Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ The Magicians of Gundam Wing ❯ Everybody Loves the Circus! ( Chapter 4 )

Chapter 4: Everyone Loves the Circus!

“Trowa!” Catherine cried delightedly. She waved excitedly from the trapeze platform. “We haven't seen you in so long! Wait one second! I'll be right down!”

Trowa stood in the entryway of the cavernous big top, his staff slung casually over one shoulder and around his torso in snake form. He watched as Catherine swung out over the safety net and dropped, landing neatly on her back and then rebounding onto her feet. She bounced her way to the edge and flipped off, dashing toward him as soon as her feet hit the ground.

“Oh, Trowa! I've missed you!” She flung her arms around him and hugged him tightly.

He returned the embrace. “I missed you too, Catherine. How have you been?”

“Fine, but we've been so busy. With everything so peaceful now, there's lots of work for the circus. It's like we don't have an off season anymore.” She looped her arm through his and drew him further into the tent. “How long can you stay? I don't suppose you're thinking of leaving the Preventers?” She smiled at him hopefully.

Trowa shook his head. “No, I'm not leaving the Preventers. I'm just taking a little time off. I have a couple of weeks free and I wanted to see how you were doing.” He looked around. “I see you're doing most of the same acts.”

“Yes, but the tumbling's not the same without you. No one is as good as you.”

“You're just saying that.” Trowa patted her hand. “You're as good as I am.”

“No I'm not.” She sighed wistfully. “I worry so much about you when you're away. I wish you could stay.”

`You know I can take care of myself.” He disengaged his arm. “How are the animals? Any new ones?”

Catherine smiled. “A few. I suppose you want to see them?”

“Of course.”

“All right.”

The two of them walked out through the back of the big top. They walked past the dressing rooms and storage areas, through the practice arenas and to the animal cages.

Trowa frowned slightly. “The cages are a little small. I thought you had more room.”

“They're the same size they've always been,” Catherine replied, a little puzzled.

Trowa walked up to the lion cage and gripped the bars with one hand. The lion, lounging on his side, lifted his head to regard Trowa with a weary gaze. His mouth stretched open in a wide yawn and he let out a long, low growl.

“Really?” Trowa said.

The lion rolled onto his belly and huffed through his nose.

“It is?” Trowa glanced at the lion's water dish. “He has no water,” he said to Catherine and pointed at the empty dish.

“Oh!” Catherine exclaimed. She looked around. “I'll get Peter. He's supposed to be looking after the animals.” She hurried away.

Trowa leaned against the bars, looking down into the lion's golden eyes. “Does Peter often forget your water?”

The lion snorted and waved a paw.

“He does remember to feed you, though?”

The lion stuck his tongue out and growled. From a neighboring cage, a lanky female tiger made a coughing sound.

Trowa frowned. “I'll see what I can do.” He turned to watch Catherine returning with the hapless Peter in tow. Peter was the unfortunate sort of person who did not inspire one with any kind of confidence that he could accomplish even the simplest task without screwing it up.

“You see?” Catherine said when they arrived. “No water. When did you last water the animals?”

“Umm… This morning?”

“You don't remember?” Trowa asked with a frown. He looked at Catherine. “It was last night. And he forgets all the time. It's very stressful for animals to go without water.”

“But I fed them this morning!” Peter said defensively. He glared darkly at Trowa.

Trowa turned to Catherine. “The animals don't always eat because they're thirsty, and if there's food left from the day before, he doesn't give them fresh meat. Have you been having trouble during performances?”

Catherine was startled. “Yes! The tigers were very difficult yesterday. We had to cut their act.”

“It's because they haven't been getting food and water regularly.” Trowa jerked a thumb at Peter. “You should fire this idiot and hire someone with brains. Or chop him up and feed him to the big cats, and then hire someone with brains.”

The lion stood up with a loud roar.

Peter jumped back. “That ain't funny!”

Catherine turned on him angrily. “Mistreating our animals isn't funny!” she exclaimed. “I'm going to talk to Father! You may as well pack you bag right now!”

“We'll see about this!” Peter shouted and he hurried away, throwing angry looks back over his shoulder at Trowa.

“Make sure you get rid of him,” Trowa said. “The big cats hate him, and I'm sure it's no different with the other animals.”

Catherine blinked at him in surprise. “How do you know this?”

“Oh, ah, well, you know I've always had a way with animals,” Trowa said quickly. “I can just tell when something's bothering them.”

“That's true, I guess…” Catherine said slowly.

“Anyway, we need to get water for the animals and check on their feed.” Trowa grabbed her hand. “Let's do that right now!”

“All right.”

Later, after the animals were all fed and watered, Catherine needed to return to rehearsal, so Trowa sat in the stands to watch. His staff unclasped its tail from its mouth and slithered down to drape itself across his knees.

“You nearly put your foot in that one,” the snake hissed.

“What?!” Trowa exclaimed, startled.

“About the animals,” said the snake. It lifted its head and blinked at him with bright red eyes. “If you're not careful, she'll figure out you can talk to them.”

“Since when do you talk?” Trowa demanded.

The snake chuckled. “I could always talk. I just never bothered before because no one could understand me.” It winked at him. “That lass is a pretty creature. You wouldn't happen to know where her chamber lies?”

“What do you want to know that for?”

“Alas, before I became trapped in this staff, I wore the form of a man. I have not forgotten the pleasure of looking at a pretty woman. You could just lean me against the wall in her chamber for the evening.”

Trowa stared. “I don't think so.”

“All I can do is look,” the snake hissed plaintively. “Will you deny a poor soul his only pleasure?”

“Yes, when we're talking about my sister!”

“You're a cruel master.”

The snake started to slither off his knees. Trowa grabbed it.

“Oh, no you don't!” Trowa exclaimed. He gripped the snake firmly and straightened it with a swift jerk. It stiffened into the solid staff.

“A kinder man would show a little pity,” the staff whispered hollowly.

“Shut up!” Trowa snapped.

Catherine finished her rehearsal and trotted over to Trowa. “I was thinking that we could perform our old act together while you're here,” she said. “Everyone always enjoys the high-wire act and no one wants to do the knife-throwing act with me.” She frowned slightly. “I think they don't trust me.”

“Nonsense,” said Trowa. “No one throws as well as you do. But I think it would be fun to perform with you for a week or so, if it won't disrupt things.”

“It won't!” Catherine said delightedly. “I'll go tell Father. You can use my dressing room. I have all of your costumes in there.”

“Fortune smiles on me!” the staff whispered.

Trowa threw a nervous glance toward the staff, but Catherine seemed oblivious. “I don't want to crowd you…”

“It's no bother! I'd love to have you.” Catherine squeezed his hand. “I'm going to go change. We have time to have dinner together before tonight's show.” She smiled happily. “I have to watch what I eat, though! I'll be right back.” She jogged away.

“Don't talk in front of people,” Trowa whispered to the staff.

“It doesn't matter,” the staff answered. “They can't hear me. Not in words, anyway. Even stiff like this I still speak snake.”

“Even so…”

“Fine, I won't talk. But I expect a little something in return…”

“I'm not letting you ogle my sister!”

“She won't know.”

“I will!”

“I'll teach you how to summon a great spirit.”

“Why would I want to do that?”

“Great spirits enjoy visiting their smaller mortal cousins. Invoke a great spirit and ask it to look after the circus. It will protect them from harm.”

`If they like visiting, why don't they just do it?”

“The great spirits are not like the lesser ones. They can't just show up wherever they please; they must be invoked. I noticed there is a female bear here. If we call a male bear spirit, he will want to mate with her, which will make it easy for you to bind him to the circus.”

“I'm not sure that's a good idea.”

“Trust me.”

Trowa looked at the staff. “Nothing makes me less inclined toward trust than hearing those words come out of a piece of wood. Except maybe from Duo.”

The staff chuckled. “The protection of a great spirit is a good thing.”

“I suppose…”

“The summoning is not difficult.”

“Why do I have the feeling I'm being hoodwinked?”

“I would never mislead my chosen master.”

“Even to get a glimpse of a naked lady?”

“You wound me to the quick.”

Trowa stared thoughtfully around the big top.

“Should war break out, a great spirit would protect them from harm,” the staff said.

“All right, you've convinced me.” Trowa stood up. “But we'll do it later. First, I'm having dinner with Catherine. And I'm leaving you here.”

“As you wish, master.”

Trowa left the staff in Catherine's dressing room while they went to dinner. They dined at an outdoor restaurant, with the early evening stars just starting to shine overhead. It was pleasantly warm and flowering plants growing in pots on the patio between the tables filled the air with a delightful fragrance.

“I love performing on Earth!” Catherine said with a happy sigh. “I miss the open sky when we're in the Colonies. Looking up and seeing buildings over my head seems wrong somehow.”

“You get used to it if you live there,” Trowa replied with a shrug. “I don't really notice it.”

“I suppose, but I still prefer it here.” Catherine leaned forward with a serious expression. “Are you sure you don't want to come back to the circus? I always worry about you when you're with those other Gundam pilots. It seems like trouble is attracted to you whenever you're with them.”

“Are you sure it's not the other way around?” Trowa smiled.

“I'm serious!”

“So am I. They are my friends, Catherine, and preventing war is better than waging it.” Trowa leaned forward and touched the back of Catherine's hand. “You know the circus is more of a hobby for me. Serving with the Preventers is my vocation.”

Catherine frowned unhappily. “I know you believe that, I just wish…” she sighed. “I suppose it won't do any good to keep asking.”

Trowa shook his head.

“Well…” Catherine forced a smile onto her face. “You're here now, so I'm happy for that.”

“Good. Let's eat. We don't want to be late for the show.”

“Right!”

After a tasty but small dinner, they returned to the circus. In Catherine's dressing room, Trowa casually tossed a blanket over the staff where it was leaning in one corner. The staff hissed faintly from beneath its covering.

“What was that?” Catherine exclaimed. “It sounded like a snake.”

“I didn't hear anything,” Trowa said innocently.

“You didn't?” Catherine looked around uncertainly. “I guess I just imagined it. Here, help me with my costume, please.”

“Sure.”

“Woe is me!” the staff hissed from beneath the blanket. “Is she naked?”

Trowa gritted his teeth.

“Are you sure you didn't hearing a hissing sound just then?” Catherine peered over her shoulder toward the corner.

“I think it came from outside,” Trowa lied.

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“Liar!” the staff muttered.

Catherine jumped. “That definitely came from inside!” she said nervously. “There's a snake in here.”

“How would a snake get in here?” Trowa tried to sound reasonable. “Do you have a snake act in the circus right now?”

“No, but…”

“Then it can't be a snake. It's probably a leaky valve or something.” Trowa finished zipping up her costume. “Go do your makeup. I'll have a look around.”

“Ok.” Catherine kept throwing nervous glances over her shoulder as she settled down at her dressing table.

Trowa made a show of looking around the dressing room before making his way into the corner where the staff rested.

“You better stay quiet or I'll shove you in the closet!” Trowa growled under his breath.

“Would it do any harm to let me look?” the staff murmured back. “Honestly, I've had nothing but you and your blond companion to look at lately, and while he's certainly cute, I still prefer women.”

Trowa flushed. “There are other women in the circus,” he said finally. “You can slither off and look at them, but you keep your eyes off Catherine, understand?”

“Agreed!”

“Fine. I'll fold you as soon as Catherine leaves.”

Catherine was almost done applying her makeup. “Did you find anything?”

“I think I saw a mouse,” Trowa replied smoothly. “It was probably chewing on something. It's gone now.”

“Oh.”

Trowa walked over and put his hands on her shoulders. “You look good.”

“Thanks. Do you need me to help you get ready?”

“No, go ahead. I'll be right out.”

“Ok! See you on the high wire!” Catherine hurried out.

Trowa immediately went to remove the blanket from the staff. “We have a deal, right? No peeking at Catherine?”

“Right.”

Trowa grasped the staff in both hands and folded it. It slumped into its snake form and he dropped it on the floor. “Meet me outside after the show. And make sure no one sees you.” He held the door ajar.

“Yes master,” the snake hissed and it slithered out the door.

Trowa shook his head. “This is probably a huge mistake.” Then he hurried to change into his costume and put on his makeup.

The performance was a huge success and Trowa had a lot of fun. After the show, he returned to the dressing room with Catherine to change.

“You can stay with me while you're here, Trowa,” Catherine said after they had changed and washed off their makeup. She yawned. “You can use the cot over there.”

“Thanks. Why don't you go to sleep? There's something I want to do before bed.”

“Can I help?”

“No, that's all right. I'll just be a minute.”

“Ok, good night.”

“Good night.” Trowa went outside and looked around. The snake slithered out of the shadows beside the dressing room and wound its way up his leg.

“Ah, such beautiful creatures!” the snake hissed. “What joy! That wretched Keb never folded me, so I saw nothing but his wrinkled behind for too many years. Now, shall we summon a great spirit?”

“Right now?”

“Why not? There is no reason to delay. Besides, I passed that she-bear while I was out and she sounds lonely to me.”

“You spoke to her?”

“I am a creature of magic. Like you, the language of many beasts is known to me.”

Trowa glanced at the sky. “The moon's not full. It's not even up.”

“That doesn't matter. Summoning spirits has nothing to do with the time of day or the cycles of the moon. The druids were partial to the night of the full moon for other mystical reasons. And it's also the only night they can hope to summon a great spirit without my help.”

“You mean Lorene should have kept you?” Trowa asked in surprise. “She didn't seem to think you made a difference in the summoning.”

“That's why Lorene did not become the leader of the druids after her father died, may the spirits bless his memory,” the snake replied. “She did not know how to talk to me and did not know how to use me to summon a great spirit.”

“Did Keb?”

“No.”

“Then how did he manage it that night?”

“He didn't do it. I did.” The snake chuckled. “I was hoping he'd get eaten and I'd get a chance to move to a new master. It worked out pretty well for me, I think.”

Trowa stared at the snake's glowing red eyes for a moment. “All right. Let's summon a great bear spirit and ask it to watch over the circus.”

“Very good. I need to be stiff for this.”

“Ok.” Trowa grasped the snake and pulled it straight. It stiffened into the staff and he held it lightly in one hand, the butt end resting on the ground.

“Now, there are several ways to summon a specific great spirit. If you know its name, that's the best way. If you don't, but you want to invoke a particular kind of great spirit, you can either speak in that spirit's native tongue, in this case bear, or you can use a long and complicated incantation. Since you speak bear, we'll skip the incantation. So, repeat after me: Great Spirit of the forest, whose might levels trees and stops rivers, whose claws split the mountains and dig the ravines, whose cry is echoed on the wind, hear me! I invoke thee! Stand thou before me and hear my command. I invoke thee and thou must obey!”

Trowa repeated the words, keeping in his mind the image of the bear spirit he saw before so his words would come out in bear. When he finished speaking, there was a moment of unusual silence, and then a long low growl that seemed to rumble right up out of the ground sent a shiver up his spine.

“Good job!” the staff hissed. “Few people get it on the first try.”

A large dark shape loomed up out of the shadows and blotted out the stars overhead.

A deep guttural growl accompanied a puff of air that ruffled Trowa's hair. Who summons me? the growl translated.

“I did,” Trowa answered. “I have a task for you.”

I know thee, little man, said the spirit, though it has been many years.

“Yes,” said Trowa. “Do you see these tents and buildings, and the people and animals in them?”

Yes.

“I would like you to give them your protection, to keep them from harm.”

This is a small thing, though it requires me to stay awake. Why should I do it?

“There is a young female bear here who pines for a little company.”

The bear spirit's ears perked up. Indeed? Well, far be it from me to deprive one of my small cousins of companionship. The bear spirit lifted its large head and sniffed. Ah! Her sweet scent wafts to me on the breeze. Mayhap I shall call upon her now. The bear rolled onto its paws and lumbered away, shrinking in size as it walked until it was the size of a normal bear. I accept thy command, it said over its shoulder as it disappeared into the night.

Trowa watched the great spirit walk away. “That was pretty easy.”

“Great spirits are much easier to handle than lesser spirits,” the staff said. “Sprites are the worst.”

“Heero won't be glad to hear that,” Trowa said with a chuckle. Then he yawned. “It's bedtime. Now look, I'll take you into the room with me and Catherine, but if I hear one remark that makes me think you're checking her out, you'll spend the rest of the visit in the closet. Understand?”

“Yes, master,” the staff answered mournfully, “but she really is quite the prettiest maiden here.”

“Deal with it.”