A/N: This is chapter is purely filler and fluff. Minako gets back to her life as an upcoming idol in the next chapter and the real drama starts two chapters after this one. This just alleviates Minako's worry so far as the woods goes. As far as the review from CCF goes, and in case anyone doesn't understand, Minako's dream came from Rei scaring her the night before and her insecurity as leader of the senshi. Honulicious, in reply to your review, first LOL! The dream didn't actually last that long. Rei woke at about five thirty, Usagi came over at about six, Makoto got there by eight, and Ami was there before nine. They woke her up well before noon, which is the time she usually wakes up.

Disclaimer: see previous chapter.

"Will you hurry up, Minako? You don't want to get lost out here, and you don't know where you're going."

"You don't want me to get lost so slow down! I don't see why you like it out here."

"You'll love it in a few. Stop complaining."

"Why couldn't Ami come with us?"

"She had to go back to school."

"I'd feel safer if there were someone with a medical degree out here."

"If you want someone with a medical degree to be out here, then you want Ami to go back to school so she can get it."

Minako grumbled and picked up her pace behind Rei.

"We're almost there, just remember to not be too loud. No squealing. That was Usagi's problem."

Minako nodded. They walked in silence before Rei stopped. Minako walked up beside her.

In front of them was a small field surrounded by the woods on all sides. There was a small hole in the ground in the middle of the feild.

"Stay here," Rei commanded. Minako nodded.

The miko walked forward, whistling as she went. A small, black creature jumped into her arms, and she rubbed its head.

She walked back to Minako, still holding the creature.

"There's no name for these little guys, so we just call them 'Them.' We don't know what they are, though. They're not really animals. They're pretty friendly, but they can be dangerous.

"Want to hold this one? It's a baby."

Minako put her hands out, and Rei deposited the small being into her hands.

It was about the size of Minako's two palms and jet black. It was shiny, and had a soft skin like covering. Each of its eyes were about the size of small pebbles, and shaped and colored like a humans. It had two small teeth in the front of its mouth that sat like tiny vampire fangs. Minako want to take it home, it was so cute.

Rei smiled. "That's what you were afraid of."

Minako blinked and looked at her friend. "You're kidding."

Rei shook her head. "Nope. I told you you would feel silly."

The creature in Minako's hands wiggled, making a gurgling noise. "It sounds like a baby."

Rei grinned. "It is a baby. Hold it closer to you. It won't hurt you."

Minako looked at Rei for a moment, before holding the creature the way she had seen Rei do earlier, pulling it close to her chest. I nuzzled her in between her breasts and the blond giggled.

"Can I take it home with me?"

Rei smiled. "I told you you'd like them. You can't take them out of the woods, though. It would destroy the city."

Minako look incredulous. "Just this one little guy would destroy the city?"

Rei nodded seriously. "Yep. Maybe not all at once, but between the crowds, the noise, and the lights, it would do some serious damage.

"You can come out here and see them whenever you like, though."

Minako smiled. "Great. That'll give me an excuse to see you."

Rei blushed. "There are a lot of them in the hole. Stay here."

The miko walked back to the hole, put her fingers to her lips and released a full blown whistle. A large number of the creatures jumped out and tackled her, jumping on her prone form. She giggled and stood up, holding a few of them.

She walked back to the blond, creatures following her like a large bouncing shadow. Minako smiled down at them. They really were adorable.

A black monkey fell onto Rei's shoulder. Minako's eyes widened in surprise. "You have monkeys out here, too?"

Rei laughed. "No, this one's a shape-shifter. Stop showing off!"

The creature on her shoulder "eeped" and changed into a shape similar to Minako, but completely black.

The blond was impressed. It was like looking into a mirror that didn't reflect color.

Rei smiled. "He likes you. He was trying to scare you before, but you didn't run away, so he respects you."

Minako reached out a hand to touch the hair on the creature. It felt just like her hair. The creature in her arms jumped onto her shoulder, followed by one in Rei's arms.

"These guys are amazing."

"That's not all. Some of them can talk."

"I don't believe you."

"That's been you problem the whole time. You need to trust everything I say. Regardless, I'll prove it."

Rei walked back to the hole, leaving the creatures in her arms with Minako, and kneeled down. "Hey, come out here. My friend wants to meet you."

A voice called back from the darkness. "Is she anything like that last one you brought out here?"

Rei laughed. "Only in appearance. She doesn't squeal."

A pair of large round eyes look out of the hole at Minako. "She does look like her. That's not her, is it?"

"No. Stop being rude. Everyone else likes her."

The creature "humphed" and jumped into Rei's arms.

Rei walked back to her friend, holding the creature out toward her. "Say hi, Mina."

The creature spoke. "Hi Mina."

Rei laughed again. "I wasn't talking to you. I was telling Mina to say hi."

"Oh."

Minako blinked at the sight in front of her. A creature quite a bit bigger than the one Rei had first brought to her was talking to her. She forgot how to make her mouth work.

The creature noticed her discomfort and changed into a figure much like Rei. "Do you like me better if I look like this?"

Minako's eyes widened. "This one can shape shift, too?"

"You don't need to ask her. I can talk for myself. I'm an adult. The way you tell our ages is primarily by our abilities. The babies just bounce around. The teens can shapt shift. By the time we are adults we also gain the ability to speak."

"Wow. I'm impressed. Can you do impersonations?"

"I can try."

"Do Rei."

The creature scowled, and imitated sweeping a broom. Minako laughed. It then closed its eyes, and made its "hair" stand up on its head. Holding its hands straight out in front of itself, it said, "Burning mandala!

"I can't do the fire trick. Sorry."

Minako just grinned. "It's fine. Keep going. You're good at this."

The creature stopped and thought for a moment. It then started pacing. Minako and Rei stared. The creature sighed and sat down on the ground. "I love you. I love you."

It repeated the phrase multiple times, using different hand gestures and voice fluctuations with each one. Rei blushed.

Minako looked her friend. "When did you do that?"

The miko ignored the blond, instead addressing the creature on the ground. "You were spying on me!"

The creature stopped declaring it's love for no one, and looked at the angry woman. "I wouldn't consider it spying. I was making sure you were okay. I hadn't seen you in a while."

The miko frowned. "You know you're not supposed to leave the woods."

The creature hang its head. "I know, but I was worried about you."

Rei sighed. Minako grinned. She walked up to the miko and put her arms around the girl's neck. "So you did say you love me. Why couldn't you say it to me?"

The creature on the ground stood. "This is the girl you were talking to? She's pretty. Looks like the loud one, though." The image shifted to one like Usagi. "Do you know this girl?"

Minako giggled. "That's my best friend, other than this girl here." The blond indicated to the woman in her arms. "She has a small screeching problem, but she has a really good heart."

The creature's eyes widened. "A small screeching problem? She drove us underground!"

The miko laughed. "I understand. I've been tempted to join you there on occasion."

The Minako shaped creature tapped the talking creature on the shoulder and indicated to the human couple with its head. The one shaped like Usagi laughed and morphed to look like Rei again.

The creature shaped like Minako followed her previous actions and put its arms around the other creatures neck. The one with the voice put it's arms around the other ones waist and pulled it close. The one shaped like Minako put it's head on the one shaped like Rei's shoulder.

Minako giggled, putting Rei's hands around her waist and her head on the miko's shoulder. Rei blushed.

The creature shaped like Minako looked up into the eyes of the other one. The one shaped like Rei said, "I love you," and kissed the other one.

Rei's eyes widened. "Stop doing that!"

The one who looked like Rei looked at her, features smiling. "It's your turn, Rei-chan."

Minako looked at Rei. "You don't have to. It was just a joke. I understand."

Rei looked at the blond in her arms. She smiled. "I love you, Mi-chan."

Minako blushed and kissed the older woman.

A/N: as I said, purely fluffy filler. It'll be important later, though. The little talking shadow-thing comes back eventually.