(AN: A much shorter chapter than the last one, but stuff is starting to happen [the Shiz is hitting the roof! lol])

(So far, I don't know who's been following this since no reviews have been posted for five days. But in case you fear, then let me tell you not to fear. Koiyo will definitely appear before the end.)

(Now enjoy the escape scene!)

Escape from Shiz

Elphaba woke up to find her hands covered with blood. The first thought that came to her mind was panic. The baby had been born too early, or it had died! Something was going wrong. She looked down and noticed that she was not as she once was. Below she found herself dressed in heavy armor, like nothing she had ever seen before, with no sign that she had ever been pregnant.

In fact, there was no sign that she was even a woman.

Looking around, she noticed that she was higher up off the ground than before. She tried to speak, but no words came out of her mouth. She saw the endless snow-drifts before her, painted black with soot from the nearby forests, which were burning, were littered with huge bodies of man, woman and child.

"You've done well, General." a voice said. Turning around, she saw a short woman wearing the purple colors of the Ozma's soldiers. She obviously addressed him as general, but what was this? She was never a general, she had never killed these people. She had never even seen these people.

What had she happened upon?

The scene shifted and she found herself in a great study in Ozma Towers, filled with books upon books. A large one, called Ancient Magick was in her hands. Just then, the door opened and a woman with auburn hair and a sharp, cod-like face entered the room.

"Elvira!" a voice spoke. Elphaba noticed that it was coming from her own lips, but it was not her voice. "What have I told you about disrupting me during my study time?"

"Your pardon, Lord Chancellor," the woman said. "But the Ozma requests an audience with you."

"What for?"

"She didn't say, although she did say that it is private."

She sighed, though it was neither Elphaba nor Elvira Morrible who was sighing. "I must speak with her then."

Once again the scene changed, and she found herself standing before the huge, frog-like Ozma once again.

"Your Majesty, are you certain?"

"I have made certain myself." Ozma said again.

"What do you propose we do?"

"Destroy them." Ozma returned nonchalantly.

"But, Your Majesty, that would be a great waste! Think of the power we would possess! We could make Oz the apple of Lurline's eye, the greatest of all the lands! It would do no..."

"Okli, my old friend," Ozma said. Elphaba was surprised at how sincere this shallow biddy was speaking to her - or, rather, to him. "I trust you in all things, that is why I trust you and you alone to this task: find and destroy all of the Wonders. If half of the rumors about them are true, then no one should possess that kind of power...not even me."

A thousand new images flowed through her mind, so much that Elphaba's senses were starting to numb. But now the images were gone, and a new light brought her back to the waking world.

It was black, like a hole in the world, where neither magic nor air existed. Elphaba felt herself being drawn towards it against her will. It was like falling. That black hole was now the center of gravity and all things were falling towards it.

The golden armor flew off Okli's old, decrepit body, coming to rest around the black hole like it was upon an invisible body. There was a rush of sand all around Elphaba, all of it swirling toward the black hole. The tiny grains came together as large pieces of clear crystal, shining prysmatically with every kind of light in this room.

A new being was formed from the crystal and armor, a being that was neither dead nor living. Within Elphaba a new feeling rose, one of fear. Another urge then fel upon her.

Run.

Fiyero and Daisy broke into the throne room, expecting to have to face a sea of guards and courtiers, not to mention Ozma's wrath, alone. Instead, they found Glinda all on her own, sitting on a very small, humble seat to the left of the great throne. When she heard the doors slam open, she jumped to her feet with a start.

"Fifi!" she said. "I didn't expect you to be here!"

"Fifi?" queried Daisy.

"What are you doing here?" Fiyero asked. "I thought you were taking a break. Where's Ozma?"

"She's having a party with her repertoire outside under a canopy," Glinda said. "That's why the throne room is empty. I needed to stay here for a bit."

"Well, we're leaving." Fiyero stated quite plainly. "So come on, we're off to find El..." He paused, catching his breath for a moment, before realizing that the name of 'Elphaba' was not to be used while in this time. "Aelphaba. We've got to find her."

"What about Nessa?"

"Who's Nessa?" Daisy queried.

"She's our horse," Glinda said. "They took her from us when we were first brought here."

"What's a horse?"

"Like a unicorn," Fiyero stated. "But without a horn."

"You know," Daisy said. "I remember hearing some of the servants talk about such a creature. Put up a fight once it got into the stables, but now its quiet as a mouse - too quiet, actually. Some say its pining for its funeral."

"Can you get her ready for us?" Fiyero asked.

"I can certainly try." Daisy said. "Where shall I meet you with this horse?"

"I don't know!" Fiyero shouted. He had forgotten some of the outer locations on the map.

"Here!" Glinda added.

"Okay, here then." Daisy said. She then shot off as fast as her feet could carry her.

"So where's Elphie?" Glinda asked, once Daisy was gone. "Shouldn't she be with you?"

"I think she's still back in the room! C'mon!" Fiyero led the way and Glinda ran after him as they tried to find their way back to their room.

They were not half-way down the second corridor from the throne room when the earth began to tremble and shake. Fiyero and Glinda almost jumped towards the walls, gripping onto the iron candle-holders, window-ledges or anything that felt secure.

"What the Frottica was that?" Glinda asked, fear clutching to her words.

"Never heard of earthquakes in Oz before." Fiyero stated. "Then again, who's ever heard of cyclones or snow-storms either?"

The two slowly made their way down the hallway, keeping to the walls all the way. The shaking did not subside, and things were starting to slide and shift about violently. Guards were running down the hallway, shouting in fear. They did not even attempt to stop them, all caution now thrown to the wind.

Fiyero and Glinda came to Elphaba's room, discovering the door wide open. Inside they saw the Grimmerie, but no Elphaba.

"Where is she?" Glinda queried.

"I don't know!" Fiyero returned, sounding a little nervous now. He ran over to the wardrobe and took out her Ozian clothes, which he threw onto her bed. He then took the Grimmerie and placed it with the clothes. From out of the bed, he pulled one of the sheets off and wrapped it around the clothes and the book. This he then slung over his back and turned toward the exit.

"Yero!" a voice shouted.

"Fae?"

From the other end of the hall Elphaba came running. Or, rather, she was running as fast as she could while trying to keep balance with a huge belly and the ground beneath her shaking vehemently. One hand was on the side of the wall, struggling to keep hold on something that was a little bit stable, while the other sat upon her side.

Without another word, Fiyero ran down the hall and walked over to Elphaba's side. Her lips were shaking with fear and a look of dread horror was upon her eyes. Glinda, fearing the worst, ran over to where the two were standing.

"Elphie!" she cried out over the roar of the shaking earth. "What's the matter? Is it time?"

"Have to...keep moving!" Elphaba gasped. "He's coming for us!"

"Wait, who's coming?" Fiyero asked.

"We can't stay here!" she shouted, her voice filled with desperation and fear.

"Can you move?" he asked again. "Are you...well, you know..."

"I'm just tired, Yero!" she grunted. "You try running for your life with a baby in you who suddenly feels compelled to start moving around!" With a groan of frustration, she continued on down the hall, with Fiyero and Glinda keeping pace with her.

"Where are we going?" Elphaba asked.

"The throne room!" Glinda gasped. "We're getting out of here!"

The trio were back in the throne room, the two supporting Elphaba between them. She was now panting and bent over as much as her condition permitted.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Fiyero asked. "You know, when I saw you back there, I feared..."

"I was exhausted, okay?" Elphaba shouted. "Can't I be exhausted after running for my life?"

Glinda gasped. "What's wrong, Elphie? What were you running from?"

"The Chancellor," she sighed, her breath returning to her. "Something's happened to him. We gotta leave now!"

"Alright, just as soon as Daisy shows up with Nessa." Fiyero replied.

"Daisy?" Elphaba queried.

A pair of doors flung open, and a loud neighing echoed through the hall.

"Nessa!" Elphaba cried. The horse reared up on her hind legs, neighing wildly. Behind, Daisy walked with a large unicorn-pony with a gray coat and white mane.

"Are we ready to leave yet?" Daisy asked.

"We?" Elphaba returned. "You're coming with us?"

"This earth-quake is a sign!" Daisy shouted. "Ozma has angered the Elements! I'm not staying in Shiz a moment longer."

"Where will you go?" Elphaba asked.

"Back home!" Daisy returned. "I haven't lived here too long to have forgotten Munchkinland, the place where I was born, the place where I lived - before those tall bastards took me into slavery!"

"We'll go with you!" Glinda said.

"What?" both Fiyero and Elphaba queried in disbelief.

"We don't have time for this!" Elphaba shouted. "Let's just go!"

Elphaba walked over to Nessa and Fiyero and Glinda ran to her side to attempt to help her up.

"No, no, no, no, no!" Daisy cried, waving her finger at them while she walked over to the giant horse. "This wild mare is not suitable for a mother-to-be. Here!" She took Elphaba's hand and led her over to the unicorn-pony. "Bfan is much older, much wiser. She'll keep you safe."

"Nessa's never let me down! We're inseparable!" Fiyero and Glinda noticed that tears were silently winding their ways down Elphaba's emerald cheeks.

"I insist, you big, tall, string-bean!" Daisy shouted, her patience wearing thin as the whole of the palace lurched about them and these three young people were arguing about their mounts.

Elphaba sighed, rolling her eyes, and then walked over to the gray Bfan. Fiyero and Glinda helped her mount up, and Daisy jumped up behind Elphaba, clinging to her shoulders. Meanwhile, Fiyero leapt onto Nessa's back, the horse stirring beneath him as the tremors increased. Glinda slowly brought herself onto Nessa behind Fiyero, the bag of supplies that Fiyero brought with them stuffed between her and Fiyero.

"Hyah!" Fiyero shouted. Nessa gave a snort and shot off for the door.

"Giddy-yup!" Daisy shouted. Bfan galloped after Nessa. Though much older than Nessa, by far, the unicorn-pony ran with strength in each step, and great speed. One could easily imagine, while sitting atop Bfan's back, that there was no chance in Oz that she would let you fall.

The two galloped out of Ozma Towers, down the streets of the city of Shiz, making their way toward the gates. October was a snowy month - like Gilikin had anything but snow - and they feared that this would impede them in their flight. It did not seem to matter, for they continued off at break-neck speed, Nessa snorting and neighing as she galloped hard through the drifts of snow.

They did not look back as they rode onward.

(AN: Please review!)

(In other words, I hope you've realized where I'm going with this. I've dropped enough hints that I think I shouldn't have to just say it out loud what's happening. If not, you'll find out...eventually)

(Is everybody still in character?)