Misunderstood
Disclaimer: I do not own Wicked or any of the characters involved with it, with the exception of the ones that I create.
A.N.: Just to clear things up, there will not be a Gelphie relationship or any kind of romance in this fan fic. I do not write slash, and I was not planning to in this story. I'm sorry if the romance thing disappoints any readers, but that is not the direction that I want to lead my story in, seeing as I would have to change the plot and eventual outcome. Thank you, in ahead of time, for being understanding. Read and Review please!
Chapter 7: Auntie Witch
Elphaba had been anxiously awaiting any kind of news about how Glinda was doing and what thing she had set into action. Anytime that a traveler was seen approaching Kiamo Ko, she would remind Liir and Nanny to ask about any new happenings in the Emerald City or any news about Glinda the Good. Quite often many of the travelers did not pay attention to the politics in Emerald City as much as they had (since their wonderful Wizard had taken leave), but occasionally one would have news. One young man reported that Glinda had made a surprise appearance at the opening of the Shiz University Memorial, and that the next day, had thrown a lavish banquet for the Tinman and the Scarecrow celebrating their victory over the Witch. Once Liir had passed this information on to Elphaba, she inwardly gloated. Yes, yes! She's doing much better than I would have expected. The only thing that she allowed herself to show was that she appreciated the fact that he had done what she had asked of him.
In her own private quarters, she allowed herself to show a bit more emotion than she had in front of her dysfunctional family. She pranced around the room for a little while and smiled and gloated over the small victory. She finally stopped herself once Chistery got scared away. Catching her breath and calming herself, she knew that she had to continue on with the plan. "Alright Elphaba, calm yourself. You aren't out of the woods yet. The progress has only begun, so shut up and get to work on the next part." Satisfied with her small speech to herself, she sat down at the desk in her room, grabbed a small apple, and picked up the Grimmerie.
The Grimmerie was the key to having all things work out. It had the essential information and spells needed to bring the administration to their knees. The Witch took a moment to savor that thought. Bring the administration to their knees…What I didn't accomplish the first time around, now I have another chance. She shook herself slightly and settled back into reality. With Glinda getting on the good side of the Scarecrow and Tinman, information would be given to them, information that was vital. Both Witches would soon know the inner workings of the government, the political aspirations and their strengths. But, they would also then know the weaknesses, loopholes that could be exploited, hidden mistakes and things of the sort that no one else knew about. The traveler had reported that the Good Witch had even gone so far as to give the Scarecrow and Tinman wondrous gifts: a real brain for the Scarecrow and a real heart for the Tinman. Elphaba had rejoiced once she heard this. I always knew that Glinda wasn't as stupid as she let on. Clever girl. Now we (or at least she) can see the inner workings of their mind and heart. Of course, if anyone had had this notion, no one had mentioned it, and had kept it completely to themselves. Good, that's the way that it should be. Although she was glad that no one had seemed to have that notion, she still felt uneasy about Glinda's safety. Almost like she was expecting something to happen…stop thinking this way! You're reverting back to the time when you were in the resistance against the Wizard! Besides, all of Oz (minus Nanny, Liir, and Glinda) believes I'm dead. No one would be still coming after me, or people associated with me… She quickly stopped thinking about that subject. Her instincts told her that things were not as they seemed, but she did not want nor need to listen to those unsure inklings right at the moment. For now, all she needed to concentrate on was keeping her friend safe, as well as progressing with the overthrow.
Late into the night, Elphie sat reading and studying what was needed in the Grimmerie. She had almost completely translated and understood the overall meaning of the passage. She had long finished the apple that she had been nibbling on, and it was pitch black outside. No stars shone that night, and the moon had decided to hide its face. Dark clouds blanketed the sky and a bitter cold breeze was making itself known. All throughout the castle, not a sound of activity was to be heard, save for the occasional mutterings or short exclamations of the Witch. The only light to be seen within the castle was coming from her room. Since the day that she had come back to life, she had tightly shut up her window. She didn't care much for sunlight or other elements gaining passage into her room, and it also lent to the widely accepted fact that her family would be mourning and would likely want to keep her former living quarters to themselves. The dim light from the candles in her room streamed into the hallway, creating long and grotesque shadows that played on the floor and walls. Her eyes began to grow blurry and the words and phrases were running together. The Witch struggled to stay awake, but was failing. The brown eyes fluttered, desperately trying to stay open, but lost the fight very quickly. Her eyes closed, and her head lolled to the side, coming to rest heavily on her left shoulder.
Suddenly, she was years younger. The Kiamo Ko of days of old was all around her. Sarima and her sisters were sharing a rare, cheery conversation. The children were running about, laughing and playing with each other. Liir was lagging behind, and the little girl, Nor, was with him. No one seemed to notice her presence. She felt like a wraith in the shadows, waiting to be seen, but not calling attention to herself. As the boy and the small girl were passing by, the girl happened to look over to where Elphaba had remained somewhat hidden. She smiled widely, and let go of the boy's hand, walking over to where the tall, green woman was. She approached with a kind of respectful, somber attitude, and also a bit of wonder and fear. "Auntie Witch?"
Elphaba woke in a cold sweat, still hearing the girl's voice echoing in her head. She looked around the room to gain her bearings, to make sure that it was just a dream. Once she was certain that everything was as it was before she had fallen asleep, she rested her head back against the chair, still breathing heavily. How she hated dreams like that, constantly reminding her of mistakes made and tragedies that had occurred not so long ago. She regretted everyday the fact that she had not been able to even negotiate the release of the girl. She shuddered as unbidden images of torture filled her mind, desperately trying to block them out. She unconsciously mourned the fact that the being that the Wizard had shown her years ago had only been a shell, if nothing less, of the lively girl that it had once been. Unbidden tears sprang to her eyes, and when they streamed down her face left marks behind: a result of the burning sensation. Nessa…Doctor Dillamond…Fiyero…Nor…a list of her shortcomings and disasters filled her mind, leaving her reeling and drowning. In her despair, however, she became aware of a weak banging, coming from somewhere in her home. Trying to collect herself, she got up from her chair, wiped her eyes and face, and pulled on a large shirt and scarf. She wrapped the scarf around her face carefully, concealing her features and most of her skin color. She did not worry about wearing a hat, since it was very dark and the dark would help conceal her true identity. She sniffed, picked up a candle, and headed out the door.
As Elphaba started down the stairs, she composed herself as much as she could. The banging increased in volume as she grew nearer to the entryway, but was still weak. She marveled that she had even heard it at all. As Elphie arrived at the door, she pulled the scarf still tighter around her face and fixed the shirt to fit a bit better. She opened the door, and saw a small figure there, posed in mid-knock. As the Witch's eyes grew wide and an accidental gasp escaped her lips, the figure fell forward and was caught in the green woman's arms…
A.N.: Sorry it took so long for me to update. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Read and Review please!!!