Title:
Entertaining Destiny
Author: Aerohead
Email:
In my profile
Rating: PG13
Disclaimer/Dedication: For L. Frank Baum, Gregory Maguire, Stephen Schwartz, and Winnie Holtzman who own this idea that I'm extending. Thank you for giving me the first part.
Warning: spoiler for the ending of the musical Wicked, but that's pretty much about it.
Genre: Romance, adventure (book/play amalgamation)
Summary: The Vinkus is being used as a way for Quadlings to be taken to the Gillikin emerald mines. When a Quadling boy helps her daughter, Elphaba decides to stop the Gale Force from using Kumbricia's Pass as a way to smuggle people.
Author's Notes: Still not beta'd. This is the last part until One if by Land, Two if by Sky. There will be a short epilogue posted after this, to set up for the events in the sequel. I'm just warning you, it might take a while for the sequel to get up, for two reasons; it's based off of an RPG, and also I'm working on an original story. I actually meant to start that tonight, but this story's been on my mind.
Part Six
Rain pelted angrily on the East Window. Fabala pulled the comforter over her head and pulled herself into a knot underneath it. It wasn't particularly cold, but the hollow sound of the hard liquid hitting the glass panes made her nervous. It had already woken her up twice, and she had checked them each time to make sure there would be no repeats of what happened when she was eleven.
The rain had been falling this way for about two days or so. And there was no hope in it letting up any time soon.
Water. Fabala opened her eyes and cautiously undid her cocoon of blankets. Why did she have to be allergic to water? Was it some twisted joke of some god, a curse on her for not believing in him or her? She groaned as she looked at the ceiling.
She vaguely remembered a story her mother once told her when she was still a child living in the Badlands. It was about Glinda, actually. About a made-up ailment Glinda proclaimed her caretaker had so she wouldn't have to put up with Elphaba. And then, a year later, the caretaker fell ill with the same nonsense illness.
Maybe that's what's happened to me. Fabala thought. Everyone in Oz gave my mother a nonsensical illness, and because of their full belief in such a thing, I've been afflicted by it in reality.
It was true – Elphaba Thropp was not affected by water at all. But she had faked her own death-by-water to leave Oz, and perhaps Fabala was her mother's retribution for that lie.
It had always bothered Fabala, actually, her affliction towards water. It made bathing, walking, and even eating and drinking, hard. If she cried, sweat, or tried to drink tea, she'd get hurt.
With a determined sigh, Fabala got out of bed and moved towards her chest of drawers. Neatly put in a junk drawer was a quill and a small bundle of parchment. On top of it was a neatly written note. She put the note aside and grabbed a small bottle of ink and a candle. She brought the materials over to the small work bench in the room, dragging a chair with her bad leg as she did so. Even if it made a lot of noise, Aran was the only one who slept under the High Tower, and he wouldn't worry about her.
She put the candle into the small candle holder next to the workbench before putting down the ink bottle gently and the putting the quill and parchment down. She rummaged around the work bench, before grabbing a match and setting fire to it. She brought it to the wick of the candle. When it caught fire, she brought the match back towards her and flicked it out.
With that done she sat down in the chair and uncorked her inkbottle. With a fortifying breath, she dipped her quill into the ink, and began to write. Magic Words – The Influence of Popular Beliefs and How They Affect the Greater Outcome of Things, an entrance essay by Fabala Thropp for Shiz University.
Mellesse watched the cooking girls with an eagle eye as she set the breakfast table. "Remember girls, apples; Miss Fabala likes apples." She said, noting the pears being put into a basket.
"Right." Said the girl who had been putting the pears out.
Mellesse clucked her tongue, shaking her head. Sometimes these girls...but it wasn't her place to judge them, just help them become better cooks. She had been that girl putting out pears instead of apples once, and she could sympathize.
The rain had stopped perhaps a week or two ago, she wasn't sure exactly which, and she was starting to worry. No one in the Vinkus had heard from Shiz University – Pfen said that there was a boy in the Scrow encampment who had also appealed for acceptance, and had yet to hear anything. She busied herself with the place settings, hoping that she was only worrying because that's what she did, and there was no stock in her gut feeling.
"Hello, Mellesse." Elphaba said, walking into the kitchen and sitting down in front of her recently made place setting.
"Hello, Miss Elphaba." Mellesse greeted in kind, however she realized that it was without any merit on the other woman, because Elphaba had the Grimmerie in front of her, and she was reading spells and discarding them at a rapid succession.
"Good morning, Mellesse!" The Scarecrow said pleasantly. He kissed Elphaba on the cheek, and she looked up at him, blinking. "Good morning, Elphie!"
"Good morning, Master Fiyero." Mellesse said. The common knowledge that the Arjiki prince was, in fact, not dead was only common for the house-staff of Kiamo Ko, and both Fiyero and Elphaba planned to keep it that way until his...predicament, could be reversed.
"What's put you in such a good mood this morning?" Elphaba asked over the top of her book as she watched The Scarecrow walk over to his seat opposite her.
"Good morning, Master Scarecrow!" The kitchen hands called in unison. He tipped his head to them, before turning to Elphaba, smiling mysteriously.
"You know me, I'm always happy." He said, sitting down. She went back to her book, eyes narrowed in suspicion.
"Yes, you're always happy when you're up to something." She muttered. She blinked, looking up again. "Aren't we missing a few members of our breakfast table?" She asked.
"I suppose you're right." The Scarecrow said, feigning ignorance. Elphaba was about to answer when Mellesse gasped.
"Oh, I should set...I should...never mind giving me that glare, Miss Elphaba, we're all immune to it by now...pardon me, Miss Glinda."
"...Gl...in...da....?!" Elphaba said very slowly as she closed her book and turned. There was Glinda, holding two important-looking envelopes. She was in her a vision in pink, as she had always been at Shiz, and behind her was a small blonde girl with a sour expression on her face.
"I hope I'm not interrupting breakfast, Elphie!" Glinda said, all smiles, as she ignored her best friend's shocked and slightly put-off expression. "But the messengers are still not quite up to visiting you, and I thought you'd like your privacy, so I decided I should give these to Aran and Fabala personally to make sure they got them!" Mellesse bustled about making two extra place settings for Glinda and her younger double. The kitchen staff curtsied as well as they could to Glinda, before starting to make extra breakfast for them.
"Hello, Glinda, what a pleasant surprise!" The Scarecrow said, getting up and bowing lightly. "How's Oz? Is it easy to rule by yourself?"
Glinda smiled to herself. "Well...I'm not ruling on my own any more. Now that Ozma and Dorothy are out of Shiz," she ignored the yellow tingeing Elphaba's cheeks at the mention of the girl who had been given Nessarose's shoes, "I've decided to start a triumvirate rulership. Dorothy takes care of matters in Munchkinland, Ozma takes care of the matters of the Quadlings and tries to protect them from the Gale Force's enslavement campaign, and, well, I take care of matters in the Emerald City and Gillikin." She moved to sit down, but Elphaba moved in front of her.
"And the only reason you're here...is to give those letters to Fabala and Aran, and then leave?" She asked, a hint of anxiety in her voice. Glinda put a hand on her friend's.
"Yes." She said. "I also brought Nissa because she'll be in their class next year, and I thought they should start off better than we did."
She sat down and looked around, playing with the acceptance letters. "Now...where are they?"
"Oh...they went outside about an hour ago, to see that cave they rave about all the time." Mellesse answered, putting down a large plate of shortcakes.
Glinda looked at Elphaba, almost on the brink of jumping up. "Outside...? It's been drizzling for about an hour!"
"Or more." Noted Nissa as she helped herself to shortcake. It was then that the door banged open, and Aran's voice echoed into the alive room.
"...just amazing! I've never seen anyone who could do that before! Could you teach me?"
"I don't think I could...it just...happened!" Fabala answered as they turned into the kitchen. Fabala stopped, looking at Glinda. "Hello, Miss Glinda." She said, nodding. Her eyes narrowed as she looked at Nissa. "Excuse me, but that is where I've sat since I was five."
Nissa turned, shrugging. "Then you should find a new spot to sit."
"Nissa!" Glinda said, frowning at her daughter. "Hello, Fabala, Aran, I think I have something of interest to you." She held up the envelopes with a flourish, and the two grabbed for them.
The two read through the messages quickly, before Fabala looked up, smiling. "I didn't think that essay would get me in; I thought it would get me kicked out before I was even in." She said.
Elphaba was looking at her daughter curiously. "Is it raining out?" She asked, noticing that there were no red marks on the dark skin.
Fabala opened her mouth to answer, but Aran jumped in. "It is; but we didn't know that until we came out of the cave; we were talking about what the writing on the walls might mean, it looked like a prophesy of some sort, but we couldn't make out any words."
"It could have been a prayer." The young atheist pointed out.
"Anyway, we were walking out, and Fabala noticed that it was raining, and she said we needed an umbrella to protect her, and as we got out into the rain and were ready to run, we realized we weren't getting wet!"
Glinda beamed. "That's wonderful, dear!" She decreed. "You could be wonderful at sorcery, perhaps even have as much power as your mother."
"Power...?" Fabala asked, looking at Elphaba skeptically.
Elphaba smiled. "Just don't let anyone abuse your powers and yourself." She said, before going back to her book. Aran sat down in his seat, sending a quick glance at Nissa.
"You're in trouble now." He muttered to her, watching the storm clouds pass over Fabala's face.
"Get...out...of my seat...now." She said, her voice deadly.
Nissa turned, a faux smile on blinding. "Make me." She answered. Aran groaned, grabbing a shortcake and some strawberries.
Fabala raised one eyebrow, and crossed her arms.
"Nissa, move!" demanded Glinda. The girl looked between her mother and Fabala, before getting up and moving, harrumphing lightly. Fabala sat down and flicked the shortcake towards Nissa.
"I think this belongs to you." She said. Nissa jumped as the projectile landed on her plate, and she glared at Fabala.
"How dare you."
"How dare I? You're the one who came into my home and decided to take over within, what, five, six minutes?" Fabala let off a coy smirk. "I'm terribly sorry, princess, but I think I missed the message that you were now the daughter of the ruler of the Vinkus."
"Technically, she is." The Scarecrow pointed out. Fabala turned to him, and Nissa smiled in satisfaction.
With a sigh, Fabala stood and started out. Elphaba watched her go, while Glinda glared at her daughter. "Go apologize."
"That may not be the best idea; Fabala's my daughter." Elphaba pointed out reasonably.
Nissa looked from the green woman to Glinda and back. "Well, what are you waiting for? You two are sister's you shouldn't be fighting like this!" Glinda said, watching as Elphaba's head whipped around and was surprised when the woman nodded.
"Even if you two are only half-sisters, you two should try to get along; you never know when you'll need each other."
With a melodramatic sigh, Nissa got up from the table and dragged herself behind the retreating Winkie. "Fabala, wait!" The dark girl turned, sapphire eyes sparkling with suppressed annoyance.
"What do you want?" She asked, leaning on the railing and staring Nissa down.
"I've been sent to apologize." She said. They stared at each other for a few moments, before Fabala inclined her head.
"Well...?"
"Well
what? Isn't that enough for you?" Nissa demanded.
"That's not an apology, that's a statement." Fabala said, teeth clenched together.
"Well, I can only give you a statement then."
Fabala growled and stormed further up the stairs. "What do you want, then, a written letter listing all the reasons why I shouldn't be sitting in a stupid chair?" Nissa asked, following behind.
Fabala jerked around, and Nissa nearly lost her balance. Fabala caught her by the arm, pulling her up. "Just because we happen to be related does not mean I have to be nice to you or even like you. And it may be hard for your blissful blonde brain to wrap around, but I don't intend to be your friend, whether at Shiz or here, because you are what normal people call a spoilt brat, and until you can find time to start treating people civilly and start listening to what they say and start giving up your own things for other people, I will not treat you civilly nor will I listen to what you say nor will I give up my own things for you. Is that understood?" Fabala said. She realized she was still holding the other girl steady and let go as if she had touched water.
Nissa's brow furrowed. "What, exactly, does that mean?" She asked.
Fabala let out a frustrated growl. "I loathe you." She said, going the rest of the way up the steps and slamming the door shut.
Nissa just stood there for a moment, confused, before she straightened and looked at the door crossly. "Well, good, because I loathe you, too!" She called, walking downstairs.
Glinda and Nissa left that day. Fabala didn't come out of her room even after they left, and ignored all the knocks on her door that came mostly from a very worried Scarecrow and Aran. She had her faced buried in her pillow when she heard the door click open.
"Go away." She called, although it was stifled by her pillow.
"That was quite a show you put on out there; we could all hear you in the kitchen." Elphaba said, closing the door behind her and sitting on her daughter's bed. Fabala picked her head up, and looked at her mother. "You know, she might not admit it, but Glinda was almost like Nissa when we first met...though Nissa is a little worse."
"No kidding." Fabala said. Elphaba looked at her, and Fabala pulled herself up and leaned her head on Elphaba's shoulder; she needed her mother more than she expected, and she relaxed once her mother's arm was wrapped around her waist, pulling her into a protective embrace.
"You have to show her how to be better; you two will be good for each other once you both get off of your pedestals and try to find some basis for a friendship. I might not be the best authority on this subject, but I know I'm going to miss you once you go away, and you need as many allies as you can get once people learn you're a Thropp." She pushed a stray strand of dark hair out of Fabala's face, and felt the girl nod on her shoulder.
"I won't promise any miracles, but I'll try." She said.
"You won't promise miracles? You've already proved yourself capable of those with that invisible umbrella trick this morning." Elphaba said. Fabala laughed quietly, letting go of her mother.
"Thanks." Elphaba looked at her.
"For what?"
"For believing in me."
"That's my job, I'm your mother." Elphaba traced one green hand down Fabala's cheek, stopping to cup her daughter's chin. "Believe in yourself, Fabala. Shiz won't be easy, and they'll be more than just prejudices against Winkies that you'll come to face, but let people in. Glinda and your father were my only friends at Shiz; even Nessa never truly believed in me, and believe me, even if you have Aran, you'll need more support."
"I'll be fine." Fabala objected.
Elphaba smiled. "I know. I'm not really worried for you; I'm worried for the people who get on your bad side." She kissed her daughter's forehead gently, and rubbed the spot she had kissed with the pad of her thumb, taking the moisture off. "Come on down, Mellesse has made a celebratory dinner in your and Aran's honor." Fabala nodded, getting up and following her mother out of the door.
In another year, she'd be gone. She'd be at Shiz; she'd be...a very small fish in a very big pond.