A/N:Thanks so much for all the reviews, follows and favs everyone! Here's chapter two! Enjoy!

What am I doing here? Serena thought to herself. She had woken that morning with a bad feeling in her stomach and a massive headache. Sophie had finally dragged Serena's lazy bottom out of bed in the afternoon, after she had slept most of the morning away. When Sophie finally asked Serena why she was so reluctant to wake up, Serena replied, "Because I don't think I'm ready for the real world today. I'd much rather stay where my dreams will protect me."

"That's no way to talk, Princess. Now hurry along into the bath. We can't have you smelling like drool at the ball tonight." Sophie said, readying the bath with the scent of roses.

"I do not drool! And stop calling me Princess! I told you I don't like it! Just call me Serena."

"Sure, Princess." Sophie teased.

"You know, for someone who's two years younger than me, you really do like to baby me." Serena called from behind the shoji screen in the corner of the room.

"Just trying to help, Princess." Sophie chuckled before leaving her to her bath.

Serena could still smell the scent of roses on her skin now from the bath Sophie had made. She couldn't believe the number of layers Sophie had forced her in for the ball. First, Sophie had given her a plain white chemise to put on under the dress, but when she brought out the tight fitting corset Sophie had to run five times around the room chasing Serena before she would put it on. After that came the petticoat for under Serena's skirt. Sophie had hoped to put a hoop cage on her, but Serena drew the line there and Sophie settled with giving her another petticoat instead, to add volume beneath her skirt. Finally, Serena was pulled into her gossamer silk white dress for the ball. The dress had a tight fit bodice that emphasized Serena's small waist, covered in tiny silver roses. The dress had a relatively modest neckline along with long lace sleeves that clung to Serena's arms.

Serena felt nothing less of the princess that she was, but the whole endeavour of dressing up so lavishly was very new to her. Not having gone out much in the past eleven years, this was the first experience where she really had an occasion to dress up, and try to be...well, pretty.

"May I say, Princess. You look absolutely wonderful! You'll be able to find a husband in no time!" Sophie exclaimed putting the finishing touches on Serena's hair. She had styled it as per Serena's desires – two balls of hair atop either side of her head and the rest of her endless golden locks flowing down from them.

"Do you really think so, Sophie?" Serena said quietly. Her initial confidence when she had accepted the idea had slowly faded over the past week as countless worries plagued her. She wondered whether she would even be able to approach and talk and get to know a complete stranger, let alone enough to know if she was in love. She wondered whether wearing the lacy white mask on her dressing table would give her the courage to go through with all of this.

"Do I think so? I know, Princess." Sophie kneeled down on the floor to face Serena sitting in her chair in front of the mirror. She put a hand over Serena's and said, "Don't fret, Princess. Good things will surely happen if you have a little faith."

It was with that little faith that Serena walked hesitantly into the crowded ballroom that night. The room was filled with the hundreds of guests that her mother had invited herself. Every single one of them was a hand-picked choice of hers. Serena couldn't even imagine how long her mother must've been planning this before she even told her of her plans. She made a mental-note to ask her mother about it later.

Serena looked out around the ballroom. It was a breathtaking sight. The decorators had really out done themselves. The tables were covered in cream coloured sheets, and atop each was a centerpiece of white roses and clear crystals. The walls held small lanterns that were covered in crescent moon designs and the hors d'oeuvres table had a tall chocolate fountain much to Serena's delight. But the most breathtaking sight of it all was how the ceiling of the ballroom had been enchanted to have hundreds of little hanging silver crystals that shone so bright that they cast a moonlike glow on the room. Serena loved the glow of the crystals. A kind of lighting she had gotten used to over the years as it was the same light that she had in her own bedroom. Her mother must've known the crystals would calm her. She made another mental-note to thank her mother again.

Serena gazed out at the multitude of people; women dressed in silk gowns of every shade possible and men in their finely tailored suits and tuxedos. The masks upon the brows of every one of her guests had been to protect her from deceit but in the moment it made her feel scared and alone, surrounded by strangers in disguise.

Serena clung carefully to her skirts with her right hand as she walked by groups of people; some who recognized each other even with the masks on, some who had made new friends in the short little time they had so far, and some who hoped to make an acquaintance with the handsome girl or boy across the room. Serena passed by all these different groups without feeling like she belonged to a single one. She watched from afar at the few couples who had already begun to dance to the lovely music played by the string quartet in the corner of the room. Many people we slowly joining in, pulling a partner along or shyly walking to the center of ballroom.

Serena looked around the room again, wondering if anyone would ask her to dance, but when no one came for quite a while and the string quartet had begun a new set, Serena decided to take a seat by the side of the room.

Maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe she would never find a husband. Maybe she was doomed to live out her life alone. Maybe all this work was for nothing. Such were the thoughts that ran through Serena's mind when she felt the slightest of taps on her shoulder.

Serena lifted her eyes to find a man, tall and handsome, with dark blue hair and light purple eyes covered by a black mask. His white suit decorated with blue designs on the front.

"May I interrupt your thoughts, my lady, to ask for the pleasure of a dance with yourself?" The man extended his hand to her politely and Serena couldn't help swooning inside. He's gorgeous! She thought.

Containing a giddy smile, Serena took his hand as he led her out to the center of the dance floor. He bowed first as customary when starting a dance and Serena followed with a curtsy. The man took her gloved hand in his and swept her into a light waltz.

Serena couldn't contain her excitement. The man finally spoke, "I am known as Prince Diamond. I know it's expected that we not reveal ourselves to keep up the masquerade, but I feel that I need you to know at least my name for us to get to know each other, don't you think?"

"Of course, Prince Diamond. I completely understand. Though you must not think ill of me, if I do not disclose my name as well." Serena smiled. "So tell me, Prince Diamond. Um...what brings you to these balls?" Serena internally slapped herself for saying something so stupid.

Diamond merely laughed and said, "Well, I'm here for the same reason any other man is here for. To meet a beautiful girl such as yourself."

Serena felt a blush rise to her cheeks, "You flatter me, Prince, but I'm sure I'm not the only pretty girl you could find in this room to dance with."

"That is true, but no other girl would captivate me as you do while stepping on my feet." Prince Diamond teased.

"What? I'm so sorry! Have I hurt you?" Serena let go of the Prince and frantically glanced at their feet.

The prince chuckled and took up the dance position again swiftly. Serena's breath was caught in her throat at the sudden tingly feeling of his hand pressing between her shoulder blades. So this what if feels like, to dance with someone.

The instinct to hide was far too strong for Ami to handle. She could barely hold herself back from running across the room in her fancy blue dress, in a freak attempt to hide somewhere, anywhere, where no one could find her. Though no one was directly looking at her, the walls seemed to close in on her and the feeling of being watched and judged increased by the tenfold as she tried her to best to quickly move to the back of the room where less guests were hanging around. The back of the room was lined with heavy indigo blue curtains against the wall. It was curious that they merely covered walls, and upon closer inspection she found that the curtains hid a small alcove of space with a bench behind the curtains.

Ami's heart lifted at such a welcome sight, of seclusion and haven. She scurried inside pulling the monstrously huge curtains closed. She sat down carefully on the old wooden bench and pulled the computer engineering book that she had been carrying tucked under her left arm. She sighed with relief at last, her mind put at ease with a simple place to herself and a book to read.

She was disappointed though that the alcove provided little light from the lantern that hung above the bench. Ami would need more light than the lantern could offer to be able to read clearly. She exercised her only option; to open the curtains slightly to let in some light.

Ami leaned forward in her seat on the bench, the book open on her lap; she attempted at carefully pulling the curtains aside but to no avail as the curtains were much too heavy. She placed the book on the bench and got up, using both hands to pull the curtains.

Ami, so focused on her task did not realize that there was a person standing in front of the curtain on the opposite side from her. She pulled the curtains back to find herself facing the broad back of a tall young man.

The man's long curly brown hair was tied back in a low ponytail that brushed Ami's cheek just before she jumped back in surprise, pulling the curtain with her. She let out a shot yelp as the heavy section of the curtain fell down upon her. She could barely breathe under the weight, when at last the huge thing was lifted from her body. She opened her eyes and her vision was filled only with a great big pair of bright green eyes.

Ami screamed.

"Whoa, whoa! Calm down!" The green-eyed boy whisper-yelled, attempting to cover her mouth before she called a crowd to them.

Ami stopped screaming but started struggling against the boy's slim fingers that held her down and that covered her mouth. Finally, she croaked out two words, "L-let go."

"Alright, but only if you promise not to scream." the boy said, his face still inches from hers and his green eyes scrutinizing her.

Ami nodded soundlessly afraid.

The boy let go and stuffed his hands in his pockets in one smooth motion. Ami let out a gasp and curled into herself, shrinking away from him.

She could not handle this boy. He was a boy first of all, and she couldn't remember the last time – if there was any at all – that she had seen a boy's face so close up. Secondly, he was a person and people weren't really Ami's forte. She didn't talk to people if she could help it and she had absolutely no friends expect the marine fish she kept. Ami could handle books and numbers and words and anything inanimate save for animals, but when it came down to people, Ami was like a deer caught in headlights, scared, confused, and frozen on the spot, not knowing what to do. Which is how she sat in front of the long haired boy with the bright green eyes, scared for her life as if he was going to gobble her up for dinner.

Though she couldn't help noticing the way he fidgeted non-stop as he stood before her searching for something to say, staring at her in confusion. His fingers had left his pockets now and they played with the end of his dark green tie. He bounced on his feet as if getting ready to run a race at a moment's notice. But to Ami the most frustrating trait of all was how he never stopped smiling at her. From the moment he pulled the curtain off her, until now as he stood before her, a lopsided grin never stopped tugging at the corners of his mouth.

The boy grinned embarrassedly rubbing his hand on the back of his neck. "I didn't know there was someone behind the curtains. I just thought it was a wall. I'm sorry if I scared you, are you alright?" The boy took a step toward her.

Ami shrank against the back of the bench. She hated herself for the stutter that came out, "It-it's o-okay. I-I'm f-fine."

"Are you sure? You sound like you're scared I'm going to eat you or something. Though I probably will." The boy laughed, and the most endearing set of wrinkles appeared by the corners of his eyes.

Ami gulped nervously.

"I'm only joking! Don't look so scared! You're making me feel bad." The boy took off his white mask in a show of faith and held out a hand to her along with another smile. "I'm Zoisite. What's your name?"

Ami stared blankly at his outstretched hand and merely stated quietly. "Ami."

The boy – Zoisite smiled and awkwardly put his hand back in his pocket.

Ami decided to take her light blue mask off as well. It was the least she could do after screaming in his ear before and not shaking his hand.

And once again Zoisite smiled but bigger this time. It was as if he had an endless supply of smiles that he was willing to give out like candy to children on Halloween.

"So..If you don't mind me asking, Ami, what're you doing here all alone in this space behind the curtains?" Zoisite asked. Ami could see the plain curiosity on his face.

Ami didn't answered right away but eventually she replied so quietly that Zoisite had to lean over to hear her, much to her apprehension. "I-I didn't want to be a-around so many p-p-people..."

"Oh well, I can understand that. I mean there's a ton of people here tonight, it's pretty suffocating to me too, and hence why I was all the way back here. But why be... Is that a book? Have you been reading back here?"

Zoisite moved to pick up the book, but Ami beat him to it, hugging the volume against herself like a shield.

Zoisite laughed and leaned forward reading the print on the cover of the book. "'Advanced computer engineering' is that from Earth? How did you even get that? Trading was banned between the Moon and Earth years ago."

Ami spoke up to avoid being accused of illegal trading. "I'm not from the Moon. My home planet is Mercury. This was my father's book."

"Was your father's book? Where is he now?"

"H-he's gone." Ami let slip out. She surprised that she had answered that question. She had never talked let alone mentioned that fact that her father had left when she was only six.

"I'm sorry. That probably wasn't a very good question to ask. Why don't I make it up to you?" Zoisite grinned and held out a hand. "Would you like to dance with me?"

Ami's body froze. She stared at him wide-eyed as if he'd just asked her to trapeze through a ring of flames and dance on top of a building.

She could not even fathom dancing in front of a crowd of people and letting them watch and wait for her to make a mistake, to trip and fall. Her stomach turned over at the thought.

"I- um, I should go." Ami said quickly curtsying to Zoisite and then gathering her large blue skirts so as not to trip and pulling her mask back on, ready to leave the alcove and this boy. He asked too many questions and he smiled too much for her to be able to handle. She needed to find seclusion, she needed to be alone. She was always most comfortable when she was alone.

"Hey, you don't have to go –" Zoisite began but Ami was gone, already trudging through the crowd with her head low and her eyes searching for just another hiding place.

Lita's hands trembled. Even as she walked through the ballroom of the Moon castle now, a whole five hours after getting off the spaceship, she couldn't control her shaking arms and nervous heartbeat.

When she had gotten off the spaceship she had nearly fainted, but instead she had fallen to the floor shaking and curled into a fetal position. George and the maid who had come with her had a lot of trouble calming her down until she was able to stand and act relatively normal.

Lita's brow creased with worry as she wondered how on Jupiter she was going to get back home after the ball. She could definitely not bear another panic attack while taking the spaceship back home. Her only option was to find a place to stay on the Moon until she was ready to take the spaceship again – if ever at all. But Lita did not know anyone on the Moon, she had never been to visit since she was a child and she barely remembered any of the people her parents used to speak to from the Moon.

Lita sighed in frustration. There was no way she could take that spaceship again; it would kill her if she tried to. She just had to stay here for a couple of days, after that she would be able to attempt going home. She definitely wasn't going to bother staying here for more of these pointless balls.

Lita scanned the room, trying to think of someone she could stay with for a couple of days. And then the thought struck her. She would find the Princess. The one these balls were held for. Surely the Queen would allow one guest to use one of the many rooms in such a huge castle. Yes. Lita would go and find the Princess or the Queen and humbly ask or at the last possible option – demand for a place to stay for a few days.

With a renewed purpose and still trembling hands Lita made her way through the crowd hoping to find her way to the Queens' rooms or at least to find one of the maids who could tell her where to find the Queen.

She exited the ballroom after giving the guards at the door a oppressive look and walked through the empty halls in search.

A little ways down she heard the clang of metal and wood, and she could smell the scent of bread freshly out of the oven. The kitchens, she thought.

She cautiously rounded the door of the kitchens, peeking in at the bustling group of people working to make sure that there was enough food to serve the scores of people in the ballroom. She heard the chef shouting to the assistants across the room and she watched as they scurried around gathering ingredients or mixing some here and flipping something there. But the more she watched the more she realized how wrong they were doing things. The soufflés were not nearly high enough, the smell of the pasta sauce was much too bland and one of the chef's was clearly putting too much salt in for the small amount of soup.

Lita marched into the center of the kitchen and raised her voice. "You're doing it all wrong. I can't believe this! Is this how the Moon kitchens make their food? Incompetently?"

Everyone in the room stopped and stared. The chief cook turned and walked slowly towards her. "What makes you think that you could do any better at all, miss? Quite frankly, what are you even doing here in the kitchens? Guests are only supposed to stay in the ballroom. I wouldn't want to call the guards." He was fat, round man who sneered above his limp mustache.

"I was looking for something when I came across your kitchen. I may so ask, why do your soufflés sink so low, and your pasta smell so bland. And why on Jupiter were you putting so much salt in that soup!" Lita pointed at the soup to her left. She pulled her hand behind her and walked slowly around the man. "I should think you would do your job better. But obviously, your skill must not be as great as you think."

"Listen here, miss. I'll not have you insult my food! If you're such a great cook then why don't you show us all?" The man huffed, pulling off his white toque revealing the comb-over beneath.

"Well that's fantastic! I'd love to help you out!" Lita exclaimed pulling an apron from a shelf and grabbing a spatula in one motion, leaving the chef flabbergasted at the complete change in her personality from tough and demanding to happy and excited.

But that was what Lita was like. If there was one thing she loved it was the smell of a something baking in the oven and the feel of making a home cooked meal.

Over the course of the next hour or more, Lita made piles of dishes, all sent out to the guests. Her greatest masterpiece was the Edamame dumplings. She had ordered around all the kitchen staff as if she were in charge, she would not let them bully her out of a chance to make a good meal.

The kitchen staff all watched her warily, for she did not act like a proper young lady. She acted more like a boy than was good for her; she was not composed, she was unrefined, she rolled up her sleeves, she ordered men around, she yelled, and the list went on. She was tomboyish in the kindest expression.

After a tiring amount of cooking, Lita finally decided to leave the kitchen staff to their devices and remembering her original resolve to find the Queen she rushed out of the kitchens.

She was walking quickly as she was rounding the corner of the hall when she crashed right into someone who had been going the opposite direction. She landed on the floor in a heap with the skirts of her black dress spread around her.

"Hey, watch –" Lita began to snap when she finally looked at the man before her.

"I'm sorry! Are you okay?" The man asked. He was handsome to say the least. His chocolate brown eyes were filled with concern and his somewhat long wavy brown hair brushing his shoulders. Lita could barely rip her eyes away.

"I'm fine. I'm sorry. I was walking way too fast. I should've been looking." Lita replied.

"No, it was my fault. I was lost in my own thoughts that I didn't notice someone walking toward me." The mad smiled faintly. He reached out a hand to help up with him. Lita took his hand, suppressing a squeal that threatened to come out.

"Is that flour on your dress?" the man asked peering at the spots of white on Lita's black dress.

Lita wanted to die of embarrassment. She was covered in flour in front of a cute boy and now he was going to think she was crazy! She laughed nervously, "Yes. It is. I – uh was looking for the ladies room, when I accidently walked into the kitchens and a bag of flour dropped in front of me, covering me in this stuff. " Lita smiled, hoping he bought her lie. No proper girl would go to the kitchens in the middle of a ball and absolutely take over, getting flour on herself in the process.

"Oh really? I see. Well that's a shame. I would've liked to ask you to dance, but I guess you have to go." He said. His chocolate brown eyes seemed fathomless.

"Go? Go where?" Lita panicked. She would love to dance with him!

The man gave her a confused look and then laughed, "Well, to the ladies room of course! To wash off the flour." He smiled.

Lita's hopes dropped. "Right. Of course. To wash off the flour in the ladies room." Lita sighed. "Well, I guess I'll be off then, uh –"

"Nephrite." The man – Nephrite held out his hand. He was obviously from Earth. None of the men from the other planets would think it proper to shake hands.

Lita took his hand. "Lita. It was nice meeting you, Nephrite." Lita enjoyed the sound of his name on her lips and took to the customary greeting of Earthens.

"It was nice meeting you too, Lita. I hope I'll see you again at the next ball?" Nephrite asked with a tilt of his head.

Lita didn't have to think about it; of course she would stay for the next ball. "Of course. Goodnight." She smiled turning away from the brown haired boy on her way to the ladies room, and silently deducing a way to stay on the Moon for the rest of the balls.

Balls were a trap. That was the only thought in Rei's mind. Balls were a trap made for men to tell women lies about how beautiful they are and for men to have an excuse to put their hands on a woman in vulgar ways that they call 'dancing'. Rei didn't like one part of balls, from having to wear uncomfortable dresses to impress men to being bombarded with stupid requests to dance with them.

She didn't understand why women bothered to zip themselves up in suffocating dresses and cake their faces with makeup just to lure some man to put his hands all over her. She didn't understand how any person could sink to such a shallow level. As if finding a man to tell you what to do was all that women were made for.

She sat in her chair at the edge of the dance floor, in her great big red gown that her father's seamstress had laid out for her that morning with a warning from her father to wear it. She seethed watching as couples after couples of men and women who had just met, allowed each other to be so liberal with their bodies and attempted at small talk. She watched as all the women searched for something as stupid as love, something that they would never receive because men did not think of love, they thought of only themselves, as they always have.

She observed these vacuous people as they traipsed through their lives in such a supercilious manner. The most enraging of them all was a tall man with curly blond hair and pale blue eyes. Rei had noticed that he had sweet-talked, seduced and escorted a total of twenty women to the dance floor over the course of the night. His tactics disgusted her. He treated the women like lands to be conquered or prizes to be won. As soon as each woman became wide-eyed, thinking they had found love-at-first-sight, he would immediately dash off to his next target. Always moving, never stopping to look back.

He was exactly the kind of man she despised and he was walking right towards her.

The man stopped before her, in all his practiced elegance, leaned toward her. "I find myself completely enchanted by your beauty, could you grace me with just one dance?"

Rei laughed, he had used the exact same line on three other girls before. "I don't think so." Rei got up from her chair and moved to leave but the blue-eyed boy blocked her way.

"Why not? You've been sitting here alone all night. Surely you'd like to dance at least once?" the boy kept up his charming smile not letting on that he was annoyed that Rei had rejected his offer so quickly, though Rei could see it in the twitch of his fingers.

"Even if I somehow got the stupid idea in my mind to dance with someone, it definitely wouldn't be with you." Rei moved to leave, but again he blocked her path.

"And why wouldn't you want to dance with me? I don't see that you've gotten many other offers." the boy smiled but this time it was not a charming but a challenging one instead.

"Whether I've gotten many offers or not is none of your business."

"Right, because you've obviously been minding your own business while watching every couple that goes by to dance, with a hopeful expression that someone might do the same for you."

"Well at least, I'm not as busy as you are trying to seduce every girl in the room into dancing with you and then leaving them for your next conquest."

"So you've been watching me all night then. What did I say? You've probably been hoping all night that I'd come by to try and make you my next conquest."

Rei stepped forward staring defiantly at his face and in a threatening tone said, "I am not anyone's conquest."

"Yes, of course because no man would want to obtain such a shrew of a woman."

"Well, no women would be satisfied with such a lecher of a man too focused on his own ego."

And with that Rei shoved him aside and walked determinedly away leaving the blue-eyed boy behind her.

It was nearing the end of the night and Serena was sure that she had fallen in love at sight. Suddenly her mother's hopes for her marriage seemed to be only inches away from her grasp. She and Prince Diamond had danced four out of the twelve sets together and had even eaten dinner sitting next to each other. Most of the night had been spent merely talking and telling each other about themselves and enjoying each other's company.

Prince Diamond was everything she had hoped for in the man she wanted to marry. He completed every one of her silly fantasies. He was handsome and charming, a perfect prince. He was kind and endearing of her clumsy traits. He treated her like she was the only person in the room and spoke to her as if only she mattered in the world.

Serena had left the dance floor for a much needed snack after all the talking and dancing. She had left Prince Diamond sitting by the dance floor, promising to bring him a drink. Serena skipped her way to the table set with hors d'oeuvres for the guests to eat between dances.

"Oooh, meatballs!" Serena exclaimed. "Oh, and Edamame dumplings! My favourite!" Serena couldn't control herself anymore. She had been eating very little and attempting to act poised around Prince Diamond, but now hunger was winning over her and she began to scarf down the meatballs and dumplings much faster than any proper girl would.

Then out of nowhere, came a derisive voice calling from behind Serena, "Whoa, slow down there, Odango! Do you plan on eating through all the food on the table before the night ends or something? Or are you just planning on demolishing the dumplings to match your hair?"

Serena span around in horror, the dumplings forgotten but the insult to her hair did not go unnoticed. She put a hand to the dumpling shaped balls of hair on her head and glared up at the tall man before her and said, "How dare you? Don't call me that! Who do you think you are insulting someone like that?"

"Oh, so you agree that your hair looks like dumplings? I'm glad we're on the same page, Odango. Who do you think you are eating all the dumplings?" The man shot back, and his dark black hair fell in front of his sharp eyes that were covered by a plain white mask.

"Stop calling me that! If you wanted the dumplings you should've came earlier!" Serena turned her nose up at him and stormed away, while muttering under her breath. "The nerve of that guy! What a total jerk, calling me Odango!" She stopped halfway across the room and looked back. The man wore a black tuxedo and a red rose on his lapel. She watched as the mysterious man worked his way through the crowd, as if he were searching for someone who was long gone. Even from afar she could see the sharpness of his features and the elegance with which he walked. "Still, he sure is cute."

Where is she? Mina was beginning to feel frustrated. She had been aimlessly walking around the ballroom all night looking for the Princess but somehow she seemed to be missing her by an inch every time. The first time she saw the Princess, she was walking around alone, her long blond locks floating down to reach almost the floor. With the mask on it took Mina a little longer to recognize the Princess seeing as how she had seen her last when they were only six years old.

The second time Mina saw her that day was when the Princess was dancing with a silver-blue haired man with a huge smile on her face. Mina was glad that at least she was having a good time, though she lost sight of her promptly afterwards.
Now Mina roamed around still searching for the Princess, hoping to find her alone and speak with her.

Mina watched as the people of the Moon – and a small amount from other planets – danced and mingled merrily. Balls on the Moon weren't much different from the ones on Earth. She recalled that the only difference was that in the balls on the Moon, there were hanging silver crystals that were the source of all the light in the room. The crystals burned bright like miniature suns.

Mina remembered how on Earth instead of silver crystals there were golden ones. Instead of an eerie silver glow, there was a warm golden light that shone upon the guests. She recalled the last Earthen ball she had been to, on her birthday almost a year ago, a few days before she had left to live on the Moon.

"Kunzite, it's my sixteenth birthday!" Mina complained. "I practically had to drag you here, the least you could do is ask me to dance." Mina crossed her arms and gave Kunzite a withering look. "Please?" she added quietly.

Kunzite said nothing but he did at last hold out a hand, much to Mina's great surprise and joy. His clasped her small hand in his rough one and placed a carefully modest hand at the top of her back, between her shoulder blades. Mina purposefully placed her free hand lightly on his shoulder, brushing some of his long silver white hair aside. Mina craned her neck to look into his sharp grey eyes; the angularity of his face was jarring.

The feeling of elation consumed Mina. She couldn't ever remember a time when Kunzite had been so nice to her other than the time before she had grown into the woman she was now. Ever since he had realized that the fondness of a little girl had grown into something much more as a woman, he had distanced himself entirely. This was the first night, in a long time that he had acknowledged her. Maybe it was because it was her birthday. But maybe it was because of something else.

Mina shivered at the memory, hoping to dispel it before the pain at the end of that night in that memory consumed her entirely. Before it reminded her of everything she had run away from by coming to live on the Moon. She pushed the image of golden light and long silver hair as she continued walking through the maze of people.

Suddenly, she spotted the Princess standing by the hors d'oeuvres, shoving a handful of dumplings in her mouth. Mina remembered how Serena would never give up a dumpling when they were young, even if she had to fight for it. At least, some things hadn't changed.

And then it was as if every one of Mina's waking dreams had come alive. A dream that she had dreamed a thousand times after leaving Earth. The dream where the grey-eyed man finally came to see her again.

Even from the distance that she stood from him and even with his white mask on, Mina would've been able to recognize him instantly. She had memorized him years ago and the image of his straight silver locks had never faded. She watched as he stood stoic as he always was, carefully scanning the crowd, his arms behind his back.

"I never thought I'd see you again after I left, but obviously we're not done yet." Mina called to Kunzite as she walked slowly towards him in her golden white gown taking each step with care, allowing him to fully realize what was happening. That the girl he thought was gone for good was right there in front of him. "Hello, Kunzite. It's nice to see you again."

"Mina." Was all he said and Mina's heart collapsed to the floor. No matter how well she remembered things, actually hearing him say her name again was much more satisfying than replaying the memory like a broken cassette tape. Then again, Kunzite had always been a man of very few words. He turned to face her, his white cape turning along with him. The surprise was clearly written on his face and in his serious grey eyes.

"What are you doing here, Kunzite? You would never come to a ball of your own free will, unless someone dragged you here or you were ordered by the Prince to do it. And besides, you're from Earth, there's no way the Queen would've invited you. How did you get in to the ball?" Mina asked seriously.

Kunzite gave her a hard look; she could see the decision in his eyes, to tell her the truth or to shield her with another lie. It was a decision she had seen in him a thousand times before. He settled for neither. "What are you doing here, Mina?" He said as if she had zapped all the energy inside him.

"I was invited. Unlike you." Mina glared.

"No. I mean, why are you here?"

And Mina understood in that way that she could understand everything that he meant without him having to say much at all. "I have someone I need to protect." Mina subconsciously looked over at the Princess, hoping to keep her in sight so as not to lose her again.

Kunzite's eyes flicked over to the Princess but Mina didn't think he knew who she was.

"It's funny that I should meet you here like this. I was just thinking about the last ball I was at. With you. On my birthday remember?" Mina said quietly, watching as his face crumpled in pain but righted itself just as quickly as it fell. Kunzite said nothing.

"We danced. It was the first time you had done anything that nice to me in a long time. At first I thought you did it because it was my birthday, but it was only afterwards that I realized you were just planning to let me go. Do you think you could give me that courtesy again? Or will you only do it on my birthday?"

Kunzite could not meet her eyes. His gaze subconsciously fell downward and he did not realize as Mina followed it that she would find his dark secret.

Mina heart jumped. She was at a loss for words as she gazed at the promise ring poking out from under the hem of Kunzite's pants. He wore the promise ring on his ankle, the promise ring that she had given him, on the last night before she had left Earth for good. Before she had left him for good. But now she wasn't so sure.

Mina heard a clatter from the food table. She turned to see the Princess storming away from the table where there stood a dark haired man in a tuxedo and a white mask. She turned back to Kunzite, unsure of what to say, but he beat her to it. "Go." he said.

And she left him standing there, promise ring and all on his ankle as she ran after the Princess.

Mina couldn't believe she had lost the Princess again. After leaving Kunzite behind and running after her, she had lost her in a crowd of couples leaving the dance floor. Mina let out a frustrated sigh as she stood in the ladies room now at the end of the night, splashing cold water on her face. She grabbed one of the towels stacked on the counter and wiped the water off her face. She was glad she hadn't bothered with much makeup when she had gotten ready for the ball.

Mina turned to leave when she noticed the only other girl in the ladies' room. A very tall girl with brown hair in a ponytail and wearing a black dress. Her dress was covered in white spots, as if from baking flour. It was only until Mina noticed the pink rose earrings that the girl wore that Mina realized who she was.

"Lita." Mina said.

"Excuse me? Wait. How do you know my name?" Lita replied confused.

"It is you. Lita. Princess Jupiter." Mina stated amazed that she had found one of the other Senshi.

"Excuse me, but how do you know my name? Who are you?" Lita asked warily.

Mina laughed lightly. "Sorry, I should introduce myself, you probably don't remember me. My name is Mina, I'm Princess Venus."

Lita only looked more confused. "And I know you?"

"Well, yeah, I mean we used to be friends when we were really young but I guess you don't really remember. It's alright, I often have a better memory than others." Mina shrugged. "So how are you doing? Actually, how did you even get here? I would've thought it would be hard for you to come here after your parents' accident. Was the spaceship ride here alright?"

"How did you know that?"

Mina smiled sheepishly. "I keep up with everything that goes on. I'm sorry about your parents. And I'm sorry if I bothered you by bringing it up."

"No, no. It's fine. It's just – well, I had a really hard time getting on that spaceship today. It was the first time I've actually done it since the accident. And now, I don't think I can get back on and go home. I was planning on trying to ask the Princess it I could stay here in the castle for a few days, even though I don't actually know her that is... but I didn't end up finding her." Lita sighed miserably.

"Yeah the Princess is definitely a hard person to find." Mina muttered.

"What?"

"Nothing! I've got an idea. Why don't you just stay at my house? I live near the castle and it's just me and my cat, Artemis. I have extra bed that you can sleep on too." Mina attempted a welcoming smile.

"Really? Would that really be okay with you? I wouldn't want to impose." Lita said hopefully.

"Of course not. So it's settled. You'll stay with me. I won't even ask for rent money as long as you make some of the delicious food I hear you're famous for." Mina smiled.

"Thanks so much, Mina! I really don't know what I would've done without you!"

Mina just smiled again. At least she had accomplished one thing today. She had met one of the Senshi, it was only a matter of time before she met the rest of them and got them ready for their mission to protect the Moon Princess.

A/N: Hope you all enjoyed chapter two!

Just to recap and clear things up:

The pairings are:

Serena/Darien (though his name is not explicitly stated because Serena doesn't know his name yet) or Serena/Diamond,
Ami/Zoisite
Rei/Jadeite (though again I don't actually mention his name because Rei doesn't know it yet),
Lita/Nephrite
and Mina/Kunzite.

Ages go as follows:

Serena, Ami, Rei, Lita and Mina are all: 17 years old
Darien and Jadeite are: 20 years old
Nephrite is: 21 years old
Zoisite is: 19 years old
and Kunzite is: 25 years old

Question of the chapter: Which first meeting was your favourite? AND which pairing are you looking forward to the most?

Thanks for reading! Please review with your answers and comments! :)