Disclaimer- I do not own Wicked or Rent.

Maureen sniffed once more. She was currently surrounded by Elphaba, Emrys, Glinda, and Fiyero who were all trying to comfort her. Maureen was finally beginning to calm down and she was almost ready to go up to the mirror. As much as she yearned to see Angel again, even though she just left, she knew what Angel had wanted her to do.

"So, anyone know how to put the mirror and the drumsticks together?" Maureen asked in a softer tone than usual.

Elphaba turned her head to study the mirror, then the drumsticks in Fiyero's hands. A thought seemed to strike her moments later. "Yero, can I see those?"

"Of course."

Fiyero placed Angel's drumsticks into Elphaba's green-skinned hands. She turned them in her fingers a couple of times before walking up to the large and ancient mirror. After more careful study, Elphaba knelt on the carpet and traced her slender fingers across the part of the mirror where the stand and legs met the actual mirror.

Upon finding something she had been looking for, she carefully placed the drumsticks in two holes on either side on the mirror, creating bars to flip the mirror to the opposite side. She grasped the newly-created bar and pulled on it, causing the mirror to flip over so the other side was facing the group. On the back side of the mirror was an engraving, written in the language of magic.

"Here we go." Maureen stepped forward, already knowing what to do. She took her sister's hand and the two began to chant. As they did, the words on the mirror seemed to twist and the wood began to shift and ripple almost like water. The green witch and the fair-skinned witch stood and both stepped back from the mirror.

Maureen was the first one to approach it. She looked over at her sister and the others and shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't know, it just looks like a damn mirror to me."

As she spoke, the grey back of the mirror began to swirl into an almost cloud like substance. "Except maybe for this part…"

As she stepped closer and directly before the mirror, Emrys warned,

"Maur, be careful!"

Elphaba stepped forward now, standing at her sister's side.

"Curious…" she said softly. Suddenly, the smoke cleared and an image appeared. It was not, however, the image of Elphaba and Maureen standing side by side. It was a moving image of a home Elphaba knew well.

"Damn! Now that's a mirror. It shows movies!" said Maureen.

Elphaba's green skin tone began to pale.

"No! No, not movies, us…"

The image before them not only moved, but had sound. It showed two infants in a crib together. One of them was green, one was not. Apart from that, they looked identical. A man and woman stood beside the crib. Elphaba's breathing was uneven and had quickened. At a questioning look from Maureen, she supplied softly, "Our mother and fath… er… Frexspar Thropp."

They watched what stood before them and listened. "I don't know… I don't know why she's green. But the other baby…"

"Is mine! She's perfect." spat out Frex. "The other, well it's an abomination! I want it removed! Get it away from my child. As far as the frog is concerned," Fiyero flinched noticeably at Frexspar's words. "You can do what you want with it!"

He turned and stormed out leaving Melena staring down at her daughters.

"Oh Oz! What have I done?" She called to a servant and pointed at the baby that would grow to be Elphaba. "Remove her from the crib. Put her wherever you can for the time being, but keep her out of sight and away from her sister."

Melena turned and followed her husband out, never giving her verdigris daughter another look. Almost as if she sensed what was to come, baby Elphaba began to cry piercingly, her tiny hand, even then, reaching toward her sister. The nurse picked up Elphaba and left the room, leaving Maureen, or whatever they,had decided to name her, in the crib alone. Now both infants could be heard crying inconsolably. Suddenly, rough hands could be seen reaching into the crib and removing baby Maureen. Then the image shifted.

A new image formed. A woman was cuddling an infant, a man by her side.

"How did we get so lucky? Eddie, they said we might have to wait years to adopt! Look at her, isn't she the most beautiful baby you've ever seen?"

"She sure is! You said you wanted to name her Maureen? I think it's perfect, Nancy."

"One thing, Eddie, I don't want to tell her that she's adopted. I don't want her to think that she's different. She's our little girl and that won't change over the years. Promise me? I want her to know that she's safe and loved, and know that she's happy. Please?" Edward Johnson hugged his wife and stroked his new daughter's cheek lovingly.

"You bet, hon. If that's what you want."

Again the image shifted, this time they all found themselves looking at a very young Elphaba. She was looking into a crib at a new baby. She watched with a smile on her face as she spoke to the baby.

"Hello, I'm Elphaba."

Fiyero's heart melted. This enchanting child was his Elphaba. She was lovely and he would consider himself extremely fortunate to have a daughter who looked and loved like she did. "I'm your sister, Nessarose. That's a pretty name – Nessarose, but I'm going to call you Nessa, okay? I'm sorry about your legs…"

A loud voice from behind her bellowed at her, "You should be! If it weren't for you, your sister wouldn't be crippled! You! You're nothing but a curse! Now… now you've cost me my wife as well. Your mother is dead. Are you satisfied?" Frexspar spun and flew away from the small child who had tears in her eyes. She looked down at her sister again, "I'm sorry, Nessa… I'm sorry…."

Fiyero felt Emrys' hand squeeze his shoulder in support. Frexspar! How could he?! She was a child – almost a baby, still! His heart bled for young Elphaba. He wanted to reach out and pull her into his arms and tell her she was unique and precious and that one day she would find him waiting to love her.

Another swirl and they saw a young Maureen on her first day at school. "But I don't want to go! I won't!"

"Maureen, you'll have so much fun!" her mother enthused. "You'll make friends and you can play at recess…"

"I won't if I don't want to… but I'll try once. Bye!" With that, Maureen rounded up some other children and marched into the building while their mothers stood shaking their heads. "My little leader." said Nancy.

The mirror swirled its clouds again. Fiyero and Emrys exchanged scowls. The women they loved were being forced to relive their lives. It was taking a toll on them. Even Maureen, who had seen nothing but love surrounding her so far, was in pain watching Elphaba relive her past.

Emrys noticed that without even realizing it, Maureen had reached for her sister's hand and was clutching it tightly. She would squeeze it every now and again. Her action reminded him of Elphaba's in the crib, reaching for her twin just before their separation. Emrys had his hand on Fiyero's shoulder.

Now the scene was one that Emrys recognized. It cleared to show a young Elphaba trying to carry firewood into the house.

Fiyero's hands were clutching and loosening as he watched. She was a little girl! She was not a grown servant! A little boy walked toward her carefully.

"Can I help?" he asked.

Elphaba seemed stunned. "That's alright. You might get in trouble."

"No, I won't. Please let me help. My name is Emrys."

"I'm Elphaba. Thank you, Emrys. Do you live far away?"

He nodded with a smile. "Yes. I think my father is the first person from my country to visit here. I'm glad he brought me. Elphaba, why do you do so much work? I don't think that's right. I don't have to. Will you let me help you while I'm here? You're my first friend here. Will you be? My friend, I mean."

"You don't have to help me for that, Emrys. I'll be your friend no matter what. But you might not want to be mine. My father says I'm a curse. I'll understand if you change your mind."

Young Emrys stood up and helped the little girl to her feet. Then, in a move like the greatest courtier, he bowed from the waist and standing took her hand in his. "It will be wonderful having you for a friend." Then they moved off with the wood, as the image faded.

Elphaba, the adult, turned and looked at Emrys, a smile on her face. "You were my first friend. I thought I'd lost you forever when you left." she said softly.

Then she turned back to the mirror which was pulling up a new image.

Elphaba looked as if she were about eight years old. She was being surrounded by other children who were taunting her as she tried to pass by.

"Look! It's Asparagus!" Young Elphaba tried to keep moving, her head down, but the bullies wouldn't let go. "Hey, Asparagus, don't you eat anything other than grass?"

"Leave me alone." Elphaba said quietly. "I have things to do."

"With who, Asparagus? No one wants anything to do with you. You're a joke!"

Suddenly, she was shoved from behind. Elphaba lost her balance when another child stuck his foot out and she tripped, landing in the dirt.

"Yes, that's where asparagus belongs, in the dirt!"

"My name is Elphaba!"

"You're asparagus. Want to know why?" asked one particularly cruel boy. "Because asparagus is ugly and skinny and tall…"

"Don't forget green!" interjected one of the girls.

"Yeah, green and oh yeah, most important… everyone hates it!"

Suddenly, the group was a gang and Elphaba, while strong, was alone. When they left, Elphaba could be seen rising to her feet, her nose bleeding, tears running down her face, holding her arm as if in pain, her dress torn and dirty.

Tears welled in Fiyero's eyes and ran unchecked down his face. "Fae… my beautiful Fae… they're only memories now. Remember that. Remember I love you! I always will. You're the strongest person I know. I love you."

The image moved forward to show Elphaba arriving home. Frex caught sight of her and his face went stormy. Good! Thought Fiyero, finally he's on her side. What he heard next filled Fiyero with a rage beyond anything he had ever felt.

"Look at you! You're a disgrace! You look like a pig! I won't have you making this family a laughing stock!

"Father, I was attacked. I didn't…"

"Shut up!!" With that Frex swung back and slapped Elphaba across the face. He struck her hard enough to spin her about on her feet before she fell. He looked down at her, fury on his face and spat out,

"Since you can't seem to behave around decent people, they'll be relieved of your presence. You are forbidden to attend school from this point on. You will see to it that your sister arrives there safely and then you'll go and bring her home. If you want to learn, do it yourself in your spare time. Now, get in the house, I don't want to see your face again at least until tomorrow."

Maureen was crying. Fiyero had said Faba's life had been difficult. She just didn't realize how hard till now! Maureen admitted that she herself had been a pain in the ass, but her parents had always loved her unconditionally, no matter what. She noticed something, though.

Young Elphaba had been crying. When she had stood up, she wiped the tears from her face and took a deep breath. She had stopped crying. Although she was still dirty and in pain from an injured arm, bloodied nose, and being struck in the face, she refused to cry. She dusted her dress off and walked in the house.

While watching this memory, Elphaba had become quite numb. She remembered, and in some ways could still feel what her eight year old self had felt. She didn't dare let her feelings interfere with the task they had set for themselves now. What kept her grounded was hearing Fiyero's voice. "Fae… they're only memories…I love you." He was her life line. Maureen held her hand never letting go, never wavering. Elphaba knew she would survive this trial.

Again the mirror shifted. Now, the image was one of Elphaba pushing Nessarose in her chair. Nessa was going to school. Elphaba was not. She looked now, not much older than the last memory they had seen. The same children came into view. Seeing Elphaba they began taunting her.

"It's nice to see you, Asparagus. You're too stupid for school now, so we never see you! Isn't that right?"

The group began to surround Elphaba and Nessa. When they did one of the boys pulled Nessa's chair from Elphaba's grasp. Nessa screamed to her sister, and then it happened. Sparks flew through the air and energy hit the other children causing them to drop to the ground, writhing in pain and screaming. Nessa was unaffected but Elphaba stood stiff, almost statue-like.

Fiyero knew from personal experience that this was how Fae reacted to fear and anger. He remembered the lion cub at Shiz. Only he had been unaffected. So this was how it began. It was a child's survival instinct born from pain and fear. The pieces were beginning to fit together.

Another swirl and the image changed to a teenage Maureen. She was flirting furiously with a boy in a school stairway. Then they ran out the door heading under some wooden seating on a large field. Maureen remembered losing her virginity that day to a boyfriend under the school bleachers. More faces… more lovers.

"Enough information, you think?!" she whispered to Elphaba, who in turn squeezed her hand and caught her eye.

Then there was New York, the Bohemians, Mark, Joanne, and her performance at the protest. They watched the Bohemian's celebration after Maureen's protest, dancing around the Life Café and on the tables. She saw Angel. Angel losing her battle with AIDS, but fighting a glorious war for life.

These memories held special interest for Emrys. This was the life Maureen had left behind. It struck him that as surrounded with lovers and friends as she had been, she seemed alone. Separate. He held no silly beliefs that he would be and must be her first lover. He only knew that he would be the last… the lover and friend she shared her spirit and soul with, she, the lover and friend who shared his. To Emrys, each of her steps had brought her to him. He was content with that, and felt blest.

They saw Elphaba's time at Shiz University, her meeting Fiyero, Doctor Dillamond, and the pain she had felt being ostracized and taunted. They saw how Glinda and Elphaba had begun as enemies only to become true friends. They all watched as Fiyero helped Elphaba save the lion cub from being tortured by a new professor. They saw Fiyero fall completely, totally, and stunningly in love.

Then, they saw her. When Madame Morrible's face appeared Elphaba's breathing became fast and erratic.

Fiyero saw and whispered, "Later, Fae. Later, my Fae."

On and on, the mirror brought them. Maureen revisited her breakups and Elphaba revisited her break with the Wizard, when she first defied gravity.

"That's Pops?" asked Maureen.

The bile that rose in Elphaba's throat prevented her from answering but she nodded just the same. Fiyero knew that what might be coming could be the most difficult for his wife.

As if on cue, they revisited the cornfield where Nessa had died and he had been captured by the Gale Force while rescuing Elphaba. As she watched him being put on poles in the field to be tortured, Elphaba's tears flowed freely.

Fiyero softly reminded his wife, "You're my heart, Fae. You saved me! I wouldn't be here now if it weren't for you. I would do it again in a heartbeat."

Then they saw Fiyero as a scarecrow at a secret tunnel. Knock, knock, knock.

"It worked!"

Elphaba's eyes shone as she saw herself reunited with her Yero and they left Oz.

Maureen being brought to Burzee.

The sisters looked at each other and smiled. They had come full circle and as they did, energy left the mirror and surrounded them like an aura. Colors flew around the room and the sisters felt energy flow through them. Their bond was complete again. They knew each other as if they had never been separated and their power was now increased.

As the energy died away, Fiyero and Emrys stepped forward. Each one took the woman he loved in his arms and as each did, Maureen and Elphaba's knees collapsed. The sisters were spent and unable to stand alone. It was then that Fiyero and Emrys noticed that each sister still held the other's hand tightly.

Emrys cradled Maureen in his strong arms and kissed her head as she rested it on his shoulder. Fiyero lifted Elphaba in his arms, crooning to her as he did, a smile on his face,

"I love you my beautiful, brave, Fae. My Wonderful Witch of the West."

Elphaba smiled faintly and then slept.