1Disclaimer: Sorry if the last chapter was a bit short and about the boring songs. This will turn out better I hope. Oh yeah, this is a disclaimer- I don't own Elphaba, Glinda, Madam What's-her-name, or anything. Shoot . . .

Chapter 6: Freedom? Define

Elphaba ran into a broom cupboard, ignoring Glinda as she raved at her. Grabbing a broom she barred the door frantically when Glinda whirled her around.

"Elphaba! Why couldn't you have stayed calm for once instead of flying off the handle?" She marched towards Elphaba, causing her oddly colored friend to back away in alarm. "I hope you're happy! I hope you're happy now. I hope you're happy how you've hurt your cause forever, I hope you think you're clever!"

Elphaba reeled for a moment, surprised by Glinda's anger. Wait, she was accusing her? Ha! She had been the one simpering to the wizard, trying to make up for her behavior! "I hope you're happy! I hope you're happy too! I hope you're proud how you would grovel in submission to feed your own ambition!"

The two marched up to each other, equaled in fury. "So though I can't imagine how I hope you're happy right now!"

Suddenly Madam Morrible's voice rang out, "attention Ozians! There is a dangerous criminal on the loose. Her green skin is only a representation of the evil that lies beneath in this- wicked witch!"

Glinda could feel her eyes welling with tears. Oh! Now what? "Elphie, listen to me! Just say you're sorry. You can still be with the wizard! What you've worked and waited for. You can have all you ever wanted!"

"I know." Elphaba grinned crookedly. It was a strange smile, only one side of her lips curled up in a grin. It made her look wickedly carefree. "But I don't want it- no!" She shook her head, the odd smile broadening. "I can't want it anymore! Something has changed within me, something is not the same." She threw her hands out. "I'm through with playing by the rules of someone else's game! Too late for second guessing, too late to go back to sleep. It's time to trust my instincts, close my eyes, and leap!" She spread her arms out above her head and closed her eyes, imagining soaring through the clouds. She remembered what she had done to Chistery and the other monkeys. If they could fly, if that was their demise, then she was going to share it!

"It's time to try, defying gravity. I think I'll try, defying gravity, and you can't pull me down!" Ironically, Glinda came forward and pulled her down.

"Can't I make you understand? You're having delusions of grandeur-"

"I'm through excepting limits," Elphaba raved, cutting her off, "'cause someone says there so! Some things I cannot change, but 'till I try I'll never know!" Her mind unwillingly drifted to Fiyero. Men, ha! Who needed them? "Too long I've been afraid of losing love, I guess I lost. Well if that's love it comes at much too high a cost! I'd sooner buy defying gravity. Kiss me good-bye, I'm defying gravity, and you can't pull me down!"

Glinda grabbed her arm. "Be realistic! You can't even fly!"

"I'm gonna change that," Elphaba growled, taking the Grimmerie out. Sitting on the ground and ignoring Glinda, she began chanting over the spell she wanted, absorbing herself so that she felt as if she was in a black void with only the book. With the spell finished she sat back and waited to grow wings like the monkeys.

Glinda noticed her just sitting there, not moving. "There, I guess you're not as powerful as you think- sweet Oz!"

Elphaba jerked her head up to see the broom floating towards them. She took it and ran a hand down the handle, feeling the way it had bent to match her shape. She whispered, "you're beautiful," to it, quietly so that Glinda wouldn't hear. It seemed to shudder with delight.

"Here, get on!" Elphaba thrust the tool at Glinda, making her squeak and take a step back.

"What?"

Elphaba rolled her eyes. Everything went over that stupid girl's head! "Glinda, come with me! Think of what we could do together! Unlimited, together we're unlimited. Together we'll be the greatest team there's ever been. Galinda! Dreams the way we planned 'em."

Glinda caught on. "If we work in tandem,"

"there's no fight we cannot win! Just you and I defying gravity! With you and I defying gravity,"

"they'll never bring us down." Elphaba knelt to gather up the book, her whole body shuddering with delight. Finally things were going to go her way!

Glinda put a hand on her shoulder, then ripped it back. "Elphie! You're shivering! Here-" She looked around and spotted a small black blanket. "Put this on." She draped it over her friend's shoulder like a cape, then stood back to see how it looked.

Elphaba just knelt on the ground a moment longer, taking a deep breath, then stood and looked at Glinda. For a moment there was hesitation in the lovely girls' eyes, then fear and doubt. Then there was denial. "I hope you're happy now that you're choosing this."

What? Elphaba's face fell, completely crushed. What was wrong? Why didn't Glinda want to come with her anymore? Was she stupid? Or was she scared? Whichever, it was her decision. "You too. I hope it brings you- bliss." She choked slightly on the last word.

"I really hope you get it, and you don't live to regret it. I hope you're happy in the end! I hope you're happy, my- friend."

Elphaba felt her eyes burn as she dashed into the back of the closet. She heard the door burst open and Glinda scream. The sadness was gone. There was anger, no, fury! Fury and exhilaration! "No!" she cried, "it's not her you want. It's me!"

Gripping the broom unsteadily, she willed it to leave the ground as she flew into the air. The feeling was amazing, and she prided herself at the look of shock in the guards' eyes. With a flick of her hand she willed her cape to grow longer, to give her a more dramatic appearance, then shouted her defiance to the sky.

"So if you care to find me look to the western sky! As someone told me lately, everyone deserves the chance to fly!' And if I'm flying solo," a sorrowful stare at Glinda, "at least I'm flying free! To those who'd ground me take a message back from me. Tell them how I am defying gravity. I'm flying high, defying gravity, and soon I'll match them in renown!" The guards were reaching to take her cape and pull her down. No! She jerked her cape away and reproved them. "And nobody in all of Oz, no wizard that there is or was, is ever gonna bring me down!"

Glinda cried, "I hope you're happy!" letting tears run down her cheek and cut a line through her make-up.

"Look at her, she's wicked! Get her!"

Elphaba laughed, but no one heard. "Bring me down!"

Was that an invitation? "No one mourns the wicked, so we've got to bring her-"

"Ah!" Elphaba screamed with triumph and defiance, gripping her broom and soaring away from the Emerald City and all of it's inhabitants.

"Down!" The Ozians finished, then escorted Glinda to Madam Morrible, who took her back to Shiz.

.-.

Whew! That was fun! I couldn't stop typing for a few minutes! I love that song, but I didn't know it would take a whole chapter, even it it was a bit short. Well, I hope you liked it! I am meaning to go somewhere with the ride back to Shiz with Madam Morrible. Don't know how it's gonna turn out, but I hope it's good. I know you hear this a lot, but please review.