Hi! Chapter XXIV!

By the way here's my cast list:

Elphaba – Idina Menzel

Glinda – Kristen Chenoweth (but with LaChanze's acting style)

Fiyero – James Snyder

Lukas – Anthony Rapp

Milla – Jenn Colella

Oscar – Jerry Dixon

Chapter 24

Faba

You learn to fall asleep alone.

You learn to silence ticking clocks.

You learn to pull the shades at night,

And double check the locks.

You learn to speak so calmly when your heart would like to

Scream and shout.

You learn to stop, and breathe, and smile.

You learn to live without!

Not long after … The Day, as Faba started to call it, Chistery woke her up one morning, shaking her and screeching. "Oz, Chistery!" Faba exclaimed, sitting up. "What is it?"

Chistery screeched again and pointed toward the door.

"There's something out there?"

He nodded.

Faba fell back onto her bed. "Sweet Oz, no! I'm the Ozdamned Wicked Witch of the West! People need to fear me, not give me house calls! I'm gonna put a sign up, and tell whoever this is to get the fuck away from my castle!" And she stormed downstairs, still in her nightgown.

To her surprise, she found Aiistia in the foyer. "Hey, Faba," Aiistia said carefully.

"Hey Faba yourself," Faba snapped. "What the hell do you want?"

"Well, the Resistance is getting back together," Aiistia began. "And I was wondering if …"

"No," Faba interrupted sharply. "No, I cannot join the Resistance. I've hurt you enough already, you should know that. Besides, I need to get those shoes. That's my mission now."

Aiistia was very confused. "Shoes? What shoes?"

"My sister's shoes, Ozdammit! That stupid little brat took a dead woman's shoes like a savage! And I won't accept that!"

"Lukas said you were a bit off your chain," Aiistia mumbled.

"What?!"

"Are the shoes magical?" Aiistia asked, trying to redeem herself.

"Yes," Faba said curtly. "I enchanted them so Nessa could walk. I don't know if they can do anything else."

The pieces were starting to come together for Aiistia. "Sooo … you're going all wiggy on a ten year old … for a pair of shoes?"

Faba gave one nod. "Yep."

"Wow." Aiistia shook her head in disbelief. "Look, Faba-…"

"What?! 'Look, Faba, I'm sorry that your lover was brutally murdered, but really, it'll get better, I promise!' Skip it."

"But Faba-…"

"Skip it!" Faba conjured up a cloud of smoke, forcing Aiistia to walk outside the castle. Faba slammed the door behind her. "And stay the hell away from me."

Not long after that, Faba decided that she finally had the energy to go out and find the girl. She was going to see the Wizard, Faba knew, so that meant that she was most likely following the Yellow Brick Road. After about two days of flying, Faba stopped to rest for the night in an abandoned house in western Munchkinland. The next morning, she awoke late, and she heard some voices outside the house. She crept out the back door, and immediately recognized one of the voices. That girl. Dorothy.

"Oh, Tin Man, it must be awful not to have a heart!" Dorothy exclaimed.

"Well, it was all due to that horrible Wicked Witch," the Tin Man said. Suddenly, Faba realized she recognized that voice too. Boq! "She gave me this awful tin body too."

"Oh dear," Dorothy said sympathetically. But then she seemed to perk up. "Hey, the Scarecrow and I were just wondering if you might like to come to the Emerald City with us to see if the Wizard could give you a heart."

"Well … what if he didn't give me one when we got there?"

"Oh, but he will! He must! You never know until you try, and we've come such a long way already!"

At this, Faba could no longer take it. She flew up on top of the house, and conjured up another cloud of smoke to make it look like she had appeared out of it. "You call that long?!" she sneered in a voice she herself didn't recognize. "Why, you've just begun! So many turns to take, so many possible wrong turns!" She turned to Dorothy's two companions: Boq, and a talking scarecrow. "Helping the little lady along her dangerous path, my fine gentlemen? Well, stay away from her! Or I'll stuff a mattress with you!"

The Scarecrow's eyes widened in shock at her threat.

"And you!" Faba yelled, pointing at Boq. "I'll use you for a beehive! Hey Scarecrow, wanna play ball?!" And she cackled madly as he ducked to avoid the fireball she sent his way. Then, satisfied that she had terrified them enough, Faba made her way back to Kiamo Ko. To sleep. Possibly for a year.

As Dorothy went down the Yellow Brick Road, Faba did everything within her power to stop her. But, somebody always seemed to help the girl, somebody who was probably Madam Morrible. Sigh. Even Faba's deadly poppy field was sabotaged by snow. But then, the lucky little brat and her three idiots (yes, she had three friends now; a Lion had joined the brigade) actually got in to see the Wizard, and he actually agreed to give them what they wanted! But of course, he "asked" for something in return. He wanted Dorothy and her friends to kill Faba, and bring him back her broomstick as proof. Of course, this didn't worry Faba in the least. No, this only made her job easier.

As she watched her four merry assassins through her crystal ball, Faba couldn't help but reflect on her life. After all, there was always the off chance that Dorothy would actually manage to kill her. If that happened, maybe it wouldn't be so bad. What did Faba actually contribute to the world? She had cared for Nessa, who now lay squashed under a house. She had helped Doctor Dillimond, who was now caged and silent. And she had known Fiyero. She had loved Fiyero, and she had enjoyed every minute of it, and would relive every minute of it given the chance.

But that was an old era, an era when people knew her as Elphaba, as Faba. That ship had sailed. Oz had managed to destroy her reputation, her loved ones, and even her name. But of course, there was Lukas. There was always Lukas. She had failed him too, and their child. But no more thinking of that, she told herself sternly. After all, the Wicked Witch of the West wouldn't think about that, now would she? It was the dawn of a new era.

If we're always

Starting over

Every brand new morning,

Then we're always

Just awake

Every step we take.

And my love,

Our life is over,

But love, I'll make you one last vow:

To start over,

And over,

And over somehow.

My new life starts right

Now!

"Chistery," Faba said, turning to the Monkey at her side. "Lead your cronies into the forest, and bring me that girl and her dog. I want those shoes."

There you go, my pretties!

Thanks for reading!

Cheers,

Elle Dottore