Chapter Text
Glinda twirls around in front of the mirror. Wiry muscles span across her back and arms. She can see the tiny scars across her spine. She flexes her upper arms a little. She feels different. The Glinda that stares back at her is different. Mature. Someone she almost doesn’t recognize. She still wears a bit of makeup on her face to show everyone in the Gale Force that she’s still herself. But it barely helps. People fear her. Keep their distance. Madame Morrible trained her to keep them in line. Trained her to be strong.
Glinda has to admit she likes the bit of power she has. People still pay her attention. Worship the ground she walks on. Some of them even flirt with her. The women on the force are the utmost impressed with her body and beauty. Glinda loves that. Even if she desires none of them. Not the way she does Elphaba Thropp- The Wicked Witch of the West. Her heart’s desire. Does Elphie know what she looks like now? Glinda doesn’t expect Elphaba to care. Why would she? It isn’t as if Elphaba can see her now. Glinda has direct orders to kill the Wicked Witch.
Her body shudders at the idea. She would never kill Elphaba. How could she? ‘Isn’t that what you signed up for?’ her mind scolds her. Glinda chose to stay behind. She couldn’t find the courage to go with Elphaba. She was too much of a coward. She couldn’t leave with the one she wanted more than anything.
Madame Morrible and the Wizard know she loves Elphaba. That’s why they put her in this position to begin with. Captain of the Gale Force. She would have to be forced to do nothing except obey their orders. They know she is a coward. Has no spine to fight back against them. She will be obedient.
Madame Morrible trained her day and night. Put her through torturous exercises. Forced her to work out even through excruciating pain. There shall be no rest until you are in the utmost shape. Glinda cried every night, hoping Elphie would save her. Make the pain go away. But she never came. Through her workouts, she whimpered, “Elphie,” to herself. Through her haze of pain, she’d see a glimpse of Elphaba reaching out towards her. A loving and adoring look in her eyes. Her toothy smile warming Glinda’s heart. Glinda would blink and she’d be gone.
Glinda’s body changed. She became more muscular. At Shiz, she had strength to her. Elphaba blushed at the small traces of muscle in her biceps. Now, there is no hiding it. She’s stronger. Anyone can see her strength from a mile away. Glinda likes it. She relishes in the strength that shows in her body. Despite the pain she went through to get here.
Glinda gasps, as she imagines Elphie, her sweet Elphie, gazing at her lustfully. A look of want. Yearning. She almost swears she sees Elphaba in the mirror, sitting on her lush bed, awaiting her touch.
Glinda tightens up her suit. None of that. She mustn’t think that way. It’s unbecoming of a captain. She whines as one of the buttons doesn’t fasten on her suit. This is the third suit this week. She needs another one tailored.
She glances inside her closet. Pink and green uniforms and suspenders are all she owned. Pink and green. Elphie. Glinda feels like weeping. She misses Elphaba. It’s been years without a trace of her. With each passing year, her anger and sadness grow. She left her. Elphaba left her. Not once bothering to check on her. Save her. Elphaba didn’t love her. She never would. How can anyone love someone who is spineless and a coward?
Glinda forces the button to clasp on the suit.
~
Elphaba has been rumored to be hiding in the forest. Madame Morrible gave Glinda and the Gale Force the instructions. They were simple. Kill the Wicked Witch. Without mercy. Glinda’s heart sank at the command. But she nodded and proceeded to give the Gale Force her plan. Plan. She had no plan. Kill Elphaba. No. No. Never. All she told her soldiers was to let Glinda handle the witch. They don’t need to do anything else. They don’t question her. She sends them away to guard the area.
Now, Glinda stands alone. Gun in holster. Looking around for Elphaba Thropp. “Elphaba, I know you’re here. Come out.” Her voice wobbles. Not from fear but anticipation. After years, would she really see Elphaba? Hug her close? Would she really be here? Is this just a test from Madame Morrible? A cruel way to see if Glinda really would kill Elphaba.
Glinda walks on top of fallen leaves, breathing slowly. She makes her way to a large tree. Perhaps Elphaba is hiding behind there. Suddenly, she feels her wrists yanked back by something strong and firm, making her yelp in surprise. The force makes her fall to the ground.
This mysterious force tightens around her wrist, creeping its way up her arms. Squeezing tightly. Glinda gasps, breaking through that force almost easily. Broken bits of a vine fall beside her.
She tries to stand, but she is rooted by more vines. Glinda struggles to free herself.
“Good luck breaking out of that.” A beautiful voice graces Glinda’s ears, lifting her heart from the ground. Elphie.
“Elphie,” Glinda breathes softly even as more vines start to constrict around her chest. Cutting off her air ever so slowly. She knew that this was Elphie's magic.
The vines stop in their tracks.
“G-Glinda?” Elphaba appears. Hat and cloak. The same she’d worn the day they parted all those years ago. “Oh, Oz, Glinda, stay still.”
The vines move away from Glinda’s body, and she coughs as air enters her lungs.
“I-I’m sorry. I didn’t know it was you. I thought…” Elphaba’s words trail off as she takes in Glinda’s attire. The sleeves of her uniform were ripped due to the vines, showing off her biceps. A darker green compliments Elphaba’s cheeks as she glances into Glinda’s eyes. “I…I…”
Glinda glances down at her biceps, turning red herself. “Yes?”
“I haven’t seen you in years. I hardly recognized you.” Elphaba stares at her in awe.
“With all this muscle?” Glinda teases. She couldn’t help herself. She knows how flustered Elphie can get. She yearns to see the same look of bashfulness that she saw years ago back at Shiz. Elphaba looks just as beautiful as she did back then. Her braids are loose down her back, and despite the heaviness in her eyes, she looks healthy and strong.
Elphaba grows more flustered. “No, no, that isn’t what I meant. I just wasn’t expecting you to be wearing… that.” She says the last word scornfully despite the darker green in her cheeks. She scowls at Glinda’s uniform.
“I’m sure you must’ve heard I’m Captain of the Gale Force.” Glinda stands up, brushing the dirt from her suit. Desperate to ignore that sorrowful look in Elphaba’s eyes. The look of utter betrayal.
Elphaba narrows her eyes distrustfully at Glinda. “I have. I just refused to believe it.”
Glinda’s heart sinks. She had faith in her. That Glinda could be different. She let Elphaba down. Bitterness swirls in her gut. Who is Elphaba to act so righteous? Glinda doesn’t need to be condescended to. Glinda had no choice in the matter. It was this or be killed. You stayed. You could’ve left. You stayed. You stayed even when you were told you were tasked to kill Elphaba. You stayed.
Glinda ignores those thoughts. They didn’t matter. She is Captain of the Gale Force. She’s stronger than she ever was before. Physically. Mentally. Elphaba can’t possibly understand.
“Well, it's a good look on me. Isn’t it?” Glinda spins around, showing Elphaba her muscles. In a different world, Elphaba would be admired by them. Proud of Glinda for working out and improving herself. Instead what Glinda sees in Elphaba’s eyes is heartbreak.
Yet, the bashful look in her eyes didn’t leave. Elphaba is still attracted to her.
“You look very handsome and beautiful, but…”
Glinda gasps at the praise, heart fluttering. “You… you think so?”
Elphaba’s frown slowly melts into a small smile. “Yes, I’d always find you beautiful, but Glinda—“
“You have no idea how hard it was for me, Elphie. The pain I went through. It hurt so much.” Glinda whines as she adjusts her suit. It’s too tight. Restricting. She rolls it up over her waist. “Madame Morrible is so cruel.”
“What are you d-doing?!” Elphaba yelps.
Glinda is taken aback. “What? What’s the matter?”
Elphaba turns away, covering her face with her hat. “Your… your stomach, Glinda.” she mumbles.
Glinda covers her abs. Oh. She blushes. "I'm sorry, Elphie. I don’t mean to tease you so.” Her heart beats faster in her chest. Elphie wants her. She desires her. Even after all this time. She goes to grab Elphaba’s hand but Elphaba pulls away.
“Glinda.”
“Elphie,” Glinda tries again, but Elphaba glares at her.
“No, Glinda.” Elphaba crosses her arms over her chest. “I know what you are doing.”
Glinda tilts her head in confusion. What does she mean? “What?”
“You’re distracting me. You know how I feel about you. You know how hurt I am. You’re being cruel.” Elphaba’s voice trembles as tears prick her eyes.
Glinda winces. That isn’t her intention. She doesn’t understand. “Elphie, I’m not trying to be—”
“Why did you join them? What could you possibly gain from them?”
Glinda doesn’t have an answer to that. How can she? She has strength and attention from others, but it isn’t enough. She wants Elphaba. She wanted her to save her. Elphaba never came. Glinda is a captain, and that isn’t enough. She stayed in Emerald City, and it wasn’t enough. She got to work with Madame Morrible and the Wizard… something she thought she wanted. But it isn’t enough. None of it is. What did she gain?
Her suit is so tight. Glinda is breaking a sweat and can hardly breathe. Tears brim in her eyes. She hates that she can hardly fit into her uniforms. Always constricted by it. She refused to wear that stupid hat that came with it. She complained to Madame Morrible that it ruins her hair. But this suit. This suit, by the love of Oz, is so tight.
Elphaba notices this, and her gaze softens. “Do you need help?” She gestures at Glinda’s uniform.
“It’s tight,” Glinda squeaks.
Elphaba unbuttons it, revealing her pink tank top and suspenders. The blush grows as Elphaba tosses it to the side. “No wonder it's tight, my sweet, you have more muscle to you.” Her thumb brushes against Glinda’s shoulder blade. Admiring her muscles. The softness of her skin.
Glinda’s breath hitches. “I need a new tailored suit.” Her lips hover close to Elphaba’s. Parting softly.
Elphaba’s eyes take in her outfit. “My sweet, what am I to do with you?” She shakes her head sadly. “I love you, Glinda, but I don’t understand why you can’t leave with me. I’ll never understand.”
Glinda gasps as Elphaba’s hand curls around her bicep. Heat flushes her body. She mustn’t cave in to her desires. Elphaba is the Wicked Witch. Glinda can’t do this. She has a job. A task to do. Yet, her love for Elphaba keeps her rooted in place. She stares lovingly at Elphaba. Her dearest love. Her heart’s desire. Her Elphie. She would never kill her. Never.
Glinda wraps her arm around Elphie’s neck, tugging her close. “I love you Elphie. Oh, I love you, dearest.” She brushes her lips against Elphaba’s.
Elphaba holds her close, tugging her towards the tree.
Glinda pecks Elphaba’s cheeks and neck. She wraps her arms around the back of Elphaba’s thighs, lifting her up. Pinning her against the tree.
Elphaba gasps in surprise. “Well, look at you, Captain of the Gale Force, I’m impressed,” she teases, kissing Glinda’s neck. “You always had a way of sweeping me off my feet.”
Glinda smiles.
“I try.” She winks at Elphaba before hearing her name.
“Captain Upland! Miss Glinda!”
Glinda’s heart breaks as Elphaba pulls away. Leaving Glinda on the verge of weeping again.
“No, Elphie, don't leave me again!” she cries. “Please don’t go!” She missed being close to her. She wants to hold her love again.
Elphaba smiles sadly. “I have to, my sweet. I still have work to do. So do you.”
She doesn’t say it angrily. She says it with hope. Elphaba hopes Glinda can do good. Work from the inside. So that she can be with her. The way they were supposed to be before.
Elphaba kisses her forehead. “I’ll be waiting, my darling.”
Glinda nods, wiping her tears away. “I’ll make you proud of me. I promise.”
“You already are, my love.” Elphaba kisses Glinda one last time. “Kiamo Ko,” she whispers in her ear.
Glinda stiffens in confusion. “What?”
“Remember that name, Glinda.” Elphaba places a kiss beside her ear. “Remember it, my sweet. Be safe.” She kisses her neck. “I know you will be.”
Glinda’s knees shake as Elphaba pulls away. She flies away on her broom, leaving Glinda alone once more. This time she isn't filled with grief. This time she’s filled with hope.