Dreaming of Dreams

Chapter Three


Minako tossed and turned for several long, miserable hours before finally slipping into sleep. Artemis watched her as she slept from the end of her bed, frowning in anxiety. 'Poor Mina-chan…I wonder what's so awful with her dreams that's making her look like she's in such pain…'


Minako stood in a beautifully ornamented room, adorned in magnificent pieces of furniture and artwork. She looked about her in wonder and amazement. Then she gasped and looked down at her own appearance. She was wearing a marvelously, golden silken dress that flowed softly around her ankles. She felt her knees go weak and she fell back, and unexpectedly, she landed gently on a lush cushion. She blinked and looked at what she was sitting on. It was a bed, a rather large one at that.

"Where am I?" She whispered fearfully, not knowing what to expect as a reply.

"At home, dearest. You've had such a rough day, darling. How are you feeling?"

Minako gasped. She quickly stood up and twirled around, her dress rustling about her. "Who said that!" She yelled, searching in dread for the source of the voice.

A low, pleasant laugh filtered through the room. She turned around once more back to the bed. She blinked and stepped back when she saw a tall man leaning against one of the high spiraling bed posts, looking at her in slight wonder.

"Yes, dear, I believe you've had quite a day." He said, smiling softly at her.

She raised her eyebrows. "Who ARE you?" She asked, looking at his appearance. He was quite tall, with a broad frame, and was wearing what looked to be a gray uniform of sorts. She took notice of his piercing gray eyes…and his long hair. 'White...purely white…just like…' She gasped and turned away, searching for a way to get out. "What am I doing here? Where am I, who are you, what does all this mean…what…what…" She collapsed suddenly, feeling incredibly tired and weak. She sat breathing heavily on the floor, gasping for breath.

A few seconds passed before a pair of strong arms picked her up and held her close. She struggled for a few moments before leaning back and giving up, relaxing in his grip. "Who are you?" She whispered again, feeling herself getting sleepy.

"Don't worry; you'll remember soon, love. It will all come back to you in time. You just rest now. When the time is right, I'll tell you everything."

She nodded, drifting off into sleep.


Minako awoke to see the sun making its way to peek through the blinds on her window. She sat up and stretched and stared out at the bright day. She frowned slightly. "What a dream."

A white cat jumped into her lap and started yelling. "You're telling me! One minute you'd be tossing and turning, your face twitching in pain, and the next minute I see you smiling! I gave up after a while and just went to sleep myself!" Artemis stuck his paw in her face, obviously upset.

She giggled. "You silly cat, go back to bed!"

Artemis growled. "Fine, I will!"

"Okay, then!" She giggled again, kissing the top of his crescent mooned forehead. "I'm going shopping, okay? It's Saturday, and I only have a few days left to get ready for the trip to Paris."

He nodded. "Hai, hai. Luna told me all about that. She said that Usagi was practically jumping off the walls with excitement over it. I was surprised that you weren't acting the same way."

She smiled. "I'm very excited, I am, but I've had my head busy with so many things that I just haven't thought about it much. Did Luna say if Usagi has invited Mamoru yet?"

"Iie, she said nothing about that…wait, so Mamoru is going, too?"

"I think so, hai." She nodded.

He breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, good! At least ONE person that has some sense about him will be going."

"Well, Ami's going…"

"Hai, Hai, but I still feel better that Mamoru's going as well. Even Ami can be overpowered by the other girls, but Mamoru won't let that happen. You might all get there and back safely now." Artemis started laughing.

"Hey! We can take care of ourselves, thank you very much!" Minako whacked the cat, who had been retreating back to his cat bed, with a pillow.

The cat yelped, a sharp "Meow!" erupting from his throat. He grumbled. "Stupid blonde."

"Stupid cat!" Minako ran into the bathroom, slamming the door before Artemis could yell back.

He yelled anyways. "Stupider blonde!" He shouted as loudly as he could, making sure she could hear it from behind the closed door.

"Stupidest cat! Now shut up before someone outside hears you and Mom thinks I have a guy in here! Stupidest, stupidest cat!"

"Damn blondes…" Artemis mumbled as he crawled into his bed. "I should have never gotten up in the first place." He yawned and snuggled up for another hours' nap.


Usagi groaned loudly, finally dragging herself up out of the bed. She stared up at the ceiling, blinking several times trying to wake herself up. "I should have just stayed at Mamo-chan's. I mean, I'll be going back there soon anyways; I should have just saved myself the trouble." She giggled slightly.

Her black cat, Luna, hissed from the floor. "One of these days I'm going to find a way to get you and Mamoru caught for what you do! Do you have any clue as to what your father would DO to you two if he found out that you've been…doing things?"

Usagi rolled her eyes. "Oh, hush up, Luna. You're almost as bad as the girls. Sheesh, it's like it's just SO wrong for Mamo-chan and I to be together. For kami's sakes, I'm eighteen now! It's not like Daddy can actually SAY anything to me about it. I could very easily leave home and move in with Mamo-chan if I wanted to."

Luna sighed. "I'm just saying what I think, Usagi. Don't get mad about it. I just don't like it that you're always sneaking in the house at odd hours of the night…"

Usagi grinned. "Well, you can rest assured that those nights that I come in late are the ones you shouldn't worry about. The nights you SHOULD worry about are the ones where I don't even come home!" She laughed.

Luna shook her head. "I'm going to see Artemis. I'll talk to you later, Usagi." She climbed out of Usagi's open window and jumped out into the trees, and disappeared.

Usagi stood up and yawned. "Poor Artemis. Well, at least I don't have to put up with her."

The phone on Usagi's nightstand started ringing. She reached over and grabbed it. "Hello!"

"Usagi-chan, you want to go shopping?" Minako said over the other line.

"Oooh, sure! Let's meet at the arcade in twenty minutes, alright?"

"Oh…the arcade? Umm…alright. I'll see you there!"

"Kay!"

"Bye, Usa-chan!"

The dial tone started beeping. Usagi placed the phone back on the receiver and rushed to her closet to pick out an outfit. 'Wonder why she sounded like she didn't want to go to the arcade, though. Huh.'


Minako walked into the arcade quietly, hoping to evade Motoki. She slipped into a back booth to await Usagi, and hoped that for once, Usagi wouldn't be late.

Unfortunately, the second that Minako sat down in the booth, Motoki walked out from the back storage room into the arcade. He noticed her and waved, smiling brightly. She lifted her hand into a small wave and turned to look out the window, wishing for Usagi to show up.

"Mina-chan, daijabou?"

Minako glanced away from the window to see Motoki standing beside the table.

"Hai, Motoki-kun. Can I get a vanilla milkshake, onegai? Oh, and get a chocolate one for Usagi-chan, too. She should be here any minute."

He nodded. "Sure thing, Mina-chan! Hey, Mako-chan told me about how you guys are all going to Paris. Are you excited?"

She smiled. "Yeah, sure am. Usagi and I are going shopping for new clothes and stuff to wear while we're there."

"Sounds like fun. I'll be right back with your shakes, okay?" He smiled at her again and walked off.

She watched his retreating figure and grinned to herself. 'It's funny how incredibly cute a guy can look in an apron.' She giggled slightly.

"What's so funny, Mina-chan?"

Minako looked away from Motoki to see Usagi sliding into the booth. She gasped. "Usagi-chan, we're wearing the same shirt! We said when we bought them that we'd make sure we never wore them at the same time."

Usagi looked down at her pink t-shirt with the words 'I Love Pink' etched across the front. She shrugged. "Oh, well. Gomen, Mina-chan. I guess I forgot that you have one of these, too. We'll just have to match for the day!" She giggled.

Minako sighed. "Yeah, well, at least we're not wearing the EXACT same thing. I'm glad I decided on jeans instead of a skirt."

Usagi nodded. "Hai, but I'm going to see Mamo-chan after we go shopping, so I wanted to wear this skirt." She blushed slightly.

Minako rolled her eyes. "Silly girl."

Motoki walked up with their milkshakes in hand and placed the drinks on the table. "Konnichiwa, Usagi-chan!"

Usagi beamed. "Konnichiwa, Motoki-kun. Oooh, is this for me?"

Minako nodded. "Hai, I went ahead and ordered one for you."

"Aww! Arigatou, Mina-chan!"

Minako smiled and took her own shake and started drinking it silently.

Usagi noticed her friend's quiet manner. She frowned. "Mina-chan…is something wrong? You look so sad."

Motoki was still standing by the booth. "Hai, I've wanted to ask the same thing…" He murmured softly.

Usagi slid over in the booth and motioned for Motoki to sit down beside her. She then turned back to Minako, who was still being very quiet and staring out the window. "Well, Mina-chan? What's up?"

Minako turned and stared down at her shaking hands in her lap.

"Usako, I've been looking for you. How did I just know you'd be here?"

Usagi gasped and looked away from Minako to see Mamoru standing beside the booth, grinning. She smiled. "Mamo-chan!"

Motoki stood up. "Hey, Mamoru-kun. I'll let you sit by Usagi-chan, alright? If Mina-chan doesn't mind, I'll sit by her. Oh, do you want anything, though?"

Mamoru shook his head. "Nah, I've already had my coffee this morning. I'm fine right now."

Motoki nodded and sat by Minako, who slid over closer to the window and leaned her head against the glass.

Usagi kissed Mamoru lightly on the lips before turning back to Minako. "Mina-chan, you never answered my question. Is anything bothering you?"

Mamoru frowned at Usagi's question and looked at Minako, who was sighing as she pulled away from the window. She turned and looked at Mamoru. "Mamoru-san…it happened again. But…it was very different this time. But yet I know that it was the same one."

Mamoru nodded. "Should we look into it?"

Motoki and Usagi looked back and forth between the two, both of their pairs of eyes wide with confusion.

Minako pursed her lips together. "Well…I mean, I know a lot more now. But I don't know much at all at the same time. I mean, I…I'm just confused. I want it to go away, but at the same time, I want to know what it is, and I want to see it through…to get to the end of it."

Usagi held up her hands. "Hold on, hold up! First things first, what are you talking about, Mina-chan? And secondly, how do YOU know about it, Mamo-chan?"

Mamoru sighed. "Usako…"

Minako bit her lip. 'I knew this would happen. She's going to blow up at me…oh, well, here goes.' She thought in despair.

Mamoru looked at Minako in sympathy. "Gomen, Minako-san."

She shrugged. "It's not your fault, Mamoru-san. It's alright, I knew it would happen. Listen, Usagi-chan," She turned to Usagi tentatively. "I had a bit of a…problem and Mamoru was there and…so I told him about it. I'm sorry I haven't told you or the girls, but…I didn't really want to tell everyone, because I wanted to believe at first that it was nothing, but…I know now that it's not."

"What's wrong, Mina-chan?" Usagi whispered fearfully.

Minako bit her lip. "Well…I've been having some very odd dreams lately. Just the night before last, I had a dream in which a small girl, with long white hair and blue, blue eyes was running up to me and calling me 'Momma' and trying to get me to hold her. And I told her I didn't know her and she said that 'Daddy' would help me remember her. And then, last night, I had another dream like that, but this time, she wasn't in it. I was in a beautiful bedroom, and there was this man there, and he never told me his name or anything, but he kept calling me 'dearest' and 'darling' and…his hair…was EXACTLY like that little girl's from the last dream."

Motoki looked down at Minako's hands that were tightly clasped in her lap. He frowned. She was shaking dreadfully.

"Well…I have to say that it's a bit obvious who the guy was supposed to be in your dream, Minako-san…wouldn't you?" Mamoru said.

Minako looked at Mamoru. "He must have been the little girl's 'Daddy'. Which means…he must have been my…?"

"Sounds like it." Mamoru nodded.

This only caused Minako to groan and lay her head in her hands on the table. "But I wonder what it all means."

"Well, you'll just have to figure all that out."

"But…HOW?"

"Well, as time passes, maybe you'll keep having the dreams and things will unfold themselves. I wouldn't worry yourself over it so much, though."

Minako nodded. "Arigatou, Mamoru-san."

He smiled. "No, problem, Minako-san. Hey…Usako, Minako-san…are you both wearing the same shirt?" He looked back and forth between the two.

Both girls groaned.

"Not MY fault."

"Well, it wasn't mine either. I just picked it out of my closet!"

"You should have warned me over the phone though."

"Oh, well, there's no use crying over spilt milkshakes."

"Usagi-chan…?"

Usagi giggled. "Well, milk didn't fit in this case, seeing as we've got milkshakes!"

Motoki stood up. "Well, sorry, guys, but I've got work to do. I'll talk to you all later, okay? Take care, Mina-chan…alright?"

Minako looked up at Motoki and nodded numbly. "Hai, Motoki-kun, I will."

He nodded and walked away.

Usagi frowned and looked at Minako's sad eyes. "Mina-chan, is there something wrong with you and Motoki-kun?"

Minako gasped. "Oh…" She stared down at the milkshake on the table. "Well, no, I mean…well, there's never been anything between us in the first place to worry about, anyways. We've just always been friends…and I suppose it's always going to stay that way. Really and truly, too, I think I want it to stay that way. We're not right for one another, after all. But it would have been nice, though…" She slid out of the booth. "Well, Usagi-chan, are you coming with me or are you going with Mamoru-san?"

Usagi kissed Mamoru's cheek. "I'll see you in a few hours, hon. I promised Mina-chan that we'd go shopping."

He nodded and smiled. "Alright. I'll see you in a few.

Minako smiled at Usagi, who had grabbed her by the arm, and then down at Mamoru. "Thanks for letting me steal her for a few hours, Mamoru-….kun."

Mamoru grinned. "Sure, Mina-chan. Just don't let her buy too much…she's got my credit card hidden somewhere…"

Usagi started giggling nervously. "By, Mamo-chan!" She turned on her heels and dragged Minako out of the arcade.

Mamoru grinned as he watched them run off, and then walked up to the front counter where Motoki was making a little girl a soda.

"Motoki-kun, you alright?"

Motoki nodded as he handed the little girl the soda. Then he wiped his hands on his apron and turned to look at his best friend.

"Yeah, I'm alright. I'm just a little worried about Mina-chan."

Mamoru nodded. "She'll be alright, Motoki-kun. She's a strong girl."

"Hai, I know…I'm just worried that she's pulling away from me. We used to be very close, you know. She's always meant a lot to me."

"Well, Motoki…"

Motoki laughed suddenly. "Don't worry about it, Mamoru-kun. It's alright. She's got her own life, after all. I mean…we'll never be more than friends…maybe it's best that it stays that way."

He walked into the back room and shut the door.

Mamoru sighed. "They're so much alike…"


Chapter Three End.

That's that for now…I'm working on chapter four now, but I wanted to go ahead and submit this.