Nor didn't want to be the one to do it, but the adults had sent her up anyway. She tumbled up the stairs and stopped at Auntie Guest's big wooden door. She tried peering through the cracks first, to see what she was doing. She found a big, jagged crack and pressed her face up against it, not too worried about splinters.
Auntie Guest was writing something, and it looked to be important. Her big quill feather pen seemed to dance excitedly as she scribbled down her thoughts; Nor noticed her crossed ankles and intense look. She also noticed Auntie Witch was sticking her tongue out in a funny way, deep in concentration. She thought this was funny coming from the guest—she seemed so scary! But here she was, looking like the rest of them.
Elphaba wasn't deaf; she could hear Nor's giggling even from behind the door. She sighed and laid her pen down, uncrossed her ankles, planting her feet firmly on the ground, and cleared her throat loud enough for her unwanted visitor to hear. Nor stopped her giggling and felt a soft throb of dread bloom in her chest. She quickly ebbed it away though, convincing herself that this was no big deal. She was a big girl.
She slowly opened the door; the feather wasn't dancing, her feet weren't daintily crossed anymore, and the tongue was gone.
"What's that sullen look. Why are you here?" said Elphaba. She didn't really like Nor, she sometimes found her to be immature and sassy; but her look of dread as she entered the room stung her, although she'd never tell anyone that. Sarima would have a field day.
"They want you. Downstairs. Someone's here and they want you," Nor muttered out.
"Who would ever want me?" Elphaba half-joked, only Nor simply nodded her head. The Witch thought that was amusing; children were so honest. "Who is it," she continued, as if it were a game that she and Nor were in on, a joke between themselves. "Who's here to see the old, mean witch?"
"A girl. I dunno, I didn't get much of a look."
"Did she have a name?"
"I dunno." Elphaba was growing a little impatient now.
"What did she say, concerning me?"
"She said she's been looking for you, for a long time. And that you were green, and that there aren't any other green girls she knows of." Nor was twisting her right foot, bored. Elphaba sat back in her chair. Her face contorted as her mind raced. It couldn't be, no, it couldn't be. Although it must've been. Suddenly, Nor's presence made her agitated, and she made a shooing motion towards the girl, who darted out of the room and down the flight of stairs, happy to be out. The Witch followed closely behind.
She descended the stairs, her black dress swishing gently. She wasn't in a hurry because she kept telling herself it couldn't be true, Nor had played a prank on her. However, and she got closer and closer to the bottom of the staircase, Sarima and her sisters came into view, along with Liir, Irji, Manek and now Nor. The whole party was here, she thought. A very elaborate prank indeed, excellent execution. Liir noticed her.
"There's someone here to see you!" he said very excitedly. She had a soft spot for Liir, and she didn't fully understand why.
"Yeah, there is someonehere to see you. Weird, did you put them under a spell?" Manek said mockingly. She had no soft spot for Manek, the little terror.
"No, Manek, I didn't put anyone under a spell... yet." She got to the bottom of the stairs and glared at him. He made a fart noise and a crude gesture.
Elphaba walked towards the door, where all of Sarima's sisters were, swarming around the poor soul who decided to stop at this circus. The sisters were intrigued, asking the visitor a million questions about life in the city and if she had a man to which she simply said "No." Sarima was outside and talking to the guest. She was composed and polite, similar to how she had been with Elphaba the first time.
There were too many bodies in the way to get a clear look, too many overlapping voices and conversations to say anything. The guest was here to see her, wasn't she? Elphaba was growing tense. Luckily, Sarima spotted her from outside, and smiled knowingly.
"Look who's come to join us! Auntie Guest!" she exclaimed, quieting the squawking sisters. They refrained themselves from asking any more questions, but they were still fidgeting with excitement. Oh the look on Auntie Guest's face was sure to be priceless. "Make some room so she can meet our new guest!" Sarima said joyfully, like the good host she was. The sisters obeyed, and cleared out, giggling to themselves. It took some maneuvering but when they were all gone Elphaba was able to look up and make eye contact with their guest.
Her hand didn't have enough time to cover her agape mouth. Her eyes had gone wide and a little bit out of focus, she let out an audible gasp, short and sweet. Her heart was dancing.
"Glinda."
"Elphie."
They were sitting around the dining room table, having a very lavish dinner. It was a guest, after all, Sarima figured. And an old friend of Fiyero's, she remembered. She sat at the head of the table, peering across at Glinda, who sat at the other end. Elphaba was to her right, and she was beaming, they all thought. They thought it strange, and Nor kept waiting to see that tongue poke back out, thinking back to before.
"So, this is the famous Glinda that my dear old hubby had told me all about?" Sarima started, smiling despite the sensitive topic which was her husband. Glinda broke off from her whisperings with Elphaba, having heard her name.
"Oh! Yes." She took a moment to regroup herself and flashed a genuine smile. "Fiyero talked about me?"
"Oh yes, the both of you. If my memory isn't too shot I may recall him rattling on about how you, Auntie Guest, were some type of animals' rights activist?"
"Animals," Elphaba corrected between chews.
"Yes! Animals!" she clapped. "How noble!" And she meant it. "And he went on about you Miss Glinda, you and your good looks, and your sorcery." Sarima remembered those days with Fiyero, how he brought up Glinda, how he referred to her as "beautiful." It made Sarima jealous back then, but now she didn't mind it much. Glinda was truly beautiful, even in this age.
"Oh, how sweet of him," Glinda blushed, and she felt sad all of a sudden. "He was such a good man."
"Don't I know it," Sarima chuckled, wiping away a couple of loose tears. Elphaba stopped chewing, the thought of Fiyero saddening her as well.
"Well this is fun," piped up Six. They broke out laughing, despite the horribleness of it all. Elphaba was laughing too, much to their surprise.
"Let's eat!" sang Sarima.
"Dinner was wonderful," chimed Glinda. She and Elphaba were in the hall talking to Sarima. The kids barreled through them all of a sudden, and Elphaba grit her teeth in annoyance.
"Those little monsters..." she grumbled.
"Elphie, they're just kids," said Glinda. She thought back to the childhood stories that Elphaba used to tell her, how she threw rocks at the neighborhood kids once she was able to walk. "You weren't quite the angel either, if I remember correctly."
"Oh?" Sarima said in a curious tone, leaning against the dining room's doorframe and crossing her arms.
"That's besides the point," Elphaba muttered, embarrassed. Glinda hummed, happy she had won.
"Well I'm very pleased to hear your thoughts on dinner. Now, may I show you where you'll be staying?" Sarima propelled herself off of the doorframe and extended a welcoming arm.
"No thank you, that won't be necessary. I'll be sharing Elphaba's room." Sarima raised an eyebrow. She looked at the odd pair and noticed they were both blushing. They were full-grown women, but to Sarima they seemed like young girls. She thought back to their days spent together in Shiz and simply shook her head.
"Reliving your dorm days, I see? Alright by me, enjoy your stay Miss Glinda. Elphie will show you the ropes." Sarima's eyes twinkled mischievously, knowing Elphaba preferred not to be called by her real name, or her nickname for that matter. Elphaba simply rolled her eyes. "Goodnight all," Sarima chirped, and retreated to her room.
"Goodnight," they said in unison, and laughed. Elphaba hadn't felt this happy in years; she wasn't sure why Glinda was here, but she was eternally grateful.
"Did you hear what Miss Glinna said? About Auntie Witch?" Nor piped up from beneath her covers. Her brothers and Liir were milling around her room. They were all too excited to go to sleep.
"It's Glinda, Nor. Not Glinna," said Irji, a dolly in his hand.
"Whatever. And give me back my dolly!" She reached out and took it from him, hugging it close.
"I heard what she said. She said Elfie," said Manek, who was picking at his foot.
"Elfie?" asked Liir, who was sitting on the floor, looking a bit dumb to the rest of them.
"Yeah, Elfie. Like an elf. Get it, 'cause she's green?" Manek carried on.
"No no no, it's Elphie. It's a nickname," said Nor.
"How do you know that?" Irji butt in.
"Because her name is Elphaba."
"How do you know that?" Nor smiled triumphantly at them.
"I heard it," she said, with an air of wisdom.
"Heard it how? You were with us," said Manek.
"I stayed back, I heard them talkin'. It was boring grown-up stuff but I heard them, I heard them talking and I heard her say her name. Mother said it too."
"Her name's Elphaba?" Liir asked giddily.
"Yes, and I found something else out. They're sharing a room, her room." This was exciting news to them. Auntie Witch had been nothing more than a semi-scary figure, someone who intrigued them with her odd behaviors and sourness. She had an air of mystery to her; they'd often call her Auntie Witch because it seemed to fit. Now they had her name.
"And did you see her at dinner? She was laughing and smiling. I don't think I've ever seen her smile."
"I've seen her smile," said Liir. They looked at him.
"You have?" asked Nor.
"It was once. It was on our way here, with the rest of the travelers. She said something nasty to the cook, who she didn't like that much, and smiled."
"That wasn't a smile you idiot, that was a sneer. Nasty and smile don't go together," said Manek."
"Oh. I guess you're right."
"What we saw tonight was smiling. Auntie Witch was smiling," Irji repeated the phrase, baffled.
"I'm gonna call her Elphaba," Nor beamed.
"She won't like you for that."
"How do you know? She was happy tonight. Maybe it'll be like this all the time." They thought about it. Maybe this new guest, an old friend of the witch's, would end up changing her. They got nostalgic for a moment, for the mysterious and gritty witch they loved to fear. But they also couldn't wait to see what might happen. It was going to be an interesting winter for all of them.
Author's Note: Hello! Elphieelphaba here! I've always wished it were Glinda and not Nanny who knocked on Sarima's big castle doors... so the idea for this fanfiction has been floating around in my head for a bit! Please tell me if you want me to continue! Thank you! :)