Note: Ok, nobody reviewed on the last chapter. I'm sad now. Oh well. Anyway, not much explaining needed for this one. Hope you like it! (Disclaimer: Do I have to say it again?)

6.In the Forest

"I remember this place," observed Dorothy, "And something about Lions and Tigers and-"

"ROAR!"

A great Bear came crashing out of the woods. Dorothy screamed and jumped back into Boq's arms. Toto cowered behind Fiyero.

"Who are you that dare trespass in the Forest?" the Bear growled.

Elphaba tried to answer, but found that her voice had deserted her.

"Very well. Come with me!" he commanded in a tone that left no room for argument.

Looking at each other helplessly, they followed the Bear through the Forest. Soon they came to a clearing where there seemed to be a court of Animals. In the center of them sat a Lion with a wreath of flowers on his head. The Bear bowed to the Lion.

"These four and their dog are trespassers, your Majesty," he growled humbly.

"Dorothy, Fiyero, Boq," the Lion said, looking at each of them in turn, "Elphaba?"

The Animals all stared. They had no idea what to think.

"Leave us!" the King of the Forest ordered, "I want a word with them. Alone!"

The Animals of the court dispersed, muttering to one another. Before the lion could speak, Elphaba dropped to her knees in front of him.

"I know that I am partly to blame for your misfortune," she said, lowering her head, "And I give myself to you to punish as you see fit."

Elphaba felt the Lion's velveted forepaw come to rest gently on her shoulder, and she looked up into his great blue eyes.

"And yet," he said, "I find myself indebted to you. Stand up, Elphaba, and don't be afraid. Once you gave me my life, and now I give you yours. So, what exactly are you all doing, together, in my Forest?"

They were getting downright sick of telling this story, but they did again.

"I'm coming with you!" the Lion exclaimed when they had finished.

"Just like that?" asked Boq incredulously, "Don't you have a kingdom to run, or something?"

"My second-in-command, the Tailless Pheasant, can keep things under control."

"Tailless Pheasant?" said Fiyero dryly.

"It's a long story," the lion dismissed with a wave of his paw.

The Lion shook off his wreath, revealing a gold circlet. After settling business with the Pheasant, they started on down the Road, again.

"It's funny," commented Dorothy, "Fiyero is the Scarecrow, and Boq is the Tin Man, but I've never heard your name.

"My name," the Lion laughed a little embarrassedly, "Is Ariel."

"Ariel?" Fiyero bit back a fit of laughter.

If Lions could blush, this one would've.

"Shame on you!" Dorothy reprimanded, "I think Ariel's a wonderful name!"

"Thanks, Dorothy," said Ariel gratefully.

Now that they were away from the court, the Lion was falling back into his easy-going, good humored attitude.

"So, now that you're the King, you're not afraid of anything?" asked Boq to change the subject.

"Not nobody! Not no how!" he said fiercely.

"Here we go again," said Fiyero under his breath to Elphaba, who laughed.

"Why, just last week I fought off half a dozen Kalidahs," said the Lion.

"And you weren't scared?" Boq asked.

"Who said that?" Ariel demanded, "Did I?"

"Well, no, but you…"

"I was scared to pieces," he grinned, and the others laughed, "It was like being a tin can in a downpour, or a haystack in a barn fire. No offense to present company, of course. But I stood my ground! I roared 'em down like a cyclone!"

"It's a good thing you're so full of hot air!" Dorothy giggled.

"You can say that again!" agreed the Lion, then realized that the joke was on him, "Hey!"

"Help!" came a cry through the woods.

Ariel bounded off the path and into the woods. After standing in surprise for a few seconds, the four and the dog took off after him.

"Where's he going?" Fiyero shouted.

"I don't know!" Elphaba called back, "Where'd he learn to run so fast?"

"Maybe from all his time running away from rabbits!" Dorothy suggested.

The Lion leapt into a clearing. Something was being attacked by a flock of rogue flying monkeys (most of them minded their own business at that time). He took a deep breath and let out a roar that shook the Forest and nearly deafened his companions, who were still trying to catch up with him. All the monkeys froze.

"What's all this?" demanded the Lion.

At this point the other four stumbled into the clearing. Boq fell against a tree, panting, and Toto trotted up and stood at the Lion's side, growling. He had never really forgotten the monkeys' treatment of his mistress. Dorothy would've laughed to see him if she hadn't been catching her breath.

"I said, what's all this?" the Lion repeated.

The monkeys jibbered a reply that only the Lion could understand, but, to the rest, it sounded like an excuse.

"If I see so much as a feather of yours in my Forest again, I'll knot your tails around a log and throw you in the river! Now go!" and for emphasis, the Lion snatched up one of the flying monkeys and swatted him into the air.

The rest of them flew off as fast as they could go; Toto barking at their retreating silhouettes.

"He sure takes his job seriously," gasped Boq, still leaning against the tree.

"You're not still out of breath, are you?" asked Elphaba, "How'd you get so out of shape?"

"May I remind you that I've been rusted solid for almost a year?"

Ariel walked to the far end of the glade to see what the monkeys had been attacking. The rest followed, and saw a young Lioness getting to her feet, or rather, her paws.

"Are you alright? They didn't…" Ariel began, then stopped suddenly as their eyes met. He discovered that she was very pretty.

"Do you have a…" he stammered, "No, that's a silly question. Of course you do! Might I ask your – What I mean to say is: What's your, uh…"

"Name. What's her name," prompted Fiyero under his breath.

"What's her name? I mean: your name?"

Fiyero feigned a coughing fit to cover a burst of laughter.

"Tiaret," the Lioness answered, "Who are you?"

"Me? Oh, I… That is to say, I'm, I think… Oh, great Oz! Uh…"

"He's Ariel," Boq finished, "The King of the Forest."

"King of the Forest? I beg your pardon!" exclaimed Tiaret with a Lion-ish version of a curtsey, "I'm here from Gillikin to visit my cousins. Thank you, by the way, for saving my life."

"Oh, it wasn't any… You see, er, it's my… Or, I was…"

"It wasn't any trouble, it's his job, and he was happy to do it," filled in Elphaba.

"What she said."

The Lioness tried, albeit unsuccessfully, to hide a laugh. Dorothy winked at Elphaba and stepped forward.

"We're going to the Emerald City to see Princess Ozma," she said, "Would you like to come along?"

"I've always wanted to see the Emerald City!" said Tiaret, "That is, if the King is alright with that…"

"You, you'd really-? Only if you… After all…"

"He'd be honored," Fiyero translated.

"Walk ahead with me and Dorothy, Tiaret," invited Elphaba, "I suppose I'll have to tell you the whole story."

The Lioness walked on between Elphaba and Dorothy, with Toto at their heels. Ariel could only stare as the girls started off down the Yellow Brick Road. Boq and Fiyero grinned at each other and sidled up to him.

"Beautiful! You really impressed her!" Fiyero teased.

"So whatever happened to not being afraid of anything?" asked Boq.

"Fellas," said the Lion, "I've managed to run into the one thing that can still make a coward out of me: a girl!"