Nightfall could not come soon enough as the group set out from the castle. Both Elphaba and Isabelle had black capes draped over them, just in case. The first night went off without a problem as they traveled in peace. Isabelle wrapped her arms around Raiden's waist as they rode through the forests for cover. She felt safe with him. Once or twice she glanced at her parents and discovered her mother doing the same thing.
Even the strongest of people need affection, which makes them human, she thought to herself and smiled.
As dawn approached, the four sought shelter in a small cave and hid the two horses. Raiden and Fiyero ventured out for food later, while Elphaba and Isabelle stayed in the cave.
"Raiden seems like a nice boy," Elphaba said.
"I really do love him," Isabelle confessed.
"I know. I see it in your eyes when you talk with him or are with him. Glinda had the same look for Boq, though she would never admit to it," Elphaba said.
"She said the same thing about you. Before I left, she told me the whole truth and even said that she knew the entire time that you loved Father," Isabelle said, smiling.
"Glinda is smarter than she leads on or gives herself credit for," Elphaba said. "Now that I think about it, Raiden does have a close resemblance to Glinda. I just cannot believe that she had a child."
"She could not believe that you had me. Her exact words were, 'Elphie never had a daughter that I knew of. She would not keep a secret like that from me. I was her best friend!' It was hard for her to see me for the first few days I lived there. I guess I reminded her of you too much for her to stand," Isabelle said.
"I know and I miss her too. The hardest thing for me was saying goodbye to her like I was never going to see her again when I knew that I was going to live. It was also hard to keep my pregnancy secret from her as well," Elphaba replied.
"Well, she will be thrilled to see you. I know that she will cry because she has not seen you in so long," Isabelle noted.
"If I know Glinda, which I do, there will be a lot more than crying. First she will cry, then go into hysterics, then cry more, and finally come to her senses. I learned this way back in school at Shiz," Elphaba responded.
Isabelle smiled and said, "I have seen this too. When I first came to her house, she lost it when she though I was you. When we are both side by side, she will have no doubt in her mind that you are indeed alive."
"I know now that I should have never kept her in the dark about my death. But, I did to keep Fiyero and you safe. That meant no one, not even my only friend, could know that I was alive," Elphaba explained.
"Nonetheless, she will be happy that you are alive. That is all that would matter to her," Isabelle reminded her.
A few minutes later, Fiyero and Raiden returned with the food they went to find. The four chatted as they ate. After eating, Isabelle and Raiden moved further back into the cave and fell asleep; Isabelle curled up in Raiden's arms. Satisfied that they were safe, Elphaba and Fiyero did the same thing. Sleep came easily to Elphaba as she murmured, "My Yero," before drifting off.
As the sun set in the sky, Isabelle began to stir. When she opened her eyes, Raiden was already awake, but had not moved from his spot.
"You must be terribly uncomfortable lying like that. Why did you not move when you woke?" she asked.
"I did not want to wake you. You looked so peaceful, so I did not want to disturb you," he replied.
Kissing him softly on the lips as she rolled over, Isabelle said, "You are so wonderful to me. You could have had any other girl in the land, why did you choose me?"
"Because you are so much more beautiful than they are, inside and out. I stare at you for hours and cannot help but love you more," Raiden answered.
"You know you are only making me fall deeper in love with you," she said, kissing him again.
"I meant every word," he stated.
"So did I," she replied. "My parents are still sleeping. Do you think we ought to wake them?"
"In a moment. Let them rest a little more," Raiden responded.
Isabelle nodded in agreement and laid her head down on Raiden's chest. Listening to his heartbeat, she felt completely calm and serene. Her hand found his and locked fingers, her emerald green against his tan. For once, all seemed right in the world to Isabelle. She drifted to sleep for a few more minutes before Raiden gently nudged her to wake her.
"I am sorry to wake you, but we have to get going. We still have to wake your parents," he softly whispered in her ear.
She sighed softly before sitting up. If she had her choice, she would have rather stayed in Raiden's arms forever. However, she knew how important it was to her mother to get back to the Emerald City to see Glinda. Once her parents were awake, they mounted the two horses again and were off to the city once more. Isabelle sat behind Raiden on the horse, her arms wrapped around his waist and her head resting on his shoulder blades. She glanced at her mother, who was smiling at her.
They continued riding through the night. Both Isabelle and Elphaba had their cloaks wrapped around them for protection. It was a clear night with the stars twinkling across the black sky and the moon was high. Elphaba was looking at the sky and Isabelle knew exactly what she was thinking. She knew her mother longed to fly again. In the back of her mind, she made a mental note to talk with her about flying the next time they camped for the day.
I wonder if I could fly too, she thought to herself. The thought had never occurred to her about flying or the powers. Her mother had powers for sure, but would she? After all, she is her mother's child. Isabelle kept thinking about this until it was nearly dawn. Raiden and Fiyero stopped the horses in a thick area of the forest where they would be well hidden during the day.
As they had done the day before, Fiyero and Raiden went out for food while Isabelle and Elphaba stayed hidden.
"How did you meet Isabelle?" Fiyero asked as they walked through the forest.
"I was on my way back to the Emerald City after visiting Munchkinland and I saw her sitting on the Yellow Brick Road, holding her ankle. She had twisted it and I helped her get on my horse and took her back with me to the Emerald City," Raiden replied.
"You did not mind her green skin?" Fiyero asked.
"Not at all, in fact, I think it makes her more beautiful," Raiden answered. "If you do not mind me asking, how did you meet Elphaba?"
"No, I do not mind at all. I transferred to Shiz University after being kicked out of yet another school. Elphaba went there. I saw her a few times during a dance that we had at the Ozdust Ballroom. We were properly introduced in one of our classes," Fiyero said.
"My mother also mentioned that you two dated at one point," Raiden stated.
"Yes, for a while. We were even engaged after Elphaba was labeled the 'Wicked Witch of the West.' However, something changed in me and I began to realize that it was never Glinda that I loved, but Elphaba," Fiyero said. "Sometime later, we were secretly married in a private ceremony with just the two of us."
"What happened at the castle?" Raiden inquired.
"We hid there for a while during the first few weeks of our marriage. Right before the house was dropped on Elphaba's sister, Nessarose, she informed me that we were going to have a child. I was shocked and overjoyed. Then Nessa died and she had a fight with Glinda. From there, things went chaotic. Elphaba came up with a plan to save herself because of the baby, to pretend to die. It worked," Fiyero explained.
"Then you hid in the castle after that?" Raiden asked.
"We did. For the first time in months, we were happy. No one was chasing us or trying to kill her. It was just complete peace. I watched her stomach grow with the baby inside her and we talked about names for the baby. The days before Isabelle's birth, Elphaba was convinced that she was a girl. When Isabelle was born, she smiled at me and told me that she was right all along," Fiyero continued.
"What happened after her birth?" Raiden asked.
"We kept her for about two weeks to get to know our daughter. Elphaba named her Fabala Nessarose. Something changed in Elphaba after the baby was born. The cool, confident woman I had known for so long softened into a mother. Though Elphaba will never admit it, the day we placed our daughter on the doorstep, she almost grabbed her and brought her back with us to Oz. Although, she knew that Isabelle would have a better chance away from Oz," Fiyero replied. "After that, Elphaba was never whole again. She even told me that we would never have another child because she could not bare to give up another one."
Moments of silence passed between the two men as the continued to gather berries from the bushes around the forest. While they were having their conversation, mother and daughter were conversing as well.
"Glinda told me that you could fly," Isabelle said.
"I can fly. I will never forget the first time I flew though, it was an experience that liberated me from who I used to be when I was in school," Elphaba replied.
"Do you think that I could fly too?" Isabelle asked.
"That I do not know. You are my child, but I do not know how much of my power you inherited, if any at all," Elphaba answered.
"I know that if I get upset or angry, something always happens. When I was younger, my toys would fly across the room. As I got older, bigger objects would move. I had to be careful and control my emotions," Isabelle said.
Elphaba smiled and laughed, "I was the same way when I was a child. Nessa would frustrate me so much that I would get mad and a vase or something would fly across the room and hit the walls. My father had to make sure nothing breakable was around me when Nessa and I were together."
"Really?" Isabelle inquired.
"Yes, as I got older I learned to channel my anger and in turn control my power. When I flew for the first time I was angry with the Wizard for betraying my trust, my anger channeled into my power and gave me the ability to fly," Elphaba explained.
"So, this thing inside of me could possibly be controlled?" Isabelle asked.
"It can, you just have to focus you emotions more and soon it will become second nature," Elphaba answered.
Just then, the men came back to their area with food. The four ate, conversed about life, and talked about their futures. After a while, Raiden and Isabelle slipped off alone to spend time together.
"You talked with my father the whole time you were out?" Isabelle asked.
"We did talk about the past. He asked how I met you," Raiden replied.
"Really?" she asked, surprised.
"He did and we talked about the things that happened before you were born. I really enjoyed talking with him," he said.
"That is good that you two get along well. I would be afraid if you did not," she said, smiling.
"Why is that?" he inquired.
"Because, I cannot have the man I love and my father fighting. That simply would not work," she answered.
He kissed the tip of her nose and they found a shaded area underneath a tree to lie. Isabelle curled up in Raiden's arms where she felt safe. Soon, she drifted off to sleep and dreamed of her future. Hours later, right as the sun was setting, she felt a soft kiss being planted on her lips. She opened her eyes to see Raiden kissing her to wake her up.
"You know, I could get used to being woken up like that," she mused.
"So could I," he said. "Take my hand and I will help you up."
She grabbed his hand and he pulled her up to eye level with him and properly kissed her lips with her kissing him back.
"Isabelle, I wanted to wait until we got back to the Emerald City to ask you this question, but somehow I know that we will not get a moment alone like this for a long time," he began.
Isabelle gasped.
"I love you more than I could possibly ever describe. You have made my life so much better since you came into it that day on the Yellow Brick Road. I know that I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" he asked.
A/N: Cliffhanger time…don't you love me for these? Well, for being so patient with me I have rewarded you with an extra long chapter. Let me know what you think.