~*~

And a voice

With the fear of a child

Answers

Ubukhosi bo khokho (Throne of the ancestors)

We ndodana ye sizwe sonke (Oh, son of the nation)

Wait

There's no mountain too great

Oh, oh, iyo

Hear the words and have faith

~*~

The girl was a problem. A liability. She had to go. If Fiyero succumbed to her charms it would all be over. His whole plans would be well, foiled. He needed a plan and he needed one fast. Scar moved to stand from his desk and chair where he had been sitting and began to pace crazily back and forth between the opposite ends of his tent. He had no idea how it had gotten so serious without him having any idea about how it had happened. He thought he had been watching so carefully, he thought he knew everything that had happened in young Fiyero's life and then along came this nasty surprise that his nephew had become rather more devious than Scar had ever imagined his soft brained nephew could be. He was a little bit too much like Marillot for his own good.. or for Scar's lack of benefit. He just brought his hands up to rub his temples with a kind of frustrated grimace that usually appeared on his face when he was getting a splitting headache. This tended to happen when he over-exerted his sensitive brain too much. That tended to happen to him more and more recently since he had come up with his little plan. He would let nothing stand in his way including this girl. His plan would not fail, could not fail and this girl was causing it to. It was time to act. As he had said before. The girl had to go. Now. He needed a new plan a new plan that would get rid of her once and for all.

~*~

"Left foot … right foot… stay low down, keep yourself small." Elphaba murmured with a slight grin as she followed through with each of the actions she had been instructed, repeating them to make sure she remembered. She crept along in the grass barely making a sound. Even Fiyero had to admit that he was impressed with her ability to 'stalk' as the Arjikis called it – this way to move through the grass so seamlessly that no sound was made. Normally you had to have been born here to be truly good at stalking and she really was good at it, surprisingly so actually. Of course she was a beginner and there was always room for improvement, but even with these last couple of weeks of practice she was doing better than he had ever expected her to… "You're doing so-…."

UMPH!

Elphaba let out a groan as she fell face first into the grass in front of her, all of the wind knocked out of her, rendering her completely unable to move. She lay there in the grass, stunned, silent. She heard Fiyero cough, and then again. It didn't take her more than a minute to realize he was trying to disguise his laughter in the coughs and, for some reason, this cheered her as she slowly lifted her face from the ground and looked up at him. "You were saying?" she inquired with a slightly sarcastic smirk written all over her face that even made his lips twitch.

"Maybe that's enough for today. I don't think your Grandfather would be too pleased if I brought you back to him in multiple pieces. Do you?" He inquired, holding out his dark hand to help her to her feet and she just shook her head and grasped his hand, leaping to her feet with a bit of help from him and attempting to catch her breath.

"No probably not. I'm getting pretty hungry as it is. Actually, my grandfather asked if I would join him for supper this evening, perhaps you should join us. Between my sleeping in the girls' tent and him spending all of his time in those diplomatic talks with your mother, well, I have barely seen him since we came here and it is a rather strange sensation. You see, I'm used to seeing him every day for a good deal of the day and now I haven't been. It's quite strange really, I miss him." She admitted, looking over at Fiyero. The tone of their conversation had suddenly turned rather grim indeed. He reached for her hand and slipped his fingers into it as if to comfort her.

"Well I'd be glad to come with you this evening. I haven't gotten a chance to really get to know your Grandfather yet because, as you say, he's been rather busy as of late. I wouldn't want to interrupt any diplomatic progress after all." His words were half serious, half teasing. His eyes were sparkling with good humor and hidden laughter and this brought her out of her more somber thoughts and returned her to her happiness of before.

He was grinning at her as he walked beside her and began to swing her hand broadly back and forth as he walked a bit faster almost halfway skipping, but not really for that might have been a bit childish for someone of his age. Elphaba grinned wider at him and made her feet go faster to keep up with him, it was easier now that she was wearing Arjiki clothes that weren't quite so confined.

Ever since the night of the story teller she had been beginning to dress a bit more in Arjiki fashions. She hadn't asked, but somehow clothes always showed up. She was quite certain that Nya had been put up to this by Fiyero, but she never got the courage to ask. She also noticed that, though they were Arjiki clothes, they respected her preference of being rather modest, long dresses with high waists that tied, though most were short, capped sleeves in order to keep her from becoming too hot. She appreciated this as her former clothes had been too warm indeed. She wore Arjiki sandals now without worry instead of her tight laced shoes which had been long since abandoned in the bottom of her trunk in the tent along with other clothes she had seemingly forgotten. There were also more formal dress for occasions, but she had had yet to wear any of those again since the special night of the story teller and dancing. Currently she was wearing a full skirt of deep red-brown coloring with navy blue diamonds, a navy and cream colored belt tied in the back that made a wide waistband and a white shirt with short, puffy sleeves. Her hair was pulled back high with a ribbon and she'd plaited it into a thick braid she then folded over the top of her head. Or well, it had been… it was not coming down with a lot of her hair coming unfurled from this thick braid and hanging down her back. Her face was flushed a light emerald color from exertion and the excitement of the afternoon as well as their 'stalking' lessons.

She grasped his hand tighter and leaped forward over the nodding, yellow heads of the strands of grass. Fiyero watched her in disbelief, his eyes instantly focusing on her to be sure that she didn't hurt herself. A jolt of adrenaline rushed through him as she leaped and he made sure she was safe on the ground before he allowed himself to grin. He just shook his head in amusement as she continued to leap like the giant jack rabbits of the Vinkus over the tops of the grass and each time his hand tightened just in case she should slip while she was jumping around. He didn't want to let her get hurt. She began to make her jumps higher and faster and farther and he began to jog slightly with long strides to keep up with her, never letting his hand break from hers. Both of their smiles were growing and their faces were becoming flushed when she tripped.

Fiyero's arms shot out before she could hit the ground and grabbed her, stopping her from falling more than halfway. Slowly he lowered her to the ground like a fellow whisking a lady around in a dance. He had a big smile all over his face- like a cat who caught the canary in a way. She was smiling too and she looked up at him as he held onto her from his place where he knelt with his knees on the ground. Both of them were laughing for a moment, but when their eyes met both of them were suddenly infused with a new kind of seriousness. His heart was pounding as it never had before, even the night they were dancing. He still wondered if she yet knew the meaning of that dance, but he was too shy to ask her and so he resisted.

Gently his fingers came out and touched against her cheek for the briefest of moments. She shivered slightly as her eyes widened and focused on his. He felt that he wouldn't need to breathe for the next hundred years. Her face was soft, her skin perfect, her cheek a bit harsher contoured than most women's cheeks, though he found this beautiful in her. He found everything about her beautiful actually, not that he was sure he was ready to admit anything like that… but it was the truth. Slowly he leaned towards her for a moment and his forehead brushed very lightly against hers. She pulled back for a moment with an almost confused expression on her face. He looked down at her for a brief moment and swallowed. "Okay?" He whispered, it came out as a question though he wasn't sure if it was only a question or if it was also some kind of a statement of his own feelings at the moment.

He leaned closer to her for a moment and she felt her eyes close as he came close enough to feel her breath against his face. Slowly her fingers lifted up to affix around the sides of his face, causing both of their skin to tingle strangely.

At this exact moment there were a sound of the grass popping and then a throat being cleared and both of them shot apart from each other, their faces turning deep green and deep red respectively. Both of them fell back into the grasses apart from each other and looked up to see the towering form of Scar. Elphaba's throat contracted and she felt her skin break out into an odd kind of sweat and her fingers clenched together harder. Fiyero's reaction was similar to her own as he felt each of his muscles go tense. He had never been particularly comfortable with his Uncle who, since his father had died, had hung very closely about he and his mother and it made him feel strangely uncomfortable. He didn't know what Scar wanted but it put him on edge. His gut instinct told him that all was not as simple as it looked with Scar. He wanted something more than to be a part of their family. He had been an outcast not really interested in anything and then he arrived back from his travels to the Outer Vinkus right before Fiyero's father's death. He didn't know what the man was about, but it was nothing good and that was for certain.

"We were just.. um.." He began, not really knowing what to say as he looked awkwardly down at his hands. "We were just practicing stalking and Elphaba fell and I had to catch her." He said with a small sigh.

"I see, well your mother and I would like to see you if it's quite convenient for you." There was a tone in his voice that was absolutely dripping with a kind of disdain mixed with sarcasm that made Fiyero squirm literally.

"Of course, I'm not busy now. I'll come with you." He looked over at Elphaba with a small, sad kind of smile. "Be back soon." He mouthed quietly, reaching for her hand and giving it a small squeeze before he moved to follow his Uncle. If he had been particularly observant at the moment he would have noticed that Scar's eyes followed his hand and his lips curled in a kind of annoyance that really had no explanation, at least not one that Fiyero knew…

He followed along behind Scar until they reached the diplomatic tent meeting room where they found his mother sitting at the table, uncharacteristically quieter than usual and with a kind of thoughtful, brooding look that she often had when she was trying to work out particularly frustrating or puzzling problems with their tribe. "Hello, Mother." He said softly. She looked up in surprise and put on a smile for him, though he could see through it to her worry, no longer a little boy that could be deterred by a mere smile and a few nice words. He looked over at her with a worried expression of his own. "Is something the matter, Mother?"

"No no no quite the opposite dear boy!" Came the jovial response from Scar who was standing there rubbing his hands together happily. "Certainly not everything is perfect, marvelous. How could you think otherwise when your mother and have decided… Well perhaps you ought to tell him." Scar said, pulling back slightly and looking over at Baxiana a bit regretfully as though he longed to be the one to deliver this extra special news. Fiyero, for his part, was trying to figure out how and where it was his Uncle's right to make any decisions regarding his life. It wasn't like Scar was his father or anything so what right did he have to say 'your mother and I have decided' should it not have just been his own mother making these kinds of decisions? Was it really to a point that his Uncle needed to interfere into their family when it came to decisions about Fiyero's own life? Needless to say he knew better than to complain and swallowed the slightly annoyed thoughts racing through his mind. It would do little good for him to say anything because it wasn't as though anything was going to change.

"We've decided that it is time for you to undertake the passage to the rite of manhood into our tribe and to become a true man in every sense of the word. It's time for your Blue Diamonds ceremony, Yero." She said, coming back with that rather sappy looking expression all over her face that made him worry she was going to cry. He didn't like to see anyone cry, least of all not his mother. He swallowed another awkward moment and then moved to press a kiss on her cheek as he murmured, "Thank you mother." As he knew he must. Fiyero felt divided in half as every young boy probably does when told it is his turn for blue diamonds. Perhaps even more given that as the future ruler of their tribe he had to take more diamonds than any other young man in the entire tribe and that made him even more nervous. The thought of even one or two of those diamonds that he had sat and watched being carved with bamboo into other young men's' chests would now be happening to him and though it did bring on a kind of fever of excitement it didn't completely make up for the nervousness and inhibitions already flooding him. Who wouldn't be nervous about such an event as getting your Blue Diamonds? Moreover, Fiyero felt a keen sense of aloneness as he remembered that other fathers usually spent the week or so before the ceremony doing things with their sons and that Fiyero would have no one to do this with, though the worry was quickly wiped from his mind only to be replaced with something seemingly even more cruel.

"We have decided it would be in the best interest for the tribe." Scar continued in his usual monotone, "If you were to receive your Diamonds at the next cycle of the lights at the end of this summer before returning to Kiamo Ko to spend the winter. There is no necessity for you to wait a whole half a year more when it seems you have already earned the wonderful privilege." He said with a big smile. "This falls, it appears, at first black tomorrow evening. Isn't that exciting?" He inquired with a slight smirk, as if he knew that he had been rather cruel to give the boy no more time to prepare than twenty four or so hours, hours in which he could have exhausted himself to dull some of the pain that would come from the grueling process of having the diamonds tattooed into his skin in front of their entire tribe and with nothing to dull the pain, not allowed to yell or cry out under any circumstance whatsoever. He could have tired himself out to make the pain less as his body would have ceased true thought by that point. Apparently Scar had other ideas and it was just another on the list of reasons for Fiyero to dislike his Uncle.

Of course, there was nothing he could just say and so he nodded.

"I'm sure you know all of the ceremonial details. You have seen the ceremony itself done a few hundred times and so I doubt there's much that I will need to inform you about, though I do suggest that you be prepared and ready to go tomorrow for the most auspicious of timing. Your mother has been making some things for you to wear on that your night of Blue Diamonds. I will see that they find their way to your tent when they are finished being made." Scar said with an unkind smile. Fiyero continued to nod feeling in a daze as he somehow mechanically answered the questions asked of him and pretended to interact and be a part of the conversation even though he was really looking forward to simply going back to his hammock and escaping all of this for awhile. They were ruining everything. He knew he had to have his ceremony, but currently it mattered very little about whether it could possibly be a good thing or not as it might have done for you if you had just learned that you were about to go through what Fiyero was.

He was relieved when he was allowed to escape to the privacy of his own tent and just mull things over. He felt relieved that he had a tent to his own for the present. He wondered vaguely if it had been truly his mother's idea for the ceremony but had soon drifted off into a restless, fitful kind of sleep that didn't truly bring any rest.

Meanwhile, Elphaba was sitting across a small vine box in Peerless' tent which he was sharing with the diplomats. They had kindly gone out somewhere and let him have the tent to himself given that he was going to have dinner with his granddaughter. "Fiyero's supposed to be joining us." Elphaba said as she placed two whittled bowls full of some kind of stew or soup on the table in front of each of them. Her brow was furrowed with worry for her friend. He should have been here by now and Fiyero wasn't the sort to go back on his words.

Peerless sighed a bit, "Elphie, I don't think Fiyero will come." He said as he took a small bite of his soup and winced, his eyes watering. It was warm and he'd taken too big of a bite. He mentally scolded himself but used the extra seconds to figure out what to say to Elphie, who looked indignant at his suggestion that Fiyero might not show up for their prearranged evening meal. He held up his hands to stem her protest. "I don't mean he would just not bother to come, but from what I've been hearing from his mother and the rest of the diplomats and elders from the tribal council they have decided it's time for your friend to have his Blue Diamond Ceremony. Actually it's very interesting from a sociological standpoint and I think it's quite a good thing that you and I will still be here to see it."

"Blue Diamonds? You mean like the ones that Kayin has?" She inquired.

"Well, yes.. Kayin and every other adult member of the tribe. You see, they consider the blue diamonds as a sign of manhood If a boy is old enough to have the diamonds then he is considered a man. He must receive them like a man without crying or acting like a young boy for it is a test of his strength, his bravery, and his endurance. After the diamonds have healed. After the diamonds a boy is considered a man in the eyes of the tribe, old enough to have his own tent if he wishes and to take a girl and ask her to be his wife." He explained. "Thusly the age is different for every boy. Generally the parents or parent, In Fiyero's case, decides when the time is right for their song to receive his diamonds. You see?"

Elphaba considered this for a few moments. She wasn't sure that she did truly understand it. "It's interesting that in one night they can consider someone a man just because someone put some Blue Diamonds on his chest. I don't really understand how they can call that entering man hood. It's only a single night, nothing actually changes."

"Well you're right in a way I suppose. It's not that the diamonds change him themselves. They are a symbol of the changes being wrought in him over the past few months or years. They are just a symbol of the manhood being formed you see? They don't really do anything in and of themselves other than mark a boy as a man old enough to make his own way in life. The process of receiving the diamonds is usually scary but it is also a big honor and so boys are both nervous and excited. Also, they didn't give Fiyero a lot of warning from what I have been hearing. Apparently it's fairly customary to give a boy at least a week of notice and Fiyero's ceremony, again this is only what I have overheard, is going to be much sooner than a week, though the exact date I do not think was set. If I am correct, which I would suppose I am, well, Fiyero's mother is probably telling him about his diamonds or just did not long ago."

Elphaba nodded, approving of this, "I think so. Scar came and found us earlier when we…" She felt her face go a bit red and swallowed. "Well, what I mean to say is.. Scar found us earlier and wanted Yero to go with him and so he did. Do you suppose he's worried about the diamonds then?" She asked, biting on her lower lip thoughtfully in that way she had when she was lost in her own train of thoughts.

"Probably so. Would you be? If it was you?"

Elphaba nodded again. "Yes." She said.

They finished their dinner in almost absolute silence, though it wasn't the stony kind of silence that comes of any kind of argument but more each being left to his or her own thoughts without any discourse. The only interruption that came was when a very large man who was approximately seven feet tall and probably two hundred or more pounds came to the edge of their tent flap. Elphaba supposed she should have been used to the towering Arjiki warriors by now, but she wasn't given that Munchkinlanders were so small to begin with it only made them look that much taller in comparison when Elphaba thought about her own people who, unless they had blue blood from the aristocracy of Central Oz like she did, were very short indeed. The tall man smiled and gave them a rather formal bow before he handed Peerless an envelope.

"The Arjiki Prince Fiyero requests the presence of your Eminence Peerless Thropp and Miss Elphaba Thropp the Third Descending at his Blue Diamonds ceremony tomorrow evening at first black. A warrior will come to escort you both to the designated area the ceremony will take place. There is to be a feast in a few days time when the Prince is healed from the ceremony to celebrate his entrance into manhood in our tribe." The warrior said, bowing once and then running away to the next tent that he was meant to deliver an invitation too. Elphaba expected that everyone in the tribe would likely be invited to such a large event, though she wasn't at all sure since she'd never been do a 'diamond ceremony' of course, it didn't really help that the man had said they would need to wait to have the celebration until after Fiyero had healed. Elphaba wondered just how much he was going to be hurt during this ceremony and continued to worry about it through the rest of the evening. She found herself jittery and unable to settle to do anything. Even the other girls in her tent noticed and (rudely) commented on her inability to stay in one spot. She just ignored their teasing, too worried about what was going to happen to her friend the next night to pay them any mind.

Elphaba became more worried still when all the next day there was no sight of Fiyero. They had not missed a day of stalking the Grasslands and running through the woods not so very far away from their camp a single day since Elphaba's arrival and the fact that, despite checking all of his favorite places, she could not find him, had begun to worry her even more. What if he had gotten sick? Would they still make him go through with this ridiculous ceremony anyway?

By that evening she had concluded she wouldn't be able to see him before the ceremony began and settled into her tent to pace and worry. The other girls were gone by now and she didn't know where to or really care. She was actually relieved that they weren't here for her to worry about them. She dressed with slightly shaky hands, her whole mind committed to what Fiyero might be thinking or doing right now. She was unsure of the dress for one of these ceremonies and chose something that felt pretty but not overly done. Then again, she didn't think she was any expert on Arjiki fashion and Nya was nowhere to be found of course. That was predictable. Whenever you needed someone they were never actually where you could find them- just when you didn't need them.

Elphaba was distracted from her thoughts by the arrival of a warrior at her tent. He had her grandfather with him and a few other people as well whom he had stopped to bring with him to the ceremony. She rushed to join the small crowd and reached in the darkness for her grandfather's hand. He seemed to sense her urgency though not exactly what had caused it because he squeezed her hand back. It was only then that she looked up at the sky and gasped quietly. It was quite late in the evening given that summer days in the Vinkus were extraordinarily long, so anything taking place at first black would be well after nine p.m. before it was dark enough to be considered 'black'. The sky was a huge dome above her almost like standing in a vast building with a domed top, but still much too wide to ever be considered a building, though that was the general appearance of the sky, likely through optical illusion. A few stars were twinkling in the sky like it was a large piece of black velvet and where the tiny rips were pinpricks of light from whatever was behind it could show through. The grasses and everything below the horizon line had gone black and long shadows crept along the earth. However, none of this was what really attracted her attention, that would have been the strange, red glow that was high in the sky above them. She couldn't explain it for it wasn't a glow like the sunset- it was a much purer scarlet-vermillion color in red and yet at the same time it was more muted and pastel than a sunset, but it was so powerful that it seemed stronger than one at the very same moment. It was also very high in the sky, much higher than the light is when the sun is nearly that color and about to go over the horizon. This light was almost directly overhead and it was obvious it did not come from any sun or star or source of light that Elphaba could see. It seemed to absolutely shiver in the light breeze that was present. It also seemed to trail off at the edges into nothingness, almost like clouds do. "Western lights." Elphaba breathed in disbelief. "I've read about them but I didn't think I would ever see them."

Peerless grinned and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her lovingly to his side. "Ah you make me remember my first trip here with my own parents." He said with a small smile, his eyes far away in memories. "I was very excited the first time I saw the lights as well. They are a very special sight and few ever get the opportunity to see them or appreciate them for what they are." He pointed out.

She nodded, "Well, I certainly appreciate them."

"Which is why you are my granddaughter." He pointed out.

She nodded. "I suppose it's a good thing it worked out that - .." She stopped short as she nearly tripped flat on her face when she found a hole in the grass. Peerless' hand tightened in hers reflexively to keep her from tripping and Elphaba vowed hereafter to keep her eyes where she was walking instead of up at the lights. She also couldn't help noticing the large moon in the eastern sky behind them. It seemed larger than it did in Munchkinland, though she doubted that it actually was any larger.

The path they were currently walking down had been made by laying some kind of broadleaf plants all over it and the grass tamped down before so that they would lay flat. About every two or three feet pushed into the ground on either side of the makeshift pathway there was a glowing torch lit with a yellow-orange flame that cast some light on the pathway, though the dark was so pressing that it seemed to do very little good. Perhaps this was why they had escorts who picked their way through the darkness as easily as if it was the full light of day. It didn't take them long to arrive at their destination.

The first thing Elphaba saw was a pyre which was burning stacked at least twelve feet high. The logs were put together end to end, standing up on their ends like a sheaf so that they leaned on each other and the ground and would eventually collapse, though they were so large that she doubted that would be any time soon. The flames from these logs were very large and high and bright. The fire glowed from inside the logs, all through them, not just at the top. She didn't know how this fire had been made but she was intrigued by it, almost forgetting to continue walking until she felt her hand pulled lightly. She jumped slightly and focused back away from the fire to the rest of what was before her. There were a few benches arranged longwise in a semicircle around the front side of the fire and a lot of empty space between them. She saw what this was for already as a lot of Arjiki children were sitting on the ground in the empty space, chattering and laughing and smiling. There was an air of excitement tonight that couldn't be suppressed and even she felt it. "The ceremony is the same for every boy." Peerless explained to her quietly. "This isn't because Fiyero is a prince, for every young man who has his blue diamonds would incur this kind of to do with the entire evening devoted to him and the whole tribe in attendance, but I do have to admit that the excitement tonight seems to be greater than ever."

Elphaba nodded, "He is their future leader, I suppose it makes sense doesn't it?" Her eyes went back to their thoughtful exploration of what was around her as the warrior sat them on the first tier of the benches in a place of honor. Well, she guessed it was because Peerless was seated next to Baxiana and there were other members of the tribal council who were higher ups sitting on this bench as well. The people here were only arranged in a semi circle around the front of the fire and it became obvious that no one was meant to sit behind as the view would be much poorer from there with the fire in the way. There was also a circle of fairly large stones around the outside edge of this circle with guards standing astride the stones. Elphaba got the message immediately 'no one crosses this threshold.' She shivered again at the sheer size of the guards and moved to take her seat, having no wish to tempt fate or the guards' good humor, though everyone seemed to very happy tonight and the air was permeated through with an aura of happiness. She wished she understood more about what was to take place tonight, though she supposed she would figure it all out in good time when she was meant to know and concentrated her efforts on watching the guards' actions as they deterred young children away from the line of the rocks, keeping them from crossing and sending them back to their mothers. She smiled slightly at this sight.

The only person nearer to the circle, though not in it, besides the guards was an old man that Elphaba vaguely recognized as sharing Peerless' tent. "Who is he?" she whispered to her grandfather.

"His name is Rafilwe." Peerless whispered back. "He is one the leader of the tribal council. The only one that has a seat higher than he is the current leader of the Arjikis. It is a position he has held for three generations. He was best friend and caretaker to Fiyero's father all of the time he was growing up and is Fiyero's Godfather." Peerless returned at a quiet whisper. "The man is a warrior and as you can see has fought in numerous battles. He has done a great service to the people of the tribe and they honor him like no other. Everyone has respect for him. Generally all of the young children, whether they are related to him or not, call him Grandfather." He returned at a quiet whisper.

The man was certainly old, older than anyone Elphie had ever met she guessed. He was very dark skinned, but it didn't keep her from seeing the scars that crisscrossed his back and arms and chest and stomach. She guessed his legs too, but there was no way to know because of his long, high waisted tribal pants which kept her from seeing his legs. They were made of what looked like suede or skin and laced together up each leg. The cuffs were wide like Fiyero's had been that night but not covered with much ornamentation at all and did not make any sound as he moved. The man was a bit stooped and he was bald too. Even from this distance she could see the bright blue of his diamonds standing out against his skin. It was still a mystery to her how they could find inks that stood out with the startling clarity of the diamonds. The man was leaning slightly upon a large staff made of what looked like a long swatch of knotted locust wood. It had been carved and sanded and made and had obviously taken quite a bit of work. It was the largest, thickest walking stick Elphaba had ever seen, and though the man was using it to move around the circle- inspecting it- she had the distinct feeling he could have thrown the piece of wood aside and walked just fine without it. He leaned down at regular intervals to adjust the position of one of the stones and the guards actually moved aside for him to do this so they obviously had no problem with it. He was apparently meant to be doing this. Elphaba noticed, when he turned, that he wore a strange looking leather pouch on a thong around his neck. The pouch was cinched closed at one end to keep whatever was in it from falling out. He leaned down in the light of the flames and began to spread things out in the grass at the edge of the stones. He spread a deer skin inside the circle and smoothed out the wrinkles in it with his hands. "I expect that will be the first buck that Fiyero ever hunted. The mothers save them for these ceremonies." He said in a hushed voice into Elphaba's ear.

She nodded, but didn't turn to look at him, still preoccupied with Rafilwe, who was now spread out long things that looked like sticks of some sort with a rather sharp point on the end. There were sticks of varying sizes and, at a closer look, she could tell that it was bamboo. These sticks ranged from ones so fine as a bone handled needle to large ones as large as their arms were wide when stretched out. He laid these in a row next to each other and placed out some earthenware pots next to them with tiny lids as well as pieces of soft cloth.

Fiyero was not nearly as calm as the people waiting outside for his ceremony to begin. He didn't know how he had managed to keep from coming completely unglued with nervousness and was relieved that he was alone now and thus was able to pace and frown and, in general, worry about what was going to happen to him at the hands of Rafilwe. He knew the man had done the diamond ceremony for longer even than his father had been alive, but, somehow, this didn't help much. When it was you nothing like that ever helped much. He just was relieved at the sheer aloneness of his current situation finally allowing him to the chance to ask the spirits for help, to fall apart if he wanted- well, maybe not… someone could come to fetch him at any moment and if they saw him crying he supposed it would reflect poorly on his tribe and prove him an unworthy leader if that were to happen. Instead, he focused on getting dressed. At least that was a task he could set his mind to. He was to wear the most formal dress of the tribe and began to unfold the clothes from the skins. He had bathed earlier, for cleanliness was important not just for the hygiene of the ceremony but also as a ritual. After the bath he had been prayed over by the leaders of the tribal council and had spices and such sprinkled over him while he knelt on a skin in the woods as bare as the day he had been born for this process. He supposed it was normal but it had felt somewhat embarrassing at the same time. The elders didn't seem to have any problem with it, however, and so he had neglected to comment. Who was he to challenge the ways the tribe had kept for generations? He finished dressing and looked at himself in the one mirror, sent from his mother's tent. He was ready.

It was not long after that Kayin appeared in the tent flap. "What're you doing here?" Fiyero asked in surprise, not grinning as he normally might have done to see his best friend, though he did embrace him.

"Thought I'd come see how you were doing." Kayin murmured.

"Lousy." Fiyero muttered, "I can't tell anyone except you but I don't want to go out there. I just want to stay in here and not get the diamonds. I don't want to do it. Can't I just back out? And don't you dare tell me that I don't meant it because I do mean it! I do! I'm not going to do it. No way in hell. I'm not going out there. You can't make me!" He exclaimed, standing up and beginning to pace the length and breadth of the tent in an agitated step as if he could run away.

"Hey I never said you didn't meant it. You know, I think every boy goes through this. I know I did. I didn't want my diamonds either. At one point I actually told the elder who came to fetch me to just turn around because when I got my diamonds I was likely going to cry and he said that it wasn't at all uncommon to want to back out at the last moment, but think how you'd feel if everyone knew you decided not to get them. It'd be a downer to be the only guy in the tribe without even a few diamonds. Besides.. after the first couple or so you don't even feel it anymore."

"Really?"

Kayin shook his head, "Nope actually you don't see or feel much of anything. It's kinda like being in a trance. I thought it was just me but when I asked the other older guys they said it was the same for them too. After a bit they just stopped feeling it. And then after it's all done you 're allowed to have bitters and other herbs to help the pain and to help you sleep. The tattoos are only small so for most of us the majority of them are all done healing in five or six days or less, but it's only the first couple or three days that you actually feel bad. Plus they hardly ever scab. Rafilwe's a real pro, he knows exactly what he's doing and most of the guys never got scabs or scars or anything from their diamonds either. So don't worry you'll be fine and the stuff about backing out that you're thinking and feeling doesn't make you less of a man when all men feel it. It just means you're normal."

"I'm not a man, Kayin." He muttered with a sigh. "I don't even know what being a man is- not really." He said, plunking down on the bench in the middle of the tent.

"You will. Everyone develops their manhood with time and I don't know too many men who didn't wonder if they understood what being a man was all about a few times before they got there. You'll be just fine. I thought I should come and check on you before the elders came to get you."

He smiled a bit, "Thanks. Really. I appreciate it. You since well.. my Dad isn't here to…"

"Yeah. I get it." He said, looking over at his friend. "I think people forget sometimes that because your Dad isn't here anymore maybe you don't get told all this stuff. They assume you already knew."

"Well I'm glad you didn't assume or I'd be a lot more of a mess right now!"

Kayin grinned. "Exactly. You'll do great out there."

"No small consolation that I have to get more diamonds than anyone else." Fiyero muttered.

"Hey it'll be cool.. remember I had to get the second most."

Fiyero nodded and reached over unabashedly giving him a tight hug. "That means a lot more to me now than it did when you got them all those years ago."

Kayin smirked, "You didn't even feel sorry for me back then. You were like ten and you thought diamonds were cool." He snorted. "All I can remember is your Dad telling me he was sorry you thought it was so very cool and one day you'd appreciate it a lot more."

"He was right." Fiyero said quietly. "He always was- right I mean." He was quiet for a moment, thinking. Fiyero's parents had chosen Kayin out of all of the boys from the young ones in the tribe to receive those marks. Kayin's parents had died not long after that choice as well, but it marked Kayin as the mentor who would show Fiyero the way into his manhood as a friend while he was a teenager and the person who would one day be his closest advisor when he took over the tribe as his own. Who would be second in command and who would assume the throne should Fiyero not have an heir to take over his place. It was the most prized position of honor to a new Arjiki prince or king. He supposed Kayin had had a lot of patience to put up with him when he'd been four years older and could have been off playing with his own friends but had, instead, stuck by Fiyero always bringing him along to join in whatever they were doing, insisting that he be treated like any other young boy in the tribe. He had more than fairly done his share of bringing Fiyero to this point and Fiyero was grateful. "I appreciate everything you've done as my friend and I hope that I didn't cause you too much trouble getting me here and that I won't in the future."

"Stuff that nonsense, Yero. I enjoyed it. You truly are my closest friend and you would be whether or not our parents had made some kind of arrangement when we were little kids or not." He said with a serious look. "Now come on. They'll be here any minute to get you. I better be getting back and finding myself a seat with the others. The entire tribe is there, hundreds, even the migrants who go off alone most of the summer have arrived for this."

"Kayin. Wait!" He exclaimed.

The older boy turned back for a minute. "What?"

"Is…" He shook his head and felt his face burn. "Never mind." He muttered.

"Naw, what?"

"Well, It's not really that important I was just going to ask you if someone was there but it really doesn't matter so."

"Elphaba? And His Eminence?"

Fiyero just nodded helplessly in admission. "Yes." He muttered, feeling his face get even hotter.

"They're there. Peerless is sitting next to your mother and Elphaba is with him."

Fiyero grimaced slightly and nodded, "Well then, I really will have to make sure that I don't let anyone know that it hurts."

Kayin smirked. "Right. See you soon."

He nodded, taking a few deep breaths as he watched his friend go. Now he had only to wait for the guards to arrive and take him. He hoped they would come soon and he was relieved to find that it was not even five minutes after Kayin left that they arrived with the cape he was to wear which they fastened to his shoulders- that which every man in the tribe for many generations had worn to this ceremony. It was filled with the knowledge and blessings of the elders and years of other men who had gone through this same ceremony which brought him comfort. He barely recognized himself once he was completely ready. He wore tribal pants made of tight skin which swished out slightly at the bottom. There were no bells on them like at the party but there were a lot of ornamentation that would shine and sparkle in the fire. The entire garment had been covered with things to bring luck, sewn into the garment by his mother. There were eagle claws, and tiny river-stones. So much work and love had been put into these that he felt special wearing them. They were the traditional sort, cut very low. So low they revealed his hip bones to allow the diamonds to be placed down his sides as low as possible. Luckily they were fitted or he would have worried about losing them. At this point, however, he was not at all worried. His feet were bare and he wore no shirt save the long, crimson colored cape made of feathers of a phenix. It tied about his neck and swept down to his feet. Eventually it would need to be removed to do his arms and back, but his chest would receive the diamonds first.

For most men, depending upon their rank, they would only have their chest, shoulders, and hips done so the cape was not in the way. For him he must endure the marks on his chest, down his arms and hands, on his back, on his hips and sides, his feet, and neck. Kayin's marks were almost identical to him save those on the hands and feet and lower back.

The last piece of clothing was a large headdress which also trailed to the ground made of white and black feathers and small stones. The headdress was certain ornate and it weighed a good ten pounds or so, but at this moment it didn't feel quite so heavy as it would probably feel by the end of the night. His face had been painted with blue and gold paint as it had been that night. Faces were generally not tattooed as they were sensitive and so generally the cheeks were painted with a line of bright blue and gold following the line of the cheekbone and the forehead as well which had been done for Fiyero tonight by his mother who had been crying most of the time, though he supposed it was understandable what with him being her only child and such that it was his Blue Diamond ceremony that she would cry while helping him prepare.

He walked between the two guards and a hush fell over the crowd as they entered the circle, or, he did. He was the first person to enter it and the only one that could save Rafilwe for the circle was meant to protect him and the magic should not rub off on others except he and his diamond worker. He was relieved to see the familiar face of the man looked as calm an reassuring as ever as he entered the circle and Rafilwe followed him. He was dressed in his skin pants as well and his chest gleamed with oil which had been applied that day as the blessings were said for good fortune for his work that night and for Fiyero to receive the marks of manhood. He did noticed that Rafilwe's eyes were suspiciously moist.

"I never thought I would live to see this day. Your father would have been very proud of the man you have become." He murmured quietly to Fiyero as he embraced him and Fiyero squeezed back tightly, his own eyes becoming strangely moist with the words that had been whispered to him. It was good to know from someone who had been to his father what Kayin was to Fiyero that his father would have been proud. If his Godfather believed that he had done well then he must have, though the being a man thing still felt quite new and confusifying he supposed he must be doing alright. The crowd became hushed when they saw Fiyero arrive and enter the circle.

Elphaba was watching everything that happened with a solemn expression, trying to see everything at once and not miss a moment of this experience. Fiyero looked, to her, a stranger. He was a true Arjiki prince at this moment. He was formidable, tall, strong.. he was not the same boy, it seemed, who had been laying in the grass with her not so very long ago. Just the previous day he had been one person and now it was as if he was a complete other. Someone she did not know. Fiyero moved to sit in the center of the skin cross legged and closed his eyes. He only saw through the slits of them as Rafilwe moved to the fire and removed a handful of powdery substance from the bag around his neck and tossed it into the fire at the bottom of the wood. Immediately the flames shot upwards in shades of green and blue, dancing together. Blue diamonds on a green field. He noticed that he liked the colors together, though he couldn't exactly figure out what it made him think of.

Elphaba's mind was whirling as fast as his was while she watched the flames leap up. Rafilwe moved from the now green and blue flames to kneel on the ground in front of Fiyero. From out of nowhere drums began to beat, pounding a slow but still steady thrum of percussion in the background. The man began to speak quietly, but still everyone was so silent they could hear all of the words he spoke. "Ubukhosi bo khokho. We ndodana ye sizwe sonke." He breathed.

Elphaba's eyes crinkled in concentration as she tried to place all of the words. "Throne of the ancestors.. son of the nation." She breathed silently.

After he had said these words, Rafilwe lifted the lid off of one of the jars and when he brought out his thumb from the pot it was bright red. He lifted it and showed it to the rest of the tribe who yelled what sounded to Elphaba like approval. He leaned forward and made a mark on Fiyero's forehead with the red stuff and then gathered the dust from the cleared circle for the fire mixed in with cool ash it looked and he blew it lightly across Fiyero's forehead. Keeping his ancient hands on Fiyero's shoulders he began to speak the ancient words of the ceremony as the drums died to a very quiet tone, though they continued to beat rather restlessly. After he had finished he took one of the broader pointed sticks and dipped it into the second, larger pot and it came out with the white tip covered in brilliant blue which he displayed to everyone and they cheered even louder. Fiyero winced, feeling every muscle tighten as he closed his eyes tight as the bamboo moved.. four quick strokes. He was concentrating on biting the inside of his cheek to keep from crying out, his hands clenched on the dirt so hard his fingers had nearly turned white.

It felt too real to Elphaba all of a sudden, as if she had suddenly grasped the concept of the blue diamonds and what they actually meant. She watched in horror as the man pushed the stick into Fiyero's chest and drew the outline of one small diamond right in the place above where his heart was. She felt her eyes burn with tears as rivulets of dark blood ran down his chest, but the man merely wiped them away as if they were bothersome sweat and continued to tap the shoot to disperse the ink into the outline. She wanted to scream but her throat was too dry and she swallowed. The best she could do was to whisper out a ragged, "Yero!" before her eyes overflowed an she buried her face in Peerless' shoulder. He looked down at her in concern and gently wrapped his arm around her and gave her a soft squeeze.

Fiyero's eyes opened for a brief moment when he heard the sound of her voice and he looked for her in the crowd of people, not taking long to locate her, but she wasn't looking anymore. She had buried her face in her Grandfather's shoulder and he felt a strong urge to run out of the circle and go take her in his arms and tell her everything was fine, that this wasn't nearly as bad as she thought. She looked like she was getting the diamonds instead of him. His heart thudded painfully as he resisted the urge to put his thoughts into action. He would find her after this. No matter how much he was hurting he'd find her and let her know that he was alright. He refused to let Elphaba think he wasn't okay. He just needed to think about Elphaba and then he didn't have to think about this. He closed his eyes and swallowed. He pictured her face the way she was that day she fell asleep in the grass. He pictured her hand clasped in his, her long, delicate fingers, the curve of her graceful neck, her jaw and the edge of her ear peeking out from under her long hair. It was numbing now and he was beginning to feel alright. His whole arm and chest and side were completely numb now… much better indeed……

~*~

Elphaba felt upset and emotionally raw by the end of the ceremony. She had been going to see Fiyero, but he was surrounded in a crowd of well wishers and she highly doubted that she needed to add to that list. Likely he just wanted to go and lay down if there was a spot on his body he could lay on without pain, that was. She just felt cold and like her muscles didn't want to move. It was not a feeling she had ever experienced before and it was not a good feeling, not in the least. It was a feeling like… well.. the feeling that came from wishing that you had been hurt instead of someone else. If Elphaba had been older and wiser she might have known that it was the feeling that comes of seeing someone you love hurt, but she did not realize this.

When she arrived at the outside of her tent she heard voices that, while she normally would have left and tried to avoid the gossip and hurtful speech, she didn't even bother tonight. "So Rude!.. interrupting the sanctity of a sacred ritual!" Ebele exclaimed in a low tone of disbelief. "And the way she said his name, not even his full first name mind you but 'Yero' sounds so common and.. .and vulgar! I can't imagine that he didn't get right up and smack her in the face. I would have done but it's not as though I could reach her from across three benches! Oh my goodness! It's just.. that's horrifying that anyone could act like that and that the prince would put up with it! Goodness. Well he certainly isn't going to have that kind of disrespect from the commoners when I'm married to him. We'll be respected as a monarch is meant to be respected and live in Kiamo Ko all of the time instead of this ridiculous moving around all over the Vinkus like the rest of the tribe. Ughh I'm so thankful there's probably one more summer of this.. if that much left and then I expect The Prince was only waiting until he'd had his diamonds to propose to me. That Thropp girl really must think she's something to act like that around MY future husband! HA! Really, to believe she has a chance with the Prince of the Arjiki tribe. I'm amazed he hasn't sent her packing back to wherever she's from. I hear she was raised with Quadlings. How unsanitary! Ew.. the very thought. Such an insolent, rude, poor misguided girl. Really.. I pity her." She tried to make her voice low and syrupy but the best she could manage was oily. Trying to make herself sound honestly sorry for the girl she was maligning.

Elphaba roughly shoved aside the tent flap at this point and entered the tent with a look on her face that roughly resembled a March cyclone. Her brows were pulled down and her eyebrows were furrowed, her expression less than impressed as she fixed her glare on Ebele and just stared without blinking. She was furious and you could tell. Her lips were bit into a thin greenish-grey line.

"Can I help you?" Ebele asked smugly, putting her hands on her hips.

"You can't even help yourself." Elphaba muttered sarcastically as she turned to unmake her hammock.

"Can't help myself?" She muttered, confused. She didn't get the new girl's sense of wit and it was likely none of her followers did as well.

"Yes.." Elphaba muttered, beginning to change into her pajamas and just trying not to look at them. The sooner she got into her pajamas and leaped into bed and got to sleep the sooner she wouldn't need to deal with Elphaba and her ridiculousness. Elphaba was getting tired of being berated by this crew of immature little girls all of the time that was for certain. She just bit her tongue and said nothing.

"We were wondering if we could ask you a question Elphie deearrr." Ebele murmured as sweetly as possible.

"What?" Elphaba asked guardedly.

"Well your family is a little… different. Unorthodox.. if you follow my meaning." The girl said with a little grin.

"I.. suppose." She responded, being even more guarded at this point, completely unsure where this bash fest was going to go.

"I mean.. your grandfather or is he your great grandfather.. he's awfully old right? Probably nearly a couple of hundred years. Ancient really, 'bout ready to kick the bucket if you ask me. He's so ridiculous, this whole thing about cooperation between our people as if Munchkinlanders could ever truly understand Winkies. He's gone soft and feeble minded in his ancient age to ever assume you could be the ruler of a section of Oz. HA. Or maybe he was just desperate for an heir. I guess your family must have disappointed him pretty badly for him to settle for you. I mean your father he's what? .. a minister who let's see.. never works because his congregation tried to massacre him because of some stupid clock that said they should. Gee he must not have been very good at his work right? And your mother.. she was a ridiculous rich girl who was a severe disappointment as the Thropp second descending as she snuck off to marry your father but couldn't keep her legs together so she slept with a Quadling glassblower and out popped a little crippled bastard--.."

It happened before Elphaba could control it. She didn't know what had happened.. it just happened when she got really really angry. There was a bang and the entire tent shook as her hand came across Ebele's sly face as hard as it possibly could and then the girl was picked up as if by an invisible hand and dropped unceremoniously, painfully really… The lantern slid off the table as if shoved by an invisible hand. There was a wind in the middle of the tent that wasn't coming from the trees but instead, seemed to be emanating from Elphaba herself. It was whipping her long hair around her face. Her eyes had gone as cold as ice as she glared at the girl, hands placed on her hips. Her face in that moment was so honestly terrifying that all of them stopped as they looked up at her. "How DARE you insult my Grandfather.. or Nessa for that matter!! HOW DARE YOU!?"

"What's she doing Ebele.. what's she doing?!"

"I don't suppose.. I ever told you… that I can make things happen?" She hissed low.

"N…n..no."

"Or that I found a book in the attic at Colwen Grounds.. from the Other World with spells in it… it's purple with silver writing. No one else can read it but me.. I know every word that it says and I could do things to you that would make you run far far away and never come back here." Okay maybe she was exaggerating, actually, the Grimmerie was very difficult to read and she could not read every word, but she could read it and no one else could.. and there were very terrifying spells in it.

"I… I think you're lying." One of the girls whispered, but the look on her face told the truth and Elphaba giggled in a slightly hysterical way one does when they are so furious they are laughing.

"Do you want to test that theory? Really?" And then she began to chant. At first it was quiet… muttering under her breath faster and faster. "Irka jira.. myera… festim ghiretper." She breathed low. It didn't sound like the beautiful spells from the Grimmerie, one of which had kept one of the maids on the ceiling for upwards of an hour by accident… but … still.. the means achieved their ends when Ebele, followed by her stupid little friends screamed like banshees at the tops of their lungs and ran from the tent as if they'd been possessed, running through the camp at breakneck speeds, each in search of their own families' tents.

Elphaba watched them go in satisfaction before she looked at the tent with everything scattered about and collapsed to the ground as weakness from the use of magic left her weak and shaking. "It wasn't even a real spell.. .the idiots." She muttered with a long sigh, exhaustedly bringing her hands up to cover her face before leaning over to blow out the lantern. She was too shaky to stand, her limbs too weak and so she stayed there in the grass, it cooling her hot, flushed face. She was still breathing hard. Her mind was racing with thoughts about everything that had happened and she felt as though she was on information overload. Too much had happened all at once and she just felt too full. Her eyes burned with tears that fell into the grass. It would be easier to just leave and go home. That was what she felt like doing right now but knew that she could not. She had to act like a grown up, though she had to admit the display she had just put on, pretending to curse a girl.. was hardly adult and would probably come back to haunt her eventually, but right now she didn't really care. She wondered where Fiyero was and if he was alright, if they had given him any medicine to dull the pain of the tattoos and hoped that he was alright.

Slowly she stretched out her hand in the grass with it open, palm facing up and tried to imagine herself back on a hill face in the warm sun, far from the camp, laying still as the sun poured down on them and the feeling of his hand gently clasped in hers with their fingers entwining together to put just the gentlest pressure on her fingers. She could just almost feel it.. as if he was there with her and he really could feel him there, just like that day that seemed almost a lifetime ago now. Had it really only been a few days? Not possible. Where were that Fae and that Yero now? She didn't know and the realization scared her a little bit. She didn't know what was going to happen now.


Wow.. sorry erm.. that went a bit longer than I expected but um yeah... I couldn't think of a reall good place to split it up. Ahem yeah. So what did you think of the Blue Diamond Ceremony? I personally enjoyed writing that part. I always wanted Maguire to tell us about the Blue Diamonds and that was the whole original concept for this fic. So ending the ceremony puts me just about halfway through my plot. I'm set to win Nano though because I have like.. 47k almost? and it needs to be 50 by monday at midnight so I should be good. Yeah super excited about that. Ebele almost caused her own death though. She got a little nastier than I told her she could be. I wasn't really planning on Elphie magicking her till it just.. happened. She kept talking and wouldn't shut up and Elphie didn't want to quit so uh yeah.. that was the result. So now we clearly have defined both of our antagonists the plot continues to build. How will things change now that Fiyero is officially a man? Well.. keep reading to find out. I garuantee you there's still plenty of suspense and plot turns left. The real action is only just now beginning! Hope you enjoyed this chappie!