If I told you what happened to Fiyero it wouldn't be a cliffhanger now would it?…don't worry this story is not meant to be a horribly morbid tragedy…things will get better I promise…just hang tight of the time being
Elphaba could hardly see through her burning tearful eyes when she slipped onto the balcony of Oz's ruler. Limbs trembling with fatigue and devastating grief the green girl stumbled into Glinda's room. The petite blonde was standing in the middle of the floor, face vacant, but the witch was too preoccupied with her surging emotions to realize that. Glad to be reunited with her friend she threw her arms around Glinda in a rare display of overwhelming affection. When there was no response the green girl pulled back in confusion. "Glinda it's me!" she cried, shaking her friend. "I'm alive." A flicker of energy passed through the petite girl's eyes before they sank into lifelessness once again.
At that moment a pair of crudely dressed men brandishing curved knives leapt from Glinda's enormous closet. Before Elphaba could react they had their weapons pressed to her throat and her hands roped together. The doors swung open and Madame Morrible swept in, her sharp eyes training in on the green girl before her. "Elphaba it's so good to see you," she sneered. "We thought you'd come here after the scarecrow's death. Tragic isn't it?"
"You killed him," the witch realized, a spark of familiar anger sparking in her broken eyes.
"Actually we were planning to fake his death," the former headmistress informed her. "However it was easier to just let the deed be done than remove him from that wall and hide him away." Another piece of Elphaba's heart cracked. So it was truly her fault. "It's odd to see you so subdued," Morrible snickered. "At Shiz you were always annoyingly headstrong. But I suppose the knowledge that your Animal friends will all be in cages soon is quite staggering." Fear flashed across the green girl's face at this realization. "Now that you're out of the way I intend to finish the Wizard's work with the help of your little blonde friend."
"And what do you intend to do with me?" the witch whispered quietly.
"Those who are of no further use must be disposed of," the old woman shrugged. At this one of the men holding Elphaba tensed, ready to slit her throat. "Don't kill her here!" Morrible squawked. "It would be much too messy. For now we'll let this wicked creature rot away in the dungeons. I'd prefer if she lived to see the destruction of all she ever cared about."
***
Boq needed to speak with Glinda. He'd been holding his tongue for too long and she needed to know that he didn't trust Raeb; she needed to know that he still had feelings for her. Such secrets were too big for the Tin Man to carry by himself anymore. Still he was nervous as he tapped his metal fist against the ruler's door.
When Glinda appeared in the doorway a shiver ran down the munchkin's spine. Boq had fallen in love with the blonde witch for her lively, expressive eyes, but the blue orbs looking out at him were dead. "Hello Boq," she greeted, voice hollow. "Could we talk another time? I'm kinda busy."
"Uh…ok," the Tin Man stuttered, frightened by her dull gaze. When the door closed he suspiciously pressed his metal ear against it.
***
Ever since the spell had overcome Glinda's mind she'd been trapped in an inescapable cloud of her most painful memories. Bright spots of grief flickered before her vision as she watched Elphaba's silhouette shrivel into a simmering pool of nothingness. The wailing scream of her friend rang in the blonde's tormented ears. As much as Glinda wanted to aid Elphaba terror kept her captive behind the curtain. When the sounds of the witch hunters had quieted Oz's future ruler pulled aside the concealing fabric with trembling fingers. "Elphie?" Glinda shut her eyes and turned away; unable to accept the sight before her, but when she looked again it was still there. Elphaba's hat lay forlornly in a ghostly pool of moonlight with a few curls of mist oozing out from beneath it. That image was forever burned into Glinda's memory.
She approached the scene of her friend's demise cautiously, as if some part of her still hoped that Elphaba would appear and tell her everything was ok. A thousand memories flashed before the blonde witch's eyes, memories that would become sacred to her in the months to come. Reverently lifting the hat into her arms Glinda began to sob. "Oh Elphie."
The wretched mind control magic didn't allow Oz's ruler to dwell on the triumph of banishing Morrible and the Wizard, instead if skipped forward to the night after Elphaba's death. When all the excitement and partying had subsided Glinda barely managed to stumble into her room before the tears came in waves. There were so many reasons why the blonde witch cried that night. She cried because it was unfair that she should have a world of possibility before her simply because she hadn't been strong enough to make the sacrifices Elphaba had. She cried because she would spend the rest of her life lying about the purest and most incredible person she had ever known. But most of all she cried because it was her cowardice that had ultimately condemned Elphaba to death and that horrifying fact would remain with her as long as she lived.
However from the blackness of awful moments a light pulled at Glinda's thoughts. Through the fog she felt arms around her for only a moment, and then a voice. "It's me Glinda!" the voice told her. "I'm alive." Those words were enough to drag her back into her body. Dimly the blonde witch felt herself close the door on Boq and return to where Raeb and Madame Morrible were talking. Although still not in control Glinda could at least see what was going on. Seeing was the extent of her knowledge though, because the blonde witch still couldn't access her ears.
"Do you think the Tin Man will be a problem" Raeb wondered.
"You worry too much," Madame Morrible snapped. "The only problem will be if anyone finds out that Elphaba's alive. The public would panic."
"No one will ever know," Raeb snorted. "The scarecrow's death totally destroyed her. She's huddled in a ball down in the dungeon. That girl might lose the will to live and shrivel away before you get around to killing her."
"Don't underestimate Elphaba," the former headmistress warned. "She's a fighter." Just then, moments after the two villains had ceased their discussion of her friend, Glinda's battered mind located her hearing.
"In a few weeks there won't be anything left to fight for," Raeb chuckled darkly. "The Gale Force is on its way to the Animal community in the Gilikin Forest with cages. Soon every Animal in Oz will be silent."
"Unfortunately it will take time to undo Glinda's work," Morrible sighed. "The public may be hard to win back, even with their airhead ruler on our side."
"Nonsense," Raeb scoffed. "When we announce my engagement to Glinda they'll be too excited to think about anything else." Fury erupted in the blonde witch's chest as his sinister eyes swept over her body. When Raeb pulled her in for a kiss Glinda's tiny fist snapped forward and cracked into the cruel man's nose. Blood exploded onto the floor in bright crimson splatters. For a moment the petite ruler's eyes cleared of their magic fog. Then it returned and she was again trapped in her own body. "What just happened?" Raeb demanded. "How did she overcome the spell?"
"I don't know," Madame Morrible gasped. "It shouldn't be possible to break free." Her eyes darkened. "This isn't acceptable. If she took control in public or during a speech…"
"What should we do?"
"It will be quite inconvenient but we'll have to kill her," the former press secretary shrugged, grabbing the Grimmerie and flipping through its pages. "There's a killing spell in here that will leave no evidence."
"How does it work?" Morrible's sadistic assistant asked, eyes bright with morbid interest.
"The spell gradually drains a person's life," she explained. "Once it's been cast on someone they're doomed unless a very powerful sorcerer removes the spell."
"Is it painful?" Raeb wondered hopefully, rubbing his sore nose. Madame Morrible shook her head with a twinge of sick regret.
"Glinda go lie in your bed," the spiteful woman commanded. The pint sized blonde had no choice but to obey. She settled onto her fluffy blankets as Morrible began her murderous chanting.
***
Boq pulled away from Glinda's door, eyes wide. He'd heard everything. Not wasting a moment the Tin Man sprinted for the ancient dungeon hidden beneath the palace. There was only one person who could help Glinda now.
Don't worry…this is the last dark (and somewhat creepy) chapter…future installments will be much brighter…