A/N: Confused people: Fabala has an older half-sister; Candle had a girl with someone else before Liir. The line was: 'This sounds rehearsed'. I've put another line in here, to keep you busy if you get bored with this chapter.
Disclaimer: Não o meu, as pessoas. Não o meu.
Celina had befriended me and I returned the favour. On one day, when we were allowed to trek to a nearby city full of shops and the odd fortune-teller pretending to see a vision, she insisted that I come along. Her rich friends, Pamee, Dahlia, and Siana were coming as well. I rolled my eyes.
"Celina, why do you want me to come when you know you darling little friends loathe me?" I inquired curiously, not bothering with formality. We had become friends, so she called me Faba as well.
"Oh, don't mind them. Please come with me, Faba!" She pleaded, and she did look sincere. "All they do all day is prattle on about how terrible you are! It's irritating!" At this I folded my arms and fixed her with a glare. Her mouth widened when she realized what she had said. "Alright, that didn't help. Please, Faba! Please?" I sighed.
"Fine. As long as you warn them that I'm coming, so one of them doesn't scream with horror when I pop up, seemingly uninvited." I agreed. She grinned from ear to ear and hugged me tightly, giving my ribs a crushed feeling.
"Oh, thank you, Faba! You won't regret this." She said. I highly doubt I won't regret it. Very highly.
"Alright, Celina, could you please let go of me now? If you keep holding on to me I'll be indigo instead of green." I managed to choke out from her grasp. She gasped and let go. Suddenly a look of happier happiness--if that was possible at this rate--came across her face.
"I've got to get ready!" She exclaimed, and pranced over to her wardrobe. We had seperate wardrobes, thankfully. My clothes wouldn't fit if we only had one. She has so many! I wonder how it's possible to care so much about clothes. She opened the door and started looking through the choices. And again, there were many. Finally, she chose one that seemed to her taste: a white top with a skirt that reached to the middle of her thigh, and the hat I had tried on earlier. It looked wonderful on her, of course. I picked out a simple dark blue frock from my wardrobe and put it on. After putting on my old boots, I plopped down on my bed.
"So . . .when shall we begin the trek to that quaint little city?" I asked, and she whirled around, grinning in all her white glory.
"In an hour."
"Well, alright. But you better go warn your little friends. We wouldn't want me to be the cause of a heart attack, would we?"
"Oh, come on, Faba. They don't hate you that much. All they don't like is your ski--never mind."
"I know what you were going to say." I said, folding my arms.
"Lovely. Anyway, I'd better go tell them. I can't just tell them they can't come. It would be extremely rude." She stated, and trudged out the door.
We set out soon, with Dahlia and Pamee whispering about me, and Siana listening. Celina was beside me, paying no attention to them. I tried not to, but it was rather hard. I surmise they were trying to make themselves whisper as loud as possible, because that is not how the normal whisper sounds. But I turned my glance away from them, and looked around. A lot of people were here; it seemed like more than half of Shiz had come here. I could see the new boy, who I heard was from the Vinkus, ambling around with Qor and his new friends, Caiden and Dacian. The Vinkus boy was dark-skinned and had a pattern of dots on his body. Or that was what they looked like from that distance. Grey clouds formed in the sky, and I was happy I brought along my umbrella and cloak, to shield me from the elements. A drizzle started, then a harder rain, making drumming noises on the asphalt. I sighed. I'd always wished I could touch the water, feel it, see what it is like. Lilla had always told me how refreshing it was to frolic around in the rain; she said it felt like a shower. Well, I wouldn't know what a shower felt like, never having one before. Liir had bathed me in milk, then when I got older, oil was the substitute. As the rain came down harder and thunder rumbled in the distance, Dahlia demanded that we go somewhere that has a roof. We settled on a cozy looking little shop. I came in and immediately the smell of incense floated by my nostrils. This was a 'fortune teller's' place. I pinched Celina's arm; she was entranced.
"Ow! What-"
"Celina, this is a fortune teller's place. Are you sure you want to-"
"Great! I've always wanted to have my fortune told!" She said, and apparently, she really meant it. I huffed as she ambled over to her friends to tell them the good news. Celina rang a bell on a counter--this was a shop as well--and an old crone came out of a side door, leering at us.
"What can Yackle help you with, youngens?" She asked Celina, who was shuddering. As the cat--or rather, the Yackle--had gotten her tongue, I stepped up to the desk and told her.
"These," I jabbed my thumb at the girls cowering behind me, "ones want their fortune told. You think you can be of assistance?" She grinned.
"Alright, but you'll have to pay-" I put some money onto the desk as Celina was reaching into her pocket. I turned to her.
"Don't worry, I'll pay." And turned back to Yackle, whose face was serious.
"Alright, but you're goin' first, you got it? Yackle needs to speak to you 'bout somethin' or other." I took a sharp breath and retorted.
"No, no, no, I'm not getting my 'fortune' told. All I need to know I know; in a few minutes the rain will stop and I'll prance back to Shiz and back to schoolbooks. Whoop-dee-doo. See? I don't need your help with my 'fortune'. I'll make my own." I said, folding my arms. It was becoming some sort of a reflex.
"No, child, I'll do you for free, got it. Now come, come." She said, grabbed me by the arm and wheeled me towards the side door. There was Quoxwood incense burning in there, and gold candles were spilling their wax all over the lacquered table. Yackle didn't seem to mind. She steered me towards a chair and motioned for me to sit down. Admitting defeat, I placed my bony rear on a wooden stool beside the table. She sat down in a red velvet armchair. A bowl--no, a ball, a crystal ball--was in the center of the decorated table. Bookshelves lined the walls, and the light was a dim, fluorescent green, making my skin seem normal.
"Now I know who you are. You're Fabala Thropp, am I right?" She said ominously, leaning closer towards me. Her breath smelled of garlic. My skin crawled.
"Yes, how did you-"
"Never mind that, child. Although I may be the only one for miles other than your little friends who knows who you are, you'll be famous soon enough. Now," She leaned closer, and I shuddered, "about your little powers." I started. What powers? Was she talking about--wait . . .how could she possibly know? But I wasn't about to admit defeat in this as well. I might have let her steer me into this eerie place, but I won't give up so easily this time. I raised an eyebrow and refolded my arms.
"What powers are you talking about? I don't have any powers." I said sharply, and she grinned.
"O' course I knew you'd want to hide it. Or maybe you don't remember." She thought for a moment, then said, "this'll jog your memory. Ever had trouble . . .getting control? Ever lost control?" A look of horror passed over my face. She knew. How could she know? Was she spying on me? No. I was being far to paranoid.
"How did you--why do you even care? I'm just a random green girl that you met during a storm." More thunder rumbled, as if to confirm that the storm was indeed real. "I don't know you."
"But I know you, child. You dear, are not who you think you are. Don't you ever wonder why your name, Fabala, is the derivative of Elphaba, the name of the 'deceased' Wicked Witch of the West?"
"No. . ."
"Well, I'll tell you why. Because you are Elphaba."
"Prove it."
"Who is Chistery?"
"Elphaba's winged snow monkey, who she sewed the wings on." I replied, before I could stop myself. It dawned on me.
"Wait--how can I be her?"
"'Tis a mystery, girl. But you are. You've come back like a pfenix, reborn. You've been sent back to complete the task that she set out to do."
"This is all smoke and guesswork." I mumbled, but I still knew the truth. "So, what is that task?" I inquired. Things were still a bit foggy to me.
"Defeat the Wizard and free the Animals."
"How am I supposed to do that?"
"Don't worry. You'll know yourself. But you can't stay at Shiz anymore. Ever since you killed the old Headmistress of Shiz, Madame Morrible, there's a new one. She's the Wizard's press secretary. She's not to be trusted, you hear that?" I nodded.
"Can I live in the Emerald City?" I inquired.
"No!" She said angrily. "You'll be hunted down and melted before you can say a spell that'll save you!" I sighed. She patted my shoulder reassuringly. "Don't worry, dearie. You'll find a way." I shuddered from her touch; I wasn't used to people touching me. "Now, off you go, dear. And don't be tellin' anyone 'bout what you found out in here. Trust no one but yourself. Now, off you go, and let you charming little friends get their fortunes told." She said, ushering me out hurriedly. When I was out, she waved to Celina, who followed her timidly. After about ten minutes, she exited, and Dahlia went in. It continued on like that. When they were finished, Celina tapped me on the shoulder, but I didn't even notice. I was still rattled from what I had found out about myself. It turned out I was my own grandmother! If that made sense. How weird. But I had more pressing matters on my mind, such as how I should defeat the Wizard, and free the Animals. What had that meant? The Animals hadn't been seen for so long. And how could I defeat the Wizard if I didn't even know if he was the wicked one? First of all, I've got to venture to Emerald City. I'll find a spell that'll hide me from anyone else. I'll get one from someone.
"Faba, come on! The rain's almost stopped, and we've got to get back to Shiz!" Celina spoke into my ear. I started. She was bent down beside me. "You've been sitting like that for about forty minutes! Come!" She finished, and was steering me out the door when Yackle stopped her from the counter. She limped over to me, an enormous tome in her hands. She put it into mine, and I almost dropped it, it was that heavy. I opened it, and saw it was some sort of recipe book. But then I saw the words, and I knew it was a spell book. A magic book. Yackle whispered to me,
"You'll find what you need in there." And limped back to her desk. So Celina continued steering me out the door until I regained my composure and managed to walk myself. I whirled out my umbrella, cradling the enormous book in my arms. As Celina and the others began to tramp off towards Shiz, I silently grabbed Celina from behind, clamping my free hand over her mouth. She twisted in protest until she realized it was me. I dragged her off towards a deserted part of the street, and removed my hand from her mouth, and grabbed her arms instead, in case she decided to run off. She didn't so I released her.
"Listen, Celina. We're going to the Emerald City to see the Wizard. I found something out about myself, and it can't be confirmed until I see the Wizard with my own eyes. Come with me, Celina."
"Where?" She asked, nonplussed.
"To the Emerald City."
"Really? I've always wanted to see the Emerald City!"
"Then come."
"Oh, alright. But we'll have to disguise ourselves somehow."
"I know exactly what to use." I said, and took the big tome out of my pocket. Somehow, it had fit there. I opened it, and squinted my eyes. The letters twisted and turned, and they were more different than any other. But somehow, I could read them. I found one that had a heading which translated to: Invisibility Spell. I lifted my hands over Celina and started chanting. For some reason, she looked perfectly calm. She trusted me.
"ABE TAY MANA OTER ATEM COMMOR INTER COMMOR NULLUN NE VETAR TA COMMOR TA TAY TUM DISSIM TA!" I said, and when I finished, I couldn't see her, but I knew she was there, because she giggled and said,
"This is amazing, Faba!" I grinned and did the spell on myself as well. Immediately, I felt myself disappear. But now I could see Celina! This was a more complicated spell than I thought. I picked up the book and tucked it back in my pocket, then turned to Celina.
"Let's go." I said, and she nodded vigorously. So we set out, towards the Emerald City.