A/N: Thank you to everyone who read, reviewed and story alerted- much appreciated. Again, feedback is always welcome :)
Chapter Two: The Balloon
"So, let me understand this clearly. He wants us to travel across the land in a floating balloon so that we can discover what lies beyond Oz?"
Glinda raised her eyebrows, unimpressed. "He's simply insane if he thinks this'll work."
The two sat on the cold wooden floor of the room they had been assigned, sheets of paper detailing their mission spread out around them. The early morning light had begun streaming through their singular window, warning of the departure that would soon take place.
Elphaba shook her angular head quickly. "Not insane, just diabolical. I think this must be a military mission. Why else would he send us and not some of his soldiers? We'd look less like spies to the natives. The Wizard's looking to expand his reign and he needs a few snitches in the area before he begins." Elphaba's nostrils flared with distaste. "I hate being party to a plot like this. You would think the man would concentrate on the failing land he's already got, not thinking of gallivanting off into another!"
Glinda leaned back on her slim arms thoughtfully. "What I don't understand, however, is why he thinks we're best for the job. Or you are, really," she glanced over at Elphaba. "What does he mean "a child of both worlds"?"
They sat in silence for a moment, the contents of the Wizard's instructions washing over them again. The last line of the letter was the most confusing of all- Tell me what has happened, back on the ordinary Earth. The girls had puzzled over them until they were too tired even for frustration but could make neither head nor tale of it. What was 'Earth'? And what did he mean, 'ordinary'? They could only see that their mission- though it seemed to grow stranger and more mysterious every minute- was to travel beyond Oz and feed back information to the Wizard by way of Birds who knew the passage. What his true intentions behind this plan were was unknowable, however, and Elphaba felt uneasy being at a loss for information.
"Well, we'll have to do it." Glinda said with something like chirpy finality, her tone remarkably easy for the sleepless night she and Elphaba had endured.
"Why do you sound pleased?" Elphaba asked, her outright question making Glinda's smile falter slightly.
"Well," she said, running her fingers through her still-perfect hair and smoothing her dress, "It could be worse, don't you think? In fact, I've always wanted to travel. And to see the world with you..." she trailed off, blue eyes searching Elphaba's green ones.
Elphaba opened her mouth to reply but was interrupted by a stiff, formal knocking at the high wooden door of the room.
"Palace official, open up!"
Glinda slid off the bed and fixed her features into a cold glare. She opened the door and folded her arms.
"You needn't yell, we can hear you just fine."
The green-swathed soldier ignored her and bristled his moustache self-importantly. "I've orders to escort you to the balloon. There will be supplies waiting there for you. You're to bring the information you received last eve."
With that he turned abruptly and marched out of the room. Elphaba rolled her eyes snarkily at Glinda before following the guard.
The hallways they passed through were luxurious to a fault. The deep cream of the carpets and large oil paintings that hung the walls reminded Elphaba of the homes she had heard about from her mother. It was this sort of wealth that made her think of her classmates back at Shiz- the one's who'd forged their way in, not by academic success, but with the power of money. She'd thought that Glinda- Glinda who was glancing around at her surroundings in awe, as though she could imagine nothing more beautiful- was one of these few, but she soon realised that Glinda's air or privilege was simply a construct. The girl was, really, a simple farm child from a well-to-do but unsophisticated heritage. She was innocent almost, though much of her naivety had been destroyed in their time at Shiz- Elphaba's blood nearly boiled at the thought of the Philosophy Club and the things that would have happened to her Glinda-
The guard stopped suddenly and turned to face one of the cream doors of the passage. It seemed to Elphaba to be no different from the dozens that they had passed, but as it opened a roomy courtyard was revealed, filled with greenery and a platform.
"Elphie... Look at it!" Glinda held Elphaba's hand with her left and pointed to the huge hot air balloon with her right. The balloon and its net stood at least fifteen metres tall, the striped cloth that was bound together to form the balloon was bright and beautiful. The balloon seemed a thing of wonder amidst the solemn faces of the Wizard's soldiers and the weapons they held. For the first time Elphaba allowed some of Glinda's infectious excitement to seep into her countenance; she, too, wanted to board the balloon as soon as possible.
"Alright, captain," she said, addressing the guard who had escorted them. "Let us up."
And with that they climbed into the balloon and felt their world grow tiny beneath them as they rose and rose and rose, and embraced the clear blue sky.
"I spy with my little eye... Something green!"
"It's grass."
"No."
"Are you just saying that because I guessed correctly the first time?"
There was a silence. "Oh, alright, it was grass." Glinda huffed and shuffled closer to Elphaba in the basket. "But you can't blame me! There's nothing else to see up here! It's just been grass and grass and more grass for the last- well, who knows how long!"
Elphaba folded the map she'd been holding and lifted her arm, making room for Glinda to move beneath it. "I know, my sweet, I know. But Oz is geographically very far from its neighbours, and the Wizard says that the place we're supposed to be going to is even further removed that just Oz's immediate neighbours."
Glinda frowned and moved the map off of Elphaba's lap. "It is quite strange, isn't it? What he wrote in the instructions? Wouldn't it have been more adept to put a detailed passage instead of just saying "You'll know when you reach it."? How will we know? Oh, Elphie, it's so frustrating!"
Elphaba sighed and stood to stretch her legs. "Funny though it is to say this, I think I trust that the Wizard knows what he's doing. Not because he's suddenly turned into an honourable fellow or anything ridiculous like that," here she grimaced for effect, "but because he wants us to succeed in our task just as much as we want our freedom. I have no problem believing that we'll make it to our destination."
They stood and looked awhile out at the view beneath them. They'd been travelling in the balloon for a full day and any sign of civilisation had been left behind many acres ago. The sun was sinking low in the sky and a chill had infected the wind. Elphaba quickly removed her black coat and wrapped it around Glinda's shoulders, covering up the sweet bare skin which was spotted with goose freckles from the cold.
"Isn't it pretty?" Glinda sighed, her eyes on the landscape below which had turned a faint orange and pink in the sunset.
"It never fails to amaze me, Glinda, how you manage to find beauty and hope even in situations where others would see nothing but sadness."
Glinda smiled and turned to Elphaba. "Well, it's my optimism that let me find you, isn't it?"
They hovered a moment, green and blushed pink faces intimately close. Glinda's voice hitched in her throat and she moved an inch forward, waiting for... Well, she wasn't altogether certain.
Elphaba coughed suddenly and turned around, making space in the basket to lay out the blanket they had found earlier.
"We should rest. I've a feeling tomorrow will be a long day."
With that she lay down and closed her eyes, leaving room for Glinda to move in next to her.
"Goodnight, Elphie." Glinda said sadly.
I love you, she thought.