Hi! Here's Chapter 29!
Sorry for the wait, but this chapter is over four pages long in Word, so it took awhile.
Enjoy!
Chapter 29
As we flew east, the wind kept growing stronger, so I flew us above the clouds for Vaia's safety more than anything. After years of experience flying, I found I could type and fly at the same time as long as I paid some attention to where I was going. And there was definitely a conversation I needed to have with Vaia. "So … what … exactly … is … going … on … between … you … and … Usnavi?" SPEAK.
She let out a sharp sigh. "That stupid lottery. He's rich now, relatively, but all he wants to do is wander around Oz like a nomad, blowing all that money. It isn't right! If I won the lottery, I would donate most of it to the hospital. We're barely scraping by as it is. One of Usnavi's faults is that he doesn't always see past his small little world. He's not self centered exactly; he just doesn't always get the big picture, you know? It's so frustrating sometimes! But that's why I'm glad we're going to your boyfriend's castle. Usnavi and I need some time apart."
"Relationships … aren't … always … perfect … Vaia. I'd … be … more … concerned … if … you … two … didn't … have … any … conflict … at … all. And … maybe … after … this … ordeal … is … over … we … could … invite … him … over … to … Kiamo … Ko … for … dinner … so … you … can … talk … it … out. Because … I … think … you … two … are … great … together." SPEAK.
"Maybe, after a period of time," Vaia conceded. "But we really need some away time. I'm hoping this whole thing with your sister will distract me." Funny, I was hoping your thing with Usnavi would distract me!
I was not in any way prepared for what we found in Center Munch. A very peculiar looking house, the same one I had seen in my vision, seemed to have crash landed in one corner of the town square. A bunch of Munchkins were lingering in the square; it looked like the aftermath of some sort of party. Glinda was there, dressed in some ridiculous pink getup, and she was talking animatedly to a girl who looked to be about ten years of age. Glinda can make friends with a doorknob …
"Um, Elphaba?" Vaia started nervously. "Hate to be 'that person,' but, um, I think you need to take a closer look at that house."
So I landed us behind the house so we wouldn't be seen, and then slowly crept around the side of the house until I could see the front of it. And then I saw what Vaia was talking about: two feet poked out from under the house. It would have been horrifying enough to know that someone had been crushed by the house, but I recognized the white and black striped stockings that clad those feet. Those were the stockings I had given Nessa for her eighteenth birthday. Oh my Oz, I'm too late. I'm such a … But I couldn't cry, because that would alert everyone to our presence. I couldn't safely mourn my little sister, whom I had taken care of as long as I had been able, who had taken care of me when she could, whom I never thought I would have to mourn. She hadn't been the best governor, and she hadn't understood the concept of marriage, but she had been a great mother to little Frex, and the best sister I could have asked for. I knew the Munchkins hated her, but I thought it was really insensitive of them to celebrate the death of a fellow human being. Oh, Nessa …
"You see, dear Dorothy, those shoes will protect you," Glinda chirped in a clearly fake happy voice. "But I must warn you that they might make you a target of the Wicked Witch of the West." Almost automatically, I looked down at the girl Dorothy's feet, and sure enough, she was wearing Nessa's shoes! It was all I could do not to rush out there and take them back, somehow. Damn Glinda! I knew exactly what this was about!
"The Wicked Witch of the West?" Dorothy repeated, clutching what looked like a small dog to her chest. "W-Who's that?"
Glinda grimaced visibly. "She is the older sister of the Wicked Witch of the East, and she's even worse than her sister. Between the interesting way you arrived here and the shoes on your feet, she will not be pleased with you." You don't fucking say, Glinda. "I think the best thing for you to do is to get out of Oz altogether."
"Oh, I'd give anything to get out of Oz altogether." Dorothy became thoughtful. "But – which is the way back to Kansas? I can't go the way I came."
"No, that's true," Glinda agreed. "Unfortunately, I don't know where this 'Kan-ziz' is, but one person who might know would be the Great and Terrible Wizard of Oz. He lives in the Emerald City, which is a bit of a long journey from here. But don't worry, all you have to do is follow the Yellow Brick Road."
Dorothy looked in the direction where Glinda's ridiculous wand was pointing and grinned happily. "Oh! I see! Alright! Thank you, Miss Glinda! Bye now!" And she practically skipped to the Yellow Brick Road in her gaudy blue and white checkered dress and my sister's shoes, carrying that stupid dog in her arms. Oh, I was going to enjoy tormenting this girl!
Glinda waved. "Bye, Dorothy! And remember, just take that one road the whole time!" But Dorothy was out of earshot at this point. Glinda sighed. "I hope they don't get lost. I am so bad at giving directions!" She suddenly seemed to remember something; she went over to a metal box near the middle of the square. "Barbaric little Munchkins. It's okay, darling. Your Aunt Glinda's gonna get you out of there."
To my horror, she pulled out a very tearful and traumatized Frex. "Who are you? I want my mama! I want my Auntie Fabala! Where's my mama?"
"Your mama's … not here right now, sweetie," Glinda answered carefully. Purposefully, she laid him across her shoulder so he couldn't see the wrecked house. But she saw it, and I think it was then that she fully understood that there actually was a woman squashed under that house. "Oh, Nessa … sweet Oz. Um, Frex darling, what about we try to find your daddy? That sound good?"
Frex struggled in Glinda's arms. "No! I want my mama and Auntie Fabala!"
Oh Frex, don't worry, Auntie Fabala is coming right to you! With a groan, I rushed out into the square. Glinda was so stunned that her grip on Frex slackened, and he wriggled free and ran right over to me.
"Auntie Fabala!" He climbed onto my lap and hugged me. "Where's Mama? Do you know where Mama is?"
"Nnn," I answered, hoping that my tone of voice would be comforting, even if he didn't understand that I was saying "no." I went back over to our hiding spot and signaled for Vaia to take him. "Frex … this … is … Vaia. Stay … with … her … okay? I … have … to … take … care … of … something … real … quick." SPEAK.
"Okay," he said quietly. Poor little thing, he has no idea what's going on. I really did not want to waste my energy typing out a message to the person who had just given away my sister's effects like it was nothing, so I gave Glinda a powerful glare that had terrified many an Ozian citizen.
I was disappointed; she wasn't fazed by it in the least. She crossed her arms smugly. "I don't think we have anything further to say to one another."
I huffed, realizing I had to go back on my promise to myself that I wouldn't bother typing anything to Glinda. "I … wanted … something … to … remember … her … by. But … all … that's … left … of … her … are … a … shaken … little … boy … who's … just … lost … his … mother … and … those … shoes. And … now … that … wretched … little … farm … girl … has … walked … off … with … the … damn … shoes! So … I'd … appreciate … some … time ... alone … to … say … goodbye … to … my … sister." SPEAK. Without a word, Glinda moved aside, giving me a better view of those stocking feet. This was all my fault. We should have gone straight back to Colwin Grounds when we left the Emerald City. Nessa probably would have been annoyed at Fiyero's presence, but at least she would have been alive. I didn't full out sob (even in extreme grief, I had to be cautious), but I let the tears run down my cheeks. Oh, Nessa, Nessa, forgive me …
"Oh, Elphie!" Glinda exclaimed, coming up to my side. "It's dreadful, it is, to have a house fall on you, but accidents happen! Here, let me wipe your face."
I shrieked and moved away from her before that handkerchief even got close to my face. Now you want to help me? You had your fucking chance two years ago! "You … call … this … an … accident?" SPEAK.
"Well, maybe not an accident …"
"Then … what … would … you … call … it?" SPEAK.
"A … regime change!" Glinda said, clearly pulling that answer out of her ass. "Caused by a bizarre and unexpected twister of fate!"
As I played my next message, I acted like I was seriously trying to figure something out. "So … you … think … cyclones … just … appear … out … of … the … blue?" SPEAK.
"Well, I don't know! I've never thought about it."
"Of … course … you've … never! You're … too … busy … telling … everyone … how … wonderful … everything … is!" SPEAK.
"Hey, I'm a public figure now!" Glinda screamed defensively. "People expect me to – be encouraging."
I gave her my skeptical look. "To … lie … you … mean?" SPEAK.
"Well, what exactly have you been doing besides riding around in that filthy old thing?" Oh no, you do notinsult Killyjoy!
"Well … we … can't … all … come … and … go … by … bubble." SPEAK. I smirked in satisfaction at her taken aback look. Perfect. And just to nail it home … "Who … invented … that … anyways? The … Wizard? Even … if … he … didn't … I'm … sure … he'd … still … take … credit … for … it." SPEAK.
Glinda fake coughed in the same annoying way she used to do back at Shiz. "Well, a lot of us are taking things that don't belong to us, aren't we?"
Oh, you want to fight about Fiyero, do you? Fine. Let's fight about Fiyero. "You … wait … a … clock … tick. I … know … it's … difficult … for … that … blissful … blonde … brain … of … yours … to … comprehend … that … someone … like … him … could … actually … choose … someone … like … me. But … it's … happened. It's … real. You … can … wave … that … ridiculous … wand … all … you … want. But … you … can't … change … it. He … never … belonged … to … you. He … doesn't … love … you … and … he … never … did. He … loves … me!" SPEAK. I listened to the mechanical voice that sounded like healthy me on Quadling grass. I glared knives at Glinda to make up for my voice's flat tone. How dare she belittle my first romantic experience like that?!
As my message played, I gradually rolled closer and closer to Glinda, hoping that would intimidate her. Well, that turned out to be a mistake because it did the exact opposite. She slapped me as soon as my message had finished. It took her only about a clock tick to take in the fact that she had just slapped someone who couldn't slap back or physically retaliate in any way. Her face was priceless. But, just because I couldn't physically retaliate didn't mean I couldn't retaliate at all. A quick mental incantation had Glinda slammed against a Munchkin house. It gave me a twisted sense of satisfaction to see her struggle to get up again, stunned at what I had done. "Ugh, Elphaba, that hurt. Why would you do that? I took care of you for over a year, you know!"
"Same … reason … you … slapped … me. I … couldn't … just … let … that … go. And … randomly … giving … away … my … sister's … shoes … kind … of … cancels … out … wiping … my … ass … a … few … times … at … Shiz." SPEAK.
"Well, taking my fiancé 'kind of cancels out' all those times you helped me with my homework! So there!" I tried to push her into the water fountain that was in the middle of the square, but I missed, and she ended up just crashing into it. But she quickly got back up, rushed toward me, and started hitting me mercilessly with my own hat. I was thinking about how I could possibly reach her arm with my mouth to bite her when …
"Halt! In the name of the Wizard!" Men that I immediately recognized as part of the Gale Force pulled Glinda off me, though she struggled fiercely.
"No, let me go!" she howled. "I almost had her!"
"It's alright, Lady Glinda," one of the Gale Forcers said comfortingly. "We've got her now. Sorry it took so long to get here by the way." Wait, what?! The Gale Forcer turned back to his comrades. "Alright, boys. How we wanna do this?"
"Don't worry, Captain," a gruff voice said from behind me. "Me and my buddies figured out a way. We even practiced it last week on a crippled guy who tried to rob Ozma Bank. Ready, guys?"
"Oh yeah!" And before I knew it, rough hands were all over my body, undoing all my straps and then lifting me out of my chair before I could even think to get away. In a short time, I was hanging from the arms of two Gale Forcers, no conceivable way to escape.
"Oh goodness, be careful!" Glinda yelled over the Gale Forcers' shouts of triumph. "I'm so sorry, Elphie. I had no idea this was gonna happen."
"UUUGH!" Like hell you didn't. I so wished I could have looked her in the eyes to let her know how utterly betrayed I felt. She had, essentially, used my sister's death as a trap to capture me. But gravity and my dead neck muscles demanded that I look at the sky instead.
But just as I was about to accept my fate, I heard a shout of, "Hey! Let the green girl go!" Fiyero. Damn him! He's supposed to be in the Vinkus, waiting for me! What a stupid, noble, brainless … "Hey, I said let her go! Or explain to all of Oz how the Gale Force watched while Glinda the Good was slain."
"Fiyero, no!" She sounded terrified, so I guessed he must've really been aiming a gun at her.
He sounded desperate now. "Let her go."
"Okay, Tigulaar," one of the Gale Forcers holding me said, chuckling. "We'll let her go." And I was thrown down onto the ground. My head throbbed in pain. But really, I didn't exactly expect the Gale Forcers to carefully put me back into my chair.
Fiyero cursed. "Idiots! Alright, I can still shoot Her Goodness any time I want, okay? Alright. Glad we're on the same page." He picked me up and, even though the situation was dire and you could've cut the tension with a knife, I couldn't help but smile at the stark contrast between the violent way the Gale Forcers had handled me and the way Fiyero gently carried me to and put me back in Killyjoy. He strapped me back in and returned my smile. "There you go, Fae. Okay, you need to go. Now!"
"Nnn!" I'm not going without you! Don't you know what they'll do to you?
"Yes! Elphaba, you have to get out of here!"
Glinda slowly walked up to me and put my hat back on my head. "Do it," she whispered.
That was all I needed. I wasted no time in going over to where Vaia and Frex were hiding. Vaia immediately put Frex on my lap and climbed onto the back of Killyjoy, and we were off. But I did not miss the new captain's orders to his men. They were going to torture him. My poor Fiyero. I flew higher, knowing that would get us to Kiamo Ko faster. We ran into those Monkeys that I had freed along the way, and they tagged along with us to the castle. Fine by me.
We got to Kiamo Ko, the Monkeys flew to the basement, and Vaia was aware enough to distract Frex with a snack. I had to get to work; there was still a chance Fiyero was still alive. I hoped. I desperately flipped through the Grimmerie until I found a spell that seemed to be some kind of healing charm. I had no clue what it would do, but it was my only hope. Elika nahmen nahmen atum atum elika nahmen. But it didn't work. I didn't feel the rush that I usually felt while casting a spell. Oh, Unnamed God, on the off chance that You exist, PLEASE help me! Elika nahmen nahmen atum atum elika nahmen. But still, nothing. He was going to die, if he wasn't dead already. Just another calamity in my life. Figures.
And of course, this got me crying for the second time that day. I hated to cry, but I was alone, and there was nothing else I could do. Somehow, the loss of Fiyero hurt more than losing Nessa, Doctor Dillamond, Glinda's friendship, my speech. He had given up everything to be with me (and I had let him), and now he was paying the price for it. So was I.
Soon, my crying turned into screaming, so I went out onto my new balcony and screamed at the woods below. I didn't care who heard me. If anybody came to see what was going on, they would find out very swiftly what happens when you disturb the Wicked Witch of the West. And that got me wishing I had never left the hospital. At the hospital, I had been surrounded by people who respected and admired me. I never had to fully face who I really was when I was there. But I had left, so I had to face it. I was the Wicked Witch of the West. Maybe it was time to start acting like it.
And there you have it! You know, I always wondered why Elphaba didn't use magic even in the canon catfight scene, where she can move and stuff. To me, it seems like an easy way to overpower Glinda, who isn't as good at magic. Ah, well.
Hope you liked it! Thanks for reading!
Cheers,
Elle Dottore
