After the Melting
Fanfiction by J. Thorne
Disclaimer - I don't own anything but the plot. Don't sue me!!!
Chapter 8
When Fiyero and Elphaba told their children where they were going, they couldn't be more excited. Their parents had often told them many stories about their Aunt Glinda, and they were eager to meet her. As for Fiyero and Elphaba, they were more than a little worried. They decided to go during the winter, so it wouldn't seem so out of place if she wore gloves and a scarf covering her face. Finally, as the weather started getting cooler, they left the Quadling country for the first time in ten years.
The Emerald City was just as beautiful as Elphaba remembered it. Now it was even grander (and greener), if that was even possible. Her children were completely awestruck with the tall buildings and fanciful decorations. They clutched tightly to their parents hands as they walked through the streets.
Fiyero had the task of finding where Glinda was living. While he knew that she was in one of the palaces, there were so many that it was impossible to try and guess which one it was. Finally, he turned to Elphaba in despair. "Fa, I haven't a clue where she's living! And I'm worried about asking one of the guards, in case they recognize me. Who do you think I should ask?"
Elphaba looked at him pensively, then began. "I don't think you should ask anyone at all. The Guards will be far more willing to share that information with a sweet child than a grown man, especially when everyone knows she's married now. Linda, will you please go ask that man in the funny hat where Glinda the Good lives?"
Both Fiyero and Elphaba watched over their daughter protectively as she approached the guard. He knelt down next to her and pointed towards a large palace about halfway down the block. They both laughed as their daughter hugged the man, then skipped back over to her family.
They walked towards the house apprehensively. The children were all too willing to race towards it, but they didn't have the same feelings about the meeting as their parents. Fiyero was worried that Glinda would try to kill them both, thinking they were undead, and therefore evil. Elphaba was worried that Glinda would push her away now, shun her for marrying Fiyero and bearing his children. Reluctantly they approached the door.
"Fiyero, you go in before me – she thinks she saw me die, so it would be more of a shock for her to see me than to see you," Elphaba said, her voice trembling.
"She'll be shocked to see both of us – she thinks I'm dead, too. But we're here now, and if you want me to go ahead of you, I will. Keep the kids back here for a moment." Fiyero replied.
He reached up and pulled the long chain for the doorbell. An ominous bell rang somewhere inside the palace, and a man in an emerald green uniform pulled open a window in the door.
"May I help you?" The man asked through his thick handlebar moustache.
"Yes. I would like to see Glinda the Good – I am and old friend of hers, from school," Fiyero replied, hoping the man wouldn't ask for his name. Luckily, he didn't. He opened the door and led them to a sitting room near the door.
"I'll let her know you're here. Of course, she's not in the best condition right now, but she always likes seeing old friends." The man walked curtly away, leaving Fiyero, Elphaba, Liir and Linda standing in the lavish sitting room.
"He must be the butler," Elphaba said, breaking the silence. "I wonder what he meant when he said she wasn't in the best condition? Oh, I hope she's not ill"
All talking ceased when they heard the faint tapping of high-heeled shoes walking on polished marble. Fiyero went out into the hallway, so Glinda would see him first, instead of Elphaba and the children. Suddenly, a petite blonde woman who appeared to be almost eight months pregnant appeared in the hallway. When she saw who was standing in the hallway, she stopped dead. All the color seemed to drain from her face, and she suddenly squeaked out "F..Fiyero?"
Fiyero smiled at her. She was always so adorable, practically perfect in every way. All he had ever wanted was to make sure she was happy – that is, until he met Elphaba. But that never changed how much he cared about Glinda, and even though he was married to the most wonderful woman in all of Oz, he couldn't help being happy for her when he saw that she was happy where she was.
"Hello Glinda. How are you?" He asked her, walking towards her.
"But...but you're dead! Elphie told me herself! She told me that we'd never see your face again right before...before she..."
"I was wrong." A voice came from behind Fiyero, and Glinda stepped to see who it was. All she could say was "Elphie..." Before she fainted into Fiyero's arms.
Several moments later they had revived Glinda and seated her in one of the plush armchairs in the sitting room. Glinda's lips were trembling, but she was finally able to speak.
"I..I saw you die, Elphie! How can this be? I watched that horrible farm girl spill all that water on you and I watched you melt into nothingness! How are you here?"
"Glinda, you lived with me for the better part of a year. Do you really think that water could melt me? I needed to leave, too many people hated me here. But now...after your wonderful regime over Oz, I wanted to see you again. I've missed you so," Elphaba told her, tears filling her eyes.
"Oh Elphie!" Glinda cried, hugging her tightly. "I've never forgotten you! Not ever! So many times I would ask myself what you would do, because you were always so much smarter than I was. You were always the one I could rely on, and then you...you died! I was heartbroken. And then the Wizard...Oh Gosh, you don't even know, do you? Elphie, the Wizard is your father!"
"What?" both Elphaba and Fiyero exclaimed. "What do you mean, my father?" Elphaba asked.
"Well, you know that little green bottle you always used to sleep with, the one that belonged to your mother? Well, the Wizard had one just like it, and when I showed him yours, he broke down there right in front of me. He realized that he'd sentenced his own daughter to death, and I of course was simply furious with him. What kind of man goes around getting Governors' wives pregnant! So I told him to leave Oz, or I would expose his secret to everyone. He was all too willing to leave...I think he was very ashamed of what he did. And Morrible! Oh, it's terrible, Elphie, Morrible sent that tornado to drop that house on Nessa. I'm so sorry, Elphie. When I found out, I sent her to prision immediately. She's an awful, awful person. I haven't heard anything about her since."
Elphaba was speechless. The Wizard was her father? It was insane...but it made some sense. How else could she have been so powerful? But none of it mattered, not anymore.
"Well, there's nothing that we can do about all of that now. Oh Glinda, it's so good to see you. There's some people I want you to meet, though. Liir, Linda, come here."
The two children made their way shyly towards Glinda, who absolutely squealed in pleasure.
"Oh, they look just like Fiyero! But look at their eyes! That must come from their mother. Oh, they're positively gorgeous!" Glinda gushed.
"Linda's named after you, Glinda. It's just that the G is silent," Elphaba explained, which set Glinda into a fit of giggles.
"Well come here and say hello to your Aunt Glinda. I'll make sure that you're spoiled rotten. I'm so glad to see you all! And here I was thinking that Boq had just come to see me again or some nonsense. But this is a thousand times better! So you must tell me what you've been up to these past ten years."
Fiyero launched into the whole story of how they escaped, and their trip to the Quadling country. He told her all about their marriage and their life, and by the end, Glinda was absolutely hysterical.
"Oh, I wish I could have been there for you, been there for you both. I'm just glad you can see me now, before I have all sorts of little Glindas running about the house. I met this wonderful man while I was in office, and we got married about three years ago. Of course, we only made the marriage public when I found out I was pregnant. I put him in charge of Oz now, because I'm sure he'll do a much better job than I did. He's so thoughtful and caring, and he really seems to love me. And I love him – he's just perfect. And right now I truly couldn't be happier with my life. But tell me, why did you come back here? Weren't you worried that someone would recognize you and start hunting you again?"
Elphaba smiled at her before answering. "Well, of course we were, but seeing my best friend again was far more important to me than worrying about them. And besides, there's no place like home."
Fanfiction by J. Thorne
Disclaimer - I don't own anything but the plot. Don't sue me!!!
Chapter 8
When Fiyero and Elphaba told their children where they were going, they couldn't be more excited. Their parents had often told them many stories about their Aunt Glinda, and they were eager to meet her. As for Fiyero and Elphaba, they were more than a little worried. They decided to go during the winter, so it wouldn't seem so out of place if she wore gloves and a scarf covering her face. Finally, as the weather started getting cooler, they left the Quadling country for the first time in ten years.
The Emerald City was just as beautiful as Elphaba remembered it. Now it was even grander (and greener), if that was even possible. Her children were completely awestruck with the tall buildings and fanciful decorations. They clutched tightly to their parents hands as they walked through the streets.
Fiyero had the task of finding where Glinda was living. While he knew that she was in one of the palaces, there were so many that it was impossible to try and guess which one it was. Finally, he turned to Elphaba in despair. "Fa, I haven't a clue where she's living! And I'm worried about asking one of the guards, in case they recognize me. Who do you think I should ask?"
Elphaba looked at him pensively, then began. "I don't think you should ask anyone at all. The Guards will be far more willing to share that information with a sweet child than a grown man, especially when everyone knows she's married now. Linda, will you please go ask that man in the funny hat where Glinda the Good lives?"
Both Fiyero and Elphaba watched over their daughter protectively as she approached the guard. He knelt down next to her and pointed towards a large palace about halfway down the block. They both laughed as their daughter hugged the man, then skipped back over to her family.
They walked towards the house apprehensively. The children were all too willing to race towards it, but they didn't have the same feelings about the meeting as their parents. Fiyero was worried that Glinda would try to kill them both, thinking they were undead, and therefore evil. Elphaba was worried that Glinda would push her away now, shun her for marrying Fiyero and bearing his children. Reluctantly they approached the door.
"Fiyero, you go in before me – she thinks she saw me die, so it would be more of a shock for her to see me than to see you," Elphaba said, her voice trembling.
"She'll be shocked to see both of us – she thinks I'm dead, too. But we're here now, and if you want me to go ahead of you, I will. Keep the kids back here for a moment." Fiyero replied.
He reached up and pulled the long chain for the doorbell. An ominous bell rang somewhere inside the palace, and a man in an emerald green uniform pulled open a window in the door.
"May I help you?" The man asked through his thick handlebar moustache.
"Yes. I would like to see Glinda the Good – I am and old friend of hers, from school," Fiyero replied, hoping the man wouldn't ask for his name. Luckily, he didn't. He opened the door and led them to a sitting room near the door.
"I'll let her know you're here. Of course, she's not in the best condition right now, but she always likes seeing old friends." The man walked curtly away, leaving Fiyero, Elphaba, Liir and Linda standing in the lavish sitting room.
"He must be the butler," Elphaba said, breaking the silence. "I wonder what he meant when he said she wasn't in the best condition? Oh, I hope she's not ill"
All talking ceased when they heard the faint tapping of high-heeled shoes walking on polished marble. Fiyero went out into the hallway, so Glinda would see him first, instead of Elphaba and the children. Suddenly, a petite blonde woman who appeared to be almost eight months pregnant appeared in the hallway. When she saw who was standing in the hallway, she stopped dead. All the color seemed to drain from her face, and she suddenly squeaked out "F..Fiyero?"
Fiyero smiled at her. She was always so adorable, practically perfect in every way. All he had ever wanted was to make sure she was happy – that is, until he met Elphaba. But that never changed how much he cared about Glinda, and even though he was married to the most wonderful woman in all of Oz, he couldn't help being happy for her when he saw that she was happy where she was.
"Hello Glinda. How are you?" He asked her, walking towards her.
"But...but you're dead! Elphie told me herself! She told me that we'd never see your face again right before...before she..."
"I was wrong." A voice came from behind Fiyero, and Glinda stepped to see who it was. All she could say was "Elphie..." Before she fainted into Fiyero's arms.
Several moments later they had revived Glinda and seated her in one of the plush armchairs in the sitting room. Glinda's lips were trembling, but she was finally able to speak.
"I..I saw you die, Elphie! How can this be? I watched that horrible farm girl spill all that water on you and I watched you melt into nothingness! How are you here?"
"Glinda, you lived with me for the better part of a year. Do you really think that water could melt me? I needed to leave, too many people hated me here. But now...after your wonderful regime over Oz, I wanted to see you again. I've missed you so," Elphaba told her, tears filling her eyes.
"Oh Elphie!" Glinda cried, hugging her tightly. "I've never forgotten you! Not ever! So many times I would ask myself what you would do, because you were always so much smarter than I was. You were always the one I could rely on, and then you...you died! I was heartbroken. And then the Wizard...Oh Gosh, you don't even know, do you? Elphie, the Wizard is your father!"
"What?" both Elphaba and Fiyero exclaimed. "What do you mean, my father?" Elphaba asked.
"Well, you know that little green bottle you always used to sleep with, the one that belonged to your mother? Well, the Wizard had one just like it, and when I showed him yours, he broke down there right in front of me. He realized that he'd sentenced his own daughter to death, and I of course was simply furious with him. What kind of man goes around getting Governors' wives pregnant! So I told him to leave Oz, or I would expose his secret to everyone. He was all too willing to leave...I think he was very ashamed of what he did. And Morrible! Oh, it's terrible, Elphie, Morrible sent that tornado to drop that house on Nessa. I'm so sorry, Elphie. When I found out, I sent her to prision immediately. She's an awful, awful person. I haven't heard anything about her since."
Elphaba was speechless. The Wizard was her father? It was insane...but it made some sense. How else could she have been so powerful? But none of it mattered, not anymore.
"Well, there's nothing that we can do about all of that now. Oh Glinda, it's so good to see you. There's some people I want you to meet, though. Liir, Linda, come here."
The two children made their way shyly towards Glinda, who absolutely squealed in pleasure.
"Oh, they look just like Fiyero! But look at their eyes! That must come from their mother. Oh, they're positively gorgeous!" Glinda gushed.
"Linda's named after you, Glinda. It's just that the G is silent," Elphaba explained, which set Glinda into a fit of giggles.
"Well come here and say hello to your Aunt Glinda. I'll make sure that you're spoiled rotten. I'm so glad to see you all! And here I was thinking that Boq had just come to see me again or some nonsense. But this is a thousand times better! So you must tell me what you've been up to these past ten years."
Fiyero launched into the whole story of how they escaped, and their trip to the Quadling country. He told her all about their marriage and their life, and by the end, Glinda was absolutely hysterical.
"Oh, I wish I could have been there for you, been there for you both. I'm just glad you can see me now, before I have all sorts of little Glindas running about the house. I met this wonderful man while I was in office, and we got married about three years ago. Of course, we only made the marriage public when I found out I was pregnant. I put him in charge of Oz now, because I'm sure he'll do a much better job than I did. He's so thoughtful and caring, and he really seems to love me. And I love him – he's just perfect. And right now I truly couldn't be happier with my life. But tell me, why did you come back here? Weren't you worried that someone would recognize you and start hunting you again?"
Elphaba smiled at her before answering. "Well, of course we were, but seeing my best friend again was far more important to me than worrying about them. And besides, there's no place like home."