Hi, all. Once again, sorry for not posting for a while ( i have a sinking feeling that i may be saying that a lot). i know nobody really cares, but friday was definitely my first diving meet EVER (99.something-or-other points... is that good?) and tomorrow's my birthday!!! (can anyone tell that i'm hyper? lol)
Thanks to Phantom's Muse and Jacqueline Prince for reviewing and Annibelle White for reading this over before i posted.
Emerald City:
Elphaba:
"You can't be here!" Elphaba cried at Fiyero
"What? But Elphie, I love you." The distressed confusion in his eyes was unbearable. She turned away, pacing.
"You can't! You'll be killed!"
"I don't care. I want to be with you." He grabbed her and forced her to face him. "I want to be with you. I. Love. You." She placed her hands lightly on his chest.
"I lo-" Suddenly, the room turned crimson. The palms of her hands felt disgustingly sticky. She looked at her hands. Red liquid spilled out onto the floor, Fiyero's chest seeming to be the source. She looked at him, but his eyes were lifeless and he sank against her.
"No… no, no, no…" Then she screamed, sobbing. "FIYERO!"
"Fae?" The voice sounded far away. "FAE, WAKE UP!"
Elphaba opened her eyes and found herself safely in her bedroll with Naytala standing over her.
"I walked in and you were screaming and crying in your sleep." Naytala said accusingly. "Care to explain who Fiyero is?"
Elphaba sat up and ran her hand through her hair. "It was nothing. Just a nightmare." She still felt dazed by how real it all felt. Maybe I do need Yackle's help…
Naytala looked unsure. "Alright then."
Elphaba pulled herself out the covers, her old clothes hanging loosely over her thin frame.
"When was the last time you ate?" Naytala asked.
Elphaba shrugged. "Why do you ask?"
"You're thin as a rail and still training hard. You need to be eating." Naytala walked to the cupboards. "Do you even have any food here?" She opened the cupboard doors loudly. She shrieked as she felt something brush against her legs.
"What the hell was that?" She screeched.
Elphaba laughed silently, kneeled and clicked her tongue. From behind a table ran a white cat. It rubbed against Elphaba's knees and she fed it some crumbs from her pocket.
"So you'd rather waste your money feeding a cat than feed yourself?" Naytala half scolded. Elphaba picked up the cat and handed him to Naytala.
"No, he catches the mice that have been eating my food for me; I waste my money on keeping warm." She pointed to the stove.
Naytala muttered something under her breath. "So, what do you call this matted thing?"
"Can't you guess?" Elphaba smiled ever so slightly. "Malky."
Fiyero:
It's only been a few weeks…I can find her. I know she's here; I can find her. These were the words Fiyero kept repeating to himself, but they were getting old. He felt like he was running in circles. All of the evidence he found that that told him Elphaba was in the city led him back to one spot, but when he searched that area, he found nothing.
He did, however find out shortly after he arrived that the Gale Force was looking for her also, but for being involved in a radical Animal rights group called the Resistance. He was careful not to tangle with them. If they thought that Elphaba was a dangerous fugitive, they weren't to be trusted.
Elphaba:
He was looking for her, and she knew it. She took special precautions so that she wouldn't be found. She met with people from the Resistance in places she would, as a college student, stay away from. This included night-clubs and sporting events. It made her sick to even be around these places with the dirty atmosphere and dirtier people, but she COULDN'T be caught. It was too close to Lurlinemas to leave the Resistance now. She had a duty. An entire race depended on her to stick with it.
Even so, she found herself going to the church with the stained glass windows for peace. She didn't see Yackle again. She would kneel before an alcove with a large stained glass window above it, as if she were praying, and relish in the silence and beauty that surrounded her. She would sit for hours before a maunt would tell her that it was time for them to clean the floors and altars. She guessed that they only told her this because she unnerved them and they wanted her to leave, but she would go, as they asked.
When the sky turned dark, she would take out her broom streak across the sky. She observed the city from a different angle as she completed assignments for the Resistance that would be almost impossible to complete otherwise. From her perch, it seemed, she could see everything. She saw young men lighting the streetlamps, she saw happy families sharing quality time, she saw the guards changing shifts and sometimes, like now, she would fly to the palace and she'd see the Wizard in his study.
She smirked as she looked into the window. There he was, the bane of Oz himself, sorting through papers. It was obvious that he was frustrated. She wondered for a moment, what could be bothering him so. Then she heard a blast behind her. She whipped around and watched the remnants of an explosion waft upwards in the air a few blocks away. She forgot herself and admired the orange and yellow flames contrasting with the purpling night sky. She looked back to the window. The Wizard had risen and was looking at her in shock. He yelled something, still staring at her. She smirked and darted away before the guards came around. She made loops around the city, making sure to be seen only in places far from where she lived before going safely home.
Fiyero:
Night. It was when he worried about Elphaba most. 'What if she's freezing now?' led to 'what if she's starving?' and 'what if she's sick?'. Always, this led to 'what if she's dying or dead?'. He just wished that someone, Kumbricia, Lurline, or even the Unnamed God, would grant him some sort of sign that she was alright.
Tonight, he stood on his balcony staring at the waning moon. He leaned over the edge to see street vendors packing up for the night and sighed. Suddenly, an explosion shattered the night's silence. He could see plumes of smoke illuminated by flames rising in the distance between the palace and his apartment. He watched in silence as people emerged, sleepy-eyed, from their homes. It wasn't long before there was a crowd in the street rippling with confused chatter. As they discussed what on earth might be going on, his eyes followed the trail of smoke into the sky. He gazed at the patterns that it made, inky against a star-spattered backdrop. He wasn't sure how long he'd been staring, but when he looked back to the streets, everyone had gone back into their houses. He scanned the streets one last time before deciding to head inside. Just as he was going to turn around, black cloth flashed before him a mere six feet away. He jerked around and followed the movement with his eyes. Surely it wasn't what it seemed… A black clothed figure on a broom? Sweet Oz… I must be hallucinating…
Elphaba:
The next morning, she was shaken awake by Naytala.
"What is this?" She pointed to the front page of the Emerald Sun newspaper. Sleepily, Elphaba grabbed the paper and read the headline. "Green Girl of Oz Gains New Nickname: Witch!" She started reading the article aloud. "Last night, eleven Emerald City residents, including our Wonderful Wizard, reported seeing the green girl just outside of their windows flying around on a broom… blah blah blah… yadduh, yadduh, yadduh… Also last night, two bombs went off simultaneously, breaking down the walls of an Animal containment center. Many Animals escaped and are being chased down by guards and police forces. Nobody was killed in the explosion; only two guards were injured…. The bombing is believed to be linked to the Witch…" She looked up from the article. "That's pretty good. No one's dead yet, and I'm still here and alive."
Naytala glared at her. "You were seen! Not just by one person, but by eleven people and the Wizard!-"
-"Actually, ten people and the Wizard."
"Whatever! And what's this talk of a 'flying broom'? Did you enchant something? Do you know how dangerous—"
"I didn't enchant anything. The broom was given to me before I even joined the Resistance. I checked it for curses and tracking spells; it was clean." Elphaba replied calmly.
Naytala shook her head. "I don't know how you pulled that off and live to tell the tale. It says you were spotted in the Northeastern part of the city… we live in the West portion…"
"Trust me. I'm not going to be the one that gets us caught."
"You'd better not be. If you are, I want the honor of killing you myself." Naytala grumbled. "Just remember, everything we've been doing is building up to the day we kill Morrible. Don't do anything stupid until we get rid of the brains and brawn of their operation."
Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Yes, mother."
"Well, if you're going to be like that, maybe I won't treat you to breakfast." Naytala teased as she waved a cloth full of food in front of Elphaba's face. Elphaba just shrugged.
Naytala furrowed her brow as she laid the food out on the table. "I was only kidding. You need to eat. Sit down and feed yourself before I start shoving food down your throat. Don't think that I won't."
Fiyero:
Fiyero woke up mid-afternoon the morning after the explosion. He'd been kept awake by the Gale Forcers storming the streets looking for the person who set off the explosion. Groggily, he climbed out of bed and picked up the paper outside his apartment door, barely giving it a second glance. Finally, after drinking his coffee, he read the bold face words of the front page.
"Green Girl of Oz Gains New Nickname: Witch!"
Fiyero hastily read the article. The words 'green girl flying on a broom' made him want to kick himself. He wasn't hallucinating last night; he'd seen her for himself. He was so close! He threw the paper in frustration, scattering the pages across the room and walked out the door. He sighed and wandered haplessly around the City of Emeralds, trying to loosen his nerves. He needed to relax.
Elphaba:
Elphaba was back in the church in her usual spot, lost in her thoughts. No, not her thoughts. She wasn't thinking at all. She just sat as if waiting. She listened to the people come in and out of the heavy wooden doors. She listened to the priests and ministers preaching 'goodness', whatever that was. She listened to the bells chiming the hours, but what she enjoyed most was listening to the silence when every one was gone. Silence was the purest noise, she decided. It couldn't be broken down into pitches or rhythms and it was the hardest to sustain. She let herself drown in it until she couldn't even hear the bells toll, or the people enter, and she stayed like this until she was shaken out of her meditation. She gasped when it happened.
"Shh…Don't be frightened, greenie. It's only Mother Yackle." The old woman smiled broadly. "Or maybe you should be frightened…"
"What do you mean?" She whispered.
"Here comes a fork in the road. Which road will you take?"
"Yackle, you're speaking in riddles. What do you know?"
The crone cackled. "I can never tell, Miss Witch. It would make things too easy. Easy for me, easy for you."-she gasped suddenly-"Oh! But I must be going now! Fate is coming! So close, so close!"
"I don't understand—"
"You will! The fork in the road is coming. Fate is coming faster... There is no room for Yackle right now." The hag called as she hobbled away as fast as her old legs could take her.
Elphaba sat staring after her, trying to decipher what the old woman had said.
"Excuse me. Miss? Do you have any pamphlets with pictures of the church?" A deep voice called from behind her. She stood slowly, as not to misplace her hood.
"There." She pointed. She glanced at the man, curious. Her heart began to pound in her chest. It was Fiyero, right there in front of her. She longed to speak with him as Elphaba, to see how he was doing, to see how everyone was doing. Deep down, she wanted him to save her from the life that she'd chosen, but she knew better than to call out. As she'd decided before, she couldn't be found or he'd be hurt. But she saw recognition flash across his features.
"Elphie?" He asked hesitantly.
"I think you're mistaken." She lied.
"No, I'm not." He insisted. "Elphaba, I know it's you."
"Sir, you must be confusing me with somebody." It was killing her to lie like this.
"Why are you doing this?" He was hurting and she could tell. "Elphaba, please, at least talk to me."
She tapped her foot, feigning impatience. "I'll speak with you in an hour, if only to prove that you're mistaken. I need to get back to my prayers, sir."
"That's all I ask. I'll wait for you by the fountain in the square." He sped. "You don't know how great it is to see you again." He grinned ever so slightly and walked away.
She waited a few minutes until she was absolutely sure that he was gone. Lucky for her, the sun was setting, which would make it easier for her to run if he tried to follow. She darted through the streets back towards the corn exchange.
"Fabala!"
She stopped and turned around, inches from her front door. Stupid, stupid, stupid! She chided herself. Fiyero was at the end of the alley. How he was able to follow her, she couldn't begin to guess. Eyes wide, she turned back around and fumbled with her key. Finally, the key slid into the lock. As quickly as she could, she dashed inside and slammed the door. The door didn't close. Fiyero had managed to slide his foot in the door jam.
"Elphaba, you're in trouble, let me in." He grunted as he tried to wrestle the door open without hurting her.
"You're trouble! Go away." She succeeded in putting a sharp edge in her words. She had her back to the door and was pushing backwards with all of her weight.
"If you talk to me, I promise I'll never come back unless you tell me that I can. I haven't seen or heard from you in a year. I won't be ignored like this."
"It's hard to ignore you when you're breaking into my house." She said, struggling with the door.
"Elphaba, I just--" His voice got more desperate.
"No! I cut you all off for a reason."
He sighed. "Fifteen minutes. That's all I'm asking for." He felt the door finally give way and he fell over at Elphaba's feet.
"Graceful, aren't you?" She teased then turned serious again. "Fifteen minutes. Come on, we'll go somewhere a bit more comfortable than the stairwell."
Fiyero picked himself up and followed Elphaba up the stairs into a single, broken-down room. She offered him a chair and he sat politely.
"What do you want to know?"
"I want to know why you left us."
"The government is corrupt and needs fixing. That's all I'll tell you." She paced silently then shivered slightly. She looked into the woodstove and cursed. "Sorry about the cold. I ran out of wood and coal."
Fiyero looked worried.
"Oh, don't look at me like that. I'm not a little girl. I can take care of myself." She snapped.
"I don't doubt that you can take care of yourself. I doubt that you will, or that you have the resources to." Fiyero offered. "When was the last time you ate?"
She thought for a moment. "A while ago."
"Elphaba…"
"Fiyero, this is the first time you've seen me in a year and you think you can tell me how to take care of myself. I've gotten along perfectly fine in that year. What makes you think I need help now?"
"You're not eating, you have no heat… It'll be winter soon! What are you going to do then? You'll get sick! You'll freeze to death."
"What the hell do you care what happens? This will probably be the last time you ever see me. You have to go back to school anyway."
Fiyero stood and grabbed hold of Elphaba's shoulders, ignoring her protests. "I'm your FRIEND, Elphaba! Of course I care! I cared enough to graduate early to come find you! I CARE about you! And…" He let go of her. "I don't want to lose you again."
She stared at the ground, speechless.
"It's been fifteen minutes." She said.
"Yeah. I know."
Silence.
"Do you have anything else to say?"
He sighed heavily. "Yes. I'm not leaving."
"Don't do this to me. I've tried so hard to keep you, all of you, out of trouble."
"I'm not leaving you like this."
"Leave, Fiyero."
"No."
"Fiyero, if you care, leave!"
"I do care, and I won't leave."
"Get OUT!" She yelled.
"What will you do? Call the police?" He challenged.
"I'll…"
"Hurt me? Kill me? Go ahead, do it! See if I care!"
"GODDAMNIT FIYERO!" Elphaba's features twisted and she turned away. It was only when she shuddered that he realized she was crying.
"Elphaba!" He rushed to her side and instinctively wrapped his arms around her. "Oz… I'm sorry. I didn't mean it…"
The tears that she'd kept dormant for a year erupted in a steady stream. She grabbed the closest cloth, Fiyero's shirt, and buried her face in it trying to keep her tears from sight. Being in Fiyero's arms made her cry harder because she knew that she couldn't stay with him without endangering his life. Fiyero kissed the top of her hair in an attempt to comfort her.
"Shh… it's okay. I'm here." He said softly. He paused sighed the words "I'll always be here"
Elphaba lifted her head from his chest. "I – no!… "—she twisted in his hold—"Fiyero, don't you understand? This… thing, it can't be. I don't want to be responsible for your life."
Fiyero held her more tightly. "You won't be. It's my choice and I want to be with you. I don't care what happens."
"I DO care what happens. I'd rather hide in this hole-in-the-wall and know that you're safe than put you in danger. Just…please, Fiyero. Listen to me. You have a life to live, people to see, things to do." She pulled free of him. "I have no place in your life."
"You don't really think that, do you?"
"Yes, I do think that. You just want to be with me because you're curious about me. You think I'm intriguing. You want to know if things feel different with me because of my skin. Once you find out that it's just the same as anyone else, you'll go away. Save me the heartbreak and go now." She ordered.
"It's not like that! I think you know that. Your heart is just too big for its own good. You'd rather suffer for the world than let the world bear its own pain."
"I HAVE no heart, I have no soul… I have no SELF! There is nothing here for you to like, let alone love! I—"
That was when he kissed her for the first time, slow and sweet. She was in his arms again, sagging against him in shock. He closed his eyes and felt warmth rushing through him from his lips. She didn't know what to do, and her body took control. Her arms found their way around his neck and she was kissing him back. When her mind finally caught up with her body, she pulled away quickly, surprised by herself. She was breathless and scared.
Fiyero stared at her. He didn't know what to do. He had felt her kiss back, of course, and it made him feel amazing. Electricity was still flowing through his veins, but as he looked at her now, she looked haunted, hunted, just terrified. Should he kiss her again? Should he talk to her?
"Please… just go." She whispered. "I'll admit that once I had feelings for you, but times have changed. I'm not going to pursue any relationships now."
"I…" He sighed. "I'm sorry. I thought that maybe you might feel the same way I feel."
"Fiyero…"
"No, you're right. I was stupid to have thought even for a moment that you still had feelings for me. Here."- he pulled a small envelope out of his shirt pocket, scribbled something on the back, and held it out to her-"I don't want this if it doesn't mean anything anymore." And he walked out without a word.
With trembling hands, Elphaba looked at the envelope. On the back, Fiyero had written his address. Hesitantly, she opened the envelope. Inside was the burnt-edged piece of paper that Glinda had made her spell with the ironically bold words:
Elphaba loves Fiyero.
And for the second time in ten minutes, she cried.
I hope to have the next chapter up soon... (but soon for me could mean anything)
e.r.