Hey everyone! Hope you're having Happy Holidays. Well, I wanted to let you guys know that I won't be posting the next chapter until after New Years, but so you won't feel obliged to toss tomatoes in my direction, I thought I'd leave you with some snippets of what's to come in future chapters. Consider it your early Christmas present!

Without further ado,

Silver Millennium Sneak Preview

In another part of the Imperial Moon Palace, in the chambers reserved for the Terran royalty and official's visits, Prince Orion sat on his bed thinking. He carefully studied the magnificent portrait that hung above the marble hearth. It was from about ten or eleven years past, and he and Prince Apollo were decked out from head to toe in full Elite Guard uniform, armor and all. They held their swords proudly, their heads high with bravado only two of the closest friends could supply each other. Next to them, dressed in her finest gown, wearing her most expensive tiara, and glowing with supreme happiness, was sixteen year-old Selene. She held cradled in one arm the Royale Moon Scepter, and had her other hand placed atop her older brother's shoulder. It was a sight to behold. They were shining, the three of them, so young and radiant, and full of life. That time long ago now felt to him like a dream.

"How many years has it been? How long have I waited for the day I could return here and see her again, with out feeling the pain he left behind?" He stared at the pair of shimmering violet eyes in the painting, so full of warmth and innocence.

"Selene....did I take that all away from you? Have you ever forgiven me?"

The Princess was by no means a normal child. Already, one could see through her sparkling sky-blue eyes to an awesome power she would one day unleash. For now, she purred happily in her father's arms, content to be in the world of people she had longed for nine months. But soon, that great power would be realized, and the Royal Family of Moon would discover just what they were dealing with.

Selene had spent the morning amusing the visiting ladies of her royal court. Queen Sharai of Mars and her sister Queen Almira of Mercury had arrived early for the Ice Festival, hoping to visit with their old friend, Selene. The three had been close when they were Princesses, but the busy, frantic lives of being Queens had pulled them apart.

Now, the three women sat in the Inner Palace Tea Room, laughing at the circulating jokes about themselves, and passing the hottest gossip as though they were but teenagers again.

Selene was in the middle of telling them how she had personally wandered in on Lady Andromeda & her page boy, Agate, entertaining themselves with a game of Strip Pairs, when she suddenly paused, turning a ghastly shade of white. The porcelain tea cup fell from her grasp, shattering on the floor, the brown liquid coming to a puddle. Her two companions looked up in alarm. Almira reached over and grabbed Selene's shoulders.

"My Queen?! What is wrong? Are you ill?"

Selene moved her mouth to answer, but before she could, her eyes slammed shut, and she fell back onto the couch. Almira, who had extensive medical training, knew that the Queen was going through some kind of shock. Turning she told her sister, "Go alert the guard! The Queen has fallen ill, and the healers are needed at once!" Nodding, Sharai ran to go find a member of the Palace Guard.

Queen Selene wept.

She ran through the ballroom, down the vestibule, and stopped briefly to unlock the door to the hallway to the royal family's quarters. Quickly, she was down a hall and through the gates to the inner gardens. At first, she wordlessly wandered about the garden, it's beauty utterly lost to her as her mind raced in circles. She came to rest by a tall, flowering Lunar Fringe tree. The young Queen, exhausted, slumped into a wooden swing hanging from one of the tree's mighty branches. Her composure shattered, tears streaming down her cheeks.

How could this happen?

It simply couldn't be true. Her dear husband, her heart's only love, her soul's companion. . . . gone forever. The pain during the soulshock she had earlier, it wasn't caused from stress. It was her heart breaking as she felt her soulmate being murdered.

She glanced at the crumpled piece of royal message stationary she held clutched tightly in her small hand. A small tear fell on her wrist and ran down onto the soiled paper's edge. She placed a hand on her slightly rounded stomach, the pain wrenching her heart only intensifying.

"Little one," she whispered, "You will never know your father!" She doubled over in grief, lowering her head into her hands, and wept in great heaving sobs at her terrible loss.

"I'm alone now....all alone...now everyone I love...is gone!" she stated through her tears.

Luna looked down into the cradle at the small, fragile-looking little princess. Her heart rose in her chest. This was the child she was to care for, to help bring up, in the years to come. Without thinking, her hands reached out and drew the child into her arms. As small as this young princess was, she felt such warmth and love radiating from the babe that she was reduced to tears.

Hectate started to scold her daughter for picking the Princess up without permission, when Selene touched her shoulder, giving her a consentive look. The two old friends smiled silently at the young girl before them who was holding the Princess with an air of love and defensiveness.

"Hectate, I think you made the right match."

He stood up to face her. He was about a foot taller than her, which slightly intimidated her. This guy could defintely hurt her.

"Now, you know I can't do that. Lady Pluto would be upset with me."

Flashes. Pictures, conversations, memories of some kind flashed through her head.

"Pluto? As in....the planet?"

"The Guardian of Time. Yeah, that's the one."

"Well, how many Lady Plutos can there be?" she asked sarcastically.

"Your friend is about to find that one out."

"You mean, Diana?"

"No, I mean Nariko." More pictures... a fight, or battle...someone shouting...dancing...a beautiful song, and a handsome pair of grey eyes...

He produced a small wand from seemingly nowhere. It shone with a golden brightness, an earthreal glow. He whispered some words, and it began to glitter with a strange, yet comforting, power.

Aurora saw the pieces of a puzzle fit together in her mind.

"Corran, I want to go home."

He sighed, with what almost sounded like relief.

"Hanako, awaken!"

Diana clamped her eyes shut. A strange feeling was forming in the pit of her stomach. I'm dying! she thought to herself. She felt a hand grab her own. She opened her eyes to find Vortex gazing back into hers.

"No, you're being born."

She blushed, not quite understanding.

"Nariko, awaken!"

"Michiko."

Celeste gasped. With that name, a million pictures filled her head at once. What was it?...Why had he called her that? ....She suddenly felt cold, and alone. Like she had stumbled upon some lost thought, or memory, or....she didn't know. Overwhleming confusion gripped at her.

The man held a long staff, finely crafted out of some alien metal, garnished at both ends with flowing ribbons and intricate jewels. The staff began to glow, an oddly tinted blue glow. A column of light spouted from one end, immersing Celeste from head to toe. A warm feeling came with the light. The man grasped her hand, another action bringing forth a tumult of pictures. Her head snapped up to stare him in the eyes.

"Tybalt?"

He smiled.

"Michiko, awaken!"

"It's time to go." Vortex announced.

"Go where?" Michiko asked, hiccuping. It seemed the vodka was still running it's course.

"To the Moon. You are meant to be the saviours of the Silver Empire."

Instantly, all the girls raised a hand to their foreheads. Pictures of grand palaces..exquisite gardens...parties, festivals, parades.......

Each of the young men rushed to his lady's side.

"Chinchara!" Nariko exclaimed. Eyes widened, the three men gazed astonished at her. Silver tongue.... how had she known? Realizing what she had spoken, Corran and Tybalt smiled slyly at Vortex.

Nariko shook her head slightly. "What? I mean, ..what?"

"Um, never mind." Vortex stuttered. "Look, we have to go now. The Queen awaits your arrival."

Hanako held up a hand. "Wait a second. You just expect us to get up and leave everything we've ever known our entire lives behind? Our family? Our friends?"

"You were destined for greater things. In order to fulfill your destinies and save our empire, you must come with us. The deja-vu feelings, these memories you've been experiencing, are the memories from your past lives in our Empire." Corran took Hanako's hand in his. "You have to trust us."

"You're absolutely crazed. And I don't trust you one bit."

Well, that's enough teasing for now. Look for regular updates after the New Year has begun. I wish you all a Happy Holiday season.