Angel

Summary: Calista makes a new friend named Angel, whom she discovers has a rather traumatic and mysterious past.

Disclaimer: I only own Angel. ;)

A/N: I've always loved the name Angel, and I have a soft spot for kids helping other kids out. So therefore, this was born. It will be a bit sad in some spots, but I promise a happy ending. I'm AquaTurquoise, after all. Haha. :) Enjoy!

*Story*

"Are we all packed then?" Cordelia inquired as she observed her brother, her daughter, and the youngest princess of Enchancia before her.

"We're ready to go, Mummy!" Calista enthused.

Cedric and Sofia exchanged amused glances before nodding toward Cordelia. They were all set to go on an overnight trip to another kingdom called Orthe, which was where some of the world's most magical items were created. Of course, an enchanted kingdom wouldn't be complete without its own level of mystery…but more on that later.

"You'd best tell your parents goodbye, Sofia," Cedric suggested as he held onto his luggage. He smirked as Wormwood flitted down and landed on his shoulder. "We'll be getting in late tomorrow evening, after all."

"Right," she agreed before heading off to do just that.

"Wormy, I'm entrusting you to see to the workshop. No throwing spontaneous parties while I'm away." He chuckled as the raven rolled his eyes.

"Of all the juvenile suggestions," the bird muttered before cawing and flying off.

"I'm quite excited to go to the Kingdom of Orthe!" Calista gushed with an enthused smile. "I've heard that the best wands ever are made there. Isn't that right, Uncle Ceddy?"

"They do make many of them, yes," he confirmed with a nod. "Some of the best in the world. I know all of the extra wands I keep in my workshop came from Orthe."

"We're not merely going for wand viewing though, remember," Cordelia reminded him with a shake of her head. "Wands are perfectly fine, but there are many other things to see as well. Besides, with Wassailia fast approaching, it wouldn't hurt to get a head start on gift gathering."

"Ah, yes," he agreed with a nod, "and since Sofia came up with the marvelous idea for the castle workers to draw names for gifts this year, I was oh-so-lucky to get Baileywick to shop for." He looked upward and shook his head lightly. "Figures, doesn't it?"

Cordelia laughed. "Oh, come off it, Cedric. Baileywick is a perfectly easy man to shop for. Just get him an enchanted pocket watch or something."

"I would, but he seems rather attached to his old one." He smiled as Sofia hurried back over to them. "Ready to go?"

"Yep! Mom and Dad said for us to be careful, and James and Amber both asked for a surprise."

The sorcerer smirked. "I guess no one ever told those two to be careful what they wish for. After all, this is an enchanted kingdom we're visiting… A surprise is almost guaranteed."

While the quartet was flying off to the kingdom in question, Calista had quite a few curiosities she hoped to settle with her mother and uncle, much to their dismay, as they'd been hoping for a rare nap on the way. Then again, with Calista, that was easier said than done.

"So what are we doing first, Mummy?" Calista asked, beaming as she clasped her hands into her lap.

Sofia giggled as she observed the younger girl. She was happy to see the child was so excited about visiting Orthe. She rarely got to leave the castle, save for the Halloween occurrence a few weeks ago, so any resemblance of 'vacation' was amazing to the little girl.

"Well, Calista," Cordelia began calmly, "I figure it might be best to observe the market and begin our quest for Wassailia gifts."

Calista's face fell. "Aww… We're not visiting any of the points of interest? You know, I heard there's a small village in Orthe called Wolf's Valley. I thought it would be neat to see."

"I have heard of that as well," Cedric echoed with a nod. "It's said to be a rather mystical place, housing some unknown magic or something. Of course, very few people know much about it."

"Save the two of you, of course," Cordelia responded somewhat snippily with a roll of her eyes. "I'm certain she got the information from you, Cedric."

"Can I help it if my niece hangs on my every word?" He grinned. "But no, she actually didn't hear it from me. Probably learned it from a book or something…"

"Right, well, maybe we'll visit this Wolf's Valley. However, the market in Orthe is one of the best in the entire world. Magical items galore await us, and it would be a pity to bypass that opportunity, especially for Wassailia."

"Why don't we visit both?" Sofia suggested. "The market today and Wolf's Valley tomorrow before we leave?"

The trio nodded their affirmation. Leave it to Sofia to rationalize with the group of sorcerers.

A while later, they arrived in Orthe, a beautiful kingdom with obvious magical influence (namely with the prancing unicorns, floating objects, and kids running around with wands). The colors were a bit brighter than in Enchancia, yet there seemed to be a haze of some sort over the area. It was almost dreamlike in a way. Sofia liked it.

"Wow, this place is incredible," she breathed in awe as they walked together. "It's just like out of a fairytale."

"It's better than that, Sofia," Cedric informed her with a smile as he placed one hand on her back, guiding her forward. "This is magical reality at its finest."

She laughed. "I can't argue with that."

While they were walking toward the market, the primary place of interest for most, Calista turned when she saw something out of the corner of her eye. She smiled when she saw someone observing them from a distance. "Hmm… Mummy, I'm going to go look at those booths over there." She pointed to her left.

"Very well, dear, but do hurry back." Cordelia smiled as her daughter took off in the opposite direction. "She's so full of adventure." She then fluffed her long brown hair proudly. "Just like me."

Cedric rolled his eyes as Sofia giggled. "Oh, please."

Calista hurried over to the booth where she'd seen another child previously. Or at least she thought she had… She blinked and looked around, realizing she was now the only one standing at the booth. "Huh." She looked up as she heard giggling; then she smiled. "Hi!"

A boy who looked to be about ten years old and was dressed in traditional Native clothing with his long dark brown hair tied back in a slew of feathers grinned at her. "You are not from here," he acknowledged with a slightly noticeable accent. "No other child in Orthe has hair like yours."

The girl blushed modestly before smiling. "My mummy fixed it like this for me so I could look like my favorite uncle. My name is Calista."

"I am Angel," the boy told her calmly, "a son of Chief Cheveyo. We live in Wolf's Valley."

Calista lit up. "Oh, no way! My family and I were talking about visiting Wolf's Valley!" She beamed brightly as she clasped her hands together. "Oh, you simply must tell me more of your homeland."

Angel smiled gently at the younger girl. "Is your family not going to miss you?"

The girl scoffed playfully. "I will catch up with them. Please, please, Angel?"

The boy nodded before holding out his hand. "Come with me then, and I will tell you all about Wolf's Valley."

Blinking yet taking his hand, Calista followed him along the outer area of the market.

"Calista," Cedric grumbled as he folded his arms and tapped his foot on the ground. "Oh, where is that girl? Surely it doesn't take that long to look at a booth or two."

"What if she got lost?" Sofia asked in concern before absently grasping her Enchantlet. "Or kidnapped?"

"I like how you immediately jumped to abduction so quickly," the sorcerer remarked with a slightly sarcastic tone before sighing. "Although I can't deny that you may have a point… We should go look for her."

"What about Ms. Cordelia?"

Cedric gave the princess a derisive look before nodding his head toward his sister, who was gushing rather loudly to anyone who would listen about the new magical hair accessories she'd found. "I think she's more than preoccupied for the time being, my dear."

Sofia laughed. "Good point. Let's go!"

"Where are we going, Angel?" Calista asked curiously as he held fast to her hand and guided her through the streets of the market.

"To Wolf's Valley, of course," he responded airily as he flashed her a smile, causing her to shyly return it. "Trust me, Calista. You are going to find it amazing. It is the land of my ancestors, as well as the future of my people. One day, I am to be chief of Wolf's Valley, and I will lead us with great pride and honor."

"Wow…" Calista wasn't quite sure what the boy was talking about, but she assumed he must have some plans for his future—big plans, it seemed. When they stopped several minutes later, she was taken aback by the sight before her. "Whoa!"

Before the children was a large valley, at the bottom of which was situated a village. Along with the rich vegetation, there was a majestic waterfall that poured into a river, which lined the edge of the village. Smoke could be seen from within the center of the village, and several people walked around doing their daily routines.

"Angel, this is lovely," Calista breathed in awe.

"My grandparents helped cultivate this land," he informed her as she turned to him. "We are a distinct tribe set apart from Orthe."

"Apart?" she asked in surprise.

"The Orthians do not understand our ways," he explained quietly. "They feel we are stuck in the past while they are moving onward and 'progressing' with their own ways."

"That's a shame. A kingdom known for its culture and its magic should be more open-minded."

Angel smiled toward her. "So it is magic you want to see?" He pulled her along and chuckled at her little yelp as he did so. "I have just the thing."

"Mr. Cedric, I think we're lost," Sofia informed her mentor as they stopped to catch their breath.

"Nonsense," he insisted with a long intake of air. "We're not lost. We're simply…misplaced."

The princess gave her friend a pointed look.

"Oh, fine, we're lost," he grumbled. "Calista just had to go wandering off! Oh, Cordelia is going to be upset when she realizes we've all disappeared."

"Maybe we can find Calista before Ms. Cordelia realizes we're gone. But we have to keep going."

"Right." He nodded as they continued walking, following a new path that led away from the market.

Once they'd entered the valley, Angel approached a large cave set to the east of his village. He glanced back at the tiny sorceress and beckoned her forward, his dark eyes looking back at the cave as she stood next to him. "This is the Cave of Flames. It is said that every life that began in our tribe began here. There is a flicker of a flame for each living soul. However, when the light is doused, so is the soul."

Calista didn't fully understand the boy's words, but she nodded just the same. "So we would have lights?"

"Of course."

"And your mummy and daddy?"

Angel frowned pensively as he shook his head. "My father's light burns still, but it is much dimmer since my mother's passing a few years ago…"

Calista gasped. "Oh, I am so sorry, Angel…"

He shook his head. "Do not be, Calista. She is with me even now: every breeze that blows, every shimmer of the sunlight, every eagle that soars overhead… She is here." He then lifted his hands to his heart and placed them there. "And she is here…"

The girl nodded solemnly. "So…if you don't mind my asking…"

"She fell protecting me and my little brother. Some thieves had entered our village and had taken much of our pottery, many animals, and all of our food. They took some people too. When one man tried to take me, she pushed me out of the way and demanded that I run." He lowered his head. "I did. I later learned that the man had…"

Calista frowned, noticing that Angel looked fragile for the first time. She barely knew this boy, but she felt her heart going out to him. In a moment of compassion, she reached out and hugged him.

Angel was surprised by the little girl's actions. He was used to being a loner and wasn't quite accustomed to hugs or anything of that nature, so he wasn't really sure how to respond. His stance was a bit rigid and uncertain.

Sensing this, the girl released him and offered him a kind smile. "I'm sorry. For your loss and for hugging you without warning… My friend Sofia and I are rather bad about that."

He laughed and shook his head. "It… It is all right, Calista. I appreciate the gesture. And forgive me. I am not one to receive such attention." He glanced back toward the cave and then to her. "Wait here." He took off running and jumped up, hoisting himself upward and into the cave. He then dropped to his knees and held one hand out toward her. "Come along."

Several minutes later, the two children were walking deeper into the cave, guided by a sole light of a torch that the boy had located.

"Angel, do you know where we're going?" she asked apprehensively as she stayed close to him.

"I know this cave well. Do not worry." He guided her a bit deeper into the cave, his fire splaying shadows along the dampened walls. "It is said that, along with the flames of life, some of the world's greatest magic lies within this cave."

Calista gasped. "That makes sense! My Uncle Ceddy said Orthe held a lot of the world's most powerful magic items."

Angel frowned thoughtfully. "No doubt gathered from us Wolf's Valley people. My father is so kind and offers so much to the Orthians, yet still we are treated as outcasts." He huffed. "When I am chief, things will be far different."

The girl wasn't sure how to respond to that, so she merely remained silent. Her eyes lit up a few minutes later as they neared the center of the cave. There, shimmering in fantastic shades of color, was a stream of—"Magic!" Calista grinned. "I know magic anywhere. It's a part of my own life."

The boy glanced at her in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"My family and I are magic wielders. My mummy and I are sorceresses. My uncle is a sorcerer. My grandparents are as well. It's kind of a family tradition, I suppose." She laughed.

"Oh, really? I never would have imagined someone so little could possess such a wonderful trait." He smiled kindly as she blushed. "That makes you far more interesting than most children."

Calista beamed and spun once before putting her hands on her hips. "I am rather fantastic, I suppose." She mentally chided herself as the boy laughed. Oh, great. She was becoming her mother: one with a need to show off her abilities and flair. Nope, she should tone it down and act more like Uncle Ceddy. He'd probably be shaking his head at her display right now. Realizing that, she giggled nervously and lowered her hands to her side. "I mean…thanks, Angel!"

Angel hummed thoughtfully and grasped her wrist gently, pulling her toward the colorful stream of magic coursing in the center of the room. He let her go and gave her a gentle nudge forward. "Pass your hands through the magic. It won't hurt you; I promise."

She nodded and did as he suggested, staring in awe as the colorful streams reacted to her presence and danced around her hands and fingers. She felt a warm surge fill her veins, like she was being charged on the magical powers. She glanced toward the boy, who smiled.

"It is true. You do have magic in your veins. It only reacts to those who do." He passed his own hands through the stream, which then reacted to him. He chuckled softly as Calista gasped.

"Y-You too?"

"I told you our tribe is unique." He gently clasped her hands and removed them from the magic. "And now after this, your own magic will become much stronger."

She blinked. "Will it really?"

Angel passed his right hand over his left, conjuring what appeared to be a blue magical outline of a bunny rabbit, which hopped around the cave before nuzzling the girl's cheek, causing her to laugh as it vanished. "Just wait and see."

"When we find that girl, she is going to be in so much trouble," Cedric grumbled as he and Sofia approached the area of Wolf's Valley.

Sofia smiled gently. "Don't punish her too harshly, Mr. Cedric. She's just a little girl."

"Oh, I'm not going to be the one punishing her. Her mother will be. She's far scarier than I am." He shuddered. "I'll never forget the bonnet incident when we were little children…" He waved a hand as his apprentice seemed interested in the story. "Suffice it to say, I sort of incinerated the ruddy thing by accident. As my punishment, she destroyed my favorite stuffed toy—a doll of Merlin that my mother made for me." He sighed as the girl smiled sympathetically at him.

"Don't worry. We'll find Calista. And if we do it right, maybe Ms. Cordelia won't find out."

"Not likely."

The friends flinched and turned around, only to see an annoyed Cordelia standing there with her arms folded.

"C-Cordy!" Cedric gasped. "How did you find us? Even we got lost a few times."

"You and your horrible sense of direction, Cedric." She rolled her eyes. "Do you not recall Calista speaking of wanting to see Wolf's Valley?" She gestured forward, indicating the location in question. "I merely asked the market workers the location, and they directed me here." She frowned. "You mean to tell me you two have been lost all this time and just now found this place?"

Cedric folded his own arms and glared at his sister. "And you mean to tell me that you just realized your daughter was missing?"

"I…" She pursed her lips and shook her head. "I realized it not long after you two disappeared. But first I tried to find the both of you…to no avail. So I put two and two together. Anyway, enough talking. We must find Calista now." She brushed past the two friends. "She's getting potion bottle cleaning duty for a month."

"Ooh," Sofia murmured with a grimace. "I've cleaned those before. It's not pleasant for an hour, much less an entire month."

Cedric nodded in agreement before leading her onward, both following Cordelia into the valley.

"This has been grand," Calista gushed as she and Angel vacated the cave, lowering to the normal part of the ground again. "But I really must find my family. They're likely wondering where I've gone."

Angel gave her a sad gaze. "Must you go? It is rare that I get to speak with anyone…" He gestured toward his village, where people continued on with their normal tasks. "The villagers do not understand me. You do."

"I'm sorry, Angel, but my home is in Enchancia, with my mummy and uncle, and with my friends. And as much as I'd like to stay longer, I really must be going."

He nodded in understanding. "Very well… Perhaps one day you will visit again?"

"I would love that." She grinned as she hugged him again, and this time she was pleased when he returned it. She giggled when he released her and offered her a mysterious smile.

"Ahem."

"M-Mummy!" Calista's eyes widened when she turned and saw the trio staring at her. "Oh, there you are," she attempted, smiling sheepishly when Cedric and Sofia both rolled their eyes at her method of diversion.

"Nice try, Calista," Cordelia scolded with a sharp tone. "You know better than to wander off on your own."

"But I wasn't on my own, Mummy. I was with Angel."

"Who?"

"Angel. He—" She blinked when she glanced around and realized she was the only one who was standing there. "H-He's gone?"

"Who is Angel?" Sofia asked curiously.

"A boy from that tribe over there." She pointed toward the village nearby. "He's the chief's son. He led me here."

"Calista, there is no village over there," Cedric told the girl with a confused expression.

The girl frowned as she looked back and forth between the trio and the obvious village. "B-But… I see it. It's right there!"

"Calista," Sofia began gently, "maybe you're just tired."

"I'm not! I swear there's a village, and there's a boy with long hair and feathers named Angel who led me here. Why would I make this up?"

"The little one is right," an old voice acknowledged, causing the quartet to turn. An old man with graying loose hair about his shoulders, aged brown skin, and kind brown eyes gazed at them all. He had on the same traditional clothing Angel had worn, though it seemed a bit more faded than the boy's. "There once was a village there. This is Wolf's Valley, as I am sure you are aware. It is a mysterious, magical place full of wonder. And, little one, there was a boy named Angel who lived here many years ago, but I'm afraid he disappeared at quite a young age."

"Who are you?" Cordelia asked as she grabbed her daughter's hand.

"I am Keme. I am the keeper of secrets, and I go where the wind takes me. Angel was my brother—my older brother. He disappeared mysteriously after our mother was killed, and when he never returned my elders feared the worst." He smiled thoughtfully at the cave. "However, sometimes people used to claim they saw him playing around the Cave of Flames. It was his favorite place to go. And interestingly enough, he never aged a day though the rest of us grew older." He lifted one withered hand to his face and sighed. "Much older."

"So why is it that I can see the village now?" Calista asked, exasperated. She was having a hard time accepting what this man said was true. If that was truly the case, then she'd been hanging around with a spirit of a ten-year-old boy all this time. Hadn't she?

"Only those who truly possess a wanderer's spirit and a willing heart to believe in the impossible can see the village. You wanted badly to believe what Angel told you was true; at one point, it was true. Therefore, you could see what he told you." He smiled thoughtfully. "Angel was a wonderful brother, and I often wonder what would have happened had he grown up."

"He would have been the village chief," Calista responded easily and with pride for her new friend. "He told me so himself."

"Hmm. Perhaps you are right, little one." He nodded toward them all. "Be safe on your journey home. Goodbye." He turned and walked away as the others did the same, only in the opposite direction.

"That was…strange," Sofia said finally with a short laugh. "But it was definitely interesting."

"Darling, you mustn't run off from me like that," Cordelia insisted as she took Calista's hand. "It worries Mummy, Uncle Ceddy, and Princess Sofia when you do."

She pouted. "Sorry, Mummy… It won't happen again."

"Yes, it will," Cedric countered with a smirk. "You're Cordelia's daughter. It's bound to happen again."

Cordelia released her daughter's hand as she and Cedric walked forward, the girls falling in step behind them.

Sofia leaned toward Calista and whispered, "Can you still see the village?"

The dark-haired girl blinked and looked over her shoulder, but alas, the village no longer existed to her eyes. She sighed sadly. "No…"

"I'm sorry, Calista."

She nodded before gaping in awe as she saw the silhouette of Angel near the Cave of Flames, his hair blowing in the wind as he waved and disappeared. She then smiled. "I'm not."

The end

(Ending A/N: Make of Angel what you will. Is he a spirit? Is he an ageless conjuror? Who knows? That's what's so mysterious about him. ;) Anyway, Angel always spoke of his father and villagers in the present tense because, to him, things never changed. His reality he once knew was still his same reality that he told Calista. So yes. :D Hope you enjoyed this. I was heavily inspired by The Polar Express. Oh, and to answer a burning question I'm sure I'm going to get, yes! They DID get to go shopping in the Orthian market for Wassailia gifts! Lol! ;D Look for another story soon enough! ~AquaTurquoise)