Eleven

Usagi raced along the sidewalk, wondering at the thickening clouds on the horizon. The weather people had forecast a clear, autumn day.

The clouds were foreboding; freaking her out on what was turning out to be a rather spooky day.

The sun fell behind a puff of grey cloud and Usagi shivered again. It was colder than she'd expected it to be as well. What was going on?

The sun reappeared a moment. Usagi took a step and gasped, coming to a halt. She felt cold, alone, fearful…

A passer by asked if she was all right, and the waves of dark energy ceased. Usagi shook, breathing normally. For a moment it had felt like her body was being squeezed from all sides, from all angles.

She continued along the sidewalk hesitantly. The civilians were thinning out, and Usagi began to worry that no one would be there if 'it' happened again.

As she thought it, she gasped as the wave of stabbing evil washed over her. She dimly registered she was underneath a shop awning.

She looked to the shop for help, and noticed her reflection in the smooth glass.

Usagi wasn't alone. Reflected behind her was a dark shape; a cloaked figure, roughly her height and shape.

She spun around to face the cloaked person, and found no one.

Usagi turned back again to the glass and the reflection. There it was, standing right behind her, unmoving.

A hand grabbed Usagi's shoulder. She couldn't even scream. She didn't dare turn around.

A whispered voice spoke, and Usagi absorbed it.

'Darkness and light come with each other, Princess,' it spoke in a haunting, feminine voice. 'But darkness will always consume you, in the end.'

'Darkness…' Usagi gasped almost silently.

'Darkness,' the voice repeated from below a heavily hooded charcoal coloured cloak. 'You escaped me the last time. But I will devour you in this time. There can only be one.'

'Why?' Usagi managed, closing her eyes. She wanted to move, to fight back, but the voice and the hand – and the fear – had immobilised her. She wasn't Sailor Moon at that moment, but a small, frightened blonde girl.

'Darkness consumes light,' she breathed again. 'It is the will of the universe.'

A whooshing noise filled Usagi's ears and she opened her eyes quickly. The hand, the voice – the reflection was gone.

'Usagi!'

The girl turned quickly like a startled deer, and noticed Luna and a trailing Artemis and Mamoru heading in her direction.

'I…I think…'

'Don't think,' Luna interrupted. 'Just listen.'

'Listen?'

'Luna, no,' Artemis caught up to her. 'Get her to the others. They will be stronger as one.'

'The others?'

'The Senshi,' Luna told the confused girl.

'Usagi are you all right?' Mamoru reached the trio and pulled Usagi into a protective hug.

'Are they all right?' Usagi asked, pushing back and glancing with a slight paranoia at the glass of the shop front once more. The shadow was gone, but Usagi could imagine her still there. Every time she blinked, she could feel her voice on her neck and hand on her shoulder.

'Let's go then,' Usagi didn't even hear Luna's reply.

She hurried away from the shop front and minded to steer clear of the shadows.

The sun fell behind cloud again as the girl, young man and two cats reached the Temple.