I Fall
Into You
Chapter 14
Sailing On
The Eastern Winds
AN: Hello here's a brand new chapter. Thank you all for the wonderful reviews. They all made my day! L8lytwner, you are so sweet, never change. Fae the Queen, thank you for your review, I loved reading it and it made me smile! Alright, and if I missed you, I'm sorry! Huge shoutouts to you all and bug hugs! Here's the next one. I Hope you all like it, and the next chapter will be up soon! Thanks again, and please review. Love it, hate it, let me know, and any questions you may have! Thanks again!
Fiyero kept to his promise, and stayed by Elphaba's side. In the darkness of the night, he sat in the chair, half hunched over, his eyes downcast at the pale creature trembling violently beneath the sheets. His eyes were hollowed, empty, and vacant of emotion or life. He looked haunted, as guilt skipped like a stone across his heart.
Kythargian stood, leaning against the doorway, her slender arms crossed against her chest. Her one paw clutched loose to a porcelain cup of coffee, the milky vapors twirling in the air, and dissipating into the night.
Her eyes were soft, as she stared back at the Prince, pain and sadness shimmered within her eyes. Her heart went out to him, for she alone, knew the pain, the burden of watching a loved one suffer, and be powerless to do anything to help them.
Slowly, Kythargian pulled her gaze away from the silent lovers to stare at the waning moon, rising high within the velvet sky. The rays of the silver moon fell into dark shadows, beneath the buildings of the City of Emeralds. A soft roar, a Lion's bellow, wisped through the air, making Kythargian tremble slightly. She still had not told Fiyero of what she encountered in the hallway, upon her arrival at the house.
A shiver ran down her spine at the image of the woman, standing before her, transparent, like a vapor dancing in the breeze. Her long ebony hair billowed around her, a few strands twisted in front of her face, gently caressing her pale cheek, before once again being swept up in the invisible torrents of the silent breeze.
Her heart clenched tight within her chest, for she knew the figure. The woman was one the Lioness thought she would never see again. And yet, here she was, floating a foot above the floorboards, dressed in a blood soaked dress, tattered and frayed. The same haunting beauty she possessed in life was still there, even in death.
Slowly, Kythargian turned her head back towards the bed. Her eyes glanced at the woman sleeping in the sheets, the sheen of sweat sparkling in the candlelight. Her face was still twisted in pain, as the fever raced through her body. Slight whimpers slipped past her lips, and her body still trembled.
A sigh, slipped past the Lioness's lips as her eyes lowered to the ground. Slowly, she turned back to the window, and stared back at the full moon. Two hours passed, and still no sign of the emerald woman's fever breaking. It had lowered, but not enough to take her life out of danger, and that alone, worried the Lioness the most.
Her arms wound tight against her chest, as a tear brimmed along the side of her eye. Two hours, longer than what she had originally promised the Prince. For she had promised an hour, and they would know whether or not the paste, the medicine she had to forcefully give to the green woman, would work.
Now they were veering close to three hours, and still no sign of her fever breaking, nor if the illness ravaging her body, fading away into the darkness of the night.
They waited, and yet there was no change. Their hearts grew heavy, listening to the green girls breathing becoming short, agonizing gasps. Slight whimpers slipped past her lips, before her body seized.
At first, Fiyero panicked, screaming for Kythargian for help as he desperately grabbed a hold of Elphaba's hand, squeezing it tight within his own, and kissing her pale knuckles, whispering sweet longings to a girl who, in all aspects, was lost within a catatonic coma.
Kythargian could only stand there, and watch helplessly, as the green girl shook violently beneath the sheets, slight whimpers slipping past her clenched lips every now and again. Though, when the seizers became too great, the Doctor would inject a liquescent substance into her arms, stilling the trembles, and allowing the woman's body to go limp.
Now, now all Fiyero did was sit in the chair, holding the green woman's hand in his, kissing her knuckles and whispering sweet nothings into the silent air. Silent and alone, he cried into the night, suffering in silence, to the agony, helpless to do anything to stop it.
Sighing, Kythargian leaned forward. Pressing her paws against the sill of the window, she rolled her back as she leaned all her weight on her front paws. An icy breeze swept through the open windows, ruffling the Lioness's golden fur, and making the ends of her cloak to billow out behind her.
Fear screamed forth within her mind. Fear and dread, for thought she didn't know the woman, she still did not wish to see Death steal her away from the land of the living, away from the love of a Prince.
But her fears were far too real, for the illness ravaging her would not quell. Kythargian as well as Fiyero knew, though neither would admit it, that the green woman, was slowly dying. And there was nothing that either of them could do to stop it.
It was obvious the woman had lost her will to live. She could see it on her face, and feel it in her heart. The atrocities of her life, and the brutalization she endured here, the broken promise, shattered what was left of the emerald woman.
Slowly, Kythargian's golden eyes flickered back up to stare at the moon. And as she stared at the moon, a faded image of a woman with pale, cream colored skin appeared on the surface of the moon. Her dark, chocolate eyes sparkled with love and adoration as she stared down at the little bundle, cradled protectively against her chest. Her long, raven hair spilled down her shoulders in soft waves of ebony silk. Her dainty fingers lithely brushed against the infant's cheek; half hidden beneath the folds of the ebony blankets.
My daughter…my precious angel
Melena
A creak of the floorboards pulled Kythargian from her dark thoughts. Gasping, Kythargian whipped around.
Behind her, the door to the bedroom slowly rocked open, allowing the darkness to spill into the room. A figure, stood flesh, against the doorframe, one pale hand reached high up against the siding to the door, and curled against the fragile woodwork, the other, rested midlevel, the pads of her slender fingers pressed lightly against the dark wood. Her long blonde hair spilled down her shoulders. Her dark cerulean eyes stared icy back at the Lioness.
Fingers of ice reached out towards the darkness towards the Lioness. Slowly, its fingers lithely ran down the great Lioness's back, making her shiver. The woman's eyes sparkled of deceit, of darkness. The rays of the moon made the shattered shards of dark and light cerulean sparkle in the darkness.
"Lady Galinda" bowed the Lioness. Though she struggled, Kythargian managed to still her fears long enough to force a gentle smile on her lips.
She knew of Fiyero's wife, for rumors of her beauty and her temperament spread far and wide, on the wings of a dove. And though normally, the stoic Doctor would simply disregard such rumors, as mere whispers of jealousy, this time however, the Lioness was gravely mistaken, for the darkness, the evil sparkling within her eyes, made the young Lioness's heart clench within her throat.
"Doctor Kythargian…how simply wonderful to have you as an honored guest in our home" smiles Galinda, her voice was sweet, yet a hidden undertone of darkness, of hate and ice, could be heard.
Kythargian watches as Galinda gracefully steps inside the room, her hand extended towards the Lioness, and a sickening sweet smile, plastered on her lips.
"Indeed" replies Kythargian dryly.
"So…how is our patient…doing well?" asks Galinda, as she glances towards the bed.
Kythargian watches her with scrutinizing eyes. Her eyes widen, at the spark of hatred, flickering within her eyes.
Though a normal person wouldn't see it, the Doctor, was different. For unlike her husband, and others who have come across the sickening sweet blonde, the Doctor, could easily see past her sweet façade.
She was beautiful, yes the Doctor would agree with that. But the goodness, the light within her, was gravely overshadowed by darkness, ice, and jealously.
"Her healing is slow, but progressing" replies the Doctor, her voice low, and stern, an air of superiority laced within her words. Silently, she was challenging the blonde, warning her not to trifle with her, for she was here for one purpose and one alone…to protect and save the life of the emerald beauty, no matter what.
"Oh, how wonderful" replies Galinda, false giddiness laced deep within her words, not hidden by the good Doctor. Slowly, the petite blonde turned to face the Lioness. "And how did you come to this miracle?"
"The extract from an exotic plant" sniffs Kythargian, rather proud of her self.
"I see" replies Galinda, before turning one more to stare back at the writhing form of the emerald child of Shadows past.
A flash of darkness, flickered across her face, before a wicked smile, slid across her lips. Slowly, she turned once more to stare at Kythargian.
"My beloved husband and I are in your debt" replies Galinda.
"I need no payment. Just knowing that the woman's life is out of Death's grasp, is more than a reward for me" replies Kythargian hotly.
"Indeed. You have done your sanctions…now I bid you good evening. I'm sure you needn't waste your time here any further. For I'm sure there are other poor souls in need of your expertise"
"I have no other souls in need of my service. And I'm staying here…my services are not quite finished" replies Kythargian darkly.
It was a silent warning, as the two warred in the darkness. Kythargian was not some timid little mouse who could easily be shoved aside. She was strong, and she was stubborn. There was no way; especially now, that she would leave the emerald woman in the hands of this blonde. Especially now that Fiyero was planning on travelling, leaving her vulnerable.
"I see…then I shall have our maid prepare a room for you" smiles Galinda darkly.
"No need. I intend to stay here. Where I can remain close to my patient's side"
"Very well then" growls Galinda.
Huffing, Galinda twirls on her heels, and storms away, surrendering the battle of wits to the Doctor…this time.
Sighing, Kythargian turned back to stare at Fiyero, who, during the commotion, had finally pulled his gaze away from the emerald woman and now stared frozen, back at the Doctor.
"Is she always like that?" asks Kythargian in an exasperated tone.
"No not normally…only when there's a threat" smiles Fiyero.
"I'm considered a threat?" gasps Kythargian.
"Not you" replies Fiyero, his voice drifting off into the distance as he turns once more to stare back at Elphaba's pale form.
Slowly, Kythargian steps up next to Fiyero's side; her golden eyes glance down at the woman, shivering violently beneath the sheets. Strands of her ebony hair stick to her sweat beaten forehead.
The fever had not yet subsided, and that alone still worried the Doctor to no end.
"Why this woman?" asks Kythargian.
"Galinda may appear brainless and vapid…but she's not blind. Any woman who gains even a sliver of my attention is considered a threat" replies Fiyero.
"How can you love her?" asks Kythargian softly. "I can feel it in your heart, and hear it in your voice. You don't love her…or at least not as you once did. What changed?" asks Kythargian softly.
"Elphaba" replies Fiyero softly.
"Elphaba?" asks Kythargian confused.
"For nineteen years E. I dreamed of a woman with emerald skin that shimmered in the sunlight. For nineteen years, I dreamed of her, and now, after all this time I find her in the Shadow District, a woman, a girl sold into prostitution at the eve of innocence. When I held her in my arms E. Everything changed. It was like a veil was lifted from my eyes, the blindfold fell away, and I was seeing things for the first time in my life. I can't explain it, but when I'm around Elphaba, everything makes sense, the darkness melts away, and the chains fall away"
"And when your with Galinda?" asks Kythargian.
"I feel almost trapped" whispers Fiyero.
"Fiyero…I-" starts Kythargian.
"I feel like I'm under a spell E…like I've lost the will to choose whom I should love and who I shouldn't. I struggle, every night since Elphaba came into my life, to regain control over the turbulent chaos that has taken over my body. And yet no matter how hard I fight, I hard I struggle to break free…the chains…the binds constrict tighter around my soul, imprisoning my heart within its gilded cage"
"A spell?" whispers Kythargian.
Laughing, Fiyero shakes the thoughts from his mind. A spell, as if a spell could control his emotions. No, he was much stronger than any spell being cast upon him. And Galinda, though powerful, was not powerful enough to ensnare him within her tangled web.
The feelings were real, just buried beneath waves of doubt and uncertainty. He was sure of it, after all, if was his own choice to ask Galinda to marry him…right?
"I'll be leaving within the hour to journey to Munchkinland" replies Fiyero, drawing Kythargian out of her thoughts.
"You're still planning on going…aren't you" sighs Kythargian.
"I have to" replies Fiyero, as he turns to face the Lion. "It's the only way"
"Very well…but I warn you…don't go digging up a past that was meant to stay buried within the ashes of time" warns Kythargian.
"I can't promise you anything there E. But I can promise…that I will be very very careful" smiles Fiyero smugly.
As dawn broke, Fiyero climbed into the carriage, and headed east, towards the rising sun, towards an unknown land, where secrets of the past, still remained buried deep within the ground.
The whole trip had taken two days. On the second, the carriage finally pulled up down the dirt covered street, to a house standing tall against the peeking rays of the sun.
Slowly, Fiyero gazed upon the building, his eyes widened at the eerie beauty, this mansion held. Shadows of the night still clung to the marble walls that made up most of the mansion. Emerald vines snaked their way up the walls, and blossoms of rare beauty sparkled in the sun.
"Colwen Grounds" whispered Fiyero softly.