Title: Flying Freely Once More
Rated: PG-13
Auther: MeganFaye
Disclaimer: I don't own Oz or the characters of Wicked.
Note: This is written with the adorable Kristin Chenoweth and the sexy Idina Menzel as Glinda and Elphie! The BEST Cast: Original!!!
The celebration started at sun-down. Just before the last glimmer of light dropped behind the palace, Glinda made an appearence. Elphaba stood in the shadows. The people from cities all over Oz had gathered in the meeting gardens. Elphaba looked at the croud; thousands of people were there; everyone in Emerald City, and most everyone in the entire land. Her stomach knotted.
"Good evening, my dear people. I welcome you to the palace, and thank you for coming here tonight. I have announcement that needs a bit of explaining.
"One year and two days ago, we lost a warrior to our evil wizard. He sent an innocent child to murder her in her palace home. She'd been called Wicked, Evil, and Terrible. Now we know that this is untrue, we have mourned her death. We have celebrated the leaving of the phony wizard who tricked us into believing he was a holy man. We mourned the loss of Elphaba the Emerald Warrior, and we can celebrate.
"My people, she was not murdered that night! She has been hiding! She hid from you, from me, from our world completely. She has returned to us, and to me. Please, welcome her back with the open hearts I know my people to have." Elphaba stepped onto the balcony, and a cheer hit her, so loud that her ears rang.
"Hello," she said softly. The cheering was so loud that her head hurt.
"Tonight, I ask that the whole land celebrate here, in their own cities, and in their hearts, that my Elphaba has returned. To our Emerald Warrior!" Elphaba had thought moments ago that the cheering couldn't get any louder. She Was Wrong.
After another speech from Glinda that Elphaba didn't really listen to, they made their way to the dinning hall. City officials from almost every city in the land were there, shaking hands with one another, bowing to Galinda, and bowing to Elphaba.
"Your Goodness, Your Emeraldness, dinner has been served."
"Did he just call me-"
"I'm sorry." Glinda took her hand and lead her to the head of the table. Elphaba recognised a few people she'd known at Shiz; Glinda's friends who loathed Elphaba.
"Your Emeraldness?"
"Please don't call me that, Takelyn." The young man nodded and bowed.
"What would you like to be called, Miss?"
"Anything other than that. You used to call me String Bean at Shiz." He blushed deeply.
"How about Lady Elphaba?" Glinda asked softly. She nodded to a seat next to her, and Elphaba sat, Takelyn took his seat at the far end of the room. "He's never stayed in my favor long. Keeps taxing his land unfairly, leaving me to return to his land and explain why taxes are in place; to upkeep the city, not build him a golden carriage." Elphaba relaxed and smiled a small grin.
"Your Goodness, what are your plans in the near future?" one head of City asked.
"Tonight is about welcoming back Lady Elphaba, not about politics."
"Of course."
"Its okay, Glin," Elphie whispered.
"Well, my personal plans include visiting my parents as soon as possible." Elphaba chuckled to herself. "As soon as Ozly possible. We're leaving in a few hours. Midnight Train to Uplands." Elphaba choked on the bit of food she'd just taken.
"That's 6 hours away!"
"They live far away. Its a full night and half a day by train. We should go as soon as we can, right?" Glinda tilted her head to the side ever so slightly, and grinned evenly.
"Can we leave now?"
"Yes. Let's." Galinda clinked her glass to get the attention of the room. "Oh, Good leaders of my beautiful and wonderful land, I must take leave of you. My parents were unable to make the journey and Lady Elphaba and I are going to meet with them. Please stay and enjoy the party without us, and share the wonderful news of Lady Elphaba's return." Elphaba and Glinda stood and were escorted from the hall to a waiting carriage.
The carriage to the train was silent. As was the first three hours of the train ride. Elphaba was nervous, and Galinda looked so lovely in her travelling dress. It wasn't the massive ball gown she had been wearing earlier; it was a simple dress. It was blue and matched her eyes. Elphaba's breath caught every time Galinda's eyes met with hers.
She thought of her as two people; Glinda the Good, a perfect woman who was composed, lovely, and fair. She was the leader of Oz, and a wonderful one aat that.
And then there was Galinda, the woman she loved. Galinda, who was flawed, emotional, hilarious, and just plain cute. Galinda could go from giddy, to sobbing, to sarcasm in less that a minute. Elphaba's heart turned over when Galinda smiled at her from the seat next to her. Galinda yawned and rubbed her eyes, and Elphie wanted to kiss her there.
"Maybe we should get a sleeper."
"We have one reserved, but I like sitting here. I get a great veiw of The Golden Mountains. The sleepers face the other direction." Elphaba looked from the window, and surely enough, there were glowing mountains on the horizon. Elphaba hadn't seen this land in a year, and was finding new love for it.
"Galinda?"
"Hm?"
"What if your father says no?"
"I can't see it happening. He's never actually told me 'no' for....anything." Elphaba looked at her hands. "If he says no, I'll marry you anyway, Elphie," she whispered. "Now. We should get some sleep."
"Wake up, ya snoring Emerald of mine." The movement of the train and the rough matress made it nearly impossible for Galinda to sleep; Elphia was soundly sleeping. And being nudged in the ribs did not change that. "ELPHIE!"
"Wha?" she goraned.
"We're almost there." Elphaba bolted upright and smacked her head on the low ceiling. Needless to say, Galinda did not have that issue. "I'm ready to meet my parents. Are you?"
"Oz no! I'm a mess!"
"I have a brush, hair clips, and am the master of long hair. You're getting a braid." The brush was fast and rough through her hair. It hurt. She glared back at the love of her life, with a scowl. "Beauty takes pain. Make-up?"
"How? Do they make green?"
"Point taken. Get dressed, m'lady." Elphaba took her nightgown off and slipped into the black dress and shoes that Galinda had set out for her. When she looked in the mirror, she managed a smile. "You look perfect."
"For a funeral."
"How about this one?" Galinda said, pulling ont a lavender dress in the same style as the one she wore. It was lavender, but it didn't look like Munchkin party-wear. Elphaba changed as the train came to a stop. Galinda quickly changed the hair style ro better suit her outfit as Elphaba slipped into the proper stockings and shoes. "I love it."
"Its not bad. I like the color." Galinda stuffed the clothing into the suitcase and handed it out to her guards, who passed it along to the carriage driver.
"Elphie, I love you, and no matter what happens today, that will not change." Galinda stood on her tip toes and kissed Elphaba's cheek.
"How long is the coach ride?"
"About 10 minutes."
Exactly 17 minutes later, the two stepped from the carriage onto the blue brick path to Galinda's parents palace. Her mother and father were waiting for her.
"Momsie! Popsicle!" She bounced into their open arms and kissed each one's cheek. "I've missed you terribly! You should visit more!"
"You look amazing, my little Ozlet. How is Popsicle's littlest Witch?"
"I'm happier than I've been in a very long time," she said, bobbing her head in Elphaba's direction.
"We'd heard you'd returned, Lady Elphaba. Welcome."
"Thank you, Lord Upland, Lady Upland." She bowed her head to them, and smiled nervously.
"Well, we should hurry in; some of our public hasn't quite accepted you, and you may be less than safe here still." Galinda frowned. "Galinda, we're so far from The Emerald City; they only hear news from cities between us, and things get lost in translations from person to animal to person. By the time we deliver any news, they've already heard rumors and they aren't happy with them. We give official news, and some chose to believe the rumors." The tall gates closed as the walked through, and guards stood on either side. Elphaba swallowed nervously.
"Elphie, you should be safe in the palace," Galinda said, smiling up at her. Lady Upland took her daughter's hand and squeezed it.
"Something is quite different, my Galinda. I can see it in your beautiful smile."
"Oh, Momsie, I'm in-love." Lady Upland looked at her daughter and the back at Elphaba.
"Oh, dear, that's fantastic," she said, kissed her youngest daughter's forehead. "Who is the luck man?"
"We'll talk inside." Lady Upland nodded. "You can help me unpack."
"Lord Upland?" Elphaba said softly. "I would like to speak with you. Soon if possible."
"Of course. Why don't we talk while my little lady unpacks? Come with me." Elphaba smiled nervously at Galinda as the followed her father away from Galinda and her mother.
The halls were long and wide. Pink flowers grew in throughout. Elphaba had a feeling it had been Galinda's idea as a small child. When they got to the end of the white marble hall, Lord Upland opened a door and lead Elphie into a library or sorts.
"Lord Upland," She said, as forward as possible. "Galinda is....I feel......We....I....."
"Do Not waste my time."
"I want to marry your daughter." Lord Upland's eyebrows shot upward. "I love her, and she said that if I wanted to marry her, I was to ask you."
"She loves you?"
"So she tells me."
"No." Elphaba sighed. "She can't love you."
"Ask her. Did you or did you not see how happy she was just a moment ago? Her mother saw, and even pointed it out. And Galinda said it was because she was in love." Lord Upland sighed. "Is it because I'm green?"
"No."
"Then why?"
"No one is good enough for my Galinda. I have had men, women, and talking animals asking for her hand. I even had a rose bush ask a month ago. Had to have a servent drag it in on a wagon. What makes you think you are better than a rose bush?"
"I won't hurt her."
"You've already done that-"
"To save her life."
"It still hurt. She'd have died for you then, if she loves you, as you say."
"I know she would have, but I would rather die than allow her to be harmed. I have proven that throughout the years we've known each other." Lord Upland nodded, deep in thought. "I won't hurt her again."
"She's not ready for this!"
"Great OZ! She's going to be 36 in just over a month! I think she's ready to have a family, and ready to be loved, for the love of Oz!"
"And children? How is that going to happen?"
"We're work that out later. For now, lets work out the wedding."
"Oh Momsie, she's amazing. She loves me, and is asking Poppy if we can be married." Lady Ulpand's face fell. "What's wrong."
"Your father has turned down suitors for you left and right since you came of age. He said not one was right for you, Lovies." Galinda felt her eyes tear up. "Oh, Lovie, maybe Elphaba won't be turned away."
"Who'd he turn away?"
"Well, last month, Sir Diggins."
"Mother, Sir Diggins is a rose bush."
"A rose bush who loved you."
"Loved me? He's never actually met me! Did anyone who asked actually know me as anyone other than Glinda the Good?" Lady Upland thought for a momnt, and shook her head. "Elphie knows me for me, and wouldn't care if I were Glinda the Good, or Galinda the awkward college gal at Shiz. She is in-love with me, for me. She loves me."
"And you?"
"Oh, Momsie, I love her so much. She's my little Emerald....."
"Tell that to your father." Galinda nodded and dashed off down the hall.
The hall echoed with the click of her heals as she ran toward her father's study. Elphaba was closing the door when Galinda made it to the study. She looked broken. Galinda cocked her head to the side and looked into the green eyes.
"He said I wasn't right for you."
"I will fix this, my love." Galinda leaned up and captured Elphie's lips with her own. She opened the door to her father's study and took Elphaba's and to lead her in. "Hello, father." Lord upland looked hurt.
"I've given my answer, my Ozlet."
"You've given the wrong answer. Elphaba and I will be married in 3 days. You may be a part of it, or you may choose to fight us. Either way, I love her, and will not allow anyone come between us." Lord Upland was speechless. "Popsicle, she makes me happy. Happier than I've ever been."
"I can not approve this. I'm sorry."