AN: I do not own Sailor Moon or its characters. I acknowledge Naoko Takeuchi as its creator and its owner.

Rumor has it that I have been away for a little bit. The rumors are true! But thanks goes out to Helen delia, Ariel Night, Serenity 312, dark shadowed rose, AredhelTinuviiel, supersexyghotmew95, astrakage, and Sunlight Halation.

Wishfull-star thank you for the review! Yeah her brother's death simply seemed to be a necessary element of the story no matter which way it was that I tried to take it. (At least in terms of decent ways).

Please people leave me your thoughts of the story. Also anyone interested in beta-reading this would be loved to the end of time! I will try to write better here on in people!

The Shadow Of Darkness

Chapter 12

As I stood there, shaking, with tears running down my face, I am greeted with a blank look on Artemis', uncomprehending of what could have possibly have happened. My face scrunches up in even more agitation, as I angrily say, "What is that look for moron?! Take me to this people now! I… just… ergh!"

He shakes his head in an effort to regain his bearings before demanding, "What are you talking about, Usagi? The enemy has not even appeared-"

I cut him off, scathingly saying, "Of course they have! Why else do you think I am here? So help me get to them, now!"

Regarding me with weary eyes, he complacently replied, "Why do you relax and tell me about it? Then we will know what to do next."

Restlessly I shake my head and interject, "Are you going to help me search right now or not?"

Looking slightly alarmed now, he said, "Usagi why don't you just-"

I storm off, rushing out the door and back into the night. Running blindly without any consideration for where I am headed, I clumsily stumble away from Artemis, from what has happened and from everything. I simply refuse to accept what has happened to-… what I have been told. I finally come to a stop on a bench in a park, right in a park in the dead centre of Juban. I cannot help but feel that the differences between the park and the city are a perfect representation the differences between myself and the rest of the people of the world. The people in the city, blissfully ignorant of the happenings inside the park itself, secluded by the barricades offered by the trees.

I sit, desperately trying to reel in my emotions, while at the same time feeding them, this overwhelming sadness, permeating throughout my entire being. I feel the tears in my eyes, yet somehow I can no longer let them flow. Rather I refuse to let them flow. Holding in all of my emotions, realizing all to well how not one soul had ever taken not of my plight and never would. In this world, I could only ever count on myself. Despite the certainty with which I viewed these facts, a rebellious part of me launches me into an ever greater slump. Trying to free myself from my internal demons, I try to refocus of what I need to do now. Then I remember Shingo.

I desperately wish for it not to be true. It just can't be. My only partner that I have had in my time here on this planet. The one who had never left my side. Not even once. The only one who could make me smile and leave it there. It simply cannot be that he has gone. It is my duty to protect from the world that seemed hell-bent to make our lives miserable. The very oath that I had swore to myself as the reason for taking the risk and leaving where he and I had resided. The place that was never home but rather, hell.

I make my way to the hospital, to get to his room only to be met by a huge gapping whole in the wall, exactly where Shingo had been. Exactly matching what the man had said. Desperately wanting up, I try to jump onto the side of the building and climb up it. However, I soared straight up past my intended target and end up landing in the room from the wall that had been blown open. Inside, I saw all I needed to. The telltale signs of an explosion. Rumble everywhere, with the clear epicenter of the blast being -precisely where my brother's bed had been. Dejectedly, I run off, not wanting it to be true.

The energy that we had been tracing for some time now had finally came to a stop, and we caught up to it only to see that it was Usagi, who was very clearly distressed. I opened my mouth to try and gently and inquire what was wrong only to be cut off by Minako, who said, "So Usagi, do you know why we are dressed like this? Cause we just suddenly got a glow of light and changed and then we could feel you somehow. It's is so weird! Do you know what could have caused it?"

Throughout her entire monologue, Minako had somehow missed the looks the other and and I were all throwing her way, on top of the clear signals from Usagi that she was hurting right now. Silence, painfully dead silence was all that greeted Minako's question and even she could tell at this point that something was bothering Usagi. Gently, I cut in, "Usagi, it is just Minako, Rei, Ami and I. Has something happened to you?"

Again dead silence was the only response that greeted us. Ever the impatient one, Rei irritably asks, "Are you just going to ignore us? Or should we just save ourselves the time and effort?"

Ever so slowly, in a drawn out movement with near-deadly intent in it she turned around and answered with a quiet fury, "Yes, do save yourselves the time and effort. Just like everyone else. Just leave me be. Go now."

Her temper flaring, she barks out, "Well pardon us for being concerned! Next time we will make sure not to ask! What's got you so upset anyways? All you ever give us is anger!"

Usagi's temper flared, but at a level far exceeding anything Rei could ever dream of mustering. "How dare you? If I had focused on him instead of you, I could have been there! I could have protected him!" She is visibly shaking, with a crazed looked in her eyes, as though she wants to lash out at us.

Desperately, I ask, "Who Usagi? You could have protected who?"

Glaring at me, she bites out, "What, you can't even be bothered to find out who you helped kill? You just went ahead for it anyways? I'll tell you. It was my brother who died. In an attack. While I was distracted by you guys."

I look at her, horrified at the revelation. That her brother had died. The others had shocked looks, but I could tell that no one other than myself could understand the significance of this. Even with what little I know about her, I could tell that her brother was the only one that she had truly opened herself up to. I manage to force out, "Oh my… Usagi… I am so sorry!"

Tears are welling up in my eyes as she replies, "I am sure you are. After all, it is not like you were the one keeping me from being at his side."

"Usagi-"

She cuts me off and says, "I do not want to talk to or see any of you ever again. If you come near me, I can promise you that you will not like the consequences. The same way I do not enjoy the consequences of pretending that I was your friend."

And with that she stormed off, leaving the rest of us stunned and completely unsure of what to do.

Rei was the first to recover and grounded out, "If that is her attitude, fine she can have all the space she wants. I don't want anything to do with that."

Minako looks at her horrified, and replies, "Rei how could you say that! We need to go after her! She obviously needs some support."

Rei scoffs, and was about to reply when I interject, "No. Just leave her be. I know what is going through her head right now better than any of you. It would be for the best just to give her some time and space from you three."

Ami looks and me wonderingly, and questions the qualifier, "Why only us three? Obviously it is better to show support in numbers."

Gently , I shoot down her idea shaking my head, "No Ami. I understand her present plight better than any of you. It is best if you just leave her be. Believe me, you approaching her will only make the situation worse. Just leave it to me."

Observing the Senshi through Beryl's crystal ball, Kunzite, Nephrite, Zoicite, Beryl and I regarded the scene in front of us coolly. Discussing the implications of the awakening of the Senshi, nothing of substance was reached until we discussed the one who stormed off.

Zoicite had a confused look on his face as he wondered aloud, "Though none of us has a clear memory of the past, I could have swore that there was only 4 Senshi. The one who left the others, I don't think she was part of the group. Even her storming off indicates that she is the odd one out in the group as a whole."

I then voiced my thoughts, asking aloud, "Why is it that the Senshi have suddenly awoken now though? Nothing of note has happened. If there were anything, we would have noticed. So why suddenly reveal themselves?"

The others were mulling this over until Kunzite said, "There was my fight with that guy. He had a girl with him. I wonder if it was one of the Senshi? Perhaps that attack notified them of our presence, and therefore they re-emerged in to fight us?"

Nodding, I reply, "That is likely what it was. There is not another plausible explanation for what has happened. The question is what is our response?"

Beryl was the one to answer, thoughtfully saying, "Continue with you infiltration of the human world and use Youma to try and create leads. Dismissed."

Bowing, we all reply, "Yes, Queen Beryl-sama."

AN: There it is people. Review and share your thoughts please!