Chapter 1: Two Little Princesses.

"Two little princesses,
Dancing in a room,
Spinning fast and freely on their little toes"…

Wyatt Cain twirled the Queen one final time as their dance together came to an end. The orchestra finished playing the final notes of the dance, and the harmonic melody was replaced by the thunderous applause of the guests. The Queen smiled kindly at the Tin Man, and curtsied gracefully. Cain, feeling very much out of place, bowed awkwardly in reply. He almost sighed with relief when he felt a tap on his shoulder, and turned around to find the King, ready and willing to excuse him from the dance floor.

As he made a bee-line through the crowd of dancing couples, his eyes sought out familiar faces- Glitch, nay, Ambrose, was dancing with a beautiful blonde girl Cain did not know. There was no denying that Ambrose was making up for lost time. Since there were no more glitching, now that his brain was zipped back in, newly appointed Head Advisor to the Queen was one of the most eligible bachelors in the O.Z., and he was fully enjoying his new status.

Raw was not at the ball, finding the mass crowd overwhelming. The Viewer growled at the mention of the ball and stated plainly: "Raw not going. Too many emotions, feel too much". Cain laughed bitterly at the Viewer's words, remembering a time when he had uttered similar words himself. Feel too much, indeed.

Jeb was also absent, having been appointed General in her Majesty's service. He was now Commander of the Fourth Brigade, and his work often kept him away. The Northern Island was too far away from Central City, and the cautious young man refused to let the city remain unprotected. Cain admired his son for his loyalty and fierceness, and envied him for having an excuse to avoid these awful festivities.

Both Princesses, however, were nowhere to be found. Cain's steel eyes scanned to room desperately, trying to catch a glimpse of either sister, but to no avail. The sisters were not at the ball. Unconsciously, Cain sought out his gun. Although Azkadellia was a sensible young woman, now that the Witch no longer possessed her, she was a doting sister and could not deny her brazen sibling anything. And there was no denying that where DG was involved, trouble was almost certain to arise.

He quietly escaped to noise of the Grand Hall and was pursuing the long, empty corridors when the sound of pure, delighted laughter reached his ears. Cain visibly sagged with relief, recognising the voices only too well. Quietly, he stepped up to the door from which the voices came, and through the small crack in the doorway, peered into the fire-bathed room. The two princesses, giddy as little school-girls, were sitting on the floor, watching the blazing fire intently. Since their backs were to him, he could only see Azkadellia's hands gracefully moving, creating shapes and figures in the flames. First there was a blazing dragon, then a dancing gypsy and finally, her sister's young features.

Cain's breath caught in his throat, at the same time as DG's laughter rang across the room. There was no denying the elder sister's talent. The face that now shimmered in the flames was so similar to that of the younger princess that Cain could hardly bear to look at it. She was beautiful, even when shaped in flame.

But now it was DG's turn, and her face quickly disappeared as she fisted her delicate hand and seemingly crushed the flames. Then, with a flick of her wrist, she conjured a horse, a blazing horse with a shocking blue-and-purple mane. Azkadellia laughed in delight at the galloping stallion, before challenging her sister further. "Animals are easy", she said sotto-voce, "Faces, people, that's the real trick".

DG, always up for a challenge, crushed the image again, and set to work. Soft hand movements soon resulted in a somewhat inaccurate picture of Raw's face, and Cain almost snickered along with the older princess as she pointed out the imperfections of her sister's work. "You're too gentle, sister", Azkadellia remarked, "You've made him all soft angles. Do not let your heart influence reality. Draw him not for what you want to see, but for what he is". DG sighed in annoyance, but nonetheless she vanished the image and set to work on a new one.

It was somewhat unfair, Cain though to himself, that the older princess expected such precision from her younger sister. Azkadellia had been possessed by the Witch for over fifteen annuals, and despite all the bad things that came due to the Witch's reign, there was no denying that Azkadellia had a far richer experience with magic and its various forms. DG, on the other hand, spent those annuals on the Other Side, ignorant of her gift and unable to use it. His young friend was very powerful, but her magic was too untamed, too heart-felt. She needed to learn some patience and exactness, which Azkadellia already possessed in spades.

Cain was just about to interrupt their impromptu lesson and make his presence known when DG's image finally became clear. This time both he and Azkadellia gasped softly, shocked by what the flames revealed. Luckily, the princess's gasp covered for his lapse, and both princesses remained unaware of his presence.

The picture in the flames was his, and unlike Raw's, it was accurate to a fault. It was an exact, fiery reflection of the former Tin Man, down to his brooding expression. The fire even made sure his eyes shone with piercing blue flames, almost too bright to be natural. DG had obviously outdone herself.

"Oh, Deeg", he heard Azkadellia murmuring softly, and her hand clasped DG's free hand in support, lending her magic to help prolong the spell. "How I wish I could see someone so clearly in my mind. It's beautiful".

Cain, utterly unnerved by what he saw, quickly turned and hurried back to the ball. His only hope was that the noise of one thousand merry guests was enough to drown out his raging thoughts and emotions, which were threatening to erupt.

And because he ran away so very quickly, he was not present when DG allowed his picture to softly melt back into the fire, as if it was the most precious thing in the world. And he was not there to hear her soft reply to Azkadellia's praise. "No Az", she said, and her voice was barely above a whisper, "He is beautiful. Not my image, just him".

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A/N- I was planning for this to be a One-Shot, but as the words kept on flowing I kept thinking that this could be much more. I haven't decided where I am going with this, so you are very welcome to voice your opinions. Good? Bad? One-Shot? WIP? What should I do?

P/s – a Beta would be most appreciated, if there are any volunteers.