I'll Protect You
Chapter 14
Petals Ablaze
AN: Alright, I'm so sorry for how long this took to get posted, hit major writers block. And, I'm sorry this chapter isn't as long as the others too, but decided to leave the rest for the next chapter, plus I had decided to leave every single chapter in this story on a cliffy…hahaha! Lol. Anyway, thank you all for the wonderful reviews, and for sticking with this story! Your continued support means a lot to me! If it weren't for readers like you, I wouldn't be here, writing and updating these stories.
FYI: Bro'mance will be updated soon, as well as Psycho Therapy and I'm hoping to get Child's Play underway again, so keep your eyes out for those! Lol.
Huge Shout outs go to!
Snoozinghamster: Thank you so much for the review!
Fae the Queen: Sorry, no fluff…but thank you so much for the review and for your help with this chapter! Your so awesome!
Elphaba'sGirl: Thank you! Your sweet!
Maddy: Thank you! Your so awesome! Thank you so much for the review!
Bellaswangirl71: Thank you for the review and I'm glad you're enjoying this story!
NiatheWickedLover: Thank you so much for the review! You're a peach!
Elphaba-WWW: No…I won't stop with the angst. Lol. Thank you for the review! You so totally rock! Hugs!
Diamondsonmyteeth: Lol, that was one of my favorite lines too. Thank you so much for the review!
LifeinWatercolor: Hello? *knocks on screen* is anyone alive? Oh dear I hope so. Lol, thank you for the review!
L8lzytnwer: Thank you for the review! Now update! Lol,
Melanie: What? Lol'
Guest: You'll just have to keep reading to find out. Thank you for the review and for staying with this story.
Alright, new chapter, new drama. Thank you all again and the next chapter will be up soon. Thank you and God Bless!
Glinda's heart stopped, literally in her chest. She could feel her muscles tense, her blood pounding furiously behind her ears in perfect symphony to the rampage behind closed doors.
An ear-splitting crack resonates like a gunshot within the large room, and a splinter of wood flies across the room narrowly missing the head of an Antelope; turning the heads of the Rebels and Animals. The fragment of wood splits the air and impales deep into the wall, cracking it.
Fear grips the blonde's heart, a choked gasp, and the air within her lungs expels. Shuddering, she screws her eyes shut, the echo of the wood splitting and cracking, resounding in her ears. Her mind became fractured; fragments of broken glass, shimmering in the moonlight, for she could feel it, taste it…Death, was near.
The eyes of the Animals and Rebels widen, seeing the wooden plank vibrate within the wall, causing more cracks to splinter and spread, before stilling. Slowly, they turn, fear sparkling in their eyes as the Gale Force continues to bash against the door; ready to give at any moment.
Fiyero stiffened, feeling the blonde's soft, silken lips against his. It felt foreign, yet right at the same time. A flood of memories washed over him. Memories of the nights spent, locked in passions embrace, with the blonde pressed tight against his body, the feel of her breasts against his warm chest, her arms wrapped tight around his neck, her lips.
Slowly, he relaxes into the kiss. His arms rise and wind tight around her slender waist, pulling the blonde tighter against his malformed body. He became lost in the kiss, for everything around him, the sights, the sounds, all faded away beneath the veil of warmth washing over his body, stilling his muscles and calming his rampant heartbeat.
All thought of the emerald witch faded away beneath the veil of the night. A sweet serenade, a soft symphony plucked at his heartstrings, and with each vibration, the memory of the raven haired witch ripples away into the oceans of myst and legends.
The cock of the hammer and Glinda's heart quickens in her chest. This was it her life would end at this moment.
"I love you" murmurs Glinda, her lips vibrating against Fiyero's.
Fiyero's eyes flew open, and his body stiffened. He could feel it, his heart freezing in place, for a skip of a beat, he knew what he had done was wrong, regardless of the circumstances to which had led him down this slippery slope of chaos and betrayal.
He was about to pull away, when a sudden plume of ebony, green and fiery red smoke, bursts out of the corner of his eyes. A flash of green, splays of crimson, violent purples fading to blues catches his eyes, and for a moment, his heart stopped, and his lungs clenched, squeezing out the air.
The air in the room thinned, for no one dared move, nor breathed. No one could believe what they were seeing, for one moment, the taste of Death had been palpable, and now, it seemed as if the world had stilled.
Aeryella was the first to move. Her dark brown eyes widened, fear and shock sparkled within. Her small, delicate lips parted, and her mouth rounded into the perfect "o".
"E…Elphaba" whispers Aeryella.
Slowly, the Spryte turned, her dark chocolate eyes staring intently at the raven haired witch, trembling and seizing before her. Fear spread across her heart, choking the air from her lungs, for she could feel the darkness, the Silence, it was stifling, squeezing the very air from her lungs.
Swallowing the lump from her throat, Aeryella cautiously takes a step towards the emerald witch. Her hand reaches out, and her fingers tremble as she is but a fingertip away from touching Elphaba's quivering shoulder.
A hard sob slips past her lips, seeing the damage, the wounds, still bleeding violently by the flicker of the candles, and the beat of her heart. The blood drips down her dirt-stained skin, staining it a rustic color. By Oz, she could almost see the bones!
Violent bruises danced across her skin, changing from violent purples to hideous blues and yellows. There was almost not a patch of skin, which was not covered in bruises or split open by the kiss of the whip.
Burns, hideous and violent, marred her flesh, some covering the bruises and lacerations. Many made the Sprytes stomach twist. Mentally, Aeryella scolded herself, for if only she had acted sooner, had tried to take that chance in breaking Elphaba free from Southstairs sooner…then…
Fiercely, Aeryella shook those thoughts from her mind. No, this was not the time to indulge, nor wallow in self-pity, for now was the time for action.
"Elphaba?" whispers Aeryella softly.
A snarl and Elphaba whips her head towards Aeryella, darkness floods her eyes, stilling the Spryte in place.
"Don't. Touch. Me!" roars Elphaba.
Instantly Aeryella stiffened, for she could feel the darkness, the Silence, growing, becoming stronger, a violent tide of rage crashes against her heart, making her shudder.
Trembling, Aeryella slowly backed away, her dark brown eyes never leaving the sight of the emerald witch, glaring icily back at her. Darkness, ice rolled off her body in trembling waves, and that alone, scared the young Spryte more than anything.
Growling, Elphaba's head whipped around, and her dark, chocolate eyes glared maniacally at her lover and best friend, still locked in a lovers kiss.
A grunt and Elphaba weakly rises off the floor her eyes never leaving the two. Slowly, her thin, bruised lips curl into an icy snarl.
Fiyero could feel her presence, feel her energy, her rage for it encapsulated him, freezing him inside and out. Slowly, he clenches his eyes closed, as he fights the icy, imprisoning him within his own body.
A click of the gun and the hammer slams down, igniting the gun powder. A loud thundering crash resounds off the walls, a scream and Fiyero, Glinda, the Animals and Rebels throw themselves to the ground.
A splatter of blood and silence.
Fiyero, having thrown Glinda to the ground first, collapses on top of her, shielding her body from the barrage of bullets, ready to tear her and anyone else in range, to shred.
A ringing echoes loud in his ears, and yet silence surrounds him, for he could see the dust of the gunpowder fill the room, see the flash of light igniting the powder, releasing the bullet in the barreled chamber, and yet it was as if he was in a long, dark tunnel, for the sounds spiraled far away, plummeting further and further down into a never ending oubliette of destruction and death.
Glinda screamed, and clenching her eyes closed, covered her ears as the bullets ripped past her, nicking her hair, and exploding deep into the walls behind her.
Splinters of wood fly through the air, clattering to the ground. Heavy dust, a thickened mist fills the room, choking the very air from the Rebels lungs. Bullets hissed by, narrowly missing the heads of the Rebels, the Animals, and Fiyero.
Aeryella, Iilliana, Bonileea, and Chrystilena stand tall before the barrage of bullets, each with a look of determination shimmering in their eyes.
A bullet sliced through the air, careening towards Bonileea's heart.
An acidic smirk pulls at the sides of Bonileea's thin lips. A snarl and an elegant wave of her hands, and the bullet careens off into the other direction, plunging deep into the head of one of the Gale Force Soldiers busting through the door.
Smugly, Bonileea brings her smoking fingertip up to her lips, giggling she blows out the smoke, before turning and winking back at Aeryella.
"When you got it…you got it" smiles Bonileea.
"Now is not the time for this" scolds Iilliana in a low, threatening voice.
"Your no fun" pouts Bonileea.
"I have an idea…how bout we kill these guards first…then we banter…how bout that?" growls Aeryella. Swishing her arms in an elegant motion, Aeryella sends one of the guards, taking aim at her and the others hurtling down the hallway.
"Party pooper" pouts Bonileea.
"Show off" mutters Chrystilena under her breath.
Grunting, Chrystilena shoots Aeryella a look, before turning back to face the guards. Closing her eyes, she gracefully raises her hand up high in the air, and with a smile, snaps her fingers.
A splatter, the sound of a drop of water hitting the ground echoes throughout the room. Suddenly, the ground shakes and rumbles. Fiyero's eyes widen, seeing the floor creak and groan against the invisible pressure.
"What in Oz!"
Turning, a wicked smile pulls at the edges of Chrystilena's lips, and a sparkle of mischief, shimmers within her dark, eyes. "You better move Princey"
"What?" frowns Fiyero, but before he can fathom the meaning behind the Sprytes words, the ground shakes, the wood splits and splinters, hurling fragmented pieces of wood and emeralds high into the air.
"Fiyero!" screams Glinda.
In a blink of an eye, Fiyero reaches out towards the petite witch, trembling and shaking violently on the ground. Pieces of wood and fragmented pieces of emeralds tangle in her limp curls. A sheen of sweat sparkles against her forehead, half dinned by the thick layer of dust and blood.
An ear piercing scream, and Fiyero's head jerks up and his eyes widen, seeing the fault line encroaching ever closer. Pockets of steam burst through the cracks in the floor, hurling large streams of water at the Gale soldiers, knocking a few to the ground, and hurtling others down the hall.
Screams of the battlefield surrounded him, and yet the sound of his heart thundering hard in his chest, drowned out all other noise. His eyes remained transfixed at his love, standing tall before him, the horrors of Southstairs screaming back at him.
Slowly, his eyes travelled along the deep ridges of torn flesh, marring her once beautiful back, now a battlefield of pain and misery, or torture and torment. There was hardly a patch of skin which had not gone unscathed by the hands of the Gale Force, and their brutal weapons of torture and pain.
Tears flooded his eyes, and his heart twisted violently in his chest, seeing the violent burn marks made by the twisted flames of vengeance. Dark welts made where the hot oil had touched her skin dance across her back. And angry bruises; half hidden by the burns covered her entire body.
"Oh Fae" whispers Fiyero.
His words, though faint, danced along the edge of the breeze, reaching the emerald witch's ears. A snarl and Elphaba whirls around. Instantly Fiyero stiffens, for the darkness, the hate, shimmering within her dark chocolate eyes chilled him to the core of his heart, his soul.
For a moment, a flicker of recognition flashed within her eyes. Slowly, her body relaxed, and the softness returned, a faraway look appeared on her face. Weakly, she reached a hand out towards Fiyero.
"Yero…you're…your alive?" whispers Elphaba. Stumbling, Elphaba stepped towards Fiyero, her eyes clouded, as she once again became lost in her grief. "You…your…"
Suddenly, the light disappears, and darkness once again floods her eyes. A low growl vibrates deep within her throat. Slowly, she lowers her head darkening her gaze as she steps further away.
"You're. Alive" growls Elphaba darkly.
"Fae…listen to me!" pleads Fiyero.
Carefully, Fiyero unwinds his arms from around Glinda's slender waist. His dark, sapphire eyes never leaving Elphaba's darkened features as he slowly rises back to his full height.
"YOUR'E ALIVE! AND WITH HER!" screams Elphaba, drawing the attention from the Animals, Rebels and Sprytes, who after taking down the guards, started to board up the half broken down door.
"Fae"
"Don't call me that!" snarls Elphaba. "You've been alive this entire time! With her?"
"It's not like that Fae!"
"I SAW YOU KISS HER! I SAW YOUR LIPS ON HERS!" roars Elphaba.
"Elphaba" starts Aeryella. Slowly, the Leader of the Sprytes steps towards the trembling witch. She could feel her power feel the rage growing within her. Cautiously, she reaches out towards Elphaba.
Growling, Elphaba's hand flies up and grabs hard onto Aeryella's, stilling her movement. A small cry of pain, slips past her lips, feeling the raven haired beauty's grasp tighten, crushing the delicate bones of her fingers.
"DON'T. TOUCH. ME!" Roars Elphaba. A growl and Elphaba lifts the slender Spryte high in the air before throwing her half way across the room.
The Animals and Rebels watch as Aeryella's body slams hard into the wall, concaving it to the shape of her back. A pregnant pause, and Aeryella's body collapses to the ground, blood pouring from her mouth.
"AREYELLA!" screams Bonileea.