"Teach me how to do magic!"
Elphaba looked up at Aella. Her assistant had gone under quite the transformation the past few months she had been there. She'd put on some weight and her face was round and her eyes were bright, her hair had a shine to it, and she was getting healthier and stronger each day. She had a keen mind, too, and was curious and intuitive.
She still seemed to be afraid of everyone except Elphaba, which was an entirely new experience.
"Why do you want to learn?" Elphaba asked, unloading the carpet bag from their latest heist.
"So I can help," she said, pulling a large, silver platter out of the bag and placing it with the other serving platters in the vault. "You and Miss Galinda can get anywhere in the Vinkus within seconds. You with that smoke and Miss Galinda in her bubble. I hate those soldiers and I want to make them pay!"
"I'm not teaching you magic for revenge," said Elphaba. "This isn't about getting back at them, it's about making things better for others."
"I can't sleep easy knowing there are girls out there like me!" Aella insisted.
The second base they hit, they brought in two more maids and a manservant, all three taking on employment at Kiamo Ko so they could be kept an eye on. The two girls had that same look Aella had when she first came to the castle. The manservant was still asleep, the poor man was just exhausted.
Elphaba knew where Aella was coming from, but she didn't want to train someone just for her to take the place of the soldiers.
"I don't know," she sighed. "I can't make any promises. True all Ozians have the capacity to learn magic, but like any skill it's more difficult for some than others. You might be better off asking Galinda for basics."
"I want you to teach me," said Aella. "Oh, please, Miss Elphaba?"
"Witches are most powerful in threes," Fiyero reasoned.
Elphaba sighed and nodded. "Very well. We'll begin tomorrow."
The torches flickered with a signal of a visitor.
"I've got the rest of this," said Fiyero.
Elphaba nodded. "Don't forget your meeting with the head of city planning. Please, Fiyero, push for a proper planning for the expanded streets like a grid system or circles. Circles are nice."
"Well, I was just going to throw darts at a board and tell them to start plotting houses and businesses there," said Fiyero. "I was even going to suggest putting houses on the ground level and stores on the top floors. But I guess your idea is good, too."
Elphaba snorted and headed to the foyer. Keel, the Butler, was minding their visitor.
Aella squeaked and hid behind Elphaba.
Avaric was standing there with his hands in his pockets.
"Master Avaric," said Elphaba.
"Miss Elphaba," he said in a very polite and formal manner that just wasn't like him. He looked around her and just lit up, removing his hat and sweeping his fingers through his hair. "Miss Aella."
"Hello, Master Avaric," said Aella softly.
"What brings you to the castle?" Elphaba asked.
Avaric cleared his throat and straightened up.
"Well, I noticed back during New Years' Eve that a lot of your furniture was damaged," he said in that polite tone now tinged with importance. "Seems like you have a need for a carpenter."
Uh-huh.
"Well, I'm sure that Miss Galinda would have some ideas," said Elphaba nonchalantly. "She might insist we import the furniture."
"Feh! Workshops with a hundred carpenters!" said Avaric. "It wouldn't even be the style of the Vinkus and they wouldn't have any care of it."
Uh-huh.
"Tell you what," said Elphaba. "Why don't you go through the castle and make note of every piece of furniture that is damaged and in need of repair or replacing? Aella and I will be in the library. You may start there, I can give you a notepad and a pencil."
Avaric nodded eagerly and she wanted to laugh.
Elphaba led the way to the library and gave Avaric what she promised.
"Alright, Miss Aella," she said, going to the books on magic and selecting a thin book. "This one will tell us if you have any ability we can harness."
Aella took a deep breath and nodded.
When Avaric left the library, Elphaba brought Aella close and dropped her voice.
"Do you want me to send him away when he comes back?" she asked. "Or do I need to make a new title of Royal Carpenter?"
Aella blushed deeply and touched the wooden comb she wore in her hair every day.
"It… wouldn't be terrible if he was around more," said Aella. "He's very kind."
Well, he hadn't been as much of an ass of late. He hadn't given Lula the Flower Girl any trouble since Elphaba and Fiyero saved him from getting crushed by his furniture cart. She didn't care for him, but as long as he didn't give Aella any trouble then she would let him hang around.
That evening, Elphaba sat with Fiyero and Galinda to go over the plan for their next heist.
"Avaric is sweet on Aella," she announced.
Fiyero looked up. "Is that why he was wandering around the castle making a list of furniture we need replaced?"
"Mmmhm."
"I have been saying you need an upgrade," said Galinda. "But I was thinking of importing. I know places we can order it."
"Going local will support the economy," said Elphaba. "Besides, Avaric has changed a lot over the past few years. I can almost stand to have a conversation with him. And Aella is still terrified of everyone she interacts with, the only exceptions being me and apparently Avaric now, so I want to support that. It's important to have people you feel safe with."
"In my experience," said Galinda. "When a person likes someone else they want to find any excuse to be near them. I also find that men in particular just want to be useful."
Elphaba hummed and looked down at the map.
"I think for this one we need a diversion," she said, changing the subject. "It looks to be surrounded by water on most sides, so we should make it seem like we're making a frontal assault, but I'm sneaking in the back on my broom."
"With each base there will be more and more soldiers," said Galinda. "We'll need to be careful."
"We will," Elphaba assured her. "But it's sickening all they've stolen."
The plan was for next New Years Eve to give everyone a satchel of money. A census was in the process of being taken so they could. So much was stolen from the people not just from the soldiers but also from unchecked leaders who seemed to be suffering from Dragon Sickness.
And Galinda was all, "Elphie, you can't start an anarchy, you have to consider the bigger picture!"
Elphaba looked at the map once more, all the markings were of the bases the soldiers had. Once she knew what to look for, finding the others through her crystal ball was fairly easy.
Even so, she felt as if there was something missing. As if there was a base that was hidden from her sight.
"Fiyero, are there any other castles?" Elphaba asked.
"Lots of them," he said. "Want me to mark them?"
"Yes, please."
"You know if the soldiers run, I think we should let them," said Galinda. "If we back them into a corner too quickly they might strike before we're ready to fight back. Which means, Elphie, stop stealing their food and clothes."
Elphaba clicked her tongue.
"Fine," she said. "But I'm still freeing the people they enslaved."
"Of course," agreed Galinda.
They finalized the plan and decided on the time to act.
"Okay," said Elphaba. "I'm going to return these books to the library and then, I think, I shall retreat to my room for the night."
"Here," said Fiyero, picking up the books. "I'll walk you there."
It was silly. After all, it was all under the same roof, but Elphaba just nodded and bade Galinda goodnight.
"My shoulder has healed you know," said Elphaba.
"I know," Fiyero replied and continued to carry her books for her.
He was ridiculous. The things he did that used to irritate her now charmed her. It wasn't as if she had never loved in her life. She loved her sister and she knew once in her life she had loved her father, foolishly hoping if she behaved well enough he'd return it, but this? She acted like a complete goon some days, perking up like a puppy whenever Fiyero walked into the room or was even mentioned.
"Foolishness," she muttered, putting the books in their proper places.
"What'd I do?" he asked.
"Not you," she said, adjusting her ever-sliding glasses. "My thoughts. They are foolish."
"I doubt that," he said. "What are you thinking about?"
She found it difficult to lie to him, but she didn't have to tell the whole truth either.
"Love."
The book in his hand slid to the floor, the sound almost deafening in the silence. He quickly picked it up and jammed it onto the shelf.
"What about love?" he asked.
"Just… the way it makes people act," she sighed. "It's so… confusifying. Sometimes it seems nice, like Avaric willing to make furniture for a chance to be near Aella, or Jispa bringing her wife flowers at the end of each week. But then my father loved my mother so much that he locked everything of hers away after she died and refused to talk about her."
"Are you in love?" Fiyero asked.
Elphaba pursed her lips and looked away.
"Who is it?"
'You.'
"Is it Avaric?"
"Oz, no!" Elphaba scoffed. "Aella can have him."
Fiyero nodded. "But you're in love with someone, aren't you? Galinda said you had that look about you."
"You two discuss me often then?" said Elphaba cooly, her guard raising. "As I said, it's foolishness, I have more important things to worry about."
"Fae."
She faced him and made herself look into his candle-like eyes.
"Love isn't foolish," he said. "And if there is someone you're in love with, I'll cheer you on."
That hurt more than if he was angry about it and she couldn't fathom why.
"Fiyero…"
"Yes?"
The words wanted to fly free. She knew the longer she waited the more it would hurt. No sense dreaming longer than necessary.
"I just—" Say it. Say it now. "Why bother? Who would love me like that, looking the way I do?"
"Don't say that." He took her hand. "Only an idiot would see that as a problem."
"You had a problem with my appearance," she pointed out.
"Yeah, and I'm an idiot, what's your point?"
She snorted, then felt as if there was a weight behind her. It set her on edge. Eyes. Someone was watching them.
Elphaba looked over her shoulder.
The corridor seemed to fade away as a figure sharpened.
Someone was watching them.
"Baba?"
She jumped as Chistery burst in from behind a panel. His workbook was in his hand and his face was twisted with shame and desperation.
"Oh! It's just you," Elphaba laughed while the hidden figure looked on at them. "Did you leave your homework to the last minute again?"
Chistery cringed and nodded. Elphaba sighed.
"Alright," she said. "Let's go to the library and take a look. Don't cry about it. I'm neither mad nor disappointed, okay?"
"Okay," he said, still looking a little tearful.
Elphaba looked at Fiyero.
"I have some paperwork to do," he said and kissed her cheek. "If I don't see you, fresh dreams."
Elphaba nodded and headed back to the library with Chistery, the invisible being still watching. Watching as she went over the assignment. Watching as she brought Chistery to the kitchens to make him something warm and sweet to drink to calm him before bed. Watching as she offered him a story and him claiming he was too old for stories. Watching as he chased after her saying he could be too old for stories tomorrow. Watching as she read him two chapters. Watching as she kissed him on the head. Watching as she went to her tower and sat in front of her fire to read her book. Watching as she readied for bed.
Only when she laid down did it disappear.
Elphaba exhaled sharply and grabbed her crystal ball, focusing on Ione.
The woman was sitting alone. Elphaba waited and waited but she eventually went to bed as well.
Sighing softly, Elphaba laid on her side. After she was certain the presence was gone, she went to the library to find a spell to prevent someone from spying on her.
~o0o~
Fiyero stood with his back against Elphaba and Galinda's.
They had been expected. The vault was completely empty and now they were surrounded by soldiers.
"You've given us the run around for the last time," said Ione. "But I've had my fill of games. I will be taking back what you've stolen from me, and with you gone those pathetic villagers will have no hope left."
"Killing us won't kill their hope," said Galinda. "They have all the power they need to fight back against you! We just give them an extra leg to stand on."
"You're adorable," Ione sneered and snapped her fingers. "Tear them apart. I want them to suffer."
Galinda shimmered and shrank into a bubble, flitting out of the room. Elphaba raised her hands to drive back the soldiers, throwing spells to turn them into cats and frogs.
Fiyero swung his sword, thrown off-kilter by the slashes. He saw the gunmen raise their weapons and tackled Elphaba to the ground just as they went off.
"Run, Fae," he said. "I'll hold them off!"
"We'll see about that, Your Highness," said Ione, flicking the head of a match with her nail. She tossed it onto him and his body ignited.
He made a horrific screech and started running around into the soldiers, catching their hats and weapons on fire.
It didn't hurt, but fire was the only thing that made him feel discomfort. His insides wilted and his wooden frame popped and splintered. His head was engulfed, but it would take ages for a roaring fire like this to do damage.
Elphaba disappeared in a column of red smoke, her eyes wide and terrified. He would be alright, he always was.
"NO!" Ione roared and grabbed a sword.
Fiyero's body collapsed, the flames continued to lick and peel the flesh off his head. He glared up at Ione as she raised the sword.
"You will never win," he said and cackled wildly as she cleaved his face in two.
There was darkness and then he opened his eyes. The full moon was high, though the sky was lightening to purple as the sun crept closer to the horizon.
Elphaba was gazing down at him, her face illuminated by a lantern.
"Yero," she breathed and touched his cheek.
"Are you okay?" he asked. "Gal?"
"She's fine," said Elphaba. "She just wishes she could have taken Ione's ear."
"And you?"
She exhaled sharply and leaned over, pressing her forehead to his.
"I never get used to seeing you die," she said. "I'm always afraid that this one will be the last."
"Hey, don't worry about that," he said. "I'm here now. Tell me what I missed."
Bumble shoved her face around Elphaba and sniffed Fiyero.
"Yes, hello, I am back," he said.
Elphaba straightened up and put him back together, not saying anything.
"I forgot your clothes and straw," she said quietly.
"It's fine," said Fiyero, taking her hands. "Talk to me."
Bumble's glowing eyes stared them down.
"I think Ione has a witch on her side," said Elphaba softly. "Someone has been watching me for the past week, but I couldn't be sure if they were in league with the soldiers until we were blind-sided. I went to all of the remaining bases after escaping, the vaults are empty and I can't see where they moved it."
Fiyero stared at her.
"And you didn't tell us?" he said, letting go of her hands.
She pursed her lips and shook her head shamefully.
Fiyero sighed softly and drew her in. He wanted to be mad about it, but Galinda would scold her enough for the both of them.
"No one was hurt," he said. "So we can't keep doing our heists. We can still chip away at the soldiers, yeah? Work on training citizens to defend themselves and you and Galinda can keep training Aella. Three witches are better than one. And we can keep Kiamo Ko safe."
Elphaba leaned into him, her hands resting in her lap.
"I'm sorry."
"Don't worry about it," he said. "I'm here now and now we know, but please don't hide things. Okay? Is there anything else I need to know?"
"No. I've found a way to hide us from view but unfortunately they now know I can see them back and have been taking measures to only discuss their plans when their witch is with them."
Fiyero nodded and ran his fingers through her hair.
"We'll figure out a new plan," he said. "Together."
"Together," she whispered.