A/N: Guys. Guys. You have no idea how difficult this was to write. But I've done it. So proud of myself right now. Just proves that if you're in a slump, just press on and you WILL get through it.
Stay safe.
They spent the night in an abandoned hut.
Only Khanija was still awake, her emerald eyes wide and unblinking. Elphaba gave up pretending to sleep. They watched each other wordlessly until Khanija's gaze softened and her lids closed, comforted.
They moved on with the lightening sky. Khanija lagged; Elphaba wanted to join her, but she was leading the way. Sensing her fatigue, Fiyero linked arms with her in support. Cowper also did his part, in endless chatter. Had the Cat ever talked so much? Elphaba sighed. He'd been unable to for most of their acquaintance. Perhaps he was making up for it now.
Jolted alert by Cowper's abrupt silence, Elphaba's gaze rose from the muddy grass they trudged on. She had evidently been walking on autopilot. They were now reaching the edge of the town they sought. Fortunately, her feet had remembered the way.
The town was nestled into a valley, the mansion standing erect in the centre. Ahead, an unassuming crag beckoned until it dropped in a vertical cliff-face. The path to the centre circled the precipice; this way was rough, but safer than abseiling the cliff.
Elphaba spent a lot of time here as a girl, Frex wanting Nessa to know their history. The cliff fascinated her. She would scramble as close as she could to the edge, longing to peer over at the rock mass. Tucked surreptitiously in her bag was a rope. She never intended to use that rope. Still, there was something intoxicating about knowing she could climb down if she wanted to.
Escaping Frex's disapproving gaze, Elphaba would push Nessa to the peak, ignoring how it hurt her arms. Nessa couldn't visit without Elphaba to wrestle her chair up the gruelling incline. "Oh, Fabala!" was Nessa's refrain as she soaked in the view. "It's like we're flying!" Ruddy elation eclipsed the sadness of seeing other children climbing trees. Sometimes Elphaba was punished for keeping Nessa out too late. It was worth it to give Nessa a view even those children up trees didn't have. They hadn't come here in a long time, though, and Elphaba had resigned herself to making Nessa's morning tea. Of course, even this simple service was impossible now. Because Elphaba wasn't around to do it. The thought inexplicably scared her.
At the hill's apex, the land stretched out before them; Elphaba led the group up there. The mansion was like the sleeping beauty. But to the west was a half-constructed building, its two turrets competing for dominance. It must have taken months to build, perhaps years. For how long had Animals been here? Looking on it from the spot she and Nessa used to play was awful, because it didn't seem out of place.
They found the path, and Fiyero attempted to take her hand as they made their way down. Elphaba removed her hand from his reach － she wasn't certain why. But the hurt on Fiyero's face pricked her with guilt and she offered it again, feeling conflicted.
The path levelled, and Cowper trotted ahead. It was a minute before Elphaba realised how far ahead he was, and that he was about to step out into the square. "Cowper, stop!" she hissed.
The Cat skidded to a halt, and Elphaba inched over to him, peering into the square. It was empty; the midday sun had chased everyone inside. Sweat dripped down Elphaba's forehead, reminding her she didn't have this luxury. Still, desertion meant fewer people to avoid, and she breathed a sigh of relief.
They headed west, ducking around corners to avoid the occasional person forced outside. The further they went from the centre, the quieter and stiller the town became. The buildings became closer together, obstructing the light. But it didn't stifle the heat. She'd never been in these parts.
Elphaba stopped, inclining her ear to a dull sound. Was it a scuffle? A rat, or something else? There it was again. It sounded like a voice.
Fiyero heard it too. "This way." He directed them through a tight alley.
The noise became louder. They found another alley, then rounded a corner. It was clear by now that it was voices they heard. Another corner.
Khanija sucked in a breath, and Elphaba's heart quickened. Out of nowhere, a high, barbed wire fence appeared. It clung to a round tower, stretching around a wide, open area. Only part of the interior was visible from where they stood, but it looked vast. The rest disappeared behind a cluster of empty-looking houses. Still, Elphaba could make out a turret. Within, there were grey, moving shapes shuffling around like shadows. At intervals, they merged and parted from each other.
Elphaba found herself moving closer, ignoring the warnings of the others. She took several abstracted steps, then a few more. A little squinting, and the shapes took more definite form. They weren't inanimate shapes at all, but creatures. Animals, Elphaba thought. They had found the museum. It was unclear whether they would be seen from here, but Fiyero wasn't taking any chances. He pulled Elphaba back from where she stood, frozen.
They spotted a crevice between the museum and the building to its left, wide enough to fit them if they slipped in one by one. Fiyero hurried them in there. Elphaba felt like a sardine, squashed between the stone walls, legs cramped in a squat. Fiyero sat poised at the opening, his elbow digging into Elphaba's shoulder. He peered around the corner. On Elphaba's other side, Khanija shuddered when the noise spiked, or there was a cry.
"How do we get in?" asked Elphaba.
"Maybe we don't need to," Fiyero mused. If they weren't pressed against one another, she might not have heard him.
"What?"
"Look, Fae." He pointed to a gap in the fence concealed behind a clump of grass. "Can we break the Animals out through that hole?"
"Well, yes. In theory."
"We can enlarge it. If the Animals exit one at a time, we'll manage."
She looked over at him, astonished at the certainty in his tone. "What happened to you?"
"What do you mean?"
Elphaba smiled. "It's nothing. Let's go." But it wasn't nothing. Something had changed － she made a mental note to ask him about it later. It thrilled her that the man she had always seen in him was starting to emerge.
Fiyero shuffled out, and Elphaba followed. Her muscles groaned leaving the cramped space. Khanija looked like she would follow, but Elphaba shook her head. Fiyero's eyes darted here and there, and they crouched by the fence, working quietly and slowly at the hole. Elphaba's pulse rose the longer they stayed in the open. Cowper was less noticeable; they summoned him to replace them. Cowper wiggled inside the gap and out, gradually enlarging it. His small body soon became covered in mud. How defenceless he looks, Elphaba thought.
She glanced feverishly over Fiyero's head － and stifled a gasp.
Inside, someone was approaching them.
Cowper noticed at the same time, quickly hiding between Fiyero's legs.
It was a Tigress with sunken cheeks and a body that fought a chill, even in this heat. Her face contorted. The expression was stiff and awkward, as if her facial muscles were unused to the movement. Although fully grown, she moved like a Cub tied by an invisible chord to its mother. For some reason, Elphaba didn't expect her to speak, but she did.
"Who are you?"
Her voice was weak. Gravelly.
Khanija slammed against the wall. "Mama!"
The captive Tigress's head snapped up. At first she remained silent, looking more fearful if possible. Elphaba thought her mouth was moving, but she stopped as though chomping a bit.
Khanija did not stop. Elphaba almost yelled as her friend began bumping into her.
"Mama!" Louder this time.
The doubt in the Tigress' eyes dissipated. "My… is… K-Khanija? Is that you?"
Elphaba found herself and Fiyero thrown to the ground, arms and legs splayed. Khanija forced her way out from behind them. It didn't seem to occur to her she was exposing them, but no one else had noticed them yet besides their visitor.
"Mama!" she stumbled to the fence, pressing her nose against her mother's, the wire between them. "I was so worried! Are you all right?"
Khanija's mother looked unable to process what was happening. "What are you doing here?" The craters in her forehead looked ingrained.
Khanija choked. She couldn't say more, and Elphaba understood why. The sight was shocking, to put it mildly. Elphaba started wondering if she looked the way Khanija's mother did. She had often wondered how people perceived her, but why she drew this parallel eluded her.
Khanija's mother pressed a paw against the fence, then drew it back. "We didn't know where you were. I thought for sure they'd－"
"No," Khanija interrupted, shaking her head and trembling. "They didn't find me. I've been safe with my friends."
She looked at them. "With these?"
"Yes. We're staying with an underground Animal community." Elphaba scrambled to her feet.
"You're not an Animal."
"No." Elphaba ducked her head. She didn't know how to defend herself.
It turned out to be unnecessary. Khanija's mother merely took in a shuddering breath. "Thank you."
Elphaba wondered how to respond to such a heavy thanks.
Khanija took over. "Mama, we need to get you out. How many are you?"
"I don't know. There might be dozens. Khanija, it's too dangerous. You must leave before they find you."
"No! I won't leave you here. We came to help you."
A shake of her head. "You can't do that. There's too few of you."
"My friends are the best, smartest, strongest people I know!" replied Khanija hotly.
Elphaba turned to the side. She didn't know if good, smart and strong was exactly what they were. As she did so, a flash of green caught her eye right up against the fence, hidden inside a clump of orange grass. It took her a moment to remember that green was out of place amongst the parched vegetation. She looked again with a frown. Her eyes widened. Lurching to her knees, she brushed the grass aside with her hands.
It was a rose with pale green-tinted petals.
So green roses did exist. Mareem was right after all.
Ignoring the thorns, she caressed the thick stock with her fingers. She pulled a knife from her bag and cut the stalk, lifting the rose to see it more clearly. Fiyero was saying something, but she ignored him. What had Mareem said?
"A green rose means 'renewal of energy and spirit.' There's far more to it than what you see."
Elphaba thought she was beginning to understand what her old friend had meant. It gave her the courage to look Khanija's mother in the eye.
"We're stubborn. That's all you need right now."
Khanija's mother's eyes bore into her. Then, something deep within her appeared to break. "We need out," she said.
Elphaba sprang into action, tucking the rose into her belt. Almost with the same movement, she pulled out the snow globe and muttered a spell. The mists cleared, and she checked inside the camp. The Animals were working like machines. Elphaba whispered to the globe, and the view shifted to the side. It showed piles and piles of brick, scaffolding, and a few humans. This view confirmed the museum's size. A few weeks ago, that would have frightened her, but she wasn't afraid anymore. Or was she more afraid of proving Mareem wrong about her?
"We're going to Quox. We'll get you out tonight, and you can come with us." She nodded toward an avenue that wound around the museum. "I think we can escape that way. But I'll follow it myself first, to check. Fiyero, Khanija, can you stay here and keep hidden?"
Khanija looked relieved she wasn't being asked to abandon her mother.
But Fiyero shook his head. "I'll come with you, Fae. You shouldn't go alone － it's dangerous round here."
Elphaba contemplated arguing, but abandoned the thought. She looked into the globe again. "This view doesn't show much, but－"
"I'll go in," Cowper interrupted. "I won't seem out of place."
"No!" Elphaba cried. "It's far too dangerous! Khanija can't be left on her own, anyway."
"Yes, I can," said Khanija, trembling. "It'll be easier to stay unnoticed if I'm on my own."
"I can tell you more than that globe can," Cowper insisted.
Finally, Elphaba agreed. Cowper was right. But terror rose in her throat. He might be mistaken for a worker － in fact, the plan was riding on that. What would they do to him?
Cowper slid under the fence while Khanija stayed in her spot, eyes fixed on her mother. Elphaba and Fiyero took the road Elphaba had seen.
"Don't look so tense." Fiyero slipped his hand into hers. She remembered at the last minute not to pull away. They were allowed to hold hands now. Weren't they? Elphaba tried hard to relax, focusing on her breathing. They walked for some time in silence, coming to a fork in the road. Elphaba still didn't recognise where they were.
"What do we do now?" she asked. "We don't have time to try both."
"No," agreed Fiyero. "We'll have to take our chances." He paused in thought. "If we can keep heading east, that will eventually take us to Quox, won't it?"
"But how do we know for sure? What if we get lost, or veer in the wrong direction?"
Fiyero rolled his eyes. "You have that snow globe don't you? That won't happen."
They agreed and walked back.
Khanija hadn't moved an inch since they left, and Cowper was still to return.
The hair rose on the back of Elphaba's neck. "Where's Cowper? Why isn't he back yet?"
Khanija's eyes snapped to hers, blinking as though she'd been in a trance. "Isn't he? I didn't notice."
Elphaba's gaze penetrated beyond the fence. "We have to go after him. What if he's hurt? What if－"
A lazy mewl interrupted. She jumped as Cowper appeared at her feet, a distinct glint of amusement in his eyes.
"I'm fine, Mistress Elphaba."
"Cowper!" Elphaba landed on her knees before him, gathering him in her lap like she would before he could talk. "I was so worried! How could you stay away so long?"
He didn't protest at her show of affection, and he didn't apologise, making himself comfortable. "I looked around. It's large, but you can do it."
"How many are there?"
"Three dozen, at least, or four dozen." He smiled. "But there are only three men."
"For so many Animals?" Elphaba's eyebrows raised.
"And they all looked bored, not to mention exhausted. I don't think they noticed what was going on around them. So you see?" Cowper grinned. "We can do this."
"You're truly determined?" said Khanija's mother.
"Yes." Elphaba's eyes were steely.
"Yes," said Khanija simultaneously, in a harsher tone.
Elphaba pondered whether Khanija's conviction might be their greatest asset right now.
…
They laid low.
Cowper advised them to wait until night came. "If we wait, the men might fall asleep."
Elphaba felt that was a long shot. Surely no one employed by her father would be so blindingly incompetent. But one man dozed off after all. Elphaba was suspicious. However, Fiyero retorted that without money, Governor Thropp likely couldn't do any better. Still, it didn't smell right to her.
Khanija refused to move away from her spot by the fence, even when her mother retreated. She laid down with her eyes fixed inside. Cowper lingered by her side, and Elphaba and Fiyero retreated to their hiding spot.
The sun was disappearing fast.
Finally, Khanija's mother returned with a skinny Tiger Cub. He was one of Khanija's siblings. Elphaba hadn't the heart to refuse her friend when she begged them to rescue her family first.
The Cub wriggled out of the hole, catapulting himself towards Khanija. Khanija rubbed his back once with her snout, lingering. Then she drew back and glanced at Elphaba and Fiyero. The Cub's head turned, and for one breathless moment, Elphaba was afraid he wouldn't come to them. Suddenly, he bolted, and Elphaba held out her hand to guide the Cub towards them. He squeezed in with them, his eyes tearing up.
"It's okay," Elphaba spoke in his ear. "We've got you. You're okay." The Cub mewled, but said nothing. They didn't press him. She turned to Fiyero. "I'll take him over there," nodding towards an empty building. When she was sure of their safety, she hurried over there, the Cub scuffling after her. They slipped inside and half-way shut the rotting door.
Fiyero remained, keeping his eyes on the camp. There wasn't a stir. After a few minutes, Khanija beckoned out the next of her kin. This Cub came with less hesitation, knowing his brother was already safe. He shot out. Elphaba looked about and strained her ears. Stillness and silence.
They rescued all Khanija's brothers and sisters, and a few others. Elphaba did a quick count.
Suddenly, there arose a noise of confusion within the camp and some yelling. Fiyero drew back, so Elphaba could no longer see him. Elphaba closed the door a little more and one Cub began crying. The men had awoken, but she couldn't tell if they'd noticed anyone missing yet. She made eye contact with Khanija, who looked more frightened than she'd ever seen her. For a few minutes, the clamour quietened, and Elphaba breathed.
Fiyero joined them. "We－" he began. Another spike in the shouting, angrier. There was a storm of rustling, screeching and neighing, and at once it was clear they had been discovered.
"No…" Elphaba breathed, stretching out her arms to embrace the little ones. More of the Cubs were whimpering, while others became deathly quiet, their eyes taking up their entire faces. Khanija and Cowper slipped away into the crevice. The noise from within was escalating.
"Take them away," Elphaba begged Fiyero.
He did, leaving Elphaba alone. She peered around the door, hands shaking.
They were out of time. Khanija and Cowper reemerged openly, working ferociously at the hole in the fence. Inside, the Animals had formed a crowd and were attempting to force their way out. They rushed out like a tide and charged towards her. Elphaba left her hiding place.
"Come on! This way!" She pointed towards the avenue Fiyero had left by. The Animals swept past her, stealing her breath. If any of them were injured, it didn't seem to matter to them now with the elusive taste of freedom on their tongues.
Whips crashing. Screeches.
The hole was wider now, and the wave came faster. But some started to linger behind. The men were furious. They attempted to leash those within reach, hauling them back. They were outnumbered, but not incompetent. Their arms pulsed with brute strength. One, a man who towered above his companions, dropped his foot down hard on a Cub's leg to prevent his escape. The Cub's scream rang through Elphaba's bones like a current, and she felt something inside her snap.
"Stop!" Rage poured from her mouth before she'd completely comprehended it. A whoosh of energy almost knocked her off her feet. Her magic slammed into the man and he fell. It wasn't enough. He was on his feet again.
But Elphaba was ready. The Animals continued past her with little need of encouragement. She lifted her fist, garnering her power within it. Remembering she had seen a broom inside the building where she hid, inspiration hit. She ran inside, grabbing it from where it was propped against the wall. A spell came to her at once, words she was certain she'd never found in any spell book. Yet, she somehow knew what they meant. She gave the broom one simple instruction, the clearest she'd ever given. Fly.
The broom kicked off. Elphaba gasped.
She was in the air. Her stomach swooped and she almost fell. She clung to the broom. The broom rose until she soared above the roof. The air welcomed her and the broom secured her. It wouldn't allow her to fall any more than a bird would allow her chick to fall from her nest.
Everyone, Animal and man, stared at her, some with awe, some with terror. The sight pressed her forward, and she searched for how many Animals remained inside. Then she commanded the broom to charge, and everywhere, there was screaming.
Her downward swoop slowed, and she flew in a straight line several metres above the ground. "Lie down!" she commanded the men. "I mean it. Down!"
At first they didn't respond. But at last they threw themselves onto the ground, hands over their heads and quaking. One of them actually vomited.
Then Elphaba addressed the Animals still inside. "Go! Before it's too late."
The hole was wide enough now as the horde exited through it, almost bringing the entire fence down with them. Elphaba flew over their heads, looking down at Khanija. Her friend was white, but it didn't look like fear anymore. The Tigress made eye contact with Elphaba once, and it communicated enough. They were winning and they both knew it.
The men stayed on the ground. Perhaps they were incompetent after all. But a nagging feeling told Elphaba it wasn't mere incompetence that kept them down. It was her. They were afraid of her.
The last Animal stormed through the fence, and Khanija immediately followed, panting. Elphaba couldn't see Cowper, but he must have been somewhere in the throng. She took up the back, urging them on, then flew to the front to lead onwards. She could see Fiyero now. He saw them too and his jaw dropped as she came to a halt above him, treading air. "They're out," she told him.
Fiyero grinned.
They ran on. Or rather, the escapees ran and she flew. Flew. She could hardly believe it, but she was really flying on a broom! And she'd freed the Animals because of it!
Only one thought remained in her head.
Quox.