(AN: Before we delve into this story, let me state a few things that are different in this ff than the main Wicked time-line. First of all, electricity is in Oz, and record players and vinyls are the new thing. This Oz based heavily on the 60s, 70s and 80s. Well, after all, comparisons between Wicked the Book and Nixon-US have been drawn, therefore it seems appropriate to put Oz in this period of chaos. There will be mentions to things from that era like apartheid and segregation, espionage and such. In short, it's still the same Oz, just a few years older with a little bit of technology. lol)

(Here we have some Fiyeraba moments [or, as I used to call it Fae-Yero. lol]. I'm not good at romance, so I hope you can stomach my poor attempts at this. I have nothing against Gelphie, but I'm more partial towards Fiyeraba, and it fits in later in the story)

(Enjoy)

Talking About Music

"Would you please remind me why you forced me to tag along on your little shopping spree?" Elphaba asked, while she was being dragged along by the little blond energy bomb, bouncing along in front of her.

Her bouncing blond hair almost looked like the sparkling wick.

"Just follow me, Elphie!" Galinda squealed, not even relenting as she bounded on down the streets of the university-town that surrounded Shiz.

"If you wanted someone to carry your bags," Elphaba said. "You could have just taken Fiyero instead."

"Yeah," the Winkie prince added, as he strode along, his long strides easily keeping up with Galinda's bouncing. "You could have taken me."

"Because I want both of you to see what I'm gonna get!" Galinda said, turning her head back just a bit.

Suddenly, she skid to a stop.

Quite a feat for someone in heels.

She was looking at a store called "The Emerald Trader", with her mouth gaping open in her usual, girlish "ooh!"

"Sweet Oz!" she shouted out. "I didn't know Shiz had one of these yet!"

"What?" Elphaba asked.

Galinda made a grunt of playful exasperation, turning around to face her roomie. Sometimes, Elphaba could be so behind the times.

"Only the best department store in all of Oz!" she breathed, before going into her usual "ooh!"

"Oh, great." Fiyero commented.

"Fifi, it's not like that!" she rebutted, playfully slapping his shoulder with her hand-bag. "This store has everything new from the Emerald City. It's the closest thing to actually being there!"

She ran into the store, pushing open the huge wooden doors, with her two, unwitting victims following on behind. Once inside, Galinda gasped in her usual way. Elphaba's hand quickly went up to cover her own, gaping mouth.

There was everything here! Anything an Ozian would ever want or need that was the latest rage or fashion in the Emerald City was here in this store. Five long aisles had nothing but clothes, shoes and hats. Beyond that was a table with some new invention made by the engineers of the Wonderful Wizard himself.

Elphaba's eyes were drawn towards the front counter. A basket held dozens of emerald-shaded glasses, with a tag on the bottom that said 'Fashionable and Protective'. A sign posted on the wall behind the front counter said 'See the Spectacle: Tickets to the Emerald City Wizomania Sold Here!'

On all of these items there was a small price tag with a little black balloon, with fine letters in green printed along the inside edge.

"This item is an official product of the Emerald City, and has been built by the hands of the Wonderful Wizard of Oz himself."

Elphaba's heart lept within her chest.

It was all so spectacular.

Galinda, meanwhile, bounced off down the aisles of clothes, while Fiyero rolled his eyes and turned to the green girl.

"She can be a lot, can she?" he commented.

"You have no idea." Elphaba replied. She turned to her right and her mouth suddenly became dry.

She realized that she was alone with Fiyero again, whoever was behind the counter was out of sight, and he was just within arm's reach. She felt like she couldn't breathe unless she was closer to him. Just one little touch wouldn't hurt, she thought. Galinda was far too busy with whatever she was looking for in this huge department store to realize that her best friend was hitting on her boyfriend.

Elphaba's common sense snapped her back into reality. She couldn't do that to Galinda, that was just so...so like her, to just take whatever she wanted without thinking of consequences.

Like Galinda, not like Elphaba.

Yet she couldn't pull her eyes away from him.

"Fifi!" a voice shouted from the back of the store. "Would you be a dearie and help me with this?"

"Uh, sure, pumpkin!" he returned. "Anything you say." He looked at the green girl, and found that he couldn't even bring himself to talk.

It was ridiculous, he thought. She was green, after all. How could he be interested in her? His own self rose up to justify his prejudice by saying that she probably didn't like him either, too aggressive and ready to explode upon whoever rubbed her the wrong way. It was simply safe-hunting, to stay away from her.

But those brown eyes seemed to be piercing into his soul, exposing every single part of his being that he didn't want to believe existed, which he fought so hard to suppress with his partying and his lascivitious lifestyle.

Just like that day with the Lion-cub...

What, am I thinking now? he thought.

There I go again!

"Fiyero!" Galinda sang from the back of the store.

"Coming!" he finally got out, turning away from those piercing brown eyes and walking to the back of the store.

Elphaba let out a sigh, almost forgetting what it was like to breathe again.

"Elphie, come on!" Galinda called from where she and Fiyero were.

Together...alone...

No, she told herself. Snap out of it. Don't be thinking such thoughts.

She slowly walked over to the store, where she saw Fiyero with a large, wooden case in his arms and Galinda going through a long box filled with these thin cases a foot square, made out of paper.

"Uh," Elphaba said, looking at the large, and very heavy, case that Fiyero was struggling to keep from dropping. "What is that?"

"That is a record player!" Galinda announced, throwing her arms up and waving her fingers about, with a huge smile on her face.

"Huh?" both Fiyero and Elphaba returned.

"It's this new inventionation," she began, turning her attention to the square cases. "from the Emerald City. You put these in it..." She took out one of the cases and slid a large black disc out from between the sleeves of the case into her hand. "...and they play music!"

"This is new." Elphaba said. "I didn't know you liked music."

"Are you joking, Elphie?" Galinda gasped, playfully pushing her friend's shoulder. "I love music! Now, here," She picked up the box filled with the paper sleeves, filled with their black discs, and deposited the box into Elphaba's arms before she could protest.

Elphaba suddenly threw her arms out to grab the box before it fell out of her hand.

Oz knows, she thought, I don't have enough to pay for all these if I drop them.

"Pick out two that you like," Galinda said. "Fifi can have three, and..." She scanned through the cases quickly, punctuating each one she passed with a "puh" sound from her lips. "these five...are mine!" She brandished five colorful sleeves, with a huge smile on her face, and deposited them on top of the case that Fiyero was carrying.

"W-Wait!" Fiyero called out as the sound of Galinda's clacking heels told him that, though he couldn't see her over the huge case, she was walking away. "Where are you going?"

"I'm gonna go pay for all this, silly." she replied, turning heel and bouncing off towards the front of the store.

"So, uh," Elphaba said, alone with Fiyero again. Thankfully the record player was in between them. "What do you want?"

"Is there anything by The Falling Rocks in there?" he asked.

"Who?"

"The Falling Rocks," he repeated, grunting against the strain of carrying the huge record player. "Four or five guys from the Glikkus, they're very good."

"Here's one," she said, drawing out the sleeve with the name 'Aftermath' on the cover and stuffing it under the pit of her arm.

Better there than on top of the case for the record player. Oz knew Fiyero had too much in his hands as it is.

"How about Iron Monster?" he asked again.

"Here," she pulled out another sleeve, looking at the title on the cover. "'Dread of the Night'"

"Yeah, that one." he groaned. "And how about Röwdy Gäng?"

Elphaba made a strange noise, something between surprise and disgust, as she put the sleeve on top of Fiyero. The four young Winkie boys on the front of the cover were just too much for her.

"How many vinyls are we getting again?" Galinda shouted from the front of the store.

"Ten, I think." Fiyero returned. He then realized that there were still two unaccounted for.

"So," he asked the green girl, who was still somewhere nearby, he guessed. "What are you getting?"

"Whatever's good," was the vague reply.

Later, the three were making their way from 'The Emerald Trader' and walking back towards Crage Hall.

"Remind me, please," Fiyero said, still struggling with the heavy record player. "Why this is going in your appartment?"

"Because I bought it, silly!" exclaimed Galinda.

"Well, you better not play it too loudly," Elphaba returned. "Some of us have studying to do."

"Well, Elphie, there's always the library." the blond retorted.

"Right you are." the green girl said.

"Lemmie see what you have here," Galinda said, taking the large bag of vinyls off the top of the record player.

"Uh, maybe its just me," Fiyero groaned. "But since I'm doing all the heavy-lifting, I should probably have dibs on where it goes."

"There's a problem, though." Elphaba said.

"What?" he asked.

"Boys aren't allowed in Crage Hall." she stated.

"So?" Fiyero asked, trying to sound like his usual happy-go-lucky, though he was carrying something heavy. "Since when has Fiyero Tiggular let rules get in the way of fun?"

"Watch how loud you're saying that," Elphaba warned. "People might get ideas."

Fiyero chuckled, though it sounded more like a cough.

"Like what?"

A very loud exclamation of "eww!" came from Galinda.

"Who got 'Dread of the Night' by Iron Dragon?" she asked.

"That would be me." Fiyero answered.

"What?" she asked. "You mean you actually like all that screaming, loud, party-boy rocker music?"

"Of course!" Fiyero exclaimed. "I've been listening to the Gäng and Iron Dragon since before I can remember..."

"Which probably spans just to last night." Elphaba exclaimed.

"Well, at least I picked some good music." Galinda returned.

"Yeah," Fiyero chuckled. "I saw what kind of 'good' music you have. Fay-Gish, Goo Goo Mother, Lancely the Warbler, 4OnDaFloor and the Emerald City Dance Scholars."

"That is good music, Fifi!" she returned.

"Just because something is popular," Elphaba returned. "Doesn't mean its good, you know."

A tiny scowl came across Galinda's face.

"And what does Miss Elphaba like?" she said, looking into the bag.

"Don't!" the green girl cried, reaching out to snatch the bag from Galinda's hand.

But the little blond scurried away from the green thing coming after her, and successfully pulled out a single vinyl.

"Never Silent?" she queried. "Who's that?"

"It's an all-Animal indie quartet," Fiyero explained. "from the Vinkus that nobody knows about."

"Their music is talented!" Elphaba returned. "It's more than just pop dance and party rock! Their lyrics have meaning, they sing about things that are current, important! It's not just about the sound or if you can shake your butt to it! It's good, skillful music! They're real musicians."

"Why, because only three people know about them?" Galinda returned.

"There are more people who know about Never Silent than just the three of us!" Elphaba snapped.

"So, you only like indie music?" Fiyero queried.

"It's not whether the music is known or not!" she said. "That doesn't matter, as long as you like it...and-and as long as the musicians are skilled. You know, Never Silent was big before electricity came to Oz!"

There was a moment of silence as all looked at Elphaba in almost shock.

"Oz, I didn't know you were so passionate about music!" Fiyero stated.

"It's nothing." she said, the spiny artichoke leaves coming back into defense mode.

"No, it can't be nothing, not if you're that set on a band nobody kn..."

Galinda quieted, feeling a little ashamed that she was ripping on Elphaba for liking Never Silent.

The green girl sighed.

"I never got to listen to music when I was young." she returned. "Oh, well, you know, if father didn't like it, it wasn't in the house."

"What do they listen to in Munchkinland?" queried Fiyero.

"Oh, you know." Elphaba returned. "The usual folk songs. You know, country-stuff."

They remained silent, waiting for Elphaba to continue.

"Well, my sister only likes the Unionist hymns," she continued. "And my father won't let anything else into the house except that. So I've been listening to whatever I could get on the side."

Silence still resounded between the two of them.

"Well," Fiyero said, breaking the silence. "As much as I sympathize with your terrible lack of musical experience, we have a real problem on our hands."

"What, dearest?" Galinda asked.

"We're here."

They were already outside Crage Hall. They had been talking so much that they did not notice that they had made it all the way there.

"How are we getting it inside the room?" Elphaba asked.

Suddenly, the fish-faced form of Madam Morrible appeared, walking down the paved sidewalk from Crage Hall.

"Ah, hello, dearies." she greeted them all as she approached them, coming to a halt before Elphaba first. "I'm afraid I haven't heard back from the Wizard yet, Miss Elphaba. But not to worry, he's a busy man. He has a country to run, of course it will take a while. Be patient, dearie. It is a virtue."

"Yes, Madam." Elphaba returned, nodding.

"And you, Master Tiggular," she said, turning to Fiyero. "Why are you here? You are aware that boys are not allowed in Crage Hall."

"Yeah, well, uh..."

"Madam Morrible, I just recently purchased this record player," Galinda said, pointing to the large case. "And I needed someone to carry it to my suite."

Madam Morrible nodded in recognition.

"Well," she said at length. "I don't see how you and your room-mate cannot simply take it up together by yourselves. I would send Grommetik to help you, but unfortunately, he's rather busy right now. A personal errand for me." She turned to Fiyero. "Master Fiyero, I believe your services are no longer requiradated, these young ladies can handle it."

The two girls held out their hands as Fiyero deposited the heavy case to them. Two pairs of knees buckled against the heavy record player as they took the weight upon themselves.

"Now, off with you." she said, waving Fiyero away.

Galinda turned to Fiyero's direction and made a kissing motion with her lips, since she could not blow him a kiss, being that her hands were busy. Fiyero walked backwards a bit, then made a dramatic catch for some invisible butterfly before he pressed his hand against his face.

Galinda giggled at his show.

"Toodles, Fifi!"

Madam Morrible made a sneezing noise, though Elphaba was sure she was saying something beneath her breath.

"Now, dearies." she said, turning to the two students. "Off with you. But before you go, a word..."

"Yes, Madam." Elphaba and Galinda said together.

"I trust that this new addition," Madam Morrible said, pointing to the case. "Will not result in loud parties in the middle of the night. It would be a shame for Miss Upland's new toy to be confiscated because of noise violations, would it?"

They both shook their heads.

"Well, good afternoon."

Madam Morrible glided away.

Galinda made a gagging noise.

"You know, I think fishy-face doesn't like me." she said.

"You think?" Elphaba muttered beneath her breath.

(This is a little AU, since it happens before Galinda becomes Glinda, after the Lion-cub but before the train sequence. Don't worry, the structure of the original play story will remain, though slightly altered.)

(I've had to create names for some of the bands listed. I do not own The Rolling Stones, Iron Maiden, Mötley Crüe, Kanye West, Lady Gaga or Britney Spears. lol. Yes, those who those are supposed to be. The others are just made-up names I came up with for Ozian bands. Predictably, G[a]linda likes pop/dance [what else?] I thought Fiyero seemed more like a rocker than anything else. As for Elphaba, she's not really tied to any one genre in particular. She has varied tastes, because it didn't seem right, for me, to have her like pop music [the unpopular green girl conforming to the popular tastes in music?], and it would be a major alienation between other Elphie-fans if I made her like only rock or only metal, since I'm aware not everyone likes those genres [I'm not sure why, but I'm aware that some people don't]. So she's not bound to one genre in particular)

(The overall sound of Never Silent, I would say, is probably something like Nirvana meets Rise Against, but with a keyboard [and sounding more unique]. The band members are a Chimpanzee guitarist, a Lion vocalist/keyboardist [who doesn't sound like Roy Mcllrath or Kurt Cobain. He was originally an opera singer before he was banned from public opera houses because...you know why], a Boar bassist and a Mouse drummer.)

(Leave your comments/questions/ideas/concerns in the review section. More coming up soon. Sorry if it seems short, but I have to ease into the whole 'band' story. Don't worry, things will pick up soon)

(As you may have noticed, there are elements from the book in this story. That is to flesh it out and give it more depth)