Okay, so I decided to update early just because I can. :)

-Essence


Chapter 56

"Frynda!"

A sharp yank on the young girl's arm brought her back to reality.

Dr. Yanz stared up at Frynda, a serious glint in her brown eyes. "Frynda, are not paying attention to a single word I'm saying! We need to find a way to help Kora breathe again! I would try mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, but—"

"She's not breathing?!" Frynda squeaked, hating herself for spacing out at the most inappropriate time. She had apparently missed that the Gorilla had set the unconscious girl on the ground and was now trying to pump air into her lungs with quick, thrusting motions on her chest.

"I'll do that!"

Before Dr. Yanz knew what was happening, Frynda pushed her off Kora and took over her spot in trying to revive the poor girl. Frynda didn't knew why she did it (she wasn't even a doctor), but she knew that she would have better success since the Gorilla beside her looked as if she was about to faint with exhaustion.

"C'mon, Kora," growled Frynda, desperately pumping at the girl's chest. Kora seemed scarily pale underneath her grip and her lips were turning an ugly shade of purple.

"Frynda, you need to give her your own oxygen," Dr. Yanz said, her voice small. "I would do it myself, but there's just something with Animals and humans—"

"Okay, okay, I get it," Frynda hissed and without warning, she bent down and placed her mouth smack dab on Kora's. It felt strange, kissing an unconscious person like this, but she knew it was only necessary.

Dr. Yanz lifted a brow at the sight of the red-skinned girl practically throwing herself on Kora. "Frynda, you have to pinch her nose or this will not work!" she told her quickly and Frynda broke away from Kora, suddenly feeling very light-headed and surprisingly…giddy.

"What?" Frynda slurred, barely taking notice that the Gorilla had spoken to her.

"Her nose…!"

"Oh, right!" Frynda cried and hurriedly pinched the girl's nose. She once again breathed into the unconscious girl's mouth, feeling her head literally skyrocket into the air at the sensation. She felt Kora's chest rise as she blew into her mouth, praying to every god that she knew to help her save the unconscious girl.

"Now press against her chest like earlier, Frynda," Dr. Yanz said as she started to get up from the ground. "Good, now I'm going to go and find help. She should be fine in a minute or two just as long as you're there to help her breathe."

"Mm-hm," was all Frynda said as she bent down to blow another lungful of air into Kora's body. She felt the smaller girl's chest surge upwards as it filled with precious air. Frynda blew until she was sure she was blue in the face (or whatever color her skin would turn when oxygen-deprived).

As the sound of Dr. Yanz's heavy footsteps faded into the distance, Frynda noticed Kora's chest starting to rise and fall on their own accord. She's breathing! the red-skinned girl thought happily. She was glad that she was able to save the still-unconscious girl, adding to her already growing sense of heroism. Now it was just a matter of getting her to a proper hospital so she could get the treatment she needed so badly.

Moving herself away from Kora, Frynda wiped her hand against her mouth, blushing at the way she had practically kissed the other girl.

It was necessary, she thought to herself. She then briefly wondered how it would have felt like to kiss Glinda, even though she knew she would never get the chance. For some odd reason, Frynda had believed the blonde's lips would have been as soft as they appeared to be, but when she had kissed Kora, those thoughts had been quickly diminished. There was absolutely no way in Zo that anyone would have lips softer than the girl lying just a few feet away from her.

Frynda's blush grew deeper at the mere thought of Kora actually awake to kiss her back. She had barely met the smaller girl, let alone already have a full-blown crush on her!

Control yourself, will you, Frynda? The red-skinned girl thought to herself. Just because Elphaba knows about you and Glinda does not mean you can just go and have a crush on another girl!

But with a heavy sigh Frynda admitted to herself that kissing Kora had been one of the most wonderful things she had ever felt in her life, despite having to do it in order to save the recipient's life. This is all coming to me in a rush, Frynda thought, her head starting to spin in the overwhelming confusion.

Frynda had never kissed anything, let alone another person. She had always thought she would have her first kiss underneath the moonlight with the boy of her dreams.

The problem was, however, it was clearly still day time and the person she had kissed wasn't even a boy.

This was some first kiss, she thought to herself. Not quite what I had planned, but at least it was a benefit to somebody.

And that somebody was stirring, her violet eyes fluttering open. Kora let out a soft groan and rolled over on the grass, startling the red-skinned girl out of her thoughts.

"K-Kora," Frynda stammered as the younger girl weakly turned her head towards her. The brunette's eyebrow's knitted together in apparent confusion. She attempted to sit up but Frynda hurriedly reached out a hand to stop her.

"No, don't do that," the sixteen-year-old quickly told her, making her lie flat on the grass again. "You're still too weak."

"What am I doing here?" Kora asked her. "Where am I?"

"Um—"

"But most of all," Kora added. "Who are you and what are you doing in my bathrobe?"

Frynda wrung her hands together nervously. "Uh, that's a lot of questions. My name is Frynda, though you might recognize me for my red skin—"

"Nope," Kora said, tilting her head to the side.

Frynda was surprised at this but she quickly shook it off. "And well…about the bathrobe…that's a long story," she said, watching one of Kora's thin, brown brows rise in obvious amusement.

"O-okay," Kora chuckled. "And let me guess…you just saved me?"

Frynda blinked. "H-how did you know?"

"I may be crippled but I'm not stupid," said the brunette, a twinkle in her brilliant, violet eyes. "I see the Hospital burned down behind you."

Frynda gave a nervous little giggle, hating herself for how stupid she must have sounded to Kora. She thought Kora had meant the 'kiss of life' part, but as usual, she had been irrational. Kora hadn't even been conscious when she had performed the resuscitation on her.

"I guess I should say thank you, then," added the younger girl lightly.

"Um…you're welcome?" Frynda said.

Kora opened her mouth to reply but then she closed it as she saw several shapes form behind Frynda. They were coming from the Blue Brick Road. She narrowed her eyes and casted a brief glare at the red-skinned girl, who blinked at the sudden hostility aimed towards her.

"Why did you have to save her too?" Kora whined childishly. Frynda then turned her head to see Dr. Yanz limping over to them, followed by another, smaller shape. Shifting forwards so she could get a closer look at the stranger, Frynda soon spotted the telltale leaf skirt and flash of green skin.

Frynda's eyes opened wider as she recognized the figure.

Mantu!

***

"Halt!"

Both Melena and Hazel froze in their tracks. The brown mare let out an uneasy nicker as the Gale Force guard approached them, a rifle in his hand. He looked up at Melena, a dark look coming from underneath the brim of his hat.

"Ma'am? Your name please?"

Melena swallowed thickly and struggled to come up with a name that wouldn't give her away. She could see that the guard was obviously suspicious of her. Could he really see though the Transformation Spell and to the unsightly cracks that hid underneath?

The guard was clearly still waiting for a response. "Ma'am…?"

Melena bit her lip. "Melena—"

Before she could finish, the sound of a harsh "Oy!" filled the air and another guard came running towards them.

"Corporal Vancor, sir, what are you doing?" the second guard wheezed as he went to stand by the corporal.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" the uniformed corporal asked him bitterly. The man called Vancor looked back at Melena, a steely glint reflecting in his brown eyes. "I'm doing my job."

"Well, will you stop harassing the passersby and hurry to Southstairs?! It seems there has been a disturbance and her Ozness was involved! Commander Rayne had sounded the alarm! Did you not hear it?!"

Both Melena and Vancor blinked in surprise.

Her Ozness? Melena thought in bewilderment. Did he just say her Ozness?

"I guess not," Vancor snarled in response to the guard's question. "Well this is just wonderful," he sighed sarcastically and fixed the rifle in his hand. "The one minute I decide to leave my post, something has to go awry. Damn my horrible luck."

The lower-ranking guard just looked at the corporal, then back at Melena. He noticed she looked quite odd and out of sorts and maybe just a little bit…pale.

"Ma'am?" he asked her questioningly as Vancor hurried away towards the direction of the Green Palace, muttering curses under his breath.

Melena snapped her head to look down at the guard, a sickening feeling forming at the pit of her stomach. Hazel let out an uneasy nicker, probably itching to get going again.

"Y-Yes?" the pale woman stammered, not sure if she was willing to suffer another close-call like the one she just had with Vancor.

"Do you need help finding your way around the Emerald City? You look terribly lost."

Melena couldn't help but blink at the guard's friendly tone. She then managed to give him a small nod. "That would be most kind of you, Master…"

"Hancrest. Just Hancrest. Now, let me assist you in dismounting your horse. I'm afraid only horses pulling carriages are allowed within the Emerald City gates."

The uniformed man held out a hand for Melena to take. She gladly took it and hopped off Hazel, trying hard not to wince as the pain in her abdomen nearly doubled from the impact of her feet hitting the ground.

"There we go," Hancrest smiled. "Now, about your horse…"

"You can just let her go," Melena replied through gritted teeth. She hoped against all odds that the Gale Force guard wouldn't notice her sudden pain. Fortunately, for her, Hancrest wasn't that intuitive.

"Excuse me?" Hancrest was obviously surprised. "You want me to…but…are you sure?"

"More than sure," Melena half whimpered, half groaned. She gave Hancrest a small smile as he shrugged his shoulders.

"Alright, then. If you insist."

Without another word, he gently maneuvered Hazel away from them. The mare looked confused for a second and turned her big head towards Melena, twitching her ears. The pale woman motioned with her hands to go, a little sad to see the horse she had called her own leaving.

Hazel then blinked and trotted towards the edge of the Yellow Brick Road, nibbling at the sparse patches of grass on the ground. Before Melena could see what had become of the mare, Hancrest closed the emerald-colored gate and turned towards her.

"I've got to admit, that was the strangest request I have gotten from a woman." Hancrest gave her a grin an offered her his arm to take. She took it, albeit a little reluctantly.

"Kind sir, why are you bothering to help me?" Melena asked him as they started to walk through the green-lined courtyards of the bustling city. There were people clustering around them, their chatter droning endlessly in Melena's ears. She felt a little dizzy, and not just because of the gunshot wound in her stomach.

"Well, why shouldn't I help you?" Hancrest answered her.

"It's just…I don't know. Your gallantry is quite…rare, if you ask me."

"I wasn't asking," laughed Hancrest. He then stole a glance at the pale woman beside him and examined her. Immediately he was entranced by her striking features. She was beautiful, in a mysterious, otherworldly sort of way.

"But can I ask you something now? How in Oz have you managed to keep your skin so stunning? Don't take this the wrong way, it's just that it's so…" Hancrest was stumbling over his words by now and Melena couldn't help but give a chuckle. This wasn't the first time that she had a man tripping over his own words.

"You're awfully bold for a man whom I've just met five minutes ago," said Melena, a smile gracing her lips. "But I'll answer your question. Magic."

Hancrest blinked for a second, and then laughed. "Hah, I know what you mean." He winked at her, obviously thinking it was a joke.

Melena just kept smiling. As they walked through the city, she couldn't help but feel waves after waves of nostalgia hit as she recognized several of the old stores and boutiques she had frequently visited when she had been a youth.

"Forgive my intrusion on your sightseeing," Hancrest said to her after a few minutes, "but it seems you are not quite yourself. Would you like to sit down and rest?"

"No, I'm fine," Melena brushed him off with a wave of her hand and a smile. "It's just that it's been quite a while since I've been here. Don't you worry, Master Hancrest, it's just a little overwhelming, that's all."

"Please, I'd appreciate it if you just call me Hancrest," the Gale Force guard said sincerely. "And I know what you mean. The Emerald City has changed a lot throughout the years. How long as it been since you've came here?"

Melena pursed her lips. "Oh, trust me. It's been a while."

"Well…" Hancrest had obviously been looking for a numerical answer. "I suppose you haven't seen the new renovations they had recently done on the Green Palace?"

Something inside of Melena clicked when Hancrest mentioned the Green Palace.

Bolynda.

"No, it seems I haven't. Oh, I would absolutely love it if you would show me, Hancrest," Melena suddenly gushed, thinking that she might as well play into her part of tourist.

"Well, as you must have heard earlier, there has been a disturbance at the Palace, but I suppose if I take you the other way around we could avoid it…"

Melena nodded and tightened her hold on the man's arm. He looked as if he was growing uncomfortable at her close proximity in more ways than one. She gave him a convincing, yet still shy smile as she asked him,

"I'm afraid I've been a little out of it lately," Melena said. "Can you tell me who is the new Emperor or, er…Empress?"

"Well, I don't know her name as of yet," Hancrest said, "but I've got a feeling that it is someone I know. Or used to know, actually."

"Oh, that's too bad," Melena said, sounding disappointed. In truth, she was disappointed. She had wanted to gain some information before entering into this mess that was made up the Ozian politics. "And this new Magic Grand Vizier…"

"Oh, her?" Hancrest scoffed. "It seems you are behind, my lady. From what I've heard from my higher ranking officers, the Magic Grand Vizier has been arrested for murdering the captain of the guard."

Melena almost choked on oxygen. "She did what?"

"I know, I find it quite hard to believe too. This is all happening so fast that I could barely keep up with it. Now…hey, hey! Where are you going?"

Melena had wrenched free of Hancrest's grasp and was now heading directly towards the looming Green Palace. She didn't know what Bolynda must have done to get herself tangled into this mess, but she knew the only way to get to her daughter was through one way.

She had to go into the Green Palace, disturbance or not.

"Hey! Where are you going?" she heard Hancrest call after her again. She could hear his footsteps behind her and she turned her head over her shoulder.

"I'm sorry, but it seems I've found the Green Palace! Good day to you sir!"

She left Hancrest standing here, scratching his head in confusion.

That was some crazy lady, he thought. Crazy, but beautiful.

Whistling softly to himself, he walked back towards the Emerald City gates, unaware of the trouble that was about to brew within the Green Palace behind him.

***

"Mantu, what are you doing here?"

The elf looked just as surprised to see her. "Red One? Oh my, I must be seeing things!"

"Who else do you know that's red-skinned? C'mere and give me a hug, you." Frynda didn't waste any time pulling Mantu into a big-hearted hug, feeling his thin, green arms wrap around her shoulders.

"I've missed you, my friend," Mantu whispered into her ear.

"Me too," breathed Frynda as they pulled apart. She would have never thought she would be able to see the friendly elf again. "I'm sorry that I didn't say a proper goodbye to you."

"Frynda," Mantu said, chuckling, "it seems we're in need of some hellos, not goodbyes."

Frynda then looked around her and realized Mantu was right. Kora looked up at the elf with a wary eye, probably expecting him to lash out at her at any second.

"Kora, this is Mantu," the red-skinned girl said and extended a hand in order to help her up, but then withdrew it when she noticed that the obviously weak girl wouldn't have the strength to stand by herself.

"Please to meet you, Miss Kora," said Mantu humbly, giving the girl a polite bow. "I am Mantu from the Never-Ending Forest. It seems you are the one Dr. Yanz had informed me about?"

The Gorilla then coughed, making her presence known. "Yes," she said to Mantu, her voice a dull monotone. "This is she."

"What are you doing here, Mantu?" Frynda asked him, raising a brow.

"I suppose Glinda hadn't informed you about me…? Oh, never mind. As you know, Frynda, I was a healer when I was with my former clan. When I saw the wounded Animals at the Village, I had to stay and help. It was only my duty."

Frynda nodded. "I understand."

Mantu then gave her a smile. "It was just a coincidence that I happened to be walking by when Dr. Yanz found me. I had been on my way to gather supplies from the Hospital when I received the most unfortunate news that it was burned down."

Dr. Yanz flinched at this.

"I had told her about my training in healing, so she has convinced me to tag along with her. Now I'm glad I agreed. My training is not only limited to Animals, you know. I am very capable with humans too."

Frynda nodded, remembering the way he had healed Elphaba's legs when they had been in the Never-Ending Forest.

"You think you can heal me?" Kora asked him suddenly. Her violet eyes were sharp and piercing. "I don't think what I have can be healed."

"I—"

Before Mantu could continue, however, Dr. Yanz interrupted him with a swift grunt. The Gorilla glared at her patient as she growled,

"I'm sorry, Kora, but I believe this is neither the right time nor place for your poor attitude. He has something that could help us get to where we need to be."

Frynda blinked and looked at Mantu, who stared back at her with his bright green eyes sparkling. With his hand, he gestured somewhere to his right. The sixteen-year-old turned her head and gasped, her face breaking into a grin.

"Two horses?!"

"Horses," Mantu stressed. "With a capital 'H'. They weren't easy to convince, but I had managed to get them to come with me in order to carry supplies. Now that there are no supplies to carry, I might as well help you."

"Oh, thank you Mantu!" Frynda gushed and gave the elf a crushing hug, knocking the wind out of him. "I don't know how to repay you!"

"Letting me breathe would be nice," choked the elf and chuckled as the young woman released her crushing hold on him. Mantu put a slender, green hand on her arm as he said,

"You don't need to repay me for anything, Frynda. You are my friend and that's what friends do. They help each other."

Frynda smiled at him. "You're one strange elf, Mantu."

Mantu just shrugged, a small grin plastered on his elfish features. "I guess I am."

They didn't waste any time carrying Kora to the Horses. They nickered amongst themselves as the foursome approached them.

"Are you gonna carry her?" one of them nickered to the other. He switched his white tail, his blue eyes shifting between the rapidly approaching crowd and the blue-gray Horse next to him.

"Nu-uh. You carry her."

"Rock, paper, hoof?"

"Alright."

The Horses quickly played a simplistic version of the 'rock-paper-scissors' game using their hooves and the white Horse let an enraged neigh when he lost. His left hoof was sticking out as the blue-gray Horse's right hoof was doing a crude interpretation of paper.

"Damn it," the white Horse muttered. "This game is rigged."

"You were the one who suggested it, smart one. Look, here they come."

Mantu walked up to them and they couldn't help but roll their eyes at the sight of the friendly green elf.

"There's a very sickly girl that needs to be carried," Mantu told them. "Which one of you would like to carry her?" He turned to the blue-gray Horse.

"Utik?"

The blue-gray Horse shook his head as the white Horse beside him gave a sigh.

"I'll do it," he muttered, his ears flattening against his head in obvious reluctance.

"Thank you, Axem," said Mantu cheerily and proceeded to direct Frynda and Dr. Yanz as they placed Kora on top of the white Horse's back.

"I can do this by myself, you know," Kora muttered grumpily as Dr. Yanz hurriedly tried to settle the girl in as best as she could.

"I know you can," the Gorilla responded but kept making sure that the girl was comfortable on the Horse.

"Are you going to ride too?" Axem then asked her, a slight twinge of disdain in his voice.

"No," the doctor said flatly, apparently noticing the way he looked at her large girth with fear in his blue eyes. "I'm going to walk."

Dr. Yanz then turned to Frynda; the Gorilla's shoulders slumped forwards in obvious exhaustion. "Would you mind terribly if you rode with her? I'm afraid she'll fall—"

"I'll be fine," insisted Kora. "I've ridden a horse before."

"I'll do it," Frynda said quickly before an argument could ensue between the doctor and her patient. As she mounted behind Kora, she couldn't help but reminisce on the time she had ridden behind Glinda. Hesitantly she wrapped her arms around Kora's waist, just as she had done with Glinda all those days ago.

To her surprise, Kora didn't react or flinch to her unexpected embrace. She just sat there, eerily silent. The brunette was obviously still angry with Dr. Yanz by the way she was cutting the Gorilla a death glare meant to kill.

"Don't get too comfy with me, Frynda," Kora told her, making the older teenager jump out of sheer surprise. "You may have saved me, but that doesn't mean you own me." She then broke out into a series of wracking coughs.

Frynda felt her obviously painful coughs, confused at the younger girl's sudden bitterness towards her. "But Kora—"

She didn't have time to finish as Axem started to walk. Utik followed behind him, Mantu on his back. Dr. Yanz walked beside them, her stronger legs giving her an edge over the humans and elf. She kept pace with them easily as they crossed unto the Blue Brick Road.

Onward to the Red Palace, Frynda thought with a sigh.

Onward to my prison.