The room around her was cold and dark. She approached the crystal. It was completely black and transparent. Elphaba felt the magic coming from it. She had to stop herself from vomiting it made her feel so ill.
"You really shouldn't be here." Elphaba turned to see a woman. she wore a mask, it was pure black and had dragons carved into its side.
"Have you been the one doing all this? did you kill Alma Crutch? Did you try to kill the Vinkus Queen and her child?" Elphaba asked. The woman laughed and to Elphaba it seemed a familiar sound.
"No I'm afraid not. I'd describe myself as a passive bystander in all this." The woman said.
"There is no such thing. Doing nothing will speak more of the side you fall on, then doing anything at all." Elphaba said.
"Maybe, maybe not. Do you know what this crystal will do, if it's left to it's own devices?" The woman went.
"No, I'm afraid I'm not versed in this kind of magic."
"No, you wouldn't be. This is old magic, the only person I might know who would recognized besides myself is Glinda, and maybe Elphaba."
"Elphaba?" It certainly wasn't her. No it had to be someone else.
"Yes, you might know her better as the Wicked Witch of the West." The woman looked at the crystal. The light gave Elphaba a better look at her face, she was an older woman with greeting hair. Something seemed so familiar about her.
"She's dead."
"No, she gone. Left Oz, faked her death and ran away. But that's not the point. Don't you want to know what the crystal will do, Elphaba?" The woman knew her name. How? she had hidden herself well, currently she had her black hair and green eyes and wore a masked that left so much to the imagination it was laughable. There was a choice though. Elphaba could pursue what the Crystal did or who this woman was.
"Yes, I suppose that would be nice." Elphaba choose the crystal.
"It's been saving up energy for a year, and when it reached a critical point, where it can't take anymore magic, it will explode, and leave the city, maybe even the whole of the Emerald Territory in ruin." The woman said.
"Can you stop it?" Elphaba said, a look of terror in her eyes.
"Years ago, maybe. I'm not strong enough anymore."
"There must be something you can do? You know this magic."
"Me, no. But you. You could stop it. You'd need my help of course."
"Me... what could I do?" Elphaba felt the woman's magic. It was miles and years beyond her own. If this woman wasn't strong enough Elphaba certainly wasn't.
"Rain, that silly witch. Never knew how to deal with true magic. She locked you away Elphaba. I can open you up. I can't promise you'd survive, you barely did the first time. They'll die if you do nothing though, so I need a choice. What are you going to do, Elphaba? Nothing?" Elphaba had very little idea what she was talking about. All she knew was she felt the magic in the ball growing.
"Fine, do whatever you have to." Elphaba was practically crying. "Just don't let them die."
"Oh Elphaba, how selfless. You don't even think to value your life above theirs, do you?" She moved forward. Her hand moved to Elphaba's collar bone and drifted to her heart. "That just because you haven't seen the true value yet."
She pushed harshly. White mist surrounded her hand as it pushed into Elphaba's skin. She fell to the ground. The woman seemed to disappear into thin air. Elphaba was rushed with a feeling of magic from all over Oz, she saw the party guests above, the farmers in Munchkinland, the endless miles of cornrows, the mines in the Quadling country, the bright crystal cities in the Gilkin country, and the carnival with the dragon clock. It was all so much she could barely focus. It was like she was connected to all of Oz, like it was flowing through her.
"Elphaba? Fae? Fae, where are you?" It was Fiyero. His voice calmed her thoughts. And for a minute all she saw, all she felt was him. The warmness his soul emitted.
Then she felt the power of the crystal.
It was reaching a climax. She didn't know what to do. She didn't know any spells that could stop it. She reached out to it from the ground, saying the only word she could think of.
"Stop."
And everything did. For an amazing moment everything stopped. Then a flash of light appeared.
"Fae!" Elphaba heard a scream.
All she felt was pain. Like the night in the river. Horrendous pain that spread through her body until she couldn't feel anything at all. Until her thoughts subsided into darkness.
Elphaba woke up in a unfamiliar room. She was drowsy and didn't completely comprehend what was happening. The only thing she really comprehended was that a toddler was staring at her.
"Hi." The little girl giggled.
"Hey" Elphaba said back.
"Illy, your not suppose to be in here, come-" a girl stood at the door, she seemed about Elphaba's age. She was a truly beautiful person. She had high cheek bones, Beautiful green eyes, and long black hair. Elphaba went to yank up the blanket but realized she was wearing long sleeves so she didn't bother.
"I didn't know you were awake." She seemed slightly sad at this fact.
"Well I wasn't to a second ago." Elphaba stopped for a second. "I'm sorry where am I?"
"Just...just wait a minute, okay." The girl said. "Just, don't... don't go anywhere." She closed the door, leaving Elphaba extremely confused. She stretched her legs and arms. She laid her head on the pillows. The must've been feather as they were extremely luxurious. Then she heard the door open. She turned to see Fiyero.
"Fae. Lurine, Fae." He looked like he'd been through a war. He had lost weight but somehow seemed to gain muscle mass. His eyes were sunken and had bags under them. He seemed to have a scruff growing on his chin, his clothes looked worse, as if he hadn't changed them in days. He ran to the side of the bed. He grabbed her head and kissed her roughly, as if he needed the kiss as much as he needed air. When he finally stopped, he rested his head in the crook of her neck.
"I thought I'd lost you, Fae. I thought you were gone." There were tears in his eyes. She stroked his hair. Comforting what seemed like an inconsolable man.
"Yero, what happened?" She asked. Completely confused.
"I'd ask you the same thing. I went looking for you, and all the sudden there was a flash of light, I saw you spamming on the floor. Eventually you stopped. But you wouldn't wake up." She could hear his breath. She leaned back into the bed. Staring him in the eyes.
"I... there was a woman there. The crystal is was going to explode, it was going to hurt so many people. I didn't know what to do. I... it felt like all the energy of Oz was going into me all at once. Then there was just pain. Just horrible vivid pain." She told him. She once again looked around. "Where are we?"
"Home, the Vinkus. You're in my family's castle."
"What? It would've taken at least a day's travel. I mean, why bring me here?"
"Fae, you were out for three months. I brought you here cause the family doctor is discreet and I know you didn't want anybody to know you're a witch. I mean I had to tell my parents." He said.
"What? Three months? I was out for three months?"
"Yeah, about." Suddenly Elphaba realized his appearance. It was all her fault. He was in this state because he loved her and he thought he lost her.
"Are you able to stand? Cause dinner is in twenty minutes." He said. Snapping her out of her thoughts. She tested his questioned by getting out of bed. Her legs were a little shaky but yes, she could stand.
"Counter question, can you clean yourself up before then? In fact, I think we both could use a shower." She said, sniffing herself.
"Yeah, just grab something to wear, then we can go to my room." She did as he said. Then the two walked to his room, then into his bathroom, which was the size of two Shiz dorms combined. He turned on the shower, letting it get hot. She took off her clothes and he followed suit. The two of them entered the shower.
Fiyero took a rose scented soap and spread it around Elphaba's body. He traced the green lines, reveling in the touch, unfortunately their wasn't time for much more. He shampoo'd and conditioned her hair with a lavender soap. It had at some point turned a fiery red again. She could only imagine the cost of such luxury soaps. She returned the favor to Fiyero. She rubbed him down in soap, washing every part of him, every part. He thanked her profusely, feeling slightly guilt he hadn't thought to do the same.
When the two got out, Fiyero wrapped her in a fluffy towel. While he went to shave, she got dressed. She found her green necklace on the desk in the room. She put it on, along with the black dress and stockings she had brought. The dresses sleeves went to her mind palm and the stockings had lace patterns in them. Fiyero seemed to like it as the whole time he got dressed he gawked at her. Then the two headed out, into the real world.