After the Melting
Fanfiction by J. Thorne
Disclaimer - I don't own anything but the plot. Don't sue me!!!
Chapter 3
Elphaba didn't remember falling asleep, but when she woke, the memories of the day before came rushing back to her. With a start, she realized that Fiyero's body was no longer at her feet, and she scrambled up, searching for him.
"Fiyero? Fiyero! Where are you?" She screamed at the top of her lungs.
"Hush, do you want everyone in all of Oz to hear you?" Elphaba spun around and came face to face with Fiyero as she had known him in school, eyes twinkling. She immediately collapsed in his arms.
"I thought I had lost you, I thought I had done it wrong," she sobbed into his chest.
"Well, you didn't. You were perfect. Hush now, don't cry my love," Fiyero said soothingly, rubbing her back as her sobs began to soften. She leaned back to look at him.
"Look at you...you look wonderful. I just wish that I had a spell to make myself beautiful for you – you deserve to have the most beautiful girl in the world," She said to him.
"You be quiet. I already have the most beautiful girl in the world, and I don't want you to forget that. Besides, I go well with green," He grinned at her, drying her tears. "Well, cheer up. We have lots to do in only a short amount of time. Since the Quadlings don't know much about, well, anything that happens in the Emerald City, I figured it would be safe for me to go there and get us some food and perhaps some new clothes. They don't know I was the captain of the guard, and they certainly don't know that I'm a Vinkus Prince. And I think if we can get you a proper scarf, they won't even notice you're green. I'm not sure if they would notice anyway, though...they're always so easy going that I doubt it would surprise them. But I'd still rather be cautious – I don't want to lose you when I've just gotten you for good. The good thing about the Quadling country is that there are thousands of trees, which means we'll have some good shade and places to hide. So, are you ready to go?"
Elphaba started at Fiyero, amazed. She had always known that he was intelligent, but she never knew that he could plan things out so thoroughly. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she kissed him sweetly on the lips. "Let's go."
They started back, walking upright, hand in hand. Elphaba saw that the huge trees were getting closer, stretching high above the rich soil and into the heavens. They walked for a while in silence, then Elphaba stopped suddenly and turned to Fiyero.
"Yero, what are you going to use for money? I left everything behind, and I'm sure the guards took anything you may have had off of you."
Fiyero laughed and reached into his pocket. He pulled out about two-dozen small, sparkling rocks. "This is what I was doing this morning when you woke – the Quadlings have a fondness for gemstones, so I'm pretty sure we'll find a place that will accept these as payment. It should get us some good food and some new clothes, at least."
"You certainly think of everything, don't you?" Elphaba laughed at him.
"I never thought of bringing a spell that would make me human again," replied Fiyero seriously, "Fabala, what exactly did you do to me, anyway?"
"It's simple, really. One of the first things the sorcerers who wrote the Grimmerie wanted to do was animate inanimate objects, which is how I saved you from the guards – things like scarecrows or tinmen can't be killed, but can be animated with a simple spell. But the real trick was finding a spell that would make something with a human form truly become human. No doubt the writers found that their now animate objects wanted to be more than just straw or metal, so they invented the spell, which I used on you. So I didn't really reverse the first spell, I just made the scarecrow human, and luckily you kept your old personality and intelligence," Elphaba explained.
"You'll never cease to amaze me," Fiyero replied, kissing her hand.
They continued walking down a dirt road until they reached the outskirts of a small village. Then they went into the forest and found a nice spot where they could camp for a while. Elphaba stayed there in case there was a chance of anyone recognizing her, and Fiyero made his way into the heart of the village.
Most of the Quadlings greeted him cheerfully as he passed, then hurriedly continued about their business. No one seemed to notice that he was anyone special, which made him feel quite a bit better. "It'll be better if they all forget me," he thought to himself, "Then they can't tell anyone we've been here." He strolled past the different shops, acting as though he had all the time in the world. He didn't want to appear suspicious by racing in and out of every store. Finally he wandered into a small clothing shop located in what appeared to be the center of town. A stout Quadling woman with graying hair smiled up at him cheerfully as he entered.
"Hello my dear. Is there anything I can help you with?" She asked him kindly.
"Well, yes, actually. I'm just passing through, and I'm looking for a few sets of clothes for myself and my wife." Fiyero was surprised at the ease he was able to call Elphaba his wife, so shortly after finally getting to be with her. It already felt so natural to him – he did, after all, plan to spend the rest of his life with her.
"Of course, of course! Now let's see, what measurements are you? And will your wife be joining us or do you know her measurements already?" The woman started bustling about, wrapping a tape measure around his waist and stretching it across his shoulders.
"No, she won't be joining, but if you let me just look through your dresses, I think I'll be able to find some that fit her. Also, I was wondering if you had any shawls or scarves?"
The woman, now busily sorting through piles of clothes, pointed to the far side of the room. "Ladies wear is over there, my dear. Just browse through those, and pick what you like." Fiyero sorted through the dresses, and picked out three that seemed to be the right size. There was also a wide selection of shawls, and he picked out a thick black one, as well as a lightweight emerald green one, which he imagined would go very well with her skin. In the meantime, the shopkeeper had picked out a number of sets of clothing, and was waiting for him at the counter.
"Just pick from these, dear, and then I'll ring you up." Looking through the pile, he settled on three white cotton shirts and three sets of breeches, one black, one blue, and one green. Placing his choices on the counter along with what he picked for Elphaba, he pulled out the gems from his pocket.
"I'm not sure what money you use here, but I was hoping you'd accept these," Fiyero started as he showed the woman the gems.
"Oh, these are lovely, just lovely! I think...yes, five of these will be sufficient. Thank you so much for your business, my dear! Send my regards to your wife!" The woman packaged up his purchases and led him to the door, smiling cheerfully as she sent him out. Tucking the bag under his arm, he wandered into the next shop.
The shop he was in now couldn't be more different than the small clothing stall he had just left. He now found himself in a noisy, crowded deli with many people laughing and shouting. He cautiously made his way to the counter, ready to run if anyone recognized him. A tall, burly man behind the counter turned to him and eyed him up and down.
"You from outta town? You look a bit lost. What can I get for you?" The man said loudly, grinning. Seeing Fiyero's apprehension, he began to laugh.
"Don't you worry, boy, I won't bite. Come on now, what would you like?"
Fiyero visibly relaxed, thankful that no one had realized who he was. He picked out a number of dried meats and a few loaves of bread, so they would have a good amount to eat on the rest of their journey. Bringing out the rest of the gems, the man picked out three he liked, and wrapped up the food. As Fiyero went to leave, he couldn't help overhearing a bit of a conversation as he passed.
"Yeah, the Wizard's gone! Supposedly after the green witch was killed, he felt that he had reached the end of his career – something about the strains of Wizardness being too much or some such nonsense. He left that slip of a girl witch, Galinda or whatever her name is, in charge of all of Oz, supposedly. And her first order of business was to throw the press secretary into prison! Can you believe all that rubbish? Well, the Emerald City doesn't hold that much power over the Quadlings anyway, so there isn't much to worry about, regardless of what happens there."
"It's all poppycock if you ask me. A witch with green skin? Nonsense! I'll believe it when I see it."
Fiyero didn't know how to take this news. The Wizard, gone? Glinda, in charge of all of Oz? Morrible out of the picture? It was all too much. He desperately wanted to tell Elphaba right away, but there was one more stop he had to make first.
Still quite stunned, Fiyero slowly made his way to a small jewelry shop across the road. He wanted to get Elphaba something to show her how much he loved her. Of course she knew how much he loved her, but he felt that she deserved it for everything she had done for him. He approached the elderly man standing behind the counter, who looked up at him warmly.
"Hello there, son. What can I help you with?"
"Well, I'm looking for something for my, well, the woman I want to be my wife. But I'm not sure exactly what she'd like..." Fiyero trailed off, at a loss for how to explain what he wanted. The man simply smiled.
"Well, why don't we look over here," he said, walking over to the longest counter on the left wall. "Now, does your ladyfriend have a favorite color in particular?"
Fiyero grinned, and simply responded with "Green."
"Well, how about this then? I think it should express your love for her quite well, don't you think so?" the man said, picking up one of the many baubles. Fiyero nodded fervently, and quickly emptied his pocket to the man. He took about half of what was remaining, and handed the rest back to Fiyero.
"Oh, there's no need for all of that. I simply adore seeing young people in love – it fulfills me more than anything else. I hope everything works out well for you and your girl. I'm sure it will."
Fanfiction by J. Thorne
Disclaimer - I don't own anything but the plot. Don't sue me!!!
Chapter 3
Elphaba didn't remember falling asleep, but when she woke, the memories of the day before came rushing back to her. With a start, she realized that Fiyero's body was no longer at her feet, and she scrambled up, searching for him.
"Fiyero? Fiyero! Where are you?" She screamed at the top of her lungs.
"Hush, do you want everyone in all of Oz to hear you?" Elphaba spun around and came face to face with Fiyero as she had known him in school, eyes twinkling. She immediately collapsed in his arms.
"I thought I had lost you, I thought I had done it wrong," she sobbed into his chest.
"Well, you didn't. You were perfect. Hush now, don't cry my love," Fiyero said soothingly, rubbing her back as her sobs began to soften. She leaned back to look at him.
"Look at you...you look wonderful. I just wish that I had a spell to make myself beautiful for you – you deserve to have the most beautiful girl in the world," She said to him.
"You be quiet. I already have the most beautiful girl in the world, and I don't want you to forget that. Besides, I go well with green," He grinned at her, drying her tears. "Well, cheer up. We have lots to do in only a short amount of time. Since the Quadlings don't know much about, well, anything that happens in the Emerald City, I figured it would be safe for me to go there and get us some food and perhaps some new clothes. They don't know I was the captain of the guard, and they certainly don't know that I'm a Vinkus Prince. And I think if we can get you a proper scarf, they won't even notice you're green. I'm not sure if they would notice anyway, though...they're always so easy going that I doubt it would surprise them. But I'd still rather be cautious – I don't want to lose you when I've just gotten you for good. The good thing about the Quadling country is that there are thousands of trees, which means we'll have some good shade and places to hide. So, are you ready to go?"
Elphaba started at Fiyero, amazed. She had always known that he was intelligent, but she never knew that he could plan things out so thoroughly. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she kissed him sweetly on the lips. "Let's go."
They started back, walking upright, hand in hand. Elphaba saw that the huge trees were getting closer, stretching high above the rich soil and into the heavens. They walked for a while in silence, then Elphaba stopped suddenly and turned to Fiyero.
"Yero, what are you going to use for money? I left everything behind, and I'm sure the guards took anything you may have had off of you."
Fiyero laughed and reached into his pocket. He pulled out about two-dozen small, sparkling rocks. "This is what I was doing this morning when you woke – the Quadlings have a fondness for gemstones, so I'm pretty sure we'll find a place that will accept these as payment. It should get us some good food and some new clothes, at least."
"You certainly think of everything, don't you?" Elphaba laughed at him.
"I never thought of bringing a spell that would make me human again," replied Fiyero seriously, "Fabala, what exactly did you do to me, anyway?"
"It's simple, really. One of the first things the sorcerers who wrote the Grimmerie wanted to do was animate inanimate objects, which is how I saved you from the guards – things like scarecrows or tinmen can't be killed, but can be animated with a simple spell. But the real trick was finding a spell that would make something with a human form truly become human. No doubt the writers found that their now animate objects wanted to be more than just straw or metal, so they invented the spell, which I used on you. So I didn't really reverse the first spell, I just made the scarecrow human, and luckily you kept your old personality and intelligence," Elphaba explained.
"You'll never cease to amaze me," Fiyero replied, kissing her hand.
They continued walking down a dirt road until they reached the outskirts of a small village. Then they went into the forest and found a nice spot where they could camp for a while. Elphaba stayed there in case there was a chance of anyone recognizing her, and Fiyero made his way into the heart of the village.
Most of the Quadlings greeted him cheerfully as he passed, then hurriedly continued about their business. No one seemed to notice that he was anyone special, which made him feel quite a bit better. "It'll be better if they all forget me," he thought to himself, "Then they can't tell anyone we've been here." He strolled past the different shops, acting as though he had all the time in the world. He didn't want to appear suspicious by racing in and out of every store. Finally he wandered into a small clothing shop located in what appeared to be the center of town. A stout Quadling woman with graying hair smiled up at him cheerfully as he entered.
"Hello my dear. Is there anything I can help you with?" She asked him kindly.
"Well, yes, actually. I'm just passing through, and I'm looking for a few sets of clothes for myself and my wife." Fiyero was surprised at the ease he was able to call Elphaba his wife, so shortly after finally getting to be with her. It already felt so natural to him – he did, after all, plan to spend the rest of his life with her.
"Of course, of course! Now let's see, what measurements are you? And will your wife be joining us or do you know her measurements already?" The woman started bustling about, wrapping a tape measure around his waist and stretching it across his shoulders.
"No, she won't be joining, but if you let me just look through your dresses, I think I'll be able to find some that fit her. Also, I was wondering if you had any shawls or scarves?"
The woman, now busily sorting through piles of clothes, pointed to the far side of the room. "Ladies wear is over there, my dear. Just browse through those, and pick what you like." Fiyero sorted through the dresses, and picked out three that seemed to be the right size. There was also a wide selection of shawls, and he picked out a thick black one, as well as a lightweight emerald green one, which he imagined would go very well with her skin. In the meantime, the shopkeeper had picked out a number of sets of clothing, and was waiting for him at the counter.
"Just pick from these, dear, and then I'll ring you up." Looking through the pile, he settled on three white cotton shirts and three sets of breeches, one black, one blue, and one green. Placing his choices on the counter along with what he picked for Elphaba, he pulled out the gems from his pocket.
"I'm not sure what money you use here, but I was hoping you'd accept these," Fiyero started as he showed the woman the gems.
"Oh, these are lovely, just lovely! I think...yes, five of these will be sufficient. Thank you so much for your business, my dear! Send my regards to your wife!" The woman packaged up his purchases and led him to the door, smiling cheerfully as she sent him out. Tucking the bag under his arm, he wandered into the next shop.
The shop he was in now couldn't be more different than the small clothing stall he had just left. He now found himself in a noisy, crowded deli with many people laughing and shouting. He cautiously made his way to the counter, ready to run if anyone recognized him. A tall, burly man behind the counter turned to him and eyed him up and down.
"You from outta town? You look a bit lost. What can I get for you?" The man said loudly, grinning. Seeing Fiyero's apprehension, he began to laugh.
"Don't you worry, boy, I won't bite. Come on now, what would you like?"
Fiyero visibly relaxed, thankful that no one had realized who he was. He picked out a number of dried meats and a few loaves of bread, so they would have a good amount to eat on the rest of their journey. Bringing out the rest of the gems, the man picked out three he liked, and wrapped up the food. As Fiyero went to leave, he couldn't help overhearing a bit of a conversation as he passed.
"Yeah, the Wizard's gone! Supposedly after the green witch was killed, he felt that he had reached the end of his career – something about the strains of Wizardness being too much or some such nonsense. He left that slip of a girl witch, Galinda or whatever her name is, in charge of all of Oz, supposedly. And her first order of business was to throw the press secretary into prison! Can you believe all that rubbish? Well, the Emerald City doesn't hold that much power over the Quadlings anyway, so there isn't much to worry about, regardless of what happens there."
"It's all poppycock if you ask me. A witch with green skin? Nonsense! I'll believe it when I see it."
Fiyero didn't know how to take this news. The Wizard, gone? Glinda, in charge of all of Oz? Morrible out of the picture? It was all too much. He desperately wanted to tell Elphaba right away, but there was one more stop he had to make first.
Still quite stunned, Fiyero slowly made his way to a small jewelry shop across the road. He wanted to get Elphaba something to show her how much he loved her. Of course she knew how much he loved her, but he felt that she deserved it for everything she had done for him. He approached the elderly man standing behind the counter, who looked up at him warmly.
"Hello there, son. What can I help you with?"
"Well, I'm looking for something for my, well, the woman I want to be my wife. But I'm not sure exactly what she'd like..." Fiyero trailed off, at a loss for how to explain what he wanted. The man simply smiled.
"Well, why don't we look over here," he said, walking over to the longest counter on the left wall. "Now, does your ladyfriend have a favorite color in particular?"
Fiyero grinned, and simply responded with "Green."
"Well, how about this then? I think it should express your love for her quite well, don't you think so?" the man said, picking up one of the many baubles. Fiyero nodded fervently, and quickly emptied his pocket to the man. He took about half of what was remaining, and handed the rest back to Fiyero.
"Oh, there's no need for all of that. I simply adore seeing young people in love – it fulfills me more than anything else. I hope everything works out well for you and your girl. I'm sure it will."