Aplogies for the 30-day delay, I fail at life and writing.
"Glinda." Elphaba said in surprise.
"Miss Glinda!" Said the assembled witch hunters in amazement, confused as to what to do now that their heroine has turned up in person.
"Kill the Witch!" Commanded the Tin Man, levelling his axe at Elphaba. The mob surged forward but Elphaba merely snarled at them and, swirling her cloak up and over the both of them, disappeared in a puff of smoke.
"She took miss Glinda." The Tin Man shouted. "Search the castle. Leave no stone unturned."
Up in the observatory, Elphaba sat cradling Glinda in her arms, stroking the soft golden curls.
"Oh Glinda, why did you come here?" She said to herself as she tended her friend, cleaning her wounds with her own special oils and bound them up with strips of cloth.
"Elphie." Glinda said faintly as she started to come round. "Elphie."
"I'm here Glinda." Elphaba replied. "Hold still while I fix you up." But Glinda wasn't talking at her, only to her.
"Elphie. Must warn." She mumbled. "Hunters. Morrible knows. Didn't want to let us tell you." She flopped pathetically back into Elphaba's arms, unconscious again. Elphaba was worried about her friend, and touched that she'd come all this way to warn her; however late. And of course, she had saved her life from that little brat Dorothy. The sight of that bucket of water heading towards her had made her very thoughtful on the brevity of life.
Glinda started mumbling in her sleep, obviously she was delirious, poor thing. Suddenly there were footsteps on the stairs and a voice said:
"I'll look in here men, you go back downstairs and carry on the search."
And then the door started to open, Elphaba only had enough time to hide herself in the shadows out of sight, leaving Glinda lying on the cold floor; alone.
A strange man came in, clothed in a suit that looked like it was made solely of patches, and straw was sticking out of it at all angles. He walked over to Glinda's unconscious form and bent down, Elphaba's hands clenched so hard her nails dug into her palms.
"Oh Glinda." He said. "What have they done to you?" He lifted her head and flattened down some of her hair carefully.
"Get away from her!" Screamed Elphaba. Unable to control herself any longer, she dived out of the shadows and wrestled him to the floor, beating her fists on his chest. She was surprised to find that he offered no resistance, and his chest barely more so. Her hands sunk into a mass of straw and she recoiled in confusion. "What are you?" She exclaimed.
"Elphie, its me." Said the scarecrow, getting up and holding her hands in his. Elphaba looked up into the two sunken eyes and instantly knew whom he was.
"Fiyero!" She squealed and buried her face in his straw chest. "What have I done? First Boq and now you, I just can't do anything good right."
"Hush dear, hush. I'm alive, and it's all thanks to you." He pointed out. "I would have died in that field if you hadn't cast that spell."
"Oh but what are you doing here my love?" Elphaba said, sobbing into his straw. "If they realise who you are they'll, well, they'll try and kill you again." She giggled nervously.
"I don't care." Fiyero soothed her, holding her tight like he had the day of his premature death. "I only came with them so that I could find you, and be with you at the end."
"Oh Fiyero. I love you! I love you!" Elphaba sobbed, clutching him as though she meant never to let go ever again. "But you have to go. I don't think I'm going to survive this, but I want you to. I couldn't stand it if you died."
"And I couldn't stand it if you died." Fiyero rebuked her. "If you are going to stay here and die then I'm staying with you, till the end of days."
"Oh Fiyero…" Elphaba moaned. Touched but horrified that she was the one spelling his doom, again.
Suddenly a clatter of footsteps started up the stairs and Fiyero and Elphaba leapt to their feet to meet this new threat head on. Through the door burst the witch hunters, armed with clubs and torches and anything with an edge that they had managed to grab when they set out.