Disclaimers:  Gundam Wing is the sole property of Bandai or Sunrise or whoever those guys are that thought them up. So, yeah, I'm just borrowing the guys for a moment… but I promised to give them back, dun worry.

Author's Notes:

            + Here's another chapter from yours truly. Yes, it's still been awhile and all that, but hey, its still going. And can you believe this, it's been over a year since this fic first started! A whole year of vampires biting people, assassins looking for business, cat people hopping around roofs and stealing other people's things, confused girls running away from arranged marriages, royalty running away from their crowns, and a hell of a lot of people denying the truth! And we all know how much fun that is. ^^ So booyah to a whole year of New Moon!!

            + The website idea is (you'll never believe this) underway! I actually have my site up, though it still needs a lot of work. Cye's Girl has been a major help when it comes to that, so everybody should go tell her how cool she is.

            + The whole Manga thing, well, I'd still really like to do that. I really do suck at drawing, so I'll never really do my own manga. But I'm still hoping to find somebody who is interested in doing one that I can collaborate with… again, if any of you know someone or are interested, let me know! And draw me pictures!! :3 hehe.

            + As always, please review! Your comments are greatly appreciated; they make meh happeh! ^^

New Moon

Still a GW (alternate universe) Fanfiction

Still by Jou-chan

            Duo shielded his eyes from the rain, glancing up into the clouded sky above them as they tried to formulate some sort of plan. Shelter was a top priority, as night was on them and it didn't look as thought the storm would let up. "We can just stay here for the night." He suggested, looking back to the others.

            Sana squinted, her nose scrunching up. "We're already wet and it's getting cold. Staying here would result in some of us, if not all of us getting sick. I think we should keep going." She said, trying to squeeze the excess water out of her long ebony strands. She made a slight face, twisting the locks together and tossing them over her shoulder in a makeshift do. That's it, she thought, as soon as we get to a town I'm chopping it all off. I don't need it anymore; it's not like I'm getting married or anything. She smirked slightly at that thought, but returned her attention to the conversation around her.

            "We could be walking all night before we reach a suitable place, though." Quatre pointed out, running a hand through his wet, blonde tresses. "We'd end up being soggy and cold anyway. At least here we have shelter from the wind and rain."

            Trowa nodded in agreement. "That would give us time to think, as well, since we now have the Lua Stone. Maybe there's something around here that could give us more information about it. Another tablet or stone table or something." He added, glancing to the blonde as he said so.

            "Other things should be addressed as well." Wufei spoke up, crossing his arms as he leaned against an old column. "That language, for instance. And how the two of you knew how to read it." He reminded them, looking pointedly at Quatre and Sana.

            As the wind shifted, Keru flicked her tail back and forth, sniffing the air lightly. "….hm.." She purred slightly, her ears twitching.

            "What is it?" Heero asked, finding that more often than not, he could trust Keru's instincts. They were usually right.

            "I smell something." She muttered, relaxing. "Smells like… humans."

            "Well, duh." Duo said, scratching his head.

            She glanced over at him, raising an eyebrow, before flicking her tail again. "More like a human town, idiot."

            "A town?" Sana repeated, stepping forward slightly.

            The cat woman just nodded. "I can go check it out, and come back if I find anything." She suggested, glancing over at Quatre for permission.

            The blonde nodded, sighing. "That's fine. We can look around here for any clues about the Lua Stone, as well. And if it turns out there is a town, that's fine. The better for all of us, I think."

            Keru gave a nod and started off, trotting back into the woods.

            "So I guess while she goes and snoops around, we check this place out a little more?" Duo asked, placing his hands behind his head, kicking a stone around idly.

            Quatre gave a nod. "Yes, I think that's best." He rubbed his forehead slightly, glancing around himself and especially at the weather. It looked as though it was getting worse outside. The wind was beginning to pick up, and he thought he saw some lightening between the trees. And Sana had been right. The rain was beginning to get to him, his clothes already soaked through. "We should try to build a fire to keep warm. I sure we can find enough rubble somewhere inside." He suggested.

            Duo sighed slightly, hands still behind his head. "Right-o, then."

            Sana was already ahead of them, though, moving back inside. She wandered around some, squeezing her hair out again, watching as the water trickled down. It amazed her sometimes that hair could soak up so much water. She heard the others follow in behind her, though for the most part they all went off in their separate ways. She decided to search around by herself, see if she couldn't find anything for a fire or even something that might explain why she was able to read that ancient tablet. But first thing first, she wanted to be warm.

            The room she was in was huge, with high vaulted ceilings and long windows that sparkled with light. The ceiling of the room was painted brilliant colors of blues and greens, with gold flames licking around the sides. In the center of the room there was a small stone, floating by itself. Bluish light emitted from the stone, stretching out like fire. It spread, filling her room and reaching out to cover every corner of every little thing, illuminating the place completely. The light was warm and friendly, and it made Relena happy, as though she didn't have a care in the world.

            A smile spread quickly across her features and she stood, waving her hand in the light. Soon she herself was glowing as she danced around the room, her old palace dress being replaced with a flowing silk robe, ancient symbols written along the hem. The skirt of it circled around her feet as she danced, her hair swaying lightly with each movement. As if a wind carried her along, she moved about the floor, hips swaying with the rhythm. After a moment, she wasn't the only one dancing. There were others, translucent figures moving next to her, every man and woman as beautiful as the next. They all wore similar robes, dancing in the same fashion together to a silent melody that they all heard. And Relena could hear it to. It drifted through her mind, echoing in her room and in her soul and flowed in her veins like blood, as if she'd always known it.

            As the ancient song began to change, playing faster and rising in its notes, the dance began to change as well. The rhythm picked up, and the dancers' movements became stronger and more abrupt. And their bodies began to change as well; their robes faded away and wings began to form, folding out of their backs and stretching out to full length. They were translucent wings, though shimmering a beautiful pale blue, as if they were made of water. And slowly, as if time began to slow around her, Relena stopped dancing and held up her arms towards the ceiling as a pair of wings enfolded from her back.

            Relena blinked her eyes open, staring at the ceiling. It was plain, nothing like the one she'd just dreamt of. Sitting up slowly and rubbing her eyes, she glanced around herself. The room around her seemed completely normal, just as she had left it before she had dozed off. A normal room in a normal inn in a normal city with normal people. And yet something about her dream… she glanced over her shoulder, checking her back for any new changes she might not of been aware of. But as always, it remained as it had been: normal.

Duo tugged on his braid idly, violet eyes locked onto multiple carvings on the wall in front of him. He studied all of them carefully, running fingers along the different shapes as he tried to decipher the meaning behind them. There was something there that he was missing, almost as if he could see the puzzle piece that would link it all together in his mind, but whenever he reached for it, the distance between it and his hand suddenly grew another length. No matter how he tried, the piece always dangled just in front of him.

            With a frown, he took a step back, his head tilted slightly. Well, whatever's going on here, these people sure as hell like moons.

            "They say that full and new moons are the nights when the greatest powers roam about. Both good and evil." Heero said behind him, leaning complacently against one of the carefully carved columns.

            Duo put his hands over his head, glancing back at the man briefly. "You would be the expert on that, wouldn't you?"

            Heero ignored that comment, his Prussian blue eyes moving past Duo to the pictures behind him. "There's a little under a week left until the next new moon." He added quietly, pushing himself up off the column and stepping towards the intricate carvings. "Don't you find that a little coincidental?"

            That wasn't exactly the puzzle piece Duo had been looking for, but he thought it was definitely a step in the right direction. "We should tell Quatre." He replied immediately, moving to step past Heero towards where he thought the blonde prince would be.

            Lifting his hand and catching the assassin's shoulder easily, Heero stopped him. "Quatre's.. a little busy right now."

            Duo raised his eyebrows, glancing back in the direction of the main chamber before returning his gaze to Heero. "Busy? Explain to me how that's remotely possible," he asked, crossing his arms, "When we're all just milling around a ruined palace like mindless zombies?"

            A slight smirk made Heero's lips curve up. "Trowa."

            "Oh. Never mind, then." Duo turned away, grinning as he thought about that. He'd had a hunch that maybe Trowa liked the little blonde, but since they'd left town, the signs were harder to pick up. But if Heero had also caught on, then he really wasn't just blindly shooting in the dark, was he? Laughing out loud, he did a little jig, glad that his friend was finally finding some interest in another person.

            Heero raised an eyebrow, making the gesture look completely and utterly elegant, before asking, "So how's your neck?"

            That definitely made Duo stop in his tracks, giving the vampire a wary glance. "You leave my neck alone, bat-boy." He said, a little too quickly. "You've already had your fill."

            Slowly advancing towards the violet-eyed man, Heero smirked. "I've only just started to have my fill."

Sana heaved a sigh, stretching her arms out above her head before letting them drop at her sides.

            She stood in the middle of a small room, what probably was once a green house, of sorts. Now it was overrun with plants, many strange and exotic flowers blooming, the air fragranced with their aroma. Leafy vines of all sorts ran up the walls, curling around broken lights and tracing their wiry ends along the ceiling. Though as strange as it was, there were a few spots on the walls where no plants grew.

            Wetting her lips, Sana stepped towards one of them, her brow furrowed in concentration.

            A picture was carved and painted there, the colors still vibrant after so many years of abandonment. The figure of a man stood in an open clearing in the first one, white translucent wings, outstretched to their full length. He was pretty naked, save for a small pendant that hung around his neck and a loincloth. The stone within it glowed a faint, dull blue, and the sky above him was filled with stars, glinting every imaginable color. In the next picture, other winged beings, their wings tinted the same blue as the stone, danced around the man, beautiful in their bare skin. The man himself outstretched his arms, reaching for the moon and stars above him, his body beginning to take on that soft glow. In the third picture, all movement had stopped, and every being now had his or her hands reaching upwards, eyes empty save for that blue radiance. A small cylinder of light fell upon the center man with the white wings, scattering out like dust as it reached his fingertips.

            Sana pursed her lips, running her hands across the image gently, trying to understand. She took the pendant around the man's neck to be the Lua Stone, but after that nothing in the pictures really made much sense to her. The three together looked like steps that should be followed, but for what?  

            "What are you doing?"

            Startled, she jerked her hand away from the wall, glancing back to see Wufei staring at her steadily. "Gods, can't you say hello or something before doing that?" She breathed, closing her eyes as she began to collect her wits about her. "You scared me."

            He just raised an eyebrow in response before moving further into the room, towards her and the pictures. "What are these?" He asked, his dark eyes glancing from her to the images carved into the stone structure before them.

            Her dark gray eyes blinked open, looking back to the colorful engravings with a slight shrug. "They almost look like directions of some sort. Something about the Lua Stone, and what it does, maybe."

            "Or how to use it." Now Wufei was studying the pictures, carefully scanning the handcrafted drawings for anything that might shed some light on their current predicament.

            Sana sighed, turning away from them as she glanced about the room. "If you find anything, let me know."

            He gave her a slight look, but continued to observe the wall and its secrets.

            Twisting her hair, still feeling water drip out of it even after all her attempts of squeezing it out, she began to wander around the room a little more, gazing at the plant life around her. Every flower was beautiful, each color unique. Some had wide petals, while others were small and shimmering. Some looked like velvet or silk, while other petals curled out like wispy strands of hair.

            Despite the fact that none really looked familiar, a sense of deja vu suddenly hit her, at full force, and she stood straight, blinking. The perfume of the flowers reminded her of something, but what it was exactly took its sweet time to dawn on her.

            "Darling, come sit over here." Her mother said, her voice sympathetic as she ushered her raven-haired child over to her vanity table.

            The daughter glanced up at her briefly, her long locks intertwined around her fingers before she let her hands drop and moved to join her mother. Her cheeks were pale and her eyes glimmered with unshed tears, but her expression was otherwise flawless.

            Making room for her on the velvet bench, the mother embraced her gently, pushing wild locks of hair away from her little girl's face. Only, she was no longer a little girl, and the mother knew that her daughter was beginning to feel the responsibilities that her age brought. "I am sorry." She whispered, kissing the girl on the forehead. "It has always been my hope that you would not have to suffer so."

            The girl averted her eyes, the dull gray orbs giving no hint of the cleverness that was usually there. "How long has this been planned?"

            The older woman, still relatively young, hugged her daughter to her closely. "I honestly do not know, Sana. I have only just found out about it myself. Your father-"

            "I will never forgive him!" The girl said abruptly, pulling away from her mother and stepping away, her back turned. Quickly wiping away the stray tears that began to fall, she walked towards the large bay window, leaning against it.

            Her mother rose, picking up her skirts as she went to join her daughter. "Please, Sana, do not blame your father. He loves you just as much as I do, and like I do, he fears for your future." Stroking her daughter's dark locks soothingly, she added, "You must know that in your heart."

            "But it's my future, not his! It's my own to create and shape as I please, and I should have the right to make my own decisions!"

            "Sana," Her mother breathed, a look of fear and worry etched onto her visage, "This family is run by your father, as the town is entirely run by men. It is a women's duty to marry and then serve her husband to the best of her abilities." Her smile was forced, and her tone betrayed the fact that maybe the older woman had been repeating that same statement to herself for many long, lonely nights.

            "I'm not going to marry him." The girl stated firmly, looking away from the garden outside to her mother, her eyes determined. "Believe me when I say that I would rather die than be submitted to a society of men that won't let me live my life in the freedom that they rightly abuse." With that said, she turned her back to the window, to her mother, and to her father and the society he represented, and walked out of the room.

            The other woman watched in sorrow, her dark eyes filling with tears as she collapsed to the floor, grieving for her daughter. "My Meiran..."

            "Sana."

            Jumping again, she blinked and turned slightly, immediately hiding the emotions that had been playing across her face.

            Wufei eyed her carefully, his arms folded comfortably across his toned chest. "We should go and tell Quatre and the others about these." He said, his tone seeming indifferent to whatever she might be thinking. Though something about his eyes made her pause and wonder if that was really true or not.

            "…Of course." She dropped her eyes, fingers winding themselves into her hair absentmindedly. After a moment, she heard his footsteps and glanced back up. "Wufei.. Can you teach me to fight?"

            He stopped instantly in his walk towards the door, turning to look at her sharply. "You're joking."

            Sana began to remember why she had thought about asking somebody else to train her. "No, I'm not joking. I want to learn to use a sword so I can defend myself." She said, dropping her arms to her side and matching his stare.

            "No." He said abruptly, and turned away, as if that was the final word on the matter.

            She followed after him, balling her fists angrily. "What do you mean, no?! I'm not taking that for an answer, Wufei!!"

Quatre paced around his fire slowly, unable to think of anything else but the Lua Stone. He had it now, but what was he to use it for? How would he be able to use it at all? Throw it at Relena's kidnappers and expect them to fall dead?

            The fire crackled warmly in front of him, as if telling him to relax and take a seat, and dry out those clothes you mortal fool or you'll catch your death cold.

            Sighing, he dropped down onto a weathered stone, stretching his legs out in front of him. He was a little sore, and the warmth of the flames helped soothe those tight muscles in his thighs. Despite the fact that they were kind of stranded there until they got any word from Keru, he was glad for the break. It gave him time to think.

            He wasn't quite sure exactly how he got the Lua Stone. It was as though it was something he just knew, like ducks in water. But what made it weirder was that Sana had been involved. Not even his dream with the winged girl had warned him of that. But nevertheless, Sana had went into the same trance like state, and she sang to him, and told him of the Star Dance, and of the people who danced it, the Lithlua. And when she had stopped, the doorway had opened in front of him, and he entered the Lua Chamber. In the center of the room stood the circular pedestal, decorated with the phases of the moon. Once again, he had instinctively known what was to be done, and he had done so accordingly.

            "Luaia, Goddess of the Stars and Moon, Mother of the Star Dance, I ask you for your help. The darkness grows, and its peak is nearing. Please, sweet Lady, send us your wisdom and guidance and let us tread the path of the stars." Quatre paused after he finished, staring into the fire before him with a bemused expression. That was what he had chanted at the pedestal, before the chamber lit up with a blue light and the Lua Stone dropped out of the air. But what did it mean?!

            "Is that what you said back there?" Trowa asked suddenly, detaching himself from the shadows near the door.

            Quatre blinked at him, clearing his vision and offering the man a smile. "Yes, it is. Though I don't understand why or how…" His voice trailed off and he sighed, frustrated that he could not find the answers.

            Trowa just smiled lightly and crouched at the fire, warming his hands. "I'm sure it'll come to you." He replied evenly, his voice surprisingly kinder than he had ever heard it. "The same way you recognized the Lua Stone, you'll find its purpose."

            "So," Quatre caught on, "You believe me about the dream?"

            The brown-haired man was silent for a moment, before he glanced back up at him, his clear green eyes looking at him softly. "I always have."

            The blonde managed a nod, his eyes dropping to the bluish green stone in his hands, fumbling with it slightly. "Oh."

            There was an awkward silence between them for a moment, the rain pouring down outside around them seeming a thousand times louder than it really was before Trowa spoke.

            "If you can understand what you said, did you understand Sana when she began that chant?" He asked, leaning forward some out of his curiosity.

            Quatre nodded, smiling once again. "Yes. It was a song; the words on the tablet were a song, and the song, created from the Star Dance, was the key to opening the Lua Chamber!" He jumped up in his excitement, reaching forward and catching Trowa by the arm. "The Star Dance! Singing must be the key to using the stone!"

            The blonde's enthusiasm rubbed off on Trowa and he couldn't help but smile. "Maybe if we look around this place, we'll find more keys that will help unlock this mysterious Star Dance of yours."

            Quatre paused, glancing to the side. "I think we should find the others and tell them what we've discovered. And to see if Sana remembers what she did, the same way I did."

            "Of course," Trowa agreed easily, "Though you were the one to figure it out, not me."

            The blonde smiled, blushing slightly. "Trowa…"

            But whatever he was going to say was cut off by Wufei, stalking angrily into the room from the left with Sana at his heels.

            "Why are you being so stubborn about this?! It's not like I asked you to do something hideously awful!"

            "Do you not understand what no means?!"

            Making an exasperated sound, Sana did the only think she could think of, and bent down swiftly. Tightening her fingers around a smooth stone, she picked it up and hurled it at the ninja.

            It barely missed his head, flying by his ear and landing a few passes away from Trowa, who merely stared at the scene before him.

            Wufei froze, staring at the rock in disbelief, before turning on the dark-haired woman. "Did you…?!"

            "Damn straight! And I'll do it again if you don't help me!" She said stubbornly, putting her hands on her hips.

            Behind them, Quatre smothered a giggle, though the two heard the sound anyway.

            Sana gave Wufei one last glare before brushing past him and approaching Quatre quickly. "You'll teach me to use a sword, won't you?" She asked, sounding hopeful. "I want to be able to defend myself with out worrying you guys."

            Quatre smiled cheerfully for her. "Of course, Sana. We'll all help."

            "All of us except for Wufei, anyway." Trowa added in amusement, smirking at the onyx-haired man.

            Wufei scowled, crossing his arms, obviously irritated. Pampered brat. If there's one thing I never do, it'll be taking a wife. Women.

            Heero chose that moment to stroll in, looking particularly calm compared to the rest of them. Raising an eyebrow at their expressions, he asked, "Are we having a disagreement?"

            "Sana asked Wufei to train her with a sword and he refused." Trowa explained lightly, lips still curled up in amusement.

            "Good. Gods know that woman doesn't need a weapon in her hand." He responded, his tone utterly conversational.

            Sana made an indignant sound before turning. "Where's that rock I threw?"

Landau paced in his chambers, his copper hair vivid in the darkness. A Cillian, hm? He thought to himself, scratching his chin lightly as he eyed himself in the mirror. Such a woman would make me great profit. It would be a terrible shame to destroy her as Treize so wishes.

            He paused, crooning in front of the mirror, his dark eyes flickering with an ill mirth. If he caught the woman as Treize asked, and then just locked her up in a cell somewhere in the dungeons, she'd still be well out of the other man's way. And then Landau could reap the profits she would inevitably attract.

            Smirking triumphantly, he turned back to his bed, where his newest whore lay, sprawled across the sheets. Dead. He cared not, for his desires for her had been sated and she no longer proved to satisfy his needs. Now he hungered for someone else, someone who could bring him power. And if what my spies say are true, perhaps she will prove to be a splendid treasure to use, indeed.

To be continued…