Disclaimer: I don't own Wicked.
Author's Note: Well hello again! I once again come bearing a Wicked One-shot…
This was written as a Gelphie Friendship…but could be interpreted as more…it's up to you…
Summary: After Elphaba's death, Glinda receives a gift she never thought possible. The gift brings back a memory that Glinda had long since forgotten.
Of Emeralds and Diamonds-
-A One-Shot
Glinda slowly walked into her room, exhausted and broken.
It had been a day Glinda never wished to repeat for the rest of her life. It was now the early hours of the morning, the day had been a long one. It seemed like it had been weeks since she had been standing in Kiamo Ko saying her final goodbye to Elphaba, when it had been, in fact, only a few hours. It had been one celebration after another, speech after speech, lie upon lie upon lie.
The entirety of Oz had become a mass of sound as people expressed their joy at the death of the Witch. She could still hear it now; it was like a constant buzz. Like a fly that followed her everywhere, that she couldn't shake off. It had been pressing down on her for hours and she was certain that if it didn't end soon it would kill her.
Not that she would mind, dying seemed to be the only logically escape at the moment.
Her Elphie was gone.
Glinda sighed and closed her bedroom door, leaning against it, letting her head hit the wood. The tears would no longer fall and were now replaced with an empty void.
She wished she hadn't promised Elphaba she wouldn't clear her name. It seemed the only right and logical thing to do. Let all of Oz know they had been blinded and tricked by the ones they had trusted. By Glinda, herself. But she had promised, and this was the one promise she intended to keep, no matter what it cost. She owed Elphaba that much.
Throughout their friendship Glinda had always been selfish, she knew it then and she knew it now. She had always done things to benefit herself. Elphaba came second. She had told the girl they were best friends, but she had never been there, had never supported her. Now, it seemed it would be too late.
It was all she could do, then. Honor this one last wish. Allow all of Oz to go on believing she was Wicked. Glinda would honor her, though it was silent.
"No one mourns the Wicked!!!"
The shouts filled the night air and crept in through Glinda's open balcony door.
Slowly Glinda pushed herself from the door and walked to the large balcony that overlooked the city. "I do," she whispered into the night, knowing no one could hear her. A single tear fell down her cheek as she closed door and stepped back into the room.
Elphaba had worked to free Oz of the Wizard's tyranny. And, indirectly, she had. With her death and the revelation that he had been Elphaba's father, Glinda had finally been able to stand up to the man who called himself Wonderful.
Through her new power in Oz Glinda would right what Elphaba had tried to do and she would get all the praise. Peace would come over the land and the denizens would thank Glinda. If only they knew. If only they had known.
Elphaba had finally made good; though, she would never get the pleasure of experiencing it.
Glinda didn't bother to change as she made her way to bed. Her head was throbbing. Any unwanted movement would surely increase the pain. In a very un-lady like fashion Glinda threw herself onto the bed, not caring if her beaded gown wrinkled or not.
As quickly as she had lain down Glinda was back up, as something bulky pushed into the middle of her back. Rubbing the slightly sore area she turned to see what had cause the disturbance in her wallow.
Sitting on the center of her bed as a small, long, rectangular, black box. Glinda's brow furrowed. She didn't remember leaving such a thing on her bed. She didn't even remember owning such an object. Curiosity winning the better of her, she picked up the box and opened it, a small piece of parchment falling out as she did so.
The sight that met Glinda made her feel dizzy.
Sitting delicately in the box was a simply beautiful bracelet. It was the most beautiful piece of jewelry Glinda had ever seen; silver with emeralds and diamonds placed in an alternating pattern all the way around it.
Glinda's heart rate quickened as she eyed the jewelry. How had a bracelet, more specifically, this bracelet made its way into her room. Who would have given it to her? It made no sense what so ever, there as only one person in the entire world who knew of Glinda's love and want for this specific piece of jewelry. But that was impossible…
Glinda looked to her window, the scenery outside changing as she was engulfed in her memory…
Glinda and Elphaba stumbled from the theater, arms linked together, laughing like two school girls. Their theater-going companions looked at the two with kind eyes, each remember their first encounter with the grandness of Oz's capital.
The two giddily walked down the street, singing songs from Wizomania at the top of their lungs. "Oh Elphie!" Glinda exclaimed, grabbing hold of Elphaba's hand and twirling herself under the taller girl's arm. "Can you believe it? We're actually in the Emerald City!" Glinda the proceeded to twirl around in circles by herself. "And here to see the Wizard, of all reasons!" She skipped ahead, not knowing where she was going, but not caring.
Elphaba laughed as she ran to catch up with her best friend. "We're off to see the Wizard!" she sang, making up her own lyrics to one of the Wizomania songs they had just seen, as she latched arms with Glinda once more.
"The Wonderful Wizard of Oz!" The exclaimed together, as Elphaba pulled them onto a bench that was just off the side of the street.
The collapsed into each other as they sat, laughing even more. "Wizomania was positively amazing! Don't you think Elphie?"
Elphaba nodded. "It was—it was—" she bit her lip, trying to find the perfect word. "Thrillifying!" she finally exclaimed.
Glinda laughed harder at Elphaba's word choice. "Why, Elphie, I think I've rubbed off on you. Who would have thought you would have reduced yourself to a word such as 'thrillifying'." Glinda teased, nudging Elphaba in the stomach.
Elphaba's cheeks turned a deep purple as she blushed, "Believe you me, it was only used for lack of better word."
Glinda giggled again, "Why Miss Elphaba, I do believe you're blushing," she drawled.
Elphaba's blushed deepened only making Glinda giggle more, "I don't believe I know what you're talking about," Elphaba replied, standing to hide her embarrassment. Glinda huffed as her friend began to walk away.
"ELPHIE!" she called, running to catch up with Elphaba. "You needn't be embarrassed about being embarrassed."
Elphaba smirked at Glinda's comment. "What a philosophical comment." Glinda rolled her eyes as she fell into step. "Besides, I wasn't embarrassed," the green girl finished quickly.
A small smile crept onto Glinda's features. "Then do tell me what that blush was for."
"I most certainly did not blush," another small purple blush covering Elphaba's cheeks.
Glinda's smile widened. "I don't see why you are so against blushing, you look rather cute when you do it."
Elphaba's brow rose and she turned to look at her petite friend. "Glinda, I do believe the city smog as gotten to you, else you certainly would not have called me cute."
Glinda once again rolled her eyes. "It's not the smog, Elphie, I don't understand why you don't think you can be pretty."
"Ah, so there you go changing your terminology, only proving that it can't be true," Elphaba smirked.
Glinda scoffed, "Pretty, cute, beautiful, what's the difference? Besides, that still doesn't change the fact that you look cute when you blush. So I suggest you accept the fact."
"Glinda, I do believe that you have become the delirious one. Perhaps I should start calling you, Glinda the Delirious?"
"Oh no, I named you that first, and keep it you shall, Elphie the Delirious." Glinda replied, "This conversation is proof enough that you are, indeed, delirious."
"Glinda, you're special." "Elphie, just accept it! You're pretty!"
"You and your cute theory can kiss my bony green ass."
An uncharacteristic smirk worked its way across Glinda's face. "Would you prefer I do so here, or in private?"
Elphaba stopped walking and turned to look at Glinda, her jaw dropping. "Why Miss Glinda, hardly a comment a lovely lady like yourself should make." Glinda's smirk turned devilish. "Oh come on, Elphie, I'm only having fun…Lighten up!" She exclaimed, hitting Elphaba square on her back side before running off down the street.
Elphaba stood, shock-still for a moment before she too smirked and took off after her friend as Glinda rounded a corner.
Elphaba turned the corner sharply, "I'll get you for that---Oof!" Elphaba was interrupted mid-sentence as she ran straight into Glinda, who had stopped outside a shop window; sending Elphaba, alone, to the ground. The petite blonde was stronger than people gave her credit for, in a freakish sort of way.
"Lurline Glinda, did you have to stop?" Elphaba asked, rubbing her elbow as she sat on the ground. The citizens who were doing their weekend shopping, hardly paying any attention to the green girl in their way.
Glinda slowly turned to Elphaba, as if she just realized she was there. "Elphie, what are you doing on the ground?"
Elphaba's eyes widened. "What am I--? Let us think about this, shall we? I was running after you, when you decided to unexpectedly stop, therefore sending me to the ground," Elphaba bit back as someone's knee made sharp contact with her back.
Glinda shook her head and held out her hand, "Well, get up off the ground, before you trip someone."
"How lovely, your more concerned about me tripping some stranger than some stranger trampling me," Elphaba said as Glinda helped her up, the small smirk on her face the only indication that she was teasing.
Glinda hit Elphaba lightly on the arm.
"Why did you stop anyways?" Elphaba asked, as Glinda once again returned to looking through the shop window.
Glinda pointed, "That."
Elphaba looked over Glinda shoulder to see what had caught the girl's eye. Sitting on display in the shop was a silver bracelet, emeralds and diamonds embedded all the way around it. The sun and display lights made it shine like nothing Elphaba had ever seen before.
"Isn't it pretty, Elphie?" Glinda asked, placing her hands lightly on the glass.
Elphaba looked at it once more seemingly memorized. "Yes, I do believe it is."
The two friends stood in a companionable silence, just staring at the simple piece of jewelry as the hustle and bustle of the city continued on around them.
"You know what it reminds me of, Elphie?" Glinda asked, turning to her best friend.
"Hm?" Elphaba replied, leaning her shoulder against the glass, looking to Glinda.
"You and me."
"You and me?"
Glinda nodded. "Yes."
"Once again, my friend, I believe the smog as gotten to you. Nothing that beautiful should rightly be compared to me," Elphaba replied, "You, most definitely. But me? Never."
Glinda furrowed her brow in disappointment. "Here we go again," she said to herself before addressing Elphaba. "Elphie, why must you be so stubborn? Your green skin is just as beautiful as those emeralds."
Elphaba shook her head, the only response she was capable of coming up with.
Glinda stomped her foot on the ground in frustration, "Look I'll show you," she said, taking hold of Elphaba's bony hand in her porcelain one, lacing their fingers. She then maneuvered them so they could clearly see their reflection in the shop window.
"See?" Glinda said, holding their hands up eye-level, "Emeralds and diamonds. Two beautiful gems, but when combined…it's enchanting."
Elphaba stood, staring at their reflection. Green and white. Emeralds and diamonds. For once, Elphaba couldn't disagree.
Glinda sat in her room, staring at the bracelet. Elphaba had been the only one to know about how Glinda had admired it so. The memory of their time in front of that shop window had been long lost in Glinda's mind, covered by the horrid events that had followed over the next few years.
But here the bracelet was again, shining back at her just as brightly as it had that day in the city.
But how had it come to be here? If Elphaba had been the only one to know about it…then…but that was impossible. Glinda looked to the Grimmerie, which she had placed on her dresser earlier that day. Simply impossible.
Elphaba was gone. The celebratory citizens of Oz were proof enough of that.
But, then who would have given to her?
Glinda looked to the piece of paper that had fallen from the box and picked it up. Deciding it was mere coincidence and another one of her admires had gotten her the item, she unrolled it.
Glinda was thankful that she was sitting down, for the message that was scrawled upon the parchment, in all too familiar handwriting, made her heart stop and her head spin.
My Sweet,
It is truly remarkable how far a little lie will go.
Always keep a weather eye open to the westward sky.
Emeralds and Diamonds…what a beautifully strange combination.
Signed Yours,
The Delirious
Hold out, my Sweet, hold out.
Glinda's heart started again, beating ten times faster than normal. Her breathing coming in short, spastic gasps. It wasn't possible…but then…it was. Here was the proof. There was no other need for explanation. It simply was.
Glinda was up faster than a bolt of lightening, she threw open the doors to her balcony and walked out on the terrace, looking west.
"Elphaba Thropp," she whispered into the starry night. "What have you done?"
Even though she would never know the truth, Glinda liked to believe that her question was answered, in the form of a single, familiar cackle.
Fin
Author's Note: Well, there you have it! I hope you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing! Please let me know what you think!!
Until next time,
Your humble author,
The Lonely Goatherd