So I decided to write my super long author's note at the beginning of the chapter because I thought it might just ruin the ending and I wanted people to be still thinking about it when they press the review button (which you will all do – right?)

But yeah, it's weird that this is over, I started this over a year ago – the prologue was written 18/8/09 – when the chapters just kept growing and the idea of a story spanning over 50 years seemed very daunting. But hey! 35 chapters, nearly 50,000 words and over 20 OCs (although some with very small parts) later here I am, still alive and pretty good at weekly updates!

I went into this promising myself I wouldn't end up loving Morrible, I failed by about chapter 3, although I have to say I've been surprised by her sadisticness the last few chapters. Writing Morrible's past has been a bit of a ride but in general a good experience.

As some of you already know I do have another story semi-planned but given so far I have no idea of a realistic ending that doesn't include a few thousand people dying (yes, honestly, I wish I was joking too) I believe I have a little way to go before it's ready to be uploaded. So I might just stick to oneshots for a while.

OK, last paragraph of this super long a/n (because shutting up is a real challenge for me). I want to thank you all who made their way through this fic – reviewer or not – I really appreciate it. I know this is not the easiest fic to get into what with the fact recognisable Wicked cannon characters only really start appearing in part 3 and I don't think there are many Wicked fics that take 24 chapters to introduce Elphie… But can I please ask you to review this chapter? Simply because it is the last, it's meant to be slightly thought provoking and I really want an opinion on the ending and the fic as a whole and I'd just like to see who made it this far. I don't care if you've never reviewed it before or are reading this in 5 years time or are an anonymous reviewer or want to say how much you hated it (well that might be a little upsetting…) but yeah, please?

The summer of 1248 bloomed lukewarm and mildly rainy – as most summers had before the days of the Great Drought – so a sunny day, free from chores, was happily welcomed by the five children of the farmhouse.

It was a day that seemed so normal for us but now, looking back on it, I see it as a rare occurrence. Ketzal did not yet spend all her free time with Gieffe, Starina – for reasons I can only guess at – had not abandoned us for her friends and Ianu had been left alone for long enough by Papa to insist in tagging along with us.

We were gathered around the hen house – with Rina and me standing on top of it. Rina was wearing a daisy chain as a substitute for a pure gold crown, which had not been available at the time, and I was holding a dishcloth – because that's what Rina insisted princess' handmaidens had.

Notta came galloping in, or rather arrived at the hen house at a rather slow pace, because Ketzal was her 'horse' and she swore that Notta was getting far too heavy to carry. Notta, unimpaired by Ket's lack of mobility, jumped off – father's hat flapping over her eyes.

"Don't worry beautiful handmaiden and princess! I am a handsome prince I will save you!" She ran towards us, only to be stopped by a deafening roar.

"Oh no! It's Ianu dragon!" Ketzal shrieked as Notta giggled, "What are you going to do brave prince?"

"I will kill him!" Notta told her, and proceeded to hit her brother lightly with the stick she had picked up to use as a sword. Ianu continued roaring, obviously enjoying his part, we had wanted him to be the prince because he was a boy and Ket said he was the lightest but he had insisted on being the dragon and was clearly intent on proving his worthiness for the part.

"You're supposed to die," Notta stage whispered.

Ianu roared once again before curling into a ball, smiling up at us and announcing, "I'm dead now."

Notta clambered up on top of the hen house, "Now I will save you."

"But how will I get down?" asked Rina.

Notta looked down at the ground less than a metre below us, "We jump."

"But I can't," insisted Rina, "it will hurt my dainty little feet."

Notta shrugged, "OK Del, do you want to jump?"

I nodded but Rina pulled me back, "It will hurt her feet too."

Notta and I looked at each other out of ideas.

"Oh no, Ianu dragon is trying to catch you!" shouted Ket, Ianu on her shoulders.

"But he's dead," I said.

"He's a magic dragon," replied Ket.

"Quick let's climb down!" said Rina, "I have a rope ladder!" Notta and Rina jumped down. I moved to jump too.

"No you can't!" Rina told me, "the rope ladder's broken."

"That was a rubbish rope ladder," commented Notta.

Rina rolled her eyes, "It's a magic rope ladder. You'll have to stay in there forever lowly handmaiden."

I looked around, "So what do I do?"

"You should be happy your mistress is safe," insisted Rina.

"Now I'm sure Del can…" Ket started.

"Quick Del jump!" shouted Notta. I jumped.

"Wow, you are so brave handmaiden," Notta told me, "I will marry you!" and she hugged me, grabbed my hand and we ran away from the tower together giggling, despite the princess' shrieks of "It's not fair! You have to marry me!"

Year 1296 – during the rule of Glinda the Good

And Goodness knows the Wicked's lives are lonely,
Goodness knows the Wicked die alone,

There is no one to save me now, as I lie here rotting in my own filth, everything I have ever achieved has been destroyed – just like my life. I am alone – just as I have been for years.

Now, when I can probably count the days I have left on my fingers, I look back. I wonder where I went wrong. I wonder whether I ever went right to start with.

I see her sometimes – Delva – the sweet, innocent, kind, naïve girl who just wanted to be loved. She would be disgusted with me. She would have never done what I have done. But Delva was weak; she was fragile, too fragile as it turned out. She never really was the same after Notta died, fragments of her remained in me for a time after that, but reality washed even those away eventually.

Notta. Do I miss her? Do I even have enough of a soul left for that to be possible? There is no doubt that I did. But Notta, for all her endless kindness – all her natural loveliness, without a doubt brought out the worst in me. Notta left me when I needed her the most. Notta is gone, just like Delva.

So Oz has changed hands again. I hope for my country's sake that Glinda the Good knows what she is doing. That she will be able to deal with invasions from Fliaan, that she will be able to keep Ozian faith when there are droughts, that she will be able to account for the Ozians' fickle tastes. I wonder if she'll come running back to her old headmistress' cell when she realises ruling is not as easy as it looks. Or maybe, just maybe, she'll find a way to keep them happy and one day will find herself in a cell just like me, changed beyond recognition, wondering what happened, where she went wrong.

History is written by the victors. I am not one. Any good I did for Oz will be forgotten. All my mistakes will be villainised. My secrets will die with me (I wonder if Glinda knows that one of the few people who knows the Ozma's location lies withering in this cell – I wonder if it even matters – if life has taught me one thing it's people with power do not like giving it up). Everyone will know what I did to the Animals, everyone will know of the Witches I murdered, but no one will know of my struggles, my pain, my losses. My story will never be told.

Madame Morrible will be remembered. Delva has already been forgotten.

Warrant of Execution

Completed By: Glinda the Good

Subject:
Surname: Morrible

First name: Unknown – possibly Madame

Gender: Female (probably)

Date of Birth: I don't know! A long time ago.

Crimes: Unspeakablifyed treatment of the Animals, the murder of Miss Nessarose Thropp and actions that lead to the deaths of Prince Fiyero Tiggular and Miss Elphaba Thropp, attempted blackmail of Glinda the Good and possibly the Wizard of Oz himself, trying to single handily destroy Oz, having no heart, caring about no one, never doing a good thing in her life, being unable to use makeup, looking like a fish and lots of other stuff.

Punishment: To be burnt at the stake.

Date of Execution: 26th September 1296

Additional Comments: Good Riddance.