Content Advisory: Prejudice (towards fictional group—"Animals")
✉ Chapter Nineteen: An Honest Go ✉
Elphaba and Fiyero were tensely silent as they departed the building hand in hand. Neither verbalized where they were going, and neither led nor followed, but they both knew in their guts that they'd end up at their tree. When they arrived Fiyero dropped Elphaba's hand and paced a few steps away with his back turned. Elphaba leaned her back against their tree with a resigned sigh and crossed her arms.
"I don't want to say I told you so but—"
"I hate them. I hate them!" Fiyero fumed.
"Yes," Elphaba stated calmly.
"Have they—"
"Yes."
"Are they always—"
"Yes."
Fiyero gaped at her and ran both hands through his hair. "How…how do you stand it?"
"I'm used to it."
"You shouldn't be!" Fiyero stressed. "You shouldn't be used to that! Don't the things they say bother you?!"
"Of course, they do," Elphaba said meaningfully. "You know that."
"Well then we should—"
"So, what's next here?" Elphaba interrupted bluntly.
"What do you mean?"
"Are you going to double down or split? No hard feelings if you split. I probably would."
"Elphaba…"
"No, Fiyero. It's really okay. That—" she gestured back towards campus, "—is a lot for anyone to handle. Just because I have to endure it doesn't mean anyone else has to."
"Are you—"
"I'm sure it's not too late to win them back. You can say I enchanted you or something. I'll even corroborate it."
"Do you think that little of me, Elphaba!?" Fiyero snapped.
Elphaba raised her eyebrows and shut her mouth, unused to her snarky tirades being challenged.
"Well—" she faltered.
"What did last night mean to you, Elphaba? What did the letters we put in this tree mean to you? I thought that we were—I thought that you…" he took a deep breath to gather himself. "Elphaba, I poured my guts out to you for months. I thought you knew me better!"
"Fiyero…" Elphaba tried to speak, her chest tight with shame. "I do—I mean…it's not—"
"If you thought that I would cut and run out on you at the drop of a hat then what are we doing here!?"
"I'm just scared, okay?!" Elphaba exclaimed. "I'm scared!"
"Of what?!"
"I'm scared of you—of us—I don't know!"
"Fae!"
"You have to understand something, I never thought I stood a chance with you. Never in a thousand years did I think we'd be together! So, now that we're here—I don't know how to act!" Elphaba explained desperately. "Loneliness is what I know, Fiyero. I've got a handle on it, a mastery. I know how it plays out, I know how it ends. I'm scared to find out what it's like to have somebody. I'm scared of finding out what it's like not to be lonely!"
Fiyero stepped towards her but she held a hand up to stop him from coming closer.
"Don't you see my dilemma, Fiyero?" Elphaba asked. "How can I let you in when I know that I'll eventually lose you?"
"But what if you don't?" Fiyero asked. "What if you don't lose me?"
"But what if I do?!"
"But what if you don't?" Fiyero repeated calmly.
Elphaba pressed the heels of her palms against eyes and took a shuddering breath as she forcibly restrained sudden tears. She sniffed and walked past Fiyero so that her back was to him. Fiyero carefully grabbed her arm and turned her to face him. She averted her gaze with a huff and pressed her forefinger against the corner of her eye.
"It is okay to cry, you know," Fiyero reminded her.
"No, it's not. I'll break my streak," Elphaba muttered in a thick voice.
"I won't tell."
"I'm fine."
Elphaba's stubbornness knowing no bounds, the burgeoning tears never slipped past her eyes. After regaining control, she took a steadying breath and sized Fiyero up.
"This means nothing, you know. This doesn't mean I'm not still totally freaked out."
"Of course not. Then you wouldn't be you," Fiyero allowed, brushing a thumb over her chin. "I'm freaked out too, you know? I'm not used to wanting things or caring this much about anything. But you've been pushing me to be a better person ever since we met—both times. It's been really annoying!"
Elphaba chuckled hoarsely.
"Not to mention you're easily the most intimidating person I've ever been around—"
"Thank you."
"—but I am up for the challenge, Elphaba. You're worth the challenge. Let's just be scared together, okay? Until we try, we'll never know. You taught me that."
"So, I guess this means you're doubling down?" Elphaba asked. "I'm warning you now, this is your last easy out…and there's a long road ahead."
"Will I travel that road with you?"
"Yes."
"Then I say…let's give this an honest go."
Elphaba heard his choice of phrasing and offered a thoughtful smile. Fate may not always be kind…but it could be funny at times.
"Okay, Fiyero. Let's give this an honest go," Elphaba consented.
"So, I'll be picking you up around eight?"
"Huh?"
"I'm taking you out. On a date."
"Isn't it a little late for that?" Elphaba laughed nervously. "I think we skipped a couple steps."
"We can't skip our first proper outing! Besides—" Fiyero suddenly spun her under his arm and lowered her into a suave dip, "—I've been told I'm a pretty fun date."
Elphaba, feeling unusually girlish, tried and failed to conceal her swoon. It irritated her to be as susceptible to Fiyero's allure as anyone else.
"Leave everything to me. We'll do it up right," Fiyero promised as he pulled Elphaba up. "Tonight, at eight?"
"Okay, then. Tonight, at eight."
Fiyero was not a punctual person so Elphaba figured eight o'clock really meant eight fifteen, which was why she was caught off-guard to hear his jaunty knock on her door perfectly on time. She struggled to get her shoe on as she stumbled to get to the door in a huff.
"Go away. You're early," she frowned as she opened up the door. Fiyero, sharply dressed in his date attire, pulled up the sleeve to his jacket and showed her his watch.
"I'm right on time."
"Yes, but you're always late so being on time is early for you."
"Seems to me that you're making excuses for not being ready in a timely manner," Fiyero clicked his tongue. "I'm not taking the blame here."
"You said eight!"
"It's eight!"
"We need a do over," Elphaba decided before shutting the door in his face. She bent down and fixed her shoe as Fiyero knocked again. She reopened the door with a pleasant expression.
"You're on time."
"I'm glad you noticed. It'll literally never happen again," he said before sizing her up with a smile. "You look beautiful."
Elphaba tried to think up a sarcastic response but she came up blank, so instead she said: "Thank you."
Fiyero took her arm in a chivalrous fashion and they set off into the night. Butterflies fluttered in Elphaba's stomach which she found silly seeing as everything that had already transpired between them. She was on a date with Fiyero Tigelaar. It was just so beautifully strange.
"Where are we going, anyway?" Elphaba asked. "If we're going to a restaurant we're going to be stared at the whole time."
"It's not a restaurant."
"It's too late for coffee."
"Not coffee."
"The play closed last weekend."
"Not a play."
"I hope it's not dancing, I really can't dance, and I don't drink so a bar is out. Oh, Yero. It's not minigolf, is it? Please tell me it's not minigolf."
"Hey, Fae?"
"Yes."
"Be quiet," he said, leaning in to give her a kiss on the cheek. "Give me some credit, won't you?! You're going to love it."
Fiyero pulled her down a side street and stopped in front of an unassuming unmarked door beside a loading dock.
"We're here."
"Where's here?"
"The Greater Ozian Institute of Natural History," Fiyero explained nonchalantly.
Elphaba gave him a funny look.
"No, we're not. The entrance is on Dixxi street."
"Yeah, this is the back entrance."
"Fiyero…the museum is closed."
"I know."
"Like, closed closed. I've been trying to come here since I got to Shiz but it's shut down for renovations. Believe me, I check all the time."
"Yeah, I know."
"I don't understand."
"This is our date. We're going in there."
"How are we even getting in?" Elphaba pointed out, giving a strong yank on the door which remained firmly locked.
"You're going to let us in," he stated. "With that snappy finger magic trick thing you do."
Elphaba gaped at him.
"You want us to break in? You want us to commit a crime on our first date?!"
"Kind of, yeah."
"That's crazy."
"Yes, it is. That's why we're doing it! Come on, Elphaba. Don't you want to do something a little crazy?" Fiyero grinned.
Elphaba crossed her arms and peered at the door with trepidation. Fiyero stood behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders, leaning in to murmur in her ear like the devil on her shoulder.
"We can tour the hall of science. See the new Tik-Tok devices? There's even a new display of jewels from The Wizard's private mines…" Fiyero persuaded. "And we'd have it all to ourselves."
"All to ourselves?" Elphaba asked slowly.
"If you really don't want to, we can go to plan B. However, I do have to warn you…plan B is minigolf."
Elphaba laughed and glanced back towards him as temptation and excitement rose in her chest.
"What if we get caught?"
"Then we get caught."
Elphaba took a deep breath and turned her attention back to the door.
"I can't believe I'm doing this."
She quickly snapped her fingers and the lock gave way for them at once. Fiyero whooped triumphantly and pushed the door open. He graciously ventured ahead of her to find the light before coming back to retrieve Elphaba's hand and pull her inside. The door closed behind them and they scurried into a large dimly lit hall with a high ceiling. Elphaba laughed in disbelief as she looked all around towards the different avenues.
"I don't know where to start! I could spend hours in here," she gushed, spinning in an excited circle as she looked in the directions of the exhibits. "I've never done anything like this. Oz, I feel so—so wicked!"
There was a popping sound and Elphaba turned to see Fiyero uncorking a bottle he pulled from his bag.
"Oh, I—"
"Blackberry bubbly. No alcohol," Fiyero assured her.
"You came prepared," Elphaba remarked as he poured some of it into a flute and handed it to her.
"Of course, it's date night," he grinned, holding up his flute. "To breaking the rules."
"To breaking the rules," Elphaba toasted, clinking her glass to his.
Slow renovations and lax security set the scene for a criminally fun date. Elphaba would unlock the exhibits and Fiyero would find the lights. The museum itself was an enthralling destination for Elphaba and Fiyero enjoyed the thrill of trespassing. Fiyero had always had a knack for corrupting others, but that wasn't the case here. Beneath Elphaba's rigid adherence to rules was a repressed adventurous spirit. Sometimes she just needed the extra nudge.
Fiyero became addicted to Elphaba's excited gasps and childlike scampers whenever she spotted something of intrigue. Her animated asides about the pieces, the monologues, the fun facts she just had to impart. While the exhibits were perfectly fine, to Fiyero, Elphaba was the grandest thing on display. After exhausting Gillikin and Munchkinland, Elphaba insisted on heading west to pay a visit to the wing dedicated to The Vinkus. The first thing that caught their eye was a scale model of an imposing stronghold.
"Kiamo Ko, the fortress home of the Tigelaar family," Elphaba read the placard and gave Fiyero an astonished look. "You live here?"
"Nah, we've never lived in it. Grandad did when he was alive, but it's deserted now."
"Where do you live?"
"The other castle."
"Ah."
"This looks just like it, though."
"Your family home is in a museum. A museum. Sometimes I forget that you're a literal prince," Elphaba shook her head. "Okay, tell me everything."
"About what?"
"The Vinkus!" Elphaba gestured to the hall.
"I don't really know all that much," Fiyero dismissed.
"You must, though! Every placard has the name Tigelaar on it. Your family is clearly a big deal."
"They like to think so."
"Come on, Fiyero. This may be the only time I voluntarily inflate your ego," Elphaba played. "Look at the legacy you're a part of!"
"Yeah well, I don't need a museum to tell me what I have to live up to. My parents tell me all the damn time."
Elphaba quieted and turned towards Fiyero. He reflexively took a swig from the bottle of bubbly and heaved a sigh.
"That came out sharper than I meant it to," he acknowledged. "I'm sorry."
"It's okay. I'm sorry I was…prodding."
Fiyero opened his free arm as an invitation, one that Elphaba accepted. He curled his arm around her waist and kissed the top of her head.
"It's just weird to see the Tigelaar glory all laid out like this. I mean look—right there is my grandfather's Arjiki Chieftain regalia!" he gestured to some clothing on display beside an oil painting. "Now he was something, Elphaba. Well liked, politically savvy, and smart—really smart."
"You're smart too."
"No but he was like scholar smart. Published author, historian, top of his class at Shiz. We were close too, at least from what I remember," he shrugged. "Can you picture anyone mentioning a screw up like me in a museum? No matter what I do it's not like I'll ever measure up to him, so why bother?"
"Because you're not him, Fiyero," Elphaba said, stepping out of his embrace to face him properly. "You're not your grandfather and you're not your parents. You're you and that's enough. It's more than enough."
Fiyero reached forward and cupped Elphaba's cheek with his hand. She caught it and pressed a kiss to his palm.
"I've never told anyone any of this."
"Not even Fae?" Elphaba asked with an ironic smile.
"Nope. Not even Fae."
"So, I guess being a scandalacious prince isn't all it's cracked up to be, huh?"
"I don't know that I'd go that far…I still get the prettiest dates."
The jewels from The Wizard's private mines were in a hall a short distance away and Elphaba was immediately drawn to the case of lavish emeralds. She tilted her head to the side as she studied them pensively. Some were rough around the edges while others were sculpted and polished into a perfect figurine, but all of them glittered in the same shade of green.
"It must be something," Elphaba said in a hushed tone.
"What?" Fiyero asked as he examined a case across the room.
"The Emerald City."
"It's okay."
"It annoys me when you say that, you know," Elphaba chided. "Oz, I've never wanted to go anywhere more. For a while I was desperate to go to Emerald University just to be able to live there."
"Emerald University is a party school. You're too good for them," Fiyero dismissed.
"I've always been curious why he chose emeralds—why he chose green for his city," Elphaba pondered. "Maybe I'll ask him."
"Right, I'll ask him too."
"No, really. I'll ask him when I meet him," Elphaba said, turning away from the case to face Fiyero. "It's only a matter of time according to Madame Morrible."
"Madame Morri—wait. What?"
"Haven't I told you?"
"Pretty sure you haven't."
Elphaba thought for a moment, running her letters through her brain.
"I suppose I didn't write about it, not in detail anyway. It would have given too much about my identity away…" she realized. "That's what I've been working towards all this time. She's training me to meet The Wizard…to work with The Wizard."
"The Wizard?" Fiyero stressed.
"Yes!" Elphaba confirmed, fighting back a giddy smile. "That's the whole reason I'm in sorcery seminar. Madame Morrible handpicked me."
"Wow! I mean—wow. I just can't believe it never came up," Fiyero rubbed the back of his head.
"Me neither! But Fiyero, isn't it wonderful? Remember before we were at Shiz? I wrote to you that I felt in my gut that I could do something great."
"I remember."
"Well, this is it, isn't it?! If I meet him, if I work with him, I feel like I can actually accomplish something good for once."
"You do plenty of good."
"I mean, I try. But we're talking about making a difference on a grand scale here!" Elphaba emphasized with a huge gesture. "I mean what's the good of doing good if it isn't big?"
"It just seems like you have a lot riding on this is all…"
"Oh, I do," Elphaba said before turning her back on him to admire the emeralds. "When I meet The Wizard…my whole life will change."
"Your…whole life?"
"Yes. I can picture it. It's hazy at times, but even so, I can picture it. Meeting The Wizard will change everything, I feel it," she stated. "I can just…feel it."
Fiyero approached her and wrapped his arms around her from behind.
"Madame Morrible says that I have the makings to be his Magic Grand Vizier, can you imagine? That's why she urges me to work so hard. I need to prove my worth."
"Prove your worth?" Fiyero frowned. "You're worth plenty."
"No, I didn't mean it like that. It's just…I mean he's The Wizard."
"And you're Elphaba."
"I just need to show how valuable I can be to him. If I do things for him I'm certain he'll do much for me."
"Like what?"
"Like—anything!" Elphaba said, turning to face him and wrapping her arms around his neck. "Granting your heart's desire is what The Wizard does. He could make everything better—hell, I'll bet he could even degreenify me if I asked."
"Degreenify you?"
"That's assuming it's possible. The power is mysterious," Elphaba laughed with a mystical wiggle of her fingers.
Fiyero was unamused.
"Of course, it's not important to me," Elphaba backtracked. "Though I'm not saying it wouldn't make things easier. It'd be nice for people to see me for who I really am."
"I see who you really are!" Fiyero insisted fiercely, releasing his hold on her and backing up a few steps.
"Fiyero…you're overthinking this," Elphaba pointed out. "It isn't like you."
"Why should you have to change? If people don't see you for who you are now then they don't deserve to!"
"Hey, it's okay," Elphaba soothed. She came up to him and took the sides of his face in her hands. His jaw was tense but eased at her gentle touch. "Relax, my Yero. I was mostly kidding."
Fiyero pulled Elphaba into a sudden kiss which took her off-guard. She soon relaxed into him and, though not fully understanding his impulse, kissed him back. When Fiyero pulled away he took both of Elphaba's hands in his and held her gaze just long enough for her to feel a tickle of self-consciousness.
"I know you'll do great things, Elphaba. That's a given," Fiyero said. "I guess I just don't see why you need The Wizard's help."
Elphaba hesitated, unsure of how to respond. Anxious to lighten the mood, she ended up snaking her arms around Fiyero's neck and changing the subject.
"Say…when they signed you up for the Ozian Pen Pal program did they tell you that The Wizard was a member?"
"Yeah. Must have been some marketing ploy. I didn't believe them for a clock-tick."
"Not a clock-tick," Elphaba agreed. "You know, Tigelaar? I was skeptical at first but the rumors are true. You are a very fun date."
"Am I now?" he chuckled.
"It's the regrettable truth."
"Hmm…get over here," Fiyero beckoned softly.
Elphaba leaned in and sighed pleasantly when Fiyero tilted her chin up to meet her in another long, sweet kiss.
"I'm still getting used to that," Elphaba admitted with a breathy laugh.
"You're a natural," Fiyero complimented before flirtatiously peppering her cheek and neck with short kisses.
"Alright Tigelaar, hands where I can see them!" Elphaba grinned and scurried back to escape his affections. "Before we get too carried away…there's still one more exhibit I really want to see."
"You'll be the death of me," Fiyero breathed.
"And you'll love every moment of it," Elphaba quipped. She extended her hand towards Fiyero. "Follow me, Yero?"
He slid his hand into hers.
"Anywhere."
Elphaba excitedly explained the upcoming exhibit as she pulled Fiyero down the hall towards the wing in question.
"It's the evolution and history of Animals in Oz and has a timeline of their most notable contributions. Doctor Dillamond says it's riveting! According to the map it should be down this way—"
They turned the corner and Elphaba trailed off as the wind knocked out of her. The Hall of Animal History still had its sign up but each artifact had been disassembled and removed. Dozens of sealed crates were stacked about the floor and rectangle borders could be seen where wall hangings and placards were once displayed. Elphaba's footsteps echoed on the marble floor as she looked around the gutted hall with a heavy heart.
"I suppose now we know what their 'renovations' were," Elphaba mumbled.
"Maybe they're just relocating it?" Fiyero offered half-heartedly.
Elphaba gestured numbly to a banner near the entrance with a sign that read 'Closed Permanently'. She crossed her arms and shook her head as a latent rage simmered within her.
"This is why I work the way I do, Fiyero. This is why I need The Wizard's help. He'll make it right," Elphaba said. "He needs to help me make things…right."
