Dawn is breaking and a flame roars in the mediation room of the Hikawa Shrine. A young miko kneels before the great fire deep in concentration, trying to interpret the visions she is seeing through her mind's eye. The image is a familiar one of the lunar landscape and Silver Millennium kingdom. The palace is shining and radiant, untouched by anything that would threaten its beauty. The past, she thinks. Before the fall. Before the destruction.

Rei is standing in a courtyard of the inner palace alone, but she is waiting for someone. She sits down on the edge of a fountain and looks up at the night sky. The Earth is so bright and beautiful tonight. It's so quiet and peaceful here in the inner garden, for a moment she forgets about the whispers of a growing threat that have been creeping through the Lunar Court. There were rumors of unexplained attacks happening in the outer planets, and she knew for a fact several transport vessels had mysteriously vanished near Terran space ports. In her own dreams the princess of Mars had a growing sense of unease. Something evil is going to reveal itself soon. Still gazing at the Earth, she frowns and knits her brow as she tries to think of anything that could offer an explanation on this possible menace.

"I know the Earth's bright tonight, but don't stare too hard with your lovely eyes or you'll give yourself a headache," she hears behind her.

A smile comes to Rei's lips as she turns her head away from the Earth and faces the voice. Minako, the leader of the senshi, has just stepped into the courtyard and Rei feels a warmth spreading through her chest as she looks at her fellow comrade.

"You're right, my attention would be much better spent closer to the moon".

The golden senshi smiles and starts walking toward the flame priestess. Rei stands with her arms out ready to embrace Minako as she walks towards her when suddenly the vision shifts.

She's no longer in the Silver Millennium but in modern day Tokyo. Youma are all over the place and the sky is black with a great tear ripped down the middle of it. People are running everywhere trying to get away from the monsters that are ravaging the streets. Screams fill the night air as bystanders are taken down by the raging monsters. Rei notices a dark mist that is quickly creeping over the landscape. She's frozen where she stands as the evil fog envelopes everyone it touches and it slowly comes for her. She tries to move, to scream, to do anything but she can't seem to budge. The fog is almost upon her when she is suddenly snapped out of the vision.

Rei is kneeling in the Fire Room and the great flame has gone out. She's covered in a layer of sweat and panting from the visions she just witnessed. She sits back on her heels and takes a few deep breaths to try and slow her racing pulse. Once she's calmed down enough, Rei tries to understand what the omens mean.

One of the past and one of the future? The one with Minako was definitely a memory of the Silver Millennium, but the other felt more like a premonition. A warning of something that's coming. It wasn't the first time Rei had insight into danger that the senshi would soon have to face. The most recent had been about a month ago right before they had faced Galaxia. And then had to come back from the dead.

A shudder runs through her body as the raven haired miko thinks about their greatest enemy. She had spent her last moments on the rooftop of the Juuban high school with Minako before they had been killed by Galaxia. Sailor Moon had eventually defeated the Chaos and all the fallen senshi had been restored. But still, she thought, it takes a while to get over the being dead and being resurrected part. They all had way too much experience in that departmentas far she was concerned.

Minako. Rei smiled when she thought about the leader of the senshi. It's true she'd had a growing affection for her best friend for sometime now. Even before Galaxia, she had always enjoyed the other girl's company the most out of all of her friends. So many things in her daily life required duty or sacrifice that Rei tended to have the most stoic personality of the Inner senshi. Between her life as a shrine priestess, her visions, the absence of her father, and attending a different school from her friends, there had always been a weight on her mind and heart. Things had gotten better over the years for her though as she embraced her place as a guardian of the Moon Princess and her destiny as Sailor Mars.

Rei thoughts then drifted to her four closest friends, all of whom she trusts with her whole being. Usagi can be such a spaz brain and crybaby sometimes, but she holds nothing but love in her heart for her friends and Rei has a deep affection for the girl. She would give her life to protect her princess and would be loyal to her for as long as she lived.

Ami is not only the most intelligent, but she is also very sweet and surprisingly empathetic. She can always pick up on when someone needs their space or if what they really need is for someone to talk to. Makoto is the strongest of the group. Not only physically, but she has a great inner strength as well. The tall brunette has lived on her own for many years and practically raised herself. Her parents died when she was young and Makoto was left all alone. But the most endearing quality about her is that she shows no bitterness towards any of it. If anything she loves taking care of other people more because of the hardships she's faced. That's why she's such a great gardener and cook. Her cookies are pretty much life changing Rei chuckles to herself. And then there's Minako.

Rei can't help but smile as she thinks about the last member of the Inner Senshi. The warrior from Venus was probably a little bit of all of them if she thought about it. Bubbly and sometimes spazzy, empathetic, strong from her time alone as Sailor V. She could come across as a complete boy crazy, idol chasing typical teenager and like a switch be the completely determined and no-nonsense leader. The raven haired miko thought about all the strength Minako brought to their team and how she brought out the best in her as well.

Minako was very affectionate towards people she cared about the most. Always giving compliments, touches and hugs, coming up with "love schemes" and plans to set up each single member of the group. The two had always had a strong connection since the time they first met, but lately it felt like her feelings for Minako were growing into something more. Her mind flashed to just the other day when everyone had come over to study after school like usual.

They were all sitting around the table, Ami helping Usagi who was whining and struggling with her math sets, Makoto following along and working her own problems, and Minako had her head in Rei's lap as she read her poetry book for literature.

"Rei?"

"Yes Minako?"

"Your eyes look so lovely today"

Blushing, "thanks Minako"

"No problem. Say….since your eyes are so lovely, we wouldn't want them to get all blood shot from reading too much! Why don't we all take a break and go outside for a while?"

"Minako," Ami warned, "we have very important tests coming up soon! We have to study hard if we all expect to move on to the next grade!".

"Ok, ok, I was just saying…".

Rei smiled a little and found herself absent mindedly running her fingers through the blonde's hair who was still laying in her lap. Minako closed her eyes for a minute and sighed contently. "Your eyes really do look lovely Rei," she whispered, "I wasn't just saying that".

Rei sighed as she opened her violet eyes in the fire room and got up to finish the rest of her chores before school. As she started to walk to the TA Academy dressed in her school uniform, her mind drifted back to Minako. Your lovely eyes. She smiled as she headed down the stairs of the Shrine and towards the bus stop.