The Crimson
Savior
AN: This is a little one-shot based off the song "The Wretched and Divine" from Black Veiled Brides. I hope you all like it, and please be nice, this is my first attempt at a one-shot. Thank you!
I am the innocent
I am what could have been
Elphaba lay curled asleep on the soft earthen ground, a thin blanket half covering her body. The faded rays of the sunlight gleam over her body, casting her emerald skin in an ethereal glow. Her long raven hair tumbled over her shoulders in a cascading waterfall of ebony silk. A small smile tugged at the corners of her slender lips; a dream, an echo of happier times danced within her mind, cloaking away the horrors of the world spinning around her.
The dreams you talk about,
Now left on broken skin
A scream and a gunshot ripped Elphaba from her dreams. The door to her cottage suddenly bursts open, and a platoon of Gale Soldiers flood her small house, tipping over tables, shattering what she had of dishes, trampling flowers and breaking the vases.
Two soldiers run over to where Elphaba sat rigid, a small Animal pup clutched tight within her arms. And before she could move, the two soldiers grab hard onto her arms, and yank her to her feet.
The leader to the raid, walks up to the now captured witch, a smug smile tugging at his fat lips. His dark brown hair was half covered by a black hat, and his Gale force uniform was stained in blood.
Standing a toe to toe, the Leader's leather gloved fingers reach out, intent to caress the witch's slender cheek. Growling, Elphaba rears her head back, and spats in the man's face.
Smiling, the man pulls the glove from his hand and wipes the spit from his face. Turning to face the Witch, he reaches back and backhands Elphaba hard across the face, making her stumble backwards.
"Bring the Witch out!" roars the man.
Here lies hysteria,
A land where chaos reigns
Roughly Elphaba is dragged out of the cottage and into the nightmare. Outside, flames devour houses, Animals run around frantically screaming, their fur ablaze, writhing on the ground. Others are slaughtered before the green witch's eyes, throats slit, stabbed through, or skinned alive.
Roughly, Elphaba is forced to her knees, the two guards standing behind her grab hard onto her wrists, and pulling her hands up, Elphaba watches as the guards wrap a rope around her wrists. Pulling hard, the guards stand on either side step back until both arms are now held high in the air, immobilizing her.
Global Disturbia,
Bows down to twisted ways.
The Leader to this raid walks up to Elphaba, a wicked sneer plastered on his face. In his hands, he twirls the ends of a leather whip glowing within the flickering glow of the fires.
"Round them up!" roars the Leader.
The Animals kept at bay, cringed as they were forced to watch as the leader violently lashed the emerald witch's back. Elphaba, stoic as ever, bit her lip as the violent kiss of the whip, slashed her back, ripping and tearing away skin, and splattering her blood. Panting in pain, she clenched her eyes, refusing to give the Leader to this beating the satisfaction of breaking her.
A world of hate awaits
We are The Wild Ones
The Animals hands all clenched and unclenched in time with the hissing strike of the whip. Their hearts cracked, watching, standing by helplessly as their emerald savior took the beating, enduring their suffering, and all for the name of justice.
Having had enough and his patience wearing thin, the Leader raises a hand up, signaling to the one wielding the whip, to stop. Reluctantly, the soldier steps away, as the Leader; a tall man with a muscular built, walks up to the witch.
His eyes watching her, he absently pulls the leather glove off his hand. Kneeling before her, he sneers, before slapping her hard across the face with his glove.
Grabbing her hair, he forces Elphaba's eyes to stare back into his own. Seeing the defiance sparkle within her eyes, the Leader punches her hard in the face, making her head whip around in an almost sickening position.
"Why fight us…give up, your fight is hopeless" replies the Leader.
"Never!"
"Throw her to the ground!"
They all look the same…
Our time has come
Helplessly, the Animals watch as their emerald savior is viciously raped by the Leader to the savage army of the Wizard. Many, tried, struggled, fought and clawed to break free from the Gale Force standing before them, guns raised, preventing the large masses from breaking through their makeshift barricade, and save the emerald witch from her torments.
I am the chosen,
Wretched and Divine
It was, as Brr the Lion, struggled to break free, that Elphaba's head sloppily fell to the side, her soulless eyes staring back into the King of the Forest's; the color of the sun ablaze with rage, and sparkling with desperation.
Briefly the noise, the chaos around him dims, beneath the billowing morose, swelling within him, the emerald witch, the woman, the child of this world, standing alone against the darkness, no one by her side, fighting the fight for those who can't, who won't.
I am the unspoken,
The one they left behind
Golden like the sun stare into deep chocolate, bubbling crystalline tears brim against the edges of the Lion's eyes. There were no words needed to be spoken between the two, for all that was needed to be said, were spoken silently between the two by a single look.
Blazing silver catches the great Lion's line of vision, and Brr's eyes flash to the sight of one of the guards, standing but a foot away, a sadistic smile tugging at his thin lips.
A breath, an exhale, and the soldier darts at Elphaba, a flicker of silver, a splay of crimson, thundering screams rumble across the empty landscape, freezing the hearts of the Animals, eliciting rage to burn deep within their hearts.
"Fae!" screams Brr.
Fearless, fight until we die
Chaos erupts, the rage of the Animals ignites a spark, and one by one, the Animals fight against their captures, savagely beating and ripping the Gale Soldiers to shreds, and all for the name, of saving their emerald savior from the kiss of the knife.
Elphaba lay bloody and bruised, naked and broken beneath the bodies of the Gale Soldiers stealing her innocence, shattering her soul and tearing her heart to shreds. The screams of the Animals fill her, cracking what was left of her barricade.
A hand reaches down and grasps hard to her emerald wrist. Wincing, Elphaba suddenly is pulled back up and onto her hunches. Before she can fathom what is happening, a dagger saturated in blood is thrust into her hand.
Her eyes snap up to stare back into cold steel blue. The Leader kneels before her, his Gale coat covered in blood of the Animals he slaughtered. His lips curl, revealing rows of pearl white teeth.
"Kill it!" growls the Leader.
All around her, the Animals are slaughtered before her eyes, round up and thrown in cages. Some are skinned alive, whilst others are burned to death; soaked in kerosene oil, and set ablaze, their screams echoing amongst the chaotic symphony surrounding her.
A tug, and Elphaba's eyes are once again drawn back to stare into cold steel. Confusion flickers within her chocolate orbs.
Smiling, the Leader grabs the back of her head. Violently, he pushes her head down to the ground. Her eyes widen as she beholds the sight of a Lemur writhing and thrashing beneath the Leaders strong grasp.
"Ly…Lysander" whispers Elphaba, her bloody, torn lips quiver seeing the one who found her in darkness, and led her here, to the safety of the Animal community.
It was Lysander who found Elphaba alone, and shivering in the Gillikin Forest. After hearing her defying the Wizard, Lysander led Elphaba to the small Animal Community hidden deep within the Shadow Forest of Myst. It was here, where Lysander and his family helped Elphaba to get back on her feet, helped build her cottage, fed her, and took care of her when she was ill. And in return, she helped protect the Animal community with her spells, freed those captured by the Gale Force, and looked after the children of the village.
He was small, with golden fur and a small patch of white on his belly. His eyes were large and full of expression. His ears were long and pointed and his nose as black as coal.
But now, he lay before her, bleeding, with his back legs broken in two spots, his mouth shattered and his right paw twisted in an almost gruesome position. That alone, made Elphaba's stomach lurch, and the bile to rise within her throat.
"Elphaba" whispers Lysander weakly.
The moment between the two friends are shattered, by the Leader bashing the back of her head with a club.
"Kill it!"
"No!" screams Elphaba.
"Do it! Or I'll rip it to shreds and set his remains ablaze!" roars the Leader.
"No!" screams Elphaba.
Blinded by her fury, Elphaba leaps to her feet. As she does, her fist, which had remained placid by her side swings back, before cracking the guard hard across the face, breaking his jaw and making him tumble backwards.
"You bastard!" screams Elphaba.
Wild, Elphaba leaps onto the Leader's fallen body and starts to beat him with her fists. Feebly, the Leader tries to block her punches.
"Guards!" screams the Leader.
Hearing one of their own in trouble three of the Gale Soldiers watching the chaos, turns and runs to their Leaders aid. Using the back of his musket, one of the guards slams the handle hard, against the back of Elphaba's head.
Her body goes limp, as everything goes dark before her eyes. Falling to the ground, the Leader pushes her body off of him, before scrambling to his feet.
"Hold her!" barks the Leader.
"Sir…she's unconscious"
"Just hold her!" roars the Leader.
Unable to disobey an order, two of the men reach down and grab onto Elphaba's limp arms. Gently, the two hoist her back onto her wobbly feet. Meanwhile, the Leader weakly manages to rise to his full height.
Striding over to the unconscious form of the witch, the Leader reaches back and cracks Elphaba hard across the face.
Startled, Elphaba jumps, her eyes fly open, staring unfocused back at the Leader. It took her a few minutes to realize where she was, and what had been happening.
Her senses returning, Elphaba once again struggles against the two Gale soldiers grasps.
"Kneel!"
Elphaba glares defiantly back at the Leader. Enraged, the man backhands Elphaba across the face, before stepping up closer to her, his face but a breath away from hers.
"I said kneel!"
Rearing back, Elphaba spats in the Leaders face.
Closing his eyes, the Leader blindly reaches into his pocket. And, procuring a handkerchief, wipes the spit from his face, before opening his eyes and glaring wildly back into defiant chocolate.
Smiling, the Leader kicks his leg out, and tripping her, watches as Elphaba falls to the ground, wincing in pain as her knees land on the jagged rocks beneath her.
Once again, the Leader shoves the dagger into her unclenched hand. Growling, he grabs onto her wrist, and forces the dagger clutched between her fingers, to hover an inch above Lysander's heart.
"Die by the hands of your Emerald Savior!" screams the Leader.
In a blink, the Leader forces Elphaba's hand to plunge the dagger hilt deep into Lysander's heart.
Screams shatter the darkness, mirrored only by the horrors of heartbreak made by the emerald witch.
Brr and the others watch, as Elphaba's eyes widen in horror, as she watches Lysander's blood pour from beneath the dagger. Her hand still remains clutched onto the handle; the leaders hand still grasped around her own.
I am broken
The horrors to which the Leader had forced upon her, screamed silently back at her. The world around her slowed, and twisted, as all light, all sound hurtled downwards towards a never ending tunnel of darkness and despair.
Fissures of pain, of agony split across Elphaba's heart as she watched her friend, her companion, the father she had never had, yet always wanted, slowly die before her eyes, his life waning beneath the edge of the dagger.
"El…Elphaba" whispers Lysander. Slowly, his eyes flicker closed, as his chest rises one last time, before stilling into the night.
"Lysander!" whispers Elphaba.
Silence answers back. The chaos erupts, as blood pounds behind her ears. Her heart jackhammers against her chest, and tears of pain begin to brim against the edges of her soulless eyes.
Slowly, the Leaders hand slips free from Elphaba's, allowing hers to fall limp to the ground, covered in Lysander's blood.
The Leader, Brr, and the other Gale Soldiers watch, as the emerald witch, the wicked demon gently scoops Lysander's dead body up into her arms, and cradling him close to her chest, buries her head within the soft mass of his unblemished fur.
"Lysander!" screams Elphaba.
Rage bubbling, raging uncontrollably within her body, erupts. Growling, Elphaba's head tilts upwards, screaming the Lemur's name into the unheard heaven's sea of ebony bliss.
The Wretched and Divine
As morning broke over the horizon, the remaining survivors to the carnage of the night march in line, a metal collar tied around each one's neck. A piece of rope tied to the ends of each collar, connecting every prisoner. A man ahead of them on horseback, holds tight to the rope, and every now and again, he sadistically pulls on the rope, making many of the Animals stumble, some falling and scraping their knees, or legs against the rock encrusted road.
Each one of the Animal's eyes remain glued to the sight of the Emerald Witch, huddled within a metal cage, spikes poking into her flesh, cutting and tearing her skin. Her knees are drawn up to her chest, her slender arms wrapped loosely around her legs, a hallow expression screams back at the Animals, sparkles deep within her chocolate orbs.
I am the Devil's smile,
The one caught everyday
Trumpets blared as the caravan approached the gates to the City of Emerald's, declaring to one and all, the Gale Soldiers success. The citizens to the City of Emeralds gather, cheering, throwing rose petals down onto the heads of the gallant soldiers. Whilst others throw rotten fruit and rocks at the captured Animals, but mostly, at the now broken, wicked witch of the west.
The caravan steers towards the center of the city, where the great Wizard, Morrible, Lady Galinda, and her heroic Captain of the Gale Force, Fiyero stand.
A hopeful hero's speech
Won't stop the years you bleed
I am a hurricane,
Roughly, Elphaba is grabbed and thrown from her cage. A cry of pain slips past her torn lips, as her body slams onto the platform of the stage, set up by the Gale Force.
Before she can move, two of the guards grab both her arms, immobilizing her. The Leader, strides up behind her, and sneering, grabs a hold of her head, and forces her head up, till her broken eyes stare back into the eyes of the Wizard, and his traitorous troupe of mindless puppets of destruction.
Galinda stands beside Fiyero, her dark cerulean eyes glare icily back into dark chocolate. For a split second, the ice melts away, and the two former friends stare back at each other, both silently pleading for the other to stop this madness.
Stilling her heart and her emotions, Galinda rearranges her features into a twisted smile. Gallantly, she strides up to the edge of the stage, and, raising her arms, waits for the citizens to quiet.
"My fellow Ozian's! Let us celebrate! For the Wicked Witch's reign of terror, has finally come to an end!"
A great roar, and the citizens once again chant the name of the Good witch of the North's name.
"Galinda the Good, Hail Galinda!"
And Army strong as one
As they sit back and laugh
The one you left has just begun
"Down with the Good Witch!"
Galinda and the others watch in surprise as the captured Animals scream for her blood, eliciting a mob for those who fight for the Animals, to fight against the Gale Soldiers, struggling to reach their captured companions and free them.
"Down with Galinda the Good!"
"Eat her flesh, break her bones!"
"We may be small your Goodness" sneers Elphaba darkly, "but we are strong, for we fight as One united"
"Hang the infidels!" roars the Wizard.
A world of hate awaits
We are The Wild Ones
"Leave them be! It's me you want not them! Burn me!" screams Elphaba in desperation as the screams of the Animals fill her ears, as one by one, her companions are rounded up, and brought up on stage. A hangman's noose tied tight around each one's neck.
"Why would we wish to do that? When this is more fun?" sneers the Wizard, before nodding.
"No!" screams Elphaba.
One by one, the trapped doors beneath the Animals feet are opened. Elphaba watches helplessly, as her companions bodies fall, before slackening, twisting and turning dead, in the air.
They all look the same… I am the chosen,
Our time has come
Wretched and Divine
Elphaba's head remains bowed to the ground, her forehead pressing against the blood smeared floorboards. Her body trembles violently with unshed tears of both rage and despair. The creaking noise of the bodies of her Animal brethren fills her ears, slicing her heart.
I am the unspoken,
The one they left behind
Fearless, fight until we die
I am broken
"Tonight the bonfires shall burn, and all of Oz shall be cast in its ethereal glow, for tonight, the Wicked Witch shall burn!" roars Galinda.
The Wretched and Divine We live for broken hearts,
Won't watch them fall apart
Night falls, and Elphaba is once again brought up to the stage set up at the center of the city. The leader roughly slams her against the pillar, before tying her to the posts.
"I can't wait to watch you burn witch" snarls the Leader, before punching her in the face.
We live for the ones
Who don't know they exist
We die for endless winter
"Citizens! Tonight, we see the end of the Wicked!" roars Galinda, as she takes center stage again.
Elphaba watches, as Galinda takes the lighted torch. Her eyes gleam with madness as she approaches the stake.
"Any last words?"
Beginner and the sinner
We die for the ones
Who raise their hands to resist
"I'll see you in hell" seethes Elphaba.
"After you" bows Galinda.
In a blink of an eye, Galinda slams the lighted torch against the kerosene drenched logs. And in a flash, the entire pillar is set ablaze.
The citizens scream in pure joy, as the flames rise around the wicked Witch standing silent, stoic, and eyes burning in defiance back at the crowd.
I am the chosen,
Wretched and Divine
I am the unspoken,
The flames rise around her, and the smoke fills her lungs, making it hard to take in air. Still, Elphaba refused to scream as the heat almost became unbearable, the flames licking at her flesh, melting it beneath its fiery fingers.
The one they left behind
Fearless, fight until we die
I am broken
The Wretched and Divine
The bonfires burn throughout the night, the citizens celebrated throughout the night. The Wizard and Morrible feasted as they watched as the witch burned before their eyes. Galinda and her Captain had retired for the night. Bathed in golden firelight, the two made love, as the smoke and ashes from the fire, burned bright into the night.
The one they left behind
Fearless, fight until we die
I am broken
The Wretched and Divine