A/N: If things go well in here, I can finish things within two chaps… But I wouldn't push it T_T

Chapter Seven: The Battle at the Emerald City

Glinda quickly rallied her battalion along with many others.

She didn't like the idea of forcibly fighting Elphaba at all, but she figured that the innocent citizens of the city will suffer if she didn't do anything about it. And besides, it was her duty. Once again, she will be attempting to save something, and she feared that it will probably cost her life.

She hurriedly donned an armor too since the Wizard had thought that it was necessary. It was a light breastplate, enough to fend off arrows from a long shot. She didn't relish at the thought of wearing breeches either. To her, they were like long undergarments, but she needed them for her shin guards. She didn't want to wear it anyway, but they wouldn't let her go out unless she'd done so. She'd rather face Elphaba with just the way she was.

The first of the troops had been dispatched. A quarter of the city already reeked of blood and fire. The air was polluted with viscous ebony clouds from the burning houses. Screams echoed everywhere along with gunfires and the clashes of swords.

The citizens who were near the Palace rushed discordantly in the gates. Glinda led the operation there since her last resort was to keep the Palace safe since it now hosts not only Elphaba's target, but also lives of countless men, women and children who depended their safety in the hands of Glinda the Good.

Elphaba led the throng, her broom in one hand while the other wildly casted deadly curses and hexes at the oncoming soldiers. She had lost so much men already, and the fact intensified her anger further. Nessarose, carrying a double-barreled musket, wheeled next to her in an iron chair, and Boq courageously led the archers.

Elphaba had been wearing a special armor made in shining black stones along with sleek black breeches, which were much more convenient than wearing a dress in a battle. She kept her cape, though. She carried a sling bag by her side, which carried the Grimmerie, and, for some unknown reason, the hat. She didn't wear it on her head, though. She didn't even know why she packed it too. She figured that she had only done such a thing so she could burn it right before the eyes of the giver.

After a little while, with waves of Ozian soldiers attacking them from various sides, Nessarose had volunteered to divide half of their army to fight off the others.

"I'll meet you at the castle gates!" Nessa shouted over her shoulder as she wheeled off to the other direction after her half of the men.

"Be safe, Nessa!" Elphaba added, taking time to jog over to her sister's side to grasp her hand.

Nessarose smiled softly up at her, returning the comforting gesture. "I want you to stay safe too, my dear Elphaba," she said loudly over the din of gunfire and clashing of metal, "Tonight, we'll feast in the halls of the Palace."

Elphaba watch her maneuver her chair to the other street before rushing over to help the Vinkus tribesmen. Her attacks were mostly ranged, having no need for hand to hand combat. However, she received her first wound when a bullet clipped her shoulder. It was painful, no doubt, but it wasn't enough to weigh her down.

"Elphaba!" Boq suddenly called.

She'd been busy fending off spearmen that it took her a while to turn and entertain Boq with his callings.

The Munchkin looked appalled at something. Utterly speechless, he pointed a gloved finger to the morning sky. She turned, and felt her lungs lose necessary air to breathe: the Wizard was fleeing in his multicolored balloon.

"NO!" she screamed.

Yanking her wooden broom from her back, she shot upward, narrowing her eyes at the forceful rush of wind.

You won't get away… I WON'T let you get away…

Standing nearby the gates of the Palace, Glinda watched silently as the Wizard flew to safety. She knew he was returning to where he came from, wherever that was. She didn't care at all.

All her other thoughts were entirely immersed at the inevitable prospect of her fight to the death against Elphaba. She didn't like it. The idea was weakening her body. The wand in her hand felt nothing more than a toy meant to maim a hole on the ground.

Her hands were trembling. She felt uncomfortable heated sweats run down her face. She was vaguely aware of herself breathing. The deafening beating of her heart dominated all her other sounds. Her eyes saw nothing more but smoke in the horizon. The air was polluted with gunpowder and the sickening stench of dying men.

"She's getting closer."

Glinda started, snapping her head to her left. She didn't even realize that Morrible had stood by her side.

When Glinda looked puzzled, Morrible rolled her eyes and mutely directed her finger skyward. Glinda saw a black speck speeding after the Wizard's balloon. Her stomach clenched unpleasantly upon the realization that it was Elphaba.

"I might not like the Wizard," Morrible began, starting to make curious waving patterns with her arms, "But I can't miss opportunity when it strikes."

There was a crisp crunching sound, and Glinda's jaw dropped at the sight of a one-story house being wrenched from the ground by a massive invisible force. It rocketed to the heavens.

Glinda blanched when she saw that it was directed at Elphaba.

Despite the rage and panic at the coward's attempt to save his sorry ass, Elphaba's handy peripheral vision didn't miss the massive black mass trained at her.

She looked down and felt her eyes widen when she saw that it was a flying house.

She swerved wildly. The house had an undeniably humongous girth. It completely veered her off-course. But she safely avoided it. The flying abomination sailed harmlessly by her, and was now descending in an accelerating speed back onto the earth.

At her height above the Emerald City, with the help of the blazing sun making its way into the sky, she could see the glint of Nessa's metallic chair… She could see that the house was falling towards her.

She turned her broom downward, ready to dive in to save Nessa, only to be deterred when she remembered that the Wizard was escaping as well.

And so, she remained suspended in midair, torn between the victory of the Wizard's death, and the loss of Nessa's demise.

She reasoned out that Nessa couldn't be that blind. She would see the house coming…

Yeah… Nessa's not that numb… She can save herself… She can save herself…

And so sped after the Wizard several seconds later. She raised her hand, carefully aiming at the balloon, running her spells in her head, searching for the perfect one to inflict the most serious damage. It will seal her triumph. He will fall, like the house meant to kill her. He wouldn't be mourned. He will never be buried. His body will be burned, his reign will finally end—

There was an ear-shattering crash.

She halted her broom, almost throwing herself from it due to her lack of grip. She looked down, and she felt her insides turn into numbing ice.

At the aftermath of the crash, there were many bodies surrounding the site… She did not see the singularity of her sister's chair.

Helplessly, her heart wrenching into two, her looked alternately at the retreating balloon and the mass of splinters below.

Never in all her years did she felt closer to Nessa than now. If she were to lose Nessa today, what is victory compared to loss?

She remembered the way their hands lingered moments before, asking each other to be safe. In the week they've been together, planning their siege to the city, they've spent more bonding time than they did when they were younger. They've laughed at the most unlikely topics, they smiled at nothing, they ate together, they even sleep at each other's rooms from time to time after long talks.

Heart spent emotionally, Elphaba zoomed to the ground.

Within mere seconds, she was skidding into a halt on the cobbled ground.

The venue was surrounded by myriads of splinters and shattered glass. Unconscious soldiers from both side of the battle littered the area. Several men were stirring, groaning and moaning pleas of help.

Elphaba slung her broom to her back again, fervently scanning the crash site for signs of her beloved sister. She fought down a sob, struggling to maintain it in her throat. She will not cry. She will not show signs of weakness.

"Elpha… Elphaba…"

She spun on the spot.

Leaning against a battered wall of the wooden house was the almost-unconscious body of Boq. The side of his head was bathed in shining blood, and on his stomach, much to Elphaba's rising horror, a jagged glass was poking out.

"BOQ!"

She hurried to his side. Boq's eyes were opening and closing. His lips were parted to let in seemingly nonexistent air. He didn't want to move much due to the unwanted foreign object impaled on his midriff.

"I'm sorry, Elphaba… Forgive me…"

"Shh, Boq," she shushed. She didn't know what to do. Her eyes were already brimming with unshed tears.

"I tried to save her…" Boq said, his voice barely above a whisper, "The house… It… It fell on her… I went through… the window… And, heh heh… look what the glass did to my stomach…."

He was grinning as he nodded to the glass piece on his stomach. He coughed involuntarily, and Elphaba paled even further when a thin lining of blood slid to his chin. She could only place a gentle hand on his shoulder. It the only thing she could do too comfort him now.

"You idiot, you," Elphaba teased, trying to smile as she patted him.

"I tried to save her… I tried…" Boq breathed, his chest rising and falling with a lot of effort, "I could only… Only find… Find this…"

He pulled out a glimmering ruby shoe from his back. Nessa's shoe. He handed it reverently to Elphaba, who took it cautiously in her hands.

Her lower lip trembled. She didn't want to ask what her sister's corpse looked like. But all the same, her mind's eye did it for her. She could mentally see Nessarose sprawled across the ground, broken and bloody and dead. The palpable burn of Nessarose's death stabbed her eyes.

She cried openly. Why bother hide what she could not?

"Why would you kill yourself when you knew she wouldn't have survived?" Elphaba couldn't help but ask him amidst her tears.

Boq smiled apologetically at her. "Elphaba… I've always… thought your sister was damn hot," he admitted. Elphaba wanted to slap him for being interested in Nessa when he was already courting Milla, but she said nothing, "I didn't want to…. To believe that she was… gone—"

He coughed again, torrents of crimson blood dripping onto his battered armor.

"Shh, Boq…" Elphaba cooed gently, deftly putting Nessa's shoe in her bag, "Rest."

Boq's eyes found hers. "If I do," he breathed, "I might not wake up again…" All the time he spoke, blood flowed freely. The sight was gruesome, but Elphaba did not turn away.

Elphaba released more tears. She gently caressed his face, not caring when his blood clung to her flesh. "You've served Oz well," she said, her lips quivering, "You may retire with the highest honor."

Boq coughed, unintentionally splattering flecks of his blood into her face; she didn't flinch or retreat. "I didn't fail you, then?" he asked, fighting to keep his eyes open.

"You never failed me, my faithful— my brave—lieutenant," she said, pressing her lips on his damp forehead. She felt him sigh and relax. Without leaning back, she whispered, "I will never forget you…"

"Elphaba…"

"Rest now, for night has come. Rest till come the mighty light of dawn," she recited, reading to him one of the favorite quotes they had shared in their Shiz days, where war was only found in the exciting pages of a history book.

She felt him fell limp in her arms. He was gone.

She hugged him closer to her.

She was seeing red. The City of Emeralds had turned into a hazy vision of raging crimson. She could no longer contain her breathing. Her blood rushed faster and faster in her veins. Her head throbbed, her heart was bursting.

Boq… Nessa… Fiyero…

The Wizard was gone. Her sister was gone. Her faithful commander was gone. Her friend, her potential lover, was also gone from the land of the living.

Elphaba released an almighty cry full of terrible anguish and frightening despair. Everyone dear to her was dead and gone. Life couldn't be fairer for her. She began the revolution with hopes of a free world, only for it to end in complete failure and death.

Something within her snapped all of the sudden.

Releasing Boq's newly deceased body, she marched to where the fight was taking place. She was going to end it all. Whether she dies or not, she vows to end it.

Let Lurline, the Unnamed God, the Kumbric Witch, and whatever existing godly force decide her fate now

Morrible had gone up to the Palace. Whether to hide or prepare herself, Glinda didn't bother to know. A discordant commotion was taking place. Soldiers, most of them wounded, began retreating to the gates.

And then she heard it. Distant at first, but it grew steadily louder. Marching. The sounds of heavy boots thumping in the streets.

"Seventh Battalion!" she shouted, and her troops stood straight with a salute, "To your positions!"

And she went to hers.

The iron gates swung close with a roaring groan. She stood behind her battalion before the last defense of the Emerald City, which swam before her in a vision of fire and death.

She momentarily grasped the little doll in her pocket.

She took a deep breath. Elphie, she thought, Whatever happens… However this day may end, I wish, in some incredible miracle, we could be friends again. If that happens, should I die, I won't die feeling all alone. One last embrace… One last smile from you… And I can die in peace… Tell me you love me one last time, and I'll finally leave this world without a fight…

At last, the army of the enemy emerged.

Her breath caught to her throat when she saw a tall figure in billowing back cape lead the assorted throng. The moment she saw her, she couldn't help but feel that there was something unusual in the way she looked and acts. She can't pinpoint it out, but there was certainly something.

Elphaba held up a hand to stop her company.

Blue eyes met brown.

Glinda hadn't seen her for so long that her heart leapt giddily in her chest. But all the loving tenderness in those familiar brown eyes was gone. Elphaba's eyes were livid with anger now. There was no malicious gleam, no subtle amusement, no comforting assurance. There was nothing in it but bloodlust. There was pure, unadulterated loathing.

After several seconds of tense complete silence, Elphaba shouted in a formidable voice that made Glinda tremble to her very core, "Kill them all!"

There was a horrible noise of war ringing everywhere all at once.

Glinda remained where she were, at the top flight of the stone steps, watching the bloody feud take place before her. She didn't want to fight, to kill anyone. She searched the crowd for her green lover (Former lover, mind you, Glinda thought bitterly), but was disappointed that she could not spot her.

And then, all of the sudden, Glinda came flying from the stone steps with a shriek. The gates were blasted open with a blinding flame of green. The abrupt explosion left black soot on the back of her breastplate, and it singed her hair as well.

She rolled a couple times on the dirt before she brought herself up to her unsteady feet. She deeply regretted doing so.

Standing directly before her was Elphaba in the flesh, a bloodcurling glare fixed on her face. Up close, Glinda saw that her brown eyes were completely brown. Her pupils were gone. The effect was scary. They even appeared to be slightly glowing.

"Why did you destroy the gate?" Glinda asked shakily, retreating slowly, "Innocent lives are—"

"I missed," Elphaba snapped, advancing in response to Glinda's subtle plans of escaping. The blonde cringed. Elphaba sounded different. It sounded as though it wasn't her talking at all. "I was aiming for that little head of yours…"

Glinda gripped her wand tighter. All around them, men were killing each other, oblivious to the presence of the two of them. She seized her chance. "Elphaba, whatever happened to us was—"

"Shut up!" Elphaba shouted, sending a jet of green fire, which Glinda readily deflected with a quick wave of her wand. "Not another lie! I won't hear any of it! I'll make you pay for what you've done to me! I'll kill you!"

"This isn't you!" Glinda shouted, unable to help herself, "Snap out of it! The Elphaba I know wouldn't hurt anyone!"

"You killed that Elphaba a long time ago," Elphaba spat, another ball of emerald flame building up n her hand, "I am merely a manifestation of her revenge."

Green flames clashed with blue balls of light. Everyone was fighting their own battles. Some of Elphaba's men even charged to the Palace grounds, wildly brandishing their weapons as they collide with the last of the soldiers defending the fortress.

Glinda couldn't help but let streams of tears silently fall onto the blood drenched ground. She couldn't believe that she was fighting the same girl she had fallen in love with, the same girl who took away all her sorrows.

Elphaba was showing no mercy. Wave after wave, their magic clashed in the air. Glinda defended herself as Elphaba kept her offense, refusing to stop. The action was eating up Elphaba's stamina. When Glinda deemed her exhausted, she finally blew an attack meant to disarm the opponent momentarily.

Dazed by the sudden blast, Elphaba fell over, falling on all fours on the ground, breathing hard.

Glinda cautiously approached her. She stood before the fallen girl, silently crying to be forced to fend her off. "Elphie—"

Elphaba suddenly sprang into action. She wrenched something from her belt, and before Glinda could get away when she realized that it was a knife, Elphaba sliced her ankle, on the spot where no sort of greaves protected the blonde.

Eyes widening, Glinda staggered backwards. Still heaving like a wounded animal, Elphaba took her time standing up.

Glinda wasn't feeling any pain. She knew something was wrong.

My leg… Oz, I can't feel my leg! What did she do to me? I… I can't move my leg!

Elphaba let out a malignant chuckle when she saw the panic in Glinda's eyes. "Ever been poisoned, Miss Galinda?" she drawled, not bothering to use Glinda's preferred moniker, "Too bad I wasn't lethal. It's only meant to paralyze the area around the wounded area. Disappointing, really."

She flashed her hand, and Glinda yelped when she felt the spell gash her cheek, spattering blood on her armor. She staggered backwards.

"Elphie—"

Another blast sliced at her arm, causing her to yelp.

She'll be dead if she kept this up. Glinda summoned a bubble to make herself move, which also served as a shield from Elphaba's next attack. She raised herself to some point above the ground to distance herself.

"Didn't thought of that," Elphaba growled through gritted teeth, her now demonic eyes glinting, "No matter. I'm going to kill you anyway!"

She unhooked her broom.

They flew higher and higher from the ground, with Elphaba releasing spells after spells. Glinda refused to answer her attacks.

One wave, however, blasted her bubble through a mosaic glass, crashing her into the corridor.

Her bubble broke, and Glinda slid across the marble floor with a grunt as Elphaba eased herself into the hall, a devilish smirk on her lips.

Tired, Glinda propped herself up with her elbows, looking defeatedly up at Elphaba, who advanced holding a glimmering knife in her hand.

"I'm going to rip out that heart of yours, you little brat…" Elphaba growled as she advanced.

"Elphaba…" Glinda uttered, crying, "Elphaba, please…"

There was a blinding light, and the knife was blasted from Elphaba's hand.

The two of them looked at the other end of the hall.

Morrible had joined the fray.

A/N: The end is really near :D