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ONE
Not that she would ever admit it, but Elphaba was distracted.
What she witnessed at the animal meeting, what she had learned from Doctor Dillamond, had settled like lead on her stomach. And it wasn't like she hadn't noticed the way people sometimes acted towards animals, but to have the confirmation that some had started to drive animals away, to forbid them to make their life just because they weren't human —because they were different—, was enough to fill her with dread.
How could they do that to beings like Doctor Dillamond? Like Dulcibear?
But honestly, was she that surprised about people distrusting others just for being different?
With her head troubled with all of those thoughts, it wasn't that strange that Elphaba didn't notice the horse on time.
By the time the sound of hooves hitting the ground reached her ears —and her brain processed what it meant—, she was left with just enough time to turn towards the sound. The dark coat of a horse was all she had a chance to see before it abruptly reared and stopped short. Elphaba tried to avoid the collision but just managed to turn her body the other way. Losing her balance, she tumbled to the ground and landed on her front, with the lantern she carried landing a few steps away.
Elphaba could hear two male voices speaking, talking about how neither of them had seen her. Did one of the voices belong to the horse? Shaking her head and trying to get her pulse back to a normal rhythm, Elphaba made the effort to get back up… just for her right ankle to throb in a painful way.
Great.
“Sorry miss, we didn't see you. You must have—” Rolling so she could face the brainless idiot trampling through the woods, Elphaba found herself in front of an extended hand and eyes that widened slightly at the look of green skin. Recovering quickly from the surprise, he continued “—blended with the foliage.”
Hilarious, Elphaba though. At least I hadn't heard that one before.
“Is this how you go through life? Just running amok and trampling anyone in your path?”
“No” he answered, dropping his hand at the tone of her voice but still kneeling in front of her. He seemed taken aback by her, although Elphaba couldn't be sure if it was for her tone or by all of her. The horse behind him started laughing, and he turned to shush it before facing Elphaba again. “No, sometimes I'm asleep.”
The expression on his face told her that he was trying to be funny, but Elphaba could only huff in indignation. First he nearly ran her over and now he was mocking her. Would her misfortunes ever end?
Making another effort, and ignoring the pain in her still throbbing ankle, Elphaba rose with as much dignity as she could muster, trying to keep her face blank. She must have failed spectacularly because before Elphaba could say anything, he held her by the arms and helped her the rest of the way.
“Were you hurt?” He questioned, something that sounded like concern lacing his voice. Elphaba dusted her skirt before facing him fully. Even standing, she had to tilt her head slightly backwards to see him in the eyes, which made her feel more at a disadvantage and didn't do anything to improve her already foul mood.
“I'm fine.” An outright lie but the day had been long —after three months filled with long days—, she was worried, in pain and tired. So although he had been pretty decent with her, trampling notwithstanding, she wasn't in the mood to be polite. “Ok, let's get this over with… No, I'm not seasick—”
“Neither am I.” He remarked quickly, but Elphaba ignored him.
“—I did not eat grass, as a child—”
“You didn't? I did.” With that retort, he moved slightly closer to her.
“—And yes, I've always been green.”
“And the defensiveness? Is that a recent development?” He added without missing a beat. Elphaba narrowed her eyes, humming thoughtfully. Smiling slightly and tilting his head, he waited for her answer, eyes still locked in hers.
She turned and began to walk away —more like limped, but with as much dignity as she could muster— towards the fallen lamp, intended to leave this irritating man and this awful event behind her.
“Wait! Let us give you a ride.” he offered, as Elphaba righted herself. At the deadpan look she threw at him, he continued “I don't know how far you have to go, but I have to be brainless to not notice you are hurt. And as it was mine and Feldspur's fault, the least we can do is give you a ride.”
What was she supposed to do? Beyond the irritation and wounded pride of being nearly trampled, Elphaba wasn't used to being the recipient of kindness without an ulterior motive or deceptive reason. And as much as the man in front of him was irritating —why was she still stuck on it?—, the offer was kind enough to set her on edge.
“If you don't take my offer, then we will have to follow you to make sure you don't get further hurt… So the only thing you'll accomplish is walking for nothing” He stated, a small grin on his face and hand stretched towards her. Rolling her eyes, Elphaba finally gave up and walked back towards him and the Horse, who snickered lightly when she ignored his companion's hand.
“Feldspur, isn't it?” Elphaba asked as she drew closer to the dark horse. The light of the lamp wasn't much, but she could notice the slight blue shine of his coat. The Animal assented, head slightly turned towards her. “You sure you don't mind?”
“Not at all miss. I'll be nice having someone else around beside Fiyero. He gets tiresome after a while.”
Fiyero, she thought as the aforementioned man scoffed in mock indignation before turning his full focus back to her.
“So… I didn't get your name.”
“I'm Elphaba.” She offered in curt tone, her body slightly tense at the attention he was paying her.
“Elphaba” He repeated, and the way he said her name gave her a slight jolt. No harshness, like when her father called her; nor demanding or annoyed, like her sister. The students at Shiz didn't use her name, for they never spoke directly to her. And when talking about her, they made sure to use any other words to refer to her —especially when Elphaba was within earshot. So the way Fiyero had said it, not spatted in disgust or filled with mock; but lightly, like trying it, took her by surprise.
“Do you need help getting on?”
“I am more than capable of getting on a horse on my own.” Elphaba remarked, a slight bite on her answer.
“I'm sure you are, but can you do it with a hurt ankle?” Was his immediate response, teasing her. He folded his arms over his chest, head tilting to the side, waiting for her response. And Elphaba knew he had her. Shoulders dropping in defeat, she turned her whole body to face him. Fiyero extended his arms, hands reaching for her waist but stopped short before touching her. “May I?”
Elphaba was surprised by the request for permission, but she nodded. The breath caught in her throat when he grabbed her waist with a firm grip. The hand not holding the lantern flew to his shoulder in an attempt to keep her balance and she noticed that no expression of aversion or repulsion appeared in his face at her touch, nor when he touched her. Fiyero set her gently on top of Feldspur, facing sideways, before mounting himself right behind her. And having never ridden a horse with another person riding with her —why would anyone?—, Elphaba was surprised by how close he was to her.
As Fiyero reached for the reins, with his arms surrounding her, her body tensed unconsciously at the lack of space between them. But if Fiyero noticed, he didn't comment on it. Instead, he asked.
“Where should we head to?”
“To Shiz University” Her answer drew a chuckle from Feldspur and an incredulous huff from Fiyero. “What is it?”
“Now, that's a coincidence.”
“Why? Wait… How do you know the way?” Elphaba wondered as the realization that they were in fact going in the right direction without her signaling the route.
“Because we were heading there ourselves” Fiyero's voice was filled with mirth as he answered her. “We were planning on arriving tomorrow morning but alas, the plan seems to have changed now. Right, Feldspur?”
“It's been a long ride and I won't complain. The sooner we arrive, the sooner I get to rest.” was the Horse response.
“What? Are you going to study at Shiz?”
“Why do you sound so surprised? Although studying is not what I have in mind, precisely.” Fiyero replied, a self-satisfied smile on his face. “This is just my parent's latest attempt to straighten me out or something. I'll just go ahead and have a good time.”
Elphaba couldn't relate to that. After all, she was lucky to be at Shiz. She had Madame Morrible to thank for convincing her father to allow her to stay. And Elphaba enjoyed her classes, even if they were the only enjoyable thing at Shiz. Those and the hope of better things to come if she did good.
“I'm sure you'll fit right in.” Was her muttered response.
She could feel his eyes studying her —he definitely wasn't one for paying too much attention when riding, wasn't he?— and it only made her more anxious. People rarely took the time to watch her. They simply saw green skin first and that was enough to repel them.
“What?” Elphaba snapped, when the weight of his eyes on her started to become too much. She had made a point to not look at him while on the horse, but she turned and leaned slightly back to face him properly, annoyed again by the height difference. He didn't avert his eyes, facing her glare head on. “Can you focus on the road so someone else doesn't get trampled tonight?”
“Feldspur is more than capable of taking us to Shiz without any guidance.” Fiyero replied but carried on with her wishes and turned his head back ahead.
“Yes, well… He surely looks more reliable than—”
“You definitely aren't a people person, are you?” He interrupted, a slight annoyance lacing his tone.
“Hard to be when people are immediately offended at the sight of you.” Shifting so she could face the road this time, Elphaba wasn't sure why she was explaining herself, but she didn't want to be overly rude to him when he could have easily left her to walk back on her own. It was her defense mechanism, to be sharp and sarcastic in response to the attitude of others. And it was hard to turn off when someone actually didn't treat her with aversion or malice, not that it had happened before that night. “Animals are less quick to judge purely based on others' appearances.”
Fiyero frowned, eyes drawn back to the girl in front of him, but he was unable to see her face, turned away from him as she was. He opened his mouth to ask her more but was interrupted by Feldspur.
“We are here.” Announced the Horse, as they made their way under the archway with the “Shiz University” sign and soon the dirt road wave way to cobblestone. Their path was deserted at that hour, although the sound of hundreds of students could be heard still coming from the nearby buildings. Elphaba wasn't sure how it was possible, but her body tensed even more as they approached the courtyard, apprehensiveness filling her at the thought of the other students seeing them. Fiyero felt as she stiffened and became worried, but as they made their way into the entrance Elphaba relaxed when it turned out the place was deserted.
Feldspur came to a stop in the middle of the courtyard, and she moved to get off but was stopped by Fiyero's hand on her shoulder. He dismounted first and before Elphaba could protest, he placed both of his hands on her waist and helped her to get down the Horse.
When her feet touched the ground, Elphaba tried to step back but found herself trapped in the space between his body and his Horse's. She raised her head to thank him but stopped herself when she found Fiyero staring at her, brow furrowed and head slightly tilted to one side as he studied her carefully. Words died in her mouth and the only thing she could feel was the heat of his hands still on her and his eyes sweeping over her face.
It was the sound of Feldspur clearing his throat that broke the silence and Fiyero took a step back, dropping his hands off her. Elphaba stepped aside as well, putting distance between the two of them.
“Can I walk you to your dorm—”
“No!” Elphaba quickly interrupted before he could finish his offer, making him jump slightly at the abruptness. She couldn't risk running into other students while accompanied by Fiyero, not when in a few hours he would become part of the student body. “I can manage on my own from here. Thank you… For the ride. Thank you too, Feldspur.”
Elphaba turned and made her escape before any of them could answer, leaving the courtyard and crossing the Quad as fast as she could. As she limped on her way to her dormitory, her ankle still throbbing slightly but less painfully than before, she ignored the jabs and whispers from those she met inside the building.
As a matter of fact, she barely heard them. She couldn't hear a thing besides the sound of her heart pounding on her ears. And the heat she felt on her face— well, Elphaba told herself it was just the rush of getting inside quickly.
TWO
Fiyero felt uneasy, although neither his body nor his face showed the feelings churning inside of him.
The way the guards had dragged Doctor Dillamond from the classroom was worrisome. As clueless as he was, or at least pretended to be, he wasn't blind. His best friend was a Horse for Oz's sake, and his parents had sent him to a lot of places around the country, so he had noticed how Animals were being marginalized.
But this has been too close for comfort.
As the new professor rolled in and lifted the fabric revealing a lion cub inside a “cage”, his attention shifted immediately from the Animal to the girl sitting next to his girlfriend. Elphaba's eyes were locked to the front of the classroom, her whole posture was rigid and body tense.
“If it is so good, why is he trembling?” Elphaba questioned, barely disguised anger coloring her tone. Her hands shook slightly, and as she tried to get them under control, her left hand closed around the bouquet of poppies.
“It's just happy to be here” was the man's answer. Fiyero couldn't help but scoff slightly at that. As he drowned about the perks of the cages and how they could be adapted to different kinds of animals, Fiyero kept glancing at Elphaba over Galinda's head. Her eyes were locked on the cub, but she didn't seem to be seeing him. And as she whispered, her voice sounded slightly far away.
“Can you imagine it? A world where Animals never learned to speak?” Turning towards him and Galinda, she looked him in the eyes for a second before focusing on the blond girl. “What are we going to do?”
“Sorry… We?” Was she really serious? Fiyero thought, confused. There were guards in the classroom and Animals were being restricted by law. What did she expect them to do?
“Someone has to do something!” Elphaba exclaimed, looking at them, as the bouquet of poppies still clutched in her hand hit the desk in front them. At once, dozens of flowers rose in the air and began to float around the classroom, spinning slowly while emitting a yellow dust that rained over everyone.
Fiyero looked around, mesmerized by the flowers. He knew Elphaba was studying sorcery, but it was the first time he had seen her powers. Awed at the scene taking place around them, it took him a moment to notice the students starting to drop asleep.
“What is happening?” Fiyero turned to look at Elphaba, but she looked as confused as him.
“I don't know… I got mad…” He felt a head hitting his shoulders and finally noticed that Galinda had fallen asleep with the rest. Laying her head gently on the desk, he saw that Boq and Nessa in the front row were asleep as well. In fact, everyone in the room was asleep. The new professor, the guards, and even the lion cub.
Everyone but Elphaba and himself.
This was their chance.
“Fiyero?” The green girl saw him jump out of his seat and rush to the front of the classroom, tinkering with the cage until it opened. “What are you doing?”
“Well, are you coming or not?” He challenged, amusement lacing his tone as he held the sleeping cub close to him and tried to cover him with his jacket. Elphaba rose from her seat, throwing her coat on and following him out of the classroom, leaving the poppies still floating all around behind them.
They peeked in the hallway, finding it deserted. Although everyone in the classroom was asleep, it didn't mean everyone else at Shiz was. Classes were still on, so the corridors were luckily empty as they rushed through them, past dozens of doors and flights of stairs. Both reached the Quad —also devoid of students and staff— and stopped to catch their breaths, their eyes made contact for a couple seconds.
Before she could question him, Fiyero gave her a lopsided smile and gestured towards the exit. Running for it, he heard Elphaba's steps close behind him.
He felt the cub writhing slightly, but it luckily remained asleep. The cobblestone on their feet gave way to dirt as the arched entryway of the university came into view. Fiyero was about to suggest they made their way to the stables so they could ask for Feldspur's help, when Elphaba stopped him, pointing at something on the archway.
“There!” She rushed past him towards the two bicycles someone had left abandoned at the university's entrance. One had a woven basket on the back, big enough for the cub who was beginning to fuss inside his jacked. Elphaba held its cover up as he placed the Animal inside and making his way to the second bicycle, Fiyero mounted the apparatus before heading down the road into the gillikinese forest, leaving Shiz behind them.
As the trees rushed past them, his thoughts went back to the last time him and Elphaba travelled through those woods together. The night they met Fiyero had been taken aback not by the color of her skin —not only that at least—, but by her defensiveness. In the following days he discovered that Elphaba was in fact a very direct and sometimes blunt person, that the way she had behaved that night was kind of the norm from her.
And with time, he learned why.
After days of observation, he came to the conclusion that she had acted with Fiyero not differently than how she conducted herself with most people. Which in itself had been something of a breath of fresh air because, although Elphaba had been— well, Elphaba… and had treated him just like she treated everyone else at first, it was a completely different way than how everyone else acted towards him.
But it had been that night at the Ozdust that he learned that his behavior towards Elphaba was vastly different to how everyone else treated her. Fiyero had been confused when the music stopped and as he made his way through the crowd, he had found her dancing alone in the middle of the dance floor as people pointed at her, whispering and laughing. And Fiyero had been impressed at how she seemed impervious to their actions, but as Galinda corrected him when he voiced his thoughts out loud, he realized this attitude others had towards her wasn't a one time thing.
And right then, Elphaba's sharpness and defensiveness the night before made all the sense.
As Galinda joined her, Fiyero studied the other girl's face and even though the dim lights in the club, he didn't miss the tear tracks in Elphaba's face as she and Galinda danced.
The girl Fiyero met months ago in that same forest the now were coursing through had been uptight and serious, full of sharp edges and an even sharper wit, but he had noticed a slight vulnerability. The girl riding in front of him was no less witty but had softened somewhat, although still with a penchant for no-nonsense —at least when it came to him.
They rode for some time, getting deeper into the forest, away from the bigger roads and down less traveled paths until they finally stopped in a lush hidden trail, surrounded only by the sound of nature. As Elphaba removed her overcoat, he took the lion cub from the basket, wrapping him with his jacket as he climbed the base of a tree, debating where they should release the cub.
“So… this way? Or that way?”
“Don't squish him!” Warned Elphaba, also looking at the greenery around them.
“I'm not squishing him!” But as the cub started to wiggled, Fiyero turned his eyes towards the Animal. “I think he's starting to wake up.”
“We can't let him loose anywhere! We have to find somewhere safe.”
“I realize that!” Fiyero replied, annoyance coloring his tone. He turned back towards the girl, frowning. “You think I'm really stupid, don't you?”
“No! Not really stupid” He returned his attention to the cub, just as the animal squirmed and pawed at him. Surprised by the action, Fiyero lost his balance and tumbled down the tree, landing on his back with a thud but keeping the lion safe. Now I do look stupid.
With an exclamation Elphaba rushed to them, helping him to his feet as the Animal continued to wiggle more intensely.
“Can you stop?”
“He's wriggling—” Fiyero complained, both man and Animal agitated by the other.
“Because you're holding him wrong—”
“He is a wriggler.”
“Stay still!” Blurted Elphaba, looking at the cub but Fiyero froze instantly. “Breathe.”
Shifting her eyes to him, she saw him taking a deep breath. Both him and the lion relaxed slightly.
“Thank you.” Elphaba finished, a slight smile tugging at the corner of her mouth making Fiyero roll his eyes at the mirth in her voice. Turning her attention back to the cub, she began to stroke him lightly and whisper softly. And as her focus rested on the animal, Fiyero's attention was solely on her.
He rarely saw her so unguarded. Even though she wasn't anywhere near as uptight as the night he met her, Fiyero had only seen her this unguarded around Animals. As Elphaba took the cub from him, he couldn't help but smile at her pleased expression when the Animal remained docile and calm in her arms. She stroked it for a few more seconds, before turning her attention back to Fiyero.
“See?” She asked and moved away from him, towards a nearby stream. Fiyero could only chuckle incredulously at the slight superiority in her tone.
He took his jacket off as Elphaba deposited the cub on the ground, kneeling next to it as it moved to drink from the water. While she continued to stroke the fur of the Animal with soft hands, he listened as she apologized to the Lion for scaring him.
“Why is it that you are always causing a commotion?” Fiyero wondered out loud, not really expecting her to answer but Elphaba did anyway.
“I don't cause commotions… I am one.” There was a small humorous tone in her answer.
“Yeah, that's for sure.” A good one though, whispered an annoyed little voice inside of him, but he couldn't deny it. Since the moment he met her, Elphaba had definitely made his life more interesting. She didn't take his quick agreement as something good though, and Fiyero noticed her tensing immediately.
“So I should just keep my mouth shut? Is that what you are saying?” Raising from her position next to the cup, she turned towards him, and he could see that defensiveness he hadn't seen in months coming back in full force.
“No, I'm saying—”
“You think I want to be this way? That I want to care this much?”
“I just meant—” He tried to explain but Elphaba was on a roll, without really listening to him.
“I know my life would be much easier if I didn't care this much—”
“Do you let anybody else talk?!” Fiyero snapped, raising his voice loud enough so she could hear him over her rant. Elphaba stopped mid-sentence, eyes wide in surprise, like she hadn't realized he was trying to speak. She probably hadn't, he thought.
“Sorry.” Chastised, Elphaba apologized, taking him by surprise. Even though Fiyero had taken note of the many good qualities she possessed in the short time he had known her, Elphaba wasn't much for apologizing when wrong. Which —if he was honest— she rarely was, but still. He was about to explain himself when she interrupted him again. “But can I just say one more thing?”
This woman. Fiyero closed his eyes and took a deep breath, hands going to his hips as he waited for her to continue.
“You could've walked away back there.”
“So?” What was she getting to? He wondered.
“So no matter how shallow and self-absorbed you pretend to be—”
What?
“Excuse me, there's no pretense here. I happen to be genuinely self-absorbed and deeply shallow.” He wasn't sure if he was trying to convince her or himself there.
“No, you're not. Or you wouldn't be so unhappy.”
Fiyero froze at her words, a heavy weight sitting on his chest. As blue eyes locked on green, he tried to get his racing heart under control. He knew that the girl in front of him wasn't like most people, a difference that went beyond just the color of her skin. She was brilliant and observant, but Fiyero hadn't expected her to see him, past the facade and spectacle he surrounded himself with.
“Fine.” Uncomfortable with her words and the feelings inside him, he tried to put some distance. “If you don't want my help I'll—”
“No, I do!”
Fiyero felt the warmth of her hand touching his and stopped. For a few seconds he studied the contrast of green skin against tanned, before his eyes rose back to meet hers. Letting go at the stunned expression on his face, Elphaba went back to the lion cub —who was still contently enjoying the water from the stream— and kneel beside him. Stroking the soft fur, she tried to get her heart to return to a normal pace in her chest. From the corner of her eye, she saw Fiyero kneeling on the other side of the cub. A heavy silence fell over both of them, while they firmly avoided looking at the other.
“What did you mean to do, back there?” Her hand paused mid-motion, listening as his voice broke the quiet sounds of the forest. “And why was I the only one you didn't do it to?”
That was the only question running through his mind that Fiyero was willing to voice out loud. The others, even louder inside of him… he didn't want to dwell on them. Not there. He wasn't really sure he wanted to know the reason, to listen to her saying how much of him —of what he tried to hide— she saw.
Everyone had fallen asleep, even Galinda. What did that mean? Did she trust him even more than her best friend?
A part of him felt honored; but the other part, the careless and shallow prince everyone but her saw, didn't feel worthy of it. Elphaba turned to look at him and he waited, but he didn't dare to meet her eyes.
“You're bleeding.” She pointed out, avoiding the question altogether. Afraid of a question she wasn't really sure the answer of.
“Am I?”
Elphaba couldn't look away, looking at him in a way she hardly allowed herself to. Slowly, as if she was approaching a wounded animal, she raised her hand towards his face and touched the scratch in his temple, the palm of her hand lightly resting over his jaw.
The warmth of her hand travelled all the way from Fiyero's face right to his chest, the sensation both soothing and intense. He turned so he could see her, slowly so as to not lose the contact of her skin.
“There” whispered Elphaba, hand moving slightly in a soft caress and Fiyero had to force himself to not lean further into her touch.
He was so used to avoiding all of that. A careless image, giving people only what they wanted to see: the shallow prince, a brainless and carefree companion. Flirting and touching but never letting others touch him in a meaningful way.
“It must have scratched you.”
“Yeah… Or maybe it scratched me, or something.” He repeated, not really thinking the words coming out of his mouth. He could see her mouth curving faintly, amusement and fondness filling her eyes at his words. Oz, he really wanted to kiss her.
The thought fell like a bucket of cold water over him. He was dating Galinda, and she was her best friend. With a start, he leaned back, breaking the contact.
“I better get to safety— I mean, the cub—”
“Yeah, of course—” Elphaba quickly agreed, hand dropping and face turning back towards the water.
"Get the cub to safety.” He repeated, grabbing the Animal and ignoring its annoyed sounds as he rose. Getting deep into the forest, Fiyero carried the once again wiggling lion, focused on getting his heartbeat under control and pushing aside the feeling of Elphaba's hand still lingering on his skin.
THREE
I have changed.
The words kept running around in Elphaba’s mind as she left the control room, the sound of Fiyero’s steps right behind hers as he followed her. It had been some crazy twenty-four hours and a veritable storm of emotions was currently swirling inside of her. Fear and happiness. Anguish and hope. Fury and… Even after years Elphaba wouldn’t dare to say it, not even in the safety of her mind.
They made their way out of the throne room in a hurry, with no guards in sight thanks to Fiyero sending them in a useless errand to get water, but they couldn't take the chance to run into them. As they exited the room, Fiyero grabbed her arm and softly guided her down the hallway into what it seemed like a normal section of the wall. With a heavy push from him, it opened into a simple corridor, with none of the grandiose and elegance of the one they were in.
“In here.”
“How do you know where we are going?” She inquired in a whisper, as Fiyero closed the opening on the wall behind them.
“I memorized all the service corridors and hidden passageways, just in case…” He explained with the same hushed voice as he took her hand and started to head down the passage. The warmth of his hand engulfed hers, and she could feel the heat traveling up her arm and all the way to her chest. Taking a deep breath to try to alleviate the feelings, Elphaba followed him as fast as she could.
Fiyero seemed to know the way by heart, not once doubting where to go when the corridor diverged. A short time later —that felt like hours to Elphaba—, they stopped in front of another door. Opening it carefully, he took a peek out at the hallway, checking it was empty before exiting and hurrying Elphaba along.
Down the hallway were a set of glass doors that gave way to a terrace and the Ozian sky above it. Elphaba rushed towards them and when she exited, she observed that they had walked all the way across the palace, nearly on the opposite side from where the throne room was located. Fiyero rushed behind her, closing the terrace doors and for a couple of seconds they stood there, studying each other.
“We should hurry before the monkeys come.” He began, taking a step closer towards her but Elphaba shook her head.
“The monkeys won’t chase us.” At his confused expression, she explained. “I set them free… or the Wizard did, after I demanded it.”
“What happened tonight, Elphaba?”
Her heart skipped a beat at the sound of her name coming from his mouth.
It had been years since someone had addressed her by her name, until Dulciber had used it the last time they saw each other, just a couple of days ago and in what had turned out to be a farewell. Then her sister, but Nessarose had filled the sound with contempt and demands. Glinda had used the pet name she had for her and the Wizard… well, Elphaba hated every word that came from that man’s mouth.
But the way Fiyero said her name, she hadn't realized how much she had missed it until she heard it. It felt like a caress on her skin, a balm to her heart.
Shaking her head to clear away those thoughts, Elphaba focused on their current situation.
“We don’t have time. Even without the monkeys, the guards will come.” She quickly got on the broom and turned to look at Fiyero, who went to follow her but Elphaba stopped him with a hand on his arm. “Are you sure about this? You can still go back.”
He studied her face for a couple seconds before continuing and mounting the broom, no words but a resolved expression on his face.
“Where should I—?”
“Just hold on tight.” Elphaba interrupted him and Fiyero closed the distance between them, wrapping his arms around her waist. Her breath caught on her throat at the contact, and she could feel the heat of his body so close to hers, even through the layers of clothes. It spread through her body, from the top of her head and down to her toes. Her brain took her back to the night they met, when he trampled her on his way to Shiz, and she had no other choice —or so she kept telling herself— but to accept his offer of a ride back to the university.
Brushing the memories away, she leaned forward and commanded the broom to take off, as fast as she dared while carrying Fiyero with her. She hadn't carried anyone with her before, and although Elphaba had grown used to the speed the broom could reach after five years riding it, with the wind rushing through her hair and the slight stomach drop when she headed down; she wasn't sure Fiyero was ready for all that, with this being the first time he rode on a broomstick hundreds of feet in the air. So she kept the speed high but not as fast as she usually flew. The fact that the monkeys weren't following them helped, as she didn't need to outrun them nor maneuver to avoid them.
Fiyero noticed all of this, but his arms still tightened a little more around her waist, hands spread on her abdomen. His head was slightly tilted, so he could see over her shoulder. Her hair floated free right beside his face, and he caught a whiff of the smell he still associated with her: old books and nature. He knew how fast she could —and often would— fly. His heart had stuck on his throat the first time he saw her flying so high and fast, scared that something could happen to her at such height.
As they made their way out of the Emerald City, they kept to the shadows of the buildings and the dark areas between the spotlights lighting the sky. Quietly, they left the city behind them and didn't stop flying until the lights of Oz's capital were but pinstripes behind them.
Elphaba slowed down the broom and they found themselves softly floating in the air. The night was clear, and as both righted themselves, Fiyero could finally take a moment to marvel at the open sky above them, thousands of stars shining while the moon was all but a thin slip of light in the horizon.
His arms uncoiled from around Elphaba's body but his hands remained glued on her hips, taking in the scenery around them.
The broom started to descend slowly, as to not frighten him with the image of solid ground coming towards them. It came to a stop on what seemed interwoven tree branches, surrounded by foliage and some treetops on all sides. When their feet finally touched the hard surface, Fiyero took a moment to make sure his legs wouldn't buckle under his weight before dismounting.
“Where are we?” His question came out in a whisper, as to not disturb the calmness in the air. He turned around, trying and failing to discern where they were.
“We're in the Dark Forest. We left the Serpent Trees just right behind us.” Elphaba nodded to the mass of trees in the direction they had come from as she got off the broom.
Surprised filled Fiyero's body at those names. They were in the west. Has she really been there, right under his nose, the whole time?
“You've been hiding in the Vinkus?” A mix of disbelief and affection coloring his voice. Elphaba tensed lightly at the question but remained with her back towards him.
“Yes.” She responded, voice flat. “I tried to move constantly but whenever I was in Munchkinland or Gillikin, the Wizard's guards were always close by. Here is the only place I could really lay low.”
“The Wizard doesn't have a lot of influence in the Vinkus. The King didn't allow their presence for long periods of time nor to travel deep into the territory.”
His words made Elphaba turn so she could look at him, confusion written all over her face.
“Why?”
“Because I asked my parents not to allow them. They've never been overly fond of the Wizard to begin with, so it didn't take much to convince them.”
“Why would you do that?” Even with what little light there was around, he could see the surprise on her eyes at his words and Fiyero wished that he could somehow make her see that there wasn't a thing he wouldn't do for her. That even though he had been unable to openly be on her side —until that night—, it was the only place he wanted to be.
“When I arrived in the city, Glinda told me you said you'll go west. Of course, most believed you said it to throw them off your path but just in case you did head here, I had to do something to help you until I could be in a position to really help.”
Elphaba had that day etched in her mind. She had said west that night without the certainty she would remain there for long. But when she had been able to take a moment to breathe again, to finally grasp the magnitude of the choices she made and come to terms —as much as she could back then— with the arduous road ahead of her, she knew there wasn't another place to go. The Wizard had too much influence on Gillikin, and she wouldn't find any support from her father if she went to Munchkinland. Not even after his death and when Nessa assumed the position as Governor did she even consider the place a viable option for her.
And she knew she could have gone to Quadling Country, and hide in its marshlands and swamps, but Elphaba had to admit —even if only to herself— that going to the Vinkus had been the only option in her mind. The only way she could feel, even if a tiny bit, close to him.
“Captain of the Gale Force.” It wasn't a question, but Fiyero nodded anyway. “Glinda told you what happened that day?”
“She was very distraught when I arrived the next day, she told me everything… Or almost everything, I believe. I can't be sure.” Elphaba tried to take in all that information, but it was hard to believe. She still had a hard time believing Fiyero had gone with her, and there he was, standing right in front of her, the heat from his hands on her body still lingering on her mind. He must have seen her confusion for he continued. “I left Shiz as fast as I could, after hearing Morrible's words. I got to the city the next day and was surprised to find Glinda there for I hadn't known she went with you.”
Fiyero took a few steps, closing the distance between them and placing his hands on her arms, thumbs caressing slightly the fabric-covered skin. Elphaba raised her face, as to not break eye contact. Blue met green with an intensity that made her heart miss a beat.
“Elphaba— ” Fiyero's voice was serious, as he tried with all his might to convey the truth of his words. “I went to the Emerald City looking for you. And I stayed all these years, trying to find you.”
What?
That seemed to be her recurring thought for the night, Elphaba considered briefly. Things kept shifting all around her and it was all because of the man standing in front of her. He kept flipping her world upside down, challenging things she had believed for years. Fiyero had decided to go with her, had chosen her, throwing out his seemingly perfect life out of the window. But she didn't dare to ask —to him or even to herself— why? Even with all the evidence in front of her, his words and his actions, Elphaba couldn't dare to hope.
Oh, how she trusted him. All the way back at Shiz, she had believed in him to help her with the lion cub, even if it had been an unconscious decision. And five years later she found herself placing still her confidence in him, trusting him with her life as she followed him through the palace walls and taking him to her hideout.
But this was her heart, so bruised already after so many years and some definitely hard twenty-four hours. Could she believe him and trust him with it?
At the memory of the lion cub her eyes darted to the left side of his face, and although it was too dark to really see it, she could still picture the light scratch. Too small to begin with, it had probably faded a little with time but Elphaba knew it was there, a permanent mark on his skin like the indelible brand that moment had left on her own heart.
Without really noticing, her hand rose towards his face, caressing it with the lightest of touches. But unlike the previous time, Fiyero leaned to the touch, eyes closing at the sensation. His whole body relaxed in what felt the first time in years, knowing she was safe for the moment and he was finally with her.
Elphaba moved forward to close the distance separating them, but the distant sound of an animal pulled her out of her thoughts and she felt like kicking herself. They were still out in the open, and even though she knew these woods pretty well, they couldn't become careless.
Taking a few steps back, Elphaba broke the contact between herself and Fiyero. She could see the disappointment in his eyes as he let his hands drop from her arms, but before he could move further away, Elphaba took one of his hands with the one not holding the broom.
“Come. The place where I've been staying is not that far.” She turned and with his hand still in hers, began walking down the path of branches and soil packed together. “I try not to fly directly there if I can help it, in case someone sees me.”
As Fiyero followed her, his eyes started to get used to the darkness. And after a few minutes of walking, he finally was able to see it.
The structure was made of interconnected trees, branches woven together to form walls and a roof full of leaves. All around it were more trees, connected in a way that it seemed like they weren't feet above ground.
Elphaba felt him stop and as his hand slipped from hers, she turned back and found him studying the place she had lived in for the last couple of years with wide eyes. Taking a deep breath, she resumed her walk towards the entrance with Fiyero close behind her.
+ ONE
As the towers of Kiamo Ko came into his field of vision, Fiyero’s jumbled mess of thoughts kept coming back to the night he and Elphaba had shared, and the promise he had made before she left to help her sister.
Elphaba, we're going to be together always.
His heart had shattered when he found himself breaking that promise mere hours later, but it was nothing compared to the idea of her getting hurt or worse.
While Feldspur gained speed as made their way towards the castle, Fiyero began to feel nervous. Their plan had worked. He had seen with his own eyes how Elphaba “melted” after Dorothy threw the bucket of water on her, but her death had felt too real even for him. It must have worked, he kept telling himself.
But it wasn't just that thought troubling him. What if Elphaba was there waiting, but she no longer wanted to be with him once she saw what he had become? Fiyero shook his head, trying to dispel those thoughts. He knew his Elphaba wasn't that kind of person, she wouldn't reject someone by their appearance, like many others had done with her. But Fiyero had been a vain man, years ago, and his looks were one of the main things about him that had always drawn everyone towards him. Everyone except Elphaba, of course.
They crossed the bridge and as they entered the castle, Fiyero could swear the heart he no longer had was beating furiously. They had tried to move as fast as possible, but the Horse had already made the journey twice by the time Fiyero went to him in the Emerald City. And it was a long ride, as the castle stood near the western border of Oz, farther still from the city than Elphaba's hideout had been.
So between his journey back to the palace with Dorothy and the others, that had taken them nearly the whole day as they had gone on foot; and the ride back from there, it was already the middle of the night by the time they finally made it to Kiamo Ko. To Elphaba.
Fiyero dismounted Feldspur clumsily, his new body far less graceful now than before, and stroked the Animal's neck gratefully.
“How are you feeling Feldspur?”
“Exhausted. But nothing a few hours of rest can't solve.” said the Horse turning around, ready to lay down for a while. “Go and find Elphaba, so you can rest too.”
And with that, Fieldspur headed towards the castle's stables leaving Fiyero alone. Trying to brush the negative thoughts away —what if she's gone? What if she doesn't want me anymore?—, Fiyero began the upward trekking towards the castle's highest tower.
He had to appreciate that fact he no longer got out of breath nor his muscles ached at the hike, so he could be as quick as he wanted without worrying about the previous limitations of his human body. Of course, he was still learning the quirks of this new one.
To begin with, his coordination and balance was pretty terrible, with his left leg doing weird movements every now and then. Fiyero wasn't sure why that happened, if it was because of the straw or the wound the guards had made in that leg at that cursed cornfield.
Not that he remembered much of it… or of anything. There were parts of his memories gone, bits and pieces he could no longer recall. None of his memories of Elphaba were missing though, he could still remember the night they met and their goodbye at the train station five years ago. All of her was etched in the very fibers of his being, and no transformation could make him forget her.
So although he didn't remember much from that field —thank Oz for that—, the torn uniform gave him enough information to fill in the blanks.
Fiyero stopped in front of the double doors of the tower chamber and took the time to scan his surroundings, making sure the place was really empty and he was totally alone.
Satisfied with his exam, he opened the door and made his way inside.
The room was just like they had left it, some burned straw and feathers spread around, and the empty bucket still laid sideways on the floor. And the hat remained in the same place by the broken window. Fiyero moved quickly and kneeled next to it. Taking it in his hands, he gave another quick scan to his surroundings before putting the hat aside and knocking three times on the floor right where it had been.
If he were able to still breathe, Fiyero would have held his breath. But still, the seconds seemed to stretch for hours until the sound of a mechanism broke the silence and the trapdoor on the floor opened , revealing a flight of stairs and the small alcove hidden under it.
And there she was. Dark braids cascading down her shoulders, arms bared showing the beautiful green skin he adored and so, so alive.
Elphaba.
She studied him, green eyes filled with confusion and a sliver of fear at the unknown but familiar man in front of her.
“It worked. Everyone thinks you're dead.” He informed her, as Elphaba rose slowly up the stairs.
“Fiyero?” He noticed the hint of disbelief in her question as her eyes flashed with recognition at hearing his voice. Fiyero could hardly blame her, he had a hard time recognizing himself when he finally was able to see his new body.
She didn't say more, too busy studying his face and taking note of all the changes. Raising one of his hands, he tried to reassure her —and himself— that everything was ok. That he was still the same, even though his body wasn't.
“See? Good as new.” Fiyero remarked softly.
Ephaba lifted one hand and gently touched his face, taking Fiyero back years ago to the day they rescued the lion cub. He wasn't sure if it was the memory of that moment, or maybe it was his body attuned to her and her magic, but Fiyero swore he could feel the warmth of her palm and the soft caress of her fingers on his face. Since his transformation, he found himself unable to feel the world around him: he no longer felt the heat of the sun during the day or the cold air at night, others' contact was merely a slight pressure to his burlap body. But he could feel Elphaba, and the worry that had filled his chest melted away at her touch.
And at seeing the slight tremble of her hand, green eyes shining with unshed tears, Fiyero realized that he hadn't been the only one worried and scared.
He wanted to smack himself, but he blamed his scattered brain for not spotting it before. Elphaba had told him about what had happened with Boq, and he had seen the man himself —or what remained of him. The pure hatred he had for Elphaba, for what she had done to save his life. And he understood right then and there, that she had worried about his reaction to the spell she had cast to save his life. She had feared that Fiyero would hate her too, as if he could ever stop loving her.
“You did the best you could,” he said, pouring all his conviction and love in those words, to ease her fears. “You saved my life.”
Tears finally began falling from her eyes at his words. She raised her other hand to cup his face and stated with a firm voice despite her tears.
“You're beautiful.” She said as if she was stating an undeniable truth or a fact of the universe. Fiyero chuckled wryly and leaned closer to her.
“You don't have to lie to me.” He echoed her previous statement from nights ago, head shaking with disbelief.
It was Elphaba's turn to snicker, hearing her own words thrown back at her.
“It's not lying.” Tears falling freely and with a tenuous smile, she moved even closer. “It's looking at things in another way.”
Elphaba closed the remaining distance between them and softly kissed him, green lips touching rough burlap. Fiyero closed his eyes at the sensation, both different but familiar at the same time. She pulled back slightly as her hands left his face, but her arms quickly wrapped around his body, pulling him into her embrace as her head burrowed on the space between his shoulder and his neck. Fiyero's arms enveloped her waist, nuzzling the top of her head. His body was nearly doubling over, as she was still halfway inside the hidden alcove. But he couldn't care less about the uncomfortable position —not that he could feel any pain anymore. All he could care was that Elphaba was back in his arms.
“Time to go.” Came Elphaba's voice after a while, slightly muffled against his body. Nodding, Fiyero let her go. As he headed towards one of the trapdoors, Elphaba climbed the rest of the stairs and taking hold of the other door, they both closed the entry to the hidden alcove. Fiyero took her hand and guided her towards the chamber's entrance but halted his steps when he felt Elphaba had stopped moving.
She was staring at the black pointed hat still on the floor where he left it. Fiyero waited, watching her face as she studied the hat, pondering what to do with it and probably remembering everything she had gone through with it. After a minute, Elphaba finally turned her back to it, giving Fiyero a slight smile that he returned, soft and knowingly.
And with a slight tug to their joined hands, they both walked away, making their way out of the chamber and leaving Oz —and their past— behind them.