#need elphie to come back just to see her reaction

[sakurabraches]

i love how by combining the wicked canon with the original frank l baum wizard of oz canon we can only conclude that after elphie's death glinda had a massive lesbian crashout and now lives in a palace with a bunch of beautiful women trying to compensate for the loss of the love of her life

[antlerchxrms]

Another scenario i wanna share hehe

So, its post-Wicked, Glinda is ruling Oz, but ofc she thinks Elphie and Fiyero are death, her caregivers are death, she think she is alone, she has to rule Oz alone.

Most of the times, in nights, after a long day of Oz politics, Glinda tends to regress, however, at this point in time, she only cries.

She cries and cries, she probabily feels so so tiny, she misses Mama and Fiy so much, she wants them back, she needs them, but they are not coming back and she just cries until she sleeps.

But one night is different, it starts like any other, she is crying, poor thing is just so hurt and full with emotions, but then, she feels someone is holding her, the touch is so gentle and careful. Glinda can't see the face of who is doing that, the room is so dark, but for whatever reason, the hold feels familar, it feels comfortable.

"shhh, shh... It's ok, my sweet girl, it's ok, mama is here. Oh, my baby, you had been feeling so sad all this time, haven't you? Oh, my baby, i know... I know."

Glinda feels so tired and tiny, perhaps she does not recognize the voice immediately, perhaps she thinks she is dreaming, all she knows is that she likes the voice, it's so pretty and gentle.

Her crying doesn't really stop, but it does become more quiet as the voice keeps whispering her sweet words.

"Shhh... There, there, i know, baby, mama made a huge mistake and you, my dear, paid the price, i know..."

Soon, the voice owner starts to walk to the window of the room, Glinda still in their arms.

"I'm gonna fix it, my sweet girl."

Glinda has been crying a lot, she feels so tired, the calm voice and the gentleness of the holding is not helping her to avoid the land of the dreams.

And it seems the voice owner can notice it, "it's ok, my sweet girl, close your eyes, i will keep you safe, i promise."

Soon, Glinda sleeps, closing her teary eyes, and when she wakes up, and the first thing she notice is that she is not in her palace room anymore.

(sorry if its a little long haha)

My genuine reaction to this message,,, Anon I can’t do this I’m genuinely so upset over this and I love you so much (/p)

Glinda waking up after ‘nd she’s just so confused until she hears creaking next to her,, blinking sleepily until her eyes land on Elphie and she immediately wakes up, a new wave of tears streaming down her face suddenly as she clambered onto her feet and practically tackles her mama who only hugs her back tightly with gentle reassurances. “I know, sweet girl, I’m sorry, mama’s here and it’s okay now…” “It’s fine, see? I promised we’d come back for you baby!”

Ugh I cry n I cry n I cry n all I do is cry over wicked :((

[thirstyforbishiesimagines]

Hiya! Not sure if either of you are interested in Wicked the musical but the song, 'as long as your mine' would be a really fitting duet between Eugene and the MC! So, could i request a scenario where they're in the music room again and Eugene starts playing it? Hope it's not a bother tho, love your writing!

Hey gorgeous Feline! Mod Luna here ~

We had never watched or listened to the songs from Wicked before, but I was completely inspired after hearing it! Definitely not a bother, I honestly really enjoyed creating this fic and couldn’t sleep until it was complete, so that Mod Bambi could read it the next day! 

Hope you enjoy the piece as much as I loved writing it, and thank you for introducing me to an amazing song. I’ll probably be walking around the house singing it for the next couple of days!

.

Wicked - Eugene x Reader

* image from LucyDreams, Dangerous Fellows

Word Count: 1,053

Fluff

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.

Hand in hand, Eugene hurriedly guides you towards the music room which had become a bit of an oasis for the of both you after spending your first night watch there together.

As soon as you enter, you dance towards the piano eyeing Eugene eagerly.

“Play me something!” you say excitedly.

He chuckles at your enthusiasm, a mischievous grin across his face.

“I don’t know… I suddenly seemed to have forgotten the songs I used to play…” He shrugs playfully.

“Nope! Not falling for that one again! Please, please, pleaseeee!!” You plead as you grab both of his hands, a subtle blush creeping onto his cheeks.

“Hmm,” he says as he slips away to gently caress his fingers over the keys, a tiny bit of dust flying up from his touch before placing himself comfortably onto the seat. He pauses for a second, then chuckles quietly to himself and readies his fingers over the piano.

You watch him curiously as he strikes the first chord. You hear the gorgeous blend of keys emanate through your ears as an amazing flow of melody waltzes towards you.

Wait…

This is…

YOUR FAVOURITE SONG!

How did he know?

Your eyes widen with glee, and a bright smile appears on your face.

“I LOVE this song! Hold on… this is a duet, thou- OH NO!”

Eugene lets out a chuckle at your blushing face, watching you panic from the realisation of his plan.

You cover your face from embarrassment but allow your eyes to peek through the gaps of your fingers to see him smiling ear to ear. His fingers continue to play, gliding over the keys without looking, as if it was second nature to him.

“Sing with me.” He coos, a cheeky grin on his face.

“Me?! No, no, no, no, no! I couldn’t… I’m not much of a singer.” You protest.

He dramatically rolls his eyes at you.

“Can’t lie to me, (y/n). I’ve heard you singing this song quite… enthusiastically when I pass by your room after my patrols. Twice, even.”

Your mouth hangs wide open as he states this, you feel as if you’re deepest darkest secret had just been exposed. Eugene laughs at your reaction.

“What are you afraid of? It’s just us here!”

His right-hand pauses from playing the beautiful melody as he pats on the empty spot next to him, his left-hand continuing to play the chord progressions perfectly.

“Join me.”

You sigh as you shake your head in defeat and place yourself next to him on the bench.

Eugene starts the song from the beginning, and you inhale deeply to calm your nerves.

You know exactly when Elphaba’s verse begins but your nerves get the better of you and absolutely no sound escapes from your lips. Suddenly, you feel a warm supportive hand rubbing the top of your thigh as he gives you a reassuring smile before returning it back to the piano keys. You can feel butterflies in your stomach, this time it wasn’t from the nerves but from the growing feelings that you’ve been developing for Eugene since the first night watch.

‘Kiss me too fiercely, hold me too tight. I need help believing, you’re with me tonight…’

Feeling somewhat more confident, you’re able to get through your solo feeling quite exhilarated immediately after. Eugene winks at you and you giggle back at him, the nerves completely non-existent at this point as you begin to have fun.

‘I’ll make every last moment last, as long as you’re mine…’

Gazing at you, Eugene begins to sing his part and you can’t help but feel shy from his unwavering attention.

‘Maybe I’m brainless, maybe I’m wise. But you’ve got me seeing, through different eyes.

Somehow I’ve fallen under your spell. And somehow I’m feeling, it’s “up” that I fell…’

His voice, faultless and passionate as always, was something you’ve come to cherish dearly.

This time you join him as the chorus begins again, your voices blending together flawlessly. You look at him with amazement and see him staring back at you, his breathtaking amber coloured eyes beaming with inspiration.

‘Every moment, as long as you’re mine. I’ll wake up my body, and make up for lost time…’

Thankfully, all those years passionately singing Elphie’s parts alone in the shower and studying her harmonisations have paid off. After all this time, who knew someone in your life would finally be able to fill in the missing sound of your fictional long-time crush, Fiyero.

As the song reaches its end, you both lock eyes and focus your attention on each other as you belt out the closing note of the masterpiece, together in perfect harmony.

‘Borrow the moonlight, until it is through. And know I’ll be here holding you. As long as you’re mine.’

Immediately, as you both end the last note, Eugene takes his hands off the keys and impatiently slides one to the back of your neck. The other hand gently grips onto your arm and pulls you closer until your lips are millimetres apart from touching. You feel his breath brush against your lips, and your heart thumps anxiously at the thought of your first kiss with him.

Eugene finally closes the gap between you. Your lips come together urgently, as perfect and synchronised as your duet. You put your arms around his neck, deepening the kiss.

Unbeknownst of the time, you both unwillingly pull apart. Breathless.

Stunned from the sudden act of passion, together you burst out laughing from each other’s mirrored expressions. Once you both settle down and wipe the tears that had formed on the sides of your eyes, Eugene takes your hand in his and leans his forehead against yours. The both of you panting slightly from the lingering adrenaline of either the performance or the kiss… or perhaps both.

He lovingly tucks away the stray hairs which had fallen forward onto your face behind your ear. Your (e/c) eyes can’t help but drift back to his inviting lips; tempting you to reignite the taste of him against you once more. However, his voice breaks you from your trance.

“See? I knew I chose the right song! How did you feel?” he asks, proudly.

You giggle as you focus your gaze back on his expectant eyes and give him a playful smile.

“Wicked.”

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Mod Bambi Notes: This is by far, my fav! While editing for Mod Luna, I was like, this is sooo cute!!! Thanks for the request Anon! It gave me feels! x

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A/N: I really, really had to stop myself from having Zion interrupt their moment by screaming “SHUT THE F*CK UP! I’M TRYING TO NAP!!” from the other room HAHAHAHA. Reblog and the spread the loveee!

x mod luna

[maddgarbagemonkey]

I Just Saw the Wicked 2019 Touring Cast and Boy Howdy, am I excited to Rant! (All Good things!)

There's a lot so buckle up your seatbealts!

So, first off, this was my first time seeing the show *cough cough* legally *cough* and I was amazed.

I instantly fell in love with the big metal dragon and nearly screamed when it moved and started blowing smoke out of its nose, as my Grandpa lied and told me, even though he's seen it 4 times, that the dragon was just decoration.

I love that the first solid 5 minutes of the show are just winged monkeys running around on the stage and looking concerned at one another before the opening number starts.

Glinda, played by Erin Mackey, was my WIFE.

During her first speaking part of "No one Mourns the Wicked," she got stuck on her big metal bubble and the ensemble had to crowd around her to help her get off, which, because coming off of the bubble was her cue to continue, led to a really long silence. But it kinda fit and showed that she hesitated to celebrate Elphaba's death so yeah! I just thought it was adorable and I admire how she was able to turn it into a cool window into her character!

When Elphaba, played by Mariand Torres, entered we all screamed for a solid 3 minutes and, after seeing her performance, she deserved a solid 8 more. I loved her so much!

I loved her early performance of Elphaba at Shiz because she played her as an angry little bean that snapped at everyone and everything instead of just shy and quiet and it worked so well, especially with how overprotective she was of Nyssa.

A girl literally faints upon seeing Elphaba and I can relate cause she was SO PRETTY!

Mariand's "Wizard and I" was so powerful and emotional at the same time I just wanted to pick her up and keep her! <3

THE 👏 GLINDA 👏 AND 👏 ELPHABA👏 HEIGHT👏 DIFFERENCE!

Usually you see Elphaba portrayed as tall while Glinda is shorter but, because Mariand was a tiny angel and Erin was a tall goddess who literally towered over Fierro without heels, it was quite the opposite and I l o v e d every second of "What is this Feeling" because of it.

I would die for tiny little ball of angry Elphaba and Tall, regal, princess Glinda holding her back from fighting everyone who dares look at them funny and you can pry them out of my cold dead hands.

Mariand did the thing where she mimicked Glinda for the "Your Voice" line and made it extra squeaky and I died.

She also, whenever Glinda had her back turned, copied her with a stupid little kicking dance and tossed her hair way too frantically and I fell in love.

For the "boo", Elphaba had to look directly up and jump at Glinda because she was so short and I squealed

Oh my God. C U R T. H A N S E N. This man was in Big Time Rush and I can not picture Fierro's entrance without the theme song ever again. (Bruh, Chill)

His choreo also had some "not-so-subtle" scarecrow like poses and taps.

Dude, he played him as such a snotty little twink and I loved it! He almost knocked down the statue in the center like eight times during "Dancing Through Life!"

His mic also made him sound like he was under water for a total of one (1) line and I snorted.

Nyssa, (sorry Mili Diaz, you were incredible and I love you,) Please exit my server.

Glinda made at least 16 Tik Tok references and I know, it's not towards the app because duh, but I'm still very conflicted.

Elphaba was S O mad at the scene with Dr. Dillamond I was so proud and in love!

E L P H A B A ' S D A N C E!

It was so good and pure and when Glinda joined she made it look so graceful!

And Elphaba looked very doubtful at first but then she looked around at everyone doing her dance and back at Glinda and she had the biggest smile on her face and tears in her eyes because she was accepted for something and it was beautiful!

Only Boc's mic was really working at this part so the "Let's DAAAANCE" reverberated deeply into my soul and stayed there for a really long time.

Popular was superb and I literally cried.

Literally.

When Erin got out of breath, she fell on the floor and just layed there for 16 counts breathing really heavily into the mic. Pure Poetry

Glinda suffocated Elphaba with hugs to her throat and swung her around like a rag doll while she just glared angry and helpless.

During "Don't Make me laugh" Glinda pushed her hand into Elphaba's face and gently and slowly set her back on her bed and if that ain't the biggest mood.

So many kicks and giggles I LOVE ERIN MACKEY!

When Glinda fell into Elphaba's arms crying after Fierro ran away at the train scene she took up half of her body and I just needed to write that out.

The egg-like Emerald City suits without arms that extended their necks and twirled them like lassos. Need I say more?

Elphaba's teary smile at "Finally, no one's looking or staring at me!" And then Glinda takes off her glasses and grabs her hand saying that she looked as beautiful as an emerald and... A C K

Upon meeting the scary robo wizard, Glinda got scared and tried to hide her 5'9 body behind little 5'1 Elphie and she looked so protective and ready to throw down I loved it!

Monkeys. Monkeys. Monkeys.

"Let her go! It's not her that you want! Its ME!" She sounded so powerful and angry I would die for her.

The part where Elphaba's begging Glinda to go with her but she's too focused on the fact that she's shaking and ties that spooky cape around her shoulders.

Mariand's "Defying Gravity" was so strong and beautiful with all of her God-tier belts and riffs I could not stop smiling and when she finally flies I yelped because you always hear about how cool it is and looks but then you really S E E it and it's beyond words! I had to do nothing and breathe for a second afterwards to find my bearings!

I loved Erin's "Thank Goodness" a lot. She poured a lot of emotion and beautiful vocals into it and just... god, she's gorgeous!

At the part where Elphaba appeared in the closet in Nyssa's office and the mirror became see through I heard a kid behind me exclaim "Zoo Wee Mama" and I won't be the same.

I don't remember Nyssa being so horrible but... *shrug* She gets it from her Dad I guess.

I love that Boc's reaction to finding out Nyssa can walk is just, "oh, good! Now you can work on this whole walking thing and get tf away from me! This worked out perfectly!" Same, boi.

I loved! LOVED! Nyssa Rose's song with a passion and the way her words get all twisted and angry literally talking about how she's going to rip Boc's heart out for leaving her and it gave me a good amount of spooks.

"Don't say I'm beautiful. You don't need to lie to me." B A B Y

"My Family has a Castle! No one lives there or will see us besides the guards!" "Where do you live, now?" "... The other castle." Oh sweetie.

Glinda, you deserve so much more than scarecrow boy and I would die for you!

Elphaba's voice drops at least 8 octaves during her line in "As long as Your Mine" The "For the first time I feel...

Wicked

I have never been more physically and emotionally attracted to a green lady Other than Princess Fiona

Also, there was so much smoke during that song that I could hear some Orchestra members cough.

During that scene with Elphaba's and Glinda's argument at Nyssa's "Funeral", while preparing to fight Glinda twirls her wand and strikes at Elphie like she came out of the Karate Kid.

Elphaba's witch laugh after Glinda slaps her followed by the most serious "Feel Better?"

Both Fierro and Glinda yell at Elphaba to leave before she gets hurt and I feel things because of that.

While Fierro is fake/real threatening Glinda with a gun, she just tearfully shakes her head in a silent plea and he INSTANTLY drops his gun. I love 'em

The way Glinda's "Fierro" melts into Elphaba's "FIERRROOO!" Love.

"No Good Deed" will always be my favorite song. ITS SO GOOD! Mariand's voice was incredible and her riffs and belts added so much!

During Elphaba's little "let all of OZ be agreed I'm wicked through and through," she makes her voice all scary and raspy, but it melts back into her own voice and beautiful despair at "since I can not succeed, Fierro saving you!"

NO GOOD DEED! 10/10 LOTSA SMOKE

March of the Witch hunters always has and will give me chills. Nothing more to say. Just one good bop.

This is the part where I cry too much.

"For Good" was gorgeous and I cried. A lot. A lot.

Elphaba kisses Glinda's hands and wipes her tears away.

Glinda runs her hands across and straightens Elphaba's hat and OH MY GOD!

It hurts how frantically Elphaba hides Glinda to protect her! Side note, I would also die for Chistery.

At their final moments together, Elphaba blows Glinda a kiss and then proceeds to get "murdered" in a really cool way by Dorthy.

Glinda's "Elphie!?" Is so tragic and panicked I was struggling to make it through, and then she grabbed her hat and cried into it and I was long gone.

Fierro adopts spooky Scarecrow movements at the end which I think is really cool and he also mimics Elphaba's "Don't lie to me!" Line.

Before Elphaba leaves, she becomes entranced by Glinda's beautiful singing, like she's thinking of telling her she's okay, but then she turns around and walks through the door with Fierro.

The last thing we see of Elphaba is her wearing her signature hat and walking into dust with Fierro. The last thing we see of Glinda is her sobbing into Elphaba's book in her bubble.

In conclusion, IM NOT OKAY!

Nah, Fam! But seriously! Mariand and Erin's vocals and performances were to die for! It succeeded my wildest expectations! I had so much fun and would 100% recommend seeing the show if you haven't seen it or want to see it a 19th time. Both are just as valid. :)

[lily-onher-grave]

anonymous requested 86. “Don’t be scared, I’m right here.”

Glinda found Elphaba curled against the base of a tree, unnervingly close to the steep, muddy slope of the Suicide Canal. It was too dark to see much of anything, but who else would be huddled out here in the dead of night?

She walked over, the frosted grass crunching beneath her feet. Elphaba didn’t stir as she approached. Could she actually be asleep? Glinda was close enough now to see a bit of green where her sleeve didn’t quite meet her glove. She crouched down and touched Elphaba’s arm.

Elphaba woke, her head snapping up to gaze--fiercely at first, then calmer once recognition set in--at Glinda.

“What are you doing out here?” she croaked. Glinda rubbed her arm, trying to generate some warmth.

“I was just about to ask you the same thing. Sleeping outside in this weather can be deadly, you know.”

“I wasn’t asleep.”

“Elphie.”

Elphaba yawned wide, her jaw cracking. “Okay, fine. But I didn’t mean to fall asleep.”

“Why were you out here in the first place?”

“I wasn’t. I was in the library, but then...” Elphaba looked past Glinda, across the canal. When her eyes met Glinda’s again, they were flat. “I got tired, so I left.”

“You’re lying.”

“Oh?”

“Don’t try to be smooth with me,” she said. Elphaba tried to jerk her arm away, but Glinda caught her hand in both of hers. “Please tell me.”

“There’s nothing to tell,” Elphaba said, her hand curling into a fist between Glinda’s.

Glinda let her head fall, pressing their hands to her forehead. “I hate it when you push me away.”

“Glinda...”

“Please,” she said. “Please, just tell me.”

Elphaba went still, and Glinda could feel her tense. “Don’t make me.”

“Elphaba. You’re hurting yourself, refusing to ask for help like this.”

“I don’t care.”

“You’re hurting me.”

Elphaba’s hand opened again, and she let their fingers intertwine. Softly, she said, “I don’t mean to.”

“What’s stopping you?” Glinda asked. “You know you can talk to me.”

“I know.”

“Then what--”

“I’m...I can’t.”

“Don’t be scared.” Glinda brought Elphaba’s hand to her chest, holding it close in both of hers. “I’m right here.”

“That’s not--” Elphaba jerked, but Glinda held her hand tight. “I’m not scared for me.”

“I know. That would require some sort of self-preservation.” She squeezed Elphaba’s fingers. “Which, unfortunately, is not one of your many skills.”

Elphaba scowled. “You shouldn’t have come after me tonight.”

“No? I should have just left you out here to freeze all night?”

“I’m fine, Glinda.”

Glinda sat back on her heels. “Clearly. Sleeping beside the Suicide Canal, well past midnight in the middle of winter. It’s obvious you have everything under control.”

“I didn’t ask you to worry about me,” Elphaba snapped.

“And I didn’t ask you to protect me!” Glinda looked away, pursing her lips. Elphaba twisted her head, glancing around them.

“We shouldn’t be out here,” she said quietly. Feeling dismissed, Glinda dropped Elphaba’s hand and pushed herself to her feet. She turned away before she could see Elphaba’s reaction.

Elphaba pushed herself up, too, but then she stumbled. Glinda spun to catch her, holding on tight when Elphaba tried to pull away again.

“I’m fine,” she said. “Just...stood up too fast.”

“You’re shaking,” Glinda whispered. She wrapped an arm around Elphaba’s waist. “Come on, we need to get you home.”

“I said I’m--” But Elphaba swayed and leaned heavily on Glinda again. “Fine. Let’s just go.”

It seemed even colder now that they were heading back to Crage Hall. Elphaba shivered against her, and Glinda picked up their pace.

When they reached their room, Elphaba pulled away to flop face-first onto her bed. Glinda rolled her eyes, then went about the room preparing things for the night. She didn’t bother with the lamp--their eyes were used to the dark by now, anyway. But she took off her shoes and changed into her nightgown. She turned back to Elphaba, who hadn’t moved, and considered her options.

She padded over to Elphaba’s bed and sat down, pulling Elphaba’s feet into her lap to start unlacing her boots.

“Let me sleep,” Elphaba groaned. Glinda patted her ankle.

“You weren’t sleeping. Besides, that would be letting you avoid this.”

“I have nothing to avoid.”

“Clearly.” Glinda pulled off the boots and gently tucked them beneath the bed frame. Then she touched Elphaba’s back. “Come on, sit up. Let’s get that cloak off you.”

“I don’t need--”

“If you’re going to be overprotective, then the least you can do is let me take care of you,” Glinda told her. “Sit up.”

Elphaba grumbled, but she sat up. Glinda crawled in front of her, undoing the clasp and easing it off her shoulders. She folded it, then set it down beside the boots. Elphaba watched her without comment.

“You still haven’t told me what’s wrong,” Glinda said. She stared at her hands in her lap, then at Elphaba’s. There was a long, heavy silence. Glinda sighed. “Fine. Don’t talk. But you don’t get to push me away, either.”

“What are you--?”

“Lay down,” Glinda said, crawling toward the pillows and easing Elphaba down beside her. “No, turn the other way.”

“Glinda--”

Glinda pushed on her shoulder. “Just do it, Elphie.”

Elphaba lay down, facing away from Glinda. “I don’t--”

“Elphie? Shut up.”

Elphaba went quiet. Glinda wrapped her arm over Elphaba, holding her close. She slid her foot between Elphaba’s, then pressed her lips to the back of her neck.

“Okay?”

“This is ridiculous.”

“Why? Why can’t I hold you?”

“Because--” Elphaba choked on the word. She pressed her face into the pillow. Glinda pushed herself up to see her better. She brought her hand to Elphaba’s cheek, then her forehead.

“Are you okay?” she whispered. “Do you still feel dizzy?”

“I wasn’t dizzy,” Elphaba protested into the pillow. Glinda smiled and stroked her hair.

“I’m allowed to take care of you,” she told Elphaba. “I’m sorry, that’s just the rule.”

Elphaba sighed, her breath trembling. “I don’t...I don’t know how to let you.”

“Just start with this,” Glinda said. “Is this okay?”

“I don’t--” Elphaba squirmed. “I need to see you.”

Glinda lifted her arm to let Elphaba turn around, but then she held her again, squeezing a little. “Better?”

“I guess.”

Glinda thread her fingers through Elphaba’s hair. “Elphaba.”

Elphaba shifted. She eased closer. “Y-yeah. It’s...good.”

She tilted her head down. Glinda scooted up an inch or so, letting Elphaba’s head fall against her chest. She cupped the back of her head, scratching gently at the base of her scalp.

“Good,” she murmured. “Do you think you can sleep?”

“Like this?”

“Like this.” She felt Elphaba nod, just a little. “Let me hold you, Elphie. Let me love you.”

And maybe it was because Elphaba was still shivering, or maybe it was because it was so late. Whatever the reason, in that moment, Elphaba let her. In that moment, they had all they needed.

[forkanna]

[AO3 LINK] [EF LINK]

NOTE: I'm going to try to cut the chapters differently than I originally had them so there are fewer but each one is longer. Some of them ended up really small on accident, and that's pretty unsatisfactory. What's the point in uploading like 5 words?! Anyway, hope you're still enjoying this!

Only once they were in the air again did Elphaba feel truly regretful about storming off. But not for the reason Glinda expected.

"Now I haven't any spare clothes," she growled through her grief, wringing her hands on the broom handle. "Why didn't I go upstairs and pack something? Most of my things are at Shiz, but there was a dress or two left in my wardrobe…"

"If they were anything like the dresses you had at Shiz, I can say with confidence that it's no great loss," Glinda attempted. But she felt Elphaba tense further, so she hugged her a little more, reaching one hand up to clear the tear tracks from her chartreuse cheeks. "Aw, I'm sorry… gosh, I didn't mean to rub salt in the wound. You don't need that from me right now. We'll get you some nice dresses soon — frilly pink ones, with bows and lace."

Glancing over her shoulder at her, she sniffled, "Do I look like pink or bows or lace would do me any favours?"

"Pink goes good with green!" The look was withering, so she finished, "Alright, maybe it doesn't, but… well, how about a deeper red? And there are more fanciful black outfits than the ones you wear we could try! Chin up, chum!"

"You would look at a raincloud and tell it that its silver lining will show up any day now," Elphaba laughed wetly, though she did sound the slightest bit mollified. It was the best Glinda could hope for after she had been dealt such a blow.

                                                            ~ o ~

Several hours of flight put them wearily touching down in Upper Applerue, very near the Glikkus region that lay between Munchkin country and Gillikin, where Glinda's family resided. As bone-weary as they were, Glinda had little problem parting with a few coins of her spending money to secure them inexpensive room and board for the evening. Scouting around rather quickly and quietly, they saw not a single soldier on alert; still, Elphaba wore her cloak close around her neck, hoping fewer people would catch sight of her hue.

They spoke little over their meal, but once they had worn their way into second glasses of the weak tavern wine, Glinda decided to at least attempt to coax a little conversation from her friend.

"Things have always been this way," Elphaba sighed, slamming her tankard down in disgust. "It used to not bother me, funnily enough; I thought it was my penance, for… well, what I told you that night."

"That you caused Nessa's condition merely by being green," Glinda scoffed. "Silly little Elphie. A baby can't control her parents' actions. Not even a green one!"

That did threaten to turn the corners of her friend's mouth upwards. "I know. Now that I'm older, I… well, I know it, in my mind. But in my heart, I still worry about it. That Nessa…" She looked down at her fingers on the tabletop, eyes pained. "Silly Elphie, indeed."

"Not 'silly Elphie' now, only 'silly Elphie' then. Now, you're… well, you're a woman who should have been told she was worth as much as her sister at least a few times. Mr. Governor sure did a bad job of that, didn't he?" When Elphaba didn't respond, she reached over and patted her forearm. "Hey. You're not going back there, anyway, so who cares what he thinks?"

Her sigh held the hint of tears, but she didn't respond.

Stuffing themselves into the same bed was an ungainly affair, but they managed it with a spare pillow between them to keep from accidentally elbowing each other. They still kept brushing limbs against unknown bits, anyway, which Glinda knew was a ridiculous thing to bring a flush to her face, but it did regardless. What was this feeling? Why in Oz was she so giddy?

Before she could catch hold of the reason herself, Elphaba hit upon it first when she suddenly admitted, "I… haven't done this before, either."

"H-haven't what, stayed in an inn this drab? I agree. It's… rather rustical. Is this 'camping', are we camping?"

"Slept in the same bed as another person," she grunted in the near-darkness. "Even when I was an infant, I never slept in my parents' bed; always in the bassinette. Something about my baby teeth being too sharp, and me always biting someone. And then Nessa and I had separate rooms. So… other than my mother and father, you're the only person I've ever slept in the same room as, much less…"

"Well, don't worry so much," Glinda whispered as she settled under the covers. Even though she had slept across the room from her solemn classmate for months, she still couldn't help feeling the vaguest bit flustered and vulnerable sharing a bed with her, their bodies only separated by a single pillow. But it wouldn't do for Elphaba to know that; she didn't want to seem childish about the whole affair. "I assure you, sleep works the same way in the same bed as it does in two different ones. Close your eyes, and stop being awake."

"Well, naturally." After a few quiet minutes, she whispered, "Glinda?"

"Yes?"

"Thanks for… standing up for me. And for not… not making a big deal about that ugly scene of mine. Getting emotional. That's another thing I'm not used to doing with someone else around."

Grinning into her pillow, she muttered, "Anytime, Fabala." That earned her a good kick that she didn't even protest about; it was well-deserved.

                                                            ~ o ~

Flying all day and all the next night, they managed to reach Gillikin just as the sun was rising. They spoke little, and truth be told, Glinda napped very briefly; she'd never gone all night without her beauty rest, and found the flight most trying. It was a miracle that she never slid from the broom and plummeted to her death.

"It's almost as sophisticated as the Emerald City," Elphaba breathed as they made their approach to the sprawling grounds of the Upland estate. There were more floors and wings to the manor than one might shake a stick at, if one were the type to shake sticks at things. Humdrum as she found the sight herself, Glinda couldn't deny that Elphaba seeing it for the first time would undoubtedly stir such a reaction.

"It is! Well, maybe it isn't so Ozmopolitan, but you can't deny the richness and 'old world' charm is rampantial throughout the region," she tittered as they made lazy circles downard, finally plopping onto the grass of the back garden, very near a pond. "And thank you for not splashing us in with the fish! That would have made a fine first impression on my family!"

A gleam of mischief sparked in Elphaba's eyes. "Really? It's not too late for me to throw you in."

But before Glinda could reply, a member of the staff jogged across the grounds to meet them. Already out of breath, the grey-haired woman stuttered, "M-Miss Galinda! Y-you're back from Shiz!"

"Yes, Ama Clutch," she laughed warmly, embracing her like a friend rather than a servant. "Oh, but I've missed you! How have Momsy and Popsicle been these past weeks? I haven't had word from home in a while, you know!"

"Well, they've been well." There was something being held back in her tone, and Elphaba frowned to hear it, but Glinda ignored it soundly. She was too overjoyed. "Come inside, please!"

Very shortly, they were shown into a much richer estate. Elphaba didn't ever seem to much care for pomp and frippery, as Glinda knew, so while she might have taken her time to really drink in the lush surroundings, she didn't make any large gasps or otherwise overreact. That had been taken care of during their descent. However, she did offer a quiet, "Very nice."

"Isn't it?" Glinda conceded as they strode through the sprawling entryway. "We Uplands are, after all, descended from the Arduennas. Would be a real pity if we were and had nothing to show for it!"

"Yes, a pity," Elphaba said in a flat tone. Which Glinda also ignored.

They were finally received on the second floor balcony, where tea had been laid out and a dimple-cheeked woman with a powdered wig sat primly, fanning herself with a fan that looked as if it should be on display in a museum rather than left for everyday use. Other than the elaborate costuming, and a few lines around her eyes and the corners of her slightly-wider mouth, she and her daughter may as well have been sisters.

"Mother dear, this is Elphaba Thropp," Glinda offered, after another curtsy for her own mother. "Of the Colwen Grounds Thropps. Elphie, this is Larena Upland, of the Upperuplands."

"Charmed," said Larena in such a refined voice that the air around her seemed to increase in quality. "I understand you are sharing rooms with my Galinda?"

"Glinda," she corrected her mother under her voice.

"Yes, ma'am," Elphaba answered, trying for a curtsy herself but ending up performing an odd, ungainly bow instead. "For this past year at Shiz, ma'am."

"Of course, at Shiz. And have you… worked out the contentiosity between you?"

She glanced at Glinda, who smiled awkwardly, then back to their host. "Ma'am, I believe our difficulties were merely a symptom of our not having been properly introduced. We're very different people, you see."

"I do see." Her daughter winced at the baldness of that statement, but if Elphaba found it offensive, she didn't say as much. "Well, any little friend of our Galinda's is welcome to visit along with her."

"Thank you."

"Now, to what do I owe this sudden pleasure, offspring of mine?" she asked in the same refined tone, only a slight upswing in pitch denoting that she was more concerned about the answer to that question than the others. "As far as I am aware, this is not the end of term quite yet. Won't you be missed at Shiz?"

Dipping her head, Elphaba took the initiative, even though Glinda had been opening her mouth to speak. "Ma'am, I'm afraid I've made a terrible mistake."

"Oh?"

That "oh" fetched the entire explanation of the events spilling forth. After having already been required to elaborate for her own father, it seemed Elphaba was getting better at retelling the tale; she paused less times, and summarised certain points better. Her nerves were about at the same heightened level as before, however, but that couldn't be helped. Once she had wrapped up, she sat back with a humble expression and awaited summary judgement.

"I see," Larena mused in a mutter, fanning herself more furiously. "That is… quite worrying. And you now believe you would not be allowed to apologise should you come forward of your own volition?"

"Exactly," she sighed with a sad nod. "And Glinda was only along for the adventure of it all, and… she did care for Dr. Dillamond as much as I, but this wasn't her fight to… well, fight. So if I could apologise for both our actions, and explain, the Wizard might take pity on her! But now… now…"

"Quite, quite. You're concerned that no amount of explanation will be satisfactory. Vexing, indeed." Turning back to Glinda, she said, "And you have nothing to say on the matter?"

Rousing herself, she squeaked, "OH! W-well, I do, and I would! If I should?"

"You should."

"Well…" Reaching over, she grasped Elphaba's hand for solidarity. "She is my good friend, you understand — and I don't blame her for wanting to protect the Animals from whatever's happening, whether it's an accident or an onpurpossident! Maybe… she shouldn't have read the spell, or should have simply put the book down when things went kerflooey. But that's easy to say now, isn't it? In the 'then', she was angry and frightened, and I was also frightened, and we ran."

The woman inclined her head. "That is an easy enough to understand reactionism, my sweet Galinda."

Again, quietly, "Glinda."

"However, I believe the fair and decent thing to do would be to turn Miss Elphaba here over to the authorities."

"What?" Elphaba croaked. "Turn me in?"

"Mother!"

"No, no, it is the wisest course of action," the woman went on, her other hand raising to forestall their outbursts. "Galinda will state that she was not fully aware of the nature of the crime when the two of you fled. Then, upon coming to her senses, you did the fair and decent thing. Elphaba will then throw herself on the mercy of the Ozian courts, and it will be up to them to weigh the truthfulment of her recounting."

Blinking rapidly, Elphaba looked between them. "Oh. I… well, that does sound… I mean, even though I know I did nothing wrong, it's… when you put it that way, the courts are supposed to be unbiased…"

"No!" Glinda burst out, voice more pleading than outraged, but a bit of both. "Mother, what you say sounds reasonable, but what if they don't want to hear her side? I'm… well, I'm a bit worried they won't, and then what? Will she go to prison? Or worse?!"

"My dear, my dear, don't be preposterous! Our Wizard is most fair and would never send her to such an dismal, abysmal fate without good and fair due process. Don't you believe in our civilised society anymore? Or are you a radical now, much like your friend?"

"Does it make me a radical to think everyone ought to be treated with fairness?" Elphaba demanded with firm resolve.

"It does when the establishment does not agree on who 'everyone' is."

"Then I'd rather not be a part of any establishment that would shout down a voice who wants to be heard. I think that's deplorable, don't you?"

Leaning in, the heavily-powdered woman said in a sterner tone, "Not outside of the proper channels we have set up to protect law and order. You cannot combat injustice with further injustice!"

"Please," Glinda interjected, voice meek but still a voice that she was using. "Elphaba feels very strongly about this, and she still wishes to apologise and clear my name, so… so can't you both forget about this nitpickery and let her stay here until she figures out how to do what she wants to do? Anyway, we're both very tired, and… and it would be nice to try this again when we've had a little nap."

Elphaba, taking her cue from Glinda, held her tongue. After a thoughtful moment, during which she continued to squint at the green stranger, Larena sighed and sat back again, fanning her face. "Perhaps you have a fair point. We'll continue this another time. For now, please avail yourselves of the guest quarters."

"Oh, we won't be needing them; Elphie can sleep in my room."

"Most unusual," the woman blustered. "We have a room for each person who resides on this entire region, and you wish to… double-up?!"

"She'll be lonely in one of those big old rooms by herself; she's not used to bedchambers being so voluminous." Elphaba's mouth wrinkled at that comment. "And anyway, my bed is big enough for ten people, so we might as well get some use out of it, right?"

The woman gave a light shrug. "It is highly unheard of, but I suppose it can do no real harm. Very well; give us a peck and you can be off, my sweetling." Glinda stood and leaned in to leave a tiny kiss on her mother's cheek, earning her a pat on her curling golden hair. "Good girl. Rest well."

                                                            ~ o ~

"Ohhh, this is much better," Glinda sighed as she flopped down on the fluffy down comforter draped over her bed. "I've missed this! The beds at Shiz are nice enough, and I'm not afraid of 'roughing it' in an inn like last night, but this is home!"

"R-right," Elphaba sighed as she perched on the very corner of the bed. "Roughing it."

"What's the matter with you?" When there was no response, she slung her leg over so that the very tip of her boot bumped Elphaba's thigh. "Hey! What's the matter, you don't like comfort?"

"Not particularly. But… it isn't that." Her eyes swivelled to Glinda for a second and away again. "What if your mother's right? I really did make a mess of things. It wasn't my intention, but now we're hiding out from the Wizard's soldiers, trying to figure out what on Oz to do next. And you, innocent in the first place!"

"You're innocent, too, Elphie," she sighed as she peeled off her boots, each one kicking at the other incessantly until they thumped to the floor. "Just in a… complicated, not-innocent-looking fashion, that's all! But I think we can do something about this, I truly do!"

Rolling her eyes, she fell back beside Glinda, though a little closer to the end of the bed, with her lower legs dangling off. "Maybe I should let them clap me in irons. You can stay here and be safe, and I'll just be… what my father said. Irresponsible and bad."

"He didn't say you're 'bad', Elphie. Just… well, he…" Finally, she grunted, "Okay, he was a meanie-poo."

Against all odds, that made Elphaba laugh harshly. "That's the cutest way you could have insulted my parentage." After a pause to think, she went on, "Okay, okay, so… maybe I shouldn't turn myself in. But what if I penned a letter?"

"A letter? To whom?"

"To the Wizard. I'll write at once — tell him I'm sorry for the disturbance, and that I'll return the Grimmerie and, well, myself… if he promises that you won't be hunted down, as well. That should do it."

Glinda rolled over to face her, eyes wide. "Elphaba… I mean, I find it touching, but you don't have to take the fall for me. I'm an adult as much as you are, and I can handle my own consequences, same as you!"

"But you didn't do anything! So why should you have to handle consequences for… for just existing in the wrong place at the wrong time?!" Elphaba was breathing hard from sheer frustration. "I'm sorry I asked you to come with me, that I… got caught up in my own aptitude for sorcery, and you being my friend, who also wanted to be a sorcerer, and… and my overprotectiveness of Animals, and I didn't stop to think! It's all my fault, it's all m-"

"Shhh, shhh," Glinda whispered as she embraced her, rubbing a hand up and down her back. "Elphie, you didn't- this isn't something wrong you did, it's just something that happened to us! The Wizard…" Finally, she found herself unable to avoid admitting it. "He shouldn't have demanded you do such a spell. You'd never done one like that before, it was… goodness, how unreasonable!"

But Elphaba wasn't moving. Little by little, she began to relax, but she still barely breathed, didn't respond to her friend's words. It was a full two minutes before she raised her arms to embrace her back.

"There… that's better, isn't it?" After they both sighed, she drew back and patted down her tight black bun of hair, now revealed in the absence of her hat. "Good, good. I'm gladful."

"Thank you. I… well, I'm not used to anyone but Nessa hugging me, so… I'm sorry if I wasn't…"

"If you wasn't what?"

"Wasn't very good at it." Glinda laughed, and she looked away with shame. "Sorry."

"No, no! Just… come on, how can you not be 'good at' a hug? That's a lot of preposterosity!" Leaning in, she embraced her a second time, and Elphaba froze up. "Okay, don't do that, though. Just relax."

"Told you."

"That isn't what I meant; you being a little stiff doesn't mean you're hugging me badly, just that I don't think you're enjoying my hug if you're so busy being afraid of it! Consider this a free lesson on how to hug a friend."

With a put-upon sigh, Elphaba hugged her back more gently, more tenderly. After a moment, they both sighed and relaxed into the sensation. "Oh… alright, that does feel better. You were right, and I apologise."

"Good." The hug had begun to go on a bit overlong when Glinda pulled back and kissed her on either cheek, which earned a blustery sputtering from her friend. Her smile was sweet and encouraging, and Elphaba returned it after a few more seconds, unable to do anything else. "Now, let's catch a nap so we can listen to my mother tell us how life works."

"Alright." But as they crawled up toward the pillows, a good three feet away from each other this time due to the enormous expanse of her expensive bed, she whispered, "You sure do offer to teach me how to be a normal girl often enough. I hate to tell you that you're wasting your time."

"How do you mean?" she sighed as she settled in.

"I'm greener than avarice. 'Normal' isn't in the cards for me, and you can't make it happen with… hug lessons and hair-flips. It isn't that I don't appreciate everything, because… at least you'll still try! Just don't want you getting your hopes up that any of your trying is going to pay off."

"It's my pleasure," she told her earnestly, reaching across for her hand. Elphaba didn't take it at first, but when Glinda just left it there for nearly a full minute, she made a scoffing sound and squeezed it. "There. Now, tomorrow we'll do something about your wardrobe, and have another talk with mother, and maybe even see what varieties of makeup go good with green. I refuse to believe that there isn't at least one shade of lipstick for everyone!"

Chuckling quietly, Elphaba muttered, "I think we've found your crusade."

                                                            ~ o ~

Alas for both of them, they were woken a few hours later by a pounding at the door.

"Miss Galinda! Miss Galinda, please!"

Rolling out of her bed, Glinda landed on the floor with a sound thump! "OW! What's… ow, my nose!"

"Miss Galinda, are you decent?"

"Yes! What's going on?" She had just barely wobbled back to a standing position, noting that Elphaba was still rousing, when she heard a key turning in the lock. A moment later, Ama Clutch was edging in around the door, easing it gently closed behind herself. "Ama? What are you doing?!"

"Being a help, I hope! Rather than an old busybody!" Glancing back at the door again, she scurried over to their bedside and hissed, "I'm not sure how you want to proceed, exactly!"

"Proceed?" Elphaba put in groggily, most likely hoping to move the conversation along.

"Yes! Only… Miss Larena has sent one of the footmen to fetch the constabulary!"

"WHAT?!" Glinda burst out. When the other two shushed her, she lowered her own voice to a whisper and repeated, "What?!"

Wringing her hands, the older woman went on, "I'm afraid so! All day, she's been agonising over what to do, jammering on and on about her 'conscience'. She's so convicted her way is the only way that she's gone ahead with her plan for Elphaba to 'turn herself in'!"

"I'm just volunteering for so many things lately," Elphaba grumbled.

"How awful, how terrible, how…" Glinda struggled to come up with another adjective, but in the end she simply shrugged and whispered, "What should we do?"

"You can stay here," Elphaba said as she donned her boots, lacing them up. "This is your home, and I've only been dragging you around until this point. But I think I'll be someplace else when they arrive."

"What? You're… leaving me?"

"Isn't that what I ought to be doing? Not getting my friends any deeper into trouble?" Finally having finished with her boots, she stood, crossing to where she left her cloak, hat, and the borrowed Grimmerie.

"Oh… ohhhhh…" Hemming and hawing on the spot, Glinda began to pace, wringing her hands as badly as her Ama now. "Shoot, this is a catastrophocalypse if ever there was one! Do I go with you and make sure you stay safe, or try to stall them here?"

"You don't even have to stall them," Elphaba sighed while tucking the book under her arm. "Just… tell them I swept you along and you're not to blame for any of this; it would be the truth."

Biting her lip as she watched her reach for her broom, Glinda realised that it was now or never. The "never" most likely being "never see Elphaba again." Even though the two of them weren't as instantly inseparable as she had hoped for her university roomie, it could be intellectually argued that the initial strife made them deeper friends for having overcome it; having to fight their way to a mutual understanding made them appreciate each other more. But did she appreciate her enough to become a fugitive with her? She already had, but until now, there had never been a moment to stop and think about it. Now that they had a moment — barely — she found herself completely torn. This was a choice she could never have predicted being demanded of her, and essentially she had been asked to make it several times in a pair of days!

"If you don't mind," Elphaba was asking her Ama, "how long do you think I might have before they arrive?"

"I shouldn't want to dawdle more than another ten minutes. The boy is a quick little thing, but he had only just left before I rushed up here to warn you." Sighing deeply, she glanced behind her. "You might have fifteen or more… if he can't find them straightaway…"

"I appreciate that; I don't think I'll roll those dice. Alright, well, Glinda… I suppose this might just be it." Approaching, she grasped her shoulder. "You take care. I hope your life brings you bliss, I really do."

Her heart seized. Before she could stop to overthink the knee-jerk reaction, she was smiling and snapping, "Excuse me? How dare you try to leave me behind! What a mean thing to do, after all we've been through! Makes a girl feel unappreciated!"

"I… what?"

"My only question is, how are we going to bring a trunk full of my clothes along if we're flying on a broom?" she blustered, striding to the far side of the room to drag one of her glittering, ornamental trunks closer to the center of the rug. "We didn't have a chance to pick up anything from your house, and that's a shame — but there has to be a dozen things in this room we can sell off to make a little travelling money!"

Elphaba was now standing near the window, completely dumbfounded. After a moment, Ama Clutch did grind back to life, but her movements were still jerky and uncertain like a Tik-Tok toy that had long been in disuse as she helped Glinda toss several of the simpler dresses from her wardrobe in. They were followed by a jewellery box, a candelabra, and several items from her vanity. It did leave the room looking a bit bare, but at that point, she was too focused on having the task finished.

"How can you want…" Clearing her throat, she seemed to change her question. "How in Oz are you going to get that thing on the broom? It doesn't seem to be stopping you from packing it to the brim."

"To the brim for the broom!" Glinda laughed. When neither Ama or Elphaba seemed to find her comment amusing, she shrugged. "Isn't there something in that magic book of yours that'll help us?"

Rolling her eyes toward the frilly canopy above Glinda's bed, she laid the book down upon the spread and rifled through the pages for the same spell she had used on the broom. Eventually, she did find it, and began to chant in an even more confident tone than she had used in the Wizard's attic. There didn't seem to be as much of a change… at first. Then, it began to lift very slightly off the ground. Only an inch or two, but more than either of them had expected. Glinda clapped her hands excitedly, and Ama clutched her heart in shock, never having seen such sorcery in person.

"You did it, Elphie! Oh, Madame Morrible knew what she was doing, taking you into her private sessions!"

Elphaba's wonderment at her own success evaporated in a cloud of sudden anger. "Don't you remind me! How dare she take my talents and… and use them on those monkeys like that! How ugly, how duplicitous!" Shaking her head, she snapped the book closed and paced over to slide it into the trunk, both she and Glinda latching it closed. "Well, I guess that's everything, but… this is your last chance."

"For what?" Glinda asked, the picture of innocence.

"For freedom instead of fugitivity."

Waving an elegant hand, she scoffed, "Who needs freedom when you have friends?" Still smiling, she crossed to the bed and tugged on an ornamental rope, tassels and all, until it came free of the canopy over her bed and fell to the floor. "Help me with this?"

Shortly, they had the chest fastened to the end of the broom. It would perhaps be ungainly in the air, but there were worse arrangements — such as having nothing to their names whatsoever. Elphaba shook Ama Clutch's hand, and Glinda embraced her tightly.

"Write if you can, when you can," the old woman bade her sincerely, kissing her on the cheek. "And do try and clear your names, if you can, when you can."

"That's the idea," she whispered, eyes wet. "I'll be back someday, I promise. Take care of yourself!"

A heavy sound came from downstairs, just as Ama was going to reply. Glinda and Elphaba exchanged glances before the latter hissed, "Up and on, let's go!"

"Right! Goodbye, Ama, I'll see you again!" Dashing back over, she helped Elphaba throw wide the windows before they both mounted the broom, in the same fashion as before: Elphaba steering in the front and Glinda nestled behind her. Rising into the air, they gently edged out into the open air and off into the sky, the trunk only thumping against the bottom of the windowsill once before it was also clear.

And the swarming guards in the streets below told them they had escaped in the nick of time. News was spreading. They wouldn't be free to roam wherever they pleased for much longer; the Wizard was on their heels.

                                                            To Be Continued…

[lesbianthropp]

SHARE UR THOUGHTS B

* Well different glindas will mime different sports, so perhaps glinda is just good at lots of things! I also like the concept of preps and jocks being the same in Oz* Elphaba isn’t allergic to water in this universe, so perhaps she just went to the bathroom and took a shower (shower is a good place to try to calm down from a gay panic right?). I also think Glinda was supposed to be VERY drunk during popular, so I imagine she passed tf out by the time elphaba came back (boring I know. I’ll make up for it later)* I think elphaba genuinely liked the hat. She even altered it before she went to the party (it originally has a black flower on it!) so I think after she and glinda become friends she just decides to keep it. And glinda likes it bc she knows that elphaba has forgiven her❤️* I think glinda and elphaba did correspond over the years (but probably not really after fiyero runs off). I think it was mostly letters, and they were often coded bc morrible and the wizard were keeping an eye on glinda. But perhaps glinda managed to sneak out on occasion. She did have the ability to fly in that bubble, so she could have gotten far pretty fast. I also think glinda would secretly sabotage the gale force, and being close to fiyero made that easier. However, given Glindas reaction when she finds elphaba in the palace, they probably hadn’t corresponded in a while before the start of act 2. I’m not sure about elphaba but how many genuine friends could glinda have made if her main job was to lie to people? Her whole life was sort of an act :(. (Also imagine how much more it would sting if elphaba/glinda had secretly been happening after defying gravity, but then for a few months or maybe a year elphaba drops off the face of oz, even from glinda, only for glinda to find out that “the two of you…behind my back!” Shes not mad at fiyero as much as she’s hurt and betrayed by elphaba).* So they would have been on good terms until fiyero ran off with elphaba. Of course, in this version alaym wouldn’t make much sense bc elphaba is clearly in love with glinda and could see her sometimes, what does she need fiyero for? So maybe glinda did something to make elphie mad. Maybe elphie asked glinda to come with her again but glinda was still scared, this time not to run away but because she was afraid she would get elphaba caught. She’s lived in close proximity to morrible for YEARS now so she would surely be afraid of what she could do. So then fiyero runs away with elphaba and sure he’s not her first choice but he did run away for her so that’s like, something (plus how many options can a green woman who is oz’s most wanted have anyway?) What I’m saying is elphaba had a lot of emotions tied up in her relationship with fiyero and love/attraction wasn’t one of them thank you for coming to my ted talk

[forkanna]

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NOTE: Life is terrible sometimes. And wonderful sometimes. I've just been going through a few months of "terrible" and am trying to claw my way through to the wonderful side. Thanks for your patience if you're still reading.

                                               CHAPTER ELEVEN

Half an hour passed. In that time, Glinda had taken Nessarose inside to get a bracing cup of tea to help soothe her jitters over being attacked. Elphaba spoke with the Monkeys, helped them come to an understanding; they would stay on and try to help to repay her for their freedom. She made it clear it was not required, but that she would be appreciative. From what she could puzzle out of their responses, they considered themselves honour-bound; to them, it was not a matter of opinion. They owed a debt and they would pay it.

Then horrible news came to Elphaba through her eye patch. Her sister and friend looked on anxiously as she stood stock still, letting out horrible, wailing sounds. When they could finally rouse her back to them, she had very little to say.

"All the crows… Draven… dead."

Some time passed as they got yet another cup of tea into Elphaba's hands. Nessa stayed well away from the Monkeys, but Glinda had an easier time steering her to a bench closer to the door inside. Once her sister had a few gulps of the steaming liquid inside of herself, she was a bit more open to speaking.

"The man of straw did it," Elphaba said hoarsely, tears clinging to her cheeks. It was odd how Glinda had never seen her cry much back at Shiz, and now it seemed to be happening on such a regular basis. "Murdered my murder! They scarcely… had called out to them to halt, and he started scooping them out of the air, twisting their n-necks… I'm…"

Again, Glinda held her close, pressing her lips into her cheek now and again to show comfort. After a moment, Nessa picked up one of her hands and began to pet it, and Elphaba didn't even have the heart to snap at her or wave her off.

"They must pay. All four of them — and their little dog-cat, too! I'll see to it personally!"

"Elphie," Glinda warned her, tone becoming a little firmer but still more or less gentle as a babbling brook. "You can't just… just pay them back, an eye for an eye! Isn't our entire goal here to be kind to Animals? Doesn't it seem kind of contrarious to go around passing judgement on these strangers?"

When Elphaba turned her glittering eyes upon Glinda, wild and dangerous, Glinda felt a couple of different emotions well up. Though the first and largest was fear, followed by concern, deep down, buried beneath the ones she knew were acceptable… was excitement. Seeing her friend so passionate made her heart beat so fast, and to deny she wanted to see what she might do with that passion was difficult, indeed. But somehow, she managed.

"We can't let this go on," she snapped, rising from the bench. "One way or the other."

By the time the three women reached the Monkeys, Nessa's hand was in Glinda's for comfort. Elphaba wasted no time clapping for their attention. "Yes?" asked Chistery, creeping closer on all four limbs.

"Go and find Dorothy and her thugs! Bring them here! I'll have them stopped or die in the attempt!" When they merely blinked up at her, concerned and vaguely confused, she waved her arms and shouted, "FLY!"

They flew.

"At least there's that," Nessa breathed when the square was empty, sinking down to her knees as she finally let her adrenaline ebb away. "Must we deal with such foul beasts?!"

"They aren't foul," Elphaba said, voice still strained from having been so upset before. "They're just as entitled to be who they are as you or I! Without b-being… being decapitated!"

Glinda stood and patted her on the shoulder. "They have every right to get ahead in life, it's true!" When Elphaba glared daggers at her, she whispered, "What? What'd I say?"

The now-useless eye patch was discarded once they returned inside to make preparations. Likely, she would try to bespell it again, perhaps to see through Chistery's eyes. But Glinda would not have been surprised if she instead buried it in honour of her fallen feathered friends. They had not been together long or for very often at a time, yet she knew the Crows were good friends of hers; Glinda herself had also come to think of them as allies, even if they made her mildly uncomfortable. She only hoped they would find time to mourn them once they had tended more pressing matters.

Though Nessa seemed the least desirous of defending herself, a long poker from the kitchen fires was in her hands by the time they gathered on a parapet walkway, facing the direction in which the Crows and Monkeys had departed. Glinda had her wand out, hanging loosely at her side with a small bag of red powder clutched in the other hand, while Elphaba had her broom nearby as she paged through the Grimmerie, looking for any last-minute aides to their situation.

And then the time was at hand. The creatures circled above them before diving low, bringing five squirming forms within reach. Glinda's heart leapt into her throat, but she knew all was not lost; after all, they might have been outnumbered before, but with the Monkeys on their side…

"Elphie, I'm afraid," Glinda whispered. "I'm tired of confronting people!"

"Stand your ground."

"But what if that straw-man twists my neck?! That doesn't sound like any fun, not any fun at all!"

Gripping her shoulder, Elphaba spun her just enough to look her in the eyes before whispering, "I will die before I let anyone harm a curly hair on your head."

Again, her heart thundered so much within her breast that she thought it might explode.

"Let me go!" begged Dorothy as she was lowered to the ground before them by the Monkeys. "P-please! You can't be- what do you want with us?!"

But around that time, the thrashing girl's dark eyes settled upon the firm, severe features of Elphaba. She stilled when they were being lowered to the ground, completely captivated by the murderous glare from the witch, unable to reply right away. Nessa's eyes were only for the tin woodman, but the other two were fixated on the foreigner to their land.

"Well?" Elphaba demanded as the others were brought in for a landing, thrashing about as they were.

"W-Well, what?" she whispered hoarsely.

"You have killed my friends. Family. And you come now here to kill me." Striding forward, Elphaba raised both arms and grasped the girl's shoulders, bringing her in to growl, "I should snap you in half like you've done to the Crows!"

"They attacked us!" she squeaked. Spotting a flash of the lion's mane, she turned toward her travelling troupe, desperately demanding, "Didn't they? Gosh, weren't we only protecting ourselves? Haven't we any right to do that?!"

Shaking her briefly, Elphaba spat, "You killed them all! Give me one good reason I shouldn't do the same to you before you've got a chance to do it to us!"

Before Dorothy could reply, the lion sprang from the Monkeys, paws extended and jaws wide, roaring for all it was worth. However, Glinda had been ready for this. Shaking open the pouch, she tossed it directly into his face, watching the great cloud of dust swirl around his muzzle as he shook his mighty head to and fro. Of course, he still ended up knocking her off her feet, but as she scrambled back from her he sagged to the ground.

"NO!" Dorothy screeched. "What have you done to him?!"

"Be more concerned about what I'm going to do to you!" Elphaba snarled.

"Do what you want!" the weird little tin soldier shouted. "This one is mine!" And with no further ado, he jerked from the Monkeys' heedless grasp, able to stay one step ahead of their attempts to catch him up again as he flew not at Elphaba… but at Nessa.

"AH!" she gasped, staggering back as the blade of his axe rang out against her poker. "STOP! You don't have to- wh-why attack me?! I'm h-hardly any threat!"

"You're the only threat that concerns me!"

While Nessa was still struggling with him, Glinda pushed to her feet and away from the beast who had taken a snoutful of her poppy-powder, stirring restlessly but unable to rouse himself. Then she glared down the only one who had yet to attack them, other than the useless black dog.

"Well? Are you next? Do I have to show you what this wand can do?!"

"Not me," the scarecrow said with an odd, carefree chuckle. For that was what he was: a scarecrow. She hadn't quite put it together before seeing him up close. Definitely a man made of straw, with painted eyes and mouth, and a large-brimmed hat perched on top of his straw-stuffed head. The laugh was charming… and vaguely familiar, but she wasn't sure why. "But you might have to if you lay a hand on Dorothy. She doesn't deserve to be punished, and I won't let you harm her!"

"You all deserve to be punished!" Elphaba screamed out. "And you will be — right now! Come on, let's go! Come along!"

The Monkeys helped to hoist the lion up and drag him along, but a few more were needed to prise the tin man off Nessa. She gratefully followed, pointing both his axe and her poker at him in case he managed to give his captors the slip again.

"Come to my castle," Elphaba muttered under her breath as they descended deeper and deeper into the castle, conjuring a flame when it grew too dark to see. Glinda noticed Dorothy flinch in sheer terror when this happened. "Drop a house on my beloved, kill my Crows, come to my castle and try to kill me! And you claim you aren't even from Oz! What liberties you from the Northern Kingdoms take with everyone! Well, I won't have it. I won't!"

A little "hmm" floated out of the scarecrow, but that was the only reaction from the companions. For her own part, Dorothy began to plead with them, voice shaking, eyes and nose streaming. "Please! W-we had no choice, we- I didn't even want to be here, but-"

"Do you ever SHUT UP?!"

Laying a hand on Elphaba's arm as they finally reached the lowest floor of all, Glinda whispered, "Maybe we should listen to her, Elphie. I don't really get what's going on, and I'm sorry about Draven and the others, but… I think we have ourselves in the middle of a misunderstanditude."

"Well, I do not," she snapped as she lit a few of the torches in the wall sconces with an idle gesture. "I think they must be locked up for what they've tried to do here today! They can rot in these dungeons for eternity, and I won't care one thin whit about it!"

"I agree," Nessa breathed warily, eyes still on the thrashing of her assailant. "Whatever th-they're doing here, however they think we've wronged them in the past… they obviously mean us harm. Incarceration seems wise, does it not?"

"You'll pay for this," the tin-plated assailant growled, again trying to lurch away from the Monkeys. It seemed they learned from their previous lapse, catching him up easily and holding him in check. "I'LL PART YOUR PRETTY HEAD FROM YOUR SHOULDERS!"

"Shame on you!" Glinda spat at the man. For whatever reason, this cowed him instantly, and he fell limp and silent. "Thank goodness — there's an echo down here, and all that noise…!"

The lion was the first to be locked away, easy as that was while he was almost entirely comatose. The scarecrow went willingly when he saw they only meant to lock them up, which then left them to wrestle the tin man into a cell, clap him in irons so that he wouldn't run back out again, shove a length of chain between his jaws to keep him quiet, and shut the door.

"There," Nessa sighed in relief, finally lowering her two weapons. "Now it's just the girl."

"Very well," Dorothy said in a prim and proper voice that didn't seem to befit her, shaking as she was. Glinda narrowed her eyes at her, a little surprised at this odd attitude. "I'll… I'll go in, I'll be good, if you promise not to forget about me! Th-this can't be forever, alright? Please don't say it is, you mustn't!"

Waving one of her hands as if batting aside the words, Elphaba snapped, "Very well, very well. Just go in and give me time to-"

But she hadn't noticed the plot the girl was hatching. Sometime while begging for her life, or perhaps before that, she had produced a large jug from within her ever-present wicker basket, uncorked it, and the instant Elphaba seemed distracted enough for her to act, she hurled its contents upon the witch.

And nothing happened.

That isn't quite true; something did happen. Elphaba spluttered and shook her head, startled out of whatever she had been saying previously. Then she blinked down at the girl in wonderment.

"What… I… what is this?" Raising a hand to her cheek, she rubbed her fingers back and forth and sniffed. "It's… just water. Is this water?"

Glinda hesitantly approached as the others who were more or less lucid looked on, the Monkeys having recaptured Dorothy after their lapse. Feeling oddly brave, perhaps because they had successfully captured the intruders, she pressed a finger to Elphaba's hand, then raised it to her own lips, darting the tip of her tongue down to retrieve a single droplet.

"Good water, too! Not like that murky muck we have at Shiz, oh no; this is pure Gillikinese mountain springwater, or I'm not an Upperupland!"

By the time they returned their attentions to Dorothy, it was to see she was slack-jawed and staring at Elphaba, as if she had just appeared from within the jug herself. A moment later, when she registered their glares, she began to shake and whimper.

"What… precisely is the meaning of this?" Elphaba asked in a strangely mild tone.

"Oh… oh, I didn't… they said it would work, th-that it was the only way, and I kn- I knew I could never- but it didn't work, and now I'm done for! Wh-why did I ever think I had a chance?! Ever since I f-first saw all these witches, and the Lollipop Guild, I should have known th-that I-"

"The what guild?" Nessa asked in confusion. "Where was this?"

"Where my house landed! They were with you, weren't they? Carrying those spears! O-only now Madame Morrible said she's in charge of the Guild with you gone from the East!"

Grasping her shoulder and shaking her again, Elphaba demanded, "What didn't work, you stupid child?! Speak up! What's the purpose in throwing water on me? Did you think I was on fire? Did you think me an enormous plant and you were going to make me sprout flower petals?!"

Glinda noticed Nessa straining not to comment on that last question.

"WAIT! P-please, I'll be good, I'll g-go into the hoosegow, I promise, I w-was only doing as I w-was told, Uncle Henry and Aunt Em alw-ways told m-me to do as I'm told or I'll be- I'm sorry, you'll never know how sorry!"

"What did you mean to DO with that water?!"

"OW! You're hurting me!"

"I'll hurt you worse if you don't-"

"ELPHIE!" When Elphaba rounded on her, eyes wild, Glinda hissed, "Look at the girl for a twigging second, will you?"

"I am looking at her!"

"No, you're looking past her to how much you want revenge! Really look this time!"

Grumbling all the while, Elphaba turned her eyes down. What she saw was a sobbing girl, even younger than they had been when starting at Shiz. Her white linen dress was grimy and ripped in a few places, her arms bruised, nails filthy. The dirt on her cheeks had been cut through by tracks of tears, and her hair was disheveled so badly that it would need to be well-combed before it could be put right again. The only part of her that remained much as it was the last time they had seen her were the shimmering golden shoes, standing out oddly against her pleasant-but-plain looks and her humble manner.

"Come now," Glinda said in a more reasonable tone, taking the girl's other shoulder. The way she flinched away spoke volumes to her state of mind, but Glinda tried again, whispering, "Why did you throw that water?"

"Th-the Wizard… he s-said if I killed the witch, I c-could… I could go home… to Kansas, b-but I didn't want to, I don't know how to kill anybody! Th-then I heard down in the square of the Green City-"

"Emerald City," Glinda corrected automatically without thinking about it.

"Y-yes," she said, before falling to a coughing fit. A growl of impatience sounded deep in Elphaba's throat, but Glinda swatted her on the shoulder with her wand to keep her from interrupting. "I overheard some of the queer little folk there s-saying that… that pure water might melt the Wicked Witch, s-so I figured… I might manage that! I hadn't any other plan, you know? If she r-really was wicked, then she'd have deserved it, a-and if not, th-then nothing would happen! Besides, I can't take up a sword or a pistol, I don't know a lick about such things, and I c-couldn't make myself do it if I did know how!"

Having absorbed this revelation with lightning speed, Elphaba sighed, "How idiotic the citizens of Oz are now that they can believe something like that. Incredible!"

"That's what I said," the scarecrow scoffed from behind his bars. "And I don't have any brains!"

While Glinda was squinting over at him, trying to summon something from the depths of her memory, Elphaba remained focused on the girl. "So. You meant to kill me, after all. Watching you crying and carrying on like that, I was starting to think maybe this had all been a simple mistake. But here you are, admitting that you just attempted to end my life."

Dorothy gaped up at her again. "B-but… they said you were wicked and horrible! That you were terrorising everyone in the whole land of Oz, and th-that… I'd be doing them all a favour if I got rid of you! And his secretary was so nice to me, that I thought it must… must be true…"

"That sounds extremely familiar," Glinda murmured out the side of her mouth.

"Maybe you are wicked! I don't know, I don't know anything! All I know is r-raising crops and milking cows, I'm… I'm nothing but a homesick girl, so when he said it was important, th-that I had to do it if I wanted to go home… what else could I do?!"

"You could have not tried to commit murder yet again! My crows are dead, my Fiyero is dead, and you've just admitted I was next on your assassination list! Even if you were coerced and lied to, it doesn't make any difference!" Pushing her into the waiting arms of the monkeys, she snapped, "Throw her in a cell!"

"Elphie!" Glinda gasped.

"I said to put her in a cell, not hang her from a tower!" she snapped right back as they locked her up. "I'm… I'll have to think about what to do with her! Aren't I allowed to think?"

At that, Glinda couldn't argue. On the one hand, she thought Dorothy sweet and sad, a tragic figure. On the other, she didn't trust her any more than Elphaba did. At a loss, she looked over toward Nessarose.

"Don't ask me," she said flatly, dropping the poker now that danger had passed. "All of this is… I'm simply exhausted from all the walking. The magic of the shoes might help my legs move, but they still get tired, and so does the rest of me."

"Let's leave them to rot while we discuss the matter," Elphaba bade them. "We… can speak more freely when we're not in front of the prisoners."

As they filed out, Glinda caught the scarecrow gazing balefully at the three of them, as if having a very private, very intense thought. She quirked an eyebrow, but all he did was flash back a silly little smile that had her rolling her eyes as they filed up the stairs.

                                                                    ~ o ~

"They can stay down there forever."

Nessarose nodded her agreement as they gathered again in the throne room. Though it was not a location with anything they might find useful, it seemed somewhat appropriate that they use it when discussing the fate of their new prisoners. "I wouldn't shed any tears if they did."

"You only think that because you don't want to deal with Boq," Elphaba sighed. "Though I'm glad you're in agreement."

"The girl… I really can't be sure," Nessa sighed as Glinda looked back and forth between them. "I want to believe her, but after what she did to the Crows, and having Boq along… how can we take her at her word?"

"Wait, wait," Glinda said with a raise of her hand. "What's this about Boq?" They both simply stared at her. "What?"

"You really didn't recognise him?" Elphaba said in stunned disbelief.

"No! I was too busy worrying about Dorothy, and that crazy ranting… the… oh no." Hand flying to her mouth, she breathed, "He's the tin man! Isn't he?!"

Nodding, Nessa turned away to pace toward one of the windows. "I knew it was him at once, but he tried to kill me almost immediately so I had no chance to mention it. You two probably didn't notice, but even the girl was shocked by how violent he was. And… and so was I."

"And I was not," Elphaba put in. "If I didn't have a reason to hate Boq before — which I didn't, not really — I most certainly do now."

"Why?" Nessa snapped suddenly, voice boiling with acid. "As you're so fond of reminding me, it's my fault he turned out this way. Right? I drove him to this by trapping him in Munchkinland, then almost killing him, and… and I'm no better than you, or Dorothy, or anyone else who's tried to kill someone the past few weeks."

They were all silent for a moment as they absorbed that statement, and all its accompanying implications. It was Glinda who cleared her throat to say, "Maybe so, Nessie. But what I got out of just now was… Elphie has a reason to hate Boq, and that reason is…?"

Sufficiently prodded, Elphaba rolled her eyes. Maybe Glinda was being painfully obvious about what she was getting at, but she had no valid reason to sidestep her efforts. "That he attacked my sister. No one gets to do that but me." When they both turned shocked expressions on her, she ducked her head and added, "Not in the way he did, of course!"

"Of course," Glinda harrumphed, though she was smiling. It might have been a small victory, but she would take it and run with it.

"Now we have a problem," Nessa sighed, brow furrowed as she stared out the window. Too distracted to have fully realised what Elphaba said. "My ex-paramour and a strange girl from the Kingdom of Kansas, and her other weird accomplices… what are we supposed to do with them all?"

"Tin Man can stay locked down there until he rusts for all I care," Elphaba announced. "But you're right, the others… is it strange that I feel it difficult to hold a grudge against the girl, even though this is her third attempt at murder?"

Nodding, Glinda prodded at her chin with the tip of her wand. "Yeah… she really does seem to be a victim of circumstance. She claims that she has no powers, and if that's the truth, then there would be no way for her to drop an entire house on Fiyero, would there?"

"There's still the Crows to answer for," she said firmly. "Though I can see how an entire murder of crows swarming them all at once would be intimidating, they killed every last one. That's quite an overreaction!"

"As for throwing water on you, my sister… you heard what the Wizard told her." Nessa looked apologetic as she finally turned to look at them again. "He had us all fooled before he turned on us, with his promises of prosperity and apprenticeship, and so on. We were supposed to have an alliance, he and I… and then betrayal, just because the Munchkinlanders stopped approving of my policies! I find it pretty easy to believe that if he swore to send her back to her home if she took care of a witch that was 'wicked and horrible', it would be easy to justify… you know."

"Wait," Glinda said as she took a step toward her. "An alliance? You and His Wizliness? When did this happen?"

"While you two were off 'finding yourselves'. It wasn't a very close alliance; he merely visited to make sure I was settling in as Eminent Thropp, and… well, and he asked me to report to him if I had any contact with you." When she saw two sets of eyes widen in her direction, she held up a hand and said, "But I didn't! I… well, I wasn't sure what to think between you giving me the shoes, a-and what happened with Boq… so I just stayed silent. I figured if you really were as wicked as he believed, you wouldn't have helped me, and… and he'd track you down eventually, anyway."

"Why didn't you help us in return for helping you?"

Her narrow shoulders shrugged. "Despite what they said about me… I'm no witch. What could I have done?"

"She's right." Unexpectedly, this admission came from a very weary Elphaba. "As much as I don't approve of her methods of presiding over Munchkinland…"

"Tell her, not me," Glinda said. "She's right here in the room, you know."

"Fine. Nessa… I'm…" Sweeping her hat from her head, she turned it between her fingers for a moment. "I'm sorry I've been so harsh on you, even if you have deserved it. You're my sister, and… and family is supposed to get second chances. And third… and fourth…"

Though she was smiling, what Nessa said was, "This does not sound like much of an apology, but I think I understand. Just promise me that you understand that, whatever our problems were, you're always going to be my Fabala."

"I promise I'll try not to hate you calling me that," Elphaba said through clenched teeth. They nodded to each other. "But I think we should table that and our worries about the past until after we deal with the present."

"Right," Glinda said, tapping her chin. "The queer quintet who came calling."

"Er… yes." Elphaba shot her a mildly confused look before turning to look in the general direction of the doors. "What ever are we going to do with them?"

"I have an idea. You and Nessa should look through the book, see if you can find something to take a little of the tension out of the tin boy. Maybe a magical muzzle for the mangy beast. As for me…" Pursing her lips, she paced back and forth for a few seconds before asking, "Do you either of you have some rope to spare?"

                                                                 To Be Continued…