Chapter 4

Fiyero continued to run until he reached the park near the edge of the city. He wasn't really sure if he was running to save the Lion so much as running to save himself, and that bothered him. As he caught his breath and opened the cage door, his mind wandered back to what had just happen. This was a bad thing, he quickly discovered, as it made his head begin to whirl again. "This is why I say it's easier not to think," he grumbled to himself.

The Lion Cub timidly reached his paws out of the cage, feeling the grass beneath his feet. "Go on, get out of here," Fiyero urged it on. "I don't want you getting both of us in trouble." A few minutes later, the Animal finally crawled out and into a nearby bush. "Good luck."

Fiyero jumped to his feet, picked up the cage, and began the walk back to Shiz. He decided that he should probably stop by to see if Galinda was feeling any better. But then he remembered that Elphaba was Galinda's roommate… and she was the last person he wanted to see at the moment. It was only then that he remembered that he was supposed ask the girl to take notes for Galinda. Not that it mattered. He got the impression that Elphaba always took notes, and even if she didn't there wasn't anything to take notes on today. As he neared the school he dropped the cage, realizing that it probably wasn't the smartest idea to waltz back into Shiz carrying it.

A few minutes later, Fiyero was greeted by a mass of golden curls. "Oh Fiyero! I heard what happened from Shen Shen and was worried because Madam Morrible found them and managed to fix the spell and she was apparently upset and I hope that Elphaba isn't going to get in trouble and that you will be okay too oh and did you really help Elphaba take the Lion and is the Lion okay?"

"Uh… what?" he asked stupidly.

"Are you okay?"

"Oh, yes, of course," he flashed Galinda a smile and the two began to walk together in silence.

After a few minutes she asked, "So what exactly happened?"

"Hmm? Oh… Elphaba got upset and accidentally cast some spell. So we ran out and decided that I would take the Lion Cub to safety. I was just on my way back."

"Oh." Galinda seemed crestfallen at the lack of details, but managed to keep smiling. "Do you want to do anything tonight? I'm feeling much better."

"I guess so." Galinda's questions were beginning to make his head hurt and he grimaced.

"Are you not feeling well, dearest? Perhaps you should lie down."

"My head does hurt."

"Oh, and you have a cut on your face."

"Yeah."

They neared a bridge that Fiyero recognized as the one nearby where he last saw Elphaba and all at once he began to feel anxious. As they passed over it, Galinda pulled him for a kiss, but for better or for worse it began to rain. Her eyes widened and she began walking again, towing him along. When they reached the other side, he couldn't help but look back. His eyes searched the ground beneath them, a piece of him silently praying that she would still be there. Hoping for some sort of proof that he didn't imagine what had just happened.

"You still want to lie down?"