Chapter 30 (The Dummy Chapter)

By Lady Lye

Author's Note OF GREAT IMPORTANCE!

Here's the deal, kids. This fic was started at the end of my freshman year of highschool. I'm now in college, and I've grown a LOT since then. As a writer--and as an adult. I stopped reading and writing fanfiction because A) I couldn't find enough fics that were written well enough to hold my interest (I'm DYING for some good Rin/Sesshoumaru by-the-by) and B) In the roughly 2 years I spent seriously writing fanfiction I surpassed what I started writing at the beginning. ...that's poorly phrased. What it means is that I now hate what I wrote way back when. This is pretty common for writers, and certainly for my opinion of what I wrote. C) I wanted to focus on writing things I could actually publish.

BUT-!

I really, really, like this fic, too. As I learned more about my craft, I expanded the ideas and I do have an outline for several more chapters of this fic. And they're good 'uns. I still like 'em.

However, they take the story a way from its roots in a lot of ways. I -can- continue from this point, but I feel like I need to backtrack and do a lot of cleaning up. And I'm missing a bunch of files, so that would NOT be a fun process.

Here's what I am thinking of doing. I want to start over. And when I say start over, I really mean start over. I'm debating taking it away from fandom altogether and working it as a standard sci fi/fantasy story. That means changing the characters around a bit--Duo will still be Duo by another name, but Trowa and Quatre are... kinda expendable at this point. Do you see what I mean? It's going to be different--but it'll finally have an ending. And I might even be able to get it published when it's done. And then I can point to a ready and willing readership, and you can say you knew me when. We all win (except side characters like Quatre who get erased, mangled, changed).

Plus, if I get a good response, I'll make it my NaNoWriMo project for this year. I will promise you 50,000 words in 1 month. Of By The Light... Without interruption. And you can all nag me until December.

But I can only NaNo it if it's a fresh start. The alternative is my dribbling in new chapters over the next few years. And we know how good I am at THAT.

It's up to you folks. I'm willing to try if you're willing to take this crazyass ride with me.

So, leave your vote in the comments. Email me (new address on my profile). And watch the profile for new announcements.

And now, because FF.N can be so incredibly anal, here's some actual fic to get us past the rules.

This is from my archives. Hopefully it'll get you interested again. ;)

Palace Triton, Saturn. The Silver Millennium.

Weeping willows trailed their branches gently on the breeze, massive, towering things, almost supernaturally tall. It was not grass, but moss that covered the ground, small, flashing things flitting amongst the few wan blooms. The sky was not quite cloudy, but not clear either, the stars obscured by misty daylight filtering through misty, dark gray clouds. They did not threaten rain, nor anything, for they always hung in the sky so, a natural phenomenon of the atmosphere. They remained high, however, and far along the horizon was a clear sight across the valley, and beyond the mountains, the glittering rings flickered like gold dust against the clouds.

Here at the willow tree, a young woman picked her way over it's branches, walking around it, one hand on the bark the whole way, as though to connect with it's spirit. Smiling, she closed her eyes and tiptoed expertly around to the far side, having taken the walk a thousand times before.

She opened them on an amused smile, accompanied by a chuckle. She couldn't help smiling back and drifted forward to sit beside her lover on the picnic blanket.

"Playing with the nymphs again?" he teased, the smile softening his chiseled features considerably.

It always made her heart sing and stomach soar when he looked at her that way, and she leant forward to give him a kiss on the cheek. "I thought you were convinced I was a nymph?"

"That was until I saw you on Mercury," he answered, merry delight still dancing in Prussian blue depths. "You, my heart, are a mermaid."

"Not a naiad?" she couldn't help poking fun.

"Whatever you are, you're beautiful," he moved closer to bury his face in long golden hair, breathing in her wonderful, flowery scent.

She giggled and nuzzled back, taking his hand in hers. "Beloved…"

"Mm, yes, beloved?"

"Do that again…"

Amidst the misty colors was contrast; white marble buildings formed a palace on the rise above the garden where the willow grew. And standing against the shining whiteness, was infinite black.

Like the black holes in space high above the clouds, the girl seemed to draw light towards her, luring it in, to suck it in and trap it there, never to be released. Black hair, not uncommon for the planet, though hers was curled, and like many, the easiest way to tell her apart was by hers eyes. Though at first glance all Saturnians were the same, they differed in their beautiful, liquid eyes. Hers, amidst their swirling obsidian, were green. And they spoke hate.

She wore the garb of an acolyte, sworn to the Order of Kronus. Had her darkly stained lips parted for a smile, they would have revealed her long, pointed incisors. Her skin was nearly as pale as the marble, as even now she avoided the sun's uncomfortable light.

Her malicious eyes stared across long distance and a curtain of leaves through to the young betrothed, and her scowl deepened. As the man kissed his golden bride, she sneered, and her fang was revealed to the world in all its fatal glory.

END MINI-CHAPTER

This is your chance to save this story. You've seen your options.

I try to remember to write some more in the current style.

We all start fresh and this November 2006 I wow you all with my ability to churn out prose faster than any fanfiction author is allowed. (It's a violation of the union.)

Leave your comments. Send me an email. I promise to listen—and the results will go up on my profile, by October 1st.

I want to thank you all again for hanging in there with me through so many chapters and delays. Your attention and appreciation kept me encouraged and now I want to give you something worthy of that.

With love,

Lady Lye