This is an old story I wrote back in 2004 - wow was it really 13 years ago?! But I never finished it. Recently, I've got back into writing and felt compelled to completely re-work this story and attempt to complete it, so I'll be re-posting each chapter as I do them.
Assuming anyone actually still reads Gundam Wing FF these days, please do let me know what you think and if you have any ideas or requests.

Much thanks.
Barewolf

Letters from the Academy (2017 UPDATED EDITION)

At age 19, Quatre decides to enrol for a year at the Chinese Martial Arts Academy where Wufei is currently teaching. These are the heartfelt diary letters he sends home to his dearly missed friends.

Chapter 1

Day 1

To my dearest and most beloved friends Trowa, Duo, Heero, Noin, Relena, Sally, Noin, Hilde, and Rashid, I am missing you all so very much, even though it has been just five days since our wonderful, if a little emotional, farewell party. I just know these coming weeks and months are going to be difficult knowing you are all so far away.

I have arrived safely at the Academy after travelling cross-country for almost two days. The academy is located deep in Chinese territory and the sixteen hour train journey was gruelling, but it was all worth it when I finally got here; This really has to be one of the most beautiful places on the planet. The setting is absolutely breathtaking, with the academy nestled on a mountainside, overlooking vast, beautiful green plains and a great lake that feels more like an ocean. I'm sure I'll write more about this soon.

Enrolment was quite an experience. Today is enrolment day, the first day of term starts tomorrow. They had to process about a hundred new students, including myself, who all arrived today. We had to hang around for a good while in the main hall while everyone was enlisted, filled out the appropriate forms, and sorted out with rooms etc. It's funny, even at the ripe old age of 19, and after everything I experienced through the war, I still felt quite intimidated and afraid, just like I did on my very first day at school all those years ago. I wasn't the only one feeling like a fish out of water though. Some of the other new students, particularly the younger ones looked quite terrified, the poor things.

I was befriended by some of the other new students within just minutes of arriving in the main hall. It seems being older, and may I add, the only person in the entire academy with blond hair, as well as being the only westerner, I was quickly singled out and adopted as big brother by a small group of these rather fretful youngsters who mistakenly seemed to believe that I somehow knew what to do and where to go. Actually, it really was a bit of a blessing, as trying to help them made me forget about my own nerves and worries.

I remember Wufei telling me a while back that many parents send their older kids here (age thirteen and up) because it will significantly increase their chances of getting good jobs and careers. Wufei should be arriving here tomorrow by-the-way.
I'm not sure I'd want to force a martial arts academy on to my kids, if or when I have any, but Wufei reassured me that although many of them often seem a little overwhelmed by the whole experience at first, by the end of the first term, most of them have such a great time here, they don't want to leave.
I really do hope that is the case, especially for one rather timid and anxious lad named Po, who quite literally had to be prised away from our little group when the time came for him to go and enrol. Po spent much of the day shadowing me, rarely leaving my side for more than a few moments, and yes, Sally, as soon as I heard his name, I couldn't help but think of you.

The accommodation is clean, dry, and cosy. I've been put in a small dormitory large enough for six people. The room is not a bad size and is cheerfully decorated in warm colours. It has three sets of bunk beds, one at either end and one in the middle, which is mine. There are two large windows with spectacular views out across the plains towards the west, so we get to see the sunset each evening. I can see myself spending much of my spare time sitting here, with teacup in hand, just admiring the sheer beauty of it all.

It appears I will be sharing this dorm room with four other students during this term, one of whom I have not yet met. Apparently he will arrive in a couple of weeks time. My other two room-mates appear to be fast asleep right now as I sit here in bed writing this letter. There's a guy called Ono who's on the bunk to my right, he's 20 years old and also classed as a mature student, the same as me, although communication has been sporadic at best because he can't speak much English and I'm still struggling with my Chinese. He seems very peasant and polite though and I'm sure we'll get along just fine.
The other student, who's quietly snoring in the top bunk to my left, is in-fact Po, the boy I told you about earlier. It turns out Po had requested the same dorm room as me. I always assumed they would separate the age groups for accommodation, but it seems they are flexible about it. Po is just age fourteen, and I get the impression it really wasn't his idea to come here. His well-meaning parents have obviously paid a large chunk of their income for him to be here, and so he's honouring their wishes all the same. He's very timid and doesn't appear to have much self-confidence at the moment, but I'm sure the academy will coax out the best in him, just as it will in all of us.

I know several of you have expressed misgivings about my coming here, but as I've said before, this is just something I really felt I needed and wanted to do. You all know how restless and unsettled I've been since the war ended. I realised early on that I needed to get away and deal with it, so when Wufei first suggested my coming here, somehow I just knew it was the right thing to do, and that it would give me the chance to help bring some balance back into my life. Right now, I still feel I have definitely made the right choice.

Well, It's 10pm now and we all have to be up at 5am. There is an introduction and welcoming ceremony in the main hall later on tomorrow morning, where we will get to meet the rest of the students, many of whom have already been here for several years.

I am very tired so I'd better get some sleep now. Please do take very good care of yourselves, all of you, and I will write more very soon.

Yours always,

Quatre