Elphaba bit her tongue to keep from crying out. The green witch was hidden away under a trapdoor, waiting for her chance to escape Oz safely. She would've been excited at the prospect of such a plan, had it not come at such a high cost. She wasn't just hiding under this trapdoor for the escape, she was also hiding because she had just gotten done faking her own death. In order to keep up the ruse, she literally had no choice but to remain underneath that trapdoor.

It wasn't being stuck in that tight little cellar that was causing Elphaba so much pain, however, it was the fact that, literally right above her, her best friend was currently crying her eyes out over what had happened. She was not in on the plan, so in her eyes, Elphaba was honestly dead, and Elphaba had no way of telling her otherwise. That meant, as of right now, Elphaba could only sit down there in silence as the love of her life bellowed in agony, barely even an inch away from her. Elphaba could feel her own tears burning her eyes as she grieved for her friend, and her own inability to comfort said friend. It was torture for her.

"Oh! Elphie!" the girl continued to sob and wail for Elphaba. Elphaba managed to get a glimpse between the floorboards of the trapdoor and she could see a large, bubbly, blue dress right above her. Yup. It was Glinda. As if the crying didn't already solidify it.

"Elphie! Elphie! Elphie!" Glinda continued to cry. Elphaba could hear her shifting around, clutching at her black hat and cloak. It was all that was left of Elphaba, after all. Glinda didn't even have a body to hold...

"Oh, Glinda!" Elphaba whispered to herself as she felt her tears running tracks down her emerald face. "I'm so, so, sorry I have to put you through this, my sweet, my love, but I have to do this. I wish it didn't have to be this way, I wish there was some other option, but there isn't. I cannot comfort you, and you can never know. I'm so, so, so sorry..." Elphaba had to bite down her own sob as she heard a particularly wounded sob come from the girl sitting inches above her head. The green girl tried to block her ears as Glinda continued to mourn her, but it did little good. The floorboards were too thin. Elphaba could hear all of Glinda's pain, and it tore her up on the inside more than words could ever describe.

At last, then, Elphaba sat up. She moved so that she was resting on her knees, and she placed her hand on the underside of the trapdoor. She was not going to open the door, just touch it, and wish that she could be touching the girl sitting on the other side of that door. She held her hand there, praying that Glinda would somehow feel it, even through the wood, and be comforted, and know that even now, Elphaba was still with her. If she had been able to, Elphaba would've realized that Glinda was also touching the trapdoor, her hand right over Elphaba's. Their skin would've been touching, if those wooden boards had not been in the way.

Oz! What a funny and painful thing it was to imagine! Elphaba and Glinda were two of the strongest witches in all of Oz, and now, they were literally only inches apart, but a few wooden slabs of only maybe three inches thick were keeping them apart better than anything else in all of Oz could have ever done. Elphaba almost found it humiliating, to be bested by a mere door! But the irony was too painful for her to laugh at. Glinda was there. She was right there. After so many years apart, Glinda was right there, and yet, Elphaba couldn't have been further away from the little blond if she had tried. The grief and humiliation were unspeakable.

ooo

"Elsa?" a young woman pleaded. She knocked on the door in front of her, took a deep breath, and then addressed the girl behind the door once again. "Please. I know you're in there... Just let me in!" she had to pause, swallowing back tears. In that moment of silence, she prayed that Elsa would answer. She didn't. Not a word or a whisper, barely even any breathing. Just silence.

"We only have each other. It's just you and me," Anna continued, knocking again as the tears she'd been holding back finally began to leak from her eyes. She turned around and sank to the floor when Elsa still refused to reply. She pressed her back against the door in defeat.

"What are we gonna do?" she asked. But this time, just like all the countless other times, the girl on the other side of the door was silent.

Or at least, she was physically silent. But her thoughts were alive with grief.

I'm so sorry Anna, she thought. I would give anything in the world to be with you right now, but I just can't. I'm not safe for you, especially not now. If I open this door, we're both dead, and I can't lose you too. Not after we just buried Mama and Papa. So please, please, please, for both of our sakes... just stay away! But Elsa couldn't bring herself to actually say any of these things. Instead, she only curled up miserably, her own back pressed to the door, and she wept into her knees. Right outside, mere inches away, Anna was in the exact same position.

Elsa could hear all of Anna's pain, and it tore her up on the inside more than words could ever describe. It was torture for her, not being able to comfort her sister at a time like this, but she wasn't stupid enough to think that it was worth the risk to open up the door and let Anna in. Not as long as her icy magic was still wild and unpredictable. She didn't want to risk putting Anna in further danger, even though she wanted nothing more than to be able to hold the girl in her arms and promise her that everything would be ok.

What a funny and painful thing it was to imagine! Elsa and Anna were princesses! Two of the most powerful people in the land! Yet here they were, literally only inches away from each other, but a wooden slab only a few inches thick was keeping them apart better than anything else ever could. Elsa almost found it humiliating, to be a princess and a girl with the power to create ice and snow with a mere thought, and yet also to be bested by a mere door! But the irony was too painful for her to laugh at. Anna was there. She was right there. After so many years apart, Anna was right there, and yet, Elsa couldn't have been further away from her sister if she had tried. The grief and humiliation were unspeakable.

AN: More Elphaba-Glinda parallels with Elsa-Anna (and doors!)

This was actually inspired off of a Gelphie fanart where Glinda and Elphaba are, unwittingly, touching hands through the trap door that is keeping them apart. (So, that makes this fic a musical-canon fic).

The art can be found on DeviantArt and it is literally titled "WICKED – The Secret Trapdoor" and it was drawn by simplySere.

simplysere/art/WICKED-The-Secret-Trapdoor-200551033