AN: An early update, because I had kind of a suck-y day and I figured I could use some reviews to cheer me up!
Oh - I almost forgot: kudos to DemonCrowley for being the 200th reviewer! :D
16. Across the Distance
It was one day, about three weeks after she'd been rescued, that she was walking across the campus of Shiz University and suddenly stopped dead in her tracks.
The person that had made her stop dead in her tracks froze, too, and they could only stare at one another for a few moments before the blonde screeched, "Elphie!". The next thing Elphaba knew, she was enveloped by a flurry of pink and she had a mouthful of blonde curls, but it didn't matter. None of it mattered because this was Galinda, and she was alive, and she was here.
"Elphie," the blonde girl whispered, hugging her friend tightly. She let go to look Elphaba over for a few clock-ticks and then she hugged her again, squeezing the air out of her completely. "Oh, thank Oz, Elphie, you're alive… I didn't know what happened to you, and there was talk that the entire governor's family from Munchkinland had been killed in the disaster, but I couldn't find out… no-one would tell me anything. And then I heard that Avaric was dead and I just knew that if you were still alive, and still free, you'd come here to Shiz, and so I've been coming here – they wouldn't tell me if you were registered here, so I just came here every day, hoping to see you, and… and now here you are! I don't believe it, Elphaba, thank Oz…" She was crying now. Elphaba was, too, clinging to her friend and burying her face in the blonde curls, thanking whatever higher power was up there that at least Galinda had made it out alive. At least her best friend was okay. She wasn't completely alone.
They sat in a small café on campus and exchanged stories about how they ended up here. Galinda was absolutely horrified when Elphaba told her about what Avaric and Frexspar had done, and her blue eyes were filled with tears as she reached over the table to hug Elphaba again, telling her sincerely how incredibly sorry she was about Fiyero.
Elphaba, not wanting to dwell on him – she did that enough in her mind; she did not at all want to talk about it – asked Galinda how she had survived.
"I was in one of the first lifeboats," she said. "So was Boq. There weren't too many people there yet and they let him on… they let us both on. We were rescued and brought here, to Gillikin. Momsie and Popsicle took us both in, naturally; Boq spent a few weeks with us, but he returned to Munchkinland a couple of days ago to go see his own family. We agreed to stay in touch, though." She blushed a little. "I think… I think I really like him."
Those words brought back painful memories of her own time with Fiyero and she hadn't thought it possible, but it felt like her heart shattered all over again. She tried not to let it show, though. Instead she forced herself to smile and say, "That's great, Glin."
Galinda's eyes widened and she clapped a hand over her own mouth in horror. "Elphie, I am so sorry," she began anxiously, but her friend waved her away.
"It's okay," she said softly. "It's just… it doesn't even matter what you say, really. Everything reminds me of him – or Father, or Nessa…" The day she had first seen a fellow Shiz student moving around campus in a wheelchair, she had run back to her room and spent the rest of the day with her face buried in her pillow, crying. Every time she saw a man with his posture and sandy hair, her heart leapt up; but it was never him. Of course it was never him. Seeing couples together made her feel physically sick and her heart broke every time she saw a father and a daughter together. Everything around her constantly reminded her of the people she'd lost and it hurt her to no end.
She still had Nessa's bracelet – the one she had fastened around her wrist not long before the boat sank – and her mother's green glass bottle, too, which she was thankful for. At least she still had something to remember them by.
She wished she had something of Fiyero's, but she didn't. All she had was her memories, which plagued her mind every day. His sapphire blue eyes haunted her dreams and she saw his smile everywhere when she was awake.
She and Galinda talked for a while longer and the blonde promised she'd be there for her friend. She offered Elphaba to stay with her and her parents, insisting her Momsie and Popsicle would not mind in the least, but Elphaba declined the offer. It was very sweet of Galinda, but she honestly preferred to spend most of her time alone right now. She had too much to work through.
Galinda understood that, but she did vow to keep a close eye on her friend and she insisted Elphaba came to visit her at her parents' house during the weekend. She was reluctant to leave the green girl alone after having just found her again, but Elphaba managed to make her go eventually. The young witch returned to her dorm room, which felt dark and empty without anyone there, and she suddenly wished she had taken up Galinda's offer to stay with the Uplands; but something prevented her from going after the blonde. Instead she curled up on her bed, clutched her pillow, and cried herself to sleep like she did every night.
Dear Mum and Dad,
You are not going to believe how amazing Shiz University is! It's huge, I can tell you that much. There's a large courtyard, where everyone always has lunch, with a fountain in the middle and some benches surrounding it. Around the courtyard are most of the buildings, which are basically sorted by subject – the History building, the Politics building, like that. Thankfully, that makes it a lot easier for me to find the right lecture rooms – I was so afraid I might get lost all the time, but that has not yet happened so far.
There's a park nearby and there are many cafés and restaurants on campus, too; and then there are, of course, the dorm buildings. I have my own room, just like you requested – but honestly, I would not have minded sharing. The girls here are all very friendly and welcoming (then again, maybe they just know me and want to befriend a princess really badly. There's never a way to tell the difference) and I have been invited to several social occasions already – a party the other day and a few times for lunch, coffee, or dinner. No matter what their reason for inviting me is, I do enjoy their company. I'm already having the best time ever and my classes have only even started a week ago!
Seriously, though – I don't know what Fiyero's problem with universities is. I never understood that, but now that I'm here myself, seeing it with my own eyes, I just cannot imagine that anyone would not want to stay here for three years and try their hardest on everything. I'm sorry, maybe I shouldn't talk about him that way, now that… you know, what with everything that's going on… I'm sorry. I shouldn't joke about him. How is he, Mum? Is there any news?
Anyway, I just… wanted to let you know that I'm doing great here and I'm loving it all, so you don't have to worry about me. I think you have enough to worry about already, in any case. I love you both and please – let me know if there is any more news about Yero, okay? Even if it's bad news, I want to know. Don't try to protect my happiness here by lying to me. He's my brother and I just really, really want to know.
Love,
Cyara
Dear Cyara,
Your father and I are thrilled to hear that you are having such a good time, sweetheart! We're very happy for you. Don't apologise for joking about your brother and his university habits – if we can't even joke about him anymore, it means we've given up all hope, and we have not. Alright? We're not giving up as long as there is still a chance. (And besides – you didn't say anything about him that is not true.)
We have some business in Gillikin in a few weeks and we were thinking about coming over to Shiz to pay you a visit then, if you would like that. Of course if you don't want your old parents around your new friends, then just say so – your father and I would understand. This visit is not set in stone, anyway. It all depends on your brother. If things take a turn for the worst, there won't be any business visits… instead we'd have to bring you here, to – no, I do not want to think about that. I'm sorry, sweetheart, I did not mean for this letter to turn so pessimistic.
To answer your questions: yes, of course we would tell you if there was any news. At the moment, the doctors are working on him. They just told your father and me that we can now approach his situation with careful optimism, but frankly, I am afraid to do so, because things can still go wrong. His fever is still a problem – it has gone down a little, but the doctors just can't seem to get it to break. It also seems like he is hallucinating. He keeps muttering things about a green girl. I do not know in which sense of the word he means that – probably not the literal sense, I would think. I don't even know if this girl is real or just exists in his mind. Maybe he just means she was inexperienced? I don't have the faintest clue, so we're currently just ignoring it.
I promise I will let you know the moment anything else changes, sweetheart. Enjoy Shiz and don't forget to write home to your parents every now and then, alright?
With love,
Lori Tiggular
This is just a quick note, Mum, because I do not currently have the time for a long letter; but I read the part in your letter about a green girl and I just had to reply. No matter how very Fiyero-like it would have been to deflower some inexperienced girl on a ship to Gillikin and then talk about her during his fever dreams, I do not think that is the case. You see, there is an actual green girl here at Shiz. The eldest daughter of the late governor of Munchkinland goes here and she has green skin. I went to talk to her the other day to see if I could find out more. She did not recognise me, but she did tell me that she had been there, on the ship. She wouldn't tell me much else, only that she lost everything she cared about and that she's trying to make a new start here, but she always seems so sad… I know the governor and his youngest daughter died in the disaster – her father and her sister – but I can't shake the feeling that there is more.
I don't know what's going on here or whether it is of any importance or not, but at least Fiyero is not really hallucinating. This girl does exist. I don't know how much of a difference that makes.
Cyara
Cyara,
You were right. I still don't know exactly what is going on, but something is, that is for sure.
Your brother's fever broke yesterday and he woke up. We were so happy, your father and I, and everyone else along with us! The doctors said he would be okay now and we've been coaxing some food and liquid into him to try and make him feel a little stronger.
He's been asking a lot of questions ever since he awoke and we tried to answer them all. At some point we talked about your letter and the moment I mentioned that green-skinned girl you have at Shiz, he went white as a sheet – we honestly thought he was going to faint… or worse. He tried to get up and out of bed, but we held him down and the doctors gave him something to calm him down. He slept again after that and your father and I had no idea what was going on. Neither did the doctors. When we went to check up on him again this morning, he had disappeared.
Your father says there is no reason to panic yet, since his life is no longer supposed to be in danger, even though he is weak, and since we seem to have a pretty good idea of where he is going. The moment he arrives at Shiz, I want you to contact us, alright? We need to know he arrived safely there. I don't know what happened between him and that green girl, but your father and I have no doubt that it is her he has gone to see. If he does come to Shiz, write to us and try to keep him out of trouble until we get there. Make him rest a lot. I don't care how you do it – tie him to the bed if need be. Fiyero is way too stubborn for his own good.
We hope to hear from you soon.
With love,
Lori Tiggular
Trust me when I say that I have very, very heavily contemplated actually doing it... but I couldn't. I couldn't do it. So, yeah.
I must say I was quite ready to kill off Galinda, though; but then I realised that since she was a woman in first class, it wouldn't be logical for her not to be rescued, especially since she got to the lifeboats so fast.