Author's Note: I disclaim. Okay you asked for a new chapter asap and so here it is :)

Enjoy! x

The high stone castles of Shiz Town held no intimidation for Elphaba when she returned to Shiz for their second semester. With Fiyero by her side, the prospect of seeing Galinda again and the invitation from the Wizard in her breast pocket there was very little to turn her spirit to sadness. It felt odd not to have the desire to hide buried in her heart somwhere. It remained, but was constantly dispelled by her friends and, more recently, Fiyero's family. His mother had packed her perfume and her own make-up and most wonderfully, a stack of four books from their library about the origins and history of the Vinkus that were not to their knowledge held in any other institution. Nanda had tied them together with silk ribbons and written a note that told Elphaba they were hers to keep. Elphaba had already decided to write to her.

"Would you mind, Yero?" She whispered as she fell asleep next to him on the train to Shiz. "Would you mind if I wrote to her?"

"No," he said calmly, "if you did it it might make her miss my letters less. I could just give up." Elphaba laughed, though she hardly agreed, but sleep won over and she closed her eyes. Fiyero would feel too badly about not writing to his own mother to rely only on Elphaba, whose letter-writing commitments were shaky at best. As it was she would have to apologise profusely to Galinda for her terrible lack of response to all of her best friend's frilly letters, where each smelled of a different, heady perfume. She had intended to write back, but good intentions didn't always lead to heaven.

Galinda watched her Ama tidy away her wardrobe as she stood in the bedroom doorway with her hands on her hips waiting for Elphaba. She had some nerve not living up to her promise to write to her. Galinda had practically been destitute! How was she supposed to know what to do without Elphie's sarcastic comments and eye-rolling to guide her? She felt positively stranded.

She tossed her curls and adopted the best "angry pose" she could. She was deadly serious. When Elphaba walked through the door - sans Fiyero - she took one look at her and bit back a laugh. "Galinda, have you eaten something bad?" The blonde stared at her as she casually walked past her and said hello to the Ama, proceeding to empty her suitcases, which now numbered three and a half. "Oh come on, Galinda. I know it's hard to smile when you see me, but you have such lovely teeth; can't you make a bit more of an effort?"

Galinda huffed. "That is not why I'm upset!" She shut Elphaba's case and glared hard at her. "You did not write to me!"

"I did."

"Did not!"

"And how would you know?"

"Because I never received any letters from you! Hardly any."

"Well, there you go, you are already exaggerating." Galinda stamped her foot. "And just because they did not reach you does not mean that I did not write them. I was in the Vinkus, perhaps they were stolen by some nomadic tribe wishing to learn their alphabet." Elphaba opened her case again, shooing away any help from the Ama. "As it happens, I did not write to you very much."

Galinda's mouth fell open and she crossed her arms. "Then why did you not just admit that?"

"Because you should consider all possible options before you reach a conclusion, my dear, my darling Galinda. Remember that you have a very sharp mind somewhere under all those beautiful curls. If you jump to conclusions you might hurt your ankles in those ridiculous heels you insist on wearing."

Galinda eyed her shoes. "These are not ridiculous. They are very sensible. I would never wear something inappropriate."

"Uh-Huh." Elphaba threw some newish-looking dresses in a drawer.

"Oh, Elphie! Don't ignore me, I haven't seen you in ages! And those should be hung up!" Galinda scoffed and removed them, walking to Elphaba's closet and draping them delicately on the rail. "These are quite pretty. Where did you get them?"

"Fiyero made me shop."

"Of course he did and did you break out in hives?"

Elphaba rolled her eyes and Galinda's heart gave a little jump; this felt like home.

"Galinda, please try to concentrate! You had the whole bloody summer to practice this, and she'll be here any minute."

"I know! Stop yelling at me!" Elphaba bit her lip and leaned back against the window pane. They were preparing for Morrible's first tutorial after the holidays and Galinda was desperately trying to accomplish a spell that would allow her to move objects every which way. Relying still on her pathetically flimsy practice wand, Galinda waved about frantically. "Come on!" Elphaba jumped up when the blonde broke into a sweat and began panting for air as though she'd run a marathon.

"Galinda, stop. Look at me. Now, calm down. You are never going to get anywhere with that kind of frustration. Magic doesn't respond to that." Galinda sighed and bit her tongue to stop herself from crying, but her feelings of inadequacy prevented her from maintaining her composure. "Oh Galinda . . ."

"It's not fair," she sniffled, "I can't do this; I can't be angry and passionate about things like you can. That's not me." She slumped inelegantly on a chair and dabbed tissues under her eyes. "And now I look ridiculous."

No, Elphaba thought, no you're not very good at doing what I do. Elphaba could so easily be riled up and it took very little for her now to call on her magic. Though in important moments in the past it may have failed her, Elphaba had tested herself at Kiamo Ko. She'd had Evard throw rocks at her and she learned how to deflect or destory them before she was hit. On three occasions she had turned them round and almost knocked him unconscious, much to Fiyero's amusement (who watched, as he flatly refused to ever aim anything at her because he claimed she would later make him pay for it).

So yes, Elphaba could harness her abilities much more easily because that was how her powers worked.

But that does not mean that is how everyone's power has to work. Elphaba had tried riling Galinda up to see if her energy would create some kind of surge of magic but it had been fruitless and she was regularly reduced to tears. No, Galinda was at her best when she was prepared, calm and feeling in control. It would probably be more difficult, but her desire to be seen as 'good' might work in her favour.

"Galinda, I have an idea."

She sniffed, tossing her curls again and again, to bring back volume and make them 'sit'. "Really?"

"Yes, now listen and listen very carefully."

Galinda stood centred at one end of the room. Elphaba stood behind her, whispering gentle intructions. Directly opposite them, at the other end, was a chair. And all she had to do was move it. Elphaba's word soothed her and she let her mind iron out it's own creases. She cleared everything as best she could and imagined ribbons from her body to the object she wished to move. She pictured it, still, with the shadows leading from it. She pictured it some more.

"Think about it now, Galinda." Elphaba whispered. "Move the chair."

Galinda saw the chair and with her ribbons she moved it. She moved it a few times, just to be sure. Sometimes left and then forward. Suddenly her mind jumped and yanked the robbons hard and the chair was right in front of her. She knew she had lost control and she knew that when she opened her eyes it would not have budged an inch. Galinda exhaled heavily and a great feeling of disappointment came over her. "Elphie I'm sorry." She turned and opened her eyes. "I just - Elphaba?"

Elphaba was staring past her to a spot that seemed to be right where Galinda had just stood. "Galinda, what are you apologising for?" She asked. Galinda turned and looked for the chair, but it was not where it had been. It was right where she had pictured it in her head. There in front of her. "Oh my sweet Oz!" She squealed and picked it up and paraded it around the room causing Elphaba to roar with laughter. "I can't believe it!"

"Galinda!" Elphaba wheezed against the wall, struggling to hold herself up. "It just slid across!" She chortled. "It just slid across silently - it was gliding!" Galinda put it down and smiled. "Do it again, go on and try it again."

"Alright." Galinda caught her breath, relaxed and silently asked the chair to move. Politely. It was very obliging and did indeed glide across the floor towards Elphaba. "Aha! I can do magic! Magic!"

"Young ladies." A stern clipped voice addressed them from the door abruptly. Galinda jumped and moved over to Elphaba, preparing her apology for Madame Morrible and expecting to blow her away - perhaps literally - with her new skills. But the woman at the door was not Madame Morrible. This woman was one of the nameless administrators and oversaw the organisation of the some of the undergraduate classes. Elphaba felt disturbed. "Your class has been cancelled for this morning. It shall resume once the University can find a suitable replacement."

"Wait, I beg your pardon?" Galinda spoke, suddenly stepping forward to take charge of this new development. "Where is Madame Morrible?"

The pert-faced woman tipped her head slightly. Galinda was affronted that she should be made to feel inferior for having asked a perfectly legitimate question. She disliked her. "Madame Morrible is dead."

Fiyero stared at them. "Morrible is what?" Galinda nodded and threw her hands in the air. Fiyero turned to Elphaba who was slumped back against her chair. They had found him in an indistinguished little cafe and Galinda had burst in dramatically and cemented that day in his memory with the words Morrible's dead. Elphaba followed her in quietly.

"Dead. Dead, Fiyero." Elphaba said, punching her words with a tap of her bony fingers on the table. It rocked unsteadily beneath her.

"Alright," He began.

"Alright?" Elphaba repeated. "Alright?" Fiyero sighed. "How can you say that? The only person who ever recognised something good in me is dead. If it wasn't for her I don't think I would have anything; she inquired about me to the Wizard and she was going to handle my magic. I don't know how to do it without her." She looked at Fiyero who gave her no repsonse. "Fiyero! How can you not see the bad in all of this? It's so hard for me to prove myself. No one gave me the chance except her. She was my ticket to . . . to some sort of life!"

"That's not true, Fae."

"Don't!" She stood quickly and shook the table again. "Don't you call me that."

"Elphie, Elphie, he's right." Galinda took her hand as she stared at Fiyero. "Sit down, please. Listen." Elphaba looked at Galinda and was persuaded to sit. "Morrible's death is not something we would wish on her, on anyone, but Fiyero is right. Yes, she recognised your talent and you should remember her for that; we all should. But you can still make your way to the Emerald City. We'll have another tutor. Morrible was meticulous about you and there is no way she would not have left some kind of record of what she already saw in you."

"She already has her invitation." Fiyero said grudgingly. "Morrible gave it to her at Lurlinemas."

"What? Elphie! That's so wonderful! Why didn't you tell me?"

"I forgot. I'm sorry."

"You forgot? Elphaba! How could you forget something like this? Sweet Oz, Elphie! Congratulotions!"

"Thank you." She let herself smile and looked at Fiyero, whose feelings had clearly been hurt by what she had said. "I'm sorry, Yero. You're right."

Impulsively, Fiyero got up and walked out. Elphaba did not watch him. She would find him later, sulking in his room and they would have make up sex because he was never able to resist her. So, she remained with Galinda awhile and they talked calmly and Galinda turned her upset into happiness; a callous happiness though it may have been. Elphaba realised that it did not matter that Morrible had died because she already had her ticket to freedom and success.

From The Emerald City there came news everyday that some reform or other was to be overturned. Animals armed themselved with new amendments and passages of law that would be thrust into the face of any official who tried to uphold an old rule that had previously restricted their freedom or movement. Elphaba noticed this more and more often. It put a bigger smile on her face and she felt more exhilarated at the prospect of meeting the Wizard.

And the Wizard sat every day at his desk, sweating and increasing his blood pressure to dangerous levels in an attempt to reorganise a land for one young woman he had never even met.

So Morrible's gone . . . but what's gonna happen when Elphaba finds out about what the Wizard's hands are trying to cover up?