Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon.

A/N: Hey everyone, I'm back! This will probably be a four part story (possibly longer since i tend to get carried away) set during the Silver Millennium. Just a warning, there will be girl/girl romance in this story so if that offends you Turn Back Now!

A/N2: Thank you to ChronoCresentFlames for coming up with the concept for this story! Hope you like it :)

Prologue: Impressions

-Minako-

Minako, fourth princess of Venus, stood surveying a row of stands. She'd just arrived on the Moon and had gotten sidetracked on her way to the palace. Her servants had already gone ahead with her luggage and she was sure her parents, who had arrived two days before, wouldn't mind if she was a little late.

The Lunar bazaar was one of her favorite places to visit. Unlike the market square at home, there were wares and goods from every planet in the system on display here.

She strolled casually past a large Jovian vegetable stand, smiling at the mix of fresh aromas around her. A tall clay pot displayed an array of huge blue and purple flowers and she paused briefly to admire them.

A light tug on her sleeve drew her attention away from the greenery to a squat man with a thin beard. He grinned widely, giving her sleeve one more pull for good measure, then stepped back to his own stand. "My Lady, those colors look divine beside your beauty," he gushed, bowing to her as he slid a box of gold jewelry toward her. Minako offered him a polite smile of thanks before turning away. She knew enough about commerce and trade to not be taken in.

He didn't take the hint, however. He caught the hem of her travel cloak tightly, holding up his little box of rings in the other. "My Lady, I'm sure if you take a look you'll find something that-" the rest of his words broke off in a pained whimper.

Minako held back a smile as her eyes found the source of his sudden panic. A black-gloved hand was wrapped around his wrist. He let go of her cloak immediately and winced as he was released. He bowed apologetically and retreated to his stand, cradling his already bruising wrist against his body.

Minako turned away from him to her body guard, who was still watching him with narrowed amethyst eyes. "I don't think he'll cause any more trouble," Minako said softly, touching the guard's arm. She watched as dark brows drew together momentarily before the guard's expression relaxed.

"I had to make sure, your Highness," she replied, turning her intense stare back to Minako. The princess smiled and wordlessly curled her hand around her guard's upper arm and continued down the rows of stands.

Rei had been her bodyguard for three years. She belonged to one of the Martian mercenary factions, but was considered to be a member of the Venusian court. Minako's parents had hired her just after Minako's fifteenth birthday, when a group of extremists nearly succeeded in kidnapping the Princess from the palace. It had taken some time to get used to the soldier's constant presence, like a silent shadow wherever she went. The first time Rei stopped a pickpocket from robbing her in the public market, however, she won Minako's trust. Now, she would have felt ill-at-ease without the Martian nearby.

They slowed as the crowds around them began to thicken. Minako stood on her toes, trying to see over people's heads to what was causing the traffic. It appeared to be a procession of foreign dignitaries passing through on their way to the palace. She glanced up at Rei, giving her a brief pleading look. Rei nodded once and strode forward, leading Minako with one hand while using the other to buffer the crowds. In no time they were at the head of the crowd with a perfect view of the cleared street.

"Thanks," she said with a grin, squeezing her hand briefly before releasing her. A row of guards in blue and gold uniforms marched toward them, leading the procession. A few unlucky gawkers were shoved back and she felt Rei tense beside her. "Who do you think it is?" she whispered close the Martian's ear, trying to get her to relax.

A pointless exercise, she knew, but at least Rei turned to look at her instead. "Uranian uniforms," she said with a small shrug. Minako leaned into her a little as the crowd around them grew restless. Rei's eyes swept past her briefly before settling ahead again.

As the first row of soldiers passed, they were finally able to see the rest of the retinue. Political advisors and diplomats, judging by their fine dress. They were all seemingly oblivious to the crowds around them. They weren't all Uranian, Minako noticed, quite a few darker heads were mixed in with the blondes. As they passed, she tried to pick out familiar faces from court but didn't recognize any.

The crowd around her cheered suddenly, making Minako jump. Her attention snapped back to the parade and she couldn't help but smile. She recognized one of the princesses of Uranus, Haruka, grinning and waving to the masses. She almost waved back out of reflex, until she spotted the gorgeous woman walking next to her. "Oh," Minako said softly, taking in the waves of aquamarine hair that fell down her back to meet an exquisite ocean-blue gown. "That must be the princess of Neptune."

She glanced at Rei for a response. The Martian raised an eyebrow, dark eyes raking over them both, then turned to her. "I think this is their first public appearance together," Minako explained, pulling her eyes away from their retreating backs. "They were married earlier this year."

A brief flash of emotion crossed Rei's face before her expression went blank once more. Minako bit her lip, giving the departing group one more glance. She'd inadvertently reminded herself that her trip to the Moon wasn't quite the vacation she was pretending it was.

"We should probably get to the palace before they send out a search party," Minako joked, trying to lighten the suddenly heavy mood. Rei, however, simply nodded and mumbled a "Yes, your Highness," before turning away.

She offered an arm to the blonde and Minako absently took it and allowed her to lead the way. She wasn't really looking forward to the night's festivities, but there was nothing for it. The High Queen had invited dignitaries from every planet, and there was no way Minako could get out of it. Her parents were expecting her to be there tonight so they could introduce her to every available noble in the Empire. In seven days she was turning eighteen and, as was tradition for Venusian royalty, she would be getting married. Now all that remained was to choose who her partner would be.

-Rei-

Rei kept a close eye on their surroundings as they made their way through the bustling streets. There was supposedly very little crime on the Moon, but there was no such thing as being too careful. Especially when protecting someone as precious as princess Minako.

They passed through a high white arch and Rei had her first unobstructed view of the Moon Palace. Castle Aino was a dazzling array of color. It was beautiful in the flashy and flawless way that everything on Venus was. This was completely different. Every surface shone brightly in the false light, blinding white with an occasional blue or pink hue. She blinked several times, taking in the vast palace. The word that came to mind was pure, she thought as she stared up at the wondrous construction. Pure, just like the near-legendary family that lived here. The royal family of the Moon were considered to be the physical embodiment of purity and light.

"Minako!" The sharp squeal broke Rei out of her trance. She tensed, gripping the hilt of her sword as she spun toward the source of the shout. Her attention snapped to a blonde girl, around her own age, grinning and sprinting toward them.

Rei glanced at Minako to make sure she was a little behind her but hesitated before drawing her sword. Minako didn't seem the least bit bothered by the approaching stranger. On the contrary, her face had split into a wide grin. Rei swallowed hard, captivated by the radiant smile. She had to remind herself to step back politely. Whoever she was, the other blonde was obviously not a stranger to Minako. To emphasize this, she pulled the Princess into a crushing embrace the moment she reached her.

"Minako, you're late! Where have you been? Do you remember me? I've missed you so much! I've got so much to tell you!"

Rei tried to remain impassive as the blonde rattled off questions. Minako smiled indulgently at her and Rei studied her face again, trying to place her. She didn't recognize her from court but surely she must be noble or someone very important to act so informally toward a princess.

Minako laughingly disentangled herself and held the girl at arm's length to look her over. "Of course I remember you Serenity," she reassured her with another grin. "It's only been a few years."

"More than a few," the girl, Serenity, pouted. Her bright blue eyes slid past Minako and widened as they fell on Rei. Most of the Venusian courtiers ignored her presence, so Rei found the blatant scrutiny unsettling. She shot a questioning look at Minako, who immediately stepped closer to her. "Serenity, this is Rei. She's the bodyguard my parents hired after that business with the anti-royalists."

"I heard about that!" Serenity cried, eyes going even wider. "How scary! You're Martian?"

Rei thought the question was a little silly, but she couldn't tell if it was meant to be rhetorical. She nodded once but wasn't sure what she might be expected to say. She rarely had to speak when they went out, in fact it was usually frowned upon at important functions. She looked at Minako for help.

"She's a member of the Order of Flame," Minako explained, placing herself subtly between them. "It's a mercenary faction on Mars. But she's lived with me on Venus for the past three years and is an honorary member of the royal guard."

Serenity's eyes danced excitedly at her words. "Does that mean you'll be at the ball tonight?"

Rei waited a moment to allow Minako time to answer for her. Finally she nodded curtly. "Yes, Ma'am. I attend all public functions with her highness." Both women were watching her now and Rei had the impression that she was expected to say more. She cast around for a suitable topic but her mind was stuck on the ball that evening. She sighed softly. "Will you be there as well, Ma'am?"

Minako immediately bit her lip, a guilty expression crossing her face. Serenity gave her a bemused smile and, to Rei's surprise, she blushed lightly. "I'm sorry, I should have introduced myself properly. I was just so excited to see Minako…" Rei could only stare in confusion. Situations like this always made her grateful that her job didn't require her to socialize.

Minako cleared her throat, drawing Rei's attention again. "Rei, this is Serenity, first princess of the Moon."

It took a moment for Minako's words to register. Rei looked back at the blonde girl, taking in the jeweled ties that held her pigtails and the white satin dress she wore. Her eyes widened and she immediately dropped to one knee and bowed her head respectfully. She cursed herself for not making the connection earlier, especially after hearing her name. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize," she said immediately, keeping her eyes on the white flagstone beneath her knee. "My sword is yours, your Highness."

"Thank you." Rei watched her shadow bob as she curtsied. "But please, you don't have to kneel. It's just us." To Rei's surprise, the High Princess grasped her shoulders and guided her back to her feet. She gave Serenity an uncertain smile and received a cheery grin in return.

"In all fairness," Minako broke in, smirking, "This isn't exactly where one would expect to find a woman of your ranking."

Serenity glanced around and playfully slapped Minako's shoulder. "Shouldn't you be getting into a ball gown?" she shot back.

"Ugh, don't remind me," Minako groaned dramatically. Serenity shot her a quizzical look but didn't question her further. Minako turned back to where Rei was still rooted to the spot. "Would it be alright if we escort the Princess back to where ever she's supposed to be?" she asked with a playful glint in her eye.

Rei nodded, smiling in spite of the situation. "Of course, your Highness."

-Minako-

Minako had her eyes closed, waiting patiently as a servant painted damp powder across her eyelids. She'd been sitting for the better part of an hour as a handful of artists prepared her for the night's festivities. Even though she was well acquainted with the process, she couldn't help but find it tiring.

The light tickle of the brush had moved to her cheek and she suppressed a sigh. "Can I open my eyes yet?" she asked, trying not to move her facial muscles.

"Yes your Highness," one of them responded curtly, obviously focused on their task.

Minako repressed a smirk as she looked at her reflection in the large gilded mirror in front of her. They'd chosen a dark blue liner that accentuated her eyes nicely. Her lips had been stained a deep crimson and her cheekbones were highlighted with rouge. She tilted her head a little, examining the elaborate twist her hair was being manipulated into. A strand of her bangs had been allowed to hang down beside her face and she smiled, reaching up to touch it.

"Please, princess!" one of the servants gasped, catching her hand. She realized that the alarmed woman was attempting to paint her nails and grimaced in apology.

Her eyes returned to the mirror. More servants were behind her, putting the finishing touches on the dress she would be wearing. Further back, Rei was leaning against the wall, a dark spot in the bright room. Minako smiled slightly, studying her stiff form. She was still in her studded black leather jerkin and had her arms crossed in front of it. Her ebony hair was pulled back in a simple clasp and Minako wondered if she'd be able to convince the soldier to wear it down tonight. She focused on the amethyst eyes, slightly glazed as they stared out the window to the pearly white balcony and possibly beyond into the courtyard.

"Rei?" The Martian twitched as if she'd been woken from a doze and straightened. "What are you wearing tonight?"

Minako watched as her eyes raked over the seated princess. To her amusement, Rei blushed and dropped her gaze to the floor. "Well, I… this, I suppose," she mumbled.

Minako watched her for a moment, bewildered by her actions. Then she realized that she only wearing her undergarments and Rei didn't realize her reflection was being watched. She smiled and twisted in her seat to look at her directly.

"Ack, Princess!"

"Your highness!"

"My Lady, please sit still!"

Minako huffed and returned to her original position. The servants immediately went back to their various tasks, but Minako caught them shooting her reproachful looks in the mirror.

"As I was saying," she said, eyeing the servants' reflections in exasperation, "Do you have something suitable for the ball tonight?"

Rei's eyes widened and shot to the flowing gown hanging on it's stand by the bed. "Is there something wrong with what I'm wearing?" she asked carefully.

"No of course not," she replied, trying to think of how to word her explanation to not sound petty. "It's just that it's your first time at the Lunar court and they're a bit more…" Her hand twitched, attempting to emphasize her point, but slim fingers were already wrapped around her wrist to hold her in place. "Are you almost finished?" she asked in irritation.

"The paint just needs to dry, your highness," the servant replied, matching her acidic tone.

She sighed tiredly. She was tense about the coming ordeal and apparently taking it out on everyone around her. "I'm sorry," she said softly, looking down at the deep orange coloring of her nails. "It looks lovely." She resolved to sit patiently until they were finished. Then she could finish her discussion with her bodyguard.

Finally, the group stepped away from her and looked her over. She smiled, only half listening to the flow of praise and compliments. The outfitters were waiting impatiently to put her into her dress and she waved them over. After an eternity of adjusting, pinning, pulling and twisting, the servants seemed satisfied with the result. Minako examined the finished product in the floor length mirror by the window. The gown was a dazzling array of oranges and yellows, cut to leave her back and shoulders bare. She turned, allowing the shimmering folds to catch the light. She looked stunning, she knew, if only she could force a genuine smile onto her face.

"Thank you, everyone, it looks perfect." The assortment of servants bowed and beamed at her. She turned to wave them out and found that Rei was already pulling the door open for them. She tried not to smirk at the way they still gave the Martian a wide berth as they scurried out of the room.

Rei shut the door behind the last one and turned to lean her back against it. "I'm glad that's over," she said heavily. Minako sat carefully on the edge of the bed and motioned her over. "You know, I think that was a new record," she continued, grinning as she sat beside the princess. She was always more relaxed when it was just the two of them.

Minako held her hand flat in front of her, checking her nails against the colors of her gown. "They just want everything to be perfect for tonight," she murmured, dropping her hand into her lap.

She glanced up at Rei and saw the smile slide off her face, replaced by a worried frown. "Maybe it won't be so bad," the soldier said softly.

Minako swallowed hard, determined not to cry again. Especially now, since it would ruin her painstakingly applied make up. She let out a shaky breath. "At least you'll be there with me." Rei smiled at her and Minako felt her mood lift. The Martian had a way of cheering her without words. "That reminds me, we still need to talk about your outfit."

Rei cleared her throat uncertainly. "I could wear my uniform if you think it would be more appropriate…" Her expression made her distaste of the idea plain. Minako couldn't blame her, the gold and white Venusian Guard uniform just didn't suit her.

"Actually, I had something else in mind," Minako admitted. She stood carefully to avoid wrinkling the dress and went to her closet. Hidden amidst the sea of pastel dresses was a dark jacket on a hanger. She pulled it out, running her fingers lovingly over the fine stitching, then turned to show it to Rei.

Her dark eyebrows shot up in surprise; clearly she hadn't been expecting something like this. Hesitantly, she reached out to grasp the edge of one embroidered sleeve. The jacket was designed in the same style as the Venusian courtiers but the base color was black instead of white. Minako thought it made the elaborate orange and yellow designs stand out nicely. It even had a gold braid circling the right shoulder, marking the wearer as a member of the royal court of Venus.

"Do you like it?" she asked finally.

Rei nodded mutely before turning her wide-eyes stare on her. "It's beautiful," she said softly.

Minako grinned and slipped it off the hanger. "I had it made before we left," she confessed. She could only hope she was wearing enough make up to cover the blush she could feel spreading. "Will you try it on?"

Rei nodded again and began unbuckling her leather armor. Minako watched the ripple of her lean muscles under pale skin as she stripped down to her thin black undershirt. She fought the urge to lick her suddenly dry lips. Instead, she forced her gaze back to Rei's face and handed the jacket to her.

Rei grinned as she caught sight of her reflection. "I like it," she said happily, doing up the buttons. She turned back and forth, examining it from different angles. Then she stopped, tilting her head and frowning uncertainly. "Are you sure it's alright for me to wear this, though?" She ran her fingers along the gold braid on her shoulder.

"You're a member of the royal guards," Minako said decisively. She knew why the other girl was concerned: usually such a symbol could only be worn by someone of noble birth or with a title. Technically, she was still only a hired mercenary. But Minako's parents had named her as an honorary member of their guards and that meant she was entitled to wear it.

Rei still seemed uncertain so Minako caught her hand and squeezed it reassuringly. "I have no intention of breaking our contract with you, even after…" she trailed off, not wanting to speak of her impending marriage. "That means you're part of the court of Venus, whether you like it or not." She arched an eyebrow playfully at her and was rewarded with a genuine smile.

Minako had to remind herself to let go of her guards hand as she started toward the door. Rei fell into step behind her. As they walked out, Minako caught a brief glimpse of their reflection. Rei looked the part of a noble-born, walking tall in the new jacket. The angle of the mirror made it look as though Minako was right beside her. She smiled, holding the image in her mind of the two of them together. She wished with all her heart that it could be real.