Disclaimer: : This story is not an official GundamWing Story and does not reflect the opinions of the actual owners of the anime series. This was written for the pure entertainment of fanfiction fans everywhere, and is not intended for profit.
t_j: For D...^_^ Just because. You knew a 3x4 was coming, didn't you? I'll elaborate on this later; this is just an introductory story so far. Btw, this goes along the lines of Modification, if you've read a bit of that...::shrug::...oh well...hope you enjoy!
Vision
It was because of the storm that the show had to be cancelled. The manager wasn't too happy about it, but there was nothing he could do. None of the animals were being cooperative, none of the equipment was capable of working in the storm, and no one seemed to want to come anyway.
~That's the way things are, aren't they?~
He scrubbed his face with his hands, rubbing especially at his eyes.
~Seems like no one wants to come to the circus anymore.~
He stood, arms folded across his chest as he watched the news, his jacket slightly open and bowtie loosened.
" - show that a major thunderstorm is heading north-northeast, toward the upper coast. We'll bring you more updates on the storm later on this evening - "
"We'll need to watch the animals tonight." The quiet voice came from behind, and the manager turned.
The boy unfolded himself from his perch on top of several packing crates, pulling away from the dark shadows of the manager's tent. ~A quiet one, that boy.~
He stood almost as tall as the manager himself, for his age. Trowa Barton, the new kid, was particularly distinctive among the circus workers, not only because of his age - there was hardly anyone that young on Earth willing to join a live circus now - but it was his appearance that made him stand out. the majority of his brown hair hung in a long bang over his face, a shock of hair that allowed one to see only one emerald green eye. Though thin, the boy was surprisingly strong, as he had shown the manager on his first day as a trainer. And dependable, though the manager had had his doubts.
~But now...~
"Okay, Trowa, go check on the animals without me. I need to get the rest of this cleared away for tomorrow." He rolled his eyes heavenward and sighed heavily. "Hopefully, it won't be as bad as it's supposed to be tonight...It's going to be rough out there, boy, be careful...Trowa?" He tilted his head, and smiled to himself. "Almost heard him go off, that time. A quiet one, that boy."
~~~
It was starting to get windy, the rain beginning to pour down in sheets. Trowa looked through the cages and saw the glimmering eyes of the circus animals as they listened to the beating of rain on the tarp. Fortunately, cages were settled where the water and mud couldn't reach the animals, to keep them from getting sick in the rainy season. He nodded to himself, reaching absently into the cage next to him to pat the lion's head. The animals were secure for the night.
Whap! A loose branch hit the outside of the tent, causing the tarp to ripple in protest.
~The wind's getting stronger.~
Suddenly, Trowa felt something - heard -
~~Help!~~
The word bolted through his mind, a streak of pain. He stumbled back, grabbing the bars of the lion's cage for support. "What the - aah!" He lost his grip and fell to the floor, shoving his hands against his temples, eyes shutting closed. The pain -
A flash of white - lightning? - rain, stabbing, like needles, in the harsh wind. ~Like the wires - ~ And, there -
Trowa started suddenly, eyes opening wide, yet still seeing -
A figure, struggling, tossed about in the wind. A boy, his age, with light blonde hair - and clear blue eyes ~howdidIknowthathiseyesareclosedhowdoIknowthat~ clear blue eyes, shut tightly against rain and wind. He was screaming into the storm, mouth working, only to choke on the rain. Choking...and still trying to push his way through the storm, towards several dim lights in the distance. ~Icantseethegroundsomethingswrongwheresthegroundwhere~ And then -
s-snap! Two sickening cracks, and - There ~ohlight~
~~Someone help me! Please!~~
There was no time to think, no time to tell anyone. Trowa was already running, out of the tent, into the storm. ~Oh light he had - ~ He sprinted toward the woods, slipping only once in the mud surrounding the circus grounds.
That snap. He had heard that sound before, the familiar cracking of bone against an unyielding force. ~And now I know why I couldn't see the ground~
He ran, ignoring the rain, the wind - He was near the cliffs - the winds are strongest near the cliffs - Trees flashed by, branches whipping and scraping at him as he forced his way through the woods. ~Oh light - he had - ~
He burst into the clearing, and the rain beat harder now, obscuring his view for a few moments as he paused to breathe. It was actually a cliff - he could see the soggy edge as tufts of grass flew away at the touch of the wind. And, as he stood there, gasping for breath, he saw a dark figure - falling -
~no!~ Trowa bolted forward, reaching out to grab at the figure ~Pull him back~ Belatedly, he realized that the cliff was shorter than he judged, and he tried to pull back, while still reaching forward.
His foot missed the cliff's edge, and as his fingers touched wet fabric, he felt himself drop, dragging the other down with him. ~no!~
And, for a moment, he seemed to hover, and he looked up, at the figure in the rain. Wide, startled orbs of blue gazed down at him in shock as he clutched tightly at the other's shirt. In that moment, Trowa could see the outlines of what he had seen in his vision, the source of the sickening cracks from before - Two lightly-feathered wings emerged from behind the thin body, flailing weakly in the wind as the boy struggled to stay in the air. ~Oh light he has wings~ The wings, both broken and battered in the storm, now held the two up only a few meters away from the cliff's edge, keeping them from falling to the rocks below, if only for a moment.
As he saw the wings finally give under the new weight, Trowa felt the shirt slip through his fingers, and he lunged forward again, this time wrapping his fingers around a thin wrist as the wind whipped the boy past him. ~The cliff - ~ He turned and saw the edge just pass him, still a few meters from where they were falling. ~But only a few meters - ~
~I can still make it~
He jerked his head up and flung his free hand toward the cliff, as if willing the cliff to follow them down. ~Please, I can still make it~ He closed his eyes, vaguely hearing the ripping sound as his shirt was torn away from his body. He jerked slightly, but kept his grip on the other boy's arm, feeling the wind as it pushed them further away from the cliff. ~Please, I need to make it. I don't care if it hurts anymore I just need to make it there~
He felt the muscles in his back tighten in protest, then finally give as the cords whipped out and spread into the air, forming the skeleton of a familiar shape.
He opened his eyes and gasped as he saw the other boy's eyes on him, widened in shock. A brief flash of self-consciousness ran through him, and for a second, Trowa wondered what the other boy saw, what he thought of what he saw. He closed his eyes and turned away. ~Concentrate on making it to the cliff. Concentrate on that.~
He'd never done this with the wires before - not actually form wings for flight - it was much too inefficient for what he had been trained to do. But at the moment, he couldn't think of anything else, and he knew there was a limit to how far the cords would stretch. ~Too far, too fast~ No, the skeleton was useless; he needed something to fill the gaps. ~Hurry!~ A force field, a force field should work. ~Oh, please let this work!~ He opened his eyes again, and the blonde gazed back at him, still staring openmouthed at the wires flailing behind Trowa.
Trowa felt the power surge through his back, through the wires, and the skeleton jerked in the wind, the field forming and filling out between the wires. He looked down and saw the ground approaching faster now, even as his new wings began to slow their descent. ~Oh light~
He reached down with his other hand and yanked the other boy closer. ~Hold on, just don't let go Oh light, please work~
~Please work.~
~Please - ~
~~~
Catherine hummed to herself as she stirred her soup and poured her special tea into a small tin cup, placing a bowl and spoon on the tray beside the cup. She heard a soft moan behind her, and she turned to look.
"OH, look, you're awake," she smiled gently at the boy in bed, her tongue beginning to click softly in her mouth. "I was afraid I was going to have to wake you for dinner." She shook her head and gingerly placed the tray on the nightstand, careful not to spill the soup and tea. "Well, I'll leave you to your dinner, but I'll be back to check on you - really, wandering around in the storm like that - if I knew you better, I'd slap you silly, but - " she rolled her eyes heavenward, moved toward the door. "I guess I'd better go tell him you're awake, though..."
"...Miss?"
She turned, a small smile flittering across her lips. "It's Catherine."
"...Miss...Catherine...H-how did - "
"Hmph. Trowa wouldn't tell me, but from the looks of things, I'd say he found you just outside the grounds. " The woman shrugged. "As if he says much anyway."
"...He...found...me...?"
"MmHmm." Catherine nodded, then looked worried. "You really should get some rest. You look pale; don't bother eating dinner now - I'll fix more up for you later, if you want." With that, she picked up the tray and started again for the door, pausing to look over her shoulder. "By the way, since you're up: What's your name?"
"My name? Quatre. Quatre Raberba Winner..."
"Hmm. Nice name, Quatre, and it's nice to meet you. Now get some sleep, and I'll be back to check on you later." She winked at the blonde and left the room, shutting the door behind her with her foot.
As she moved away from the door, Catherine thought she heard the boy say, "...And tell Trowa thank you for me..."
End Vision