A Mother's Curse
Chapter 4: the Wizard's Quest
Green smoke first completely engulfs the entire room then clears away to reveal a man standing in the space that once held the floating head.
The older man, about Frexspar Thropp's age, dressed in grey robes with short-cut graying hair and a dark mustache looks at the two witches, especially staring into the eyes of the green skinned one, and the first thing he says is, "Theodora?"…
"Um, no sir, I'm Elphaba, Elphaba Thropp of Munchkinland," replies the green woman a tad confused at the moment as she points to her blonde best friend, "And this is Galinda Upland of the Upper Uplands, your Ozness."
"I am sorry Miss Thropp," states the Wizard apologetically, "You just look like an old friend of mine."
"Well, about that," begins Elphaba warily.
"Oh wow it is so great to finally meet you your Ozness!" interrupts Galinda excitedly, "And you can call me Galinda your Ozness. It is a great honor just being in your presence."
"I agree with my well-meaning, if not very tactful, roomie," agrees Elphaba slightly annoyed yet slightly relived for Galinda's change of subject, "Elphaba is fine, Your Ozness."
"Only if you refer to me as Oscar," replies the peculiar man, "It has been far too long since a citizen has spoken to me without my title. It gets boring after a while I assure you, and rather lonely at times. Besides Miss Elphaba I want to get to know you personally. From what Madame Morrible writes of you, she says you show great progress in only a short time of formal training. You certainly have a bright future ahead of you."
"I'm not really that great," comments Elphaba modestly, blushing deeply to a darker shade of green, "I just use my feelings and I can do things most others cannot. Galinda here is also very good at sorcery, although Madame Morrible is not as much a fan of her as of me for some reason."
"Well then, Miss Galinda I would like to get to know you personally as well my dear. Perhaps after you are both finished from school, you fine ladies would consider a career working for me," announces the Wizard with a twinkle in his obsidian eyes."
"We'd be honored!" squeals Galinda happily.
"As for a practical demonstration of your powers, I will have to think of a different challenge for you Miss Galinda at a later date," continues Oscar, "I had only prepared a challenge for Miss Elphaba here, I had no idea Madame Morrible was training two beautiful witches sorcery at her university."
Both witches blush at the complement before Elphaba asks, "What is to be my challenge then?"
"Just wait one moment and I will return with a magical tome that has all the answers you seek Miss Elphaba," answers the Wizard mysteriously.
The Wizard leaves the throne room for a moment and returns with a large, ancient spell book well-worn from years of use by witches and wizards throughout Ozian History, but never once by himself.
"This book once belonged to a dear friend of mine," begins Oscar sadly, "I met her when I first arrived here in Oz. She told me who I really was and she truly believed in me, but her sister corrupted her and used my friend's insecurities against herself until she was a shadow of her former self, all her beauty having vanished after my trip away from the Emerald City in those early days."
"When I finally realized she loved me, it was far too late," continues the Wizard in a grief-stricken voice, "Had I known her feelings and had I not been so selfish for her safety, I would have taken her away from the palace and away with me on my first trip around Oz. Then her sister would not have corrupted her so. This book is an ancient spell book that only opens to those of pure of heart. It was once utilized by my friend before I destroyed her heart and never once by myself, for my own heart is alias far too corrupted."
"But you Miss Elphaba, I can tell that your heart is pure simply by looking at you," finishes Oscar, hope returning to his voice, "You have an innocence that my friend once had. Theodora was a good person, with a heart so pure even now I know she still has love buried deep within her, only she does not realize this. It was Glinda the Good Witch of the South who told me why I could not use this spell book Theodora had referred to as the Grimmorie. Glinda stated that only the pure of heart could use this book. I had done horrible things in my youth, but it was not until the guilt I felt for my old friend surfaced after becoming aware of her sad state of being that tarnished my surprisingly once pure heart. For you see Miss Elphaba, with that guilt came undue anger. Anger she did not deserve, at least not from me. Well, are you ready to try it out?"
"Sure, but what must I do?" asks Elphaba as she looks through the magic book, the words written in a seemingly foreign language yet she can understand what each spell does by this strange feeling she gets while reading the different spell titles. Galinda meanwhile stands to the side and feels bored and out of place. The blonde woman is uncertain what she should be doing, so she watches her friend pour through the old book.
"Another old friend of mine is alias at the mercy of the Wicked Witch of the West," the Wizard comments bitterly, "He had wanted to visit his family in Winkie Country and he fell under a powerful obedience spell that has taken away his free will, along with all the other Monkeys she is aware of. Your task is to free my friend Finley and you have an indefinite time to do so, although I personally recommend your start this mission during your summer holidays away from Shiz. I implore you to do this mission alone, it will be dangerous and the Wicked Witch of the West will be better swayed by you Miss Elphaba for your unique skin color. I will meanwhile have Miss Galinda working on a separate project for me involving persuading the Munchkinlanders to rebel against the Tyranny of the Wicked Witch of the East. Do either of you young ladies have any questions for me?"
"No, your Ozness," answer the two young women in unison, both girls inwardly wondering why Elphaba did not ask more about Theodora or mention the green girl's relation to said witch.
"Well, it is getting late. I promise in the future we will have more time together. For now please remember to keep your missions in the uttermost secrecy. No one, not even family, Madame Morrible nor even each other can discuss the details of your secret missions. With that Elphaba and Galinda I bid you goodnight. And happy Lurlinimas."
"Goodnight Your Ozness!" state both girls again in unison before they are escorted by a guard back out of the throne room and back to their hotel room. The next day they will be on the first train back to Shiz to start a new semester, with the thoughts of their adventurous summer ahead…
Months later and both girls are excited for their summer plans. Both will return home for a week before heading out for their respective missions, Galinda to ironically Elphaba's hometown in Munchkinkland to start in her campaign to remove the Wicked Witch of the East from intimidating Elphaba's father's government, the legit government approved of by the Wizard himself. And Elphaba's mission is to head towards the Vinkus, and her quest is to try to negotiate the release of Finley and as many other Monkeys as possible.
"Look, I see my father and Nessa waiting for me!" exclaims Elphaba loudly, she is ecstatic to see her family again especially since she spent her winter break away from them, "Have a good summer 'Linny and good luck on your quest."
"Thanks Elphie, you too!" squeals Galinda as she gives her best friend a tight hug before letting go and bouncing off to her designated carriage arranged by the blonde woman's parents.
Elphaba just shakes her head before facing her father and sister, two people whom she loves dearly and has not seen in months.
"Nessa! Father!" states Elphaba happily hugging first her sister and then the man that may not be her biological father but who will always be her papa," It's so good to see you both. I missed you all so much!"
"We missed you too Fabala," replies the younger woman, "I'm so happy I'll be in school with you next term! It's so boring at home without you!"
"Now Nessarose are you implying that I am too old to be exciting," states Frexspar teasingly, "Because as I recall you enjoyed all those trips you came along with me on while Fabala was at Shiz."
"No, father!" protests Nessarose, her face flushed with embarrassment, "It's just I missed my sister and it was not the same without her."
"Calm down Nessa, father was only teasing," chuckles Elphaba, "I wonder what he is going to do once you do join me next term. Maybe actually bond with Shell."
"Not likely!" argues Nessa, "That boy maybe our "brother" but he is a tiny menace I tell you! I visited him with papa over Lurlinimas holidays at that school of his and he threw a metal hammer at me! I didn't even do anything Fabala, I only said hello to Shell with a calm smile and he chucks a weapon at me!"
"Nessarose, you know your brother did not throw that hammer at you on purpose," comments Frexspar with a sigh, "Sheltergod was unfortunately born a sick boy and has no control over his own mind. Now, I believe we have loitered here in this station long enough. It is time we head to our carriage and then to home girls."
"Yes papa," replies the two young women in unison as they follow their father (Elphaba walking, Nessarose wheeling in her chair) towards their private carriage that will take them home in just a few hours.
"Bye Mumsie! Bye Popsicle!" shouts Galinda as she waves farewell to her parents while her carriage speeds off towards Munchkinland, the destination of Galinda's quest for the Wizard of Oz, "I promise to write and stop back at home before I go back to Shiz! Love you both!"
The blonde haired older woman and her equally blond haired husband look on with a bewildered look on their face, but it is a very subtle look as they are mostly used to their strange daughter and her even stranger behavior by this point in their lives. They linger for just a moment before they shake their heads and walk back inside their estate, their attention already deviated elsewhere.
"It is not fair Elphaba!" rants Nessarose as she glares at her sister, "We only just got you back and now you have to leave us again! You didn't even get to visit during the holidays! And yet you will be disappearing again! Without me!"
"Nessa the Wizard needs me to go and use my powers to free an innocent," counters Elphaba calmly, "I promised him I would at least try to help him. I will not be gone long and we will be spending more time together once we go to Shiz together in the fall. I promise!"
"Fine, but you better keep your promise Elphaba!" angrily concedes Nessarose.
"You know I will," replies the green girl with a sad smile, "That is why I have to go on this quest now. I never back down from a promise, never!"
"Be safe Elphaba," interrupts Frexspar as he hands Elphaba her bag and gives the green girl a tight hug, "We love you and we will see you soon. No matter what happens I am already so, so proud of you my daughter."
"Thank you father," replies Elphaba with tears threatening to escape her eyes, "I will be back before you know it!"
"You better Fabala!" screeches Nessarose, "I can't go to Shiz without you!"
Elphaba waves goodbye as she walks to a public carriage that will take her to the Vinkus, the land of the infamous Wicked Witch of the West. Little does the green skinned, dark haired young woman know that her life is about to change even more drastically then it has done this past year so far. Will she be able to accept the painful truth? Only time will tell…
