Chapter Text
The wind was harsh. Fiyero and Elphaba trudge onward through the impassable desert. A grey, vast, desolate land that stretched on for miles and miles. They had been walking for four days straight without a single bite of food. Elphaba was starting to doubt there really was a land beyond oz. Her stomach tightened and twisted at the thought. Or maybe she was hungry. Her bones felt heavy in her body. She glanced at Fiyero. How could he thank her for his life? She had transformed him into a scarecrow to save him. Though he didn’t show it, Elphaba knew he was constantly wishing he was human. She watched him tug on his arms and examine his hands when he thought she wasn’t looking. Fiyero didn’t want Elphaba to have the impression that he was suffering.
The two didn’t stop to rest the entire time. Elphaba refused to stop. Every time Fiyero asked her to rest, she brushed him off and continued to trudge, ignoring her throbbing headache and her achy bones. Fiyero, on the other hand, thought he was going to go crazy. Every step he took was awkward because he didn’t know how hard to step to propel himself forward. His center of balance was purely nonexistent. He toppled back and forth as he went. He had gotten much better at walking on his journey with Dorothy. He was glad Elphaba wasn’t there to see his troubles. Fiyero was sure she would hate herself for it, and would hurt him too. The thought of Elphaba blaming herself for what was the Gale Force’s fault and a little bit of his own. Fiyero was the one that let the Gale Force take him. If he would’ve figured out a different way to save Elphaba he would’ve but it’s too late to change that. Fiyero would always be forever grateful to Elphaba for saving him. Being an ugly scarecrow was better than being dead, and he couldn’t be dead. That would mean Elphaba would be left with nobody to love her. Fiyero’s duty in life was solely to accompany Elphaba.
The odd pair walked for a bit longer, when a burning memory sliced through Fiyero’s head. He could remember a clear memory of when he was being hit, and slashed, and choked.
His body stung where all his cuts were but when he looked down there was nothing there. Fiyero was shaking violently… but when he looked down his body was still. A wave of nausea passed over him and he felt like throwing up. He collapsed to his knees and held his head in his arms. He held on so tight the seams nearly ripped apart. His heart shook violently inside of him. Until he realized he had no heart and that was his imagination. He lurched forward, expecting to throw up, but all that happened was he hacked out a few pieces of straw. He became aware of his scratchy and dry throat and held on to it. The pain was almost as bad as it was that day, but it wasn't real, he told himself. How was the pain so bad when it was just in his mind? He didn’t even have a brain… It was all straw. The pain nulled and the thump of his heart beat faded away, because he didn’t have one. Fiyero was back to feeling nothing. Just a straw-filled walking sack of burlap again. Though the pain was a lot… those moments felt good. Even the memory of humanness feels good.
Somehow, his nonexistent brain was better at remembering things than his old brain was. As a child, he often let his mind wander. He forgot deadlines, objects, and even his friends sometimes. His childhood itself was a blur. He vaguely remembered his own parent’s faces. His education was spread out through Oz, leading to him forgetting his friends from the previous schools. But now? He could recall his torment in such vivid detail. It was astonishing.
Fiyero snapped back to reality. Elphaba was shaking his shoulders. He’d barely even realized she was. Her deep, intense, green eyes were staring at his face. Her brow crinkled in concern.
“I’m fine Elphaba.” Fiyero said in his scratchy voice.
A smile cracked on his face and he stroked her face with his rough burlap hand. His smile flipped to a face of wonder. He pushed back her hair behind her ear.
“Has… anyone ever told you how beautiful you are?” He whispered.
Elphaba blushed… “Well… that's not the point. I’m serious Fiyero. You collapsed a bit ago. You’re not ok.”
“Don’t worry about it” He rasped.
Fiyero sat up with a start and wrapped his arms around her. They sat there for a moment when suddenly Elphaba started talking: “I am not mad at you… but please stop hugging me. We need to get to the edge of the desert. I have a feeling we are getting close,”
A glint of determination shone in Elphaba’s eye. Her eyes wandered to the sand and noticed loose straw on the ground from his coughing fit and his head pulling. Fiyero sighed and stood up so fast he tripped and started to fall back to the sandy ground, but he caught himself at just the right moment and kept walking. He hoped Elphaba wouldn’t notice. She spends way too much time worrying about him, when she should actually be worrying for herself.
The sun started to set, transforming the desolate grey desert into sparkly sands of silver. The sunset and the sunrise were the only beautiful things about the place. Fiyero held out his hand to Elpahba, and smiled. Elphaba looked at his face and she knew he was smiling through pain. Elphaba took his hand and they walked towards the setting sun.
After walking in the dark for a few hours. Elphaba became painfully aware of her fatigue. She thought they were so close to the end, but what if she was wrong? The last time she had water was like three days ago.
“Elphaba… Is it just me, or have I seen that exact stick like 4 times already?” Fiyero said as he pointed to a gnarled log that was 8 feet away.
“That’s ridiculous… right? No that’s not possible. Let’s keep going.” Elphaba said. Fiyero was already walking over to the log. He crouched down and stuck his hand out to touch it.
“No! Don’t touch it! You just said that you saw it four times already. It could be-” Elphaba exclaimed.
“Too late.” Fiyero uttered
The long sent out a white blast. It started growing out of the ground with sand falling off of it as it emerged. Fiyero wobbled out of the way so he wouldn’t be buried alive. Eventually it was twelve feet tall and it was a cave.
“Elphaba! It’s a cave! This could be our way out!” Fiyero exclaimed.
Fiyero grabbed a handful of sand and threw it into the air like it was confetti. He ran up to Elphaba and thrust his arms around her. He brushed the sand off of her face and rested his forehead on hers.
“Wait, Fiyero. Do you really think this is the way out?” Elphaba said with a spark of newfound hope glinting in her eyes.
“Yes… but even if it isn’t, it’s still worth a try.” Fiyero said, “We really need to find you food and water. You’re getting weak,”
The two walked off into the cave. Nervous yet excited. Who knows where this tunnel will lead.