For disclaimer and other stuff, see part 1.

Chapter 5

When the next day dawned, it was time to say goodbye. Elphaba would return with her daughter to the only place she had ever called home, Kiamo Ko.

"Dearie, no one knows that you are here. You could stay here and hide yourself. Arwen and you will be safe and out of harms way in the little cabin. You know that this girl is heading towards the castle. Going back would be suicide! Think about your daughter," Yantar pleaded, trying to make her see reason.

But Elphaba knew what she was doing. Last night she had lain awake in her bed, thinking. She couldn't stay in hiding forever. And she had to put an end to the existence of the Witch for the sake of her daughter. She couldn't go on like this. Elphaba felt that somedays it got harder to simply be Elphaba. Somedays she felt as if she really was wicked through and through, slowly going mad.

"That's the reason I am going home," she answered.

"You could-" Yantar started again.

"I know I could, but Yantar, I want to go home. Thank you for everything you did for us," Elphaba said, interrupting the woman who had taken care of her in last couple of months with determination in her voice.

Even though Elpahaba was not normally one to be affectionate, she leaned forward and hugged the woman she considered as close to a mother as she had ever known.

Arwen was sleeping peacefully, nestled safely in a sling over her shoulder. Life was so simple for babies, even when it was hard for the rest of the world. Eating and sleeping was all that they had to worry about. Arwen didn't know anything about the evil or about the people who wanted to see her mother dead.

"Then this is goodbye," Yantar said.

"Yes. It was nice knowing you. I wish I could have stayed longer," Elphaba said aloud and in her mind she added: and had the chance to live longer.

Elphaba knew that soon everything would be over. She would be gone.

Before she could say anything else she mounted her broom and flew up to the western sky. While flying she always felt free. She felt unlimited.

While flying she could get her mind of all the things bothering her, but not today. She still had to make a plan about how to approach Dorothy. As she remembered the day, the fateful day Dorothy came to OZ, she remembered what else had happened that day.

After spending the night together with Fiyero she had hoped for a happily-ever-after. He had promised her forever, to be with her and love her forever. Forever had lasted until he had been captured and dragged away by the Gale-Force the very same day. The day Nessarose Thropp had been killed by a flying house.

Glinda had given Dorothy the shoes, Nessa's ruby slippers. Elphaba wasn't sure what she could do about Dorothy but she needed to meet her, she needed the shoes Dorothy wore on her feet. She needed them for herself, for Arwen. They should belong to Arwen now. Elphaba wanted to give Arwen something to remember her family by. Those shoes were the last reminder of the family Thropp, a family heirloom. Elphaba needed to get the shoes for Arwen and even it it was the last thing she did.

She was the Wicked Witch, after all. She didn't care what others thought off her. The one's whose opinion mattered were either gone or still a baby.

But before she could think about the shoes and how to get them back some more she reached her destination: Kiamo Ko.

"Home sweet home", she said as she steared the broom towards the ground.

It should have been their home. The night in the forest Fiyero had made plans for their future. He had told her that he wanted to grow old with her, living in this castle. It was a dream that would never come true.

One day, someday soon, she would wake up and live her last day in Oz. She would be reunited with Fiyero again, but only in death.