Ultimate Queen of Cliffies: Always wondering about the Fiyeraba babies *smirk*. I haven't written the ending, so I can't give you a definite answer, but I'll try.
"Fiyero!" Elphaba called over the crowd, searching for the Vinkun. Where could he have gone? He was just behind her.
"My fellow Ozians!" the Wizard began, signaling for the crowd to calm down. The crowd instantly calmed down and was practically clinging to the Wizard's every word. "The war with Ix has ended. The victory is Oz's!"
The crowd cheered again. Elphaba looked around at all the men, women, and children who had come out, waving flags and waving to the royal couple.
"As terrifying as terror is, today is a day of celebration in all four providences of our wonderful country. I am very grateful for all the sacrifices everyone has made to aid in our victory."
"Where is the princess?" someone a few rows behind Elphaba shouted eagerly, causing a few more people to shout in agreement. The princess looked up at her father, wishing there was some way to let him know that she was there, supporting him.
"Hey, why aren't you cheering?"
Elphaba turned towards the voice and came face-to-face with a young, blonde woman a bit shorter than her. Her blonde curls were tied back in a ponytail. She looked tired, but still very beautiful.
"Aren't you happy we won the war?"
She could also detect a bit of a Gillikinese accent. "Yes, of course."
"A lot has been put into winning this war," the woman said, a hint of sadness in her voice.
Elphaba paused briefly and asked gently, "Did you lose someone?"
The woman didn't answer as she subconsciously twisted a ring on her left hand. Then, she said in a soft voice, but loud enough for only Elphaba to hear, "He had just written me saying that he couldn't wait to come home. He said that he knew we were close to winning the war. We were going to be married soon after he came home. We had planned everything out through letters."
"I'm so sorry," Elphaba said gently.
The woman nodded. "At least we won the war, so his sacrifice wasn't for nothing."
"What is your name?"
"Glinda," the woman said. She turned towards Elphaba. "You?"
"Fabala."
Glinda smiled. "Nice to meet you."
"You as well."
They listened to the rest of the Wizard's speech about hope and prosperity. Glinda and Elphaba would exchange glances from time to time and smile at each other. By the end of the speech, they were cheering for the Wizard along with everyone else. The Wizard and Melena waved to everyone once more before going back inside.
"Do you have anywhere to go?" Elphaba asked as the crowds began to clear.
"Why?" Glinda asked cautiously.
"You… seem like you could use some company right now." In truth, Elphaba didn't know why she was asking Glinda to come with her.
The blonde offered her a small, almost sad smile. "Thank you, but I'll pass. I have something I have to do."
"Oh. Then maybe we'll see each around?"
"Do you live in the Emerald City?"
"You… you could say that."
Glinda smiled and nodded. She took out a small pad and a pen and wrote something down before tearing the paper and giving it to Elphaba. "I'm staying at the Lux Limbro Hotel for the next two weeks. Here's the address and my room number if you ever want to have afternoon tea."
Elphaba took the address and looked at it, hoping she would be able to. "Thank you, Glinda."
"See you soon, Fabala," the blonde smiled, giving her new acquaintance a small wave before turning and leaving.
Elphaba smiled softly as she watched her go. She had just learned the story of one of the people, and who knew how many more she could learn. This was a great learning experience for her, and she was glad she didn't have to pass it up. After all, it was her duty as the future Queen of Oz to get to know her subjects. And that's exactly what she was doing. Her duty.
Once most of the crowd cleared, Elphaba went in search of Fiyero. He couldn't have gone far. Maybe they just got separated in the crowd and he was also looking for her. He wouldn't just leave her, right? Sure, they barely knew each other, but he still wouldn't leave her.
"Fiyero!" she called, walking down the street. "Fiyero, where are you?"
"You don't have to shout."
Elphaba jumped and turned, seeing the Vinkun casually leaning against the wall of an alley. "Fiyero, what are you doing?"
"Are you ready to go?" he asked impatiently.
"Why weren't you listening to the Wizard's speech?"
"Fabala, can we please just get out of here?" Elphaba frowned, but gestured for Fiyero to come and they walked away. "I don't have enough money for another trolley ride to the Emerald Diamond, so do you want to walk, or go someplace else?"
"How far is it?"
"Too far to walk."
Elphaba sighed. She really wanted to go to the party, and she had already wasted Fiyero's money, and probably his night. "I'll just go home," she turned towards the Vinkun. "Thank you for tonight."
"Wait," Fiyero said as Elphaba turned to leave. "I'll walk you home."
"It's okay," she said, not wanting Fiyero to see where she really lived, considering the fact that they were just there a few minutes ago. "I'll be fine."
"I know a really nice bar we could go to, if you're still up for it. The night's not over yet."
Elphaba looked up at the full moon in the night sky before looking back at Fiyero. "O-Okay."
Fiyero smiled and led her to the bar. It was only a few blocks away, and they talked a bit on the way there. Once they got there, Fiyero held the door open for Elphaba and they walked inside. The setting of the bar was very intimate. A few booths were set up on the far wall and lots of stools were set up in front of the bar. A jazz band was playing on the stage as Fiyero led Elphaba to the bar.
"What'll it be?" the bartender asked, coming up to them.
"I've… never really… had a drink before," Elphaba admitted shyly.
"I recommend the Wild Mooncrest. Good for first timers," the bartender said.
Fiyero exchanged a look with Elphaba, who nodded. "Make that two, please," he said.
The bartender nodded and went to mix the drinks. The two chatted for a bit, and Elphaba decided to finally ask Fiyero the question that had been on her mind.
"Fiyero?"
"Hmm?"
"If you don't mind my asking, how old were your brothers?"
The Vinkun looked down at his lap and licked his lips.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry. I –"
"Rheme was eighteen. He would have turned nineteen last month. Lyle was twenty-one."
"I'm sorry," Elphaba repeated.
Fiyero nodded absently and their drinks came. "On the house," the bartender said. "In celebration of our victory."
"Thank you," Elphaba smiled, taking a delicate sip of her drink.
"My, this really is your first time, isn't it, missy?" the bartender chuckled.
Elphaba looked up in surprise and turned towards Fiyero. "How else are you supposed to drink it?"
The Vinkun smirked and took a large swig, drinking half the glass in one gulp. A loud burp followed and his smirk widened.
Elphaba rolled her eyes and took another sip, not as big as Fiyero's, but larger than the one she just took.
"Give it time," the bartender said before turning to serve someone else.
"You've obviously done this before," Elphaba pointed out as Fiyero finished the rest of his drink.
"People drink a lot in the Vinkus. Not enough to get blind drunk, but we drink a considerable amount."
"Oh," Elphaba nodded, taking another sip. She looked around the bar and soon saw a familiar face. "Glinda?"
The blonde turned around and gave the incognito princess a wide grin. "Oh! Fabala! How nice to see you!"
"You two know each other?" Fiyero asked, blinking at the blonde.
"We met outside the Wizard's palace," Glinda said, giving her friend a hug. "I didn't know you would be here."
"I didn't know you would be here," Elphaba smiled.
The blonde giggled softly. "Well, I was going to go back to my hotel, but I felt the need for a quick drink to… take my mind off things."
Elphaba nodded, understanding. "Are you feeling better?"
"A little bit. Not as much as I wanted, but a little bit better." Fiyero coughed and Glinda immediately turned her attention to him. "Oh, where are my manners? I'm Glinda Upland," she said, extending her hand towards the Vinkun.
"Fiyero Tigulaar," the Vinkun said, shaking her hand.
The blonde blinked. "Tigulaar? Did you… fight in the war?"
"Yes, I did," he answered.
"Did you… happen to know an Aretas Hearst?"
The prince nodded. "Yes. Why do you ask? Did you know him?"
Glinda began to twist her engagement ring. "He was my fiancée."
"Oh. I'm so sorry. But yes, I did know him. He was a very good friend of myself and my brothers."
"I know. He wrote to me often about the three of you, and how me became very good friends with you, and he asked me if it was alright if he invited you all to our wedding. I said 'yes, of course', but…"
"My brothers were also killed in the war," Fiyero said softly, signaling to the bar tender that he wanted another drink.
"I'm so sorry. I can't imagine what it's like to lose blood family like that. Of course, Aretas and I weren't technically family yet, but…"
"Attention, everyone!" the bartender said loudly, grabbing everyone's attention. "The Wizard is about to come on."
Elphaba looked at the clock. It was almost nine thirty, which meant her father would come on the radio with his weekly program he called his "Fireside Chats". It was a time when families around Oz would gather around their radios and listen to the Wizard speak about what was going on in their country in a way that would make everyone understand and be able to relate. He used words even children would understand, and that just made him even more relatable.
Everyone quieted down and got as close to the small radio on the bar table as they could. Elphaba exchanged a smile with Glinda and looked at Fiyero, but the prince looked as though he wanted to be anyplace other than that bar.
"My fellow Ozians," the voice of the Wizard spoke through the semi-static radio. The bartender moved the antennae up more, trying to get a better reception. "Today is a day of victory. Today, the threat of terror across Oz is over and we enter a time of peace."
Elphaba looked around at everyone as they listened to the speech. Everyone was practically glued to the radio, listening to her father's every word. She smiled to herself, knowing that other families all over Oz were doing the same.
"Surrounded by my dear family, I am speaking to you from the Emerald City, the capital of our wonderful Oz. But, in this time, let us remember all of the sacrifices we all made to insure our victory."
"Sacrifices," Fiyero muttered mercilessly. "What sacrifices has he made?"
Everyone shushed him before turning their attention back to the radio.
"Now, we can return to normalcy, and continue in prosperity of our great country. I know the value and importance of family, and as a husband and a father, I share with you in the joy and sorrows that comes with the end of this long war."
"Sorrows," Fiyero muttered, rolling his eyes.
"How dare you," Elphaba frowned at the Vinkun.
"You," the bartender said, stepping out from behind the table, "are being very disrespectful and disloyal to His Ozness. The Wizard is twenty times the man you are."
"He most certainly is," Elphaba said, resisting the urge to rise to her feet.
"Oh, come on. You're not buying this load of bullocks, are you?" Fiyero said restlessly.
"Shut up!" Glinda snapped, trying to keep her tears at bay. "I've waited so long for the end of this war, and I'm not going to let someone ruin it even more for me."
The bartender stepped up to Fiyero, towering over him. "The Wizard!" he said, raising his glass.
"The Wizard," Elphaba repeated, this time rising to her feet.
"The Wizard!" the rest of the bar echoed, raising their glasses.
Elphaba looked around. Everyone supported the Wizard. They thought he was a great ruler and they supported his decisions. She looked back at Fiyero, who was slouching in his chair with his arms crossed.
"What is wrong with you?" Elphaba asked, glaring at the Vinkun.
Fiyero looked at Elphaba for a few seconds before standing and starting out of the bar.
Not again, Elphaba thought, giving Glinda a quick goodbye and an apology for Fiyero's behavior before hurrying out of the bar after him.
Yes, I borrowed the "Fireside Chats" from the 32nd president of the United States, Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR). He was president from 1933 to 1945 (he died in office) and is the only president to be elected for four consecutive terms (the maximum number of terms (consecutive or not) a president can serve is two, so he knew what he was doing). A bit of American history for you all!