Sir Sun crawled his way up into the Ozian sky, turning a few scattered clouds from a soft violet hue to a deep orangey red. He shone down on a quiet and peaceful Shiz University from its set place. Unsatisfied, Sir Sun rose even higher and illuminated a lone figure sitting at the base of a large stature.

As his light grew brighter, the figure could be made out to be a girl. The girl's skin could almost be mistaken for a brilliant shade of green. Of course, the mere thought of a person with green skin was outrageous—yet after another look at her under Sir Sun, anyone could confirm the girl's skin was as green as emeralds from her furrowed brow to her slender hands and wrists.

Impossible, but true. Who had ever heard of someone with green skin? Was she simply an extremely citizen of the Emerald City? Or was she a tree lover? Perhaps she was a color enthusiast. Maybe this girl for some unknown reason chose to paint her exposed face, neck, and arms. Perhaps for religion, or art? It was not uncommon to spot an atrocious article of clothing being adorned on one or another for a project, as everything odd happened at the University.

But then another figure joined the first at the base of the stature, a peculiar boy with blue diamonds on his dark skin. Now it was obvious the girl's skin was not painted, for the dark skinned diamond boy tapped her exposed arm and no green paint flaked or smudged off. Imagine!

A blue diamond boy and a green skinned girl. No soul would believe if one dared tell of such a tale, yet there they sat beneath the very Sun.

The boy bumped the girl again. This time she payed him heed, scowling as she slammed her book shut with a snap.

"Yes?" Her accent was a thick Munchkinlander's. "I've to finish these last paragraphs before class, now rather than later—plenty a thanks to my infuriating roommate–and I needn't you distracting me."

"Isn't Miss Galinda your roommate?" It was clear the boy hailed from the Vinkus from his voice.

"Yes," the girl inclined her her head. "She kept me from my books all night. My face endured torturous substances—make up, I believe she called them—and my hair was plaited and tugged in various ways; painful updos Galinda considered the 'most swankified styles now,'" the green girl quoted in a fake, high pitched voice.

The boy grinned. He tapped the edge of her book. "Which class is this for?"

"Nikidik's," the girl spat out. "Surely you recall our assignment for today?"

The girl held up her book and waved it at the boy's blank face. "We are to read this book and write twenty pages expressing our opinion on how large businesses in the Emerald City benefit by employing Animals vs. humans and their profits."

"THAT assignment? I thought it wasn't due till tomorrow!"

The girl sighed. "No, Fiyero."

She fiddled with the end of her quill.

"Ahh well..." the boy grinned sheepishly, causing her to sigh. The green girl plucked the pair of spectacles from her face and tiredly rubbed the lenses on her navy skirt.

"Elphaba—"

"Can you believe the nerve of Nikidik; assigning such a project so soon after Doctor Dillamond's death?" the girl glared out at the lush gardens of the University. "I suspect he truly revels at his jab towards Doctor Dillamond, him being an Animal."

Pain was clearly evident in her eyes.

Fiyero cocked his head. "I thought the Goat's throat was slit by a broken magnifying lens."

Elphaba gritted her teeth, her fists clenching at her sides. "Incorrect. Mistaken. False information. Yes, his throat was slit, but not by glass and certainly not accidentally."

Fiyero's brow furrowed in confusion.

"Doctor Dillamond was murdered!" Elphaba threw her hands up, exasperated. The quill flew through the air and landed a few feet from the pair. "Horrible Morrible had her little mechanical servant, Grommetik, slit his throat, and then lied to cover her tracks. That I am most certain of, I saw the body myself."

"I didn't know." Figero looked shocked, regretful, a little queasy, and angry all at once. "I didn't know," he repeated.

The two were silent. Elphaba refused to look at the boy. Fiyero twirled a blade of grass with his finger.

"I'm sorry," Fiyero said at last, speaking down to the blade of grass. "I'm sorry for your... lost... Boq told me you spent a lot of time helping him with his research and such."

Elphaba nodded stiffly, her gaze firmly planted on the horizon. "He didn't deserve to die. Especially not the way he did."

A beat of silence.

"I never did ask why you were awake at such early hours."

Fiyero shrugged. It was clear Elphaba wanted to change the subject of discussion.

"I couldn't sleep." He glanced at her. "Avaric was out last night, so of course he came back intoxicated. He thought singing obnoxiously loud at the top of his lungs was a good idea. I heard him and I'm several dorms away. I can't imagine what poor Boq was enduring."

Elphaba rolled her eyes at the blue diamond boy. A clock struck six.

"Galinda will be arising soon. I best be off so not to be relentlessly interrogated"—Fiyero's stomach growled—"and you should eat."

Elphaba dog eared her page, stood, and plucked her quill from the ground. Fiyero followed suit, brushing lingering grass from his pants.

"Shall I see you in class?"

Elphaba inclined her head. "Perhaps."

"Farewell, then. And I wish you the best of luck on you essay."

"And the same to you..."

The blue diamond boy and a green skinned girl departed, hoping to avoid a pestering roommate and to silence a growling stomach.

As Sir Sun finally came to his peak in the sky, he shone over the University, quiet and peaceful once more.