Here is the conclusion of Grave Danger! I really hope you enjoy it. Please feel free to let me know what you think….

Standard Disclaimer Applies -

Grave Danger!

Chapter 6 - Tsui ni

Michiru turned to see Usagi looking around, and rushed to her side. She knelt in the sand, and wiped Usagi's bangs out of her face. With a soft smile, she helped Usagi sit up slowly.

Usagi glanced at Seiya, not sure at the unreadable look on his face. She decided the conversation could wait. Michiru put her arm around Usagi, and helped her to stand. Without words, Michiru led the whole group back to Usagi's apartment. Usagi shivered in the cool night air, and left a trail of puddles all the way home.

When they reached her door, Usagi fumbled to get the key into the lock. Michiru finally took the keys from her shaking fingers, and deftly opened it. She led Usagi straight to the bathroom and began running a warm bath.

Her nimble fingers had Usagi undressed in no time and she helped her princess into the bath. When Usagi settled in the warm water, with everything in reach, Michiru left to return to the front room.

She entered the kitchen to find Haruka, Setsuna, and Seiya, at the table, and the four girls sitting on the floor, while Taiki and Yaten leaned against the wall. Michiru began heating water for tea. She let the quiet voices wash over her, and focused on preparing everyone's tea.

Taiki and Yaten stared between the four girls on the floor looking confused, and the three people seemingly discussing the matter at the table. Michiru began passing out cups to everyone, serving Taiki and Yaten, and then the girls. She then set cups on the table for Haruka, Seiya, and Setsuna. She sat one cup next to Seiya's and then walked to her own seat. The silence was only momentary until Yaten pushed off from the wall. He stalked to the table, set his cup down, and slammed his hand down.

"ENOUGH!" He glanced around furiously. "I, for one, am sick of not knowing what is going on around here. Damn it, don't you think it's time you tell us?" He took a deep breath, and picked his cup up. With another angry glance around the table, he sipped at his tea waiting for an answer.

"We are waiting for our Princess, and then we will discuss everything." Setsuna's tone was firm when she spoke, but her eyes begged for patience. Yaten quietly returned to the wall to stand next to Taiki.

Another ten minutes passed by, while they waited, some more patient than others. Finally, the bathroom door opened, and Usagi appeared bundled in a bathrobe. She approached the table hesitantly, not sure of anything, until she glanced at Seiya.

He smiled with a tender look, and that was all it took. She hurried to his side with relief. He patted his lap, offering her a seat. Usagi felt a slight flush rise on her cheeks as she dropped into his lap.

He leaned forward and his breath tickled her ear. "I'm sorry there aren't more seats, but I don't mind." He picked up the extra cup, and held it out to her. When she gratefully took it from him, he slid his arms around her waist and entwined his fingers. Usagi felt herself growing warmer as her blush brightened. She sipped at the warm tea, to hide her reaction.

Haruka glanced at Setsuna for some sort of signal to begin. She watched as Setsuna gazed at Usagi with an inquisitive look, and Usagi imperceptibly nodded. Setsuna then turned to Haruka, and nodded. Haruka stood and turned to face the whole group.

Her face was stony, and she looked very angry, taking the group on the floor by surprise. Her eyes wandered over each of the inner-senshi. Makoto sat leaned against the wall with Ami next to her. Minako and Rei were closer, sitting next to each other with matching bewildered looks. Haruka's eyes jumped back to Makoto.

She took a moment to gather her thoughts, and calm her temper. She wanted to impress upon the four senshi the danger of what had happened, but not destroy their hard-won confidence. She let out a slow breath, and let the icy demeanor of her planet guide her.

"Makoto-san, do you remember what happened at the river?" Every person in the room glanced up at the sharp tone of Haruka's question.

Makoto's eyes widened in surprise as she tried to remember what happened. "Not…really?" Her voice was unsteady, and she glanced at her friends for answers. The three girls looked back at her with confusion.

"You tried to kill your Princess!" Her damning words washed over the group like an icy wave.

Makoto's face paled considerably. "I...I…couldn't have?" Tears threatened from her eyes, as she glanced around in confusion.

"You threw her into the river, knowing she would drown." Haruka's words caused pandemonium. The other girls, with surprised gasps, glanced at her in shock. Taiki and Yaten both stared at the proceedings.

Makoto trembled as vague impressions floated through her mind. The memories were hazy like a barely remembered dream. She glanced at Usagi, and could see the knowledge in her eyes. With a stifled sob, the truth hit her. She closed her eyes as the horror of her own actions flooded through her.

Haruka barely spared her a glance before her gaze jumped to the next guilty party. "Ami-san, you too, tried to kill your princess!"

Ami glanced around wildly. "What…what are you saying?" She had wondered at the marks on her hands, but now knew for sure. She lifted her hands, and stared in horror at her palms. The burns from holding the rope tight mocked her with their redness.

Haruka saw her actions, and walked forward. She leaned over and grabbed the girl's hand. "She has rope burn on her palms." She turned to those at the table, and nodded. Without a backward glance at Ami, she moved toward her next assailant.

"Minako-san, you had a hand in this business too." She stood towering over Minako with a cold, unforgiving stance.

"What are you talking about?" Minako's face paled before her blue eyes slowly glanced up at the warrior towering over her. "I…don't know what you mean?" She looked hesitantly around unsure of what else to say.

"You tried to smash her head in. I am assuming you found a nice branch." Haruka's words were calm and light, hiding the forbidding anger.

Minako closed her eyes as something tickled at her memory. The memories were dream-like, the feel of bark caressing her skin, the solid weight of the branch, as she swung it around. Another memory came forth, her bringing the branch crashing down into Usagi's head, filled with a sense of satisfaction. Her eyes flew open and she stared at Usagi in horror.

Haruka grimaced before turning to the last assailant. "Rei-san, you also tried to harm your Princess."

Rei's eyes widened even as she broke out in a cold sweat. "What do you mean?"

Haruka stepped towards her. "I mean…whatever poison you put in her tea!"

Rei stared at Haruka in shock, until something else caught her attention. She remembered, suddenly, vividly, she recalled grabbing mushrooms, and placing them in Usagi's cup. She added the tealeaves and let the whole mess steep. Her face paled as she remembered the gloating feeling the memory held.

Rei's eyes jumped to Usagi's widened eyes, and she felt her own betrayal of her princess, it was hot and shameful and cut into her. The feeling wounded her in ways nothing else was able too. She had hurt the one person that had never doubted her.

Haruka watched as dawning horror slipped over Rei's features. When the first tear escaped from Rei's violet eyes, she turned away. She moved back to the table, and picked up her cup. She sipped at her tea, letting the silence draw out.

Setsuna could sense how hard this was for Haruka, but knew the necessity of it. The girls need to understand what happened, and how vulnerable and dangerous they had become.

Setsuna eyes the four guilt-ridden girls on the floor, until Haruka cleared her throat, grabbing Setsuna's attention once more.

Haruka's eyes asked the question she did not want to verbalize. What now? Setsuna returned the look with a cool nod. Now you can explain. Haruka sighed, before turning back around towards the girls on the floor.

"Now it's time for you to understand at least some more of the story. You are only partially responsible for your actions, because you did not do these things of your own free will."

Haruka's words had all eyes turning her way, especially the four girls on the floor.

Rei asked the question everyone was wondering. "What do you mean?"

"I'll explain as best as I can, but even we do not know the whole story." She took a deep breath. "You did not just decide to kill your Princess, there was something controlling you, but we do not know what or how."

Taiki stepped forward, "Wait a minute, if you don't know what or how, then how do you know?" Haruka was afraid of that question.

"Well we do know, these girls would never just kill their Princess, so there has to be more going on.

Seiya had watched the entire proceedings without a word. He never intended to tell a soul about his experience. It is still hard for me to believe. He listened quietly as Taiki argued with Haruka.

"That makes no sense maybe they were all just jealous?" Taiki swept an arm out indicating the four on the floor. Then he realized how bad his words sounded. He knew these girls would not just turn on Usagi. "No offense, I am just speculating." He spoke to the four girls with a wry grin.

Usagi felt Seiya stiffen, and could sense his tension. After a few moments, she turned questioning eyes his way. One glance into her curious eyes, and he knew. He could not keep his secret, because it would damn these four girls, into never knowing why they had done what they had done.

While that might not be his problem, the effect it had on Usagi would be his problem. She had to be able to trust these four girls implicitly. If that meant he had to look bizarre then, so be it…. The things we do for love.

Usagi watched Seiya as he took a deep breath before speaking.

"I know what happened." His words were quietly firm. "A demon possessed the four of you, trying to get Usagi's pure light, and kill her." The room fell silent, and everyone stared at him in shock. He took another deep breath and continued. "When we found Makoto on the beach, the demon was being sucked out of her, back to wherever realm it came from."

Setsuna glanced at Seiya in surprise. How does he know this? She had to have answers. "What brought the demon to this realm?"

Seiya closed his eyes for a moment. This is where it is going to be difficult. He opened his eyes, and prepared himself before answering. "Mamoru-san brought it."

Gasps of surprise filled the room, and Usagi turned back around towards the group. Haruka took an angry step towards him. "Mamoru-san is dead moron." Usagi's eyes watched Haruka vibrate with anger.

Seiya pulled his arms from Usagi's waist, and turned her back towards him. "You knew he was there…didn't you?" Usagi nodded although it still spooked her. "The noises, the banging, things falling, he just wanted you to acknowledge his presence."

Usagi nodded even as a tear slipped down her cheek. She let a hand wander up and brush it away. She turned back towards the room at large to see four pairs of eyes watching her with surprise. Why didn't you tell us? The unspoken question was in their eyes even though they hadn't spoken it aloud.

"I…I thought that…no one would believe me, or think I was crazy." Usagi's tone was hesitant.

Setsuna watched the by-play between everyone, until curiosity got the better of her. "Seiya, how could you possibly know so much?"

That was the question he had been dreading. He closed his eyes again, and took a deep breath. "Mamoru-san told me." Haruka's bark of laughter was grating in the complete silence that enveloped the room. Usagi's head whipped around in surprise at his statement.

Seiya glanced at her, and he began to explain it to her. "After you let the boat go, we all left you alone. I wandered away from the group to think." He remembered the chill that had snaked over him, alerting him to a presence. "He visited me, and…and warned me of the grave danger you were in."

Everybody began talking at once as pandemonium broke. They all knew that he had to be telling the truth. How had he known that Usagi was in danger? He had come from the other direction running like the wind. Even Haruka remembered that it seemed strange.

Everyone finally calmed down and with the whole situation understood, the conversation turned to other things….

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Later when Usagi and Seiya were able to escape, Usagi remembered her question. She had not asked in front of everyone because it was rather private, and she did not need any more embarrassment. They were in her room, sitting on the bed, and it seemed a good time to ask.

"Seiya, did Mamoru tell you anything else?" Her cheeks bloomed with color but she watched him anyway.

"Hmm…did he tell me anything else?" Seiya decided to tease her just a bit. He tapped his chin thoughtfully for a moment, letting the silence draw out. "Well…there was something." He grinned playfully at Usagi. "Oh…that's right." Seiya held up his finger. "He told me take care of you, and that you need me." When he saw her answering smile, he knew it was the right answer….

Fin