It was great to get a few more reviews in the previous chapter! Thank you! Please keep on reviewing! And now I know many of you are highly anticipating what happens next so I will get on with the story!

"Fiyero, Fiyero," Sam whispered nervously.

As he opened his eyes he realised he was curled up, his legs pulled up to his chest and Fiyero's arm was slung protectively around his shoulders. It was dark and they could hear shouting in the distance and some kind of siren or alarm. Sam observed that they were both still soaked and they were trapped under the hull of the boat but they were no longer in the water, they were sat on the riverbank, weeds and mud beneath them. He shivered slightly in the cold of the night, he could see no natural light coming from the underside of the boat but some kind of artificial light, maybe torchlight was beginning to appear. Subconsciously and out of fear he shuffled closer to his older brother who was also shaking slightly.

"Mum's going to kill us," Sam said worriedly.

"Don't worry I'll take the blame," Fiyero pledged to him.

"Sweet Lurline it hurts so much," Sam said, gritting his teeth as he clutched at Fiyero's hand tightly.

"It's ok, don't worry, they're looking for us," Fiyero assured Sam resolvedly, he was certain of it.

"Whatever happens just please don't leave me," Sam begged, tears once again running down his dirtied cheeks.

"I won't," Fiyero answered quickly, holding Sam tightly.

The lights around them began to get brighter and brighter, footsteps getting closer as Sam began to scream Fiyero's name and he screamed back that he would not leave but everything blurred once more as a bright red light clouded Fiyero's vision.

Fiyero awoke to the sound of the comforting voice of a doctor, assuring him that everything would be ok. In the background he could hear the faint beeping of a heart monitor and defibrillators whirring down after use and he deduced he was in some sort of hospital and his thoughts drifted to Sam.

"Where's Sam?" Fiyero asked, his voice breaking slightly.

"I need you to stay still for me ok, you have got to stay still," the doctor instructed calmly, trying to stop Fiyero from sitting up.

"Sam?" Fiyero said, his voice laced with fear as he reached across to the bed next to him, "Sam? Sam? No! No!"

The doctor continued to hush him restraining him but Fiyero was stronger and pushed him away, tears streaming down his cheeks in pure desperation.

"That's my brother," Fiyero screamed at the doctor, "Sam! I cannot leave him, I can't leave him."

X-X-X-X-X

The wind blew gently through Galinda's hair, the sun shining brightly, not a cloud in the sky. Fiyero and Sam had been pulled from the river yesterday evening and Fiyero was now in a stable and sedated condition in hospital. Galinda was stood in the gardens of Kiamo Ko, looking out across the now calm but flooded river, the place that had caused so much devastation. She heard the approach of Boq and Nessarose behind her and she turned her head slightly, looking over her shoulder to acknowledge their presence.

"Your carriage is here to take you to the train station," Nessa informed her politely.

"Thank you Nessa," Galinda returned but her voice was not as high as it usually was; it was subdued and monotonous.

Without exchanging any further words Galinda walked back across the gardens, pulling her white cardigan tighter around herself for she was only wearing a yellow sundress. She felt disrespectful but she owned nothing black, the only person she knew that willingly owned black dresses for daywear was Elphaba. With only one suitcase to take with her Galinda lifted it into the carriage alongside her and it pulled away from the castle gates.

The drive to the Emerald City seemed to be the longest it had ever been, giving her too much time to think about the previous day, too many opportunities to reflect on how short Sam's life had been, and what a lovely boy he had been. If she strayed into the subject for too long she began to blame herself for his death. If she had not have refused to go to lunch with Fiyero then he would never have gone boating with Sam, none of it would have ever happened if not for her. Those thoughts were quickly interchanged with ones of what on earth she would say to Elphaba once she reached the Emerald City. Her green roommate had never even been introduced properly to Sam, they had only met briefly on Fiyero's first day at Shiz, yet Galinda felt that she needed to be told in person rather than by some form of correspondence, and besides Fiyero needed somebody, whether he refused company or not , Galinda supposed he might open up to Elphaba.

When the carriage finally pulled up at the curb side just through the entrance at the western gates of the city, Galinda breathed a sigh of relief that she would no longer be stuck in the confines of the tiny space available to her. As she stepped out onto the busy city street she breathed the air gratefully before glancing up at the perfect azure sky.

Galinda thanked the driver before taking out a map and heading in the general direction of the apartments Elphaba was staying in. All around her the blonde girl was surrounded by green, and bright lights, people smiling and laughing and she felt as if it all added up to a vast sense of someone goading, somebody who had control over the happenings of the world trying to incite some kind of reaction within her.

She stayed strong though as she finally found the right block and made her way into the entrance hall. The reception was very grand with marble floors and a modern looking glass desk monitored by smart looking concierges and receptionists. She was given directions to Elphaba's apartment and she braced herself for the meeting as she made her way down the final corridor.

As usual she knocked gracefully on the door and stepped back slightly, hearing Elphaba's shouts of "I'm coming," from within.

"Galinda?" Elphaba was shocked as she eventually tugged open the door, a smile appearing on her face, "what in Oz's name are you doing here?"

Elphaba's expression turned to one of confusion and worry as she noticed that Galinda was not smiling and most certainly wasn't her usual over cheery self. The Galinda she knew would have happily thrown herself at the verdant girl by now and then skipped into the room in a flurry of pink skirts.

"Glin?" Elphaba asked nervously, acknowledging the stony expression on her friend's delicate porcelain face which Elphaba observed looked more pale and fragile than usual.

Galinda opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out, she stuttered on a few words but they were incomprehensible and Elphaba noticed the blonde's bottom lip began to tremble and tears willingly slid down Galinda's cheeks and the girl sniffed loudly. Without warning or any other words spoken Elphaba stepped forwards and pulled Galinda into a tight hug, holding her strongly, pulling her closer. Elphaba was still completely and utterly mystified as to what had caused her friend's emotional state but she passed the thought to the side as she smoothed the blonde's hair down gently.

When they finally pulled away Galinda's eyes were red and puffy, slightly swollen as she pulled a tissue from her handbag and dabbed daintily at her eyes.

"Why don't you come in and tell me what's happened?" Elphaba offered, her voice kind yet showing signs of apprehension as she took Galinda's hand in her own.

Galinda merely nodded in response and Elphaba gently led her inside before retrieving her suitcase from the hallway. Elphaba headed to the kitchen and returned with a glass of water before sitting Galinda down on the sofa and handing it to her.

"Thank you," Galinda said, trying desperately to offer her friend a smile.

Elphaba took a seat next to Galinda and shuffled a lot closer to her friend than usual, close proximity with people was not something Elphaba was used to but she felt Galinda needed some kind of reassurance. Carefully Elphaba tucked Galinda's hair behind her left ear and waited until the blonde had recomposed herself.

"Speak to me Glin, please, just start at the beginning, I have all the time you need," Elphaba said pleadingly, needing to know what was going on before it drove her to desperation.

"At the train station, when we were leaving Shiz, Fiyero suggested that we all meet up at his castle towards the end of the holiday and so we agreed. Boq, Nessarose and I arrived a couple of days ago. When I arrived Fiyero's brother Sam was begging him to go boating instead of coming to lunch with us," Galinda started and she explained the whole story to Elphaba up until the moment she had arrived in the Emerald City. It was not easy for Galinda who had been crying a lot more throughout the story.

"Galinda listen to me, whatever happens next you need to know that it was not your fault, it was nobody's fault, that storm was unpredictable and deadly, but nobody could have known when it would strike," Elphaba reassured Galinda kindly, pressing a kiss to the side of her roommate's head in comfort.

"But Elphie he was twelve-years-old, he had the rest of his life to live," Galinda said, her voice breaking slightly.

"I know, I know he did," Elphaba spoke, her voice slightly disconcerted by the story Galinda had told her. Every atom of her heart ached for Fiyero and the pain he must be feeling, she knew that she should be back at Kiamo Ko with him, and she would make it for the funeral she was determined.

"The funeral's in two days, before we go back to Shiz, they are having it at the castle, I am sure Fiyero would appreciate you coming," Galinda informed her and Elphaba nodded in return.

"Of course I'll attend it, there's just some other business here that I must manage first, I need to let some people know I will be away for a couple of days," Elphaba said, her voice not in the least bit resigned that she would be leaving the city earlier than expected.

"Oh my gosh Elphie I completely forgot to ask, the audience with the Wizard, what happened?" Galinda asked, her voice seeming more cheery again as she prepared to interrogate her roommate for gossip.

"Galinda we had more important matters to discuss, I don't mind that you forgot but anyway, what I am about to tell you now you cannot repeat to anyone, not even Nessa, Boq or Fiyero," Elphaba instructed firmly, showing Galinda that there was no question of her telling anyone or there would be hell to pay.

"I won't," Galinda assured her, her voice near to reaching its almost excited tones again.

"The Wizard asked me to become his and Oz's new Grand Vizier," Elphaba said and she could not help but let a smile grace her features and Galinda beamed back at her.

"Elphie that's so amazifying, I am so happy for you," Galinda giggled as she wrapped Elphaba in a bone-crushing hug.

"Obviously I will be coming back to Shiz as I am going to need a lot of training for a job like this, and I think you may be able to help me in the public relations part of the role," Elphaba smiled, the question of help cleverly disguised in a compliment.

"Of course I will Elphie but will it not be difficult to fit training around all the studying you need to do?" Galinda asked inquisitively.

"It will, especially as I am going to take my end of year exams for this year in five weeks time and then try and complete my second year's work by the end of the summer too. After the summer I will be having my final training at the palace for four months and the news will be released to the Ozian Citizens before I will be officially and publically decreed the Grand Vizier around Lurlinemas, after that I will have the time to complete my final two years of Shiz in a year and half of study," Elphaba explained quickly.

"Elphaba that is asking a lot even for someone of your talents," Galinda said, slightly taken aback and almost dumbfounded by Elphaba's news.

"I know but I wanted the best of both worlds Glin and this is the deal I have been dealt and I have to work with it," Elphaba conceded ambitiously.

"Well you know I will always be here for you Elphie, especially now," Galinda smiled kindly at her before it faltered slightly, "Elphie?"

"Yes Glin," she said answered

"You won't forget me will you? When all of Oz is looking to you for goodness and to raise their spirits, to help them, promise you won't forget where you've come from?" Galinda said quietly, almost shyly which was quite unlike the Gillikinese girl.

"Glin how could I ever forget you and everything you have done for me?" Elphaba said incredulously, smiling at Galinda, "I promise I will never forget you, and besides how could I Miss Upland, you have changed my life for the better."

Galinda smiled proudly as Elphaba acclaimed her and their friendship, the bond the two had now could never be lost.

The two headed out back into the city after that but whilst Galinda headed to the dress salons in search of something respectful and black to wear to the funeral, Elphaba headed in the direction of the Emerald Palace to speak to the Wizard. She was certain that the news of Samuel Tiggular's death would have already reached him, after all he was royalty and she was sure that eventually most of the citizens of Oz would be aware of what had happened but none of them would ever understand what the royal family were going through and all Elphaba wanted now was to see Fiyero again.

So, what did you think? No Fiyeraba again I know but I promise it will be making a return soon, most probably next chapter! Please review and keep reading! :D