Well here we are then, back into the usual swing of things, it'll be the normal weekly updates from now on. Sorry this one was late, I know I promised to have it up days ago but a lot came up, I had three birthday parties to go to this week alone (including my own)! I also had to post-pone the re-editing of the rest of my chapters half way through when I realised I wouldn't have time to write this one if I re-did all of the others first so if you see any mistakes that are still there it'll be because they're still under editing. Thanks again for everyone those still supporting though this after all this time! The winning POV this time is….Vanessa (Fiyero's mother)! Here's a shout out to the first three winning voters: The Internet Sass Queen, Atlanta Jackson and RedApple435! You guys are the best! Now on with the show!

Chapter 14 –

Vanessa Tiggular's POV

I settled back into my seat between my husband and son as the lights began to dim once again and the images on the dark wall began to swirl. I had to have had more than a hundred thoughts spinning through my head, and by the looks of everyone else's faces, they were the same.

I had gotten up at the beginning, intending to give my eldest son a piece of my mind for the rude comments he'd made at that poor girl earlier when I'd been stopped by one of the new hostesses that had appeared before I could reach him. I tried to push past the strange girl without much though but she placed a gentle hand on my arm, stopping me.

"I think you might want to wait a moment or two before you completely rip him a new one. There's somebody else who's wants to do it first."

I gave the girl a strange look, acknowledging her for the first time as she tilted her head at the retreating figure of my son, with the blonde girl, Galinda following him. I calmed for a second and took a minute to inspect the girl in front of me. For a frightening moment, I'd thought I'd been halted by our kidnapper herself, Sorrow or something like that?, but was relived to find after a further study that the girl is front of me was one of the newer hosts. Her likeness to the other girl was uncanny but there were a few differences that I could see when paying attention.

An out-break of shouting caught my attention and we both looked round in unison to see the green girl's mother in a face-off with the man that was apparently the wonderful wizard of Oz, though in the flesh he seemed to be far less menacing. The girl beside me frown as several people from the captive audience began to hover closer curiously. The girl swore quietly next to me, muttering under her breath.

"Where the hell is Sorrow when you need her?" No sooner had she spoken we saw the girl in question scurry out from somewhere, dragging one of the boys with her. They stopped and spoke with one another for a moment before she waved him off and made to interrupt the two quarrelling adults. My (sort of) companion seemed to snap out of her daze suddenly, as though remembering something as the rest of the audience continued to wander ever closer to the entertaining scene.

"Err, excuse me. I gotta go, I'm supposed to be watching these guys." She gestured to the general nosey group off handedly. She took a couple of steps towards them, hesitating, glancing at me.

"Just, don't do anything too rash okay. We're kinda stretched thinly enough as it is. I would expect the Queen of Vinkus to be well behaved." I tired nor to bristle at being spoken about in such a way and forced myself to remember my own manners, giving her a slight nod, calling after her.

"I generally prefer Vanessa, or Mrs. Tiggular if you really must." I saw the girl flash me a smile over her shoulder.

"I'm Chrome." And with that she moved away, ushering the on-lookers away from the scene which was being broken up by her co-workers.

I watched everyone else move around for a minute, before remembering my purpose and focused on trying to find where my toe-rag son had gotten off to. I finally spotted him leaning near the doors that we'd all come in through on his own. I assumed he'd settled whatever it was he'd been talking to his, I presume still currently, girlfriend about. I took the opportunity to march straight up to him and was relieved when nobody moved to stop me again.

I could have laughed at the frightened expression on his face when he saw me coming over to him but I was far too focused on what I had to say to him to allow more than a slight smile to come over my lips briefly. I stopped just a couple of feet off from him and crossed my arms across my chest, glaring, waiting for his excuse. He held his hands up in defence, looking at me sheepishly.

"Before you say anything, yes I admit it was a stupid thing to say and I do regret all of it, and plan to apologise when I speak to her in a minute after Galinda's finished talking to her."

I decided to let him off a little bit, since he seemed to actually mean what he was saying for once. Instead I decided to discuss something else with him. "What was she talking about back there in that poppy field, when the two of you freed that Cub?"

Something flickered across his face for a second before the normal, causal looked that I had become accustomed to seeing on his face these past few years fell back into place. "Nothing. I have no idea."

Even I could hear the falseness in his voice this time and remained silent, increasing my glare until he sighed and let the mask dropped, running the fingers from both hands through his hair, messing it up. I tried to fight the urge to straighten it out again. "It's complicated. I'd rather not talk about it right now, not while there's so much else to take in."

I nodded slowly. I could understand that at least. "Fine. But we WILL talk about it!" I held one finger up in front of his face warningly. His sighed and rolled his eyes, something I'd never seen him do before but nodded eventually. His focused drifted again to the doors behind us and it took me a couple of second to realise that I could hear voices talking quietly on the other side. It took me another moment to recognise the voices.

"OWW!" Fiyero yelped when I whacked him somewhat roughly on the back on the head, covering the spot with his hands and staring at me unbelievingly.

"What in Oz name was that for?!" I gave him a very, very simple look.

"For eavesdropping on someone else's conversation. Especially theirs! Don't you think that poor girl has been through enough? And I don't think your girlfriend would be very happy about it either!"

"Ex-girlfriend." I heard him mutter absent mindedly. Then he suddenly froze and his eyes went wide as though he'd suddenly realised what he'd said. I raised an eyebrow at him, intrigued.

"Oh. Really?" It was all I could think to say, he squirmed uncomfortably under my gaze.

"Umm…..yeah. We may have just kind of broken up. Just now I mean. We haven't really been as close recently and we sort of just decided that maybe we'd be better off seeing other people. We're going to try and stay friends though, if we can."

I could feel my smile growing wider and wider with each word he spoke, especially at the "seeing other people" part. It's not that I didn't like Galinda. On the contrary, she seems like a lovely girl from the little I've seen of her, but she just seems so much like all of the other girls my son has dated over his less-than-wonderful last few years. I wouldn't mind seeing him with someone a bit more stable and sensible perhaps, rather than just another pretty, party girl.

I noticed the way his eyes kept drifting towards the semi-open doors beside us, the anxious expression on his face that I haven't seen there for a very long time, while his hands fiddled with the hem of his shirt nervously. My grin became painfully wide as the obvious hit me straight in the face. Maybe some of his future decisions will be a little more sensible after all. I thought for a moment how to word my question before deciding to just do what I do best and go for the blunt option.

"You like her don't you? This girl, Elphaba isn't it?" His almost comical reaction was all the answer I need. I laughed and patted him on the shoulder, grinning knowingly.

"Oh don't act so surprised. I'm not upset. She seems like a wonderful girl, so different from most of your, umm, say we say previous company. It would be a nice change to see you going for someone more stable."

At his annoyed expression, I straightened out and gripped his shoulder lightly, one of last time, speaking seriously now.

"And if you really think that this could be something different, something special, then go for it. Take it from a foolishly old woman who very nearly made the same mistake, don't let her slip away or else you'll only end up regretting it later on."

With that I gave him one last encouraging grin, to which he returned with a shaky one of his own and turned to walk back to my seat, calling over my shoulder as I went. "And stop eavesdropping!"

The indignant groan that followed me brought a smile to my face that lasted all the way until I sat down again, beside my husband who gave me a questioning look. "I'll explain later, but let's just say our son might have a new girlfriend by the end of this."

Now I sat here, I couldn't help but watch anxiously myself as the images on the wall began to take form and loud music bared form somewhere and echoed around the room.

The image brightened to show the streets of the Emerald city surrounding the city center alive with clusters of green-dressed citizens hurrying about their business nervously, somehow still gossiping to each other as they went, constantly throwing fearfully glances above their heads as though watching out for something in the sky.

(Citizens): "Everyday, more Wicked! Everyday, the terror grows! All of Oz is ever on alert!"

I exchanged a confused look with my husband, sensing everyone else around me doing the same.

The people slunk lowly through the streets, eagerly making for the main city square, eyes monitoring the air above them the whole way along.

(Citizens): "That's the way with Wicked- spreading fear, where e'er she goes! Seeking out new victims she can hurt!"

The confusion in the room intensified, with just a little bit of understanding and disbelief beginning to dawn underneath it.

(Random Woman): "Like some terrible green blizzard, throughout the land she flies!"

Random people paused to have conversations with each other in the square, their voices loud enough to be heard over the din created by everyone else.

(Random Man): "Defaming our poor Wizard with her calumnies and lies!"

Despite myself, I couldn't help but feel my blood boil as I realised the subject of their conversation.

(Citizens): "She lies!"

The rest of the crowd who overheard the loud individuals all voiced their agrees and the whole crowd expressed their fear to each other as they stood huddled together in the square next to an open stage, as though waiting for something.

(Citizens): "Save us from the Wicked! Shield us so, we won't be hexed!"

They held their arms up above them as though to shield themselves form some invisible threat before another person stepping out onto the platform behind them caught their attention.

(Citizens): "Give us warning: where will she strike next? Where will she strike next? Where will she strike, next?

Several gasps echoed around the room as people recognised the people that had stepped out onto the stage. I risked a glance over my shoulder, noting with surprise, the new people added to it, and saw the shocked, and even slightly frightened faces of my son and his friends.

The imaged narrowed in on the elegant image of Glinda stood in the center of the platform in front of the microphone, dressed in a simple (by her standards), sparkling skirt and one-sleeved blazer, Fiyero stood smartly just a little way behind her, to her right in the Emerald green and gold-decorated Gale force uniform. Both appeared to be noticeably older than they had last been seen as, indicating that at least a few years had passed since that one short day in the Wizards palace. Madam Morrible also stood on the stage with them, just off on Glinda's left, dressed in one of her usual abstract dresses, powdered wig piled high.

(Glinda): "Fellow Ozians, as terrifying as terror is, let us put aside our panic for this one day…. And celebrate!"

The self-proclaimed good witch addressed the crowd with her usual bubbly, glee. They all responded immediately, forgetting their previous terror and launched into a full round of cheers.

I tried not to scrunch my nose at the fickle nature of the crowd. I know say that the collective mind of a nation isn't always the most intelligent, but still this is ridiculous!

Glinda waved a dainty hand over her audience cheerfully, a pretty smile stretching across her lips.

(Glinda): "Oh what a celebration we'll have today!"

(Citizens): "Thank Goodness!"

The crowd spun and cheered in unison with their beautiful hostess. The girl, who was more a young woman now, in question giggled adoringly, flicking her hand out again in a very perky fashion.

(Glinda): "Let's have a celebration the Glinda way!"

(Citizens): "Thank Goodness!"

A very small part of me that wasn't filled with disgust, couldn't help but feel somewhat curious as to what it was that they were actually celebrating.

(Morrible): "Finally a day that's total Wicked Witch free!"

Morrible stepped forward from her place beside the glittering blonde, an ugly, gleeful smile across her large, cracked lips.

(Citizens): "We couldn't be happier! Thank Goodness!"

The crowds cheered once more for their favourite idol before breaking out into another round of gossip among themselves in an un-orderly bustle. The blonde's ex-teacher stepped forward, up to the mic again.

(Morrible): "And thank goodness for you, Glinda, and your handsome swain, who is our new captain of the guards, who has been at the fore-front of the hunt for the Wicked Witch of the West, haven't you captain?"

I could help the surprise that made me turn around again to look at the son in question. Captain of the guard was a very high and hard-earn't position that before this prediction began, I never would have imagined my lazy, easy-going, son achieving, not to mention strange considering the main role of the job would involve hunting down the girl that he's friends with. Feeling just as confused as he looked, I turn back to the picture, hoping the reasoning behind it could become clear soon.

Fiyero stepped forward, leaning into the mic.

(Fiyero): "Yes well, I don't really think of her as a WICKED Witch-"

Morrible let out a hurried laugh, cutting him off before anyone else could hear him, changing the topic quickly.

(Morrible): "So how does it feel?"

The Gale Force officer gave the older woman an annoyed glance before continuing.

(Fiyero): "Honest, frustrating. But I became captain of the guards to find her and I'll keep searching-"

The woman cut him off again, with a genuine laugh, like she was taking great glee in knowing something that he didn't.

(Morrible): "No! Being engaged!"

THAT caught my attention. I barely had time to comprehend it before shout from behind me caught my attention. "WHAT!?"

I turned to see my son in present time, starring at the blonde next him in shock. "PLEASE, tell me you didn't?"

The blonde beside me looked back sheepishly, shrugging slightly and muttering something to him in reply that I couldn't catch. The emerald girl on the blonde's others side looked on in amusement, seemingly unfazed by it, hiding a snigger behind her palm. Deciding there was nothing more I could learn from them at the moment, I turned my attention back to the front.

The captain's face was a picture of shock.

(Fiyero): "What?"

(Citizens): "Congratulations!"

Their people burst into another round of cheers, looking absolutely delighted with this information, exciting gossiping among themselves. Fiyero looked up at the banner than had been unveiled from the side of the bridge above their heads before turned his stunned gaze back to the little blonde beside him, one finger pointing hesitatingly to the banner.

(Fiyero): "This is an engagement party?"

His voice was uncertain, his face flickering with emotions briefly as his companion squealed excitedly.

(Glinda): "Yes! Are you surprised?"

She looked up at him hopefully, hands clasped in front of her like an excited child on Lurlinemas morning.

In that moment I couldn't help but pity my son, and the situation he'd gotten himself into just a little bit. Clearly he'd never broken up with Glinda in this future like he'd done with her younger counter-part in the present time and stayed with her, despite the fact he seemed less in love with her than she did him.

(Fiyero): "Yes."

Several people chuckled, laughter coming from somewhere behind me.

He spoke with just the thinnest traces of sarcasm. Glinda clapped her hands together obviously, either not catching his tone, or ignoring it.

(Glinda): "We hoped you would, the wizard and I."

I frowned at that, remembering all too clearly the virtually identical words spoken by the other girl herself in very much the same happy tone that ended in such sadness.

She stepped back up to the mic, holding it lightly between her fingers.

(Glinda): "Yes. We couldn't be happier. Right, dear? Couldn't be happier."

She threw another fleeting, questioning glance in his direction before focusing her attention back onto the adoring crowd in front of her, mask slipping on and off with practised ease.

(Glinda): "Right here, look what we've got, a fairy-tale plot, our very own happy ending. Where we couldn't be happier. True, dear? Couldn't be happier."

At her audience's increasing excitement, she'd increased the level of perkiness in her voice. She raised her arms and held them out joyfully.

Again that niggling feeling somewhere in the back of my mind went off again, trying to tell me something. I just could quite grasp what yet.

(Glinda): "And we're happy to share, our ending of vicariously, with all of you! He couldn't look handsomer. I couldn't feel humbler. We couldn't be happier. Because happy is what happens, when all your dreams come true!"

She gestured to Fiyero behind her and back to herself, then across the people before her, arms never staying still. Morrible stepped up beside her, placing a hand on her shoulder to draw her away from the microphone. A grandmotherly smile was plastered on her wrinkled face.

I unconsciously shivered at the thought of those gross wrinkled hands touching that sweet young thing. That woman was truly the wicked one, not the poor girl she'd condemned as such.

(Morrible): "And Glinda dear, we're happy for you! As press secretary, I have striven to ensure that all of Oz knows the story of your Braversim!"

All eyes from the crowd focused eagerly in on what the older woman was about to say, sensing a story. The old woman smiled smugly before putting on a more sincere face as she continued.

(Morrible): "How vividly, I remember. The day you were first summoned, to an audience with Oz, and although we would not tell you why, initially. When you bowed before his throne, he decreed you'd hence be known, as Glinda the Good, officially!"

A temporary quit settled over the crowd, who all broke out into hushed whispers, not catching the suspicious look Fiyero gave Glinda.

(Fiyero): "That's not how you described it to me!"

Her wide smile did not fade but strained around the edges slightly and she replied quietly without looking around at him.

(Glinda): "No, not exactly, but we'll talk about that later."

Several people laughed, a couple of from the rows in front, but most from the newer people in the private rows behind us.

I turned round just in time to see an oddly dressed, lower class girl with funny coloured hair in the seat beside Melena burst into laughter. She rocked in her seat, crying with it, arms crossed in front of her thin waist, while the blonde girl sat next to her was trying silently to signal to her to be quiet, face reddening in embarrassment. She and the boy next to her, who had to be her brother, both looked very familiar to me and for a second I forgot about to images in front of me and found myself staring at them, trying to recall where I'd seen them both before.

It was only the sound of that evil woman's voice speaking again that made me turn back around and refocus on the moving picture, the mystery of the siblings pushed to the back on my mind for now.

(Morrible): "Then, with a jealous squeal, the Wicked Witch burst from concealment. Where she had been lurking, surrpetitially!"

The crowd gasped and broke off into mutters of their own, several people calling out over the top of the hush whispers to shout out various points which the rest of the crowd immediately agreed with. The first was a woman from the far right of the crowd on the ground in front of the stage.

(Random Woman): "I here she has an extra eye, that always remains awake!"

That sounds like something form a typical horror story. I tried not to snort.

Somebody from closer to the platform, on the left side answered her.

(Random Woman): "I hear that she can shed her skin, as easily as a snake!"

This time I did allow myself a small noise of disbelief, shaking my head slowly from side to side.

Another woman answered spoke up from somewhere in the middle almost instantly.

(Random Woman): "I hear some rebel Animals are giving her food and shelter!"

A man shouted down from the bridge above their heads.

(Random Man): "I hear her soul, is so unclean, pure water can melt her!"

(Fiyero): "What!?"

The captain seemed to momentary forget himself and pushed forward to glare at the people in front of him, rage mixed with disbelief sparking in his features.

I couldn't help but agree with my son's expression. Talking badly about anyone, even if they did deserve it, is bad enough but knowing that the poor girl they were saying these things about was nothing even remotely like or deserving of that at all just very nearly made my own vision go red.

I'd always had a very strong sense of right and wrong, it's something I'd become very proud of since becoming queen, and seeing any sort of injustice always set me off, but knowing that this was someone my son cared about only build up my rage even further.

(Crowd): "Melt her? Please! Somebody come and melt her!"

The crowd's almost gleeful response to the comment seemed to set him off the edge. He turned to the people stood on the platform behind him, waving one arm in the audience's direction angrily.

(Fiyero): "Do you hear that? Water will melt her!?"

(Glinda): "Shhh! Dearest!"

Glinda made to shush him, eyes flicking back towards their other companion, stood next to them, almost alarmingly but was brushed off as he stormed past her, shouting over his shoulder.

(Fiyero): "People are so empty headed, they'll believe anything!"

(Glinda): "Fiyero!"

She shouted after him, receiving no response. She flashed a shaky smile to the eyes that still followed her every move on the stage and politely excused herself, leaving Morrible alone as she scurried down the back steps after Fiyero's retreating form.

(Glinda): "Excuse us just a tick-tock."

I couldn't help but feel a stab of pity for the girl, being embarrassed in such an important moment in front of so many people. It so was unlike my son to act so rashly, but then I suppose that he'd never really care about anything enough to cause such a reaction in him. It seemed I was learning a lot of things I'd never known about my son in these past couple of hours.

(Glinda): "Fiyero!"

The image pulled out then turned, narrowing in again on the quiet alley behind the back of the stage where Glinda caught up to Fiyero, who was pacing in anger. She grabbed a hold of his fore-arm for a moment making him stop and face her. He sighed before speaking to her.

(Fiyero): "I can't just stand here grinning pretending to go along with all this!"

It was Glinda's turn to be angry at him as she glared, hurtfully.

(Glinda): "You think I like hearing them say those awful things about her! I hate it!"

Several people around us exchanged confused glances and I could almost hear the same question going through all of their minds, as much as it was mine. Then why is she there, going with the Wizards publicity?

(Fiyero): "Then what are we still doing here? Let's go!"

He grabbed her hand and tried to pull her away with him but she pulled back, removing her and taking a couple of steps backwards towards the stage. She shook her head, her delicate features crinkling in distress.

(Glinda): "I can't leave now. Not when people are looking to me, to raise their spirits!"

Fiyero gave her an almost disgusted look. He gestured to the stage and surrounding crowd with a hand.

(Fiyero): "You can't leave, because you can't resist all this! And that's the truth!"

She looked at him, hurt shinning in her eyes, with just a slight underlining of shame which she was trying visibly to hide.

(Glinda): "Well maybe it is. But, is that really wrong? I mean who could?"

I could just about make out the majority of the students from the rows in front, even one or two teachers were nodding in agreement.

Fiyero's expression morphed from one of angry to one of tired sadness and he sighed.

(Fiyero): "You know who could. And who has."

He made to walk away but was stopped hen Glinda spoke again, with as much emotion as he had.

(Glinda): "I miss her too, but we can't just stop living!"

She took a couple of small steps after him, where he stood, frozen in place half way up a set of steps. Glinda tried again.

(Glinda): "Nobody has searched for her harder than you have, but you just have to accept it, she doesn't want to be found!"

He seemed to think things over for a moment before sighing again and making his way back down to join Glinda, taking a hold of her hands in his own after hugging her briefly.

(Fiyero): "You're right. And if it'll make you happy, of course I'll marry you."

I was both far too surprised and impressed by the maturity of my usually go-happy son to even take notice of the snort from behind me, nor the quiet voice that hissed right after it. "WILL you please shut, UP?!"

Glinda searched his face uncertainly, put off by his choice in words.

(Glinda): "It'll make you happy too right?"

Fiyero released her ad took a step back, visibly putting on a smile that was clearly forced and spoke in a practised voice.

(Fiyero): "You know me. I'm always happy!"

Even I could catch the false under currents in his voice, and wondered how I'd never noticed it before. I could see my husband going through a very similar thought process beside me, while Xilo simply looked confused on my other side.

(Glinda): "Fiyero!"

The blonde called after him as he walked away, disappearing up the steps, oblivious to the surrounding eyes that were now looking around the stage in interest at the scene. Glinda finally spotted them and quickly hurried back up the steps leading onto the stage, throwing one last fleeting glance after her fiancé before focusing her attention back on the crowd with a brilliant smile.

(Glinda): "Ah yes, thank plenty dearest! He's gone to fetch me a refreshment. He's so thoughtful that way!"

She gave no sign of having made up her excuse on the spot despite having just done so and all of the crowd brought with ease, swooning at generous nature of the man in question.

(Glinda): "That's why I couldn't be happier. No, I couldn't be happier. Though it is, I admit, the tiniest bit, unlike I anticipated."

Her face fell the tiniest bit and a softer expression took over, though she clearly fought to remain up-beat and positive, leaving her audience none the wiser.

(Glinda): "But I couldn't be happier! Simply, couldn't be happier. Well, not simply."

At the other people's puzzled expressions and Madam Morrible's warning glance, she explained further.

(Glinda): "Cus getting your dreams, strange though it seems, well, complicated."

Her face fell further, confusing the crowd more, but she took no notice.

(Glinda): "There's a kind of a sort of, cost. There's a couple of things get, lost. There are bridges you crossed you didn't know you crossed until you crossed!"

I couldn't help but pause at the meaning behind her words. It was clear she had grown up a lot over the time she'd been alone. I found my pity for her growing each time I heard her speak. Though clearly she had not been anywhere near as wronged as her friend, yet she still herself had appear to have had to make hard choices.

She seemed to be getting further and further lost in her thoughts, snapping out of it at the last minute and quickly reverting back to her classic bouncy, happy self.

(Glinda): "And if that joy, that thrill, doesn't thrill like you think it will, still. With this perfect finale, the cheers and the ballyhoo. Who wouldn't be happier? So I couldn't be happier! Because happy is what happens, when all your dreams come true. Well isn't it?"

I found myself actually pondering her question despite it all. Not if the cost is too high.

(Glinda): "Happy, is what happens, when your dreams, come, true!"

(Citizens): "We love you Glinda, if we may be so frank!"

The crowd quickly got over their idol's strange moment and joyfully leapt back into the fray, cheering and spinning merrily.

(Glinda): "Thank Goodness!"

(Citizens): "For all this joy, we know who we've got to thank: Thank Goodness!"

The citizens echoed her with glee, adding their voice to hers and singing her praises.

(Citizens): "That means the Wizard, Glinda-"

(Glinda): "And fiancé!"

Glinda added eagerly, voice ringing above everyone else's.

(Citizens): "They couldn't be goodlier, she couldn't be lovelier, we couldn't be luckier!"

(Glinda): "I couldn't be happier!"

Glinda had completely regained her posture and stood proudly, arms stretched nearly as wide as her smile.

(Citizens): "Thank Goodness!"

(All): "Today!"

The citizens did one last spin, leaping up merrily into the air, arms raised high above their heads as the celebration finished.

(Citizens): "Thank Goodness for today!"

The images turned dark and fade out.

I slumped in my seat waiting for the next scene and found myself dreading whatever may come next….

Okay, next up is "The Wicked Witch of the East", I promise that I will have this one up within a week. Will it be:

Shenshen

Boq

Frex

Or Doctor Dillamound?