Prologue

The Moon's Children

Disc.: Don't Own.

Rated: M for Gore and later lemons

Written By: LC

Shaking hands touched the small face of a child. There was blood; too much. It pooled around the small one's form as if trying to swallow her whole. Crimson didn't seem such as dark as it did around something so pure, it shouldn't have been killed. Tears streamed down her face as she tried to reason why the death had come. Maybe it was an accident? It was even possible she felt no pain when she died.

The searing wound gaping open along the child's neck however did little to sway those ideas to belief though. Deep inside her weary heart, she knew the reason and the cause of the little girl's death.

"Let's go," A deep voice ordered above her. But she didn't listen, she couldn't. As if lead were implanted in every bone and water surrounded what was once blood, there was no movement from her body, no understanding to move.

The wrench of her arm that made her stumble onto the cold ice came without warning. "I told you to move, now let's go." The voice was firmer and even sterner if possible. But she didn't fear that voice. Nothing made her afraid anymore, only sad. That's all that was left inside her.

This time when she felt her body being moved, it was into the arms of the man who had been barking orders at her. His chest collided with her side as he moved quickly down the street, keeping his panting breath quiet as he neared a corner and hid. "There was nothing you could do for her," His sympathetic tone warmed her just a little. It was the only thing that did anymore. Once again they ran. Where? That was one of the greatest questions that plagued her mind every night while they slept in abandoned cars and homes.

Of course, that was what the war did. It tore things apart and shook the foundations of everything known to those around it.

She felt a sigh slip passed his lips as he finally leaned against a broken foundation of what she could guess being an abandoned firehouse. A few windows were broken downstairs and everything looked ransacked but she didn't really mind. Just as long as they could stop and rest for a bit, it was heaven to weary eyes in her mind.

The man shuffled the bag on his shoulder and adjusted her in his arms as he walked up the narrow path of the staircase which lead to a room with only a broken bed and a canister of rubbing alcohol. Deciding what needed to be done first; he placed her down on the bed's mattress and fetched the canister. "Pull down your pants," he said gruffly as he uncorked the bottle. Her cheeks flamed but she knew why he wanted them down. With a little bit of hesitation in removing them and also pain shooting up her side, she managed to pull them down to her ankles. Just like she like though he would, eyes were firmly trained on the wound that sat on her thigh. It was starting to turn a grotesque purple that made both of them worry. He pulled at a piece of the sheets on the bed and dabbed it with the alcohol before dabbing the wound. Air sucked in through her clenched teeth as pain shot all along her left side.

"Sorry," He whispered and she felt herself smile.

"I'll be alright." Though the pain that was starting to blind her sight was making it hard for even her to believe at the moment.

After cleaning the skin, he told her to bite down on her sleeve while he cut open the wound a little to let all the old blood out that was infected. She did and found herself nearly screaming in her arm when the knife started to seep into her skin. By the time he was finished, her body shook with sobs at the pain. She wanted to be strong and didn't wish to cry but it was just too much. "It's alright," He sat next to her as she cuddled up next to his strong frame, "Relena it will be alright."

"No it won't Heero. Everything is wrong; the world we know has gone to hell and were in the devil's belly!" Tears ran down her face wetting the cloth of Heero's shirt when she felt him shake. Was he cold? Maybe the blanket would be good to wrap themselves around each other. He had given her his coat and now she felt guilty. Another quiver of his body and Relena came to an astonishing discovery. He was laughing!

The man was laughing while she was sobbing in pain. An urge to smack in full force in the chest was so tempting that her hand even formed a strong fist when Heero looked at her with mirth in his eyes. "The devil's belly…" He gave out a few more chuckles before it became too contagious and Relena started giggling a little.

When the laughter died down a minute or so later, Relena cuddled up against him further until her head was in his lap. The sagging of her eyes was a telling enough that they hadn't slept in alarm that they would be found out while their guard was down.

Heero didn't explain much but just enough to let her know what they wanted from them. Apparently ever since Relena was born, she hid a mark along her body that showed the sign of a gift from the moon. People who heard of it either wanted to praise her or kill her off in fear. Currently they were running from those that feared the possible power in her small framed body. She was surprised that she even made it to her nineteenth birthday with only that special mark on her. The man beside her made sure of that. It was only a week ago that Relena had been caught in a crossfire with the opposing forces of the war and was knifed in the thigh when she came too close to one of the soldiers. Heero was there though, a weapon – a long curved knife of his own – in his hand as he slashed it from neck to chest before picking her up and running.

Reaching down, Heero pulled out a worn blue blanket from the backpack on the floor.

Heero was another who was supposedly gifted. While she had the mark just on her midsection, his was just below his collar of his neck, hiding under his hair that reached his shoulders but was always pulled in a ponytail. Relena constantly frowned at the tail and would always volunteer her services to cut it. But the man was attached to it which was rarity since he never got attached to anything - well besides her.

The warmth of his lips against her forehead had her cheeks brimming with heat. She heard a small whimper slip out but when he pulled his lips away and cupped her face to look at him – she frowned with disappointment. "Looks like you still have that stupid fever." His hand worked at muscle in her neck and Relena couldn't help but fall into his touch. This man had been the only one to melt her heart whenever he looked at her or even just gave her a small insight into his mind. The sheets were moved off the bed and Heero pushed her body down on to the lumpy softness which she took with gratefulness but nearly died when she felt him lay down right against her back and wrapped an arm around her waist. "Go to sleep," He ordered again with that tone, but it was only out of weariness from their traveling. She felt the blanket's weight fall down on her and Heero.

She didn't snap back at him like she normally did and instead fell asleep to the sound of his heart and the warmth of his body seeping into hers.

Hopefully, maybe tomorrow they would find the border to the next town.

Then maybe Relena could actually sleep with Heero in a much more intimate way. Yeah – and she might even tell him why they were in that intimate way as well.

A smile pulled at her lips while she dreamt of all the possibilities once they reached the border.

Meanwhile dark blue eyes watched her sleep peacefully making the arm around her waist tighten. He kissed her forehead with tenderness this time and drew in the deep scent of her as he prayed for the first time in his life. They had to reach the border.

Trailing a few feather kisses along her face and stopping just underneath her chin, Heero placed his head against hers and went to sleep.

tbc