Wicked Comet 2, part 14
Elphaba, Rich, Fiyero and Glinda hit the freezing water of the river with a loud SPLASH! Elphaba and Glinda gasped at the water's temperature but Fiyero didn't as he was a scarecrow and scarecrows don't feel temperature.
Fighting against her heavy waterlogged skirts and dragging the unconscious form of Rich, Elphaba bobbed to the surface with Fiyero and Glinda close behind. Together, they swam to a river bank and dragged themselves partially up it, the emerald city palace exploding behind them.
It was at this point that Rich groaned loudly as he woke up,
"Uuugggghhh. My head"
He looked around and saw where they were and the Emerald City palace behind them.
"I managed to get you out of there after you were knocked unconscious" Elphaba explained between breaths.
"Morrible?" Rich asked.
"Last I saw, she was stuck in the lab" Elphaba replied.
The four all knew that this most likely meant that Madame Morrible was dead. Without warning, Fiyero started laughing!
Rich, Elphaba and Glinda all shot him an angry look.
"We've survived!" Fiyero managed to say.
It dawned on the other three that yes, they had indeed survived a fiery inferno and a 5 story plunge into an icy river. The other three laughed as well, Elphaba letting out one of her infamous cackles.
"WE DID IT!" Rich cheered.
The four were happy, but the mood faded when they heard the multiple clicks of rifles being cocked!
They looked up to see multiple people, including gale forcers, pointing their guns right at them!
No-one dared say a single word.
The soldiers were all scared about shooting the four, you could tell that. Glinda and Rich, both almost helpless tried to get up but Fiyero stopped them. Elphaba however stood up and placed herself inbetween the soldiers and Rich, Fiyero and Glinda. She looked at the soldiers with a look that said "Try and attack. I dare you!"
Rich, Glinda and Fiyero all watched with concern, they didn't know how this situation would develop. All three tried to get up but failed to do so.
"Don't shoot them" Glinda said weakly.
The soldiers all looked confused,
"Why not, your goodliness?" one asked.
Glinda paused for a moment, she knew she had to be very careful as to what she said next.
"Elphaba Melena Thropp, once known as the Wicked Witch of the West and the Scarecrow, also known as Fiyero Tiggular, risked their lives alongside Rich to save mine and to liberate the Emerald City."
"But, The Witch is Wicked! She is guilty of unspeakable crimes!" another soldier exclaimed.
Elphaba shot that soldier a dirty look, who promptly shrank back.
"She was never Wicked. All Elphie is guilty of is fighting for those who couldn't defend themselves. It is the Wizard who is or was, the real criminal here." Glinda said back to the soldier.
A large crowd had gathered behind the soldiers by now, all of them battered, bruised and beaten from the fight against Morrible's army, which was dead, captured or scattered. All of them were confused.
Glinda and Rich explained that Elphaba had never been Wicked in the first place and that it was the Wizard and Morrible who had been the Wicked ones.
Elphaba and Fiyero on one hand were thinking that Rich and Glinda were being absolute idiots but on the other, both were thankful that Glinda and Rich were trying to redeem them.
The Crowd at first doubted what Rich and Glinda were saying, but slowly, they all realised that Glinda and Rich were telling the truth.
The crowd cheered for Elphaba, Rich, Glinda and Fiyero, the four heroes of Oz. They had saved everyone by defeating Morrible.
"We must celebrate!" someone shouted.
Glinda, Rich, Elphaba and Fiyero just smiled.