You might think that Elia was happy to be back would probably be accurate. If you were to think she might be nervous to be in Shiz would be understandable. If you might think that there might be a slight possibility that she's upset would also be an option. Something like this would give out multiple emotions to different people, whether from experience or personality wise.

But to answer how the Wicked Child of the Witch was feeling, being back at Shiz again, well… she wasn't exactly sure if what she was feeling was positive or negative.

Don't get her wrong, she was glad to be back and learning again. Maybe not as excited as Gelphine but grateful to continue her education. But her experience in Shiz was… not great. Not great at all. And Elia would prefer to not be reminded once again. Especially the shallow students who gossip and worry about status. Too bad she'll have to endure the shallowness once again.

Which was why she insisted on a private dorm to reside in and no roommates. Elia wasn't going to make the same mistake twice. Besides, the three of them needed a place to lay low and stay inconspicuous while also planning ahead without anyone knowing. And it wasn't like they were gonna stay in this timeline for long.

But unlike her previous college experience, Elia was going to do things differently. The not now green girl wasn't going to be the girl who was a fool to avoid and mind her own business like before. Rather, she'd be the girl to rise above. To gain more. To achieve.

What better way to gain followers than play the part of the person who provides attention, fame, guidance, and elusive allure? To play the part of the charming character that people can't help but be smitten about. To give guidance simply because people are too blind to see.

Though, Elia wishes she could show her true form while doing so. She loved her green fair skin and loved how it was a part of her. Though, selfish people don't really see it that way. They only think of it as disgusting. Maybe that's why people at school always seemed conflicted about her charm. Though, it always confuses the witch girl.

Afterall, Momsie always said that she looked heavenly adorable cause she was green…

No, no, not going there.

Elia diverted her state of mind to something different to distract herself as walking around while unsuspecting students pass by without a care in the world was practically boring. Like for instance the all too giddy ghost sister of hers looking around with wide stars for pupils at the place that was education.

"You're looking at the architecture as if it was an art museum."

Gelphine turned her head and either way she was still excited about it all, "It's college, El! I'm actually in college! Isn't it just wonderful?"

Elia simply rolled her eyes affectionately, "Technically, I'm going to college."

The ghost girl sighed at the reminder. But it didn't stop her good mood. "But still, I'll actually get to be learning! What majors do you think they'll have? Oh! The library! What new and intriguing books might be there to explore?! Oh, just the rich history of this place sends me high. Do you think that there might be-"

The wicked girl, without uncertainty, droned out her sister's long and boring rambles. Elia loved her sister for being passionate about learning, she really did like the flare in Gelphine's eyes at the challenge of knowledge. But sometimes it's a lot. She doesn't want to listen to a full blown explanation about the fundamentals of the learning experience.

Well, too bad Elia would be the only person to really hear Gelphine's passionate talks. A truly tragic fate which the Wicked girl placed upon her…

"El? Elia, you're doing it again."

"Huh?" Elia snapped out her daze and looked at Gelphine's worried gaze, "What again?"

The ghost girl's expression seemed to say that she wanted to point it out, a precise sibling worry that was putting away Gelphine's previous joy. But she just says "Nevermind…"

Okay…?

But still, Elia did have to admit that understands her sister's excitement of being here. Just with more nostalgia. She couldn't help but take in the deja vu of reliving her first day. The excited crowds of chattering students, the fresh breeze of new learning opportunities, Momsie's very loud and melodic singing voice. Everything just felt-

Wait… what…?

Like a dear startling at any sound, Elia immediately looked at the person singing a very symphonic solo. She was a blonde and seemed to be standing out the most in the crowd with not only her harmonious voice but also her fancy pink clothing. Mostly everyone was enchanted.

It was Galinda Upland of the Upper Uplands.

The most popular in all of Shiz.

Would one day be known as Glinda the Good Witch.

And more importantly to Elia and Gelphine than all of those titles, their overprotective and loving Momsie.

Elia's brown and unbelieving eyes almost felt wet. It felt as if she were a small child crying for their mommy. And in which in this case was exactly that. She wanted her Momsie. Oh so badly did she want her now.

It couldn't be… it shouldn't…

"... Momsie…?"

"Momsie…. No no, please-!"

"I'll always love you…"

"NO!"

The sounds of horrified gasp of screaming took the witch girl out of her petrified state of grieving memories that suffocated her head with fault by the shocked sounds that came from various students, including Galinda. To what was-

"What…?"

Elia inhaled a sharp breath at another familiar sound. If Galinda is here than-

"... Go…"

"El-"

"I said go already!"

Why… why why why why why why why why why why WHY-

Elia stopped herself from that train of thought. She'll get herself nowhere if she thinks like that. This wasn't the time to wallow in sorrows of the past. It was time to observe.

The witch girl glanced at her dead sister, wondering what she might be thinking. Gelphine was frozen in her transparent state as she was also floating still on the sight before her, eyes bulging wide with full of sadness and grieving of her own. If Gelphine was alive, she'd be crying tears by now that she wouldn't be able to hold in.

The sight that the sisters were seeing as well as the judgemental students of Shiz was in the form of a green skinned girl dressed in all black. With her round glasses and black hair that was formed into a braid. Not to mention striking green eyes.

Elphaba Thropp.

Would one day be known as the Wicked Witch of the West.

The most feared in all of Oz.

Who's been outcasted by many.

Elia and Gelphine's dear mother.

"Fine. Let's get this over with."

Elphaba turned her body around and the students from her line of sight backed away as if eying her would make her bite.

"No, I am not seasick."

That's stupid.

"No, I did not eat grass as a child."

That sounds even more stupid.

"And yes, I've always been green."

Damn right she is!

It was fairly amusing to Elia how the students kept their distance. Though, such fools they are to judge so quickly for the color of skin. If anything, being unique was amazing. Elia loved her verdigris and was sad she couldn't show it off. Why fit in when you can stand out? These students don't know better.

And sadly, momsie was once like them once upon a time.

"Well, I for one am… so sorry. That you have been forced to live with…" Galinda was contemplating on how to describe Elphaba's predicament, "This."

Gelphine knew the meaning of those words. They always made her blood boil when it was told to her. How they were sorry that she, someone with normal skin, had to live with family such as hers. She always hated it.

But hearing her momsie say it like that was making her disappointed. Whether young and naive or not.

Elphaba seemed just as done with the blonde woman as she was, "Is that so?"

To both of their dismay, Galinda didn't notice.

"Yes!" Galinda turned to the other students with a beaming smile of pride, "And it is my intention. To major in sorcery." she looked back at the green girl before her, "So if at some point, you wanted to address the um… problem."

"Problem…" Elphaba looks down.

The sisters knew it hurt their mother deep down. To see her verdigris as a problem. To see her as a problem. Elphaba was purely putting up a front.

Being unknowingly rude, Galinda smiles brightly as if she didn't just refer to Elphaba's skin as an issue to get rid of. "Perhaps I can help."

The fellow students clapped for her and complimented her for the goodness that she had just demonstrated as if she were some sort of saint. Only admiring Galinda's so-called good act and not once sympathizing who the act was for.

Gelphine gripped her knuckles so tightly that she just might have felt it. This wasn't something you can get rid of. And Elphaba's green skin color wasn't something to plainly overlook. It was a part of her. It is what made her unique. And for years and years, the green woman was always told throughout her life that who she was was a burden because people were cruel.

And Galinda was suggesting to get rid of something that was a part of her. Simply thinking of it as a cruel fate that can easily be gone and not thinking how it hurts to hear.

And to make it worse, Galinda made it all about her by posing in front of the shallow students of Shiz while flipping her hair as she bends her back a few times as she was taking pictures for the paparazzi.

To the foolish students it was eye catching and as they were aweing in delight and applauding for her.

To the people who were actually smart, it just looked weird as hell.

Elia was trying so hard not to laugh.

Gelphine diverted her attention elsewhere due to shame and embarrassment at her Momsie's antics.

Elphaba was just looking at the scene as she was bewildered and unamused.

"Offering to help someone that you don't know, with skills that you don't have. I'm sure that everyone is duly impressed." Oh, boy. Elphaba wasn't letting it slide. She's not impressed by Galinda's attempt to show good at all.

And Galinda was looking at Elphaba with a hint of annoyance placated with false smiles. She did not like Elphaba's comment and was silently seething inside.

And to the sisters, they can practically sense the tension in their veins. Goes to show when it comes to being related, I guess. You tend to notice things others don't see.

"I could care less what others think."

Elia and Gelphine knew that was a big lie if they ever heard one.

"Couldn't."

And here comes the corrections. One of the common ways to irritate someone.

And sadly for their momsie, mother was always better at grammar than her.

Galinda stared at her with her brow furrowing, "What?"

"You couldn't care less what other people think." Elphaba was thinking through her words and making sure it hit where it stings onto the blonde's ego, "Though I-... I doubt that."

The students murmur to themselves at the audacity of this mean green. To have the nerve of insulting Galinda of all people. They were wondering how cruel she was to even speak to her like that.

Galinda, sadly, was probably wondering the same thing.

Ignoring the grief stirring inside her, Elia couldn't help but be intrigued by all of this. She heard the story before. Multiple times. But witnessing it first hand was way better.

Boy did she wish she could have made popcorn earlier.

Gelphine was pinching her brow. This right here? This was where Elia's boldness came from.

Before another word could be spoken, a loud sound of an not so kind voice and a wheelchair rolling came into play.

"Elphaba! Elphaba Thropp!"

The students backed away to make way for the newcomers. One in a wheelchair and the other moving it into view with.

The young woman on the wheelchair was wearing a white buttoned green coat and gray skirt. She also had fair tan skin, black curly hair, and dark eyes. She seemed to have a displeased expression on her face for some reason.

The man moving the wheelchair seems to be pretty old with his white beard and hair. He also had a black top hat and black clothing attire. He seemed to be pissed off if his face was anything to go by and tried to hide it very poorly.

"This is my younger sister Nessarose." she walks over to them, "As you can see she's a very perfectly acceptable color."

Is that a good thing to say?… yeah, not.

Elia wanted to say to her mother so badly that she was also an acceptable color as well. That there was nothing wrong with being green and that it was something to admire. But desperately as she wanted, the witch girl couldn't blow her cover.

When she sees the man, Governor Thropp she assumes, he hisses at Elphaba. He was not pleased about his older daughter's sudden commotion.

The sisters never met the man but they already wanted him to plummet into a pit at first sight.

Not wanting to gaze upon the horrid man anymore than she had to, the hidden green girl placed her sight onto the pink blonde. She tried so hard not to laugh at her momsie's flabbergasted face. And to make it even more interesting, the look in her eyes told her that Galinda was not only confused but rather intrigued by the green girl and had a mixture of doubting complexion and a hint of curiosity.

And their mother, she was watching her sister being gifted their mother's shoes by a loving father who doesn't even care a single thing about his other daughter other than that she was a disgrace. But Elphaba was happy for her sister, like any other older sibling would.

They both were… young. So very young.

"Did… did that really just happen?" she hears her sister mutter, shocked about what had just occurred before.

After all, not everyone gets a chance to witness their parent's first meeting.

Elia, conflicted yet intrigued, only nodded. She wasn't sure if this was good to see them again or bad that she felt like crying for them. Both maybe?

They both just saw their parents. Their mothers. All young, healthy, and not dead. Not even a single hint of the cruel life they had to endure. They… have no idea what's in store for them in the future.

The wicked child, pretend as she might no matter how much she hated it:

She felt like crying like when she was young again.

They both didn't say anything once Elia got to her seat. They didn't utter a single thing about what had happened back there. Reason being that talking about it in public would make them upset and it'd be weird to see someone talking to thin air.

Corvyn was on stage with the animal staff of Shiz. After talking with Professor Dillamond, he notices the expressionless face of his long term friend and ally. He knew why she was like that. With a green girl shifting to the crowd and a noticeable pink blonde at the seats, of course she'd be stuck in her own head.

Gelphine, once happy mood changed to sorrow, looked at Galinda who had so much anticipation and content for her year at Shiz. The sight only made her more sad. So instead she looked at her sister.

Elia was in a daze again. But not a good one. She's way in over her head with everything going on and what would go on. Now that her parents, younger and having no idea, are here then it would mean they'll be getting involved.

The witch girl should have anticipated this. Should have predicted this. Should have been prepared for this.

But perhaps… she might've. But… just the thought of them made her hold gallons of salty tears.

But… they're not the people they grew up with. Not yet at least. Only who they once were. Who never experienced what they'll experience soon. Who never… experience the truth yet.

They're not their parents… not yet at least. But still…

"You know, except for our wonderful wizard-"

Oh right… Him.

Elia can't seem to get rid of him. He never met him but the stories of how much of a hard time for her mother when being chased… not to mention the fraud he was… and to make matters worse is that his picture was even in the architecture in front of her.

'Oh, if he was here…. I'd be pummeling him to the ground until he stays there permanently.'

Elia sucked in her breath. Pupils dilated at her earlier thoughts.

'Oh no…. Not again… not here…'

And to make matters worse:

"... Madame Morrible!"

…. Fuck….

Walking down to the stage with all the clapping and adoring students was her. Not yet to be old and shriveled. The woman that caused hell. The woman conspiring with the fraud. The woman that took everything.

And on stage right now she was. Horrendible Morrible. A powerful sorceress yet cruel human being. Powerful yet a woman of lies and false kindness.

And to Elia's endless rage, the bitch was being applauded and not feared. The woman was younger and more annoying. Not a single ounce of Elia's meddling etched her face. She didn't have a care in that evil head of hers.

She can't believe she's suggesting this horrid thought but… she likes old hag Morrible better than this.

'Why isn't she gone!? Why is she still here?! She needs to be gone! She needs to be dead! She needs to suffer! SHE NEEDS TO DIE!'

You have got to be kidding…

With all that was happening, her hands seemed to spark up something. Her hands were burning for her fury. Obeying it. Commanded to spark flames.

Her magic….

No no nonono-

"El."

Elia looked at her sister, ignoring everything going on and not listening to a single thing that damn bitch was saying. Gelphine knew she wanted her gone. But her expression and eyes told her that it's not the right time. Not the time to act now. Not the time to act like a child and start a tantrum.

Elia knew she was right.

The bitch will get her karma. Soon she'd face trial for all that she had done. Not now…

But soon.

Once the two of them calmed down, they noticed that the students were already out searching for their dorm room numbers. They got up and-

Elia sees the sight of Galinda walking over to Morrible. The sight sets off a lot of alarms.

'GET AWAY… GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM HER…'

Nope. Deep breath in. And then deep breath out. Don't fuck this up.

Can't afford to fuck it all up again.

To the witch girl's relief, Morrible was already done with her and was immediately picking up her pace to get away from the blonde for her. Elia didn't know if she should be happy that the bitch was not around her momsie or pissed off that she discarded Galinda like she was nothing. Both?

Either way, at least Galinda is not within Morrible's proximity because the longer she was around her, the more she wanted to tear the bitch apart.

Galinda's hopeful and unaware face was not helping her aching heart at all, either.

But hey, at least the voices were gone. Now all she had to do was get her dorm room number (Even though she has a private dorm, she still can't remember where it was. Such things seem menial to her) and get the fuck out of here without doing something she'll regret big time. The longer she stayed, the more they'd come before she could do something about it.

It's much more worse considering everyone she knew was here.

Without hesitance, she took her chance to walk to the list of dorms spread neatly organized with Gelphine hastingly tagging along. Elia needed to be quick and it was a blessing to her that she was excellent in skimming.

'No… no… c'mon…. There!'

On the list, it says "Elia Aurelia". It was a good thing Corvyn was the one to suggest the idea of using her middle name as her last name cause it's much more easier to remember.

Though, Her good mood was already gone the moment she heard her mother's voice from the distance as if on sudden instinct. Not in a bad way but-

"STOP!"

Everything around them stopped. As if time bended it's will for her. Funny since it was Elia that was able to do just that.

"LET HER GO!"

The sisters haven't heard their mother this desperate since she held her wife's bloodied body in her arms.

Chaos erupted the school campus.

Room keys were chiming as they pointed up.

The rustling of leaves became rapid.

Books floated in the air.

Branches begin to take to the sky.

Benches were moving desperately.

Trees were bending unnaturally.

The students were screaming.

The sounds of her family crying in agony.

CRACK!*

Elia can't tell if that was the sound of thunder or the part of the school architecture being smashed.

Gelphine stare out in fear. Not of her mother. No, the events that were happening. But deep down in her ghostly form, she was just tired.

There were only two times in their life when they witnessed their mother's magic going haywire and out of control. The first was when Glinda died. The second was when the Ozians started to accuse them.

But they never fear the magic's power.

An ordinary person would run in fear. But Elia wasn't ordinary at all. She didn't run nor hide from danger. It wasn't even the danger that made her freeze in place.

All she could think at this moment is if deja vu was a bad thing or not.

As the turmoil subsided and the benches surrounded the Thropp sisters, Nessarose looked at Elphaba with an upset and downcast face at what her older sister had just done. How it was her chance. Her new start.

Elia would think of her Nessa as selfish at that. The green woman just wanted to help. And this is what she got in return? For someone who was told all her life about her aunt, the hidden witch was already disappointed in the wheeled girl's first impression.

But she wasn't thinking that. She would, but not at the moment.

All the wicked child sees is her and Meadow arguing.

"Magic… is merely the mind's attempt to wrap itself around the impossible!"

Urgh, great…

To Elia's indignation, the bitch was still around, "Yes, that is me." said the puppeteer, throwing her arms up at the damaged display as she took the credit, "To prepare you to expect the unexpected here at Shiz."

The witch girl just scoffed to herself discreetly. As if Morrible could be capable of doing something this powerful. Only in her dreams. Better yet, nightmares.

Her smile and the student's awe while they applauded were only making her more angrier than possible.

'Kill…'

"And speaking," Morrible was approaching Elphaba now, "Of the unexpected."

Oh no…. Oh shit…

Her least favorite part.

"Which of you would volunteer? To share a room with-"

Galinda was intervening between them by tripping over the benches.

Okay, she just liked this part.

"Ow ow." Galinda got up from the ground and raised her hand, smiling enthusiastically while misinterpreting what the sorcerous was saying, "Madame Morrible, um…"

Morrible just smiles to which the sisters think fake, "Thank you dear, that is very good of you."

Galinda's own smile faltered, looking at the magic teacher in bewilderment, "What?"

Despite Morrible being present, Elia couldn't help but find her momsie's predicament that she landed herself in being all but too hilarious. It sure helped the witch girl's tense nerves.

"Miss?" Morrible addressed Elphaba, making Elia's stomach twist unpleasantly.

"Elphaba," the green woman answered.

"Elphaba," hearing Morrible say her mother's name just made her blood boil, "You can room with Miss Galinda."

That certainly gave both of her past parents a shocker. Galinda was starting to realize what she had done and Elphaba was already protesting but Morrible's idea was already made up as she turned to encourage the students to go.

Galinda and Elphaba were looking at each other, all awkward and distrustful of one another.

Though Morrible was still around, Gelphine couldn't help but smile at her mothers. Even though this was before her parents got along, she can't help but see them at this moment right now. To witness the start of their story that she so loved. The ghost looked at her sister, and gave her a deadpanned look as Elia was trying hard not to laugh at the newly two not-so-pleased roommates.

Though their good mood soon turned sour as Morrible turned around and said "And you. Come with me."

They knew what came next.

They hated it. Even more when Galinda became hopeful. And Elphaba had no idea.

No idea at all.

"Of course," an enthusiastic yet unaware Galinda replied, about to walk towards the bitch til Morrible raised her hand to stop.

"Not you."

Either way, whether it was either of them, both outcomes won't be good.

"You." The sorcerous teacher addressed Elphaba, much to not only Galinda's misfortune, but to the Upland-Thropp sister's overcoming grief and fear.

They hate this part so much.

As much as they wanted to stop it, Elphaba complied and walked with the woman. They couldn't do anything about it at all. They can't interfere with this. But it was just so hard. The more Morrible talked about how she'll teach Elphaba privately while wrapping arm around her, the more negative they both grew.

They could do no such thing to stop their mother from walking along with the horrendible old woman.

However, Gelphine's attention soon turned to Galinda once two of the students (They were Pfannee and Shenshen, Gelphine recalled. She never met them but Glinda often mentioned them a few times) who were worried about the blonde's shocked state aske what had happened.

"Something is… very wrong," Galinda was right about that, but that wasn't what she was talking about. Her composure was shaken as she said "I didn't get my way."

Gelphine's disappointment grew immensely at this. It got more worse once her disappointment turned to embarrassment once Pfannee and Shenshen were trying to carry her stiffen form while asking for a pastry. Just… why…?

Elia wasn't focussing on that. If she would, she'd be laughing her ass off. But she paying more close regard to the direction Morrible and Elphaba had taken off to.

Her dark thoughts kept swirling.

'No… no! You fool she was just there and you let her leave with-'

She needed to get out of here.

Immediately, the witch girl hastingly sprinted to her dorm room and ignored her sister's calling her name.

Elia wanted- no, needed to leave.

She needs it to go away.

Luckily, the path to her room wasn't that hard to locate as it turned out it was actually next to her mothers dorm. Right next to Galinda's, no longer, private suite.

As she was in front of the door, Elia was now rummaging through her pocket for the dorm key that she swiped on her way out. She was in such a rush that she jammed the key and slammed the door open.

Elia was already inside the bathroom and locked it as more thoughts consumed her head. And not good ones at all.

'Real pathetic to run, huh?'

The witch girl leaned to the sink. She was clutching onto the counter hard it hurt. It was dark and Elia didn't even pay much attention to turning on the lights. But somehow she could still see her reflection gazing back at her.

She hated how distressed the person on the other side was showing.

'What, too scared of the person you are?'

Elia was freaking shaking.

She didn't like this.

She didn't like any of this.

'Oh Elia. Always way in over your head.'

They're not right.

The voices are not right.

Elia keeps trying to say this to herself, begging to make it stop.

But she'll never escape.

Not anytime soon.

'You may say you're smart-'

Gelphine's saddened ghost-

Stop.

'And clever-'

Sonia's dancing-

Just stop.

'But really, you're still foolish just like everyone else.'

'Nothing you can do to change things.'

Alone… no one understands-

Shut up.

Shut the hell up!

'Mel always said you were a freak.'

Laughing-

Don't remind-

'And Meadow was right.'

Meadow's angry-

Stop, please-!

'No matter how smart you are-'

Her momsie's bright bloody smile-

Don't-

'Or clever you can be-'

Felici and Venrick's going to their deaths-

Shut-

'You can't save them.'

'They're gone.'

One big happy family-

Please, please-

'You'd always be a foolish-'

Liir smiling at his death-

Don't finish-

'Selfish-'

Her mother's hurt gaze-

No-

'C-'

Before the dark thoughts could even finish that sentence, Elia quickly pulled something out of her pocket, taking something small out from the inside and swallowing it up with a big gulp.

Slowly. The thoughts finally vanish. No more did they haunt. No more did they consume. No more visions of the past can claw their way to clutch her cruelly. She was finally free for only a moment.

Finally…

Elia can finally relax.

… but still…

It didn't stop her tears from flowing.

It didn't stop her from collapsing to the porcelain floor.

Elia can't help but cry her heart out. Can't help but miss it all. Can't help but be reminded of how much she failed.

She was always strong.

Always play out her cards.

Always setting the stage.

But deep down, she felt hopeless.

She felt like a failure.

She felt grief.

She felt foolish.

She felt like she could break down at any moment. Yet still hide it all.

She was a good performer.

But worse… Elia felt like a child.

She felt like a child for wanting to run to her mothers arms and cry, wishing to never let go.

She felt like wanting anything more than to have playful banter with her siblings.

She felt like messing around with her friends, enjoying the amusement in it.

She felt like wanting to take in the fresh air and not having a single care in the world, to take release in freedom.

She felt like wanting to be a girl in love. A girl wanting nothing more than to say sweet things for her girlfriend. To want to go on dates, do nice things, and sing loving songs to the love of her life.

But… she can't.

It's all gone. It all slipped away from her hands.

Elia felt useless. Sitting there, letting go of that pill bottle. Useless in not knowing what to do. Not knowing how to deal with… everything.

She hates it… hates it all.

And… All she could do at this moment was cry.

Like a child.