(AN: Long time no see, Wicked-fans. That's because my recent Wicked project, Of Saints and Sinners, really dragged on forever and I lost a little interest in Wicked fan-fics [at least my own]. But I've decided to bring back another one, and hopefully none too late)
(Will try to get some interesting sub-plots going, as well as build Milla's character, since she really has no depth in Wicked.)
Rocking Dixxi House
Any preconceived notions that they might have had that made them think that riding around in a wagon-train would be fun were shattered after that first day of travel in Oatsie's wagon-train. They bounced and jostled their way across the Gilikin Highlands, trapped in the stuffy wagon cars with no one but boredom to be their companion. The other passengers didn't pay much attention to them: they were just a bunch of wild teenagers, what did they matter?
In the boys' wagon, at the far end of the train, Boq slept on, possibly day-dreaming about having a glorious date with the lovely Galinda, who spoke his name correctly and was willing to shower his round, beaming face with kisses. Ramon was busy looking at a map and jotting down words and musical notes. Both Fiyero and Avaric were dead asleep: they were not morning people and it had taken pretty much all of their energy to stay up for the packing. Avaric was the first one out, so Fiyero walked over to the farthest wagon and took out his guitar. He strummed away, hoping to one day be good enough to be more than just a bassist.
In the end, he fell asleep with the guitar in his lap.
In the girls' wagon, Galinda was snoring away loudly, her head leaning on Elphaba's shoulder. The shy green girl had her nose in her note-book, into which she was writing new lyrics and new songs. Across from her, trying to keep quiet and avoiding the green woman's hazel brown eyes, Milla sat in very uncomfortable silence: sometimes biting her lower lip, or her finger-nails, or pretending to read just to keep her eyes off Elphaba.
In this manner, the People of Oz rode north from Gilikin. Only Ramon or Galinda knew for certain how long it would be from Shiz to Dixxi House, but the boys were all asleep and Galinda herself was snoring loudly.
After almost two hours on the road, Milla finally had the courage to put her book down and venture a few words at the green girl.
"Does she always snore like that?" she asked, indicating to the wee Galinda.
"All the time," Elphaba returned formally, not even lifting her eyes from off the pages of the note-book in which she was riding.
Milla nodded, pleased that she got an answer. But the awkward silence, broken only by the murmuring rumble of the wagon wheels, continued on between them.
"Um," Milla said at last, her upper jaw clenched awkwardly upon her lower lip. "I think, uh, maybe we got off on a bad start."
"Uh-huh," Elphaba returned.
"Hello," Milla held out her hand. "My name is Milla Moray."
Elphaba said nothing, her eyes transfixed on the note-book.
"Sorry," Milla pouted. "Just trying to be friendly."
Elphaba placed the note-book down with an hair of annoyance.
"Look," she said. "We both know you don't mean it, so save me the annoyance of listening to your lies."
"But it's the truth!" Milla returned.
"The truth," Elphaba bit back. "Is that you're just another air-headed, shallow, giggling little high society girl who longs for nothing more than to be shackled to some handsome suave who will only stay with you as long as your looks last." Without another word, Elphaba returned to her note-book.
Milla felt deeply hurt by Elphaba's comment. But she was not entirely sure why. Maybe it was because of her tone, or because what she said was untrue...
Or because what she said was true...
There would only be one camp-fire stop on this journey, or so Oatsie told them. Dixxi House was not so far away from Shiz that it would take a journey of many days or weeks to reach it, like the wild Vinkus (though travelers persist that the distance to reach the Vinkus varies, with some finding the journey a thing of days upon days, while others have done the same in only one), but they would still have to rest for the night.
The People of Oz were told, by Oatsie, to stay within the camp-ground. The threat of wild creatures or even feral Animals, she said, was too great to allow anyone to go wandering off on their own at night. Elphaba noted that the middle-aged wagon driver looked at them as she spoke those last few words. Maybe it was in her mind, as in the mind of all elders - to some degree of truth - that once a group of young men and women, in the flower of youth and emotionally charged, got together outside of paternal or chaperoned guidance, they would walk off into the nearest bush and start fooling around.
As the shadows grew longer and the sun went down behind the Great Kells in the distance, the People of Oz were enjoying a little respite from the bumpy, uncomfortable rides of the carriages. Fiyero, Avaric and Ramon were together, around a camp-fire, enjoying some of the food they had brought, while Boq was, typically, trying to get Galinda's attention. Elphaba sat on Galinda's left, thoughtfully eying the fire, her mind somewhere else.
It was silly, the way adults always thought that youngsters would start having sex once they were free of their guardians. Of course, in Elphaba's mind, it was quite silly. From the way that people were so shocked by her appearance, she doubted not that even a lecherous rogue of the alleys would think twice about having his way with her, much less any other boy. Since sex was never an option in her mind, Elphaba devoted herself to her studies. She was, in fact, quite clueless about 'how things worked', or 'the birds and the bees' as Munchkin midwives would often say.
Looking at the little blond to her right, she decided that even Galinda had no idea. Of course she didn't. Who could honestly, with such a vapid attachment to reality, devoted only to looking pretty and dating all the handsome young men, know about consequences and their affects? The very word 'consequence', Elphaba thought, was unheard of in Galinda's vocabulary of fancy Gilikinese words.
The boys, on the other hand, were probably just full of hot air. She guessed that Avaric was, at least, and definitely Boq. Ramon, being the eldest member of the band, most likely knew about it, and might have even had a family and some cute baby Raccoons a long time ago. The thought of the little masked baby Raccoons made Elphaba smile.
Fiyero...her thoughts drifted when she came to Fiyero. She found herself not thinking about his past life and what he might have 'experienced', but how he appeared to her in the present. He had become suddenly responsible, what with this whole band thing. But he still outwardly projected the brash, happy-go-lucky young prince that she had taken him to be.
Oz, stop thinking about him! she told herself.
While they were talking, a Gilikinese couple approached their fire. It seemed there were no other places open among the many camp-fires dotting the wagon-train, so they chose this one. Though they started to regret that decision once they sat down, and saw the little Animal and the green-skinned woman.
"So," the gentleman said. He looked almost as old as Elphaba's father, with gray frosting the dark of his hair and beard. "Did you miss the train back from Shiz?"
"No," Fiyero said. "We're actually in a band."
"Oh, that's interesting." his wife, a mousy-haired woman of thirty five, stated. Though she did not look very thrillified.
"We're going to play at Dixxi House." Fiyero continued. Elphaba merely watched the exchange. The gentleman, seeing the green woman looking at him, suddenly became uncomfortable.
"Uh," he said. "Hi there!"
"I'm not going to eat you, if that's what you're thinking." Elphaba returned, rolling her eyes back as she spoke.
"I didn't think that!" the gentleman lied. "I mean, it's not everyday you get to see someone so...so..."
"Special!" the woman said with an uneasy smile.
"I was going for green." the man muttered to his wife.
Elphaba rolled her eyes, not wanting to hear this boring, offensive conversation already.
"So," Fiyero asked. "What's got you going to Dixxi House?"
"We were on a business trip in the Glikkus," the woman said. "We're actually from Brox Hall."
"Too poor to take the train?" Avaric asked.
"That's none of your business!" the man snapped.
"Magpie, please."
"Well, it isn't!"
Avaric snorted.
"You think something's funny, sunshine?"
"Yeah, the fact that you're called Magpie."
"And what better name do you have, pretty boy?"
Avaric looked over at Fiyero and mouthed something that Elphaba could not see.
"Avaric," he returned with an air of pride. "Avaric Tenmeadows."
"Avaric," Magpie repeated. "Derived from the word 'avarice', meaning that you let money, fame and the desire for power rule you."
"Is that so bad?"
"Of course not," Magpie returned. "I personally think that anyone with an inclination to do good should be locked away in the Southstairs for all time."
"Honey!"
"It's totally unnatural!"
"Please forgive my husband," the woman said. "He's a philosopher of sorts."
"Pity he's so closed-minded." Elphaba muttered.
"And what's your name, miss artichoke?"
"Is that really the best you can do?"
"Actually..."
"It's Elphaba." she said, not willing to speak her last name.
"Oh Oz," Magpie sighed, his eyes rolling in exaggerated exasperation. "Not another scripture-thumping radical Unionist fanatic, ready to die and kill for the Unnamed God."
"No," Elphaba spat back.
"Well," he shrugged. "At least you're not a total loss."
There was a moment of eerie silence.
"Excuse me, Mr. Magpie?" Fiyero asked.
"It's Mr. Gregor," he corrected.
"Sorry, Mr. Gregor. Have you ever been to Dixxi House?"
"Several times, actually." he began. "It's rather something: one of the testaments to Gilikinese industry. Though all of Gilikin insists on saying that Red Sand is actually a separate town, I'm certain it's actually just the northern part of Dixxi House: it's a conspiracy, I say."
"Magpie, please. No conspiracy theories tonight."
"They're true! Every one of them. For instance," he leaned in toward the People of Oz, deluding himself into thinking he had a captivated audience. "Did you know that the Deadly Desert isn't all that deadly? It's just a conspiracy to regulate migration into Ev. Or have you heard that there might not even be a Wizard of Oz?"
"I can't take much more of this!" Elphaba sighed.
"It's true!" Magpie insisted. "No one's ever seen him, no one knows what he looks like and nobody's ever been inside of the Emerald Palace, or ever come out of it since its construction. If you know what I think, I think there is no Wizard, just a bunch of clever politicians and Unionist bishops spreading fear and propaganda to the people of Oz to make them obey what they want."
"It's a lie!" Elphaba shouted. "It's not true! It-It can't be."
She walked away, toward the wagon.
"Oh, did I hurt the cabbage's feelings?" Magpie called back as Elphaba walked away.
Unbeknown to her, Galinda was hot on her trail.
"Elphie, what's wrong?" she asked.
"It's that loud-mouth old man!" she hissed, pointing at Magpie Gregor, who was now leaving their camp-fire to hang out with a group of rather drunk-looking young men from Frottica. "How dare he say such things about the Wizard! It's nothing but lies!"
"Elphie..."
"The Wizard is making all of Oz wonderful!" she exclaimed. "The Emerald City unites us as never before and the Yellow Brick Road has made passage between Munchkinland and Gilikin safe and efficient. He...he just has to be real!"
"Don't pay any attention to what he said, okay?" Galinda said.
"You don't understand!"
"You're right, I don't. So tell me what's wrong!"
Elphaba swallowed hard, then turned back to her friend and thus began.
"It's this," she walked over to the wagon, and removed her suit-case. She opened it up and after rummaging through it, picked out an unmarked letter. Galinda recognized it as one that she had seen Elphaba receive from the Shiz post-office that day before they went to the Emerald Trader.
"What is it?"
"A letter from Dr. Dillamond," Elphaba stated. Galinda gasped.
"What does it say?"
"Not much," Elphaba began. "He just wanted to say hi to his favorite student, and wish me luck with my studies. He's still speaking out for Animal Rights and equality, but he also says he's been on the run since he got back to his home in West Gilikin. The police have evicted him from his house: gave him three days to move to the Animal ghetto outside of town or they'd put him in jail."
"Oh, Elphie!"
"Not much else. But there's this..." She handed the letter to Galinda, who noted the tiny scrawl toward the end of the last paragraph.
It is becoming more and more difficult for me to keep my faith in the Wizard, when he seems quite indifferent to the atrocities that are going on under his very nose. I am almost persuaded to believe that there is no Wizard, or that he is the cause of these events. I am going in secret to the Emerald City to visit His Ozness and discover the truth for myself.
"Oh, Elphie! I didn't know..."
"I haven't heard from him since." Elphaba admitted.
"I'm so sorry."
"No, don't be." Elphaba returned, sighing. "We're going to Dixxi House, that's all matters."
Galinda knew that was not all that mattered to Elphaba's mind, yet she did not wish to annoy her friend by pestering her, and so left.
Let her go, she thought. Dixxi House is all that matters. Once we're there, we'll show them just how we're never going to be silent, and how we've still got a voice of our own. And the Wizard will hear of this, and the bans will cease.
I hope.
The morning dawned a little too early for some of them. Oatsie's wagon-hands had to come along and make sure everyone was up and ready for the journey to their first stop on today's trail. Elphaba and Ramon were the first ones up, with the others following one by one.
As the girls were piling into their wagon, Milla pulled herself up onto the wagon's flat bed.
"Where were you last night?" Elphaba asked.
"Why do you care?"
Elphaba didn't know what to say, nor was she in the mood for more conversation. This snobby little biddy was beneath her, no better than Shenshen and Pfannee. It didn't matter what she thought of her, because Elphaba knew she was right about her.
A pang of guilt struck Elphaba as the wagons kicked off to a start. Why was she putting Milla through this? She knew what it was like to bear the judgmental glances of immature people from her earliest memories all the way up to Shiz. And here she was, passing judgment on Milla by reason of who she socialized with. What about 'maybe some people are different', or not judging people at first glances?
She had misjudged Galinda, that she knew. Beneath all of that makeup, all the bubbly mannerisms and all the flirtatious and childish behavior, there hid a genuinely good person, one who actually gave at least half of a care. Though that part was buried deep, deep deep down inside, she knew it was there: she had seen it that night after the OzDust.
Did Milla have a nicer, soft side, one that she kept hidden for fear of what Pfannee and Shenshen, and the rest of the world, might think?
Elphaba would have to figure that out, and it meant going back to the start all over again with her.
Shiz was once Oz's capital, in the days before what would later be called 'the Emerald City' was built. Even so, the town of Dixxi House was fondly referred to as the gateway to Gilikin. Situated on the southern bank of the Gilikin River, it also housed the largest train-station in all of Oz, even greater than the fabled Emerald Train Station. A bridge or two spanned the River, connecting Dixxi House with the town on the northern bank: Red Sand. Though these two were often collectively referred to as one town, they were actually two different towns.
But the Dixxi House-Red Sand collective town was not only the gateway to Gilikin in name, it was the Gateway in actuality as well. The many inventions brought about by the Wizard, such as the rail-way, made the two towns flourish. The Dixxi-Sand Train Station, as it was often called, connected Dixxi House and Red Sand with the towns of Gilikin as far west as the Pertha Hills, as far north as Mount Runcible, and as far east as the Glikkus, as well as the main body that now ran its course down to Shiz (which the People of Oz were unable to board on this little journey).
The wagon caravan pulled up outside the train station, where most of the visitors to Dixxi-Sand were dropped off. Having already paid Oatsie at the beginning of their venture, they simply removed their goods from the back of the wagon and removed themselves. Many of the other people also were getting off while they were unloading.
"So," Ramon spoke up. "That was surprisingly uneventful."
"Uneventful?" Elphaba asked.
"Yes," he continued. "I don't remember ever coming this far north without something happening."
"Uh, Fifi?" Galinda asked.
"Hmm?"
"Where are we playing?"
"Yes, 'Fifi'," Avaric mocked. "Just where are we playing?"
"Shut up."
"Make me."
"It's over there!" Ramon stated, pointing to a building of red brick. "He showed me the flier when he booked this place."
They nodded and then began to pick up their things and make for the building. Well, almost all of them did so. Galinda just bounced about in place, watching as they picked up their instruments, amps and suitcases and made for the building.
"Isn't anyone gonna help me with my things?" she pouted.
"Excuse me?"
Galinda turned around and found herself face-to-face with a stranger. Though he was not extraordinarily handsome, there was something about his face that made Galinda feel like a thousand butterflies were buzzing about inside her.
"Uh-uh..." she muttered, her mouth gaping open.
"Were you looking for something?" Elphaba asked, standing in for her friend.
The young man gave a start at seeing the green person before him.
"Elphie," Galinda hissed at her friend.
"What?" the green woman whispered.
"Would you please just go over with the others for a moment?"
"And leave you alone with this..."
"No buts, Elphie! Go!"
"But..."
"Go!" She practically pushed her aside, and then turned to the young man, standing up just a little bit straighter on her high-heels and giving her curls a toss.
"Yes, darli...I mean, yes, sir?"
"Uh," the young man said, momentarily lost. "I was just w-wondering if...if you need a hand...w-with your stuff." He pointed to the five suitcases and the many pieces of her drum-kit that were deposited around her.
"Would you?" Galinda returned. "That would be so helpful!"
The young man addressed himself to two of the large suitcases and somehow wedged one of the cymbals beneath his arm while Galinda picked up nothing but led him toward the large, red-brick building.
"Red House?" he asked. "You're staying there?"
"I guess." she returned.
"But that's not exactly a hotel," he continued. "More like a conference center, a ballroom, dance, music hall thing."
"Oh, we're in a band!" she added.
"Really?"
"Yes," she stated. "Oh, sweet Oz!" she stopped.
"What?"
She spun around on her heels, losing her balance for a moment and falling right onto the young man, her hands upon his shoulders.
"I just remembered something!" she gasped.
"That your nails are digging into my shoulders?"
"Are they? Oh, I'm sorries!" she stood back up on her feet. "I forgot to introduce myself."
"Oh, yeah. Same here." He held out his hand. "Hi! My name's Nicolas."
"Hello, Nicolas," she grabbed his hand and shook it. "I'm Galinda Upland, and that's..."
"Galinda, with a ga." they finished together in unison.
Galinda gasped.
"You're the heiress of the Arduenna clan?"
"How did you know?"
"Well," he looked down, scratching the back of his neck. "My family has been..." he cleared his throat. "Rather interested in Gilikin aristocracy."
"Yeah, that's interesting," she dismissed. "Listen, why don't you come to the show tonight?"
"Oh," he said. "I've got to get back to our hotel. My parents will be furious if I don't show up sooner or later." Galinda's face fell. "Hey, maybe I can sneak out later and come to the show anyhow."
"That would be splendiforous!"
"Uh," Nicolas stated, looking back at a middle-aged couple waving him over. "I gotta go. It was nice meeting you, Galinda."
"You too, Nicolas! Toodles!"
As he left, Galinda found herself once again alone and with no help in getting her things into the building.
"Milla! Bick!" she called out.
Red House was a building on the water-front of the Gilikin River, hence it shared its name from Dixxi House and Red Sand. As they walked in, Elphaba's heart leapt as she saw the posters with the words People of Oz appearing live.
Once they were inside, they saw a room that was at least twice the size of the OzDust Ballroom. Right now, the house-lights were on and they saw just how huge this room was. Large columns supported the ceiling and, for the present, there was nothing in this huge room except for them...
And the stage.
In the middle of the room, an arena-style stage of wood had been erected. Avaric let out a cry of genuine satisfaction.
"Yes!" he said. "This is it! The big time. This room is gonna be filled with people, all chanting my name, and here I'll be, on center stage!"
"Our names, you mean." Fiyero added.
"Once they see me shine, it will be my name that's on their lips!"
Like a kid at Lurlinemas, Avaric jumped onto the stage and instantly began looking for the nearest electrical outlet to plug his amp into.
"We got here on time, it seems." Fiyero said. "We can have our sound-check, tune up, practice, maybe even write a new song or two."
"Excellent!" Ramon said as he climbed onto the stage. "I've written some new material during our journey."
"Hey, Avaric," Elphaba said, pulling herself into a sitting position on the edge of the stage. "I wouldn't get my hopes up if I were you. This stage has no back, so there'll be no place to shove Ramon and I if you want to hog the spot-light."
"Oh, I'm so happy, not even you can bring me down!" he exclaimed. To Elphaba's sudden surprise, and Fiyero's supreme disgust, Avaric kissed the green woman on the cheek. She tried to hit him with her fist, but he was quick and evaded her attempts.
"Where will we stay?" she asked, after calming down a little.
"Stay?" Fiyero asked.
"Well, yeah." she added. "You did manage to find us a hotel, didn't you?"
"Uh...hotel?"
"Don't play dumb, Tiggular!" Avaric butt in. "Did you get us a place to stay or not?"
"I guess I forgot." he added.
"You guess you forgot to plan someplace for us to sleep tonight?" Elphaba shouted.
"Hey! Don't get on my case! I'm not exactly a big-thinker!"
"Well that's no surprise!"
"You said it, greenie."
"Shut up, Avaric."
"Bite me, Thropp!"
While they were talking, Galinda bounced into the large hall, with Milla and Boq following after her, suitcases and pieces of her drum-set in hand. These they placed down and ran back for more, leaving Galinda with the rest of the band proper.
"Who was that guy you were so obviously flirting with?" Elphaba asked.
"No one!" Galinda blushed. "Keep your long nose out of it, Elphie! It's none of your business!"
"I can put my 'beak-shaped nose' wherever I want," Elphaba stated with sarcasm, recalling an old insult Galinda had thrown at her to Shenshen and Pfannee's supreme delight. "Besides, you have a boyfriend."
Galinda's face turned down towards the floor.
"Don't you?"
She didn't say anything, but walked up on stage, sat in the middle, and plumped down by herself. Elphaba bit her lip, trying to figure out why Galinda was acting so moody.
The day wore on, with the band setting up their sound system and doing various checks with the technicians who were overseeing the show. Galinda pounded out the drum-beat on her kit, played fills at various speeds and tempos, but she didn't really feel happy as she played.
She was too busy thinking about everything that had happened since Fiyero had come to Shiz. It was the Gilikinese custom, more or less, that when two people could finish each other's sentences, or have the same thought that they could speak them at the same time, it meant either two things: one, that they were identical twins. Two, that they were soul-mates, deserving of each other.
She recalled when she first met Fiyero, it was like harmony, the way they understood each other. Then she heard Fiyero and Elphaba speak like that, and her world was suddenly crashing all around her. Then there was that handsome young Nicolas; she thought he was handsome, and they certainly could think the same thoughts, it seemed. But she didn't want to give up on Fiyero, he was still her boyfriend.
Wasn't he?
That night, they seemed to have an even bigger audience than before. Milla and Boq scurried around the stage, acting as their assistants, making sure that all their instruments were ready for when the technicians gave the stage over to them. Elphaba looked out at the crowd, her heart skipping beats beneath her chest. There were just so many. This was just what she wanted, to preach the word about liberty and equality to everyone.
"Now, ladies and gentlemen," the technician announced over his PA. "Give it up for the People...of...Oz!"
There must have been at least five hundred people crammed into the building, all of them shouting, screaming and chanting 'People!' as loud as they could.
"Good evening!" Elphaba cried out into the microphone. "Are you ready to rock?"
A sea of cries of 'Yes!' came across from the hundreds all crowding toward the stage.
And so it began again. It all seemed like a haze, the first several songs. Elphaba floated between shouting and singing, sometimes rooted in front of the drum-set, sometimes running around the stage, urging the crowd onward. Fiyero seemed to be employing some Arjiki dance-moves into his stance as he pounded away at the double-wound strings on his bass. Even Avaric had a smile on his face as he played the riffs they had practiced over and over, jumping up onto the sound-boxes as he began playing his solos.
They were now floating in a sea of applause.
"Thank you!" Elphaba shouted. "Well, as you can see from our songs, we don't hold with oppression." Now that she had their attention, she could begin to spread her message.
But what was her message? What cause was she fighting for?
"As you may know," she began. "There are a lot of bad people out there, doing bad things to good people. And some of these good people, they may look different than you, but that doesn't mean, that they're less than you. This next song..." She panted, feeling sweat glistening off her fore-head. "This one goes out to all of you..." She pointed out to the audience with one hand while she held the mic in the other hand. "It's reminds us...of what we've lost. Of what these power thirsty bastards have taken away from us, and how..." She breathed. "...how we don't need them. We can change the world on our own, by ourselves, right?"
Applause and cheer came from the crowd.
"This next song," she said. "Is from the band Never Silent, one of the reasons that we're here. This song is called 'Prayer of the Refugee!'"
Cheers rose up from the crowd.
Ramon started with an ominous keyboard intro, that sounded like an entire string section bowing out a hair-raising build-up...to something.
Avaric began with the clean melody on his guitar. This was then followed by a bass riff from Fiyero, backed up with a roll on the cymbals from Galinda. Elphaba swallowed hard, closing her eyes, and began to sing...
Warm yourself by the fire, now,
And the morning will come soon.
I'll tell you stories of a better time,
In a place that we once knew.
From the guitars, Avaric turned up one of the nobs on his amp, the distortion coming in loud and clear.
Before we packed our bags
And left all this behind us in the dust,
We had a place that we could call home,
And a life no one could touch.
They paused, waiting for Elphaba to sing the next words. Instead she walked over to the crowds, now cheering for more, almost begging the green woman to continue.
"Do you want it?" she called out. The sea of 'yes' or 'yeah' came back. "I said 'Do you want it?'" The cries came out even louder. As if to match them, she shouted out the chorus. Hearing her explode with life, the band kicked in, playing their hearts out.
Don't hold me up now,
I can stand my own ground,
I don't need your help now,
You will let me down, down, down!
Don't hold me up now,
I can stand my own ground,
I don't need your help now,
You will let me down, down, down!
In start contrast, the guitars went back down and the calm, melodic verse took precedence again.
We are the angry and the desperate,
The hungry, and the cold,
We are the ones that kept quiet,
And always did what we were told.
They had asked the technicians to set up microphones at each member of the band, so they could add vocal harmony at various parts in the songs. Just before the build-up part of the verse came to life, Fiyero, Avaric and Ramon gave a warm vocalizing line. The green woman was now standing on top of one of the sound-boxes as she sang.
But we've been sweating while you slept so calm,
In the safety of your home.
We've been pulling out the nails that hold up
Everything you've known.
Without the hesitation of before, they jumped right into the chorus.
Don't hold me up now,
I can stand my own ground,
I don't need your help now,
You will let me down, down, down!
Don't hold me up now,
I can stand my own ground,
I don't need your help now,
You will let me down, down, down!
She was now running around the stage, her heart pounding fiercely from beneath her chest, her fingers shaking as they gripped the microphone tighter. Her green skin was covered in 'goose bumps' as she sang the bridge: it was like an epiphany, she suddenly saw what she had to do. She was filled with desire, a strong urge to say this or else she would surely explode.
So open your eyes child,
Let's be on our way.
Broken windows and ashes
Are guiding the way.
Keep quiet no longer,
We'll sing through the day,
Of the lives that we've lost,
And the lives we've reclaimed!
She screamed the last lines, her voice shrill and powerful. The boys took away the rest of the bridge, with Avaric improvising a solo that she knew Never Silent hadn't put in the original song. It didn't matter, she was sitting over Cloud Nine Thousand right now and it didn't matter. The song slowed down again - only once more with the chorus. She felt she could go on forever. Then the break.
"Sing it with me!" she shouted. The audience roared back for more.
Don't hold me up now,
I can stand my own ground,
I don't need your help now,
You will let me down, down, down!
Don't hold me up now,
I can stand my own ground,
I don't need your help now,
You will let me down, down, down!
Elphaba was now belting out long notes on the line "Don't hold me up!", while Fiyero was shouting "I don't need your help! I'll stand my ground!" in response. They were almost done, her voice sounding raw in her own ears as she pushed and pushed harder, ready to spill her soul upon the stage - if she believed she had any.
With one last cry, she concluded the song:
Don't let me down, down, down, down, down!
The audience went wild, screams, shouts and cries filled the room, reverberating off the walls and roaring in the ears of the People of Oz. Elphaba was leaning heavily against her microphone stand, her head bowed. The Raccoon walked over from the keyboard and tugged on her skirt. She looked down at him and nodded.
"This next song," she panted breathily. "Is for all those...who've lost someone they love."
The Raccoon's clever fingers danced upon the keys as the others looked in surprise at this. From the drums, wee Galinda looked up at what was going on. Her makeup was messed up, she was drenched in sweat and her hands were shivering violently. But even though she had her doubts about her room-mate, she knew that was a moment that deserved their silence and their respect.
It was the song Elphaba wrote for her mother.
I've been around this world, Yet I see no end.
All shall fade to black again and again.
This storm that's broken me, my only friend.
In this river all shall fade to black
In this river there's no coming back
In this river all shall fade to black
Ain't no coming back
To their surprise, they saw Elphaba was now sitting on the edge of the stage, her legs dangling down, as she sang. From the stage, the audience - darkened by reason of the many stage-lights burning upon them - they could see little flickers of light erupting about them. Like stars they were, shining out as Ramon continued playing away and Elphaba sang on.
Withdraw a step away, just to find my self
The door is closed again, the only one left
This storm that's broken me my only friend
She sang the chorus once more, and watched as Ramon improvised a piano solo in the break. The sheer number of lights that burned from the audience were just chilling. When Elphaba sang the last chorus, her voice sounded nigh on to breaking.
Looking over from where he stood, Fiyero thought he saw her wiping something out of her eyes. It was strange, for he had never seen her cry before.
When the last piano note was played, the audience broke into more cheers, and even louder. Elphaba couldn't even say another word. She had never, in her whole life, believed that people could have liked something that she had done, something she had made.
It felt good.
After the show, everyone was in good spirits, even Avaric had nothing ill to say against Elphaba or the rest of the band. Milla and Boq followed after, looks of amazement on their faces.
It didn't even matter if they hadn't a place to stay. They would sleep on the stage with their instruments if they had to: the crowds were dispersing, so that was totally possible. None of it mattered.
Tonight, they were heroes and nothing else mattered to them.
(AN: I finally decided to make one chapter that actually featured in some detail, one of their concerts. I hope you enjoyed it)
(Magpie Gregor is pretty much Gregory Maguire. Yeah, he's not as nice towards his character as you might believe. But remember, we usually find ourselves repulsed by people who have many of the strengths and faults that we find in ourselves [that is why Elphaba and Galinda first hated each other, because they saw themselves mirrored back and were not pleased by what they saw]. Like with all of GM's book characters, he's dishonest and mistrustful.)
(I don't own "Prayer of the Refugee"or "In this River". The first song sounded like something they would play, and the last one - well, I had established that already in the last chapter.)
(As you can see, I've got more going on with our characters than just the band. For instance, I'm sick of people calling Elphaba an MS, and so, in my depictions of her, she almost always has a little bit of an edge as opposed to a strictly musical Elphaba [in The Great War of Oz, she's insane, self-centered and suicidal - pretty much the book Elphaba. In Ozian Adventures, she's more musical-verse, but is...well, I've gotten no feedback on those stories, so I'm not sure. Never gave them much thought. I ask you to view them now and tell me what you think of Elphaba's character in those]. In this one, well, you'll find out what Elphaba's inner demons are. Here's a hint, it's so musical-related that you could possibly pass it off as a real fault of hers.)
(Lastly, the stories of mine that are Ozian Adventures series are Another...World, War and Journey, The Witch's Saga, Of Saints and Sinners and the soon-to-be-published The Warrior and the Witch.)
(Back to A Musician's FanFic: tell me what you thought of it. Yes, this chapter was quite long. I plan on doing at least two more concert chapters for the People of Oz, though they will have played more than four concerts by the end of Act I. Read and Review...please?)