Re-posted and re-written. I hope you all enjoy! This fic, for the most part, is novel based with a few exceptions: both the freindship between Elphaba and Glinda and the fate of Madame Morrible will follow that of the musical. While the novel spands nearly fifty years of Elphaba's life, I am shifting time and turning back the dear Clock Dragon: my story begins five years after Fireyo's novel death, and four months after Elphaba's melting. The characters (Glinda, Fiyero, and Elphaba) are in their late twenties.
Disclaimer: All belong to the great Gregory Maguire... except this new plot- this is all mine :)
Lady Glinda Upland began her decent down the steep and dark steps of the palace dungeon. It had been four months since the Wizard had departed from the Emerald City, never to be seen again, and Glinda's first order of business was to clean up the mess that was Oz...
The unexpected departure of the Wizard, and the inprisoning of Madame Morrible, had left Oz without a ruler. Because of her already high standing with the people of Oz, Glinda was nominated, and immediately appointed ruler. After bearing witness to the atrocities committed by the wizard and his gale force, Glinda knew that she did not want Oz to be a dictatorship. She felt that all the different lands should be allowed to govern themselves, but they would all adhere to a universal constitution drafted by herself. Glinda wanted peace.
When the news of Elphaba's death reached the Emerald City, Glinda stayed in a locked room for three days, and for those days, she mourned the loss of her best friend. Though she and Elphaba had their differences, Glinda was thankful that the two of them were able to bury the hatchet before Elphaba had died.. But even this fact was not enough to give Glinda the peace of mind that she desired. She knew that for all of Elphaba's pain and suffering, the one thing that she fought so vigorously for, was never achieved. Glinda knew that she owed it to Elphaba to bring peace to Oz, not just to its citizens, but to its Animals as well.
Glinda spent her first month reviewing all of the military orders drafted by the Wizard. The majority of the Gale Force had been sporadically stationed throughout Oz to act as spies for the Wizard. Glinda spent this month discharging those soldiers who had abused their authority, and reassigning those who had not. The next three months were spent in meetings with the representatives of each Ozian providence. After weeks and weeks of negotiating new laws, rights, and freedoms, Glinda drafted a new constitution that was unanimously passed by the commitee of leaders.
One week after the announcement and unveiling, of the new Ozian Constitution, a farewell Banquet was assembled for all the leaders. Glinda couldn't be happier with the results of months of hard work. She had achieved her goal. Peace and equality would now have a lasting affect on all members of Oz. Though she was all smiles at the banquet, a part of her cried at the thought that Elphaba would have been proud with what she had accomplished.
Glinda returned to her chambers, and after changing into her favorite nightgown, she found a sealed envelope on her nightstand. Within was a letter from the palace dungeon:
Lady Glinda,
I wanted to bring to your attention a certain number of prisoners that have been unlawfully kept, tortured, and abused by order of the Wizard. These men deserve to be set free. I have enclosed the names of these men and their charges. It will be your final decision that decides their fate.
Glinda read over the names and the charges, 'Of course these men shall be set free!' she thought. There was one name, however, that was listed as 'Unknown'. Glinda knew that she would need to take a trip to the dungeon to further investigate this prisoner.
The dungeon was dark and filthy. Glinda continued down the steps and met a guard at the bottom of the stairs, "Good morning, Lady Glinda. Thank you for responding to my letter."
"It is of no problem. What can you tell me about this man. The man labeled 'Unknown'?"
"He's a gentleman. He was taken prisoner about five years ago. Beatin' really bad when they captured him. He was interrogated weekly about somethin'. I dunno much, it was hush hush business. The Wizard himself would come down and have him beat and tortured, but he would never speak. He yelled for death once, but the wizard said that he was more valuable alive. I dunno much about his value; it was kept confidential."
The prisoner was kept at the far end of the line of cells behind a locked door. The guard opened the door and Glinda was immediately hit with the stench of death. The floor of the cell was carpeted in dirt and hay. Glinda made out the figure of a man crouched in the furthest corner. His knees were drawn up to his chest, and his head bowed down to his knees, "Open the cell, please" The guard fished out the key and unlocked the cell door, "I will be right here, my lady" He opened the door and Glinda walked in. The dirt and hay was stained with blood and vomit. Glinda had to hold back the bile that began to grow within her own throat.
She carefully walked over to the man and he lifted his head. His face was covered in dirt, parts of his face were caked in dried blood and a purple bruise still appeared fresh over his left eye. Though the mess of his face made him unrecognizable, there was one factor that could not allude Glinda: A blue diamond that shown on his chin atop his dark skin. There was no mistaking the identity of the man before her, "Fiyero?" At the sound of his name he fell over unconscious.