Hopefully I will be able to get Chapter 9 done on Tuesday, but then I have to take a haitus because my new school year begins! And sadly, I can't write that much while in college :( But I should be able to get that one done, and maybe I can do one this weekend.
Remember what I said about it getting darker? Just keep that in mind as you continue reading.
Warnings: alcohol mention, bullying mention, violence, blood, injury
Chimes rang out across the school's campus. Nessa counted them.
Eleven. Twelve. Thirteen. Still no Ameya.
From what Nessa could tell, she was still out searching for Elphaba. But now it was past midnight.
There were only a handful of people left on the dance floor, and 90% of them were completely smashed. Even the orchestra had dwindled. The only players to remain were two violins, a cello, and a very disgruntled-looking oboist.
Nessa heaved a sigh as she scanned the ballroom for one last time before turning around and heading out the door. As she had no idea where Ameya was, or anyone for that matter, she decided she had to pay to stay for the night.
The school itself served as a hotel for wealthy visitors, but everyone had to stay in a dormitory building that had remained closed for the entirety of the year so far.
"Room for one please?" Nessa said quietly as she arrived at the door. A young man she believed to be called Trip was standing in a tuxedo behind a lectern. He looked over it to see her. "On the first floor. Please."
He flipped through a a ledger, the breeze from the pages ruffling his curly hair.
"There's only one room left on the first floor, but it is a double. Unless you have someone you can share with, we cannot allow..."
"She'll share with me," a voice Nessa recognized came from behind her. It took all of her might, and pent up anger, not to turn to the owner.
Trip stood staring. Elphaba sighed exasperatedly and thrust a fistful of bright green dollars towards him. His mouth slightly agape, he took them. Elphaba made a strange throaty noise at the boy. His eyes grew wide and he handed her two keys.
"Thank you."
Elphaba handed one to Nessa, and then pushed the door adjacent to them open.
Wordlessly, she held it open as Nessa exited through it. Elphaba followed Nessa down a cobblestone path that led out to the four dormitory buildings. The one closest to the school building had been converted into a kind of hotel. Neither sister said anything as they continued down it, but after a few minutes, Nessa stopped.
"I need your help," Nessa said sharply. Her chest was heaving.
Elphaba jerked the chair out from where it had gotten stuck between two stones and heaved it forward. Nessa grunted as she was nearly flung out of it, but still did not say a word.
This continued until they got to the room. Elphaba unlocked it, and Nessa pushed herself in.
"For Oz' sake," Nessa scoffed. Elphaba stepped inside the room and realized what Nessa was upset about.
The beds were three feet off the ground. The only way Nessa would be able to get into them would be if Elphaba lifted her in. Elphaba realized this too.
Neither said a word as they began to prepare for bed.
The room contained a bathroom, which Elphaba used first. Nessa had prepared a bit by storing a change of clothes in the bag she kept on her chair. Elphaba just had a deep purple frock given to her by the girl's old nanny.
"Can you help me up?" Nessa asked, her face pained as she tried to hide the massive frustration she felt.
Elphaba snapped her book shut, and jumped off of her own incredibly high bed. With one swift motion, Elphaba swept Nessa out of her chair and onto the bed.
"Anything else you need, ma'am?" Elphaba said, her face emotionless.
"Don't you dare do that, Elphaba," Nessa seethed.
"I'll take that as a no then, ma'am."
"STOP," Nessa shouted. Elphaba froze on the second rung of the small ladder.
"What was that, ma'am?" she asked.
"STOP CALLING ME MA'AM," Nessa barked. Without a second thought, she threw one of her pillows at Elphaba.
"I'm sorry, ma'am," Elphaba sneered. "But if you don't need me around as your friend anymore, than I guess that makes me your servant."
Elphaba threw the pillow back. For a moment, she felt a flash of guilt as Nessa went to catch it and nearly feel off the bed. But the moment passed quickly.
"You don't get it, do you? You think I want to need your help? Do you think I want to feel guilty about wanting to make friends? I never said that I didn't need you Elphaba. I will always need you Elphaba."
"To do what exactly, Nessarose? To serve you? Because I believe that is the definition of servant," Elphaba snapped.
"No! Well, yes. I do need you to help me physically, but I need you because you are my sister. I just... What is it exactly that you want me to say?" Nessa asked her voice edged with pleading.
"I need to know if you love me, Nessa."
Nessa sat wide-eyed. Then her brow furrowed.
"Of course I love you Elphaba."
"You say it as though it is a given," Elphaba muttered, turning from her sister.
"But it is. You are my sister and I love you," Nessa paused. "Have you ever questioned if you love me?"
"No."
"Then why would you question if I loved you?"
Elphaba said nothing her back still turned.
And then Nessa heard the sobs.
"I've...I've...I've done something unforgivable," Elphaba cried, burying her face in her hands.
"Elphaba..." Nessa said heartbroken."I'm...I'm sure you haven't..."
Elphaba shook her head furiously.
Balancing herself by keeping hold of the bed, she leaned over and took Elphaba's hand. She gave a light tug, and pulled Elphaba to the bed. Wiping her tears, Elphaba climbed up on it.
"Elphaba, I have done so many unforgivable things in my life that you should have stopped talking to me years ago. But you have always found it inside yourself to forgive me," Nessa took a deep breath. "I have mocked you and shamed you and denied you. I never thank you enough for what you do. I have snitched on you to father a dozen times..."
"You didn't know..." Elphaba mumbled.
"No. I did. That's why they were unforgivable. Because, because there were times when I did awful things simply to do awful things. I-I-I," Nessa took another heaving breath. "I know that there are times that I have been called a spoiled, nasty, in-invalid. And I know this to be true. But I also know that I love you and nothing will change that."
"I'm sorry Nessa. But I just can't believe that," Elphaba muttered. To her surprise, Nessa nodded.
"I know. I like to think otherwise, but I understand why you can't trust that. I can't trust that. Which is why you should not tell me whatever it is that you are hiding, because whatever it is, I know it was not done out of spite. You have proved yourself as a friend and as a sister so many times over. When I have earned the trust and respect that you have earned from me, then you can tell me. Until then, keep it to yourself."
"Come in," Frex called as someone knocked on his office door.
One of the servants open the door, and the captain of the guard entered. Frex set down his pen.
"Ah. Captain Palarma. Do you have any idea yet on where he might be headed?"
Captain Palarma shook his head. His fingers were twisting the green cap that was in his wrinkled hands.
"We 'ave tried everywhere, sir. No one seems to have any idea 'oo 'e is or where we might find 'im."
Frex sat his elbows on the table, putting his fingertips together in the process.
"How many men have you sent out looking?" Frex said in an even voice.
"Um, seven, sir," Palarma muttered.
"I'm sorry I didn't hear that. Will you please repeat it?" Frex asked calmly, cupping his hand around his ear.
"We sent out seven, sir," Palarma repeated only slightly louder.
Frex nodded, and then rose. Palarma, not forgetting his previous encounter with the Governor, began to quake in his boots. But Frex just circled the office.
"I believe that when we spoke last, I told you to send as many as possible."
"That's correct, sir," Palarma agreed, nodding furiously.
"So, 'as many as possible' turned out to be only seven?" Frex mused, rubbing his chin with his hand.
"Yes, sir."
"And why could you not spare more men? Is it a matter of funding? Because I have quite a bit of money that I would be quite willing to part with if you were then able to send more men," Frex offered.
"It's actually a... a legal dispute, sir. By law, Southstairs prison must be guarded by at least thirty men. We only 'ave thirty seven men, sir."
Frex nodded slowly, considering the words. Then he turned with a snap of his fingers and a broad smile.
"I will message the warden and allow a temporary stay so that you can spare another five men, and I will send twenty available members of the Munchkinlan Militia. Sound good to you, Captain?" Frex asked, his arms open wide.
Captain Palarma smiled slightly.
"That'll do just nicely, sir. Thank you, sir," he said with an incline of his head.
"Good," Frex said with a smile. "Let me get to that then."
Frex took a seat behind his desk and began scratching something out on a nearby piece of paper. He looked up at Palarma, who still stood in front of him.
"OUT" Frex barked. Palarma jumped a foot in the air, and then ran out of the room. And though he would never admit it to anyone, he peed himself a tiny bit.
Around six p.m. that following night, Ameya finally sent for them. Unfortunately, what normally would have taken thirty minutes took two hours. Numerous party guests had been too inebriated from the night before to leave that morning, and heavy rains had reduced many of the back roads to mud.
"I am so sorry, girls," Ameya apologized, as Nessa made her way in through the front door. Elphaba brought up the rear. She stopped momentarily to shake out the umbrella she had been holding, though neither she nor Nessa in any way appeared to have been under one. "Why don't you two go get changed and we can have a late dinner. The parlor is nice and toasty."
Elphaba and Nessa nodded, and started off towards their respective bedrooms.
A few minutes later, both returned in dry clothes, their wet hair brushed down. Elphaba had a light, gray robe over deep green flannel pajamas. Nessa wore a thick lavendar robe over what was most likely a night dress, though her bottom half was covered by a blanket.
They ate turkey sandwiches in silence in front of the parlor fireplace.
"Did you end up having any fun at the dance?" Ameya asked Nessa. Nessa shrugged. Then she turned on Elphaba, her face hardening. "And you? Did you enjoy the dance?"
Elphaba shrugged too. She had felt incredibly guilty when Nessa had informed her that Ameya had left in order to find her. She had only heard that they were both safe at the school when Nessa sent a telegram to her around 11 a.m., and Elphaba could easily tell that Ameya was still quite upset about it.
They sat in more silence after they finished eating.
"Girls?"
The Thropp sisters both jerked themselves out of watching the fire and looked at their aunt. Ameya took a deep breath.
"There is someone here you need to meet"
Nessa and Elphaba exchanged a glance.
"Hello, girls," a man's voice said from the far door of the parlor. Elphaba stood, stepping between Nessa and the man.
He stepped fully into view. He was no longer the dirty convict, but had showered, dressed in a outdated but clean suit, and had combed his hair.
"I am-"
"We know who you are," Elphaba said cutting him off. She turned to look at Ameya. "You brought us here to deliver to him."
"Elphaba, Elphaba," Kistosen said, his arms raised in a gesture of surrender. "You don't-"
"Don't get anywhere close to me," Elphaba snapped.
Without breaking eye contact with her uncle, she placed a hand on Nessa's chest and pushed her backwards. Then she straightened to full height. Ameya stepped between them.
"Stop. Please. Elphaba-"
"Get away from me. You let him in, let him get cleaned up and everything," Elphaba spat. She pointed a long green finger at him. "You want to kill us. You wanted to before you went to prison, and you got out to do try again."
"No, he didn't-" Ameya tried to interrupt, but Elphaba pushed her out of the way.
"I never wanted to hurt you," Kistosen said, his eyes wide, pleading for Elphaba to understand.
"You tried to kidnap us when we were infants!" Elphaba barked. "You wanted us to die so that you could become the Eminent one day. So that we wouldn't stand in your way. My father catching you is probably the only decent thing he has ever done!"
"Listen to me-"
"Why? You are an escaped convict from the most secret prison in all of Oz. Why should I listen to you? Ever?"
"Then listen to your aunt," Kistosen begged. "She helped me out so that-"
"YOU HELPED HIM ESCAPE?!" Elphaba screamed. "YOU HELPED HIM COME GET US?!"
The ground began to shake. Glasses bounced on their tables. Paintings came loose from their hooks.
"Elphaba," Nessa plead, trying to reach for Elphaba's hand. "Please, Elphaba. No!"
It was too late.
Everyone around Elphaba was thrown backwards, just like Frex had.
Kistosen was buried under a pile of fallen paitings. Ameya had landed on the sofa, but was unconscious.
For a moment, Elphaba stood, her chest heaving. She was full of vindictive pleasure as she watched her aunt and uncle regain consciousness.
"She-she helped me so that we could h-help you. I-I tried to take you because y-your father was t-too close to the Wizard," Kistosen said as he struggled to extract himself from the pile.
"Shut up," Elphaba barked.
But then she heard the whimper from behind her, and shame spread began to spread over her. It burned through her like magma was rushing through her veins.
She turned slowly, wishing with all of her being that it wasn't what she thought it would be. But it was.
Nessa had been flung out of her chair upon the impact of Elphaba's power. Her chair now lay sideways against the back wall.
Nessa herself lay crumpled in a heap. Nicks on her arms, which had taken most of the blast, began to bleed. Her face was mostly unscathed, though her nose was bleeding.
But the worst part was her legs. Because they might have looked odd and twisted in abnormal ways, but they certainly were not supposed to look like that.