"I have to say Doll….your rhythm still needs a lot of work."

DG sighed and stood up with a helping hand from Glitch off of the ballroom's marble floor. She'd become rather well acquainted with it over the past few annuals, and it seemed that their relationship would be ongoing if Glitch had anything to say about it.

A dignitary from Quadling country was coming in just a few weeks and she had yet to master their cultural dances. If the people of the O.Z. could just get together and say "this is the dance we do and when" her life would be so much simpler, not to mention she'd need a lot less baths to soothe her sore body parts. It seemed that every tiny district had their own dances for various occasions.

Wiping the non-existent dust from her now sore behind she waved her hand towards the record player Glitch had invented for their dancing lessons.

"Well what do you expect? Maybe my dancing would improve if this stuff actually had some rhythm to it."

"What do you mean? It has a rhythm, just open those beautiful ears and you'll hear it."

DG snorted in disagreement. "In all the places I've been throughout the O.Z., the only place I've heard somewhat decent music that I could actually dance to was in the Sin District."

Glitch gave a very audible gasp and proceeded to turn bright red.

"What's got you turning into a tomato?"

"Just…exactly what kind of dancing are you used to Doll?"

Uncertainty flashed over her face. "You know...dancing…."

"If this doesn't count as dancing Doll, I'm a little lost. Can you show me? Maybe if we turn your style into the right moves you won't knock anybody down this ball."

DG groaned remembering that horrible incident a few months ago, but really, what the hell was that guy thinking coming up to her as she was dancing the Vinkus equivalent of a jig? It was hard enough trying to remember all the fancy footwork, and he came out of nowhere! It wasn't her fault he got an elbow to the face…or that he crashed into a passing servant holding a drink tray on his way down.

"I hate to break it to you Doll, but I don't think you're going to hear any of that music you're referring to when the Quadling Ambassador is here."

Crossing her arms she glared at him. "Why the hell not?"

"Well…" Glitch was in serious tomato territory now. "You see….that music isn't really for diplomatic functions….it's really just designated to the….houses of ill repute."

DG's hysterical laughter rang throughout the ballroom and up towards its stained glass ceiling. "Glitch…you're a real gem, you know that?" Looking up at him she could tell that he was incredibly uncomfortable and took pity on him. "Not all music that I'm used to is like that Glitch."

"Honestly!" she hastily added when she caught the disbelieving lift of his eyebrow. "I swear! There are all different kinds of music on the Otherside, just like here. Some of it is fast and loud, some soft and slow, and there are all different kinds of dances that go with each."

She knew she had grabbed his attention with that. Glitch couldn't refuse a new dance to learn, even if it came from the Otherside. "Show me" was all he said then went and sat against the nearest pillar.

DG glanced at the record player. She couldn't very well dance without the music right? She walked up to the contraption slowly, looking like a lion stalking its prey rather than a newly appointed dance instructor. She hadn't tried anything like this before. Sure, she had created a few small things here and there like her hair ties (because honestly…a flimsy stupid ribbon wasn't going to cut it with her mane of hair) and her favorite slippers from Kansas (castles are cool and all, but stone floors were not comfortable in the morning). This would be her first attempt of transforming an object into something else.

"Here goes nothing" she mumbled and reached for her light. She felt the familiar warmth of her magic as it spread from her chest to her arms and finally through her hands to the record player below.

"Doll?"

DG realized she had her eyes closed for a few minutes longer than necessary. Cracking her eyes open it sunk in that no explosions had occurred…hey, she must be getting pretty good at this!

Sashaying back to her spot on the dance floor she motioned to Glitch to switch on the record player, wondering just what songs were going to introduce him to Otherside music. She had thought of at least a few dozen songs while letting her light do its thing, Ozma only knew which ones had made it onto the record.

DG couldn't help but laugh and think that her light sure had a sense of humor as the first few notes floated through the air. Quickly, she remembered her reason for dancing by herself in the middle of an (almost) empty ballroom and proceeded to dance while Glitch's jaw dropped and his face turned a startling shade of red once again.

Laughing again she began to sing along "Let's talk about you and me…let's talk about all the good things and the bad things that may be…"


DG was exhausted, but in a good way. She couldn't remember the last time she felt this light and happy and her smile refused to budge off her face. Her dancing lesson with Glitch had gone on for a few hours and it had been some of the most fun she'd had in weeks.

Cain couldn't help but return her wide grin when he came to escort her to her chambers, DG falling in step beside him.

"Glitch still got all his toes Darlin'?"

"Har Har Har. Yes, all of his appendages are intact and he is now skilled in the art of Otherside dancing, thanks to yours truly."

Cain raised an eyebrow "What kind of dancing is that?"

"From the looks Glitch gave me in the beginning, I'm definitely not showing you Wyatt, you'd probably shoot the new record player."

Cain stopped, glared down into her smiling face and seeing that she was probably right, continued moving towards her chamber. But his mind couldn't stop thinking about just what those dances may have looked like….and the images his brain was coming up with had his body temperature steadily rising.

"You too?" DG exclaimed.

Bewildered he looked at her. "What?"

"I had no idea I had the ability to make so many men blush in a single day…it's doing wonders for my ego."

Still slightly flushed, Cain gripped her arm and said "I have no idea what you're talking about Darlin'…but I'm pretty sure I can get a blush on that pretty little face of yours within two minutes of closing your chamber door.'"

Giving him a slight wink she replied, "Game on Tin Man."

He then proceeded to drag her all the way to her chamber.

Glitch was mystified. Where could his record player have gone? He'd left it in the ballroom after his lesson with DG a few hours ago, but now it was nowhere to be found. He figured DG must have taken it to her room to practice.

Walking down the hallway to her chamber Glitch heard the first Otherside song DG had played for him earlier that day. It was by two gals named Salt and Pepper…the Otherside did have some strange names.

Quickly a bellow came from DG's door that belonged to none other than Wyatt Cain himself. "YOU DID THAT IN FRONT OF GLITCH?"

"Oh calm down, I had my clothes on when I danced for him."

Turning smartly on his heels Glitch headed in the opposite direction, passing a mirror he realized that red really wasn't his color.


Author's Note:
Thanks for reading...let me know how I'm doing with this whole writing thing!