Chapter Six

Makoto comes out of her daze like trance to find that they are in front of a door, Trowa holds it open for her. As she enters her bedroom she is acutely aware of his presence behind her as he follows her in quietly shutting the door behind them. Trowa passed her heading for the door across the room from them. Makoto stands by her bed awkwardly waiting. Suddenly she can hear water running, curious, she breaks from her daze to move towards the bathroom.

"Trowa?" She calls uncertain what the strange man is up to. As she gets closer she can see Trowa crouched by the side of the bath, a ran tests the temperature of the water. He looks over his should at her voice.

"I thought you might want to wash up, those cuts should be cleaned."

Makoto smiles brightly, "That actually sounds wonderful." She turns towards the small mirror above the vanity, "I think I managed to dodge the worst of it though." She pulls at the fabric of her torn blouse, inspecting herself.

"Is that so?"

Trowa is suddenly standing behind her in the mirror staring at a particularly bad tear in the fabric covering her stomach. That from the position of the claw mark on her pale skin, it had come close to disembowelling her.

Makoto covers the mark with a hand, laughing nervously. "Good thing I have a wicked back flip I guess." The laughter dies, as she's caught by Trowa's gaze in the mirror. 'If I didn't know better I'd say he's trying to hypnotize me with that eye of his.'

Trowa turns away shutting off the forgotten water. "Heero will want an explanation." He says, crouching again beside the tub, his back to her once more.

Makoto swallows. "I know."

Rising gracefully, Trowa moves to the door. "I'll wait for you outside."

Duo is furious. Though his arms cradle the young woman in them with gentleness, his face betrays his anger. He looks every bit the God of Death that his enemies named him for during the war as he strides down the hall, eyes blazing. Coming to his door, he carefully balances the unconscious woman in his arms as he lets them in, kicking it closed behind him. Moving to the bed he carefully lowers Usagi down. She moans, her head falling to the side. Duo carefully pushes her hair from her face. 'Who ever did this to you…" Duo can't even finish the thought with out rage boiling up with in him. '…they are dead.'

"Maramou…." It's muttered so softly Duo almost doesn't hear.

"Usagi? Can you hear me?" Duo lowers his body to sit beside her, and leans over her. Nothing. He puts a hand to her forehead, she's burning up. Cursing for not noticing her high fever soon, Duo stands to retrieve a cool cloth from the washroom. Sitting back down beside her he places it gently on her, holding it in place absently with a hand.

Usagi sobs suddenly, "Maramou….I'm…for you…" Duo's brow creases. This was not the carefree girl of before. What had happened today Duo muses to himself as he watches her toss and turn beside him.

"Shhhh…Usagi." He consoles, his other hand brushes her cheek gently. "It's alright."

She stills at the sound of his voice before a hiccupping sob escapes her and she turns her face into his hand. They sit like that for a long time. The cool cloth warms and he switches it for a new one. Many more long minutes pass before her fever begins to break.

Duo is so lost in his dark thoughts that he almost misses it when her eyes begin to flutter.

"Mamrou…" This time the word is a moan. Duo catches her face in his hands staring intensely at her as if he can read in it something that will explain everything. He's caught by surprise when a hand tangles in his braid pulling him closer. He braces his weight with a hand on either side of her face to keep from crushing her.

"Usagi…"

Her other hand trembles slightly as she lifts it to his face. "Mamoru…"

'Where was this Maramou when she was being hurt?' Duo wonders angrily. Usagi sighs, a trembling smiles flits across her mouth. It's almost as if she had been caught in a nightmare that suddenly had turned to a dream when she touched him. Her eyes move beneath heavy lashes but remain closed. She looks so beautiful, Duo realizes astonished, so peaceful all of a sudden. Suddenly Duo face lightens, and a mischievous grin appears. 'Then again he's not here now either is he…'

Duo doesn't pause when he feels her hand tug at him from where it is tangled in his hair…just lowers his lips to hers.

When he pulls away, Usagi's face is flushed. Her eyes flutter open.

"Duo?" She flushes more fiercely as she realizes their position, her hand still at the back of his head. "Eeeeiii…" She squeaks embarrassed by her forwardness, and quickly drops her hand.

Duo chuckles, the sound is musical.

Annoyed now that he has the nerve to laugh at her Usagi scowls comically and shoves at his chest. "I thought….I thought you were someone else…" She grumps childishly, still blushing.

This sobers Duo up immediately, straightening he stands to loom over her.. Usagi swallows the rest of her words as she notices his expression. 'He's so beautiful, and so very sad…' She thinks to herself.

"Usagi…" She blinks, blushing again as she realizes she has been caught staring. He was trying to ask something. Slowly she pushes herself up onto her elbows.

"Hmm?"

"What happened today? You….the rest of the girls…how were you injured?" Duo's eyes have lost their playfulness, as they bore into her own. Usagi's eyes soften as she looks up at him. 'He's seen too much in his life as a solider…it shows in his eyes.' She sighs again. Rei was going to kill her.

"I suppose you should call the others…I don't think I'll want to tell our story more than once…"

Ten minutes later the room is packed. The boys lean against the walls and dressers, while the girls join their princess on the bed where she is propped up by pillows, still weak from using all her energy to win the earlier battle. Rei is perched on the edge, a scowl on her face, Minako is nestled at Usagi's right side, Ami on her left. Makoto is sprawled at the end of the bed. The boys are watching them silently…waiting.

Usagi clears her throat. "I suppose you're all have questions…" Despite her unusually serious state, her voice still manages to come out sounding young and sheepish.

"That's an understatement…" This mumble comes from Duo's corner of the room.

"Well…" Usagi fumbles.

"What she's trying to say, is the stupid baka has ordered us to answer all your questions…despite my strong opinion that you have no need to…"

"That's enough Rei." Makoto snaps. "You might not like it but you still have to follow Usagi's commands so shut it."

At this Heero pushes off from the small desk he had been lean against. "Enough." Glaring at Usagi he moves forward. Makoto unobtrusively moves positioning herself between him and Usagi. Heero's eyes dart to her for a mere moment before dismissing her. "You are in charge?"

Usagi nods, to be honest she feels more than a little intimidated by the man. Minako sensing her distress squeezes her hand again.

"Of what exactly."

Usagi looks down, taking a calming breath she centers herself. Looking up, she matches Heero's gaze with that of a true Princess. That got the boys attention, gone was the cheerful, hyper, and sometimes lazy, girl they had known these past few days. This was someone new, someone confident…a leader.

"My name is Princess Serenity, I was reincarnated as Winner-Tsukino Usagi after a war destroyed the Moon Kingdom."

It takes a moment for this statement to sink in. Quatre looks on at his sister in shock, a frown quickly appearing on his face.

"Reincarnated." Heero looses his normal monotone, for once disbelief actually sounds in his voice, sarcastic though it may be.

"Yes." Turn her head towards her brother, a sad smile appears on Usagi's face and for a moment the old Usagi shines through. "Quatre….I….we've only recently regained our memories from before…but know that I'll always be your sister." Turning back to Heero, she refocuses. "My mother, the Queen, sent me hear to be reborn so that I would be safe. The girls act as my guardians, they were elite soldiers of our world, and were sent here with me in order to insure my safety."

Usagi pauses, there is complete silence. She sighs, seeming to deflate, her energy gone. "I told you, you wouldn't believe me." She mumbles to her self, closing her eyes she leans further back into her pillows.

"Ridiculous! You expect us to believe you are a Princess reincarnated? At that women, these women, were your best soldiers?" Wufei exclaims, unable to stay silent any longer.

"Hey!" Rei is on her feet in a flash, the air surrounding her begins to shimmer like hot air on hotter pavement in summer. Flames dance in her eyes. The boys back up and shift into defence positions automatically. Staring at the girl they are memorised.

"They're right." Ami breaks the spell.

"What?" Rei turns on her small friend.

Ami flinches slightly, before steeling her spine against the incredulous look Rei is throwing her. "Be logical Rei…why should they believe us? I think we'd best demonstrate. It's the only way they'll understand."

Before Rei can respond Usagi opens her eyes again and draws the hot tempered girls gaze to her own. "She's right Rei. You didn't believe at first either, not until we got our full memories back." Rei stutters at that. "Minako? Do you mind, as leader of the Senshi you should go first."

"Her? She's your commander?" The last is muttered with disbelief.

"Wufei! Manors!" Quatre admonishes sharply, a bewildered look on his face as he tries to make sense of everything being revealed. Minako smiles softly at him, charmed by his defence of her despite his obvious confusion at the whole situation. Rising gracefully to her feet she steps away from the bed.

Closing her eyes she focuses her power. "Venus Power, Make Up!" A bright light flashes through the room, when it fades Minako is standing in her Sailor Venus costume. Her hair is blowing gently around her shoulders in an unnatural breeze caused by the power radiating off her.

Heero's gun is trained on her.

Minako smiles sadly. "I don't know how long all be able to remain transformed. The battle earlier drained most of my energy." As if on cue, she sways and disappears in another sudden less controlled burst of light. This time when the other regain their site the find Minako once again herself being supported by Quatre.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to…" Minako blushes, embarrassed.

"Put the gun away Heero…you're being rude." Sweeping Minako up Quatre carefully places her on the end of the bed where Makoto has made room.

"Hnnn." The gun disappears…where to is anyone's guess.

"So you're saying that each of you can transform like that?" The girls nod. "For what purpose exactly?"

"Well…there's a bit of at war going on…"