Chapter 5

"You changed my life, you know that?"

Elphaba scoffed every time Fiyero told her that since leaving Oz.

"I think that's fairly obvious, Yero," she'd typically responded, gesturing to his straw stuffed body.

But in those early days of him being human again, Fiyero had stopped letting that retort fly.

"I'm serious, Fae," he insisted, pulling her into a seated position. "You have no idea what my life was like before I met you."

Elphaba scoffed again. "All of Oz knows what your life was like, Mr Scandalacious."

Fiyero merely poked her lightly in the ribs. "Elphaba, come on. I'm trying to be serious here and explain it so you get it."

Elphaba straightened and turned to face him, sitting cross-legged across from him on the bed. "Okay, I'm listening. Tell me."

Fiyero reached over and entwined their hands, looking down at the contrast between green and tan rather than her face. He opened and closed his mouth several times without uttering a word before he finally spoke.

"I… I was born into all this privilege, and I took it for granted. I abused the perks of that life because I didn't want the power. And I wasn't a total idiot, you know. I knew the good it could do, I watched my parents try and do it every day. But my family tree is full of stories of those who tried and failed, or who weren't free to live their lives the way they wanted because some court of mostly rich, old, white guys disapproved of it."

He looked up at her solemnly. "I didn't want it, Fae. Any of it. You called me out on it, that day with the Lion. I wasn't happy," he reminded her. "I didn't want the responsibility of ruling a kingdom. I didn't want to have to listen to the opinions of some old lady about how I lived my life; who I don't know from a bar of soap, but who thinks she knows me just because she was standing outside the castle gates on the day I was born."

And Elphaba, who may not have been faced with the responsibility of ruling a kingdom, but knew a thing or two about strangers thinking they had a say in her life because she lived in the public eye… well, she sympathised.

"I didn't care about it, about any of it. Until I met you," Fiyero said simply. "After you were gone, even though I was next in line for the throne, it was the first time I felt like my life had meaning. I had a purpose- to find you, to try and protect you and the Animals, as much as I could from the inside."

Elphaba's cheeks warmed and she averted her gaze. "You give me too much credit, Yero," she said and Fiyero shook his head.

"When I started at Shiz, there were polls saying that fifty-three percent of Vinkuns would rather we abolish the monarchy rather than have me on the throne," Fiyero said dryly and Elphaba winced.

Fiyero actually smiled and squeezed her hands. "Elphaba, you brought colour into my life- and don't look at me like that, I'm not making a joke. I'm serious. I know you think that you've ruined my life, but I promise you, you've made it better in more ways than I will ever be able to tell you."

Despite Fiyero's reassurances about how much she'd changed his life; Elphaba was almost positive about the scene she'd find when she opened her eyes. No doubt that Fiyero would be married, to some proper young woman that befit the role of princess and future queen of the Vinkus. Well-bred, beautiful, possibly titled or at the very least from a wealthy family. Definitely not green.

So when she opened her eyes and blinked away the remnants of the latest green flash, she was prepared for castles and grandeur. Her focus was directed on steeling herself for the sight of Fiyero as someone else's husband, to be the recipient of that smile Elphaba loved and always thought of as hers- the one where his eyes crinkled at the corner so that it almost felt like his eyes were reflecting light, and where his mouth curved softly in just the right way to bring out a dimple in one cheek. She'd never noticed the dimple until he was human again- burlap didn't dimple- and the first time she'd seen it after he'd been made human again; that had been what had broken her, made her crumble into tears, much to Fiyero's shock.

Elphaba was already musing over the best way to try and get close to Fiyero in this world, a world where he didn't know her, didn't love her. Wondering how close she'd be able to get; between his security and her own heart. It had taken her months on the run of daring to get close enough to Gale force patrols to risk a glimpse of him, before she could stand the idea of being able to see him but not touch of speak to him. Although it had never been him.

She wasn't sure if it was enough comfort to remember now that this wasn't her world, her Fiyero, and her Fiyero was currently (apparently, if she wasn't missing her own wedding right now) sleeping soundly and expecting to meet her at the altar in… a number of hours and minutes that Elphaba couldn't calculate right now, because she didn't know how time works when you're transported to an alternate reality by your guardian angel.

So Elphaba wasn't surprised when she found herself outside Werillah Ev, the main royal residence; a sight she recognised more from history books and paintings moreso than any time she'd spent in the Vinkus. She'd spent more time in the mountains and grasslands than any city until she'd taken refuge in Kiamo Ko.

"Do we just walk up and knock on the door?" Klehr asked innocently.

"I don't have a better idea," Elphaba admitted grimly, eyeing the castle warily.

She didn't think claiming to be an old classmate of Fiyero's would serve her well here, not if Fiyero had attended as many schools in this world as he had in theirs. And Elphaba knew if someone knocked on their door tomorrow and asked to see Fiyero as "an old classmate", she'd feel odd about it- she didn't want to cause drama between Fiyero and any romantic partner he may have. She didn't love it, but she didn't want to interfere with Fiyero's happiness.

"Maybe I can pass for Nessarose?" Elphaba mused aloud to Klehr as they approached. "Ask for an audience as the governor's daughter?"

"Possibly," Klehr agreed, rather unhelpfully.

There was a small crowd gathered near the castle entranceway, and Elphaba slowed her steps uncertainly.

"Are you here for the tour?" a middle-aged man called out to them, smiling kindly.

Elphaba seized upon the excuse gratefully. "Yes," she nodded quickly, stepping forward. "Sorry- are we late?"

"Just in time," the man reassured her, handing her two brochures. "We'll be starting in just a moment."

"I didn't know you could tour royal residences," Klehr exclaimed delightedly as Elphaba handed her one of the brochures.

Elphaba merely hummed, looking around at the other people in the group as she shoved the brochure into her bag without looking at it. Fiyero had told her many stories about how annoying it was once the castle was opened to the public in the summer months, including far too many stories of people from tour groups trying to get into his bedroom or bathroom for a chance to meet him. He'd managed to laugh over it, but Elphaba had been horrified over the idea.

"Welcome to this tour of Werillah Ev," the tour guide called out, beckoning them all closer. "Please don't dally, we have much to see and little time. You are welcome to take photographs, but please don't touch anything. Many of the items on display have replicas available for purchase in the gift shop-"

Elphaba's head turned sharply. Gift shop?

"-Which will look just as impressive in your homes without a story of being arrested for theft, I promise."

Some of the group laughed, but Elphaba just stared at him. Something wasn't sitting right.

"Shall we?"

The guide led them into the castle entrance hall, and gestured to a portrait hanging on the wall. "The last royals to live here were King Ibrahim and Queen Kasmira, until the revolution two and a half years ago. Of course, I don't need to tell you the history of it, but before the castle was opened to the public at the beginning of this year, it was refurnished to reflect the style and history of the generations of royals who ruled. This entrance hall, for example, is modelled after-"

Elphaba would never know which royal the entrance hall was modelled after in this universe; she was too busy focusing on blinking back the black spots that suddenly took over her vision as she fumbled for the brochure she'd neglected just a minute before.

She wasn't sure what she was hoping to find- 'A summary of Vinkun history in handy dots point form in case you've travelled to find yourself in this alternate universe'?; 'The Life and History of Prince Fiyero Tiggular in this universe'? But no, it was just a map of the castle and information on the daily tours. There was nothing that could give Elphaba answers to any of the million new questions she had just gained.

Ignoring the tour guide, she turned to Klehr. "What happened?" she demanded, her heart in her throat. "Where is he?"

Klehr hushed her gently. "Shh. I'd like to hear about the history of the tapestry," she said.

Elphaba clenched her jaw, her hands curled into fists at her side, crumpling the brochure unconsciously as the guide spent way too long talking about the tapestry on the wall before leading them onto the next room. Instead of following the group, Elphaba stood her ground and stared at Klehr.

"What. Happened?" she asked again.

"Oh, don't you want to finish the tour?" Klehr asked, and her smile faltered as Elphaba's eyes narrowed. "Or not."

Elphaba led the way from the castle, without any real idea of where she was going. She just knew she couldn't be here right now. She strode down the long drive, her steps finally faltering as she turned to stare back up at the castle.

"There was a revolution?" she asked hoarsely, her heart in her throat. "Why?"

"Why do you think?"

Elphaba shook her head weakly, not looking at Klehr. She'd never met Fiyero's parents in their world, but she knew the way Fiyero spoke of them. She knew their reputation, both in the press and from the little contact her father had had with them throughout her life. They were well-respected monarchs, and Fiyero had always described them as loving parents.

"They were far too patient with me- more than I would have been, I think," he'd told her ruefully, shortly after leaving Oz when Elphaba had dared to ask about them. "No matter how much trouble I got into, they never gave up on me."

But then another conversation came back to her and Elphaba swallowed. "Yero once said… there were a lot of people who didn't want him to be king," she said thickly.

She didn't need Klehr to fill in some of the gaps from there. "Fiyero said he grew up after the Lion Cub. After I was gone. And if I don't exist…"

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, her shoulders sagging. "Will you tell me what happened or do I need to go find a library?" she asked Klehr.

"I can tell you," Klehr said quietly. "But I think perhaps we should sit first," she said, her tone laced with concern as she studied Elphaba.

Elphaba didn't know what her face was doing, but if it reflected a fraction of the dread and worry she was feeling internally, she couldn't fault Klehr. Sitting down seemed like a very good idea. She nodded and allowed Klehr to lead her back towards the castle and through the grounds until they were in a small courtyard that appeared deserted. Elphaba sat herself on the closest surface and waited expectantly, her stomach churning.

"Fiyero came to Shiz," Elphaba pressed when Klehr said nothing, figuring that was the best place to start. The diverging point between the world she knew and this one.

"Yes," Klehr confirmed. "He came to Shiz, he and Galinda dated for five weeks and two days before Galinda ended it."

That may have been one of the most surprising things Elphaba had heard since first meeting Klehr.

"I'm sorry- Galinda ended it?" she said incredulously, thinking back to Galinda's declaration that she and Fiyero would be married within hours of their meeting. "Why?"

Klehr chuckled, much to Elphaba's bemusement. "Oh, there were a few contributing factors. Namely that Galinda's grand visions of being a princess didn't quite match up with the reality of living with Fiyero's 'scandalacious' reputation. Also, her parents weren't quite as enthusiastic about the match as Galinda hoped they would be. And of course, Fiyero got expelled after five weeks."

That all made sense to Elphaba. Even in her world, the time between Galinda meeting Fiyero and the Lion Cub had been filled with Galinda complaining about Fiyero's long-engrained habits of skipping class to nurse a hangover and being just as happy to spend nights at the local pub as at The OzDust, which in Galinda's mind, rather interfered with him being able to fulfill his role as half of Shiz's "It" couple. This, as far as Elphaba had been able to figure out, mostly involved Fiyero visibly doting on Galinda while she hung off his arm beaming and looking fashionable to ensure they were the envy of everyone else on campus. At least she'd gotten her wish in the end once they'd been under Morrible's influence.

Elphaba supposed without Fiyero being motivated to play along to find her, and without Galinda's reputation under threat from Morrible and the Wizard, the relationship had been doomed from the beginning. Which, oddly made Elphaba feel a little better; despite Fiyero having told her many times in the past two years that he and Galinda's relationship would not have survived if Elphaba hadn't gone to the Emerald City- with or without the Lion Cub.

And while Frex's disapproval of Fiyero (and she had no doubt that he would have disapproved) wouldn't have meant anything to Elphaba; Galinda actually liked her parents and cared about what they thought about her relationships. If they had disapproved of Fiyero- most likely because of his reputation- Fiyero would have lost a little of his shine in Galinda's eyes. And as for the last…

"Fiyero got expelled, and Galinda broke up with him two days later?"

"She didn't think she had the fortitude to sustain a long-distance relationship," Klehr said simply, and Elphaba- for a moment- almost smiled. She could almost hear Galinda say the words to Fiyero, trying to let him down kindly.

"Why did he get expelled?" Elphaba asked instead.

"Apparently universities would prefer you to actually attend classes and submit work regularly if you want to be given a diploma."

That sounded about right. "Okay, but how does that lead to a revolution?" she stressed.

Klehr chuckled. "Oh, my dear. No, it wasn't another expulsion that led to the revolution. Although that surely didn't help. You surely know that there is never just one thing that leads to these kinds of events. Tell me, are you familiar with the Steel family?"

Elphaba's nose scrunched as she racked her brain through her knowledge of Vinkun history. "Vaguely… the king had an illegitimate daughter and passed the throne to her, and some people felt it should have gone to his aunt or cousin instead. There was a rebellion that got quashed- but that was centuries ago. Like, the 1200s or something."

"Yes," Klehr said. "However, the descendants of the Steel family still exist and there is always some who claim they are the rightful rulers. Then a historian found the king's will from 1213 which left the throne to his cousin Orpha Craven-Steel and not his daughter Nelinha. That threw quite a spanner in the works, let me tell you. Parliament were trying to verify the will and find the copy of the will that was used after King Remao's death in 1216 that named Nelinha his heir. Throw in a recession and a cost of living crisis shortly after Fiyero's expulsion from Shiz, and some… inappropriate behaviour on his part when he returned to the Vinkus, and things got very dark very fast I'm afraid."

Elphaba winced. "They didn't trust Fiyero to rule," she said.

"No. There was much innuendo and outuendo, and some external factors beyond the control of Fiyero or his parents. After a few months of unrest, King Ibrahim decreed that there would be a referendum. And if the people decreed it, he would step down."

The knot in Elphaba's chest eased somewhat. "So, it was a peaceful revolution?"

"Relatively, yes."

"Nothing like the Glikkun revolution in 1811?" Elphaba pressed.

"No," Klehr reassured her, and Elphaba let out a sigh of relief.

She'd read about the Glikkun revolution when she'd been eight years old, and the horror stories she'd heard had never really left her. Since the moment Elphaba had heard the word 'revolution', she'd been picturing nothing but riots, flames and public executions.

"The referendum passed with seventy-six percent of the vote to dissolve the monarchy."

"What about the family who said they were the rightful heirs?" Elphaba asked.

Klehr laughed. "Oh, it turned out the people didn't want them in charge either, when it came down to it. They much preferred the option to just manage themselves. Probably just as well- a year ago they finally found King Remao's last will that did name his daughter as the heir. I think that was what gave the people the push to think more fondly on the monarchy and decide to open the castle up for tourists."

Elphaba didn't really care about that just now though. "So, where's Fiyero and his parents?" she demanded. "What happened to them?"

Klehr's face sobered, which erased any trace of relief Elphaba had felt just a moment ago.

"Ah. Well, Ibrahim and Kasmira moved to Ev. They have friends and distant relatives there, and there were plenty of Vinkuns who were more than glad to be rid of the monarchy and not inclined to make them feel welcome as commoners, you see."

"And Fiyero?"

"Refused to leave. The Vinkus is his home, you see. He refused to be chased out because people who thought they knew him simply because they watched him grow up in the public eye, had now decided that he wasn't worthy of their time."

Elphaba swept to her feet in a rush, her heart humming in her chest as it beat rapidly. "So, he's still here? Where?" she asked eagerly.

Klehr smiled sadly, offering Elphaba a hand silently. This time Elphaba accepted it and the following flash of green willingly, almost eagerly.

"I know this place," Elphaba said in surprise once she'd opened her eyes and looked around.

"Oh?"

"It's near Kvon Altar," Elphaba said distractedly, still looking around. "There was an Animal camp around here… in my world."

She turned back to Klehr and found her walking down the street. Hastening after her, Elphaba opened her mouth to ask her- again- about Fiyero's whereabouts; until Klehr turned abruptly into a nearby lane and Elphaba came to a dead halt as the sea of stone stretching outwards to the horizon registered in her brain.

Her stomach lurched as it dropped to her feet like a stone and for a moment, the world swayed dangerously, going grey around the edges of her vision.

"No," she breathed.

Klehr touched her arm to steady her, but Elphaba jerked away from her kind touch. She almost fell forward in her blind rush down the lane and over the threshold of the cemetery. There was no way for her to be able to find what she was looking for among the endless rows of graves. There shouldn't have been, anyway. How could she?

But something- something- seemed to be drawing Elphaba forward to weave between graves, her skirt snagging on the thorns of an overgrown rosebush that marked one grave, forcing her to catch herself on a towering stone angel that marked another; until finally, somehow, she fell to her knees before a singular headstone that lay bare- no flowers, no tributes. So overgrown that only the name was visible.

Fiyero Tiggular

With trembling hands, Elphaba reached out to tear at the grass covering the rest of the headstone to reveal the rest of the epigraph.

Fiyero Tiggular

8 December 1911- 6 May 1938

The final date made Elphaba wheeze out a breath.

Time meant very little when you were a fugitive on the run without easy regular access to things like calendars, newspapers and clocks. But a few days after leaving Oz, she and Fiyero had begun to attempt to piece together a timeline, a picture of recent events and the dates would forevermore be ingrained in Elphaba's brain.

May sixth- the date of Nessa's death.

Also the date Fiyero had been hauled away to be tortured for the Gale Force and Elphaba had turned to the Grimmerie to save him.

In her world, according to Fiyero, it had been the day she saved him. Here, apparently- despite not existing- she had failed.

Later, a part of Elphaba would wonder if Fiyero- in any world no matter the circumstances- been meant to die on that date. It would be something she mused upon during small hours in the dead of the night when sleep eluded her, even as she gazed upon Fiyero's sleeping features lit by moonlight next to her. For years to come, the possibilities of other worlds, other lives and other versions of Fiyero all dying on this date, would haunt her. This would be another ghost she carried forward with her; one that forced her to break the promise she'd made herself to not hide from Fiyero, to share everything with him. She'd tell him a lot about this world. But not this. Never this.

This was a scene out of one of Elphaba's nightmares, one where she hadn't had the Grimmerie at hand and instead of saving Fiyero from torture, had been helpless to do anything but stumble across his beaten and broken body. Her chest and throat burned with bile and Elphaba choked it back. If this was another nightmare, she wanted to wake up now.

Klehr placed a hand on Elphaba's back gently, and Elphaba inhaled shakily as her vision blurred with tears.

"He was attacked by a group of men outside a nearby pub," Klehr told her quietly. "They recognised him, and blamed him for... well, many things. They were drunk, and angry and Fiyero tried to de-escalate the situation but…"

Elphaba brushed away a tear that spilled down her cheek. "Was he always meant to die so young?" she asked hoarsely.

Klehr sighed and moved so that she was more firmly settled on the ground next to Elphaba. "Elphaba, I didn't show you this to dwell on his death. It's not about that."

"Then what?" Elphaba snapped. "What is the point?"

"The point is to make you see the good you've done in the lives of those around you. Elphaba, meeting you gave Fiyero a purpose for the first time in his life. Something he could choose, not something he was born into. That is so important, I can't stress that enough. I don't want you to keep fixating on everything you think he's lost by being with you."

Elphaba scoffed derisively, shaking her head slightly. "It's not actually the comfort you think it is, you know," she said, rather harsher than she'd intended. "That I should be grateful for everything Fiyero went through- everything I've put him through, because at least he's alive?"

Klehr had the audacity to look surprised, like she hadn't anticipated Elphaba being anything but appreciative of her efforts.

"You could have brought me to a world where anything is different," Elphaba said, almost accusingly. "Or are you suggesting that if Fiyero had never been expelled from his first university; or if he'd fallen in love with Glinda; or if his father had died and he'd become king at any point before meeting me, we'd still be sitting in front of his grave right now?"

Klehr blinked, her mouth gaping slightly as she stared at Elphaba. "N-no," she stammered. "Of course not. It doesn't work like that."

"No," Elphaba agreed. "But that wouldn't serve your purpose, would it? It doesn't have much impact if I believe that everyone is better off in a world where I was never born, and then you take me to a world where everyone is just fine, right? This," she said, gesturing around them. "This is the worst-case scenario. This is my worst nightmare, and you've brought it to life right before I'm supposed to get married."

Elphaba looked back to where Fiyero's name was engraved on the tombstone, the letters blurred through her tear-filled eyes.

"How am I supposed to stand with him at the altar, promising 'until death do us part' with the image of his headstone right in front of me?" she demanded, pushing herself to her feet and backing out of Klehr's reach as she reached for her. "What's Glinda doing?"

Klehr stalled uncertainly. "What?"

"She's the only one we haven't seen yet, right?" Elphaba asked, brushing away a tear impatiently. "So, what horrible life have you concocted for her? How are you going to convince me that she's better off in a world where I ran off with her fiancé and let her think that I'm dead? What's the plan?"

Klehr looked hesitant for the first time since first appearing to Elphaba, wringing her hands together nervously as her gaze flickered upwards towards the sky and then back to Elphaba.

"They did warn me that you were likely to…"

She trailed off with a sigh, leaving Elphaba with no clues about who they were, or what she was apparently likely to do, or be. Klehr paused, then nodded rather absent-mindedly before she looked back to Elphaba.

"Take my hand," she said, extending it towards her.

Elphaba snorted, shaking her head incredulously.

"Elphaba," Klehr said quietly, waiting until Elphaba looked back at her. "Trust me. Please?"

Elphaba sniffed. She just wanted to go home, she was over this. She just wanted to see Fiyero, and be able to reassure herself by hearing his heart beat beneath her palm. But mostly, she just wanted to be away from his gravestone.

And for that reason alone, she took Klehr's hand and closed her eyes as the green light enveloped her, looking away from the sight of Fiyero's tomb.

AN. I don't really know what to say about this chapter. Except I'm sorry?