Disclaimer- I don't own Wicked or Rent.
A/N- Thanks again for all the reviews! They make me very happy. By the way, I promise that this chapter will not have the same ending as the past two chapters.
From a distance, Fiyero watched Boq advance on his wife with his axe. He had called out to her but he didn't think that would help at all. Around him, the soldiers of the Vinkus were silent and tense. They had never met this woman, this wife of their prince, but still they feared for her. They knew from Fiyero about her magic and how strong she was, but still they knew that everything she faced was a lot. Now, she faced a man of metal with an axe.
Elphaba watched Boq advance. Her biggest problem as she saw it now, was surviving his attack without hurting him seriously. Elphaba could not forget the boy she had known at Shiz, eternally in love with Glinda and later forced into servitude by her sister, Nessa. Deep within her, Elphaba knew she could not kill him or destroy him…he had lost too much already. She could not take his life as well. When Nessa had misused the Grimmerie spell that caused Boq's heart to shrink, Elphaba had fought to save him, she would try to do that now, but she feared that this could very well be her undoing.
She silently called out to Fiyero, wishing he was there.
Emrys had joined his soldiers and held the line against their oncoming troops from Oz, Glinda was helping the Horse and some others find safety, and Maureen had just flown off in pursuit of Morrible. Reena! Elphaba was glad she had flown off. If something happened to her right now, she did not want her sister to be there to view it. Emrys would protect her from anything she shouldn't see later, Elphaba knew.
But now? Now, she moved to avoid a slash of Boq's axe and hoped she would think of a solution. It was then, that the solution came to her…literally!
With loud shrieks and much flapping, Chistery and the other flying Monkeys descended from above. Chistery and one half of the Monkeys landed near her, acting as a barrier between the woman they loved and her attacker. The others attacked Boq with a fury that no one in the courtyard had ever seen. They flew at him, obscuring his vision and unarming him easily.
One of the Monkeys flew to Elphaba with the axe as she called to them all, "Try not to hurt him, but be careful! He's metal, you could still be hurt!"
Boq's screams of rage could still be heard across the area.
"No! Get away! She needs to be destroyed! She's evil! Aaah! No!"
The Monkeys would not stop until Boq had fallen on the ground and was flailing about. His physical shape and makeup made it quite difficult for him to move easily or get up. Elphaba passed the axe along to a passing soldier from Burzee and she went to address the Monkeys.
"Thank you! Thank you, my friends. Are any of you hurt?" Her words were still shaky, but warm and sincere. Chistery and the others looked at her in relief. Their worst fear was that they would not be in time to protect her. Elphaba did not act like their Mistress; she treated them and spoke to them like friends, and always had. It was one of the reasons they chose to stay with her and help her, as well as protect her.
She now saw one of the Monkeys holding his injured paw. Moving to him swiftly, she bent down and gently took his paw.
"Here, let me see it." She looked at it carefully and then stood and grabbed the hem of her gown, tearing it. Stooping down again, she began to bandage his paw. In a world gone mad, Elphaba chose sanity and care.
"I'm sorry. This is all I have to use as a bandage right now, but as soon as I can I'll change it."
When she finished she stroked his face affectionately. Standing, she looked around the courtyard and saw that their plan was working well so far. Now she had to get to Reena. Even with Morrible's lack of powers, she did not want to leave her sister alone with her a moment longer than necessary.
She looked around for her broom. She had left it hidden in the shadows and started toward it now.
Suddenly, from behind her there came an inhuman roar of hatred and anger, and too late she saw Boq, on his feet again, launching himself at her in attack. Chistery and the others had already moved toward her broom and she was open and exposed. Elphaba braced herself for his assault. It never came.
Across the fields, but closer now, much closer, Fiyero and his men saw what was happening. They had seen the Monkeys fly into the fray in order to surround and protect Elphaba. Once he saw Chistery with her, Fiyero had breathed a small sigh of relief. If he himself couldn't be beside her, he was glad Chistery and the others were. They had weathered many storms together and Fiyero knew their loyalty to his wife was boundless.
"Sir, look! Those flying Monkeys…they saved her!"
Fiyero had nodded with a smile, "Of course. She's risked her life for them. They know that. She's in good hands now. The Monkeys would die to protect her!"
The men had all, in amazement, seen Elphaba stop in the middle of the battle to bandage one Monkey's paw, ripping her gown to do so.
"And that's why." Their prince had stated simply with a warm smile. "That's my Fae."
The Vinkun troops had already seen Morrible grab a horse from one of her own men and flee, leaving him behind to face the 'enemy'. They had also watched Maureen mount a broom and take to the sky in pursuit. As they had gotten closer, Fiyero noted that Maureen's seat on the broom was a little wobbly and her language more than a little colorful.
"She really needs more lessons and flying time," Fiyero had said with a somewhat amused shake of his face. His men were stunned to hear a future queen use some of the epithets Maureen did! Fiyero now looked back to the courtyard and found Elphaba easily. She was heading for her broom he knew. The Monkeys had gone ahead and one had the broom in his paws when they all heard Boq's roar of rage drift out on the wind. She's unprotected! It was the only thing Fiyero registered at that instant. He could even see the reality of the situation cross Elphaba's face. No!!
Then he saw the Stag, the Burzeean General, bolt from the tumult, lower his head, point his antlers forward, raise his front legs up and pound into Boq with such force, that the tin man was sent flying through the air, only to land in the courtyard's fountain.
When he attempted to stand, Boq could barely move. He wound up lying in the fountain, completely submerged in the water and rusting…quickly. The Vinkuns could all see Elphaba dip her head in gratitude to the Stag before he launched back into the fight to stand beside his king.
Maureen had flown over the troops from Burzee and then watched as Morrible rode over two soldiers in her effort to escape. The future queen of Burzee was more than a little disgusted and she cursed aloud in frustration. That's when she saw Fiyero and his men ahead of her. They waved up to her and she tried to return the gesture but nearly fell off the broom in the process. She heard Fiyero yell to her from the ground.
"Hold on! I will not explain this to your sister!"
She rolled her eyes, but smiled back at him.
Once Fiyero had seen that Maureen would not fall off, he had stolen a look towards the castle and then pointed up, hoping that she would look and see what he and his men all did. Above them all, flying Monkeys flew through the sky. They were well below and behind another figure.
High above everyone and everything, flew Elphaba, her flying skill was only surpassed by the beauty there was in its form. She created graceful loops and curves, large sweeping ones. Behind her broom, she left a trail of smoke. As the Vinkuns watched in awe, they saw letters form in the air as she flew.
The troops from Oz all began to buzz uncomfortably. They had seen this before, or something similar. For high above them all, the words: "Surrender Morrible" appeared.
When she had completed the last curve on the last "e", Elphaba flew towards Maureen and easily caught up to her.
Elphaba looked over at her sister with a smile.
"Show-off!" was Maureen's only retort.
Elphaba laughed loudly and it carried through the air to the castle where Emrys looked on in amazement with his troops.
Glinda stopped helping the injured and called up, "Go get her, Elphie!"
Down holding the troops from Oz at bay, the Vinkuns cheered as their Princess flew above. They looked back then to their Prince who stood with his hands on his hips and his head thrown back with laughter. He called up to her suddenly.
"That's it, Fae! You show them how it's done!"
He turned to his officers. "She has style, gentlemen. The lady definitely has style. Heaven help Morrible now!"