"It's time for you to go."
"What if Elphie sees us leaving?"
"She won't; I put pinnoble leaves in her tea. She's out cold"
"Take care of her while we're gone Fiyero."
"Be safe."
"If we don't come back…"
"Don't say that; you're all going to come back."
"Well if we don't tell Elphie that I love her; and that we didn't tell her for her own good."
"You know she'll never forgive you for this."
"I know."
***
Five figures peered out the windows of a closed shop. The Emerald City had been shut down in order for the entire bloodthirsty public to view the execution of a village. Chistery, Caya, Brrr, Glinda, and Boq were preparing to go through with a very risky plan. "All the other Monk..eys are on the roof Miss Glin..da," Chistery reported. "They're read..y whenever you are."
"Alright then," the blonde witch sighed. She was dressed in the white witch outfit Caya made for her back at the village. "Operation 'this will most likely end badly' is a go. Caya and Brrr get into position."
"Yes your goodness," the Tiger snorted, accompanying Brrr and Chistery up the staircase to the roof.
"I'd better go too," Glinda murmured to Boq as she moved to follow the Cats. She could see conflict raging in the munchkin's eyes. "What is it?"
"Nothing," the Tin Man insisted, waving off her concern. "Just be safe." And then Boq pulled Glinda into a sudden kiss. For a moment she stiffened in shock, but then the fireworks went off. Despite having been heartless for longer than he cared to remember the Tin Man felt a flicker of warmth in his chest as the blonde witch's lips melted against his.
"Glinda!"Caya called from upstairs. "Hurry!" Abruptly the petite woman pulled away and dashed up the staircase, her lips twisted into a dazed smile.
***
Jaybo and Mar stood beside each other in the stifling heat of noon in the Emerald City. The muzzles of five different guns were trained on them and the other Animals. Sobbing children clung to their parents as they faced down the ugly weapons and viciously enthusiastic crowd. Madame Morrible had just finished her poorly written speech on how this murder was a message to all of Oz's enemies. Then, with a morbidly gleeful expression on her fish-like face, the former press secretary gave the signal to fire; a downward slashing hand motion. Explosions rent the air as the guns fired. Screams were heard and then the sound of stone shattering.
Mar and Jaybo had just enough time to realize they were still alive before all hell broke loose. A huge but nearly invisible bubble had surrounded the entire village, and they were slowly being lifted into the air. On the ground the Gale Force soldiers manning the guns, who might have attempted to stop the bubble, were under attack themselves. Brrr and Caya as well as the famous Tin Man had fallen on the unprepared guards with intimidating fury. "This is Lady Glinda's bubble!" Mar observed. "But where is she?" As if to answer the Black Bear's question Chistery glided in front of the transparent orb clutching a familiar blonde witch in his paws. Glinda gave the Animals a cheerful wave and guided the bubble higher with quick hand movements. Once the villagers were safely out of reach three flying Monkeys swooped in to carry Boq, Caya, and Brrr away.
"No!" Madame Morrible shrieked shrilly. "Raeb do something!" The old woman's assistant obeyed. He snatched a gun from one of the nearby soldiers and trained it on the escaping Monkeys.
***
An exultant smile stretched over Glinda's face. She had done it! For days the blonde had been wondering whether or not she was capable of creating a force field bubble large enough to carry all the villagers, but somehow it had worked. Then the sound of a shot reached the petite woman's ears and there was a sharp pain in her side. A scream of agony warbled from the wounded girl as her consciousness drained away.
***
"Shouldn't they be back by now?" Elphaba demanded, pacing.
"Fae you shouldn't be straining yourself," Fiyero protested, trying to tug his wife back onto the couch. "Glinda didn't tell you because she knew you'd overreact."
"I AM NOT OVEREACTING!" the witch screeched, fists clenched. Her husband sighed and gave up.
"I should have put in enough pinnoble leaves to knock you out for the whole day," he muttered.
"What did you say?" Elphaba hissed, her voice dangerously calm.
"Nothing," Fiyero insisted innocently.
"That's what I thought," the green girl sniffed, checking out the window again. Approaching the castle was an enormous bubble filled with Animals surrounded by several flying Monkeys, most of which were busy pushing the transparent orb through the sky. That was odd, why would they be pushing the bubble if Glinda could just control it with her…? Oh no. The witch's eyes took in Caya, Brrr and Boq being flown along by winged primates but where was the blonde? Elphaba was distracted from her search by movement on the lawn. It was Chistery cradling a huddled ball of white fabric, one side of which was stained with crimson blood.
Elphaba slammed open the front door and rushed to her friend's side. Gently Chistery laid Glinda face up on the grass. Her eyes were shut and she was deathly pale. "Oh sweet Oz no," the green girl cried. "What happened?"
"Ra..eb shot her," the devastated primate explained in a choking voice.
"Is she…"
"I don't kn..ow," Chistery replied sadly. Frantic with debilitating worry Elphaba held her hands over the petite girl's body and began to chant the minor healing spell she'd used to repair her spear wound. There was no visible change. Again the green girl recited her spell. Nothing happened.
"No!" Elphaba screamed as unnatural green lighting flashed behind her. Boq, who had been deposited by his Monkey escort knelt beside Glinda and gently pressed his fingers to her wrist.
"I can feel a pulse," he exclaimed. "But it's weak."
"It's poison," Mar explained, approaching the small gathering. Once Glinda went unconscious her bubble had lost its indestructibility. "I know a great deal about weapons and those guns were equipped to shoot nightlock bullets." Gently the Bear pulled aside a torn and bloody piece of the blonde's dress to examine her wound. "See?" He pointed to the small hole. "The bullet went right through her, it's not a serious wound, but the bullet was coated with nightlock poison so now it's slowly killing her."
"How long does she have?" the green girl wanted to know.
"Without help I'd give her forty eight hours," Mar informed them. "Unless you have the Grimmerie with you there's no chance."
"We'll get the Grimmerie," Boq and Elphaba said at the same time with the same cold certainty. Their eyes were ablaze with determination.
I was spoiling you guys with non-cliffie chapters…it's back to suspensville now..