I Dreamed of Angels
~
Part Two A - D
“Trowa, stop talking to those lions and get dressed for our performance already. We don’t want to keep our audiences waiting.”
A girl with curly brown hair and gray eyes appeared from behind Trowa and pulled him up from his position by the cages and shoved him into one of the dressing rooms.
“... and try to be nice to the children today. We wouldn’t want to have them growing up scared of clowns, now would we?” she said as she laughed heartily, about to add another remark when she was quickly pulled over to the side.
“Was he telling those lions about his little angel encounter again? It’s bad enough that he wanders around trying to find a church everywhere we go just to look at those angel paintings.”
A large man dressed in a red coat, presumably the ring master looked sternly at the young lady before him.
“You know how he is. He isn’t exactly very social with other people. Just let him do what makes him happy.” the young girl explained.
“Catherine, this isn’t normal! He’s been doing it for years. This little obsession of his is getting out of hand and ...”
“So, you say my heir is still dreaming of angels?” a deep voice suddenly interrupted the conversation between Catherine and the man, startling both of them.
“Mr. Winner!” It was as if the wealthy businessman appeared out of nowhere.
“Don’t worry about him. I, admittedly, still dream about *my* angel and I doubt that I’ve gone insane.” he said, reassuring them.
“I’m sorry. We shouldn’t even be reminding you of these things.” Catherine immediately interrupted, hoping that their recent conversation did not cause their new visitor any grief.
“My son’s memory will always remain with me, but ... I believe that it is time to move on and take care of my *other* son. I know that my angel would have wanted me to.” he said solemnly.
Catherine looked at him and understood what he meant. She was very grateful that she had found her brother and somehow, she believed that the young blonde was *really* Trowa’s angel.
“Mr. Winner, I can’t thank you enough for what you did for my brother. Please, if there’s anything you need, just ask.” she said.
“Well, I was hoping to get vacant seats for tonight’s show. My daughters have been begging me for weeks to come here. They really want to see Trowa.” he suggested, remembering his daughters’ antics the night before.
“Excuse me, Mr. Winner, you didn’t happen to bring those foot soldiers with you, did you?” The ring master, quiet for so long, suddenly interjected, afraid of the answer.
“Eh... umm.. you wouldn’t mind, would you?” the man asked hesitantly while scratching his head, a bit embarrassed.
“Nonsense!” Catherine exclaimed. “He wouldn’t mind at all! The thirty seats for you and your daughters will be ready and ... I’ll find a way to get another forty vacant seats. That won‘t be a problem.”
The ring master’s eyes widened but Catherine quickly calmed him down by reassuring him that she would take care of everything.
“Well, as long as Catherine promises to do it, I wouldn’t mind.” he said, addressing Mr. Winner.
Meanwhile, from one of the far tents, Trowa was watching the exchange. His movements were focused on dressing himself, but his eyes and ears were concentrated on the interaction he was observing.
True, he had been deemed insane by many, but nobody had the heart to confront him. He knew what was happening, but didn’t mind at all. All his thoughts were focused on the more important details of his life such as the gifts his angel from long ago had given him.
It came as a great shock to the five year old to see something as horrid as the execution of his angel. He never believed the scene he witnessed before him, thinking that it was all just a bad dream. Even after ten years, he still hoped that his angel would return, not understanding that *his* angel was a deceased being named Quatre Raberba Winner.
His beliefs, of course, had some ground to it. After all, his angel had given him everything he had promised. He now had a family, ... two families even. He lived with his true family, his sister Catherine and often, his adopted family would visit him. Not only had his angel granted him his wish, he also got an extra family out of the deal. That wasn’t bad at all.
Now, Trowa never remembered asking for candy other than the ones offered to him that glorious night, but he was given that anyway. True, his abundance of candy could not be eaten but it sure was useful when he wanted to buy something. He was the new Winner heir, one of the richest beings in the universe. His credibility was never contested and nobody tried to harm him because of that. What more could he ask for?
“I still want to see my angel.” he thought, never believing that magnificent being from long ago had actually left him. After all, how could he grant Trowa’s every wish if he no longer existed?
Trowa started to debate with himself yet again as a hoard of women came pouring in his room, unaware that their little brother was still not fully dressed.
Part Two B
Somewhere, in a different part of the world, an old woman could be seen laying on her deathbed, oblivious to the noise that was filling her surroundings.
“Maman, ne nous laissez pas, s‘il vous plaît!” ["Mom, please don't leave us!"] could be heard over and over again as grieving family members wailed uncontrollably.
The loud and rather disturbing cries only seemed to intensify the depressing mood of the people that were in the hospital. The nurses, hearing the sounds of turmoil, were quick to their feet. They immediately entered the room, intending to calm down the mourning family.
The old woman, in turn, still did not notice the chaos that was permeating the air. She just gazed quietly and steadily at the wall before her. All of a sudden, bright lights emanated from the walls, engulfing her surroundings and engaging her senses.
From that brilliant light emerged a boy with glorious white wings that spread from end to end. Above his head was a golden ring that glowed intensely, accenting his beautiful blonde hair and immaculate face.
“Vous êtes un ange, n’est ce pas?” ["You are an angel, right?"] the woman said with a hoarse voice, unable to take her eyes off the splendid figure that was floating before her.
“Oui.” ["Yes."] he said, his voice sounding sweet against the other, now inaudible sounds that filled the room. “Êtes-vous prêt à venir avec moi?” ["Are you ready to come with me?"] he then asked.
His eyes were clear and bright, full of promise and sincerity that the old woman could not help but reach out to the hand that was offered to her. It was at that instant that she felt at peace, looking thoughtfully down at the world she was leaving behind.
“How did the last one in Luxembourg go?”
An angel of bigger stature who looked elegant with golden blonde hair that flowed through his back emerged from the curtain of clouds, beckoning the smaller one before him to move closer. An air of wisdom and authority surrounded him as he floated amidst the heavenly sight.
“It went well.” the smaller angel simply answered as he flopped down on a stray cloud that drifted by.
“Quatre, you really don’t seem pleased with the results.”
The younger angel Quatre released an exasperated sigh and looked down at his feet that swung back and forth while he shifted positions on his comfortable, makeshift seat. He knew that now was the best time to explain to the other how he really felt about his duties.
“I really don’t like taking souls away from those that cherish them.” The statement was short and simple, but it held a lot of truth and meaning to it.
“But this task fits you perfectly.” was the response. “I doubt that there are any souls out there that would refuse you. It just takes one look at you for anybody to trust you unconditionally.”
“That’s what’s disturbing me.”
The older angel’s face lit up with amusement and wonder at the other‘s remark. He looked at Quatre earnestly, his questioning face eliciting a hesitant answer.
“I’d rather be a guardian.” Quatre said softly, embarrassed at his seemingly selfish request. All the angels had their own duties which they performed without question. Unfortunately, he was unhappy with his. He felt guilty, but he also felt that he was reasonable.
“That involves a lot of work and attention.” the other quickly answered.
“I’m aware of that.”
The smaller angel was very proud of his answer. He knew that he could handle the responsibilities that would be given to him, whatever they were. It was obvious that this was what he had wanted for so long.
He raised his chin up in pride. His eyes were pleading and almost demanding when he stared hopefully at the magnificent figure before him. The figure could not help but notice the other angel’s resolution.
“Well then, ...” the older angel said, a bit hesitant of what he was going to do “... we‘ll see what can be done about that.”
Quatre immediately bolted from his seat and ran straight for the one before him. They both landed softly on the clouds as the young angel embraced his guardian thankfully.
Composing himself as he stood, the older, now disheveled angel said “I should have known that was coming.”
He watched the excitement build in the young one’s eyes. All he could do was shake his head in disbelief, remembering that he had once guarded a little boy named Quatre Raberba Winner, naughty but sweet, naive yet determined.
Part Two C
Back in the circus, Trowa tried, unsuccessfully, to hide himself from the stares he was receiving. He grabbed the first piece of clothing he could get a hold of and tried to cover as much of himself as possible.
“Woah! Trowa, have you been working out?”
“Oh my, our little brother has become a hunk’a hunk’a man since we’ve last seen him!”
Trowa just stood in the middle of the crowd of women gathering around him, furiously blushing and still trying to clothe his bare self. It was getting harder for him to do so when his pathways were blocked from all sides. He reached blindly for the rest of his outfit and suddenly felt someone poking his arm.
“Trowa, these are really well-defined biceps. How much do you lift? ... and is that a six pack?”
One of his sisters grabbed a hold of the insufficient cover Trowa was holding against himself and exposed his perfectly sculpted stomach. Within seconds, the crowd moved even closer into the circle as mounds of women examined him and bombarded him with questions as well as complements.
“You know, it’s a wonder you don’t have a girlfriend. You’re absolutely stunning! What do you say, girls? Shall we set him up with someone?”
It didn‘t take long before someone answered. “I agree! ...but first, we’ve got to spice up his personality. That would be a good start!”
The tent was then, filled with voices of young women, giggling and making numerous suggestions. By this time, Trowa had given up on trying to hide himself. He just stood shyly in his spot with face cast downwards, hoping that his savior would come soon.
Fortunately, his silent pleas were heard when Mr. Winner entered the tent.
“Girls, I think that Trowa needs to get ready without us disturbing him. He’ll be late for his performance.” He motioned his hand towards the exit. All the twenty nine women looked at their father and followed him obediently out the tent, each giving Trowa a good luck kiss.
Before following his daughters out, Mr. Winner gave Trowa a pat in the back. “Good luck, son.” he said and then left.
Just as he thought that he would be spared from further embarrassment, a sister peeked in the tent and said, in a hurry “...Trowa, we brought you some new outfits and some other stuff for your place. I bet you’ll never guess what today’s theme will be. Bye. See you later.”
Trowa froze after that and started picturing his room in colorful wallpapers, filled with stuffed elephants and lions, and of course, clown shaped pillows. He couldn’t help but shudder at the thought.
Moments later, he heard Catherine’s voice calling him, effectively ending his musings.
“Hurry up! It’s almost time for our act. Your adoring fans await you!” she said as she chuckled to herself because she knew exactly what was going to happen. Of course, this wasn’t the first time his adopted family had come to visit.
When the curtains rose, Trowa tried as hard as he could to look anywhere but *at* the crowd. He was blushing again as he presented himself before his audience. It felt strange that the only time he felt uneasy was when his ‘family’ was watching. The roaring cheers form the crowd only seemed to further his discomfort.
“That’s our baby!”
“Master Trowa, watch out for those knives!”
“We’ll save you from those lions, Master Trowa!”
Trowa felt like a cute little two year old, subjected to hours of presentation to aunts that would constantly pinch his cheek. On the other hand, he was overjoyed that he now had two loving families that lived to praise him.
Ignoring, or at least trying to ignore the familiar voices, Trowa tried his best to look professional by not hiding his face behind his hands. Amazingly enough, he was able to keep a straight face that gave nothing away of how he felt at that moment. The only signs of uneasiness that could be seen was through his slightly flushed cheeks. Catherine couldn’t help but be amused by her brother’s reactions, hidden from the crowd but very visible from her view.
Part Two D
“Congratulations! You are now a guardian.”
The news came quickly for the young angel who had been patiently for the older angel’s return.
“Really? That was fast!”
Before the other could even prepare himself, the small load was again attached to him as they both fell softly on the clouds under them.
“Thank you.” Quatre said with much delight. “Even in heaven, you still watch over me.”
“Believe me. I’ve always enjoyed that responsibility” The older angel answered.
He lifted the still elated angel off of him and deposited him on a cloud that drifted by.
“Look...” he said. “I’ve got to prepare you for this. As much as I enjoy your enthusiasm, I doubt that you know exactly what to do.”
Quatre nodded, looking much like a child who was excited to learn about something new.
“You will be guarding the soul of a boy.” he began. “Umm, I don’t know how to explain this ... how shall I say it? Well, he’s never had a guardian before.”
“That’s awful!” Quatre said, looking sorrowfully at the other.
“Don’t so that! You’re going to make me cry!” The older angel was teasing but he did get swept away by the other’s expression. He sat beside Quatre and continued.
“It seems that we made a mistake. He’s been accidentally looked over on the list. These kinds of mistakes are very improbable, but it does happen. Don’t worry!” he suddenly piped up. “That means that he’s always been meant for you. Otherwise, his soul wouldn’t have come up just when we were trying to find you a match. Now, isn’t that nice?”
Quatre nodded his head again, excitement being replaced with a solemn expression.
“He’s a little unresponsive, a bit sad even, but I know that you’ll make him happy. You will, won’t you?” the older angel asked, shaking Quatre out of his despondent state.
“Of course I will!” Quatre cried out in defense for his capabilities.
“I don’t doubt you, Quatre. I’m sure you will.”
It didn’t take long for Quatre to hear everything he needed to know about the soul he was going to be watching over. Within minutes, he was able to commit every single detail to memory. Now, there was only one, important detail left out.
“So, what’s his name?” he asked.
“Let me check.”
The older angel looked through what seemed like a file of some sort and then said “... Trowa Barton.”
Quatre was stunned at the familiarity of the name. He had faint memories of a friend he had met years ago. He remembered a sad, despondent boy dressed like a clown. The events that took place afterward hit him like a bullet that instantly awakened him to the gravity of the situation.
“I promised him so many things.”
His thoughts were overflowing with guilt at the realization that he had not been able to check back on the boy ever since he left the mortal realm.
Quatre spread his wings right away and prepared himself for his journey below.
“You’re wrong.”
The abrupt response from Quatre only seemed to puzzle the older angel that was regarding him with immense concentration.
“He *had* a guardian. His angel had just been too busy doing something else. Trowa’s been waiting for his angel to return someday.”
Passion and determination now surrounded Quatre as he took flight.
“He’ll get his wish because his angel is returning to him.”
The sweet voice was now inaudible as the newly appointed guardian made his way down to the beautiful expanse of the earth.