Little Angels

Chapter 1

Castiel, a young but very mature angel, stood confidently beside his brother, glancing up now and then to check he was standing correctly. He looked over all his other brothers and sisters who were playing across the clouds in front of him.

"Don't you want to play with our siblings Castiel?" Michael -the older brother- asked.

"No. I like standing here with you," he told him looking up blankly.

Michael looked away from him slowly and continued to survey the cloud tops.

"Michael?" Castiel asked slowly.

"Yes little brother."

"Why do we all look different? We were all created by our father but on earth, brothers and sisters have something about them that shows they are family." Castiel states looking down at the cloud which he had begun to kick up clumps of with his clean, black shoes.

Michael looked out over each individual angel running around the shimmering, white area below the two.

"It's hard to explain," he began, looking back at the blue-eyed angel beside him, "When the time comes, for each angel, they'll leave heaven and land on earth."

"Why?" Castiel interrupted, panic laced in his tone.

"For no wrong reason." Michael replied with haste, "Every angel has to leave at some point to help father. Just for a while, but you will return."

This cheered up the young boy who seemed comforted by the tale.

"Anyway, as I was saying, when this happens every angel must find their vessel that will carry them to do God's work on earth."

The little boy looked confused, "So, how does this explain why we are all so different?"

Michael looked down on him and gave him a small smile, "We develop the same features and appearance as our vessel so, when the time comes, we can find the right vessel for us."

The boy looked forward, deep in thought. He had always imagined that there would be a more simple explanation than this. Just maybe, "that's not how it works with angels". But, now he'd heard it, he couldn't help but feel a little disheartened knowing that, somewhere out there on earth, there was someone who looked exactly like him. As if, he had no identity of his own.

This sadness must have shown on his face because Michael whispered, "Don't worry, it's all going to be okay. Father blessed you with good looks unlike poor Zachariah."

Michael pointed at a small chubby angel with scruffy, brown hair who was toddling after a slightly older girl.

Castiel managed a small, half smile.

"Come on cheer up," Michael poked his nose and smiled gracefully at the young boy, "You should smile more."

OoO

Anna ran over the clouds laughing as a group of small, winged boys followed behind her. She weaved in and out of pillars, supporting roofing above her, her ginger hair following as she sprinted away from the smaller angels.

Reaching a maze, she slid down and hid behind one of the thick walls and listened as they all went galloping past.

"Anna," a small voice called out from the other side of the wall, "Anna, can I talk to you please?"

Anna moved around the corner and saw the boy dressed in a suit.

"Castiel," she smiled, "Have you come to join the game?"

Anna moved back into her hiding position and patted the spot next to her. The boy didn't make a move to sit; instead he stood and watched her with a slight tilt of his head.

"You said you wanted to ask me something?" Anna started, looking him in the eye and smiling gently.

"Why are you hiding?" He asked, puzzlement in his voice.

She giggled lightly at his expression, "We are playing a game of hide and seek, tig."

Castiel looked at her, confused further and blinked slowly.

"Someone counts to 20 while everyone else hides. When that someone has finished counting, they have to find all our siblings and tap them lightly. Then that angel has to help find everyone else. I'm the last one to be found," she explained, noticeably proud of this achievement, "Gabriel taught it to me before you were all created."

Castiel stood silently, thinking over what he had just been told. He then walked next to Anna and sat down beside her. He crossed his legs over each other and traced the outline of his shoe with his thumb.

"Can you help me get strong like Michael?" The boy asked steadily, "Please?"

Anna, rather taken a back by the sudden change in subject, looked at him and considered his question carefully.

"Why the sudden want for a tutor?" She questioned pushing a curl of hair away from his face with her forefinger.

"Well, big brother told me that one day I will go to earth to complete a task for father." He explained with great importance, "He told me that everyone has to do it and, I want to make sure I do it right."

Castiel looked up at the girl with an unreadable expression. She pushed a lock of ginger hair behind her ear and looked back, concern etched on her face. The young angel was already a solitary and unusual boy, not really partaking in usual games like the others. He was always wrapped up in the future rather than focusing on the present and making it count. She had a feeling that Michael hadn't helped at all with the telling if this tale.

"It's nothing to worry about now," she muttered giving the boy a reassuring pat on the head, "The time will come, but not for a long time yet. Don't just sit and wait, enjoy every second before and don't worry now, there's plenty of time for that later."

He looked away from her and muttered, "Okay," before standing and walking out of the maze.