A/N: Ah yizzz… Two chaps in one day!
To be honest, I feel slightly bad for ending the last one that way :/ Poor Liir and definitely poor Glinda.
… Slight caution for language XD…. Might be my longest chapter. Might. There are other potential chapters longer still -_-
Chapter Eleven: Back to the Emerald City
The Oakhair forest seemed like an ocean of blur
Elphaba fled to the Apple Press Farm, pushing her broom to its maximum speed.
"Come on," she muttered impatiently under her breath, gritting her teeth in an animalistic fashion, "Faster, you old piece of shit…"
Stupid, stupid! She screamed in her brain, Should have been more careful…If anything happened to Glinda and Liir, I don't know what I'll do to myself!
Her trips back and forth Munckinland had drew the attention of some guards. Her colleague, through an informant in the military, had told her that she was being watched, and it made her realize that her home in the Apple Press farm must've been traced by now. She fled home at once.
As she neared the farm, her eyes caught a movement underneath through the gaps of the trees.
She pulled her broom upward, skidding it into a halt in midair. She lowered herself among the tips of the trees, she heard the creature stumbling through snapping branches.
She caught sight of dark hair… and then a shape of a child came to view, wearing a slightly oversized white cotton shirt stained with red—
"Liir!" Elphaba exclaimed, dropping on the forest ground with a feeble crunch from the roots. She lowered herself on her knees. "Liir!"
He turned around, looking dazed and confused. He didn't immediately recognize the woman before him, but when he did, he staggered forward.
"Mother!" he cried out, throwing himself into Elphaba's waiting arms
Elphaba hugged her son tightly. One of her hands came in contact with a damp section on the boy's back. She almost withdrew her hand, only to stop in realizing that it wasn't water.
And then she remembered the vision of red she saw.
She pulled back, only to see tears falling from his breathtaking blue eyes. It made her forget the previous thought instantaneously.
"What happened, Liir?" Elphaba asked gently, her face mere inches away from his. "What are you doing all the way here?"
"Back hurts…" he choked.
At this, Elphaba turned him around by the shoulders and felt herself go numb in shock; crimson coloring pooled at the child's lower back, blatantly contrasting with the pristine white clothing.
"Lie down, lie down," she coaxed.
Having experiences from her training with the Resistance, she learned first aid. She couldn't inquire the child since he was in too much agony at the moment. She was suffering pain interiorly. If Liir had been wounded, she couldn't imagine what could've happened to Glinda.
She finished the operation faster than what was required, but the thoughts of Glinda prompted Elphaba to think of nothing else.
"Liir, what happened to mommy?" she finally asked, feeling unreasonably anxious.
"Mean people wearing green came," Liir answered, wincing at the smarting sting of the wound.
Elphaba's face had drained color.
"They took mommy," the boy continued, confirming Elphaba's nightmare, "I tried to help mommy, but they won't let me near. See, they hurt me, mother."
Elphaba was out of her mind with worry, but she deigned to look unperturbed before Liir. She didn't want the child to see her breakdown. She kissed his forehead, grateful that he was alive, and she affectionately stroked her night black hair.
Together, they flew to the Apple Press Farm.
As Liir had told her, Glinda was nowhere to be found. The door was off its hinges, but otherwise, the place looked untouched.
"Wait here," Elphaba said to Liir, leaving him to sit by the porch and entrusting him with her mangled broom and pointy hat… The hat Glinda bestowed to her…
Quickly, Elphaba grabbed a large burly knapsack and unceremoniously dumped in the Grimmerie, a couple clothes for the three of them, Liir's favorite stuffed toy, and some provisions.
The sun was already setting on the horizon when Elphaba stepped out of their now door less cabin. Liir was dozing on the porch, Elphaba's hat on his head hanging low over his eyes, and the broom embraced in his arms.
Elphaba looked back within the shady confines of the cabin. Usually, during this time, Glinda would usually be preparing a sumptuous dinner.
She sighed despairingly. The guards maybe back to hunt her. She and her family weren't safe anymore. But the Apple Press Farm had been her home with Glinda for a year. The place hosts precious memories for her and her lover. Even Liir found home in it with the two of them.
She went over to the barn and threw the doors open. She flinched.
The guards must've searched through there as well. Countless eggs were smashed and scattered all over the ground. The chickens, every single one of them, lay rigidly still on their places. With the blood setting, Elphaba realized that the bastards had slashed and stabbed them all dead.
She closed the doors, feeling lost at the sight of the dead animals, the sight of the corpses of her companions, her pets.
She went over to Liir, and gently tapped him on the shoulder.
"Son," she said, her throat feeling incredibly tight, "We're leaving."
"… To where?" the boy groaned, rubbing his eyes. He was even vaguely aware that Elphaba had taken the hat and broom from his hands.
"To the Emerald City," she answered, feeling a slight sense of déjà vu. Liir's eyes definitely reminded her of Glinda's, albeit not the physical structure.
"Really?" Liir asked, sitting straight, his eyes shining with an innocent and wondrous gleam. The same way Glinda's eyes shone when Elphaba had told them where they were headed.
For the first time since she left, she will be returning to the place where it all began.
She was willingly returning to the fiery hell in the name of Glinda Upland.
Glinda's eyes were tinged with red when she was brought to the throne room. She hadn't uttered a single word since she was forcibly taken from her home, ever since she witnessed the death of her son, ever since she had been torn away from a world she and Elphaba had established.
"Ah…" a familiar feminine voice drawled, making her look up, "I was beginning to think that green-skinned demon had flayed you alive."
Morrible looked horrible than ever. Glinda felt an indescribable hatred at the sight of that smug grin on the toad's face.
You've caused all this, Glinda thought savagely, her worn out muscles contracting into a death glare, You lied to everyone. You lied about Elphaba. You made my Elphie's life a living hell, you bitch!
"You might want to relax a bit, my dear," Morrible said languidly, pacing slowly and confidently in front of her. "Such a pretty face. You wouldn't want to ruin it."
Glinda looked away from that nasty grin. Her eyes fell on the empty throne.
"Oh he's gone for a trip," Morrible said after seeing what Glinda was looking at. "But he'll be very much delighted to see you, dear—"
"Don't call me that," Glinda snapped, casting her eyes down. Simply looking at Morrible made her sick.
Morrible chuckled, making Glinda want to slice her great big fat head off. "When the guards stationed at Munchkinland started seeing a green woman prowling around the streets, we were informed immediately. As secretive Miss Elphaba is, her nasty green skin shouldn't come amiss—"
"Stop it!" Glinda yelled, her shrill voice echoing around the cavernous room.
Morrible raised an eyebrow, smirking. She brought a chubby finger to Glinda's chin, forcing her head up to look at her. "Defensive of the green freak, are we?" she mused, "Has she been a dear friend to you, Miss Galinda?"
Glinda's eyes twitched at the mention of the name she hadn't heard for a while. Instead, she continued to glare at the pompous blob right in front of her.
"More than a friend, perhaps?" Morrible asked again, sounding more and more amused.
Glinda's cheeks betrayed her. The familiar feeling of blood rushing to make her blush came almost instantaneously.
Morrible released her. The fat cow had began laughing cruelly, doubling over and clutching her bulgy stomach. Glinda wanted to do nothing more than push her off the window and let her fall to her death.
"Oh Miss Galinda, that's rich!" Morrible cackled, beginning to regain her composure. "Our little Miss Princess falling for the green monstrosity—"
"You're the monster!" Glinda screamed, her rage overflowing all over her trembling body, "You don't know anything about her!"
Morrible only waved off her words. "Oh I know her enough, my pretty," she said tauntingly. "You're here. She can't be far behind."
Glinda paled upon the realization. Surely, by now, Elphaba would've come home to find it empty. No Liir. No Glinda. Definitely, Elphaba would've been hysterically angry. She would fly to Oz, looking for her and their son… A son who's never coming home…
Her son's dying screams echoed menacingly in her ears. The sight of the searing burns on Elphaba's face on the night she thought she died repeatedly haunted her visions. The frustration, the anticipation, and the endless agony all came in the form of bitter tears.
Elphaba was flying to her damnation.
"You bitch!" Glinda practically yelled.
Morrible didn't look too amused now. "Tsk, tsk, tsk, Miss Galinda," she said in a dangerous tone, "It's time for a review in manners."
"It's so wonderful!"
Liir was safely sitting in front of Elphaba aboard the broomstick.
The brilliant glow of the Emerald City was dazzling the boy's eyes, but Elphaba could only feel an impending foreboding.
Definitely, Glinda would be brought to Wizard since she was known to have helped the Wicked Witch. She knew the conniving old charlatan had her well in his hands. She was flying to her own doom. This was what the Wizard had been waiting for.
And there was Liir. She loved him. He was her son with Glinda, but she couldn't trust the child on his own in the city. He was technically still a toddler. She could tell him to stay in one place, but she didn't know how long he will be willing to stay put in a city of wonder. She had to take the boy.
The prospect of meeting Old Horrible Morrible wasn't inviting at all. Elphaba knew that whatever magical enchantment there was protecting the castle was removed at the anticipation of her predicted arrival. Needless to say, sneaking into the castle anyway with a child was seemingly impossible. If she was ever going to get captured, she wasn't going to make it easy for them.
She flew directly to the corridor just beyond the throne room. She would've barged in through the windows, but she needed time to compose herself.
She tucked her broom on her back, underneath the loaded knapsack. She didn't know what to expect. Battalions of guards or only Morrible seemed to make her edgy. Morrible was no easy opponent. She wouldn't be teaching Sorcery if she's a total dunce in it. And Elphaba's ranges of practiced spells were generally nonviolent. She read some, but she didn't dare try it.
Liir also looked a little fidgety. The sight of fancy stuff seemed to remind him of the masters he used to serve.
Elphaba grasped his little hand. He looked up, and their eyes met.
"Are you ready to see mommy?" she asked, annoyed as she detected fear in the way she spoke.
"Yes, mother," Liir replied, nodding.
"Liir," she started, trying to find words that will process quickly to the boy's head. "Things are not… going to be good in there. There are bad people in that room. Wicked people. They don't like me or mommy."
"They don't like me too," Liir said, pouting a little, "They hurt me. Did they hurt mommy too?"
Elphaba momentarily pursed her lips. "Bad people do bad things, Liir," she decided to answer, "Now I want you to stay close to me. You are to never leave my side. If things go well, you, me, and mommy will go home. Do you understand, Liir?"
"Yes, mother," the boy replied, starting to look scared.
Seeing him close to panicking, Elphaba knelt down, their hands still clenched together. "Mother will never let anything happen to you, Liir," she said resolutely, "You're my son. If they hurt you, they'll answer to me."
Liir smiled a little. "Mother is good with magic," he said, full of trust that it warmed Elphaba's heart, "Mother will kick the bad guy's butt!"
Elphaba grinned, embracing her son dearly to her. Liir threw his tiny arms out to hug her too, snuggling on her chest.
A muffled scream wafted through the large oak doors of the throne room.
Elphaba looked up, protectively hugging her son who tensed up at the sound.
"No! P-P-Please…Please, no more—NO!"
Elphaba would know Glinda's voice anywhere. It pained her to hear her in such agony.
She lifted Liir from the ground and carried him over to the door. Liir quieted and hugged Elphaba's neck, burying his face on her shoulder, as if using her shielding his eyes.
Another scream made the two of them cringe.
"Stop… No, please no… NO! NO— STOP!"
Elphaba couldn't take it anymore.
With a wave of her free arm, the double doors swung open with a mighty gust of wind.
A/N: Because cliff-hanger. LOL. First time I used lines to separate views. Getting complicated here. This was not in my original plan. FTW Brain.
Reading Gregory Maguire's Wicked gave me a mad desire to get Elphaba and her son Liir to interact more. She didn't acknowledge him much there, and other than occasional moments of warmth… They basically ignore each other. Ampf….