The pitter-patter of tiny feet hurrying to keep along with larger ones was drowned out by the cacophony of noises in a Munchkinland market place. A tall, dark and handsome man was walking swiftly through the street, holding the hand of a very pretty flaxen-haired little girl. Her ruby red lips formed a perfect smile, her white teeth shining and her curls bouncing with immense volume as she skipped along the road. The trip to Munchkinland had been long and tedious, and Galinda Arduenna had prodded her father to allow her too accompany him - she hardly ever left the house, after all. One needed to get some fresh air! But as soon as Galinda stepped out of the carriage and onto the hard dirt road, breathing in the fresh open air, she forgot all about the exhausting days of being cramped inside the carriage, her posterior quite sore from being forced to sit still for so long. What a relief for her backside this was!
She and her father, as they walked down the street, received a number of lingering glances and funny looks - they weren't necessarily the type one would see around the farming capital of Oz. Her father in a rather intricate business suit, Galinda in a very expensive pearly white dress and shoes equally as white, that never seemed to stain with mud or dirt - they certainly did not look like they belonged.
Her fathers pace slowed, and Galinda had to stop skipping suddenly, causing her to stumble awkwardly into her father's leg. Even while stumbling, however, she remained featherlight. "Popsicle, why are we here again?" a small, high voice rang out.
"Because Galinda, dear, we are getting you your own servant," replied her father in a deep, but caring voice. Galinda's brow furrowed prettily.
"But Popsicle, I don't want a servant. We already have Mosey and Jerry," replied the small blonde.
"Yes darling, but they are the servants for your mother and I, you should have one your own age." Galinda's lilting laughter rang high, though still drowned out by the busy market.
"There are little girls who work as servants? Popsicle, that is silly!"
"It's quite true Galinda. The one we have come to collect, in particular, we have been told, is very responsible and has been taking care of herself ever since she was born. She is only two years older than you are, and she is to teach you how to read and write," replied her father, turning Galinda in the direction of the house. The little girl seemed utterly confused.
"But Popsicle, she is only little like me. I shall not make her my servant, she shall be my plaything!" said Galinda gleefully, removing her tiny hand from her father's large one to clap them together gaily, before returning it.
"Plaything?" her father chuckled.
"Oh Popsicle, you know what I mean. She shall play with me! And she will not do any chores or teach me, we already have servants for that," said Galinda firmly, though it was hard to take her high, childish voice so seriously.
"Whatever you wish, Galinda, we are buying her for your sake only." Galinda giggled and the rest of the walk was spent by Galinda running ahead, talking animatedly about the silly things Massey and Jerica had done before their trip, and amusing her father with "Galinda-chatter", as he and her mother called it. As she was chattering about the goings-on in the barn the day before they had left, Galinda stopped short when her father's feet stopped moving. She had not been paying attention, and they had reached their destination.
"Popsicle, is this the house? It is so small!" said Galinda in astonishment as she observed the small house, that appeared to be settled in a marsh that she did not recall entering.
"This is, darling." Her father knocked on the door, there was the shuffling of feet, some yelling of inaudible words, and a small green girl was soon visible in the doorway, holding the door for them. She was a lanky thing, much skinnier than Galinda, and seemed a few inches taller too. Her skin was green as sin, and the hue it took in the sunlight dazzled the small blonde. Gailnda's head tilted to the side, much like that of a kitten when trying to analyze something new.
"Popsicle, is this the one who is to teach me?" whispered Galinda, still eyeing the green girl. Her father nodded in response.
"Hello, thing," said Galinda, and the small green one only nodded, blushed, and backed away into the shadows. Galinda tried to peek in to see where she had gone, but another, much taller and very much not green figure had arrived at the door. Galinda stepped back and held her father's fingers tighter, looking up at the woman. She was very pretty, with pale skin and flowing brown hair - but not as pretty as her Momsie. "Hello, miss," said Galinda with a small curtsey, as she was told to do whenever greeting new people.
The woman looked down at her and a strange smile came onto her face - was that a look of envy? - before she looked up at her father, and they began discussing something Galinda was all too happy to drown out. She poked into the room and looked around, leaving the adults to chatter amongst themselves. She took small steps that made no sound as they hit the ground, searching for the strange green girl that she had seen only moments before. She reached up on her tip-toes for the handle of a door branching off from the main room, and pushed it open. A head of flaxen curls poked in and the blonde girl began looking about the room. Books upon books, stacked up in piles or strewn about all over the place. Goodness, I have never seen so many books in my life! All five years! And five years is a lot, mused Galinda in her head.
As she was looking amongst the piles, she noticed a flash of green skin and feet running across the floor. Galinda's head moved in the direction of the footsteps, and she followed them to the darkest corner of the room. She looked around warily, her wild imagination wandering, thinking about what creatures could be lurking in the shadows. Then, she saw the outline of a small girl, jack-knifed into a strange sitting position with an open book covering her face. The small blonde placed her hand on the top of the book.
"What are you doing?" asked Galinda. And there was no response. "Are you awake?" She tried to push the book down, but the arms holding it up were too strong for her dainty ones. "Why are you not speaking? Are you a mute? Popsicle has told me about mutes. They are either born with an inability to speak, or just choose not to, isn't that silly!" said Galinda, giggling. She saw the green girl wince at the high laughter, and her brows furrowed. She turned around to the side of the green girl and held out her hand, palm open, in front of the book. She was not sure if this little girl-thing bit or not, and therefore did not know what sort of risk she was taking in making such an action. "I am five," she said proudly, then counted her fingers aloud with her other hand. "That many. How old are you?"
The green girl looked up from the book, out from a curtain of silky black hair, and held up an open palm on one hand, and two fingers on the other. "I do not know how to count past five," said Galinda with an endearing pout. "Popsicle told me you are to teach me how! What comes after five, green thing?" asked Galinda, sitting down beside her. The green girl scooted away, but responded very, very quietly.
"Six."
Galinda beamed. "Is that five plus one fingers?" asked Galinda, holding her fingers up at six. The green one nodded slowly. "What is after that, because Popsicle said that you were my age, plus two," explained the blonde, excited that there was indeed, some life in this creature.
"Seven."
"So you are seven years old?" Galinda repeated the gesture that the other girl had made when communicating her age - one open palm, and two fingers on one hand. "This many?" The other girl nodded, and Galinda clapped, which seemed to frighten the green girl - she scooted further away. Galinda, deft as she was, did not notice this and reached out to touch the green girl's hair. "Your hair is very soft," she observed, and the green girl blushed. Such a strange thing... thought Galinda. Just then, the door to the room flung open again.
"ELPHABA!"
The green girl jumped to her feet, dropped the book and ran to the door, Galinda close at her heels. There was a strange, very scary looking man staring down at them, and he immediately looked at Galinda. "Did she scare you, little girl? Did she try to bite your finger off?" the man growled.
Galinda shrunk and looked confused. "No sir, she taught me how to count two past five," said Galinda with a bright smile, holding up seven fingers before she scurried past him and latched onto her father's leg, who petted her head gingerly. Elphaba walked with her head down to her mother, who had a very small satchel of Elphaba's things ready to go.
"Elphaba, you are going to live with the Arduennas now. You are going to teach their daughter how to sing, how to read, how to count and how to write. You already know such nonsense so it shan't be hard," said her mother, thrusting the satchel at Elphaba. Galinda watched in wonder - how could a mother be so cold?
"Am I ever coming back here?" asked Elphaba quietly.
"Well, I should hope not. Goodbye dear," said the woman with mock-sweetness, before turning and leaving. The father saw them out, and Galinda watched as Elphaba slowly walked with them from her home. Galinda wanted to cry for her as she observed how dejected Elphaba looked, but that was not going to make everything better. She let go of her father's hand and slowed down to Elphaba's pace. The small blonde looked at the green girl and smiled.
"Your name is Elphaba?" asked Galinda with interest. Elphaba nodded, and the small blonde smiled. "It is very pretty," said the blonde.
"Thank you," said Elphaba quietly and awkwardly, still looking down at the ground, not quite comfortable with receiving compliments. "What is yours?" she asked, trying to be polite.
"Galinda," said the blonde with a broad grin, slipping her hand into a very shocked Elphaba's. And at that moment, a very indescribable feeling surged through both of them.
A/N: Like? Don't like? Reviewwwww and we'll see where this is headed. ;P