Sorry about this, but I have to put a warning here for character death...

38. Time to Say Good-Bye

In the streets past the square, there was chaos. Gale Force soldiers were shouting at one another, struggling to keep control of a group of people who were giving them a hard time. Elphaba spotted Cohvu among the soldiers, as well as Gazilon; they were aiming their rifles at some of the people. The Gale Force Captain was yelling instructions, firing warning shots into the air, but the resistance members did not seem dissuaded in the slightest.

"There she is!" one of them cried and the moment the Gale Force soldiers turned to Elphaba, distracted by the cry, the resistance members pounced.

Suddenly, there were more resistance members, swarming over the Gale Force and shrieking as they attacked. They didn't have firearms – thank Oz for that – but Elphaba did see, to her horror, that they were carrying swords and knives, with which they attempted to stab the Gale Force.

Fiyero gave a warning shout beside her and she ducked aside just in time to avoid the knife someone had thrown at her. Heart pounding, she picked it up and handed it over to Fiyero, racking her brain for a spell she could use to stop this, but she couldn't think of anything. Levitation, healing... she could shoot a beam of energy from her palm, like she'd done to kill Madame Morrible, or she could use simpler spells to take them out one by one; but she was worried that she would hit one of the Gale Force members instead – she'd never forgive herself if she hurt Cohvu or Gazilon. She'd be able to use those spells if she could get closer, though...

More guards came running, the struggle between them and the resistance members continuing, but the Gale Force seemed to slowly gain the upper hand now. Just then, Cohvu gave a cry and Elphaba spun just in time to watch him yank the hilt of a knife out of his leg with a hiss. She dashed over to him, despite Fiyero's yell behind her to stay put. She ducked between people, running over to Cohvu, only to skid to a halt next to him. "Are you all right?"

"Fine," he grunted even as he tried to stop the bleeding with his hands. "You shouldn't be here."

"Let me." She quickly chanted the healing spell, which she had learned by heart, and watched as the wound closed.

He moved his leg. "Thanks." He yanked her to the side, out of the way of another resistance member. "You should get out of here. We've got this."

She scoffed, moving to stand back-to-back with him just like they'd done when they were fighting the Gale Force soldiers a few months before, when she'd still been living at the Animal hide-out. She took out a woman with a well-aimed punch to the jaw. "You haven't "got this". You're outnumbered." She muttered a simple spell under her breath to take out another resistance member.

She hissed when one of their knives slashed her arm, but she struck back without hesitation, trusting that Cohvu had her back – literally – just like she had his. It seemed like the resistance members just kept on coming, however; and when she suddenly caught sight of Fiyero, who must have fallen to the floor and was now trying to protect himself from the tall man looming over him with a sword, her magic kicked in.

It sent them all flying to the ground and the momentary confusion was enough for the Gale Force to be able to overpower the resistance members. More guards came running and there was another brief struggle during which Elphaba caught her breath and looked around. "Yero? Are you okay?"

"Fine!" he called back, rising to his feet and brushing off his clothes. "You?"

She was about to reply when she laid eyes on one of the fallen Gale Force soldiers and she froze for a moment, whispering, "No," before running over to the man.

"Gaz!" She fell down on her knees next to him, her heart sinking when she saw the rapidly growing pool of blood around him. She let her hands hover above his body and started chanting the healing spell, even though she suspected the damage done was too bad for that spell to heal it.

Gazilon coughed, wincing as he did so. "Elphaba..." he wheezed. "It's no use."

"Don't say that!" Her dark eyes flamed. "For Oz's sake, Gazilon, you cannot die on me. I won't let you. Okay?" She chanted the spell again, but he raised his hand to grab her wrist, stopping her.

He shook his head at her. "It's no use," he said again, his voice barely above a whisper.

Tears stung her eyes, but she angrily wiped them away. She clasped his hand as if it were a lifeline – as if she were the one dying instead of him. "No..." A sob escaped her lips. "What did you do?!"

"He tried to attack you," he mumbled and her heart skipped a beat. "I had to stop him."

No. He couldn't. He couldn't be yet another person who had died for her... not him, not Gazilon. She stifled a sob. Would she ever stop leaving pain and death in her wake?

He reached up again, to touch her cheek this time. "El..." He closed his eyes and for a horrible, heart-stopping moment, she thought he was dead; but then he opened his eyes again and whispered, "I'm sorry. About... well, everything."

She shook her head, now ignoring the tears dripping down her face. "Don't be," she choked out. "I forgave you a long time ago. You're my best friend, Gaz, and you saved my life... if anything, I am sorry."

"Don't be," he echoed her own words back at her. "You have nothing to be sorry for." His breaths came in shuddering gasps and she knew he wouldn't hold out much longer. His grip on her tightened and he managed, "I love you, Elphaba. Always have and always will."

More tears filled her eyes at that. "I know." She cried, still trying not to look at the blood surrounding him, but it was becoming harder and harder to ignore.

He took another shaky breath. "El?"

"Yeah?"

"Would you..." He swallowed and licked his dry lips. "Would you do something for me?"

She knew what he was about to ask her without him actually needing to ask it. She nodded, her eyes still filled with tears, and she sniffled. Instead of replying, however, she merely bent down to kiss him softly on the lips.

When she pulled away, his breath escaped with a sigh. "Thank you."

He was quickly becoming too weak to speak, but he still managed, "Please don't feel guilty."

"I won't," she whispered, even though that was a promise she already knew she probably wouldn't be able to keep. She cradled his head in her lap, gently stroking his hair away from his face. "I'll tell Ebony about you," she told him, her voice breaking. "I'll tell her about my ex-boyfriend who was also my best friend, who saved my life so many times and in so many ways... who saved hers, too, in a way. I do love you, Gaz. I'll never stop doing that. I know you always did what you thought was best and I admire you for that. You're one of the bravest, kindest, and most genuine people I've ever met."

He managed a weak smile, lightly squeezing her hand. His grip loosened and she felt his hand go limp in hers at about the same time she saw his eyes go empty, watched his chest fall for the last time. She'd expected to burst out crying, but she found herself surprisingly calm.

She leaned her forehead against his, closing her eyes for a moment. "I'm sorry," she whispered, brushing her hand over his face to close his eyelids. She gently placed his head on the floor and looked up, tears still in her eyes. Fiyero was standing not too far away, watching her. Somehow he was always nearby when she needed him. For a moment, she worried, knowing he must have seen her kiss Gazilon; but she pushed the worry away. She knew he'd understand.

He approached, gingerly. "Fae?" he asked quietly.

She rose to her feet. She sniffled and wiped her face with her sleeve, cringing a little when she realised she'd just smeared some of Gazilon's blood onto her face. Fiyero came even closer, reaching out to touch her, but she jerked away from him.

He looked concerned. "Sweetheart..."

"I'm okay," she choked out. She sniffled again. "Well, not okay, obviously, but..."

He reached for her again, but she shook her head, stepping backwards. "Not now," she said quietly. "Later." If she let him hold her now, she'd collapse into his arms in a sobbing mess and she wouldn't be a help to anyone anymore. "I can't, Yero... not right now. I need..." She took a deep breath. "I need to stop this, I…" She faltered, unsure of what to do. She could see that Fiyero was a little hurt by her words, but she knew he'd understand nonetheless. She turned, taking a deep breath and trying to focus on what was still going on around her, but her vision was blurred by tears.

"Elphaba," a different voice said and she glanced up to see Cohvu standing there, looking exhausted and with blood stains on his clothes. He placed a hand on her arm. "It's over, Elphaba. You don't need to do anything anymore."

She looked around, blinking back her tears, only to realise that he was right. The resistance members were all being shackled and taken away by the remaining Gale Force soldiers. Both sides had suffered some losses, although neither of them very many. At least there was that to be grateful for.

They were approached by General Raeden, who raked his fingers through his hair. "Elphaba, Fiyero, you should go inside. It's over for now, but we're not sure if there are more of them around. This is no longer your fight."

Fiyero nodded. "Fae?"

She shook her head. "I'm not leaving him." She sat down next to Gazilon again. Behind her, she could hear Fiyero quietly explain to the general that Gazilon was a friend of theirs.

Cohvu knelt down on Gazilon's other side, a sad look on his face as he looked at his old friend. "Damn it, Gaz," he said softly.

"He saved me," Elphaba whispered incredulously. "He saved my life, Cohvu, and he died doing it."

"We'll bring him back to the Palace," General Raeden said behind her. "Don't worry, Elphaba. I'll make sure he is brought inside, but you and Fiyero really need to go now as well." He helped Elphaba back to her feet, even as Cohvu remained by their friends' side. The green girl looked at him and he gave her a tired smile.

"Don't worry," he said. "I'll stay with him."

She nodded and made to follow the general, but Cohvu stopped her. "And El?"

She stopped and looked at him again.

"It wasn't your fault," he said. "I hope you know that."

That did it. Nine little words, spoken by Cohvu sitting next to Gazilon's dead body. She crumbled, bursting into sobs; and then of course Fiyero was there, taking her in his arms and holding her tightly even as she knew he must be crying, too. Gazilon had been his friend as well.

She was hardly aware of the fact that she was brought inside. Galinda came out, shocked to see her friend in such a state, and Fiyero quietly told her what had happened. The blonde, although shaken by the news herself, instantly went to make Elphaba some tea even as Fiyero sat her down in a love seat and wrapped a blanket around her. He crouched before her. "Fae?"

She shook her head, still crying. He sighed and wrapped his arms back around her, moving her so that she was sitting in his lap, and she curled into him and buried her face in his neck as he rocked her back and forth.

They managed to coax some tea into her and Fiyero told Galinda the entire story. She stroked Elphaba's hair. "Oh, Elphie... I'm so sorry."

"He did it to save me," she croaked. Fiyero could feel her trembling. "He died because of me..."

"No," Galinda and Fiyero said firmly at the same time. The blonde was scowling. "Elphie, listen to me. It was not your fault. He chose to do that himself. Okay? You didn't ask him to save you, did you?"

"But he did," she whispered. "Because he still loves... loved me."

"Just like you would save Fiyero in a heartbeat," Galinda said, "even if that meant sacrificing yourself. We'd all do crazy things for the people we love, Elphaba. Even if you didn't love him back the way he would have wanted you to, don't you think you would have done the same for him if the roles had been reversed?"

Elphaba bit her lip, then admitted, "Yes."

"See?" Galinda hugged her as best she could with the green girl still in Fiyero's arms. "It's going to be okay, Elphie. I'll look after Ebony – you just get some rest and try to calm down a little."

"Are you sure, Glin?" Fiyero asked quietly and the petite girl rolled her eyes at him.

"It's not like I mind watching little Eb," she told him. "I love her. She's my goddaughter. She's adorable and she's not a bother at all, and besides, Elphaba needs some rest now." She touched Fiyero's arm. "You take care of her, understood?" She smiled. "Never mind. I know you will." She swept out of the room, leaving Elphaba and Fiyero alone.

Yeah. Sorry. I'll go hide now.

Only two more chapters to go!