AN: Here I am again! Thank you all for your reviews, and for your well-wishes, too ^_^.

No cliffy this time, to spare you (Fae Tiggular, though I absolutely loved the fact that one of my cliffies made you throw you phone against a wall, but just so you know: I cannot be held responsible for any damage done by my cliffies, psychological, material, or otherwise. That goes for all of you).

Chapter 23. It's a love story

'Aurya.' The woman extended her hand towards Elphaba. 'Nice to officially meet you… again, I suppose.'

'I suppose,' Elphaba echoed flatly, shaking her aunt's hand. 'So what happened? Morrible murdered my mother and you were banished?'

Aurya nodded. 'I found this small village about a year after I was removed from Melena's kingdom, and I set up home here. I was hoping you'd find your way back here one day,' she admitted. 'Seems you have, although I must say I regret the fact that it had to be through Morrible. I would have preferred to tell you everything myself right away.'

'Then why didn't you?' demanded Elphaba. 'Why did you never come to me? Didn't you know where I was?'

'I knew.' Aurya sighed. 'But, Elphaba… All I ever wanted was for you to be safe and happy,' she said sincerely. 'And it appeared to me that you were, back at Adurin Iir. I didn't want to ruin that for you by suddenly popping up and telling you that you're a mermaid princess – it would have turned your whole life upside down.' She shook her head. 'If I'd known you were looking for answers about your past, I would have come to you,' she said softly. 'But I didn't know. Morrible did – she has a gift for things like that, sensing whenever people are longing for something, or uncertain about things… She knows your weak spots without you even knowing them yourself.'

'That's why she wanted me to watch Fiyero drown,' Elphaba whispered, and Aurya nodded. 'Yes.'

Elphaba sighed, her fishtail moving back and forth restlessly as she hugged herself. 'I wish I knew if he was safe. I hope he managed to get back…'

'He did,' Aurya assured the green girl, and Elphaba's head snapped up. 'What?'

Aurya smiled at her. 'I was around, when Fiyero escaped,' she said. 'I was waiting for an opportunity to get to you, but then I saw him exiting the caves. When you didn't follow, I figured that you were still in there, and I decided to take the risk and ask him about it. He told me what had happened, and I decided to help him get back… after all, he only had about an hour left before the breathing spell ran out, and he's only human,' she added wryly. 'It would have taken him hours and hours to get back, not to mention that he had no idea which direction to go in.'

Elphaba gripped the rock she was sitting on so tightly that her knuckles went white. 'So… he's safe?' she asked, just to be sure. 'You helped him get back?'

Aurya nodded. 'I dragged him all the way back to the beach near his home,' she assured her niece. 'He was completely fine when he got there – just very tired and very worried about you, but I told him I would make sure you would be safe as well.'

Elphaba let out a breath she hadn't even realised she'd been holding. 'Thank you.'

'You're welcome.' Aurya studied the younger mermaid, a small, sad smile making its way onto her face. 'You look like her, you know,' she said quietly. 'Melena.'

Elphaba fingered a strand of her long raven hair. 'I do?'

Aurya smiled at her. 'Yes. Although I can definitely see some Frexspar in you as well,' she added, at which Elphaba looked up at her, slightly startled. 'So… that part was true, then?' she asked, faintly surprised. 'I must say, after what happened, I didn't really believe anything Morrible told me anymore.'

'Frex is your father.' Aurya stared off into the distance, a faraway look in her emerald green eyes. She shook her head. 'Let me start at the beginning,' she said, and Elphaba motioned for her to go ahead.

'Melena was the Queen of these waters,' Aurya began. 'She hadn't been queen for very long, but the people adored her – they already had when she had still been the Crown Princess. She didn't have a husband – merpeople are much more tolerant when it comes to those sorts of things than humans are,' Aurya said with a small sniff. 'But that is beside the point.'

She sighed. 'Melena travelled a lot,' she said. 'To meet her people, reaching all corners of her kingdom, but she also went beyond the borders, meeting other merpeople, Animals… and humans. All merpeople have magical powers, but some are stronger than others; and magic fairs well in the royal family. Melena found a spell to change herself into a human, and she used it every now and then, to explore the human world – out of curiosity. And one day when she did… she met Frex. It was love at first sight for both of them.'

Aurya shook her head. 'Of course, the wisest thing Melena could have done was to just return to the ocean and forget about him,' she said wryly, 'but Melena was never one for rationale. She followed her heart. And so she stayed with Frex for about two months, before returning to the ocean. I remember that day – she was dizzy and dreamy, her head in the clouds… she had to return because she was the Queen, but after a while, she went back to Frex, before coming back again. That went on for about a year, but people started to talk, high officials and advisors disapproved of her behaviour… and when she came back, she told me that she had fallen pregnant.

Our mother, who was old, but still alive back then, told her that no one could ever know that this baby was half human, or the merpeople wouldn't accept her. Luckily, even pregnancy out of wedlock is not really a big issue here with us, and so instead of shunning Melena for having a baby with a man of which no one knew who he was, everyone was happy about their Queen having a baby at all. You were born, and everyone adored you; and Melena never returned to see Frex again.'

Elphaba was stunned. 'She never saw him again?'

Aurya shook her head. 'I found out later what happened to him,' she said. 'He married another woman, and they had Nessarose together. She came prematurely, which is why she's in a wheelchair; and her mother died shortly after. Frex has been living like a hermit ever since, or so I've been told.'

Elphaba recalled what she had heard about the Governor from Fiyero, Lori, and Hamold, and nodded.

'So you grew up,' Aurya continued her story. She smiled. 'You were a beautiful little girl,' she said softly. 'Everyone loved you… but then Morrible came along. She's a Sea Witch, and she lived in the cave network she kept you and the Vinkun prince in. She ventured into the kingdom sometimes, but she never posed a danger or anything… until she killed your mother.'

'How…' Elphaba swallowed, suddenly feeling a lump in her throat. She wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer, but she asked the question nonetheless. 'How did it happen?'

Aurya looked into her niece's eyes. 'She was poisoned,' she said simply. 'It happened quickly, secretly, and unexpectedly, and no one ever found any proof of who did it; but I know it was Morrible. I saw her. But then Morrible accused me, and before I knew it, she had the people on her side, telling them that I wanted the throne and that if they didn't do something, you would be next. You were the only one standing between me and the throne back then – the next in line. Only I never wanted the throne.' She shook her head. 'I was perfectly happy staying out of the spotlights,' she said. 'Morrible ruined everything for me. She sent me away, and took the throne herself, sweet-talking the people into crowning her their new Queen until you were old enough to take on that role yourself.'

'And me?' Elphaba asked quietly. 'Who came up with the idea to change me into something I'm not and leave me on a beach somewhere?'

Aurya sighed, fidgeted a little, then looked up and met Elphaba's gaze. 'I did.'

Elphaba was struck speechless.

Aurya swam up from the rock she was sitting on, swimming towards one of the many water plants adorning the ocean floor, and touching it, obviously lost in thought. 'Morrible went after you,' she said finally. She turned around to face the younger mermaid. 'She wanted to get you out of the way as well. She didn't want you to take the throne – ever. She just wanted to be Queen herself until the end of time.'

Elphaba watched her aunt silently as she started pacing (she wondered briefly if one could call it 'pacing' when it was basically swimming back and forth, but she quickly brushed that off as not really relevant at the moment). Aurya turned again to look at Elphaba. 'She took you with her,' she said, the mild despair audible in her voice as she recalled the memory. 'She was taking you out of the kingdom, to avoid anyone witnessing what she was about to do. She wanted to kill you, Elphaba. I didn't know what else to do… you're my godchild, I had to keep you safe!'

'You're… you're my godmother?' Elphaba asked softly, trying to process all this new information, and Aurya gave her a small smile. 'I am.'

'How…' The green girl swallowed. 'What did you do?' she wanted to know. 'How did you save me from Morrible? What happened?'

Aurya sighed. 'I distracted Morrible,' she said. 'Don't ask me how, but somehow, I managed to take her completely by surprise, and I was able to grab you and get out of there. I went as fast as I could, criss-crossing through corals and caves and seeking cover everywhere I went, until I had shaken her off. But I knew she would never stop looking for you, and if she found you, she would try to kill you.'

She looked at the raven-haired girl across from her. 'That's when I realised I was near Adurin Iir,' she said quietly. 'Melena had told me about it… she'd been there with Frex once, about six or seven years before. I remember her telling how nice the King and Queen of the Vinkus were, how friendly, and how well they took care of their people… I didn't know what else to do, Elphaba. I thought that leaving you there was the only way I might still be able to save you, and to give you the life you deserved, even if that meant abandoning you. But I kept an eye on you,' she added hastily. 'I went back several times, to check up on you, assuring myself that you were alright. And when it seemed that you were, I left.'

She smiled a bit ruefully at the green girl. 'I thought I might never see you again.'

'Why don't I remember any of this?' Elphaba asked quietly. Of course she couldn't know for sure if she could trust this woman, her aunt – her godmother… but the story made sense, and she was inclined to believe it. At least it came from a more trustworthy source than Horrible Morrible.

Aurya shook her head. 'I'm not sure,' she admitted. 'Part of it is probably the fact that Morrible cast a spell on you that caused you to temporarily lose consciousness, making it easier for her to abduct you and take you with her… you were still unconscious when I left you on the beach. I took the spell that Melena used to transform herself into a human and changed it a little bit, hoping it would work, and it did. You didn't wake up when I cast the spell, and you were out right up until King Hamold and his son took you with them. I'm not sure how much damage Morrible's spell might have done to your memory… or perhaps it was just the shock and trauma of it all. You were only six years old, after all, and suddenly your mother was gone, your aunt disappeared… everything you knew fell apart.'

Elphaba, by now, was feeling decidedly overwhelmed. She believed Aurya, she really did; but it was a lot to take in.

Aurya looked at her almost pleadingly, clearly waiting for a reaction, but Elphaba was too stunned to give her one at first. She mulled everything over in her head, again and again, the pieces of the puzzle that was her life and her past slowly fitting together.

'This,' she croaked out finally, 'was definitely not what I had imagined to find when I started looking for answers.'

Aurya flashed her a small grin.

'But somehow it makes sense,' the young mermaid said slowly, mind still reeling. 'I don't know. It feels… right. I still don't remember anything, but… I'm inclined to believe you.'

Aurya looked decidedly relieved. 'Thank you, Fabala.'

Elphaba's head whipped around. 'What did you just call me?' she demanded in a high voice.

Her aunt gave her a shaky smile. 'I'm sorry. It's… it's what we called you,' she explained. 'Your mother and I. Some kind of pet name.'

Fabala…

It sounded foreign and familiar at the same time.

She blinked, trying her hardest to remember, but every time she thought she was close to catching on to the memory, it seemed to float just out of her reach again. She let out a soft groan of frustration. 'I wish I could remember any of this!' she complained.

Aurya placed a hand on her arm, making her jump slightly. 'I'm sorry, Elphaba,' she said seriously, looking into the girl's dark brown eyes. 'About everything.'

Elphaba exhaled slowly, trying to calm herself. 'It's not your fault.'

She let herself drift back down onto the rock, lost in thought. 'I'm just wondering,' she said slowly. 'I know the truth now, I know my story… but what should I do?'

Aurya sat down next to her. 'That's not my question to answer,' she said gently. 'It's up to you, Fabala.'

Elphaba blinked again, still getting used to the apparently old nickname, but she had other things on her mind right now. 'I'm the Crown Princess,' she said softly, more to herself than to her godmother sitting next to her. 'Should I… go back? Claim my rightful position? Challenge Morrible?' She shook her head in disbelief, then buried her face in her hands. 'Tell me, Aurya…' she said pleadingly. 'I don't know what to do!'

Her aunt just placed one bluish green hand on Elphaba's shoulder and squeezed it comfortingly. 'You, Fabala,' she said, softly but firmly, 'should do what your mother always used to do.'

Elphaba raised her head to look at her aunt questioningly.

Aurya smiled. 'Follow your heart.'

'Fiyero!' Hamold and Lori came running towards him. The moment one of the servants had seen him entering the castle, he had ran off to find the King and Queen, and they were both looking anxious as they approached him.

'What in Oz happened?' Lori asked worriedly when she realised her son was dripping wet and decidedly panicked. Cohvu, who had stayed at the castle because he wanted to be the first to hear about Elphaba and Fiyero's mission for answers, came into the grand hall as well, alarmed by the noise. 'What's going on?' When he saw his friend, he whistled. 'Wow, Yero… What did you do?'

Fiyero was still panting and out of breath – even though a mermaid who claimed to be on their side had helped him get back ashore, it had still been an exhausting journey. 'It's Elphaba,' he managed to choke out between gasps. 'Morrible trapped her in an underwater cave!'

Lori and Hamold exchanged a look.

'Morrible is a Sea Witch,' Fiyero rambled on, 'and she turned out to be evil. So she trapped us both, but then Elphaba blew a hole into the wall and I could escape but she didn't fit through, her fishtail got stuck, but she told me to go ahead and I did but the breathing spell didn't last much longer and I was close to drowning, but then there was a mermaid and she helped me and dragged me back to the beach.'

'A mermaid,' Lori echoed flatly.

Hamold raised an eyebrow. 'Breathing spell?'

'Sea Witch?' Cohvu chimed in. Then he frowned. 'Wait a clock-tick. Elphaba has a fishtail?'

'Long story,' Fiyero said breathlessly, and his parents exchanged another look – one he knew all too well. 'Should we call a doctor?' Hamold whispered to Lori, and Fiyero stomped his foot like a five-year-old. 'Mom, Dad! I'm serious! I swear!'

'Let's sit down and listen to his whole story before we call the mental hospital,' Cohvu suggested, and Lori and Hamold agreed. 'But let's get him into some dry clothes first,' Lori added, which they also all agreed upon.

Ten minutes later, they all sat down in the King and Queen's private sitting room and Fiyero told them everything that had happened, from the moment they had left the previous morning up until he had appeared in the hall of the castle mere minutes ago.

When he was done, silence filled the room for a few moments. Lori and Hamold shared another look. Cohvu just gaped at his friend, and it was he who finally broke the silence.

'So now what?'

Lori stared at him in disbelief. 'Are you saying you believe him?'

Cohvu shrugged. 'Why not?' he asked. 'We all knew something weird was bound to come up when Yero and Elphaba told us that they were going under the water with some mysterious woman to find answers about Elphaba's past. The girl has magic powers, for Oz's sake. Personally, I don't really find this too difficult to believe, after everything we've seen already. Remember her saving Fiyero's life?' He shook his head. 'And,' he added pointedly, 'do you really think Fiyero would lie about Elphaba being in danger?'

Lori and Hamold exchanged yet another look. They knew Cohvu was at the very least right about that.

'I have to find a way to save her,' Fiyero said anxiously, but Lori shook her head gently. 'Yero, how were you planning on doing that?' she asked him. 'Even if you could find a sorceress somewhere that was willing and able to cast a spell on you that allowed you to breathe underwater, which, may I add, is very unlikely… I still don't think you would be able to find her. The ocean is big, Fiyero.'

He buried his face in his hands and moaned. 'I know!'

Cohvu patted his shoulder comfortingly. 'She'll be fine, Yero,' he assured his friend. 'She can take care of herself. She's a strong girl, you know that.'

Fiyero sighed and rested his cheek on his arms. He prayed to Lurline that Cohvu was right.