"Oh, Elphie!" Glinda breathed "He's the most gorgeocious baby I've ever seen!" The reunited friends had moved inside the cave,which now consisted of a table and few chairs. Elphaba was sitting with Fiyero next to her as Glinda gushed over Liir. Glinda squealed as he yawned and opened his eyes. "Oh, Fiyero,look! He's got your eyes! And, Elphie, he has your beautiful black hair! Oh, he's just so CUTE! May I hold him, Elphie? Pretty please?" Elphaba nodded and carefully handed Liir to her excited friend. Fiyero was beaming with pride, never once taking his eyes off his son as Glinda gently took him away from his mother."Why, hello, little...erm...Elphie, what's his name?"
"Liir." Elphaba answered. She looked at Fiyero "Is that alright with you?" Fiyero thought for a moment.
"Liir Tiggular." he whispered "It sounds good.Where did you get the name from?"
"From a Munchkin girl I met in the Emerald Palace." Elphaba said as Glinda started making baby sounds "Her father's name was Liir. He was killed when she and her mother were enslaved by the Wizard's men." She took Fiyero's hand in hers "And Yero, I promised I would get her and her mother out of there." Fiyero nodded understandingly.
"Don't worry, Fae. We have a plan to free all the Munchkins. But, first thing's first." He stood up and walked towards a wall. He reached down and picked up two long sticks.
"Our brooms!" Elphaba said as he handed one to her. She ran her hand up and down the smooth wood."I've missed flying around on this old thing."
"Elphaba" Elphaba knew that whenever he used that name for her, he meant business "can you remember that cuse you used to make me human?" Elphaba looked a little unsure.
"I might be able to.Why?"
"Because that's how we plan to get Wendara out." Glinda said, her face now serious "We need you to concentrate as hard as you can and turn Wendara into a bird or something that can fly." Now Elphaba looked very unsure. The curse was hard enough to remember (especially when she wasn't motivated by fury), but trying to perform it on someone miles away was something she had never even thought possible.
"I...I don't know if I can do that. I've never tried it before. Besides, the window is locked and barred! How will she get out?"
"We've found out that the window can be opened from the outside" Fiyero said "so we've sent a furry little friend of ours to open it." Chistery Elphaba thought. "As for the bars, if you turn her into a wren or something, she should be able to slip out easily enough." Elphaba was still worried.
"But how will I know if the curse worked?"
"You'll be able to feel it, Elphie." Glinda said, putting a free hand on Elphaba's shoulder "I know you will." Elphaba looked up at Fiyero, who gave her a reassuring smile. I have to try Elphaba thought decidedly. She clenched her broom as she stood up and walked towards the entrance, taking a deep breath. She closed her eyes and tried to imagine Wendara, sitting near the window, a look of feigned sorrow on her green face. Before she knew what she was exactly doing, she started mumbling under breath the words to the curse. She could see and feel Wendara begin to shrink and grow tiny brown and white feathers, eventually fully transforming into a little Sparrow. She finally opened her eyes, and let out a sigh of relief.
"She's a Sparrow now." she said to her family.Glinda smiled at her.
"I knew you could do it Elphie!" They heard Liir gurgle and Glinda let out a giggle "Liir knew you could do it, too!" Fiyero grinned.
"Fae," he said still looking at Glinda "how would you feel about Glinda being Liir's godmother?" Glinda's eyes widened.
"Oh, really?" she looked at Elphaba "May I?" Elphaba grinned back at Fiyero, who gave a 'whadda you think', and nodded. "Oh, thank you, Elphie! Thank you so much! You hear that, little Liir? I'm your godmama!" She nuzzled Liir's tinynose with her own, making him giggle.
"We have to going." Fiyero said as he picked up his broom and headed towards Elphaba. "It won't be long before the Wizard suspects something."
"Going where?" Elphaba asked.
"The Lesser Kells." Glinda said, stepping closer "Thats where the Headquarters is. It'll take a while to get there, so we'll have to hurry. Wendara and Chistery will meet upwith us there as soon as they can. Come on, lets go." Glinda shut her eyes before a bubble began to form around her.
"Wait!" Elphaba reached into her pocket, pulled out the bottle with the special milk, and handed it to Glinda. "If Liir starts complaining, give him this. It'll put him right to sleep." Glinda took the bottle from Elphaba and finished forming the bubble. As Glinda rose up into the air, Elphaba was about to hop onto her broom, until Fiyero caught her arm. She turned to meet his eyes.
"I really am happy that you're back, Fae." he said softly "I don't know what I would do without you. Or our son. I just want you to know that I love you both with all my heart." Elphaba smiled at him.
"I know you do, Yero my Hero." she said. She leaned forward as if to kiss him, but she saw Fiyero flinch slightly. She raised her eyebrows "What is it?"
"Nothing." he said, smoothing a brown curl away from her face "It's just that...it's a little strange kissing the lips of another woman. Even though it's you, you know?" Elphaba smiled again and looked at her normal colored hand.
"That's funny. I never thought I would be wishing that I was green." Fiyero chuckled "But if it really makes you feel uncomfortable, we can wait until I turn back before we kiss again." He looked deep into her eyes as if he was searching for her soul.
"Ah, screw it." he said and clamped his mouth over hers. Elphaba closed her eyes and squeezed his hand as she kissed him back. After a while, they pulled apart. Elphaba then said to him "But, remember. This is the only time I'll let you kiss Wendara. If you ever do it again, I'll make absolute sure that you never kiss another living creature as long as you live." With that she hopped onto her broom and flew off, trying to catch up to Glinda's bubble. Fiyero smirked and followed after.
"Where IS she?" the Wizard said, glaring at the Main Entrance door. "She should have been back by now? I swear, if she has done anything to Hamilton..."
"Perhaps, I could be of assistance, Your Ozness?" Morrible said "I could whip up a storm of some sort to flush her out."
"AND HARM HAMILTON IN THE PROCESS!" the Wizard shouted at her "Don't be stupid, Madame Morrible! I have never admired stupidity." Morrible glared daggers at the Wizard. She, along with many others, had noticed the Wizard getting more and more...temperamental. If the slightest thing bothered, it was like he made all of Oz know that he was angry. He had even lost interest in naming the slaves ridiculous names from his own world. She also noticed him drinking more and more from the strange green bottle he always kept with him. As if on cue, he pulled it out of his pocket and took a long swing. He calmed down a bit after that, but he was still fuming.
"Sir." Morrible said, trying to stay calm "May I suggest then, that you call out the guards?"
"Yes. Yes, of course! Call them out, Madame Morrible and tell them of the situation! And have the gates of the Emerald City closed and let NO ONE leave!"
"Very well, Sir. But may I be permitted to suggest something?"
"What?"
"Well, Sir, how do you enjoy having a grandchild?" The Wizard narrowed his eyes.
"Why?"
"Oh, just out of curiosity."
"Well, I find it very enjoyable, actually. Prince Hamilton is perfectly well-behaved and a very good-looking, especially for being the son ofhis green, headstrong mother."
"But,Your Ozness, what if something was to happen to him? Something fatal, whether accidental or intentional?" The Wizard's face turned red.
"What exactly are you saying, Madame?" he said slowly.
"All I am saying, Your Ozness, is that I think it would be best if we had back-up."
"Back-up?" the Wizard spat "BACK-UP? What the devil do you mean 'back-up?"
"Another child, Sir. Another child your daughter could provide if something should happen to young Hamilton." The Wizard looked about ready to explode.
"Listen carefully to me, Madame." he hissed "There is no possible way one could ever replace the life of a child.Not even the child's sibling. So I do not EVER want to hear you call any other grandchildren my daughter might have 'back-up'!" hetook a breath to calm down "However, I do like your idea of having another grandchild. I, myself, grew up an only child, and I despised it. But I do not think my daughter would want to have another child unless that Fiyero is the father, and I could never force anything like that on her with another person. So, when the Winkie prince is found, I believe I shall let him come here. For that purpose only. Now, I want you to send the guards into Emerald City and find my grandson while I suggest the idea to my daughter." He strode up the stairs, leaving avery unsatisfied Morrible behind.
As the Wizard reached Elphaba's room, he walked past the gaurds and knocked softly before unlocking and opening the door. "Margaret?" He walked inside and looked around. Since he didn't see her in the parlor, he walked to her bedroom. Again he knocked andcalled out "Margaret?" He cracked open the door. He looked all around the room, but no one was there. He rushed towards the bathroom and knockedon the door even harder. "Margaret! If you're in there answer me!" He heard nothing. He threw open the door and looked frantically around the room, but nobody was there. He stomped back into her bedroom. The window caught his eye. His blood began to boil as he saw it was open. "GUARDS!" he shouted, furious.As they rushedin, he turned on them. "WHERE IS THE WITCH?" he bellowed "WHERE HAS SHE GONE? WHO DID YOU LET IN THIS ROOM?"
"No one, Your Highness!"a guard said confused "No one has gone in or come out! Except for you!"
"THEN WHY ISN'T SHE HERE?"
"Well...the window is open, Sir. Perhaps she turned herself into a bird or something and flew out."
"HOW IS IT THAT THE WINDOW IS OPEN?"
"Well, Your Majesty, she is the Wicked Witch of the West."
"I DON'T CARE! JUST FIND HER! I WANT THE EMERALD CITY TORN APART UNTIL SHE AND PRINCE HAMILTON ARE FOUND!" The guards nodded and headed out, but the Wizard caught their shoulders'. "And to whoever kidnapped the Prince or anyone who is helping the witch escape...kill them!"