Fiyero was in the process of closing the bookcase door to the secret passage when he heard the crash and thump of Glinda hitting the floor after reading the letter from Elphaba.
"That can't be good" he thought.
Reopening the door a crack revealed his worst fear. There was Glinda on the floor passed out from shock due to the contents of the letter.
"Great, this wasn't in the plan", mulled Fiyero. "Now what am I going to do?"
He wished that Elphaba had just come herself but they both knew that wasn't a possibility. She was thought to be dead and it was pretty obvious that she was the only green girl in all of OZ. If she was seen anywhere her life would again be in danger and this time she wouldn't have a bucket of water thrown on her. It would be the firing squad or beheading. So the plan was created to use Fiyero's fame as "The Scarecrow" to get him through the checkpoints and into the palace. His objective was simple, at least that was its original intent. Deliver the letter in secret and watch for Glinda's reaction. If all had gone well she would have followed the directions in the letter and tonight there would be a single candle burning in the window of her bedroom. That would have been the sign that Glinda was willing to see Elphaba. It had been Elphaba's hope that Glinda would let her in, for two reasons, one Elphaba couldn't take it anymore, she needed to see her, and that Glinda's life was in mortal peril. For you see Elphaba had another of her famous visions. In it she saw Morrible standing over Glinda and in the next instant Morrible had struck her down with a lightning bolt. In this vision though the moon was partially visible through the large window in the background and through that Elphaba and Fiyero were able to figure out that the vision was only days away. Hence the plan that was currently taking place. It wasn't in anyone's wildest dreams that Glinda would be so overcome by what was written that she would faint.
"I need to get you out of here, if I don't the guards may move you to the hospital where we can't get you out or Morrible might attack early and then you'll be gone and that just cannot happen" Fiyero mumbled to himself as he formulated what to do next.
Thankfully he still had the strength of a human, if not the body, of one. Fiyero ran back into the room and picked up Glinda off the floor. He took her into the passage and gently laid her on the dusty floor. While doing this he caught a glimpse of something he hadn't seen in months, something Elphaba would be quite pleased to have back. Fiyero went back into the room and grabbed the letter, the grimmerie, a black hat and what to most looked like a dirty old broom. Taking them back into the passage he shut the door behind him and said to no one in particular. "Well Miss Glinda how will we ever get you out of here if you don't wake up."
"Damn Fae's going to be pissed. This is not good!"
Meanwhile in Southstairs Prison, Morrible had been plotting Glnda's demise from the beginning and tonight it would come to fruition. This would be an attack on OZ like no one had ever seen. Not since the Ozma Regent's removal would a takeover of power be so swift, or as ruthless. Her forces would sweep out of Southstairs like a tornado taking all of the Emerald City by surprise. Anyone caught in the streets would be struck down where they stood. Many innocent people would die but she did not care, to Madame Morrible OZ needed a good cleaning, but most of all it was Glinda that was to be taken out once and for all. With that accomplished nothing would be in the way of keeping Morrible from being the Supreme Ruler of OZ. For the past six months she had used all of her magical powers and charms to procure the needed troops to make her coup successful. She had found a very capable second in command by the name of Torpor. It was his job to take his band of the most ruthless killers in Southstairs, storm the palace and kill Glinda in her sleep. If all went well the coup would be over before anyone even realized it began. But what of the Gale force you might ask? Well that's where Morrible took great delight. She would be able to use her most destructive forces. She planned for a massive cyclone to hit the main barracks and then continuous lightning to electrocute any survivors. OZ was truly in great peril and no one on the surface knew other than the one woman they feared more than even those in Southstairs.
"Soon Glinda my sweet, all will be mine!" cackled Morrible.
"Thanks to the small-mindedness of the people of this country I was able to rid myself of the only person who could defeat me. Now nothing can keep me from my place as Emperor of OZ!" Morrible shouted from her cell
"Prepare to be free my people!" she screamed, and the attack began Lightning flew everywhere and blew the doors off of the cells. A cheer went up from the prisoners and within minutes the guards were overtaken. The takeover of the prison lasted less then 5 minutes. No alarm was sounded, no help arrived, OZ as people knew it was in its death throws and no one was the wiser.
Elphaba was hiding in an abandoned house on the edge of the city. They had found the place only the day before but it afforded a great view of Glinda's bedroom and would allow for them to see the signal if she desired to see Elphaba. She had written the letter only yesterday. Going over in her mind each sentence, each word, and each syllable until she had crafted one of the most loving apologies anyone had ever written. She knew she had hurt her friend, no her love, more than anything could. She wasn't even sure Glinda would want to see her but she knew she had to at least try. Elphaba could never forgive herself if Morrible had her way and her vision came true.
The letter read like this.
My dearest Glinda,
These past six months have been the lowest of my life. I know you think I am dead, as does the rest of OZ. I could no longer take the pain in my heart knowing the pain I was causing you. Therefore I write this letter to you in the hopes you will allow me back into your life. Even in some small way it would make my heart swell with joy to have you Glinda my sweet, be a part of me again. I also write this because I have had a vision one that I dare not write to you about lest this letter be intercepted. All I can say is that you are in great peril and it is my wish to remove you from that. All I ask is that tonight you light a single candle and put it in the western window of your bedroom. That will be the signal for our mutual friend to come to you and take you to me.
I beg of you Glinda for your forgiveness and to be back in my life and together we can stop this peril that threatens both you and OZ.
Yes Glinda I am alive and well and I love you more than life itself.
Yours,
E
Fiyero was to be the one to meet her that night he would come in through the passage and awaken Glinda from there they would sneak out of the palace and come to the abandoned house. That was about as far as Elphaba had planned, she figured she had a few days to work out how to stop Morrible. Little did she know all that was about to change.
Fiyero was about to try and give Glinda a shake when from outside the palace there came a noise like the sky itself was being torn open. From the depths of Southstairs thousands of prisoners raced out the entrance. Morrible at the head of the throng immediately called down from the heavens a storm of epic proportions, throwing lightning this way and that. The cyclone worked. It wiped out nearly all the Gale Force before they could even get out of the mess hall, as they had just sat for dinner.
"Good Unnamed God", shouted Fiyero "Fae was right!"
"Glinda you need to wake up now!" he yelled. He slammed the door to the passage shut and hoped no one knew they were there. The good witch still hadn't stirred.
Back at the abandoned house Elphaba saw the storm suddenly appear and could hear the faint roar of the horde and screams of those caught in the way. She also saw the cyclone hit the mess hall of the Gale Force. She stared in disbelief at what she was seeing but what stunned her the most was the sudden, massive bolt of lightning that hit the very window in which Glinda was to light her candle. It was so powerful it blew out all the windows on that floor and took the roof clean off. Elphaba had no way of knowing that in fact Glinda was safe in the secret corridor. All she could do was scream GLINDA!, she didn't even know she was doing it, and as she did that her mind began to shut down for you see her vision was coming true and she was too late to stop it…..
