Chapter 4: Chapter 3
Tip went to Lady Glinda's house in the Emerald City, in the guise of a jubilant partygoer. He stood behind her mansion and wondered how best to approach her about her friend. His question was answered as a rock went flying through an upstairs window. Tip ran back to the front of the house and acted natural. Soon Glinda came gliding out the front door, layer upon layer of makeup obscuring her tear-streaked face.
"Who threw the rock through my window?" Glinda exclaimed angrily. "I was in one of my rooms, preparing, and a rock flew through my window!" The noise stopped. Everyone turned to stare at Glinda. Tip, on the outskirts of the crowd, edged toward the woods, hoping that Lady Glinda wouldn't notice. Unfortunately, she called him forward.
"You! You there, with the long hair! Hey, you! Someone bring that girl to the front!" Glinda called, gesturing towards Tip. An oldish woman grabbed his arm as he protested.
"I'm not a girl! I—" He came to Glinda and lowered his voice. "Lady Glinda, I need to talk to you. It concerns your friend Elphaba Thropp." The name caused Glinda to pause. She grabbed his sore arm exactly where the old woman had grabbed him, and dragged him rather forcefully inside.
"Where did you learn that name?" she hissed.
"I knew her rather well," said Tip.
"As did I, as you so cunningly pointed out! She is dead, and the only person who can tell me about her is Princess Ozma," proclaimed Glinda in a whisper. Tip looked shocked.
"I do not know the whereabouts of Ozma at the moment," whispered Tip, "But I have come to tell you about your friend," Glinda stared at Tip for a moment.
"I knew you were a girl!" said Glinda. Tip stared at her.
"A girl?" he questioned.
"Yes!" Glinda answered almost happily. She grabbed a hairbrush from a nearby table and brushed out Tip's tangled shoulder-length hair. "How old are you, Ozma?" she asked.
"I'm not Ozma. I have always been called Tip," said Tip. "But, I am fourteen," he said.
"Aha!" exclaimed Glinda. "Ozma would have been much older than that!"
"Why does that make you happy?" said Tip.
"Because, if Ozma had been a fairy of Lurline, as the Lurlinists believe, her current reincarnation would look about fourteen!" Glinda spun gleefully. "I have found Ozma!"
Tip looked in the mirror across the hall. He had never seen himself in a mirror before. His hips were wider than his waist, and his long brushed hair added to the feminine effect. Ozma… when associated with him, the name triggered long-forgotten memories in Tip's mind. He twirled in front of the mirror.
"You're right, Glinda," he said quietly. "You have found Ozma. Ozma Tippetarius, sent to the witch Mombi by the Wizard of Oz in order to prevent her from usurping his ill-gotten throne. I am Ozma of Oz."
Author's Note: Ozma/Tip is not trans, however it may seem. In the Oz books, Ozma was given to the witch Mombi by the WOO to prevent her from taking over his seat at the top of Oz when she was old enough. Mombi raised her as a boy, calling her Tip, short for Tippetarius. Tip had no memories of being a girl, but Glinda forced Mombi to make her a girl again when she was 14. I repeat, Ozma is not trans.