Chapter One: Theories

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon, and have received no financial benefits from this work.

Summary: An exploration of why the Senshi fell in love with the Shitennou in the Silver Millennium and the events surrounding the conflicts between the White Moon Kingdom and Chaos.

AN: Based upon the fact that Princess Serenity was called "Serena" in the English anime (ergo, the similarity of the two names), I'm using the English names in the Silver Millennium. If this fanfic continues through to the resurrection of the Shitennou during the reign of Neo-Queen Serenity, the Japanese names will be used. Additionally, I much prefer the manga Rei, and will try to stay true to that character.

"Serenity, only you would call this palace a cottage!"

A pillow went whizzing at the speaker's head. "I'll have you know, Mina, that this is charmingly rustic! Where else could we have a girls' night? Certainly not in the palace with countless courtiers constantly reminding me of this class or reception or audience. Sometimes, I wonder what it would be like to be just a regular girl, on a place like Earth."

Serenity looked out the window at the beautifully luminescent planet above. "It's so beautiful from here, do you think it's really as pretty there?" A soft smile graced her lips. "Don't you think it would be fun to go and visit?"

"How could we? You know as well as we all do that even if we had the time in our schedules, which we don't, Earth isn't exactly the safest place in the solar system." Rei tossed her dark hair back over her shoulder. "Until Earth is brought into the Silver Alliance, it wouldn't be prudent to visit, and that's not likely to happen anytime soon."

Serenity sighed. "It's not fair."

"Who ever said it was?" Lita's eyes sparkled mischievously. "You only live in a fabulous palace, wear gorgeous clothes, and have every reasonable whim granted at a moment's notice… and oh! You also happen to be fantastically beautiful. You're right, Serenity, your life is just rotten."

It was true, Princess Serenity of the Moon Kingdom had a charmed life. True, she was young yet, but she had lived a very happy, if sheltered life. There were constantly new delights, new amusements, balls, feasts, dancing, and singing. Life was one big party, but like any girl, royal or commoner, there was one thing missing—love.

"Princess, I must insist that you step away from that open window. Although the chances of your catching any kind of illness is approximately 0.035, it is unseemly for the princess to be seen in her lounging wear." Ami briefly looked up from yet another book. "Additionally, I find it uncomfortable to have the lack of privacy the open draperies connote."

"Translation: Serenity, get away from the window and close the curtains before someone walks by and sees us in our nightgowns," said Mina.

Serenity turned and took one more lingering gaze at the distant, blue Earth. She turned and tossed a few soft pillows onto the rug in the center of the room. "All right, I will. But not until Ami puts away her book and has some fun."

"Pondering the planetesimal theory based upon the newest forms of calculus is fun," Ami retorted. The four other girls groaned. "But for the sake of decency and modesty, I will not read any more of my book until tomorrow." Ami placed her own cushion on the rug, and sat down cross-legged upon it. She then laid her bookmark in its place and closed her book, placing it next to her. Finally, she removed her glasses and sat patiently waiting for Serenity to comply with her end of the deal.

The other girls quickly made themselves comfortable on the soft plush rug, some reclining, some sitting. "Who has the snacks?" asked Serenity. "It's not a girls' night without snacks!!" Several bowls were placed in the center of the group. "Now that's more like it!" And for a few moments, the only sounds heard were of munching.

"So… did you have any specific preferred topic of conversation?" asked Ami, beginning to try to not look at her book. It wasn't that she was rude or anti-social. It's just that she was happiest listening to the happy chatter of her friends. She honestly didn't feel she had anything to add to the conversation, but just enjoyed hearing the happy sounds of her friends' laughter.

Lita plucked the book away from Ami. "You're starting to miss your little 'friend' too much, Ames. Relax, loosen up."

"What is love?" Serenity asked suddenly.

"What?" The four girls' heads snapped in her direction.

"We're old enough now. I'm curious. What do you think love is like? What's the most important thing about it, and how do you know when you're in love?" Serenity looked at the outline of the earth through the sheer curtains wistfully. "What do you think, Ami?"

Ami fidgeted in her seat. She tried to push the glasses up onto the bridge of her nose, forgetting that they'd already been put away in her glass-case. She twisted her hands and mumbled something softly.

"What?" exclaimed Mina. "I've got to hear this!" She leaned in towards Ami. "Come on, what did you say, Ami?"

Ami looked up slightly, focusing her eyes on a nearby bowl of popcorn instead of her hands, her cheeks and ears flushed pink. "Love is technically a chemical response in the brain, which we call an emotion." She cleared her throat softly. "According to my research, it is often characterized by attraction, personal attachment and sometimes, in the early stages, can be noted by irrational behavior." Ami's voice dropped off.

Mina looked at her seriously, without a trace of her usual bubbly humor. "Research, Ami? Facts and figures are all well and good, but…" Mina gently squeezed her friend's hand reassuringly. "Ami, that doesn't tell us anything about what you feel is important about love." She caught Ami's eye and winked. "And I, the Goddess of Love, hereby command you to be honest and tell us what you'd like in a guy. He's got to be a major brain right? A certified genius!"

"Oh… no!" Ami blushed even more. "I … just want someone that I can talk with. A person who makes me laugh and want to talk, who makes me think. I think that when you're in love, it must feel like every thought is clearer and sharper. I…" Ami looked up at each of her friends in turn and smiled. "I think falling in love with a person who makes me want to be all that I can and genuinely enjoys talking to me and with me… that would be the most amazing thing!"

There was a brief silence at the length and sincerity of the Ami's statement.

"If anyone deserves that Ami, it's you." Lita's frank green eyes looked into Ami's steadfastly. "I'm sure of it."

"I hope you do find it, Ami," Rei said. "I doubt love, real love is out there, sometimes." Rei looked away from the others, into the lit fireplace beside her. The light flickered, highlighting the pained, if resigned expression in her eyes. "Conversation is important," she continued, after a long pause. "But… I wouldn't enjoy it if I didn't respect the person to whom I was speaking. I've had to suffer too many fools, too many people who only wanted to use me for power or influence or publicity. I would want equality. Not perfect equality, but someone who saw me as a person, as just me… not a princess."

Rei swallowed. "I sometimes wonder…" she sighed.

"Wonder what, Rei?" said Ami.

"Nothing." Rei blinked away the suspicious moisture beginning in her eyes. She smiled sadly, if distantly.

"Come back Rei, you're galaxies away!" laughed Mina, reaching over to tickle her.

"Don't you dare tickle me, Mina!" squealed an enraged brunette, her temper flashing. "I will punish you!" she cried, attacking, as laughter finally replaced tears.

Princess Serenity sat listening to this exchange deep in thought. One could almost see the clockwork wheels turning in the petite girl's head as she processed two very different views of love.

Mina finally fended off Rei's tickle attacks with an abject apology. Rei still simmered, but the release of her excess emotional energy was far preferable to internalization. Sometimes, it took being extremely obnoxious to snap Rei out of a moody state, but considering that such ridiculous behavior was a specialty of both Serenity and Mina… well, her moods usually didn't last very long.

Once quiet fell again in the room, Serenity turned her attention to Lita, who had been fending off Mina's flailing limbs while trying to protect Ami from a few bruises and the snacks from being crushed underfoot. "What do you want out of love, Lita?" she asked quietly.

"Me?" Lita ran a nervous hand through her hair, playing with her ponytail. "I don't think I'll ever fall in love. Most guys are …" Lita grimaced. "I think they're afraid of me. I guess I'd like a guy who I could trust, totally trust. He'd be someone who would suddenly feel happy, just because he was with me. Somebody who'd see me not just as a weirdly strong girl," Lita flexed her large, strong, capable hands, "but as a lady. ."

"You are a lady!" said Ami. "You dance and sew and cook. How could anyone see you as anything else?"

"I don't know Ami," Lita said. "But sometimes, I'd just like someone who could protect me for once. Sometimes, because I'm "the Senshi of Protection" I'd really like to just not have to be strong for anyone once in a while. It would be nice to let him see all of me, even the parts that scare me, and to still have him want to protect me, to never break my heart on purpose."

She realized she'd been rambling. "I just think trust is really important, that's all," she mumbled.

Sensing that she needed to change the somber tone that had been set, Mina shook back her long hair and took a deep breath. "Good conversation, respect, trust… those are all really great things, but you forgot something really, really important, guys!"

She stretched her arms languorously. "What about passion? It's great when you meet are really nice guy who you can talk to for hours… but if there's no spark, you're kind of stuck." Mina spoke with the great authority and experience that comes along with being a teenager. "Trust me, ladies, that electric spark that you feel every time you touch, every time your eyes meet, now that's love!" Mina purred.

The girls were dumbfounded by this proclamation. Suddenly pillows flew directly at Mina's head.

"Of all of the lame-brained things!"

"How can you logically expect to have a real relationship on that basis?!"

"Are you an idiot?"

"Where's the romance in that?"

The girls exclaimed in wild distaste for Mina's declaration. Mina was hit by several pillows, but fired them back as quickly as she could. This erupted into an all out pillow fight which only ended when one of the pillows finally burst, unused to such vigorous activity. The war devolved into crazy girlie giggles and exhausted panting, as the girls lay watching the feathers slowly float to the floor.

Ami recovered her book, remarkably unscathed during the altercation. As she composed herself once more, she looked closely at Serenity. "All of us have commented on our thoughts and preferences, what about you, Serenity?"

Serenity smiled. "I'm not sure. I think that everything you've mentioned is important, even having that spark. I guess I want a mate, a partner. Someone I can love and who will love me back, who cheers me up when I'm sad, comforts me when I'm scared, protects me… And," she smiled. "And, I want someone who wants me to do the same for him."

The girls sat for a moment, just thinking and dreaming. Each wondered if love would really come and if it would be as wonderful as their hopes. The quiet contemplation was broken by a light tapping on the window.

A small black cat entered after Lita rose to open the door. "Princess Serenity, your mother wished for me to remind you ladies that tomorrow will be an early day, and a busy one."

"Thank you Luna. Goodnight."

So the five young ladies drifted off to sleep, and dreams of that great unknown—love.