The Silver Millenium shone with the gleam of polished silver, warm and full of light. Members of the Queen's court swept by, courtiers in flowing gowns or long coattails, moving in time to the music. Uranus sighed as she leaned on the balcony. It was all so beautiful, and so foreign. She had answered the invitation of the Queen with great reluctance. For the Silver Millenium she would gladly sacrifice her life, but this? She was not very comfortable among all these people and she kept looking out into the night sky where her own home floated among the stars. Music and laughter occasionally escaped from the ballroom, but it brought Uranus no great joy. Her place was on her own planet, not dancing with these, these...she sighed again. She looked at herself, dressed in a long blue coat, faced with gold and brass, ruffled shirt and knee-high boots. It suited her. She had been fending off offers from potential dance partners all night long. Not the activity she was best at. She was a soldier, a Senshi, in the service of the Queen. Not a courtier. She knew her way in a battle, but found the court uncomfortable. Her sword lay comfortably on her hip and she rested a hand on the hilt. It had been a long evening. Uranus smiled wryly as she remembered the whispers that accompanied her arrival. It wasn't every day that one of the Outer Senshi arrived at the Silver Millenium, and it was even rarer for all three to gather. In fact, it had never before occurred. Uranus had met Pluto once before, and had only been to Silver Millenium one other time. No one recognized her as the guardian Senshi of Uranus, and that was the way she wanted it. The sword on her belt flashed, a bright light illuminating the balcony. She looked around to find the source of the light. Behind her, the marble pillar blocked off her view of the ballroom and she stepped to one side to see behind it. Light laughter came from behind the pillar, and Uranus sensed movement. She stepped around quickly and came face to face with a slightly shorter woman with green hair. Her dress billowed around her in the light breeze, which also carried the scent of flowers from her hair. Uranus stood and stared downwards, frankly captivated by the blue eyes which watched her, twinkling in the dim light. The woman laughed again, and made a small curtsey. "Uranus," she acknowledged lightly. "Do I...have we met?" Uranus asked, bowing, a little disconcerted. Again, that laugh. "In a sense. I know *you.*" Uranus found nothing to say. She waited for the woman to speak, not trusting her own tongue. "I know you have been asked this before, but would you care to dance?" the woman inquired, a smile playing at the corner of her lips. Uranus found herself smiling in return. Holding out a hand, they moved into the ballroom as a new song began. At first their return was not noticed, so many dancers were on the floor, so many people moved about. By their third dance together, many had noticed the two, their bearing, their nobility. Queen Serenity stood and watched as the pair moved about the dance floor, lost in each other's presence. She smiled as the rumors and whispers reached even her own ears. Did she know who that tall blond courtier was? Who was that woman with the green hair? She smiled, but did not answer. On the dance floor, Uranus could not stop looking at her partner. They danced without a word, their bodies drawing closer, until the woman had her cheek against Uranus's neck. Uranus could feel herself flush with warmth and a sensation she had never before felt. When the dance ended, Uranus pulled away slighty. "It's warm in here. Shall we take a walk in the garden?" The green-haired woman nodded and they left, rumor and whisper trailing after them until they were long out of sight. ********** They walked in silence for a time. When they reached a gazebo surrounded by roses, they stopped. Uranus leaned against a pillar, while the woman sat on a bench. "So, how do you know me?" Uranus asked bluntly, breathing in the scent of roses, letting them intoxicate her. "I'll be honest." the woman replied, flashing an object in her hand. "I cheated." She laughed again. Uranus watched, confused, as the mirror in the woman's hand turned towards her. She could see herself, small, but clear, in the mirror's depths. Uranus stood, and watched herself battle an entity that had entered the solar system with the intention of attacking the Silver Millenium. She watched herself defeat the entity and resume her watch. Uranus lifted her dark eyes to meet the bright blue ones that watched her. The mirror flashed again, and her sword responded in kind. "Neptune?" Uranus's voice came as if from a distance, recognizing at last, who her admirer was. The woman stood, and flipped her hair out of her face. "It is very nice to meet you in person." She moved close to Uranus, her face lifted to Uranus's. "And to dance with you." "If others knew who we were, I'm sure we were the talk of the room." Uranus smiled, her voice soft. "Are you worried?" Neptune moved a little closer. Her lips almost brushed those of Uranus. "No. I think we should give them something to really gossip about." And Uranus lowered her lips onto Neptune's. Under the glow of the Silver Millenium, with other couples passing by in the moonlight, Neptune and Uranus kissed deeply.
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