The stars shone like diamonds, studded in the purplish-blue nebulae that barred them from the world.

The universe was their oyster, and they were content on knowing that would be here, together, forever, through the beginning and the end of the stars and galaxies. Space was but a canvas for their passion. Time was but a constraint that marked a false end.

Love did not last a lifetime; it lasted an eternity.

As they both realized this, their lips met, if only for a brief moment, before pulling away.

In her eyes, he found strength.

In his eyes, she found hope.

Together, in this abstract plane of a dream, they held each other. An inseparable bond held them, and, when the light found them, they smiled. The warmth they had been searching for since they had left the womb had come to them, in the form of their friends, who now shared their delights. A beautiful chapter of their friendship flourished, and they were strong again.

A dream was just that; a dream. However, it was an art in the right hands. Rachel knew this from the beginning. Since the accident, she tried to control her every feeling, as to control her dreams. Each time, they manifested themselves as apparitions of Ross, and she became weak at the sight of him. While this wasn't necessarily a bad thing, it was slowly pulling her down when she needed to be strong. For so long, Rachel had to keep herself tame, but now, she could release everything.

She did just that.

And, in her slumber, an awakening of love brought her from the trench where she once lay, and back into Ross's arms. A sense of longing was imminent, and everyone knew it except herself. Rachel didn't want to fix everything, but she had no choice; it was a matter of survival, not courage.

Now, her job was finally done, and she could rest, and forget.

So, as Ross held her, Rachel buried herself into his chest, which, in her dreams, rivaled that of Fabio's. Of course, she loved his body the way it was, but a little change in firmness wasn't the worst thing in the world. Besides, she believed that Ross would change something about her body, if he could.

That, however, was untrue.

Soon, she found peace. For a year, every hug, every kiss, and every smile that they shared was special and unique; each one satisfied her in ways that no one else could. They were special, and Rachel knew that she could not go on without them.

Beauty is found everywhere; in nature, in humanity, and, especially, in love.

A complex and never-ending puzzle. A quest with no conclusion. A battle without death.

Yet, somehow, the two of them were able to crack the code and get farther than anyone else in their stead had before them. A feat deserving of nothing less than the best, but Ross and Rachel would simply settle for having each other.

So, after deciding to relinquish control, Rachel was brought through a myriad of scenes.

At first, she could only see the grass beneath her bare feet. Her knees, which laid under an olive-brown garb, stood round beneath the thick fabric as she hunched down. For whatever insane reason, her hands clamped against her ears, and it took all of her strength not to take them away. Peculiar, but necessary, at least for the time being. However, what baffled and scared her the most was the shadow that loomed over her; for a second, Rachel believed that she was going to die. It didn't make sense, but, after all, it was a dream that she allowed to happen.

Without realizing it, Rachel took a deep, heavy breath.

Blood.

The stench was unmistakable. Someone - something - was bleeding, and, for all she knew, it was probably her. Almost instantly, Rachel's fear rose, and she shut her eyes in hopes to block out whatever was coming. However, no matter how much she tried to change anything, it would only grow more intense without her knowledge.

Believing it to be safe, Rachel opened her eyes.

To her horror, a large and bulky man shuffled in front of her, gripping his stomach. Blood poured out of him like a waterfall, and his intestines were barely contained by his muscular hand. Rachel couldn't recognize him from the angle he were in, but she knew for sure that he wasn't Ross. This brought her relief, if only for a second; the man immediately slumped onto the ground, his head now turned toward her. Accompanying her dread, Rachel looked into the man's eyes, and saw nothing.

Resisting the urge to crawl over to his lifeless body, the shadow behind her still stood tall. Rachel felt that if she moved, the figure behind her would strike, and she would end up like the poor soul in front of her. So, going with her better judgment, she didn't move. Instead, she examined the corpse.

It looked so real. Rachel had never seen a dead body before, thankfully, but this came very close.

Within seconds, the grass became stained with the blood of the fallen. The man's skin became pale, and his eyes fogged. Death came faster to those who feared it, and, in her dreams, Rachel feared everything. The symbols often confused her, leaving her dilapidated. The images would frighten her, just as they did at this moment. In the back of her mind, she knew it wasn't real; that it was just a dream. However, a nightmare was a nightmare, and this one could not have been scarier.

Hesitating as she examined the man's face, Rachel's eyes trailed the rest of his body.

The first thing she noticed was the helmet he wore. It was a galea, not unlike those worn by Roman legionaries. The ferrous metal went surprisingly well with the gold crest on the forehead. It was unlike anything Rachel had ever seen, even in her fashion-rich lifestyle. The top was rounded, and the back was tapered down to his neck. It seemed to be made for ceremony, above anything else.

It belonged to history; something that only Ross could even remotely know.

Continuing on, Rachel noticed his clothing. He wore a type of laminar armor that made him seem intimidating, at least while he was alive. Beneath that, he wore a red tunic, which accentuated his fibrous build. To Rachel, it looked strange, but somehow cool at the same time. Again, she had never seen anything like it.

Finally, after going past what she could only describe as a man-skirt, Rachel reached his sandals. They were made of leather, and were laced up to his calf. It seemed like something a woman was supposed to wear. What sort of cross-dressing world was she in?

It didn't make any sense.

Phasing out of her trance, Rachel came back to her dream world. For the several minutes she stared at the corpse, the person behind her stood still. No movement whatsoever. It was a spooky thought, and, combined with the man laying in front of her, it made her head hurt with a pain untold.

In a moment, her hands fell from her ears. The sounds of battle raked through her mind, and Rachel screamed for help, uncaring of what would happen. With each rapid blink, the shadow grew bigger. Whomever was behind her, wasn't very close, but was closing in very fast. It scared her, but not as much as the war happening behind her.

She didn't need to see or hear so much death.

One last look at the man in front of her. In a millisecond, Rachel was lifted up and hoisted over a shoulder, and taken away from the action. Whomever was doing it ran fast and strong, like an Olympic athlete. As her arms drooped toward the ground, Rachel caught a glimpse of it all: Shirtless men and armored men, killing each other with swords and spears. It was unreal.

She could still smell the blood, even a mile away.

As grass turned to gravel, Rachel found herself inside the safety of city walls, although she had didn't have a clue of what city she was actually in. There was nobody on the streets, or at least there were none that she could see in her dangling position. It was eerie, in a way, but Rachel was more concerned about where this person was taking her at such a hurried pace.

After several turns through a garden, they arrived at a large mansion. Rachel tried to fight her way off of the man who carried her, but it was futile. He was much too strong, and she was but a tug at the hem of her dress. Struggling proved to exhaust her, and it was all for naught anyway.

The man took her inside, where they were greeted by what Rachel could only classify as servants. With haste, they took her off of the man's shoulder, and led her away to a room, albeit a little more forceful than necessary. As she turned to see the man who brought her here, he was gone.

Before she knew it, Rachel laid on the bed, buried under blanket upon blanket. She was alone now, and had no will to pursue anything. Even in her dream, she slept, her thoughts burning with his name.

Ross.

A magical breath swept over her, and, as if on cue, she was awakened to him.

He, too, wore armor; it covered most of his body, unlike the man before. His gladius was slung at his side, touching her covered arm. He looked so strong, so powerful, and yet, so gentle at the same time. His face was blank, but Rachel could see the hint of smile creeping across his darkened face.

Rachel closed her eyes, blinded by the light that appeared at her bedside. She wanted to escape this, and return to Ross's arms once again. She wanted to sit in his arms and give relationship advice to Monica and Chandler, all the while enjoying her own, now that she finally had the chance to.

While waiting for something to happen, her soldier of fortune kissed her, and her eyes were open to love again.

A trip through time. and Rachel found herself in a dark forest. Hundreds upon hundreds of tall trees surrounded her, and, for a minute, it overwhelmed her, despite the control she now exhibited over her subconscious. It was a marvel, really, how powerful the mind was. Combined with emotion, it was nothing short of spectacular.

However, Rachel was unable to see past her own hand. Feeling around, she stepped carefully over the large roots that stuck up from the ground. They were rough and would cut h er if she so much as rubbed them. While she was cold, Rachel heated up instantly with a little movement. Pulling a branch downward proved painful, as flurries of dust entered her system. Rachel didn't care that much, however. She was curious as to where all of this would lead her.

After squeezing through a very tight opening, Rachel faced forward to something very intriguing. Inches, feet, miles, it didn't matter; there was a light at the end of this tunnel. It drew her in like a moth to a flame, eager and naive.

Step after step, the path cleared, slowly but surely.

Rachel didn't think about anything other than getting through this; the arduous journey was always the one that paid off the most. She didn't care about what would happen to her, not like before. This time, she would be happy. No matter how far it seemed to be, it would be worth it.

When it became tiring, and seemed like her goal was moving farther away, Rachel flew back into her body. She gained awareness of her surroundings again, and watched as the glimmer of hope slowly faded, tears welling in her eyes.

However, at the last second, Rachel defied her nature, going against her instincts; she chose to fight. She picked herself up and began running, as fast as she could. The odds didn't matter anymore. Rachel chose to run; there was nowhere else to go, and she wanted to escape this darkness once and for all. It rightfully sickened her, and she just wanted it to stop.

As her tears flew in every direction, she ran faster, hoping to gain some ground. Rachel didn't want it to end like this, but, at the same time, she did. It was confusing, to say the least.

Just as the light closed itself, Rachel stuck her arm out. She wanted so desperately to grab it, and pull it's warmth to her. Alas, it would not be so. In seconds, the opening was now closed, and she was in the darkness once again.

Choking up, Rachel began to cry. It was unfair. Why was this happening to her? She was supposed to be in control, now. Nothing was supposed to be able to bring her down anymore. She was the happiest girl in the world. She was going to get married. She shouldn't be crying in the dark.

Using what little diminished willpower she had left, Rachel slowly picked herself up, almost falling down again. Her arms swung downward like pendulums, not unlike a zombie from those cheesy horror movies. Unlike those films, however, this was much more real, and much more terrifying.

Using only her legs for support, Rachel examined her surroundings. There were no trees. No roots. No light. Nothing but complete and utter darkness. She wanted to scream, but couldn't. Her voice was lost. She wanted to run, but could not; she was frozen in the nippy darkness. It was terrifying, to say the least, but she wasn't as scared as she was exhausted.

After looking down into nothingness, Rachel gave up.

She dropped, unable to support herself. Her knees buckled, and her hands crashed against an invisible barrier. Gravity seemed to multiply, and, in seconds, Rachel laid on the floor, face down, her eyes streaming with tears. Her lip quivered as she turned her head to the right, capturing the last time she saw the light in its beauty.

For so long, Rachel remained in this state, awaiting the return of that which shined bright in the darkness. It started to hurt thinking about it. She knew it wouldn't come back, but, for some reason, Rachel held out.

In a last ditch effort, the thoughts of her friends flooded her mind.

Rachel closed her eyes, and felt herself lift out of her body once again. She took several steps, and, without looking at her disheveled form, reached out toward the darkness once again. She would take no less than an escape from this nightmare, even if it cost her her sanity.

In but a single heartbeat, Rachel was forced forward. An invisible hand vehemently shoved her towards her goal, and soon, she was on the edge of the world. Her tears stopped, and she had found her strength again, in the form of a little wishful thinking. Rachel didn't let anything bring herself down anymore; she had all she possibly needed, thanks to her friends.

Closing her eyes for the final time, Rachel took one final breath.

The aroma of grass assaulted her senses once more.

However, there was no battle; therefore, no blood. Untainted, pure, and immaculate turf coated the soil beneath her feet. Even when she knew that true beauty lay behind her eyelids, Rachel left her eyes shut, knowing that all will be revealed when she was ready.

Peering through her eyelids, Rachel saw the forest again. However, behind the small shield of trees that laid in front of her lied something much more forgiving; a meadow. A meadow, built in a circle of open space, that practically welcomed her into its lush embrace. Small sunflowers sat in the center, each giving off their own luminous glow. Dandelions formed in concentric circles, mixing in their white fluff with the green of Mother Nature's palette.

It was beautiful.

Without hesitation, Rachel stepped out of the thick of the forest and into the place she could call home. It felt so right, being here, even if only in her dreams.

Twirling around in the paradise she had created, Rachel sat down in the comfortable bed of seeds. She leaned back, basking in the glory of her own triumph of the past week's events. In retrospect, it seemed impossible for her to deal with all of that and not end up hurting herself, much like Monica. Combine that with external catalysts, like Mark, of whom begged her to take out her pain on herself, Rachel felt like the strongest person in the world.

Thanks to them.

Her friends; her pillars of strength, the light that gave her warmth, and the feathers of the wings that made her an angel. She would be nothing without them, and, considering the events of the past two weeks, they would be nothing without her, either.

In the end, Rachel had a right to brag, if even a little.

Grinning, she opened her eyes, and was greeted to a sight that made her made her throw up a little.

Joey, of whom sat across from her, winking and smiling that boyish smile that would make any other girl melt. Rachel, while flattered, rolled her eyes and dismissed it. Since it was her dream, Joey couldn't take offense for just being himself. It was still cute, though, that he treated her like he usually did now, both in her dreamworld and in the real world.

Next to him, sat Phoebe. She looked like a fairy, dressed in a white sequin dress, rhinestones placed along the collar. She imitated Joey, but in her own way, puckering her lips and raising her eyebrows. Rachel took this a little more light-heartedly, seeing as Phoebe wasn't being serious like Joey was.

Rachel stared at the two of them. A question that always piqued her curiosity was how they managed to get through all of this. While the three of them were often together when Ross and Monica were hospitalized, and when Chandler was busy moping over nothing, Joey and Phoebe never came to her for help, nor did they act as though they needed any. However, it was more than possible that were able to lean on each other for support, and, like Rachel, focus on helping everyone else, thus taking their minds off of their own welfare.

Smiling, she took their hands, and embraced their bond of friendship that proved truly unbreakable, even in the darkest of times. In the midst of hardship, does only the true side of heroism expose itself. Now, Rachel didn't believe that she was courageous in any regard, but, she kept herself standing, as that was an act of survival above all else.

As she checked her modesty, a chilling air arrived, and they revealed themselves.

Monica sat in the grass, legs crossed, hand clutched with Chandler's. Her solemn eyes kept to the ground, and her hair gently brushed her shoulders. While she looked sad, Rachel knew otherwise. Monica was simply remembering all that had happened, and appreciated the value of her life.

Chandler, on the other hand, was absolutely beaming. He couldn't keep his smile contained, and, after putting his arm around Monica, he almost fell over in joy. It was more than apparent that he had never been this happy before, but, it was not so obvious as to why. Of course, the fact that he was happily with Monica may have been a small factor, but, there was something more to it, especially in a dream that Rachel was having.

Or, maybe not. It was Chandler, after all.

They shared a smile, and Rachel took their hands as well. Another, greater moment of friendship came, and, even in a dream, it was unforgettable.

And, as a familiar pair of arms wrap around her, Rachel knew that everything was perfect. She had everything she could ever want, and soon, she would have even more. Everyone would have even more, and they would be the happiest they could possibly be.

As she looked into Ross's eyes from below, Rachel took his hand from her waist and into the fray. In response to this, he interlaced his fingers with hers, and brought her silken hand up to her face.

Lovingly, he leaned over her shoulder, and kissed the diamond that laid upon her finger.

AN: Haven't written a dream in quite a while, have I?
Felt like I was due for one.
I don't care if it's just another chapter to scroll through, for some.

I love writing them, and I hope most of you like reading them.