Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Growing Up Circus ❯ One-Shot

… but this grew frustrating, so she decided to try and get into the entertaining part of the circus, where she felt her skills would be more useful…

Why I Should Be Part of the Show

People love kid performers

I learn quickly

I'm strong from working behind the scenes

I already know some tricks

I'm cute

People love cute kids

I'll help draw crowds

I do better at performing than cleaning

Wouldn't you buy a ticket to see this face?

What if someone needs a replacement?

I'll be REEEAAALY good

I'll stop bugging you

Her attempts were successful, and she became part of her first act ever…

So anyway, I'm a clown now. My clown name is Cindy Lu, and my big gag is that I run around spraying unsuspecting clowns with seltzer. I wear a big purple-and-pink wig, a beanie with a spinning flower, a long-sleeved shirt with orange-and-yellow stripes under a lime-green sundress, and too-big fire-engine-red work boots. My face is painted white with a big red grin around my mouth and blue flowers around my eyes, and I also wear the round red nose common of most clowns in big circuses before there was only the Circus and the various mini-circuses. I get hit in the face with pies fairly often-at least once per show-and it gets pretty frustrating, but at least I'm part of an act now. Another gag I do is flip over the other clowns in a silly-looking game of leapfrog. Being an acrobat is something I'm really good at, but right now I'm stuck being a clown. I'm really starting to hate banana cream pies.

Of course, being a clown didn't appeal to Cathrin. She wanted to do something impressive, not amusing…

I'm tired of being a clown but I don't know what else to do so I keep on squirting seltzer and getting banana cream pies in the face and I wish I could do something else that would maybe intimidate people like throw knives like Beth does but she'd never teach me cuz that's her act and I'm just the little clown without any blood relatives and she's got a sister who's the mom in the trapeze act named Mimi so why would she ever consider giving up her spot to me but why not because maybe someday Beth won't be able to throw knives anymore and I could learn from her now so that when she can't throw anymore I'll be able to take over the act and keep it going and people will keep coming to the circus to see the woman who throws knives so easily oh crud there's another stupid pie right in the kisser oh well it's not like I'm not used to it by now so I might as well just finish doing what I'm supposed to do and ask Beth later about it.

A series of events led to Cathrin getting her wish…

Dear Diary, June 3, A.C. 189

I still can't believe Beth is willing to teach me everything she knows about knife throwing, and it's been three months since I started learning. I can hit where I'm aiming four times out of five, and I'm still getting better at it all the time. Beth says I still need to work on my stance to make my throwing more accurate, but I can't seem to do it the way she shows me. I lean too much to my left when I'm about to throw, and it seems there's nothing I can do about it, but I still try my hardest to be as good at throwing knives as Beth is. She's got this neat trick I really want to learn where she makes the knife twirl while it's flying through the air. It's just SO cool and I can't wait to learn it!

Sincerely,

Cathrin

"Cathrin, what are you doing here?"

"Nobody will tell me why there's an ambulance out front. Will you tell me, Sarah?"

"Beth got hurt bad. She has to go to the hospital for a while."

"Oh my God, will she be okay?! What happened?"

"Mimi says she was looking for something and accidentally cut herself on one of the knives. Don't you worry, though, I think Beth will be okay."

"She better be okay! I haven't learned how to do that trick where the knife twists yet!"

"And we all know how important it is for you to learn that one, Cathy! C'mon, we'll go to the hospital so we can keep track of Beth's condition."

"Okay. But I call shotgun!"

ANDERSON, Beth. Knife thrower in the Circus. Survived by sister Mimi Robinson, brother-in-law Andrew, nephew Jonathon and niece Rita. Private viewing at Carter Funeral Home; funeral at Winter Cove Cemetery. Contact Circus Manager for times and directions.

With the untimely death of her mentor, the Circus needed someone to fill the spot of knife-thrower, and Cathrin was perfect for the job…

By signing this contract, Cathrin Bloom (the First Party) agrees to perform as a knife-thrower in the Circus (the Second Party) for five years. The First Party will not hold the Second Party responsible for any matters within her control and will not attempt to break this contract without good reason. At the time this contract is no longer valid, the Second Party may make a new contract with the First Party if they so desire.

I, Cathrin Bloom, have read and agreed to the terms stated above.

Cathrin Bloom

I, Ronald Black , have read and agreed to the terms stated above.

Ronald Black, Manager

Sarah Rodriguez Jakob Goldberg

Witness Witness

Several years later, what would turn out to be the second incredibly-life-altering change in Cathrin's life happened…

"You seen the new guy yet, Cathrin?"

"Yeah, I saw him when he got here. His name's Trowa Barton. He seems pretty quiet."

"Is that so? What's he going to be doing?"

"I don't know. He was petting one of the lions earlier-like it was a cat or something, Sarah, can you believe it?-but I think Manager's going to put him as my new target guy."

"Well, that's good. I don't think poor Jakob is brave enough to be your target guy much longer. He's just not suited to danger. You think that Trowa will last?"

"You know, I think he will-at least longer than Jakob. There's just something familiar about him, and I don't know why, but I think he's like no one we've ever met."

"Where are you going, Trowa?"

"Out."

"Where out?"

"Just out. I'll be back in time for the show."

"You'd better be. This will be the fourth time this month you've taken off like this! Are you trying to get fired or something? Because you know that's what'll probably happen if you keep doing this."

"Don't worry so much, Cathrin. If I don't do this, no one else will. I'll see you later."

"At least be careful, Trowa! If you don't come back, who will be my target guy?"

This boy turned out to be one of a small group of rebels from the colonies known only as the Gundam pilots. There were only five of them, and Trowa was the third. Cathrin came to think of him as a little brother, and despite the protectiveness this inspired, she let him keep fighting…

We're heading to the colonies at last after spending almost a year on Earth and I can't wait to see the L2 cluster again it was so beautiful last time but it made me miss Earth's uncontrollable environment it was still beautiful though the animals are in a different shuttle from us since it would be impossible to take off if they were in the same shuttle as all the humans who work for the circus but they're not and Sarah's asleep in the seat next to mine because she was up for more than twenty-four hours helping to get organized and I was helping too but there's too much going on in my head for me to sleep right now like the fact that I don't know where Trowa is he could be anywhere he's like a little brother to me he went off to fight but he said he'd come back so where is he what's that beeping noise there's someone out in space and they're pulling him in but who is he and what's he doing drifting in space like that what happened to him I've got a bad feeling all of a sudden I have to see this person so I run to the front where they pulled him in he's in the infirmary now oh God it's Trowa what happened to him I wait until they let me in and he's awake but he doesn't know who I am he doesn't even know who he is well I'll just have to take care of him now I'm not letting him fight ever again.

Cathrin did her best to keep this promise, and for a short time she was able to keep Trowa from returning to the war. Then, one of the other Gundam pilots came…

Blond pilot: Trowa! Trowa! It's Trowa, isn't it?!

Cathrin: Who's that? Another of those Gundam pilots?
Trowa: Who are you?
Blond: Trowa!
Trowa: Do you know me?

Cathrin: No! He's trying to get Trowa to fight again, I know it! I can't let Trowa fight anymore!
Blond: Trowa! Don't you recognize me?
Cathrin: Trowa! Go over there.

Please get away from him, he'll only take you from me again!
Trowa: But, sis...
Blond: Sis?
Cathrin: Just do it! I'll feed the animals, so you go help the ringmaster, okay?

Just do as I say! I have to protect you, Trowa!
Blond: Wait!
Cathrin: What did you come here for?! You plan to take Trowa away to the battlefield again?!

Why couldn't you just leave us alone, he was finally starting to be happy again!
Blond: Who are you?
Cathrin: That child is my little brother, a child of this circus!

Don't question me, just go and let us have a bit of peace!
Blond: But, he-
Cathrin: I don't want to let him suffer any more. That child has lost his memory. And his past is so painful, I don't want him to remember!

I don't want him to remember you so that he'll stay here where it's safe.
Blond: It's, it's my fault. I'm sorry. Trowa sacrificed himself to make right my mistake. It's not something I can be forgiven for just by apologizing, but I am truly sorry.
Cathrin: If you feel that way then consider that Trowa is happy here with us now.

Leave us alone so I don't have to worry about losing him…
Blond: I'm sorry... Trowa...

Of course Trowa was curious…

"Cathy, who was he?"

"A bad person, Trowa."

"Why do you say that? He looked like a nice guy to me."

"He's bad because he wants you to fight in the war, Trowa. You know you're all the family I've got, so I can't let him or anyone else put you in the middle of that awful war!"

"The war will be over soon, though, Cathy, so you won't have to worry about protecting me much longer from guys like him. Right?"

"Yeah, Trowa, you're right."

But the blond pilot had had his affect on Trowa. Soon Cathrin was alone again, and there was simply nothing she could do…

He's gone again. I can't believe it. He left without even a word this time, just a note that said he had to fight. How did this happen? Why did this happen? Why can't I just have a little bit of family to hold on to? Why can't someone else fight? I feel so dead inside, I can't even cry or scream or anything. I'm just an emotionless shell, like that boy Heero that Trowa brought back from his battle in Siberia. I don't want to be like that, though, I want to feel. I just can't seem to, though, now that Trowa's left me all alone again. I can't do anything anymore, just wish Trowa would come back and keep throwing knives. He has to come back-without him, I can't make the knife spin like Beth used to. I call that trick the Lilibet (that was Beth's nickname when they were little girls), but there's no point if I can't do it except with a target guy who might not even survive to see the end of the war.

During Trowa's absence, some things occurred to Cathrin…

Trowa Triton

Brown hair Brown hair

Green eyes Green eyes

Looks like my father Looked like our father

Is generally quiet Was quieter than most