For disclaimer and other stuff, see part 1 and thank you for the reviews to XxXxIcePrincessXxXx, Rosie85, danderson and TillItryIllneverknow.

Rosie85: Glinda will realize that Morrible is the evil one pretty soon. And I will think about some happiness for Glinda, too.

danderson: Fiyero won't be turned into a scarecrow in this fanfic, not that I planned at this point but maybe, this fanfic has a life of it's own. I guess you have to wait and see.

Chapter 12

Glinda was still in shock on the carriage ride back to the palace.

She had seen something that had shaken her to the core. The woman held captive in Southstairs resembled nothing of the friend she remembered.

After the dance at the Ozdust Ballroom, both girls went back to their dormroom.

Glinda had insisted on doing something nice for Elphaba: making her beautiful and popular. Elphaba had done something nice for Glinda: forcing Madame Morrible into letting Glinda attend the sorcery seminar too and now Glinda had to do something for Elphaba too.

"This is never going to work! I will never be beautiful. I am green."

"Elphie, you have to stop thinking like that. Is it ok that I call you Elphie?"

"No, I would-"

"Wonderful. Now, your whole life is going to change because of me."

"How nice of you," Elphaba muttered.

Glinda took the flower she had been wearing out of her hair and put it into Elphaba's.

"Why, Miss Elphaba, look at you, you're beautiful."

Glinda decided to talk to Madame Morrible.

Elphaba's suffering had to end, one way or another. Maybe there could be some kind of amnesty for her. Or maybe they could finally have the trial they intended. All she knew was that the torture had to stop.

Glinda wiped away the tears that were falling from her eyes. Even though she was now a mad woman who had killed a lot of people, Elphaba didn't deserve what they were doing to her. No one deserved what was happening to Elphaba.

Madame Morrible knew Elphaba before she had become the Witch, maybe she could help Elphaba. In fact, Glinda was sure that Madame Morrible would see to it that everything would be alright again.

Yes, both had changed over the years but nothing could have prepared her for what she had seen in the cell.

"Sweet Oz, Fiyero, what have they done to her?" Glinda asked, shocked. She couldn't believe her own eyes. She just couldn't. That couldn't have been Elphaba chained to the wall like that. If she didn't know any better, she would say that this was another woman with green skin and not her best friend.

"There are a lot of things you don't want to know."

Elphaba hadn't regained consciousness while Fiyero and Glinda had been in Southstairs. Not that they could have stayed for long. But Glinda had made the promise to herself to return.

And when they reached the palace again, Glinda left the carriage before Fiyero had a chance to stop her.

Gathering her skirt, Glinda walked up the stairs. She was a woman on a mission. Her mission was to stop Elphaba's suffering. But the deeds of the witch needed to be punished.

"Madame Morrible, we have to put a stop to the torture of the Wicked Witch," Glinda said as she walked into Morrible's office.

"I have to stop this?" Morrible looked at Glinda in disbelief. Was the blonde girl out of her mind? She had to stop what they were doing to the Witch? Never. Not until the green one would cooperate.

"Madame, you've got to stop this, it's gone too far! Today when I visited her, sweet Oz, it was horrible. There is no resemblance to the Elphaba who once shared a room with me back at Shiz. She is a mass of welts and bruises. Madame, we have to help her."

"Oh, I think Elphaba can take care of herself."

Glinda was shocked at Madame Morrible. She had been sure that the woman would help her.

"But Elphaba was my best friend," Glinda protested.

"She was. She is now evil incarnate. She can't be the best friend of Glinda the Good. You know that she hurt the monkeys and how jelaous she was when the Wizard asked you and not her."

"It was the other way round! Madame. You know that the Wizard invited Elphaba and not me. You've got it all wrong," Glinda interrupted Madame Morrible.

"Are you sure?"

It seemed to Madame Morrible that Glinda had stopped believing the lies. If that was true then she would have to act. Maybe a little spell, something to brainwash the blonde girl again. Or maybe treating her with imprisonment would be enough.

"I know that Elphaba has suffered enough and I think she should be given some kind of amnesty. I guess the Ozians would believe me when I tell them that the Wicked Witch had surrendered herself and sworn off all evilness," Glinda told her.

"Now you listen to me, Missy. You may have fooled the rest of Oz with this 'aren't I good' routine, but you know better. You've wanted this since the beginning and now you're getting what you wanted. Or you could accompany your friend in her cell. I guess there is enough room for the two of you."

Glinda gaped at Madame Morrible.

"No."

"Then go and smile again. Forget about her. Forget all this foolishness about amnesty for the Witch or you will be her cellmate faster then you can say beautiful," Morrible told her.

The last couple of years had been a dream for Glinda. She couldn't and wouldn't give up the life she now lived. She was Glinda the Good, about to get married to the most eligible bachelor in Oz, living in the Emerald City, working for the wonderful Wizard of Oz. But she knew that she had payed a high price for the life she now lived. The price had been her friendship with Elphaba.

Years ago when Elphaba had invited her to come with her to the Emerald City and visit the Wizard, both had to choose between what was easy and what had been right. Glinda had choosen the easy life: fame and glory. But Elphaba chose what was right. She was now the outcast, held as a prisoner in Southstairs.

If Glinda had followed Elphaba, both women would now be in Southstairs.

Yes, it had been the right decision back then not to defy the Wizard. Glinda had choosen her life.

And now she had to make a choice again. She had to choose between what was easy and what was right. It would be easy to forget the person in Southstairs. She had lived years without her best friend. She could continue forgetting her existence. But on the other hand she still had a conscience. Glinda had to help Elphaba, one way or another. And if Madame Morrible wouldn't help her, she would have to ask the Wizard or maybe she should talk with Fiyero some more. Maybe he could help when others couldn't.

After all, it seemed that he was set on helping her, whatever the cost.