Death. It' was all around me, like a cocoon. I had never minded it before. But I do believe that emotions change with the death of a lover. Sure, I'd had people die on me before; but that was different. Fiyero was the only person who had me feel like I was alive; he was the only one to tell me that he loved me. And mean it. Why me? Why Fiyero?

Blood. So much blood. Everywhere. On the walls, on the table, on the makeshift bed. I sat on the floor in Fiyero's blood and screamed. I couldn't ever recall screaming before, but I was now. "Fiyero!" I called in a vain attempt to bring him out of the shadows where I just knew he was hiding.

Nothing. The only sound I heard was the gentle plop of my tears on blood. I didn't even feel the tears on my face; maybe it was because my heart was in so much pain. "Oh Fiyero, why did you come back here? WHY! Why did you find me? Why did you follow me? You should have turned away, never should of thought about me again. Please, don't make this be true."

It was. Fiyero was dead. How could he not be? If that truly was his blood, he had lost too much to live. I knew who had killed him. Even in my pain and shock, the answer was as clear as my skin color. The Wizard. Who else could it of been? No one else knew I was alive. No. It wasn't the Wizard. He wouldn't of been able to kill Fiyero in cold-blood. No matter how strong and powerful the son-of-a-bitch pretended to be, he couldn't of killed Fiyero. It was one of comrades; one of his allies.

I needed to get out of here. I couldn't stay here, not with the metallic smell of Fiyero's blood and the possible threat that they were looking for me. Not that I cared. I wanted to be dead, they wanted me dead. Everyone won.

I ran out onto the street, I ran as fast I could, ignoring the burning pains in my legs and in my lungs. I didn't know where I was going. Hell, maybe. The pain in my lungs grew like a wildfire, I ran faster, urging them to just die. Darkness closed in on me, I was so out of shape. I'm dying..I'm coming, Yero my hero. I felt a sharp pain in my back and in my skull as I fell to the street. I felt nothing and heard nothing, and then I remembered nothing.

When I woke up, I was in a comfortable bed. A lacy, pink bed. Despite my throbbing head and back, despite the deep depressing state I was in, I smiled. "No. It couldn't be..could it?"

"ELPHIE!"

It was.

I tried to sit up, but the fire that ran up my spine was too much and I had to lie back down. "Hello, Glinda."

Glinda ran to me and hugged me. "Oh, Elphaba! Do you have any idea how much I missed you? I believe that everyone missed you!"

Five seconds. That was all it took. Glinda had found me left on Death's doorstep, took me to her house, and she was about to talk me into another blissful unconsciousness.

"Crope, Tibbett, Boq, Fiyero, I even think Avaric missed you a little bit, Elphie."

Fiyero. I shuddered at that name.

"I saw a few of them a month ago, Crope and Fiyero, I believe. I think Fiyero must've been having an affair. He looked happy."

"He did?"

"Of course, silly. When people have affairs, they are usually quite happy."

"I know."

What I had just admitted went right over Glinda's head. Ditz.

"I think we should have a reunion, and invite all of our old friends from Shiz!"

"Glinda, please. I'm a little tired. I've been through a lot.." That was an understatement, part of me had died. No pun intended.

"Oh. Well, you've been asleep for two days. You gave me quite a fright when I found you lying on the street, all sprawled out."

"Two days?" Two days. Two days since Fiyero was murdered, two days since I sat in the pool of blood, two days since I tried to kill Madame Morrible.

"Yes. I brought you here and put you under the roof of Lord and Lady Chuffrey."

"Please, Glinda, I know who you are. Now me, that's an entirely different story." I sighed.

"What are you talking about Elphie?"

"Nothing, Glinda, ignore it. I must've hit my head harder than I thought."

"Look, I'm going to go and see if I can get you something to eat. I know that you must famished."

Glinda left. She was my friend, I knew, and I knew that I was supposed to want to be with her; but this was different. I wanted solitude. I forced myself up, despite the pain, and walked to the single window in my room. Looking out, I saw the Emerald City. Oh, how I longed to be out of here. There were too many memories here for me. Looking harder, I thought I saw something else, a green girl. No, it was just my reflection in the glass. My eyes had dark circles under them, my dark hair hung limp in my face, and I saw the small flow of tears coming from my eyes. "Yero.." I whispered.

"Elphaba?"

It was Glinda, of course. I whirled around to face her, hastily wiping my eyes as I did so.

"What's wrong? Are you crying?"

"No, of course not. I had some..uh, dust in my eye. That was all." Damn me for getting myself a reputation for being the girl who never cried.

And of course Glinda believed me. "Here, it's not much, but it's all I could find."

Glinda handed me an apple. "Uh, thanks."

I bit into it hungrily, angrily. Taking my anger out on an apple. How pathetic.

Glinda sat down on the pink bed and looked out the window. "Elphie?"

"Yea?" I said between mouthfuls.

"Do you think that's a person out there waiting for us to find them? You know, like a soul mate?"

Of course I did. My soul mate's name was Fiyero. "No. You get lucky if you find someone to get married to. I don't push on the love thing. You know that, Glinda."

"I know. But I always believed that there was other stuff going on inside your head, besides the stuff you told me. I had the feeling your mind and heart were contradicting each other."

Well, maybe she was smarter than she let on.

"Sometimes. Do you believe in soul mates, Glinda?"

"I don't know. All I know is I haven't found mine. I'm married to old Chuffrey; sure I love him..But he could be my father."

"Why are we talking about this?" The only thing, I figured, was that she knew about Fiyero and I.

She shrugged. "I don't know. I just kind of came up on me."

I sat down next to her. "Oh. Funny how that happens, huh?"

Eerie silence.

"Yea." she laughed unhappily.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't know, I've just been depressed lately. I guess it's because I've aged so much taking care of Chuffrey. It's a blessing that you showed up here. Maybe you'll be able to raise my spirits..A little."

I seriously doubted that. I thought you had to have high spirits to lift someone else's. In my case, I had low ones. "I can't promise anything Glinda. I'll try, though."

"Thank you." She hugged me, and I hugged her back. We both needed a little bit of love in our lives, didn't we?

"I'm sorry to break-up our little love fest, but I'm still tired. Do you mind if I go to sleep?"

"Nah. Go ahead. You need to sleep. Night, Elphie." she squeezed my hand and walked out of the room.

I sighed. Did I bring sadness wherever I went? Poor Glinda. Sir Chuffrey didn't love her the way she needed to be loved. Oh, I'm sure he doted on her; like a daughter..But she needed someone to kiss her and hold her and...I had an idea. Maybe I could finally do a good deed, I would find someone for Glinda.

I woke up the next day at sunrise - assuming it was the next day - and stared at the pale white ceiling as it filled with the color of purple and orange. Three days. Was I forever doomed to count the days after Fiyero's murder?

"Elphaba!"

I sat up, my back didn't hurt so much anymore. "Huh?"

"Get up, it's time for breakfast."

A real meal. Yippee.

"Hey, uh, Glinda?"

"Yes, Elphie?"

"Do you have anything I could wear? My dress isn't exactly clean."

"Oh yes.."

"In black, preferably."

"I'll find something, wait here."

Within seconds, Glinda was back with an old black frock. I expected it to be a little big on me, since Glinda wasn't asthin as me, but it fit me perfectly.

"What?"

"Nothing."

Glinda sat next to me at the breakfast table as we waited for Sir Chuffrey to bless us with his presence. Cough.

At last he arrived, giving me a funny look. Glinda came to my rescue. "Meet my old roomie from Shiz, Chuffrey."

Last name basis? Wow.

"Are you ill?"

"Uh, no. I was born green." I felt the urge to add 'savvy' but that'd get my ass kicked out.

"What's your name?"

"Elphaba."

"Elphaba? Are you part elf? You sure look it."

"Not that I know of, although it is entirely possible."

That shut him up.

"Oh, Glinda."

"Yes, dear?"

"Have you heard about the Vinkus?"

"No. What's happened in the Vinkus?" Glinda said, totally without interest.

"The Arjiki prince, Fiyero, has disappeared from the Emerald City. The Vinkus is in an uproar."

"Fiyero? Disappeared?"

I suddenly felt sick "Where's your bathroom, Glinda?"

"Right there." She pointed at a door to my right. Duh.

I made it just in time, I immediately threw up. I stood bent over, looking at myself in the mirror, daring myself to cry.

"Elphie, you alright?"

I swallowed a lump in the back of my throat. "Yes, I'm fine."

After I had vomited a second time, I went back to the table with Glinda and 'Chuffrey'.

"...How can a Vinkus prince just disappear?"

"Fiyero didn't just disappear, Glinda."

"He didn't? Then what happened?"

"He's dead." I said bitterly and coldly.

"How do you know? Are you sure?"

"I'm positive...there was so much blood..."

"Elphie? Are you alright? You're scaring me."

"You know how you thought Fiyero was having an affair?"

"Yes."

"He was. With me."

There I'd said it. And I felt sick.

"With you?"

"Oh, don't look so surprised."

"But I am, Elphie. You guys never seemed that close."

"Yes well, things can change."

"I don't know what to say."

"Nothing. That's what you can say. Right now I have a date with the Wonderful Wizard of Oz. He killed Yero. Tell the Arjikis that, old man." I spat in Sir Chuffrey's face, "Savvy?"

"Elphaba!"

"Goodbye Glinda. Thanks for letting me stay here, but I wish that you would of just left me on that street to die. At least that way I'd be with Fiyero."

I stormed out of that place as fast as I could. Good going, Elphaba, I told myself, just don't know when to keep your mouth shut, do you?

And once again I was on my own.