Skyedancer
Legacy Name: Skyedancer

Angel in the Afterlife

As a young angel, Skye had only very recently been appointed a Guide position. Rather than a Guardian charged with the care of one specific soul over a lifetime, a Guide is entrusted with many souls on their journey from the Planet Subeta into Heaven.

She had successfully seen half a dozen children over the bridge of starlight and through the pearly gates when she was sent to Blessed Shinwa Research Hospital for the first time. The state-of-the-art research facility is Subeta's largest Children's Hospital, a place where the healing powers of magic are often used on cases where all hope is lost.

Unfortunately, there are still some illnesses even magic cannot fix. One wing of the hospital is dedicated to the comfort and joy of those terminal children beyond even a goddess' power to heal.

Skye walked at a measured pace as three little ones under the age of 8 clung to her mane. They had been involved in a rollover accident just that morning, one which had left no survivors despite every effort of the doctors. The souls of Maggy, Tom and Dewy did not fuss or try to turn away from the glowing comfort of the angel that would allow no harm to befall them. Their cornflower blue eyes fixed almost accusingly on the little boy who stepped directly in Skye's path.

Skye was amazed that the boy could see her presence when she was not enabling Sight for the Living. The focus of his eyes and the stubborn set of his lips gave no doubt that his eyes, though still fixed on the world, were also fixed on the spiritual figures.

"Will you talk to us for a while, please? We don't get many visitors."

She couldn't bear to disappoint a child. "I must see these souls safely delivered to Heaven, but I promise to return."

A little crescent moon appeared on the fur of her shoulder, the promise mark of an angel. She could no more break a promise than she could unmake the earth and sky.

The three little souls gathered around Skye for one last hug before the Heavenly Helpers showed up to take them down the white path that leads to the wonders of Heaven.

It took mere seconds for her to materialize once more outside the terminal wing door but for an angel, that is a great deal of time to think. Why had a mortal child been able to see her despite her powers of concealment? In certain rare situations, an angel can choose to reveal their presence to mortal eyes. The rules for such a viewing are strictly enforced. Had she done something wrong? Was she losing her powers? Could she even (Heaven forbid) be turning mortal?

Her fears were quickly soothed when she looked upon the hollowed cheeks, the ravaged bodies, and the scared but knowing eyes of the children. Death had more hold on these unfortunate souls than life. That they had been drawn to such a brilliant source of hope and light was no surprise at all.

The boy named Garret could only walk with the support of his IV stand. Despite his wasted legs, he did not hesitate to make the rounds and introduce his friend "the most beautifullest angel ever" to everyone on the ward. Cassie was past the point of walking, her hair taken by the chemo treatments. Ricky didn't let the loss of one arm keep him from plucking strings on his favorite cherry red toy guitar. Susy's eyes were fever-bright but no less focused than a healthy child's.

"We've all been seen by Shinwa and about a million doctors. They say the kinds of cancer we have are the rarest kinds. They lie to us a lot and tell us we're getting better, but we're not. Our parents cry a lot. They try hard not to, but they always do." His own large eyes filled with tears. "I knew you had to be an angel because you're so beautiful. Please, will you tell us what Heaven is like?"

She told them of the wide open play spaces where the surroundings were limited only by the imagination. There are no dangers there and any fantasy can be lived to the fullest. There are always good things to eat and feather-soft beds to sleep on. Older angels visit to teach those that have a hunger for knowledge and beloved pets wander through at all hours, seeking the owners they left behind. It is a place of light and wonder and utter joy. No sorrow or pain is ever known there. By the time she was done speaking, eyes that were filled with tears had dried and widened with wonder. For the first time in many days, these forgotten children felt hope.

She made it a point to visit the terminal wing at least briefly whenever a call for her services came from the hospital. It was hard when one of her charges was a familiar face she'd come to know and love. As much as she enjoyed acting as an escort and protector of children, she would always rather see a miraculous recovery.

She was there on the day Garret died. After all the efforts the boy had taken to introduce her to so many wonderful children, she could not bear the thought of not letting him see her until his soul separated from his body. His mother held his head in her lap and his father stood off to the side and wept. The doctors muttered empty condolences and looked at one another in deep discomfort. Garret tried to raise himself at the sight of his dearest friend but barely had the strength to raise a hand and point.

"There she is, Mama. My friend the angel Skyedancer. She's come to see me up to Heaven."

His parents turned to stare at the blank stretch of white wall broken only by a few decals of tumbling clowns. The doctors bit their lips or frowned, as best befit their natures. They would not indulge such fantasies in a healthy child but here they would be tolerant. The parents were certainly trying to take comfort in the fact that in his last few minutes, their little boy looked almost at peace.

Garret stiffened when the final breath came. There was nothing Skye could do to ease the separation of soul and body. Just as the moment of birth is filled with confusion and violence, so too is the moment of death. As soon as the boy's soul came into being, Skye was a warm presence at his side. Garret buried his hands deep in her fur and wept. His parents could not see him or hear his voice when he called out. He no longer belonged to the physical world.

The grief left the child when he realized the time had come at last to accompany Skye to that place of beauty and comfort she had told him about in his final days. His steps were not the least bit hesitant when the pathway to Heaven opened before them.

He paused when the Heavenly Helpers reached out their hands. "Will you promise me something, Skye?"

"If I can, dear Garret. A promise to the soul is much more powerful than one made to mortals."

"Will you please seek out the children like me and help them know that they are coming to a happy place, please? Nobody should ever have to feel scared and alone."

It was a promise she could never break. She did not hesitate to make it.

Her legacy spread over time to every Subetan hospital that served as a temporary home for those children with one foot in the grave and one on Heaven's doorstep. The name of Skyedancer became a sort of token of hope for what comes next and a deep source of comfort for little ones, even those who would go on to live many more years. When death came calling a child's name, they would not be alone.

Skye delighted in entertaining the children. Her quick wits and gentle patience made her a delightful chess opponent for those that knew how to play. She was glad to act as a teacher for those who didn't know a rook from a pawn. More often than not she would let the children win, though on occasion a child of great intelligence would grant her a game worth remembering. It was for these rare few that her competitive streak would show. She was never a bad sport, even when a hard-fought battle of the minds went against her. She could always find joy in the playing.

She also served as the keeper of secrets children weren't quite sure they wanted to take to the grave. She had a seemingly endless supply of jokes both juvenile and macabre, offerings she picked up at one hospital ward and brought to another. Making children laugh gave her the greatest joy.

She would take food or drink when it was offered, not wanting to upset the children by turning down those little gifts they presented. It was through such offerings that she discovered her love of lemon angel food cake. Once the children realized her preference, they would regularly beg for the dessert and set aside a portion for her.

Drawings and paintings of Skye began to appear at hospitals around the globe. Some thought she was a winged horse or unicorn of some kind. Others took a guess that she was some remote sibling of Oatmeal, a pretty pink and purple goat with wings and a halo. Sometimes the children would refer to her Halo, but they were not speaking of the golden ring of light and metal above her head. Her minion Dawn was her constant companion, a smaller friend capable of scampering up and down the bed and coming up with all sorts of antics to make the children laugh. She was nearly as popular a guest as her mistress and sometimes showed up as a white blobby cat with a red tail and blue triangle wings.

No adult has ever seen this figure of childish dreams yet there are many over the age of 18 that will swear to the reality of Skyedancer. She is their solace in the darkest days of their lives. Doctors and people of the business world may scoff and scorn the idea, but to a parent that has seen that little child's eyes light up in the final moments, when the angel appears to comfort and guide them, there can be no doubt that angels are a presence on the earth and that there is more to life than what a mortal can fit in a few meager decades. The knowledge that their children are being carried into Heaven is a priceless comfort they will allow no skeptic to take away.

Credits

Profile Code by: Ringo
Edited by: Chrysariel
Story by Pureflower
Overlay by: Rah
Background by: Markinternational.info
Clear Icons by: MySiteMyWay
Name Art by: Chrysariel