A quick update, then, because this one is a very short chapter and because so many of you begged me to update early. Regular updates again from now on, though - next one Sunday night :).
I re-wrote this chapter many times and in many ways, but this is what I eventually decided on. Some of you guessed this would happen.
(Also, the reason I killed Nessa - again - is because she's just very killable. Is that a word? It's just - her death is sad and has impact, but it's usually not heart-breaking like Glinda, Elphaba, or Fiyero's death would be.)
25.
"It's the Witch!" a woman screamed and as if that was their cue, the Ozians all started screaming and running around in an attempt to get away, utterly panicked by the sight of the Wicked Witch of the West standing on their balcony, posing as their princess. Morrible threw her head back and cackled. Glinda swore under her breath.
"Lies!" Morrible shouted at the people below, hanging so far over the balcony balustrade that she nearly toppled off. "Everything they have been telling you was a lie! I am your regent, and I will protect you from the Witch!"
With that, she turned to Elphaba, her palm outstretched. Glinda shrieked as lightning shot out of Morrible's hand; but before it could hit Elphaba, the green girl raised her arms instinctively, effectively sending the lightning back to Morrible, who could only just leap out of the way before it hit her. The lightning struck a part of the palace instead, causing large stones to come crumbling down from the wall. Fiyero was shouting at the Gale Force soldiers, who, on his command, leapt forward and forced Morrible's arms behind her back, poking a gun between her shoulder blades. Two other guards advanced on Elphaba, who did not protest as her arms were forced behind her back as well.
"Listen!" Glinda screeched, stomping her foot like she had so often done back at Shiz when she had been frustrated. "For Oz's sake, I'm Glinda the Good, you're supposed to listen to me, so just shut up and let me explain!"
Elphaba could not help but snigger despite herself – it was just such a Galinda thing to do – but the Ozians did slowly quiet down at Glinda's words, although they kept on muttering and whispering, the looks on their faces terrified.
"You know better than to listen to this woman without thinking for yourselves!" Glinda scolded, glaring at the people. "She can do magic – who says she did not just make Cassadi look like the Witch? Did you think the Witch was a young girl? Not to mention the fact that the Witch's death was announced months ago!"
More muttering. "Lady Glinda has a point," a woman said loudly. "The Witch was old and ugly, and His Ozness told us all that she is dead!"
Elphaba raised an eyebrow at that, but did not protest Glinda's claims. She understood why her friend was doing this.
"Madame Morrible just turned the princess's skin green and her hair black," Glinda continued, "and you instantly disregard her, everything she stands for, and everything she has done for you? You start shouting for her capture, like blind sheep, because you suddenly believe her to be an enemy who has not only been dead for months, but would also never dare set foot in the Emerald Palace? All because that is what one woman," she gestured towards Morrible, "is screaming at you even as she is being held back by Gale Force guards. Is your loyalty to our crown princess that strong? Do you doubt your government – not just our crown princess, but also our Wonderful Wizard, our Captain of the Guard, me, and everyone else who has confirmed the death of the Wicked Witch – to the point where you accuse us of having lied about this great enemy of Oz being dead? Is that what you are saying? Is that what you think?"
The people muttered again, obviously embarrassed now. They were quieter and no-one spoke up or argued with Glinda.
Elphaba knew, just like Glinda had to, that this was the safe thing to do. The blonde apparently did not think the Ozians were ready to accept the truth about Elphaba – about their precious Wicked Witch of the West, the enemy that had united all of them – and the green girl agreed. If Glinda told them the truth, they would only turn on her, too – on both of them – and then they would have achieved nothing. They would both end up in Southstairs and Morrible would take over. Glinda could not let that happen and even though it hurt Elphaba to hear her friend calling her a wicked witch and saying these things about her, even though it made her heart ache that there would now never be a chance of her name being cleared, she understood and she stood by Glinda's decision. She'd rather be Cassadi Welther for the rest of her life than spend said life in Southstairs, especially if she were to drag Glinda down with her.
Besides, it wouldn't be so bad to keep on pretending once Morrible was out of the way, especially not if Oscar was still alive and could come back. Plus she had Glinda now. She knew the truth and even if she hadn't forgiven the green girl yet, Elphaba was confident that she would, eventually. Glinda had too big a heart to be angry with someone for long, especially if that someone was her best friend.
She risked a glance at Fiyero. He looked a little shaken and he was watching her, but the moment he caught her looking, he quickly looked away. She did not think he would ever be able to forgive her, but she took comfort in the thought that if he had wanted to betray her, he would have done so already. Even if he did hate her now and never spoke to her again, he would never condemn her – and most definitely not Glinda – to a life in Southstairs.
"Shame on you," Glinda was saying sternly to the people, as if they were a bunch of children that needed scolding. It was perhaps a little bit over the top, but Glinda had always had a dramatic streak. Maybe it would help this time. As long as her friend managed to talk her out of this sticky situation, Elphaba did not care how Glinda did it.
"No!" Morrible shrieked again, wrestling against the guards holding her. "They are lying! Lying!"
The noise in the square was even louder than before now. She could not even hear what the Gale Force soldiers holding her were saying over the buzz of the crowd, but she could tell that they were just as baffled by all these developments as the Ozians down below were. No-one seemed to be sure what to believe anymore, but Elphaba was glad they at least considered the possibility of Glinda's words and did not turn the blonde down immediately.
"Think," Glinda advised the people. "Think for yourselves. What seems more likely? That the Wicked Witch of the West is actually a young girl who has been living under the Wonderful Wizard's nose for months, not to mention under the noses of a whole lot of advisors and officials," she raised her eyebrows at said advisors and officials, who were huddled together on the square below, "without hurting you or doing anything but good for Oz; or that Madame Morrible is lying and has an agenda of her own?" She stepped up next to Elphaba, motioning for the guards to release her. They did and the blonde girl laid a hand on Elphaba's shoulder. "I trust Cassie completely," she declared. "She has been nothing but an amazing friend to me and I stand for her one hundred percent."
Elphaba could sense that the balance was slowly tipping, with more and more people inclined to believe the beautiful blonde's words, but she did not dare think that it was over yet. She turned out to be right.
Suddenly, with a triumphant gasp, Morrible broke free from the men holding her. "I will get you, dearie!" she cried, making Glinda and a few others jump. She raised her hand once more.
Glinda leapt aside, cursing, and Elphaba managed to protect herself from Morrible's powers just in time by producing a magical shield. The old hag hissed in frustration and a ripple of gasps went through the Ozians down below. Glinda and Fiyero were both shouting at the Gale Force, but as they attempted to grab Morrible again, she idly flicked her wrist, causing a harsh wind to brush them aside as easily as one might brush aside a fly. She struck at Elphaba again.
Again, Elphaba successfully deflected the lightning the older woman sent her way; but Morrible had counted on that. Even as Elphaba protected herself from the first strike of lightning, Morrible sent a heavy gust of wind in the direction of the young witch, sending her flying over the balustrade on the other side of the balcony.
It all happened incredibly fast. One moment, Elphaba was standing there, blocking Morrible's magic; and the next, she found herself hurtling backwards, crashing against the balustrade. She tried to maintain her balance or, if nothing else, to grab something to hold on to, but there was nothing. She toppled over the edge and down towards the square, where the people were watching in awed shock. Someone – she supposed a Gale Force soldier – made a grab for her, but missed. Glinda was screaming even as she was bent over the balustrade, watching her best friend fall. There was wind, there was a surge of magic shooting through her, and then there was darkness.
The last thing she was aware of was that at last, the entire square had fallen silent.
Like I said, it was a short chapter, but this cliffy opportunity was too good to pass up. *cackles*