Disclaimer: characters not mine, dibs on my idea of New Emeral City.
AN: Inspired by recent trip to NYC. Of course I saw Wicked. First time back in NYC since I saw OBC Wicked in 04! Anyway.. This plot got lodged in my head. So, I present a take on what may happen post canon.
It has been 7 long years since the melting of the Wicked Witch of the West. The infamous anniversary is still celebrated with much to-do and native traditions such as children throwing water on one another (a practice Glinda still frowns upon, her public excuse being ruining good clothes, but someone watching closely may see her eyes gleam with held back emotion). Over time, thankfully, the impact of the incident has had less and less of a grasp on everyday Ozian life, and Glinda was no longer prisoner to dancing around the subject at her appearances.
To occupy her time, 'Glinda the Good' had taken on the hugmogufous task of righting the wrongs of the Wizard even since she had banished him back to wherever he came from, a task that morphed into a complete redevelopment of the city once science and art began to flourish without the harsh governmental restrictions of before. These fields prospered quickly and were able to develop new and wonderful things for their community. The greatest project, one that had taken many years and much work to complete, was a tik-tok marvel of public transportation that travelled all over the city and surrounding areas both above and below ground. ''Subway'? Yes that is the term Ozians were using. Certainly shorter than 'geared automatic super/subterranean public trainway'. 'Gaspt' doesn't sound very authoritative anyway. 'Mind the gapst.'? Oh, that may make a good sign…' Glinda chuckled to herself as she left her desk covered in layers of city plans, contracts, and various letters.
She smoothed out her well-tailored outfit with her hands, going over her schedule for the day. Ready to leave her chambers, Glinda made sure to remove a large well-worn book from her bed. Shutting the tome respectfully and closing her eyes as she ran her hand down the spine, she crushed back creeping memories as she returned it to it's hidden home in the secret wall nook. Life just couldn't stop throwing her curveballs… to her surprise, one day, at least a year after that; Glinda realized she was able to read some of the strange characters. More studying led to more comprehension, and nowadays Glinda felt power grow within her. A potential power that she kept as secret as she kept Elphaba's truth. I've fixed so much. If only you could see it, the memories crept back again, and once more Glinda shut them away from her heart and mind.
(-)
A whirlwind of brisk walking, carriage rides, and escalators later, Glinda found herself at the retrofitted New Emerald City station. The architecture was the same, but it was in many ways unrecognizable from the first time she had laid eyes upon it on that unexpected trip. Shaking contemplations away, Glinda raked her eyes over the ecstatic crowd that filled the main terminal. They still drank her words like a cat lapping cream, the pliability of the Ozians still never settled well with Glinda. As much of a problem this mindlessness caused when someone was still alive, it now made for a general lack of hurdles to her mission to improve todays Oz. Taking the steps up to her well used speech platform Glinda unfolded her faint pink paper marked with shorthand notes, reading it over once more before reciting her speech from memory.
"Fellow Ozians. Today is a very important day in the continual rebirth of New Emerald City. For too long many parts of the city were only accessible by foot or carriage, and longer distances, even just to the suburbs required large train engines. Today, that changes! Now any one in New Emerald City can board one of the beatificous geared vehicles and be whisked around to oh so many destinations!". Glinda continued to expound on the joys of progress and necessity of modernization before getting somewhat sentimental. "But even with the change we have all put into action in the last seven years, we will always be Emerald, always strive to be a shining example for all of Oz, and never forget what makes us great, to never forget the past". As that final word hung in the air, she put on her nearly trademarked grin and let her eyes wander. Of course the crowd went wild with cheers of goodness and advancement. Flashbulbs glared and Glinda blinked to clear the stars from her eyes. When her vision came back to focus her glance was upon on of the few true original walls left standing. Almost tucked against the ceiling, glaring back at her… 'Elphaba Lives'. She couldn't tell if it was fresh or old, but either way it shouldn't be there. Graffiti, especially horribly untrue propagandic graffiti, had no place in New Emerald City! Glinda roughly grabbed the arm of a nearby state employee, likely some terrified intern, and practically forced their face in the proper direction to align their gaze with the offending script. "That", Glinda hoarsely whispered, "I want that removed. Immediately". Barely able to squeak past the surprisingly iron grip for such small hands, the intern voiced affirmation before being released and disappearing into the throng. Glancing around to make sure any journalists were not chronicling what she had just done, Glinda shook her hands with anger before again striking a happy pose and letting the mask of goodness cover her persona once more.
Glinda strolled up to a waiting subway train, taking the moment to clear her mind and focus on the task at hand. She had seen the plans, but this is the first new train she has seen in person. It was similar to the large surface engines, but was shrunk down due to no longer needing to house a boiler or other volatile mechanisms. Sleek sweeping lines arching from a curved front melded with purposefully placed bolts, pipes, and gears along the flank. Of course it shone a beautiful green, with steel and bronze operational parts. Glinda had insisted all design in the city start to focus on using accent colors other than yellow brick or bright golds. She never gave a reason why... Happy with the appearance of the vehicle, Glinda leaned in to smile with the conductor leaning out his window. Pure photo op. So another day in the life of 'Glinda the Good' as the head of Oz began.
(-)
The cycle of station openings, photo opportunities, and speeches of progress continued all day until the sun took a low angle in the sky. Glinda finally was able to dismiss her entourage and declare this outing complete. Checking the placard, she boarded a car on the train back to the central station. Perhaps this was the one flaw of today's plan, the opening tour had ended at the Dazeem station, practically the furthest one away from the heart of New Emerald City while still in the new subway system. Only a few other souls were in this car, a fact that Glinda relished since even with the speed of this new system it would still be a bit of commute back. Granting the raised eyebrows that noted her appearance only a smile and a nod, she sat down near the front of the car, distancing herself. Promptly, she let a sigh she had been holding in for hours escape. Only the anniversary celebrations of years past had been more exhausting. Glinda scowled at the thought, swallowing the bad taste the sprung in her mouth, again banishing such thoughts. What was with her today? That was another life.
Keen to distract herself now, Glinda focused on the car around her. The inside reflected the exterior in many ways, but also sought to contrast it. Wood and bronze tones covered the majority of surfaces, with the famous emerald green used only on seats as an accent. She closed her eyes and listened to the smooth clicking of the gears and wheels that moved them along the tracks. She thought about the newly assembled public transportation committee. Another day another meeting… The train came to a whirring stop. "Maguire Heights Station" a pleasant voice spoke over the speakers, and a group of students filed on. "Curran Station", another stop another recording, a few gentlemen rose and exited. "Verkaik Transfer", a mother escorted her babbling children aboard, which thankfully quieted down after a maternal glare. "51st Street Station", the speaker garbled this one, the schoolgirls giggled and quickly exited.
Along the way, a few glances and short bows or curtsies were made in her direction, but thankfully people let her be. Were they just being polite? Or was she casting that much of a negative aura?... Enough. Glinda had proven Shiz… Morrible… wrong with the clout that actually existed between her ears, but sometimes actually possessing the capacity for large arcs of thought led to uncharted waters or territory she purposefully locked away. She steered her mind back to admiring the machinery and workmanship around her, for she had been too busy being 'her Goodness' most of the day to truly appreciate it. Finally approaching the denser part of city, the gears and tracks led the train underground into darkness. The lights flicked on. Glinda caught the reflection of the interior in the window across from her. The scene reflected in transparency. These ghosts in the glass swayed with the movement of the train, her own ghost staring back at her.
External lights suddenly vanquished these spectrals out of sight. Another train swung in to pull alongside, Glinda noting foolish instincts of fear for a moment as it hurls towards them, but straightens out at the last moment equaling out in speed as well, the precise mechanics would not falter now and she knew that. Taking the place of the earlier reflective apparitions was the frame of another window, looking into another car of another train. Solitude and curiosity drew Glinda to focus on this new display. This car seemed much fuller than hers, not to true capacity but all the seats were taken and some occupants stood. The city dwellers were done up in their usual fashions of all shapes and degrees of gaudiness. Hm. That's different. Thoroughly draped in a green so dark it fringed on black a tall figure stood, well stooped, on the far side of the adjacent car. Draped is an understatement, how much fabric is that? What an uncommon outfit. An old widow from the outlying lands? Everything about her other than her clothes was covered and obscured. For the second time on this now seemingly long ride, Glinda drove the sharpened thought 'enough' to the forefront. I am glad for the renewed diversity of New Emerald City, and I ought not to stare like a…
*BUMP* *THUNK* *CLACK* It was over almost as quickly as it happened. The change between gearing systems also still needed the bugs worked out apparently. The cars jostled, amplifying the movement the passengers felt, making for a terrifying moment of unsure footing, and Glinda was glad she was sitting. Her eyes hadn't left the other train though. With the mechanical tremor the darkened figure started forward as if to fall. Glinda stifled a gasp as the hypothesized elder grabbed for the handrail she had been flouting earlier. She caught herself, but the act sent her veils and drapery ever so slightly askew. This all happened in a matter of seconds after the thump and she spent an equally short time straightening her appearance before slinking back against the wall.
Glinda was not focusing on her countless yards of fabric or terribly concerned about how upright the woman remained. In fact her eyes hazed into a blurred vision, her breath stopped as another structure faltered, if only for a moment.
There was no colored crystalline façade down here to cast falsehoods. But no, it wasn't possible. Yet. She saw it. For a brief moment. In a crook of fleetingly exposed skin…
Verdigris.