A/N: Warning! Severe feeling sorry for Elphaba follows! I want you all to tell me if I'm taking it too far…not like, you-don't-like-it-because-you-want-Elphaba-to-have-a-great-life too far, but that-was-just-stupid too far…I'll replace this chapter if I get a lot of reviews like that, I'm a little nervous about how you're going to like it from now on…

Elphaba felt a sharp sting to the face, and she jolted up, rubbing the water droplets off of her nose. She shook her head, still slightly feeling the sting from the water and looked up. Three men in Gale Force uniforms and one with a captain's coat stood over her, one of the ordinary soldiers holding a bucket of water. Her eyes widened, and before she had time to react, the man with the captain's coat nodded, and the two soldiers not holding the water each grabbed her soldiers and hoisted her off of her feet, standing. Her heart was pounding as she looked to her right and left at the soldiers, wondering if she could try to escape. Her eyes caught sight of the bucket, and saw the captain holding a large gun, what she hadn't seen before. It was still fairly dark outside. She looked over and saw Fiyero and Damaran, still sleeping across the room. She looked down in shame as the captain strode over to Fiyero and Damaran and poked each of them with the gun, waking them up. The soldiers' grips on her arm were very firm, and she could tell they were nervous. She could hear a gasp, from Damaran, and of them scurrying up. She didn't look up, but could hear one of them-probably Fiyero-start to advance towards them. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the captain point the gun at them and stop them. "If either one of you takes a step forward or says one word, we don't have to be very kind to her." She shivered, feeling defeated. She didn't want to look at Fiyero and Damaran, she didn't know what they planned to do to her, or to them, or how the soldiers had known where she was. She also didn't know if they would recognize Fiyero or not. He looked different with brown hair, but not that different. She knew that he'd be taken, for certain, if they recognized him. Her heart was pounding, and she was certain they could all hear it. The captain strode in front of her. "This witch," he said, not talking to Elphaba, but to her companions, "tried to outsmart the Gale Force. But we all know, now, that she's alive. Glinda the Good has ordered us to find her, and bring her back to her, as we shall do." Elphaba narrowed her eyes. Glinda…but they had made up! She shivered again, this time out of rage at Glinda. She had known all she had wanted was to be popular with the citizens of Oz, but she didn't know she wanted it at the extent of her capture, and most likely, death!

"You're a monster," Fiyero said quietly, right to the captain. Elphaba looked up for a small moment, hearing his voice. She didn't see the captain nod to the soldier with the bucket, and he sloshed nearly half of the water onto Elphaba. The pain that she felt on her skin was unbearable, and she gasped, falling to the floor, the soldiers letting go of her. She fell unconscious from the amount of pain that she felt. Fiyero's eyes widened, not knowing what he had done, and he tried to take a step forward. Damaran was also shocked, but he put a hand on Fiyero's arm, stopping him from going to her. The soldiers stared straight ahead, unfeeling, uncaring. The captain glanced down at her, then looked back at them. "We'll leave with her when the rain stops. The two of you will not be coming with us, and will have guards stationed around the castle at all hours of the day, and tonight we'll be outside guarding the entrances." He turned swiftly on his heel, and went up the stairs and out of the house, the other guards following, stepping over Elphaba.

As soon as they heard the slam of the castle door upstairs, the two of them raced to Elphaba. She was soaking wet, shivering in her unconsciousness. "Get me any rags you can find," he ordered Damaran. Damaran looked scared to death, but he ran from the room in search of any cloth material. Fiyero bit his lip, carefully lifting the upper half of her body to cradle in his arms. He kept himself from crying, not wanting more water to drip onto Elphaba. He started to wipe the wet off her face with his sleeve, as Damaran raced downstairs carrying two blankets in his arms. They gently dried her off, and wrapped her in the unused blanket to sleep. They sat next to her, quietly, not knowing what to do. The rain, so dreaded to Elphaba, was a comfort to them, pounding on the roof. As long as it kept raining, she wouldn't have to leave them. Damaran pulled his knees under his chin, and sat forlornly. He sighed, making the first attempt to speak since they had left. "Is she going to die?" he asked Fiyero. Fiyero shook his head. "No," he answered. "I don't think that was enough water."

"Could she die from water?"

"Probably."

Damaran, shocked by this news, sat silently again.

Hours later, Elphaba stirred. She drew in a jagged breath. "Fiyero," she murmured, not opening her eyes. They both looked down at her, and drew sighs of relief. "Yes?" he asked her, trying to sound calm. She opened her eyes and sat up, burying her face into his shoulder. He put his arms around her, and Damaran looked away, feeling rude he was witnessing this display of weakness. She didn't cry, but just sat, somehow knowing without anybody telling her that they wouldn't be together for long. Fiyero stroked her beautiful hair, closing his eyes. Elphaba took her face from his shoulder. "What happened?" she asked him softly.

"They're taking you away once the rain stops, and Fiyero and I can't leave the house. We're not coming," Damaran told her, not having been asked. She looked at Damaran. "I'm sorry," she told him.

"No, it's okay, I didn't want to come." Elphaba smirked, knowing he was trying to lighten the mood, and wishing he could. "I'm sorry we made you stay," she told him sincerely. Damaran shrugged it off. "You couldn't have made me leave," he told her. She looked down at her hands, and nothing was said for awhile. The three sat silently, listening to the comforting sound of the rain. It gradually started to lessen, and the day grew brighter. They could hear the loud soldiers outside, laughing and shouting, whistling and swearing. She still felt a sting from the water the night before, but didn't tell them. She knew it would only make them more nervous. She wondered what would happen when she got to Oz. Remembering Glinda, she closed her eyes. She felt a strong hatred for her at that moment, knowing the pain she had received and was still feeling was because of her. She fished for Fiyero's hand and held it, still not saying anything. Fiyero bit his lip, knowing he couldn't do anything to help her. They all looked up in fear, hearing the rain stop completely. Elphaba swallowed and looked back down. Her breath started to come a little quicker, and she turned to Fiyero and held him fast. He held her back, feeling as though nothing could come between the two of them. Damaran stood up, wanting almost to stand in front of them so nothing could get them, but knowing he couldn't. He looked up the stairs, as he heard the door opening, not a minute after the rain had stopped. Four pairs of boots stomping across the floor came downstairs. Elphaba and Fiyero finally let go, and they stood up, and the three of them stood watching as they came downstairs. She stood tall, forcing herself not to tremble, knowing she would get herself killed in the process of attacking them if not for knowing that they would kill Fiyero and Damaran if she herself tried to escape. The four guards formed a line in front of their prisoners, and one soldier strode forward with a length of rope. Elphaba didn't take her eyes off the rope as he came right towards her, taking her arms violently and binding them together. She was slightly shocked at being so helpless, and stood staring at her arms. There was still nearly four feet of rope left after tying her arms, and the soldier took that rope and jerked her forward, and she stumbled, landing on her feet, not sure if she had ever been so humiliated in her life. She closed her eyes briefly, and looked the captain square in the face, having been pulled forward not a foot in front of him. He looked a bit uncomfortable and he turned around. Not one of the soldiers had said a word, and he motioned with his arm for the rest of the guards to follow with Elphaba. The soldiers not holding the rope went first, and as the guard holding Elphaba's rope started to walk forward, she glanced behind her, desperately. She caught Fiyero's eye for a second that seemed to last a lifetime. The look on her face broke his heart, and he reached his hand toward her, such a small gesture that nobody noticed, but she was once again jerked forward as the soldier started to walk. She tore her eyes away from him and started up the stairs, not looking back.

Fiyero and Damaran watched as she walked out of sight, and when they heard the door shut behind her, Fiyero sank down, sobbing, and Damaran tried to comfort him, not succeeding, knowing that Elphaba was right outside the castle door, but not being able to go to her.

A/N: Okay, too cheesy? Too angst-y? Give me feedback!! Review, review, review!!