More and more horses (and Horses) were filling into the stables as night fell. Elphaba sent Chistery back to the cave to wait for them to return and waited patiently for the two slavers. Finally, she saw one of them driving a wagon towards one of the stalls. As he unhitched the horse, Elphaba snuck to the back of the wagon where she was sure Fiyero would be. But he wasn't there.
"HEY!" the slaver, Fresbin, shouted "What are you doing back there?" He reached to grab her arm. Elphaba held her broom up defensively, but before she could jab at him, he had already whisked his hand back and recoiled in shock. "Y-y-you!" he said, his eyes full of fear "B-but...you're dead!"
"You're the one who'll be dead" Elphaba threatened, taking a step closer to him "if you don't tell me where that man you kidnapped is!"
"W-w-we didn't kidnapped him, Your Witchness!" he stuttered "W-we caught him! We figured he was f-fair game s-since he's an Animal!"
"Like the kind I am I suppose?" Elphaba scoffed "Well, I can assure you that we are NOT Animals! But even if we were, that DOES NOT mean we would be 'free game'!Animals are not 'game'! Perhaps animals, but not Animals! And neither are Munchkins!" she added darkly " Now, tell me where he is beforeI turn you into something vile!"
"H-he...m-my...my b-boss is just givin him t-to Lady R-Rheysilva in th-th-the Main Hall j-just throught those d-doors." he pointed a shaking hand to the Main Entrance. "H-honestly, Your Wickedness, we didn't kn-know that he wasn't an A-Animal!" Elphaba could see that he was genuinly frightened of her and she couldn't help but feel a little guilty.
"Just...don't tell anyone you've seen me and I promise I'll not ever harm you. Deal?"
"O-of course, Your Greeness!" he said "My lips are sealed!"
"Good." she said, turning towards the direction of the mansion "And...thank you." She swiftly ran towards the mansion, leaving a still very shocked Fresbin behind.
OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo
Elphaba arrived at the entrance's staircase and hid in the near bushes. Her eyebrows lifted in slight suprise as she saw a man dressed very much like a Lion enter.
"My, my" she heard the young butler standing at the door of the entrance say "Mr. Liawe, you make a perfect Lion!"
"Thank you, Jens" the man said smiling "I was meaning to look like the Lion that traveled with that girl Dorothy."
"What luck!" the butler said "We've already had a Tinman and a Scarecrow! Now all we need is a woman dressed as the young girl herself!"
"Or maybe even the Wicked Witch of the West?" The men both chuckled.
"Have a wonderful time, Mr. Liawe." the butler said, opening the door.
"Thank you, Jens!"said the man and he walked inside. Elphaba could've laughed at how perfect her situation was. So this was a costume party, and they needed a Wicked Witch of the West! Well, she would be more than happy to give them one.Straightening up, she walked up the stairs to the entrance and smiled at the young butler.
"Hello" she said "Jens, am I right?"
"Why yes, Madame. Do I know you?"
"No, but Miss dan Verge does. Has she not told you about me? I'm Miss... Mrs. Shenshen Pfannee. I met her at the Death of the Witches celebration this year and she and I got along most splendidly! I was hoping to suprise her with my presence here tonight. Or at least remind her of me by at least dressing like this."
"Well...I am afraid she has never mentioned you...but under the circumstances I don't believe she would mind if you attended. I do love your costume!You're in luck! We have a Lion, Scarecrow, and Tinman as well!"
"Amazing" Elphaba said, acting intrigued "Now all we need is the girl Dorothy!"
"Indeed." the butler said as he opened the door "Wouldn't that be wonderful!"
"Well, thank you very much, Jens!" she said as she walked inside "It was nice to meet you!"
"It was nice to meet you, too Mrs. Pfannee!"
She looked around the large Entrance Hall as she heard the door close behind her. It led to the Main Hall, which looked like a magnificent ballroom with people dressed as all kinds of things dancing and eating and talking to one another. There was a long table near the back where she could see a ravishing woman sitting. Her gold hair was piled in elegant curls on top of her head and her pale skin was slightly flushed with happiness.Elphaba wasn't at all suprised to see her dressed as a Peacock and was sure that every single one of the feathers on her costume were from a real Peacock. As she walked up to her, she strongly fought the urge to tear the mall off her gown.
"Lady Rheysilva?" she said, tying her best to smile. The Lady turned her lovely head to look at her. "Lady Rheysilva, my name is Mrs. Shenshen Pfannee. I'm here to first of all wish you a very Happy Birthday and compliment you on your very fine taste of style."
"Thank you, my dear." she said, looking uninterested in Elphaba"I certainly hope you are enjoying yourself."
"Oh I am My Lady...but there is a matter of great importance that I must discuss with you. You see, you shall soon be receiving a so-called 'Wildman' as one of your gifts and..."
"Oh, I've already received it, my dear. Isn't it just the most beautiful creature you have ever seen in your life! I have yet to actually...enjoy it, but I'm sure it'll be most pleasing!" Elphaba gripped her broom tightly and forced herself to stay calm.
"Well...my dear Lady...the thing is is that he is not a Wildman at all, but a human. My husband, in fact. You see, his favorite hobby is camping in the Madeleines,in which he usually sleeps in a cave. I know, it's a silly hobby but he so does enjoy it. Anyway, your slaver friends must have found him there and thought he was a Wildman, but I assure you, he is every bit as human as you are. In short, My Lady, I think we have a great misunderstanding." Lady Rheysilva looked at her for a while. Her look then became a glare.
"I don't believe it" she said, her voicedangerously soft "I don't believe that you would come up with such a preposterous lie to steal my birthday gift!"
"It's not a lie, my dear Lady! He really is my husband!"
"ENOUGH!" she shouted as shestood up. The room went quite as all heads turned to look at them. "My slavers are the best in all of OZ! They would NEVER make such a ridiculous mistake! You just want the Wildman for yourself! Well, you CAN NOT have it.It was given to ME! Tell your own slavers to get your own Wildman! NOW GET OUT YOU...WICKED WITCH!" Elphaba just stood there,burning with anger.
"I may be more of a wicked witch than you think" she said through clenched teeth "And you will give me my husband or else!"
"GET OUT NOW OR I"LL HAVE YOU THROWN OUT!" No longer able to control herself, Elphaba started muttering something, never breaking eye contanct with Lady Rheysilva.
"FINE THEN! IF YOU WONT LEAVE, MY BODY GUARDS WILL..." she stopped abruptly as she felt herself shrinking.Head became smaller, her body became more plump,and the feathers on her costume seemed to fuse into her skin. The people watched in horror and amazment as they suddenly saw a Peacock standing under table where Lady Rheysilva had been standing. They all then looked at Elphaba and shouted things like"IT'S HER! IT'S THE WICKED WITCH OF THE WEST COME BACK FROM THE DEAD!" and"IMPOSSIBLE! HOW DID SHE DO THAT?SHE MUST BE THE WICKED WITCH OF THE WEST!" They all ran out of the hall, screaming like mad."Now" Elphaba said to the trembling Peacock "where is my husband?"
OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO
Fiyero was struggling to loosen his bonds. He had been ordered to be stripped and brought to Lady Rheysilva's Bed Chambers, where he had been tied to the bed and left to wait for her. He couldn't bear to think what was to happen when she came, and didn't want to stay to find out.
"Oh, if there is an Unamed God who cares about me at all" he said "I'm sorry for whatever I've done...but please help me out somehow!" He suddenly heard the door open and froze, dreading to see who it was. He felt the greatest amount of relief when he saw it was beloved wife.Thank you he thought."Elphaba!" he said "Thank Oz...um could you help me out here?" Elphaba walked over to him and smiled slightly.
"Why?" she said "You look good like that."
"I would look even better if I was in the bedroll back at the cave. Please untie me." He put on a puppy dog pout.
"Alright. It's a shame though. Such a waste" she sighed as she began to untie his wrists from the bedposts. Her face then turned serious "But we have to hurry. I...kind of let it slip that I was the Witch of the West. So we have to get out of here before they alert the whole city. Where are your clothes?"
"They burned them...wait...you did WHAT!"
"I can't explain NOW, Fiyero!" she said, taking her cape off "Here, put this around your waist for now. We have to leave right away!" She ran over to the window and opened it as she mounted her broom. After he had tied the cape around his waist he joined her on the broom and shivered as they rose into the cool night air. Below him, he could hear screams of fright spreading like fire throughout the entire city...
So...you like?