Disclaimer: Come on, you should know this by now...

It rained the rest of the way to Kiamo Ko; it was as if the rainstorm was following Frou-Frou and I the whole way. I didn't mind so much, though, since I was no longer 'hydrophobic', and the sun stayed out the whole time (except when we passed through the still deserted City of Emeralds).

I missed Fiyero more than I cared to admit, and I knew that Frou-Frou sensed it, because she quickened her step as we passed over the border to the Vinkus. I hadn't been gone long, a few weeks, three at the most, but I yearned for the soft, gentle caresses of my lover with a fierce, burning passion.

"Could you please stop squeezing my sides so hard, Elphie?" Said Frou-Frou, interrupting my thoughts.

I loosened my grip, "Sorry, I guess I was thinking too hard."

She nodded and moved into a trot."Give it a day, and you'll see your precious Fiyero once again."

"Don't sound so sarcastic, it sickens me."

"My sarcasm sickens you? You should listen to yourself talk."

"I haven't the time."

I tugged gently at her mane when she turned and gave an odd look. "Get your mind out of the gutter." I said.

"Oh come on, you've got a daughter-"

"That is none of your business, Frou-Frou!"

"Alright," she said, chuckling. "I'll leave it alone."

"Good."

We were silent for another mile or so, before she finally said, "I'm glad we're back in the Vinkus, everything was so unfamiliar there."

"I'm glad too. Just not for the same reason." I replied, thinking of Fiyero and Tale.

"Why was that city deserted, the green one?"

"I don't know, Frou-Frou. It's filled mostly with people who'll believe anything the Wizard says, so they're probably all out hunting me."

"You say that so nonchalantly. It's disturbing, in a way."

"What, my nonchalance?"

"That too, but the way everyone is out hunting you."

"I don't know if they are for a fact."

Frou-Frou stopped for a moment and shook violently, shaking excess water off of her coat, landing me on the ground. She looked at me sheepishly, "Whoops, sorry."

"Horses," I muttered, "It's alright Frou-Frou. I just won't be able to sit for a week."

"Oh, come off, it didn't hurt that bad. You don't even have a very long way to fall!"

"Yea, you're only about five and a half feet from the ground."

"Horses aren't measured in feet, we're measured in hands."

"Yea yea, hands, feet, they're all the same. Though I can't write with my feet."

She gave me an odd look, "Have you tried?"

My friends and I were run out of Luntook almost as soon as we entered. We made the mistake of telling someone of our mission, and apparently, they had a deep respect for the green woman.

"So, how do we get to Kiamo Ko now, Scarecrow?"

He looked thoughtful for a moment. "I don't know. We might have to go around Luntook, and Cheema if they have the same devotion to the Witch. And Cheema is a big city...uncivilized and barbaric, but large all the same."

"I'm surprised that a man without brains knows what barbaric means." Said the Tinman, dryly.

"That's not nice, Tinman!" I scolded.

"I don't care, this prediciment that we've found ourselves in isn't all that nice, either."

"We can just quit." Suggested the Lion softly.

"You Pansy!" Cried the Tinman, swinging his axe down toward the Lion, who dodged just in time.

"Both of you! Stop it!" I cried, jumping to protect the Lion.

"How can we just quit!" Cried the tinman, "We have to get our brains, and hearts, and courage." He said, glaring at the Lion, who cowered behind me.

"You're very selfish, Tinman. " I said softly.

He snorted and swung his axe back up on his shoulder, sauntering off. He was, as he said, heartless.

The rain began to come down harder as we went farther into the Vinkus. The storm had gained force in the past few hours, and the wind nearly blew me off of Frou-Frou, who bravely trudged on, despite the storm.

"Frou-Frou, how much farther?" I called.

"About a mile, I think. We may have to stop, I think the storm is gaining even more strength."

I sighed. I was grateful that I was no longer H²O intolerant.

Frou-Frou didn't stop, though, the compassion that only Horses (and horses) had coursed through her veins, and made her push on. I smiled when I saw the dark form of Kiamo Ko looming ahead. She cantered through the gates, and I buried my face in her wet neck, trying to stop the rain from biting at my skin.

She stopped when we reached the front entrance. I sild off of her and stroked her muzzle. "Will you be okay getting back to Luntook? Or do you want to stay here until the rain lets up? I'm sure Yero wouldn't mind."

She shook her head, splashing me with water. "No, I'll be fine. I should be getting back to the stables." She said, though she looked sad as she did.

I hugged her neck tightly then scratched behind her ears. "You've done a lot for me, Frou-Frou, thank you so much. I don't know I can ever repay."

She nudged me, "You've done enough already, Miss Elphaba, now go." She nudged me once more, pushing me towards the entrance.

I was reluctant to leave her. After all, she'd been a good friend, one of the best that I'd ever had, and I didn't want to see her go. But she turned without another word and cantered off. I watched her form as it receded into the rain.

Sighing, I stepped inside of Kiamo Ko. The cool air sending a chill through my bones immediately. "Hello?" I called. I walked down the hall, to where I knew more life would be inhabited. And there he was, Fiyero, my beautiful diamond prince, talking with Tasi. "Yero," I called softly, smiling.

He looked up, hearing his name in an eerily soft whisper. "Elphaba!" He stood and ran to me, hugging me to his chest.

I pulled away, looking into his eyes, "Yero, I'm sor-"

He put a finger to my lips, "No, I understand. Don't say you're sorry."

I smiled. "You don't seem surprised to see me." I put my arms across my chest, trying my best to imitate Glinda.

He laughed and my impression. "No, I knew you were coming back."

"I didn't," said Tasi, walking to me, "I thought you'd left us forever." He frowned then; something was bothering him.

Fiyero touched my face then, "You're all wet, Fae, let me get some towels, it must burn."

I put an hand over his, drawing him back. "No, it doesn't burn."

"It doesn't?" He asked, looking confused.

"No. Luntook's prized war Horse convinced me it was just hydrophobia. I'm totally over it."

"Frou-Frou?" Fiyero shook his head. "That Horse always thought too much."

"Tell me about it." I replied, thinking back to our conversation about Ponies.

Fiyero drew me to him, putting his lips in my hair. "I'm glad you're back, Fae-Fae."

"I'm glad I'm back. Say, where is everybody?" I said, noticing the lack of people.

"Well," said Fiyero, smiling, "Emir and Glinda are in Pulamoo for the weekend.."

"On a date!" I cried.

Fiyero nodded. "You are quite the little matchmaker, Fae-Fae. Tale's with them-"

"What? Why? Can you-"

"Glinda insisted. She loves Li-Li."

"Oh."

"And Sahlah is..."

"We're not sure where Sahlah is, " said Tasi miserably. "She just disappeared one day. Right after you did."

"Oh, Tasi, I'm sorry.." Even though I wasn't, Tasi would be better off without Sahlah; she was creepy and evil, he well...wasn't. He could do much better.

He smiled sadly, "Don't apologize. It's not like you had anything to do with it." He shook his head then walked away. I assumed that he wanted to be away from the rest of the world right now; he truly was in love with her, I mused.

Fiyero kissed me softly, pulled me close. I tried to wriggle away from his deathgrip, laughing. "Yero," I said, "I love you, but I'm about to starve to death. So let me go so I can fix myself something to eat."

"Here." Said Fiyero, handing me some leftover...panook.

I looked at it warily, "It won't eat me, will it?"

"You're paranoid. No, it will not eat you. We all had somebefore Sahlah left. It's become my addiction."

"Great. I'm not cooking it for you, though, got it?"

Fiyero gave me puppy dog eyes and I shook my head. "So," I said after I began to -cautiously- eat the panook, "do you know why Sahlah left?"

He shook his head. "No, though I suspected she would be leaving. There's something about her that I don't like, despite everything she's done for us."

I nodded. "So it's not just me. Li was early, you know that, right? And I have reason to believe it was her fault."

"What?"

I waved him off. "Nevermind. I don't feel like explaining it to you."

"Soo...how did the journey to Munchkinland go?" He asked, softly; it was going to be a sensitive subject for us for a while, I could tell.

"I didn't plan on going, really. It just..kind of happened. I went for a walk, and ended up in the stables in Luntook. Frou-Frou offered me a ride back here..and I told her I was going to Munchkinland. I didn't mean for it to actually happen, Yero my hero..After we stopped arguing, I figured everything would be alright again..."

"It's alright, Elphie-Fabala-Fae." He said, placing his hand over mine.

I shook my head, "No, it's not..Frex, he killed himself...I feel like it's my fault."

Fiyero furrowed his brow. "Don't you ever say that, Elphaba. It wasn't your fault-"

"No, he would've been happy if I had never been born-"

"But I wouldn't of been. You can't please everyone, Elphie."

"I knew you would say that." I replied, smiling softly.

"We missed you, Fae-Fae, all of us. We fell apart after you were gone."

"How so?"

"I don't know...nothing seemed right anymore."

"To you."

"Maybe. But I think everyone else felt the same way."

"I love you, Fiyero."

"And I you. You're my favorite lover." He said, smiling.

"Your favorite? I thought I was your only lover."

He pretended to think for a minute. "Wait, nevermind. You're my only one."

"And you, mine." I smiled and took the hand he offered to me, following him upstairs.

My step faltered in the dark and I fell, face down. I sighed and stood again, bracing myself against the wall. I felt like I was about to collapse, I didn't know what I was doing there. No, I did. I had a mission to do, and I was going to complete it. No matter what the consequences.

I tried to convince myself that I was going to be alright, but images of Tasi came into my mind, causing my heart to break. No! I didn't love him, I felt sorry for a boy who was almost five years younger than I.

I slid the knife out of my satchel and stared at it. It was now or never.

Meh, it's bad, I know. See, my mom took me to Starbucks after she picked me up from school...and writing after drinking a grande White Chocolate Mocha Espresso and listening to Coheed andCambria isn't always the easiest thing to do...

Review pwease..for me? My number of reviews have decreased dramatically...It makes me want to cry...I can become quite apathetic when I want to...Hmmm, I just got To Kill a Mockingbird today, I could engross myself in that rather than writing...if you want :)

Li