A/N: As promised, the next chapter less than 24 hours later. This chapter may require some explanation, so I'll explain a bit at the end.
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Chapter Twenty-Five: Limbo
For Elphaba, there was only blackness. She opened her eyes and sat up, expecting herself to feel pain. But she was numb. She felt nothing, and she could see nothing in the sinister dark.
"Hello?" she called, "Is anyone there?"
Suddenly, as if activated by Elphaba's voice, a whirl of colors appeared, spinning round and round her, again and again, so fast she could see nothing in them. Then the voices started, echoing through the space as if called from the past…
It's atrocious! It's obscene!
Here, Melena, darling, chew these flowers. We'll get a normal and beautiful second child.
Elphaba, you made Nessarose cry! It's all your fault!
Why can't you just be like any normal ten-year-old?
Elphaba! Stop making such a spectacle of yourself!
Try not to talk so much!
Elphaba! You promised things would be different here!
Bright? She's phosphorescent!
Loathing! Unadulterated loathing!
Oh! It seems the artichoke is steamed!
Do you ever let anyone else talk?
I'm not that girl…
The world is your oyster now. You have so many…opportunities.
This distortion! This repulsion! This…Wicked Witch!
I hear her soul is so unclean, pure water can melt her!
All of my life I've depended on you! How do you think that feels?
You're lying! That's all you ever do!
Go fetch some…some water.
What exactly have you been doing, besides riding around Oz on that filthy old thing?
I can't believe you would sink this low! To use my sister's death as a trap to capture me?
Let the green girl go!
No good deed goes unpunished!
Wickedness must be punished!
I can do anything I want! I am the Wicked Witch of the West!
I'm limited…
You could have made good.
This Wicked Witch has been doing nothing but bad…
No one mourns the wicked…
Wicked…
Wicked…
A figure suddenly appeared in a glow of light as the voices slowly faded away, leaving a dumbstruck Elphaba behind. The figure came closer, the glow illuminating her face.
"Nessa!" Elphaba gasped.
Her younger sister smiled sweetly, reaching out a hand. Hesitantly, wondering if this could be real, Elphaba took it and stood up.
Nessa looked her sister up and down and laughed, not unkindly. "Still the same old Fabala. You haven't lost your love for black, I see."
Nessa herself was wearing a pretty pink dress, and on her feet were her infamous silver jeweled shoes. They glittered as brilliantly as ever.
"But the shoes! How did you get them?" Elphaba asked incredulously, "That farm girl took them with her when she left Oz!"
Nessarose laughed again, a sweet, musical sound. "That sort of thing doesn't matter where we are," she said.
"Where are we?" Elphaba asked, looking around, "Am I dead?" she froze as the thought struck her.
"Well, that's up to you."
"What?"
"Right now, we are limbo between Life and Death," Nessa explained, "You are neither dead nor alive. If someone in Life were to feel for your pulse right now, there would be none." Her tone turned accusatory, "That was a powerful spell you sent at Morrible, Elphaba. It nearly destroyed you."
"But I have a choice? I mean, I could still live?" Elphaba pressed.
"Yes. You may stay with us-"
"Us?"
Nessa actually rolled her eyes. "Oh, Elphaba. I'm dead. You may either stay here with us – meaning me, Boq, Father…everyone who's ever died – or you can have another chance, and go back to Life. I must remind you that it won't be easy. You have nearly killed yourself, and it will be a long road to recovery. But I have faith in you."
Elphaba sighed and turned away. "Fiyero's dead, Nessa. So is the Wizard, my real father. What is there to go back to?"
"Glinda," Nessa reminded her, laying a hand on her sister's shoulder, "And do not lose hope, my dear. We have all seen everything you have gone through to achieve Morrible's death, and we have every intention of rewarding you for it."
"Rewarding me?" Elphaba asked interestedly.
Nessa took her sister's hands. "Yes. Oh, Fabala, you have been through twenty times the normal amount of troubles someone should go through in a lifetime, and you're still very young! You deserve something in return. I can promise you, it's no small reward, either." Elphaba looked unsure. Nessa lifted her sister's chin. "Elphaba…it won't be easy if you go back, and I'm sure you understand that. But there are still people and Animals in Life who care about you very much. Your father, for instance."
Elphaba started. "But I thought he was shot!"
"Not all people who get shot die," Nessa said gently.
"Fiyero? Has he come through here?" Elphaba questioned.
Nessa smiled sadly. She leaned forward and hugged her sister. The hug made Elphaba feel strong, and she returned it. They embraced for a long time, but then Nessa stepped back.
"I'm sorry, Elphaba. I should have been kinder to you in Life. I should have listened to you more – then we could have avoided a lot of conflict. Father has been watching you – we all have – and he's so very proud of you. He wanted me to tell you, because none of the others are allowed to see you unless you choose Death. But I can see in your eyes that you're going back to Life. That's the right choice. What would the world be like without the Wicked Witch of the West?" she smiled fondly.
Elphaba smiled too. "I love you, Nessa."
"I love you, too. I always have… Are you ready to go back?"
Elphaba wiped her eyes carefully. "Yes."
"Goodbye for now, sister. And good luck." Nessarose stepped back as the glow receded and darkness surrounded the elder Thropp sister once more.
"Hello?" Elphaba asked, just as before.
Suddenly, she was struck with a feeling of weakness and fell to her knees, then collapsed, eyes closed. This time, she didn't see the whirling lights, but she still heard the voices, though their messages were different this time…
You're not really all that bad, are you, dearest? You might be rather pretty, in time.
Here, Fabala. I got you a present. Sh – Father doesn't know. Happy thirteenth birthday!
Never apologize for talent. Talent is a gift!
A celebration throughout Oz, that's all to do with me!
The Wizard and I!
Elphie, now that we're friends, I've decided to make you my new project!
Hearts leap in a giddy whirl…
I want to remember this moment. Always. Nobody's pointing, nobody's staring. For once, I'm somewhere…that I belong.
Two best friends…
I'm through with playing by the rules of someone else's game…
Wonderful – they'll call you wonderful!
As long as you're mine!
It's just…for the first time…I feel…wicked!
Elphaba, we are going to be together always.
Because I knew you, I have been changed for good…
Good…
Good…
Elphaba felt as though she were falling, falling from the world altogether. Voices swam into each other all around her, all ending in Nessa's voice.
"Reward you…"
She suddenly stopped falling and woke with a thump. Opening her eyes, she saw only blurs, and realized her vision was swimming. She moved feebly and tried to get up, but sharp pain shot through her, and her body collapsed. The last thing Elphaba heard before her mind slipped into unconsciousness was Glinda's anxious voice.
"Elphie!"
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A/N: Okay, so I got the idea for this from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Elphaba was very close to death, and she was sent to Limbo, which in my mind is between Life and Death, used with capitals because they're supposed to be different states of being. On her way there, Elphaba lost her pain, because she was 'dead'. She also heard some of the many bad things people said to her or about her throughout her life, or things she said that made her life worse. On the way back, she sort of fainted, because the pain came back. And she heard many of the good things that were said to her, about her, or by her. These also included times when she just felt good or triumphant, even if bad came of it, such as the Defying Gravity line. Notice my repeated use of 'Wicked' the first time, and 'Good' on the way back.
I hope I haven't confused you all even more! If you've still got questions, feel free to put them in your review, and I'll respond!