(AN: The bad thing about writing several stories at once is that your attention and artistic talents are diffused, weakening the output of any one story. The good thing is that if you ever do run short of inspiration - like I have - there's always something else you can work on. That seemed to have worked into favor for this story. For here is a new chapter! It's a bit short, but it's leading up to the next chapter [which will make that whole Train sequence relevant], and established a very important plot bunny that I know you all are going to LOVE!)

Behind the Stage

The set was over. The Witch and the Flying Monkeys had dominated the night. Though the music was obviously louder and faster (not to mention louder) than what Glinda preferred, she was absolutely thrillified to be there, to be supporting her beloved friend, even in the slightest.

But now that the night was almost over and she would shortly be missed, she had to get back-stage. She always had been able to negotiate her way back there to meet with her favorite performers - a photo of her and Lancely with beaming smiles on their faces was hanging in a frame in her Emerald City apartment.

This venue, however, posed something of a problem. It was a little hole-in-the-wall kind of place with almost no back-stage. That posed a problem since the band would probably already be leaving. Also, she and Elphaba hadn't parted on the best of terms.

Fortunately, for such a small venue, security was light and she could sneak in practically anywhere. Passing through the crowd, she ducked behind a stack of cabinet amplifiers that were as big as those Wizomania Hammerheads. Suddenly, a heavy sheet was thrown over it and Glinda was cast into darkness. The cabinet lifted up and she felt herself being carried away. The desire to scream, to shout, to let somebody know she was in there, came over her, then it dawned on her that she would also give herself away.

With an unceremonious thunk, she was deposited someplace. Glinda's first thought was the back of a carriage or luggage cabin on a train. Then she heard voices and sounds. The sounds came from what sounded like Monkeys that could no longer speak - monkeys, she believed they were called.

The other voice was Elphaba's.

"No, see, it will sound better if make this section the coda of the song," she said. "And maybe have a drum-fill build up to the next chorus."

A monkey squawked in approval or disapproval, Glinda didn't know.

"Nikko, please don't throw your own poo at the audience," Elphaba sighed. "You are an Animal-in-training, at least act like one."

A third joined in the cacophony of monkey noises.

"Lodey, you can't smash your guitar! We're poor and you need it to be working." She sighed in frustration again. "Where is Chistery?" More squeaking. "Come on, Winny, try and say it this time. I know you can do it!"

A sad squawk, more like a disappointed moan, came from one of the monkeys. Maybe it was because she was trapped in a dark place, and couldn't see what was going on, or that her hearing became better by reason of her lack of sight, but Glinda could almost detect that the monkey must have been a female.

An explosion of chattering followed shortly, and Glinda guessed that someone, or someones, had joined them.

"Chistery, there you are! Where have you been? And why is Stevo with you?" There was silence, and Glinda could hear the distinct rustle of paper. Suddenly she heard Elphaba gasp, and mutter breathlessly "Oh Sweet Oz!" The sound of papers falling to the floor could be heard.

An inquisitive squawk broke the silence that followed.

"I have to get into the Palace," Elphaba finally said. "Damn, I've been so stupid! Where has all this gig money been getting us if we're not actually helping the Animals?"

More chattering followed, Glinda could only guess, from the monkeys.

"Wrap up everything here," Elphaba's voice said. "We'll meet outside the Westgate an hour before dawn. If I'm not there, leave without me."

One of the monkeys interjected.

"No!" Elphaba returned. "I can't risk you all going back into the Wizard's cages for me."

There was a sudden whoosh, as if a certain somebody was defying gravity. Then the monkeys started to disperse. Once their sounds became a little faded, Glinda poked her blond head out of the sheet that covered the amp in which she had hid, and saw a bunch of papers lying on the ground.

Perhaps this is what upset Elphie, she thought. Against her 'better' judgment, she turned a page over and looked at it. It was sheet music! She had learned to read sheet music in her career - for those slower ballady dance numbers where she could let her musicianship really shine - and what she saw here was beautiful.

There was no title on the page. A subtitle said 'A Duet of Friendship'. But it was the name at the top of the page that Glinda recognized. Elphaba must have seen it as well, and with it, a sea of memories returned of that one short day in the Emerald Palace.

The name was R. Diffarious.

(AN: I had a little fun with the names of some of the other Flying Monkeys. Nikko was Chistery's name in the original Wizard of Oz movie, he usually plays drums [a tribute to Nicko McBrian of the famous metal band Iron Maiden]. The guitarist, Lodey, is a tribute to a certain guitarist named 'Lodewijk' [as in Edward Van Halen's middle name]. The others I came up with names for them from Wicked lore. Winny, obviously, for Winnie Holzman and Stevo for Stephen Schwartz. In this story, at least, the Monkeys had a music background before being enslaved by the Wizard and they switch out stage duties from time to time.)

(So, what do you think so far? As much as spamming you with concert chapters is fun, I have a legit story that I have to be getting to, so just hold on to your seats, because that is coming along shortly!)