i am a bad, bad person. hangs head in shame when was the last time i updated again? oh well. here's the next chapter (obviously). a thanks to holly j.for... well actually nothing yet. thanks to annibelle white for editing and making things fit better. you rock. and azulah lilavati for not killing me for pestering her 24/7.
The two days that it took the get back to Shiz, Glinda spent either crying or tossing and turning. When the carriage finally pulled up to Shiz, she dried her eyes and dragged her many bags of clothes back to her dorm. Nessa was sitting idly in front of the window.
"Where did you and Elphaba go?" She asked, turning herself to face Glinda. "And where's Elphaba now?"
Glinda felt the tears well up in her eyes again and she pulled out a pink handkerchief to wipe them. "We went to the Emerald City," Glinda said, her voice wavering.
"Why couldn't I go?" Nessa asked jealously. "Where's Elphaba? I'm going to tell Father about this!"
"It wasn't exactly a planned trip, Nessa. Elphaba was going to go by herself. I just barged in as she was about to leave," She started. "And Nessa? Nessa, I'm sorry, but… we won't be seeing Elphie for a while. She didn't come back." She was unable to hold in her sobs for any longer. She ran to her bed and buried her head in pillows. Nessa sat there dazed.
"Nanny!" She cried. "Nanny, I need you!" Tears started falling freely from her eyes. Nanny came in to see the two crying hysterically.
"Now what's happened here? Was it a boy?" She asked suspiciously as she wiped Nessarose's tears with her sleeve. "Oh, welcome back, Glinda. Where's Elphaba? She needs good scolding for running off. You, too, Glinda. If I ran this school you two would be out of here before you could say -"
"Elphaba's run away," Nessa choked. "She didn't even say goodbye!"
Nanny's anger dissipated. A grandmotherly look crossed her face. It was a mix of worry and sympathy. "Come, come, dearie. Our Fabala's a good girl. She can take care of herself." She said with a false sense of security. "Now, let's get you to bed and I'll write Frexspar in the morning."
Nessa nodded daintily and motioned for Nanny to wheel her into her room. "How could she do this to me? Leaving me all alone!" Glinda heard her say before the door closed.
Glinda stood up, stumbling, drunk with tears. She found her way to the bathroom and turned on the sink. She looked into the mirror, seeing dark makeup streaking down her cheeks. She splashed cool water on her face, scrubbing it furiously as if it would cleanse her of her misery. She looked back at the reflection in the mirror, she could almost see the green girl leaning against the wall behind her smirking, saying, "Oh, Glindy, suck it up. You act as if I'm dead. Now get to bed. You've got classes tomorrow and a lot of catching up to do." Glinda nodded as if she actually heard the words and did as she was "told".
The next morning she was woken from her restless sleep. Nanny stood over her shaking her shoulders lightly.
"Come now, dear. You've got to get to classes. Not to mention Madame Fish-head wants to speak with you. You can sleep more later." Nanny said callously. Glinda didn't move. "Up, up, up!" The old lady threw the blankets off of her and opened the window shades. Glinda squinted at the light and sat up. She noticed that Nessa wasn't awake.
"How is she taking it?" Glinda gestured towards Nessa's room.
"Oh, she'll be fine. They weren't that close anyway. In a few days, the poor child will be raving mad at Fabala."
Glinda furrowed her brow. "How do you figure?"
Nanny sighed. "Nessarose has blamed Elphaba for her disability forever. Now it's so easy for her to blame Elphaba, she does it all of the time."
"Why does she blame Elphaba?"
"Because their father." She said darkly. "Or at least Nessa's father convinced them both that Elphaba is responsible for everything that goes wrong. Ever since their mother died." Nanny pulled a watch out of her pocket. "Glinda dear, you've got to be out of here in a clock tick if you want time to tell your friends what's happened."
Glinda nodded and cleaned herself up for class. In no time, she was out the door. She brought an extra handkerchief, just in case. She didn't bother with makeup this time.
In the courtyard were Boq, Crope, Tibbett, and Fiyero, sitting in a group talking in low voices. They didn't see her come in behind them.
"—gone for what? Five, six days? Someone's got to go look for them." Boq said. Fiyero nodded.
"That won't be necessary." Glinda said solemnly. She was almost trampled when they rushed over to hug her.
"Where have you been? We've been worried sick!" Boq asked her.
"The Emerald City, but -"
"Where's Elphie?" Fiyero cut in. Glinda's heart sank. She really didn't want to explain this to Fiyero.
"Boys, I'm afraid I have some unfortunate news. Elphie didn't come back."
"What?" They exclaimed in unison.
"But why?" Asked Fiyero. The hurt in his expression was unbearable.
"Because of the Wizard. She's going to work against him, I think." She paused. "Fiyero, can I talk to you in private?"
He nodded and followed her to a table across the way.
"Elphie and I spoke before she left. She wanted me to make a few things clear to you."
Oh, no… she left because I scared her… Damn it, Fiyero! Why can't you ever think before you act? Didn't you learn anything hanging around Elphie? "Yes?"
"She wants you to understand that you're NOT the reason that she left. I think you were the reason she didn't leave earlier." She looked seriously at him. His eyes seemed to flicker with a last trace of hope. "Now, you know that Elphaba isn't one to express her feelings, right?" She asked.
"Yeah. It gets so confusing…I don't know what's right or what's wrong."
"Well, listen closely then. She said, and I quote, 'Tell him I still love him and always will. Tell him I'm not leaving because of him'."
He sighed deeply. "Thanks for telling me this Glinda. It means a lot… I—I've got to go. I have a lot of thinking to do." He gave Glinda an awkward hug before stalking off.
Glinda returned to the rest of the group, who was still pondering Elphaba's disappearance. She sat down and listened to their thoughts, something that she rarely ever did. Elphie must have rubbed off on me…
As she left for her history class, she heard the group say a few words before parting themselves.
"I'll never understand it. I barely knew the girl and her disappearance has affected me. She has a gift of touching people's hearts, that one." Said Tibbett solemnly.
"Yeah. What are we going to do without her?" Crope mused.
Boq was distant. He cast a worried glance at Glinda as she walked away with heavy steps. She's changed, he thought. She's not the bubbly, conceited Galinda that I was infatuated with at the beginning of the term. She's Glinda, a slowly mellowing, pacific woman. A woman that I can really love…
Fiyero walked into the woods to the familiar weeping willow. Elphaba's tree… The tree was very much like Elphaba in ways. The way she hid herself from the world with a veil sarcasm and green skin, much like the willow hid its center with its long wispy tendrils… The way that that veil opened ever so slightly in the presence of something powerful and unexpected, only to cover itself back up before you get a good look at what's inside. The strength they both possessed, even in the harshest of situations. But there was one big difference between the two. The willow wept in everyone's presence. It did what Elphaba would not: show weakness.
He wondered, if he could get to the Elphaba that was hiding beneath her façade, would he feel the same peace and protection he felt sitting under the willow? He sighed. It's a little too late to be thinking about that. Odds are, you'll never see her again…a cynical voice in his head told him. But, she said that she loves you, another voice challenged. He was beginning to get a headache. He closed his eyes, rubbing his temples. "Don't think too hard. You might hurt yourself. We wouldn't want that, now would we Prince Arjiki?" Said a purely Elphaba voice in the back of his mind. He smiled slightly. Of course not, Miss Sarcasm. Now, if you don't mind, I have some sulking to do, he answered mentally. She'll never be completely gone. She'll always be that sardonic comment in your head, that book on Animals that you read because you wanted to impress her with an intelligent conversation, that almost invisible reflection in the window you see as you look out onto the fresh spring leaves. Just hang in there, Fiyero. And stop being so poetic. You'll start sounding like Crope.
The Emerald City:
Elphaba was in a mauntery. The Cloister of Saint Glinda. She had dragged herself and her bag almost out of the alley after being raped and beaten while the man was passed out, drunk. A maunt, Sister Doctor, as she was called, found her curled up in ball, shaking violently. Being a big woman, the maunt carried her along with her belongings to the church where she was well attended to, despite her skin color. She wouldn't talk to anyone in more than a few words, mostly "thank you"s. The maunts were kind, but quite nosy. They would ask her all sorts of questions before getting frustrated and leaving. But they told her what she needed to know. She wasn't pregnant (though she doubted she could bear children anyway) and she could leave when she wanted to. Tired of being a burden, she decided to leave in two days, giving her enough time to recover from the shock and trauma. She knew exactly where she would live. She heard the maunts talking to a patient about an old corn exchange in the slums. The owner had died, leaving it to nobody and it was there for the taking. Because of its surroundings and old architecture, nobody wanted it. Even the homeless kept away from it because of some superstition.
Before Elphaba left the mauntery, an old crone hobbled over to her, handing her a broom.
"Take this, child, for it is your destiny," The old woman cackled, revealing crooked rows of yellow teeth. "Beware of the company you keep, dearie. They might just kill you."
"Who are you?" Elphaba asked, taking the broom more out of politeness than anything else.
The crone cackled again. "It matters not! But if you please, call me Mother Yackle. Now, leave! You have greater things in store than talking to a senile woman as old as the earth."
"Greater things? What do you mean by that?"
The woman smiled wryly. "You'll find out in time, child. Now go!"
Elphaba nodded to her and walked back into the streets of Oz, a black hood pulled expertly over her face. She looked about, understandably paranoid. In the mauntery, the Sisters talked about how the Wizard was pursuing a criminal woman with green skin. They all knew that Elphaba had green skin, but weren't fooled by the Wizards lies, for religious reasons, no doubt. They took care of her, she thought, mostly to defy him.
She brought her gaze up to the Emerald City's skyline searching for a high tower in the slums that was the corn exchange. She spotted it and ducked into the dark, twisting alleyways. She forced herself to hobble and slouch as if she were an old woman. She didn't ever want a repeat of what happened before. She stopped when she saw some questionable graffiti on a crumbling brick wall. Down with the Wizard! screamed the bright red paint. She touched the writing tentatively.
"So, what do you think of that?" Asked a young-sounding voice behind her. A woman, she noted.
"Why do you ask?" Elphaba said in a sharp voice, still examining the wall.
"Just wondering. The Resistance, no doubt the people who wrote that, is getting pretty radical. They're defending the Animals, planning riots, assassinations even." The girl stated.
"Good for them. Someone needs to do something about the Wizard. If they don't do anything, I will." Elphaba turned to face the speaker. The woman smiled, satisfied. Elphaba couldn't see her face other than her mouth, seeing as she was wearing a hood much like her own.
"Then welcome to the Resistance." She said quietly. "Follow me." Elphaba shrugged. The woman looked around hastily and traced the red painted letters with her finger. The wall opened to reveal a dark hall lined with torches. This seems all too familiar, Elphaba thought. She followed the woman to a dark room at the end of the tunnel.
"Master," She called. "Master! I have a new member for you!"
Elphaba squinted to see her surroundings. It was too dark. She heard footsteps around her.
"State your name." A new voice called. The voice was powerful and soft at the same time. A man's voice.
Elphaba cleared her throat. "El—"
"Not your real name. A codename that you wish to be addressed by," the voice called again. "And, don't make it stupid." It added.
Elphaba smirked. "Are you insulting me, Master?"
The voice laughed briefly. "I like this one. She has an edge, like someone else that I know." He seemed to direct at the other woman. "Now, you're name please, Miss Spunk"
"Fae," she said simply.
"Fae." The voice confirmed. "Excellent. You remember how to get back in here if we call a meeting?"
"Sure." She said.
"Good. That will be all for now. I think we can expect great things from you." The Master said. "Just follow Naytala out. She can help you along."
Elphaba jumped as she felt someone grab her arm and start pulling her along. She followed, protesting a bit to being pulled along. They entered another alleyway and a hidden door shut behind them.
"Okay," Naytala said condescendingly. "Here's what's going to happen. I'm going to show you around and you're going to be quiet. Understand, Fae?"
"Sure, Naytala. But how about we make this easier and you just lead me to the abandoned corn exchange and leave me to it?" Elphaba sneered. Naytala stood there, her mouth agape.
"Something wrong?" Elphaba asked sarcastically. The girl closed her mouth again and began walking briskly. Elphaba followed behind. They reached the exchange and Naytala pulled out a key, seemingly from nowhere, to open the door.
"Where did you get that?" Elphaba asked. Naytala shrugged and proceeded to unlock the door. "Magic." Elphaba couldn't tell if she was being sarcastic or not. They walked up a flight of stairs and Naytala handed her the key.
"As of now, you're squatting. His Ozness can't do anything to force you out, but technically you aren't allowed to be here." She said as-a-matter-of-factly.
"That hasn't stopped me yet." Elphaba said setting down her bags. She could see the other girl smirk in the bad lighting.
"Good to know. And welcome to the not-so-Emerald part of the City." She said as she walked out of the door, leaving Elphaba alone. "I'll be back later. We'll probably have a meeting later on."
Elphaba shrugged to herself and looked around. Dust covered everything. There was a cracked skylight and one other window. An ornate coffee table sat in the center of the one room. There were odd decorations hung about the walls, like an elephant skull with flowers sticking out of it, a claw of some sort, teeth, bones, and feathers. A fairly clean bedroll was set unceremoniously on the ground next to an old trunk. There was a stove, dishes, a table and three chairs in a far corner. Well, Elphaba, this is home.
She set down the broom and began unpacking her few personal items, setting her clothes and blanket on top of the trunk. On the coffee table she set a green bottle that belonged to her mother, the Grimmerie, and a cracked, green-tinged, glass ornament that she used as a looking glass. She reached for the last item in her bag: her book on the Vinkus that had produced, on occasion, the colorful light shows and terrible dreams. She gritted her teeth. Eventually I'll figure out what's behind this book, she thought. It's not as if there's anything else I can do with my free time.
She lazily flipped through the pages again, waiting for the bluish light to envelop the room. Almost at once, the spine of the book shimmered with liquid fire and brightened until Elphaba had to shield her eyes from the intensity. She dropped the book and moved backwards, tripping over the side of the bedroll and falling. She hit her head on the ground and passed out.
The young girl with yellowish eyes traversed through an old city. She was perhaps 13 years of age. She stared at the ground as not to draw attention to herself. She carried a large bag, a cloak and two books, a large one and a small one. She stumbled down the street stealing glances at the food being sold in the markets. Suddenly she ran straight into someone. Her things scattered everywhere as she fell onto her back. She stared up at the plushy figure in front of her. It was a girl wearing the puffiest pink dress she'd ever seen. She had fair skin, a sign of wealth, and jewelry to prove it.
"Excuse me! Couldn't you see that I was walking here?" She stared down her nose at the girl on the ground, and then gaped. "Y-you're eyes! They're -" The girl on the ground looked down immediately.
A small crowd of other girls circled around her to see what the fuss was about. "Her—no, its eyes! They're like the devil!" The girl in the pink dress exclaimed. The rest of the girls gasped. They each had poofy, different colored dresses on. The one in a purple dress spoke.
"Are you infected?"
A girl in a yellow dress turned to her frantically. "What if it's contagious? We'll catch it if we don't get away!" The girls shrieked all together and ran off, except for one.
A girl in a blue dress walked over to her and picked up her things, handing them to her and offering a hand to get up.
"Thanks," she said, almost inaudibly.
"It was nothing." The other girl replied. "They're jerks. They don't take time to consider other people's feelings." The girl stared at her. "Oh! Where are my manners?" She squeaked. She offered her hand again. "My name is Lurline. You are…?"
"Kumbricia," She replied, shaking Lurline's hand.
Suddenly, everything started trembling. Elphaba opened her eyes to see Naytala, with her hood still up, shaking her awake.
"What happened to you?" Naytala snapped at her. "I'm gone for only a few hours and you manage to knock yourself unconscious!" She stood up and brushed off her clothes. "You look terrible. In this bad lighting, you look practically green."
Elphaba smirked. "Yeah, well…" She picked herself up and walked over to the Vinkus book to close it. Naytala watched her carefully.
"What's that?" She asked her.
"A book. Ever seen one before?" Elphaba said sarcastically.
Naytala walked straight over and stared at the cover. "Where did you get this?" She asked, almost urgently.
Elphaba raised her eyebrows at the visitor. "I found it , I think, almost thirteen years ago. Why do you ask?"
Naytala ignored her. "What's it about?"
"I don't know. I'm still trying to figure that out. It's mostly on the Vinkus and their religious beliefs." She replied, a bit irritated by all of the questions.
Naytala looked as if she were going to touch the cover, and then stopped short. She tore her attention away from the book. "Fine. Well, we have a meeting for the Resistance to go to now." She said distractedly. "That is, if you're up to it."
"Let's go."
SO. i think everyone has gotten the point that i like reviews. as always, suggestions, comments, and questions are welcome. coughcoughreviewcoughcough.
as for the anatomy of the name naytala (for those who might be interested), i can't tell you right now. it'll give stuff away. you might figure it out though.