It started as a whisper.
"Is it true?"
"What?"
"She's dead!"
"The Wicked Witch?"
"Yes!"
"I heard the girl from Kan-zizz melted her!"
It built and built until there was an ear-shattering cry of joy.
"She's dead!" One Ozian cried, "The Witch of the West is dead! Good News!" More cheers erupted, and Ozians ran around, belated by the news.
However, one Ozian hovered just above the celebrations, trying to hold it together. A young woman with blonde hair, in a big, blue dress stood in her bubble, sniffing and wiping her eyes. "I'm sorry Elphie. I can't do it, I can't keep my promise. I've got to try."
"Look, it's Glinda!" A cry came from the crowd, a finger pointing up at her. And with a deep breath, and a fake smile plastered on her face, her bubble descended into the celebrations.
"It's good to see me, isn't it?" She shouted to the crowd below. A cheer of agreement erupted. Glinda laughed at the stupidity of the crowd. "No need to answer; that was rhetorical." Murmurs of 'Oh, isn't she clever? Isn't she good?' came from the Ozians.
"Fellow Ozians! Let us rejoicify that goodness could subdue the wicked workings of 'You-Know-Who'!" Glinda addressed the oblivious public "Isn't it nice to know that good will conquer evil? The truth we all believe, by and by! For you and - "
"Glinda! Exactly how dead is she?" A reporter cried, holding his microphone high. Glinda's face fell, which she quickly turned to a look of utmost concern for the well-being of Oz.
"Well, there has been much rumour, and speculation – innuendo, outuendo – but let me set the record straight. According to the Time Dragon Clock, the melting occurred at the thirteenth hour; the direct result of a bucket of water, thrown by a female child. Yes, the Wicked Witch of the West is dead!" Glinda concluded. Cheers flew through the air.
"No one mourns the wicked!" "No-one cries 'They won't return'!" " No one lays a lily on their grave!" The cries came from the crowd. Truth was, there was one who had done those things. True, Glinda didn't lay a lily on her grave, because there was no grave. Because she was Wicked.
"But goodness knows, the wicked's lives are lonely." The irony. "Goodness knows, the wicked die alone." The crowd echoed and agreed with her, while Glinda descended from her bubble to meet the ever grateful, ever oblivious crowd.
"Glinda! Why does wickedness happen?" A young girl asked. She looked a little like a young Nessarose. Oh Nessa, how Glinda regretted being a key to her death.
"That's a good question – one that many find confusifying. Are people born wicked, or do they have wickedness thrust upon them?"
And so, Glinda explained that the 'witch' had a childhood, a mother, and a father. She explained what her mother was like, and how her father had resented her from the day she was born. However, the Ozians payed no attention. She was wicked, she was dead, and that was that.
"Well, this has been fun!" Glinda enthused, getting back into her bubble, longing to get to the comfort of her new palace, to cry and mourn the wicked. "But as you can imagine, I have much to attend to, what with the Wizard's... unexpected departure. So, if there are no further questions, I - " She was interrupted by another reporter.
"GLINDA! Is it true you were her friend?" He shouted up to the bubble. Shock, hurt, pain and guilt crossed Glinda's face. The facade fell, the mask came off. The memory came back.
"I.. well.. uh.. you see... Yes." Glinda replied, her voice shaking. There was a collective gasp.
"Well, it depends on what you mean by 'friend'. I did know her, that is, our paths did cross, at school." At this point, Glinda's eyes started to water. "But you must understand, it was a very long time ago. And we were both very young." She trailed off, as the crowd suddenly started to morph into her old classmates from Shiz, bright-eyed and clutching suitcases.
Suddenly, the cluster of students parted as a young, green skinned girl scurried forward. A sob escaped from the good witch, as she reached towards the memory of her best friend.
"Elphaba..." She whispered, tears rolling down her cheeks.