"So basically all of Oz is screwed now," Caya observed grimly as the two witches finished their tale. The entire gang was back at Kiamo Ko; they would stay until someone discovered their whereabouts.
"We're not screwed," Glinda objected, ever the optimistic one. "We've just been set back quite a bit."
"Well due to your brave little speech every Animal in Oz is now under the power of Madame Morrible," the Tiger hissed.
"I thought you'd be back to your old self after we rescued Brrr," Elphaba growled. "What's wrong with you?"
"Everything was just starting to get better," Caya said quietly. "And now it's gotten a thousand times worse. The Wizard was never this aggressive in his campaign against the Animals; he just used them to keep his power. Madame Morrible on the other hand seems determined to destroy us. Even at the height of his tyranny the Wizard never sent the Gale Force to attack an entire village."
"Being snappy isn't going to help anything," the green girl pointed out.
"I'm not being snappy because I think it will help," Caya snarled. "I'm snappy because I'm mad. Glinda just sacrificed the only chance Oz had at having a decent ruler by attempting to clear your name. I think it's time you all realize that Oz's future comes before your social lives. If Glinda had just let Elphaba continue to be a villain she'd be back to restoring Animal rights."
"That's what Jaybo meant," Elphaba whispered suddenly. "To die for one's people is a great sacrifice but to live for one's people is an even greater sacrifice." Her eyes tightened.
"Elphaba Thropp don't you dare put this on yourself," Glinda snapped, recognizing her friend's expression. "I made the speech; it was my choice and my choice alone. You put Oz before our friendship when you faked your death; you accepted the fact that you were hurting me and eliminating any chance of us ever seeing each other again. You've done your part. What happened today had nothing to do with you!"
"Glinda don't blame yourself either," Boq piped up.
"Oh I don't," the blonde witch hissed. "I don't regret my actions today at all. What good is having control of Oz if that control is nothing but lies? I'd be no different from the Wizard if I hid behind deception and a public enemy. Whatever anyone else's opinion I am proud of what I did."
"So am I," Elphaba added, leveling Caya's eyes with a glare. "Now we just need a new plan."
"A good plan," Boq corrected. "Which means we need to find someone who's good at planning; fast."
"Are you belittling our planning skills?"Fiyero teased.
"He has a right to," the green girl chuckled. "We haven't been very successful so far."
"But who would help us?" Brrr wondered.
"I know someone," Elphaba told them with a twinkle in her eye.
"Are you thinking who I'm thinking?" Glinda wondered. Her emerald friend nodded.
***
Dr. Dillamond had a comfortable life at the Center for the Rehabilitation of Speechless Animals (or CRSA). He had recovered his speech and only occasionally bleated in conversation. It wouldn't be long until he was back to teaching. As the Goat sat down to his morning cup of tea there was an odd thumping sound in his wardrobe.
"Hello?" Dr. Dillamond called softly. Quickly he jerked open the dark wooden door.
"Ahh!" screeched Elphaba, flinching away from the sudden light.
"Ahh!" bleated the Goat, stumbling backwards into a chair. As his eyes took in the familiar green girl a smile stretched across Dr. Dillamond's face. "Miss Elphaba?"
"Who else?" chuckled the witch, stepping gingerly from her hiding place. "Sorry to startle you."
"I'm delighted to see you," the former professor assured her. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"
"I wanted to draw on your wisdom," Elphaba informed him, taking an offered chair. "We're in a bit of a mess."
"I heard about Miss Glinda's speech," Dr. Dillamond sighed. "It was a nice effort but I didn't really expect it to work."
"Why not?" the green girl wondered. "You'd think the public would listen to Glinda of all people."
"You've been used as a scapegoat for a long time," the former professor explained. "People aren't going to give up their enemy easily, even if Glinda tells them otherwise. The key here is that everyone is telling the public what to believe. Madame Morrible tells them that the witch is evil and that all Animals are secretly in league with her. You and Glinda tell them that Animals have done nothing to deserve their current predicament and that your wicked exploits were only an attempt to help them."
"What's your point?" Elphaba inquired, quirking an eyebrow.
"People don't like being told what to think," Dr. Dillamond elaborated. "The public will believe whoever shows them the truth."
"How do we show them?"
"That's up to you."
***
Selky and Corusca were relaxing near Suicide Canal, trying to forget about the flurry of rowdy arguments taking place at Shiz. Half of the student body believed that Glinda was under the witch's spell; the other half simply thought she was a traitor. Some suspected that she had joined the dark side in order to be reunited with her ex-fiancée, the traitor prince. Only a few even considered that Oz's former ruler had been telling the truth. During debates Selky was caught somewhere in the middle of the two most common opinions, though truthfully she wasn't sure what to believe anymore. Corusca on the other hand was quiet and thoughtful; she'd never been one to share her views openly.
"I wonder where Glinda and the witch are now," the Antelope mused. "Maybe Kiamo Ko?"
"No," Selky snorted as if that was the stupidest thing she'd ever heard. "Why would they go there? It's the first place people would look."
"That's what makes it the perfect spot," Corusca insisted. "No one would expect them to return to the witch's old hideout."
"Stupid logic," the raven haired girl grumbled good naturedly. For a moment the two friends just sat, watching the sky and water blur together on the distant horizon. "It's getting late," Selky sighed. "We should head back to campus." As the girls began to walk down the vacant path towards Shiz two men in green and gold uniforms stepped from behind a large tree. One grabbed Corusca's arm.
"Miss you need to come with us," the soldier told her gruffly. "Now."
"Why?" the confused Antelope squeaked.
"We are not required to tell you why," the Gale Force member snapped, pulling her away from the path.
"Let her go!" Selky shouted, shoving the man. "You have no right to just take someone away!" Angrily the soldier raised his spear.
"Listen to the girl," came a low, dangerous voice from the concealing branches of a nearby tree. Immediately the men paled and took an instinctual step backwards. There was a rustle and Oz's feared green witch emerged from her hiding place and dropped to the ground. "Let them go," she hissed.
"We have orders to take all Animals at Shiz to…" one soldier stuttered, but he was cut off.
"I don't care what you were ordered to do!" Elphaba snapped, her posture aggressive. "You'd better not touch any of the students here."
"But Madame Morrible…"
"Don't mention that scumbag's name in my presence," the green woman snarled. "I'll be watching." She turned to the terrified girls. "Return to your dorm and don't go anywhere alone," she instructed, voice suddenly kind. Frightened Selky and Corusca stumbled away.
***
Eager to put the scary experience behind her Selky went out shopping with some of her mindless, gossipy friends. Corusca had to study and she'd insisted that Selky go without her. At a nice cafe the horde of girls nibbled pastries and chatted animatedly. The town at night was dazzling, decked out in twinkle lights with the round moon hanging above.
"It's so horrendible what happened with Glinda," a strawberry blonde named Curyn chirped. "She was always so fashionable; you wouldn't have expected such a nice woman to go bad."
"How in Oz does Glinda's fashion sense have anything to do with who she was as a person?" Selky snapped, still wound tight after her encounter with the witch.
"You can tell a lot about a person from their clothes," insisted Zan Zan, a brunette. "After all the witch has a hideodious wardrobe; that should have been a bad omen to the Animals who took her in. Isn't it odd that they were willing to harbor a criminal?"
"Doesn't surprise me at all," Curyn scoffed. "Animals are stupid, the witch probably tricked them into thinking she was framed or something. There's a reason Animals should be seen and not heard." Selky's blood boiled as malicious snickers crammed into her ears.
"Animals are just as smart as any human!" she growled, trying hard to suppress the avalanche of cuss words she wanted to let fly. "In fact my best friend Corusca could mop the floor with every one of you." While most of the girls sat in stunned silence Curyn cast Selky a derogatory glare.
"Your opinion is unwanted here," she spat. "Why even express it?"
"Opinions, no matter how unwanted, should always be expressed," Selky retorted. "Silence breeds ignorance and lies." Flustered and upset the raven haired girl stormed away, letting the sweet night air cool her rampant temper.
However it wasn't long before the clean air became foul with smoke. Startled Selky whipped around to see one of the town's largest clothing stores going up in flames. It was one of those places that would be chock full of giddy teenage girls on a night like this. Flaming debris blocked the large double doors, trapping countless people inside. Selky was distracted from the fire by a familiar silhouette crossing the face of the moon. Astride her infamous broom the witch blasted a hole in the store's wall with her feared magic. Moments later the green woman had zipped inside followed by a host of flying Monkeys.
Anger darkened Selky's face. Clearly the witch had started this fire and was now going in to finish off the victims. Just then the girl's so called friends appeared behind her. "This is gonna be a great story to tell at parties!" Curyn squealed. "We got to see the Wicked Witch burn down a building." Selky elbowed the airheaded blonde…hard.
"People could be dying in there!" she screeched. Before Curyn could make a snotty remark the witch and her band of primates emerged, now carrying screaming people. Carefully the witch's supposed minions placed each citizen gently on the street, while the green woman herself set to stifling the blaze with waves of green energy. Once the store was reduced to a smoldering mess Elphaba departed.
"Did the witch just save them?" Zan Zan gasped in astonishment.
"No," Selky muttered. "The witch is a cold hearted murderer. I'm sure this wasn't an act of kindness."
Sorry for including so much of my original characters but I felt that part of the story needed to be told through the eyes of a normal Ozian citizen…let me know if you readers disagree…
And I know Caya was being a little bit of a snitch but she will redeem herself in later chapters…
Please let me know what your thoughts are on my original characters in general (are the believable, what do you like about them, what don't you like)