Hi! Thank you so much for all your support, and I hope this chapter doesn't let you down!

I say this, because I'm breaking out the Lion Cub.

Disclaimer: I just like Fiyeraba.

I stayed still as death as I stared at the hand that lazily lounged off the edge of the bed. The arm that it was attached to was pillowing my neck, and the body that they both belonged to was very, oh so very, close to my own. It was all fun and games last night when he put us in a more innocent version of this position, but he had stayed. He had stayed all night long, and he hadn't woken up to sneak off before I woke up. I didn't know how to handle it. I knew this must of been the first time he'd gone into a girl's bed without doing anything with clothes kept on. Well, most clothes. I swallowed hard to keep my eyes from rolling to the back of my head at the recognition of his skin on mine. He was so warm. So warm. And the feel of his bare chest on my mostly bare back felt so divine. This shouldn't have felt as good as it did. But it did. It felt so Oz damned right, and it almost made me want to stay in bed for the rest of the day and do nothing but lounge about with a bare chested Fiyero. What was wrong with me?

Things had changed, though. I don't know when it happened, or how it had happened, but I was staring at the proof. And as conceited or egotistical as it sounds, I couldn't help the swell of pride I got. I mean, there was no sure fire way to say I was a part of it coming, but I liked to think that it wouldn't have surfaced if it hadn't been for me. It wasn't full like the other one was. There was nothing filling it in, but the outline was just as prominent as any other one. Forgetting myself, I moved Fiyero's hand onto the bed without waking him. I traced the perfect blue outline with a light finger. It was so smooth and looked like it had been there since his quest. It hadn't been there last night. I would have noticed it. But here it was now. For the longest time I thought that there was an actual person who put the tattoos on, but then one morning Takoda had come to breakfast with a trail of diamonds on his forearms. Everyone had gawked at him, because they definitely hadn't been there the night before. So Fiyero gaining this new diamond almost seemed like magic. How could someone explain things like this?

"Not that I'm complaining about you touching me," Fiyero's gruff voice brought me out of my thoughts. "But if you are in to this touchy-feely thing, I can think of another appendage that would be much more interesting."

I grinned and rolled my eyes. Only Fiyero could drop an sexual suggestion as he stirs. "I don't think so." I mumbled. Fiyero nuzzled his face into the crook of my neck, placing a soft kiss there, too. Our legs tangled together as it was the most normal act ever. It was different.

"But really." He grinned into my neck.

"You have a tattoo."

"Yeah," Fiyero brought my hand to the spot below his ear. "Right here." His breath caught a huskier tone as I teased a few hairs at his hairline.

"And," I drew my hand away from his soft hair. "Right here." I added, tracing his new diamond again.

Fiyero popped up so quick that it took me a moment to realize what just happened. He moved his hand back and forth, looking at the new addition to his body. He was so intrigued by it. I smiled at him as his eyes shone with a new emotion that I had rarely seen in him. He glanced up at me briefly, but went back to his hands. He completely missed breakfast and lessons that day. I had contemplated going out in search for him, but I wasn't that needy for his attention. So I retreated to the library for a few hours. I spent most of my time looking up the significance of having diamonds on the hand, but there wasn't too much that was actually proven. Some elders thought it signified a deep connection with power, some thought it had more to deal with a person's level of compassion and the hands being the ultimate level, others thought it bared no significance other than the person was good with his or her hands, and the there was also a small group who was convinced that to have diamonds on the hand meant something more than having a diamond over your heart. I would have to get to the King's library to figure out more about the last theory, because the materials about tattoos were sparse in this library.

Anyway, I had other matters that ranked higher on my concern than Fiyero's new tattoos.

I stood over Takoda's shoulder as he reread the document I had found in Nessa's room while looking for her beloved headband that she had me fetch. It had been poorly hidden under a few things, but I still found it. Did she really expect me not to see? She sent me to look for her pale blue headband. Do you know how many Oz damned headbands Nessa has? She has enough to cover every inch of all my green when I'm wearing a knee length dress. So naturally I would have to do a little searching to find the right headband. And then I found the document. I huffed. I'd read the words over and over again until I had commit them to memory. I couldn't even sleep properly, because all I could think about was what the words meant. Poor Fiyero probably got the worst sleep of his life, since I was up most of the night reading under the candlelight. I plopped down in the chair next to Takoda, looking down the length of the empty throne room.

"What do you think?" I asked, not breaking eye contact with the opposite wall.

"I think Nessa hasn't been telling you something."

"Your father hasn't said anything about this? No one in the court has brought this up at any point in any meeting?" It seemed a bit ridiculous to me. This wasn't exactly something you would sweep under the mat.

"I swear, Elphaba, I would have told you if something had been said." He turned to me. "You know I would." I glanced at him and nodded briefly. It was true. "I'll tell you what, I'll do some digging around and find out who's been keeping this in the dark. And what exactly it means."

A silence fell over us. It was short lived.

"I noticed Fiyero sneaking out of your chambers this morning."

"Nothing happened." I said, scratching my forehead. "I stayed up reading the document over and over again. And he just tried sleeping, it's why he missed breakfast and lessons."

Takoda nodded. "I still think it's amazing he didn't sneak out in the middle of the night."

"I'm sure he would have if we had done something." I repeated firmly. "He fell asleep when we were talking." I played with the sleeve of my dress. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about my feelings for him earlier." I mumbled.

"I should have seen it coming." Not if there was nothing to see. "Everyone loves Fiyero."

"He's an enigma wrapped in a mystery."

"You're two peas in a pod."

"Don't get too use to that seat." Baako's sudden appearance made me jump. Takoda just rolled his eyes and sent a glare in his brother's direction. Fiyero, Avaric, Galinda, and a few members of the royal court followed the oldest prince in.

Someone had requested an audience with the King, and the visitor had made it clear that the royal family and court were more than welcome to be in attendance. So of course, Galinda pestered the King until he agreed to let she and Avaric sit in on the appeal, too. The last time we were able to sit in on someone who had requested an audience the King ended up banishing the visitor from the Vinkus. So I was very confident in the fireworks that were sure to happen during this one as well.

The areas had been arranged by the aids before I had found Takoda in the throne room. Obviously, the throne was at the end of the room, centered and grand. The queen's throne was next to the King's, empty as always. Baako's throne was to the King's left, then Takoda and Fiyero's were on the other side of the empty throne. The Grand Vizier usually stood at the foot of the throne's stairs, ready and waiting to give counsel when needed. But today, the space was occupied. Several markers were placed in a diagonal going forward to the wall. The same held true to the other side of the raised platform on which the thrones stood. The King's side was for the royal court, and the other side was for everyone else. Thank Oz for Avaric, otherwise I would have been stuck with Galinda and Nessarose for the duration of this thing.

Takoda reluctantly gave up his spot in his father's throne to converse with one of the members of the royal court. I stood alone before the queen's throne. I didn't know who to go to. There was no right answer but plenty of wrong ones. I settled on Avaric when I noticed that Fiyero had bandages over his hands and then one over the side of his neck. The lie he thought up was bound to be good. For all his faults, Fiyero was probably one of the most creative persons I knew. Avaric grinned when I walked up to him. It was a no good kind of grin. The way Galinda suddenly clung to Fiyero's arm gave me a good enough idea.

"You look lovely today." Avaric said loud enough for some people to glance over. I reached up to touch my face self-consciously, but Avaric grabbed my hand and kissed it before I could look truly pathetic. "And smell just like coconuts." He added with a wider grin.

"Keep talking like that and I might fall in love with you-"

"You're not already?"

"Or kill you." I finished. "I haven't decided if my feelings for you are good or bad."

"Well, I'll be hoping for good." He nodded to a passing aid and lead me away from the crowd and towards our spots. I had to pretend to not be uncomfortable with the low placement of his hand. "Fiyero's got a pretty bandage on his neck. Does he have a pretty bruise under it?"

"If he does, it's not from me." I mumbled, glancing over my shoulder at the prince. I smirked when Fiyero snapped his attention away from Avaric and I as I caught his gaze. "You haven't done anything too risky since being here."

Avaric snorted, "I'm pretty sure I can name a few risky things. Helping you with this Fiyero business, for one, has put me forever on Fiyero's shit list. And having to spend time with that blonde bubble is murder." He didn't sound so upset by it. "But..."

"But I need to get into the King's library." I said even softer. Avaric looked around and stepped closer, lowering his head nearer to me. What I would give to see Fiyero's face. "I need some information that I'm sure can only be found in that library. Can you get me in, or are you chicken?"

"Oh, I can get you in." Avaric kissed my cheek then jerked his head every so slightly in the crowd's direction. The look Fiyero was giving him should have been enough to burn the castle to the ground. Avaric kissed my cheek again, longer this time. "I can get you in." He repeated.

The King walked in before anything else could happen. Fiyero walked Galinda to her spot next to me, pausing to kiss her deeply before making his way to his seat. He left her in a babbling state as he walked away, giving me a meaningful glare as he did. I nodded my head in acknowledgement, and I knew Avaric had to be grinning at his handiwork. So I nudged him as people started to find their seats. Did Fiyero kiss me the way he kissed Galinda? Did he kiss Galinda the way he kissed me? Maybe it was Galinda's presence that caused the diamonds to form on his hands. Maybe I really had nothing to do with them, and it was only my ego that came to that conclusion. I slouched a little more as I thought of it. You don't kiss someone like that and not have some pretty strong feelings.

I glanced at Galinda out of the corner of my eye. She was so happy. Like sitting on cloud nine happy. What if she really did love him? What if I was keeping them from being together? I didn't even really like Fiyero. I mean, yeah, he was fun to kiss, and the kisses were always hot and left me wanting so much more. But they were just for a stupid wager. Surely, though, if they were true love, then something would work out regardless of my interference. That's what true love is, right? You'll always find each other no matter the obstacle. Right?

"Your Royal-ness," the crazy whack-job started, bowing low as was customary of visitors in the throne room. He was so polite from the moment he walked in with the square cart being pulled behind him. I didn't like him one bit. "I could tell you that I've come here to show you the way of the future, the way of the past, and the way of another world. I could paint you a double picture: One of you rooting a long and prosperous future for your genealogy, or one of you sitting in a room with the end of your lineage. But that isn't why I came here."

"I'm listening." The King said.

Professor Nikidik smiled at the room. I sneered when he smiled at me.

"The Vinkus and her people are the first of their kind. They are the first true Ozians; they are the first to speak out against injustice; and they are the first to prove their worth in all matters-"

"Are you here to kiss our asses, or do you have something worthwhile?" Baako interrupted. The King sent him a long glare.

"Why should you stop being the first? Why should you wait for others to adopt a new ideology when you can be at the forefront of the movement?" My stomach dropped to the floor when Nikidik whipped the cover off his cart. Avaric grabbed my arm when I made to lunge forward, and Galinda gasped from her spot next to me.

He wasn't here to make the Vinkus the forefront of his movement. He was here because no one else would take his case. I bit a nasty remark, but no one paid me any attention. They were all so wrapped up in the sight that Nikidik presented. How could they not be outraged? How could they just stand there? The Grand Vizier was the first to move, he stumbled forward as the King hung back. He circled the atrocity, squinting now and then. Nikidik just watched as, one by one, the rest of the court joined the exploration. It was disgusting. I had never been so ashamed to be around these people.

"He's desperate!" I barked.

"Elphaba." The King warned as he had Baako and Takoda help him to his feet.

"No one else in Oz is dumb enough to back this invention, why should we?"

"Elphaba!" He probably meant to level me with a glare, but he failed.

You wouldn't - well, shouldn't - put people in cages, why would you do the same to Animals? It was absurd! The poor Lion Cub was trembling and shaking so much, I could see him doing so from my spot across the room. How could the rest of them be okay with this? How could they not free the poor thing? They were just treating him like some kind of spectacle! How would they like to be stripped naked, shoved behind bars, and then paraded in a room full of people they didn't know who were allowing someone to poke and prod them with a metal stick? I didn't even notice Galinda move forward until she squealed at touching the frightened Cub.

"Fiyero," Fiyero snapped his attention towards me as I yanked my arm out of Avaric's grasp, only to be caught again. "You're just going to stand there?" I hissed.

"Your Majesty," Nikidik spoke over the voices of the court. "Every day, with every tick of the Time Dragon Clock, in every corner of our great Oz, one hears the silence of progress. For example: this is called a cage!" I tried to break away from Avaric again, but he held on tight. Don't even get me started on what I could have physically done to that horrible excuse of a man had I broken free. "With your support, we can and will be seeing more and more of them in the near future. This remarkable innovation is actually for the Animal's own good..." He added with a glance in my direction. The King circled the cage.

"His own good?" I laughed harshly. "He's trembling!"

Nikidik waved my comment off with, "He's just excited to be here." Right. I'm sure that's it. "Now, as I was saying, one of the benefits of caging a Lion Cub while he's young is that he never, in fact, will learn how to speak!"

The King stared at the whack job for a moment when I shouted my discontent, but he didn't do anything. To say I was floored would be an understatment.

"Let me go!" I snapped, jabbing my elbow into Avaric's chest and scrambling to Fiyero. "What do I do?"

He looked at me, dumbfounded, "I don't know." Of course you don't.

"Now," Nikidik's voice hardly broke my train of thought, but I was aware of everything he was saying. He was telling the idiots that the Cub may seem agitated, but the feeling could be easily remedied. My stomach was ready to empty its contents at the thought of what exactly he was going to do to remedy it. Avaric, still rubbing his chest, moved forward as the nutty professor started prodding the Cub with the metal stick in his hand. I thought for a moment that the Gillikin was going to do something, but he just stood there watching the professor clang the bars with a mixture of disgust and fascination. How were people not outraged by this.

"Well," I tried to say something, but my mind was working much too fast for my mouth to keep up. Finally I managed, "Do something!" I spat out.

And then time stopped. I was sure of it. I froze in horror as, it seemed, those surrounding the damned cage flew back while sparks started emitting from some unknown source. Gracefully, might I add. But then their limbs started jerking, heads twitched, and all over, their movements became staccato as they started moving to individual, but collective, beats. Even the King, who was hardly able to walk from his throne to the middle of the room without assistance, was deep in some kind of trance of the waltz. It was horrifying. Their faces were blank, but their movements were so full of...well, I didn't know what to call it. But it wasn't normal. And I was acutely aware of what was abnormal, and this was a far throw from either.

I jumped when Fiyero spoke up, "What's happening?" I truly forgot he was here. Or at least unaffected.

"I-" I don't know. I looked up at him, "I don't know...I just...got mad, and-"

"Alright," Fiyero cut me off, sounding more confident than I ever could in this situation, "just don't move." He hopped off the platform but turned back before he could get too far, "and don't get mad at me!" He added. Was that supposed to be funny? I stared at him as he weaved through the creepy crowd. Quickly, he grabbed the top of the cage as the Lion Cub growled, or maybe whimpered, and looked around the room then back at me. "Well? Are you coming?"

What? Wa-well, well, of course I was. I grabbed the end of my skirts and rushed after him. He already had a good head start, and once I reached the hallway, it took me a moment to figure out which direction he darted off towards. But the Lion Cub's cry had me sprinting South. I was finally able to catch sight of the two when I burst out the rear castle doors. Fiyero was already halfway towards a shroud of trees that fed into the northern hills of the Great Kells and, eventually, the Thousand Year Grasslands. Seeing him with the Cub had me running faster. It had to be the adrenaline that got my legs pumping, because the last time I checked, my speed couldn't even touch the dust Fiyero left when he ran. But I was able to catch up with him in a much shorter time than was usual. Not that running to catch up with Fiyero and a refuge Lion Cub was the norm.

Fiyero slowed down when we reached a thicket. We were keeping a jog at the fastest. He took a few good whacks to his body, and he snagged his sleeve on a sharp arm poking out of practically nowhere. I thought of burning some of the trees. And as if they read my thoughts, the thicket cleared into a small, canopied glade. We made it a good distance into the glade, and I thought I heard the Cub cry. Of course, he was always crying; but my lungs couldn't take much more, and I was sure Fiyero's jostling was going to make the poor thing sick.

"Careful!" I snapped. "Don't shake him!"

"I'm not!" Fiyero retorted, beginning to set the cage on the ground next to him.

I snatched the cage from him and hurried closer to the cover of the trees. "We can't just let him loose anywhere, you know." I scoffed. Yes, Fiyero, let's just let the Lion Cub we stole out in the open. "We have to find someplace safe." I added, more to myself than the idiot prince.

"Don't you think I know that?" I snapped my attention back to him after setting the cage at the brink of the trees. He sounded so...bitter. "You think I'm really stupid, don't you?" He looked at me like I was supposed to understand all the inner workings of his mind.

I did, though. I did. "No," I said before I could stop myself. "Not really stupid." I should have just bit my tongue. It came out much more sarcastic than I had intended. I mean, I never intended it to sound sarcastic.

"Why is it that," He stopped himself from finishing whatever he was thinking. "It's like every time I see you, you're causing some kind of commotion." I didn't know exactly what he was referring to, because most times we saw each other, we were ready to rip each other's clothes off.

"I don't cause commotions: I am one." I grunted, roughly brushing the sides of my dress.

Fiyero laughed humourlessly, "That's for sure."

"Oh," I stiffened up. "You think I should've just kept my mouth shut?" Fiyero opened his mouth to respond, but I ignored him. "Is that what you're saying?"

He jumped in. Well, he tried, "No, I'm-"

I couldn't help myself. I had to. Interrupt him and save that Lion Cub, I mean. I saw the Cub's life flash in front of me. A voice is a powerful thing, and if he remained in that horrid cage, he would never have the opportunity to foster his gift. "Do you think I want to be this way?" I couldn't let Animals be marginalized. No good comes from being marginalized. "Do you think I want to care this much?" I'd rather die than willingly be part of a system that encourages the marginalization of a group based on some ridiculous notion of superiority. No identity marker makes you better than someone else. "Do you know how much easier my life would be if I didn't?" And suddenly, I didn't which situation I was talking about. Thankfully, Fiyero grew a set and let his temper take control of his voice.

"Do you ever let anyone else talk?" He spat.

I stared at him. I wasn't sure I wanted to hear what he had to say. But he helped me save the Lion Cub. Surely whatever he was going to say couldn't be bad. Maybe I would even like what I would here. But I couldn't. If I liked what I heard, then it would mean he was getting to me. I was spending too much time with him. I needed to stop thinking about him. I needed to stop thinking, because almost all my thoughts somehow connected back to him. When he left the room, I wanted him to come back. When he was in the room, I wanted him to give me his full attention. And when he was giving me his full attention, I didn't want him to have any reason to leave me. I didn't understand it, couldn't process it. He was always that boy, that dumb - but not dumb, right? - prince who lived down the corridor from me. But then he kept the seat at the table open for me. And he was looking at me differently. He was flirting. He sent me scented lotions and oils. He was different. He was boggling my mind. And I loved every Oz damned minute of it. I couldn't get enough.

"Oh, sorry..." I looked around uncomfortably. "But can I just say one more thing?" I want you to want me. I want you to not look at Galinda anymore. I want you to be the warm body I wake up to every morning. "You could have walked away back there." I said it as I realized it. It was true.

Fiyero sent a glance at my nose, a trick I knew the royals used when they couldn't find the courage to look into the crowd's eyes. What was he hiding? "So?" He settled his gaze on the trees.

"So," I smirked, repeating the lines that started this whole ordeal. "No matter how shallow and self-absorbed you pretend to be..."

I caught the smile in his eyes come on strong as he responded accordingly, "Excuse me, there's no pretense here. I happen to be genuinely self-absorbed and deeply shallow."

But I frowned. Because it was all a lie. Everything was a lie. And while my feelings for him, the ones I could feel forming and growing, were genuine, the way they came about was tainted. I was selfish. I wasn't thinking about anyone but myself. What if he thought he felt something for me, and that feeling ruined everything that could possibly come true with Galinda? Sure, true love always found its way; but what if they took years to find a way that could have only taken a few short days?

"No, you're not." I shook my head. He looked me in the eye now, and I knew there was something he wasn't telling me. "Or you wouldn't be so unhappy." Was I making him unhappy? Were my advances tearing him up emotionally? Even men struggled with emotions. Men. And Fiyero was a man.

"Okay. Fine," He sighed. Fiyero tore the bandage off his neck, revealing nothing my smooth, untouched skin. The bandages from his hands came off next. He stuffed them all in his pockets. He held my gaze the entire time. My heart sank at the sight. He was baring all to me, so I looked away, earning another sigh from him. "Look, if you don't want my help-" He was walking away from me. I panicked.

"No, I do!" I grabbed his hand.

I grabbed his hand, and I felt my world crashing and clearing at the same time. It was so stupid. It was so cheesy. It was so not me. But I wanted every dumb, corny, uncharacteristic moment of it. I would do any ridiculously tacky task that some dreamer could think up, just so long as I could have this moment. This moment with Fiyero turning back to me, lacing our fingers more securely, and just staring back at me. Is this what rebirth felt like? Because I'd known and seen this young prince nearly my entire life, but this was the first time I'd ever seen him. Really seen him. I liked what I saw. I honestly, deeply, and stupidly liked what I saw. I'd never been more scared in my life.

"...heart is pounding..." I mumbled when Fiyero ran the thumb of his free hand along my cheek. I meant the Lion Cub. Obviously. "...I didn't mean for..." No, I lied. I was talking about me. But I broke away from Fiyero and moved back to the Cub to cover myself.

"What did you mean to do?" Fiyero was at my side instantly. The breath left my body when he entered my personal space. "And why was I the only one you didn't do it to?"

"I-" I needed to not answer that question. "You're bleeding." I touched the side of his face where something must have scratched him. How close was he holding the cage to his face? My fingers tingled when they rested comfortably against his flush skin. Fantastic idea, Thropp, a real winner.

"I am?"

I laughed softly. "It must have scratched you."

"Yea..." He murmured, staring from my eyes to my lips and back. His tongue flickered to lick his own lips, and I was putty. "Or maybe it scratched me." He added, but I didn't really process it. I trailed my fingers from the side of his face down to his neck. Then, the moment was gone. "I can't do this." He took my hand from his neck, kissing my palm, and then lying it in my lap. "I mean, to the Cub. I need to get him to safety." He added lamely.

"Of course." I sat back on the ground, watching him as he grabbed the cage and took off again, hiding himself in the thicket.

I blinked hard. Maybe some time in the Gillikin with Avaric wouldn't be so bad.

Did I completely ruin the scene for you? Did you like it? I wanted to give it a different twist since the story is different. But it is the turning point in their relationship like it is in the musical.

Oh! And any thoughts on what's happening with Nessa?

Please review and let me know if you're still here!:)