A/N: I hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving. Now that December's started, I'm really looking forward to some snow!
The epilogue is all that's left after this chapter. I can hardly believe it! The only songs in this chapter are little bits of songs from Wicked, so though I changed some lyrics, you know the tune.
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Chapter Twenty-Nine: Goodbye, For Good
A few days later, Fiyero and Elphaba were sitting quietly in their room in the farmhouse. Elphaba was reading, and Fiyero was absentmindedly tracing patterns in the dust on the floor. The two lovers had hardly said a word to each other all day; they had been too immersed in their own thoughts.
Elphaba turned a page, reached the end of her chapter, and put the book down with a sigh, glancing over at the Scarecrow.
"Fiyero…"
Fiyero looked up. "What?"
"We have to go."
"Go where?" he tried innocently.
"You know where!" Elphaba said impatiently, "We have to leave this place sooner or later…we don't belong here."
Fiyero got up with a sigh and sat next to the green witch on the bed. "I know," he said quietly, almost sadly.
"It's – it's not as if we'll never see Glinda again," Elphaba continued hopefully, "She can come visit…"
But Fiyero shook his head. "No, she can't. We need to go farther than Kiamo Ko this time. We have to leave Oz behind for real – forever. If we stay close, we'll just be tempted to run back and help again whenever something goes wrong. It's too risky. Oz will just have to get along without us."
Elphaba looked down at her hands, knowing what Fiyero said was true, no matter how much she didn't want to believe it.
"If only-"
But she was interrupted by a knock on the door, and Glinda's cheery voice chirping, "It's me! Glinda! I have wonderful news!"
"Come in," Fiyero called, and the door swung open.
Glinda swept in, looking radiant. "We've finally done it! It's the first time every single person in the committee has agreed on anything since negotiations began!"
"That's wonderful!" Elphaba tried to be enthusiastic, "What's going to happen to the city?"
Glinda sat down between her friends and produced a scroll of paper, which she unrolled to show the blueprint of a large, magnificent building, not unlike the old Palace.
"This will be the new Palace," Glinda explained, "It is a lot like the old one, but there are several minor differences to make the building more practical. The Palace is going to be covered in green emeralds, just like the old one was. That way, we don't have to change the name. At the four sides of the Palace, in the Main Square, there will be four painted embassies representing each of the corners of Oz. Senators will work in these buildings and come to the Palace for periodical session meetings so that every group will have a say in the running of the country. We're making Oz into a democracy!" Glinda explained brightly.
"What about the rest of the city?" Fiyero asked.
"It will be arranged basically like the old one, but not as much will center on green. We've all decided it's time for some more logical architecture. And, no offense, Elphaba, but some of the people mentioned your name as reasoning for new colors. They don't want to bring up bad memories. Speaking of which, we'll have to work out some way for the two of you to live with me in the Palace. I want both of you to be honorary advisors. Maybe there's a spell somewhere for disguises…"
Behind Glinda's back, Elphaba and Fiyero exchanged glances.
"Glinda…" Elphaba said hesitantly, "…Fiyero and I can't live in the Palace with you."
"Why not?" Glinda asked, "I'm sure we could do someth-"
"No," Elphaba interrupted, "We can't. It's too risky."
Glinda looked disappointed, but she nodded reluctantly. "All right, then you can go live in Kiamo Ko, if you think that's best, and I'll visit you as often as I can."
This time, Fiyero spoke up. "Glinda…we can't."
"Why not?"
He sighed unhappily. "Because…well, because Elphaba and I have agreed that we need to leave the country…for good."
"What?" Glinda whispered, stiffening.
Elphaba cut in. "We're putting you and ourselves in danger by staying in Oz, Glinda. Sooner or later, someone will make a connection between everything that has happened. And they'll figure it all out. If that happened, your life would be at stake, as would both of ours. It's better if we just…go."
Glinda's eyes were sparkling with tears. "No…no!" she protested, "You can't just go! I need you, Elphie! I was lost when I thought you were dead!"
"But now you know we're alive," Elphaba pointed out, "You can live with the knowledge that we are out there, safe, because no one will know who we are in other places. Don't you see, Glinda? I wish more than anything that things could have been different…but I guess I was never meant to be accepted in Oz at all."
"We can start over," Fiyero explained, "Start over, fresh and new, and Elphaba and I-"
"-can finally start your life together." Glinda finished as a tear rolled down her cheek.
Elphaba looked ashamed. "I'm sorry, Glinda. That must seem like a cruel reason to you, when you and Fiyero were once…" she trailed off, the other two knowing what she'd been about to say.
"No, no…it's fine," Glinda said softly, "I'm…I'm all right with it now. I know Fiyero and I were never right for each other in the first place. But I really, truly want you both to be happy. If this is what you want…" she took a deep breath, "…then you should go."
Elphaba leaned forward and wiped a tear gently off her friend's face, fighting furiously against her own threatening tear ducts.
"We want you to be happy, too, Glinda." she reminded the good witch. Then she brightened. "I have an idea. Are there any glass bowls in the house?"
Glinda stood, looking confused. "Probably – why?"
"I need them," Elphaba replied, but she wouldn't say any more, so Glinda went into the kitchen and returned soon with two fairly large glass bowls, one perfectly clear and the other tinted blue.
Elphaba smiled. "Perfect." She placed the bowls upside-down on the bed, and Fiyero and Glinda both moved closer. Glinda still looked puzzled, but Fiyero had a look of comprehension on his face.
"Ele bebe se ra crese so ta we im bella creno…Let me see what I desire, set this flat surface on fire, and the things I want to hear, come as if they were right here." Elphaba chanted, waving her hands mystically over the transparent bowl. Then she repeated the spell with the blue bowl.
"What did you do?" Fiyero asked interestedly.
"I did the same spell I used on my crystal ball at Kiamo Ko," Elphaba said, handing the clear bowl to Glinda. "Look into this, and say whatever you'd like to see, anywhere at all. Make sure to concentrate!"
Glinda held the object in her hands, half doubting, half fascinated. "Um…I want to see…I want to see the Munchkin delegation," she said clearly.
Instantly, an image formed on the smooth surface, solidifying to show a group of five Munchkins sitting in a circle of chairs.
"…not really going to work, is it?" one of them, a particularly small man with a young face was saying doubtfully.
"I really believe it will," a man with a long white beard countered, "Lady Glinda, though not truly qualified to be our ruler, is the one who has held Oz together through all the recent events. If anyone here can get the country back on track, it's her."
Glinda glowed with pleasure at the praise, listening closely to hear more. A touch on her shoulder brought her attention away from the bowl, however, and the scene faded away. Elphaba smiled gently but sadly at her friend.
"It's getting dark," she said, "Fiyero and I have to leave in the dead of night, so no one will see us."
"You're leaving tonight?" Glinda asked, her eyes wide, "But…that's so soon!"
Elphaba nodded her eyes downcast. "I know. But the longer we stay, the harder it will be to leave."
"Will we be able to talk to each other? I mean, through these?" Glinda asked, holding up her 'crystal ball'.
Elphaba shook her head. "Not exactly. There is a spell for that kind of thing, but it was very complicated and I don't remember it. And with the Grimmerie nowhere to be found…"
The Grimmerie had vanished after the battle. Glinda had gone to look for it countless times, but it had never been recovered. Elphaba thought that was probably for the better, all things considering, and Glinda had to agree with her.
"…But we can still see and hear each other, in a way," Elphaba continued, "We'll be able to check up on how each other is doing with the use of the spell I cast. It isn't perfect…but it's all we can do."
Glinda nodded, feeling tears begin to rise up behind her eyelids again. She tried to speak, but found she was at a loss for words.
Fiyero, who had been quiet for a while, suddenly stirred. "What about the Flying Monkeys?" he asked, "What will happen to them?"
"I'll take care of them," Glinda said at once, "They can be my Royal Messengers, or something. I'll say that they only worked for the Witch because they were afraid of her and what she did to them."
"That would be best," Elphaba said, nodding in agreement, "They'll be safe with you. We certainly can't take them with us, or someone would get suspicious." She glanced out the window; the sky was dark, and the moon was coming out. "Glinda," she asked suddenly, "Where did you bury my father?"
Glinda looked surprised. "In the garden outside. I'm sorry it wasn't a more formal burial. If you'd like, we can bury him in the City once it's rebuilt."
"No," Elphaba said, "I don't think he'd want to be laid to rest in the City that ultimately led to so much destruction. I think he'd prefer to be buried right where he is, on a farm, the kind of place he came from. I asked because I want to visit his grave before we go."
"I think it's dark enough," Glinda suggested, "If you want to go see him now, no one would notice. Most people are inside eating dinner."
"Yes, I think now would be a good time." Elphaba stood up, a little shakily. She was still on the mend, though getting better every day.
"Do you want me to go with you?" Fiyero asked, standing also.
"No, I'll go by myself," Elphaba decided, "I'll be fine." And she went out of the room, through the empty living room, and opened the front door.
Fresh air surged up to greet her. Since she hadn't been outside for two weeks, the warm night air felt especially good against her skin as she crept around the side of the house to the garden. The flowers were all in bloom, and even in the dark Elphaba could see their beauty. Nestled amongst the colorful array was a large, smooth stone, the only one in the garden. Elphaba knew at once that it served as the headstone to mark her father's grave. She crouched before it.
"Father – I didn't get to know you when you were alive. I wish I'd had that chance. I wish we'd both known, before it was too late. I will miss you; I thought you were so great when I was little, and you represent Oz to me even now. But I'm leaving Oz behind, so I guess that means I'm letting go of you as well. I wish…well, I wish so many things. But wishing…wishing only wounds the heart." Elphaba's heart panged. She managed to hold back the tears, though, as she continued, "So I'm just glad I knew the truth for a little while before you left. Thank you for coming back – I think you saved my life. Goodbye."
And she stood up, gazing down at the grave of her father before singing softly:
Once I'm with the Wizard
My whole life will change
'Cuz once you meet your father
You realize why you're strange
Now it will never be the Wizard and I…
She turned away and went back inside.
Glinda and Fiyero were still sitting silently in the bedroom. They both looked up, relieved, when Elphaba reentered the room.
"It's time," she said softly.
Without commenting, the other two stood and followed her into the main room, Fiyero holding Elphaba's blue bowl. Elphaba retrieved a broom from the closet and fingered the wood delicately, twisting the handle in her hands as she tried to think of something to say.
"I-" she began, but Glinda let out a soft 'Oh!' as two shadows detached themselves from the far wall where the oil lamplight did not quite reach. Fiyero pushed the two girls behind him – but it was only Chistery and the Lion.
"We heard you talking. We know you're leaving." The Lion rumbled, looking downcast.
"Yes," Elphaba said softly, "We have to." She was prepared for an argument, but the Lion just nodded his shaggy head.
"I didn't think you'd stay."
Chistery looked sadder than any of them had ever seen him. His wings drooped as he shuffled across the floor to Elphaba.
"Why leave me behind?" he asked, looking hurt.
Elphaba crouched down and hugged him. "Because you'll be safer here, and happier; we don't know what waits beyond the desert. And things are going to improve for Animals in Oz now. You and the other Monkeys can stay with Glinda. She'll take good care of you."
Chistery didn't look any happier, but he consented to hug Fiyero, too, before retreating to Glinda's side. The blonde smiled down at him.
"It's going to be okay, Chistery," she said kindly, "I'll miss them, too, you know."
Then both Elphaba and Fiyero hugged the Lion, too, and said their goodbyes to him.
"Thank you for saving us," Elphaba said, "Back when Morrible was about to shoot me. We owe you a lot."
"You owe me nothing," the Lion said, "Because the two of you saved me further back than that, when I was a cub. I was just returning the favor." And he padded over to Chistery and sat quietly on his haunches.
And now the most difficult goodbye had come. Glinda had started crying, unable to hold her pain back any longer, and her face shone with a mask of tears.
Fiyero hugged her tightly, and she clung to him, shaking.
"I'll miss you," the Scarecrow said softly, "You know I do love you. You're like my sister."
"I've never stopped loving you," Glinda returned through her sobs, "And I don't think I ever will. Even if you're no longer 'Mr. Dancing Through Life'."
They both shared a laugh at that, and then finally stepped back from each other. Blue eyes turned to face brown, and time froze.
Fiyero beckoned to the two Animals, and they came willingly, all three going outside. The two girls didn't appear to notice. They stared at each other, wishing there was something to say, wishing things could be different.
Finally, Elphaba spoke. "Glinda-"
But that was as far as she got, because her throat constricted as the tears escaped from her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. And then, somehow, the girls were in each other's arms, hugging as if they would never let go.
The hug went on forever, or so it seemed, but finally they stepped back, still holding hands.
"I'll never forget you, Elphie. You've always been my best friend…"
"We were enemies once, too. Remember?" Elphaba asked, her eyes sparkling.
"Of course," Glinda said, "But that seems so long ago. It doesn't even matter anymore."
"No," Elphaba agreed, "it doesn't. You're my best friend, too, Glinda. You're the first and only person who's ever cared for me enough to be my true friend."
"You have Fiyero," Glinda pointed out.
"I have Fiyero." Elphaba agreed, "But he's not you."
Then both girls sighed, and in unison said, "I'll miss you." Then they both laughed and felt a little better as Elphaba scooped up her broom and led the way outside. Fiyero, the Lion, and Chistery were waiting for them. Elphaba muttered something to her broom, and it responded at once, rising a few feet into the air. Then they all turned for last goodbyes.
Glinda: There's a kind of a sort of - cost
Elphaba: There's a couple of things get - lost
Fiyero: There are bridges you cross
Lion: You didn't know you crossed
Chistery: Until you've crossed
Elphaba: And when you lose your way
Fiyero: Can't go on another day
Glinda: Take my hand and I'll show you
Elphaba: You've never gone astray
All: So we couldn't be happier
Simply couldn't be happier…
But the singing died away into the darkness as with heavy hearts Elphaba and Fiyero climbed onto the broom.
"Goodbye," Glinda whispered, clasping Elphaba's hands between her own.
"Goodbye," Elphaba responded, hugging the other witch as best she could.
Then the broom rose up into the air, everyone waving furiously, several faces wet.
Elphaba: Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
Glinda: But because I knew you
Elphaba: Because I knew you
Both: Because I knew you
I have been changed
For good!
The broom rose into the starry sky, a dark blot against the full moon. And with one final cackle, the Wicked Witch of the West left Oz forever.
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A/N: So sad!...You know what to do!
