(AN: New chapter, to whoever cares any more about this story [namely just me, well, not even, but still...])
(As you can see in this chapter, this story was originally going to go on much longer, but, as it flopped [reviews mean that at least somebody is reading it, and therefore a good sign: lack of reviews means the story did poorly], I cut the adventure short.)
(There are a few original songs mentioned here [lol, I thought "Toss Toss (You're the Boss)" sounded like a Glinda song], though "I Will Always Love You", "Audience of One", "Stargazer" and "Prayer for the Refugee" are not [as well as the other song that shall appear]. I don't own those lyrics, they belong to their respective writers. Please don't sue me.)
The Last Hurrah
As a drunken witch was leaving the decrepit ruins of Lakely and Oakes, she did not take into account that she had been followed. Staggering along, having quite forgotten her broomstick, she seemed to no longer take notice of her surroundings. Or, perhaps, she didn't care anymore. She couldn't speak to Glinda anymore, Fiyero was as good as dead, and she was beginning to doubt everything about herself: her magic, her plan, even her usefulness in general.
It was then that six large Gale Force soldiers jumped on her from out of seemingly nowhere. On any given day, she was quick and agile, like a thin Serpent: today, she no longer cared. They laid hands on her and held her firmly, while their captain approached her.
It was no captain at all, but a very angry-looking young man in a wheel-chair. No matter how handsome his features were, they could not belie the hatred in his steel, blue eyes.
"We let you escape once," Nicolas Chuffrey snarled. "But not this time, witch."
"Do it," she relented. "Kill me now, that's what you want, isn't it?"
"You took away my legs," he spat back, voice trembling with rage. "And my Glinda."
"She's a free woman..."
"She is my Glinda!" he roared. After a while he composed himself. "His Ozness has permitted that you are to be executed at the final stop of your farewell tour. For the time being, you will go up on stage, opening as the Witch and the Flying Monkeys, then you will perform as the People of Oz. After we have finished the tour, you will die."
"Why not just kill me now?" the witch returned. "I could do something during the tour..."
"I'm absolutely certain you won't try anything of the sort," he returned in an oily smooth voice. "For, you see, if anything untoward were to happen on the tour, His Ozness would be inclined to place blame on the Lady Glinda. Who knows how long she'll be able to hold out in the Southstairs? I personally don't think she'll last long at all."
A weary resignation fell over the green woman as she hung her head and allowed herself to be thrown into the hidden carriage. Despite all that she had done, it seemed, there was no escape from the inevitable end. Elphaba Thropp was going to die.
For the People of Oz, the beginning of the end would be in the last place any of them ever expected to perform. Back in their days at dear old Shiz, they never would have dreamed of performing there: for all they knew, it was a dance hall alone. And even if they knew that some of Gilikin's most famed musical talents performed there, they would never have been able to perform, having neither the money nor connections for such a venue.
It was summer and the dorms of Crage Hall and Ozma Towers were rented out for the use of the People of Oz Farewell Tour. Many students, hearing of the news of an Oz-famous band performing in their area, and two of them at that, decided to stay on through the summer to see the show. Therefore, even if the Gale Force were not needful, they were now being used as security.
In a familiar dorm-room, the Lady Glinda sat all alone, going over her lines for her opening act: Glinda the Good would head-line, after which the Witch and the Flying Monkeys would take the scene. It was all so preconceived, it seemed kind of unnatural to go out there, knowing what to expect. Deep down inside, also, she felt rotten for what had happened over the last several days. The news of that child from Kansas, now roaming Munchkinland, in search of the Wizard, was hardly a great concern for her, now that her friend was missing. Her thoughts were suddenly disturbed by a knock at the door.
"Come in," she said.
The door was opened and Chuffrey wheeled his way into her room.
"Madam Secretary tells me," he began, starting with small talk. "That this was your room when you were here at Shiz, is that correct?"
"What do you want?" Glinda replied, refusing to play his game.
"Really, I'd still like us to be friends," he replied with a pout. "But, if you insist on being stubborn, I will be forced to take drastic measures."
"Like what?" she asked.
"Please, I want us to be friends," he flashed her a smile, and she rolled her eyes and returned to her mirror. "Better hurry up, you're going to be late."
"I'm not going," Glinda retorted.
"Oh, but I think you will." he shot back. "Because if you don't show, the green freak will die."
Glinda gasped. "You wouldn't!"
"I have her in my custody," Chuffrey stated. "Either you go on-stage, or she dies. I'll leave you alone to think about it, shall I?" He turned his chair around and wheeled himself out of the room. Glinda picked up a brush and threw it after him, but her aim was poor and the brush hit the wall with a loud smack.
The Oz-Dust Ballroom looked different from when they first saw it. The front wall had been removed and the entire dance floor was now filling with people. On one end a stage was built, with the instruments and amplifiers all up against the wall. Cheers and chants filled the hall, until it seemed as though a thunderstorm had broken out inside the Oz-Dust Ballroom.
Backstage, the chaos was no less. Gale Force soldiers kept watch over all the exits, all of them armed to the teeth. As Glinda was getting ready to go on, Elphaba Thropp stood at the very back, keeping her eyes off her, with two guards on each side of her.
"Where are those damn monkeys?" Chuffrey asked as he wheeled his way into the back-stage area.
"They'll be here," Elphaba replied.
"They better," he returned. "Or your friend dies."
Despite what had happened that afternoon at Center Munch, Elphaba didn't wish any harm to befall Glinda. She was such a small, fragile thing, and the wicked world would just destroy her. Suddenly, a squawk from the rafters alerted the guards and Elphaba. They raised their muskets to fire at it.
"No, don't!" she returned. "He's with me."
Chistery flapped his way down to where Elphaba stood and produced from his waist-coat a chalk-board. Elphaba sighed, then took it as the Monkey thrust it into her hands.
What happened to you?
"I got captured, okay?" she bit back. "Listen, get everyone together and bring them back. We're on after Glinda." Once more with the chalk board.
So now we're working for the Wizard?
"I don't have a choice," she whispered. "They'll kill Glinda if we don't play."
"Oh, you make it sound like such a bad thing," Chuffrey mocked.
"Just get the hell out of here!" Elphaba snapped. She then turned to Chistery and whispered something in his ear.
"What's that?" Chuffrey asked. "What did you tell it?"
"You'll never know," Elphaba sang back to him.
"Tell me, or I'll..."
"Kill Glinda?" she retorted, a strange boldness leaping up within her. "She's onstage now, look." She pointed to the stage, where Glinda was performing an animated version of "Toss Toss (You're the Boss)". "If you hurt her now, you'll only be hurting yourself. Her fans will tear you apart."
"Oh, don't you worry," he replied. "I have other ways of getting information."
On that sour note, he wheeled himself away, leaving Elphaba to tell Chistery to get the others together. She then swallowed hard and looked down at a sheet of paper in her hands, trying to memorize her own lines.
The crowds went wild for Glinda the Good, singing along with every song and shouting her name during every break. After another preconceived speech from Madam Fish-face, she bade her loving fans farewell, telling them where they would be for the next stop of their Farewell Tour. All smiles and waves, she departed: once back-stage, she ran out of the Oz-Dust Ballroom and wept. Never before had she felt so wretched while doing what she loved. Elphaba was in danger: no, worse, she knew what they were going to do; her time was short, and what was she, Glinda, doing about it? Nothing!
When the Witch and the Flying Monkeys made their dramatic entrance, sparks of many different colors flashing from Elphaba's finger-tips and a heart-pounding drum-solo from Nicko, the crowds cheered loudly. Many had seen them while they were a small venue band, and now they had achieved nearly Oz-wide stardom. Every voice roared and cheered. Song after song they plowed through, the Monkeys doing what they did best. Only Elphaba seemed to be distant: she had no time to change or rest before the People of Oz came on.
After "Voice of the Silent", Elphaba gave hand-gestures to the others, and they started their own free-form jam session: bass, guitar, keyboard and drums played on with outstanding endurance: sometimes it could last at least twenty to thirty minutes. While they were busy, Elphaba wandered off-stage, then produced the little green bottle from her dress.
"Elphie, don't!" she heard a voice say.
Looking around, she saw Glinda, wearing a huge sparkling blue dress that looked as though it were made out of a million, deflated bubbles, standing there with a concerned look on her face.
"Go away, I have nothing more to say to you," Elphaba returned.
"That's what it is, isn't it?" Glinda asked. "You've been doing..." She made a noise. "...It's not right!"
"And betrayal is?"
"Elphie, please. It's hurting you, I can see it."
"It's not hurting me, it's killing the pain."
"It will kill you too!" Glinda reached out and took the bottle from Elphaba's hand. "You wanna end up like Avaric?"
"Don't you dare compare me to that slime..."
"Elphie, I know you don't want to hear this, but somebody's got to say it," her voice took on a kind of strength and authority disproportionate to her other-wise cute, bubbly, innocent demeanor. "You are out of control!"
"Why? Because I don't want to remember my horrible past? Because I want that little brat to pay for killing my sister?"
Suddenly, Elphaba collapsed into a mess of tears. Glinda tried to put her arms around her, but Elphaba shoe'd her away. A guard approached and fingered his gun in his grip. Glinda didn't know what to do or say.
"Get on out there!" the guard ordered.
With weary resignation, the green woman rose up, not even looking at the guard, disappeared in a cloud of red smoke, only to appear back on-stage to cheering and applause as they broke into a round of "Stargazer".
Glinda must have seen this song performed so many times, she knew the words and, despite her huge heels and ridiculously cumbersome bubble gown, could keep up with the "crazy monkey drumming" of Nicko on this song. She mouthed wordlessly as Elphaba, the Witch, belted out the tale of the Wizard who wanted to climb to the top of the world but fell. It was seditious, but the crowd loved it. Some of the guards appeared, trying to pull her off-stage for it, but she struck them down with balls of fire from her hands. The audience thought it was part of the show and ate it up.
Towards the end of the song, she suddenly became aware that something different was happening. Several other members of the troupe of Flying Monkeys flew down from the rafters, bearing string instruments, and joined the band on-stage. As Elphaba sang: "I see a rainbow rising!", they joined in with the band. Elphaba's voice soared to new heights and it seemed the very roof would explode and they would rise up into the air.
When at last it all ended, Glinda joined the audience in shrieking and cheering. It was her finest hour on-stage in a thousand years of performances.
At last, the People of Oz were to come on-stage. Glinda was thrust a sheet of words to say that would herald their appearance, and while she was looking them over, she saw several people walking past her: two men and a young woman among them. To her surprise, the two men had dark and blond hair and were dressed almost exactly like Fiyero and Avaric had been when she last saw them. The young girl had blond hair, a short kick-skirt and, which made Glinda's mouth hang open like a cave.
Pink, fuzzy-topped drum-sticks.
"Ex-squeeze-me, just a tick-tock!" Glinda said, throwing herself in between the new-comers. "Just who are you people?"
"Well, we're the band," the one dressed as Fiyero said. "I play the bass, Av's the guitarist."
"But I'm Glinda!" she exclaimed. "I've got to go out there and play!"
"No, you can't!" the young girl returned.
"Why not?"
"Well, for one thing," the girl said with a condescending tone for one so young. "You can't play drums in those heels, or in that dress. Even if you could, Lord Chuffrey wants us on-stage: the other members couldn't be found."
"But what about Ramon?" Glinda asked. "The little Raccoon who played the keyboard. Who's going to..."
Just then, a real member of the People of Oz stepped forward. Glinda was amazed to see Milla standing there. Little red-haired Milla: motherhood had been kind to her so far, she still seemed to have her figure about her.
"Hello, Your Goodness," Milla greeted.
Glinda used all of her energies to keep from tearing up at this reunion: if only Fifi were still here, she thought. But her thoughts were interrupted as she saw that little blond trollop bounce past her towards the edge of the stage. With an angry huff, she walked over to the guard.
"Go find Jelly." she ordered.
"Who?"
"I mean, Jellia Jamb, my maid. I need her to do something for me."
As the Flying Monkeys cleared off their gear, Glinda walked out on to an empty stage, approached the microphone stand - Elphaba didn't use one - and addressed the crowd.
"And now, the moment you've all been waiting for!" she announced. The crowds started to go insane. "For three years you've wondered and ponderated where they might be, now, please welcome, the People of Oz!"
As the cheering grew the loudest, she stepped off-stage and watched the rest. Elphaba appeared, still wearing her black dress from the Witch and the Flying Monkeys. The Glinda-double bounced on-stage and hopped over to her drum-set: the imitation was so ridiculous that Glinda's palm closed over her face in embarrassment.
Sweet Oz, I was never like that.
Elphaba, she was sure, knew something was up as she saw these pretenders take the stage with her. She didn't even have the comfort of being there with her Glinda: the only one she actually knew was Milla, and that not all that well, and so couldn't confide anything in her. So it was Glinda had to watch while her reunion went on without her.
To be fair, the musicians had practiced their material well enough, but they did not bring to the stage any of the fire that the People of Oz had: they were just copy-cats. Glinda, who was at this point ready to leave, saw one of the Monkeys hanging around. Suddenly she decided to enact phase two of her plan; at least, this would be the second phase if she had a plan and weren't just winging it.
"You!" she said. "You're one of Elphie's monkeys, right?" The Monkey nodded, then Glinda produced several pages of sheet music. "Can you read this?" Another nod. "Good, I want the other Monkeys to rehearse for this, I want to sing it with Elphie before it's too late." He nodded again and was leaving, but suddenly Glinda heard a new song playing from the stage. It was surprising, because she had never heard this song before. As it played out, she discovered that it was an old Never Silent song that she had never heard before.
Unlike the other songs of theirs, this one seemed so much more personal, not just another out-cry against injustice against which they were powerless. It seemed to mean something, both for Elphaba and for Glinda. For one moment, they locked eyes.
And you ran away
Now all my friends are gone
Maybe we've outgrown
All the things that we once loved
In that one, infinite moment, both eyes - blue and dark brown flecked with gray - shed a tear. It seemed to hit home, breaking down every barrier, every pretense, and revealed how she felt in that one moment. In truth, Glinda knew she had betrayed Elphaba, and now was doing it again.
No, she thought to herself, I can do something!
But the next three shows, Glinda seemed to just go through the motions. Never Silent's "Audience of One" didn't pop up in the set-list of either the Witch and the Flying Monkeys or Elphie and the Peeps, as Glinda called the 'new' line-up of the People of Oz. After all, that's what it was: just a bunch of Gilikinese people dressed up as herself and her friends, and two Munchkinlanders, one fearful and the other green. Yes, she knew Milla was afraid. Elphaba was distant, but she, Glinda, was more than able to speak with Milla. The security around every place they went was more than she could bear: she felt like, at any moment, she could get hurt.
Meanwhile, the Monkeys were her only connection to the green-skinned woman, cloistered away in some make-shift holding cell that followed them wherever they went. They rehearsed the music she gave them, but since they could not get to Elphaba, she could not rehearse at all. Already Glinda started to think it was silly, going through with this whole idea. But she had to do it, the time was close at hand. During the tour, she had eaves-dropped on several conversations and learned that, during some point at the last show of the People of Oz at the last tour date, Elphaba would be shot on-stage.
Kiamo Ko. She had heard about the place, mostly from Fiyero, bragging about how his family owned two castles and such. This was the home of the Wicked Witch of the West, and the final stop of the People of Oz Farewell Tour. Glinda could not breathe a word about what was going to happen to anyone: eventually Lord Chuffrey found out and threatened her in every way he thought possible, even down to threatening her family with loss of property, imprisonment, and even death. Whatever it would take to keep her quiet, and it worked.
Or so he thought.
Kiamo Ko barely looked like a castle as they arrived at it: sure enough, there was some general outline of what used to be a fortress shaped like a horse-shoe with towers protruding from the corners which looked out at each end of Oz's compass: north, south, east and west. Yet it had been totally transformed: wooden poles dotted the yellow fields, trailing long lines out east-ward, and huge blank sheets of linen had been erected on the outside of the castle. All around the castle, a fence had been erected as well: here the people would gather and, as Glinda learned, on those sheets of linen, they would watch the show.
It seemed ridiculous.
"It's all part of the Wizard's latest invention," Chuffrey exclaimed as four Gale Force soldiers carried his wheel-chair over the rocky terrain. "See, what it will do is capture motion and sound and transmit them to the Emerald City: from there, all of Oz will be able to see the show."
She nodded, fearing what would happen. Now all of Oz would see the death to come, or execution, as she knew it to be more like. Then a new thought entered into her mind: with so many eyes seeing Elphie as she really was, maybe this was a good thing: they would see her without the prejudice of the Wizard's propaganda...only to see her murdered before their very eyes. The thought faded like a bubble popped by a sharp pin-leaf.
A strange timidity over-came her during her own set, and she broke down twice during "I Will Always Love You", her fingers shaking so badly that one of her stage-hands had to jump on-stage and play the piano for her. She then ran off-stage, hands over her eyes and threw herself into one of the deserted stone hallways. While she wept, the Witch and the Flying Monkeys made their explosive entrance to "Never Again". Just then, she saw two Gale Force soldiers walking by.
"...I told him we already know what to do," one said to the other. "He said, 'It doesn't matter, shoot her in the head.'"
The rest was lost on Glinda's ears. She feared for Elphaba's safety. Even if her plan worked - which looked in and of itself quite doubtful - she couldn't protect Elphaba if they were aiming for her head. She wept through the whole set of the Witch and the Flying Monkeys. Suddenly, her weeping was interrupted by someone tripping over her legs.
"Watch it, you!" a voice shot back.
"Oh, I'm so..." Glinda began, then she saw who it was.
"Um, just stay out of my way." her Peep double shot back haughtily.
"Wait just a tick-tock!" Glinda sang. "Do you know who I am?"
"Glinda the Good, right?"
"Would you like my autograph?" she asked.
The girl shook her head. "Look, I have to get on-stage."
"I was in the People of Oz, originally."
"Fine, whatever." She looked down on her person for something she could give Glinda to write with, and then before she could react, Glinda had brought a heavy bucket down on the girl's head, knocking her out.
"Sorry, trollop," she hissed at the blond double. "But nobody mimics Glinda Upland!" She picked up the body and looked around for a place to put it when, by some sheer accident, a trap-door opened and the body fell down into it. Glinda gave a start, but, now that her double was gone, she could put her plan into motion.
Tossing off her ridiculous heels, she ran over to where her stage-hands were hanging out after the show and waved Jellia Jamb over.
"Do you have...the thing?" she asked.
The little girl nodded.
"Good, it's time."
"Ladies and gentlemen," Lord Chuffrey announced. "Now appearing for the last time ever, broadcast live from Kiamo Ko, the Wizard himself is pleased to present you with...the People of Oz!"
The crowd before him cheered: he had arranged to announce them at the last show, and he basked in the glory, though it was not meant for him. As he clapped and then turned his chair around, he got a surprise he was not expecting. Instead of his three agents walking out with Milla in tow, he saw Glinda, Milla, and two of those filthy monkeys the Witch took with her wherever she went walking out on-stage.
"What in Oz's name is this?" he hissed at Glinda.
"The People of Oz," she returned.
"You're not supposed to be out here!"
"I'm with the band," she said, walking gracefully over to the drum-set. She waited until Chuffrey was gone, before she wrapped her hands behind her back and began undoing the skirt of her floor-length dress. It fell off, replaced by a knee-high skirt made of the same bubble material she had commissioned Jellia Jamb to make at the last minute. In this "bubble skirt", she could still sparkle and glitter, but now she had the freedom to play the heck out of the drum-kit.
Memories of those first few shows flashed through her mind. Even back here, with three-fifths of the People of Oz back together, the reunion didn't seem the same without Fiyero or Avaric: yes, even snobby Avaric Tenmeadows was missed in Glinda's mind. As she saw Elphaba take the microphone, ready to begin, she pulled the microphone stand nearby her drum-kit, which she herself had had placed there, and spoke to the crowd.
"Before we begin," Glinda said. "I'd like to say we're all grateful for this humongous turn-out. This one is for Av and 'Yero: wherever you are, we love you and miss you."
More cheers from the crowd, then Glinda gripped her pink, fuzzy drum-sticks firmly in her manicured hands. A funny thought passed through her mind as she envisioned what would happen if she had two wands instead of drum-sticks. But they were on, and so she clacked the sticks together, Chistery played out the bass-line intro and with roars and screams from the audience, the People of Oz began their last show ever.
The first song, an original track, went off without a hitch. It seemed to stir Elphaba to be back on-stage, at least with Glinda here. Now they were at least three-fifths of the People of Oz, feeling more like the old days than the previous days. While Glinda rushed over to a near-by mic-stand she had commandeered to hang over her drum-kit (for now she could play and sing at the same time), she peered through the heavy stage-lights shining on the stage, hoping to catch some glimpse of something, anything. Just then, she saw movement in one of the castle's towers. Looking to another tower, she saw the muzzle of a musket peering out from the tower windows. Looking behind her, at the two towers she could look at without being blinded by the stage-lights, she saw clearly Gale Force snipers, one in each tower, with their muzzles aimed directly onstage: directly at the singer.
What am I going to do, she asked herself.
The People of Oz plowed through the next two songs without incident, and the crowds were going crazy for them.
"This next song," Elphaba spoke to the crowd. "It's one of our favorites, we've played it at almost every show we've been to, from our favorite band, Never Silent: this is called 'Prayer of the Refugee!'"
Glinda smiled as the old, familiar tune kicked back to life. The two monkeys dancing around Elphaba with their instruments surely were having fun, and both Milla and Glinda sang and harmonized with Elphaba as they tore through the song and all the memories of the 'good old days'. Then the bridge kicked in and the song had a brand new meaning for Glinda. She sang along proudly, her hands shaking as they struck the heads of her drum-set, and when it was all over, she kept smashing the cymbals over and over, as if to keep the song going a little bit longer.
It was more than just enjoyment that made Glinda smash away on the cymbals. She feared where the show was going. It was the last song, she knew, and they usually only played four or five songs before an encore during this Farewell Tour. Dread filled her being as she knew what was inevitable: she didn't want the night to end, not only for the enjoyment of being back on-stage with her friends, but because, when it did, one of them would be dead.
As they were finishing up, another one of the monkeys flew on-stage and handed something to Elphaba. With an amplified thud, her microphone fell out of her hand as she looked at the piece of paper in her emerald hands. Whatever it was, Glinda knew it could not be good. Feedback started echoing through the amps with the fall of her mic and Glinda knew she had to do something. Zipping her long dress back up, she left the drum-set, picked up the microphone and addressed the crowd.
"How's everybody doing out there?" she called out. A sea of cheers arose from the audience in response. "It seems Fae is a little winded, so I'm gonna talk to you, okay?" Scattered applause, whistles and other things not so nice came back at her.
"You know, tonight's a very special night," she continued. "This is the last show of our Farewell Tour. On behalf of the People of Oz, I'd just like to say how thrillified we are to see each and every one of you out here tonight." More cheers. Looking out, she noticed faces in particular. A drunken street-urchin with filthy blond hair was leaning against the side of one of the castle walls on the edge of the crowd. She thought she saw two familiar faces somewhere near the back, but, making their way to the front, were four of the strangest characters she had ever set eyes upon: a lion (or was it a Lion?), a walking scarecrow, a man of metal and a little girl. She knew the girl, at least, but who were the others, and why were they here?
"And because tonight is our last show, we're going to make it extra special," Glinda soldiered on. "We've got a new song for you, it's a little bit different. Written by one of our original members: this one..." She suddenly found herself breaking up, on-stage and before quite literally everyone in Oz. "...This one is a song about friendship and what you would say to your best friend if you knew you would never, ever see them again."
She turned away from the microphone and nodded at Chistery. The monkey flew off-stage and came back with several other monkeys, all of them bearing instruments. But they were not the typical guitar and bass of the usual set-up: strings, woodwind and even a few brass instruments took the stage, each with a monkey to perform along it. They did not move the rest of the gear, they played around it: if they needed more room, they would climb up the rigging and play there.
While this was going on, the green woman turned to Glinda.
"What is this?" she asked.
"A surprise," Glinda shouted back over the roar of the crowd.
"I don't like surprises," Elphaba shot back. "Besides, the encore is next. We haven't rehearsed for this!"
Glinda sighed. "Please, Elphie. Do this, for me...but more importantly, for the Animals."
Chistery walked forward and gave the last bits of the sheet music to Glinda; one of the pages she gave to Elphaba. Once they were in the green woman's hands and her eyes began to scan the page, Elphaba saw her chest rise, but did not fall: as if she gasped and could not again draw breath. Glinda was suddenly interrupted by a tap on her shoulder.
"Um, should I leave?" Turning around, she saw Milla standing there. Glinda shook her head.
"No, you've practiced for this," she said. "We need someone on the piano."
The little Munchkinlander nodded, then made her way back to her keyboard. Elphaba, Glinda saw, was still shaking as she looked at the pages. What was going on in her mind, Glinda wondered. She, for all the chaos of the past several weeks, seemed to finally be unafraid, if only for a moment. Here she was, on a stage with her very best friend, and nothing else mattered.
Yes, Glinda thought. Nothing else matters. It didn't worry her that they had different musical tastes, it didn't matter that she was rich and spoiled and Elphaba was a despised pariah, or even if the People of Oz were famous. Just being here, with the person that she loved, was enough: at last she understood why Fiyero had done this all those years ago, and, at last, she could forgive him.
Turning back to the monkeys she waved at them, then turned to Elphaba as the keyboard and strings brought the song to life. It was very different than anything the People of Oz had ever played, a product of Ramon the Raccoon's days as an orchestra conductor and composer. The sound was soft and melodic, and it carried across the entire castle, even outside its grounds where the majority of the crowds lingered. Glinda turned to Elphaba and began.
I've heard it said
That people come into our lives
For a reason
Bringing something we must learn
And we are lent
To those who help us most to grow
If we let them
And we help them in return
Well, I don't know if I believe that's true
But I know I'm who I am today
Because I knew you
Like a comet pulled from orbit
As it passed a sun
Like a stream that meets a boulder
Half-way through the wood
Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
But, because I knew you, I have been changed
For Good
Elphaba took a moment to look at the words on the page, then turned and replied:
It well may be
That we may never meet again
In this lifetime
So let me say before we part
So much of me
Is made from what I've learned from you
You'll be with me
Like a hand-print on my heart
And now, whatever way our stories end
I know you have rewritten mine
By being my friend
Like a ship blown from its mooring
By a wind off the sea
Like a seed dropped by a sky-bird
In a distant wood
Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
But, because I knew you...
Because I knew you, Glinda replied.
I have been changed
For Good
Suddenly, Elphaba turned away, seemingly throwing the music on the ground. Glinda's heart skipped a beat; what in Oz's name is she doing? Then, more speaking than singing, Elphaba spoke to her friend.
"And just to clear the air," she said. "I ask forgiveness for the things I've done, and whatever you've blamed me for."
Glinda did not wonder where that came from: she knew it wasn't on the page, they were supposed to conclude by repeating the pre-chorus, then re-state the last part. But she found herself moved by those words. Out of nowhere, she replied, singing:
But then, I guess, we know there's blame to share
And for one moment, as if they were back in Lakely and Oakes again, united in their endeavors by an invisible sixth member, the thing that united them and made them harmonize, they sang with one voice:
And none of it seems to matter anymore!
Like a comet pulled from orbit...
Like a ship blown from it's mooring...
As it passes a sun...by a wind off the sea
Like a stream that meets a boulder...
Like a seed dropped by a bird...
Half-way through...in a wood
Who can say...if I've been changed for the better?
I do believe I have been changed for the better
For a moment they paused and turned to look at each other, the magic of that moment in the Oz-Dust Ballroom, so many years ago, when they finally became friends, when they moved in harmony, was alive again.
And... Glinda sang, placing her hand on Elphaba's shoulder. Because I knew you
Because I knew you, Elphaba replied, removing the little pink hand and taking it up in her own, long-fingered green one.
Because I knew you, they sang together.
I have been changed...
All of Oz paused for a single moment, as the reeds played their melody, then...
For Good
Without thinking, they wrapped their arms around each other as the audience erupted in cheers and applause.
(AN: Yes, fellow Ozians, "For Good" is the song! [don't sue me, Stephen Schwartz!] If you've waited this long, I hope you enjoyed that.)