Dreaming of Dreams

Chapter 7

Minako awoke to see Usagi staring down into her face, worry evident in the moon child's features. Minako smiled and hugged her friend. "Hey, Usa-chan."

"Oh, Kami-sama, Mina-chan, we've all been worried sick! We've been trying to wake you up for hours now! You just keep going back to sleep! Are you alright? How are you feeling?" Usagi grabbed Minako's face in her hands, turning the girl's head back and forth and inspecting her.

Minako laughed loudly and sat up in her seat, brushing Usagi off. She noticed Mamoru and the girls all peering over the seat strangely at her. "Oh, you all. Stop looking at me like that! I'm just fine, I promise. I was…finishing a task."

Mamoru frowned. "The dreams?"

She nodded and smiled softly. "Yeah…"

Makato, Ami, and Rei looked between the three in the seats in front of them.

Ami frowned deeply. "A certain blonde has kept secrets from us, I presume." Makato and Rei uttered agreements.

Minako looked up at the three and smiled sadly. "Gomen nasai. I've been very selfish in the past few days. I didn't think how it might worry you all, keeping things from you." She looked at Usagi and Mamoru. "But it doesn't matter anymore. It's over. I helped the princess…and now I have to help myself." She smiled brightly. Looking around at her surroundings, she blinked. "So…how much longer till we get to Paris?"

Rei glanced down at her watch. "About an hour or two."

"What's this about a princess?" Makato asked, going back to the previous subject of discussion.

Minako pursed her lips together. "Well…it's a long story."

"Well…like Rei just said, we've got at least an hour. So start talking, Aino!" The brunette girl tugged playfully at Minako's – now crumpled from sleeping- red hair bow.

Minako giggled slightly and leaned back and started to retell what had happened in her dreams over the past several hours.

Usagi sighed happily as she stared out at the sights of Paris from the private balcony of the hotel room she and Mamoru were sharing. He came up behind her and placed his arms around her waist and rested his head on her shoulder, staring at the lights of the city with her.

"It's beautiful, Mamo-chan, isn't it?" She rested her head against his, smiling softly.

"That it is. But I've yet to find anything more beautiful than the girl I'm standing here with." He kissed her cheek tenderly.

She giggled and turned around in his arms to stare up at him. "You think everything is okay with Mina-chan now?"

"Everything should be alright…" He leaned his forehead against hers. "Still, let's watch her closely for a couple days to make sure she really is alright."

She nodded, shaking his head along with hers. "Agreed!" She pursed her lips together. "All this talk of Kunzite, though…it has me worried."

"How come?"

"I'm not really sure…I just have an odd feeling about it…"

He hugged her tightly. "Don't worry so much, Usako. Mina-chan's made it clear that he's nothing to her."

"Yes, but…"

"Shush!" He put a finger to her lips to silence her. "Don't you think there's been quite enough talk of Mina-chan's confusing love affairs for the day? She's going to be just fine, Usako. She'll get things straightened out."

She nodded. "You're right."

He grinned. "Aren't I always?"

Raising an eyebrow at him, she swatted him playfully on the chest. "And here I was thinking I had cracked that huge ego of yours!"

He laughed, swooping down and planting a light kiss on her lips. "I never thought I had an ego!"

She stared at him blankly for several moments. "You've got to be kidding me…"

He blinked. "Uhh…"

She shook her head and giggled, pulling away from his arms. "You do have quite the huge ego at times, Mamo-chan…whether you'll admit it or not." She laughed and left him alone on the balcony, going back into their room. "Now come on, let's go out and see the night lights of Paris up close!"

He shook his head and followed her. "I do not have a bad ego…"

"Yes, you do!"

"No, I don't!"

"Stop that!"

"But I don't have a huge ego!"

"ARGH! Mamo-chan, let's go!"

"Alright, alright…but I don't have a bad ego."

Usagi rolled her eyes as she grabbed his arm, dragging him out of the hotel room.

Minako followed Makato, Ami, and Rei, who were all engrossed in the many sights of Paris that they saw as they walked by them.

They stopped their search of monuments and landmarks for dinner at a small café. Minako laughed and joked with her friends, all of them chatting aimlessly and wondering what their prince and princess were up to at this hour.

(AN: Let's play "Guess who says what!")

"I hope they're having a good time."

"I still think they won't leave the hotel room for quite a while…"

"Yeah, they're probably too busy sucking face to see Paris."

"Rei! How can you say such a horrible thing!"

"Well, you know it's true!"

Silence. Then a soft "Yes, it is most likely true."

"Told ya! Mako-chan and I are always right about these things! Hey, Mina-chan, what are you staring at?"

All eyes turned to Minako, who was staring blankly out the café window at something on the street. The girls peered out to see what was so interesting, and noticed it was a someone she was staring at.

Her blue eyes were blinking rapidly, as if trying to determine if she was dreaming or not. Abruptly, she shot up out of her chair, leaving the other girls to watch her race out of the restaurant.

They all stood up simultaneously. "Mina-chan!"

Minako raced toward the street corner where she had seen him. "It couldn't be. It can't be. There's no way! No way!" She muttered.

Stopping at the spot where she had seen the unknown man, she whipped her head around in all directions, searching with her eyes. Turning around once more, she stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes becoming wide orbs of deep blue as she stared up into the eyes of another.

"I can't believe it." She murmured, her breaths coming out in deep gasps.

End Chapter Seven.

Now I wonder who it's going to be! Chapter 8 should be out soon!