Elphaba growled as she hurled magic at the tower door, only to have it disintegrate without producing the effect she wanted.
"Come on!" Elphaba grunted as she threw another blast of magic. "Break!"
Malky barked and tugged on Elphaba's dress. Elphaba looked down at the puppy and sighed, calming down.
"Hey," she whispered, picking the puppy up and waving her braid in front of its face. Malky wagged his tail and swatted at the braid. It was surprising to see her demeanor change when with the small animal. "I didn't know you came down with me."
Malky barked and turned in Elphaba's arms. The emerald princess laughed before gently stroking his stomach. Turning, she walked back up the stairs to her bedroom and closed the door behind her. She went over to her bed and sat down. Malky used the opportunity to crawl up onto Elphaba's chest and make himself comfortable.
A knock on the door interrupted her and she sat up, causing Malky to fall onto the bed. "Enter, although I know you would even if I didn't say to."
The door opened and one of the younger maids came in, carrying a tray of food. "Pardon me, Princess, I have brought your lunch."
"I can see that," Elphaba frowned, eyeing the food suspiciously.
"Your aunt is very concerned about you and…"
Elphaba laughed dryly. "My aunt is only concerned about me causing trouble. She doesn't care about me or how I feel." Angrily, she rose to her feet and came face-to-face with the now-trembling maid, who was still holding the tray of food. "And you can tell her that I said that." She stepped back and, with a wave of her hand, caused the food on the tray to explode in the maid's face.
The poor maid stepped back, dropping the tray and trembling from head to toe. Her bottom lip quivered and she looked like she was about to cry. Quickly finding her manors, she bent down to pick up the tray. Curtsying, she quickly left the room and closed the door behind her.
Elphaba sighed as she pinched the bridge of her nose. She quickly put her aunt out of her mind as she focused on her current task. "That blonde has got to go. Now."
Three days past, and Glinda began to feel more and more comfortable with the Wizard. As they worked together, she learned more from him than she learned from all her textbook and lectures at Shiz. She no longer had the weird feeling that someone was constantly watching her, and that took a great deal off her shoulders. She could now focus solely on her work with the Wizard.
Currently, she was going over the plans for a new school in the Quadling country. She was alone in her office, a cup of tea next to her plans. Without warning, the teacup toppled over, soaking the blueprints in peppermint tea.
Sighing, Glinda went across the hall to the bathroom to grab a towel. She quickly grabbed one and turned to leave, but something caught her attention out of the corner of her eye. Slowly, Glinda turned around and screamed. 'Get out!' was written on her mirror in what looked like blood. She blinked and a figure appeared in her mirror. She turned around and stumbled back, coming face-to-face with a green-tinted ghost. The ghost cackled, seeing Glinda's fear-filled eyes. Glinda let out a whimper of fear as the ghost's eyes seemed to stare deep into her soul.
"Miss Glinda!" a guard called from down the hall.
Hard footsteps reached Glinda's ears and she turned, seeing Fiyero, Morrible, the Wizard and two Gale Force guards standing in the doorway.
"Glin, what happened?" Fiyero asked, hurrying into the room and pulling Glinda into his arms.
"Fifi… there was a… ghost!" Glinda sobbed into the captain's shoulder. "There!" she pointed behind him, but nothing was there.
"Glin, there's nothing there," Fiyero said gently.
"She was there! I saw her! And the mirror…" She turned around and gasped, for there was nothing on her mirror. "Impossible! It was right here!"
"What was there, Miss Glinda?" the Wizard asked.
"'Get out!' was written in blood on the mirror. It was there seconds ago, and now it's gone!"
"It's okay, Glin. You probably just imagined everything. You're under a lot of stress," Fiyero whispered, gently rocking the blonde in his arms.
"Fiyero, I know what I saw. I didn't imagine anything! The ghost… she was… green!"
The captain paused. Not only did Glinda imagine she saw a ghost, but the ghost was green? "Glinda, there are no such things as ghosts, green or otherwise."
"You don't believe me, do you?" Glinda frowned, pulling away from the prince. "You think I'm crazy, don't you! Well, I'm not crazy! I know what I saw! That ghost must have had something to do with the blood on the mirror!"
"Glin, I never said you were crazy. I'm saying that you're under a lot of stress. You've been working so hard and…"
"I've had the feeling that someone's been watching ever since we came here. That ghost is trying to kill me! Who is she? Why is she here and why does she keep tormenting me?" Glinda demanded, her voice raising an octave.
"Glin, there's no such thing as ghosts," Fiyero repeated. He looked over at the Wizard and Morrible, wondering why they were being oddly silent. The Wizard had gone pale and looked like he was about to faint. Morrible's face hardened and her hands fisted against her sides.
Growling, Glinda pushed the prince away from her and stormed out of the bathroom.
"What… what just happened?" Fiyero asked, more to himself than anyone else.
"Excuse me," the Wizard whispered, slowly walking out of the room.
"Madame?"
"It's nothing, Captain," Morrible said through clenched teeth before she two left, leaving Fiyero alone with the two guards.
"You're… dismissed," Fiyero said to them, not knowing what else to say.
The guards saluted and departed. Fiyero looked back at the mirror and lightly ran his fingers against it. Nothing could have been there. It couldn't have just disappeared. Glinda was imagining the whole thing. She would be alright after she had a good night's rest.
Glinda hurried back to her room and collapsed onto her bed. She knew what she saw. She wasn't crazy and she wasn't hallucinating. She was perfectly sane and a ghost was indeed there. She had cackled at her, sending a shiver down her spine. Glinda knew that she was the cause of the uneasy feeling and strange things happening. She just didn't know who she was or why she was tormenting her.
A knock at the door interrupted her silent musings and she turned away. "Go away, Fiyero!"
"Miss Glinda, it's me, Salmya," the person on the other side of the door said.
Glinda sat up and wiped her face. "Come in."
The door opened and Salmya walked in, a concerned expression on her slightly wrinkled face. "I heard about your little fright earlier. Are you alright?"
"I suppose, for now," Glinda said, smoothing out her skirt. "Salmya, tell me, is there a ghost in the castle?"
Salmya smiled softly. "Ghosts are very fickle creatures, Miss Glinda. It is very hard to prove its existence."
"That doesn't answer my question. The ghost I saw was green. Do you know anything about that?"
Salmya blinked. "Well… I…"
"Don't lie to me. After everything I've been through in the short amount of time I've been here, I deserve to know the truth. Tell me."
The maid sighed and licked her lips. "Some say that the ghost of Ozma still lives here and causes… certain disturbance to occur, like the lights and such. She lives in the West Tower, and it's magically sealed so she can't escape, but she can still use her ghostly magic to make things happen."
Glinda looked skeptical. "But… why would she…"
"I don't know, miss. She's a very fickle creature. She's magically bound to the tower, so she can't get out, and no one is allowed to go up there. That's why it's forbidden."
"But she got out. The barrier must have been broken somehow and she got out."
"Don't worry about it, Miss Glinda. The Gale Force will get to the bottom of this. Everything will be alright and they'll put that ghost back in her place."
Glinda frowned, but nodded. "A-Alright."
Salmya smiled. "Would you like a cup of tea?"
"No thank you," the blonde said, shaking her head. "I'll… just rest for a moment."
"Of course, miss." Salmya curtsied and walked out, closing the door behind her.
Morrible growled under her breath as she climbed the stairs of the West Tower to Elphaba's room. Not even bothering to knock, Morrible flicked her wrist and the door flew open, hitting the wall and slowly rebounding.
Elphaba looked up from where she was sitting cross-legged on the floor, teasing Malky with a chew toy. "Why, Aunt Majorie, you've come to pay me a visit again. How kind of you."
"Don't you dare start this again, Elphaba Melena," Morrible snarled. "Never in my life have I had to deal with someone so insubordinate, so hard-headed, so –"
"Green?"
Morrible growled. "This is completely unacceptable."
"This conversation would go much faster if you told me what you are so angry about this time."
"Whatever you have against Miss Glinda…"
"Miss Glinda?" Elphaba asked, slightly wrinkling her face. "I don't believe I've had the pleasure of meeting this 'Miss Glinda'. I shall have to introduce myself to her."
"Elphaba Melena, these tricks you've been playing must come to an end. It's bad enough the chandelier –"
"Where no one was hurt."
"The lights –"
"Completely harmless."
"The blood on the mirror –"
"Blood?"
"Don't play dumb with me. The blood on Miss Glinda's mirror."
"Oh, that. Simply red paint and a magical illusion."
"And now, she talking about seeing a green-tinted ghost."
"I hope Salmya told her the story about the ghost of Ozma still haunting the palace. I've always loved that story."
"And I suppose you're the cause of her nightmares?"
"That's for me to know and for you to find out."
Morrible sighed and grabbed Elphaba by the arm. She pulled her to her feet, knocking Malky off Elphaba's lap, and sat her down on the bed. "Elphaba, please. You are the Crowned Princess of Oz, it's high time you've started acting the part."
"Forgive me. Total seclusion in a tower for fourteen years must have put a damper on my 'proper princess manners."
Morrible sighed, knowing she had to keep herself under control. "Elphaba, what do you have against Miss Glinda?"
"Why, nothing. Why would I have something against someone I've never had the pleasure of meeting?"
"Because all the evidence points to you. This is really taking a toll on your father and –"
"Well, if it's taking a toll on him, he can come up here himself and tell me to stop."
Morrible was about to yell at Elphaba some more, but stopped when she processed Elphaba's underlining tone. "You miss your father, don't you?"
Elphaba scoffed. "Why would I miss the man who locked me in a tower and left me to rot?"
"Because you had such good memories together."
Elphaba frowned at her aunt. "If this is some trick to get me to lighten up on his new daughter, then…" Elphaba trailed off, realizing what she had just said.
Morrible noticed it to and immediately softened. "He's not replacing you."
"Oh, really? Who else would he have tea in the garden with? Who else would he take walks through the garden with? Who else would he stay with when he had nightmares to quell?" Elphaba asked as she slowly rose to her feet.
Morrible noticed green sparks flying from Elphaba's fingertips and watched as her niece hurled magic at the wall. The magic was quickly dispersed against the boundary and the emerald princess collapsed against her bed, sobbing.
Morrible blinked, having not seen her niece display such emotions in a long time. "Elphaba…" she whispered, reaching out to touch the green girl's shoulder.
Elphaba tore away from her aunt. Sitting up, she wiped her eyes and sniffled. "I don't care anyway. I've lived without him for this long and I can keep doing it."
"That display of emotion proves otherwise," Morrible said calmly.
Elphaba opened her mouth, but closed it again. "It doesn't matter. In two weeks, this stupid spell you casted will wear off and I will be free from this cursed tower. He'll have to see me again, so he should enjoy his time with Miss Glinda as his beloved daughter while he still can."
"She's not –"
"Oh, please. I've seen them together. He treats her like his daughter. Well, I don't know what I expected from a 'sentimental man who always longed to be a father'."
"I suppose this has something to do with you as a ghost."
"Possibly."
"Was it the spiritual projection spell?"
Elphaba looked shocked. Slowly, she nodded once. "The… the one from the book you bought me."
The older woman smiled softly. "Do you want anything else?"
Elphaba shook her head and crawled into bed. Morrible sighed sadly and walked out, quietly closing the door behind her, though she knew her niece wasn't really asleep.