Beauty and the Scarecrow

Chapter Sixteen: You Came Back

Fiyero continued to try and climb up the roof but his injury was really taking a toll on him. Jester yelled that he was coming for him. Fiyero slid down the roof, just barely staying on as the old tiles fell off. Jester slid down a slanted roof and used a stuck-out window to put him on another part of the castle, all the while Maddie was following. Fiyero used all his strength to jump onto another roof, just barely catching it. As Maddie ran, she had to jump over a crumbling bridge just to find a safe way to get to Fiyero or Jester's pistol. Fiyero, once again, jumped onto another roof, sliding down it a bit but managed to get his grip and climb.

Maddie made it to a tower window where she could see Fiyero. He managed to get onto a small platform on the roof and stand there for a bit. But he almost slipped getting up there, making Maddie yell out to him. Hearing her voice, Fiyero looked over to see Maddie just a few feet away. He had never been happier to see her. Maddie explained that she tried to stop the mob from coming for him but he didn't care. He told her to stay there while he made his way over to her. Jester heard their yelling and watched as Sonic made a leap of faith to make it onto another rooftop.

He landed perfectly before attempting a slightly further jump. He just barely made it, grabbing onto the crumbling platform and pulling himself up. He tried to use a safe way to get to Maddie but Jester made a part of the castle fall on Fiyero before jumping down himself. Seeing this, Maddie left to try and find a way to help him. Jester took a piece of architecture from the castle and used it to bash Fiyero into a wall and onto a walkway. With Fiyero down, Jester kicked him to a sheltered tower, Maddie watching from the other side, next to Fiyero's room. She tried yelling at Jester to stop but he wouldn't listen. But Fiyero had finally had enough.

Before Jester could take another swing, Fiyero caught it and stood up, stopping Jester from hitting him again. He got the architecture out of Jester's hands before taking him by the neck, leaning Jester over the edge. Seeing how close he was to death, Jester begged for his life, saying he would do anything to stay alive. Fiyero pulled him close, telling Jester that he wasn't a Scarecrow as that's what Jester had called him during his pleas. Fiyero threw Jester to the ground, telling him to leave. As quick as a flash, Jester ran away. Seeing Maddie just a jump away, Fiyero made a run and jump, just barely making it.

He had to climb up the balcony but he made it to Maddie, safe and sound. Until he wasn't. Jester had found his pistol and shot Fiyero in the back. Fiyero collapsed forward and Maddie started to attempt to drag him back into the castle and away from Jester who was reloading his pistol. And, once he had, he shot Fiyero in the back once more, the force of the blow throwing Fiyero into the West Wing. Maddie ran over to Fiyero as Jester started to realise he was in danger. The walkway he was standing on was collapsing. And, before Jester could react, the walkway fell, making him fall all the way to the world below him. Meanwhile, Maddie remained with Fiyero as he lay dying on the floor. She supported his head and held his hand.

"You came back," Fiyero said, breathlessly

"Of course, I came back," Maddie said with tears in her eyes, "I'll never leave you again."

"I'm afraid it's my turn to leave."

"We're together now. It's gonna be fine."

"At least I got to see you... One last time."

And, with that, the last petal fell. Fiyero quickly gave in to his injuries, dying in Maddie's arms. She begged him to come back to her but it was too late. As the petal hit the table, and the villagers left, Boq was celebrating with Nessa when she suddenly went limp in his arms. Seeing this, Boq realised that the last petal had fallen. She has become like any other Wicked Witch. He placed her on the ground as he wallowed in sorrow at his lover's final moments. Next to him and Zeke, China Princes felt her time coming too. She bid her lover goodbye before becoming an ordinary wardrobe.

Marshal Mellow begged her not to leave him before his music slowly faded away. He had become a normal Piano. Toto saw what had happened and ran up to his owners, whimpering and scratching at them, hoping to get a reaction, only to fall backward and become an ordinary footstool. Glinda came forward on her tea trolly, trying to find Dorothy as she had disappeared during the fight. But, before they could reunite, Glinda's face faded away and she was now an ordinary, china teapot. Hearing her cries, Dorothy jumped down from a window to see her, only to become a normal teacup mid-fall. She was thankfully caught by the coat hanger, placing Dorothy next to her mother before turning into a normal coathanger. With only Zeke and Boq left, Zeke felt himself stiffen.

"Boq..." Zeke struggled to get his words out, "I can't... speak."

"It's all right, Zeke," Boq assured him

"I can't... Boq... my friend. It was an honor to serve... with you."

With that, Zeke stopped moving and his clock went to Twelve AM.

"The honor was mine."

Boq spun, accepting that it was now his time to go, making himself into a normal Tinman. With the spell still unbroken, they had become the objects they had been cursed into. Meanwhile, Maddie was still crying over Fiyero's dead body. She begged him desperately to come back to her. But he was already gone. Ozma had walked into the West Wing, watching the scene in front of her. Yet she did nothing. Just watched. But, as she stood near the rose, she heard the three words that Maddie needed to say.

"I love you."

And an added kiss on his straw. Seeing what she needed to see, Ozma made the rose's fallen petals float back up in the glass casing. The petals regained their red appearance as the glass suddenly disappeared. Ozma made the petals float over to Fiyero, clouding him in a golden mist that lifted him up, away from Maddie. Maddie stood up and macked away as the petals and mist took Fiyero into the air, surrounding him and facing him away from her. There, the magic started changing his appearance and brought him back to life. When the magic had done its part, it lowered him back to the ground where he started to take in what he was feeling.

He looked back to Maddie to show his new appearance. He now had brown hair which had been combed back. Maddie walked up to him, taking in his appearance. While she liked the new hair, there was one thing she didn't like. The gloves. So, she took them off, revealing that his straw hands stayed. But she didn't care. She loved him just as he was. And, with that, the two shared their first kiss, officially breaking the curse. All of the broken parts of the castle started to rebuild itself. But that was just the beginning.