about," the man said. "I'm intrigued."

"Uh-uh-uh." Bolynda shook her finger at him. "You must promise me to tell me about Oz."

"Okay." Razaf seemed a little impatient. "I'll tell you about Oz."

Bolynda crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Promise?"

Razaf rolled his eyes. It was just his luck to get stuck with a teenage girl acting like a five-year-old with blue skin nonetheless. But then again, luck hasn't been on his side lately. With a sigh, he nodded.

"I promise."

Bolynda gave him a grin. "Alright. I suggest you relax, Razaf. We're going be a while in here."

Razaf blinked at Bolynda's apparent cluelessness.

Yeah, he thought venomously. If you count another three years to be a while in your world, Miss Bolynda.

***

"Who are you?"

Melena barely registered the woman's repeated question.

Mother Ethel's eyes opened wide and her breathing became fast and shallow. "What have you done to the girls? What have you done to them?"

Melena shook her head as the woman stepped closer to her.

"I-I swear if you harmed them in any way-"

Melena backed away as Mother Ethel looked around for some sort of weapon. All she found was a wooden ladle on the kitchen counter. It was better than nothing.

She raised it threateningly over her head as she warily approached Melena.

"Get out! Get out of this house right now!"

Melena didn't want to harm the older woman, but she contemplated using a Sleeping Spell on her to temporarily knock her out.

She probably thinks I'm a burglar or something by the way I'm dressed, Melena thought, glancing at her all-black attire. I might as well act the part rather than risk being discovered.

"Okay, lady," Melena said in her most sleazy tone of voice as she raised her hands over her head in a surrender position. "I'm just gonna get out of here before-"

Mother Ethel pointed the spoon accusingly at Melena's direction. "Where's Elphaba and Glinda?"

"Who?"

Mother Ethel blinked, realizing she had just told this burglar woman that Glinda was alive. She doubted she knew who Elphaba was, but Glinda…

"Forget I even said that!" Mother Ethel said quickly. "Where are the people who live in this house?"

"Look, lady, I have no idea who you're talking about. Just let me go and nobody gets hurt."

Mother Ethel quickly examined Melena, not seeing any form of weapon in her possession. But who knows these days…

"Okay, I'll let you go," Mother Ethel growled. "But don't you dare step into this house again or you'll regret it, you low-life!" She figured a threat would suffice for now.

Melena nodded, knowing she wasn't really looking for any trouble than she had already caused. "Thank you, m'lady-"

"Get out NOW!"

Me and my stupid mouth! Melena thought angrily as she ran past the woman, through the open door and into the desert of Winkie Country.

***

Elphaba kept Glinda close to her side as they approached the palace's massive front doors. To both the girls' dismay, the red-bearded doorman was there.

"Shit," cursed Elphaba under her breath.

"Wait a second," Glinda whispered, peering closer to the eerily familiar man. "I think he's asleep."

Elphaba took a moment to confirm this and nodded when she did. The doorman's eyelids were closed shut and mouth slightly agape as he slept, his snores echoing through the vast hall.

They didn't waste any time tip-toeing around the doorman and opening the door.

It gave a loud creak, making both the girls freeze as they watched the doorman for any response.

Elphaba breathed a sigh of relief as the man just gave a louder snore and mumbled something incoherent. He was still asleep.

"It still scares me how much looks like the doorman back in Oz," Glinda whispered to Elphaba.

Elphaba nodded her agreement.

"Yeah. Let's go."

The green woman grabbed Glinda's arm and together they slipped out of the door and into the dawn, unaware of the faint smile that graced the doorman's lips as they left.

***

"What?!"

"Sire, it is true. I've seen her with my own eyes!"

Fiyero blinked in surprise. This was some wake-up call. He sat up on his bed, rubbing his eyes with the backs of his hands. The guard in front of him wrung his hands nervously as he waited for the Emperor to respond to his news.

"You wake me up to tell me that my militia captured a blue woman in Munchkinland? How is that even possible?"

"It is very possible, sire."

Fiyero sat there for a moment, letting this new information sink in. This was one of his most trusted soldiers and he wasn't known for lying. He stared at him, a brow raised.

"Are you sure you're not pulling my leg, corporal?" Fiyero asked him.

"There is no leg pulling going on here, sire," Vancor replied truthfully.

Fiyero then felt his throat go dry. "And she's…blue?"

"As blue as the sea, sire."

"I don't believe this," the Emperor mumbled, staring down at his hands.

"Sire," Corporal Vancor said. "We will have a carriage waiting at the Emerald City front gates for you when you are ready to go see her for yourself."

"See her myself?" Fiyero asked him, looking up at the guard again.

Vancor was confused. "Sire, didn't you want…?"

"Bring her to me, corporal!"

Vancor blinked at him, and then nodded.

"Very well, sire."

Without another word, the corporal left Fiyero's bedroom.

The dark-skinned man let out a sigh as soon as Vancor left, shaking his head.

"I don't believe this."

He then looked at the blue tattoos etched on his hands, then at the rows of tiny ones on his muscular legs.

"I don't fucking believe this."

***

"Where did they go?" Frynda asked Zafryna.

The yellow-skinned woman gulped. "I-I'm not sure."

Frynda silently cursed herself for letting Zafryna keep her from checking on them sooner. She backed away from the door and glared at her sister.

"They're probably downstairs," Zafryna told the obviously angry girl.

"They better be," Frynda growled as she whirled around and made her way to the end of the hall, Zafryna following close behind.

Frynda descended the stairs two steps at a time. When she reached the bottom, she took off to the direction of the palace's massive living room, with Zafryna huffing behind her. The red woman rushed over to the fireplace where she rolled up the sleeves of her robe and placed her hands in the fire, the flames brushing her fingers harmlessly.

"Nobody has traveled through here but me or mother," Frynda breathed in relief as she took her hands out of the fire. "That means they're still here somewhere."

Zafryna stared at her sister in awe. She still didn't know how her sister could read fire like an open book, but she was glad that she could.

Frynda caught her staring at her. "What are you looking at me for? We have to find them!"

Zafryna shook her head. "Yes! Of course! I'm sorry."

Frynda rolled her eyes and grabbed her sister's arm.

"Ouch!"

Zafryna pulled back from Frynda's grip, a burning sensation shooting up her arms like wildfire.

Frynda opened her eyes wide as she realized her mistake. "Oh, I'm sorry!"

Zafryna hissed as she rubbed her burned arm furiously, trying to get rid of the tingling. "How many times have I told you not to touch anything after you do that?!"

"I'm sorry!"

Frynda looked like she was on the verge of tears.

Zafryna bit her lip and stopped her rubbing. "It's okay," she said shakily, knowing Frynda's crying will not help them at all now. They needed to find Elphaba and Glinda. "Just don't do it again."

Frynda nodded shakily, wiping away the tears with the back of her hand. She tried to ignore the scorch mark her hand had left on Zafryna's yellowish skin as the girls continued to look around for their green sister and her girlfriend.

Zafryna knew Frynda didn't mean to hurt her, but she had been reminded time and time again that not only can the red woman touch fire without getting harmed; she could also conduct it like electricity to metal, burning anything she touched within a ten-minute period. All of the sisters knew this too well.

"What is this?"

Frynda's question snapped the older woman out of her reverie. "Hm?"

"C'mere, Zaf. Look at what I found."

Zafryna looked over to her sister. She was standing by the doors to the Throne Room. She then walked over to a chair Frynda was pointing at. She looked at the seat and saw a napkin with writing on it.

"Read it to me; I'm afraid of burning it," Frynda told her a bit sadly, looking at her red hands.

Zafryna nodded and picked it up. She read the first line and frowned.

"It's from Elphaba to Melena."

Frynda raised her brows. "Oh?"

"Dearest, darlingest Momsie," Zafryna started to read and cast a wondering glance at Frynda, who shrugged in response.

"Thank you for saving my life. I'm not sure how you did it, but I'm glad you did. Oh, I'm kind of in a hurry now, trying to escape from your palace. Don't go looking for us. You'll be wasting your time. I happen to be very good this hiding thing thanks to past experience.

P.S: You're not my mother. The only mother I knew left me fifteen years ago.

-Elphaba"

Zafryna stared wide-eyed at the napkin, not believing what she had just read.

"They already left," Frynda whispered, her hands trembling.

Zafryna gritted her teeth and crumbled the napkin in her hands. "We have to go after them."