AN: Hey... remember me? So there's a story behind this story and why i haven't written anything in months (many, many months). I actually started writing this at the beginning of July 2011 (don't kill me yet), and I really liked it. SO, like all of my other stories that I don't want my parents to stumble upon and read, I hid it. And I guess I hid it really good, because I lost it. I looked in all my normal places, such as deep down in my closet, under my bookshelf, behind my jewelry box, etc. After a long time of searching, I finally came to the conclusion that I may have left it at a hotel over the Summer. Or, horror of horrors, that it had accidentally gone in the paper shredder along with some hideous stories written a long time ago that shall not be mentioned. So, I was very sad. Then, one day in November, when I really wanted to write, I decided to look for it again. Then, just for the heck of it, I asked my mom, "Hey, mom, have you seen a folded yellow piece of paper hidden anywhere?". And she said, "I thought I saw something sticking out from under your bookshelf when I was vaccuming yesterday". My eyes grew wide and I rushed upstairs to the hiding spot I'd checked a million and one times. And, low and behold, there it was. I did a happy dance around the living room, and began to type. So here it is...finally.
Disclaimer: I don't own Wicked, or Elphaba's quote at the end. I found that online by someone named 'anonymous'. I wonder who it is...
They were pulled apart from each other when they heard the gunshot. They let go of each other immediately and sat up straight, staring at each other with wide eyes for a moment. Elphaba was the first to move. She grabbed Fiyero's hand and yanked him up off the forest floor. She began running in what was hopefully the opposite direction of the gunshots, dragging Fiyero along behind her.
"Run!" she whipped her head around. Fiyero quickly picked up his pace so that he was running along beside her.
Another gunshot was heard behind them. Closer. Much too close. The sounds pounded in their ears and left them ringing long after.
Elphaba ran faster, her feet flying as they moved across the ground. Fiyero struggled to keep up, as he was unaccustomed to running through the woods for his life. Leaves crunched under their feet. Twigs snapped. Their shoes stuck to the mud from a previous rain, slowing them down more than necessary. Branches scraped their faces as they passed by them. Elphaba winced as she ran into a tree limb and pushed it out of the way. The summer heat pressed down fiercely on their backs and caused beads of sweat to drip down their faces.
Another gunshot. Elphaba forced herself to move even faster, practically dragging Fiyero behind her. Elphaba's breath caught as several undistinguishable voices could be heard in the distance. The deep, distant male voices accompanied the sounds of Elphaba and Fiyero's panting. The air was still, calm, causing the unavoidable sounds of their getaway to appear loud and menacing, echoing in between the thick pine trees that surrounded them in all directions.
Heavy footsteps.
Leaves crunching.
Branches snapping.
Panting.
Heavy breathing.
Lungs bursting.
Voices.
Closer…
Faster.
Click.
Snap.
BOOM.
Falling…
Falling.
In a half second Elphaba laid in a crumpled heap on the ground, Fiyero stumbling over her as their escape came to a halt.
"Fae? Fae! Please, just get up! We have to go!" he desperately called, standing over her. His eyes darted around with fear. The Gale Force wasn't in sight, but he knew they would be any moment now if they didn't keep going.
Elphaba feebly attempted to stand, but her knees gave out and she collapsed once again. There was no time to lose. Fiyero scooped her up in his arms and began running clumsily. He spotted Elphaba's broom gently resting against a tree no further than 10 yards away, weathered and crooked after years of use. Relief flooded through him. They had an escape. If only he could reach the broom before the Gale Force caught up with them…
His heart pounded in his chest as he struggled to run with Elphaba in his arms through the forest, her eyes closed and mouth slightly ajar. Her body was a burden to their escape, yet he carried on, determined to get them both to safety. Fiyero cursed himself as he tripped over a tree root lying in the middle of his path, nearly losing his hold on Elphaba. He was slowing down, and he reminded himself that it was essential for him to not give up or risk being caught by the men in green. He was out of breath and running out of time. The Gale Force was trailing him, and getting closer by the second.
He was nearing the tree now, just a few yards away. The broom was within his reach, and he stretched his hand out and wrapped his fingers around its cool, wooden handle. Fiyero mounted the broom and threw his leg over it. He set Elphaba on his lap, and leaned backwards so that she would be resting against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and clasped his sweaty hands around the handle of her broom, praying to the Unnamed God that it would somehow take off.
Fiyero kicked off the ground hard and thrust the broom upward. He was thrown forward as they shot up, the broom twisting and turning uncontrollably. He quickly tried to steer forward, but ended up rocking back and forth violently. There was no time to mess around, and Fiyero knew he had to figure out how to work this broom before they were caught hovering five feet above the ground. He took a deep breath and steadied his hands. He then grasped the broom tightly and leaned forward with all his might, hoping this would get them out of this section of the forest and away from the Gale Force. The broom quivered for a moment, then, having decided to obey Fiyero's wishes, lurched upward into the night sky, leaving behind the commanding shouts of Gale Force officers.
Fiyero kicked open the front door of Kiamo Ko with his foot, leaving it to slam heavily against the wall. He rushed inside carrying Elphaba in his arms and laid her down on a couch in the great room. He quickly grabbed an old blanket that was lying nearby and slid it under her, so as to absorb the blood that was quickly draining out of her body like a faucet.
"Fae. Fae, it'll be okay" he tried to reassure her, while feeling less than satisfactory himself.
"I love you, Yero," she said with a weak voice and a slight smile on her face.
Fiyero gripped her hand with both of his. "We'll get through this Fae, we will. You're going to be okay".
"You don't have to lie to me, Yero".
"No. Elphaba. Here, is there anything you want? What do you need? A glass of water? I'll be right back" he was talking to himself. He knew water wouldn't help her, but he needed to do something to try and save her. Anything.
He rushed into the kitchen to get her glass of water. He waited impatiently, willing the refrigerator to fill the glass faster.
When he returned a few moments later with the water and a cool washcloth, he found that Elphaba was breathing heavily, as if she were struggling for breath. He quickly kneeled down next to her and slowly ran the washcloth over her face. Her eyes flicked shut, and the only sound that could be heard was her heavy breathing.
Elphaba's blood was flowing rapidly, leaving deep red splotches on the worn and haggard towel she laid on.
"Yero", she opened her eyes slightly.
"Yes?"
"I love you" Elphaba reached out and touched his face as a soft smile worked its way across her cheeks.
"If you learn from your suffering, and really come to understand the lesson you were taught, you might be able to help someone else who's now in the phase you may have just completed. Maybe that's what it's all about after all..." she said, brushing his hair away from his face. "Goodbye, my sweet".
"Elphaba, wait! What does that mean?" Fiyero cried over her.
She simply smiled and squeezed his hand before closing her eyes.
Fiyero squeezed her hand back, and then felt it grow limp as her eyes shut and her stomach stopped moving up and down.
"Elphaba!" he fell over her lifeless form, his sobs filling the silence of the now empty castle.
AN: I kind of suck at writing romance/death. Was it too cheesy? Review and let me know what you think.