The Rise of The Animal Defense Force

Defying Gravity

Elphaba fled from the throne room, she had no idea what she was doing or where she was going. She kept running, even though she could hear Glinda following close behind. She dashed up a flight of stairs, they appeared to spiral up into an abandoned tower.

'Elphie, wait! Where are you going!' puffed Glinda from behind. Elphaba reached the top of the staircase and found herself in a cobweb-dusted storeroom.

'Oh no! There are no more stairs!' She found herself at a dead end, trapped with no chance of escape.

Elphaba, listen to me!' Glinda begged. Elphaba heard the thumping of heavy footsteps echoing up the stairwell.

"The guards are coming up!'  she said, ignoring Glinda. 'We have to barricade the door!"

'What?' Glinda cried, not realising how serious the circumstances had become. She quickly scanned the room looking for anything that might assist in delaying the guard's arrival. She spotted an old battered broomstick leaning against a stack of shelves.

'I'll use this!' She said as she snatched up the broom and secured it through the door handle. It effectively blockaded the door, although she didn't know how long it would hold.

'Why couldn't you have just stayed calm for once, instead of flying off the handle!' she demanded with her hands on her hips.

"I hope you're happy. I hope you're happy now. I hope you're happy how you hurt your cause forever, I hope you think you're clever.' Glinda said angrily.

'I hope you're happy. I hope you're happy too. I hope you're proud how you would grovel in submission to feed your own ambition!' Elphaba shot straight back.

'So though I can't imagine how, I hope you're happy right now!' she said, and Elphaba could still hear the anger in her voice. Before they could continue, a loud voice reverberated throughout the palace.

"Citizens of Oz, there is an enemy who must be found and captured.' blared Madame Morrible's voice. "Believe nothing she says, she is evil! Responsible for the mutilation of these poor, innocent monkeys!"

Oh no.' Glinda said in a small voice as Madame Morrible continued her speech.

'Her green skin is but an outward manifestorium of her twisted nature! This distortion! This repulsion! This...Wicked Witch!' she all but shouted the last few words. Unbeknownst to Elphaba, Frex and Nessa were listening to the speech from somewhere close by. Frex shook his head in disapproval. "She's such a rebellious child. Never does what she's told, and always feels like she has to speak her mind!" He thought to himself.

Meanwhile, back in the attic, Elphaba was pacing around.
"Don't be afraid.' Glinda encouraged her, but she needn't have bothered."
"I'm not. It's the Wizard who should be afraid...of me!'  Elphaba declared, and she steeled herself  from deep within. She knew the path that lay before her, should she choose to take it. For once her head and her heart were in perfect alignment, and she was sure that there was no going back once she chose her course.

'Elphie, listen to me. Just say you're sorry, before it's too late.' Glinda pleaded. 'You can still be with the Wizard, what you've worked and waited for. You can have all you've ever wanted.'

'I know.' What if she did apologise to the Wizard, if she made things right? But – no. That would only be going against everything she'd ever believed in. It would be going along with the persecution of the Animals of Oz, and by doing the Wizard's bidding she would be giving him the power he craved so desperately.

'But I don't want it, no. I can't want it anymore. She told Glinda resolutely. She calmed her thoughts and focused on what she was going to do now, no matter how determined she was, the future was still uncertain. Obviously she would try and help the Animals, and put a stop to the Wizard's schemes. But how? She was certain that once she'd made her escape from the palace, she would have a clearer picture of her next step. The first priority however was to escape. She also thought of the idea to recruit an army to overthrow the Wizard once and for all. The palace guards couldn't be far behind. She was stuck in a dusty tower with no way out. The door was barred, and the window—the window! Yes, that would do. All she needed to do was cast a levitation spell, and she could make her escape by air.