Work Text:
Later, when Glinda would tell the story (though she wouldn’t tell it often) she would say that everything changed the day Dr. Dillamond was taken away. The day she rescued the lion cub, along with Elphaba and Fiero. That was the day that opened her eyes to everything that was going wrong in Oz.
But in the dark of night, when she was being honest with herself, she wondered if the real change came that evening, when they got back to the university. Fiero was used to getting in trouble, and Elphaba was used to being loathed, but Glinda – Galinda – was furious that someone like Miss Coddle would talk to her like that. If a person like that believed so strongly that Animals didn’t deserve rights, then Galinda would just believe the opposite, as hard as she could.
She would say she insisted on accompanying Elphaba to the Emerald City. Elphaba was smart, and brave, and even beautiful (if you took the time to look), but she wasn’t always the best at talking to people. Talking to people was what Glinda was best at. And even if Elphie didn’t want to admit it, it would take some persuadifying talking to get the Wizard to help the Animals.
Or was it just jealousy? Was she unwilling to let Elphaba have an honor she thought should have been hers?
When she saw the Grimmerie, and heard what the Wizard wanted Elphaba to do with it, she knew they had to do something. She had to do something.
Elphaba’s magic came so easily to her. It wasn’t fair. She didn’t even need the Grimmerie. But Glinda did need it. She worked hard at sorcery, so hard. Hadn’t she earned it? Didn’t she deserve it?
In the end, it was unfair to expect Elphaba to have made the hard choice. Not after the comfortable life the Wizard’s regime had given her and her family. After all her years of dreaming of that last affirmation, the acceptance that only the Wizard could give her. She couldn’t give that all up. So Glinda made the choice instead.
She threw a tantrum when she didn’t get her way. Like she so often had before.
Glinda had spent a lifetime being popular. And what had it given her, in the end? She wanted to do good, even if it meant being hated.
She didn’t think there would really be consequences. She didn’t think anyone would really hate her.
But Glinda, the Wicked Witch of the West, doesn’t tell the story often. The few allies she has in her war against the Wizard don’t need to hear it. Different roads brought them here, but they know there’s only one road forward: victory or death.
And her pride won’t allow her to back down.
Still, she avoids fighting Elphaba the Good directly. She knows there’s still good in her old friend.
She knows she would lose.
And despite it all, she still hopes she’s happy now.