People have guessed that Idina is Elphaba, or that she's Nessa. Let's see who's right.

Idina sighed again and gripped the sides of her hood. She lowered it slowly, letting her dark hair fall down onto her shoulders.

And Galinda couldn't help but gasp.

The same dark hair… the same sharp dark chocolate eyes… a face that wasn't as hawk-like as Galinda had remembered…

And skin that was just as pale as Galinda's own.

The blonde felt as though she had been punched in the stomach. "You… you're not Elphaba."

"No. I'm sorry. This is what I tried to tell you," Idina said sadly.

"But… but you… you knew things only she knew… you said things only she said…"

"I used to fight under Elphaba. She was my mentor. She managed to get me out of the club before I got killed. When I found out she had been killed… I took her place watching over you."

Galinda just kept shaking her head. She couldn't take her gaze off of the woman standing in front of her.

"No… no, no, no…"

"Galinda, I'm sorry, but Elphaba really is… dead."

"No! How could you do this to me?"

"I'm sorry, Galinda, but it's the truth. I'm not Elphaba. She took her own life after she killed Nessa. She isn't coming back."

Galinda grabbed her head and fell to her knees as her world came crashing down. Idina wasn't Elphaba… she kept saying that Elphaba really was dead, that she wasn't coming back. That meant that all this time… Galinda had been waiting for nothing.

She felt Idina's hands on her shoulders, but she jerked away. "Get away from me! This whole time, you lied to me! And I trusted you!"

"I never lied! You thought I was Elphaba, and I kept trying to tell you that I wasn't!"

"You should have let me see your face the first time we met!"

"If I had done that, would you have trusted me as easily as you did when you thought I was Elphaba?"

Galinda looked up at Idina, and knew that she was right. She trusted Elphaba with her life; she had thought Idina was Elphaba, and had immediately put her trust in her. However, Galinda was too angry and distraught to admit this.

"Galinda, I know this must be devastating, but you can't give up hope. We will get through this," Idina said. Galinda glared up at her.

"Hope? You don't want me to give up hope? Hope is what makes people weak! I see that now. I had hoped that Elphaba and I would get to be together, and look where it has gotten us!"

Idina grabbed Galinda's shoulders tightly.

"Hope is what makes us strong! It is what we fight with when all else is lost."

"Just leave me alone. Don't come back, Idina," the blonde said coldly. Idina nodded and released Galinda, standing up.

"I can see it's going to take you some time to accept the truth. I'll give you time to yourself."

Idina disappeared in her usual cloud of smoke, leaving the blonde to break down into tears by herself.

As Idina returned to Munchkinland, she found that the city had been ravaged. She made her way to what remained of the Thropp residence and saw a lone figure standing in front of the ruin.

"Well?"

"She knows," Idina replied, coming up beside the green witch and lowering her hood. Elphaba nodded.

"What did you tell her?"

"That you were dead."

"Do you think she's convinced?"

Idina sighed. "I don't know, Elphaba. She's pretty broken up."

Elphaba nodded again and Idina looked at her.

"Elphaba… did you ever think you made a mistake doing this?" she asked.

The green woman kept her gaze down.

She had had a taste of this new power… and it scared her. Elphaba sat on her bed as she thought about what to do. She could reject it, but that was becoming increasingly dangerous. Besides, this power seemed to be far more powerful than anything Morrible had. But, the feeling Elphaba experienced when she used it… she felt so… empty. As if a great void was trying to swallow her up.

I can't lose what little I have of myself.

She pulled a folded piece of paper out of her pocket; a page she had ripped from the Grimmerie. And she started to read. As she did, she felt as though someone was trying to rip her heart from her chest. A hand flew to her chest, but she didn't stop reading the ancient language. She knew she could be killing herself, but that would hardly be a shame, would it?

Elphaba grunted in pain as a single stream of light came from her heart and hit the floor. Elphaba fell to her knees, panting, and found herself staring at a pair of black boots. She looked up and saw a cloaked woman standing over her.

"Watch over Galinda. Make sure nothing happens to her. And as far as she's concerned… I took my own life."

"If I did, it's a mistake I'll have to live with," Elphaba replied. She turned and started to walk away.

"Don't you think it's time to restore your heart?" Idina asked. Elphaba paused and looked over her shoulder.

"Look inside of me, Idina. There's no room for you."

There was the sudden sound of pounding hooves. Both girls looked up.

"Fiyero," Idina said. She looked at Elphaba. "You go. I'll take care of him."

The green woman didn't move, and Idina sensed a change had come over her. "Elphaba?"

"I'm going to kill this bastard once and for all."

"No! I can handle him; your focus is Morrible!"

Idina looked back at Elphaba. "You don't have much time left. Don't waste it on him."

Elphaba nodded before she fled. Idina pulled up her hood and turned back just as Fiyero stopped in front of her.

"You are alone. Have your men turned on you?" Idina asked.

"I have orders to bring you to Madame Morrible," the scarecrow growled. Idina could tell he wasn't happy about it.

"I see. This is business, then. Well, come on. Let's get this over with."

Morrible heard the palace doors open, and approaching footsteps. She turned her attention forward as Fiyero threw a hooded figure at her feet.

"I hope you're satisfied. This one didn't come quietly," Fiyero said, crossing his arms.

"I didn't expect her to. Now, let's see who's under the hood."

Fiyero grabbed her hood and pulled it back, revealing Idina's face. Morrible's eyes narrowed.

"She is not Elphaba Thropp," Morrible said. She looked at Idina closer.

I can't sense any evil in her at all. She seems to be purely good… filled with light. How can this be? No heart is completely void of darkness.

Idina stirred and stood up, her gaze falling on Morrible.

"What are you?" Morrible asked.

"That's very rude. I am obviously a person," Idina replied.

"How can your heart be only goodness? How is it that no darkness can touch you?"

Idina shrugged. "I'm lucky, I guess."

Morrible stared at Idina. Elphaba had been filled with nothingness… and a void had taken over her heart. It suddenly clicked, and Morrible started laughing.

"I see. Our Elphaba is a clever girl, isn't she?" Morrible said. "She knew the darkness would eventually take over, and she wanted to preserve what little light she had left. That's what you are. You're the light from her heart, taken on a human form so that she could protect it from the darkness." Morrible looked at her, her eyes glistening. "You're not even a real person, are you?"

"I'm real enough to do this!" Idina shouted, throwing several knives at Morrible. However, they seemed to hit an invisible wall just before reaching Morrible, and fell to the ground. Idina took a step back.

"What happens when you are killed, hmm? Elphaba can't want you back that badly, or else she would have reunited with you by now."

"You can't kill me," Idina said.

"No, I can't. But I can infect you with darkness."

As the darkness came towards Idina, a white force field surrounded her, purifying the darkness.

"Have you forgotten? I am made of pure light. The darkness cannot touch me," Idina said. "You cannot win this fight."

"We will see… I'm sure Miss Elphaba will want you back sometime. And when she does, she'll know just where to find you."

Galinda wasn't sure how she was ever going to put herself back together. Everything she thought she knew was wrong. Idina was not Elphaba, and Elphaba was… Galinda couldn't even bring herself to think it. It was too horrible. The thought of her Elphaba really being gone terrified her, and found herself wishing that she had never seen Idina's real identity. Idina had tried to warn her; why hadn't she listened?

Because I had to know. I had to know if Elphaba was still out there, watching over me… like she promised.

Galinda knew that even though the truth hurt, it was better for her to know than to keep pretending that Elphaba was still alive, and that they were going to finally be together.

Because we're not. Elphaba and I are never going to be together… and all the hope in the world can't change that.

Elphaba could sense that something was wrong. Though Idina was outside of her body, Elphaba still had a connection with her, and she could tell that Idina was in danger. If Idina was in danger, then so was Elphaba's heart.

Morrible.

Of course. She had Idina imprisoned, and Elphaba could feel Idina getting weaker.

Morrible is trying to taint her with darkness! I can't let that happen!

But now Elphaba was torn. Going back to the palace meant risking her life, and Idina purity. It also meant abandoning Galinda.

But she thinks I'm dead. And that will keep her safe.

Yet a small part of Elphaba told her that this had to end, that she had to let Galinda know she was still alive.

No! Not until I can get this… void under control. As long as it still runs my heart, she's in danger. There's no telling what I could do to her.

So, the decision seemed to be made for her. She had to go back to the Emerald City, and take on Morrible in a fight to reclaim the person she had lost.

I may lose myself along the way, but it's better to die trying than to have never taken a stand at all.

Well, it looks like Idina was Elphaba… in a sense. Tell me, what did you think about that?