Title: The Returnance

Author: AoN

Word Count: 5,300

Genre: Drama, Adventure

Rating: PG-13

Feedback: Please and thank you! Let me know what I'm doing right or doing wrong.

Summary: After many celebrations of the Wicked Witch's death, a new evil appears in the wonderful land of Oz, forcing Glinda the Good to confront the decisions she had made in the past and to accept a truth she cannot fully grasp.

Chapter One

To the Good Witch of the North, an eternity had past when in reality, it had only been year. One year, twelve months, fifty-two weeks, three hundred sixty-five days – it did not matter how it was framed, it was still an eternity to the most beloved of all of Oz. However, for three hundred sixty four nights, Glinda had been plagued by nightmares, nightmares of a memory that constantly played on repeat in her mind, memories she could not shut out.

"Hurry! No one could know you're here! Hide yourself!"

And what did she do?

She hid herself, like she was told. Oh, why did she hide? Why did she listen? She could have helped! She could have done something other than hide and promise to keep quiet, promise to not try to clear her friend's name.

These were thoughts that haunted her on a daily basis – the 'what if's and 'what could have happened's, mixed in with the wailing scream as her one true friend melted away before her. For a year, Glinda had not experienced a moment of peace. She was doing her best to not only keep her own troubles under control, but she also had to keep Oz's political madness at bay and in check.

The Wizard was gone, according to Glinda, due to the unbearable hardships of wizardship. The news had shocked many Ozians, but most had accepted and allowed Glinda to be Glinda the Good – some even went as far to call her the Good Witch of the North. Although many Ozians accepted her, there were some that did not. Some believed the Wizard was forced out of their beloved Oz and demanded for Madam Morrible's freedom. Others believed it was time for everyone to embrace the old teachings and then there were the radicals who believed the Wicked Witch of the West was still alive, in hiding, but alive. Each group only served to give Glinda headaches, especially the radicals – she had witnessed the melting herself. There was no way her friend could still be alive – and she had been anything but wicked!

"Good news! She's dead! The Witch of the West is dead!"

Glinda could still vividly recall standing over the pile of clothes – the black dress which had been an improvement over the frock she had been so fond of at Shiz – and that black hat… The hideous hat Glinda's grandmother had sent her, the hat that Glinda meant to be a horrible trick on the roommate she had hated so much…

She remembered standing over the remains of her friend, clutching the hat that had started their friendship and with Chistery at her side. Outside, Ozians had gathered and heard the good news, they had gathered and started celebrating in the streets.

"The enemy of all of us here in Oz is dead! Good news!"

For the millionth time in this long enduring eternity, a lump had crept up her throat and her blue eyes began to sting as she tried to keep her temper, her anger, in check. Good news, they would say. Good news! They had been brainwashed by the Wizard, brainwashed and here Glinda was forced to endure this singing once again a year later, forced to not clear her friend's name.

Oh how badly she wanted to go to the celebration today and convince her fellow Ozians that it had been the Wizard – the Wizard had been wicked, not the Witch! Glinda knew, hwoever, what would happen if she did. As much as the Ozians loved her, they would turn against her for speaking ill against their beloved Wizard. The radicals may love her for it, yes, but then Glinda knew it would be her in prison and then Madam Morrible would be calling the shots. Frankly, that would not do. All the work GLinda had been doing for the sake of Animal rights would have been for nothing.

Therefore, it did not matter what Glinda wanted, but she knew her friend would have wanted it to be this way. Who cares about the status of a name when Animals were slowly getting their rights?

So today, at the thirteenth hour, Glinda would stand before the crowd of Ozians and cheerfully smile as she delivered a speech, reminding everyone how fortunate they all were, how they finally could live in peace.

"Finally a day that's Wicked Witch free!"

A sigh escaped her as Glinda rolled over onto her side in bed. She pulled the covers close to her thinned figure. Pretending ot be something one was not can take a toll on the body. Throughout the course of the year, there had been times where Glinda had to force herself to be happy to the point where she made herself physically ill (today would probably be one of those days). Glinda had picked up on a few tricks, however. If she did not refer to her friend by name, it was less painful to think about.

And Glinda knew the name was only known by few Ozians and those who knew would not dare utter it. If they gave a name to the enemy of Oz, if they gave a name to the Wicked Witch of the West, they would make her seem more humane, one of them with her own life and her own story. Ozians would discover she was misunderstood, she was not evil, but then the Ozians would have to believe their Wizard had been evil and that simple would not do.

That was Glinda's theory anyway.

After spending the entire night tossing and turning, without any amount of sleep, Glinda finally forced herself to sit up. She had to get up. Oz knew how long it would take her to get ready for today's… festivities.

She swung her legs over the edge of the mattress and pushed herself onto her feet, keeping the covers wrapped around her petite body, her security blanket if you will. Glinda dragged herself over to the open window. The guards had warned her about sleeping with her window open and curtains drawn back, but Glinda did not care. She left them open day and night when the weather permitted it (otherwise the curtains were constantly drawn back).

The view was spectacular of the Emerald City and beyond the city's limits. It was a view Glinda could enjoy from the comfort of her own bed which was plenty of times, like she did during the night. It also allowed her to watch a sunset whenever her schedule permitted it.

Yes, the view and the sunsets were probably reason enough to keep at least the curtains drawn back whenever she damn well pleased, but they were not her primary reasons, of course.

"So if you care to find me, look towards the western sky!"

It was a silly idea, Glinda would be the first to admit. She knew first hand, she witnessed it first-hand after all, that the Witch was dead and she would not be flying across the sky any time soon on that filthy old broom, but a tiny part of her hoped beyond all hope that she would.

She hoped beyond all hope that her good friend was still alive, but… no, not possible. Glinda witnessed the melting and all she had to remember her friend by was that black hat Glinda herself still could not pull off even if her life depended on it.

Well, that and the Grimmerie. After a year with the book, Glinda could read just one spell – the levitation spell no less. The dead, lost language was difficult and that was putting it lightly. It made her wish she had spent time studying languification at Shiz, not sorcerery, but then again, Glinda was extremely terrible with languages. Glinda had a hard time keeping her upland dialect in check when addressing Ozians as a whole – could you imagine attempting to decipher an entire book written in a language completely abandoned by its speakers?

By her own standards, understanding one spell was impressive, but it was not as if Glinda had bewitched a broomstick or had given monkeys wings. No, Glinda had succeeded in bewitching a teaspoon during a private breakfast here in her chamber. She had been excited, so proud of herself that she did not know where the damn thing ended up – probably floated through the window and disappeared into the streets of the Emerald City.

The idea made Glinda smile weakly. Out of the two of them, Glinda had been the weaker student. She probably never would have been allowed to study under Madam Morrible had it not been for the Witch. Madam Morrible did not believe she had what it took – the Witch believed otherwise and probably was the sole reason why Glinda got so far in her studies.

Oz, how Glinda missed her.

Allowing the covers to slip down onto the floor, Glinda turned around and headed back over to the sie of the bed. Although she doubted the maids would be around today – it was a holiday after all – she had to hide it just in case. Picking up one of the pillows, Glinda revealed the black pointy hot which she picked up and hugged closely to her chest. It was her most prized possession needless to say.

It was also her most dangerous.

If one of the maids or servants discovered it, Glinda would not be able to explain herself – they would not allow it. The political tension was too thick. That did not stop her from taking it out whenever she missed her friend the most.

And on the first anniversary of her death, Glinda was truly missing her.

Crossing the room to one of her dressers, Glinda pulled out one of the draws and buried the hat under various items of clothing.

She had to get ready.

xxxx

"No one mourns the Wicked!" someone had jeered from the crowd. It was a statement quickly followed by "No one cries they won't return!" They were all declarations heard before – a year ago – and it stung just as badly now as it did then. As her bubble began to descend, the shoutings grew louder until someone from the crowd took notice.

"Look!" she heard a voice shout over all the others. "It's Glinda!" And with that it was time to put on a show for the Ozians.

Hearing the gasps and cheers that were intended for her, Glinda forced a bright smile, a fake smile she had perfected over the last year. She had made it a point to be among the Ozians during certain events; she did not want to hide behind a mask like the Wizard. No, the Ozians would know Glinda the Good, they would know who she was and would be relatable – approachable unlike the Wizard. She did not want to be feared, simple as that.

The cheering grew when the bubble landed on the stage the event committee had built in the plaza specifically for this occasion and the crowd tried to pack into the small space even tighter to get a better look at their Glinda the Good. Children were hoisted onto their parents' shoulders as they all watched her with wide, bright eyes, beaming. There were so many… it was a little overwhelming and they were all here for one thing – to see her.

So much planning had gone into this day and this was only the beginning. She was scheduled for more appearances, all public, which had made the guards nervous. Today, everyone was at full attention. Security was important – they had to protect not only Glinda but also the citizens of Oz. They had been afraid that the radical groups or Wizard followers would attempt to do something today.

There was no sign of danger. So far, everything was clear.

Glinda was well aware of the situation, yes, but it did not stop her. These people loved her, she had to be here for them, right?

Maybe it was a little dark of her to think, but what would it matter to her personally if something happened to her? Everyone she cared for was already gone, she would be leaving no one behind. If anything, she would be joining old friends again.

No, those thoughts were way too dark for Glinda the Good.

Glinda had changed over the course of a year.

Exhaling deeply, Glinda walked up to the podium and the cheers began to die down. "My fellow Ozians," she began, casting complete and utter silence onto the crowd. They were ready to listen to her every word, ready to eat everything up. Oh how badly she wanted to tell them the truth!

"You mustn't clear my name."

Right.

"My fellow Ozians," she repeated. Glinda had gone over this speech time and time again in her head as she prepared for the day. She went through it during her hair and make-up sessions, as she was getting dressed and accessorized, figuring that by the time she reached this moment, the speech would feel natural and not forced. Standing here, however, in front of a crowd clueless about the truth and celebrating… she would have rather been with the radicals – at least they were mourning the Witch's passing.

"Friends," she found herself saying. Would they notice if she just duplicated the speech from last year? Yes, they probably would, but would they care? These people, for the most part, hung on every word their Glinda the Good said. All she had to do was sound positive and reassuring.

She was trying to convince herself that this truly would be that easy.

"My friends – what a wonderful year it has been for us all!"Glinda officially began. Her statement was followed by a roar of cheers – many were waving emerald ribbons into the air. "It has been a year of peace for us all!" she lied through her teeth, forcing a smile. More cheers followed – if this continued, it was bound to be a long day, one which she did not want to endure.

"Every corner of Oz has celebrated a year without wickedness, for a year ago today … a young girl from a land beyond Oz, a land known as Kansas," Glinda continued, blue eyes scanning the crowd which was now buzzing with silence. "She came to our aid with the companionship of her dog D- Toto along with the Scarecrowd, Lion and Tin-Man.

These heroes, our heroes," Glinda corrected, not really wanting to claim these heroes as her own. "They confronted the greatest enemy Oz has ever known, they confronted the Wicked Witch of the West – an act of courage many of us would not have done – and it was the young girl, Dorothy, who took it upon herself to attack the Wicked Witch with a bucket of water, bringing upon her melting and bringing upon us, our peace."

Glinda paused there, knowing full well the story of the melting would be followed by cheering. It was also followed with the jeering of 'no one mourns the Wicked,' which Glinda also expected – if only they knew the truth, her heart was aching horribly and she knew she had to go on, she had to finish.

Once the silence returned, Glinda willed herself to go on. "Although we are celebrating the triumph of goodness over the wicked today, we also wish to remember those whom we love dearly who have perished by the hand of the Wicked Witch."

All of a sudden, it had gone from being quiet to absolute silence and the energy of the crowd became extremely heavy. Glinda did not want to mention this since reality of the matter was no one perished by the hand of the Wicked Witch, she was always the one to extend a helping hand. Glinda knew some perished uring the witch hunts, but they had all been accidents – accidents passed off as evil magic. However, Glinda knew if she said nothing, the people of Oz might use it against her. Perhaps the idea was a bit intense, but the political tension was so tense… she rather be safe than sorry.

"Their memories will live on with us and with all of Oz," Glinda went on. "They will be remembered for their actions which aided in the downfall of the Wicked Witch."

The heaviness seemed to eb lifted somewhat and the crowd began applauding once again.

"Let us never forget them or our heroes, my friends," Glinda warned. "For they have risked much for us to be able to stand here today in peace, enjoying equally the goodness that was casted upon us. As we go forth today to celebrate the downfall of an enemy we all had in common, we should also celebrate the lives lost-"

"Oh what a celebration we'll have today!" someone had overly excited shouted from the front row, catching Glinda a little off guard which she played off with a small, light laugh.

"Oh yes, my fellow Ozians!" Glinda agreed. "Thank goodness! A year that has been free from wickedness! What a celebration indeed!" she exclaimed, holding out her arms.

With a wave of her hands, clouds of glitter and brightly colored streamers sprayed over the crowd, ringing in another round of cheers. It was a simple little charm she had learned in Shiz and they loved it. Glinda was now ready to take her leave, but something at the foot of the stage caught her eye. Someone had taken it upon themselves to toss a handmade doll onto the stage. That did not shake Glinda, oh no, but the fact that the doll had green skin did – not only that, but tied around the doll's neck was a tight rope.

She was going to lose it.

She could not handle this anymore.

And the day was only starting.

This was only going to continue.

This was going to be a test of her might and will power and, frankly, Glinda was ready to label herself a failure. She had to turn away from the crowd and lower her head to hide her eyes that were already stinging uncontrollably. No, she could not cry, not in front of these people – especially not in front of these people here in the plaza or in front of everyone that she would have to encounter today.

"Lady Glinda?"

Immediately, Glinda's shoulders tensed. Blinking furiously, she quickly pulled herself together – she had to – before turning to face the guard that had addressed her. "Yes?" she replied, forcing another smile.

"Lady Glinda, you have fifteen minutes until your next scheduled appointment – at the gates," the guard reminded, a reminder she did not need. She had her entire schedule memorized, every painstaking minute of it.

"Oh, why yes, thank you!" Glinda replied with a fake cheer in her tone of voice. "Mustn't keep anyone waiting, shouldn't I? Especially on a glorious day such as this one – thank you!"

Long day indeed. Oz knows she should be rewarded in some shape or form when her schedule appearances were over for the day this evening. If she reached that point, she would definitely merit something or another for having to deal with all these lies…

xxxx

"Oh my fellow Ozians!" Glinda had gushed into the last crowd of the day. The sun had gone down and the fireworks were scheduled to begin. Luckily for her, it was not mandatory for her to stay beyond the opening speech she had just delivered for the evening festivities and she had no intention of staying not after this long day. Nor did it matter if her Ozians were begging for their beloved Glinda the Good to stay, she just could not anymore. They have had their Glinda the Good since morning. "What a day it has been, but now I must retire!"

"But Lady Glinda!"

"No! Stay with us, Lady Glinda!"

"Oh, please, Lady Glinda!"

"Lady Glinda!"

Had it been any other occasion, Glinda would have changed her mind, she would have stayed with her fellow Ozians and she would have enjoyed her time with them – who would not want to be among a crowd that loved them? However, today had drained her physically and mentally and all she wanted was that sweet escape she had been craving since she woke up this morning.

"Goodness knows I do not want to disappoint you, my friends, but I must be going now!" Glinda replied to the pouting crowd. "We have spent such a wonderful day together, don't you agree?" As she spoke, Glinda glanced up at the sky to spot her descending bubble. "Now, please, enjoy these lovely evening festivities! Oh I do care to hear about them! But as for now, I must depart and bid you all farewell!"

Just on time – as she spoke her final words, the bubble arrived. To the Ozians, it did not matter, they only continued to pout and whine at the idea of her departure. After all, the night was young! There was still so much celebrating to do!

Let them continue celebrating, let them enjoy the show that was planned for the evening! Glinda, however, was ready, truly ready to retire. Ignoring the whining, Glinda found herself in her bubble and departing, but she still could not drop her guard. She still had to put on her own show for the palace guards and servants before she could even reach her room, but that was alright… She had already made it throughout the day, what was a few minutes more, right?

She could do this.

She was so close, so close to just curling up in bed and sleeping. She was drained, so tired. This could not be a yearly occurrence, at least that is what she hoped. She knew she would be wrong. This was a big day – the witch had been the greatest enemy of all of Oz.

Glinda would always dread this day, a day which would only serve to remind her that she was truly alone in this world. Yes, nearly all of Oz loved her, but what did that matter if she had no real close friends? Funny, was it not? She was loved by many, but at the end of the day… Glinda was truly alone.

It was a daunting realization, one that today made extremely clear.

The short trip back to the palace seemed even shorter since she was lost in her own thoughts. The bubble had landed in the designated area – the large balcony connected to the library. One of the servants was already waiting for her there. Glinda had to snap back into reality as the bubble disappeared.

"Welcome back, Lady Glinda," the young woman servant greeted with a small bow.

"It is definitely good to be back," Glinda replied honestly. She had been waiting to return since leaving that morning after all – her own little secret. "But what are you doing here, Miss Evella? Surely you were given the day off…"

The young woman smiled faintly as her tired hazel eyes met her Lady Glinda's. The woman had to be just a few years younger than Glinda, but the experience that was echoing in those hazel eyes was showing someone much older (not that Glinda lacked experience of her own, of course, but everyone had their own story to tell). "I was, Lady Glinda, but… I am the sole provider for my son, my little Kiki – he's off celebrating with his aunt today. Only two, he wouldn't understand, but it gave me the day to work since everyone else wanted to be off festivating."

Yes that was right – Evella was a part time worker in the palace, but she always did her job well. She was rather impressive, Glinda had noticed, but she had been completely unaware of the girl's living situation. She tried not to look a little shocked, but Glinda feared Evella may have caught her staring. Glinda had been actting all day, she had bound to slip up somewhere. It was better now and earlier. "S-surely you would have wanted to be with your little Kiki today of all days, Miss Evella," Glinda responded, not putting much thought into her answer. It was not until after did she realize she might have offended. "I-I mean… oh, it's been a long day! Please disregard my babbling mouth!"

Evella could not help but laugh lightly, amused that one of Oz's most powerful people was verbally stumbling over a commoner like herself – and to be addressed as Miss Evella! It was an honor! "Please don't fret, Lady Glinda!" she grinned. "Yes, I would rather be with him today, but not because of this… pardon me, ridiculous holiday."

"Ridiculous holiday…?" Glinda repeated slowly, arching an eyebrow.

"Believe me when I say I am by no means a radical," Evella quickly explained. "I was just never a fan of the Wizard's old policies and I have cousins who attended Shiz during the time of the Witch. Imagine, the enemy of Oz, an Animal rights supporter – you must be aware, Lady Glinda. After all, you went to school together."

"Y-yes," Glinda muttered. This conversation had taken her by surprise. She wanted very much to drop her guard, but she knew she could not. There was the possibility that Evella was a spy, trying to get her to talk – oh and she was such a nice girl. "Well, no – our paths simply crossed at school. I never really did get to know her," Glinda willed herself to lie some more. Before she could say anymore, a loud bang exploded behind her and both women nearly jumped out of their skins in fright.

They both turned around in time to see the night sky by lit up green by massive fireworks, signaling the start of the evening festivities which they were both missing out. Glinda's eyes had locked onto the bright lights as she dragged herself over to the edge of the balcony. Evella followed, but lingered a little behind. From the balcony, they both watched the light show in silence, a silence that Glinda welcomed.

It did not last long, the show was quickly over and Glinda found herself forcing to smile again as she turned around to face Evella. "Well, as lovely as that was… I really must retire-"

"Lady Glinda!"

One of the palace guards had stepped onto the balcony. Would today never end? "Lady Glinda, we did not want to disobey your orders and enter your private chamber-"

"What do you mean?" Glinda was quick to ask.

"Hours ago, one of your servants informed us that entrance to your chamber was no permitted at any cost," the guard began to explain.

"The only servant here today is me," Evella spoke up. "And I didn't pass any order along from Lady Glinda. No one else is here."

"What do you both mean?" Glinda repeated. What was going on here? There simply was no end to today. Once more she was feeling unsettled – the combination of today's events, the strange conversation with Evella and now this. Of course it was enough to shake her nerves.

"Then there's been a breech in the palace security!" the guard stated. "Lady Glinda, you must leave immediately – at once. I'll order a search of your chamber-"

"That!" Glinda quickly, maybe even a little bit too quickly, interrupted. "Won't be necessary!" A search of her private chamber – a complete search of her private chamber – would without a doubt lead to the discovery of the black hat she had hidden away and then she would not be able to explain herself. No, she would be labeled a radical and thrown into prison with Madam Morrible and that was company she did not wish to keep. "Let us be a little more rational!" Glinda continued. "N-Not everyone who is part of the service department has taken the day off! After all, Miss Evella is here with us today!"

Evella's eyebrows furrowed as she frowned. "But Lady Glinda, no one else has clocked in. No one else on the staff has been near the palace." Why was Lady Glinda so eager to ignore her own safety? This issue had been thoroughly discussed by both the staff and palace guards. Not everyone agreed with Lady Glinda and if these radical groups wanted to attempt something, they would have picked today to have done something of all days.

"And to have an imposter relay direct orders from you, orders which you did not give," the guard pointed out. "Lady Glinda, pardon me, but we cannot ignore this, not when it effects your own personal safety. The people of Oz depend on you – they need you."

Perhaps it was she who was being a little irrational and not actually seeing the danger of the current situation. She was also briefed about the possibility of something occurring today – something politically motivated at that – and the situation they all currently found themselves in was a bit odd to say the least. She knew they were only trying to protect her, but she had been doing exactly the same thing – protecting herself, but her motives were flawed. Well, she could explain herself, but then it would force her to reveal everything which was something she could not do. She promised she would not.

"It's been a long day – I'm not thinking straight," Glinda explained. "Please, take care of the matter at hand. I'll… well, I suppose I could join everyone at the festivities. Miss Evella, do you wish to join me?"

Evella watched the guard nod and take leave to notify the rest of the security. "I shouldn't leave, Lady Glinda," she replied, turning to the other woman.

"Your safety is in as much danger as mine," Glinda pointed out. Evella could tell Glinda's attention was elsewhere. Following her gaze, one could tell Glinda was intently staring into the darken library. It was not until the slam of a door closing did Glinda break out of the little trance. "Something's not right," she stated.

Evella was a bit taken back – was she really this airheaded? "Of course something's not right, Lady Glinda! An imposter-"

"No, not that," Glinda interrupted. "Well, of course that, but don't you find it rather odd? Captain… what's his name? Captain Tandy was so eager to inform me that no one was allowed in my chamber, but he didn't actually report anything to me. It's confusifying, isn't it?"

"Pardon for my frankness, Lady Glinda, but how is it by any means at all confusifying?" Evella asked. "There's a security breech! You must leave! Summon your bubble!"

"Miss Evella, think about it – the Captain did not tell us everything!" Glinda pointed out. "Either, poor soul, we didn't let him or he is hiding something from us."

"Lady Glinda, you're reading into this too-"

"Am I?" Glinda quickly questioned. "He did not want to enter my chamber. He did not want to disobey orders, but he had intentions of entering. Something is wrong, he knows something is wrong, but did not want to disobey orders – Miss Evella, I need to know what's going on!"

Before Evella could even comprehend what was said, Glinda was already crossing the balcony to enter the library. This was not good, not good at all. Glinda was one of Oz's most loved public figures. If anything happened to her… "Lady Glinda!" she called out, following after her. "Lady Glinda! Where are you going?"

"To my chamber!"

To Be Continued