Salvete!
Elphaba's Girl - Yep!
Enjoy!
Chapter 5
Erik
That evil minx! That, yes, that wicked witch! Now I knew that under her lovely face and shining emerald skin there was a cruel soul capable of tearing out a man's heart and stomping on it. She left with that … prince whom I used to call a best friend, and left me with a tearful Glinda and a dumbfounded Wizard.
"Is it true? Has your betrothed brought her into custody?" Madame Morrible's cheerful voice sent Glinda into a new round of tears.
"In a sense," I said through gritted teeth.
The Wizard spoke up. "It seems our Captain of the Guard … had other plans."
"Oh, I see," Morrible said pensively.
"Recapturing her will be a trick, what with how she evaded us last time."
"Yes, indeed. Glinda, Erik, do you have any suggestifications?"
"Oh, yes!" I growled. "Find that lover of hers … and let me kill him slowly!"
"Why, Erik, you aren't still in love with the Witch, are you?"
"No, but Tigelaar is a traitor and deserves to die!" This was partly a lie, but I wanted revenge, and the only way to get it was to work with the people in charge.
"I think … it'll be hard to get to Fiyero because she'll be protecting him," Glinda said quietly. "My suggestion? Use her sister. Make her think her sister is in danger. She'll rush to her side."
"Oh, for Oz's sake, Glinda, you're going too easy on them! And you want to know why? BECAUSE YOU'RE STILL IN LOVE WITH THE TRAITOR PRINCE!"
"Erik, I have a slight headache, and I can't take yelling. Now if Your Ozness will excuse me, I need to go lie down." I couldn't help but feel sorry for her as I watched her leave the throne room sadly. That bastard had stolen El and broken Glinda's heart, all in the same hour! When I got my hands on him …
"A rumor won't do it," Morrible said, jolting me back to the current topic of conversation. "Elphaba's too smart."
"Far too smart," the Wizard agreed.
Morrible got a sudden maniac gleam in her eyes. "Perhaps … a change in the weather." With a wave of her hand, thunderclouds began to gather. I wasn't clear on how this would affect Nessarose, but I trusted Madame Morrible.
"Well, I must go check on Glinda," I declared, breaking the silence. "Good night, Madame, Your Ozness." I could not get out of there fast enough.
Approaching Glinda's chamber, I heard, "Fiyero, Fiyero, why?" And then an anguished moan.
I knocked. "Glinda?"
"What, Erik?"
"May I come in?"
"Depends. Are you going to yell at me?"
"No, I'm all yelled out."
"Alright then, come in."
I opened the door and found Glinda lying on her pink, frilly bed, surrounded by tissues. Her face was puffy from weeping, but I couldn't help but notice how her golden hair caught the moonlight, causing the former to shine brilliantly. "Glinda!" I exclaimed. "You're a sight! Are you alright? Stupid question, of course not. And all because of that son of a bitch!"
"Erik, please don't blame Fiyero," Glinda said. "Elphaba's the one who stole him … from me!"
"Ah, but the prince took El away from me," I countered. "It's all about perspective."
"Maybe they're both at fault. So, you were lying earlier? You still love her?"
"Glinda, I will always love El. She is my life, no matter what anyone calls her. Right now, I think she's an evil harpee for betraying me, but I'll get her back, don't you worry!"
"Erik? Can you stay with me tonight?" You don't know how much I wanted to say no, but those sparkling blue eyes were looking up at me so pitifully that I couldn't resist.
"Of course … angel." Soon, we were both fast asleep, dreaming of the ones who had left us.
The next morning, I woke up well before Glinda did. I sent for my things, and when they came, I got dressed for the day. Presently, I heard something fall outside Glinda's door. Curious, I ventured out to look. At my feet was a copy of The Emerald City Times. Right, Glinda, unlike me, was a normal person who actually got the paper. I stared at the headline: "Cyclone Devastates Munchkinland, Nessarose Thropp Killed by a House." A twinge of remorse, and then, Good. That'll show El.
Glinda stirred. "Good morning, Erik," she said, sitting up. "Oh, the paper came. Good. Any news?"
"Nessarose is dead," I told her. "It says here that a house was blown by a cyclone from a place called 'Kan-zis,' and it fell on her."
"Dear me! I hope no one was in it."
"It says that witnesses believe there is a girl in the house, but they can't be sure yet."
Glinda bolted out of bed. "I have to go! I'm the Good Witch of the North! She'll …" She fumbled with a puffy, rose colored gown.
"If she comes, which she probably will, the Gale Force will be on standby."
"Th-thank you, Erik."
Once Glinda was safely on her bubbly way to Munchkinland, I departed her quarters and went to my own. Though Glinda's obsession with pink amused me, seeing the bare walls of my room again was a comfort. I went over to my desk drawer, and took out my most prized possession: Punjab. "Big job for you today, Punjab," I told it. "You're going to meet the most swankified prince in Oz – and hear him scream." Just the mental image of him swinging back and forth, dead, made me laugh with glee. Maybe today would be a good day after all!
By the time I arrived in Munchkinland with the Gale Force, the festivities were already underway. I despised parties, but I pictured that swinging, dead prince to keep calm. It turned out there was a little girl in the house, Dorothy, and her dog, Dodo or Toto or something like that. Glinda, bless her, was playing welcoming committee and mentor, though I knew she really wished to be at home in bed.
Suddenly, there was a huge explosion of red smoke, and El came down from the sky, the personification of fury itself. She was alone, which both surprised and disappointed me. Her boy toy must have been hiding out in the woods, the coward! Before she turned to Dorothy, she stared at her sister's feet (the only part of her not crushed by the house), and I could have sworn I heard her whisper, "Nessa …"
"I thought you said she was dead," Dorothy mumbled to Glinda.
"That was her little sister, the Wicked Witch of the East," Glinda explained as if it were the simplest thing in the world. "This is the Wicked Witch of the West. She's even worse than the other one." Damn straight.
"You killed the Witch of the East. You killed my little sister!" El's voice was low and menacing; I almost pitied Dorothy, who looked terrified.
"I-I didn't mean to kill her," Dorothy stammered. "It was an accident, I swear. I'm sorry?"
"Well, my pretty, I've caused accidents too, but I'm still blamed for them. BUT WHAT IN THE NAME OF LURLINE IS ON YOUR FEET?!" At first, I thought El was going mad, but then I looked down and saw a pair of jeweled shoes on the girl's feet. Nessarose's shoes. How had they gotten there?
"Well, I believe that the spoils go to the victor," Glinda said haughtily. "And you can't always be the victor. Now, be gone, before someone drops a house on you!" As much as I hated to see them fighting, I had to admit, Glinda could be a tough cookie when she wanted to be!
"Fine, Glinda! I'll go! But don't think we're finished here. That goes for you too, my fine lady! Just try to stay out of my way! Just try! I'll get you, my pretty, and your little dog, too!" With that famous cackle of hers that I just adored, El took off into the western sky. I watched until she was out of sight. I don't think she even noticed me.
There you have it! First taste of Glerik!
Cheers,
Elle Dottore
