A/N: This is my first one-shot, after always blowing my previous ones up into mulit-chapters. This should've probably gone under the Wicked (Books) section, but heck, since it's here, just do a favor and R&R? Of course, i'd have no clue what's going on in your mind if you haven't read Out of Oz, but good luck nevertheless :)
Southstairs reeked.
It reeked of death, of disease. It reeked of spilled blood and thrown retch. It reeked of the aura of spirits craving for freedom, craving for a glimpse of sunlight.
She shivered, a cold ripple of distaste prickling her spine. At least she knew there would be one soul that would see the sunlight again today, and she knew nothing could stop it from happening. It was inevitable for that soul not to smell freedom today.
She leapt over yet another pile of retch, with a cat's grace, her footfalls light as a feather. There was no need to dart into the shadows, for the darkness was all around. But she'd studied the maps of the Southstairs tunnels to know well enough where she was.
At last, her passing by cells and cells of sickened prisoners ended, and she came to a cell much like the others, just that it held a woman she knew.
This was it, the thing she'd planned for since the day of the Calling.
She drew out a pin from beneath her shadowy cloaks, and in the darkness picked at the lock that stood between the woman and her freedom.
The lock clicked. She pushed the cell door open.
The woman looked up, the shadow of a smile surfacing on her wrinkled face.
"Elphie," droned the sleepy voice of the woman. "You wicked thing. You've taken your own sweet time, of course."
"Well now, my eyes could not miss the chance to see Glinda the Good in the infamous Southstairs for a year."
Glinda laughed. "I never thought you possible of playful trickery, Miss Elphaba."
"Years have healed me from my madness, and I've learnt much from you, Miss Glinda."
"Now," said Glinda sternly as Elphaba helped her from the bed. "I cannot deny your slippery granddaughter was involved in that incident with the dragons."
"Don't be a pot calling the kettle black now, Oziandra was a mere helper of your ridiculously huge household."
Glinda halted at the cell doorway. "You know about Rain." It was neither a question nor statement, but the anger in her voice was evident.
"Now Glinda, you don't think I spent the two decades cooped up like the mad hermit i'd been?" said Elphaba, adding a playful tone of incredibility in her voice. "Sure I was hiding, but in plain sight, and – "
"In plain sight?!" croaked Glinda, cutting the green witch off. "Where were you Elphie? You only told me about your escape from Kiamo Ko – "
"Rather unwillingly, I only wanted that forgetful ditz of my Nanny to know."
" – but you never told me about your hiding in plain sight!" finished Glinda, her wrinkles now more clear than ever on that angered face. "I certainly must be more wary of you Thropps, masters of hiding!"
"Yes you should, Glinda," said Elphaba. "And if you must know, I was under your nose the whole time when you joked about not having me as your lady-in-waiting."
It took two seconds for the words to click. One second for Glinda to look at Elphaba and another for her to register what in Oz was happening.
"Murth."
Elphaba stepped back, luckily, for Glinda aimed a swing at her right where she had been standing a second ago. "My, Glinda, all these years and your strength hasn't waned. What did Chef put in your food? Thank goodness I dismissed him earlier."
"All those years! And I didn't know!" Glinda swung her fist blindly, having no spectacles to guide her motions. "All those years of grieving for you to come back to me, and I didn't know!"
"Just so you know, Glinda, just because you like pink doesn't mean you have to wear crimson underwear," Elphaba scoffed. "I've lost count of the number of times I've come across pink bras in your dressing rooms."
"But…but how…" Glinda squinted in the dim light of her cell. "Your skin, how have I not noticed? Where did you go after releasing yourself – and no Elphie, I still have not forgiven you for perfecting my signature – from my service?"
"You never could notice my skin," said Elphaba matter-of-factly. "I changed it along with Rain's as a snake I morphed into. It was quite complex magic, but I managed. And why are you so concerned, Glinda, did you miss your bickering chaperone that much?"
"You are green now." Glinda ignored Elphaba's snide counter question.
"The spell of the Calling did not only reach within the walls of the Aestheticum, Glinda. I was a lost called forward too. And because of that dratted spell my green came back, and the old folks who knew of my legend came after me, preventing me from getting you out of this blasted hell of a prison sooner."
Without warning, Glinda ran forward and pulled Elphaba in a long-overdue hug.
"You're so nice, Elphie," said Glinda.
"Nice? The Wicked Witch of the West, nice?" Elphaba returned the embrace nonetheless. "I wouldn't have thought that possible."