Misunderstood
Disclaimer: I do not own Wicked or any of the characters involved with it, with the exception of the ones that I create.
Chapter 2: Lurline, Yackle, and the Unnamed God
"Nanny?" The Wicked Witch was back. The old woman collapsed, dropping everything that she was carrying. The woman rushed over and picked her up carefully. Carrying her to the old woman's living quarters, Elphaba had no time to puzzle over the fact that she had returned from the dead. She laid her gently on the bed, and called out for the monkey. "Chistery?" She waited a few minutes and still got no response from the animal. That's strange. Usually he would at least answer in some way. I'll just have to find another way to get help. "Liir! Liir please answer me. Come quickly!" She looked back at Nanny lying on the bed. She didn't like the way that she looked. The pigment of her skin was turning a pasty, very pale color. I'll just have to get things done myself. Very quickly, she moved across the room and sat next to the old woman on the bed. "Nanny, Nanny please wake up. Please Nanny." She waved her hand above her face, trying to give the woman some much needed air. The woman's color started to change, and it started to get closer to normal. The Witch breathed a sigh of relief. Although her pigment looked more normal, the old woman hadn't woken up quite yet. Suddenly, Elphaba heard a commotion from downstairs. "Nanny I'm home!" The Witch got up and hurried over to the staircase and looked down, confirming her suspicions that Liir had indeed returned. "Liir!" The boy looked up at her and instantly grew pale. "You…you're back. But you were dead…" Elphie held back a grin despite herself; he was always so easily excitable. Even as a young boy. "We'll discuss that later. For now just hurry and get Nanny some water. Don't ask just go." The boy hurried off and she returned to the room.
Nanny had woken up and was sitting up, rubbing her temples. She was talking to herself, very confused and somewhat alarmed. "What a strange dream. The very thought of anyone being able to come back, especially Elphaba. I guess that old age will do that to you." As she looked up, a person had just entered the room and turned around. "Good, you've woken up. Liir is getting you some water, it won't be long now." The old woman stared in disbelief at the person approaching her. "Elphaba, you aren't dead anymore…it wasn't a dream." She held her head in both of her hands, reeling from the shock. "Yes I'm back. Please, please don't pass out again. You scared me enough the first time." The Witch came over and knelt down next to her. Nanny looked over at her, still shocked. "Elphie…" leaned over, and took her in her arms. Almost immediately, she somewhat stiffened up. The former nanny let her go, smiling. "You haven't changed a bit, have you? How did you get back?" Her past charge smiled back at her. "I'm actually not quite sure how I got back. One second it was dark, and the next…I was in the room with you." Her face slightly fell, and she seemed to slightly withdraw into herself. "Dear what's-" Liir came stumbling into the room. "Here Nanny I got the water as quickly as I could." In his effort to move quickly, water had sloshed out of the bucket, spilling around him. The Witch leapt out of the way. "You idiot of a boy! You know that I can't stand water and yet you nearly spill it on me! Have you learned nothing from…" Her fervor suddenly left her, and she was left standing quietly. "Just…give her some water. She passed out and I think that she's in need of some." Nanny took the water hesitantly, looking slightly fearful of what would happen next. Liir hung his head embarrassed and mumbled "Sorry Auntie Witch." Elphaba continued to look on from the corner of the room, guarded. Once the nanny had finished the water, the boy took the pitcher and the cup and hurried out of the room. The Witch continued to maintain her distance. "Elphie, what has come over you?" Nanny seemed genuinely concerned for the woman. Sighing, she crossed the room and hesitated at the doorway. "Get some rest. You've had a hard day this far. I'll see you later tonight." With that, she left the room.
Walking back to her room was like walking a walk of shame. She usually knew how to control her temper, but she had let it out of its cage. Entering her room, she saw that in her despair, Nanny had cleaned the crows' perch and the rest of the webs and squalor that had covered the room. She walked over to the window and she looked out of it. What has come over me…I never used to act this way before. Sure I was guarded, but I hadn't exploded like that in years... she walked over to her bed and sunk down into a deep, dreamless sleep.
Later on in the night, she was talking to Nanny about the ordeal. Nanny had many, many questions, but most of the time Elphaba was hard pressed for many answers that she could not recall or had either repressed. These droned on and on into the night until both were too tired to continue. Still, one question had not been asked, and the Witch knew that it was the last. As she bid goodnight to her friend, she was asked the last question. "Elphie? What was it like? Did you see Lurline? What about the Unnamed God that your father was so convinced existed? Yackle? Did your soul soar…?" Nanny looked with the utmost curiosity and eagerness into the green face. Elphaba's face grew sorrowful. "Nanny…I'm so sorry but…I never saw Lurline or had the slightest inkling of her. The Unnamed God did not make his name or his presence known. And Yackle…I'm afraid she's just a myth." The Witch started to tear up, both out of anger and sorrow. "And your soul, Elphie? What of your soul?" Nanny still had some faith and hope left within her searching gaze. The green face started to burn as unwanted tears started to flow, "My soul? Nanny…I have no soul…all was dark and unwelcoming. I was an unwanted, unwelcome presence floating through empty space." She got up, turned away slightly hunched over, and left.