Fae and Ali woke up to the smell of hot coffee and cinnamon cakes, so they followed their noses into the kitchen. Their mothers were just finishing setting the mugs and plates onto the table. "Good morning sleepy heads! Ready for some breakfast?" said Glinda, in her typical perky fashion.
"Morning!" the girls replied cheerfully as Elphaba poured the coffee. Glinda and Fae began to pile on the sugar and cream, while Ali and Elphaba took it black.
"Well," Fae said, taking a bite of cinnamon cake, "what did you want to tell us last night? I could hardly sleep last night for my curiosity!"
"This is nothing to be excited about," Elphaba said, putting down her coffee mug. "This could forever change Oz." "Or worse," she thought to herself.
"Could you please tell us a little more? Please?" begged Ali.
"Girls, Oz is in grave danger. Fae, your mother may be overthrown. Ali, I'm coming out of hiding to help Glinda," said Elphaba, finally letting go of the story she had been forced to hide from her daughter.
"Mother!" screamed Ali, afraid for her mom's safety. "You can't do that! Oz will never accept you for who you are!"
"What? Mother, what is going on?" asked Fae, very perplexed.
"Fae, now stay calm. Just let you Aunt Elphaba tell you what is going on. Then we can discuss the details of home." Glinda said, running her fingers through her daughter's golden tresses
Elphaba took a deep breath, and started explaining things to her daughter and her best friend's daughter. "Something is coming over Oz. We don't know what. Things are changing. People are attacking others for no good reason. "The Darkness" as your mother calls it, Fae, is sweeping the land. If something is not done to fix it, Oz will be destroyed, along with everything in it. Glinda has tried everything she knows to fix it. However, she can't stop it. I also knew of it, and did what I could from the Vinkus. Nothing, NOTHING, has worked so far. I must help Glinda. I will never let the land of Oz be destroyed, even if those in it hate me. I will not let it be burnt down. I will not let anything harm you two," said Elphaba in a softer tone.
"Well, you aren't going without us," said Fae, defiantly standing up.
"She's right. We have to fight it too. How can we let Oz go to waste? It's our land too!" Ali said, standing alongside her best friend.
"You girls will do nothing of the sort. You powers are not strong enough to fight against it, not yet anyway. But, we do have something that will let you train while we are gone." Glinda pulled a velvet pink bag out from under the table, handing it to the two girls. They opened it and looked. Inside was a replica of the Grimmerie.
"How did you . . . " Ali asked, leaving her sentence unfinished.
"Dear, it's a replicator spell. I just hope the two of you can read it, instead of memorizing the pronunciation from either of us," Elphaba said.
"Let me try something!" Fae began to rattle off a spell from memory.
"NO!" everyone in the room screamed. But, it was too late. Hailstones began dropping from the ceiling.
"TURN IT OFF!" Ali shouted. "TURN IT OFF!"
"Duck and cover!" yelled Elphaba, running for the nearest bed.
Glinda quickly recited the reversal spell. "Dear, I thought we discussed this. You LOOK before you recite, not recite what at the time pops into your head."
"Sorry Mother." Fae said, not in the least upset by her little failure.
"Ali, I beg of you, please do most of the spell-casting. I don't want another freak tornado or a hailstorm or anything of the kind," begged Elphaba, not wanting anyone to be hurt because of incompetence.
"Aunt Elphaba! Now, that isn't fair. This summer, even, you said I was good at casting some of the spells!" said Fae, offended that her aunt thought so little of her ability.
"No one was hurt this summer. And you remember the rules when you're practicing. But, reciting a spell in the middle of a conflict is different thing. You have so many other worries, besides the spell," said Elphaba.
Fae felt her anger began to boil. She began to chant, not even paying attention to what she was chanting now. Suddenly a cloud developed over the room. "Elphaba Upland! You stop that right now!" Glinda said, scared of what would happen if the cloud was allowed to develop.
Elphaba stood still. "Glinda, your daughter may actually have a talent. At least, when provoked."
"Now that I think about it, it does make sense. Last night in the fight, she did get every spell right. So that's the key! Fae's best when it comes to anger!" said Glinda, proud that her daughter was showing a knack at the skill that had taken her years to master.
"But are we always angry?" asked Ali, clearly annoyed that the talent she had was being snubbed.
"No, but at crucial times, you will be," Elphaba said. Fae just blushed. She was glad that she was finally starting to show some talent, but hurt that Ali had become jealous so quick.
Ali's jealousy grew. How could Fae have this talent? She was the daughter of Elphaba Thropp Tiggular, the most famous, and feared (though for the wrong reasons), witch in all the land!
Glinda could sense the tension building in the room, and quickly put a stop to it. "Now girls, you both are good at this. Just you are good at different times. Don't look on it as a "She is better than me," sort of thing. Think of it as a stroke of luck. That way, when one of you falls short, the other is there to pick up the pieces." But, suddenly, there was a knock at the door.
"Hide!" hissed Glinda to Elphaba. Elphaba quickly ran to the outer balcony and grabbed her broom as she ran. In the same instant she was there, she was gone.
Fae ran to the door, looking to make sure that Aunt Elphaba was hidden. When she was, she opened the door to reveal Amirio and Blaise, clearly in an argument with each other. "What a pleasant surprise!" said Fae in her bubbly voice.
"I really do not like your smart mouth," said Blaise, looking like at any moment he would slug Amirio.
"Oh! Uh... Hi Fae. Can I see Ali?" asked Amirio, visibly startled by the sudden appearance of the young woman.
"Not until you tell me what you two are fighting about," she replied, disturbed that the fact that the boys had been arguing.
"Fae, is there a problem here?" Glinda asked, gliding to the door with Ali on her heels.
"Your Goodness!" shouted both boys, bowing at the waist. They clearly did not expect Glinda the Good, the most famous woman in all of Oz, to appear out of the blue.
"Oh, boys, there is no need for such formalities when I am visiting. Now, why don't you come inside, for I don't believe that I haven't met one of you," said Glinda and with a flourish had them all sitting in the living room.
"Boys! Welcome!" said Ali, fidgeting and stuttering.
Fae quickly made herself comfortable under Blaise's arm on the couch. "Ali, don't you need to introduce our mother to Amirio? Where are your manners?"
"Amirio probably stole them . . . " grumbled Blaise under his breath.
"Blaise!" hissed Fae, giving him an elbow in the side.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, Mother," said Ali, visibly uncomfortable calling Glinda
"Mother." Fortunately, the boys didn't notice. "Mother, this is Amirio. Amirio, my mother, Glinda the Good."
"Honored to meet you, Your Goodness," said Amirio, kissing Glinda's hand
"Well, aren't you well mannered," commented Glinda, a little surprised by the gesture.
"Of course he's well mannered, Mother. Ali has good taste in men. Besides, why would she put up with him if he wasn't?" stated Fae, adding a little giggle to punctuate the sentence. "So, boys, why were you to arguing? You might as well be out with it. I'll find out, some way or another," she asked with a smirk. However, she was saddened that the boys wouldn't be friends with each other.
"Why don't you ask the thief?" replied Blaise angrily.
"I didn't steal anything from you, you idiot!" screamed Amirio, his rage returning faster than anyone could imagine.
"Then who else did? You were the only one in the room!" Blaise shouted back. Fae and Ali stepped in between the two, who looked like they were ready to fight.
"You two stop this right now!" Fae said in a commanding air. The boys, realizing who they were around, ceased the arguing, but not without mumbling a few insults at each other.
"Calm down, the both of you! Now, what is the story?" barked Ali, annoyed that the two young men would chose to have this fight while Aunt Glinda was around.
"Fae, I think that I better go. I'll call you later," and giving Fae a quick kiss, Blaise walked out the door angrily. They other four just sat there, wondering what to say to break the awkward silence.