Wicked Rewrite - Blog Posts

Wicked Rewrite Chapter 2 (Not Like Other Girls)

Didn't expect to continue this, but didn't expect to get 6 kudos that fast. Join us for a story about the Wicked Witch actually being wicked. A twist on the twist.

Excerpt:

“I don’t read the same thing every day, you know,” Elphaba said, flipping a page. “That's the thing about books. Once you get all the information out of one, then you can get more from another. You should try it sometime."

"Oh, I like reading about poetry, philosophy, and architecture," said Glinda, feeling a stab of irritation at whatever stereotype her roommate was trying to pin on her. "Like I said, I got into Shzzz for my literary merits."

"I'm sure whatever references you made to nursery rhymes were very insightful. But I'm talking about actually familiarizing yourself with our politics and history," said Elphaba. "Tonight, I’m reading some of the speeches from the Codified Chronicles of Ozma’s Reign. I want to accomplish important things, like changing our outdated laws.”

“That sounds interesting," said Glinda. "What kind of laws do you want to change?"

Elphaba let out a long-suffering sigh, as if Glinda couldn't possibly understand the depths of what she was doing. "Well," she said, finally sitting all the way up, and turning to look at Glinda down her crooked nose. She adjusted her glasses. "I think that anyone with green skin should be automatically exempt from having to share a room with anyone. And we shouldn't have to go outside to any social gatherings. The sun, after all, makes us a walking target for sunburns and rain."

"I see."

"Furthermore, I think that anyone with green skin should be legally required to wear a crown. It’s only fair. After all, if we can't blend in, why shouldn't we stand out royally?"

Glinda nodded, only half sure Elphaba was making a joke. "I don't know what to make of what you say sometimes," she admitted. "Why should anyone treat you differently for being green?"

"I think it's actually a superior way of being," said Elphaba. "I'm not like other girls, after all. My brain works completely differently. I read actual books instead of wasting time gossiping about fashion trends or boys."

"We don't really talk about those things," said Glinda, but Elphaba wasn't listening.

"Other girls are too busy looking in mirrors, but I actually look at the world around me. You know, the real world, not just my own reflection."

"I don't think—"

"While other girls are obsessing over how to please people, I’m actually trying to make the world a better place. A bit more ambitious, wouldn't you say? I don’t waste my energy on frivolous things like popularity. I’d rather have intelligence and independence, qualities other girls wouldn’t even know how to handle."

Glinda's eyes fell upon the hat on her nightstand. "I have an idea," she said, going to pick it up. "I may not have a crown for you to wear, but how about this? You don't like flashy things anyway, right? This black hat ought to match the rest of your wardrobe."

"I couldn't wear that, it's not sensible at all!" Elphaba flipped her hair over her shoulder. "It's tall and pointy. Points are childish and shallow."

"You know," said Glinda, "you say you like to be sensible, but I don't think that's really what you want. A blanket that's thin and moldy isn't a sensible choice. Dark raggedy clothes aren't practical for fitting into a school. I think what you're really trying to be is different." She handed Elphaba the hat. "Take it. Then you can really stand out."

Elphaba stared at the black pointed hat in her gnarled green hands. She traced the brim with a long nail, and her mouth twisted thoughtfully. Slowly, she raised it, and set it on her shiny mane of black hair. She shook her head to adjust it, and walked across the room to the mirror.

"I must admit…" she said, after a moment. "I think it actually suits me."

Just then, a gust of wind crashed the window shut, and heavy hailstones banged into the glass. Glinda yelped, and ran to push a table in front of it. "The latch is broken," she said. "Hand me something to fasten it with, Elphie—It's alright if I call you that, isn't it?—Elphie? Elphaba?"

She turned to see Elphaba standing by the window, her eyes wide, hands raised in the air. The storm was swirling around her, but not touching her. She seemed to barely notice it. 

"Elphaba, are you—" Glinda started, her voice faltering as she caught sight of Elphaba's expression.

Her fingers twitched as the wind howled louder. A thick, dark cloud began to gather over her head. Little bolts of lightning crackled from it, raising her hair around her pointed hat, like eerie spiderweb threads.

Glinda tripped backwards as Elphaba's hand moved in a sharp motion, and the storm outside obeyed, growing stronger. It was no longer a natural force, but something pulled into motion by Elphaba herself. The wind howled more fiercely, answering her every movement. A flash of lightning illuminated her bright green face as the room started buzzing violently.

"Elphaba!" Glinda shouted, eyes wide. "What’s happening?"

"It's… It's working," murmured her roommate, staring at her hands in disbelief. "Everything I've read… everything I've studied… I can do sorcery." Elphaba lowered her arm, the wind outside dying down in response. The storm ceased, just as suddenly as it had started. She stood motionless for a moment, eyes wide, breathing heavily.

Glinda stared at her roommate, unsure whether to be terrified or amazed. "You did that? With your... your hat?"

"It wasn’t the hat," Elphaba said. "It just awoke something. That was... me."

"Oh…" Glinda covered her mouth with her hands. "I guess you're really not like other girls, after all."

"Quite right." A smirk crept up on her face. "I knew that since I was born." But just as her smugness was reaching unbearable heights, Glinda slipped on a puddle and threw out her hands.

The electric feeling in the room returned more intensely, and rainbows shot out of them, followed by blinding light.

Wicked Rewrite Chapter 1

Wicked reimagines The Wizard of Oz, portraying the Wicked Witch as good. Well, this is a rewrite of Wicked, exploring her as truly wicked.

Focuses on Glinda and Elphaba's dynamic, without dwelling as much on the political animal plot.

Basically I wanted to see what the story would be like if Elphaba was actually a bad or mean character like Snape or Bellatrix instead of a misunderstood misfit, and Glinda had a good, less shallow personality.

Excerpt:

The headmistress smiled broadly as the girls came forward. Glinda curtseyed to her new roommate, but Elphaba kept her eyes on the ground. Glinda caught the faintest flicker of them darting to her hat. 

Finally, the girl spoke in a deep, low grumble: 

"No," she said, eyes invisible behind thickset glasses that seemed almost purposefully styled to be ugly and a ripped up traveling hat pulled low, "I'm not seasick, I didn't eat grass, and yes, I've always been green."

Glinda stopped herself from stepping back in surprise. "Oh! I wasn't going to say anything about your being green. This is Oz after all, everyone has unique traits. I… I like it, actually, it reminds me of the Emerald City!"

Elphaba's pointed nose crinkled, and she let out a sharp laugh, as if sharing an inward joke with herself. "It reminds you of the Emerald City!  Everyone in Oz has unique traits! Of course you'd say those things." She repeated the words in a disdainful tone as if saying them this way explained why they were bad. 

Elphaba folded her arms as if it was unreasonable for somebody not to immediately know what to say to someone with bright green skin who had introduced themself by bringing it up.

"I wish I had gotten placed with a roommate who was actually sensible," the green girl huffed, and trudged to the stairs with a straight back and swish of her long plain dress. 

Glinda's cheeks flushed and she lowered her hat, before following behind, her own frilly dress billowing as she walked. She'd wanted to wear something fun and charming on her first day, but now felt in stark contrast with more dull, mature standards.

She wasn't sure what kind of roommate she'd just ended up with, but being stuck with someone so prim, proper, and hostile for a whole semester filled her with dread. Maybe she could find a way to switch rooms with someone else later. 

But right now the Main Hall was empty—even Madame Morrible had left. Right now everyone else was up in their own rooms, paired with girls they'd known they'd wanted to be with from the first second. Right now, nobody else wanted Glinda. 

Right now, Glinda was stuck.

***

The Wish Rewrite got a little delayed because the other person on this account who was working on it is waiting for a break to finish it. However, the whole thing is almost done and will be a high quality finished story posted on a schedule like the Lorax Rewrite. In the meantime, I wrote this in a couple days. Only the one chapter exists, so it's unknown if I'll finish the whole story or not at this point.