A Search for Answers

[Glinda Upland]

Glinda appeared in Munchkinland, though not under the terms she had hoped. Why was it that her only visits here were under such greusome circumstances? She walked into the room that Ellie had last been spotted in, directed to her by a member of her 'staff.' There was nothing there but a piece of paper, crumpled slightly, lying on the floor. Glinda picked it up and smoothed the paper. It appeared to be a poem of sorts...

The search for Ozma carries on
And won't stop til the Wiz is gone
When he came down to claim the throne
This princess tried to send him home
Thus he took her and hid her well
And sent her to her private hell
Where cruelty reigns and hate is strong
She works for nothing all life long
With no thought of her royal crown
Broken, beaten and worn down
Unloved, unwanted and abused
Her childhood nothing but confused
Just a child who's hurt and bruised.
Her life resides with a girl who is rather shy.


"Ozma..." she whispered. Ellie must have found out something. That must have ben the reason for her capture. One of the servants entered and directed her to a room just down the hall where they had taken a rattled boy who had supposedly been in the room at the time of her capture but had no recollection. Glinda entered the room, Ellie's bed room. 'I'm sure this wasn't the way Ian expected to see Ellie's bedroom' Glinda thought to herself. If she didn't make herself laugh, she'd surely break into tears...

"Ian." Glinda said kindly, looking down at the boy sitting on the floor, still in a daze.

[Ian Tibbit]

Ian was hurting bad... He felt like his head was about to explode... "Ugh, Agh..." he cried in pain.

"Glinda.. what happ..." then it all came back to him. "Where's Ellie!!!?" he screamed using all the force that was left in his body.

[Glinda Upland]

Glinda grabbed both of his arms. He'd finally come out of the trance the Nome King put him under, and it wasn't going to be pretty. "Calm down, Ian. I need you to think very hard for me. I know you're probably feeling pretty lousy right now because you just came out of a spell that you've been in for several hours. I need you to think. What is the last thing that you remember?"

[Ian Tibbit]

Ian was very confused. A spell? How could he have possibly been put under a spell, it was just Ellie and I.. wasn't it?

"Umm" Ian was thinking, hard. "Last I remember," he began "was Ellie and I talking about something I'd found." At this point, he had lost memory of things that had happened hours before the spell hit. His head was burning as he tried to think back to what happened.

"Something, important. I think." he said scratching his head.

[Glinda Upland]

"Was it this?" She handed him the poem she'd found on the floor. She sat down in the chair next to him, hoping he'd be able to remember something.

[Ian Tibbit]

Ian looked at the tattered piece of paper, suddenly everything was coming back to him. Well, everything that happened before he was taken over by the Nome King.

"I remember it was important." he started. "I found this in the general library, in the archives section." he said. "Ellie and I were discussing on exactly who this girl might be, and I know that we had decided that this will uncover the location of Ozma."

His face fell.

"But, unfortunately" he said, his voice was cracking "I am unable to remember exactly who this girl was, or where she was." he started to cry. He couldn't believe that he had lost Ellie once again.

He started to get angry, he was enraged. Tears strolling down his face, his face hardened, and his veins began to expose himself. He was breathing hard. "I will not lose her again." he said. Something was happening, it was happening again. The floor began to shake as a small ring of light blue began to surround his body. It was happening again, controlling nature, he was feeling THAT much emotion.

[Glinda Upland]

Glinda tried to calm the boy. "Ian. Ian. I need you to look at me. Look at me." She grabbed his chin with her hand and looked into his eyes. "Focus on me. I need your help to find her, and if you completely exhaust yourself...because you've already had most of your energy zapped by the last spell...you won't be any help to anyone."

[Ian Tibbit]

Ian attempted to focus on Glinda.. but focus wasn't his problem at this point. He WAS calm again, but the ground was still shaking, objects were still moving, and the light around Ian was glowing brighter. What was happening? Ian was infact trying to focus on STOPPING this.

"Whats happening?" Ian asked. "I want to make it stop, but I don't know how." he said.

It wasn't exactly clear why this was happening, but Ellie's disappearance right before his eyes had something to do with it. He couldn't believe that he let it happen right infront of him. What kind of man is he?

[Glinda Upland]

Glinda knew her powers actually weren't that strong. If Ellie or Elphie were here they could stop it with a Nod, but she focused all her energy on calming the 'magic' storm. She breathed in deeply and tried to take the energy into her. It was a painful process, but it kept everyone else in the house from suddenly passing out...or worse. Slowly the room began to stop its tremors and the bright light lulled. She felt weak, faint, and sat again in the chair next to Ian.

"Ok." She said kindly. The poor boy looked so much like a child in this fragile state, and she reached out with a quivering, but gentle, hand and touched his face. "I'll start from the beginning...you were here visiting Ellie. You showed her the poem which holds some clue to Ozma. Just as the two of you were figuring it all out...someone invaded your body. It was most likely the Nome King, but it could have been Mombi. They rendered you powerless, used your body to capture Ellie and then threw you back when they were done. At least, as far as I can gather, that seems the most likely chain of events. You've been dazed from the spell for about six hours, and in that six hours I've almost killed Polly Chrome and have made my way back here to you..."

She gave him a minute to process the information before pressing on. "Furthermore, Polly sent out a letter to many of the members of Shiz, personal friends, and people in power claiming Ellie was abducted by Elphaba and that she is in grave danger. She also appointed someone named Yorq Yiggle as temporary governor until her 'safe return.' Is any of this ringing a bell? Anything you know that could connect these dots?"

[Ian Tibbit]

Ian tried to focus. He couldn't help but feel ... bad... for having allowed all this to happen.

"Yorq Yiggle!!" he yelled. "Yes! He was supposedly a servant of the Thropps a long time ago. He was here, talking to Ellie when I arrived. Then as Ellie and I were talking in the room, that vase fell, and he appeared. And after that, I don't remember anything else that happened." he was trying to think hard.

"I do know we made the connection with the poem, but I simply can NOT remember. I dont think the connection was made until after my body was taken over." he said.

[Glinda Upland]

"Do you think Yorq could be Mombie or the Nome King in disguise? Polly, who has been completely brainwashed by Mombi, was very quick to 'appoint' him to take Ellie's position?"

[Ian Tibbit]

"WHAT!?" Ian was outraged. "I think he could very well be the Nome King." he said, pretty certain of his assumption. He was starting to get back up on his feet. "I need to find her, let me come with you, let me help you." he pleaded.

At this point, Ian thought he could be of great help. He finally new the way to enact his powers, and that was through heavy levels of emotion. and right now, that wasnt something hard to achieve. He knew how to enact it, and how to control it. But not how to shut it off just yet. But, thats what practice is for. He also hoped that Glinda would have taken a slight interest in his powers, and perhaps could help him learn how to control them and use them.

[Glinda Upland]

"No. Stay here. Please. If Yorq is in fact the Nome King I need someone here to update me on his progress. I fear it's only a matter of time before I am completely blacklisted. I've become too open, and I am too easily recognizable. I need you to stay and let me know what is going on." She could see how badly it hurt Ian to just sit, but it was where he was needed.

"When we're done here I am going back to Shiz to confront Mombi and Polly. But if anything should happen to me, I need to know that you are here keeping an eye on Yorq. If you cannot get in touch with me, get in touch with Elphaba if you find out anything...please."

[Glinda Upland]

Glinda scripted another note to her, and it bubbled into Kiamo Ko. "I am leaving Munchkin land and am going to relocate Kay. As far as I know they still don't know where you are, so I am bringing her to you. I will be there shortly
Glinda."

[Elphaba Thropp]

Elphie sent one back - don't send her here - it's the first place they'll look! Take her somewhere no one would think of...like Shiz!