This life wasn't much different in the beginning.
Elphaba was, once more, born green. She grew up with Melena and Frex, and when she turned 3, Nessarose was born.
This was where it differed.
Nessarose, born too early, and with her legs all tangled. Melena died from childbirth. Frex at first blamed himself before putting it all onto Elphaba. He cherished Nessa, providing her with anything the child could possibly need. He left Elphaba to the side, with hardly anyone to care for her.
She devoted her life to caring for Nessa and reading. Reading whatever she could get her hands on, whatever she could understand. And what she didn't understand, she read so she could understand.
She wanted nothing more than to go to Shiz University, but her father never let her. It wasn't until Nessarose was able to go that she was allowed to - for the purpose of watching her dear, sweet Nessarose. But she was thrilled to be able to attend the university in the first place.
Finally, things in her life could change.
Galinda's life started out much the same as before. Born to Larena and Highmuster, she was taught the ways of a lady and how she was expected to act. She took it all in stride, devoting her time to making sure she would be loved by all.
She had friends - if they could even be called that - who acted much the same way. They'd often sit and gossip for hours or go out shopping.
It was all superficial, but it was also all she knew. She was judged on her looks, not how she acted. And she was rather fine with that.
Or so she thought.
Elphaba could not quite believe this.
Her? Going to meet the iWizard?/i It was all she had dreamed of for years! And her magical ability - her talent - was being rewarded. She was going to be in Madame Morrible's sorcery seminar.
All of this would make today the best day of her life...were it not for her roommate.
It was clear the blonde detested her from the moment she saw the green girl. In fact, everyone did. Everyone shied away from her, wouldn't look her in the eye, refused to speak to her. It was all fairly normal for her.
But Galinda? Galinda made her distaste clear.
It was going to be a long year.
Galinda could not quite believe this.
A roommate who was green!? How in Oz had things gone so horribly wrong? All she wanted was to learn sorcery, to become more than just another superficial girl in the world. And this...this green thing had taken that away from her!
Not only had she done that, but they were roommates! She was absolutely furious.
She loathed the girl.
But while telling her of such, she couldn't help but think about how something seemed faintly familiar.
Elphaba was furious. Who could have done such a thing? Who had written those words on Dr. Dillamond's board? She almost stepped out of the class, but with a glance back to the Goat, she whispered for Nessa to go on ahead and turned back.
Dr. Dillamond was surprised to see her still here. She scoffed at his words - friends? She had no friends. She was the outcast. No one wanted to even be near the green girl.
She stayed with him for some time. But in that time, she only grew more and more worried. What was happening in Oz? Why were Animals being silenced?
Before she could ponder much more of these thoughts, Morrible came in and wondered why she wasn't on her way to her sorcery seminar.
As Elphaba passed the headmistress, she couldn't help but think that something was off about her. Something didn't seem right.
Galinda couldn't believe this. Fiyero, a real Winkie prince! He was so...so scandalacious! She grinned up at him, and he smiled down at her.
She couldn't stop thinking about tonight. The Ozdust Ballroom, with Fiyero! She'll make everyone jealous of her. Nothing could ruin this night.
While accessorizing, she came across a hat given to her ages ago. It was absolutely ugly, and she wanted nothing more than to throw it out.
But as she spoke with her friends, a different idea came to mind.
Elphaba had no idea why she was doing this. She hadn't had any intention to go to the stupid ball being hosted, but when Galinda gave her the hat...She wondered if maybe, just maybe, they didn't have to hate each other. Maybe they could even...be friends.
Before she went to the ball, she went to Madame Morrible and demanded she include Galinda in the sorcery seminar. The headmistress was hesitant, but when Elphaba said she'd quit if Galinda wasn't in, she agreed.
Now all she had to do was attend the ball. With a deep breath, she walked in.
As soon as she did, everyone quieted and all eyes turned on her. Her face heated up and she snatched the hat off, her gaze going to Galinda.
How could she have been so stupid?
Galinda was beginning to regret this.
She had done it so she'd have something to laugh at, for them all to laugh at. And everyone was laughing. Everyone but her.
Why did Elphaba have to make Morrible include her in the seminar? Why couldn't they just keep hating each other?
Galinda didn't hate Elphaba. She just couldn't find the ability within her to hate her anymore. Elphaba hadn't done anything wrong, not really. She just wanted to live her life, and Galinda was making that hard for her.
And watching her now as she danced awkwardly, limbs too jerky for the graceful movements dancing required, she couldn't take it anymore.
Carefully, she stepped up beside the green girl and offered her hand. Elphaba looked confused, angry, even. But amongst that, all Galinda could focus on was the hope shining in her brown eyes.
As Elphaba just stood there as if challenging her, Galinda began to do a little dance similar to the one Elphaba had been doing just moments before. A twirl, and -
Her friends. Watching her, wondering what in Oz's name she was doing. She turned around, seeing Elphaba hesitatingly look over at her.
She stepped forward, away from her past life, and into one with Elphaba.
Elphaba wasn't sure this was really happening. Had Galinda really chosen her over everyone else? She was sure the confusion was clear in her eyes, but she never backed down from her choice.
The two danced there, together, just the two of them, doing that little dance.
Until it wasn't just the two of them. More and more joined in, and for once, Elphaba felt like she truly belonged.
Galinda couldn't stop herself from bouncing in her bed after she and Elphaba returned from the ball. It had been so…different, dancing with Elphaba near her. It seemed like everything had changed in that single moment.
It was then that she realized what she had to do. Elphaba had so much potential, but she never seemed to realize any of it! But if she did this right, she could most certainly make Elphaba look pretty. Make any boy want her just as much as they wanted Galinda. (Well, maybe not just as much…)
Elphaba was clearly reluctant at first, but she had her ways.
Just a few days ago, Galinda wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere near Elphaba. But as she sat beside her now, applying lipstick and being just mere inches from her face, or brushing her hair, she found she didn't mind it nearly as much as she used to.
In fact, she could quite get used to this.
Elphaba had run out of the room in a rush. Her, beautiful? There was no way Galinda could mean it.
She didn't return that night until later. She didn't know if Galinda had waited for her, and she didn't bother to check. She just quickly got into bed and fell asleep.
Galinda waited up for her.
The next day, Elphaba had her hair down and was wearing a different outfit than normal. It all felt very foreign, but she couldn't deny that she felt almost...pretty, in it.
She practiced her "toss toss" - she knew she would never get it right - only to notice Fiyero was there. She scowled at him, and especially at his words.
But she wasn't given much time to think about it, as Dr. Dillamond quickly rushed into class. She became concerned immediately, especially as he seemed to rush through his words.
Her eyes widened as he was taken away, and she tried to do whatever she could to make him stay but - it wasn't enough. It was never enough.
And as their new teacher came in, wheeling a...was that a lion cub? This wasn't right!
She barely had time to think before the magic was surging through her, causing everyone to dance. Everyone, except for…
Fiyero stared at her, before rushing to take the cage. She followed after him.
And it was there, in the lion cub's rescue, that she first truly noticed Fiyero.
He wasn't just some shallow, self-absorbed prince. He was smart, and he truly cared. Maybe even...cared for her.
But no, he wouldn't. He had Galinda, and Galinda was all he would ever need.
She didn't know why that hurt so much.
Galinda noticed that ever since the day she skipped Dr. Dillamond's class, Fiyero was acting differently.
She never questioned him about it, but it worried her.
Elphaba was going to see the Wizard. She almost didn't believe it!
And Galinda seemed so sad to see her go...But she had Fiyero, she'd be fine.
Galinda had started to become increasingly worried about Fiyero. And now Elphaba was leaving, going off to see the Wizard! She didn't want to admit it, but she knew she'd be lonely without the green girl. Their room would seem so empty…
And as Elphaba and Fiyero talked, she frowned. Looking between the two...she wondered if something between them was going on that she didn't know about.
So she was quick to rush in, saying she thought about that day a lot. Which wasn't exactly a lie - she had always pinpointed it as the cause for Fiyero's change.
Her words seemed to rush out of her all at once, and before she knew it...she was Glinda.
After Fiyero left, she and Elphaba hugged before she had to go. And it was the first thing that felt truly right in weeks.
"Come with me, to the Emerald City!"
Those simple words, spoken to Glinda. She didn't want to be away from her.
If only she knew how much those words would change everything.
They were finally here, in the Emerald City. Oh, how Glinda had wanted to be here for years! And now she finally was, with Elphaba.
She grinned over at the green girl, who looked as if she was glowing. She was finally in a place where no one was staring at her, no one was pointing. Glinda could see how much it meant to Elphaba.
And then they were meeting the Wizard.
She listened to the Wizard, so so glad to finally be meeting him.
But in just a moment, everything changed. Her world all came crashing down, and she could focus on only one thing.
The Wizard was the reason for everything that was happening to the Animals.
Glinda chased after Elphaba. So much was happening, and so fast! How was it only moments before that they were going to work for the Wizard, and now Elphaba was refusing all of it - something she'd wanted for years!
But Elphaba seemed dead set on...on what? Becoming a fugitive?
"Come with me. Think of what we could do - together!"
If she thought things were going to change so much the first time she said them, she had no idea what was going to happen now.
She just wanted Glinda to come with her. She couldn't bear to leave her, not now. She had almost...a thought, a flicker of memory, of a time she left Glinda. But she couldn't think of when that could have possibly been. The memory was gone before she could think on it further, however.
As Elphaba looked at Glinda, the sadness was clear in both their eyes.
Glinda couldn't come. She just couldn't! She wanted to, oh how she didn't want to leave Elphaba alone…
But she had so much to do. She couldn't just walk away from her life!
And as she looked at Elphaba, the pain clear in her eyes, she hoped she understood.
As Elphaba rose on the broom, she looked down at Glinda, noticing the tears pricking at her eyes as she stared up at Elphaba.
She looked away and began to fly out of the attic, hearing only a few words as she left behind the only person she had ever loved.
"I hope you're happy!"
Years passed. Glinda graduated Shiz, alongside Fiyero and all the others. Since then, she had become a spokesperson for the search for Elphaba in the Emerald City. She didn't like it, not one bit.
Well, maybe she liked being such a popular figure, with so many people looking up to her…
She said as much to Fiyero, at the announcement of their engagement. She wondered who could ever resist this. Surely no one?
But Fiyero was right. She knew who would, who did. And oh, how she missed Elphaba.
She didn't know why she was marrying Fiyero. The only one she wanted to marry was Elphaba, but she was Oz knows where.
And here Glinda was, preaching to the citizens of Oz, pretending to be happy.
But she knew she wasn't.
She wasn't sure she ever would be again.
Elphaba had gone to find Frex, to see if he could possibly stand with her.
Instead, she found out he had died. Embarrassed to death, or so Nessa said. She couldn't find it within herself to mourn him. She focused on her sister, trying to get her to help her.
But it wouldn't work.
She had to do something though, something to help her sister. It was then that she magicked those shoes, allowing her sister to - finally! - walk.
But it wasn't long before it all came crashing down...And Boq, that munchkin she had once known, was changed forever.
Glinda smiled up at Fiyero at their engagement party. But she couldn't stop the tinge of sadness that lingered.
This wasn't what she wanted. She'd never get what she wanted.
She wanted Elphaba.
Elphaba went to see the Wizard.
She wanted to set the monkeys free. She had to! They didn't deserve to be caged up like this!
The Wizard tried to get her to back down. To call a truce between them. And oh, to be able to stop fighting...It sounded wonderful! She was just about to do it, when…
"Dr. Dillamond?"
And then the Wizard was calling for his guards, and -
"Fiyero?"
She stared at him. Captain of the Royal Guards? She scoffed at that. Of course he would become Captain.
He told her to get out of there, and she stared at him for a bit before something - someone - else caught her attention.
"Elphie?"
Glinda hardly gave it a second thought before she was rushing to Elphaba, quickly throwing her arms around her. It had been too long...far too long.
What was she doing here? If anyone knew…!
And there's Fiyero, his gun pointed at the Wizard. What was going on?
In just a few words later, her world began to crash down. Her fiance...going with her...her...Elphaba?
And then they were gone, leaving Glinda feeling more alone than ever.
Elphaba could not believe this. Fiyero, choosing to go with her? Over Glinda?
She didn't think she would've made the same choice. All she could see was Glinda with her heartbroken, staring after them.
It was then that she heard it - the wailing! She looked up and -
It couldn't be. There was no way...A house? Flying through the sky?
She left Fiyero. She had to find Nessa, make sure she was okay.
Glinda waved to Dorothy as she left before looking at the house that had fallen on Nessa. It was all her fault this had happened. If she hadn't said anything, then Morrible wouldn't have conjured up that storm that killed Nessarose!
She picked up some flowers and crouched down, her dress splaying around her.
She had hardly sat for more than a couple of clock ticks before Elphaba was there. Glinda quickly rose and walked away, but Elphaba followed, talking about those shoes.
And then she was blaming herself over the death of Nessa, and Glinda just couldn't take it.
Some words were exchanged - she was still angry at Elphaba for taking Fiyero away from her, or maybe she was angry at Fiyero for taking Elphaba away? - and she slapped Elphaba.
Elphaba slapped her back, and then they were facing off and...why were they even doing this? How had things changed so much between them?
She'd give anything for things to go back to the way they were.
Elphaba ran, wondering if she would ever see Fiyero again.
Or Glinda.
Glinda watched Fiyero, quickly putting her arms up as he turned the gun once more on her. She tried to meet his gaze, but he refused to look her in the eyes. A moment passed, and then she was walking forward until she was right in front of it.
He quickly put it down, and the guards were quick to seize him.
She yelled his name as they took him away.
"Fiyero!"
"Fiyero!"
Elphaba didn't know if this spell would work, but it was all she had. She had to do something! She couldn't just leave Fiyero to die.
But she had no idea if it worked. Was he alive? Or was he dead? Would she ever even know?
It was during this she decided that…
If they wanted a wicked witch, she'd surely give them one.
Glinda couldn't stand listening to this. She knew this wasn't true. It was going too far! But as she tried to tell Morrible that, she was near threatened, and quickly ran off.
She had to tell Elphaba. Elphaba had to know what was happening! She wasn't going to let them kill her.
It just might kill Glinda too.
Elphaba scowled down at Dorothy. Squealy little girl...why wouldn't she just give Elphaba the damn shoes?
She looked up, and - there. Glinda, coming down to see her. What was she doing here?
"I'll tell everyone the truth!"
"No, you can't!"
Elphaba wouldn't let Glinda tell the truth. She had worked so hard for this reputation - she wouldn't let it all come crashing down.
She held Glinda close, hugging her for the final time. She pulled away briefly, her hands going to Glinda's face. She stared into those eyes for a moment before pulling her close and kissing her.
When they broke apart, Elphaba smiled slightly at Glinda, and she smiled back.
One last hug, and then she was quickly telling Glinda to hide.
Glinda watched from her hiding spot. She heard the screams, and then it was silent. Tears were dripping down her face before she even realized she had started crying.
She went over to the place Elphaba...Elphaba...she couldn't even say it. To the place Elphaba was just mere moments ago, and took the hat. And - the green bottle she had once seen Elphaba had so long ago.
Her brow furrowed. There was something hauntingly familiar about it.
When she returned to the Emerald City, she walked up to the Wizard and Morrible and told them about it.
Elphaba was the Wizard's daughter.
Glinda made the Wizard leave, and Morrible go into prison, making her the sole leader of Oz. She had no idea how she was going to do this...How could she be leader? Elphaba would have been far better than she would be. But Elphaba…
Elphaba was dead.
Elphaba was alive.
She got out of the trap door, greeted by Fiyero. She could hear the citizens of Oz celebrating her death, and could only wish she could tell Glinda she was alive.
Fiyero said it was a bad idea, and she didn't want to risk being caught.
But before the two left, she looked up at the sky, and while she wished things had gone differently...There was nothing to be done. Things were as they were, and at least Glinda's alive.
Because I knew you, I have been changed…
For good.
It well may be, that we will never meet again in this lifetime…
