Chapter 13

As the large group traipsed back downstairs Usagi contemplated just how she was going to explain this... mess with minimal repercussion, groundings and assorted injuries.

Accidentally creating a new bond-mate hasn't exactly helped make the situation any easier either she thought as she looked at the man holding her hand out of the corner of her eye. She didn't need eyes in the back of her head to see the glares being directed their way, nor Quatre's empathy to sense the animosity radiating from some of the female members of the group.

She toyed briefly with the idea of just leaving but decided that in her current state of near exhaustion and extreme hunger it mightn't be the wisest choice of action. She let out an almost inaudible groan The thing with family is that, no matter how long I leave it, or how hard I try to avoid it, eventually I'll have to explain. Like it or not. Especially with this family.

A quick order was placed to Fatima's kitchen and everyone filed into the oversized dining room and took seats. Mostly.

Sailors Mars and Mercury hovered anxiously by the door leading back out to the foyer, waiting for the perfect time to escape ahem leave.

Mercury coughed delicately to draw attention to herself before speaking up, "Usagi-hime," the way she stated the title made it obvious it was not a question, "Mars and I will leave you to this. I'll return later and check on you and... Jed. Okay?"

The way in which she said it made it quite obvious that she though Usagi would be in dire need of some sort of medical attention later in the evening and she didn't particularly want to hang around and see just why.

The blonde princess pinned the two fleeing senshi with her crystalline gaze and shook her head ever so slightly, "I don't think so Ami," at Mars' attempt to open her mouth and berate her, loudly, she continued, "Yes, I'm well aware of what I just said Rei. Please, give my brother and his friends some credit. If five Gundam Pilots couldn't deduce who we are from the information they already posses then the world is in a sad state of affairs."

Wufei spoke up from further down the table, "It is not as though some of us were unaware of your identities anyway onna."

His comment successfully made him the new target of the fiery miko's gaze.

She glared at the Chinese warrior she ground out her reply in a frustrated tone, "I've told you before Chang. Call me Rei. Call me Hino if you must, but do NOT call me ONNA!"

Wufei just snorted lightly, "Then sit down. When the time comes you and I can tell this grand gathering of my vacation at your temple."

Usagi just smirked at the boys' baiting of the girl with a temper problem and spoke up, "Ami you can add your part to the explanation as well."

The blue haired senshi sighed and nodded resignedly, "May I suggest that we include Makoto in these discussions as well?"

Usagi tilted her head to one side, contemplating the request, then nodded briefly. Ami quickly made the call, and after a quick explanation of just why she was needed and what to expect, Makoto promised to be there shortly.

The two senshi de-transformed, leaving the Gundam pilots blinking. Transformation was just as strange, less sparkly, but still very strange.

The food was brought to the dining room and was quickly and quietly devoured by those gathered there. As the plates were being cleared away Makoto was shown in and, after quickly assessing the mood of the rooms occupants, simply nodded to the group in greeting.

As they made their way out of the dining room and across the foyer to one of the sitting rooms Makoto perused the blonde man who was escorting her friend. She was making sure he was suitable for her princess, honest! He was rather easy on the eyes though. Makoto didn't actually say the words but all the senshi could see them running through her head.

The entourage took up various seats, couches and pieces of floor around the room. Jed had installed himself in a comfy looking recliner and, as Usagi made her way past him headed for a couch, he grabbed her hips and promptly situated her on his lap trapped in place by his arms around her waist.

The girl let out a strangled 'meep' of surprise at her abrupt change of position but quickly adjusted, squirming in Jed's lap to get comfortable.

Both Quatre and Haruka had looked over that the noise and upon seeing Usagi's new 'seat' the pair frowned in unison. As Quatre passed by the two, headed for the couch that had been Usagi's previous destination, he addressed the smug looking blonde man, "You do realize your legs are never going to be the same again after her sitting on them for any length of time don't you?"

Usagi glared at her brother, "Oi!" She watched him curl up on the couch beside Trowa and decided to let it pass. At least he hadn't forcibly removed her, which she knew he could and would have quite easily have done if he'd wanted. She sighed, May as well get this over with. "Okay. Quatre, where do you want me to start?"

The boy in question raised on sardonic eyebrow over his aqua-blue eyes, "Well," he drawled "the beginning is usually a good place."

His fellow Gundam pilots glanced at him; Quatre must be really ticked to be resorting to sarcasm.

Usagi simply raised an eyebrow back at him and commented in a similar tone, "Hmmm. Imagine that. Now... did you want me to start with the first time we were incarnated?" She tilted her head at him and blinked her eyes opening them wide, almost innocent looking, if you ignored the voice anyway, "Or when I rescued a black cat on the way to school?"

Haruka and Minako both flinched. If this kept up they'd have a fully-fledged screaming match on their hands, followed by crying, door slamming concluding with sulking fits from both parties. Not fun.

Minako decided to interrupt before things got more out of hand "Guys chill!" She gave both of them a stern look and, surprisingly, they subsided. "Usa you start with the Silver Millennium, then I'll do Sailor V," this comment caused some raised eyebrows, "And then we can take turns doing the rest okay?"

Usagi just shrugged slightly but upon seeing her sisters' unflinching gaze she sighed softly and nodded, "Okay. I'll tell you all," she indicated towards the boys, "about the Silver Millennium but please don't interrupt. I'll answer all of your question as the end. The story might not seem relevant but it is, just trust me."

After getting nods of agreement from various parties around the room she launched into her story, "Once upon a time... Okay I'll be serious. About 1000 years ago all the planets in the solar system were a part of an alliance know as the 'Silver Millennium', well all bar Earth anyway. It was considered too..."

Jed snickered softly, his breath tickling the back of Usagi's neck, "Barbaric is the word you're looking for, though we were often called worse."

Usagi nodded distractedly and continued, "It was a peaceful time. The centre of the Silver Millennium was the Moon. The Moon Kingdom was ruled over by Queen Serenity. She was a kind and just Queen and she was doing her best to bring Earth into the alliance and by doing so hopefully ridding it of it's practices of youma raising and demon worship.

"Queen Serenity had a daughter, most imaginatively named Princess Serenity. The Moon Princess had been raised at court along with the other princesses of the inner planets. Queen Serenity invited the Prince of Earth to the Moon on an ambassadorial mission with hopes that one of the princesses would become enamoured of him and, by marriage, bring Earth into the Silver Millennium.

"Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion hated each other on sight and it quickly became obvious that the Princess' 16th birthday party would be doubling as and engagement party.

"The prince, however, had an admirer on Earth, a duchess named Beryl had eyes upon the Crown Prince. While the prince was back on Earth she tried, unsuccessfully, to get him to break the engagement. Upon her rejection she flew into a rage and, with the help of a higher demon by name of Metallia, she kidnapped and brainwashed Endymion's four guardians.

"On the night of the engagement party Beryl and the four Generals commanded a force that attacked the Moon Kingdom and killed everyone there.

"Queen Serenity couldn't bear what had happened and, with the last of her strength, she used the Ginzuishou and sent her daughter and court to the future to be reborn. It was a two edged sword however as she had to send Beryl and her minions as well."

Usagi took a deep breath in and pulled herself away from the memories that telling the story evoked. She looked around the room a quirky smile twitched her lips, "Many questions?"

Trowa was the first to speak up, "There used to be life on all the planets of the solar system?" Various nods confirmed this so he continued, "Why have no ruins been found on the Moon or Mars?"

It was a mysterious voice that answered Trowa's question from one of the corners of the room causing most of the rooms' inhabitants to start with surprise, "There is a glamour on all of the royal palaces. You can look straight at them and your gaze slides off, you can walk through the halls and only remember an unremarkable landscape."

While the boys watched the Senshi of time guardedly the girls simply nodded again. Usagi gestured towards a seat.

Pluto shook her head slightly causing her dark green hair to sway gently, "Thank you Usagi-hime but not," She ignored the girls' glare, "I just came to inform Haruka and Michiru that I'll be picking up Hotaru and to remind General Jedite that I prefer my hair to remain its natural colour."

She inclined her head to her Princess and then stepped through the doorway that had conveniently appeared.

Jed shook his head resignedly, "Typical Setsuna, appear from nowhere, drop a bombshell, frighten the life out of everyone and then leave."

The senshi all giggled, to one extent or another, the summary, though blunt, did sum up the mysterious senshi's personality quite well.

"Setsuna is Pluto."

The statement came from Heero who was sitting in one of a set of two recliners beside a small coffee table.

Ami, who was, well, reclining in the other seat couldn't resist baiting the pilot, a habit she had developed rather quickly after his arrival. It had her fellow senshi beginning to doubt the 'Intelligence' claim in her title.

"Who else haven't you figured out yet?"

Not so surprisingly the boy shot her a cold glare that she simply shrugged off, "Saturn and Pluto were the only two unknowns."

Michiru spoke up firmly, "If Saturn wishes to inform you of her identity she can do so herself." All the senshi nodded in agreement with this statement, they were nearly as protective of the youngest of their group as they were of their Princess, and "I believe you had some more question to ask Usagi-hime?"

Usagi twitched slightly at the name, Just because we've been... busted it doesn't mean they have to call me that all the time! I mean they're all princesses too!

Wufei spoke, "The Moon Kingdom would have been very well fortified am I correct?"

Haruka snorted, "That's one way of putting it."

He nodded and forged on, "Then how did they breach your defences? There would have been many capable warriors, the attack should have been halted if not repelled."

Ami, Makoto, Minako and Rei all flinched visibly and dropped their gazes to the carpet. Wufei had just hit upon the point that, even after 1000 years, they still blamed themselves for. Their lovesick blindness and naivety had cost the Moon Kingdom more than they had ever thought possible.

Minako's voice was bitter and full of self-recrimination; "They found it very easy to over-run. After all we opened the doors for them... Literally."

Usagi frowned at the leader of her personal senshi, "Minako..." there was a warning tone in her voice, "You couldn't have known. None of you could have. Endymion's guards were our friends, and more. When you opened the gates you couldn't have even suspected that they were not exactly what they appeared to be."

Minako broke her gaze from her sisters' and sighed in self-disgust, "Having your throat slit by one of your lovers gives you a pretty good idea that you've royally stuffed up."

The room winced.

"So you," Duo indicated the inner senshi, "Were all killed when you opened the gates." They nodded, "So what happened to the Princess?"

"Beryl killed her and Endymion when she saw them together."

Jed frowned slightly and shook his head, "Um. No. Endy-sama, in one of his usual brainless acts of bravery went off to defend his beloveds' kingdom and promptly got slaughtered." He shook his head in disbelief, "You can't use classical swordsmanship on a battlefield it just doesn't work like that. The ditzy little princess saw her beloved get shishkabobed and came running out to hold him as his life slipped away." Rather that saying this in a romantic 'Oh-it's-so-sweet' voice his narration was being conducted in a rather sarcastic tone of voice while dodging the 'ditzy' princess' rather sharp elbows.

"Then, in true romantic tragedy style, she took up his dagger and plunged it through her heart. Queen Serenity couldn't take it so she sent everyone to the future trapping Beryl's most dangerous weapon in the Ginzuishou."

"Jed..." Usagi groaned and was trying in vain to vanish. As if she didn't have enough problems already! She'd never bothered to correct the version of her death that Luna and Artemis had told her protectors and now said protectors were looking a tad upset over the version they'd just heard. She braced herself.

"USAGI!"

"KONEKO!"

"SERENITY!"

Usagi cringed but steeled herself and looked up at the enraged senshi, both inner and outer, "I'm sorry guys, for not telling you, but it's not exactly one of my favourite memories either. You remember how crazy Serenity was for Endymion, does it really surprise you that much?"

The senshi backed down under her flat glare and Usagi looked around the room, "Any more questions on the Silver Millennium?"

Quatre motioned towards Haruka and Michiru, "Where were you?"

Haruka grimaced slightly, "Traditionally it is the job of the inner senshi to guard the Princess and the Outer senshi to protect the system from invasion. Well Pluto protects the time gate and Saturn sleeps lest she destroy all. When the Kingdom was caught unaware and Queen Serenity died Saturn awoke and placed Silence on the remainder of the Silver Millennium starting the new age. We were killed at our posts."

Quatre blinked, momentarily stunned, "Saturn killed you."

Michiru nodded calmly, "It is a very powerful attack. It is one of the reasons why Saturn is so feared, she has the ability to destroy a planet with three words."

The group fell silent for a few moments, processing what they had learnt so far.

Minako broke the contemplative silence, "If there are no more questions I'll go on as I was the first of the Inner senshi to awaken." She glanced around the room and, upon seeing no objections, began her story.

"When father... fostered me out I was sent to a family living in England, good thing I actually payed attention in our English tutes ne? Anyway I was going to school and doing a little bit of acting and singing when I first met Artemis. He awoke me and together we began to fight both crime and the youma that had been appearing in England. Rather than fighting as Sailor Venus though I went as Sailor V, I was a decoy for the Princess. Part of Queen Serenities spell had fogged everyone's memories of her, all we knew was that she was blonde and we must protect her. Ironically enough I starred in some of the Sailor V movies. After a while Artemis got word that there were other Senshi active in Japan and I started to fight less and less crime and only youma. When my foster parents were transferred over here I faked Sailor V's death in an explosion and continued fighting over here as Sailor Venus. Not that interesting I know but it's my contribution to the story. 1"

A quick look around the room confirmed that everyone seemed happy with that little monologue.

Usagi sat up slightly in Jed's embrace and sighed a little, "My turn again," she looked to her fellow senshi, "Like Mina I was fostered out but I was sent to the Tsukino's here in Japan." She now directed her narrative to her brother and his friends, "When I was about 14 I was walking to school one day and saw a group of toadie little kids torturing a cat. To my eternal regret I rescued her. Anyway after I got home from school the cat had moved into my room. She then proceeded to inform me that I was Sailor Moon and it was my 'destiny' to find and protect the Moon Princess. Luna no baka! Talk about Swiss cheese memories!"

The cat in question opened one eye from where she was napping and snorted, "Like you can talk Usagi. You're first comment after transforming was 'But I want to play Sailor V games, not live them!'"

The room snickered, Luna had done a very credible imitation of the girls' sometimes whiney voice.

"Anyway. I fought youma and slowly discovered the other Senshi. Ami's computer school was attacked, so was Rei's temple. Makoto started a fight with one of Beryl's generals, tagged him too – without transforming. We fought the four generals while they tried to gather energy and the ninzuishou. Tuxedo mask helped us fight too."

Jed snorted, "If you call 'help' balancing on a light pole while wearing evening dress while spouting useless phrases like 'Now Sailor Moon!' and 'You can do it Sailor Senshi have faith in one another'."

It seemed that Luna wasn't the only one capable of doing a good imitation and the girls in the room dissolved into laughter while the boys goggled at the imagery that statement produced.

Usagi sobered up a little, "Then Mina-chan showed up..."

"And saved your lazy butts!"

The blonde rolled her eyes at her sisters interruption, "Yes and saved our butts. At first we thought she was the Princess but... the encounter in Starlight Tower revealed the Princess and the fact that Tuxedo Mask was Endymion." Usagi took a deep shuddering breath, "But..."

It was clear to the group gathered there that something about this topic was disturbing Usagi greatly.

Ami looked at the shaking moon princess wrapped tightly in their former enemies arms and picked up the tale.

"Endymion was badly injured and before we could do anything to help him he was kidnapped by Beryl. We spent the next few weeks fighting him and Beryl's last general. We finally located Beryl's headquarters and attacked her there. After the final battle we all lost our memories of what had happened and went back to a 'normal' life."

Wufei spoke up, his scholars mind having assessed the facts presented to him and spotting a glaring discrepancy, "So after her quite easily defeating you in the Silver Millennium you defeated her just like that?"

The expressions of the faces of the inner senshi showed quite clearly that there was much more than that to it.

Usagi looked up, her eyes haunted and focussed on something only she could see, "They all died."

The tone of her voice was flat but at the same time filled with immeasurable grief, "To protect me from my infatuation, naivety and stupidity they all died horrid, painful deaths. Then Endymion died protecting me from Beryl. Then I used the crystal to defeat Metallia and I died too."

The room winced in unison and Wufei didn't disagree with Duo when he commented on how he must be rubbing off on his lover to have put his foot in that so spectacularly.

Usagi wrenched herself away from the painful memories with a shake, "I made a wish on the crystal that everything was 'normal' again and it was. It's caused a lot of confusion, especially since we essentially redid one year of middle school.

"We got our memories back when Ail and Ann attacked. We helped them out and then lived a normal life with our memories for about two days.Chibi-Usa arrived and the Darkmoon were after her. We converted some of their lackies, they didn't like that much, killed others and helped Chibi-Usa free her parents. We met Sailor Pluto around then too.

"Once again we got about a weeks free time before we started fighting again. This time it was the Death Busters. It didn't exactly help that there were two senshi running around who couldn't decide which side they were on. In the end the Messiah of Light took up the Chalice and defeated Pharaoh 90 and Sailors Uranus, Neptune and Saturn joined us.

"Our next enemy was Queen Nepherenia and her Dead Moon Circus. With the help of Sailor Chibi-Moon and Pegasus we won that battle. Finally we fought Sailor Galaxia and Chaos.

"Lately we've been destroying whatever youma, diamon and lemurs were left over from those enemies, along with any others that find their way into our world and cause trouble."

Quatre was eyeing his sisters dangerously. It had been discovered, the hard way, that when the cool, calm, collected Winners lost their tempers they did so in a most spectacular fashion.

"So," he drawled softly, "You're telling me that you've been willingly putting yourselves in danger since you were 14."

Usagi glowered at the blonde boy and struggled valiantly to control her temper but in the end lost that particular battle quite appallingly, "Yes Quatre we have." she ground out in a biting tone of voice, "But do you think we liked it? All I wanted was a 'normal' life. Do you know how it feels to remember living to 16 twice? No you don't. We only do this because we have to. We are the only people capable! Think a bit, how do you thing we felt? We knew that everyday you were risking your life in SandRock. We were the only ones capable of defeating our enemies Quatre but we were more than qualified to help you.

"Every day we put our lives on the line so that you weren't risking yours for a planet and group of colonies that didn't exist anymore. You didn't even know what we were doing Quat but we were well aware, you have no idea how aware, that everyday you were risking your life and there was NOTHING we could do about it! Do you honestly think we would have stayed in Juuban if the Sailor Senshi hadn't been needed here? Of course not! But everyday, every damn day, we had to worry abut you and wonder if we could have done something to prevent Fathers' death if things had been different.

"Could we have ended the War more quickly? Don't try and lay a guilt trip on me Quatre, I know it upsets you to think we were in danger and there was nothing you could do about it but you were in danger and we didn't know and believe me that is far, far worse."

By the end of her tirade Usagi was standing toe to toe with her little brother on the carpet, blue eyes were glaring at each other with an intensity that was quite daunting.

Quatre let out a shuddering breath and tried to get a hold of his emotions, then he spoke in a quiet and firm voice to the girl in front of him, "No, I don't know what it's like Usa, but even after the fact and even knowing that I couldn't have done anything to help, that you risked your lives and could have, no did die, chills me. All of us," he indicated both the senshi and his fellow pilots, "have lost so much. Family, childhood, the semblance of a 'normal' life. That I could have lost any of you," he placed a hand on his chest, "frightens me more than you have any idea. It was horrid loosing, no, having father taken from us, loosing the three of you and not knowing why would have," he looked away slightly "It probably would have killed me, if it hadn't... It probably would have sent me insane. I love everyone else but you three... you understand. Just... just please, tell us what you're doing and we'll do our best to help, keep out of the way, whatever okay? I'm sorry I didn't get your help in the War but, I guess I fell prey to the same fault, I wanted to protect you. I promise if anything else happens I'll tell you and if we have time you can all help too. Okay?"

They looked at each other matching blue eyes, both filled with tears of frustration, fear and anger.

Usagi gave a small sob, "Promise," she gasped as she through herself into his arms "Oh Quat…"

The boy held her tight and buried his face between her odango's as she sobbed into his shoulder, murmuring quietly to her, "It's okay Usa. It's okay."

Quatre sat back down on the couch this time though he had Usagi in his arms.

"Okay now Ami, you knew who we were when we first arrived. How?"

The blue haired girl just gave a small shrug as if to say 'time to come clean' "My mother is a renown scientist and doctor. When she was still making a name for herself she was part of a research team under Dr. J. To promote herself further I was engaged in various training techniques. Like Usagi, Minako, Makoto and Haruka I failed to interface properly with the equipment, I assume the reaction must have something to do with our senshi powers. Instead of piloting I focussed on my computer skill and became the hacker and informant known as Calculus."

Quatre nodded, short and to the point.

"Makoto."

The brunette looked up from her contemplation of Jed. She was trying to reconcile some of her memories of the man from the Silver Millennium… honest. "Hmm? Oh. Okay. My parents were part of one of the mercenary troops that S trialled looking for a Gundam pilot. I was accepted, had the same problem as the other, was sent to earth. End of story."

It was obvious that there were some open emotional wounds in the story but after the last hour Quatre decided he might be better off not pursuing it.

"Rei?"

"Nothing so spectacular I'm afraid. Apparently Laoshin O and my grandfather go way back. Grandpa offered the shrine as a safe house. Wufei showed up bleeding like and stuck pig and I took care of him until he could go and harass someone else."

Quatre looked around the room at his exhausted friends and family, "I think maybe we should all go and sleep on this. If there are any further questions we can discuss it in the morning. Yes?" he didn't wait for any arguments or agreements just lifted the girl in his arms and headed for the door.

As he left the room he called back over his shoulder, "Feel free to make any calls you may need to, there are spare clothes and toiletries for guests in all the suites. I'll see you all in the morning."