(AN: Update update! Something really interesting happens here, so don't miss a word of it!)
Revelations
Two young women made their way down a long corridor of emerald green, leading them deep into the bowels of the Emerald Palace. Elphaba and Galinda, despite their swapped bodies, were both eager to meet the Wizard, who waited them at the end of the hall. All their dreams were about to come true, everything they had ever wanted would be fulfilled. They marched forward with confidence, despite the cold, heartlessness of the long, empty green hallway.
Before them, at the far end of the tunnel-like hallway, the door was open, but there was no light beyond to illuminate the Throne Room. They walked through the doors, their eyes straining to pierce the seemingly endless darkness.
Suddenly, blinding lights flashed and the room was suddenly illuminated. The sound of metal grinding upon metal jarred their ears, along with the roar of steam blasting up and out from the source of the lights. In the center of the room was a throne, surrounded by a thousand bright lights. Floating upon that throne was a giant head, whose eyes glared at them.
"I am Oz, the Great and Terrible!" the head roared, its voice booming so loud, their hearts beat to the booming of its voice. "Who are you and why do you seek me?"
The two young women cowered at the far end of the hall, just outside the door. In a surprising twist, the tall, green-skinned woman was cowering behind the shorter, blond one.
"Elphie, do something!" whined the green-skinned girl from behind her blond room-mate.
"Me?" hissed Galinda. "You're in my body, you say something."
"Why me?" she whined. "Why does it always have to be me?"
"Oh, for Oz's sake!" sighed Galinda. "Just go out there and tell him who you are!" She pushed the taller girl out towards the giant head.
"Uh..." stammered Elphaba. "I am...uh...Elphaba..." She looked back and hissed at Galinda. "What's your last name?"
"Thropp."
"Thropp!" she turned back to the head, holding her hands up before her face. "I'm Elphaba Thropp!"
"Oh!" a small, nasal and uncharacteristic voice called out from behind the head. "Is that you, Elphaba? I didn't recognize you at first. Just a moment!"
The giant head creaked and then came to rest upon the throne, the lights stopped blinking, and out from behind the giant throne appeared an old man, barely any taller than Galinda, with a pair of goggles over his eyes.
"I hope I didn't startle you," the old man said, removing his goggles. "It's so hard to make out peoples' faces when I'm back there." He then removed the gloves from off his hands and placed a pair of spectacles on his face.
"Now, let's see..." he said, attempting to scrutinize the two young women. "Which is which?"
"I'm Elphaba, I'm Elphaba, I'm right here!" exclaimed Elphaba, waving her hand high up in the air.
"Oh, well, a pleasure to meet you!" he replied, holding his hand out to shake hers. He then turned to the other young woman, who was looking at the throne in awe.
"It's a bit much, isn't it?" he said. "But, people expect this kind of thing, and you've got to give people what they want. And who might you be, young lady?"
"Glinda," she replied, very reservedly. "Uh, listen, Your...uh, Terrible-ness..."
"Oh, please, Your Ozness will do," the old man replied.
"There's something I need to tell you first," said Galinda. "Uh, something happened and we're not who we say we are."
"We're not?" exclaimed Elphaba.
"No!" Galinda hissed at the green-skinned girl who was the real Galinda, then turned back to the old man, whom she assumed was the Wizard. "We're both uh...I'm not sure how to say this. I guess the best way is to just say it." She swallowed hard, then continued.
"Something happened and...uh...well, the truth is, I'm actually Elphaba. That is Ga...Glinda." She pointed at the green-skinned woman.
"Ga-Glinda?" the Wizard asked, turning to the tall, emerald-skinned woman.
"The ga is silent," she pointed out.
"Well, this is highly irregular," the Wizard mused. "Most irregular indeed." He sighed. "I guess there's only one thing we can do."
"What's that, Your Ozness?" Galinda asked.
"You must prove yourself," the Wizard said.
"Prove myself?" both Elphaba and Galinda replied.
"Yes!" the Wizard exclaimed. "Madam Morrible's letter said that Elphaba Thropp is skilled in magic, so..." He waved his hands about, as though he were conjuring a spell. "Whichever one of you can do magic, we'll know that one is the proper Elphaba."
"But what about our..."
"All in good time, ladies, all in good time," he dismissed, then turned into the darkness, cupped one hand over his mouth and called out: "Madam, the book!"
From out of the darkness appeared Madam Morrible, an ancient tome in her hands and a look of importance on her face.
"I believe you already know my new Press Secretary," the Wizard introduced. Both of the young girls were a gale with awe. Madam Morrible said something about having 'risen up' in the world and applauded the Wizard on how much he would 'do' for you if you did even a little bit for him.
"So what do you want us to do?" Galinda asked.
At this, the Wizard blew a whistle from out of his coat pocket and out sprang a monkey, dressed in clothes. He was a little less than man-height, but he seemed quite energetic and playful. Elphaba took a step back while Galinda knelt down and scratched the tuft of hair under the monkey's chin. Madam Morrible whispered something to the Wizard, who nodded, then turned back to the two young women.
"This is my monkey servant Chistery," he said, gesturing to the monkey, who was now standing on his hands and knees in one place, as if waiting for instructions. "Every day he watches the birds, longing to be with them."
"Therefore, His Ozness was considering a simple...levitation spell!" Madam Morrible approached, holding out a heavy tome which both of the young women eyed with awe.
"It's quite simple enough," she continued. "Which ever one of you can cast the spell is the true Elphaba. Go on, now."
"Both of us?" both Elphaba and Galinda asked in unison.
"Why not?" Madam Morrible replied in a sickly-sweet tone. Galinda took the book in her hands, while Elphaba bounced about at Galinda's side, breathing: "Lemmetouchit, lemmetouchit, lemmetouchit!"
Galinda put the book on the ground and began pawing through the pages, while Elphaba was hovering over it, green hands gingerly touching the pages.
"Oh my Oz!" she squealed. "I'm actually touching the Grimmerie. The Grimmerie!"
While Elphaba was oozing over the spell-book, Galinda cast an eye up to the Wizard, who was whispering with Madam Morrible. She caught the phrase "Don't think we needed Upland", "sure", "real" and some phrase she had never heard. For a moment she turned the phrase over and over in her mind, wondering if "La Mombey" was a proper name, a title or a location.
"Well, go on, then!" exclaimed Madam Morrible, when she saw that the two young women were not reading from the spell. "Off you go."
"But I can't read the words!" Elphaba exclaimed.
"Don't be discouraged if you can't decipherate it right away," the Wizard's press secretary replied. "I myself have spent years studying that book and can only read a spell or two..."
Ahben Tahkay the tiny, high-pitched voice of Galinda began to chant. Ahben Tahkay Ahben Atum Ahben Takayah Entayah Ah Entayah Tifentah Ahben Tahkay Ah...
Suddenly, two people shouted. Elphaba, who hadn't spoken a word, gave a cry of alarm and Chistery, the monkey, started screaming in pain. Immediately, the little blond turned away from the book and tried to address the monkey, who was frollicking about, reaching up at something painful on his back.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"No, it's nothing!" exclaimed Madam Morrible over the clamor. "Just part of the transition, that's all." She then started speaking with the Wizard, but she was focused on the monkey.
"Chistery, what's wrong?" she asked the monkey. All she got back was a squawk of pain. "Why can't he speak?"
Suddenly, two huge blue wings burst from the monkey's back. Both the Wizard and Madam Morrible exclaimed in surprise and amazement. Both the young women looked back in surprise.
"She did it!" Madam Morrible said, pointing to Glinda. "I heard her voice chanting, her voice alone."
"Glorious!" exclaimed the Wizard.
"No, he's in pain!" squealed Glinda. "Quick! How do I reverse the spell?"
"You can't!" replied Madam Morrible. "You can't reverse a spell once it's been cast!" She turned back to the Wizard. "It doesn't matter if she's not in her true form, she's done it! Just as I said she would!"
"Wait, you knew? You planned this?"
"Of course, dearie! But don't worry, you'll benefit as well."
"And this," the Wizard exclaimed. "Is just the beginning!"
The grinding of wheels was heard and a curtain fell back upon a giant cage, an aviary hidden at the back of the Throne Room. Within were a hundred or so monkeys, all of them screaming in fear, in horror, in pain, all of them with huge blue wings sprouting from their backs. But even as the curtain was being drawn back over the cage, Glinda, that is Elphaba, was in shock.
"If this is what you can accomplish on the first time, why, the sky's the limit!" exclaimed the Wizard.
"Such wingspan!" added Madam Morrible. "What excellent spies they will make!"
"Spies?" Glinda retorted.
"You're right," the Wizard mediated, sensing Glinda's concern. "That's a harsh word. How about 'scouts?' I mean, that's what they'll be, actually. They'll just fly around Oz and report on any, uh, subversive...Animal activity."
Glinda gasped in even greater shock, rising up from her knees awkwardly (why did Elphaba, that is the real Galinda, force me to wear heels?), with an accusing finger pointed in the direction of the Wizard.
"It's you!" she said. "You're the one, you're behind all these horrible things that have been happening to the Animals."
"Gl...I mean, Elphaba," the Wizard said. "Please, try to understand: when I came here, there was nothing but chaos and disorder. And where I'm from, the best way to bring folks together is to give them a really good enemy."
Glinda suddenly lurched down and picked up the Grimmerie, clutching it to her chest, which, as she learned, was not as flat as that with which she was accustomed.
"You can't read this book at all, can you?" she asked. "You...you have no real power. That's why you need an enemy and spies and-and cages!"
"What?" gasped Elphaba. "You mean I'm stuck green?"
"Ladies, ladies, please!" the Wizard held up his hands in a gesture of apology. "This problem with your skin is nothing. I have friends who can help, I can have them here in a few days and then you two will be right as rain."
"And what price do you expect us to pay for this?" Glinda asked suspiciously, her chest heaving in fear, or perhaps anticipation.
"Join me," the Wizard said, holding out his small, old hand. "Elphaba, Glinda..." He looked at both of the young women. "You two have so much ahead of you, you don't yet realize your importance. The world is your oyster, now! With my help, I'll make you whatever you wanna be. All of Oz will love you, if that's what you want."
Glinda looked in suspicion at the hand that was stretched out to her, knowing now what she did. But she had to do something, she could not go along with this, not when she knew the truth. She had to do something, she just had to.
(AN: That took a while!)
(I wish that could have turned out better, but I've planted enough seed for you to guess what might happen in the second half [I'm still gonna go into the second half]. Questions, concerns, request, etc. can go in the reviews, they're much welcomed.)
(If you notice, though this fic is musical-verse, it isn't song-verse. So I had to borrow some of the essence of what Darth Vader said to Luke in Empire Strikes Back to what the Wizard said to Elphaba, since there's no music and I've got to get the essence of Wicked across in prose.)