Part 9: The Betrayer
It was the following day when Glinda could sense some tension between Elphaba and Fiyero. She didn't know what was up between them but she could tell something wasn't right. So she decided to talk to Elphaba about it in private.
Elphaba was sitting on top of the stone shelter looking at the sky. She was silently cursing at the bright sunny day.
"I never thought I would be wishing for rain." Elphaba whispered, into the air, as Glinda walked beside her. "It's like a normal person wishing acid would pour down from the sky."
"It's time to change your bandages on that wound of yours." Glinda said, to the green witch. Elphaba nodded her head and followed her blonde lover into the stone shelter. Once out of ear shot Glinda began to question the green witch. "What is going on between you and Fiyero? You two rarely say a word to each other and when I see you two talking, you guys always have this angry scowl on your faces."
"Our talk yesterday just got a little out of hand that's all." Elphaba answered, as she rolled up her sleeve, and Glinda began to dress the wound with new bandages. "He's just jealous that's all."
"Jealous, what do you mean?" Glinda asked, as she tied off the last strip. Just then, before Elphaba could answer, Fiyero shouted to them.
"Elphaba! Glinda! Come here quick!" The two witches went by his side in a flash.
"What is it?" Elphaba asked.
Fiyero answered by pointing out to a small band of Gale Force guards that were out in the distance.
"Sweet Oz, I can't believe they came this far." Glinda answered, in shock.
"And they're only going to get closer." Elphaba replied, as she did a quick count. "You guys hide in the stone shelter I'm going to make sure there aren't any coming from the opposite side."
"Elphie, no, what if they spot you?" Glinda asked, in worry, as she grabbed the green witch's arm.
"I won't be long, I promise." Elphaba replied, as she kissed Glinda on the lips for a second or two before heading up toward the mountain.
...X...
When Elphaba got to a good point she looked down and gave a sigh in relief when she didn't find anymore guards coming up the other way. She soon decided to check the other sides just in case.
Back in the stone shelter Glinda and Fiyero were waiting inside. Fiyero had an impatience look upon his face.
"Fiyero, are you all right?" Glinda asked, as she laid a hand on his shoulder.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm good." Fiyero said quickly.
A couple of minutes passed and Fiyero peeked out his head to see the Gale Force moving farther away. 'Damn it.' He thought to himself. 'They're moving away.' He then looked up to see dark clouds moving in towards them. "I thought Elphaba said she wouldn't be long." Fiyero spat.
"I wasn't that long." Elphaba's voice shot out as she came she jumped in front of him.
"Anymore guards?" Glinda asked, as she walked out of the stone shelter.
"Nope. Those ones are the only ones I could see. But by the way, they are moving so I don't think they will come here." Elphaba replied, as she walked in front of them both.
"That's what you think!" Fiyero said, as he removed a dagger that was hidden in his coat and hit Elphaba as hard as he could in the head with the hilt.
Elphaba crumped to the ground cold. Her body motionless as a small trickle of blood escaped from the place she was hit.
"Fiyero, what are you doing?" Glinda asked, in fear, as she rushed to Elphaba's side to hold her close.
"I'm sorry, Glinda, but my life as a Scarecrow is not a good one. That million gold pieces could really help me start a new life. Not to mention this is the best for you. This runway life is not good for you, and I will not just sit back and watch you ruin your life with that Wicked Witch." Fiyero answered his voice determined.
"You...you can't do this! Fiyero please!" Glinda begged.
"I'm sorry, Glinda, with Elphaba behind bars you can go back to your normal life." Fiyero answered, his voice almost caring.
"They won't keep her behind bars for long if they do bring her back to jail." Glinda shot back. "It's only a matter of time before they kill her."
"Maybe it's for the best." Fiyero answered, his voice soft.
"How can you say that?" Glinda asked in shock.
Fiyero's face only hardened as he pointed walked over to Glinda and placed the knife close to the blonde witch's throat. "You'll thank me in the end. Just you wait."
...X...
When Elphaba woke up she noticed she and Glinda were sitting on top of the stone ledge. There hands were bounded behind them as Fiyero paced around with knife in hand.
"Well finally you're up. It took you enough damn time." He spat at the green witch.
"Elphie, are you all right?" Glinda whispered to her green love.
"I think so." Elphaba replied, as she shook her head trying to will away the pain in her head from where Fiyero had it her.
"Well it doesn't matter how you feel because those Gale Force guards made camp not too far away from here and that's where you are going to go Elphaba. To them!" Fiyero answered.
"So you're turning me in, huh?" Elphaba said, as her eyes narrowed. "How honorable of you."
"Hey, I'm doing this for Glinda." Fiyero replied, back. "You ruined her life when you made her a runaway like you!"
"Please, you're not doing this for Glinda, that's just your alibi if the guards ask you. I know you're doing this only for you." Elphaba answered. "You said it yourself, One million gold piece can tempt anybody."
"Whatever, now come on we're going now. The sooner you are handed over to the guards the sooner this can be all over with." Fiyero said, as he pulled them up to their feet and started to lead them down the extremely rock filled hill.
"We can't leave now. Look, at the sky." Glinda said, as she looked up at the dark clouds that had rolled in. "It's going to rain very soon and Elphaba will melt and die."
"Well you two better hurry up then." Fiyero spat.
"I'm not going another step until you wait until the rain passes." Glinda replied, as she plated her feet firmly against the ground.
"I'm not waiting!" Fiyero shouted, as he grabbed a handful of Glinda's hair and pulled her harshly towards him.
"Get your hands off her, you bastard." Elphaba growled.
Fiyero's face hardened as he released Glinda, but then walked up to the green witch and kicked her down the especially rocky hill.
As Elphaba rolled down the hill sharp rocks began to cut her exposed skin. Lighting and thunder could also be seen and heard not too far from them. They knew in no time the rain would soon follow.
"You son of a bitch!" Glinda yelled at him. "How could you do that?"
"You're lucky I didn't slit her throat by now." Fiyero shouted. "You two are beginning to more of a hassle than you're worth. Now keep moving!"
Just then a lighting bolt came down from he sky and hit a tree branch a few feet away from where Elphaba had landed. The branch fell down near her and Elphaba could see the branch was partly on fire.
The green witch crawled her way to it and placed the rope that bound her hands into the fire. The fire soon ate at the rope until it broke. She then stood up and noticed Fiyero holding Glinda in a painful manner as he yelled at her.
Elphaba's face hardened and she picked up the burning branch, and called out to him, "How about a little fire Scarecrow?!" Elphaba then threw the burning branch as hard as she could at Fiyero.
Just as Fiyero turned his head around to the call, the burning branch hit him perfectly in the chest, and within second the fire was devouring his straw body.
"No! AHHHH, NOOOOO!" Fiyero screamed, as the fire burned without stop. He tried desperate too put it out but it was no use. With in seconds he fell down dead and once Elphaba was able to climb back up towards Glinda Fiyero's straw body was nothing but ashes. Elphaba untied Glinda's wrists and looked at her with disappointed eyes.
"I didn't want to kill him, but we can't have a betrayer among us. " Elphaba whispered.
Glinda nodded her head as she looped an arm around the green witch's waist and said, "Let's get to the stone shelter before it rains. We can't have you getting wet."
Luck was clearly on their side, for as they took a seat inside the stone shelter the rain started to pour violently from the sky. Glinda clutched Elphaba tightly as the thunder seemed to rattle the rocks around them and the lighting seemed to light up the sky like it was day.
"I'm going to die." Elphaba whispered, her voice in pain. Her wounds were screaming at her.
"What did you say?" Glinda asked.
"I said...I said...I'm dry, um, are you?" Elphaba lied.
"Yeah, this shelter is doing its job." Glinda replied, as she ran her arms across Elphaba's shoulders. Just then a loud clash of thunder erupted that caused Glinda to hide her face against the green witch's chest.
"And the storm rages on." Elphaba whispered, as she kissed the top of her blonde lover's head. After a few moments Elphaba turned to Glinda and said, "I need you to promise me something, my sweet."
"What's that?" Glinda asked.
"If the Gale Force Guards find me you must let them kill me if they wish. You mustn't fight them on it." Elphaba answered, her voice stern.
"What?! I can never do that." Glinda replied, her voice in shock.
"You must!" Elphaba shot back. "If you fight back they might question the whole hostage story."
"I don't care." Glinda said.
"Glinda, please, promise me. Even if you fight for me they will still kill me. I know this. Please, if I must die let me die knowing you are safe." Elphaba replied, her voice no longer as strong as when she began.
"But Elphie..."Glinda started.
"No, buts my sweet, promise me this. Promise we this so if should die. I can die happy." Elphaba whispered.
Glinda took in a ragged breath and waited a few seconds before answered, "I promise, Elphie."
...X...
The storm lasted for what seemed like 15 minutes before settling down and then finally stopping. Once the rain had fully topped Elphaba and Glinda crawled out of the stone shelter. The green witch searched the sky for any signs of a rainbow, but there was none to be seen from where they were. With a heavy disappointed sigh she began to stretch.
"No rainbows?" Glinda questioned.
"Nope." Elphaba answered, as she gave a quick glance to the scratched and cuts on her arms from when Fiyero kicked her down the hill before adding, "I always dreamed we could start a live together. Maybe even raise a family. But I never wanted it to be this like this...always on the run. Watching our backs for guards."
"Elphie, that dream is not dead." Glinda replied, her voice soothing. "As long as we're together and both alive there will be always be a chance." Suddenly a gun shot went off and as soon as the noise ended Elphaba pulled back holding her arm.
"Damn it!" Elphaba growled, as she hit the dirt. Glinda quickly followed.
"I got her! Ha, ha! Right in the arm. She's down, the Wicked Witch is down." A voice of a Gale Force guard shouted.
"Yeah, but you almost hit Glinda the Good." Another shot back.
"I didn't so it doesn't matter." The first guard said. "Now come on, let's go, the sooner we get her the sooner we can get our award."
"Elphie...where are you hit?" Glinda asked, as she pulled the green witch up to a sitting position.
"Right arm." Elphaba whispered, as she looked out to see a group of Gale Force guards coming there way. "Shit, they're coming."
"We can still escape. There is time...we...can...we..." Glinda stuttered.
"I'm afraid time has run out." Elphaba answered, as the guards surrounded them.
"Thank the Unnamed God we got to you in time, Glinda." The Captain guard said, as extended his hand to her. But Glinda didn't move.
"Your Goodness?" The Captain asked, as she noticed she made no signs in moving.
"Please, don't kill her." Glinda choked.
"Your Goodness, I know you see good in everyone, but this one I assure you has not one drop of kindness in her. She's Wicked through and through." The Captain said, as he placed a hand on her shoulder and helped her to stand. He then nodded to one of his guards who pointed his gun at Elphaba's head. Glinda made a run back to Elphaba only to be stopped by the Captain. "Trust me, Your Goodness, you don't want to see this." The Captain added, as he pulled her away. "There's quite a lot of blood."
Just then a loud shriek was heard coming down from the trees and before the guards could think twice a winged monkey landed on one of the guard's head and began clawing at him.
"Get it off me! Get it off me!" The guard shouted, as he did his best to try to remove the creature.
"At a boy Chistery." Elphaba whispered, as she pulled herself up and made her way closer to the stone shelter so she could get her broom. With the guards distracted Elphaba got her broom and with one prefect blow hit the Captain in the head knocking him out. Elphaba got on her broom and turned to Glinda who jumped on the broom as well and the two flew off. "Let's go! Come on Chistery follow us!"
The flying monkey quickly took off with so much speed the guards didn't even have time to fire their guns.
"I must say, Chistery, you are a sight for sore eyes." Elphaba said, as she patted his head. "Didn't think that would have ended the way it did. I'm lucky I got friends in high places."
"Very lucky." Glinda added, as she turned her head so she could kiss Elphaba on the lips. The green witch returned the kiss with a gentle passion.
"But I guess not lucky enough to find a rainbow, huh." Elphaba said, as she uttered a sigh.
Suddenly however, at that very moment, something caught Glinda's eye.
Author's note: Next chapter will be the last one.
