Ok so the story takes place after the musical and has only a little bit of stuff from the book in it. I'm not really sure where I'm going with it or if I'll ever finish but I really love the musical and I have read the book. The story is kind of dark and I'm sorry if I get anything wrong from the book or musical. I'm going to be changing it a little, but correct me if I make any big mistakes. Hopefully, it's ok. I started years ago and came back and fixed it up. I love to write, but sharing my work is completely new to me.

CHAPTER 1: GLINDA

My mind could form no coherent thoughts as I ran off into the black night. I did not know how long I'd been gone, only that I was finally free from that awful place. There were no lights on in town and it had been easy to slip through alleyways and hide in the dark shadows of the trees. I knew where I was going and I had to make it there.

The night was cold and the wind chilled my cheeks, but I kept running. I had no shoes and was wearing rags that one could hardly call clothing, especially in this weather. I was free, but alone. The woods that surrounded the town were comforting and I wasted no time running into the darkness with fears.

I was practically mad with desperation as I clawed my way through branches, barely feeling the sting when they caught on my arms and legs. I knew these woods so well; I could have traveled them blindfolded. In fact, I might as well have been. The only light came from the moon and the trees were doing a fine job of blocking the light out.

It felt like I my destination was dangling right in front of me, but no matter how fast I ran I could not reach it. I couldn't stop to catch my breath because I knew I would never be able to go on again if I did. I just kept on running.

After what seemed the like a lifetime, I reached the small wooden house hidden in the woods. The dim light was just enough that I could see that it was covered with moss and vines from years of neglect, but that didn't matter now. I felt no emotion as I stepped toward the house, breathing heavily. The tears had long since dried up now.

I hadn't looked upon this house in years and I never thought I would again. I could have stared at it a thousand years, but I knew I didn't have the time. My injuries were starting to make their presence known and if I stood out in the cold any longer I would surely collapse. Stars swam before my eyes that had nothing to do with the night sky as I stepped toward the door.

I opened the creaking door and stumbled inside. It was dark. I couldn't see much of anything, but the memories were crystal clear as they flooded back to me in a whirl of colors, but the tears still wouldn't come. I felt my way into the room not remembering where the lights were. But something caught my foot and I fell to the ground with a loud thud.

The pain finally came back to me and I let it take me over. It was done. I had made it home, but I wasn't going to last.

Maybe I would die here, I thought to myself, eyes drooping. Maybe I would die from the cold. I heard that was an easy way to go. Just like falling asleep. I wasn't sure I cared right now. I wasn't sure I cared about anything anymore. I imagined all my responsibilities slipping away and being passed along to another. It was no longer my problem.

When I finally fell asleep I dreamed of my life years ago. I wasn't content with my life back then and that had carried on with me into the future. It was guilt that traveled with me everywhere I went. And it had all started when I met a girl with skin as green as the Emerald City.

She shook her head and smiled at me when she saw the state I was in. "You always did give up when things got tough." But her dark eyes melted from cold amusement to concern easily. "Don't give up. There are things you must do… people to meet and places to see." She grinned at me now. "Just like you always wanted."

ELPHABA

I should be glad to come back to the world I had been born in. I should rejoice that I had even made it here completely undiscovered. But news spread like wildfire in this town and it wasn't always good. Glinda the Good had been dead for nearly a year now.

I stared from the shadows at a quiet town I used to visit from time to time when I attended Shiz. It seemed so different now. There was a new political figure in the spotlight and if you compared the town to what it was years ago and what it is now, the new ruler didn't seem to be doing a good job.

Normally, I would have been angry with this. Normally, I would have stood here boiling in anger and would have had to rip myself away from staring at the poor town so I wouldn't curse anyone in it. Instead, I just watched and couldn't help but notice the similarities between the town and I. Or rather the only similarity. We were broken.

It was over. My life was done. I had lived but a short time, but I had experienced what seemed like a lifetime of misery. Everyone—and there weren't many—I had ever loved or cared for were gone. I had but one reason left and it would be gone soon and given to better hands.

My plan was simple. I would stay at the small house we had found in the woods one time after a long, miserable day, not unlike this one. I would let the memories seep in, breathing in all the emotions I had felt as I thought about the life I had once lived. I would make sure that my last reason for living had a home and would never for one moment be affected by my mistakes in life. Once that was taken care of, my time would be over and the Wicked With of the West would be where she was supposed to be five years ago.

I cradled the small bundle to my chest, shielding it from the cold and my heart broke at knowing I would never know this child. But it was better off and I knew that too well. He would be better off growing up with a mother that wasn't infamous for a false crime. I sighed and silently prayed for the life of my child to be as normal as possible.

But even as I opened the door of the house that was older than I was, my knees grew weak. It was too much for me to handle. I set my broom aside. I knew it was cliché of me to ride around on something that had labeled me as a wicked witch, but it was simply the fastest means of traveling. Anyways, I had stopped caring what people thought of me long ago.

Growing up with green skin made me vulnerable, but it helped me grow as a person and I learned how to defend myself. It had gotten easier as time went on.

I sighed with the heaviness of a person that had been through rough times and I felt entitled. But I was tired now and all I could think of was getting some well-deserved sleep. It was a long journey from one world to another.

Glad of the return of my magical abilities, I snapped my fingers and light flooded the room. I shrieked as it revealed a startling sight.

Lying on the floor was a woman who was utterly filthy. Her blonde hair was a mess around pale, hallowed skin that was tight over her face. She was wearing what appeared to be rags and she had dried and fresh blood all over her body. Her wounds were horrific. I clutched my child even tighter in my arms and had the sudden urge to take him as far away from here as possible. Panic filled me at the mere wonder of what might have been done to this girl.

I took deep breaths until I calmed down. The poor girl. My heart swelled with pity as I gazed at her tiny body on the floor.

All I could think of was I had to help her. My better instincts whispered that it was too late, but something else that was much louder screamed to save her.

I wasn't worried about revealing myself. Whoever she was, she was in no condition to run into town screaming about the Wicked Witch of the West. But how had she gotten in here?

I had long ago cast a spell over the house that would only reveal itself to two people.

I set the bundle, still sleeping soundly on the sofa and stroked his dark hair before I knelt down next to her. I could see the scars she bore and the ones not quite yet healed covering her tiny body.

Slowly peeling a glove off my hand that covered my green skin, I reached forward to touch her hand. I gasped. It was cold as ice, but that didn't come as a shock. The weather was becoming cold as it prepared for winter and she must have been freezing in those rags! I could see that her chest was barely moving and she wouldn't have had any color at all had her horrific wounds not been oozing blood.

I was desperately fighting nausea as I stared down at her wondering what to do. I couldn't lift her no matter how tiny she was. I might injure her further and I refused to be responsible for ending her life.

I put my hand to her forehead, desperately trying to focus my energies to heal her. As my hand brushed her skin, she jerked and bright blue eyes opened and focused on mine.