Wicked: The Witch's Daughter - The Final Chapter

Instructions

Kendra's POV: I stood beside Mom and Dad on the balcony of the Emerald Palace, looking out over the enormous crowd gathered in the streets below. Glinda stood in front of us, dressed in one of her finest gowns, while Chistery and several members of the Emerald Guard stood nearby. For the first time since I had discovered the truth about my family, I didn't feel like I needed to hide. I didn't need to run. I didn't need to wonder whether someone would recognize me from one of Madame Morrible's flyers and decide I was dangerous because of who my parents were. I was standing beside my mother, my father, and Glinda, and all of Oz was about to hear the truth. Glinda stepped forward and raised her hand, and the crowd slowly became quiet. "People of Oz," she began, her voice carrying across the city, "today marks the beginning of a new chapter for our land. The fear, division, and uncertainty that have troubled Oz for so long must come to an end." I glanced at Mom. She gave me a small smile. Dad stood on my other side, his hand resting gently on my shoulder. Glinda continued, "I am announcing today that Elphaba Thropp, Fiyero, and their daughter Kendra Thropp are pardoned of every accusation that has been made against them. They are not criminals. They are not enemies of Oz. They are members of our community, and they deserve to be treated with the same dignity and respect as anyone else." A murmur moved through the crowd, but Glinda continued. "Madame Morrible will no longer have the power to threaten Oz. Her actions have come to an end, and the fear she created will not control our future." I swallowed as I heard those words. Part of me still couldn't believe everything that had happened. Only a short time ago, I had been hiding in a tree in the Western Forest, studying the Grimmerie because I thought it was the only way I could save my parents. Now I was standing in the Emerald Palace beside them. Glinda looked toward Mom. "Elphaba has spent years being blamed for things she did not do and feared for things people were told to believe about her. Fiyero was separated from the people he loved because of those same fears. Their daughter, Kendra, grew up carrying the weight of rumors about a family she barely understood. That ends today." My eyes began to sting. Mom reached over and took my hand. "From this day forward," Glinda said, "Oz will not be divided by fear. We will not judge someone by the color of their skin, the family they were born into, or the stories others have told about them. We will listen. We will learn. And we will stand together." The crowd was completely silent now. Glinda took a breath before continuing. "Elphaba, Fiyero, and Kendra will remain here in the Emerald Palace. They will work alongside me to help bring peace and unity throughout Oz. Together, we will make certain that every person and every Animal has the opportunity to be heard and treated fairly." Mom squeezed my hand. Dad smiled. I looked out at the crowd and realized how different everything felt. I had spent so much of my life wondering whether I belonged anywhere. I had been the green girl people whispered about. I had been told I was strange, dangerous, and unwanted. But now I was standing here, beside my family, with the chance to help make Oz better. Glinda stepped back and turned toward us. "And I ask all of Oz to welcome them." For a moment, nobody moved. Then someone in the crowd began clapping. Another person joined. Then another. Soon, applause spread through the streets. I stared at the people below, hardly knowing what to think. Some faces were still uncertain, but others were smiling. Mom looked at me. "How do you feel?" she whispered. I thought about it for a moment. "Hopeful," I said. Dad smiled. "That's a good place to start." I looked toward Glinda, then back at the crowd. For the first time, I wasn't thinking about what had happened to us. I was thinking about what could happen next. Oz had spent years divided by fear and rumors. Maybe it wouldn't change overnight. Maybe there would still be people who didn't trust us. Maybe there would still be difficult days ahead. But now we had a chance to build something different. I looked at Mom, Dad, and Glinda standing beside me, and I smiled. I had finally found my family. Now, together, we could help Oz find its way home, too.