"Alright, Elphaba, start explaining," the Wizard—Father—ordered.

I sighed and then said, "Well, Frexspar grounded me for life for running off all those years ago. My second father in Tortall—King Roald of Conté—grounded me for life for disguising myself as a boy in order to study to become a knight. Wait, no, three lifetimes. My guardian, Coram, was mad at me for trying to sneak with him and Alanna of Trebond and Olau into the palace for training. So really, I'm already in so much of trouble, so this is no big deal."

Father frowned and said, "Elphaba, listen to me. You are—you always have been—my little girl. I can't let anything happen to you. I can't lose you."

Glinda grabbed Fiyero and said, "Your Ozness, Fiyero and I will leave you and your daughter alone."

I grinned at her and said, "Thanks, Lin."

She smiled at me and then she and Fiyero left the room.

As soon they were outside the room, she hissed, "We have to keep Madame Morrible out of that room."

Fiyero nodded and said, "Tell her what the message in the sky really meant—'Remember the plan, Glinda.'—and maybe it might distract her."

Glinda nodded in agreement and then added, "We also have to get rid of her—completely. Turn the citizens against her. If she lets me explain to the citizens as well, we can get rid of her."

Fiyero nodded and said, "I'll have my men ready and I'll wait for your orders, Glinda."

"Fiyero?" Glinda hesitated.

"Yes?" he asked.

"About Elphie? Do you love her?" Glinda asked.

"Um. Glinda, I'm so sorry I've been lying. I've just missed her so much," Fiyero began.

"I understand," Glinda said, smiling. "But you don't ever hurt her, because you'll hearing from me and the Wizard."

Fiyero gulped and nodded in obedience.

I looked at my father and he said, "Elphaba, come here."

I came forward, slowly, ashamed, and asked, "What is it, Father?"

"What do you want—more than anything in the world?" he asked. "I will find a way for you to have it."

I smiled and said, "Well, I want the persecution against the Animals to stop—starting with Dr. Dillamond—and Morrible fired."

The Wizard nodded and said, "I will see to it immediately."

Then he used the giant head thing and said, "MADAME MORRIBLE! YOU'RE FIRED!"

I grinned and asked, "Where will I stay?"

"The room next to Glinda's," he told me, emerging again from behind the giant head. "I'll show you."

I grinned and we hurried to my room.

He pointed to the closet and said, "You'll find almost all of your outfits from Shiz in there and in the back there also is a door connecting your room to Glinda's room."

I grinned and said, "OK. Thanks, Father."

Glinda raced off in search of Madame Morrible.

"Madame! Oh! Madame! I need to talk to you!" Glinda called.

Madame Morrible walked over and said, "Glinda, you don't need to shout."

Glinda nodded and said, "Well, I think know what the message meant."

"You do?" Madame Morrible asked.

Glinda nodded and Madame Morrible asked, "Why not explain to everyone—including myself—what it meant?"

Glinda hesitated, shooting a glance at Fiyero, who barely nodded at her.

Glinda took a deep breath and said, "Fellow citizens, we were all terrified when—"

Glinda hesitated, looked at Fiyero and mouthed, We're getting rid of Morrible too—it's the only way.

Glinda then continued. "My fellow Ozians listen to me! We have been lied to—by someone within our midst! There is a Wicked Witch, but she doesn't have green skin!"

"Who is she?" Someone yelled.

"We need to find her!" A second person yelled.

"The Witch must die!" A third cried.

Glinda nodded and said, "Well, the Witch claimed that someone was Wicked when she was the truly Wicked one!"

Madame Morrible glared at Glinda and said, "Glinda, a moment?"

Glinda smirked and said, "Yes, Madame?"

"What are you doing?" Madame Morrible demanded. "I made you who you are."

"No, you didn't," Glinda snapped. "Elphaba did. She's good. And I'm going to tell the citizens the truth and I am going to reveal what you've been doing. Don't think I don't know." With that, Glinda stalked back to the balcony and smiled at the Ozians around her.

Then, she paused and, pointing at Madame Morrible, said, "Fiyero, have your men restrain her."

"My apologies, fellow Ozians," Glinda began. "As I was saying, the Wicked Witch was lying to you the whole time—including about the Witch having green skin! The Witch looks like us, but she isn't one of us! She is pure evil and you can see it in her appearance! She has willingly let the beloved daughter of our Wizard be put in danger—the woman you believe to be Wicked is not! She is good! Her name is Elphaba and she is the true and only child of the Wizard!"

Everyone gasped and someone asked, "But the message? What did it mean?"

I smiled and said, "I went to visit the Wizard's daughter—when she was in Tortall—actually, I was visiting royalty—Sir Elphaba of Trebond and Conté, the Princess of the Realm of Tortall. Together, we came up with the plan to reveal her identity as the Wizard's daughter to him. Anyway, she was here to begin to put the plan into action. So, she just wanted to make sure I remembered my part of the plan, which was to just walk down, tell the Wizard the truth, and then that was about as far as we'd planned. It went well and, as of right now, I believe the two are having father-daughter bonding time."

The Ozians looked at each other and then cheered.

"Who is the Witch?" Someone asked.

Suddenly everyone heard the loud voice of the Wizard saying, "MADAME MORRIBLE! YOU'RE FIIRED!"

"Our former Press Secretary, Madame Morrible, who has lied to us about the Animals being dangerous. They are our friends. They are part of Oz." Glinda called, grinning.

Then she called, "Now! Fiyero!"

Then Fiyero yelled, "Guards! Take Madame Morrible to Southstairs where she will await her trial! I want someone guarding all possible exits she could use to escape at all times! I want her under solitary confinement so that she can't plot with someone else in jail!"

The Gale Force quickly obeyed all of Fiyero's orders.

Then Glinda and Fiyero returned to the throne room and Elphaba asked, "Glinda, do you want to be the new Press Secretary?"

Glinda's mouth dropped and said, "Oh, really, Elphie?"

"Really," I said. "Fiyero will remain Captain of the Gale Force—however, I will be permitted—once in a while—to accompany them under his—and only his—protection."

Fiyero grinned and said, "I need to talk to the Wizard alone for a second."

Glinda and I looked at each other and I said, "Come on, let's go to my room."

"I hope it's the one next to mine," Glinda began.

"Do you mean the one with all my stuff already there?" I asked.

Glinda nodded and I said, "Yeah, Lin, that's my room. It's almost like we're back at Shiz."