Title: Flying Freely Once More
Rated: PG-13
Author: MeganFaye
Disclaimer: I don't own Oz or the characters of Wicked.
Note: This is written with the adorable Kristin Chenoweth and the sexy Idina Menzel as Glinda and Elphie! The BEST Cast: Original!!!
Note 2: Its late, and I just started a new nanny job. My writing will suffer. I'm getting this done as quickly as possible before I burn out from working and not writing all day and watching Rent all night.
"Good morning, my fellow Ozians," Glinda the Good Witch of The Emerald City said as she sat at the head of the conference table while the city leaders took their seats lining the room. "We've got business to attend to that is of great importance." The leaders grew silent. "The Badlands have gotten rain for the first time in a century. We need each of you to send seedlings and saplings in hopes of restoring the life that once lived there. I'd thought it had been taken care of, but I was misunderstood when it was thought of as a request." Her father looked away, shamefully. He could almost feel his daughter's eyes drilling into him. He hated when she was angry, but he had to make a stand against her. Glinda had offended people by speaking during a celebration and she needed to mend the fences before people were angry.
"Your Goodness," the Mayor of Munchkin Land called, raising his hand. "Is it true you've done away with Silent Celebrations and ceremonies?"
"No," she said patiently. "I have not destroyed traditonal Northern and Eastern celebrations. However, a year ago, when Nessarose, the Witch of the East was killed, did you or did you not sing with joy?"
"Yes....we....we, uh....we sang with utter glee."
"I have not destroyed the tradtion. Lady Elphaba spent much time in the West, where music is a part of every day life, and to celebrate silently was not how she wanted to celebrate her return to Emerald City, or her friends to celebrate her birthday. We chose to have a Western style celebration; music, laughter, and talking." Her father had not yet met her eyes. "Rumors that I have destroyed a tradition have been greatly embroidered upon." The words were directed at her father. The whole room knew it and were almost afraid to speak.
"Then why even break with tradion, Your Goodness?" Lord Upland asked, harshly. All eyes were on him, and not one of them looked happy.
"I see that you are allowing a personal matter to politically affect you, Lord Upland."
"No," he said forcefully. He took a deep breath. "Forgive me, Your Goodness. I should not allow your personal choices to affect my political ones."
"Lord Upland," She said, standing. "A word in private." She stepped into her personal office, her father in tow.
"You broke with a sacred tradtion of Oz! Just because those animals that run the South and West decide its not important doesn't give you any right to take away from our heritage! You risked offending half of Oz the other night for nothing! They are still trying to grasp why you married Elphaba!" Galinda coiled back from his comment as if burned. "We know she isn't a wicked witch, and she, does in fact, love you. There are people in Oz who aren't so happy, Galinda. And now you are breaking traditions that so many people hold sacred, you are putting her and yourself in danger. And the baby!"
"Times are changing, Father."
"Not quickly enough to keep up with you. If it had been in a more private setting; just the family and a few friends, then singing and laughing would have been a wonderful idea. But you had such an assortment of people, Animals, and Alants that you could have put yourselves in danger! Sir Diggins was greatly outraged. You've lost her once, come close a second time, and we almost lost you. Those are your three chances; you got lucky. Don't risk my grand child, my child, or my child's love for something that you wouldn't be willing to die for." He bowed his head and left the room, Galinda following right behind.
"My people of Oz," she said to high council. "I have been informed that allowing a break in tradition was in poor taste. Please accept my apology." She hiccupped out a bubble, and the council whispered. "That would be a personal matter," she chuckled. "Magical babies have magical morning sickness."
Just over six months later, Galinda held a celebration in Emerald City to celebrate the first anniversary of her marriage to Elphaba. The city was one giant silent carnival of magical rides, games, Silent dancers, and food. Elphaba had never seen so many creatures in one city before. Boq, Fiyero and the Lion all wished them well personally and silently. Fiyero's moth had been sewn shut by The Lion so he wouldn't mess up and speak, but a not was passed; the thread would be undone as soon as daylight hit the city. Elphaba had to force herself not to laugh; she shook hard holding it in as Fiyero tried with all his might to talk, not quite understanding that they had sewn his mouth closed.
The celebration was cut short for the two guests of honor.
Galinda, who was just nearing the 38th week of carrying the baby, went into labor during the celebration. She was completely silent until the door to their chambers had closed. Her mother was so proud that she remained silent for hours until she could sneak up to the bedroom.
And then she let loose a string of profanity that no one in Oz thought the woman knew exsisted.
There were words that people had never known to be used as a verb, adjective, noun, and pronound all in the same sentence.
There were words from the other world where the wizard had come from, that no one knew, let alone how to properly use them.
However, Galinda managed to pull it off without so much as a blink of an eye.
"Galinda," Elphaba soothed, smoothing her hair down. "Breathe, my love."
"You breathe! You did this to me!" Galinda hissed, shoving Elphaba's hands off her shoulder. Elphaba just looked at her. "YOU ARE NEVER TOUCHING ME AGAIN!" She ened the sentence with a scream like Elphaba had never heard, and the healers rushed the green woman from the room.
She was left to pace the halls while her wife was in their room, screaming in pain, crying, begging the healer for anything to help her with the pain she was in. Galinda's parents kept Elphaba as calm as possible in the halls. The celebration was still going on, so she was forced to remain silent until sunrise.
As soon as the first gleam of light peeped in through the window, Elphaba opened her mouth and spewed forth a few thoughts and choice words.
"Calm down!"
"That healer is leaving her in pain! Isn't he supposed to heal?" she screeched. As was the case when her emotions were stronger than normal, the magic within her lost control and the door flew from its hinges when Galinda screamed again.
She bolted into the room in time to hear the high-pitched scream from Galinda as she pushed the baby into the world. Elphaba watched the baby as a healer pulled it free of Galinda. Elphaba swallowed hard. The baby was a girl. Dark whisps of hair on her head, a cry like Galinda had; very high pitched and very loud.
And she was green.
"We have a daughter, Galinda," she said. The baby fussed and made herself known to everyone. Galinda panted and fell back into the pillows. Elphaba was at her side before she could gather the strength to call for her wife. Elphaba took Galinda to her chest and mopped her face dry while nurses and healers worked on her and the baby. "She's beautiful, my love."
The baby's crying calmed as she was cleaned. As soon as Galinda was dressed and properly tucked into clean bed dressings, the baby was brought over.
"Your Goodness and Your Emeraldness," one healer said, smiling. "There is a lovely lady here who wishes to meet you."
"Hello, my sweet darling," Galinda gushed at her daughter as she was carefully handed over. "Oh, Elphie, she's perfect!"
"She's so beautiful," Elphaba whispered. Their daughter had the bluest eyes that either had known to exsist, and her skin was a sage green that brought out the delicate features of the newborn's face. Elphaba opened the baby's lips to see if the teeth that Elphaba had were there. Galinda sighed when no teeth were present. "Thank Oz."
"You're telling me," Galinda joked. "Our little lady needs a name."
"Oh, about that," Elphaba said, wincing. "Your mother ran some....interesting things by me."
"Sagerose."
"Galinda-"
"Sagerose."
"The name 'Elphaba' is native language Munchkin for 'Emerald.' We are not doing that to our daughter." Galinda rolled her eyes and stroked the baby's cheek.
"What do you want to name her?" Elphaba froze.
"As long as its not plant-life or the color green, I'll be fine."
"We've got a few days until we have to have one. Her presentaion is the deadline." Elphaba nodded and looked at the baby, who's blue eyes stared around between her mothers. The healers and nurses left the new family. Galinda hummed softly to the baby, and her eyes closed slowly.
"I know what to name her."
"What?"
"Aria." Galinda looked at her wife. "When she was kicked the crap out of you all night, the only thing that would get her, and you for that matter, to sleep was music. She loves it already, the way I loved books are reading."
"Aria," Galinda whispered at their baby, a sleepy smile drifting across her face. "Aria Rose Thropp Upland."
"No!"
"After our sisters. Nessarose and Galydia Rose." Elphaba bit her bottom lip. "You loved her, so much, no matter what your parents did to you. She was your baby sister, and she deserves to be remembered."
"I don't know."
"I do. Aria Rose Thropp Upland. Our little Aria Rose." Elphaba looked at her daughter.
"I don't want to love it as much as I do, but the name suits her so perfectly." She smiled and touched the baby's hand gently. The baby opened her eyes. "Hello, Aria Rose."
"She looks just like you, my Elphie."
"She looks like a green version of Nessa. So beautiful."
"Nessa wasn't nearly as beautiful as you are. You just weren't able to see past the green." Elphaba swallowed hard and blinked back tears.
"I never saw it."
"Haven't I shown you?" Elphaba blushed emerald. "I love you, and I want you to be able to show our daughter how perfect Green is for skin tone."
"That will be so hard for her."
"Not if you are strong with her. You teach her that she is loved and beautiful, that you love how her skin looks, and she will love herself as much as we love her.
"I'll try, my love."
I love the idea of Idina, in the green make-up blushing a shade of green a little darker than what the make-up actually is. We all blush red, she would be green, and she would have that laugh...the geeky laugh from the play that makes me feel a little less like a nerd.