(AN: Finally an update! Well, college has been hectic and I had no desire to write in anything else, so I thought I'd update this story.)
One Short Day
"Attention, passengers," the conductor spoke up as he entered the train-car where Elphaba and Galinda sat. He was walking through the aisles of seats, followed closely by two men clad in green. These had big black bags, from which they produced green-shaded glasses which they were giving out to the passengers.
"In just a few moments," the conductor continued, walking down the aisles. "We will arrive in the Emerald City. By order of His Excellence, the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, all visitors and migrants to the Emerald City must wear these emerald-shaded glasses for their own protection."
Galinda and Elphaba both grabbed a pair of the emerald-shaded spectacles as the green-clad men passed by their row. Elphaba, that is Galinda in Elphaba's body, placed them on her face first, then turned to Galinda, the real Elphaba.
"I bet I look like you did with those glasses," she said with a smile.
"Don't talk to me," Galinda sulked.
"Oh, come on, Elphie!" the green-skinned girl said uncharacteristically. "We're gonna have a lot of fun when we get here!"
"You mean you'll have fun."
"After all, Elphie," sang Elphaba. "If the Wizard is as wonderful as they say he is, he might be able to find a way to fix what happened between us."
"Hmm," mused Galinda. "I hadn't thought about that." Suddenly, she gave a smile and a bit of laughter escaped from her lips.
"What?"
"I never thought you'd have thought of that," Galinda replied.
"I'm not as stupid as Madam Morrible thinks," Elphaba stated. "I think you've really helped me to think, Elphie. Thank you."
Galinda did not reply. Deep down inside, the mind of Elphaba wondered how she was supposed to register that statement. Was it a compliment, and if so, was it really that appropriate? People normally thought, and though she thought that Galinda didn't really think, she knew that she was fully capable of such.
She did not have much time to ponder such thoughts, for the squeal of train wheels grinding to a halt could be heard just outside the car. At her side, Elphaba was practically giddy with the excitement of visiting the capitol of greater Oz. Then again, she herself could barely contain the excitement within her own breast.
She was actually coming here, to the Emerald City!
Wonderful. That was the only word they could find to describe the splendor of the City of Emeralds. The buildings were so tall, they had to crane their necks just to see the tops. There was a little bit of something for everyone here: the City Centre itself, into which the Emerald City train Station had deposited them, housed some of the largest libraries in Oz, not to mention several museums whose artifacts made Galinda yearn that they had been here longer. Also, the fabled beauty of the Emerald Palace and all of the shopping malls, salons and beauty shops in the Royal Mall district made Elphaba's mouth water.
"Oh, there's so much here!" Elphaba squealed, as they paced about a broad square, looking at all of the wonders about them. "Where should we go first?"
"I think we should go to the Emerald Palace first," stated Galinda.
"Already?" Elphaba asked, pouting very uncharacteristically.
"To tell them we're here," Galinda sighed. "It should be a while before we're allowed an audience, there will be plenty of time for sight-seeing, don't worry."
It was not but several blocks north-east from the train station and then to the right until they found themselves at the highest, largest and grandest building of the City of Emeralds: the Emerald Palace. Many tall towers poked their heads above the city heights, tall as the fabled trees of Quox beyond the Impassable Sands, and many domed structures, squat and richly adorned (though all in green) clustered about a great structure, wide and tall, with a round dome for a roof.
As they walked towards the gates of the palace, they were greeted by a short, squat man in a green uniform with a furry green hat and a pair of whiskers so bright orange that even behind their emerald-shaded glasses, they could tell that it was orange.
"Pardon me, ladies," the man said, rather flustered. "But I'm afraid you cannot enter here. The Wizard is a very important man and he does not permit visitors."
"But we've been summoned here!" Elphaba pouted.
"Is that so?"
"The letter," muttered Galinda, nudging Elphaba's shoulder. She looked back, mouthing at Galinda "What?", then the little blond pointed at the book bag that she had insisted Elphaba carry. Inside, in its emerald envelope, was the letter.
"Give it to him." she whispered.
"Uh, here is a letter of summons from the Wizard himself," Elphaba said hesitantly, as she gave the letter to the guard. As soon as he saw the signature of the Wizard, he jumped so nervously that it seemed his glasses would topple off of his nose.
"Well, well well!" he exclaimed. "Well, this makes...this makes quite a lot of difference! I'll take this to the Wizard at once!" He ran off towards the doors, then scurried back.
"Uh, this will definitely take a while," he said. "You know, the Wonderful Oz has so many things to do, you know, running Oz and everything. Maybe an hour or three: in the meantime, do enjoy your stay in the Emerald City." With a nervous smile and a bow, the guard with the orange whiskers disappeared into the doors of the Palace.
"Well, Elphie," Elphaba asked. "What now?"
"We obviously have the time, now."
"Then let's wander about the city and enjoy what there is to see!" she exclaimed, offering the short blond her arm. With careless abandon, Galinda wrapped her arm around Elphaba's arm and they took off into the city.
Whatever they had imagined about the splendorous wonders of the Emerald City were nothing compared to the real thing. The libraries had so many books on practically every subject. The museums held artifacts from as long ago as medieval Oz, before the construction of Ozma Town, the marble city that had become magically 'greenified' by the powers of the Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Elphaba got herself a make-over, despite furious protestations from Galinda.
Just as they were making their way towards a long line of shopping malls, much to Galinda's dismay - she, that is the real her, had very little money, and she feared that her roommate within her body would use it up without even a thought to her own money - a lad on a bicycle with a tall front wheel came spinning past them. When he left, Galinda held two green tickets in her hands.
"'Wizomania?'" she asked, reading what was printed on the ticket. "'See the spectacle.'"
Suddenly, Elphaba gasped, slowly turning about with a look of sheer amazement on her face, which didn't look a bit out of place through the emerald-shaded glasses.
"Ohmyoz, ohmyoz, ohmyOZ!" she squealed in gleeful exclamation. "That is the bestest in Ozville theater! That's like what everybody comes to see when they visit the Emerald City!" She ran over to Galinda, hands shaking about in excitement as she swept up one of the tickets in her long, clever green fingers.
"Oh, sweet Oz! It starts in ten minutes!" She looked this way and that, trying to find a sign that would direct her to the nearest theater. "Come on, Elphie! We can't be late!"
With one emerald hand upon Galinda's tiny wrist, Elphaba dragged her through the streets of the City of Emeralds to the opera house. What the "spectacle" ended up being was a very brief Ozville musical praising the Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The performers were not human, but Hammerheads, dressed in human clothes that were over-large for a normal human but large enough for their tall, fat and armless bodies. Though Elphaba, that is Galinda in Elphaba's body, called them Flatheads, Galinda, the real Elphaba, knew that they were Hammerheads from Quadling. For one, they had no arms and their necks were long and stretchable. She noted the strange, glaring look in their unblinking eyes and wondered how Hammerheads, who were usually wild and territorial, were able to be tamed and trained for Ozville theater. Elphaba, meanwhile, was squirming gleefully in her seat.
Once the show was done, they made their way back to the Emerald Palace, eager to be on time for their appointment. All the way, meanwhile, Galinda was arguing with Elphaba about what they had just seen.
"I think it's barbaric," Galinda said.
"Why?" Elphaba exclaimed. "It's fun and cute! Those Flatheads are so silly!"
"They're Hammerheads, Galinda," sighed Galinda. "They're not native to this part of Oz. They're from the lands of the South, where the Quadlings dwell. It's said they're savage, territorial and wild. How could they have trained them for this performance?"
"Why are you making such a fuss?" queried Elphaba.
"And what about the words? It's nonsense! All just praising the Wizard. I mean, yes, he is Wonderful, but there should at least be allowance for some kind of argument."
"Huh?"
"Oh, never mind. It was a silly thought."
Even as they were approaching the steps, there appeared the form of the red-bearded gate guard who ran towards them, looking rather flustered.
"He agrees!" he exclaimed. "Oh, this is quite irregular. He's never seen anyone in so long. He usually just sends people away, but it seems as though you've been expected."
"'He?'" asked Galinda. "Who wants us?"
"Oh, you're just in time!" exclaimed the guard. "The Wizard will see you now!"
(AN: Sorry for how long it took to update this, bogged down with school and such, blah blah blah. No one really cares as long as I get a new chapter.)
(Here's a few lol-moments in this chapter. However, I had to explain the difference here from what most people say. In "One Short Day", there is the bridge sung by those creepy, thick-necked Hammerheads [NOT Flatheads]. The Flatheads are a wholly different race of people from Glinda of Oz, who are [assumed] human-shape, but they have flat-heads and carry their brains in a can. The Hammerheads, featured in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, are fat, armless, big-headed with flat-tops and thick, extendable necks: exactly like those from Wicked.)
(Of course, "Ozville" is a neologism, based on the combination of "Oz" and "vaudeville", just for the lols. Hopefully a new chapter will come soon, and you'll get to see something very surprising happen.)
