notes: /blah blah/ denotes thoughts. This scene is the one from Endless Waltz, where Trowa and catherine peek out from behind the curtains in part 1.
He was still using the name Trowa Barton. It wasn't because he had asked those around him to address him so, but rather it was the only name they knew to address him by. The star performer of the circus, Catherine Bloom, is also amongst those who call him Trowa.
"What are you saying Trowa, you are Trowa. You don't have any other name, right? If that's the case, just keep the name." Catherine would probably say that if he reminded her he had no name. She was kind to him and was always saying sisterly things, so that she felt like she was really his sister.
Truthfully, there were times when Trowa too, felt as though he was with his family when he was with Catherine. Even though he had never experienced such an emotion before, he felt a yearning for the warmth and closeness of a family. /Since the time I was born, I had no family/ Trowa had though many times. /Feeling this yearning, it's probably just a passing fancy./
Once in the past, Trowa had suffered from amnesia. He was now completely recovered, and he dismissed the feeling as being an after effect of the amnesia. On the other hand though, Catherine too was experiencing a similar feeling. /Why is it that when I'm with Trowa, it feels like I'm with that child.. That child meant Catherine's younger brother, whom she thought had died when she was four years old.
AC 182
An infant's cries could be heard from the Bloom family's covered wagon as it travelled down a country road.
"There, there, don't cry Triton...." Beneath the wagon's cover, a four year old Catherine is cuddling the crying baby.
"Catherine, why in the world did you name the baby Triton?" Catherine's father who was handling the reins up front, asked his young daughter. "Your younger brother is the second, not the third child."
"No, no. Triton is a handsome god from mythology."
"Is that so...." Catherine's father accepted his daughter's answer, not really comprehending what she was talking about.
"It's something from one of her picture books." His wife and Catherine's mother, who was sitting beside him, gently explained what Catherine was talking about.
"I see...but I wish I hadn't promised her that she could name the baby. I feel like I was cheated out of a father's joy of naming his child...."
The Bloom's occupation was being trapeze artists of a circus troupe. The two were the stars of the troupe, and at any locale, they were immensely popular. Due to Mrs. Bloom's pregnancy, they had temporarily left the troupe, but currently, the four of them were heading to a small city in eastern Europe. Unfortunately, the small covered wagon would never reach it's destination.
Near the country's boarders, the Bloom family was caught in a battle between the United Earth Sphere Alliance, and the opposing efforts. At the time, using mobile suits in battle was not yet mainstream. Instead battles were fought by the Alliance using bombers for aerial bombing, while the resistance used anti-aircraft missiles, and that was the scene that could be seen on the battlefield. The Alliance, with overwhelming military power, carried out carpet bombings. Gradually it turned the border lands, which was supposed to be a safe zone, into a sea of flames.
Within the intense flames of the battlefield, the Bloom's covered wagon had no where to escape.
"Papa."
"Dear...."
"It'll be all right. YOu take the children and take shelter in a building somewhere."
The flames were closing in.
Just when a frightened Catherine was lowered from the wagon by her mother, a shell that had swerved from it's trajectory descended towards the wagon bed. The wagon that was carrying her father, mother and new born baby brother, exploded right in front of Catherine's eyes. The unbelievable sight was etched in Catherine's mind.
"Papa, Mama.... Triton." The roof of the wagon, going down in flames. Catherine could only stand there completely petrified and speechless.
Catherine didn't know how long she stood there. However, she was taken to a small park, which served as a refuge, by a vigilante who found her by the wreckage. Catherine didn't suffer any burns, but due to the extreme shock, she was unable to speak for a while.
Young Catherine walked the path between the park and where the wagon wreckage was, over an over again, searching if her father, mother or little brother had survived. Yet no matter how much she searched, she was unable to even find remains, let alone any bones. Eventually the battle ended and the region fell to Alliance control.
Catherine ended up getting a ride from a truck which was heading toward the city where the circus troupe was waiting. She was pursuing the last bit of hope she had left. /They've all gone ahead and are waiting for me there/ It was a fleeting hope.
The members of the troupe were still waiting at the city, but Catherine's family were no where to be seen.
"Cheer up, Catherine...you've still got us." The present circus manage, who was like an older brother to Catherine, tried to cheer her up. "We're all family...everyone here is a child of the circus." They were encouraging words, but all Catherine could do was nod in agreement. Since then, Catherine remained and travelled with the circus troupe.
Thirteen years later she met Trowa. Catherine can't help but think of Trowa as being her younger brother. She had met younger guys who were around the same age, yet only with Trowa she felt that odd sense of being with family.
It is currently near the end of the year AC 196. The circus Catherine and Trowa work for is touring the L-3 colony cluster. The circus was a hit wherever they went, but colony X 18999 was an exception. The audience that came to see the show didn't even amount to one tenth of the audience that came on the other colonies.
"It's hard to believe that so few people came to the circus...." Catherine murmured looking out at the spectator seats. "Hey, Trowa...." Trowa was wearing his lion tamer's outfit and had his back turned to her. There wasn't much to the 'outfit,' as it left his upper body almost completely bare, revealing his well toned body. On his back there were old small scars, acquired from many different battles scattered here and there.
Catherine happened to notice a large scare, apparently caused by a burn, that covered Trowa's whole back. The scar was so old and paled, it almost completely blended with the regular skin tone, and was hard to see unless on looked very closely at it.
"On your back, is that from a burn? Where did you get it?"
"No idea.... I have no memory of being burned." Trowa said over his shoulder. On his face he had his half mask on. For today's show he was performing his speciality of the lion taming clown. Trowa continued, his expression unchanging like his mask. "I had it by I was old enough to know what was going on around me...it's probably something like a birthmark."
That couldn't be, Catherine thought. /That is definitely a scar from a burn. Also, it's pretty old like it was cause when he was just born.. Catherine still felt a nagging suspicion, but said no more on the subject.
Trowa stood beside Catherine and gazed out at the spectator seats. Just as Catherine had said, there were only a handful of people there.
SOURCE
Gundam Wing official novel Endless Waltz
Scans.
Translation by: Kirika Hishikari (ilcese $ rslnet . net)
