Merry Christmas @glindafication!
Read it on Ao3
Glinda stood on her balcony gazing upwards. The stars were visible; a change from the cloudy and overcast nights that had gloomily presided over the past week. Nearly an hour had passed since the sun had set. She had watched as it slowly drooped below the horizon and the lambent orange glow of dusk was swallowed by the darkness. She supposed it was rather beautiful now though, the prussian blue backdrop of the sky was littered with glistening celestial lights. Their white and sometimes silvery glimmer gently illuminated the streets below. Glinda cast her eyes down to the citizens of Oz. Some were hurrying to get home to their families, while others headed out for romantic dinners or after work social events. They seemed different. Oz seemed different. The people were celebrating and enjoying themselves. How dare they! Her throat burned and she struggled to fully open her eyes as a result of the days and nights spent sobbing and screaming up at the sky. How could it be true? How could her Elphie really be gone?
She had refused to believe it initially, the first couple of days were spent dealing with the administrative fallout of The Wizard’s departure and Morrible’s confinement to Southstairs. Glinda had waited patiently for Elphie to show herself. She kept the doors to her balcony open and the wind whipped at the soft, powder blue, translucent nets that shrouded the entryway. Cold night air streamed in making the room icy and almost unbearable to stay in, but she wouldn’t close them. She sat shivering. Waiting. Waiting for Elphie to come back. But she didn’t.
Glinda prayed. She prayed to Lurline, to the Unnamed God and to any soul or deity who would listen. As she prostrated herself on the floor, tears flooded her eyes and the memories of that dreadful day clouded her mind. As she watched the shadows dance behind the curtain and as Elphie shrank away in a billowing swirl, all the breath in her lungs escaped into the stale damp air of Kiamo Ko. She had barely slept, but whenever she had drifted off for a few moments, while huddled on the armchair in the corner of her apartment, she was plagued by that memory. Condemned to relive it as a graphic nightmare anytime she closed her eyes. She was awoken by a sharp rapping on her door. Glinda realised she had fallen asleep huddled on the floor so slowly got to her feet and slumped down into the armchair. She croaked out a word but what it was, even she was unsure. Chistery gently pushed the door to her apartment open and gingerly made his way inside. The shocked look on his face at Glinda’s dishevelled appearance was quickly turned into a pitiful smile. Her pale, blue dress was creased and crinkled, her curls were a matted frizzy mess and the underneath of her eyes and cheeks were stained with the remnants of black mascara. Chistery had a tray balanced on one hand which he laid down on the small wooden coffee table in front of Glinda and bowed his head as he softly spoke,
“Miss… Glinda. Eat. Please?”
Glinda cleared her throat and raspily replied,
“Thank you, Chistery.”
They both knew the tray would remain untouched, but Chistery simply nodded and left the room. Glinda was aware that she would have to force something down soon but she just couldn’t bring herself to eat. Grief was slowly swallowing her and she felt like she was drowning. The knot in her stomach had wrapped itself into a burning ache that over the last couple of days had penetrated every cell in her body and rendered her unable to form any rational thought. Her head pounded as she reached for the tall glass of water on the tray. She slowly sipped it, staring at the ripples that formed with each movement of her hand. Glinda wasn’t sure how much time had passed but she eventually decided that she should probably change her dress. The look on Chistery’s face had made her very aware of the fact that she hadn’t changed or showered for days. She placed the glass back on the tray with a thud and headed for her bedroom. She couldn’t face the shower yet but clean clothes were definitely in order. As she peeled the dress down over her body she couldn’t keep the tears from flowing. Her hand covered her mouth as she stood there in just her slip and, for the first time, actually let the pain wash over her instead of trying to block it out. She heard her own voice in her mind telling her that Elphie wasn’t coming back. Acceptance. She left the dress in a heap on the floor as she pulled on a mismatched pair of pyjamas and wiped the tears from her face. She ambled over the bed and, body aching, fell onto the mattress. Her head sank into the pillow that smelled of the pink peony washing powder she had requested when she first moved into the palace, and sleep overtook her immediately.
When Glinda awoke the next morning she was cold, probably owing to the fact that she had still not closed the balcony doors. She pulled the covers up to her neck and winced at the bright morning sun that was streaming through the open curtains. Her body still ached and her head was still sore from the lack of food and drink over the previous few days, so she got out of bed and went to fetch the glass of water she had left on the tray the night before. She drank it all in one go before placing it back down again and found herself staring out at the balcony. It was finally time to shut the doors. She blew out a steadying breath before stepping slowly towards them. Sadness welled up inside her but she pressed her lips together and inhaled through her nose, stifling the sobs that threatened to escape. Her head was reeling and her hand trembled as she reached out to push the door closed.
“Be strong, Glinda.” She told herself out loud. Elphie wouldn’t have wanted her to be like this. She imagined Elphie standing there questioning why in all of Oz she was behaving in this way,
“All of this commotion for me?” She would have said. “Now that is preposterous.”
Glinda chuckled at the thought of Elphie standing there scolding her for being upset that she was dead. The first smile that had broken across her face in days. Even in death Elphie was able to cheer her up. Glinda reached out a now steady hand and pushed the doors closed with a soft click. She drew the thin curtains across to meet in the middle and rested her head on the door before faintly tapping a goodbye on the wood. She stepped back, a sad smile on her face, and turned to head back towards the bedroom.
After sleeping all day, Glinda awoke in darkness. She had no idea what time it was, so reached to her bedside table to check her delicate, silver watch. She couldn’t make out what numbers the hands were pointing to so switched on the lamp, squinting at the yellow light that now filled the room. It was only six thirty. Glinda sat up and stretched her arms above her head. Her body was definitely grateful for the much needed sleep as she wasn’t aching any more, but her head was still tender and she was definitely in need of that shower. She made for the open plan area of the apartment and silently cursed The Wizard for not allowing anyone who lived in the palace to have their own kitchens. She would have to call for someone to bring her something to eat.
As if the God’s were listening to her there was a quiet tap on the door. She crossed the room and opened it to find Chistery once again stood with a tray of food. His face brightened at the sight of her up and changed and he bowed his head, as he always did, and held the tray up for her to take.
“Thank you, Chistery. I promise this one will get eaten.” She smiled at him but he kept his eyes low, placed a hand on his chest and stepped back away from the door. Glinda closed it and went to sit at the oversized table and ornate wooden chairs that were, to be honest, rarely used. She devoured the plate of food and gulped down the water at a speed that was rather unbefitting of a lady of Glinda’s stature but in that moment she didn’t care. She moved briskly into her bedroom and took fresh towels from the cupboard before locking the bathroom door and turning on the shower. She waited for steam to fill the room and fog up the glass before stepping into the cascading water, washing away the pain and sorrow that had tormented her for days.
Glinda had chosen a simple pink frock to wear. She brushed and dried her hair and put on a simple face of makeup. She had been neglecting her duties as interim leader of Oz and knew that she would have to show herself. This was the perfect time to leave her apartment as it was now late in the evening and there wouldn’t be as many people roaming the palace. She took a deep breath as she stood at the door to her apartment and plastered on the smile of Glinda the Good before stepping into the hallway. It was silent. She couldn’t hear the chatter of officials or the clomping boots of guards like she usually could. Even in the early hours of the morning business carried on and the palace was rarely quiet. She looked up and down the corridor and saw two monkeys at either end. Her brow furrowed in confusion as she hurried down to one side to see what was going on.
“Um… sorry, excuse me?” She asked quietly as she approached them. “Is everything okay here?”
They both straightened up at her presence and bowed their heads respectfully. One of them spoke, his gruff voice echoing in the empty, mirrored hallway,
“Yes, Miss Glinda. Everything is fine. Even more so now we have seen you are feeling better. Chistery told us you weren’t well, so we have been guarding your floor to make sure nobody could disturb you.”
Glinda felt overwhelmed at his admission, though she kept her smile fixed in place.
“Well I am very appreciative of your dedication to ensuring my wellbeing and will make sure you are recognised, officially, for your service. Please feel free to continue with your other duties now, as I am feeling much better.”
They remained where they were and the second monkey spoke this time,
“That is very kind of you Miss Glinda, but we are under strict orders to remain here until Chistery dismisses us.”
Glinda nodded, understanding that they would not be leaving their posts and flitted past them to make her way down to the throne room. She had much to attend to and there was no better time to immerse herself in her work than now. The fact it would also provide a welcome distraction from recent events was a bonus.
It had been a rather uneventful evening with Glinda spending most of it in The Wizard’s office, well she supposed it was her office now, signing documents and reading through pages and pages of litigation that The Wizard and Morrible had looped into seemingly harmless laws and decrees. She paused though when she came across a letter from Nessa, addressed urgently to The Wizard. Curiosity tugged her fingers towards the flap of the envelope that had been opened. She chewed her bottom lip and shook her head, desperate to see what Nessa had written; but something in her gut warned her not to go snooping if she wasn’t prepared to see something she didn’t like. She placed the letter back on top of the pile of documents she had just finished adding her signature to and concluded that she would decide whether or not to read through it the following day.
Glinda was tired when she had finally made it back up to her floor. She noticed as she left The Wi… her office that it was a few clock ticks past midnight and she suppressed a yawn as she turned the corner that led to her apartment. The monkeys had gone, Glinda wasn’t sure if she was grateful for the solitude or if it made her uneasy that her protection detail was no longer there. She turned the handle on her door and stepped inside. Something wasn’t quite right. Everything was still in its place, nothing seemed to have been moved. But something felt… different. Glinda swiftly removed her shoes and moved cautiously around the room, being careful to make as little noise as possible. Alarm rang in her ears, the innate sense that someone had been in her room and was possibly still there filled her with dread. She softly padded across the room, her eyes not quite adjusted to the dark yet, and turned on the tall, freestanding lamp in the corner of the room. That was when she noticed the curtains across the balcony doors were slightly separated. She was certain she had pulled them together. She was on high alert now and tried to quiet her panicked breaths and will her heart not to pound so loudly in her chest. She had no wand, her magic couldn’t be relied upon, especially not in a confrontational situation, and there was nothing around for her to grab and use as a weapon. She supposed she could use the lamp she had just switched on but it was heavy and the weight was not evenly balanced making it a rather superfluous instrument of defense.
Glinda ran her eyes rapidly around the room. One of the benefits of having everything open plan and spaced out was that there weren’t very many places to hide. The large sofa was propped high up off the ground on curled wooden feet so she could tell nobody was crouched behind that and the curtains that hung over the large window were pinned back in such a way that nobody could conceal themselves behind them, meaning that if someone was still inside her apartment they were either in the bedroom, the small study or out on the balcony. Glinda checked the balcony first, making sure that nobody could sneak up behind her. Clear. Next she went for the study, she only had a small desk and chair in there so it would be easy to see if someone was in there. She expertly opened the door without making a sound, a skill she had picked up when snooping through her parents' things as a child. Upon peering inside it was obvious that nobody was there either, so she finally made for the bedroom. As she pushed the door open she was stunned to see Chistery laying folded clothes on the large ottoman at the foot of the bed.
“Oh, Chistery. Thank Oz it’s you!” The relief in her voice was evident.
“S… sorry, Miss Glinda. The clothes were ready. Washed. Clean.”
Glinda moved over to the bed and sat down, heaving a sigh as she did so.
“Please, Chistery, there is no need to apologise. I thought you were an intruder. I was going to hit you with my lamp!”
His eyes widened slightly,
“Well, I mean, I thought about it.” she chuckled. “But, I am feeling rather tired now so if you don’t have anything else to do here, I am going to get washed up and try to get some sleep. Elphie would hate it if she knew I hadn’t been taking care of myself.” A sadness flickered in Chistery’s eyes at the mention of Elphaba, though he, like Glinda, seemed to be good at masking his emotions and burying them away.
“Mmm.” He grunted. “Goodnight, Miss Glinda.” His words were slow and Glinda often got the impression that he didn’t use them unless he really did mean them. She reached out a hand to tenderly cover his as she softly replied,
“Goodnight, Chistery.”
He ambled out of the room and pulled the apartment door shut behind him. Glinda took a moment to sit in the peace and quiet as she whispered,
“Goodnight, Elphie.”
She leapt from the bed, heart once again pounding as she heard a voice say,
“It’s far too early for me to go to bed yet, Glinda.”
Glinda spun to face the corner of the room the voice seemed to have come from. There was nobody there. Oz, maybe she really had lost it now and was imagining things. Perhaps the lack of sleep had sent her mind into a spiral and now she couldn’t tell what was real or if she was dreaming. That must be it, she had fallen asleep and was dreaming. The only explanation that seemed to make any sense was that she was dreaming. She repeated it to herself over and over again,
“You are dreaming, Glinda. It’s a dream. All it is, is a dream.” She shook her head and closed her eyes as she playfully sang the same phrases repetitively.
“Glinda. You aren’t dreaming.”
Her eyes snapped open and she spoke, this time, very assertively,
“Who are you, and what do you want? And why do you sound like my Elphie? Show yourself!”
Glinda’s mouth fell open as from the corner of the room, a shimmering effect began to reveal the figure of Elphaba standing there. Hat on, broom in hand, skin positively emerald, as always. “Elphie?” she questioned. “Elphie, is that you?” Elphaba stepped forwards into the light, her lips tugged upwards into a small half-smile. “Oh my Oz! How… what… how did you…? I saw you, I saw you melt!”
Elphaba moved towards Glinda, her hand was reaching forwards. Glinda raised her arm to meet the long green fingers but retracted her hand. The feelings that swirled inside her were difficult to decipher. She felt initial relief that Elphie was indeed alive, but tears welled in her eyes as the sadness that had threatened to consume her over the last week squeezed once more at her heart. Then there was anger. She could definitely tell that she was angry. It coursed through her like a fire, ignited by only a small amount of kindling but spreading rapidly through her veins. Her chest now burned furiously and she felt her pulse throb behind her eyes. Glinda didn’t think she had ever been this angry in her life and before her brain could try to rationalise and calm down the pure, unadulterated rage spilled out from within her.
“You!” She pointed her finger right between Elphaba’s eyes. “How dare you?!”
Elphaba looked confused,
“How dare I?”
“Be quiet Elphaba!” she snapped. “How dare you leave me like that. I watched you melt, I watched you die, and you have the audacity to swoop back in here after a week of nothing, no message, no sign, nothing and act as if I would be thrillified to see you! Who do you think you are?! I grieved for you Elphaba, I cried and sobbed and screamed until I had no voice left inside me.” Glinda pounded her hand against her own chest, “ I prayed. For you. I prayed to anyone who would hear my pleas. I couldn’t eat, I couldn’t sleep and when I did eventually pass out from exhaustion I was terrified by the nightmares. And for what? You have put me through hell, you left me here to suffer just like before.” she spat, hatefully “ All those words, that forgiveness, the healing we went through. All of it was for nothing. All of it meant nothing, because it is clear to me now Elphaba that the regard I have for you is not the same as the way you feel about me. You are wicked. You are the Wicked Witch of the West. You left me here alone… again.” Glinda laughed, though tears spilled from her eyes. “Again. How could you do that to me? How could you let me believe you were dead?” Glinda dropped to her knees, unable to support her own weight any longer. Elphaba moved towards her and placed a hand on Glinda’s back but she recoiled, she wasn’t interested in Elphaba’s comfort. The anger had only intensified within her, her ears now rushing with blood as she stumbled back to her feet and away from Elphaba. “Don’t touch me! Don’t come anywhere near me. Stay away from me Elphaba, I mean it.”
Glinda stormed out of her bedroom and headed towards the front door as she pulled at the handle to throw it open her fingers buzzed with a jolt of what felt like electricity.
Magic.
Her nose crinkled and she gritted her teeth as she swiveled on the spot to find Elphaba standing behind her. “Open the door, Elphaba.”
“No.”
“Elphaba Thropp, open the door this instant.”
Elphaba rested her broom against the small side table next to the door and folded her arms. Her dark brown eyes pierced straight through Glinda whose face felt hot.
“No.”
“I swear, if you don’t open that door I’ll…”
Elphaba smirked,
“You’ll… what?”
“I’ll…” Glinda’s gaze flickered around the room before finding Elphaba once more. “I’ll… arghh” Glinda launched herself at Elphaba. Their hands grappled with each other as Glinda toppled Elphaba onto the floor. She could just about hear Elphaba muttering beneath her,
“What is wrong with you, Glinda? Are you crazy?!”
Glinda wasn’t actually trying to hurt her, they really only held onto each other with Glinda straddling Elphaba.
“You left me! How could you do that, how could you leave me like that?” Glinda’s voice cracked as tears once again began to stream down her cheeks. She yanked her arms free of Elphaba’s grip, balled her hands into fists and pounded at Elphaba’s upper arms, though used barely any strength. “How could you, Elphie? Why did you do that to me?”
Glinda felt Elphaba go limp beneath her. She seemed to allow Glinda to cry and push and hit at her for a few moments before catching Glinda’s arms mid swing and dragging her down on top of her, enveloping her in a hug. Glinda was held tight against Elphaba. She could smell the cinnamon and vanilla scent that often filled their dorm room after Elphaba had showered. Glinda struggled, initially, trying to break free from her grasp but it was futile; Elphaba was bigger and stronger than she was. After realising that she was effectively a prisoner in Elphaba’s arms, she gave in and sank down, allowing her full weight to rest on top of Elphaba. She tucked her arms in and curled herself as best she could against Elphaba’s chest and sobbed to the quiet cooing of Elphaba whispering apologies in her ear.
“My sweet. I am so sorry. I tried to come back on the second night but there were guards everywhere. I couldn’t risk coming to you. I couldn’t risk them finding out about us and persecuting you too. I love you too much to put you in any danger, even if that meant not being able to see you.” Elphaba squeezed even tighter until Glinda realised she couldn’t quite breathe properly. She sniffed loudly, her nose now blocked and stuffy from crying as she rolled to the side and shook her head. Elphaba turned to face her on the floor of her apartment and delicately wiped the tears from Glinda’s face. She held her cheeks and softly placed a kiss on her forehead,
“I’m sorry, Glinda. I promise I will never leave you again. I know you have heard that before and I know I will have to earn your trust again, but we can finally be together now. It is safe. Oz is safe. For us and for so many that The Wizard had oppressed and it is all because of you, Glinda. You are the reason that we are free. I love you so much and I am deeply sorry for putting you through that ordeal and I will spend the rest of my life making up for it.”
Glinda’s eyes searched Elphaba’s for any indication that she was not being truthful, but she saw only sincerity and care. Elphaba leaned in, pressing her lips to Glinda’s. Warmth spread through Glinda as her eyes fluttered closed and the anger that had ravaged her body mere moments ago dissipated into nothing. Love bloomed in her heart and she felt for the first time since that fateful day that she might actually heal. She had her Elphie back.
After they parted she felt herself being pulled to her feet and she was guided towards the bedroom. Elphaba sat on the bed and dragged Glinda towards her, connecting their lips in another kiss. This one was passionate and desperate, teeth clashed and noses brushed against each other as Glinda pushed forwards until they were both lying down. They spent the next few minutes kissing and holding each other, words weren’t necessary in that moment. They had time now. They had time to talk and apologise and cry and hug and explore what a life together could actually look like. The Wizard was gone and Oz could finally prosper and they could finally be together. Just them.
