"We can't wait any longer."

Lily looked up from where she had been resting on the grass. "What?"

"We have to move. Now."

Liir stood up, holding out his hand. Lily took it and he helped her stand.

"Liir, don't you think we should wait for Chistery?" she asked as the two started walking. "What if comes back?"

"He would have returned by now. I can't wait around; if Kristin is in there, I need to help her. No doubt my parents have split by now…"

"Liir, how are we going to get past the guards?" Lily asked.

"I'm still working on that part," he replied, one hand straying towards his mother's knife. Lily noticed the movement.

"What are you going to do with that? They have guns, Liir."

"I have to try! I would never forgive myself if I came this far just to give up."

There was the sound of a twig snapping, and the two stopped.

"What was that?" Lily asked, hiding behind Liir.

"I don't know," Liir replied, drawing his knife, his dark eyes scanning the trees. His muscles were tense; he was ready for anything.

"Darn you! Why'd you come back if you're just going to be difficult again?"

Well, he was ready for anything but his mother.

Kristin had come running at the sound of shattering glass, and was surprised to see her father standing in the hallway with a crossbow in his hands.

"Father, what happened? I heard a crashing noise," Kristin said. The scarecrow turned and looked somewhat surprised when he saw Kristin, almost as if he had forgotten he had a daughter.

"Nothing. It was nothing. Don't worry yourself," Fiyero replied.

"Why do you have that?" Kristin said, her eyes on the crossbow.

"There were some… intruders. It was merely for protection."

Fiyero set the crossbow down. "Run along now. I have some… business to attend to."

"Mother!"

Elphaba looked up at the familiar voice; a voice she had never believed she would hear again.

"Liir? But how…"

Liir came running at her, embracing her tightly. Elphaba returned the gesture, still wondering how in Oz he had survived that crash.

"Liir, what are you doing? This is too dangerous!" the green witch said, looking down at her son.

"I knew that if I found Kristin, you and Auntie would stay together. If I found Kristin… you would still love each other."

"Liir, it's more complicated than that. Nothing will ever change the way I feel about Glinda. It's just—"

Elphaba stopped as she suddenly remembered what had become of her blonde love.

"Kristin's here, mom. I know she is," Liir said.

"She is. I saw her."

"You saw her? You were inside?"

"Yes."

It was then that Liir saw all the damage on his mother's body. "Mother… what happened? Who did this to you?"

"It's nothing. You… have to go home."

"No! I came this far; I'm not giving up now!"

"Liir, maybe your mom is right."

Elphaba and Liir looked at Lily. "And who is this?" Elphaba asked.

"Oh. This is Lily," Liir replied.

Elphaba's eyes narrowed. "She's not real."

"What are you talking about?" Liir said.

"She isn't real, Liir. She's one of his puppets."

"That's crazy!" Lily said.

"She was sent to stop you. To keep you from getting here."

"Liir, don't listen to her! She was up in that castle, he probably brainwashed her!" Lily said. Liir was torn. On one hand, he loved Lily; he didn't want her to be working for Fiyero. But on the other hand… his mother was rarely wrong.

Liir heard a whoosh, and saw that Elphaba was holding a fireball in her hand. She looked at Lily and grinned slightly. "How about a little fire… scarecrow?" The green witch threw the fireball at Lily's feet, and the girl jumped back, but not before her foot caught fire. It went up in flames almost immediately before she could put it out.

"Stop!" Liir said, jumping between his mother and Lily.

"She's using you, Liir. Move out of the way; I'll dispose of this puppet quickly, and we can continue on," Elphaba, summoning another fireball.

"No!" Liir said.

"Liir, you really pick the worst time to develop romantic feelings," Elphaba growled. "But you're old enough to make your own decisions: either stay with her, or come with me."

Liir paused, trying to decide, but Elphaba took his silence as a refusal. "Fine! Stay with her! But when she betrays you, don't say I didn't warn you!" The green witch mounted her broomstick and kicked off the ground, heading back into the sky and towards the castle. Liir watched his mother go, wondering if he had made the wrong decision.

"I know how to get into the castle," Lily said suddenly. Liir looked at her.

"What?"

"Your mother was right. I am only a puppet, but Fiyero threw me out because I had something I wasn't supposed to have."

"A mind?"

Lily shook her head. "A conscience."

After Glinda stepped off the train, she found a person who would take her upstream to the castle. The going was slow, and the sun setting by the time the boat docked and Glinda was back on dry land, heading up the path to the castle. She had no idea what she was going to say to Fiyero when she saw him; she doubted she would even be able to get in.

Glinda realized she had reached the castle. She looked at the large doors, and her gaze wandered, eventually falling on the vines that were growing up the side of the castle… right near a broken window. Glinda approached the vines and looked up them, then down at her shoes.

Not the best climbing shoes…

The blonde took hold of the vines, tested to make sure they would hold her weight, and then started her climb.

Fiyero knew he had to leave. Even if Elphaba was dead, her son was still coming. It wasn't safe here anymore. He had to take Kristin and get out of here. Fiyero looked out the window at the darkness outside. They had to leave now, while it was dark.

There was the sudden sound of shattering glass. The scarecrow looked up. "Kristin?" Fiyero ran from his office, starting for his daughter's room. He arrived at his destination, only to find the room empty. The window was broken. "Guards! Barricade the doors! Don't let anyone out! Find her! Find Kristin!" Fiyero shouted as he ran through the hall.

Elphaba peered out from where she had been hiding. "Shit," she hissed. This would make her escape much more difficult. The green witch looked back at the bundled girl in her arms. Kristin was asleep, and Elphaba wanted to keep it that way. She was going to leave here with Kristin… or she wasn't leaving at all.