She rose her tears drenched face and saw Mokoto's, who was trying to get up. "Mako! she screamed, I knew you wouldn't let me down!" Venus, who had remained calm until then, started to cry and hugged the miracle "Never give us that kind of scare again!"
When the hugs got scarce enough to et her enjoy her freedom of movement, Makoto felt her chest, a few seconds ago an intolerable pain pierced it, now she felt… not really good, but not bad either. She hadn't even seen what had hurt her so bad, she had lost consciousness too fast. Judging from the others' reaction and the blood on her clothing, it was serious. "What happened?"
- Well… Venus hesitated, I'm not sure you'd be happy to know…
- One of the monsters, said Mercury, had hit you with an arrow. You remained almost ten minutes without heartbeat, then you lost your transformation. You were dead, but Usagi saved you.
- Ami! Can't you be any more blunt?
- Minako, beating around the bush makes no thing better.
- Usagi, Makoto said, I suppose I owe you a big thank.
- Oh, she answered, I didn't know what I was doing, I didn't even know I had that power. So lets say a bok of cupcakes will do…
- Usagi! exclaimed an outraged Mars.
– You'll have your cakes, said Makoto, smiling, you know how I love to cook for my fans. I'll do it right after I take a good shower, I won't go around all day covered with blood.
– Can we walk you home? I don't know for the others, but I was so worried!"
Moon and Mars didn't hesitate to follow Makoto, Mercury had some homework to do but opted for her friend and Venus went home, claiming if she was late for supper again it's her who would need to be resurrected.
The warriors assumed their normal form and left. It was about time, because the ambulance Minako had called was arriving, they didn't want more complications than they already had. When they arrived, Makoto went directly to the bathroom, to Usagi's despair: she needed to go! Okay, it wasn't that urgent yet.
Makoto hurried and took off her blood soaked shirt and skirt. Such a stain, she would never be able to wash it off. In front of the mirror, she examined herself as she always did after a battle, to make sure she didn't have anything that looked too bad to be left to heal by itself. The sole of her feet and the tip of her fingers had a deep red colour and she didn't know why. Her skin tone didn't look good, a little greyish, but it may have been the contrast with the blood colouring large surfaces of her skin. The wound on her chest… was still there. Additionnally, she had a scratch on a knee and one cut on the arm, much normal after a fight.
The hole under her breast looked worrisome, but she wouldn't see it properly before cleaning herself. Soon, the water splashed her skin and ran through the drain reddened with blood. Her friends waiting for her in the living room, the didn't wash thoroughly, just enough to feel clean, then she dried herself and returned to the mirror.
It wasn't reinsuring. If she raised her arm, the wound opened enough that she could see the muscle stretched between her ribs and the hole in that muscle, and farther… she saw nothing else than a burgundy mass, but she'd bet if she inserted a finger she'd find an opening. Sailor Moon gave her back life, but neglected to heal the wound that had killed her. When the girls would be gone she'd go to the clinic, she didn't want it to kill her again.
She swore when she realised she had forgotten to bring clean clothes and ran to her room with her towel around the body. Hastily, she dropped it, pulled random clothes from a drawer and put them on. She took a comb and was about to get out when…
"Usagi, what are you doing in my room?
- Well… I was looking at your pretty flowers when you came in.
– You didn't look at me, at least?
- Don't worry! Your butt looks pretty much like mine so there's no fuss to do about it!
- Please don't talk about your butt, I don't want nightmares! I'm going back to the living room, are you coming or do you prefer eyeing my African violets?"
Makoto stopped in the kitchen to begin making tea and brought cookies to the living room while the water heated. The girls stayed long to keep her company, it was nice but she found the attention excessive, she had only suffered a few moments but they, judging from their excitement to discover her alive, had a pretty bad time. It bothered her a bit, she needed to see a doctor but not worry them any more, and they stayed past the clinics' closing time.
When they left, she decided not to do anything yet, neither the cupcakes, nor the doctor. Tomorrow would be better, especially for the cakes, so they'd be fresh when Usagi would have them, on lunchtime of course for the girl would certainly be too late to see her before class. And it allowed her to get to bed early, she had one of those cramps one don't get often in the neck, she could barely turn her head and felt it was the kind of thing that tend to spread, rest was the best cure for that.
She went to the bathroom and urinated a remarkably small amount of liquid for someone who hadn't relieved herself since the morning, brushed her teeth, then disinfected and dressed her wound. By the time she was done, the stiffness had spread to her jaw and shoulders, and she got to bed hoping it wasn't one of those flues who makes you wish you were dead for a whole week.

Chapter 2