No One Mourns The Wicked (Fanfic)

       As Dorothy and the other three untangled themselves, they stood up.  Dorothy found herself face-to-face with the Scarecrow who had helped her the last time.  Next to him was Glinda.  So who was next to her . . . ?
       Glinda was gaping at the one across from her.  Dorothy turned and saw . . .
       Elphaba.
       The witch she thought she killed.
       “Elphie . . . ?” Glinda murmured, almost as if this was a dream.
       “Glinda . . .” Elphaba said back.
       The two stood, frozen by indecision, until Glinda let out a squeal and rushed forward to hug her old friend.  Elphaba embraced Glinda, a small smile playing on her lips.
       “Elphie, I can’t believe you’re alive!!  You wouldn’t believe how horrible it’s been, having to tell everyone you’re dead, and pretending to be happy about it!  It’s dreadful!  I’ve hated every minute of it!”
       “I’ve hated leaving Oz.  Fiyero and I only came back to–“
       “Fiyero?  He’s alive?  Where is he?”  Glinda released her friend and looked around, then back at the mirror.  “Did he not make it through?”
       “No, Glinda, listen.  This,” she gestured to the scarecrow, “is Fiyero.”
       Glinda looked at im in shock.  ” . . . Fiyero?  Elphaba, what did you do to him?”
       “I had to!!  Remember Munchkinland?  They strung him up on poles, and were just going to leave him there unless he told them where I was!  I came back here and looked through the Grimmery for a spell.  I didn’t even know it worked until Fiyero came and got me after everyone thought I’d died.”
       “But why would you want to fake your own death?”
       “Why would I want to stay here when I knew everyone hated me?  Everyone except you, anyway,” Elphaba corrected.
       “Everyone at Shiz hated you, too,” Glinda reminded.
       “That was different and you know it,” Elphaba snapped.
       Glinda sighed.  “I know . . .  But it’s been so hard . . .  All these stupid celebrations, meaningless prattle, and everyone is overjoyed, not remembering a single bit of good you did.”
       “Good?  I did no good deeds,” Elphaba said.
       Glinda opened her mouth to protest, but Fiyero cut in.  “Don’t bother Glinda.  I’ve been trying to convince her, but I can’t manage it.”
       “Elphie . . .”  Glinda trailed off.  Then she remembered that there was a reason they were here.  “Oh!  Elphie, come look at who’s here.”
       “Yes, I see.  The little wretch from Kansas.  What do you want?”
       Glinda swatted at Elphaba’s shoulder.  “Don’t be rude!  She fought to get back here to give you something.”
       Dorothy picked the shoes up off the floor.  “I brought these back to you.  I didn’t think it was fair that I keep them, especially since they belonged to Nessa.”
       “Nessa . . .” Elphaba said, her eyes filling with tears.  She held out her hands and took the shoes.  “Nessa . . .”
       “Put them on,” Fiyero suggested.
       Elphaba looked at the three of them.  “Should I really . . .?”
       “Dorothy fought her way to get here to give you those, and now you’re hesitating putting them on?” Glinda said with a laugh.  “Come on, Elphie, just do it!”
       “All right, all right.”  Elphaba sat down in a large metal chair to the left of the mirror, took off her own black shoes, and slipped her feet into the ruby ones.  She smiled, but then her face contorted in pain and she fell to the floor.
       “Elphie?!” Glinda cried.  She and Fiyero got to their knees on either side of Elphaba.  Dorothy was the only one who saw a dark reddish cloud emerge from the shoes.  But when the cloud started to speak, in a banshee-like wail, all four of them were held at attention.
       “How dare you steal my shoes, Sister!!  You didn’t even care to come see me until I was reliant upon someone else!  And then you couldn’t even save me from death once I had achieved independence!  I will make you suffer the way I was forced to!”