The air is crisp and she catches a light scent of pine. Everything around her is white, covered in snow and ice. Branches drip softly with icicles and snowflakes land softly on her cheeks. The sun is setting and everything is pink and turning slowly to purple. She's in a forest and she is alone.

She looks down at her body and wonders why she is wearing such a peculiar outfit. Her arms are covered in glittered nylon, around her torso is a white bodice with gold trimmings. She's wearing a wide tutu which spreads far enough that she has to bend to see that her feet are standing on her toes which are wrapped in silk ribbon. She reaches up and feels her hair is twisted intricately into a bun atop her head.

Before she has a chance to ponder where she has found herself, she sees light glinting at her through the trees; there is movement. Her long leg extends forward and she dances forward. Why is she dancing? Can't she simply walk? But the more she tries to lay her feet flat and simply walk, the more she twirls and tip toes towards the clearing in front of her.

In the clearing is a sea of white. Swans. All white with the moonlight glinting off their wings. The sun sets completely and the lake begins to brighten. It is too much for her eyes and her long arms swing up delicately to cover her face. She wished she could get off her tippy toes.

The light dims and her arms float down. Standing in the middle of the lake is a man. He is shrouded in shadows and she finds her toes moving her forward with curiosity. His hair, glinting in the moonlight, is as white as the swans' feathers. His outfit is a second skin of silver and ivory on him. Though she cannot see his eyes, she can tell his attention is focused solely on her. He rises to his toes and moves forward, slowly but determinedly towards her.

'Who is he?' she wonders. 'Where did he come from? Why is he so familiar?'

They reach each other, she opens her mouth but cannot speak. Instead, the sounds of harps and violins swell dramatically all around them and she is propelled to twirl around him.

Is he as confused as she is? She doubts it because he begins to dance as well. His long, strong legs move him around and away from her making her leap after him. Just as she reaches him he spins around her, dodging her touch. She's starting to get annoyed but her movements remain graceful and fluid. She knows she recognizes him but she can't get a good look at his face. If he stood still for a moment she could figure it out.

He stops across the lake and stares at her, face half hidden in the shadows. She can see his eyes now. They're gray, almost silver, and the pain in them causes her heart to ache. Suddenly, her legs take off and she is whirling on her toes- she was going to break an ankle any second now, she could just tell- towards him.

Fast, too fast, she was going to fall. She leaps into the air and her heart stops. There was no way he was going to catch her. She was going to fall straight onto her face and break her nose.

To her immense surprise, the man extended his arms and catches her around the waist. One of her legs stretches high behind her and her arms delicately float above as he twirls her around the frozen lake. He throws her higher and catches her around the middle again, this time facing away from him.

Damn it! She still needed to see his face.

He lowers her slowly, presses his chest against her back and breathes softly against her neck. She closes her eyes as her hands wrap around his neck behind her. His hands trail gently up her sides and across her arms until he reaches her hands.

The flutes and trumpets crescendo in joy. He holds her now, there would be no more running away. He takes her hands and dances with her across the lake. He spins her and she twirls wondering why she ever felt apprehension. He lifts her and she would only ever come back down to be near him. He throws and catches her and she knows safety is exclusive to his strong arms. He embraces her tenderly and she wants to cry.

She knew him. She knew this man. These hands. Those eyes. The way he made her feel. As if she were doing something dangerous but it all felt too good to stop.

Was this Ace? Her long dead ex-boyfriend that broke her heart and ruined love for her forever? But it couldn't be. He was dead and this man was too tall to be Ace.

Artemis? Her guardian turned human to give her the father-daughter dance her no father- past or present- took enough care to give. But this man was much too broad shouldered to be Artemis. And this dance did not feel like a paternal waltz.

Diamond! Could this be the black clan moon? His hair was shorter, but he could have grown it out. Maybe he was confusing her with Usagi. But Diamond was so much paler, leaner and she couldn't imagine him having such a soft touch.

The swans that were surrounding them on the shores crept closer. Their white feathers graying, some turning completely black. The romantic melody that had been engulfing their world slows and deepens. She begins to look around slightly worried, wondering what had caused the change.

His grip tightens almost painfully around her hands. The next time he throws her up he almost drops her. She no longer feels that warm safety that emanated from him. A swan gets too close pecks at her leg, she stumbles. What was happening? The music was too loud now. It felt sinister, as if it were threatening her. The violins sound as if they are stabbing someone. The swans stare menacingly at her. She wants to leave but his hold on her is too tight. She tries to pull away but he drags her back. Another swan swipes at her. Beneath her, the ice cracks. She's panicking and he won't let her go. She can't think through the roaring music.

She turns to him, wanting to plead her release. Just then, the moonlight shines on his face and all goes silent.

She does know this man. She recognizes his chiseled jaw, straight nose, severe brow, even the small scar on the side of his cheek. But most of all she recognizes his gray eyes. Yet, this could not be who she had been dancing with before. This man did not make her feel safe, nor tender, nor warm. This man did not make her feel anything but hatred. Had it been the same person all along? But how? How could she have been so wrong?

The man opens his mouth and when she thought music would rise again he speaks instead.

"It must be difficult having a bundle of curiosity for a princess."

Minako shot up in her bed with a gasp. It was pitch black and quiet. Only the sound of cars passing outside her downtown apartment building and her pounding heart could be heard. It had all been a dream caused by the ballet Ami had dragged all of them to the night before.

She should have followed Usagi's example and fallen asleep, but noooo, she needed to see if the swan would kick the sorcerer's ass in the end. To Minako's major disappointment, no she did not. Instead she fell for the stupid prince that couldn't even tell her apart from an evil twin. So much for 'true love'. Nothing like a double suicide ending! Now she had the pleasure of having evil swan induced nightmares.

She staggered out of bed, not surprised that Artemis hadn't woken up- that cat could sleep through the apocalypse if allowed- and made her way to the kitchen. She served herself a glass of water to try to shake off the dream.

'It must be difficult having a bundle of curiosity for a princess.'

Kunzite. He had been the one to say those words to her back in the Silver Millennium. Minako tried to suppress the hatred that crawled up her spine every time she thought of the leader of the shittennou. It was remarkable how no matter how she tried to bury her memories of him he still found a way to haunt her. The other girls might not remember their past with Endymion's guard, but Minako held every horrible memory as clear as if it had been only yesterday.

While Serenity had been falling in love with the terran prince, Venus had been sneaking around with his right hand man. It was only meant to be a game, one where she would tease and flirt and he would go insane trying not to touch. She only meant to toe the line of danger, where they would give into temptation but know where their duties lied. She never intended to cross that line by falling in love, much less swan dive into treason by believing it was okay.

Kunzite had seduced her - a fact for which she was extremely resentful for; she seduced, she did not get seduced. Except she had. She had underestimated him. He had been better at the game than her. He had straddled the line of right and wrong and made everything blur in his bed. She had been an idiot. Blinded by the thrill of it all, by love. How could she have been so wrong about him? Kunzite had manipulated her. Betrayed her, his prince, the galaxy. Civilizations went extinct because of her foolishness.

Her saving grace was sending him to hell. Twice. But that didn't save her from the nightmares it turned out. Minako thought she had put the past behind her. How many times had she died trying to rectify that initial mistake? Would she ever be absolved of the past?

The dream had been too vivid and the remnants had not yet faded away. She remembered the smell of pine mingling with his own alluring musk. The gentle but firm way he held her, it had always made her feel like she could finally be vulnerable with someone. The feel of his rippling muscles pressing against her.

She threw the remaining water at her face and told herself to calm down. How many times had Rei told her?! 'No lusting after the enemy!' Dead or not, she added to herself.

Dawn was minutes away, there was no way she'd be able to sleep now. A change of scenery was in order. She decided to change and go for a run. By the time she stepped outside the first rays were beginning to peak out. Minako slipped her airpods in and shuffled her playlist. Makoto had promised to add 'actual' music for her.

"Techno is real music," she had informed Makoto.

"You need more culture in your life," was all that Makoto had said before snatching her phone away.

The playlist consisted mostly of songs Makoto had been begging Minako to give a chance to and to her credit, they were actually pretty good. From classic rock to jazzy tunes and even modern pop, Minako couldn't find it in her to complain.

Her running path included going past the high school, crown arcade and, most importantly, the park. All the high alien activity spots because even though it had been years since the last attack, Crystal Tokyo wasn't far away anymore and she was done being caught unaware.

She shouldn't have been surprised when classical music started playing in her ears, Makoto had mentioned preparing her for the ballet, Minako simply hadn't gotten around to listening to the additions to her playlist. But the sound of harps and violins made her trip.

Minako managed to fall in the grass rather than the pavement, saving her hands from being scraped. She raised herself up and realized she was in front of the pond and the shining water threw her into the memory of her dream.

She danced across a frozen lake in the moonlight as the man she believed had loved her as much as she loved him pirouetted around her.

This time she could see his face, and it truly was Lord Kunzite. His cape flew behind him as they turned. No longer was she in a glittery tutu, but a golden gown. The marble pillars hiding them from the court's sight.

"Feeling dangerous tonight, general?" The words came out of her mouth unbidden but they felt familiar. He held her with one hand behind her waist, making her feel safe despite the situation.

"What makes you say that, princess?" He twirled her further into the shadows, not that it made a difference, they still danced just feet from the royal court who would surely have them beheaded for the treason.

"Anyone could come out here and catch us. Are you not worried?" Lord knew she wasn't. She should have been, but when he held her hand tucked under his against his chest, she didn't have a care in the galaxy.

"Let them." His hold tightened on her waist, it thrilled her.

"Dangerous words, general. Think of what would happen." This terran dance was too formal, she needed to be closer to him.

"Perhaps they'd realize what prejudiced cowards they all are."

"It wasn't long ago that you felt the same way."

"I was a prejudiced coward." The thought is laughable.

"You may be many things, but a coward has never been one of them."

"I know better now."

"And what do you know?" She turned her most flirtatious smile towards him but his eyes weren't shining with the amusement hers were.

"That I'll love you until the day I die, princess." Her heart skipped a beat.

"You say such things so calmly, Kunzite. It's unnerving."

"Have I ever lied to you?"

"There's a first time for everything."

"You'll be waiting a long time." She wanted to kiss him, but the vision changed making her jump back.

White wings unfolded out of Kunzite's back. Feathers began floating all around them. The music from inside the ball grew deafening. He tried to speak but she couldn't hear him over the cacophony.

The air became cold and she was no longer outside the terran palace walls. The marble balcony faded to a lake- no not a lake. A pond. She was in the park. Ripping the airpods out of her head, she tried to get a grip on reality.

Why couldn't she get that damn ballet out of her head? Or him? Why had she mixed the two? It's not like they had anything to do with each other. She lowered herself to the grass and laid down hoping to slow her speeding heart.

Venus hadn't had to wait long after all. He had asked her if he had ever lied to her, Minako now wondered if anything he spoke had been true. She felt her heart clench and berated herself for allowing a thousand year old ex still be able to affect her.

It was all that stupid play's fault! She didn't even like it that much. True, something about it resonated with her but it was probably just the drama of it all. It wasn't like she was a swan! She had never been under any enchantment. She had kicked Beryl's ass and Kunzite's for that matter. That's what Odette should have done. Kicked that prince's ass for not recognizing her.

But then… it was Kunzite that had sprouted wings. It was Kunzite that had appeared on the frozen lake.

Something was tugging at Minako. She stared blankly at the pond, trying desperately to put the puzzle pieces together. There was some truth hidden in all of her confusion and she was so close to figuring it out she could taste it.

If Kunzite was the swan, did that make her the prince? How would that make sense? Kunzite should have been the sorcerer, right? He was the evil one. At the very least he should have been Odile.

Odile…

Odile had been Odette's doppelganger. What if Kunzite was...Odette? That would mean that the person that tried to kill her had been a clone.

The thought shocked her to her core, but it didn't feel false. It felt like truth and that terrified her. The shitennou had betrayed them. Hadn't they? Minako jumped to her feet and sprinted out of the park and towards the only people she knew would have answers.