Thank you again to all of you kind, wonderful reviewers! Because of popular demand, I'm considering marketing a line of Dream Fiyeros. I've already got one reserved for myself.

I hope you don't mind if I take a moment to clarify something Phases of Obsession (one of my best reviewers who has been leaving me nice notes since the first chapter of my first posted fic! :D) brought up. I'm sure as many of you have guessed, particularly those who followed me from my Glee stories, Idina Menzel is my muse. And though many people say that her eyes are green, I don't totally agree because they're other colors too. And whenever anyone has eyes that can't clearly be identified as one color or another on first glance or even second or third, I classify them as hazel. It's easier that way. So if any of you have been reading along and thinking I'm mistaken, I just wanted to say I'm not; just differing in opinion. :)

One last thing. I just wanted to say that I find the next couple of chapters quite enjoyable for the familiar faces that Elphaba meets. I hope you enjoy it too.

To Elphaba's misfortune, but not to her surprise considering her record of ill luck, rain began to trickle as quickly as it took for the remainder of the light to disappear from the sky. While the rain itself wasn't harmful to her, the slowly worsening downpour did make her grip on the worn wooden shaft of her broomstick slippery and her fingers and ears stung from the nippy night air. She fought through it, however; she wasn't going to let a simple storm slow her down, so urged the broom ever forward, nearly laying flat on it as she did so.

Time passed by slowly for her, despite her high speed of flight. Due to the intensity of the storm, she couldn't take a direct route lest she risk being struck by lightning (again), so instead she opted for what she hoped would be her safest course. Instead of flying directly west and following the Yellow Brick Road – which would mean passing through the worst of the storm – she flew north by northwest over the whipping cornstalks of Nest Fallows until she reached the small, adjoining mountain range that divided Munchkinland from Gillikin. The Madeleines, she hoped, would deflect the harshness of the storm and gusting winds enough she could travel relatively unharmed. It took hours to travel over the half frozen range of peaks and when she finally reached the foothills at the end of the strip of mountains, she found that she wasn't able to avoid the harsh weather totally. Whether it was following her progress or if the thunderstorm covered most of Oz she never knew, but it managed to meet up with her again as she flew towards the Pine Barren and as a faint glow began to grow in the east.

The Pine Barren was the oldest of Ozian jokes, begun at the time of the original surveyors of the area hundreds of years before. It was not, as the name would suggest, barren of pines, but rather lush and full of towering evergreens. Traditionally maps of Oz left out this fact, so if not for her love of education throughout her life and years of travel (both in childhood across Munchkinland and the Quadling territory and in her adult life in exile), Elphaba might have been surprised at the dozens of square miles of forest south of Gillikin. Elphaba shivered slightly and wrapped her cloak around herself as she sat down on a rain soaked log in the middle of the forest. She wasn't surprised at all; she had looked forward for the last few hours since her most recent rest stop to be able to get off of her broom and perhaps walk. At least the trees would offer some protection against the ghastly wind and downpour that worsened the nearer she got to the Emerald City.

The trees lit up in a quick flash of light and a boom sounded above her before darkness encircled her once more. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up, but she didn't even notice it. Her hand was placed above her heart; the stinging flesh of the burn flared up brutally with the static electricity that filled the area from the nearby bolt.

It was time to leave.

She stood and carefully maneuvered so she could hide her broom under the taught strap of her shoulder bag beneath her flowing cloak. It was uncomfortable there but at least it was out of sight, and she stepped back onto yellow bricks for the first time in hours. Her legs and knees were bruised and sore and her hands were blistered from gripping the broomstick so tightly for hours, but she pushed herself forward, ignoring the irritations. The sun had completely risen above the mountains to the east and through the branches of the miles of pine and the rain slowed to a light drizzle before she even considered slowing down.

There was noise up ahead, as though people were talking, and she could smell the distinct aroma of pine burning. Curiosity got the better of her common sense; instead of going around the distraction, she neared it. She followed the curve of the path until she rounded a patch of trees only to find two people she didn't expect, and certainly did not want, to bump into.

One was the little farm girl that she was told briefly about before, wearing her sister's shoes that even managed to gleam with their unnatural beauty even in the gloom of the stormy morning air. She couldn't have been fourteen, Elphaba thought, but the braided pigtails that held her dripping hair up along with her odd blue-and-white checkered dress made her look even younger. She seemed to be searching the nearby foliage for something and she was talking over her shoulder to a man – no, she couldn't believe it – made of tin.

The sun's rays, half-concealed by clouds and the thick trunks of trees, shone against Boq's metallic body, and though he was more tarnished than he was only a few days before, there was no mistaking him. How could her luck truly be so poor?

Elphaba stepped silently behind a tree and watched as the two conversed. The girl's tone was weary, but she seemed relatively clear of mind considering not but days ago she had fallen from the sky and into a strange world.

"For someone who is heartless, you sure mope a lot. Why don't you put yourself to use and help me find some food?"

"I am not only heartless, Dorothy," Boq responded from his seat against a thick tree trunk, rapping his knuckles onto his round chest, the sound of which resembled a drum. "I seem to be missing a stomach as well. Eat without me."

"I will if I can find anything remotely edible. My tummy is simply rumbling. So tell me again, good friend, for I misunderstand– which one of the wicked witches was the one to curse you so?"

"East or West– does it matter anymore? They are dead. Good riddance to them both, the evil tyrants," the Tin Man said, throwing something into the small fire near his feet.

"How sad. Surely someone must be grieving them?"

"Take it from someone who knew them both personally. They were called 'wicked' for a reason. No one would grieve them."

If Elphaba were not so exhausted from her travels, she would have cursed Boq into oblivion, but he was pitiful enough in his current state. She recalled her guilt from Nessa's oppression over the Munchkin and her spell over him, and it seemed to override her anger over his words. He wasn't worth it any longer. Her eyes fell back upon the glittering shoes on the farm girl's feet; even they weren't worth it anymore.

There was a yapping sound by her own shoes. A small, black dog was sniffing her boots, and she nudged the thing off of the worn leather gently, shooing it away. It came back again, and she saw snot from the animal drip onto the toe of her shoe. What an awful little creature! She swept down in a swift movement with her fingers claw-like in front of her and her teeth bared, and the dog jumped away whimpering with its tail between its legs. She chuckled to herself; she still had it.

Unfortunately, the sissy dog managed to get the little girl's attention, and Elphaba retreated further in the shadow of the tree.

"What is it, Toto? Do you see something over there?" The girl went over to the dog and picked him up, looking in Elphaba's direction with narrowed eyes, until they widened dramatically. "Look! Look over here! Berries!"

Elphaba sighed with slight relief. She always preferred to do things under her own terms, not that she necessarily intended to say anything to the girl. The child did kill her sister after all, accidentally or not. She was about to turn and be on her way when she got a better look at the berries the girl was collecting and cursed silently at her kindness.

"You don't want to eat those," the witch said, stepping forward in front of where the girl named Dorothy was rummaging. The child's wide brown eyes looked up her tall form with wonder, and Elphaba continued, "You'll regret it tomorrow. Trust me."

"Thank you for the warning! There really are good people here in Oz," the girl said as she hopped to her feet. Elphaba didn't really feel like correcting her; she hadn't exactly considered herself good for years, but whatever pleased the girl. "My name is Dorothy, and this is my friend, the Tin Man."

She looked up at Boq and expected the worst, but he seemed neither to recognize her nor care much. He simply tipped his metal hat using the blade of his ax and smiled coolly before he closed his eyes in leisure. Elphaba resisted the urge to curl her lip drolly; if she didn't know any better, she would have suspected that Fiyero had been by to once again try and teach the Munchkinlander how best to loaf carelessly.

Her heart skipped at the thought of her lover, but she knew he had not have possibly been by. The Tin Man was behaving so unexpectedly because the Boq that she once appreciated no longer existed. The over-achieving, ever-pleasing, over-enthusiastic boy she had known at Shiz was a distant memory, and she was sure it was not simply because of Nessa's botched spell, but was rather a transformation that occurred long ago from being mistreated by the two women romantically associated in his life. Unrequited love was harsh, whether it was given or received; this much Elphaba knew, or thought she knew until she realized her own was returned. She still pitied him for it.

Dorothy's eyes were still glued to her, awaiting an introduction. She pondered the thought. Unquestionably, she could not introduce herself as Elphaba Thropp, though she selfishly wanted to in order to get some sort of reaction from Boq. She considered the fear that she would be able to strike upon him, as some sort of punishment for the cutting remark on her and her sibling only moments ago. Perhaps even after years of attempting such foolish mischief of using her appearance (or in this case, name and reputation) to her advantage in order to spook others, she'd still get a good laugh out of it. But it was not the time for such entertainment.

Just as she was about to bullshit something or other about herself – for what did it matter, they would never see each other again anyway – they both heard a branch snap nearby. Elphaba's eyes shot to her right and scanned the shadows and foliage carefully. When one of the shadows unmistakably moved, she instinctually backed away, pulling the girl by the sleeve with her.

"What was that?" Dorothy whispered nervously, clutching her dog even tighter to her chest.

Elphaba glanced over in Boq's direction, or more specifically the fire near his metal feet. With nothing but wet wood around, the blaze smoked thick and gray.

"Every creature in this forest knows we are here," Elphaba said in a low voice as leaves rustled from the shadowy area, and she turned her attention back to the darkness in front of them.

A deep growl echoed, and a large pair of gleaming, enormous catlike eyes glowed in the Brick Road's clearing. A monstrous beast of a lion stepped out into the light and Elphaba choked briefly on a quick intake of breath at the sight of it. It slowly yet intently approached where they stood and Elphaba was helplessly mesmerized by its deliberate progress until she saw its paws clutch the dirt and suddenly hurdle wildly at them.

Adrenaline and reflex fed her as she turned, clutched Dorothy by the shoulder and forced her small form to the ground. Elphaba barely managed to duck low enough as the enormous mass soared over them, landing with a skid on the neighboring bricks. The Tin Man seemed back on his feet with his ax ready, but his stiff metal body couldn't move fast enough before the lion turned and ran back at the black and blue figures ferociously.

Fool that Elphaba was, when her foot moved forward protectively in front of Dorothy, she received the brunt of the blow and she and the beast fell back heavily upon the earth, barely missing the young girl and the dog as they did so. The lion rolled itself above her and brought a huge paw down upon her, but she curled up with her arms caging her head and her knees jutting into the hard ribcage of the creature on top of her. She screamed as claws ripped into the flesh of her thigh, having barely deflected off of her elbow, crushing her limb between the heavy foot of the beast and the hard ground.

Hoarse cries escaped the witch's throat, despite her best intention to stifle them, as the lion pulled his long nails from her leg and prepared another brutal blow. In a desperate attempt to save herself before the animal could strike again, she shoved her boot of her good leg into its torso and pushed it away. The lion roared as it was propelled off of her to the brick pathway supernaturally far, where it landed with a dull 'thud,' unmoving.

She breathed heavy, covered her torn skirt with the flat of her hand with a pain-filled groan, and sat up before she looked over at the dazed beast. She didn't mean to summon magic against the creature but she was furious enough at that cat that she could hardly regret it.

Boq stood over it menacingly with his ax raised high. It was not dead or unconscious as it lay there, but rather it was trembling uncontrollably with its eyes staring up frantically as the woodsman prepared the killing strike. It was her love of living creatures that created her mess of adulthood, and it seemed as though her heart would never learn from its mistakes: she called out for him to stop and he did; the blade was stilled not but inches above the creature's neck.

It then sobbed in a way she had never heard an animal cry; it moaned and wept pathetically under the sharp edge, frozen, only moments from carnage. That was when she knew it was a Lion.

"I-I-I'm sorry!" the Lion cried. "D-d-don't k-kill me! I'm sorry! P-p-please, don't!"

It was a terrible, stuttering thing. There were huge, wet tears running down its hairy face, and the Lion still shook badly, so she ordered Boq to step back.

"Are you mad?" Boq exclaimed as he moved away, ax held at the ready. "This thing nearly ripped you apart! Let's just kill it and be on our way!"

"Not everyone is as hollow as you," Elphaba spat at him. "Just because he was protecting his home does not necessarily mean he deserves the sharp end of your cleaver, sir."

"Maybe she's right, Tin Man," Dorothy agreed weakly from her place a good distance away from the beast. "I-I mean, it may have a family…"

"He has no mother and he has no father," a deep, growling voice said from the trees. Elphaba looked up and felt what little color she had in her face leave as a huge black Bear stepped out into the clearing. The Lion next to her crawled up to the enormous Bear and hid behind it, evidently still shaken. "He has no family at all, unless you count the Animals who call the Barren home."

Movement around them made Elphaba realize there were more Animals, by the sound of it small in size, around to witness the commotion. She ignored them all and instead stared ahead at the Bear and then at the great black and orange Tiger that stepped out from its shadow.

"I see you made him cry; surprisingly not difficult to do. He is quite a coward," the she-Tiger said, looking down at the Lion with what Elphaba could only describe as a smirk.

"Lions and Tigers and Bears…" Boq wheezed, dropping the tip of his ax to the ground in disbelief.

"Oh my."

Even if the girl and Boq were going to lose their cool in the midst of these intimidating creatures, Elphaba forced herself to keep her head. Animals, she reminded herself, were what she devoted her life to, and even though her body shook slightly from pain and adrenaline, she was not scared of them.

"What is it that you want?" she asked the Bear.

He gave her a calculated look before he answered in his deep baritone voice, "Freedom from repression. What is it that you want from this forest?"

"Safe passage to the Emerald City, that is all," Elphaba said. She tried not to grimace at either the brutal pains from her fresh wounds or the throbbing knots in her back from landing on the wooden broom shaft as the Bear stared austerely down at her.

"No home to Animals is safe any longer," was his response. "Not without the Western Witch to protect us from the men of Oz."

"Do you mean the Wicked Witch of the West?" Dorothy piped up curiously. "Why would she protect you?"

"I never questioned her motives. Whatever she did or said to the rest of Oz was not my concern– my kin and friends in this forest were. She attended to their needs and kept the guards from the Emerald City at bay and afraid," the Bear rumbled deeply. "Without her, I fear for the worst. We are the closest assembly of Animals outside of the City, and we would be the first captured or slaughtered if the Wizard so wished, which I do not doubt will come swiftly without the Witch to stop him."

"The Wizard is good and wonderful," Dorothy insisted, her tone full of naivety and innocence found only in those so young. "We are going to ask him for help. We can ask him to help you too!"

"You are only a child; you couldn't remember what we Animals used to be. What little you see before you, Girl, is a creation of the Wizard! He left us to live our lives isolated, feared, and frightened for our lives and families."

"We're going to go see him; we'll talk to him for you. He's going to help us."

"Is that where you're going now? No, I don't believe we can let you do that," the Bear said, stepping in the middle of the Yellow Brick Road, blocking their path to the Emerald City. "You will tell him about us and condemn us all to death merely by your ignorance."

"No, no I won't, I promise I won't–"

"We cannot let you proceed."

Dorothy stepped forward as if to pass the Animal, insisting, "We need to! I have to get home!"

The Bear roared, rearing to its hind legs and standing twice as tall as the farm girl, and she backed away into the arms of the Tin Man. The Tigress began to walk in circles around the three travelers, driving Elphaba backwards nearer to the other two, and when the huge Cat began licking its chops hungrily, the witch decided she had enough.

She pulled her eyes away from the great Bear in front of her long enough to push herself up onto her one good leg, all the while choking back a cry and cursing vehemently and colorfully as she did so. Dorothy's eyes went wide at her variety of words, and she accidentally swore again in self-frustration, shocking the girl more.

"Stop this nonsense! I command you to back away and clear our path, this instant!" Elphaba shouted, putting all of her weight on her right foot so she could stand straight and tall as she glared at both the Tigress and Bear. Her hands that hung ready at her side were dripping with glistening blood but were tense in preparation to pull forth her powers if their lives became in jeopardy. The clearing fell silent until the Bear laughed deeply.

"And what gives you the authority over me in this forest? You can barely stand! What makes you think you could dominate me?"

Elphaba glanced down at the smoldering campfire only feet away from her and back to the Tigress. The Animal anticipated the witch's intentions and both of them dove at it, but Elphaba, despite her condition, made it there first. She grabbed one of the flaming logs with her bare hands, using her magical power to conjure and control fire to protect her skin and to ignite the blaze at the end bright and hot, and held it out at the large orange Cat threateningly. She forced herself onto her uninjured knee and bit her lip at the pain of her other leg from the strenuous movement, but stared angrily at the huge Black Bear blocking their way.

"Because there isn't much staying my hand from burning down your entire forest," she said, trying her best to keep her voice strong and steady (though not entirely succeeding). "If you do not grant us passage, nothing but the thick smoke you'll be breathing will keep you hidden from the Emerald City."

"Who are you?" the large Bear then asked, his black eyes glittering as he stared down at the flaming wood she gripped in her sweating palm.

"Some call me Fae."

It looked as though the Bear not only understood, but suddenly recognized her.

"The Western Witch…?"

"–is dead," she interrupted sternly, and the Bear frowned at her. "Who's left to save you? What witch, what wizard, is here to stop me?"

"Please, you have made your point," the Bear said, falling down on all fours and looking around to the Tigress and the couple other Animals that had stepped forward, ready to attack. "I know this Fae," he said to them. "She is strict but I don't believe she really means to harm us. Let me speak to her in private, and while I have her audience I ask you all to give her fellow travelers our hospitality. Do you accept this, Miss Fae?"

"Yes," Elphaba consented, dropping the log that was beginning to burn her skin and pulling her hand against her wet body to soothe the blister. "But I cannot be kept long."

Elphaba turned her head to look at her old acquaintance, Boq, and her new one, Dorothy, as the Tigress walked away into the trees. They did not seem satisfied with these terms at all, for even though they seemed absolutely frightened for their new friend, they were completely scared out of their minds for themselves at the somewhat aggressive band of Animals encircling them. Elphaba rolled her eyes at their drama and accepted the Bear's arm to help her up. She couldn't help but whimper pathetically as she was pulled up to her feet, her limp leg weighing down the ripped flesh of her thigh, but the Bear half-carried her over to a secluded area nearby in order to ease her pain.

"Hello, Rainier," Elphaba said. "It's good to see you again."

"And you, Fae. I hope you will forgive us," Rainier the Bear replied sincerely. "We feared you dead. Even if you weren't rumored dead, I doubt we would have realized it was you."

"It is important that I stay dead," she explained sternly, leaning against a tree for support. "Maybe then I can accomplish something with what's left of my life. Or maybe I'll be able to keep walking along the Yellow Brick Road without being slaughtered by the Gale Force and then continue to leave Oz forever, depending on what I find at the Emerald Palace."

"I do hope you will continue to do good for us," Rainier said, his voice lowering so no keen-eared Animals nearby could hear, "Many here are losing their speech, just like our kind in the cities. Without the Witch of the West to step forward to protect them, Animals throughout Oz need whatever encouragement and support they can get."

"I don't think I could give up on you if I tried," Elphaba said honestly, watching as Boq rattled his metal body and held his ax out in front of him at an old gray Wolf who brought him a loaf of bread. "You never did deserve this contempt."

"That makes two of us," the Bear agreed.

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