Chapter 1

Balloons filled the streets and music was heard all over the Emerald City. It had been two years since the "Wicked Witch" had melted away. To the people of Oz, it had been a blissful two years. Under their new leader Glinda the Good, they had come to great prosperity. Today was their annual celebration of the Witch's passing. All were so caught up in the festivities; no one noticed the two cloaked figures quickly walking through the crowds.

The two hurried along, not even stopping to look at the various puppet shows displaying their own version of the Witch's death. They had a mission to accomplish. They turned to corner into a dark alley. After checking to make sure no one was watching, the taller cloaked figure removed his hood.

"Fae, are you alright so far?" Fiyero asked with an anxious tone. Elphaba couldn't help but smile at that. He had been absolutely opposed to the idea when it was first presented. Returning to the Emerald City was not something Fiyero wanted to do. But yet, she had pleaded and begged of him. She had to see Glinda. Two years of separation from her best friend was slowly eating her up inside. She wanted to see her and make sure that she was all right.

"I'm fine, Fiyero. I think we've actually made good time."

"We're just lucky that no one has noticed us yet," he said, running his hand down the side of his face. "Come on. It's already getting dark." He leaned over to her and kissed her head, then put his hood up, took her hand, and led them back out into the crowds again.

Glinda lay in her bed, a tiny pink cloud compared to the light green silk that made up her bed set. She slowly crawled out of it and walked to the window and look out at the city. Her city. Yet, she couldn't bring herself to even fake loving the festivities. To her, this was the saddest day in all the year. The day she lost her best friend forever. She couldn't bear to produce one false smile or comment. She just wanted to be let alone.

She slowly walked over to the vanity. She lifted up the pink jewelry box that sat in front of the mirror. With great care, she set it in front of her on the bed. Gently, as if touching it too hard would cause it to melt too, she opened the locked compartment. There sat the picture. The only one that was ever taken of her and Elphaba together. It was right after she had performed the miraculous makeover. Fiyero had insisted that they have a photo to 'commemorate the Galindafiation.' Glinda was glad that he did now. "Elphaba, what I wouldn't give to see you again . . ." A tear quietly hit the jewelry box.

Suddenly, her window flew open. She spun around quickly. When she saw who it was, she almost fainted. Was she dreaming? This couldn't be real! She stepped back away from the window. This person couldn't really be her! But suddenly, Elphaba run forth and hugged her, squeezing her as tightly as possible.

"Glinda! Glinda I can't believe it!" she said with a laugh. "You look wonderful! Did I scare you? For once, you're speechless!" Elphaba said with a giggle.

"A little help out here!" Fiyero motioned from the window. Elphaba quickly rushed to his aid. "You forget that cloth hands don't easily cling to green marble . . .. " Fiyero grumbled as he was pulled into the room. "Glinda. You look absolutely . . . scared. Did you really think that we were dead? "

"But, but, but… They said, they said that they melted you Elphie! And Fiyero, you were . . . You were . . . You're back! You're both back!" she ran and embraced them, tears of joy streaming down her face. "What really happened to you two if you didn't, well . . ." she left the sentence unfinished.

"You mean die?" Elphaba asked bluntly. "Glinda, you should have known better. As Fiyero once told you, who would be empty-headed enough to believe that I would just melt?"

"And I was turned into a scarecrow so as to save me from death. Its not the best body in the world, but certainly not the worst," he said scratching his straw neck. He still wasn't all that comfortable discussing his transformation. Glinda sensed it, and let the subject drop.

"My dearest friends in all the world are here. I was sure that you were dead. I thought that I had lost you forever Elphie," she once again hugged her friend, as if to test that she was actually real, or just a figment of her imagination.

"Well I'm not. So let's not spend our few precious hours together crying. I want to know everything has happened to you! Your life, your kingdom, everything! My crystal ball can only show me so much, and it certainly doesn't replace being with you in person."

"It's better to show you than to just tell you in words," and with that Glinda led them to a room that adjoined her own. It was all decorated in pastel pink. Glinda silently led Elphaba to a corner of the room. What Elphaba saw almost caused her to melt.

"Glinda," she said in a whisper. "Oh Glinda . . . . ."