Elphaba wasn't sure if she should be happy or alarmed when she started noticing her sister spending time with Boq once again over the following weeks. They were both still somewhat awkward around each other, but since Nessarose had gotten over herself and apologized, they seemed to be getting along quite smoothly. One day, to Elphaba's surprise, Nessa confessed that she and Boq were about to go out to lunch together.
"Just as friends," she clarified quickly. "Or… maybe future friends. You know, I wanted to have a boyfriend so badly, I didn't even consider how nice it would be to actually had a friend first."
She smiled, but there was still some uneasiness in the way he shuffled in her chair.
"Fabala… I'm nervous," she confessed. "I don't really know… I mean, what do we talk about? I don't want to go all self-centered again…"
"Why don't you try to learn something about him?" Elphaba suggested, grinning. "That's what people usually do when they want to make friends with someone. I think. Not that I have much experience with making friends."
"That's not all, though," Nessarose admitted quietly. "I'm worried… that Boq will be upset with me because of father. I mean, he's a Munchkin, after all, and I don't want it to make things weird…"
"Then don't let it make things weird," Elphaba said, shrugging. "Look, you and father are separate people, and that's something that both you and father, and Boq, need to understand. The person who's responsible for your opinions and actions is you. Make sure you're doing what's right and let the rest follow."
Nessarose sighed.
"Why do you always have to be right?"
Elphaba chuckled.
"Just one of the perks of being an older sister."
•••
As Elphaba entered the library and headed for her favorite study spot, she discovered that her usual table was occupied by Galinda, a pile of notes, and Shilah, who was explaining something in a hushed, though clearly agitated voice. Having taken in the scene, Elphaba was just about to tactfully walk away when Shilah – as if sensing the intruder's presence – turned around and rose from his seat, clearing his throat.
"Right. Anyway, feel free to come to my office if you have any more questions. And thank you for the invitation. I think it's a great idea."
He smiled, somewhat awkwardly, and hurried away, sticking his hands into the pockets of his old coat. Elphaba watched after him for a moment before sitting down at the desk and sending a flustered Galinda a questioning look.
"I wanted to get a bit deeper into the course material," Galinda said defensively. "So I asked him to help me."
"You don't need to explain yourself—"
"I do, because I know you're going to make fun of me."
Admittedly, Elphaba was just about to poke fun at Glinda.
"What was the invitation he mentioned?" she asked instead. "If you don't mind me asking, that is."
Galinda looked up, clearly trying to gauge whether or not she was being mocked and apparently arriving at the negative conclusion.
"Well," she said and a hint of excitement colored her voice, "we somehow started talking about Animals, and I just thought about how the both of you have influenced me. I mean it! Listening to you has, I don't know, inspired me. To do something. About their situation, and whatnot. And well… I don't know, I felt like Shilah has still not really forgiven me for being a little… judgmental at the beginning? So, I invited him to join my Animal Allies' club."
Elphaba knitted her eyebrows at the sudden conclusion.
"Since when do you run an Animal Allies' club?"
"Well… since now. But I've been thinking about it for a while!" Galinda waved her arms, and then added accusingly: "You know, as co-president, you should really know these things."
"And when exactly did I volunteer to be co-president?"
"When you talked me into helping you steal a Lion cub from class."
Elphaba pursed her lips.
"Touché," she admitted. "So – how do you want that to work?"
•••
Strange as the concept had seemed at first, Elphaba was slowly getting used to listening to Nessarose and Boq debate politics over breakfast in the cafeteria every morning. As the both of them majored in Political Sciences, their discussions would often drag out far beyond the early hours, sometimes lasting even several days.
"I see your point, Nessa, I do," Boq said, a spoonful of oatmeal hanging halfway up to his mouth. "But you can't pretend not to notice the problem."
"I'm not!" Nessarose defended herself. "I happen to know the intricacies of Munchkinland's government inside and out, you know; and all I'm saying is that the current system is working. Trying to change it now, with everything else happening in Oz, would do more harm than good."
Boq frowned in a rare display of anger.
"The system is working for you!" he exclaimed. "The province has only been run by foreign Munchkinlanders for a few generations, but their reign… your reign… has already put us actual Munchkins at a terrible disadvantage! You can't pretend to speak for all of Munchkinland when you're in such a privileged position."
Nessarose didn't respond, so Boq pressed on.
"I don't get it, Nessa. How can you think it's fair to treat the Munchkins like some kind of lesser beings?!"
"I don't think that!" Nessarose protested, grasping the railings of her wheelchair so tight that her knuckles turned white.
"Then how can you possibly ignore the fact that we've been gradually losing our rights? How are you planning to be a good governor if you don't even care about your people?"
"I—"
"If things continue like this, I might well be one of the last Munchkins to have had the chance to get higher education, or even leave Munchkinland at all!"
He stood up abruptly and walked out, leaving his half-finished bowl of oatmeal on the table.
"How is that my fault?!"
"Nobody said it was, Nessa," said Elphaba placatingly. "But it's true, you are going to be governor some day. Don't you think it's fair to listen to the voices of your people?"
Nessarose looked up with a betrayed look in her eyes.
"I never asked to be governor!" She looked like she was about to storm out too, but seemed to regret her outburst after she glanced down at the emerald necklace. "I'm sorry," she mumbled. "It's really not like that… He's just wrong, Fabala. It's not like I don't care…"
Elphaba winced. There she was, the old Nessa, taking over once again; trying with all her might to ignore the wrongs in her behavior and cover them up with pretended helplessness. Not that it was any surprise – after all, Nessarose had been favored by their father, and therefore far more directly influenced by his judgements and questionable morals. A lifetime of being fed with praise interwoven with prejudice couldn't be fixed with just a finger snap.
"Good morning, ladies!" Galinda's chirping voice broke Elphaba's train of thought as her perky roommate sat herself down at their table. "What a thrillifying start to a wonderocious day!"
The posh Upper Gillikinese slang revealed her unbridled excitement while also eliciting an annoyed groan from Elphaba.
"Oh, Elphie, quit being your prickly self for a moment!" Galinda said dismissively. "I just got some more people to join our club! Pfannee and ShenShen are already on board; Milla said she'd have to see if she can squeeze it in with all the schoolwork, but I'm optimistic. I haven't asked Fiyero yet, I was hoping you could do that, Elphie, since you're seeing him anyway. For your study sessions, I mean!" she clarified quickly when Elphaba choked on her tea. "Oh, and I just talked to Boq in the hallway, he offered to help in case we need any graphics!"
That's a pleasant surprise, Elphaba thought; and not just the fact that Galinda has started to use the Munchkin's actual name. Boq was obviously still smitten with Galinda, but not nearly as much as he used to be, and he seemed to have come to terms with the fact that his crush on her would remain unrequited.
The mention of Boq seemed to interest Nessarose as well.
"What's this about, Galinda?"
"Oh, hasn't Elphie told you? We've been looking for people who would like to join our Animal Allies' club!"
Nessarose hardly waited for the end of the sentence.
"Can I join, too?"
"Of course!" Galinda beamed at her. "The more, the merrier!"
•••
It took quite a lot of effort to get the school authorities to give Galinda permission to launch a student organization – which she'd had to brand as a "social discussion club" to have any chance of succeeding – on the school premises. The club, now only unofficially known as Animal Allies, ended up reaching a fifteen-people level of merriness – not an overwhelming crowd, to be sure, but still more than certain parties present had expected. Elphaba felt quite surreal, sitting in an empty classroom on Thursday afternoons, discussing one of her life's greatest passions with over a dozen of her fellow students, some of whom she would otherwise not even approach; as well as one of her teachers.
The weekly meetings were mostly composed of one of the group members – usually Elphaba or Shilah, although surprisingly often also Pfannee or ShenShen, Journalism majors and Galinda's friends from the early Shiz days – referring the week's most important news regarding mostly Animal rights, but occasionally also touching upon the concerns of other Ozian minorities. Galinda, of course, relished her role as group leader, but Elphaba, much as she valued this opportunity for discussion, was beginning to feel more and more restless with each passing week. She was bursting with the desire to do something, which is why she was overjoyed when Galinda confided in her that she'd come up with an idea of an event their club could organize to spread awareness about the pressing issues in the Ozian society.
"I was thinking something like a benefit concert," she announced excitedly in one of the meetings in the early spring. "Some sort of a performance would be nice – maybe something along the lines of a talent show?"
"Oh, what a splentastic idea, Galinda!" gushed Pfannee, always first to express her support for all of Galinda's ideas. "That's going to be so fun!"
"Sorry to burst your bubble, Galinda," Shilah interjected skeptically, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms, "but I think we should do something more practical. Maybe a series of lectures?"
Galinda and Pfannee both frowned, and Elphaba gave a resigned sigh.
"I'd love to agree with you," she said, smiling at Shilah sympathetically, "but we actually need something that would appeal to the wider audience. How about we take a bit of both? We could organize a rally; invite a few guest speakers and have some entertainment in between."
"Okay…" Galinda said, nodding slowly as murmurs of both agreement and disagreement filled the room. "Alright! I think this could work. Shall we vote on it?"
