One if by Land, Two if by Sky

by Aerohead

Sequel to Entertaining Destiny A group of Shiz students find themselves in the middle of a coverup in Oz, and must find out what's going on before something bad happens. Though they must make sure not to kill each other, first. [COMPLETE]

4. Leaving

Title: One if by Land, Two if by Sky

Author: Aerohead

Email: in my profile

Website: In my profile

Pairing: Fiyero/Elphaba, Fiyero/Glinda, Glinda/OC, OC/OC

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. This is also for everyone in the OibLTibS RPG, so Sheika belongs to F-kun, Destin belongs to Tori, Riley belongs to Nessy, and Kade and Noelani belong to Cree.
Warning: spoiler for the ending of the musical Wicked, but that's pretty much about it.

Genre: Romance, adventure (book/play amalgamation)

Summary: Seventeen years after the "death" of the Wicked Witch of the West, a group of Shiz students must come to terms with their differences in order to help inform Oz about the truth behind the lies. If they can work together.

Author's Notes: You'll notice part of this chapter sounds familiar. A lot of Nissa/Fabala interaction will parallel a lot of Elphaba/Glinda interaction from Wicked from here on out. Also, I'm not good with fluffy scenes – at least not in third person (the original story I'm writing's in first person) so don't expect any miracles. Also, the song in this chapter that Fabala sings is so not mine. I'd put that in the disclaimer section, but I usually just copy and paste the disclaimer, and I know myself; I'd forget it's there and not delete it after the fact. Anyway, it's "Let's Do It" by Cole Porter. Some people may know it as the song Alanis Moressette sings in "De-Lovely". I couldn't think of another song from the period the story takes place in, and even if it is Oz, I think some "outside" music would have been brought in by Dorothy. Oh, yes, the copyright...1928. It's not the whole song – it's too long. Just some of it.

Chapter Four: Leaving

It was a warm Saturday. Fabala hadn't gotten any word from either her mother or her father, and she had decided that she was leaving that night. She was packing the small bag she was going to bring with her, when Nissa came into the room. "Are you really going?" She asked.

"I'll be back in a few days; you won't even notice that I'm gone." Fabala said, not looking up from her suitcase. She didn't want to admit it, but Nissa was starting to grow on her. The girl had changed, if only a little. She could still be arrogant and self-centered, but there were times when Nissa was truly...good. That wasn't often, but there were times when a Nissa Fabala liked shown through that blonde exterior, and Fabala really wanted to meet that girl one day.

Nissa flopped onto Fabala's bed, watching the girl pack. "Hey, if we're really sisters, we should share something we've never told anyone else before!" Nissa said. Fabala looked down at the girl. "I'll go first: After I get out of school, I'm going to rule Oz, like my mother."

Fabala rolled her eyes. "Really? Your mother's already made the pronouncement and everything?"

Nissa rolled onto her back. "No, she hasn't asked me yet." She shrugged. "But she will eventually, just when I'm older, right?" Fabala didn't say anything; she just pushed a few things around in her bag. "Now you tell me one!" Nissa said, her patience wearing thin.

"Like what?" Fabala asked flatly.

"Like..." Nissa dove into Fabala's suitcase and retrieved the little green bottle. "Why do you always carry this dirty old thing around everywhere?"

Fabala dove for Nissa, but the girl vaulted off the bed and ran towards her side of the room. Fabala followed and stood at the foot of Riley's vacant bed. "Give that back!" She demanded.

Nissa pouted. "Come on, tell me? Tellmetellmetellme!" she begged. Fabala pounced onto Nissa, and they both tumbled onto the bed. Fabala tried to pry the bottle out of Nissa's hands, but the blonde held fast. Fabala pulled away, and sat down on Riley's bed, letting out a huff. "It was my grandmother's! That's all!"

Nissa stopped and sat up onto the bed. "Oh." She handed a now very quiet Fabala the bottle back, before moving to Riley's bed and sitting down next to the darker girl. "My mother used to have a really sweet nickname for me that no one else could use – Nissie – I wouldn't mind, you know, if you wanted to call me that." Nissa looked up to Fabala, who looked rather impassive. The girl stood and walked over to the suitcase again, carefully putting the bottle back where it had been. "And can I call you...Fabi?"
Fabala closed her eyes, trying to keep herself from saying anything too rude. This was the Nissa she liked; the perky but sincere Nissa that only came out at certain times.

"Only if you promise me something." Said Fabala as she turned back to Nissa.

"What?"
"That you stop trying to be above everyone when you're with other people. I like this you better than the you I see when we're out with the others. Don't think about what they think of you, think about how you feel when you treat a person nice than when you treat them with disdain." Fabala said.

"Deal." Said Nissa. "And, oh, Fabi, can I come with you? I don't want you to be hurt!" Fabala raised an eyebrow. "Haven't you heard? There's an uprising against Winkies, and I don't want you getting hurt."

Fabala nodded. "Pack your things then."

Nissa reached under her bed and pulled out a pink bag. "I already have!"

Fabala looked down at the girl. "You were planning this?"

Nissa blushed. "Well, no, but I heard about the uprising, and then about you leaving, and I didn't want anything to happen to you."

"Right." Said Fabala, grabbing her things, "because you care so much about me, right?"
Nissa sighed. "Of course I care about you! You're my sister! You can be arrogant, heartless, and rude sometimes, but like you've said, I've seen another part of you! I've seen the real Fabala – the one who cares about Animal rights, the one whose best friends against all odds with a Quadling – and I like that about you." Nissa smiled. "See? You're not the only one who can make heart-felt speeches." She blinked. "Oh, but so the others don't know, I said we'd make an appearance at the singing competition tonight."

Fabala picked up her bag and turned to Nissa. "Fine, come on then." Nissa picked up her own bag and they made their way to the dining hall. They stashed their bags in a bush, and went in.

"Hey girls!" called Noelani, waving them over to a chair in front. They went over, zigzagging through the crowd, before stopping in front of the stage. There was no one on it, and Fabala looked at it curiously. "I know, no one's singing!" Noelani said, catching her gaze.

She hesitated for a moment. "I sing...a little. I know it's sad, but I know one of the songs that Miss Gale brought from that Kansas place to here."

Aran smiled at her. "You should do it." He said.

"Will you?" Kade asked.

Fabala was undecided at first, but finally she moved up to the microphone. "Um..." Public speaking; this was not good. Not good at all. She started to feel queasy. She looked over towards her friends, who sent her encouraging looks. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, and concentrated on the picture in her mind. It was of her, Thane, and The Scarecrow sitting in the kitchen, listening to Mellesse go on about something or another. It was the song the old cook had taught Fabala as a child, and she just had to pull it out of memory...

"Birds do it, bees do it,

Even educated fleas do it.

Let's do it, let's fall in love.

In Spain the best upper sets do it

Lithuanians and Letts do it.

Let's do it, let's fall in love."

She opened her eyes and looked out at the others. She wasn't a great singer, although she was good. Aran smiled at her warmly, and she took a mental breath to calm herself.

"The Dutch in old Amersterdam do it

Not to mention the Fins.

Folks in Siam do it – think of Siamese twins.

Some Argentines without means do it

People say in Boston even beans do it,

Let's do it, let's fall in love.

Romantic sponges, they say, do it

Oysters down in Oyster Bay do it

Let's do it, let's fall in love."

Sheika inclined his head, to show his approval. Destin was grinning, and Kade was trying to start the room to chanting her name, though everyone else was ignoring him. Noelani hit the Red Panda's arm to shut him up, before turning back to Fabala on the stage. Everyone was listening now.

"Cold Cape Cod clams, 'gainst their wish, do it

Even lazy jellyfish do it,

Let's do it, let's fall in love.

Electric eels, I might add, do it

Though it shocks them I know

Why ask if shad do – waiter bring me

'Shad roe'

In shallow shoals English soles do it

Goldfish in the privacy of bowls do it

Let's do it, let's fall in love."

Fabala realized something as she sang, and that realization was sitting in front of her. She meant this song, even if it was just something Mellesse used to sing to her to keep her quiet when she was little. She meant every word of it, and it was all directed toward Aran.

"Dragonflies in the reeds do it

Sentimental centipedes do it,

Let's do it, let's fall in love.

Mosquitoes, heaven forbid, do it

So does every katydid do it

Let's do it, let's fall in love.

The most refined ladybugs do it

When a gentleman calls

Moths in your rugs do it,

What's the use of moth balls?

The locusts in the trees do it

Why, even the bees do it

Even over-educated fleas do it

Let's do it, let's fall in love.

Let's do it, let's fall in love."

Fabala took a breath as she finished. It was quiet for a few moments. Then, Kade jumped onto his feet, and started clapping wildly. Destin, Aran, and Noelani joined in soon afterwards, and then Sheika, Nissa, Riley, and the rest of the room did. Fabala blushed, before walking off the stage.

She couldn't do it. She couldn't leave without Aran knowing. Or he could come too. She shook her head – him coming was out of the question. Something could happen, and she didn't want him to get hurt...like Nissa had said.

The evening progressed, and finally Nissa and Fabala slipped out. Before they did, though, Fabala pulled Aran out of the room and onto the grounds. "I'm leaving tonight." She said.

"Where are you going?" He asked. She looked down.

"I have to make sure something didn't happen to someone I love." He looked dejected, and she smiled lightly. "I'll be back by Monday, I promise, but I need to make sure everything's all right. Nissa's coming with me, so I'll be fine."

Aran laughed. "Nissa's coming with you and you say you'll be fine?"

"Trust me." She said, kissing him gently. He blinked, but didn't pull away. She broke the kiss quickly, blushing, before turning to Nissa, who was pointedly ignoring them. "Are you ready?" She asked. Nissa nodded.

"We'll take the train, it's faster and safer." She said. Fabala nodded, before turning back to Aran.

"I'll be back soon. Make sure nothing happens while we're gone!" She called, before taking her bag from Nissa and following the blonde down the slope towards the train station.