Rifiuto: Non Miriena

A/N: Written: 2010. Found: 2018- Licia

"Thorne?" She nodded. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Elle Thorne. I'm Fiyero Tigelaar."

They shook hands quickly, before moving down the street. She followed him in silence, letting herself study him with quick, side-cast glances.

He was tall, not very tall, maybe five foot six at most, with a fairly medium build, and sandy hair that fell into his eyes, which were blue, she noted. He wore no wedding ring on his finger, which made her think he was single, or possibly dating someone- someone that wasn't that blonde she'd run into earlier. He looked to be around his late twenties or early thirties, but seemed to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders, making him seem much older.

"So, where are we going?"

He glanced at her. "My place, at the Corn Exchange."

She stopped, raising an eyebrow. "The Corn Exchange? What do you do, work there too in your off time?"

He turned back, to see her with her hands on her small hips. "It's a complex of apartments that were once part of a corn husking factory. Hence the name. It just stuck." She thought a moment, before lowering her hands.

"Oh."

They continued on, once more falling into silence for several blocks, before, he glanced at her. "How old are you? You can't be any older than sixteen."

"I'm eighteen." She replied, lifting her head proudly, as though legally becoming an adult was the greatest accomplishment of her life.

"Well, you look no older than sixteen."

She thought a moment, eyes rolling upward and to the right. "Thank you."

Eighteen, she was eighteen. She looked exactly as Elphaba did when she was eighteen. God, could the similarities be any more... there? She not only looks like Elphaba, but she sounds like her, acts like her; her mannerisms and her vocal inflections are almost spot on. This girl has to be Elphaba. There's no other way around it. But if she is... is this some kind of magical glamour she's cast, to hide her skin? A potion she drank? A wrinkle in time she was able to tweak to her advantage? Because if it is, she's beautiful, but... but she's not my Elphaba. Mine has green skin. So whenever she feels safe enough, she can remove whatever it is she cast and return to herself. Her green self.

He mentally kicked himself for such thoughts. Just because he was hurt that Elphaba had fled without waiting for him, when he'd told her to wait, didn't mean he got to take it out on this girl- regardless of whether she was Elphaba in disguise or not. She didn't deserve that type of treatment, even if it was only in his head.

If only Elphaba had come back to Shiz, if only she hadn't run off.

"So that blonde-"

He glanced at her, confused for a moment. "Glinda."

"Right. Her."

"What about her?"

The girl shrugged, adjusting the strap of her shoulder bag. "How long have you known her? Where did you meet?"

"We met in college, at Shiz."

She furrowed a brow. "What's that?"

He turned to her. Okay, now this had to be a joke. There was no way Elphaba- even acting like she wasn't herself- would have forgotten Shiz. Never in her wildest dreams. "You're from Nest Hardings. In Munchkinland. Right?" The girl nodded. "How have you not heard of Shiz University?"

She shrugged again, pretending to balance on the edge of the pavement, sticking a foot out and weaving towards the street and back towards him again, in slow motion. Her gaze was down, staring at her feet as she moved and spoke, voice quiet. "I'm a poor preacher's daughter. University was never an option for me."

"Yet you think you can make it big in the City."

She looked up at him. "Those born with stars in their eyes have to follow those stars, no matter where it leads them, as my father says." She shook her head, returning to her meandering. "I was never meant for university. Don't get me wrong, I excelled in school and I love to study and read and learn, I just... I wouldn't be able to stand four years of it, studying something I hated, when I can come here and actually do something in regards to my career, instead of just study what my career will be." She looked up them, taking in everything around her; the emerald buildings, the people, the sounds and smells that were so distinct to a city. "I belong to a life that's constantly moving, constantly changing, like the City, not some stuffy office or classroom that repeats the same thing day in and day out. I hated Nest Hardings; all I wanted was to be in the City, making my own way in the world, working the circuits and theaters..." She shrugged. "And now I am."

He watched her saw the light in her eyes when she spoke of the theater and performing; it was similar to the light that had shone in Elphaba's eyes when she spoke of Animal Rights. She even wore the same quirky smile that was so distinctly Elphaba, that for a moment, Fiyero was convinced he was seeing his missing lover.

She turned away from him, turning back to look at the City, sprawled out before her. "I'm going to make it big here. So big, that... someday, everyone will know my name."

"They're going to remember my name, mark my words!"

He swallowed thickly, Elphaba's own words ringing loud in his head. He took a deep breath, having finally gathered his thoughts together enough to speak, when a voice stopped him.

"We found her! We found her! We found the Witch!"

He reached out, grabbing onto her arm and pulling her back as a man rushed down the street, waving something in the air. She met his gaze, finding him having pulled her close than intended, and quickly pulled away, ignoring the funny twisting in her stomach. A moment passed, before Fiyero moved around her, gaze locked on the thing thing the man was waving. She turned to follow his gaze, watching as he moved closer.

His heart stopped.

Gripped tightly in the man's hand, was Elphaba's conical black hat.