Part 1: A New Time
As the Dragon clock ticks by and another year begins,
new friendships, new bonds and new experiences bring greater grins.
While not everything is as it seems,
soon there will be more than following one's dreams...
Chapter 1: New Year.
Elphaba could hardly contain her excitement. It was going to be a new year at Shiz University. New classes, new spells, new experiences, new abilities, it was all waiting for her. The world of Oz was her oyster.
It felt so amazing, and the young woman wondered how she got so lucky. Her whole life had been nothing but hardships, but ever since escaping from her life at home and going to Shiz, it had improved so much. Perhaps those powers were a gift, not a curse. It got her enrolled in the school and in turn, this led to her making friends and feeling normal. Like every other student. Yes, she stood out because of her green skin, but ever since finding a social group and a best friend, she learned that standing out wasn't always a bad thing.
She could hardly wait to see Galinda, her best friend again. The two had kept in touch over the summer via letters. Galinda had gone to France with her parents for the summer with special permission from the Wizard. It was a once-in-a-lifetime trip. Galinda offered her best friend the opportunity to go, but Elphaba was doing a summer program with Dr. Dillamond about teaching animals to speak fluent Spanish and couldn't. The two girls shared their experiences via letters and were looking forward to seeing one another in person again and being roommates.
But most of all, Elphaba could not wait to see Fiyero again. The young prince had secretly professed his love to her last year, and while she was hesitant, she admitted her feelings for him too. He was still a bit obnoxious, a little clueless and an endless flirt, but he still made her feel special and like any other girl. Last year, she'd learned that the spoiled prince was not what he seemed and the two had grown close. Elphaba had even shared her first kiss with him. She was also tutoring him and kept him from getting kicked out of another school. While it was still a sore spot between her and Galinda, her best friend was doing her best to be mature and accept that Fiyero liked someone else.
Elphaba sat in her room decorated with Shiz University posters and wrote down the list of new things she would need for the upcoming year. She had her suitcase packed weeks in advance and piled as many books as possible into her carry-on. She was looking forward to Year Two of Madame Morrible's classes, creating things out of thin air and more difficult levitation spells. She had spent most of the summer reading up on how to do this but wasn't having much success. She hoped the private tutoring sessions would continue and allow her to focus. She had also practiced everything that she learned the previous year. The magical potential she had was very strong and control was key if she wanted to be treated normally, but also with respect. She knew that her green skin always made her stand out, but slowly, with Galinda and Fiyero's help, she was becoming accepted by her peers. It was comfort for the way she had been treated throughout her childhood that she was just another student. She could stand out a little, but also be like every other girl.
The lights around her constantly flickered as her excitement grew. Her record player also sprang to life and played her favourite song. Elphaba packs the list of required textbooks as well as the green bottle that belonged to her mother in her packing case. She lays back on her bed and smiles.
"This year is going to be amazing," she says to herself.
Her biggest hope was that there would be a field trip to the Emerald City. She was asked by the student council to try and organize a trip to the famed city and visit the Emerald Palace. There was so much to see there. But most of all, Elphaba wanted to meet the Wizard. Oz the Great and Terrible. She would die happy knowing that she could shake the Wizard's hand. Elphaba had had many dreams about meeting the great sorcerer and working alongside of him. She knew that the classes with Madame Morrible were a step in the right direction, hoping her powers would one day be noticed. She had worked to fulfill the student council's request and even begged her father to provide some funding so her class could go, but he has said no multiple times.
It doesn't surprise her that much anyway, her sister has always been the favourite child, mostly due to her sister's non-green complexion. Her green skin has made her horrendous for her father to look at. His attitude has changed slightly with her being top of her class at the end of the last school year and being an intern for Dr. Dillamond, but his attention is always on Nessarose, Elphaba was merely a caretaker to her sister. She has tried to get Nessarose to get her father to hand over the money but with little luck. Elphaba has decided to raise the money herself, in any way possible.
There's a knock at the door. Nessarose, Elphaba's younger sister rolls into her room in a wheelchair, which had confined her since she was born.
"Elphie?" Nessa says.
"What's up, Nessa?" Elphaba asks.
"Can you please calm down a bit? Your light flickering and music is scaring Finnick."
Finnick was Nessa's new kitten that she was bringing to Shiz. A gift from their father for completing her first year at the university. She was hoping that Boq, her beloved boyfriend would help her raise it and they would be like a little family. Boq was Nessarose's sweetheart. He was part Munchkin but very well-mannered and pleasant. He is quite shy and not very self-confident. He originally had a large crush on Galinda, but Galinda's feelings were not the same. After making her feelings clear, Elphaba's roommate had set the two up on a blind date. The two bonded and have been together ever since. She knows that Nessa is more invested in the relationship than Boq is, but it is nice to see her sister happy.
The kitten was curled up in Nessie's lap, purring contently. The kitten had taken a liking to Elphaba as well, mostly because Elphaba snuck him table scraps, something her sister did not want for fear of spoiling the pet too much. The kitten mewed and dropped down by Nessarose's silver jewelled shoes, another gift from their father of course. Finnick wobbled over and rubbed himself against Elphaba. The girl reaches down and scratches the cat behind the ears.
"How excited are you?" Elphaba asks.
"Very," Nessarose says. "I'm hoping that I can get a new roommate this year. Madame Morrible and Headmistress Coddle were nice to help, but as always, I'm not a baby, I'm not fragile and I don't need twenty-four-hour attention. Are you sharing with Galinda again?"
"I hope so," Elphaba says earnestly. "She promised to bring home many French souvenirs and new ideas for decorating the room."
"Just make sure you still have a bed," Nessa points out. "The girl has more cases than half of the professors last year."
"I'll make sure of it," Elphaba says. "She knows better than to take over the entire room now."
"I wish I could go to France" Nessa sighs. She glances at the volumes stacked on Elphaba's desk of different places not just in Oz but also beyond it.
"Anyone would, but we haven't seen all of Oz yet to even consider that."
"It is said that France is not as civilized as Oz is," Nessa says. "Magic doesn't really exist there."
"That's very sad," Elphaba says. "How can a world function without magic, let alone a wizard?"
"I don't know," Nessie says quietly, she then beckons for Finnick to come to her.
"Are you all packed then?" Elphaba asks, changing the subject.
"Yes, the maids helped me do it. I have a new dress I can't wait to show Boq tomorrow." Her sister squeals. Sometimes Nessa sounds a lot like Galinda.
"Well, it's not like you haven't seen him all summer," Elphaba laughs and rolls her eyes.
"He was so busy on his uncle's farm," Nessa says. "It's why he couldn't visit, but I could." She had arranged several times for her to visit Boq. Nessa liked his family and the quaint farm life. "He says one day he might inherit it."
"So you'll want to live out on a farm?" Elphaba scoffs. Her sister had grown up in the most pampered and clean lifestyle ever known. She couldn't imagine Nessarose Thropp in overalls and digging in the dirt.
"I might!" Nessa snaps. "If it means Boq and I can be together. I like the countryside, it's so beautiful. And that will leave you to take father's job."
"You know father will not let me near the business." Elphaba sighs. "It was always meant to go to you. He never even considered me for being the Governor or any kind of leader."
"I know but it would be nice that when he retires the two of you would have something to talk about," Nessie says. "And Elphaba, you've always been born to be a leader."
"I don't want any of that anyway," Elphaba says. "I want to work in the Emerald City and the Wizard's Palace."
"I know!" Nessa says, rolling her eyes. "You've only talked about it one hundred times."
"Well, now it's one hundred and one." Elphaba grins. Her sister giggles.
A harsh voice comes from down stairs.
"Elphaba! Turn that music down, Nessarose needs her sleep for tomorrow!"
Elphaba rolls her eyes and turns the record player off. She can't even be near her sister without her father blaming her for something or treating Nessa like she was made of glass.
"Yes father."
"Now off to bed the both of you!" he calls. "You must catch the early train. I'm sorry I can't accompany you this year Nessa, but some important business has come up."
"It's fine Father," the younger sister says, rolling her eyes. She then does a fist pump so happy to not have her father hovering over her.
She then turns.
"Good night, Elphie," Nessa says, waving to her big sister.
"Good night, Nessie," Elphaba smiles and watches her little sister roll out of the room.
Elphaba finishes packing her suitcase and sits on her bags. She sighs gently and then gets ready for bed. As she brushes her hair in her small mirror, she looks at her emerald, green skin and ebony hair. She pulls her long, flowing hair back into a braid and pauses. She adds the pink flower that Galinda gave her to the end of her tail. Galinda's words echo in her head.
"Why Miss Elphaba, look at you…You're Beautiful."
She takes the flower out and removes her glasses.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. She thinks to herself. Although she tries to accept herself, it is hard sometimes to be so different from everyone else. Her peers tolerate her mostly because of her friend group and no matter how hard Galinda tries, she can't change her skin or who she is.
Elphaba sighs and climbs into bed with one of her favourite books.
"This new year is going to be different!" Elphaba says to herself. "How? I'm not sure, but something big is going to happen..."
She turns the page of her story.
"I just know it!"
A/N: Please follow and review.