(A/N: Hulo! Thank you to all reviewers! I didn't think you'd review for the last chapter, but you did! So why don't you keep it up and review this one too eh? Anyhu, I'm just going to apologize in advance for any typos or mistakes in grammar or spelling etc. I wouldn't be surprised if I have typos in this author's note. So, there's a lot of Nessa in this chapter...a little bit of Fiyero and Elphie. Please know that the Wizard's character in this story is not evil or wicked or manipulative. He also is short and old. He's a younger man not the grandpa he looks and seems like in the musical. I'm considering stopping this story pretty soon and making a sequel to this story. But on the other hand I don't want to start a new story because I'd rather just keep it all in one story. But if I keep writing on this story the title won't exactly pretain to the rest of the story (because like I said, MAJOR PLOT TWIST to come!!! [heehee])The title will probably only stand for more like the first half of the story. And I don't want to change the title. But hey, in Harry Potter, she names them like the Sorceror's Stone and they don't find that till the end right? Oh well, I like the title! I'm blabbing on now....So I'll stop and let you read the real story:)
Nessa looked up in awe when she saw the Emerald Palace looming tall and mighty above her. It had to be ten times bigger than the Vinkun palace, and that was saying something. The Vinkun palace was harsher looking almost, it was sharper and more traditional, brown. This palace had rounded towers and walls and of course, was made of glistening emerald. The gates opened as the man who watched the gates saw them coming. To Nessa's surprise, the Wizard was already waiting for them, smiling in a welcoming way. Shouldn't a man of his stature be waiting in his throne room atop an almighty throne and then we are brought to him? Perhaps the Wizard was not so conceited; maybe he was just a regular man. He stood there, a man in his thirties perhaps? He had a very handsome face, but he was interested in loving a woman, he was however interested in loving a child, a daughter or a son. He didn't wear anything grand, just the usual clothing, no fanciful cape or expensive jewels to show his status. He was very tall from what Nessa could tell, but then again, she was always sitting three feet down, so everyone looked tall to her. The Wizard began walking towards them before they'd reached the entrance.
"You must be Fredrick Visory!" said the Wizard, he had a nice friendly voice that Nessa wouldn't expect from the leader of Oz, the Wizard, the King, any title would do. He turned to Nessa, "And you must be the ever lovely Nessarose Thropp, Munchkinland's new governor!" he shook Fredrick's hand and kissed Nessa's. She seemed to have missed the bit about her being the new governor. She smiled sheepishly at him.
"It's good to see you sir." said Fredrick, smiling at the Wizard as they shook hands, but Nessa could tell he was nervous.
"Great to see you to." said the Wizard, "C'mon, we can go up to the balcony to better acquaint ourselves." the Wizard gestured for them to follow. He led them down a long hall, chatting amiably with them as he went. If Nessa thought the outside of the palace was something that had been before she'd been inside. The emerald walls were covered with art, but not the boring type of art you usually see in castles and palaces. There were no pictures of old dead guys, or boring landscapes, the art was modern and futuristic looking. While a lot of the palace was in modern design, traditional class was still there. They passed a library and Nessa was surprised by the old antique Parisian style the library was designed in. It wasn't a modern styled library at all, it was traditional and beautiful. Elphaba would've loved it. Then they passed by a large ballroom, this too designed classy rather than modern. A huge crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, tall white pillars framed the room, wide windows stretched up to the ceiling, a grand staircase as the head with marble floors.
"Alright, we'll be going up a few floors now to the balcony outside of in my personal part of the palace." said the Wizard. They approached an elevator. Nessa was thrilled, she'd never ridden an elevator before, they were the newest of technology and as far as she knew, there were only five elevators in Oz. Four were in the Emerald Palace and one was in some really tall building in the Emerald City, but the new technology was quickly being inserted to the usual.
"I've never been in an elevator before." Nessa said.
"It's fun isn't it?" asked the Wizard, smiling at her, a youthful glimmer coming into his eyes. Nessa felt her stomach drop as the elevator began to go up, she couldn't help but smile....it was kind of fun. The elevator doors slid open and the Wizard led them through a door way. They passed through what Nessa supposed was a study room and out of the French doors onto a sunny balcony. A few flowers were positioned in pots and basket around the edges of the balcony. Tea was already set up for them. Talk came easily then, Nessa and Fredrick were both surprised by the Wizard's....niceness. It was daunting that a ruler like him could be so normal and friendly.
"Um sir--" Fredrick began.
"Call me James." said the Wizard.
"....James," Fredrick began again, "Do you suppose you were going to talk to me about my campaign and my run for---" the Wizard held a hand up to stop him.
"Fredrick, I didn't invite you here to talk politics," said James.
"Huh?" Fredrick was very confused now. Nessa giggled, though she too was rather confused.
"I want to get to know you not as a politician, but as a person. There is a difference you know. Of course we'll talk politics later, perhaps the next time we meet, but I make it a point to never talk about politics the first time I meet somebody." said James.
"You are so different than I expected." Nessa admitted.
"I suppose you expected a cruel, cold leader who never smiled and was unimaginably old and had no sense of humor and all I talked about was my achievements and others failures and politics?" James asked, smiling good-humoredly, something told Nessa he'd been through this before.
"Well yes." Nessa admitted. James laughed then.
"Well then I'm not what you expected at all am I?!" he laughed, "Or at least I hope not." Fredrick soon found himself laughing at all of his fears and nervousness for meeting this iconic man and how he had sweated for days, organizing things he might say. Once there laughter had subsided, Nessa remembered something from earlier that the Wizard had told her, it didn't bother her then, but now that she thought about it...
"Sir?" Nessa asked, "James? I'm—not quite sure what you meant by this, but earlier...didn't you address me as the new governor of Munchkinland?"
"Well, you are aren't you?" asked James.
"No, my father--" Nessa began.
"Your father is on the run," said James, "We didn't need to vote to get him out of his standing."
"What?!" Nessa eyes bugged and her voice skipped octaves, "How did this happen?!"
"Well, he was about to be arrested, I forget what for, but something bad, but he wouldn't be taken to jail, so he ran I suppose." James said, "I'm sorry, I wasn't aware that you didn't know."
"So you mean, I--" Nessa squeaked, "have to go back to Munchkinland and....govern them? I'm not a good leader, I'm really---"
"Whoa, hold on. Don't worry, first off, you don't have to go back to Munchkinland and secondly, you're not old enough to become governor yet anyway. You're only 15 am I right? Goodness child, of course you couldn't govern those people. We've installed someone else, it's been taken care of." said James.
"What happens when they find him?" asked Nessa.
"Trial, jury, jail." said James. Nessa felt the oxygen she breathed leave her too fast. Her father would be totally out of her life now? He was a fugitive. All she had left now was Fredrick. She should be happy her father was being punished for what he'd done to Elphaba, but deep down, Nessa still cared for the man, he was after all, her father.
"If you'll excuse me," Nessa murmured, "I think I need to use the restroom." she began to wheel herself out. She heard James and Fredrick talking behind her as she left.
"What was Frex guilty of?" asked Fredrick.
"I don't know." said James, "I really didn't mean to upset her, I thought she'd have known by now."
************
Nessa was just wheeling herself around the castle, trying to calm down, when she noticed a small green bottle resting atop a shelf along with other trinkets. She quickly snatched it up. She would recognize this bottle anywhere. It looked exactly like Elphaba's little bottle, it was Elphaba's most prized possession. It had been there mother's, Nessa and Elphaba never knew why the bottle was given to Elphaba. All the maid said was that Melena told her to give it to Elphaba when she was old enough to not break it. The maid said Melena was about to say more, another message to go with the bottle, but she had died before the words could escape her throat. Nessa wondered what significance this bottle had held for Melena, it obviously meant something for Elphaba too. It only Melena hadn't died so quickly, she would've been able to explain the bottle, and Elphaba would not be keeping a mystery as a memoir of her mother. And now Nessa finds the same bottle in the Wizard's personal possessions. So the bottle held significance for Melena, James and Elphaba....Oh dear Oz.
************
Fiyero gently let his fingers brush across Elphaba's beautiful face. He hadn't left the room as promised. Galinda came everyday to check on Elphie. Fiyero didn't know what Galinda was thinking or how she was managing all of this, but the way she was immediately so loyal to Elphaba touched Fiyero's heart. She'd nicknamed her like her name had always been Elphaba, never Elias, and they'd been friends since forever. Every time Galinda walked into that room and saw the poor green girl laying there, Galinda couldn't help but think of what a complete stranger the girl was. She wasn't Elias. But on the other hand, Galinda felt his strange concern and overwhelming feeling as though the girl was her dear friend. It was strange. Galinda no longer had Elias, she had this newfound stranger, a girl, a green girl. But perhaps this Elphaba could be the new Elias for Galinda, the new best friend. She knew Elphaba had been Elias all along, but she felt like Elphaba and Elias were two completely different people. She was so confused lately.
"Hi Fiyero." said Galinda as she walked in that day.
"Hey Glin." said Fiyero.
"Is she doing any better?" asked Galinda.
"Her fever's gone down a bit I suppose." Fiyero said, "But...."
"She'll be fine." said Galinda, "I know she will." Fiyero just sighed, Galinda said this every time she came. At first, the words had given Fiyero hope, now they were just false hopeful words that only worsened his pain.
***********
Galinda had left a few hours ago, it was night. So Fiyero leaned back in his chair, ready to fall asleep, when he heard soft mumblings next to him. It was Elphaba. He sat up straight and immediately went to her side. He felt his heartbeat quicken. This was her first sign of...of....surviving in days. She'd laid motionless and soundless in that bed for longer than Fiyero liked to think about. Her eyes were closed and Fiyero realized she was dreaming. It was so odd to him. All this time he'd supposed she was just....unconscious or something, but she had been dreaming. She moaned in her sleep and Fiyero felt his heart break.
"No...Fiyero...." she mumbled, a pained expression crossing her face.
"Elphaba?" asked Fiyero, "Can you hear me?"
"Stop...I'm sorry." she said in her sleep. She kept saying sorry and Fiyero didn't know why.
"Fabala," Fiyero whispered, his voice was desperate, "Please.....please wake up."
"No---stop! Let go! Please..." Fiyero could tell what she was dreaming about, it had to be that fateful day in the dungeons. He wrapped his arms around her as she dreamt. Her breathing became faster.
"Elphaba, shh." Fiyero cooed in her ear, "It's alright, they aren't going to hurt you. I'm right her. I love you." Elphaba's breathing returned to normal. He got up and went back to his chair. He turned back to look at her and make sure she was fine. He was caught so off guard when he looked back into her eyes; her eyes that had been closed for days. Beautiful brown eyes stared at him, glistening in the soft moonlight that poured in through the window.
"Fiyero?" she whispered.
BTW-anyone who reads this story go by the name of "passion" on witchesofozdotcom?