Okay, here is a very short filler chapter, as I wanted to give all of my faithful readers something for now, because I imagine that the next chapter will take a little bit longer to write. To Lillian Townsend: Thanks so much for your latest review. :D I'm glad you liked that line, I rather liked it too. And also thank you to everyone else that reviewed. I know this one is short, but you know the drill. :)


The Truth Pond

He walked the strangely deserted streets of the Emerald City in a confused daze. Where the hell am I? He saw a flash of white flutter into a small street ahead. Glinda? He hurried to investigate, leaving the empty street and turning into the shadowed alleyway.

"Malky? It's alright… agh." The cat flitted off into the shadows, and he scampered after it. At the end of the alleyway there was a large door. Cautiously, he pushed it open, feeling a rush of cold air as he closed the door behind him.

"Hello?" he called hesitantly. Suddenly, there she was, laying in bed and reading by candlelight.

He rushed to her. "Elphaba!"

She looked up at him, slowly, then grinned. "Hey love."

He crawled on top of her, wrapping his arms about her in a secure embrace. His heart began to overflow with joy. "Oh, Elphie, I missed you so much. Never leave me again. Promise," he pleaded, stroking her hair absentmindedly.

She looked at him a moment as if considering, before nodding slightly and pressing her lips to his own. A promise sealed by a kiss.

• • • • •

She was piddling about at the stove when she heard him stir. She glanced across the room as he opened his eyes, and then approached him carefully, to avoid startling him. The haze of sleepiness on his face was slowly replaced by a look of confusion. "Who are you?"

After laying a cool washcloth upon his forehead, she sat carefully at the foot of his bed. "I am Alena." Realizing that this answer did little in the ways of solving his confusion, she continued. "You were brought to me six months ago by Eirny, the healer of our village. I am unsure as to how you came to be here, or how you came to be in the state that you are in. You seemed to have a large blood lost."

He was staring at the wall while she spoke. After a moment, he asked, "Where am I?"

"The Truth Pond. It's in-"

"The Outer Vinkus. I know."

He appeared quite obviously to be of Vinkus heritage, and it did not surprise her that he knew this. When a few minutes had passed in silence, she assumed that he had most of his questions answered for the moment.

"Who is Elphaba?"

• • • • •

He looked at the young girl intently. She had deep-set green eyes in her smooth, tan face. He was more confused than he had ever been.

"Who is Elphaba?" she asked quizically.

He considered her question for a moment. Suddenly he felt his heart tear in two. "The mother of my child," he whispered.

She appeared to think for a moment before calmly asking, "You miss her?"

He hesitated. "How do you know who Elphaba is?"

She cocked an eyebrow at him in a mock smile. "You never shut up about her when you're sleeping."

He supposed it could be true, though barely-coherent mumblings were normally Elphaba's nightly routine. He sat up in the bed, rubbing his sore arm with the palm of his hand. "I have to go to her."

"Yeah. I knew you'd say that. I'll go fetch Eirny." And with that, she flew lightly out the door, leaving him to his misery.


She scooped Kaiya up into her arms. "Good morning, little Kya, my little beauty." She spoke softly, breaking into a genuine smile.

Kaiya's fidgety little fingers entangled themselves in her hair in a curious way.

"No, we don't do that," she chastised her gently, removing the small hands before tying her hair back quickly.

"How about we see if someone will fix you some breakfast." She wandered from the room in search of Sister Avariella, who seemed to be a type of surrogate mother whenever Elphaba was busy at work.

"Oh, Good morning!" Sister Avariella cried, rounding the corner. Elphaba smiled in response, kissing the crown of Kaiya's head before handing her over to the woman.

Returning to her work, she sat upon the cold flagstones near her bucket. Where am I going to go from here? She fiddled with a crack in the stone floor, lost in thought. She had recuperated almost fully by now, and wished to leave the mauntery soon, lest her debt to them become cumbersome. I can't go home. Not where…

She shuddered at the thought. Deciding instead to worry about it later, she began to clean the floor again in her placid way.


I know, really short, I'm sorry. I do hope you liked it though. And also, since you seemed to appreciate me telling you what Kaiya's name means, I'll tell you the others as well. Avariella is "small, strong woman," Alena is "light," and Eirny is "new healing." I think. Well, that is all, I will update in a few days. :)