Thanks again so much to everyone who's been reading and especially to everyone who left a review! With this chapter we're pretty much at the end of the first section of the story. It's a bit on the short side, but after this I've tried to keep the updates consistently longer. Thanks for sticking with me, and I hope you enjoy the chapter!

Fiyero kept his pace steady, but not frantic, as he made his way back to the caves. Time was not necessarily of the essence, as there was no guarantee that he would find Elphaba any time soon. She'd had almost a day's head start, and Fiyero had no leads, only the fragile hope that a visit to her formed hideout would provide him with some sort of clue. It was the first time that Fiyero had made the journey on his own, but he knew the way well enough by now that his legs seemed to carry him there of their own volition.

It took several hours, but eventually Fiyero emerged back into the familiar clearing. He took a deep breath to steel himself, and then continued onwards towards the caves. He didn't have very high hopes, but it felt like a first step, regardless. He made his way inside and waited for his eyes to adjust to the darkness.

He glanced around only for a moment before heading further in. His legs guided him from memory, and it wasn't long before he found himself standing at the entrance to the former hideout. Yet as he stared into the now-dark crevice, he felt his heart sink into his stomach.

Any hope that Elphaba had returned to this place was dashed in an instant. It was completely dark and devoid of life. The small sphere of light that had once occupied the corner of the room had obviously gone out some time ago, plunging the small cavern into darkness. Fiyero had trouble seeing as he made his way inside, and as a result he stumbled over the stone table that had once held Elphaba's spell book. Catching his balance, he squinted into the darkness in an attempt to improve his vision.

After a quick visual sweep of the main section of the cave, Fiyero carefully made his way over to the smaller room in which Elphaba had kept him trapped. As he moved into the center of the small space, he was reminded of just how cramped it was. It was also as dark and silent as the rest of the cavern.

It was around this time that the reality of the situation really began to sink in. Though he hated to admit it, Fiyero had been clinging to the hope that he would find some sort of clue in his exploration of the cave. What was he supposed to do now? He was just one man on foot, and she was a witch on a broomstick. It was hardly fair. Temporarily overcome by the futility of the situation, Fiyero slammed his fist into the wall before he turned and went back into the main room of the cavern.

He made his way back towards the entrance, sliding his hand against the wall as he went to keep himself from bumping into anything. He paused as he felt his hand catch on something irregular. Backing up, Fiyero ran his hand over the spot again. Something wasn't right. One particular section of the wall wasn't as smooth as the rest. Peering closer, he could see that a small portion of the wall appeared to have been cut away and then fit back in. It was almost imperceptible, and Fiyero could barely see it in the darkness.

He pressed his hand against the right side of the stone panel and was pleased to see the opposite side jut out a little. Taking the protruding side, he managed to pull the stone all the way out. As he did so, a couple of papers fluttered to the floor. Curious, Fiyero set the stone panel down and picked them up.

Fiyero's eyes widened in recognition as he went through the papers. They were the same ones he'd discovered hidden under the rock on his first day as Elphaba's prisoner. He turned a familiar emerald envelope over in his hands, remembering the first time he'd found it. That day felt like years ago now.

Setting the papers down, he removed the rest of Elphaba's belongings from the space in the wall. He recognized the two books he'd seen the first time and sat down on the floor to examine them. He opened the smaller one first, but it was impossible to make out what was written on the pages in the darkness. After a few moments he stood again, gathered the papers, and exited the cave.

Once outside, he waited for his eyes to adjust to the bright sunlight before turning his attention back to the books. Taking a seat on the grass, he once again opened the smaller of the two. Now he could see that the book was a diary, with entries written in a tidy cursive that he assumed was Elphaba's. He flipped through the book quickly, fascinated as he skimmed the different entries. It appeared that she had started the diary before Shiz and continued writing in it until she'd reached the last page at some point while she was still in college. Fiyero set the book aside, resolving to take a better look at it later, and picked up the larger one.

This book revealed itself to be a binder, filled with what looked like papers and reports from Elphaba's Shiz days. He was impressed by the perfect marks that adorned the top of each page and found himself wondering what Elphaba would have been like in college, before she'd become the Wicked Witch of the West. He imagined she would have been just as passionate and determined as she was now, just possibly with a bit less hostility.

He stopped flipping through the pages as he noticed that one of the papers in the binder had a large red 'F' printed across the top. This was in such contrast to the rest of her grades that Fiyero stopped and read the paper over.

It was an essay on Animals, and Fiyero could find no fault with it. It was well written and Elphaba had argued her points brilliantly. Puzzled, Fiyero flipped the page over, and finally found the reason for the failing grade. There, scrawled in red pen, was a note from whichever professor had graded the paper. It read "Does not complete the given assignment. You were to analyze the differences between humans and Animals and describe the positive effects of the Animal bans."

Fiyero smiled softly, running his fingers over the page. That was why Elphaba had saved one failing grade among her perfect marks. She'd sacrificed her perfect average for the sake of her beliefs. He'd only known Elphaba for a short while, and yet that seemed exactly like her.

Closing the binder, Fiyero gathered the papers and stood up with a new-found determination. It was as though seeing even this little bit of Elphaba had restored his fragile sense of hope. He was going to find her, however long it took. He would not spend the rest of his life wondering what might have been.

Brushing the dirt off his pants, Fiyero thought on his next course of action. The only other lead he had was the nearby Animal camp. She hadn't attempted a return to the cave, but perhaps she'd deemed the village safe enough to chance it. Without further hesitation, he shoved the collection of documents into his rucksack and set off.

He reached the town in a matter of minutes and was surprised by what a familiar sight it was, considering he'd only visited twice. He hoped that the Animals would remember him well enough that they wouldn't protest his presence.

Feeling apprehensive, Fiyero entered the small camp and kept his head down as he went. The Animals eyed him with blatant suspicion, just as Fiyero had feared they would, and he wondered if word had reached them about Elphaba's capture and subsequent escape. He hoped that they didn't believe he'd had anything to do with it.

Despite the unwanted attention, Fiyero pressed on, trying to decide how best to go about his search. He couldn't very well barge into the Animals' tents, and he wasn't too keen on asking any of them if they'd seen her. He was beginning to feel as if coming here had been a mistake, but he was woefully short on other ideas at present.

Then, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted someone familiar. It was the Sheep that Elphaba had reported to the first time she'd brought him into the village. He believed her name was Calla. His heartbeat quickening, Fiyero shuffled his way over to where she was standing. She seemed surprised to see him there, but Fiyero spoke before she could say anything.

"I'm looking for Elphaba. I was wondering if she's passed through here recently," he said. He tried to suffuse his voice with confidence but suspected he was failing miserably.

The Sheep's eyes narrowed into a glare as she replied, "I haven't seen Elphaba since the two of you left here two days ago. It's very unlike Elphaba to be away for so long, and she was with you the last time we saw her. You'll forgive me if I'm a bit suspicious."

Fiyero wasn't sure how to respond. Perhaps the Animals didn't know as much as he'd initially suspected. He was reluctant to explain everything that had happened over the past days to the Sheep, especially since he was suspicious that Elphaba didn't want him to find her. He simply cleared his throat and said, "Elphaba's not in any danger. We were just separated and I'm trying to find her. I need to deliver a message."

The Sheep obviously didn't buy this. "I thought Elphaba said she couldn't let you go."

Fiyero wracked his brain for a suitable answer. It failed him and he responded lamely, "I uh…I got off for good behavior."

There was a short pause, before the sheep said curtly, "I've already told you that we haven't seen her. It would be best if you were on your way now."

But Fiyero was no longer paying attention. He was certain that he'd just seen the end of a piece of black fabric disappear into the schoolhouse from over Calla's shoulder. Feeling his pulse quicken, he turned to the Sheep and said, "Right, uh thanks. I guess I'll just go then."

He brushed past her and walked a short distance away until he felt she was no longer watching him. He checked over his shoulder for reassurance, then doubled back and slipped into the schoolhouse.

His eyes darted around, searching for a flash of green among the Animals crowded into the small room, but it quickly became apparent that Elphaba was not among them. Fiyero stood blinking in confusion, until he saw the Gazelle, Sentra, stocking blankets onto a shelf a short distance away. His heart sank as he realized one of them was a familiar shade of black.

Crestfallen, Fiyero was about to turn and leave, when a small voice called out from behind him.

"Mister Fiyero!"

Startled, Fiyero turned and was met with the sight of a familiar Bear Cub. She smiled cheerily up at him, a small plastic doll clutched in her right paw. Fiyero smiled despite himself, glad to see a friendly face. He said, "Well hello there, Lorgen."

She looked up at him, innocent curiosity written on her features. "What are you doing here without Miss Elphaba?" she asked.

Fiyero's smile dropped. "Actually, I'm looking for Miss Elphaba. I haven't seen her in a couple of days, and I thought she might have come here. Obviously, I was mistaken," he explained.

Lorgen cocked her head to the side and said, "What do you mean? Miss Elphaba came by just yesterday."

Fiyero's head shot up at this. Could it be possible that Calla had been lying to him? That wouldn't be surprising, now that Fiyero thought about it. The old Sheep had never exactly trusted him. His voice suddenly urgent, he asked, "Lorgen, do you know where she went?"

The Bear seemed taken aback by Fiyero's sudden change in tone, but she responded, "She was talking with Miss Calla. I don't think I was supposed to hear, on account of they were whispering, but I think she was moving to another camp. Why can't she come here anymore, Mister Fiyero? Did something happen?"

Fiyero wasn't sure how to answer her. The small Bear looked so worried that he simply said, "No, everything's fine, I promise. Lorgen, can you tell me how to reach this other camp?"

Lorgen still seemed confused, but she answered Fiyero's question, nonetheless. "It's not really that far. My mama took me there once for a visit. I think you just follow the road past the hospital and then go straight in that direction the whole time."

Fiyero nodded, feeling his hopes rising once more. "Thank you, Lorgen. I promise I'll make sure that Elphaba's safe."

Without another word, he turned and left the schoolhouse with a newfound purpose to his stride.