Disclaimer: I do not own Wicked. I'm running out of creative ways to say this.

Also, I've done some planning ahead in the story and there's going to be some lesbian romance. There won't be any sex scenes, the most that anyone, gay or straight, will have is kissing. But if anyone has a problem with this, don't read.

Lana wore a simple, conservative, black dress, and the only jewelry was her necklace, which was tucked under the aforementioned dress. Her hair was up in a bun. Byra had picked the outfit, she had assured her that it would make her look professional. But the more Lana thought about it, the more that the dress seemed like a bad idea.

She was thinking about this, when an elderly munchkin woman walked over. "Oh!" the munchkin said when she saw her, and did a little jump.

Lana blinked. "Something wrong?"

"Oh, no dear. Just my old eyes deceiving me. Can I sit here?"

"Sure." Lana replied, unsettled.

"My name is Bertha Chopper. And yours?"

"Lana."

"Lana…?"

"Just Lana."

Bertha nodded. "Well, let me tell you, I've been around for a long time. Why, I'd bet my hat that I was your mother's age a long time before she were born."

Lana decided that that didn't warrant a reply, so she nodded and tried to look impressed.

"I tried to coax food from the ground during the Great Drought, when we nearly all starved to death! I worked at the house of the Wicked Witch of the East, though we were all truly slaves to her! And look at me now, riding a train through the reign of Glinda the Good, who will bring ruin to us all, you know, I always said so."

Lana struggled to keep her face neutral. "I'm studying under Glinda the Good." She said, in what she had wanted to be a mild voice.

Bertha looked her over. "Well, then, I'm very sorry about that, but did you know that she used to be friends with the Wicked Witch of the West?"

Lana didn't answer.

Bertha nodded, in the excited away of a gossip. "She herself admitted it. Someone asked her and she said yes. But then, you know, she immediately started backpedaling." She raised the pitch of her voice. "Oh it depends what you mean by friend. It was a long time ago."

Lana hesitated, heart running a marathon in her chest. "I read somewhere," she said finally, thinking of The Rise and Fall of the Wicked Witch of the West, by Gregorius Caln, "That the Wicked Witch of the West was incapable of love. Isn't love necessary for friendship?"

Bertha considered that. "Well, I suppose so. So the Wicked Witch was obviously hoodwinking her then…"

Lana studied the ground. "Then that's hardly Glinda's fault, is it?"

"Of course it is! Glinda's a fool, I always said so, anyone with a brain would've known better than to trust the Wicked Witch of the West."

"Well, she wouldn't have been the Wicked Witch of the West at school."

"Yes but still, she was green."

Lana didn't answer, not because she didn't have a reply, but because it was clear that she wasn't going to change the woman's mind, and she had no desire to prolong the uncomfortable conversation.

"Why, I remember back when she was that pretty young thing, engaged to the Captain of the Guard, and let me tell you, everyone loved her. But I, I could tell even then. And then she went and overthrew the Wonderful Wizard himself!"

Good grief, one of the Wizard's supporters. "I always heard that the Wizard chose to leave Oz."

"Well, you heard wrong then didn't you? He only left because Glinda threatened to bring unspeakable harm to our great Oz if he didn't."

Not only one of the Wizard's supporters, but one of those nutty conspiracy theorists as well. "If that were the case, the Wizard surely would've been able to protect us. After all, he is wonderful, is he not?"

"Well yes, but he wouldn't want to risk us would he?"

"Wouldn't leaving us in the hands of someone who had threatened to bring unspeakable harm to our country constitute as 'risking us'?"

Bertha sighed. "You only doubt me because you're too young to remember the golden days under the Wonderful Wizard of Oz."

Lana suspected that she could find people who had been around during 'the golden days under the Wonderful Wizard of Oz.' that would disagree with Bertha, but again, she didn't answer.

§

The train station at the Vinkus was very yellow, as yellow was the Vinkus' color. Lana stopped there to make sure 2 water bottles were filled to the brim, and intended write letters to Elphias and Byra.

Dear Elphias,

I know I promised I'd send an address to send replies to, but I'm afraid that I don't have one yet, I'm still at the station.

She stared at the yellow wall in front of her. What was there to write about? Bertha Chopper, who had sent the entire ride there trying to convince her that Glinda was evil, was on the top of her mind, but she didn't think that she should write about that. It was one thing if she and Elphias were actually talking, taking the time to write it out seemed to attach an importance to it that it didn't deserve.

After a few moments, she crumpled up the piece of paper and threw it away. She could write to her friends later.

§

Lana was very, very hot. Why had she gotten used to the relatively mild climate of the Emerald City? She was paying for it now. At least she had had the sense to change out of that heavy, black dress that she had been wearing before.

She reached for her second water bottle, then saw that it was empty. Dammit.

Right, she needed to stay positive. After a few moments, happy thoughts turned to happy feelings, which turned into song. A song about home, a song about belonging, a song about love. For about 3 verses, the song distracted her from her discomfort. But the singing dried out her throat, so she stopped.

6 months in the Palace had spoiled her. She thought again, bitterly. She continued to try to walk a few more feet, and then her legs gave way and she fell to her knees panting.

It was then that someone grabbed her waist and lifted her into the air. She looked up to see their face, and let out a shriek.

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