Chapter Text
They spend most of their night within the shade of that first ash tree Glinda brought to life. Elphaba hasn't altered her light at all, letting it continue to glimmer around in tiny glowing specks around them. Glinda's seated herself between Elphaba's legs, her side leaning into Elphaba while her head rests on her shoulder. Both of Glinda's legs are draped over one of Elphaba's thighs and Elphaba's hands rest comfortably around her, keeping her tucked close. Glinda hasn't stopped smiling and stealing kisses every few minutes, unable to help herself.
Her magic practically radiates the happiness she feels in the space around them, and Elphaba's does too. It's a playful energy that floats in their orbit carelessly. Glinda imagines if it were visible, it'd be doing something of a dance, ribbons of light and energy swirling around one another like they were always meant to. Nothing has ever felt more right.
Even the passing shades seem unable to ignore the change in the air. There are hundreds of murmurs from brightening shades echoing around the woods behind them. Glinda isn't paying much attention, her entire focus on the woman she leans into, but their voices are sounding so much clearer and discernible.
With the revelation of their feelings for each other, a conversation is quick to follow.
"I have many questions." Glinda says in a soft voice, a whisper for Elphaba's ears only. Elphaba hums.
"I have many answers." She teases, her volume matching Glinda's. She encourages Glinda to continue by pressing her lips to her temple. The blonde smiles more.
"How long have you felt this way?" She asks first, tilting her head to look at Elphaba properly.
Elphaba thinks for only a moment.
"That very first day."
Glinda's smile grows. No wonder Elphaba was so stiff all the time. Always so tense, cautious and awkward the moment Glinda showed her a hint of affection. She didn't know what to do with herself. The goddess of the dead, unable to function because of the close proximity of someone she likes. She's so cute.
"You've been in love with me this whole time?!" She can't hide her happiness and one of her hands moves to rest on Elphaba's.
"This whole time." Elphaba confesses with a soft blush, "The moment I felt your magic, I was doomed. Your beauty caught my attention, but I'll never forget what it was like to see your magic for the first time and the way it left me feeling. I was-"
Elphaba almost groans and she buries her face within Glinda's curls. The goddess' embarrassment is loud but it adds to how cute Elphaba is. The blonde's laugh floats from her lips, full of joy as Elphaba speaks so openly to her.
"Glinda, I was seeing you for weeks every time I closed my eyes. I didn't even know your name or title, I just kept calling you my muse. I had to draw you the moment I got a chance because I didn't know what I would do if I forgot any little detail about you."
Glinda's eyes narrow and she smirks like a cat that's cornered it's prey.
"So that's why I found an incredibly detailed and accurate portrait of myself in your studio."
Elphaba does groan this time and her cheeks get darker.
"I knew I should've moved all of my sketches out of there." She grumbles and Glinda cannot stop beaming.
"You've done more then?" Glinda asks her next question, practically vibrating with excitement.
"It usually takes practice to make a sketch as good as the one I'm assuming you saw was." The queen answers, smiling at the way Glinda eagerly awaits each answer. "I'm good, but not that good. I drew you until it was perfect and even then, I was never satisfied."
One of Elphaba's hands lifts upward to cup Glinda's cheek.
"A simple sketch could never recreate your presence the way a painting of you could."
Glinda does blush this time.
"So you've already painted me?"
At this question Elphaba hesitates to answer. Glinda gives her an expectant gaze. Judging by her Elphie's silence, she's definitely painted her.
"I have." Elphaba eventually answers, "Once or twice. A few times at least."
Then she mumbles something under her breath that Glinda doesn't quite catch, but is eager to hear it repeated.
"Sorry, what was that?"
Elphaba flushes further and Glinda feels Elphaba hide her face against her shoulder.
"Thirty times. Give or take."
At first Glinda's eyes widen in surprise. Her lips part slightly as she processes the number. Did she hear that right?
"Thirty?" She echoes and her disbelief melts into intrigue. Her smile flips into that playful smirk she can't stop hiding the more she learns about how deeply Elphaba's attraction for her goes.
"Please, spare me showing them to you for now."
"For now, my darling." Glinda purrs, tilting her head to kiss Elphaba's jaw line, "For what it's worth, I think it's positively adorable how obsessed you are with me."
Elphaba snorts.
"Obsessed is the only word for it. When I found out you who you were that's when it became complicated."
"Did it?" Glinda inquires.
"Mhm. The internal struggle I had when I learnt who you were was almost torture. All I wanted was to get to know you. To see if you could show me more of your magic and learn about you. Then I found out you were Morrible's child and any hope of knowing you better was crushed. Eviscerated. I moped so deeply the whole Underworld felt it. I thought Chistery was going to put me under a permanent watch for a brief period of time."
She sighs and Glinda can't help but smile as she tries to picture Elphaba being mopey with Chistery following her preparing for anything from angry outbursts to intense brooding in the corner of her study.
"I was convinced there was no way Morrible wouldn't slander me to you and that if we ever did meet, you'd immediately push me away. Her hatred for me overpowers any other emotion she holds. Or. Well, perhaps it used to." She looks at Glinda this time, "I'd like to imagine she loves you more than she hates me."
Glinda huffs slightly at the thought.
"Let's hope so. I think part of her didn't want to even entertain me learning about you. Mother never let anyone talk about the Underworld to me. I only ever learnt about it from her once, and even then I think she only told me because I wasn't small enough to put it out of my mind any longer."
She takes Elphaba's hand and idly plays with one of her rings as she speaks.
"I learnt about you from what little reading material I could find. Mortals are terrified of you for the most part; I doubt most of them realize you're a Queen and not a Lord or King. Honestly, Elphie, even if she did try to sway how I thought about you, I can form my own thoughts and opinions without someone else impacting mine."
She feels Elphaba's hand shift and watches as green fingers lace themselves between her pale, peachy coloured ones. She'll never stop admiring the way they look so perfect together. She gives Elphaba's hand a gentle squeeze.
"May I ask you something?" She asks and Glinda hums.
"I think it's only fair." She decides with a nod.
"What did you mean when you said you were able to do all of this because of me?"
If Glinda's smile could get brighter, it would. She doesn't think about it as she focuses on the pulsing of her magic with Elphaba's as it exists in the company of each other, like two halves finally complete once again. It doesn't blend together like Glinda's and the Underworld has to create the living trees, but they fit together to become one. It's like nothing Glinda's ever felt in her life. She can't believe she's lived a life this long never experiencing magic and love like this. She does her best to put that into words.
"I meant that if it wasn't for the love I have for you, these trees wouldn't be alive now."
Her cheeks heat up the tiniest bit, as do Elphaba's. The goddess doesn't seem fully satisfied by that answer, but saying their feelings out loud is still so new that it's taken her by surprise for the slightest moment. Glinda shifts, adjusting her position so she can face Elphaba properly.
"Let's go back a little bit." She begins, "Remember when you examined the magic from the pomegranate tree, and how you could feel my magic, and that weird version of the Underworld magic?"
Elphaba nods.
"It was my magic connecting to that which triggered the trees to come to life. When I told you I wasn't sure why it had, I did fib just a little bit." She brings a hand up and pinches her thumb and forefinger together, "But only because I wasn't certain about the how of it all. Then we were talking in your study and we got to chatting about how you never want anything-"
"That isn't what-" Elphaba tries to cut in but Glinda puts a finger to her lips to shush her.
"Details, Elphie! It's obvious that wasn't true, partly because you told me but also because I realized you definitely did want plenty of things. You want a good afterlife for your people. You want to keep me safe and get me back to earth safe. You also want me to stay here longer. You want to spend more time with me and work together to discover more about the realm with you. All of that reminded me of my theory, and when you asked if I could bring the trees here back to life I knew I had to try." She brings her finger down from Elphaba's lips and the queen takes advantage of the moment to speak.
"And what was your theory?"
Glinda's smile softens but her dimple still shines. Her hand cups Elphaba's cheek and she brushes her thumb along a sharp cheekbone. She looks directly into Elphaba's gaze and speaks with clarity.
"That my love for you is the spark that allowed my magic to connect to the Underworld magic within the tree."
Elphaba's lips part slightly and Glinda can see the way her eyes widen the tiniest bit. There's the sound of a sharp inhale and Glinda grins when Elphaba leans forward and presses her forehead against Glinda's shoulder. The blonde brings her arms around Elphaba, one hand tangling within her braids to gently cradle Elphaba's head and the other resting on her mid back. She feels Elphaba exhale against her skin and the way Elphaba tightens her hold around her.
"You really do love me." Elphaba whispers, like she's processing it for the first time.
Glinda pulls back and uses two fingers to tilt Elphaba's head so that she's looking up to her.
"Oh Elphie, I'm afraid you're no longer the only one obsessed. You're stuck with me now."
Elphaba's exhales an 'oh' at the declaration and Glinda's smile curls into a sly little smirk. She can feel Elphaba's grip on her tighten and she almost shivers with delight from the reaction. No words are said as she tilts her head lower to capture Elphaba's lips within her own once more, pressing closer to her to make this moment last for as long as possible.
They've spent barely a moment apart since their confessions beneath the trees in Asphodel. Wherever Elphaba is, Glinda's often by her side, clinging to her arm or leaning into her whenever possible. Glinda has always been the type to show plenty of affection through touch, but taking the step into something more than friends with Elphaba has left her craving nothing but close proximity to the older goddess. It still takes Elphaba a bit to get used to, but after a few days it's almost instinctual for her to slide her arm around Glinda's waist or open her arms for Glinda to make herself comfortable at her side.
On the rare moments they do need to separate, Glinda finds herself drifting back towards the new forest to see how its fairing and how the shades are dealing with the changes they've brought.
The shades have started paying more attention to Glinda, revering her with the same uncertain stares they give Elphaba from a distance. Unlike with Elphaba, they aren't too cautious about approaching her, their curiosity for the goddess who made trees triumphing their fear. They'll do their best to earn her attention and sometimes whisper words Glinda can't quite make out. She explains it to them many times, but welcomes their company as she explores the woods until Elphaba eventually comes for her.
It's odd, having a trail of wisps follow her on a whim, but it's not unlike the nymphs that shadow her on earth. It's oddly comforting. She has many conversations with them despite not being able to understand all of the things they're saying. More recently, she's begun to learn what soft little sighs mean 'Goddess' and what she's assuming is her name. The hard G's are much easier to pick up on.
They seem content though. They adore their new woods. The shades have become more active and it's as if the life of the trees has brought some back to them as well. Elphaba's eyes shimmer with pride when she see's how happy the forest has made them. The queen's joy is hard to miss when her beautiful smile slides onto her lips as she witnesses the positive changes in her shades.
And how can Glinda not love seeing her Elphie happy?
It's after one of these days Glinda finds herself in the courtyard with Elphaba. She has an easel set up with a large board and some paper while she sits on a stool in front of it. Her fingertips are covered in black as she sketches with a piece of charcoal, something she herself decided she'd spend her day doing (Glinda was so proud. Is still proud. She may have teased her for at least an hour about it.) Her hair is tied up in a loose bun, a few braids framing either side of her face as she keeps her focus entirely on her work.
Meanwhile, Glinda examines the lovely pomegranate tree and the small red blossoms that have not only opened, but slowly begun to round out towards the bottom. The fruit is so very premature, but it's there and forming. It's growth is slightly behind what the average pomegranate in the sun might be, but that's quite alright and to be expected. She makes a note of it on a piece of parchment that rests on a tiny little table set up a few feet away from her and the tree.
She scans over her latest observations, double checking to make sure she hasn't missed anything new. Once she's satisfied, she smiles and places her research back down to the table and turns to move towards where Elphaba sits. Elphaba doesn't pry her eyes from her work until Glinda is right next to her, peering over her shoulder and smiling when she recognizes the form of practiced figures, with her as the obvious model.
"Practicing your anatomy?" Glinda asks and Elphaba nods.
"Familiarizing myself with charcoal again." She gestures to the pile of parchments in a stack next to the easel, "It's been a few decades ."
"Could've fooled me." Glinda teases as she presses a kiss to the top of Elphaba's head. "Need me to go do more posing? Should I practice for when you decide to paint me again?"
Elphaba rolls her eyes with a playful smirk and turns so she faces Glinda.
"You're just eager for me to add to my collection, aren't you?" She retorts, their playful banter coming easily.
"It's the only way I'll be able to find your secret gallery of portraits of me."
Elphaba's cheeks heat up, but still she laughs. She places her charcoal down and grabs a rag from her pocket to begin wiping away the worst of the substance off of her fingers. Green eyes seek Glinda's brown and when their gazes meet, Elphaba gives her a shy smile.
"They used to be up all over the place in my more private spaces. The ones Chistery never truly frequents or that Hermes, Hecate or Thanatos would ever come into contact with. Perfect for moments to myself when I needed a breather and when I wanted to see you. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to pull a few out and put them back into their space on the walls."
Glinda's ears burn along with her cheeks. The goddess of spring slowly smiles at the thought. Elphaba using her magic to appear in a front of a portrait of her, just to take a minute to breathe and center herself. Just like when Elphaba had that last bad day at the court house. She came right to Glinda the moment she could. She'd love to see which ones Elphaba liked the most too.
Even more though, Glinda would love if Elphaba could do a new one. One that she could properly pose for. Perhaps even the kind where Elphaba could add herself in to.
It's that little idea that has her thoughts running on a completely different track as she thinks about how she's seen barely any portraits of Elphaba herself throughout the palace. That wouldn't do at all; if there's thirty portraits of Glinda somewhere in there, then there needs to be at least the same amount of Elphaba's. It's only right.
She reminds herself that Elphaba can just paint new ones with the both of them together, and soon Glinda's thoughts are swimming with hundreds of ideas of portraits Elphaba could paint of them, and the idea of being just a model for Elphaba is thrown to the wayside.
"You could," Glinda starts, her arms winding around Elphaba's neck as she decides to make herself comfortable within the goddess' lap, "Or perhaps you could do something different?"
Elphaba's blush still lingers on her cheeks as she brings her arms around Glinda, being careful not to get any charcoal residue on her clothing.
"Something different?" She pries, and Glinda nods only once, curls bouncing with the motion.
"You could just have the paintings of me, of course, I won't deny how thrillified I'll feel seeing your love for me plastered all over the walls of the palace. But wouldn't it be nice if it was us instead?"
Her fingers play with the ends of Elphaba's braids and she grins triumphantly when Elphaba reacts exactly as she hopes; pulse rushing and head reeling as she too goes on a journey of all the possibilities that paintings of the two of them could be. The idea of them being an us is still so new to the two of them, but nothing has felt more natural than this and even Glinda's magic seems to agree.
Elphaba mutters something along the lines of 'I'll think about it more.' and soon the subject is changed. Elphaba wants to rid her hands of the remaining charcoal and hear more about how their tree is doing. Glinda doesn't even protest as Elphaba makes her stand, as it isn't long before their arms are wound together and Elphaba is leading them back to the palace, all research and art supplies complied in a neat pile and floating behind them.
With clean hands and supplies put away, Elphaba and Glinda find themselves gravitating back towards the study where Elphaba plans to read over Glinda's notes while Glinda animatedly explains the finer details to her. They'll fall into their familiar and comfortable routine, as they so often do, with the addition of a bit more intimacy in the form of hand holding and the occasional soft press of pink lips to green.
It's a particularly foggy day when Elphaba makes the decision to invite Glinda to the court house for the first time. Elphaba leans in the doorway of what Glinda has now claimed as her sewing room ("Oh come on Elphie, when was the last time you step foot in there before I came along? It's seen more from me these last weeks than it has you in the last decade!") watching as she tries to decide whether she wants to make something with the soft, pastel pink fabric she's found, or the beautiful, shimmery goldish orange colour that's laying right next to it within a chest hidden inside of the closet.
"I have to be at the court house soon, sweetness." Elphaba states, not moving as she watches Glinda compare the feeling of each garment between her fingers.
"Alright my darling," Glinda replies, not looking up from her task, "If I'm not in the study when you return, assume I'm still stuck trying to make this miserable decision."
The queen snorts and steps into the room, only stopping once she's standing next to Glinda.
"A truly horrible one indeed." She quips, and before Glinda can shoot her a glare, she continues, "I hate to add another option to your day, but I wanted to ask you something."
Glinda lowers the fabrics in her hands and makes sure her full attention is on Elphaba. The woman looks a little bit anxious, but Glinda can't feel any nerves in the air around them. It must not be super pressing, but it's enough to make her love shy. Still, she smiles reassuringly and encourages Elphaba to ask her question with a soft nod of her head.
"I was wondering if maybe you'd like to join me at the court house today?" She asks tentatively, uncertain if this might be a good idea or not.
Glinda's eyebrows shoot upward as her eyes glimmer with delight.
"You want me to come with you?!" She asks in a surprised voice. "I can finally see work Elphie?!"
It isn't like Glinda has been begging to see it, but she has voiced interest in the building once or twice. Outside of the personal spaces of the other gods and Tartarus, it's the one place Glinda hasn't been able to see. She's walked past the building many times not to appreciate it's looming presence on the other road that leads to Asphodel.
Elphaba's nerves melt as she smiles at Glinda's delight.
"Yes, you'll finally see the almighty Hades as she makes her first terrible impression on the new arrivals." She jokes and continues before Glinda can scold her for the self deprecating comment, "More seriously, I wanted you to meet the final residents of the Underworld. Rhadamanthus in particular has been asking when I'd bring the Underworld's guest by."
"Keeping me all to yourself, Elphie?" Glinda teases playfully and Elphaba shakes her head with an affectionate chuckle.
"Court isn't exactly entertaining. It can be quite dull, or worse. You've seen how the worst of my days leave me. Part of me wanted to keep that aspect of my role here in the Underworld from you for a bit longer. But-" here Elphaba seeks Glinda's gaze. Her emerald eyes soften a bit as she reaches to take Glinda's hand in her own, "It doesn't feel right to keep any parts of my Underworld hidden from you any longer. You should see all of it."
Glinda's hand squeezes Elphaba's and she steps closer to the other woman. She tilts her head to place a soft kiss on Elphaba's cheek. She loves the way Elphaba subtly leans into her with the affection and she can't help herself as she grins and places a couple quick kisses downward to her jaw. The goddess laughs softly.
"Magic or walking, sweetness?" She asks, letting go of Glinda's hand and slipping her arm around her waist like she already knows the answer.
"Take us away, Elphie." Glinda beams, bringing both of her arms around Elphaba's middle.
With a wave of Elphaba's hand the duo leaves the comfort of the sewing room and are transported to a moderately lit chamber within the courthouse. Glinda can feel the solid ground beneath her feet once more and it takes a second for the smoke to dissipate and allow Glinda to fully take in the space around them. She smiles as she recognizes the familiar grey marble flooring and the same dark colour scheme that matches the palace she's come to love.
"I see your buildings have a theme to them." Glinda observes, "Maybe that's why the Underworld was happy to accept you as it's queen. Your tastes align perfectly."
"Oh please," Elphaba grumbles, "It has it's own reasons for accepting me, and our choice in decor is hardly the deciding factor."
"But it could still be part of it." Glinda adds, and that makes Elphaba smile.
"I doubt it, but it certainly doesn't hurt."
She looks out to the room, seeing they're by themselves in the chamber. She loosens her hold on Glinda's waist and steps towards a desk with a similar tall backed chair to the one Elphaba uses back at the palace. Around the room are three other work stations, desks about the same size and with similar chairs behind them. Behind each desk are coloured torches, one desk with blue, another with red, a third with orange and the final behind the desk Elphaba walks towards is a regular, golden light colour. On the walls around the room, between the torches and stretching from ceiling to floor are vast shelves filled with tomes that hold a heavy amount of paper within them.
"This is the judges chamber. It's where we'll come to take a break between the mortal soul trials and the trials for criminals or heroes." She points to one of the walls where one of the large shelves sits, "This is the older way we documented the souls of the dead up until the last five years, when I came up with a way to enchant the tomes so that their pages could never be filled completely, but still retain the information of the souls that have passed. They also hold more details like their birth and death dates and other details about their lives. Different things like their achievements, their crimes, the type of person they were in their life. That sort of thing."
Glinda steps over to stand next to Elphaba, her gaze following the Queen's to the enchanted tome that sits on her desk. She can see a similar but thicker tome on one of the other desks in the room. She rests her hand on Elphaba's desk and brushes her fingers along its surface. Her hip bumps gently against Elphaba's and she rests against her.
"I have a feeling only part of that is required to keep track of. You're not documenting all of that because you have to." Glinda comments, already having an idea for why Elphaba makes a point to do it. She feels Elphaba bump her hip back into her own and she tilts her head to the blonde.
"I wanted it to be a way to keep some memory of the lives they had, since a lot of them tend to drink the waters of Lethe to have as painless an afterlife they can." She explains, "A lot of them won't ever be able to remember their names, but at least I still have some part of who they were here in this realm and kept safe."
Glinda loves a lot about Elphaba, but how good Elphaba is might just be one of the things she loves most.
"You're an incredible goddess, Elphie. I think that's the real reason the Underworld picked you to be its Queen." She says it in a quiet voice despite the room being only the two of them, making the moment a bit more intimate.
Elphaba hums and lets her hand find Glinda's.
"That I think I agree with."
There's a sound of the door across the room opening and both Glinda and Elphaba's heads turn to the doorway. Elphaba's expression turns serious as stands straighter and she gives Glinda's hand a gentle squeeze. They watch as three figures step into the room one by one, each wearing a different dark coloured chiton with single shoulder straps.
The first to enter the room is a tall gangly looking man with a pointed tooth just barely poking out between his lips. He has a trimmed grey beard, with wiry medium-length silver hair to match it. His eyes are as dark as the walls around them and his midnight blue chiton makes his pale complexion feel almost luminous. He acknowledges the two of them with a short bow of his head then takes a couple steps towards the desk with the blue torches.
Following behind him is a second, much shorter man with a hooked nose. His hair is much shorter and just as wiry. There are two cowlicks atop his head that kind of remind Glinda of the little horns of the satyrs on earth, and his little goatee really doesn't help it either. His eyes are a ghostly blue in colour, but they wrinkle upwards as he smiles when he makes eye contact with her, then to Elphaba. He wears a deep maroon coloured chiton and takes a step closer to the desk with the red torches behind it.
Last to enter the room is a more broad shouldered god, with hair so long and wavy it puffs around his head almost like a lions mane. He has a large, bushy moustache that attaches to a beard just as wild as his sandy brown hair. He wears a beautiful burnt orange chiton and steps closer to the final desk, giving Elphaba and Glinda a curt nod as he does.
Elphaba shuts the door behind them and once done, she turns her attention to the three of them.
"Good morning Minos, Rhadamanthus and Aeacus." She starts, nodding her head to each of them, "Before we begin today's debriefing, I would like to formally introduce my guest to you three. She will be sitting in on today's trial of heroes."
She lets go of Glinda's hand and gestures to her and her serious expression slips for just a moment as she smiles reassuringly to Glinda.
"This is Persephone, the goddess of spring and nature. Due to some magic reason we're still trying to sort out, she's been stuck down here for the past few months. I wanted her to finally meet the three of you, as well as sit in on a proper trial."
Glinda gives a bow of her head to the three gods, who do the same in response with her.
"It's good to meet you three." She says when she lifts her head, smiling towards the trio. "Her majesty is always very kind to introduce me by my title, but outside of formal situations you may refer to me as Glinda."
Rhadamanthus speaks first.
"It's wonderful to meet you, Glinda." He says, "Outside of court, you may refer to me as Dillamond."
"And I Brrr." The sandy haired god adds, giving Glinda a warm smile. They two of them turn to Minos, and he eyes Glinda with a careful gaze.
"Killyjoy." He replies, not wanting to be the only one to leave out his preferred name.
Glinda beams and Elphaba takes hold of the conversation again.
"Glinda, you'll have to sit along the side of the courtroom while we sit at the bench, but you'll be able to observe from a safe enough distance." Elphaba explains, "Not that the shades can harm you, but recently dead heroes can sometimes be quite angry they've died, and I rather they direct their ire at me, not you."
Glinda understands.
"I trust you all have been well?" Elphaba asks the other gods, looking to each of them.
"It's been business as usual, your majesty." Killyjoy declares, his voice a deep, gruff sound not unlike Chistery's.
"Almost, Minos." Dillamond interjects, his voice a much softer baritone than Minos, "There has been a slight increase in deaths unrelated to war. There's no definitive reason for the surge that we can see right now, but we'll be monitoring it closely."
Brrr nods in agreement with Dillamond. Elphaba hums.
"Let's do some further documenting of that. Brrr, could you add those records onto a separate parchment? We'll be able to keep track of it better outside my records and Dillamond's transcripts."
"Of course, your majesty." He nods, picking up a stack of additional parchments.
Dillamond moves to pick his large tome up and soon, the group moves towards the door. Brrr and Killyjoy lead the group while Dillamond slows to walk closer to Elphaba and Glinda.
"Goddess, our queen has kept herself pretty tight lipped about the details of what you two have been up to with your studies, but as a scholar I would be a fool not to try to pick your brain for your thoughts. I've been to see the living trees and I am quite thoroughly stunned you've been able to bring earth nature into this realm. Have you been able to figure out how you did it?!" He peers at her with those light blue eyes of his and Glinda can't help but stumble. He really does somewhat resemble a satyr. Or perhaps a goat.
"Dillamond, we can always discuss this more after our trials." Elphaba cuts in, but she has a less serious and more playful expression on her face, "It's an interesting theory though."
"Theory!" Glinda gasps, utterly scandalized and looking at Elphaba with her lips parted in shock, "You were there both times! You very much know my theory is fact now!"
Elphaba cackles while Glinda pouts. Dillamond watches them with an interested expression and a slight smile on his lips.
"You'll have to tell me more about this fact later then, goddess." Dillamond says with a light chuckle, pulling Elphaba and Glinda's attention back to him.
"Of course!"
They catch up to Brrr and Killyjoy, who wait outside two dark, wooden doors. Elphaba gives them a nod and Killyjoy and Brrr each take hold of a door handle to push it open. Dillamond walks in first and the other two follow him into the room. Elphaba and Glinda step inside afterward and Glinda is immediately taken aback by the colour within the courtroom.
There is still dark black marble flooring, but instead of streaks of light grey and white, it's golds and bronze. The benches are a deep mahogany and the torches around the room glow a bright blue, illuminating the space in it's calming light. In the center of the floor there is a circle painting with a thin, bronze line, and within the circle is a tile design of a pomegranate fruit. At one end of the room, about fifteen feet from the circle is the courtroom bench. There are two levels to it, the first being much longer and closer to floor level, while the second part behind it is a few steps taller and fit for one singular person.
There's movement in the corner of her eye and Glinda looks to see a wisp of black smoke floating away, the tall chair from behind Elphaba's desk in the judge's chamber resting there. She looks to Elphaba, already finding her gaze on the blonde. Glinda knows it's a sign she should go take her seat, and with a quick glance to make sure the judges aren't looking, she takes the chance to lean in and press a quick kiss to Elphaba's lips for good luck. When she pulls away to see Elphaba's lightly blush covered cheeks, she grins before making her way to her seat.
With a wave of her hand, Elphaba is in her space at the top of the judge's bench, the other three judges sitting in their respective spots in front of her. Killyjoy on the left, Brrr on the right and Dillamond at the center of it all. Glinda watches as Dillamond and Elphaba get their tomes ready. Dillamond gives a short thumbs upward to Elphaba, letting her know he's good to go when she is. Glinda watches as she grabs a quill in one hand, lifts up her other, and soon the trial doors open and the first shade steps inside.
Watching the trials isn't anything like Glinda expects. The first two heroes are pretty quick and easy verdicts. Two upstanding men, died at sea long after being recognized by Zeus as heroes from past battles. Both drink from the waters of Lethe quite willingly. It's not something Glinda gets to see, she learns. Shades that choose to drink the waters of Lethe are escorted out of the courtroom and taken to another chamber where they'll drink the water and get a minute to gather themselves afterwards.
It's when the third hero comes into the room that things get rocky. He isn't exactly a standup citizen. He seemed to have quite the affinity for the god of war, pledging his entire life to him. It lead him to go right into the military route for all the wrong reasons. It was quickly learnt he was at fault for a horrible attempt to ambush their enemies, resulting in an entire village being turned to cinders.
Elphaba's fury can be felt in every single atom of air around them. Her voice is low as she throws deeply unsettling questions the heroes way. With Elphaba's fierce glare and the oppressive tightening of the magic in the air around them, the shade is left trembling as he tries to defend himself and his actions.
"Heroes like you disgust me. The only thing that would make you worse would be leaving your victims to survive any predatory attacks you made. You're lucky I'm the god of the dead and not the god of death, hero. Your death would not have been kind had it been me collecting your soul."
She makes a few notes in her tome.
"You will be headed to Elysium as promised for being a hero of Zeus, however, I do not agree with your acts of heroism. Most heroes get the choice to drink the waters of Lethe. You don't. What say you, Minos?"
"I agree." He growls.
"Rhadamanthus?"
"I concur." He scribbles as he states his answer.
"And you, Aeacus?"
"I agree as well."
"So it's settled. You will drink the waters of Lethe, then be escorted to Elysium for the start of your afterlife. Elphaba announces. "You're dismissed."
The shade goes to object, but a force pushes it insistently towards the exit the other shades went through. It's head is forced down as it's spectral form floats through the door and out of Glinda's line of view. She glances over to Elphaba, who leans back in her seat pinching the bridge of her nose.
"Let's get this next one over and done with."
Hours pass. Glinda's seen at least three more heroes face a similar fate as that third one. For every two relatively simple trials, there was at least one where the hero has a nasty past. It's awful, especially when most of the heroes have been averagely good souls in their lifetimes.
She can feel the hint of fury within the air still as yet another hero makes his way out of the room, eager to be in a calmer space and happily drinking the water that will let him forget. Glinda glances up to Elphaba's spot in the bench where she rubs her temples and sighs loudly. The goddess leans forward to peer below the bench to the other three.
"How many more heroes, Killyjoy?" she asks in a drained voice. The kind that tells Glinda she'll need to make sure they relax before doing anything more for the day.
"One." He answers.
Glinda lets out a tiny sigh of relief. She can admit, she is happy she got to see how Elphaba's workday went, but she can also admit she understands why Elphaba took her time to introduce her to this place. Judging the souls is daunting work, and it isn't much fun and games. Glinda's grateful Elphaba only really has to worry about judging the souls headed to Elysium or Tartarus. She can't imagine how exhausted Elphaba would be all the time if she had to take care of the other shades judgement too.
"Step forward please, hero." Elphaba calls, her voice carrying out of the courtroom to where the final shade waits.
Floating forward in timid steps is the smallest and clearest shade Glinda's seen all day. She has gigantic eyes and her figure shivers as she takes in the gigantic space and the gods that sit ahead of her. She's thin and a little gangly, potentially from a small growth spurt before her death. Glinda's impressed she can make out the details of her hair tied into dual braids that frame her face. Her brows are creased and her lips quiver as the child stops in the center of the floor right where the other heroes stood previously. It aches Glinda to see her so confused and being subjected to a trial about her life-- a hero's trial no less.
Elphaba sits upright in her chair and grabs a parchment in front of her desk, scanning the names of the souls she's recorded so far and the numbers to be judged. She glances between her paperwork and the small shade in the center of the room. Glinda can feel before she see's the confused expression Elphaba wears as a mild tension can be felt in the air around her. The green goddess peers over the high desk and speaks in that same room commanding tone.
"What's a small girl like you doing in a trial for heroes?"
The girl freezes and looks directly to Elphaba with terror on her face. The Queen ignores it and continues.
"Do you know where you are, child? Whom you stand before?"
The girl gives a shaky nod, the sound of a whimper pulled from her throat. The tension in the air thickens as confusion begins to settle on Brrr and Dillamond's features. Killyjoy watches in silence, observing the young shade carefully. Glinda sits as still as she can, unable to take her eyes off the terrified shade in front of her. Elphaba's eyes narrow the slightest.
"What is your name, little girl?" Elphaba asks and the girl flinches.
"M-m-my n-n-n-name." The shade mumbles, her voice wavering with each word.
Glinda can feel the way her feet twitch as she does her best to stay still. It wouldn't do any good to interrupt the trial at all, but that little girl looks like she's trembling so much she might become mist within the heavy fog that lingers around the Underworld. The girl makes the motion of trying to wipe her tears away with the palm of her hands as she tries to stutter out the syllables of her name. She's practically incoherent.
Glinda really can't watch any longer. Watching the shades of full grown men facing their final judgement is one thing, but this terrified little girl is a whole other story. She stands up carefully and without a word, she steps into the center of the room. Elphaba straightens her posture again when she see's the flash of gold hair moving from the side of the courtroom towards its center. The shade freezes once again when she registers Glinda's presence and the nature goddess hates how she can see the details of tear stained cheeks and glossy eyes with what Glinda can only assume would be the puffiest of eye lids.
Glinda looks up to Elphaba and gives a soft bow of her head.
"Please excuse my interruption, Hades. Minos, Rhadamanthus, Aeacus." She acknowledges each god with her soft gaze and then sticks a hand out in front of the girl, "May I be permitted to have a moment with the young shade? She's trembling up a storm down here. I don't think she'll be able to answer your questions like this."
Elphaba keeps a firm expression on her features, needing to keep the imagine of an immovable and firm ruler in place as she does. But Glinda can see the way her eyes soften, the way she understands Glinda's intentions almost instantly. She looks to the three judges sitting within the bench below her, meeting their gazes. She raises an eyebrow, a silent request for their thoughts and Dillamond speaks first.
"I'm for the goddess of spring assisting if it means a smoother judgement for the child."
Brrr gives a nod.
"I second."
Killyjoy grunts but then gives one single nod of approval. It's all Elphaba needs. She gestures with one of her hands towards Glinda and the shade.
"You may proceed, Persephone."
Glinda smiles.
"Thank you, your majesty."
Then she turns and bends her knees so she's at eye level with the young girl.
"Please don't mind her majesty." She begins, "She can be intimidating, but you will have nothing but the fairest of trials."
The shade nods slowly, her attention focusing solely on Glinda now.
"Can you try telling us your name again, child?"
"D-Dorothy. Dorothy Gale." She whimpers.
"Dorothy Gale!" Glinda repeats, loud enough for the judges to catch. The recording of the trial officially begins when Dillamond's quill hits his parchment.
"Dorothy, you must forgive me for asking this, but are you a hero of Zeus?" Glinda asks her, making sure to hold her focus and speak in a kind voice. The tension within the air begins to dissipate and Glinda doesn't need to look back to see Elphaba has settled back into her chair and is watching them closely.
"N-no I'm not, goddess. Honest." She replies, her tiny voice quivering slightly. Glinda's eyebrows raise high. Elphaba has mentioned there is the occasional hero of another Olympian god, but she's surprised her first encounter with such a hero is this preteen child.
"Then Athena? Surely your acts of braverism were seen by her, no doubt. Or perhaps Apollo? Hm. No. I doubt he would do anything of the sort." Glinda prods further and the shade shakes her head no once again.
Elphaba's voice cuts in, its volume loud but it's tone much softer than before.
"Persephone, let the child tell her truth."
Glinda wants to continue her guessing game, but remembers the importance of the trial.
"Apologies, your majesty!" She calls to her before focusing back on Dorothy.
"Sweet child, could you tell us who proclaimed you to be a hero?"
The shades tremors have finally subsided and she watches Glinda with an uncertain gaze. When Glinda nods for her to continue, gesturing with her hand for the girl to begin speaking, she shuffles in one space. Her face looks down to the marble floor and she mumbles.
"The goddess Artemis."
Artemis?! The goddess of the hunt?! Glinda looks perplexed. Artemis, or Milla more commonly to most gods, is such a solitary figure. She runs amongst the woods with her pack of wolves and her sacred deer and has never once blessed any human being the title of being a hero of hers. She notoriously hates being amongst them despite spending the majority of her time on earth. What had this little girl done to sway such a goddess?
"A hero of Artemis you say." Elphaba voices Glinda's exact thoughts. "Child, how in all the realms did you achieve a feat like that?"
Dorothy seems less intimidated than earlier, taken by surprise by the curiosity coming from Elphaba's question. The Queen's expression has softened a bit, way less intense and hardened as it had been with the other heroes. She's leant forward in her chair again and while Glinda can tell most of her focus is on the shade. She doesn't miss the little upturn of green lips when Glinda's eyes very briefly meet hers.
"I don't. Uhm." The shade fidgets in her spot and looks at Glinda for some assistance.
"Yes?" She prods, prompting the shade to continue.
"I don't know where to start, goddess." She admits to Glinda in a hushed voice, her voice sounding hollow and torn, "Will Hades be upset about that?"
Glinda looks back to Elphaba, who raises her eyebrow curiously. Glinda knows Elphaba could never be upset at any of her people for needing time to explain themselves. Especially not a shade like Dorothy. Glinda smiles lightly.
"She won't. Hades isn't here to doom you, sweet child. She's here to make sure you see the afterlife you deserve as a hero of the gods. She gets the final say on your souls resting space and in order to do that, she needs to know your heroic deed." She gestures to the three gods that sit below Elphaba," Tell her what you did to become a hero of Artemis, and she will give you a fair and just ruling. I promise."
Glinda stands proper and turns to face the judges with Dorothy. The girl makes the motion of taking a breath before speaking louder. She briefly looks to Glinda for one more bit of encouragement, then starts to speak when the blonde nods at her.
"I was made a hero by Artemis because I saved her fawns from drowning."
Elphaba's eyebrow raises further but her expression stays the same otherwise.
"Did you say fawns, plural? How many fawns did you save, Dorothy Gale?" Killyjoy asks in his gruff tone.
"Uhm. There were two, sir." She answers. "I think they were only a few days old."
Glinda can only imagine a tiny girl like Dorothy and what she had to do to save two deer, of all creatures. She's such a small and scrawny little shade, and fawns are squirm little creatures on hooves. The girl holds her hands close to her chest, looking slightly less anxious the longer she watches the judges of the dead make notes. Elphaba is watching with a sharp gaze.
"Could you tell us what happened, Dorothy, hero of Artemis?"
Being called by a title so important causes the shade to shift a bit. Glinda almost laughs as she makes the realization she's attempting to stand straighter. Her head is still looking down to the marble floor, but the girl is trying her best to be brave.
"I-It's not a pleasant story, your majesty, ma'am." She mumbles, "It doesn't have a very nice ending."
"Young hero, there is no unpleasant story we haven't heard." Dillamond interupts, a kind tone to his voice, "There can be no proper judgement without us being able to hear your story. It may be uncomfortable to tell us and relive such a terrifying experience, but it is over. We promise, you won't ever need to share it with a single soul after today."
The shade still looks uncertain, her head tilting up and looking back to Glinda. Glinda isn't sure how she can help her with this, she's as much in the dark with the story as Elphaba is. She isn't exactly sure what the girl might be asking her with those big, soulful eyes staring right through her. She hates how it feels like it's almost looking into her own.
"Child, I can't share your story for you." Glinda states in a matter-of-fact tone, "I don't know how you saved those fawns. But I'd like to hear it if you could share the tale."
"Y-you're sure her majesty won't curse me to Tartarus? I was doing an awful rotten thing before I saved those fawns. I don't want to get in any more trouble than I already am." Dorothy seems anxious again and her tone is just so innocent and horrified. Glinda can't stop the laugh that bubbles from her.
"Oh! Sweet child, no. You're forgetting. You're being given a trial for a hero, not a criminal. The worst a shade like you will get is a space in the vast meadows of Asphodel, and even then, I don't think that's likely." Glinda assures, "Hades and Zeus saw to it that heroes of the gods would find their resting space in Elysium after all."
Dorothy gives her a look like she isn't exactly sure she understands.
"Don't I need to be a hero of Zeus to go to Elysium, goddess?"
"You do not. If a god has named you one of their heroes for a heroic deed, then you're entitled to an afterlife in Elysium."
Both Glinda and the shade jump as Elphaba's voice is much closer and softer, the goddess having shifted from her space at the top sea on the bench to a few feet in front of them. The shade begins to tremble again as she looks up at Elphaba with wide a wide and terrified stare.
"I cannot hear your whispers from up there, and as this is a trial in my court, I feel I'm privy to these whispers." Elphaba reprimands them both in a kind fashion and giving Glinda a look that conveys less of a scold and more of a 'stay focused' message. Glinda smiles apologetically.
"Young Hero, I know it can be intimidating being in the center of a space where four old and terrifying gods will be judging you over your life time and the incident that lead you to becoming a hero. Unlike what you may have heard, the Underworld's laws are fair." Elphaba gestures to Glinda with one of her hands. The blonde almost reaches out to grab it, but quickly remembers Elphaba is working and resists all urges as best as possible.
"If it would comfort you, Persephone can continue to stand next to you as you share your story. You may take as many pauses and breaks as you need, but we must hear what happened in order for us to progress with your judgement."
The girl worries her lip and nods slowly. Glinda stands straighter, realizing she now has a job given to her for the remainder of this trial. Elphaba nods her thanks then then looks once again to Dorothy.
"Persephone shall stay, then." She decides. She waves her hand and her smoke engulfs her, and soon she's back in her chair at the top spot on the judge's bench.
"Proceed when ready." Elphaba declares with a tone of finality.
Dorothy shivers. Glinda kneels down again.
"You're not alone, Dorothy. You don't need to be scared." She starts, "You know, I'm kind of new here too. There's so much about the Underworld to know and love. I promise you, whatever you're afraid of happening next, it's not even close to the reality of what it will be. You can trust the goddess of spring."
That seems to cut into Dorothy's worries. She blinks up at Glinda curiously, making a slow motion of tilting her head. She examines Glinda for a moment and then speaks.
"Are you dead too, goddess of Spring? You sure don't look like you're dead."
It takes everything in Glinda not to puff up at that. Is she dead?! Isn't that answer obvious at a glance?! The girl was just on a barge with like twenty other shades. It takes her a second to prevent herself from calling the child a dummy.
"No, Dorothy. I'm simply a guest of Hades. She is my-" Glinda hesitates for just a beat, not exactly wanting to disclose her relationship to the girl in front of the judges, "Why, she's my very best friend."
Dorothy seems slightly surprised, likely having a million questions she wants to ask, but Glinda gently tilts her head towards the bench.
"Now, let's hear what happened to you, alright?"
The shade nods slowly and turns her full attention back to the bench. Killyjoy leans back in his chair, watching with his dark gaze. Brrr has two hands folded together in front of his lips, his wiry hair sticking out in all different ways as he waits patiently, while Dillamond fiddles with his goatee, indifferent to having to wait. Elphaba continues to watch the two of them, her expression almost unreadable. She puts on aura of indifference, but Glinda can tell she's incredibly curious. She's never had a hero of Artemis land in her court room until now.
Gods, Elphie getting excited over new things will never get old to Glinda.
The shade shifts once more and then she speaks.
"It started with my wedding."
Glinda, Elphaba and all three judges sit up.
The shade goes on to tell her story. Her father died at war two months before she was born, her mother died of heartbreak not long after she came into the world. She was adopted by her mother's Aunt Em and Uncle Henry and had been raised on a farm. Times began to get difficult, and though Dorothy was two years away from it still, Em and Henry wanted a better life for her. So they arranged her marriage to an older boy from the village, a seasoned sailor who intended to find a bride and build a life with her in his new home along the coast. Dorothy seems to tense at this part of her story, and Glinda offers her hand to the child to give her some reassurance. Dorothy can't seem to hold it, but the gesture is appreciated and she tries her best to regardless.
"I ran away during the procession to his family home." Dorothy confesses it like it's the most unforgivable sin. "I couldn't do it. I did not want to be a wife just yet. I wanted to stay on the farm a little longer. So when the procession paused after my almost husband's cousin twisted his ankle, I ran into the woods to hide."
"I don't know how long I was there, but there was some awfully heavy storm clouds rolling in. I found shelter under a gigantic tree near a small creek and inside of it were the two fawns. I knew they were special, both of them had these really, really beautiful crescent moon spots on their chests. Auntie Em always told me that sacred animals should always be left alone or face the wrath of their god, so I tried to find somewhere else."
Glinda feels awful hearing what she assumes is a fourteen year old girl describe herself running away from a fate she never chose for herself. In a weird way she feels she can relate to it, though she isn't being shipped off for marriage like Dorothy here had been. She makes a motion of trying to squeeze the young girl's hand but is embarrassed to find it sifts through the translucent hand trying to hold hers. Dorothy continues without noticing the attempt at comfort.
"It was really cold, and terribly windy. The amount of leaves that got blown into my face had to have been in the hundreds! My peplos almost blew right off me in those woods, and I thought I was going to be crushed by the trees if the wind blew hard enough."
"Then the storm really began, and it was so heavy and rushed, the river began to flow really, really fast."
Dorothy tenses a bit.
"The wind was so strong it broke a tree nearby and it blocked the flow of it. Water began to pool up high and everywhere. It started to creep into the den with the fawns and they were crying so loudly and desperately, well, I'd be a horrible person to let them die like that! I couldn't just leave them. I waded into the water and it took an awful lot of work, the wind was so strong and I kept slipping and falling into the water. But I got them out! Then, just before we could make it to higher ground, the tree blocking the river got swept out of the way and we got pulled along with the current."
Elphaba closes her eyes as Dorothy pauses, staring into space as she tries to gather the final words of her story. Dillamond leans over to whisper something to Brrr, then soon to Killyjoy as well. He moves to stand and waves for Elphaba to lean forward and speaks something into her ear. She nods and looks to Dorothy.
"Dorothy, hero of Artemis," Elphaba starts, "Apologies for interrupting, but what exactly was the 'rotten thing' you did before saving these fawns?" She asks in a firm but gentle tone.
"Abandoning my new almost husband, of course." Dorothy says it as if it's the most obvious answer, "If I'd just gone and finished the marriage ceremony, maybe I wouldn't have died."
The silence left after Dorothy's statement is loud. Glinda keeps her lips shut tight, knowing the first thing she'd do if she were to say anything would be to defend Dorothy and her actions. But that isn't for her to decide. Elphaba nods like that makes sense and gestures to her.
"Thank you for clarifying. Please proceed."
"Okay! Uhm. Then we were pulled down the river. I held them above water as best as I could, goddess." Dorothy looks to the marble floor again, not wanting to make eye contact with anyone as she becomes more vulnerable, "B-but it was really, really cold. I don't remember how long we were in there. I think there was another tree, or some roots in the water. I hit my head on it and everything else is kind of fuzzy. I think I got stuck. The fawns were crying. I kept holding them higher and higher, and then I went under."
Her voice is wobbly as she continues.
"I don't know what happened next. I couldn't breathe or see and everything went dark, but somehow I woke up again and I wasn't in the water anymore. I saw the wolf first and then the goddess Artemis. She was kneeling next to me, I think. She was very close. She asked me for my name, so I told her. Then she asked why I had her fawns, and I-- I don't know what exactly I said. It was hard to talk."
Dorothy makes a motion to try to wipe non existent tears away and her shoulders shake. She begins to sob quietly in front of the gods, needing a moment before she describes her final moments among the living. Glinda isn't sure how to comfort the girl, but she keeps herself standing next to her, moving her hand from the shades to what she hopes would be her back were she to be solid.
"It's okay," She whispers, "Take your time. Hades can wait."
It's takes only a few minutes before the girl composes herself. She makes a motion like she's exhaling a deep breath, then lifts her head up from the floor. She sniffles once, then continues.
"She believed me. She asked me a few other questions, but I couldn't keep talking. It was getting colder and she could only shield the rain so much. I think she saw what was happening so she took my hand and that's when she declared me a hero of hers. Called me the one and only mortal who could be fit to be a hero of Artemis. Then, well..."
Her voice trails off and she shuffles awkwardly in place. Elphaba doesn't need to hear anymore, so she lifts her hand upward as a sign Dorothy didn't need to continue. Dillamond is scribbling something down on the parchment in front of him, Brrr and Killyjoy observing as he documents the final details of Dorothy's death. Glinda finds her eyes are wet with tears. She's heard more about than she's seen the goddess of the hunt, but the respect she has for her now is more than she could say it ever was before. She looks down to Dorothy and finds the girl is back to looking down to the marble floor, her gaze saddened but much more relaxed than when she initially stepped forward.
"Well done, Dorothy." Glinda says in a soft tone, her voice full of emotion, "You did great."
She nods, but doesn't look up to the goddess of spring. Dillamond puts his quill down once he's finished his writing, and Elphaba floats the transcript up to her. She gives it a quick glance, recounting Dorothy's story to herself for a moment. It's something she hadn't done with any of the heroes earlier in the day.
"Hero of Artemis," Elphaba begins, her voice echoing through the chamber, "Thank you for sharing your final moments with us, and the tale of how you became the only hero of the goddess of the hunt and wilderness. It takes a lot of courage to brave not only defying the gods by handling their sacred animals, but to sacrifice your very life to ensure theirs are kept safe. Artemis was wise to give you the title. While it's not as conventional as how most mortals become heroes, I couldn't agree more with her decision."
The lights of the torches flicker higher as Elphaba makes her last verdict of the day.
"Dorothy Gale, Hero of Artemis, you've earned your place amongst the heroes of Elysium."
The three judges below Elphaba nod simultaneously, agreeing with their queen's verdict without hesitation. Glinda smiles as she watches Dorothy's head bolt upright, shocked to hear she's getting the better of after life endings. She looks from the gods in front of her to Glinda, then back to the gods confused.
"Even though I may have brought shame to my family? Even if I abandoned my almost husband?" She asks.
Elphaba scoffs.
"Hero of Artemis, your final actions in your life far outweigh abandoning a wedding you wanted no part in." She starts in a firm voice, "You're here now because someone from your family buried you with a coin for Charon's barge. I'd like to believe Artemis would be the reason why. Perhaps your family knows of the good deed you did before you died. Perhaps they don't."
There's a flourish of smoke and soon she's on the solid marble flooring, just in front of Glinda and the child hero.
"Whatever the case may be, they still gave you a proper funeral and burial. You wouldn't have been able to get here the way you did without that."
"There's one final thing you can do before you're lead to Elysium, young hero." She goes on to say, looking towards the door that lead to the chambers where the waters of Lethe wait.
"What is it, your majesty?" Dorothy questions.
"Many shades find it can be painful to live her for eternity with the memories of a life you'll never get back to. The yearning to live once more can be quite overwhelming, especially for those whose lives were cut too short like yours. Out those doors and in a room down the hall is water from the river Lethe, one of the many rivers down here in the Underworld. It can help you to forget everything about the life you lived on earth, which can ease the pain and let you have some well earned peace."
Dorothy doesn't say anything just yet, processing what Elphaba's explaining to her. Her brow furrows a bit as she seems uncertain about what to do with this information. Glinda thinks she might finally head back to her spot at the edge of the courtroom when the shade looks to Elphaba and speaks.
"Would I forget everything about my life?"
Both Glinda and Elphaba are stunned by the question. Elphaba blinks once and then tilts her head as she examines the shade. Glinda watches with very visible curiosity.
"Yes, I'm afraid so. Both the bad and the good. All of it would be erased."
The shade thinks about it for a moment more, then asks another question.
"Do I have to drink it, your majesty? I would very much like to remember my life. Oh, I will miss it very terribly, but I could never wish to forget it. I loved the life that I did have, really. I had a wonderful family and little dog-- oh Toto! I never did get to say goodbye to him proper! Oh-I guess I could see him again one day if dogs come to the Underworld. Do you think if we gave Toto a coin once he dies, he'll be able to come with me to Elysium? Oh! But if I have to drink it, then how would I remember him once he got here? Now I know I can't drink the water, your majesty, please please please don't make me drink the forgetting water! I would be beside myself if I couldn't remember my very best friend if we see each other again!"
The timid little girl from earlier seems to be no more as she says everything quickly and within one breath. Elphaba barely has time to process all the questions thrown her way as she tries to handle the fact a shade has asked not to drink the water for the first time in she can't remember how long ago. Glinda can't hide her slightly amused smirk at seeing her love so baffled by the flurry of questions, and she happily interjects to get Dorothy to calm down just a tick.
"One at a time, little hero! The goddess of the dead can't answer them all at once!" Glinda chides with a laugh, "Let her majesty answer you."
Elphaba gives her a look, not appreciating the laughter but grateful for her getting the girl to stop speaking for a moment.
"Right. Thank you, Persephone." she turns to Dorothy next, "You don't need to drink the water, child. If you truly want to remember, then you can. I won't take that from you."
To emphasize her point, she puts her hands behind her back and clasps them shut.
"Your other question was about a dog, yes? I'm afraid animal souls face a different after life that I can't speak to. The closest thing to a dog you'll find down here is the guard of Tartarus." Elphaba explains, "You likely won't meet him unless you somehow end up near it, as that's where he stays."
"He also helps protect the shades that weren't buried with the coin for the barge," Glinda cuts in, "He makes sure they don't slip into Styx or walk into Tartarus of their own accord."
The sound of a throat clearing from behind Elphaba catches their attention and the three of them look to see Brrr standing there, one hand behind his back while the other fiddles with the fabric of his chiton.
"Your majesty," he begins, eyes flicking to the shade and then back to Elphaba, "I believe it's time we conclude the trial here. If the young shade is happy to keep her memories, I will lead her and the other heroes to Elysium where they can get to know their new home."
Elphaba nods, understanding that the other heroes are still waiting outside the chamber, all memory less and confused.
"Right, yes. Thank you Aeacus. Give us just a moment more."
Elphaba turns back to the shade.
"You'll be taken to Elysium where you'll be able to explore the vast space you'll now call home. Unlike earlier, most of the shades you'll see and interact with won't remember much of anything. They won't even remember their names. You're quite the kind hearted child, so I imagine I won't need to explain this, but treat those shades with goodness and respect. They won't remember anything like you do, alright?"
Dorothy nods her head up and down a few times.
"Good." She steps to the side, moving to stand next to Glinda. Glinda takes a half step closer.
Brrr kneels down just a bit to get eye level with Dorothy. His eyes squint up and wrinkle in a way that says he's done it many a time before, and his smile is just as kind.
"Young hero, we judges tend to have a soft spot for those who treat the animals of earth with kindness. Would you be willing to share more of your stories with the animals of your former life while we head to Elysium?" He asks her, his gravely voice much softer, almost like the purr of a lion.
The shade confirms with another nod of her head and steps closer to Brrr. She makes it to his side and the duo begin to head towards the doors where the other shades wait. Dorothy hesitates just for a moment before she turns around to face Elphaba and Glinda. She gives a quick bow of her head to them, the translucent double braids of hers falling forward like they would if she were a physical being.
"Thank you, your majesty. Thank you, goddess of spring."
Glinda smiles and gives the child a small wave. Elphaba says nothing as she watches her with the stern expression she normally wears as Hades of the Underworld. Despite that, there's still a tiny hint of a smile threatening to show. Glinda waits for the shade to turn around before she leans closer to Elphaba.
"Something tells me not all trials are like this one." She states the obvious and Elphaba spares a glance down to her.
"I should have expected bringing you to work would mean something incredibly different would happen." She quips, looking back to the door Brrr and Dorothy exit from.
Glinda weaves her arm with Elphaba's and tilts her head to rest on her bare shoulder. Her hand locks itself with Elphaba's, and Elphaba lifts her free hand to give a short goodbye wave to the remaining two judges. Glinda is quick to do the same, and Dillamond smiles as he returns the gesture. Killyjoy on the other hand gives a stiff nod before he descends from his space on the bench, Dillamond following him shortly after.
With nobody but themselves left in the courtroom, Glinda takes a second to lift her head up and press a soft kiss to Elphaba's temple.
"You worked hard today Elphie. Thank you for sharing it with me."
Elphaba sighs.
"I'm sorry it wasn't all great, but it wasn't the worst you could see either. Thank you for staying." she gives Glinda a gentle smile, "Shall we go home now?"
"Absolutely."