Author's Note: I had to write this chapter, it just came to me. It's in honor of me going to my first college classes on September 4, 2013. Hope you guys like the chapter. I don't depend on reviews because for numerous reasons I have the habit of re-reading a fanfic a couple times before actually reviewing it. I also do not update frequently and this time, even if I don't finish this fic, I will not delete it. I have to have at least one fanfic up, I mean did I had this account for three years. I find it easier to read fan fiction than writing and reviewing it and I know I can't be the only one who feels this way.

Disclaimer: Disney and Universal have actually come to an agreement on this once in a lifetime decision, which is to give me the rights to both Wicked and Oz the Great and Powerful without paying either of them a single penny (that no longer exists in Canada)! Just kidding, though a gal can dream, can't she? Please don't answer that!

A Mother's Curse Chapter 1: Welcome to Shiz University

Had the couple not focused all the attention on their new daughter, they would have noticed a dark, cloaked figure with an emerald face and a single, tear scar visible beneath the hood, as it disappeared stealthily into the night…

Eighteen Years Later…

It is a crisp, sunny autumn day. Eighteen year old Elphaba T. Thropp, a thin, emerald skinned woman with long auburn hair in a single braid and a beauty all her own was preparing to take the carriage to the Shiz Express Railroad in Gillkin Country in North OZ before taking the train to Shiz University where she will be studying History, Science, and Politics. Dressed in her navy blue and baby blue uniform, consisting of a frock, a blazer jacket, mud brown leather boots, and a beanie hat, Elphaba, who always wore her reading glasses, gave an air of intelligence, and some would also say with a strange elegance and regality. Sheltered from the cruel citizens of Oz by her adoptive parents Melena and Frexspar Thropp, Elphaba group up in a loving, if somewhat lonely environment. Her younger "sister" Nessarose Melena Thropp is a cripple confined to a wheelchair and seems to be favored based on her condition as well as being Frex and Melena's real daughter. Her younger "brother" Sheltergod "Shell" Thropp is the youngest, as he is only an infant and has no distinctive personality or identity as of yet. Still, Elphaba is grateful for her family and misses Melena as if the woman was her real mother and loves Frexspar as her real father.

Melena had died only about a year ago, while giving birth to Shell. Frexspar was devastated, and started to grow distant to his children. He especially avoided his son, feeling like the baby had almost killed his wife deliberately. After hiring Melena's old Nanny, Frex abandoned his religious work and campaigned to be governor elect of Munchkinland. He was appointed by the Wizard of Oz himself and moved his family to the capital of Munchkinland in an elaborate mansion reserved for the governor and his family. His children were kept away from the public for their own good and always had private tutors. When Elphaba had received her Scholarships and Acceptance Letter from Shiz University, Frex was so proud of his oldest daughter. Now he was preparing to let his little 'Fabala go, but not before giving her a few important things that will help her on her journey ahead and hopefully clear up some mysteries from her past.

"My little Fabala, I want to apologize for seemingly ignoring you after My Sweet Mel died," began Frex as he stood in the hallway facing the open door to Elphaba's room as the green girl was packing, dressed in his governor robes, "She was a great mother and honestly I had a very hard time after her death. I know, my incompetence in taking care of everyone in her permanent absence is no excuse for my treatment of you, I just want you to know how much I love you."

"You will always be mine and Melena's daughter, even though we have already explained that we are not your birth parents," promised Frexspar sincerely as he handed Elphaba a large wooden box, "I have some old things that might come in handy in finding your other parents, if you so choose to look for them, but only if you want to. I will love you and respect your decision regardless of what you choose to do with your life. I will always be here for you, should you ever need me."

"Father," responded Elphaba at first formally, but quickly changing to a more casual tone of voice, "I mean Papa Frex, thank you so much for being my father and taking me in with Mama Melena. You both were the best parents a girl could ask for and even if I meet my other parents someday, they can never replace the ones who loved me and raised me."

"Well, you better hurry along!" exclaimed Frex as he checked his gold pocket watch, "Its almost noon and your train leaves in just a few hours."

"I'm almost ready to go Papa," replied Elphaba exhausted from all the packing she was doing, "I just have to say goodbye to Nessie, Nanny, and Shell."

..A MOTHER'S CURSE..A MOTHER'S CURSE..A MOTHER'S CURSE..A MOTHER'S CURSE..A MOTHER'S CURSE..A MOTHER'S CURSE...

A few hours later, and the train arrived at Shiz University. Holding the box Frex had given her, Elphaba was going to wait until she was in her dorm room to look through its contents, though she is very curious as to what could possibly be in the box.

Walking in the enormous theater in the Craige Hall Building called the Ozma Theater, all the new students were cramped close together. There must have been over a thousand students in that seemingly small space. People stared and were harassing Elphaba, but she ignored some and made witty, sarcastic comments to others. The Headmistress of Shiz University, Madame Muriel Morrible, an old fish like woman who wore gaudy, big bulky gowns of gold and red and who must weight at least three hundred pounds was introducing the impatient young "adults" to the college.

"Welcome young academicians to the one, the magnificent Shiz University," loudly exclaimed the fish woman, "the greatest school in all of Oz, as proclaimed by our Wonderful Wizard of Oz himself!"

Later on in the, a male colleague of Horrible Morrible who happened to be a Goat, named Doctor Dillamond approached the students. After his short speech, he gathered all the male students and showed them to their dorms. That left Morrible with the "mostly" uptight young women.

"Alright, young ladies, please come this way and I will show you to your dorms," announced Madame Morrible.

"Some dorms are six girls to a room, some four, and some only two," continued Morrible as they entered the entrance to the female dorm rooms, "Under no circumstances will any student have their own room for any long period of time, that is the rule and there are no exceptions."

"What!" yelled a short blonde Gillikense girl in a similar outfit to Elphaba's but without the beanie, white heels, and outfit in white and baby blue, "This is an outrage! I had my Poppsy pay extra for my own room! I am, after all Galinda G. Upland, of the Upper Uplands!"

"Miss Upland, please quiet down," angrily scolded Madame Morrible, "you are making a scene. I would not like to have to perform disciplinary measures towards you. Meaning, expelling your pretty face from this prestigious school you were barely qualified for."

Galinda turned fire engine red from Morrible's threat, though if it was from anger, embarrassment, or a combination of the two, was not possible to decipher.

"Fine, I apologize for my rude behavior Madame Morrible," stated Galinda in an unapologetic tone to the Head of the school, "could you at least tell me who my roomies are?"

"Do not worry Miss Upland," teased Morrible, "you only have to deal with one roommate. Her name is Elphaba Thropp and I believe she is right behind you."

Galinda screamed and jumped about ten feet in the air after she had turned to face her new roomie and saw the girl's emerald skin.

"I am not rooming with tha-tha-that thing! She is as green as a cabbage, what did she do, eat grass as a child!" mocked Galinda harshly. All the girls began laughing uncontrollably, all but one…

"No I did not eat grass as a child!" yelled Elphaba angrily as she moved her hands crazily, reckless behavior that had gotten Elphaba in trouble in the past, "You are a stupid, ignorant blonde! You invented the blonde stereotype and gave all blondes a bad name! I'm going to show you what its like to be different than everybody else, like me, Roomie!"

Elphaba than used her strange powers to turn Galinda into red polka dotted white pig and than back to normal after everyone started laughing at her instead of Elphaba.

"Miss Upland that comment was completely inappropriate!" yelled Madame Morrible, "And Miss Thropp, I should expel you for such horrid actions, no matter how justifiable said actions were!"

"However, since no one was harmed and since I have not seen such power in over twenty years, I will instead tutor you in the fine art of Sorcery as an extra curricular activity for you," announced Madame Morrible, anger replaced by wonder and excitement, "Why, you may even meet the Wizard himself, should you prove to be powerful enough."

"You mean," stated Elphaba surprised and in shock, "I might get to meet the Wizard! I have wanted to me our great Wizard of Oz since…since…since birth!"

"Yes, Miss Elphaba," agreed Madame Morrible, just as eager, ignoring Galinda trying to get her attention, "I promise you dear girl that with training, time, and hard work, you will indeed meet the Wizard. Of course even though you and your roommate might not see exactly eye to eye, you both still must try to get along, as conflicts like theses are just a fact of life."

..A MOTHER'S CURSE..A MOTHER'S CURSE..A MOTHER'S CURSE..A MOTHER'S CURSE..A MOTHER'S CURSE..A MOTHER'S CURSE..

Hours later, both Galinda and Elphaba had settled into their small, two person dorm room. Galinda would not stop complaining about the size of the room, her roommate, and the fact that said roommate got the bed closest to the window, as the twin size beds were side by side instead of bunk, the only plus for the horrid little room in the snobby blonde's opinion. Elphaba had not minded as much, she did not mind living in a small room and hoped she could learn to at least tolerate her roommate if not become best friends with the mean girl. Galinda preoccupied with decorating "her side" of the room and completely ignoring Elphaba, the green girl decided that she could look through the wooden box her father had given to her before she left home. Than later she could write a letter home, telling her family how much she loved being at Shiz and her studying Sorcery so that she could meet the Wizard.

"I wonder what is even in this old box?" Elphaba asked herself, "Maybe a portrait of my parents?"

Pondering the contents of the box, Elphaba pried it open with one of Galinda's screw drivers she was using to decorate her bed board. Removing the lid, Elphaba saw a small wicker basket and pink blanket with a note addressed to her from her parents Frex and Melena. She noticed that it was her mothers handwriting.

"Dear Our Sweet Little Elphaba," Elphaba began to read quietly out loud, unnoticed by the vicious, determined blonde on a mission to decorate half their dorm, "If you are reading this, than you have grown up and left home. We are so proud of you, growing to be a kind beautiful woman, just like your birth mother. She was just as kind and good, your real mother. Though most likely still alive, your mother was cursed with a broken heart that literally destroyed her with the help of magic. With your real father out of the picture for reasons never explained to us, She thought the best thing to do would be to give you to a loving family. That was why she gave you to us and we will always love you as our own, no matter what."

"Inside this box contains the basket and blanket we found you in when you were a newborn," continued Elphaba, "As well as a note written by your birth mother explaining her reasons for giving you up. We had only ever read the note, we never met your mother in person as she had simply left you alone on our doorstep. Remember Elphaba, no matter what happens we will always love you. Love, Frexspar and Melena Thropp."

After she finished reading the letter, Elphaba began to search the box for anything else. That is when she finds the letter left behind by her birth mother. After reading the letter to herself, Elphaba notices that it is signed "Theodora the Good" her mother's real name. Noticing it was already late in the night, Elphaba began to get ready for bed.

Laying in bed, Galinda asleep from being exhausted by all her cleaning and decorating, Elphaba mutters quietly, "Mother, now that I know your name, I promise I will find you and also find out what happened to you that caused your life to be ruined so toughly and tragically. I love you already, even if I never got to know you before, I will in the future, and meet the Wizard two…"

Dozing off, Elphaba dreamed of a handsome young man with dark hair in a suit and a beautiful and familiar young woman in red and white with a wide brimmed red hat running away from flying baboons in the forest just outside the Emerald City…