ExoticPeachBlossom: B-But… writing cliffies are so much fun! And you can never take too diligent of notes!
NellytheActress: I take it you're happy?
woodland59: Yes, Arlis is very much dead. *Sings* GOOD NEWS! HE'S DEAD!
Everyone looked up and saw a man holding Elisa around her waist.
"Let me go!" Elisa shouted, trying to twist out of the man's arms.
"Silence, you little brat!" the man growled.
"How dare you talk to me with such disrespectation!" Elisa shrieked at the top of her lungs.
"Unhand her!" Fiyero commanded, pointing his gun at the strange man.
"Never. This little brat is coming with me!" the man shouted.
"Osmium!" Elisa shouted, still trying to twist out of his arms. "Let. Me. Go!"
"You thought that by running away everything would resolve itself?" Osmium hissed in Elisa's ear.
"I didn't run away!" Elisa protested.
"That's right. You committed high treason against your country by helping the enemy!" Osmium bellowed.
Lanie bit her bottom lip.
"I swear to Lurline, Osmium, if you don't let me go this instant, I will have you publically hanged at the gallows," Elisa threatened.
Fiyero was about to say something when footsteps that sounded like a herd of elephants approached them. Looking around, he saw that they were surrounded by Badland soldiers on all sides.
"Yero?" Elphaba whispered, looking up towards her husband's voice.
"It's alright, Fae," Fiyero said, pulling Elphaba close to him.
"Seize her!" Osmium shouted, pointing his gun at Lanie
A few soldiers moved and grabbed Lanie.
"Lanie!" Elphaba shouted as Lanie was torn from her arms.
Lanie grunted as she tried to fight off the guards holding her. She suddenly had an idea. She closed her eyes, thinking of a hot fire. Her hands grew extremely hot and the guards let go of her, shaking out their hands as they tried to cool them off. Lanie angrily glared at Osmium and created a red orb in her hand. Not wasting a single second, she hurled it at Osmium. It hit him in the waist, causing him to cry out and fall to the ground.
"Get him!" Elisa yelled in her royal princess voice.
Soldiers rushed to obey the princess' wishes. They quickly grabbed Osmium and held him back. Elisa stepped up to him and smirked.
"I'm the Princess of the Rose Kingdom," she said, looking Osmium in the eyes. "And I will decide what is high treason in my country. And I think that trying to take over another country without consent from the king is high treason enough. What do you think, Lanie?"
"I couldn't agree with you more," Lanie said. The guards had released her and she ran back to her parents.
"What do you want us to do with him, Princess?" one of the guards holding Osmium back asked.
"Did you not hear what I just said?! I want him publically hanged at the gallows!" Elisa shouted.
"Yes, Your Highness," the guard quickly bowed, dragging Osmium away.
"What happens how?" Lanie asked.
"This war… is over," Elisa declared, smiling.
Fiyero smiled as he hugged Elphaba close and pulled her in for a long, loving kiss. Pulling away, Elphaba laid her head against Fiyero's chest and, closing her eyes, listened to his strong, steady heartbeat.
"We're going to be a happy family again," she whispered softly.
"Yes we are, Fae," Fiyero whispered back. "Yes, we are."
"So... is this goodbye?" Lanie asked, approaching Elisa.
Elisa turned around and smiled. "Of course not. It's just... so long. We'll see each other again." The two friends shared a hug before going their separate ways.
While the castle in Kiamo Ko being rebuilt, Elphaba, Galinda, Castie, Fiyero and Lanie stayed at Fiyero's other castle in Arjiki Ir. Lanie had locked herself in the first bedroom she saw and didn't come out.
"Lanie?" Elphaba asked, knocking on the door. "Dinner's ready."
She didn't get a response, so she knocked again. "Lanie?"
"Elphie, what's wrong?" Galinda asked, approaching her friend and placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"Lanie's been in her room all day and she won't come out," Elphaba said, turning towards the blonde.
"Here, let me try something," Galinda smiled. "Lanie?" She knocked on the young princess' door. "Do you wanna build a snowman? Come on, let's go and play! I never see you anymore. Come out the door. It's like you've gone away."
"Glin, it's summer," Elphaba stated dryly.
"Shut it, Elphie!" Galinda hissed before continuing the song. "We used to be best buddies, and now we're not. I wish you would tell me why! Do you wanna build a snowman? It doesn't have to be a snowman..."
"Go away, Aunt Galinda," came Lanie's chocked up voice.
"Okay, bye," Galinda whisper-sang, slowly walking away.
Inside her room, Lanie was sitting on her bed, looking at a dusty picture frame. It was a picture of her and Arlis together. She was leaning against him, her head restringing comfortably on his chest. A soft smile was painted on her lips. Arlis was tenderly stroking her hair. He was also smiling, looking down at her. She had managed to salvage the photo from the wreckage. Even though the glass was broken and the frame had a major clip in it's upper right hand corner, Lanie still decided to keep the photo. She couldn't believe she was mourning over Arlis. Why was she mourning over the death of someone who tried to have her and her family killed? Tears slowly filled her eyes and spilled out onto her cheek. Lanie quickly wiped them away.
3 days later…
"Lanie?" Galinda whispered, knocking on the young princess' door. "Do you wanna build a snowman? Or ride our bike around the halls? I think some company is overdue. I've started talking to the pictures on the walls! Hang in there, Joan."
Galinda huffed at not getting a response. She was trying to coax Lanie into coming out of her room. It's been three days. What could she possibly be doing? "It gets a little lonely. All these empty rooms. Just watching the hours tick by..." She began to click her tongue, mimicking a clock. After she began to annoy even herself and walked away.
"Yero?" Elphaba asked, slowly walking into the living room. She stopped when she felt someone take her and squeeze it.
"Fae," Fiyero whispered, pulling Elphaba close.
"I'm worried about Lanie," Elphaba admitted. "She's been in her room for three days. She only comes out to eat and she's not talking to us."
"Maybe she just needs a little time," Fiyero whispered, stroking Elphaba's hair.
Elphaba was about to ask what he meant then suddenly realized what he was talking about. "Okay," she whispered, allowing Fiyero to lead her to the couch and help her sit down.
One week later…
Galinda had given up on trying to get Lanie to come out and talk to them.
"Maybe it's because you were singing that song about building a snowman in summer," Elphaba suggested.
"Elphie," Galinda whined. "I know you can't build a snowman in the summer." A dramatic eye roll and she continued. "I was just trying to get Lanie to come out of her room. I didn't see you coming up with a better idea."
"I'll go and try talking to her," Elphaba announced, standing up and walking up the stairs. Sliding her hand against the wall, she found Lanie's closed room door and knocked. "Lanie," she whispered. "Please, I know you're in there. People are asking where you've been. They say, "Have courage," and I'm trying to. I'm right out here for you. Just let me in."
She paused briefly as she realized what she was doing. She was singing that song Galinda sang. Sighing and hoping that it would work, she sang softly, "Do you wanna build a snowman?"
The door opened, revealing a tear-stained faced Lanie. Elphaba opened up her arms, getting ready for the hug she knew was coming. Just as predicted, Lanie ran into her mother's arms. Elphaba held her close, tenderly stroking her hair as Lanie cried.
"There, there, there," Elphaba whispered soothingly. "It's okay."
"Mama?" Lanie whispered.
"Yes?"
"You can't build a snowman in the summer." A short, chocked up laugh and Lanie buried her face in her mother's shoulder again.
So, I decided to give you guys a little break with the cliffies. You're welcome!
Song Used:
"Do You Wanna Build a Snowman?" from Frozen