Wings

Prologue: Guardian Angel

It was a day like all others, and yet, it was not.

Yeah, well, it's like this.

Have you ever woken up one morning with a really dreadful feeling settling on the deepest pit of your stomach? It's like the most ill of all omens. Some sort of internal, biological warning on some rather unpleasant things that would come. You'd rise up from your bed thinking, "Oh boy, it's gonna be one of those days", and then kaboom! Things would suddenly go downhill from there.

Axel Garcia, proud co-owner of the popular Neverland Bookstore, is currently having 'One of Those Days', and I'm here to see to it that she gets through it with maximum tolerance and minimal sanity-loss. Of course, with a charge as difficult and volatile as Axel Garcia is, persuading a rabbit to hump a senile horse would be a far easier task, but let's not go there. I really wouldn't want to re-hash Axel's mis-adventures this early in the morning.

You might be wondering who I am, and what business I have hovering about a girl who's currently frightening her employees and customers with her foul mood. First off, let me introduce myself to you.

My name is Solo. Just plain, simple Solo. No surnames, no second names, no whatever. Just Solo.

And I'm Axel Garcia's Guardian Angel.

Are you taking note of the capital letters there? Yeah? Good. I'm her Guardian Angel, and I have to say, I'm damn good at my job. If I weren't, my client would long be joining me in the realm of celestial beings. I'm telling you, it's no easy feat to keep that girl in line. She did everything short of swallowing a time bomb to endanger herself, never mind the fact that she really doesn't mean for anything bad to happen. I've had my hands full of that girl since the day she was assigned to me. Honestly, I've had my hands full of that kid for far longer than that, but again, let's not go there.

Yet.

Back to yours truly. I'm a high-ranking Guardian Angel from the 9th Choir of Angelic Realms. I've graduated top of my class in the prestigious Academia Gloria Caelesti for my undergraduate celestial education. If you get tongue-tied trying to pronounce that, you can always say Angels' Academy. AA if you're really lame-ass lazy. To the outsider and the aspiring canditate, AA is the School of All Schools when it comes to celestial education. Run by the Second Sphere of Angels, specifically those from the 4th Choir, the Dominions, AA is pretty much the 'place-to-be', if you ever want to be a somebody within the celestial realm. All spirits would've killed for the chance to be admitted into AA, if only they were allowed to kill. Once they're in, though, all bets are off, and dreams crumble like sandcastles during high tide.

In truth, AA is the closest to hell we angels can get. Every spirit aspiring to acquire a position within the convoluted world of celestial beings goes through the rigorous angelic courses and training modules provided by the Academy. Courses encompass everything-- from theories to history to on-the-job training. The faculty roster consists of highly-competent, yet pain-in-the-ass professors who graduated with honors during their time, and are now serving within the higher Spheres or Orders.

Right now, I'm a candidate for graduation for my Master's Degree in Celestial Education, Major in Human Relations and Guardianship aka Guardian Angelhood. I'm required to complete my MA thesis, which is to help Axel Garcia through the next major endeavor she will have to go through, whatever that is. Axel's success would be my success, but seriously, I've been watching over this kid for so long now, I think this thesis would be a piece of cake. If not for that foreboding feeling that has settled in my stomach the moment I rose this morning.

Something big's going to happen today, and lots of people would be involved. I'm willing to bet my all that I own- what little I have, anyway- that Axel would probably experience enough heartaches and pain to last a lifetime, and believe me, I'd do anything to prevent that from happening if I could. However, I knew that there are some things in life bigger than a Guardian Angel's plan to thwart whatever nefarious plan the Big Boss has in store for my charge.

I don't know the exact details, but I think this would be changing everybody's life, for like, forever.

Even mine. I can just feel it. And it has something more to do than my measly MA diploma.

So, here I am, following one grumpy Axel Garcia around as she trudges through the crowded streets of Sanc, half-wondering what cosmic joke Boss has in store for us all, and half-trying to save the city from my client's misplaced ire.

As she bursts into her bookstore in all her righteous indignation, huffing and puffing against the world's injustice, I could only hope that Axel would have the strength, the courage, and whatever she damn well needed to get through Boss' Plan for her.

She's going to hurt, I just knew it. There has never been a Plan without anybody getting hurt, without any hopes being dashed, without any heart being broken. Believe me, I'd do anything in my power to protect my client from whatever pain, but I could only do so much.

I'm only her Guardian Angel, after all.

So, bring it on now, Boss. I think we're ready.

Just don't hurt Axel too much, ok?

I hurt when she hurts.

And that's not just the Guardian Angel in me talking.

No man, living or not, would ever want anything bad happen to his sister.

Yeah, I was Axel's brother, what?

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A/N:  

Both Prologue and Chapter 1 have been modified a bit, so readers who've read this story (and have followed, thank you!) might want to go over them again. Votes and comments are much appreciated. Thanks! Much love, AutumnWind.