Disclaimer: NOT MINE.

Secondary Disclaimer: I think that I should mention here now that I elaborate on it, that I got the idea for the 'binding' from a very brilliant author named Mercades Lackey, who used this in her Elemental Masters series, though I added my own bits to it as well. She was also one of the authors I have read who uses the idea of magic 'portals', or 'gates' as was briefly featured in part one, though I have read several fantasy novels using that kind of thing.

A/N: Okay, so I guess everyone is busy and I suppose there are plenty out there who also had exams and stuff but I was still kind of disappointed that I only got one review last chapter. Lizziemagic, as usual, you are awesome. Thank you so much. (I already sent my reply to your review). Okay, the next update can be really prompt because the next chapter is ready (I actually ended up splitting a mammoth chapter into two after much debate with myself). HINT, more reviews will make me update faster... ... ...Next chapter will be the last one before part 3. We are more than 2 thirds there.

Part 2 Chapter 11

The bliss of reunion didn't last long. Liir still wanted answers to his questions and very quickly Elphaba had some too. The green witch was uncertain and cautious in her dealings with her long-lost child. Neither of them really knew what to make of each other, really. They both were desperate for a connection, but how did one form such a thing at this stage? Rhonaraye avoided addressing Elphaba, talking to her outright instead of opening with her name or a title or 'mother'. When she did use the latter it was with hesitation and the sense of a foreign taste on her tongue.

The green witch had been exploring the impressive mountain stronghold and came across her daughter in the quaint little cafeteria. She was sitting in the type of spot that Elphaba herself had, and often still did, favor: a corner with her back to a wall. She had evidently elected to keep the new style choice and was once again in breeches and a close-fitting coat with sleeves that went right to her knuckles. The former Magical Vizier knew that this was probably going to be one of those ridiculously controversial issues but she really didn't care what her daughter wore. Besides, she could certainly see the benefit to no longer tripping over skirts.

"I see you like quiet tables too." The green woman said tentatively. The younger woman looked up, startled. Also like her mother, she had been engrossed in a book.

"May I join you?" Elphaba asked.

"Uh...yes! Yes, please. Sit." Raye stammered, gesturing to the empty chair. "How are you and Farro, er, settling in?"

"Fine. We're settling in fine, very well in fact." The older woman replied with an overly cheery nod.

"No one's been giving you any trouble? Kynot hasn't been a nuisance?" The mage enquired. Elphaba frowned a little at that and blinked

"I didn't realize I should be on guard for something like that." She commented. She remembered the Eagle. He had been gruff but to the point when she had known him. Then again, that had been nearly 2 decades ago. Raye shrugged and closed her book as an afterthought. There was silence between the two for a minute or two before Elphaba hesitantly reached to touch her daughter's right hand. In a knee-jerk reaction Raye pulled back the maimed appendage to remove it from view and hide the disfigurement. Elphaba misinterpreted the action and hurt flashed across those silver eyes. She quickly recovered though, reminding herself that this would take time.

"The…new Headquarters is nice." She commented, searching for a topic of conversation.

"It was difficult to make, but it's worked out well." Raye agreed with a small hint of relieved pride "There were already some dwarven tunnels in here though; there was a framework to work with."

"Did you do all this?" Elphaba enquired, sweeping her hand to indicate the mountain stronghold.

"No, not alone anyway, but I did help." Raye replied shortly, her tone telling her mother that this was not something that she was willing to elaborate on. This time it was the former redhead's turn to scrabble for something to talk about.

"I, um, I guess you got the broom okay," She was relieved at her choice of topic; the green woman's face simply lit up.

"Oh yes. You took very good care of it."

"Flight as good as you remembered?" Raye asked. Elphaba's eyes twinkled and she nodded, beaming.

"Definitely. That was a bit of a risky venture, smuggling it into my room. Very risky, even for that bold night of yours. But then, you must be good. I didn't even know when or how you got in. Then again, I was a little preoccupied with losing the contents of my stomach..."

The mage bit her lip slightly at that and averted her gaze. A small, guilty, nervous grimace of a smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

"I have a bit of a confession to make." She said sheepishly, watching as the green woman tilted her head in curiosity. Better just to spit it out.

"I poisoned you." She winced in slow motion as she said it.

Black eyebrows shot up on the emerald forehead at this pronouncement.

"I beg your pardon?" Elphaba enquired

"Well…I knew that Morrible was just waiting for something she could use as an excuse to get rid of you and that you would want to help with that kind of prison bust and I couldn't risk us being caught talking. Glinda and the Monkeys had grown enough back-bone to watch your back when you were sick and between them and Liir there was no way she'd get you whilst you were sick and that if there was rather…a lot of evidence that you weren't faking there'd be nothing the old hag could do about it. So…when the kitchen boy stopped to buckle up the shoe that, um, conveniently came undone I slipped some 'vomtus nightshade' into your dinner." The young woman bit the bottom of her lip in a guilty little grimace, her bright eyes searching for absolution for this act, though not really expecting it. She had not taken a single breath in her fast-paced confession.

Elphaba sat back in her chair, surprised at this development. Now that the young woman mentioned it however, she wasn't sure why she hadn't thought of it sooner. The effects of that very mild poison were very uncomfortable but by no means lethal. All it did was induce symptoms similar to a stomach flu, mainly extreme vomiting.

"You poisoned me." She repeated slowly.

"Yes?" Raye replied slowly before quickly rambling "I-I just didn't want you to get hurt and I know that you'll be angry with me and I'm sorry—"

"It's alright." Elphaba cut in, holding up her green hand to stem the flow of words rushing out from her daughter's mouth "It's alright. I'm not exactly…pleased but I suppose I can see where you're actions came from. Don't do it again."

Raye stared at her, completely at a loss of how to react to this rather unexpected reaction. Elphaba's tone was firm and reprimanding, but not overly angry. She sounded almost like Ralimla. The former redhead sat there, her mouth opening and closing like a fish. The green woman surveyed her with slight amusement.

"Everything alright?"

"I just told you that I poisoned you." Raye repeated, unsure that the green woman had heard her correctly the first time.

"Yes, and you told me the reason. You weren't trying to commit matricide, even if you hadn't told me that I would have known it wasn't your intention. 'Vomtus nightshade' is very ineffectual as an actual poison; all it does is give someone the equivalent of a bad stomach flu. I'm not happy about what you did, but I certainly forgive you! In fact, if the positions were reversed I can't tell you for sure that I wouldn't have done the same. Let's not dwell on this, please."

Rhonaraye blinked, dumbstruck.

"Uh…okay." She said slowly. Not what she had expected, certainly. The conversation from there was carefully worded and directed from both sides to 'safe' subjects that they had in common, like magic and academics and the Monkeys that Raye had gotten to know whilst they passed messages to one another via the winged Simians. Most of the flock had made their way to the mountain strong hold and settled in over the last few weeks. No one in the Emerald City had noticed; Elphaba was the only one to keep an accurate count of them and she knew where they were going.

Killyjoy found them and plunked himself at his mistress's feet. He leaned back against her leg in a possessive demand for attention, providing another outlet for conversation.

"Ah, so this is your familiar." Elphaba smiled as the dog arched his neck back to indicate that he wanted a better scratch there. The mage rolled her silver eyes.

"Not you too!" she groaned as she complied with Killyjoy's demand, though the witch noticed that she didn't deny it. The green woman reached a hand out for him to sniff and the massive dog leapt up, bumping the table as he did so. He yelped once when his head hit the edge of the table but shook it off quickly only to startle at the sudden thump of Rhonaraye's book falling to the floor in front of him.

"Oh. Sorry. Guess I put that too close to the edge…I don't normally do that, I'm careful with books." The Mage said apologetically as she reached down to pick up the large volume. When she set it back down on the table the long sleeve of her jacket covering the right hand inched up to the wrist, allowing Elphaba a proper view of the long, ugly scar down the side of the palm in place of where the smallest finger should have been. Her daughter caught her staring at it and pulled the sleeve back down in place in a swift, embarrassed motion as she rose to her feet abruptly. The green woman was just as quick though and caught her by surprise when the emerald hand seized her wrist in a strong but not harmful grip as the mage tried to stalk past her. Raye tried to pull her hand away to no avail: Elphaba was stronger than her rail-thin frame might lead one to think.

The Witch stared at the scar along the hand, then at her daughter's face and then back at the hand. She knew what it was; she knew exactly what it was which was why Rhonaraye had taken such pains to actively hide the small disfigurement. The younger woman watched the horror sink into her mother's expression as the green woman opened her mouth, searching for what to say, for the right question to ask. The Mage seized her opportunity and jerked her wrist out of the strong grip of those emerald fingers and fled, leaving her mother standing there in shock.

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Liir was strolling through the hallway casually, deep in thought about his parents. It was weird to see them together—and not just because it was downright impossible to find a more unusual-looking couple than a green woman and a scarecrow either (though he had to admit, it certainly was a factor). No, what really made it strange for Liir was to see his mother holding hands with someone voluntarily, their arms twisting together like two vines, their fingers intertwined and everything. Every once in a while she'd grin at something he said and/or even chuckle. He'd never seen her so comfortable around anyone. It was strange. He was happy for her though. It was nice to see her so happy.

The Scarecrow, Fiyero, Liir's father, seemed to be the same but the young man had no idea what was normal for him. On the whole he'd been avoiding his father, not because he didn't want to see him or because the scarecrow thing bothered him (okay, maybe that did play a slight role in spite of his efforts not to allow it to do so, but come on! His supposedly dead dad was made of straw! It was weird!), but more because he had no idea what to do. He'd always wanted a father, but now that he had one he didn't know what he was supposed to do with him.

It was on these thoughts that Candle and Doctor Akota happened across him as they walked briskly down the corridor transporting supplies or something, Liir wasn't quite sure. When the Quadling saw him she stared for just a moment too long and didn't notice one of the rolls of bandages that she was carrying tip. It slipped and unraveled on its gravity-induced trip down to the floor and tripped her up. She stumbled and dropped the tray of instruments, scattering them across the floor. She gasped and jumped at the loud clatter before letting out tsking groan of annoyance and bent to gather them up. Liir rushed forward to help before Doctor Akota had even set down his own burden to help. Upon seeing this he smiled in a conspiratorial sort of way and stepped back a little, watching the pair.

Candle did not immediately retreat from the young man's presence, a good sign. In fact she stole several (albeit nervous) glances at him from beneath her lashes. However, when their hands brushed as they reached for the same instrument she recoiled, her eyes going wide. Liir immediately retreated back to give her some space.

"I-I'm sorry." He said. She shook her head and got to her feet before fleeing. "I'm sorry!" Liir called after her. He swore and sat down on the cobblestone.

"Damn." He muttered.

"Oh, my dear boy. Trust me, that's progress."

"She's terrified of me!"

"Frightened, yes. But you should know that she is struggling to overcome it. She's made more strides in handling the presence of human males in the short time you have been around than she has in years."

There was a pause as they finished gathering everything back onto the tray.

"The Gale Force attacked her, didn't they? They…violated her. Didn't they?"

Akota nodded. Recently his young friend had given him her permission to tell their story shared story and her specific if he felt the need to. He held out a powerful furry arm to Liir and pulled back some of the thick brown hair to show some scarring around the paw. He did the same around the ruff of his neck.

"You too?"

"Not in the same way. I was in Candle's village at the time, working as a traveling doctor. I could no longer legally practice anywhere near the Emerald City, Gillikin or Munchkinland, but Quadling country was unregulated and impoverished. They needed medical services but they couldn't afford them. They weren't picky about my species. Unfortunately, the Gale Force arrived and a few of them do enjoy their blood-sports. One of the farmers refused to pay the ridiculous tax. If he had he would never have been able to feed his family for the terrain there is difficult to farm. Others followed suit. The soldiers decided to make an example of the village, it probably didn't help when they found me and several other Animals there. So they rounded everyone up into the town square.

"A good friend of mine, a Phoenix—who gave Candle the feather strung into her Dominigan—was killed rather graphically in front of them and then served to the Commander for dinner. A man named Cherrystone, I believe. Something similar happened to a Cow who had lived there for decades and the rest were just slaughtered. I was kept alive for 'entertainment.' They thought I'd make a good dancer. The farmer who had first defied them was publicly executed along with his family. Then they ransacked the Quadlings' homes and took anything of value. Afterwards they rounded up a group of them into the square and shut everyone else in their houses before torching the little huts. Candle was barely 12. She had been separated from her family and had to listen to them die in the flames. She and the rest of the small group were shackled to their new caravan.

"Most were sold as slaves to the passing merchants. All of this was technically illegal of course, but they knew that they would never be punished for doing such things to Quadlings. Quadlings have been persecuted for generations, not just since the Wizard came, it is a long, deep-rooted predjudice dating back a few generations of Ozma though I myself simply don't understand this disdain for Quadlings. But a few of those…men," he spat out the word for lack of a better one, "took a…a certain 'liking' to her, I use the term broadly. I never saw any of it when it was actually happening, but I secretly treated her afterwards and knew exactly what had transpired. One night one of them saw her bringing up what little food they were giving her and began to fear that she was carrying one of their bastards. None of them wanted to take the risk that it was his so they decided it was time to discard their 'toy' and remove any evidence of their deed.

"I can tell you that I have never been happier to see anyone than when your sister and Princess Muhlama came to our rescue. Muhlama had been tracking us for days, maybe weeks, but she knew that she couldn't take down an entire platoon single-handedly without risking the prisoners and capture herself. So she called for back up. She and Miss Throular made quick work of them. They didn't completely slaughter the platoon though I think they were both tempted to. Instead they concentrated on getting the prisoners to safety. We got out; the Rebellion offered me my clinic and Candle has been under my care and protection ever since."

"Whoa." Was all Liir could say to that. He'd been expecting it but that didn't make it any easier to hear. "No wonder she's so skittish. I've known people go mad for less."

"Some of our group did." Akota told him gravely. "Look Liir, are you willing to wait for her? Because if you aren't, then don't pursue her. She's not ready. Would it be good for her to have a positive, healthy relationship with a man? Yes. Is she ready yet? Probably not. You seem like a very nice young man, but remember that you will have me to deal with if she gets hurt." The Bear reminded him sternly. He nodded.

"I know. And…I've been in relationships before, trust me, but this is different. I've never felt like this for anyone before. Not quite anyway," He thought of Trism. They might have really had something once, but neither of them had ever had the courage to pursue it and now they were out of each others' lives. His feelings for Candle were very similar. He looked up from his musings.

"I'll wait for her." He said. Doctor Akota smiled.

"I was rather hoping you would say that." He said. The young man nodded and the Doctor thanked him for his help with the dropped instruments before he left. What neither of them knew was that a certain Quadling had been listening.

"I was hoping he'd say that too." She whispered to herself.

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Liir was still thinking about Candle when he wandered into one of the incredible porch-like settings in which the outermost wall was made of very thick glass which provided an idyllic view of the mountains. There were several reclining chairs and tables scattered along the long room for people to sit. It was a particularly popular spot during the day, though it seemed to be largely deserted for that evening. There were only two people there: Elphaba and Fiyero.

The green woman was curled up in one of the larger, cushy chairs, watching the snow flit across the mountain peaks through the glass that separated the porch-type setting from the harsh elements. She had a distant look in her eyes that her son knew to be one that she wore when deep in thought. Next to her sat the scarecrow, Liir's father. He, too, seemed to be deep in (rather troubled) thought. They were just sitting there with a silence between them that was not one of animosity, but still wasn't exactly comfortable.

The Scarecrow looked up when he came in and gestured for him to pull up a chair, which he did. His mother blinked and seemed to snap out of her reverie to acknowledge him. He dragged a chair into a position to complete the triangle, though he was further away from his parents then they were from each other, holding hands as they were. He knew that if he came out with his news Elphaba would listen to him first, but he wanted to know what was bothering her. Also, he wasn't sure he was ready to talk to Fiyero about this quite yet, the scarecrow was still too much of a stranger.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"Liir, have you seen your sister's hand?" Fiyero asked him "Her right hand?"

The young man stiffened slightly at the unbidden flashback of the way the appendage seemed almost alien, the way what was left of the palm and the remaining fingers gave off the optical illusion of elongation and of course the long, harsh scar. This flash was followed by one of the long, permanent gash-mark along her cheekbone. He pushed the image away and looked up at his parents, though even as he did so he felt his hand move towards the blemishes that the skin along his chest and ribcage would forever bear thanks to those thugs. He nodded once.

"I don't know how it happened," he started to say "She won't tell me—"

"I know what happened." Elphaba interrupted. She sighed "And I think I know when. You do too."

"I do?" Liir asked. His mother raised an expectant eyebrow at him and he suddenly remembered. He leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees and nodded again with a sigh. "You're right. I do."

"What are you two talking about?" Fiyero enquired, confused. Elphaba closed her eyes at the unpleasant memory. She hadn't had a chance to tell her beloved of that incident yet and now she was dreading it deeply. Still, it had to be told.

"I can tell it if you wish, Liir." The green woman said, offering him an out of the unpleasant recollection. It was no better a memory for her, but she was also his mother and wanted to spare him all the pain and hardship that she could; a task she felt she had failed in miserably. The young man shook his head though. He was an adult now. If he wanted to be treated like one he knew he had to act like one.

"Um, I don't know how much mother told you about the connection between me and Raye…"

"She told me a little."

"Well, when she lets me in, we can talk without speaking. Without even being in the same room. We done it when we weren't even in the same country I think, though again when she shares, right? Anyway, when one of us is in pain, lots of it, the other can…feel it. Its how Raye rescued me from those bounty hunters that attacked me and Aunt Glinda."

"Yes, son. I know." Fiyero assured him, desperate to hear more about where this was going. His son cleared his throat and the proceeded to tell his father about his vicarious experiences nearly 2 years previously: about how he had woken up in the middle of the night in absolute agony that had consumed him for several days. Liir had drifted in and out of consciousness, but when he was conscious he had been consumed not only by physical pain but by an overwhelming despair.

"I know it was from Nari— Rhonaraye I mean." He said, quickly correcting the nickname to her full name "But quite frankly I don't know what was going on exactly. I think she did, but for once she wasn't working to hide it from me. She was just…well preoccupied. She was tortured. Like I was, only for longer and I think she was hurt pretty badly to start with when they got her. I never found out details. She was never…forthcoming with her thoughts but that was when she really became distant. For a while she was 'there' but sort of retreated from any of those memories, not that I blame her. Then a little while later it was like she just shut off completely. We had some more of our conversations in our minds, but they weren't the same."

Fiyero nodded and Elphaba squeezed his hand. It was hard for her to hear and she had known exactly what had happened to Liir and she didn't even want to think about the impact this revelation on their daughter's experiences hit him. Their son cleared his throat

"Mother, you said that you knew what the scar was. What is it other than a scar?"

The Witch of the West was quiet for a long time

"Liir, do you remember when you asked me about some of the darker magics? Blood magic?" she asked him. Suddenly his face fell and he shook his head.

"No…" he breathed, shaking his head "No way. No one would dare…! You think they tried to bind her? What kind of fool would try—oh Lurline." Suddenly he leapt to his feet. Elphaba glanced over to see a confused look on her lover's burlap face.

"Binding is a loosely translated term." She began to explain "It's among the darkest of the Arcane Arts. You take a piece of someone, a physical piece of them, and you perform an enchantment using it which 'binds' them to you. They become your slave; they have no choice but to obey your orders, even if you order them to…" she scrabbled for an example "…To take a knife to themselves or someone they love. The spell is slightly more complex to do on someone with magical prowess, but those who would do such a vile thing would think it to be worth the effort to get control over power like that."

"There is a catch though." Liir said, taking over the explanation as he started to fidget and pace "People fight it. The stronger the will of the person being bound the more it takes to keep them under wraps. The more power you try to harness the more it struggles to break free. And when they do, the result is rarely pretty for the psycho who tried to enslave them. That's why most of the perverts who do this go after people who are less likely to fight back with any kind of strength. It's kids most of the time, the younger the better because then they haven't learned that there's any other kind of life. They're open to suggestion. Once they're firmly under the control of the 'binder' its nearly impossible to break free."

Elphaba resumed the mini-lecture at this point

"It can't be done with hair. From what I know of this-this act there has to be some pain involved. Apparently mere blood can be used, flesh is good, bone is better. Dark-Fire, fire enchanted with blood magic as well- often the victim's own blood- is usually used to cauterize the wound and it leaves rather…specific scars. During my tenure as Vizier I had to deal with one man from Gillikin. He had some small power and he used blood magic to get more. He was binding people to him; Animals, Quadlings, people that the Wizard and Morrible wouldn't deem important. It was a nightmare. I had to blackmail the Wizard and Morrible with as much dirt as I could find just to get him arrested even though he was supposedly under my jurisdiction as Magic Grand Vizier. It wasn't until the brother of one of his victims slit his throat in his prison cell that they were freed from the bind."

There was a tense silence.

"Someone did that to our little girl?" Fiyero finally hissed, one of his glove-hands clenching into a fist.

"Tried, I think, yes. She's not been bound though, and I would have been very surprised if anyone had managed it. She's too powerful, too independant. Her mind is too keen and her will is too strong." Elphaba said, a note of pride in her appraisal of their daughter's fortitude mingled in with her disgust and anger at what had been attempted on her. Liir stood at that point and walked out of the room with a look of determination on his face. Fiyero started to rise but the green hand he was holding pulled out of his glove and moved to his shoulder.

"Let him go." She said. He hesitated but then sat back down. Elphaba knew their son and she knew him well. Better then he seemed to know their daughter at the moment. He hunched over and put his head in his hands.

"She's changed Elphie. Our little girl, she's so different! It's more than the hair and the clothes, I don't care about that. But she's so…closed off. Even to Dr. Dillamond, even to me!"

"I know." The witch whispered. She heaved a great sigh. "That's not all that's changed though. Sweet Lurline…everything here is different. The Rebellion has changed. 20 years ago it wasn't like this. These people have been beaten and kicked when they were down too many times. They're all justly angry, but its like they've had their ideals beaten out of them with this drawn out struggle. Now there's a whole generation that has been raised with all this pent-up anger and the stress of being on the run and this sheer hate. They lose loved ones on a regular basis in such degrading ways, its doing something to them as a group. I'm worried they'll turn into the very thing they despise if they don't remember what they once stood for soon. This used to be a haven for idealists."

"Well, I guess they needed to become pragmatists. Out of necessity. You need pragmatists."

"Yes, but you need idealists for things to change. Idealists are often mocked, it's almost an insult to be called one in some circles, but you need people who can imagine a better world if you ever want the one you're living in to improve." Elphaba said as she got up and strolled toward the glass separating them from the elements. She stared at the whirling swirls of snow and ice and hugged herself slightly. Fiyero came up behind her and turned her around to pull her into an embrace which she immediately returned.

Usual request, review please.