A Mother's Curse
Chapter 5: The Reunion
A figure dressed in a dark grey suit and a black top hat with dark brown hair and dark colored eyes removes his jacket to warm up his lovely new friend. Two cold and damp bodies are seeking shelter on their track towards to Emerald City while a storm brews outside their large cave. The man and woman, new acquaintances turned travel companions, huddle close to a single fire produced by the woman for warmth. The young woman proclaims to be a witch, but to Oz Diggs she seems like the kind of girls he knew back in Kansas, beautiful but far too naïve. Common yet bold brown eyes and wavy brown hair hide behind a blood red long style trench coat and a wide brimmed hat. Still he cannot help himself in her presence, there is something oddly comforting and familiar in her eagerness to be with him. Although the man is well aware that he should not be taking advantage of a woman clearly obsessed only in his false identity, it is a bad habit of his he cannot seem to break.
Theodora the Good Witch of the West is convinced this Oscar Diggs is really the prophesied Wizard of Oz, the mystical being who will bring Oz back to its former glory. She did not anticipate him to be an attractive man nor did she ever believe he could show any interest in her. After all, her own sister Evanora told the young witch that Theodora was ugly and plain with a bad temper, not the kind of woman anyone would be interested. Perhaps for once Evanora was wrong. The Wizard's act of bringing Theodora into a warm embrace, which starts innocent but quickly becomes passionate, is further proof of this. Light pecks on the lips quickly become heated.
He is her first kiss, her first lover, the first person to seem genuinely interested in her. Yet a part of Theodora fears this is too much, too soon. Never even having a suitor, she is not prepared for Oscar's bold movements. For once, the smart yet naïve witch chooses to follow her heart instead of her head and eagerly attempts to copy the Wizard's actions.
He holds her deep into the night, hiding his look of guilt until she is fast asleep. He never meant to use Theodora like this, but she was so eager to be with him too. A guilty conscious is nothing new for one Oscar Zoroaster Diggs. If he was not still in love with his childhood friend Annie, he might have actually considered pursuing this beautiful woman.
But he is still very much in love with the blonde haired, married woman of his town of birth. Building friendships and admitting his feelings are not any of Oz Digg's strong points. In fact the young magician is well aware that he is a friendless liar who believes greatness and power are more important than love and who uses innocent women for his own temporary, selfish needs.
Yet when their bodies collided, Oscar could not deny that he felt things with Theodora that he did not feel in any of his other conquests. While he could not proclaim his love for the woman he had only met less than a week ago, he is surprised by how much he cares for her. Not quite love, but almost love. Possible future love even. Although he decides that will come after he has acquired this fortune and power that Theodora told him is his for the taking. Oz closes his tired eyes as the last embers of their fire begin to burn out…
"We have entered the Village of Kiamo Ko!" announces the carriage driver, an ill-tempered and filthy older man whom could never be considered a gentleman, as the last passenger awakens from her several hours' long nap, "Last stop on this one-way voyage! Any stragglers disembark now! Hurry up I've gotah' a tight schedule to keep you vagabonds!"
"Alright, I'm awake no need to shout," states Elphaba angrily as she grabs her meager luggage and disembarks from the disgusting carriage. The driver slams the door behind her shut and quickly moves his horses towards the direction of the Emerald City. The green skinned college student is not sad to see him go. But he was the only carriage driver willing to drive her all the way out here to the Vinkus, the middle of nowhere. The few buildings of the village and a castle in the distance are the only signs of intelligent life out in this vast, seemingly empty grassland.
"Vile old man," Elphaba mutters darkly as she takes in the scenery before her. The green fields with scatterings of different flowers and small animals causes the young witch-in-training to feel at home in this strange, desolate place. Even rural, farmland Munchkinland is more populated than here. Yet still Elphaba is seeing her true home, the lands of the West, for the first time ever. "I feel oddly at home. This place is too beautiful to be ruled by the Wicked Witch of the West. And Prince Fiyero's family really has no legitimate claim to this part of Oz either. He is distant cousins with the rightful ruler of the Vinkus at best. I will find you Finley! And you too Theodora, especially now that I know you are still alive!"
As Elphaba walks the long dirt road to the castle, she cannot help but suffer from the feeling of being watched. Everywhere, the shadows formed from the darkening sky and crows cackling in the distance, there seems to be eyes watching her every movements, ready to attack quickly and unexpectedly. The sound of flapping wings spooks Elphaba and she drops her large bag on the ground as she quickly turns first her head, than the rest of her body around in a jerking motion now facing the direction she had just been walking from. Before her is one of the Winged Monkeys the Wizard had warned her about.
"Oh, hello," greets Elphaba nervously as she tries to mask her fear with well learned politeness, "My name is Elphaba and I was just passing through. I hope I am not bothering you in anyway."
"Me? No, you aren't bothering me," replies the Monkey nicely but also nervously, "But I would go back the way you came. Theo-er the Wicked Witch does not like visitors and I would hate to have to make you her newest prisoner."
"Are you Finley by any chance?" asks Elphaba, comforted that this Monkey is trying to be at least as polite as she is. He is wearing a blue and red uniform with special detailing signifying his status as a leader.
""Well, yes, I am," answers Finley hesitantly.
"Good! Oscar has been trying to contact you!" states Elphaba excitedly, her mission seemingly easier than she anticipated, "Come with me before the witch finds us!"
"I am afraid it is too late for that my sweet," announces a figure in a black cloak and pointed hat a top black haired head, her yellow eyes gazing into this young intruder's chocolate brown eyes, a striking familiarity in them, "My soldiers and guards are not for the taking. As punishment for trespassing on my land and attempting to rob from me, I am taking you with me. I wish to interrogate you in a more confined space."
The sky has gone completely dark and with no moon, the light of a few torches masks Elphaba's skin color from the attention of the Wicked Witch of the West. Elphaba finds it odd that the Witch does not notice that her new prisoner has the same skin condition as her but the college student choses to scope out the situation and keep her mouth shut for the time being.
Once escorted inside the castle, the Witch dismisses Finley as she drags her new prisoner into a large room. Quickly using her powers to increase the lighting of the room, the Witch turns her emerald face to find a matching, abet a younger, less angled, and far better looking, mirror image staring back at her. A tiny gasp escapes both of their mouths as the Witch whispers with a look of shock on her normally blank face, "Elphaba?"
