"Ow… OW GLINDA I THINK YOU'RE RIPPING ALL MY HAIR OUT!" Elphaba hissed.

"That's your fault! It's just a tangled mass of hair, when was the last time you showered?" Glinda said, frowning in disapproval.

"…"

"Ew, Elphie that's gross."

Elphaba groaned. Fiyero looked on, amused as Avis tried to find him something suitable to wear in public. He came back with a deep blue suit. Fiyero cocked an eyebrow at his younger brother.

"Av, are you serious?" He nodded.

"Yea, you've both got some cleaning up to do."

"ALL DONE!" Glinda squealed turning Elphaba to the mirror so she could see herself. For once, Glinda had done her hair in the way they had agreed on, not what she wanted. She left her hair down and took a bit from each side's front and tied it to the back. Glinda had given Elphaba her best puppy eyes to do something more 'elegant' Elphaba strictly refused.

"Now for the dress!" Glinda said racing to her massive closet. "Glinda! It better be decent!"

She could faintly hear the bubbly blonde singing, "Popular! You're gonna be popu-ular, I'll teach you proper ploys when you talk to boys little ways to flirt and flounce, ooh!"

She returned with a familiar black dress, but it wasn't only back. Sewn into the skirt were what seemed like hundreds of bands varying in dark colors. The bodice had been patched over and over again, along with the sleeves but it gave it an earthy, natural look.

"You…"

"Yea," Glinda's voice trailed off for a moment. "You left it when you 'melted'."

Elphaba's mind flooded with guilt. "Look, Glinda I'm sorry I really am." The blonde smiled playfully and cut her off. "Nonsense! Stop apologizing it's in the past."

"Why this dress?"

"We want the Ozians to see you as you are, but I'll explain what really happened. I do wish I'd gone with you though, Elphie."

"No you don't, well maybe you do. But it wouldn't be worth it. Besides, look where we are now. We're going to fix everything… and I can't believe I agreed to this." Elphaba put the dress on; shying away from letting them see her. She had them turn the other way, even Fiyero. She was still extremely self-conscious.

Fiyero slipped on the suit over his tunic and found suitable pants in his old room.

Glinda turned to Elphaba. "Are you ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be." She said grimly, placing her hat firmly on her head.

The crowd waited anxiously beneath the balcony Glinda always made her appearances on. Elphaba and Fiyero stood back in the shadows, waiting for her signal. Avis stood by her to help, to leading officials would help explain the matter at hand. Glinda had called a mandatory gathering for the residents of the Emerald City.

"Fellow Ozians," She began, her hands trembled a bit.

'What if they receive this the wrong way?' She thought. She pushed the thought away and continued.

"For the past year we've been living without disturberence from the Wicked Witch of the West." Cheers erupted from the crowd, and Fiyero saw Elphaba visibly cringe.

"But today you will find out, that during her four years of terror… there was nothing to fear." Glinda waited for a response, any response but there was none so she continued.

She took a deep breath. "7 years ago, I first attended a school called Shiz. I met a girl who I thought I would continue to hate my whole life long. Over a period time,"

"And with the help from my brother, Prince Fiyero." There were a few gasps that he had used the traitors name so casually.

"We became inseparable friends. Her name was Elphaba Thropp. She was the kindest person I would ever meet and have the fortune of knowing."

Elphaba's heart pounded in her chest, she looked anxiously to Fiyero who squeezed her hand to comfort her. Yes, no one would recognize her by that name but it wasn't too late for Glinda to turn back. None of the Ozians had made the connection yet.

She didn't though.

"She got me into a sorcery class, she was very talented… Me, not so much. She got a letter one day to visit the Wizard here; she would become his Grand Vizier. She asked me to go with her to the City, and I did." Her eyes clouded with grief.

"But everything went wrong, she had to flee, branded as a danger and traitor… her green skin made her a target. She was no longer Elphaba Thropp- she became the Wicked Witch of the West because she was a victim of the power hungry political leaders." Glinda reached out behind her. Elphaba grasped her hand and Fiyero did the same with Elphaba.

"She had cruel, cruel rumors said about her. And one day she used them to disappear, she was scared, broken, and lost. She couldn't run anymore. She faked her death and left."

"Keep an open mind to what I'm about to show you." She said hesitantly. She pulled Elphaba out without warning. Elphaba and Fiyero were pushed to the front by Avis and Glinda, Elphaba stood with her eyes fixed firmly on the crowd, but in a way so that they would not be intimidated. Fiyero almost smiled goofily. There was no sound; silence was laden over the crowd. A man spoke suddenly with undeniable courage.

"I remember, I once worked at Wizomania, I remember two girls. One looked like you, Lady Glinda. And the other like… Miss Thropp." He didn't use her title. "I will never forget the sense of happiness they had together or there, usually tourists may have the same, but never like you two. Miss Thropp… please accept my apology. No one should have to endure such vicious things." He nodded respectfully.

Elphaba was stunned she looked at the man.

"Thank you sir, I understand why you may have believed the Wizard… He was your leader, who you were to trust- if you couldn't trust him, who were you to look to? But, sir. I know it may have been very hard for you to speak up just now, but thank you for helping me." Elphaba cracked a smile towards the older man.

The rest of the evening went smoothly. Elphaba, Glinda, Avis, and Fiyero gladly answered questions. Soon they started telling the Ozians about their times in Shiz.

"…And there was this one time when Fiyero and Glinda painted their skin green because they thought it'd be funny." Elphaba chuckled. "Luckily, they didn't get in trouble."

"Only because be kidnapped you and stopped you from telling Morrible!" Fiyero laughed and Glinda perked up. "OH yes I remember that!"

The crowds slowly started to disperse, muttering about Elphaba's past and the events of the day.

Avis and Fiyero went to share a room and Elphaba told him that she wanted to spend the night with Glinda.

"Glinda, thank you so much." She said quietly pulling her friend into a hug; no words were left unspoken through that one motion or one sentence.

Elphaba pulled away and they quietly both began to sing.

"And then, just like now we can say, we're just two friends."

"Two good friends." Elphaba smiled

"Two best friends."

"Sharing one wonderful, one short day!" Elphaba and Glinda exploded into a fit of giggles and laughs, Elphaba convinced she did not 'giggle'.

FINI