A Glimpse at Humanity Through Annael (2/3)

[murkyfragments]

Title: A Glimpse at Humanity Through Annael
Series: Notes Tied to Balloons
Rating: PG-13
Characters: Castiel and Anna(el)
Genre: Family, Adventure
Summary: As a fledgling, Castiel had a very big, very interesting family. Each story will stand on its own and will consist of three chapters. Third story's up: Angels, especially soldiers, are not supposed to play games. But some rules are worth breaking.

Click here for the other siblings: Balthazar, Joshua


You’re the only one I turn to

When I feel like no one’s there

And when I’m lonely in my darkest hour

You give me the power

To sit and pretend

.

Damn Regret - The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus

“Anna? Sister?”

Castiel was certain this was where he previously left her. He had been scouting the perimeters for some time already, hoping to locate Anna. The real reason why he was searching for her in the first place still eluded him, but somehow it felt right for him to do this.

It was also a bonus that Zachariah gave them more and more early leaves nowadays since - as Castiel had overheard from his other siblings - his superior was having ‘leadership problems’. He could not be sure, but from what he had gathered there was another angel who was trying to take Zachariah’s position. Zachariah, of course, will be very reluctant to surrender his reign of command, but it appeared as though the other angel - whoever they may be - was proving to be a real challenge.

“Anna?” He could not call very far or extend the signature of his Grace too much lest that someone found him and asked why he was not training or studying. He really should be doing all those things now but… his interests seemed to be shifting.

A moment later, Castiel felt something light touch his head. He glanced up to see that he had a crown of flowers on top of him. And tilting his head a little further up, he also saw Anna hovering above him somewhat upside-down.

“Hi, Castiel!” she greeted brightly.

“Hello, Anna.” Castiel returned. He righted the position of his head as Anna went right-side-up and positioned herself on the ground in front of him. Castiel spared a glance at the flowers on top of him again. “What’s this for?”

“My present to you.” replied Anna with a smile.

Castiel’s head cocked to the side. “Why?”

“Just ‘cuz. And I got the flowers from the tree you crashed into last time.” she said playfully.

Wings ruffling slightly, Castiel fought down the embarrassment flaring within him. Without even thinking, he made a move to take the crown off him.

“Don’t remove it! I want you to wear that for the rest of your time here.” Anna ordered.

“But - “ he began.

“No, I want you to keep it on. You look good with it.”

Maybe it was because Castiel was used to obeying orders, maybe it was because Anna was a hundred and eight years older than him so that practically made her a superior. Either way, Castiel lowered his arm and left his flowery crown alone.

She smiled at him and pulled him closer to her. “Look at what the humans just invented, brother.” she whispered excitedly, as if this was a very valuable secret. She produced a tiny wooden container and held it out to him.

Castiel stared at it and studied its every angle. “What is it?” he asked.

Anna twisted its top open, and to Castiel’s surprise there was a sort of stick attached to it. Except that it was not really a stick; there was a thin, hollowed circle at the end of it, and the inside of the circle was shimmering with colors. He then peered into the wooden container and saw that it was filled with a sweet smelling liquid.

Before he could ask his question again, Anna raised the circle to her mouth and blew on it. What came out made Castiel’s eyes widen in amazement.

“Sister… what are these things?” he asked in awe. There were so many of them floating around he did not know which direction to turn to. He was so captivated he almost did not hear Anna answer.

“They’re bubbles, Castiel.”

Bubbles. Castiel decided he liked bubbles, he liked them very much. One bubble floated near him and he cupped it in his hands. “They’re so pretty.” he said.

Just as he closed in around the bubble, it suddenly vanished and Castiel let out a cry of shock. Did he break it? He did not mean to break it! Was Anna mad at him for breaking it?

When Castiel turned to Anna to apologize, she let out a laugh. “It’s alright. Bubbles pop, that’s what they do. You didn’t do anything wrong.” she assured.

As if to prove her point, three bubbles wandered in front of Castiel and they all ‘popped’. All around them, he noticed that all of the bubbles were going away.

“I don’t want them to pop.” whined Castiel.

“They have to disappear some time. Otherwise, there won’t be any room for new bubbles.” she said.

As the last bubble popped, Anna dipped the stick into the container again, blew, and made more bubbles come out. Castiel found himself happy again. He watched the bubbles float everywhere but this time he was careful not to touch them.

“Do you want to try?” asked Anna, offering him the stick and container.

At first, Castiel was unsure. What if he failed to do it right? What if he cannot make bubbles?

“Just dip the stick and blow. It’s easy, Castiel; I know you can do this.” said Anna encouragingly.

He eventually took the items from her and did as he was told. To his wonder, bubbles came out of the circle, just as many as the ones Anna had made. They floated normally and glistened in the light of Heaven just as Anna’s had done. He was so thrilled by it that, for once, he lost control of himself and he let out a gleeful laugh.

“Are you thankful that the humans made this?” asked Anna.

“Yes.” he said. It was all he could say before he blew more bubbles. Yes, he was indeed very thankful; the discovery of the bubbles made him so excited that he could not wait to make more. Soon, the space around them was filled with bubbles of different sizes and he thought that he had never seen Heaven more beautiful.

“Come, brother. I’ll show you something just as good as the bubbles.” said Anna, placing a hand on him and lightly pulling.

Castiel did not want to go. He just wanted to stay here and fill the whole of Heaven with bubbles.

“Castiel,” started Anna.

His wings slumping in defeat, Castiel returned the stick into the container and gave it back to his sister. “Alright.” he whimpered.

Anna chuckled and tousled his wings. “Don’t worry. I promise it will be nice.” she said.

He lowered his head slightly in submission as Anna took them elsewhere. She took them to another place Castiel had not been to before. It was a small, secluded corner painted in cool shades of twilight; it looked like it could barely contain more than one angel but he and Anna managed to fit. There was a hole on the ground; Castiel tried to avoid it but Anna pulled him forward and made them settle around it.

“This is my secret place, so don’t tell anyone about this.” Anna whispered. She leaned closer to the hole. “You see this? I made it myself.” she added proudly.

“Why? Anyone can make a hole.” said Castiel.

“It’s special. It goes down deeper than you think.” said Anna. “Take a look for yourself!”

As instructed, Castiel peered over the hole. At first there was nothing but mist, then it began to clear and clouds started to appear below behind the blue of a sky. And even further down, Castiel could make out the greenish-brown expanse he just knew had to be Earth.

He retreated from the hole a bit. “Anna... you dug a hole that leads to Earth?” he asked incredulously.

Anna smiled brightly. “I told you it’s special.” she said.

“But... this should be impossible.” remarked Castiel.

“And yet here it is.” said Anna. “I can study humans much better with this, and it’s definitely easier to keep up with their progress.”

Castiel looked over at the hole again. It was undeniably a direct connection to Earth; this was so surreal.

Then a thought struck him. “Are we going to Earth?” he inquired nervously.

“No. As much as I want to, only your superiors can give you permission to do that.” Anna replied with something like sadness, albeit she brightened again soon after. “Today, we’ll start small. We’ll focus on something closer.” she said.

“Something closer?” Castiel repeated.

Anna did not respond, she simply stared off into the hole and kept the silence going for a while. Castiel looked around where they were, wondering if he was supposed to be doing something.

“Look!” Anna suddenly exclaimed, making Castiel’s wings go up in surprise. “Look, brother; there’s a dog chasing a fish!”

She was pointing at the hole excitedly and Castiel decided to peer into it as well. He searched and searched but he could not find any dogs or fishes at all. He checked again, more warily this time, and even extended his gaze to as far down as Earth, but he still could not find anything.

“And over there! A butterfly! And it’s bigger than you, brother.” giggled Anna, pointing to another direction.

Castiel hurriedly followed where his sister was pointing (while trying to control the embarrassment of a butterfly being bigger than him) in the hope of actually seeing it. Yet like the first time, he failed to find it. Was there really that big of a butterfly? How come he cannot see anything? What was Anna talking about?

“There’s a circle of flowers, just like the one you’re wearing! Isn’t that amazing?” she went on. “Oh and there’s a dolphin pulling a wagon along! And a kangaroo standing on a tower! I think it’s watching over that banana that’s been peeled open.”

No matter how hard he tried, he cannot find a single one of the things Anna was talking about. Was there some damage to his eyes?

“Anna, I can’t see anything. Is there something wrong with me?” Castiel asked slowly, fearfully.

Anna touched his head and gave him a patient smile. “Nothing’s wrong with you. You’re just not looking right. Try looking more carefully, but don’t overdo your search.” she advised.

With uncertainty, Castiel leaned over the hole once more.

“I see a monkey hanging on a branch, brother. Try finding where it is.” said Anna.

Monkey on a branch. Monkey on a branch. He did not really understand Anna’ suggestion but he scanned the area below anyway. After some time, his scan was completed but he still could not find the monkey. He wanted to look up at Anna and stop his search when she seemed to have sensed his defeat.

“Keep looking. Don’t give up.”

Reluctantly, he obeyed, not so much that he wanted to but because he was ordered to. He scrutinized the grounds of Earth, but he still could not find anything. He was getting tired; he let his eyes rest by staring at one of the clouds for a while... a cloud that strangely resembled the shape of -

“I found the monkey!” Castiel proclaimed.

“Where is it then?” Anna asked good-naturedly.

“There!” Castiel excitedly pointed at the cloud. He felt proud; he did not care if this was discouraged in Heaven, he found it!

“That’s right, that’s the monkey. I’m so glad you found it.” congratulated Anna, settling beside him.

This was amazing. He never knew clouds could take on fantastic shapes. As he continued to stare at them, all of a sudden it was like a veil was lifted and he can now see all the things Anna had seen earlier.

Anna snuggled into him. “Now, what else can you see?” she asked.

What else? He could see a lot of things now, he could see everything! “There’s... a turtle, on a hill. A man... a man making a really big jump. And an octopus writing in Enochian!”

His sister chuckled. “Do you know what you’re doing, brother?” she fondly whispered close to his head.

Castiel tore his gaze away from the hole. “What?” he replied.

“You’re using your imagination.” she answered.

“My imagination?”

“Uh-huh. It’s sort of when you give things a new perspective, beyond what you normally see, hear or feel. If you believe in it, then it becomes real. You only experience what you let yourself experience, and for the most part it’s fun.” said Anna. She straightened up and Castiel noticed her expression turning somber. “Although humans do it all the time, there are hardly any of us who use their imagination. Most of the angels just focus on things directly or too deeply. They’re too grounded, too analytical; they totally miss out on the possibilities.” she stated, staring off into the distance.

Castiel studied his sister closely as he absorbed her words. He could tell that she was bothered by that reality. “Can we... use our imagination again?” he asked.

At that, Anna looked at him warmly. “Of course.” She got up and moved away from him a bit. “Let’s try something different now, okay?”

“O...kay,” Castiel returned, rising as well. He would have liked finding shapes in the clouds again but he trusted Anna; whatever she was planning next was worth trying.

Suddenly, Anna crouched down and let out a huge roar, greatly startling Castiel.

“Anna?” he worriedly ventured.

She did not say anything, just made a low, menacing rumble as the cherry-red light of her form took on an orange glow. Castiel stared at that change in disbelief; angels cannot alter the essence of their light... can they?

Anna roared again, albeit less loudly this time, and approached Castiel while still being crouched down. Castiel retreated a little, unsure of what was happening.

“Can you guess what I am, brother?” she asked. Her voice sounded rougher, like she had become part-beast, but her smile was still affable, although a bit more feral.

And just like that, Castiel caught on. “You’re a tiger.” he said, now feeling amused.

Anna produced a thunderous roar, as if in triumph. “Very good; you’re learning fast.” she growled. She began to circle him. “This tiger is getting lonely though. She wants a friend to play with, an animal just like her. Do you know any animal who wants to play?”

As Anna slinked away from him, Castiel spared a glance at their surroundings to ensure no one was watching. When he was certain, he gradually crouched down as well.

Anna turned from where she had been prowling. “And what might you be?” she inquired gruffly.

“I’m a frog.”

The tips of Anna’s wings started to swish around like a tail behind her as she went over to him. “You don’t seem to be a frog.” she commented.

“I am a frog!” defended Castiel.

“Prove it.” said Anna.

Prove it? How? He was a frog; how can he make her believe him? Castiel immersed himself in deep thought... What did frogs do?

Realization coming in, Castiel made a timid little hop to Anna. Anna’s expression remained impassive, but she distanced herself a bit from him. Had his performance been unsatisfactory? Castiel made a bigger hop to reach her. Anna moved away again, but not before Castiel caught a glimpse of a smile on her. Castiel tucked his wings firmly behind him and hopped again. Anna’s wings swished in an imitation of a tail as she started a brisk walk; Castiel hopped after her.

Anna let out a gleeful roar before going faster, as if inviting him to a race. Before Castiel could stop himself, he voiced out his agreement in the form of an authentic frog-croak.

They raced. Their speed matched each other’s and Castiel wondered for a moment if there would be a winner to this. But then it would not matter; he was happy just hopping alongside his prowling sister.

“Look at yourself.” said Anna, her voice still sounding like a tiger.

Castiel did, and to his amazement he discovered that his once sky-blue light had transformed into a lush green radiance.

“Now, you truly believe that you’re a frog.” she roared cheerfully.

That pleased Castiel, so much that he let out another croak. Then, without even thinking, he hopped onto his sister’s back and nestled himself between her wings.

“That’s cheating!” exclaimed Anna, but there was no anger in her tone.

“Are you going to do anything about it?” Castiel laughed. This was wrong; he had never challenged anyone older than him before. But that was simply it: he never did it before.

“You asked for it!”

Without warning, Anna went vertical and Castiel was unable to stop himself from falling off her. They were currently by a hill and the sheer force sent him rolling down its side. Amidst the tumble, he heard Anna call his name, followed by the sound of wings quickly unfolding. However, before she could reach him, Castiel had already made it to the bottom.

“Castiel? I’m so sorry for doing that, brother. Are you alright?” she frantically asked, pulling him up to her.

Castiel noticed that her light was not orange anymore, but a pale red; he could also feel a tremendous amount of concern spilling from her Grace. Castiel looked at himself as well and saw that his green light was once again blue.

“I’m fine.” he said, then added, “I discovered I like rolling down the hill.”

Anna’s wings relaxed behind her as she settled him on her. “I’m still sorry. You could’ve been hurt.” she said.

Head tilting to the side, Castiel studied her with confusion. So what if he was hurt? He can always heal himself.

“Can we do something else?” he asked eagerly.

Anna did not answer immediately. “No, not right now. Maybe some other time, okay?”

Castiel did not even get the chance to reply when Anna took him off her and placed him on the grass. He stared at her in bewilderment, and even more so when she started to walk away.

“Where are you going?” he asked, making a move to follow her.

“I just remembered I have an important matter to attend to.” she answered. After a while, she noticed that Castiel was still on her trail. “It’s a private matter; please don’t follow me.”

That provoked something - a feeling - in him; he did not know how to define it but it was unpleasant and he did not like it.

Anna seemed to pick up on whatever it was because she knelt down to his level. “I promise we can still play, just not right now.” she said, caressing his head and offering him a smile. “I really do need to be somewhere; in fact, I should’ve been there a long time ago already.”

Castiel suddenly felt ashamed. Had he been keeping her from her ‘important matter’?

Anna got up. She was about to leave when something stopped her. “How do you view humans, Castiel?” she asked.

That was a rather... arbitrary question. “They’re our Father’s creations. We are to give them love and protection.” he recited, which was the automatic answer in his training and studies. But after everything he discovered from their activities...

“They’re interesting beings, and we mostly take them for granted. We think we know everything there is to know, but the humans will always surprise us. They have a lot of things to offer, to teach us.” he answered sincerely.

Since their creation, he had always been curious about them, and until now he wanted to know more about them. Humans were different from angels, he knew that, but they were also similar in some great ways. Uriel constantly referred to them as ‘mud monkeys,’ and although Castiel kept it to himself, he always disagreed with him at that.

Anna’s smile this time was small, but soft and full of something he could not really comprehend. “That’s all I needed to hear.” she said. “Take care of yourself now. I look forward to the next time we meet.”

She left.

Castiel remained where he was for a while. It was only later he realized that he still had the crown of flowers on his head. He could remove it now since Anna was no longer here.

He kept it on anyway as he flew off.

TBC

I was aiming for a game of pirates and ninjas for their little make-believe thing, then I realized that none of those existed yet (at least simultaneously), considering how young Cas and Anna gotta be here. Anyway, I enjoyed pretend-frog!Cas XD

Part 3