Chapter Text
"Let me go! I almost had her!" Glinda shrieked, kicking as a guard pulled her away from the fight.
"I will rip yo-" Elphaba was cut off by a hard punch in her chest, and she coughed, doubling over. The guards forced her arms behind her back.
Glinda gasped, horrified as the Gale Force guards surrounded her friend. "Elphie!" Suddenly, her anger dissipated as she tried to pull herself free. Her best friend didn't deserve this... She winced when she heard a harsh slap. "Let her go!"
Elphaba was stunned, and tasted blood in her mouth. She tried to fight even when she felt rope snake around her wrists. She tried, willed her magic to work, and yet she couldn't even summon a wisp of smoke. Of course... it only serves as destruction... never rescue... she thought bitterly. She tried to yank her arms free. That earned her another blow to the stomach.
"Elphie!" Glinda shrieked again. "Don't hurt her! Elphie, I'm sorry! Please!"
"Take her over there. Her Goodness doesn't need to see this." Cherrystone ordered.
"The Press Secretary wants her alive," one of the men said.
"Oh, don't worry. We'll leave the witch alive. We should at least have fun with her first." He leaned over her and roughly grabbed her chin, forcing her to look up
Glinda paled at the implication, and suddenly she wanted to claw his eyes out. "For a man to do such a... You're no better than..."
Elphaba just stared defiantly at the man. She'd seen him at Fiyero's side during each chase. She too understood what he meant to do to her, and she'd rather die trying than to let him touch her, to let him see her the same way Fiyero had just hours earlier. She spat at him and kicked upwards, sending him sprawling to the floor. She didn't regret it even as one of the men kicked at the backs of her legs, making them buckle, though she didn't fall, still being held up by the men.
Cherrystone growled menacingly. "You'll pay for that, witch!" he spat. "Take her in that field!" He grabbed the broom and snapped it.
Three of the soldiers dragged her forward and into the cornfield.
"Elphie!" Glinda sobbed. It wasn't long before her best friend's screams filled the air.
Glinda didn't know how much time had passed when she saw a horse-drawn cage on wheels turn up, and Elphaba's unconscious, battered body was thrown into it. She ran over to it. "Please! Let her go! She needs help!"
"You are good, Your Goodness, but I don't think even the Wicked Witch can be rehabilitated."
"You don't know her!" She's not wicked! She's good!
The driver simply shrugged and drove her back to the Emerald City.
Glinda sat in the middle of the town square, clinging to her friend's hat and satchel, and she sobbed. The townspeople had gone back to their homes after celebrating the death of the Wicked Witch of the East. The Gale Force guards had followed the cage.
She looked up at the sound of footsteps running, and she sobbed louder as Fiyero ran into view, his eyes manic with worry.
"Glinda! What-" he froze, seeing spots and smudges of red staining the yellow brick road, and his blood ran cold, following the trail with his eyes, seeing it coming from the cornfield. Her broom lay in two pieces on the side of the road.
Glinda stumbled to her feet and ran to him, seeking comfort.
"What happened?" he looked at her, trying to hold it together, trying not to panic about the blood. It could be anybody's! He reasoned.
"I..." How could she tell him that it was her fault? That she'd been part of the ruse to smoke her best friend out.
Fiyero gripped her arms tightly, giving her a slight shake in the process. "Glinda! Where is she? What happened?!" He didn't care for her tears. Something had gone wrong, and he had to find Elphaba.
"They took her..."
"How did they know?" There was silence. "How did they know, Galinda?!"
She flinched as if he'd struck her. "It was a mistake... I didn't mean for this-"
"You sent them after her, and you didn't think of what they would do?!" he snapped.
"I was upset! In case you hadn't noticed, Fiyero, it was our wedding day! Which would never have happened if you'd just been honest from the start!"
"THEN BE MAD AT ME!" he shouted.
"I AM mad at you!" she snapped. "I only wanted it to be a rumour! Not... this!"
He growled and let her go, stepping away from her. He'd never raised his hand to a lady; he wasn't about to start now, even if he did want to throttle her. "A rumour?" he laughed incredulously. "A fucking rumour?! Glinda! She's evaded the guards for the last five years! Did you honestly think a rumour would cut it?!"
"I didn't think!"
"I'm going to find her. And you are coming with me. See if we can sort this fucking mess you've caused." He gripped her by the wrist. "I'm going to assume she's been taken back to the city?"
She nodded numbly, still clutching the brim of the hat, and she put the bag over her shoulder.
He dragged her with him along the yellow brick road. He looked up, expecting to see Monkeys, but saw none.
Glinda had to jog to keep up with him, not something she expected to do in heels; she could still hear Elphaba's cries in her head, and she had no more tears left to cry. "Wait-" she tugged at her arm.
Fiyero stopped and looked at her silently.
"I... I brought Feldspur with me..."
His eyes darkened for a moment. "What did you say?"
"I left him in a stable; he didn't see anything."
Fiyero groaned and shook his head before he whistled long and loud. "Why didn't you say anything?"
"You didn't give me a chance!" Glinda huffed.
Had he not been so irritated, he would have apologised. Instead, he listened and waited for the sound of hoofbeats. Moments later, he sighed in relief as his friend came into view. He let go of Glinda's wrist and hugged the Horse. "Didn't think I'd see you again," he said softly.
The Horse eyed Glinda wearily. He may not have seen what happened, but he certainly wasn't deaf. "She's not in a good way," Feldspur told him.
Fiyero nodded and swallowed thickly. "Yeah. Kinda guessed that," he muttered. "I'm going to save her."
Feldspur nodded, and then levelled Glinda with a blank stare. "You are a long way from claiming that Goodness title."
Glinda bit her lip and nodded.
"Get on. We're wasting time." Fiyero told her and helped her up, and he climbed on in front of her. He patted his friend's neck. "Go."
Feldspur nodded and set off along the road at a gallop.
Glinda held on to Fiyero.
They reached the Emerald City an hour later, and Glinda forced herself to smile as they were met with cheers and celebration. The Wicked Witch had been captured. The crowd even seemed to forgive Fiyero, who was back on Glinda's arm.
Fiyero felt sick at the mere thought of it as they trotted through to the Emerald Palace. He climbed down and helped Glinda down before passing the reins to another person.
Glinda made a show of holding his hand and waved over her shoulder. She didn't see the dark look he was giving her until he dragged her inside, dropping her hand when the doors closed.
"Don't do that again. I am not something you can pretend to be redeemed and show off."
"I...I'm sorry," she said quietly.
"Did you happen to hear where they would take her should she be captured? This was your plan, after all."
She winced again and shook her head. "No... And it wasn't like that!"
He scoffed and rolled his eyes, thankful the corridor was empty.
"We could check the throne room... But we're going to need to pretend for a bit longer... They won't let you past this corridor otherwise..."
He glared, hating that she was right. "Fine. But the end goal here is her. Not you."
She nodded. "U-understood." This side of him downright scared her. She realised now that he loved Elphaba. Probably always did. But this man beside her was completely unrecognisable now. "Th-there's something else you should know..."
"What?"
"A little girl is on her way here... She'll be here in three days..."
He looked confused. "What does that have to do with anything?"
"Sh-she was in the house that... that's in Munchkinland. She has Nessa's shoes... Elphie and I argued over them..."
He pinched the bridge of his nose; he could feel a headache brewing. "For the love of..." he groaned. "And why is she coming here?"
"I told her the Wizard could send her home..."
"Are you stupid?"
She blinked, taken aback by the tone and his words.
"He won't be able to send her home. How, pray tell, do you expect to explain that away?!" He paused. "Oh, you... Morrible. You think that snake will send her home?! She'd likely kill the poor kid!" How the hell was he supposed to stop that?!
"You don't have to be so rude! I get it! I messed up! But you did too!"
"Me?"
"Yes, you!" she huffed. "Had you told me years ago, we would not have been standing at the aisle yesterday! I would have been able to think of something!"
"Fine, okay," he sighed. "Come on."
She nodded and linked her arm with his, and they headed further inside. She smiled at confused faces and looked up at Fiyero, who, to his credit, forced his own smile.
"I'm sorry for running off like that." The words felt hollow, a familiar feeling when expressing any form of affection that wasn't friendly to her. He had a performance to give, after all.
She heard the inflection this time. Had he always sounded like that with her? Had he loved her at all? "It's quite alright, dearest."
Palace staff whispered, "Oh, she's so good!" as they passed them. "Don't they look wonderful together?"
Fiyero bit back his anger and clenched his jaw. Was the walk to the throne room really so long? He had to get to Elphaba. Hold on, Fae... Just... hold on...
Glinda's eyes fell on the Gale Force guards standing outside the doors. "I wish to see Madame Morrible."
"She is busy at present, Your Goodness. And what is he doing here?"
"I know. I have something of hers." She gestured to the bag on her shoulder, which felt suspiciously light now she thought about it. "Fiyero and I have reconciled our differences. We are hoping to try again."
Fiyero didn't react. The Grimmerie was, in fact, still in the hideout.
That response seemed to satisfy the guard, and he stepped aside.
"Thank you." Glinda walked inside with Fiyero and closed the door behind her.
"Ah, we have company." Madame Morrible sent another shock jolt through the cage at Elphaba, who was curled up on the floor. "Where is it?!"
Fiyero rushed forward and grabbed the bars, trying to find the door. "Fae. Elphaba, look at me," he said desperately. What the fuck have they done to you...? he thought.
Elphaba flinched and didn't look up. No... It's too dangerous... he's not here...
"Madame, you said you wouldn't hurt her!" Glinda gasped, and she ran forward.
Morrible grabbed her arm and pulled her. "Ah, ah! Not so fast," she taunted with a smirk.
Glinda pulled her arm free with a scowl. "Let her go!"
"Not until she tells me where the Grimmerie is." Her eyes fell on Fiyero. "If she doesn't, perhaps a little persuasion is in order."
Fiyero glared darkly at the older witch. "Let her go."
"Guards!" Morrible shouted.
"Now, now, we said we would give her a chance, madame." The Wizard's placating voice cut through. He took his green bottle from his inside pocket and took a swig from it before he put it away again. He waved the guards out of the room once more.
Fiyero's eyes flickered in recognition. He'd seen that bottle many times before. But where else...?
Suddenly, Morrible lurched forward and snatched the bag from Glinda's shoulder. The woman in question tried to protest and grab it back. "There's nothing in here."
"O-of co-ourse there is...isn't." Elphaba coughed weakly.
The bag was thrown across the room in a fit of anger, and she sent a shockwave over Elphaba again, revelling in her cries. The small green bottle rolled out of it.
Fiyero saw red and lunged for the woman.
"Fiyero, no!" Glinda shrieked and grabbed his arms. "No! You don't want to do this!"
"I will kill that bitch!" he growled, shoving Glinda out of the way, and he pushed Morrible away from the cage. "I said let her go!" He pulled the gun from his waistband and aimed it at her. He stood with his back against the bars, as if he could protect Elphaba where he stood.
"Oh, shit!"
All three heads whipped around at the voice, to see the Wizard kneeling on the floor.
"Yo-your Ozness?" Glinda queried.
When the man in question looked up, his face had changed from amenable indifference to total devastation.
Fiyero felt sick. "What are you doing with that bag?"
"I was just... this fell out," he held up the bottle and then looked at Elphaba. "Elphaba. What are you doing with this?"
Elphaba looked up, her face streaked with tears and her own blood. "Gi-i-i-ive it back..."
"Where did you get it?"
"It's her mother's, Your Ozness," Glinda answered.
"He has the same one." Fiyero realised, and with renewed vigour, trained the gun back on Morrible. "Get her out of there."
"Hsr mother..." The Wizard said softly, his mind drifting back to a time long ago. Nights spent with a very accommodating woman with dark eyes and a warm bed. No... his gaze fell upon Elphaba once more, and his heart sank. The sadness in her face mirrored his own mother's when he left all those years ago. How had he not seen it? Oh, good Lord, what had he done? "Let her go, Madame," he said, his voice strained.
Madame Morrible, who had been silent through the whole exchange, suddenly looked furious. "After what you planned?! She has the Grimmerie! Who knows what she could do with it, what she has done with it?!"
"I planned? Madame, I had no part in this vendetta of yours," he said, shakily standing to his feet. "You heard him. Set her free. Look at her, she's in no fit state to do anything." She needs medical attention.
"And you manipulated her. Used her friend to get her on side." Fiyero spat. "Don't think I'm done with you, either."
Glinda ran to the window and threw it open. Moments later, the flying Monkeys burst in, all of them standing guard around the cage, as if they would protect Elphaba from further attack.
"How do we open it?" Fiyero asked.
"There's a lever... just..." The Wizard half-heartedly gestured in the vague direction of it.
Glinda set about trying to look for it. She found a lever and pulled. The sounds of metal filled the room, and the metal bars sank into the floor. She shuddered; she dreaded to think what he originally had planned for that...
"Get her." Fiyero nodded to Chistery as he leapt back and gently cradled Elphaba in his lap. "It's okay. I've got you," he said softly. She flinched at his touch, and his heart broke and his blood boiled. "Fae, you're safe."
The Monkeys sprang into action and leapt on Morrible, dragging her to the floor.
"Perhaps it's you who ought to be in a cage, Madame," Glinda said airily.
Fiyero felt his stomach drop. He knew that change in tone, and it was never a good sign.
"What?"
"Oh, I'm just wondering how you would fare in your own cage. Prison. Captivity. Just like you did with Elphie and with those Animals."
Elphaba tried to open her eyes again, and she looked up. Her eyes were blurry, and if he weren't speaking to her, she wouldn't have known it was Fiyero holding her.
The Wizard slowly walked over to them.
"You stay back," Fiyero growled, pointing the gun up at him. "You don't get to try and make amends after what you put her through. Whatever connection her mother had with that bottle, it ended there."
The Wizard froze and raised his hands in a placating manner. "She's going to need help."
"Where are Pfannee and Shenshen?" Glinda asked.
"In your suite, Miss Glinda."
"Make yourself useful and go and fetch them and send for a doctor. If you're so desperate to do right for Elphie."
"What are they gonna do?" Fiyero looked confused.
Glinda waited until he was out of the room. "Absolutely nothing. But if he thinks he can play concerned, let him believe it for now, but he won't make up for this."
He nodded.
At some point, Elphaba had succumbed to unconsciousness.
"Take her into that room," she said to the Monkeys, nodding to the open door. "Apparently, there are cages in there."
Fiyero paled. "That's where the Animals were kept?!"
"From what I heard, yes." There was a hard edge to her voice. Furious didn't cover it when she overheard that. It had taken Pfannee over an hour to calm her down. She leaned down until she was face-to-face with her former mentor. "I hope you can prove me wrong, Madame. I doubt you will," she hissed. "Take her away!"
Chistery grabbed a fistful of the older woman's hair and pulled; the Monkeys dragged her into the adjoining room.
Glinda finally spun on her heels and hurried over to Elphaba. "Elphie..." she said softly.
"What happened to her in that field?" He doesn't want to think about the pool of blood under her body, doesn't want to see it soaking into his trousers. He focused on touching her hands as he rested them on her chest.
"Please don't ask me that..." she said, the sick feeling returning.
His anger reignited, and he gritted his teeth. "You're going to round them up."
"Me?"
He turned his furious gaze to her. "Yes. You want to fix this so badly? Round them up. Have them face justice for what they've done."
Glinda had no answer to that one.
The door opened again, and the Wizard returned with Pfannee.
Pfannee shrieked when he saw Elphaba on the floor.
"Did you get the medic?" Glinda asked.
He nodded. "She looks..." Dead. "We have five minutes..."
"Don't finish that. Fiyero is about three clock-ticks away from using that gun..." she told him. And she fully believed he'd use it.
Pfannee nodded. "You needed me for something?"
"Yes." She forced a brightness to her tone. "I need you to write something up for me. And help me deal with him," she pointed to the Wizard.
The man in question barely heard what she said, as guilt washed over him at the sight of... his daughter, he finally realised, lying broken on the floor, the former Captain of the Guard holding her as though she were the most precious thing in the world.
"I know what I'd like to do with him." Fiyero snapped.
Pfannee looked confused. "Why are we-... What's going on?"
"I'll explain soon, dearest friend. I promise. Come. You too."
He followed Glinda into another room, the Press Secretary's room. The Wizard trailed slowly behind them.
Glinda shuddered, looking around at the evidence of her standing by and doing nothing. "I'm going to burn these," she said softly.
"What do we do?" Pfannee asked.
"We're righting a wrong," she told him.
When Glinda returned to the throne room, Elphaba was alone on the floor. "Fiyero?" A feeling of dread pooled in her stomach, and she ran for the other room. She let out a breath when she found the Monkeys guarding Morrible's cage, but no Fiyero.
"I'm trusting your plan."
She squeaked and spun around, seeing Fiyero walk back to Elphaba with some water and a cloth. "Well... we're going to use the-"
"Don't tell me. Plausible deniability." He started to clean the blood from her face.
She nodded once, and the door opened again. Time for some dramatics... "Oh, thank goodness you're here!" she launched herself at the medic, tears in her eyes. "The Press Secretary... she's been awful! She went quite mad and attacked the witch!"
The medic looked at her, shock and disbelief in his eyes. "Lady Glinda, I'm not sure I understand."
"Please!" she begged. "Please help her! Madame Morrible has been stealing our magic! We were defenceless!"
Fiyero held in a laugh and shook his head.
The medic nodded. "What happened?" He allowed Glinda to drag him over to where the witch and the captain were.
Glinda bit her lip. "The Gale Force soldiers captured her and..." She didn't want to finish that sentence. "And then she was brought here, and Madame Morrible kept shocking her..."
He looked at the three of them with a grim look before he knelt down. "She will need a hospital to do any actual healing, but I can stabilise her enough." He rifled through his bag and pulled out a pot and a vial of liquid. "You can keep cleaning, it'll make applying the salve a bit better."
Fiyero watched intently, and he nodded, resuming his task. It was only then that he realised her dress had been cut and the skirts had been torn. He swallowed his anger, and with it, bile, and slowly cleaned her up. No wonder Glinda didn't want to tell him anything. Those men had hurt her and violated her.
"I'll leave you to it... I must see how Pfannee is getting on..." Glinda said softly and headed back to her friend.
"When I get my hands on whoever did this to you..." Fiyero whispered.
"Your men were not following orders?"
"No," he said firmly. "They were under the strictest instructions should they have ever found her. She remains unharmed." A story was taking shape. One that maybe people would believe. If Glinda was going to push the narrative of Morrible stealing powers...
The medic nodded and applied the salve to the cuts and gashes he could see. "Lift her head up."
Fiyero did as instructed and watched as the liquid was poured into her mouth slowly.
"To help with any pain."
Glinda walked over to Pfannee. "What do you have?" He held up the paper for her to read, and she smiled. "This is perfect! Wait! Where is my bubble?"
"On your balcony."
"We can have the people gather outside underneath it."
Within an hour, Glinda was satisfied with what they had come up with. Elphaba had been taken to the hospital, and Glinda was waiting for Pfannee to set up the transmission for the radio. The Wizard sat quietly, contemplating.
Her friend nodded and gave her a thumbs-up when the green light flashed.
She took hold of the microphone. "Fellow Ozians. Today has been a trying day, and one filled with unexpected, devastating surprises. I'm afraid I come to you, not as Glinda the Good, but as a concerned citizen and friend to all of you." Her voice wavered as she read from the paper. "I have an announcement I wish to make, I will be at my balcony tomorrow at midday." she nodded and Pfannee shut off the transmitter and tears slid down her cheeks. "I hope this will work...
"Will they believe it?"
"I hope so..." she looked down at the next speech. "I must go and see Elphie."
"I can-"
"No!" she almost shouted at him. "No, you are staying here! You are not going to go anywhere near her! She trusted you, I trusted you! I was in that room with you, trying to get her to come back to the fold because you said she would listen to me! And she did! I tricked her! If she had any sense, she'd never forgive me for what I did!" She vented her frustration, not caring about the fact that he was the Wizard of Oz. "She likely would forgive me, because that is the type of person she is. She is kind, loving and brave, and you took everything from her, and I let it happen!"
The Wizard didn't have anything to say to that. He knew she wasn't wrong.
"Now, it's been a long day. I'm going to bed," she looked at Pfannee. "I'll see Elphie in the morning before the speech."
Pfannee nodded and led her out of the room, back to her own quarters.
Fiyero didn't leave Elphaba's bedside the entire night, his story with the medic already taking shape among the rest of the medical staff. The Witch was to be treated for her injuries, even if people were afraid of her. Gale Force soldiers would not be permitted on the ward, and those responsible would face his wrath when he caught up to them. How fickle and small-minded these people were... he thought. They really would believe anything... especially when you had the ear of Glinda the Good.
There was much clamouring when Glinda arrived at the hospital this morning.
"Is it true, you know the Witch?"
Glinda blinked, shifting a bag on her shoulder. She looked at the young woman who asked her. "Yes. I have much to say, but I can't right now. Please be at the Palace at midday if you can." She walked inside. She eventually made it to the ward after answering questions from other concerned Ozians, and she tried to put them at ease, a feeling she didn't feel.
Elphaba slowly opened her eyes and tiredly looked around her. Fiyero was asleep, clutching her arm.
"Elphie..."
Her eyes snapped to her friend. "Gl-l-inda..."
"Shh... I'm here." she dropped the bag beside Fiyero's chair and rushed to her side. She held her free hand. "Elphie, I am so sorry... I never meant for any of this... But I promise you, I'm making it right. I have a plan."
"Gl-i-inda, n-no... Th-they wo-on't believe you."
"They will. Sweet, it's working already. I promise, it's going to be okay. And you and Fiyero won't have to hide anymore."
"I di...didn't wa-ant to..."
"He was never mine, Elphie... I realise that now. I should have seen it long ago."
Elphaba simply stared up at her in disbelief.
"I'm not mad at you." Glinda clarified. "I don't blame you... I mean, look at him," she sighed wistfully. "Pfannee and I have come up with a plan. We're going to say that Morrible was behind all of this. And that she's been trying to steal other people's magic. She was behind the Animals disappearing."
"Ho-ow will you...?"
"Pfannee has gotten very good at forging things over the past year. He signs things for me so I don't have to. He's been making mock-up journal reports well into the night. I'm making a broadcast at midday. Ask for the radio to be switched on."
Elphaba could only nod.
"Do you need me to bring you anything?"
"No... Th-a-ank you... C-a-an I S-s-suggest something?"
"Of course."
"I... I wi-ill o-onl-ly agree t-to be a part of this if it benef-f-fits the Animals too."
Glinda nodded. "I understand. I'm working on it." She hugged her gently. "Rest, I will come by later. Oh, and there's a change of clothes in the bag by his feet. I assume he'd want to be out of that uniform."
Elphaba nodded weakly and watched as her friend left.
Fiyero woke up not long after. "Fae?"
"I... I'm o-okay," she said softly, managing a small smile. "Ev-v-eryth-hing h-hurts th-ough..."
He shifted in his chair.
"Gl-linda just l-left."
"Oh?" He was still angry with the blonde, but he didn't let it show. He got up, poured her a cup of water and handed it to her. "Here, drink this. It'll help with your throat."
She took it gratefully and drank. She needed a moment to collect her thoughts. "S-she brought you a change of clothes," she said, her voice clearer now.
He nodded. "I'm sorry I couldn't stop them."
She smiled a little. "You couldn't have... they would have hurt you instead."
"They're not going to get the chance. Elphaba, they-" he cut himself off. "I was there through your medical examination... I know what they did to you."
Her face burned hot with mortification. "I tried to fight... I tried to stop them..."
"Fae..." He dropped onto the edge of the bed and held her hand. He wanted to hold her and kiss her. "You are not to blame. No one, man or woman, is to blame for that type of ordeal. The fault lies with the men who thought they had the right to use your body for their own gratification. And believe me, they won't be getting away with it. And I will never leave you."
Elphaba bit her lip as she started to cry. How could he still want her after what had been done to her? Why was he being so kind to her?
He leaned in and hugged her tight, and she clung to him as though he could physically hold her together to make her whole again.