Overcoming Adversity

A 'Wicked' fanfiction

Sequel to 'Moment of Weakness'

By ~heatqueen

Chapter 1

ELPHABA

The town of Frottica was the opposite from what I had known in Munchkinland. There was not a sign of the rolling hills, not one single farm or carpentry or spinster. Instead of lush fields seeded with crops and flowers, there were expensive town houses, smart stores and cobbled pavements. As Galinda searched the crowds for her parents, I stared around, feeling incredibly out of place. I would probably walk into the simplest of restaurants and be unable to afford it.

The people were dressed much the same as many of the wealthy students at Shiz. I spotted a hundred Pfannees and Shenshens in the crowd, and even a few Fiyeros, though there weren't that many Winkies here. Although I was accustomed to simple clothing, I suddenly found myself feeling inadequately dressed. Galinda, if not for the ridiculous wig on her head, would have fitted right in, in her long, pale pink dress and white shawl. I wondered how she wasn't bothered by the lack of colour coordination.

'MOMSIE!' Galinda screeched, and bounded up towards a tall, blonde woman. She looked like a much more elegant and regal version of her daughter. As Galinda lowered her luggage and embraced her mother, I stood to one side, unsure what to do and suddenly feeling very awkward. Next to the woman stood Highmuster Arduenna, who smiled at me, and cocked a confused eyebrow towards Galinda.

'My little Glin!' the woman exclaimed. 'How wonderful to see you again, it has been far too long.'

Galinda stepped back, with a glint in her eye. The wig fell around her shoulders.

'So…what do you think?'

Highmuster cracked a smile: he had noticed, I realised. Galinda's mother, on the other hand, stared at Galinda up and down, frowning in deep thought. I had no choice but to keep standing there and watch the scene unfold in front of me.

'Something's different,' she eventually said.

Galinda nodded.

'Go on…'

'Um…hmm…let's see…you got a piercing? Sweet Oz, if you got a piercing, I will have it in for you!' she screeched.

'Nope, no piercing.'

I bit back my exasperation at the woman's unperceptive air. Galinda was trying her hardest not to break down into giggles. Her face was turning adorably red, and she had begun to fidget.

'Uh…well, there is definitely something but I can't quite pinpoint it…'

'The hair,' Highmuster intervened. 'Look at the hair.'

'Oh sweet Oz!' the woman exclaimed loudly as she finally realised. 'My little Glin, what in Oz have you done? It's…it's horrendible! Absolutely disgustifying! We'll have to deal with that just as soon as we get home. I should have known university would have a bad influence on you, but never in my life did I expect…what's so funny?' she demanded, for both Galinda and Highmuster were in stitches.

Galinda yanked the wig off her head.

'Surprise,' she said, and the woman gaped.

'Galinda Upland, you are never to scare me like that again, do you hear me? It does no good to my ageing body.'

Galinda took my hand and brought me forward. My amusement quickly turned into nerves as the woman saw me for the first time. She jumped and staggered backwards.

'Momsie!' Galinda hissed.

'Oh – oh my,' she stuttered. 'I do apologise sincerely. You gave me quite a shock. Um – my name is Larena Upland, of the Upper Uplands. Galinda's mother.'

'Elphaba Thropp,' I replied.

'This is the friend you've been writing about?' Larena said to Galinda.

'The very same. She is absolutely wonderful.'

'Very nice to see you again,' said Highmuster, and I nodded.

'Well let us be off,' said Larena, 'unless Glin has any more shocks up her sleeve. I think I shall positively faint if there is anything else!'

The Uplands had their own carriage. It took only fifteen minutes to arrive at the Arduenna Estate, a large mansion hidden behind a gate and high concrete walls. The mansion itself was made of bricks and surrounded by a beautiful garden full of flowers and a small pond. I stared at it in awe. Even Colwen Grounds, where the Eminent Thropp lived, didn't quite match up to this, despite my family being considered wealthier than Galinda's.

'This is wonderful,' I commented.

'Isn't it lovely?' Galinda agreed. 'Wait until you see the inside, Elphie. It's so big and spacious. Oh, and you'll have to see my room of course.'

'Will it be as pink as your area of our room at Shiz?'

'Even pinker,' she grinned.

Galinda was right. There was so much space inside that I could probably spin around with my arms stretched out and not touch a single object.

'Just leave your bags here, Elphaba,' Highmuster said. 'The maid will see to them.'

My jaw dropped in shock. Back at home I had always been the one who took care of people's luggage, especially with Nessa in her wheelchair. It felt strange to leave it behind for someone else to deal with for me. I felt a brief flash of guilt at the thought of Nessa going home to Munchkinland alone, without me there to help her. How would she manage her luggage by herself? How would she get on and off the carriage? Would she be okay? Would she struggle? Suddenly I felt compelled to behave as selflessly as I could manage, and picked up my suitcase regardless.

'No, Elphie, don't you worry about it,' Galinda said.

'It's alright, really.'

'No it isn't! Oenadi would be most mortified if she thought you had taken it upon yourself to do her job!'

I dropped the suitcase reluctantly. There was no use if it was only going to make someone else feel bad.

'Now come on, I want to show you where you're sleeping. It's right across from me, of course.'

Every corridor was made of marble. Even the stairs were made of marble. They were all squeaky clean and shiny. Bright chandeliers glistened from the ceilings, lighting up the many paintings and tapestries that adorned the walls. Galinda took me up two flights of stairs and down a long corridor which eventually led to two doors that were opposite each other. Galinda pushed open the one on the left.

'This is your room,' she said. I entered the room and shut the door behind us. I realised it was shaped not like a square, but an octagon. On one side was a spiral staircase which led up to a platform at the top. Galinda later explained that the platform was where the bathroom was. Against the back wall was a large bed with four pillows and a deep blue quilt. It was surrounded by white veils supported by the bedframe. There were also two bedside drawers, a desk and chair, and some shelves and cupboards.

I couldn't find any words.

I was used to coming home to a room barely the size of a maid's room, with one single bed, one cupboard and a makeshift desk made out of the many stacks of books I owned. Even at Shiz I had not known what to do with the spare cupboard space. I had handed it over to Galinda to use for her own possessions, since she needed the extra space anyway. My one tiny suitcase did not seem adequate enough to fill this room.

'Elphie? Do you like it?'

'I don't know what to say,' I admitted. 'I've never had anything like this before.'

'You do now,' Galinda replied, and she kissed me fervently. We fell onto the bed and continue to kiss for the next ten minutes, and then there was a knock on the door.

'Misses Galinda and Elphaba? May I come in?'

'Yes, Oenadi, you can,' Galinda responded, sitting up and wiping her lips. Just as the door opened she flashed a brief grin at me before waving at Oenadi.

'I have brought Miss Elphaba's suitcase,' Oenadi said. 'Galinda, it's lovely to see you again.'

'You too, Oenadi.'

'I have put your belongings in your room already.'

'My room! Of course! I haven't even seen it yet!' Galinda exclaimed. 'Elphie, come on, you have to see my room!'

'By the way, you've got mail,' Oenadi called as Galinda all but dragged me away.

Galinda's room was a much pinker, more personalised version of mine. She plopped onto her bed, giggling happily.

'I'm home!' she squealed. 'I'm home, I'm home, I'm home!'

I watched her, enviously. She was home. She was with her family, who accepted her exactly the way she was. She was loved and cherished by so many people.

'Ooh, I've got letters,' she said, hurrying to her desk where a pile of letters sat. She tore one open excitedly. 'It's from my old friend, Caeleia. She wants to have lunch. How wonderful, Elphie, you can meet all of my old friends too.' She hesitated. 'They seem like a lifetime ago,' she admitted.

'My sweet?'

'Just…they'll expect me to be the same as I was before.'

I took her hand; attempted to ease her gentle insecurity. She sat down onto the desk chair, shoulders hunched, features reminiscent.

'You don't have to be like anything but yourself.'

'It's hard,' she admitted.

'But you're trying. Which is a huge improvement on when I first met you,' I said.

'Hey!' she scolded. 'I wasn't that bad…oh fine, maybe I was.'

'Well put it this way. You won me over.'

'True. I won over the meanest, greenest, grumpiest student in the whole of Shiz university,' Galinda gloated, and I leaned in and kissed her.

'So…Glin?' I questioned.

'Oh, yeah. My parents use my informal name, Glinda, when I'm at home. You can use it too if you like. Galinda is so many syllables, far too long in my opinion.'

'Alright then…Glinda.'