Author's Note: Ok, so I split this chapter in half because…well, I'm sad to see my precious baby of a fic almost done. So please excuse the shortness in comparison to other chapters. I may not be updating for a while, because I'm going to the beach for the weekend. WOOT!

Chapter 28

The golden carp was staring at her from the bottom of the fishwell. It was crying, Elphaba realized suddenly, though she hadn't known that fish could cry. There would be no way to see a fish's tears underwater. Then all at once she realized why. There was no water in the well. The carp must be suffocating. It was crying for help.

Elphaba hesitated for a moment, then reached toward the carp, although she did not know what she intended to do to help it. If there was no water in the well, then there was no water anywhere nearby; still, she could not stand idly by and watch an innocent creature die.

Then suddenly something was pulling her in, and the water was bubbling up from the bottom, engulfing her head first. She tried to scream, but only managed to take in mouthfuls of the awful substance, choking on it as it burned its way down her throat and all over her body. Then suddenly she was through, and back in her tower room at Kiamo Ko. Yackle was sitting on the bed.

"Now now, getting careless, dearie," said the old woman in that familiar cracked voice.

"I couldn't…I couldn't let it just die," gasped Elphaba, still unable to catch her breath.

"Strange," said Yackle thoughtfully.

"What?" asked Elphaba defensively.

"You'd risk your life to save a lowly animal, and yet innocent people getting killed in your schemes are just the price of revolution."

The water returned, bubbling up from the floor boards. Elphaba tried to run, but found suddenly that she was unable to move her feet. She stood thrashing desperately as the liquid overtook her. She hated feeling powerless.

Elphaba woke with a start at a knock on the door; she was drenched in her own sweat and it felt as though she had just bathed in acid. For a moment she was disoriented, feeling as though she had been awakened in the middle of the night, but of course it was only now evening. The meeting. Of course.

She stumbled out of bed and grabbed a towel, drying off quickly and pulling on a spare robe. Fiyero was still asleep somehow, exhausted by the afternoon's emotion. Elphaba went to the door and opened it quietly, stepping out into the hallway. Nor was waiting there patiently.

Elphaba studied the girl for a moment, realizing that she'd never really looked at any of Fiyero's family before. It had seemed somehow forbidden to her during her days at Kiamo Ko, as if getting to know Fiyero's children would somehow deepen the damage she'd already done. Nor had grown pretty in a wiry sort of way; she had regained some of the weight she had lost during her years as the Wizard's prisoner, but she was still very thin. Her skin was the color of molasses, and her hair and eyes were the classic midnight black of the Arjikis. Her face was long and narrow, with high, prominent cheekbones that gave her something of a regal appearance. She looked much older than eighteen, her face and eyes hardened by years of horror.

"He's my father, isn't he," said Nor after a moment, nodding toward the closed door to their room.

Elphaba was taken aback by the girl's perceptiveness. As far as she knew, Fiyero had not seen his children since they were very young. She nodded slowly.

"How did you know?"

"Mother had a family portrait painted when I was born. It used to hang over the fireplace. She took it down and burned it when the news arrived that he was dead."

Elphaba looked at the floor, unsure of what to say.

"It was you, wasn't it?" asked Nor. "He was staying in the city for you."

Elphaba nodded again, feeling oddly numb. The air felt stale, too still. For a moment Elphaba thought she could feel electricity crackling through it, like the calm before a storm. There was something about this girl that had always unnerved her.

"I'm sorry, Nor," said Elphaba finally, gritting her teeth. She hated apologies; they sickened her.

Nor dipped her head in a single, slow bow of acceptance.

"It doesn't matter now," said Nor fiercely, but Elphaba could hear the hurt in her voice.

"Nor, it does matter," insisted Elphaba, but she was interrupted by the creak of the door opening and Fiyero emerging from the room. A series of emotions flashed across Nor's face, from joy to fear. Elphaba backed away a few steps, feeling suddenly out of place. Fiyero looked at her uncertainly, but she held up her hands signaling that she would take no part in the conversation.

Fiyero took a few steps toward his daughter, then paused. He reached out a hand as if to touch her, then quickly drew it back.

"Nor," he said softly, "I'm—"

"I know," she interrupted.

Elphaba had the sudden urge to leave them alone, but she was already too drawn in to leave.

"This…is so…strange," said Nor, her voice still filled with awe. "I feel like I must be dreaming, but then of course I can't be because…well, you're right there."

"Well, I suppose we could both be having the same dream…or I could be in your dream," said Fiyero awkwardly. "But I don't think that's very likely so…"

Nor laughed a little just to lighten the mood, but it only served to make things more awkward.

"It seems like an eternity ago that you were born," said Fiyero, staring at her distantly. "Another lifetime."

"Were you there?" asked Nor. "Mother would never tell me. She refused to talk about you after they said you were…"

Fiyero nodded slowly.

"Yes. I was there. Your mother would have liked me to stay longer but…I had business in the city and…"

"You were never happy with her, were you?" asked Nor, her voice completely devoid of emotion.

Fiyero hesitated, not wanting to anger her. Nor laughed softly, a little puff of air.

"I don't blame you," she said finally. "I would'nt have been happy with her either, if I were you."

Fiyero turned to Elphaba, as if looking for help, but she shook her head and turned away. Fiyero took a step toward Nor, moving as if to embrace her, but just then Liir came running in, panting heavily.

"They're beginning the meeting soo—" Liir broke off abruptly, looking at the three of them as though they had just emerged from thin air. "What's going on here?"

Elphaba took a deep breath and faced her son.

"Liir, meet your father," she murmured; it was as though the words had stopped time.

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