A little something (bad) happening in this chapter. Nothing too bad but... you'll see (I really shouldn't spoiler this lol)
I hope you're all doing fine. Thanks for your reviews guys, keep them coming. I really appreciate it.
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Started writing: 01.03.2020

Finished writing: 07.03.2020

Chapter 35
Future

Elphaba woke up curled up against Fiyero's chest. A heavy arm was wrapped around her waist and Fiyero had one knee stuck between her legs. She smiled, turning around to look at him.

"Fae, am I going crazy or is someone playing the piano right now?" Fiyero murmured and he let his head fall forwards onto her chest.

Elphaba froze. His nose was almost touching her breast.

"Um…" she closed her eyes for a second, listening closely to the sounds filling the mansion.

There was, in fact, the quiet sound of a piano. She smiled.

"You're not going crazy, Fiyero," she chuckled, stroking through his blonde hair. "That's my mother."

Fiyero's eyes snapped open. "Your mother plays the piano?"

She nodded.

"So, does mine."

"Really?" Elphaba slowly inched away from him and stroked through her tousled hair.

"Yeah, she actually wanted to become a professional before she met my father."

Elphaba arched her brows at him in surprise. "She must be really good then."

"She is."

The green girl chuckled. She rose from the bed and looked around for her mother's dressing gown. It hung over the backrest of a chair.

"What did your mother want to be?"

Elphaba knit her brows to a faint frown. "I don't really know. My parents met rather early, I think she didn't have to make any plans, really; she knew she'd be the Governor's wife."

She slipped into the dark red dressing gown, wrapping her arms around herself.

There was a moment of silence and when Elphaba turned around, she saw Fiyero biting his lower lip as though deep in thought.

"What do you want to be?"

"A lawyer," answered Elphaba as quick as a shot. "Or a judge. Or maybe, if I think about it, the Wizard's Magic Grand Vizier."

She grinned at him somewhat shyly and Fiyero smiled back.

"I think you'd be a perfect judge, Fae," he said, "You're justice personified."

Elphaba tilted her head to one side. "Justice personified? Really, Fiyero?"

She took his hands to pull him up.

"Come on," she said. "I haven't heard my mother play in months."

Smiling, she led him out into the corridor and over to the very last door on the right side of the hallway.

The melody of the playing had grown quieter and now was nothing more than a whispered sequence of sounds.

"She plays wonderfully," Fiyero whispered and tried to hold her back when she opened the door and slipped inside.

Her mother looked up with a smile, her fingers continuing to strike the keys as the melody grew softer and softer. Elphaba pulled Fiyero with her and together, they sat down on the armchair in the corner of the room, the green girl resting her chin on her boyfriend's shoulder.

"Did I wake you up?" Momma asked when she'd finished the song, turning around so she could face them.

Elphaba nodded with a smile. "We couldn't have been woken more wonderfully."

She sat up and hugged her knees closer to her chest. "I haven't heard you play in so long."

Her mother tilted her head to one side. "Well, the sheet music you gave to me just came into my mind this morning, and I couldn't resist."

She smiled at her daughter. "Have you had the opportunity to play at Shiz?"

"No," Elphaba shook her head. "I'm not as good as you anyway."

"Wait," Fiyero recoiled, "You can play too?"

The green girl couldn't help but laugh.

"I can, though -as I said- Momma is much better than me."

Fiyero raised his eyebrows at her. "Oh, come on, Fae, you're always so modest."

He gently nudged her side. "You've got to play something for me."

But Elphaba shook her head. "No, I'm not in the mood right now. And I wouldn't know what to play anyway."

She stood up, though, and made her way to her mother to sit down beside her on the piano stool. Her fingers flew over the keys, striking some. It was as though her fingers found the right positions all on their own and Elphaba found herself playing the first bars of a song that she didn't know the name of.

"It's all I can remember right now," she said, looking up at Fiyero and her mother.

Fiyero's mouth stood open in amazement. "Is there anything you're not good at?"

"What's that funny writing?" Fiyero asked, looking over her shoulder and burying his nose in her thick black hair.

Sometime after breakfast, they had retreated into Fiyero's room to read. Or rather, Elphaba was reading and Fiyero watched her, wrapping a strand of her hair around his finger.

It was still unbelievable warm outside, though not too hot to keep them from sitting in the garden. But Fiyero had almost fallen asleep at the breakfast table -due to his lack of sleep because of their small swimming session in the middle of the night- and so they'd decided to stay inside for some time.

And Elphaba, ambitious as she was, had gotten some of her spellbooks out of her room and tried to decipher some of the spells inside them.

The letters didn't dance across the pages as they did in the Grimmerie, but these books had some other strange things about them. For example, Elphaba was sure one of them had grown hot under her touch earlier, and this one -if she wasn't very much mistaken- hissed like a snake from time to time.

"It's an ancient language," answered Elphaba and traced the words with her finger.

"What does it say?"

Elphaba knit her brows and leant closer.

"I couldn't possibly translate this," she said after a second. "It makes no sense at all."

She turned in Fiyero's arms. "It's like… I know what it means… in that language, but there's no way to say it in English, you know?"

Fiyero arched an eyebrow. "No, I don't."

He gently took the book from her to look at it. "Apart from the fact that I have no idea what this means, I could never pronounce it."

Elphaba gave him a lopsided smile. "Well, it's really hard to pronounce. Even Madame Morrible says she can only decipher half of the spells in these books, and she can pronounce even less. But I consider that woman highly incompetent anyway."

For a moment, Fiyero just looked at her with his head tilted to one side.

"Can you?" he asked and Elphaba arched an eyebrow at him questioningly.

"Read all the spells in the books, I mean," he added.

Elphaba shook her head. "Not every single one, no."

She took the book from Fiyero and closed it, gently stroking over its spine.

"I still need to practice pronouncing them," she explained, "There're letters that I've never seen in such a strange order."

She slowly sat up, putting the book on her lap.

"Would you chant a spell for me?" Fiyero's voice sounded from behind her and Elphaba turned around in surprise.

"Right now?" she asked, tucking a foot underneath her.

Fiyero nodded, blinking at her. "Pretty please."

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Uh, stop the begging, Fiyero, it's not cute at all."

She poked his side gently and opened the book again.

"Just a random spell?" she said, flicking through the book, looking at each page at least twice before she found what she'd been looking for.

"I never really know what's going to happen," Elphaba tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "But I think this should have something to do with the weather."

She bent over the book on her lap, reading the spell twice quietly to herself before carefully letting the words escape her lips. She said it once, twice, thrice… then she looked up at Fiyero.

He stared at her with wide eyes.

They waited in silence for something to happen.

"Do you think it-"

"Shh," Elphaba placed a finger on his lips to silence him.

She could feel the tension in the room as though the magic had not left it yet. As though it still had to be used.

Slowly, almost carefully, she climbed off the bed and crept over to the window, pulling the curtain to the side. The sun was still shining; no clouds to be seen, no raindrops falling against the windowpane.

"I don't think it worked," Elphaba turned around, shoulders slightly slumped. "Sorry."

Fiyero gave her a small smile. "The magic already happened if you ask me. You should've seen what I saw, Fae, you seemed to glow when you read that spell."

He took her hands and pulled her into his lap. "The magic would have been a cool side effect, though."

The green girl laughed quietly. She pressed a kiss on his lips and smiled. "You really know how to make my day, don't you?"

Fiyero grinned. "Of course, I do. I'm the master of making people's days, didn't you know?"

Elphaba rolled her eyes playfully. "Lurline save Fiyero Tiggular, King of jokes and Master of charming girls into falling love with him."

She leant in to kiss him but her eyes fell onto the clock on the nightstand and she jumped up immediately.

"Oz damnit!" she exclaimed, "I promised Momma to prepare lunch with her."

Quickly, she gathered her books and opened the door, "Keep an eye on the weather for me."

She hurried into her room to put the books back on her shelf and then made her way downstairs into the kitchen. Her mother had already started to wash the vegetables.

"Sorry," Elphaba said breathlessly, tying an apron around her waist. "I lost track of time."

Momma chuckled. "I can imagine."

The green girl blushed. "That's not-"

She groaned in embarrassment. "Never mind."

Momma handed her a bunch of carrots. "Chop these for me, will you?"

Going from chopping carrots to cutting onions and washing the salad, Elphaba noticed that the tension from earlier on was still there. It was like an invisible force closing in on her mind, making her shoulders heavy and her arms tired. She blinked a few times as though trying not to fall asleep when really it was a headache that she tried to push away.

"Fabala?"

Her head snapped up and she suppressed a groan. "Yes?"

Momma looked at her with a furrowed brow, "You haven't moved in a whole minute."

"Really?" Elphaba threw the knife in her hand a worried look and slowly put it down. "How strange."

"Strange indeed," murmured her mother, stepping closer. "Are you alright, dear?"

Elphaba's fingers found her left temple. "I-I think I- I might get a headache."

She loosened the strings of the apron and hung it over the backrest of a chair. Her mother stepped closer, stroking the hair out of her daughter's forehead.

"How bad is it?" she asked, cupping her cheeks.

Elphaba shrugged. "It started just now; I can't really say."

She drew circles on her temple and hissed when suddenly there was a stabbing pain in the back of her head, slowly spreading to her forehead.

"Okay," she pressed between clenched teeth, "It's bad."

Her whole head was throbbing, the sharp pain somehow swirling through her head, stabbing here and there.

Elphaba sucked in a sharp breath. "Uh, it hurts."

She squeezed her eyes shut and let her mother lead her to a chair so she could sit down.

"I-It feels like my head is clamped in a vice," she hissed and dropped her head into her palms.

Like two invisible hands, the pain clutched her head and pressed it together. She couldn't even open her eyes anymore.

"Fabala, should we call the doctor?" she heard her mother ask.

Elphaba nodded and failed to suppress a groan at the movement.

"Frex!"

The green girl hissed in pain. Every single noise seemed to make the vice-like grip on her head tighten.

"Frexspar!"

Somewhere in the distance, a door opened.

"Yes?" sounded the muffled voice of Elphaba's father.

"Frex, you have to go and fetch the doctor."

The sound of steps above their heads.

"What's going on?"

Father's voice was coming closer and closer.

Slowly, Elphaba let her forehead sink against the tabletop, groaning.

"Fabala's having a headache," Momma explained. "It's really bad."

Another door opened. "What's happening?"

The throbbing in her head grew worse. Elphaba felt tears spring to her eyes. What in Oz was going on with her?

"I'll hurry," said Father.

Steps echoing through the mansion again. Elphaba couldn't tell whether they were coming closer or going away.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and flinched.

"Fabala," her mother sounded worried. "Are you awake?"

The green girl simply groaned in response, reaching out to take her mother's hand -wherever it was.

"How about we cool it?" she heard Momma say and before Elphaba could react in any way, she lost her mother's grip and could only listen to the steps of her mother and the quiet rustling of her clothes.

"Careful," her mother whispered, placing a hand on Elphaba's head to turn it slightly before she put the cold wet cloth on the green girl's forehead.

"Momma, what's going on?" Nessa's voice sounded and her mother's warm touch was gone again.

"Fabala has a headache."

"Is it that bad?"

"It is," Momma stepped closer to Elphaba again, taking her hand.

"Does Fiyero know?"

No, he doesn't. Elphaba wanted nothing more than to say the words aloud.

But she felt as though her jaw was pressed together. The pain pulsed in her head like a thousand stabs in her mind.

"I'll go and tell him."

Elphaba squeezed her mother's hand. She didn't want her to leave. It somehow felt as though the light pressure of her mother's hand was the only thing keeping her from fainting then and there.

"No, stay with Fabala."

Smart Nessie.

She heard her sister wheel away, a second of silence; Fiyero's name being shouted through the mansion. A door opened; steps hurrying down the stairs.

"Fae? Oh damn."

A hand on her back. It didn't make the headache go away but it was good to know that he was sitting beside her.

"I'll change the cloth," sounded Momma's voice.

Elphaba didn't have the strength to keep her mother from standing up and letting go of her hand. The hand on her shoulder was enough though; the warmth that radiated from it.

"What happened?" Fiyero asked quietly.

Thoughtful. Keep your voice down.

"I don't really know," Momma explained, wringing out the cloth over the sink. "She suddenly stopped moving and then… this happened."

The wet cloth was placed on Elphaba's forehead again. Although it soothed her mind a little bit, it didn't really help with the pain; her temples were still throbbing, the pain was still stabbing, her head was still feeling as though it was going to explode.

"Can I do anything?" Nessa asked.

Elphaba could hear her mother shake her head. She sat down next to the green girl and took her hand again.

"I'm afraid there's nothing that we can do other than this."

Why were they talking about this as though she were in a coma?

Had Elphaba had the strength, she would've snorted.

She was just… well, on the brink of losing consciousness.

Someone (Fiyero?) stroked her wet hair out of her forehead. Whether it was wet from the soaked cloth or her own sweat, she couldn't tell.

The front door opened with a click and muffled voices sounded.

"Oh, they're here."

Elphaba was sure her mother had never sounded as relieved.

Steps were quickly nearing the kitchen; heavy steps.

"Mrs Thropp," the doctor's voice was deep and he sounded a little short of breath.

Elphaba heard Fiyero stand up and step back. The table shook slightly as the doctor put his bag on it. The cloth was pulled from her forehead, cold fingers fleetingly touched her temples.

"Oh, Miss Elphaba," the doctor sighed heavily. His fingers disappeared from her skin.

"We need to sit her up, I'm afraid."

Gentle hands on Elphaba's shoulders, a slim body (her mother's?) slipping behind her on the chair as they sat her up. Elphaba groaned. Her head fell to the side but got supported by her mother's shoulder.

Elphaba felt her head was spinning; the stabbing pain pulsed behind her eyelids and there was a roaring noise filling her ears.

"It's strange," said the doctor. "She doesn't have a fever."

Silence.

The rustling of clothes, the quiet sound of metal crashing against metal.

"Excuse me."

Then a hand carrying a stethoscope sneaked underneath her blouse, wandering across the skin of her chest. It disappeared again and the sound of a pencil scraping over paper filled the room.

"When did she first complain about the pain?"

Elphaba felt her mother shift behind her.

"About five minutes before I asked Frexspar to go and fetch you," she answered.

"How strange."

Two hands gently took her head, turning it to the right and the left. Elphaba groaned in pain. She felt as though it was the only thing she could do right now apart from breathing; groaning and hissing at those who tried to help her.

She felt awful.

The doctor pulled her eyelids up, first the left, then the right one.

"There's nothing wrong," he said, voice filled with curiosity. "I can't find anything that might have caused such severe pain."

Silence again.

"What are we going to do?" her mother's voice wavered as though she was on the brink of tears.

"I'll give her something against the pain," said the doctor slowly. "I'm afraid there's nothing more that I could do."

Elphaba's left sleeve was pushed up and the doctor tapped against the skin of her elbow.

Oh, how Elphaba hated needles.

She heard the doctor work on something, heard her father leave the room (He'd never been overly comfortable with needles as well) and then the doctor took her arm again and the needle pushed into her flesh.

Perhaps it was the throbbing pain in her head that made her feel not even the slightest prick in her arm, or perhaps the doctor was just really skilled when it came to inoculation.

Either way, the drug he'd given her had to be a really strong one. For as soon as the doctor had packed his bag and left the mansion, she felt a numbness take over her body and before she knew it, she'd passed out.

City of Emeralds; a day of cheering and clapping. A day of excitement. A normal Saturday for the citizens of the Emerald City. A blue sky without a single cloud, a light breeze stroking through blonde and black hair. They're buzzing with excitement. It's like a dream. It's their dream; her dream.

A night of fun, actors and actresses in funny costumes presenting the newest play; Wizomania. The two of them in the middle of the crowd, cheering and clapping along. Having the time of their lives.

Staying up, talking till the end of the night; they're not tired in the morning. They're too excited. Going for a walk in the morning through the streets and alleys of the Emerald City. Laughing at a mime's performance, enjoying the time that she's not being stared at.

Leaving for the audience, skipping down the street, hand in hand arriving at the gates of the Emerald Palace. Announcing themselves proudly, handing the guy at the reception the green envelope.

Being led into a corridor, staring at their reflections in the polished glass of a large statue; two good -no best- friends; Galinda and Elphaba; Loved and Wicked. Made to capture the crowds with a faked smile and made to be captured by the crowds. So different and yet so similar. Both destined to die alone.

Being accompanied by another guard down and down the corridor. A door opens and closes again. They're alone. Alone with a roaring head -no, a coughing man.

Living her dream whilst getting it crushed.

The fish-woman with the book of spells. A monkey -no, a flying monkey.

Thousands of spies and a green girl on the run. A blonde girl hurrying after her, trying to calm -no, keep- her down. Trapped in a tower, accepting pain to be the only way out. Getting rewarded with an own pair of wings.

They're standing on the balcony of the tower, holding hands, staring down at the City of Emeralds that's said to hold so many dreams. Pathetic.

Two girls so different, two souls so unique.

Galinda and Elphaba -no, not anymore.

Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West. One to be cheered on, one to be cursed after. One to live, one to die.

Guards storming the room, trying to hold them back.

Taking the leap and making use of the wings; flying, soaring through the air.

Enjoying the feeling of the wind brushing away black hair, being free, being alone, being strong and feared.

Flying and soaring through the air for years, enjoying the advantages of being wicked. Flying and soaring through the air and eventually falling down; dying.

A blonde girl standing on the balcony of the tower, clutching the bannister, staring down at the City of Emeralds that crushed her every dream. Crying for a green girl that once stood beside her on this very balcony. That wasn't too afraid to take the leap.

Crying for years over a pointed hat and a black cape. Crying for years over a lost friend, a lost life, a lost dream. Crying for years and eventually breaking down; dying.

Two souls destined to die alone.

Elphaba woke up with a strangled scream.

She knew the minute she'd calmed down enough to think straight that this hadn't been just a normal dream.

She pushed the blanket away and jumped to her feet, hurrying to her desk.

The throbbing pain in her head was gone, she noticed when she pulled out a sheet of paper and searched for a pen. Instead, there now was panic filling her mind; the fast pounding of her heart against her ribcage.

Elphaba cursed at her filler for being empty, for her fingers were still shaking too much for her to fill it with ink. So, she grabbed a pencil instead. This was urgent and a pencil would do just fine, she figured, bending over the paper.

Dear Galinda,

Remember the time when I told you about my visions?