(AN: I've always believed that the best art - whether it be paintings, music or writing - comes straight from the heart or else it is fake. So far, I've been unable to write anything more than a sentence or less when it came to my various ffs. I'm not sorry for this, because I don't know how to cure it and make it enjoyable again. If I did, then I would have an excuse. This is not writer's block, since I can get stuff out - it just feels so artificial since I haven't felt 100% into anything since I last submitted something on here)

(I'm not cutting this story short, but I might not update as much until I can fall in love with my art [and with life] again.)

Staying at Court

Elphaba did not see much of Glinda or Fiyero for the next several hours. She was thrust into a guest room - very small - and kept there for a few minutes, or at least an hour. Elphaba could not count the time, for the clock-tower of Shiz - part of Crage Hall - had not been built. Ozians in this time, she assumed, must still read time by the sun. She sat in her room, enjoying what was probably her first visit to Ozma Towers.

While she had some time to herself, a strange desire came over Elphaba to examine herself. The room was rather cold, for the hearth had not been lit and the walls were made of stone. She removed the heavy coat Captain Tenmeadows had given her and then examined her black dress. It was the under-dress that she wore when she and Fiyero first left Oz. She had to get rid of her real clothes so that the Ozians would think she actually had melted. But it was starting to show signs of wear. So far, she recalled wearing it only before Rivendell and once they had left Minas Tirith. Still some time, to be certain.

Her back was still sore from being struck by Ozma's guards. Immediately one green hand slid down to her stomach, fearful that the damage had slain her unborn child. There was no certain way of telling if it were alive or dead. Already she felt a little less in control, since she could no longer throw herself heedlessly into the jaws of death as she had done before in Oz. There would be no more defying gravity once she started showing.

A smile crept across her face. At least some of her old 'dry' humor was coming back. If only the broom could come back, wherever it had gone to. There was that incident where it caught fire in Kiamo Ko, that had sprung the trap. While she was being chased about, she feared that Dorothy wouldn't pick up the bucket unless she was 'forced' to do it. At the time, she didn't know that her love was the Scarecrow - just that he was alive and the official story was that he was dead - and even if she knew that the sack-headed Scarecrow with the painted smile was her beloved prince Fiyero, she couldn't 'single' him out for special treatment. She had to play her part to the end.

So she threatened him with fire. There was the bucket, then came the splash, and it was all over after that.

Another funny thought crossed the mind of Elphaba Thropp as she was pondering her 'murder'. Her father, Frexspar the Governor of Munchkinland, was a staunch Unionist and insisted that the people of Munchkinland worship the Unnamed God above all, even Lurline. Elphaba didn't care much for gods or spiritual leaders, she showed the brawny Sigurd as much, but, as if in spite, her father and mother had her given the name of Elphaba, after Saint Aelphaba of the Water-Fall.

Elphaba could not recall much of what the story was about it, but it suddenly dawned upon her that some might see her 'death' in Oz as reincarnation of Saint Aelphaba, and her death by water at Dorothy's hand the 'waterfall' from which she disappeared.

She had not come back, not yet, at least.

It made her smile, to think of the irony behind her apparent demise, and her choice of an alternate name for herself in this past Oz. But it did not bring her broom back. That wretched Dorothy most likely took it back to the Wizard as proof that she had killed the 'Wicked Witch of the West.' There would be no broom-flying, and more so in her condition.

Another thought was nagging at the back of her mind as she sat there by herself. Her father was hardly loving, her mother died when she was almost three, and Nessa was extremely ashamed of her 'green' sister. It seemed to Elphaba that she had no nurturing talent within her to be an adequate mother. These thoughts, combined with her separation from a wounded, possibly dying, Fiyero and from Glinda, plus a rush of hormones, sent tears down Elphaba's face as she threw herself on to the rough, straw-bed.

There was a knock at the door.

Elphaba quickly dried her face and tried to stop the springs in her head from pouring out any more tears. Have to get myself under control, she urged her brain.

The knock came again.

"Come in." she said at last.

The door opened, and a short Munchkin-woman waddled into the room. She gave a yelp of fright when she saw that the person she was to be waiting on was indeed green, as they had said.

"I'm not going to hurt you." Elphaba said to the Munchkin.

"Miss Aelphaba?"

She nodded.

"My name is Daisy Fromica," the Munchkin said. "I'll be serving you while you are here at the court of the Ozma. If there is anything I can do or get for you..."

"I want to see F..." She reminded herself of her current situation. "I want to see Yero."

"Why?"

"He's been injured! I have to see if he's still alive!"

"I'm sorry, but Ozma has ordered that you remain here until you are summoned to appear before her. But I'll see what I can do to find out about his condition for you, if that pleases you."

Elphaba sighed. That was probably as good as it would get in her present situation.

"For now, Miss Aelphaba," Daisy said. "Ozma requests that you appear before her while she attends to matters of state." The little Munchkin walked over to the door and waved two other hand-maids in, both of whom were carrying various dresses of various colors and designs.

"These two are your handmaids," Daisy said. She pointed to the one on the left. "That is Lia of the Minkos clan, and that one on the right is Naynee of Pfann Hall."

Elphaba had to stifle a giggle. It was a strange twist of fate, it seemed, that the ancestors of the two women who hated her the most were now serving on her. That rose up another thought, one that hadn't dawned upon the green woman's mind until just now.

"Ladies," Daisy said to them. "Draw a bath for Miss Aelphaba while I go tell Her Majesty that she is on her way."

The two bowed.

This was what Elphaba dreaded.

"No, wait!" she suddenly said. "I'm allergic to water. It burns my skin."

Daisy gave Elphaba a look up and down, wondering how something that, apart from being green, looked like any other human, had such a violent reaction to something as innocuous as water.

"Okay," she finally said. She then turned to the two maid-servants. "Ladies, why don't you help Miss Aelphaba into her dresses?"

"No!"

Daisy scoffed playfully. "Don't tell my you're allergic to dresses."

"No, of course not," the green woman replied. "But I'd rather change in private, if that's all the same to you."

Both of Daisy's eyebrows shot up in surprise. People usually didn't offer to undress themselves, it was the proper thing - especially in Gilikin society - to have servants change you.

"As you wish." the little Munchkin shrugged then shuffled the maids out of the room and closed it behind her. Before it slammed shut, she poked her head inside and said one last word.

"I'll be back shortly to bring you before the Ozma."

Elphaba nodded, and then Daisy Fromica exited the room, leaving Elphaba some time with herself.

Yes, she had lied. But it was the only way. She didn't know how far in the past she was - far enough to be before the Wizard arrived in Oz - and she couldn't take any chances. The huge Ozma upon the throne might as well be Ozma the Billious, the one who had died mysteriously due to 'rat poison' and left her daughter and Pastorius to rule Oz in her absence. That was just about the time when the Wizard arrived in Oz...when she herself was born.

Regardless, she was a green woman in Oz - the only green woman. But she also surmised that the other green woman, Elphaba, herself namely, would be born after whatever events transpired here. A green woman in Oz was surely a spectacle, and her presence here, before she had been officially born, meant that someone would know that there had been a green woman in Oz before. That posed a very serious problem.

The only way she was able to be here - alive instead of dead - was that she had allowed Oz to believe that she was allergic to water, and then exploited that rumor so she would effectively disappear, presumably dead to the people of Oz. Since she was here, in this time, that would mean that some people might remember her, even as far forward as her own time, when she was born. She could not risk people knowing that water did not affect her. Having seen one green woman - her in this time past - they would, as most prejudice people do, believe that any one of her type was the same. That would mean that if she did not now act allergic to water, they would be less likely to believe that Elphaba Thropp was allergic to water.

And what danger would that put her into? She might end up dead, and therefore erase her own existence by doing so.

Elphaba then attended her clothes, removing the old, worn dress and looking for something that might be suitable. Unfortunately, there seemed to be nothing that went well with her green skin.

Several minutes later, a very shy Elphaba was hiding along the many cut-away passages in the Throne Room, dressed in a simple black dress. The ones she had been given were all very simple and unassuming, and she chose the one that was most plain. She didn't like drawing attention to herself.

Besides, from what she had gathered, this Ozma was extremely insecure about herself, and with good reason. Though most of the Munchkins that Elphaba had known while growing up in Munchkinland were short and round, the standard of beauty - as set by the people of Gilikin - featured tall and thin, and especially pink. But this Ozma was so fat that it was no longer a matter of beauty or superficiality, but of life and death. She was morbidly huge! It didn't take Elphaba long to guess why this insecure Ozma wanted the plain, green woman around.

In fact, looking around, she saw that most of her servants were not very appealing. The male advisers were all very old. Many Animals were about, but Elphaba thought that their presence was not because of their importance, as with Mr. Fuzzims. The ladies-in-waiting were all very homely as well. She quickly concluded that Ozma kept 'odd' people around her so that, by comparison, she might appear beautiful.

Not even Galinda was that vain, Elphaba thought.

"The green woman, Aelphaba." Daisy announced.

Elphaba winced at being known by her skin color. The room hushed, and she slowly made her way out into the court. All eyes were drawn to the woman with the green skin, as she crossed the room and stood before Ozma.

"Sit here," the Ozma said, indicating with her large hand to a stool at her left-hand side, next to Mr. Fuzzims. Elphaba nodded and sat next to the Cat, who did not so much as turn to look at her.

"Her Grace," a young Gilikin man, the Ozma's royal announcer, spoke. "The Lady Koiyo."

The doors opened and a tall, stately woman entered the throne room. She had raven black hair and was clothed in shimmering, elegant robes of dark black, with a cloak of black swan-feathers flowing down her back. Since she was obviously not supposed to be speaking, Elphaba took the time to look about. Sure enough, her assumption was proven correct: the majority of the people here at court were very plain-looking and homely. In stark contrast, the Lady Koiyo seemed to attract attention. She was not only taller and thinner than Ozma, but, as far as Elphaba could discern, more beautiful as well.

"Your Majesty," Lady Koiyo said, bowing before Ozma.

"Lady Koiyo," Ozma said. "You were not expected back in our presence for another seven days."

"I beg your pardon, Majesty," Koiyo said, taking a step back in her defense. "But my negotiations with the Elements ended sooner than I had expected."

Ozma nodded. Elphaba, meanwhile, was puzzled that they spoke of the elements as if they were sentient beings.

"Then they will submit themselves to the will of Oz's ruler, then." Ozma concluded confidently.

"It is a little more complicated than that, Majesty." Koiyo continued. "The Elements were enchanted by Lurline when she brought Oz into existence. They have wills of their own, and, with respect, submission is a great disrespect to the Elements."

"What do I care what the wind thinks of its ruler?" Ozma said. "I will breathe it just the same. What do I care about the earth on which I stand? I will cut down all of the Great Gilikin Forest if need be to build a new city for myself." She rose her fat hand to silence Koiyo. "They may have been enchanted by Lurline, but I am Lurline's heir. To submit to me is to submit to Lurline. Likewise, to rebel against me is to rebel against the will of Lurline."

"In my view, Your Majesty," Koiyo said. "Neither of us should be trying to force the other into submission. We should come to a mutual agreement with the Elements, one that will see us show a certain level of respect towards the five elements..."

"While they are obliged to give us nothing in return?" Ozma queried. "It is the Elements who are at fault, for not submitting to my rule! Have they not brought our beloved Gilikin into an age of ever-winter?"

"But if a mutual consensus were made..."

The announcer walked back in. Seeing his presence, Ozma cut off Koiyo in mid sentence with a wave of her hand and indicated to the servant.

"The High Chancellor has returned!" he announced.

"Bring him in at once!" Ozma said, her face livening up as soon as the name was spoken. The announcer bowed, then stood aside.

"Lady Koiyo," Ozma returned, turning back to the elegant sorceress. "I suggest you return to your quarters and change into something more...suitable, before you return to pester me with questions about worshiping gusts of wind and sparks of fire!" She laughed, and all the others in the throne room laughed as if on queue.

Elphaba did not.

"But, please, Your Majesty!"

"If I am to be ruled by any council other than my own," Ozma said at last. "It shall be the High Chancellor's, not yours." She waved her away as if she were a fly upon her arm. Koiyo nodded then exited the hall.

Elphaba gasped when she saw who next entered the room.

It was the giant she and her friends had encountered in Quadling. He was still wearing the green robes that they found him in, and looked extremely imposing at his ten feet height, even having to stoop down to get through the doorway. He knelt before Ozma and bowed his head so low that his beard swept the floor.

"We welcome High Chancellor Okli back to Shiz," Ozma said. "How do you fare, my beloved adviser?"

"My journey was most eventful, Your Majest..." He looked up and saw the green woman at the Ozma's left. "Permission, Your Majesty, to speak freely."

"Granted."

"I see that you, strange green thing, have made your way to Shiz." Okli said, turning to Elphaba. She did not know if she could speak, and so she flashed Okli a heavily annoyed smile.

"If it pleases you, Your Majesty," Okli requested, turning to Ozma. "I would care to have a word with this green woman in private."

"If I can have one favor from you, Chancellor." Ozma returned.

"Anything," Okli bowed, perhaps even lower than he had before.

"Tell me about the mission that I commissioned you to undertake." Ozma said. "Is it done?"

Elphaba noticed that Okli looked a little annoyed by her question. She wondered what mission Ozma had sent this giant, her High Chancellor, upon and what it's completion meant, especially for her.

"It...it is done." Okli said hesitantly.

"Good!" Ozma squealed, clapping her fat hands together. "It is as it should be!" She then waved her hand, dismissing Okli. "You may speak with the Lady Aelphaba to your heart's desire. I've got to convince that stupid Koiyo that we are in control, not the Elements!"

"Majesty." Okli bowed before Ozma again.

Elphaba saw that he did not rise up, but walked rather on his knees over to her. He held out his hand and she placed her little green one in his giant grasp. He then led her into one of the side alcoves, where they could have a little space to themselves to speak privately.

"Are you indeed the green woman I met in the Quadling Marshes over ten days ago?" he asked.

"And if I am?"

"Well," Okli returned. "Then let me be the first to welcome you to the court of the Ozma."

"Thank you," she did not mean it that much. "May I ask you a question?"

"Certainly."

"Why do you wear green?"

He looked here and there and then lowered his voice to a whisper.

"Because," he answered, in his deep, almost seductively low, voice. "I believe in a new Oz. Not red, violet, blue or yellow, but green! Where all the people of Oz are equal, judged only by their contribution to all the people of Oz, rather than ancestry."

"Or skin color." Elphaba added.

He waved his hand in recognition.

"If Ozma knew this," she said. "What would she do?"

"If you're wise, Aelphaba," he returned. "You will refrain from getting too close to the Ozma."

"What are you saying?" she whispered. "Isn't that treas...?"

A finger of Okli's huge hand shushed her. Elphaba had to suppress the desire to lash out in rage at this person who dared to shush her.

"I have served her for many years," Okli began. "And can say from experience that she is foolish and stubborn. Oz should be ruled by those who will do good for the people, and make our country the apple of Lurline's eye, not by those who claim divine right."

"Why should I trust someone," she returned. "Who plans to betray someone they've served loyaly for years?"

A deep, threatening growl simmered in Okli's throat, deep behind his beard.

"You don't want me as an enemy, Elphaba." he returned. "Especially when I am your only hope of returning to where you come from." She flashed her a smile, then walked back to Ozma's side.

Elphaba was shivering inside. How did this giant know her right name, or that she was not from Oz? But perhaps the most disturbing, frightening and concerning thought that was etching its way through Elphaba's mind.

How did he know how to get back to where she came from?

(AN: Let me straighten out this, which I mused on before I uploaded this chapter. The Witch's death from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is more in line with Elphaba's death from Wicked the book. Since this is musical-verse, her 'death' is based on that from the Wizard of Oz movie that we all know and [no longer] love. lol. As such, I needed an explanation as to why she attacked the Scarecrow with fire.)

(Some more reviews would be nice, especially in-depth ones. Perhaps it would serve as a catalyst for more updates and chapters. idk. This story is hardly over. But I still need feedback! [and I don't own the LotR references])