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There’s a story Dulcibear used to tell; once upon a time all sentient beings had 4 legs, 4 arms and 2 faces; but the Unnamed God split them into two, forcing all beings to spend their whole lives looking for their missing half.
Elphaba never paid too much mind to this idea of “soulmates”, she didn’t even truly believe in souls; but as she rests on Fiyero’s straw chest, his hand tenderly stroking her hair, a part of her wonders if there might be any truth to that story.
He makes no sense; she’s taken his life, she’s taken his body, she’s even taken his mind, and he insists on loving her. The spell she cast on him prevented him from dying but also stole his memories, most of what he knows about his life is what Feldspar and herself have told him; he has no true memory of her and yet he believes he loves her.
Elphaba feels like she’s taking advantage of him, he’s lost so much; but she’s selfish, she’s experienced life without him once, she doesn’t think she can go through that again
“Elphaba” he says suddenly “You feel tense, are you okay?”
He truly cares, she can see it in his eyes, but she can't bear his gaze for long
“It's just... It feels wrong to keep you”
“‘keep me’?” he laughs, “you're not ‘keeping me’, I am following you”
The witch looks away, the scarecrow grabs her chin and turns her face towards him
“Wherever you go, that's where I belong my love”
She shakes her head, a guilty feeling in her chest
“You don't know what you're saying. You don't know me, how can you love me?”
Fiyero looks at her, saddened
“You’re right,” he says “I don’t know you, I don’t even know myself, I don’t know much of anything really; the only thing I know for sure is what I feel for you”
“Yero...” she tries
He closes his eyes and sighs (somehow)
“Elphaba, do you know what I thought when I first saw you on the Yellow Brick Road?”
“You mean, when I was threatening an 8-year-old and I set you on fire?” she says accusatorily
“I thought, ‘that is the most beautiful woman in the world’”
She stares at him
“You’re an idiot” she says finally
“An idiot who loves you” he responds
So simple, so matter of fact. He’s so stupid, Elphaba cannot resist him and she surrenders to him. As he holds her, one thought rises:
“Do you know the story of soulmates?” she asks him
“I do!” Fiyero answers, proud of remembering something. “Eons ago, before Lurline came to Oz, the gods split all souls in two halves; so now everyone has to find their missing half. Do you believe we’re soulmates?”
“I am an atheist; I don’t believe in souls. But...”
“But maybe there’s something to it; my mind might not remember loving you, but my soul does”
“It sounds so silly; but here you are”
“And here you are; you love me, even though I’m a dumb, ugly scarecrow”
Elphaba practically jumps at the words
“Don’t say that! Don’t ever say that” she says furious, both hands on his face “You’re not ugly, and you are definitively not dumb. Don’t ever talk about yourself that way”
Fiyero looks at her stunned for a moment, then he softens
“I won’t, I promise.” he smiles “But you know I’m not the one I used to be, I can’t give you the things I could, I can’t even remember what we had; and yet, you love me”
“Of course I love you” the green woman sounds almost affronted, “even without your memories you are still the man I fell in love with, you complete me”
“And you complete me.”
For once the witch has no words
“Elphaba, you love me even though you shouldn't, please let me love you” the scarecrow begs
She answers by laying her head on his chest one more time
“I don’t believe in souls” she says
“But?”
“But if soulmates exist; I believe you’re mine, my missing half”
“I know I am. And you are my missing half”