Thoughts of a Scarecrow

By Watson

Chapter 4:

So there we were, in front of his wizardness. That was after the poppies that came out of no where. Not that I could care really. All I had to worry about was figuring out a way to get out with Elphaba. We hadn't seen each other in a while but I was happy just picturing her sweet face in my mind. The Tin man sure is emotional for a man claiming he can't love. He says I'm weird for thinking without a brain? Finally the emerald city, I'm sure if it weren't for the wizard my Elphaba would have fit in well here. With all the green glasses, no one would have been able to tell she was different from anyone else. Not that she is. Actually, she is better than anyone else. That is what makes her Elphie.

Wish she could see me then, all cleaned up and freshened up. I look like a new man (or scarecrow rather), although it's not hard to impress Dorothy. She keeps complimenting as if to pull me back in to her cuteness. She quickly forgot about it as we approached the wizard's thrown. It was a spectacular show, nearly enough to make me question Elphaba. Nearly. It was little surprise what he wanted of course, the head of the one person that challenged what he stood for. So instantly we had to move quickly towards the castle of the wicked witch, not really questioning why when we already knew that answer.

So we continued to travel and quickly the landscape began to change from the normal beautiful to some twisted and dark. I couldn't believe that one such as my beautiful Elphaba could live in such a place. The trees were baron and the ground was cold, nothing like back in the Munchkin lands I had started from. Instantly we were in trouble again (as if anyone would have doubted that). The instant those winged monkeys set down on us, Dorothy was snatched up into the air. This was the least of my worries at that a time, at least she wasn't there for the carnage afterwards. It was like a war zone with all the creatures descending on us like so many bombs. They seemed more as a distraction than an attack force. Yet, through the commotion I could still hear someone call to me. "Fiyero! Fiyero!" I spotted Elphaba in the trees not far away. I felt the smile cross my face as I saw her, and I instantly wrapped her in my arms. She gasped as I kissed her. "You're being attacked and that's how you greet me?"

"It's not like you sent-"

"I did."

"Oh…well I'm just so happy to see you, hold you in my arms, and to do this!" I swung her around in the air and she laughed.

"You are incorrigible!"

"Nah, I'm just brainless remember?" She laughed again and what a melodic sound it was. How lucky am I to hear that sound and be the one to make it happen? This, as many other things have been, was short lived. It was like a hammer hitting us both. I tumbled to the ground; it doesn't take much to knock a man made of straw to the ground. It also wasn't too hard to tell who had taken the time to clobber us, as the monkey's had dispersed in fear. I looked up quick enough to see the Tin man and his axe high in the air, high above my Elphaba who would have no time to save herself.

"It ends here!" the Tin man cried as my love held the arm over her head, as if to protect herself from the blade. As it came down I lunged forward. I don't know how a man of straw is able to knock down one made of harder stuff. I guess when something is forceful enough one can do anything. In my heart I was strong as steal.

"You're not going to hurt her!" I ordered, trying to hold back the axe from taking off my head as I pined him under me, "Listen to me Tin man, I don't want to hurt you!"

"Like you ever could!" he snarled, knocking me off with a kick to the midsection. This kick was strong enough to send me flying quiet a distance as it's not hard to knock me into the air. Elphaba had gotten to her feet, her face filled with mixed emotions.

"Boq, stop!" she cried out.

"You don't order me around any more witch!" he warned, axe in hand and pointing it directly at her, "I am a free man and you don't own me any more!"

"I never wanted to Boq!" she told him, "Nessa didn't understand that she can't rule over a person! She didn't mean to hold you like a slave! She just wanted someone to love her for- But why am I trying to explain this to you when you don't ever seem to want to listen?!"

"I don't listen to lies!" he answered coldly, approaching her again. But I once again tackled him to the ground, this time bringing my fist to his hard face. A good solid hit to the jaw, which of course did little damage.

"Why can't you leave us alone?!" I somehow was able to get out while we tussled.

"Because it's all her fault!"

"No it's our fault, for not taking the chance!" Although I had the upper hand I didn't have it for long as he let a good strike to my face. Tin is a much better weapon than straw. "Elphaba, run!" She looked at me, pausing in concern. "Don't worry about me! Just run!" She took into the trees, disappearing from my sight. Meanwhile, the Tin man's rage had turned on me as he began to beat the stuffing out of me. As I am straw, and without feeling, I had no reason to stop him.

"You idiot! You fool! You stupid, stupid, stupid idiot!" he cried over and over again as the hay slipped from my body, my legs, and my arms. Since there was no pain, it was better to let him beat me than to go after Elphaba. His hands ripping me apart as if some carnal beast. After a while the punches slowed, as he lost the fight he had. He never used his axe against me, not that it would have been much use. Finally all that was left was a metal man in tears, and pieces of me across the ground. "You stupid…stupid…" his voice spoke through the tears.

"Boq," I spoke softly after getting an up the courage to speak, "You finished?" He didn't say anything but he nodded. "Okay then, listen to me. I guess you needed to do that and I'm glad you got that out of your system. Now we are going to have to pick me up and before we can go get Dorothy, you understand?" Again, he nodded. "Okay, let's get to it." He stood slowly, metal parts creaking slowly. Then he looked at me.

"I don't hate her, Fiyero," he told me, "I just can't forgive her. I mean she was my friend but now…"

"Any enemy can be a friend under different circumstances,' I said, "Now please, we don't have much time. Go get the lion from behind the tree and collect me up." He nodded one final time before going to work. Somehow I felt relieved that he had done what he had to do. It could have been worse but now at least I knew he had gotten it out of his system. Maybe we all need to get something out, unfortunately for me it was to get something back in for me. Being a scarecrow isn't so bad; the only thing you have to worry about is losing yourself all over the place. After an hour or so of restuffing my insides, we were off quickly towards the castle. This time we were quicker than before, even if we were a scarecrow, a tin man, and a lion (that had to make sure he hadn't wet himself every few meters). Finally we made it to our destination and the castle was just as scary as the surrounding country. After quick costume change and a bit of acting; we slipped inside unnoticed.

While the Tin man and Lion focused on finding Dorothy, my mind was on other things. I had to make sure Elphaba was alright and to let her know that she didn't have to worry about me. So I slipped away from my companions to do a little spy work of my own. The palace was familiar so it wasn't too hard to move from room to room without being found. Still the castle was seemed empty of one witch, not one room contained my Elphaba. My search finally brought me to the far tower and seemingly make shift laboratory. The small room had been converted, with bottles of concoctions littering the walls, along with books, ingredients (at least things I assumed were ingredients), a large circular orb in the center of the room, and a large book sitting on a stand near the window. No sign of Elphaba, so I turned to leave.

"Fiyero…"

The voice was soft and light. "Elphie?" I asked turning back. No one was in the room and with no places to hide, it would have been impossible to-

"Fiyero…"

The voice spoke again and if it wasn't for my brainless curiosity I would have just left. But I walked in hesitantly looking around at ever corner. I was standing near the orb in the center of the room when the glass circle began to fill with green gas. I was nearly knocked off my feet in surprise. I backed into one of the shelf accidentally knocking over a bottle of some blue liquid. It shattered on the floor and spilled out across the stone. It smelled funny, now that I really think about it. Forgetting the blue liquid on the ground, I once again let curiosity take over and approached the orb. The glass reflected back to me, as glass is supposed to, but the face I saw wasn't mine. This face had skin, soft and peach colored; the hair was soft and sandy colored; the diamonds of blue scattered across the face; and the eyes of a most mystical color. As I reached up to check my own face, the face looking back did the same. The face looking back at me with the same confused look as my own. Could this really be the face of…

"Fiyero…"

The voice again as the face started to disappear. "Wait!" I called grabbing the orb, "Wait! I don't understand! Wait!"

"Fiyero…"

"I don't understand! Wait…I…wait…" I would remember more but at this point my mind was becoming fuzzy and the voice was fading. I guess I must have slipped and fell to the floor (as I often do). The light started to fade as my body started to feel light…or rather lighter…and I could hear…Elphie's voice…

"Fiyero...Fiyero…FIYERO!"

"Don't leave me Elphaba…it's so scary here alone…"

Authors Notes: I'm a little late putting this chapter up as it sorta had to be worked a couple times. I still don't really like it but it kinda shines a better light on Boq. The guy just needed to blow off a little steam that has been packed away. Another thing is I've been kinda picking on Dorothy's brainlessness. Sweet kid but not exactly bright is she? My final point is that I mixed in the book and the original broadway actor (Norbert Leo Butz) when I was coming up with the discription for what Fiyero looked like as a human (or winky rather). I couldn't think of what the color of his eyes were so I just went with something a little OZian sounding. I don't particuarlly like the fight scene but I think the ending came out sort of nicely. I have one more a couple more things to do before we can call this finished of course...one is to finish writing it!

-Watson